Bill Kidd
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“I think that it is possible to do that, and that having a child-centred and trauma- informed manner is important. I therefore urge members to accept my amendment or to accept Roz McCall’s amendment 75. Amendment 77 defines child-centred legal advice and representation.”
“Section 18(2) distinguishes local authorities because, unlike most other referring bodies, they will usually have on-going involvement with the child and the family once a referral has been made.”
“The minister also concedes that the amendments would not do any harm, so I would still ask the Government to accept them, because they would clarify the situation and leave things in no doubt at all. Finally—the Deputy Presiding Officer will be glad to hear—I will speak to amendment 201.”
“However, in line with the UNCRC, recent reforms made by the Parliament, such as the Children (Scotland) Act 2020, have moved away from arbitrary presumptions or distinctions about a child’s capacity that are based purely on age.”
“Notwithstanding that point, I have confidence that the dedicated infants and babies workstream will bring about changes, given who is involved in it—although I fear that those changes might not be dissimilar to what is being articulated in the amendments.”
“There is no consensus on the term, which means that there is some difficulty with legislation that contains it. The amendment relates specifically to section 18, which says that local authorities must provide the child in question with information on the children’s hearings process, the availability of child advocacy services and child-ce…”
The complete record
Every one of 349 lines we hold for Bill Kidd, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 6 of 7.
“On a point of order— The Deputy Presiding Officer: I can advise Bill Kidd that his vote has been recorded. For 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) Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Con) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Callaghan, Stephanie (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Ewing, Annabelle (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con) Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) [Proxy vote cast by Ross Greer] Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Rona Mackay] Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Simpson, Graham (Central Scotland) (Con) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) 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) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) Abstentions Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Lab) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Lennon, Monica (Central Scotland) (Lab) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Sarwar, Anas (Glasgow) (Lab) Smyth, Colin (South Scotland) (Lab) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) The Deputy Presiding Officer: The result of the division is: For 96, Against 0, Abstentions 22.”
“Let action mesothelioma day 2025 not be just a day of remembrance; let it be a day of renewed resolve to right the wrongs of the past and protect future generations from a legacy that should never have been theirs and ours. 12:59”
“The recommendation is crystal clear: asymptomatic conditions should not trigger the time bar for the later development of symptomatic conditions. I believe that that is a vital step towards fairness, and I welcome it. I have spoken to the Government on that issue, and there is a need—perhaps even a duty—to consider whether a legislative amendment or regulatory action is required to address that loophole and ensure that those living with mesothelioma are not penalised by legal technicalities. I ask the minister to consider meeting me and Marie McNair to discuss how we can progress the matter. Those affected do not have the luxury of time. They deserve dignity, clarity and justice. I close by paying tribute once again to Clydebank Asbestos Group, Action on Asbestos and every campaigner who has fought so hard, often while battling illness.”
“Turning to the issue of the time bar in relation to asbestos-related conditions, although the Damages (Asbestos-related Conditions) (Scotland) Act 2009 rightly recognises that asymptomatic conditions such as pleural plaques, pleural thickening and asymptomatic asbestosis are actionable harms, we still face a serious problem. Under the current law, a person who has already claimed for an asbestos-related condition may find themselves barred from seeking further damages if they later develop mesothelioma, which is an incurable and life-limiting cancer. In recognition of that issue, the Scottish Law Commission in its December 2024 report recognised that, and I put on the record my thanks to it for its comprehensive work on the issue.”
“Once it was seen largely in men who worked in heavy industry, such as shipyards, power stations and construction, but now there are more women, more young people and more individuals from non-traditional sectors—teachers, hospital workers and people in clerical roles—who have been exposed unknowingly and often decades ago. I want to recognise the work of Action on Asbestos, which was formerly Clydeside Action on Asbestos. It is a remarkable organisation that has, for more than 30 years, stood by those affected, not just with practical support and legal advice— although it does that tirelessly—but by working directly with NHS Scotland, funding specialist nurses and vital research to improve treatment and outcomes. The work is not only compassionate but critical.”
“I thank Marie McNair for bringing today’s debate to the chamber, marking action mesothelioma day 2025. I commend her long-standing commitment to this deeply important cause. On 4 July, we will once again pause to reflect, raise awareness and, crucially, demand action. Mesothelioma is a cruel and relentless disease. It is relatively rare, yes, but it is far from irrelevant. It is a cancer that is caused almost entirely by exposure to asbestos—those invisible fibres that embed themselves in lungs, silently wreaking havoc over decades. As we have heard, there are currently around 200 cases annually in Scotland, but behind every statistic is a family, a community and, often, a story of unnecessary suffering. Tragically, the face of mesothelioma is changing.”
