Official Report 578KB pdf
Good morning. The first item of business is general question time.
Homelessness
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the latest homelessness in Scotland statistics. (S6O-04978)
The statistics demonstrate the scale of the challenge that we face to reduce homelessness. Earlier this month, I delivered my housing emergency action plan, which sets out the direct and immediate measures that we will be taking to prevent homelessness, deliver more affordable homes and make better use of existing stock. That includes up to £4.9 billion of investment over the next four years, to deliver around 36,000 affordable homes; doubling our acquisition funding this year to £80 million, allowing councils to act now to acquire family-sized homes and get children out of temporary accommodation; and a £4 million investment in the expansion of the housing first approach.
This week, we have been considering stage 3 of the Housing (Scotland) Bill, which, if passed, will create a gold standard anti-homelessness law in the form of the ask and act duty.
I am glad to hear that the cabinet secretary agrees that there is a problem. There are currently 10,000 children in temporary accommodation, some of whom are spending years in limbo, and the figure is stagnant. We also recently found out from a report in The Herald that there have been “nearly 40,000 violations” of homelessness regulations by Scottish local authorities in the past eight years, with the number almost doubling in the past year alone.
We have a housing emergency; there is a homelessness crisis; and nothing seems to be changing. When does the cabinet secretary believe that the money and the policies that she continually champions will finally improve the situation for the people of Scotland?
I will never claim that the statistics that came out last week are anything other than stark, and they require urgent action. In recent years, we have been dealing with a perfect storm of difficulties, with the prevailing economic situation being stagnant or on a downward trajectory and household finances being put under severe pressure from inflation, the cost of living, the pandemic, Brexit and so on. That has meant that, despite Scotland having some of the most protective anti-homelessness laws in any country, we are in a difficult situation.
That is why the housing emergency plan that I set out takes action across three pillars: ending the practice of children living in unsuitable accommodation; supporting the housing needs of vulnerable communities; and building our future by investing in new and affordable homes. I hope that that, combined with the actions that we have been taking since May last year, will quickly make a difference.
However, much of the situation—not least the social security aspect—is outwith our control, and I take this opportunity to urge the United Kingdom Government to reverse the bedroom tax, for example.
As we have just heard, it has been reported that more than 16,000 housing violations have happened in the past year alone. Will the cabinet secretary acknowledge that report, which calls its housing emergency declaration a sham, given that breaches of the legal duty to provide for homeless people, including children and pregnant women, have doubled in only one year?
No, I would not agree with that characterisation. Breaches of statutory obligations by councils are not acceptable. That is exactly why I am working with local authorities—and, in particular, with the top five with the most strained homelessness services—to drive action now.
We drive action with the acquisition fund that the Government has been providing for several years and which, in my statement on 2 September, I doubled to £80 million. That fund is about asking councils to go now, acquire family homes that are on the market and use them to get children out of temporary accommodation. Another instruction that was part of that plan was to ask councils to adopt the guidance from the Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers on flipping temporary accommodation—that is, to contact people living in temporary accommodation that is otherwise suitable, except for the fact that it is temporary, and to discuss with the household whether it can be flipped to become their permanent accommodation.
Such measures are about taking action, and they are all backed up by investment over the next four years.
Question 2 has been withdrawn.
Free Personal Care (Delivery)
To ask the Scottish Government how many free personal care hours were assessed by local authorities to be needed, but were subsequently not delivered, in 2024-25. (S6O-04980)
The information that the member has requested for 2024-25 has not yet been published. However, the data that focuses on the uptake of free personal nursing care in previous years is available on the Scottish Government website, which provides published statistics. The 2024-25 data has a release date of November 2025.
The Scottish Government recognises that the cost of care can be high for people who are self-funding their residential care. That is why we have increased the rates paid for free personal and nursing care by 29.5 per cent since April 2020, providing an additional investment of £40 million over the past three years.
I thank the minister for his answer, but I would welcome a little more detail in future.
Local councils assess the need for, and deliver, free personal care, but it was legislated for by this Parliament. The Scottish National Party’s website hails the policy as one of the landmark achievements of devolution, but too many old and vulnerable people across my Highlands and Islands region are being left waiting for months, if not years, for the support that they have been assessed as needing. Some are left languishing in already-crowded hospitals, because there is no care support available to get them home or no place available in one of our pressured care homes.
Does the minister accept the seriousness of the situation across the Highlands and Islands and across Scotland? Without repeating the usual excuses, what does he say to those who are waiting for care support that they have been assessed as needing but have been left waiting to receive it?
I make it clear that I do not want to see anyone waiting unduly for care that they have been assessed as requiring. We are working constructively and collaboratively with our partners across local government. That work is, intentionally, being led by the cabinet secretary, with support from me, and we will continue to do that work.
