:00:22. > :00:26.Welcome to Politics Scotland. Coming up, the Prime Minister is
:00:26. > :00:29.holding emergency meetings this afternoon ahead of a possible
:00:29. > :00:35.tanker drivers' strike. New laws are being considered to protect
:00:35. > :00:39.farm tenants, and the Environment Secretary calls for more openness
:00:39. > :00:43.from Total, whose platform is at the centre of the North Sea gas
:00:43. > :00:46.alert. But first, the Scottish government
:00:46. > :00:52.says it is taking part in meetings of the UK Government's Emergency
:00:53. > :00:56.Committee, COBRA, to plan for a possible strike by tanker drivers.
:00:56. > :01:00.Ministers will call into a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister.
:01:00. > :01:04.the public, I will say that there is no imminent strike. The unions
:01:04. > :01:11.would have to give seven days' notice of any strike, so there was
:01:11. > :01:19.no need to queue to buy petrol. But of course people should buy a --
:01:19. > :01:23.take sensible precautions. Government should not be ramping up
:01:23. > :01:27.the rhetoric, it should be stepping up the negotiations. The way to
:01:27. > :01:31.make those negotiations happen is to tell both sides, because there
:01:31. > :01:36.has been an offer from the arbitration service for both sides
:01:36. > :01:42.to get around the table. That is what has got to happen. I am joined
:01:42. > :01:45.by our political commentator, Hamish Macdonell. Good afternoon.
:01:45. > :01:50.It seems that the UK Government is already getting into difficulties
:01:50. > :01:54.with this before the strike has even been cold. I cannot help but
:01:54. > :02:00.think back to Dad's Army and the remark by Corporal Jones, "Don't
:02:00. > :02:06.panic, Pike." The Government are panicking. They are saying don't
:02:06. > :02:10.panic but by doing so, they are inducing panic buying. They have
:02:10. > :02:14.put themselves in an incredible position. If there are queues
:02:15. > :02:19.anywhere in that country, the Government is responsible. It is
:02:19. > :02:24.quite tricky for Ed Miliband as well because the Unite Union
:02:24. > :02:28.sponsors the Labour Party. union is not just the sponsor, a
:02:28. > :02:32.pretty much put Ed Miliband where he is as the leader. So it is
:02:32. > :02:37.difficult for him. He wants to appear to be on the side of the
:02:37. > :02:43.public and yet one of his main sponsors are calling for the strike.
:02:43. > :02:47.I think he will have to distance himself from the strike at some
:02:47. > :02:54.stage and he will put themselves at loggerheads with the union. If you
:02:54. > :03:00.think back to 2000, there was a big tanker strike. This was a big
:03:00. > :03:04.challenge for the government at that time. We are seeing some
:03:04. > :03:09.pictures there from the 2008 tanker drivers' strike. It presents a huge
:03:09. > :03:14.challenge to any government. does, particularly at this time of
:03:14. > :03:19.year. The Easter holidays is always one of the busiest times on the
:03:19. > :03:23.nation's roads. It is not what the UK Government wants to have
:03:23. > :03:27.happened. That is why it is taking the precautions of training RAF
:03:27. > :03:30.personnel to become tanker drivers, trying to get things in place so
:03:30. > :03:36.that if there is a strike, they do not suffer the consequences that
:03:36. > :03:39.Tony Blair dealt with. Legislation to give tenant farmers
:03:39. > :03:43.greater protection is being considered at Holyrood this
:03:43. > :03:47.afternoon. It has been proposed that the concession could be
:03:47. > :03:51.extended to the grandchildren of the tenants, and that the tenant
:03:51. > :03:56.can recall for review -- can call for a review of the tenancy, not
:03:56. > :04:02.just the landlord. Achieving our national targets six years early,
:04:02. > :04:09.gives an illustration of the success in recent years. Our tenant
:04:09. > :04:13.farmers are an integral part of Scottish agriculture. Prior to 1883,
:04:13. > :04:16.freedom of contract determined the relationship between farmers and
:04:16. > :04:22.landlords. Since then, leasing arrangements between landlords and
:04:22. > :04:27.tenant farmers in Scotland, and the relationships, have been regulated
:04:27. > :04:31.by Act of Parliament. Before the introduction of the 2003 Act, the
:04:31. > :04:41.only formal arrangements permitted were either a seasonal let of less
:04:41. > :04:42.
:04:42. > :04:47.than one year, 364 days, not 365, or a secure tenancy like those in
:04:47. > :04:51.the 1991 Act that we are familiar wrath. Where the tenant farmer has
:04:51. > :04:55.a heritable least, it can only be broken by non-payment of rent or a
:04:55. > :05:01.material breach of the least. There are many factors that influence the
:05:01. > :05:05.trends in agricultural tenancies. Not just the legislation. Economic
:05:05. > :05:11.factors, the availability of land and labour, the farming systems,
:05:11. > :05:14.the health of the marketplace, and changing rural communities. The
:05:14. > :05:17.soul influences the health of the sector. The purpose of agricultural
:05:18. > :05:21.holdings legislation is to protect the rights of tenants and the one
:05:21. > :05:25.board, and to do what we can to enhance the productive mass of our
:05:25. > :05:29.land in Scotland. It does this by encouraging tenant farmers to
:05:29. > :05:32.maintain proper husbandry of the land, until the end of the least,
:05:32. > :05:37.while enabling them to receive the value for the improvements they
:05:37. > :05:40.have carried out. The aim is to ensure neither party is
:05:40. > :05:48.disadvantaged by the tenancy agreements. Again, the Bill has
:05:48. > :05:52.that same name. For some tenant farming provides a first foothold
:05:53. > :05:57.on the farming ladder. For others, it provides the flexibility to farm
:05:57. > :06:03.in a way that suits their needs. I am aware that there are a tenant
:06:03. > :06:08.farmers in Scotland facing extreme hardship, or economic difficulties,
:06:08. > :06:12.because they're telling me that when I travel Scotland. I know
:06:12. > :06:18.there are difficult landlords and unscrupulous land agents. We wish
:06:18. > :06:25.that was not the case. I also know how tenant farmers are dynamic
:06:25. > :06:29.businessmen, many with contracts with leading retailers. Importantly,
:06:30. > :06:39.we should recognise that they are also excellent, proactive landlords,
:06:39. > :06:44.and fair-minded agents. -- there are also. To increase growth and
:06:44. > :06:49.dynamism in a country with limited amounts of land, is not easy. To
:06:49. > :06:56.balance the needs of both parties is often challenging. What would be
:06:56. > :07:01.easy is to sidestep these issues, which need to be addressed. We in
:07:01. > :07:05.the Government do not wish to take the easy option. The government and
:07:05. > :07:09.myself are committed to a viable tenant farming sector and this Bill
:07:09. > :07:12.is one of the many tools were using to achieve this. It marks the final
:07:12. > :07:16.stage in implementing the package of recommendations made to the
:07:16. > :07:21.Government by the Scottish tenant farming Forum, with whom we have
:07:21. > :07:24.worked closely. I was disappointed last year when we could not include
:07:24. > :07:30.the two main amendments in the spill within the public service
:07:30. > :07:35.reform Order 2011 but we cannot abuse that power. That is why we
:07:35. > :07:45.have brought forward his Bill to implement the two final parts of
:07:45. > :07:48.
