Hansard

The Convener Lab Committee

16 Jun 2016

Work Programme

Agenda item 4 is consideration of the committee’s work programme. With summer recess fast approaching, we have time for just one more meeting, which will be on Thursday 30 June. The committee is invited to agree items of business for that meeting. A number of reports produce...

Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

06 Oct 2016

Investigatory Powers Bill

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. At lunch time today, 15 minutes after First Minister’s question time concluded, the Scottish Government published Audit Scotland’s section 22 emergency reports on NHS Tayside and NHS 24. The timing of the laying of section 22 reports is...

Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

24 Jan 2019

Committees’ Pre-budget Scrutiny

I thank the clerks of my committee for all the work that they do throughout the year. It is very much appreciated by me and all our members. The Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee’s role is to examine whether public funds are spent wisely and to hold to acco...

The Convener Lab Committee

01 Nov 2018

Section 22 Reports

Okay, we can refer to that. My second question is on prescribing. You identified prescribing as an issue in the two section 22 reports that are in front of us this morning, as well as in previous NHS Tayside reports. In NHS Ayrshire and Arran, you identified general practitio...

Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

29 Feb 2012

Human Trafficking

I thank the Scottish Government for the opportunity to debate human trafficking. I also thank the cabinet secretary for his speech on this very important issue and for the tone of his speech. When I was preparing for the debate this morning, I was mindful that the debate would...

Jenny Marra Lab Committee

06 Nov 2012

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2013-14

The First Minister denies that police officers are doing civilian staff duties, but recent reports in the Sunday Herald reveal that a group that reports to you, cabinet secretary, and which is made up of chief constables and Scottish Government officials proposed that cuts to ...

Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Committee

07 May 2013

Fatal Road Collisions

Good morning, panel.The University of Dundee/SCID report recommends a statutory right for families to access police reports and investigation reports after fatal accidents. I put my questions to Margaret Dekker and Stuart Cross. Why is that necessary? Why is the current system...

Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

30 May 2013

First Minister’s Question Time · Secretary of State for Scotland (Meetings)

The First Minister will be aware of reports that police staff without the appropriate qualifications have been taking fingerprints in Dundee and Arbroath. Has he had reports of that happening anywhere else in Scotland? Will he reassure people in my region that the review will ...

Jenny Marra Lab Chamber

05 Jun 2014

Improving Entrepreneurship among Women and Young People

Absolutely. Work experience needs to be enhanced. The youth council was right to campaign to keep it, but there needs to be more than one week, it needs to be funded and it needs to be structured. Ian Wood is also keen to address gender segregation in the workplace. That has ...

Jenny Marra Lab Chamber

10 Jun 2015

Health

There is a great consensus in all the reports that we have seen about the shift to preventative spend. We will approach the public debate with a programme of what we would like to see and to discuss, but I do not think that we can second-guess the outcome of the public convers...

Jenny Marra Lab Committee

28 Sep 2016

Audit Scotland Annual Report and Accounts and Auditor’s Report on the Accounts

On page 10 of the annual report, Audit Scotland advises that “there were seven auditor opinions qualified this year—two in further education, one in central government and four in charities.” Is that a normal number of qualified audit reports in any given year or is it untyp...

The Convener Lab Committee

06 Oct 2016

Section 22 Reports

Item 4 is two section 22 reports on Edinburgh College and the Glasgow Colleges Regional Board. The Auditor General is joined by Mark Roberts and Mark MacPherson, senior managers at Audit Scotland; Hugh Harvie, partner at KPMG; and Gary Devlin, partner at Scott-Moncrieff. I in...

The Convener Lab Committee

16 Mar 2017

Section 23 Reports

Do you know how often reports went to ministers?

The Convener Lab Committee

07 Jun 2018

Section 22 Reports

Item 3 is on section 22 reports on colleges. I welcome our witnesses. Caroline Gardner is the Auditor General for Scotland; Helen Russell is a senior audit manager and Mark MacPherson is a senior manager at Audit Scotland; and Lucy Nutley is director of public services audit a...

