Jackie Baillie
Scottish Labour · Scotland
“Is it not the case that the SNP was economical with the truth in its manifesto when it promised all those things, knowing that there was no budget to deliver any of them? Angela Constance: This Government will deliver a new hospital for the Monklands. This is not about ditching; it is about delivering.”
“I congratulate Marie McNair on bringing the motion to the chamber for debate and on her consistent championing of the cause. Asbestos was finally completely banned in 1999, the same year that the Parliament was established.”
“Today, Cape is owned by the construction engineering company Altrad, which operates around the world, and its UK arm alone made a pre-tax profit of £37.3 million in the year to August 2025.”
“Although shipbuilders and tradesmen might be the most affected, their wives and children might also have been exposed to asbestos dust, and, of course, all families are impacted by a loved one’s diagnosis.”
“I thank the cabinet secretary for the advance copy of her statement. First, there is no doubt in my mind that the people of Lanarkshire and the hard-working NHS staff at Monklands hospital will be bitterly disappointed by the cabinet secretary’s announcement. It does not sound like a reset; it sounds like an indefinite halt.”
“In 2024, the Scottish Law Commission recommended, helpfully, that the time bar be removed, but that was not legislated for in the previous parliamentary session. I hope that the Scottish Government will make such legislation an urgent priority in this parliamentary session.”
The complete record
Every one of 503 lines we hold for Jackie Baillie, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 6 of 11.
“For Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind) Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (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) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) Against Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) Allan, Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire South) (SNP) Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) 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) (Ind) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP) Don-Innes, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Ewing, Annabelle (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP) Forbes, Kate (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP) Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Lennon, Monica (Central Scotland) (Lab) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) [Proxy vote cast by Patrick Harvie] Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) [Proxy vote cast by Michael Marra] Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) [Proxy vote cast by Maggie Chapman] Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Fulton MacGregor] Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Swinney, John (Perthshire North) (SNP) Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division is: For 26, Against 92, Abstentions 0.”
“Amendment 78 disagreed to. Amendment 79 moved—[Edward Mountain]. The Presiding Officer: The question is, that amendment 79 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Presiding Officer: There will be a division.”
“For Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind) Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) 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) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) Against Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) Allan, Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire South) (SNP) Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) 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) (Ind) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP) Don-Innes, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Ewing, Annabelle (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP) Forbes, Kate (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP) Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Lennon, Monica (Central Scotland) (Lab) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) [Proxy vote cast by Patrick Harvie] Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) [Proxy vote cast by Michael Marra] Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) [Proxy vote cast by Maggie Chapman] Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Fulton MacGregor] Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Swinney, John (Perthshire North) (SNP) Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division is: For 27, Against 92, Abstentions 0.”
“Amendment 4 disagreed to. Amendment 78 moved—[Edward Mountain]. The Presiding Officer: The question is, that amendment 78 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Presiding Officer: There will be a division.”
“For Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind) Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (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) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) Against Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) Allan, Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire South) (SNP) Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) 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) (Ind) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP) Don-Innes, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) 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) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Lennon, Monica (Central Scotland) (Lab) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) [Proxy vote cast by Patrick Harvie] Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) [Proxy vote cast by Michael Marra] Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) [Proxy vote cast by Maggie Chapman] Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Fulton MacGregor] Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Swinney, John (Perthshire North) (SNP) Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division is: For 27, Against 91, Abstentions 0.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I could not connect. Otherwise, I would have voted no. The Presiding Officer: Thank you, Ms Baillie. Bear with us for a moment while we ensure that those votes are recorded.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take in light of reports that some people are waiting 10 hours for an ambulance. (S6T-02733)”
“Neil Gray: I am happy to consider Jackie Baillie’s ask for the task force to look specifically at rural and island community midwifery services. However, I do not accept her characterisation of the best start model—it is not true. Ensuring the safest possible care that has been recommended by clinicians and supported by Bliss and by midwives, including at Ninewells, is the model that we should be following to ensure the best outcomes for these babies.”
