Tag: opposition

Holyrood agrees general principles of National Care Service Bill

Bill ‘not fit for purpose’ say unions

Legislation which will see the introduction of a National Care Service for Scotland (NCS) has passed Stage 1 in Parliament.

MSPs have voted for the general principles of the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill which will ensure greater transparency in the delivery of community health and social care, improve standards, strengthen the role of the workforce and provide better support for unpaid carers.

The proposals include establishing a National Care Service Charter, rights to breaks for carers and provisions to enact Anne’s Law so people in care homes have the right to be visited by their families.

Social Care Minister Maree Todd said: “We need long-term, widespread transformation to fix some of the ingrained issues within the system and ensure sustainability for the future. 

“We have spent considerable time working with people with lived experience on how to reform social care for the better. I’m grateful to the thousands of people who have lent their voices and I am determined to ensure the Bill delivers the positive change needed.

“Today’s vote shows that the Scottish Parliament also recognises this and I am grateful to them for bringing us one step closer to this urgent reform.

“This Bill is the biggest public sector reform since devolution and it is our chance to make meaningful change that we all agree is needed to the social care system. I know the people of Scotland will see huge benefits.”

Scotland’s largest trade union bodies have condemned the Scottish Government’s proposed National Care Service Bill as ‘not fit for purpose’ as MSPs approve the legislation at Stage 1.

The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) alongside the three biggest social care unions in Scotland – UNISON, GMB SCOTLAND and UNITE – have written to the Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care Neil Gray outlining their shared concerns on the Bill.

The letter states that social care workers’ concerns have been ‘widely ignored’ by the Scottish Government and that, at this stage of proceedings, the Bill as drafted remains ‘firmly unacceptable’.

Last week the Scottish Parliament’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee’s report into Stage 1 drew criticism from trade unions who outlined the ‘glaring deficiencies’ of the proposals on costs and operation of the service.

Commenting, STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer said: “It beggars belief that, despite repeated warnings to the Scottish Government, Scotland’s social care workers are still in the dark on the basic fundamentals of the new National Care Service.

“Our social care sector already suffers from insecure conditions and low pay. We cannot risk those weaknesses being carried over into any new system of nationalised care.

“We must see the Scottish Government take seriously the recommendations of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee’s report into the Bill. This would include improving pay, terms and conditions for social care staff, including a £15 per hour minimum wage. We also need to see Scottish Government guarantees on Fair Work and sectoral bargaining in addition to full sick pay from day one of employment.

“Our social care staff are the lifeblood of our system. We value their work and it’s high time the Scottish Government does likewise.”

COSLA: “SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS” ON NATIONAL CARE SERVICE PLANS

Speaking ahead of the Stage 1 debate for the National Care Service Bill in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 29th February, Councillor Paul Kelly, COSLA’s Health & Social Care Spokesperson, commented: “Councils have expressed significant concerns regarding current National Care Service plans and believe there is still work to do to ensure proposals can meet aspirations.

“In particular, Council Leaders are disappointed in the decision of the Scottish Government to continue to push through legislation where a power will be given to Ministers to delegate children and justice services, despite the potential disruption to services and extensive negotiations and concessions from Local Government.

“Council Leaders remain concerned that such a move risks excessive centralisation of decision-making away from local people and areas. Leaders did agree that COSLA should continue to work closely with Scottish Government to address these concerns.

“COSLA welcomes the progress which has been made in reforming some National Care Service proposals, including that local authorities will continue to play a central role in the delivery of, and accountability for care.

“There is a pressing need to improve people’s experiences of accessing and delivering care in Scotland. Although legislative and governance reform may be part of that, the reality is that national funding decisions – including the proposed council tax freeze which has not been fully funded – will further squeeze local care and social work services which are already under incredible pressure.

“Investment in social care must be seen as a priority which can enhance the wellbeing of people, of society and of Scotland.”

Having passed Stage One, the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill moves into Stage 2 where amendments will be considered by the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee before Stage 3, when the full Parliament makes a final vote on whether to pass the Bill.

Campaigners say Deposit Return Scheme must start without delay

DEPOSIT RETURN SCHEME: INDUSTRY AND UK GOVERNMENT MUST SUPPORT SCOTLAND’S ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS

Environmental campaigners have said that Scotland’s deposit return scheme should be delivered without any more unnecessary delay.

After 5 years of planning, Scotland’s deposit return scheme is due to launch on 16 August 2023. With the UK Government recently announcing its plans for DRS in England and Wales and calls for more clarity from the industry led scheme administrator, Circularity Scotland, there have been calls to delay Scottish plans.

The deposit return scheme will work by people paying a 20p deposit when they buy a drink in a single-use container made of plastic, metal or glass. When the containers are returned, this provides a guaranteed source of high-quality materials for recycling.

The scheme also makes sure producers take full financial and environmental responsibility for the proper collection of their packaging. The Scottish Government has engaged with businesses of all sizes and addressed many of their concerns throughout the development of the scheme.

Kim Pratt, circular economy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland said: “Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme must start on time in August 2023.

“Businesses in Scotland have had five years to prepare for DRS and many of them will already be familiar with how these schemes operate in other countries. It’s time for Circularity Scotland, the industry-led scheme administrator, to deliver the planned DRS to the people of Scotland without delay.

