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 7 of 7.
“We are exploring that further to ensure that we better meet the needs of the economy from the outset of the allocations process. As I said, the number of engineering modern apprenticeship starts has increased year on year, as has been the case with graduate apprenticeships. With regard to “the additional demands” of other sectors, to which the motion refers, it is important to note that having the necessary education and skills provisions in place is only one aspect of meeting workforce demand. A range of other interconnected factors—for example, demographic changes, migration policies, housing and accommodation, employer pay and conditions and, as the report notes, competition from other sectors—also have a direct impact. The answers to the issue of wider labour shortages often lie outside the post-school education system.”
“Engineering apprenticeships are already a priority for Skills Development Scotland, and the demand for new starts with contracted providers and employers for engineering apprenticeships has been met for this year, albeit through SDS’s in-year reallocation process. Between 2021-22 and 2023-24, the number of engineering modern apprenticeships increased from 1,264 to 1,826, and the figures for 2024-25 have totalled 2,255 for the engineering and energy-related occupations grouping. There is investment in apprenticeships. However, the report suggests that there is still unmet demand on top of those who are already in training and that there might be a number of factors for that, such as the capacity of the system, including college capacity.”
“That is why, in recent years, we have invested extensively in infrastructure for the sector—notably, £75 million of investment in the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland. In recognising the significance of the sector, my ministerial colleagues and our officials have held several meetings with Scottish Engineering to discuss its report, to which the motion refers, because we understand the challenges and the opportunities that it highlights. Solutions to some of those challenges are not simple or necessarily quick to deliver, but there are opportunities to make progress now. I will return to those later.”
“Just as I acknowledge Mr Rowley’s motivation and his passion for the topic, I think that he knows my commitment to moving things forward in this space. The Government shares Scottish Engineering’s desire to realise the huge opportunities for Scotland in emerging sectors. However, I recognise the concern of the organisation’s members with regard to being able to access support as smaller, already-established businesses, not just as part of inward investment initiatives or in relation to the additional demands to which Mr Rowley referred in his motion and in his opening speech. We recognise that the manufacturing sector is key to the delivery of our broader ambitions for Scotland’s economy.”
“It is time for the Government to listen to colleges and to the industry—by doing so, we would get the benefit now and in the future. We cannot continue to expect the colleges of Scotland to make the impossible happen year after year. 13:25 The Minister for Higher and Further Education; and Minister for Veterans (Graeme Dey): I genuinely thank Alex Rowley for bringing this important debate to the chamber. Not only do I welcome the opportunity to explore the topic, but he has framed his motion in such a way that, had it been introduced to the chamber as Labour Party business, I think that the Government might well have pretty much accepted it. At the very least, we would have had a constructive debate about it.”
“They provide not only qualifications that can bring people into gainful employment but social and practical skills that can be a catalyst for helping people to lift themselves out of poverty. The skills gap report highlights a concerning skills deficit, and it is vital that more support, not less, is provided to our further education institutes. The Scottish Government should stand by to work with colleges to offer additional capital investment and greater funding for projects and courses that are tailored to meet the regional needs of sectors and employers across the country. Ayrshire College is just one example of an institution that has, for too long, been undervalued, underfunded and underestimated. Fortunately, as a result of its dedicated and proactive leadership team, it continues to defy the odds.”
“Our economy needs colleges more than ever to train up enough people for emerging economies, to staff the renewable energy revolution and to ensure that we have the supply chain to facilitate projects that lead us to net zero. If anything, the Government should pump money into those institutions now in order to reap the results later. Doing so would also bolster opportunities for young people, ease concerns about job losses coming down the tracks in other sectors and guarantee that, when jobs emerge in the energy and engineering sectors, we have enough home- grown workers to fill them. The success of colleges also attracts people to live in communities that are at risk of rural depopulation. Without funding, there will be lost opportunities. Ayrshire College and others like it are anchor institutions with broad-reaching arms.”
“For years, the Scottish Government’s funding settlement has meant that the college has had to cut its cloth. Staffing and non-staffing budgets have continued to reduce. Even with the below-inflation increase that is planned in the upcoming budget, the money does not go far enough. In fact, once pay deals and other rising costs are catered for, further cuts might have to be identified. The UK Labour Party’s national insurance changes will also hit the college for a further £1 million. At Ayrshire College, without further funding, a staggering £2.5 million-worth of savings will need to be made in 2025-26. There is simply no way that the college can feasibly be expected to make those savings without there being serious implications for people and businesses in Ayrshire.”
