On a point of order, Presiding Officer. During yesterday’s living wage debate, I accepted an intervention from the Cabinet Secretary for Training, Youth and Women’s Employment, Angela Constance, at the point when I specifically referred to the Macrobert Arts Centre as an organisation that is grant funded through Creative Scotland. I did not refer to a directly funded organisation, yet during her intervention the cabinet secretary said:
“All cultural bodies are subject to, and must comply fully with, the Scottish Government’s public sector pay policy, which includes payment of the Scottish living wage as a minimum for all staff.”—[Official Report, 5 November 2014; c 60.]
Creative Scotland informs me that, although it encourages those in receipt of grants to pay a living wage, it cannot make it mandatory. That is despite the cabinet secretary giving a clear impression to the chamber that that was the case. I have spoken to a number of organisations and they confirm that they do not pay all their staff a living wage. Presiding Officer, will you invite the cabinet secretary to correct the Official Report, as her claim has proved to be inaccurate?
I thank the member for advance notice of the point of order. As he knows—as all members know—the Presiding Officer is not responsible for the content or the veracity of a member’s speech, but the cabinet secretary has heard what you have to say and I am sure that she will reflect upon it.
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