Maree Todd
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“Is the minister willing to consider a cross-Government approach with local authorities, because the piece-by-piece approach of the 32 local authorities currently is not working?”
“Local authorities, which manage the majority of burial grounds in Scotland, must also comply with the Equality Act 2010, including the public sector equality duty, which requires them to have regard to religious needs when delivering services, including bereavement services.”
“The Scottish Government recognises the importance of ensuring that burial provision reflects the diverse religious and cultural needs of all communities.”
“Many local authorities charge a lower fee for residents, partly to recognise their indirect contributions to the provision and upkeep of burial grounds through the council tax system. Mr Linden has identified a challenging area for his constituents.”
“CAMHS is a specialist service for children and young people who have acute mental health needs, and referrals are based on clinical judgment. Although referrals are sometimes not accepted, that does not mean that support is not available.”
“We want people to be able to access thrombectomy treatment across Scotland, no matter where they live. That is why, in our election manifesto, we committed to providing a further £25 million, on top of the more than £51 million that we have already invested, to deliver a 24/7 thrombectomy service with national coverage.”
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Every one of 508 lines we hold for Maree Todd, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 6 of 11.
“First, I make it clear that the belief in a right to recovery is something that unites us all, wherever we sit in this Parliament. No one in Scotland should be denied the chance to access the support and treatment that they need to heal, recover and thrive. That will not be disputed by anyone in the chamber. The subject is highly emotive. For me, it is not just an abstract policy debate. I grew up with the impact of alcohol addiction in my family, and I know deeply and personally how it touches lives and how it can shape a childhood, a family and a future. I am incredibly proud of my mum and my dad for how they became sober. Even in the same household, each of my parents had different recovery journeys. That illustrates to me that there is no one right road to recovery.”
“That would be great. Patient Rights (Unfit-for-purpose Medical Centres) 5.”
“Maree Todd: I assure Liz Smith and the Parliament as a whole that we meet sports governing bodies regularly and we recognise the challenging situation that they are facing, which is, frankly, worsened by some of the decisions that have been made at Westminster, such as those on employer national insurance contributions, which have added strain to a sector that, as Liz Smith acknowledges, was already in difficulty. It remains our ambition to double that budget. We have one more Scottish Government budget to go before the end of this parliamentary session. I am very hopeful that, unlike last year, the Scottish Conservatives—who did not previously find it possible to vote for the investment in sport of nearly £50 million—will find it in their hearts not just to support the budget and maintain that investment but to negotiate to increase it.”
“Liz Smith: The minister will understand that the Scottish National Party’s 2021 programme for government commitment to double the investment to £100 million substantially raised the hopes of sporting bodies, which have been struggling with resource issues for years. It is little wonder that they are aghast at seeing the figure of around £40 million in the revised autumn budget. Taking away the sportscotland spending of £35 million leaves just under £5 million for the active healthy lives programme. It is worse still when those bodies see that the £40 million figure is lower than the 2021- 22 revised autumn budget figure of £44.5 million. Will SNP ministers honour their 2021 programme for government commitment?”
“The Scottish Government’s women and girls in sport week campaign aims to increase the visibility of women and girls in sport, highlight opportunities to get involved and discuss barriers and drivers to participation. The 2025-26 budget underlines our on-going commitment to sport and active living by protecting that investment, despite a challenging economic background. We recognise the significant impact that spending on sport and physical activity has on delivering health outcomes, and doubling the investment in sport and active living during this parliamentary session remains the Scottish Government’s ambition.”
“This is the final edition of the Official Report for this meeting. It is part of the Scottish Parliament Official Report archive and has been sent for legal deposit. Published in Edinburgh by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, EH99 1SP All documents are available on the Scottish Parliament website at: www.parliament.scot Information on non-endorsed print suppliers is available here: www.parliament.scot/documents For information on the Scottish Parliament contact Public Information on: Telephone: 0131 348 5000 Textphone: 0800 092 7100 Email: sp.info@parliament.scot”
“On their behalf and on behalf of the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health, I say thank you to all donors. This crucial service could not operate without the wonderful blood donors and I encourage anyone who is eligible to give blood to get along and do it. The debate today has made an important contribution to supporting that service. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Thank you, minister. With an hour and a half before— Oliver Mundell: On a point of order, Deputy Presiding Officer. I apologise for delaying you and other colleagues longer than necessary. I have realised that I inadvertently used the wrong pre- Covid figure for the number of blood donors. I wanted to make members aware of that. My apologies. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Thank you, Mr Mundell. That concludes the debate. Meeting closed at 17:37.”
