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Every contribution to the Official Report — chamber and committee — searchable in one place. Pulled from data.parliament.scot, indexed for full-text search, linked through to every MSP.

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Showing 60 of 2,354,908 contributions. Latest 30 days: 0. Coverage: 12 May 1999 — 25 Mar 2026.
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
Current Petitions
I support Jackie Baillie's view. However, I note that the response from Capability Scotland raises the point that she mentioned and says that the approach that funders take"makes it very difficult for innovative initiatives like Mr Clark's to emerge, unless Mr Clark was prepar...
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
Current Petitions
Even if the board did not want to respond before the decision was made, it could have done so in the six weeks that have passed since then.
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
Current Petitions
The petition was prompted by NHS Greater Glasgow's proposal to close the 15-bed in-patient unit at the Glasgow homoeopathic hospital. Members might or might not be aware that, about a month ago, the board decided not to proceed with the proposal.However, the petition also rais...
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
Current Petitions
I certainly agree with that, but there is a great possibility that the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport has seen none of the correspondence. I suggest that you chase up a response by speaking to her.
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
Current Petitions
The responses are interesting. Basically, the Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care does not accept the case—that is not an unfair way of paraphrasing what she said. The comment from the John Denmark unit in Manchester was:"This department considers the remit for menta...
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
New Petitions
Is there a way in which the committee can make a positive response as well?
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
New Petitions
I have little to add to what Jackie Baillie has said about keeping things in perspective in terms of what is happening on Saturday, the concerts in London and Edinburgh and, of course, events at Gleneagles—or as close to it as the protestors are able to get. I support their ri...
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
New Petitions
It was not a criticism of you, convener.
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
New Petitions
Are they not? I apologise. Individual members on those councils should be following those party policies. The presumption is important. Another important issue that has been drawn to our attention by Richard Baker and the petition is councils giving erroneous reasons for closi...
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
New Petitions
I will make a general point first. This morning, we received a letter from the chairperson of the Arbirlot parents group, which expresses her concern—in fact, she says that she was astounded—at not being called to give evidence. I will not open up that issue, as the convener c...
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
New Petitions
I agree, convener. I was with you when Duncan McAlister presented the petition. He was perfectly entitled to lodge a petition, but his timing was a bit unfortunate, given the progress of the bill through the Parliament. As you say, we will consider the bill at stage 3 in two d...
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
New Petitions
You always say that.
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
New Petitions
Finally, are you against bridge tolls in general or just the tolls on the Erskine bridge? Do you have a view on the tolls on the Tay and Forth bridges? Indeed, should phase 2 of the Executive's programme remove all tolls?
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
New Petitions
You have lobbied the former Minister for Transport and Glasgow City Council, so we will see what that brings. As I live in Glasgow, I am familiar with the pressure on the Kingston bridge. I also know that, although making the Erskine bridge toll free would take some pressure o...
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
New Petitions
You said that several local authorities have supported your case. Is Glasgow City Council one of them?
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
New Petitions
You are saying that 100 new jobs could be created if the bridge were toll free. The issue is not that the weekly £6.20 cost of crossing the bridge means that people north of the river are not accessing jobs in Greenock or that people south of the river are not accessing jobs i...
Mike Watson (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
New Petitions
Good morning. I admit to being open minded about the matter—I am here to be convinced of the case for ending the tolls on the Erskine bridge in isolation. You mentioned the economic impact of the tolls. What evidence is there that people in Dumbarton, for example, who want to ...
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
Business Growth Inquiry
We had talked about that inquiry and I had noted that it had slipped.
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
Business Growth Inquiry
I simply wanted to make the point.
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
Business Growth Inquiry
There is a minor point that I thought that Richard Baker might have made. I do not want to go on to another subject, but we said that the football inquiry should be wrapped up before the October recess. I see that it will not be and that it will continue until at least the mid...
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
Business Growth Inquiry
That is right—there was indeed a formal session in Campbeltown.
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
Business Growth Inquiry
Committees regularly meet outwith the Parliament and we could meet outwith it too. I do not think that the committee has ever met outside Edinburgh. Committees should not be entirely Edinburgh-based.
