Chamber and committees

I cannot resist the temptation to comment on this point. Legislative provisions are available to Police Scotland on the carrying of offensive weapons, whereby, if someone has a lawful reason for carrying a particular object or is doing so within the curtilage of a premises for a lawful reason, that is fine. I agree with Russell Findlay’s comment that police officers probably err on the side of caution. If they are aware that there is a provision in a piece of legislation whereby, say, a pyrotechnic can be carried lawfully, I anticipate that they would invoke that legislation proportionately. I am therefore keen for the provision to be reconsidered and explored a bit further.

Do you want to comment, Mr Bell?

We have a very final question from Pauline McNeill. I will then bring the session to a close.

Thanks very much, minister. I will hand over to Russell Findlay to ask some other questions.

Does Katy Clark want to come back in?

Thank you very much. We have some more questions on the impact of the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020, on some financial issues and on delegated powers, but we will write to you and ask for written responses to those.

I thank the minister and her team for joining us. We will now move into private session.

Thank you very much, minister. We will move directly to questions. I ask members to make their questions as succinct as possible.

I will open up with a general question for you, minister. One of the policy objectives of the bill, as you outlined, is to support what is almost a cultural shift in how fireworks and pyrotechnics are used, changing our relationship with them. Can you explain in broad terms how you envisage that cultural change being brought about through the provisions of the bill that we are discussing today?

As the cabinet secretary has set out today, safety is the absolute priority in ensuring enhanced services in Moray. Will he outline how NHS Grampian will support staff training and development across the multidisciplinary team?

The cost of living crisis, including the increasing cost of fuel, will be worrying our vital health and social care staff. I was recently contacted by a constituent who highlighted the impact that it could have on NHS community and district nurses. Are there any plans to increase business mileage payments for NHS employees, to ensure that payments reflect the rising cost of fuel?

A rapid review by the UK Health Security Agency suggests that people who are vaccinated are less likely to develop long Covid, even if they catch the virus. Would the First Minister therefore encourage anyone who has not yet had the vaccine to come forward and do so?

I am pleased to take part in the debate and I commend the work of the committee in considering perinatal mental health in Scotland. I thank the Royal College of Midwives and Support in Mind Scotland for their helpful briefings and I thank my former colleagues Fiona Gibb and Andrea Lawrie for their help ahead of the debate.

We have heard speeches outlining the challenges faced by women who are affected by maternal mental health difficulties and the improvements that are required to ensure that women get the support they need to ensure strong mental wellbeing.

Covid-19 impacted us all. It was frightening, traumatic and life changing, but for women before, during and after pregnancy it has been particularly difficult. I received correspondence from constituents who were worried about the mental wellbeing of their partner, sister or daughter who had just given birth or who was struggling with the choices that they faced as they awaited the birth of their new baby.

Women were faced with a plethora of additional decisions such as weighing up the side effects of the Covid-19 vaccine against the risk of Covid-19-related illness and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Black, Asian and minority ethnic women were at disproportionate risk of adverse outcomes from the impact of Covid-19, which were compounded during pregnancy.

There were modifications to services such as home birth, no birth partner could be present and women had to attend scans or receive difficult news alone, all of which profoundly impacted maternal mental health. The removal of that choice and the prospect of giving birth alone are thought to link with anecdotal incidents of free birth, where women did not engage with health services, which significantly impacted maternal health as a whole. Women in rural areas, who were already more likely to experience mental health problems than those in urban areas, faced particular challenges in accessing services.

As we move forward from the pandemic, I welcome the opportunity for best start support to gain traction in driving forward the transformation of maternity care in Scotland. I note that the committee welcomed the Scottish perinatal mental health care pathways but highlighted concerns about access to specialist community services and the need for wider access to mother and baby units. I am pleased to see that the Scottish Government’s consultation on mother and baby units is now open.