Yi-pei Chou Turvey
Scottish Liberal Democrats · Scotland
“I move amendment S7M-00469.4, to insert at end: “; further notes the persistently high remand population and the contribution that court delays and wider pressures within the justice system have on overcrowding in the prison estate; believes that public protection, rehabilitation, alternatives to custody and a reduction in reoffending mus…”
“Some people are bunked together in, and confined for 23 hours a day in, tiny rooms that were made for one person, in a prison estate that was better suited to previous centuries. That is a serious problem for prison staff, rehabilitation, public confidence and, ultimately, public safety.”
“I call on the Scottish Government to invest, plan strategically and more strategically face the facts—in all areas, but especially concerning our prisons. We need the court backlog to be cleared, we need to fix the root cause of offending and we need remand to be reduced where it is safe and appropriate to do so.”
“I remind members of my entry in the register of members’ interests, which states that I am still a sitting councillor on Aberdeenshire Council. On the whole, the motion that the Scottish Government has proposed today is fair, and we welcome the Government’s decision to launch a consultation.”
“Therefore, I ask those members to listen and be bold enough to agree. I say again that the crisis did not appear overnight; the Scottish Government has known for years that prison numbers were rising. Although we welcome action, we are left wondering why that action is, yet again, reactive instead of proactive.”
“Instead of planning ahead for decades, these are, once again, emergency measures. The issue is simple: dangerous offenders should be in prison, victims deserve protection and communities deserve safety. Prison is a punishment, but it should also serve to rehabilitate. We have the tools that are needed to exist in a just society.”
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“I move amendment S7M-00469.4, to insert at end: “; further notes the persistently high remand population and the contribution that court delays and wider pressures within the justice system have on overcrowding in the prison estate; believes that public protection, rehabilitation, alternatives to custody and a reduction in reoffending must be pursued together rather than in competition with one another; further believes that investment in addiction treatment, mental health services, supported housing and effective community justice are essential to reducing offending and easing the pressure on prisons, and calls on the Scottish Government to publish a long-term strategy for achieving a sustainable prison population that commands public confidence and adequately supports victims and their rights to information, protection and safety.””
“I call on the Scottish Government to invest, plan strategically and more strategically face the facts—in all areas, but especially concerning our prisons. We need the court backlog to be cleared, we need to fix the root cause of offending and we need remand to be reduced where it is safe and appropriate to do so. We need credible and properly enforced community sentences, we need investment in rehabilitation that cuts reoffending and we need to plan ahead rather than barely cope as we move from one crisis to the next. My critique today comes not from a place of values but from a place of delivery. I say to my fellow new members across the Parliament: please do not let the next five years be about us sharing values and disagreeing on delivery. We should hold our parties to account and take the actions that Scotland needs.”
“Instead of planning ahead for decades, these are, once again, emergency measures. The issue is simple: dangerous offenders should be in prison, victims deserve protection and communities deserve safety. Prison is a punishment, but it should also serve to rehabilitate. We have the tools that are needed to exist in a just society. We have a record high prison population, but we need only look at some of our Scandinavian neighbours for an example of how things can be done differently. However, instead of providing the investment that is needed, we are left patching with Band-Aids while the wraparound care that is needed to make sure that people have support when they are back home is thin, which increases the risk of reoffending.”
“Therefore, I ask those members to listen and be bold enough to agree. I say again that the crisis did not appear overnight; the Scottish Government has known for years that prison numbers were rising. Although we welcome action, we are left wondering why that action is, yet again, reactive instead of proactive. The Scottish Government knew that courts were recovering from the pandemic backlog and that more serious cases were progressing through the justice system. It knows that remand numbers remain stubbornly high and that major prison replacement projects are slipping behind schedule. We welcome the consultation and we are grateful that the Government is providing listening ears to concerns. However, we want to press the Government on the timing of this debate.”
“Some people are bunked together in, and confined for 23 hours a day in, tiny rooms that were made for one person, in a prison estate that was better suited to previous centuries. That is a serious problem for prison staff, rehabilitation, public confidence and, ultimately, public safety. However, let us be clear: the crux of the matter is that the crisis did not happen overnight, and we need to nail this dragging issue together. I am a newly elected member—I share that characteristic with more than 60 other members across the Parliament, including some members in the Government. We have come here with fresh ideas, renewed enthusiasm and close ties to the communities that we represent. I share progressive liberal values on this issue as well as on many others with many members across the Parliament, regardless of party affiliation.”
