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Every contribution to the Official Report — chamber and committee — searchable in one place. Pulled from data.parliament.scot, indexed for full-text search, linked through to every MSP.

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1999–2026

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Official Report

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Showing 60 of 2,354,908 contributions. Latest 30 days: 0. Coverage: 12 May 1999 — 25 Mar 2026.

Graham Simpson Con Chamber

Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

In case members did not hear it, the First Minister said that he is “here to learn.” He can learn from the housing minister, who is now suitably embarrassed. Amendments 39, 40, 48 and 49 relate to duties on the Scottish ministers to report on progress in the cladding remediat...

Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber

Cycle Capacity (Railways)

I thank my colleague Liam Kerr for bringing the debate to Parliament. It is a shame that we are here, given that Abellio originally vowed to help Scotland to go Dutch and to create a Scottish cycle revolution. It took on the ScotRail franchise with big promises and a grand vis...

Graham Simpson Con Committee

“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”

I will move on to IT. I have asked you before about an NHS Scotland app, similar to the one that they have in England. We explored the matter in the earlier part of the evidence session. It is quite clear that we in Scotland are way behind what is happening south of the border...

Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con) Con Committee

“Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Annual Report & Accounts 2017/18”

My questions follow on from Annabelle Ewing’s. You have been asking for legislative changes in a couple of areas, the first of which relates to accessibility, which Annabelle Ewing touched on. It does seem absurd that people have to prove that they are in exceptional circumsta...

Graham Simpson Con Chamber

I am sure that Ms Aitken had a wonderful time, but I do not see that she has achieved very much. This debate should have been held tomorrow, because that is when we will hear from the Climate Change Committee on how Scotland is actually doing. We can be fairly certain that it...

Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con) Con Committee

Disability Employment Gap

I will follow up on that, minister. You say that you have the targets and that you are making progress, but if I have picked it up right, you also say that you do not know why or how you are making progress. Is that accurate?

Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber

When Jenny Gilruth stood before the Parliament on February 8 to deliver the bombshell news that the contract for dualling the next section of the A9 was not yet going to be awarded, she was keen to blame everyone but herself. From Brexit—of course—to Vladimir Putin, the Minist...

Graham Simpson Con Chamber

Active Travel Transformation

That is a good example. I am familiar with that route, which I have cycled. I look forward to cycling with Ms Hyslop at a local project that she has invited me to; I hope that we will do that in the summer, which would be fantastic. I have referred many times to the Governmen...

Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con) Con Committee

Section 23 Report: “Adult mental health”

I will follow up on what Sharon Dowey asked about. She covered the NHS England mental health dashboard, which I have had a look at. I am sorry if you feel that it is too bureaucratic, Dr Cook. You can come back in on that, but to me, it provides very useful information. It fol...

Graham Simpson Con Committee

Section 22 Report: “The 2022/23 audit of NHS Forth Valley”

After that visit in April 2022, there was a period of months before, in November that year, the board was escalated to stage 4. Obviously it got to that stage because there was a lack of progress. Do we know why there was a lack of progress?

Graham Simpson Con Committee

Section 23 Report: “NHS in Scotland 2023”

I am aware of the time constraints, so I promise to be brief. Auditor General, your report provides a summary of progress by the Scottish Government against the recommendations in your 2022 report. You have made a third of the recommendations in that report again, so to what e...

Graham Simpson Con Chamber

Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

That was a lengthy but welcome intervention. Monica Lennon knows the answer; she knows that I agree with her. At the heart of this is the Scottish Government’s failure to meet legally binding climate change targets or to produce a draft climate change plan by the end of Novem...

Graham Simpson Con Committee

Additional Support for Learning

The Auditor General’s briefing paper says: “In November 2024, the ASL Project Board considered a high-level approach to improving data recording and reporting by 2028”. To me, that sounds like quite slow progress. Do you accept that, in general, the board has been making slo...

Graham Simpson Con Committee

“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”

Thank you for that. The report says that the Government’s most recent annual progress report highlights that 3,540 of the 4,925 whole-time equivalent staff working across the six priority services at March 2024 were funded by the primary care improvement fund. Do you know wher...

Graham Simpson Reform Committee

“Improving care experience: Delivering The Promise”

How can a report from the Auditor General derail progress? These reports are about making progress.

