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

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Legal Continuity) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

I welcome amendments 174 and 187 from Ross Greer on the basis that any additional scrutiny of the extensive new powers that the bill grants to the Scottish ministers must be given the committee’s fullest consideration. The amendments in this group are not the only amendments ...

Neil Bibby (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Referendums (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

The Finance and Constitution Committee has produced a balanced and fair analysis of the bill and issued a set of reasonable recommendations. It is now for the Parliament to decide whether the bill is desirable. I agree with Bruce Crawford that we should aim for consensus in o...

Neil Bibby (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Made Affirmative Procedure

I commend the committee for its thorough and insightful report. It is, of course, right that a Government should be able to act swiftly and decisively when faced with unprecedented challenges. When legislating, there is always a tension between urgency and scrutiny, but democr...

Neil Bibby (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

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

As we discussed at length in last week’s debate, the issues that arise from the bill are as much about the authority of this Parliament and its place in our democracy as they are about the process of leaving the European Union. Scottish Labour has made it clear that the UK Go...

Neil Bibby (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

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

I, too, thank all the parliamentary and committee staff as well as my own party group staff, including Madeleine Grieve, for all their support and hard work during the bill process. The continuity bill’s passage through the Parliament over the past several weeks is entirely w...

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Lobbying (Scotland) Act 2016: Post-legislative Scrutiny

I want to ask about reporting timescales. The Law Society of Scotland and others have pointed to a potential weakness, in that the timescales do not allow for the greatest public scrutiny. If we want to improve transparency, we should perhaps look at those timescales. The pub...

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Lobbying (Scotland) Act 2016: Post-legislative Scrutiny

I will ask about the timescales for reporting. We discussed that issue with the first panel of witnesses, and the Law Society of Scotland said in its submission that there is a potential weakness, because the timescales do not allow proper public scrutiny as decisions can be m...

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Legal Continuity) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

As Donald Cameron and others have said, section 13 is easily the most controversial section in the bill. As I said in my remarks in the chamber yesterday, this group of amendments is one of the most important, if not the most important, that we will debate. Section 13 grants s...

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Legal Continuity) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

The eight amendments in the group deal principally with section 31, and I am minded to support all of them. As we know, section 31 relates to scrutiny of regulations in urgent cases. Given the concerns about scrutiny and transparency that members have expressed throughout stag...

Neil Bibby Lab Chamber

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

At stages 1 and 2, my Labour colleagues and I made no secret of our reservations about section 13, which is widely regarded as the most controversial section. I have made that point on a number of occasions, as have committee witnesses, and the minister has accepted it previou...

Neil Bibby (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Committee

We are discussing parliamentary scrutiny, and the possible role of a joint ministerial committee has already been mentioned in terms of trade. The GMB trade union—and I should declare that I am a member of the GMB—has said that it is interested in the Welsh Administration’s su...

Neil Bibby Lab Chamber

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

I will speak to amendment 4 and I will speak in support of amendments 50 and 52, in the name of the minister, which are on the same issue. Before the bill’s stage 2 proceedings in the extended meeting of the Finance and Constitution Committee last week, I lodged a number of a...

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Covid-19 (Impact on Audit Scotland)

In the evidence session on 19 March, you referred to your role as “the comptroller in authorising the draw-down of funds to Government from the consolidated fund.” You suggested that, given the current exceptional circumstances, it was possible that the Scottish Government m...

Neil Bibby (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Committee

Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010: Post-legislative Scrutiny

Good morning, minister. You mentioned that the Government wants to see a “good number” of dog wardens. However, according to the information provided, eight councils—Dumfries and Galloway, East Dunbartonshire, Falkirk, Orkney Islands, Scottish Borders, East Renfrewshire, East ...

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010: Post-legislative Scrutiny

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Section 23 Report

There is obviously a need for transparency. What information will be made public to support scrutiny of the schools investment programme and its outcomes?

Neil Bibby (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Committee

Lobbying (Scotland) Act 2016: Post-legislative Scrutiny

It appears that telephone calls are a pretty big loophole. The panel said earlier that face-to-face meetings are the most effective way of influencing decisions, but would you accept that, after that, it would be telephone conversations?

