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Every contribution to the Official Report — chamber and committee — searchable in one place. Pulled from data.parliament.scot, indexed for full-text search, linked through to every MSP.

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Showing 60 of 2,354,908 contributions. Latest 30 days: 0. Coverage: 12 May 1999 — 25 Mar 2026.

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

National Care Service (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Foysol Choudhury asked my first question, and the minister touched on the second question that I was going to ask, about procurement, so I thank him for that. I have one small question about third sector representation on care boards, minister. What are your views on that? Th...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

Neurodivergence

I will ask my question, and I have a comment as well. We have had various discussions, at council and other levels, about the key issue of how we triage. That is almost about who comes first. We have all talked about the increasing numbers, but how we triage is a very importan...

Paul McLennan (East Lothian) (SNP) SNP Committee

Subordinate Legislation

I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests: I am a serving councillor on East Lothian Council. I want to pick up on a couple of points. My first question is for Amanda Cupples. You mentioned the number of people that you reckon would leave the industry....

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

Community Planning Inquiry (Post-Legislative Scrutiny of the Community Empowerment Act 2015)

I fully agree with the points that you have made. That takes me to my next question, which is about the role that CPPs should have in delivering community wealth-building aspirations—your answer touched on that. It seems as though those groups hold the local community together...

Paul McLennan SNP Chamber

Topical Question Time · Short-term Let Licensing Scheme (Applications)

I thank the member for her question. This summer, I undertook a tour round lots of local authorities, and that same question was raised. I know from exchanges that we have had in recent years across all parties that members have heard from constituents who have been negatively...

The Minister for Housing (Paul McLennan) SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Housing Shortage (Edinburgh)

I probably answered that in my answer to the previous question. Affordable housing supply programme investment in Edinburgh is at a record level, at £234 million. My officials are in regular discussion with the City of Edinburgh Council about additional capacity that it might ...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

Cladding Remediation Programme

The annual report can cover that as well. Meghan Gallacher was quite right to ask the question. This time next year, we should be able to come back and say, “This is what we have done with local authorities, RSLs and so on, and this is how it has developed”. We need to increas...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

Neurodivergence

:I have a few key questions, which come back to the shared protocol. During various sessions, we have heard about equity of access across private healthcare and the national health service, as well as across different parts of Scotland. My first question is, what can we do to ...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

Electoral Arrangements Regulations

I will start with a question for Maggie Davidson. What are your views on how Boundaries Scotland has applied the criteria for boundary reform during the review? You went into that quite a bit, and I do not know whether there is anything that you want to add to that. My other q...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

Scottish Parliament Election 2021

My question around the restrictions that candidates felt has already been answered, so I will move on to digital imprints. Obviously, this was the first time that they were required. Will you tell us about compliance with the new rules and whether it was felt that they were be...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

Subordinate Legislation

As the convener said, my question is on the parliamentary process. It is a two-part question. First, was there sufficient consultation on the proposals, and did you have an opportunity to comment on the planned changes? Secondly, would there have been more opportunity for stak...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

Local Elected Office (Barriers)

My questions are on awareness and support for new candidates. You will be aware that the online questionnaire brought out a few key points. One was that potential new candidates do not understand the role of councillor and what councillors do. My question is probably for Aliso...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

Subordinate Legislation

My second question goes back to basic safety standards. Mandatory basic safety standards are at the heart of the licensing scheme. We have heard that the vast majority of self-catering operators already comply with such standards. Earlier, Shomik Panda made a point about a reg...

Paul McLennan (East Lothian) (SNP) SNP Committee

National Planning Framework 4

My question comes back to the point that Miles Briggs raised and is about the deliverability of renewables. Yesterday, we had the ScotWind announcement, which is great news, and substantial planning requirements will come out of it. My first question is for Fiona Simpson. Scot...

Paul McLennan (East Lothian) (SNP) SNP Committee

National Planning Framework 4

I refer everyone to my entry in the register of members’ interests, which states that I am a serving councillor on East Lothian Council. We have heard a few people talking this morning about the resource implications for planning authorities. As colleagues have said, we were ...

