Clare Adamson
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“That concludes the debate. I wish members, their staff and everyone else who works on the parliamentary campus a wonderful recess. Meeting closed at 18:10. 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.”
“I am reminded again of my discussion with the family of the man on licence in the community. They reported that there is a broken community payback system and that hours have been wasted by a poorly managed scheme.”
“Home detention as part of a wider set of tools to manage a prison population does work, yet the number of prisoners on home detention curfew is lower now than it was 10 years ago. Between 2016 and 2018, an average of 288 prisoners were on home detention at any one time; during the same period ending in 2025, the average number was 87.”
“I call on the Scottish Government to do what Pauline McNeill described clearly and take the action that is needed to clear the backlog in the justice system. We need to reduce the number of people who are held on remand.”
“He committed an act of violence and punishment is appropriate, but we agree with the Scottish Government that to assume prison is a panacea for all crime is to simplify the most complex of issues. As my colleague from across the chamber emphasised today, the aim of our justice system is twofold: to punish and to rehabilitate.”
“We now move to closing speeches. I call Yi-pee—sorry, Yi-pei—Chou Turvey to speak for up to four minutes. 15:50 Yi-pei Chou Turvey: Do not worry, Deputy Presiding Officer—Yi and pei are both pronounced like EE, the phone company, if that makes it easier to remember.”
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“I am sure that some members may talk about the “little white rose of Scotland”, which, although I do not think that that was quite MacDiarmid’s view, has nonetheless been adopted by the SNP as a symbol of our national party in this Parliament. Some may mention “A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle”. However, I spent some time with Matthew Fitt—who is, as I said, in the public gallery tonight—in Cleland primary school in my constituency. I saw the young people working with him in the Scots language, and learning about it. The joy and the confidence that it gave them to know that the language that they used with their families every day was good made me think of a MacDiarmid children’s poem, which I will quote. It is called “The Bubblyjock”, which is a male turkey.”
“The shelves in MacDiarmid’s rooms are filled with green-spined Penguin crime novels alongside copies of his own work. Today, the cottage is a cherished site of heritage, loved and respected not just by the people of Scotland but by many beyond our borders. The cottage has been a writers residence for some of our greatest living writers, some of whom are in the gallery this evening, such as Matthew Fitt and James Robertson, and Professor Alan Riach. Writers fellowships nurture creativity, providing space for writers to explore new styles and perspectives while shaping Scotland’s ever- evolving cultural identity. We need to secure Brownsbank cottage for the future of Scotland.”
“At the same time, he was a member of the Communist Party of Great Britain, and in 1964, he stood as a Communist Party candidate against the then Prime Minister, Sir Alec Douglas-Home. MacDiarmid believed that Scottish identity and the lives of the people who lived here were ill served by the political establishment. His belief in the cultural and political significance of language was unshakeable, and that conviction is embodied in Brownsbank cottage. It is an A-listed building— the only one of its type in Britain to hold that status—not necessarily because of its architectural significance, but because of its former resident. The interior has been carefully preserved to reflect the character, and the two main rooms—those of MacDiarmid and his wife, Valda Trevlyn Grieve—are there to be seen.”
“MacDiarmid himself described that movement as “a new insistence on the Scots Lallans language in the first place and, beyond that, on the need to restore Gaelic as the national language of Scotland and to resume in the fullest way the great traditions of our lost heritage of Gaelic culture, and to apply these to new creative purposes.” He saw language as the foundation of cultural revival, and his work embodied that belief. He was ever controversial—in fact, many of my colleagues knew him personally and will speak to that. He was often a cantankerous character, shall we say, and his writings were often polemic, frequently contradictory and enduringly influential. His passion was not just linguistic—it was political, too. He was a founding member of the National Party of Scotland, which became the Scottish National Party.”
“He believed that reviving the Scots language in poetry was about not just literature, but reclaiming Scotland’s artistic character and culture to assert its independence and revitalise a literature that he saw as weighed down by sentimentality. His vision was to move away from the overly sentimental writing of the past and create something bold—something uniquely Scottish. His commitment to those ideals, and his radical advocacy, are the reasons why we now recognise the Scottish renaissance in the Scots language.”
