Hansard

Michael Matheson (Falkirk West) (SNP) SNP Chamber

24 Mar 2026

Climate Change Plan

I am grateful to the cabinet secretary for her statement. I very much agree with her comments about securing the economic value of decarbonisation and achieving net zero. The cabinet secretary will recognise that one of the key areas in which we need to see further decarbonisa...

Michael Matheson SNP Chamber

18 Mar 2026

Portfolio Question Time · Child Poverty (Falkirk Council)

As others have done, I wish Shona Robison well as she departs the Parliament. It has been a real pleasure to serve in the Parliament with her over the past 27 years—I hope that that does not make her feel old—and she leaves with my very best wishes for the future.Local authori...

6. Michael Matheson (Falkirk West) (SNP) SNP Chamber

18 Mar 2026

Portfolio Question Time · Child Poverty (Falkirk Council)

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support local authorities, including Falkirk Council, to deliver vital services, including those aimed at reducing child poverty. (S6O-05661)

Michael Matheson (Falkirk West) (SNP) SNP Chamber

17 Mar 2026

Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill

As I rise to make my last contribution to a debate in this Parliament after some 27 years, I cannot think of a more consequential debate taking place during my time here. I offer my congratulations and thanks to Liam McArthur and to colleagues across the chamber for what has b...

Michael Matheson SNP Chamber

10 Mar 2026

Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

I should declare the fact that I was the justice secretary who introduced the presumption against sentences of less than a year. However, I think that we should leave the sentencing guidelines to stand as they are without necessarily putting them in the bill, for the reasons t...

Michael Matheson SNP Chamber

10 Mar 2026

Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

I will give way briefly to Murdo Fraser.

Michael Matheson SNP Chamber

10 Mar 2026

Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

I am grateful for that clarity. The Government does not always get it right, of course—I can say that, these days, from the back benches. I do not think that we should lower the threshold, because that would send out the wrong signal. The sentencing guidelines can be used by t...

Michael Matheson SNP Chamber

10 Mar 2026

Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

Russell Findlay makes a valid point. We cannot overestimate the scope of coercive and controlling behaviour in different parts of our society. As I said, it happens on a day-in, day-out basis, with social work staff dealing with it through adult protection legislation.My final...

Michael Matheson SNP Chamber

10 Mar 2026

Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

I am grateful for Mr Whittle’s intervention, given that he has been a member of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee and considered the issues.On Christine Grahame’s point, training is one aspect, but I do not believe that the way in which the declaration phase is frame...

Michael Matheson SNP Chamber

10 Mar 2026

Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

I will take Brian Whittle’s intervention, and I will try to deal with both interventions at once.

Michael Matheson SNP Chamber

10 Mar 2026

Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

I will take Christine Grahame’s intervention, and then Brian Whittle’s.20:45

Michael Matheson SNP Chamber

10 Mar 2026

Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

There are issues about potential inequalities that are associated with the bill. Inequality is created when individuals cannot access the palliative care that they would like to have, because it is not available to them—if they had the financial means, they might be able to pu...

Michael Matheson SNP Chamber

10 Mar 2026

Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

Given that coercive and controlling behaviour impacts on a range of aspects of our society, including on vulnerable individuals, I do not believe that it will not impact on vulnerable individuals when it comes to making decisions about assisted dying. I cannot speak for the ac...

Michael Matheson (Falkirk West) (SNP) SNP Chamber

10 Mar 2026

Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

I am grateful to the members who have lodged amendments in this group on coercion, which is one of the key risks that are associated with the bill. During the stage 1 debate, when we were debating coercion, it was asserted—as we have heard tonight—that there is no evidence tha...

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

10 Mar 2026

Document subject to Parliamentary Control

Richard Dixon, is the board satisfied that those in the executive team are able to manage that challenge and that they can put in place project management arrangements to deal with that potentially significant burden on the organisation?

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

10 Mar 2026

Document subject to Parliamentary Control

In my experience, more new things tend to come into your inbox than issues that go away. I presume that getting the programme management structure in place will be critical to ensuring that the organisation can manage the cases in an effective and robust way, so that informal ...

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

10 Mar 2026

Document subject to Parliamentary Control

That is helpful. I presume that you will build experience of using informal resolution as you go. However, it will create additional workload in that you will potentially have to look at a public body’s compliance with any changes following that informal resolution. How are yo...

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

10 Mar 2026

Document subject to Parliamentary Control

Let us turn to your enforcement role. Given your experience to date, it would be helpful to get a sense of how you are finding the approach that you are taking to enforcement. I understand that you have an informal resolution process in the first instance. Could you explain ho...