“We must ensure that we use what powers we have and that the voice that we raise is heard loud and clear, for it is not only through action but through moral leadership and partnership—although we must have action along with those—that we can hope to bring an end to the suffering. There can be peace in the middle east, but only if the world, including this Parliament, chooses to stand up and demand it—and demand it we do. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Thank you, Mr Kidd. We move to the open debate. 18:32”
“I welcome the fact that the Scottish Government has been outspoken in its condemnation of the genocide that is taking place in Gaza and that it has been outspoken on the need to adhere to international law. I welcome its support for a Palestinian state. I welcome its announced review of Scottish Enterprise’s human rights checks when awarding funding. However, I note the concerns of Amnesty International and Oxfam that the review lacks the necessary transparency and their calls for an independent review, which would promote transparency and trust in the process. I would welcome the Government’s thoughts on that in its response to this evening’s debate. Although I appreciate that our powers here are limited, our voice is not.”
“Ordinary Israelis have been calling for peace—I have Israeli friends who are calling for peace. Israeli Opposition leaders have called for a ceasefire and for elections to take place so that a new decision can be made. How did Netanyahu’s regime respond? It launched a unilateral strike against Iran, risking regional war and the lives of its own citizens—all to distract from corruption charges and domestic political failure. That is why I call on not only Governments but the people of Israel—good, decent people who want peace—to speak out, because their lives, too, are being gambled away in the name of fear, hate and political preservation. We must all do our part to speak out and to take concrete actions.”
“The United Nations special rapporteur on the right to food, Michael Fakhri, has asked the UN General Assembly to authorise peacekeepers to accompany humanitarian convoys. That is indeed possible and achievable. A statute dictates that, where the Security Council is paralysed by a veto, the General Assembly can—and, indeed, must— step in. A majority vote among its 193 members could authorise peacekeepers. Let us be clear that such a vote would pass. Therefore, I ask the cabinet secretary to support such a move and to urge the UK Government to bring forward such a resolution. More glimmers of hope seemed to be on the horizon when we were told that the UK and France were on the brink of recognising a Palestinian state. A Franco-Saudi summit was planned.”
“They are happier to be pictured with a beaming smile alongside a despotic US President who is hellbent on facilitating continuing genocide than to take action to save the people of Gaza or to acknowledge the historical injustices that the UK finds itself guilty of in the current situation. Internationally, we see the same inaction and the same complicity. The latest UN Security Council resolution appeared to offer a glimmer of hope as members came together to call for the actions that are set out in today’s motion, only for it to be vetoed by one party—the United States. However, rather than give the UK and others cover, we urgently need to seek other international mechanisms and instruments in the face of continual Security Council impasses.”
“Those were people desperate to live, and what they found instead was a firing line—a shooting gallery. That is not just indiscriminate or inhumane; it is a direct affront to every humanitarian principle that we claim to uphold in the international order. Yet where is the outrage? Where are the sanctions? Where, indeed, is any action? We have seen the International Criminal Court issue arrest warrants, both for Hamas leaders and for the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu. What is the response from the United Kingdom Government and the UK Prime Minister? At best, there are warm words; at worst, there is complicity.”
“At that time, some members expressed understanding for Israel’s initial actions, citing security reasons or the right to self-defence. However, I do not believe—I do not hope—that people in this Parliament continue to stand by those words in today’s circumstances. How can we defend the indefensible? How can we defend systematic destruction and blatant genocide? How can we defend mass starvation and the deliberate targeting of civilians who are seeking aid? Only last night, I listened to a British doctor who is working in Gaza. He described the injuries of civilians—men, women and children—who had been shot while attempting to reach aid distribution points. He said that those injuries could have been inflicted only on people who were lying face down in the sand, cowering in fear, unarmed and seeking food.”
