Hansard

Adam Ingram SNP Committee

04 Nov 2015

Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I think that Liz Ely made the point that no one wants to be in the private rented sector. That is not a universal phenomenon across Europe, and lots of countries have strong private rented sectors. Is the situation here a consequence of the poor security of tenure that we have...

The Deputy Convener SNP Committee

20 Feb 2013

Decision on Taking Business in Private

We have also received apologies from three witnesses for our round-table discussion on RPP2, the draft second report on proposals and policies, “Low Carbon Scotland: Meeting our Emissions Reduction Targets 2013-2027”: Dr Maja Piecyk, Professor Iain Docherty and Dr Jillian Anab...

Mr Ingram: SNP Committee

30 Oct 2002

Tourism Inquiry

Earlier this morning we heard from Gordon Jackson and Alex Neil, who went to California, where there is a close partnership between the private and public sectors as well as clarity of vision and dynamism.From what I read in the Stevens report, to get that dynamism and clarity...

Adam Ingram SNP Chamber

25 Apr 2012

Homelessness

The member makes a very good point, with which I agree.Partnership is also about local authorities, housing associations, voluntary organisations and private landlords working together to make the best possible use of the available housing supply. The committee believes that t...

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): SNP Chamber

25 Oct 2001

Railways (Investment)

It would have been easy for the SNP to use the debate to castigate other parties for their disastrous railway policies over many decades. We chose not to revel in their discomfort, because it is in the Scottish national interest to lend our efforts to finding a lasting and sta...

The Deputy Convener (Adam Ingram) SNP Committee

26 Nov 2014

Decision on Taking Business in Private

Good morning everyone, and welcome to the 27th meeting in 2014 of the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee. Everyone present is reminded to switch off mobile phones as they affect the broadcasting system. However, some committee members may consult tablets during th...

The Minister for Children and Early Years (Adam Ingram) SNP Chamber

29 Apr 2010

Social Services Workforce

I welcome the opportunity to have today’s debate and to recognise the important contribution that is made to the lives of the people of Scotland by all those who work in social services, whether in the statutory, voluntary or private sector. Let me say at the outset that the ...

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): SNP Committee

17 Jun 2002

Local Economic Forums

I am not entirely convinced that the local economic forum is adding any value to what you were doing already. I am particularly concerned that I have not heard a great deal about the input of the private sector and local businesses. I noticed in the papers how much was made of...

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): SNP Committee

05 Oct 2004

New Petitions

I agree with much of what my colleagues have said in their questioning. It is worth reminding ourselves what Executive policy, in the form of the national planning policy guidelines, is designed to do. The guidelines are designed specifically to protect playing fields and open...

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): SNP Committee

05 Jun 2002

Rail Inquiry

That would also make sense for the level playing field about which you talked. Road infrastructure is under public control; to create a level playing field, the track, stations and other parts of the railway network would need to be under public control. What else is required ...

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): SNP Chamber

24 Jun 1999

Privatisation of Public Services

I shall preface my contribution to the debate with some observations on its historical context. I know that that is a wee bit risky given that history is a little out of fashion in the Labour party.Last year we celebrated 50 years of the national health service—probably the si...

Mr Ingram: SNP Chamber

08 Jun 2000

Question Time · Roads (A77)

Has the Executive taken on board the sceptical view expressed by this Parliament's Audit Committee as regards the financial benefits of private finance initiative projects in relation to the building of the M74? Would not it be more prudent to access the substantial Government...

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): SNP Chamber

23 Nov 2000

Standards Commissioner (Appointment)

As a member of the Standards Committee, I am pleased to speak on behalf of the Scottish National Party in support of the report and its recommendations. Mike Rumbles has outlined clearly the rationale that underpins the model of investigation of complaints that is detailed in ...

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): SNP Chamber

06 Dec 2001

Water Industry (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Implicit in the creation of a single water authority is the desire that the new authority will be lean and mean enough to see off competition from the privatised English water companies. It remains to be seen whether public accountability will be more than a nominal feature of...

