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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“Scottish Labour warned the Scottish Government about the consequences of poor NHS workforce planning. I am absolutely clear about Scottish Labour’s position on NHS staff: they are hard working and dedicated, and we owe so much to them. However, our staff are under intense pressure because of the SNP Government. Agency spending is unsustainable, and vacancy rates are rising to alarming levels. In rural areas such as Dumfries and Galloway, in my region of South Scotland, the consequences of those issues and the recruitment and retention of staff are a key challenge, and that has been the case under the SNP Government. Apprenticeships offer a good way of expanding the workforce and providing flexibility to people who live in those areas.”
“By encouraging people in lower-income areas, in particular, we can get better outcomes. Again, I thank Stuart McMillan for bringing the issue to the chamber. I acknowledge the great speeches from other members, and I know that the minister will also give us a good speech. I hope that, through having the debate, we have started to play our part in turning the issue around. I thank all the health staff, charities and affected families for the information that they share, which allows us to debate in this way. 18:03”
“Emma Harper: The STV campaign was excellent but, for folk such as me, who live in the southern part of Scotland that does not get STV, do you think that it would be a good idea to lobby ITV Border to mimic that campaign? The Deputy Presiding Officer: Always speak through the chair. Carol Mochan: That is a fantastic suggestion. Emma Harper is right to say that, if a good campaign is working, we should get it out across Scotland. We should all put our forces behind that, through any channel that we can use. The campaign that I mentioned talked in its notes about lower-income communities. It tried to encourage people from all backgrounds to access their GP immediately if they had any problems. The initiative aimed to combat late diagnosis, which, as we have heard, is a major contributor to the poorer outcomes for bladder cancer in Scotland.”
“I am sure that the minister will remark on it, as I know that she works hard to ensure that we have strategies to address it. Screening and early detection are incredibly important if we are to turn around cancer outcomes, particularly for bladder cancer, as we have heard tonight. People do not always come forward for tests and screening, but screening gives us the opportunity to make sure that our most vulnerable constituents access important services. At times, the Government has run early cancer detection campaigns, which I support. In my research for the debate, I was particularly pleased to read about the STV and Fight Bladder Cancer blood in pee campaign, which ran in Scotland in December 2024 to raise awareness of bladder cancer. That was one of the few things that I could find specifically on bladder cancer.”
“The current health inequalities in Scotland are significant. Unfortunately—as, I know, we all agree—they are worsening, particularly in relation to healthy life expectancy, with stark differences between the most and least deprived areas. We all want to make a difference to that. Health inequalities exist across a range of health conditions, including coronary heart disease, diabetes, chronic pain, poor oral health and—crucially, given tonight’s debate—cancers. We have to make sure that communities come forward for screening in a timely manner. The latest public health figures show that the incidence of all cancers was 24 per cent greater in the most deprived areas than in the least deprived and that death rates were 78 per cent higher. We take that very seriously.”
“I thank Stuart McMillan for bringing the debate to the chamber. I also thank him for his contribution in raising so many of the issues that people with bladder cancer face. Having listened to the debate, I also thank Emma Harper for her contribution about her nursing experience and Dr Gulhane for his contribution about some of the other technologies that we can use. All the speeches so far have been really helpful. It is important that the Parliament considers this cancer, given that we have such poor outcomes in Scotland. Mr McMillan described the reasons for that well, so I will not set them out again. Raising awareness of cancers such as bladder cancer is pivotal to ensuring early diagnosis and improving prognosis. In my short contribution, I want to raise the issue of health inequalities.”
“Gaza has been destroyed, and the West Bank has once again been turned into an open-air prison. We have all seen the images of babies and mothers who are emaciated and on the brink of death. How much longer must that go on? History has its eyes on us. The conflict must end, and we must all play our part in ensuring that that happens now. 16:46”
“I want the UK Government to be robust in its approach, and I will continue to lobby it, as many in my party and others do, to urge it to do more. A Palestinian state must be recognised without condition. In Scotland, we need to be assured that no public money is reaching arms parts that may reach Gaza, and the Scottish Government must continue to track that money. I welcome today’s statement from the First Minister. We must use every opportunity to strive for peace, which can be hoped to be achieved only once Palestine has the same recognition that all sovereign states should have. Palestinians have the right to statehood and a life free from fear. However, at the moment, many simply need food and clean water. What does that say about humanity? There is no war left to fight.”
