This has been a hugely challenging session, so I want to be a wee bit more light hearted before turning to thanks for the Presiding Officer. I thank parliamentary and MSP staff, as others have done, for their work this session. We would not be able to do our jobs without them.

I acknowledge some of the members who are standing down. There are too many of you to mention but, on behalf of the Scottish Greens, I thank you for your work and hope that you enjoy whatever comes next.

I will certainly miss Richard Leonard in my Central Scotland region. I have always appreciated his sage analysis. Sometimes he gives it with a smile and sometimes with a near-audible eye roll.

One half of the Parliament’s resident Waldorf and Statler duo, in the form of Gordon MacDonald, is stepping down. Once he finds his way back to the right constituency, I hope that he has a wonderful retirement. However, before he does, we need to settle on who has to take responsibility for George Adam. [Laughter.]

A raft of fantastic women are also standing down. They have been hugely supportive not only to me but to many other younger MSPs from around the chamber. I thank Liz Smith, Fiona Hyslop, Rona Mackay and Shona Robison for their support and kindness. The chamber will be worse off without them.

When talking about those who have offered support, I cannot not mention the wonderful Christina McKelvie. Not having her light and laugh in the chamber has undoubtedly made it a poorer place for us all.

It is unprecedented to have two former First Ministers standing down at the same time. Nicola, thank you for bringing us into government, for giving your backing to safe access zones and for your contribution to politics.

Humza—good luck. [Laughter.] I am, of course, just kidding. Despite the ending, we did some powerful things together in government, and Humza’s commitment to humanitarian causes, particularly the people of Palestine, has shone through in his work. I hope that whatever comes next, he will get to continue with that work. At the moment, it has never been more important to have such strong advocates for peace.

Also unprecedented, Presiding Officer, is the amount of poor behaviour that you have had to put up with in this parliamentary session. I have seen the toll that some of that behaviour has taken on you and the grace with which you have handled it.

You have been unlucky with some of the things that you have had to deal with. I know that, at times, it has felt relentless; there have been too many firsts in one parliamentary session. Don’t cry—you will start me off. The way in which you have dealt with us is just an extension of the Alison I have always known: a diligent campaigner, a fierce advocate and a brilliant MSP. She has been a councillor, health spokesperson, animal rights champion and advocate for physical activity and access to green spaces.

In the time that I have, it is hard to sum up everything that Alison has done. She has achieved more in 15 years than many achieve in much longer. She has been central to my political journey and has inspired many others. Those in here who really know her will know of her fantastic sense of humour and infectious laugh. Regrettably, I have only once nearly made her laugh in the chair. As we would all acknowledge, the chamber very often runs on hope and caffeine. I am not immune to that but, as I do not like tea or coffee, the odd energy drink is usually my go-to. When I asked the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health about restricting sales of energy drinks to under-16s, not only did I get the look; it nearly broke into a laugh.

There have been several light-hearted moments in the past 12 years, including an emergency stitching up of a hem before a hustings and leaving halfway through her own house move to campaign, but some of the most impressive things that I have seen the Presiding Officer do were during Covid. Her First Minister’s questions had real impact, holding the Government to account while making sure that her contributions genuinely helped our collective efforts during the pandemic.

The way in which the Presiding Officer has handled the chamber and protected this institution should also be commended. Unbelievably, there is a possibility that the behaviour in the chamber could be worse next parliamentary session, and I am sure that whoever has to keep us all on task will appreciate her advice.

Presiding Officer, I sincerely hope that you get a good break and far more time with the family, and that you are never a stranger in here. Green politics would not be where it is without you—I would not be where I am without you. Never doubt the contribution that you have made to public life and to individuals across the country. I am so proud of you. [Applause.]

I again thank parliamentary staff and the chief executive for everything they do, and I look forward to seeing you all on the campaign trail.

16:42

I am pleased that the First Minister is concerned, but I am really disappointed by that answer. Last weekend, he said that an independent Scotland could ban foreign militaries that are involved in illegal wars from the country, and we welcome that commitment. However, Scotland cannot and must not wait for independence to act on our principles. Children in Iran are dying now, and they are being bombed by planes that are being refuelled in a chain that leads directly back to Prestwick.

We know that the public in Scotland are overwhelmingly against this war, and we know that the airport is owned by the Scottish Government, which had already taken the decision to ban Israeli planes. It can take the same decision now, and we do not need to wait to ask for Westminster’s permission to do anything. When will the First Minister properly stand up for Scotland and finally kick Trump’s troops out?

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether MSP staff and Scottish parliamentary service staff will benefit from the new national bank holiday introduced to mark Scotland’s participation in the men’s football world cup. (S6O-05680)

Why?

Since the Scottish Greens last raised the issue of Prestwick airport in the chamber, investigations by the BBC, the Sunday Mail and The National have confirmed that the airport has been used by US military refuelling jets. Those jets have gone on to fly missions in the US-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran. Military experts say that that is concrete proof of our complicity in a war that has killed more than 1,300 people in Iran, including more than 200 children.

The First Minister previously said that he would consider banning US forces from the airport if it was confirmed that it was being used to support military action in the middle east. What more does the First Minister need? Does he accept that Prestwick is being used to directly support the Israeli-US bombing campaign in Iran?