“The risks to mothers and babies that were outlined in the HIS report and on the BBC’s “Disclosure” programme are incredibly worrying. The cabinet secretary is reducing specialist neonatal provision at Wishaw and elsewhere, and mothers and the sickest babies from that area could have to travel for three hours to Aberdeen because Glasgow is regularly full—in fact, Glasgow sends its overspill to Wishaw. Mothers in Caithness and Stranraer are having to travel hundreds of miles to give birth, and I met some of them recently. I ask the cabinet secretary, therefore, to include provision for remote and rural areas in the task force work and to review the best start programme, as we could have five specialist neonatal units and not the three that the Government has settled for.”
“In public policy terms, we should not be forced to choose between harm reduction and recovery: both are essential if we are to solve this crisis. With deadly synthetic opioids sweeping our streets, we do not have time for half measures. We are told that recovery is available to all, but it is not. There is a postcode lottery and, in some cases, it is determined by people’s ability to pay. The bill would end the postcode lottery because, if we can pass legislation to give rights in housing, education, mental health and beyond, we can make recovery a right, too. Scotland does not lack compassion; the Scottish Government lacks courage. Courage is what the bill asks of us. 15:36”
“All that is doable, so it is beyond strange that the SNP is unwilling to do that. The Parliament spends an inordinate amount of time amending Government legislation. Do I need to remind ministers of the 400 amendments to the recent Housing (Scotland) Bill, or the dog’s breakfast that was the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill, which had to be completely rewritten? This is not a game: it is about rehabilitation for alcohol and drug addicts who might otherwise die. The bill is about empowering vulnerable people who are in the grip of a condition that is so overwhelming that they are unable to advocate for themselves. The concern about resources is understandable, but it is a distraction. If the Scottish Government was delivering on its pledges to invest in rehabilitation, a large proportion of the money should be accounted for anyway.”
“As the recovery charity who helped her said at the time: “You could be at the end of your life and about to lose a limb like Stephanie and we would still have to fight to get you a place in rehab.” Stephanie, who first became addicted aged 11 in a children’s home, asked for help. She should have received it. The SNP, and the Greens, who I believe are voting with the SNP this evening, should be ashamed that they are standing in the way of that principle becoming law. I would be the first to agree that the bill is not the finished article, with all due respect to Douglas Ross. There is a need to amend it at stage 2 to improve it and make it more robust and more deliverable. It also needs to consider the role of families, scope out the costs and be a bit more pragmatic about the three-week timescale.”
“The charity Faces and Voices of Recovery estimates that, for Scotland to match European rates of rehab, there would need to be 2,700 placements a year, but we are nowhere near that. Figures last week showed that the Thistle centre has been used 7,165 times since January, but only 50 people have been referred to some kind of care and not a single one of those was sent to rehab. In the most recent survey of alcohol and drug partnerships, every single one of them reported barriers to residential rehab, most of it funding related. Then there are the stories of people such as Stephanie Ritchie, who faced the amputation of her leg due to drug use yet was initially refused rehab.”
“The First Minister has now told us the latest figures but, meanwhile, recovery services such as River Garden Auchincruive in Ayrshire and CrossReach in Dundee have faced funding crises. We know that beds across Scotland are lying empty due to a lack of referrals because there is no money, so let us do the maths. We know that 28,000 Scots receive long-term opioid substitution therapy, but there are only around 500 residential rehabilitation beds. Around 140 of those are publicly provided, and the rest are in the charity and private sector. In 2022-23, the last year for which there are figures, fewer than a thousand people started a publicly funded residential rehab placement.”
“We still have the worst drug deaths figures in the whole of Europe, and there are simply not enough rehab beds. The medication- assisted treatment standards are still not being met, including the provision of mental healthcare and trauma-informed care. Let me turn to rehabilitation beds. The SNP’s definition of a rehab bed is quite wide ranging. The SNP talks of placement, although some of those beds might be a crisis bed for one night. One cannot help but be cynical about whether that redefinition is about meeting its target rather than creating real provision. Colleagues will recall that, in 2021, the SNP pledged to increase the number of rehab beds to 650 by March 2026, which is an extra 225 beds.”
