Chamber and committees

The question is, that amendment 235 be agreed to. Are we agreed?

Members: No.

There will be a division.

For

Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab)
Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con)
Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con)
McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab)

Against

MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP)
Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP)
Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP)
Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP)

Before I get into the substance of my contribution, I commend everyone who works hard to improve the rights and freedoms of women and girls in Scotland. Later this afternoon, I will lead a members’ business debate to mark international women’s day. I look forward to celebrating the progress and advances that have been made to promote and create a truly gender-equal world. I was disappointed not to be able to attend the international women’s day event in the Scottish Parliament last weekend but, from previous years, I know the breadth and depth of the conversations, the topics discussed and the many challenges that have been identified. There is much to celebrate but much to do.

I have spent my entire working life in the public sector, striving to improve the lives of women, girls and those who are most vulnerable in society, many of whom have protected characteristics. In my policing career, that was uppermost in my work across operational and specialist policing, as it was in higher education teaching in the interprofessional learning space and supporting embedding the equally safe strategy across the university—and, now, in my work as a parliamentarian.

Further on in my contribution, I will touch on my involvement, during my policing career, in embedding the public sector equality duty, which exists to protect people from discrimination and is based on the nine protected characteristics.

I am particularly proud of my track record in leading the Criminal Justice Committee, to which Russell Findlay made a significant contribution, through a range of work that has had at its heart the safety, dignity and wellbeing of women and girls. I fully intend to continue that work for the rest of the parliamentary session.

At the heart of the debate sits a much wider issue of ensuring and supporting public sector compliance with the provisions of the Equality Act 2010, as set out in the public sector equality duty. While I am in a reminiscing mood, I will reflect on my experience of embedding the PSED in policing. However, I acknowledge that that was a number of years ago, and things have moved on considerably since then. I was grateful to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice for updating the Parliament on the breadth of work that is being undertaken by Police Scotland in that space.

It is no secret that, historically, the attitudes, values and behaviour of police officers—most of whom were men—fell well short by today’s standards, courtesy of deeply entrenched cultural attitudes, misogyny and sexism. Embedding the new duty was therefore a significant and costly piece of work to shift the dial on organisational practice and procedures, make significant infrastructure changes, roll out a comprehensive programme of training and shift deeply entrenched attitudes and behaviours. In any organisation in which staff have power and control over the wellbeing of the public, both in the service that they deliver and the environment in which they work, compliance with any duty is absolutely crucial in securing the trust and confidence of the workforce and service users.

I commend the many public sector organisations that work hard to embed good equality duty compliance. As we have seen of late, there is no point in requiring compliance with any duty unless we can assess that compliance. In the case of the tenets of the equality duty, that means eliminating unlawful discrimination, advancing equality of opportunity and fostering good relations across everything that an organisation does.

I have been following the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee’s inquiry into the operation of the PSED in Scotland, and I have noted the evidence of stakeholders on a wide range of issues, such as the need for clearer understanding of the tenets of the duty and the importance of data that informs compliance.

I was interested to hear about the collaborative approach in Aberdeenshire, which involves members and officers working together to consider the challenges that have arisen from a mixed school estate in which facilities in the older part of the estate are less able to comply with some aspects of the duty than facilities in other parts of the estate. That is a great example of the on-going need to assess and monitor compliance and of working together to find solutions. I welcome the scrutiny, and although I hope that it informs on-going work to address the inevitable gaps and shortcomings with regard to the operation of the Equality Act 2010, I believe that there must be an acknowledgement of the complexities of some aspects of embedding equalities in compliance, but those should not be insurmountable.

I commend the huge level of commitment that is already evident across public services. I acknowledge that this is a continuous and often complex process, and I will certainly do all that I can to support that work.

The Leverhulme research centre for forensic science at the University of Dundee works with justice partners to provide a range of forensic services in Scotland, with work on-going to establish a national drug-checking service and an institute for innovation in forensic science for Scotland as part of the Tay cities region deal. I understand that staff, both externally grant funded and fully tenure-funded by the Scottish Funding Council, are at risk of redundancy, which would be a significant blow to the future provision of forensic services in Scotland.

I welcome the minister’s response so far, but can he provide any further reassurance specifically on the future of the centre, given its importance to the delivery of justice in Scotland and its potentially critical role—through drug testing—in the efforts to reduce drug deaths?

Before I begin, I warmly extend my thanks to members who supported my motion. I am delighted to bring to the chamber this debate to mark international women’s day 2025, and I thank all members who intend to speak this evening.

International women’s day, which this year was celebrated on 8 March, aims to recognise the achievements of women across the world. It brings with it an opportunity to raise awareness of the barriers and challenges that women still face, but also to celebrate the many achievements made to date in improving the lives of women and girls both in Scotland and further afield. I hope that the debate will deliver on the aims of international women’s day, and I very much look forward to hearing the contributions of my fellow members.

