GMB Scotland is urging all MSPs to support its campaign for a £15 an hour minimum wage for care workers.
In a letter to political party leaders ahead of a Scottish Parliamentary debate on the Independent Review of Adult Social Care this afternoon (Tuesday 16 February), the union calls on MSPs to grasp “a once in a generation opportunity to transform social care” by underpinning reforms with “proper value for the workers who will deliver it.”
The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport Jeane Freeman MSP will lead the debate for the Scottish Government and recommend the incoming Scottish parliament should implement the findings of the Independent Review “as quickly as practicable”, with opposition MSPs lining-up to back GMB’s pay increase plan for the sector.
The union’s ‘Fight for Fifteen’ campaign was launched following the publication of its sector report, ‘Show You Care: Voices from the frontline of Scotland’s broken social care sector’, which highlighted the significant challenges facing care workers before and during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
GMB Scotland’s Women’s Campaign Unit Organiser Rhea Wolfson said:“The recommendations of the independent review are a once in a generation opportunity to transform social care, but only if they are underpinned by proper value for the workers who will deliver them.
“The report is clear that every £1 spent on social care generates £2 for the wider economy, so if government and industry invest properly in this sector and its people, the effects could be transformative not just for workers and service users, but for society too.
“COVID-19 has exposed how poorly our care workers have been valued, a workforce of mainly low-paid and often exploited women who found themselves on the frontline of a crisis without proper safety or support.
“We owe them a huge debt and if we really want to put care on an equal footing with the NHS as the Cabinet Secretary suggests, then we have to back that up with the investment to match.
“Now is the time to be bold and today Holyrood can rise to the challenge. That’s why we are urging MSPs to stand with our members in care and support their campaign to fight for fifteen.”
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is warning that ongoing lockdown and coronavirus restrictions could be causing a spike in hallucinations due to sight loss.
Hallucinations due to sight loss are known as Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS), which is caused when the brain attempts to fill in gaps in visual information with invented images or patterns. The hallucinations vary from person to person and range from simple lights or patterns to complex images. They are often distressing.
The condition has now sparked interest from Britain’s longest running television soap, ‘Coronation Street’, with a storyline showing Weatherfield resident Johnny Connor, played by actor Richard Hawley, beginning to hallucinate cockroaches, cats and people. Although his symptoms are caused by sight loss, they are initially misidentified as a psychiatric issue.
Although there is little research into the condition, it is widely believed that at least third of all people with significant sight loss experience these symptoms, but it is often under-reported.
Over the last 12 months, the number of people calling RNIB’s Sight Loss Advice Service to report CBS has increased – with sharp peaks in calls corresponding with coronavirus restrictions. Last month, the number of calls about hallucinations increased by more than two-thirds (67 per cent) compared to January 2020, and accounted for more calls than any other condition.
Thelma Good, aged 70, from Biggar in South Lanarkshire, has experienced Charles Bonnet Syndrome for years after losing a large proportion of her sight due to glaucoma and cataracts.
She said: “I studied psychology at university, and we learned about Charles Bonnet Syndrome in my course. Because of this, although it would be years until I was officially diagnosed with the syndrome, I was able to understand why I was having hallucinations, I knew that it was related to my sight.
“One of the scary aspects for me is that when I cross the road my brain fills in the gaps in my vision with a clear road, which means that I can’t see approaching cars or cyclists. That can be really challenging and frightening, so it takes me a long time to cross roads.”
Dr Louise Gow, specialist lead for eye health at RNIB, said: “The increase in calls and emails we have received about CBS since lockdown has been dramatic. And the visions that are being reported are much more vivid than usual, which has left many people feeling particularly distressed – describing their hallucinations as ‘out of control’.
“It’s as though the stress and anxiety of coronavirus, and the resulting restrictions, has had an impact on people’s symptoms. Although there is currently no research to confirm such a link, it would seem stress and lack of stimulation can increase symptoms.”
To help people with the condition, RNIB has launched a new Talk and Support service specifically for people experiencing CBS. Created with CBS specialists Esme’s Umbrella.
