Scottish Parliament, 25 September 2025

246 contributions from 62 members. The official report.

General Question Time

Alison Johnstone (Presiding Officer, Lothian)

Good morning. The first item of business is general question time.

Roz McCall (Conservative, Mid Scotland and Fife)

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the latest homelessness in Scotland statistics. (S6O-04978)

Màiri McAllan (Scottish National Party, Clydesdale)

The statistics demonstrate the scale of the challenge that we face to reduce homelessness. Earlier this month, I delivered my housing emergency action plan, which sets out the direct and immediate measures that we will be taking to prevent homelessness, deliver more affordable homes and make better use of existing stock. That includes up to £4.9 billion of investment over the next four years, to deliver around 36,000 affordable homes; doubling our acquisition funding this year to £80 million, allowing councils to act now to acquire family-sized homes and get children out of temporary accommodation; and a £4 million investment in the expansion of the housing first approach.

This week, we have been considering stage 3 of the Housing (Scotland) Bill, which, if passed, will create a gold standard anti-homelessness law in the form of the ask and act duty.

Roz McCall (Conservative, Mid Scotland and Fife)

I am glad to hear that the cabinet secretary agrees that there is a problem. There are currently 10,000 children in temporary accommodation, some of whom are spending years in limbo, and the figure is stagnant. We also recently found out from a report in The Herald that there have been “nearly 40,000 violations” of homelessness regulations by Scottish local authorities in the past eight years, with the number almost doubling in the past year alone.

We have a housing emergency; there is a homelessness crisis; and nothing seems to be changing. When does the cabinet secretary believe that the money and the policies that she continually champions will finally improve the situation for the people of Scotland?

Màiri McAllan (Scottish National Party, Clydesdale)

I will never claim that the statistics that came out last week are anything other than stark, and they require urgent action. In recent years, we have been dealing with a perfect storm of difficulties, with the prevailing economic situation being stagnant or on a downward trajectory and household finances being put under severe pressure from inflation, the cost of living, the pandemic, Brexit and so on. That has meant that, despite Scotland having some of the most protective anti-homelessness laws in any country, we are in a difficult situation.

That is why the housing emergency plan that I set out takes action across three pillars: ending the practice of children living in unsuitable accommodation; supporting the housing needs of vulnerable communities; and building our future by investing in new and affordable homes. I hope that that, combined with the actions that we have been taking since May last year, will quickly make a difference.

However, much of the situation—not least the social security aspect—is outwith our control, and I take this opportunity to urge the United Kingdom Government to reverse the bedroom tax, for example.

Jeremy Balfour (Independent, Lothian)

As we have just heard, it has been reported that more than 16,000 housing violations have happened in the past year alone. Will the cabinet secretary acknowledge that report, which calls its housing emergency declaration a sham, given that breaches of the legal duty to provide for homeless people, including children and pregnant women, have doubled in only one year?

Màiri McAllan (Scottish National Party, Clydesdale)

No, I would not agree with that characterisation. Breaches of statutory obligations by councils are not acceptable. That is exactly why I am working with local authorities—and, in particular, with the top five with the most strained homelessness services—to drive action now.

We drive action with the acquisition fund that the Government has been providing for several years and which, in my statement on 2 September, I doubled to £80 million. That fund is about asking councils to go now, acquire family homes that are on the market and use them to get children out of temporary accommodation. Another instruction that was part of that plan was to ask councils to adopt the guidance from the Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers on flipping temporary accommodation—that is, to contact people living in temporary accommodation that is otherwise suitable, except for the fact that it is temporary, and to discuss with the household whether it can be flipped to become their permanent accommodation.

Such measures are about taking action, and they are all backed up by investment over the next four years.

Alison Johnstone (Presiding Officer, Lothian)

Question 2 has been withdrawn.

Jamie Halcro Johnston (Conservative, Highlands and Islands)

To ask the Scottish Government how many free personal care hours were assessed by local authorities to be needed, but were subsequently not delivered, in 2024-25. (S6O-04980)

Tom Arthur (Scottish National Party, Renfrewshire South)

The information that the member has requested for 2024-25 has not yet been published. However, the data that focuses on the uptake of free personal nursing care in previous years is available on the Scottish Government website, which provides published statistics. The 2024-25 data has a release date of November 2025.

The Scottish Government recognises that the cost of care can be high for people who are self-funding their residential care. That is why we have increased the rates paid for free personal and nursing care by 29.5 per cent since April 2020, providing an additional investment of £40 million over the past three years.

Jamie Halcro Johnston (Conservative, Highlands and Islands)

I thank the minister for his answer, but I would welcome a little more detail in future.

Local councils assess the need for, and deliver, free personal care, but it was legislated for by this Parliament. The Scottish National Party’s website hails the policy as one of the landmark achievements of devolution, but too many old and vulnerable people across my Highlands and Islands region are being left waiting for months, if not years, for the support that they have been assessed as needing. Some are left languishing in already-crowded hospitals, because there is no care support available to get them home or no place available in one of our pressured care homes.

Does the minister accept the seriousness of the situation across the Highlands and Islands and across Scotland? Without repeating the usual excuses, what does he say to those who are waiting for care support that they have been assessed as needing but have been left waiting to receive it?

Tom Arthur (Scottish National Party, Renfrewshire South)

I make it clear that I do not want to see anyone waiting unduly for care that they have been assessed as requiring. We are working constructively and collaboratively with our partners across local government. That work is, intentionally, being led by the cabinet secretary, with support from me, and we will continue to do that work.

We have put significant additional investment of £21.7 billion into health and social care this year, which includes £2.2 billion for social care. Those figures exceeded our original commitment, and we will continue engaging constructively with our partners to drive forward improvements.

Christine Grahame (Scottish National Party, Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale)

Has the Labour Government’s increase in employer national insurance contributions had an impact on the delivery of free personal care?

Tom Arthur (Scottish National Party, Renfrewshire South)

Regrettably, it has. Since the start of the year, the sector has been making clear the costs that will be incurred as a consequence of the United Kingdom Government’s decision to increase employer national insurance contributions. The move will have a material impact, and we estimate that it will cost the sector more than £80 million this year.

It is, of course, further compounded by the UK Labour Government’s decision to restrict international visas for care workers. The decision has been roundly condemned by those operating in the sector, and I urge the UK Government to reverse its course.

Liam McArthur (Liberal Democrat, Orkney Islands)

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Orkney regarding reported delays in ophthalmology appointments for patients. (S6O-04981)

Jenni Minto (Scottish National Party, Argyll and Bute)

During a visit to the Balfour hospital on 15 July, the cabinet secretary met with NHS Orkney’s senior team to discuss its operational improvement plan and the progress being made following our additional investment of almost £73,000 for ophthalmology. That money was allocated to NHS Orkney to ensure that no patient waits longer than 52 weeks for a new out-patient appointment or for an in-patient day case admission by 31 March 2026.

Additionally, the Scottish Government commissioned the national centre for sustainable delivery and officials to meet regularly with the health board. This year, NHS Orkney has had a clinical services review and a clinically led ophthalmology peer review, which have made recommendations on the delivery of sustainable services for patients.

Liam McArthur (Liberal Democrat, Orkney Islands)

I am sure that the cabinet secretary was made aware, during his meeting at the Balfour, of the significant backlogs in ophthalmology appointments in Orkney. I have been contacted by constituents who are reporting waits for treatment of up to or exceeding three years.

I know from my discussions with NHS Orkney that it is trying to take steps to reduce those backlogs. However, given that some patients face permanent sight loss while waiting for treatment, will the Scottish Government commit to providing additional support in the short term to help tackle those unacceptable waits?

Jenni Minto (Scottish National Party, Argyll and Bute)

Those exact topics were discussed with the cabinet secretary when he visited Orkney in July. I am happy to consider the proposal that Mr McArthur makes. I know that NHS Orkney has had access to the global citizen post for ophthalmology, which it shares with NHS Highland and NHS Western Isles, but that post is currently unfilled.

NHS Orkney and NHS Highland have been working together on looking at how additional capacity can be delivered, but I absolutely recognise the concerns that have been raised. In other areas of healthcare, we are able to work across boundaries, and I hope that something similar can be worked out in this case.

Maggie Chapman (Green, North East Scotland)

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any discussions that it has had with Police Scotland about the policing of protests outside hotels and other accommodation for people seeking asylum. (S6O-04982)

Siobhian Brown (Scottish National Party, Ayr)

Scottish ministers have regular discussions with Police Scotland on a range of issues including the policing of protests. Operational policing is a matter for Police Scotland, and it has confirmed that it has the appropriate resources to ensure the safety of those who are in attendance and to mitigate disruption to the wider community. Police Scotland is a rights-based organisation and it is committed to facilitating peaceful protests and counter-demonstrations to allow those who are seeking to protest to exercise their human rights. However, let me be clear: there is no place for criminality or hate crime on our streets, and I fully support Police Scotland taking the appropriate and proportionate action in response to such behaviour.

Maggie Chapman (Green, North East Scotland)

In the north-east, we have seen anti-immigration protests in Peterhead, Westhill, Aberdeen and Dundee. The Stobswell forum in Dundee issued a statement highlighting the fear and alarm that were caused by these so-called protesters following their actions in a public park. The same protesters marched in an unorganised way over the A90 Kingsway and held an intimidating and hate-filled protest outside the homes of asylum seekers. They spread false anti-immigration information online, causing fear and alarm among parents of young children, and they hurled stones and other missiles at anti-fascists.

What proactive action is being taken to respond to the far-right influence on these protests and the intimidation that they cause to residents and local communities?

Siobhian Brown (Scottish National Party, Ayr)

I am deeply concerned about some of the rhetoric that we are seeing across the United Kingdom, which should have no place in our society. It is therefore vital that factual information is also placed in the public domain. As elected members across the UK—as democratically elected representatives with a platform—we have a duty and a responsibility to ensure that we call out any dangerous misinformation, and certainly that we do not perpetrate it.

In a democracy, people have the right of peaceful protest, but the protests outside the hotels go far beyond what is acceptable in our country, which has historically had a humane approach, and one that we should be proud of, to those fleeing conflict and persecution. The protests are creating a sense of real fear and alarm for those who have already gone through so much.

In saying that, it is important that we engage with the people who are protesting in order to hear their concerns and understand the reasons that are driving them to protest. I know that Police Scotland continues to engage with protesters through liaison officers, and the Scottish Government has funded the Centre for Good Relations to work with those who are protesting to hear their concerns.

Mercedes Villalba (Labour, North East Scotland)

We have brought in legislation to create boundaries—buffer zones—around clinics to prevent people who are accessing services from being harassed. What consideration has the Government given to establishing some kind of boundaries around residential dwellings to prevent people from being harassed in their homes?

Siobhian Brown (Scottish National Party, Ayr)

The right to free speech and protest is at the heart of a healthy democracy and the Scottish Government is committed to upholding that right, but it understands the distress that the protests are causing to residents across asylum accommodation. Creating buffer zones similar to those that have been introduced in relation to abortion clinics would require new legislation. We have no current plans to do that, but we will continue to monitor the situation.

Jackie Dunbar (Scottish National Party, Aberdeen Donside)

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the steps that it is taking to increase service capacity in GP practices within NHS Grampian. (S6O-04983)

Neil Gray (Scottish National Party, Airdrie and Shotts)

In August, I announced initial additional investment of £15 million in general practice. GP practices in Grampian will receive £1.5 million of that funding, which builds on the increased investment of more than £100 million that we have already made in general practice over the past two years.

We have been listening carefully to the views of GPs, and the new investment will help to ease financial pressures, support workforce retention and recruitment, build service capacity and support the day-to-day running of GP services in Grampian and across Scotland.

We remain in discussions with the sector on the provision of further support in the future, but the initial instalment demonstrates the Government’s commitment to making it easier for people to see their GP and to ensuring that more NHS funding goes into primary and community care.

Jackie Dunbar (Scottish National Party, Aberdeen Donside)

The cabinet secretary will be aware of the recent pressures that NHS Grampian has been facing, and I know that he will join me in thanking all of the NHS staff in Grampian who have been working hard to manage those pressures. Can he provide a further update on how the Scottish Government is supporting NHS Grampian to relieve its pressures and ensure that patients are receiving the care that they need in a timely fashion?

Neil Gray (Scottish National Party, Airdrie and Shotts)

I am aware of the pressures, and I echo the member’s thanks to staff in NHS Grampian for their commitment, their hard work and their dedication to providing the best care possible.

There are people still waiting too long in Grampian and elsewhere, and that is not good enough. Our budget provides a record £21.7 billion for health and social care, with more than £100 million to tackle the longest waits. NHS Grampian is receiving more than £9 million to support specialties that have the longest wait times, and we have established an assurance board to agree an improvement plan.

Grampian has also welcomed a new chief executive this week, and we will ensure that the board has support to deliver the plan and address any further opportunities for improvement.

Alexander Burnett (Conservative, Aberdeenshire West)

Constituents are becoming concerned about the lack of oversight of privately contracted GP surgeries, such as the Alford Medical Group practice, which has a ratio of one GP to 6,000 patients—more than three times higher than the national average.

The company poorly delivering that NHS Grampian contract is also serving Ayrshire. Although health boards have visibility of who they contract GP services with, they do not have visibility of contracts that are held with other health boards. That makes it impossible to hold accurate data on GP-to-patient ratios, as GPs might work across different practices and in different health board areas. What steps will the cabinet secretary take to ensure full transparency on contracted medical practices across Scotland?

Neil Gray (Scottish National Party, Airdrie and Shotts)

Alexander Burnett understands the nature of the contractual obligations that are in place through the contract, and the obligations that are on boards to ensure that GP practices deliver on their contractual obligations.

The point that he raised about that particular practice is concerning. I am keen to be furnished with more detail from him on that, so that everything possible can be done to ensure that we have a GP to patient ratio that is commensurate with the type of service that we expect and the access to services that we expect, which has been made plain to GPs and health boards.

Clare Haughey (Scottish National Party, Rutherglen)

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports youth employment in the Rutherglen constituency, including through employability services. (S6O-04984)

Kate Forbes (Scottish National Party, Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch)

Employment support for young people begins in the school setting through Skills Development Scotland’s careers services and its developing the young workforce programme.

Additional support for those who have left school without a positive destination is available through devolved employability services. That support is available in every local authority area in Scotland.

Clare Haughey (Scottish National Party, Rutherglen)

Routes to Work South, which is based in Cambuslang, in my constituency, is an award-winning employment champion that offers packages of tailored support and training, including to many young people, and it is celebrating 20 years of operation this year.

Does the minister share my concern that if the Department for Work and Pensions’ proposed closure of Cambuslang jobcentre goes ahead, a vital link between the services is at risk in a sector where partnership working is vital?

Kate Forbes (Scottish National Party, Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch)

I absolutely understand and share the member’s concern about the proposed jobcentre closure. Access to support could become more difficult if it goes ahead.

I also recognise the importance of Routes to Work South’s 20 years of support in Cambuslang. It is important that there is cross-sector partnership in delivering services; collaborations through community-led initiatives, local organisations and integrated services will continue to evolve and provide vital support.

Emma Roddick (Scottish National Party, Highlands and Islands)

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the distress brief intervention programme. (S6O-04985)

Tom Arthur (Scottish National Party, Renfrewshire South)

Since November 2024, the distress brief intervention programme has been live in all 31 health and social care partnership areas across Scotland for those aged 16 and over.

We also have three national referral pathways to DBI, via NHS 24 and call handling centres operated by both the Scottish Ambulance Service and Police Scotland. Those provide additional options for key services to refer people for DBI support.

Emma Roddick (Scottish National Party, Highlands and Islands)

I would be interested to know what data has been collected on re-presentation rates for individuals who have received DBI support, and how it compares with previous re-presentation rates for people in distress.

Tom Arthur (Scottish National Party, Renfrewshire South)

I will be happy to write to the member to provide that specific information.

Alison Johnstone (Presiding Officer, Lothian)

That concludes general questions.

Organ Donation Week

Liam McArthur (Liberal Democrat, Orkney Islands)

The final item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S6M-18544, in the name of Christine Grahame, on organ donation week, 22 to 28 September 2025. The debate will be concluded without any question being put. I invite members who wish to participate to press their request-to-speak buttons.

