Chamber and committees

I congratulate Alasdair Allan on securing the debate, which highlights the huge frustration that is felt by many who rely on lifeline ferry services. It really is astonishing that there is not one person who lives on an island on either the CalMac or the CMAL board, particularly given that so many people who work on CalMac ferries live on the islands and that that has been the case for many decades. It is quite clear that the expertise is there. I know many islanders who have applied for positions on the boards and have not been able to secure one. It is right that the case is being made for a model that requires reserved seats for islanders. I also believe that we need reserved places for the workforce and that their voices need to be heard.

It is absolutely clear that there has been a catalogue of poor decision making, unfortunately, in relation to our ferry services. The Scottish Government has committed to a new model, and I agree that one is needed. It has committed to delivering a model of ferry services that will deliver accountability, transparency and good outcomes for communities. That is what we are all looking for.

In the 14 years since 2007, the Scottish Government has commissioned only 12 ferries and only five have been delivered. In the 14 years prior to that, 26 ferries were commissioned of similar tonnage. In 2019, more than 1,000 ferry sailings were cancelled, and over a five-year period more than 1,000 were delayed due to mechanical issues.

There is absolutely no doubt that one reason why there are so many problems is the old nature of the fleet. However, it is not just money that is needed. Alasdair Allan is absolutely correct to highlight that the way that decisions are made is also an issue. Any of us who has represented an island constituency will have seen example after example of communities saying clearly and consistently, over extended periods, that those in authority are making the wrong decisions. That is partly because there is a level of expertise and knowledge among the communities that rely on the services and because there is self-interest in the correct decisions being taken.

We have heard from my colleague Neil Bibby about the ferries that are being built at Ferguson Marine, which is perhaps the most high-profile example of poor decision making. However, there are many other examples that show the significant problems with the current model, such as the building of Brodick pier and the current situation in which investment is still not signed off for Ardrossan harbour after almost five years. I understand that the reason why the Ardrossan harbour investment has still not been signed off is that the land is owned by Peel Ports and the Government feels that the balance of risk is wrong in relation to the negotiations that have taken place. North Ayrshire Council is willing to take Ardrossan harbour land into public ownership to facilitate that much-needed investment. I hope that the Scottish Government will be supportive of that wish from the council to try to make progress.

That situation highlights the need for a new model for the ferries. It simply does not make sense that we have a fragmented model in which the ferries are owned by one organisation, another organisation, CalMac, operates them and the ports are owned by a multitude of organisations, including CMAL. I ask the minister, in his considerations after the debate, to look at the long-term issues and at a new model that will ensure that the voices of communities and the workforce are heard and taken into account in future decision making.

I strongly welcome the Scottish Government calling this debate, as well as the powerful contributions from across the political spectrum in support of human rights and the people of Afghanistan. It is important that those issues remain centre stage, because that scrutiny in itself will help those who are fighting for human rights in Afghanistan and put more pressure on the Taliban.

The situation in Afghanistan is bleak. As so many have said, we face a humanitarian and human rights crisis. Women, girls, human rights defenders and those who have helped the west are at great risk.

In the short time that I have, I will focus on what we need to learn from our experiences of the weakness and corruption of the Governments that have been in power in Afghanistan over the past 20 years and that have fallen so quickly to the Taliban. I will also focus on some of the issues that have been raised—for example, drugs—on how we should accept that Scotland and the UK now have to bear responsibility and relentlessly focus on how to give support to the people who are fleeing the Taliban, and on how refugees can be housed and welcomed in Scotland.

It would be wrong if I did not declare that I campaigned and marched against the western military intervention 20 years ago, as I suspect from their speeches a number of other members did, too. I was sceptical about the stated war aims and the arguments that were made at the time, particularly because of the history of failed interventions and occupations in Afghanistan. I feared that it would be a counterproductive war that was not the most effective way of combating terrorism and there was no clear exit strategy.

I understand that many people supported the invasion and that one of the reasons why was the plight of women and girls under the Taliban. However, it was clear that that was not the USA’s motivation for the war, given the role that it had played in the 1970s and 1980s in funding the mujaheddin against a secular Government that had brought in free medical care, mass literacy programmes and unprecedented gains for women and girls. Of course, the problem was that that regime was backed by Soviet Union, which then invaded.

Over the past 20 years, 457 British service personnel have lost their lives in Afghanistan and many more have been injured, had limbs amputated and suffered psychologically. Many civilians, like Alasdair Allan’s constituent Linda Norgrove, have also lost their lives. It is estimated that almost a quarter of a million people have lost their lives in the conflict, the majority of whom were, of course, Afghan.

Most politicians supported the invasion and the big political parties were all in favour of it. One of the things that needs to come out clearly today, from across the political divide, is that we have a responsibility and have to play our full role in assisting the people who are now fleeing the Taliban. We must robustly condemn the UK’s inadequate response. The international aid budget cuts are shameful. I hope that when the Conservatives sum up they will echo the demands that have been made from across the chamber.

However, we also have to look at what the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish Government and all levels of government are able to do. People who are working with refugees have told me that they are not confident that we will take even the promised 20,000, given that previous commitments in similar situations have not always been honoured. In reality, it is the Home Office that commissions and undertakes most of the resettlement work. In Scotland, it is the councils that bear that burden, but every level of government has to take responsibility.

I welcome the further financial commitment from the cabinet secretary, but ask that we consider what more we and the Scottish Government can do. My colleague Pauline McNeill asked what percentage of the refugees are due to be resettled here and how many we feel that Scotland is equipped to welcome. How many refugees can we bring here and what work has the Scottish Government done to work out how many refugees it would be possible to house across the Scottish council areas? What discussions are taking place about what more can be done to maximise the numbers to which Scotland is able to provide support?

