Alison Thewliss
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“In that light, I welcome the campaigners in the public gallery today, who have dedicated their lives to that fight. The Scottish Government has proudly supported action mesothelioma day and has contributed to members’ business debates on the subject for several years.”
“However, one of my constituents has told me that they remain concerned about the continuity of prescriptions, such as those for melatonin, when responsibility transfers between services.”
“I thank my colleague Marie McNair for bringing this debate to the chamber, which she has now done for a fifth year. I also thank all members—both those who spoke and those who were not able to speak today—for their presence and thoughtful contributions.”
“She is correct in saying that justice delayed is justice denied. I hope that all members, as well as the campaigners, will welcome the commitment to a bill and that Parliament will be able to support it on a cross-party basis, because, as we have heard, the issue affects people across our country.”
“As many members have mentioned, the current law on limitation, which sets time limits for raising court proceedings, can create difficulties for people with mesothelioma.”
“[Applause.] I know that Marie McNair is among those who have campaigned for such a change and had asked the First Minister to include such a bill in the programme for the first year of this parliamentary session, so I am very pleased to be able to confirm that we will do so. Marie McNair: I am delighted to hear it.”
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“As she will understand, I will not make a financial commitment in that regard today, but the point has been noted, and I will give thought to that.”
“She is correct in saying that justice delayed is justice denied. I hope that all members, as well as the campaigners, will welcome the commitment to a bill and that Parliament will be able to support it on a cross-party basis, because, as we have heard, the issue affects people across our country. There is no party-political point to be made on that front— mesothelioma affects people regardless. I want to acknowledge some of members’ contributions. Several members—including, in particular, Heather Anderson—mentioned the barriers to compensation for women. That issue is worth further consideration, because, in many cases, it is difficult to prove where that harm has come from. We will need to give further thought to that. Jackie Baillie mentioned the case of Scottish Borders Council schools.”
“[Applause.] I know that Marie McNair is among those who have campaigned for such a change and had asked the First Minister to include such a bill in the programme for the first year of this parliamentary session, so I am very pleased to be able to confirm that we will do so. Marie McNair: I am delighted to hear it. I welcome today’s announcement on the time bar issue, which I know will be well received by asbestos sufferers and campaigners. Does the minister accept that, on this issue, justice delayed is justice denied? Can she tell us how quickly the Government will proceed with the bill? Alison Thewliss: I hope to be able to introduce the bill by the end of the year, but the member will appreciate that parliamentary timescales prevent me from giving a specific date at the moment.”
“As many members have mentioned, the current law on limitation, which sets time limits for raising court proceedings, can create difficulties for people with mesothelioma. Through absolutely no fault of their own, they might find themselves unable to raise a case within the required timescales, which, in effect, denies them access to a legal remedy. The Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament have a strong record of supporting those who have been exposed to asbestos, whether through negligence or breach of a statutory duty. I am therefore pleased to be able to confirm that the Scottish Government intends to introduce a bill that will give effect to the Scottish Law Commission’s recommendations for reform of the law of limitation in relation to certain asbestos- related conditions.”
“As others have mentioned, the issue has not gone away, due to the presence of asbestos in some buildings across Scotland. Therefore, awareness raising is vital in improving earlier diagnosis, helping people to access the care and support that they need and supporting new innovations in research and treatment. It is well known that asbestos exposure is a major contributing factor in the development of mesothelioma. As well as seeking to prevent exposure to asbestos, the use of which, as Jackie Baillie mentioned, has been banned in the UK since 1999, and ensuring that appropriate medical care is available for those who are affected by asbestos exposure, the Scottish Government remains committed to protecting individuals’ rights to compensation.”