“I believe that it is my duty to be clear about those crimes and to push all Governments to take action so that those who elected me know that their voice is being heard in the Scottish Parliament. Our constituents expect Governments to take peaceful action that creates consequences for the regime. Failure to act makes us complicit, and it is to my eternal shame that many people in positions of power have been slow to act and have taken a route of simply saying as little as possible. I am well aware of just how impotent we are, as MSPs, to stop this genocide. However, that should not mean that we fail to use every ounce of influence that we have to make it clear that these atrocities are not in our name. I support the actions of the UK Government, as laid out in the Scottish Labour amendment.”
“It is our duty to speak out and expose what is happening in the hope that, ultimately, it makes some difference to those who are suffering an unimaginable life. I receive constituent correspondence about this issue every single day, in every form that you can imagine. Scots are disgusted by what they are seeing, and they see only a fraction of what has gone on. We can be sure of that, as journalists have been stopped from entering the besieged strip, and those who are already there have faced starvation, severe malnutrition, deliberate targeting and, ultimately, death. That is a sombre thought about brave people who merely seek to tell the truth to the rest of the world.”
“I thank the Government for bringing this debate to the chamber. In a previous debate, in June, I said that we need more serious discussion of our country’s role in these conflicts and how we can alter our actions to limit the likelihood of war. However, let us be honest: this has gone far beyond war. It is outright aggression on an entire population of people, who have been bombarded with bombs in what is—let us be frank—a planned and targeted operation. Netanyahu’s regime seeks to cleanse Gaza of its people, and there must be consequences. We cannot stand by. This Parliament needs to challenge that, and I am glad that the Government has brought this debate to the chamber in Government time. I welcome the opportunity to speak to the motion and the amendments.”
“To return to the point about inequalities, some people are lucky enough to be registered with an NHS dentist, but there are significant numbers of people who cannot register, which leads to more and more inequality. In Ayrshire and Arran, less than 60 per cent of registered patients living in the most-deprived areas had contact with an NHS dentist in the past two years. That compares with 73 per cent or more of patients living in some of the least- deprived areas. I hope that today’s debate highlights that we need to fix the crisis. The Government’s approach has been piecemeal. We appreciate the actions that it has taken, but there needs to be leadership to ensure that a two-tier system does not exist in dentistry and that we can move forward. I support the motion and I thank everyone who has contributed to the debate. 17:58”
“Alex Rowley gave an example of how we are pushing people to the private sector. Those challenges are well known and of long standing. Alex Rowley spoke about some of the initiatives that the Government has put in place, but, as others have said, we need to do more. Even those within the profession have argued that the model of dentistry is not fit for purpose and that it fails patients. I will consider some data from my region of South Scotland on registrations and contact with dentists. In Dumfries and Galloway, only 65 per cent of the population is registered with an NHS dentist. Dumfries and Galloway is an example of a dental desert, and the issue of the recruitment of dentists plays a huge part in that. In Ayrshire, a dental practice in Mauchline—my home village— reported having an NHS patient waiting list of 1,000 people.”
“It is integral to our overall health and wellbeing. Sometimes we forget that, but if we want to close that gap, dentistry must be seen as playing a part in health outcomes and health inequalities. It is critical that people have access to an NHS dentist—that is the key. Today’s debate has highlighted that access is a problem for our constituents. They are not receiving regular check- ups and, as we have heard, there is consensus across Scotland that it is becoming harder and harder to register with and access an NHS dentist. In the current system, patients are unable to access NHS care. Dentists are in short supply, which means that practices have vacancies that go on and on, and they cannot fill them. There are fewer dentists who are willing to treat our NHS patients.”
“I thank Alex Rowley for bringing forward this important debate. His contribution showed us how the situation feels for our constituents out there today. Dentistry needs to be viewed as part of the prevention agenda in health in Scotland, and access to timely and routine dental care is crucial to achieving that goal. An issue that I want to raise at this point, and which should be important to us in the chamber, is the persistent and widening oral health inequalities that we have in Scotland, with the most deprived communities experiencing significantly worse outcomes than our more affluent ones. Equal access must be part of our plan, because good oral health helps to prevent systemic health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, respiratory infections and problems, diabetes and pregnancy complications.”
