Fair Work, Skills and Training
Good afternoon. The first item of business is portfolio question time. In order to get in as many people as possible, I would prefer short and succinct questions, and answers to match.
Low Pay
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle low pay. (S4O-04154)
As Jackie Baillie will know by now, the Scottish Government has taken considerable measures in respect of its own pay policy, and Government employees are now all paid the living wage. Indeed, there was an extra support put in place for those who were earning less than £21,000 per annum.
The Scottish Government fully supports the living wage campaign, and we recognise the real difference that the living wage can make to the people of Scotland. I may say that this Government is the first and only Government in the United Kingdom to include the living wage in its pay policy.
We have funded the Poverty Alliance to increase the number of employers across all sectors in Scotland that are paying the living wage, and as of today we have surpassed the target that we had set ourselves of 150 living wage-accredited employers in Scotland. We have made further commitments in our programme for government, including to introduce a Scottish business pledge to make it clear that we want companies to commit, among other things, to paying the living wage and to fair work.
The cabinet secretary will be aware that Scottish Labour set up a low pay commission last week, because we are on a mission to abolish low pay and end exploitative zero-hours contracts. We also want to pay people the living wage in public sector contracts and more widely—something that the Scottish National Party voted against five times in this chamber.
The current Government promised a living wage summit, way back in September 2014. When will it happen?
A living wage summit is planned to take place before the recess. We also have the fair work convention, which will likely meet for the first time in April. It will include discussions about the living wage, but we will go further than that.
I am glad that I can welcome the Labour Party to the ranks of those who are now actively campaigning for the living wage. It is working hard to play catch-up with the Government, but we welcome all hands to the deck, so I am grateful to hear that commitment.
Forty-three thousand workers are engaged in public sector contracts but receive less than £7.85 an hour. What is the cabinet secretary with responsibility for fair work doing about that?
We are working within European Union law to tackle the issue of the living wage—[Interruption.] I hear the jeering that suggests that the Labour Party is not particularly interested in abiding by the law. Every single place where public bodies are being encouraged to promote the living wage quite clearly states that EU law will nevertheless take precedence in certain contracts. We are working extremely hard to work through that in terms of procurement policy.
We are also working with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on improving the quality of care in Scotland, which means looking at the issue of fair work and the living wage in a sector that has traditionally not been particularly well remunerated. We are doing so, and we are doing it within the law. It does not matter how many times Labour members try to make an issue of that; the fact of the matter is that we are bound by the law, as they would be in government.
National Advisory Group on Developing the Young Workforce
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the national advisory group on developing the young workforce. (S4O-04155)
I chaired an excellent inaugural meeting of the developing the young workforce national advisory group last month. Its members heard from Sir Ian Wood about the ambitions set out in his report, “Developing the Young Workforce: Scotland’s Youth Employment Strategy”, and from one another about their personal commitment to supporting young people into fulfilling jobs. We are now working with members to support their role in promoting what developing the young workforce can offer young people, teachers and employers.
I thank the cabinet secretary for her response. In December last year, the cabinet secretary called for an apprentices’ minimum wage of more than £3 an hour. She will undoubtedly want to welcome the rise introduced by the UK Government to £3.30. What does the cabinet secretary plan to do to arrest the 34 per cent decline in science, technology, engineering and mathematics college places since her Government came into office, considering the importance of those places to our economy?
I am already on record as welcoming the increases that were made last week in the minimum wage. They do not go far enough, especially in respect of apprentices, which I have also made absolutely clear.
On college STEM places, the Government is working very hard with colleges, schools and employers to ensure that there is a big focus on STEM apprentices. Indeed, the Minister for Youth and Women’s Employment and I visit many employers who are actively looking to recruit. Just last week—perhaps the week before—we met training providers on the issue as well.
We have to move things along, but we are working hard to do so.