Judith Potts, founder of Esme’s Umbrella said: “We launched Esme’s Friends, a telephone chat service, which has now joined RNIB’s Talk and Support Groups. The calls provide peer-support and new contacts, all of whom understand what it is like to live in a world of vivid, silent, visual hallucinations.
“The calls can be joined by carers and family members who are too often forgotten, but who also need support. Through Esme’s Friends, people living with CBS find they are part of a community which is developing its own voice.”
Dr Louise Gow added: “It is very worrying that awareness of CBS remains low, even among health and care professionals. We have heard of several instances where GPs have mistakenly referred patients to mental health services, rather than directing them to information about how to cope with CBS and ensuring that they see an eye health professional.
“If this happens, it is possible that the underlying vision issue causing the CBS is not treated and could worsen, resulting in further avoidable sight loss.
“While there is still a lot to learn about the condition, it’s more important than ever that health and care professionals are made aware of CBS. There is a range of support and advice available to help people living with the condition. But patients must first be diagnosed appropriately.”
Professor Mariya Moosajee, consultant ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital, said: “We are working hard to better understand CBS and how it can be managed.
“This includes a study to learn how common CBS is in children across the UK. We are hoping to start a study into deciphering the overall time period affected by visual hallucinations, as this will help us to provide a more accurate prognosis for patients to guide them on how long to expect them to occur.
“We would welcome further research on CBS to increase our understanding and would also encourage clinicians to ask their patients about CBS symptoms regularly.”
Anyone with sight loss who is experiencing visions or hallucinations – or any sudden change in their sight – should seek immediate help from an eye health professional or contact RNIB’s Helpline on 0303 123 9999.
Covid-19 still a major threat to call centre workers’ health
Workers call for more action to protect staff
Covid-19 still presents a major threat to contact centre workers and action needs to be taken to protect them, according to a letter from the STUC to the Scottish Government.
The letter is a response to the work of the Scottish Government’s Working Group for Contact Centres and urges them to audit Scottish call centres and ensure employers are following guidelines and revising risk assessments.
The letter comes after new variants of the disease have been confirmed and a major outbreak in DVLA Swansea confirms the danger presented in large workplaces. The letter argues that the conditions in sealed buildings with mechanical heating and ventilation systems magnify the problem.
The letter has the backing of Call Centre Collective- a trade union-backed grassroots organisation formed in response to the pandemic- who have organised a petition in support.
Craig Anderson from Call Centre Collective said: “The Scottish Government needs to listen and take active steps to protect workers. We know there are some employers cutting corners and taking unnecessary risks with the safety of their staff.
“It would be unforgivable, after seeing what happened in Swansea, if no lessons are learned from it. We urge anyone who with an interest in protecting workers to sign our petition supporting the STUC’s letter and keep up the pressure.”
Roz Foyer, STUC General Secretary, added, “Throughout this pandemic one of the largest sources of complaints to unions and MSPs has been from call centre workers.
“The new evidence on transmission and the risks inherent with new variants makes it absolutely essential that we see action now.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson gave this statement at the coronavirus press conference last night:
Today the national vaccination programme continues to power past the target we set six weeks ago with more than 15 million people vaccinated across the UK.
And once again I pay tribute to the astonishing efforts of everyone involved – the GPs, the nurses, the volunteers, the army and the pharmacists like Hardik Desai – who rallied local volunteers to vaccinate 3,000 people in his village hall in Ticehurst in Sussex, while keeping his pharmacy open – and of course I thank all of you who have come forward to be vaccinated.
This is an unprecedented national achievement but it’s no moment to relax and in fact it’s the moment to accelerate because the threat from this virus remains very real.
Yes, it’s true, we have vaccinated more than 90 per cent of those aged over 70 but don’t forget that 60 per cent of hospital patients with Covid are under 70.
And although the vaccination programme is going well, we still don’t have enough data about the exact effectiveness of the vaccines in reducing the spread of infection.