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce a licensing system for local authorities to address the growing number of vaping shops. (S6O-05656)

I thank the minister for that answer, but the register is clearly not working. There is no mechanism to remove shops from the register, and The Ferret discovered that the shop that went on fire in Glasgow was not even on it. It is vital that we have a robust licensing system that is accompanied by sufficient funding for councils so that their trading standards departments have the resources to crack down on bad actors.

In the light of that, why does the minister believe that we do not need a licensing system at a national level, which would be similar to those that cover premises that sell alcohol? What funding can the Government give local authorities to ensure that the legislation has teeth?

I thank the Scottish Government for working with me on my amendment. At stage 2, a number of members proposed amendments that would have required the production of guidance. The proposals for that guidance covered a range of issues, and I thank the minister for working with me on amendment 6, which provides a single requirement and lists issues that may be included in that guidance.

The focus is on guidance that is appropriate to businesses, rather than on matters that are more suited to clinical guidance or judgment and that might interfere with the professional and clinical guidance that is rightly issued by the professional bodies, royal colleges or regulators of healthcare professionals. Consideration of any relevant clinical guidance would be part of the role that should be undertaken by any healthcare professionals involved in procedures.

Amendment 6 would place a duty on the Scottish ministers to

“issue guidance about the provision of non-surgical procedures”

and that guidance may include information about the requirements that are imposed by part 1 of the bill and about the steps that providers have taken to comply with those requirements. That guidance must be published and may be revised or revoked.

I urge members to support amendment 6.

I begin by extending my thanks to the legislation team, which, as always, has been incredibly helpful and responsive throughout stages 2 and 3. A special mention from me must go to Cleft Lip and Palate Action, which worked with me on my amendments at stage 2; I know that the bill is stronger as a result of its involvement. I also thank all the constituents and business owners who shared their thoughts with me. I appreciate that we were often approaching the bill from different viewpoints, but it was incredibly useful for me to hear their position on particular amendments and how they would be affected by them, so that I could make considered judgments.

As others have said, the bill will create a safer environment for everyone who is involved in non-surgical cosmetic procedures. It sets out what is required of businesses and practitioners and what consumers can expect in terms of safety standards. It is a vast improvement on the current situation, in which Scotland is described as the worst country in Europe for unqualified practitioners injecting customers with cosmetic treatments. It will also protect children and young people by introducing a minimum age of 18 for undergoing procedures. That is as vital, given that Advice Direct Scotland recently warned that children as young as 15 were seeking help following botched treatments with Botox and dermal fillers.

As I highlighted in my speech at stage 1 of the bill, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh warned:

“Facial structures continue to develop into early adulthood, and starting these procedures from a young age can have long-term effects. Procedures such as dermal fillers and Botox too young can lead to muscle atrophy and tissue damage and should rightfully only be available to those over the age of 18.”

It is right that the bill will instate a strict age limit, and I am pleased that we have cross-party agreement on that.

Robust discussions have taken place at stages 2 and 3, with differing views on how to get the balance right between protecting consumers and supporting businesses. I have maintained throughout that patient safety must be the overriding concern. I believe that the bill upholds that, and I am glad to see that attempts to weaken it have not passed. There are concerns that regulation could drive rogue practitioners underground, but we cannot use that as an excuse not to act. The bill is proportionate and fair, and I believe that it represents a significant step towards eradicating unsafe practices in the cosmetics industry. However, we must ensure that the next Government engages with those businesses that have provided the procedures with care so that they continue to be supported.

Although the procedures covered by the bill may seem routine or non-invasive, complications can be severe. Last year, the BBC reported that people who have cosmetic filler injections in their face should be warned of the risk of a dangerous complication involving blocked arteries that can lead to skin loss and even blindness due to damaged blood flow. The researcher on the study, Dr Rosa Sigrist, said that, although they are uncommon, such vascular occlusion events, where the filler is injected into or too close to blood vessels, can be “devastating” because they can cause tissue death and facial deformity if they are not treated.

Cosmetic procedures should, therefore, not be undergone lightly, and it is essential that those who perform them have the right skills, experience and—crucially—supervision. Given the dangers that are posed by some cosmetic procedures, we need robust and effective regulation. I believe that the bill delivers that.

16:18

The allegations, and the volume of them, are shocking and will be hugely concerning for everyone using the parliamentary estate. I thank those who have come forward and shared their experiences to help to improve the culture and conduct in Parliament. In 2018, in response to the #MeToo movement, Parliament undertook work to tackle inappropriate conduct and to improve its culture. The report lays bare not only that have we not completely tackled the problem but that it might actually have got worse. That means that parliamentary and members’ staff might have been put in positions that they never should have been in.

It is absolutely incumbent on all parties to take the issue seriously and to address any and all inappropriate conduct in their groups, and I am pleased to hear the commitments that colleagues have made today. I am also pleased that one recommendation is to give staff a direct escalation line to the Parliament’s human resources team, as I think that that will help to address situations in which there are complaints between parties or in which staff feel that they cannot challenge members’ behaviour.

The public rightly expect the highest standard of behaviour from members, and it is clear that some have fallen far short of that. It is on all of us to tackle the power structures that have prevented people from stepping forward and to foster a culture in which everyone is welcome, safe and supported. My party is committed to doing that.

09:40