Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has been consistent in its calls for the UK Government to immediately right the historic wrong that has been suffered by the WASPI women. I congratulate those campaigners who have relentlessly pursued justice. They should be commended and applauded for their tireless work. I also thank Clare Haughey for securing the debate and for her long-standing campaigning on behalf of the WASPI women.

When the UK Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman report was published in March, we immediately called on the UK Government to take action quickly and compensate the women who were impacted. The report identifies the DWP’s failure to act promptly in writing to the women who were going to be impacted by the changes in state pension age and it calls for compensation to rectify that maladministration.

It is vital that whoever forms the next UK Government delivers the compensation package as soon as possible. They should listen to the WASPI women’s calls for comprehensive compensation and take into account the financial hardship suffered. I am aware that previous debates on the issue have been largely consensual, but I understand the frustrations that have been expressed in the chamber tonight on behalf of the WASPI women.

The PHSO report recommends that the DWP should compensate women born in the 1950s by between £1,000 and £2,950. Although that is welcome, the Government believes that compensation should go further and supports Alan Brown’s bill, which has called on the UK Government to publish a compensation framework for WASPI women set at £3,000 to £10,000 or more. The WASPI campaigners also feel that that would be a fairer outcome, given the wider financial hardship that this devastating policy has caused. We were also pleased to see that Patricia Gibson MP secured a debate on 16 May, resulting in the UK Parliament calling on the Government to deliver prompt compensation to the women who were impacted.

As Marie McNair and Beatrice Wishart have noted, the UK Government unfortunately failed to make a clear commitment to delivering that compensation prior to the dissolution of Parliament, pledging only to consider the PHSO report. That stance is repeated in the Conservative manifesto, and there is no mention of WASPI at all in the Labour manifesto.

Finlay Carson talked about this becoming a political issue, but it is undeniable that the WASPI women feel abandoned. Finlay Carson knows fine well that the state pension is a reserved matter that limits what we can do within a devolved competence as the Scottish Government. It is up to the UK Government to take action on that.

To be clear, the PHSO’s findings and compensation recommendations are that the DWP mishandled the communication of the equalisation of state pension age. As I said, that clearly puts the responsibility squarely at the door of the UK Government to right its own wrongs and compensate the women who were unfairly affected by the maladministration.

Maggie Chapman talked about her continued commitment to put that injustice right. Women are already fighting an uphill battle for pension savings equality without the UK Government making the situation more difficult. The UK has one of the worst gender pension gaps in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and that is from 2023 statistics. Research by the Pensions Policy Institute found that, for women to retire with the same pension savings as men, they would need to work an extra 19 years. My colleague Ruth Maguire talked about the clear gender issues around the WASPI campaign. Clearly, the equalisation of pension age does not mean pension equality, so it is time to stop letting the women down and take action. Rona Mackay also talked about the WASPI women who have, sadly, passed away without receiving justice, and that cannot continue.

The WASPI campaign has been a long and taxing ordeal for the women involved. The PHSO report is a glimmer of light at the end of a very long tunnel. I hope that the incoming UK Government takes notice of the collective voices of the parties across this Parliament and the UK Parliament, that it pledges to take action on the PHSO report, that it finally acknowledges its maladministration and, importantly, that it does the right thing by providing a fair compensation package at the earliest possible opportunity.

I am going to run out of time, so I will carry on.

The rural and islands housing action plan makes commitments on affordable homes. Other members have mentioned the issue of second homes, which can provide a benefit but are also a challenge. I remind members of the power that we gave to local authorities to charge a premium of up to 100 per cent on second homes. That is now in place and local authorities have been able to use that power from 1 April 2024.

A few members mentioned schools. There are commitments on the £2 billion learning estate investment programme, and members can look into that for further information. I am speeding through things because of the time. Presiding Officer, I think that I might have tested your patience for as long as I can so I will sum up.

