Hansard

Sandra White SNP Chamber

24 Mar 2021

Portfolio Question Time · Gaelic-medium Education (Glasgow)

I thank the cabinet secretary for that very encouraging answer. It is my understanding that Glasgow City Council has 140 GME places available; however, 170 applications have been received to date. That is extremely encouraging, but will be disappointing for some. Can the cabi...

2. Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) SNP Chamber

24 Mar 2021

Portfolio Question Time · Gaelic-medium Education (Glasgow)

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Glasgow City Council regarding the provision of Gaelic-medium education. (S5O-05139)

Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) SNP Chamber

24 Mar 2021

First Minister’s Question Time · Tuition Fees

Tuition fees in England and Wales have been mired in broken promises. Instead of keeping fees low, the Tories have bumped them up, making it much harder for students from deprived backgrounds and areas to access higher education. If the First Minister is re-elected, will she c...

Sandra White SNP Committee

23 Mar 2021

Retiring MSPs

As David Stewart has done, I would like to praise everyone on the committee and also David Cullum, the clerks and the Scottish Parliament information centre. The information that they have given us has been fantastic. Aside from its convener and its members, a committee is onl...

Sandra White SNP Committee

23 Mar 2021

European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018

Obviously, the statutory instrument comes in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Have there been full discussions on how non-infectious health threats, such as antimicrobial resistance, will be managed and considered?

Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) SNP Committee

23 Mar 2021

European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018

You mentioned in your opening statement that health security is a devolved matter; you referred to it in answer to the convener’s questions. You mentioned that the framework is not yet available, but will be. In answer to David Torrance, you said that the exact form of public ...

Sandra White SNP Committee

16 Mar 2021

European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018

Okay—I am content with that, as long as the issue is highlighted.

Sandra White SNP Committee

16 Mar 2021

European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018

We need to keep an eye on these things. If we were to agree to the instrument and something came up in the SI—David Cullum did not know the answer to my second question—could we rectify any of the issues retrospectively, or would there be nothing that we could do?

Sandra White SNP Committee

16 Mar 2021

European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018

I am sorry, convener—I think that the instrument is being laid at Westminster on 21 March. As you know, I always raise these matters in relation to the SIs.

Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) SNP Committee

16 Mar 2021

European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018

I seek some clarification on several points. I thank the clerks who have written the briefing paper on the instrument, because the subject is quite complicated. Paragraph 3 of the letter to you, convener, which is at annex A of our paper, states: “Please note, we are yet to h...

Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) SNP Chamber

16 Mar 2021

Global Capital Investment Plan

In response to an earlier question, the minister mentioned GDP, which we know is not the only measure of economic success. In my mind, the recognition of wellbeing economies, which is shared by Scotland, New Zealand, Ireland and Wales, is of paramount importance. How will the ...

Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) SNP Chamber

11 Mar 2021

Redress for Survivors (Historical Child Abuse in Care) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

I am not a member of the Education and Skills Committee, but I thank committee members and the clerks for speaking to me when I was pursuing an issue. I will speak to amendments 5 and 5A. Daniel Johnson referred to the need for clarification, and I am pleased that Jamie Green...

Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) SNP Chamber

10 Mar 2021

Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

I want to touch on amendments 1, 34 and 11. The speeches from Johann Lamont and Joan McAlpine were absolutely excellent. Freedom of expression is for everyone—that is an important part of the bill. I, too, was a bit concerned about judicial issues and going to court. Howeve...

Sandra White SNP Committee

09 Mar 2021

Subordinate Legislation

Good afternoon, cabinet secretary. I have a couple of questions about the testing regime. In answer to Donald Cameron, you mentioned the operational challenges relating to managed isolation and the “testing package”, as you called it. PCR tests are conducted on the second and ...

Sandra White SNP Committee

09 Mar 2021

Drugs Policy

I completely understand what you say about women in particular. In Glasgow, it is very difficult for women to continue a course of rehabilitation if they have children. There has to be a choice. As you say, there is a lot of unmet need in terms of aftercare. How would you eval...