We have put significant additional investment of £21.7 billion into health and social care this year, which includes £2.2 billion for social care. Those figures exceeded our original commitment, and we will continue engaging constructively with our partners to drive forward improvements.
Has the Labour Government’s increase in employer national insurance contributions had an impact on the delivery of free personal care?
Regrettably, it has. Since the start of the year, the sector has been making clear the costs that will be incurred as a consequence of the United Kingdom Government’s decision to increase employer national insurance contributions. The move will have a material impact, and we estimate that it will cost the sector more than £80 million this year.
It is, of course, further compounded by the UK Labour Government’s decision to restrict international visas for care workers. The decision has been roundly condemned by those operating in the sector, and I urge the UK Government to reverse its course.
Ophthalmology (NHS Orkney)
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Orkney regarding reported delays in ophthalmology appointments for patients. (S6O-04981)
During a visit to the Balfour hospital on 15 July, the cabinet secretary met with NHS Orkney’s senior team to discuss its operational improvement plan and the progress being made following our additional investment of almost £73,000 for ophthalmology. That money was allocated to NHS Orkney to ensure that no patient waits longer than 52 weeks for a new out-patient appointment or for an in-patient day case admission by 31 March 2026.
Additionally, the Scottish Government commissioned the national centre for sustainable delivery and officials to meet regularly with the health board. This year, NHS Orkney has had a clinical services review and a clinically led ophthalmology peer review, which have made recommendations on the delivery of sustainable services for patients.
I am sure that the cabinet secretary was made aware, during his meeting at the Balfour, of the significant backlogs in ophthalmology appointments in Orkney. I have been contacted by constituents who are reporting waits for treatment of up to or exceeding three years.
I know from my discussions with NHS Orkney that it is trying to take steps to reduce those backlogs. However, given that some patients face permanent sight loss while waiting for treatment, will the Scottish Government commit to providing additional support in the short term to help tackle those unacceptable waits?
Those exact topics were discussed with the cabinet secretary when he visited Orkney in July. I am happy to consider the proposal that Mr McArthur makes. I know that NHS Orkney has had access to the global citizen post for ophthalmology, which it shares with NHS Highland and NHS Western Isles, but that post is currently unfilled.
NHS Orkney and NHS Highland have been working together on looking at how additional capacity can be delivered, but I absolutely recognise the concerns that have been raised. In other areas of healthcare, we are able to work across boundaries, and I hope that something similar can be worked out in this case.
Asylum Accommodation (Protests)
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any discussions that it has had with Police Scotland about the policing of protests outside hotels and other accommodation for people seeking asylum. (S6O-04982)
Scottish ministers have regular discussions with Police Scotland on a range of issues including the policing of protests. Operational policing is a matter for Police Scotland, and it has confirmed that it has the appropriate resources to ensure the safety of those who are in attendance and to mitigate disruption to the wider community. Police Scotland is a rights-based organisation and it is committed to facilitating peaceful protests and counter-demonstrations to allow those who are seeking to protest to exercise their human rights. However, let me be clear: there is no place for criminality or hate crime on our streets, and I fully support Police Scotland taking the appropriate and proportionate action in response to such behaviour.
In the north-east, we have seen anti-immigration protests in Peterhead, Westhill, Aberdeen and Dundee. The Stobswell forum in Dundee issued a statement highlighting the fear and alarm that were caused by these so-called protesters following their actions in a public park. The same protesters marched in an unorganised way over the A90 Kingsway and held an intimidating and hate-filled protest outside the homes of asylum seekers. They spread false anti-immigration information online, causing fear and alarm among parents of young children, and they hurled stones and other missiles at anti-fascists.
What proactive action is being taken to respond to the far-right influence on these protests and the intimidation that they cause to residents and local communities?
I am deeply concerned about some of the rhetoric that we are seeing across the United Kingdom, which should have no place in our society. It is therefore vital that factual information is also placed in the public domain. As elected members across the UK—as democratically elected representatives with a platform—we have a duty and a responsibility to ensure that we call out any dangerous misinformation, and certainly that we do not perpetrate it.
In a democracy, people have the right of peaceful protest, but the protests outside the hotels go far beyond what is acceptable in our country, which has historically had a humane approach, and one that we should be proud of, to those fleeing conflict and persecution. The protests are creating a sense of real fear and alarm for those who have already gone through so much.
In saying that, it is important that we engage with the people who are protesting in order to hear their concerns and understand the reasons that are driving them to protest. I know that Police Scotland continues to engage with protesters through liaison officers, and the Scottish Government has funded the Centre for Good Relations to work with those who are protesting to hear their concerns.
