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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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Showing 60 of 2,354,908 contributions. Latest 30 days: 0. Coverage: 12 May 1999 — 25 Mar 2026.
The Convener Lab Committee
24 Jan 2019
Major Capital Projects (Progress Update)
Item 3 is on major capital projects. I welcome our witnesses to the meeting. I have just counted—there are seven of you and seven of us, so that is a good match. From the Scottish Government, we have Alyson Stafford, who is the director general of the Scottish exchequer; Rache...
The Convener Lab Committee
24 Nov 2016
Major Capital Projects (Progress Update)
Agenda item 4 is an evidence session on the Scottish Government’s major capital projects progress update. I welcome from the Scottish Government Alyson Stafford, director general of finance, Andrew Watson, deputy director for financial strategy, and Christine McLaughlin, direc...
The Convener Lab Committee
25 Feb 2021
Major Capital Projects
Agenda item 2 is on major capital projects. I welcome our witnesses to the meeting. From the Scottish Government, we have Alyson Stafford, who is the director general of the Scottish exchequer; Gary Gillespie, who is the chief economist; Rachel Gwyon, who is deputy director of...
Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Committee
07 Sep 2011
Committee on Climate Change (Advice to the Scottish Government)
I recently lodged a parliamentary motion on fuel poverty this winter that has received cross-party support and which is supported by Energy Action Scotland. We all know that domestic fuel bills have rocketed over the summer, which is in the warmer months, and that the changes ...
Jenny Marra Lab Chamber
23 Jun 2011
Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
No thank you.The bill could throw up all sorts of human rights issues: challenges relating to freedom of speech, to freedom of expression and to the European convention on human rights might all come down the line. That is why the Government must commit not just to passing the...
Jenny Marra Lab Chamber
23 Jun 2011
Taking Scotland Forward: Culture and External Affairs
I thank the minister for her intervention.A couple of years ago the London School of Economics and Political Science produced a book entitled “Phoenix Cities: The Fall and Rise of Great Industrial Cities”, which described the catalyst effect of major cultural institutions in p...
Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
11 Jan 2012
Educational Attainment of Looked-after Children
Thank you, Presiding Officer, for giving me the opportunity to speak in the debate. I was lucky enough to hear the evidence in the Education and Culture Committee, which I was a member of until we had our reshuffle. I commend the convener and members of the committee because w...
Jenny Marra Lab Chamber
11 Jan 2012
Educational Attainment of Looked-after Children
I accept Christine Grahame’s point that alcohol abuse is a major contributory factor. We need to consider all those issues in tandem.I want to consider children who are looked after in the home. Speakers have recognised that they are one of the most challenging groups because ...
Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
21 Dec 2011
Commonwealth Games (Delivery and Legacy)
I thank Sandra White for invoking memories of the Glasgow garden festival. Neil Bibby and I were chatting and he told me that, at the time, he was too wee to go on the Coca-Cola rollercoaster. I was just too scared.I thank the minister for the work that she is doing on the Com...
Jenny Marra Lab Chamber
19 Jan 2012
Agenda for Cities
I thank Neil Findlay for that endorsement. I know that he agrees with my campaign to bring the big noise project to Dundee. It is a radical project that tackles the deep roots of poverty, and I know that the member is committed to doing that.The £3.5 million that Dundee City C...
Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
29 Feb 2012
Human Trafficking
I thank the Scottish Government for the opportunity to debate human trafficking. I also thank the cabinet secretary for his speech on this very important issue and for the tone of his speech. When I was preparing for the debate this morning, I was mindful that the debate would...
Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
07 Jun 2012
Common Fisheries Policy
I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate on the common fisheries policy. The last time we debated the CFP, I talked about a range of issues that the cabinet secretary has covered in his speech today. Although I am happy to support his motion and I agree with many of t...
Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
23 May 2012
Deaf Awareness Week
Presiding Officer, thank you for allowing me to bring this debate to the chamber.As the motion says, deaf awareness week is an opportunity to note the exceptional work across the country of organisations that support people who are deaf or hard of hearing. In my role as conven...
Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
02 May 2012
National Performing Companies
As we have heard, the national performing arts companies have an important role. Not only do they allow Scots of all ages to experience the very best in theatre, dance, opera, ballet and music that Scotland and the rest of the world have to offer, they have the ability to insp...
Jenny Marra Lab Committee
23 Oct 2012
Draft Budget Scrutiny 2013-14
So you do not support major-scale backfilling.
Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
23 Oct 2012
Role of the Media in Criminal Trials
I am pleased to close this debate on the role of the media in criminal trials on behalf of the Justice Committee. As the convener, Christine Grahame, said at the start of the debate, advances in social media and the internet alone have had a significant impact on the way in wh...
Jenny Marra Lab Chamber
25 Sep 2012
Reforming Scots Criminal Law and Practice (Public Consultation)
No, I am not suggesting that. I am suggesting that we need to look forward and consider Scots law with an eye on ECHR. The Cadder judgment was not the first time that Scotland had heard of the problem with section 14 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995; there had bee...
Jenny Marra Lab Committee
19 Feb 2013
Policing (Correspondence)
I would like to note the concern that external consultants are being brought in on what I understand is an inflated daily rate of £750 when major cuts are being made to the service and a lot of back-office staff are in danger of losing their jobs.
Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
29 Jan 2013
Scottish Civil Justice Council and Criminal Legal Assistance Bill: Stage 3
Amendment 9 is grouped with consequential amendments 10 and 12. Members will be aware that I lodged an identical amendment at stage 2. Part of amendment 9 seeks to ensure that the Scottish ministers are the recipients of Scottish civil justice council recommendations for the d...
Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
24 Apr 2013
Access to Justice
Like the minister, I accept your chiding, Presiding Officer. I sincerely apologise for being slightly late to the chamber this afternoon.Just more than two years ago, the Lord President announced that something historic may be happening in our courts. It was not, in his words,...
Jenny Marra Lab Chamber
11 Jun 2013
Youth Sport
I understand that the Scottish Government does not hold investment figures for Dundee City East or Dundee City West, or any other constituency in the country. However, the Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport will know as well as I do that we could pull together the infor...
Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
29 Oct 2013
Landfill Tax (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
The landfill tax is a result of the Scotland Act 2012 and the financial responsibility conferred to the Parliament in one of the biggest transfers of power since the creation of the Parliament, as Iain Gray outlined earlier. It is also important from an environmental perspecti...
Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
30 May 2013
Scotland’s Railways
I welcome what the minister has done so far in sorting out anomalies with regard to Dundee. However, does he accept that there are still major anomalies on the Dundee to Edinburgh route that are having a big impact on people’s household budgets?
Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Committee
22 Jan 2014
Bankruptcy and Debt Advice (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
Good morning. Amendment 67 seeks to reduce the payment period of the debtor contribution order from 48 months to 36 months or, in other words, to stop the proposed extension of the practical effects of bankruptcy for Scots from three years to four.I begin by addressing a point...
Jenny Marra Lab Committee
22 Jan 2014
Bankruptcy and Debt Advice (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
Amendment 20A would insert a provision such that, when the trustee notifies the bank of an individual sequestration, the trustee should also confirm the implications of sequestration on the bank and the debtor. The amendment was lodged by Margaret McDougall to provide extra cl...
Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
03 Apr 2014
Developing Skills for Scotland’s Digital Economy
As the minister said, the digital and ICT sector is a thriving and growing part of Scotland’s economy. It already contributes 3 per cent of our economy, employs more than 73,000 people and adds value of £3 billion. As a co-convener of the cross-party group on video games techn...
Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
09 Jan 2014
Dog Control Legislation
Just this week, Sheriff Alastair Brown commented on a case in Dundee sheriff court that involved an attack on a two-year-old, of which I think that we are all aware. He said that the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, which John Major’s Government introduced after the brutal killing of ...
