Chamber and committees

Absolutely—it did a remarkable job of policing of COP26 but it benefited from the support of UK police forces in Glasgow and right across Scotland.

We have also seen a huge increase in ring-fenced funding to councils, so the SNP Government, not the locally elected decision makers, decides where local money is spent.

Planning matters have been overturned by central Government, which is a complete slap in the face for the local councillors who are there to serve their local communities.

I wonder whether the member was critical of the EU when it gave funds directly to local authorities. Was that an attack on this establishment?

On Tuesday, the First Minister turned her back on 100,000 oil and gas workers, many of whom are in the north-east. Yesterday, the Scottish National Party turned its back on its commitment to fully dual the A96. Can the First Minister explain to the people of the north-east why she has turned her back on them?

Will the member take an intervention?

It seems strange that we are debating the celebration of the anniversary of an institution that by all accounts is yet unproven, because we do not know whether it will play a key part in investing in Scotland’s future or if it will be a drain on public finances.

A number of things are unclear in relation to the Scottish National Investment Bank, the first of which is the set-up and administration costs. The Government seems to have spent £18.5 million up to the end of 2020-21, but, with the head count rising rapidly to 32 and set to rise further, we need to be careful that we do not create a bloated agency and that we instead maintain a lean efficient investment bank that delivers for the people of Scotland.

A concern that I and many others in the debate have is the duplication of investment and work that other Scottish Government agencies do. Expensive duplication cannot be a good use of resources for the Scottish taxpayer. For example, the M Squared Lasers deal that was mentioned earlier involved the provision of development capital that has been provided for years through Scottish Enterprise. In addition, £40 million was given to a fund that will be used by Places for People to invest in the provision of affordable housing. However, the Scottish Government also provided £40 million of loan support when it was launched in 2018, so both awards have involved Scottish Government funding being used to support things that the Scottish Government was already supporting. If the bank is going to do more, there will be an impact on agencies such as Scottish Enterprise.

I read the Scottish National Investment Bank’s annual report with interest and noted that the bank seemed to make a profit on the value of its investments in 2020-21, which was mentioned by Paul McLennan. That is all unrealised fair value gains, but, with those investments having no quoted price anywhere, it will take time to see whether those profits come to fruition. That is key, because we have to be cautious when it comes to estimating the value of the new bank’s investments, and ensure that we are prudent and realistic in relation to reporting on profits, which brings me to my next point, on regulation.

The Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee heard in September that the bank remains unregulated. I welcomed the assurance from the chair of the bank at the net zero committee that that issue is being looked at, but perhaps that should be a higher priority for the bank and the Scottish Government in order to ensure that the people of Scotland have confidence in the bank’s operating practices.

I welcome the ethical investment policy of the bank and support the policy to transition to net zero. During the net zero committee’s evidence session, the chief executive of the bank mentioned the Net Zero Technology Centre in Aberdeen, its expertise and the positive impact that it will have for future energy development. I hope that the bank will work closely with the centre and tap into the excellent projects that it is nurturing. Providing the capital that it requires will benefit the renewable energy sector and protect the jobs of thousands of workers in the north-east.

One thing that I have learned as a council leader over the past four years is that government at all levels cannot do everything and fund everything. We need to attract private finance, and I am not clear how the Scottish National Investment Bank will do that. I know that the cabinet secretary has touched on that, and I hope that we will hear, in her summing up, what the plan is and what progress there has been on bringing in the private sector finance that is required.

I hope that, in 10 years’ time, we can look back at the Scottish National Investment Bank and see realised profits, new technologies being helped and developed here in Scotland, and our net zero ambitions being realised by the investments that we are making. I hope that we can look back and see real jobs created by its investments. That will be the true time for celebration.

At the Finance and Public Administration Committee on 31 August, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy gave the following commitment:

“The A9 is still going to be dualled, and the A96 is referred to in the co-operation agreement in terms of the priorities for the next few years.”—[Official Report, Finance and Public Administration Committee, 31 August 2021; c 40-41.]