What better place to begin than to spotlight the achievements of Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani woman and Nobel prize winner who, as we all know, bravely spoke out against the Taliban’s exclusion of young women from schools? Malala’s story brings to light that, although strides have been taken in improving the rights of women and girls, so much more is still to be done, particularly in international spaces. We simply cannot ignore that.

Our media is currently awash with reporting about women’s rights violations and such rights being increasingly diminished in Sudan, Gaza, Ukraine and Syria. Who could forget the example set by Sharyn Lock, an international midwife who fasted for five days outside the Scottish Parliament, in solidarity with women and children who were going hungry in Gaza, and who called for an immediate ceasefire? When I spoke to Sharyn, she described the harrowing situation for many women who were too malnourished to breastfeed their newborn babies but could not afford to buy formula on the black market, so their babies died. “Chilling” is not the word.

The emerging online threat to women is also a cause for great concern. Developments in artificial intelligence and technology have changed the ways in which women are exploited online. For example, South Korea is facing a national crisis as a result of the increasing publication of deepfake pornography photos and videos of young women. As our social media grows, so does the spread of misogynistic influencers. We have seen the horrifying case in England of Kyle Clifford, who was allegedly influenced by the grotesque misogynist Andrew Tate. This week, Clifford was sentenced to life imprisonment for the brutal murders of his former girlfriend Louise, her sister Hannah and their mother. The sentencing judge described him as a man

“soaked in self-pity”,

who

“holds women in utter contempt.”

Systemic biases are still deeply embedded in our society.

The theme of this year’s international women’s day is accelerate action, by taking the swift and decisive steps that are necessary to tackle gender-based inequality. I will touch on three areas in which we are accelerating action in Scotland.

First, we are forging a path for women’s economic empowerment. I was pleased that, just recently, the Deputy First Minister announced funding to encourage women into enterprise. At least £4 million will be allocated to expand the number of women entrepreneurs by providing tailored support at the earliest stages of business creation.

The Scottish Government’s women’s health plan cements Scotland’s commitment to tackling gender inequalities in health. I am pleased to note the progress that is being made in that space, including the development of specialist menopause services, and that the Scottish Government is actively consulting women and girls on the next phase of the plan’s delivery.

In the justice space, the Criminal Justice Committee is continuing its scrutiny of the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill, which seeks to improve the experience of victims in the justice system, many of whom are women. That has particular relevance to women who are survivors of sexual crimes, whose experience of the justice system is, frankly, traumatising.

Many more pieces of work are under way that are making a real difference for women and girls across Scotland, including by reducing the gender pay gap, expanding childcare provision and tackling gender-based violence and health inequalities. I ask the minister, in her closing remarks, to provide an update on the issues that I have referenced and on the work of the National Advisory Council on Women and Girls. To be honest, I do not know a great deal about the council, but I know that it has been a welcome initiative that the First Minister has developed to explore ways of tackling gender inequality in Scotland. I am aware, too, that the minister is deeply interested in that area of work and has been involved in it.

There is still a long road ahead before we reach full gender parity globally. However, I am confident in the Scottish Government’s commitment to taking meaningful steps towards that goal in Scotland and to further address the many new and emerging threats to women that we face today.

I again thank all members, in particular those who supported my motion and will contribute to the debate. I wish everyone—albeit belatedly—a happy international women’s day.

In their recent letter to the Chancellor, business leaders highlighted the UK Government’s repeated commitment to a just transition and the results of a recent economic impact study that concluded that, in advancing Acorn, the Scottish cluster would contribute £17.7 billion to UK economic output by 2050, creating almost 11,000 jobs during construction and sustaining 4,700 long-term operational roles.

Does the cabinet secretary agree that, if the UK Government is serious about providing a future for Grangemouth, reaching our emissions targets, boosting economic growth and improving energy security, it must end the uncertainty about energy policy and must provide clarity on the Acorn project as a matter of urgency?

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of joint calls on the United Kingdom Government from business leaders in Scotland for the project to be progressed as a priority, whether it will provide an update on what engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding the Acorn carbon capture and storage project and Scotland’s journey to net zero. (S6T-02407)

As part of the Scottish cluster, Acorn will reuse existing energy infrastructure to transport captured CO₂ emissions and store them beneath the North Sea. Without it, key industries, including energy, chemicals and manufacturing, face mounting costs, a loss of competitiveness and a major risk of job losses. Will the cabinet secretary say more about the environmental importance of the project and its critical economic importance to the north-east and to wider cluster partners across Scotland?

I welcome the opportunity to speak on behalf of the Criminal Justice Committee in this debate on the people’s panel report on reducing drug harm and deaths in Scotland. I extend our sincere gratitude to the people’s panel members for their commitment to this complex issue and for producing a thoughtful and comprehensive report. Their insights are invaluable as we strive to address the multifaceted challenges of drug-related harm in our communities.