Jenny Marra Lab Committee
26 Feb 2014
Scotland’s Economic Future Post-2014
He said that two of his major projects are being delayed.
Jenny Marra Lab Chamber
15 May 2014
Homecoming Scotland 2014
This has largely been a good debate, and there is a lot of good will and optimism around 2014, the year of homecoming, with the homecoming events, the Ryder cup and the Commonwealth games. We all want to see Scotland flourish on the international stage, and we all know how won...
Jenny Marra Lab Chamber
13 Nov 2014
Progressive Workplace Policies
Trade unions are a central part of Scotland’s economic, social and civic landscape. With approximately 700,000 members in Scotland in 2013, unions are Scotland’s largest civic movement, and we all know the vital role that they play in our communities. As the review that we ar...
Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
10 Jun 2015
Health
I and other Labour members have approached today’s debate in a conciliatory way, hoping to reach a consensus on the way in which we take forward the debate on our national health service. Last week, we were warned by the health professionals who spoke up so articulately that t...
Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
18 Jun 2015
Vale of Leven Inquiry (Scottish Government Response)
When our loved ones are admitted to hospital, we have trust in, and high expectations of, the care that they will receive. When their condition deteriorates as a result not of their medical condition but of infection and circumstances that they cannot control, that trust is br...
Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
24 Jun 2015
Mental Health (Scotland) Bill
I welcome the final stage of the Mental Health (Scotland) Bill. I thank the members who moved amendments this afternoon and who put all that work into considering the detail of the bill—specifically the minister and my colleagues Richard Simpson and Jackie Baillie. We recogni...
Jenny Marra Lab Chamber
24 Jun 2015
Mental Health (Scotland) Bill
I would like to make progress first, thank you. A major review would have explored whether learning disability and autism should be considered mental disorders. It would have scrutinised the human rights implications of a patient’s right to refuse treatment. It would have all...
Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
20 Mar 2014
Bankruptcy and Debt Advice (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3
Amendment 1 will be familiar to members who have followed the debates as the bill has progressed through Parliament. As a corresponding amendment did at stage 2, amendment 1 seeks to reverse the increase from four years to three years in the practical effects of bankruptcy for...
Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
09 Dec 2015
Health and Social Care
We come to the chamber this afternoon to discuss health and social care integration. While we make our speeches and debate today, thousands of people across Scotland will be in their homes having just had a visit from a carer at lunch time to give them their lunch. Many will h...
The Convener Lab Committee
24 Nov 2016
Major Capital Projects (Progress Update)
Thank you. Mr Baxter, do you have an opening statement as well?
The Convener Lab Committee
24 Nov 2016
Major Capital Projects (Progress Update)
Okay—we will move to questions.
The Convener Lab Committee
24 Nov 2016
Major Capital Projects (Progress Update)
Okay. Monica Lennon is next.
The Convener Lab Committee
24 Nov 2016
Major Capital Projects (Progress Update)
We are running a little bit short of time on this item. Please keep the questions and answers a bit more concise.
The Convener Lab Committee
24 Nov 2016
Major Capital Projects (Progress Update)
Four primary school projects are listed on page 26; three are completed and one is still described as “Planned” and “In Preparation”—that is the Dundee joint campus. On page 56, there is a project under the heading “South of the city, Dundee City Council” for which construct...
The Convener Lab Committee
24 Nov 2016
Major Capital Projects (Progress Update)
That would be great. On the V&A at Dundee, under the heading “Progress at August 2016” the report says: “aiming for completion and opening to public in 2018.” Is that still the expected opening date?
The Convener Lab Committee
24 Nov 2016
Major Capital Projects (Progress Update)
Thank you very much for your evidence. 10:01 Meeting suspended. 10:03 On resuming—
The Convener Lab Committee
08 Dec 2016
Section 23 Report
To follow on from what Colin Beattie was saying, my key concern is about the delivery of major IT programmes. If we cannot deliver the CAP payments, how on earth are we going to manage delivering social security? I know that the CAP system is complex, but it is far more comple...
