Chamber and committees

We all have a role in supporting our local stores, particularly if they are the only hub in an area and provide a range of services. I will come on to talk a little about some of the work that we are doing. It is important to be clear that this is not—it never is—a party-political issue. I work closely with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities spokesperson Councillor Gail Macgregor, who is a member of Mr Fraser’s party, on this issue. We all realise that the sector is of huge importance to our economy but is of even greater importance to our local communities.

Clearly, local convenience shops and retailers play a key role in ensuring that people can live well locally, ensuring access to food and the plethora of services that we have highlighted. Members have also mentioned the really important services that many of those stores provide for people who have ability or disability issues, who are infirm or who lack access to transport.

As Gordon MacDonald said, convenience stores are massively important to local jobs. In many cases, they offer a range of flexible hours. They can also offer skills development and flexible and successful careers from a first job in a local shop to the potential of distribution, supply chain businesses, large stores, ownership or management. Those are real opportunities for people in local communities.

To return to Mr Whitfield’s point, convenience stores can continue only if we support them. That is why the Scotland loves local scheme is so important. I encourage people to consider the fact that, if they spend money locally, they are supporting not only the local shop but their friends, family and neighbours, which is important.

I am mindful that I am taking a bit of time, so I will touch on one or two of the challenges that members rightly raised. Murdo Fraser and Martin Whitfield both talked about non-domestic rates. We obviously have to go through the budget process, but it is important to remember that, in last year’s budget, the big ask of the Scottish Government was freezing the poundage rate. Scotland managed to freeze the poundage, so we now have the lowest poundage in the UK for the fifth year in a row, with a package of reliefs that is worth an estimated £749 million.

I contend that we provide the best support across these islands to retail business, in particular those at the smaller end of the spectrum. However, I recognise the challenges that have been raised, which is why the new deal for business group has established a consultative sub-group to advise on non-domestic rates. Those discussions are being taken forward by the Minister for Community Wealth and Public Finance, and decisions clearly have to be made in time for the budget.

Several members raised the issue of crime. Murdo Fraser and Pam Gosal talked in particular about the challenges around organised crime. That is, without question, a serious issue—it seems to be developing, and we need to work together on tackling it. The Scottish Government and its partners in the serious organised crime task force are fully committed to tackling serious crime in all its guises, and reducing the harm that it causes to our communities. Partners in that task force will use every means at their disposal to disrupt the activities of organised crime groups and hold them to account for the harm that they cause to communities and businesses, and, in particular, to the most vulnerable in our society.

However, I tend to agree with Martin Whitfield that there are other factors at play. Last month, the First Minister cited Dr Sinéad Furey, a senior lecturer in consumer management and food innovation at Ulster University, who was very clear that “stealing to eat” has taken place

“in previous times of ... economic downturn”.

While there is no suggestion that that is the only driver, there are clear concerns right now about the impact of the cost of living crisis. Of course, that is never an excuse.

Mr Whitfield mentioned violence against retail workers, in particular, which can never, ever be acceptable. The Parliament voted to pass the Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act, which came into force in August 2021. Statistics on that are just coming through, but the statistics from August 2021 to August 2022, which were published just last week, showed that 27 individuals were prosecuted under that legislation, 26 of whom were convicted—a conviction rate of 96 per cent. It is important to note that 50 per cent of those who were convicted received a custodial sentence, which highlights the serious nature of the offence. As the minister with responsibility for retail, I take that area really seriously, and the retail industry leadership group will look at doing a deep dive to see what more we can do collectively to deal with that challenge.

I see that time is upon us, so I conclude with a huge thank you to our convenience sector for the vital services that it provides to our communities across Scotland. I also extend my thanks, in particular, to the Scottish Grocers Federation for promoting responsible community retailing among its membership.

I thank Gordon MacDonald for bringing the motion to Parliament and members for their contributions highlighting the importance of the retail convenience store sector to Scotland. These debates are always enlightening. I certainly was not aware that the Parliament had at least two daughters of grocers: Audrey Nicoll and Pam Gosal. It is always useful to hear more about people’s experiences, and I am sure that Pam and Audrey will have many stories to tell.

