Sharon Dowey
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party · Scotland
“There should be an outright ban, across the whole country, on phones in schools, with no exceptions, exemptions or compromise. The Scottish Government has said that headteachers have the power to impose a ban in any case, but we must go further and give them our full support.”
“Ayr diving club has been in existence since 1964 and uses one of only four diving facilities in the whole of Scotland. It is the only one on the west coast, with the other three being on the east coast.”
“This extremely important subject is more pressing than many of the things that we debate in Parliament, and I thank Pam Gosal for bringing it to the chamber. We know that schools, and the teachers and pupils in them, face a range of challenges, which we also know are not exclusive to Scotland.”
“The position should be obvious to us all: phones in schools fuel distraction and conflict, pose nightmare scenarios for teachers and inflict harm in almost every area of the school, from classrooms and corridors to the playground. That is not the children’s fault, nor is it exclusive to them.”
“As a parent, I instinctively know that the concerns relating to smart phones are completely legitimate. Anyone with eyes and ears can see the harm and distractions that those devices cause for young people, and there is also hard evidence.”
“They go back to having a life that is not lived on the tiny screen in front of them. From the minute a pupil walks into a school, there should be no mobile phones in sight. That is what the teachers want and what the children need. That is why I am delighted to give this motion my full and unequivocal support.”
The complete record
Every one of 344 lines we hold for Sharon Dowey, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 5 of 7.
“Eye contact is an approach to classroom management, and I also observe that it is an approach to how we all manage ourselves in the chamber. If we did not have eye contact, we would not be able to talk to one other. Part of this is about improving relationships in schools with our young people and staff. The member talked about examples. A range of examples is included in the consequences guidance, such as being educated elsewhere in the school “for a period of time... to allow matters to calm, time for planning and for any additional staffing or alternative placements to be put in place”. Other examples are “exclusion from school”, which we have discussed previously, and the “Risk Assessment and safety planning... if appropriate, that may have mitigations that are restrictive or limiting” for the pupil concerned.”
“I attended the Government’s youth violence summit, where young people told the cabinet secretary that actions must have consequences. The latest Scottish Government guidance says that teachers should make eye contact and use hand signals to address bad behaviour, and that exclusion is a “last resort”. Eye contact and hand signals are not consequences. Will the cabinet secretary tell the young people who we met what the consequences actually are for abusive behaviour in the classroom? Does she think that a pupil should be excluded if they physically attack a teacher? Jenny Gilruth: It is difficult to comment on individual circumstances. In relation to the point that the member raised, my expectation is that pupils would be excluded. The guidance sets out a number of different approaches to classroom management.”
“Those were our commitments from November, and Sharon Dowey will find a boosting of them in my statement today—not least my intention to create a new notification direction for ministers to observe and oversee how national housing policy is applied.”
“We all recognise the scale of the housing emergency and the need to get homes built quickly, but what action is the cabinet secretary taking to unblock housing developments that already have funding and approvals in place but are being held up by Government processes? Màiri McAllan: I refer Sharon Dowey to our “Planning and the Housing Emergency—Delivery Plan”, which was published last November and against which action continues to be taken, not least our action to remove barriers on stalled housing sites, the placing of our national planning hub, the recruitment of 17 future planners to work with the Scottish Government while they study their master’s degrees in planning and the trebling of the number of bursaries for student planners for this year.”
“A key aspect of the retail crime task force, which the Scottish Government has supported with additional funding of £3 million, is to stop people becoming perpetrators of acquisitive crime and to bring perpetrators to justice, with a focus on repeat offenders and organised criminals, as well as to strengthen the collective protection against retail crime. The task force bulletin for July 2025 reported on significant results in Edinburgh since April, with 234 charges being brought against retail crime offenders. The cases that were dealt with relate to an estimated £25,000 of stolen goods, and the team’s work has led to 230 offender identifications across the city. I would be happy to provide more information. The Presiding Officer: We move to question 2. Again, concise questions and responses would be very gratefully received.”