“I remind members of my entry in the register of members’ interests, which states that I am still a sitting councillor on Aberdeenshire Council. On the whole, the motion that the Scottish Government has proposed today is fair, and we welcome the Government’s decision to launch a consultation. Our prison population is too high and costs too much to the public purse. Victim support is paramount and we must work together to rehabilitate offenders. Like much of what the Scottish Government promises, the motion is forward-thinking, liberal and just. However, for the moment, those are still only words on a piece of paper and that have been spoken aloud in this chamber, far from the reality of what people across Scotland face every day. Scotland’s prisons are again operating at or near critical capacity.”
“Furthermore, the IRGC has been at the core of brutal domestic repression and threats to UK security and, by blocking it, we will ensure the safety of all Iranian and Jewish communities across the country. 17:44 Neil Gray: I have nothing further to add. The issues have been well aired and I am grateful for the indication of multiparty support for the motion. Business Motions 17:45”
“As the justice spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, I confirm that we give our full support for this bill. We have been calling on and on, since 2024, for the IRGC to be proscribed, and we are disappointed at the constant delay of the Government in doing so. The previous Conservative Government failed to proscribe the group, even though it suggested that it would in 2023. The independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, Jonathan Hall KC, recommended more than one year ago terrorism-style powers to deter state-backed actors such as the IRGC. We need to undertake this measure urgently but also to do so through due process, with strong scrutiny. The country is constantly targeted by state- backed influencers and actors, and it is crucial and vital that we have strong legislation to stop them.”
“As the Times Educational Supplement has warned, children who struggle to read at that stage of their development face a higher risk of lifelong difficulties, poorer health, unemployment and involvement with the criminal justice system, with disadvantaged children being the hardest hit. That is unacceptable.”
“The member says that we are at a crossroads and that we could be resigning ourselves to decline, but does she not think that Brexit, which happened 10 years ago as a result of the actions of the forefather of her party, is the source of the decline that has been hanging over all of us for the past decade? Angela Ross: I strongly disagree. I think that we have had 20 years of a Government that has not delivered for the people of Scotland. As I said, one in four children are suffering because they do not have the appropriate levels of literacy. That is unforgivable.”
“A formal commitment that is built into the structure across all levels of government and public bodies will ensure that the warm words that we often say are actually put into action.”
“Those who are best placed to feed back, guide, contribute to and strengthen the partnership between the Scottish Government and the third sector should never fear—in fact, they should be encouraged to speak out in a way that will challenge the status quo. I also commend colleagues for highlighting the vital role that the third sector plays as an employer. Public and private employers could learn from the third sector when it comes to creating flexible and inclusive roles for carers and people with disabilities. Too often, public bodies of all sizes overlook the voluntary sector or do not treat them equally when planning or delivering services or making decisions on delivery. If we are to truly strengthen our partnership, the third sector needs to be embraced as an equal partner across the board.”
“Time and money are wasted creating systems that rely on annual funding cycles and the financial insecurity that that creates. As highlighted by my dear neighbour as a councillor, Dawn Black, third sector organisations need to be involved in design and decision making as equal partners. As a Liberal Democrat, I am driven by our commitment to localism and to decentralising decision making right down to the hearts of communities. A commitment to co-design cannot be for show only; we need to listen to the third sector, even if what it tells us feels uncomfortable. That is why I call on members to support the amendment that was lodged by my colleague Morven-May MacCallum, which calls for the third sector to be given a licence to criticise.”
“We might think that that is amazing, but those organisations face insecure funding. They rely on the good will and expertise of volunteer trustees and have to support thousands of people to negotiate their way through complex public services, especially in our justice system. Victim Support Scotland, Scottish Women’s Aid, Citizens Advice Scotland and the Wise Group are just a few of the many organisations that help people in their daily lives. Every day, those third sector organisations face real pressures. They do a fantastic job, but I know from my experience as a beneficiary, a trustee and a councillor, and my role here in the Parliament, that they deserve more support than they are given. As colleagues across the chamber have said, the third sector is crying out for multiyear funding.”
