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Every contribution to the Official Report — chamber and committee — searchable in one place. Pulled from data.parliament.scot, indexed for full-text search, linked through to every MSP.

129
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415
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2,096,158
Hansard contributions
1999–2026
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Official Report

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Showing 60 of 2,096,158 contributions. Latest 30 days: 3,357. Coverage: 12 May 1999 — 10 Jun 2026.
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
16 Mar 2016
Subordinate Legislation
First, I welcome the fact that the minister has brought forward this SSI. At every stage, I have said that I support it. I do not wish to interrupt the pilot—I think that starting it is important. The minister says that he will keep the evaluation under review, and I hope that...
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
16 Mar 2016
Subordinate Legislation
Thank you. It is important to recognise that we are dealing with individuals; in Parliament, we tend to get lost in dealing with categories. The minister says that there are not significant numbers involved, but if there is one patient in a care home who might be ineligible be...
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
16 Mar 2016
Subordinate Legislation
That is excellent; I will conclude at that point.
Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Lab Committee
16 Mar 2016
Subordinate Legislation
Thank you, convener. I am sorry to drag the committee here on such a busy day. This is a new experience for me—I have not moved an motion to annul a Scottish statutory instrument previously. I am grateful to the committee for the opportunity to address members on the SSI. I ...
Dr Simpson Lab Chamber
16 Mar 2016
Portfolio Question Time · Special Schools (Pupil to Teacher Ratio)
The minister will be aware of the fact that there are 164 more special school pupils than there were in 2008, with a total of 6,920, but that there are 172 fewer teachers teaching that group of pupils. If the group is a priority in relation to inequalities, what is the Governm...
12. Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Lab Chamber
16 Mar 2016
Portfolio Question Time · Special Schools (Pupil to Teacher Ratio)
To ask the Scottish Government what the pupil to teacher ratio is in special schools, and how that compares with 2008. (S4O-05667)
Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Lab Chamber
10 Mar 2016
Scottish Fiscal Commission Bill
I have come late to the topic. I have not served on the Finance Committee, although I have watched some of its ambulations over the period. We have reached a point that is good on the whole. The bill will be supported unanimously tonight. There is now international recognitio...
Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Lab Chamber
10 Mar 2016
Lobbying (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3
The minister has not made clear his response to Patrick Harvie’s question whether, in the meantime, he will collect data to ensure that the review is fully informed.
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
09 Mar 2016
Annual Report
As a latecomer, I have thoroughly enjoyed my brief time on the committee. The role of Audit Scotland has been phenomenally important in every committee that I have sat on throughout my 13 years in the Parliament—mainly on health committees, although I was on the Finance Commit...
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
09 Mar 2016
Section 23 Reports
Yes, but that is not for the legacy document; it is what we should ask the Government for.
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
09 Mar 2016
Section 23 Reports
We should ask what was considered as high risk in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 but was not about the replacement of buildings. Nigel Don is absolutely right to say that there is not a continuum. We should ask the Government to take out the buildings that are scheduled to be repla...
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
09 Mar 2016
Section 23 Reports
I will make one final comment on this. There is much criticism of what were originally public-private partnerships, were then private finance initiatives and are now non-profit-distributing schemes—they are all the same—but they include a maintenance contract. Our successor co...
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
09 Mar 2016
Section 23 Reports
The backlog maintenance issue is very interesting. The target is now a 2020 target. The previous target was a 2015 target, which was not met. I for one was certainly not aware that there was a new target of reducing the backlog maintenance figure to £100 per square metre of th...
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
09 Mar 2016
“Community Planning: An update”
That is something that our legacy report needs to reflect. We need to say that things should be more outcomes driven than process driven. We will never get rid of targets, which are a politician’s delight, in opposition and in government, but if targets are not nuanced they ar...
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
09 Mar 2016
“Community Planning: An update”
In exhibit 2, you show indicators, outcomes and something else—I cannot read the text in the circle at the bottom, because it is too small. How do your findings compare with those of your previous examination? I think that we all agree that we have been far too focused on proc...
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
09 Mar 2016
“Community Planning: An update”
That is what I banged on about endlessly over most of the 13 years for which I was a member of health committees in the Parliament—the variation and the fact that we could narrow it, as you pointed out. Is there a data set available? We now have the integrated resource framew...
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
09 Mar 2016
“Community Planning: An update”
I have a couple of questions. The first concerns areas where things have not worked. For example, Stirling and Clackmannanshire endeavoured to start sharing significant services and were doing what Christie wanted them to do, until we got the current budget, when officials in ...