“More than 55,000 people have been killed and more than 127,000 people have been injured. More than 70 per cent of Gaza has been bombed into oblivion. Since 18 March this year, more than 80 per cent of Gaza has been under displacement orders or military control orders. Each day brings more untold horror. Each new report, each image and each child’s cry pierces the conscience of the world—or at least it should. My heart goes out, as must all our hearts, to those who are directly affected—to those in Gaza who are enduring unimaginable suffering, to the families of hostages and victims, and to those in Scotland who feel that pain deeply and personally. It is a pain that we all share, whether we choose to openly acknowledge it or not. Parliament debated this very issue in the early days of the war.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. My app is telling me that I have not voted, but I did, and I voted yes. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Thank you, Mr Kidd. Your vote will be recorded.”
“Requiring procurement strategies to consider how procurement will deliver the strategic and commissioning objectives of integration authorities will empower procurement professionals to focus on practice that meets those authorities’ priorities, thus furthering integration by providing alignment on the partnership’s shared strategic objectives. I urge members to support my amendments 42 and 43 and the minister’s amendments in the group, and to reject Brian Whittle’s amendment 64.”
“In preparing that guidance, ministers will have to consult each local authority, health board, integration authority and integration joint monitoring committee, as well as representatives from various stakeholder groups that are involved in the delivery and receipt of care. That should ensure that the guidance is meaningful and takes account of practical considerations. Amendment 43 will require the contracting authority’s procurement strategy to be informed by the integration authority’s strategic plan. It will basically close the implementation gap between policy and procurement practice by ensuring that the population needs assessment, commissioning decisions and plans that are designed with service users during the strategic planning process are actually reflected in the approach to procurement.”
“As the minister knows, I hold the third sector in very high regard, and its broad support for the section is the reason why I have decided that I will not move my amendment 64. 16:15 Jackie Baillie: My amendments 42 and 43 follow amendments that Carol Mochan and I lodged at stage 2. Amendment 42 seeks to address the gap that was highlighted in the independent review of adult social care between the commissioning intent and what is ultimately delivered. Although ministers are not themselves responsible for commissioning social care, the amendment will place a duty on them to publish national ethical commissioning guidance in order to provide consistency of approach across Scotland.”
“I have sought to query that with the minister and, although I received responses—almost all of which were keen to emphasise that the ultimate responsibility for the use of that mechanism would lie with local authorities—I am not sure that the Scottish Government has managed to make the position any clearer. I have also had discussions with various stakeholders, who have ranged from being broadly in favour to being moderately concerned, with a fairly substantial number simply being ambivalent. I was sufficiently frustrated by the lack of detail on the practical application of section 41 that I felt it necessary to raise the matter in Parliament again. Ultimately, however, the third sector care providers that I spoke to about section 41 seem to be broadly supportive of it.”
“Amendment 43 would help to close the implementation gap between strategy and delivery by requiring the procuring authority to demonstrate consistency with the strategic plan of the integration authority. In conclusion, I encourage members to support my amendments 40 and 41 and Jackie Baillie’s amendments 42 and 43, and to reject Brian Whittle’s amendment 64. I move amendment 40. Brian Whittle: Amendment 64 relates to section 41 of the bill. I note that the Scottish Government has slightly amended that section, but it is not immediately clear to me how the stated aim of having a more flexible and mixed market would be achieved through a mechanism that would allow one set of providers to be locked out of that market for certain contracts.”
“I also welcome Jackie Baillie’s amendment 43, which would require contracting authorities with expenditure of more than £5 million per annum to produce procurement strategies that set out how they intended to meet specific requirements of regulated procurement. Amendment 43 pulls together those procurement strategies with integration authority strategic plans so that a contracting authority that plans to carry out procurement for a health and social care integration authority would have to say in its procurement strategy how it would go about that in a way that was consistent with the integration authority’s strategic plan. Integration authorities have told us that the separation between their function of setting aims and objectives and the delivery function, which rests with local authorities and health boards, can give rise to tension.”
“I welcome Jackie Baillie’s amendment 42, which seeks to place a duty on ministers to issue guidance on ethical commissioning for integrated health and social care services. We know from Derek Feeley’s report and from feedback that we have had from providers, commissioners and people with lived experience of using those services that experiences differ between local authority areas. We do not want the quality of the care that is delivered to be dependent on a person’s postcode. Commissioners, social care providers and those who use those services have told us that a single set of national guidance that sets out the principles of ethical commissioning and details of practical implementation would be beneficial, so I encourage members to support amendment 42.”
