Monica Lennon
Scottish Labour · Scotland
“The views of clinicians are important, but I was struck by the words of Rhona Baillie OBE—the chief executive of the Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice—in a letter to all of us, and I hope that all MSPs have had a chance to read her words. Rhona is a supporter of change, with more than 40 years’ nursing experience.”
“Death is a universal experience, yet it remains a difficult subject. We all approach this debate with a profound desire to live. People who are asking us to support the bill would certainly rather live, but for many of them, that choice has been removed by a terminal diagnosis.”
“I also honour those who shared their most painful moments, so that others might not face a similar lack of choice. In a recent interview, I listened to Lorna Slater, who spoke movingly about her father’s beautiful death in Canada.”
“Assisted dying is not a replacement for palliative care—it is additional. Our views on how healthcare should be in the future must not be used as a cover to deny individual choice today. Whatever our own beliefs and preferences, our decision must be transparent and honest. Vote on this bill, not on one that does not exist.”
“The SNP went into the 2021 election promising universal free school meals for all primary pupils. When in government, the roll-out to all primary 1 to primary 7 children was promised by August 2022, but thousands of children are still waiting, years later.”
“Shirley-Anne Somerville: I am very proud of what the Scottish Government has delivered with the universal provision up to P6, our work to deliver based on Scottish child payment eligibility in P6 and P7, and the work of the pilots in our secondary schools.”
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“At the public meeting in Cumbernauld—which was also attended by Jamie Hepburn, who heard the same testimony that I did—a woman who had been sitting quietly at the back of the room got to her feet and said to the top table, the politicians and everyone who was gathered there that her sister and her sister’s children had died in a tragic house fire. She made the same plea to decision makers that we are making. This issue is about people and our communities, and it is about building resilience for the future. If we believe the science, if we watch the news and if we see the wildfires and the impact of floods and storms, we know that we need to act. Our firefighters do more than deal with house fires and other emergencies, and we have to give them the right equipment.”
“Like Richard Leonard, I have been spending time in Cumbernauld, Hamilton and right across Lanarkshire and Central Scotland and listening to our communities and our firefighters. Richard Leonard made a point about the second appliance in Hamilton. We were told to trust in the process and that the arrangement was temporary, which is why there was no need for statutory consultation. We were told not to talk down the Scottish Government with regard to the issue. However, I have to say that people no longer trust the Scottish Government when it comes to the future of Scotland’s fire and rescue service. People in Hamilton do not trust what they hear. Why should people in Cumbernauld or anywhere else trust the Scottish Government?”
“To recap, I note that, in 2023, after that decade of underfunding, FBU Scotland launched the cuts leave scars campaign. We have all been listening to our communities, but we are not just defending our own patches—we want to get this right for the whole of Scotland. It is not about pitting one community against another. However, I feel that the minister has come to the chamber and gaslit not just the members who are here, but also the firefighters in the gallery and people across the country by saying that any reduction in fire crews has been about reducing duplication of services. I hope that that suggestion will be corrected in her closing speech and that we will find out whether the minister agrees with Stuart McMillan.”
“I was interested to hear what Stuart McMillan said and I commend him for standing up for his constituents. However, we are hearing from the Government front bench that it is not about the money, while we are hearing from the back benches that it is about the money. The Scottish Government needs to regroup and make up its mind, because what is happening feels like gaslighting of our firefighters and all the support staff in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. I am proud to speak in this debate, which has been secured by Scottish Labour. I am disgusted that the Scottish Government is not supporting our motion. Instead, it has brought to the chamber an amendment that deletes our motion in its entirety and airbrushes out more than a decade of underfunding.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the economy secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding how the Glasgow city region deal can support improvements to transport and connectivity across the region. (S6O-04968)”
“Amendment 177 is part of the package of amendments that I have already spoken to, which seek to improve the way in which open market rents are worked out. I will leave it there, Presiding Officer. I move amendment 4.”
