Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 15 September 2011
15 Sep 2011 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Social Care Services (Procurement)
Does the minister agree that we are trying to make a virtue out of financial necessity—a financial necessity that has been forced on us not only by the coalition Government in London but by previous Labour Governments? Through their gross economic mismanagement, we are now in the position of doing the best that we can by looking at all the most efficient ways of doing things. There is no good in Labour members jumping up all the time to intervene, when the key is to make the best of what we have in a situation that was caused by Labour’s inefficiency in the past.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott)
Con
The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-00854, in the name of Jackie Baillie, on the procurement of social care services.10:27
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab)
Lab
How we care for the old, the vulnerable and the young is considered to demonstrate the essential character of a society, its values and its beliefs. The prov...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Con
We have quite a bit of time in hand, so I will be able to be generous with those who wish to speak for a little longer than the allocated time. I call Aileen...
The Minister for Local Government and Planning (Aileen Campbell)
SNP
I thank Jackie Baillie for raising such an interesting yet critical issue during this period of imposed austerity for Scottish public expenditure.Although I ...
Jackie Baillie
Lab
Does the minister not accept that a signal is perhaps being sent that the Government is reflecting producer interests in this debate?
Aileen Campbell
SNP
I think that we are sending a clear signal that this Government has a joined-up approach, and we are reflecting the importance of local government in the deb...
Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
I hear what the minister is saying, but there has been a joint futures unit in the Scottish Government since we set it up in 2001 to integrate care. Is that ...
Aileen Campbell
SNP
We are taking forward that joint approach. The cabinet secretary will provide further detail later. As I said, we have been speaking to key people, but we mu...
Aileen Campbell
SNP
To that end, we are developing proposals to help partnerships develop joint commissioning strategies; we asked them to work on those strategies together with...
Bill Walker (Dunfermline) (SNP)
SNP
Does the minister agree that we are trying to make a virtue out of financial necessity—a financial necessity that has been forced on us not only by the coali...
Aileen Campbell
SNP
The member makes a very good point: the cuts that have been imposed on the Parliament were started by Labour and have been continued by the coalition.What is...
Jackie Baillie
Lab
Will the member give way?
Aileen Campbell
SNP
I am in my last minute, and I have taken three interventions already.It is important that public bodies and service providers work together to find innovativ...
Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
I thank the Labour Party for giving us this opportunity to debate the procurement of social care services. Given the amount of information that I have on the...
Dr Simpson
Lab
Will the member give way?
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith)
Lab
I am afraid that the member is over her time.
Mary Scanlon
Con
I move amendment S4M-00854.1, to insert at end:“and calls on the Scottish Government to review the system of charges for care home places whereby, at present...
Mary Fee (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I welcome the staff of Quarriers who are sitting in the gallery. I ask the First Minister and the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy...
Aileen Campbell
SNP
Will Mary Fee take an intervention?
Mary Fee
Lab
I am sorry—I do not have time.Operating costs have been reduced hugely through cuts to staff pay and changes to terms and conditions, for example. If we cont...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
Will Mary Fee please wind up?
Mary Fee
Lab
The organisations that deliver our social care must not be attacked further. I call on the Government to protect organisations, staff and service users alike...
Dennis Robertson (Aberdeenshire West) (SNP)
SNP
I declare an interest, as I worked in the social care sector for more than 30 years. As a member of the third sector, I was very much involved in working wit...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
I ask the member to come to a conclusion.
Dennis Robertson
SNP
I do not believe that we should compromise quality at any time. I thank the Labour Party for bringing the motion to the Parliament.11:01
Chic Brodie (South Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
I, too, welcome the debate and, knowing full well Jackie Baillie’s integrity and intent on the questions, I am particularly happy to participate in it. Howev...
Jackie Baillie
Lab
Does the member accept that the Scottish Government’s amendment is factually inaccurate because, actually, the Scottish Government budget rose year on year u...
Chic Brodie
SNP
No apology is needed, because Ms Baillie knows that the local government financial settlement for 2011-12 is exactly the same as it was for last year. The im...
Drew Smith (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
The motion that my colleague Mary Fee lodged encouraged Quarriers to go to the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, which is the national organisa...
Chic Brodie
SNP
I am sure that Mary Fee knows as well as I do that direct discussions between management and the union were going on at that time, although I accept that the...