“In closing the debate for the Scottish Liberal Democrats, I declare an interest: I am a councillor on Aberdeenshire Council and I sit on the board of trustees of the Barn arts centre and of La petite French School d’Aberdeen. My team and I have contributed to and helped in the journey of all the third sector groups that we are part of. In the north-east of Scotland, we are buzzing with such people, who are helping, willing, caring and working for free or begging for pennies to support people in their daily lives. Over the past 20 years, many of the vital public sector jobs that we spoke about only last week have migrated to the third sector—they are in community-led, community-delivered, specialised services that have been co-developed with the service users themselves.”
“We recognise some of the challenges that have arisen following the revaluation, which was reflected in the package of reliefs that was brought forward as part of the budget process. From memory, that package now totals in excess of £870 million—that is an £870 million tax cut from this Government to businesses. However, we recognise that there is more work to do, and we are committed to engaging constructively, including in the process of reviewing our rates system. It is open to all members to make representations to the Scottish Government on those matters ahead of the annual budget process.”
“I thank the minister for providing advance sight of his statement. Union Street is vital to the local economy of Aberdeen and the wider north- east region, and we want to see it full of life once more, so that the granite can shine. I welcome the Government’s announced investment, but I agree with Mr Kerr that we must ensure that it does not become too expensive for businesses to remain on Union Street and all our high streets. That is why we need action on non- domestic business rates and to build on the rates relief that the Liberal Democrats secured in the previous parliamentary session. Will the Scottish Government look into reforming business rates to ensure that shops and businesses have a secure future? Tom Arthur: Yi-pei Chou Turvey raises an important point about non-domestic rates—in fairness, Mr Kerr did so as well.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I did not manage to put the personal identification number code in properly. I would have voted yes. The Presiding Officer: Your vote has been recorded.”
“What Banffshire and Buchan Coast needs is support to turn its potential into prosperity that is seen and felt locally. That is the kind of economic growth that I want for Scotland—growth with purpose, growth that reaches people and growth that strengthens the places that we all call home. 16:46”
“That matters when energy-rich communities still face fuel poverty, when local businesses struggle to recruit, when care services need staff, when schools need teachers and when rural and coastal communities need policy that reflects the reality. That is why independence matters in this debate. There is a practical question of whether Scotland has the powers to build an economy around Scotland’s needs. However, we have responsibilities now, and we should use every power that we have to support enterprise, investment, innovation and trade. Growth cannot just be about numbers on paper; it must mean better lives, fewer children in poverty, stronger public services, healthier towns, better jobs and communities where people feel proud to stay, work, raise families and build something lasting.”
“Will the member give way? Karen Adam: I am sorry, but I will make headway and come back to the member. The north-east has its own mix of industries, pressures and opportunities, which deserves focused attention. The north-east is not waiting for somebody to come and fix everything. The people, businesses, ideas and work ethic are already in place. They need the right support, connections and doors opened. If we are serious about removing barriers to success, we have to listen to the people, businesses and communities who know what those barriers are. There are limits to what Scotland can do while key powers remain at Westminster, such as those relating to energy policy and immigration, as well as major fiscal levers and big parts of economic decision making.”
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“The Presiding Officer: That concludes decision time. Meeting closed at 17:39. This is a draft Official Report and is subject to correction between publication and archiving, which will take place no later than 35 working days after the date of the meeting. The most up-to-date version is available here: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report Members and other meeting participants who wish to suggest corrections to their contributions should contact the Official Report. Official Report Email: official.report@parliament.scot Room T2.20 Telephone: 0131 348 5447 Scottish Parliament Edinburgh EH99 1SP The deadline for corrections to this edition is 20 working days after the date of publication.”
