Chamber and committees

I think that because of the work that I have undertaken alongside the friends of Dennistoun war memorial group. We should all applaud the work that it has undertaken and the efforts that it has made to make this a stand-alone offence. It has taken a long time to get to this point. It is only through working with the group that I have truly understood the impact that the issue has on people in our communities, our veterans and our armed forces.

We should look at the issue in the round. Jonathan Gullis’s private member’s bill was absorbed into the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. I was hoping to do the same here with a piece of legislation in this parliamentary session, but, unfortunately, I have not found any vehicles or mechanisms to enable me to do that, given the bills that have been introduced. If there had been an opportunity, I absolutely would have done that by lodging amendments, but such an opportunity has not been afforded to me, given the bills that have been introduced this session.

I will reflect more broadly on section 50 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. It is important that I use the definitions in that act in my bill. Again, had there been an opportunity for me to lodge amendments to other legislation, I absolutely would have done that, but I have had to embark on the member’s bill process to create a stand-alone offence.

I believe that war memorials deserve this level of protection. The research that I have undertaken and presented shows that there has been a pattern of desecration—of varying severity—of war memorials.

The bill could also provide an opportunity to highlight the significance of our war memorials, particularly as we head towards remembrance Sunday, although there are, of course, all the other important memorial events relating to our armed forces and veterans community that take place throughout the year. Most important, we should remember what the people whose names are on those war memorials fought and died for.

I will try to condense my two questions into one, given the time.

The plan accepts that there are issues with procurement data, and it also includes various high-level indicators for each outcome. I want to condense those two issues into one question, which is this: to what extent is data available for those indicators to help track progress at a local level? Perhaps Hugh Carr or Laura Muir can pick up on that.

Scotland Excel has argued that there needs to be investment in capacity and innovation, particularly for market development, supplier engagement and training for public sector buyers. How do the aspirations of the plan sit with local authorities that are struggling financially and are being forced to make savings in various sectors under their remit?

I have a supplementary question on the point that you have just raised in relation to food recycling. A number of councils have had to introduce charges for food recycling bins. Is that an incentive, and is that the best way to encourage people to recycle properly, noting that the cost that is incurred by councils for having to undertake and manage that task is being passed on to individual home owners and renters?

That is helpful. Laura, do you have anything to add?

From a local authority perspective, and on the back of what Hugh Carr advised on getting that information, how can we better help local authorities to use that data appropriately and get the information to make sure that the indicators are being achieved?

Those are important points.

Do you think that that is to do with the quality of the food options that are available in schools at present? Does that need to be looked into, to prevent young people from utilising premises outwith the school? Are you actively trying to find ways and measures to influence children and young people not to use those outside premises?

Do you have anything to add from your end, Jane?

I thank the cabinet secretary for providing advance sight of her statement. I welcome the fact that the Scottish Government is discussing an issue that is devolved to this Parliament, in a week in which we will spend three hours of valuable parliamentary time discussing foreign affairs.

It has been more than a year since the Parliament declared a housing emergency. At the time, many of us hoped that that would create an imperative on the Scottish Government to build more homes more quickly. Instead, just 7,444 affordable homes were completed in 2024-25, which was a decrease of 22 per cent on the previous year. That is around half the 15,000 affordable homes that housing charities say that we need to meet current demand.

Rather than increasing the affordable housing supply, the Scottish National Party has pressed ahead with a housing bill that will not build a single home. It has imposed disastrous rent controls on the sector, and nearly 5,000 landlords have exited the market in the past year. That figure is likely to rise unless the SNP makes housing a more attractive area for investment.

If the cabinet secretary is serious about tackling the housing emergency, will she commit to going further than she has today in attracting and utilising private finance to achieve the target of providing 15,000 affordable homes per year?