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.
Over the summer I have spoken to an awful lot of tourism businesses. They talked about the banks—I know that members have spoken about banks—and bank lending.
Without that, fines enforcement officers cannot know whether offenders are in work or on benefits, they cannot identify bank accounts, or arrest wages, benefits or savings.
My only regret is that it was five years ago and I am now more than a little out of date, so I thank Johann Lamont for reminding me that I need to go back not only to refresh but to relearn a lot of my skills.
I must respond to the point that James Kelly made about independence and the funding of the banks. When a bank becomes too big to fail, we must ask, "Too big to fail for whom?"
That was particularly the case after the previous economic downturn, which came about as a result of the crisis in the banks, the availability of capital for businesses to draw upon and the business uncertainty that arose from that.
We have easy kerbside recycling—people no longer have to get into a car and take things to a big bank in a supermarket car park. Because it is easy and noticeable—people put out a box or whatever in front of their house—it has changed social norms.