The Convener Lab Committee
15 Dec 2016
Section 22 Report
It might be useful to have transparency. There are two sides to every story and the minutes might shed a little light. The Auditor General, in her report, identified prescribing as a major problem for NHS Tayside finances last year, and she identified the same issue in her Oc...
Jenny Marra Lab Chamber
19 Apr 2018
Safe Injection Facilities
I thank the minister for her clarity. I have been a member of the Parliament for seven years and we have not been inundated with Government debates on Scotland’s huge problem with drug abuse and alcohol misuse and how those two problems are connected. That is why I make the po...
The Convener Lab Committee
24 Jan 2019
Major Capital Projects (Progress Update)
Thank you. I ask Colin Beattie to open the questioning for the committee.
The Convener Lab Committee
24 Jan 2019
Major Capital Projects (Progress Update)
I will direct that question to Alan Morrison, who is in charge of health. Is value for money being delivered?
The Convener Lab Committee
24 Jan 2019
Major Capital Projects (Progress Update)
Do you have any further questions, Mr Johnson?
The Convener Lab Committee
24 Jan 2019
Major Capital Projects (Progress Update)
Alyson Stafford looks like she wants to add something.
The Convener Lab Committee
24 Jan 2019
Major Capital Projects (Progress Update)
As members do not have any further questions, I thank all the witnesses very much indeed for their evidence. 10:45 Meeting continued in private until 11:10.
The Convener Lab Committee
25 Feb 2021
Major Capital Projects
Can I interrupt, please? I do not know how much longer you have left; we usually allow only a couple of minutes at the start. This is very useful, but if you could draw your remarks to a close, that would be super.
The Convener Lab Committee
25 Feb 2021
Major Capital Projects
Do witnesses have any interests to declare?
The Convener Lab Committee
25 Feb 2021
Major Capital Projects
I am sorry—I cannot see everyone.
The Convener Lab Committee
25 Feb 2021
Major Capital Projects
Thank you very much. Before we move to questions, I point out that we have received apologies from Gail Ross.
The Convener Lab Committee
25 Feb 2021
Major Capital Projects
Could you direct your question to a particular witness, please, Colin, given that we have such a large panel this morning? Would you like the Scottish Government, Transport Scotland or the Scottish Futures Trust to respond? That would help us a bit.
The Convener Lab Committee
25 Feb 2021
Major Capital Projects
Colin, do you want to hear from the witnesses whom Alyson Stafford suggested, or would you like to move on?
The Convener Lab Committee
25 Feb 2021
Major Capital Projects
We can hear you, but I cannot see you.
The Convener Lab Committee
25 Feb 2021
Major Capital Projects
There are a couple of supplementary questions about roads. You said that eight out of nine sections of the A9 are undergoing the statutory process. Which one is not?
The Convener Lab Committee
25 Feb 2021
Major Capital Projects
Can you please write to me to tell me which section is not undergoing the statutory process and why that is the case? That would be very helpful.
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Committee

Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee 24 January 2019

24 Jan 2019 · S5 · Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee
Item of business
Major Capital Projects (Progress Update)
Marra, Jenny Lab North East Scotland Watch on SPTV
Item 3 is on major capital projects. I welcome our witnesses to the meeting. I have just counted—there are seven of you and seven of us, so that is a good match. From the Scottish Government, we have Alyson Stafford, who is the director general of the Scottish exchequer; Rachel Gwyon who is the deputy director of infrastructure and investment; and Alan Morrison, who is the capital accounting and policy manager in health, finance and infrastructure. From Transport Scotland, we have Bill Reeve, who is the director of rail, and Michelle Rennie, who is the director of major transport infrastructure projects. From the Scottish Futures Trust, we have Peter Reekie, who is the chief executive, and Kerry Alexander, who is the investment programmes director. I understand that Alyson Stafford will make a brief opening statement.

In the same item of business

The Convener Lab
Item 3 is on major capital projects. I welcome our witnesses to the meeting. I have just counted—there are seven of you and seven of us, so that is a good ma...