“At the heart of this bill is a simple principle: if someone who is battling an alcohol or drug addiction asks for help, they should get it, and that help should not be tokenistic but transformative. It should be a pathway towards a life free from toxic substances that includes a right to residential rehab, if needed. As the First Minister said earlier, there is already a charter that reflects that, but the fact that we are now debating this bill underlines its total inadequacy. Here is what we know. Six years on from the SNP declaring a drugs death emergency, too many people are still dying. Although there was a small drop last year, which of course is to be welcomed, the provisional figures for the first six months of this year suggest that numbers will increase.”
“Any legislative change must be part of a wider holistic and properly resourced response. Treatment is not just about diagnosis. Recovery is not just about abstinence, and it is not linear. It is not just about whether a person is using substances. It is about restoring hope and dignity and building relationships, and it is about empowering people to control their own destinies. The Deputy Presiding Officer: You need to conclude, minister. Maree Todd: I confirm that the Scottish Government’s intention is to vote against the motion. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Clare Haughey to speak on behalf of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee. 15:15”
“We are developing a new fund for grass-roots and community projects, building on the success of the Corra Foundation drugs mission fund, which supported more than 300 projects, and we will strengthen local accountability through a partnership delivery framework with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and continued annual reporting and monitoring. Taken together, those actions reflect a rights- based, person-centred approach to recovery that is already being embedded in funding criteria and service design. I will finish by saying that recovery is not only about clinical treatment; it is about housing, employment and healthcare. It is about strengthening families and communities and, above all, it is about restoring hope and connection to those who have lost both.”
“We are continuing our commitment to residential rehabilitation and we are focusing on improving pathways for individuals. We will soon publish new standards for young people who are accessing treatment or support, and we will embed the whole-system approach by including mental health substance use protocols and renewed prevention efforts. We are working across justice and homelessness services, and we recognise that tackling stigma is essential to enabling people to seek help without fear or shame.”
“Our new drug and alcohol strategic plan will embed the human rights-based approach that is outlined in the charter of rights published in December 2024. However, in contrast to what is proposed in the bill, it will do so in a way that is deliverable, adaptable and already aligned with existing policies and approaches, and that, crucially, has broad support from partners. Over the summer, we engaged widely with service commissioners, delivery partners and representative groups and with people with lived and living experience. We have developed a suite of non-legislative measures that go further than the bill in improving access and quality. We will further improve treatment standards through a national service specification, to set expectations for rights-based services and for the expansion of MAT standards to cover all drugs and alcohol.”
“Maree Todd: I have already said that there are fundamental issues and that experts who have scrutinised the bill and who have given evidence on it have raised the potential for the bill to cause more harm than good. [Interruption.] The Deputy Presiding Officer: Minister, please resume your seat. The minister has taken a number of interventions and has responded to those. I do not expect to hear a barrage of comments coming from a sedentary position. Minister, I can give you the time back for those interventions. Maree Todd: As I said, I am confident that everyone in this chamber shares the ambition to tackle drug and alcohol deaths in this country, and I am more than willing to work with members and with Opposition parties on the issues.”
“Will the minister accept an intervention? Maree Todd: In a moment. However, the committee was clear in its final report, which drew on evidence from expert witnesses, including people working in clinical fields, that progressing the bill in its current form could lead to unintended consequences that would threaten to outweigh its intended benefits. Given those concerns, I recently met with the member in charge and suggested that we consider non- legislative options, but he was unwilling to have that discussion ahead of today’s debate. I place on record my offer to Douglas Ross and to any member: I am open to working together on the issues raised by the bill. Douglas Ross: On that point, if the minister is open and willing, she should allow the bill to progress to stage 2, so that we can sort it out. That would be being open and willing.”
