Chamber and committees

Good morning to both the witnesses. Before I go on to my main points, I want to ask about fuel poverty and the issues around owner-occupiers and social housing. I represent the Highlands and Islands, which includes Lewis, which you mentioned, as well as Orkney and Shetland, where there are high levels of fuel poverty. As you mentioned, there is frustration about the huge amount of renewables generation in those areas.

One issue that has come up in my time as an MSP has been a lack of clarity on how owner-occupiers can access support. There are lots of different pots, and there are issues related to income and health, the age of houses and all sorts of other things. Particularly in relation to fuel poverty but perhaps other areas, how important will it be to have clarity, a streamlined process, easy access to the right information and good signposting if we are to meet the targets?

Another area in which there have been concerns is the involvement of small and medium-sized enterprises, and particularly how we engage with small businesses. Will you talk more about concerns that you have about that? How important is that issue?

Historically, with areas such as energy efficiency measures, the focus has tended to be on larger organisations that can deliver projects or initiatives Scotland-wide. However, obviously, encouraging small businesses to play their role in reducing energy use and the like will be key to meeting some of the wider targets. How do we encourage small businesses to be involved? How can they be engaged and play a role in that?

It was about the impact on fair work of the plans for the national care service. Do you foresee such an impact? Is it deliverable? Will it bring improvements, or could it be a distraction? What are your general thoughts?

What will be your role in ensuring that the concerns that you have raised, both as a member of the convention and as a trade union official with responsibility to its members, will be included? What are the avenues for ensuring that such concerns are taken into account?

Lastly—I know that we have many other questions—do you have confidence that the national care service, either as it is proposed or as it might be delivered, will improve outcomes?

Good morning to the panel. I will direct my questions to Mary Alexander, who can redirect them as she sees fit.

You talked about the social care sector report, which came out in 2019, and said that you are now at the stage of having three working groups. I do not know when those are going to deliver their results, but it will probably have been roughly four years—at least—before they deliver their findings. We respect the fact that it is not a quick process.

I was going to ask about the outcomes, but we are not there yet, so I will have a look at some of the challenges that the sector continues to face. In addition, issues have been raised by trade unions and workers about the new national care service. Do you have any issues or concerns about its impact on fair work?

No, that was the area that was covered in the report that I was interested in, and I was looking to get some clarification.

Thank you.

I would like some clarification on issues relating to the STPR and infrastructure. I am sure that you, as business minister, will recognise the importance of dualling the A9 between Inverness and Perth and of dualling the A96. Those are vital public infrastructure projects that could provide a massive boost to the north of Scotland, particularly my Highlands and Islands region.

In a debate last week, your colleague Jenny Gilruth, the Minister for Transport, said that the Government is still committed to dualling both roads, as promised. Will you confirm that that is the case and that there will be no downgrading of those commitments on either road?

The committee report featured some criticism of

“the cluttered landscape of policy commitments, funding streams and other initiatives”

in relation to the transition to net zero. The Scottish Government response says that

“bespoke advice and support for businesses—including specific support for SMEs—is also available through the enterprise agencies, Zero Waste Scotland, Business Gateway and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency.”

You went on to mention the investment in the green jobs fund, the green jobs skills hub and so on.

Does that not sound like part of the problem with a cluttered landscape, rather than an answer to it?