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
09 Mar 2016
“Community Planning: An update”
No. I understand.
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
09 Mar 2016
“Community Planning: An update”
Yes—value for money.
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
09 Mar 2016
“Community Planning: An update”
You do not have the power to do that.
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
09 Mar 2016
“Community Planning: An update”
Can you also compare with other jurisdictions?
Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Lab Committee
09 Mar 2016
“Community Planning: An update”
One is on the police issue. Auditor General, you said that the commitment to 1,000 extra officers was an appropriate policy. Obviously, it is up to the Government to decide what its policy is, but if the consequence of its policy of determining the number of police in any give...
Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Lab Chamber
03 Mar 2016
First Minister’s Question Time · Neurological Conditions (Young People)
Will the First Minister tell us whether the Neurological Alliance of Scotland, which is the group of organisations that represent patients, has in fact received money? The direct grant for those organisations was stopped, but their indirect grant through the Neurological Allia...
Dr Simpson Lab Chamber
02 Mar 2016
Health
That particular aspect demonstrates what happens when the parties work together in the committee system. I also highlight the reductions in stroke, cardiovascular disease and suicide. Gil Paterson and other members have mentioned other areas of improvement such as the reducti...
Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Lab Chamber
02 Mar 2016
Health
I will begin by making what will probably be my last declaration of interests: I refer to my entry in the register of members’ interests and say that I am a fellow of two colleges and a member of the BMA and a number of other medical organisations. I thank Jackson Carlaw for ...
Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Lab Chamber
02 Mar 2016
Health
I do not deny the progress that has been made in the past year, but the member must recognise, as Audit Scotland has done, that on seven of the nine targets things are deteriorating. There were 20,000 occupied bed days in July 2011 and 46,000 last month. I welcome the progress...
Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Lab Chamber
02 Mar 2016
Portfolio Question Time · Neonatal and Maternity Services (Review)
I ask for the review to look closely at the variation in stillbirth levels—which was highlighted in NHS Ayrshire and Arran recently—to determine why those significant variations occur.
Dr Simpson Lab Chamber
02 Mar 2016
Portfolio Question Time · Hospital Beds (Availability)
I welcome the fact that there is once again a downward trend. However, in July 2011, at the beginning of this parliamentary session, the monthly figure for bed-occupied days was 20,000, and the most recent available figure, albeit that it is lower than last year’s figure, is 4...
2. Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Lab Chamber
02 Mar 2016
Portfolio Question Time · Hospital Beds (Availability)
To ask the Scottish Government what average number and percentage of hospital beds was unavailable to new patients in 2015, and how this compared with the average number of bed-occupied days because of delayed discharges. (S4O-05596)
Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Lab Chamber
25 Feb 2016
First Minister’s Question Time · Accident and Emergency Waiting Times
We all thank the staff for their hard work. The First Minister mentioned immediate assessment units. A freedom of information request that I have made has shown that there are now 30 such units with 15 different names, that there is no common protocol, and that there is no m...
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
24 Feb 2016
Section 22 Reports
Leslie Evans—sorry. Some of the questions that I had were answered. The same applies to NHS IT procurement. We should ask the Health and Sport Committee whether it is doing anything on that. There are issues around from its previous reports that indicate that things have not r...
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
24 Feb 2016
Section 22 Reports
On the Lee Evans report—
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
24 Feb 2016
Section 22 Reports
That is correct.
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
24 Feb 2016
Section 22 Reports
We now know that, as a whole, college redundancies cost £90 million. Therefore, £34 million of that was met from college reserves, which would otherwise have been applied to teaching, students and all the rest. There is a lot of responsibility on the Government for not laying ...
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
24 Feb 2016
Section 22 Reports
But it was based on your examination of the funds. Did you ask the Government to fund 21 months? Did you ask for that in order to follow what Telford, Stevenson, Angus and Ayr colleges did? Those colleges all had a 24-month or 21-month severance payment. Did you ask for that i...
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
24 Feb 2016
Section 22 Reports
I am not blaming you for what you did in that respect. You operated on the basis of the money that the Government gave to you and, I presume, on the basis of the scheme under which the Government told you to operate—the 13-month scheme.
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
24 Feb 2016
Section 22 Reports
It could do that without a business case. Correct me if I am wrong, but you are telling us that there is nothing exceptional about the Government scheme and that, if someone’s employment history is long enough, they get up to 21 months’ pay.
