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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 4 May 2021
  6. Current session: 13 May 2021 to 4 September 2025
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Displaying 798 contributions

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Economy and Fair Work Committee

Alexander Dennis

Meeting date: 25 June 2025

Gordon MacDonald

Oh, right.

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Alexander Dennis

Meeting date: 25 June 2025

Gordon MacDonald

I want to ask about direct awards. At the moment, if my understanding is correct, no direct awards can be made. The ability for direct awards to be made is subject to an announcement that may or may not happen. Is that correct?

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Alexander Dennis

Meeting date: 25 June 2025

Gordon MacDonald

I appreciate that. Apart from Lothian Buses, which I used to work for, all the bus operating companies are privately owned. The money that is provided by the Scottish Government is to offset the difference in cost between the cost of a diesel bus and the cost of a zero-emission bus, but the vast majority of the cost of the vehicle is still borne by the private company. How can we force a private company to use a particular supplier?

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 25 June 2025

Gordon MacDonald

We received some information that said that credit unions are allowed to lend to an organisation as long as it is a member of the credit union and operates in the same area, although there is also a small percentage figure that is the limit that they could lend to that organisation. However, although it seems that there is nothing to prevent any credit union from making such a loan, there is a reluctance to do so, despite the fact that credit unions can take out loan insurance and make secured loans. I do not think that there is anything in the reserved space that is preventing that lending from happening; I think that it is more to do with the fact that credit unions are risk averse. Is there anything that the Government can do to support them to reconsider their position?

09:45  

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 25 June 2025

Gordon MacDonald

Good morning. I will ask a question about finance. Finance is key to all of this in two respects: additional spend through procurement with SMEs; and access to finance for community groups and social enterprises.

There is a huge range in spend on procurement with SMEs. For NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, that accounted for 12.5 per cent of its spend—which I understand is partly due to the drugs bill that it has to pay for—whereas for North Ayrshire Council, the figure was 26 per cent. Should targets be set for SME spend and for local SME spend—that is, spending with companies that are operating within the council or health board area?

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 25 June 2025

Gordon MacDonald

I accept that the situation is very complicated, but if you do not set targets, what will stop organisations just paying lip service to the issue? At the moment, only eight out of 32 local authorities do community wealth building seriously, so what is there to stop an organisation just undertaking a tick-box exercise?

Social Justice and Social Security Committee [Draft]

Decision on Taking Business in Private

Meeting date: 19 June 2025

Gordon MacDonald

Thank you.

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 18 June 2025

Gordon MacDonald

Good morning. I want to come back to Adrian Sargent for a point of clarification on the finance question. When we were in Alloa a month or so back, one of the credit unions told us that it had substantial deposits but was unable to lend to SMEs, community groups, third-sector organisations and social enterprises because of restrictions. However, I had a look online and found a legislative reform order, introduced by an amendment to the Credit Unions Act 1979, that allows credit unions to lend to those organisations. When you said that there is a need to build the skill set, who is delivering that in the sector? The legislation that I found was passed 14 years ago. Who is trying to build the skill set so that credit unions are aware that, for example, they can lend to SMEs, third-sector organisations and so on?

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 18 June 2025

Gordon MacDonald

The only cap that I am aware of is that you cannot make commercial-type loans of more than 10 per cent of the total assets of the credit union.

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 18 June 2025

Gordon MacDonald

So, in order to open up that financial stream to community wealth building, we have to deal with two things: that the sector is risk averse; and that it lacks skills.