The Convener Lab Committee

07 Jun 2018

Section 22 Reports

Alex Neil and Iain Gray both touched on a top-heavy management structure. Because you have done reports on several colleges throughout Scotland, you are in a good position to give us a sense of whether the management structure at New College Lanarkshire is too top heavy in com...

The Convener Lab Committee

01 Nov 2018

Section 22 Reports

Auditor General, I want to explore workforce planning a wee bit more. It comes up in both reports and we touched on it earlier. Are we training enough doctors and nurses who are likely to stay and work in our NHS hospitals in Scotland? I recently heard of a young doctor who q...

The Convener Lab Committee

01 Nov 2018

Section 22 Reports

Do members have any further questions for our witnesses on the reports?

The Convener Lab Committee

01 Nov 2018

Section 22 Reports

As there are no further questions from members on these health reports, I thank the witnesses very much for their evidence. We will suspend for two minutes to allow a changeover of witnesses. Thank you. 10:05 Meeting suspended. 10:07 On resuming—

The Convener Lab Committee

20 Dec 2018

Section 22 Reports

Item 2 is on the section 22 reports “The 2017/18 audit of NHS Highland: Financial sustainability” and “The 2017/18 audit of NHS Ayrshire and Arran: Financial sustainability”. I welcome our witnesses to the meeting. John Burns is the chief executive of NHS Ayrshire and Arran an...

Jenny Marra Lab Chamber

21 May 2019

Topical Question Time · Air Pollution (Childhood Cancers)

The problem is that many of the bus companies will struggle to get their fleets to meet the requirements of the low-emission zones. I have raised the issue of the pollution from diesel buses many times in the chamber over the past few months. National Express, for example, whi...

Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

26 Oct 2011

Fuel Poverty

Members may be aware that the Scottish fuel poverty forum met this morning for the first time under its new chair, Professor David Sigsworth. I wish him the very best of success, and I hope that the Scottish Government will have learned from its mistakes in neglecting the advi...

Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

20 Jun 2012

Criminal Cases (Punishment and Review) (Scotland) Bill

I welcome the opportunity to speak in the stage 3 proceedings on the Criminal Cases (Punishment and Review) (Scotland) Bill. At stage 1, Scottish Labour pledged its support for the bill’s general principles, but we took the opportunity to highlight some of our concerns around ...

Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

29 Mar 2012

Tribunal System

I thank the minister for her considered introduction to the topic and welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate on an important issue.Tribunals are a fundamental part of the Scottish civil justice system. Each year, many more Scots attend tribunals than attend court hear...

Jenny Marra Lab Chamber

01 Dec 2011

Youth Unemployment

I am angry that, since two weeks ago, when the unemployment figures came out, cybernats continually tweet me with their answer to the unemployment figures, which is that young people in this country do not want to work. That seems to be the message continually coming from memb...

Jenny Marra Lab Committee

25 Sep 2012

Decisions on Taking Business in Private

That relates to the discussion of our reports, whereas Graeme Pearson’s suggestion relates to item 4, in which we will consider our approach to the Prisons (Interference with Wireless Telegraphy) Bill, rather than discuss a report. We can move into private for the selection of...

Jenny Marra Lab Chamber

04 Oct 2012

First Minister’s Question Time · Police Staffing

That commitment is interesting, given Stephen House’s revelations last week. The First Minister has repeatedly told the Scottish people that 1,000 extra police officers are on their streets today. He has denied our reports that police officers are sitting in police stations ac...

Jenny Marra Lab Committee

06 Nov 2012

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2013-14

The same group that reports to you, cabinet secretary, suggests in its paper that there will be a 20 per cent reduction in the overall estate footprint of the Scottish police. Can you assure us today that that will not result in the closure of any local police stations?

Jenny Marra Lab Chamber

05 Dec 2012

Policing

The cabinet secretary needs to look at the evidence for himself. I suggest that he goes out to his constituency, speaks to custody officers and trade unions and reads Audit Scotland’s report. He might then get an accurate reflection of what is going on in the police force in t...

Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

31 Jan 2013

First Minister’s Question Time · Secretary of State for Scotland (Meetings)

Can the First Minister confirm that two inspectors resigned after Healthcare Improvement Scotland failed to publish a September inspection of Ninewells hospital? Can he confirm that the health secretary, Alex Neil, was alerted to the issue by the minister, Roseanna Cunningham?...

Jenny Marra Lab Chamber

29 Jan 2013

Scottish Civil Justice Council and Criminal Legal Assistance Bill: Stage 3

Amendment 22 would ensure that the meetings of the council and its committees are held in public, with agendas, papers and reports being published for public view. I pressed the amendment at stage 2 and was urged by Kenny MacAskill to reject it on the grounds that a room might...

Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

06 Mar 2013

National Health Service Waiting Times

I found the first half of this debate and the SNP’s response to Labour’s motion extremely limited at best. Labour is using its parliamentary time to shine a light on some of the realities in our NHS and the best that the SNP can do is accuse us of flirting with reality and reh...

Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

28 Mar 2013

General Question Time · Healthcare Improvement Scotland (Review)

7. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will conduct a review of Healthcare Improvement Scotland in light of reports that a fourth person has resigned from the organisation following the unpublished inspection into older people’s care at Ninewells hospital. (S4O-01981)

Jenny Marra Lab Chamber

10 Dec 2013

Human Rights

Thank you.We have lodged our amendment because I do not believe that FGM is specifically mentioned in the human rights strategy and, given recent press reports and concerns, it is something that needs to be looked at urgently, so I wanted to draw it to the minister’s attention...

Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

28 May 2013

Topical Question Time · Rendition Flights

This morning, there were reports that Dundee airport may be linked to rendition. Will the cabinet secretary ask the UK Government whether it has any information on the use of Dundee airport for rendition activity?

Jenny Marra Lab Chamber

19 Jun 2013

Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Committee reports are always agreed by the committee, but Scottish Labour thinks that there is a compelling case for case companions.Just as the Government is legislating to expand the choices and information given to victims and witnesses, so is it legislating to expand the n...

Jenny Marra Lab Chamber

19 Jun 2013

Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

As I said in response to the convener, committee reports are always agreed by the committee, and I think that we made our point in committee that we think that case companions are a good idea. Stewart Maxwell is shaking his head, but he was not there to hear the discussions.

Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

18 Sep 2013

Portfolio Question Time · Female Genital Mutilation

8. To ask the Scottish Government how many reports of female genital mutilation have been made to the police by national health service staff since 2005. (S4O-02389)

Jenny Marra Lab Chamber

18 Sep 2013

Portfolio Question Time · Female Genital Mutilation

Three reports does not seem very many, as 3,000 women in Scotland are at risk of having their clitoris cut out. The minister will know that girls who are born to mothers whose genitals have been tortured are at very high risk of genital mutilation. Pregnancy screening is a key...

Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

05 Feb 2014

Female Genital Mutilation

Tomorrow is international day of zero tolerance for female genital mutilation: a day when the world will take a stand against child torture, the heinous physical abuse of women and a practice that has no place in society yet unfortunately still affects far too many across the ...

Jenny Marra Lab Chamber

27 Nov 2014

Programme for Government 2014-15

No, thank you. I am sorry, but I have a lot to get through. The fair work convention is a great opportunity. The First Minister has committed herself to it in the programme, but Annabelle Ewing and Nicola Sturgeon should be clear that they will act on its outcomes. Perhaps th...

Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

07 May 2014

Wealth and Income Inequality

The debate has been very interesting. Various points have been raised across the chamber, and I would like to reflect on some of them. I will start with the minister’s remarks. Margaret Burgess said that the Government is doing what it can to tackle inequality now with the av...

Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

21 Jan 2015

Budget (Scotland) (No 4) Bill: Stage 1

We know that there is a crisis in our accident and emergency departments in Scotland. We need only to open a newspaper to see exactly how bad things are. Over Christmas, we heard reports from across the country of the pressures on our NHS. The Victoria infirmary in Glasgow use...

Jenny Marra Lab Chamber

18 Feb 2015

National Health Service

It is now their ambition that is critical. I move, That the Parliament notes that there are serious problems across the country in Scotland’s health service; regrets that there is a veil of secrecy over important statistics on the operation of NHS Scotland, and calls for a c...