“Amendment disagreed to. The Presiding Officer: The next question is, that motion S6M-18671, in the name of John Swinney, on priorities for Scotland, be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Presiding Officer: There will be a division. The vote is closed.”
“For Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Ind) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Lab) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Lennon, Monica (Central Scotland) (Lab) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) [Proxy vote cast by Michael Marra] Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Sarwar, Anas (Glasgow) (Lab) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) [Proxy vote cast by Willie Rennie] 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) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire South) (SNP) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) 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) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP) Forbes, Kate (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) 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) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) [Proxy vote cast by Ross Greer] Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) Regan, Ash (Edinburgh Eastern) (Alba) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) 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) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) Abstentions Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division on amendment S6M-18671.1, in the name of Alex Cole-Hamilton, is: For 50, Against 68, Abstentions 1.”
“Amendment disagreed to. The Presiding Officer: The next question is, that amendment S6M-18671.1, in the name of Alex Cole-Hamilton, which seeks to amend motion S6M-18671, in the name of John Swinney, on priorities for Scotland, be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Presiding Officer: There will be a division.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. My app seemed to do something funny—I do apologise. I would have voted no. The Presiding Officer: Thank you, Ms Mochan. We will ensure that that is recorded. For Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) [Proxy vote cast by Ross Greer] Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP) 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) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire South) (SNP) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Ind) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Lab) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) 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) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Ewing, Annabelle (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) 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) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Lennon, Monica (Central Scotland) (Lab) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) 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) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) [Proxy vote cast by Michael Marra] Regan, Ash (Edinburgh Eastern) (Alba) Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Sarwar, Anas (Glasgow) (Lab) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Swinney, John (Perthshire North) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) [Proxy vote cast by Willie Rennie] Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division on amendment S6M-18671.3, in the name of Ross Greer, is: For 8, Against 111, Abstentions 0.”
“I was able to quote statistics from this morning showing that July had the highest number of operations delivered for any month since February 2020. That is welcome progress, which has been delivered by the targeted investments of this Government, through the budget of £21.7 billion, and thanks to the hard-working staff in our NHS. We are rolling out greater regional working to support the delivery of faster progress on waiting times. The Golden Jubilee hospital is a critical example of that, as well as our national treatment centre programme and other regional hubs. I hope that that will help to deliver the improvements in NHS Ayrshire and Arran that Carol Mochan is waiting for. Ardrossan Harbour 3.”
“In NHS Ayrshire and Arran, more than 11,000 patients were stuck waiting more than a year for an out- patient appointment. Those waits have consequences for patients and for our highly professional and hard-working staff. The reworked plans that you constantly set out are not working. We need some honesty from this Government. What can you say to those thousands of patients, and to the staff in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, about what action you will take to stop them waiting in limbo? The Presiding Officer: Always speak through the chair, please. Neil Gray: I recognise the question from Carol Mochan, and I hope that she recognises that the interventions that we are taking are making a difference. We are seeing increases in activity.”
“However, I say gently that one of the issues is an expectation that courses will be provided in every locality, when those who seek the courses cannot provide the critical mass of students to go to that college, or a pipeline that allows the college to create and sustain an offering. Therefore, I encourage an open dialogue between those sectors and the local colleges in particular. However, there must be a realistic starting point, with the numbers required to create and sustain the courses. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I note that the member who lodged question 2 is not here. I expect an explanation and an apology. For question 3, I call Katy Clark. Children in Care (Exclusion from School) 3.”
“Construction apprenticeships are essential and there is demand for them. However, in my South Scotland region there are two areas that we must work on. The first is to better link employers and colleges to agree numbers in order to meet the skills gap. Secondly, local qualification courses are a real barrier in rural areas, and long distances mean that we lose apprentices early on because of the difficulty in accessing courses. What can be done to address those issues? Graeme Dey: I would always encourage the training providers, whether in the private or public sector, to have a relationship with employers and trade bodies in order to understand demand.”
