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Chamber and committees

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 18 August 2025
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Displaying 1653 contributions

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Economy and Fair Work Committee

Just Transition (Grangemouth Area)

Meeting date: 22 March 2023

Maggie Chapman

Heather Buchanan spoke along similar lines about the need for things to be joined up and for a clear landscape without competing policies or messaging. We have heard about the potential for new SMEs and emerging businesses. What do we need to do for existing SMEs to ensure that they are part of the picture? There will obviously be some churn, but how do we support existing SMEs?

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Just Transition (Grangemouth Area)

Meeting date: 22 March 2023

Maggie Chapman

Good morning. I thank the witnesses for their contributions so far. I am interested in exploring what needs to happen and what needs to change for SMEs. James Close mentioned the “A Springboard to Sustainable Recovery” research, the revenue opportunities and the job creation and SME creation that are required. I am particularly interested in the 40,000 SMEs that will be required to deliver the 2030 goals. The year 2030 is approaching fast, and the IPCC report that was published this week gives the stark message that we are not on track to meet the 2045 goals, never mind anything sooner.

Can you unpack what we need to be thinking about in relation to SMEs? What needs to be in place to support their creation? Given the comments that we have heard about a place-based approach, with our focus being on Grangemouth, what is your analysis of the spread of sectors that central Scotland communities, workers and entrepreneurs should focus on?

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Just Transition (Grangemouth Area)

Meeting date: 22 March 2023

Maggie Chapman

Thank you.

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Just Transition (Grangemouth Area)

Meeting date: 22 March 2023

Maggie Chapman

Ben Howarth mentioned in an earlier response the potential growth for end customers in things such as green investments and green pensions. What levers should we be looking at? Are they levers that we in Scotland can use, given that a lot of the area is reserved? Are there things that we can do to support businesses to make those kind of choices or to widen the options for their workers?

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Just Transition (Grangemouth Area)

Meeting date: 22 March 2023

Maggie Chapman

What opportunities and sectors should central Scotland communities focus on?

Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee

Access to Justice

Meeting date: 14 March 2023

Maggie Chapman

Okay, thank you; that is helpful. Jen Ang, you commented on the kind of standardisation that would be needed and the inclusion of a right to legal representation, along the lines that Colin Lancaster has described. What would that process require, and what would need to change around our current thinking about legal aid?

Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee

Access to Justice

Meeting date: 14 March 2023

Maggie Chapman

Thank you—that was really helpful. It is a big question for us to consider, but it is really important.

Finally, I was struck by Rachel Moon’s comment in her opening remarks that, in relation to the strategic work that needs to be done on legal aid, we needed to

“move the boundaries of equalities law.”

I am curious to hear a little bit more about what you mean by that.

Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee

Access to Justice

Meeting date: 14 March 2023

Maggie Chapman

Good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining us and for what you have said.

We have already touched on some of the legal aid reforms that you consider to be required, but I want to explore some of them in a bit more detail.

We have talked about the need for different funding and delivery models. Jim Stephenson mentioned the need for an independent body to oversee some of that. I am also struck by the fact that the Evans review of 2018 is five years old now, and Jim Stephenson said that there had been very little movement since then. The review was not persuaded of a general need to increase legal aid fees. Is that because there is a distinction between civil cases and criminal cases? Does the civil stuff get left out a little bit in a way that the criminal stuff does not? What is your assessment of where the review’s position on that came from?

Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee

Access to Justice

Meeting date: 14 March 2023

Maggie Chapman

Should we consider legal aid to be a public service? Do you think that it would help if we had that as the framework within which we worked? That would bring together all the different elements that you have just mentioned in a more coherent way. Would that help?

Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee

Access to Justice

Meeting date: 14 March 2023

Maggie Chapman

I have a question for Colin Lancaster on the connection between the delivery models and funding. Where do you see us needing to go with that? In your opening remarks, you mentioned the need for primary legislation. Will you unpick that a little bit more?