Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Mr George Reid): SNP

Good morning. The first item of business is an Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee debate on motion S1M-2380, in the name of Alex Neil, on the committ...

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): SNP

I begin by saying thank you to all those who participated in the preparation of the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee's report. My thanks go first t...

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP

Does Alex Neil agree that it is unacceptable that all the tens of millions of pounds that are spent on research by a company such as BP are spent south of th...

Alex Neil: SNP

There are two issues. One is about attracting companies of the calibre of BP to do more research in Scotland and the other—which we cannot dodge—is about the...

Marilyn Livingstone (Kirkcaldy) (Lab): Lab

I thank the convener of the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee for his speech on behalf of the committee. He covered many points that are pertinent t...

The Deputy Presiding Officer: SNP

Kenny MacAskill will open for the Scottish National Party. He has 12 minutes.

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): SNP

I agree with everything that Alex Neil and Marilyn Livingstone said and I adopt their position. The report was produced by a cross-party committee. By defini...

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): Con

Kenny MacAskill will be pleased to hear that I intend to make a fleeting reference to Finland in my contribution to the debate.For once, I am disappointed in...

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): LD

It will come as a surprise to the members present that I am on my feet at all in the debate. What has happened is that Mr George Lyon has been closely involv...

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

Will Mr Stone accept an intervention?

Mr Stone: LD

Gladly. I have to use up some time.

Mr Monteith: Con

I thought that he might appreciate an intervention. He said that he worked for Wimpey. Was that the burger firm or the builders?

Mr Stone: LD

It is interesting that Mr Monteith should probe me on that one. It was the building firm, I can assure him. My point is that there is a suspicion of academia...

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): Lab

As members know, the inquiry was launched following concerns expressed about the SHEFC review of teaching and research funding. The committee was already com...

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP

The report, naturally enough, concentrated on the outcome of the research assessment exercise, with money going to the departments that were rated appropriat...

Mr Macintosh: Lab

I have not yet reached that part of my speech, but I am glad that Brian Adam has predicted what I was going to say. I agree with much of what he says and I s...

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): SNP

It is a great pleasure to contribute to what has turned out to be a rather sleepy debate. I am sorry that Jamie Stone has left the chamber. I was about to de...

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

I applaud the committee for its report, which augurs well for its inquiry into lifelong learning. Alex Neil has an enquiring mind and he should not resist th...

The Deputy Presiding Officer: SNP

I ask members to keep speeches to a maximum of five minutes.

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): Lab

I hope that the Parliament will welcome the report of the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee on the inquiry into the SHEFC review of teaching and res...

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): SNP

I declare that my daughter is a student at the University of Abertay Dundee. I am not sure whether that is a declarable interest, but it certainly helps in r...

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): Con

I declare an interest, in that I am a member of the court of the University of Strathclyde—at least I am at the moment. I make this speech as deputy convener...

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): Lab

SHEFC has come in for a bit of a battering in this debate. However, it is important to put on record two things that the funding council got right. First, it...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Patricia Ferguson): Lab

Although we started this debate with extra time, we have managed to catch up with our schedule. I must therefore ask members from here on in to stick to a fi...

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): Lab

Uniquely, my constituency has within its boundary three Scottish universities—one ancient, one modern and one new. As I also represent Glasgow School of Art ...

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP

This is an important debate, focusing not only on the SHEFC report, but on many of the general issues surrounding it. Our new universities have been making t...

Elaine Thomson (Aberdeen North) (Lab): Lab

BP is a global company and operates on that basis. It seeks research that is of value at a global level and will invest its money in the best research wherev...

Richard Lochhead: SNP

The member has hit the nail on the head. The key is to encourage our institutions to become the best in the world, so that the academic research for the oil ...

Elaine Thomson (Aberdeen North) (Lab): Lab

As many members have said, education and research are becoming ever more important to Scotland and its economy. It is vital that the organisation and funding...

Brian Adam: SNP

Will the member give way?