Neil Gray
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“I welcome the fact that, through the police and the courts, our justice system is ensuring that justice is done. Victims show enormous bravery and trust in our legal system in reporting crime, and I want that to continue.”
“The Scottish Government-funded Caledonian system is a good example of a community-based programme that aims to address the behaviour of men who have been convicted of domestic abuse, alongside providing support to affected women and children.”
“On the day after my appointment as justice secretary, I visited HMP Edinburgh to see the level of pressure that the Scottish Prison Service is facing due to an increasing prison population. It is clear that staff want to focus on rehabilitation and reducing reoffending but that it is increasingly difficult for them to do so.”
“Scotland shows a clear and persistent trend of increasing the length of average custodial sentences, including a 37 per cent rise between 2014-15 and 2023-24.”
“However, although the operational impact that will result from the changes is expected to be minimal, I still advise the Parliament to give legislative consent to the relevant sections of the bill.”
“I note my thanks and appreciation to the Parliament for expediting consideration of this legislative consent motion. It is regrettable that we are having to expedite scrutiny on an LCM, which is due to the UK Government’s timetabling for the National Security (State Threats) Bill.”
The complete record
Every one of 889 lines we hold for Neil Gray, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 16 of 18.
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. My app did not connect. I would have voted no. The Presiding Officer: Thank you, Mr Gray. We will ensure that that is recorded. For Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Lab) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Smyth, Colin (South Scotland) (Lab) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) Against Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) Allan, Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP) Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Con) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP) Don-Innes, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Ewing, Annabelle (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (SNP) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con) FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP) Forbes, Kate (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con) Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Rona Mackay] Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Jamie Hepburn] McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) McKelvie, Christina (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Jamie Hepburn] McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Simpson, Graham (Central Scotland) (Con) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Swinney, John (Perthshire North) (SNP) Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division on amendment S6M-16595.1, in the name of Daniel Johnson, is: For 21, Against 92, Abstentions 0.”
“Jamie Halcro Johnston and I hail from the same islands; I recognise the challenge in rural and island communities, and we are continuing to invest to ensure that there is support for GPs to respond to it.”
“Neil Gray: We are working to implement the contract, and we are making progress on that. In that respect, I would reference two points, the first of which is the number of whole-time-equivalent multidisciplinary team staff working across the NHS Highland area. In Argyll and Bute, the multidisciplinary team workforce in the health and social care partnership numbered, at March 2024, 84.5 people, an increase of more than 17 from the previous year. In Highland, there was an increase of more than 19 from the previous year. Secondly, the number of GPs working in rural health boards increased from 1,013 in 2018 to 1,030 in 2024. That is the equivalent of 10 GPs per 10,000 patients in rural health boards, compared with 8.4 across the rest of Scotland. I recognise that there are particular challenges.”
“It told doctors that it would support general practice by funding pharmacists, nurses, physiotherapists and mental health nurses in order to relieve the huge pressure on primary care. In true Scottish National Party style, though, the Government has failed to keep its promise, and front-line doctors are suffering as a result. Island GPs have told me that patients used to be able to ask for an appointment and were often seen that day, without argument. Now, patients can wait four weeks for an appointment, despite some doctors working 12-hour days with no break. GPs in my island communities are clear that primary care is at crisis point under this SNP Government, so will the cabinet secretary finally commit to implementing the 2018 GP contract, as promised?”
“To support general practice, we have significantly expanded the primary care multidisciplinary team workforce, with more than 4,900 whole-time-equivalent staff working in services, including physiotherapy, pharmacy and phlebotomy, as at March 2024. Those teams help free up time for practice teams and GPs. The Scottish Government funds an effective interface project with the Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland, the national centre for sustainable delivery and health boards to improve the interface between GPs and specialists. That ensures that referrals to secondary care require minimal administrative work, allowing GPs to maximise time spent treating patients. Jamie Halcro Johnston: In 2018, the Scottish Government introduced the new GP contract with a promise to fully implement it in 2021.”