Motion debated,

That the Parliament recognises Organ Donation Week, which runs from 22 to 28 September 2025, as what it sees as a vital moment to highlight the life-saving power of organ and tissue donation; understands that the opt-out system for organ and tissue donation in Scotland, which was implemented in 2021, still relies on family agreement; considers that many refusals happen because wishes are not discussed in advance; understands that in 2024-25, 274 people in Scotland benefited from a transplant compared with 390 in 2023-24, which, it believes, is a worrying trend; welcomes the Scottish Government’s “Don’t Leave Your Loved Ones in Doubt” campaign, which urges registration and open talks; notes the support for engaging young people and the view that colleges and universities should help educate through the use of QR codes; values the reported role of faith leaders in confirming that there are no religious barriers to donation and clearing up myths; understands that nearly 8,000 people in the UK, including people in Scotland, await transplants, and notes the encouragement for all eligible individuals to register, share their wishes and help to save lives.

Christine Grahame (Scottish National Party, Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale)

I thank all of the members who signed the motion to allow the debate to proceed, the people who are manning the exhibition in the lobby this week and those who are attending in the public gallery, including members of the transplant team, health professionals and, in particular, Audrey Cameron, a donor’s mother, about whom I will say more later. I also thank those who have remained in the chamber after a very long week because of late sittings.

My contribution extends only to transplants following a death. Talking about death is always a difficult topic in any circumstance. One might say that it is grisly, and we in the western world prefer to avoid it. However, one death can save a life or allow a better life to someone else, and sometimes to many strangers.

Let me first set out the legislative background. The Human Tissue (Authorisation) (Scotland) Act 2019 was passed in July 2019. It provides for a deemed authorisation, or opt-out, system of organ donation for transplantation. It applies to most adults aged 16 and over who are resident in Scotland, but it does not apply to everyone.

There are exemptions: adults without capacity to understand the law, adults who have lived in Scotland for fewer than 12 months before their death and children under the age of 16. If a person in one of those groups dies in a way that means that they could donate, their closest family member will be asked whether they wish to authorise donation.

Otherwise, if a person dies in circumstances in which they could become a donor and have not recorded a donation decision—either to agree or to reject—it will be assumed that they are willing to donate their organs for transplantation. Even then, a person’s family will always be asked about their latest views on donation to ensure that it would not proceed if that was against their wishes.

John Mason (Independent, Glasgow Shettleston)

I thank the member for giving way. Does she think that most of the public understand that? I have to say that I was a bit confused about it until I spoke to the folk today.

Christine Grahame (Scottish National Party, Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale)

The reason for the debate is partly to highlight that.

That is where understandable difficulties arise. Specialist nurses must—without delay, for obvious reasons—raise the issue of consent to use some of the deceased’s organs in the most distressing of circumstances. If a person has registered their wishes one way or another, it makes that discussion much easier.

Therefore, although there is presumed consent, it is still better to register. Let me also stress that only 1 per cent of the population who die can be considered to become an organ donor—only those who are in intensive care and ventilated—so it is a niche set of circumstances.

The specialist nurse whom I referred to is one of a team of 23 who are based in intensive care units across Scotland. They support consultants and nurses who are having end-of-life discussions with families. They cover all aspects of the donation process, from the initial referral from the intensive care unit team, to building a patient’s profile—bloods, electrocardiogram, chest x-ray, medical notes—organ matching, offering and placement; organising theatre; and organising for the national organ retrieval service team to arrive at the donor hospital. Time is always of the essence.

Those nurses co-ordinate the retrieval operation to the very end, when they perform last offices with donors and ensure that organs are safely dispatched to their recipients. They also provide a bereavement follow-up service for donors’ families.

There are currently around 600 people waiting for an organ transplant in Scotland at any one time. Those patients are in urgent need of life-saving or life-enhancing organs, with the majority waiting for a kidney transplant. One donor can save up to nine lives.

Nothing illustrates the significance of organ transplant better than an example. Audrey Cameron is here in the Parliament today. Her son James Borland died in February 2024 at the young age of 25. Audrey chose to donate James’s organs, as she felt that that was fitting for him, as a kind and gentle young man. James went on to donate his heart, lungs and both kidneys, saving the lives of four people. His becoming an organ donor has given his family so much comfort amid their grief. James’s story has not ended, and he has changed so many people’s lives. He left behind his young son, who one day will know how brave his daddy was and how he is a true hero to so many. Audrey now works closely with the specialist nurse in the organ donation team, promoting and sharing her passion for organ donation, and I thank her for this permission to make public her experience. I thank all others who, in similar circumstances, have done that. Nothing can illustrate how important organ donation is more than that example. [ Applause .]

Stephen Kerr (Conservative, Central Scotland)

My congratulations to Christine Grahame on bringing the motion to Parliament. I regret that the debate is being held on a Thursday evening, as it deserves a more prominent place in our schedule. Nevertheless, it is a highly appropriate debate. Everything that needed to be said was said in the story of James. Christine Grahame is right: he is a hero indeed.

I am pleased to speak in support of the motion, which rightly recognises organ donation week as a vital opportunity to highlight the life-saving power of organ and tissue donation. I agree with John Mason—who is not in his seat now—who is absolutely right that there is a lot of misunderstanding about the current situation in Scotland in relation to the opt-in/opt-out arrangements.

The motion reminds us of the striking and sobering truth that, in 2024-25, only 274 people in Scotland benefited from a transplant, as compared with 390 the year before. That downward trend is noteworthy and a concern, particularly as nearly 8,000 people across the United Kingdom, including many here in Scotland, continue to wait for a transplant that may be the difference between life and death.

The opt-out system was introduced in 2021 and has been a step forward. However, as the motion makes clear, and as Christine Grahame made clear in her speech, it relies on the agreement of families. Too often, transplants do not proceed because loved ones have never had a conversation. That is why I fully support the Scottish Government’s “Don’t leave your loved ones in doubt” campaign. It is so important, and it is why we should use this debate, and every opportunity that we have as elected members of the Scottish Parliament, to encourage people to register their wishes and speak openly with their families.

I am one of the people John Mason referred to, and he identified himself in the same way. When I first learned about the matter, because of organ donation week and this debate that Christine Grahame has brought to the chamber, and because I decided that I wanted to participate in the debate, I did not realise that I should register, go to the website and make clear my desire in the event of my own death. I am very grateful for the debate for that reason. I also communicated that to my family—to my wife and to our children—so that they would know exactly what I would desire. If any part of me could be useful to anyone else, that is what I would want. We need to make those decisions clear, but we also need to communicate them clearly.

An aspect of the motion that particularly intrigued me was the mention of the

“reported role of faith leaders in confirming that there are no religious barriers to donation and clearing up myths”.

I will talk about that from a personal point of view. Something that I have not done very much of in the past four-and-a-half years is speak about things from my perspective as a Christian and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I take the opportunity to stress that organ donation is not only compatible with my faith, but I believe that it is one of the most selfless acts of love that a human being can perform. In my faith, the body is sacred, but so too is the command to love one another. For me, the act of donation is a profound way of following the example of Jesus Christ, whose life and sacrifice were the ultimate expressions of self-giving love.

The scriptures teach that Jesus said:

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

Organ donation allows us, in a small but significant way, to reflect that same love by giving the gift of life to others, even after our own journey in mortality has ended. That is why I welcome the motion’s emphasis on the role of faith leaders. Across Scotland, religious communities have affirmed that there are no barriers in belief to donation. That clears away damaging myths and allows people of faith to see organ donation for what it is: a gift of compassion that is rooted in love and service.

I welcome the call to engage young people by using modern tools in colleges and universities, such as the QR codes that the motion mentions, to spark awareness. If we as parliamentarians need to be sparked into awareness, I am sure that the same applies to a wide range of people across all demographics. We need to be made aware of how we can make our desires about organ donation known.

The issue is not about compulsion or state control, but about responsibility, family dialogue and choosing to give. Therefore, I strongly support the motion and encourage all eligible Scots to register, share their wishes and help to save lives.

Jackie Dunbar (Scottish National Party, Aberdeen Donside)

I congratulate my colleague Christine Grahame on securing this debate on organ donation week. I thank her not only for lodging the motion, but for her lack of fear in broaching subjects that need to be heard but which are difficult to discuss.

Most of us are aware of the advances that have been made in medical science and technology and the literally life-saving impact that they have had on folk who would otherwise not survive. If my understanding is correct—I will probably get told if it is not—the first transplant took place in the year that I was born: 1967. The technological leaps forward in the decades since have been astounding. However, such advances will count for very little if our medical professionals cannot find donors in the first instance.

The debate takes place in the middle of organ donation week, which is designed to raise awareness of organ donation and the incredible role that it can play in changing folks’ lives forever. It is bittersweet when someone receives a transplant from an organ donor, as everyone is very aware of the tragic death that has led to the much-needed donation.

The raw numbers have always been small in comparison to our population—a few hundred transplants a year—but the figures highlighted in Christine Grahame’s motion are deeply concerning. The numbers on the register have continued to grow over time, but there is an issue with those who make a positive decision to be on the register communicating their wishes to their loved ones. That is another difficult, but important, discussion. Indeed, these are difficult and sensitive discussions for anyone. For some folk, it feels a bit gruesome to talk to their next of kin, who often do not want to listen, about what will happen to their kidneys or liver after they have passed. However, it is because death is fundamental to the donor process that we need to have those chats now, before it is too late, and to ensure that our wishes are known.

As Christine Grahame has said, only 1 per cent of donor organs are fit for transplant. In 99 per cent of cases, despite the good will and good wishes of those on the register, that generosity cannot, for a variety of reasons, be taken up. The circumstances of death that present the opportunity for donation and transplant are incredibly specific, and they mean that our health professionals need to make the best possible use of every chance that they get to help another, because those chances are few and far between.

If we can increase the number of chances that our national health service professionals have, we can increase the chances for many more people across our country to lead healthy lives. I say to those watching at home that they should ensure that their families and their next of kin know their wishes.

I have been made aware of an art installation in recognition of organ donors that was unveiled very recently at Aberdeen royal infirmary. Shelagh Swanson, the artist, was commissioned to work with the relatives of donors as well as with young folk across north-east secondary schools to create glass pebbles, which have been placed on the walls of the foyer of the ARI’s emergency department, all the way up towards the Sandpiper sanctuary. The installation commemorates the ripples of organ donation, and it is hoped that it will act as a conversation starter.

If people see the ripples of organ donation as they are walking in the ARI, I ask them to remember to have that discussion with their loved ones and to tell them of their wishes. [ Interruption .]

Liam McArthur (Liberal Democrat, Orkney Islands)

Thank you, Ms Dunbar. I give a gentle reminder to those in the public gallery that there should be no participation. Tempting though it is, that also includes applause.

Paul Sweeney is the final speaker in the open debate.

Paul Sweeney (Labour, Glasgow)

I extend my thanks and appreciation to Christine Grahame for presenting to Parliament a motion that I know will be close to the hearts of many people across the chamber and throughout Scotland.

Organ donation week is an important moment in the year for us to remember the lives saved by the incredibly generous donations of others, while also, I hope, stirring us to greater action so that we can live in a Scotland where everyone who needs a donated organ can receive one.

Organ donation, as has been mentioned by other members, including Mr Kerr, is the ultimate act of kindness and represents a selfless commitment to the wellbeing of others. It is a recognition that when our life has reached its end, others can be given the gift of life and vitality. It is an ending that becomes a beginning; the moment of death becomes, in a way, an act of love and a continuation or improvement of life. It is through such acts of giving and receiving that we build a society that is based on trust and recognition—one in which we care for the stranger and in which, at the end of life, we can leave with a generous spirit and a hand open to friendship, even to someone whom we have never met.

Like many in the Parliament, I was a registered organ donor under the old system. I am proud that the Parliament created an opt-out system in 2021, after the passing of the Human Tissue (Authorisation) (Scotland) Act 2019. That monumental act of Parliament still retains choice for those who wish, for whatever reason, to opt out of the system, but the more generous and giving option is now the default. The 2019 act was a profound moment of progress that we should all be proud of—it built a sense of solidarity and community.

That said, although Scotland should be proud of the opt-out system, the figures from Kidney Research Scotland paint a worrying picture of the state of organ donation in Scotland. Five hundred people are currently waiting for transplants in Scotland, but the numbers registering on the organ donor register have reduced dramatically each year, from 155,479 in 2021 to just 7,859. That is a worrying development.

Not registering on the organ donor register can create a lack of clarity for families regarding their loved ones’ final wishes. It can cause delays in organ retrieval, which means that organs that could have been saved to enhance or preserve life are no longer able to be used, often very urgently, in surgery.

I urge everyone listening to ensure that they are on the organ donor register so that their family, and medical professionals, can be in no doubt about their wishes, should they wish to donate organs. I admit that I did not fully appreciate that requirement to clarify my intentions and that I have just done so in the past five minutes. It does not take long at all—I just did it on the website.

Christine Grahame (Scottish National Party, Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale)

I am ashamed to say that I, too, did not realise that. I have been carrying the old card and did not know that I had to register. I just thought that all would be well, because we now have presumed consent.

Paul Sweeney (Labour, Glasgow)

The figures that I mentioned might reflect some complacency since the law changed. People might think that it is a done deal unless they feel specifically motivated to rule themselves out, but clarifying which organs or tissue we wish to donate would avoid any ambiguity in the traumatic situation of dealing with the death of a loved one. It is good to address that matter, and I encourage members of the public and colleagues to do so.

I recently visited the anatomy school at the University of Glasgow, where staff raised similar concerns about the drop in the number of people donating their bodies to medical research. The five Scottish universities that teach medicine desperately need people who are willing to donate their bodies for research. It is still an opt-in system, and a generous one, and it is something else that people might want to consider this week.

We should use organ donation week to recognise that much more work is needed if we want organ donation to serve the people of Scotland as well as it can. We can no longer rest on our laurels; we must get people proactively registering, and we must reduce the stigma and silence by actually talking more about the end of life. We do that more in Scotland than we used to. We do talk about hospice and end-of-life palliative care, and people should be happy to discuss with their friends and family what they want to do at the end of their lives and whether they wish to donate their organs.

I reiterate my thanks to the member for lodging the motion, and I am happy to support it in the hope that today will be the start of a new Scotland-wide conversation about a vital topic.

Liam McArthur (Liberal Democrat, Orkney Islands)

I invite the minister, Jenni Minto, to respond to the debate.

Jenni Minto (Scottish National Party, Argyll and Bute)

I welcome the opportunity to participate in this debate. I thank members for their contributions, and I particularly thank Christine Grahame for lodging the motion. This week is crucial in raising awareness of the life-saving and life-changing opportunities that organ and tissue donation provides and today’s debate has made an important contribution towards that end.

I pass on my love and thanks to Audrey Cameron for the decision that she and her family made about James Borland, someone who Christine Grahame described as a kind and gentle man. He was inspiring, and I thank them so much for their decision. [ Applause. ]

Stephen Kerr spoke about comfort and selfless acts, and I thank him for being so personal in sharing his views, which can only help to ensure that we increase donor numbers. As Paul Sweeney said, we need a generous spirit, which Stephen Kerr showed, if we are to increase numbers and ensure that as many people as possible get the opportunity of a better life, or of life itself.

Paul Sweeney, and other members, also spoke about the importance of discussing end-of-life care. I was pleased to launch “Palliative Care Matters for All” 10 days ago. That framework recognises the importance of having those conversations.

During my time as minister, I have met people who have donated organs, the families of those who have, sadly, died and who took the decision to donate their organs, and people whose lives have been transformed by receiving transplants. I also observed a live kidney transplant operation at the Royal infirmary of Edinburgh. I pay huge tribute to everyone who has donated organs and to the clinicians and other NHS staff across Scotland who are involved in donation and transplantation.

The Scottish Government marketing campaign for this year’s organ and tissue donation week focuses on the key message, “Don’t leave your loved ones in doubt.” The national campaign is designed to encourage people who are aged 16 and over to record their donation decision on the NHS organ donor register and to tell their loved ones about their decision. I also think that the artwork that Jackie Dunbar described is hugely important, because it is sometimes easier to bring about a difficult conversation through art. I commend the work of Shelagh Swanson and Aberdeen royal infirmary.