Graham Simpson Reform Committee

“Improving care experience: Delivering The Promise”

I am going to ask you about another sentence, which is near the end of the letter. You say:“at worst, the report could derail Scotland’s progress towards keeping the promise.”We asked about that in a previous evidence session on this matter. How can a report from the Auditor G...

Graham Simpson Con Chamber

Local National Health Services

I agree. As I have stated, that would be a more practical option; there will also be a brand new hospital. The health board has stated that risks have been identified within NHS Lanarkshire’s trauma and orthopaedic services that could affect patient safety: “We have an immed...

Graham Simpson Con Chamber

Digital Strategy

I am not here to have a go at Mr Ewing. I am saying that some work is being done, but it is not enough. The European data protection supervisor, Giovanni Buttarelli, recently gave his views on personal information management systems. He said: “Our online lives currently ope...

Graham Simpson Con Chamber

Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order 2017 [Draft]

No. I am sure that we would all wish to congratulate Conservative-run South Ayrshire Council on what the Accounts Commission says has been “considerable progress in delivering improvements and meeting financial challenges as a result of effective political and managerial lea...

Graham Simpson Con Committee

Building Regulations

In the “Verification during Construction” document, LABSS says: “The inspection of building work in progress is an important part of the building standards verification procedure. However, it must be stressed that inspections are to protect the public interest in terms of com...

The Convener Con Committee

Consideration of the Work of the Committee during the Parliamentary Year 2016-17

Thank you, minister, and I will pass on your thanks to John Scott when I see him. With regard to the letter that we sent you, the committee felt very strongly that it is easy to criticise and that, therefore, we should also give praise when that is worth doing. We have split ...

Graham Simpson Con Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Tourism in Central Scotland

The heritage of North Lanarkshire is undersold, in my view. North Lanarkshire is rich in history but does not play to its strengths. Campaigners fighting to save greenbelt next to the old Monkland canal at Calderbank believe that it could become a country park and celebrate th...

Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber

UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Legal Continuity) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I am speaking as convener of the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee. Like the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, the continuity bill confers wide powers on ministers and consequently is of great interest to my committee. The tight timetable for considering the bill has...

Graham Simpson Con Chamber

UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Legal Continuity) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

The member changed his mind, but I said that we were unanimous at the meeting, which we were. I am sorry that the member has raised the issue, but I will address that in my summing up. The amendments relate to section 14A as amended at stage 2. Amendment 44 seeks to replace t...

Graham Simpson Con Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny (Housing Adaptations)

It was on the EHRC’s report. You have mentioned in evidence and we have certainly covered before the point about there being little progress on the adaptations process. In its report, the EHRC calls for “Changes to funding arrangements for adaptations” together with “imple...

The Convener Con Committee

“Work of the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee in 2017-18”

Since you gave evidence to us in September, what progress has been made on the quality of accompanying documents? I will show you an SSI that has come to us. You will have a copy of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 (Tolerable Standard) (Extension of Criteria) Order 2019, which ...

Graham Simpson Con Committee

Fuel Poverty (Target, Definition and Strategy) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Thank you, convener. If we do not agree to the amendments, there is a danger that the easiest to target areas will be picked and the less easy areas will be left. The intention behind the committee’s recommendation is to deal with that issue. I will go through the amendments...

Graham Simpson Con Committee

Fuel Poverty (Target, Definition and Strategy) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

I will be very brief, convener. These tidying-up amendments relate to amendment 93 in the name of Alex Rowley, on the Scottish fuel poverty advisory board. Amendment 93 contains the phrases “progress toward meeting the 2032 target” and “the likelihood of meeting the 2032 ta...

The Convener Con Committee

Secondary Legislation Update

So it is a work in progress.

Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber

Fuel Poverty (Target, Definition and Strategy) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

It is great to be able to kick off this debate on the amendments to the bill. As a lot of cross-party work took place before stage 3, most of the amendments will, I hope, be agreed to without too much rancour. Unfortunately for you, Presiding Officer, I have 10 amendments in ...

Graham Simpson Con Chamber

Fuel Poverty (Target, Definition and Strategy) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

There are three amendments in this group, all in my name. I was pleased that, at stage 2, the Government decided to act on the recommendations of the Local Government and Communities Committee and lodged an amendment to put an interim target for 2030 in the bill. During stage ...