“In that light, I welcome the campaigners in the public gallery today, who have dedicated their lives to that fight. The Scottish Government has proudly supported action mesothelioma day and has contributed to members’ business debates on the subject for several years. As the new Minister for Community Care, I am honoured to lend my voice to the much-needed awareness raising on mesothelioma and on the good work that is being done by people across Scotland. As everyone has said, mesothelioma is a devastating disease that continues to affect individuals, families and communities across Scotland. It is a devastating and long-lasting part of our post-industrial legacy, not only in Clydebank and along the Clyde, as we have heard, but in different parts of the central belt and everywhere where there has been some degree of heavy industry.”
“I thank my colleague Marie McNair for bringing this debate to the chamber, which she has now done for a fifth year. I also thank all members—both those who spoke and those who were not able to speak today—for their presence and thoughtful contributions. As Carol Mochan mentioned, it is also worth recognising members who previously contributed to these debates but who are not with us in this session of Parliament, including Richard Leonard, Bill Kidd and Jackson Carlaw. We are in a new session, but the fact that members who are no longer with us in the chamber have also spoken about the issue reflects the fact that it is not a new one. The issue of mesothelioma has not gone away, and it is now on all of us in this Parliament to continue the fight for truth and justice that so many have begun.”
“I reassure Steven Bonnar that the Scottish Government continues to engage with NHS boards to support the implementation of good transition planning, including joined-up work between children’s services and adult services.”
“However, one of my constituents has told me that they remain concerned about the continuity of prescriptions, such as those for melatonin, when responsibility transfers between services. Will the minister provide reassurances that national health service boards are being supported to ensure that no young person experiences an interruption to clinically beneficial treatment solely because they have reached adulthood? Alison Thewliss: I thank Steven Bonnar for his point. Clinical responsibility for prescribing rests with the clinician who is taking on a young person’s care, and they must exercise their professional judgment. They should take full account of a young person’s prior treatment and clinical history, and they should work collaboratively across services to provide safe and appropriate continuity of care.”
“As is set out in the neurodevelopmental specification for children and young people, a robust transition care plan should be put in place in line with the Scottish Government’s transition care planning guidance. Young people should be fully involved in the planning of their transitions to adult services or other services as appropriate to their needs. In 2018, the Scottish Government published the transition care plan guidance, which describes the standards that are required in the planning of good transitions for young people who are moving from children’s services to adult services. Steven Bonnar: I welcome the work that the Government is undertaking to improve transitions from children’s services to adult services.”
“We are also focusing on prevention and early intervention approaches to help to keep people well and to reduce the risk of placement breakdown, which can sometimes lead to people being put in hospital. The Presiding Officer: Minister, please wind up—this is a long answer. Alison Thewliss: That includes the introduction of learning disability annual health checks, which are being rolled out across”
“It should be remembered that people may well have had a need for assessment and treatment when they were admitted to hospital, but it is also the case that some people will have been admitted because their community placement had broken down, and people sometimes stay in hospital for too long when they should be being supported in the community. We are currently developing a complex support needs pathway, which is an action in the action plan. That will set out key actions, timelines and guidance for each stage from admission to discharge. It will be an important tool that will effectively provide a person-centred standard for discharge from hospital. The pathway is being finalised and will be consulted on soon.”
“There are 29 adults with learning disabilities in inappropriate out-of-area placements, and 67 people are stuck in hospital despite being clinically ready to leave. Of those 67 people, 42 have been waiting for more than a year and nine have been stuck in hospital for more than six years. A further 196 people were recorded as being at risk of support breakdown. What measures will the minister urgently take now to ensure that all people with learning disabilities have the home environment and skilled support that they need to fulfil their human right to life in the community? Alison Thewliss: We should be concerned about anybody being inappropriately stuck in hospital for too long, and action is ongoing on that issue.”
“We established the dynamic support register in 2023 to ensure that people with learning disabilities and complex needs are visible and as a tool to support targeted local action. The most recently published quarterly statistics evidence that there has been some progress on the issue. They show that the number of people in the “Urgent” category has reduced from 488 to 383 since March 2024, which is a reduction of more than 100 people. I remain committed to continued improvement, and we are providing a further £20 million to implement the “Coming Home Action Plan”, which was published on 19 March this year. That will take our total direct investment to date in “Coming Home” to £40 million. Joe Long: Notwithstanding the progress that has been made, the figures that were published last week by Public Health Scotland are stark.”
