Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners’ Rights
The first item of business this afternoon is portfolio questions.
Benefit Reductions
To ask the Scottish Government what representations it will make to the United Kingdom Government to oppose the reported additional £12 billion in benefit reductions. (S4O-04334)
As the First Minister made clear last week, the UK Government has not set out the details of how it will achieve the £12 billion of benefit reductions proposed in the Conservative manifesto. We know that, if Scotland takes a proportionate share of the proposed £12 billion, benefit expenditure in Scotland could be reduced by about £1 billion.
We are very clear that we oppose further measures that will have an impact on the vulnerable in communities across Scotland, and the member can rest assured that we will make that case strongly to the UK Government. The situation is causing anxiety and distress to many people. It is incumbent on all of us in this Parliament to build alliances to argue for the protection of the vulnerable against deeper social security cuts.
David Cameron suggested as long ago as 2012 that under-25s might have their housing benefit withdrawn by a future UK Conservative Government. Estimates show that there are more than 4,500 under-25s on housing benefit in Glasgow region alone, and more than 28,000 across Scotland. Such cuts would inflict untold misery on young Scots and would exacerbate homelessness. Does the cabinet secretary agree that, in the first instance, the UK Government should abandon any plans to erode the basic human rights of young Scots to a home, and that ultimately this place, Scotland’s Parliament, should make all future decisions on welfare provisions for our nation?
I agree with Mr Doris on both points. We know from the Tory manifesto that the proposal is to remove housing benefit from 18 to 21-year-olds, which would affect around 7,000 young people in Scotland. We believe that there is a better alternative to that austerity and those cruel measures, and that it would be far better if this Parliament had full control over all social security matters, because we would take a much fairer and more humane approach to all aspects of social security than that being taken by the UK Government at Westminster.
City of Edinburgh Council (Local Development Plan)
Will the cabinet secretary agree to allow—
I apologise; I was reading my supplementary question.
Start again.
Thank you, Presiding Officer.
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the City of Edinburgh Council regarding its proposed local development plan. (S4O-04335)
I would have been happy to answer the first question.
The council published a proposed local development plan in 2013 and a second in 2014. My officials have discussed both proposed plans with council officials on a number of occasions, as part of their general liaison with the planning authority and in specific discussions regarding the plan.
I am aware that there have been lots of meetings, but will the cabinet secretary agree to take a fresh look at the plan to allow the council to prioritise brownfield developments and empower it to stop land banking, which has resulted in crucial sites not being brought forward for development? Does he understand the anger that many communities have about the fact that land in their areas will be brought forward for development under the plan, but without the council having the funding to invest in vital schools, social care and decent transport infrastructure?
I am very sympathetic to the points that Sarah Boyack makes. There is a great deal of brownfield land in Edinburgh. Much of it has received planning permission for development, but no development has taken place. In a city the size of Edinburgh, which is Scotland’s capital, we need to get a better balance between development on brownfield sites and development on greenfield sites.
The points that are raised by Sarah Boyack are relevant to the discussion on the local development plan in Edinburgh. When, eventually, the LDP comes to us for comment and decisions, we will be conscious of the need to establish and then maintain that balance.
Has the cabinet secretary any idea of how we can incentivise development on brownfield sites? That is part of the problem—there is no incentive to build on them.
I recognise that, by definition, it can be difficult to build on some brownfield sites, although many brownfield sites are actually almost as easy to develop as greenfield sites. However, I take the member’s point that, in some cases, there might be a need to incentivise developers to build on such sites. I am entirely open to any suggestions as long as they are proportionate, provided that public money is put to good use and that these sites would not be developed without additional public money in the form of incentives.
I have no objection to the point that the member makes and have every sympathy with it. There is a need for much closer partnership between the private and public sectors in order to encourage the development of certain brownfield sites, not just the granting of planning permission to develop.
Brief questions and answers will help us to get through the questions.
Housing Benefit (Young People)
To ask the Scottish Government what the impact will be on young people in Scotland of the United Kingdom Government’s proposal to end housing benefit for people under 21. (S4O-04336)
The Conservative Party election manifesto proposed that 18 to 21-year-olds on jobseekers allowance should no longer have an automatic entitlement to housing benefit. If housing benefit were to end for all people under 21 in Scotland, it would affect around 7,000 young people and take away more than £30 million a year in housing benefit payments from those in the 18 to 20 age group.