Members have raised serious issues. I want them to know that this Government takes its responsibilities within the scope of devolved matters very seriously, and it is working to enforce, proceed and accelerate the action plan as much as possible. My door is open—there will be points that I have not had a chance to address—and I encourage members to come to speak to me to get more detail on those matters.

I am delighted that there was so much interest in the debate. Members across the chamber have raised many challenges and have talked about the complexities of our rural communities, as well as celebrating their wonderful nature and the opportunities that exist in such communities.

I thank Tim Eagle for raising what is an important issue. I know that he has taken an extensive interest in it by asking several questions on the matter over his time in the Parliament.

We all realise and have mentioned that the challenges are complex and multifaceted, with clear links to many areas of Government delivery, but my colleagues on the ministerial population task force and I are committed to responding to those challenges.

The rural lens toolkit will provide a systematic approach to the consideration of the opportunities and challenges of rural communities, and that will be used across all Scottish Government portfolios, because the responsibility to address those issues lies across the portfolios.

I will be coming to housing.

Do I have time, Presiding Officer?

I am going to crack on.

In 2022, the Parliament sent a concrete message on the urgent need for practical, workable migration solutions that would deliver for Scotland’s communities in the form of a proposal for a rural visa pilot. Sadly, the current UK Government rejected that proposal, despite its own independent advisors in the Migration Advisory Committee saying that the proposal is

“sensible and clear in both scale and deliverability”.

The committee stated that it is in the UK Government’s interest to trial the scheme. There is also the fact that, without inward migration, Scotland’s population, which is already falling, would be made worse by the effects of a hard Brexit and the ending of freedom of movement.

The member makes a valid point. I will try to address it in the time that I have.

Jamie Halcro Johnston referred to the powers that we do have. The Scottish Government is committed to addressing the challenge of depopulation through collaborative working with partners—whether they are academic, international, regional, local or community-based—to deliver innovative and sustainable solutions. The publication of the addressing depopulation action plan—or ADAP—represents the meeting of a key commitment of the population task force. It harnesses a broad evidence base and builds on deep engagement with partners to establish a strategic, delivery-focused approach. It recognises that there are no quick fixes to depopulation within affected communities, but it seeks to maximise the tools that we have at our disposal.

I see that I am running out of time, so I will try to address some of the points that have been raised. Tim Eagle raised a point about depopulation funding. We are committed to working with COSLA to deliver solutions in a sustainable way, but we also know that smaller, targeted funding can have an outsized effect. It is important to listen to communities. I restate that this is the first phase of the work on the pathfinder projects, which we will be able to learn from. My ears are open and, as we take the lessons, I am open to looking at solutions going forward. Rhoda Grant mentioned housing—

I thank Mr Halcro Johnston for making those points. As I have said, the challenges are complex, and the Scottish Government is continuing to address those issues.

The sustainability of rural and island communities is vitally important and, of course, we want to see a Scotland in which everyone can play their full part, with empowered communities shaping their individual and collective futures.

Many members have already referred to the publication of our first action plan, which we are implementing in order to address depopulation. The plan aligns with our wider approach to supporting rural and island Scotland, including the national islands plan. We recognise that Scotland is not alone in facing those demographic challenges and that we can learn from other countries. Our population strategy, published in 2021, was the first of its type in the UK. It sets out our commitment, as an outward-looking nation, to engage with other European nations to share learning and best practice on demographic policy approaches.

After the debate, I will be attending a welcome reception at the European population conference, which is taking place in Edinburgh this weekend, to share expertise on demographics, migration, depopulation and more. Harnessing the input of experts from our expert advisory group on migration and population is key to ensuring that we develop the most robust policy responses that we can. That expert group has given us clear evidence and an analysis that shows that Scotland faces a distinct demographic challenge, in part because of the historical legacy of out-migration, which particularly impacts our rural and island communities. We know that the current immigration system, which is reserved to the UK Government, is not effective in dealing with the challenges that Scotland faces.

I have been delighted and heartened to hear the contributions from members from across the chamber, and I thank Kevin Stewart for securing the debate to allow us to highlight the contribution that volunteers make.

