Chamber and committees

Will Mr Ross give way again?

I think that Mr Ross needs to think about his gratuitous comments and about what he is muttering just now.

I would like an answer to my question. Does Mr Ross support the pay deals, which are higher than 2 per cent and incur higher costs for the Government to resolve? Yes or no.

Will Mr Ross place on the record whether he supports the pay deals that have been agreed, which incur greater costs for the Government and go beyond the expectations of public sector pay policy?

If that is an obstacle to anybody, we must act to address that, and I commit the Government to doing so. If we look at the long-term trends in population, we see that Scotland’s population challenges have been long standing. However, the act of Brexit—and the hard Brexit inflicted on Scotland against our democratic wishes—has made our challenge even greater, and we know where responsibility for that lies.

If the Scottish child payment did not exist, those families would be significantly worse off. They are in a stronger position because of the investment that the Scottish Government has made. The fact that something was announced in December does not mean that the money is in people’s pockets yet. However, it will be in a few weeks’ time, when people will really need that money. I am glad that the Scottish Government has been able to provide that.

A number of comments have been made about the economy and economic performance. Liz Smith made a number of comments on that point, as did Daniel Johnson, and particularly on the Scottish Fiscal Commission’s report. However, there is a more significant issue than the challenges around productivity, which I think we can resolve with the focus on innovation in the programme for government and through measures such as the tech scalers. For me, the critical issue is probably Scotland’s population.

Twenty years ago, in this Parliament—we were not even in this building at the time—the then Labour First Minister Jack McConnell introduced the fresh talent initiative because he was so concerned about the prospect of a declining working-age population in Scotland. He was absolutely correct then, in 2002. As the leader of the SNP at the time, I enthusiastically supported the measures that he introduced, which were correct and necessary. However, they did not have that much of an effect, because the migration resulting from the expansion of the EU in 2004 resolved the issue. Mr McConnell’s sensible intervention was not necessary, because EU migration solved our working-age population problems. Now, we are learning the hard way about the implications of Brexit, because Brexit has turned off the movement of people coming into this country and our population is projected to decline. That is the responsibility of the folly of Brexit.

I am very happy to respond to Mr Ross’s point. As the First Minister has set out, the Scottish Government is wrestling with a budget settlement that was agreed when inflation was at 2 per cent. Inflation is now at 10 per cent, hence the emergency statement that I will give to Parliament tomorrow and the extensive opportunity that will be available to members to question me on its contents.

I think that any rational individual would understand that it is sensible for us to wait to see what decisions a new United Kingdom Government might take to jeopardise our budget—because that is a very real threat that we face—before we take measures to support individuals, within our responsibilities, in addition to the marvellous news about the Scottish child payment. That is the only payment to support families in poverty around the country, and that is what this Government has delivered today.

The Government is absolutely committed to the fair work agenda, and the issues that Jackie Baillie raises are ones that would be addressed by that agenda. Individuals who face challenges with their health are entitled to support from their employers as part of that activity. I reassure members of staff that that is the case.

If Jackie Baillie is concerned about particular instances that have been drawn to her attention, I would be grateful if she would share those with ministers. We will certainly explore any anxiety that is in the minds of staff as a consequence of the guidance to which she referred.

The Covid recovery strategy is focused on bringing about a fairer future, particularly for those who are most affected by the pandemic. We will do that by transforming public services to ensure that they are person centred in design and delivery and that they support communities and the most vulnerable to thrive.

As part of that transformation, the Scottish Government is committed to improving and embedding inclusive communication within Government and across public bodies, and it is currently reviewing the effectiveness of the public sector equality duty in Scotland. Analysis of consultation responses on proposals that are designed to support public bodies to better meet PSED and the Scottish specific duties requirements is expected to be completed by August 2022.

I welcome the work that is undertaken by sessional interpreters at all times, but particularly the work they have done during Covid. That work would have been particularly significant for individuals during Covid—and, in the context of welcoming our guests from Ukraine, it is ever more important in our communities.

Monica Lennon properly reflects the Government’s support for the fair work agenda. Last week, I had a discussion with the STUC on relevant issues, and I would be happy to explore a meeting with ministers to address any of those concerns. I will make sure that that is taken forward as a consequence of this exchange.

Our ventilation short-life working group made 10 recommendations aimed at improving the following: awareness of the contribution that ventilation has in reducing the risk of transmission; regulations; guidance; technical skills; and air quality in buildings. Work is in hand to take forward the recommendations.

We are prioritising actions that can be taken quickly to improve ventilation, ahead of this winter, to improve our resilience against Covid-19 and other infections. I will write to all MSPs this afternoon to provide more detail than I can put on the record now on the Scottish Government’s progress on the recommendations.