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Chamber and committees

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 4 July 2025
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Displaying 1083 contributions

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Economy and Fair Work Committee [Draft]

Alexander Dennis

Meeting date: 25 June 2025

Colin Smyth

That brings us to the end of the evidence session. I thank both witnesses for coming along at fairly short notice. I appreciate how important this issue is to your members, to the community and to all the workforce that is affected. As we heard earlier, we will take evidence from Alexander Dennis in an extra meeting tomorrow.

11:41 Meeting continued in private until 12:34.  

Economy and Fair Work Committee [Draft]

Alexander Dennis

Meeting date: 25 June 2025

Colin Smyth

Our next item of business is the first of two evidence sessions on Alexander Dennis. I begin by declaring an interest as I am a member of Unite the Union and the GMB. Today, we will hear from the trade unions and tomorrow, we will hear from Alexander Dennis management.

On 11 June, Alexander Dennis announced a consultation on consolidating its United Kingdom bus body manufacturing operations in a single site in Scarborough. That would mean that the site at Falkirk would close and work at Larbert would be suspended upon the completion of current contracts. Given the pressing timescales, the committee agreed to hold the evidence sessions this week.

I am pleased to welcome Robert Deavy, senior organiser for manufacturing, GMB Scotland, and Derek Thomson, Unite Scotland’s regional secretary. As always, I ask that members and witnesses keep questions and answers as concise as possible. I am grateful to the panel for joining us at short notice.

Clearly, this is one of the most significant industrial threats that we have faced in Scotland for many years, with 400 skilled direct jobs at risk at a company that should be playing a major part in Scotland’s net zero ambitions. We are keen to understand from the trade unions not only how we got here but what must happen urgently to try to save those jobs and prevent the closure from becoming a done deal.

My first question is what impact there would be for the affected communities if the proposed closure went ahead?

Economy and Fair Work Committee [Draft]

Alexander Dennis

Meeting date: 25 June 2025

Colin Smyth

We will come back to the detail of what the business needs to do. Can you set out clearly for the committee what the political ask is? What do the Scottish and UK Governments need to do to protect the jobs?

Economy and Fair Work Committee [Draft]

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 25 June 2025

Colin Smyth

I was thinking more about formalising that role as a co-designer in the bill, as opposed to those bodies inputting into the plan. That point came through in some of the evidence.

Economy and Fair Work Committee [Draft]

Decision on Taking Business in Private

Meeting date: 25 June 2025

Colin Smyth

Good morning, and welcome to the 21st meeting in 2025 of the Economy and Fair Work Committee. Our first item of business is a decision on whether to take in private item 5, which is consideration of evidence. Are members content to take that item in private?

Members indicated agreement.

Economy and Fair Work Committee [Draft]

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 25 June 2025

Colin Smyth

Our second item of business is our final stage 1 evidence session on the Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill. I am pleased to welcome Ivan McKee, Minister for Public Finance. Accompanying him from the Scottish Government are: Stephen White, head of community wealth building; Laura Moffat, community wealth building policy and legislation manager; and Caterina Capaldi, solicitor, all from the Scottish Government. As always, members and witnesses should keep questions and answers as concise as possible.

I invite the minister to make a short opening statement.

Economy and Fair Work Committee [Draft]

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 25 June 2025

Colin Smyth

Do we need a law to do that? Can you not just have an agreement with COSLA to set that direction for public bodies? Public bodies, such as Scottish Enterprise, rely on ministerial direction letters, so could that not all have been covered by that process?

Economy and Fair Work Committee [Draft]

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 25 June 2025

Colin Smyth

If we are to have a bill, why does it ignore the big-ticket policy areas that really matter, which we have heard about in evidence? Why are changes in the policy areas of, for example, procurement thresholds, small and medium-sized enterprise access to procurement, and improved community asset transfer policies not in the bill? Have you not missed an opportunity to tackle those issues and really move the dial on community wealth building?

Economy and Fair Work Committee [Draft]

Alexander Dennis

Meeting date: 25 June 2025

Colin Smyth

You raised a point about contracts, and we will question the company tomorrow. What assurances have you been given by the company that, if the contracts are secured, the work will be carried out in Falkirk and not simply transferred elsewhere? Has the company given you the assurance that, if it is able to get the contracts, it will be able to retain jobs in Falkirk?

Economy and Fair Work Committee [Draft]

Alexander Dennis

Meeting date: 25 June 2025

Colin Smyth

Gordon MacDonald has a couple of supplementaries.