The final item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S4M-14715, in the name of Bob Doris, on commending the employees of City Building and Royal Strathclyde Blindcraft Industries. The debate will be concluded without any question being put. I call James Dornan to open the debate on behalf of Bob Doris.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament welcomes the contribution to Glasgow’s finances generated by the 2,200 employees of City Building LLP and Royal Strathclyde Blindcraft Industries (RSBi), who have returned a profit to Glasgow City Council of around £5 million in each financial year, with an over £50 million net gain to Glasgow’s finances since 2007; acknowledges the achievements of the workforces and the representatives of the unions, the JTUC and Unite, over the years, supporting around 2,000 people through City Building LLP’s supply chain and currently supporting the training of around 400 apprentices across all construction trades, making the company the largest employer of apprentices in Scotland; believes that the scale and flexibility of its multidisciplinary workforce and broad experience allows it to deliver complex projects, winning over £1 billion of contracts in open competition and winning the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development; highlights the importance of RSBi in providing opportunities for disabled people, most recently providing an extensive range of furniture for the World Gymnastics Championships at the Hydro, both for the competition and the back-office areas, all constructed at City Building LLP’s RSBi factories in Springburn and Queenslie, helping make RSBi, in partnership with City Building LLP, what it considers one of the country’s leading examples of social enterprise, combining commercial success with socially responsible practices, and wishes everyone employed at City Building LLP and RSBi every success in the future.
17:05
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. As you rightly said, the motion is in the name of Bob Doris, but he is unfortunately unable to be here due to a family bereavement. I am sure that the thoughts of all of us are with him and his family.
Recently, along with my colleagues Bill Kidd and Bob Doris, I had the pleasure of meeting a joint trade union group to discuss their concerns about the future of City Building and RSBI. I welcome to the gallery the trade union officials whom we met, and others including Ronnie Regan, Frank Wallace from the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians, Dave King from Unite, James Bradley from Unison, and Steven McGurk and Robert Mooney from Community. I thank them for their attendance.
Before I turn to their considerable concerns, which we discussed that day, I want to draw members’ attention to the success that the workforce has created since RSBI was brought under the aegis of City Building. Prior to 2007, RSBI was the responsibility of Glasgow City Council’s social work department. Many of us will remember Royal Strathclyde Blindcraft Industries as an organisation that was dedicated to making a difference in the community, with its roots as a supported facility for visually impaired people—an ethos that continues to this day.
Even with a motivated and dedicated workforce, RSBI was making a loss of £2 million on a £4 million turnover. That was due mainly to four factors: there was no clear business plan, there was no tangible business strategy, there was a nebulous marketing strategy that was totally unconnected to the incoherent sales plan, and products were being made that ultimately gathered dust due to low sales. The only outcome was an expanding inventory that was going unsold.
Let us compare that with the current position. RSBI contributes £5 million a year to the city coffers. It is included in the Scottish Government framework for supported businesses. The business combines commercial success with socially inclusive policies—50 per cent of the 260 employees have disabilities. Other employees come from closed former Remploy sites and others have armed forces backgrounds—six positions are ring fenced for returning disabled ex-servicemen and women. With 400 apprentices, it is the largest employer of apprentices in Scotland.
I want to draw attention to a newspaper article about a young lady. One of the things that RSBI does in relation to apprenticeships is that, out of the 2200 employees, 98 are female apprentices. In March this year, an article in the Evening Times discussed that, and mentioned Tracey Jefferson from Battlefield who is studying for a higher national certificate in construction management. Tracey is a constituent of mine, and I want to congratulate her and wish her well for her future with the company.
The Scottish Government also recognises RSBI as one of Scotland’s most successful factories when it is measured against three criteria: turnover, employment and the diversity of the work that it undertakes. RSBI has a range of contracts from across the United Kingdom, including the University of Aberdeen and the University of Cambridge, a number of local authorities and housing departments, and it is providing clients with the largest range of products in the organisation's history.
Those of us who visited RSBI at Springburn were struck by the calibre and professionalism of the workforce. The business adheres to a socially responsible model while being aware of the need for clear commercial objectives. Everyone we spoke to had the same aims; they all want to grow the business to continue to provide sustainable employment for some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.
The socially inclusive ethos manifests itself through their social enterprise model, which not only provides employment for people with disabilities, but provides vocational training to schools. It offers training in furniture manufacturing to 35 school pupils from additional support for learning schools every week during term time, and it ring fences job opportunities. It is not only schools that RSBI engages with; it also collaborates with the myriad community organisations across the city that give opportunities to disabled adults.
