Chamber and committees

You have had three major players either withdraw from or pause investment in the east coast project. Does that not cause you to review the east coast project?

You have mentioned the east coast cluster a couple of times, which was announced for track 1 funding from November 2021. However, in recent weeks, the National Grid has withdrawn, as has Shell, indicating that it would focus on the Acorn project in Scotland. Drax has recently paused its investment in the project, too. What does that do to the viability of the east coast project? Does that give you an opportunity to review funding and bring Acorn closer to getting UK Government funding?

Good morning, minister. To continue on Colin Smyth’s theme, I am aware that Andrew Bowie, who is the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, told our Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee on 27 April that he

“would be overwhelmingly delighted should Acorn be successful through the track 2 process.”

He also said that

“it is vital to Scotland’s 2045 net zero ambition ... that we get more carbon capture and storage on stream across the whole of the United Kingdom.”—[Official Report, Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee, 27 April 2023; c 10.]

Do you agree?

You mentioned having strong relationships with countries where we are aiming to grow our exports. How important is the GlobalScot network to that process?

What is the role of the trade board in supporting Scottish industry to find new markets or to innovate? I know that the membership of that board was updated in June 2022. Why did that happen, and does the board have a new focus?

I believe that there has been a delay in publishing the most recent export statistics. Can you give us some background on that?

Good morning, cabinet secretary. I want to ask you about Scotland’s export performance. The target for growing exports from 20 to 25 per cent of GDP, as set out in the strategy published in “A Trading Nation”, was quite ambitious. We are now in year 4 of that strategy, and we have had to face being taken out of the EU against our wishes as well as a global pandemic. Will you update the committee on where we are in growing our export market?

I thank my colleague Fiona Hyslop for securing this members’ business debate. I point out that my wife is a district nurse in West Lothian.

As Fiona Hyslop outlined, St Michael’s is the only hospital facility of its kind in that part of West Lothian. If it were to permanently close, patients and their families would be forced to use other sites, such as Tippethill House hospital in Armadale or one of the two respite and end-of-life centres in Edinburgh—St Columba’s hospice in the north of the city and the Marie Curie hospice in my constituency of Edinburgh Pentlands. I have visited the Marie Curie hospice at Fairmilehead on many occasions and I recognise the dedication that the staff have to provide compassionate end-of-life care. However, the hospice has only 20 in-patient beds—a situation that is increasing pressure even without the proposed closure in West Lothian.

The Friends of St Michael’s Hospital group has been unwavering in its support for the families of its patients, with regard to both emotional support and financial assistance. As Fiona Hyslop highlighted, the group has paid for many family members’ taxis from different parts of West Lothian to the hospital—something that I am not certain that other hospitals would be in a position to offer, particularly if the journey were into Edinburgh, which is obviously more costly.

It is not just about the financial cost but about the time that is taken to travel and the ease of travelling, especially at peak times, given the congestion on the A71 into Edinburgh or, indeed, on the city bypass. It is especially difficult for people without a car who rely on public transport, given the recent cuts in bus services across West Lothian.

The closure of the St Michael’s facility, which is forcing patients to other ones such as the Marie Curie hospice or St Columba’s hospice, is already creating a huge stumbling block with regard to the patients’ most basic need of spending time with their family and friends. How do those family members and friends—especially the elderly and vulnerable—get to the hospital to visit their loved ones, given the transport issues that I mentioned?

The proposed permanent closure is happening at a time when West Lothian has a growing older population, which means that the need for access to healthcare facilities will only increase. Hospital sites such as St Michael’s will be in demand, from use as a step-down facility to relieve delayed discharge to provision of respite and end-of-life care. That is not to mention the fact that diverting patients elsewhere—indeed, out of West Lothian—reduces not only the availability of local healthcare but the number of jobs that are required to offer a fully functioning service.