“The debate rightly centres on the nationwide skills gap in engineering and the impact that that has on growth, opportunities, education and Scotland’s broader economy. Although it is a Scotland-wide problem, all the failures are in evidence at local level, too. The challenges that are being imposed on Ayrshire College are a perfect example. The institution continues to thrive in spite of the near- impossible environment in which it is expected to work. There is a record number of student enrolments in partnership developments, and the college expects to play a key role in preparing a workforce for future projects in the area that will lead to the creation of 5,000 jobs in the Prestwick aerospace cluster and at Hunterston. However, there is a problem.”
“The Scottish Retail Consortium reports that theft has reached record levels, costing businesses £170 million last year, and that violence towards shop workers is on the rise, with an average of 170 incidents every day over the year 2023-24. The situation is spiralling out of control as perpetrators are becoming more brazen. It is clear that thieves simply do not fear committing their crimes. What is the Scottish Government’s plan to ensure that shoplifters, many of whom are violent, are made to pay for their actions and know that their actions will have consequences?”
“If there are other measures that members would like to see us going further on, I am always happy to discuss that, as this is a very important issue.”
“I have spoken about the independent review, led by Glasgow, that will take place to establish what lessons can be learned from the failings and what further action can be taken so that we do not see anything like this happen again. The member will be aware of a range of work that the Scottish Government is doing in relation to the Promise and whole-family wellbeing, and in getting into families’ and young children’s lives at an earlier point in order to intervene early, stop crisis points arising and improve children’s lives. Over and above the work that we are doing on the Promise, which is directly linked to child protection, there is the on-going work of the national strategic group and the task force.”
“During yesterday’s sentencing, Lord Beckett, the judge, praised the children for their “formidable strength” and “courage and perseverance”. Without that, the vile individuals involved might never have been caught and would still be offending and wrecking lives today. However, it should not fall on child victims to bring such monsters to account. Given the system’s failure to intervene sooner, despite the children having been in contact with services, what lessons have been learned? What immediate changes are being introduced to ensure that this never happens again? Natalie Don-Innes: I feel as though I have already partly answered the question.”
“However, I have noted much of the good research carried out by the University of Glasgow and, indeed, Mrs Allan on the variability of fatal accident inquiries in terms of what the research describes as their quality and quantity. If they were made mandatory, there might be the issue of getting somewhat contradictory recommendations. I hope that what I have outlined today with regard to the oversight from HMIPS and, crucially, the oversight of the national mechanism, and the six actions that I have commissioned today, many of which are in direct response to Sheriff Collins’s recommendations, gives the strongest indication of my intent on the matter and how we will see things through.”
“Fatal accident inquiries have been mandatory for all deaths in custody since 2016, yet Scotland still has one of the highest rates in Europe of suicide in prison. Would the cabinet secretary consider making it mandatory to implement all fatal accident inquiry recommendations so that lessons are learned and we can avoid making the same mistakes again and again? Angela Constance: Sharon Dowey is quite correct to say that, compared with our European friends and neighbours, Scotland has one of the highest rates of suicide in prison. It is quite stark— the rate is higher than south of the border and elsewhere in western Europe. I have given some thought to the question whether to make the implementation of fatal accident inquiries mandatory.”
“In fact, given his infamous reputation, he may possibly have been the subject of many a heated debate. That said, it is welcome that we can all come together in chorus on this important topic and highlight the legacy of his work and genius. A farmer’s son inspiring generations in arts and literature, and providing endless entertainment and enjoyment through the decades, is a truly great thing. It has been a privilege to speak on this important topic and I am delighted to give my support to Oliver Mundell’s motion. 18:08”
“For instance, pupils from Kincaidston primary in Ayr recently created a new guided walk at the Burns cottage as part of a National Trust scheme to develop career skills and improve access to heritage. Free talks are taking place at the Burns birthplace museum throughout 2025. They proved so popular in December that they sold out. If anyone is thinking of attending one of their talks, I can confirm that they do excellent coffee and homemade scones. In Mauchline, there is also the Robert Burns blue plaque tour, which takes in various places of interest. We spend much time in this chamber in heated debates and disagreeing about a range of different policies and political priorities. I imagine that, if Robert Burns were alive today, he would be in the thick of the heated debates.”
