Chamber and committees

I am sorry, Mr Sweeney, but David Aitken wanted to come in here, too.

Stephen Morgan wanted to come in.

[Inaudible.]—witnesses to keep their answers concise so that we can get everyone in.

We appear to have lost Mr Aitken.

New data from the Home Office shows that the number of health and care worker visa applications was 76 per cent lower in January to April this year than it was in that period last year. Does the minister agree that that will negatively impact on day-to-day operation of publicly owned care homes? Does she also agree that the incoming United Kingdom Government should overturn the cruel immigration policies that harm our care sector?

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I was unable to connect. I would have voted no.

We know that some vehicles pollute more than others or have done so in the past. Can the cabinet secretary provide any update regarding the funding that has been provided through the low-emission zone support fund to date to enable more of those vehicles and operators to comply with the low-emission zone requirements? How many households and businesses is that fund expected to have supported?

I, too, offer my thanks to Kevin Stewart for lodging the motion for debate.

Volunteers week, the 40th anniversary of which we are now marking, gives us all the opportunity to celebrate the invaluable, inspirational and often unsung contribution that volunteers make to our communities. Ranging from providing support pre-birth, through childhood, into adulthood and then into older age, volunteers improve the lives of individuals, families and whole communities at every stage of life.

The Covid pandemic shone a stark light on how fragile communities can be and how vulnerable some of our citizens are, as well as on how much we all crave and need connection to others. Research estimates that 12.4 million people across the UK participated in volunteer activity at the height of the Covid-19 crisis and, of those, 3.8 million had volunteered for the first time.

In my Rutherglen constituency, the Blantyre official coronavirus support group swung into action, alongside many volunteers from Halfway, Cambuslang and Rutherglen, co-ordinated by Healthy n Happy Community Development Trust and the LEAP Project. They delivered food and prescriptions to those who were shielding or who could not get out, and they provided friendship and support through phone calls, as well as myriad other types of practical assistance to locals.

Although those were very dark days, the number of people who stepped up to assist their family, friends and neighbours was quite remarkable. The challenge now is to try to harness the benefits of that community and volunteering spirit to further promote social cohesion, maintain community resilience and further improve the lives of others.

Unsurprisingly, I will use the remainder of my time in the debate to pay tribute to a host of voluntary groups in my constituency—from bonnie Blantyre at one end of my constituency, which has done incredible work to spruce up and green the town, including by creating a community garden, to the Rutherglen rotary club at the other, which, among other things, fundraises for local and international causes, including to build schools and toilets in Africa and Asia. Between them geographically, there are organisations such as Grow 73, Burnhill action group, friends of Cambuslang park and friends of Holmhills wood, to name but a few that have created and nurtured green spaces for people and wildlife to use and thrive.

Although many voluntary groups are unique to the areas in which they are based, our communities also benefit from national volunteering organisations. Scout, cub, guide and brownie leaders provide invaluable opportunities to local children and young people, and many have done so for many years. Two such volunteers in my Rutherglen constituency, Nigel MacDonald and Claire Quinn, have, for years, given hours of their time to help local kids to develop new skills and have fun.

Local sports organisations would not exist without the dedication of many local people. Coaches and volunteers, including Jimmy Whelan at Blantyre Soccer Academy, Andy Rundell at Eastfield United Football Club and Colin Henderson at Rutherglen amateur swimming club, all provide children, young people and adults with the opportunities that only sport can give.

In my constituency, churches including Rutherglen West and Wardlawhill parish church and Blantyre old parish church run warm hubs and cafes, which act as social hubs for local people and are all run by local volunteers. At St Columbkille’s church, bereavement and dementia support groups, again run by volunteers, provide a lifeline for many local people.

As an MSP, I have the privilege and pleasure of trying to improve my constituency, but many people do that voluntarily and out of love for their communities, including those on community councils in Blantyre, Halfway, Cambuslang, Burnside and Rutherglen. For example, Cambuslang community council has been behind projects such as the bank hub on Cambuslang Main Street—which has been a godsend since all the major banks left the town—and streetscape improvements, and it is included in the partnership that has created the Clyde cycle park.

I could mention many more local individuals and organisations that make my constituency a better place to live, work and grow, but time is against me. All the organisations that I have named, and those that I have not, are successful due to the individuals behind them, whose only motivation is to improve the communities that we live in. I thank each and every one of them for what they do.

Before we move on, I will make a declaration and refer to my entry in the register of members’ interests. I hold a bank nurse contract with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

I am a little bit confused. We seem to be getting pieces of evidence that run counter to each other. Mr Warner spoke about decreased productivity with increased staffing levels, but Professor Din is saying that there is a lack of resource. I am keen to find out whether the issue is one of productivity. If so, what is the centre for sustainable delivery doing in that regard? I cannot see anything in your submission on that. Is it about increased demand? What do we think is driving that?

Item 3 is an evidence session with organisations that are currently funded to deliver activities that are detailed in the Scottish Government’s “Self-Directed Support Improvement Plan 2023-27”, as part of phase 2 of our post-legislative scrutiny of the Social Care (Self-Directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013.

I welcome to the committee Kaylie Allen, director of funds at Inspiring Scotland; Dr Jane Kellock, project lead and consultant, self-directed support team at Social Work Scotland; Pauline Lunn, director of In Control Scotland; and Donald Macleod, chief executive of Self Directed Support Scotland. We move straight to questions from Tess White.