“I turn to amendment 176. The fact that Parliament has made clear its will that there will be mid-market rent exemptions makes it even more crucial that we finally get around to defining what “mid-market rent” means. There is inconsistency in how mid-market rents reflect affordability. As I said earlier, even the Scottish Government’s housing strategy, “Housing to 2040”, provides no definition of what “mid-market rent” means and understands that it is inconsistently applied. Amendment 176 would provide ministers with a power to define “mid-market rent” and to determine how it is to be used, such as for rent control exemptions and housing supply programmes. That would bring much-needed clarity and consistency.”
“Living Rent has looked at all rent appeals that have been made since May this year, and in 22 per cent of cases—that is, more than one in five—the appeal resulted in an increase beyond what the landlord had asked for. That is clearly a huge disincentive to people challenging rent. The Scottish Government has said that the bill already rules out such an outcome, but it has not provided the clarification that it has promised. Given that there is some uncertainty here, amendments 75 to 77 represent a sensible precaution against confusion. Amendment 76 says: “For the avoidance of doubt, an order under subsection (1) may not state a rent higher than the rent specified in the rent-increase notice.” The amendments would make it 100 per cent clear to rent officers that the requested rent increase is the absolute most that can be approved.”
“Section 19 contains a helpful provision whereby, if there is a change of tenancy and there has been a rent increase in the previous 12 months, there cannot be another increase within the 12-month period. That vital provision means that changes of tenancy cannot be used to increase rents. Amendment 4 would apply that helpful change to properties outwith rent control areas, as there is no principled reason why tenants should not be protected in that way regardless of where they live. Amendments 75 to 77 address a technical but very important issue for tenants who want to challenge their rent. At the moment, rent adjudication may result in a higher rent than the landlord has asked for. As a result, some tenants will not challenge a rent increase that they might otherwise successfully reduce on appeal.”
“Amendment 74 agreed to. After section 21 The Deputy Presiding Officer: Group 8 is on rent controls outwith rent control areas. Amendment 4, in the name of Maggie Chapman, is grouped with amendments 75 to 77, 176, 176A, 177 and 264. Maggie Chapman: My amendments in the group cover a range of issues. In particular, they aim to prevent rent hikes between tenancies and provide for a definition of mid-market rent. Section 19 contains a helpful provision whereby, if there is a change of tenancy and there has been a rent increase in the previous 12 months— [Interruption.] The Deputy Presiding Officer: I am sorry to interrupt, Ms Chapman. I ask colleagues to keep their conversations either quiet or outwith the chamber. Please continue, Ms Chapman. Maggie Chapman: Thank you, Presiding Officer.”
“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) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Callaghan, Stephanie (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Lab) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) 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) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Ewing, Annabelle (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) Forbes, Kate (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (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) 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) 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) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) 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) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) 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) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Fulton MacGregor] Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Swinney, John (Perthshire North) (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) (Ind) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (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) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Simpson, Graham (Central Scotland) (Reform) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) The Deputy Presiding Officer: The result of the division is: For 82, Against 25, Abstentions 0.”
“Amendment 73 agreed to. Amendment 36 not moved. Amendment 74 moved—[Màiri McAllan]. The Deputy Presiding Officer: The question is, that amendment 74 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Deputy Presiding Officer: There will be a division.”
“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) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) 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) 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) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) Forbes, Kate (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (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) 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) 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) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) 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) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) 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) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Simpson, Graham (Central Scotland) (Reform) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Fulton MacGregor] Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Swinney, John (Perthshire North) (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) (Ind) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (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) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) Regan, Ash (Edinburgh Eastern) (Alba) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) The Deputy Presiding Officer: The result of the division is: For 83, Against 25, Abstentions 0.”