I commend the participation and communities team and members of the stewarding board for their excellent work in making the people’s panel happen. I also thank all the committee clerks, the Scottish Parliament information centre and other colleagues for their support in assisting the Social Justice and Social Security Committee, the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee and the Criminal Justice Committee to work together in support of efforts to tackle drug use and its associated harms.

As we have heard, the people’s panel made a range of recommendations, and I will discuss in further detail those that are pertinent to the Criminal Justice Committee. The panel emphasises the necessity of sustained support for individuals who are transitioning from environments such as prisons in order to prevent the cliff edge effect whereby support diminishes and external pressures resurface, increasing the risk of relapse.

We know how important prison release plans can be, as we hear a lot of anecdotal evidence from prison mentoring groups about what can go wrong and how easy it is for someone to relapse unless proper plans are in place. I am pleased that the Scottish Government has accepted that recommendation. I know that the cabinet secretary is aware of the importance of pre-release planning.

The committee welcomes the implementation of medication assisted treatment standard 5, which ensures that people receive support to remain in treatment for as long as they desire during critical transition periods. In addition, more than £3 million is allocated to third sector partnerships, which provide voluntary throughcare services. A new national third sector throughcare service is set to launch in April this year, which will extend support to those who are leaving remand for the first time. Unplanned release from remand is a significant issue. I am delighted that that provision is being introduced, and I seek reassurance on the longer-term sustainability of the funding.

The proliferation of illicit substances—especially potent synthetic drugs—in our prison system poses significant challenges. The panel recommends that our cross-committee collaboration intensifies efforts to curb drug supply in prisons, aiming to create a safer environment for prisoners and staff. In response, the Scottish Prison Service has established an incident management team in collaboration with Public Health Scotland, the Scottish Ambulance Service, Police Scotland and national health service partners. The team has problem assessment groups to provide rapid responses to emerging issues in correctional facilities. The Scottish Prison Service is also partnering with the University of Dundee to gain deeper insight into the nature and extent of drug use in prisons. Innovative technological solutions are also being explored to detect and prevent contraband entry.

However, we must ensure that we are striking the right balance between enforcement and ensuring that prisoners who are living with drug harm receive the support that they need. The Criminal Justice Committee has scheduled a formal meeting on 23 April to deliberate on the matter, and I hope that that may initiate a further inquiry based on the panel’s recommendations. The panel advocates for an expanded public awareness campaign regarding naloxone, a life-saving medication that can reverse opioid overdoses. The goal is to empower individuals to administer naloxone confidently, knowing that there will be no legal repercussions. My constituency team and I have undergone training to administer naloxone, and I—like my colleague Collette Stevenson—would encourage anyone to consider doing likewise as it could save a life.

The Scottish Government supports that recommendation in principle, too, and it is engaging with partners to broaden the reach of naloxone distribution. Efforts have led to a substantial increase in naloxone availability, with 70 per cent of at-risk individuals now equipped with kits. Although the increased availability of naloxone is positive, I am aware that there is still room for greater awareness and for use to broaden out even further. I know that the Government is fully behind widening access to and use of naloxone, and I would welcome reassurance that that will remain a key area of delivery.

At the joint committee meeting on 20 February, the cabinet secretary committed to providing an update on several fronts. First, there is progress on the single shared assessment. Efforts are under way to streamline assessments between the NHS and third sector organisations, ensuring cohesive support for individuals. I am interested in what timelines the Government might be looking at for full implementation of that.

On naloxone campaign developments, plans are being formulated for a comprehensive naloxone awareness campaign, as we have already referenced, which aims to educate the public and reduce overdose fatalities. I would like to know whether that will be a sustained campaign.

Finally, on general practitioner engagement with MAT standards, initiatives are in place to ensure that GPs have access to and are utilising MAT standards information and training that are available online, but how many GPs are actually engaging? Will there be an evaluation to ensure that that translates into better patient outcomes? Although I understand that the issue sits more in the health space, access to primary care services for people who are living with drug harm can often be an important protective factor that prevents them from entering the justice system.

I thank the people’s panel again for this really important piece of work. The Criminal Justice Committee remains steadfast in its commitment to addressing drug-related harm through our scrutiny work, in collaboration with our colleagues on the Social Justice and Social Security Committee and the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee. The insight from the people’s panel provide a clear road map, and we are committed to translating those recommendations into tangible actions that will save lives and foster healthier communities across Scotland.

Can the cabinet secretary outline how the 2025-26 budget has already earmarked funding for support to state schools and, specifically, how the Scottish Government is supporting the recruitment of additional teachers, which is a significant issue in my constituency?