Chamber and committees

We know that, when we live and work in the same communities, we learn from each other. What specific things could be implemented to tackle racism in sport, whether that is related to religion or to the fact that some people do not understand certain cultures?

Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles are remote and rural. I am thinking about Stranraer in the south-west of Scotland, which is pretty rural and remote from the rest of NHS Dumfries and Galloway—its headquarters and everything. Is one of the strengths of remote and rural areas that it is not just about everybody owning areas as if they are their wee fiefdom; rather, it is about partnership working?

I am conscious of the time, so I will stop there.

Unpaid carers provide vital support to the people they look after, as well as benefiting Scotland as a whole. Will the cabinet secretary reiterate how the decisions that the Scottish Government has made—for example, through investment in the carers allowance supplement—are helping to provide carers with the best package of support anywhere in the United Kingdom?

Scotland needs to be able to share ideas independently from other areas in the UK. We have a lot to offer and we should be allowed to be out there, right at the door and speaking to people so that our ideas can be conveyed—especially when we, in Scotland, are taking forward some fundamentally different ideas, such as the wellbeing economy.

We need to take every opportunity we have in Scotland to promote the strong cultural affinity between Scotland and the USA. Every year we welcome performers to the Edinburgh festivals and the world pipe band championships, as well as US military personnel who take part in the Edinburgh tattoo. Scots also make their mark in America, with innovative partnerships between National Theatre of Scotland and New York City’s Joyce theatre. Even our baby box has been on tour in the USA—it was featured as part of the designing motherhood exhibition. The muckle cultural ties between our countries are absolutely worth shoutin aboot.

As a Scot who has lived and worked in America, with many American friends, I support the framework and highlight its importance. I ask the cabinet secretary for a commitment that the Scottish Government will continue to take all action possible to support our Scottish-US connections and to work with the Scottish diaspora to share business, culture, science and innovation.

Finally, I had the privilege of meeting Jerry O’Donovan, the Irish consul general, a couple of times recently, and we discussed how to boost relations between our two countries, including through our minority languages Scots and Gaelic. It was insightful to hear from him. I look forward to continuing engagement, including through the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, of which I am a member.

Working with the diaspora and with countries across the globe has a proven track record of improving our relationships with other countries. I look forward to Scotland taking on that challenge as we build our own independent nation.

I want to focus a wee bit on America, the Scottish diaspora in the US and our connections there. Having lived in Los Angeles in California for 14 years, and having had experience of work and travel in many other states, I know the depth of feeling for Scotland that exists among people right across America. Whether they be among people with family history that is traceable to Scotland, others who work in business, finance and the arts who have links to Scotland, or those who work in academia, science and innovation, we have great connections with the US.

It is right that the Scottish Government should build on such connections and work with our diaspora to learn skills, gain experiences and share achievements to enrich our culture and society. As the motion states, Scotland’s diaspora is

“an extension of Scotland itself”.

The framework that the cabinet secretary has described considers the diaspora to be a

“living bridge with people, organisations and communities around the world.”

Scotland has influenced America in the fields of economics, engineering, architecture, philosophy, business, medicine, geology, politics, law, chemistry and sociology. Many cities and towns there were named by Scots who, after arriving in America, named their new locale after their home town. For example, the USA has eight Aberdeens, seven toons named Glasgow, eight Edinburghs and eight towns that are simply called “Scotland”. There is even a Dumfries in Virginia. In politics, 35 of the 46 US presidents were either Scots or Ulster Scots.

Just recently, I had a meeting with the Department of Corrections and its staff from Massachusetts. After the business part of the meeting, the staff were very keen to talk about all things Scottish. They wanted to recall their previous trips and upcoming visits to Scotland. They were more interested in talking aboot Scotland than they were in the business that I had to attend to. It was great to hear about the DOC’s willingness to work with the Scottish Government so that we can continue our connections in the justice area.

Last week, here in Parliament, I hosted students from the University of South Carolina. Business minister George Adam, Paisley’s MSP, joined me in the session. The students and staff remarked on how the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government are directly in touch with people not only here in Scotland but right across America. If university students can pick that up after a few days travelling in the UK, it puts Scotland in incredibly good international standing. Indeed, in the most recent US census, more than 5 million Americans claimed Scottish ancestry.

The USA is both Scotland’s top international export destination and our largest inward investor. As co-convener of the Parliament’s USA cross-party group, I can say that we have heard many presentations regarding trade and Scotland over the past few years. Annual exports have been worth £6 billion in recent years, with sectors such as engineering and advanced manufacturing, food and drink—which other members have already mentioned—financial and business services, technology, digital and media, and energy all performing strongly. US companies account for around 25 per cent of total foreign inward investment in Scotland. More than 650 US-owned businesses employ around 115,000 people across Scotland. However, we do not just exchange goods; we also exchange ideas. The US is Scotland’s top global collaborator on research: 16 of our higher education institutions share 82 unique links with their US counterparts.

I am relatively new to the committee, but it is really nice to read a short report.

I am co-convener of the cross-party group on lung health, which has explored the issue of e-cigarettes and vaping. We were presented with clear evidence that young people are targeted directly through marketing strategies that include the use of attractive bright packaging and attractive flavours, including candyfloss, pink lemonade and bubble gum.

Emerging evidence shows that vaping is a future lung health ticking time bomb. Will the minister commit to bringing forward the regulations as soon as possible, to ensure that we protect young people from the health harms of vaping?

I do not think that I have the time to do so, Presiding Officer, because last time I took an intervention from Finlay Carson, he made a speech, and I think that we are out of time.

The Scottish Government continues to support food production and secure food supply in this country. The Scottish Government recognises the importance of maintaining support for the sector. That is why it has committed to maintaining direct payments. Additional support is provided to the food producing sector by ensuring payments through the basic payment scheme and greening payments, which were made in advance. Annually, the Government provides around £420 million through those schemes.

However, in the face of the support that the Scottish Government is giving to support our food producers, we are continually hammered by UK Government policies. As the motion states, the food and drink sector in Scotland and across the UK has borne the brunt of the clarty—yes, clarty—Brexit that was pursued by the UK Government, particularly due to the loss of free trade and free movement.

Martin Kennedy, the president of NFU Scotland, said that the Brexit dividend has certainly not come about at all and that all the things that it was concerned about—the whole reason why we backed remain at the time—have come to fruition. Scotland’s food and drink sector lost many of the benefits that it once had when we were trading with the European Union and part of the single market. Many Scottish food industries, including seafood and cheese producers and livestock transporters across Galloway in my South Scotland region, have suffered from reduced exports to the EU. At a time when food security faces unprecedented threats, it was appallingly reckless for the UK Government to place our trading relationship with the EU in jeopardy.

I absolutely welcome the food security unit that the cabinet secretary established in response to the war in Ukraine. The unit will look at current and future threats to ensure food resilience across Scotland, and I welcome the fact that the cabinet secretary established it.

Brexit means that the Scottish Government no longer has long-term certainty of funding. That the unilateral choices that are being imposed by the Treasury provide insufficient replacement EU funding is a huge concern.