“Shoplifting is up by 124 per cent in the past four years, and that is an underestimate, as many retailers do not bother reporting it because they do not think that the shoplifter would face justice. They are right, because fewer than half of shoplifting cases in Scotland are solved, and most of those who are caught rack up fines that they have no intention of paying or get a slap on the wrist. It is clear that the current system is not working. When will the Government change course, bring in stronger punishments for repeat offenders and increase police visibility on our streets to deter thieves? Angela Constance: Our independent courts do very much take into account people who are involved in repeat offending.”
“Action is not necessarily always visible to victims because of confidentiality or data protection reasons. I know that the member has attended some of the youth violence summits that were hosted by the First Minister. We had a group of leading experts there who explained to us all that the evidence shows that it is more about prevention. I hope that Ms Dowey would accept that.”
“Youth violence, crime and antisocial behaviour are all on the increase, as was confirmed by the figures that were released yesterday. At that summit, the First Minister said that we need effective punishment for offences. I continually raise the issue of the under-25 sentencing guideline. The unintended consequences of that is that criminal gangs are exploiting that policy by targeting young people and involving them in crime, knowing that they will face few or no consequences. Does the minister agree that that needs to change, and will she review that form of two-tier sentencing? Siobhian Brown: First, I have to correct Ms Dowey. There are consequences for children over the age of 12 and those over the age of 18 who commit offences. Significant action, including the potential to restrict or deprive a child’s liberty, can be taken.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that there were almost 30,000 breaches of community payback orders in the last 11 years. (S6T-02606)”
“We have talked a lot in the debate about the importance of equality and how vital it is that women and girls are supported, looked after and protected. I hope that, the next time that we come to the chamber to discuss this topic, we will have more positive evidence from those on the ground about the impact that all this debate is having. 15:54”
“What does Sharon Dowey have to say to those eminent former Supreme Court justices? The Deputy Presiding Officer: Sharon Dowey, I can give you the time back. Sharon Dowey: I think that the EHRC ruling was quite clear, and I do not think that there is any way that we need to wait for the guidance to come out. I would like to know why public bodies are not implementing it now. If we are talking about a report from the National Advisory Council on Women and Girls, a good starting point is that we know what a woman is. We still have men in women’s prisons, and there is still a vacuum when it comes to guidance on how public servants, such as police officers, should deal with men pretending to be women, many of whom are twisted and dangerous.”
“Conditions that are unique to women, such as endometriosis and cervical cancer, are not well understood, treated or tested for. We also have the issue of gender recognition. Given the Supreme Court ruling and a clear update from the EHRC, the Scottish Government’s failure to implement is, at the very best, a stalling tactic. Will the minister tell us, in her closing remarks, why public bodies are not complying with the law now? Alex Cole-Hamilton: Sharon Dowey says that the EHRC has given clear guidance following the Supreme Court judgment. She must not have seen the select committee’s evidence hearing with Baroness Kishwer Falkner of the EHRC, at which anything else was true—it was certainly not clear. Lord Sumption and Lady Hale have said that the possibility of misinterpreting the judgment by the EHRC is clear and redolent.”
“Gender inequality can be seen throughout the generations. Despite performing better in school, learning faster and behaving better, girls are less likely to go on to have well-paying, successful careers than their male contemporaries. In 2024, our gender pay gap widened. There are many reasons for that, but we cannot blame it all on childcare and the fact that women are more likely to be carers of their children and their elderly relatives. Attitudes need to change in the classroom and in the boardroom. We need more flexibility and more incentives and support for women who want to push up their career ladder in the same way as men. Despite living longer, women experience poorer outcomes for a range of health issues.”
“Women may not be the victim in every one of those cases, but we know for sure that they are the victim in the overwhelming majority and that the attacker is almost always a man and always a partner or a former partner. It is patently unfair that someone, just because of their sex at birth, is on a pathway that makes them considerably more likely to be a victim of violence, abuse, intimidation, bullying or coercion. Domestic violence is rife in this country and, until we turn the tide, we can never truly claim that things are even close to being equal. Even seeking justice is often out of the reach for too many women. One survivor, who lives in the Highlands, contacted 116 solicitors listed on the Scottish Legal Aid Board’s website and still could not find help with divorce proceedings—that is not an isolated incident.”
