Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith) Lab

The next item of business is a debate on the living wage in Scotland. I call on Joe FitzPatrick to open the debate on behalf of the Local Government and Rege...

Joe FitzPatrick (Dundee City West) (SNP) SNP

I start by thanking the committee clerks for their diligent work during the inquiry, which resulted in the important report—“Report on the Living Wage in Sco...

John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP) SNP

Does the member agree that there was also a lot of scaremongering before the national minimum wage was introduced, which has been shown to be largely false?

Joe FitzPatrick SNP

That is exactly the point that I was going to make. At the time of the introduction of the minimum wage, the CBI stated that “even a low minimum wage would ...

Neil Findlay (Lothian) (Lab) Lab

I am sure that the member is old enough to recall the CBI making similar comments when we stopped sending children up chimneys to sweep them.

Joe FitzPatrick SNP

I cannot remember that far back. I defer to the member. In fact, in the five years following the introduction of the minimum wage, the unemployment level in...

Mark McDonald (North East Scotland) (SNP) SNP

A number of councils have established arm’s-length organisations. Those organisations deliver council services but the staff are not directly employed by the...

Joe FitzPatrick SNP

We questioned local authorities that have introduced the living wage, the most notable of which is Glasgow, about that issue. We received confirmation from t...

The Minister for Local Government and Planning (Derek Mackay) SNP

I am pleased to open the debate on behalf of the Government. The bad news is that I will also close on behalf of the Government. I am pleased to see that th...

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Lab) Lab

Has the minister just given a commitment to a living wage for all employees in an independent Scotland?

Derek Mackay SNP

I am sure that that could be part of our considerations for an independent Scotland. Access to this country’s full resources would give us many choices about...

Gavin Brown (Lothian) (Con) Con

Further to Kezia Dugdale’s point, the powers for the national minimum wage may rest with Westminster, but it would be in the gift of the Scottish Government ...

Derek Mackay SNP

Such decision making is a matter for local government discretion. We do not have to create funds to achieve a policy objective, and I announced last week tha...

Gavin Brown Con

The report states that seven local authorities have implemented the living wage. The minister has said that a majority have implemented it, so, for the sake ...

Derek Mackay SNP

Six councils have agreed to implement the living wage for the financial year 2012-13: Clackmannanshire, Falkirk, Moray, North Lanarkshire, Perth and Kinross,...

Sarah Boyack (Lothian) (Lab) Lab

I, too, welcome the debate. I read the committee’s report with interest and would like to congratulate the committee, the clerks and all those who gave evide...

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP) SNP

I remind Ms Boyack that, when the Labour Party was in government in the UK, it had control over the national minimum wage but that, despite the campaign to i...

Sarah Boyack Lab

The Labour Government increased the national minimum wage repeatedly to ensure that it kept up. The fact that we are discussing the living wage now is testam...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott) Con

You should close now, please.

Sarah Boyack Lab

That is why we would support the implementation of the living wage. I hope that the Scottish Government will listen to us today, as we need that political wi...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

I call Margaret Mitchell. You have six minutes. 15:23

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con) Con

The committee took evidence from a variety of witnesses, whom I thank for their valuable contribution to the inquiry. I pay tribute to the committee clerks f...

Kezia Dugdale Lab

I was at the committee when the member argued that that money would be better spent on potholes. Does she regret her comments on the living wage somehow repr...

Margaret Mitchell Con

I regret anything that takes away from service provision. The raison d’être for any local authority is service provision, and that must come first. The hars...

John Mason SNP

Will the member give way?

Margaret Mitchell Con

I am sorry, but I have only six minutes, and I have a particular view to put over. It is more worrying that, in its written submission, CBI Scotland stated ...

Stewart Maxwell (West Scotland) (SNP) SNP

Will the member take an intervention?

Margaret Mitchell Con

I have already explained that I have only six minutes. I am sorry that I cannot take an intervention; normally, I would do so. In essence, the Scottish Cham...

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP) SNP

I declare an interest. Prior to coming into the Parliament in May 2007, I was the director of the Scottish Low Pay Unit. I also served on the Trades Union Co...

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Lab

I welcome the committee report and the general level of debate that we have had so far. I am pleased that, under our new arrangements, we will look at the is...