“That will ensure that the policy intent of extending reserved contracting processes to health and social care services is met. Brian Whittle’s amendment 64 would entirely remove section 41 from the bill, which would mean that there could not be a reserved contracting process for third sector organisations. That reflects Mr Whittle’s view that there should be no reserved contracting process to support third sector organisations. That is his position. As I have said, it is not mine, nor was it the committee’s position at stage 2, when the committee rejected an identical amendment from Mr Whittle. For that reason, I do not support his amendment 64, and I urge members not to support it.”
“I also reiterate what I said at stage 2: we need to have a mixed-market model if we are to effectively deliver adult social care. That model must include third sector, for-profit and public sector providers, and section 41 will not prevent that. It will be up to individual contracting authorities to decide which contracts to award through that reserved process, based on their knowledge of the local market and of particular issues in their area. Amendments 40 and 41 in my name are technical amendments that will extend the range of contracts that can be made subject to that reserved process to include contracts for services to health boards and special health boards, as well as those services that are provided under the functions that are listed in the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014.”
“Amendment 63 disagreed to. Section 41—Reserving right to participate in procurement by type of organisation The Deputy Presiding Officer: We turn to group 6, which is on care commissioning. Amendment 40, in the name of the minister, is grouped with amendments 41, 64, 42 and 43. Maree Todd: I will begin with the amendments to section 41 of the bill. Section 41 will allow public bodies that contract for health and care services to confine the competition to win those contracts to third sector organisations. I believe that it is important for the health and social care services market that contracting authorities can, where appropriate, carve out a space that would allow third sector organisations to win contracts without always having to compete with the for-profit giants in the sector.”
“For Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Con) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Lab) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) 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) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Lennon, Monica (Central Scotland) (Lab) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Simpson, Graham (Central Scotland) (Con) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Smyth, Colin (South Scotland) (Lab) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) 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) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) 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) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) 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) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (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) Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) [Proxy vote cast by Ross Greer] Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Rona Mackay] Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Jamie Hepburn] McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) 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) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) The Deputy Presiding Officer: The result of the division is: For 50, Against 65, Abstentions 0.”
“Amendment 39 agreed to. Amendment 63 moved—[Brian Whittle]. The Deputy Presiding Officer: The question is, that amendment 63 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Deputy Presiding Officer: There will be a division.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I am afraid that my phone is even more tired than me. I would have voted yes. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Thank you, Mr Kidd. Your vote will be recorded. For 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) (Lab) 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) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (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) Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (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) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) [Proxy vote cast by Ross Greer] Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Rona Mackay] 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) [Proxy vote cast by Jamie Hepburn] 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) 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) Sarwar, Anas (Glasgow) (Lab) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Smyth, Colin (South Scotland) (Lab) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (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) Against Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Con) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) 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) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) The Deputy Presiding Officer: The result of the division is: For 92, Against 24, Abstentions 0.”
“We made that deal with councils in good faith through the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, and I expect our councils to uphold their end of the deal. For example, I note that in excess of £12 million is being made available to help South Lanarkshire Council to do that. I hope that, when they are speaking with their local government colleagues, colleagues across the chamber will encourage them to uphold their end of the deal, which was made in good faith. In relation to Fife Council in particular, I encourage Fife colleagues to engage with the Labour-run council in that part of the country to ensure that it is not planning to cut any teacher numbers.”
“Alex Rowley raised the important issue of support for teachers. Freedom of information releases show that South Lanarkshire Council, which is run by Labour, has received more than £12 million of Scottish Government funding to reverse cuts to teacher numbers, but it refuses to do so and will end up cutting 65 more teachers. Will the cabinet secretary speak about the impact that that reckless decision by Labour will have? Does she agree that councils, including in Glasgow and other areas, should use that funding to support teachers? Jenny Gilruth: As colleagues will know, and as I iterated in my response to Mr Rowley, the Government has made available £186.5 million to increase teacher numbers.”
“We must say clearly, as a Parliament, that women are not commodities and that the buying and selling of human beings has no place in a just society. I add my voice to the calls from members across the chamber, from survivor-led organisations and from international human rights bodies to let us move forward with the Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill. Let us end the legal impunity for those who exploit and dismantle the online infrastructure that profits from pain, and let us support, not criminalise, those who have been caught in the cycle of abuse. Scotland has the opportunity to lead and to make a principled, progressive stand for justice—let us take it. 17:17”
“The United Nations special rapporteur on violence against women and girls has called on states to adopt those very reforms, as has the European Parliament, along with countless survivors, researchers and human rights organisations. If we are to live up to our obligations under the Istanbul convention and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and indeed under our own human rights framework in Scotland, that is the direction that we must take. It is not about morality, but about human dignity. We must ensure that no woman in Scotland is ever left in a position in which her only choice is to be bought and used by someone who holds economic and social power over her.”
