Hansard

I would like to thank all members for what has been, by and large, a constructive debate. I think that it is true to say that there is consensus that community wealth building is an approach to economic development that can help to deliver sustainable growth and foster resilience in our local economies. Legislating for community wealth building means that there will be consistent implementation across Scotland of an economic development model that benefits communities by creating and protecting jobs, supporting business growth and extending influence over how assets are owned and used.

In line with the principles that underpin our public sector reform aims, the bill as introduced was designed to deliver impact while being lean and focused. Murdo Fraser talked about resources, and I welcome his support, at stages 2 and 3, for ensuring that the bill remained lean and focused. Our objective is to deliver in an efficient way within the public sector. Keeping the bill focused on the ability to deliver in as lean a way as possible is absolutely core to our mission.

Through the process of scrutiny that was led by the Economy and Fair Work Committee, the bill acquired some additions that add value. The final provisions in the Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill empower our public sector bodies rather than dictate to them. The statements that it requires future Scottish Governments to make, allied to the statutory guidance that will be published, will help local partnerships to produce tailored and practical action plans.

On Murdo Fraser’s point about what is next, it is clear that significant work must be done on pulling the guidance together. Officials are already working on that and will continue to bring it forward. I am sure that any future Government will be keen to engage widely across the chamber on the guidance to ensure that it is effective in delivering on the agenda.

I will turn to some of the contributions from members. Murdo Fraser and Daniel Johnson made a point about moving assets into local ownership and use and making that as straightforward and easy as possible. In my application of the existing asset transfer legislation, the principle that I adopt—as does the Government more widely—is the presumption that the transfer will add value to local communities and that such transfers should be supported wherever possible.

At one interesting point in the debate, Daniel Johnson said that whether someone was a capitalist, a socialist, an environmentalist or a social democrat, they should support the bill, and Stephen Kerr asked him which of those things he was. I think that we now know the answer to that question. Based on his incitement of community groups not to wait for permission but just to take over land, be it private or public, we can say that Daniel Johnson is by nature an anarchist, which is an interesting reflection. [Laughter.] Meanwhile, Lorna Slater self-identified as an entrepreneur. There has been some interesting crossover of perspectives in this discussion, which I think has added to the strength of the bill.

Lorna Slater made some really good points about the potential for alternative business models to grow to scale, and I think that that is absolutely key. There is no reason why supported businesses, whether co-operatives or employee-owned businesses, cannot grow to scale and be significant engines in the economy. Richard Leonard shares that perspective and articulates it very well. Lorna Slater’s call for communities to take advantage of the legislation and to power it forward to the next phase was very welcome.

There were calls for wider work in that regard. It is worth reflecting on some of those calls, because the bill is not the beginning or the end—it is very much a part of the journey. It builds on some of the great work that has already happened, including work on asset transfer legislation, work that we are taking forward on compulsory sales orders and reforming the compulsory purchase order regime, and work that the Registers of Scotland is focused on delivering around the land register. All of that work continues.

I want to make special mention of the procurement achievements of previous Governments since the 2014 act was passed. It is nice and very useful to know that Stephen Kerr is not, in principle, opposed to Wiltshire. [Laughter.] On his point about procurement, however, it is easy to say that we need to do more. We absolutely need to do more, but it is also important, if we are serious about making progress, to recognise what has been achieved. As I outlined in my opening speech, in Scotland, 47 per cent of our £16.5 billion public sector procurement spend is with SMEs, which is more than double the rate of the UK as a whole, and we should be proud of that. In fact, SMEs’ share of public sector procurement is larger than SMEs’ share of the total economy. Although we want to continue to do more in that regard, it is important to recognise the significant progress that has been made in the platform that we are building on.

Richard Leonard’s comments are always worth listening to, whether or not members agree with all of them. His point about the level of ambition is absolutely important and something to be taken on board. He is absolutely right about the need to have something serious in mind. The Government is genuine in engaging with the issues. His amendments were not agreed to for various reasons, but, on the intent and principle behind them, we will take forward work in that regard where we can. When he started talking about Nye Bevan and used a quote about mice, I was not sure whether he was going to pivot to Nye Bevan’s other famous quote about vermin. Thankfully, Richard Leonard did not go there, because that would have destroyed the consensual atmosphere that we have had in the discussion.

I will close by thanking all the people and organisations who are already making community wealth building a reality across Scotland. There has been a great deal of interest in the passage of the legislation in Scotland and, indeed, beyond. Lorna Slater’s comment about the worldwide fame that the bill has achieved through the mechanism of TikTok is worth reflecting on. Scotland can claim many firsts, and I urge members to vote for the bill, which will make it the first national community wealth building legislation in the world.