We have some interesting straws in the wind. We have grounds for confidence. But the vaccinations have only been running for a matter of weeks – and while we are learning the whole time – we don’t today have all the hard facts that we need.
And the level of infection remains very high, with more people still in hospital today than at the peak last April and admissions running at 1,600 a day.
So we have to keep our foot to the floor. And I can tell you today that the next million letters are landing on people’s mats right now, offering appointments to the over-65s and we are also contacting all those aged between 16 and 64 with underlying health conditions, as well as adult carers.
And if we can keep this pace up – and if we can keep supply steady – and I hope and believe we can – then we hope to offer a vaccination to everyone in the first nine priority groups – including everyone over 50 – by the end of April.
And at the same time we will be giving second doses to millions of the most vulnerable within twelve weeks of the first.
So this moment is a huge step forward but it’s only a first step.
And while it shows what the country can do we must be both optimistic but also patient.
And next week I will be setting out a roadmap saying as much as we possibly can about the route to normality even though some things are very uncertain.
Because we want this lockdown to be the last. And we want progress to be cautious but also irreversible.
So please continue to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.
The Help to Buy Scotland scheme may be discontinued, but this doesn’t mean first-time buyers are being left out in the cold. Barratt Homes is reassuring prospective homeowners that there is other help available for getting on the property ladder.
The First Home Fund is an alternative shared equity scheme offered by the Scottish Government that provides up to £25,000 to all first-time buyers towards the purchase of a home – great news for anyone hoping to make the move this year.
The property market can be challenging to navigate, particularly for those doing so for the first time, so Barratt Homes is reducing this stress by addressing some commonly asked questions and reassuring that the door to owning a property is still very much open.
Anne Ross, sales director for Barratt Homes East Scotland said: “We’re here to make the process of buying a dream home as easy as possible, and this includes sharing useful information about the funding options available.
“While the Help to Buy Scheme is discontinued, we’re here to remind people that the First Home Fund is available and that the journey to owning a home doesn’t have to stall.”
If the virus has shown us anything it’s that a comfortable home plays a big role in wellbeing. A new home is a decision not to be taken lightly – and considerations like flexible living spaces, travel connections and the surrounding area have taken on new meaning during the pandemic.
If you’re looking to buy in Edinburgh using the First Home Fund, Barratt Homes’ Mayburn Walk(below) offers a variety of three and four-bedroom homes in Loanhead, to the south of Edinburgh.
With quick access to the Edinburgh bypass, park and ride options and regular bus services, Mayburn Walk offers the chance to own a house and private garden without having to compromise on location.
A stone’s throw from the Pentland Hills, downtime can be spent exploring some of Scotland’s finest hillwalking trails, all within the local area.
Flexible living
We’re spending more time in our homes, and they really have become our sanctuaries. Every design decision made by Barratt has been carefully considered to get the most out of the space. Homes such as the three-bedroom Coull include open plan kitchen/dining spaces with direct garden access, separate lounge space and bright and open rooms that flood with natural light. Ideal for first time buyers, the third single bedroom can be transformed into a private work space, fitness area or hobby room.
Also available are homes in the stylish Bonnyton and Wemyss styles, which include ample storage and utility cupboards, two double bedrooms, a family bathroom and private gardens.
The numbers
Homes at Mayburn Walk are available through the First Home Fund – perfect for a professional couple looking to make their first move together in a house that will grow with them. You can buy with a 5% deposit, 75% mortgage and 20% interest-free equity government loan.
Prices start at £235,995, so your costs could look a bit like this:
Property price:
£235,995
Buyer depositMortgage
£11,800£199,195
Scottish Government loan:
£25,000
Barratt Homes’ First Home Fund Facts
When can I apply?
The First Home Fund shared equity scheme will re-open for applications on 1 April 2021 and run until 31 March 2022. The most awarded under the scheme to purchase a property is £25,000 but the Government will not charge any interest. Barratt Homes is currently taking reservations for homes under the First Home Fund scheme at Mayburn Walk.