Scotland has a good record on the number of people who register their decision on the organ donor register, which I am pleased about. However, we have to do more. Working with stakeholders and using a variety of social media platforms, video on demand and digital and radio platforms, we will be emphasising the message that, if family and friends know about someone’s donation decision in advance, it will make it easier for them to ensure that that is honoured. I thank Erin and Bushra for the conversation that I had with them on that specific issue at their stand in Parliament earlier today. I also thank them for our conversation about death and the importance of sharing our wishes with our loved ones.

Christine Grahame (Scottish National Party, Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale)

I am grateful for the publicity on organ and tissue donation, but members who are sitting here in the Parliament did not know that it is preferable to register one way or the other. I know that we are sometimes not the brightest of the bright, but even though there is a campaign, the message is not even getting through to us. How do we step up the campaign so that it becomes common knowledge that people should help by registering one way or the other?

Jenni Minto (Scottish National Party, Argyll and Bute)

I thank Christine Grahame for that very important intervention. My conversation at lunch time was about that issue and how we can make that more clear. We need to disseminate the message widely, including when people apply for certain things such as driving licences, so that as many people know as possible. I have taken that on board, I have listened to that conversation and I will be discussing it with officials after this debate.

I will draw attention to three key areas of Scottish Government work that supports organ and tissue donation. First, we are working with NHS Blood and Transplant to address concerns about a decline in the pool of eligible donors, as Christine Grahame just mentioned. That is not just across Scotland but in the United Kingdom and internationally. There has also been a decline in family authorisation rates and changes in the perception of the NHS post pandemic.

With the aim of seeking to explore how opportunities can be maximised to increase the number of organ donations, we created the organ donation joint working group. That has taken advice from international experts and I look forward to receiving the group’s report in due course. Inputs from tonight’s debate will clearly also be part of my thought process and evidence gathering.

We are aware that some families find the donation process difficult. I welcome that the NHSBT, as part of its work, will review the donor family authorisation form to seek to improve the experience of donor families and specialist nurses and help to reduce the length of the donation process. I also look forward to receiving next year’s five-year evaluation of the opt-out system, which was introduced in 2021. I am sure that there will be more learning from that.

The second area that I draw attention to is that, earlier this year, we worked to promote living kidney donation as an excellent option for those who face the need for transplantation. That work is supported by the renal education and choices @ home programme, which is being funded by the Scottish Government. REACH, which was established in late 2022, is focused on timely education—a key component of the treatment pathway choice for all patients.

The network of REACH nurse specialists in Scotland provides home visits to people with end-stage kidney disease and their key family members to give them more information on living kidney donation. That approach drives improvement in education and increases the uptake of patients who access pre-emptive living donor kidney transplantation. Meeting a family that benefited from that is one memory that will never leave me.

Thirdly, I thank Kidney Research UK, which the Scottish Government grant funds to increase awareness of living kidney donation among minority groups in Scotland, which might otherwise face challenges in equitable access to transplantation. The work of our peer educators, whom I met here in the Parliament, provides a vital service informing, educating and helping people to make choices about organ donation.

Again, I thank members for their support and for their speeches, and I once more urge people across Scotland to record their donation decision on the organ donor register and to discuss their decision with their family and friends.

First Minister’s Question Time

Russell Findlay (Conservative, West Scotland)

This is Scotland’s first-ever national innovation week, with a series of events including today’s national innovation summit in Edinburgh. We can all agree that innovation is critical to business growth, creating jobs and a healthy economy.

When the Scottish National Party Government launched its innovation strategy two years ago, it produced a scorecard to measure performance. The scorecard was updated this morning, and I have it here. It shows that performance is declining across more than half of the Government’s own key measures. Is that really good enough?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

The Government takes forward a range of measures to encourage innovation in our economy, because economic growth is central to the Government’s policy agenda, as I have explained to the Parliament on countless occasions.

The Deputy First Minister took part in the innovation summit this morning, and I have had some recent discussions on the matter. Just last week, I met representatives of the games industry, which is a sparkling example of innovation in Scotland through which collaboration between the business sector and our universities is generating substantial economic growth for Scotland. That is just one example of how the Government takes forward its innovation agenda.

Russell Findlay (Conservative, West Scotland)

Let us look at the issue in a little more detail. One of the measures on the SNP’s scorecard is the number of Scottish businesses that are innovating. That is measured using well-established rules from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and it reveals a deeply worrying fact: under the SNP, Scotland is ranked behind every single region of England. In the week of Scotland’s first-ever innovation summit, can John Swinney explain why Scotland is trailing behind the rest of the United Kingdom?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

Recent data indicates that Scotland has the highest rate of start-ups in the United Kingdom apart from one part of England, which indicates the culture that we are creating in Scotland to encourage business growth and expansion. The collaboration between our universities and the gaming industry, to take the example that I cited in my first answer, is a clear example of how our university community collaborates with the business community to generate economic growth.

The Government is always attentive to supporting, encouraging and nurturing innovation in Scotland, because that is the route to prosperity for our country. The Government is delivering on that agenda.

Russell Findlay (Conservative, West Scotland)

It is innovation week and I asked about innovation, but John Swinney starts talking about something completely unrelated. He seems to be in a state of denial. The SNP marked the scorecard itself, and that shows that it is failing.

Even when we look at one of the measures in the scorecard that the SNP claims is improving, we find that it is not much to shout about. The SNP claims that the performance of high-growth businesses is improving, but the scorecard reveals that Scotland is ranked 23rd out of 28 European countries. Under the SNP, we are behind Romania, Bulgaria and Lithuania. Within the UK, we are behind Wales and almost every English region. Is that really a record to be proud of?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

Our assessment of high-growth companies has found that that activity is at its highest level since 2019. That indicates that we are making progress beyond pre-pandemic levels in Scotland.

Mr Findlay gave me a range of examples of other European countries. I simply make the point to him that those other European countries are all independent countries, with the full range of economic powers at their disposal. I am delighted that Mr Findlay has come to the Parliament today to make the economic argument for Scottish independence.

Russell Findlay (Conservative, West Scotland)

The independence klaxon after question 3—I had expected it after question 4.

We need innovation to grow the economy. That is how to deliver more jobs and more money for public services, but I have lost count of the number of hard-grafting Scottish businesspeople who tell me about their despair at the SNP Government’s anti-business actions. They are being stifled by a torrent of regulation. The SNP has imposed more red tape on businesses in hospitality, oil and gas, house building, food and drink and more. SNP income tax rates are punishingly higher than they are elsewhere in the UK. All that means that there are fewer opportunities for aspirational Scots to get on in life. Will the First Minister accept that his Government is actively harming Scottish business innovation and putting jobs at risk?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

No, I will not accept that doom-laden analysis of Scotland’s position, because the facts do not support Mr Findlay. Since 2007, when the SNP Government came to power, gross domestic product per person in Scotland has grown by 10.3 per cent, compared with growth of 6.1 per cent in the rest of the United Kingdom, while productivity has grown at an average rate of 1.1 per cent, compared with the UK average of 0.4 per cent, so growth in Scotland has been stronger compared with growth in the rest of the United Kingdom.

Mr Findlay was surprised that I picked up on his open support for Scottish independence in his question to me, but let me give him a practical example. One of the issues that businesses are wrestling with today is the increase in employer national insurance contributions, which is stifling growth in our country. That was not a decision of my Government; it was a decision of the hopeless United Kingdom Labour Government, which is damaging our economy.

I rest my case—if we had the powers in Scotland to take our own economic decisions, we would be better off through independence.

Anas Sarwar (Labour, Glasgow)

In every part of the country, our national health service is in crisis. This week, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine warned that, last year, long waits in A and E departments caused more than 800 deaths that could have been prevented—that is more than 800 families grieving a loved one.

Dr Fiona Hunter of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine said:

“Behind this statistic are stories of heartbreak. Because these are people. Mums, dads, brothers, sisters, grandparents—their deaths shattering the lives of families and friends.”

Why, year after year, is this happening under the Scottish National Party Government?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

The first thing that I want to say is that, in any circumstance in which an individual loses their life while in the care of the national health service, especially if they have experienced a long wait in an accident and emergency department, I express my regret and my apology to the families of the affected individuals, because I accept that people are waiting too long in accident and emergency—whether that is for four hours, eight hours or 12 hours.

I say to Mr Sarwar that the Royal College of Emergency Medicine’s contribution contains challenging information, but the Government welcomes the royal college’s challenge, and we are addressing the issues that it has put to us.

It is encouraging that the latest monthly A and E figures, for July 2025, showed the lowest number of 12-hour waits for any month since September 2023. Of course, that whole period was affected by the recovery that we are having to make from the effect of the pandemic on the operation of the health service.

Anas Sarwar (Labour, Glasgow)

To be clear, that is 818 apologies from the First Minister, because that is the number of excess deaths as a result of the Government’s failure to properly operate our national health service. The sad fact is that, despite the heroic efforts of NHS staff, the SNP is failing patients across Scotland.

John Swinney will be aware of the case of Brooke Paterson, a 19-year-old footballer who broke her leg while playing in North Lanarkshire on Sunday. Despite the clear medical emergency, Brooke was left lying in pain on the pitch under jackets and coats for five hours until an ambulance arrived. The Scottish Ambulance Service blamed the five-hour delay on hospital turnaround times, which it said range from 90 minutes to three hours in the area. The Ambulance Service has apologised, but it is not the Ambulance Service that has broken the system. Is it not John Swinney who should be apologising to Brooke?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

I apologise to Brooke Paterson. This morning, I read the story and made some investigations into the issue. I very much regret her experience. Further scrutiny will have to be done, because I have had limited time to look at what happened, but it appears to me as though an error was made in the classification of the call, which was not given the priority that it should have been given. That is not acceptable. We have to look into whether an error was made and whether steps need to be taken to remedy the situation.

The Government’s efforts to resolve the challenges that sometimes affect the Ambulance Service’s ability to respond, which relates to the congestion of ambulances at hospitals, require a whole-system response. We need to reduce any delays that individuals experience when leaving hospital—97 per cent of patients leave hospital without any delay to their discharge. It is also about the availability of social care and the throughput of different accident and emergency departments to ensure that the Ambulance Service is able to respond timeously.

Those issues are all at the heart of the points that were made by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine. As I said earlier, the Government is addressing those issues, which reflect the whole-system challenges that we face in the aftermath of Covid.

Anas Sarwar (Labour, Glasgow)

That is 819 apologies in just a few minutes from the First Minister to people whom he has failed across the country.

Across Scotland, our NHS is on life support. In 2018, on the SNP’s watch, the maternity facility in Stranraer was temporarily closed. Seven years on, it is now permanently closed, putting women at risk. The mothers whom I met are distraught. Claire Fleming said that her cousin had to travel from Stranraer to Dumfries to give birth. She ended up having to pull into a farm drive and have her baby there. Angela Armstrong, who is a retired general practitioner, added:

“My fear is that we are going to have a death”.

Every part of our NHS is struggling on John Swinney’s and the SNP’s watch. What does John Swinney say to all those families who have lost loved ones due to long waits, to all those who have waited for hours in pain for an ambulance and to mothers in rural communities who cannot access the maternity care that they need because of his Government’s incompetence?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

As I have indicated since I became First Minister, I recognise that there are challenges and weaknesses in the provision of healthcare in the aftermath of the pandemic. Along with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, I am absolutely focused on addressing those issues.

As I indicated in my previous answer, 97 per cent of discharges from Scottish hospitals happen without delay. It is expected that there will be 213,000 extra appointments and procedures, which exceeds our commitment, as promised in our programme for government, by more than 60,000; the number of operations that were performed in July was the highest in five years, with an increase of 8.9 per cent compared with July last year; and the number of hip and knee operations reached an all-time high in 2024.

Mr Sarwar raised issues in maternity care. Some of those will be assessed following clinical advice about the sustainability of services in some rural areas in Scotland. That is a difficult issue, but the Government listens carefully to clinical advice, as the Parliament would expect it to do.

There is another issue that is difficult. Our national health service depends on the flow of staff coming from other countries to support us, and our challenge in that respect is being made extraordinarily more difficult because of the immigration policies that are being pursued by the United Kingdom Government. Those policies are absurd and are making it more difficult to deliver public services. In Scotland, 26 per cent of social care staff are people who have come from other countries to this country, and the UK Labour Government is making such movement much more difficult. I suggest that Mr Sarwar should try to get his Labour Government in London to take a different stance on immigration; we would all be better off as a consequence.

Ross Greer (Green, West Scotland)

Yesterday, the First Minister said that it is our “moral imperative” to eradicate child poverty. He is right to highlight the fact that Scotland is the only part of the United Kingdom where child poverty is decreasing. However, one in every five children here still lives in poverty—in one of the richest countries in the history of the planet. They arrive at school hungry and will sit in freezing homes this winter because their parents cannot afford their increased bills. They need the Scottish Government to do more.

Many of those children’s families are in huge amounts of debt, which often includes council tax debt. A few weeks ago, I shared with the First Minister the fact that the rules on council tax debt in Scotland are nearly four times harsher than those in England. Debts can be held and chased for up to 20 years here, as opposed to for up to six years in England. The same councils that provide free school meals to children in poverty at lunchtime are sending sheriff officers to their doors after school. Does the First Minister think that it is right to chase desperate people for debts that, often, they cannot pay, for four times as long in Scotland as would happen in England, or does he agree that it is time to change the law and wipe out those toxic, unpayable debts?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

Mr Greer knows the absolute focus that I have on eradicating child poverty. When I became First Minister, I was asked what the clear mission of my Government was, and I said that it was the eradication of child poverty.

I lead a Government that is taking measures such as the abolition of the two-child limit, which we will abolish in March next year. The Labour Government has failed to abolish that policy in the United Kingdom, but we will do so here next March. The Scottish child payment is already in place. We are adopting a range of measures, in addition to what we are doing on housing, childcare, transport and a variety of other issues.

I have a lot of sympathy with Mr Greer’s point about long-standing council tax debt. I know that related provisions are being considered in the context of the Housing (Scotland) Bill; those proposals have not been subject to the amount of consultation that would normally apply for legislation. The Parliament rightly pressurises the Government to ensure that there is proper consultation—as do stakeholders, including our local authority partners.

Having said all that, I am sympathetic to Mr Greer’s point, and I am open to further dialogue on how we might pursue his ideas in that respect.

Ross Greer (Green, West Scotland)

The First Minister is absolutely right to list the policies that the Scottish Government is delivering here that are not available to families in the rest of the UK. The Greens were proud to work with his party to deliver a number of them. However, his mission is to eradicate child poverty, and he knows that everything that he has announced so far will not do that.

Not long ago, SallyAnn Kelly, the chief executive of Aberlour, the children’s charity, said:

“It is meaningless for ministers to prioritise child poverty and promise to help families struggling to get their heads above water while other public sector organisations are pressing them down.”

SallyAnn is right. That is why Aberlour wrote to the Government to support a Green amendment to the Housing (Scotland) Bill to bring Scotland’s time limit on council tax debts down from 20 years to five years. I hear the First Minister’s support for the principle behind that, but I point out that the Parliament is due to vote on the amendment next Tuesday. It would wipe out millions of pounds-worth of toxic, unpayable council tax debts that are trapping families in cycles of poverty and financial crisis. Will the Scottish Government support that Green proposal, wipe out that debt and give thousands of families the chance that they desperately need to escape from poverty?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

Mr Greer quoting SallyAnn Kelly, the chief executive of Aberlour, provides me with a welcome opportunity to record, in the Parliament, my appreciation for her work. She has been a formidable champion for the children of Scotland and for Aberlour. [ Applause .] I record my warmest thanks and my good wishes to her on her impending retirement from that role, and I am grateful to Mr Greer for providing me with the opportunity to do so.