“On a point of order, Deputy Presiding Officer. I could not connect—I would have voted yes. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Thank you, Ms Lennon. I will make sure that that is recorded. The result of the division is: For 24, Against 85, Abstentions 0. Amendment 282 disagreed to. Amendments 34 and 35 not moved. Amendment 73 moved—[Maggie Chapman]. The Deputy Presiding Officer: The question is, that amendment 73 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Deputy Presiding Officer: There will be a division.”
“If we look at some recent reports on this and listen to the workers—I urge the cabinet secretary to do so—we see that they are very unhappy and that they are raising the issue because they believe that it is in the public interest to do so. We all want world-class water in Scotland. We want safe, high-quality water—the issues about water scarcity were rehearsed at First Minister’s question time—but we need to have confidence in the regulator, Scottish Water and the Government, and confidence that they will not take their eye off the ball again. I would be happy to hear the cabinet secretary’s response to that. 16:26”
“In the cabinet secretary’s reply over the summer to my letter to the First Minister, I think that there was a recognition that things have to improve at Scottish Water. However, I would like to say to the cabinet secretary today that, if the regulator was not doing its job and we cannot rely on the judgment of that organisation in recent times, we must look again at decisions that have been taken at Scottish Water that affect the current workforce, and consider the very real fear that we are seeing backdoor privatisation. I am looking at the cabinet secretary’s face and I can see that she is disagreeing—I am happy for her to intervene.”
“As we talk about this today, I am reminded that tomorrow is national food bank day. Many of our constituents, including many people who are in work, rely on food banks to feed themselves and their families. That is why people are angry when they hear about these kinds of scandals. Colleagues have talked about the importance of Scottish Water. WICS is the economic regulator of the water industry, and Sarah Boyack set out why it is important that we have a properly functioning regulator. Over the summer, but also over the past few years, industrial relations have been at an all- time low in Scottish Water. The workforce has lost confidence in the senior management team at Scottish Water, and the regulator does not seem to care.”
“I welcome the cabinet secretary, who has inherited a lot of this work, letting the Parliament know that lessons have been learned and changes have been made, but I share the concerns of other members, including Colin Beattie, that the approach cannot be short term. How can we be confident that this situation can never happen again and that it never happens in any other organisation? Colleagues are right—today, we are looking not just at the culture of the organisation but at all the infrastructure around it. We have seen massive failings in governance and financial control. It is about greed and entitlement. Those people thought that they could go to their work and go out for dinner with their colleagues and cronies and spend hundreds of pounds on booze and fancy meals in luxury hotels and restaurants.”
“I suspect that most of my constituents had never heard of WICS until this scandal erupted. Many more of them are now aware of this important regulator because of what they have heard in the media, but it is for all the wrong reasons. That is unfortunate, because WICS has a really important job to do. Given what we now know, it is astonishing that the former CEO was at the helm of the organisation for almost a quarter of a century. I did not have a lot of interaction with WICS, but, as a member of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee, I have been involved in panels where we questioned that organisation. At the time—and I think that other colleagues shared my view—I felt that there was a hostility to scrutiny and to questions, so perhaps that should have been a red flag.”
“As others have said, the issue involves aspects of social justice, the environment and the economy, so we can bring about a win-win-win situation with an approach that is right for Scotland’s people, environment and economy. Finally, I hope that the minister will address the very important issue of school transport. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Ross Greer is the final speaker in the open debate. 17:38”
“The political will is here, and we need the Government to step up. I see that the minister is shaking his head, and I am happy to give way, but I see that he is indicating that he does not want to make an intervention. The situation here contrasts with the situation in England, where the Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced more than £15 billion to transform public transport in the regions that are committed to bus franchising. There is a real danger that Scotland will lag behind. It is great that communities are being backed by their MSPs and MPs, such as Michael Shanks in Rutherglen and John Grady in Glasgow East, with their petitions on the 65 bus. It is also great that we can work in a cross-party fashion, but we need leadership from the Scottish Government.”
