Chamber and committees

We know that air pollution in Scotland is often worse in deprived inner-city areas, which worsens existing inequalities, local environmental quality and human health. What impact is it anticipated that the low-emission zones will have on improving air quality in those highly affected areas?

The rising cost of living is having a substantial impact on families across Scotland and, so far, the UK Government has failed to provide any certainty to families on low incomes. Does the Deputy First Minister agree that the UK Government should give a clear commitment in its upcoming fiscal statement that social security benefits should be increased in line with inflation?

The Tory motion appears to support the findings of the Feeley review, but it would deprive Parliament of the tools to deliver the change that is needed. The Tories’ so-called local care service would fail to address the fundamental issues of consistency, quality and access. It would add to the postcode lottery of care that the current system provides. For example, it would allow differences between delivery of care in Aberdeen Donside and delivery in Glasgow city. Perhaps in their summing up, the Tories could clarify how their plan would deal with the current postcode lottery, which they constantly complain about.

Any spending decisions that are made on the national care service will be backed by rigorous evidence-based decisions. The costs in the financial memorandum largely represent investments in service improvements and terms and conditions for our vital front-line care staff. Any suggestion that the figures relate exclusively to admin costs are totally false and misleading. The bill will also remove unwarranted duplication of functions, thereby providing best value for public funds, which is to be welcomed.

The creation of a national care service reinforces the Government’s wider commitment to taking long-term action to change our society and make it a fairer and more equal place in which to live, work and play.

We need to grasp this opportunity to deliver public service improvement together. I encourage the Opposition to work constructively with the Scottish Government on the bill. Let’s get this right for a’bodie.

The Tory motion is, quite frankly, a disservice to the social care sector here in Scotland. The establishment of a national care service will be the most ambitious reform of public services since the creation of the national health service. The aim is to ensure consistent, fair and high-quality care for everyone in Scotland, thereby reducing the current variations that many folk have raised over recent years.

The Tory motion is simply wrong. A national care service is not about nationalisation of services. The bill—maybe Tory members should actually read it—sets out that, at national level, the functions will be focused on consistency through national oversight. Services will continue to be designed and delivered locally. That is right in order to support delivery with and for our communities and the people whom those services serve.

I am sorry. I normally take interventions, but today I have only four minutes.

National oversight will allow for better sharing of good practice and innovation, which we know takes place right across our country. For example, for years Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council have pooled resources to get best value, when possible. It can be done. The proposed changes will bring forward new power-sharing arrangements at national and local levels. They will deliver a mix of the clarity that people want on ultimate accountability and, crucially, they will deliver the flexibility to meet local needs, including the needs of our island and rural communities.

The Tory motion questions the Scottish Government’s financial estimates for the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill, as well as the rationale for it, but the bill follows the independent review of adult social care, which showed the need for change and recommended reform and strengthening of national accountability for social care. The review found that the current way of working has not fully delivered the improvements that it was intended would be achieved by integration of health and social care. It showed that the current approach to social care is simply not working, because the current system focuses on profit over people, and it said that that must change.[Interruption.]

You probably asked half of the question that I was going to ask, convener.

Absolutely. Thank you.

Grand. Finally, I will give you a chance to say whether there is anything else that the committee should be thinking about in relation to the inquiry and how the Scottish Government can best support a modern and sustainable network of ferry services. If you had a magic wand, what would you like us to consider?

When the committee put out its call for views on the ferry services, some folk raised concerns about the crewing arrangements of the private sector operators. Do you employ folk locally? I think that I know the answer to that from what was said earlier—Helen Inkster said that that is desirable—but I am giving you a chance to put your position on the record. Do you employ folk locally? Are your working conditions as good, if not better, than those in other companies? Do you pay the living wage? Do you believe that the concerns that have been raised are misplaced?

With the listening project still scheduled to go ahead later this year, does the Deputy First Minister feel confident that the inquiry team has the capacity to conduct that activity properly, unimpacted by recent staff changes?