:07:48. > :07:55.the packages. -- brought forward this Bill. The first provision
:07:55. > :08:00.contains parts of the Agricultural Holdings Act 1991 to include
:08:00. > :08:05.grandchildren in the definition of "New relative." Currently the
:08:05. > :08:10.definition includes a spouse or an adopted child. This will widen the
:08:10. > :08:14.class of people entitled to a degree of protection when securing
:08:14. > :08:24.a tenancy. It should also make it easier for grandchildren to
:08:24. > :08:30.inherent farms. Section two of the Bill contains a second provision
:08:30. > :08:36.for upward-only rent reviews. This immense section 9 of the original
:08:36. > :08:41.Bill, to nullified lease terms in duration tenancies that provide for
:08:41. > :08:44.only landlord reviewed rent reviews. Currently, on that the two dozen of
:08:44. > :08:51.three Act, the tenant and landlord enjoy the freedom of the contract
:08:51. > :08:56.under not restricted in any way. It is therefore possible for parties
:08:56. > :09:01.to agree to a upward-only rent reviews or a provision -- a
:09:01. > :09:08.provision were by the landlord only can instigate a review of the rent.
:09:08. > :09:11.-- whereby. We are instituting help for landlords to avoid a
:09:11. > :09:14.economically high rents. The effect of the proposal is to ensure that
:09:15. > :09:19.with these clauses -- causes appear in the future, any such leases
:09:19. > :09:22.should be struck out. We are not proposing to meet that respectively,
:09:22. > :09:25.so was not to interfere with the contractual position of parties
:09:25. > :09:29.already involved in leases containing such provisions.
:09:29. > :09:33.Agreements between landlord and tenant farmers already in place
:09:33. > :09:37.will be unaffected by this provision.
:09:37. > :09:43.Section 3 contains a third provision amending the 1991 Act
:09:43. > :09:48.relating to VAT and rent reviews. Rent reviews take place on a three-
:09:48. > :09:52.year cycle and any variation of rent will prevent parties having a
:09:52. > :09:56.rent review for three years. This clarifies that if the rate of VAT
:09:56. > :09:59.changes or if the landlord chooses to change the rent, this will not
:09:59. > :10:03.qualify as a variation. The amendment avoid a situation where a
:10:03. > :10:13.landlord and tenant are unable to go to court for a rent review. That
:10:13. > :10:17.has been agreed by the T F F. -- the Tenant Farmers' Association.
:10:18. > :10:23.Again, it provides an agreed and negotiated set of proposals, which
:10:23. > :10:30.is all that the mainstay core voters wanted. I know there are
:10:30. > :10:34.many challenges facing the sector. I know from speaking to tenant
:10:34. > :10:39.farmers and others that they wish their legislators to stress quite
:10:39. > :10:43.carefully, given the complexity we are dealing with, and they have
:10:43. > :10:48.said to me that they wish to avoid embarking on a further ground of
:10:48. > :10:56.rush changes in legislation, which may be well-intentioned but have
:10:56. > :10:59.not been fully thought through. I, for one, wish to heed their advice.
:10:59. > :11:06.That is why following my consideration of the information
:11:06. > :11:11.and evidence, I will only be bringing forward one of the
:11:11. > :11:16.amendments proposed by the committee, the stage two
:11:16. > :11:19.government-led amendment to the provision, so that changes in the
:11:20. > :11:24.definition of the new relative will apply in cases where a tenant has
:11:24. > :11:27.died. And when notification has not been given to a landlord under the
:11:27. > :11:32.relevant sections of the Act. I have also consider the recent
:11:32. > :11:36.decision of the court in the rent review case and has indicated to
:11:36. > :11:40.the committee, iron of bringing forward a stage two amendment
:11:40. > :11:43.related to the Act. -- I am not bringing forward. Some have
:11:43. > :11:48.highlighted deficiencies in the formula for undertaking rent
:11:48. > :11:53.reviews. However, all stakeholder groups agree that the rent review
:11:53. > :11:56.system is a complex topic and any legislative change should be
:11:56. > :12:00.carefully considered to allow consideration of the potential
:12:00. > :12:04.impact. We need detailed consultation on that with the
:12:04. > :12:09.industry. We have met with the Tenant Farmers' Association to
:12:09. > :12:14.discuss a way forward. I will be having a summit meeting with them
:12:14. > :12:18.to discuss these issues in Inverness. I recognise we need a
:12:18. > :12:23.system for determining rents that is fit for purpose. My forthcoming
:12:23. > :12:26.meeting will consider how an independent panel should be set up
:12:26. > :12:31.to assist this process, enabling progress to be made in a shorter
:12:31. > :12:37.timescale than might otherwise be the case. Members will also be
:12:37. > :12:41.aware of the recent decision that is before the courts. I am limited
:12:41. > :12:45.in what I can say other than we are considering all our options
:12:45. > :12:49.including the option of Appeal. I am very aware that there are other
:12:49. > :12:55.important tenant farming issues which need to be in -- need to be
:12:55. > :13:01.addressed and actioned. At the summit, we will discuss many of
:13:01. > :13:08.these issues covering rent reviews, brought a succession issues, and
:13:08. > :13:18.issues around fixed equipment. I do not want to pre-empt the tenant
:13:18. > :13:22.farmers Forum were planned, but I would like a strict timetable. We
:13:22. > :13:26.will have a full review of all legislation and then we will take
:13:26. > :13:30.any action that requires to be taken in this Parliament to find --
:13:30. > :13:34.provided the opportunity arises. Given the issues before us, I
:13:34. > :13:38.believe what we're doing is the right course of action. This
:13:38. > :13:43.government believes that it is important that this Bill gets the
:13:43. > :13:51.support of Parliament and I urge you all to deliver that. Professor
:13:51. > :13:56.Phil Thomas of the tenant farming 4:00am joined Spain. -- tenant
:13:56. > :14:03.farming Forum joins me. Can you encapsulate some of the big changes
:14:03. > :14:12.proposed in this Bill? The Bill is essentially a technical Bill
:14:12. > :14:22.covering some quite important topics. The topics are really quite
:14:22. > :14:22.
:14:22. > :14:26.key. Succession in particular. That is very important people. -- very
:14:26. > :14:30.important to people. Why is it important to have that enshrined in
:14:30. > :14:36.legislation? Historically, we have had a situation where the
:14:36. > :14:40.succession to the tenancy could go to a new relative which was defined
:14:40. > :14:49.in relation to the spouse and children. But we are in a situation
:14:50. > :14:54.now where in many cases tenancies tend to take... Tend to take a
:14:54. > :14:58.generation or jump. Very often the son or daughter they will leave the
:14:58. > :15:02.farm to work in another context, but their children would wish to
:15:02. > :15:12.come back into farming. This provision in a Bill opens up the
:15:12. > :15:13.
:15:13. > :15:17.How would you judge this Bill? Would it - does it give more rights
:15:17. > :15:22.to tenants and takes rights away from the landlords, as it were?
