Hansard

Jackie Baillie: Lab Committee

09 Jun 2004

New Petitions

The petition is highly topical, and there is the opportunity for it to influence a number of things that are going on, not least the Scottish Executive's review of the children's hearings system, to which Carolyn Leckie referred. The Justice 2 Committee is about to conduct an ...

Jackie Baillie: Lab Chamber

15 Nov 2000

Social Justice

We measure poverty using three statistics, all of which were recommended by the European Statistical Programme Committee, which enable comparisons to be made across the board. The first measure is 50 per cent of median income, which works out at £116 a week. The main measure o...

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

04 Dec 2012

Topical Question Time · Waiting Time Targets

It would appear that the waiting times scandal is indeed not simply confined to NHS Lothian, with reports of figures being fiddled not just in Tayside but also in Grampian. I welcome the fact that the reports will be published in December, although I hope that it will not be j...

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

15 Jan 2013

Topical Question Time · Orphan and Ultra-orphan Medicines (Value-based Pricing)

I welcome the cabinet secretary’s announcement about the new fund. Can he advise when the fund will be established and open to applications? Does the cabinet secretary agree with me that the fund’s effectiveness will be curtailed if the IPTR system is not currently working for...

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

21 May 2013

Topical Question Time · Breast Cancer (Genetic Risk)

1. To ask the Scottish Government what criteria are used to test patients to identify their genetic risk of developing breast cancer. (S4T-00360)

Jackie Baillie Lab Chamber

21 May 2013

Topical Question Time · Breast Cancer (Genetic Risk)

The cabinet secretary is obviously aware of concerns that women in Scotland might somehow be disadvantaged as a result of NICE’s decision to make more women in England with a genetic predisposition to breast cancer eligible for screening. I therefore very much welcome his conf...

Jackie Baillie Lab Chamber

21 May 2013

Topical Question Time · Breast Cancer (Genetic Risk)

I share the cabinet secretary’s aspiration to do all that we can and very much welcome the additional staff who have been put in place. However, we can go further than that and I am sure that the cabinet secretary also agrees that swift treatment of those with cancer is essent...

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

03 Sep 2013

Topical Question Time · Food Banks

2. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support food banks.

Jackie Baillie Lab Chamber

03 Sep 2013

Topical Question Time · Food Banks

I thank the minister for welcoming me to my new portfolio. I hope that, in a few weeks’ time, she does not regret doing so.I am most interested in the powers that the Scottish Government already has—powers that it should be exercising to protect the most vulnerable. Frankly, I...

Jackie Baillie Lab Chamber

03 Sep 2013

Topical Question Time · Food Banks

There is no disagreement on this side of the chamber about the impact of the UK Government’s welfare cuts, but despite the actions that she has outlined we still see children queuing for assistance at food banks. The minister will be aware that, since the Scottish welfare fund...

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

16 Dec 2014

Topical Question Time · Voting (16 and 17-year-olds)

I welcome the UK Government’s commitment and the Deputy First Minister’s comments. Can he tell us what planning the electoral registration officers could do now, in advance of the section 30 order, to ensure that we maximise the registration of 16 and 17-year-olds? I am consci...

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

24 Feb 2015

Topical Question Time · Scottish Parliament Election 2016 (Votes for 16 and 17-year-olds)

We would always note the concerns of the House of Lords Select Committee on the Constitution, but it certainly does not bear out our experience in the referendum. I associate myself with the cabinet secretary’s remarks about the participation of young people. It is important t...

Jackie Baillie Lab Chamber

24 Feb 2015

Topical Question Time · Scottish Parliament Election 2016 (Votes for 16 and 17-year-olds)

Thank you, Presiding Officer, for an unexpected opportunity to ask a further question. Will some of the efforts that went into increasing the registration of 16 and 17-year-olds for the referendum be replicated for the Scottish Parliament elections? We can learn much from the ...

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

01 Sep 2015

Topical Question Time · HM Naval Base Clyde (Investment)

Is the cabinet secretary aware that the UK Government’s £500 million investment in Faslane is also for jetties and ship lifts to accommodate additional submarines? That flows from Gordon Brown’s decision to consolidate all the UK’s submarine fleet at Faslane. Surely, given the...

1. Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

06 Oct 2015

Topical Question Time · Christopher Hales

To ask the Scottish Government when the Crown Office was first notified of the allegations of mortgage fraud against Christopher Hales. (S4T-01133)

Jackie Baillie Lab Chamber

06 Oct 2015

Topical Question Time · Christopher Hales

We understand that the Law Society told the Crown Office informally about the Christopher Hales case in December 2014, then in April 2015, and then formally in July 2015. Does the Lord Advocate believe that there should be an investigation into the process of communication bet...

Jackie Baillie Lab Chamber

06 Oct 2015

Topical Question Time · Christopher Hales

The public would probably not understand why it takes more than a year for the disciplinary tribunal to notify the Crown Office. Our concern should always be that, in the intervening period, vulnerable people could have been caught up and exploited in alleged mortgage fraud. ...

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

08 Dec 2015

Topical Question Time · Glasgow Bin Lorry Crash (Fatal Accident Inquiry)

I feel great sorrow for the affected families, as I am sure all of us do. Given that the families have said that they intend to seek a private prosecution, what can the Crown and the Scottish Government do to facilitate that process?

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

08 Mar 2016

Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

I apologise for my late arrival. Topical questions finished earlier than I had anticipated. I support Gavin Brown’s amendment 17. He is right to have pointed out that the issue was first raised in evidence to the Finance Committee by the Law Society of Scotland, and the commi...

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

13 Dec 2016

Topical Question Time · Amazon (Working Conditions)

The cabinet secretary will be aware that Amazon has a global value of £290 billion, with £6 billion-worth of revenue in the United Kingdom, yet it pays little tax. It gets employees to opt out of the working time directive to get a job and, as we have heard, it threatens worke...

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

30 May 2017

Topical Question Time · Scottish Police Authority (Meetings)

We know that the chair of the Scottish Police Authority did not tell his board about a letter from Derek Penman that advised of the forthcoming inspection. Now, we understand that, on a previous occasion, Mr Flanagan did not share an advice note on forensic services with the b...

1. Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

20 Jun 2017

Topical Question Time · Residential Tower Blocks and Public Buildings (Fire Safety Checks)

To ask the Scottish Government what checks have been undertaken on residential tower blocks and new public buildings, including schools, in light of the recent tragic event at Grenfell tower. (S5T-00595)

Jackie Baillie Lab Chamber

20 Jun 2017

Topical Question Time · Residential Tower Blocks and Public Buildings (Fire Safety Checks)

I very much welcome the Government’s announcement of a review and the action that it has taken so far. In particular, I welcome the fact that it is looking at widening the scope of the review to include schools and other public buildings. The cabinet secretary will be aware t...

Jackie Baillie Lab Chamber

20 Jun 2017

Topical Question Time · Residential Tower Blocks and Public Buildings (Fire Safety Checks)

It was helpful to hear that the cabinet secretary’s mind is not closed to members’ suggestions. I understand that the Scottish Government issued a letter to all local authorities in November 2013 in which it recategorised certain systems as fire compliant in the building stan...

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

16 Jan 2018

Topical Question Time · Carillion

There are many questions to be asked about the collapse of Carillion, but it is clear that our immediate focus should be on jobs and services. Gillian Martin was right to highlight the significant number of employees who work for companies to which Carillion subcontracted work...

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

30 Jan 2018

Topical Question Time · ScotRail Stop-skipping

The minister knows that passengers on ScotRail services to Dumbarton, Helensburgh and Balloch are frequently affected by station-skipping, and that scheduled services often whizz past Cardross and Dumbarton Central stations without stopping, which leaves passengers stranded. E...

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

18 Sep 2018

Topical Question Time · Ferguson Marine

Thank you, Presiding Officer. I invite the cabinet secretary to continue to be forthcoming. Does he consider the problem to be CMAL, not Ferguson? When will he sort that out?

2. Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

23 Oct 2018

Topical Question Time · A83 (Investment at Rest and Be Thankful)

To ask the Scottish Government what investment is planned for the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful. (S5T-01259)

Jackie Baillie Lab Chamber

23 Oct 2018

Topical Question Time · A83 (Investment at Rest and Be Thankful)

I know that the cabinet secretary visited the site of the A83 landslip during the nine-day closure and I am grateful to him for doing so. He will be aware that this coincided with the closure of the old military road, which was the usual diversionary route. As a result of the ...

Jackie Baillie Lab Chamber

23 Oct 2018

Topical Question Time · A83 (Investment at Rest and Be Thankful)

The cabinet secretary will be aware, of course, that this is not the first time that the Rest and Be Thankful has had to close, notwithstanding the welcome mitigation measures. The consequences of each closure for the local economy and local people are hugely significant. Man...