I thank the minister for that answer, and note that I listened intently to the cabinet secretary’s answer to Bob Doris’s question earlier.
We are undoubtedly agreed that it would be an extremely good idea for this area to be within our control, but it is not yet. Given that that is the case, what discussions has the minister had with local authorities about the implications of the proposal for their budgets?
The issue is part of our discussions with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the welfare reform group. As the cabinet secretary said, we and much of civic Scotland made the case for the full devolution of social security, to ensure that we can have a more joined-up system that can help the most vulnerable. That is what we are working towards, along with our stakeholders in local government and the third sector.
Further to that answer, what representations has the minister made with regard to protecting particularly vulnerable groups such as looked-after children—those who have been subject to abuse in their family home—where separate housing is absolutely vital no matter what age they are?
I completely agree with the member that separate housing is vital in a number of circumstances; we have always made that case and we will continue to make that case. We are opposed to any measure to cut housing benefit for young people. We will continue to oppose such measures and I hope that we will get support from others across the chamber to do that. We are certainly actively looking at the matter in our discussions with our third sector and local authority partners and we recognise the issues that Richard Simpson raises.
Question 4, in the name of Christian Allard, has not been lodged and a less than satisfactory explanation has been provided.
Local Communities (Devolution of Powers)
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to devolve powers to local communities. (S4O-04338)
The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill will deliver significant new rights and powers for communities across Scotland. We want to empower communities through the ownership of land and buildings and strengthen their voices in the decisions that matter to them.
However, we are always open to discussing new approaches, such as the groundbreaking discussions of the island areas ministerial working group, which culminated in our prospectus for the islands. There is no single solution or magic bullet for empowerment and I welcome the interest and thoughts of members across the chamber.
I thank the minister for that interesting reply. Many believe that communities should have in law a Scottish community right to challenge, which would give community and voluntary bodies the right to express an interest in taking over a particular council-run service. A local authority would be required to respond and, unless there were reasonable grounds for refusal, to run a procurement process.
A community right to challenge could devolve real power to those who live and breathe such services in their communities. Will the Scottish Government consider material and substantive devolution such as that to communities?
I can extend warm words to Jackson Carlaw and the good news that the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill will introduce participation requests, which are a great deal more flexible than the community right to challenge and will allow communities to choose the degree of involvement that they want to have in improving a public service. Unlike the right to challenge, participation requests will not open up local services to privatisation, which would force communities to bid against huge outsourcing companies.
One of the powers that are devolved to local authorities is the power to charge for social care. The Scotland against the care tax campaign would like the Government to use its power to abolish care charges altogether, but the Government has responded that it would prefer to work with local authorities. What progress has been made? As far as I can understand, no progress at all has been made to introduce equity or move towards abolition. Will the minister update us on the progress that has been made on abolishing care charges?
Discussions are on-going and are being led by my colleague Shona Robison, who I am sure would be happy to write to the member to update him on work in progress.
Human Rights Act 1998
To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to the United Kingdom Government concerning the Human Rights Act 1998. (S4O-04339)
On Friday, I wrote to Michael Gove, the new Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, to reiterate the Scottish Government’s opposition to the repeal of the Human Rights Act 1998. The First Minister also raised the matter directly with the Prime Minister when they met last Friday. I have sought an early meeting with Mr Gove to further underline our concerns. I know that those concerns are shared by the overwhelming majority of members in the Parliament, as was shown by the vote last November.
Last week, I undertook to keep the Parliament informed of the progress of the discussions, and I am happy to reiterate that undertaking today. The UK Government’s programme for the first session of the new UK Parliament will be set out in the Queen’s speech on 27 May. My colleague the Minister for Parliamentary Business will update the Scottish Parliament on the legislative consent implications of the Queen’s speech in due course.
I am grateful that the cabinet secretary has expressed this Parliament’s abhorrence for what is proposed. In his letter, did he raise the necessity of a legislative consent motion, which clearly will not be approved by this Parliament? Is it not the case that what is proposed drives a coach and horses through the Scotland Act 1998 as well as potentially putting the UK outside the family of nations that are committed to universal human rights?
The repeal of the Human Rights Act 1998 and withdrawal from the European convention on human rights have potentially huge implications, not just for the Scotland Act 1998 but for the Good Friday agreement in Northern Ireland. We have made it absolutely clear that there will be no co-operation from this Government on the repeal of the Human Rights Act 1998. Such a measure is regressive and reactionary and is entirely the wrong thing to do. If the opportunity arises for us to frustrate the passage of such legislation in any way whatsoever, I am sure that most members in the Scottish Parliament will be united in exploiting that opportunity to the full.