:15:22. > :15:27.don't see it in those terms either way. One of the successes of the
:15:27. > :15:32.TFF has been that we have been able to get topics discussed from both
:15:32. > :15:35.sides and by and large, reached situations where there is a
:15:36. > :15:41.consensus about the benefit to everybody. I think it's important,
:15:41. > :15:45.both for landlords and tenants, that they have and they see they
:15:45. > :15:49.have a fair system in land tenancy. When it comes to the timetable for
:15:50. > :15:55.this, Richard Lochhead was laying it out there, how do you think it
:15:55. > :15:59.can be achieved? I think Richard Lochhead laid out a number of
:15:59. > :16:02.issues, issues on the agenda for the TFF, certainly from my
:16:03. > :16:07.standpoint I would like to see us move forward as quickly as possible
:16:07. > :16:13.with these. There is a need for a full consideration of some of the
:16:13. > :16:19.issues. The patent has changed a little bit, again as the Minister
:16:19. > :16:23.indicated through two recent legal cases. That needs to be taken into
:16:23. > :16:29.account. So you can't move in a way without thinking very carefully
:16:29. > :16:34.about the changes. But there is a degree of urgency about this. There
:16:34. > :16:37.are a number of leftover issues, if I can put it that way, that have
:16:37. > :16:42.arisen out of the 2003 legislation and they need to be addressed as
:16:42. > :16:45.soon as possible. The Environment Secretary paid tribute to tenant
:16:45. > :16:50.farmers there, how important are they in the sector in terms of the
:16:50. > :16:54.produce they offer to the market and so on? Well, they are important.
:16:54. > :16:58.They're important, both from the productivity of agriculture, and
:16:58. > :17:02.from the standpoint of sharing some of the risk with landowners,
:17:02. > :17:06.because it's one of the mechanisms that landowners use to spread the
:17:06. > :17:11.risk of farming, if I can put it that way. It's also more generally
:17:11. > :17:17.important, because landownership is in all countries of the world, it's
:17:17. > :17:20.a big social issue. If I can sort of take the extreme examples, if
:17:20. > :17:24.you had a situation one person owned all the land that would be
:17:24. > :17:27.seen as totally unacceptable. At the other extreme, if you had a
:17:27. > :17:30.situation where land was divided absolutely equally between every
:17:30. > :17:35.member of the population, we would probably think that would rather
:17:35. > :17:40.unworkable. Somewhere in the middle you have the kind of situation that
:17:40. > :17:45.we have in Scotland, where you have a mixture of landownership and
:17:45. > :17:50.tenancy working side by side in a way that satisfies both the
:17:50. > :17:58.objectives in terms of land management, and those wider
:17:58. > :18:02.societyal aims. Professor Thomas of the Tenant Farming Forum thank you
:18:02. > :18:05.for joining us. The Scotland Bill is continuing and concluding its
:18:05. > :18:08.report stage in the House of Lords today. It's receiving more line by
:18:08. > :18:11.line scrutiny from members. I am joined from Westminster by our
:18:11. > :18:15.correspondent Mark Darcy. Thank you for joining me. What's going on in
:18:15. > :18:20.the Lords this afternoon then? you say, it's the report stage, the
:18:20. > :18:24.very detailed scrutiny of the Bill. They look closely as you say, line
:18:24. > :18:26.by line, what we have had today is a couple of micro concessions from
:18:26. > :18:30.the Government. The Scottish parliament will now have control of
:18:30. > :18:33.the speed limit for HGVs on motorways in Scotland, which it
:18:33. > :18:39.didn't have before and control the speed limit for them everywhere
:18:40. > :18:44.else, but not on motorways and peers thought that was illlogical.
:18:44. > :18:46.There's been haggling about the precise title of the Crown of
:18:46. > :18:49.estates commissioner for Scotland, that's the sort of level they've
:18:49. > :18:53.been dealing with today. A little later on they're going to be
:18:53. > :18:56.looking at the Barnet Formula, amendments down from Lord Barnet
:18:56. > :19:00.himself, the inventor of the famous formula for funding Government
:19:00. > :19:03.activities in Scotland. He thinks it should be replaced with an
:19:03. > :19:07.updated needs-based system. That's coming up rather later this
:19:07. > :19:10.afternoon. They're nowhere near it at the moment and that may produce
:19:10. > :19:14.something slightly more lifely than we have had today. Then the Bill
:19:14. > :19:18.goes off for a third reading debate when the Lords return from their
:19:18. > :19:22.Easter break, Wednesday 28th should see the last rights read over this
:19:22. > :19:28.Bill in the Lords. Also an amendment from Lord Forsyth as well,
:19:28. > :19:32.what's he saying this time? Well, Lord Forsyth, the artist formerly
:19:32. > :19:35.known as Michael Forsythe, has had a load of amendments down. One he
:19:35. > :19:39.was moving this morning was essentially to get a much fuller
:19:39. > :19:42.report to the Scottish voters about the implications Government
:19:42. > :19:50.department by Government department of Scottish independence. So it
:19:50. > :19:56.would look at everything from what happened to defence bases, all that
:19:56. > :20:00.kind of thing spelt out in vast detail. A lot of peers quite like
:20:00. > :20:06.the idea of a better informed debate but for example the former
:20:07. > :20:10.former Liberal leader Lord Steel said that would delay the
:20:10. > :20:13.referendum. And Lord Forsyth didn't push that amendment to a vote, he
:20:13. > :20:16.wanted the discussion. Like a lot of these things it's about finding
:20:16. > :20:19.out what Ministers think about something and noting it down maybe
:20:19. > :20:24.to use in evidence against them later on. Let's move on to
:20:24. > :20:27.something that's hitting the headlines more today, the possible
:20:27. > :20:31.tanker drivers' strike. The UK Government getting into a little
:20:31. > :20:35.bit of difficulty about the panic buying. Well, there is a worry.
:20:35. > :20:40.There doesn't seem to be much sign of panic buying yet, Ministers are
:20:40. > :20:43.saying, people are perhaps being more prudent and making sure tanks
:20:43. > :20:46.are full. There would have to be notice of a strike, a strike date
:20:46. > :20:50.hasn't been announced so they're stressing it's a bit previous for
:20:50. > :20:55.people to really panic-buy. There are some suggestions doing the
:20:55. > :20:57.rounds people might like to store a bit of petrol and that's being met
:20:57. > :21:01.with counterpoints about, hang on a minute, there are safety
:21:01. > :21:05.regulations that suggest it's not a good idea for people to get stocks
:21:05. > :21:10.of petrol lying around in the garage in case they become a fire
:21:10. > :21:14.hazard. COBRA that meets in the Cabinet Office, is going to meet
:21:14. > :21:18.later this afternoon and the Energy Secretary, the newest member of the
:21:18. > :21:21.cabinet, is going to emerge later on in the afternoon to brief the
:21:21. > :21:26.waiting world about what their thoughts are. I think the Scottish
:21:26. > :21:30.Government are going to call in to that meeting. It's a tricky issue
:21:30. > :21:35.for Ed Miliband as well, isn't it? Indeed. It puts Ed Miliband in an
:21:35. > :21:38.awkward position, because the union behind this Unison is one of the
:21:38. > :21:44.biggest contributors to the Labour Party. On the other hand, a petrol
:21:44. > :21:48.strike is a huge political game changer, if people think back to
:21:48. > :21:51.2000 and most of the people in the Commons can remember that far back
:21:51. > :21:54.politically, they remember how destablising that was for for Tony
:21:54. > :21:57.Blair's Government. They don't know what would catch the blame for a
:21:57. > :22:01.strike this time and don't know what the implications would be. It
:22:01. > :22:05.may be the unions are blamed, but no Government becomes popular if
:22:05. > :22:10.the petrol stops flowing and the population can't move around.
