Chamber
Plenary, 26 Jun 2003
26 Jun 2003 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
Carers
Speaker
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That the Parliament recognises the hard work and dedication of Scotland's 115,675 unpaid carers, a workforce comparable to the total NHS workforce in Scotland; acknowledges the role of Scotland's carer population as partners in the provision of care; recognises the measures outlined in Partnership for Care: Scotland's Health White Paper and in the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 to increase partnership working across the health and social care services; notes that the health and well-being of many carers are affected as a direct consequence of the physical and emotional strains of caring; welcomes the dedication of care assistants across Scotland in providing vital respite services to carers and their families; congratulates the UK-wide network of 30,000 Princess Royal Trust for Carers centres on the level of support that they provide to carers and their families; recognises that there are many more unidentified carers in Scotland and that, for appropriate support to be administered, these carers must be identified; further welcomes the publication of Focus on Carers and the NHS - identifying and supporting hidden carers - Good Practice Guide by the Princess Royal Trust for Carers and the strategies for identifying carers contained therein, and considers that the Scottish Executive should target resources specifically on identifying and supporting carers in order that the vision underpinning recent legislation can be realised.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Trish Godman):
Lab
The final item of business is a members' business debate on motion S2M-110, in the name of Irene Oldfather, on valuing carers.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament recognises the hard work and dedication of Scotland's 115,675 unpaid carers, a workforce comparable to the total NHS workforce in Scotlan...
Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab):
Lab
I thank all the members who signed the motion and those colleagues who have stayed behind in this final meeting of Parliament before the summer recess. The m...
Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP):
SNP
I congratulate Irene Oldfather on securing the debate and on highlighting the fact that around 116,000 people in Scotland are unpaid carers—a fact of which m...
Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con):
Con
I am grateful to my ex-colleague on the Health and Community Care Committee, Irene Oldfather, for raising the issue of carers. She mentioned a lady whose son...
Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD):
LD
We have heard three excellent speeches from members who have real experience of this subject, know what they are talking about and care about it. I want to u...
Campbell Martin (West of Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
I am grateful to Irene Oldfather for securing the debate and allowing us all to make our contribution to the on-going debate about carers. Irene and I are bo...
Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con):
Con
I apologise for not being in the chamber at the start of the debate, but I did not get the message about proceedings being ahead of schedule. My comments wil...
Irene Oldfather:
Lab
The figure of almost 116,000 refers to unpaid carers who undertake more than 50 hours a week of work, which is comparable to a job in the health service. The...
Mrs Milne:
Con
I thank the member for that clarification. I was going to seek an explanation. I wondered whether the different figures reflected the lack of accurate knowle...
John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP):
SSCUP
It was not my intention to speak in the debate, but it has been a privilege to listen to the compassion that has come from members on all sides of the chambe...
The Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care (Mr Tom McCabe):
Lab
I thank Irene Oldfather and congratulate her on securing this debate. There has been a great deal of positive discussion on this issue, both here this evenin...
Meeting closed at 17:25.