It is not unreasonable to ask why the workforce is having to endure so much anxiety when we look at the commercial and social success they have made of RSBI. There has been talk of a possible joint venture between City Building and RSBI and Glasgow Housing Association. That proposal brings both opportunities and concerns. The leadership of Glasgow City Council, which plays a pivotal role in the situation, is yet to be forthcoming with answers to a number of questions that RSBI and City Building employees have. They include unanswered questions about the suggestion that a third of the City Building workforce, which is 600 to 900 people, will transfer to the repairs and maintenance team of GHA’s parent organisation, the Wheatley Group, and about major concerns about Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 obligations because there has been no clarification of how or by whom the process will be managed.
There is also a fear that there could be a significant impact on the skills profile of the remaining staff, which would potentially reduce City Building’s ability to maintain a diverse range of profitable services and possibly compromise the organisation’s future resilience. The flexibility of the workforce could be undermined, which could lead to a detrimental impact on training and provision of the high-quality apprenticeships programme that is operating with a guaranteed 12-month-minimum job on qualifying.
There are unanswered questions regarding the potential for competition between City Building and GHA for future repair and maintenance contracts with housing associations, and there are risks to City Building’s cash flow. Repair and maintenance contracts are lucrative and generally have quick turnaround times.
There are also a number of unanswered questions about City Building’s supply chain. Would there be job losses throughout the supply chain and therefore a loss of money? What impact would that have on apprenticeships and other training programmes?
City Building has contributed £50 million to the city since 2006, yet it has been suggested that it is unprofitable and that it operates at a loss. What of the remainder of City Building? Will it all be transferred? Should it be sold?
When the Labour administration in Glasgow established arm’s-length external organisations, the SNP group in Glasgow City Council was opposed to it from the start. I was there and nobody was more vocal than me, but the one ALEO that I thought had a case to be made for it was City Building, and I think that time has proved me right.
Well done, Glasgow.
You have had your chance, Johann.
If the administration eventually goes ahead with the decision, it could be a short-sighted one, given the financial contribution that City Building makes to Glasgow, and it would be a huge slap in the face to the dedicated workforce and the trade unions.
Let me be clear that I am not attacking GHA or the Labour council, but I make an appeal to them: the workforce deserves answers that address their concerns. The staff and the union officials whom we met made it clear that they are willing to discuss their—or any—proposals and to work their way through them. We need to make any transition an easy process for the staff, and allow the organisation time to recalibrate its business plan. That will ensure that the social and ethical ethos that it practises can continue and it can provide more jobs and opportunities for vulnerable people. The organisation simply has a genuine concern for its staff and the citizens of Glasgow. Will the Labour council please open up a constructive discussion with City Building and RSBI and facilitate discussions between GHA and City Building?
I commend the staff and the unions for their professionalism, their civic pride and their socially responsible ethos. Their achievements and their beliefs deserve our whole-hearted congratulations, our support for the future and the support of Glasgow City Council.
We turn to the open debate. I ask for speeches of four minutes, please.
17:12
I offer my condolences to Bob Doris at this sad time. He and his family are in our thoughts and prayers.
I am pleased to have the opportunity to participate in this important debate and I congratulate Bob Doris on securing parliamentary time so that members can acknowledge the tremendous contribution that the employees of City Building and RSBI make to Glasgow. I also congratulate James Dornan on stepping in for him this evening.
I, too, welcome the joint trade union committee members to the gallery and thank them for the helpful briefing that they provided to members.
I am especially pleased to be discussing the issue tonight because the organisation’s headquarters is located in my Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn constituency. City Building, which was set up in 2006 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Glasgow City Council, employs about 2,250 workers across the city. That does not include the 260 staff who are employed at RSBI, half of whom have disabilities. The organisation also supports staff who are employed through the construction apprenticeship programme, which provides 80 apprenticeship places in each year for a four-year course, working in partnership with colleges across the city to ensure that the apprentices receive the best and most up-to-date training.
City Building’s record is that of a successful and dynamic organisation that has, since its establishment in 2006, won more than £1 billion-worth of contracts in open competition against stiff opposition from rival firms.