Alyson Stafford (Scottish Government)
Yes—thank you very much, convener. Good morning, and thank you for inviting me to attend to assist the committee’s scrutiny of the latest report on the Scott...
Peter Reekie (Scottish Futures Trust)
I am the chief executive of the Scottish Futures Trust. I need to declare a non-financial interest as a director of Aberdeen Roads Ltd, the NPD company that ...
Kerry Alexander (Scottish Futures Trust)
I, too, have a non-financial interest to declare in relation to Galliford Try Equitix Inverness Ltd, which is the special purpose vehicle that runs the Inver...
The Convener Lab
Thank you. I ask Colin Beattie to open the questioning for the committee.
Colin Beattie SNP
Obviously, the main objective of such projects is to maximise the value of our infrastructure to the economy. Can the panel comment on the overall affordabil...
Alyson Stafford
On affordability, the infrastructure investment plan sets the context for all investment that takes place following the decisions that are made, ultimately, ...
Colin Beattie SNP
It is important to maintain a certain level of infrastructure investment. What will be the impact of the NPD model being—I presume—discontinued?
Alyson Stafford
You are right. Again because of classification changes, the NPD model no longer gives us additionality. It was extremely useful, particularly in response to ...
Colin Beattie SNP
It would be interesting to hear what we are looking at.
Peter Reekie
As Alyson Stafford said, the forms of private financing of infrastructure—or any sort of financing of infrastructure that we can use to deliver additionality...
Colin Beattie SNP
I will come at the issue from a slightly different angle. I have been looking at the weighted average cost to capital and the internal rate of return, and I ...
Peter Reekie
There are quite a lot of different ways of measuring the cost of capital on individual projects, and we have used the weighted average cost of capital and an...
Colin Beattie SNP
But is it not more accurate? 10:00
Peter Reekie
I am not able to run a discussion with you just now about a modified internal rate of return versus an internal rate of return. The factors that we have used...
Alex Neil SNP
On that last point, there is the debate being led on one side by the Cuthberts and on the other by the SFT is about how one measures the effectiveness of NPD...
Alyson Stafford
Eurostat produces the “Manual on Government Debt and Deficit”, which sets out the rules that create our context. However, it does not invent the context for ...
Peter Reekie
What Alyson Stafford has said is exactly right. We need to have a set of rules and, as Ms Stafford has outlined, those rules have an international hierarchy....
Alex Neil SNP
Alyson Stafford has explained the issue to the committee before and I was aware of the situation that she has described, but I just want to check whether the...
Peter Reekie
The UN—or something at that level—sets a series of principles that are worked through in detail by the different statistical authorities. You are right to sa...
Alex Neil SNP
Okay. I do not want to dwell on this too much.
Alyson Stafford
As a final point, it is fair to say that the system relies on experts in the various statistical authorities, whether at European or UK level, taking what co...
Alex Neil SNP
Moving to a wider subject, I am obviously interested in how we achieve the national infrastructure mission, and you have provided an answer to that in genera...
Alyson Stafford
I will start, and I will bring in Rachel Gwyon and Peter Reekie as necessary. Early this year, a bill will be introduced to establish and set the financial ...
Peter Reekie
To build on Alyson Stafford’s comments, I point out that the Scottish Futures Trust does not operate as a provider of finance. Instead, it operates with publ...
Alyson Stafford
There is definitely no overlap, but there are great synergies with regard to how the areas will complement each other.
Rachel Gwyon (Scottish Government)
The thrust of your question was about where the arrangements fit within the national infrastructure mission and how that is financed. The legislation that wi...
Alex Neil SNP
Last year, our leading industrialist, Jim McColl, told the Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee that he is very supportive of the national investment bank...
Alyson Stafford
The best thing for me to do is to reflect those points back to the programme board. The Scottish national investment bank has a programme for its delivery, a...
Alex Neil SNP
Great. Thank you.