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“Motion agreed to, That the Parliament agrees that all relevant provisions of the Great British Energy Bill, introduced in the House of Commons on 25 July 2024 and subsequently amended in relation to sustainable development (clause 7A) on 11 February 2025, so far as these matters fall within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament and alter the executive competence of the Scottish Ministers, should be considered by the UK Parliament. The Presiding Officer: That concludes decision time. Meeting closed at 17:26. This is the final edition of the Official Report for this meeting. It is part of the Scottish Parliament Official Report archive and has been sent for legal deposit.”
“For Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) Allan, Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire South) (SNP) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Lab) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP) Don-Innes, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Ewing, Annabelle (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (SNP) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP) Forbes, Kate (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP) Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Rona Mackay] Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Jamie Hepburn] McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) McKelvie, Christina (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Jamie Hepburn] McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Smyth, Colin (South Scotland) (Lab) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Swinney, John (Perthshire North) (SNP) Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) Against Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Con) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) Simpson, Graham (Central Scotland) (Con) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division on motion S6M-16526, in the name of Alasdair Allan, on a legislative consent motion on the Great British Energy Bill, which is UK legislation, is: For 84, Against 28, Abstentions 0.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. [Interruption.] Oh—I apologise; I can see that my app has now connected. I wanted to check that my vote had been recorded. The Presiding Officer: I confirm that your vote has been recorded, Mr Gray.”
“The Scottish Government has no constructive suggestions or new ideas. The country deserves much better than this tired Government, which has lost its way. Scotland needs fresh ideas and a new direction. 14:45”
“It is a legitimate aspiration to try to simplify— Shona Robison: It is an aspiration— Michael Marra: I am explaining to the finance secretary that it is a legitimate aspiration to try to simplify the system. We know that the vast bulk of tax rises and tax revenue resulting from the Government’s approach has come through fiscal drag. People earning between £40,000 and £50,000 are paying ever more and getting ever less from this Government. It is an entirely legitimate aspiration to seek to grow our economy and make sure that we can address that issue. Despite recently telling the Parliament’s Finance and Public Administration Committee that she agreed with the First Minister, the finance secretary could not propose a single alternative approach through which the UK Government could have raised revenue this year in order to fund its budget.”
“the UK Government had alternatives for raising revenue—for example, they could have followed the Scottish Government’s example to raise income tax.” It went on to say that, “if the UK Government increased income tax ... the deduction to the block grant would be larger and the Scottish Budget would be worse off.” The institute calculates that the First Minister’s proposal would have cut Scotland’s budget by £636 million. Shona Robison: On the point about cutting budgets, will Michael Marra explain the policy that was set out by his leader, Anas Sarwar, to raise the higher rates threshold to £50,270, which would cost more than £700 million? How would he pay for that? Would that be achieved through spending cuts or by an increase to the basic and intermediate rates of tax? Michael Marra: I appreciate the cabinet secretary’s intervention.”
“Will the member give way? Michael Marra: No, sir. I will not. To spend money on public services, we first have to raise it. The resolution will achieve a portion of that, but the lion’s share comes from decisions taken by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Having opposed every revenue-raising measure proposed by the Labour Government, the First Minister suggested that the UK Government should have raised income tax in England. Surely the man who negotiated the fiscal framework should know that that would have slashed Scotland’s budget. The First Minister was promptly slapped down by the Fraser of Allander Institute, which said: “Since the start of the year, the First Minister John Swinney has been making the case that ...”