That is a record of which we should all be justifiably proud—as the constituency MSP, I am. The Commonwealth games village, new houses at Maryhill Locks and the work that it has done as part of the council’s 4Rs for Glasgow project refurbishing the city’s primary school estate are just part of the success story that is City Building. Of course, that success has been built on the commitment, dedication and energy of a workforce that is ready to meet the challenges that are thrown up by an increasingly problematic economic landscape.
As we have heard, RSBI is a particularly important component of that model organisation that provides a supportive manufacturing facility and makes a wide range of products including office furniture, beds, kitchens and windows. It is one of the UK’s leading examples of successful social enterprise, and skilfully combines commercial success with socially responsible practices. The importance of RSBI was highlighted by the previous UK coalition Government’s vindictive, unreasonable and—quite frankly—heartless closure of the Remploy factory, which was RSBI’s next-door neighbour, ironically.
I am confident that City Building and RSBI will continue to prosper, despite the difficult economic situation that Glasgow City Council faces. However, the company does not stand still: across the business, reviews of processes to identify alternative workstreams, materials, products and vehicles continue. That approach is essential to the future success of the organisation. It is that dynamism that gives great hope for the continued progress of a company that is so vital to the future of Glasgow and thousands of Glaswegians.
Recently, the executive director of City Building, Dr Graham Paterson, stated in a letter to workers that he wants to assure them that the council remains committed not only to the long-term future of City Building but to working with the management and board to safeguard jobs, employees’ terms and conditions, and the best interests of the city more generally, which is a position that I certainly support.
I understand that the Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities, Keith Brown, will visit City Building tomorrow. I am sorry that I will not be able to be there to greet him, because I will be here in Parliament. However, I sincerely hope that he will take with him information about ways in which the Scottish Government can utilise the skills and talents that City Building’s staff undoubtedly have, and that he will discuss with the management and the workers ways in which City Building can be assisted to bid for Scottish Government contracts and not just those that are generated by Glasgow City Council and GHA. That would be a very helpful contribution to the successful future of City Building, which is something that I am sure we all want.
17:17
I send my condolences and best wishes to Bob Doris. He is a good friend, and I am sure that everyone wishes him and his family well at this difficult time. I join both James and Patricia in welcoming the joint trade union committee members to the public gallery tonight.
When City Building was first mooted as an arm’s-length external organisation, I was against the move; at the time, I saw it as a weakening of the democratic accountability of council services and a potential danger to the employment rights of the workforce. Well, I was wrong to worry. City Building, working in close partnership with RSBI, has been an unalloyed success story that I am very grateful has come about.
City Building is an employer with around 400 apprentices, 98 of whom are female; it is firmly committed to equality for disabled people and is open and encouraging to armed forces veterans. It contributes £5 million each financial year to the coffers of Glasgow City Council—that is very welcome at a difficult financial time—with a £50 million net gain since 2007.
If City Building had gone on “Dragon’s Den”, Duncan Bannatyne and Deborah Meaden would have been battling with each other to go into partnership with the management and workforce. City Building is an example of what the new Scotland should be: it has a highly skilled workforce, with equality to the fore, and is financially successful.
Speaking of equalities, in common with all my MSP colleagues, I have been privileged to attend hundreds of disability events over the years. Unfortunately, in doing so, I have met many disabled people who have been desperate for real job satisfaction and a living wage, but who instead have found themselves with enough certificates of competence to paper their living rooms.
At RSBI, the jobs are real and the skill levels are top class. It would be a disaster to threaten the future of those workers, who are of all ages, by breaking up their working links with their colleagues in City Building. That would assuredly happen if 900 of the 2,200 jobs were to be hived off to GHA, no matter its qualities, or to any other possible employer. We have all heard about selling off the family silver. It is crass and stupid to even think of doing that, but that is exactly what Glasgow City Council would be doing if it continued down that path. I therefore urge it to think again and to enter into constructive talks with the employee representatives at City Building and RSBI. I look to them to address the challenges of the future together.
I remind members to use full names, please, because that assists the Official Report and those who are watching proceedings.
17:21
I congratulate Bob Doris on securing the debate and join other members in sending condolences to him and his family at this time.
While I was conducting research for the debate, I realised that the future of City Building and RSBI was something of a hot potato. I think that we have already heard that it is becoming a political football between Labour and the Scottish National Party in the city of Glasgow. I do not represent Glasgow and I have no detailed knowledge of those matters, so I would rather concentrate on some of the positives around social enterprises and improving employability, particularly for those with disabilities, on which City Building and RSBI have a track record.
