Christine Grahame
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the United Kingdom Government regarding whether any of the support announced in response to the increased cost of heating oil will help the agriculture sector and other rural industries in Scotland that are dependent on that fuel. (S6O- 05695)”
“At a recent First Minister’s question time, I raised the matter of the successful prosecution against the Hamiltons, who are part of the cruel puppy- farm trade. That case was concluded after a five- year investigation by the SSPCA that started when 33 puppies were found in dreadful conditions.”
“Of course, some can go online or use an app, but there will be many who cannot, and for them, it is essential that they speak to a real person at the bank, not a chatbot. Therefore, I would impress upon the Bank of Scotland the need for it to take up my suggestion of reintroducing mobile services, which I understand it abandoned in 2024.”
“My first prize at school was for an essay on animal welfare, but being a vet was out of reach for a girl from a council house scheme. However, I got to the right place at last, chairing the cross- party group on animal welfare for more than a decade, with two acts of Parliament—the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 and the Welfare of Do…”
“I made my first speech in June 1999, and one Mary Scanlon, a Conservative, broke my peroration—I thought that I was doing rather well—with a point of order that challenged the relevance of my contribution to the motion. I was devastated, but I ploughed on.”
“The Scottish Sentencing Council is developing guidelines for environmental and wildlife crime, but companion and farm animal welfare cases, which make up the vast majority of investigations, are not included.”
The complete record
Every one of 727 lines we hold for Christine Grahame, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 8 of 15.
“The Borders railway has had a significant increase in the number of passengers, rising from an initial forecast of 600,000 and approaching 2 million in 2018-19. By September this year, there had been more than 13 million passenger journeys since the line’s opening. In its wake, former railway buildings along the line have been transformed through community efforts at Newtongrange and at Stow station house, and there are now proposals for Gorebridge station house. Groups such as the Signal Box in Galashiels are working to raise funds for the Campaign for Borders Rail, and beautiful station flower displays—the display at Gorebridge being particularly stunning this year— are wholly maintained by a few volunteers. The communities take their railway very personally, having won it themselves. This is, of course, about passengers.”
“In 2007 the SNP Government committed to build the line, and build it it did. I reprise that, because the predictions were way off course. For Sue Webber, I say that that past achievement builds the case for future rail developments. As for how to build a railway, practical lessons were learned. Nobody had built one here in years. The huge housing developments happened. Fields next to the station at Shawfair will soon be bursting with new homes. There is already easy access to the railway at Gorebridge, Newtongrange and Tweedbank. One look at the full car parks shows us how busy the line is— which is far flung from the gloomy predictions. People are taking the train, not the A7. Here are some statistics.”
“A feasibility study, the Scott Wilson report, stated that patronage projections for a new line were not encouraging and that none of the route options that were examined produced a positive cost benefit value. How wrong was that? The economic case was built on projected housing developments: 700 in the Borders and 1,100 in Midlothian. Unbelievably, that led to an anti-rail backlash from the breakaway local Borders Party, which described the proposal as “a colossal waste of money”. The Tories also called at the time for the money not to be used for the project, but to be used instead for dualling the A7—although, thankfully, they later recanted. In time, the petition received the unanimous support of the Parliament’s Rural Affairs Committee and, on 14 June 2006, the bill to restore the line was almost unanimously passed.”
“Today, we take account of that impact and—crucially—the reduction of the emissions that are so damaging to this planet. Electrification was part of the future proofing of the Borders railway and it is now on the cards, as is new rolling stock. The project to return the Borders railway took root with a 17,000-signature petition to the Scottish Parliament in the name of Petra Biberbach. I met her by chance on Gala high street just after my election in 1999. As a member of the Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee, I advised her that that petition should be presented to the committee. It was. In 1999, the campaign for Borders rail was also established, and I set up the parliamentary cross-party group for Borders rail here. However, it was not an easy parliamentary route. Sarah Boyack will understand, because she went through it with me.”