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

30 Oct 2018

Topical Question Time · United Kingdom Budget

The SNP’s sustainable growth commission said that the Scottish Government should operate the same rate of corporation tax as the UK Government operates, or a lower rate. Does the SNP support a corporation tax cut to 17 per cent or below for big business, or will it support inc...

Jackie Baillie Lab Chamber

30 Oct 2018

Topical Question Time · United Kingdom Budget

And corporation tax?

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

23 Apr 2019

Topical Question Time · Rail Services

The problem is not confined to the east of Scotland. Performance in parts of the west of Scotland is at a record low. In March, 56 per cent of trains arrived on time in Dumbarton. In Balloch, the figure was 48 per cent and in Helensburgh it was 42 per cent. For the avoidance o...

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

04 Jun 2019

Topical Question Time · Out-of-hours General Practitioner Services

I am delighted that the Vale of Leven hospital’s out-of-hours service was open, and join other members in praising the staff. Of course, the irony is that it is normally the Vale’s out-of-hours service that is closed. Last year alone, there were more than 80 shutdowns of the o...

1. Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

12 Nov 2019

Topical Question Time · Deposit Return Scheme (Craft Brewers)

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with craft brewers about the deposit return scheme. (S5T-01877)

Jackie Baillie Lab Chamber

12 Nov 2019

Topical Question Time · Deposit Return Scheme (Craft Brewers)

I had the pleasure of spending yesterday morning with the Loch Lomond Brewery discussing the deposit return scheme—there was no drink taken. The brewery is in favour of the principle of the scheme and fully supports recycling efforts. Its concerns are about the operation of th...

Jackie Baillie Lab Chamber

12 Nov 2019

Topical Question Time · Deposit Return Scheme (Craft Brewers)

I thank the cabinet secretary for her further very welcome response. There is a real issue about the quality of recycling. We know that we get most recycling of white glass, less of green glass and nothing really of brown glass. Most drink bottles are typically green and brown...

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Committee

24 Mar 2020

Covid-19

There is clarity in the Government advice, for those who choose to read it. I am keen to test the issue of enforcement. In my area, one or two pubs opened and hotels were hosting weddings—entirely inappropriate behaviour when practising social distancing, never mind when movin...

1. Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

02 Jun 2020

Topical Question Time · Covid-19 Tests

To ask the Scottish Government what the daily average number of Covid-19 tests carried out last week was. (S5T-02218)

Jackie Baillie Lab Chamber

02 Jun 2020

Topical Question Time · Covid-19 Tests

That figure falls well short of Nicola Sturgeon’s promise that we would have 10,000 tests per day by the end of April, which was subsequently revised to 15,000 tests per day by 26 May. Indeed, yesterday saw the lowest number of tests being carried out—only 2,729—and only 937 n...

Jackie Baillie Lab Chamber

02 Jun 2020

Topical Question Time · Covid-19 Tests

I thank the cabinet secretary for her further response. However, I am surprised at her defence, because I am sure that she would agree that there is absolutely no point in having capacity unless we are actually going to use it. As the cabinet secretary has outlined, she has m...

2. Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

15 Sep 2020

Topical Question Time · A83 Rest and Be Thankful (Closure)

To ask the Scottish Government what mitigation measures are being considered to deal with the continuing closure of the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful. (S5T-02387)

Jackie Baillie Lab Chamber

15 Sep 2020

Topical Question Time · A83 Rest and Be Thankful (Closure)

Members will know that the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful was first closed due to a landslip on 4 August. The diversion route through the old military road has been closed for part of that time, too. One week after it reopened—just last week—it has been closed due to another ...

Jackie Baillie Lab Chamber

15 Sep 2020

Topical Question Time · A83 Rest and Be Thankful (Closure)

The A83 task force met at the end of August, and I understand that the cabinet secretary is exploring 11 options for a permanent replacement, as he referenced. I am sure that he will agree that a replacement is urgent—there is cross-party agreement on that between me, Mike Rus...

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

02 Mar 2021

Topical Question Time · Covid-19 (Brazilian Variant)

The concerns about the Brazil variant of Covid-19 are that it potentially spreads more easily and that it can evade the immune system, leading to re-infections. Two cases of the variant have been found in south Gloucestershire. There, people are doing surge testing, including ...

