Jamie Halcro Johnston: I congratulate Richard Lochhead on bringing the debate to the Parliament. Unfair delivery charges are something with which members from across northern Scotland are, unfortunately, very familiar. We have heard about a number of individual experiences and will, no doubt, hear about more in the course of tonight’s debate. It is regrettable that the charges impact most on those who rely on...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: I welcome my Highlands and Islands colleague Maree Todd to her ministerial position. I welcome this opportunity to debate the year of young people. In many ways, the experience of young people in Scotland is a difficult subject to encapsulate. Certain common issues, opportunities, problems and barriers affect young people in particular but, in speaking on those topics, we should not forget...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: I am just about to finish. Another of the year’s objectives is to recognise the impact of the people who work with young people. Whether they are teachers, youth workers or, significantly, the army of volunteers who support community groups from sport to the arts, the value of their time and their effort should not be underestimated. Working with young people often has far-reaching...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: Given the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution’s protestations during and since last week’s debate on fair ferry funding for Orkney and Shetland’s internal ferries, will the cabinet secretary confirm that it is still normal protocol for the Scottish Government to put its own commitments into its own budget, rather than relying on Opposition parties to do so on its behalf?
Jamie Halcro Johnston: Just last week, the member for Orkney Islands asked the economy secretary: “When will the Scottish Government honour the commitment that it made in 2014 to provide fair funding for those lifeline services?” The economy secretary responded that the commitment was made “as long ago as when I was transport minister, and directly to the councils involved.” —[ Official Report , 13...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: Can the minister update us on the outcomes of discussions with Serco NorthLink on the extension of the northern isles ferries contract to October 2019? Moreover, is he able to give assurances that the extension will have no adverse impacts on the current service?
Jamie Halcro Johnston: 5. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to reduce waiting times in NHS Grampian. (S5O-01608)
Jamie Halcro Johnston: I wrote to the cabinet secretary some months ago about the case of my constituent who has been waiting almost a year for cardiac surgery. To her credit, the cabinet secretary agreed that that wait was unacceptable. However, we now know from the most recent figures that only 33 per cent of patients who are waiting for child and adolescent mental health services in Grampian are seen within the...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: I congratulate Tom Arthur on bringing this debate to the chamber. Carer positive is an initiative that I hope members from across the political spectrum will get behind. In recent years, it has been incredibly welcome to see, across all the parties, a greater focus on the needs and challenges that carers face. The motion before us highlights the economic value of carers and the work that they...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: I welcome the voices from across the chamber and the genuine interest that they have expressed in the development of Scotland’s young workforce. It is undoubtedly the Parliament’s duty not only to build the conditions for a successful economy but to consider how progress can be sustainable for future generations. In 2013, the developing the young workforce agenda got off to a positive...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: 3. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress towards meeting waiting times targets in NHS Grampian. (S5O-01666)
Jamie Halcro Johnston: Last year, I raised the case of a Moray constituent who had been waiting for heart surgery in the NHS Grampian region. Thankfully, my constituent’s surgery was scheduled for this week, which is 16 months after the original general practitioner referral. I am sure that the cabinet secretary will join me in wishing him well. Figures show that more than 2,000 people per month are still waiting...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: I am not going to make such a promise, for that reason. First, I congratulate Rona Mackay on securing the debate and highlighting the cases that she did. I extend my congratulations to Stewart McDonald on introducing a private member’s bill in the UK Parliament on this important issue. We have already seen a level of public debate around unpaid work trials, with some examples having come to...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: We are changing the subject slightly there. As the former general secretary of a trade union, I recognise the role that trade unions can play, but that does not necessarily mean that, in every case, trade unions are right. It is true that many employers are moving away from the traditional 45-minute sit-down interview, with a rise in day-long assessment centres, practice tasks and more...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: Given that the minister recognises the value of Erasmus+ and the need for further dialogue on the programme’s future, and given her announcement on tuition costs, will she at least welcome the UK Government’s assurance that successful bids to the Erasmus+ programme that are submitted while the UK is still a member state of the EU will be guaranteed, even if they are not approved until...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: As an MSP representing the Highlands and Islands, and as an Orcadian, I welcome the introduction of the bill and the commencement of its legislative process. I extend my thanks to the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee for its stage 1 report and the scrutiny work that it has undertaken. Scotland’s island communities are distinct societies with distinct identities within Scotland and...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: Throughout past centuries of Scotland’s history, there have been many periods of inward migration. Migration has helped to shape modern Scotland and it is right that we recognise the contributions to our society, economy and communities of those who have chosen to make Scotland their home. We have also seen modern Scotland being shaped by the movement of people within our own borders, from...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: I should like to push on, if I may. Increasingly, geographical distinctions in our economy are issues of scale rather than type. In my region, a number of sectors, such as the hospitality and tourism economy, employ high numbers of EU and non-EU migrant workers, but the Highlands and Islands are far from being unique in that. Migration policy will not be crafted in my region, but I have...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: I will let the minister in in a second. That has an impact on the countries that people come from. In those circumstances, the Scottish Government looks to other countries and hopes that the relevant skills can be found, but we know the consequences for areas outside of the cities and the central belt, as well as the consequences of the lack of real planning for the future.
Jamie Halcro Johnston: As my colleagues are saying to me, nobody is denying that there will be immigration to this country, but it will be controlled and based on what we need here. When I was in the Western Isles recently, I heard of a problem that health and social care have been presented with. Many older people on the islands are Gaelic speakers first, and when they develop dementia and associated conditions...