“Despite the unexpectedly miserable contributions of Sandesh Gulhane and Douglas Lumsden, I have something in common with Douglas Lumsden. I, too, am a railway geek. I prefer to let the train take the strain. Today, I shall concentrate on the success of Borders railway, because today marks exactly 10 years since its formal reopening. Viewing a map of the pre-Beeching rail network in Scotland is eye opening. The first Beeching report identified more than 2,000 stations and 5,000 miles of railway line for closure—55 per cent of stations and 30 per cent of route miles. On 5 January 1969, the Waverley line was one victim of those cuts. Those cuts did not stem losses and at that time, no account was taken of the wider social and economic impact of railways.”
“Some of the money for that currently comes from pupil equity funding. I hope and expect that the £29 million that the member mentions will be used to employ additional specialist staff in our schools.”
“It is now more than 20 years since the introduction of the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004, and in that time we have seen an exponential increase in the number of pupils with an additional support need. The current ASN landscape in Scotland looks markedly different from that which existed back in 2004. On the member’s point about the £29 million, I have made clear, in engaging with local authorities, my expectation that that money will be used for specialist staff. The member talked about it being used to support bespoke approaches. I have seen local councils and headteachers using a variety of different approaches at present, including, for example, taking small groups of children out of class to provide them with bespoke, tailored support.”
“I want to focus on the further £29 million for children with additional support needs, which—as the cabinet secretary knows—applies to an extensive range of needs, from bereavement counselling and support to dyslexia and extreme behavioural challenges as a result of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism. For those children, to be frank, inclusion—at least full time—is not suitable. Will some of that £29 million be applied to alternatives to inclusion, either whole or part time, in the interests of the most challenging children and of their classmates? Jenny Gilruth: I discussed that issue last week with members of the Opposition, with regard to the review that I mentioned in my response to Ms Duncan-Glancy.”
“To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the 10th anniversary of the Borders railway, whether it will provide an update on the progress of the feasibility study to extend the line beyond Tweedbank to Carlisle, via Hawick. (S6O-04894)”
“By the way—I am sorry that Sue Webber is the only Conservative here to hear this—the Conservatives initially opposed the return of the Borders railway. I have been here so long that I remember that. 13:15”
“For me, that approach underlines the value of our railway system— although not the network—being in public ownership; we can avoid the costs and complexities that are so obvious in England, with its range of private companies and bewildering plethora of prices—all of which Sue Webber managed to dodge. On top of that, it adds to the argument for extending the line to Carlisle; there is a £10 million feasibility study to see whether an extension of the railway through the Borders to Carlisle would be financially viable—that case, I think, is proven. What has happened with the railway in the past 10 years shows that the extension is important. That is all a good thing and is assisted by the abolition of peak fares.”
“The reduction in the daily return fare from Edinburgh to Tweedbank, for example, which was £22.50 before the abolition of peak fares and is now £15.10, will only serve to increase usage and reduce congestion and emissions. Keeping with the day return—you can, of course, buy weekly, monthly, seasonal and other tickets, with even more cost savings—I note that its reduction in price of more than £7 a day equates to a saving of £35 for the week and, for a working month, say, £140. Take another step up and it could be £1,500 a year. That is a huge economic bonus in this time of raging food inflation and energy costs. Other concessions and discounts still apply, including the kids-for-a-quid £1 ticket, which has already been referenced. The Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen supports the removal of peak-time rail fares.”
“Here are just a few stats. Borders railway footfall was nearly 2 million in 2019-20, which significantly exceeds the initial projected 600,000 annual passengers. That demonstrates a successful reintroduction of all rail services to the area after decades of local campaigning—and failure of the union. More recently published figures show that, at some stations, the number of travellers increased by more than 30 per cent during 2023-24. The highest percentage increases were at Tweedbank station, which saw a 32.4 per cent increase, and at Gorebridge station, which had a 32.9 per cent increase. Although, nationally, Scotland enjoyed a 16 per cent uplift in the number of passenger journeys, local figures for stations in that section of the Borders line exceeded that impressive rise by a considerable margin.”