“A few weeks ago, I attended the Association for Scottish Literature international lecture by Petra Johana Poncarová of the University of Glasgow and Charles University in Prague, who is currently a Marie Curie fellow at the University of Glasgow. She was speaking about Gaelic and Scots in the 20th and 21st centuries. She had undertaken a wealth of research on MacDiarmid and showed not only that he loved the Scots language and was committed to bringing it back into common usage and parlance in Scotland, but that he had a great influence on the Gaelic revival in Scotland, translating many of our Gaelic poets into Scots and sharing that work in a number of publications and magazines. We are perhaps not as familiar with that as we are with some of MacDiarmid’s other work. MacDiarmid was never afraid to question conventional ideas.”
“James Naughtie was interviewing Maya Angelou and introduced her as one of the greatest black writers of the 20th century. She immediately picked him up and said, “I’m considered one of the best writers of the 20th century—I just happen to be black.” I think that the same could be said of MacDiarmid. He writes mainly in Scots, but he is more than just a Scots writer, and Scots writers should be recognised for their international efforts and talents. I am reminded that some of the greatest experts on MacDiarmid, and some of Scotland’s greatest writers and professors of literature and Scots language, are in the gallery this evening—so there is no pressure at all on anyone who is speaking in the debate to get things right.”
“I thank my colleagues for supporting the motion for debate, and I welcome to the public gallery the trustees and friends of the charity MacDiarmid’s Brownsbank, including members of the Grieve family, who have joined us this evening. They are the custodians of MacDiarmid’s legacy, and their ambitions for his former cottage at Brownsbank in Biggar deserve our collective attention. I also pay tribute to my friend and colleague, Mairi McAllan MSP; Brownsbank cottage sits in her Clydesdale constituency and she has been an avid supporter of the work of the trust and the restoration efforts. We are excited to welcome her back to the Parliament soon. Today, we reflect on a figure of international significance. I am reminded of listening, a long time ago, to “Bookclub” on Radio 4.”
“Our enemies will die, as the dew does in the sunshine, and we, too, brothers, we’ll live happily in our land. We’ll not spare either our souls or bodies to get freedom”. Slava Ukraini! 17:47”
“Kenneth Gibson mentioned the history of the Holodomor, which we have talked about many times in the chamber. We could also go back to the 1700s, when Ukrainian religious texts were first banned and Peter II mandated the translation of all state documents into Russian. On the fall of the Russian empire, Ukraine was absorbed into the Soviet Union, and we know about the purges and the Holodomor. We should make no mistake about it: Putin sees himself as implementing an extension of that shameful legacy. Today, therefore, we say that we stand with Ukraine. I will quote Ukraine’s national anthem, because this is what I see in the bravery of Ukrainians every day: “The glory and freedom of Ukraine has not yet perished Luck will still smile on us brother-Ukrainians.”
“A few years ago, the Society of Scottish Artists held an exhibition that included Peter Howson’s triptych depicting the illegal invasion of Ukraine and the strength and determination of the Ukrainian people. We, in Scotland, need to keep working, in our way, to support that cultural diplomacy, as well as diplomacy at all levels. At that meeting of the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee, Keith Brown mentioned Hibernian Football Club’s long- standing association with the charity Dnipro Kids. It was wonderful to hear about the work of Steven Carr and the welcome for the 50 children who, through that charity, came to make their home in Scotland. We heard about how well their lives in Scotland were going and how grateful the Ukrainian people were for our support for those young people from Dnipro.”
“That is what we have seen from a very proud and very brave nation. Of course, we are Ukraine’s partners and, after all, unity among allies is what Ukraine needs right now. Unity is key, and that view is common to all of us. I must impart in the chamber the words of the consul, who asked in the committee for three things. He asked for “three powers”—“the power of weapons”, which we have discussed at length in the chamber this evening; the power “of economic sanctions”, on which, although it is perhaps outwith our control in this Parliament, we all have a voice with colleagues in Westminster; and “the power of diplomacy.” I have talked a little about cultural diplomacy.”
“He spoke with passion and dignity, and he expressed his thanks to the Scottish people—so-called world leaders could learn a lot from him. He told us: “For several years now, my country has been bleeding innocent victims because the aggressor state of Russia, a terrorist country led by war criminal Putin, has been bombing and destroying Ukraine and its people.”—[Official Report, Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee, 27 February 2025; c 1.] Members have mentioned that Putin thought that the invasion would be over in three days—as Mr McArthur said, many other people thought so, too. Nevertheless, we should pay tribute to our own Professor Phillips O’Brien, of the University of St Andrews, who was a lone voice in saying, “No—this will not happen” and that the Ukrainian people would resist and dig in.”
