Chamber and committees

Vandalism of war memorials is a crime, regardless of the motivations for it. The Scottish Government condemns all acts of malicious vandalism and graffiti. Such behaviour is unacceptable in modern Scotland and those indulging in it can expect to face criminal charges. There is legislation to deal with the vandalism and desecration of statues and memorials, including war memorials. The Scottish Government has no current plans to introduce new legislation for that specific purpose. The Scottish Government supports the police and prosecutors in using the powers that are available to them to deal with any incidents of vandalism that arise.

I must confess that I was not expecting the end of that question. I have not been in correspondence with the Taliban, and I do not intend to be.

The peace institute for Scotland will be one of the integral parts of our overall framework for the Scottish council for global affairs. Fundamental to everything that we do is our determination to be a good global citizen. That is reflected in our international development programme and the priority that we give to human rights. The peace institute will contribute to those values.

I welcome Willie Rennie’s enthusiasm and I assure him that I will keep him updated. I am interested to hear input from Mr Rennie and members of other parties in the development of the peace institute.

Migration to Scotland supports economic growth and the delivery of public services, and it helps to address the serious issue of long-term demographic change and enhances and sustains our communities. I welcome the report on “Family Migration: Understanding the Drivers, Impacts and Support Needs of Migrant Families in Scotland” from the expert advisory group, which proposes actions to encourage and support families who are moving to Scotland. We will use that report to inform the development of a migration service of Scotland and rural visa pilots.

The current restrictive rules on family migration are, of course, set by the United Kingdom Government, and I urge it to accept the expert group’s recommendations and support family reunion by removing the minimum income requirement, which causes heartache for so many families. We need a different approach to migration that is based on evidence and that reflects Scotland’s needs and values.

I agree with Liz Smith that it is a good thing that Governments on these islands work together, but I can give her a concrete example of when that does not happen. This Government has sought to discuss issues relating to migration, for which this Parliament has responsibility, including related policy areas such as education, housing and health. After 19 requests to meet were turned down by the Home Office, finally, because it was so embarrassing, the UK Government relented. Do you know what? It was a hugely productive meeting.

I agree with Liz Smith, therefore, and appeal to her to speak to her party colleagues in London and impress on them that we should have good working relations but that, to do that, people have to be prepared to meet and, when they meet, to do so in a spirit of partnership and not as a box-ticking exercise purely to prove that one has spoken with the devolved Administrations. That means co-operating on agendas, co-operating on contents and actually co-operating on the issue at hand. Too often, unfortunately, that is not the case with the UK Government. I regret that, and I appeal for Liz Smith’s assistance in trying to rectify that.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of Scottish war memorials in ensuring that the memory of those who gave their lives in conflict is not forgotten. It is a long-standing policy of both the United Kingdom and Scottish Governments that the cost of maintaining memorials should normally be resourced by public subscription, private fundraising or a combination of both.

As a global citizen, Scotland aims to contribute to peace efforts through conflict resolution with others. That is why we are committing to establishing a peace institute by the end of 2022. Discussions on the role and remit of the peace institute are at an early stage. I look forward to updating Parliament once we have developed our thinking further. I would welcome Mr Rennie’s contribution in the development of the peace institute.

I did. I commend Edward Mountain and anybody else who has served with United Nations peacekeepers. I have had the good fortune of visiting UN peacekeeping operations, including those from the Irish Republic on the Golan Heights. The Irish Republic is one of the few countries that has continuously provided UN peacekeeping service personnel since the UN’s inception.

Scotland’s peace institute will operate within the devolved competence of the Scottish Government. We are already engaged in peace work. Our women in conflict 1325 fellowship programme with Beyond Borders Scotland is a good example of Scotland’s contribution to peacemaking activity. Scotland also has a proud academic tradition of international relations in conflict. The foundations are there, and Scotland’s peace institute will bring together that work and enhance our peace offer in the future.

Indeed—I agree with my colleague. Scotland is a proudly internationalist nation, and we will embrace the opportunities of international connection and co-operation, and act as a good global citizen to champion our values-based approach on the world stage. We are welcoming the world to Scotland for the 26th UN climate change conference of the parties—COP26—and hosting world leaders alongside tens of thousands of negotiators, Government representatives, businesses and activists from around the globe for 12 days of talks.

There is much that we are already able to deliver, and there is much more that we will be able to deliver in the future. I look forward to the peace institute playing a distinct role in Scotland’s offer to the rest of the world and in our support of peace and reconciliation efforts around the world.

The Scottish Government is committed to effective interactions with other devolved Governments and the UK Government on the basis of a partnership of equals. However, repeated actions such as the approach to Brexit and the imposition of the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020, despite the explicit withholding of consent by this Parliament, make effective interactions with the UK Government much more difficult.

The Scottish Government agrees with Mark Drakeford and, indeed, with Neil Gray that recent proposals from the UK Government for improving interactions will have only limited value unless they are accompanied by much greater levels of respect for devolved responsibilities and institutions than is currently being demonstrated by the UK Government. There is so much more that the UK Government could do; I just wish that it would get on and do it.