“I, too, congratulate Bob Doris on securing the debate. I am delighted to speak, not only because I am a custodian—I jest—of the Borders railway but because I just love trains. That is particularly useful, as I am terrified of flying, but I digress. The removal of peak-time rail fares is brilliant. It makes rail so much the better choice for commuters who travel to work or college, for example, and for commuting not just out of the Borders but into the Borders, where the cost of housing is much more reasonable than in the city and where there are excellent schools. The story of the Borders railway, which on 9 September celebrates its 10th birthday, is one of unmitigated success. The passenger numbers that I am about to give represent thousands of journeys off the Borders roads, reducing congestion into the city of Edinburgh.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body issued guidance that those attending in the public gallery should desist from wearing visible slogans. Does that direction apply to MSPs in the chamber? No matter what a slogan says, the issue is especially significant as we enter election periods. The Presiding Officer: That matter is not covered in our standing orders and there is nothing in the guidance in the code. However, as ever, I ask all members, as they do, to present themselves in the chamber dressed in a respectful manner, as a consequence of the role that we hold. There will be a short suspension to allow those leaving the chamber and the gallery to do so. 12:46 Meeting suspended. 12:48 On resuming— Rail Fares”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer— The Presiding Officer: I will address any points of order after we have finished First Minister’s question time, Ms Grahame. The First Minister: The Government is undertaking the work that I set out in my earlier answer to Tess White. On the issue of schools guidance, we are committed to ensuring that the supporting transgender young people in schools guidance is fit for purpose. As with any significant legal or policy developments, we are considering what developments are required in the guidance to ensure that all aspects of that analysis are taken forward. There is complex work under way in that respect and the Government is doing that work.”
“I repeat my thanks to Kenny Gibson, to Craig, for letting me tell his story, and to those attending. I look forward to hearing the Government’s response. 17:50”
“The family grew used to the whirring, gurgling and beeping noises that the machine made throughout the night, and they affectionately nicknamed it “George” after an inspirational transplant patient they had met. In a grim situation, a bit of humour helps. There is not yet a cure, but I hope to sound a positive note. Craig had his kidney transplant from his sister six and a half years ago, and he is still going strong. He will be on immunosuppressants and a cocktail of other drugs for the rest of his life, but that allows him to lead a relatively normal life. He is forever grateful to his sister and to the doctors, the nurses and the surgeon who took care of him throughout the process. I hope that the debate progresses diagnosis and early treatment.”
“Fortunately, his mother, two sisters, brother and partner all put themselves forward to be a potential donor and, after initial tests, his eldest sister was found to be a perfect match. He was lucky. In the interim, Craig had to go on dialysis. He opted for peritoneal dialysis, which he could do from home, and which would mean less disruption in his daily life. He had to have surgery to get a tube inserted into his abdomen, which he could then hook up to a peritoneal dialysis machine at the side of his bed at home. From then, for a period of eight months, he hooked himself up every night, and the machine used his peritoneal cavity to cleanse and filter his blood inside his body, performing the function that his kidneys no longer could.”
““Chronic Kidney Disease: An Action Plan for Scotland” estimates that “More than one in ten people in Scotland are estimated to have CKD. Of those, 45% ... are already in the more severe, later stages”. Is it not therefore time to make tackling the disease a priority? On that data alone, CKD requires to be much higher up the health agenda. Statistics are one thing but, to bring home the impact of the disease, I shall recount Craig’s story. Craig was diagnosed with immunoglobulin A nephropathy, or IgA nephropathy, a form of chronic kidney disease, in his 20s. He is now 54. He managed his condition without intervention until the summer of 2018, when he started to feel very unwell. Tests revealed that his kidney function had dropped to a critical level, and he was immediately put on to the transplant list.”