Sandra White SNP Committee

09 Mar 2021

Drugs Policy

You mentioned pathways. We know that a good practice guide on pathways into and out of residential rehabilitation is currently being developed. You also mentioned some of the work that has been taking place, and the money that is there. Can you elaborate on that, and on the de...

Sandra White SNP Committee

09 Mar 2021

Drugs Policy

I have some questions on the residential rehabilitation working group’s recommendations, which were published on 4 December. You mentioned residential places and on-going treatment. Are there timescales for meeting all the recommendations? I know that they are comprehensive. H...

Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) SNP Committee

09 Mar 2021

Drugs Policy

First, I note that men represent 69 per cent of drug deaths in Scotland, which is very worrying. Secondly, prescription drugs are a huge issue in Glasgow and other areas. Have you looked at targeting males and at the issues around prescription drugs?

Sandra White SNP Chamber

09 Mar 2021

Topical Question Time · Covid-19 Restrictions (Discussions with Police Scotland)

I completely understand what the cabinet secretary says about police officers. They are human beings as well, and they are a part of the community. However, what people cannot understand is the operational matter. I hope that the independent scrutiny will come up with some ans...

Sandra White SNP Chamber

09 Mar 2021

Topical Question Time · Covid-19 Restrictions (Discussions with Police Scotland)

I heard from the chief constable about an hour ago. He said that he was passing on my request for a meeting to a sergeant. I am pleased that Police Scotland has taken on board what I and many others have been asking for. However, I would go further and ask for an investigation...

1. Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) SNP Chamber

09 Mar 2021

Topical Question Time · Covid-19 Restrictions (Discussions with Police Scotland)

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Police Scotland regarding the incidents at George Square and Glasgow city centre at the weekend, including what safeguards will be put in place to ensure that Covid-19 restrictions are followed and there is no rep...

Sandra White SNP Chamber

03 Mar 2021

Scotland’s Recovery

When we talk about GERS, fiscal autonomy and so on, the GERS figures are based on belonging to the UK. They do not take into account Scotland being independent and what we could do then. That seems to go under the radar, but it should be at the top. GERS is not a true statemen...

Sandra White SNP Chamber

03 Mar 2021

Scotland’s Recovery

Thank you, Presiding Officer. I pay tribute to everyone who has spoken in the debate—such as my colleagues David Stewart and Lewis Macdonald—and everyone who will speak after me. The speeches have been absolutely fantastic. As someone who has been here since 1999, and who was...

Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) SNP Chamber

03 Mar 2021

Scotland’s Recovery

It is my last speech. As far as I know, I do not have any other speeches.

Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) SNP Chamber

03 Mar 2021

Scotland’s Recovery

I ask Monica Lennon to answer the question that John Mason asked. Also, can she tell Parliament why Labour did not support the inclusion of employment law in the Smith commission’s recommendations, even though the STUC and the Scottish National Party supported it?

Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) SNP Chamber

03 Mar 2021

Primary Care

I, too, take this opportunity to thank quite a few people. I thank the committee clerks, who have already been mentioned and who worked hard during the inquiry. Committee members, regardless of party, worked well together. We may have disagreed on some matters, but we came to ...

Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) SNP Chamber

03 Mar 2021

Portfolio Question Time · Scottish Child Payment

Making people aware of the new payment is very important, as others have said. The cabinet secretary mentioned that the Government has contacted potential applicants who are receiving benefits. Is there any other way that the Government can make people aware that the new benef...

Sandra White SNP Committee

02 Mar 2021

Section 23 Report

My last question is about the staff who have come through the pandemic. Obviously, they have faced a lot of pressure and stress. Have you identified any long-term planning to support those staff, who have been through such a traumatic time?

Sandra White SNP Committee

02 Mar 2021

Section 23 Report

I will write that down.

