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Showing 60 of 2,354,908 contributions. Latest 30 days: 0. Coverage: 12 May 1999 — 25 Mar 2026.
The Convener: SNP Committee
10 May 2000
Education and Training (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
Thank you, minister. I want to move on to the Sewel motion the minister mentioned. Members will have received notification of the motion in a note from the clerk dated 5 May. Mr McLeish has lodged a motion, S1M-8170, on the Learning and Skills Bill, which says:"That the Parlia...
The Convener: SNP Committee
22 Feb 2005
Convener's Report
The final item on the agenda is my report. I want to draw three items to the committee's attention.First, I have received correspondence from Mr McCabe concerning our scrutiny of a Sewel motion on the European Union Bill, which was introduced in the House of Commons on 26 Janu...
Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): SNP Chamber
07 Oct 1999
Memorandum of Understanding and Concordats
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. This morning, we are being asked to consider a motion lodged by the First Minister that asks the Parliament to endorse "the Memorandum of Understanding and supplementary agreements concluded between the United Kingdom Government, Scottis...
The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills (John Swinney) SNP Chamber
25 Oct 2018
Education (Primary 1 National Standardised Assessments)
In the period since the debate on P1 assessments, I have considered the arguments that were made and have taken time to discuss ways forward with colleagues in local government and education. I am keen to address the intent of the parliamentary motion, take account of the evid...
The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills (John Swinney) SNP Chamber
23 Mar 2021
Motion of No Confidence
It is my privilege to close the debate for the Government, and to encourage Parliament to reject this baseless motion from the Conservatives. At the heart of the debate, as many members have said, are two women who had the bravery and the courage to complain about behaviour th...
Mr Swinney: SNP Chamber
15 Feb 2001
Motion of No Confidence
Gil Paterson shouts "Nothing", and he is absolutely right. The contracts have been signed already and a pass has been sold.John McAllion said that we held the naive view that Labour members might co-operate with us on a motion of no confidence in a minister. If we were naive, ...
Mr Swinney: SNP Chamber
15 Feb 2001
Motion of No Confidence
The SNP will have defended its parliamentary right as the Opposition to hold the Executive to account for its failure to deliver for the people of Scotland.John McAllion accused us of unnecessarily lodging the motion. At a full meeting of Dundee City Council on Monday evening,...
The First Minister (John Swinney) SNP Chamber
12 Dec 2024
First Minister’s Question Time · Scottish Budget
I take great heart from the motion on the budget that was agreed to by the Parliament last night. The only people who voted against the motion were the Conservatives and Anas Sarwar. Despite Mr Sarwar’s opposition, I am generally more hopeful and optimistic that we are moving ...
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth (John Swinney): SNP Committee
04 Feb 2009
Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill
Good morning. With the committee's permission, I would like to do so.The UK Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill was introduced into the House of Lords on 4 December 2008. It had its second reading on 17 December 2008, and has been debated at committee o...
Mr Swinney: SNP Chamber
29 Sep 1999
Manufacturing and Industrial Strategy
I compliment the Presiding Officer on his rapid response to market demand. It is an example to all of us. I welcome this debate and the opportunity to assess the future of the manufacturing sector. It would be disingenuous of me to suggest that the motion from Henry McLeish is...
Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): SNP Chamber
13 Feb 2002
Motion of Condolence
On behalf of the Scottish National Party, I associate myself with the motion moved by the First Minister and extend our sympathy to the royal family on the death of Princess Margaret.The death of any individual brings enormous sadness for those who are left to mourn. In losing...
Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): SNP Chamber
03 Apr 2002
Motion of Condolence
On behalf of the Scottish National Party, I associate myself with the motion and express our sincere condolences to members of the royal family on the death of the Queen Mother.Amid all the local, national and international commentary, this is, first and foremost, a time of gr...
Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): SNP Chamber
27 Mar 2003
Motion of Thanks
It is my pleasure to support the motion that has been moved by the First Minister and to recognise the historic event that we are witnessing today. We are a young Parliament, but we are in the process every day of creating a new history and tradition for our Parliament. When t...
John Swinney SNP Committee
23 Nov 2010
Subordinate Legislation
I will simply move the motion.Motion moved,That the Finance Committee recommends that the draft Budget (Scotland) Act 2010 Amendment (No.2) Order 2010 be approved.—John Swinney.Motion agreed to.
John Swinney SNP Chamber
09 Dec 2015
Portfolio Question Time · Scotland Bill
The Smith commission required the two Governments to agree to a fiscal framework, and those discussions are on-going. The Chief Secretary to the Treasury and I have now had five meetings to try to agree the details of the fiscal framework. Those discussions are on-going and I ...