Academic and Vocational Education (Parity of Esteem)
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to achieve parity of esteem between academic and vocational education, as recommended by the commission for developing Scotland’s young workforce. (S4O-04156)
The ambition of “Developing the Young Workforce: Scotland’s Youth Employment Strategy” is rooted in our vision that whether a young person’s route to work is academic or vocational as traditionally defined is not significant. Our strategy sets out activity based on a rich variety of high-quality learning opportunities that are linked to skills needs and employer demands and taken up by informed young people who make smart decisions about the best route to obtain fulfilling jobs.
It is really important that people value vocational subjects and the jobs that they lead to. However, the national minimum wage does not: the minimum wage for apprentices remains astonishingly low and sends entirely the wrong message to young people.
The minister clearly agrees that raising the minimum wage for apprentices is a vital part of achieving parity of esteem and that, although the recent rise is welcome, £3.30 an hour—less than half the standard minimum wage—is nowhere near a living wage. Will she continue to push the United Kingdom Government on that issue and write to ask for a living wage for our apprentices?
We continue to push the UK Government on that. Indeed, as it happens, I did so as recently as last week. Under its own pay policy, the Scottish Government pays all its apprentices at the living wage rate.
Alison Johnstone might not be aware that a living wage accreditation does not include apprentice pay but, when we talk to employers about living wage accreditation, we always encourage them to include apprentices in it. Indeed, this morning, the company that I visited, which has just become an accredited living wage employer, extended the policy to all its apprentices. We want all employers in Scotland to follow that example.
Civil Engineering (Opportunities for Young People)
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to open up opportunities for young people to work in civil engineering. (S4O-04157)
Skills Development Scotland has been working with the Construction Industry Training Board to develop a foundation apprenticeship pathfinder for civil engineering technicians, which is to start in August 2015. Delivered in conjunction with West Lothian College, the pathfinder will allow young people to undertake relevant work-based learning during their senior phase of school.
In addition, Skills Development Scotland will shortly publish a skills investment plan for the construction sector that will set out a range of actions to attract and retain a skilled workforce to support the continuing growth of the sector.
Attracting young women into the industry is a problem. That has been repeated to me when I have met civil engineering companies. Will the minister tell the chamber how many women have entered civil engineering apprenticeships in the past 12 months and what specific work will be undertaken to ensure take-up of young women in such apprenticeships?
I do not have to hand the figure for the number of females entering civil engineering apprenticeships in the past 12 months. I am happy to write to Mary Fee on that.
Mary Fee asked what we are doing to encourage more women into civil engineering apprenticeships. I point out to her that the foundation apprenticeship pathfinder programme that I mentioned aims to tackle the gender imbalance in the sector and encourage more young women into engineering careers. We hope that 50 per cent of the 32 young people who will begin that two-year foundation apprenticeship in secondary 5 will be female.
In addition, a key focus of the shortly-to-be-announced skills investment plan for the construction sector will be not only to attract young people towards opportunities in the sector but to address underrepresentation across the construction workforce.
Finally, the member may be interested to know that, this very Monday, I attended an excellent event that was hosted in Glasgow City Council chambers in conjunction with Network Rail. Some 82 young women from secondary schools across Glasgow participated in the engineering your future event. It was a very successful event, and I hope that such events can engender enthusiasm for young women to look to the construction sector as a career.
Modern Apprenticeships (Kirkcaldy)
To ask the Scottish Government how many modern apprenticeships it supports in the Kirkcaldy parliamentary constituency. (S4O-04158)
The Scottish Government supports any apprentice aged 16 to 24 who is following an approved modern apprenticeship framework and those aged 25 and above in selected key, growth and enabling sectors.
Our national skills body, Skills Development Scotland, collects data based not on parliamentary constituency but rather on local authority area. I can therefore tell the member that, in 2013-14, there were 1,927 modern apprenticeship starts in Fife.
In the first three quarters of 2014-15, there were 1,252 modern apprenticeship starts in Fife. As at the end of December 2014, a total of 2,704 apprentices were in training in Fife.