“I plead with the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health and the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to act quickly to ensure that the drug can be used in Scotland, if passed by the SMC. For 2025-26, the UK Labour Government delivered a record budget settlement for Scotland, including around £2 billion extra for Scotland’s NHS. It is up to the Scottish Government to ensure that that money is invested appropriately. I ask the Scottish Government to commit to investing in scanners and developing a proper workforce plan so that women who turn up for screening know that, if anything is found, they will have the fastest possible route to treatment. 13:07”
“Meanwhile, the latest census from the Royal College of Radiologists found that there was a 25 per cent shortfall of radiologists in Scotland, which is expected to rise to 35 per cent by 2029. In addition, of all the UK nations, Scotland has the worst shortage of clinical oncologists who treat cancer. Further, Scottish Labour research that was published earlier this year found that Scottish hospitals are relying on scanners that, in many cases, are decades old. We can do so much better. There is a new drug to treat secondary breast cancer, which the Scottish Medicines Consortium considered recently—this week, I believe—and an announcement is expected next week. However, we lack the capacity for the type of genetic testing that is required along with the drug, which is routinely available to women in NHS England.”
“Last week, I urged the Scottish Government to publish the cancer deprivation figures, and I repeat that call now, because it is only with accurate data that we can target those who need it most effectively. Raising awareness of screening is only part of the picture. For screening to work, not only do we need women to come in the door; we need radiographers to take scans and radiologists to make diagnoses based on the results. It is the whole journey that matters. I heard earlier this year from the Society of Radiographers, which warned that many of its members are at the point of burnout. Demand for diagnostic radiography has increased by 11 per cent year on year, and there is no equivalent increase in radiographer numbers or their equipment.”
“Sadly, however, breast cancer remains one of the main causes of death in Scotland, and the vast majority of those who are affected are women. As Marie McNair rightly said, one in nine women in Scotland will develop breast cancer, but they are five times more likely to survive it if it is caught early. Yesterday, I had the privilege of chairing a meeting with Atos Scotland and Breast Cancer Now to discuss what more progress can be made in screening. Uptake in Scotland right now is just over 75 per cent, which is good, but that still means that one in four eligible women are missing that vital opportunity. Although around 80 per cent of women from the least deprived fifth of the population take up screening, the rate among the most deprived fifth is 65 per cent.”
“I congratulate Clare Adamson on securing this important debate and commend her for her thoughtful contribution. Like other colleagues, I associate myself with her remarks. Like many other members, I come to the debate thinking of Christina McKelvie. I first met Christina when she was a young learning and development officer in social work services, working to improve the lives of families in Glasgow. It was absolutely characteristic of Christina that, even before she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, she already supported Breast Cancer Now’s wear it pink campaign. She responded to her diagnosis by campaigning even harder to encourage women to regularly check their breasts and attend screening appointments.”
“Her appointment on 10 September was cancelled; the new appointment on 24 December has since been cancelled. It was then 31 December, which has also been cancelled. Now, it is 7 April 2027. Yes, members heard me correctly—not 2026, but 2027, some 22 months after her surgery. [Interruption.] I am on my last line. Every stage of the patient journey is important and, to be frank, the way in which that patient has been treated is shocking and unacceptable. The Scottish Government has done good work, but it can and must do better. 19:20”
“Bowel Cancer UK, for example, has called for the Scottish Government to reduce that threshold so that positive bowel cancer screening tests are investigated and more early diagnosis can be made. In its report, “Cost of cancer in the UK”, Cancer Research UK tells us that the cost of treating bowel cancer increases the later it is diagnosed. It therefore makes economic sense to detect early. Some cancers are so complex and rare that the chances of being able to treat the patient and allow them to continue to live a normal life are currently quite low, but bowel cancer is not one of those. I want to leave members with the story of a woman who had emergency bowel surgery at the start of June. She was told that she would have a follow-up appointment three months later to discuss the reversal of the procedure and the removal of the stoma bag.”