“Females may well appreciate MSPs taking the time to debate in the chamber or to set up focus groups or round-table discussions, but we are also aware that, while the talking continues, things on the ground move backwards. The National Advisory Council on Women and Girls made a number of recommendations designed to reduce gender inequality. Ministers recognise that tackling such inequality is key to a fairer Scotland and that “Women are central to all Government priorities”.—[Official Report, 12 March 2025; c 30.] However, in real life, many measures are only getting worse. Perhaps the most brutal measure of all is the rate of domestic violence in Scotland. Cases are rising, and police now receive a report of domestic abuse in Scotland pretty much every 10 minutes.”
“I welcome the opportunity to debate an issue that is close to me and many of my fellow female MSPs across the chamber. Equality between men and women, and boys and girls, should be one of the driving objectives of this Parliament. We need equality in schools, in the workplace, in healthcare and in the economy. Failure to deliver that does not just fail Scotland’s females, who account for more than half the population; it also results in a number of missed opportunities for growth, progress and innovation. Although I welcome the debate, it should also be noted that women across Scotland are becoming fed up with so much talk being matched by so little action.”
“We must bear in mind that young people are the responsibility of us all, and we need to promote safe spaces, further develop the whole-family approach and utilise the peer mentor and role model interventions that we know work. Of course, police leaders have to respond where necessary, and they have the powers to do so.”
“It is also important that we do that on a cross-party basis and hear about the changing challenges facing our young people and how they are influencing some young people’s behaviour. I make no apologies for engaging with those on the front line, because it is important that we continue to listen to those on the front line who work with our young people to ensure that we implement what works. What I am not hearing from Ms Dowey—which is very unfortunate, bearing in mind that she kindly attended the summit—are solutions; I hear only a harking back to the past. It is very clear that the evidence tells us that we have to work together.”
“This is the third summit on youth violence in two years. The first was to stop violence in our schools—that did not work. The second was to stop youth violence among young people—that did not work. Having attended the third summit, I do not have much confidence in a better outcome. Will the Government finally act and invest in youth services; increase stop and search powers to tackle youth knife crime, which is something that the Scottish Police Federation has asked for; drop the two-tier sentencing policies for under-25s; and make sure that actions have consequences? Angela Constance: I was very pleased that Opposition spokespeople attended last week’s youth summit. It is important that, as a Government, we openly engage with youth work leaders and hear directly from those who work on the front line in preventative work.”
“Angela Constance: It is utterly inaccurate, misleading and somewhat disingenuous—if not disgraceful—to suggest that Police Scotland wipes criminal records. Under no circumstances does Police Scotland wipe criminal records, and under no circumstances can anyone, irrespective of their name or status—whether they are male, female or transgender—escape from a criminal past. They cannot do so. With regard to the second part of Ms Dowey’s question, right now, the Scottish Government is making the necessary preparations for implementation. Child Poverty”
“This is clearly a shambles. We know that dangerous male offenders have gamed the Scottish National Party system to serve their sentences in women’s prisons, and now they are getting their criminal records wiped. The chair of the EHRC said that the law that the Supreme Court ruling sets out is “unambiguous” and “effective immediately” and that “Those with duties under the Equality Act should be following it”. I wrote to Police Scotland and the Scottish Prison Service to demand that they comply with the Supreme Court ruling, but their response showed that they are still stalling. Given the latest outrage, will ministers now finally intervene, remove all biological men from women’s prisons and ensure that all public bodies are following the law?”
“Motions agreed to, That the Parliament agrees that the Regional Strategic Bodies and Regional Colleges (Glasgow and Lanarkshire) Order 2025 [draft] be approved. That the Parliament agrees that, under Rule 12.3.3B of Standing Orders, the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee can meet, if necessary, at the same time as a meeting of the Parliament between 1.00 pm and 3.30 pm on Thursday 12 June 2025. Point of Order 17:09”
“Motion agreed to, That the Parliament supports the Scottish Government’s ambition to establish Scotland as one of Europe’s fastest- growing start-up economies; welcomes the significant progress made towards this goal; congratulates Ana Stewart on her appointment as Scotland’s new Chief Entrepreneur, and welcomes the record investment of over £30 million to accelerate Scotland’s emergence as a leading hub for innovation, entrepreneurship and high- growth businesses. The Presiding Officer: Unless any member objects, I propose to ask a single question on two Parliamentary Bureau motions. No member objects, so the final question is, that motions S6M-17802 on approval of a Scottish statutory instrument, and S6M-17803 on committee meeting times, in the name of Jamie Hepburn, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, be agreed to.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I would have voted no. The Presiding Officer: Thank you, Ms Dowey. 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) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (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) 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) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Ewing, Annabelle (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (SNP) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP) Forbes, Kate (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP) Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) 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) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (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) [Proxy vote cast by Jamie Hepburn] McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (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) 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) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Smyth, Colin (South Scotland) (Lab) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) Against Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Con) 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) Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Simpson, Graham (Central Scotland) (Con) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division on motion S6M-17785, in the name of Kate Forbes, on empowering entrepreneurs and innovators, is: For 84, Against 28, Abstentions 0.”
