Speeches by Crichton.

“All the problems you mention are the remit of DESNZ.”

“Emily and Emma, welcome to the Committee. Thank you for your evidence. I would like to say happy new year, but your evidence doesn’t give me any reason for optimism. It is less than five years to the 2030s; it is four years, 11 months and however many days. Are we going to reach our climate change targets? Yes or no?”

“It is not going to be flying more, is it?”

“Where do flights come in that list, and what behavioural changes might be needed there?”

“Can I jump in quickly? Emily, what is the problem with vans? Is white van man resistant to climate change and to electric vehicles?”

“Is it driver resistance?”

“You touched on it, so I would like to know where the North sea sits in your skills strategy. Have you thought much about it?”

“It is 200,000 jobs in the North sea. If you listen to your former colleagues, those jobs are at risk because of closing down licensing for oil and gas in the future. Do the Government need to do more to help oil and gas and the North sea workers to transition to this new economy?”

“You have a lot of experience. You know what you are talking about.”

“Thanks.”

“Will the hon. Member give way on that point?”

“Will the hon. Member give way?”

“I take what the hon. Member says about pregnant mothers having to travel long distances. In my own constituency, pregnant mothers have to travel two weeks before their baby is due to another island where they are given an overnight allowance of some £50 or £60 in a tourism economy where beds cost £120—so they are havin…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Vaz. I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Livingston (Gregor Poynton) for securing this important debate. I join him in welcoming this record settlement of more than £4 billion for the Scottish Government, but I would not want Members to go away with the i…”

“Can I ask the hon. Member which taxes the SNP would raise?”

“Would the hon. Gentleman describe £50 million for Argyll and the Isles and £20 million for the Western Isles as a “disaster”?”

“I am sorry, Ms Vaz. On ferries, we welcome the very late arrival of the Glen Sannox and soon the Glen Rosa. A minor earthquake welcomed the Glen Sannox through the Sound of Mull as she made her test run. We are glad they are there, but that is only one ferry crisis; there is also the inter-island ferry crisis. The two …”

“Time is short, my friend, so I must press on.”

“I understand the hon. Gentleman’s passionate defence of his own position, but the truth is that, despite higher spending per head in Scotland, that money is inefficiently used on a massive management structure—boards upon boards and quangos upon quangos—that does not put patients first, as evidenced in the Western Isle…”

“I will give way. I would love to hear the hon. Gentleman’s excuses.”