Without doubt, our local retailers and convenience stores provide vital local accessible services and flexible employment opportunities. As Gordon MacDonald and others have said, they contribute so much to their communities, often acting as the only local hub in towns, villages and neighbourhoods.

Willie Coffey highlighted how they have taken on many of the traditional roles that we would have seen elsewhere on the high street, as society has adapted to changing trends and the digital age, whether that be postal and banking services or energy and communication needs, which is in addition to their food and drink offer. It was useful to hear about the pilots for the go local project.

Convenience stores are crucial to community resilience, building social interaction, fostering a positive sense of community and supporting active and vibrant local economies. It was good to hear several members mention the contribution of grocers across Scotland during the pandemic.

I think that we all want our town and neighbourhood centres to be diverse, sustainable and thriving places where communities can enjoy living and working. We want our towns and town centres to be vibrant, creative, enterprising and accessible, and to be places where people can meet most of their daily needs within a reasonable distance of their home, enabling them to live better, healthier lives and to support our net zero ambitions. In relation to reaching net zero, Murdo Fraser mentioned that convenience stores are within walking, cycling and wheeling distance of most of our population.

Decisions on future local government budget allocations are subject to negotiations with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the results will be confirmed as part of the Scottish budget on 19 December.

The Scottish Government places great importance on sport and leisure facilities, which are vital in supporting the physical and mental health of the nation. Sportscotland, our national agency for sport, is working with local and national partners to help it to assess the impact of any potential facility closures, and those discussions will continue over the coming weeks and months.

Mr MacGregor highlighted the local campaigns that encouraged North Lanarkshire Council to change its decision. Although it is for democratically elected councils to make decisions on the priorities for their local areas, it is always good to see communities influencing those decisions.

The member will be aware that there is a joint approach with COSLA to look at various means of raising money for local government, which is headed up by my colleague Tom Arthur.

A number of streams of work are under way. One recent stream of work is the proposal to allow local authorities to raise 100 per cent additional council tax from second homes.

I know that Maurice Golden takes the matter very seriously, despite the cheap political point he made at the start of his comments, so I will answer the question on that basis.

Maurice Golden is absolutely right about the importance of moving to a more circular economy in relation to procurement. Our sustainable procurement tools include circular economy e-learning that helps public bodies to take account of the climate and the circular economy in their procurement activity. There is also guidance on materials and waste that is aimed at making best use of resources, including by using circular economy principles. [Interruption.]

We will promote the updated guidance on procuring for repair, reuse and remanufacturing from Zero Waste Scotland once—

A number of tools are in place. Clearly, we are not yet where we want to get to, which is why we are working really hard to get there. I know that ministerial colleagues engage with Mr Golden regularly on this really important issue and that he wants to work to help the Government and the Parliament to get this right.

Tom Arthur, the Minister for Community Wealth and Public Finance, is on an international engagement in the United States during which he will speak at a plenary session at the Obama Foundation leaders event in Chicago. He will hear at first hand experiences of best practice relating to community wealth building initiatives in the United States of America.

The minister has regular discussions with ministerial colleagues on a range of matters, including the circular economy and procurement. The Scottish Government is committed to using public procurement to contribute to the strategic priority of a transition to a more resource-efficient and low-carbon economy.

The council tax freeze will be fully funded. It is important that, at this time of pressure on family budgets and other financial burdens, we are able to remove that uncertainty. It took two weeks, but it is pleasing that the Labour Party now appears to support the council tax freeze. I do not know the Conservative Party’s position on the council tax freeze, but it is important that, at a time when family and household budgets are so pressed, we do everything in our powers to support people, and that is what we are doing. I am pleased that we have Labour’s support.

It is important to recognise the appropriate negotiating forums. The Scottish Government frequently meets COSLA to continue to consider what more we can do to support it in finding a resolution to the dispute, which no one wants to continue. Obviously, it is important that we respect the trade unions’ right to withhold their labour—that is absolutely a right, which the Government supports—but we cannot overstate the impact of the closures on the children affected and their parents.