Hansard

The Convener SNP

Our second agenda item is consideration of the draft Community Care (Personal Care and Nursing Care) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2024, which is an affir...

The Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport (Maree Todd) SNP

Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak to the committee about a proposed amendment to the Community Care (Personal Care and Nursing Care) (Scotland...

The Convener SNP

Thank you very much, minister. We will move to questions.

Paul Sweeney (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab

Thank you for your opening statement, minister. In increasing the rates above inflation for the past three years, the Scottish Government has effectively ad...

Maree Todd SNP

Given the challenging financial context that we face, I am happy that we have been able to increase the rates by 6.68 per cent. An additional £11.5 million i...

Paul Sweeney Lab

Does the minister accept that over 80 per cent of local government finance is determined by central Government grants and that that constrains local governme...

Maree Todd SNP

Traditionally, since 2010, the payments have increased in line with inflation. In the first few years of their existence—up to 2007, when the Scottish Nation...

Paul Sweeney Lab

On the GDP deflator, what assessment has the Government made of the impact of the rate on the delivery of personal care? Can you guarantee that people will s...

Maree Todd SNP

We have not done an impact assessment because it is not a new policy; an existing policy is being continued. We have not done a full impact assessment, but w...

Carol Mochan (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab

I want to follow up on the points that have been made about an impact assessment. You were concerned that the costs increased more in previous years. Do you ...

Maree Todd SNP

In the past three years, our ambition has certainly been to give above-inflation settlements. Unfortunately, the financial context that we find ourselves in ...

Carol Mochan Lab

I want to be clear. I suppose that, in your modelling, you anticipate that local government will need to make some contribution to costs because you think th...

Maree Todd SNP

I ask my official Clare Thomas to respond to that line of questioning.

Clare Thomas (Scottish Government)

The free personal and nursing care rates are set out in the legislation. They are set rates. There should not need to be a contribution from local authoritie...

Sandesh Gulhane (Glasgow) (Con) Con

I want to pick up on what Paul Sweeney and Carol Mochan have asked about. On the £11.5 million cost, is that £11.5 million what central Government is putting...

Maree Todd SNP

The £11.5 million is additional funding to fully fund the uplift.

The Convener SNP

As I have not had any indications that any other members wish to ask questions, we will move on to agenda item 3, which is the formal debate on the instrumen...

Maree Todd SNP

I move, That the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee recommends that the Community Care (Personal Care and Nursing Care) (Scotland) Amendment Regulation...

The Convener SNP

Thank you, minister. Members should not put questions to the minister during the formal debate, and officials may not speak in the debate.

Paul Sweeney Lab

I have concerns about the statutory instrument being recommended to Parliament because the Scottish Government has set the rates above inflation for the past...

The Convener SNP

I have had no indications that any other members wish to speak. Minister, will you sum up and respond to the debate, please?

Maree Todd SNP

As stated during questioning, the uprating is fully funded by the Scottish Government, and local authorities have additional income in their budget in order ...

The Convener SNP

Thank you very much, minister. The question is, that motion S6M-11853 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Motion agreed to.

The Convener SNP

That concludes consideration of the instrument. I briefly suspend the meeting to allow a changeover of witnesses for our next item. 09:10 Meeting suspended....