“I also pay particular tribute to Give Blood 4 Good’s young ambassador programme and the way in which it uses e-learning to help fifth and sixth-year students learn about the life-saving importance of blood donation. It is particularly important that we continue to attract young people to donate blood and, as such, I welcome the supporting work that Give Blood 4 Good is doing. The Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health will be meeting the organisation in the coming weeks to progress that further. I assure colleagues that we are keen to reach that particular target demographic and we would be very happy to work with Give Blood 4 Good to maximise its impact. The patients who receive blood donation cannot thank the donors personally.”
“That has directly resulted in more than 1,000 donors from secondary 5 and 6 in schools in Scotland, and those efforts have caused donor registrations from people aged 24 and under to increase by up to 30 per cent in the past 12 months. However, we can always do more. That is why I welcome the contribution of charities such as Give Blood 4 Good. As we have heard, Give Blood 4 Good has been doing excellent work since it was set up in 2019 in memory of Patrick Smith. I offer my warmest condolences to the friends and family of Patrick, who was such a passionate advocate for blood donation and who has had such a big influence since his passing. Give Blood 4 Good works in close consultation and has really good relations with the SNBTS, which I commend.”
“I regularly give blood and I assure the member that you do not miss it at all—a pint can easily go without your feeling any impact whatsoever. Maybe reassurance is what is required, rather than an adjustment in the process. In line with lots of global blood donor services, Scotland faces an ageing donor base. As others have said, 55 per cent of Scotland’s active donor base are now aged 45 or over. Donors aged 17 to 24 are the smallest group of active donors in Scotland. The SNBTS already does excellent work with schools, colleges and universities. It also has a formal school talk programme and has delivered 84 school talks in the past year, delivering the message to almost 5,000 young people.”
“New young donors are particularly needed to ensure a sustainable future for the blood donor base in Scotland. Fulton MacGregor: I want to ask something that came up in my discussion with the GB4G group. Is there any discussion with the SNBTS about possibly allowing smaller donations by new blood donors? A donation has to be a pint of blood; I know that there are quite a lot of rules around that. However, getting people in to give smaller donations—at least for the first couple of times—might ease people in, because donating a pint can be quite off-putting for a lot of young first- time donors. Maree Todd: We can certainly discuss doing that—I will ask Jenni Minto to raise it in her regular communication with the SNBTS. I imagine that there would be challenges in relation to the size of the collection.”
“To commemorate world blood donor day this year, the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health visited the haemophilia, thrombosis and immunology unit at the Royal infirmary of Edinburgh in June. The visit showcased the importance of the SNBTS’s plasma for medicines programme, which is funded by the Scottish Government. During the visit, Ms Minto was able to hear directly from clinicians and patients about the importance of the medicines, and she noted that the visit was very useful in promoting the need for more plasma donors. As other members have said, the SNBTS saw a decrease in the number of people donating blood following the Covid-19 pandemic. Donor numbers have now begun to rise again, but more donors are still needed to ensure that we can maintain blood supplies at safe levels.”
“Donors are asked to make an appointment to give blood to ensure that the SNBTS can help patients better. Managing the number of donors at each session enables the SNBTS to monitor expected stocks of different blood types in advance and adjust plans if needed. The aim of the arrangements is to make it as easy as possible to donate blood. In addition to blood, the SNBTS is now asking people to donate blood plasma, which is used to produce certain medicines. The medicines can be used to treat more than 50 diseases, including autoimmune diseases and haemolytic disease in babies. There are currently 1,191 plasma donors in Scotland, and the SNBTS hopes to welcome another 1,000 new donors over the course of 2025. Plasma can be donated in any of the SNBTS blood donor centres.”