I thank the minister for her answer. Would the minister agree that small local businesses can play an integral part in the development of apprenticeship schemes while simultaneously ensuring that they pay the living wage to their employees? Would the minister or the cabinet secretary agree to visit one such small local business within my constituency?
I absolutely agree with David Torrance that small businesses can benefit tremendously from employing a modern apprentice and I am aware that there are many such businesses across Fife—and Scotland as a whole—that are providing those fantastic opportunities for young people to earn a wage by working towards an industry-recognised qualification.
Of course, the cabinet secretary has already said today that, as a Government, we fully support the living wage campaign and encourage all employers across Scotland—regardless of size, sector or location—to pay at least the living wage. I am very pleased indeed to hear about the company to which David Torrance refers in his Kirkcaldy constituency and I would be delighted to take up his offer to visit that company to discuss its experience of the modern apprenticeship programme and to see how we can use that positive experience to encourage other small companies to get involved. I will have my private office contact David Torrance with a view to setting up such a visit.
Investors in Young People Scheme
To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made with the investors in young people scheme. (S4O-04159)
The latest figures from Investors in People Scotland indicate that, since its launch, IIYP accreditation has been awarded to 93 employers across Scotland and about 190 are in discussions or working with Investors in People Scotland towards accreditation. As the member for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Willie Coffey may be particularly interested to learn that 10 of those accreditations involve employers located in Ayrshire. Among the employers are ANCHO Ltd in Irvine and the Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce.
I thank the minister for that answer. With that positive news and the recently announced funding of £6.5 million to improve youth employment, is the minister confident that we will continue to see good progress in the area of youth employment, particularly in my constituency of Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley?
This Government is determined to do all that we can to ensure that we continue to progress in making more opportunities available to our young people. From recent market statistics, we can see a continuing trend and that levels of youth unemployment are at their lowest for some five years. In relation to levels of youth employment—and, indeed, levels of youth inactivity—we outperform the rest of the United Kingdom.
As regards the specific investors in young people scheme, I believe that it has a role in encouraging employers to develop young people. Many of the employers who have themselves achieved accreditation are reported to be actively engaged in encouraging other employers to follow their example. That is one measure that can help and this Government is pursuing many other measures to ensure that we give our young people all the opportunities that they can expect in order to make their way in life in the world of work.
Question 7, in the name of Roderick Campbell, has not been lodged. Although we have an explanation, I regret to say that it is not satisfactory.
Young People not in Education, Employment or Training
To ask the Scottish Government what support it gives to 16 to 25-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training. (S4O-04161)
Under this Government, we now have the highest number of young people successfully moving to a positive destination from school. Youth unemployment rates are at a five-year low, but we are more ambitious and do not wish to settle for a return to pre-recession levels.
We recognise that periods of unemployment or inactivity for a young person can have a significant impact on their future life chances, which is why tackling youth unemployment and increasing young people’s participation in learning, training and employment remain a priority.
With our national and local partners, we will continue to deliver programmes that are based on the principles of early intervention, such as the opportunities for all commitment, the youth employment Scotland fund and community jobs Scotland, and to focus on expanding our modern apprenticeship programme.
What specific measures can be implemented to reduce the percentage of young people in Glasgow who are leaving school and not pursuing additional education, employment or training?
That is a good issue to raise. There must be a partnership between colleges, schools and parents, as well as employers, and that is part and parcel of our approach in regional areas. There is a Glasgow invest in young people group, with which I hope that Anne McTaggart will engage. The group was set up about a month ago, and I think that it would be helpful if she spoke to its members directly.
The important thing is to get people talking in the early years of secondary school about where they intend to go, rather than having them just fall out of school with no real constructive approach to what they are doing. We are focusing as much of our effort in that area as we possibly can.
We have a very good record in Scotland on inactivity rates and low unemployment rates as opposed to the rest of the United Kingdom, but we still have a lot to do, and a lot more can be done.
