Scottish Government Debate: Scotland’s Public Service Values

Shona Robison S6M-11831 That the Parliament welcomes the Scottish Government’s continued investment in delivering public services for Scotland’s people and communities; notes, however, the economic damage of Brexit, which means up to £3.7 billion of potential funding for these services has been lost; recognises the Scottish Government’s legacy of successful public service reform in recent years that has improved outcomes for people and communities, including health and social care partnerships and Social Security Scotland; further recognises the valuable role that public sector workers play in delivering precious public services; supports the Scottish Government’s ambitious public service reform projects in the education, justice and health and social care sectors, which will deliver further reforms over the next decade, including by focusing on prevention and early intervention, involving people and communities in the design of public services and embracing the power of digital technologies; believes that further reform to public services will be necessary to ensure that public services remain fiscally sustainable and continue to improve outcomes for Scotland’s people and communities, and welcomes, therefore, constructive contributions from partners across the public sector, third sector and business community, as all stakeholders work to protect and reform Scotland's public services together. Sandesh Gulhane S6M-11831.2 As an amendment to motion S6M-11831 in the name of Shona Robison (Scotland’s Public Service Values), leave out from first "welcomes" to end and insert "recognises the valuable role that public sector workers play in delivering vital public services in Scotland; further recognises the urgent need for reform within the public sector for the reasons set out by the Finance and Public Administration Committee; believes that the principles of the Christie Commission remain important, but that the delivery of these principles has been undermined by the economic mismanagement of successive Scottish National Party administrations and the failure to properly support local government, which is on the front line of so many public services, and urges the Scottish Government to implement a comprehensive re-organisation of the Scottish public sector to prioritise efficiency, preventative care and productivity." Michael Marra S6M-11831.1 As an amendment to motion S6M-11831 in the name of Shona Robison (Scotland’s Public Service Values), leave out from first "welcomes" to end and insert "recognises that communities in Scotland have been let down by the Scottish National Party (SNP) to the extent that poverty is rising, life expectancy is falling and health inequalities are widening, and that the SNP administration has a 16-year record of failure in reforming public services, as highlighted by Audit Scotland, COSLA and other public bodies in the recent Finance and Public Administration Committee inquiry; further recognises that the promises of a healthcare system free at the point of need have been broken by this SNP administration, with almost one in six people in Scotland on waiting lists, whilst £1.2 billion has been wasted on delayed discharge since it promised to eradicate the practice, and that a lack of a credible workforce plan has resulted in millions being spent every year on agency workers; considers that the botched National Care Service and stalled education reform under this SNP administration are particularly egregious examples of its failure to reform public services; welcomes the invaluable work that public sector workers continue to do, and calls on the Scottish Government to urgently provide clarity to public sector bodies, unions and workers regarding its plans for the public sector workforce; notes that, if Scotland’s economy had grown at the same rate since 2012 as the UK overall, it would be £8.5 billion larger, and calls on the Scottish Government to prioritise the delivery of economic growth in all parts of Scotland to create jobs, boost incomes, reduce poverty, and allow for greater investment in, and reform of, public services, including transforming the NHS and social care system to meet the needs of people and communities, and embracing the power of digital technologies."