“Last week, I attended the “Ukraine Forever!” concert at the Usher Hall—along with many of my colleagues, including Audrey Nicoll, who is sitting beside me—to see Scotland and Ukraine come together in cultural exchange, in solidarity with the Ukrainian people and in fundraising for the war effort. There were performances from Old Blind Dogs, Elzara Batalova, James Robertson, the Culture Code orchestra from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Oksana Mavrodii and the absolute powerhouse diva Karina Chervakova. It was a wonderful evening of talent and culture, but it was profoundly sad for all of us there, in the circumstances. Last week, I had the pleasure of welcoming the consul, Andrii Madzianovskyi, to the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee to give evidence and to explain the position of the Ukrainian people.”
“To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting pupils with additional support needs in the Motherwell and Wishaw constituency. (S6O- 04373)”
“I commend the work that has been done in the report and by the council, but those communities also have a voice in the Parliament, because, as elected representatives, we are able to represent our communities. 17:50”
“I am very pleased that the issue has been brought to the attention of the Parliament. I was born in Motherwell and grew up in Wishaw, and I am intimately familiar with the links between those close communities and our challenges. A major infrastructure road is about to go through the centre of Motherwell, which will have an impact on residents while it is being developed. It will change some of the locations that form communities in my area, given that a major trunk road will link the M74 and the M8 through the constituency. All those things have an impact. The most important thing is that the communities that are impacted have a voice, and not just in their community forum.”
“The points made by the northern corridor community forum resonate with me following the proposed change to the boundaries in North Lanarkshire. I might well have represented the northern corridor at one point, based on the Scottish Boundary Commission proposals that were made. That decision would have taken parts of the Airdrie and Shotts constituency into my constituency, completely ignoring the fact that a motorway runs across that area. People who rely on public transport such as train services would have had to have gone through Motherwell and back again to get to see an MSP or MP based in Airdrie, although, geographically, they are very close. That is why we have to be cognisant of what makes a community, how communities have grown together and the geographical and community- based boundaries in our constituencies.”
“I pay tribute to the volunteers who take part in community forums and in the partnerships around North Lanarkshire, and to the community council volunteers who work so hard for their communities in ensuring that the voice of their community is heard in decisions that are taken about them. We face huge demographic challenges, with an ageing population, in Scotland. We need to encourage population growth in order to maintain a tax base, protect and enhance our public services and bring the rich benefits of migration to Scotland. Those demographic challenges are real and immediate, and they demand our collective attention. It is interesting that issues that are perceived as being particular to communities due to overdevelopment can have such a strong impact on those communities.”
“I, too, thank Fulton MacGregor for bringing the debate to the chamber. He mentioned that some people might see the debate as parochial and niche, but his and Meghan Gallacher’s points about how important it is that MSPs represent their constituents, first and foremost, and about community involvement in decision making, were well made. I concur with the sentiments of those members. The beauty of some of our members’ business debates is that we discuss the niche interests of our communities and tangible issues impacting our constituents that might not otherwise get attention. I confess that, as the MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw, I am only adjacent to the northern corridor community, but, as a former North Lanarkshire councillor, I very much remember some of that community’s challenges.”
“In 2025-26, the Scottish Government will invest £1.5 billion in rail services, rail infrastructure and maintenance of the network. We also need increased passenger numbers and reduced car journeys to make the project a viable long-term solution. 16:32”
“It was successful in that it saved Scots hundreds of pounds during times of economic hardship, but the review showed that the benefits mainly went to existing rail passengers with medium to higher incomes. We did not see the 10 per cent increase in passenger numbers that would be required to ensure that the policy was economically viable and could continue. Without the policy self-financing, subsidies would cost the public as much as £40 million a year. Claire Baker: Will the member take an intervention? Clare Adamson: I am sorry—I have only a short time left. The pilot showed minimal impacts overall on car travel. Only 0.1 per cent of car journeys moved to rail during the pilot, and that was heavily concentrated in the central belt. The numbers simply have to improve to make the project viable and sustainable.”
“Through that investment, the Borders railway has come back, the Levenmouth infrastructure has opened up, and the Airdrie and Shotts lines, which run through my constituency, have been electrified. I sympathise greatly with a number of the points that Green colleagues have made. We want many of the same outcomes, but we have to demonstrate that the policy is financially viable, affordable and deliverable. The SNP’s ambitions— as a party and as the Government—could be fulfilled if we did not have the restrictions of being in the union, but we have to live within the parameters that are set by the UK. The removal of peak fares pilot was possible only because the Scottish Government took action to nationalise ScotRail. However, it was only a pilot—it was a trial to see how the policy would impact on behaviour.”