:22:10. > :22:16.you very much. Let's head back into the chamber
:22:16. > :22:26.and hear some more of that agricultural holdings debate. Clare
:22:26. > :22:29.Baker is on her feet just now. It has highlighted the wider
:22:29. > :22:35.debates over tenancy arrangements in Scotland and the need to improve
:22:35. > :22:38.the system for current farmers and future generations. This Bill Bill
:22:38. > :22:42.recognises a move in the right direction and although no one is
:22:42. > :22:45.denying there is more to do be done it is fair we use this focus Bill
:22:45. > :22:48.to brining these measures into law as quickly as possible and Labour
:22:48. > :22:52.will be supporting the Bill at stage one. At the heart of the
:22:53. > :22:57.debate around tenant farm something how we secure a sustainable future.
:22:57. > :23:01.We must question why we have seen a fall in total number of holdings
:23:01. > :23:05.with tenancy agreements but at the same time appear to be seeing a
:23:05. > :23:09.rise in contract farming. The landmark land reform programme
:23:09. > :23:14.brought forward agricultural holdings Act in 2003, and among
:23:14. > :23:21.other measures introduced limited duration tenancies and short. And
:23:21. > :23:23.we have seen an increase in both of these. However, the number of 1991
:23:24. > :23:27.Act tenancy and limited partnerships have declined and
:23:27. > :23:33.overall as Rob Gibson pointed out we have seen a reduction of 10% in
:23:33. > :23:37.the number of tenancy agreements. In contrast, England's tenancy
:23:37. > :23:40.sector has developed differently with a decline in rented land
:23:40. > :23:43.halted and even reversed. However, it is a complex comparison to draw
:23:43. > :23:48.and in England they have little security of tenure and little
:23:48. > :23:51.evidence that any increase is due to new entrants. In Scotland we
:23:51. > :23:56.need a tenancy sector that encourages long-term investment
:23:56. > :23:59.from both ten apt and landlord, both feeling confident their
:23:59. > :24:02.investment will be recognised and rewarded as well as a sector which
:24:02. > :24:07.supports new entrants, not just in terms of availability of land, but
:24:07. > :24:10.also in terms of investment and support. The answer to all this is
:24:10. > :24:14.not simple. We should recognise as the cabinet Secretary pointed out,
:24:14. > :24:18.that there is a lot of good practice and good relations in the
:24:18. > :24:23.sector. But there is also an ageing population in farming and we must
:24:23. > :24:26.make new opportunities easier to find. The better the evidence, the
:24:26. > :24:30.easier it is to provide the correct policy response and as the
:24:30. > :24:34.committee identify in their report, there are concerns over the lack of
:24:35. > :24:38.reliable data. We can assume that the number of 1991 tenancies are
:24:38. > :24:42.historic. But as the Government identified, we don't really know
:24:42. > :24:46.what happens when a 1991 tenancy comes to an end. And this gap is
:24:46. > :24:51.contributing to falling numbers. The Scottish Government must now
:24:51. > :24:56.take measures to improve the data collection. In terms of the Bill it
:24:56. > :25:00.does look to expand the options at the end of a 1991 tenancy, by
:25:00. > :25:04.extending the meaning of near relative where a success ror to
:25:04. > :25:08.include grandchildren. In principle we very much agree with extending
:25:08. > :25:13.who qualifies as near relative but I expect this is an area we will be
:25:13. > :25:17.returning to at stage two. The Scottish tenant farmers association
:25:17. > :25:23.and NFUS both question the difference between interpretation
:25:23. > :25:26.of near relatives. SFT in particular would like to include
:25:26. > :25:30.nephews and nieces. However, others express concerns about getting the
:25:30. > :25:34.right balance between landlords and tenants. I agree with the committee
:25:34. > :25:38.that the Scottish Government needs to look at this again. Consensus is
:25:38. > :25:43.a good thing and it is moving events along, albeit slowly, but at
:25:43. > :25:46.the same time we have to continue - we have to continue - we are
:25:46. > :25:51.continuing to see tenant farming decreasing. If further extension
:25:51. > :25:54.would play a part in addressing this decline we should consider it.
:25:54. > :25:58.In relation to transitional provisions I am pleased that the
:25:58. > :26:01.Scottish Government has responded to the committee and and has
:26:01. > :26:04.indicated they will bring forward an amendment at stage two. This is
:26:04. > :26:12.a sensible move which will capture those people in the middle of the
:26:12. > :26:16.process at the time of the Bill's passing. Section two of the Bill
:26:16. > :26:21.Bill, rent reviews and limited duration tenancy, I welcome the
:26:21. > :26:25.widespread support for this, and it is a sensible measure I believe
:26:25. > :26:29.will be a positive move forward forward future future contracts.
:26:29. > :26:32.The committee considered wider issues of tenancy. We can recognise
:26:32. > :26:35.a progress that has been made through devolution but we can make
:26:35. > :26:39.make further improvements. The Government have an opportunity in
:26:39. > :26:44.this parliament to make progress on tenant farming through legislation
:26:44. > :26:49.if necessary, but also through policy direction. We can improve
:26:49. > :26:54.conditions for new entrants and and while starters units and new
:26:54. > :26:57.entrants register, mentoring will all be positive moves, the cap
:26:57. > :27:01.subsidy system does not support new entrants and the needs of new
:27:01. > :27:06.entrants be central to these discussions. I would like to see a
:27:06. > :27:11.more level playing field for new entrants when it comes to accessing
:27:11. > :27:15.subsidy support. The RSPB proposal for conservation tenancies is worth
:27:15. > :27:22.further consideration with RSPB arguing it could solve the current
:27:22. > :27:28.limitations they and other NGOs face in letting land. Let's go back
:27:28. > :27:32.to our main story, the possible fuel tanker drivers' strike. Hamish
:27:32. > :27:35.McDowell is still with me. That COBRA emergency committee meeting
:27:35. > :27:38.at the cabinet will just be getting under way in the next couple of
:27:38. > :27:42.minutes. The Scottish Government calling in to that. There'll be
:27:42. > :27:47.keen to hear what the UK Government are saying. Yes, I think there is a
:27:47. > :27:49.lot of politics involved in this as well. I think Alex Salmond will be
:27:49. > :27:53.delighted to take part in this kind of discussion. If you think about
:27:53. > :27:56.where this puts him, this puts him on the same level as a UK cabinet
:27:56. > :28:00.Minister, just below the Prime Minister, that's exactly the sort
:28:00. > :28:03.of level he wants to be seen at. While he will love that and enjoy
:28:03. > :28:07.that position, the UK Government I feel will not take it the same way
:28:07. > :28:11.and they will perhaps be irritated about having to call in and get the
:28:11. > :28:14.views of the Scottish Government where they may feel this is
:28:14. > :28:16.something they're in charge of. It's a well worn path. The Scottish
:28:16. > :28:21.Government have been called in to these meetings before, haven't
:28:21. > :28:24.they? They have, one notable example of the terrorist attack on
:28:24. > :28:27.Glasgow airport, at that stage Alex Salmond was very much leading the
:28:27. > :28:33.issue in the initiative because it took place in Scotland. This is
:28:33. > :28:38.very much a UK issue which Alex Salmond is playing a part. I think
:28:38. > :28:42.as far as his approach is concerned he will want to be be concilliatory,
:28:42. > :28:45.statesman-like but want to be a little bit standoffish, he won't
:28:45. > :28:54.want to associate himself with the remarks from the UK Government
:28:54. > :28:59.which have led to panic buying. are hearing tanker drivers may be
:28:59. > :29:02.helped to train to drive these tankers. If you look at what might
:29:02. > :29:06.happen, just say we are in the Easter holidays and there is a
:29:06. > :29:11.tanker drivers' strike, just say Mr Cameron has gone off sunning
:29:11. > :29:15.himself somewhere on holiday, while constituents of his and potential
:29:15. > :29:19.voters are stuck in traffic jams running out of petrol that image
:29:19. > :29:23.won't look good and he knows that, that's why these sort of
:29:23. > :29:25.contingency plans are put in place now, just so that if they do get
:29:25. > :29:29.the situation of having a strike they have some way of trying to
:29:29. > :29:33.break it. We mentioned earlier it can be extremely difficult for
:29:33. > :29:36.Government to cope with this as we saw in 2000 with Tony Blair and the
:29:36. > :29:45.petrol protests then. Do you think Mr Cameron is in a different
:29:45. > :29:49.Yes, he will have to rely on union votes as a Labour Prime Minister.
