Chamber and committees

::It seems incredible that Scotland’s Highlands and Islands region, which has a population of fewer than half a million people, has been awarded £10 million for a flat fare trial, which has already been tested for years in England with great success, while SPT, which covers a population of more than 2 million people, now has to compete with other regional transport authorities for a pot of just £4 million to support the development of a business case for bus franchising. That is despite the fact that SPT has clearly stated that it will need between £6 million and £6.5 million to follow the complex development processes that are set out in the 2019 act. That is not good enough.

Does the minister agree that bus franchising in greater Glasgow has been delayed for far too long, and will he promise to commit the full £6.5 million that SPT has said it needs to develop the business case? It should have been happening six years ago.

::It seems incredible that Scotland’s Highlands and Islands region, which has a population of fewer than half a million people, has been awarded £10 million for a flat fare trial, which has already been tested for years in England with great success, while SPT, which covers a population of more than 2 million people, now has to compete with other regional transport authorities for a pot of just £4 million to support the development of a business case for bus franchising. That is despite the fact that SPT has clearly stated that it will need between £6 million and £6.5 million to follow the complex development processes that are set out in the 2019 act. That is not good enough.

Does the minister agree that bus franchising in greater Glasgow has been delayed for far too long, and will he promise to commit the full £6.5 million that SPT has said it needs to develop the business case? It should have been happening six years ago.

It seems incredible that Scotland’s Highlands and Islands region, which has a population of fewer than half a million people, has been awarded £10 million for a flat fare trial, which has already been tested for years in England with great success, while SPT, which covers a population of more than 2 million people, now has to compete with other regional transport authorities for a pot of just £4 million to support the development of a business case for bus franchising. That is despite the fact that SPT has clearly stated that it will need between £6 million and £6.5 million to follow the complex development processes that are set out in the 2019 act. That is not good enough.

Does the minister agree that bus franchising in greater Glasgow has been delayed for far too long, and will he promise to commit the full £6.5 million that SPT has said it needs to develop the business case? It should have been happening six years ago.

::I share the Deputy First Minister’s enthusiasm and the impression that was created yesterday by the event at Rosyth dockyard to cut the first steel on the fourth Royal Navy type 31 frigate, HMS Bulldog. Shortly afterwards, the second ship in the class, HMS Active, was rolled out of the new indoor shipbuilding hall in dramatic fashion.

Scotland is now at the forefront of Europe’s largest naval shipbuilding programme, but the contrast with the lack of commercial shipbuilding activity is stark. The main reason for that is the lack of state-backed finance for commercial shipbuilding projects. Germany has used state-backed finance for shipbuilding for at least 30 years. Key instruments include the commercial interest reference rate ship financing programme, administered by the German state investment bank, which offers long-term fixed-rate loans for buyers of German-built ships. Will the Deputy First Minister commission a Government-led effort to build a similar state-backed financing scheme in Scotland that would give confidence to our remaining small commercial shipyards, including Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Ltd?

::To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the finance available for commercial shipbuilding projects at Scottish shipyards, including how the competitiveness of this compares with that of other European nations with commercial shipbuilding industries. (S6O-05548)

I share the Deputy First Minister’s enthusiasm and the impression that was created yesterday by the event at Rosyth dockyard to cut the first steel on the fourth Royal Navy type 31 frigate, HMS Bulldog. Shortly afterwards, the second ship in the class, HMS Active, was rolled out of the new indoor shipbuilding hall in dramatic fashion.

Scotland is now at the forefront of Europe’s largest naval shipbuilding programme, but the contrast with the lack of commercial shipbuilding activity is stark. The main reason for that is the lack of state-backed finance for commercial shipbuilding projects. Germany has used state-backed finance for shipbuilding for at least 30 years. Key instruments include the commercial interest reference rate ship financing programme, administered by the German state investment bank, which offers long-term fixed-rate loans for buyers of German-built ships. Will the Deputy First Minister commission a Government-led effort to build a similar state-backed financing scheme in Scotland that would give confidence to our remaining small commercial shipyards, including Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Ltd?

To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the finance available for commercial shipbuilding projects at Scottish shipyards, including how the competitiveness of this compares with that of other European nations with commercial shipbuilding industries. (S6O-05548)

Social Security Scotland was established to deliver a more holistic approach to social security, including through preventing further decline in wellbeing. What active training do staff receive in order to understand the needs of disabled communities and groups such as veterans? Such training should include awareness of the impact that isolation and reduced physical activity can have on general wellbeing, physical and mental health, and recovery.

Will the member take an intervention?

A case in Glasgow has recently been brought to my attention. A major hotel in the Finnieston area has just had a rates revaluation, which resulted in a 250 per cent increase in its rates. As a result, it is pausing a major investment of £25 million, which would create 100 jobs. Clearly, no one wants to see that investment paused. Will the minister look at that case and see whether the business can have a bit more leeway in the adjustments?