“There is a slow-growing understanding of the issue, and there have been calls to improve early diagnosis and treatment. Key challenges include improving access to care, supporting vulnerable patients and preventing progression to end-stage kidney disease. Without wishing to frighten anyone, I note that people are more at risk if they have high blood pressure, diabetes or a history of the disease in their family. Although there is currently no cure, unfortunately, treatment can slow or halt the disease’s progression. Apart from the physical symptoms, there is a possible need for treatment such as dialysis or a transplant. Here I give notice, in passing, that I am sponsoring an organ donation exhibition in the Parliament later this month because, despite there being an opt-out system, organ transplants are on the decline.”
“I thank the many organisations concerned for their briefings, and I thank my colleague for securing the debate and raising the profile of kidney disease. Members’ business debates allow parliamentarians to bring to public awareness issues that go unnoticed, and kidney disease is one of those. They also educate politicians like me. The disease does not grab the headlines, yet it is my understanding that more people die in Scotland from kidney or kidney-related disease than from cancer. It is a long-term condition that does not usually have visible symptoms until the advanced stage, and it is incurable. Chronic kidney disease should be a significant public health concern in Scotland. I understand that it affects 600,000 people, according to data contained in a recent petition to the Scottish Parliament.”
“Israel has opened border crossings and convoys are ready, and yet, too often, food and medicine sit idle because the United Nations refuses Israeli escorts to guarantee safe passage from looting. We know that reports suggest that as much as 88 per cent of aid was intercepted and that what does get through is often stolen by Hamas and diverted away from the children and families who need it most. Let me be absolutely clear: this is a shortage that is caused not only by Israel’s blockade but by Hamas’s brutality and the inaction of the United Nations. It is the innocent who pay the price.”
“We have to be vigilant about the distinction being erased. I thank the cabinet secretary for his remarks as he paid tribute to the Jewish community in this country and directly addressed their fears. Hamas’s evil does not stop there; it embeds itself among the very civilians it claims to represent. It has launched rockets from schools, hidden weapons in hospitals and stored explosives beneath homes. It has turned the people of Gaza into human shields. The suffering of civilians in Gaza is real, but the moral responsibility is not only that directed at Israel; first and foremost it is with Hamas. Some blame Israel for the shortage of aid—I have heard that said, and I think that there are legitimate arguments that need to be explored. However, the reality is more complex and more damning of the international system.”
“I simply want to assure Jackson Carlaw that, every time I have written about this, which I have done often, I have made it plain that Hamas’s actions were atrocious and that it is Netanyahu, not the Israeli people, who is at fault in his actions. I say that to assure the member that those of us who are writing about this make that distinction very loud and clear. Jackson Carlaw: Unfortunately, that is not necessarily generally and commonly the case. In fact, we talk about Hamas’s atrocity in Israel, not Gaza’s atrocity in Israel. The parallel is to be seen. It is not the Jewish people who are responsible for the decisions of their Government. There is a dangerous double standard that blurs the line between legitimate criticism of Government policy and the prejudice of antisemitism that some will exploit.”
“There is a free trade agreement between the United Kingdom and Israel, which I do not think should be maintained, because of the situation in Gaza. That relates to many of the issues that Christine Grahame puts to me, which would be resolved if we were to take a different course in the United Kingdom about that engagement with Israel on trade.”
“To call out the Israeli Government’s deadly actions in the Gaza and West Bank genocide, which I have done on many occasions in articles, is not antisemitic. Indeed, many in the Jewish diaspora are equally appalled. In Israel, dissent in relation to Netanyahu’s actions is suppressed. I note the call on the UK Government to prohibit the import of goods from Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, but I suggest that the UK goes further and prohibits imports from Israel itself. Devolution has its limits, but individuals like me in Scotland have not, and it is my intention to boycott those imports in the meantime. The First Minister: As Christine Grahame knows, and recounts in her question, there are devolved and reserved responsibilities that apply to these issues.”