As I said, I am very sympathetic to the point that Mr Greer puts to me, but we have to go through the detail to make sure that we can take such a course of action, which involves a great deal of dialogue with our local authority partners. Mr Greer will know about that because he and I spent quite a lot of time wrestling with issues of liaison with local authorities—if I can put it as delicately as that—while the Green Party was in Government with us. He knows what we have to go through. I say to him in all clarity that I am very sympathetic to his suggestion, but we have to ensure that we take all the steps to do that correctly. We will use our best intentions as we consider the bill and take any action as a consequence.

Elena Whitham (Scottish National Party, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley)

To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of any implications for its work to address poverty amongst older people of recent findings by the Living Wage Foundation that a majority of people on a low-income pension in the United Kingdom are unable to cover basic living costs. (S6F-04335)

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

I am concerned by those findings, which underline the hardship that older people are facing during the cost of living crisis. That is precisely why we are investing in support for low-income pensioners, including an estimated £157 million for pension-age winter heating payment and pension-age disability payment, which helps with additional costs for those who are living with a disability. Unlike in the rest of the United Kingdom, eligible low-income households, including pensioners across Scotland, are also guaranteed to receive support through our winter heating payment. Unlike the UK Government’s cold weather payment, it provides a guaranteed payment every year to eligible clients, rather than relying on sustained periods of sufficiently cold weather.

Elena Whitham (Scottish National Party, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley)

The findings in the report should concern all of us. Labour promised no austerity and more support for pensioners, yet, in the midst of a cost of living crisis, it tried to slash winter fuel payments, attempted to cut disability payments and blocked WASPI women—women against state pension inequality—from getting compensation. All of that was during a time of rising energy bills, food prices and inflation—pressures that are hitting struggling households the hardest.

What assurances can the First Minister provide to pensioners in Scotland that the Scottish Government is squarely in their corner and recognises the immense strain that many of them are under?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

The assurance that I can provide to Elena Whitham and older people in our society is that the provisions that the Government has put in place are part of the package of support that we believe is necessary for vulnerable pensioners.

I point out that, sometimes, Parliament faces a call for us to clamp down on social security expenditure—I think that I have heard that language before—but nobody ever follows it up with specific suggestions about how that expenditure should be cut. So, of course, the benefits that I refer to could be under threat from the challenges that other parties put to us. However, let me be absolutely crystal clear to Elena Whitham that this Government stands in support of those payments and the support that we put in place, and that will remain the case in the Government’s provisions.

Brian Whittle (Conservative, South Scotland)

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reports that proposed changes to the counting method for NHS waiting lists will result in numbers falling despite no more patients being seen. (S6F-04327)

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

The change to official statistics is about ensuring that a patient’s wait is reflected accurately. Public Health Scotland made that decision to align with the latest waiting times guidance, which was published in 2023. The Welsh Government announced a not dissimilar move in April of this year.

Previously, some long waits might have been recorded as such due to patient unavailability, multiple missed or cancelled appointments, or the refusal of two reasonable offers of appointments. Under the guidance, in such a scenario, the patient’s waiting times clock may be reset or adjusted where clinically appropriate. That change will result in a small drop in waiting times statistics for those waiting for more than 52 weeks, but no change to the overall waiting list numbers.

Public Health Scotland has been clear that the change will support transparency and allow patients to identify a more accurate waiting time for their procedure.

Brian Whittle (Conservative, South Scotland)

I thank the First Minister for that answer. I have to be honest, Presiding Officer—I was ready to stand up here and quote the unofficial motto of the Scottish National Party as being, “Why solve the problem when you can move the goalposts?” However, the truth is that that would do no more to reduce waiting times than the Scottish Government’s statistical tinkering will.

Meanwhile, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine is saying that more than 800 people died last year because they had to wait for more than 12 hours in accident and emergency. Despite the numbers of patients coming through the doors of A and E staying broadly the same, more people are waiting for longer to receive care.

We need to bring forward serious, substantial plans to modernise the national health service. We need policies that reduce the need, we need to seize the opportunity that tech and artificial intelligence bring, and we need to vastly improve working conditions for those who care for us.

Is the First Minister prepared to bring forward those substantial plans for us to debate? That approach would bring constructive support from across the chamber.

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

I very much welcome Mr Whittle’s engagement on these questions. Mr Whittle has developed a contribution to Parliament that has focused unreservedly on the importance of early intervention and on the measures to reduce demand in healthcare services. Those messages are very much part of the population health framework that the Government set out earlier this year, so I welcome Mr Whittle’s engagement on that issue.

The NHS is being reformed by the steps that we are taking. As I recounted in my answer to Mr Sarwar, we are undertaking more procedures within the national health service. However, there is a need for us to concentrate much more on early intervention and on good health protection. As I said, those steps are inherent to the Government’s policy programme.

There is also the need to ensure that the NHS is well funded. The Government has put in place a record funding settlement for the service to address the fact that we have an ageing population and consequently greater healthcare need. However, the budget needs to be supported in Parliament. I encourage Mr Whittle to use his influence in his party to secure support for the Government’s budget this year—such support was absent last year. If Mr Whittle is interested in having a collaborative discussion to ensure that we have all-party support for investment in our NHS, the Government is willing to take forward those proposals.

Emma Harper (Scottish National Party, South Scotland)

I welcome the fact that the Scottish Government remains focused on reducing waiting times, including by promoting the preventative approach that is mentioned in the population health framework. How will the Scottish Government’s targeted investment of more than £110 million this year enable patients across Scotland to access the treatment that they need more quickly?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

We expect the funding to deliver 213,000 more appointments and procedures than in 2024-25, which will exceed our programme for government target of delivering 150,000 extra appointments and procedures. That greater capacity will help to address the issues affecting waiting times that Emma Harper has put to me.

Various investments will be made to deploy that expenditure to ensure that we can make developments in certain specialties, including investments in Gartnavel hospital in Glasgow, Inverclyde royal infirmary, Perth royal infirmary, Queen Margaret hospital in Dunfermline and Stracathro hospital in Tayside. Those sites will deliver more than 2,500 additional orthopaedic and 9,500 cataract procedures, which will help us to erode the waiting list that we are experiencing.

Jackie Baillie (Labour, Dumbarton)

As the Scottish Government fiddles with waiting list statistics and Neil Gray rolls back on promises to end the longest waits, it bears repeating that, this week, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine warned of a continuing crisis in A and E, by highlighting an estimated 818 excess and avoidable deaths in emergency departments.

The First Minister has been in government for the past 18 years. When will he get serious and wake up to the reality that patients and hard-working staff face? When will we see the end of eight-hour and 12-hour waits in Scotland’s NHS?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

As I indicated, in the data for July 2025 we have seen the lowest level of 12-hour waits since 2023, in the aftermath of the pandemic. That is just one illustration of the Government’s focus on addressing those issues.

Jackie Baillie has railed against me for the technical changes that Public Health Scotland has decided to make, independently of the Government, to ensure that the statistics are accurate. What she did not rail against was the Welsh Labour Government’s doing exactly the same thing when it looked at the issue. That just tells us what we have long known—that when Jackie Baillie comes to the Parliament to posture on the health service, she is full of hypocrisy in the stance that she takes.

Foysol Choudhury (Labour, Lothian)

To ask the First Minister what urgent action the Scottish Government is taking in light of Public Health Scotland’s estimate that dementia in Scotland is set to rise by more than 50 per cent by 2044. (S6F-04336)

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

I recognise the evidence that the member references. Many in the chamber will personally know an individual or a family impacted by dementia. That is why I recently held a round-table discussion in Bute house to discuss how we can better unlock innovation in supporting people with advanced dementia. That was suggested to me by Sir Iain Anderson, a distinguished Scottish businessman. I have asked the Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing to take forward work on that.

We will also build on efforts that we are already undertaking to better understand what interventions can make a difference to people’s dementia risk, learning from initiatives such as the Scottish Government-backed pilot of the brain health service and clinic in Aberdeen. Our 10-year dementia strategy focuses on enhancing support in our communities, including through investing in grass-roots support, challenging the stigma that people face following a diagnosis, and improving the training and expertise of our health and social care workforce.

Foysol Choudhury (Labour, Lothian)

Public Health Scotland estimates that by 2044, as many as 53,800 more people could be living with dementia compared with in 2019. Alzheimer Scotland has rightly warned about the state of investment in dementia now, let alone in the future. Is that any wonder, given that, under this Government, integration joint boards face an estimated funding gap of £560 million this year?

Does the First Minister accept that it is time to wake up to the dementia time bomb that Scotland is facing and prioritise prevention, early intervention and support for people who are living with the disease?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

Yes, I agree that those measures should be taken—they are in the population health framework and the dementia strategy and are exactly the approach that the Government is taking. There is a link between what Mr Choudhury has put to me and what Mr Whittle put to me a moment ago about the need to shift to early intervention and community support. I acknowledge the importance of the expansion of care to ensure that we deliver much more of it at home and in the community, where people want to care for their loved ones, according to their circumstances. That will be the focus of the Government’s activities in this area.

We will be helped by the dialogue that has been initiated by the round-table discussion that I held in Bute house, by the considerable impetus to our thinking provided by the formulation of the dementia strategy, and by Sir Iain Anderson’s intervention to support me in that activity.

Annie Wells (Conservative, Glasgow)

Dementia affects not just those who are diagnosed, but the hundreds of unpaid carers across Glasgow and Scotland who provide them with vital support. What urgent steps is the Scottish Government taking to ensure that those carers get the financial, emotional and respite support that they need as dementia cases continue to rise?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

Support is available for carers in Scotland that is not available in other parts of the United Kingdom. That is because of the investment that the Government makes in our social security system.

I welcome Annie Wells’s support for the social security measures that the Government is taking, and I look forward to her supporting the Government’s budget as we protect those measures in the forthcoming period. Perhaps she can also persuade the front bench of her party to stop arguing for cutting social security, because doing that would undermine the availability of the support that she wants me to ensure. The Conservatives cannot have their cake and eat it. If we want to have support for carers, we have to be prepared to vote for it in the budget.

Alison Johnstone (Presiding Officer, Lothian)

We move to constituency and general supplementary questions. If all members are concise, we will be able to involve more members.

Rona Mackay (Scottish National Party, Strathkelvin and Bearsden)

STV has this morning announced plans to cut 60 jobs, which is 10 per cent of its workforce, and regional news programming across Scotland. That follows the news that the Daily Record publisher, Reach plc, plans to cut more than 300 jobs.

Does the First Minister agree that local news journalism plays a more vital role than ever in our democracy? Will he outline what steps the Scottish Government is taking to protect journalism jobs?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

I very much agree with the concern expressed by Rona Mackay, who brings her formidable experience as a journalist before she became a member of Parliament. Local journalism is absolutely important for the scrutiny of public policy at all levels in Scottish society. I was concerned to hear this morning’s reports about STV and the recent news about the Daily Record .

This morning, the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, Angus Robertson, has indicated to the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee that he will engage with STV, Ofcom and the trade unions to highlight our concerns. We will give whatever assistance we can in that respect. It is absolutely vital to our democracy that we have sustained media engagement, and the Government will do all that it can to support those who are affected. This will be a very worrying time for all the affected employees. They have my understanding and my support.

Douglas Lumsden (Conservative, North East Scotland)

I have a follow-up to the question about STV. It is good to hear the First Minister give his support on the issue, because one of the big consequences will be far less local news that is relevant to the north and the north-east. Does the First Minister agree that the proposed change is bad news for Scottish viewers, especially those who live in rural communities, and that it should be reconsidered as a matter of urgency?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

I share Mr Lumsden’s specific concern, because I understand that one of the components of the STV proposals is that the Aberdeen news programme would potentially cease broadcasting. Different issues affect different communities around the country, and I acknowledge that STV is very successful at reflecting the different issues in different parts of the country.

Mr Lumsden raises the particular issue of how different parts of the country might be affected, and I entirely agree with him on that. I will make sure that that is reflected in the representations that the cabinet secretary makes on the matter.

Neil Bibby (Labour, West Scotland)

This morning’s news from STV will have a significant impact on Scottish media workers, the economy, our democracy and the viewing public across Scotland. It will have a particularly serious impact on the one in 10 STV staff who face redundancy.

The proposal in relation to the Aberdeen news programme requires specific approval from Ofcom. Will the Scottish Government make specific representations to Ofcom on the future of the Aberdeen news programme?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

I assure Mr Bibby that we will, but we will also make representations on a range of other issues.

Mr Lumsden and Mr Bibby have both made an important point about the need to reflect the different issues that affect different parts of the country. Those matters must be considered by Ofcom, and they will feature in the representations that Mr Robertson makes.

Kevin Stewart (Scottish National Party, Aberdeen Central)

A new report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has forecast that the United Kingdom faces the highest level of inflation of any major economy this year. It has predicted that the annual rate of inflation will soar to 3.5 per cent by the end of the year, with higher food prices being cited as a factor.

Households across Scotland face significant pressures right now, but the Labour UK Government seems to be incapable of acting to provide any meaningful support. Does the First Minister share my concern that Labour is lost on the cost of living crisis? In the face of Westminster’s economic mismanagement, what steps is his Scottish National Party Government taking to support families during the cost of living crisis?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

The Scottish Government has taken a number of steps, in our policy programme and in our decisions on public sector pay, in an effort to address the legitimate issues that Mr Stewart has put to me. In our public sector pay policy, we have put forward settlements that I believe are appropriate and which take into account the inflation pressures that Mr Stewart has set out.

As part of our policy programme, a range of provisions are available in Scotland, such as free prescriptions and free eye examinations, free bus travel, free tuition for university students, and early learning and childcare support that is estimated to have a value of up to £6,000 for every eligible child. In recent weeks, the Government has abolished peak rail fares, which will save a commuter from Glasgow to Edinburgh nearly 50 per cent of their costs on a daily basis. That is concrete action that the SNP Government is delivering to support people in the cost of living crisis.

Douglas Ross (Conservative, Highlands and Islands)

Last week, Christies of Fochabers—a nursery that grows around 20 million trees a year—went into administration. Christies has been growing trees in Moray since 1820 and is crucial to the forestry industry across Scotland. Will the First Minister agree to meet me and those who are involved with the company at the moment to see what support the Scottish Government might be able to make available to ensure that, after seven generations of the Christies operating in Moray, they can continue to do so into the future?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

I am very familiar with Christies, which is a long-standing business in Fochabers. Richard Lochhead, who is the local MSP, has kept me up to date with the worrying situation that is being faced there.

As Mr Ross will know, the Government has extensive tree-planting commitments as part of its climate change agenda. I was in the Moray area during the summer recess to open a very significant tree nursery that will support that activity. Despite the scale of investment in that tree facility, private sector capacity through Christies and other companies—I should not refer just to Christies—will still be needed to meet our tree-planting targets.

The issue that Mr Ross raises is significant. The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, will happily engage with him on that question. The support of the Government and Highlands and Islands Enterprise in engaging with Christies, in recognition of its contribution towards the climate change activity, is merited, and I will make sure that it happens.

Carol Mochan (Labour, South Scotland)

National Records of Scotland revealed this week that 1,185 people died from alcohol-related causes last year. Of those, 48 deaths occurred in parts of Ayrshire, in my South Scotland region. Although a national decline in that figure is welcome, we cannot be complacent. The number of alcohol-related deaths remains significantly higher than it was decades ago, and those who live in our most deprived communities are four and a half times more likely to die from alcohol-specific causes than those in the least deprived areas. Will the First Minister provide an update on the targeted intervention that his Government is taking, or might take, to address that inequality?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

That is an important issue. As Carol Mochan indicated, the fall in alcohol-related deaths is welcome. However, there remain a large number of deaths as a consequence of alcohol harm. The Government has made strategic interventions around minimum unit pricing, which are designed to address the issue. I am pleased to see the progress that has been made as a consequence, and we have updated that policy approach.

The Government will take other steps in relation to public health education and advising individuals of the dangers of excess alcohol consumption. We also need to work collaboratively to ensure that all parts of the public and private sectors are working together to convey those messages. That will underpin our approach to the limitation of harm through taking steps on alcohol marketing and promotion. I am keen that we engage constructively with the industry to make sure that that is the case.

