Hansard

The Presiding Officer (Sir David Steel): NPA

We come now to the statement on Hampden Park. As this statement is rather longer than is usual, I will time the 20 minutes' question time from when the minis...

The Minister for Children and Education (Mr Sam Galbraith): Lab

With permission, Presiding Officer, I would like to make a statement. As members will be aware, Queen's Park Football Club and its subsidiary, the National S...

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): SNP

Does the minister think that it has been acceptable for the Executive to proceed in this matter by way of continual briefings to the press, while refusing—as...

Mr Galbraith: Lab

Even for the SNP, that was a super-girn. Ms Sturgeon must stop making wild accusations that are completely and utterly untrue. She has made a great fool of h...

Nicola Sturgeon: SNP

Rubbish.

Mr Galbraith: Lab

Ms Sturgeon obviously thinks that I am lying and she must be able to justify that. That is a serious accusation, Presiding Officer. I hope that she will see ...

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): Con

Does the minister agree that the directors of Queen's Park Football Club have displayed only too well their adherence to the amateur principle in their appro...

Mr Galbraith: Lab

I like Mr Monteith's last point on wanting the public to start taking up shares in private companies—that isdeparture for a Tory politician. an interesting M...

Mr Monteith: Con

I am not the ideologue The Herald says I am.

Mr Galbraith: Lab

Not the ideologue, he says.Mr Monteith raises a number of issues. I do not think that it is helpful to look at the past to find who was responsible for what ...

Mike Watson (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): Lab

I should declare an interest: I am a tenant of Queen's Park Football Club, as my constituency office is there. I welcome the statement and the fact that the ...

Mr Galbraith: Lab

As I pointed out, the agreement with Queen's Park is that it is leasing the stadium to the SFA, which will pay the club an agreed amount under the lease arra...

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): SNP

The minister has just stated that he was first aware of the problems when the Millennium Commission drew them to his attention in July, but that he was happy...

Mr Galbraith: Lab

I am not quite sure of the basis for that question, but I think that it is a nasty one. Have I been a guest? I can give a definite answer, because the record...

Mrs Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): Lab

Will the minister explain why he was not able to give a briefing to the Education, Culture and Sport Committee on this matter prior to his statement? Given t...

Mr Galbraith: Lab

I will be delighted—as always—to come along to the Education, Culture and Sport Committee and be questioned on these matters. That is an important part of th...

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): LD

The minister explained that the Government's monitoring has been adequate and correct, but the net result has not been adequate and correct. Does he plan to ...

Mr Galbraith: Lab

We will certainly want to review our monitoring arrangements to find out whether we could have detected signs of trouble. Our monitoring arrangements were ve...

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): *

Bearing in mind that many millions of pounds of public money, including lottery money, has gone into the Hampden project, will the minister ensure that the R...

Mr Galbraith: Lab

The basis of legal agreements is that no one holds anyone to ransom. One of the reasons for the financial problems at Hampden is that two thirds of the deben...

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): Lab

I thank the minister for his statement. Although it is unfortunate that the stadium ran over budget, I welcome the fact that the Executive has recognised its...

Mr Galbraith: Lab

As the Executive was not established until July this year, when people became aware of the deficit, it had almost no part in monitoring the project; sportsco...

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): SNP

I hope Mr Galbraith will not use the word "nasty" about me. SNP members have not had much luck up to now; every time we have asked a question, he has given a...

The Presiding Officer: NPA

Please exercise that right.

Ms White: SNP

I will. How will the deal satisfy the strict rules imposed on local authorities by the Accounts Commission, which demands a distinct landlord and tenant? At ...

Mr Galbraith: Lab

I am a delightful chap who always likes to give nice answers even when people rant at me. The lady keeps saying how much the SNP is in favour of the national...

Ian Welsh (Ayr) (Lab): Lab

The minister will be well aware of my view that public money could have been used more productively to finance and promote football in ways other than buildi...

Mr Galbraith: Lab

My friend raises the rights and wrongs of the national stadium. That argument raged for years. All of us have different views, but we need not consider them ...

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): SSP

I am glad to agree with Ian Welsh. Although the matter is not up for debate, it is worth putting on record that the money would have been better used improvi...

Mr Galbraith: Lab

The member must realise that there are two distinct issues: the £6 million owed to Sir Robert McAlpine, which must be found now, and the fact that we were no...