“That tradition still thrives and it is a reminder of how deeply ingrained he is in the lives of young people in that part of Scotland, hundreds of years after he was born. But Burns is not a poet just for Ayrshire and Scotland; he is an international icon. Few writers could claim that their work is sung at Hogmanay every year from Ayr to Australia, yet with “Auld Lang Syne” he achieves just that. Closer to home, his legacy carries economic weight. Tourism in Ayrshire is driven significantly by Burns’s global appeal: he puts us on the map. Visitors come from all over the world to events such as the Alloway 1759 festival and Tamfest—and what could be better than a Burns supper on Burns night in Scotland? Our young people benefit from that in a number of practical ways.”
“There is also Poosie Nansie’s in Mauchline where Burns met his wife Jean Armour, who bore him at least eight children, Souter Johnnie’s cottage in Kirkoswald, home of the shoemaker immortalised in “Tam O’ Shanter”, and Alloway auld kirk, where you can find the graves of Burns’s family members. There is the Tam O’ Shanter inn, which, it is said, Robert Burns frequented—it was the pub that Burns’s friend, who was the inspiration for Tam O’ Shanter, left from that fateful night. His legacy is everywhere. My children all went to Alloway primary school, just up the road from the famous Burns cottage. To this day, just like at other schools in Ayrshire, the young people there learn to recite Burns poems and take part in competitions.”
“Like all MSPs who represent what we know as Burns country, it is an honour for me to speak in today’s important debate. As a representative of South Scotland, it is clear to me how the influence and legacy of Robert Burns run through our history and culture—it is a legacy that can be seen all around the area where I live. The area is full of the history of Burns: from Burns cottage in the village of Alloway where he was born, to the Robert Burns birthplace museum, the Burns monument, and the Brig O’ Doon, where poor Meg famously lost her tail. The bridge itself also inspired some of his most famous words.”
“However, the SNP has been in power in Scotland for coming up for 18 years. With every year that goes by, its attempts to blame everyone else become less and less credible. As members’ contributions to the debate have shown, people often feel such failings more painfully the further away from the big cities that they live. 17:50”
“However, that is not the only example of how rural healthcare in Ayrshire is suffering under the SNP. In addition to the lack of ambulances in the rural Carrick area, there have been service changes for patients of clinics in Ayr and Kilmarnock. Flagship schemes to attract more GPs to work in areas such as rural Ayrshire have fallen flat, and people find registering with a dentist challenging. No consideration is given to patient transport when local clinics are moved to centralised locations. Health services in rural Scotland face so many unique challenges because of the geographical hand that they have been dealt. However, often, the nationwide failings of the health service are felt even more acutely in smaller countryside locations. No one pretends that there will be an easy fix.”
“The fear now, with doctors coming from further afield to deal with urgent cases, is that a quick and reliable response will be placed in jeopardy. Those in charge have maintained that patient care will remain a priority. Some rejigging of the region-wide urgent care service means that there will at least be some help at hand. However, that downgrade is even more concerning to locals, given the availability of ambulances in the rural Carrick area, which has already been highlighted. To add to their concern, there are constant road closures and diversions on the main route—the A77—to hospitals. I have been assured that ambulances are given priority access through road closures, but anyone travelling by themselves to hospital can be faced with substantial diversions that make their journey take hours.”
“We have heard a number of accounts today of how remote and rural communities suffer from a lack of attention from the Scottish Government when it comes to health and other services. Ayrshire, in my region, is no different. Doctors at Girvan community hospital recently came to the conclusion that they were unable to continue the valuable overnight service for patients in the area. They cited “sustainability and workforce issues” as the reason for the withdrawal; in other words, a lack of money, a lack of resources, a lack of trained GPs coming through the system and a lack of focus by the Scottish Government on the needs of rural Scotland. It is the first time that local medics will not staff the facility. Until now, the 20- bed unit has been nimble and quick in its response to patient needs.”
“I was contacted this week by a constituent in Prestwick. He attended an appointment with his general practitioner on 30 December with a lesion on his back suspected to be skin cancer. His GP made an urgent referral to dermatology. Having twice been diagnosed with skin cancer, he knows that it demands urgent attention. Despite that, he was told that it would be “over 12 months before he could be seen at hospital, despite the referral being marked urgent.” For someone with suspected cancer, 12 months could be the difference between life and death. Does the First Minister think that that is an acceptable timescale? What action will the Scottish Government take to ensure that urgent cancer referrals such as that are seen within appropriate and safe timeframes?”