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Lobbying (Scotland) Act 2016: Post-legislative Scrutiny

There have been calls for the expansion of communications to cover emails and other correspondence. I think that the CBI mentioned in its evidence, as have other organisations, that freedom of information requests are being used to get information about contact. Obviously, tha...

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Lobbying (Scotland) Act 2016: Post-legislative Scrutiny

I have some questions about reporting. Currently, the 2016 act does not require any information on the amount that organisations spend on lobbying activity, although that information is required in other jurisdictions. I think that Willie Sullivan called for that in his eviden...

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Lobbying (Scotland) Act 2016: Post-legislative Scrutiny

The balance that we are trying to strike is to have transparency without being overly bureaucratic. To go back to an example that James Adams gave, if, for example, we are discussing an amendment to a bill and he speaks to an MSP on a number of occasions about the same issue, ...

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Lobbying (Scotland) Act 2016: Post-legislative Scrutiny

We have covered the potential legislative changes, but, as was said when we spoke to the last panel of witnesses, there are practical issues with uploading data and some problems with reporting. What do the witnesses have to say about non-legislative changes that could be made...

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Lobbying (Scotland) Act 2016: Post-legislative Scrutiny

I think that the question that I was going to ask has been covered. Nonetheless, I note that, although the act allows for voluntary registrations to be made, we have heard from respondents that registrations that they made in good faith were rejected because they did not const...

Neil Bibby (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Committee

Section 22 Report

The report states: “Police Scotland will need to implement, monitor and regularly review the” workforce “plan, with appropriate scrutiny from the Scottish Police Authority.” Are you confident that Police Scotland and the SPA will be able to do that adequately? Will you mon...

Neil Bibby (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Defamation and Malicious Publication (Scotland) Bill

I take this opportunity to thank the Scottish Law Commission for all its work on the bill. I also pay tribute to the members of the Justice Committee for all their scrutiny of the bill to ensure that defamation law in Scotland is fit for the 21st century. As all members have ...

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Section 23 Report

It is vital for us that lessons are learned in relation to what happened in our care homes, so thank you for that answer. I also want to ask about inequalities, which you talked about in your opening statement. In your report, you mention that people from deprived backgrounds...

Neil Bibby (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Business Motions

As the minister is aware, stage 3 of the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill was delayed and extended over two days following our request for more time and detailed scrutiny. The stage 3 debate was also doubled in length following our request. I welcome those changes. ...

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2024-25

If we want to sustain culture and cultural activity and participation, it is important that we ensure that the right resource—whatever that is—is in place. I am interested to know whether the Government has carried out an assessment of this budget and how it will impact jobs, ...

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Pre-Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

I understand what you have said, convener. Clearly, Historic Environment Scotland is in receipt of significant public funds, and it has given evidence for the committee’s pre-budget scrutiny. The cabinet secretary has said that he is happy to answer any follow-up questions. I ...

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Pre-Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

—because these are very serious issues that relate to the budget and which must have proper scrutiny.

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Higher Education Governance Review

Given the extra scrutiny and transparency that you recommend, is it likely that pay increases will be limited? If they are, how will that affect universities’ ability to attract the best possible staff?

Neil Bibby (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2013-14

Good morning, panel. Last week we heard concerns from Unison, the Educational Institute of Scotland, the University and College Union and the National Union of Students about cuts to college funding. People have given us various figures for what they believe the cut to college...

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2013-14

We have received evidence from Scotland’s Colleges that there has been a drop of 80,000 in the number of students studying in colleges since 2008-09. The SCDI’s submission says:“Scotland must match and beat its competitors”.I assume that it is talking about the need to have a ...

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2013-14

We are here to scrutinise what the draft budget means for service delivery. What do you understand to be the cut in the budget for colleges next year? What will be the impact on the teaching grant and on courses, student numbers and jobs?

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2013-14

Just to clarify that, what is the core teaching grant for 2012-13, for the academic year and financial year?

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2013-14

What are you waiting for clarification on from the Scottish Government?

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2013-14

Last week, we heard concerns about a “biscuit tin” approach to funding, the complexities of the financial year and academic year, and money being brought forward from different pots of money. Could the system of funding colleges and the services that they provide be made easie...

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2013-14

I take it that the learning programme will continue next year.

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2013-14

Does that £24 million mean that the same number of weighted student units of measurement equivalents will be provided next year as have been provided this year?