“Too many people felt that, in private hands, the service was not delivering for them as described, and that our public transport was lining the pockets of unaccountable shareholders. That was not a just or sustainable situation. The SNP Government therefore began a project to deliver a public transport system that is for the benefit of the public and accountable to the taxpayer. It is absolutely true that people are struggling with the cost of living. That limits the choices that are available to individuals and families. People who are struggling often do not perceive public transport to be affordable. That is why the Scottish Government has kept the price rise as low as practicable while ensuring that we can maintain services and continue to invest in infrastructure.”
“I will start with a bit of consensus. I think that everyone agrees that we want rail travel to be affordable. We want to encourage more people to use public transport, and most of us in the room want public services to be in public hands and for the public good, not for the benefit of private shareholders. We want those things because they bring tangible benefits to people in our society. We need those things because people have to travel and we face a climate crisis. In order to deliver on those shared objectives, we have to make choices based on the available evidence. The SNP Government moved to nationalise ScotRail. We walked the walk while others just talked about it on a loop.”
“To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the recent labour market outlook survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development on United Kingdom business confidence. (S6F-03823)”
“I appreciate that non-dom status has been removed, but how about looking to the World Bank’s advice on our tax system? The fact that our system is so complex means that there is much tax avoidance and fraud, and simplifying the system could reduce the impact of that completely. There needs to be a vision for a stronger, fairer and more equal society. 17:04”
“This afternoon, we have been challenged to say how we would have filled the black hole and what we would have done differently. Lorna Slater outlined exactly why flip-flopping between Labour Governments, Conservative Governments and coalition Governments has led to further obscene levels of inequality in this country. That is the nub of the issue. It is not about whether we have a choice between doing this or increasing taxes elsewhere; it is about having a vision for a more equal and fairer society—one that embraces universal services and is built on reducing the inequalities that the poorest people in our communities face. One would think that those calls would be coming from Labour members, but it is Oxfam that is leading the fight on the issue. Labour members want to know how we could do that.”
“Turning Point, a leading social enterprise that delivers essential health and social care services across 18 local authorities, said that it faces a financial hit of possibly £1.2 million and that the policy “placed every one of our services into a deficit or enhanced deficit position.” This phrase from its response stood out: “Less funding will see less service.” That is an apparent but deeply important point. Lanarkshire Links, whose work is integral to mental health advocacy in my area and is informed by people with lived experience of mental ill health, expects the national insurance increase to result in significant funding cuts and said that it threatens the job security of its team, with those voices being lost. I could go on and on. We were promised that what has been announced would not happen.”
“I asked members of the network how the tax hike would affect them, and the responses have been stark. Barnardo’s said: “It is a very significant challenge for our charity, and will inevitably mean that we have less resource to direct towards meeting the immediate needs of children.” The policy will impact “our ability to fund our crucial frontline services to vulnerable care experienced young people, homeless young people and homeless families throughout North Lanarkshire.” LAMH Recycle, which is a local firm that works to reduce barriers to employment through recycling, said: “It is going to have a big impact on our future planning and recruitment would need to be halted as the costs would be too much.” North Lanarkshire Carers Together said: “The impact of this means we will struggle to offer staff cost of living salary increases”— which they deserve— “over the next 5 years.” That testimony reflects the broader picture: long-term risks, the loss of quality and experienced staff and, for many, a reduction in critical front-line services.”
“Higher costs, higher prices and job losses—austerity on stilts from the Labour Government. That is not the change that we were looking for. Charities and businesses are closing in our communities as a result of the hike in national insurance, and the policy will have dire consequences for organisations in every community. My Labour colleagues must be getting the same emails and phone calls that I am getting from local businesses, charities, hospices and other organisations in our communities that are scared for their future. In my constituency, once a quarter, I convene the community action network, which brings together local and national organisations with a shared commitment to tackling poverty and supporting people in North Lanarkshire. It is integral to the community’s wellbeing and the work in my community.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. Could you advise the members who are yet to speak in the debate that the timings were given as four minutes? We have had a number of speakers cut short already. The Deputy Presiding Officer: The position is actually that SNP members have four minutes, as was requested by the party’s business manager, and that most other back benchers will have six minutes, through the normal time management of the debate. 16:50”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. My app did not connect. I would have voted no. The Presiding Officer: Thank you, Ms Adamson. We will ensure that that is recorded.”