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
Business Growth Inquiry
You are right to ask that, but if that is not possible and no committee meeting can take place in the Parliament, let us hold a committee meeting somewhere else. We could meet in the Holyrood Hotel or the Tun, for example. We should not simply accept that we cannot meet on 4 O...
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
Business Growth Inquiry
Can the committee not meet somewhere other than in the Parliament? Why do we not meet somewhere else nearby?
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
Business Growth Inquiry
I meant economically active.
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
Business Growth Inquiry
Not in our lifetime.
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
Business Growth Inquiry
I have two points to raise. Like everyone else, I think that the five priority themes are useful. I am particularly drawn to the first theme on demography, migration and so on. Wolfgang Michalski has rightly identified the fact that, although we train a lot of people, we do no...
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
Business Growth Inquiry
But they are still growing the business.
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
Business Growth Inquiry
I do not want to go over the ground that you covered in your presentation. However, although I understand your point that"vacancies are markedly higher among growing firms than non-growing firms",presumably because they need staff, I do not understand your point that"growing f...
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
Business Growth Inquiry
You would expect that benefit to be apparent, so the fact that business start-up and sustainability rates are lower in Scotland than in England would not seem to be related to skills. However, we keep coming back to the point about soft skills. You showed us employers' views o...
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
Business Growth Inquiry
That is one of the parts of your submission that I noticed. I found your concluding remarks, which you have just repeated, interesting, as I did the fact that public spending on education and skills has been 18 per cent higher in Scotland than in England over the past 30 years...
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
Business Growth Inquiry
You also make the point that"The qualifications that small firms must undertake to comply with FSA regulation do not attract any Government Funding".Has the sector made representations to the Government to try to change that?
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
Business Growth Inquiry
That impacts on the point that was made in one submission that if an employer provides training, it has a greater chance of retaining employees.Your submission says:"Employment in Financial Services in Scotland has grown by 22 per cent over the last 10 years compared to 1.5 pe...
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
Business Growth Inquiry
Another customer service issue arises from the choice by several companies in the financial sector to indulge in what you describe as offshoring. If companies can do that and ship jobs to India, because they pay much less in basic salaries there, what is the incentive to train...
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
Business Growth Inquiry
When you talk about core skills, are you talking about the skills with which young people emerge from school or even college or university?
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
Business Growth Inquiry
Mary Greene's submission contains some interesting facts on skills shortages. You say that, largely because of skills shortages, the financial services sector"has the highest Vacancy Rate … of any sector in Scotland".Where are those skills shortages? Where are we not up to the...
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
Business Growth Inquiry
Is there a difference between indigenous Scottish companies and those that are not headquartered in Scotland but which happen to do quite a bit of work in this country in terms of their propensity to take on apprentices or to train existing workforces to refresh and modernise ...
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
Business Growth Inquiry
Can your sector cope with the additional training? If, as you say, you are losing 1,600 people a year, what effect will that have on business growth, particularly in the smaller companies? I think that you said that 55 per cent of workplaces have fewer than five people working...
Mike Watson (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): Ind Committee
28 Jun 2005
Business Growth Inquiry
I am particularly interested in the two individual sectors that we are dealing with. In his introductory remarks, Graeme Ogilvy talked about the number of modern apprenticeships in Scotland; I think he said that we have 25 per cent of the number for the whole of the UK. That i...
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
22 Jun 2005
Current Petitions
The Executive states in its response that it will discuss that.I want to raise another issue. The petition refers to walking distances sometimes being in excess of two miles. I do not know Musselburgh and I do not know what the Stoneybank area is like, but I would have thought...
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
22 Jun 2005
Current Petitions
The response is helpful and quite revealing, but I have to say that it does not deal with the main issue. It deals specifically with post offices that are in deprived urban areas, which is helpful as far as it goes, but it does not go far enough. I noticed that the fund to dev...
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
22 Jun 2005
Current Petitions
I agree. The minister in whose name that letter was signed on 15 April has now moved on, but that should not affect the issue. I believe that we should follow the matter up as you suggest.I am also concerned about the additional paperwork that we have received this morning. Mr...