I think that we can all agree that returning profits while providing a positive environment for employees should be the core of any successful business. In Parliament, we rightfully praise co-operatives and social enterprises for their commitment to giving something back. City Building and RSBI are good examples of businesses that have created a model that upholds core social enterprise values while returning benefits to Glasgow City Council. As we have heard, they have delivered high-quality work on high-profile contracts in recent years. In addition to RSBI’s work in providing furniture for the recently held world gymnastics championships, which the motion mentions, it produced goods for the Commonwealth games, and City Building helped to renovate the games headquarters at the Tontine building. Their role in supporting the most successful games on record cannot be overstated.
One of the core elements of the RSBI model is a commitment to providing meaningful employment for disabled people. At present, around 50 per cent of RSBI employees are registered disabled. We know that being in employment has tremendous restorative qualities. Studies have shown that productive work fosters feelings of pride and self-worth. The current UK Government has been determined to return as many long-term unemployed people as possible back to work. Last year, 140,000 disabled people found a route into employment, and many used the Government’s £108 million access to work scheme.
Despite that progress, there is a lot of work still to be done. Only around half of all disabled people are in work compared with 80 per cent of non-disabled people.
I hear what the member has to say about disabled people not being able to access employment, but I can tell him that disabled people in my constituency have found that much harder since the Remploy building on the same industrial estate that RSBI is on was closed down by his Government. I very much regret that. Does he?
The member will be aware that we have debated those issues in the chamber on many occasions. She will also be aware of the estates review and the recommendations that were made in that report about the type of employment that Remploy provided. We could spend the rest of the evening going over those issues again, and I know that we will have a different view on them. I would rather concentrate on the positives and talk about the good work that is being done to give disabled people the opportunity to make a contribution to society.
I briefly mention two enterprises in the region that I represent. In Dundee, Dovetail Enterprises recently won the social impact prize at the Courier business awards for its social impact in Tayside. In Dalgety Bay, the 45 employees of Matrix Fife, half of whom are registered disabled, produce furniture and soft furnishings.
There are good supported businesses working well across the country, just as City Building and RSBI are leading the way in Glasgow by showing that large businesses can support their employees and deliver benefits to the taxpayer.
17:25
As other members have done, I convey my sincere condolences to Bob Doris and his family during this difficult period.
I also welcome members of the JTUC to the chamber. For Murdo Fraser, who might not be well informed on the issue, I clarify that we are not treating the issue as a political football. Indeed, it is to the credit of members of the JTUC that the issue has not been used as a political football. Such an approach would not benefit the employees in any way.
I want to take a constructive approach, as many other speakers have done, and amplify a number of the points in Bob Doris’s motion. First, it is to the credit of everyone at City Building that the company has provided nearly £50 million in profits over the 10 years since its inception, as a result of a partnership between the workforce, the management and elected members of Glasgow City Council.
I am well aware of the history of City Building. I was first elected as a councillor in Glasgow City Council on 16 December 1993—the anniversary is coming shortly; I would like to say that I remember that day well, but it happened so long ago—and the first meeting that I attended was with the direct works department, to hear a presentation on the department’s apprenticeship programme.
The programme was effective, because there was a recognition that the council must target deprived areas, to ensure that everyone in Glasgow and beyond had an opportunity to access an apprenticeship in the city. The council should be commended for the excellent work that it has done through the apprenticeship programme over many years. The programme and the workforce have adapted to ensure that apprenticeships can be taken forward.
City Building is an example to employers, particularly in the construction industry, who do not employ as many apprentices as they should or assume the social responsibility that they should. I commend it for the approach that it has taken.
The motion reminds us that the workforce and management have adapted to the challenges that they face. City Building’s success in tendering should be recognised; it has won £1 billion of contracts in open competition. It should be recognised that such an achievement requires not just significant resources but political support, which is why I am delighted that the Labour-led authority in Glasgow has encouraged City Building to add to its success.
Other authorities have tried to do likewise but have been unsuccessful. The success of the business model in Glasgow City Council is a tribute to the elected representatives who made City Building a priority.
As Patricia Ferguson said, City Building has a great future ahead of it. Of course it faces challenges in the tendering process for the GHA repairs contract but, from my experience as an elected representative for nearly 22 years, I have no doubt that the workforce, the elected representatives in Glasgow and the leadership at GHA will ensure that everything possible is done to protect the workforce and their conditions and to move forward with a contract that sustains City Building for many years to come.