“Motion, as amended, agreed to, That the Parliament welcomes Scotland's Summer of Sport programme, which aims to capitalise on the landmark summer of international sport taking place this year, with Scotland's men's football team competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Commonwealth Games taking place in Glasgow in July; recognises that it will provide opportunities for children and young people to take part in free and low- cost activities across the country; believes that providing positive, inclusive and inspiring sporting experiences for children and young people is one of the best things the people of Scotland can do to support physical, mental, and social health; hopes that these experiences will encourage lifelong participation in sport, whether through playing, or as future captains, coaches and volunteers across the sporting sector; calls on the Scottish Government to publish a plan and timetable for the provision of free swimming lessons for every primary school child; believes that to maintain participation in the long term, measures such as a £25 ticket cap for away football fans and support for local authorities to keep local sports venues open, including Aquatec Motherwell, are essential; recognises that sport should be accessible to all people in Scotland, irrespective of background or personal circumstances; recognises the commitments made to ensure physical education is supported in schools, including swimming lessons, and considers that sport in school and in extracurricular activities is the best way to ensure access for all young people; believes that physical education should reflect the sporting opportunities in local communities and local clubs, and considers that investment in sport should reflect the positive impact that it can have in the health of the nation and attainment in Scotland's schools.”
“Amendment agreed to. The Presiding Officer: The next question is, that amendment S7M-00208.2, in the name of Miles Briggs, which seeks to amend motion S7M- 00208, in the name of Maree Todd, on summer of sport, be agreed to. Amendment agreed to. The Presiding Officer: The final question is, that motion S7M-00208, in the name of Maree Todd, on summer of sport, as amended, be agreed to.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I would have voted yes. The Presiding Officer: Thank you. For Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) Anderson, Heather (Dundee City West) (SNP) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire West and Levern Valley) (SNP) Barratt, David (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Baxter, Andrew (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (LD) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North) (SNP) Black, Dawn (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Bonnar, Steven (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) Bouse, Gary (Falkirk West) (SNP) Briggs, Miles (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Con) Brown, Alan (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Bruce, Holly (Glasgow Southside) (Green) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Campbell, Kate (Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent) (SNP) Campbell, Michelle (Renfrewshire North and Cardonald) (SNP) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Chou Turvey, Yi-pei (North East Scotland) (LD) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh North Western) (LD) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Day, Martyn (Falkirk East and Linlithgow) (SNP) Dijkstra-Downie, Sanne (Edinburgh Northern) (LD) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Kelvin and Maryhill) (SNP) Duane, Iris (Glasgow) (Green) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con) Flynn, Stephen (Aberdeen Deeside and North Kincardine) (SNP) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Con) Gethins, Stephen (Dundee City East) (SNP) Ghani, Zen (Glasgow Cathcart and Pollok) (SNP) Gibson, Patricia (Cunninghame South) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Goodlad, Hannah Mary (Shetland Islands) (SNP) Gray, Neil (Airdrie) (SNP) Green, David (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (LD) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Hagmann, Katie (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Harley, Adam (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (LD) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen and Cambuslang) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hoy, Craig (Dumfriesshire) (Con) Kerr, Alex (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (SNP) Kerr, Calum (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Kinross-O’Neill, Kayleigh (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Green) Kumar, Simita (Edinburgh South Western) (SNP) Leask, Kristopher (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Linden, David (Glasgow Baillieston and Shettleston) (SNP) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) MacCallum, Morven-May (Highlands and Islands) (LD) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Green) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith) (SNP) Manivannan, Q (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Green) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McKee, Cara (West Scotland) (Green) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Easterhouse and Springburn) (SNP) McLennan, Paul (East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) Melville, Lloyd (Angus South) (SNP) Merrick, Colm (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Middleton, Jack (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Mitchell, Laura (Moray) (SNP) Moodie, Laura (South Scotland) (Green) Nevens, Kate (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Green) Oswald, Kirsten (Eastwood) (SNP) Rennie, Willie (Fife North East) (LD) Roddick, Emma (Inverness and Nairn) (SNP) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Slater, Lorna (Edinburgh Central) (Green) Smith, Alyn (Stirling) (SNP) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stafford, Pauline (Bathgate) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) Swinney, John (Perthshire North) (SNP) Thewliss, Alison (Glasgow Central) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Against Bannerman, Max (Highlands and Islands) (Reform) Beresford, Senga (South Scotland) (Reform) Bland, Amanda (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Reform) Currie, Victor (Highlands and Islands) (Reform) Kerr, Thomas (Glasgow) (Reform) Kirkwood, David (South Scotland) (Reform) Langan, Jamie (South Scotland) (Reform) Lindsay, Amanda (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Reform) MacDougall, Julie (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Reform) Massey, Duncan (North East Scotland) (Reform) McDade, Helen (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Reform) Offord, Malcolm (West Scotland) (Reform) Ross, Angela (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Reform) Schmulian, Kim (Glasgow) (Reform) Simpson, Graham (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Reform) Simpson, Mark (North East Scotland) (Reform) Smith, David (West Scotland) (Reform) Abstentions Ahmed, Irshad (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Lab) Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Fagan, Joe (South Scotland) (Lab) Griffin, Mark (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Lab) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Long, Joe (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) MacKinnon, Donald (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (Lab) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Sangster, Katherine (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Lab) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Young, Jenny (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Lab) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division on amendment S7M-00208.3, in the name of Gillian Mackay, is: For 88, Against 17, Abstentions 16.”