I want to apply but where can I get professional advice?
We always recommend speaking to an independent financial advisor to help you navigate the market and ensure you’re getting the best mortgage deal for you. They’ll help you with your First Home Fund application.
Barratt’s expert sales advisors are on hand to help you choose a property that’s perfect for you, and can direct you to financial advisors in your community to guide you through the purchase.
How much of a deposit do I need?
You’ll typically need just 5% of the value of the property as a minimum, subject to lender requirements.
What other terms to I need to consider?
You’ll need to have secured a minimum mortgage of 25% of the property purchase price. In addition to this, the equity stake from the Scottish Government must not be more than 49% of the property value.
Is there a property price cap?
Unlike the Help to Buy Scheme, there is no cap on the property price, but of course buyers must ensure their ownership is sustainable and affordable for the long term.
For more information on Barratt Homes at Mayburn Walk, or for more advice on the First Home Fund, please visit the website.
50th ANNIVERSARY: Decimal currency was introduced in the UK on 15th February 1971
The Royal Mint has posted the mintage figures for the calendar year of 2019, providing the only official guide to the rarest coins in circulation.
In 2019 over 500 million coins were released into circulation, including three new 50 pence designs celebrating Arthur Conon Doyle’s iconic Sherlock Holmes, and Paddington the Bear at St Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London.
The figures were revealed ahead of the 50th anniversary of Decimalisation, which takes place today (15th February 2021) and saw the introduction of many of the coins used today.
The changeover inspired thousands of people to become coin collectors, and over the decades the 50 pence grew to become Britain’s most collectable coin.
The shape of the 50 pence made it the ideal canvas for special commemorative designs, and over 70 events, anniversaries and individuals have been celebrated on circulating 50 pence pieces.
The famous 2009 Kew Gardens 50p (top) remains the most coveted coin in circulation, with a mintage of just 210,000. Other rare designs include the 2011 Olympic 50p’s and the highly collectable Peter Rabbit 2018 coins.
The Royal Mint’s Director of UK Currency, Mark Loveridge, said: “The 50p was introduced as part of decimalisation and has grown to become Britain’s favourite coin. The innovate shape of the coin makes it perfect for commemorative designs, and over the years we’ve commemorated many iconic occasions, events and individuals on a 50p.
“Coin collecting remains as popular as ever, and we were delighted to release a number of special designs into circulation in 2019. The Kew Gardens remains the most coveted coin, with a mintage of just 210,000 but it’s always exciting to find a special design in your change. As we approach the 50th anniversary of decimalisation, we are proud that this iconic work of art remains in the nation’s pocket.”
In addition to making coins for the UK, The Royal Mint is also the world’s largest export mint and produced around three billion coins and blanks for 30 countries in 2019-20.
Rarest 50p designs released into circulation in 2019
THE Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is warning communities across Scotland to stay clear of frozen water as temperatures drop. The national service is urging the public to be aware of the risks of going onto or allowing children and pets to go onto the ice.
According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, more than 50 per cent of all drowning cases involving ice in the UK involved the attempted rescue of another person or a pet.
And SFRS is warning that while ice can look and feel solid, it can suddenly crack and cause a person to fall through and potentially become trapped under the ice.
DACO Alasdair Perry is SFRS’ Head of Prevention and Protection.
He said: “We would ask everyone to be aware of the dangers of ice during this cold snap and strongly advise against walking or playing on any iced-up waterways and always ensure that children are kept away from any iced over ponds or rivers.
“If you are out with your pet, do not throw sticks or balls near frozen water, and if they do get into trouble on the ice, do not venture onto the ice yourself to attempt a rescue – dial 999.
“The ice may look solid, but it is not worth the risk to step out on to it.”
The low temperature of the water can also bring on cold-water shock, which can be potentially deadly.
Cold-water shock can cause breathing difficulties, blood vessels to close, the heart-rate to increase and lead to a heart attack.
