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1999–2026
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Showing 60 of 2,354,908 contributions. Latest 30 days: 0. Coverage: 12 May 1999 — 25 Mar 2026.
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
27 Jan 2026
Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3
On a point of order, Deputy Presiding Officer. My app did not connect. I would have voted yes. For Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Eagle, Tim (Highlands ...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
19 Apr 2023
Scotland’s Finances and Wellbeing Economy
The dog may have a new head, but it is the same tail wagging it. Economic growth in Scotland is hindered by this coalition of chaos, with many of those on the front bench who had business experience having been sacked and the Greens continuing to hold sway over policy and pull...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
13 Nov 2024
Rural Roads
I thank members for supporting my motion, which has allowed the debate to take place. Across Scotland, people in rural communities are dependent on their cars, which are not a luxury but an everyday necessity. Constituents use their cars for every aspect of life—for work, edu...
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
09 Sep 2025
Scotland’s Railway (20 Years)
Mark Ruskell needs to remember when those InterCity trains were taken back up to Scotland to run for ScotRail—it was only about six years ago. We are miles behind other developed countries when it comes to intercity services, but I guess I should be thankful that my train was ...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
18 Nov 2021
Shared Prosperity Fund and Levelling Up Agenda
I remind members of my entry in the register of members’ interests, which shows that I am still a councillor at Aberdeen City Council. The levelling up initiative from the UK Government is devolution in its purest sense. It is empowering our communities, delivering local proj...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
09 Jan 2025
Scotland’s Connectivity
I congratulate Ash Regan on securing today’s debate and commend her for the wording of the motion, which provides something for everyone in terms of location, by mentioning Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen, and in terms of connectivity, by including road, rail and air while als...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
25 May 2022
Community Wealth Building
This is a hugely important debate for communities right across Scotland. Community wealth building provides opportunities for delivering a prosperous society for all our citizens, and I am pleased to open the debate on behalf of the Scottish Conservatives and to reaffirm our p...
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
26 Sep 2023
Climate Emergency
This SNP-Green Government, for all its climate credentials, seems to be completely forgetting the challenges that people in rural communities face when they heat their homes or travel by car to use services. Throughout Scotland, we have seen rural bus services being withdrawn...
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
10 Nov 2021
Fisheries Negotiations 2021
The member makes an interesting argument that we should be dependent on immigration as we go forward. Immigration involves taking people and resource away from other countries, and we have to think about whether that is a moral thing to do or whether we should look at modernis...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
03 Feb 2022
Cost of Living
I remind members of my entry in the register of members’ interests, which shows that I am still a councillor at Aberdeen City Council. It has been an interesting debate. I note that a similar debate happened in the House of Commons this week on a similar motion from Labour. I...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
28 Oct 2021
Covid Recovery Strategy
I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests, which shows that I am still a member of Aberdeen City Council. I welcome this debate on Covid recovery, but it is important to acknowledge that those who are working in our front-line services are still under ...
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
22 Nov 2022
Fisheries Negotiations
What the industry is not crying out for is to be brought back into the detested CFP that the SNP wants to drag it into. The UK Government has secured a deal that means that, for the first time in decades, we now control our own waters. By cutting out the bureaucratic behemoth...
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
08 Mar 2023
Business Motion
I have visited big noise Torry and I know the good work that it does. It deserves to be treated better than it is at present. The attack by local SNP councillors was shameful, resulting in the massive SNP spin machine rushing into overdrive and getting involved in a panic. No ...
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
11 Sep 2024
Rail Fares
The SNP Government’s actions are driving people away from the railways. Its reintroduction of peak fares will double fares in some places. Services are being axed—6,000 trains have been cancelled as a result of a temporary timetable. Let us look at journey times, as mentioned...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
09 Oct 2025
Planning and Infrastructure Bill
The Scottish National Party Government is selling Scotland’s countryside to the highest bidder. The Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy is quite happy to travel the world, but she cannot even be bothered to meet campaign groups in her constituency. She would rather...
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
02 Feb 2022
Scottish Income Tax Rate Resolution 2022-23
I am tackling that point, Mr Mason. The whole point is that, if the tax had not been devolved, our taxpayers would have £800 million back in their pockets. That point was made not by me but by Professor Alasdair Smith. It is about having £800 million back in the pockets of har...
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
06 Mar 2024
Oil and Gas Industry
I am just about to talk about gross value added to highlight the importance of the oil and gas industry, which the Labour Party would turn its back on by turning off the taps. The oil and gas industry accounted for over £20 billion of Scotland’s GVA in 2022-23. That was nearly...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
24 Oct 2023
Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill
I, too, extend my thanks to the committees and clerks who spent time looking at the legislative consent motion back in 2022 when it first came to the Parliament. It is a pity that the devolved Scottish Government has not shown the same respect to our committee system and the p...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
18 Nov 2025
Fishing Industry
Scotland’s fishing industry is one of the great pillars of our coastal and island communities. It is a sector that provides renewable, climate-smart food; that supports thousands of jobs; that anchors local economies; that prevents rural depopulation; and that is woven into th...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
10 Dec 2025
Road Network (Connectivity and Economic Growth)
I thank colleagues from across the chamber who have so clearly set out the challenges that our road networks face. I want to start by acknowledging the very real and life-changing consequences of not getting our road infrastructure right. Tragically, last weekend, two of my c...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