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
24 Feb 2016
Section 22 Reports
That was the money that the Government decided to give you. The Government gives its civil servants 21 months’ pay as a standard severance package. That was applied as part of the regional scheme in Edinburgh—that is what your table says—and it was applied as part of the regio...
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
24 Feb 2016
Section 22 Reports
So, the scheme that was proposed for severance as part of this very rapid and fairly forced merger process determined that, although the civil service could offer 21 months’ pay, colleges could not. I am beginning to feel very confused about this. If there is a general Governm...
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
24 Feb 2016
Section 22 Reports
We are not disputing the SFC’s contribution at any point in this proceeding, but you have just said that a 21-month scheme was fairly standard across Government.
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
24 Feb 2016
Section 22 Reports
No, but did you comment that that was at odds with the guidance? I know that you were not responsible at that stage, because the boards made the decisions. However, as the funding council that handled the public money, did you comment at all on the fact that that length of ser...
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
24 Feb 2016
Section 22 Reports
Well, those matters may be sub judice in due course. Another issue that really interests me goes back to the merger involving Stevenson and Telford colleges in 2011-12, when the severance payments under a regional scheme were for 21 months. That Edinburgh scheme was at odds w...
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
24 Feb 2016
Section 22 Reports
Yes, but my understanding of the basis for John Doyle’s receiving the package is that it was felt that, on the advice of the lawyers and because of previous correspondence, the board was contractually obliged to pay it. However, that was clearly not the case with regard to the...
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
24 Feb 2016
Section 22 Reports
I want to address two areas. I understand that the senior management’s additional payments were not made on the same basis as that of John Doyle because the letter that they had received expired on 31 July. However, I do not think that the committee has ever seen the letter re...
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
24 Feb 2016
Section 22 Reports
Can we have a note from Sarah Davidson or Paul Gray on all the costs of external consultants that had to be brought in on any IT projects, such as PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young? The Ernst & Young costs were not in the latest report. We have spent three quart...
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
24 Feb 2016
Section 22 Reports
Can I ask for information that would be sent to us later on?
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
24 Feb 2016
Section 22 Reports
I asked a question about a gateway report in Parliament and was told that they are not Government reports. Can somebody explain to me what gateway reports are about? The particular gateway report that I mentioned highlighted an example of best practice, although there was an a...
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
24 Feb 2016
Section 22 Reports
That is helpful. The problem is that boards can go and do things themselves. I know that we have tried to prevent massive expenditure on a centralised records system, for example. Look at what happened in England: billions of pounds were wasted there. We have avoided that. How...
Dr Simpson Lab Committee
24 Feb 2016
Section 22 Reports
I find interesting the material that we have had today from Lee Evans about IT, in response to other questions. He says that NSS has considerable experience and that “NHS organisations in Scotland already work collaboratively in the commissioning, procurement and implementati...
Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Lab Committee
24 Feb 2016
Section 22 Reports
Quit while you are ahead.
Dr Simpson Lab Chamber
24 Feb 2016
Budget (Scotland) (No 5) Bill: Stage 3
Will the minister give way?
Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Lab Chamber
24 Feb 2016
Budget (Scotland) (No 5) Bill: Stage 3
What does the Deputy First Minister feel about the budget for SNP-controlled Clackmannanshire Council that was passed last week, which imposed a 7.1 per cent cut on every third sector organisation—primarily those supporting self-management of health conditions, but also those ...
Dr Simpson Lab Chamber
23 Feb 2016
Topical Question Time · General Practitioner Services (Funding)
I am not asking the cabinet secretary to publish details of the contract, because I entirely understand that she is in negotiations and cannot do so. However, the principles of the contract and the general role of GPs in the new model are critical both to general practitioners...
Dr Simpson Lab Chamber
23 Feb 2016
Topical Question Time · General Practitioner Services (Funding)
I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer, although anyone listening to it would think that we do not have a problem with general practice at all, and that although the Royal College of General Practitioners asserts that the share of funding—as opposed to the absolute fund...
2. Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Lab Chamber
23 Feb 2016
Topical Question Time · General Practitioner Services (Funding)
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reports that GP funding has been reduced by £1.6 billion over the last 10 years. (S4T-01324)
Dr Simpson Lab Chamber
04 Feb 2016
Alcohol (Licensing, Public Health and Criminal Justice) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
In conclusion, as Jenny Marra said, we need a clear timetable from the Government so that, following the election, no matter who forms the Government, through the preparation and groundwork of civil servants to update the alcohol framework and through consolidating licensing l...
