Hansard

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

27 Jan 2016

Social Enterprises

I agree with what Fraser Kelly has said. There are already dynamics in the social enterprise landscape that will mean the production of more social enterprises and the development of existing ones. I liked what James McIlroy said. The large companies that chase unlimited prof...

Chic Brodie (South Scotland) (SNP) SNP Chamber

01 Jun 2011

Taking Scotland Forward: Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth

It is a pleasure to follow such a maiden speech. I begin by paying a fulsome and public tribute to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth for his husbandry of the nation’s finances over the past four years. A great measure of the success of any or...

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

06 Aug 2014

Social Enterprises

On Karen McGregor’s final point, there is no question that social enterprise in Scotland has been a remarkable success. The danger in that is about who decides who the new entrants are and how they are qualified. That is compounded by the fact that many of them require busines...

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

12 Nov 2014

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2015-16

Yesterday, I convened the cross-party group on social enterprise. One question that was raised was on the internationalisation of social enterprises. I was surprised by the desire on the part of social enterprises—they now tend to see themselves as being different from third s...

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

30 Sep 2013

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2014-15

Absolutely. I am sure that we will achieve all that. I have one last question. I will not go back to my passions but, as convener of the cross-party group on social enterprises, I am intrigued to know exactly what focus your organisations are putting on social enterprises. My ...

Chic Brodie (South Scotland) (SNP) SNP Chamber

17 Apr 2013

Public Procurement Reform

I am delighted to speak in the debate, and my speech is built on the foundations that were laid by the Christie commission report to which Mary Scanlon has just referred. The report’s clear drivers were as follows: first, that reforms must aim to empower communities and indivi...

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

15 May 2013

Highlands and Islands Enterprise

For my sins, I am the convener of the cross-party group on social enterprise. There has been substantial growth in social enterprises over the past two years. Part of the problem, however, is ensuring that we have bona fide social enterprises. Can you share with us how you qua...

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

27 Jan 2016

Social Enterprises

I support that. Before I came to this august place, I was involved in company turnarounds and starting up small businesses and social enterprises, and there has been a quite significant shift in some of the funding sources. The phrase “ethical investment” is becoming more and ...

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

15 May 2013

Highlands and Islands Enterprise

But how do you check that they are bona fide social enterprises? Part of the problem is that we have enterprises saying that they are social enterprises, and we have a funding stream that embraces—at the last count—42 different types of funding streams, which is not efficient,...

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

06 Aug 2014

Social Enterprises

The Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 has just been mentioned. I seek some comment on how local authorities view social enterprise and how they engage with it. I am trying to get a social enterprise set up in Ayr that would involve youngsters going around on rickshaws enc...

Chic Brodie (South Scotland) (SNP) SNP Chamber

20 Feb 2014

Procurement Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I am delighted to participate in the debate. For several years, I have bought widgets and recruitment services and been involved in UK Government large product procurement. I was also part of last year’s successful and constructive visit to Brussels that was led by my colleagu...

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

15 Jun 2011

Scottish Government Priorities

Unlike John Wilson, I have lived in a city—I was raised in Dundee. I think that it was Churchill who said as an MP that the best view of Dundee was from the train leaving it. He could hardly say that now; I am very proud of the city.In the earlier session, we had a conversatio...

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

28 May 2014

Budget Scrutiny 2014-15

One of the things that the social enterprise community is tussling with is the question of what is a social enterprise and what is not. In Glasgow, we now have 590 social enterprises. Their aspirations are not being fulfilled because they do not see where they fit in with rega...

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

26 Sep 2012

Business Gateway Inquiry

You have talked about a national strategy. There is a bigger strategy, which is the national one that is set by Scottish Enterprise. You talked about strategy, yet Mr Lightbody just said that you do not know where the stuff is coming from, and that because the business gateway...

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

26 Sep 2012

Business Gateway Inquiry

I have one last question. One of the committee’s recommendations was to embrace and integrate business support activities across other council services. We have some important bills coming down the line—a community empowerment bill, a procurement bill and a town regeneration a...

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

30 Sep 2013

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2014-15

I understand that. Those social enterprises are in the tent—we know about them. However, a proliferation of social enterprises out there are getting public sector funding and nobody seems to know where they are.