Michael Avril is the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s Regional Water Safety Lead for Scotland. He said: “Walking on ice is extremely risky and unpredictable and the RNLI advise that you avoid doing this. If you do fall through, the freezing water temperatures can bring on cold water shock.
“If you find yourself or someone else in trouble, dial 999 and ask for the fire service immediately. Do not attempt to rescue anyone yourself.”
Nobody should walk onto any frozen water, whether a river, pond, canal, or reservoir under any situation. Children and pets are particularly at risk when tempted to play on the ice formed on open water during cold weather.
Pets should be kept on leads when near frozen water and owners should refrain from throwing objects onto ice for them to retrieve.
If the worst happens, passers-by should shout reassurance to casualties without endangering themselves. Make sure help is on the way by phoning the emergency services on 999, don’t assume someone else will have called.
Do not walk or climb onto the ice to attempt a rescue and do not get into the water, or you may become the next casualty.
If someone can’t climb out of the water, it is not advisable, as many people think to move about in the water to keep warm while waiting for help. Instead, they should conserve their energy by keeping as still as possible.
The UK Government has been urged to hold firm on its commitment to boosting the minimum wage over the course of this parliament, in order to give low paid workers a much needed pay rise. But the government must also take wider measures to boost job quality and tackle poverty, and provide additional support for employers to adapt to higher minimum wage.
New research published by the Carnegie UK Trust and the Learning and Work Institute argues that despite the pandemic and the recession it has triggered, the ambitious minimum wage targets of the next four years are both deliverable and vital for low paid workers.
In 2019, the Government pledged to increase the National Living Wage – the legal minimum wage for workers aged 25 and over – to two thirds of median pay by 2024, and to extend this rate to workers aged 21 and over. Polling commissioned by Learning and Work Institute and Carnegie UK Trust shows that a majority of workers (66%) and businesses (54%) support the move.
The report argues that increases in the minimum wage must be part of awider mission to support ‘good work’ across the economy.
Polling of employers as part of the research found that 22% of employers with a high proportion of workers on low pay said they may respond to a higher wage floor by using more insecure job contracts, with 17% saying they would cut back on non-pay benefits. 12% of low pay employers said they may remove supervisory or managerial roles in response to a higher minimum wage, risking more ‘bunching’ of workers at or near the wage floor and making progression more challenging.
The report calls for the increase to the minimum wage to be part of a wider strategy for good work, including promoting sectoral collective agreements in low pay sectors, in order to agree common standards beyond the minimum wage.
While recent increases in the minimum wage have been successful in reducing the number of people on low pay, the number of people in in-work poverty has continued to rise.
This is in part because increases in the wage floor have been accompanied by cuts to in-work benefits for those on low incomes and with high living costs, which have pushed more working people into poverty. Any increases in the wage floor need to be accompanied by better support through the social security system, including through retaining the £20 uplift in Universal Credit which is due to end in April.
The report considers support needed to help employers who are hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic to adapt to the new wage floor.
It calls for a temporary re-balancing of employer national insurance contributions (NICs) as a transitional measure to support employers to adapt and minimise any risks to employment of a higher minimum wage.
Through both increasing the threshold at which employers start to pay NICs, and increasing the rate at which NICs are paid, government could reduce the tax burden on employers who are impacted by the increase, supporting them to adjust to higher wage costs, whilst protecting overall revenue for the Treasury.
Douglas White, Head of Advocacy at Carnegie UK Trust, said:“Good work has a vital role to play in supporting wellbeing – and decent pay is of fundamental importance. Many low pay workers have been on the frontline during the pandemic and we were pleased that November’s spending review confirmed a rise in the minimum wage.
“Our report sets out a path towards future sustainable minimum wage increases – providing support for employers as they recover from the pandemic and ensuring that workers receive the pay rise that they deserve and need.
“We also urge government to be ambitious in driving forward other crucial aspects of their good work agenda, including supporting workers to train and re-skill and making progress to build back a resilient labour market from the pandemic”.