“The fear that vetting could be used as an excuse to dismiss officers rather than purely to address misconduct is entirely legitimate. There are many good points in the bill, but those specific concerns must be placed on the record. I will be pleased to vote for the bill. I fully believe that it will be of benefit to the public and the hard- working police officers who sacrifice so much to keep the streets of Scotland safe. 16:53”
“Another amendment provides that a police officer must be informed at the earliest opportunity, if such a situation arises, that leaving the force does not safeguard them in the event of proceedings being launched. The final amendment provides that, when the chief constable is preparing a code of ethics, they must ensure that, among the many groups and organisations that are likely to be consulted, people who have made complaints in the past are included. Lived experience in such cases will be essential. There are considerable concerns around the vetting amendments that came in at stage 2, not least because no evidence was taken on them. That is not a good way to make law, and the committee was split on whether the approach should proceed.”
“The next is that the chief constable must make appropriate changes in the light of the code of ethics as soon as possible. After all, what use is it if it sits on a shelf without ever being implemented? Another amendment ensures that disciplinary proceedings cannot be brought against an officer more than a year after they have resigned or retired. That will ensure that stale proceedings cannot be pursued after an unreasonable amount of time has passed. That amendment will not prevent criminal proceedings from being brought in relation to historical allegations. It is also important that officers are fully aware of the situation, and they should not be allowed to resign simply because they think that doing so will get them off the hook.”
“It is crucial that we ensure that we pass good law in the Scottish Parliament, and that when legislation is introduced, those who are tasked with enforcing it are sufficiently resourced to do so. I hope that the Scottish Government works with Police Scotland to ensure that the finances are right, especially during a phase in which the senior leadership of Police Scotland is regularly forced to raise concern about resources, financial planning and the long-term security of the force. On a personal level, I was pleased to secure five amendments to the bill at stage 3, which I will briefly summarise for the record. The first is that the PIRC will immediately notify a complainer when it decides to conduct a complaint handling review, which is a straightforward requirement that will improve their experience within the process.”
“That said, as the SPF said on a number of occasions, the police rank and file are merely a reflection of our society. In a 16,000-plus workforce, which replenishes regularly over time, it would be foolish to assume that every employee is perfect. Therefore, we must make sure that when misconduct occurs, it is dealt with swiftly and to the satisfaction of the complainer. I know that police officers are as keen as anyone for that to happen. The bill is a very important piece of legislation that has involved good co-operation between all parties involved. It has not fallen victim to party politics or to petty point-scoring exchanges, and everyone can see the good motivation behind it.”
“Police officers are sometimes themselves victims of vexatious complaints, often by some of the very worst people in society. When that happens, as unions repeatedly point out, they are guilty until proven innocent. That can mean being suspended or put on restricted duties—something that can be hugely damaging to an officer’s career, confidence, self-esteem and mental health. With policing numbers being as low as they are, and with officers increasingly being called to incidents that are arguably outside their remit, society can hardly afford to have innocent, hard-working policemen and policewomen being forced off duty for no good reason. I have huge sympathy for the Scottish Police Federation and the concerns that it has raised around vetting and the harm done to officers when they are incorrectly accused of wrongdoing.”
“It is worth remembering, however, that the bill aims to protect police officers to the same extent. Every single day, both as a regional MSP and in my work in a justice-related portfolio, I see the sheer selflessness of police officers as they go about their work of keeping us safe. When they go to work each day, they have absolutely no idea what they are going to face, or indeed any guarantee of returning home safely at the end of their shift. Often, they arrive at an incident and are forced to deal with a whole series of events over which they have little control. They have no opportunity to deal with, and no responsibility for, the minutes or hours leading up to an incident, or with the weeks, months and years of chaos in someone’s life that leave them requiring the intervention of the law.”
“The Scottish Conservatives will vote for the bill today, believing that it will improve the complaints process for members of the public and for police officers. I acknowledge that there are still some concerns about certain elements, not least from the Scottish Police Federation, and it is important that we all work with the federation in future to ensure that those can be resolved in the best way possible. There appears to be widespread agreement that the current system fails both victims and the police. That is why we have worked hard on the bill, successfully lodging a number of amendments to ensure that it is as fair and robust as it possibly can be. There is no shortage of examples of people who have been let down by the system, and I am sure that we will hear about many of those during the debate.”
“The Conservatives will support those amendments.”