John Swinney SNP Committee
13 Jan 2016
Draft Budget 2016-17 (Revenue)
I have made it clear to Parliament and the United Kingdom Government that we will not put a legislative consent motion on the Scotland Bill to Parliament unless we have a fiscal framework that we can recommend to it. Therefore, the timetable dictates that we must have agreemen...
The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills (John Swinney) SNP Chamber
08 Mar 2017
Education
Iain Gray said that it is “right and reasonable” to hold the Government to account. That is, of course, correct. The Government is here to be held to account, and I accept that accountability. However, all parties in Parliament need to be consistent. Iain Gray’s criticism of ...
John Swinney SNP Chamber
19 Sep 2018
Primary 1 Tests
I am saying nothing of the sort. I am saying that teachers, in working their way through the assessments, will have greater clarity about the performance of individual young people against the standards across the country—the benchmarks for what we expect from curriculum for e...
John Swinney SNP Chamber
10 Mar 2021
Motion of No Confidence
No, because I need to put across an important point. The outcomes of those discussions are reflected in the pleadings that were made to the court by the Government, which we shared with the committee some months ago. The documents that we released confirm that, in September, ...
John Swinney (Perthshire North) (SNP) SNP Chamber
20 Jun 2023
Just Transition for Rural Communities
I congratulate Alexander Burnett on bringing to the chamber this important debate in order to give voice to the views of people in rural Scotland on the crucial role that they have to play, as we all do, in the transition to net zero. All of us, having experienced what we hav...
The First Minister (John Swinney) SNP Chamber
30 Oct 2024
Motion of Condolence
It is with sadness that I move the motion of condolence on the death of Alex Salmond, the fourth First Minister of Scotland. On behalf of the Scottish Government and the people of Scotland, I express my deepest sympathies to Alex’s wife, Moira, to his family and to his friends...
The Convener: SNP Committee
10 May 2000
Education and Training (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
Do members have any comments on the Sewel motion? Are members content with the motion?Members indicated agreement.
The Convener: SNP Committee
31 May 2000
Local Economic Development
Item 2 is on the local economic development inquiry parliamentary debate. Members will recall that the committee expressed the desire to have an opportunity to debate in the chamber the issues addressed in the local economic development report. There is normally a lying time o...
The Convener: SNP Committee
22 Feb 2005
Convener's Report
So the motion awaits our deliberations. If the committee is satisfied that we should take evidence from Mr McCabe, we will do that on 22 March. We will discuss the motion when we have heard from him.Secondly, I draw members' attention to an exchange of correspondence. Today, m...
The Convener: SNP Committee
26 Apr 2005
Scottish Executive Priorities (Luxembourg Presidency)
We must be careful about the ground that we are on. The paper sets out the ministerial priorities for the Luxembourg presidency, which could in theory be the subject of a debate in the Scottish Parliament if the Parliamentary Bureau decided that. A separate issue that Phil Gal...
Mr Swinney: SNP Committee
31 Oct 2006
Scottish Executive Budget Review Group
It is likely that the motion to be debated will request that the Executive publish the Howat review. However, as you will appreciate, I am not the one who will determine the final contents of the motion.
Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): SNP Chamber
24 Jun 1999
The Economy
I am grateful to Mr McLeish for allowing me to make an intervention during his speech, as it let me place on record the involvement of the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee. For the remainder of my speech, I will speak in my capacity as Mr McLeish's shadow. There is a...
Mr Swinney: SNP Chamber
24 Jun 1999
The Economy
I am happy to endorse everything that my colleagues said this morning. They were talking about the sell-off of public services and I have never advocated—and never will advocate— the selling-off of public services carried out by the previous Government and by this Administrati...
Mr Swinney: SNP Chamber
07 Oct 1999
Memorandum of Understanding and Concordats
On a point of order. I thank the First Minister for his comments and for acknowledging the problems that have been created for the Parliament by this omission from the motion. Presiding Officer, will you clarify whether the status of the change that is proposed by the First Mi...
Mr Swinney: SNP Chamber
23 Feb 2000
Modernising Government
I am grateful that the minister has put those comments on the record. I look forward to opening the letters page of The Sunday Times to read his refutation of that scurrilous article.I was concerned because the article created what used to be known in the private sector, where...
Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): SNP Chamber
10 May 2000
State of the Nation
It is my pleasure to close the debate.The first sentence of the motion in the name of Alex Salmond puts into context an important part of Parliament's work. It is about the commitment of members working in committees, in Parliament and in their constituencies to move Scotland ...