Joe Dromey, deputy director of research and development at Learning and Work Institute and author of the report, said: “Government can still achieve its commitment to boosting the minimum wage, but this will be trickier after the pandemic. A temporary rebalancing of employer national insurance contributions would help businesses to adapt to a higher wage floor, minimising any potential job losses.
“While increasing the minimum wage would deliver a much-deserved pay rise to millions of low-paid workers, this alone will not tackle the scourge of in-work poverty. Government must ensure sufficient support through the social security system, starting by retaining the £20 increase in Universal Credit.”
We have published the final report in our series looking at the future of the minimum wage, and exploring its impact on workers, employers and the economy.
The UK’s minimum wage is widely regarded as a successful policy which has achieved broad political support over the last two decades, and successfully reduced extreme low pay without damaging employment.
Despite these successes, a rising minimum wage has not been enough to tackle in-work poverty.
And even before the pandemic inflicted severe pressures on the economy, there was a need to understand the ability of businesses to adapt to a higher wage floor, and ask whether changes made by employers to accommodate higher pay might compromise other important aspects of job quality, such as progression or terms and conditions.
Our report makes recommendations about the future path of the minimum wage, and sets out proposals for how an increased minimum wage can be delivered as part of a wider labour market strategy that promotes good work and tackles in-work poverty.
We would be delighted to hear your views on the ideas in the report.
You can get in touch with us on Twitter @CarnegieUKTrust, using the hashtag #MinimumWage or you can let us know your thoughts by emailing Gail Irvine, Senior Policy and Development Officer, ongail.irvine@carnegieuk.org.
New research by credit reference agency Equifax reveals that the financial uncertainty of 2020 means 85% of people in Scotland will change the way they manage their personal finances in the immediate and long-term future.
Although one third (34%) of Scots said 2020 brought greater financial uncertainty, 16% have entered this year feeling positive about their finances. 54% of those who experienced financial uncertainty in Scotland said they are now trying to be more frugal, compared to 46% of the wider UK.
Key data:
46% of residents in Scotland are trying to spend less disposable income each month
31% of Scots feel confident about their finances going into 2021 compared to just 19% of the UK as a whole
70% of 18-34-year-olds across the UK said 2020 brought them financial uncertainty, steadily decreasing across all age groups with only 11% of those aged 65 plus feeling the same
As a result, 63% of 18-34-year-olds plan to change the way they manage their money in the immediate future, with 32% starting to save or put money aside
52% of UK women compared to 38% of men who experienced financial uncertainty in 2020 said they will be more frugal in 2021
41% of UK women plan to ‘buy more things I need and less things I want’, compared to 33% of men
Lisa Hardstaff, Head of Customer Experience at Equifax commented: “Our latest research suggests vital personal finance lessons have been learned in this pandemic, and more people are looking to better manage their money.
“54% of those surveyed in Scotland said they are trying to be more frugal and it’s encouraging to see that 13% are proactively researching ways to manage their money. 19% of the region are also starting to put money aside and will be using spreadsheets and apps to help them budget.”
Despite the huge financial uncertainty of last year, the research revealed that 28% of residents in Scotland used credit less than they did in 2019. However, 14% used short-term ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ services for their online Christmas shopping.
Clare Seal, author of Real Life Money and frugality champion added: “One of the silver linings of last year is that as a nation we are now being more open about financial concerns and mental health issues. In fact, 8% of the region said they are proactively seeking more financial advice from family and friends.”
As the Christmas credit card bills land on people’s door mats, Equifax has a wide range of useful articles and tips in its Knowledge Centre. It also has an online budget planner that allows people to monitor their income against their outgoings, to help them take control of their finances now and in the future.
“A financial planner not only helps manage outgoings each month, it allows people to prioritise important financial commitments like mortgage payments, council tax, etc” concluded Lisa Hardstaff.
“It can also help to see where money can be saved, such as unused memberships or cutting back on food bills. If we are in the Year of Frugality have a clear view of all outgoings is essential.”
Holyrood needs to define more clearly its scrutiny role in response to Brexit, according to a new report to be discussed by the Finance & Constitution Committee this week.