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2013-14

Is there anything to stop you having a no compulsory redundancies policy as part of the outcome agreements?

Neil Bibby (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2013-14

You mentioned that the current priorities and budget settlements will make it more difficult to provide courses for older learners. Do you envisage that the cuts that we are seeing and the proposed cut in the teaching grant, which you mentioned, will result in a reduction in c...

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2013-14

We have just discussed the number of student places. What do you think will be the consequences of cutting college budgets in terms of employment of staff at colleges, course availability and student choice?

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2013-14

It is deeply concerning to hear the impact that the cuts have had so far.I believe that the chief executive of Scotland’s Colleges, John Henderson, said last week that an educated and skilled workforce is essential to economic recovery. Do college cuts put economic recovery at...

Neil Bibby (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2013-14

Cabinet secretary, I was pleased to hear you say that you were happy to clarify various issues and provide as much information as you can. Will you confirm whether there been a head count reduction of 1,300 staff in colleges in the past year alone?

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2013-14

Can any of your officials answer the question about the 1,300 staff?

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2013-14

All the evidence points to a reduction in staffing. We look forward to getting more information confirming the exact extent of that. According to Scotland’s Colleges, there has been a reduction of 70,000 in student numbers. Can you confirm that?

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2013-14

Is the student head count down by 70,000?

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2013-14

I am asking about a reduction of 70,000 in the student head count. Is that right?

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2013-14

I am asking about student head count.

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2013-14

So Scotland’s Colleges is not representing the reality of what is being delivered.

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2013-14

We have seen a reduction in the number of staff and a reduction in the student head count, and we have also seen reports of 10,000 people being on waiting lists for college places.You are shaking your head.

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2013-14

The points that I made about staff numbers were raised by the Educational Institute of Scotland and the points that I made about student numbers were raised by Scotland’s Colleges. I am raising concerns on behalf of people who have given evidence to the committee.My question w...

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2013-14

Scotland’s Colleges, the EIS, Unison, the NUS and others have stated that your cuts to colleges could put economic recovery at risk, cabinet secretary. Are they all wrong?

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2013-14

You mentioned that you have written to Creative Scotland on a number of occasions in the past few months. You also wrote to the chair of Creative Scotland in March this year, approving the organisation’s corporate plan, and I understand that you wrote again in July, praising t...

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2013-14

So you may review the corporate plan that has been approved.

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Post-16 Education (Scotland) Bill: After Stage 1

You can see why there would be concerns about holding meetings behind closed doors that are not open to scrutiny.

Neil Bibby (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Post-16 Education (Scotland) Bill

At stage 1, along with other Opposition parties, Labour called for the bill to be delayed and redrafted because we felt that it was a bad bill that was incoherent, confused and clumsy. Unfortunately, our calls at stage 1 were not heeded and the SNP Government used its majority...

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2014-15

If 1,200 staff have already left colleges, how can the regionalisation agenda make the expected savings of £50 million each year? Can the further education sector absorb further teaching number losses? What will the impact be on teaching numbers in the coming years?

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2014-15

There has been a reduction in the number of staff. The number of full-time equivalent students may have stayed the same, but there has been a reduction in head count. What will be the long-term general and economic impact of there being fewer staff and students in further educ...

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2014-15

You mentioned the uptake of specific schemes. I understand that the £25 million youth employment Scotland fund, which was set up in April 2013, aims to get 10,000 jobs for 16 to 24-year-olds. I understand that uptake of the fund has been low and that there is—or certainly ther...

Neil Bibby Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2014-15

You said that you would send us what John Swinney said about the equality impact assessment. Can you also send us any equality impact assessments that the education department has carried out?

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Committee

Finance and Constitution Committee 14 March 2018

14 Mar 2018 · S5 · Finance and Constitution Committee

Item of business

UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Legal Continuity) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Bibby, Neil Lab West Scotland Watch on SPTV

I welcome amendments 174 and 187 from Ross Greer on the basis that any additional scrutiny of the extensive new powers that the bill grants to the Scottish ministers must be given the committee’s fullest consideration. The amendments in this group are not the only amendments that seek to enhance scrutiny, but my understanding is that they would not pre-empt any other amendments that the committee will consider later. This group therefore presents the committee with an opportunity to agree to a further process for scrutiny of the regulation-making powers that sections 11, 12 and 13 grant to Scottish ministers. That includes requiring the Scottish Government to lay a statement before the Parliament, setting out its own views on an appropriate method of scrutiny, and making it a condition that a committee of the Parliament can recommend an appropriate method of scrutiny. To be clear, we do not believe that Ross Greer’s amendments alone provide enough additional scrutiny, given the scale of the new powers that ministers will acquire. We do, however, believe that these amendments would be a useful addition to the bill and we are minded to support them.

