Chamber and committees

The United Kingdom Labour Government has recently ruled out introducing free bus travel for under-22s in England and Wales. Further, south of the border, older people are not entitled to free bus travel until they reach 66, unlike in Scotland, where entitlement begins at 60. Does the cabinet secretary agree that the Scottish National Party Government’s travel policies are designed to help to reduce barriers relating to age, disability, income and geography, enabling better access to education, employment, healthcare, social activities and essential services?

Thank you, Presiding Officer.

At First Minister’s question time today, Anas Sarwar made a series of comments about cancelled operations, suggesting that figures are worse this year than last year. However, it appears that he has misled Parliament by comparing figures across four months this year with those across only two months last year. That is deliberately misleading. He also failed to make Parliament aware that the number of operations that were cancelled due to capacity issues had decreased and that the number of operations that were performed overall was more than 10,300 higher by September this year than in the year to September 2024.

It is vital that we, as members of the Parliament, provide accurate information to the public. Anas Sarwar’s attempt to mislead and talk down our national health service is unfair to the hard-working doctors, nurses and NHS staff who have made that progress possible. Can the Presiding Officer therefore outline how Anas Sarwar can correct the record and ensure that he does not mislead Parliament in future?

To ask the Scottish Government what impact its transport policies are having on people in the Edinburgh Pentlands constituency. (S6O-05142)

On a point of order, Presiding Officer.

I thank members across the chamber for supporting my motion in order that this important debate, which highlights the need for a £35 million centre for sustainable brewing and distilling to be built at Heriot-Watt University, could take place. I welcome to the public gallery senior members of the Heriot-Watt University team behind the project.

Scotland’s brewing and distilling sectors are huge economic drivers. Scotch whisky exports were worth £5.4 billion in 2024—the equivalent of 44 bottles a second, or 1.4 billion bottles a year, being exported from Scotland to more than 160 markets around the world. Our distilling sector supports about 41,000 jobs, which is 90 per cent of all distilling jobs in Britain. Beer sales in Scotland total about £428 million, which supports the brewing sector to employ 8,000 people in Scotland in more than 120 breweries, ranging from large industrial breweries to independent craft brewers.

There is a clear and well-documented need for a new centre that is dedicated to sustainable brewing and distilling in Edinburgh, driven by increasing industry demand for environmental innovation, reduced carbon emissions, a transition to clean energy and the implementation of circular economy practices, plus evolving green regulations and the legacy of Heriot-Watt University’s leadership in the sector.

Given the importance of the brewing and distilling sectors to Scotland’s economy, it is only right that we have a state-of-the-art facility that is fit for the 21st century and will support the sectors to continue to grow and expand. Since 1903, Heriot-Watt University has trained generations of brewers and distillers, which has contributed to the success of brewing and distilling not only in Scotland but across the continents of Europe, the Americas and Asia.

In 1989, the university established the world-leading international centre for brewing and distilling, which was founded by Sir Geoff Palmer, the university’s late chancellor, who sadly passed away earlier this year. The inspirational leadership continues to this day, with Professor Dawn Maskell, the director of the centre, winning the award for mentor of the year last month at the inaugural women in beer awards.

It is no great surprise, therefore, that many of today’s best-known Scotch whisky master distillers and brewers—including BrewDog co-founder Martin Dickie; Kirsty Black, master distiller at Arbikie Highland estate; and David Wilkinson, head distiller at Edinburgh Gin—studied at that existing facility.

The proposed new resource is a 21st-century upgrade of the existing centre. It is a fitting legacy for Sir Geoff, as it is envisaged that it will include a living laboratory for circular low-carbon production, a pilot-scale test bed for greener processes and a sensory analytics hub with flavour mapping supported by artificial intelligence to halve concept-to-launch timelines. The new centre will embrace the latest green technologies and sustainable practices, thereby ensuring that the university continues to lead the world in securing a future for both industries.

In my time as the MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, I have seen the power of training and education in transforming lives. The centre will provide students, apprentices and professionals with the training that they need and will bridge the gap between the classroom and innovative industry. There will be new scholarships in honour of the late Sir Geoff Palmer to widen participation and diversify talent, new online master of science programmes, the growth of graduate apprenticeship partnerships and pathways, and executive education and continuing professional development, all aligned to industry demand.

It will come as no surprise to members that I support Heriot-Watt University’s proposal to establish the new centre here in Edinburgh. It is more than just bricks and mortar; it is an investment in skills, innovation and community, and in Scotland’s global reputation.

We all know about the heritage of brewing and distilling in Scotland: the whisky, the craft beers, the centuries of craftsmanship and the export successes. We also know that, in an increasingly competitive global market, heritage alone is not enough—we must combine that heritage with high-end research, innovation in processes, sustainability and training for the next generation of experts. Heriot-Watt University’s proposed centre offers precisely that: a place where tradition meets innovation, where our distillers and brewers can pioneer new techniques, where our students are equipped with world-leading expertise and where Scotland continues to show global leadership in the sector.

The vision for a new centre comes at a time when the brewing and distilling sectors are committed to decarbonising operations by 2040; the industry is facing extended producer responsibility fees for packaging; and market access is improving, especially in India, where the lowering of tariffs has strengthened the export case for higher-value, low-carbon products. The industry recognises those challenges and opportunities, which is why Diageo and Carlsberg Britvic both back the university’s vision to deliver groundbreaking, sustainable processes and a highly skilled workforce.