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
22 Jun 2005
New Petitions
The Executive would have to become involved, as a change to the existing legislation would be required. Sportscotland and the National Playing Fields Association Scotland have a view on the loss or potential loss of sports facilities and I think that we should write to them. B...
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
22 Jun 2005
New Petitions
As members will have noticed, my motion on the subject is mentioned in the accompanying paperwork. Mr Sutherland has been very supportive of the motion and we have been in contact about the matter. However, I have not been in contact with him on the particular issue that has b...
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
22 Jun 2005
New Petitions
I agree with Sandra White. The six motions that members have lodged on the subject have been supported by a broad spread of members from most parties. Only the Conservative party's members have not supported at least one motion. A clear majority in the Parliament is for the vi...
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
22 Jun 2005
New Petitions
I suggest that we give Maureen Macmillan the chance to read the response that all members of the committee have received from Highland Council this morning, which is interesting. I am sorry—the response is from one of the councillors in the area rather than from the council it...
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
22 Jun 2005
New Petitions
If the status quo is not an option, there must be something else.
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
22 Jun 2005
New Petitions
Well—
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
22 Jun 2005
New Petitions
So is Aberdeenshire Council proposing to send the children into mainstream education?
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
22 Jun 2005
New Petitions
If St Andrew's school closes, what would be the option for the Aberdeenshire area?
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
22 Jun 2005
New Petitions
If the school were to be closed, what would be the nearest available school for the parents of those children?
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
22 Jun 2005
New Petitions
And I presume that, although the school is in Stonehaven, pupils from a much wider area attend it.
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
22 Jun 2005
New Petitions
You said that various options have been offered. Is the status quo one of those options?
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
22 Jun 2005
New Petitions
To make the case for establishing another region with a lower population level would be a more difficult matter than simply saying that one such region exists already. I would like clarification on that.
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
22 Jun 2005
New Petitions
I would like an answer to the question about population. The European Commission has an office in Edinburgh, so we should simply ask it. Christine Grahame mentioned the Highlands and Islands. Its population is less than 800,000, but it is an established region.
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
22 Jun 2005
New Petitions
I am going by the map that we have here. The NUTS II areas of south-west Scotland seem to me—although it is difficult to be precise—to include Glasgow. Glasgow alone has about 600,000 people, so you must be in the 800,000 bracket.
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
22 Jun 2005
New Petitions
I accept that. The current NUTS II area must have a population of more than 800,000.
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
22 Jun 2005
New Petitions
There would have to be a big variant, would there not? There would have to be a complete departure from that principle.
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
22 Jun 2005
New Petitions
I can see from the map how far south South Ayrshire stretches; it must be part of the south of Scotland. I wonder whether simply adopting two local authority boundaries is the best way to designate the south of Scotland area, although I understand that that has wider implicati...
Mike Watson: Ind Committee
22 Jun 2005
New Petitions
The information that we have is from our clerks, who are ultra-reliable. Given what the regulations state, it seems that the population issue to which Herr Hanreich refers is an insurmountable hurdle.Is the south of Scotland area to which you refer the area that used to be a E...
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Committee

Public Petitions Committee, 28 Jun 2005

28 Jun 2005 · S2 · Public Petitions Committee
Item of business
New Petitions
Erskine Bridge (Tolls) (PE869)
Watson, Mike Ind Glasgow Cathcart Watch on SPTV
Good morning. I admit to being open minded about the matter—I am here to be convinced of the case for ending the tolls on the Erskine bridge in isolation. You mentioned the economic impact of the tolls. What evidence is there that people in Dumbarton, for example, who want to go to Greenock or vice versa for work opportunities are either dissuaded or put off entirely from doing so because of the bridge tolls? Travelling by train into Glasgow and out again would cost more and take far longer. Moreover, I would think that it would cost at least 60p in petrol to drive through the Clyde tunnel. What evidence have you or your local authority put together about the economic disadvantage caused by the existence of the tolls on the Erskine bridge?