Paul McLennan (East Lothian) (SNP) SNP Committee

Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Good morning. I refer everyone to my entry in the register of members’ interests as a serving councillor on East Lothian Council. My question was going to be about investor confidence, but that seems to have been picked up in the previous question. However, the point that Joh...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

Low Income and Debt Inquiry

Thank you. Martin, could you address the question about pre-emptive action? There will always be budgetary and resource pressures, and people who arrive at the door saying, “I need help.” This is maybe a question about cost-effectiveness. Can we do more before people get into...

Paul McLennan (East Lothian) (SNP) SNP Committee

My constituency is East Lothian, which probably has the longest waiting time in all of Scotland, so the matter is an interest of mine. The previous panel talked about a community garden in Dumbarton. There are also allotments that are available not through the council but thro...

1. Paul McLennan (East Lothian) (SNP) SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Cost of Living Crisis (Impact on Poverty)

We heard at First Minister’s question time about a report by the University of Glasgow and the Glasgow Centre for Population Health that says that, due to Tory austerity, 20,000 more deaths than expected were recorded in Scotland in an eight-year period. We want to avoid simil...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

Barriers to Local Elected Office

I was going to ask this question later, but it is an extension to the question that was just asked. The access to elected office fund is meant to have an impact on the number of councillors with disabilities. What more can be done to ensure that more people with disabilities f...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

National Care Service (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I want to move on. I will come to Eddie Fraser first. You mentioned that IJBs were brought in. My question is about the impact on local democracy and democratic accountability through the IJBs. As you know, not every councillor sits on an IJB; a limited number sit on them. Do ...

Paul McLennan (East Lothian) (SNP) SNP Committee

National Care Service (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

A few of my questions have already been asked, but I will focus on a couple of things. Once we get into the co-design part of the process, how do we measure the effectiveness of that? If we go through the process and we think that we need to change things, how do we measure th...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

National Care Service (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

You mentioned the issue of contracts. The bill would allow contracts to be reserved to voluntary and third sector organisations. What are your views on that approach? Do you see advantages or disadvantages in it? I will open that question up and allow others to comment on cont...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

National Planning Framework 4

Do the witnesses have any views on the delivery programme that accompanies the NPF4? I have another question, which relates to something that has been touched on already. One of the key things that the committee was keen to look at was ways of monitoring the implementation an...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

National Planning Framework 4

Thanks for that. Convener, I have one more question, which is on a specific issue. As you will probably be aware, the issue of out-of-town developments and drive-throughs, which has been in the press, was raised last week, and I am just looking for a bit of clarity on that. I...

Paul McLennan SNP Chamber

Electoral Reform

Donald Cameron has made a very good point. I think that that needs and merits a debate. It is not just about voting rights; it is about other policy issues, as well. Willie Rennie made a very important point about that. The issue of 16, 18 and 21-year-olds merits a discussion,...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

Local Government Fiscal Arrangements

I want to move on to the question of the revenue-raising options that are open to councils in the short term and in the medium to long term. I will start with the short-term options. What are your views on councils’ ability to raise their own income and how much that has chang...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

Scottish Commission on Social Security

You touched on my next question when you talked about the impact of inflation. We looked back at inflation forecasts over the past year and they were nowhere near where inflation has ended up. There are two parts to my question. First, does the underlying adequacy of benefit p...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

Subordinate Legislation

You touched on my next question in your answer to Pam Duncan-Glancy’s question about inflation and low-income households, in relation to the proportion of income that low-income households spend on energy and food costs, which has been exceptionally high this year and is provi...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

Community Planning Inquiry (Post-legislative Scrutiny of the Community Empowerment Act 2015)

The issue of the third sector’s involvement has been raised a couple of times. I used to chair a community planning partnership when I was an East Lothian councillor, and I know that one of the key things is, as has been said, the involvement of local organisations. Do you see...

Paul McLennan (East Lothian) (SNP) SNP Committee

Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Good morning, panel. I have a question for Martin Tyson about OSCR. Do the provisions in the bill accurately reflect the proposals that OSCR put forward in your 2018 paper? Looking beyond that, do the proposals support OSCR’s regulatory role? How effective is that role at pres...