In the same item of business

The Convener (Bruce Crawford) SNP

Good morning, and welcome to the 10th meeting in 2018 of the Finance and Constitution Committee. I see that we all look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. It is g...

The Convener SNP

We continue our consideration of the UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Legal Continuity) (Scotland) Bill. Amendment 115, in the name of Dean Lockhart, i...

Dean Lockhart (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Con

Amendment 115 is my only amendment in group 10. I will be supporting amendments 9, 14 and 22, and I will speak to amendments 11 to 13, 15, 119, 138, 206 and ...

Neil Bibby (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab

As Dean Lockhart has said, there are multiple instances throughout part 3 where Scottish ministers could be permitted to exercise significant regulation-maki...

James Kelly (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab

I will speak to amendments 9, 14 and 22, in the name of Neil Findlay, which I will later move on behalf of my colleague. In essence, the amendments make t...

Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD) LD

Amendment 10 is one of a series of amendments that seek to restrict the use of ministerial room for manoeuvre in establishing new regulations. I will move th...

Jamie Greene (West Scotland) (Con) Con

I will speak to my amendment first, as the other amendments are similarly themed. Mine perhaps stands out as being slightly different. My amendment 134 and ...

The Convener SNP

Liam Kerr will speak to amendment 206 and other amendments in the group.

Liam Kerr (North East Scotland) (Con) Con

Section 30(1)(b) sets out a sweeping provision that any power to make regulations that are “incidental, supplementary, consequential, transitional, transito...

Adam Tomkins (Glasgow) (Con) Con

I will speak briefly on amendments in the group that are in the name of Opposition members who are not Scottish Conservatives. Obviously, the Scottish Conser...

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green) Green

I am slightly uncomfortable suggesting that I might have reached the same conclusion as Adam Tomkins; however, I have reached it for very different reasons. ...

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) SNP

Amendments 11 to 15 from Tavish Scott and Neil Findlay could make it almost impossible to exercise the powers in question. It seems reasonable to retain the ...

The Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland’s Place in Europe (Michael Russell) SNP

It is appropriate that we come to section 11 first thing this morning. The issues of proper scrutiny and the way in which ministerial power can be exercised ...

Dean Lockhart Con

I will make three general points before turning to the minister’s response to the amendments. My first point relates to scrutiny—an issue that has been raise...

The Convener SNP

The question is, that amendment 115 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No.

The Convener SNP

There will be a division. For Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)...

The Convener SNP

The result of the division is: For 5, Against 6, Abstentions 0. Amendment 115 disagreed to. Amendment 116 moved—Neil Bibby.

The Convener SNP

The question is, that amendment 116 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No.

The Convener SNP

There will be a division. For Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)...

The Convener SNP

The result of the division is: For 5, Against 6, Abstentions 0. Amendment 116 disagreed to. Amendment 117 moved—Neil Bibby.

The Convener SNP

The question is, that amendment 117 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No.

The Convener SNP

There will be a division. For Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)...

The Convener SNP

The result of the division is: For 5, Against 6, Abstentions 0. Amendment 117 disagreed to. Amendment 118 moved—Neil Bibby.

The Convener SNP

The question is, that amendment 118 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No.

The Convener SNP

There will be a division. For Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)...

The Convener SNP

The result of the division is: For 5, Against 6, Abstentions 0. Amendment 118 disagreed to.

The Convener SNP

If amendment 119, in the name of Neil Bibby, is agreed to, I cannot call amendment 9, because there is a pre-emption. Amendment 119 moved—Neil Bibby.

The Convener SNP

The question is, that amendment 119 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No.

The Convener SNP

There will be a division. For Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con...

The Convener SNP

The result of the division is: For 5, Against 6, Abstentions 0. Amendment 119 disagreed to. Amendment 9 moved—James Kelly.