Jamie Greene (Liberal Democrat, West Scotland)

The First Minister will be aware that the shortlist for the two new freight vessels for the northern isles will be announced shortly. I welcome the fact that new vessels are coming—I do not know anyone who does not. However, it has been reported that the shortlist will contain two shipyards in China and two yards in Turkey. Meanwhile, there is a shipyard some 70 miles from the Parliament that is owned by the Scottish Government, funded by the Scottish taxpayer and absolutely desperate for new work. When will the Scottish Government’s procurement policy give adequate weighting to the economic benefits that awarding Scottish shipyards some contracts would reap? When will it finally give that yard some contracts?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

No yard in the United Kingdom submitted returns on the northern isles freight contracts. Ferguson Marine did not enter the competition, as the vessels are too large to be accommodated at the shipyard, so there is a reason why that was the case.

I am very sympathetic to the rest of the point that Mr Greene makes. The Government is engaging on the question of enabling every consideration to be given to ensure that the Ferguson Marine yard is able to receive work in due course; I have confirmed that to Parliament before.

We are seeing developments in the delivery of new ferries that have been commissioned. The MV Isle of Islay is currently on its final acceptance trials before coming from the yard in Turkey, and we look forward with anticipation to the vessel joining the fleet in due course. That is the first of four vessels that are coming to replenish the larger vessels in the Caledonian MacBrayne fleet, along with the Glen Rosa, which is close to completion at Ferguson Marine.

Mr Greene can be assured that the Government is investing substantially in the ferry network. I was delighted also to see the MV Caledonian Isles return to Ardrossan, from where I hope that, very shortly, it can recommence sailings to Arran. I am sure that that will bring much joy to Mr Greene and to his constituents.

Clare Haughey (Scottish National Party, Rutherglen)

New figures from the Office of Rail and Road show that Scotland has the lowest rate of train cancellations in the United Kingdom. Can the First Minister advise what assessment the Scottish Government has made of those findings? How is the Scottish National Party Scottish Government investing in our publicly owned rail services to deliver the best services for rail passengers in Scotland?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

The data that Clare Haughey puts to Parliament is very significant indeed. The average across Great Britain for rail cancellations is 4.1 per cent, and the lowest cancellation level of any part of the United Kingdom is in the ScotRail network, at 2.2 per cent.

Performance has remained consistently strong, with punctuality at around 90 per cent across all three years of public ownership. I therefore say a very warm thank you to the staff of ScotRail, who work incredibly hard to ensure that we have a first-class rail service in Scotland. That service is outperforming those in the rest of the United Kingdom, with cancellation rates that are half those in the rest of the UK. That just shows what public ownership and SNP leadership can deliver.

Alison Johnstone (Presiding Officer, Lothian)

That concludes First Minister’s question time. There will be a short suspension to allow people to leave the chamber and the public gallery.

Shipbuilding (Glasgow)

Annabelle Ewing (Scottish National Party, Cowdenbeath)

The next item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S6M-18709, in the name of Paul Sweeney, on “Norway selects a Glasgow-built type 26 as its next generation frigate”. The debate will be concluded without any question being put. I invite those members who wish to speak in the debate to press their request-to-speak button.

Motion debated,

That the Parliament welcomes the reported £10 billion deal for the UK to supply at least five Type 26 class frigates to Norway, which will be built by the Govan and Scotstoun shipyards on the River Clyde in Glasgow; notes with optimism the potential for the largest shipbuilding export deal in Scottish history to secure and create a significant number of highly skilled jobs in the shipbuilding industry and associated advanced manufacturing supply chain; understands that Scotland’s shipyards now hold an orderbook for an expected 18 frigates and 13 Type 26 vessels for the Royal Navy and Royal Norwegian Navy, and five Type 31 vessels for the Royal Navy; further understands that that is the largest surface naval shipbuilding programme in Europe, and that it is rivalled only by those in the United States and China; recognises what it sees as the vital role of this industry to Scotland’s economy; notes calls for the Scottish and UK governments to work collaboratively to aim to ensure that Scotland’s firms and workers are at the forefront of this project, and to maximise the economic benefit and long-term security for communities across Scotland, and further notes the calls on them to consider ways of building on this with a comprehensive national shipbuilding strategy for Scotland that will secure further naval and commercial shipbuilding contracts for the country’s shipyards.

Paul Sweeney (Labour, Glasgow)

On Tuesday, I was pleased to return to my old workplace, BAE Systems naval ships in Scotstoun, with the newly appointed Minister of State for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard MP, to celebrate the £10 billion deal to supply at least five type 26 frigates to our Norwegian friends. The deal has brought with it a wave of optimism to the shipyards on the River Clyde, in stark contrast to when I worked there a decade ago. I think that I express the will of the whole Parliament in extending our gratitude and thanks to our Norwegian neighbours for their vote of confidence in our shipbuilders and the world’s best frigate design.

Both the Scottish naval shipyards—in Govan and Scotstoun, and Rosyth—now have a formidable order book with an expected 18 frigates in the pipeline: 13 type 26 vessels for the Royal Navy and Royal Norwegian Navy, and five type 31 frigates for the Royal Navy, with export prospects for the latter including to Denmark and Sweden.

Glasgow is now at the very heart of the largest surface naval shipbuilding programme in Europe, a programme rivalled only by those in the United States and China. This is not only about building ships; it is about building a future. It is about supporting Glasgow’s largest manufacturing industry, which has always been a vital engine in the west of Scotland’s economy. Not only will the deal with Norway directly sustain more than 2,000 jobs at the Govan and Scotstoun shipyards, providing a stable workload for the next 15 years; it will cascade work to 103 businesses across the shipbuilding supply chain in Scotland. Together, those businesses support more than 12,000 jobs in this country.

Like many Glaswegians, I come from a family with a proud history of working in the Clyde shipyards. My dad, my uncle and my granddad all worked in the shipyards, going right back to the building of the Queen Elizabeth 2 in the 1960s. I recall the pride of launch days, sitting on my dad’s shoulders, looking at those vast ships being launched into the river and hearing the clatter of the drag chains, but I remember that pride in the industry and the achievement of our families being overshadowed by the fear that the ship that my dad was building would be the last one—the precarious nature of shipbuilding in the 1990s meant that there was a sense that every ship might be the last one. When my dad eventually lost his job, I saw his purpose ripped away from him and the devastating effect that that had on my family. That is the source of my motivation to play my own part in reviving Glasgow’s shipbuilding industry.

The United Kingdom Labour Government shares my ambition for reviving the industry right across Scotland. The £10 billion deal with Norway represents the largest shipbuilding export deal in our country’s history. It will give people across Scotland confidence that shipbuilding has a secure future, giving young people confidence that a career on the Clyde will be a prosperous and fulfilling one, working on some of the world’s most complex engineering projects. I am hopeful that the Norway deal will also signal to other countries that Scotland is leading the way with its specialist naval shipbuilding capabilities. Indeed, a United States Navy delegation, led by the US Secretary of the Navy, was on a tour of the Clyde shipyards this week. The delegation was hugely impressed with how far ahead we are in skills development and facilities investment, with that confidence in long-term orders.

We should seize this generational opportunity to reposition Scotland as a leading force in world shipbuilding again, leveraging the critical mass of the naval shipbuilding programme to drive commercial shipbuilding growth too. It should be a springboard for growth, not just a hammock where we can get complacent. This Government’s decision earlier this month to scrap its ridiculous ban on support for naval shipbuilding is a welcome first step to grasping the opportunity that the deal with Norway represents for the nation. However, there are still deep concerns in the industry that the new policy amounts to a shadow ban of defence firms. Industry tells me that greater clarity is needed from the Government on its new policy.

Although the UK Government is backing Scottish shipbuilding, the Scottish Government’s outdated, laissez-faire public procurement policy is handing an unfair advantage to state-supported overseas competitors. It is frankly absurd to export Scottish skilled work and jobs to shipyards in Poland and Turkey by awarding contracts for CalMac ferries to them rather than to Scottish shipyards that can do the job. It leaves one with the impression that the Norwegian Government seems to have more confidence in Scotland’s shipbuilding capabilities then this Scottish National Party Government has—that is the reality.

We need a specific shipbuilding strategy for Scotland, and at the heart of that strategy must be a change to Scottish public procurement law to include a mandatory social value weighting in tenders for shipbuilding programmes. That would ensure that Scottish ships are more likely to be built in Scotland. Take, for example, the current procurement process for the two new freight flex vessels that will serve the Aberdeen to Kirkwall/Lerwick route. Four shipyards have been invited this week to tender for the contract: two in Turkey and two in China. Why are the Scottish Government-owned Ferguson Marine, Babcock in Rosyth, or Harland & Wolff not in contention for that £200 million contract? The irony is that the only work that is keeping the lights on at Ferguson Marine today is the subcontract steel work fabrication from BAE Systems for the type 26 frigates. Even the promised capital investment to improve Ferguson’s antiquated shipyard has not yet been made, despite it taking years to install critical equipment such as a panel line.

Although the UK Government’s national shipbuilding strategy sets out that a minimum 10 per cent social value weighting should be applied to evaluations of all new shipbuilding competitions, the Scottish Government has no equivalent. It considers only quality and price, which means that, as we have just heard during First Minister’s questions, Scottish firms often do not even bother to tender for the work, fully aware that they cannot compete with the competitive shipbuilding finance provided by state investment banks in Spain, Turkey, Poland and China.

I also note that the minister mentioned size. If Ferguson Marine leased the Inchgreen dry dock, it could easily assemble the ship for the northern isles project.

The tender for the Northern Lighthouse Board vessel replacement project was won by Gondán, a Spanish shipbuilder. Although BAE and Ferguson Marine were invited to tender for that contract, they withdrew shortly after being informed that they were among the six suppliers to be selected, and for the following reasons. BAE said that a UK-based social value consideration was not regarded as essential in responding to the tender and Ferguson’s said that the Northern Lighthouse Board’s stated position on economic and social impact scoring would make no distinction between impacts in the UK and other countries, weighting apprentices in foreign countries the same as those at home. That is crazy.

I asked the Scottish Government to accept the UK Government’s generous offer of a legislative consent memorandum to update Scottish public procurement law and to introduce mandatory local industrial social value weighting in all public procurement competitions. There is a real opportunity for Scotland to build on that £10 billion contract with Norway. If we are to rejuvenate Scotland as a leading shipbuilding nation, we must use the Scottish National Investment Bank to remove the financial barriers that impede Scottish shipyards from competing with those in Turkey, Poland and China and must add minimum social value weighting to all tenders.

This is personal, not political, for me. One of the main reasons why I am here in this Parliament is to help Scottish shipbuilding succeed and I hope that the whole Parliament can agree with that endeavour.

Annabelle Ewing (Scottish National Party, Cowdenbeath)

We move to the open debate.

Alasdair Allan (Scottish National Party, Na h-Eileanan an Iar)

I thank Paul Sweeney for bringing the debate to Parliament. As someone who is known to take an interest in both maritime and Norwegian matters, I regard it as welcome news, but no surprise, that the Norwegian Government has recognised the talents of BAE Systems in Glasgow by asking it to deliver at least five type 26 frigates for the Norwegian Royal Navy.

The design of the type 26 is seen as a successor to previous anti-submarine warships in the NATO fleet. The platform design has been shared by the UK, Australia and Canada and I understand that this is the first time that that has been done in such a way since the design of the tribal class destroyer during world war two.

I have visited the company and seen for myself the truly impressive scale of the operation and have also had the pleasure of meeting some of the many apprentices.

As I am sure members are about to say, BAE Systems builds on a venerable tradition of shipbuilding at its locations in Scotstoun, formerly Yarrows; and in Govan, formerly Kvaerner, Govan Shipbuilders, Upper Clyde Shipbuilders and, before that, Fairfields. The latest order is the largest single defence capability investment in Norwegian history and certainly represents a vote of confidence in the company and in the wider Scottish economy.

Paul Sweeney (Labour, Glasgow)

The member mentioned Kvaerner. It is important to recognise that the Norwegians played a critical role in rejuvenating and saving the Govan shipyard in the late 1980s and that there is a fabulous legacy in seeing that investment come full circle.

Alasdair Allan (Scottish National Party, Na h-Eileanan an Iar)

I happily acknowledge that point and recognise the part that Norway has played in the history of the yard.

Norway and Scotland share many maritime and historic links—not least since Norway’s conspicuously successful independence from Sweden in 1905—and the existence of the Sjømannskirken, which is the Norwegian seafarers’ church in Aberdeen, is just one of many signs of that continuing connection with Scotland.

News of the contract was warmly welcomed by the Scottish Government and by the First Minister. I was pleased to see the UK Prime Minister correcting the record on that—albeit without apology—after twice claiming otherwise in the House of Commons.

I am encouraged by how, thanks to support for BAE Systems from both the Scottish and UK Governments and the hard work of its skilled workforce, the shipyard and the type 26 design are attracting interest from overseas. This debate is also an opportunity to remind ourselves that the decision to award the contract was ultimately made by the Norwegian Government on the basis of the yard’s excellence, rather than because of political factors. It also shows that all such large military contracts operate in an international context.

The Royal Navy’s tide class tankers were built in South Korea, and some parts for the Royal Navy engines are fabricated there, too. Today also serves as a reminder that Norway—a country of 5 million people in northern Europe that is a non-nuclear member of NATO—is perfectly capable of having a first-rate royal navy of its own. I will resist the strong temptation to say more than that.

The fact is that it was BAE’s excellence that ultimately drew the investment and not, as I said, the political environment. As a Parliament, we should all agree on that. I wish the company and its workforce, as well as the armed forces of Norway, every success for the future.

Stephen Kerr (Conservative, Central Scotland)

I congratulate Paul Sweeney on his motion and join him in celebrating this landmark moment for Scottish shipbuilding. I also personally endorse his words about the need for there to be a more level playing field for procurement rules. I advocate very strongly that we should maximise those Brexit freedoms, and that means redrawing the lines around how we procure in the public space. There has been a reluctance from government at all levels to properly embrace the opportunity to do exactly what Paul Sweeney advocated in his remarks.

The £10 billion contract for at least five type 26 frigates to be built for the Royal Norwegian Navy at Govan and Scotstoun is the largest shipbuilding export deal in Scotland’s history, representing a vote of confidence not only in BAE Systems, but in the skills, resilience and ingenuity of the Scottish workforce. The order was not won by accident. Norway had other options. Designs from France, Germany and the United States were all under consideration, but it chose the British type 26 because it is world class. It is unrivalled in sonar, strike capability and NATO interoperability. The choice is a direct endorsement of Scotland’s proud tradition of shipbuilding excellence.

We should acknowledge the policy framework that made the order possible. The UK’s national shipbuilding strategy, which was launched by the Conservative Government in 2017, provided a focus on exports, with the 30-year pipeline giving our yards the ability to expand and compete globally. Norwegian and British vessels will now be built side by side at the Janet Harvey hall. Such work is possible thanks in large measure to the Conservative UK Governments that worked hard to ensure that BAE Systems in Govan was properly equipped to handle such orders, and the fact that Scotland now holds an order book for 18 frigates and 13 type 26 vessels is a measure of that foresight.

Since 2014, the order books in Scottish shipyards have boasted orders for 25 vessels—five offshore patrol vessels, 18 frigates and two carriers. That is more than double what was promised during the independence referendum. More than 2,000 highly skilled jobs at Govan will be directly sustained into the 2030s, and when we consider the wider supply chain of more than 100 Scottish businesses, including 54 small and medium-sized enterprises, the total rises to around 12,000 jobs. The Clyde is now a serious contender for even more work, with the building of the Royal Navy’s next generation of air defence destroyers.

However, it is not just about the Clyde. Rosyth, too, stands on the cusp of further international contracts. Type 31s have already been exported to Poland and Indonesia, with the yard poised to build frigates for Denmark and Sweden. The type 26 is now a truly global combat ship. Canada and Australia are building a further 23 vessels to the same design, and Scottish SMEs are therefore embedded in the global supply chains to support those construction projects for decades to come.

This is a story of Scottish success on the world stage—success that is built on excellence, innovation and the deep wells of skill that we have in our workforces in our country. We must give credit to those who had the foresight to invest, and we must ensure that Scotland’s two Governments—the UK and Scottish Governments—work together to maximise those benefits for the future.