Paul McLennan SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · House Building

Analysis of the rent freeze policy is still on-going, and I am sure that Mr Harvie will pick up on that in due course. However, context is key to the first question that the member asked. Only today, we saw interest rates rise for the 12th time in a row, to 4.5 per cent. Const...

The Minister for Housing (Paul McLennan) SNP Chamber

General Question Time · Fife Council Housing Services (Discussions)

The head of housing services at Fife Council last met the Scottish Government in September of last year. Matters concerning the supply of affordable housing are high on the Scottish Government’s agenda and on the agendas of our local authority partners, and the discussion in q...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

Damp and Mould in Social and Private Rented Housing

There are three issues on that. I mentioned what CIH said. One issue is where investment goes for repairs. We also talked about where investment goes towards the affordable housing supply programme, and we talked about the retrofitting agenda, which is incredibly important. Th...

Paul McLennan SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Homelessness

We have undertaken a number of actions. In August, the First Minister and I visited Fife on the recommendation of the temporary accommodation task and finish group; we have launched the £60 million acquisitions fund; and I have spoken to local authorities about how allocation ...

The Minister for Housing (Paul McLennan) SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Social Housing Waiting Lists (Support for Local Authorities)

I will probably touch again on some of the points that I mentioned in response to Jackie Baillie’s question. The Scottish Government is supporting local authorities and registered social landlords with a range of approaches to local housing stock management, including large-s...

Paul McLennan SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Social Housing Waiting Lists (Support for Local Authorities)

I will make a number of points on that. When I go round speaking to local authorities and housing associations, I find that the biggest barrier to building more houses just now is inflation. Construction inflation has been around 15 to 20 per cent, which has meant that the £3....

The Minister for Housing (Paul McLennan) SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Property Factor Legislation

As I said in my reply to Sarah Boyack’s written question in August this year, the Scottish Government revised the code of conduct for property factors in August 2021 in order to make it clearer, drive up standards and improve transparency and consistency. There is evidence th...

Paul McLennan SNP Chamber

General Question Time · City of Edinburgh Council (Housing Emergency Declaration)

I thank the member for his question. As I said, we are engaging with the City of Edinburgh Council on a regular basis on the issues that I mentioned, such as strategic sites that are coming forward and the acquisition policies. When I met the Scottish Cities Alliance yesterday...

Paul McLennan SNP Chamber

General Question Time · City of Edinburgh Council (Housing Emergency Declaration)

I thank the member for his question. We are touching on planning issues, but, with regard to the availability of land such as NHS land, I have already engaged with Paul Lawrence and Cammy Day, from the the the City of Edinburgh Council, to discuss that. I am awaiting some evid...

Paul McLennan SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Affordable Homes

I refer the member to my answer to the previous question, regarding the 10 per cent real-terms cut to our funding. That is an issue to mention—we have to deal with those issues. The Institute for Fiscal Studies gave evidence to the Finance and Public Administration Committee o...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

As I have said, discussions are on-going. There is existing legislation on fire safety, but the question is how that fits with the cladding issue. There are always discussions to be had, and when we speak to residents and developers, this is an issue that comes up. As I menti...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I will bring in officials on that question, too. There have been a number of cases. With regard to some of the developers that we have spoken to, there are different ownership models. There are historical developments. How has a company developed from where it was 30 years ag...

Paul McLennan SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Social Housing Waiting Lists (Disabled People)

The member’s question is well timed. I spoke to Ellie Wagstaff at an event last night, and she talked about that particular project. I have been doing a piece of work with MND Scotland, which supports people who are in a similar position to others with debilitating or termina...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

Building Safety and Maintenance and Housing to 2040

I will double check this, but I understand that the green heat finance task force is due to report around the end of April. I referred to it earlier, because it is all to do with specific advice to local authorities and housing associations. You are right to say that the issue...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

I will speak first to amendment 17, which seeks to amend section 6. Section 6 refers to the building’s external cladding system as the basis for the Scottish ministers to arrange for work that is identified in a single building assessment, where such work is needed to eliminat...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

I appreciate Miles Briggs’s comments. For general context, I note that I have had a number of meetings with Homes for Scotland, particularly about the SME concerns that have been raised. Those concerns will be considered as part of the SBA process as it continues and as things...