“Of those who are referred for a colonoscopy, seven in 10 had to wait for more than four weeks to receive it, and three in 10 of those waited for more than eight weeks. That is eight weeks of stress, anxiety and fear before getting answers. Worryingly, last year, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh warned MSPs on the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee that four in 10 stool samples containing blood are not followed up because of a shortage of colonoscopy capacity across NHS Scotland. I am told that the current threshold for investigation in Scotland is four times the trigger point that is suggested by the UK National Screening Committee. We can do better than that and build on the positive achievements today.”
“That is a 22 percentage point gap and it is even wider than the inequality in breast cancer screening. Although men are more at risk, their uptake is lower, particularly in the most deprived areas. Earlier today, I attended an Atos and Breast Cancer Now briefing at which I heard how mobile units can be targeted more precisely at hard-to- reach populations to increase screening uptake. In fact, Edward Mountain highlighted a suggestion that, where uptake for bowel screening is low, the NHS could use mobile units to reach people in those hard-to-reach communities. It would be useful if the minister could address what the Scottish Government is doing to increase screening uptake, particularly in disadvantaged areas. It is not just about screening.”
“I thank Edward Mountain for securing the debate and for his personal contribution to the Government’s achievement. His willingness to share a personal diagnosis and his experience of treatment to raise awareness of screening and encourage others to come forward is very welcome indeed. His story tells us that screening for this cancer really matters. Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancer types in Scotland, and those who are diagnosed early are 14 times more likely to survive. We know from the latest Public Health Scotland figures that more can be done, and although we congratulate the Government, we cannot afford to be complacent. Of Scots who are eligible for screening, only about half of those who live in the most deprived areas took it up, compared to three quarters of those who live in the least deprived areas.”
“These reviews will help us better understand the warning signs so often missed before a tragedy. They will be crucial in helping to prevent so many avoidable deaths, whether by murder or suicide.” Today, this Parliament has the opportunity to ensure that the review model becomes law, and I urge everyone to support the Criminal Justice Modernisation and Abusive Domestic Behaviour Reviews (Scotland) Bill. The Presiding Officer: That concludes the debate on the Criminal Justice Modernisation and Abusive Domestic Behaviour Reviews (Scotland) Bill at stage 3. Motion without Notice 16:36”
“However, there is always work to do, and that is why the bill has been future proofed, so that we can return to the issue of so-called honour killings when that policy work has been completed. When I introduced this bill a year ago, its publication was marked by the unveiling of a previously unmarked memorial cairn in Holyrood park, in memory of domestic homicide victim Margaret Hall, who was murdered by her husband in 1720. As I said when I opened this debate, we all wish that reviews were not necessary, but, to all those who have played their part in making sure that Scotland can learn lessons to better protect victims, I offer my sincere thanks. Fiona Drouet, founder and chief executive of EmilyTest, said: “The introduction of domestic homicide and suicide reviews marks a critical step forward in Scotland.”
“It has not, and our budget of £1.64 billion is maintaining police numbers at 16,500. Indeed, over the past year or so, Police Scotland has recruited more police officers than at any time in its history since 2013. It is important to acknowledge members’ concerns. I have appeared before the committee annually with regard to the temporary measures, which I hope we will agree at decision time to make permanent. I assure members that, although I will continue to focus more on part 2 in my closing remarks, I will continue to work with Scottish Women’s Aid. I am glad that Pauline McNeill welcomes the national standards. Maggie Chapman is right to say that, although, in many ways, part 2 felt technocratic, the amendments have a very human purpose. Liam McArthur is right to say that families should not endure duplication of reviews.”
“Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention on that point? Angela Constance: I will indeed. Jackie Baillie: I cannot be silent on that. In my community, there are not enough police on Dumbarton High Street, and the number of people who are shoplifting and getting away with it is acute. It is a real problem, and I would be grateful if the cabinet secretary would acknowledge that. Angela Constance: I acknowledge that shoplifting is certainly a problem for our communities and our retail sector. That is why our budget for this year has invested £3 million to tackle those issues. Indeed, improvements are being seen as a result of that investment, which I can demonstrate if the member wishes. I was purely challenging the point that shoplifting has been decriminalised in this country.”
“To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reported comments from the chair of the British Medical Association in Scotland, that Scotland’s NHS is “dying before our eyes”. (S6F- 04352)”
“Although they, rightly, challenge the Scottish Government to show visible leadership and give a strong, clear and consistent message on cohesion and protecting our communities, my challenge to everybody is to fulfil their responsibilities and their leadership roles—in their organisations, on the streets with their neighbours and in their communities—and make sure that we treat people with compassion and kindness. That is how we can counteract division. The funding will support conversations about the difficulties that people are facing because of rising food bills. We must ensure that we deal with misinformation and realise that the challenges faced by different parts of our community are actually challenges that we all face and that we have more in common than what separates us.”
“The second issue is dealing with the problems that Scots feel disappointed with every day: the lack of housing, waiting lists in the national health service and declining town centres—all things that are the responsibility of the Scottish Government. What will the minister and her colleagues do to fix public services, rather than have more people attracted to the politics of division? Kaukab Stewart: I acknowledge that campaign, which people continue to talk to me about. Through my portfolio, I have the pleasure of meeting many faith and belief groups, older people’s organisations and disability networks, and they all express to me the point that in every aspect of our society people are feeling the rise in negative rhetoric. I am listening carefully to those groups.”
“I welcome the minister’s comments on the need to promote strong and resilient communities. I, too, reject the hostile rhetoric of Nigel Farage and Reform UK, who only offer division and hatred, rather than bringing people together. The first issue for the Government is promoting inclusion. In 2002, Scottish Labour launched the one Scotland, many cultures campaign, a public- awareness campaign celebrating the diversity of Scotland and Scots, which ran in cinemas, on television, at bus stops and in schools, right the way across the country. It challenged perceptions and promoted understanding between cultures. Will the minister repeat a population-wide awareness campaign?”
“Jackie Baillie has railed against me for the technical changes that Public Health Scotland has decided to make, independently of the Government, to ensure that the statistics are accurate. What she did not rail against was the Welsh Labour Government’s doing exactly the same thing when it looked at the issue. That just tells us what we have long known—that when Jackie Baillie comes to the Parliament to posture on the health service, she is full of hypocrisy in the stance that she takes. Dementia 6.”
“As the Scottish Government fiddles with waiting list statistics and Neil Gray rolls back on promises to end the longest waits, it bears repeating that, this week, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine warned of a continuing crisis in A and E, by highlighting an estimated 818 excess and avoidable deaths in emergency departments. The First Minister has been in government for the past 18 years. When will he get serious and wake up to the reality that patients and hard- working staff face? When will we see the end of eight-hour and 12-hour waits in Scotland’s NHS? The First Minister: As I indicated, in the data for July 2025 we have seen the lowest level of 12- hour waits since 2023, in the aftermath of the pandemic. That is just one illustration of the Government’s focus on addressing those issues.”
“I am disappointed that removing what is defined as “rent” could mean that the rent for a property that included those was considered to be too high. That would be a mistake, and I urge the cabinet secretary to reflect. For the same reason, I have looked carefully at Mark Griffin’s amendment 270, which would extend the charges that are excluded from the rent that is payable to include broadband and district heating. That is a sensible amendment for a lot of reasons that I have just given, and I hope that the cabinet secretary will support it, leave in the effect of my previous stage 2 amendment and not move her amendment 64, which seeks to squash the committee’s considered decision at stage 2.”
