Chamber and committees

Reform’s policies are about taking money out of the public sector, but Mr Simpson is now asking for more money to be spent on throughcare support. Where is that money coming from? I am genuinely interested to know.

Can the cabinet secretary provide any details about when funding will be in place to replace the Port Glasgow health centre with a new health hub? Can she advise when there will be investment to improve the fabric of Inverclyde royal hospital?

Will the member give way?

As the recently elected convener of the Climate Action Committee, I look forward to working with colleagues from across the chamber both in scrutinising the Scottish Government but also, I hope, through the committee, in making suggestions to help Scotland deal with the climate emergency that we all face. For clarity, I am not speaking today as convener of that committee.

As some leaders trade the hope and health of future generations for short-term gains, they push back against the very idea of a climate crisis and undermine the need for urgent action. We have already heard that in the debate, and I urge the SNP Scottish Government not to yield to the climate culture wars.

Millions of people globally are impacted by climate change today, and that will also be the case for future generations, as has already been touched upon by Sanne Dijkstra-Downie. I have also heard that on numerous occasions when I have represented the Parliament at Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conferences, both the regional and international ones, which I will come back to in a moment.

Global warming is one of the biggest issues facing our planet, and strong leadership on the climate crisis has never been more important. Reaching net zero is a national challenge for Scotland, and it is one that we must win for a healthier climate, warmer homes, cleaner air and happier, more equitable and prosperous communities. The motion in the name of the cabinet secretary highlights those key criteria. I look forward to the contributions from MSPs in the open debate, which I am sure will help the committee’s discussions on Thursday, when we meet for the first time, and during the rest of the parliamentary session.

I will touch briefly on three items, for wider consideration.

First, there is the issue of AI data centres and their impact on the environment. A great deal has already been written about them. We all use AI—some former MSPs more than others, of course. It is not going to go back into the box. Its use is only going to increase and become more important for the economy and society. Members will be aware of the reports of plans for 24 AI data centres across the country, so we all appreciate how important the issue has become. I touched on the CPA a minute ago, and the issue of AI data centres has been raised time and again at both international and regional conferences. We are not the only people who are talking about the issue. Helpfully, it is on the agenda for this year’s festival of politics. I know that I am not allowed to use props, Presiding Officer, but I thought that I might get away with holding up this programme, as I am plugging a parliamentary event. There will, in fact, be two discussions about AI on 27 August, but one is about data centres. Dealing with climate emissions is already a massive challenge. We need to find a way to incorporate newer technologies into the economic, social and environmental policies that we manage.

Secondly, there is the issue of heat networks. It is important that they are successful in delivering the heat that we all need, but the issue of their environmental impact is also vital. District heating systems play an important role in communities up and down the country, but they come in a range of scales. Are they operating effectively? How do we create more, using efficient input, to ensure that communities can benefit from them while providing improvements for the customer and the provider?

Thirdly, there is something that is a small issue in a business context, and it might be a bit niche for some—I did not know about it until yesterday when I met up with a local business. It is an issue not just for that business, but for that particular sector across the UK. The technology that cinemas utilise is actually highly power intensive. There is technology out there that can help to improve that, but cinemas are struggling. They have not yet recovered fully from Covid, particularly when it comes to small-scale operators. That business in my constituency has one cinema in Greenock and one in Dunoon. There is a separate cinema in Falkirk that has one screen, and there are similar cinemas across the UK. Not all cinemas are part of big multinational conglomerations. That is a small example of where Government could help to move the dial somewhat.

A range of issues have already been discussed and, obviously, many more will be discussed, including the marine environment, energy generation, oil and gas extraction, agriculture, transport and construction, among others. There will be more to discuss and I am certainly looking forward to the discussions that we will have in the Climate Action Committee. However, fundamentally, we have made progress. It is difficult to get to where we need to get to, but we need to do it. The impact on us is one thing, but there is also the impact on some countries in Africa in particular. Sanne Dijkstra-Downie spoke about the Democratic Republic of Congo, but there are many others that I have heard about through the CPA. We have got a job to do.

16:36

I mentioned them, too.

Can the cabinet secretary provide an assurance that the review will not include the small business bonus scheme, which is so vital for our local communities and has been touched on already in the questions?

New analysis from the London Stock Exchange Group has shown that the market value of the global green economy has reached a record high of $10 trillion. Can the First Minister provide an update on the steps that the Scottish National Party Government is taking to ensure that Scotland is benefiting from the substantial growth opportunities of the green economy while taking the action that is needed to tackle climate change?

Mr Kerr is accustomed to challenging members, and rightly so. I thought that I heard from the cabinet secretary and also earlier in the discussion that—

[Made a request to intervene.]

I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests: I am chair of Moving On Inverclyde and I am also an ambassador for Ocean Youth Trust Scotland.

Long before my election to the Parliament, I had a firm belief that the state cannot fix everything. Sometimes, the state is the bearer of the problems in the first instance, so it is crucial that we have a strong third sector in our communities. The third sector can be more flexible and act more quickly in dealing with events, which often makes it more efficient. It can also take a more person-centred approach, in contrast with some public sector services, where impact is measured by how many people can be seen. Safe Harbour Inverclyde is a prime example of that person-centred approach.

Having both public and third sector organisations working together in our communities is essential. I have previously spoken in the Parliament of my involvement with Moving On Inverclyde. Over the past decade, the organisation has changed immeasurably. It is now engaging with many more people locally, has a stronger reputation locally, will be expanding into new premises in Port Glasgow and has a partnership agreement with Your Voice, which is another third sector organisation, to deliver a particular project for the Inverclyde alcohol and drug recovery service. Flexibility and improved outcomes for people who need those services are important, irrespective of who delivers them.

The Covid-19 pandemic brought trauma and pain for many people. It also resulted in some remarkable activity in all our communities. The public sector pivoted practically overnight in many cases; the number of people volunteering was remarkable, and the third sector pulled together like nothing I have seen before. Fundamentally, the partnership between the public and third sectors was imperative. Neither could have supported my community alone. I have given just a couple of local examples of why the third sector is absolutely crucial to the nation.

On a national scale, I welcome the SNP Government’s delivery of multiyear funding and its commitment to develop an agreement with the third sector to strengthen its voice and improve lives. This third sector partnership, as the cabinet secretary touched on, will set out how the Scottish Government and the third sector can work together to enhance services. That includes protecting the sector’s future and independence with fairer funding, focusing on shared goals to improve outcomes for people and communities, and providing greater opportunity to contribute to policy and service design.