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Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 19 December 2024
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Displaying 1357 contributions

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Economy and Fair Work Committee

Employment and Skills for Recovery

Meeting date: 8 September 2021

Michelle Thomson

I think that you must have guessed the second area that I want to explore, because it is modern apprenticeships, funnily enough. I am looking at SDS’s most recent quarterly report on modern apprenticeships. Since joining the Parliament, I have been looking at the theme of the different consideration that is given to the role of women, whether in business or skills. I worked out that, comparing the first quarters of 2019-20 and 2021-22, there has been a decline in female enrolments from 47 per cent to 45 per cent. I then looked at the figures for my area, which is Falkirk, where there has been a more dramatic fall from 45 per cent to 35 per cent. That led me to consider what the gaps might be in how we are going about getting women enrolled. Does Chris Brodie or Lisa Pattoni have any thoughts about the reasons for that?

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Employment and Skills for Recovery

Meeting date: 8 September 2021

Michelle Thomson

Does anyone else want to come in on those two questions?

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Employment and Skills for Recovery

Meeting date: 8 September 2021

Michelle Thomson

Thank you very much.

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Employment and Skills for Recovery

Meeting date: 8 September 2021

Michelle Thomson

They were long questions and I ran them together. I merely expressed a view that international benchmarking could be desirable, particularly thinking about Nora Senior’s comment about digital technologies and the threat of competition from digital technologies. We might choose not to benchmark internationally across every sector, but we have already discussed doing that in the emerging sectors. I just wanted to see whether, in principle, you agree with the view that international benchmarking is a good thing.

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Employment and Skills for Recovery

Meeting date: 8 September 2021

Michelle Thomson

Nora, I will pick up on Lisa Pattoni’s comment that employers drive the take-up of modern apprenticeships and that they therefore have a role in the figures that I outlined for female enrolments. We both encounter systemic issues in relation to the role of women in business and various other sectors; do you have any final reflections on that point before we move on?

You are on silent, Nora.

Economy and Fair Work Committee

Employment and Skills for Recovery

Meeting date: 8 September 2021

Michelle Thomson

I invite SDS to respond my last question, which I appreciate was a slightly cheeky one. I wanted to wind up the session with a bit of fun.

Chris, you are on silent.

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny 2022-23: Public Finances and the Impact of Covid-19

Meeting date: 7 September 2021

Michelle Thomson

I take it from that that you, on behalf of your members and your member organisations, will be reflecting on that matter, given the often long-term nature of property.

Given that diversity makes an economic contribution, what are the SPF’s reflections on supporting women to lead the businesses that it represents?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny 2022-23: Public Finances and the Impact of Covid-19

Meeting date: 7 September 2021

Michelle Thomson

I assume from that that you might look at the membership of your policy team. When I checked today, I found that your policy team has three women and 23 men, which means that women make up less than 12 per cent.

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny 2022-23: Public Finances and the Impact of Covid-19

Meeting date: 7 September 2021

Michelle Thomson

In your submission, you call for

“greater capitalisation of the Scottish National Investment Bank”.

I agree with that view. You also comment on the need for a “National Infrastructure Agency”. I also agree with that view. In that light, would you support increased borrowing powers for the Scottish Government to enable those much grander ideas to be taken forward? I am a bit concerned that, throughout our discussion, we have tended to focus on small taxes, such as LBTT, rather than on the shifts that will really make a difference to economic growth.

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny 2022-23: Public Finances and the Impact of Covid-19

Meeting date: 7 September 2021

Michelle Thomson

I think there is just one more response. Adam, did you want to contribute before we finish off this thread?