“I pay tribute to JMB Travel, a small operator that saw the opportunity that was presented by the public’s demand and need for the service. The X1 bus service has been resurrected, and we again have a fast route through Hamilton, into the town centre and on to Glasgow city centre. However, the preservation of such services should not be down to luck and hard work on the part of communities, because not everyone has the capacity and resilience to do that. Paul Sweeney: As a former urban planner, my colleague Monica Lennon will understand that the inability to join up rail services, subway services and bus services undermines the efficiency of the operation of the whole system, and she will get that that is part of the problem. Monica Lennon: Absolutely. We need to have a spatial and joined-up approach.”
“Mark Ruskell and others have addressed some of the challenges around the franchising process and have mentioned some of the barriers. Colleagues, including Bob Doris, have talked about bus services and routes that they care about. Clare Haughey and other colleagues have mentioned the 65 route, which is operated by First Bus at the moment. That makes me think back to our experience in Hamilton with the X1 bus service, which the minister and other colleagues have heard me talk about a lot. Again, with First Bus, there was a real lack of consultation, transparency and accountability, and a lack of responsibility regarding what was in the public interest. Through community efforts, people did not give up on the X1 bus service.”
“Graham Simpson, who has disappeared from the screen, highlighted the real concern about that issue that many of us share, and it is becoming a reality for too many communities. The term “bus desert” has appeared in the Official Report too many times for my liking. As a member of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee, I am keenly aware of the challenges and opportunities that decision makers face. I join colleagues in paying tribute to Get Glasgow Moving for its better buses for Strathclyde campaign, which is supported by more than 12,000 people and counting across the region. I thank Ellie Harrison and all the volunteer campaigners, because they do that work in their own time. I am sure that, at times, it is very stressful and tiring, but that lived experience is valuable.”
“I thank Patrick Harvie for making us all stay late. No, seriously—we thank him for securing this important debate on the future of Glasgow’s bus services. The issues that are raised in his motion impact my constituents in central Scotland, too, and I know that members across the chamber are passionate about improving bus services in our communities, as we heard in the thoughtful speeches tonight, even though people are a bit on the tired side this evening. I hope that the minister feels energised hearing that colleagues, regardless of party or where we sit in the chamber, feel very strongly about the issue and want to work together on solutions. No one wants to live in a bus desert.”
“The length of waiting time that she referred to is unacceptable. I am determined to build on the excellent work of my predecessor, Maree Todd, in driving forward improvements. That is why I have delivered the statement; that is why we are bringing forward additional investment; that is why the task force has been established; and it is why I look forward to working with colleagues when we meet later in the year for the cross-party summit.”
“I, too, welcome the minister to his new role and agree with him that young people are waiting too long for support for their neurodivergence—young people such as my six-year-old constituent from Blantyre who has been waiting for almost four years. For many children, young people and families affected by the issues that we are discussing, the school holidays will be a challenging time. What reassurance can the minister give to my constituents that, this summer, if they need it, they will be able to access the right support in a way that is accessible and affordable? Tom Arthur: I thank Monica Lennon for raising the issue. I appreciate the challenges that school holidays can present. Statutory responsibilities are placed on local authorities and other partners to ensure that there is the correct provision of services.”
“Three weeks ago, UN satellite imagery showed that less than 5 per cent of Gaza’s crop land remains available for cultivation, further exacerbating the risk of famine. I echo colleagues’ remarks: we need justice for the Palestinians. Both the people of Israel and the people of Palestine deserve a better future. They are not getting that from their current leaders. The world needs to act—we need to act now. 19:28”
“Debates such as this one can help to push the issue up the agendas of the Scottish Government and the UK Government. I agree with all my colleagues who have said that the UK has to do more. This cannot be allowed to happen in our name. Every day when I go home, my 18-year-old daughter speaks about Gaza. We have a generation of young people in this country who are in utter disbelief. We have to do more. That includes tracking what is going on in relation to Scottish Enterprise and making sure that no taxpayer pounds go towards funding the war. What we are seeing in Gaza is genocide, but we are also witnessing an ecocide. Satellite imagery from Kent State University showed that nearly all Gaza’s crops, tree cover and grasslands have been damaged.”