Davy Russell (Labour, Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse)

I thank my good friend and colleague Paul Sweeney for bringing this debate to Parliament. I welcome the news of the £10 billion deal to supply ships to our friend and ally Norway and to our Royal Navy, which will secure more than 2,000 well-paid jobs.

The deal secures employment for the next decade and a half, restoring Glasgow’s shipyards to their place as the pride of the United Kingdom and Scotland. This is not only about economic windfall; it is about a show of confidence in the capabilities of our workforce. The Scottish Government must now do the same and show that it has confidence in Scotland’s shipbuilding industry by backing that up with a comprehensive shipbuilding strategy and placing direct orders of any future ships and ferries, and, ideally, that should be backed by a dynamic, aggressive industrial policy.

We are all aware that our NATO allies will be increasing their defence spending substantially during the next decade or so, which presents a major opportunity to our defence industry. With the right industrial strategy and defence contracts, the Scottish Government can embrace that growth area by enabling a suitably funded skills and training programme to rectify any gaps that exist.

Sectors and industries throughout Scotland are all in the same position. Members are quite familiar with the lack of specialist tradesmen, technicians and engineers. A sturdy and steadfast industrial policy that could link up defence, green energy and house building—to name but a few—and their common need for highly skilled personnel would achieve more than the lacklustre approach that is being taken by the Scottish Government at present.

Funded training and industrial placements, and secure, highly paid careers for those involved are the way forward. In addition, there could be increased protection from the globalist economy by ensuring that Scotland has the skills and political will to build its own ships and infrastructure.

The Scottish Government might be happy with Chinese steel and buses, Turkish boats and Spanish firms running our power and trunk road networks, but when it comes to our workforce, that is not going to cut it anymore.

The Scottish Government should take the UK Labour Government’s lead and embrace a Canadian-style procurement strategy that not only balances cost and value for money but ensures that partners invest in the local economy, upskill their workers, outsource to Scottish third-party organisations and generally ensure that the benefit of large-scale procurement is felt at home as much as possible and for as long as possible.

I hope that every colleague here agrees with most of what I am saying. We have the utmost faith in the hard-working, inventive and industrious people of Scotland. After all, we are team Scotland. We have the resources and the players. We just need the manager—the Scottish Government—to get its act together.

Alexander Stewart (Conservative, Mid Scotland and Fife)

I am pleased to be able to contribute to this afternoon’s debate, and I thank Paul Sweeney for bringing it to the chamber.

It goes without saying that the £10 billion deal to supply five type 26 frigates from Norway should be welcomed whole-heartedly. The debate is an excellent opportunity to do so, and everyone who has spoken has welcomed it. However, it is also an opportunity to look at the success of the UK’s defence industry in Scotland.

The industry has gone from strength to strength, and that needs to be celebrated. The new deal will support around 2,000 jobs at BAE Systems shipyards in Glasgow, as well as around 2,000 jobs across the maritime supply chain. More than 100 businesses will benefit directly from the agreement, nearly half of which are small or medium-sized businesses. That is a real boost to the economy and a shot in the arm.

The new deal for the Clyde is a landmark moment for the Scottish shipbuilding industry. It is also a call to action for the Scottish and UK Governments. We now need to see them working hand in glove with industry in Scotland to ensure that that fantastic sector can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead. That includes supporting opportunities not only on the Clyde.

Babcock in Rosyth, which is in my region of Mid Scotland and Fife, is in the running to win a £1 billion deal to build ships for Denmark. It should be supported, too. The chief executive, David Lockwood, said that he is “confident but not complacent” about the bid. It would follow on from the previous deal to build five new type 31 warships for the Royal Navy, which was worth £1.25 billion.

Part of the investment in the Rosyth yard includes building a new assembly hall, which will allow two frigates to be parallel assembled. That is another huge investment. Such investments in state-of-the-art infrastructure will support organisations and structures in Rosyth and on the Clyde.

Paul Sweeney (Labour, Glasgow)

The member is making a very important point about the capital investment that is required to get the shipyard infrastructure up to scratch. The investments at both Govan and Rosyth demonstrate visionary capacity growth through bringing more shipbuilding indoors—Scotland having a very rainy environment. Does the member agree that that is needed at Ferguson Marine, too, and that the commercial yards also need investment to get their facilities up to scratch?

Alexander Stewart (Conservative, Mid Scotland and Fife)

The member makes a valid point. If we are to create that kind of environment, we must ensure that other yards can fulfil orders and provide capacity within the system.

As I said, that investment will support thousands of jobs and will lead to more opportunities. It will cost about £250 million to build a frigate—which is about the same as what it costs the SNP to build a car ferry.

Such investment does not just happen by itself or by chance. There is a real opportunity here to work with the UK Government. In the past, the Conservative UK Government was very much involved, through its national shipbuilding strategy. I pay tribute to what it did. That strategy, with its focus on creating new technology and new jobs, needs to continue. I hope that the current Labour UK Government will continue to support Babcock and other firms to ensure that that remains the case.

The SNP Government needs to take a more positive approach when it comes to the realities of the defence sector. As we know, it takes an ideological stance, and that can make waves within the sector. We do not want to see that, and we need to ensure that the Scottish Government is adopting a more positive approach.

The investments that have been made are putting Scotland firmly at the centre of the global defence industry, securing thousands of jobs for the future. We have arrived at this point through proactive, bold and ambitious investment by Governments that recognise the importance of the industry. The onus is now on both the Scottish and UK Governments to show the same recognition into the future. If that happens, this success will continue.

Katy (Labour, West Scotland)

I congratulate Paul Sweeney on securing this important debate. The shipbuilding industry is of historic importance to many communities across Scotland, and it continues to play a significant part in our economy today.

The deal that has been secured by the UK Government with Norway to provide at least five frigates will bring jobs and continued work for Scotland’s shipbuilding industry. The deal follows on from other contracts secured from the Royal Navy by Scotland’s shipyards, including Ferguson Marine, which will be involved in fabricating components for HMS Birmingham.

There is still a clear need, however, for a comprehensive national shipbuilding strategy for Scotland, particularly when we consider the current position that Ferguson’s finds itself in as the Clyde’s last non-naval shipyard. Ferguson’s employs around 300 highly skilled workers and apprentices, and it has been a vital part of Scotland’s shipbuilding industry for more than a century now, delivering a third of the current CalMac Ferries fleet.

The yard is also vital for the local economy in Inverclyde; continued failure by the Scottish Government to deliver on the promised investment or to help the yard secure work is creating uncertainty about the yard’s future. Last year, the Scottish Government pledged to invest £14.2 million in modern equipment at Ferguson’s, yet only £600,000 has been invested so far, and procurement notices for new machinery have lapsed.

I would therefore be grateful if the minister could provide an update today on when the remaining promised investment will be delivered at Ferguson’s. The yard lost out on the CalMac order for seven small electric ferries earlier this year, not because of doubts about the quality of the yard’s bid, but because its bid was undercut on price. Concerns have been raised that social value was not considered—or was not considered sufficiently—in that decision, or indeed in other decisions that have been made. In other parts of the UK, the UK Government has now placed a minimum 10 per cent social value weighting element into the assessments of bids for shipbuilding contracts, and I support the points that Paul Sweeney made in his speech in that regard.

When I raised that very point with the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government last week, she said that social value weighting was already included in current procurement legislation. I would be grateful for clarity from the minister on social value being included in procurement and at least matching the 10 per cent minimum that is required in other parts of the UK, because we know that that has not been the case in previous processes.

I also made the case for direct awards last week, which is lawful for essential infrastructure such as ferries. I understand that the UK Government has written to Scottish ministers about extending UK procurement legislation to Scotland. It would be helpful if the minister could outline what engagement, if any, is taking place with UK ministers on procurement legislation, the ability to make direct awards and the ability to maximise social value in any procurement policies.

Last week, I urged the cabinet secretary to make a direct award to Ferguson Marine for the replacement of MV Lord of the Isles. That call is supported by the workers, unions, Ferguson Marine itself, businesses and the local community across the west of Scotland.

Alasdair Allan (Scottish National Party, Na h-Eileanan an Iar)

Will the member take an intervention?

Annabelle Ewing (Scottish National Party, Cowdenbeath)

The member is concluding.

Katy (Labour, West Scotland)

I apologise—I cannot take one.

I ask the Scottish Government to consider making a direct award under section 45 of the Subsidy Control Act 2022 in relation to that specific procurement exercise, and I reiterate the calls in Paul Sweeney’s motion for a national shipbuilding strategy in Scotland that recognises the strategic importance of shipbuilding to this country.

Richard Lochhead (Scottish National Party, Moray)

I welcome the debate and congratulate Paul Sweeney on securing it. We are discussing a very important part of the Scottish economy and an exciting new chapter for this sector; indeed, Paul Sweeney eloquently outlined the sector’s deep heritage. Often, when I talk about Scotland’s industrial heritage, I recall that, at the beginning of the 20th century, the Glasgow and Clyde shipyards were producing around a third of the world’s ocean-going vessels. It is exciting to be here in 2025 talking about this new chapter in the story of shipbuilding in Scotland.

We have a proud history in shipbuilding, and, of course, manufacturing capability lies at the heart of it. As a Government, we are committed to ensuring that shipbuilding, marine engineering and ship servicing on the Clyde continue to flourish, and that we continue to support our innovative marine technology companies to grow. Much of the focus in the debate has been on naval shipbuilding, which, as we have just discussed, remains a particular strength in Scotland.

The recent announcement from the Norwegian Government of a £10 billion investment in naval ships to be built on the Clyde has, of course, been welcomed by the First Minister and members across the chamber today. I add my support to Paul Sweeney’s thanks to the Norwegian Government for placing that order with the Clyde. I certainly support that sentiment, because the contracts will mean significant investments in the yard, opportunities for people in the area, and a significant boost to employment in the defence sector in Scotland. It is also, as Alasdair Allan and others have said, a vote of confidence in the workforce.

Stephen Kerr (Conservative, Central Scotland)

It is quite right to give thanks to the Norwegian Government for this extraordinary vote of confidence in Scotland’s shipbuilding, but will the minister join me in recognising, as I said in my speech, the significant part that the national shipbuilding strategy of 2017—a strategy that came from the UK Conservative Government—played in leading to this moment? At the time, it was pretty much derided by his members of Parliament at Westminster.

Richard Lochhead (Scottish National Party, Moray)

It is clear that I am surrounded by political parties that want to take credit for what is happening, so I will focus on paying tribute to the workforce at the yard. As I—and others—have said, it shows that our shipyards are competitive in what is a global industry. It is important to make that point.

We continue to work with the UK Government to ensure that Scotland benefits from the increased defence spending that is included in the planned defence growth deals. Two or three months ago here in Edinburgh, in my role as business minister, I joined the former Secretary of State for Scotland, Ian Murray, to meet business organisations. Clearly, that was prior to the announcement that we are discussing today, but one theme of our discussion was the massive potential for Scotland’s supply chains from the forthcoming increase in defence expenditure and the need to ensure that our very well equipped supply chains benefit greatly from such contracts.

Paul Sweeney (Labour, Glasgow)

The minister has made an important point about the supply chain. Around 80 per cent of the value of those ships is bought into the shipyard through the supply chain, so maximising that content is key. Will the minister outline what Scottish Enterprise, other enterprise agencies and the Scottish National Investment Bank could do to get patient finance in place to support investment and get more Scottish content into those ships?

Richard Lochhead (Scottish National Party, Moray)

As I have said, a lot of discussion is going on at the moment to make sure that we can capture as much of those contracts for the Scottish supply chain as possible. That is also part of the UK discussions, because one theme that has been raised by members of the business community in Scotland is the need for clear visibility of and timelines for what is coming down the pipeline, so that they can take advantage of that in Scottish supply chains. That issue has been highlighted, and we are keen to bring it into our discussions with UK colleagues.

We have a growing supply chain that can take advantage of support for advanced manufacturing and high-tech jobs. All of that will be part of those discussions, and we will continue to do whatever we can to support commercial shipbuilding as well as attract the naval contracts that we hope will come to Scotland.

As evidence of our commitment, our action in taking Ferguson Marine into public ownership saved the last commercial shipyard on the Clyde and rescued more than 300 jobs—something that we have heard many times in the chamber. As Katy Clark also mentioned, we committed to investing up to £14.2 million over two years in Ferguson Marine, subject to due diligence and the meeting of commercial standards, and we look forward to hearing further from the shipyard about proposals for investing that money. We remain firmly committed to supporting Ferguson Marine to competitively bid for future contracts in order to secure its long-term future.

Paul Sweeney (Labour, Glasgow)

Does the minister recognise, however, what the shipyards have been telling us, which is that, to win commercial work, they need social value weighting and patient finance? The Scottish National Investment Bank does not really offer any shipbuilding finance products that are competitive with other countries. Can we address that fundamental issue?

Richard Lochhead (Scottish National Party, Moray)

Those are all parts of on-going discussions, but the £14.2 million pledge for investment is a clear commitment. In addition, we are engaging with the UK Government on the next steps of its industrial strategy and its planned review of the national shipbuilding strategy, to emphasise Scotland’s strengths in shipbuilding and marine technology. We are also engaging with the UK Government’s National Shipbuilding Office to maximise support for the Scottish commercial shipbuilding sector.

As we know, access to skilled labour is a challenge for shipbuilding companies, particularly when it comes to fabrication and welding, so we have invested up to £2 million in developing engineering skills in Glasgow under an initiative that was designed by the Clyde maritime cluster in partnership with Skills Development Scotland. Scottish Enterprise has also recently provided more than £9 million to BAE Systems to support a training and skills academy. In addition, we have been working with the Clyde maritime group on future workforce planning. A huge amount of activity is under way to address the skills pipeline so that we can take advantage of all the potential that is under discussion in the debate.

As members will be aware, we are undertaking a major reform of the skills system so that it meets Scotland’s needs. Ministers continue to engage with all the relevant industries, including shipbuilding and the defence sector, that are looking forward to that reform. A recent report that the group that I mentioned commissioned from defence and marine expert Hans Pung and the RAND group, through a project managed by Skills Development Scotland, mentions a number of workforce planning measures for the regional cluster on the Clyde that align with the recommendations of the UK Government’s shipbuilding skills task force.

The National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, industry partners and Innovate UK’s workforce foresighting hub have developed a report that highlights the need for updated training to equip the workforce with the skills that will be required as the industry evolves and adopts new technologies. That report recommends actions for the shipbuilding industry to prepare its workforce effectively for the needs of the future. That will be a key focus for the sector and for partners.

With all the support that we can and do provide to our shipbuilding sector in Scotland, we must also be cognisant of the facts that shipbuilding is a competitive global market and that any direct award of a public contract must comply with procurement rules and be capable of withstanding legal challenge. I say gently to members that the focus of today’s debate is on Norwegian investment in Scottish shipyards, which is evidence that this is a global, international and competitive industry.

Paul Sweeney (Labour, Glasgow)

Will the minister take an intervention?

Richard Lochhead (Scottish National Party, Moray)

Yes.

Annabelle Ewing (Scottish National Party, Cowdenbeath)

Make it brief, as the minister will be concluding.

Paul Sweeney (Labour, Glasgow)

Will the minister consider investigating making further use of section 45 of the Subsidy Control Act 2022? There have now been two incidents of the Russians sabotaging undersea cables around the Northern Isles. In the case of the Northern Isles ferry, there is a strong rationale for considering the national security implications and making that a direct award—or, at least, a UK-only competition. Will he look into that case?

Annabelle Ewing (Scottish National Party, Cowdenbeath)

Please start to conclude, minister.

Richard Lochhead (Scottish National Party, Moray)

As the First Minister indicated during First Minister’s questions in relation to some of those themes, we are sympathetic to doing what we can, and we are looking at procurement issues closely. However, we have to do that within the legal constraints of public subsidy control legislation. We continue to discuss this with the UK Government and we also engage with the National Shipbuilding Office on proposed procurement exercises.

