Elena Whitham
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“More homes Scotland will help to drive forward the Government’s core priorities of eradicating child poverty and growing our economy. To do that, we must focus on building more social homes and maximising investment in Scotland’s housing sector generally. We have a very strong record in Scotland in that regard.”
“Elena Whitham: I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests—I am a member of Shelter Scotland’s committee. Given that far too many children live in temporary accommodation, more homes Scotland must be integral to ending homelessness, and its creation is most welcome.”
“To ask the Scottish Government whether addressing affordable housing need and tackling homelessness will be more homes Scotland’s core mission. (S6O- 05714) The Cabinet Secretary for Housing (Màiri McAllan): Increasing the supply of affordable homes is key to addressing housing need and critical to tackling homelessness.”
“I thank my colleague Brian Whittle for securing this excellent debate. I rise to speak about sport being a force for good with a mixture of pride, gratitude and a sense of coming full circle.”
“It has a proud history, a trophy-winning junior team that inspires huge local pride and a vocal but good- natured rivalry with its next-door neighbour, Auchinleck Talbot Football Club.”
“It means recognising that participation looks different at different stages of life, whether that is walking football, which is delivered in partnership with Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland and supports people to stay active and connected, or inclusive cycling opportunities for those with learning disabilities, which is developed alongside…”
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Every one of 376 lines we hold for Elena Whitham, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 4 of 8.
“In principle, the Scottish Government is willing to consider adding any appropriate body to the list of relevant bodies where there is evidence that that will help to achieve what we all want to achieve, which is the prevention of homelessness. However, where such a body is identified, it should be added only following consultation and discussion with it. Section 41 of the bill will confer a new power on ministers to modify the meaning of “relevant body” and add bodies to the list. I note that the bodies that are currently listed have previously been consulted, and the list as it stands was based on the recommendations of an expert group that included people with lived experience of homelessness.”
“Amendment 317 relates to continuing professional development. It is a positive thing to require continuing professional development to ensure that bodies with ask and act duties continue to be informed in an appropriate way. However, local authorities are already required by law to provide good-quality housing and homelessness advice free of charge to people in their area, and we will be able to provide for relevant continuing professional development for other bodies through regulation. Meghan Gallacher’s amendment 317 would also require ministers to make regulations subject to the affirmative procedure. Therefore, there are also technical difficulties with it. I am trying to move as fast as I can through the amendments; I will move to the proposals to add many bodies to the list of relevant bodies in relation to the ask and act duties.”
“For that reason, I ask that those amendments not be moved, and I will continue to work with members on the roles of CPPs. Amendment 316 would place a duty on ministers to set out the principles that would apply to the ask and act duties. However, there are already clear objectives in the bill in relation to the ask and act duties. At stage 2, the proposed new section 36C of the 1987 act was amended to give ministers the power to specify additional actions under regulations. I note that some of the principles that are listed in the amendment include duties that are already placed on relevant bodies, such as the need for them to “work together”. If required, a statement of principles could be set out in guidance—principles are clearly more suited to guidance than to what is proposed.”
“Amendments 314 and 315, in the name of Elena Whitham, which are on community planning partnerships, are relevant to proposed new section 36D of the 1987 act, as set out in section 41 of the bill, which places the duty on relevant bodies in the exercise of their functions “to have regard to” the need to prevent homelessness. I thank Elena Whitham for taking the time to highlight the importance of CPPs, and also Sarah Boyack, who did likewise. The key point is that CPPs play an important role in co-ordinating services to reduce inequalities, including in preventing homelessness, but they do not deliver services. We will have the powers to update the list of relevant bodies by regulation at an appropriate time, which, importantly, will follow consultation with the bodies in question.”
“Amendment 108 would confer a regulation- making power on the Scottish ministers to specify the procedure by which a person who has been supported under the proposed new section may raise a concern. However, I point out that the bill already amends section 35A of the 1987 act to make it clear that a person may request a review of any decision by a local authority. Mr Balfour and I were able to discuss that in advance of stage 3. Amendment 313, in the name of Ms Boyack, provides for the information-sharing power to be set out in regulations. However, as I mentioned, proposed new section 36CA of the 1987 act, as set out in section 41 of the bill, will allow relevant bodies to share information. I agree that that is very important, and it is provided for.”
