Chamber and committees

That is great.

Good afternoon, panel. Given that we are roughly 18 months away from an election and we were perhaps about to embark on stage 1 of the bill, should the Government have included it in its programme for government? Would that have allowed sufficient time to get a bill of such breadth and scope through Parliament? Might the Scottish Government have run out of time to embark on something that is so wide-ranging?

Thank you. If a bill were to be introduced in future, given that the consultation period started a significant time ago, as Neil Cowan mentioned, would it be appropriate for the Scottish Government to have to go back and reconsult? Is that what would have to be done? We have had a pandemic and other big issues that have faced the country since then. Is there a distinct possibility that all those consultations and all of those insights that have taken place would have to be redone because there would be so much of a difference between when the process started and where we had got to? I do not know who wants to take that. I know that question is very hypothetical.

Thank you very much.

Good morning. I am interested in the conversation, and the exchange with Marie McNair, about the reasons why the bill has not progressed, and the feelings within the sector, which I sympathise with, in relation to the bill being halted for now.

Do you think that perhaps the Scottish Government has bitten off more than it could chew with the bill? I was looking at the consultation responses with interest to find out the range, breadth and depth of the types of areas that people wanted to see incorporated. You have mentioned some of those things this morning, such as housing and the right to food, but of course there were other elements in the responses, including those to do with women’s rights and women’s single-sex spaces. Do you think that there is an element of the bill being too large in scope and perhaps the Scottish Government not knowing how to home in on those particular areas to formulate and bring together legislation that would work for every single sector that wanted their rights to be incorporated? There was a lot in there. Who wants to start?

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review its relationship with LGBT Youth Scotland, in light of reported allegations regarding safeguarding failings. (S6O-03779)

I am grateful to the cabinet secretary for reassuring the Parliament today on the supersponsor scheme. If Scotland is to stand with Ukraine, we must continue to have such schemes in place to ensure that, should people feel unsafe or in need of further refuge, we are there to support them should they decide to make Scotland their temporary home.

My focus today has been on the devastating impact that the war has had on children and young people. I will leave the chamber with a quote from Sonia Khush, the country director for Save the Children in Ukraine, who said recently:

“Not a single child in Ukraine has been spared this war and the atrocities it brought. There is no place across the entire country where children can feel safe, let alone the frontline areas. It is heartbreaking to see children who cannot speak or fear playing or even walking outside because of the immense distress they suffer day after day.”

That is a really solemn message, showing why Scotland must continue to stand with Ukraine.

It has been more than two years since Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. However, if we take a closer look at the history of Russian aggression, we can see that the war began eight years ago, with the annexation of Crimea and the arming of Russian separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk. With the rise of social media, we do not have to look far to see videos of drone and artillery attacks while the world watches on in horror.

As the General Assembly of the United Nations gathers in New York this week, it is right that we reaffirm our support for Ukraine as it continues to fight for its sovereignty and territorial dignity. Yesterday, President Zelenskyy addressed delegates, when he gave yet another defiant speech calling for real peace. He accused Russia of plotting catastrophic attacks on Ukrainian nuclear plants, following intelligence that he had received. We can all agree that an attack of that scale would be devastating. That is why the United Kingdom must do all that we can to support Ukraine’s right to democracy and freedom.

In previous debates about the war in Ukraine, I focused on the real human cost of war, and I will continue with that theme today, because many children in Ukraine have known only destruction, displacement, violence and separation from family and friends. More than 2,000 children have lost their lives since the beginning of the conflict, and as the war rages on, children are being exposed to abuse, sexual exploitation and human trafficking. They are being robbed of their childhood, and many bear scars from which they may never recover.

Children of this war have had to endure two years of catastrophic disruption to their schooling, and many cherished moments that should have been spent with their loved ones have been replaced by fear, anxiety and death. It has robbed them of their education, their happiness and their hope. Children in this situation are paying an extraordinary price at the hands of Russian aggressors. That is why we must stand with Ukraine—for their children and for their future. Scotland must continue to be that welcoming nation that we have been since the start of the war.