Mr Ingram: SNP Chamber

17 Mar 2005

Education

That is just nonsense. I am saying that, historically, parents have not looked at all the information. They have not had—to use a term that Brian Monteith might use—perfect market information. Parents have used very crude indicators of school performance, which do not pan out ...

Mr Ingram: SNP Chamber

12 May 2005

Schools-Colleges Review

I am happy to acknowledge the good work that is being carried out up and down the country. However, as Christine Grahame has suggested, there is still a stigma associated with vocational courses, and more academically bright pupils are being discouraged from going down those r...

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): SNP Chamber

07 Sep 2006

Education

If the motion is anything to go by, I expect that the First Minister will take to his feet at question time today to claim credit for Scotland's victory in Lithuania last night. Let us be clear: the achievements of the Scottish education system are hard earned and not gifted b...

Adam Ingram: SNP Chamber

31 Jan 2008

School Buildings

We are committed to building the 100 schools between 2007 and 2009 that Labour members mentioned. Those schools will be in place. By 2011, I am confident that we will have reached the number that you—sorry, Presiding Officer—the Labour Party committed to in its manifesto.Our b...

Adam Ingram MSP (Minister for Children and Early Years): SNP Committee

13 Jan 2010

Subordinate Legislation

Good morning, everyone. I add my best wishes to committee members for the year ahead.I am grateful for the opportunity to outline why the Government seeks the committee's support for the orders, which make a number of necessary consequential amendments to primary and secondary...

Adam Ingram SNP Committee

16 Nov 2011

Broadband Infrastructure Inquiry

According to BT, across the UK, you could get two thirds coverage of the population through private investment and people’s own activities, with the remaining third requiring public partnership—public sector intervention, if you like. In Scotland, probably more than one third ...

Adam Ingram SNP Committee

25 Jan 2012

Scottish Social Housing Charter

Another issue that I hope you might be able to reflect on is the charter’s relevance to the private rented sector. As you know, the Government is taking a number of initiatives in relation to that sector. The housing options approach is being adopted through the homelessness h...

Adam Ingram SNP Committee

28 Feb 2012

PIP Silicone Breast Implants

There have been some media reports that women are not receiving from other private providers the level of support that you have provided to your clients and patients. Why might those private providers not be providing such support? What steps do you take to police your own sec...

Adam Ingram SNP Committee

12 Nov 2014

Prestwick Airport

Thank you for responding with the airport management’s rationale. I certainly look forward to having the airport management in front of us at a future meeting. It is only fair to point out the view of the affected companies. There is no doubt that the airport can handle the te...

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): SNP Committee

16 Jun 2004

Item in Private

I have no problem with discussing the child protection inquiry report in public, unless there are major objections to that.

Mr Ingram: SNP Committee

16 Nov 2005

Joint Inspection of Children's Services and Inspection of Social Work Services (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Do the premises that are covered by the bill include private residences, such as foster carers' homes or those of childminders? Would your power apply to entry into such premises?

Mr Ingram: SNP Committee

13 Sep 2006

Petitions

You obviously now have wide experience of the various campaigns across Scotland. Is there evidence that additional pressures have been put on local authorities to rationalise the school estate? For example, it has been suggested that private finance initiative funding might ad...

Mr Ingram: SNP Committee

27 Sep 2006

Petitions

I am not sure that I agree entirely with Ken Macintosh and Elaine Murray, although I understand where they are coming from. One of the big pushes that would have come when the council determined its position on the proposals would relate to the state of the school estate. Elai...

Adam Ingram: SNP Committee

08 Sep 2009

Subordinate Legislation

I have clarified that demand today: it is around 250 cases, which ties in with the type of feedback that members on the committee are getting. I suggest that 250 cases out of the 50,000 cases that come before children's hearings panels—which, by my calculation, amounts to 0.5 ...

Mr Ingram: SNP Committee

17 Jun 2002

Local Economic Forums

Is that because the private sector is there telling the public sector to get its finger out?

Mr Ingram: SNP Committee

17 Jun 2002

Local Economic Forums

We have talked a lot about process issues, but I want to focus more on outcomes. It is all very well to have increased private sector input, but is the quality of the outcome any better, or do people simply feel better for having taken part in the process?In economic developme...

