Hansard

My support for the industry is well documented in the Official Report of this Parliament, and I continue, in my current ministerial brief, to be that person; I have just talked about the producers in my constituency. I recognise the work that the member has done in leading the CPG on beer and pubs, and I heard the call to engage on the CPG’s recommendations. I will certainly welcome it if the member wants to engage with me on that, and I know that ministerial colleagues in other portfolios will be interested, too.

Scotland punches well above its weight in the craft beer industry, accounting for 12.1 per cent of the UK’s craft beer market, which is worth £42.5 million. We are committed to supporting growth for the sector through initiatives such as the guest beer agreement; that is a key component of the Scottish pubs code, which came into force this year and is making a positive difference.

Ensuring that brewing and distilling remain not just legacies but areas of future success will depend on knowledge, skills and innovation—areas in which our universities are uniquely placed to excel. Their capacity for adaptation and forward-thinking research will be critical to sustaining those industries in a changing world. Through the proposed CSBD project, Heriot-Watt University will have the capacity to do even more. The Scottish Government remains committed to supporting the role that universities play in Scotland’s economy and society, and I look forward to engaging further with Heriot-Watt on the proposals for the centre.

The debate has shown that there is strong cross-party support for brewing and distilling. That is important, as those are an essential part of Scotland’s national fabric. We have also underlined the role of our higher education sector in ensuring that those important industries are not just rooted in our past, but remain at the forefront of our future, and that we enable opportunities for people to enter those industries and build their skills. We will continue to support those sectors not only for their economic value, but for their leadership, and for the important role that they play in Scotland’s identity and prosperity.

I echo the points that members have made about Sir Geoff Palmer and how the development of the proposed centre will help to add to his strong legacy, which ripples through our constituencies. I had the great privilege of meeting Sir Geoff several times and hearing his enthusiasm for brewing, and I know of the impact that he has made in my constituency, through the businesses that are now developing their craft there. I had the great privilege, on behalf of the Government, of attending his memorial service. In today’s debate, and in many other ways, his legacy lives on, and we look forward to continuing to build on it.