“I thought that the whole point of being Scottish was to lead the world, not just to follow failed experiments elsewhere. I go back to my second question to the First Minister today. Do we simply not understand that, if we raise taxes, we collect less money but that, if we cut taxes, we collect more money? Is not the objective to raise more revenue? Between 2000 and 2017, Sweden cut its tax ratio from 51 per cent to 44 per cent of gross domestic product, and it collected an additional £20 billion per annum. The experiment has been done. As I said in my maiden speech, it was the Scots who invented modern economics 250 years ago.”
“We need to get our own people back to work, and we need to give a lot of care and attention to our own people who are struggling and need pathways back to work. So far, in the three weeks of this session of Parliament, I have not heard any solutions or proposals put forward to help our people back to work. Let me finish with the idea that the solution is always to tax the rich, which is perfectly laudable and understandable. The top 1 per cent of earners currently pay 30 per cent of income tax, and the top 10 per cent pay 50 per cent. That is only a quarter of a million Scots. They are already willingly standing their round at the bar, but, if we tax them too much, they will leave. In Europe, wealth taxes have been abandoned in Germany, Sweden and France, because they do not collect what they are meant to collect.”
“Do the Greens think that our people are not caring or capable enough? I do not understand. Their solution is to tax the rich, send our workers home on benefits and then bring in immigrants to do the jobs that Scots apparently do not want to do themselves, which I find quite bizarre. I will take that intervention from Craig Hoy now. Craig Hoy: Can Malcolm Offord clarify where Reform Scotland stands on benefits? We have been very clear on the two-child benefit cap—we would restore it and apply it to the Scottish child payment. What is Reform’s policy on that? Malcolm Offord: I assure Craig Hoy that we believe that the best form of welfare is a job, and we believe that we need to deal with the welfare bill, which is spiralling out of control.”
“Will the member take an intervention? Malcolm Offord: No. I am going to keep going with this. Our very own people— Alison Thewliss: Will the member take an intervention? Malcolm Offord: I will take the intervention. Alison Thewliss: If the member checks the Official Report, he will see that I said no such thing. However, we should not be sending away people who are here to help. Malcolm Offord: We need to look after our own people and help them back to work. We have 750,000 Scots who are not working, and we need them back in our communities. I salute the new Green member Cara McKee, who spoke eloquently about the need for care workers in our community. She talked about the need to train them more and pay them more. Why can we not start with our own amazing home-grown Scots and create a new, proud care-in-the-community profession?”
“I urge members across parties to support the motion and to work with us on that common ground to keep building a health and social care system of which we can all be proud. Business Motion 16:51”
“It is our most cherished public service and we must work together to ensure that it delivers for the people of Scotland. In summary, the SNP Scottish Government is improving access to treatment, with new GP walk- in centres and new heart and lung health MOTs. We are shifting the balance of care towards homes and communities, delivering hospital at home and new community optometry and audiology services. We are redesigning hospital and care services for the future, using digital innovation and delivering Scotland’s new app, MyCare.scot. We are delivering person-led and compassionate care that is shaped by individuals, their families and the workforce. We are embedding prevention by tackling the root causes of health inequalities, and we are strengthening the integration of our services. We are clear about the future that we want to build.”
“I look forward to working with them to take forward that issue, which matters so much to so many people. Although we have record investment of more than £2.3 billion in social care and record funding of almost £15.7 billion for local authorities, our system needs to evolve. As the cabinet secretary and other members have made clear, that cannot ever be to the detriment of our hard-working health and care staff. We are grateful for all that they do, and we are determined to work hand in hand with our workforce and with unions to bring meaningful reform. I thank Cara McKee and Maggie Chapman for their thoughtful contributions on the matter. The strength of feeling that has been expressed reflects how deeply we all value our health and care system.”