“Siobhian Brown: The Police Scotland budget has been increased this year by £90 million, and we have committed £26 million to the cashback for communities scheme to be reinvested into our youth programmes across all 32 local authorities in Scotland. The Deputy Presiding Officer: That concludes portfolio questions on justice and home affairs. Education and Skills UHI Perth (Funding) 1.”
“At the Criminal Justice Committee, we heard from Police Scotland that it would like some of the money that is recovered from the proceeds of crime to return to the police service, as is the case in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It said that it sees “real benefit in being able to do that, because you can turn that money back to deal with the type of crime that you are facing.”—[Official Report, Criminal Justice Committee, 14 May 2025; c 28.] Police Scotland also said that that would send a strong message to criminals that their money was now going to fund the officers who would chase them and their fellow offenders down. Although the Scottish Conservatives support money going back to communities, has the minister considered using some of the proceeds in that way?”
“What would they do to solve the problem? The Scottish Conservatives look forward to participating in the debate as it moves forward, working constructively with all other parties in the chamber and finally reaching a resolution to this long-standing, complex and deep-rooted issue. 17:21”
“Many of us in the chamber will have been moved by a recent account that was provided by the commentator Susan Dalgety, who was formerly a senior councillor in the City of Edinburgh Council. She recalled, in an article in The Scotsman, how applications would come before committee for the capital’s notorious saunas. On the face of it, those were meant to be above-board facilities that were simply offering an innocent sauna experience for anyone who wanted it. However, Ms Dalgety told how everyone, from the police to council officials, knew exactly what was going on and nodded through those de facto brothels anyway. Of course, she now regrets that such attitudes prevailed, and it is important that we do not now take a similar approach to sex work and prostitution. We must pay attention to the women themselves who have lived through it.”
“We may not agree on every facet of the motion or on Ms Regan’s bill, but I think that we would all like the same outcome: that the days of Scotland being a soft touch for the criminal sex trade be consigned to history. We have the benefit of being able to look at how other countries have addressed the problem, and it is important that we learn from their progress and from their mistakes. We can examine how some Nordic countries have flipped the onus on criminality, moving it from the woman who provides sex work to the male customers who pursue it. We can look to Northern Ireland, where offenders who are engaged in human trafficking and sexual exploitation receive fines of up to £1,000 and up to a year’s imprisonment. We should also learn from those who have been tasked with dealing with the problem in the past.”
“For human traffickers, especially those in places such as Romania and Bulgaria, Scotland appears to be an attractive place to send women. Police in Scotland spend huge amounts of time trying to intervene at airports and other entry points to ensure that women who are forced into coming here from those countries can be supported before they disappear into the hands of serious organised criminals. It is a tall order for officers in Scotland to dismantle international organisations that make millions of pounds from the lives of young women, many of whom are under age and forcibly addicted to drugs. We, in Parliament, can do our bit by making Scotland a more hostile place for those twisted and dangerous individuals to target.”
“I thank Rhoda Grant for bringing this important debate to the chamber. The topic is rightly receiving increased attention in the Parliament and beyond, and I look forward to engaging with another colleague, Ash Regan, as she takes her Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill through the legislative process. I think that we can all agree that the protection of vulnerable women, many of whom have had miserable lives at the hands of abusers, criminals and opportunists, is paramount. As we have heard in evidence many times, it is often a succession of terrible events in a woman’s life that brings her to the point of prostitution or sex work. When she finds herself in that situation, it is then almost impossible for her to escape. We know that it is not only Scottish women who find themselves forced down that destructive path.”