“Scottish Liberal Democrats recognise that such promises must be followed by the funding to deliver them, and we will fight for all hard-working families and their support networks, which include grandparents, friends and nurseries, to be able— finally—to achieve their choice in life and to feel that they are treated with fairness and equality. 16:30”
“Any members who have worked in a rural council will know that. We know that help with childcare needs to be serious and fair and must help parents to work or to go back to work. As a councillor in one of the most underfunded council areas, I know that decisions that we make here in Holyrood cascade down to local government, but it is unfair for underfunded councils to have to meet the costs of delivering those decisions, which increases the risk— depending on where in Scotland people live—of already overstretched localities having to find savings elsewhere.”
“However, I also wondered why it took the SNP so long to see the cost of childcare as a Munro in the achievement of a fairer society and in helping to grow our economy. Colleagues, the SNP has had 19 years in government. The babies who were born when the SNP arrived in power can have babies of their own now. The Scottish Liberal Democrats’ goals do not seem as fancy and affordable as that. That is because we budgeted the cost of our manifesto promises. In my ward, the average cost of childcare from 8 am to 5 pm, five days a week— outside the 1,140 hours—is around £1,750, so I question the budget that has been tabled to cover that childcare from the age of nine months. The Scottish Liberal Democrats know that it is nearly impossible to deliver free breakfast clubs in a rural region.”
“That is one reason why our economy is not progressing in the way that it should be. When parents have to stop working, reduce their hours or take a step back in their careers, that is not right. It is not right that they are only able to work at certain hours and times and must fit childcare around the hours that their jobs demand. Many parents wait three years between having children in order to afford the childcare. Some do night shifts and weekends shifts, and take turns to cover their childcare. Some have to move closer to their relatives or make their relatives move closer to them. When the SNP manifesto landed, I was surprised that there was a promise of free childcare and support for childcare for children from nine months onward. Maybe I was a bit delighted, because it is something that I had wanted to see for a long time.”
“I am humbled and proud to be here to serve the residents of North East Scotland. I thank my helpers, family and friends, and the people on the doorsteps who remember the good days of Mike Rumbles, Nicol Stephen, Alison McInnes and— certainly—Robert and Malcolm. The Scottish Liberal Democrats are back in North East Scotland. I can hardly believe that I have the ability to be there alongside the residents, to work for them, and to work with their businesses, educational institutions, industry and third sector. One topic that, more than anything, makes me want to help people as fast as possible to have better and fairer lives is the one that we are debating today: childcare. Colleagues are all aware that the United Kingdom has the highest childcare costs in Europe.”
“I, Yi-pei Chou Turvey, do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles, his heirs and successors, according to law. So help me God. Benren, Chou Yi-pei, jin zai ci xuanshi, wo jiang ge shou chengxin bing dushi xiaozhong Charles guowang bixia yiji ta de jichengren, bing yifa luxing zhize. Yuanshang di baoyou wo. Moi, Yi-Pei Chou Turvey, jure que je serai fidèle et porterai véritable allégeance à Sa Majesté le Roi Charles, ses héritiers et ses successeurs, conformément à la loi. Ainsi, que Dieu me soit en aide.”