All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
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Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 17 September 2024
Willie Coffey
That is clear enough. Thanks very much for your responses to those questions.
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 17 September 2024
Willie Coffey
Good morning, everybody. Angela Leitch, in your submission you talked about the Verity house agreement and this whole thing not being in the spirit of that. First, does the Scottish Government normally make separate and specific provision for councillor salaries, or is it usually contained within the overall local government settlement?
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 17 September 2024
Willie Coffey
It would be helpful to hear other colleagues’ responses.
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 17 September 2024
Willie Coffey
I know.
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 17 September 2024
Willie Coffey
Was there no broad discussion about that issue during the whole course of SLARC’s consideration.
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 17 September 2024
Willie Coffey
Do other colleagues want to come in?
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 17 September 2024
Willie Coffey
Martin, you touched on the subject of time off for public duties. You mentioned that that was an issue that was raised in the survey. I well remember my time on East Ayrshire Council, when it was nigh on impossible for me to perform my role as a councillor with the 10 days a year that were allocated to me by my employer at the time.
That issue is governed by United Kingdom legislation, as I understand it, but it does not define a framework for what reasonable time off is. It simply says “reasonable”. If a councillor does not think that it is reasonable, they will, in effect, be in dispute with their employer. Is it time for a proper framework to be set and for the Government to specify what it thinks reasonable time off is for people to carry out the public duties of a councillor?
Economy and Fair Work Committee
Meeting date: 11 September 2024
Willie Coffey
Okay. Thank you. The whole digital strategy is crucial.
Economy and Fair Work Committee
Meeting date: 11 September 2024
Willie Coffey
In your written submission, and a few times already this morning, you have said that it is important to get information to potential visitors early in their journey, in order to try to attract them. Your website is a crucial part of that. Recently in my constituency, we had a substantial number of visitors from Belgium, Norway and Denmark. However, the biggest hotel in my constituency—the Park hotel in Kilmarnock—does not appear on your website. Do hotel and B and B owners have to request to be on your website? Do they have to pay to feature on it?
Economy and Fair Work Committee
Meeting date: 11 September 2024
Willie Coffey
Every match shows a person on a snowboard. Do you not think that that might be confusing for visitors who want to come and see a game of football?