:29:49. > :29:54.There might be some feelings among the Conservative Party that Mr
:29:54. > :29:58.Cameron needs to slay dragons. Unions are not a bad dragon for a
:29:58. > :30:04.Conservative Prime Minister to take on. Think back to Margaret Thatcher
:30:04. > :30:06.taking on the unions during her first year. Some might see this as
:30:07. > :30:11.a chance for David Cameron to put his authority down, break the
:30:11. > :30:15.strike, keep the fuel flowing and enhance his reputation. The trouble
:30:15. > :30:21.is, if there are pockets at the gates and the police cannot move
:30:21. > :30:26.people on and hospitals are closing, it becomes extremely difficult.
:30:26. > :30:31.does. There is a riskier that things can go badly. -- there is a
:30:31. > :30:34.risk here. It comes back to the question, who takes the blame? As
:30:34. > :30:39.the Government, there is no way that David Cameron will be able to
:30:39. > :30:43.avoid taking a decent sized share of that claim. Back with you in a
:30:43. > :30:47.moment. Scotland's Environment Secretary,
:30:47. > :30:51.Richard Lochhead is calling for more openness and transparency from
:30:51. > :30:57.Total, the operators of a North Sea platform which is looking flammable
:30:57. > :31:05.gas. Let us go to Holyrood when I will be joined by Maureen Watt from
:31:05. > :31:09.the SNP. Murdo Fraser from the Scottish Conservatives and their
:31:09. > :31:16.representative from the Scottish Greens. Thank you for joining me.
:31:16. > :31:20.First of all, Maureen Watt from the SNP, this is very interesting what
:31:20. > :31:26.Richard Lochhead has been saying, calling for more transparency from
:31:26. > :31:31.Total. Does the Scottish Government have concerns about this operator?
:31:31. > :31:38.Clearly the Scottish Government is responsible for the environment.
:31:38. > :31:42.This is an environmental issue. It is important that the Government
:31:42. > :31:45.and the public are kept in the loop about every stage of this
:31:45. > :31:49.development, and that is why Richard Lochhead is calling for
:31:49. > :31:54.more openness and transparency. There has been concern about Total
:31:54. > :32:00.keeping information, particularly about the flame up of the platform
:32:00. > :32:03.going, no one knew that was happening. -- the flame up of. What
:32:03. > :32:08.representations will Richard Lochhead be making to the company?
:32:08. > :32:11.I am sure he is in constant contact with the company. Total are to be
:32:11. > :32:15.commended for the speed at which they got the personnel off the
:32:15. > :32:21.platform. That was the major concern, making sure that all
:32:21. > :32:25.personnel were safe and they are to be commended for that. And indeed
:32:25. > :32:33.the other companies who have stood down personnel on you by
:32:33. > :32:37.installations. -- installations. We have concerns about the environment.
:32:37. > :32:40.I am sure that Total are working hard to find out exactly how they
:32:40. > :32:46.can deal with the problem, but we're hoping that they will keep us
:32:46. > :32:50.informed at every stage of that development. Alison Johnson from
:32:50. > :32:54.the Scottish Greens, you must be very concerned about this. The
:32:54. > :32:59.think that Total have been free and open with the information here?
:32:59. > :33:04.Absolutely not. That is why Richard Lochhead and the RSPB are calling
:33:04. > :33:07.for a Total transparency. We need to understand what is going on. One
:33:07. > :33:10.minute we're being told it is stable and next we are told it
:33:10. > :33:16.could run for another six months. The environmental consequences
:33:16. > :33:22.could be very damaging. Total transparency is required and at the
:33:22. > :33:27.moment, I believe that Total's website is not available. The fee
:33:27. > :33:30.of that the companies have a -- petrol companies have a lot of
:33:30. > :33:34.control over these things? The coastguard, for example, does not
:33:34. > :33:38.give information. You have to phone the operator themselves. The think
:33:38. > :33:43.the Government should ensure that there is more openness? Absolutely.
:33:43. > :33:47.-- do you think. I'm pleased to hear that the Government are taking
:33:47. > :33:51.this seriously now. Why should commercial confidentiality or other
:33:51. > :33:57.excuses stop the public understanding what is going on?
:33:57. > :34:00.Murdo Fraser from the Scottish Conservatives, the UK Government
:34:00. > :34:06.Energy Minister has been dealing with this. Do you feel that he has
:34:06. > :34:10.been getting enough information from the oil company? I think there
:34:10. > :34:14.remain concerns about that. We should not lose sight of the fact
:34:14. > :34:19.that the oil and gas sector has an excellent safety record overall in
:34:19. > :34:21.the North Sea. It is very rigorously regulated and the Health
:34:21. > :34:25.and Safety Executive and other agencies do that. There are
:34:25. > :34:29.legitimate concerns about what is happening with the platform. The
:34:29. > :34:33.flare has been burning for so long and information has not been
:34:33. > :34:37.provided. Charles Henry and his team are in constant contact with
:34:37. > :34:40.Total, but everybody with an interest in the sector, whether it
:34:40. > :34:44.is an economic interest or an environmental interest, will want
:34:44. > :34:48.to make sure we're getting all the information that we need. First of
:34:48. > :34:55.all, we need to get the information -- situation under control and we
:34:55. > :34:58.need to learn the lessons to make sure there are no repercussions.
