– in the Scottish Parliament at on 2 December 2020.
8. To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with local authorities in the Central Scotland region, and what was discussed. (S5O-04808)
Ministers and officials regularly meet representatives of all Scottish local authorities to discuss a wide range of issues as part of our commitment to working in partnership with local government to improve outcomes for the people of Scotland. That work of course includes our regular engagement with local authorities on levels of restrictions and protective measures that apply as a result of our efforts to suppress Covid-19.
I am grateful to the cabinet secretary, and I place on record my gratitude to local authority workers.
I am interested to hear the Government’s response to a recent survey carried out by Unison Scotland. It found that only 18 per cent of school cleaners said that they had enough time and the right materials to clean properly. Can the cabinet secretary advise me on how many extra cleaners have been employed in local authorities during the pandemic?
I do not have that detail to hand, due to the very specific nature of the question. Mindful of the time that we have, I will endeavour to find out some detail on that for Monica Lennon and to follow up on any further questions that she might have, if that will be helpful to her.