On the suggestion that West Lothian patients could be moved to the city hospitals, I note that, in the 10 years to 2021, Edinburgh’s population grew by 10 per cent to 526,000 and that it is expected to grow by another 26,000 by 2028. Edinburgh’s 75-and-over population is projected to see a 25 per cent increase in the period to 2028.

I believe that the closure of St Michael’s would be a retrograde step and that it should be paused until we understand the impact of the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill, which is proceeding through Parliament. I believe that stripping services at this point would be reckless.

Fiona Hyslop has raised the issue previously, and I know that she will continue to raise it in Parliament and with NHS Lothian and other stakeholders until a positive outcome for both the community hospital and the people who need to access its facilities now and in the future is secured.

I have heard a lot of good suggestions this morning, such as increasing the child payment to £40, a lone-parent premium and so on. However, that is all mitigation of UK Government measures. Kirsty McKechnie mentioned earlier that benefits had been frozen or had received a 1 per cent uplift. The Bank of England’s consumer prices index calculator suggests that 2013 benefits should have been increased by 30 per cent.

The Scottish Government can do only a limited amount, because it has to balance its budget every year. Should there be more of a call on the UK Government to look at the minimum wage, employment law, benefit levels and the two-child limit? That would make a more of a difference to poverty in Scotland than if we increased the child payment from £25 to £40.

I, too, thank Bill Kidd for bringing this important debate to the chamber.

We observe the annual international firefighters day to honour and pay tribute to the firefighters past and present who put their lives at risk while working tirelessly to protect the life and property of people and to prevent the damage that is caused by fires. In the past 100 years, more than 40 firefighters have died while serving in Scotland. Today, we remember them and their comrades around the world who have given their lives in the service of their communities.

In recent times, tragically, two of that number were members of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service who served in Edinburgh. They paid the ultimate price, and lost their lives as a result of firefighting in this city. As Bill Kidd mentioned, in July 2009, firefighter Ewan Williamson died while fighting a blaze in the Balmoral bar in the city’s Dalry Road. Much more recently, we saw the tragic death of firefighter Barry Martin, who died as a result of injuries that he sustained while firefighting in the vacant Jenners store on Princes Street in January this year.

In recognising the ultimate tragedy of that loss of life, we should never forget that, across the country, firefighters can and do sustain injuries, which are sometimes life changing, while protecting the public from harm. In acknowledging the deaths of firefighters Williamson, Martin and others across the world, we should also remember those who sustain injuries. Four of firefighter Barry Martin’s colleagues were also hospitalised as a result of the Jenners incident, but thankfully their injuries were such that they were discharged from hospital relatively soon after.

It is important that we acknowledge the annual firefighters memorial day, but I would also like to recognise the work of the Fire Brigades Union in its support for the red plaque scheme, which recognises and honours as many fallen firefighters as possible for their selfless commitment to protecting others. The red plaque scheme is funded by the firefighters 100 lottery, which was born out of plans to mark the centenary of the Fire Brigades Union. It is run independently, and was set up to commemorate the bravery and sacrifice of firefighters killed and injured in the line of duty, and to establish a fund for the future benefit of firefighters, their bereaved families and the firefighting profession. So far, the scheme has seen a number of plaques installed in Scotland: in Aberdeen, Dundee, Inveraray, Dollar, Paisley, Motherwell, Glasgow and Edinburgh—on Dalry Road, to commemorate the death of firefighter Ewan Williamson; in time there will be at least one more to mark the death of Barry Martin.

The list of towns and cities that I have just shared shows that, right across Scotland, our firefighters put themselves in harm’s way—sometimes at the cost of their lives—while they protect the public. We know that other workers tragically lose their lives at work, and they are remembered on international workers memorial day, but it is right and proper that firefighters are acknowledged separately, because while others evacuate or flee from danger, firefighters head towards it to render their three main aims: to save lives, protect property and provide humanitarian services. For that, we are eternally grateful. On this day, especially, but also on every other day, we thank them and their families for the work that they do on our behalf and we remember those who gave their lives doing so.