All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
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Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 21 January 2025
Fulton MacGregor
I appreciate the comments that you made about Glasgow social work, which I think are very relevant.
You talked about buildings and so on being an area in which resources could be better used. Do you have any thoughts on the community asset transfers that councils have powers to use? Could they be better and more quickly used, and could more community asset transfers be done?
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 21 January 2025
Fulton MacGregor
My final question is about multiyear funding settlements. Are you confident that the Scottish Government will be able to provide, from 2025, multiyear funding settlements, which would assist councils in planning for the medium term?
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 21 January 2025
Fulton MacGregor
Minister, can you tell us a wee bit more about the progress of the green heat finance task force and the alternative funding mechanisms that you are considering? Can you give us some detail on the headlines from the task force’s new report, and what timescales are you working to to respond to its work?
Criminal Justice Committee
Meeting date: 8 January 2025
Fulton MacGregor
Thanks for that.
Apologies, convener: I had meant to declare an interest before asking my questions. I am a registered social worker with the Scottish Social Services Council, as per my entry in the register of members’ interests.
Criminal Justice Committee
Meeting date: 8 January 2025
Fulton MacGregor
Thanks. Robby Steel and David Hamilton, what would you say from a health and social work perspective?
Criminal Justice Committee
Meeting date: 8 January 2025
Fulton MacGregor
My first line of questioning follows up on what my colleague Ben Macpherson asked about and what was said earlier about some of the local initiatives. David Hamilton, in your opening remarks, you mentioned the initiative in Lanarkshire, which I know that you have had some involvement in. Will you expand on that to allow the committee to understand what is happening there? I am aware that it is a good piece of work.
Criminal Justice Committee
Meeting date: 8 January 2025
Fulton MacGregor
Thank you. I will not repeat the earlier discussion about how we get some of those good local initiatives to work on a more national basis, because that has been covered, but it I thought that it was important for the committee to hear what is going on in Lanarkshire. It sounds really good. As I said, I am an MSP for that area, so I was aware of some of that work.
My second question is around resources. Dr Hamilton, you touched on that, but I want to hear—both from a police perspective and an NHS and social work perspective—about the extent to which issues with staffing resources are impacting on the ability to move the collaboration work forward. What I mean by that is, do we have the necessary number of police officers, social workers and health professionals? Are there any challenges that the committee should be more aware of? Given that we have a session with the cabinet secretary coming up after this evidence session, are there issues around resources in the current climate?
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 17 December 2024
Fulton MacGregor
That is all right.
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 17 December 2024
Fulton MacGregor
I appreciate that frank and honest reply. That is the same with a lot of situations. There is often low public awareness about politicians and the Parliament. It is good to hear an honest response about that.
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 17 December 2024
Fulton MacGregor
Good morning to both of our witnesses, and thanks for the evidence so far. I want to ask about the public’s level of awareness of the regulator. The committee heard some evidence that, unless you are a tenant or another service user who is involved with a landlord, there is likely to be a low level of awareness among the public. Do you accept that, or do you have a different view on it?