Care Industry (Training and Apprenticeship Provision)
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase training and apprenticeship provision in the care industry. (S4O-04162)
This Government has committed to increase our target for modern apprenticeship starts from 25,000 each year to 30,000 by 2020. Increasing the overall number of starts will offer more choice to people who are considering a career in the care industry in particular and the wider economy in general. The availability of modern apprenticeship opportunities is, of course, reliant on demand from employers.
In recognition of the importance of the sector to the economy—from care in early years through to free personal care for the elderly—funding will be available from April 2015 through Skills Development Scotland for apprentices aged 25 and above who are following the health and social care modern apprenticeship framework.
The integration of health and social care and future demographics will result in a demand for high-quality and high-performance outcomes from the care sector. What recent discussions have the Government and its agencies had with training providers in the sector with those eventual outcomes in mind?
A key to the success of the MA programme is that it responds to employer demands. As such, it is important that the programme meets the needs and standards of the sector. There are now seven individual apprenticeship frameworks in health and social care, which have been developed by the Scottish Social Services Council. They provide clear work-based routes for the sector from Scottish credit and qualifications framework levels 6 to 10, and include the recently approved professional apprenticeship in care services leadership and management at SCQF level 10, which provides a progression route for employees in this important area.
In line with the recommendations from the commission on developing Scotland’s young workforce, Skills Development Scotland is undertaking research to identify future demand to support the expansion of the modern apprenticeship programme.
The Scottish Social Services Council and employers, together with training providers operating in the care sector, were consulted on the work. The SSSC was also surveyed in relation to demand to inform any contracting strategy for 2015-16, and SDS has met with it recently to discuss MA quality assurance.
Additionally, Chic Brodie may be interested to note that SDS attends the national health service modern apprenticeship network, which aims to promote modern apprenticeships in the sector and to encourage health boards to recruit modern apprentices.
Living Wage (Accredited Employers)
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made toward achieving its target of at least 150 living wage accredited employers in Scotland, as set out in the programme for government. (S4O-04163)
As Bob Doris now knows from my earlier answer, we reached the target today. This morning, I visited CMS Window Systems in Cumbernauld, which is the 150th living wage accredited employer in Scotland. The company already has a strong record on recruitment and youth employment and it is setting a strong example to other employers and showing that ensuring that staff are paid fairly is no barrier to business growth.
I will now work with the Poverty Alliance to set even more stretching targets for accreditation, and I look forward to seeing many more organisations committing to pay the living wage in the future.
That is fantastic news. However, I am going to contact the Poverty Alliance to draw to its attention the fact that no large supermarket chain or small convenience store has yet been accredited as a living wage employer. In Glasgow region, the sector employs more than 3,000 workers, and some of the lowest-paid workers are likely to work in the sector. Will the cabinet secretary support my representations to the Poverty Alliance to ask it to engage with the sector to support it to work towards paying at least the living wage to all staff and to work constructively with organisations such as the Scottish Grocers Federation in doing so?
The short answer to that is yes. We work constantly with the Poverty Alliance and with sectors where there are significant challenges in achieving living wage status, simply because they start from such a low base. Many more employers pay the living wage than are accredited. The Government wants to ensure that people understand that accreditation is the gold star that they can get for paying the living wage.
Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners’ Rights
“Severe Poverty in Scotland”
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the content of the report “Severe Poverty in Scotland” in relation to severe or extreme poverty among children. (S4O-04164)
Last week, we published “Severe Poverty in Scotland”, which showed that, in 2012-13, 710,000 people were living in severe or extreme poverty after housing costs. That comprised half a million working-age adults, 150,000 children and 60,000 pensioners. That is a disgrace but, as I said last week, it is an inevitable result of the United Kingdom Government’s failed austerity agenda and welfare cuts, which are slashing incomes for some of our poorest households.
We know that employment significantly reduces the risk of severe and extreme poverty, but in-work poverty nevertheless remains a problem. That is why we are committed to supporting people into fairly paid work and why we are doing what we can to mitigate the impact of welfare reform. That includes investing about £296 million from 2013-14 to 2015-16 to limit the damage of the cuts and the changes. However, we cannot fully mitigate all the effects.