“I move amendment S6M-16511.1, to leave out from first “notes” to end and insert: “welcomes the publication of the UK Government’s consultation and review of the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020, which is broader in scope and being carried out earlier than required by law; notes the change of UK administration in July 2024 and welcomes its commitment to resetting the relationship between the UK Government and devolved governments and its intention to uphold its responsibilities under the Windsor Framework; welcomes the immediate commitment from the UK Government to delivering the joint common framework programme ahead of the review; believes that changes to the Act, co-operation between governments, respect for devolution and ensuring that there are no barriers to trade between Scotland and the rest of the UK are all essential; further believes that the interests of supporting Scotland’s businesses and economic growth should be paramount; welcomes that the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee is due to take evidence on the review, and awaits its findings, and encourages Scotland’s businesses, and other stakeholders, to take part in the review by 3 April 2025.” 15:52”
“The Deputy Presiding Officer: Mr Bibby, I appreciate that you were generous in taking interventions, but you will need to bring your remarks to a close now. Neil Bibby: That is exactly what the new UK Labour Government is aiming to do. It is already committed to finalising the common frameworks programme and to undertaking— The Deputy Presiding Officer: Mr Bibby, you will need to conclude—you are well over your time. Neil Bibby: Okay. I had a lot more to say, Presiding Officer, but thank you for the opportunity to speak.”
“Rachael Hamilton said that nothing changed after the last debate. In fact, a lot has changed since then. The truth is that there have been a number of substantial and important steps forward since we previously debated the issue, in October 2023. [Interruption.] First and most important—I say this to Stephen Kerr—we no longer have a Conservative Government. Instead, we have a new UK Labour Government that is committed to respecting devolution and resetting the relationship with the devolved Governments. I remind members that the motion referred to by the Deputy First Minister called on the UK Government “to develop a more consensual means of preserving common standards and safeguards across the UK that does not undermine devolution”.”
“Will the member give way? Neil Bibby: I am sorry, but I want to make progress. The Government’s motion not only prejudges the consultation; perhaps ironically, it prejudges the work of the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee and the evidence that it will take on the review. If the Scottish Government’s show today is not performative and it really wants to respect the role of the Scottish Parliament, surely the Deputy First Minister should be awaiting with interest the findings of a Scottish Parliament committee. It is regrettable that the Deputy First Minister has criticised the new UK Government’s review and, indeed, Scottish Labour’s position, and that she has largely ignored the very welcome commitments that it has given and the change of circumstances.”
“Although we recognise that some patients need ambulances for patient transport for clinical reasons, we are considering other solutions, including working with community transport providers and initiatives such as call before convey services to ensure that the Ambulance Service responds to those who have the greatest clinical need and that delays at accident and emergency departments are minimised. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Question 7 was not lodged. Long Covid 8.”
“Will the Scottish Government work with NHS Lanarkshire to review co-ordination between services to ensure that patients are delivered to hospitals on a capacity basis in the first instance? Neil Gray: I am sorry to hear about the experience of Clare Adamson’s constituent. The Scottish Ambulance Service works closely with boards to ensure that patients are transported to the appropriate hospital for their needs. Hospital ambulance liaison officers are instrumental in helping the flow of patients in hospital and minimising the impact of handover delays.”
“We are aware of the challenges that front-line staff are experiencing and we will continue collaborating with leaders and staff in health and social care and social work to identify and address areas of stress and to explore additional actions to support staff. Clare Adamson: I have been helping constituents who face delays when they are transported by ambulance to University hospital Wishaw. In one case, a patient waited outside the hospital for seven hours, but the consultant and specialist who they were due to see was at Monklands hospital that evening. I recognise the immense pressure and pay tribute to our health workers, but can the cabinet secretary confirm that ambulance dispatchers are co-ordinating with local Lanarkshire hospitals to avoid unnecessary delays?”
“The Scottish Government is supporting front-line staff throughout the health service through funding of more than £2.5 million annually to support front-line staff wellbeing. That funding provides our workforce with access to psychological interventions and therapies; self- service resources through the national wellbeing hub; and the national wellbeing helpline, which is delivered by NHS 24. Registered staff also have access to confidential mental health services through the workforce specialist service. In addition, the national wellbeing hub offers a range of self-care wellbeing resources and signposting to relevant mental health and support services.”
