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Chamber and committees

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 6 July 2025
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Displaying 1733 contributions

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Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Portfolio Question Time

Meeting date: 11 June 2025

Shona Robison

As the Deputy First Minister has said, the news of the further delay and increased cost to deliver MV Glen Rosa is “unacceptable” and deeply frustrating. Our island communities rely on a resilient and reliable ferry service, and they deserve better. We have made it clear—the Deputy First Minister has made it very clear directly to Ferguson Marine—that the situation cannot continue and that strong leadership and urgent delivery are now non-negotiable. That could not be clearer.

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Portfolio Question Time

Meeting date: 11 June 2025

Shona Robison

The Scottish Government continues to believe that delivery of local authority duties should be delegated at a local level where possible. The majority of funding provided to local government is made available through a block grant, and £8.1 million is included in that block grant in relation to land access measures and is allocated based on proportions of population and path lengths.

However, the funding is not ring fenced. It is the responsibility of individual councils to manage their budgets and allocate the total financial resources available based on local priorities, once they have met their statutory obligations.

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Portfolio Question Time

Meeting date: 11 June 2025

Shona Robison

First, I am very happy to continue these discussions with Ariane Burgess and with others. There is a balance to be struck here. Often, in the Parliament, the demand is that local government has flexibility over its funding. That is something that COSLA called for, including in relation to some of the existing ring-fenced funds. In the Verity house agreement, the direction of travel was towards flexibility of funding and a reduction in ring-fenced funds. So, although I am happy to continue these discussions, we must make sure that we strike the right balance. I am not sure that having lots of small ring-fenced funds helps local authorities have flexibility.

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Portfolio Question Time

Meeting date: 11 June 2025

Shona Robison

The 2025-26 budget provides local government in Scotland with record funding of more than £15.1 billion. As a result of the Scottish budget, Aberdeenshire Council received a record funding settlement worth £627.7 million to support day-to-day services. How that record funding is deployed to deliver local services, statutory duties and nationally agreed priorities is a matter for locally elected members.

I recognise that no part of the public sector is immune from difficult decisions as a result of the many years of austerity from successive United Kingdom Governments.

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Portfolio Question Time

Meeting date: 11 June 2025

Shona Robison

Paul Sweeney has highlighted an important issue, although it is quite a difficult one, as he will be well aware. Under public procurement rules, direct awards are possible only in very strict and limited circumstances. Public procurement rules cannot just be set aside; there are rules and laws and, potentially, legal challenge governing the way in which those rules are applied. We absolutely want a bright future for Ferguson Marine. We want it to win contracts. However, that has to happen in a way that is above legal reproach.

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Portfolio Question Time

Meeting date: 11 June 2025

Shona Robison

As I said in response to Sue Webber, the Deputy First Minister could not have been clearer that the situation is unacceptable and that strong leadership and urgent delivery are now non-negotiable. It is very important for our island communities that the vessel is delivered, but Ferguson and its leadership have to deliver the ferry within the timescale and the budget allocation that have now been agreed. The Deputy First Minister has been very clear about that point.

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Portfolio Question Time

Meeting date: 11 June 2025

Shona Robison

The next opportunity to engage will be at the meeting of the finance interministerial standing committee, which involves all finance ministers and which will take place at the end of this month. Of course, we will highlight a number of issues that we want to see resolved and on which we want more information.

As I said in an earlier answer, the headline from today is a modest average real-terms growth rate in day-to-day spending of 0.8 per cent per year, which is lower than the average for UK departments. One concerning aspect is the continuation of the use of the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 to deliver funding that should be routed through devolved Governments. That is one of the issues that I will raise with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury at the FISC meeting at the end of June.

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Care Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

Meeting date: 10 June 2025

Shona Robison

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I am still having some difficulty. I would have voted no.

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Care Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

Meeting date: 10 June 2025

Shona Robison

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I could not connect. I would have voted no.

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Care Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

Meeting date: 10 June 2025

Shona Robison

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I am still having technical problems. I would have voted yes.