Carol Mochan
Scottish Labour · Scotland
“I think that we could take a different approach in that area. A number of older people have been convicted of terrible crimes, but their risk to the general population is much lower than it used to be because of their age and circumstances.”
“Industrial conditions such as those that my constituents were exposed to show what the approach of big business and the insurance giants has been.”
“I am interested in the point about upstream measures, and I am particularly interested in women, because we know that they should not always enter the criminal justice system and prisons in particular. Perhaps there is more that the cabinet secretary could do in that area, because there is a lot of research on it.”
“Those who were members during the previous session of Parliament will know not only that Richard Leonard was a passionate and committed campaigner but that his speeches were also very passionate—as passionate as his beliefs. I thank him for his time in the Parliament, for his guidance and for his commitment to economic justice.”
“I support the Cape must pay campaign, which calls on the former asbestos manufacturer Cape plc, now Altrad, to donate £10 million to mesothelioma research. As my colleague Jackie Baillie said, that is a small amount to expect. Such companies and the state owe a great deal to individuals, families and communities.”
“For a number of years, I was a director of Turning Point Scotland, which is Scotland’s biggest social welfare charity, although I am not any more. Fifteen years ago, we commenced an initiative called housing first, which is primarily a way of dealing with homelessness.”
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“Developments over the past decade should be welcomed as we take the next step in considering what further improvements can be made in the short and long term to support BSL users. As was made clear from the committee’s inquiry, despite examples of positive work, much more is required to improve user experience, and I welcome the fact that the Government has recognised that. One of the main themes in the report is the concern about gaps in the implementation and enforceability of the 2015 act, which is an important issue that we should explore. Following the ALLIANCE’s analysis of the second round of BSL plans from all listed local authorities, it was disappointing to hear that only 72 per cent of authorities published plans, and only 62 per cent met their statutory duty that requires that the plans be published in BSL.”
“I offer my thanks to the committee for all the important work that it carried out before publishing the report. On behalf of Scottish Labour, I welcome the report’s findings and, of course, the opportunity to speak today and contribute to the discussion on how the committee’s report can be used to build on the 2015 act and the national plan. I welcome the 2015 act’s positive impacts on BSL users, including increased representation and visibility of BSL, as we have talked about. The 2015 act has clearly been a momentous step forward in empowering users, strengthening provision and supporting BSL users to speak up for their rights. I note the points made about the language of BSL, and I thank Karen Adam for her response on important points about language and culture.”
“It is therefore important that issue is addressed. I think that members will recognise what the report is saying, and I want to raise the voices of my constituents, because the frustration of people and families cannot be overstated. Over the four years that I have been in Parliament—I have said this before—the most frequent requests that I have got in casework have often been very simple. Constituents ask, “Please can you help me understand?”, whether it is to do with waiting lists or service provision for people with autism, ADHD or neurodivergence. They ask, “Can you help me?” with primary school or secondary school, or as children move between primary, secondary and further education, when families often find themselves in conflict.”
“It was an important inquiry and many lessons were learned, so I hope that the report will reflect that and will be useful in adding to other on-going work in the area. The royal college report rightly points out that, despite the dramatic rise in need, Scotland still lacks a dedicated and standardised pathway. It goes on to say that, in the absence of appropriate services, individuals are being referred into general adult mental health pathways, not because they have a mental illness but because there is no suitable alternative. The report points out that those services have never been designed to assess or support people with those conditions and they have just become a catch-all for those referrals. That structural mismatch is now overwhelming the system. Waiting lists have grown to unmanageable levels.”
“I thank Daniel Johnson for bringing this important debate to the chamber. Working with other members across parties, Daniel Johnson has been a real champion in the Parliament for people with autism, ADHD and other neurodevelopmental conditions. The report adds to the growing body of evidence that change is needed to our approach to assessment, diagnosis and support for neurodivergence in Scotland. Members might be aware that, earlier this year, the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee conducted an inquiry that gave people and families who have experienced neurodevelopmental services the opportunity to share those experiences and recommend changes to ensure that we can better serve our neurodiverse constituents. I look forward to the report being published.”