“Amendment 107 would confer a new power for a relevant body to share information with any other relevant body “for the purpose of preventing or relieving homelessness”. It would allow relevant bodies to share information for the purposes of the exercise of their new functions. However, those functions include acting to “remove or ... minimise the threat of homelessness”. The purpose of relieving homelessness is solely the function of a local authority. The information- sharing powers in the bill are important. Those are sufficient to enable bodies to perform their ask and act duties. What amendment 107 seeks goes beyond what we would be asking bodies to take on under the ask and act duties.”
“Pam Duncan-Glancy: I do not doubt the cabinet secretary’s intentions, but can she set out to Parliament what will be different about the guidance to support care-experienced young people under the bill and the guidance to support care-experienced young people under all the other legislation, despite which there is still a gap in support? Màiri McAllan: If I understand the member’s question correctly, the difference is that the guidance under the bill will pertain to people’s housing needs. It will be informed by the work that the Government is doing and will follow the Care Inspectorate’s thematic review. I will seek to ensure that the inspectorate’s expert work is replicated under that piece of work. Amendments 107 and 108, in the name of Jeremy Balfour, relate to the new ask and act duties of relevant bodies.”
“With ministers’ power to prescribe the types of advice and assistance that must be provided to those who are threatened with homelessness, we have the opportunity to set those out in a way that is specific to young people leaving care. That will be informed by our consultation following the Care Inspectorate’s thematic review and by the potential package of support for young people leaving care that the Scottish Government is working on with partners. I assure Ms Duncan-Glancy in respect of care leavers, and Mr Balfour in respect of people with protected characteristics requiring to be heard and understood, that I will make sure that the powers under the bill to understand and then make provision for support are used to support those individual groups.”
“Jeremy Balfour’s amendment 106 is about securing permanent accommodation and having regard to the particular needs of the person arising from their protected characteristics. [Interruption.] Mr Balfour is quite right in pre-empting what I am about to say, which is that that is already provided for in law. If in his view the law as it stands is not working, we need to ensure that it is being implemented, not layer more legislation atop it and confuse the landscape. Amendments 307 and 308, in the name of Ms Duncan-Glancy, are on care leavers. Much of what is proposed is already catered for in the bill, and I have looked very closely to make sure that that is the case.”
“20:30 Sarah Boyack: The key issue that I am trying to get at is joined-up information sharing between local authorities. There are records in every local authority, but they are not joined up, which means that people can be registered in several local authorities. That does not make sense, surely. Màiri McAllan: There are existing means of accessing that information. I am not sure whether the member is suggesting that the information should be held on a public register, because I think that we would both agree that that would be an inappropriate use of data. However, the fact that the data already exist and that we already have national statistics means that I will resist the amendment.”
“Amendment 306, in the name of Sarah Boyack, would require ministers to “establish and maintain a register of homeless households.” I understand Sarah Boyack’s intention, and I listened very closely to what she said, but the point is that local authorities already have a record of anyone who makes an application for accommodation or assistance in obtaining housing under the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987, and a record of all those who are assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness. Local authorities will continue to hold those records until they have discharged their obligations in respect of those individuals. Also, we already have annual homelessness statistics, the most recent of which were published last week. What is being called for is duplication and is not necessary. I therefore cannot support the amendment.”
“It is not about duplicating law but about ensuring that children’s rights are fully protected and enforceable. I understand that the Government is not opposed to that in principle, and I welcome that, but I urge members to consider the omission caused by the anomaly of relying on a 1987 act of the UK Parliament. It is right to ensure that children’s rights are upheld and covered by agreeing to my amendments. Màiri McAllan: Similar to one or two other groups this evening, this is a large group. Again, I want to give members the courtesy of providing the Government’s response to their amendments, but I will try to do so as swiftly as I can.”
“However, crucially, because the 1987 act is an act of the UK Parliament, those new provisions fall outside the scope of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024. Therefore, as it stands, public authorities would not be legally required to act in accordance with the UNCRC when carrying out these duties and, crucially, children would have no power to challenge a failure to uphold their rights. That is different from other parts of the bill and could leave some of the most vulnerable children without enforceable rights. Amendment 331 would provide a solution by allowing the Scottish Government to “repeal and restate Part 2 of the 1987 Act”, including the new homelessness prevention duties, so that they fall within the scope of the 2024 act.”
