Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 09 March 2011
09 Mar 2011 · S3 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Employment Services (Edinburgh)
I do not have time.
The Government recognises the importance of the Capital City Partnership and I and John Swinney have been working closely with the City of Edinburgh Council, particularly with Tom Buchanan, to identify areas in which additional funding can be obtained from other Government and non-Government sources to allow the partnership to continue with its good work. However, there is an issue around the transition from the current situation to the new situation in which the partnership will concentrate on leveraging in funding from elsewhere and making maximum use of the additional national programme money that I have outlined.
I am sure that Parliament recognises that we have difficult budgetary decisions to make. The fact is that money is very tight. I hear Robin Harper when he says that £2.3 million is not a lot in the great scheme of things, but when that £2.3 million is added to all the other amounts in the budget, it does not take long to come to a very substantial figure. However, we recognise the need to ensure that the partnership gets through the transitional period to the point of being able to identify other sources of funding to allow it to continue its good work.
Therefore, I am delighted to announce this afternoon that we have agreed to the council’s request for transitional funding of more than £700,000 for next year to help it to plan the future of employment services in the city in a sustainable way. On that basis, I hope that we will all be able to move forward positively, working together for the young people and the wider population of Edinburgh, to help this great city to grow again in the way that it can and should.
The Government recognises the importance of the Capital City Partnership and I and John Swinney have been working closely with the City of Edinburgh Council, particularly with Tom Buchanan, to identify areas in which additional funding can be obtained from other Government and non-Government sources to allow the partnership to continue with its good work. However, there is an issue around the transition from the current situation to the new situation in which the partnership will concentrate on leveraging in funding from elsewhere and making maximum use of the additional national programme money that I have outlined.
I am sure that Parliament recognises that we have difficult budgetary decisions to make. The fact is that money is very tight. I hear Robin Harper when he says that £2.3 million is not a lot in the great scheme of things, but when that £2.3 million is added to all the other amounts in the budget, it does not take long to come to a very substantial figure. However, we recognise the need to ensure that the partnership gets through the transitional period to the point of being able to identify other sources of funding to allow it to continue its good work.
Therefore, I am delighted to announce this afternoon that we have agreed to the council’s request for transitional funding of more than £700,000 for next year to help it to plan the future of employment services in the city in a sustainable way. On that basis, I hope that we will all be able to move forward positively, working together for the young people and the wider population of Edinburgh, to help this great city to grow again in the way that it can and should.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Alex Fergusson)
NPA
We come to a members’ business debate on motion S3M-7806, in the name of Sarah Boyack, on Edinburgh employment services facing a funding cut. The debate will...
Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab)
Lab
I thank colleagues for supporting my motion and for ensuring that the issue is raised properly in Parliament.We are in the middle of a recession, and the sit...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
The debate must conclude by 5 minutes past 2.13:29
Shirley-Anne Somerville (Lothians) (SNP)
SNP
I congratulate Sarah Boyack on lodging her motion and allowing MSPs to discuss this important issue for Edinburgh. However, we need to put the debate into so...
Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab)
Lab
One of my favourite quotes from the economist Keynes is:“Take care of employment and the budget will take care of itself.”That is an oversimplification, but ...
Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD)
LD
I add my thanks to Sarah Boyack for securing this important debate. I also thank the unions, the partnership workforce, the people from the connected service...
Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green)
Green
I thank Sarah Boyack for bringing the topic to the chamber for debate.I ask the Government to think carefully about what will happen about four years down th...
Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP)
SNP
I, too, very much welcome the debate and congratulate Sarah Boyack on securing it. She was my political opponent in the first Scottish parliamentary election...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I call Margo MacDonald, after which I will ask the minister to wind up the debate.13:52
Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind)
Ind
I will take as short a time as possible, Presiding Officer.
The Presiding Officer
NPA
You can take just about as long as you like.
Margo MacDonald
Ind
Are you feeling well, Presiding Officer? Gosh, things have changed—and I thought it was all the same.
The Presiding Officer
NPA
You have up to five minutes, Ms MacDonald.
Margo MacDonald
Ind
I want to support most of what has been said by my Edinburgh colleagues, in particular Dr McKee and Malcolm Chisholm, and Robin Harper—och, I may as well chu...
The Minister for Housing and Communities (Alex Neil)
SNP
I congratulate Sarah Boyack on securing the debate and on the tone that she adopted in introducing it, and I pay tribute to the work of Tom Buchanan, the cha...
Margo MacDonald
Ind
I greatly appreciate the effort that has been made on apprenticeships, but many of the schemes that the motion refers to are ones that are needed to prepare ...
Alex Neil
SNP
I am coming to that. The apprenticeships are extremely important because, no matter how much preparation young people do, if the apprenticeships and jobs are...
Robin Harper
Green
Will the minister take an intervention?
Alex Neil
SNP
I do not have time.I recognise the importance of the Edinburgh Capital City Partnership. Edinburgh will benefit substantially from the additional measures th...
Margaret Smith
LD
Will the minister give way?
Alex Neil
SNP
I do not have time.The Government recognises the importance of the Capital City Partnership and I and John Swinney have been working closely with the City of...