“It means recognising that the women in prostitution are not criminals—they are victims of inequality, poverty, trauma and abuse, and they deserve not just our compassion but concrete, sustained support such as housing, trauma-informed services, mental health support, education and employment. Those are not luxuries, but necessities if we are to help women to exit exploitation and rebuild their lives. We know that the so-called Nordic model, which is sometimes called the equality model, actually works. It has been adopted in countries such as Sweden, Norway, France, Ireland and others; those countries have seen a reduction in demand and in trafficking, and improved outcomes for women.”
“Those sites are not neutral spaces—they are greedily profiting from exploitation by acting as intermediaries between buyers and vulnerable women. The report tells us also that we must criminalise the act of paying for sex, not to punish those who are engaged in survival prostitution but to hold to account those who fuel and finance the trade. We cannot say we that oppose violence against women and then allow a system to flourish in which women are bought, sold and discarded like consumer goods. However, the third and equally vital part of the model is support, which means decriminalising those who are being exploited.”
“We, in the chamber, have a responsibility not only to condemn this form of abuse, but to act—legislatively, practically and compassionately—to bring it to an end. The report, “International Insights: How Scotland can learn from international efforts to combat commercial sexual exploitation”, which was produced by A Model For Scotland, led by survivors, is not just a policy document, but a testimony. It is a call from those who have lived the reality, who know its cost and who refuse to accept that the next generation should suffer the same fate. It tells us that reducing demand is the key to reducing harm. It tells us that we must act on the so-called pimping websites: those online platforms that act as digital marketplaces for the commodification of human beings.”
“I am grateful for the opportunity to speak to the motion in the name of our colleague Rhoda Grant, and I pay tribute to her long-standing work on tackling human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation, and in particular her advocacy for women and girls who so often feel that they are failed by the system. It is a painful truth that, in modern Scotland, prostitution remains a legal avenue through which violence against women is perpetrated. That is not just a contradiction; it is a failure of justice. The Scottish Government rightly recognises prostitution as a form of violence against women and girls, yet we are faced with the grim reality that the law, as it stands, does not yet reflect that recognition. Let us be crystal clear: no woman aspires to be sexually exploited, and no girl dreams of being bought and sold.”
“We are delighted to see the impact that the hubs are having in enabling communities to make positive changes for a more sustainable and resilient future. Additionally, the just transition fund for the north- east and Moray has, so far, allocated £75 million to supporting projects and communities across the region to create jobs, support innovation and secure the highly skilled workforce of the future that, throughout this debate, we have rightly pointed to. The Presiding Officer: There are additional requests to ask questions. If members are concise, we can get more in.”
“Learning from the just transition for Aberdeen and the north-east, can the minister advise how communities and businesses across Scotland will benefit from the just transition to net zero and how the Scottish Government will ensure a greener, fairer future for all? Alasdair Allan: The just transition to net zero is clearly a huge economic and social opportunity, not just for the north-east—which we have quite rightly been focusing on today—but for Scotland as a whole. Communities are uniquely placed to play a critical role in shaping and driving forward that transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy. That is why the Scottish Government has committed up to £6 million of funding this year for our network of 24 climate action hubs.”
“I hope that that number will continue to be sustained in the years to come, given the way that things are going in the world at the moment. We work very closely with the trade association that represents the defence sector in Scotland, ADS Scotland, and we have regular engagement with defence companies. I note that the Deputy First Minister last year visited the Malin Group’s Scottish marine technology park at Clydebank, and we continue that good engagement with the defence sector.”
“The SNP has long taken a principled position that taxpayers’ money will not directly fund arms positions but will instead support the diversification of industry away from core defence activities. Will the minister say more about how the Scottish Government engages with industries across the country, including with the defence sector, as part of its work on skills reform? What will the £2 million that was announced in the programme for government to develop engineering skills in the Glasgow city region support? Richard Lochhead: Bill Kidd highlights many important areas in which the Scottish Government works with the defence sector in Scotland to provide high-value jobs. As I mentioned, it adds £3.2 billion to the Scottish economy and deploys 1,500 apprentices each year.”
