Chamber and committees

We should keep the petition open and, as well as doing what Mr Marra suggested, write to the Scottish Government to ask whether it accepts the petitioner’s view that Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and hypermobility spectrum disorders are not necessarily rare diseases, as they are often undiagnosed. In the light of that, we should ask what action is being taken, beyond the rare disease action plan, to improve diagnostic services. We should also highlight the commitment by NHS Wales to co-produce a hypermobility pathway for primary care and ask whether a similar exercise could be undertaken in Scotland.

The news regarding the People’s Story, which is Edinburgh’s only museum dedicated to working-class history, is deeply disappointing. The public deserve to see history that represents them. Will the Scottish Government step in to protect this important facility? Does the cabinet secretary recognise that the Scottish Government’s consistent underfunding of local authorities and museums will force more councils in Scotland to make tough decisions and damage local culture?

In March, I hosted a members’ business debate to mark brain tumour awareness month. Many members highlighted the need for greater research to improve the outcomes for those living with brain tumours. I welcomed the announcement of the establishment of the Scottish Brain Tumour Research centre of excellence in July. Has the Scottish Government engaged with the centre since its launch, and how does it plan to support the research into the most aggressive form of brain cancer?

I thank the Presiding Officer for allowing me to leave the chamber before the debate finishes.

I, too, congratulate Stuart McMillan on bringing this important issue to the chamber. In France, anyone who wishes to offer medical aesthetic treatment must be registered with the board of the National Chamber of Physicians. In Belgium, practitioners must be doctors, and under-18s must have permission from a parent or guardian before they can have treatment. In Poland, practitioners need to qualify in aesthetic medicine. In Scotland, though, someone who goes on Instagram today will be presented with numerous practitioners who offer aesthetic treatments, very few of whom display medical qualifications and all of whom complete work on very young people.

Such procedures are far from non-invasive. Lip, nose and chin fillers and anti-wrinkle fillers all involve injecting Botox into people’s faces, which can have severe consequences when treatments are botched. A practitioner who does not operate from a medically clean site can cause infections, which means that patients will require further care from our NHS down the line. The treatment can also cause bruising that is much worse than should be normal for such procedures. Nodules can form due to the use of cheap filler, which can cause complications years after a procedure has been completed. This year, there was a story involving 15 women being hospitalised after having beef gelatine injected into them.

Despite those risks, the practice of non-surgical procedures only seems to grow in Scotland. Since under-18s have been banned from having medical aesthetic treatments in England, we have heard reports of more and more children coming to Scotland for injections. That is deeply concerning. I join other members in calling for the provision of such treatment to be limited to those who are over 18. Most such procedures are not conducted by medical professionals. It is possible for lay practitioners to complete training in just one day. No medical body has oversight of the industry. It is therefore clear that we are in a dangerous situation.

I join other members in welcoming the Scottish Government’s launch of a consultation on a proposal to regulate the sector, but it is long overdue. France, which I mentioned earlier, first legislated on the issue in 2009. In 2013, the Keogh report called for improved regulation of the cosmetic industry in the UK. However, the Scottish Government did not even consult on the matter until 2020, when respondents agreed that we needed further regulation. We heard the result of that consultation two years ago. I hope that the Scottish Government’s new consultation will open the door to meaningful progress being made. Too many people who want to improve their confidence are being left with their mental and physical health deteriorating further.

It is a pleasure to close the debate for Scottish Labour. We are now two and a half years into Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, with the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives, millions of people displaced and countless lives forever changed to satisfy the ego of a despot.

Despite the challenges that that war has brought, which are minuscule in comparison with those that people who live in Ukraine face, we have made it clear, once again, that we stand against aggression and with the people of Ukraine.

I am proud that the Scottish Parliament is united in its support for Ukraine. I agree with members including Alex Cole-Hamilton that this is not a party-political issue and that our position is based on principles that we all uphold and in which we all believe.

Democracy, freedom, the right of all to self-determination—those are the values that Putin has discarded with his imperialist project. As he threatens those values with contempt, he tightens his grip on Russia: on Tuesday, the United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation presented her report, which found that

“The country is now run by a state-sponsored system of fear and punishment, including the use of torture with absolute impunity.”

We must do as much as we can to support Ukraine and its people, so that Putin’s autocracy is not unleashed on them.

Members including Stephen Kerr have mentioned the UK Government sending billions in military aid. Although the party in government at Westminster has changed, our support for Ukraine will not. The work that the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary are doing should show Putin that we are not going anywhere.

Paul O’Kane rightly raised the Prime Minister’s recommitment of £3 billion a year in military aid for as long as it takes for Ukraine to win. There is also a commitment to train Ukrainian troops throughout 2025 and to send more equipment, because that war is not just Ukraine’s, but all of ours. As Nicola Sturgeon mentioned, its outcome is key to the security of Europe and that of the UK. We cannot stand by while civilians die and international law is broken. I join Patrick Harvie and Nicola Sturgeon in stating that that principle must extend to conduct in Gaza and Palestine.

