Fiona McLeod: Mr McDonald asked specifically about the care sector. Information about the sectors from which PVG applications are submitted is not gathered by Disclosure Scotland. PVG applications are processed as they arrive and no application is given priority over any other. Disclosure Scotland’s service level agreement is to produce 90 per cent of all types of disclosures, for correctly completed...
Fiona McLeod: In some instances, it is necessary for Disclosure Scotland to contact other agencies to determine whether there will be any inclusions on the individual’s PVG scheme record from those sources. When that happens, the period of time to process a PVG disclosure can be longer. Disclosure Scotland closely monitors the performance of external information suppliers and works to ensure that such...
Fiona McLeod: There are 90 secure beds in Scotland. Capacity is monitored daily and information is available on the secure accommodation network Scotland website.
Fiona McLeod: As Mr Pearson knows, secure care is used only for a small number of young people who present a high risk to themselves or to others. The average number of young people in secure care in 2012-13 was 78, which was a fall of 9 per cent compared with the figure for 2011-12. That was 13 per cent under the capacity limit of 90 in Scotland. We are working with providers and Scotland Excel, which...
Fiona McLeod: Local authorities are responsible for the provision of foster care in their areas, which is supported through the block grant. The Scottish Government provided more than £1 million between 2007 and 2014 to the Fostering Network to support local authorities and the wider sector to recruit, retain and develop foster carers. The Scottish Government produced the first national guidance to help...
Fiona McLeod: Fife Council is responsible, as are all local authorities, for its own recruitment because it is best placed to know its local needs. The Scottish Government is, through our realigning children’s services programme, supporting a number of local authorities to map longer-term demand levels for services, including foster care. That will aid local authorities in recruiting the right number of...
Fiona McLeod: As Malcolm Chisholm should know, as he was here for part of the debate on the issue, the Standards and Public Appointments Committee is considering the matter and is taking great care over it. Until that committee has completed its inquiry, it would be inappropriate to make a decision on the matter.
Fiona McLeod: Will the member give way?
Fiona McLeod: Will Gavin Brown take an intervention?
Fiona McLeod: As the mother of a November child—24 years ago—I am acutely aware that there is a huge difference between the development of a two-and-a-half-year-old and the development of a three-year-old. Going to nursery at the age of three enables children to get the most benefit out of their four terms of pre-school education. Getting six terms of it would not give children the benefit that Mr...
Fiona McLeod: I have been a member of the SPPA committee for two years, and everybody knows that I take my committee very seriously. The Government said to the committee—as did many other organisations following the introduction of Neil Findlay’s bill—that the Parliament should look at the issue of lobbying seriously. There is no committee in Parliament to which scrutiny of the issue is more relevant...
Fiona McLeod: Does Mr Findlay accept that his proposal generated a huge amount of interest? If it goes forward and becomes an act, it will fundamentally affect the standards and procedures of this Parliament. Therefore, the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee is the correct committee to scrutinise the ideas that he has put forward. Does he not want the evidence gathering that we are...
Fiona McLeod: It was interesting that the convener of the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee opened his remarks by saying that lobbying is often viewed negatively. What the committee is doing sometimes comes down to considering what lobbying is—that is the heart of the issue. Members know that I am a librarian. My whole profession is about ensuring that people have access to...
Fiona McLeod: 8. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the latest figures on manufactured exports in Scotland. (S4O-03638)
Fiona McLeod: I thank the minister for that response. Am I right in thinking that this trend could be continued and ever strengthened if the Smith commission was to recommend that responsibility for all business taxation and employment law should be with the Scottish Parliament?
Fiona McLeod: Will the member take an intervention?
Fiona McLeod: Will John Pentland give way?
Fiona McLeod: I am a bit perplexed about where the member is going when he talks about leadership. The minister was clear that more than £9 million has been provided for 44 projects. Just last week, I hosted a reception for the Mark Scott leadership for life award, which is receiving £600,000 over three years from the Government. Can the member not acknowledge that and see that we are providing the...
Fiona McLeod: 4. To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in tackling unemployment and increasing employment. (S4O-03534)
Fiona McLeod: I welcome those numbers from the cabinet secretary, but does she agree that any enhanced devolution settlement, as promised at the end of the referendum campaign, must provide genuine job-creating powers for Scotland?