Mr Ingram: SNP Committee

30 Sep 2002

Tourism Inquiry

The Stevens and Associates report emphasised the importance of strategic leadership in the industry and private sector. It is no secret that public agencies and the industry have not seen eye to eye on the subject of developing the tourism industry. What constraints are there ...

Mr Ingram: SNP Committee

13 Nov 2002

Tourism Inquiry

My second point concerns your relationship with VisitScotland and other tourist development agencies, for want of a better phrase. Do you have a close or improving relationship with VisitScotland on the marketing of Scotland as a destination and the marketing of your routes? A...

Mr Ingram: SNP Committee

13 Nov 2002

Tourism Inquiry

Do you suggest a sort of public-private partnership approach between the low-cost airlines and VisitScotland on constructing an advertising strategy?

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): SNP Committee

13 Feb 2001

Resource Accounting<br />and Budgeting

Surely the acid test of RAB is to consider the outcomes where the system has been applied. In the national health service, RAB was introduced as part of the internal market reforms and that was the forerunner for its introduction to the remaining public services. You are argui...

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): SNP Committee

06 Mar 2001

Resource Accounting and Budgeting

I would like to focus on your continuing identification of the concerns, particularly with regard to accountability. You indicated that the reforms in New Zealand have improved accountability, not least because performance is now viewed in terms of results rather than cash spe...

Mr Ingram: SNP Committee

06 Mar 2001

Housing (Scotland) Bill

What are the financial provisions for the new forms of RSLs that the bill can create? For example, RSLs can become private companies, which can go bankrupt. Has there been any consideration of potential liability?

Mr Ingram: SNP Committee

01 Sep 1999

Code of Conduct

Members should apply the principle to their private business as well.

Mr Ingram: SNP Committee

05 Apr 2000

Models of Investigation

A committee of investigation can be clumsy. If we had an individual gathering the evidence who could talk to people in private, that would be a more effective way of gathering evidence. All the evidence could then be marshalled and put before the committee. That is the most se...

Mr Ingram: SNP Chamber

24 Jun 1999

Privatisation of Public Services

The reality is that this new Labour Government has the wherewithal to launch a massive public works programme without recourse to public-private partnerships, but it clearly lacks the political will to do so. It would appear that Gordon Brown will use the billions in his rapid...

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): SNP Chamber

06 Apr 2000

Dairy Industry

Scotland is a nation of 5 million people, and covers nearly half the UK landmass. It has some of the best agricultural land in Europe and, without doubt, some of the best and most efficient farmers in Europe. With those assets, one would expect that Scotland should, at the ver...

Mr Ingram: SNP Chamber

06 Apr 2000

Dairy Industry

No. I am saying that there ought to be a drive to support co-operatives, and to link that to the creation of joint ventures between co-operatives and dairy companies or others in the private sector to establish—

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): SNP Chamber

18 Jan 2001

Transport Links

I welcome this debate, which is really about the urgent need to integrate the south-west of Scotland into the European economy. Both the Scottish Executive and the Scottish Office before it demonstrated a lack of vision and understanding by failing to recognise the economic po...

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): SNP Chamber

13 Feb 2003

Tourism

As a member of the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee, I support the report's key recommendations. I acknowledge the need further to develop and strengthen the tourism industry. Naturally, the committee tended to focus on tourism matters that are within the remit of th...

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): SNP Chamber

05 Jun 2003

Question Time · Church of Scotland (Homes)

Is the minister aware of the fears of the people of Troon, who have witnessed the closure of their Church of Scotland residential home and are witnessing the impending closure of their council care home at St Meddan's Court and a shrinking supply of private care home places? W...

1. Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): SNP Chamber

02 Jun 2005

SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE · Public-private Partnerships (Green Space)

To ask the Scottish Executive what evaluation it has made of the impact of public-private partnership financing on community resources such as green space. (S2O-6917)

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): SNP Chamber

01 Mar 2006

North Ayrshire Council Public-Private Partnership Schools Project

I congratulate Campbell Martin on securing tonight's debate. I do not intend to add my comments on the financing of the PPP deal, although what he said concerns me a great deal.I am more familiar with the Laighdykes situation, even though it is not in my region, because I met ...