Access to Work Scheme
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on disabled people in Scotland of the Department for Work and Pensions proposal to cap the access to work scheme. (S4O-04340)
The Scottish Government has sought urgent assurances from the Department for Work and Pensions on how its intention to cap the support that is available through the access to work scheme will impact on disabled people in Scotland. The DWP estimates, based on current delivery, that the number of individuals who are likely to be affected in Scotland is small. Nonetheless, we are continuing to work with the DWP to better understand the future impact of those changes in Scotland and to press for assurance that those who are affected will receive the support that they require.
I am pleased that the matter is being considered further, because the access to work scheme is a success at providing support to disabled people to enable them to access and sustain employment. What action is the Scottish Government taking to support disabled people in accessing employment?
We are taking a number of actions. They include the delivery of “Developing the Young Workforce—Scotland’s Youth Employment Strategy”, which has been debated in the chamber; developing outcomes with community jobs Scotland specifically for vulnerable groups; and improving the uptake of modern apprenticeships by disabled people, which we also discussed last week. In that regard, we have committed £500,000 to delivering an equalities action plan that will be published in autumn 2015 and will contain specific improvement targets for—among others—those who are disabled.
We are promoting and supporting the supported employment framework and are working closely with partners, including local authorities, to support them to develop and deliver the model locally. We see supported businesses as one small but important part of the overall support that is available to disabled people.
Child Poverty (West Scotland)
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce child poverty in West Scotland. (S4O-04341)
We take a national approach to tackling the long-term drivers of poverty, through early intervention and prevention. Our commitment to building a fairer Scotland and tackling inequality is one of three key themes of the programme for Government.
As part of that programme, we are further promoting the living wage across all sectors; delivering on our commitment to 600 hours of free childcare for three and four-year-olds and eligible two-year-olds; and providing approximately £296 million from 2013-14 to 2015-16 to help those who are affected by the United Kingdom Government’s welfare reforms. Over the current session of Parliament, we are investing more than £1.7 billion in affordable housing.
Has the minister read Renfrewshire Council’s report “Tackling Poverty in Renfrewshire”? What specific actions will the Scottish Government take in response to the recommendation that calls on it to
“Allocate school resources to reflect levels of deprivation, and specifically link these resources to closing the attainment gap and ensuring more pupils from low income families reach positive destinations”?
The Scottish Government is committed to raising attainment in education and has recently announced that it has put funding into that very purpose, to encourage those from disadvantaged areas to gain access to education.
We put tackling poverty and inequality at the heart of Government through policies such as the council tax freeze and free prescriptions and by working with local authorities, the national health service and others to tackle child poverty. Our “Annual Report for the Child Poverty Strategy for Scotland” highlights the work that has been undertaken by local government, the third sector and business and introduces a full measurement framework that will provide an overview of the current position on key outcomes against which progress will be measured in future annual reports.
In addition, the Government is committed to appointing an independent adviser on poverty and inequality who will report directly to the First Minister.
Fair Work, Skills and Training
Apprenticeships (Woodwork)
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase the number of apprenticeships in woodwork. (S4O-04344)
The modern apprenticeship programme is driven by the demand of employers, rather than by the Government. However, we are committed to expanding the number of MA opportunities each year to 30,000 by 2020. Additional MAs, including more higher-level and STEM—science, technology, engineering and mathematics—opportunities, will help to create a competitive and dynamic business environment to support sustainable economic growth and higher-quality jobs.
Specifically on woodwork, a number of MA frameworks already include woodwork, including ones in construction, wood and timber and furniture, furnishings and interiors. The number of starts on those frameworks has risen significantly, from 61 in 2012-13 to more than 1,300 in 2014-15.
What is the Scottish Government doing to encourage the combination of business acumen and skills training in modern apprenticeships?
In our modern apprenticeship programme, we work closely with a number of sectors. As I said in my initial response, the programme is driven by the demand of employers, so of course we work closely with business to ensure that the programme meets its needs as well as the needs of the young people who learn the vital skills that they need to make their way in life while, crucially, earning a wage.