Sandra White SNP Committee

02 Mar 2021

Section 23 Report

When we held our inquiry, we heard from the general public that they preferred services being provided closer to home to having to go to the big hospitals. That gels with what you said. We are talking about workforce planning reform. Have you been able to identify any specifi...

Sandra White SNP Committee

02 Mar 2021

Section 23 Report

In your opinion, what priorities should the Scottish Government put forward for the recovery and reshaping of the health service?

Sandra White SNP Committee

02 Mar 2021

Section 23 Report

Good morning, everyone—it is still morning at this time. I want to ask about the remobilisation and staffing of the health service. I think that you have answered some of my questions—if you have, you can say so. I thank you for your report; perhaps some of the answers to my q...

Sandra White SNP Committee

02 Mar 2021

Covid-19 Health Protection Travel Regulations

I was interested to hear Mark Johnston’s reply with regard to the different guidance from the different nations. We have a four-nations approach. It would surely be prudent, therefore, for each nation to be able to set out its guidance and the way that it wants to do things, i...

Sandra White SNP Committee

02 Mar 2021

Covid-19 Health Protection Travel Regulations

I mentioned the newspaper coverage of what happened in Melbourne in Australia and the situation in Scotland. Basically, people felt that they were being treated as if they were in prison, because there are G4S security guards in prisons, too. I remember Jason Leitch saying tha...

Sandra White SNP Committee

02 Mar 2021

Covid-19 Health Protection Travel Regulations

Sorry, convener—I have a follow-up question. I thought that Devi Sridhar could answer it.

Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) SNP Committee

02 Mar 2021

Covid-19 Health Protection Travel Regulations

Good morning, everyone, and thank you for coming along today. I want to explore in slightly more detail the issues with the contracted security staff. We know that there is a four-nations approach and that the UK Government is responsible for isolation, quarantine and securit...

Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) SNP Chamber

25 Feb 2021

First Minister’s Question Time · Prisons (Face-to-Face Teaching)

The First Minister mentioned earlier the rapid spread of Covid in prisons. What guidance has been issued to lecturing staff on the return to face-to-face teaching in the Scottish Prison Service to ensure their health and safety?

Sandra White SNP Chamber

24 Feb 2021

Local Government Funding

I will do so, Presiding Officer. I welcome the fact that the Scottish Government is working with COSLA and the local governance review.

Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) SNP Chamber

24 Feb 2021

Local Government Funding

I thank Annie Wells for bringing the debate to the chamber. Like Patrick Harvie, I believe that the motion on fair funding for local government is very important, and I wish that our debating time could be longer. I agree with Willie Rennie’s points on subsidiarity and having...

Sandra White SNP Committee

23 Feb 2021

Social Care Inquiry

That important point neatly brings me on to my last question, which Eddie Fraser might want to respond to. The review says that commissioning and procurement decisions should be down to a person’s needs rather than to budget limitations. How might the review’s recommendation o...

Sandra White SNP Committee

23 Feb 2021

Social Care Inquiry

Self-directed support and the human rights-based approach came up in both the answers. As organisations and individuals, how would the witnesses want to be involved in local discussions about the eligibility criteria and how those would be applied? Would you want to be involve...

Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) SNP Committee

23 Feb 2021

Social Care Inquiry

Good morning. Like Dave Stewart, I give my apologies for not being here at the beginning of the meeting. I was in the same urgent meeting as him. Thank you for the opportunity to ask a couple of questions. I will not go through the whole review. The review mentions person-cen...

Sandra White SNP Chamber

17 Feb 2021

First Minister’s Question Time · Child Poverty

I thank the First Minister for that reply and the very good news about the Scottish child payment, which has been hailed by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation as “more needed than ever”. However, the Tories at Westminster will not commit to maintaining the £20 uplift to universal ...

5. Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) SNP Chamber

17 Feb 2021

First Minister’s Question Time · Child Poverty

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to tackle child poverty. (S5F-04830)

Sandra White SNP Committee

16 Feb 2021

Budget Scrutiny 2021-22

Thank you.

