Chamber and committees

You mentioned private prescriptions coming from abroad that have been purchased over the internet. My understanding is that any medication that a person has started on prior to the ban coming in will be continued. Is there clear guidance on the extent of community pharmacists’ responsibilities when they are asked to continue to dispense privately prescribed puberty blockers?

I wish to ask witnesses a number of questions about the ban on private prescribing. I am new to the committee and I should also mention, before I forget to do so, that my wife is an NHS nurse.

I am aware that the legislation on regulation of medicines is reserved to Westminster, and that the previous UK Government introduced emergency legislation to ban prescribing of puberty blockers. What is the panel’s view on the UK Government’s ban on private prescriptions for puberty blockers?

I have another question about Ferguson Marine. The Scottish Government also owns CalMac Ferries, which is the biggest ferry company in the UK but does not have a repair yard, and Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd, which owns the ferries. The vessels are repaired predominantly at Cammell Laird on Merseyside. There is surely an argument that, if we want a long and sustainable future for the Ferguson Marine yard, we should amalgamate all three companies, to give economies of scale, remove the duplication of overheads and give the yard the future that it requires. The vessels were part of CalMac Ferries before 2006. The yard could be guaranteed a future if the biggest ferry company in the UK had its own repair yard.

Thanks very much.

The other area that I wanted to look at was the green industrial strategy and the Government’s commitment to modernise compulsory purchase legislation. Will you say a wee bit about what is happening on that?

The committee has had an interest in that. When we carried out our town centre and retail inquiry in November 2022, one of the issues that we looked at was compulsory purchase legislation. The feedback that we got from local authorities was that they could not use the legislation, because of a lack of funding. One of the aspects that was considered at the time was compulsory sale orders, on which, I know, the Government did a bit of work through the Scottish Land Commission in 2018. Where are we with compulsory sales orders?

Good morning, cabinet secretary. I have questions on a couple of areas, and the first is Ferguson Marine. Recently, the committee visited Ferguson’s and saw that the yard faces a lot of challenges in its prospects for new orders and so on. I want to ask about the £14 million funding that the Government announced. What specific outcomes do you want that investment to deliver?

Okay. I will leave it at that.

How will the recently announced review of Creative Scotland help to maximise the impact of public funding for the cultural sector?

I agree with Michelle Thomson’s point.

All that is gone, now. That led John McTernan, a former Labour adviser, to describe the decision to pull the £28 billion of investment as

“probably the most stupid decision the Labour Party has made.”

Let us also not forget Keir Starmer’s statement that he would be in favour of raising the windfall tax on oil and gas and extending it to 2029. No wonder closure of the refinery became a consideration.

We know that steps are being taken to secure Grangemouth’s future, and our inquiry considered how a just transition will be achieved in a way that benefits people, communities and businesses in the Grangemouth area.

The inquiry report recommendations sought both clarification and consideration from the Scottish Government in a number of areas—in particular, what a just transition for the Grangemouth area would look like and how all stakeholders, employees, businesses and, importantly, the local community would help to secure a just transition.

The Scottish Government’s reply to the committee’s inquiry was encouraging, with the then cabinet secretary providing a comprehensive response to the recommendations, including setting out what work was already under way, including details on the just transition plan for the Grangemouth industrial cluster, which had been announced in the Scottish Government’s 2022-23 programme for government and again in the 2023-24 programme for government.

I have already alluded to the fact that, compared with where we were when the inquiry took place and the subsequent report on Grangemouth was published, we have moved on considerably. However, the groundwork that had already been put in place by the Scottish Government to address the commitment to reducing emissions and the decarbonisation of Grangemouth provides vital support at this crucial time.

The Scottish Government, in partnership with the UK Government, is working on the delivery of an investment plan to secure Grangemouth’s industrial future and protect its skilled workforce, with a further £100 million joint investment package through the Falkirk and Grangemouth growth deal. The funding will provide support to the community and its workers, investing in local energy projects to create new opportunities for growth in the region.

It has been estimated that, over the next 30 years, the Falkirk and Grangemouth growth deal will deliver more than £628 million in economic benefit, with an employment impact of 1,660 net jobs across the Falkirk Council area.

The Scottish and UK Governments will provide tailored support to help affected workers in finding new employment. In addition, investment in the site’s long-term future through the £1.5 million joint-funded project willow has identified a short list of three options to begin building a new long-term industry at the refinery site—

Those options are low-carbon hydrogen, clean electrofuels and sustainable aviation fuels.

We now need the transition at Grangemouth to be accelerated, and I welcome the Scottish Government’s recently published green industrial strategy.