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

22 Jun 2021

Topical Question Time · Covid-19 (Travel Ban)

The cabinet secretary will be aware that the mayor of Manchester is seeking compensation for those people who had booked holidays in Scotland that have now been cancelled as a result of the Government’s decision. The tourism industry has had a really difficult time, and losing...

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

14 Sep 2021

Topical Question Time · Vaccination Passports

This week is freshers week. Students from the UK and all over the world will be congregating in pubs, cafes and restaurants, and, for the next two weeks, students from outside Scotland will be in nightclubs. On 1 October, they will not be able to do that, because they have bee...

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

06 Dec 2022

Topical Question Time · Group A Streptococcus

A couple of weeks ago, Glasgow’s Royal hospital for children warned parents about attendance at A and E. As we have already heard, this morning’s statistics reveal that our emergency departments are under incredible pressure. Will the cabinet secretary explain what additional ...

1. Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

09 May 2023

Topical Question Time · Junior Doctors (Industrial Action)

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to avoid industrial action by junior doctors, in light of the decision in favour of action by almost 97 per cent of British Medical Association Scotland members who voted. (S6T-01364)

Jackie Baillie Lab Chamber

09 May 2023

Topical Question Time · Junior Doctors (Industrial Action)

The outcome of the ballot was overwhelming, indicating the strength of feeling among our hard-working junior doctors. Since 2008, pay for newly qualified doctors has been eroded by a staggering 23.5 per cent in real terms. A recent BMA survey showed that 44 per cent of junior ...

Jackie Baillie Lab Chamber

09 May 2023

Topical Question Time · Junior Doctors (Industrial Action)

I very much welcome the fact that the cabinet secretary is engaging with junior doctors and their representatives and I wish those negotiations well. However, the cabinet secretary will understand that, with one in seven patients currently on waiting lists, and the worst ever ...

2. Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

12 Sep 2023

Topical Question Time · Covid-19 (New Variants)

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to keep people safe, in light of reported concerns about the spread of new variants of Covid-19. (S6T-01524)

Jackie Baillie Lab Chamber

12 Sep 2023

Topical Question Time · Covid-19 (New Variants)

I think that we agree that vaccination remains an important defence against Covid. Last week, I raised the issue of constituents in Helensburgh not receiving their Covid vaccinations and, this morning, I have received an apology from the cabinet secretary explaining that it wa...

Jackie Baillie Lab Chamber

12 Sep 2023

Topical Question Time · Covid-19 (New Variants)

I welcome that, because having adequate supplies of the vaccine and vaccinating as quickly as possible are essential. We should consider that, last month, Edinburgh was the worst Covid hotspot in the UK—not least because of the Edinburgh festival, I suspect. The number of hosp...

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

23 Jan 2024

Topical Question Time · WhatsApp Messages

Ken Thomson, the man who drafted the Scottish Government’s records management policy, was advising people on how to avoid complying with it. The national clinical director, Jason Leitch, who helped shape the Covid regulations, was advising the current First Minister on how to ...

2. Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

06 Feb 2024

Topical Question Time · Cervical Cancer Screening

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the reported recall of 150,000 women who were wrongly excluded from cervical cancer screening since 1997. (S6T-01788)

Jackie Baillie Lab Chamber

06 Feb 2024

Topical Question Time · Cervical Cancer Screening

The problem of women being excluded from the cervical screening programme was first reported to the Parliament in June 2021. The minister at the time, Maree Todd, told the chamber that the cases of 1,500 women who had had partial hysterectomies since 1997 were being reviewed. ...

Jackie Baillie Lab Chamber

06 Feb 2024

Topical Question Time · Cervical Cancer Screening

The minister’s response is wholly inadequate. You are not serious about this. You promised the women that they would have letters in August 2021.

Jackie Baillie Lab Chamber

06 Feb 2024

Topical Question Time · Cervical Cancer Screening

We are now in 2024, and we know that at least one woman has died as a result. Let me tell members about Christine from Fife. She received a letter on 3 December 2023 saying that she had had only a partial hysterectomy and that she had been wrongly excluded from the cervical s...

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab Chamber

14 May 2024

Topical Question Time · General Practitioner Sustainability Loan Scheme

Let me shine a light on the proceedings. Audit Scotland says that the SNP will fail to recruit the promised 800 GPs by 2027, and the BMA says that we actually need 1,000 GPs to meet the increased demand. The GP loan scheme is about sustainability and retention of GPs. Does the...