Mr Swinney: SNP Chamber
06 Sep 2000
Business Motion
It is clear that before Mr McCabe came to this Parliament there could not have been a lot of debating in South Lanarkshire Council, because debating normally involves engaging the arguments that people put forward. There was not much evidence of that in what he said.Some decen...
Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): SNP Chamber
13 Oct 2000
Motion of Condolence
I begin by associating the Scottish National Party with the motion moved by Jim Wallace.I wish to express the sadness of the Scottish National Party at the death of Donald Dewar and to extend our sympathy to Marion and Ian Dewar, to Donald's many friends and to all those who w...
Mr Swinney: SNP Chamber
01 Nov 2000
Executive Accountability to Parliament
We took a particular stance on the constitutional convention. When it came to the referendum, Labour and the Liberal Democrats were perfectly happy to work with the SNP to deliver the Scottish Parliament, and we were happy to work in that way. I am not sure whether I am allowe...
Mr Swinney: SNP Chamber
01 Nov 2000
Executive Accountability to Parliament
I am glad for Mr Wallace's clarification but, before he gave it, I was making a point about the public interest, which is specifically referred to in the First Minister's motion.A Scottish Executive official gave the following evidence to the Justice and Home Affairs Committee...
Mr Swinney: SNP Chamber
25 Jan 2001
First Minister's Question Time · Scottish Executive Priorities
The First Minister may say that the issue was off the agenda in October, but that is not terribly consistent with what the Minister for Health and Community Care told Parliament this morning. The issue is back on the agenda because the First Minister put it there and, by doing...
Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): SNP Chamber
15 Feb 2001
Motion of No Confidence
In winding up on the SNP's motion, I will concentrate on the key point of the debate—that this about real people and their employment. David McLetchie's attack of a moment ago on the SNP will be interpreted widely in the rural communities of Scotland, where his party aims to r...
Mr Swinney: SNP Chamber
15 Feb 2001
Motion of No Confidence
I know that there is no chance of that happening, but the Conservatives' attack on us will be interpreted as an attempt to recover lost ground. There is a lack of concern on the part of the Conservative party about the issue of employment, which affects many rural communities....
Mr Swinney: SNP Chamber
15 Feb 2001
Motion of No Confidence
The Executive has threatened the loss of more than 500 and possibly up to 3,500 jobs, but has expressed no real concern about that. The Opposition must use every device that it can to hold the Executive to account. The SNP motion does exactly that.
Mr Swinney: SNP Chamber
14 Mar 2001
Points of Order
We are back to the issue that I raised with one of the Deputy Presiding Officers on the occasion on which the Executive asked to make a ministerial statement without the contents of that statement being known to the chair. I have lodged an emergency question with the Presiding...
Mr Swinney: SNP Chamber
21 Jun 2001
Scotland's Place in the World
Mr Henry will be aware that Scotland already makes a contribution to the costs of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the United Kingdom. I want to ensure that that money works for the people of Scotland and that we have a strong ability to represent ourselves overseas.Alth...
Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): SNP Chamber
12 Sep 2001
Motion of Condolence
I associate my party with the motion that was moved by the First Minister. On behalf of the Scottish National Party, I express to the people of the United States, to their President, to the many American people who are here today in Scotland—as residents or as visitors—our dee...
Mr Swinney: SNP Chamber
20 Feb 2003
First Minister's Question Time · Cabinet (Meetings)
Let us consider the events of the past few days. The UN inspectors' report is published and the British Government reacts with "disappointment". One hundred thousand people take to the streets of Glasgow and the First Minister casts their views aside. In January, I lodged a mo...
Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): SNP Chamber
19 Mar 2003
Business Motions
I oppose business motion S1M-4039 and, as the Scottish National Party did yesterday in the Parliamentary Bureau, I ask the Executive to make time available for a further debate on the international situation that we face.Last Thursday, we had a good and thoughtful debate about...
Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): SNP Chamber
27 Oct 2004
Young Carers
I welcome the new Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care to her post and hope that, in her first debate since rejoining the ministerial team, she may have good news for us at the conclusion of the debate.I thank the 67 members who have supported my motion on young carer...
Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): SNP Chamber
27 Jan 2005
Energy Policy
I begin by making a couple of points on the work of the European and External Relations Committee, which are relevant to this debate. Scott Barrie talked about Longannet; I inform him that the committee has decided to seek information on the difficulties that are faced by Scot...
Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): SNP Chamber
17 Mar 2005
Education
Any debate on Scottish education should start from points of principle and I believe that the parties should set out their attitudes to how Scottish education should be structured and the curriculum directed. For me, the principle is that, in all our decisions, we must do two ...
Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): SNP Chamber
08 Jun 2005
G8
As the minister has said, this debate gives Parliament a welcome opportunity to set out its aspirations for the G8 summit that will take place in Scotland in July and to make it clear to the people of Scotland and to the G8 leaders exactly what the Parliament wants to get out ...
Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): SNP Chamber
20 Apr 2006
Civil Justice Reform
It is a pleasure to take part in the debate. I do so on the basis that when the Government takes decisions that I think are good and valuable, it deserves praise and support from the Opposition benches. I am glad that the minister accepted the amendment from my front bench and...
Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): SNP Chamber
21 Jun 2006
Highland Transport Links
I congratulate my friend and colleague Fergus Ewing on securing this debate and on initiating a debate—in which I hope all parties will engage—to try to come to the consensus that is required for a strategic shift in the arrangement of projects for the improvement of the trans...
Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): SNP Chamber
05 Oct 2006
Senior Citizens
No matter whether Gordon Brown becomes the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and no matter what the historical assessment of his tenure will be, I have absolutely no doubt that he will go down in history as the chancellor who created the pensions crisis in this country...
Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): SNP Chamber
06 Dec 2006
Rural Post Offices
I thank the many members who signed my motion and the Parliamentary Bureau for facilitating an important debate about the future of services in rural Scotland.Rural post offices are a vital backbone of our local communities and they are the last shop that is open in many small...
Mr Swinney: SNP Chamber
22 Mar 2007
Scotland in the United Kingdom
I would be happy to, but I have only a minute left.Margaret Curran made no reference to the fact that the majority of Scottish members of Parliament voted against the renewal of the Trident nuclear missile system, which will now be forced upon us by the United Kingdom Parliame...
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth (John Swinney): SNP Chamber
21 Jun 2007
Council Tax
The Government has said consistently that it is committed to abolishing the unfair council tax as part of its agenda to create a wealthier and fairer Scotland. The council tax is undeniably unfair and regressive and hits people on low incomes, particularly pensioners and other...
John Swinney: SNP Chamber
29 Oct 2008
British-Irish Council
I will consider that comment to have given me fruitful licence for my closing speech. I will try to put some life into the debate, as Mr Carlaw has been disappointed by the lack of it.Notwithstanding some of the comments that I will make, we have heard some fine speeches. Hugh...
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth (John Swinney): SNP Chamber
04 Dec 2008
Local Government Finance
What a difference a day makes. Yesterday, Mr Brownlee and Mr Whitton were engaged in the most ferocious political battle on the floor of Parliament. I have never seen Mr Brownlee more venomous in a contribution to a parliamentary debate, nor have I seen Mr Whitton more exercis...
John Swinney: SNP Chamber
04 Dec 2008
Local Government Finance
We are a broad church that is prepared to tolerate open debate, unlike the "Stalinists" on the Conservative benches.I am afraid that, despite Mr Brownlee's logical presentation—or his best efforts at it—the Conservative position is completely and utterly all over the place. On...
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth (John Swinney): SNP Chamber
26 Feb 2009
Financial Services Advisory Board
On 5 February, we debated motion S3M-3384, on the creation of a financial sector jobs task force. The terms of the motion that was agreed were that the Scottish Government would ask the Financial Services Advisory Board—FiSAB—to consider how the financial services industry wou...
John Swinney: SNP Committee
15 Dec 2009
Financial Services Bill
The motion seeks approval for the United Kingdom Parliament to extend clause 6 of the Financial Services Bill to Scotland.The Financial Services Bill sets out a number of reforms to strengthen financial regulation and restore market confidence. The bill will protect and empowe...
John Swinney SNP Chamber
15 Apr 2010
Supporting Business
I engage in a great deal of dialogue—as do my officials, on my behalf—with the business community on such questions. We have had a range of discussions and I have listened to a range of views from the business community on transitional relief, and we have come to our conclusio...
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Committee

Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee, 10 May 2000

10 May 2000 · S1 · Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee
Item of business
Education and Training (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
Swinney, John SNP North Tayside Watch on SPTV
Thank you, minister. I want to move on to the Sewel motion the minister mentioned. Members will have received notification of the motion in a note from the clerk dated 5 May. Mr McLeish has lodged a motion, S1M-8170, on the Learning and Skills Bill, which says:

"That the Parliament agrees that the regulation-making powers relating to Scotland in respect of learning accounts in the Learning and Skills Bill should be devolved to Scottish Ministers."