“The Scottish Government regularly meets NHS Fife to discuss the board’s financial performance, including in monthly conversations to discuss forecasts and risks. NHS Fife has outlined its continued efforts to deliver recurrent savings and to work in collaboration with its partnerships to reduce the projected overspend. I will be meeting the leader of Fife Council and the chair of the Fife integration joint board to discuss pressures, good practice and transformational change. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I have a number of requests for supplementaries. I will try to get in as many of them as possible. It would be helpful if they were as brief as possible.”
“Given the projected overspend on the part of Fife health and social care partnership of at least £34.8 million, with significant cuts to vital services being planned, is the cabinet secretary confident that internal control systems in the partnership and in NHS Fife are robust and reliable? If so, on what basis is he confident about that? Where does he expect NHS Fife to find the £21 million or so to bail out the partnership, given that NHS Fife itself is reportedly in the red to the tune of £55 million? Neil Gray: I am aware that the partnership has agreed a recovery plan and I understand that an agreement might be implemented requiring the remaining overspend to be funded by NHS Fife and Fife Council.”
“Ministers and officials regularly meet representatives from health and social care partnerships, including the one in Fife. I met Lynne Garvey, Fife HSCP’s director of health and social care, when I visited the Queen Margaret hospital in Dunfermline this morning to see its front-line discharge-to-assess work, which the British Red Cross is supporting. Annabelle Ewing: The cabinet secretary will be aware that I have written to him on the serious matters arising in the Sandie Peggie case, and I await his detailed response. This afternoon, I want to ask about another serious matter.”
“What will the cabinet secretary do to reverse the cuts that his boss put in place? Neil Gray: I am clear that there is a direct relationship between hospital flow and the issues that we are seeing in accident and emergency departments, which is why—to repeat this to Jackie Baillie—we are making the investments that we are making in the budget. I will tell Jackie Baillie about an area of great concern that I have that has a massive impact on the potential capacity in social care, and on which I had a meeting with social care leaders just last week. [Interruption.] That is the Labour United Kingdom Government’s increase in employer national insurance contributions, which will be devastating to our social care sector in Scotland, because it will rip jobs and capacity out of the sector. [Interruption.]”
“In December 2024, that figure was 8,904 people. That is how badly the Scottish National Party is letting down the people of Scotland. That is not improved performance. We know that delayed discharge is putting strain on patient flow through hospitals and that it impacts on A and E. Around 2,000 patients who are fit to be discharged are stuck in hospital, largely because of a lack of social care, and £1.5 billion has been squandered on delayed discharge since the SNP promised to eradicate the practice. Does the cabinet secretary understand that health and social care partnerships, which are responsible for delivering social care across Scotland, are facing significant challenges and are cutting care packages? It was John Swinney who took funding from them when he demanded the return of reserves to help to balance the SNP’s books.”
“Neil Gray: I have always recognised that there is a relationship between long waits in accident and emergency departments and the increased risk of harm, which is why we remain committed to delivering improved A and E performance. I set out to Jackie Baillie in answer to her first question the measures that we are taking through the budget, although I note that the Labour Party is not voting for it. Those are around hospital at home, improving front-door services and making sure that we tackle delayed discharge and ease the pressures on A and E. We are working with boards on the issue to deliver, and the most recent delivery meeting to discuss that with boards and with the First Minister was earlier this afternoon. Jackie Baillie: In December 2011, 78 people waited more than 12 hours to be seen in A and E.”