“I also heard about MAP’s work to support cross- party visits to Palestine and I was interested in perhaps going on one of those trips. A few years later, it is unthinkable that any of us will set foot in Gaza in the near future. I know that Pauline McNeill has spent time in Gaza and in the region, but what is going to be left? We try very hard not to dehumanise people in debates on such conflicts, but the numbers are absolutely unbelievable. It is heartbreaking that, today, there are still 58 hostages who have been held for more than 600 days and remain in cruel captivity. At the same time, the lives of more than 55,000 Palestinians have ended, and more than 127,000 have been injured—and those numbers continue to rise. When will enough be enough? If we believe in international law and international justice, we all have to do more.”
“It was good to hear from George Adam about the lively efforts in Paisley to support the Palestinians. At the end of the day, all we can do is show love and empathy and that people care. I thank all my constituents who have written to me to urge an immediate ceasefire, the safe release of all hostages and the immediate and unconditional lifting of restrictions in Gaza on the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid. I was thinking back to an event in 2022 that was hosted in the Parliament and organised by Jackie Baillie. Some guests from Medical Aid for Palestinians were hosting medics from Gaza; other guests included some of our doctors and other clinicians from Scotland who had been working with teams out there to build capacity. I was so impressed by what I heard at that event.”
“I, too, am grateful to Bill Kidd for lodging this vital motion and for giving the Scottish Parliament the opportunity to debate the on-going crisis in Gaza. I recognise that my colleagues, Katy Clark and Pauline McNeill, also lodged motions on the subject in recent weeks. There are no words that do justice to this humanitarian catastrophe. We have to follow the evidence and the reality. I thank colleagues who have highlighted the fact that journalists cannot get into Gaza to report in the way that Stephen Kerr and other members clearly want to see. We know that many journalists have been killed, alongside many medics, doctors and others on the front line. Like others, I thank constituents who have been in touch with me through my inbox or by speaking to me at events and surgeries.”
“On the member’s first question, the Government has taken some time to come forward with the proposed heat in buildings bill because, first, our consultation received a large number of responses that we wanted to give due account to and, secondly, we want to get it right to ensure that we introduce a bill that will help decarbonise Scotland but which does not make people poorer.”
“Emissions from buildings remain largely unchanged, so the Government must go faster to switch households to clean heating sources and improve the energy efficiency of existing homes. The proposed heat in buildings bill has been delayed and concerns have been raised about its scope and ambition. Does the minister agree with Citizens Advice Scotland that the Government must make provisions in the bill that will contribute to a reduction in fuel poverty and an overall improvement in housing standards, given that environmental justice must go hand in hand with social justice? Alasdair Allan: The member is quite right that social justice and environmental justice must go hand in hand. Indeed, as the years go by, we will see that they are, to some extent, the same thing.”
“The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call the Deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes, to respond to the debate. 13:23”
“I hear what colleagues have said about the redress scheme and the fact that not everyone will want to pursue that route, but it is important that it is there for those who want to access it. I know that many of the women have had to use a lot of their own money to pay for therapeutic interventions, including therapy. The experience has had an impact and left them with lasting trauma, and everyone’s journey will be different— that should be acknowledged. We have previously united in the Parliament to say sorry to those affected by historical forced adoption, for example, and I was grateful to the former First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, for listening to my call to work cross-party on that issue. This is another issue on which we have to unite and come together, and I know that the Deputy First Minister will do everything that she can.”
“Although I am a regular visitor to the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee to speak to other campaigns, I have watched other colleagues, including Martin Whitfield, take this campaign forward. There have been dozens of parliamentary questions, and there has been involvement at the highest level, including from the Deputy First Minister. I know Kate Forbes to be a good person with a good heart, and I know that she will be listening very carefully and will do everything that she can to ensure that we can, together, knock down all the barriers that are apparently in the way. I am grateful to you, Deputy Presiding Officer, for giving me a little bit of time back. This is about the pursuit of truth, and about justice.”