“Maximising their life expectancy so that every precious moment is available for their families to be with them is absolutely vital. I will ensure that those issues are reflected in the Government’s response to the research that is being carried out. NHS Scotland 6.”
“I thank the First Minister for his words on the matter. In Scotland, there is no framework, consistent referral pathway or single approach to the care of children with dementia. Sadly, 50 per cent of children with dementia die by the age of 10. Does the Scottish Government recognise that it is an urgent issue? Will it provide an official response to Alzheimer Scotland’s recently published report on childhood dementia? The First Minister: Yes, we will provide a response. My answer to Miles Briggs will be how I will advise the Government to respond, which is that it should be in the frame of pursuing person- centred care. Carol Mochan makes the point that, sadly, many of the children who are affected by childhood dementia have a relatively short life expectancy.”
“In parts of my South Scotland region, a lack of overnight beds in neonatal wards could result in parents facing a 100-mile round trip to see their baby. I understand that the recently announced maternity and neonatal task force will review rural service provision. Will the minister ensure that consideration will be given to supporting families in rural areas who have babies in neonatal wards? Jenni Minto: Given that I, too, represent a rural and island constituency, the issue of such travel is high on my agenda, and it will be considered. Debt (Gendered Impact) 6.”
“It is important to recognise everybody who comes together to make sure that all those things happen for our nation. I have really enjoyed everybody’s speeches. I congratulate the national men’s team, thank them for the joy and ask them to ensure that their participation in the world cup leaves a long-lasting legacy for the health and wellbeing of Scotland as a nation. 18:29”
“What a moment it was for Scottish sport, but also what a moment it is for health, wellbeing and football right across Scotland, not just for the elite sport that we see in our men’s football. Seeing role models like the players who took part in the game that night on our televisions, on social media, in magazines and at events is important. I hope that the Scottish football authorities, our elite footballers and the Government will use this great opportunity to make decisions that support our communities to be active, healthy and quite hopeful. I hope that all involved will see that they have a responsibility to use this chance to promote wellbeing and, as Keith Brown has said, the work of our volunteers across football and other sports.”
“I thank Keith Brown for lodging the motion. As others have said, what a moment for Scotland, for sport and for football. We are a nation of football fans, and on that night in November, many of us were on the edge of our seats. The motion says that the game was “thrilling”, but my husband and my children said that it was more nerve-wracking than thrilling. Over the next six months, we will discuss our chances, debate the draw, look at who we will be playing, where we will be playing, how we get tickets and how those of us who are in Scotland will manage the time difference—I am sure that many of us will need to set timers and alarms to make sure that we see all the games, as the United States has various time zones.”
“I am proud of our continued investment in the people of Scotland, I am proud of what we have delivered through devolved social security, and I am proud to take that record, and our vision for the future, to the people. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Thank you, cabinet secretary. I call Craig Hoy to wind up on behalf of the Scottish Conservatives. 15:49”
“Shirley-Anne Somerville: We have heard two different narratives today, one of which has been about creating division, reversing the progress that we have made, and othering. We have also heard a different narrative—a narrative about collective investment in unapologetically tackling child poverty, giving essential assistance to carers, helping old people to heat their homes and helping disabled people with the additional costs of disability. In a few months’ time, the people of Scotland will have a choice about what kind of future they want—do they want a divisive narrative or a narrative that involves taking a principled stance to support people?”
“It fairly came to a conclusion that is very different from Liz Smith’s. I point people to that. Meghan Gallacher talked about wanting to spend more on childcare. The funny thing is that we have an opportunity to spend the money that the Scottish Government was due to spend on mitigating the effects of the two-child limit in a different way. The Tories chose tax cuts rather than childcare. If Meghan Gallacher wanted to do more than deliver a speech on childcare, she could have suggested that that money be provided to help people with childcare. Meghan Gallacher: Will the cabinet secretary give way on that point? The Deputy Presiding Officer: The cabinet secretary is about to conclude.”