17:29
I, too, offer my condolences and sympathy to Bob Doris and his family at this sad time. I also congratulate him on securing the debate. The motion is comprehensive—it covers many of the things that have been spoken about and explains in great detail the excellent work that City Building carries out. I also welcome the trade union officials in the gallery.
Like my colleagues, I have met members of the joint trade union committee. When I spoke to them, I was very impressed by their commitment and professionalism. I cannot reiterate enough how impressed I was by City Building’s business plan, its commitment to its workforce and what it is doing at the moment. It would be a travesty and rather sad if it were to be split up. I also reiterate what Paul Martin said—the issue is not being used as a political football; it is about keeping together and securing the future of City Building and Blindcraft. If they could get contracts from the Scottish Government or Glasgow City Council, I would be supportive of that.
I mentioned how impressed I was. I just want to talk about some of the issues that I noticed when I looked through the papers and spoke to the group. James Dornan and others have mentioned the work that City Building has done on apprenticeships. I like the work that it has done in encouraging women to go into construction and following through on that. An issue in the back of our minds is the fact that, although we can encourage women to go into construction apprenticeships, the drop-out rates can be high. I was impressed by what City Building was doing on that.
City Building is one of the great examples of social enterprise, as Murdo Fraser said. I think that it is fantastic to have social enterprise on such a scale. We should be very proud of the fact that City Building is a great example of social enterprise. It has not been mentioned that, this year, City Building won a European award for excellence, which is not something that many firms—regardless of whether they are social enterprises—win.
I was also impressed by City Building’s commitment to local charities. I will give an example of that. It committed £10,000 to the Prince and Princess of Wales hospice, which is a local charity. It also provided a number of apprentices to help decorate a shop, which I think was in Govan shopping centre. The £10,000 was for the brick-by-brick appeal, and the apprentices did up and painted the shop to get it ready for its launch as the new hospice shop. That is an example of putting something back.
I also want to mention Blindcraft, which I have visited on a number of occasions. I have been to its workshops and seen at first hand the excellent products that it produces. I have also visited the area in the Broomielaw where City Building built some houses that were like kit houses. If I could have bought one and taken it back to where I was, I would have done, because they were fantastic. The workmanship, which was by Blindcraft, was wonderful. Everything was renewable. Fuel poverty-wise, it was fantastic. Everything was very secure. The whole thing was amazing, and I would like to think that it will continue along those lines.
As others have said, the issue is not being used as a political football. We are talking about a great social enterprise that is very successful in providing apprenticeships and encouraging people. It also works locally, and I would like us to make sure that, whatever happens, it can stay together.
17:34
I was very sorry to hear of Bob Doris’s loss of his mother, and my thoughts are with him and his family. I congratulate James Dornan on stepping into the breach to raise this important topic, and I am grateful to all the members who have contributed to the debate.
City Building will celebrate its 10th birthday in the new year and, as other members have said, it is appropriate for me as the minister responsible for supported businesses to recognise the enormous contribution that the business has brought to the city and, indeed, to the country, in training apprentices, supporting people through the supply chain and delivering revenue to the council over the period.
City Building, with more than 300 apprentices in training, is one of the top five modern apprenticeship employers and the largest in the construction industry. Those are significant figures and an enormous contribution to helping young people. As such, City Building has helped the Scottish Government to deliver more than 101,000 new opportunities and to exceed our target for modern apprenticeship starts in each and every year of this parliamentary session. It is easy for politicians to claim the credit for such work, but it is the people who are running businesses such as City Building who should get the credit, because they are delivering the results, not me. That is a terrific performance.
As Sandra White said, City Building is also helping in our efforts to encourage more women to take up careers in construction. That is long overdue. I am starting to see more females taking on leadership roles in construction. That is an area where City Building is, again, taking a lead.
Reference has been made to reports of difficulties that the business is facing. This evening, I have read some of the press reports about that. I do not propose to go into the matter, other than to say that I trust that it and the council will be able to overcome the difficulties.
The employment rate for people with a disability is around half that of the rest of the population—it is about 43 per cent compared with 81 per cent. Therefore, those with a disability have only a 50 per cent chance of being in work compared with someone without a disability. I am sure we would all agree that that is a shocking statistic and one that cannot continue. However, that position can only not continue if we collectively do something about it. Therefore, I am a supporter of Scotland’s supported businesses. Those are, under the current definition, businesses where at least 50 per cent of their employees have a disability. They provide an important part of the mix of support, which is crucial. The RSBI provides a vivid example of just how well that can be done.