I realise that I am running out of time, but I just want to say that we are all in the same place, which is that we all want to support Scottish shipbuilding going forward. We are on the cusp of an exciting new chapter for shipbuilding in Scotland. We want to maximise the advantages of that and ensure that we secure as much economic benefit from it as we can, so that we are talking about not just the contracts that we are discussing today but the many more contracts coming to Scottish shipyards in the years ahead. I am sure that, if we can collaborate and work closely together, we can achieve that for Scotland.

Business Motion

Liam McArthur (Liberal Democrat, Orkney Islands)

The first item of business this afternoon is consideration of business motion S6M-19081, in the name of Graeme Dey, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, on changes to the business programme.

Motion moved,

That the Parliament agrees to the following revision to the programme of business for Thursday 25 September 2025—

after

followed by Financial Resolution: Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill

insert

followed by Financial Resolution: Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill—[Graeme Dey.]

Motion agreed to.

Portfolio Question Time

Liam McArthur (Liberal Democrat, Orkney Islands)

The next item of business is portfolio question time. The portfolio on this occasion is climate action and energy, and transport. There is quite a bit of demand for supplementary questions, so brevity in questions and responses would be welcome.

I note that, for question 1, Michael Matheson is not present in the chamber. I have not received an explanation for that; I expect one in due course.

Foysol Choudhury (Labour, Lothian)

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with stakeholders regarding the development and scaling up of sustainable aviation fuel production, in light of the need to support the infrastructure, skills, and supply chains required to make Scotland a leader in the sector. (S6O-04987)

Jim Fairlie (Scottish National Party, Perthshire South and Kinross-shire)

The Scottish Government, along with economic development agencies, regularly engages with aviation stakeholders, including on matters relating to sustainable aviation fuel. The Scottish Government’s aviation statement sets out our vision for aviation and recognises the potentially significant economic and environmental benefits of using SAF.

Foysol Choudhury (Labour, Lothian)

Thank you for that answer, minister. Will you organise a meeting with me to see how we can work together with stakeholders?

Liam McArthur (Liberal Democrat, Orkney Islands)

Always speak through the chair.

Jim Fairlie (Scottish National Party, Perthshire South and Kinross-shire)

A number of stakeholder engagement meetings are already in place. I am not sure whether Foysol Choudhury has looked for another means of holding such a meeting. I am quite happy to have a meeting with him, but I am not entirely sure what that would lead to.

Rachael Hamilton (Conservative, Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire)

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with community groups that have raised concerns regarding the proliferation of energy infrastructure, including pylons, battery energy storage systems and wind farms. (S6O-04988)

Gillian Martin (Scottish National Party, Aberdeenshire East)

It is vital that communities can have their say on proposed developments. Through public consultations, ministers invite representations from community councils on applications under the Electricity Act 1989 and carefully consider the views of community groups.

Our fourth national planning framework ensures that we assess potential cumulative impacts on communities and nature. Although they do not comment on applications, officials have engaged with MSPs and community groups—and Michael Shanks, the United Kingdom Minister for Energy, and I co-chaired a recent round-table meeting that had community group and developer representatives in attendance—to encourage best practice in community engagement and the co-ordination of development.

Rachael Hamilton (Conservative, Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire)

Despite what the cabinet secretary has said, communities feel that their voices are being ignored and that the Scottish National Party Government is riding roughshod over their concerns. Will the cabinet secretary put in place a moratorium, as asked for by my Scottish Conservative colleagues, on all new renewables applications until she has met all interested parties—all such parties, not just developers—and brought forward a coherent and transparent energy policy?

Gillian Martin (Scottish National Party, Aberdeenshire East)

To meet groups that are opposed to or in favour of a development would risk breaching the ministerial code, as I have explained time and again. NPF4 already takes into consideration cumulative effect—

Rachael Hamilton (Conservative, Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire)

On a point of order, Presiding Officer.

Liam McArthur (Liberal Democrat, Orkney Islands)

I will take the point of order at the end of the cabinet secretary’s response.

Gillian Martin (Scottish National Party, Aberdeenshire East)

It is important to point out that regulation of electricity transmission infrastructure is reserved to the UK Government. Indeed, the planned build-out of new transmission infrastructure was set in train by the UK Government under the Conservatives. In addition, when Conservative ministers were in post, I repeatedly called for mandating community benefits and for community engagement guidelines, but my calls were ignored.

Rachael Hamilton (Conservative, Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire)

On a point of order, Deputy Presiding Officer. I have looked carefully at the ministerial code, which says that the minister involved in a planning decision

“should only hold such a meeting if it is possible to meet all interested parties in respect of a particular proposal or, as an absolute minimum, to offer all parties the opportunity of such a meeting”.

I cannot understand why the cabinet secretary continually gives us the wrong information regarding the ministerial code.

Liam McArthur (Liberal Democrat, Orkney Islands)

Thank you, Ms Hamilton. You will know that the content of ministerial responses is not a matter for the chair.

Karen Adam (Scottish National Party, Banffshire and Buchan Coast)

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the UK Government’s energy policy, including licensing decisions and investment priorities, on jobs in Scotland’s offshore energy sector and on progress towards a just transition. (S6O-04989)

Gillian Martin (Scottish National Party, Aberdeenshire East)

Decisions on offshore oil and gas licensing, consenting and the associated fiscal regime are all currently reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government, along with the industry, workers and communities, is awaiting the UK Government’s responses to its recent consultations, which will have a major bearing on the future of the North Sea energy sector. In particular, we are calling for an end to the energy profits levy, which is having a negative impact on investment in clean energy, oil and gas decommissioning and the shared energy supply chain.

We continue to call on the UK Government to support a just transition by approaching its decisions on North Sea oil and gas projects on a rigorously evidence-led and case-by-case basis, with climate compatibility and energy security as key considerations.

Karen Adam (Scottish National Party, Banffshire and Buchan Coast)

Given that up to 400 energy jobs in the north-east are at risk every fortnight, does the cabinet secretary share my concern that the UK Government’s incoherent energy strategy is destabilising Scotland’s workforce? Does she agree that Scotland has all the energy but none of the powers and that only with independence can we properly manage our offshore mix of oil, gas and renewables to protect jobs and deliver a fair transition?

Gillian Martin (Scottish National Party, Aberdeenshire East)

I agree that only with the full powers of independence will we be able to fully deliver a just transition. In the meantime, workers must be at the heart of the transition, and the Scottish Government will support the energy workforce with the limited powers that are available to us.

More than £120 million has already been invested in the north-east through the just transition fund and the energy transition fund. That investment has helped to create green jobs, support innovation and secure the highly skilled workforce of the future.

The energy profits levy is not only putting oil and gas jobs at risk but having an effect on decommissioning activities, which would also provide work for the energy workforce, particularly in the north-east. More concerning is the effect that the levy will have on the development of offshore wind projects, because companies with licence agreements with oil and gas companies have also been involved in ScotWind projects.

Douglas Lumsden (Conservative, North East Scotland)

As much as I do not like the Labour Government’s energy policy, at least it has the bottle to publish one. John Swinney’s Government has a presumption against new oil and gas projects, but wannabe First Minister Stephen Flynn seems to want the drilling to continue. Can the cabinet secretary state when the energy policy will be published, so that the devolved Government’s position will finally be clarified?

Gillian Martin (Scottish National Party, Aberdeenshire East)

We have published many policy decisions on energy. Douglas Lumsden asked for policy decisions, and he need only go to the Government’s website to view a plethora of energy policy decisions.

Willie Rennie (Liberal Democrat, North East Fife)

The Scottish Government does have power in relation to consent for offshore renewables projects. It took quite a long time for the Berwick Bank consent process to be concluded, and there were previous concerns about the number of professionals and planners in the marine directorate. Has that shortage of personnel now been resolved, and will we have a swifter consenting process from now on?

Gillian Martin (Scottish National Party, Aberdeenshire East)

As a result of feedback from the sector, we have doubled the capacity of the energy consents unit, and we have done so during a cessation of recruitment in the Scottish Government because of pressures on spending. We also now have apprenticeships associated with the ECU, so we hope to have a pipeline of even more qualified personnel coming into the Scottish Government. In addition, we have introduced a commitment to make decisions on consents within 11 months.

Elena Whitham (Scottish National Party, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley)

Deputy Presiding Officer, I thank you for your permission to leave before the end of the question session, and I apologise to you and to members for having to do so.

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the “Scottish Biodiversity Strategy to 2045”, including in relation to riparian woodland planting. (S6O-04990)

Gillian Martin (Scottish National Party, Aberdeenshire East)

We published our strategic framework for biodiversity in Scotland in November 2024. The framework has three elements: the long-term strategy to 2045, which sets out the ambition for halting the loss of and substantially restoring biodiversity; the first in a series of delivery plans, which contains more than 100 actions; and statutory targets for nature restoration to drive action and delivery.

Native riparian woodlands are a very important habitat in Scotland for both biodiversity and people. The woodlands support a wide variety of plants and animals, with diversity increasing as the woodland matures. They have a critical role in cooling and maintaining water quality in burns and rivers to the benefit of rare and vulnerable species such as freshwater pearl mussel and Atlantic salmon. They also provide people and communities with natural flood management by moderating the flow of water from the hills into the rivers.

Elena Whitham (Scottish National Party, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley)

A lot of good work is being done in my constituency of Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley on riparian woodland planting. I refer specifically to the work of Symington community council, in partnership with other groups, to introduce extensive areas of woodland along the upper Pow Burn in order to create natural habitats and nature networks to reduce the flood risk downstream. What support is being provided to communities to support such endeavours?

Gillian Martin (Scottish National Party, Aberdeenshire East)

I commend Symington community council’s ambition for nature restoration through planting riparian woodlands in the upper Pow Burn, as Elena Whitham has outlined. I hope to see other communities throughout Scotland follow its lead if we are to address the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change.

Crucially, such initiatives can also benefit communities and individuals downstream with natural flood management and improved water quality. Eligible applicants can apply to the forestry grant scheme to support riparian planting, through which an enhanced payment rate is available. Our nature restoration fund has also supported riparian planting as part of wider, landscape-scale restoration projects.

Mercedes Villalba (Labour, North East Scotland)

Invasive non-native species are one of the key drivers of biodiversity loss in Scotland, including through the spread of invasive tree seed to adjoining land such as peatland. Research from the Royal Society of Edinburgh into public subsidies for tree planting and forestry shows that large, dense stands of non-native conifers, such as Sitka spruce, are having an adverse effect on biodiversity. What consideration has the cabinet secretary given to the recommendations in the RSE report to discontinue subsidies for commercial non-native conifer planting?

Gillian Martin (Scottish National Party, Aberdeenshire East)

With regard to woodland planting, I will have to defer to my colleagues in the rural affairs portfolio. However, the responsibility for action on invasive non-native species lies with me, and Mercedes Villalba knows that the matter has my full attention.

Annie Wells (Conservative, Glasgow)

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to improve night-time public transport connections between city centres and suburban areas, including support for late-night bus and rail services to improve affordability, safety and service reliability. (S6O-04991)

Jim Fairlie (Scottish National Party, Perthshire South and Kinross-shire)

The Scottish Government delivered all the powers in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 to enable local transport authorities, working with stakeholders, to improve local bus services over the longer term, according to their local needs.

The complexity of rail network management and maintenance does not currently allow for night-time rail operations. However, recent ScotRail timetable changes introduced later services and increased evening frequency on some suburban routes, including the East Kilbride, Lanark and north Clyde routes. Additional late services from Exhibition Centre station and for specific events have also been added where possible.

ScotRail closely collaborates with its travel safe team and with the British Transport Police, which, along with staff hired for specific events and late services, are enhancing passenger safety. The removal of ScotRail peak fares for good and the planned £2 bus fare cap pilot will further improve affordability for passengers.

Annie Wells (Conservative, Glasgow)

Although I welcome any steps that the Government is taking to improve late-night transport links, will the minister acknowledge the added pressure that is caused by the significant number of black hackney taxis in Glasgow that have been taken off the road because of low-emission zone regulations? The reduction in licensed taxis makes it even harder, particularly for women, to get home safely at night.

What additional support or urgent interventions will the Government consider to ensure that safe, affordable and reliable options are available to everyone who is travelling after hours, especially in areas where late-night buses or trains are limited?

Jim Fairlie (Scottish National Party, Perthshire South and Kinross-shire)

Many factors lead to business decisions not to provide services. However, as I have already outlined, ScotRail and the Scottish Government have put in place a number of interventions to allow safe, affordable travel for people at all times of day and evening.

Sarah Boyack (Labour, Lothian)

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress on the development and expansion of heat networks across Scotland, including any plans it has to accelerate deployment to meet heat network decarbonisation targets. (S6O-04992)

Gillian Martin (Scottish National Party, Aberdeenshire East)

The Scottish Government has supported local authorities to prepare local heat and energy efficiency strategies, which have identified opportunities for district heating schemes in every area of Scotland. Scotland’s heat network fund has awarded £11.9 million since 2022. Our Government’s heat network support unit is building a pipeline of investable projects, having so far supported 42 projects with funding of £2.3 million.

We are undertaking a strategic review of the role of the Scottish Government, local authorities and the private sector in deploying heat networks, and we will inform Parliament of our next steps in due course.

Sarah Boyack (Labour, Lothian)

In Sweden, over half of homes are now heated by district heat networks, which are expected to use energy that comes almost entirely from renewable or waste sources. In the Netherlands and Denmark, municipalities have had statutory heat planning in place for decades.

Will the cabinet secretary outline what additional investment the Scottish Government will now allocate to our councils, given the huge financial and staff pressures that they face? That would make it possible for us not only to meet the Scottish Government’s targets by 2030, but to have municipally owned heat networks, which would have accountability and could reinvest profits back into their communities.

Gillian Martin (Scottish National Party, Aberdeenshire East)

Given the number of heat networks that need to be built in Scotland, we are trying to put a strategy behind this work. Heat networks are very investable propositions. Local authorities will be able to invest in getting them off the ground, but they also need to be able to crowd in private finance.

I can point to a couple of councils in particular. Glasgow City Council is well ahead with heat network plans, and Aberdeen City Council is planning to extend existing heat networks, which are powered by waste-to-energy plants. There are plans across the whole of Scotland. Our strategy will try to bring those all together into a portfolio of investment, because we will need to crowd in private finance in order to get the scale of the development that we need, for exactly the reasons that Sarah Boyack has outlined.

Jackie Dunbar (Scottish National Party, Aberdeen Donside)

As we move towards electrification to facilitate the decarbonisation of our homes, it is vital that we ensure that clean heat is affordable and accessible. Will the cabinet secretary join me in calling on the United Kingdom Labour Government to act urgently to lower energy bills, alleviate fuel poverty and facilitate the investment and take-up of clean energy technologies?

Gillian Martin (Scottish National Party, Aberdeenshire East)

A country such as Scotland should not have fuel poverty. The Labour Government pledged to cut bills by £300, but now those bills are, on average, more than £280 higher than at the time of the general election.

UK ministers should immediately deliver a social tariff in the form of an automatic and targeted discount on energy bills to address unaffordable bills at source. In tandem, it is critical that we see urgent action on decoupling the cost of gas from the price for electricity that consumers pay. Both those actions will make a material difference in eradicating fuel poverty.

Those critical policies are necessary to support long-term energy affordability, protect consumers from volatile global fossil fuel prices and support investment in new heat network projects.

Paul Sweeney (Labour, Glasgow)

I wonder whether the minister is familiar with the B-Neatpump project, which has been developed by the Malin Group and Star Refrigeration in Glasgow. It would be a massive industrial opportunity for Scotland if we could manufacture at scale those river-based heat pumps, which can be not only used along Scottish coastlines but exported around the world. If the cabinet secretary observes that the pricing signal is correct, will she encourage that kind of manufacturing opportunity in Scotland as best she can?

Gillian Martin (Scottish National Party, Aberdeenshire East)

Absolutely. A number of projects are transferring heat from rivers into heat for homes. Paul Sweeney makes a very good point that, where we are building out heat networks, we should do as much as possible of the manufacturing for them in Scotland.

