Chamber and committees

In the new year, the committee will be doing an inquiry into long Covid specifically, because the issue has been raised during this inquiry. Inclusion Scotland highlighted that long Covid is not necessarily considered a disability. I appreciate and understand that a lot of people with long Covid are self-diagnosed, and that there is a lot of work still to be done and a lot that is unknown. It is not one of the conditions that is listed in the Equality Act 2010. Does the Scottish Government have a view on whether long Covid should be recognised as a disability?

That is helpful.

Yesterday, I saw for the first time the wellbeing economy monitor, which I thought was fantastic. The monitor brings together a range of indicators as a baseline for assessing progress towards a wellbeing economy. One of the many indicators considers the participation rates of young people between the ages of 16 and 19 in education, training and employment. Is the Scottish Government using those indicators to inform its approach to addressing economic inactivity, including sickness and early retirement?

Thank you, minister. I will begin by asking the first question.

You will be aware that the committee has been looking at economic inactivity specifically in relation to long-term illness and early retirement. One of the issues that has come up is the number of people who are off work with long Covid, which the minister touched on briefly. Does the Scottish Government agree with the suggestion from the Institute for Fiscal Studies that many working people may be off on sick leave with long Covid, rather than being economically inactive?

The Supreme Court verdict provides clarity on the question of Scotland’s place in the United Kingdom. If a section 30 order from the UK Government is the most democratic route that is available to the Scottish Government to honour its democratic mandate, will the cabinet secretary join me in calling on the unionist parties in this chamber and in Westminster to stand by the principles of their own joint statement from June 2014, which said that

“Power lies with the Scottish people and we believe it is for the Scottish people to decide how we are governed.”

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the United Kingdom Government following the Supreme Court’s verdict on the ability of the Scottish Parliament to legislate for an independence referendum. (S6O-01647)

Food producers continue to grapple with labour shortages and those businesses often require access to migrant workers. If producers cannot get the workforce, they cannot make their food available to the public, and we cannot continue to modify our food culture and thereby give effect to the right to food if fresh produce is left to rot in the field because no one can harvest it. In that context, does the cabinet secretary agree that Labour ought to consider the comments of Keir Starmer, who said that freedom of movement was a “red line” and that Labour will not be going back on it?

The cabinet secretary will be aware of recent reports about strained relationships among managers at Forth Valley. Can he say any more about steps that could be taken to support culture change for leaders at all levels?

Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Limited is clearly not without its challenges, but, by stepping in the Scottish National Party Government saved Scottish shipbuilding on the Clyde and hundreds of jobs that went with it. We now also see that Glasgow Prestwick Airport Limited is turning a welcome profit. Does the minister agree that moving assets and businesses into public ownership when they are failing in the private sector can and does work?

Scotland’s fish are a national asset to our naturally wealthy country. In 2019, 70 per cent of Scotland’s seafood exports, worth more than £770 million, were to the EU. That same year, seafood accounted for 57 per cent of our overall food exports, with a total value of £1.02 billion.

Scotland has only 8 per cent of the UK population, but Scottish vessels accounted for 61 per cent of the value and 67 per cent of the tonnage of all landings by UK vessels in 2021. In South Ayrshire, which is in my constituency, the industry employs around 215 people and is worth £11.6 million.

Scotland is a major, internationally recognised fishing nation, and we need to ensure that we do everything that we can to protect that important industry.

Do people remember the big red bus that was going to save the UK £350 million a week to invest into the national health service? Another very fishy story by the Tories was that Brexit would be a “sea of opportunity” for the Scottish fishing industry. That has yet to come to fruition, and is very unlikely to. Brexit has been disastrous for the Scottish fishing industry.

The end of the UK Brexit discussions concluded that the trade and co-operation agreement did not deliver on the UK Government’s promises, particularly on the uplift of all quota shares.

Following the departure from the EU on 31 January 2020, the UK is now an independent coastal state. The Scottish Government, as part of the UK delegation, plays an active role in ensuring that Scotland’s interests are protected.

It is really important that we listen to the industry. I have a fish exporter who is based in my constituency. With an extra £5,000 added to his weekly costs due to Brexit administration, he says that his business is no longer viable.

I have met local fishermen in my constituency. Brexit, lack of staff, the cost of living crisis and fuel prices—

Yes.