Sandra White SNP Committee

16 Feb 2021

Budget Scrutiny 2021-22

This is my final question. Will the Scottish Government commit to providing more timely information on the allocation of any additional Covid-related funding in 2021-22 to support parliamentary scrutiny?

Sandra White SNP Committee

16 Feb 2021

Budget Scrutiny 2021-22

Thank you for that explanation. I am concerned about the historical issue of general practices, as private businesses, not being able to share that data, and I wonder whether that will need legislation. I will leave it there for the moment. Have any efficiencies been identifi...

Sandra White SNP Committee

16 Feb 2021

Budget Scrutiny 2021-22

Thank you for that very full response. You mentioned community hubs. I was surprised and concerned that the workload and output of GPs are not measured and that the Scottish Government does not hold data on GP throughput or activity. What plans does the Scottish Government h...

Sandra White SNP Committee

16 Feb 2021

Budget Scrutiny 2021-22

I have a small follow-up question. I know that there is a debate this afternoon in which this and various other issues will be covered. Guidance that was issued in December 2020 talked about the Scottish Government continuing to work with stakeholders to determine the support...

Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) SNP Committee

16 Feb 2021

Budget Scrutiny 2021-22

With reference to allocating Covid-19 funds, what lessons have been learned in the course of the pandemic so far? How is that influencing funding decisions for 2021-22 and beyond? In particular, how does that affect the movement of funding to social care?

Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) SNP Chamber

16 Feb 2021

Adult Social Care (Independent Review)

I, too, very much welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate. I will begin by being positive—it is a positive review—so who better to quote than the chair of the review, Derek Feeley. He said: “there is much about adult social care support in Scotland that is ground-break...

Sandra White SNP Chamber

11 Feb 2021

Portfolio Question Time · Local Authority Funding (Covid-19)

I am sorry, Presiding Officer. My connection froze earlier and I did not hear all of the cabinet secretary’s reply. However, I thank her for mentioning the additional funding and local authority spending powers, which are welcome. Will she provide an update on the value of the...

2. Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) SNP Chamber

11 Feb 2021

Portfolio Question Time · Local Authority Funding (Covid-19)

To ask the Scottish Government what additional funding it will make available to local authorities in response to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. (S5O-04994)

Sandra White SNP Committee

09 Feb 2021

Budget Scrutiny 2021-22

I am sorry about the video; the connection is not great here. Maybe it is good that you cannot see me, I do not know. I understand that reply and I thank the cabinet secretary for the paper that she sent to us last night, which included some answers to my questions, which I wi...

Sandra White SNP Committee

09 Feb 2021

Budget Scrutiny 2021-22

I will ask a couple of questions on medium-term financial planning and commitments. What impact has the pandemic had on the forecasts and assumptions that are set out in the medium-term health and social care financial framework?

Sandra White SNP Committee

09 Feb 2021

Subordinate Legislation

Thank you.

Sandra White SNP Committee

09 Feb 2021

Subordinate Legislation

I certainly took a great deal of interest, as did members of the public, in the type B pre-death procedure. It came as news to me, not being a medical professional, and I think that the committee did a good job of looking into the situation. I am happy with what the minister ...

Sandra White SNP Committee

09 Feb 2021

Subordinate Legislation

I apologise: my internet went down for a couple of minutes. I have a follow-up question. How will those travellers be identified? Will people who are getting on a flight be asked questions? Will they fill in something to say that they are travelling on from Heathrow, for inst...

Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) SNP Committee

09 Feb 2021

Subordinate Legislation

Good morning, cabinet secretary. I have some questions on quarantine hotels, if that is what we are calling them. I acknowledge what you have said about the JBC highlighting the need to reduce the risks. To my mind, we should have locked down international travel a lot earlier...

Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) SNP Committee

02 Feb 2021

Scottish Ambulance Service

Good morning. I thank the ambulance service, the paramedics and everyone who has been involved in providing support not only during the Covid pandemic but previously. I want to ask about response times, although you might have answered some of my questions already. The targ...