Steven Bonnar
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure continuity of prescribing, clinical oversight and support for young people with autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions as they transition to adult healthcare services, particularly in relation to the prescribing of treatments and medications initiated in childhood t…”
“I thank the cabinet secretary for her previous and extensive answers on the topic. Will she outline how the Scottish Government will ensure that any future developments deliver local economic benefits, while also ensuring that planning authorities have the capacity and support that is required to properly assess these large- scale project…”
“The applications themselves, and the types of technology that they use—for example, to limit water consumption and to partner with other companies that might act as off-takers for excess heat—could provide an almost closed-loop system. We must look not only at the economic opportunities.”
“I thank Mr Harley for raising this important matter. Parents in Uddingston and Bellshill have told me that, although support might be available during the school day, suitable after-school and holiday provision for autistic children remains extremely limited.”
“I have visited Hailesland early years centre, where I saw a beautiful sensory room to which children could go to have their needs met. The second part of my answer is that provision has to improve. That is exactly why the work that we are funding now will inform the expansion of childcare in the coming years.”
“Affordable bus travel is also good for our economy and our local environment. If we want fewer cars on the road—I think that we all do— lower emissions and less congestion, public transport must be an attractive and affordable option. People cannot be expected to make the switch if fares remain too expensive.”
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“To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure continuity of prescribing, clinical oversight and support for young people with autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions as they transition to adult healthcare services, particularly in relation to the prescribing of treatments and medications initiated in childhood that provide benefit in adulthood, including whether it has issued any guidance to NHS boards. (S7O-00127)”
“The applications themselves, and the types of technology that they use—for example, to limit water consumption and to partner with other companies that might act as off-takers for excess heat—could provide an almost closed-loop system. We must look not only at the economic opportunities. We must also be mindful of where developments are located—there needs to be an economic benefit for the areas that they serve.”
“I thank the cabinet secretary for her previous and extensive answers on the topic. Will she outline how the Scottish Government will ensure that any future developments deliver local economic benefits, while also ensuring that planning authorities have the capacity and support that is required to properly assess these large- scale projects and protect Scotland’s climate ambitions? Gillian Martin: The answer is, in general, yes. Data centres and developments that bring employment opportunities and investment to Scotland are welcome, but they must dovetail with our other national priorities. If the associated environmental impact does not meet our guidelines, that would clearly be a problem.”
“I have visited Hailesland early years centre, where I saw a beautiful sensory room to which children could go to have their needs met. The second part of my answer is that provision has to improve. That is exactly why the work that we are funding now will inform the expansion of childcare in the coming years.”
“I thank Mr Harley for raising this important matter. Parents in Uddingston and Bellshill have told me that, although support might be available during the school day, suitable after-school and holiday provision for autistic children remains extremely limited. What action is the Scottish Government taking to ensure that families across Lanarkshire can access affordable specialist support through the year, including during school holidays? Màiri McAllan: There are two parts to my answer. We are already funding some of that specialist provision throughout Scotland. I mentioned the Yard in Dundee in my initial answer. I also mention Support, Help and Integration in Perthshire, which is a fantastic service that provides play and support for children with varying needs.”
“They help to reduce inequality and ensure that where someone lives does not determine the opportunities that are available to them. For those reasons, I welcome the Scottish Government—”
“Affordable bus travel is also good for our economy and our local environment. If we want fewer cars on the road—I think that we all do— lower emissions and less congestion, public transport must be an attractive and affordable option. People cannot be expected to make the switch if fares remain too expensive. Affordability alone is not enough. We must continue to improve reliability, frequency and connectivity, and we have heard about that from across the chamber today. Constituents regularly tell me that they need buses that they can depend on, particularly in the evenings and at weekends. Affordable fares and reliable services must go hand in hand. Affordable bus fares are not simply a transport policy but a policy of opportunity. They help to connect people to jobs, education, healthcare and community life.”
“That journey was not across Scotland or even outside the region; it was a short local trip home after a long night shift. For many households that are already facing cost of living pressures, transport costs are often another barrier to opportunity. If we are serious about tackling poverty and expanding opportunities, we must be serious about the cost of getting to work, an education facility or community-based activity. That is why the proposed extension of the £2 cap to places such as Lanarkshire will be vitally important for people. For my constituents, it could make a real difference. It could help an apprentice to travel to their placement, support shift workers who are commuting across the region and make it easier for families to access sport and leisure opportunities.”
“I have always been a bus user, and I know how vital bus services are to people. That gives me a real appreciation of how important affordable, reliable services are. The Scottish Government’s concessionary bus travel scheme has already transformed the lives of many people. We have outlined that the under-22s scheme has helped young people to access education, employment and training opportunities, while free travel for older and disabled people continues to reduce isolation and support independent living. Those policies are making a real difference. However, many working-age adults continue to face significant transport costs. I recently heard from one of my constituents, Drew, who paid £6.20 for a single journey on the X44 bus between Holytown and Bellshill—places that you know well, Presiding Officer.”