We have brought in legislation to create boundaries—buffer zones—around clinics to prevent people who are accessing services from being harassed. What consideration has the Government given to establishing some kind of boundaries around residential dwellings to prevent people from being harassed in their homes?
The right to free speech and protest is at the heart of a healthy democracy and the Scottish Government is committed to upholding that right, but it understands the distress that the protests are causing to residents across asylum accommodation. Creating buffer zones similar to those that have been introduced in relation to abortion clinics would require new legislation. We have no current plans to do that, but we will continue to monitor the situation.
General Practice Service Capacity (NHS Grampian)
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the steps that it is taking to increase service capacity in GP practices within NHS Grampian. (S6O-04983)
In August, I announced initial additional investment of £15 million in general practice. GP practices in Grampian will receive £1.5 million of that funding, which builds on the increased investment of more than £100 million that we have already made in general practice over the past two years.
We have been listening carefully to the views of GPs, and the new investment will help to ease financial pressures, support workforce retention and recruitment, build service capacity and support the day-to-day running of GP services in Grampian and across Scotland.
We remain in discussions with the sector on the provision of further support in the future, but the initial instalment demonstrates the Government’s commitment to making it easier for people to see their GP and to ensuring that more NHS funding goes into primary and community care.
The cabinet secretary will be aware of the recent pressures that NHS Grampian has been facing, and I know that he will join me in thanking all of the NHS staff in Grampian who have been working hard to manage those pressures. Can he provide a further update on how the Scottish Government is supporting NHS Grampian to relieve its pressures and ensure that patients are receiving the care that they need in a timely fashion?
I am aware of the pressures, and I echo the member’s thanks to staff in NHS Grampian for their commitment, their hard work and their dedication to providing the best care possible.
There are people still waiting too long in Grampian and elsewhere, and that is not good enough. Our budget provides a record £21.7 billion for health and social care, with more than £100 million to tackle the longest waits. NHS Grampian is receiving more than £9 million to support specialties that have the longest wait times, and we have established an assurance board to agree an improvement plan.
Grampian has also welcomed a new chief executive this week, and we will ensure that the board has support to deliver the plan and address any further opportunities for improvement.
Constituents are becoming concerned about the lack of oversight of privately contracted GP surgeries, such as the Alford Medical Group practice, which has a ratio of one GP to 6,000 patients—more than three times higher than the national average.
The company poorly delivering that NHS Grampian contract is also serving Ayrshire. Although health boards have visibility of who they contract GP services with, they do not have visibility of contracts that are held with other health boards. That makes it impossible to hold accurate data on GP-to-patient ratios, as GPs might work across different practices and in different health board areas. What steps will the cabinet secretary take to ensure full transparency on contracted medical practices across Scotland?
Alexander Burnett understands the nature of the contractual obligations that are in place through the contract, and the obligations that are on boards to ensure that GP practices deliver on their contractual obligations.
The point that he raised about that particular practice is concerning. I am keen to be furnished with more detail from him on that, so that everything possible can be done to ensure that we have a GP to patient ratio that is commensurate with the type of service that we expect and the access to services that we expect, which has been made plain to GPs and health boards.
Youth Employment Support (Rutherglen)
To ask the Scottish Government how it supports youth employment in the Rutherglen constituency, including through employability services. (S6O-04984)
Employment support for young people begins in the school setting through Skills Development Scotland’s careers services and its developing the young workforce programme.
Additional support for those who have left school without a positive destination is available through devolved employability services. That support is available in every local authority area in Scotland.
Routes to Work South, which is based in Cambuslang, in my constituency, is an award-winning employment champion that offers packages of tailored support and training, including to many young people, and it is celebrating 20 years of operation this year.
Does the minister share my concern that if the Department for Work and Pensions’ proposed closure of Cambuslang jobcentre goes ahead, a vital link between the services is at risk in a sector where partnership working is vital?
I absolutely understand and share the member’s concern about the proposed jobcentre closure. Access to support could become more difficult if it goes ahead.
I also recognise the importance of Routes to Work South’s 20 years of support in Cambuslang. It is important that there is cross-sector partnership in delivering services; collaborations through community-led initiatives, local organisations and integrated services will continue to evolve and provide vital support.
Distress Brief Intervention
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the distress brief intervention programme. (S6O-04985)
Since November 2024, the distress brief intervention programme has been live in all 31 health and social care partnership areas across Scotland for those aged 16 and over.
We also have three national referral pathways to DBI, via NHS 24 and call handling centres operated by both the Scottish Ambulance Service and Police Scotland. Those provide additional options for key services to refer people for DBI support.
I would be interested to know what data has been collected on re-presentation rates for individuals who have received DBI support, and how it compares with previous re-presentation rates for people in distress.
I will be happy to write to the member to provide that specific information.
That concludes general questions.