:34:58. > :35:03.it is a complicated situation because safety is reserved at
:35:03. > :35:08.Westminster. But the environment is devolved. Do you think the Scottish
:35:08. > :35:13.Government is communicating enough about this situation? To my
:35:13. > :35:16.knowledge, there is a very good working relationship between the UK
:35:16. > :35:22.Government and the Scottish Government on this. I know that on
:35:22. > :35:27.energy policy, Charles Henry works closely with these -- his Scottish
:35:27. > :35:31.counterpart, and because there is no divergence of interest, both
:35:31. > :35:37.parties will work together. Regardless of where your
:35:37. > :35:41.allegiances lie, everybody wants to see the situation brought under
:35:41. > :35:48.control and lessons learned. Last week, we heard that the UK
:35:48. > :35:52.Government had given permission to BP to drill in the deep water well
:35:52. > :35:59.west of Shetland. BP have got that contract. After that Deepwater
:35:59. > :36:03.Horizon, are you concerned by BP's safety record? I am not concerned
:36:03. > :36:08.at all. There are real opportunities for further
:36:08. > :36:14.development of oil and gas west of Shetland. Given the knowledge
:36:14. > :36:20.dentistry that has built up in the sector, over many decades, I think
:36:20. > :36:25.our oil companies are well placed to exploit resources. I think it
:36:25. > :36:33.would be foolhardy on the basis of one episode to suddenly completely
:36:33. > :36:36.rethink our policy. Fraser was Malcolm -- Murdo Fraser was
:36:36. > :36:39.mentioning the good safety record but we see these occasions
:36:39. > :36:43.occasionally in the North Sea. Perhaps it shows the instability of
:36:43. > :36:49.the product we are dealing with when it comes to the independence
:36:49. > :36:53.referendum. So much of your argument is predicated on oil and
:36:53. > :36:58.gas revenue. Do you have concerns that it comes from such an unstable
:36:58. > :37:06.source? Having worked in the industry, I am the first to know
:37:06. > :37:11.how dangerous working offshore is, having been there several times. We
:37:11. > :37:17.should not forget about the health and safety regime. It is much
:37:17. > :37:21.different from that that the Deepwater Horizon was under. I am
:37:21. > :37:26.confident that the oil companies but health and safety at the top of
:37:26. > :37:30.their agenda. -- put a health and safety. We're sure that Total are
:37:30. > :37:34.dealing with this as best they can. The platform has been abandoned so
:37:34. > :37:40.there is no one in the vicinity that can know exactly what has
:37:40. > :37:43.happened. I am sure that Total are doing everything they can to deal
:37:43. > :37:51.with this problem as swiftly as possible if it can be dealt with
:37:51. > :37:55.swiftly. Also, perhaps, long term: Of the relief -- relief well.
:37:55. > :37:59.Moving on to a related situation, Alison Johnson, it is the possible
:37:59. > :38:06.tanker drivers' strike. We hear the UK Government is telling us to
:38:06. > :38:10.perhaps prepare for a strike. What is your reaction to that?
:38:10. > :38:14.sooner the Scottish Government and UK government realised that our
:38:14. > :38:20.future is in renewable energy and in sustainable forms of transport,
:38:20. > :38:24.the better. Maureen Watt, the Scottish Government is taking part
:38:24. > :38:28.in the COBRA emergency meeting. What do you think Alex Salmond and
:38:28. > :38:32.his representatives will be saying to the UK Government? I think it is
:38:32. > :38:38.in every one's interest that the parties get around the table to try
:38:38. > :38:41.the best they can to avoid a strike happening. And Murdo Fraser, is
:38:41. > :38:46.this an opportunity for a Conservative Prime Minister to try
:38:46. > :38:51.to put down the unions? I think the important thing is that a strike
:38:51. > :38:55.must be avoided at all costs. I do not think conference --
:38:55. > :38:58.confrontation held that on either side of the debate. We must be very
:38:58. > :39:05.wary of the media stoking this issue, where we end up seeing
:39:05. > :39:09.people panic buying petrol and creating shortages were they should
:39:09. > :39:17.not occur. We need a calm and rational approach. Murdo Fraser,
:39:17. > :39:23.Maureen Watt and Alison Johnson, thank you very much.
:39:23. > :39:30.Still to come: Are fed up of pavement Parker has? We will hear
:39:30. > :39:35.from one MSP who is trying to put a stop to it. -- pavement Parkers.
:39:35. > :39:39.At Holyrood this morning, MSPs were continuing their inquiry into the
:39:39. > :39:44.renewable energy targets. The aim is for 100% of Scotland's energy to
:39:44. > :39:50.be generated by renewables by 2020, an ambitious target. The question
:39:50. > :39:56.is focused on a green workforce. We need us -- we need skilled people
:39:56. > :40:00.to work in these new projects. are to stage just now where it is a
:40:00. > :40:08.chicken and egg scenario. Employers are debating whether it is the
:40:08. > :40:12.right time to invest. If you feel you could say something about
:40:12. > :40:16.challenges there, what could be done to help that, and do you
:40:17. > :40:23.believe that the industry is on course to get the skills that we
:40:23. > :40:25.need to meet these targets? What concerns Carnegie is that many of
:40:25. > :40:32.the players we are dealing with a looking for multi-skilled,
:40:32. > :40:37.employable people, employable at the point they want to be asked for
:40:37. > :40:41.it. We're talking about four or five years of apprenticeships. When
:40:41. > :40:44.you look at the targets, that is worrying. There is this idea that
:40:44. > :40:49.there are a group of people just waiting to be employed and it is
:40:49. > :40:58.not the case. We're not seeing them coming from oil and gas. All we are
:40:58. > :41:03.starting a new transition in December to try and get adults
:41:03. > :41:08.geared up towards the sector. But it is worrying. There is an idea
:41:08. > :41:14.that it is going to take four or five years to take these modern
:41:14. > :41:23.apprentices through. We are a after try to the youngsters coming in
:41:23. > :41:27.from school. -- we have to attract the youngsters. But I think we have
:41:27. > :41:31.to make sure that what we produce and the qualifications we deliver
:41:31. > :41:39.are fit for purpose and endorsed by the industry. It is a piece of work
:41:39. > :41:42.to take that forward and redesign some of the programmes. Also,
:41:42. > :41:52.looking at the graduates and ensuring that they are ready for
:41:52. > :41:57.work. There has been criticism about on prepared graduates. -- on
:41:57. > :42:02.prepared. We are investigating how to take that forward. With regard
:42:02. > :42:07.to the support, I think it will be a partnership and combined funding
:42:07. > :42:14.but it needs to be flexible in order to be able to adapt to some
:42:14. > :42:18.of the employer's' demands. Some of this will need rapid response.
:42:18. > :42:24.We're seeing examples of where this is happening, but we need to learn
:42:24. > :42:30.from that and take it forward. Looking at the implications of
:42:30. > :42:33.funding, if someone has achieved a modern -- Modern apprenticeship,
:42:33. > :42:36.that excludes them from being funded again. If we are taking
:42:36. > :42:40.people from one discipline to another, there are issues of
:42:41. > :42:47.funding and that can impact upon that. It is the funding agencies
:42:47. > :42:52.and government employers, it has to be done in partnership with them.
:42:52. > :42:55.That is the key message I am picking up from industry. I was
:42:55. > :43:00.speaking to one of the big groups last week and they said they were
:43:00. > :43:03.unhappy with the funding directly, attributing that directly to the
:43:03. > :43:07.apprenticeships. I know there is money that can be applied through
:43:07. > :43:11.the colleges but that does not always happen. For them, the level
:43:11. > :43:19.of funding is more attractive in England. It is very complicated
:43:19. > :43:22.chemical works, but in Scotland we have to apply partnership and
:43:22. > :43:27.college funding to make its comparable. The impact of college
:43:27. > :43:31.cuts is going to potentially have a negative effect on that. That would
:43:31. > :43:40.be a concern I would have moving forward, and I would need
:43:40. > :43:43.assurances that the engineering training would be protected. Hamish
:43:43. > :43:49.MacDonald, let's chat about a few more points. There were stories
:43:49. > :43:56.today about red faces over Labour's tax blunder. This was a surprise
:43:56. > :44:00.late-night vote that the SNP and Plaid Cymru managed to force over
:44:00. > :44:05.the new imprint -- income tax rate. What was going on their key mack
:44:05. > :44:10.this is a very rare and revealing glimpse into what goes on in
:44:10. > :44:14.Westminster. -- what was going on there? This is over the decision to
:44:14. > :44:21.lower the 50p tax rate which Labour has opposed since George Osborne
:44:21. > :44:24.announced it in the Budget last week. The SNP and Plaid Cymru seek
:44:24. > :44:31.a vote in on this issue which Labour were not expecting. As a
:44:31. > :44:34.result, almost none of their MPs were around. So the SNP and Plaid
:44:34. > :44:39.Cymru opposed it. This said that Labour were not around but they
:44:39. > :44:44.were not around to vote against it. On the back of that, one Labour MP,
:44:44. > :44:49.Willie Bain, in an e-mail week, said that it was the long-standing
:44:49. > :44:54.convention in the Labour Party that "We do not support SNP motions."