“I took that opportunity to listen and to provide updates on the action that is being taken to support improvements and reduce delays for patients and staff. Jackie Baillie: The cabinet secretary needs to wake up to the reality that is getting worse on his watch. Ambulances are queuing outside emergency departments and waiting to admit patients, sometimes for hours. Patients are lying in corridors, seriously unwell, as evidenced by nurses in the recent Royal College of Nursing report. In this year alone, more than 10,000 Scots have waited in A and E for more than 12 hours, and the Royal College of Emergency Medicine estimates that that is likely to have resulted in 309 excess deaths. Waiting too long is dangerous. When will the cabinet secretary get a grip and fix this mess?”
“Our acute system, like others across these isles and beyond, is under considerable pressure, and that has resulted in too many patients waiting for too long in accident and emergency departments. Those waits often occur because of a wait for an in-patient bed, which is why we are working to address capacity challenges. As part of our overall budget offering of £21.7 billion for health and social care, we are investing £200 million to improve front-door services, tackle delayed discharge and expand hospital at home, which will improve patient flow through our hospitals and ease pressures on accident and emergency. Earlier this month, I met representatives of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine.”
“I take comfort in the knowledge that, in Shetland right now, there is a memorial wall that reflects the unforgotten in a suite named after the constant shining light in the night sky of the northern star, which is well famed for its guidance. 16:04”
“NHS Tayside’s mental health package for those who have experienced baby loss includes self-referral, open- ended care and support for both parents. To help to improve services, we need to have a better understanding of the number of miscarriages, and work is well under way to establish routine miscarriage data collection in the maternity setting, while separate work is under way to secure access to data that is held in primary care for national analysis. The Sands charity has called for annual reporting on miscarriage rates, once we have a better understanding of the number of miscarriages, to enable the Government to monitor whether rates are decreasing or increasing. That will help with the introduction an outcome-based target to reduce the miscarriage rate.”
“Therefore, the private space at Sumburgh airport is important, and I pay tribute to Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd, which engaged with the request that such a space be provided. Nothing can take away the mix of emotions that are present, but anything that helps to blunt the sharp edges is worth while. We should also consider what could be done for inhabitants of the far north of Scotland, for whom there is a lot of travel involved in accessing women’s healthcare. Across the UK, the national bereavement care pathway is implemented with varying degrees of success, although Scotland is considered to be ahead of the rest of the UK when it comes to the provision of care in that area. We do not have to look far for a model of mental health support that is considered to be excellent.”
“I thank Beatrice Wishart for mentioning the facility at the Gilbert Bain hospital, which I was able to see when I was in Shetland last year. I heard directly from people that it is important not only for patients but for staff that that separate space is available to ensure that mothers and families are treated with dignity and compassion at the most difficult time in all our lives. Beatrice Wishart: I think that it is absolutely true that the facility is important for staff, too. I was talking about the situation of women who have to travel to Aberdeen and how difficult it is, as members of a small community, to have other people come up and ask whether they are going on holiday or whatever.”
“I am confident that our collaborative work in that space will deliver improvement, but I know that more needs to be done to support it. That is why the 2025-26 budget includes a commitment of an additional £100 million in funding to tackle delayed discharge by, for example, further expanding the hospital at home service. If approved by the Parliament, that funding will support our ambition to grow the hospital at home service to 2,000 beds by December 2026. That would make it the biggest hospital in the country, and would help address hospital occupancy and delayed discharge issues.”
“Neil Gray: I do not know the detail of the case that the member raises, but on the face of it, I agree that it is unacceptable. With longer-term cases, such as the one that he has referenced, there is often complexity, but I am very clear that the current level of delayed discharge, particularly the considerable variation across different areas, is not acceptable. As a result, the Government has been working with local health and social care partnerships and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to identify key challenges and barriers to hospital discharge, as well as identifying shared good practice to support improvements. The work includes the provision of more direct whole-system support to areas such as the Highlands and Dumfries and Galloway, which face the biggest challenges with delays.”