“The First Minister might be aware that Amey plans to make up to 100 road maintenance workers in Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway redundant. Those workers are funded by a Scottish Government contract. The A77 is one of the most dangerous roads in Scotland and causes constant disruption to the economy of the south-west due to its poor state of repair. My constituents have frequent lengthy waits at road works and often face miles of diversions. Will the First Minister travel that road with me and explain to my constituents why 100 workers who should be helping to maintain that important road are losing their jobs?”
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“Motion agreed to, That the Parliament agrees that the Home Detention Curfew (Amendment of Specified Time Periods) (Scotland) Order 2025 [draft] be approved. The Presiding Officer: The final question is, that motion S6M-18102, in the name of Jamie Hepburn, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, on the designation of a lead committee, be agreed to. Motion agreed to, That the Parliament agrees that the Education, Children and Young People Committee be designated as the lead committee in consideration of the Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill at stage 1. The Presiding Officer: That concludes decision time. Meeting closed at 21:52. 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) Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Callaghan, Stephanie (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Lab) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Ewing, Annabelle (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (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) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) 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) Lennon, Monica (Central Scotland) (Lab) 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) [Proxy vote cast by Ross Greer] 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) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) 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) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) 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) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Sarwar, Anas (Glasgow) (Lab) 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) Against Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Con) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (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) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division on motion S6M-18101, in the name of Jamie Hepburn, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, on approval of a Scottish statutory instrument, is: For 90, Against 25, Abstentions 0.”
“Motion agreed to, That the Parliament agrees that the relevant provisions of the Absent Voting (Elections in Scotland and Wales) Bill, introduced in the House of Commons on 16 October 2024, relating to local government elections (clause 1), elections to the Scottish Parliament (clause 2) and commencement and transitional provision (clause 4), 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: The next question is, that motion S6M-18101, in the name of Jamie Hepburn, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, on approval of a Scottish statutory instrument, be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Presiding Officer: There will be a division.”
“Motion agreed to, That the Parliament agrees that the relevant provisions of the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, introduced in the House of Commons on 16 October 2024, 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: The next question is, that motion S6M-18078, in the name of Jamie Hepburn, on a legislative consent motion on the Absent Voting (Elections in Scotland and Wales) Bill, which is UK legislation, be agreed to.”
“Motion agreed to, That the Parliament agrees that clauses 72, 73, 74, 75, 77 to 81, 83 to 87 and 98, and schedules 3-4 of the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error And Recovery) Bill 2025, introduced in the House of Commons on 22 January 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: The next question is, that motion S6M-18077, in the name of Jim Fairlie, on a legislative consent motion on the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, which is UK legislation, be agreed to.”
“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) Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Con) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Callaghan, Stephanie (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Lab) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Ewing, Annabelle (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (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) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con) Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Lennon, Monica (Central Scotland) (Lab) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) 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) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) 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) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) Regan, Ash (Edinburgh Eastern) (Alba) Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Sarwar, Anas (Glasgow) (Lab) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Smyth, Colin (South Scotland) (Lab) 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) 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) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) Against Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) [Proxy vote cast by Ross Greer] Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division on motion S6M-18079, in the name of Shirley-Anne Somerville, on a legislative consent motion on the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill, which is UK legislation, is: For 109, Against 7, Abstentions 0.”
“Motion agreed to, That the Parliament agrees that the Education (Scotland) Bill be passed. The Presiding Officer: The next question is, that motion S6M-18079, in the name of Shirley- Anne Somerville, on a legislative consent motion on the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill, which is United Kingdom legislation, be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Presiding Officer: There will be a division.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I do not think that my app connected. I would have voted no. The Presiding Officer: Thank you, Ms Mochan. We will ensure that that is recorded. 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) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Callaghan, Stephanie (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (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) (Ind) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (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) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) [Proxy vote cast by Ross Greer] 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) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) 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) 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) 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) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) Against Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Con) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Lab) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Lennon, Monica (Central Scotland) (Lab) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) Regan, Ash (Edinburgh Eastern) (Alba) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Sarwar, Anas (Glasgow) (Lab) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Smyth, Colin (South Scotland) (Lab) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division on motion S6M-18059, in the name of Jenny Gilruth, on the Education (Scotland) Bill at stage 3, is: For 69, Against 47, Abstentions 0.”
