Chamber and committees

There is real concern that the methodology and modelling being used in community growth areas such as Robroyston does not accurately reflect real need.

The situation has been going on for years. I recently carried out a local survey that heard from 167 respondents, 74 per cent of whom said that they had experienced issues with placing their child in a nursery, primary or secondary school while living in Robroyston. The survey asked how likely it was, on a scale of least likely to most likely, that respondents would stay in Robroyston if current circumstances remained the same. Shockingly, 73 respondents said that they were least likely to stay in Robroyston if things did not change.

There is a real risk that, without urgent action and intervention, what should be a proud new suburb of Glasgow will quickly falter and fail, so can the cabinet secretary confirm that she will meet stakeholders and Scottish Government officials to look at the modelling that Glasgow City Council is using, to address the issue before behavioural effects take root and people leave the area altogether?

I thank the minister for his statement, and I again express my admiration for the brave children and young adults who spoke out about their treatment at Skye house at Stobhill hospital. Their courage has helped to realise the improvements that we have heard about today. I am also relieved to hear that staffing levels are finally approaching an appropriate level for a facility as crucial as Skye house.

As adolescent in-patient mental health units are highly challenging workplaces, staffing levels will fluctuate, so it is essential that long-term workforce planning takes place so that, when such rotations happen, staffing levels do not fall back, with the result that the cycle of temporary staffing returns. Will the minister provide an assurance that the health board is undertaking long-term workforce planning for Skye house so that children and families who are affected can have confidence in the quality and safety of care in the long term?

The building was one of the most iconic Victorian architectural set pieces in Scotland, and it is truly heartbreaking to see its loss. It stood there for 175 years. Can the First Minister give his assurance that conservation-accredited registered engineers with the right expertise will assess the remaining elevation to Gordon Street for any possibility of the preservation of that frontage and commit to a faithful reinstatement with the building owners, bringing together the ministerial oversight board?

The building is critical to Glasgow’s built heritage. In 1987, the Ca d’Oro building right across the road was faithfully reinstated after a major fire, so it can be done. Will there be the political will and commitment at the highest level to do that?

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support registered social landlords with the costs of retrofitting the building fabric of social homes to make them energy efficient and fit for the future. (S6O-05610)

Community-based housing associations in Scotland are leading the way on retrofitting Scotland’s ageing tenement stock. Reidvale Housing Association, of which I am very proud to be a board member, has been leading the charge in retrofitting and making fit for the future Glasgow’s historic sandstone tenements through the extensive renovation of a building at Bellfield Street, in Dennistoun. That is thanks to its securing a £1.2 million grant via the Glasgow local voids programme, which was funded by the Scottish Government’s housing investment budget.

That is a good news story that everyone can celebrate. However, with 70,000 pre-1919 tenements in Glasgow, there is a huge amount of work to be done. Does the cabinet secretary agree that that development shows the power that social landlords can have in improving their housing stock, and what commitment will the Government make to build on the momentum that is being driven by Reidvale and other community-based housing associations?

We support the introduction of NHS-specific barcodes, but it is quite frustrating that we are once again talking about an analogue stop-gap when Scotland is falling ever more behind in the latest digital patient technology. In England, the NHS app has been running for seven years now, with patients able to view and request prescriptions, book GP appointments, view health records and even change GPs from their phone. However, because the Scottish Government is unwilling to tap into the readily available system, Scots will not get to enjoy an NHS app until 2030. That is unacceptable. Will the cabinet secretary agree that it is time to end parochial posturing and work with the United Kingdom Government to roll out the NHS app in Scotland in an integrated way, as a matter of urgency?

A similar situation prevailed at the Glasgow royal infirmary. Does the member agree that the main issue has been the collapse of social care beds in Scotland over the past decade or so? That means that people are backing up into hospitals and A and Es and causing system failure, and it needs to be addressed at a system level.

The four-vessel programme is very welcome news indeed, because demand signal is critical to shipyard viability. However, does the Deputy First Minister agree that it has to be a springboard for the development of commercial shipbuilding in Scotland? Getting the pipeline in place, and getting the facilities up to scratch and world standard, is key. However, if we are going to win contracts on the open market, it is critical that we get shipbuilding finance in place in Scotland, because that is currently the main blocker to winning non-public sector contracts. Can we fix that problem, too?

A similar situation prevailed at the Glasgow royal infirmary. Does the member agree that the main issue has been the collapse of social care beds in Scotland over the past decade or so? That means that people are backing up into hospitals and A and Es and causing system failure, and it needs to be addressed at a system level.

A similar situation prevailed at the Glasgow royal infirmary. Does the member agree that the main issue has been the collapse of social care beds in Scotland over the past decade or so? That means that people are backing up into hospitals and A and Es and causing system failure, and it needs to be addressed at a system level.