“Oliver Mundell: It is always good to hear positive examples but, clearly, services are under pressure, with a crisis in dental provision, challenges in the provision of primary care and worrying delays to hospital discharge. One patient in Dumfries and Galloway has been stuck in hospital for 916 days. Although I accept that such cases can be complicated, surely the cabinet secretary agrees that that is unacceptable and that it drives growing fears among elderly constituents that if they go into hospital, they might not get back out again. What is the Scottish Government doing to investigate such cases, which are prevalent across Scotland? What is it doing to address the growing challenges around delayed discharge?”
“It is for health boards and their planning partners to plan and provide services that best meet the needs of local people, including those in rural areas, in a way that is consistent with clinical best practice, national policies and frameworks. One example that Oliver Mundell might be interested in is that NHS Dumfries and Galloway was one of two boards to implement the new digital dermatology pathway last year, allowing patients to benefit from faster diagnostics and assessment of skin conditions. Once fully rolled out, the programme will impact 400,000 patients in Scotland over three years and reduce waiting lists by 36,000 hours.”
“The standards reinforce a rights- based approach to treatment and emphasise the importance of allowing people to make informed decisions about the types of help that are available to them, which is vital in delivering on the ambitions of our national mission. In that respect, I hope that the Parliament will join me in supporting the efforts and actions that the MAT standards and the overall national mission set out to achieve. I look forward to the next benchmarking report publication in the summer. I believe that, if we work together, we will transform the lives of individuals and families across Scotland. The Deputy Presiding Officer: The cabinet secretary will now take questions on the issues raised in his statement. I intend to allow around 20 minutes for that, after which we will need to move on to the next item of business.”
“However, reducing alcohol and drug-related deaths and wider harms will remain a key priority. It is our intention to work in collaboration with our stakeholders and partners, including those with lived and living experience, to plan for the next steps in addressing the harms caused by drugs and alcohol in Scotland. I look forward to progressing that engagement, including across the chamber. Moving forward, continued implementation and sustainability of the MAT standards remains a priority. We must also continue to be responsive to emerging threats and ensure that services can continue to adapt to meet those new challenges. MAT implementation should remain at the forefront of our efforts through the remainder of the mission.”
“They will outline the knowledge and skills that are required by those who support individuals who use substances, and they will also facilitate access to a range of training opportunities and outline guiding principles for employers to ensure consistent care and support in the workplace for individuals with lived and living experience. As a package, those publications will help to support opportunities to enter, develop and sustain fulfilling careers in the drug and alcohol sector. As we approach the final year of the national mission on drugs, our attention is turning to the future. Learning from our progress to date and ensuring a smooth transition to the next phase will be key. We have made significant progress in building prevention, treatment and support approaches to reduce the harms caused by substance misuse.”
“However, we remain ambitious to sustain and build on that success, so we have made £2 million available this year via the additional placement fund to support that endeavour. Delivering the MAT standards and advancing the broader national mission requires a skilled and resilient workforce. We are grateful to those who deliver drug and alcohol services, and we recognise that addressing current workforce challenges will not be a quick fix. In spring 2025, the Scottish Government will introduce and support the implementation of a suite of drugs and alcohol workforce publications that have been developed in collaboration with stakeholders.”
“Thanks to the whole family wellbeing fund, the service is now available in eight areas of Scotland. A core pillar of our national mission is to increase access to and the provision of residential rehabilitation. Our vision is for residential rehabilitation to be available to everybody who wants it, and for whom it is deemed to be clinically appropriate, at the time that they ask for it and in every part of the country. We are also committed to increasing by 300 per cent the number of people who are publicly funded for their placements, with the aim of funding 1,000 people per year by the start of 2026. A recent report that was published in December 2024 by Public Health Scotland concluded that we successfully achieved that target in 2022-22.”
“Today is the fifth anniversary of the Promise, and it is important that we acknowledge the important role of early intervention and prevention in keeping families together when it is safe to do so. I recently saw for myself the impact that early intervention can have on young people’s lives when I attended the launch of the new routes service in East Lothian, which is delivered by Circle. It was one of the most impactful visits that I have had the pleasure of experiencing as a minister. The routes service meets young people who are affected by substance use where they are, providing whatever holistic support they need. The results speak for themselves—the service breaks intergenerational cycles of substance use and supports our young people to achieve their goals.”
