I will come on to that point later in my speech, but the long and the short of it is yes, I do.

Yesterday, I met First Bus to relay my and my constituents’ concerns about the changes, and I left the company in no doubt about my opposition to the removal of what is a vital service that links together communities in my constituency such as Springhall, Fernhill, Cathkin, Whitlawburn and Halfway.

At my request, First Bus has now committed to undertaking further studies to see whether, should the 65 be withdrawn, alternative routes could be created to serve the communities that stand to lose out. Unfortunately, First Bus has advised that that will not be a quick process and that nothing is guaranteed, so I will continue to do what I can to urge First Bus to maintain the number 65 route.

One of my major concerns about the process is the fact that constituents do not seem to have a formal role to play in opposing timetable changes or service cuts. Of course, they can lodge complaints or raise issues with their elected representatives, but I am keen to learn from the minister whether bus users can play a more formal role in relation to any changes that are proposed by bus companies. How can we make that happen?

I have long supported and called for private bus services in South Lanarkshire to be moved into public ownership to avoid the issues that I have outlined are impacting my community and to allow for joined-up thinking and planning in relation to the network. Currently, bus services are at risk of being reduced or completely cancelled at relatively short notice, with little or no meaningful consultation.

Under franchising, such decisions would fall to a local transport authority, which would have a responsibility towards, and would be accountable to, the communities that it serves.

I thank Patrick Harvie for bringing this debate to the chamber. It has proved to be timely for residents in my Rutherglen constituency. At its heart, this debate is about people. It is about how our communities operate and thrive, and how they access services, employment, education and leisure. Our communities should have the assurance and confidence that our bus networks are affordable, green and a reliable alternative to cars.

Last week, I received notification from First Bus that it is completely withdrawing from service the number 65 bus between Glasgow city centre and Halfway in Cambuslang. The letter that I received about the cut states that the withdrawal of the service will allow the company to improve timetables across other parts of greater Glasgow. It also includes a list of alternative journey options, which include the number 21 service.

Since that announcement, my constituency office has been flooded with calls and messages from constituents who are deeply worried and angry about the proposals. I take this opportunity to thank all those who have been in touch with me over the past week to share their concerns and experiences. Many of them have made the point that the number 21 service, which is one of the apparent alternatives, is also subject to service reductions, with changes to its frequency and running times.

Some have described the number 65 service as a lifeline that allows them to access vital services, including many disabled or elderly residents who are set to lose their only route to town centres. Others have told me that they will now need to take two or three buses to get to their work or face a long walk to a stop, either because their bus is disappearing altogether or because its hours are being drastically reduced.

At the same time, South Lanarkshire Council is cutting school bus services to around 8,000 school pupils. In a letter to families in Cambuslang, the number 65 bus was cited as an alternative means of getting to school from August this year. As if it was not bad enough that they are losing their school transport, those families are feeling abandoned yet again. It is not surprising that the idea that the removal of the number 65 is somehow positive news for greater Glasgow as a whole has been met with much cynicism and anger in my constituency.

Thank you, Presiding Officer, for the opportunity to speak to the legislative consent motion on the Employment Rights Bill, as convener of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee. As members will be aware, on 10 June 2025, the committee published its report on the supplementary legislative consent memorandum as it relates to the bill. That was triggered due to the provisions in the bill regarding social care negotiating bodies, as well as various other amendments that fell under the health and social care remit. I am pleased to say that a majority of committee members recommended that the subsequent draft supplementary motion be agreed by Parliament. The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee recognises the importance of the bill and, more importantly, the need for comprehensive scrutiny of the provisions that require legislative consent.

Although employment law is a reserved matter, the provisions in the bill will have massive implications for Scotland’s workforce, particularly in social care. That is why we sought extensive evidence from stakeholders, both in written form and in oral evidence to the committee. To that end, I thank the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, Glasgow City Council, Health and Social Care Scotland, Scottish Care, the Scottish Social Services Council and Social Work Scotland for their engagement on the matter. I give special thanks to the witnesses who gave oral evidence on 20 May.

Although I am unable to give a summary of the extensive evidence that was received regarding the supplementary LCM and the bill more generally, our report contains a comprehensive overview of the key points that were raised during those sessions. That said, one of the main themes that echoed throughout was the need for continued collaboration when it comes to creating an effective negotiating body for social care. As is highlighted in our report, members were keen to hear more about the on-going discussions with trade unions, as well as the work of the fair work in social care group. I am grateful to the then Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport, Maree Todd MSP, and her supporting officials for speaking to the supplementary LCM and addressing the points that were raised by stakeholders in evidence to the committee.

Although union membership in social care currently sits at around 20 per cent of the workforce, concentrated largely among local government employees, the committee nevertheless welcomes the minister’s commitment to promote increased union membership across the social care sector as a means of improving terms, pay and conditions. That said, we note the minister’s comments that time must now be spent bottoming out the Scottish social care sector’s preference, be that a voluntary arrangement or statutory underpinning. We strongly encourage the Scottish Government to continue to do its best to seek consensus with relevant stakeholders, so that we can achieve better and fairer work conditions for those in the social care sector, which are arguably long overdue.

On behalf of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, I hope that the bill’s provisions will be a positive step in the right direction for Scotland’s social care workforce. I look forward to assisting further scrutiny in that area, where my committee’s remit is engaged.

I welcome Tom Arthur to his new role. I have not had an opportunity to do that formally, and I welcome the approach that he will take to working with the committee.

On that very point, the decision is—as the member will have heard in my speech—very much a hot topic. Is she aware of SPT having consulted with South Lanarkshire Council?

Fraud and computer misuse are estimated to account for more than two fifths of all crimes in the latest year, with almost half of those crimes involving bank and credit card fraud. I hear all too often from constituents about increasingly sophisticated scams that often originate on social media. What steps is the Scottish Government taking to protect the public from those types of crimes?

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings of the latest Scottish crime and justice survey, which included for the first time new questions around crimes of fraud and computer misuse. (S6O-04849)

Well, the witnesses heard what I said about brief answers. I thank you all for your evidence this morning.

This is our final meeting before the summer recess. The committee’s next meeting will take place on Tuesday 2 September 2025, and further details of that meeting will be published towards the end of August. That concludes the public part of our meeting today.

Sandesh Gulhane, we are not able to see you on the screens in the room. Could you check your camera, please?

Jillian Gibson, you have mentioned data and the lack of robust data around some of these issues. What is COSLA doing to try to encourage local authorities to collect data on participation in sport?

There is a lot of interest in the subject. If we could have brief supplementaries and brief responses, that would be helpful.