We have to show solidarity and learn lessons from the past, but most of all we have to give practical help. We must keep speaking up on behalf of the people who are fighting for the kind of values that brought most of us into politics to be upheld in Afghanistan, so they know that they have our solidarity and that we will not forget them. The more that we do that, the more we will ensure that Afghanistan has a society that the people of Afghanistan support and one in which fundamental human rights, including the rights of women and girls, are respected.

The SNP’s “First Steps” document committed to establishing a Covid public inquiry within 100 days of the election. Could the First Minister outline what steps have been taken to establish a public inquiry and say when we can expect a start date, remit and chairperson to be announced?

It is a huge pleasure to make my first speech in Parliament, and I take the opportunity to thank everybody who supported me to get here as a Labour representative for West Scotland. I also thank all in the Parliament for their kindness during the first few weeks.

I welcome the debate about how we can return to pre-pandemic capacity in the justice system, how we can address the backlog in cases, what we can learn from our experiences during Covid and, most important, how we can transform a system that has, so often in the past, failed victims and sometimes the accused, often failing to prevent crime and provide rehabilitation.

As Pauline McNeill kindly said, I have experience of working as a solicitor in the Scottish courts, and I have been involved in campaigning on civil liberties and human rights issues for many years. I also worked as a lawyer for the trade union Unison, taking legal cases on behalf of workers, and with a team who dealt with thousands of criminal injury compensation cases on behalf of workers who were injured at work.

The criminal injuries compensation scheme was designed to give compensation to victims of crimes, but it has been eroded again and again over the decades by UK Conservative Governments, which is quite interesting given some of the comments that we have heard today. Although criminal injuries compensation is a devolved area, the Scottish Government continues to take part in the UK Government’s scheme. I hope that, during my time in Parliament, I will be able to persuade the Scottish Government to introduce a scheme in Scotland that adequately compensates the victims of crime for their injuries.

The Labour amendment emphasises the continued prevalence of violence against women. Pauline McNeill, Maggie Chapman and Rona Mackay have spoken powerfully about the importance of women in the justice system. The amendment acknowledges that Covid-19 restrictions have increased the risks for women who are victims of violence and have hindered their access to justice.

The amendment calls for the creation of specialist domestic abuse and sexual offences courts, and I urge the Government to consider that urgently, because violence against women is endemic in society. Recent figures again showed the number of crimes that are linked to domestic violence and the low conviction rates for offences such as rape and attempted rape. Of the 2,344 reports of rape and attempted rape recorded in the most recent statistics, only 130 resulted in convictions. The criminal justice system is failing women and it is Parliament’s job to ensure that they get justice.

It is our duty to ensure that everyone’s fundamental rights are protected, including the right to protest. When we debate issues of justice, we must remember that we do that against the backdrop of the emergency Covid legislation that has given the state unprecedented powers in all parts of the UK. We must defend our fundamental civil and human rights.

This is not the first time that I have spoken in a Parliament, but it is the first time that I am speaking in a debate because a leader of the Labour Party has appointed me as a front-bench spokesperson. I thank Anas Sarwar for offering me a role in the justice team. It is a particular delight to work with Pauline McNeill. I hope that she will not mind my saying that we have known each other since 1985 and I am aware of her campaigns on many issues. I first met her just after the miners’ strike, and I strongly welcome the independent review into the convictions of miners during that strike, which was fought for by Neil Findlay, the National Union of Mineworkers and Thompsons solicitors. I strongly urge the Government to legislate in the first year of this parliamentary session for the pardon scheme that has been proposed.

The Covid pandemic has had a massive impact on the justice system, and the huge backlog of civil and criminal cases has denied justice to victims, survivors and the accused. The scientific advisory group for emergencies has recognised prisons as a high-risk environment for Covid and has recommended the universal vaccination of prison staff and prisoners. I ask the Government to consider what the Prison Officers Association has said about that and to prioritise vaccinations in prisons.

All my experience has shown me that the justice system is highly political. It is often suggested that justice is impartial and is applied without regard to wealth, power or status, but the system often deals with some of the poorest in society. Class is a major issue. We must look at who ends up behind bars and why. Most prisoners are male, and male violence is a major issue in offending. Most offenders come from deprived communities and most victims of crime also come from working-class communities.

I look forward to working constructively across the chamber to find solutions to the long-standing and difficult challenges of how we prevent crime, how we ensure that all in society have justice and how we deliver the kind of society that means we need not fear crime.

A North Ayrshire Council-commissioned Fraser of Allander institute report put the value of the ferry to Arran’s community in supporting jobs and livelihoods at £170,000 per day. The cabinet secretary said that a number of meetings have taken place. Would she be willing to meet me to discuss how the voices of islanders and, indeed, CalMac workers are included in the decision-making process to ensure that we have a reliable and safe ferry service, that there is no race to the bottom on terms and conditions, and that support is put in place for Arran’s businesses and islanders, who are trying to cope with the present disruption?

To ask the Scottish Government what cross-Government action it is taking to ensure that island communities are protected from the effects of disruption to lifeline services. (S6O-00012)

The minister will be aware that part of the reason for the problem is the failure since 2011 to commission sufficient vessels. Is the minister willing to meet me, as a list MSP for West Scotland, to look at how we will address the long-term problem of failure to consult and listen to local communities that was highlighted in the recent Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee report, and at how we make sure that islanders on Arran and the trade unions that represent the CalMac workforce are involved in decision making?

Before making the affirmation, I state that the people of this country should be citizens, not subjects, and my first allegiance is to them.

The member then made a solemn affirmation