15 Dec 2021
Economy (North-east Scotland)
It is telling that, when it comes to defending the thousands of jobs in the north-east, it is the Scottish Conservatives who bring the debates to the chamber. Every other party seems to have abandoned the energy industry. I offer Mark Ruskell and Jackie Dunbar no apologies fo...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
25 Apr 2024
Railway Stations (North of Central Belt)
I thank my colleague and train geek—I know that he will not mind me calling him that—Liam Kerr for bringing the debate to the chamber. This debate is vital for the people of the north-east to force the SNP Government to look beyond the needs of the central belt and towards tho...
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
06 May 2025
Programme for Government
If I have time, I will come back to the Deputy First Minister. Despite all the science and all the experts telling them what a vital contribution small nuclear can make to the resilience of our energy production, ministers remain luddites when it comes to nuclear. The energy...
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
08 Dec 2021
Scotland Loves Local
Absolutely—it is fantastic that the UK Government has been able to provide the devolved Government with so much money that it has been able to offer that relief. Businesses are concerned with what will be in this year’s budget and what relief will be provided. The Scottish Gov...
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
25 May 2022
Community Wealth Building
I absolutely agree. That is one of the reasons why local government needs to be funded correctly. Without proper funding, it is harder for local government to play a vital role. The devolved Government dictates to local authorities what it wants, and local government simply...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
24 Sep 2024
UK Budget (Scotland’s Priorities)
We are here to debate Scotland’s priorities, but it is clear that the SNP has no idea what the priorities of the Scottish people are. Time after time, we have watched ministers announce new policies, legislation and vanity projects, only to be forced into a U-turn when they di...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
06 Feb 2025
Great British Energy Bill
GB Energy is a sham. The Prime Minister is taking my constituents for fools. The structure of GB Energy is absurd, and it will take 20 years to deliver the promised 1,000 jobs. In the next five years, we can expect, at most, 200 jobs to be created. The UK Government’s plan is ...
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
18 Nov 2021
Shared Prosperity Fund and Levelling Up Agenda
What needs to be addressed is the amount of planning applications that are drawn back to the Scottish Government, overturning local democracy. The SNP wants to centralise power at every opportunity. Furthermore, the UK Government has protected the funding of the Scottish Gove...
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
25 Nov 2021
Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage
That is a betrayal—quite correct. Although reckless, the SNP position is not as absurd as that of its Green partners, whose website states that the Scottish Greens will: “Oppose public investment in carbon capture and storage as it is unproven and the vast majority of projec...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
20 Apr 2022
Cost of Living
It is clear that we are facing one of the worst cost of living crises in living memory. Inflation is increasing, bills are going up and energy costs are causing a lot of fear and distress in our communities. We all know the challenges that our constituents are facing and we al...
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
10 Dec 2025
Business Motions
Let us make the most of the little time we have left in the session and have a debate on the Scottish National Party Government’s energy strategy. When we come back in January, there will be a birthday, but it is not one to celebrate. It will have been three years since the S...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
08 Jun 2022
Economic Priorities
It is good to be discussing this important topic, because we were unable to do so last week, as my colleague Liz Smith pointed out. The spending review highlights the SNP-Green devolved Government’s mismanagement of our economy. With the highest-ever core block grant coming f...
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
08 Jun 2022
Economic Priorities
I have taken enough interventions. Cutting investment in our local government is short-sighted and will lead to greater costs down the track. The SNP is also cutting off investment from key sectors such as oil and gas, which will have massive implications for the north-east...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
27 Jan 2022
Budget (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
I am a member of the Finance and Public Administration Committee, which has been hearing evidence over a number of weeks from a variety of groups. What we have heard is a catalogue of confusion and obfuscation from the Scottish Government in respect of how it is spending resou...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
11 Mar 2025
Cost of Living
Thank you, Presiding Officer—that was perhaps a warning. This has been an interesting, if somewhat predictable, debate. The motion from the Government is a shameful attempt to deflect all responsibility away from it. Let us remember that we are seeing inflation-busting counci...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
27 Jan 2026
Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3
I will speak only to amendment 64, which relates to the impact of new energy infrastructure on our biodiversity. I have spoken many a time in the Parliament about the impact of monster pylons, substations and battery storage on our communities and on people’s lives, homes and ...
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
26 Oct 2022
Cost of Living
If Mr Greer looks into the matter further, he will see that the inflation rates and interest rates in Germany are just as high as those in the UK. Surely that cannot be blamed on a Conservative Government. The problems that we are facing are not unique. They are being faced b...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
21 Dec 2023
Scottish Land Commission (Appointment of Chair and Commissioners)
It is regrettable that the committee was unable to come to a unanimous decision on the issue. Perhaps the fact that the vote was split along party lines tells us a lot about the situation that we are in. We should make no mistake—this is a political appointment from an increas...
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
26 Jun 2024
Climate Emergency
We cannot do anything, because the SNP Government will not allow anything. However, if we look at where we have had nuclear power plants in the past, we will see that those communities have been in favour of them. Let me turn to the oil and gas sector. We have had so many deb...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
11 Sep 2024
Rail Fares
I am pleased to support the motion, which calls on the devolved Scottish Government to reverse its poor decision to reintroduce peak-time fares on our railways. Once again, the SNP Government fails to listen to the Scottish people, Scottish businesses, the rail unions and our ...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