“I assure colleagues that it is just along the road—less than 10 minutes’ cycle away—and it is open until 7 pm on Parliament sitting days, helpfully. The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care donated blood in January, too. The timing of that visit was really useful, because it enabled him to support the SNBTS’s blood drive over the winter months. Patients need life-saving blood all year round and, as we all know, the NHS does not stop over winter. The cabinet secretary was able to meet the donor carers and nurses at the centre, along with some donors, and he visited a plasmapheresis donor suite. As well as in Edinburgh, the SNBTS has donation centres in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee and Inverness, and it runs many community sessions across the country.”
“To be able to do that, it absolutely relies on the generosity of the almost 93,670 active blood donors in Scotland who, between them, have made 161,536 donor attendances in the past 12 months. Depending on hospital demand, the SNBTS aims to welcome 483 donors every day. Therefore, every day, blood donors save or improve the lives of people across Scotland. As of today, blood stocks in Scotland are at satisfactory levels for all blood groups, which is only the case thanks to the work of the SNBTS and the contributions of all our donors. However, blood stocks can fluctuate, particularly over holiday periods, which is why it is important to encourage people who can donate to attend blood-donation sessions. Everyone can do their bit in that respect. I donated blood in February and September this year at the Edinburgh blood donor centre.”
“The key priority of the SNBTS is to ensure that the NHS has enough blood to meet the transfusion needs of patients in Scotland. The NHS needs a continuous supply of blood and platelets to keep cancer care services, maternity wards, accident and emergency departments and other life-saving services running. When someone gives blood, their donation is split into three separate parts: red cells, platelets and plasma. That means that one hour out of their day can help to save or improve the lives of up to three separate people. To be ready to help Scotland’s patients in that way, the SNBTS aims to retain five to seven days of stock for each blood type at any time.”
“Thank you, Presiding Officer. We Highland and Islanders do find it easier to donate down here in Edinburgh. I am speaking on behalf of the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health, who is unable to be here. Following the debate on organ and tissue donation last Thursday evening, I, too, welcome this debate on blood donation. It gives us an opportunity to pay tribute to the work of the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, which also carries out important work on tissue and stem cell donation, some of which we heard about last week. The debate also enables us to highlight the really important supporting role that is played by charities such as Give Blood 4 Good in encouraging young people to donate blood. I thank members for their speeches and, in particular, Fulton MacGregor for lodging the motion.”
“Undoubtedly, as the prices of everything increase, the minimum unit price will need to increase. We will have the stage 1 debate on the Right to Addiction Recovery (Scotland) Bill next week. I recognise that the Parliament has had its say through the lead committee’s report on the bill. The committee cannot commend the bill to the Parliament because there are so many flaws in it. However, we will certainly listen to the debate and make our position clear next week. The Deputy Presiding Officer: That concludes portfolio questions on health and social care. There will be a short pause before we move to the next item of business to allow front-bench teams to change positions. Mobile Phones in Schools”
“Rather than doubling down on hard- working Scots with even more tax, why will the Government not take a positive approach, back our Right to Addiction Recovery (Scotland) Bill at stage 1 next week and enshrine in law the right for treatment for those who are struggling with alcohol addiction? Maree Todd: The minimum unit pricing policy is significant and world leading. It is vitally important that the minimum unit price is uprated on a regular basis to ensure that it is impactful. What I said in the interview last week was that automatic uprating was a reasonable idea to consider. Although the formula would be hotly contested and debated, it would be a useful thing to do. It is not yet Government policy; we are considering how to proceed with it.”
“As a refreshed alcohol and drug strategic plan develops, I will continue to act, guided by evidence, to reduce harm and to support those who are affected. Roz McCall: Any fall in the number of deaths is welcome, but Alcohol Focus Scotland says that the level of deaths is “appallingly high” and that it is more than double what it was 30 years ago. In response to that, the minister said in an interview last week that she was considering increasing alcohol prices annually, in line with inflation. Will the minister confirm whether that is Government policy?”