Mr Ingram: SNP Chamber

01 Mar 2006

North Ayrshire Council Public-Private Partnership Schools Project

I certainly do not accept that proposition. I believe that that statement is relevant. A hectare of recreational open space will be lost to the people of Ardrossan and Saltcoats.The acting chief executive of sportscotland might have added in his letter—but he did not—that the ...

Mr Ingram: SNP Chamber

01 Mar 2006

North Ayrshire Council Public-Private Partnership Schools Project

The minister talks about securing the best possible environment for Roman Catholic education. However, in the situation that we are discussing, there will be only one Roman Catholic secondary school in North Ayrshire, which means that children will have to travel long distance...

3. Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): SNP Chamber

08 Mar 2007

SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE · Public-private Partnership (Guidance)

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance and advice are given to local authorities on bridging any affordability gap for public-private partnership projects. (S2O-12253)

Mr Ingram: SNP Chamber

22 Mar 2007

Education

Let us consider what is behind the bombast and the bluster in the Executive motion, starting with the claims for the school building programme. The motion does not say that current and future taxpayers are and will be paying through the nose at credit-card rates of interest fo...

Adam Ingram: SNP Chamber

31 Oct 2007

Early Years and Early Intervention

As I mentioned in last week's members' business debate on fostering, during the summer we announced an extra £4 million to help with the training of foster carers and to provide them with better support.We are trying to adopt a twin-track approach. First, we need to reduce the...

The Minister for Children and Early Years (Adam Ingram) SNP Chamber

25 Nov 2010

Scottish Executive Question Time · Early Years Education

Early years education, both in the home and in pre-school settings, helps to set the foundations for a child’s future learning and life chances. That is reflected in the early years framework, which we developed jointly with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and oth...

Adam Ingram SNP Chamber

10 Feb 2011

Early Intervention

I take issue with Mary Scanlon’s analysis of the situation. CAMHS have been underfunded for decades and we are now looking at increasing their capacity rapidly.We are piloting a programme to increase health care capacity in schools, particularly in communities with the most vu...

Adam Ingram (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) SNP Chamber

30 Jun 2011

Rural Connectivity

I am pleased to participate in this debate, although other members have already covered much of what I might have wanted to say.That said, it is appropriate to bring to the Parliament the perspective of one of my constituents, Gerry Frew from Lendalfoot. Gerry wrote to me shor...

Adam Ingram (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) SNP Committee

05 Oct 2011

Subordinate Legislation

I have a couple of questions for the cabinet secretary. Does section 110(1A) of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 apply to conventionally funded public sector contracts? Clearly, you are talking about private finance initiative construction contracts.

Adam Ingram SNP Committee

16 Nov 2011

Broadband Infrastructure Inquiry

We have a pot of £144 million available. How should it be spent? It is clear that there is a large funding gap. Can it be filled through private sector finance? How should we proceed?

Adam Ingram SNP Committee

28 Feb 2012

PIP Silicone Breast Implants

I am a little bit disappointed about that. Are you aware of other private providers in Scotland that have provided this form of procedure?

Adam Ingram SNP Committee

09 May 2012

Housing and Transport

You seem to have consultations coming out of your ears. What are the main aims of the strategy for the private rented sector, as set out in the consultation document?

Adam Ingram (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) SNP Chamber

01 Dec 2011

Scottish Executive Question Time · Mortgage Indemnity Scheme

What other measures are we taking to encourage private housing development? I welcome the empty homes initiative in South Ayrshire, but a major project in south-east Ayr is being held up by disagreements between bodies such as Transport Scotland and the local council on planni...

The Deputy Convener (Adam Ingram) SNP Committee

20 Feb 2013

Decision on Taking Business in Private

Welcome to the fourth meeting in 2013 of the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee. I remind members to switch off mobile phones, as they affect the broadcasting system. We have received apologies from Maureen Watt, and I am standing in as convener for the meeting. I...