“However, given the close links between a person’s use of and interaction with health services and the point at which they make their first homeless application, this is a crucial area that is missing from the bill and it should be urgently addressed. Amendments 331 and 383 would address a technical but crucial gap in the application of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child to part 5, which relates to homelessness prevention. The amendments have been developed with the support of the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland, which has been clear about the need for change in this area. Part 5 introduces important new duties to prevent homelessness by amending part 2 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987.”
“The evidence is overwhelming that there are strong links between health and housing, and that people’s use of health services often peaks just before they make their first homeless application, so I think that it is essential that GPs are covered by the ask and act duties. For reasons of clarity and accountability, it is important to set out a clear list of bodies with duties placed on them. Without that, there is a lack of clarity regarding the expectations on those who are not explicitly listed. I absolutely recognise the concerns about GP capacity and the fact that GPs are essentially private businesses.”
“Mark Griffin: I have three amendments in this group in two distinct categories. I also want to express my support for all the other amendments in the group, and I highlight the important contribution that they make to refining and expanding the part of the 1987 act that brings the ask and act duties into primary legislation. My amendment 322 would ensure that general practitioners—providers of “primary medical services”—are included in the ask and act duties that are set out in part 5. Many organisations have highlighted that GPs are a crucial point of contact for people who are at risk of homelessness. I think that the omission of GPs from the list of relevant bodies is a gap that needs to be addressed.”
“It would be important to have CPD in place for the ask and act duty as well, given the nature of that duty and all the additional requirements that will be placed on local authorities if they are to fulfil their duties. I have a couple of brief comments on other amendments in the group. We will support the sensible amendments in the name of Jeremy Balfour. Pam Duncan-Glancy’s amendments on care leavers are also sensible. Like my colleague Roz McCall, she does a lot of work in that area. I thank her for lodging the amendments and look forward to voting in favour of them at the relevant time. We will also support some of Sarah Boyack’s amendments. There might be too many of them, but you have to be in it to win it with stage 3 amendments. We will vote for the ones that we think are relevant to the bill.”
“We need to recognise the resourcing and capacity pressures that are placed on local authorities by the prevention duty. Amendment 317 sets out a continuing professional development requirement for key housing management and homelessness practitioners, which will help to ensure that practitioners remain skilled and knowledgeable. For example, letting agents in Scotland have to complete a minimum of 20 hours of CPD every three years, alongside having a core qualification. In recognition of the potential impact of new duties on the housing workforce, the Government should help to develop a housing skills and employability task force that would ensure that there are sufficient routes into the sector to address the issues that social landlords face over the next few years.”
“The difference between my amendments and Sarah Boyack’s amendment is that mine do not subject CPPs to the operational duties that are set out in proposed new sections 36A to 36C of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987, which are not relevant to CPPs’ strategic planning functions. I understand that CPPs are not considered to be legal entities, but they are the linchpin of local strategy setting. I hope that the cabinet secretary can say something about how CPPs can be involved in any guidance that is issued, to ensure that their role in prevention is given due regard. Meghan Gallacher: On amendments 316 and 317, I lodged amendments that were the same at stage 2 and have continued to liaise with the Chartered Institute of Housing with a view to bringing them back at stage 3.”
“The amendments build on public bodies’ responsibilities under the fairer Scotland public sector equality duty to reduce inequalities of outcome as a result of socioeconomic disadvantage, and they help to join up homelessness prevention with related strategic local priorities, such as tackling child poverty, delivering community justice, improving mental health, identifying employment opportunities and addressing violence against women and girls. By including community planning partnerships as a listed relevant body, Sarah Boyack’s amendment 319 seeks to achieve a similar purpose.”
“That would be on top of the requirements on relevant bodies, many of which might be community planning partners, to ask individual service users about their housing situation and to act in line with their own functions. Through its consultation work, which included consultations with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, the Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers and the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives, the homelessness prevention review group identified the strategic importance of CPPs in homelessness prevention.”