Given the growing weight of evidence, including the reports commissioned from Sheffield Hallam University by the Welfare Reform Committee entitled “Hitting the poorest places hardest—The local and regional impact of welfare reform” and “The Cumulative Impact of Welfare Reform on Households in Scotland”, and given the continuing austerity following George Osborne’s budget, which Ed Balls has said that he would not reverse—
Ask a question.
Does the cabinet secretary share my concern that the budget will have a devastating impact on vulnerable people in Scotland and will only push more people, particularly children, into poverty?
Yes. We have long voiced concerns that the UK Government’s austerity agenda is hitting the most vulnerable people hardest. The cumulative impact of Westminster’s welfare reforms alone could result in the Scottish welfare bill being cut by around £6 billion over the six years to 2016, yet George Osborne would go further, as would Ed Balls.
The Scottish Government is doing what it can with the resources and powers that it has to help those who are affected. As I said, that includes investing about £296 million over a two-year period to limit the damage from the UK Government reforms. We cannot fully mitigate the effects of welfare changes, but we are doing our best. The best mitigation would be to transfer all the welfare powers to the Scottish Parliament.
Pension Credit (Members of Religious Orders)
To ask the Scottish Government what meetings it has had with representatives of religious organisations who are denied pension credit as they are fully maintained by their order. (S4O-04165)
The Government is aware of the issues in relation to pension credit and those who are fully maintained by their religious order. As the member will be aware, all aspects of the state pension and pension credit are reserved to the United Kingdom Government, and concerns about eligibility or other issues need to be taken up with UK ministers.
I have a letter dated 20 February 2014 from the then Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth, John Swinney, which says:
“In order to understand the specific issue you have raised”—
that refers to previous correspondence from me—
“I have asked my officials to arrange to meet with representatives of the groups affected, to discuss their concerns and the potential next steps”.
I did not hear in the minister’s answer what meetings have taken place between Scottish Government officials and the orders affected, but perhaps she can help me on this. Everyone in the UK between the ages of 65 and 80 is entitled to receive pension credit, apart from two classes of people: prisoners and members of religious orders who are fully maintained by their order. In practice, that means that only a very small number of people are affected by what is in my opinion a particular loophole.
Does the minister believe that it is correct and fair that people who reach the pension age of 65 or 66 are entitled to no support from the state between that age and the age of 80 because they have joined an enclosed religious order? Does she believe that the UK Government should tackle the matter? Will she take the matter up with the UK Government as a matter of urgency?
I am certainly willing to take up the matter with the UK Government and to address the issues. We have had contact before with the UK Government about how it intends to address them. We recognise that there is a problem. I am certainly willing to take up the matter—I give that commitment today. I will raise it with the UK Government and I will pass on the response to the member.
Primary Healthcare Facilities (Residential Development)
To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has issued to planning authorities regarding the provision or expansion of primary healthcare facilities as a consequence of residential development. (S4O-04166)
We have issued general guidance to planning authorities on the use of planning obligations to support development delivery. We will publish guidance on planning for infrastructure, including healthcare facilities, later this year.
Concerns have been raised with me that, when large-scale developments are proposed, there is often no prior consultation between developers, health boards and primary care providers such as general practices about the implications of those developments for existing facilities or about the space requirements in the developments for the construction of new facilities. Often, not enough space is allocated for sufficient facilities to be developed.
Is the cabinet secretary aware of that? Will he look to build that into the work that he is doing ahead of the guidance that he hopes to publish in due course?
I am aware of the problem. I was aware of it previously, when I was the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, as well as now, as the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners’ Rights. We are looking at how we can deal with it.
At present, there are no such specific requirements for prior discussion and consultation with health boards and general practices during the pre-application process, but my view is that, as key agencies, health boards should be actively engaged in the preparation of strategic and local development plans. Early engagement is essential if the impact of development on healthcare facilities is to be properly planned and, where appropriate, dealing with that should be paid for through the use of planning obligations.
Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners’ Rights (Budget Priorities)
To ask the Scottish Government what the budget priorities are for the social justice, communities and pensioners’ rights portfolio in 2015-16. (S4O-04167)
The budget priorities for the social justice, communities and pensioners’ rights portfolio in 2015-16 include work to tackle poverty and inequality, to progress equality, to deliver more and better housing and to take forward delivery of new social security powers for Scotland.
What is the budget for the pensioners’ rights part of the portfolio?
I am happy to give a breakdown of the entire budget. Included in pensioners’ rights is part of the equalities budget, which is £20 million next year.
Does the cabinet secretary share Labour’s support for the Scotland against the care tax campaign, which has been campaigning against the 12 per cent rise in care charges that was imposed across Scotland last year? If so, what priority will he give to addressing the campaign in his budget?
That matter is the subject of discussion involving my colleague the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport and other Cabinet colleagues. We accept that there is an issue to be addressed. If I may say so, the worst area in that regard has been Glasgow, where the Labour-controlled Glasgow City Council has jacked up care charges to an astronomical level.
Social Care Charges Abolition (Fife Council)
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on poverty of Fife Council’s decision to abolish social care charges. (S4O-04168)
Local authorities have autonomy to set or waive charges for non-residential social care, within the context of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities’ charging guidance. The Scottish Government has not conducted any assessment of the impact of Fife Council’s decision on charging for social care. However, as part of our programme for government, we outlined a commitment to ensuring that all new and revised Scottish Government policies will be subject to a poverty impact assessment.
Labour-led Fife Council last year abolished housing support charges for its own sheltered housing tenants. As of yesterday, housing association sheltered housing tenants in Fife—some 101 people, at present—will no longer pay housing support charges.
Fife Council is managing to do that despite the on-going cuts that it must make. What is the cabinet secretary’s position on the possibility of other councils following Fife Council’s lead and reversing those charges on one of the most vulnerable groups in society?
As I said to Jayne Baxter in my previous answer, local authorities have the autonomy to set or to waive charges for non-residential social care, including housing support charges. The Scottish Government is in continual dialogue with COSLA about charges—about uniformity of charges and when they should be applied. That consultation continues.
If there are to be charges, we all want to ensure that they are affordable and that the services that are provided are of a high quality and are the services that are required. As the cabinet secretary said a few moments ago, all those issues are under discussion.
Streamlined Planning Process
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that the planning process is as streamlined as possible. (S4O-04169)
We continue to work in partnership with our stakeholders to deliver a range of co-ordinated actions to streamline planning. That includes the planning performance framework, e-planning, improvement projects and legislation.
Does the cabinet secretary agree that, in order to ensure that we continue to see a diverse range of projects going through the planning process across all our communities, the process should be streamlined and easy to participate in, and should encourage continued development of communities, which I am sure we all want?
I totally agree with Richard Lyle. As he knows, we have made a number of reforms to the planning process in recent years. However, I believe that further reform of some aspects may be necessary in order to achieve a better and more streamlined planning system. We are working with stakeholders on a series of ideas and recommendations that they have made to us.
Home Energy Efficiency Loans
To ask the Scottish Government how it will spend the £14 million announced in the budget for low-cost home energy efficiency loans. (S4O-04170)
The interest-free loan scheme will be used to provide financial assistance to private sector households looking to install energy efficiency measures through the provision of a Government-backed loan. It will support our efforts to tackle fuel poverty, improve the energy efficiency of our housing stock, reduce carbon emissions and support the green economy. That funding is part of our record £114 million funding commitment in 2015-16, and it forms part of our £0.5 billion allocation to fuel poverty and energy efficiency programmes since 2009. Details of the loan scheme will be announced shortly.