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

08 Oct 2014

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2015-16

We had a round-table meeting recently at which we talked about social enterprises. Although they are crucial as far as the economy is concerned, there are disparate means of funding them. Given the rapid growth of social enterprises—that is not true only in the internal market...

Chic Brodie (South Scotland) (SNP) SNP Committee

06 Aug 2014

Social Enterprises

I am one of the MSPs for South Scotland. I also have the privilege of being the convener of the cross-party group on social enterprises.

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

06 Aug 2014

Social Enterprises

How do you establish and qualify the good business support that is needed for social enterprises? My experience in the industry was that there were some good business support people—I will not use the word “consultants”—but some people were on the make, to be frank.

Chic Brodie (South Scotland) (SNP) SNP Chamber

09 Feb 2012

Youth Employment Strategy

As other members have done, I welcome the minister’s appointment. The problem of our young unemployed people is a challenge. We must pick up the gauntlet, and we are doing so. The worst thing that could happen would be for members to succumb to the Jeremiah syndrome. I welcom...

Chic Brodie SNP Chamber

04 Nov 2015

Portfolio Question Time · Social Enterprise Businesses (Financial Support)

Social enterprise in Scotland is thriving, with 5,200 companies now operating—a 42 per cent increase in the past 10 years—and a net worth of more than £3 billion. The cabinet secretary is to be congratulated on his personal commitment to the sector’s success. Will the Scottish...

Chic Brodie (South Scotland) (SNP) SNP Committee

27 Jan 2016

Social Enterprises

I am one of the MSPs for South Scotland and, happily, I am the convener of the cross-party group on social enterprises.

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

27 Jan 2016

Social Enterprises

This question is for any of our guests. It is clear that the Highlands and Islands is an exemplar for what can happen, but why is the growth in social enterprises in Glasgow so great?

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

27 Jan 2016

Social Enterprises

We have the Scottish business pledge, which has goodness knows how many parameters, and we have the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 and the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015. To come back to the point that Simon Teasdale made, I know, having been involved in thi...

Chic Brodie (South Scotland) (SNP) SNP Chamber

02 Feb 2016

Litter

I thank Cameron Buchanan for bringing this important debate to the chamber. I brought a similar debate to the chamber some three years ago. Litter costs Scotland over £53 million each year. That is money that could be better spent on other services. Litter is a scourge and a ...

Chic Brodie SNP Chamber

03 Feb 2016

Budget (Scotland) (No 5) Bill: Stage 1

No, I do not have time. We are continuing to pursue national security. All that is underpinned by a long-term economic growth platform that supports internationalisation, research, innovation, partnership, growing small businesses and social enterprises. If I may, I will fin...

Chic Brodie (South Scotland) (SNP) SNP Chamber

04 Sep 2013

Oxfam’s “Our Economy” Report

I, too, commend Oxfam on its report and thank John Wilson for affording us the opportunity to have this debate. “Alienation ... is the cry of men who feel themselves victims of blind economic forces beyond their control ... The feeling of despair and hopelessness that pervade...

Chic Brodie SNP Chamber

04 Sep 2012

Scottish Government’s Programme

I understand Ms Davidson asking that question, but she must stop trying to rewrite and be selective about the history of her Government cutting the overall capital spend for the Scottish Government.We are talking about not just trust and competence, but fairness. I welcome in ...

Chic Brodie (South Scotland) (SNP) SNP Chamber

11 Sep 2013

Enterprise Networks

Nothing, but nothing—well, almost nothing—and I say this from years of domestic and international business experience, makes the blood flow more than entrepreneurial success. The concept, the design, the development, the making and the engineering of both hard and soft product...

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

18 Dec 2013

Access to Finance

That last comment is not exactly true, is it? As the committee’s European reporter, I have had two meetings with the European Commission in the past six months, and because Scotland is not a member state we were unaware of details of COSME—the competitiveness of enterprises an...

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

11 Dec 2013

Access to Finance

We have mentioned availability of finance. Through the European COSME—which is the programme for the competitiveness of enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises—fund, €1.4 billion is about to be made available over the next six years for small businesses, with €700 m...

