Chamber and committees

The debate is a welcome opportunity to acknowledge the high standard of Scottish exports, which span many different sectors from food and drink, including whisky and salmon, to the tech sector, arts and culture, and financial services. The debate could have been an opportunity to debate some of the challenges that those sectors face in a challenging global context. However, instead of having a meaningful debate, we have heard what we would expect from the Scottish Government and the SNP in that they have chosen to grandstand about constitutional issues.

Last week, the First Minister tried to rerun old debates about Scottish independence. This week, the Deputy First Minister has rerun old debates about Brexit, and, in today’s motion, the SNP demands that the United Kingdom rejoin the EU.

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it is reportedly spending over £1 million every week on agency staff, in light of its having announced plans to reduce corporate costs. (S6O-04881)

Does the minister accept that every pound that is spent on agency staff bureaucracy is a pound that is taken away from our schools, hospitals and local council services, which are already on their knees because of this Government’s mismanagement?

The affordable housing supply programme budget has increased by only £12 million since 2018-19, which is against the financial backdrop. How does the Scottish Government expect that affordable housing demand will be met when a report from Shelter Scotland, the Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland and the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations found that £900 million a year is needed to meet the affordable housing demand?

I am very pleased to be able to speak in this evening’s debate, and I thank Alex Rowley for bringing it to the chamber.

Four and a half years ago, the SNP made some very bold promises about the future of NHS dentistry across Scotland. However, with the end of the parliamentary session now in sight, the fact is that many communities do not have a dentist whom they can go to; indeed, such a prospect is a distant dream for them. We know that thousands of Scots have not seen a dentist for a number of years, and the number of young people who require dental treatment in hospital has increased in each of the past four years.

From every corner of Scotland, we are repeatedly hearing that practices are no longer accepting NHS patients, and whole areas of Scotland are now being classified as dental deserts. There are also countless stories of constituents being forced to take private treatment, and even stories of patients doing dentistry on themselves because they do not have the opportunity to get treatment.

Alex Rowley’s motion rightly highlights the problems with Breeze Dental Care in our region. Patients were very used to going to the practice; however, it said that it was no longer able to provide NHS services and that patients would have to sign up to a payment plan. That has been happening with lots of other dentists and in lots of other areas, and it is a real issue for individuals.

As for those areas of Scotland that are affected, I know that, in my area and region, countless stories and amounts of information have been going back and forth, and MSPs will have found their inboxes full of such things. Dental services across Stirling are on a knife edge, and many locations are suffering. Infinityblu Dental Care and Implant Clinic, for example, announced that it would no longer be taking any NHS patients in the Callander area, except for those under the age of 18. Many people had been going to that practice for decades; at the time, constituents were told that they needed to go to other locations, and they were hugely concerned about that. Those in Callander had to go to Crieff or Auchterarder, which is a considerable distance to travel. The practice made it clear that it did not want to make such decisions, but it found that it was losing revenue on every NHS patient whom it treated. Since then, there has been an improvement in the situation.

I recognise that the Government is trying to do something, but its approach is not having an effect everywhere, and some locations are still finding it really difficult. Residents in the example that I highlighted are still hoping for a full return of adult NHS dental services, and I am disappointed that that has not happened, although I know that the Government, along with the health board—NHS Forth Valley—is still working to find solutions. Solutions have been found in some areas, but not in all, and more work needs to be done to ensure that people get the protection that they need for their oral health.

Regardless of what the Government is doing, the fact is that there is a genuine need to tackle this agenda. As I have said, we are coming towards the end of this parliamentary session, and I hope that the Government will finally take note of the flood of casework that MSPs are having to cope with. I have seen the situation in my region, and other MSPs are saying the same thing. The solution to it will, no doubt, be no easy fix—we acknowledge that—but we also feel that, instead of tinkering around the edges, the Scottish Government must commit to building the sort of modern dental service that communities, and those in rural environments in particular, need, and to ensuring that that approach to dentistry is in place for them. I and many others will keep calling for that repeatedly, because what is required is a safe support mechanism for individuals across communities.