Skills Shortages (Key Industries)
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address skills shortages in key industries of economic growth. (S4O-04345)
Through the development of sectoral skills investment plans and regional skills assessments, we are committed to delivering demand-led skills provision to meet the skills needs of key industries and the wider Scottish economy. The plans, which are developed by Skills Development Scotland in conjunction with industry bodies, provide a framework for businesses and employers to articulate the skills that are needed to support the development of Scotland’s growth sectors. The SIPs have been developed to identify and respond to the skills priorities that are required to support the industrial sectors in achieving their growth potential.
During 2013-14, there were 25,284 modern apprenticeship starts, with more than 70 occupational frameworks available. In delivering that programme, the Scottish Government directs Skills Development Scotland to prioritise places on frameworks that relate to Government economic strategy growth sectors.
The cabinet secretary will be aware that a number of industries, including the construction industry and the science, technology, engineering and mathematics sector, have recently warned of a looming skills shortage that threatens their economic growth. She mentioned modern apprenticeships, which offer a great opportunity for people to earn as they learn and to train Scotland’s young people and give them the skills that they need for sustainable employment. What steps can the Scottish Government take to more effectively match apprenticeship opportunities with industries that are identified as being most in need of additional skilled employees?
People need to keep it in their minds that, as the member will have heard from my colleague Annabelle Ewing, the apprenticeship programme is in effect employer led. We do not create the jobs; it is the employers who do that and then we provide the means by which they can become modern apprenticeships. However, the member mentions a number of sectors with which—I hope that he will be glad to know—I have already had close conversation. They include the construction sector. I visited the national construction college during the Easter recess and I discussed road haulage issues with the newly formed group in that area. We are all aware of the challenge in the digital skills area. We continue to have dialogue with employers in those areas, but we rely enormously on the trade bodies to flag up potential shortages so that, instead of having to work reactively, we can begin to work more proactively.
Skills and Training (Fife Economy)
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking under the fair work, skills and training portfolio to support the Fife economy. (S4O-04346)
The Scottish Government is committed to the economic development of Fife and is using all the levers at our disposal to maximise investment, support economic growth and create jobs. The fair work, skills and training portfolio provides significant support to, for example, young people in Fife through the employability fund, opportunities for all, the modern apprenticeship programme and the developing the young workforce initiative and other such initiatives. In addition, the Government has demonstrated its commitment to economic development in Fife through its support for Fife Council’s delivery of the business gateway service and of course for Scottish Enterprise. As the member will be well aware, we also have the on-going work of the recently established joint task force, to which we have committed an initial £6 million.
In her reply, the minister acknowledged the situation at Tullis Russell, where many workers are facing redundancy. I also welcome the task force report that was published last week by the Scottish Government and Fife Council. Part of the plan is £100,000 for immediate training needs, which will be followed by £500,000 for further skills development and training. The minister talked about what we are providing for young people, but most of the workforce at Tullis Russell is aged over 40. What will she do in her role to ensure that there are appropriate training and skills opportunities for the more mature and experienced workforce?
I know that, in representing Fife, the member takes a keen interest in the work of the joint task force, and we wish it all success.
With regard to the spending that was announced recently—the initial sum of £100,000 to respond to immediate training needs and a further £500,000 for skills development and training in the short term—I will be working closely with the enterprise minister and with Fife Council to ensure that that money is spent where it is needed most. I give that assurance to the member that that is how we intend to proceed.
In relation to the Fife task force, is the minister happy that the money that has been allocated for immediate training needs will be adequate? Can it be reviewed if it proves to be inadequate?
The decisions that were taken at the task force meeting last Thursday were stated to be initial responses. It is the work of the task force that will direct the progress based on how we are dealing with the challenges on the ground. I am sure that the enterprise minister will keep the member and others fully informed of the important work of the task force. I know that all members of all parties in the chamber wish the task force all success.
Employment Opportunities for Young People (East Lothian Council)
To ask the Scottish Government what support it will provide for East Lothian Council to increase employment opportunities for young people. (S4O-04347)
East Lothian Council will benefit from the wide range of programmes and services that are funded by the Scottish Government. Young people in East Lothian will continue to have access to our expanding modern apprenticeship programme, the educational maintenance allowance, activity agreements, the youth employment Scotland fund and community jobs Scotland, to name but some.
In March, we notified local authorities of their share of the £6.5 million funding in 2014-15 to support the implementation of the developing the young workforce programme. In partnership with educational institutions and other agencies, East Lothian Council is preparing an implementation plan to continue to reduce youth unemployment in the area.