Graham Simpson Con Chamber

Fuel Poverty (Target, Definition and Strategy) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

We will support Andy Wightman’s amendments. He was quite right to introduce into the bill the four drivers of fuel poverty. There was a debate in the Local Government and Communities Committee about whether the Scottish Government has influence over all four of the drivers. I ...

Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber

Fuel Poverty (Targets, Definition and Strategy) (Scotland) Bill

I got a bit confused at the weekend when I was thinking about the debate. On Twitter, the Scottish National Party announced: “Here’s what we’re doing in government to make Scotland a fairer place to live.” That came with a downward arrow that pointed to a list of alleged ach...

Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber

Cycling Action Plan

Cycling Scotland published its own progress report on the cycling action plan in 2016, which stated even then that the 10 per cent target would not be met. It said that “A long term increase in sustained funding is required, with year-on-year increases over time towards a 10%...

Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con) Con Committee

Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Annual Report and Accounts 2018-19

I was going to come in on budgets, but that subject has been covered. Reading your written submission, I could not help thinking that I had read it before. You seem to make the same points year in, year out. For example, you ask for public value investigation powers. You have ...

Graham Simpson Con Chamber

Tax and Public Spending

I was speaking about the extra money that we want for homelessness. I spoke to various stakeholders to come up with the figure—it is based on evidence. We asked for another £10 million for the expansion of the ending homelessness together fund, specifically to allow additional...

Graham Simpson Con Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2020-21

Okay. I am not sure that I am any clearer about what you do and do not need. I will ask one more question. Last year, there was an announcement of £1 billion for the learning estate programme. Has that money materialised and is it enough to progress the programme?

Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber

Transport (Covid-19)

I want to emphasise the point that Andy Wightman made. If we are going to spend £10 million on measures to make it easier for people to cycle and walk, we should maintain that progress. If more people are cycling—and the figures are impressive—we do not want to spend £10 milli...

Graham Simpson Con Committee

Climate Change Plan

Charles Wood mentioned transport, on which we have not made a great deal of progress. Emissions from transport have not really fallen. That is the next big challenge. Do the witnesses have anything to say about what needs to happen in that regard? We can think of the issue at...

Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber

It has been good to see more people walking and cycling during the pandemic but, if we are to maintain that progress, we need to invest more. Why has the cabinet secretary cut the budget for sustainable and active travel?

Graham Simpson Con Committee

Climate Change Plan

Do you have any statistics on how much progress is being made?

Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber

It would be normal at this point for me to thank the cabinet secretary for advance sight of his statement, but it arrived just minutes before he got to his feet, which is unacceptable. However, I am delighted that the Scottish Government’s vaccine roll-out has speeded up. Pro...

Graham Simpson Con Committee

Section 22 Report

There have been a couple of reviews, one of which was done by Robert Black, and there was an inspection by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland. What progress has been made on implementing the recommendations of those reviews?

Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber

Heat Networks (Scotland) Bill

I apologise for briefly leaving the chamber during the debate, Presiding Officer. It has been a very good debate. Alex Rowley summed up why the bill is so important. He spoke eloquently about fuel poverty, and he mentioned a three-tier tariff scheme in Dunfermline, both of wh...

Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con) Con Committee

Tied Pubs (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

I welcome Neil Bibby and, indeed, the minister back to the committee. Members are well aware that we had something of a marathon session last week. Our approach was to lodge a lot of amendments. We genuinely want the bill to work for everyone and for a sector that is really up...

Graham Simpson Con Committee

Section 22 Report

Earlier, you mentioned the infrastructure investment programme. What progress has been made on that? Has Covid had an impact on it?

Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Statistics 2019

The cabinet secretary says that he wants to phase out new petrol and diesel cars by 2030. Can he say how he plans to do that? In doing so, will he tell the chamber what progress has been made in delivering a hydrogen highway in the north-east?

Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber

General Question Time · Strategic Transport Projects Review 2 (Phase 2 Consultation)

In phase 1 of STPR2, the Government pledged to carry out an audit of all lorry parks and rest areas near trunk roads in Scotland. What progress is being made on that and will there be any investment for improvements?

Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber

Electric Vehicle Charging Network

I want to go back to Liam Kerr’s question about how the cabinet secretary plans to hit the target of 30,000 chargers by 2030, if he thinks he can do so. At the current rate of progress, it will take us until 2066 to hit the target. I do not see anything in the statement or its...

