Good morning. The first item of business is general question time.
Gypsy Traveller Community (Public Apology)
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will issue a formal public apology to members of the Gypsy Traveller community, in light of reports of the harm caused by what was known as the tinker experiment. (S6O-04656)
In 2023, we commissioned independent archival research to better understand historical policies and their impact on the Gypsy Traveller communities. That research is now complete and we expect to publish the report online by the end of May.
Alongside the archival research report, we will release a summary of findings from our initial engagement with community members who have been impacted by those historical policies, as well as our initial response. These are complex and sensitive matters, and we are committed to getting this right to provide meaningful answers for everyone who has been affected.
I welcome the fact that more research is being done, but what the community needs is an apology. The research must lead to an apology, because generations of families have been impacted by actions that were sanctioned by the state.
My constituents have suffered. People who could have thrived have instead been shunned by local communities, racially abused and provided with inadequate, if not inhumane, housing conditions. They have endured decades of physical and mental ill health. What further action can the Scottish Government undertake to make meaningful improvements in the lives of those who have been impacted by this truly shameful period in our history?
I thank Mark Ruskell for his supplementary question. There has been engagement with the affected communities over the past few years. I visited communities in Bobbin Mill and heard about the effects of the tinker experiment directly from them.
The initiatives that we are taking, through the Gypsy Traveller action plan, for instance, are driving positive change in tackling inequality for communities across Scotland. In partnership with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, we published our second joint action plan in September 2024, which set out concrete steps to improve outcomes for Gypsy Travellers. The voices of those communities and of key stakeholders helped to shape that plan. The plan acknowledges the improvements that have been made in many areas since the publication of the previous plan in 2019, but it recognises that more needs to be done.
In recent years, the Scottish Government has invested millions of pounds in infrastructure improvements for Gypsy Traveller sites. Scotland has 8,000 park home residents. There are three park home sites in my constituency that have—by contrast—received little support, and some sites are owned by Gypsy Travellers. When will the fees that are charged on park home residents be held to the consumer prices index, rather than the retail prices index, as the Minister for Housing suggested on 27 February?
The Housing (Scotland) Bill, which was introduced on 26 March 2024, includes provisions to change the basis of pitch fee uprating under the Mobile Homes Act 1983 from the retail prices index to the consumer prices index. The timetable for implementing the changes that are proposed in the bill will be decided by the Parliament; we propose to implement the changes shortly after the bill receives royal assent.
The bill and its accompanying documents have been published on the Scottish Parliament website. The bill was introduced on 26 March 2024 and is at stage 2 of the Parliament’s scrutiny.
As ever, concise questions and responses are appreciated.
National Health Service (Delayed Discharges)
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the latest Public Health Scotland statistics on delayed discharges in NHS Scotland, which show that the average length of delay for March 2025 was 27 days. (S6O-04657)
I remain concerned about the delays that people are experiencing in our hospitals. I am clear that, for those who are delayed, a 27-day average is unacceptable. That is why reducing delayed discharge remains a priority for the Government. However, it is important to reflect on the fact that 97 per cent of all discharges happen without delay. In addition, the latest figures show some progress in reducing the number of people who are delayed, although we continue to work to drive that number down much further.
Our operational improvement plan sets out how we are taking forward the commitment in the NHS renewal framework to shift the balance of care from hospital to the community. I am hopeful that the work that local systems are undertaking as part of that will deliver better outcomes for patients and ensure that hospital beds are there for those who need them.
In March alone, delayed discharges led to 60,129 hospital bed days being lost, which is a rise of 3 per cent on the same month last year. That is thousands of people who are stuck in hospital for longer than is necessary. Will the cabinet secretary spell out what immediate and medium-term actions the Government is taking to tackle that, and when we can expect to see real progress?
I hear what Annie Wells is saying, and I appreciate the concern, which I share. In March, we saw a reduction in the level of delayed discharge. I accept that it was marginal and small, but it is progress. It is going in the right direction, and I fully anticipate that there will be further progress to come.
The progress comes off the back of intensive work that is being done on a whole-system basis—with our health and social care partnerships, our health service, our local government colleagues and our community and voluntary sector partners—to ensure that capacity is in place to support them. In Glasgow, in particular, that work is under way. We are supporting similar work in Lothian, and it will be rolled out to other parts of the country through the operational improvement plan. Annie Wells will see greater progress coming.
The cabinet secretary will have seen the recent headline that said:
“Numbers of Glasgow patients delayed in hospital reaches highest level in decade”.
