MSP welcomes pledge of time off for blood donations

13 February 2010

Highlands and Islands Labour MSP Rhoda Grant has welcomed a pledge by the Scottish Government to offer Parliamentary workers paid time off to give blood but says private employers should be now encouraged to follow suit.

She has learned from a Parliamentary question answered by Mike Pringle MSP that Holyrood staff are given the chance to give blood during working hours when the mobile blood transfusion unit visits Holyrood Park.

Rhoda Grant said: "The fact that Scottish Parliament workers are being given paid time off to give blood is a step in the right direction and I am also pleased the Government is going to consider changing its existing practice of only holding blood donor sessions on Mondays when many MSPS and their staff aren’t around.

"However, I would like the Scottish Government to do more to encourage people to become blood donors.

"It doesn’t have the power to tell private employers to give their staff paid time off to give blood but it could certainly encourage them to do so. "

Her comments came the day after the Scottish Parliament hosted a reception celebrating 80 Years of voluntary blood donation in Scotland.