Stephanie Callaghan (Scottish National Party, Uddingston and Bellshill)

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that Scotland is ready to recycle and repurpose textile waste when the landfill ban comes into force at the end of this year. (S6O-04993)

Gillian Martin (Scottish National Party, Aberdeenshire East)

The Scottish Government has been supporting local authorities in their preparations for the ban on landfilling biodegradable municipal waste, including by increasing the amount of waste that they recycle through our £70 million recycling improvement fund.

We recently consulted on the approach to the collection of textile waste by local authorities. That consultation closed on 17 June this year, and the results are currently being analysed.

We have also confirmed that textile products will be a key focus of our product stewardship plan, and we will consider the textiles sector in our forthcoming circular economy strategy.

Stephanie Callaghan (Scottish National Party, Uddingston and Bellshill)

I thank the cabinet secretary for that response and for recognising the innovative work by ACS Clothing in my constituency when she responded to my written question earlier this month. The company was delighted, and I trust that she will keep championing its work and the work of other companies as we all strive to close the loop on textile waste.

Does the cabinet secretary agree that Scotland has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to lead globally on textile recycling and on repurposing technologies that can help to prevent textiles from going to landfill or being incinerated or exported elsewhere? Will she give serious consideration to establishing a Scottish industry academic consortium as part of the upcoming circular economy strategy for Scotland that she mentioned, to help to accelerate the turning of textile recycling technologies into commercially viable solutions?

Gillian Martin (Scottish National Party, Aberdeenshire East)

As Stephanie Callaghan will know, I was very pleased to visit ACS Clothing last year to see at first hand the fantastic work that it does, which is truly incredible. The company was able to tell me not only about the amount of clothing that it prevents from going to landfill, but about the work that it is doing to reduce the emissions that are generated from the cleaning of the products that it resells and the amount of water that it uses. It is working hard to reduce its own emissions.

Textile products will be a key focus of the product stewardship plan. We will also consider textiles as part of the forthcoming circular economy strategy consultation. I can confirm that our proposals will include working closely with the sector, including trailblazing businesses such as ACS Clothing, to address barriers to circularity. Future actions to support the sustainable textile sector in Scotland will be guided by those plans and by the results of the consultation on approaches to local authority textile waste collections.

Sue Webber (Conservative, Lothian)

What carbon budgeting has been carried out in relation to assessing the impact of transporting waste from Scotland to England when the landfill ban comes into force?

Gillian Martin (Scottish National Party, Aberdeenshire East)

I am working hard with my officials and the waste sector to ensure that we keep as much of our waste as possible in Scotland to be recycled. I will not countenance the idea of waste being sent to landfill in England. We will have a landfill ban, and I am working with the sector at pace to ensure that everyone is ready for that. Local authorities have already done a great deal of work to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill, and I am confident that we will have a solution in place.

Douglas Lumsden (Conservative, North East Scotland)

On a point of order. Presiding Officer. Can you offer me guidance on how I can get an answer to my very simple question: when will the Government release its energy strategy? On 17 occasions in the past year and a half, I have asked ministers to bring forward a timeline. If the cabinet secretary has time to jet around the world selling Scotland’s countryside, surely she has time to come to Parliament and release a strategy that has been three years in the making.

Presiding Officer, I believe that the cabinet secretary’s failure to do so is discourteous to this place, that it falls far short of the standards that you yourself set for this place and that it shows a lack of the courtesy and respect to members and the chair that the MSP code of conduct demands. I seek your guidance on what other methods I can use to get an answer, which my constituents and business deserve.

Liam McArthur (Liberal Democrat, Orkney Islands)

Thank you for providing advance notice of your point of order, Mr Lumsden. As you will be aware, the content of ministerial responses—as I suggested to your colleague Rachael Hamilton earlier—is not a matter for the chair; it is a matter for the Scottish Government. You have put your point on record.

There will be a brief pause before we move on to the next item of business, to allow front-bench teams to change over.

One Scotland, Many Voices

Liam McArthur (Liberal Democrat, Orkney Islands)

The next item of business is a statement by Kaukab Stewart entitled “One Scotland, Many Voices: A Shared Future”. The minister will take questions at the end of her statement, so there should be no interventions or interruptions.

Kaukab Stewart (Scottish National Party, Glasgow Kelvin)

At a time when hostile rhetoric is creating real fear and uncertainty, it is vital that we recognise its impact on communities across the country.

When people feel excluded or marginalised, communities suffer. Tensions rise, trust erodes, and we begin to see the normalisation of resentment and division and the entrenchment of othering, in which communities are excluded and alienated. The effects are direct and lasting. They echo through families, schools, workplaces and the everyday interactions that define our shared lives. The shared bonds that hold communities together begin to fray. If targeting of minorities goes unchallenged, we undermine not only our values but Scotland’s hard-earned international reputation as a welcoming country—one that is known for understanding the desperate situation of those fleeing conflict and persecution and for responding to them with compassion and kindness.

Over the past fortnight, we have welcomed six families from Gaza who have arrived with children who are in need of urgent medical care. That is part of the First Minister’s commitment that Scotland will treat up to 20 child patients from Gaza. The Government has always taken seriously its responsibility to promote safe and connected communities, and we will continue to work together with partners and local authorities to ensure that all communities have the means to contribute, to feel safe and to have a sense of belonging in Scotland.

Looking out for one another is not just a policy goal. It is not optional or idealistic; it is part of the fabric of our lives in this country. We value diversity not just as a principle but as a strength that enriches our society and our economy. As a country, Scotland has real and pressing demographic needs. We need inward migration to support our communities, our public services and our economy. That is why we have consistently called for the creation of regular, safe and accessible visa routes that reflect Scotland’s needs and that allow people to come here not only to work but to settle and to contribute to our society.

We completely reject the disgraceful comments made earlier this week by Nigel Farage, who set out desperate and despicable plans for mass deportations, and callously and blatantly blamed migrants for the economic state of broken Britain. Farage’s plans threaten to collapse our national health service and crash our economy all over again. We do not accept that and, to be clear, he should be ashamed of such blatant demonisation. [ Interruption .]

Liam McArthur (Liberal Democrat, Orkney Islands)

There should be no interruptions or interventions.

Kaukab Stewart (Scottish National Party, Glasgow Kelvin)

The Scottish Government has made detailed, constructive proposals to the United Kingdom Government on safe and accessible visa routes. Unfortunately, the response so far has been disappointing. Once again, the immigration system that we are tied to does not reflect Scotland’s interests or values.

However, the UK Government’s approach has not deterred us from doing what we can within our powers. We have established Scotland’s migration service to support employers, investors and individuals to navigate the UK immigration system. Our new Scots strategy sets out a clear and integrated approach to supporting refugees and people seeking asylum—from day 1, on their arrival. It is a model of partnership that is embedded at the local level across national and local government, third sector organisations and communities. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees commended that approach when he visited Scotland earlier this year.

Last month, I experienced the excellent community development and refugee integration work that is taking place across Perth and Kinross, which brings communities together through community cafes and shared passions such as football. I also learned of the support that Perth and Kinross Council gives to young people who are seeking asylum, by helping them to understand and access the support to which they are entitled, delivering local orientation and English classes and supporting them to integrate into the local community through volunteering opportunities and sport. In October 2024, that work led to Perth and Kinross Council being awarded council of sanctuary status, as one of the many places in Scotland that are recognised for their efforts in welcoming people who seek sanctuary here.

Our shared aim is clear: to ensure that all new Scots have the opportunity to rebuild their lives here and to feel part of our nation. That approach not only supports individuals but strengthens the communities of which they become part.

The Scottish Government remains dedicated to a path that is rooted in the power of community and committed to dignity and inclusion. In tough times, we should not turn against our neighbours—we should turn towards one other. It is not acceptable to vilify and exclude communities. We must never allow fear to erode our humanity, nor Scotland’s reputation as a proud home to many different communities living side by side.

My commitment to that is not just rhetorical—it is practical, visible and on-going. I am fortunate to have seen at first hand the good and collaborative efforts of communities across our country to ensure that Scotland is a place where everyone belongs and feels safe. Just recently, I was honoured to attend the pitch-to-plate multicultural meal at Hibernian Football Club—an example of how faith and sport can come together to build community. That monthly event, which is led by the Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society and the Hibernian Community Foundation, brings together new Scots, refugees and those who are facing hardship, to share a warm meal and meaningful connection.

On Tuesday morning this week, I visited the Maryhill Integration Network, which supports integration in communities, providing space for people to come together through music, art, gardening and language classes. That organisation and many others like it all do vital work in their local areas to support integration, build community support and bring people together through community projects. They engage locally, to help to share factual information and build awareness and understanding through training sessions. They also focus on new challenges that have developed in recent years, whereby misinformation that is shared online has significant impacts on individuals and communities. In my discussions with the team at Maryhill, it was clear to me that their staff and the people whom they serve are being directly impacted by the climate of fear that has been building. That is simply unacceptable, and it goes against everything that Scotland stands for.

Strong communities do not happen by accident, and we must never take them for granted. There is no room for complacency. All that work shows the impact of community-led support that brings people together across cultures, faiths and experiences. Those are spaces in which our shared values of compassion, solidarity and mutual respect thrive. Such success stories rarely make the headlines, but they are the stories that shape a better future.

Building and nurturing cohesion requires investment in services, in support and—most of all—in people. We will continue to support and fund organisations that are embedded in communities across Scotland—organisations that know their people, understand their challenges and work every day, throughout the length and breadth of Scotland, to respond, adapt and engage in ways that bring people together and challenge exclusion.

We recognise, too, that challenges remain. We are committed to addressing the shared difficulties that many people feel, and to fostering a sense of collective belonging and purpose. In line with the themes that were discussed at the First Minister’s gathering in April, we have been actively listening to and engaging with communities. As a result, we are working closely with partners to refocus our efforts towards building meaningful links among communities, broadening our approach to cohesion and ensuring that it reflects the diverse realities and strengths of Scotland today.

That is why, today, I am pleased to announce further funding of £300,000 this year, in addition to the £7.9 million for 2025-26 that my portfolio already provides, to support organisations that work across Scotland to support community cohesion. That additional funding is intended to support organisations, activities and initiatives that bring local communities together to address shared issues and counter division.

My intention is to support work that builds connections across different communities and fosters greater understanding, meaningful dialogue and intercultural activities, in order to enhance mutual respect and understanding at a local level. The aim is to strengthen our social fabric and contribute to common goals such as promoting collective wellbeing, bridging divides and countering misinformation.

Focusing on what unites us, this funding seeks to benefit all communities and to help to heal divisions through inclusive, collaborative action. We cannot, and will not, allow division and hostility to define us. I am determined to work with our partners to build on and support the excellent work of local community organisations and projects that bring people together to build the strong, resilient and connected communities across Scotland that we all want to see.

Liam McArthur (Liberal Democrat, Orkney Islands)

The minister will now take questions on the issues raised in her statement. I plan to allow around 20 minutes for that, after which we will need to move on to the next item of business. I would be grateful if members who wish to ask a question and who have not already done so would press their request-to-speak buttons.

Alexander Stewart (Conservative, Mid Scotland and Fife)

I thank the minister for prior sight of her statement. In it, she indicates that the Scottish Government has always taken seriously its responsibility to promote safe and connected communities, and that it will continue to support and fund organisations that are embedded in communities across Scotland and engage in ways that bring people together. Although the announcement of additional funding is welcome, local authorities are facing financial constraints as they deal with the influx of individuals.

What measures will the Scottish Government put in place to support local authorities; what discussion has it had with the UK Government about dealing with the number of refugees and asylum seekers; and what is its long-term approach to dealing with the number of refugees and asylum seekers, given the possible impact on local services?

Kaukab Stewart (Scottish National Party, Glasgow Kelvin)

I think the member for his questions—I will do my best to pick up on as many of them as I can.

I reinforce the point that this Government will talk about neighbours and human beings and take a human rights-embedded approach. Therefore, our focus is not on numbers; it is on making sure that we fulfil the needs of Scotland. We understand the pressures that are faced as a result of a failed immigration system that is being perpetuated by decisions that are made in the UK. The UK Government has enhanced and sped up the processing of applications, but it has not provided adequate funding to enable the move-on period.

We have had negotiations with the UK Government. As I said in my statement, the response has been disappointing.

Jackie Baillie (Labour, Dumbarton)

I welcome the minister’s comments on the need to promote strong and resilient communities. I, too, reject the hostile rhetoric of Nigel Farage and Reform UK, who only offer division and hatred, rather than bringing people together.

The first issue for the Government is promoting inclusion. In 2002, Scottish Labour launched the one Scotland, many cultures campaign, a public-awareness campaign celebrating the diversity of Scotland and Scots, which ran in cinemas, on television, at bus stops and in schools, right the way across the country. It challenged perceptions and promoted understanding between cultures. Will the minister repeat a population-wide awareness campaign?

The second issue is dealing with the problems that Scots feel disappointed with every day: the lack of housing, waiting lists in the national health service and declining town centres—all things that are the responsibility of the Scottish Government. What will the minister and her colleagues do to fix public services, rather than have more people attracted to the politics of division?

Kaukab Stewart (Scottish National Party, Glasgow Kelvin)

I acknowledge that campaign, which people continue to talk to me about. Through my portfolio, I have the pleasure of meeting many faith and belief groups, older people’s organisations and disability networks, and they all express to me the point that in every aspect of our society people are feeling the rise in negative rhetoric. I am listening carefully to those groups. Although they, rightly, challenge the Scottish Government to show visible leadership and give a strong, clear and consistent message on cohesion and protecting our communities, my challenge to everybody is to fulfil their responsibilities and their leadership roles—in their organisations, on the streets with their neighbours and in their communities—and make sure that we treat people with compassion and kindness. That is how we can counteract division.

The funding will support conversations about the difficulties that people are facing because of rising food bills. We must ensure that we deal with misinformation and realise that the challenges faced by different parts of our community are actually challenges that we all face and that we have more in common than what separates us.

Jackie Dunbar (Scottish National Party, Aberdeen Donside)

I welcome the announcement of Scottish Government funding for organisations working on community cohesion because we know the importance of that work in promoting inclusion. Will the minister expand on the type of work that the funding will support in order to build integrated communities in Scotland?

Kaukab Stewart (Scottish National Party, Glasgow Kelvin)

We want to support organisations that bring local communities together to tackle exclusion and division. The additional funding stream will support grass-roots organisations working across shared interest areas such as sport, health, wellbeing and cultural activities, bringing communities together to build trust and connections through meaningful dialogue and engagement. We want to support activities that unite and that deliver outcomes that can benefit everyone, regardless of their background.

Tess White (Conservative, North East Scotland)

Communities in Aberdeenshire are tolerant, respectful, welcoming and understanding, but they face a situation that was supposed to be temporary. Aberdeenshire Council is at a disadvantage because it is the fourth-lowest-funded council in Scotland and is now making swingeing cuts to its creaking services, which are already at capacity. How much of the £7.9 million, and of the additional £300,000, will go to Aberdeenshire Council?

Kaukab Stewart (Scottish National Party, Glasgow Kelvin)

Tess White raises the important pressures faced by councils. However, and as I think I said in answer to a previous question, she will be fully aware that immigration is a wholly reserved area. Local councils do not fund hotel provision, which is meant to be temporary. We have repeatedly called on the UK Government to provide funding directly to local authorities, which we believe are best placed to provide all the services required to ensure that we have full integration.

We have seen examples of that. We had the Afghan relocation scheme, and one for Syrians. We have stuff that works and I urge the UK Government to give serious consideration to the examples that we already have of good practice that supports local authorities.

Marie McNair (Scottish National Party, Clydebank and Milngavie)

I welcome the new Scots integration strategy launched by the Scottish Government last year. Will the minister update Parliament on the implementation of that strategy and on how it is working with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the Scottish Refugee Council to ensure that the lived experience of refugees and people seeking asylum is central to its delivery?

Kaukab Stewart (Scottish National Party, Glasgow Kelvin)

As I said in my opening remarks, the Scottish Government completely rejects the language and proposals of Nigel Farage, who has threatened mass deportation for people who have rightfully come to the UK and have established their lives, work and families here as part of our communities.

I suppose that new Scots integration—I am sorry, Presiding Officer, but I have lost the thread of Marie McNair’s question, although I am doing my best to answer the substance of it. Is it okay if she repeats the question for me?