In South Ayrshire, which is in my South Scotland region, the average daily number of beds that are occupied due to delayed discharge is almost three times greater than that in East Ayrshire. How can there be such a difference between neighbouring local authority areas, which already share a number of services and health boards? I have asked the cabinet secretary this question before: what is the Government doing to help local authorities to share resources and best practice to improve delayed discharge across Ayrshire?
That is a key concern. Carol Mochan will have heard this narrated by not just me but the First Minister. Ayrshire is a good example of the variation that exists in the delayed discharge and social care experience in Scotland, which is part of the reason why we want to reform and improve the way in which social care is delivered. I recently met North Ayrshire leaders—again, on a whole-system basis, including leaders from the health board, the local authority and the health and social care partnership—to look at how we can support them to make improvements on the challenging position that they have been in.
We have given additional resource to our local authority partners through the budget. Part of the agreement was that there would be an intensity of focus on, and a prioritisation of that resource into, social care. I am looking for transparency about where that resource has landed and what it is delivering, to ensure that that part of the agreement has been honoured.
Railway Infrastructure (East Kilbride Enhancement Project)
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the East Kilbride enhancement project. (S6O-04658)
The East Kilbride enhancement project continues to make excellent progress in line with the committed delivery programme. The 16-week closure of the line for essential works will conclude very soon, and I can advise the Parliament that services will return on the route on Sunday 18 May. I can also announce that the relocated and refurbished Hairmyres station will open on that date. I thank the travelling public for their patience during the closure period while we have delivered this very welcome electrification and enhancement rail project.
I am grateful to the cabinet secretary for the update and for the Scottish Government’s support for this transformational project. I, along with many local rail users, welcome the fact that trains will be operating on the line again in the coming days.
Given that South Lanarkshire Council is responsible for the car parking and transport interchange at the new Hairmyres station, what discussions have been had with it regarding progress on those points? Will the cabinet secretary outline the advantages to rail users of that Scottish National Party Government investment? Will she also say how the programme for government commitment to scrap peak rail fares will benefit my constituents who travel from East Kilbride, Hairmyres and Thorntonhall?
The member is right to point out that local authorities have responsibilities in relation to such rail projects. There has been close partnership working, and I can advise that the full south car park and a small portion of the north car park will be available from Sunday 18 May. From the day of opening, there will be double the provision that was available at the previous station. South Lanarkshire Council is working closely with its contractor to complete that work.
I confirm that the bus service will call at the station from Sunday, with additional bus services calling at the station in the coming months. This transformational project will offer fully accessible and sustainable transport options for passengers as a result of the Scottish Government’s investment.
Given the role that the rail service plays in supporting commuters, I am sure that the Government’s decision to abolish peak rail fares for good from September will benefit Ms Stevenson’s constituents and all workers and rail passengers who rely on the train to get to and from work.
Does the minister agree that it is a matter of regret that Transport Scotland asked Network Rail to abandon full dual tracking of the line, which would have enabled a turn-up-and-go frequency of four trains an hour? That will not be achievable on a single-track route.
The member will be aware that there was thorough analysis of capacity and performance, and it was determined that, rather than double tracking the whole route, the operational benefits could be delivered by the 1.4km extension of the existing double-track section. Rather than spending a disproportionate amount of scarce funds on double tracking the whole route, there has been prudent and wise investment planning, which has resulted in a similar output at a much lower cost.
I am very much looking forward to meeting the cabinet secretary at the opening of the new Hairmyres station on Monday. I will be travelling there sustainably by bike. How will she be getting there?
I am currently making the arrangements, because going from West Lothian to Lanarkshire is a challenging trip, as the member might know. The sustainable travel aspects of the new arrangement are really important, particularly for those who work at University hospital Hairmyres. The idea is to provide choice and ensure provision, particularly for cyclists such as Mr Simpson.
Stroke Thrombectomy Services
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to roll out stroke thrombectomy services on a 24/7 basis across the country. (S6O-04659)
The Scottish Government is committed to the sustainable expansion of the thrombectomy service. Work is on-going to align the governance and delivery of thrombectomy with similar national programmes and to establish the most effective means of achieving that with national health service colleagues.
Our focus remains on maximising access and ensuring that as many people as possible can benefit from thrombectomy. Procurement for a national artificial intelligence imaging tool is under way. Once that is implemented, it will support increased access to that important procedure.
