Chamber and committees

I have been looking at the track record of quite significant underspends, including, most recently, the £2 billion underspend. What processes are, or should be, in place to ensure that we, as parliamentarians, can provide scrutiny and see what money has not been spent and why it has not been spent?

Good morning. Can you confirm the amount that was transferred to the Scotland reserve at the end of 2021-22?

When will it become transparent to us where the cuts have been in education and skills?

Thank you, Presiding Officer. I also welcome the Ukrainian consul to the chamber. I am pleased to bring the debate to a close on behalf of the Scottish Conservatives.

It has been almost a year since Ukraine was forced to fight to protect its sovereignty, territorial integrity and freedom against the Russian aggressors. Our television screens have been flooded with images of the horrors since the very beginning. There were images of a bombed theatre in Mariupol, where hundreds of children were sheltering, which was attacked despite a clear sign warning that there were children inside. There were images of a missile attack at a rail station in Kramatorsk, where thousands of women and children were waiting to flee the Russian invasion. There were the horrific scenes of civilian carnage and mass graves, and reports of rape and torture, from towns such as Bucha, Chernihiv and Sumy. All those scenes are still fresh in our memories.

Ukraine was forced into a war that it did not choose. Despite these tragic events, the Ukrainian people, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have displayed unbelievable levels of courage. I stand here today to reiterate my support for the heroic people of Ukraine.

I know that the road has not been easy, but I also know that Ukraine's spirit and determination have not wavered and that it will continue to fight for its freedom. Ukraine’s fight is a just fight. Ukraine has the right to defend itself against foreign aggression, and the international community stands firmly with it in its efforts to do so.

The Russian President warned us away from involvement in Ukraine on the eve of the invasion. The international response denied Vladimir Putin what he wanted. Humanitarian aid continues to support the civilian population that has been suffering, and military assistance has allowed the Ukrainian military to repel Russian aggressors on multiple fronts.

Along with the United States, the United Kingdom played a leading role in driving the international response to Russia’s illegal invasion. After the US, the UK is the second-largest donor. It has committed £2.3 billion in military assistance to Ukraine in 2022, and promises to match that amount in 2023. On the ground, western high-tech military technology is making a difference. In addition, the UK is hosting operation Interflex, a training programme with the support of several allies, which aims to train 10,000 new and existing Ukrainian military personnel in just 120 days.

With military aid pouring in and sanctions spearheaded by western democracies, Russia is isolated now more than ever. That is a result of one man’s dangerous ambitions, which have cut off Russia from the rest of the world.

Ukraine’s struggle is a struggle for the rule of law, democracy and human rights. It is a struggle against aggression, tyranny and dictatorship. We must remember the sacrifices that the Ukrainian people have made in this war. Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have died or been wounded defending their country. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been displaced, and many have lost their homes, their businesses and their loved ones.

I take this opportunity to thank the UK and Scottish Governments for collaborating on many aspects of this crisis, such as the sponsorship schemes for Ukrainian refugees fleeing a terrible war. I also thank all sponsors who have generously offered their homes during an economically difficult period for our country. Third sector organisations, charities, local authorities, universities and many more have contributed significantly to the support of the Ukrainian people.

The links between Scotland and Ukraine have a long history. Ukrainians first arrived in Scotland in the 1750s, with many studying at the universities in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Since then, we have strengthened those ties, as evidenced by Scotland’s response to the situation today.

I will highlight some of the points that have been raised by members from across the chamber.

I associate myself with the remarks of Donald Cameron, who rightly recognised the efforts of both the Scottish and UK Governments to welcome Ukrainians fleeing the war to make their home here for the time being. Whether that was through the establishment of the UK-wide homes for Ukraine scheme, or through Scotland’s supersponsor scheme, we have ensured that many Ukrainians could come to our country for as long as it is necessary.

I was pleased to hear my colleague Annie Wells quote the powerful words of the Ukrainian Scot Zhenya Dove, who said:

“Many Ukrainians have been welcomed to Scotland with open arms. We are deeply thankful for the Scottish hospitality shown to Ukraine and for the kindness of your hearts.”

My colleague Meghan Gallacher was right to highlight the horrendous reality for those attending school in Ukraine—lessons interrupted by air raid sirens instead of school bells. It is not right that young people are seeing that as their new normal.

Neil Gray mentioned that Putin’s army has invaded a country in the United Nations and he mentioned the appalling atrocities committed and the chilling comment,

“the meat grinder is working”.

He also talked about the continuing support from Scotland and I thank him for the announcement that he made about the extra funding.

Sarah Boyack said that we must support Ukraine in defence of its country and mentioned all members, on all benches, standing together as one to support the Government motion, because we all support Ukraine.

Alex Cole-Hamilton spoke about the Ukrainian family that he has opened his home to and how they now join in with family events.

Fiona Hyslop spoke of the devastation to culture, the soul of Ukraine.

Bill Kidd again mentioned the atrocious actions of the Russians, but also that they underestimated the resolve of the Ukrainian people.

Carol Mochan said what we all think—that there is a need to find an end to the conflict as soon as possible.

Clare Adamson spoke of the resilience of the Ukrainian people and of her wish to end the war.