“The first thing to say is that behind those figures are individuals who have lost their lives, families who are in mourning and communities that are feeling the loss of those people. The number of alcohol-specific deaths fell by 7 per cent to 1,185 in 2024, which is the lowest that it has been since 2019. The decrease is welcome, but we know that the number of deaths remains far too high and that all of them are preventable. The Scottish Government is committed to tackling alcohol harm and has allocated more than £160 million to alcohol and drug initiatives and services in 2025-26. Last year, we increased the minimum unit price as part of our world-leading strategy to 65p, and we expanded access to treatment, including residential rehabilitation.”
“We have widened access to treatment, we have increased the number of funded places at residential rehab and the capacity of residential rehab, and we have rolled out a world-leading naloxone programme, so that all our front-line staff, including police officers, ambulance crews and community pharmacists, have access to life- saving naloxone in the event of overdoses nearby. The member is correct that the figures from this year are alarming. The statistics that came out today on suspected drug deaths in the first six months of the year show a 3 per cent increase. We are very much aware of the risks that are posed, and we are keen to work with the UK Government on drug-checking facilities. I think that they would reduce the contamination that we are experiencing in the market, which is causing so much harm in”
“That will simply not help our children who are vaping and consuming drugs. Is it not time that the Scottish Government took a new approach to tackling the drug deaths crisis in Scotland? Maree Todd: Let me be clear with the member, as I have been many times previously. The safer drug consumption room is not the only tool that we are deploying against the dreadful toll of drug deaths that we are experiencing in Scotland. It is one of a range of evidence-based harm-reduction opportunities that we have. The safer drug consumption facility does not cover vaping—we have wandered off in quite a different direction. There is no provision for inhalation in that facility—it is an injection-only facility.”
“Sandesh Gulhane: Spice could be a potential gateway drug to addiction. The Scottish Government cannot afford to be complacent. There has been a sharp increase in the overall number of drug deaths in 2025. In the first quarter, there were 33 per cent more suspected drug deaths than in the previous quarter. The latest figures, which cover April to June, show that the number of drug deaths rose by 11 per cent when compared with the same period in 2014. Scotland is the drug deaths capital of Europe for the seventh year in a row. Successive ministers have told us that drug consumption rooms save lives, but there is no tangible evidence to support that claim. The facts are being ignored and the Scottish National Party is ploughing ahead with plans for another drug consumption facility in Edinburgh.”
“As I mentioned, while regulation of the internet remains reserved, we have successfully engaged with the UK Government on strengthening protections for children under its Online Safety Act 2023. Ofcom, the regulator, has published codes of practice for online platforms on illegal harms and protecting children from harm online. We will continue to work with the UK Government and Ofcom on implementation of the 2023 act and to press for stronger protections to keep children and young people safe while they are online. The Scottish Government’s ministerial online safety task force, which is led by the Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise and the Minister for Victims and Community Safety, is absolutely focused on strengthening our approach to keeping children safe while they are online.”
“In March this year, in Dalkeith, two boys aged just 14 were hospitalised after inhaling from an illegal vape that was laced with spice. Spice is a highly addictive drug that can cause severe health consequences such as psychosis, seizures and serious heart problems. That drug should be nowhere near our children. I assume that the minister shares my concern that urgent action needs to be taken to prevent serious harm to our children. What tangible action will she take? Maree Todd: I certainly do share the member’s concern. Data from Public Health Scotland’s early warning system RADAR—rapid action drug alerts and response—has flagged an increase in tetrahydrocannabinol and synthetic cannabis in vapes, so the issue is not entirely restricted to England.”
“As well as the drug enforcement activity that is led by Police Scotland, the Scottish Government is carrying out substance use education work in our schools through the curriculum for excellence. We are also investing £750,000 this year in Planet Youth, which is a community-led approach to creating healthier environments for young people and preventing substance use. Sandesh Gulhane: I declare my interest as a practising national health service general practitioner. This is not just a problem in England. The threat to our children from vapes that are laced with illicit substances is becoming ever more terrifying. Last year, data from Scottish local authorities showed that there were 120 incidents in the previous three years of schoolchildren—some as young as primary school age—using vapes containing illicit substances.”