Paul McLennan SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Homelessness (Veterans)

The inclusion of a question on veteran status in the census for the first time marked a significant step forward in developing the evidence base on veterans in Scotland and their characteristics. In conjunction with our annual national homelessness statistics, officials will a...

Paul McLennan SNP Chamber

Housing Emergency

I thank Kenneth Gibson for his question, which highlighted the important context. We are talking here about the Institute for Fiscal Studies projections that £18 billion of fiscal cuts will be required. The IFS has stated that neither the Labour Party nor the Conservative Part...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

Subordinate Legislation

There are a number of things. Returning to your previous question, I add that we spoke to two other groups as well. We met the Edinburgh International Festival and Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, and we had a joint meeting with them and the City of Edinburgh Council to clar...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

Housing (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

That is a good point. That has been mentioned in my discussions, as well. The question was specifically about women and girls, but I recognise that domestic abuse is not just about women and girls; men are involved, as well. I apologise if that did not come across, but I was a...

Paul McLennan SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Housing (Cladding Remediation)

I thank the member for that question, and I am grateful for his continuing commitment to his constituents on these issues. We are taking a number of steps to improve communications with residents, including a regular newsletter; improvement to the content and detail of the Sco...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

Housing (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I will talk about the specifics of the bill. It is important to recognise the private rented sector—I will touch on MMR and BTR in a wee second. First, the private rented sector is important. We have had discussions with the City of Edinburgh Council and Glasgow City Council...

Paul McLennan SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · “Economic Impacts of Short-term Lets in Scotland”

Mr Rennie makes an important point. Short-term let control areas were brought in separately to the licensing scheme and allow planning authorities to consider the impacts on the amenity and character of areas with high concentrations of short-term let accommodation. It is up t...

Paul McLennan SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Permanent Homes (Families with Children in Temporary Accommodation)

I am glad that the member asked that question. The UK Government’s decision to freeze local housing allowance rates will impact on thousands of low-income private renters in Scotland, as it widens the gap between housing support and market rents. It will also make it harder fo...

Paul McLennan SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Landlords

I thank the member for his question. Scotland needs a thriving private rented sector, by which I mean a sector that offers good-quality affordable housing options and the value that investment in rented property delivers. As he knows, we have had discussions about the consulta...

The Minister for Housing (Paul McLennan) SNP Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Cladding Remediation

On 6 January, I outlined, in my statement in response to a written question, the Government’s strategic priorities for action on cladding this year. Those include: continuing with our current programme of work; increasing the pace and breadth of action on cladding; and develop...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

Restraint and Seclusion in Schools (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

You have already kind of answered my next question, which Willie Rennie also touched on. What do you think of the current Government guidance? What do you think about having statutory guidance? Do you want to add anything to what was said when he asked about that? I think that...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

You have all touched on the UNCRC. I know that the UNCRC provisions are in part 2, but it is relevant to the other question that I asked, too. Does anyone else want to come in and pick up the UNCRC point specifically? We heard about that from witnesses on the previous two pane...

Paul McLennan SNP Committee

Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

This question is more about the processes that are proposed in the bill. It is the same question that I put to the previous panel, and it is about the requirement for schools to inform a child if their parent asks for them to be withdrawn from RO and RME. When such a request h...

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Committee

Social Justice and Social Security Committee 17 November 2022

17 Nov 2022 · S6 · Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Item of business

National Care Service (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

McLennan, Paul SNP East Lothian Watch on SPTV

Foysol Choudhury asked my first question, and the minister touched on the second question that I was going to ask, about procurement, so I thank him for that. I have one small question about third sector representation on care boards, minister. What are your views on that? That is the only question that I have on that area.

In the same item of business

The Convener SNP

In our main item of business today, we will take evidence from two panels on the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill. This is our second evidence session o...

Paul McLennan (East Lothian) (SNP) SNP

Good morning. The policy memorandum to the bill says: “Phasing of the transfer of functions from 2025-26 will need to be based on delivery readiness assessm...