However, in the chamber yesterday, the Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth, Tom Arthur, when questioned by Fergus Ewing and Jamie Halcro Johnston, could not give any such commitment. Will the A96 be fully dualled by the 2030 commitment date—yes or no, Deputy First Minister?

I thank everyone involved in our fishing industry for their hard work in catching fish in all sorts of weather to bring high-quality food to our plates while also playing a vital part in the north-east economy.

The UK Government has secured a deal that means that we are now an independent coastal state with control over our own waters for the first time in decades, which is something that our fishermen asked for. Our fishing community now has a Government that stands up for their livelihoods rather than faceless bureaucrats in Brussels deciding their fate.

As a result of the UK’s exit from the EU, we are now in a position to develop our own policies in relation to fishery matters. In doing so, as is indicated in its 2018 white paper “Sustainable fisheries for future generations”, the UK Government intends to be a champion of sustainable fisheries in every part of the UK. We can now directly improve the sustainability—

Yes, I will.

The member makes an interesting argument that we should be dependent on immigration as we go forward. Immigration involves taking people and resource away from other countries, and we have to think about whether that is a moral thing to do or whether we should look at modernising the fishing industry that we have and growing it in that way.

The focus of the UK Government on levelling up also extends to our fishing fleet in Scotland, with a new £100 million UK seafood fund. It will ensure that fish that are landed in the UK are processed in the UK, thereby creating job opportunities across the supply chain. It will upskill the workforce and train new entrants, as well as investing in technology to put the UK at the cutting edge of new safe and sustainable fishing methods.

What is certain is that the UK Government must secure the best deal for our fishing fleet as the negotiations move forward. The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation has commended DEFRA and Marine Scotland for working tirelessly on those arrangements.

The SNP Government is currently undermining our fishing industry with undue concern and insecurity about its future. The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation is rightly concerned about the coalition of chaos between the SNP and the Greens. The fishing industry has been fishing in a sustainable way for many years, and few industries can be more aware of the impact of environmental change or doing more to preserve our oceans and fish stocks. We have to support the industry’s efforts, not put more barriers in its way. I hope that ministers will join me in meeting leaders of the industry in order to understand their concerns and help them to flourish.

I have a plea for this SNP-Green Government: instead of always being negative, why not try to be positive and help to support the fishing industry? If this devolved Government plays its part in supporting the industry, I will even give it a few suggestions about how it can help. The Scottish Government should work with the UK Government to promote our fishing industry and support the £100 million UK seafood fund, and then it should look at the powers that it has, such as those over transport.

The transport links to Peterhead are a disgrace. There is no rail, so producers have to rely on a single-track road that goes past the notorious Toll of Birness. If the Scottish Government cared about the fishing industry, it would sort that out. Fish processors are reluctant to invest in improved buildings in Aberdeen because they would face a crippling business rates bill. If the Government cared about the fishing industry, it would sort that out. Let us also look at the lack of investment in new automation equipment. If the Government cared about the fishing industry, it would sort that out. The ministers have the power; they just need to use it.

The fishing industry has a bright future within the UK. I hope that the devolved SNP-Green Government will step up to the plate and support it as the UK Government is doing. However, it appears that this devolved Government wants to preside over failure. It seeks failure to sow division and promote its nationalist cause. We will not let that happen. We will defend the fishing industry from this coalition of chaos and we will ensure that it has a bright future.

I thank the minister for advance sight of today’s statement. I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests, which shows that I am still a councillor on Aberdeen City Council.

With NPF4, partnership working will be vital, and key partners in it all will be local authorities and local planning authorities. One of the main pieces of work that every local authority is currently focused on is the development of local development plans. The plans are central to the economic and social development of our towns, villages and rural settings, and are heavily consulted on through local engagement and consultation events.

How have local authorities been consulted in the development of NPF4, what active engagement with local authorities is on-going, and how is the Government ensuring that the development plans—which are a year or more in the making—are workable within the new national planning framework? Will the Government financially compensate any local authorities that have to restart their local development plans as a result of what has been covered today?