The minister is absolutely right that the local council has prepared an implementation plan for its element of the Government’s developing the young workforce strategy. The council has a good track record in these areas, not least with projects such as the East Lothian hospitality and tourism academy, which has become well known for providing opportunities for young people. However, I want to ask specifically what financial support the council will receive to carry out its share of this Government plan. After all, the Government has required it to find £11 million-worth of cuts in the next three years.
The allocation for 2014-15 under the developing the young workforce programme—if that is what the member is getting at—is £125,349. I understand that issues relating to the allocations for 2015-16 are currently under discussion. In allocating local authority funding, we have to work within the confines of the Scottish budget, which is of course set furth of this institution.
Access to Work Scheme
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Department for Work and Pensions report, “Equality analysis for the future of Access to Work”. (S4O-04348)
I believe that Graeme Dey was in the chamber when I answered a similar question from Jackie Baillie in the previous portfolio questions. I reassure him that we continue to work with the DWP to understand better the future impact of the changes in Scotland, and to press for assurance that those who are affected receive the support that they require.
The report outlines that 89.5 per cent of those who would be affected by the proposed capping of awards at £40,800 are deaf or suffer from some degree of hearing loss. Does the cabinet secretary agree, in the light of that acknowledged consequence, that not only does the planned approach not square with the Conservative Party’s manifesto commitment to bring hundreds of thousands of disabled people into work, but means also that the Westminster Government will knowingly exclude a specific disability group from gaining meaningful employment?
We are concerned about the impact that the cap may have on people who are deaf or who have hearing loss. We are committed to supporting the deaf community in Scotland and I fully recognise the importance of British Sign Language as a vital means of communication to help people find and stay in work.
In general terms, the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives can offer advice to employers on how to make reasonable workplace adjustments to accommodate employees with disabilities, and can signpost people to organisations that can give more specific advice on particular disabilities and conditions. Of course, that requires assistance of the kind that has hitherto been available through the access to work scheme, so it is cause for concern if that is now to be cut, and especially if there is a differential impact on one specific group of disabled people.
Future Workforce (Skills)
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to identify the skills that will be needed by the future workforce. (S4O-04349)
Through the development of sectoral skills investment plans and regional skills assessments, we committed to delivering demand-led skills provision to meet the needs of local labour markets and the wider Scottish economy. Developed by Skills Development Scotland in conjunction with industry bodies, the plans provide a framework for businesses and employers to articulate what are the right skills that are needed to support the development of Scotland’s growth sectors. The skills investment plans have been developed to identify and respond to the skills priorities that are required to support the industrial sectors in achieving their growth potential.
I note that earlier this year the Minister for Youth and Women’s Employment visited Fife College’s Stenton campus to learn about Fife’s engineering pathfinder project. Does the cabinet secretary agree that such partnership working, involving schools and employers, is an excellent way of meeting the needs of young people and local businesses? What steps will the Government take to encourage that approach across Scotland?
That was a pilot project on foundation apprenticeships and we will be rolling it out. A considerable financial announcement was made earlier this week of £3.8 million to provide a further 500 modern apprenticeship places. That will focus on foundation apprenticeships as well as high-level apprenticeships.
I heard from my colleague in detail about the visit to which Jayne Baxter referred. I often repeat one of the anecdotes that she came back with, because the event seems to have been extraordinarily successful. There were perhaps not as many young girls involved as we might have wished to see, but there was a lesson to be learned from the school that did turn up with a number of young women. That is something that we want to keep an eye on.
Training (Former Members of Armed Services)
To ask the Scottish Government how it can assist former members of the armed services in training for a new career. (S4O-04350)
The Scottish Government is determined to provide the highest possible support and opportunities for our veterans. We recognise that many veterans require additional support to enter work after leaving the armed forces. Early entry to Scottish Government funded projects is available to veterans, who are also able to take advantage of initiatives such as community jobs Scotland and the youth employment Scotland fund.
The recent “Transition in Scotland” report from Eric Fraser, the Scottish veterans commissioner, commented that opportunities for veterans should be promoted to demonstrate the skills, experience and resilience that veterans bring to our communities and the workplace. We will work with the commissioner to identify what further action might be taken to support that group.
A recent survey by Poppyscotland found that 37 per cent of veterans said that the problems that they have encountered when seeking civilian employment were due to a lack of relevant training or skills, so what more can be done to maximise relevant training opportunities?
Roderick Campbell will likely be aware that the ministerial lead for armed forces and veterans issues is Keith Brown, who is the Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities. I know that he continues to engage with the Ministry of Defence to ensure that the transitional support that is offered to service personnel is consistent with the approach that we seek to develop in Scotland.