“There is a conversation going on at the back of the chamber, across benches, between two members in sedentary positions. I wish that they would just stop so that we could hear the person who has the floor. Shirley-Anne Somerville: Willie Rennie said that his constituent felt believed in the devolved social security system. That is important. Dignity, fairness and respect are important. Willie Rennie was also right to point out that economic inactivity is a challenge. We do not have time to get into that discussion today. Although the issue is linked to social security, that is not entirely the case, and it is not necessarily linked to ADP. We are looking at economic inactivity. I refer Liz Smith and her colleagues to the Resolution Foundation report that came out on Monday, which looked at case loads and at awards.”
“I refer them to their ex- colleague Jeremy Balfour, who rightly pointed out that ADP helps people into employment. With ADP, it is not a question of whether someone is in work or out of work—it is there to assist people with the additional cost of having a disability or a condition. That is the premise of ADP. If the Tories do not agree with that premise, they are perfectly entitled to hold a different opinion. Liz Smith: Will the cabinet secretary give way? Shirley-Anne Somerville: I gave way to Liz Smith earlier, and I gave her a fair amount of time, so I am sure that she will forgive me for not giving way this time. Willie Rennie, as he always does, made a very thoughtful contribution, in which he put some challenges to the Scottish Government— The Deputy Presiding Officer: Please resume your seat, cabinet secretary.”
“Why are payments removed from only 2 per cent of recipients of adult disability payment in Scotland on review, whereas the figure for recipients of the equivalent benefit in the rest of the UK is 16 per cent? Shirley-Anne Somerville: The member is comparing apples with pears. [Interruption.] Well, I am sorry if I am boring Tory members with facts. The situation that Mr Hoy is referring to was to do with the reviews that took place in relation to case transfer, as opposed to the natural reviews that will happen when disability payments are assessed as part of the normal process. I point to the reassurance that the Resolution Foundation has provided on how, in general, adult disability payment is working. It seems that the Conservatives want to cut adult disability payment.”
“I hope that the Presiding Officer will forgive me for the sedentary discussion that I had earlier with Craig Hoy, but an interesting point emerged from it. Mr Hoy said—if I am incorrect, I will be happy to take an intervention from him—that he thought that we should take money away from adult disability payment, because we need to cut the benefits bill. That was an interesting revelation today, albeit that it did not come in a speech. Craig Hoy: Will the cabinet secretary give way? Shirley-Anne Somerville: I am happy to find out whether Mr Hoy agrees with himself. Craig Hoy: We want to reduce the benefits bill because, if we grow the economy, people will need fewer benefits.”
“Claire Baker: Does the cabinet secretary recognise that, in Scotland, we are not reducing child poverty at the pace that we would want to reduce it at? Although Labour supports the Scottish child payment, the process of reducing child poverty in Scotland is pretty static. It is not moving at the pace that we want it to move at, so more action needs to be taken in Scotland, as well as across the UK. Shirley-Anne Somerville: Child poverty is forecast to fall in Scotland, as compared with the rest of the UK, and that is because of the steps that we have taken. Of course, we are in the foothills of the budget process, and if Ms Baker and her party want to make suggestions about how we can work together on this key issue, they would be more than welcome to have such discussions with me. Ms Baker is right to pose that challenge.”
“15:43 Shirley-Anne Somerville: I will begin with a note of consensus, particularly regarding the speeches that were made by Claire Baker and Carol Mochan, who talked about social security being an investment in our society. At the start of the debate, Claire Baker was right to push back on the way in which the Tories have framed the debate and, indeed, framed social security in general. I welcome the scrapping of the two-child limit by the UK Government. It is long overdue, but we welcome it. However, now that we have seen the UK Government’s child poverty strategy, I question the lack of ambition that is coming from Scottish Labour and UK Labour. Estimates seem to show that poverty will remain stable once those interventions have been taken, which is not the level of ambition that we need.”