“Mairi Gougeon: Sharon Dowey made a couple of points, and I am more than happy to follow up with her in detail across the areas that she mentioned. Earlier, Finlay Carson asked my colleague the Cabinet Secretary for Transport a question about transport links, including investment in the A75 and the work that is progressing there. Notwithstanding the issues in the area, work is going on across a number of areas to address that and to provide the investment to follow it. Sharon Dowey also mentioned the biosphere, which does tremendous work. The reporter’s report is important, because it talks about the structures and how those can be built on and strengthened in future. We want to address that, have discussions with the various organisations and see how we move forward from there.”
“The cabinet secretary mentioned the important issues that people in Ayrshire care deeply about, from roads, affordable housing and health services to business investment, environmental protection and opportunities for young people. Those concerns have not changed. Can the cabinet secretary tell us more about what the renewed focus will look like and when it will start to deliver for the people of south-west Scotland? The statement also mentions strong regional partnerships and structures, including the UNESCO biosphere. Concerns were raised recently about the long-term funding for that— The Deputy Presiding Officer: Please be brief. Sharon Dowey: Will the cabinet secretary commit to looking into it?”
“I finish by mentioning something that a doctor told me last week. We had actually met to discuss women’s healthcare, and she had great ideas about how to improve the service that we currently give, but she said one thing that could apply to all areas, which is that we can choose to deliver the service differently. That is what we need to do. 17:35”
“We might even get to the point at which more patients could have their hearing loss managed in the community, which would take the pressure off hospitals and could even save money. The Scottish Government has, in the past, stated that it would like audiology care to be on a par with what is offered in eye care services, and I fully agree with that aspiration. We do not always find consensus in the chamber, but I hope that, on this issue, we can come up with a plan to help the hundreds of thousands of elderly people struggling with their hearing who need exactly that. As I mentioned, there are professionals in Ayr who deal with this kind of thing every day. They know better than anyone the challenges that we face, but they have some solutions, too, and MSPs would benefit very much from listening to them.”
“Given that Specsavers has a proven infrastructure for providing such services elsewhere in the United Kingdom, it would surely be of use to Scotland, including Ayrshire, too. The team told me about the importance of creating a positive environment for people to come in for follow-up care and about how many returning customers enjoyed chatting with the staff while getting their hearing aids cleaned. Working alongside our NHS, companies such as Specsavers can contribute to building an audiology landscape that is ready for the demographic evolution that we face. I know that there have, in the past, been tensions between official audiology services and what is offered on the high street, and we must all work together to ensure that those two strands work with each other, rather than in opposition.”
“They are aware of the demographic challenges in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, where they estimate that nearly a quarter of the population have some form of hearing loss. About 4,000 adults in the health board area are waiting for their first appointment for hearing issues, and the average waiting time is anywhere between 18 months and two years. Specsavers staff in Ayr hear horror stories every day from locals, many of whom have come to Specsavers because they have given up on the NHS. I also heard about how things are different in England, where an any qualified person scheme is in operation. That means that some of the care that is usually provided in hospitals can be provided on the high street as long as those who are providing it are qualified.”
“The aftercare system is equally crucial, especially as research suggests that people can abandon things such as hearing aids if they do not get comfortable with them quickly. We also need to ensure that services such as those that provide maintenance and battery replacements for hearing aids are up to scratch, especially in rural areas. A number of private providers step up, too, such as Specsavers, and we should not be afraid to listen to those organisations when it comes to creating the very best services. Last year, I met members of the Specsavers team in Ayr to learn about the work that they are doing to support people with hearing difficulties. Thomas Allison, the audiology director, and Linda Fulton, the retail director, spoke at length about the challenges that people in the area face.”
“However, there is more to it than that. Hearing loss is different from many other ailments that are frequently debated in the chamber. It can be hard for an elderly person to come to terms with the fact that their hearing is worsening. It can often be years before someone can be persuaded to seek help, and, by that point, significant damage will have been done. Social isolation, depression and loneliness are all exacerbated by hearing loss and, worst of all, it has been identified as the single largest avoidable risk factor for dementia. Therefore, improving services must also take account of what we can do to encourage elderly people and their families to step forward, and, when they do, we must ensure that the NHS is ready for them, and not just at the first appointment.”