11 Dec 2024
Budget 2025-26
What an important debate we have in the chamber today. With the budget, this SNP devolved Government has yet again let down the hard-working people of Scotland. It has let down its young people, the working population, our industry, our business owners and our investment oppor...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
09 Sep 2021
Covid-19 Vaccine Certification Scheme
Vaccine passports are a contentious issue that has raised a substantial amount of correspondence from individuals and businesses across North East Scotland. People are expressing a huge amount of anxiety about the pace of, and the lack of consultation on, the scheme, the form ...
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
27 Jan 2022
Budget (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
I will easily set the budget whenever the Government wants to move out of office. Again, it is all spin. When we cut through the spin, the detail is very hard to find. For example, the just transition fund for the north-east and Moray remains a mystery that Agatha Christie co...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
02 Feb 2022
Scottish Income Tax Rate Resolution 2022-23
Last year, my colleague Maurice Golden closed the same debate for the Conservative Party. In that debate, he commented that: “There are usually two certainties with a Scottish budget—taxes going up and a pantomime from the Greens, pretending that they might not support it.”—O...
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
22 Jan 2025
Electricity Infrastructure Consenting
Let us have a look at the ministerial code. It says that “meeting the developer or objectors to discuss the proposal, but not meeting all parties with an interest in the decision” would be a breach of the ministerial code. The lobbying register shows that the cabinet secreta...
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
20 Jun 2023
Innovation Strategy
I am sorry; I do not have time. I will come back to the minister if I have time. The strategy goes on to tell us how much stronger we are as part of the United Kingdom with the financial weight that that brings. The UK Government has invested significant funds to drive up inn...
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
07 Sep 2023
Programme for Government 2023-24 (Opportunity)
No, I will not. The Government should stop cutting libraries, stop cutting sport facilities and stop cutting vital services. The Government talks about early intervention and prevention, but the savage cuts to local government are making things worse; Brian Whittle also made...
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
26 Nov 2025
Oil and Gas
I could not agree more with Mr Ewing. The sad fact is that not only is Norway producing more, it is actually selling to us. Norway is producing oil and gas from the basin where we are choosing to leave them in the ground. I also get angry with the Scottish National Party. If ...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
19 Apr 2022
National Planning Framework 4
I remind members of my entry in the register of members’ interests, which shows that I am still a councillor on Aberdeen City Council. I congratulate the Scottish Government on producing a draft framework that has managed to unite many organisations in their criticism of the ...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
14 May 2024
Action to Tackle Climate Change
Once again, it is down to the Scottish Conservatives to secure debates on the important issues that the people of Scotland are talking about while, once again, the focus of the SNP devolved Government is on independence. I thank Maurice Golden for securing this vital debate on...
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
26 Jun 2024
Climate Emergency
Once again, we see the Scottish Government taking no responsibility. As far as I am aware, the Conservative Party has not blocked anything that is coming through the Scottish Parliament. Only the Greens and the SNP are blocking issues—as we saw yesterday, when they blocked our...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
16 Jan 2025
Health and Social Care (Rural Scotland)
Those of us who represent rural communities are all too aware of the challenges that residents in those communities face in accessing healthcare. Those challenges can be found in all corners of north-east Scotland. Tim Eagle’s motion highlights how many of Scotland’s rural co...
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
11 Jan 2022
Labour Shortages
I hope that we have seen another U-turn from the SNP Government, because so far it has not engaged with the UK Government like the other regions across England have. If that is now the case, I welcome that news. Jobs and investment have been lost to Aberdeen, all because the ...
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
23 Nov 2022
Cost of Living: Mortgage Rescue Scheme
I accept part of that, but what Daniel Johnson has to admit is that interest rates and inflation rates are rising all around the world, so to try to lay the blame at the foot of Downing Street is just not on. Of course, part of the issue with rising house prices and rising re...
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
02 Feb 2023
Budget (Scotland) (No 2) Bill: Stage 1
I am not sure that Daniel Johnson did say that. I am not going to defend Daniel Johnson, but Liz Smith has already set out where additional funding for local government would come from, and I will come to that too. For many years, councils have been asking for a fair funding ...
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
08 Mar 2023
Business Motion
As I said, questions remain, which is why we are looking for a ministerial statement to be added to the business programme. Those questions include: is that a one-year reprieve? Will the big noise projects that other local authorities are funding now be funded by this devolved...
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
26 Jun 2024
Climate Emergency
That is because the infrastructure will have to be done with communities, not to communities—it cannot be done by riding roughshod over them. There needs to be proper consultation, and that is not happening with the communities that I talk to. The SNP Government committed to ...
Douglas Lumsden Con Chamber
04 Mar 2025
Scotland’s Renewable Future
They can meet with SSE but they cannot meet with the people they are meant to represent. If the minister reads the ministerial code, he will see that that is wrong. When I saw that there was to be another debate on renewable energy, I, like many others, assumed that we would ...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
06 May 2025
Programme for Government
Well, here we are, a year from the Scottish Parliament election and, rather than the Government coming to the Parliament to offer a bold vision for an economic, prosperous Scotland, we once again have an SNP First Minister who is standing on a history of broken promises and ec...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
14 May 2025
Oil and Gas Industry
In June last year, we had a debate in the chamber on oil and gas. Almost a year later, the sector is in a worse state, thanks to the policies of this devolved Scottish National Party Government and an inept Labour Government in Westminster. Both have abandoned the north-east, ...
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Chamber