The project will have huge benefits for Edinburgh and the rest of Scotland, first of all in jobs. The new centre will support roles not only in academia but in industry partnerships, supply chains and production, and young Scots will have the opportunity to build careers here, so we will keep talent local. The second benefit relates to research and innovation. By placing state-of-the-art labs, pilot plants and testing facilities in Edinburgh, we will create a hub where companies and researchers can collaborate. Through that, we can enhance productivity, reduce costs, improve sustainability and strengthen Scotland’s competitive edge. To achieve that, we need everyone, from the drinks industry to policy makers, whether at local, Scottish or United Kingdom levels, to get behind the fundraising effort by Heriot-Watt University to realise the vision.

In Scotland we have many strengths—our heritage, our craftsmanship, our natural resources and our global brand—but, if we have strength without renewal, we risk being overtaken. Heriot-Watt University proposes renewal rooted in tradition, reaching for innovation and opening doors for our young people, for industry and for our communities. Let us seize the opportunity and build a centre of excellence in brewing and distilling in Edinburgh that is fit for the 21st century—one that honours our past, equips our present and secures our future.

What assessment has the Scottish Government made of the economic implications of not pushing for the people of Scotland to have the opportunity to decide their own future and escape the mire of broken Brexit Britain?

We know that taxes on overnight tourist stays are common across Europe and the rest of the world. Given that Scotland is an exceptionally popular tourist destination, can the minister say more about the opportunities that are presented by the visitor levy to support our economy and to ensure that Scotland retains its place as a global leader in tourism?

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in relation to its overseas tours and performances, in light of their reported contribution to the tattoo’s reputation and economic impact in Scotland. (S6O-05033)

The Edinburgh military tattoo is a highlight of the Edinburgh festival season, drawing more than 200,000 attendees each year, with a significant proportion of international visitors from more than 100 countries. Does the cabinet secretary agree that, by boosting the global promotion of Scotland, the tattoo not only puts Scotland on the world map, but helps to boost tourism in Scotland?

Since 2020, Scotland’s construction workforce has increased from 226,000 to 240,000, but a high turnover and retirements are straining capacity. In June this year, the Construction Industry Training Board highlighted that the industry must recruit 48,000 people by 2034 to meet demand. However, there are only 39,000 modern apprenticeships across Scotland, with 25 per cent of them being in construction-related occupations. Yes, we need more construction apprenticeships, especially now that Brexit has discouraged European workers from coming to not only Scotland but the whole of the UK. However, we should remember that an apprenticeship is a work-based learning programme, meaning that the individual must be employed by a company to begin training and will benefit from earning a wage while they work and study at college.

In my constituency of Edinburgh Pentlands, I have met young people who are eager to learn a trade and contribute to their communities but are too often met by closed doors because our small and medium-sized enterprises, which make up 98 per cent of Scotland’s construction sector, often lack the resources to take on apprentices, especially at a time when they are struggling in the face of an increased construction material inflation rate of 37 per cent since 2020 and as educational institutions incur costs of £50 million as a result of the recent national insurance hike, which is Labour’s tax on job creation.

Of course, the apprenticeship employer grant can provide up to £7,500 per apprentice. In addition, since 2006, apprenticeship completion rates have improved from around 50 per cent to nearly 80 per cent, which is significantly higher than in England, with sustained employment of 89 per cent among apprentices who complete their apprenticeship.

Although we still see firms that are hesitant to make that commitment to invest in apprenticeships, there are encouraging signs that some companies are trying to fill their skills gaps by employing more apprentices. For example, Kier Construction, which won the contract to build, in my constituency, Scotland’s first Passivhaus-standard secondary school incorporating a swimming pool—Currie community high—created a total of 42 apprenticeships during the building project. In addition, it dedicated more than 400 hours to delivering educational outreach to secondary pupils from local schools, in the hope that they will consider a job in construction when they go into the world of work.

Last academic year, Wester Hailes high school piloted a new construction pathway, with support from the Scottish Traditional Building Forum and the City of Edinburgh Council. The national 5 creative industries course in roof slating was so successful that it is being repeated this year, along with a nat 5 creative industries course in stone carving. By giving those courses parity of esteem with academic subjects, we are encouraging young people to consider a career in construction.

Edinburgh College’s Granton construction campus has state-of-the-art workshops in CITB-approved training areas. It emphasises hands-on learning and realistic workshops, including simulated sites for bricklaying, roofing and site management. There are many benefits to companies of that approach. In year 1, apprentices perform basic tasks under supervision, reducing the workload for skilled tradespeople; by year 2, apprentices take on semi-independent tasks, handling routine jobs; from year 3 onwards, apprentices work near-independently, doing complex tasks, and achieve a level 3 Scottish vocational qualification. They then qualify as tradespeople. It is estimated that, at that point, companies will start to see returns on the investment, with apprentices generating income of between £30,000 and £50,000 a year for employers.

We have the training facilities and the young people with an interest in construction. We just need employers, despite the challenges, to invest in their businesses’ future.