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

03 Nov 2014

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2015-16

I will come in if I may. I want to talk about European funding as I am the European rapporteur for the committee. As an aside, I withdraw my comment about Scottish Enterprise not being a business. It is a business, but it uses public money largely to support other businesses....

Chic Brodie (South Scotland) (SNP) SNP Chamber

18 Feb 2014

European Union Policies (Engagement and Scrutiny)

I apologise to the opening speakers for not being here for their speeches. There was a lack of communication, which was directly down to me. I welcome the Scottish Government’s action plan on European engagement, looking ahead to issues of importance for Scotland for the fort...

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

04 Mar 2015

Internationalising Scottish Business

I have the privilege of being the committee’s European reporter. My point follows on from Gordon MacDonald’s excellent exposé about the contribution of SMEs. On a visit to Brussels, I found that Scotland is not fully aware of the COSME programme—the EU programme for the compet...

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

25 Mar 2015

Internationalising Scottish Business

I will ask three brief questions, the first of which might involve Ms Laurie, as it relates to European funding. Deputy First Minister, you mentioned access to finance. There are three major European funds that would help Scottish business: the COSME—competitiveness of enterp...

Chic Brodie (South Scotland) (SNP) SNP Committee

14 Sep 2011

Business Gateway Inquiry

I want to address Colin Borland on the economy. We know that the United Kingdom economy is not buoyant, but happily the Scottish economy is a bit better.I should probably declare an interest as convener of the cross-party group on social enterprise. In a previous life I worked...

Chic Brodie SNP Chamber

22 Mar 2012

Remploy (United Kingdom Government Response)

No, I will not.I have had sight of the detailed and extensive consultants’ report on Remploy, I have distilled some of the items in the Sayce review and I have spoken to people who know not a little about the Remploy operation in Scotland, and I think that there is scope for u...

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

06 Aug 2014

Social Enterprises

I have a view on what the answer to this question is, but it will be interesting to hear the views round the table. We have heard about what may or may not be a social enterprise. In the witnesses’ opinion, who qualifies a social enterprise as a social enterprise?

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

28 May 2014

Budget Scrutiny 2014-15

If we talk about opportunities for the future, we might find that we have different views about how we feed the pipeline. Alison Johnstone referred to innovation, knowledge transfer and the universities, but we might differ in our view of the variation in the regional performa...

Chic Brodie (South Scotland) (SNP) SNP Chamber

08 Sep 2011

Scottish Government’s Legislative Programme

As would be expected, I welcome the Government’s programme for our nation for 2011-12, which is against a backdrop—a canvas—of savage cuts in public spending and capital investment that is not of our making. That is not so much our own water as our own oil being thrown in our ...

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

05 Sep 2012

Tourism (Winning Years Strategy)

Good morning, gentlemen. On skills, I was encouraged by my meeting with East Lothian Council, which is in the process of setting up a curriculum that goes right through from 15-year-olds to college or university.I have two questions. First, what impact does corporate sponsorsh...

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

12 Jun 2013

Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

No no. We can agree to disagree about whether social enterprise is a sector, but the important thing to note is that social enterprises and the third sector are adding value to the economic growth of this nation, and that might increase. You are saying that there are difficult...

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

09 Jan 2013

Underemployment Inquiry

I have one last question. The third sector, comprising the social enterprise sector and the voluntary sector, has grown by 13 per cent since 2008. Has there been a rush into that sector because of a lack of employment in the more stable economy—I am not suggesting that social ...

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

29 May 2013

Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I am the convener of the cross-party group on social enterprise. Your name has never come up with regard to help and guidelines. Do you have a database of all social enterprises, community interest companies or charity organisations?

Chic Brodie (South Scotland) (SNP) SNP Chamber

19 Sep 2013

Scottish Economy

Yesterday, I sat and listened to the debate about Scotland’s future. I listened with increasing depression to the speeches from the rows of Typhons on the Opposition seats. Few of the arguments that were posed addressed the fundamental issue that we will address first next yea...