I very much welcome that improvement for household energy efficiency. I will see how it rolls out. Because it has an important role to play in our efforts to address fuel poverty and climate-change emissions, can the minister tell me what plans the Scottish Government has to build in the future on that welcome investment to ensure that even more people are taken out of fuel poverty?
We intend to evaluate the effectiveness of the loan scheme in tackling fuel poverty and in improving the energy efficiency of housing stock. In due course we will consider whether such schemes have a long-term role to play.
Our commitment to tackling fuel poverty and improving energy efficiency is there and will remain. It is evident from the more than £0.5 billion that we have allocated to those aims since 2009, and it is further emphasised by our record £114 million budget for loans in this financial year.
Consideration of any future schemes will take account of broader priorities on sustainability and fuel poverty, and of the context of the future spending review.
Poverty
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle poverty. (S4O-04171)
We are committed to tackling the long-term drivers of poverty through early intervention and prevention. That is why
“building a fairer Scotland and tackling inequality”
was 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 and delivering on our commitment to providing 600 hours of free childcare for three and four-year-olds and eligible two-year-olds.
In addition, we are providing 25,000 modern apprenticeship places every year and are investing about £296 million from 2013-14 to 2015-16 to help those who are affected by the UK Government’s welfare reforms.
We have also made commitments to ensuring that all new and revised Scottish Government policies will be the subject of a poverty impact assessment, and to appointing an independent adviser on poverty, and inequality to advise on any further actions that are needed to tackle poverty and to hold the Government to account on its performance.
The minister is correct: yesterday, the Scottish Government’s “Wealth and Assets in Scotland 2006-2012” survey report emphasised how extreme inequality is in our country, and in response, it announced that it would appoint an independent adviser on poverty and inequality to raise awareness of the realities of living in poverty.
Does not the minister think that those who live in poverty are well aware of the realities and that what they need is more support? Yesterday, Labour announced plans for a £175 million Scottish anti-poverty fund in the next session of Parliament—over and above the measures that have been elaborated by the minister. Will the minister support that measure?
The Scottish Government is tackling the drivers of poverty and working to prevent poverty; it is simply not going to move mitigation from one budget to another, thereby just mitigating it another way. We want to address poverty and deal with the drivers of poverty—not just to mitigate it. [Interruption.]
Order.
That is what our plans are and that is why the First Minister announced in the programme for government that there will be a poverty adviser to look across all Government policy in order to ensure that poverty is considered and addressed in everything that the Government does, across all portfolios.
I say to Ken Macintosh—I am sorry; I meant Iain Gray—that we are dealing with it: we are tackling poverty and will continue to tackle it, rather than just jumping on something that came up yesterday that suggests that we cold mitigate one way or another. We want to do more than mitigate poverty: we want to address it.
Housing Completions
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the number of housing completions. (S4O-04172)
The Scottish Government has set a five-year target to deliver 30,000 affordable homes, and has backed that up with plans to spend over £1.7 billion over the parliamentary session.
We are continuing to work creatively with our partners to use innovative ways to deliver more affordable homes. We are supporting a wide range of action to boost the supply of housing, working in partnership with Homes for Scotland and industry to support private sector recovery and growth.
I thank the minister for her response. However, the reality is that 10,000 fewer houses were completed in 2014 than in 2007, when this Government came to power. There is another downside, which is that residential development is often concentrated in traditional communities such as my own, which places impossible pressure on infrastructure. In theory it is sustainable development, but in practice it is anything but.
What plans does the Scottish Government have for a housing policy that is based on diffusion, in order to spread more development among more communities and so mitigate the current oppressive overload on infrastructure in some communities?
The local authorities are the strategic housing providers and their plans show where they are looking at housing and how it should be spread out in their areas. The local authorities are responsible for saying what kind of houses are required and where they will be built.
Further to what Annabel Goldie has just said, we completed 901 more homes in the year ending September 2014 than we did in the year ending September 2013. We are building more homes per head of population across all sectors and tenures in Scotland than the rest of the UK is building. That should be welcomed.
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