“I believe that Mr Gulhane’s question relates to media coverage from the weekend about drug dealers in England using social media platforms to target people and to sell illegal vapes that contain the synthetic drug spice. The actions of those dealers are illegal. The use of vapes containing harmful substances among young people is highly concerning. Social media platforms have a clear responsibility to support law enforcement and prevent illegal activity on their sites that risks harming young people. I know that the Minister for Victims and Community Safety and the Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise are leading a new task force to look at online harms, and they have been engaging with the United Kingdom Government to look more closely at the Online Safety Act 2023, which is, of course, reserved legislation.”
“I encourage members who wish to ask a question but have not already pressed their request-to-speak buttons to do so.”
“I opened my statement with thoughts for all those impacted by drugs and with condolences to the loved ones of the 1,017 people who lost their lives to drugs in 2024. Although there is nothing that we can do to bring back those whose lives have been so tragically cut short or to ease the unimaginable grief that their loved ones must feel, we will continue to do all that we can to end the devastating impacts of drugs in Scotland. Let us work together, share ideas, confront challenges and go forward with an unwavering commitment to stop deaths, reduce harm and improve lives. The Deputy Presiding Officer: The minister will now take questions on the issues that were raised in her statement. I intend to allow about 20 minutes for questions, after which we will need to move on to the next item of business.”
“I will make it clear to the UK Government that it is imperative that it moves at pace as we seek to deliver drug checking. As the first phase of our national mission draws to a close in 2026, our commitment to reducing deaths and improving lives will remain. Our work with partners on a plan for the next phase covering both alcohol and drugs is progressing well, and we intend to publish it at the beginning of next year. The plan will embed a more intense focus on person-centred support to aid recovery. It is our intention that funding is maintained to support the delivery of the plan, and final budget allocations will be subject to the Parliament’s agreement as part of the 2026-27 budget process later this year.”
“I also thank those with lived and living experience and their families who work with us and so generously share their perspectives and experiences with us so that we get the support that we provide right for people who are impacted by drug use. As I have outlined, our national mission on drugs has delivered a number of positive developments, but this week’s figures remind us that there is much more to do. To support the continued delivery of the national mission, we are providing record funding of more than £160 million for alcohol and drugs work in 2025-26. We will also accelerate the delivery of new initiatives such as the drug checking pilot project, and I will welcome ministerial counterparts from the UK and devolved Administrations to Edinburgh next week to discuss that and many other important issues.”
“Work continues on implementation of the medication assisted treatment standards. In June, Public Health Scotland’s benchmarking report showed that, across all alcohol and drug partnership areas, 91 per cent of MAT standards 1 to 5 and 75 per cent of MAT standards 6 to 10 were assessed as fully implemented. The report highlights the innovation and hard work that is being undertaken by services and people in driving change, and I take a brief moment to thank all the services and organisations in communities across Scotland that are working to save lives and providing the challenge that the Government needs to drive action forward.”
“This week’s publication offers a stark reminder that 1,017 people lost their lives to drugs, and that demands that we all collectively step up our efforts. Since launching our national mission in 2021, we have taken a range of actions, but I am determined that we do more. We have made £38 million available between eight projects across Scotland to provide additional residential rehabilitation beds. The latest published figures report a rise in capacity of 88 beds, and we have expanded capacity even further since those figures were released. We have invested more than £4 million in widening access to life-saving naloxone. Thanks to our support, the latest figures indicate that more than 80 per cent of people at risk of opioid overdose have been supplied with a kit.”
“Since taking on this ministerial role in June, I have had the opportunity to visit a number of projects and services that are funded by the Scottish Government. Earlier this week, I visited the Scheme Livi, which is an innovative project that offers creative workshops as an alternative source of support for people who are impacted by drug use. That is one of more than 300 local and grass-roots projects that have been supported by Scottish Government funding that is administered by the Corra Foundation since the start of our national mission. Work such as that in the third sector is essential in tackling the drug deaths crisis, because it is a crisis that no single organisation can solve alone. I do not shy away from this challenge.”
