Chamber and committees

I am pleased to speak in the debate.

I agree with the Minister for Transport that every woman and girl has the right to feel safe wherever they go, which includes feeling safe when they travel. That right is fundamental to how women access education and jobs and socialise. It is time for all transport providers in Scotland to pause and reflect on the role that they can play in helping to protect women and girls as they travel.

We know that more women than men rely on Scotland’s public transport network. However, our transport system in Scotland still does not seem able to listen to, and act on, women’s views and lived experience. We must see an improvement in that.

Last year, the minister committed to undertake a consultation on women’s safety on our public transport network. That will include working with national and local organisations that represent the interests of a cross-section of women in society, as well as with groups that represent female staff who work on the public transport network.

Options to take forward the work will be informed by discussions with women’s groups and organisations, trade union partners and wider stakeholders, and I make a plea to the minister to ensure that the voices of Scottish Women’s Aid are heard as part of that. That is important because the Scottish Government’s public attitudes survey has been able to provide more Scotland-specific data on harassment or antisocial behaviour on public transport.

Interestingly, a third of women who took part in the survey told the Scottish Government that they were concerned about their personal safety in general when using public transport, compared to a quarter of men, and that that has influenced their travel choices. More women than men also said that they had been the victim of harassment when using public transport, most commonly in the evening or at night-time. It is not good enough to continue to expect women and girls to adapt their behaviour on public transport—or, indeed, anywhere.

Women expressed much higher levels of fear for their personal security in public places, whether on or waiting for transport, or in the use of car parks—again, particularly at night. That fear can, in turn, place a constraint on women’s mobility and their participation in public life—and, indeed, in their private and social lives—as they factor personal safety into routine decisions and activities.

Addressing those issues will not eliminate violence on its own, but it will support broader prevention efforts. Men should step up and say that such behaviour—especially what might be termed as low-level misogyny, which can often lead to other things—is entirely wrong and must be called out each and every time.

Official statistics from the British Transport Police show that there were 63 reports of sexual assault on ScotRail trains between 2017 and 2021. Over the same period, 26 sexual assaults were recorded at Scottish train stations, and one was reported at a Glasgow subway stop.

The BTP figures show a huge rise in the number of sexual assaults reported in 2021. Reports more than doubled to 29, from 14 in 2019, before the Covid pandemic. Almost a third of all reports over the five years were recorded in 2021, with the number falling to nine in 2020 amid Covid travel restrictions and advice for people to stay at home.

Alys Mumford, from the feminist organisation Engender, said:

“Policy makers need to recognise the safety implications around, for example, removing guards from trains, and we need urgent action to change our culture which allows misogynistic harassment and abuse to continue unchallenged.”

I ask the minister to reflect on that point, especially with regard to evening services, and ensure the availability of train guards.

I highlight Police Scotland’s “Don’t be that guy” campaign, which aims to reduce the number of instances of rape, serious sexual assault and harassment by promoting frank conversations with men about male sexual entitlement. The campaign stimulated conversations and turned the narrative away from preventative advice for women and towards a focus on men’s behaviour.

Collectively, we are responsible for the society that we live in and the underlying prejudices, sexism and misogynistic attitudes that are still far too prevalent. It is only by prioritising prevention that there can be an end to violence against women and girls. Gender-based violence is a manifestation of toxic masculinity, porn culture and an immoral set of attitudes, including a sense of sexual entitlement, that are still held by too many men in our society and around the world.

I encourage people, particularly men, to take a look at the “Don’t be that guy” campaign, and I ask the minister whether a refreshed campaign is being considered.

I welcome the debate and the steps that the Scottish Government is taking to protect women on public transport, and I repeat my asks.

The minister has highlighted the strong performance of the Caley sleeper. Will she outline how that will continue under the governance arrangements for the operator of last resort?

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress being made to ensure that domestic abuse legislation better reflects victims’ experiences. (S6O-01940)

Thank you, Presiding Officer.

Only those living with dementia, their loved ones and their carers fully know the complexities and nuances of dealing with it. The voice of experience is a crucial part of the Scottish Government’s policy-making process, and ensuring that that is factored into decision making as early as possible is key to improving services across the country. As such, that is the first step towards a new dementia strategy.

Folk living with dementia, their families and carers have been given the opportunity to spell out what is important to them, what needs to change and how to build on the first dementia strategy from 2010. As the minister has already outlined, the national conversation included a series of online and in-person discussions to make it as easy as possible to contribute, and the responses will feed into the new strategy to be published in 2023. That is being driven by the national dementia lived experience panel, which will provide tangible ways to improve the lives of those living with the condition.

We have a world-leading commitment to provide immediate support in the first year after people receive a dementia diagnosis. An estimated £2.2 billion is spent on dementia annually and, from last year, the Scottish Government allocated an additional £3.5 million to boost post-diagnostic services. In addition, the Scottish Government is investing £1 million over two years via Age Scotland to boost and expand community-based resources. That work is, of course, welcome, but, as we move forward with the refreshed strategy, we must continue to further enhance care and support.

Improving care and support for folk with dementia and those who care for them has been a major ambition of the SNP Government since 2007. Since then, dementia services have been transformed, with excellent contributions from staff working across health and social care, the wider public sector and the third and independent sectors.

The Scottish Government’s previous dementia strategy focused on the quality of care for folk living with dementia and their families through work on diagnosis. It recognised the importance of a person-centred and flexible approach to providing support at all stages of the dementia journey, through work on diagnosis and all stages of the illness, and in all care settings.

I will touch briefly on football and sport. The Scottish Government supports the Scottish Football Association’s stance and new guidance against heading the ball during practice sessions on either side of match day. The Scottish Government is aware of the Scottish FA’s on-going assessment of growing evidence of the link between head injuries and the earlier onset of dementia. Any action that can be taken to help reduce head injury and the potential increased risk of developing dementia is welcome. That is particularly important in rugby, and other footballing bodies, sporting bodies and nations need to look at what the Scottish FA is doing and make changes to support the health of their players. That should form part of the Scottish Government’s strategy.

Finally, I thank the Aberdeen dementia resource centre for all the work that it does each day to support folk and their families who are impacted by dementia in the city. The centre supports folk with dementia at any stage of the illness. The team are fantastic and deserve a huge thanks for all that they do.

I again welcome the debate and the Government’s dementia strategy.

I, too, welcome the findings of the recent interim report on the groundbreaking domestic abuse legislation, which highlights the beneficial impact of including emotional and psychological abuse in that area of the law. Will the minister outline how the measures in the 2023-24 budget will support the on-going work to ensure that victims’ rights and needs are at the centre of Scotland’s criminal justice system?

As the minister said, regulations for a deposit return scheme received cross-party support in 2020. According to research by Zero Waste Scotland, 70 per cent of the Scottish public supported the introduction of a DRS. Given the context of the on-going climate crisis, does the minister think that the case for the scheme remains as strong now as it was then?

In earlier sessions, the committee has heard concerns about vehicle capacity and availability of cabins on the NorthLink Ferries vessels and about the capacity and availability of freight-only vessels. What action is being taken to address those concerns?

Do you have a relief vessel now? Do you have something in the short term?

Thank you.

We heard in previous evidence sessions that RET fares have created capacity problems on some routes during peak periods, and some island residents have called for lower islander fares and dynamic pricing for other travellers, as is used by rail and coach operators. What is your view on those suggestions?