An independent review by Sainsbury’s human resources director Imelda Walsh recommended that the right to flexible working should apply as widely as possible. The right is currently restricted to parents whose children are under six or disabled but could be extended to parents of children up to the age of 16.
The government has said it will now consult on how the proposal can be implemented. The review said that any change should be implemented at once rather than staged and added that more needed to be done to raise awareness of the right to request flexible working, among employees and companies.
Around six million workers currently have the right to ask for flexible arrangements, although the government believes more than 14 million people work flexibly. More than nine out of 10 requests to work flexibly were approved last year.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: “Any extension of the right to request flexible working is great news for parents struggling to combine work with their often hectic family lives.”
May 15, 2008
Elaine Smith MSP lodged a motion in Scottish Parliament about National Breastfeeding Awareness Week which takes place across the UK from 11 to 17th May. The text of the motion is below.
That the Parliament welcomes National Breastfeeding Awareness Week which takes place from 11 to 17 May 2008; acknowledges the importance of the week in raising awareness of, and support for, breastfeeding; further acknowledges the extent of the challenges faced in Scotland in facilitating a cultural shift in favour of breastfeeding and securing improvements in rates of uptake and duration; notes the findings of recent research in Belarus which suggests that breastfed babies tend to have higher IQ; further notes with interest the views of health visiting experts in Leeds which indicate that a woman’s choice to start and sustain breastfeeding is highly influenced by the support of her partner; considers that more work must be done at a national level to promote support for breastfeeding among men and to challenge negative attitudes where required; believes that more general information and assistance is required to promote breastfeeding as an important public health priority, and calls on the Scottish Executive to promote material aimed specifically at men to act as a mechanism for discussion to ensure that men are made aware of the advantages of breastfeeding and encouraged to offer support to partners.
May 9, 2008
Johann Lamont SMP this week noted the case of her constituent, a seven month pregnant prisoner in Cornton Vale, who was shackled to a Reliance officer while attending Stirling Royal infirmary for in-patient and out-patient appointments. She asked the Deputy First Minister to outline her Administration’s position on the handcuffing of pregnant prisoners and what action she is taking to address the matter with Reliance, the Scottish Prison Service and health boards.
Nicola Sturgeon confirmed that the Government consider the handcuffing of pregnant women in hospital to be absolutely unacceptable.
May 9, 2008
Susan Kramer MP tabled EDM 1524 in light of news from the National Toxicology Program in the US that exposure to low levels of Bisphenol A ‘can cause changes in behaviour and the brain, prostate gland, mammary gland and the age at which females attain puberty’. The text of the EDM is below:
That this House notes that Bisphenol A, or BPA, a monomer used to make polycarbonate and expoxy resins, has been found to leak from the plastic used in many baby feeding bottles, especially when the bottles are heated or are scratched through repeated washing; notes that the National Toxicology Program, part of the US National Institutes of Health, found that, based on animal experiments, exposure to low levels of BPA `can cause changes in behaviour and the brain, prostate gland, mammary gland and the age at which females attain puberty’; further notes that these products are being withdrawn in Canada as a precautionary measure; commends the decision by Asda and other UK retailers to produce BPA-free bottles; joins the National Childbirth Trust in calling for the clear compositional labelling of plastic baby feeding bottles with Bisphenol A so that parents can make an informed choice; and calls on the Food Standards Agency to urgently review the use of BPA in baby bottles in light of the new evidence
May 9, 2008
Mary Scanlon MSP this week asked the Scottish Executive what health checks are given to children from birth to five years of age.
Shona Robinson responded that the routine health checks which children from birth to five years of age receive is set out in the Health for All Children (Hall 4) Guidance.
The guidance recommends that all children should have contact with health professionals within the first 24 hours for a full physical health check; within the first 10 days of life for a blood spot test for particular illnesses and a general check to ensure there is no cause for concern; within the first 28 days of life for a hearing test; at six to eight weeks for a full physical health and development check, including weight; at two, three and four months for immunisation and to check weight; at 12 months for immunisation; at 13 months for immunisation and to check weight; between the ages of three to five years for immunisation and to check weight; between four and five years for an eye sight test, usually at pre-school, and between the ages of four to six, usually in school year primary 1, for a full physical health check including height, weight and dental check.
May 1, 2008
Children’s Ministers Ed Balls and Beverley Hughes celebrated the news that Labour’s target for 2,500 Children’s Centres to be open by the start of this month had been exceeded.
Visiting a Sure Start Children’s Centre in Stockwell, south London they revealed that 2,906 Children’s Centres were opened across England by 31 March 2008 - beating the 2,500 target.
Sure Start Children’s Centres are a one-stop shop for families and children under five. They offer easy access to a range of services including early years learning, childcare, family health services, and advice and support for parents. A recent independent evaluation report found that Sure Start was having a positive impact on the lives of children and families.
April 25, 2008
The Scottish Affairs Committee has reported that MPs are to debate issues relating to child poverty in Scotland on May 1st 2008. The Committee published its report on Child Poverty in Scotland in February. In the report, it welcomed the progress made in reducing child poverty but called for the welfare system to be simplified so that support reaches those families most in need.
The Chairman, Mr Mohammad Sarwar MP, said at the time of report that the cycle of deprivation in Scotland needed to be broken and that urgent action must be taken. He also said: ‘I am pleased that this important issue will be debated by MPs in the Commons. It is vital that child poverty in Scotland remains high on the Westminster agenda and this is an opportunity for all MPs to have their say.’
April 25, 2008
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) launched a new Code for the UK’s 674,000 nurses and midwives to mark World Health Day. The updated version of the Code Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives comes into effect on 1 May 2008.
The Code, which was launched with events held in Edinburgh, Belfast, Glamorgan and London, is the foundation of good nursing and midwifery practice and a key tool in safeguarding the health and wellbeing of the public. It has been updated to meet the ever changing requirements of today’s nurses and midwives and aims to clarify expectations; setting out for nurses and midwives what is expected of them as professionals, and showing members of the public what standard of care they can expect to receive. The amendments made were agreed upon after an extensive review process, including consultation with nurses, midwives and members of the public.
Rather than setting out pages of rules, which would be unsuitable considering the varied roles and individual patient needs, the pocket-sized Code provides a broad set of principles that nurses and midwives can apply to their own area of practise and the diverse environments in which patients receive care
April 11, 2008
The Scottish Executive has announced its new Early Years policy aimed at identifying vulnerable mums-to-be and supporting them through pregnancy and their child’s early years in order to tackle cycles of inequality, deprivation and ill health.
The new approach will focus on helping young and vulnerable pregnant women plan for motherhood, identifying risks early, putting intensive support in place and promoting health messages. The policy aims to encourage more integrated childcare services, to make it easier for parents, and provide continuity of care for children as well as encouraging communities to foster positive opportunities for all children. Efforts will also be made to strengthen parenting capacity through the health, education and social services.
March 20, 2008
The following motion on part-time pay penalty for mothers was lodged in the Scottish Parliament by John Wilson on 28th February 2008.
That the Parliament notes with concern the article Part-time pay penalty for mothers which appeared in the Economic Journal which found that women who return to work after having a child are often faced with drastic pay cuts when they return for part-time employment; notes that six million women in the United Kingdom are currently working part time and that those part-time hourly earnings are 26% lower than full-time earnings, and believes that more can be done to ensure that mothers returning to work are entitled to equal pay in comparison to their full-time associates.
March 14, 2008