“For young people, we know that there is much more that we need to do, which is why, later this year, we will publish a set of treatment and support standards specifically for young people aged 25 and under. To support early intervention and prevention, we are allocating an additional £750,000 to continue to fund Winning Scotland’s planet youth model of primary prevention. Primary prevention activity such as that can stop harm before it takes root, meaning fewer people losing their homes, being caught up in the justice system or having negative health outcomes. That is why our population health framework with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities focuses on primary prevention. Reducing the harm that is caused by drugs is critical for our whole-system aim of increasing—and reducing the gap in—life expectancy.”
“We must continue to address the unique challenges that are faced by women who use drugs. With that in mind, I am pleased to announce that we are directing some of the additional funding in the drug and alcohol budget for that purpose. We are providing an additional £1.1 million to Aberlour Children’s Charity to expand its intensive perinatal support services and improve support and targeted recovery services for women and their babies. In Glasgow, we are delivering £750,000 through the Corra Foundation to support the development of a whole-system solution to address the barriers that women affected by substance use often face when they are accessing services.”
“I learned about the Scottish Ambulance Service’s successful take-home naloxone programme, which has issued more than 4,000 kits to people who are at risk and their families, who can use them to deal with any future overdose while they wait for the ambulance to arrive. The work that has been done by the Scottish Ambulance Service, the third sector, the police and other partners has been instrumental in saving lives. This week’s figures highlight specific demographic challenges that we must address. The deprivation gap persists, with people in the most deprived areas being 12 times more likely to die from drugs than those in the least deprived areas. The figures remind us of the critical importance of tackling the root causes of poverty and inequality and of delivering the Government’s mission of eradicating child poverty.”
“We are working with Public Health Scotland, the Scottish Drugs Forum and other partners to address the threat, including by communicating vital information and advice to those who need it. I encourage members in the chamber and anyone who might be affected to familiarise themselves with that advice. I also urge anyone who carries naloxone to consider carrying extra life-saving kits with them, because we know that, due to the high potency of nitazenes, repeat doses might be required. Last week, I saw at first hand how naloxone is administered when I visited Springburn ambulance station to mark international overdose awareness day.”
“However, the city continues to have one of the highest rates of drug deaths in the country, which is why we are supporting further life-saving improvements, such as funding the pilot of the United Kingdom’s first safer drug consumption facility, which opened in January. The Thistle has been recognised globally for its work and, since opening, has overseen more than 4,000 injecting episodes, while also being able to respond to a number of on-site overdose incidents. I have no doubt that lives have been saved. The increased prevalence of new highly potent synthetic substances, such as nitazenes, not only in Scotland but throughout the UK, is of real concern.”
“Although it is welcome that the statistics show a 13 per cent fall in the number of drug misuse deaths from 2023, to the lowest level registered since 2017, let me be clear that the figures are still far too high. Every drug death is a profound tragedy, every drug death is one too many and every drug death is preventable. Some aspects of the information that was released this week give us particular cause for reflection. In Glasgow, it is welcome that the statistics show a 25 per cent fall in the number of drug deaths from 2023, and we recognise the work that is being done locally to put in place strong systems of care.”
“Thank you for the opportunity to update the Parliament on this week’s publication of the 2024 figures on drug- related deaths in Scotland. First and foremost, I express my deepest condolences to the families, friends and loved ones of the 1,017 people who tragically lost their lives to drugs in 2024. Although this week’s publication is released as accredited official statistics, those 1,017 people are not simply statistics—they are parents, children, partners, siblings, friends, colleagues, loved ones and neighbours. They are lives cut far too short by the devastating impact of drugs. To all those who are suffering and who have suffered loss, I want you to know that you matter and that I am determined to continually improve how we support you.”