Keith Brown’s visit to RSBI tomorrow was mentioned. It is celebrating its 30th birthday, and I wish them every success for the next 30 years. RSBI employs 260 people, 50 per cent of whom have a disability and, with a turnover of £25 million, RSBI is an exemplar of a social enterprise that combines socially responsible practices with commercial success.
I am sure that the minister will agree that having supported businesses is about giving people with disabilities a level playing field on which to operate and to get an opportunity for work. A key part of that is the opportunity to get contracts. Will the minister look again at the European Union directive that allows member states to reserve contracts? At one point, Jim Mather, who was the minister’s predecessor, agreed that every Government department should explore whether it could reserve one contract. If not now, would the minister be willing to update us later on what would be a critical part of ensuring on-going work for supported businesses?
I support that approach, and I am substantially involved in trying to promote it and to use what is currently termed the article 19 mechanism. We have debated the specific issue in the past. We have a record of seeing public procurement using article 19 or, in some cases, ensuring that work goes to supported businesses simply through normal contractual processes without formally invoking article 19. In a sense it does not matter what contract type it is, as long as the outcomes are there. I will come back to that matter if I may. I entirely support Johann Lamont’s sentiments.
Supported businesses play a hugely valuable role. For some people with a disability, they are stepping stones into mainstream employment. In other words, they are not a cul de sac. For many they are not the end but the start, a way in and an opportunity to get into work, upskill and then move on into other opportunities. It is important to make that point.
City Building, which was established in 2006 from the building services department of Glasgow City Council, is currently training more than 300 apprentices. As we have heard from many speakers, it makes an enormous contribution to the economy.
I also had the pleasure of visiting RSBI in October 2013 and April 2014; indeed, I have visited a great many supported businesses. My second visit to RSBI was in support of the award of Commonwealth games-related contracts to supported businesses. The games organising committee awarded around £1 million of such contracts to Scottish supported businesses, and RSBI received around two thirds of that for contracts to fit out the athletes village. As members have pointed out, it has recently won contracts for a range of furniture for the world gymnastics championships at the Hydro, and it has found a new market in student accommodation, with wins at Aberdeen, Edinburgh Napier and Strathclyde universities as well as at Cambridge, as James Dornan mentioned. In addition, City Building’s house-building programme, supported by RSBI manufacturing via timber kits, kitchens, windows and doors, has been undertaken for many housing associations.
I am also proud to chair the supported business advisory group, known by the rather inelegant abbreviation SBAG, which focuses on how we support our supported businesses to become more sustainable. Lesley Quinn of RSBI is a member of the group; a true force of nature, she is a terrific character and member of the group and she provides advice that is invaluable to our work in this field. The same is true of Robert Mooney of the Community trade union, who is trade union convener at RSBI. I do not think that I see him in the public gallery—I would have seen his dug. I gather that he had quite a nasty accident not so long ago. I hope that he is recovering and send him all our wishes. Both Lesley and Robert are invaluable members of the group and provide us with a huge amount of experience and valuable advice.
I guess that I am going on a little bit, but I would like to say that across the chamber we will all want to see what more we can do for supported businesses in Scotland, both through public procurement and by using our influence to persuade private sector companies to do even more. I know that companies such as Standard Life, the Royal Bank of Scotland and Johnson & Johnson are doing really great and exciting things that might be the subject of debate on another occasion.
Supported businesses will be very keen to know what is going to happen to the money that they currently receive from work choice when those responsibilities are devolved in 2017. That is an extremely important matter and we are obviously determined to ensure that supported businesses can continue. I hope that we can come back to the matter as quickly as possible once the finance secretary has had the opportunity to make his finance statement following George Osborne’s statement last week.
I am sure that we all agree that disabled people should wherever possible be helped to enter sustained and fulfilling work. RSBI fills such a role and City Building provides another great example with regard to offering employment and training opportunities. I thank all members for taking part in the debate and commend City Building and RSBI for what they are doing for their employees, for people with a disability, for young people, for women and for Scotland.
That concludes Bob Doris’s debate on commending the employees of City Building and RSBI.
Meeting closed at 17:43.Previous
Decision Time