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Donate to our crowdfunderPatricia Ferguson: What remedy is open to members in the chamber when they are wrongly accused in that way by the cabinet secretary?
Patricia Ferguson: Last week, I asked the Deputy First Minister whether he felt that the funding allocation to Glasgow City Council for kinship care was appropriate, given that Glasgow has 32 per cent of kinship carers and only 15 per cent of the funding. He explained to me that that was because of an agreement with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities. From the cursory consideration that I have been...
Patricia Ferguson: I support amendment 1, in my name, and I oppose amendment 13, in the name of the minister. My stage 2 amendment, which was agreed to by the Justice Committee, sought to ensure that one of the key findings of Lord Cullen’s report on FAIs would be implemented—namely, that civil legal aid would be available to the families of the bereaved to allow them to be represented at an FAI. As the...
Patricia Ferguson: I am slightly confused by what Roderick Campbell said. The whole point of having stage 2 is to enable matters to be brought up that have not been dealt with at stage 1. I do not know whether Mr Campbell is arguing that we should not have stage 2 at all. Mr Campbell read out a passage from Lord Cullen’s very good report on FAIs, which I will read again, for the avoidance of doubt. He quoted...
Patricia Ferguson: I think that I am right in saying that, after a death in custody, civil legal aid is automatically granted to enable the family to be represented at a fatal accident inquiry. I will stand corrected if I am not right about that. The point is that a family who want to be represented at a fatal accident inquiry will not necessarily know that there is an issue about probable cause until they are...
Patricia Ferguson: No. I heard what the minister said, and I have to say that it was not particularly helpful—[Interruption.]
Patricia Ferguson: If the minister will give me a minute to respond to what has been said, I will give way later. The charter does not provide for the procurator fiscal to represent the family. It makes it easier for the family to get information during the process, but it does not allow the procurator fiscal to act on their behalf. At the moment and in future, the procurator fiscal will represent the public...
Patricia Ferguson: Thank you, Presiding Officer. I am close to finishing. I know that the minister is trying to be helpful, but it will not work with the process. Family members will not know that there will be a difference between their interest and the public interest until they see the line of questioning. None of us wants to see FAIs being adversarial. In my view—I am not quoting from anyone here—FAIs...
Patricia Ferguson: This afternoon, when we pass the bill—as we will, with Labour support—we will make some significant changes to the FAI system. However, I cannot help but observe that we have missed the opportunity to make some radical and important changes to the FAI system at the same time. Lord Cullen’s review, which the Scottish Government ordered, was a good one, but as colleagues probably know, it...
Patricia Ferguson: On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I would be grateful for your clarification on why it is not an appropriate bill. If it is merely a matter for the standing orders of this Parliament, would it not be possible to ask the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee to consider a change to standing orders to allow the LCM to be taken?
Patricia Ferguson: 15. To ask the Scottish Government what representations the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy has received from the Minister for Children and Young People regarding kinship care funding. (S4O-04918)
Patricia Ferguson: I would not disagree with that policy intent. However, did the Minister for Children and Young People draw to the cabinet secretary’s attention the fact that Glasgow City Council, which has 32 per cent of all kinship carers living in its area, will receive only 15 per cent of the funding allocation that is made to councils? Did she point out to him that that underfunding of kinship care by...
Patricia Ferguson: On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I seek your guidance as to the remedies available to the Parliament to hold Government ministers to account for statements that they make in Parliament that are then contradicted by statements outside this place. There must be some mechanism that allows us to do that.
Patricia Ferguson: I sympathise entirely with the plight of those in Fife and other areas that are most directly affected by the closure of the bridge, but the 8,000 additional train spaces that the minister spoke to have been brought to Fife and surrounding areas at the cost of some disruption in other parts of the country. Can the minister assure me that that disruption will be kept to the very minimum? Will...
Patricia Ferguson: I, too, congratulate my colleague Paul Martin on his long-standing commitment to and campaigning on this issue and, of course, Margaret Ann Cummings, who has courageously spent the 11 years since her personal tragedy trying to ensure that no one has to suffer in the way that she has. Paul Martin is also right to identify the sterling work of our local housing associations. If this Parliament...
Patricia Ferguson: Will the minister give way?
Patricia Ferguson: I offer my condolences to Bob Doris at this sad time. He and his family are in our thoughts and prayers. I am pleased to have the opportunity to participate in this important debate and I congratulate Bob Doris on securing parliamentary time so that members can acknowledge the tremendous contribution that the employees of City Building and RSBI make to Glasgow. I also congratulate James...
Patricia Ferguson: I hear what the member has to say about disabled people not being able to access employment, but I can tell him that disabled people in my constituency have found that much harder since the Remploy building on the same industrial estate that RSBI is on was closed down by his Government. I very much regret that. Does he?
Patricia Ferguson: 8. To ask the Scottish Government what assistance is available for general practices that encounter problems regarding staffing levels. (S4O-04802)
Patricia Ferguson: We have on a number of occasions in the chamber explored the deep-end practices—in particular, the Balmore practice in my constituency. What action will the cabinet secretary take to assist that practice, which has been reviewed by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and has been told that it will have further help to review its processes and help with “lean working”—whatever that might be?...