I thank the minister for her response, but stroke care in Scotland is in crisis.
The system failed Anthony Bundy. He was failed by the FAST—face, arms, speech, time—test, by the lack of 24/7 thrombectomy services and by a 17-hour wait for a procedure that works only if delivered quickly. That is indefensible.
Scotland does not have a modern stroke service; we have a part-time system that is costing lives. Will the Government commit to a nationwide 24/7 thrombectomy roll-out, with the required staff and infrastructure, and will it work with the Bundy family to deliver real change?
I recognise the work that Stephen Kerr has been doing with the Bundy family, whom I had the privilege of meeting last year to listen to their experience.
As a result of that, I have had numerous conversations with colleagues. I have also visited the NHS Lothian thrombectomy hub, where I learned at first hand how the east of Scotland thrombectomy service works and discussed with clinical and service management the issues of sustainable delivery, staffing levels and equity of access.
As I said in my first response, work is on-going to establish the most effective means of further expanding access to thrombectomy to maximise the number of patients who are able to benefit from the treatment.
Non-domestic Rates (Self-catering Operators)
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has undertaken with stakeholders in response to reported concerns regarding the implementation of the revised non-domestic rates processes for self-catering operators. (S6O-04660)
The thresholds that currently apply to self-catering accommodation for the purposes of non-domestic rates were introduced following a recommendation by the 2017 independent Barclay review of non-domestic rates, to counter a known tax avoidance tactic for second homes.
Officials have engaged regularly with Scottish assessors, local authorities and business representatives on the implementation of that policy, which was introduced on 1 April 2022, and the Minister for Public Finance has offered to meet the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers in response to its recent concerns.
The Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers and the Scottish Chambers of Commerce have written to the Scottish Government to highlight their concerns and to suggest constructive solutions for the review of the policy. Given the importance of self-catering to the Scottish tourism economy, to which it contributes almost £1 billion, does the cabinet secretary agree that the current unfortunate situation needs to be addressed rapidly, before long-term damage is done to the sector?
We absolutely value the contribution that self-catering makes to the tourism sector. We have recognised that by providing hospitality relief of 40 per cent, from which the hospitality sector—of which self-catering accommodation is a part—will benefit. Many operators will also be eligible for the small business bonus scheme.
As I said in my initial answer, the Minister for Public Finance will meet the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers. I am sure that he would also be willing to meet the Scottish Chambers of Commerce to hear its concerns.
Legislation to End Conversion Therapy Practices
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with charitable and third sector organisations regarding the decision not to introduce legislation to end conversion therapy practices, and other equalities-related legislation, during the current parliamentary session. (S6O-04661)
Ministers and officials regularly meet a wide range of organisations to ensure that their expertise and the voices of people with lived experience inform our work. We have continually engaged with LGBTQI+ and other stakeholders as we have developed our work on ending conversion practices.
We have updated stakeholders on our intention to work with the United Kingdom Government to fully explore legislation that would cover England, Wales and Scotland, but if the UK Government’s bill does not meet our priorities or does not go far enough, we intend to publish our own bill in the first year of the next parliamentary session. We will also continue to work with stakeholders in areas such as mental health and education to develop non-legislative measures to tackle conversion practices, as well as continuing our broader work to protect and promote equality and human rights.
As the minister will know, it was announced this week that all major political parties have been barred from attending this summer’s pride events across Scotland. That saddens me, but can the minister blame the organisers of those events? In its 2021 manifesto, on which it was elected, the Scottish National Party promised to introduce a bill on the issue. It is more than five years since it promised to do so, and the consultation on the bill ended more than a year ago, so the excuse that the Government has run out of time simply does not wash any more.
I ask the Government to rethink its position on the matter. If the Government will not introduce legislation to end the abhorrent practice of conversion therapy, I will.
We are absolutely committed to protecting trans people and the wider LGBTQI+ community.
The Scottish Government remains committed to protecting our communities from the harm that is caused by conversion practices. That commitment includes work on the legislation that we intend to publish, as I stated, in year 1 of the next session of Parliament, should a UK bill not meet our priorities.
I reiterate that we are continuing to develop and deliver non-legislative supportive measures to end conversion practices and to support survivors, and that we will work with LGBTQI+ organisations over the next 12 months as we do that.
That concludes general questions. Before we move to the next item of business, I invite members to join me in welcoming to the gallery the honourable Sue Lines, President of the Senate, from the Parliament of Australia. [Applause.]