“I am happy to be informed about the issue, because I am a strong supporter of our museum network around the country. We want the best displays in all museums, do we not? Therefore, I will take the encouragement from the member and reply to her in due course. Overseas Aid 6.”
“I thank the cabinet secretary for his letter in response to my concerns about rural museums and the cost of displaying delicate articles that need environmental protection, such as the tapestries at Dean castle in my South Scotland region. In the light of the cabinet secretary’s role and the many contacts that he has in the sector, would he be able to support the possibility of capturing data on the specific reason for the removal of items from public display? Angus Robertson: In the spirit of my answer to Alexander Stewart’s question earlier, I must confess that I am not aware of that area but I would be happy to ask my officials whether there is any such data, and, if there is not, whether it would be possible to compile it and whether that would be commensurate with the challenge that has been identified.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the United Kingdom Government regarding the use of Scottish Government-owned infrastructure by the United States military, in light of US air strikes on Iran. (S6T-02608)”
“Recognising that the Supreme Court’s judgment had immediate legal effect—which I understand was confirmed again to members in a briefing this morning—officials took urgent steps following its publication to review the judgment in detail and consider its implications for services and facilities at Holyrood. That is in line with the EHRC’s statement that “Those with duties under the Equality Act must comply with the law and should be urgently reviewing what changes need to be made to their existing policies and practices.” It is for others to determine how they address their own responsibilities.”
“I thank Jackson Carlaw for his clarity in responding to the original question. It might be helpful for us to understand why the SPCB took the decision to introduce changes now, rather than wait for the EHRC’s statutory guidance. Jackson Carlaw: As I said a moment ago, notwithstanding the fact that we are politicians who are elected by the chamber to represent the interests of Parliament and colleagues, it is the corporate body’s responsibility to fulfil its legal obligations as an employer, service provider and workplace provider, and as an organisation that is subject to the public sector equality duty.”
“Of course, I welcome the Scottish Law Commission’s report, which was mentioned by Marie McNair. However, although it is an important step, I fear that there is more work to do, and I call on the minister to give us, as Marie McNair asked, some feedback so that we can keep fighting to get this right. It is important, too, that we keep fighting for proper compensation and—importantly—for proper health and safety in workplaces to ensure that the rights of workers are at the centre of all that we do. 13:08”
“Many people who suffered exposure to asbestos during their working life have never received any serious compensation, often due to employers jumping through hoops to claim that the cause of their cancer cannot be properly proven. That is why the work of groups such as Clydebank Asbestos Group, Action on Asbestos and other community action groups is so important. Their fight against big business is second to none, and we must always recognise it. This condition, and others, have exposed the approach that big business and the insurance giants take to workers’ health, and we must make it clear that people are worth more and that working-class people—the men and women who have built and maintained our country—must be compensated, should their lives be impacted by or lost due to the nature of their work.”
“According to the most up-to- date data that I could find about my home area in East Ayrshire, there were significant numbers of mesothelioma deaths between 1981 to 2019, as well as a continuation of deaths past that date, with the on-going impact of asbestos exposure. It is important that I, as a member who represents an area with a high rate of asbestos, ensure that we properly document the rates of illness and death, and I commit to doing so. The reality for the people in my area is that the industrial work— mainly mining—in the early part of the last century, and right up until the 1980s and 1990s, exposed men, in particular, to asbestos. However, as has been mentioned by other members, we know that secondary exposure through the washing of clothing, a job often undertaken by women, increased the risk to their health, too.”
“However, we also know, having debated the issue many times in the Parliament, that, despite asbestos having been banned more than a quarter of a century ago, many continued—and continue—to work in environments where it was and is present. Indeed, it is still found in buildings right across Scotland. We must address the issue. With 2,700 new cases diagnosed every year in the UK, and 200 in Scotland, it remains of the utmost importance that we raise awareness of the symptoms of the illness and encourage people to be cautious and to get any symptoms checked. As with other forms of cancer, identifying the illness quickly can prolong life and ensure more pain-free management of a cruel disease. I have known about the disease from a very young age, having grown up in a working-class mining community.”