“My amendments 314 and 315 seek to place responsibilities on community planning partnerships to have regard to the need to prevent homelessness and to any relevant guidance that is issued by Scottish ministers. That was a recommendation from the prevention review group, of which I was a member, as there was a recognition of the important strategic role that CPPs play in their localities across all sectors. The amendments are intended to support the bill’s intention for prevention of homelessness to become a shared public responsibility by requiring the key local strategic planning body to consider the need to prevent homelessness as part of its functions.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the recently published report by Humanist Society Scotland, “Preaching is not Teaching”, regarding concerns that pupils in non-denominational schools may feel compelled to take part in religious worship activities against their own wishes. (S6O-04960)”
“To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support small-scale food producers in rural communities, in light of its commitments under the national good food nation plan. (S6O-04902)”
“It is about making Glasgow a competitive global city and supporting our national health service staff, businesses and communities that rely on having reliable, efficient links. 16:27”
“It is not just Glasgow airport. Let us look at the wider picture. Services have been cut since the pandemic, electrification plans have been delayed, the sleeper service is more expensive but no better, and 50-year-old trains are still in use. Tragically, the Stonehaven rail crash reminded us all that safety must come before spin. Let us also not forget that, since 2006, the Scottish Government has been responsible for ensuring that our railways are safe and resilient. Five years on from the Stonehaven rail tragedy, key improvements that were demanded by investigators have yet to be completed. Scotland deserves better, Glasgow deserves better and our economy deserves better. The truth is that connectivity is not just about transport but about growth.”
“That could all have been avoided if the SNP had acted when it had the chance. In contrast, Manchester has had a rail link to its airport since 1993. Luton airport has a direct air-rail transit driverless shuttle, which takes passengers from the station to the terminal in minutes and connects seamlessly with frequent trains to London. Even Lithuania has an airport rail service. If they can do it, why can Scotland’s largest city not do it? The answer is simple. Under the SNP, infrastructure is sacrificed to political priorities, competence is in short supply and ministers never feel the consequences. After all, they have their governmental limos. If Thomas the Tank Engine ran Scotland’s railways, Glasgow would already have a line to the airport, but SNP ministers are in control and all that we have are weighty excuses.”
“As a Glasgow region MSP, I hear from business leaders, from the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and from constituents, and they are crying out for this connection. They know about missed opportunities such as convention organisers choosing other cities because they cannot ask delegates to waste precious time on the M8. In fact, work that is due to start on the M8 this week is set to cause nine months of further disruptions, including overnight closures on the eastbound and westbound carriageways at junction 26. Investors also look elsewhere, and tourists who might have chosen Glasgow take the easier option and fly into Edinburgh. The SNP is good at blowing the whistle and shouting, “Peep, peep!”, but ministers do not have their eyes on the track, certainly when it comes to connecting Glasgow with its airport.”
“What happened? In 2009, the SNP pulled the brakes. The project was cancelled and gone. Since then, there has been a decade and a half of dithering excuses, glossy brochures and so-called reviews. The Government now tells us that the Clyde metro is the answer, but the Clyde metro is not a train but a bedtime story. We are expected to sit like railway children, waving our flags and waiting for salvation to appear at the end of the tunnel, but there is no train coming—just more SNP announcements of delays again and again. The SNP admits it. The case for investment is not due to be completed until 2027. That means more years of waiting, more years of lost opportunity and more years of watching Edinburgh—yes, Edinburgh—overtake Glasgow as the airport of choice, even for a number of Glaswegians.”
“I agree that a rail link between Glasgow city centre and the airport would be fantastic, but does Sandesh Gulhane realise that, due to the limitations of the track coming out of Glasgow, that could impact services to Ayrshire? I am sure that he would not want those services to be impacted. Will he ask for investment in the track itself? Sandesh Gulhane: Elena Whitham leads me on to the next part of my speech. Let us cast our minds back to a little project called the Glasgow airport rail link, which was planned, costed and backed by business in 2006. The environmental statement and economic impact assessment that Strathclyde Partnership for Transport produced showed the clear benefits of delivering such a rail link: faster journeys, reduced congestion, reduced emissions and billions—yes, billions—of pounds in long-term economic gain.”
“It is important to look at what can be done with the social rented housing that we have but also to look at the support that the Scottish Government is providing—on top of the previous investment of £40 million, which is now £80 million—to acquire more homes. Building additional housing is also very important.”