Dr Simpson Lab Chamber
04 Feb 2016
Alcohol (Licensing, Public Health and Criminal Justice) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
Thank you, Presiding Officer. We have been waiting since June for the introduction of MUP, and we will wait now until next June for the court to decide whether it is legal or not. The Labour Party, through Chancellor Alistair Darling, introduced the duty escalator on alcohol....
Dr Simpson Lab Chamber
04 Feb 2016
Alcohol (Licensing, Public Health and Criminal Justice) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
Actually, I regret the fact that none of the SNP members of the committee has been able to speak in the debate. It might have been interesting to hear that point argued in a little more detail. We have been on a journey since 2001, when alcohol deaths were peaking and, as Jac...
Dr Simpson Lab Chamber
04 Feb 2016
Alcohol (Licensing, Public Health and Criminal Justice) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
I will take an intervention a little later, once I get a bit further into my speech. Duncan McNeil rightly reminded us that, as a society, our consumption of alcohol is still far too high. The damaging consequences, which may be costing us £2.5 billion to £3 billion, are very...
Dr Simpson Lab Chamber
04 Feb 2016
Alcohol (Licensing, Public Health and Criminal Justice) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
Thank you, Presiding Officer. I hope that my voice holds out until then. Unfortunately I have a slight cold. I thank members for participating in the debate. I am still concerned that it has been the briefest debate for any member’s bill, certainly for some considerable time...
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Committee

Local Government and Regeneration Committee 16 March 2016

16 Mar 2016 · S4 · Local Government and Regeneration Committee
Item of business
Subordinate Legislation
Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2016 (SSI 2016/72)
Simpson, Dr Richard Lab Mid Scotland and Fife Watch on SPTV
First, I welcome the fact that the minister has brought forward this SSI. At every stage, I have said that I support it. I do not wish to interrupt the pilot—I think that starting it is important. The minister says that he will keep the evaluation under review, and I hope that he will find a means of examining how these groups could be included in the evaluation in some form, rather than waiting until the end of the pilot year. I do not believe that the numbers involved would be very large—which is important because local authorities would not want to deal with large numbers—but I do believe that if members of these groups are excluded, it will be damaging to their health and that they should, therefore, be included. However, given the minister’s assurances that he will keep the issue under evaluation and my hope that the working group itself will undertake a review in greater detail—perhaps researching how many individuals in care homes or patients in long-stay residences might be affected—and that the minister might consider consulting groups such as the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland, which might be helpful, I will not press my motion to annul. Motion, by agreement, withdrawn.

In the same item of business

The Convener SNP
The substantive agenda item is item 2, under which we will take evidence on motion S4M-15895, in the name of Dr Richard Simpson. I welcome Derek Mackay, Min...
Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Lab
Thank you, convener. I am sorry to drag the committee here on such a busy day. This is a new experience for me—I have not moved an motion to annul a Scottish...
The Convener SNP
You do not have the opportunity to respond to the minister until we get to the moving of your motion; you will be able to say what you want at that point.
Dr Simpson Lab
That is excellent; I will conclude at that point.
The Convener SNP
As there are no questions from members for Dr Simpson, would you make a statement, minister, please?
The Minister for Transport and Islands (Derek Mackay)
Thank you. I welcome the opportunity to speak today. I have one point of immediate clarification on Dr Simpson’s question about children with learning disabi...
The Convener SNP
Thank you. As no member has a question for the minister, we will move on to agenda item 3, which is formal consideration of motion S4M-15895. I will set out...
Dr Simpson Lab
Thank you. It is important to recognise that we are dealing with individuals; in Parliament, we tend to get lost in dealing with categories. The minister say...
The Convener SNP
As there are no contributions from members, I call the minister.
Derek Mackay
I just want to outline to the committee that it has options here. A request has been made of me that I can certainly agree to, which is that the on-going pi...
The Convener SNP
Thank you for that, minister. I ask Dr Simpson to respond and to press or withdraw the motion, please.
Dr Simpson Lab
First, I welcome the fact that the minister has brought forward this SSI. At every stage, I have said that I support it. I do not wish to interrupt the pilot...
The Convener SNP
Dr Simpson, this committee has kept a very close eye on this SSI. I believe that the original date of its discussion was given to you and I have to say that ...