“Labour believes that the Scottish Government must take steps to ensure that we maximise people’s potential. That comes back to the point that Willie Rennie made about ensuring that there are stable paths for people to get out of poverty. By tackling structural barriers, improving pay and hours, increasing progression and supporting the realisation of workers’ rights, people’s outcomes can be changed. I do not have much time left, but I will point out that the Scottish Government has a responsibility to tell us how it will do those things. We on the Labour benches believe that that will help us to address the funding gap, which the Audit Scotland report provided us information about.”
“We are told time and again that welfare spending is wasteful. However, what is really wasteful is having children grow up in poverty. To be clear: tackling child poverty is an investment in our society. I have made it clear before and I make it clear once again that I deplore the previous Tory Government’s attack on working-class people. The approach that was taken by the Tory Government was to benefit those who have the most wealth and power, embedding poverty in our society. That poverty is what we must tackle. The Tories on the benches opposite must accept that their party played a big part in the poverty that our constituents are experiencing today. We know that many children who live in poverty have families with at least one adult who is working, but that adult is often on low pay and in insecure work.”
“We need solutions to ensure that children have a fair chance to live free from hardship and with opportunities. We need a good social security system to allow children and families to have the opportunity to flourish. If we can do that for children and families, there will be a ripple effect that helps society. That is the key point—it will benefit us all. By investing in social security and children, we will make a difference for everybody in society. That is why Scottish Labour was pleased to lodge our amendment that welcomes the removal of the two-child limit for universal credit in the 2025 budget. As other members have said, about 450,000 children across the UK will be lifted out of poverty, 95,000 of whom are estimated to be in Scotland. There is always a debate about what we can afford to give to the very poorest in our society.”
“All those things matter, but the Tories do not acknowledge that it is a very unequal world out there and that people are trapped in poverty. Liz Smith: Of course there are inequalities, but is it not the case that the way of dealing with those inequalities is to ensure that we have economic growth— Craig Hoy: Which is undermined by the national insurance increase. Liz Smith: Indeed—my colleague is right to say that. Economic growth will allow us to raise people up so that they each have a higher income. Carol Mochan: We need to make things fair for people, but the current economic model is not fair. The Labour Government has increased the living wage, yet we had complaints from Conservative members about that. We know that almost one in four children in Scotland are growing up in poverty.”
“In closing for Labour, I thank members across the chamber for their contributions. It is important that we debate these matters, as it is clear that there are different views across the chamber. Liz Smith commented on that, as did other members. The debate has shown that there are fundamental differences in the way in which members believe that we should approach social security. We should all know that social security provision is the cornerstone of a society that cares and is just. My colleague Claire Baker made that point well, as did other members in the chamber, such as Emma Roddick and Maggie Chapman. Social security is about supporting people. That support includes returning people to economic activity and making sure that there is enough work available for them.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what measures it will take in its budget to support high street retailers in the South Scotland region that are at risk of closing. (S6O-05271)”
“To ask the Scottish Government, in light of NHS Ayrshire and Arran suspending routine hospital visits due to a sharp increase in flu cases, whether it will provide an update on the action that it is taking to support NHS boards in relation to increasing winter pressures. (S6T-02794)”
“To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the action that it is taking to develop apprenticeship models for healthcare workers. (S6O-05252)”
“All the measures that have been mentioned are very welcome, but, as always, more needs to be done. That is why the debate is so important. It is important that we talk about bereavement in order to understand its impact and the profound changes that bereaved people can face in dealing with the practical and emotional consequences. I welcome the debate, and I thank all members in the chamber for contributing to it. 17:45”
“Many of my thoughts in this debate are about how we support people to be a support to their family, friends and colleagues when they are experiencing bereavement and grief. We will all experience the death of a loved one, and it is incumbent on us all to try to support people. I am pleased to see in the update to the report that there has been some positive work across the four nations. That includes looking at how we support people in employment with bereavement policies and how we do work in schools. The Scottish Government has done some work on a palliative care strategy, including bereavement support. There are also the organisations that other members have mentioned. People tell us how important those organisations are and, as a Parliament, we must make a commitment to them.”