Jenny Marra Lab Chamber

01 Dec 2015

Topical Question Time · Primary Care Out-of-hours Services

We very much welcome the £1 million of funding that has been put in place for the testing of the pilot hub model, but the cabinet secretary will know that the out-of-hours service across the country is struggling, with reports of as few as two general practitioners covering wh...

Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

29 Jun 2016

Srebrenica Genocide (21st Anniversary)

It is perhaps a prescient time to be having this debate on the 21st anniversary of the horrific genocide that took place in Srebrenica. We live in a very uncertain world, in which not a week seems to pass without reports of another terror attack, such as yesterday’s in Ankara,...

The Convener Lab Committee

30 Jun 2016

Section 23 Reports

Agenda item 2 is on the section 23 report “Common Agricultural Policy Futures programme: an update”. We will take evidence from Caroline Gardner, the Auditor General for Scotland and, from Audit Scotland: Mark Taylor, assistant director; Gemma Diamond, senior manager; and Mora...

The Convener Lab Committee

30 Jun 2016

Section 23 Reports

Thank you very much, Auditor General. In opening up the meeting to questions from the committee, I ask members to indicate to me whether they would like to ask a question on the topic. We will start with Colin Beattie.

The Convener Lab Committee

30 Jun 2016

Section 23 Reports

I would like to bring in a couple of other members. If time allows, I can come back to Colin Beattie if he has any further questions.

The Convener Lab Committee

30 Jun 2016

Section 23 Reports

Okay. I will bring in Alex Neil.

The Convener Lab Committee

30 Jun 2016

Section 23 Reports

A question, please, Mr Neil.

The Convener Lab Committee

30 Jun 2016

Section 23 Reports

Okay. Do any other members have points that they want to make?

The Convener Lab Committee

30 Jun 2016

Section 23 Reports

I will pick up on a couple of issues. I want to go back to something that we talked about at the start of the meeting. The Auditor General admitted in response to Mr Beattie that problems with IT projects are not confined to Scotland. Obviously, the CAP payments need to be mad...

The Convener Lab Committee

30 Jun 2016

Section 23 Reports

Thank you. The second point that I want to pick up on is about something that we have rehearsed a bit this morning regarding escalation, responsibility and accountability. Alex Neil said that the issue did not come before the Scottish Cabinet until October 2015. However, Mark ...

The Convener Lab Committee

30 Jun 2016

Section 23 Reports

Given the experience—to which Colin Beattie referred—with other public sector IT projects such as NHS 24, was the original Scottish Government estimate of £50 million too low an estimate for how much the CAP project would cost?

The Convener Lab Committee

30 Jun 2016

Section 23 Reports

I have one final question. You have referred a couple of times to the skills shortage. Is that something that you have identified in other IT contracts? Can you give us a flavour of the extent of the IT skills shortage in Scotland?

The Convener Lab Committee

30 Jun 2016

Section 23 Reports

I thank all of you for your evidence. I will suspend the committee for a couple of minutes while the Audit Scotland witnesses swap over for the next agenda item. 09:56 Meeting suspended. 09:59 On resuming—

The Convener Lab Committee

30 Jun 2016

Section 23 Reports

Item 3 on the agenda is consideration of the Auditor General for Scotland’s report “Changing models of health and social care”. The Auditor General is staying with us for this item. I also welcome from Audit Scotland Carol Calder, Jillian Matthew and Antony Clark, who is an as...

The Convener Lab Committee

30 Jun 2016

Section 23 Reports

Thank you, Auditor General. I open up the meeting to questions.

The Convener Lab Committee

30 Jun 2016

Section 23 Reports

Yes. It is an interesting idea and the committee should certainly consider taking up the offer. Do you have any further questions, Mr Neil?

The Convener Lab Committee

30 Jun 2016

Section 23 Reports

You said that information on general practitioners has not been collected since 2012. Given the shortage of GPs, what impact does that lack of information have on your ability to scrutinise GP services and on the Government’s ability to forecast public spending on general prac...