“Our culture is our lifeblood, and we look forward to seeing how those things develop. We note that the sector is very welcoming of the developments in this area. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Audrey Nicoll, on behalf of the Criminal Justice Committee, to speak for around six minutes. 15:23”
“As the sectoral review and the review of Creative Scotland are happening in parallel, it would be interesting to understand how the two reviews will interact and address the concerns that the committee has had over this session, such as the handling of the Rein project after the funding decision was publicly challenged and the extent to which Creative Scotland was open and transparent in addressing that matter. More generally, and as I have mentioned, we heard from the sector that Creative Scotland’s funding process is very difficult to complete. It would be helpful if the independent chair could quickly lay out the scope of the independent review of Creative Scotland, so that we could avoid some of those concerns. The committee’s view is that we should consider operational issues as well as Creative Scotland in general.”
“The committee has undertaken a good deal of work in session 6 on funding for the sector, and the review could benefit by taking account of the substantial evidence base and of our report recommendations over the session, which include working on innovative funding solutions. We need much greater urgency if we are to make progress in the areas of cross-portfolio funding—some of the many possible options include a percentage for the arts scheme and the possible leveraging of private investment. We need to engage with those delivering community-based activities as well as the bigger cultural organisations. We welcome last week’s publication of the survey on how culture and the arts are currently supported, which will inform the scope of the sectoral review that the Government has announced.”
“The culture secretary has just updated the Parliament on the results of the £20 million multiyear funding awards. We strongly encourage Creative Scotland to listen to those applying for the multiyear funding programme, who commented that the process “drew major resources across many months” and that it was “onerous and took considerable time away from core activity”, and who outlined “a level of needless bureaucratic complexity”. The challenge remains as to how the sector maximises the impact of multiyear and increased funding. The committee welcomes the forthcoming independent review of how the culture sector is supported and the review of Creative Scotland, under the leadership of Dame Sue Bruce. It is timely that we should ensure the effective distribution and investment of that additional spend.”
“The committee’s view is that we need to substantially improve the relationship between Creative Scotland and the Scottish Government. It is regrettable that the multiyear funding programme announcements were postponed, although I note the statement of the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture today on the outcomes of the application process for multiyear funding. It is important to strengthen the relationship between the Government and Creative Scotland to prevent further uncertainty in the sector. We agree with the culture secretary that Creative Scotland’s budgetary process, and that of the wider sector, might benefit from being in sync with the Scottish budget timetable—I would welcome the finance secretary’s thoughts on that point.”
“The committee welcomes the commitment to increase investment in culture by £100 million annually by 2028-29, as well as the additional funding that is the first step towards the £100 million increase. That is good news and it is warmly welcomed by the sector. This has not been an easy time for the sector. Confidence was knocked by the regrettable temporary closure last August of Creative Scotland’s open fund for individuals. It would be helpful for the cabinet secretary to update us on the lessons that were learned from that and on how such a scenario might be avoided in future, particularly because the funding was confirmed after the pre-budget fiscal update, a fortnight after Creative Scotland had announced the closure of the fund.”
“In evidence, the National Galleries reported that “going to visit an art gallery for 30 minutes once a month can extend a person’s lifespan by 10 years” and that “Art is not a luxury; art is essential to our culture thriving and surviving.”—[Official Report, Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee, 9 January 2025; c 14.] I have spoken many times in the chamber about how culture is integral to who we are as individuals, as communities and as a country. Just as the incoming artistic director of Pitlochry Festival Theatre was inspired by its motto to “share Pitlochry with the world and the world with Pitlochry”, we should all be inspired that culture allows us to share Scotland with the world and the world with Scotland.”
“As convener of the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee, I am pleased to speak on its behalf today. As always, I thank our committee clerks and the Scottish Parliament information centre for their support of the committee’s budget scrutiny. At the start of this session, the committee set its priority for budget scrutiny as being the culture sector spend. I thank those in the sector who spoke to us, including Culture Counts, Historic Environment Scotland, Wigtown Festival Company, and the National Galleries of Scotland.”
