Regeneration Policy in Scotland – Local Government and Regeneration Committee, 21 September 2011

14/03/2012

I am interested in what Mr Russell said. I would like to widen the discussion to social enterprises. No one in this room would argue that social enterprises are not a good idea; they are obviously a good idea from social, community and personal points of view. As a new MSP and, formerly, as a counci…

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Wild Animals in Circuses (Ban) – Public Petitions Committee, 20 September 2011

14/03/2012

It is a practical question. You do not have to convince me of the case for not having wild animals in circuses. I guess that almost all such animals will have been born in captivity. I see that you want a ban not just in Scotland but across Europe. How do you plan to dispose of the animals? I presum…

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Rail Noise and Vibration (Larbert) – Public Petitions Committee, 20 September 2011

14/03/2012

The Alloa-Kincardine part of the railway line runs through my constituency to the power station. I am also a councillor for that area until next May, so I have some knowledge of the issue. I was aware of the petition, but it is the first time it has come before me in committee.

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Gypsy Travellers (Council Tax) – Public Petitions Committee, 20 September 2011

14/03/2012

The area is very complex. At the moment, Fife is dealing with stopover sites, which have a habit of becoming long-stay sites.

However, I believe that, as Sandra White suggested, we should hold fire. I find the matter to be all very complex. I support the view that Gypsy Travellers should …

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Gypsy Traveller Encampments (Guidance) – Public Petitions Committee, 20 September 2011

14/03/2012

I have some experience of this in Fife, as I mentioned during discussion of an earlier petition. We need more than guidelines. The problem is that guidelines are only guidelines—an idea that we hear a lot in local government. Local authorities think that because there are only guidelines they can do…

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Hospital Education – Public Petitions Committee, 20 September 2011

14/03/2012

We must find out how much of the lack of attention to sick children is just in the system—I do not want to say that it is because people do not care, but they are certainly not attending to their duties properly—and how much of it relates to local authorities saying that they do not have the money f…

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Lesser-taught Languages and Cultures (University Teaching Funding) – Public Petitions Committee, 20 September 2011

14/03/2012

I was very lucky in my previous working life to have travelled extensively in central and eastern Europe, including, more recently, the Baltic countries, and I have a very strong affinity with that area of the world. Of course, Scotland has a long history of connections with the Baltic area in parti…

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Social Care Services – Meeting of the Parliament, 15 September 2011

13/03/2012

Does the minister agree that we are trying to make a virtue out of financial necessity—a financial necessity that has been forced on us not only by the coalition Government in London but by previous Labour Governments? Through their gross economic mismanagement, we are now in the position of doing t…

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Planning Policy in Scotland – Local Government and Regeneration Committee, 14 September 2011

13/03/2012

My initial question has been answered to a large extent by Mr Mackinnon, but I would like to reinforce what Kevin Stewart said. Obviously, we aspire to the most efficient planning system that we can get at a community, local government and national Government level. However, something is wrong if, e…

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Planning Circular 3/2009 – Local Government and Regeneration Committee, 14 September 2011

13/03/2012

Another local authority is not the same as a Government agency; it is another local authority. I live on the border of a local authority area and what bothers me is that we want co-operation and culture change in that direction. Might not this automatic notification business just create a degree of,…

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Local Government in Scotland – Local Government and Regeneration Committee, 07 September 2011

13/03/2012

We have got down to the key issues rather quickly, after hearing from only the first two speakers, which is impressive. I agree with a lot that has been said.

 

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Lochboisdale-Mallaig Ferry Service (Reintroduction) – Public Petitions Committee, 06 September 2011

13/03/2012

It is nice to meet you, and thank you for coming. I am a great backer of ferries. Obviously, like most Scots, I love your part of the world. Is the reason for the ferry not being reintroduced simply—to put it crudely—a lack of money from the public or private sector, or have rational reasons been gi…

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Staffordshire Bull Terriers – Public Petitions Committee, 06 September 2011

13/03/2012

Thank you very much for coming to see us today. I am very much a dog lover, despite having two cats in the house. Over the years I have had several Alsatians or German shepherds, which in the past have suffered from having a bit of a reputation—although, fortunately, they have now recovered from tha…

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Essential Ferry Services (Governance) – Public Petitions Committee, 06 September 2011

13/03/2012

It is nice to meet you—I have read much about you.

