On Monday this week, I was grateful for the opportunity to put a question to the Minister for Housing.
The cladding crisis rumbles on, and though most housing policy is devolved in Scotland, we’re still impacted by the multitude of issues presented by EWS1 forms. I asked the Minister what steps the Department is taking to ensure the EWS1 is not barrier to people being able to sell their homes. I also pressed him on the former Secretary of State’s promised state-backed professional indemnity insurance earlier this year, but we are still awaiting further detail on.
You can read a transcript of my question in Hansard, or watch it on ParliamentTV.
I then took part in the Westminster Hall Debate on the provision of Salbutamol inhalers in commercial kitchens. The debate was prompted by an e-petition following the tragic death of Lauren Reid, a chef in Glasgow who passed away following a severe asthma attack while on her shift. Rutherglen and Hamilton West had the second highest number of signatures out of all 650 constituencies, a clear indication of the strength of feeling in our community on this topic.
Lauren’s mother has been pursuing a change in law to allow Salbutamol inhalers to be held in commercial kitchens without prescription. In my speech I highlighted how prevalent asthma is in Scotland and the UK, where levels are higher than most other countries in the world. I spoke about how Lauren’s passion for her job was so clear, and how although some work places can trigger occupation asthma, we should make changes to allow sufferers to stay in jobs they love as safely as possible.
You can read a transcript of my speech in Hansard, or watch it on ParliamentTV.