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

10 Mar 2026

MV Glen Sannox (Hull 801) and MV Glen Rosa (Hull 802)

Okay, and you are making some process changes to enhance oversight—is that correct?

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

10 Mar 2026

MV Glen Sannox (Hull 801) and MV Glen Rosa (Hull 802)

There is a confident executive team. You have been on the board and you are now chair of the board. The principal weakness that you have identified in the oversight by the board is a lack of shipbuilding experience. Is that it?

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

10 Mar 2026

MV Glen Sannox (Hull 801) and MV Glen Rosa (Hull 802)

I turn to Duncan Anderson. The executive team appears to be confident that it is capable of delivering the four vessels and has processes in place that will allow it to deliver them at a market rate, on time and to the specification required. You have been a non-executive memb...

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

10 Mar 2026

MV Glen Sannox (Hull 801) and MV Glen Rosa (Hull 802)

You sound quite confident about that. As CEO at Ferguson Marine, what gives you that level of confidence that you now have in place a management structure that is capable of delivering these vessels on budget, on time and to the spec that is required?

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

10 Mar 2026

MV Glen Sannox (Hull 801) and MV Glen Rosa (Hull 802)

I will turn to the Government’s announcement of a direct award to Ferguson Marine to construct four new vessels of three different designs. Given the history and our previous experience, what assurances can you give us that you will be able to deliver those vessels at what wou...

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

10 Mar 2026

MV Glen Sannox (Hull 801) and MV Glen Rosa (Hull 802)

Okay. Thanks.

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

10 Mar 2026

MV Glen Sannox (Hull 801) and MV Glen Rosa (Hull 802)

I presume that, if the cost is around £1 million for the Glen Sannox, it will be a similar additional cost for the Glen Rosa for that work to be carried out.

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

10 Mar 2026

MV Glen Sannox (Hull 801) and MV Glen Rosa (Hull 802)

Are the lessons that you have learned from the Glen Sannox being applied to the Glen Rosa?

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

10 Mar 2026

MV Glen Sannox (Hull 801) and MV Glen Rosa (Hull 802)

In case you are thinking of giving me the price for all propellers.

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

10 Mar 2026

MV Glen Sannox (Hull 801) and MV Glen Rosa (Hull 802)

For the replacement of the propellers on the Glen Sannox.

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

10 Mar 2026

MV Glen Sannox (Hull 801) and MV Glen Rosa (Hull 802)

What are those costs?

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

10 Mar 2026

MV Glen Sannox (Hull 801) and MV Glen Rosa (Hull 802)

I presume that those changes are having to be carried out under warranty. Are the costs associated with dealing with the cracks and the work to identify a change in propeller being incurred by you?

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

10 Mar 2026

MV Glen Sannox (Hull 801) and MV Glen Rosa (Hull 802)

Okay. What is the timeframe for the changes that will be made to the propellers?

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

10 Mar 2026

MV Glen Sannox (Hull 801) and MV Glen Rosa (Hull 802)

Good morning. I turn to the issues with the Glen Sannox. It has now had to have emergency repairs associated with cracks in its hull carried out on two occasions. Do you know the cause of the cracks, and will the repairs that have now been carried out permanently resolve the i...

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

10 Mar 2026

Railways Bill

That is helpful. I was trying to clarify whether we are still going to have a five-year period, as with the existing CP arrangements, so that we have a clear line of sight on what the infrastructure investment profile looks like. That is important for the industry, and for man...

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

10 Mar 2026

Railways Bill

I have a couple of points to ask the cabinet secretary to clarify. In your opening comments, you mentioned the creation of a new rail infrastructure funding mechanism for GBR. With the creation of GBR, is it the intention that rail infrastructure investment in the future will ...

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

10 Mar 2026

Railways Bill

Given the underpinning of the MOU in statute, I presume that there will also be an opportunity for parliamentary scrutiny at some point once it has been finalised.

Michael Matheson (Falkirk West) (SNP) SNP Committee

10 Mar 2026

Railways Bill

Good morning. A key part of making the new arrangements work effectively is the memorandum of understanding that will be developed between the Scottish Government and the UK Government. Can you give us a bit of insight into how things stand in that regard? Do you envisage it s...

Michael Matheson SNP Chamber

05 Mar 2026

Draft Climate Change Plan

I will briefly touch on a couple of other areas, one of which is transport. Several members have raised the challenges that we face with electrification. Significant progress has been made on that, but there is a significant challenge, especially in the heavy goods vehicle sec...

