To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings of the Fair Work Convention’s inquiry into fair work in the hospitality industry. (S6O-03753)

I was pleased to attend the publication launch of the report of the independent inquiry into the hospitality industry yesterday. We welcome the report and its recommendations, which are the culmination of extensive consultation, research and dialogue with employers, employees, trade union representatives and key industry trade bodies. Some of the recommendations are intended to support workers and employers to improve pay, working conditions and inclusion in the sector.

I thank the Fair Work Convention for conducting this important inquiry. The Scottish Government will carefully consider its recommendations and set out a response in due course.

The inquiry recommends the establishment of a voluntary fair work charter for hospitality that stipulates a range of workers’ protections, from payment of the real living wage and recognition of real living hours to effective voice, robust anti-bullying procedures and safe home policies for all workers asked to travel or work after 11 pm. How quickly does the Minister expect that charter to be in place? What mechanisms could be put in place should an employer breaches any aspect of it? How does he expect public bodies, including local authorities, to support its implementation? Will the Scottish Government incentivise the adoption of the charter through conditionality of public funding?

I recognise the member’s long-standing interest in this area, and I know that she, too, attended yesterday’s launch. As I said in my original answer, the report is a substantial and detailed piece of work that a range of stakeholders has put a tremendous amount of effort into, and I want to ensure that the Government’s consideration of it is commensurate with that.

Clearly, the member will be aware of and appreciate the range of activities that the Scottish Government has undertaken to promote fair work within the limitations of devolved competency. That signifies the huge importance that this Government places on fair work. As such, we will engage in that spirit with the report’s recommendations and will update Parliament accordingly.

While employment law remains reserved to Westminster, it is vital that the Scottish Government does all that it can to incentivise and promote fair work. Will the Minister say more about how the Scottish Government is working to drive fair work practices across the private sector? Will he join me in continuing to call for employment law to be devolved to this Parliament, so that we can ensure that workers are treated fairly and paid fairly in Scotland?

I echo the member’s call for the devolution of employment law to this Parliament.

We use a range of methods through our leadership on fair work principles, and our support of the Fair Work Convention and detailed considerations of its reports. We also seek, through conditionality, the use of public finances to incentivise the uptake of practices that are consistent with fair work, such as the real living wage and effective employee voice.

We welcome the agenda that the new United Kingdom Government has set out with regard to making work pay; indeed, Scottish ministers are committed to engaging closely on that. However, I echo the point that one certainty in British politics is that Labour Governments are followed by Conservative Governments, which invariably have an alternative set of priorities when it comes to fair work. Fair work principles and the rights of trade unions have been rolled back under Conservative Administrations. Therefore, to ensure that we can progress fair work and that it is embedded and made permanent in Scotland, we require the devolution of employment rights to the Scottish Parliament.

The transportation portfolio is mentioned numerous times in the report by the Fair Work Convention inquiry into fair work in the hospitality industry. Does the Minister agree that, given that Scotland now has the most expensive train fares in Europe, the reintroduction of peak fares on ScotRail further increases inequality for workers in hospitality, particularly in rural areas, where employees find it more expensive to commute to work?

The inquiry report makes a range of recommendations to which we will give detailed consideration. Matters pertaining to peak fares have been set out in some detail by my ministerial colleagues. Their reintroduction is, ultimately, a consequence of the significantly challenging position that we face with the public finances, which was caused in no small part by Mr Whittle’s party.

Scottish National Party incompetence.

Thank you, Mr Lumsden. May I continue?

Question 6 was not lodged.