Chamber and committees

Good morning. Emma Roddick asked some of the questions that I was going to ask about what a revaluation would look like, but I will ask about the specifics. How long would a revaluation take? For example, do we have the right number of assessors to undertake such a task? What role could there be for computing and technological solutions, such as statistical valuation methods? I am thinking about Zoopla and equivalent platforms online. How would that work? Are the systems in place to carry out a full revaluation?

That was really helpful, everyone. Thank you very much.

Finally, there is a likelihood that, as a result of this work, there will be an increase in the number of appeals coming through the system. I am talking hypothetically, of course, but how would you manage it if more people were to appeal? Again, do we have the resources to deal with that?

I thank the minister for advance sight of her statement.

The minister states that she is unable to comment on the details of individual cases of care and treatment. However, in this instance, individual cases are critical to shining a light on the lack of action taken by those at Skye house and those in the NHS and the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government did not find out about the problem through the BBC documentary—it has known for years. I have emails from my constituent that outline when she contacted ministers for help. On 23 June 2023, my constituent contacted Scottish Government officials on behalf of her daughter, Harmony. On 12 August 2024, she contacted the First Minister; the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Neil Gray; and the Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise, Natalie Don-Innes. The email subject line read:

“Urgent concerns regarding the care and treatment of our child”.

On 25 November 2024, she again contacted the minister, Natalie Don-Innes, after being ignored by the minister who has delivered the statement today.

I have no idea how the minister can stand here today and pretend to be shocked, because she has known about this for years. The minister says that she finally feels the need to make a statement on the abuse that young women endured while they were detained at Skye house—two years late. Is she now acting only because the issue has been made public?

Why did none of the Scottish Government ministers treat my constituent’s letter with the utmost seriousness? Why did multiple ministers ignore a parent who was trying to raise institutional failures at Skye house?

If the minister is going to take suggestions from members today, will she conduct an urgent investigation into the matter to find out why nobody contacted my constituent to give them the help and support that they deserved?

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. There was an issue with my app; I would have voted yes.

Over the past few months, I have been working with a family regarding their daughter, Harmony. The family told me that their daughter was illegally sectioned and brought to Skye house on 17 October 2022.

Harmony was given the wrong dosage of medication. She was restrained, taken from her family—who were managing her mental health concerns—and put into Skye house, where she was subjected to abuse and neglectful care. The abuse and cruelty that were shown in the documentary lay bare the institutional crisis at Skye house. Those young women were children—children who needed our care and support.

Harmony’s parents have not stopped fighting for their daughter, acting to correct her medical records and challenging those who have failed to care for her. They attempted several times to contact the Scottish Government—including the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Neil Gray, and the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport, Maree Todd—to make it aware of what was happening at Skye house.

Why has the Government—I am looking at both the cabinet secretary and the minister—ignored the family? Will the cabinet secretary respond to the letter that I sent requesting a meeting with the family? Will the Scottish Government step in to ensure that such abuse and neglect will never happen again at such an establishment?

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent programme, “Disclosure: Kids on the Psychiatric Ward”, which features Skye house in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. (S6O-04322)

Good morning. If we managed to reform council tax, find the political consensus that we have spoken about and overcome the hurdles that have been mentioned, significant administrative and financial investment would be required to make the new system work in practice. How much do you envisage that that might cost? Who, ultimately, should pay for it?

I have a quick follow-up question. Given the substantial financial pressures that councils up and down the country are experiencing in this financial year and the dramatic council tax increases to cover shortfalls, do you think that this is the right time to be looking at council tax reform?

Good morning. We have spoken a great deal about the impact of council tax reform on councils. Could you possibly expand on the impact that it could have on general resource grants? We have already covered a little about how certain local authorities could benefit from such reform, but could it impact on council finances elsewhere?