“In Scotland, there are great examples of partnership working, particularly with the third sector and charities, but, equally, there are stubborn challenges, with levels of delayed discharge remaining too high. Each person who experiences a wait to go home from hospital is one too many, but it is worth remembering that some 97 per cent of people are discharged from hospital without delay. I was glad to hear Morven-May MacCallum’s moving speech about her experience with Lyme disease. Misdiagnosis and disbelief are still huge issues for far too many people, and I look forward to working with her on that so that more progress can be made and nobody feels left behind by our NHS and care services. I also note the powerful contributions of Miles Briggs and Bob Doris on the importance of advocacy when it comes to palliative care and hospices.”
“That is all about making it easier for people with hearing loss to get the support that they need without having to go into hospital for an appointment. As Stuart McMillan pointed out, being able to access those services locally saves time and money and makes things so much easier for our constituents. Laura Moodie pointed out that those things can be a barrier to care, and we should bear them in mind when we think about those services. Shifting the balance of care is also about ensuring that people do not remain in hospital longer than they need to. Renewal and reform require us to work with partners across local government, the NHS and integration authorities to find whole-system solutions and to drive improvement.”
“I was pleased to hear Joe Long mention the importance of making sure that people with learning disabilities get access to health services on the same basis as others—and on a basis that is right for them. We cannot continue to have a certain group in society suffering from health inequalities. I look forward to working with him to progress the issue. We must focus on the care that can be shifted into our communities, closer to the people who need it. We are the only part of the UK to provide universal free eye examinations, which can identify a range of conditions. We have already built on that with our fantastic community glaucoma service, and we now want to go further with community audiology services delivered locally.”
“Those organisations, many of which I have in my Glasgow Central constituency, are often closest to people’s daily lives, providing the trusted and accessible support that underpins good health. As Heather Anderson pointed out, the historical example of John Boyd Orr is key. The importance of the price of food to people’s health and wellbeing cannot be overestimated, which is why we are taking forward public health proposals on food prices. As David Linden mentioned, the Thistle centre in Glasgow, which I had a small role in encouraging and supporting, delivers support to people who are often considered to be at the very edges of our society and who do not get the opportunity to engage with those services. It helps to keep those people alive and prevents them from failing to get the support that they very much need.”
“I would direct her to read “Social Murder?” by David Walsh and Gerry McCartney, which lays out in brutal detail the impact that those cuts have on people’s lives and their wellbeing. People are kept healthier through prevention. We want to ensure that Scotland continues to pave the way in life-changing public health interventions such as the baby box and minimum unit pricing. However, that prevention, as Miles Briggs mentioned, is not delivered by the NHS alone. It requires co-ordinated action across Government, in health, in housing, in education, in transport and in business, and working in partnership with our public services, with local government and, critically, with the community and voluntary sector.”
“There is more progress to be made on HIV eradication, as other members have mentioned, but getting rid of it is a real goal that, in the past, seemed quite impossible. We can also see the progress that we have already made in relation to vaccinations. As many members mentioned, the role of prevention is absolutely crucial. Paul McLennan, Maggie Chapman, Helen McDade, Lloyd Melville and Heather Anderson all mentioned the importance of prevention, as well as health inequalities. I want to take issue with part of what Helen McDade said. Austerity is about more than just pounds and pence coming through in a budget; it is about the impact that it has on people’s lives.”
“The Scottish Government will remain focused on finding the solutions to the pressures and challenges in the here and now while we work to deliver the long-term sustainable improvements that our services need. For my part, that means building on the important progress that was made by my predecessors, such as the approach that we have seen to community pharmacies, with more than 5 million consultations having been delivered. As Lloyd Melville mentioned, that represents the right care being delivered in the right place at the right time for people. It can make a huge difference and can keep them away from the A and E front door. There has also been progress in dentistry, with 2025 having seen the largest rise in the number of domestic dental students in a decade—up 7 per cent.”
