Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 18 December 2025
18 Dec 2025 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Fishing and Coastal Communities
I thank Alasdair Allan very much for lodging the motion for debate, and I thank members for giving their views on this important issue. I am heartened by the fact that there has been broad recognition that the UK Government’s insulting allocation to Scotland from the fishing and coastal growth fund is unacceptable. It is a decision that cannot stand, and it must be revisited.
Mr Allan clearly laid out the details, so I will not reiterate them, but it is clear that our fisher folk are the bedrock of our coastal communities. I remember when, as a shepherd, I would put stuff up on social media and folk would say, “Oh, it must be a really hard life there in the snow.” I always referred to the fact that it is not nearly as hard as it is for the fisher folk, because what they do for our coastal communities to keep the jobs and keep the economy going there is absolutely fantastic.
We have heard about the position of Welsh Labour. I commend Martin Whitfield for sitting in the chamber and listening to the debate, but that is going to be absolutely no comfort to the Scottish coastal communities, as they have seen themselves absolutely hammered by the UK Labour Government.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
The final item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S6M-19427, in the name of Alasdair Allan, on fairer funding allocation for Scotland’s fish...
Alasdair Allan (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP)
SNP
I am grateful for the opportunity to bring to the chamber an issue that matters to every fishing community in Scotland. It certainly matters to people in my ...
Stephen Kerr (Central Scotland) (Con)
Con
I note that Dr Allan referenced a lack of vocalised response to the apportionment of the support funds that he has identified. I want to make it absolutely c...
Alasdair Allan
SNP
I am happy for Andrew Bowie’s words to be on the record and to accept what Stephen Kerr says about his stance and his party’s stance on the issue. In conclu...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
We move to the open debate. I call Tim Eagle.
Stephen Kerr
Con
Hear, hear. 14:19
Tim Eagle (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
I thank my colleague Stephen Kerr. This is the season of good will, so I want to end on a happy note, although, sadly, I have one negative point that I will...
The Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity (Jim Fairlie)
SNP
Does the member accept that there are unprecedented pressures on the processing sector right now and that the decision has been taken in order to protect the...
Tim Eagle
Con
I accept that the processors have made some comments on the issue, but I have had other stakeholders on the phone today, who have told me, “I can’t believe t...
Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP)
SNP
I congratulate my colleague Alasdair Allan on securing this debate and standing up for his constituents. Six months ago, Scotland’s fishing industry found i...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
I advise Mr Gibson and other members that we have members online who are participating in the debate. I call one of them now—Karen Adam. 14:27
Karen Adam (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP)
SNP
I am grateful to Alasdair Allan and congratulate him on bringing the debate to the chamber. The unfairness that his motion describes is felt from the Western...
Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)
Lab
The SNP continues to complain about the fishing and coastal growth fund allocation, but it was devolved at the SNP’s request. It knew that devolved funding c...
Emma Harper (South Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
I support Dr Allan’s motion. I want to highlight the impact that the UK Government’s choice of allocation for the UK EU coastal growth fund has had on our sm...
Alasdair Allan
SNP
Does the member agree that some of what we have heard from members in previous speeches has been truly extraordinary in its attempts to blame Scotland for ha...
Emma Harper
SNP
Absolutely. The twisting of the information is just a distraction from what is happening: the money is going predominantly to English fishermen when most of ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
I call Jim Fairlie to respond to the debate. 14:37
The Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity (Jim Fairlie)
SNP
I thank Alasdair Allan very much for lodging the motion for debate, and I thank members for giving their views on this important issue. I am heartened by the...
Stephen Kerr
Con
I think, however, that the minister ought to address the issues that Rhoda Grant raised. Can he confirm that, when the Scottish Government asked for the fund...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
I can give you the time back, minister.
Jim Fairlie
SNP
Patience, Mr Kerr. Tim Eagle said that we were “better off under the Tories”. Well, I can hardly say that that was the case, given the fact that the Tory Go...
Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Will the minster give way?
Jim Fairlie
SNP
I will take the member’s point in a second. I tried to talk to Dame Angela Eagle about this very point in an interministerial group meeting, but it was utte...
Martin Whitfield
Lab
I am grateful to the minister for taking this intervention and for his kind compliments on my attending the debate—which is interesting in itself. Is what Rh...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
Always speak through the chair.
Jim Fairlie
SNP
I say to Mr Whitfield what I said to Mr Kerr: patience. The decision is insulting to our vital fishing industry and coastal communities, and it demonstrates...
Stephen Kerr
Con
Will the minister give way again?
Jim Fairlie
SNP
Not at this time. On our engagement with the UK Government ahead of its announcement about the fund, we were clear that we expected the funding approach to ...
Stephen Kerr
Con
Will the minister give way?
Jim Fairlie
SNP
No, I will not. Make no mistake: the decision was made in London, and it treats Scotland as an afterthought. Since the UK Government made its announcement...