A panel of fiscal, economic and constitutional experts says devolution is now much more complex, with its recent fiscal powers and post-Brexit changes, that the Scottish Parliament must change its approach to scrutiny after the 2021 election.
The panel recommends that to support this work a short, tightly focused independent review of the committee structure should be established, to report back to Parliament as soon as possible.
The focus of the review should be on committee remits in the next Parliament and should include consideration of the fiscal and Brexit-related issues raised by the experts, along with the legacy reports of other committees.
Holyrood’s Finance & Constitution Committee, who commissioned the expert panel’s analysis, will consider the findings this week.
Expert panel member Professor James Mitchell, University of Edinburgh said:“Devolution is now much more complex and challenging to understand with the powers of Scottish Ministers shared with UK Ministers in many significant policy areas.
“For example, in relation to income tax and in many policy areas previously within the competence of the EU. This means that the Parliament will need to be much more aware of how UK legislation impacts on devolved areas including the extent to which it constrains the powers of Scottish Ministers.
“At the same time the Parliament will need to continue to scrutinise policy developments at an EU level. Both in terms of the on-going impact of the UK-EU trade agreement on devolved areas and the extent to which the keeping pace power is used.”
Setting out the expert panel’s recommendations, Charlotte Barbour, Director of Taxation, The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland said:“The Panel’s view is that if there is to be meaningful scrutiny of Brexit-related developments, the Parliament cannot merely continue with the existing approach to its scrutiny function.
“The future scrutiny burden arising from Brexit is so great that if it is carried out in an ad-hoc manner it is unlikely that it will be done effectively.
“Instead, a more systematic and carefully planned approach is required, albeit with a need for flexibility in order to react to changing circumstances. The Panel, therefore, recommends that Parliament in consultation with the Scottish Government needs to clearly define its scrutiny role in response to Brexit.
“To support this work, we propose that a short and tightly focused independent review of the committee structure should be established forthwith and report to the Parliament as soon as practically possible.
“The focus of the review should be on committee remits in the next Parliament and should include consideration of the issues raised in this report and the legacy reports of other committees.
“The review findings should help to inform the agreement of the committee structure and committee remits for Session 6.”
The expert panel also made recommendations for the committee that will succeed the Finance & Constitution Committee after the May 2021 election:
• The Panel’s view is that there is likely to be an increased demand for parliamentary time to consider tax legislation and therefore the ongoing work of the Devolved Taxes Legislative Working Group should be an early priority in Session 6.
• The Panel agreed the successor committee should explore how COVID-19 has impacted the taxation system and consider options for a restructuring of the taxes which are devolved including a human-rights based approach. The Panel recommends that this inquiry should be a priority for the successor committee.
Finance & Constitution Committee Convener Bruce Crawford MSP said: “The calibre of our expert panel speaks volumes. I welcome this insightful, authoritative analysis.
“There is much for our committee and the rest of the Parliament to consider. I am sure it will be influential on the establishment of committees in the new Parliament.”
• The devolution of further powers through the Scotland Act 2016, following the recommendations of the Smith Commission. • The operation of the UK/Scottish Government’s Fiscal Framework including in response to COVID-19. • The constitutional impact of Brexit on devolution.
The panel members, in alphabetical order, are:
• Charlotte Barbour, Director of Taxation, The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland • Douglas Fraser, Business & Economy Editor, BBC Scotland • Professor Michael Keating, Centre on Constitutional Change • Professor James Mitchell, University of Edinburgh • Christine O’Neill QC, Chairman, Brodies LLP • Mairi Spowage, Deputy Director, Fraser of Allander Institute • Mark Taylor, Audit Director Audit Scotland • Dr Hannah White, Deputy Director, Institute of Government.
They were joined by Professor Tom Mullen, Professor Kenneth Armstrong and David Phillips who are Advisers to the Finance & Constitution Committee. Dr Jim Johnston, Clerk to the Committee, chaired the panel and support was provided by parliament officials.
Find more information about the Finance & Constitution Committee here.
