Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing) SNP

The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-14823, in the name of Maggie Chapman, on free bus travel for asylum seekers. I invite members who wish to...

Maggie Chapman (North East Scotland) (Green) Green

Imagine a bus stop where a line of people is waiting. They are accustomed to waiting. They have all been waiting for more than a year for a decision on their...

The Cabinet Secretary for Transport (Fiona Hyslop) SNP

I take the opportunity to welcome Sue Webber and Claire Baker to their new positions. I hope that everyone in the chamber would support the idea that people...

Maggie Chapman Green

I am sure that the cabinet secretary will be aware that, last year, prior to the agreed money, a pilot in Glasgow and work in Aberdeen had been delivering fr...

Fiona Hyslop SNP

The experiences helped with my decision and position when I set out the Government’s position a year ago in the debate to which Maggie Chapman referred. I ha...

Paul Sweeney (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab

Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?

Fiona Hyslop SNP

I need to move on, please. Meanwhile, the Scottish Government remains firmly committed to supporting people seeking asylum, refugees and communities through...

Sue Webber (Lothian) (Con) Con

Last November, the then First Minister, Humza Yousaf, confirmed the free bus travel for asylum seekers scheme and said that £2 million had been set aside to ...

Maggie Chapman Green

Does the member agree that we should be funding winter fuel payments and free bus travel for asylum seekers? She was in the chamber for the previous debate, ...

Sue Webber Con

I do not recognise the description that it is being hoarded by a few. The only tax that the Green Party seems to like is tax that other people are paying. Th...

Gillian Mackay (Central Scotland) (Green) Green

Does Sue Webber recognise that it is extremely dangerous to pit vulnerable groups against each other and that there is no suggestion that money should be tak...

Sue Webber Con

I remind Ms Mackay that our pensioners are some of the most vulnerable people in Scotland. I am standing up for them. This plan shows what is wrong with Scot...

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Lab

I am pleased to open the debate, and I look forward to working with colleagues across the chamber. I recognise the contribution of Alex Rowley, who was previ...

Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (LD) LD

Unlike Sue Webber, I think that this is a very apposite motion to bring to Parliament, and I congratulate the Greens and Maggie Chapman for so doing. First ...

Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Green

Would Mr Cole-Hamilton like to reflect on Sue Webber’s comments, which were inherently divisive and pitted the needs of pensioners in this country against pe...

Alex Cole-Hamilton LD

Of course I am willing to condemn those comments. It is wholly wrong to pit one vulnerable group against another, because they are not mutually exclusive, an...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

Mr Cole-Hamilton, you are over your time. You need to conclude, please.

Alex Cole-Hamilton LD

I will draw my speech to a conclusion. I absolutely support the Greens’ motion and thank the party for securing it for debate.

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

We now move to the open debate. 16:27

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green) Green

It is a pleasure to follow that speech and I congratulate Alex Cole-Hamilton for many of the points that he made. I begin by putting on record my thanks to ...

Bob Doris (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) SNP

When the topic was debated in the Scottish Parliament last October, I said that we must find a way to deliver free bus travel to all asylum seekers. I also s...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

On a procedural point, Mr Doris, you will need to bring your remarks to a close, please.

Bob Doris SNP

The point is that we come together as a Parliament, and we agree on the matter. 16:36

Douglas Ross (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con

I, too, welcome Sue Webber to her new role. We have heard contrasting views in the debate today, but all of us want to see support for people locally who ar...

Gillian Mackay Green

Made a request to intervene.

Douglas Ross Con

The link is that the current Scottish Government would like to do all those things if it had more money from Westminster. I will give way if Gillian Mackay i...

Gillian Mackay Green

Will Mr Ross acknowledge that the economic choices of his party are partly what has got us in the mess that we are in now? It is also considerably disinge...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

Thank you. The intervention was a bit long.

Douglas Ross Con

I am sorry if Gillian Mackay did not hear me. I was actually saying the exact opposite of what she is saying. I support what Sue Webber said, because the Go...

Richard Leonard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lab

I begin with the words of the great poet Tom Leonard, who wrote: “I am a human being and I exist a human being and a citizen of the world responsible to...