“As I have just mentioned, we want lower bills so that families can decide how to spend more of their own money. By putting our economy first, there will be more revenue to give to the education system and to increase our rankings in the international league. I do not have more time, so I will come to a close. To summarise, our economy, our education system and our NHS cannot tolerate any more of this failing SNP Government. 16:08”
“That is why, in the months ahead, my party will call for—and will stand for—there to be a renewed focus on effective spending, for innovators to be encouraged to start and to grow businesses, and for more high-quality jobs to be brought to Scotland. On Fergus Ewing’s point, we want those thousands of jobs in the north-east to be protected so that workers can transition as we move towards our net zero target, because it is they who have the required skills, experience and knowledge. We want less red tape for businesses. It is not only Scottish Conservatives who are saying that— it is the businesses themselves. We do not want people wasting their time by filling out paperwork. We want the expansion of opportunities to ambitious and aspirational Scots, whose expectations the SNP is not meeting now.”
“Rachael Hamilton: I am grateful to Fergus Ewing for the intervention, because I know that he is a huge advocate for the north-east’s oil and gas sector, as are the Scottish Conservatives. We know that if we do not issue extraction licences and get oil and gas out of the ground, those energy forms will become more unaffordable. People will have less in their pockets to spend and will see their household energy bills go up. It is therefore very important that we support that sector. Things need to change, and they need to change fast. The SNP must do things differently and put our economy at the top of the agenda.”
“For a few years, the SNP even brought into government a party that does not believe in economic growth and sees it as a bad thing. It was the First Minister who infamously helped to negotiate the deal to bring the extreme Greens into government. The Greens might be gone, but their influence remains, and the SNP has been pursuing the same disastrous approach for years now: setting higher taxes, introducing more regulation, taking more of people’s hard-earned money but providing less in return, limiting innovation and curtailing opportunities. Fergus Ewing: Does Rachael Hamilton agree that the windfall tax must be either abolished or substantially reduced? Otherwise, we will see that industry die before our very eyes.”
“Without higher economic growth, we will never have the funds to reduce NHS waiting lists, on which I intervened on the First Minister earlier, or to invest in more teachers and sort out the attainment gap that other members raised in their earlier interventions. The economy is the crucial bedrock on which everything else is built, but, under the SNP, it is way down the list of its priorities. On the nationalists’ watch, businesses do not feel that they have a say in what happens. Barely any companies think that the Government understands their business. Companies are regularly disadvantaged compared with their competitors south of the border, as happened when the SNP refused to pass on the hundreds of millions of pounds-worth of business rates relief that the UK Government provided.”
“They did not get it under Alex Salmond, Nicola Sturgeon or Humza Yousaf. They are not getting it under John Swinney, either—the man who has been sitting around the Cabinet table for all but one of those 18 years. He was the right- hand man for almost all of his predecessors’ time in office, and he very much represents more of the same SNP way that has let Scotland down for decades. He will not do anything about Scotland’s top priorities, because he never has. If John Swinney finally wants to change course and do things differently, as he has been promising today, Scotland’s current top priority, just as it was in 2008, is to have a thriving and growing economy. We know that a prosperous economy is the key to increasing tax revenues and providing more investment for much-needed improvement in our public services.”
“I am sure that the member would agree that one of the great achievements not just of the SNP but of the Parliament was the reopening of the Borders railway, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary on Saturday. Things have been delivered for the people of Scotland. Rachael Hamilton: I very much look forward to joining Christine Grahame to celebrate the 10th anniversary. I have always been a supporter of the Borders railway. People do not sit at home discussing small-time topics such as pardons for witches—unless, of course, they are saying, “Can you believe that Holyrood actually spoke about such things?” As Russell Findlay said, what people want is for politicians to show basic common sense. They wanted that in 2007, and that is what they need now. In 18 years of SNP rule, they have not had that.”