“The process has been run by Creative Scotland, which is an arms-length organisation. As the sponsoring organisation that funds Creative Scotland, we have the responsibility to satisfy ourselves about the process, and I am satisfied. I encourage members and people who are watching the proceedings that, if they want to have a better understanding of the results, they should visit the Creative Scotland website and download the list of all the successful applicants. At this stage, I congratulate every one of them.”
“The delivery of multiyear funding is a significant development. It was called for by stakeholders who gave evidence to the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee and it has been welcomed widely by the sector. Creative Scotland’s plan will see the largest ever number of cultural organisations securing regular funding. I am delighted that Reeltime Music, which is in my constituency, is one of the 13 development organisations that will benefit from the £3.2 million development fund. Will the cabinet secretary outline the Scottish Government’s engagement with Creative Scotland regarding the number and range of organisations that may benefit from the grants? Angus Robertson: I assure Clare Adamson that I and my officials have had regular meetings with Creative Scotland.”
“This week marks the fifth anniversary of the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union. A recent report by the Institute for Public Policy Research highlighted the slump in trade with the EU and said that trade policy had been “muddled” and “rudderless” since the 2016 vote on Brexit. Will the First Minister give his response to that report, and does he agree that Brexit has been an economic disaster for Scotland and that it would be in Scotland’s best interests to return to the EU as an independent nation?”
“It is all too easy for society to put labels on particular groups, whereas, in reality, people are all individuals with the right to learn, the right to be heard and the right to survive. As I have said many times in the past, we should all be committed to ensuring equality of opportunity for every one of us. We deserve that in our communities. We want individuals to have the opportunity to participate, and we should not allow marginalised groups to be oppressed. The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust and I sincerely hope that Holocaust memorial day 2025 can be an opportunity for people to come together and learn from and about the past, and to take actions to make a better future. We must never forget these heinous crimes against humanity, and we must do all that we can to remember, remember, remember. 17:44”
“The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust also reminds us that, during the truly horrendous crimes of the 1940s, Jews were not the only people who were tackled by the Nazis and removed from their homelands and communities. For more than a decade, from about 1935, Europe’s Roma people, historically often labelled as Gypsies, were targeted by the Nazis, who wanted total annihilation of those individuals. In 2023, I was delighted to host in the Parliament a group of young Gypsy Travellers who came from my region to talk about their experiences. They were happy to discuss their situations and said that, even today, they felt persecuted. They also wanted to know about the horrors of the Holocaust and how it affected generations of Travellers in the 1930s and 1940s.”
“I was just reflecting on the genocides that the member mentions. Given the situation in Ukraine, does he agree that it is regrettable that, as yet, the Holodomor that was inflicted on the Ukrainian people by Stalin has not been recognised as a genocide? Alexander Stewart: I concur. That is something that needs to be righted, for that is a huge wrong. Individuals are oppressed by the horrific crimes that we have heard about, and, as we mark Holocaust memorial day, it is also essential to mention Gypsy, Roma and Traveller history. Every year in June, as part of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller history month, the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust remembers and commemorates the richness that Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities bring to our everyday lives now and in the past.”
“I move, That the Parliament deeply regrets that there is a continuing crisis in both the NHS and social care; recognises that staff are the backbone of the NHS and that the Scottish Government has failed to effectively workforce plan; understands that the consequences of this failure are that patients are suffering from poorer outcomes, hard- working staff are experiencing moral injury, and NHS graduates are not being employed, and calls on the Scottish Government to urgently bring forward a 10-year health and social care workforce plan that meets the needs of the people of Scotland. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Neil Gray to speak to and move amendment S6M-16252.1. 15:08”
“We will deliver faster access to GPs and tackle long waits for treatment once and for all by taking full advantage of our untapped potential. Scottish Labour is and has always been the party that is willing to stand up for workers, protect our NHS and invest in social care. Scotland’s NHS needs a new direction and Scottish Labour is ready to deliver it.”
“What happened to the missing £50 million for fair work to improve terms and conditions for social care staff? It was cancelled by ministers at the 11th hour. That tells us all that we need to know about how much the SNP values social care. Scotland cannot keep paying the price for the SNP’s financial mismanagement and waste. Its recklessness is a betrayal of the NHS and social care staff who have gone above and beyond to keep services going and patients safe. After nearly 18 years of failure and decline from the SNP, it is time to change the team. Scottish Labour will ensure that our NHS and social care sectors have a 10-year workforce plan that creates enough medical and nursing training places; values nurses, doctors and all NHS staff; and meets the needs of future generations of patients.”