Meeting of the Parliament 27 January 2026 [Draft]

27 Jan 2026 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3
Lumsden, Douglas Con North East Scotland Watch on SPTV

On a point of order, Deputy Presiding Officer. My app did not connect. I would have voted yes.

For

Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con)
Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con)
Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con)
Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con)
Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con)
Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con)
Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con)
Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con)
Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con)
Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con)
Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con)
Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con)
McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con)
Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con)
White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con)
Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con)

Against

Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP)
Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP)
Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP)
Allan, Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP)
Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire South) (SNP)
Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP)
Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab)
Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP)
Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP)
Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green)
Callaghan, Stephanie (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP)
Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green)
Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Ind)
Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab)
Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP)
Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD)
Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP)
Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP)
Don-Innes, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP)
Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP)
Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP)
Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP)
Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind)
Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP)
FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP)
Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP)
Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP)
Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP)
Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP)
Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)
Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP)
Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD)
Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green)
Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP)
Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green)
Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP)
Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP)
Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP)
Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab)
Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP)
Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP)
MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP)
MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP)
Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green)
Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP)
Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP)
Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP)
Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP)
Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind)
Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP)
McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP)
McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP)
McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP)
McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP)
Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP)
Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab)
Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP)
O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab)
Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD)
Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP)
Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP)
Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green)
Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab)
Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green)
Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP)
Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP)
Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP)
Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP)
Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP)
Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab)
Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP)
Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP)
Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP)
Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP)
Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab)
Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP)
Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD)
Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP)