“As I laid out in January, our new approach to the NCS means that local authorities and health boards will retain their existing statutory responsibilities. I look forward to working with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the NHS to drive forward the improvements that the advisory board suggests. Each of the national programmes has improved social care services across Scotland and will be vital pillars in the national care service. They represent what thousands of people with lived experience have told us is needed. However, we need to pass the legislation to fully realise our shared goal of improving social care, social work and community health for the people of Scotland. I move, That the Parliament agrees that the Care Reform (Scotland) Bill be passed. 18:09”
“The board will help drive improvement and ensure that services are consistent, fair and high quality, no matter where people live in Scotland. The advisory board will work alongside established national programmes such as: getting it right for everyone, which promotes and enables person-led support right across Scotland; self- directed support, which plays a crucial role by giving people more choice and control over the care that they receive, which is why we have invested £22 million in our SDS improvement plan; our commitment to fair work and fair pay for all care workers in Scotland, which includes increasing pay for social workers; and our targeted programme to reduce delayed discharge.”
“The bill will empower people to access information, when they need it, about their own needs and care. It also helps professionals by improving the flow of information across care settings and ensuring the compatibility of systems, which will remove digital barriers so that people can focus on what matters. The bill is only one element of our wider and ambitious programme of social care reform. Last month, the national care service advisory board met for the first time. It will provide independent oversight through a diverse range of voices, from unpaid carers and those who access care to care providers and national health service and local authority leaders, which will ensure that every perspective is heard.”
“The bill includes changes that will improve access to independent advocacy. The Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance has told us that the best way forward is to incrementally increase funding year on year to ensure that services remain high quality and sustainable. I am really pleased to be able to announce an extra £500,000 in funding for 2026-27 to increase the provision of independent advocacy services and guarantee that people are heard and involved in decisions about their care. Ethical procurement plays a significant role in the quality of care services, which is why the bill gives stakeholders more flexibility when buying services. It also introduces another procurement route for the third sector, which makes it easier to compete for contracts.”
“This week is carers week, and this year’s theme is “caring about equality”. Too many unpaid carers miss out on opportunities in life, and the bill will ensure that unpaid carers have a right to breaks, which will support them to have a life alongside caring. To support that, we have added £5 million to our voluntary sector short breaks fund for 2025- 2026, bringing it up to £13 million, so that more carers can take the time off that they deserve. A new national chief social work adviser will champion social work across our health and care systems and provide professional leadership nationally. They will be supported by the national social work agency, which will spearhead the effort to promote the social work profession, strengthen collaboration and improve education and professional development.”
“To ensure that that never happens again, Anne’s law will recognise family and friends as essential care supporters and as key members of their loved ones’ care team, not just visitors. All this started when Anne’s daughter, Natasha Hamilton, lodged a petition with the Scottish Parliament in November 2020 calling for care home residents to be allowed a designated visitor. Her tenacity and unwavering commitment mean that Anne’s law will become law today. Further, the bill now ensures greater oversight on visiting decisions. People will be able to request reviews of those decisions, which will ensure that the voices and needs of those living in care homes are truly heard. I thank the members of the care home relatives Scotland group for their constructive engagement over many years, which has led us to this point.”
“Although we have taken a revised approach to the bill, our ambition for a national care service remains. The bill is now focused on making vital improvements that we all agree are essential. They will make a real difference and provide a road map for the improvement of social care, social work and community health. I am honoured to welcome the members of the care home relatives Scotland group who join us in the public gallery today. Among them are relatives of Anne Duke, who Anne’s law is named after. I have been profoundly impacted by the conversations that I have had with the group. The emotional harm and trauma that they and their loved ones and many others suffered as a result of being unable to see one another for such long and isolating periods during the pandemic must be acknowledged.”
“Thank you, Presiding Officer, for the opportunity to address the Parliament today on the Care Reform (Scotland) Bill. I thank the convener and members of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee and all the other committees that were involved for their diligent scrutiny of the bill, as well as members and their researchers who contributed and engaged with us on amendments to the bill. I also thank stakeholders from across the health and social care landscape and everyone who contributed to co-design. Thousands of people from across Scotland with lived experience of accessing care have given us their time and expertise to shape the bill and wider social care reform. Their voices have inspired lasting meaningful change. There is broad agreement that Scotland’s social care system must change.”