“It is disappointing that the Government now thinks that it is appropriate to wade in. Again, I am disappointed with the cabinet secretary’s amendment 64, which would remove the definition of “rent”. Meghan Gallacher made the point about district heating and heating infrastructure; however, it is not just about that. A lot of private rental properties in rural communities have private water supplies, which are incredibly onerous to check and maintain each year. Such properties might also have private sewerage supplies, which, as the cabinet secretary will know, do not appear on council tax bills. It therefore seems right and proper that the landlord should, if they choose, charge the equivalent amount to Scottish Water for maintaining adequate and wholesome supplies that we all want them to provide.”
“Amendments 60, 61 and 62, in the name of the cabinet secretary, are of concern to me because they take power from local authorities and invest it in the Government. I am not sure that that is democracy at local level. I am disappointed with the cabinet secretary’s amendment 63, which, let us be clear, would remove an amendment that I moved at stage 2 and that was accepted by the Government when it was discussed at committee, which was to take into account the quality, state of repair and energy efficiency of a property. There is no doubt in my mind that properties that have high standards of insulation and the highest-quality furnishings demand a different rent to that of properties that do not have those things. It seems entirely appropriate that that was agreed to by the committee, which considered it in great detail.”
“For every month in which there is some dubiety, problems are caused in the rented sector—for tenants and landlords—and disagreement could be caused. That is why I want the process to be done in three months. I will also draw to the attention of the cabinet secretary the fact that, although there may be no legal definition of “detailed” that she is prepared to accept, the “Oxford English Dictionary”—always a good place to start—says: “having many details or facts” and “showing attention to detail”. That is what I was asking for in the report. It is not a big ask. I am slightly disappointed that the cabinet secretary does not think that that is a useful addition to the points that she has made.”
“For all those reasons, I urge members to support my amendments in the group and to reject the amendments in the names of Edward Mountain, Maggie Chapman and Mark Griffin. I move amendment 125. Edward Mountain: At the outset, I state for the record—I am sure that it will not surprise anyone— that I do not like rent control areas. They are a blunt instrument to achieve the aim. The purpose of my amendments 126 to 130 is to make people get a move on when they detail out and make reports. I do not believe that three months is too tight a timescale. In the real world, people provide reports much more quickly. It is therefore unfair to give the reason that “three months is too quick” and to excuse councils and the Government from making decisions in that period.”
“Despite agreeing and understanding the different nature of the situations in rural and urban Scotland, I cannot have a situation where we have different definitions of “rent payable” for the designation of rent control and for the operation of rent control, and I cannot have a situation where utilities are taken outwith the definition of “rent payable” and can therefore be increased outwith the protections that would otherwise be afforded to the tenant. However, I commit to continuing to work with Scottish Land & Estates on the nuances there. 16:00 For all the reasons that I have set out, I have lodged amendment 64 to remove the confusing definition that was added at stage 2, so that the operation is seamless and there is continuity between definitions.”
“That would allow any unscrupulous landlord to increase costs for such utilities at any time and to any level outwith the protections that would otherwise be afforded if it was part of the definition of rent. Meghan Gallacher: In many rural properties, landlords supply those services via private infrastructure and there is no alternative provider in the area. Utility costs are, therefore, often included as part of the rental change. There needs to be fairness in relation to geography. Does the cabinet secretary understand that not every area will be the same and that these issues have been brought to Parliament in order to create fairness in the sector? Màiri McAllan: I absolutely understand the point that Meghan Gallacher puts to me, and it is something that I discussed with Scottish Land & Estates before stage 3.”
“However, the committee agreed to our stage 2 amendments to section 15, which, as amended, now allows local authorities or the Scottish ministers to collect specific information on whether the rent payable for a property includes any costs associated with the property and what those costs are, as part of their data gathering on rents. In addition—I expect that this point will resonate with Mark Griffin, because I am sure that this was not his intention—excluding utilities from the definition in this part of the bill has potential to create confusion in the sector, because the definition that was inserted at stage 2 would create a distinction between, on the one hand, the definition of “rent payable” for the purposes of designating rent control and, on the other, the definition of that term for the operation of rent control.”