Andrew Ewen (Leonard Cheshire)

The key thing is that, because of the sequencing of the bill—because it is an enabling piece of legislation—it runs a risk in that the co-design process will...

Paul McLennan SNP

Rachel, will you give your point of view? I will then bring in anyone else who wants to comment.

Rachel Cackett (Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland)

Thank you for the opportunity to come and speak to you today. CCPS is a member organisation that comprises 91 exclusively third sector providers, some of whi...

Paul McLennan SNP

You mentioned the issue of contracts. The bill would allow contracts to be reserved to voluntary and third sector organisations. What are your views on that ...

Rachel Cackett

The bill contains provisions on ethical commissioning and provisions on reserved contracts, which are interlinked. The detail on ethical commissioning is ver...

Paul McLennan SNP

Thank you. I will bring in Frank McKillop. Frank, I put to you the same question about ensuring that reform does not destabilise your services, but perhaps y...

Frank McKillop (ENABLE Scotland)

On the first point, there is no doubt that reform is required, which is why we have welcomed the introduction of the bill. I echo the points that Rachel Cack...

Paul McLennan SNP

I am conscious of the time, but, if I may, I will put the same questions to Chris Gehrke. As you will know, Chris, our policy will have to work across Scotla...

Chris Gehrke (L’Arche Highland)

This message has already been made clear, but the sector is not stable at present. The change and reform that we are about to embark on are required. Only t...

Emma Roddick (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) SNP

L’Arche has recommended that personal assistants be regulated. Why is that needed and what impact could it have?

Chris Gehrke

The notion came from the practical experience of working with families with family members or children who have a learning disability. They get to a stage in...

Emma Roddick SNP

Thank you. That was helpful. I am interested in your reference to the SSSC. There has been some concern that having PAs register in that way would push them...

Chris Gehrke

This might seem different from a different perspective, but it strikes me that, in this particular workforce, those at the front line move from personal assi...

Emma Roddick SNP

As you come from the Highlands, is there anything that you think that the national care service would need to consider in working with third sector providers...

Chris Gehrke

It seems to most of my peers who work in the Highlands that rurality—the reality of living in the Highlands, and, I am sure, other rural parts of Scotland, s...

Emma Roddick SNP

I want to press further on that, if I may, convener. I appreciate everything that you have just said, Chris. Off the top of your head, is there anything that...

Chris Gehrke

Speaking broadly, I would feel more reassured if the co-design process were to happen at the local, grass-roots level, as it should; if there were funding fo...

The Deputy Convener SNP

We will now take questions from Pam Duncan-Glancy, to be followed by Jeremy Balfour.

Pam Duncan-Glancy (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab

Good morning, panel. Thank you for the submissions that you gave us in advance and for answering our questions so far. We have already touched on this, but ...

Rachel Cackett

Absolutely—and thank you for the question, because this really is a pressing concern for us. As I have mentioned, we recently published a piece of work call...

Pam Duncan-Glancy Lab

It might be self-evident, but are the retention and recruitment issues largely to do with pay and conditions, or are there other factors? 08:30

Rachel Cackett

It is a huge part of what we are hearing. There is a supply issue, but the fact is that, when the real living wage of £10.90 was announced, many other employ...

Pam Duncan-Glancy Lab

Sheena Arthur, could you respond to the same question and tell us about the situation in Glasgow for your members?

Sheena Arthur (Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector)

Thank you for the opportunity. I would just echo what has already been said. We are seeing a sector in crisis, and we should take immediate action that valu...

Pam Duncan-Glancy Lab

Thank you for that, Sheena. It echoes some of what Rachel Cackett said and paints a pretty grim picture of what is going on. I want to ask Frank McKillop an...

Frank McKillop

We have to remember that, when we talk about a crisis in capacity and recruitment and retention pressures, we are actually talking about individual people no...

Pam Duncan-Glancy Lab

Do you think that the bill needs to be strengthened in that sense?

Frank McKillop

We certainly feel that one thing is strangely absent, although it might be an oversight. As has been pointed out, the bill makes no specific reference to sel...