Paul O’Kane spoke of the indiscriminate bombings of civilians and the outrage of Russia’s act of aggression. He also spoke of the work done in his area to raise funds to support Ukraine and of the local Ukrainian baker who raised a phenomenal amount of money.

Bob Doris spoke of how Russia had no thought for the human cost or the pain and suffering inflicted on the people of Ukraine.

Although she did not speak in today’s debate, I also mention Jenni Minto, who led last night’s members’ business debate on the special tribunal on Russian aggression in Ukraine. She gave a very powerful and moving speech, which I was in the chamber for. I also attended the Postcards from Ukraine event in Parliament, which included very moving images showing the vision of Ukraine before the war and what has happened since Russia invaded.

In 2023, our support for Ukraine is as strong as it has ever been. The support from Scotland, the United Kingdom, the United States and other allies is unwavering. The heroic courage, resilience and determination of the Ukrainian people to repel the Russian invaders is crucial to defeating one man’s dangerous ambitions. I repeat what I said a year ago:

“we will support you. Together, we will defeat Putin.”—[Official Report, 24 February 2022; c 86.]

I have spoken to rural businesses, which have raised concerns about the 24 substantial steps that are required to register for the deposit return scheme. The first step requires businesses to sign up to a three-year legal commitment, which will significantly change their operations and could even bankrupt them. If businesses fail to sign up by next week, they risk no longer being able to sell in Scotland, which could significantly impact the rural supply chain. Will the minister engage with those businesses to limit the impact on the rural supply chain and ask her Cabinet colleagues to listen to and address those concerns?

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the potential impact on the drink industry supply chain of the introduction of the deposit return scheme. (S6O-01902)

Good morning. HMRC uses the same systems to administer income tax whether a taxpayer is from Scotland or from elsewhere in the UK. However, it operates additional rules and procedures for Scotland, such as residency checks and the application of “S” tax codes if individuals are identified as Scottish taxpayers.

The NAO report states that, as has been the case in previous years, one of the main administrative challenges that is faced by HMRC is the maintenance of an accurate and complete record of Scottish taxpayer residency addresses. That is because HMRC relies on taxpayers to notify it of any change of address. What can be done to improve on that? Would a legal requirement to notify HMRC of address changes assist with that administrative challenge and with overall compliance?

The most recent scan of taxpayer records to

“identify missing or invalid postcodes which would result in incorrect residency status being applied”

was in June 2021. It identified 25,488 missing or invalid postcodes, of which 3,031 were updated.

Reported postcodes, whether missing or invalid, represent 1 per cent of the 2.5 million total income tax population in 2020-21. A small number of missing taxpayers can potentially equate to a large amount of revenue, especially if that group contains high-net-worth individuals.

Has the NAO received an update from HMRC around the monitoring of that situation, and specifically on the causes of missing or invalid postcodes? What might the impact be on revenues, and what, if anything, is being done to address the matter?

I thank Ruth Maguire for securing this important debate.

We are fortunate to live in a time when we have access to early detection and prevention strategies for cervical cancer, which is a largely preventable disease. The HPV vaccine had been approved in 80 countries by 2007 and, as of October 2019, 100 countries worldwide were vaccinating against HPV as part of their regular vaccine schedule.

Uptake of the vaccine in Scotland is about 84 per cent, which is an incredible achievement, and Scottish data has shown that diagnosis of cervical cell changes decreased by 89 per cent among people who had been vaccinated against HPV. However, we still need to do more.

The cervical screening programme is a powerful tool to detect cell changes prior to them becoming cancerous, and that is where we need to see improvement. It is worrying to hear that one in three women do not take up the screening invite. In order to improve those numbers, we must identify and address the barriers that people face. Fear of the procedure itself, embarrassment and lack of knowledge about the implications of smear results undoubtedly play a role in individuals avoiding or delaying their smear invitations. That is compounded by the current pressures that are facing the national health service, which are causing a lack of appointments and, often, long waits.

Unfortunately, the more disadvantaged groups in our society are, again, the worst affected. We know that people with learning or physical disabilities and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to attend smear appointments. Excellent work is already being done to tackle those problems. Strategies such as self-sampling programmes to enable at-home testing show promising results, and they allow those for whom traditional methods of screening might be unsuitable the option to get checked.

The NHS and relevant charities already do a fantastic job. Their awareness campaigns, staff screening clinics and online resources continue to increase awareness and push us towards the World Health Organization’s global strategy for cervical cancer elimination.

We have the tools and knowledge to eradicate the disease, but the reality is that two women in the UK continue to lose their lives from cervical cancer every day. Cancer affects us all, whether personally or through someone close to us. Cervical cancer is one of the few cancers that we are currently able to detect and treat at such an early stage. That is why we need to push for the change that will make the disease a less common reality for women not only in Ayrshire or Scotland but around the world.

I encourage all women to take up their cervical screening invites. Your health is important, and this simple procedure, done at the right time, could make all the difference. I urge everyone to continue to speak about this important topic and, when they are invited, to take up the offer of vaccination and screening. Those are quick steps that could literally save your life.

Some of my colleagues have questions on sustainability and keeping up the momentum.

There are an awful lot of recommendations over a short timescale. If, as we hope, things are successful, are there lessons to be learned and good practice that could be shared with others?