“I knew nothing about Fornethy house or about the survivors until I had a chance encounter outside the Scottish Parliament back in March 2022. I was walking on by—I was there to meet with other campaigners—when I was approached by some of the women. They asked me and my researcher, “Are you MSPs?” and we stopped to chat. I was able to refer some the women, including Marion Reid, to Colin Smyth, given the links to his region, and to my friend and colleague Lynsey Hamilton. Lynsey is currently on maternity leave, or she would have been in the public gallery to support the women today. That brings me back to Fergus Ewing’s final remarks in his speech: doing nothing is not an option. For me, that chance encounter was a lesson in not being a bystander.”
“It is good that we are having a members’ business debate today, thanks to Colin Smyth’s efforts, but the subject should be debated in the chamber again in Government time, or perhaps in Opposition time. This cannot be the last word. It is good that, between the efforts of the convener, Jackson Carlaw; Maurice Golden, who is in the chamber today; and Foysol Choudhury, Fergus Ewing and Maggie Chapman, from whom we have also heard, we know that there are many members on all sides of the chamber who care. I know that there are some limitations on what we can say today, and time is always short in a members’ business debate, but I wanted to speak briefly just to demonstrate, again, my solidarity with the Fornethy women.”
“My question for her is this: is it not a matter of shame that the Scottish Government has failed to act on the unanimous recommendations of the committee, which represents all the main parties? If the Government will not act, is it not time that one of the major parties brought forward a proper debate with a vote at the end, so that, if the Government is not willing to do the right thing by itself, it will, as we saw with Flamingo Land, be forced to do so? The Deputy Presiding Officer: I can give you the time back, Ms Lennon. Monica Lennon: I am grateful to Fergus Ewing for the important points that he makes. It is not just a matter of whether it shames the Scottish Government—it shames Scotland that we are not doing the right thing by the survivors, and we should leave no stone unturned.”
“I am grateful to have the opportunity to take part in the debate. I congratulate my colleague Colin Smyth and commend him for securing it and for uniting members on this issue. Having listened to the debate so far, I am pleased that we are speaking with one voice. I also pay tribute to the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee, which I know has taken this cause to its heart. It has listened to the women and to the evidence, and it has made really important recommendations to the Scottish Government. I was surprised to hear that we had not seen the action that everyone is fighting so hard for. Fergus Ewing: I thank Monica Lennon for taking my intervention. She is almost like an extra member of the committee, so frequent are her appearances to stand up for various interests and constituents.”
“It is the responsibility of the Scottish Government, and we are not going to apologise for bringing these arguments to the chamber. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I encourage front benchers not to carry on a discourse while a member is on their feet. 15:32”
“[Interruption.] The cabinet secretary can chunter away all he likes, but we need solutions. One of the things that we heard clearly on doorsteps during the by-election campaign is that people are not going to stand for the Government downgrading the neonatal unit at University hospital Wishaw. That is why Davy Russell was elected. The staff have been ignored; the families have been ignored. The cabinet secretary can shake his head—I will take an intervention, if he wishes to make one. That is the absolute denial of an award-winning service for the most vulnerable, the sickest and the smallest babies in the country. Babies in Lanarkshire should not be sent away to Aberdeen for critical care at the most vulnerable time in their lives. That is the reality. That is not a UK Government problem.”
“The Deputy Presiding Officer: I can give Monica Lennon some of that time back. Monica Lennon: I am not going to take those patronising comments and the emotional blackmail from the cabinet secretary, because no one doubts what is in his heart and his compassion, but this is about competence. Why has there been no proper workforce planning? That is what people were asking during the by-election campaign, and that is what they are asking as we face the polls next year. I admit that I have some skin in the game because, today, my daughter successfully completed her first year as a medical student, and my son-in-law is a resident doctor. We are not making these things up. People are coming into the healthcare profession because they care, but the opportunities are not there—that is the reality.”