“Finally, more than 40 per cent of the adults who responded said that they had wanted formal bereavement support but did not know how to go about receiving that support. People find the subject of death so difficult. My own story is that I remember once dropping off my kids at school and going over to another mum to say how sorry I was about the death of her father. In that moment, I could see that she was very upset, and the reason was that people were avoiding her, which was so difficult for her to deal with, on top of all the grief. She really wanted people to recognise her bereavement and to say something about the loss of her father, but clearly so many people were finding it difficult, and their reaction was to walk away and say nothing.”
“As other members have said, there is no timeframe— people have to deal with bereavement and grief in their own way and in their own time. We know from the UK Commission on Bereavement’s report, “Bereavement is everyone’s business”, which the motion mentions, that, although we might imagine that people have support networks, the data tells us that the situation is quite different. According to the report, 28 per cent of the adults who responded to the consultation said that they received no support from family and almost 46 per cent said that they did not get support from friends following bereavement. In addition, 61 per cent of the adults who responded said that they had difficulty with at least one practical or administrative task following bereavement. That makes us think: these things will happen, and people need support in place.”
“People experience things that they never imagined they would, and life is not always kind when those moments strike us. Sometimes we are prepared, and sometimes we are utterly unprepared. It is for those reasons, and for many other reasons that members have mentioned, that we need good bereavement support to guide people through what is often a very difficult time. From my research for the debate, it is clear that people need both practical advice, as other members have mentioned, and on-going emotional support. Registering a death, following the rules for burial and dealing with costs can be both practically very difficult and emotionally draining. The time that follows, grieving in the longer term, is complex for many people.”
“I, too, thank Elena Whitham for bringing this important debate to the chamber. As the motion says, and as other members have noted in their contributions, bereavement is not always an easy subject to discuss, but all of us in the Parliament, and our constituents, will experience some form of bereavement at various times in our life. Bereavement is a complex and very personal experience. Everyone is different and there is no single way to grieve. We will all know personally, having had our own experiences or from seeing family and friends grieving, that everyone experiences it in their very own way and that people have their own beliefs, rituals and plans to help them to deal with death. However, we also know that people struggle.”
“This will be my last word—that the conclusion from not just me but the sector and carers is that we do not value it in Scotland. It is time that this Government valued social care, and the money should come forward for it. 15:26”
“The reality is that we might talk about these initiatives, but when we talk to our constituents, we find that it is very difficult for the funding to follow. The crisis is such that, even though there are small pockets that we can talk about positively, they are not replicating themselves across Scotland, so many of our constituents sit waiting for care. In closing, I make it clear that the long-standing underfunding of social care in Scotland is not a new problem. It is a direct result of mismanagement and, I think, a lack of leadership by the Scottish Government. Thousands are waiting for social care assessments and support; delayed discharges remain stubbornly high; and, as we have heard, the number of care homes has plummeted. In the summer, I did a piece for the Scottish Parliament on whether we value social care in Scotland.”
“That is a symptom of overspend and a reduction in the funding that is available. There is a need to look at the root causes of that. Emma Harper: Will the member give way? Carol Mochan: Of course. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Very briefly, please. Emma Harper: I will be very brief. Does Carol Mochan welcome the work that is being done by the frailty unit that has been established in Dumfries by NHS Dumfries and Galloway and the work that is being done at the Garrick hospital in Stranraer to get people out of hospital faster and into their homes in a safe and timely way? That really is a good example of Scottish Government-led priorities. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I can give you the time back, Ms Mochan. Carol Mochan: Thank you.”
