Chamber and committees

Will the member take an intervention?

Public diners are places where the public can eat and socialise, and they are open to all so that everyone can access good food as a public service. As part of its cash-first approach to tackling food insecurity, the Scottish Government says that it will take action to support food initiatives that are based in communities. What consideration has the Scottish Government given to public diners as a means of reducing food waste and improving access to food?

I thank Audrey Nicoll for lodging tonight’s motion on international women’s day and note this year’s theme, which is accelerate action to address the barriers that women face.

The barrier that I will speak about is the current postcode lottery regarding paid maternity leave in UK fire and rescue services. Members will be aware that I recently lodged a motion in Parliament to commend the Fire Brigades Union for its fight for 52 campaign to extend maternity leave across the service to 12 months on full pay. Arrangements across the UK are inconsistent at the moment, with different services offering different arrangements. I ask all members to add their support to that motion.

I note the FBU’s strong history of campaigning on maternity rights, which did not begin just with the launch of that campaign a few years ago. As far back as 1981, the union was resisting efforts to reduce maternity leave, pay and rights and has continued campaigning and fighting for those rights since then, culminating in that important campaign for 52 weeks of mat leave on full pay. If we are serious about women in the workplace—including those in the fire service—that campaign is important and the issue must be addressed.

In its campaign, the union highlights a number of reasons why the campaign is so important, including occupational hazards in the workplace and issues with recruitment, retention and inclusion. Members will be well aware of the occupational hazards and the risks to firefighters, and might also be aware that the FBU commissioned a report into the risks from contaminants. Maggie Chapman has been a strong and vocal advocate in Parliament on that issue.

Exposure to those hazards carries additional risks for a woman who is pregnant. One study showed that almost a quarter of first pregnancies for female firefighters in the United States ended in miscarriage, compared with just 10 per cent of pregnancies in the wider US population. The research suggests that exposing a pregnant woman to contaminants affects the health of the fetus and that the risk continues after birth, during nursing, when contaminants have an impact via breast milk.

On those grounds, it is important that women in the fire service are granted 52 weeks of paid paternity leave, which will also deal with issues in recruitment, retention and inclusion. Women have been working as operational firefighters since the early 1980s. The numbers who are employed have improved slowly, but they are still a minority. Tackling the issue of paid maternity leave would go a long way. The Fire Brigades Union believes, and I believe, in tackling recruitment, retention and inclusion.

I can see that my time is up—four minutes goes quickly. To conclude, I am sure that the minister will agree and accept that a lack of maternity provision is a barrier to work, and that includes working in the fire service. I therefore ask whether she will raise the FBU’s campaign for full pay for 52 weeks of maternity leave with her shadow cabinet colleagues.

Ash Regan referred to a number of today’s speeches that she said were good—one of which was Murdo Fraser’s. Murdo Fraser proposed that transgender people be asked to use a new alternative third space, rather than using the single-sex space that aligns to their gender. Does she support that proposal?

For 30 years, Home-Start schemes in Aberdeenshire have been supporting families with young children who experience any of a range of health and social difficulties. I am told that the devastating decision to terminate funding to Home-Start came after its board of trustees was assured by Aberdeenshire Council that not only would its funding contract continue, but it would receive an uplift.

Does the Scottish Government’s approach to health and social care take account of the benefits of early intervention to support struggling families, and how will it help families in Aberdeenshire who are looking for support in the light of those cuts to Home-Start?

Will the member take an intervention on that point?

Neither Rachael Hamilton nor Russell Findlay has been able to cite any evidence of transgender people in single-sex spaces putting women at risk. Will Rachael Hamilton at least acknowledge that there is evidence that harm is caused to trans people on the basis of their being trans when they are not granted access to single-sex spaces?

Will the member take an intervention on that point?

Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?

On that important point about tackling violence against women, does the member agree that, although it is vital that we take action to tackle gender-based violence, scapegoating the trans community, as the Tories are seeking to do in their motion, does nothing to achieve that?