“We must consider legal ways to control specific areas— methods of control that are humane for the gull population. I look forward to the response from the minister. However, we must not have a situation of people versus gulls or gulls versus people. 13:35”
“I say to members that I use the term correctly—I am not demonising; I am describing an action. That incident was completely my fault. It happened because of my ignorance. What can we do? We can modify our own behaviour—we have mentioned all the things that we do wrong. We must not feed them, for example. We can choose methods to constrain and restrain that cause least harm to these animals. We might provide alternative nesting sites—perhaps that is why the stonemasons were being attacked. In the Parliament, we have used trained hawks. In the main, that has been effective, although I recall seeing gulls mobbing a hawk and seeing it off, never to be seen again. However, that hawk was possibly being mobbed because the gulls have nests on this very site. I have listened to the debate, in which legitimate issues and concerns have been raised.”
“In part, as we recognise, we brought this on ourselves, as we are mucky creatures. Unlike the gull, however, we know the consequences, and we should take responsibility for dropping our half-consumed chips and for throwing sandwich packets to the ground, even when there is a visible waste bin nearby. There are also waste bins that are not regularly emptied but that should be. We fill tips with the detritus of our lives. If you were a gull, you would be tempted. Do not get me wrong: I recognise that gulls can be intimidating and that there are serious incidents. Of course, if someone is somewhere where gulls regularly nest and have nested historically, they must keep their distance and respect nesting birds, which are, quite rightly, fierce defenders of their young. I was dive-bombed during the nesting season on the Isle of May.”
“I thought that, while recognising the concerns raised by members, I would be alone in defending the clever, adaptable gull. I was wrong. The debate has been reasonably balanced. I watched a gull on a busy high street case out a local store. It looked cautiously this way and that, glanced through the shop window, double- checked, dismissed me as being too distant to be a threat and then, when the shop door swished open, it was in and out in a flash, with a packet of crisps secured. It managed to break the seal to enjoy a snack. It was not a thief; it was simply an animal looking for easy pickings. Language such as “mugging” and “menace” can be applied to us and to our counterparts, but it is not appropriate to demonise an animal that is simply looking for food. Anthropomorphising is tempting but not helpful.”
“The Deputy Presiding Officer: Given the interest in this subject, it is likely that we will need to extend the debate, but I am conscious that afternoon business starts at 2 o’clock, so I would be grateful if members would stick to their four minutes, or even less. 12:56”
“I think that it has to look at that. I want NatureScot’s role to be very much separate. It is currently clearly conflicted between conserving and preserving bird numbers and being the agency that deliberates on, and rejects or approves, applications to control birds. It is no longer possible for NatureScot to do that dual role, so I hope that the minister will consider separating those roles. We need action from the Government, because, 23 years on from the previous members’ business debate on the subject, gulls are still an increasing problem in our communities. They are causing a nuisance, and people want action.”
“There is also an issue with the licensing scheme, as it is proving far too complex, difficult and expensive to get licences. I come to the debate not just with complaints but with solutions. We need to keep a record of the number of attacks on people by gulls. I put that to the minister last week at portfolio question time on rural affairs, land reform and islands, and I was encouraged by his response. However, I wonder how on earth NatureScot can refuse applications by saying that the gulls in a particular area are not a health and safety risk when it is not even recording how many people are being injured in attacks by gulls. Conversely, NatureScot does record injuries and deaths—not of people but of birds. If birds go into wind turbines, NatureScot keeps a record of that, but it does not keep any record of people being injured.”
“They are going above and beyond for their members to get schemes in place, but it is costing a fortune. The motion also mentions just how much money is being spent on trying to get licences and control the birds. Tens of thousands of pounds are being spent by business improvement districts, common good funds and community councils. That huge amount of money could be better spent on other local projects or on improving the environment for local businesses, but it has to be spent on tackling this issue. I encourage people in the strongest possible terms, as I am sure the minister will, to stop feeding these birds and to stop leaving rubbish out, because that causes part of the problem. I am not ignoring that; I am reinforcing it.”
