Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 05 November 2014
05 Nov 2014 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Living Wage
I was looking forward to a nice consensual debate this afternoon. I was very interested that Mr Kelly wants a living wage strategy and a living wage unit, but of course he and his party have ruled out the devolution of employment powers to this Parliament, which is very interesting indeed.
The Scottish Government welcomes the opportunity to participate in this debate, particularly during living wage week. Indeed, I welcome every opportunity that this Parliament has to make its voice heard on tackling poverty and inequality, and I recognise how crucial that is to achieving our vision of a successful and fair Scotland.
I begin by stating unequivocally here today that in this Government’s view paying the living wage should be the expectation and not the exception. Given that it is living wage week, I note the very clear call from the major third sector organisations for more powers in Scotland to address the issues around pay and conditions, in particular the devolution of the national minimum wage to ensure fairness at work for all.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott)
Con
The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-11398, in the name of James Kelly, on the living wage. I invite members who wish to speak in the debate t...
James Kelly (Rutherglen) (Lab)
Lab
It gives me great delight to open this debate on the living wage on behalf of the Labour Party. Labour wants to use this debate to promote living wage week, ...
Mark McDonald (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP)
SNP
Will the member give way?
James Kelly
Lab
Let me develop this point, and I will let Mr McDonald in. I will give Angela Constance a bit of free advice in the context of the deputy leadership contest....
Mark McDonald
SNP
I note that the member is one of the brains trust behind Jim Murphy’s Labour leadership campaign, which already calls into question Mr Murphy’s judgment. Non...
James Kelly
Lab
I think that Mark McDonald should be a bit more cautious in calling for minimum wage powers when the Government cannot even use the powers that it has to giv...
The Cabinet Secretary for Training, Youth and Women’s Employment (Angela Constance)
SNP
I was looking forward to a nice consensual debate this afternoon. I was very interested that Mr Kelly wants a living wage strategy and a living wage unit, bu...
Hugh Henry (Renfrewshire South) (Lab)
Lab
Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?
Angela Constance
SNP
Not just now, thanks. I will make progress. I suggest that it is Mr Kelly and his colleagues who are rather timid. In the Scottish Government’s draft budge...
James Kelly
Lab
The cabinet secretary mentioned the Government’s commitment to the living wage in the Scottish budget. Does she accept that there are workers at Scottish Gov...
Angela Constance
SNP
That leads me neatly on to my next point. A plank of this Government’s success is our public sector pay policy, which has at its heart tackling inequality an...
James Kelly
Lab
Does the cabinet secretary accept that the workers I was talking about are not covered by the public sector pay policy, nor are the subcontractors? What acti...
Angela Constance
SNP
Where we have the power to act, we act. Unlike Mr Kelly, this Government will not participate in gesture politics. I am pig sick of the Labour Party always a...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Con
Order.
Angela Constance
SNP
Labour members need to stop being mischievous and misleading. Where we have the power to act, we act. Our record compares very well with that of the previous...
Hugh Henry
Lab
Will the minister take an intervention?
Angela Constance
SNP
No, thanks—I am running out of time. We want to go further, because we believe that employers should reward their staff fairly. That is why we are calling o...
Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
Many in the media have been saying that politics in Scotland is changing; after listening to the opening speeches, I think that that much is clear. We have h...
Dave Thompson (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP)
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Mary Scanlon
Con
I have less than 20 seconds left. However, when that wage depends on public funding, the funding should be at a level to allow the operators to pay the livi...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Con
You should draw to a close, please.
Mary Scanlon
Con
I am pleased that I have had the chance to speak in the debate. I am four seconds over my time, so I will leave it there. I move amendment S4M-11398.1 to le...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Con
We now move to the open debate. We are very tight for time. Members have up to four minutes, please. 16:15
Joan McAlpine (South Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
I listened to James Kelly with a growing sense of bemusement, because Labour has no credibility whatsoever on the issue of the living wage. The simple way to...
James Kelly
Lab
Can Joan McAlpine explain why the Department of Energy and Climate Change at Westminster is able to ensure that all its workers and subcontractors will be pa...
Joan McAlpine
SNP
That is not done through procurement—but I will address those issues. It is not just the Scottish Government, the EU commissioner and the Court of Justice o...
Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Will the member give way?
Joan McAlpine
SNP
I am in my final minute, and I have already taken an intervention. Please sit down.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Con
The member is in her final minute.
Joan McAlpine
SNP
That advice gives me no pleasure. For that reason, I echo the minister and very much hope that the Smith commission will heed calls from enlightened voices i...