Chamber and committees

Since the agency was set up six years ago, there has been a quite remarkable delivery of 15 benefits. What assurances can the cabinet secretary give about the available capacity at Social Security Scotland, particularly given the transfer of some 66,000 disability living allowance recipients to Scottish adult disability living allowance? What progress has been made in approving accessibility of key performance indicator data in order to assist with the improved scrutiny of how Social Security Scotland is functioning overall?

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made to ensure the timely delivery of benefits by Social Security Scotland. (S6O-04638)

I welcome the programme for government and, in particular—perhaps this is no surprise—the actions that will support growth in the economy.

Having recently returned from Alberta, I am more convinced than ever that Scotland needs more powers and flexibility than is available under the current devolution arrangements. I want Scotland to be a normal independent country but, if this institution is to be a devolved legislature, can it please have the same powers as the Legislative Assembly of Alberta? The province retains all the tax take from oil and gas and has unlimited borrowing powers. It is ridiculous to pretend that Scotland, with its very restrictive regime—particularly around capital borrowing—can fully address the great challenges that are ahead.

I appreciate that Jamie Greene is new in post and will still be getting his head around exactly how the fiscal framework works. What he describes is a function of the fiscal framework.

I agree with the First Minister, who, in yesterday’s statement, said:

“Tariffs will impact directly on many Scottish exporters to the United States, while a US recession and a global trade war will have direct and indirect effects on almost every sector of our economy.”—[Official Report, 6 May 2025; c 13.]

That is not likely to be fixed by a bilateral trade deal between the US and UK, and the mood music on a trade deal with the US is not good. I agree with the recent review of the UK trade policy observatory, which is a joint initiative between the University of Sussex and Chatham house, that

“a quick and economically significant outcome to US–UK trade negotiations seems unlikely.”

The Trump Administration has issued stringent guidelines to its negotiators as it moves away from multilateral to bilateral deals. It is quite clear that its aim is to increase US exports and decrease imports.

Another point that worries me is that alignment with US standards would present a specific danger to Scottish products. It would mean greater divergence with the EU, and it could also compromise our own standards—not only those in agriculture—creating a toxic mixture for Scotland’s domestic and export businesses.

Last week, during question time, I called for a review of our export strategy in the light of international challenges. I am therefore pleased to note the new six-point export plan to enable Scottish exporters to diversify and grow markets. In the past, I have written about the need to fully utilise our Scottish business diaspora, and I look forward to continued engagement with it as part of that export strategy.

As someone who has regularly called for greater recognition of and support for women in business, innovation and entrepreneurship, I was pleased to note that that was recognised by the First Minister and is, doubtless, supported by the Deputy First Minister, who shares my passion in that area. The First Minister talked about the launch of a new proof of concept fund, with a focus on supporting the commercialisation of research projects with significant economic potential, including action to transform the number of women who start and scale up businesses. In pursuing the drive for the commercialisation of research projects, with which I completely agree, we also need to review the gaps across Scotland’s financial sector architecture—arguably, the lack of our own stock exchange, for example—and we must do everything in our power to create a fully supportive economic environment for business.

Economic growth must be supported not only by the Government but by business. We know that we need to nurture an environment of profitable businesses that are given the confidence to invest in the future.

We always need to remember that it is the public who will vote. I am sure that the member would have enjoyed—as I did today—looking at the current poll numbers. The public are clearly predicted to vote with their feet by voting to give the SNP the largest number of MSPs by a country mile, unlike his own party.

I will take Jamie Greene’s intervention, as he asked first.

I completely and strongly agree with that point, particularly in relation to some of the funding requirements for net zero, for example. That is imperative.

It is fair to say that profits help to drive growth, as we discussed earlier, and growth supports our social policy ambitions. I have no shame in saying that. It is really important to recognise that point.

As the member for Falkirk East, I was particularly interested in the First Minister’s comments about Grangemouth, which was the subject of my question to him yesterday. I welcome the leadership of the Deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes, who is engaging, as I am, with potential investors to ensure a green industrial future for the Grangemouth site. Yesterday, we talked about a key feature of that being the development of carbon capture in Scotland. The Acorn project is a vital component, so we must redouble our efforts to pressurise the UK Government to look beyond England for investment in carbon capture. I therefore welcome the fact that, as part of the programme for government, the First Minister is committed to increasing the £80 million of Scottish funding that is already available to make the Acorn project a reality, should the UK Government give it the go-ahead.

There is much to welcome in the programme for government, and there is much to do. I will play my part in supporting the Government’s ambitions.

I welcome the commitment to an industrial future for Grangemouth in my constituency and the £25 million that has been pledged thus far. Carbon capture and storage is an important part of the industrial strategy, so I am also pleased that the Scottish Government is willing to increase the current commitment of £80 million for Acorn if that means that the UK Government will approve the project. Will the First Minister join me in continuing to call for that essential project to be given the green light at pace and, ideally, in the forthcoming UK Government spending review?

I think that Paul Sheerin wants to make a final comment before I hand back to the convener.

It is a super answer, because my next question was going to be on your insights into how we deal with some of the major themes, such as AI and getting to net zero. There is also the question about the exponential growth that will be triggered by issues around AI and net zero and the linkages therein that are quite complex.

Given that you have introduced that topic, I will invite Paul Campbell and Paul Sheerin to reflect on that—I will give Jack Norquoy a chance to come back in, as well. First of all, however, I ask our witnesses to respond to the first question, about engagement.