“I heard the cabinet secretary say that he hears the calls for workforce planning. I have been here for nine years, and for even longer than that—for the whole of the 18 years of this Government—we have been calling for better workforce planning. Why can the Government not do its job? Neil Gray: In our amendment, we set out the timescale for delivering that planning. I really resent the suggestion—Monica Lennon is better than this—that, somehow, SNP ministers do not care or do not have the same care for our health service, which brought my four children into this world and has saved and improved the lives of my family members as well as those of everybody else across the chamber. We need a bit more cross-party consensus on our joint support for the health service, as opposed to what Monica Lennon just suggested.”
“Unlike the Greens, we will not let the SNP off the hook any longer, because, as you heard from the emotion in Jackie Baillie’s voice, this is personal to every one of us. We care about the staff and our constituents, and we will not put up with complacency. Lorna Slater: Will the Labour Government be changing its policies on allowing asylum seekers to work and on hostility to immigrants in order to support the NHS in Scotland? The Deputy Presiding Officer: Please speak through the chair. Monica Lennon: Lorna Slater made some relevant and important points at the start of her speech, but she failed to address the purpose of the motion, which is to take the opportunity in the chamber to hold the Scottish Government to account for its broken promises, because I— Neil Gray: Will the member give way? Monica Lennon: Hold on a second.”
“In securing the debate, Scottish Labour is confronting the crisis that is gripping the NHS in Scotland. That crisis is not simply measured in statistics; it is felt in the lives of patients, nurses, doctors and families across our nation. We heard that clearly on the doorsteps and streets of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse during the recent by-election. I congratulate Davy Russell, Scottish Labour’s winning candidate, and I know that he is already working hard to represent his constituents. Frankly, they, like people across Scotland, are sick of the excuses. I know that there are very few SNP MPs left in the House of Commons, but that is the place to hold the UK Government to account. This is the Scottish Parliament. Responsibility for the NHS is devolved.”
“Amendment 30 agreed to. Amendments 31 and 32 moved—[Jackie Baillie]—and agreed to. Amendment 55 not moved. Amendments 33 and 34 moved—[Maree Todd]—and agreed to. Amendments 35 and 36 moved—[Jackie Baillie]—and agreed to. Amendment 56 moved—[Sandesh Gulhane]. The Deputy Presiding Officer: The question is, that amendment 56 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Deputy Presiding Officer: There will be a division. The vote is closed.”
“The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Jackie Baillie to wind up and to press or seek to withdraw amendment 30. Jackie Baillie: I associate myself with Monica Lennon’s comments. There is cross-party consensus on the amendments in the group, which will give practical effect to Anne’s law. I thank the minister for her work and co-operation on this key part of the bill. Again, I thank members of the care home relatives Scotland group for their persistence, and I thank Anne’s husband, Campbell, and her daughter, Natasha, for all their campaigning. All their combined efforts have led us to amendments that, taken together, should ensure that we do not have a repeat of relatives in care homes being kept away from loved ones, as we witnessed during the Covid pandemic. I urge members to support all the amendments in the group.”
“There has always been cross-party work in the Parliament on the issue, including by Paul McLennan, Miles Briggs, Alex Cole-Hamilton, Gillian Mackay and many others, and the Government has a mandate, because Anne’s law was a very prominent promise in the Scottish National Party’s 2021 manifesto. However, today is not a day for politics; it is about getting Anne’s law over the line. I remind colleagues of what I said in the chamber back in February 2021: “I hope that we get to a place where the Parliament can unite and support Anne’s law, which would ensure that people never again have to spend a year in isolation without access to their loved ones.”—[Official Report, 16 February 2021; c 56.] I hope that today is the day that we can give effect to Anne’s law and learn those lessons.”