Section 20 — Registration fees

Part of Regulation of Care (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3 – in the Scottish Parliament at 10:30 am on 31 May 2001.

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Photo of Nicola Sturgeon Nicola Sturgeon Scottish National Party 10:30, 31 May 2001

It is fair to say that registration fees are the most contentious aspect of a bill whose main provisions are otherwise to be welcomed. Every witness who appeared before the Health and Community Care Committee and was asked about fees expressed deep concerns about that aspect of the bill. Their concerns were twofold but, as both points have been covered in the debate, I will repeat them only briefly.

First, witnesses expressed deep concern about the drastic increase in the level of fees. We are to go from a system where only 17 per cent of the costs of the bureaucracy are levied from providers to one where the figure is 100 per cent. Witnesses expressed a real fear that, as those increased fees will come on top of financial pressures that the voluntary and independent sectors are already experiencing, the viability of many care homes and many beds in those homes will be threatened.

Those who gave evidence expressed my second point even more strongly. As Shona Robison and other members said, a system in which money circulates from one part of the system to another is absurd. Malcolm Chisholm has said repeatedly that funding to local authorities will be increased so that they can meet the increased fees that will be charged. The assumption is that providers will pass their fee increases on to local authorities. Money will just circulate around the system without a pound of the additional money going to improve the quantity or the quality of care. As a number of witnesses said, such a system will be absurd in the extreme. I share Richard Simpson's instinctive feeling that that system is not right. I hope that Malcolm Chisholm will show himself willing to listen to the overwhelming opinion that was expressed in the committee. I hope that he will support amendment 76.