“Today, I will talk specifically about audiology services. As my motion states, it is estimated that more than 900,000 people in Scotland are living with age-related hearing loss. As a result of that increasing number, services across the country appear to be struggling to keep up. I appreciate that the Scottish Government has identified that area as a key priority for improvement, and I hope that today’s debate will go some way towards helping with that improvement. We know from research that waiting times for various audiology appointments are too long, and some people can be left for several months without getting the help that they need. We know that, as with almost every other service in the national health service, provision is under so much strain, and hard-working staff are struggling to keep up with an ever-growing workload.”
“That is especially true for the area that I live in and represent. South Ayrshire is the fastest-ageing local authority area in Scotland, and, by 2043, one fifth of its population will be over the age of 75. I will speak later about the significant impact that that is having on the local population and on providers. We have heard many times about the various pressures that that will place on the healthcare system, including the number of staff who are needed and the resources that are required. We have also heard about the imbalance that exists, with a smaller working-age population paying taxes to support an increasing number of people who have served their time at the coalface and now deserve to enjoy retirement knowing that there is a stable and reliable healthcare system behind them.”
“I am delighted to bring this vital topic to the chamber for a members’ business debate. I thank colleagues from across the chamber for supporting the motion, and I look forward to hearing their contributions. In the Scottish Parliament, we often debate Scotland’s ageing population and the various ramifications of that for health services, communities, families and quality of life. Of course, the fact that people are living longer is a good thing, and it should be celebrated—nothing could be better than being able to spend more years with our loved ones. However, as parliamentarians, we cannot afford to ignore the challenges that it presents, too. Like almost all western countries, Scotland has a declining birth rate and, on top of that, the number of those who are aged over 60 is projected to increase by 50 per cent by 2033.”
“I make the point once again that it is local government that delivers those services. Local government has had an uplift in its funding, contrary to what the Conservatives would have had us do, and the responsibility sits there. Of course, as I have said to Martin Whitfield, I fully recognise the importance of local government, and I will be delighted to meet him to discuss his bill.”
“The minister needs to take responsibility for the cuts that his Government has made to youth work at the same time as serious assaults by teenagers have increased by 600 per cent. YouthLink Scotland’s chief executive officer says that there is a direct link between the number of council youth workers in Scotland falling by 50 per cent in eight years on the Scottish National Party’s watch and the increase in youth crime. Does the minister agree with him? Graeme Dey: On the point of accepting responsibility, I think that it ill behoves a Conservative member of Parliament to stand here today and talk about cuts in funding when the Conservatives, if they had got their way, would have utterly slashed the Scottish Government’s funding by between £700 million and £1 billion, as I remember. I suspect that Sharon Dowey supported that position.”
“If Ms Dowey has recognised an issue that is increasing in her constituency, I am more than happy to discuss it with her. However, as I said, I cannot necessarily comment on specific cases.”
“It is in the interest of the whole of society for there to be an effective and compassionate system for young people who require secure care. I know, from my area, that the current system of merely tagging known troublemakers is completely ineffective. There have been a number of disturbing violent examples, particularly around retail, where a tagged young person has been free to wreak havoc and misery and clearly has not feared the consequences. What firm plans does the Scottish Government have to tackle that problem and when will they take effect? Natalie Don-Innes: The provisions that are placed on a child as a result of an offence would be a matter for the children’s hearings system and the reporter. I cannot comment on individual cases.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle any violence against teachers and school staff in South Ayrshire. (S6O-04670)”
“To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve public transport connectivity in south-west Scotland. (S6O-04601)”
“Under the present policy, no transgender women with a history of violence against women and girls who present as a risk to women are placed in the female estate.”
“The Scottish Prison Service has confirmed that it will not immediately change its policy on housing trans women in the female estate and that, instead, it is still “considering any potential impact” of the Supreme Court’s decision on existing policies. However, the judgment made the law very clear by saying that statutory references to sex mean biological sex. Will the cabinet secretary therefore ensure that the SPS takes immediate action to remove any biological men from the women’s estate? Shirley-Anne Somerville: As I have said, consideration is being given across Government and by our public services, including the Scottish Prison Service, to the outcome of the Supreme Court judgment and the EHRC interim update.”