SNP care centralisation should be dismantled, not delayed

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today said that the Scottish Government’s plans to seize control of care services should be dismantled, not just delayed as the first parliamentary vote on the plan was pushed back for the third time.

This morning’s Scottish Parliament Business Bulletin contains a motion in the name of Minister for Parliamentary Business George Adam to push the deadline for a vote on the National Care Service Bill back to 1st March 2024.

This will be the third delay to the bill, which was originally slated to receive a vote by 17th March 2023. It was subsequently delayed to 30th June 2023 and then 31st January 2024.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said:

“The SNP wanted this legislation to be the centrepiece of Nicola Sturgeon’s legacy.

“What has emerged is a Frankenstein’s monster, threatening to cost billions and wrench away local control of care services.

“Rather than simply delaying this bill again and again, it should be dismantled entirely.

“The money that has been and will be wasted on unnecessary bureaucracy should be spent on boosting pay and conditions for frontline care staff and ensuring that conditions for service users improve. That’s what social care services really need.”