“I note that Unison has launched a fair visa campaign in recognition and defence of the role that those workers play in our health and care system, and I absolutely agree that we, in Scotland, cannot afford to lose those skilled workers. Today, I say that we welcome those workers and we thank them for their service. I will never—ever—entertain the abhorrent comments that we heard from Reform UK throughout the election campaign and that, indeed, we have heard in this chamber in recent days. As minister, I will always fight for a care system in Scotland that is inclusive, diverse and fit for the Scotland that we want to build. I will not repeat the health secretary’s earlier extensive remarks on progress, but it is right that we recognise the substantial progress that we have delivered.”
“We are taking steps to tackle those challenges, including through the introduction of sectoral bargaining, new investment in complex care packages and our new displaced worker scheme, which we will expand to deliver 45,000 extra hours of care every month. In the absence of this Parliament having the full range of powers, we need the UK Government to step up and reverse its self-defeating approach to migration. We now have Parliaments with Reform politicians who are pushing Labour and Keir Starmer further and further to the right, but what we need here, at Holyrood, is for the majority of MSPs to stand collectively against the disgraceful demonising of migrants and those people who make such a valuable contribution by caring for our loved ones.”
“In Scotland, our priority will always be to protect our NHS from the creeping privatisation that we have seen in England and to always keep it free at the point of use. In my previous role, I witnessed the devastating impact of cruel Westminster immigration policies on our fellow human beings, particularly those who had not been permitted to carry on their work in the health service despite having so much to contribute. I fought against those policies and continue to believe that they are anathema to Scotland’s development and prosperity. The closure of the adult social care visa route for international care workers under Keir Starmer’s Government has exacerbated the recruitment challenges that are faced by care homes the length and breadth of Scotland, particularly in our rural communities.”
“I have listened to the debate, and it is clear from members’ contributions that there is far more that unites us than divides us when it comes to the future of Scotland’s health and care system. I am committed to working constructively across the chamber to deliver sustainable, system-wide improvements that meet the needs of people and communities across Scotland, now and in the years ahead. As the cabinet secretary outlined in her opening remarks, we have made substantial progress over the past year and our NHS has turned a corner. In this role, I have the privilege of being able to look at the challenges that we face with fresh eyes, bringing in my experience as a former MP and councillor and my experience from the casework that we all receive, which others have mentioned.”
“I know that she has a lot more to give to public life. We shared a constituency office for a while, and I remain saddened that we will not be serving here together. The constituency of Glasgow Central crosses the Clyde from Calton to Govan, Parkhead to Drumoyne and Yorkhill to Laurieston. I look forward to engaging with and representing every part of the constituency, and it is a considerable honour to do so. I welcome all the other first speeches that we have heard this afternoon from Helen McDade, David Green, David Linden, Joe Long, Cara McKee, Morven-May MacCallum and Laura Moodie. All of them are a great credit to their parties, and I hope to work closely with them as we move forward together.”
“John Mason represented the Glasgow Shettleston part of the Glasgow Central constituency—the part that David Linden does not have. It will surprise nobody to learn that John and I disagreed on a few issues over the years, but his diligent service to his constituents was never in question. After first being elected as a councillor in 1998 and being elected as an MP in the groundbreaking 2008 Glasgow East by-election, he came here in 2011. He engaged consistently with faith communities in a way that few others could, and I wish him a long and happy retirement. Last but by no means least, my friend Kaukab Stewart represented the Glasgow Kelvin part of the Glasgow Central constituency with vigour for the past five years. She will always be the first woman of colour to have been elected to Scotland’s Parliament.”