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

11 Sep 2013

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2014-15

Good morning. I will declare an interest. After having run Compaq joint ventures across Europe, I came back to help start-ups, mentor other businesses and do company turnarounds, so I have a large degree of empathy with what has been said. I say to Belinda Roberts that discuss...

Chic Brodie (South Scotland) (SNP) SNP Chamber

30 Oct 2014

Supported Business

Just to reiterate what Mr Brown said, we are here to help those with disabilities. I am delighted to speak in this debate, as I was to speak in the 2012 debate on the subject, and I support the motion. I also take the opportunity to recognise the role that the Minister for En...

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

12 Nov 2014

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2015-16

I appreciate the cabinet secretary’s great support for social enterprises. There is no question but that the Government’s economic strategy is well thought out and well founded and has been well addressed. Associated with that is the financial stewardship that has existed over...

Chic Brodie (South Scotland) (SNP) SNP Chamber

27 May 2014

Regeneration

I welcome the debate and the inquiry, which was as detailed and thorough as Mr Stewart said that it was. In the long term, nothing is as important as regenerating our communities, galvanising our neighbourhoods and handing power back to local people. Regeneration of local gov...

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

06 Aug 2014

Social Enterprises

That is good. Are the standards, interpretations or definitions the same for the other bodies that are represented? Is an organisation a social enterprise because it fulfils a set of criteria?

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

14 Sep 2011

Business Gateway Inquiry

The same report indicates that, notwithstanding the economic downturn, the percentage of the 2010-11 target achieved was 43 per cent of existing businesses going into the growth pipeline, 42 per cent of start-ups going into account management and 70 per cent of start-ups in th...

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

14 Sep 2011

Business Gateway Inquiry

I have one last question for David Coyne and Marjorie Miller. You are responsible within Glasgow City Council for business advice. How do you relate to the GO Group and to social enterprises such as the Wise Group and CEiS?

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

05 Oct 2011

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2012-13

I return to Mr Jamieson’s point about the focus on renewables. That is a major sector but, as we go through the spending review, we should not ignore the huge opportunities for the likes of the food and drink sector. We have also seen investment in tourism, and we all go aroun...

Chic Brodie SNP Chamber

22 Dec 2011

Spending Review 2011 and Draft Budget 2012-13

No, I am not taking any interventions. I am sorry.We must afford every one of our fellow citizens the dignity of positive analysis and set debate on the financial matters that affect them. The fear that the people of our nation feel is the elephant in the room.In that context,...

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

26 Sep 2012

Business Gateway Inquiry

Call me cynical if you like, but I do not see any change at all from last year. Can you tell me what changes there are? There is no change to the board of governors. You say that there is a closer relationship with social enterprises and with just enterprise—you said that last...

Chic Brodie SNP Chamber

14 Jun 2012

Youth Employment

I will say this with as little arrogance as I can summon up. Having been involved with some 23 companies, I would like to put that experience alongside the non-statement that the member has just made. It clearly shows that he does not understand the process. I am surprised by ...

Chic Brodie (South Scotland) (SNP) SNP Chamber

18 Sep 2012

Keep Scotland Beautiful

I, too, welcome Graeme Dey’s motion. He spoke of a cleaner, greener, more sustainable Scotland, and we all support that. I would like to focus on the clean part and indicate the impact that I think it has on the latter two aspects.Graeme Dey said that I would mention enhancing...

Chic Brodie SNP Chamber

11 Sep 2012

Sustainable Economic Growth

No. I have already given Mr Macintosh space.Such an approach would create efficiencies in areas such as super broadband and port improvements, which would allow us to capitalise on increased product and service exports. It would also create efficiencies through improvements in...

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

03 Oct 2012

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2013-14

It will be three.On that last point, it is all very well talking about council tax increases for top-banded properties, but it is not always very rich people who live in expensive houses—in some cases it is pensioners, so there is an issue around the application of that.Sir Do...

Chic Brodie SNP Committee

16 Jan 2013

Underemployment Inquiry

I will pick up on a comment that Lesley Giles made. Underemployment is unacceptable. She talked about the UK labour market and youth unemployment, but—although some people may not like it—Scotland is now different from the rest of the UK. For example, we have a youth unemploym...