“Shirley-Anne Somerville: It is important to ensure that we do all that we can, working with our local authority partners, to deliver affordable homes. That is exactly why the Cabinet Secretary for Housing last week announced a doubling— from £40 million to £80 million—of acquisitions investment for this financial year. We have again asked councils to prioritise the acquisition of family homes and to contact every household with children living in quality temporary accommodation to establish whether those homes can be made permanent. Local authorities already have the ability to do that and, although many local authorities use that practice, which is known as “flipping”, as a useful part of their housing policies, other local authorities could do more in that regard.”
“Will the cabinet secretary advise what further help can be provided to local authorities to maximise the use of actual housing for temporary accommodation versus the use of totally unacceptable, below-tolerable-standard hotels? I saw that first hand when the North Ayrshire Council homelessness team disinvested from such accommodation. It made a monumental difference to the people being supported by providing a safer and more secure stopover while they waited for a permanent tenancy. Our work reduced overall costs to the council and improved the lives of those involved. Given the pressures on supply, doing such work is even more challenging now, but it is fundamental for people’s dignity, along with deploying the really important prevention measures.”
“On the operations of other quangos out there, we need certainty that we can have confidence in our public bodies and how they use public funds. 16:29”
“It is good to hear from the cabinet minister today that reliance on one person’s reporting and sponsorship arrangements will no longer happen. Public money must always be treated with respect. The reforms are not just about process but about trust—trust that public bodies are acting in the public interest, trust that decisions are taken with integrity, and trust that, where there has been a failure, there is accountability. Going forward, the focus must now be on embedding a culture of compliance in WICS—one that values scrutiny, upholds standards and earns public confidence. I echo the calls for a focus on the future of Scottish Water. As it is a beloved institution, we need to make sure that it is fit for purpose.”
“In the light of the issues raised, action has now been taken. The Government commissioned and published and is now implementing the findings of both internal and independent reviews, which have led to concrete changes in how WICS is governed, in how the Scottish Government exercises its sponsorship responsibilities and in how whistleblowers are supported. We have seen some progress. WICS has accepted responsibility and has begun the hard work of reform, by tightening financial controls, strengthening internal assurances and refocusing its leadership on transparency and accountability. The Scottish Government, for its part, has taken steps to ensure that its oversight of all public bodies, WICS included, is stronger, clearer and more robust.”
“The report found that the WICS board did not exercise the oversight that was expected of it. Any of us who are or have been members of boards must absolutely understand the responsibility that comes with it when it involves careful management of public resources. Decisions in this case were taken without any due process, without any challenge and without reference to value. The culture that developed within the organisation, which was described by staff as “toxic”, further compounded those governance breakdowns. My thoughts are with the staff who endured the reported toxic environment, as I know how damaging it can be, especially when there appears to be no clear path to challenge or change it. Acknowledging those failures is only part of the response. The Scottish Government must expect the highest standards from its public bodies.”
“I, too, thank the committee for its dogged investigation into the matter. Proper spending of public money is of the utmost importance. The principle is not optional or aspirational; it is fundamental to public trust in Government and public bodies. The financial governance that we have seen at WICS was, to be frank, gobsmacking. The findings laid out in the Public Audit Committee’s report paint a scandalous picture— one of serious failures in financial management, in board oversight and in culture at the very top of a public body. As has already been rehearsed today, all the lavish spendings that we have heard about are not appropriate uses of public funds— they do not reflect public sector values, they fail to deliver value for money and they absolutely erode public confidence. The failures in governance were just as stark.”
“The Deputy Presiding Officer: We will need greater brevity than we have had so far.”
“Local ADPs are empowered to commission advocacy services and training that reflect the needs of their communities. Through the national drugs mission, we are investing in advocacy to uphold human rights and improve outcomes. On top of the funds that are allocated to ADPs, funding is being made available for that specific purpose. For example, the Corra Foundation awarded Reach Advocacy Scotland £480,000 to deliver a human rights- based approach and advocacy training until March 2027. Via the Corra Foundation, we are investing £65 million over five years. That funding has supported 141 projects that aim to ensure that people can receive high-quality treatment and recovery services and supported 58 projects that have a focus on equalities and human rights. We continue to engage with third sector partners.”