The veterans commissioner identified in his report a number of areas where further work could be done to enhance support for service leavers in helping to prepare them for the civilian jobs market; in particular, the report identified the need for a comprehensive look at policies and the support that is available in Scotland for opening access to further and higher education for service leavers of all ages. The report also highlighted opportunities for further development, using examples such as the learning partnership that has been piloted by Glasgow Caledonian University with the armed forces, the three city colleges and Glasgow’s helping heroes project. The veterans commissioner is now looking at how the further and higher education sectors in Scotland can provide more support for service leavers and veterans.
I welcome the minister’s comments—in particular, in relation to support for veterans moving towards employment. Will the minister agree to have discussions with the veterans minister, Keith Brown, and Shona Robison about screening of veterans on coming out of the armed forces, in particular after they have been engaged in conflict? Many of them have unrecognised health problems that are a barrier to their achieving effective employment?
As a former active member of the cross-party group in the Scottish Parliament on armed forces veterans, I am aware of the issue to which Dr Simpson refers and would be happy to raise it with Keith Brown and the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport, Shona Robison, and to seek a meeting. For the member’s information, I have already put in motion—the process of Government does not always work quickly, however—a request to meet the veterans commissioner about his report, in respect of its impacts on my portfolio.
Skills Needs (West Scotland)
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to meet skills needs in West Scotland. (S4O-04351)
There are a number of programmes in place to develop the skills and employability of people in West Scotland, including our expanding modern apprenticeships programme, the employability fund and community jobs Scotland. That is alongside the provision that is available through regional colleges and, of course, university education. Through the development of sectoral skills investment plans and regional skills assessments, which for West Scotland included specific reports on Glasgow, Glasgow and Clyde Valley, and Ayrshire, we committed to delivering demand-led skills provision to meet the needs of local labour markets and the wider Scottish economy.
The cabinet secretary will be aware that many people need flexibility in order to balance training or retraining with employment and childcare requirements. Why did the recent Audit Scotland report find that there had since 2008-09 been a 48 per cent reduction in the number of part-time students going to college? Over the same period there has also been a 41 per cent drop in the number of over-25s going to college. Why is the Government happy to slam the college door on so many people who want to train or retrain?
Is not it interesting that we are just hearing the same old, same old from Labour? I think that that is rather unfortunate. We have said frequently in the chamber that in 2013-14 there was an increase of 3 per cent over the year in Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council funded full-time equivalents. There are a number of different things that can be said on the issue, not least of which is that work is being done with colleges to ensure that the studies that are undertaken direct people towards work. The courses that are no longer funded were not leading to employment. I would have expected that Labour would have wanted to support anything that directs people into courses that lead to employment when they come out of college. Instead, there is this constant refrain, which is achieving absolutely nothing.
Question 9, in the name of Jim Eadie, has been withdrawn and a satisfactory explanation has been provided.
Renewable Energy (Women in Engineering Roles)
To ask the Scottish Government how it is encouraging more women to take up engineering roles in the renewable energy sector. (S4O-04353)
We recognise that women are underrepresented in the renewables sector, including in engineering roles. We are taking action across a number of fronts to improve the situation, such as the recently announced £500,000 to develop and deliver a modern apprenticeships equalities action plan, which will include improvement targets for addressing gender imbalance. We also commissioned a full equalities impact assessment on the renewables route map, which will be published shortly as part of the route map update.
I thank the minister for that detailed answer. I hope that she welcomes the conclusions of a piece of work by a recent intern of mine, Lucy Moore, called “Women in Scottish renewables: breaking down the barriers to success”. Also, I wonder whether the minister will come to my constituency at some point to see the work of SSE, which is one of the leading firms in the renewables industry that could employ more women.
I was pleased to receive a copy of the research project report by Rob Gibson’s former intern Lucy Moore. I have raised with officials a number of points that are made in the report, and the points are currently being considered.
There is, of course, more work to be done to encourage more women to go into the renewables sector, and in that regard Rob Gibson might be interested to note that I am to meet in a few weeks representatives of Women in Renewable Energy Scotland, or WIRES. I wish to discuss with them how we can make further progress in encouraging women both to get jobs in the renewables sector and, crucially, to secure career progression in it.
I would be delighted to visit Rob Gibson’s constituency to see the good work that SSE is doing in this regard.
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