In the same item of business

The Convener: Lab
Our first new petition this morning is PE869, by Councillor Andrew White, which calls on the Scottish Parliament to require the Scottish Executive to remove ...
Councillor Andrew White (West Dunbartonshire Council):
I thank the convener and the committee for receiving the petition and for allowing me to make a brief statement. The petition is a joint petition by me, as l...
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): Lab
It will come as no surprise to the committee that I am persuaded by the arguments that have been presented in favour of scrapping the tolls on the Erskine br...
Councillor White:
A study was undertaken into the benefits of removing the tolls on the Erskine bridge and the effect that that could have on congestion on the Kingston bridge...
Mike Watson (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): Ind
Good morning. I admit to being open minded about the matter—I am here to be convinced of the case for ending the tolls on the Erskine bridge in isolation. Yo...
Councillor White:
The council's economic development team worked with colleagues in Renfrewshire Council to look at the situation. Their work suggests that at least 100 jobs c...
Mike Watson: Ind
You are saying that 100 new jobs could be created if the bridge were toll free. The issue is not that the weekly £6.20 cost of crossing the bridge means that...
Councillor White:
Obviously, we have looked at the fact that the bridge tolls are a barrier to people in West Dunbartonshire accessing jobs on the other side of the river. I g...
Mike Watson: Ind
You said that several local authorities have supported your case. Is Glasgow City Council one of them?
Councillor White:
Glasgow would be the eighth council to support our case. Seven local authorities—West Dunbartonshire Council, Argyll and Bute Council, Renfrewshire Council, ...
Mike Watson: Ind
You have lobbied the former Minister for Transport and Glasgow City Council, so we will see what that brings. As I live in Glasgow, I am familiar with the pr...
Councillor White:
After looking at the matter with our colleagues, we believe that removing tolls on the Erskine bridge would relieve the pressure on some parts of Glasgow, su...
Mike Watson: Ind
Finally, are you against bridge tolls in general or just the tolls on the Erskine bridge? Do you have a view on the tolls on the Tay and Forth bridges? Indee...
Councillor White:
The toll situations on the Forth, Tay and Erskine bridges should be considered on their own merits. As an elected representative and leader of West Dunbarton...
John Scott (Ayr) (Con): Con
I have to say that Mike Watson has largely asked the questions that I wanted to ask.
Mike Watson: Ind
You always say that.
John Scott: Con
I absolutely do not.I did not catch the name of the institution that carried out the work from which you concluded that removing the tolls would create 100 j...
Councillor White:
The work was carried out by experts in West Dunbartonshire Council's economic development division in consultation with Renfrewshire Council. In addition, Sc...
John Scott: Con
Was it the same team that carried out the congestion studies?
Councillor White:
Yes.
Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): Lab
Has the issue been raised with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities?
Councillor White:
It has been raised by COSLA. In 2001, I made representations to Sarah Boyack, who was the then Minister for Transport and Planning, asking for tolls to be re...
Helen Eadie: Lab
Would it be worth your raising the issue with COSLA again, given that second stage consultation on the tolls on all the remaining tolled bridges in Scotland ...
Councillor White:
That might be a good way forward. I am sure that the COSLA transport convener would be interested to hear that suggestion about a conference. I am particular...
Helen Eadie: Lab
The papers that we have received tell us that the Scottish Executive is considering the 120-year payback time that applies to any bridge. The older that brid...
Councillor White:
I do not accept that logic. There will of course be on-going maintenance and repair costs for the Erskine bridge. We estimate that those costs come to around...
Helen Eadie: Lab
Do you accept that none of your points addresses the need for on-going and increased maintenance? Your arguments address debt issues only. We should take acc...
Councillor White:
On the last point, I said that I believed that COSLA would make a submission to the review. However, because of the area that I represent, I am particularly ...
Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): SNP
It is interesting to think about an overall transport plan. Bridges are just an extension of the roads system. We spend lots of money on roads maintenance, j...
Councillor White:
Removal of the tolls on the bridge would increase traffic flow and support the development of an integrated transport system. There is absolutely no doubt th...