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I apologise to you and the chamber for not being here to ask question 2, my portfolio question on education and skills.

Together with local groups, Clackmannanshire Council has voiced strong opposition to the proposed route changes and has emphasised the importance of maintaining a reliable bus service to Forth Valley royal hospital in Larbert. The concerns are serious, and the proposals could have a negative impact on elderly and disabled people who rely on the existing bus routes. What additional support is the Scottish Government considering? What is it doing to ensure that NHS Forth Valley assists vulnerable individuals?

I thank the First Minister for early sight of the statement.

It is difficult to calculate how many Gypsy Travellers have been forced by historical policies to alter their lives. The impact has been deeply felt by the community. Those who were affected have said that such policies destroyed lives, shattered and separated families and affected generation after generation. Members of the Gypsy Traveller community have been petitioning for an apology from the Government for years, so I welcome the long-overdue apology this afternoon. Researchers have highlighted that it is the responsibility of the Scottish Government, so why has it taken so long for the apology to be given? Is the Scottish Government considering compensation for those affected? If that is the case, when is that anticipated to happen?

Every penny of public money lost to fraud or error is a penny taken from the Scottish taxpayer and, in turn, from school, hospitals and other services that we rely on. The Government has a responsibility to ensure that every penny that is raised is used effectively. That is why the Scottish Conservatives support the legislative consent motion before Parliament today.

Fraud in the public sector undermines public trust. Such financial loss corrodes the public’s confidence in the payment system. It weakens the social contract when people pay their taxes but see the system failing. Fraudsters exploiting the system puts at risk the support for genuine, vulnerable individuals. That is why we welcome the action to modernise and strengthen the toolkit to fight fraud. The measures that are outlined in the bill will ensure that there will be a fair system, including for benefit recipients.

We recognise that a number of the clauses falls within the competence of this Parliament, particularly in relation to benefits that are delivered under the agency agreements.

We also support the provisions that are being supported by the Scottish Government and the DWP to ensure that the way in which benefits are administered on behalf of the Scottish ministers might also be a tool to tackle fraud, and we support looking at what is happening across the rest of the United Kingdom in that regard.

The eligibility verification measures will allow the Government to ask commonsense, practical questions and simplify the criteria. The powers that are outlined are significant. At the same time, what is proposed is not overburdensome, and the DWP will have access in order to provide support. We believe that a reasonable balance will be struck to ensure that relevant organisations are involved.

The provisions on recovery and asset seizure in the bill are also very positive. Law enforcement agencies must be able to recover fraudulently obtained funds and seize high-value items that are bought with stolen money. It is simply wrong that individuals who defraud are allowed to purchase, for example, luxury items, simply because they have spent the money quickly. If we are to deter such actions, there must be consequences. The measures give law enforcement agencies legal powers to ensure that they can take swift and effective action. To be clear, strong safeguards and independent oversight mechanisms accompany the introduction of those powers. That is fair and that is right for Scotland.

The provisions will ensure that the Scottish Government and the UK Government will retain powers. We hope that any issues can be resolved. We also look forward to the DWP working with Social Security Scotland, which will focus on any disruption that might take place.

The bill will support honest, hard-working individuals. It will also ensure that, when errors happen—many errors happen across the system—those are sorted. The Scottish Conservatives want to ensure that every penny supports front-line workers.

The bill strikes the right balance between fairness and firmness. It will ensure that the Parliament has the powers to deal with these matters. Let us send a clear message that we are on the side of the taxpayer by supporting the bill.

Aside from the fact that the people of Scotland voted overwhelmingly for the union in 2014, does the cabinet secretary accept that the current democratic infrastructure in the Scottish Parliament—with timed speeches, pre-scripted answers and debates for which we have little or no responsibility—is stifling public confidence in democracy? How will that be addressed in the next session of Parliament?