Jamie Halcro Johnston: —but that will require a constructive approach from all who are involved and an acknowledgment that a unified UK solution is the way forward.
Jamie Halcro Johnston: I am tempted to refer to the problems with our electronic voting system, Presiding Officer. I congratulate Stewart Stevenson on securing the debate. The issue clearly has significant implications for our electoral system. In a democracy, voting methods are important. Today’s motion refers to the Ballot Act 1872, which met calls after the second reform act to ensure a secret ballot. Many of...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: Would it not be better if we actually got across to people, particularly younger people, the importance of their vote and the impact that it has?
Jamie Halcro Johnston: 4. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the action that it is taking to tackle waiting times issues in NHS Grampian and their impact on other national health service boards with which it holds service-level agreements. (S5O-01847)
Jamie Halcro Johnston: Although there have been some welcome improvements in referral to treatment times, it is still three and a half years since NHS Grampian met national standards and improvements have been in line with the national average, while Grampian continues to lag behind and remains, by some distance, the worst-performing health board in Scotland in that regard. The cabinet secretary has spoken in the...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: I thank the First Minister for her answers. I agree with her about the life-changing opportunities that apprenticeships can provide. I am sure that many colleagues across the chamber have seen that this week, as they visited apprentices across Scotland. However, will the First Minister recognise this month’s report from the Federation of Small Businesses Scotland on the particular barriers...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: Will the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body seek clarity from the fund trustees that the existing investment strategy is consistent with market standards?
Jamie Halcro Johnston: Thank you, Presiding Officer. The importance of procurement policy in how Government operates should not be underestimated. The Scottish Government, not to mention our local councils, is responsible for the stewardship of £11 billion—money that is transferred from the taxpayer to external bodies in expectation of an appropriate return. Because of that, value for money should be uppermost...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: I am just finishing. I welcome this Labour Party debate, and I hope that the Scottish Government will offer a constructive tone going forward. It would be helpful if ministers expanded on existing work relating to sustainable procurement later in the debate. I look forward to progress being made on reforming procurement in a sustainable way that lets us meet the needs of the public sector and...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: Can the minister outline what work is being undertaken by NHS Health Scotland to support mental health in the workplace in Scotland’s island communities, and in particular what it is doing to engage with small and medium-sized businesses?
Jamie Halcro Johnston: I will give it a go, Presiding Officer. I advise members of my entry in the register of members’ interests in that I am a partner in a farming partnership business. The debate has been a welcome opportunity to consider approaches from around the chamber to improve employment practices as well as look at the changing shape of employment here in Scotland. There is a proud legacy to look back...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: I will not have time to do so, I am afraid. Ministers have made proposals that address the recommendations of the Taylor review. Indeed, the UK Government is going further in several areas. All workers will, for the first time, have the right to request a more stable contract, the right to a payslip and additional rights to holiday pay and sick leave. Our 1.2 million agency workers will have...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: Today, we celebrate some of the progress that has been made in improving fairness in the workplace and making real, practical change that improves people’s lives. However, a great deal of work remains to be done.
Jamie Halcro Johnston: The minister talked about greater integration with health, housing and justice services, which is to be welcomed. What action is being taken to improve links with skills agencies and providers, to ensure that we have a service that provides people with the personalised training and support that they need if they are to enter the workplace and build on their existing skills?
Jamie Halcro Johnston: First, I thank the businesses, employers and everyone else who contributed to this year’s Scottish apprenticeship week. Special mention must go to Skills Development Scotland, which helped with much of the organisation and arranged the visits that many members who are in the chamber will have enjoyed. I am sure that we will hear more about those experiences later. I understand from SDS that...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: I am encouraged if the minister considers that the targets for foundation apprenticeship starts are being met. At the same time, we are also seeing the introduction of graduate apprenticeships. In 2015, the University of the Highlands and Islands led the initial pilot. There are now 12 institutions delivering a range of frameworks, which are largely focused on science, technology, engineering...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: Scotland’s Gaelic heritage is something that all parties in this chamber rightly stand ready to protect and uphold. My colleague Liz Smith spoke about some of the work that the Scottish Conservatives in Government undertook before devolution to promote the language and the rich culture associated with it. We stand alongside that work today. I welcome the work that has gone into the national...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: It is a shame that the member has brought up the issue of immigration in a debate about the plans for the Gaelic language, but there we are. Gaelic-medium education is not the only public service in which there are issues. On a recent visit to Stornoway, I heard of the problems of recruiting Gaelic-speaking social care workers, who are required particularly to support older people with...
Jamie Halcro Johnston: I am just about to finish.
Jamie Halcro Johnston: I congratulate my colleague Dean Lockhart on securing today’s debate on an important issue. It comes at a time when the Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Committee, of which I am a member, is investigating bank branch closures—an issue that has current relevance across the UK. The House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee is also taking evidence on access to ATMs specifically. Therefore, I...