:44:54. > :44:58.This is incredible. These two parties are closer in policy terms
:44:58. > :45:08.than any other and Westminster and yet it will not support each other
:45:08. > :45:10.
:45:10. > :45:13.on a motion because one will SNP were delighted that it seemed
:45:13. > :45:17.to reveal something that always suspected about Labour, which is
:45:17. > :45:20.that Labour will oppose things, just because they are promoted by
:45:20. > :45:23.the SNP and for no other reason. Great embarrassment for Labour and
:45:23. > :45:27.also delight for the Conservatives, for them it shows that the
:45:27. > :45:30.opposition is completely split. The opposition can't even get their act
:45:30. > :45:34.together when it comes to opposing something as central as the
:45:34. > :45:39.dropping of the 50p rate, they'll be delighted. But of course Labour
:45:39. > :45:42.were saying this was sheer desperation from the SNP and
:45:42. > :45:47.they're playing parliamentary procedure games. They have a little
:45:47. > :45:50.bit of a point. Oel parliamentary hands like you and me are aware of
:45:50. > :45:54.what guess on behind the scenes and there always tends to be tactics
:45:54. > :45:58.each party will use in these sort of situations. What would usually
:45:59. > :46:03.happen is both Labour and the SNP would put down their own amendments,
:46:03. > :46:08.each would back their own amendments and they'll be able to
:46:08. > :46:13.keep their own positions. The question is being asked is this a
:46:13. > :46:17.mess-up, tribalism? I am afraid it's both. There was one so-called
:46:17. > :46:23.leaked e-mail on a website, a Labour spin doctor apparently had
:46:23. > :46:30.said that - admitted to, I quote, a screw-up after the vote, so it's
:46:31. > :46:34.been widely read on Twitter and so on, hasn't it? But is this an
:46:35. > :46:38.edifying spat between the parties? Not at all, usually these things
:46:38. > :46:41.are conducted behind the scenes by the whips, party managers, they
:46:41. > :46:45.sort out who is going to put what amendment in and support them so
:46:45. > :46:49.they can both emerge and save face at the end. That was not done in
:46:49. > :46:52.this circumstance. As a result, this this has bubbled out into the
:46:52. > :46:56.open and the people at large can see what goes on and what sort of
:46:56. > :46:59.deals are made and what happens when they fall down in the
:46:59. > :47:04.Westminster village. Away from the Westminster village, how do you
:47:04. > :47:07.think this story reverberates to normal folk out there? If they've
:47:07. > :47:13.noticed it I think they'll think it's ridiculous of Labour and a bit
:47:13. > :47:16.ridiculous of the SNP as well, I would say. Thank you very much.
:47:16. > :47:22.A Scotland-wide ban on irresponsible parking is being
:47:22. > :47:26.proposed. The SNP MSP Joe Fitzpatrick says bad parking is a
:47:26. > :47:33.major safety issue and can prevent fire engines reaching an emergency.
:47:33. > :47:38.The private member's bill has been welcomed by wheelchair users like
:47:38. > :47:42.Jean Cashley in Dundee who says drivers who park on dropped kerbs
:47:42. > :47:46.are making her life a misery. there's no one around I could get
:47:46. > :47:48.stuck and I could fall out. As well as that, when you come out from
:47:48. > :47:52.behind the car you don't know if you are coming out into traffic and
:47:52. > :47:58.it's a busy road so you could be coming out in front of cars that
:47:58. > :48:01.are going up and down the street. It's quite frightening.
:48:01. > :48:08.Joe Fitzpatrick joins me now from Holyrood. Good afternoon. Thank you
:48:08. > :48:13.very much for joining me. The Lib Dem MSP Ross Finney did try to
:48:13. > :48:18.introduce this before, but why have you decided to pick up the baton to
:48:18. > :48:21.succeed with this? I supported Ross in his efforts and taking this
:48:21. > :48:25.further because I think it's really important we tackle these problems.
:48:25. > :48:28.These are problems across Scotland which are affecting lots of people,
:48:28. > :48:33.parking on the pavement, across dropped kerbs and double parking.
:48:33. > :48:37.We are hearing in that clip there from Jean Cashley. My old English
:48:37. > :48:40.teacher actually. It sounds like it can make life pretty difficult for
:48:40. > :48:44.people like her. It certainly can. I was with Jean yesterday and we
:48:44. > :48:47.really experienced the problem, even having somebody able to push
:48:47. > :48:51.the chair it was really difficult not not being able to cross the
:48:51. > :48:55.road at the appropriate dropped kerb and to have to bump the
:48:55. > :48:59.wheelchair down. How significant is this a problem in Scotland do you
:48:59. > :49:06.think? It's a real problem for a number of people. It's not just
:49:06. > :49:09.people in wheelchairs, we also have people with guide dogs, people with
:49:09. > :49:13.prams. So there's lots of people often forced into the middle of the
:49:13. > :49:16.road because cars are inappropriately parked. It's not
:49:16. > :49:20.that I think people are deliberately being irresponsible, I
:49:20. > :49:24.think it's they don't realise the impact of their parking. Why is
:49:24. > :49:28.this having to be taken to the Scottish parliament? Can local
:49:28. > :49:32.authorities or the police not try to deal with this using current
:49:32. > :49:36.regulations? The legislation is just not working for people. That's
:49:36. > :49:39.why, if you look in England they recently brought in tighter
:49:39. > :49:43.regulations there, but the example I am wanting to follow is the
:49:43. > :49:46.example in London where it's clear unless there's something that says
:49:46. > :49:51.you can, you can't park on the pavement and that's been working in
:49:51. > :49:56.London since the 1970s. If that is introduced, how successful do you
:49:57. > :50:00.think it will be? Well, I think it will - the most important thing is
:50:00. > :50:04.it will make it clear to drivers where they can and can't park and
:50:04. > :50:07.also make it clear to pedestrians that paths are for pedestrians and
:50:07. > :50:12.they've the right to access services and facilities in their
:50:12. > :50:16.neighbourhood. We are hearing from Jean there, have you been contacted
:50:16. > :50:20.by other people now you have raised the issue, what support is it
:50:20. > :50:24.getting? I have certainly had hundreds of e-mails today from
:50:24. > :50:28.people supporting the Bill and telling me how important it is that
:50:28. > :50:33.this legislation is passed. I am tphourpbling people to --
:50:33. > :50:36.encouraging people to bake part in the consult -- take part in the
:50:36. > :50:40.consultation so we can get the best possible legislation. So you are
:50:40. > :50:44.thinking of introducing this legislation. What happens now and
:50:44. > :50:51.what kind of timetable do we have after that? The consultation is
:50:51. > :50:56.launched today. I already have over 20MSPs who in principle, support
:50:56. > :51:02.the Bill. The thing now is for ordinary members of the public and
:51:02. > :51:07.organisations to take part in the consultation. It's available on my
:51:07. > :51:11.website. If people get hold of the consultation and fill it in, that's
:51:11. > :51:16.the next stage forward. We will see what happens with that, thank you.