“I will address the language that is used about gulls in my speech. Douglas Ross: I did not hear that properly. I will give way to Christine Grahame again if she wants to repeat what she said. Christine Grahame: I do not agree with those terms, and I will address them in a short defence—a cautious defence—of the common gull. Douglas Ross: Christine Grahame is perfectly able to do that, but I strongly disagree. They are a menace. My constituent in Hopeman who was on the radio today used the phrase “dive-bombing” because they are being dive-bombed by these birds. I want to highlight the work that is being done by business improvement districts. The work that Fergus Ewing and I have done together has been ably aided by the BIDs in Nairn and Inverness.”
“I urge members to back the motion and grant legislative consent to the relevant clauses in the bill. The Presiding Officer: That concludes the debate on the legislative consent motion for the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, which is UK legislation. Absent Voting (Elections in Scotland and Wales) Bill”
“The Government had indicated support for the bill on the two previous occasions that it was proposed in the UK Parliament, and we were extremely disappointed that it failed due to upheaval in the UK Government at that time. We are therefore pleased that the bill has been introduced again and we strongly urge members to support it and to allow a UK-wide approach to tackling this horrendous trade, which perpetuates an industry of poor-welfare companion animals. Legislative consent processes such as this show what we can achieve when Parliaments and Governments work together on a cause of common concern and interest for, and to the benefit of, Scotland’s people, communities and, in this case, animals. I reiterate that the bill respects devolved competence. However, if we were in an independent country, we would not need this LCM.”
“They are usually purchased by well-intentioned donors who then find themselves caring for sick animals and saddled with high vet bills or, worse, incurably ill pets who have to be euthanised, causing much distress. As the Parliament knows, I have been just as susceptible to the entreaty of a family who fell in love with an animal that came from a suspect background, and I know all too well the upset that arose when that pet had to be put down. These issues have been a concern for welfare groups and the Government for some time. However, it has always been clear that GB-wide action was needed to avoid the backdoor entry of sick and mutilated animals into the country.”
“21:29 Jim Fairlie: Improving the lives of Scotland’s animals is something that I am strongly committed to, and I have been pleased that, over the past few years, this Government has been able to deliver or support many groundbreaking and innovative improvements in that area. As for the timings, regardless of the speeches that were made by Tim Eagle and Rhoda Grant, the Scottish Government has not missed a single deadline but was subjected to delays in the UK Government’s process. Many of us have been appalled by the conditions in which too many dogs, cats and ferrets have been brought into the country by unscrupulous actors. The health and welfare of those animals is often shockingly poor.”
“The UK bill also sets out, as some have said, to end the mutilation of these companion animals by cropping ears and docking tails, which is done—and painfully at that—to fit in with fashion. I am sure that we all find those actions abhorrent. I hope that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will now take the opportunity to accelerate the establishment of a UK-wide microchipping database of dogs—an issue that I have long pursued—which would provide traceability and be another significant component in ending this miserable trade. I again thank the Presiding Officer and urge members to support the LCM.”
“Presiding Officer, I declare an interest as convener of the cross-party group on animal welfare and thank you for allowing me this short contribution. I speak in support of the LCM, which flows from a UK private member’s bill setting out, inter alia, to crack down on the illegal puppy trade. Serious organised crime is often at the root of that cruel trade of smuggling animals from disreputable sources, including puppy factory farms, because, as well as misery for the animal, there are big bucks to be made—thousands of pounds for a puppy. In passing, I also welcome the extension of the legislation to kittens. The UK private member’s bill echoes my attempts, in my recent Welfare of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2025, to at least put a dent in this dreadful trafficking.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I could not access the app. I am just taking a collective judgment here, and I believe that it is a yes. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Thank you, Ms Grahame. That will be recorded.”