“I was keen to contribute to today’s debate on affordable bus fares because public transport is about far more than just getting from one place to another; it is about opportunities, fairness and connection. For many people across Scotland, particularly in communities such as Uddingston and Bellshill, the bus remains an essential lifeline. As the transport secretary outlined earlier, residents rely on bus services to access their work and education, attend healthcare appointments and stay connected in their local communities. For those without access to a car, there is often no realistic alternative. I am a non-driver. I rely on buses every week to get around my constituency and, of course, to travel through here to the Parliament. I have done that in my other life, outside of politics.”
“The story of our communities has never been one of limitation; it has always been one of determination, resilience and hope. I believe in the potential of the people I represent, and I believe in the potential of Scotland, too. Every day that I have the privilege to sit here in this Parliament, I will seek to ensure that the people of Uddingston and Bellshill have a voice that is heard, a corner that is fought for and a future that is believed in.”
“What matters is that people continue to have a voice and that the democratic choices of the people of Scotland are respected. Those very people have just elected the biggest pro-independence Parliament ever. It is time that they were respected. I am proud of the values that have shaped me and of the heritage that has made me, which were forged in the steel and the coal that powered these nations for generations. I am proud of where I come from and deeply honoured to represent its people in our national Parliament. As Scotland looks forward to a summer of sport and lifting the world cup, there will be moments when millions of us will come together for one cause—in hope and belief in our team, daring to dream about what might just be possible. That spirit should not be confined to sport.”
“For me, that is what representing Uddingston and Bellshill will always be about—being accessible, answering the call and helping people to navigate a system that, far too often, feels as though it is stacked against them. It is about standing up for those people who need a voice. If we in this Parliament are serious about representing people, we must also be serious about listening to them and the democratic choices that they make, because democracy did not end in 2014. For many people—people like me—it simply began then. I cast my first-ever vote in the 2014 referendum at 33 years of age, and I have cast a vote in every election since. People can support independence or they can oppose independence. In a democracy, both those positions are legitimate.”
“I spoke to workers finishing long, gruelling shifts, pensioners worried about making ends meet, young people wondering what opportunities their future would hold, and shattered parents doing everything that they possibly could to stretch that pound a wee bit further. Although every conversation was different, there was one thing that I heard time and time again—that people felt disconnected from politics and from their politicians. Too many people feel that decisions are made about them, not with them, and certainly not for them. That must change, and we must be that change, because when this Parliament works well, it improves people’s lives.”
“My constituency has produced double Paralympian Michael Kerr, world champion boxer Lawrence Murphy, youth world boxing champion Michael McGurk and many more whose achievements continue to inspire through the generations. We have had European champion runners such as the Bellshill bullet, Tom McKean—who remembers him?—while footballing gods such as Sir Matt Busby, Billy McNeill, Jimmy Johnstone and John Robertson have all held aloft the European cup. Sporting greatness is indeed a forte of Uddingston and Bellshill. During the election campaign, I spent many months on the doorsteps talking to voters about their priorities.”
“Those are the communities that helped build modern Scotland, from the invention of the Wilkie iron plough in Uddingston, which transformed agriculture across the world in the 1800s, to the achievements of two Nobel prize winners, Sir James Black of Uddingston and David MacMillan of Bellshill. Their contribution to our national story is immense. From factory floors to the biggest stages in the world, our communities have never been short of talent, endeavour or success. Those values and that success are perhaps nowhere more abundant than in sporting circles. In a debate titled “summer of sport”, I can say with considerable confidence that Uddingston and Bellshill ranks alone as Scotland’s great sporting hotbed.”
“From Viewpark to Whitehill, from Uddingston to Bothwell, from Bellshill to Mossend, from Holytown to Carfin and from Newarthill to New Stevenston, these are proud communities, shaped by hard work, determination and solidarity. For generations, we were the beating heart of industrial Scotland. These days, the pits are closed, the miners’ rows are gone and the steelworks, the brickworks and the Caterpillar factory no longer dominate the skyline, but the people remain, the families remain, and so, too, do the values that were so prevalent in those lost industries.”
“Allow me to welcome you to your new place, Presiding Officer. It is an incredible honour to rise to speak for the first time as the MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, my home town, in Scotland’s national Parliament. Before I begin, I acknowledge my predecessor, Stephanie Callaghan, and I thank her and her office team for their service to the people of the constituency and indeed to the Parliament. I also thank every person who put their trust in me and the SNP at the recent election. Whether they voted for me, campaigned for me, challenged me on the doorstep or simply shared their frustrations or hope for a better future, I thank them. Although I have the privilege of sitting here in this magnificent chamber, this seat does not belong to me; it belongs to the communities and the people I represent.”
“My true allegiance is to the people of Scotland. It is they who are sovereign and it is in their interests alone that I say this affirmation. I, Steven Bonnar, 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.”