Around 27,000 Ukrainians have arrived here since the beginning of the war to flee from the horrors that are unfolding at home. Many Scots opened their homes and their hearts, providing stability, and although the settlement schemes may not have been perfect, many Ukrainians have left their mark here in Scotland. Over the past year, many have decided to return home. Ukrainians love their country. They do not want to be separated from their loved ones and their home for a prolonged period.

One of those is a formidable woman, Tetiana Hurn, whom I have mentioned on many occasions in the chamber. She returned to her home town back in July. She is a talented artist and, while Tetiana lived here in Scotland, she used her gift to give back to Scottish communities. She painted murals for the Moira Anderson Foundation and Falkirk Business Hub in my region. She was commissioned to do artworks in North Berwick and Musselburgh. If you wander down North Berwick’s High Street, you will marvel at the mural that she painted to thank the Scottish people for their hospitality and warm welcome. I mentioned earlier the devastating impact that war has on children. I was really pleased to find out that Tetiana is back home and painting more murals to boost morale and empower young people through art. She truly is an inspiration.

Culture and art are important during times of conflict. I am pleased that the cabinet secretary also picked up on the importance of sharing cultures between us here in Scotland and our Ukrainian friends. Art serves as a visual and emotional record of wartime events, preserving the human experiences and the broader implications of conflicts. It can also be a tool for reconciliation. Ukrainians have drawn on our culture sector to speak about war and their experiences of being in Scotland. An excellent example of that is Class Act Ukraine in Scotland, which is run by Traverse Theatre. The scripts, written by Ukrainian young people and supported by three acclaimed international playwrights and the University of Edinburgh helped to unlock their creativity and potential. Each of the scripts was brought to life by professional artists, which created a bond between our cultures.

In Fife, the Forthview parish church and Dalgety Bay congregation hosted a series of events for refugee week, including a photographic exhibition in June that focused on Ukrainian experiences, which was created by Ukrainian families who regularly meet at the church. The exhibition displayed pictures from before and after the Russian invasion, showing the horrifying realities of war. That is not only an area of reflection for local people but a poignant reminder of how destructive the war has been for Ukraine’s infrastructure and economy. We should celebrate the fusion of cultures and the way in which Ukrainians have integrated into our communities, especially in times of darkness.

As long as the war continues, we must continue to open our hearts and our homes to the people of Ukraine. Before I conclude my remarks, I want to address concerns about the Scottish Government’s supersponsor scheme. This is by no means a criticism; it is more of a probing question for the cabinet secretary, if she can cover it in her closing remarks. In March, the Government announced that the scheme would be temporarily paused for three months, but we are approaching October and the scheme remains paused.

Because wars are unpredictable, and given the recent significant threats from the Kremlin, this is the right time, in my view, for the Scottish Government to review that pause. Families in Ukraine will rightly be concerned about Putin potentially targeting nuclear plants.

Children in Need, which awarded LGBT Youth Scotland £181,000 over the past five years, has decided to withdraw its funding. The BBC said that its charity has immediately suspended the grant after conducting a thorough review in response to concerns that have been raised by the BBC and others. That comes after the Daily Mail published a damning investigation of LGBT Youth Scotland, whose former chief executive James Rennie was jailed for horrific child sex assaults after he was unmasked as a member of one of Britain’s worst-ever paedophile rings.

I have raised concerns in the chamber about LGBT Youth Scotland and the guidance that it provides to children and young people regarding safeguarding, yet another scandal has now emerged. Convicted paedophile Andrew Easton co-authored guidance with LGBT Youth Scotland on coming out as transgender for children as young as 13. If there is no further case to be answered, why have those safeguarding failings occurred in the first place? Why has Children in Need removed its funding? Why has the Scottish Government not agreed to conduct, at the very least, a review of LGBT Youth Scotland regarding what has happened in recent times?

I want to go back to the point about the human rights remit being too broad. In our various sessions, we have discussed whether the Scottish Human Rights Commission could be reformed in such a way. Is there any situation in which those reforms could bring in more representation for disabled people, or do you think that disabled people will have to continue to fight just to get their voices heard?

Thank you very much.