As an engineer, I am interested in the issue from a business and an engineering point of view. I know that vessels are to be ordered in the relatively near future—in shipbuilding terms—and I am concerned about matching that up. Would the …

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Coastguard Stations (Closure) – Public Petitions Committee, 06 September 2011

13/03/2012

I very much agree, because this is a very sad situation. It is not about saying, “Oh, it’s Scottish. We mustn’t touch it.” This is a really big issue relating to maritime policy and safety and so on. We should encourage—if that is the right word—our Government to push on and lobby the UK Government …

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Child Sexual Exploitation – Public Petitions Committee, 06 September 2011

13/03/2012

Hello, Mr Crewe and colleagues. It is nice to meet you. A recent development that concerns me is the growth in electronic and social media. MSPs can receive some pretty abusive, and even intimidating, e-mails and other stuff. That kind of thing, for adolescent girls in particular, must be pretty dif…

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Education (Qualified Teachers Contact Hours) – Public Petitions Committee, 28 June 2011

13/03/2012

I am very much in favour of the three Rs—I am a bit of a dinosaur in that regard. I want everything to be focused on that, including the so-called enrichment activities. I was in a primary school in Dunfermline recently as a newly elected MSP to help the children understand politics. It was interest…

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Coastguard Stations (Closure) – Public Petitions Committee, 28 June 2011

13/03/2012

The petition is important, and I am not just saying that because one of the coastguard stations is in Fife. The issue is important to Scotland, without regard to the party politics of it. We have a long coastline compared to that in the rest of the UK. Members might not realise it, but Scotland’s co…

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City Status – Public Petitions Committee, 28 June 2011

13/03/2012

I do not know whether this is the appropriate time to say that I have a little declaration of interests to make. I am the member for Dunfermline, which is mentioned quite heavily in the petition, and I believe that I signed an e-mail request some weeks ago for the petition to go forward. I do not kn…

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Justice for Megrahi – Public Petitions Committee, 28 June 2011

13/03/2012

 I am desperate for the truth of the matter to come out. It is fundamental that the truth come out, and we should do everything that we can to help it to come out. I agree with Kevin Stewart that the petition should go to the Justice Committee, although I was a bit concerned when Sandra White said th…

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Incineration (Green Alternatives) – Public Petitions Committee, 28 June 2011

13/03/2012

I agree with much of what Kevin Stewart has just said. The petition calls for the Government to

“immediately ban the construction of new waste incinerators”.

That seems to be straightforward enough, but what concerns me is that it also calls for a ban on the construction of “la…

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School Bus Safety – Public Petitions Committee, 28 June 2011

13/03/2012

I apologise for being late—I was confused about the meeting’s start time.

Good morning, minister. I will follow up the business of what can be devolved. Is there any chance of including such issues comprehensively in the Scotland Bill that is going through Westminster, or are they too tec…

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Budget Adviser – Local Government and Regeneration Committee, 22 June 2011

13/03/2012

It is important that we appoint an adviser because the budget is such a complicated area. I think that you were going to say that, convener—I am sorry that I jumped in there. We need a budget adviser; I just hope that it does not cost too much money and I hope that the cost is part of the budget.

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Work Programme – Local Government and Regeneration Committee, 22 June 2011

13/03/2012

Convener, with your permission, I would like to extend a warm welcome to the minister from the oldest member of the committee and Parliament to one who is still one of the youngest members.

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Convenor – Local Government and Regeneration Committee, 15 June 2011

13/03/2012

The second item of business is to choose a convener. The Parliament has agreed that only members of the Scottish National Party are eligible for nomination as convener of the committee. That being the case, I seek nominations for the position of convener.

 

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