“Does the minister agree that advocacy must remain non-negotiable as part of Scotland’s drug policy? Will she update us on the support that the Government has given? Maree Todd: The member is absolutely correct. The Scottish Government recognises the vital role that independent advocacy plays in ensuring that people are supported to access housing, welfare and income. That is why MAT standard 8 sets out a clear expectation that everyone should have access to independent advocacy. The Public Health Scotland benchmarking report, which was published in June 2025, showed that MAT standard 8 was fully implemented in 90 per cent of ADP areas and partially implemented in the remaining 10 per cent. It is essential that people are made aware of their rights and the support that is available to them.”
“My heart is sore for the families and communities who have lost loved ones to entirely preventable drug deaths. It is imperative that we remain focused, given the rise in the number of suspected drug deaths in this current year, in part due to the increasingly toxic supply. One of the most powerful yet underused tools that we have is advocacy, which is an essential part of the MAT standards. It takes a human rights-based approach that gives people a voice, support and a fighting chance. People knowing their rights and exercising them will be absolutely key to the success of that mission. Organisations such as Reach Advocacy Scotland have been leading the way in delivering high-quality advocacy training in that field. People need to know their rights, and they need to be supported to claim them.”
“The First Minister: I could not have made the point more powerfully than Elena Whitham has made it. It is important—it is critical—that journalists are able to share with the world what is going on in Gaza. It is essential for that very purpose of openness and truthfulness that is to be the heart of media reporting; however, it is also important, for the issues that I raised in relation to the International Criminal Court proceedings and the work of the International Court of Justice, to ensure that what is happening in Gaza is understood and is a part of the understanding of the suffering of the people of”
“Like my colleague George Adam, I am very concerned about the number of journalists who have been killed in Gaza. When I graduated with a degree in journalism, I left the university building with an absolute knowledge in my heart that my job would be to go out into the world and bear witness and hold a mirror up to the world to show exactly what is happening. What we are seeing in Gaza is not collateral damage but a pattern. Will the First Minister join me in emphatically condemning those killings? Will he make urgent representations to the UK Government and international bodies to demand action to stop the killing of journalists and to secure accountability from those responsible? After all, deliberate attacks against journalists during an armed conflict constitute a war crime.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the recently published NatWest Group and Beauhurst’s “New Startup Index”, indicating that Scotland has one of the fastest growing start-up economies in the UK. (S6O-04869)”
“I mentioned in my statement how our investment in the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership is doing just that and how figures released this morning set out that, last year, a record number of empty homes—2,066— were brought back into use by that means. I stress that we are continuing our investment in that fund. In addition, I direct Elena Whitham to speak to my colleague Ivan McKee, who I have been working with on planning, about how that can facilitate all that we wish to achieve in housing.”
“What impact will that investment have on ensuring that more children have access to safe and secure homes, with temporary stays being as brief as possible and being avoided altogether in cases of domestic abuse? I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests as a member of Shelter Scotland’s committee. Màiri McAllan: I agree with the principle of Elena Whitham’s question, which is that we must pull every lever to respond to homelessness and the housing emergency. That means delivering more homes, but it also means using existing homes to better effect and bringing private, long- term empty homes back into use.”
“I welcome the cabinet secretary’s focus today on significant investment and her focus on the whole of the housing system. We need a focused, holistic emergency response to deliver for our communities. Shelter Scotland’s commissioned report “Affordable Housing Need in Scotland Post-2026”, which was published today, highlights the sharp rise in temporary accommodation usage since 2020 and the urgent need for increased investment. Bringing empty homes back into use is key to addressing the situation. Can the cabinet secretary outline how the Scottish Government is working with local authorities to ensure that that is done urgently and that blockages in the system are removed?”
“It is helpful that decisions on the provision of mental health and neurodivergent services, which are delivered through a mixture of the NHS, local authorities and third sector organisations, are a local responsibility, because local needs can be taken into account. We have provided health boards and local authorities with significant investment to deliver appropriate support. That funding is provided in a flexible way to ensure that funding can be put to use in a way that is consistent with the nature of the demands of a particular location and is specific to the needs of communities.”
“Will the minister clarify how regional inequalities are being addressed in rural and post-industrial communities, including former coalfields, to ensure equitable and timely access to support for neurodivergent young people? My inbox is full of correspondence from families who are experiencing huge difficulties in accessing the support that they urgently require and are entitled to, as is set out in the national specification. Tom Arthur: I recognise Elena Whitham’s championing of these issues in the chamber. I recognise that young people in rural communities can experience particular challenges with their mental health and wellbeing.”