“Any violent incident against a teacher is unacceptable, and we must do all that we can to reinforce the importance of behaving respectfully at school and in the community. Cabinet secretary, do you also agree that the vast majority of children and young people behave respectfully? As pupils are reaching the end of the school year and starting to transition into the next one, and as many young people are having to overcome stressful exam experiences, we should say thank you to them and highlight our appreciation of who they are and what they contribute to our lives and society.”
“A new report from Scottish Care shows the immense contribution of immigration to Scotland’s care sector. Will the First Minister respond to concerns raised in the report that Westminster’s approach to migration could end up collapsing the care sector in Scotland? Will he commit his Government to rejecting the disgraceful anti-immigration rhetoric of Nigel Farage and those who seem determined to imitate him?”
“To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of Brexit on Scotland’s international relationships. (S6O-04644)”
“Let us not only speak with gratitude for peace but work with urgency for justice, and let us not only honour the sacrifice of the past but act to prevent the suffering of the future, because remembrance without action is remembrance unfulfilled. 16:23”
“We must ensure that “Never again” is not just a phrase—albeit a truly great phrase—that is carved on memorial stones, but a principle that is carved into the hearts of our politics and our people. Each and every one of us must strive to build a world that is free not only from war, but from the conditions that make war possible: poverty, oppression, hatred and silence in the face of injustice. Today, as we correctly honour the sacrifice of those who fought and died for our freedom, let us not be content with ceremony alone. Let us ensure that we do not sit silently in the face of today’s atrocities. Let VE day’s 80th anniversary be not only a moment of remembrance, but a call to conscience.”
“Indeed, 100 years ago, the Spanish philosopher George Santayana wrote: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” One hundred years later, we see that grim warning being made real. War once again rages on Europe’s borders in Ukraine. Civilians suffer, families flee and children grow up to the sounds of missiles, not music. The echoes of the past resound. The echoes of the worst atrocities of man’s inhumanity are deafening to those who are suffering in Gaza, where people have been starved and bombed to death, lives have been extinguished and graves have replaced hospitals and schools. Some call it a modern-day genocide. Let us be clear: to honour the memory of the fallen is not only to look back, but to strive to stop war happening again and to speak out on the issue.”
“Just months later, the world witnessed the horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, when two nuclear bombs were dropped on civilian populations, ushering in a new and terrifying chapter of human conflict. Tens of thousands of lives were ended in an instant, and generations continue to suffer from the after-effects. Those strikes were not distant events. They remain a living warning. That terrible power still exists in our world today. The nuclear threat did not die with the cold war. It lingers in arsenals and doctrines, and it whispers into conflicts that grow more complex and dangerous by the day. That is why we must not only remember the past but learn from it.”
“Let us also honour the brave souls from across the Commonwealth and allied nations, whose shared sacrifice helped to secure the fragile peace that we have enjoyed in the decades since. We are indebted, too, to the on-going work of Legion Scotland and Poppy Scotland, whose efforts— such as the moving national commemorative concert that was held in Edinburgh on 6 May— ensure that that legacy of service and sacrifice is never forgotten. Scotland’s salute to VE day, which is supported by the Scottish Government, stands as a fitting tribute not only to those who served but to those who continue to bear the consequences of war. As members across the chamber have said, today, it is also our duty to speak honestly. VE day did not mark the end of all war or the end of suffering.”
“We are gathered here to mark a solemn and significant anniversary: 80 years since victory in Europe day—that moment on 8 May 1945, when, after six long and harrowing years, the guns across Europe finally fell silent. We remember the 380,000 members of the UK armed forces—among them were 57,000 Scots— and the more than 67,000 civilians who paid the ultimate price during the second world war. Each life lost was a son or daughter, a brother or sister, a neighbour or a friend—ordinary people who were called on to do extraordinary things. Today, let us pay tribute not only to those who fell but to the living who bore the scars, those who returned home wounded in body or soul and those whose lives were forever marked by the trauma of what they had endured and witnessed.”
“However, it is all about getting the balance right between flexibility and accountability. The Parliament has a duty to ensure that the laws that we pass are not only effective but transparent and democratically sound. The DPLR Committee’s work is just one part of that, but I hope that the report and today’s debate have helped to move us all a step forward in strengthening that process. I would like, again, to thank everyone involved. It has been a pleasure to take part. The Deputy Presiding Officer: That concludes the debate on the inquiry into framework legislation and Henry VIII powers. Decision Time 17:00”