This search includes all content on the Scottish Parliament website, except for Votes and Motions. All Official Reports (what has been said in Parliament) and Questions and Answers are available from 1999. You can refine your search by adding and removing filters.
I am delighted that Lewis Shand Smith is with me today, as he takes the lead responsibility in the local government field. He visited all 32 local authorities—I visited almost all of them.
I have met the cross-party group on crofting at Mr Munro's invitation, and the Scottish Crofting Foundation. I have visited Tiree and will visit Shetland, the Western Isles and Assynt to discuss with crofters a range of issues, including the bill.
It is my firm conviction that no one wishes to see the dispute continue. I know from visiting firefighters on the picket line at Knightswood fire station in my constituency that the workers involved do not want to be on strike.
It suggested that the ministerial team that deals with the voluntary sector should visit different areas regularly. We made visits to the eight parliamentary regions, which was fairly successful.
That recommendation was a response to many submissions that were made to the committee and to members' experience of visiting different parts of Scotland and seeing how so-called joint working was not working.I have one problem.
Potentially, there will be two stressful, but necessary, visits over a period of time. The visits will take place much more frequently than previously.
As I said, the mentoring project now has 26 mentors. Had we the resources and the structure, we could easily double that number, but we are constrained by the present funding arrangement.
The Minister for Health and Community Care is using the tobacco tax nevertheless—so I have a positive suggestion for her. She is claiming only £26 million of it for health, but Scottish smokers contribute £1 billion in tobacco tax.