The motion relates to the minister's point about the subject under discussion being covered by three bills: the Education and Training (Scotland) Bill, the UK Finance Bill, which is going through the House of Lords and the UK Learning and Skills Bill, which is currently in the House of Commons.

We are required to give a view on Mr McLeish's motion, which will go before Parliament for a decision. If the committee is content with the motion, it will probably be taken without debate. This is our opportunity to make any comments about the motion. Do you want to make any additional comments, minister?

In the same item of business

The Convener: SNP
Item 2 is the continuation of our stage 1 evidence on the general principles of the Education and Training (Scotland) Bill. We commenced our consideration la...
The Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning (Nicol Stephen): LD
I have on my right David Stewart, the head of the opportunities for learning division and on my left, Allan Wilson, the team leader for the Education and Tra...
The Convener: SNP
Would you like to make some opening remarks to the committee?
Nicol Stephen: LD
I should be pleased to do that. I am grateful for the invitation to attend the committee today. Everyone in this room wishes to develop Scotland as a learnin...
The Convener: SNP
It should be a matter of moments, minister. Laughter.
Nicol Stephen: LD
Learndirect Scotland and the individual learning accounts initiative will work together to help many more people along the road of lifelong learning.Employer...
The Convener: SNP
Thank you for that full outline. The committee was quite struck during its evidence-taking last Friday by the consistency of the evidence. In a submission, S...
Nicol Stephen: LD
Putting lifelong learning centre stage is a key part of our strategy in relation to further and higher education, new learning centres, and the creation of t...
Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): Lab
I would like to expand on disadvantage, particularly with regard to the rural dimension. People in rural areas have particular problems. Someone on a low wag...
Nicol Stephen: LD
The rules of the scheme will be broadly the same throughout Scotland and the UK, but the emphasis will be on local delivery. Learndirect Scotland will have a...
Dr Murray: Lab
The role of information and communications technology will be important in the delivery of distance learning to rural communities. However, there is an inves...
Nicol Stephen: LD
I was involved when a Highlands and Islands Enterprise scheme was launched in Stirling—in the Scottish Enterprise area—because it was so innovative and becau...
Marilyn Livingstone (Kirkcaldy) (Lab): Lab
I have two brief questions. First, can you expand on how you see guidance and support being made available to those who most need it? You said that if guidan...
Nicol Stephen: LD
I will deal with guidance and support first. We have decided that the funding for individual learning accounts can be used for guidance. We are currently exa...
The Convener: SNP
Thank you, minister. We have a number of items to deal with, so I ask for brief questions and brief answers. We will need time to discuss the Sewel motion; m...
Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): Lab
What you have described is a nationwide scheme in which Scottish Enterprise will have a key role through the LECs. The head of Scottish Enterprise has said t...
Nicol Stephen: LD
I am convinced that Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise are fully committed to the individual learning accounts proposal. The local ente...
Mr McNeil: Lab
Will they be set targets to reach those who most need training? Will those targets be set and monitored? Will the success of the programme be judged on how m...
Nicol Stephen: LD
There will be monitoring but, initially, there will be no targets other than the overall 100,000 individual learning accounts target, which will be broken do...
Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): SNP
Although I appreciate your candour, minister, I am shocked and appalled to learn that the scheme will make no allowance for the costs of travel and child car...
Nicol Stephen: LD
It is important to emphasise that all this is an improvement on the current position. There will be £23 million of new, additional funding over the next two ...
Fergus Ewing: SNP
The proposition that it is too complicated to legislate in a way that does not discriminate against rural parts of Scotland seems dubious. Taking what you sa...
Nicol Stephen: LD
I made it clear that I would provide further information to the committee on the Highlands and Islands Enterprise budget. I pointed out that not a penny of t...
The Convener: SNP
Thank you, minister. Margo MacDonald will ask the final question in this session.
Ms Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (SNP): SNP
You have identified 100,000 individual learning accounts as a pilot scheme to test the water, but there is doubt in the committee about whether you will reac...
Nicol Stephen: LD
There will be an opportunity to do that. I emphasise the flexibility. I have responsibility for aspects of the new deal. One of the things the Scottish group...
The Convener: SNP
Thank you, minister. I want to move on to the Sewel motion the minister mentioned. Members will have received notification of the motion in a note from the c...
Nicol Stephen: LD
As members will know, the original model intended individual learning accounts to involve the establishment of a bank account, involving the banks in the pro...
The Convener: SNP
Do members have any comments on the Sewel motion? Are members content with the motion?Members indicated agreement.
The Convener: SNP
Okay. We will report to Parliament the fact that the committee is content with the motion.I want to ask about section 3 of the Education and Training (Scotla...