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 However, in recent weeks, the National Grid has withdrawn, as has Shell, indicating that it would focus on the Acorn project in Scotland.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?

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?

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?

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

Going back to the situation with the EU, I note that nine of the top 15 markets identified in the strategy are in it. We have been taken out of the EU against our will, given that 62 per cent of our population voted to remain in it. What impact has that had on Scotland’s exports? Do we need to refocus our attention on the other countries listed in the strategy? In that respect, I am thinking about America, Canada, Switzerland, Norway and China.

Why is it then that we are still seeing delays to funding in the project? It is inexplicable to many observers that Acorn was excluded from track 1 status. I know that you have responded to questions from Colin Smyth on that point, but can you add more detail about why Acorn is considered secondary to the clusters that the UK Government selected to receive track 1 status?

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.