Graham Simpson Con Chamber

I just said that. People are now thinking of giving up island life altogether. That is tragic. I will end with a personal testimony from a lady on an island that I have not mentioned so far: Cumbrae. She told me: “We are only an 8 minute journey from the mainland and this ne...

Graham Simpson Con Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Neurodevelopmental Assessment Waiting Times (Lanarkshire)

Ahead of receiving a neurodevelopmental assessment, it is common for children under five to be vetted by a community paediatrician. I have a constituent who has been told by NHS Lanarkshire that her son will have to wait 21 months to see a paediatrician, and that does not incl...

Graham Simpson Con Chamber

Ferry Services (Public Ownership)

It seems that we are making some progress on publishing the project Neptune report, but can the minister put a date on that? Will it be in May?

Graham Simpson Con Committee

Just Transition

I accept that you are not the transport minister—she has my phone number; she can ring me any time; and she knows that I am prepared to work with her on all those matters. My door is open, if hers is. I know that you are not the transport minister, but your brief covers a lot...

7. Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Closing the Attainment Gap

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress in closing the attainment gap. (S6O-01762)

Graham Simpson Con Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Closing the Attainment Gap

In fact, there has been no progress in the past five years. In the aftermath of the Scottish budget, the general secretary of School Leaders Scotland, Jim Thewliss, said that education cuts will see class sizes increased and subjects removed. How will cutting subjects and inc...

Graham Simpson Con Committee

Chief Entrepreneurial Adviser to the Scottish Government

It will be very short. Thank you for what you have said today, Professor Logan. You have come across really well. Are you going to produce progress reports for the Government and this committee?

Graham Simpson Con Committee

National Strategy for Economic Transformation

Last week, we had the chief entrepreneurial adviser to the Scottish Government, Mark Logan, in front of us. I raised the issue of his rather large salary—£200,000 a year for working two days a week—and he mounted what I would describe as the L’Oréal defence: “Because I’m worth...

Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber

I thank every member who has taken part in the debate, whatever their views. It has highlighted the value of care and carers, as well as the diversity of the sector and the options within it. People in need do not fit a formula, and in care we cannot have one size fits all. W...

Graham Simpson Con Committee

Disability Employment Gap

It is brilliant that we are making progress. The Government is funding various schemes, and it seems to me that some of the schemes that you fund will do better than others. Would it not be a good idea to drill down into the data for individual schemes to see which ones are mo...

Graham Simpson Con Chamber

Women’s and Girls’ Safety (Public Transport)

I thank Joe FitzPatrick for his speech. I agree with the points that he has made. Men have to reflect on their own behaviour, because we—men—are the problem. It is men, not women, who are causing the issues for women. The report shows that women’s experiences differ. Some of ...

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Chamber

Meeting of the Parliament 14 May 2024

14 May 2024 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament

Item of business

Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

Simpson, Graham Con Central Scotland Watch on SPTV

In case members did not hear it, the First Minister said that he is “here to learn.” He can learn from the housing minister, who is now suitably embarrassed.

Amendments 39, 40, 48 and 49 relate to duties on the Scottish ministers to report on progress in the cladding remediation programme. They build on amendments that I and Miles Briggs lodged at stage 2, which were ultimately not moved.

Amendment 39 would require the Scottish ministers to report on progress with arranging and carrying out single building assessments and on progress with remediation work. The reports may also include such other information as the Scottish ministers consider appropriate.

Amendment 40 provides further detail on what information the reports must contain. That includes

“the number of buildings in relation to which a single building assessment is in progress and the number in relation to which remediation work ... is in progress”,

whether that has been arranged by Scottish ministers or by developers that are members of a responsible developers scheme.

There is also a requirement to provide quantitative information about changes to the cladding assurance register, including the number of times entries have been amended to show the completion of work. That will provide a very useful indication of the overall activity on cladding remediation.

The first reporting period will be the 18 months after the proposed new section comes into force, and subsequent reports must be prepared each year after that. Amendment 39 would require that there be 10 reporting periods in total, but there is an option to increase the number by regulations.

Amendment 49 will allow proposed new subsection (4) in amendment 39 to be amended by regulations so that the actual commencement date is referred to.