“My amendment 4 is simple. It requires that the chief constable consult with those who represent the interests of individuals who have lived experience of going through the existing complaints procedure. The amendment is drafted to ensure that those important voices are heard without potentially delaying the preparation of the code by requiring consultation with too wide a pool of people. It would achieve a balanced outcome between thorough consultation and practical considerations, and I encourage the Parliament to vote for it. Katy Clark’s amendments 10 and 11 would both make minor yet sensible changes to the bill. On amendment 11, it would be extremely helpful in the future to have a document that sums up any changes to the code of ethics and that also explains why any proposed changes were not implemented.”
“One of the provisions in the bill is the creation of a statutory obligation on the chief constable to prepare a code of ethics for the police service, such as the code that currently exists on a non- statutory basis. The bill requires that the chief constable consults with a variety of stakeholders when preparing the code of ethics. However, in the drafted list of stakeholders that the chief constable must consult, I noticed that one very important group of people is missing: individuals who have made complaints to the police in the past. These are the very people who have experienced the process that the bill is trying to improve; that is the very purpose of this piece of proposed legislation. The Parliament knows the importance of including people with lived experience in policy discussions, and the new code of ethics is no different.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to tackle antisocial behaviour, and safeguard the welfare of girls, in schools. (S6O- 04174)”
“Natalie Don-Innes: The member has touched on amendments made to the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill at stage 3. The member will be aware that the Government supported those amendments, of which I am still very supportive. I have spoken about that in referring to the discussions that take place prior to a child’s placement to ensure that the centre in which they are placed is adequate for their needs and for those of the children around them. Those conversations will continue to be had about any coming placements, and I will continue to monitor that. I continue to ask my officials about any issues around that, and I have been assured that there are none. I am sorry, but I missed the second point of the member’s question. If she could follow that up with me in writing, I would be grateful.”
“A stage 3 amendment to the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill from my colleague Sue Webber, which was agreed to by the Parliament, ensures that a child is not placed in the same residential establishment as another child who has committed an offence against them or whose behaviour poses a serious risk to their health, safety or development. In the light of the minister’s statement, can she confirm whether that vital safeguarding measure is being properly enforced and what action the Scottish Government is taking to ensure that it is applied in practice to protect vulnerable children? Unfortunately, some children need to be in secure care not only for their safety but for the safety of the public. I ask the minister again to clarify what will happen if and when capacity is reached.”
“We know that people are concerned about reoffending rates, but when we look at the rates for short custodial sentences and the rates for community justice, we see that community justice has better outcomes and lower reconviction rates. It is not just the right thing to do to shift that balance to community justice; it is also the smart thing to do, and it is the safer thing to do for our communities.”
“Last summer, 12 per cent of prisoners who were freed as part of the Scottish National Party’s early release scheme ended up reoffending, with some breaking the law within hours of being released. With another wave of early releases expected in February, victims of crime will be concerned that we may see high rates of reoffending again. What is the Scottish Government doing to improve public confidence that, when someone reoffends, their criminal actions will have consequences? Angela Constance: The public have confidence when our criminal justice interventions protect the public. Yes, those interventions punish, but they also succeed in reintegrating and rehabilitating prisoners and those who come into contact with the justice service.”
“We support the innovative Scottish partnership against acquisitive crime, which is led by Police Scotland and retailers, and we encourage retailers to report all crimes to the police and to engage with that partnership. If our budget is approved by Parliament, it will make an extra £3 million available in 2025-26 to tackle retail crime.”
“When will the Scottish Government show some common sense and get tough on those individuals so they know that their actions will have consequences? Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Government totally recognises the significant disruption and harm that retail crime causes and condemns any violence against retail workers. We recognise retail workers’ vital role in our society and want to ensure that they are protected. The Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act 2021 created a statutory offence of “assaulting, threatening or abusing retail workers”, which highlights the seriousness of such behaviour.”
“The impact of youth crime and shoplifting on retailers is worse than ever. The organisation Retailers Against Crime says that losses to stores last year were at the highest level since 1997. Retailers are also in no doubt as to why that is and have told me that, because there are few or no consequences from the courts for theft from shops, criminals feel free to reoffend at will. Those people are dangerous organised criminals who not only steal but attack and intimidate staff and shoppers. There have already been multiple incidents in 2025, but, as it stands, the only people who face the consequences of violence and abuse are the retailers and victims. Meanwhile, the perpetrators get off scot free.”