Chamber and committees

I promise that I will not go on all night.

RIA Scotland supports the campaign for a new station at Winchburgh. I was not there—funnily enough—but I have heard that, at an SNP conference fringe meeting, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, in whose constituency the development lies, said that the station is a rather good idea. With her support and that of every other party in Parliament, who else do we need to persuade to make it happen?

We do not have the luxury of time in West Lothian. If we do not start to make a new station in the next 24 months, we will lose the space that has been ring fenced for the station and car park, as the demand to build more houses will mean that the land is needed for homes. We will find a few more property owners who have zero transport integration beyond an increasingly busy new road junction.

I commend Winchburgh Developments for its commitment and substantial contribution to making the vision a reality. Its involvement is testament to the power of community and corporate collaboration in driving forward public projects. It is now time for the Scottish Government to match that. A new station at Winchburgh is essential. It is not only a necessity to alleviate mounting congestion in our capital but a critical factor in meeting the Scottish Government’s failing net zero ambitions.

Leadership is about taking bold and courageous decisions. Alongside teaching groups and experts such as Lindsay Paterson, I have been calling for a ban on mobile phones in classrooms for quite some time now. Can the cabinet secretary confirm today that the approach in her action plan will empower our schools and headteachers to take the necessary action to do that, or are we, in the words of Lindsay Paterson,

“leaving it up to schools to argue it out with resentful adolescents and stroppy parents”?

As the cabinet secretary knows, Scotland is host to world famous events, including the international book festival and the Edinburgh fringe festival. However, because of the Fossil Free Books campaign, literary festivals across the country now have huge holes in their budgets. Last week, the First Minister highlighted the damage that disinvestment campaigns are doing to the arts sector and I know that he has spoken with Baillie Gifford to offer reassurance about the role that those campaigns play in the economy and culture sector.

Other than financial help, what specific support might the cabinet secretary be looking to offer to the book festival and the fringe festival to give them the security that they need, so that they will not feel the pressures of some of those campaigns?

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Edinburgh International Book Festival, in light of reports that the Fossil Free Books campaign has threatened its viability. (S6O-03622)

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide further details of the progress that it has made regarding the delivery of a railway station in Winchburgh, including the date by which it anticipates the business case and cost will be finalised. (S6O-03615)

I thank the minister for that response, and I remind him that no developer has ever led the delivery of a new station anywhere in Scotland.

The economic and environmental case for a train station at Winchburgh is undeniable. Passengers will save £2.4 million, and there will be £3.5 million of decongestion benefits. There will also be almost half a million fewer car journeys every year. The list goes on, as the minister acknowledged in his letter to Edward Mountain, the convener of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee.

There is keen interest in building a station at Winchburgh, and it remains of significant public interest. The next meeting is in five days. The people of Winchburgh deserve much more. Can we expect a positive announcement and significant progress to be made before we return to Parliament in September?

I congratulate Evelyn Tweed on her appointment as deputy convener and welcome our new members.

The next agenda item is consideration of subordinate legislation. The regulations are being considered under the negative procedure. At last week’s meeting, members raised a number of points in relation to the regulations and agreed to write to the Scottish Government for more information. The committee received a response from Ivan McKee late last night. It will be published on the committee’s web page and has been circulated to all members of the committee. Do members wish to raise any issues?

Do members agree to make no recommendations in relation to the regulations?

Members indicated agreement.

Thank you for that confirmation. The public part of our meeting is now at an end and we will consider our remaining agenda item in private.

Good morning, and welcome to the 20th meeting in 2024 of the Education, Children and Young People Committee. We have apologies from Stephanie Callaghan.

I welcome George Adam, John Mason and Evelyn Tweed, who are joining us as new members of the committee to replace Ruth Maguire, Ben Macpherson and Michelle Thomson. We thank Ruth, Ben and Michelle for their work and engagement as members of the committee.

Our first item of business is to invite Mr Adam, Mr Mason and Ms Tweed to declare any relevant interests. In alphabetical order, I turn first to Mr Adam.