Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 18 January 2024
18 Jan 2024 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Scottish Rural and Islands Youth Parliament
I am grateful to Murdo Fraser, who invites me down a rabbit hole, in a sense, because he knows very well that I feel passionately about the fact that, although I speak about a partnership between the people and Government, between business and Government and between communities and Government, I think that at the minute we have too much Government in this country. We need to look at how we rebalance things in Scotland so that more power is devolved to communities and so that some of the things that he described in his intervention can happen.
I have run out of time and I have not had a chance to talk about education, which I am passionate about, or the need for local services and for connectivity. Connectivity is such a big issue. I will wind up by saying this: when the cabinet secretary talks in such a flowery way about listening to the young people of rural Scotland, she should remember that much of rural Scotland does not think that this Government cares tuppence about their concerns. I just hope that these young people, when they were speaking to the cabinet secretary, got through, because so many other people have tried and failed to do so.
16:12In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Alison Johnstone)
NPA
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-11896, in the name of Mairi Gougeon, on the Scottish rural and islands youth parliament. 15:32
The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands (Mairi Gougeon)
SNP
As we approach a number of pivotal points for rural policy, including the emerging rural delivery plan and consideration of the Agriculture and Rural Communi...
Jamie Halcro Johnston (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
As someone from a rural island area in the Highlands and Islands, I agree that housing is vital. We have a crisis in rural areas. How is cutting the housing ...
Mairi Gougeon
SNP
I reiterate the point that I have just made about us facing the worst settlement since devolution. We have had some very difficult choices to make, and we fa...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Can we hear the cabinet secretary, please?
Mairi Gougeon
SNP
The funding for rural homes remains unchanged, and that is vital. Our demand-led rural and islands housing fund has now become a recognised feature of the a...
Rachael Hamilton (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con)
Con
In the Borders, which is a rural area, it takes young adults 39 weeks to get their first appointment for child and adolescent mental health services. That is...
Mairi Gougeon
SNP
That is why the work that we are doing and the work that I just mentioned, which was published in June last year, is so important in trying to make a differe...
Stephen Kerr (Central Scotland) (Con)
Con
Will the cabinet secretary give way on that point?
Mairi Gougeon
SNP
I am sorry—I will not at the moment. I need to make some progress. We have opportunities to make that a reality through education reform, through the accele...
Jamie Halcro Johnston
Con
Will the cabinet secretary give way?
Mairi Gougeon
SNP
I cannot at the moment. Another key matter that was discussed was the role of carers. The Scottish Government absolutely values the support that Scotland’s ...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I must ask you to conclude, minister.
Mairi Gougeon
SNP
—and without the dedication and hard work of adult and youth volunteers, it would not be possible. I say a final thank you to them and to our youth delegates...
Rachael Hamilton (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con)
Con
The Scottish rural and islands youth parliament serves to unite people. Unfortunately, however, the cross-party groups in the Scottish Parliament were not in...
Jim Fairlie (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP)
SNP
If Rachael Hamilton is concerned about young people being able to travel, does she regret the loss of the Erasmus scheme?
Rachael Hamilton
Con
It is clear that Jim Fairlie has missed the UK Government’s delivery of the Turing scheme. I am quite surprised by that. With 13.2 per cent of schools in ru...
Alasdair Allan (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP)
SNP
Does Rachael Hamilton think that many rural communities would find it helpful if local authorities had the power to consider whether a given community had to...
Rachael Hamilton
Con
It is, of course, important that the economy is driven by tourism. A lot of accommodation in Scotland is important to rural areas, particularly the Borders, ...
Jamie Halcro Johnston
Con
Dr Allan has raised an important issue. Does Rachael Hamilton think that what he said was slightly hypocritical, given that the health secretary has a second...
Rachael Hamilton
Con
Perhaps somebody should register their interests while they are chuntering from the sidelines. In 2016, the Scottish Government pledged £25 million to boost...
Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)
Lab
I was glad to be able to attend the rural and islands youth parliament in Fort William. To see so many young people there was really refreshing. The parliame...
Beatrice Wishart (Shetland Islands) (LD)
LD
I welcome the debate and the opportunity to speak on behalf of the Scottish Liberal Democrats. First, I express my disappointment at not being able to join m...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
We move to the open debate. 16:01
Evelyn Tweed (Stirling) (SNP)
SNP
In gathering 75 young people from across Scotland, the inaugural Scottish rural and islands youth parliament was a real success. The feedback has been resoun...
Stephen Kerr (Central Scotland) (Con)
Con
Evelyn Tweed hit the nail on the head in her last couple of sentences. It is not good enough to produce lots of plans and strategies and have lots of talk an...
Alasdair Allan
SNP
I absolutely agree that the ambition to own their own home is a great ambition for people to have, but does the member recognise that there are parts of Scot...
Stephen Kerr
Con
Dr Allan raises an important point and I think that he may have mistaken me for someone else. I do not believe that the market is the answer for everything; ...
Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
Would Mr Kerr accept that we do not have a free market in housing? We have incredibly restrictive planning rules that mean that, for example, in rural areas,...
Stephen Kerr
Con
I am grateful to Murdo Fraser, who invites me down a rabbit hole, in a sense, because he knows very well that I feel passionately about the fact that, althou...