In the same item of business

The Presiding Officer (Alison Johnstone) NPA
The next item of business is stage 3 proceedings on the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill. In dealing with the amendments, members should have the bill as ...
The Presiding Officer NPA
Group 1 is on targets for improving biodiversity. Amendment 22, in the name of Beatrice Wishart, is grouped with amendments 23, 63, 46, 47, 24, 64 to 67, 25 ...
Beatrice Wishart (Shetland Islands) (LD) LD
Amendment 22 would place an obligation on our public bodies and officeholders to take the biodiversity targets into account when they are fulfilling their pu...
The Presiding Officer NPA
I call Lorna Slater to speak to amendment 23 and other amendments in the group.
Lorna Slater (Lothian) (Green) Green
Amendment 23 reflects the fact that Scotland has already signed up to a number of international commitments that aim to tackle the biodiversity crisis, inclu...
The Presiding Officer NPA
I call Tim Eagle to speak to amendment 63 and other amendments in the group.
Tim Eagle (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con
In beginning what will be, I think, 10 hours or so in the chamber, I remind members of my entry in the register of members’ interests. As I set out at stage...
Mercedes Villalba (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab
I have three amendments in the group. Amendments 46 and 47 seek to separate the target topic of habitat condition and habitat extent into two distinct topics...
John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Ind
I will focus on my amendments in the group. As members may be aware, their subject is the sheep on St Kilda and especially on the main island of Hirta. That ...
Tim Eagle Con
As a sheep farmer, I do not find that acceptable. I have discussed the topic at length with the National Trust for Scotland, and my understanding is that it ...
John Mason Ind
We did not even get that much assurance from the Government on 8 January, when I raised the issue, and it is because of the Government’s poor response on tha...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con) Con
I will speak only to amendment 64, which relates to the impact of new energy infrastructure on our biodiversity. I have spoken many a time in the Parliament ...
Sarah Boyack (Lothian) (Lab) Lab
Like colleagues, I reflect that we will be here for some time. I have lodged my amendments 65, 67, 68 and 69, in this group, to ensure that the Scottish Gove...
Ariane Burgess (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Green
The Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill is absolutely essential for Scotland. Yesterday, I was talking to a climate scientist who told me that, when we consi...
Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Green
I thank Ariane Burgess for highlighting a major gap in the bill. I will speak to amendment 27. The intention of my stage 2 amendment on target-setting statem...
Edward Mountain (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con
I remind members of my entry in the register of members’ interests—I own part of a family farm on Moray. I should also declare that I have been managing the ...
Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Lab
I will speak briefly on amendment 66. Scottish Labour supports the amendment’s aims, but we are concerned about setting an arbitrary target that would not ta...
Christine Grahame (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) SNP
I rise to speak on amendments 24 to 26, in the name of John Mason, who made a persuasive argument regarding the St Kilda sheep in particular. However, I also...
The Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy (Gillian Martin) SNP
I will speak to amendment 22, in the name of Beatrice Wishart, and amendment 23, in the name of Lorna Slater. I listened to members’ views at stage 2, and I ...
John Mason Ind
The cabinet secretary says that the Scottish Government is taking the matter seriously. Could she not go a little further than that and say that the status q...
Gillian Martin SNP
The National Trust for Scotland is the owner of St Kilda, so it is reviewing the issue. I said that the NTS is hoping to inspect the sheep in the next few we...
Edward Mountain Con
Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?
Gillian Martin SNP
I will take Mr Mountain’s intervention in a second. In addition, the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission, which is an independent panel of experts that provi...
Edward Mountain Con
In the hope of helping the cabinet secretary, if the sheep were on a farm such as mine and they were inspected and found to be in poor health, dying of starv...
Gillian Martin SNP
I believe that I have already said that. The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission, which I mentioned, is convening a short-life working group, and the Governme...
Mercedes Villalba Lab
The cabinet secretary said that the amendments are not necessary because their provisions are already covered in the bill. Condition and extent are covered a...
Gillian Martin SNP
I apologise if my quote from the policy memorandum was not clear. I will say it again: “Habitat condition and extent includes the quality and/or extent of h...
Mercedes Villalba Lab
Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?
Gillian Martin SNP
I have moved on to amendment 63. As I stated clearly during stage 2 when we considered an almost identical amendment, which was not agreed to by the Rural A...
Douglas Ross (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con
If the cabinet secretary feels that amendments should be rejected at stage 3 when they were rejected at stage 2, could the same argument not apply when the G...