Chamber and committees

Minister, I took all of that on board, and there are some good examples of progress, such as at New College Lanarkshire, which has built strong relationships and trust across its team of 1,000-plus employees, running through from janitorial to teaching staff. It has food pantries and free breakfasts, and it has created a culture of good will and mutual respect, with a joint focus on prioritising learning. There are still very challenging conversations to be had, but that certainly makes it a lot easier for that college. What further opportunities can the Scottish Government take to help to create good leadership practice and ideas for successful learning and to share that across Scotland’s college sector?

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I voted no and tried to change it to yes, but my screen froze. I should have voted yes.

To ask the Scottish Government what its latest engagement has been with the United Kingdom Government regarding the funding available to support people with the increased cost of living. (S6O-01484)

Households on low incomes desperately need stability and certainty as they try to afford the essentials, pay their rent, and keep food on the table. Will the Scottish Government call on the UK Government to extend its cost of living support with new support packages that target the households that are most impacted by the increased cost of living, as we have done in Scotland, and demand the uprating of benefits in line with inflation?

I want to touch again on the co-production aspect, which is what really lies at the heart of this. It also means that services will be co-designed, because, up to now, it has not been enough just to listen to what people say and then hand in a policy for design and delivery. We need the direct involvement of lived experience all the way through the process.

Eddie, I want to ask you about the transfer of services. Should children’s services, justice and social work be transferred at the same time? What are your views on the proposals to undertake further consultation on that? Also, what are the top risks that you have identified for the transfer of services, and what, if any, opportunities do you see for improvements?

Are you saying that you do not really see the value of a co-production approach through the national care service?

Going back to what has been said about working in partnership with local authorities, health boards and others, I absolutely take on board the amount of work that has gone on through the integration joint boards. However, the situation that we are looking at now is one of decision making happening via co-production—that voice of lived experience getting parity with the employees or the people who set the strategies—and the possibility that that brings for improvements. Paul Kelly, do you agree with co-production per se? What work are COSLA and councils carrying out just now that they are able to bring to the table to promote and embed co-production more widely?

Thank you, Presiding Officer.

I thank Siobhian Brown for bringing this debate on menopause month to the chamber. Women make up half the population, and we need to be open about the issue and find ways to support them during this stage of their lives.

It is vital that there is awareness of menopause and perimenopause. We support options to improve the health and wellbeing of women throughout Scotland, so the women’s health plan represents welcome progress.

In the spirit of openness, I will say that I am appearing remotely today because yesterday I underwent a hospital procedure that is related to menopause. I readily admit that I am not exactly feeling my best, but, despite that, I came to work—as most women do in such circumstances—and I have tried my best throughout the day.

I have talked to women in communities across Uddingston and Bellshill. I have listened to their stories and shared my experiences, and the message that no two women’s experiences of menopause are the same comes through loud and clear every time. My message to women today, like that of other members, is that we should be open and we should speak out.

Awareness of symptoms is the first step towards managing them. I know that I am repeating what other members said, but women need to know this and take it in: common symptoms include brain fog and memory issues, difficulties sleeping, fatigue, hot flushes, joint aches, loss of sex drive, low mood, anxiety, migraine, night sweats and vaginal dryness and pain. A quick google will bring up a huge range of symptoms—some websites list more than 60—so I encourage women to have a look so that they know what they are dealing with.

There are recent findings that HRT, although it is not completely risk free, remains the most effective solution in helping with the symptoms of menopause. It is also effective for the prevention of osteoporosis and perhaps heart disease, too.

Here are some statistics to consider: three in five women who are experiencing menopause say that it negatively impacts their work but most feel unable to get proper support; the Fawcett Society reports that one in 10 women have left their job due to menopause symptoms; 41 per cent of United Kingdom university medical schools do not have mandatory menopause education on the curriculum; and a study by Newson Health found that 79 per cent of the women who were surveyed had visited their general practitioner with menopausal symptoms but only 37 per cent were given HRT, with 23 per cent having been given antidepressants.

Things have improved in recent years, but, sadly, the vast majority of women who go through menopause report no employer support, no policies, no awareness and no training. I hope that this debate encourages more employers to think about introducing a menopause policy.

HRT is regarded as the gold standard when it comes to replacing hormones, easing symptoms and protecting our bodies. I am thankful that, increasingly, HRT is more widely available, and I urge all women to speak to their GPs about whether it might help with their symptoms.

For some women, things are not straightforward. I spoke to a woman who reached perimenopause when she was 44 years old. She was tested for a load of other conditions before the menopause was even considered as a possibility. She said:

“The gynaecologist that examined me internally was really annoyed when I refused the coil and went for HRT patches, asked me several times if I was sure and made me feel really stupid for not agreeing with her. It was scary being tested for cancer before they even tested my hormone levels and it delayed my treatment.”

Eventually, that women got help from a male GP whom she describes as “brilliant”.

My journey has been complicated, too, involving a history of endometriosis and much scarring, but my experience has been better and I still hope that HRT will be a possibility for me—it is a bit scary to think that it might not be. I thank my GPs for their support; a few of them have been incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. I thank my colleagues in the Parliament for their understanding, and I especially thank my office team for the support that they have given me. Last but not least, I thank the four women who were involved in my procedure yesterday. They were absolutely amazing—nothing short of brilliant.

Every menopausal woman deserves our support at work, at play and at home. We, as women, need to speak out, and we need employers and everyone else to listen. There should be no more taboo, no more stigma and no more suffering in silence. Please step up to support women through the menopause and know that we will really appreciate that.

I am trying to turn my camera on—

Will the Scottish Government include initiatives to respond to a range of barriers that currently act as a disincentive to planning for further solar deployment? Will the new energy strategy include targets to grow Scotland’s solar generation capacity, which is currently around 3 per cent of the UK total?