“I know from speaking to her former constituents how much they valued the ways in which she supported them, and I have seen at first hand the way that she would bring people together to solve problems locally. During the election, people on the doors reflected to me how much her leadership during the pandemic had meant to them personally. A second former First Minister, Humza Yousaf, MSP for the Glasgow Pollok constituency, represented the Govan part of Glasgow Central. I first met Humza when I was convener of the Young Scots for Independence, so it feels slightly incongruous that he should have already retired from this place. I have huge respect for his work in the constituency and for his principled stance in standing up for the people of Gaza, and I cannot wait to see what he will go on to do next.”
“I am delighted to be part of this wonderful health team with these fabulous colleagues. I also make my first contribution as the first MSP for Glasgow Central. Most members have paid tribute to their predecessors, but, thanks to the efforts of Boundaries Scotland, I find myself with four predecessors to mention. I would appreciate colleagues’ indulgence while I do so. I have four very different pairs of shoes to fill, the first of which is that of Nicola Sturgeon, former First Minister but, most importantly, MSP for the Glasgow Southside part of my constituency. She is a particular inspiration to the shy, geeky, bookish kids like me, as well as to many women across our country.”
“Thank you, Presiding Officer. I welcome you to your role. I am delighted to respond to the debate in my new role as Minister for Community Care. Jackie Baillie said that the role is challenging, but I am very much up for the challenge. I am honoured to speak on investing in, protecting and renewing Scotland’s NHS—an issue that touches every family and every community across our country. In my own family, my dad was supported in his 30s to recover from a stroke; my mum survived breast cancer; and my brother, in a more challenging incident, survived a misdiagnosed burst appendix. The NHS touches us all and it is very precious to every one of us. I pay tribute to Neil Gray—I wish him luck in his new role—and to Jenni Minto, who did so much in her role as Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health.”
“I move amendment S7M-00159.4, to leave out from “welcomes” to end and insert: “recognises the need for bold and ambitious reform in Scotland following the Scottish General Election; acknowledges that the majority of people in Scotland want the Scottish Government to focus on the issues that impact their day-to-day lives; considers that the priority of the Scottish Government should therefore be to improve the NHS and public services, make life more affordable, support communities and high streets, grow a fair and prosperous economy, which tackles inequality, and ensure that every child has the opportunity to succeed; believes that this ambitious future can and should be achieved through the devolved powers of the Parliament and rejects any attempt by the Scottish Government to delay this work by dedicating resources towards returning to divisive arguments of the past.””
“They do not exist. Liam Kerr: They absolutely could be—and, indeed, are being—built. What Scotland needs is informed, long-term strategic planning. We need a strategy that not only recognises the importance of oil and gas jobs, energy security, the environment, the economy and skills, but acknowledges the need for new nuclear baseload. The strategy must do so alongside and in partnership with a balanced, managed transition to renewables, and it should detail a serious long-term plan for storage and transmission to genuinely reduce people’s bills. Scotland does not need more ill-informed, superficial posturing from an SNP that is obsessed with grievance and manufactured divisions. That is why the SNP motion should be rejected and the Conservative amendment whole-heartedly supported.”
“I repeat what I said earlier: no solution should be off the table, because we must get into a better space in order to prevent this from happening in the future.”
“Does the cabinet secretary agree that clubs and fan organisations have a significant role to play in encouraging responsible behaviour among supporters? Will she encourage further engagement among all groups and representatives of the local community to find ways of preventing such antisocial behaviour in the future, given its significant impact on residents and businesses in my Glasgow Central constituency over many years? Angela Constance: I agree with the cut and thrust of Ms Thewliss’s question and that action is required now. It is clear from evidence in Scotland and further afield that, when we connect fans’ behaviour to consequences, that has an impact. As with many issues, there will be more than one solution.”
“I, Alison Thewliss, do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm, that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles, his heirs and successors, according to law. Tha mise Alison Thewliss, gu sòlaimte is fìrinneach a’ cur an cèill agus ag innse gum bi mi dìleas agus fìor umhail do A Mhòrachd An Rìgh Teàrlach, a oighreachan agus a thànaistean, a rèir an lagh.”