Chamber and committees

No, convener—that was most helpful.

Last week, we heard a lot of important evidence and, as Sue Webber said, it was quite emotional at points. We heard about the planned development of specialist baby loss units. Those units are not anticipated to be fully available across Scotland until 2024. As a starting point, I would like to understand what percentage of parents get access to a specialist bereavement midwife now. What can we do to speed up specialist interventions, particularly through the baby loss units?

If the minister could write to the committee with the specific percentages that I asked for, that would be helpful, just so that we can have that empirical data. I notice that the minister is agreeing, which is great.

I have a further question about more specialised pathways for women, particularly in relation to mental health and increased vulnerabilities such as substance misuse issues. What specific pathways or interventions are being developed to support people with mental health or substance misuse issues?

I have been contacted by constituents who are deeply concerned and there have been press reports in the past few days about people who are deeply concerned that an elderly relative has not received their booster vaccination due to a prolonged stay in hospital. Despite being in hospital through the autumn, many have been told by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that they can be vaccinated only in the community. With the huge problem of delayed discharge and the imperative to ensure that everyone has a booster, can the First Minister confirm whether boosters will be administered urgently to those in hospitals if that is clinically appropriate?

Yesterday, many of us attended a protest outside the Parliament with our trade unions and listened to the testimony of workers who have been on the front line during the pandemic in Scotland. Many of them were care workers, who will be interested in the debate in terms of the pay rise that they are being given by the Government. What does the cabinet secretary have to say to those workers, after she has offered them a derisory 48p an hour pay rise? She, along with all other ministers and MSPs, was very fond of clapping care workers last year. Now they clap a 48p pay rise. That is unacceptable. What does she have to say to those workers?

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the omicron variant on the implementation of its Covid-19 recovery strategy. (S6O-00491)

Yes.

The arrival of omicron in Scotland is a stark reminder, if we needed it, that the virus has not gone away. Care workers I speak to, who have gone above and beyond in the past 20 months, are once again rightly concerned about how we will support the most vulnerable people in our society.

The recovery plan speaks about the importance of fair work principles in social care, so does the cabinet secretary agree that a wage of at least £15 an hour would fairly recognise the huge contribution of care workers? Will he call on his colleague the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy to deliver that in tomorrow’s budget in order to match the aspirations of his recovery plan and give care workers the pay rise that they deserve?

I welcome the debate and the opportunity to pay tribute to all our local businesses, which have lived through an unimaginable 20 months.

Last weekend, on small business Saturday, I was pleased, like many other members, to pop into the excellent local businesses in the community in which I live. I am very glad to say that the Pad restaurant in Neilston has managed to keep going due to the support of local people who used its new takeaway service during lockdown and returned to the restaurant when it was safe to do so.

Despite being caught up in the many challenges of changing restrictions, including the ridiculous debate about the definition of a cafe, Lindsay and Linda, who run the Pad, told me how much they have valued the support of local people. Despite all the challenges, throughout the pandemic, along with many other local businesses, they have sought to give something back, including by preparing afternoon tea boxes for older people and those shielding. That is just one example of the many generous acts carried out by local small businesses in the pandemic. Many also offered free meals for key workers, discounts and preferential shopping times.

There is great resilience on our high streets and a sense of wanting to come together, but I worry sincerely about the ability of businesses to survive and thrive. It is clear that we owe them real and meaningful support in navigating what continues to be an extremely difficult set of circumstances.

We know that Scotland has lost almost 20,000 small businesses during a single year of the Covid crisis. Too many businesses have found it too difficult to remain open, and we have seen the hopes and dreams of many small and medium business owners completely shattered.

I am sure that members across the chamber will agree that our local businesses are at the heart of what keeps our communities full of life. This afternoon, we have heard excellent examples from around the chamber. Indeed, the minister and I hail from the same part of the world, and I have seen his tweets about his childhood memories of Friday nights with the Alpino chippy, a film from Foxbar video and a tub of Central cafe ice cream. I have similar memories, and I put on record for the first time in the chamber my endorsement of Central cafe ice cream—although possibly too much of it was consumed during lockdown. In all seriousness, I know that the minister understands the importance of those businesses to towns such as Barrhead. That is why it is vital that we do more and go further.

As colleagues have said, the principles of Scotland Loves Local are worthy and good. I declare an interest as a councillor in East Renfrewshire, because the council has benefited from many of those initiatives, which the minister has seen for himself. However, we need to go further and consider what else we can do. We should look at the voucher scheme and consider whether it would be better, as Colin Smyth and others have said, to adopt the Northern Irish approach and put spending power into people’s pockets to use in our town centres. I hope that the minister—

Will the member give way?