Michael Matheson SNP Chamber

05 Mar 2026

Draft Climate Change Plan

I very much agree. It is not a question of not deploying new technologies; it is a question of recognising that some of them carry different levels of risk. As well as being mindful of that, we must ensure that the final plan is drafted in such a way that it has enough conting...

Michael Matheson (Falkirk West) (SNP) SNP Chamber

05 Mar 2026

Draft Climate Change Plan

To begin, I apologise for being slightly late for the start of the debate.I will seek to draw the debate together in a consensual fashion, given the importance of the issue. I put on record my thanks to all those members who have contributed to the debate and, in particular, t...

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

03 Mar 2026

Draft Climate Change Plan

:Thanks.

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

03 Mar 2026

Draft Climate Change Plan

:Thanks. There are challenges for the Scottish Government to bring together credible contingency plans, given the level of uncertainty that it may have over reserved policy areas—which, I think, by your calculation, make up just over 40 per cent of what has to be achieved in t...

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

03 Mar 2026

Draft Climate Change Plan

:That is very helpful. To stick with contingency planning, you have recommended that the Scottish Government carry that out for areas in which it lacks agency or in which policy is reserved. The emissions trading scheme, CCS, the electric vehicle mandate and so on, as well as ...

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

03 Mar 2026

Draft Climate Change Plan

:Sorry—the question is for Emily.

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

03 Mar 2026

Draft Climate Change Plan

:That is helpful. I will ask Emily Nurse a specific question on the issue of buildings. You mentioned that the figure that is being used in the CCP has been modelled to bank a reduction in energy use due to high gas prices and warmer winters. Are you effectively saying that th...

Michael Matheson (Falkirk West) (SNP) SNP Committee

03 Mar 2026

Draft Climate Change Plan

Good morning. I will pick up on some of the risks that you have identified in your report for the CCP. You have identified significant risk in a couple of areas, particularly in relation to buildings, which we have touched on, and agriculture. You flagged up a concern about th...

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

17 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

There are only so many mitigation measures that can be put in place, so there will be only so much mitigation that can be done. Given the Scottish Government’s ambition to reach 40GW of offshore wind by 2040, where we are in the delivery pipeline in Scottish waters, as well as...

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

17 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

The hierarchy is helpful in trying to understand part of the process. Outwith the direct project, who will decide what the mitigations to offset the habitats impact of the project should be? Will the developer put forward the proposal on, for example, plans to do stoat or rat ...

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

17 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

Good afternoon, cabinet secretary. The instrument is an important step, given the challenges that the previous regulations have posed for the development of projects. I suppose that one of the key issues will be the governance process for the decision making on where mitigatio...

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

17 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

What exactly will the individual whose bus pass is potentially being removed receive? They will receive notification from Transport Scotland, but will they also receive details of the evidence that has been submitted by either the bus company or the police in support of the re...

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

17 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

So, an independent person would review the matter.

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

17 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

I understand that—I am not asking whose decision it is. I am just trying to establish the point that there has to be an evidential threshold, and that that evidential threshold has to be the balance of probabilities. Indeed, I cannot see how you can do it any other way, unless...

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

17 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

If there was that requirement, you would have to be calling witnesses, et cetera, so decisions will have to be made on the balance of probabilities. Surely, that is the settled position.That means that, if someone commits an offence on a bus and they are subsequently convicted...

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

17 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

If it the threshold was going to be beyond reasonable doubt, you would have to call witnesses—

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

17 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

So, decisions would be made on the balance of probabilities

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

17 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

I will ask the lawyer who is at the meeting. Kelly Minio-Paluello, what threshold is intended for the scheme to operate?

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

17 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

I am not asking for the exact threshold. I presume that the decision would be made on the balance of probabilities, rather than a requirement that the evidence was beyond reasonable doubt. I am trying to establish the evidential threshold.It would be a civil matter, not a cri...

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

17 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

Good morning. I want to step back from the exchange with Monica Lennon and deal with the process. If an individual committed an offence on the bus, what evidential threshold would be used for determining any decision to remove their bus pass?

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

17 Feb 2026

NatureScot (Annual Report and Accounts and Future Priorities)

Thank you.

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

17 Feb 2026

NatureScot (Annual Report and Accounts and Future Priorities)

Will you come back to the committee with those details?

Michael Matheson SNP Committee

17 Feb 2026

NatureScot (Annual Report and Accounts and Future Priorities)

Okay. It would be interesting to see a breakdown of the cases that go to the ECU—against local authorities—for which you are not able to meet the timeframes, what the reasons are for that and what actions you have taken, as well as how you ensure that the board has proper over...