I join the cabinet secretary and others in noting the Scottish public’s support for our Ukrainian friends. Meghan Gallagher mentioned the thousands of Ukrainians that the Scottish public welcomed into their homes, and the thousands more who were welcomed through the supersponsor scheme. Last year, Edinburgh’s welcome hub in Gogarburn house opened, helping people settle here for the long term.

Claire Baker and Colin Beattie mentioned the work that the third sector and other organisations have done to support the settlement of Ukrainians in Scotland: volunteers met almost 4,000 refugees as they arrived in Edinburgh airport; Volunteer Edinburgh distributed thousands of welcome bags; and, earlier this year, South Queensferry’s Hannah Beaton-Hawryluk received an MBE for her work with Edinburgh’s AUGB raising millions in aid. The cabinet secretary noted AUGB’s Glasgow branch.

Members have recognised and reaffirmed that Scotland is a welcoming nation to those who are fleeing conflict or persecution, whether that be in Ukraine, Afghanistan or anywhere else. Two years into the invasion, we must continue to work to ensure that those people who have had to flee their country do not face destitution.

Alex Cole-Hamilton said that almost 300 homelessness applications have been made by Ukrainian households in the past year, which should be concerning to us all. We have done great work so far. The Scottish Government has many avenues of support to ensure that Ukrainians can integrate as best they can. In this debate, we have shown that Scotland’s support for the people of Ukraine has not faltered. To Ukrainians in Scotland, I say: know that you are welcome here and that we stand with you. In his address to Ukrainian nations, President Zelenskyy called for nations to continue to support Ukrainians’ efforts for a just and peaceful future. Scotland will continue to be one of those nations.

This news is deeply disappointing. We have known for years that the eye pavilion was not fit for purpose but patients will now face uncertainty, with rearranged appointments in unfamiliar places. The eye pavilion provides specialist care. If a patient experiences an emergency with their eye condition, the accident and emergency department at Edinburgh royal infirmary may not be able to meet their needs. Will the cabinet secretary say where patients will now be sent for urgent care?

Following warnings that Scotland faces a “cultural recession”, it was reported that Creative Scotland and the Scottish Government were in talks over the immediate future of arts organisations. With decisions on multiyear funding due only weeks away, will the First Minister reassure arts organisations and confirm when funding for Creative Scotland—which will enable it to make those long-term decisions—will be released and how large its budget will be?

The Scottish Government’s “General Practice Access Principles” states that GP practices should

“use digital resources ... where appropriate and when people choose, to meet people’s needs.”

Deaf people or those with anxiety may find it more difficult to book appointments over the phone, and services such as Near Me are not available everywhere. Does the Scottish Government have further plans to support GPs in adopting digital infrastructure where they are not able to provide such services?

What are the chances of asking for a parliamentary debate as well, as you mentioned?

I congratulate Gordon MacDonald on bringing the debate to the chamber. It is great to have the opportunity to pay tribute to an industry that employs so many and contributes so much to the Scottish economy.

The wholesale sector has shown much resilience in recent years, in responding to the challenges from the pandemic that have affected supply chains and, more recently, in navigating inflationary pressures. If we are to kick-start the growth of Scotland’s economy and promote the food and drink sector globally, the wholesale industry has a vital role to play.

The motion mentions £4.3 billion in gross value added, to which Edinburgh and Lothian contribute considerably. Edinburgh has up to 30,000 jobs in wholesale and retail, with wholesalers in meat, fish, bathroom products, beer, wine and shortbread, selling all those things to other local businesses. The wholesale sector has a large role to play in the promotion of local food and produce. I welcome the work of the Scottish Wholesale Association—I know that Gordon Macdonald has met its representatives recently—to boost local food producers, in particular through its local food and drink growth fund. That fund aims to increase the turnover of Scottish produce that is sold through Scottish wholesalers to 35 per cent, by supporting wholesalers in working closely with Scottish producers and manufacturers.

I also note the SWA’s delivering growth through wholesale scheme, which works to improve the understanding of the opportunities that the wholesale sector brings. Through wholesale, local food producers have the opportunity to bring their products to a wider audience, increasing their sales and providing more opportunities for growth.

It is positive that 30 per cent of Scottish wholesalers’ turnover is currently coming from Scottish products, as that money is being reinvested in the Scottish economy. I hope that that number will grow, but more needs to be done. There is great potential in the food and drink sector to drive economic growth and tourism. As part of brand Scotland, we should be doing all that we can to use our food and drink sector to promote Scotland as a global destination for premium products. Scotland leads the UK in food and drink product exports with salmon and whisky, and other Scottish products can be brought to the same level. The wholesale sector can play a role in that through selling local products, either at home or internationally. We need to ensure that we recognise the current value of the wholesale sector to the economy while, equally, recognising the sector’s great potential in promoting local food and drink.