:51:16. > :51:20.With me once again is Hamish. Are you surprised that an issue like
:51:20. > :51:24.this almost has to be taken to parliament and can't be done using
:51:24. > :51:28.local regulations? No, I am not actually. I think that this is the
:51:28. > :51:32.kind of issue that the Scottish parliament oddly enough was also
:51:32. > :51:37.set up to do. If you think back a couple of parliaments ago you had a
:51:37. > :51:40.Conservative MSP who introduced a Bill about dog fouling, now he was
:51:40. > :51:45.ribbed at the time about what a small issue it was but an extremely
:51:45. > :51:48.important issue for many people. It's the small issues which really
:51:48. > :51:52.affect people's livelihoods which are not to do with big finance or
:51:52. > :51:55.local Government or anything like that which are big important local
:51:55. > :51:59.issues which the Scottish parliament has time to deal with
:51:59. > :52:03.which it never did when Westminster was in charge. This is another
:52:04. > :52:07.example, an issue of parking and it's important for people who are
:52:07. > :52:12.disabled, with prams, guide dogs and they have no way of doing
:52:12. > :52:16.anything about it apart from going to parliament. With Joe Fitzpatrick
:52:16. > :52:21.it looks like lie it will succeed and become a new law? I would think
:52:21. > :52:25.so, this is a sort of Bill which is uncontroversial, it's non-party
:52:25. > :52:30.political. I would expect him to get pretty much broad support right
:52:31. > :52:35.across the chamber. I can't see any MSP who would oppose this. Standing
:52:35. > :52:42.up for bad motorists who park in the wrong places. The political
:52:42. > :52:45.week started on Sunday with a bang, the cash for Cameron access, the
:52:45. > :52:49.Sunday Times had that story. Damaging for the Prime Minister,
:52:49. > :52:52.wasn't it? Very much so. I think what what is not surprising is the
:52:52. > :52:56.fact donors and big business donors give money to the Conservative
:52:56. > :53:00.Party and would like some kind of influence in return, that's kind of
:53:00. > :53:03.a given. What was really damaging about this was the suggestion that
:53:03. > :53:09.came out that there was some kind of influence on Government policy
:53:09. > :53:14.as a result. Let's join Glen Campbell now. We are talking about
:53:14. > :53:20.the cash for Cameron access there. A few of the papers today there's
:53:20. > :53:28.Alex Salmond and his Tea Party story, what's going on with that?
:53:28. > :53:35.Well, Alex Salmond met the lottery winners, Colin and Chris Weir for
:53:35. > :53:41.tea at his official residence here, a few days before they donated
:53:41. > :53:46.between them �1 million to the SNP and its campaign for independence.
:53:47. > :53:53.The Government, though, says that those two events are not related.
:53:53. > :53:58.That his meeting with them was not a donor event, that the House is
:53:59. > :54:01.not used for fundraising activities, that that instead this was Alex
:54:01. > :54:06.Salmond catching up with old friends, people who apparently
:54:06. > :54:11.believed in the SNP and independence for longer than Alex
:54:11. > :54:17.Salmond himself and that at no point during those discussions was
:54:17. > :54:22.the donation raised, as an issue. Others have looked at this and
:54:22. > :54:29.wonder if the two are connected. you think that defence has managed
:54:29. > :54:36.to asaupblg Mr Salmond's critics? Well, I think one big difference
:54:36. > :54:42.between this and the events at Westminster is it's hard to imagine
:54:42. > :54:48.what influence on Government policy the Weirs might have sought. They
:54:48. > :54:54.support the SNP and they support independence and donated this money
:54:54. > :55:00.to support the nationalists in their campaign in the run-up to the
:55:00. > :55:04.referendum. It's hard to see beyond that what influence they might have
:55:04. > :55:10.sought on Government policy and indeed the Government itself says,
:55:10. > :55:16.to suggest that they were seeking that kind of influence is nonsense.
:55:16. > :55:20.And at 4.00pm we have other big business at Holyrood, a debate on
:55:20. > :55:26.the Budget. That's right, a debate on the UK Budget. The Scottish
:55:26. > :55:31.Government will use that to criticise George Osborne's Budget.
:55:31. > :55:34.They'll say that it's a missed opportunity to promote growth,
:55:34. > :55:38.partly because George Osborne didn't pick up a number of the
:55:38. > :55:42.suggestions that the Finance Secretary John Swinney made, he was
:55:43. > :55:45.looking for several hundred million pounds more to spend on what he
:55:46. > :55:50.calls shovel-ready capital projects in Scotland but it's also an
:55:50. > :55:56.opportunity for the Conservatives and for the Liberal Democrats to
:55:56. > :56:01.talk up what they see as the big pluses from that Budget statement,
:56:01. > :56:05.including the decision to raise further the threshold at which
:56:05. > :56:09.people will start to pay income tax which will take many thousands of
:56:09. > :56:14.Scots out of income tax altogether. And one other big story we have
:56:14. > :56:20.been covering today is the gas leak from the Elgin platform. The
:56:20. > :56:24.Environment Secretary calling for Tote to -- Total to be more open
:56:24. > :56:31.and transparent, you were speaking to him, weren't you? That was his
:56:31. > :56:41.main message, because we have had mixed messages from Total. They
:56:41. > :56:41.
:56:41. > :56:47.told the BBC at one point that they had shut down any capacity for
:56:47. > :56:52.ignition at the plant and then we learned later that the gas flame is
:56:52. > :56:57.still burning and could continue to burn for quite sometime. So,
:56:57. > :57:01.Richard Lochhead is, I think it's fair to say, concerned about the
:57:02. > :57:07.statements that have come out so far and he is asking the company
:57:07. > :57:12.and the UK Government which regulates activities in the North
:57:12. > :57:17.Sea to publish as much as they possibly can, both about what's
:57:17. > :57:22.happened there and about how they've reached concern con--
:57:22. > :57:28.certain conclusions about the safety of the site and the impact
:57:28. > :57:33.that it may have on the environment or the fact that the company
:57:33. > :57:40.believes there is unlikely to be any significant impact on the
:57:40. > :57:44.environment. Thank you very much. Time for one final thought from our
:57:44. > :57:47.commentator Hamish. We had the Conservative conference at the
:57:48. > :57:52.weekend. Ruth Davidson making her maiden conference speech. Is there
:57:52. > :57:56.going to be much of an umbrella group for the unionist parties?
:57:56. > :58:00.the moment no, each party seems determined to set up their own
:58:00. > :58:03.review, their own policy organisation, their own umbrella
:58:03. > :58:06.group. Each one separate looking at the union and looking to defend the
:58:06. > :58:10.union. They're not getting together on policy terms, not getting
:58:10. > :58:13.together on organisational terms, on leadership terms. They are as
:58:13. > :58:17.disparate now as they were at the start of the conference season. No,
:58:17. > :58:24.I think at the moment things stand as before. The SNP have a healthy
:58:24. > :58:28.lead in this debate. Briefly, Ruth Davidson, how did she do? It was
:58:28. > :58:31.solid, competent. I don't think it set the Heather alight. They had
:58:31. > :58:33.David Cameron there and having the Prime Minister at the party
:58:33. > :58:38.conference is always great for the Conservatives and they did well
:58:38. > :58:41.with that. Thank you very much. That's it from us. The Scottish