Anne McTaggart: I think that the word was “repediology”—I hope that that is right. I am sorry, Presiding Officer. I will finish. As members across the chamber can all agree, there are promising signs to suggest that 2014 was no fluke. Today’s debate has been interesting and has shown that there is real commitment to art and culture—and poetry, for Stewart Stevenson—across the chamber and across...
Anne McTaggart: 8. To ask the Scottish Government what support it gives to 16 to 25-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training. (S4O-04161)
Anne McTaggart: What specific measures can be implemented to reduce the percentage of young people in Glasgow who are leaving school and not pursuing additional education, employment or training?
Anne McTaggart: I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to speak in today’s debate and to support my colleague Claire Baker’s amendment. The higher education institutions in Scotland are something on which we should all quite rightly pride ourselves. Scottish Labour has a proud history in the creation of a modern, inclusive and multicultural Scotland that attracts and welcomes international...
Anne McTaggart: I am pleased to contribute to this debate and to speak in support of Claire Baker’s amendment. At a time when countries are fighting for their right to be part of Europe and clinging on to the European Union, the Conservative Party is threatening to pull Britain out of Europe. Although there is much debate about Britain’s place in Europe, we have to recognise that we are much stronger,...
Anne McTaggart: How does the minister seek to support the Jewish culture in the education system?
Anne McTaggart: I thank Jenny Marra for bringing the motion to Parliament and for acknowledging the achievements of Mary Slessor—a woman from Dundee who devoted her life to the promotion of women’s rights in Nigeria. Her accomplishments, along with the accomplishments of many other women, truly deserve to be celebrated every day and not just today. However, it is essential that they be highlighted on...
Anne McTaggart: As a former member of the Local Government and Regeneration Committee, I am pleased to speak in this debate and to support my colleague Alex Rowley’s amendment, which recognises the work of the committee and its call for the establishment of a cross-party commission on finding an alternative to the council tax. I will speak later about my time on the committee, when we developed what was to...
Anne McTaggart: I am not sure that that is going to be on the menu for the commission, but it has to be addressed. It is clear to me that local government in Scotland is not being properly funded and that vital public services are suffering as a consequence. We must be honest about the pressures that our councils face.
Anne McTaggart: Okay, but quickly.
Anne McTaggart: It sounds like a Green Party moment, asking me to rattle off figures off the top of my head. Yes, we want to see an increase and some restructuring, but I apologise for not having the figures off the top of my head. Tough and unpopular decisions have to be made—like the ones that Bruce Crawford was implying. Budgets need to be stretched to breaking point, and that is unsustainable. We must...
Anne McTaggart: The Local Government and Regeneration Committee recommended that the commission examine other ways in which local government can raise funds. This is not just about the council tax. Will that be on the menu for the commission?
Anne McTaggart: Will the minister give an update on progress with the funding and development of one of the national infrastructure projects—the metropolitan Glasgow strategic drainage system?
Anne McTaggart: I am pleased to take part in this important debate on protecting Scotland’s communities. We know that Scotland’s national health service faces significant pressures while, at the same time, it must make major changes to services in order to meet future needs. It pains me to read and hear about the horror stories that have been coming out of the NHS almost daily over the past few weeks,...
Anne McTaggart: I would have thought that the infrastructure of a new-build hospital would be looked at by more than just Glasgow City Council. The 7,000 people who have signed the petition obviously do not approve of what is currently there. It is simply unacceptable that our hard-pressed NHS staff should have to worry about parking. Many nurses and doctors work shifts that require them to be in early and...
Anne McTaggart: I am pleased to hear that. The figures would be for both A and E and delayed discharges. They would help us to foresee future crises and allow people to observe the performance of their local hospitals. There are serious problems in Scotland’s health service and a lot of secrecy about important statistics. Behind each of those statistics, vulnerable patients and their families are...
Anne McTaggart: In the commissioned report into sectarianism, Dr Duncan Morrow made a number of recommendations for football clubs and governing bodies to act on. Has the cabinet secretary met any of the clubs or governing bodies to discuss the implementation of those recommendations?
Anne McTaggart: Alex Rowley referred in his opening comments to poor legislation and the challenges in the bill. Does he agree with the latest statement from the Scottish Allotments and Gardens Society, which asks for section 7 to be removed from the bill and passed as separate legislation?
Anne McTaggart: I am pleased to have the opportunity this evening to contribute to the debate because hepatitis C is an on-going concern to many of my constituents in Glasgow. I therefore thank Kevin Stewart for securing time in the chamber to discuss it. This year is just as important as the time 20 years ago when I first studied the implications of hepatitis C when I was working in addiction. This year...
Anne McTaggart: In light of the Angiolini report, which stated that the rehabilitation of women offenders is best served in the community, when will the cabinet secretary review the funding for community programmes?
