The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.
All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
Displaying 1053 contributions
Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)
Meeting date: 16 June 2021
Willie Rennie
In a second—I am running out of time.
As I said, 30,000 workers were supposed to come. However, as a result of the late deployment of two operators in the seasonal agricultural workers scheme pilot, we have rotting fruit in our fields and flowers left unpicked, and vegetables are potentially under threat as well. That is all because the UK Government did not do as it promised, which was to make sure that the scheme was in place. I could go through lots of different sectors, too.
We need to make sure that we have a rounded debate and a rounded policy so that we can achieve the high-skilled, high-wage economy that we seek for the country. We need to be open to good immigration to refresh our society. People who work hard and play their part in society deserve a good job so that they can look after their families, yet they are often let down on both fronts—by the UK Government and by the Scottish Government. We can do so much better.
Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)
Meeting date: 15 June 2021
Willie Rennie
Last week, in response to me, the First Minister said that she would look at speeding up the reopening of services for adults with special needs. What was the outcome of that work?
Today, universities are seeking early guidance for the return of students in the autumn. When will that Government guidance be published?
The First Minister said that it is likely that the restrictions will not be eased for five weeks. I want to explore how certain that is. If hospitalisations do not go out of control and vaccination progresses, will she ease restrictions earlier than that?
Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)
Meeting date: 10 June 2021
Willie Rennie
I am afraid that that is just not good enough. The First Minister takes all the credit for recruiting 3,500 extra teachers but is nowhere to be seen when their terms and conditions turn out to be shoddy.
In an open letter that was written this week, 2,000 temporary teachers say that they are having to take extra jobs just to put food on the table. One in 10 teachers is now on a short-term contract, bobbing from one precarious job to the next for years on end. That is no way to treat those who are responsible for educating the next generation. We all know that if the money is temporary, the teachers will be temporary. If the Scottish Government makes the money permanent, the teachers will be permanent.
Will the First Minister fix that and treat those teachers with respect and decency, for a change?
Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)
Meeting date: 10 June 2021
Willie Rennie
To ask the First Minister, in light of the growth in short-term teaching contracts, how many of the 3,500 teaching and classroom assistant posts that the Scottish Government has committed to creating will be given permanent contracts. (S6F-00095)
Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)
Meeting date: 9 June 2021
Willie Rennie
To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take in response to reports of Danish and Swedish boats intensively fishing for sand eels just off the Firth of Forth. (S6O-00016)
Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)
Meeting date: 9 June 2021
Willie Rennie
That is very good news. The kittiwake population has been cut in half in the past 50 years, partly as a result of industrial sand eel fishing. In the past month, more than 20 Swedish and Danish boats spent days off the Fife coast hoovering up tonnes of sand eels for pig meal. Local fishermen and RSPB Scotland are very concerned about the impact on seabirds. A previous Government took action at Wee Bankie, and we need action now. I want the minister to think of the puffins and to set out the urgent action that will be taken on sand eels.
Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)
Meeting date: 8 June 2021
Willie Rennie
It is carers week, but 72 per cent of unpaid carers have not had a break since the pandemic began. Last week, I asked the First Minister to reopen day services for adults with special needs. In response, the relevant minister issued a new letter today, but with a link to the old guidance, so nothing has really changed in the past week. It makes no difference what level someone lives in—the barriers to reopening are just the same. People are getting desperate, so will the Government issue new guidance to give local authorities the clarity that they need to get those services open again?
Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)
Meeting date: 2 June 2021
Willie Rennie
That is typical of this Government. At the time, they blow it up and say, “We’ve saved 1,500 jobs at BiFab and we will create an additional 2,000 jobs at Lochaber,” but what happens is quite the opposite: the money is lost, the jobs do not return, the workers are let down and the Government’s reputation is tarnished. [Interruption.] I cannot take another intervention just now; I have just taken one.
We have been here before with the Ferguson Marine shipyard. The ferries are still not ready, at twice the cost. In recent weeks, we have heard about the disaster to do with ferries to the islands: people and communities in the islands have been let down because of the Government’s failure to deliver on its industrial strategy. Prestwick is another example, and then there was Sinofortune and the £10 billion deal five years ago that turned out to be nothing, with the company ending up owning just a pub in Oxford.
This Government’s reputation on industrial strategy and relations is in tatters. The Government needs to change. It still believes that jobs will come to Lochaber, despite the fact that GFG Alliance is trying to sell its plants in the West Midlands, Teesside, Essex, Rotherham, Scunthorpe and Wales. All those companies are being sold off, yet the Government still tries to convince us that the jobs are coming.
The Government’s strategy needs a major reworking and rebranding. We need a proper industrial strategy, not more talking shops such as were announced today. [Interruption.] I will not take an intervention just now.
We need proper co-operation with the UK Government. The Scottish Government should stop treating the UK Government as the enemy and start treating it as an ally; then it might get the co-operation and change that is needed if we are to deliver a strategy for creating jobs in this country.
Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)
Meeting date: 2 June 2021
Willie Rennie
The member is making a good point, which is worth repeating. Does he support the proposed initiative to have Government-backed insurance for the events sector, to ensure that the sector can have the confidence to plan events and proceed? If events have to be called off now, they will never happen.
Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)
Meeting date: 2 June 2021
Willie Rennie
It will be very quick. Where are the 2,000 jobs?