“The lack of funding for health and social care partnerships is not a new phenomenon—it has been a problem for some time. Year after year, the Scottish Government chooses to ignore it. The Government might cite the rising demand in the sector or in other areas as evidence that care is becoming more complex, but that has been exacerbated by a lack of funding in the first instance—the funding has just not kept up with demand. Underfunding is not an isolated issue; it is a systemic problem that is seen right across Scotland. In my South Scotland region, South Ayrshire IJB faced an end-of-year overspend of more than £2 million, which has left the IJB with concerningly low reserves. That significantly limits its ability to respond to unexpected budget pressures. Levels of delayed discharge in South Ayrshire already sit well above targets.”
“With increasing demand, funding constraints and workforce pressure, the question of how we value and invest in social care has never been more important, but the question of how the Scottish Government values and invests in social care needs to be answered. A failure to prioritise has fuelled challenges and, despite repeated warnings to the Government, health and social care partnerships now face serious budget shortfalls. That has led to local communities’ care packages being cut—“viciously cut”, as one carer described it—which is forcing people to wait months for necessary support. Integration joint boards’ finances are at risk of collapse, and the continued trajectory of overspend, depletion of resources and reliance on one-off, rather than recurring, savings has, according to Audit Scotland, left a £457 million funding gap.”
“I extend my gratitude to all health and social care staff, who provide an extraordinary level of care and service to so many across Scotland. Having listened to others’ contributions so far, it is clear to me that the value of social care and its workforce cannot be overstated. Social care provides invaluable and tailored support to thousands across the country; it improves quality of life and allows as many as possible to lead an independent life. However, we know that many are missing out. Social care forms an integral part of our health system. However, as in many other areas of healthcare, a crisis has been growing in social care for quite some time. It seems as though, for 18 years, that has been blanked from the minds of the Scottish Government.”
“The Equality Act 2010 offers disabled people a lot of protection from workplace discrimination, but in order to ensure that that protection is realised, the Government must take the issue seriously. I am sure that we will hear the Minister for Equalities, in her closing remarks, speak about how we must continue to push to ensure that the 2010 act is complied with. We must allocate resources and ensure that education and workplace projects are properly funded. We need to see much better representation of disabled people across society: in our media, our public services and our representative bodies. I hope that, as a result, other people will have the great privilege of meeting great work colleagues and friends, just like we in Parliament have in Pam Duncan-Glancy. 17:28”
“People who are recorded as having additional support needs are less likely to achieve the qualifications that they should, and when they leave school, they are less likely to have a positive destination. We know that poverty rates remain much higher among households where someone has a disability. That is unacceptable, and we must continue to fight it. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated that if someone has a disability, the inequalities that they face are more likely to be exacerbated. People with disabilities have the right to work and to be part of our society, and it is incumbent on Government to ensure that the world of work is a welcoming and suitably adjusted environment.”
“If we can bring more people with her experiences and background to Parliament, to professional jobs and to a whole variety of workplaces, we will have a far healthier and happier economy and society, and much better public service provision. I say that not just to talk up my friend, but to say to society that if we can make changes, we will all benefit. Disabled people should be our friends, neighbours and work colleagues. That would benefit us all. Despite knowing how valuable disabled people are to our society, however, we know that the true picture—as we heard from Alexander Stewart—is that they face restrictions and their opportunities are often taken away. The employment rate for disabled people has been consistently lower than the rate for non-disabled people.”