“I thank Marie McNair for bringing this important debate to the chamber. On behalf of Scottish Labour, I welcome action mesothelioma day 2025, which will be marked on 4 July. In my years in Parliament, I have been pleased to stand with Marie McNair and other members to play my part in raising awareness of this cruel condition, calling for further research and calling for the condition to be properly understood as an industrial injury. Of course, as other speakers in the debate have said, we must ensure that proper compensation is afforded to sufferers and their families. Mesothelioma is a rare and hard-to-treat form of cancer. As stated in the motion, it is usually caused by exposure to asbestos.”
“GP headcount has been consistently at more than 5,000, and the number of GPs has increased by 360 since 2017. This year, we are investing more than £2.6 million in a range of measures to support GPs to remain in the workplace. We are also making good progress against our GP recruitment and retention plan, and we have established a national framework to support the development of early career fellowships. NHS Education for Scotland has completed its review of the GP retainer scheme, which will be open to new entrants from August this year.”
“Campaign groups from NHS Grampian right down to my own South Scotland region believe that there is a shortfall of as many as 1,800 GPs, and that that number is a more realistic target if the Government hopes to meet its ambition of achieving better-quality care that is closer to home. Our health service is crying out for more GPs, yet a cut in GP funding means that practices are unable to recruit the staff that they desperately need. Does the cabinet secretary recognise that although the training of medical students is important, it does not help matters when students are unable to get employment after graduation? Neil Gray: I very much recognise the view expressed in Carol Mochan’s final point. That is why we are increasing our investment in general practice. We remain committed to increasing the number of GPs in Scotland by 800 by 2027.”
“There must be an end to the needless conflict between Iran and Israel, which was started so aggressively by the Israeli Government just last week. We must call for it to stop. We have been down this road before when claiming the right to strike countries based on unconfirmed reports that they might develop a weapon of mass destruction. I had hoped that we had learned the lessons from Iraq and the dreadful repercussions that that conflict brought to people across the world. There is no need for any more death and destruction. Let us use any influence that we have to secure peace and speak with one voice as a Parliament and as the nation of Scotland. Let us call for peace and for no more death and destruction. 19:23”
“Journalists, aid workers and, as we have heard, medical staff have been murdered simply for trying to help those in great need or to tell the truth. The world’s response has been impotent and truly depressing. I feel very naive for having assumed that we would never see such scenes again in my lifetime. It is dreadful to realise that it has simply been allowed to happen. I feel great shame that, in the UK, we are not doing all that we can to stop it. All that I can do is continue to stand up and be counted with the millions who are saying that we must have peace. It is what my constituents want, it is what decent human beings across the world want and it is the right thing to do. I echo the motion’s call for an immediate ceasefire, and not only in Palestine.”
“Let me be absolutely clear: our country should not be selling weapons and associated technology to anyone who is using it indiscriminately to strike civilian targets. The death toll in this conflict has been utterly intolerable. It is clear to anyone who is approaching it from a moral position that what is occurring in Gaza is an attempt to commit genocide. That is clear for all to see. Some of the attempts to make it seem like a normal war between two adversaries have been perplexing. This is not a war of equals. For well over a year, we have seen unimaginable slaughter and targeted starvation of the people living in Gaza. That is a fact. On top of that, any sense of human rights and decency has been thrown out of the window.”
“I thank Bill Kidd for bringing the debate to the chamber and for all his work on establishing peace over the years that he has been in the Parliament and beyond. I know that he will continue to do that. We need more serious discussion of our country’s role in these conflicts and how we can alter our actions to limit the likelihood of war. The chamber should take time to consider more issues of such importance, and I am glad that we are doing so tonight. I join other members in calling again for the immediate release of all hostages, the return of remains to families and the unconditional lifting of all restrictions on humanitarian aid going into Gaza. Those are the first steps towards a lasting resolution. People cannot negotiate peace with the threat of violence hanging over them.”
“Motion moved, That, under Rule 8.14.3, the debate be extended by up to 30 minutes.—[Bill Kidd] Motion agreed to. 19:10”