Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is clear that the needs of survivors of rape and sexual assault must be the utmost priority of support services.

Although we cannot intervene in the running of independent organisations, we are clear that access to separate or single-sex provision for survivors is a legitimate and proportionate response when providing support to rape survivors. We therefore welcome the fact that Rape Crisis Scotland is currently consulting member groups and survivors to agree a clear approach to the matter within the terms of the Equality Act 2010.

A woman is an adult female—that is clear. However, it is simply a fact that trans people also exist and have always done so. That is not new.

The Scottish Government is committed to working with partners across the public and third sectors to embed anti-racism and advance the race equality framework, including through delivery of the anti-racism observatory, as stated in our programme for government for 2024-25.

The details of spending commitments are subject to the outcome of spending reviews by the Scottish Government and approval of annual budget bills by the Scottish Parliament. The equality and human rights fund for 2021-25 represents an overall £1 million increase on previous funding, with an additional £6.3 million—22 per cent—dedicated to race equality and anti-racism.

We unequivocally condemn all forms of prejudice or hatred, including racism. They have absolutely no place in our society, and nobody should ever be subjected to them. The Scottish Government is committed to building cohesive communities within which divisive narratives will not resonate. It is everyone’s responsibility to challenge hatred. We have been working closely with partners, including third sector organisations, justice organisations and local authorities, to tackle and prevent hatred and prejudice and to support and protect the marginalised communities that they serve.

We have identified priority groups for the social isolation and loneliness fund, including young people, disabled people, people with a mental health condition, older people and people living in areas of deprivation or on a low income. Alongside members of the advisory group, we are analysing the impact of the fund, which has reached just over 11,000 people in year 1. Our delivery plan also contains a number of actions, across Government and beyond, that aim to stimulate activity to help to tackle the stigma associated with loneliness and to provide opportunities for people to connect.

The Scottish Government acknowledges that loneliness is a public health issue that impacts people across Scotland. Our December budget confirmed funding in 2025-26 to support projects tackling social isolation and loneliness through our social isolation and loneliness fund. The fund supports the delivery of our social isolation and loneliness delivery plan, and we are providing £3.8 million over three years to 53 community projects across Scotland that provide opportunities for people to connect. Of those 53 funded organisations, 26 are based in urban areas such as Edinburgh, Glasgow—where the member has his constituency—Aberdeen, Stirling and Inverness.

I am aware of the time, so I will be brief. I acknowledge that there is a massive impact on the third sector. We would appreciate it if everyone in the chamber could join us in pressing the United Kingdom Government to address its economic decisions, which are having an impact.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting front-line services that provide crucial support to survivors of domestic abuse. Through the delivering equally safe funding programme, we fund local women’s aid services in the Highlands, including Lochaber Women’s Aid, Caithness and Sutherland Women’s Aid, Inverness Women’s Aid and Ross-shire Women’s Aid. The Scottish Government cannot interfere with local authority autonomy and procurement procedures, including the commissioning of domestic abuse services. We encourage local authorities to utilise the joint Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and Scottish Women’s Aid guidance on good practice in commissioning specialist domestic abuse services.

On 13 November, I met representatives of disabled people’s organisations and Opposition party members to discuss the disability equality plan. Disabled people are struggling, and change is urgently needed. We are determined to do everything that we can to address the challenges that are faced by disabled people, and the Scottish budget has therefore prioritised action to address those challenges, investing an additional £2 million into the plan.

Following publication of the budget, I met representatives of disabled people’s organisations on 5 December to discuss next steps, and I look forward to continuing our work together to build towards a fairer Scotland.

I thank Paul O’Kane for his interest and for acknowledging the hard work, collaboration and co-operation that is going on. We continue to do that work, and we are committed to delivering positive change for disabled people. As I mentioned, there is £2 million to enhance the disability equality plan in recognition of the work that is needed to improve disabled people’s lives.

We introduced the pension-age disability payment, which is worth between £290 and £434 per month to people of state pension age and over who are disabled. The child winter heating payment will help households with severely disabled children to manage the additional costs that they face this winter. We have also secured agreement from energy suppliers, consumer organisations and disabled people’s organisations to co-design a social tariff mechanism to evidence its viability.

After recess, I will continue to work in collaboration cross-party and with the DPOs to advance further steps.