“She and others, such as Karen Adam’s father, have faced challenges and barriers that I cannot even imagine. She has shared those experiences with us in the chamber, and across the community, to ensure that the voices of many disabled people can be heard. She is generous with her time on these issues and shows great determination to change the trajectory for every disabled person that she can. Over my five years in Parliament, I have realised that Pam Duncan-Glancy is a great ally and wonderful friend. She is also very funny and— I probably should not say this, Deputy Presiding Officer—we have had very many laughs and funny moments just sitting here in the chamber beside each other. However, I want to make the point that Pam Duncan-Glancy is a very able parliamentarian.”
“I thank my colleague, Pam Duncan-Glancy, for bringing this important debate to the chamber. I am delighted that I will be joining the Parliament’s 2026 disability summit, which is mentioned in the motion; I am looking forward to working with the young people who will be co-chairing the sessions. I will, if I may, start by talking a little bit about my colleague, Pam Duncan-Glancy, who is an inspiration not only to me, but, I know, to many others in the chamber. My colleague, who is sitting beside me, has worked tirelessly throughout her career on this cause, and I know that she will continue to fight for the rights and wellbeing of disabled people. If there is one thing that I have learned about Pam Duncan-Glancy, it is that she has plenty of fight.”
“It is true to say that women bear the brunt of online manipulation in the digital world, and society has a responsibility to challenge the industry and those behaviours. As parliamentarians, we must provide adequate resources to tackle that injustice. I want to mention the equally safe model, which is of course welcome, but it is fair to ask the cabinet secretary how we might be able to develop it further and make it work. Many members mentioned that it is not currently working and that not all schools have picked up on it. Some cross- parliamentary and cross-portfolio work on that would be really welcome. There is much to be done, but I hope that, by coming together today in the Parliament, we can unite and change the trajectory of violence against women in Scotland and across the world. 16:41”
“During my five years in Parliament, I have heard from women who research that area. The issue is often not tackled, perhaps because it is uncomfortable to do so and there is the feeling that we cannot change it, but we must endeavour to do just that. Porn is not acceptable and it is not normal, and we should be saying that to young men. They need to be educated, and online porn has to be tackled. I have heard from young women who say that it can be used to degrade them and make them feel violated. As Michelle Thomson clearly pinpointed, exposure to such things at an early age distorts some of our sexual relationships throughout our lives. Members mentioned the manipulation of porn and online content.”
“Paul McLennan has spoken on that issue before, and I know that he is very passionate about it. Rhoda Grant and Ash Regan mentioned work that has been done on online pimping. Pimping websites, which are easy to find, exploit vulnerable women, and legislation has just not kept up with the sexual exploitation of women. The wording in those members’ contributions told us that women are “trafficked” and are seen as “products”. We need to ask the Government to bring Parliament together to discuss what we can do about that. I also want to raise the issue of porn and its normalisation in the lives of young men. Of course, porn is accessed both offline and online, but research and work with young men shows that extreme forms of porn tend to be accessed in the digital world.”
“If the Governments in Scotland, the UK and Europe work together, it will be a big step forward, because that is the only way that we will be able to tackle the issue. A big step towards changing the trajectory will be exposing the parts of our society that are apologists for the normalisation of that violence, many of which are key elements of the establishment. Many people in the digital world seem to think that gender-based violence is normal, but we know that it is not inherent. The truth is that it is learned and nurtured through stereotypes, misogyny, bias and ingrained inequalities. I thank Stuart McMillan for his contribution, in which he talked about his daughters and about the fact that we also need to talk to our sons, our brothers, our husbands and other men.”
“However, if we cannot understand how serious that issue is today and address the complexities of regulation of our digital world and, at the same time, address the root cause of violence against women, we need to think about what we are doing in this place. We have heard about how difficult it is to legislate in this area and about the importance of working across all spheres of government, and with companies, communities and individuals. The message of today’s debate is that we must do so. We know that the work is challenging, but we must commit to join together—to unite, as the motion says—because this opportunity to change the trajectory is too important to miss. I am pleased to hear that the Scottish Government is working with the UK Government on the Online Safety Act 2023, and I hope that it will continue to do that.”