“While it is encouraging that the UK Government has committed to its own scheme, it should not be seeking to slow down environmental progress in the devolved nations. Politicians should be seizing this opportunity to take urgent action to combat waste and move to a more circular economy.

“Suggestions that DRS will cost consumers are irresponsible – like existing deposit return schemes in other countries, it will be simple for customers to claim their 20p deposit back from any shop participating in the scheme.”

Dr Kat Jones, Director of APRS, which has been running the Have You Got The Bottle? campaign since 2014, said: “We have seen the support among the Scottish public for deposit return since the outset of the campaign.

“This scheme works well in other countries where it has reduced the litter we see in our towns and countryside, cut carbon emissions, and resulted in savings for local authorities. However, the scheme has been delayed twice in response to industry foot dragging.

“We are all trying to do our bit to reduce waste, but the onus should be on the large companies creating the issue. Deposit return schemes work to shift responsibility for waste back to the companies creating it and away from the environment and society. We need industry to work with the Scottish Government in order to create a scheme that works for businesses, communities, and the environment.”

Catherine Gemmell, Scotland Conservation Officer for the Marine Conservation Society said: “Scotland’s seas cannot, and should not, be paying the price for our waste.

“Marine Conservation Society volunteers have been picking up cans and bottles for decades on beaches, but we need to put a stop to them getting there in the first place. During last year’s Great British Beach Clean, 93% of Scottish beaches surveyed found drinks-related litter.

“We know Deposit Return Schemes have huge potential to turn the tide on this kind of pollution. Circularity Scotland need to implement the Scheme in August, for the benefit of both people and planet.”

THERE ARE ONGOING CONCERNS, HOWEVER …

Tackling Child Poverty: Third Year Progress Report published

Record £978 million committed to help deliver change

Investment of almost £1 billion to tackle child poverty in the last financial year has been welcomed by Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison.

She has also pledged to bring forward “game changing” policies as she called for society to unite to eradicate child poverty in Scotland.

Ms Robison was speaking as she detailed the findings of the third progress report on Tackling Child Poverty. She said: “The report highlights our investment in low income families with children continued to grow as we sought to offer support during the pandemic.

“Direct support to families with children rose to more than £978 million in 2020-21 – including £118 million in response to COVID-19.

“This was part of almost £2.5 billion invested to support low income households, including more than £434 million of COVID-related investment in social assistance.

“The report also shows that all 66 of the actions we have previously reported on are either in progress or being delivered.

“We have made considerable progress over the first three years of this plan, but further action is needed.

“We must continue to deliver at the pace and scale with which we responded to the pandemic.

“We must work across government and with wider society to bring forward the game-changing policies needed to deliver on our ambition to eradicate child poverty.”

Ms Robison highlighted a range of important supports introduced in the last 12 months. These include:

  • Scottish Child Payment for eligible children aged under six, with thousands of families already benefitting from an additional £40 every four weeks
  • Investment of more than £56 million in the free school meal provision for low income families during school closures, periods of online learning and school holidays
  • The distribution of Pandemic Support Payments, with £100 paid in spring and a further £100 being paid around the start of the summer holidays. This is part of a £520 package this year, benefitting around 145,000 children and young people from low income households

Ms Robison added: “We have always been clear that delivering upon the child poverty targets will be incredibly challenging, especially given the limited powers available to this Parliament.

“The Covid pandemic will make reducing poverty that much harder. However, we are serious about ending child poverty in Scotland and have committed a wide range of actions to do just that.”

Lothian MSP Miles Briggs asked Shona Robison, the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government, what plans the Scottish Government has to make sure we see an end to households with children and pregnant women living in temporary accommodation – and how this will be prioritised during this Parliament.

The number of children in temporary accommodation in Edinburgh has risen to 1,750 as of 30th September 2020, 245 children more than 30 September 2019, when 1,505 children were in temporary accommodation, an increase of 16%.

Across Scotland there are 7,900 children in temporary accommodation, with Edinburgh making up 22% of all children in temporary accommodation.

The number of children living in temporary accommodation has increased over the last two years, with 1,190 children living in temporary accommodation on 30 September 2018, increasing to 1,750 on 30 September 2020.

The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government said that reducing the number of children in temporary accommodation would be one of her top priorities.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “We all know that a safe and stable home is vital for a child’s wellbeing and development. After 14 years of this SNP Government the situation is getting worse and worse, especially here in the Capital.

“No child should be without a secure home and it is unacceptable that the number of children in temporary accommodation is increasing year on year under this SNP Government.

“It is concerning that we are seeing a significant increase in the Capital. The underfunding of Edinburgh City Council by SNP Ministers must be addressed if we are to address the crisis in housing we are seeing running out of control in Edinburgh.”

Leave Leith alone!

STAND UP FOR LEITH: Leith Central CC to oppose ‘invasive’ development

Another invasive development could be coming to Leith Walk. If you live in Leith and want to make your voice heard, please attend the Leith Central Community Council meeting on Monday 19th March. We need to strongly and visibly oppose this.  Continue reading Leave Leith alone!