As we mark the 40th anniversary of volunteers week, it is clear that each and every one of us in the chamber recognises the value of volunteering. I will refer to some of the organisations, across the length and breadth of the country, that were mentioned by my colleagues.

As is very important, I give my whole-hearted thanks to all who freely give up their time to help others. Volunteers are truly the backbone of not only the third sector but our society as a whole. I, along with the rest of the Scottish Government, hugely value the contributions that they make to the lives of people across Scotland.

The experience of the past four years has demonstrated the powerful impact of volunteers during times of crisis. Clare Haughey mentioned the contribution of the volunteers who stepped up in amazing fashion to respond during the pandemic. Ukraine was another opportunity in which volunteers came forward, as were severe weather events—and, of course, volunteers have helped out during the cost of living crisis.

However, we all know that volunteers are there not just during times of crisis but every day, in our communities. Their unpaid efforts help us to address some of the biggest challenges that we face, from mental and physical health to social isolation and loneliness. Kevin Stewart mentioned community radio stations, which play an enormous role in connecting and entertaining communities across Scotland and locally.

As I have mentioned, the unpaid efforts of volunteers help us to address some of the biggest challenges that we face. Volunteers have shown, time and again, their extraordinary commitment and huge enthusiasm in helping others. Marie McNair mentioned a very impressive list of the many volunteer groups and opportunities across Clydebank, Milngavie and Bearsden North. She also highlighted the kindness and generosity of spirit that is involved in volunteering.

Without volunteers, many community activities would simply not take place. Martin Whitfield mentioned gala days, which many people go along to enjoy. I wish him good weather for the gala in Prestonpans. There is no doubt that volunteering brings communities together and helps people to feel valued and part of something good—there are many benefits to volunteering.

I recognise some of the challenges that have been mentioned by my colleagues. Alexander Stewart and Jeremy Balfour mentioned PVG fees. I reassure them that no decision has yet been made on that. I am grateful to everyone who has engaged with the recent consultation on future fee policies for Disclosure Scotland. Work is under way to apply vital feedback—and we will take feedback from tonight’s debate as well—to help with that policy development work.

Before I run out of time, I want to make sure that I mention everybody. Beatrice Wishart talked about the valuable work that Voluntary Action Shetland does and the challenges that it seems to manage in a brilliant fashion in order to play its important role in co-ordinating so many groups across islands. I pay tribute to its work in that rural challenge.

Beatrice Wishart talked about funding. In May 2024, the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice wrote to the Social Justice and Social Security Committee to report on progress against the Government’s expectations on fairer funding commitments. I refer Beatrice Wishart to that and I encourage her to come back to me for any further information.

I take the opportunity to highlight the Government’s commitment to volunteering. Colleagues mentioned the challenge of recruiting volunteers. The Scottish Government’s 10-year volunteering action plan is a living plan that seeks to increase participation and reduce barriers to volunteering. Volunteer Scotland is leading the implementation of the plan with the combined efforts of the voluntary sector and partners. The plan will help to create a Scotland in which everyone can volunteer more often and throughout their lives. It acknowledges the reach of volunteering and the vital role of volunteers in the delivery of services across Scotland.

I will bring my remarks to a close, because time is pressing. I continue to be inspired by our wonderful volunteers across the country, who go above and beyond to support others. Whatever volunteering they do, I hope that they know that their help, support and care make a wonderful difference in the lives of others. What better way to mark the 40th year of volunteer week than by celebrating that?

As the member has said, the matter relates to building regulations in England only. The Scottish building regulations require all new buildings to provide sanitary facilities for all occupants and visitors. Those who make a building warrant application are responsible for designing proposals that satisfy the building regulations. Such proposals should give appropriate consideration to the provision of male, female and unisex facilities to meet the needs of building users. The building regulations do not address the onward use of buildings by those who can and cannot use toilets based on a person’s gender or sex.