Speeches by Sullivan.

“Can I ask both Norman and Stephen how the reduction in the UK Shared Prosperity Fund for 2025-26 will impact on the projects and initiatives you currently have planned?”

“It is an opportunity for more home-grown businesses that could bring more stability to the local economy.”

“What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of the Scottish Government playing a greater role in delivering local growth funding? You have touched on the red tape, but could you elaborate.”

“Do you think there should be more direct funding from the UK Government, if it is UK Government funding, to local authority areas?”

“What do you think the main challenges are to building a more diverse economy? Pauline, did you mention a diversified economy?”

“I suppose that has to be two levels. If you are looking for the Government, local government or the Scottish Government to do something, there has to be movement from the business community and how it engages. Do you have any thoughts on how we get movement on that side to get them to recognise that a particular area t…”

“Is it something to do with engagement with private businesses at a very local level, where people know the area best, the skills best and the local resources best?”

“Does anyone have anything to add to that?”

“I think this has been touched on, but what do you see as the barriers that are holding back private enterprises from moving into former industrial areas? That is to all of you.”

“Q11. I welcome the Government’s investment of £680 million into mental health support. Meanwhile, in Scotland, many children in my constituency are stuck on an NHS Lothian neurodevelopmental waiting list, which only recently has seen patients referred in March 2022. This delay can lead to poor mental health, with child…”

“I thank the Prime Minister for negotiating this deal, which is good for the UK and, according to umpteen businesses, good for Scotland. As someone who benefited from a year in France many years ago, I welcome the work that is under way to give young people in my constituency access to a youth experience scheme, but wil…”

“Will my hon. Friend give way?”

“I thank my hon. Friend for giving way; I was going to let him make that critical point before intervening. It is fair to say that nobody is comfortable with the heated way in which the debate has taken place over the past few years, but does he agree that, in fact, women’s sex-based rights have been ignored for many ye…”

“My constituent Gerry Borge shared with me the story of his father’s and uncle’s service with the Royal Scots in the far east during world war two. Next Tuesday, a memorial will be unveiled in the Zhoushan islands to commemorate the death of over 800 allied servicemen who were captive on the sunken freighter Lisbon Maru…”

“We have already heard from the previous panel their thoughts on the energy skills passport. What are your views on how effective it is? What role does industry have to play in making that passport a success?”

“If I can follow on from that targeted approach, your organisation has called for a cross-departmental Government taskforce to monitor and address workforce bottlenecks. What problems do you think that would solve?”

“Are you confident that the UK’s Office for Clean Energy Jobs will have a really important role to play in improving workforce planning in Scotland?”

“Thanks, Jim. That is an important point that you make about demand. We heard the same from the higher education sector, related to space and engineering, so it is really interesting. It comes back to those tough choices. The demand is there, but the funding is not currently supporting what you can offer.”

“Would you agree, following on from earlier comments, that it is important to act before something happens? You are saying that the jobs are not there yet. Is this not a vital step to ensure that the skills are there to provide the workforce with once the jobs come online?”

“This Committee has received evidence—not just written evidence, but from people who have come to this Committee and from organisations that we have visited—that there is not yet parity in the remuneration packages in clean energy versus those in high-carbon industries. We are hearing about substantial differences in pa…”