Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing) SNP

The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-13679, in the name of Kate Forbes, on Scottish Government priorities: growing the economy. I call on the ...

The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic (Kate Forbes) SNP

When I took up the role of Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic—six weeks ago, I believe, although the election has distracted ...

Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Con

Kate Forbes is correct to say that, but why did the Scottish Government feel the need to cut the budget for the university and college sector, which is instr...

Kate Forbes SNP

Liz Smith is right that the college and university sector is critical; I am about to talk about education and skills. She will recall that our public finance...

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Con

Will the member take an intervention?

Kate Forbes SNP

Why not?

Murdo Fraser Con

At the launch of the Scottish National Party manifesto this morning—which, I believe, the Deputy First Minister attended—I was intrigued to see that the SNP ...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

I will take the opportunity, at this early stage in proceedings, to remind members that the debate is about matters for which Parliament has responsibility. ...

Kate Forbes SNP

I am sure, having shared multiple platforms with Mr Fraser in various hustings around the country, that I will shortly have the opportunity to answer his que...

Fergus Ewing (Inverness and Nairn) (SNP) SNP

I am most grateful to the Deputy First Minister for giving way. Does she agree that economic growth is not all about more money and more cash—it is also abo...

Kate Forbes SNP

I agree that we need to ensure that Scotland is a great place to do business. I will perhaps come on to that in the limited time that I have available. For ...

Paul Sweeney (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab

Will the member take an intervention?

Kate Forbes SNP

Do I have time?

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

There is a bit of time in hand.

Paul Sweeney Lab

I thank the cabinet secretary for giving way. She raised an important issue about the growth and scaling of firms in Scotland. One of the concerns that has o...

Kate Forbes SNP

Paul Sweeney has put his finger on it when it comes to our ambition for Scottish start-ups. In supporting companies to start up and then scale up, we do not ...

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Con

As the Deputy First Minister fairly said, she and I, as well as Mr Johnson and others, have been doing the rounds with various debates during the course of t...

Kate Forbes SNP

Who would the member say has been responsible for Scotland outperforming the rest of the UK economically in recent times?

Murdo Fraser Con

The Deputy First Minister needs to look at the wider picture, because, since 2014, the Scottish economy has grown, on average, at half the rate at which the ...

Fergus Ewing SNP

Would Murdo Fraser agree that, as far as the development of renewables in the UK is concerned, which both Governments and all parties agree is a huge opportu...

Murdo Fraser Con

Mr Ewing makes an important point. I do not like making off-the-cuff responses to ideas that I have not heard before, but I think that he identifies correctl...

Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) SNP

I hear what Murdo Fraser says. However, does he congratulate the Scottish Government on the fact that the majority of people in Scotland pay less in income t...

Murdo Fraser Con

The benefit with regard to income tax is a few pennies a week and it makes no substantial difference to people’s household incomes. Anybody who earns more th...

Paul Sweeney Lab

Will the member give way on that point?

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

The member is bringing his remarks to a close.

Murdo Fraser Con

I apologise for being unable to take the intervention. Our ambition, which is set out in our amendment, is to keep taxes in Scotland competitive with those ...

Daniel Johnson (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Lab

I will start by approaching the debate very much in the spirit that the Government is offering—the economy is too important to be discussed only in the narro...

Fergus Ewing SNP

I must say that I agree with the principles behind what Mr Johnson has said. Does he agree that, to achieve that growth in renewables, it is essential that w...

Daniel Johnson Lab

I agree with the broad sentiment. I suspect that there might be some points of disagreement implied, but I will acknowledge two things. First, transition is ...

The Deputy Presiding Officer LD

I can be relatively generous.