Amendment 48 provides that regulations under the proposed new section will be subject to the negative procedure.

The amendments in the group would ensure that there is open and transparent information on progress with remediation, which is crucial to the owners and occupiers of buildings that are affected by unsafe cladding.

I move amendment 39.

In the same item of business

The Presiding Officer (Alison Johnstone) NPA

The next item of business is stage 3 of the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Bill. In dealing with the amendments, members should have the bill as ...

The Presiding Officer NPA

Group 1 is on information to be provided in registers and reports. Amendment 9, in the name of Mark Griffin, is grouped with amendments 14, 43 and 44.

Mark Griffin (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lab

Despite the Scottish Government’s reports, we still do not understand the true extent to which combustible materials have been used in buildings in Scotland....

The Minister for Housing (Paul McLennan) SNP

Amendments 9 and 43 seek to add technical detail to the bill. Mark Griffin and I have had a number of discussions in and outwith the committee on that point ...

The Presiding Officer NPA

I call Mark Griffin to wind up and to press or withdraw amendment 9.

Mark Griffin Lab

When it comes to the basics that people who live in such buildings are asking for, they want to know what their building is made of. There is an obligation o...

The Presiding Officer NPA

The question is, that amendment 9 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No.

The Presiding Officer NPA

There will be a division. As this is the first division of this stage, I suspend for around five minutes to allow members to access the digital voting syste...

The Presiding Officer NPA

We will proceed with the division on amendment 9. Members should cast their votes now. For Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland a...

The Presiding Officer NPA

The result of the division is: For 52, Against 65, Abstentions 0. Amendment 9 disagreed to.

The Presiding Officer NPA

Group 2 is on levels of risk. Amendment 10, in the name of Mark Griffin, is grouped with amendments 11 to 13, 15, 16, 19 to 21, 27, 28, 34, 35, 41, 42, 45 an...

Mark Griffin Lab

All the amendments in the group, except amendment 42, attempt to make it clear that issues that are raised through the single building assessment must link d...

Paul McLennan SNP

Before I touch on the amendments, I make the point that I have met Mark Griffin on a number of occasions—and, at the committee, too, I offered to meet him—to...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing) SNP

I call Mark Griffin to wind up and press or withdraw amendment 10.

Mark Griffin Lab

In pressing amendment 10, I again make the point that the amendments in group 2 and in the previous group are on a continuous theme of providing more detail ...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

The question is, that amendment 10 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No.

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

There will be a division. For Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Con) Bibby, Neil ...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

The result of the division is: For 47, Against 68, Abstentions 0. Amendment 10 disagreed to. Amendments 11 to 13 not moved. Section 3—Power to arrange sin...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

The question is, that amendment 14 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No.

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

There will be a division. For Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Con) Bibby, Neil ...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

The result of the division is: For 48, Against 67, Abstentions 0. Amendment 14 disagreed to. Section 6—Power to arrange remediation work Amendments 15 an...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

Group 3 is on definitions, powers to determine or modify meanings, and minor and technical amendments. Amendment 1, in the name of the minister, is grouped w...

Paul McLennan SNP

The group mainly consists of a number of minor and technical amendments. I will speak to the amendments in my name first. Amendment 1 will make a minor chan...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

I call Mark Griffin to speak to amendment 47 and other amendments in the group.

Mark Griffin Lab

Section 26 of the bill confers power on the Scottish ministers to “modify section 25 so as to change the types of building in relation to which a single-bui...

Paul McLennan SNP

As I have set out, my amendments in the group are minor and technical in nature but are nonetheless important in ensuring that we deliver as effective a bill...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

Group 4 is on personal emergency evacuation plans. Amendment 17, in the name of Pam Duncan-Glancy, is grouped with amendments 18 and 22.

Pam Duncan-Glancy (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab

In the Grenfell tower tragedy, 41 per cent of the disabled people who were in the tower died. My amendments in this group aim to ensure that that does not ha...

Ariane Burgess (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Green

I will speak briefly in support of Pam Duncan-Glancy’s amendment 22, which, as we have heard, provides for personal emergency evacuation plans. As we heard ...

Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con) Con

I am fully supportive of the amendments. Pam Duncan-Glancy made a powerful case for them at stage 2, although she did not press them at that point because th...