“We confirmed last week that an additional £1 million of funding will be made available to support Aberlour’s important work with women and children who are affected by drugs. That additional funding will allow more women and infants to receive the support that they need during that crucial period. Beyond that, we will also invest a further £1.5 million in broader alcohol and drug services in the next financial year. The additional funding will allow us to support even more people to achieve their own recovery. That whole-family approach is not only a key focus of our approach to recovery, but also a fundamental component of our commitment to keep the Promise.”
“We also know that women who use substances often face unique, gender-specific challenges when accessing treatment and support, which is why we are committed to taking a gendered approach and ensuring that women can access the right services for them when they need them. That includes our work on developing a good practice guide to help local areas do more to support women who are affected by substance use—and their babies, during the perinatal period—along with efforts to upscale residential rehab services that keep women and families together. More than £5.5 million has been committed, in conjunction with our whole family wellbeing fund, to support the establishment of two houses run by Aberlour Child Care Trust that are specifically designed to support women and their children through recovery.”
“We are supporting better working links between services and driving a culture of inclusivity that puts the needs of individuals at the heart of everything that we do. In that vein, we commissioned Healthcare Improvement Scotland to produce an exemplar protocol on mental health and substance use, which builds on best practice from across the country and internationally. The protocol, which was published in September 2024, outlines how mental health and substance use services can work better together to deliver a whole-system approach. Building on that, we have commissioned Healthcare Improvement Scotland to support local areas to adapt that protocol to their circumstances, ensuring that the workforce have the tools that they need.”
“Taking a holistic, person-centred approach that supports improved access and empowers people to make informed choices about their care will support a human rights and health-based approach to the treatment for any substance. We recognise the importance of adapting services to ensure that people who seek help are able to get the right support at the right time. That is especially important in the area of mental health and substance use, where evidence suggests that needs can intersect and that, to effectively treat one, we must address the other, too. That is the focus of MAT standard 9. The Government is committed to ensuring that we work across policies and portfolios to better understand common issues and how to resolve them.”
“More broadly, much of the work of the national mission supports the implementation of the standards and beyond. I will highlight a few of those areas now. MAT standard 8 commits to improving advocacy for people who use drugs. In December, the First Minister and I had the pleasure of attending the launch of the charter of rights. Developed by the national collaborative, it draws on the experience of those with lived and living experience of substance use. The charter supports people who are affected by substance use to realise their human rights and seeks to empower them to demand the care and support that they need. It also provides those who deliver services with a clear reminder of their duties to ensure a standard of care that reflects those rights.”
“In July 2024, Public Health Scotland published its third national benchmarking report, which provided an assessment of the status of implementation of the standards as of April 2024. Ninety per cent of standards 1 to 5 were assessed as fully implemented and 91 per cent of standards 6 to 10 as partially implemented. Although that is positive, I am fully aware that much work must still be done to ensure the successful implementation of all 10 standards. The benchmarking report acknowledges areas of good practice, but there is still some way to go before everyone, everywhere, can benefit from the same level of support. We continue to work closely with local areas and partners to ensure that measures are in place to support implementation.”
“That is why the work of the national mission is so important. Its clear-cut aim is to reduce the number of drug deaths and improve lives through a holistic approach. The statistics on harms caused by alcohol are also alarming, and we are committed to tackling those in conjunction with drug harms. I also acknowledge the recent report of the people’s panel on drug-related harms. We are considering its findings and I look forward to providing evidence to the joint committee and setting out our response later this month. The MAT standards are a key element of our national mission. They take an evidence-based approach to enable the consistent delivery of safe, accessible and high-quality drug treatment across Scotland.”