Chamber and committees

I congratulate Sue Webber on bringing this important issue to the chamber. I am grateful to see members from across the parties who feel strongly about the issue. I hope that we can continue to campaign and deliver for the people of Winchburgh.

Since I first raised the issue of Winchburgh in the chamber in 2022, some progress has been made. I have engaged with the council and developers and I have questioned three successive transport ministers, highlighting the need for improved transport links for Winchburgh. However, my requests to meet the ministers have been denied, and the Scottish Government, until recently, has failed to meaningfully engage. The reformation of the Winchburgh railway station steering group is welcome, but it must be met with clear action. Above all, stakeholders, including MSPs, must work together to achieve that.

Winchburgh is a fast-growing town and it needs improved public transport options. Since 2012, 1,000 houses have been built, with 4,000 more planned. By 2031, its population is predicted to rise to more than 13,000—similar to Linlithgow, which has its own train station. It is estimated that the catchment area of a train station in Winchburgh would benefit 26,000 people, and the proposal is popular.

Earlier this year, I joined Winchburgh residents in delivering a petition, signed by more than 2,000 people, to the Scottish Government, calling for a date to be set for the opening of the station. It is not only those in Winchburgh who would benefit—more than 400,000 cars would be taken off the road every year, there would be millions of pounds of savings for passengers and in transport costs, and millions would be saved in decongestion benefits. It makes economic and environmental sense.

Sue Webber is right to mention the £50 million that has already been invested by Winchburgh Development in infrastructure, including a new primary school. We should be encouraging and rewarding developers that proactively create well-connected communities.

A key issue that must be addressed is the lack of a promoter for the project. The Scottish Government insists that it is a developer-led project. Winchburgh Developments has committed to partially funding the station, and then there is the possibility of funding from the city region deal. We need clarity on the funding and business case for the station. I will be meeting Winchburgh Developments later this month and hope to hear that further progress is being made.

If we are to see a station in the coming years, we must see collaboration between stakeholders, including MSPs. The Scottish Government should look at the enthusiasm that is evident today, and in Winchburgh, and step up to deliver on this incredible opportunity.

Can you also include, for the Government, the letters from the Law Society of Scotland and Thompsons Solicitors, as evidence?

During the most recent meeting of the cross-party group on challenging racial and religious prejudice, the Minister for Victims and Community Safety stated that the Scottish Government was looking to overhaul the reporting of hate crime. Will the minister provide an update on what measures the Scottish Government is planning to make it easier to report hate crimes?

A constituent in Lothian has a son who was entitled to extra time during an exam due to his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder but had his eligibility for assessment arrangements repeatedly questioned and missed his extra time, which my constituent believes caused stress for his son and impacted his ability to complete his exam. How is the Scottish Government working to ensure that every person with additional support needs is supported during their exams? Will the cabinet secretary look at that case?

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. My app did not refresh. Has my vote been recorded?

A constituent in Lothian has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and has been told that his tumour is growing. He is on an eight-month waiting list for surgery and has no idea when treatment will start. Public Health Scotland found that only 36.4 per cent of patients with prostate cancer received treatment within the Government’s target of 62 days, which is the lowest percentage for any major cancer type. Will the First Minister advise members what the Scottish Government is doing to bring down those unacceptable waiting times?

This morning, a coalition of housing organisations that includes the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the Chartered Institute of Housing and Homes for Scotland put out a statement in which it called on the Scottish Government to take action to cut the number of children in temporary accommodation by 25 per cent before the end of this parliamentary session.

There are 2,910 children in Edinburgh who are stuck in temporary accommodation, and they stay in temporary accommodation for an average of 471 days—the longest period in the country. Will the minister commit to reducing those figures? What concrete action will be taken to get children out of temporary accommodation?

Growing the economy must be the number 1 priority of Government in Scotland and Westminster. Over the past 17 years, both Scotland and the United Kingdom have seen sluggish economic growth. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research estimates that, since the 2008 financial crisis, the UK economy has grown by an average of 1.2 per cent each year, down from an average of 2.3 per cent in prior decades.

In Scotland, we lag behind the rest of the UK in GDP growth, with 2025 forecasts saying that that will remain the same. Make no mistake—economic growth is stagnating, and the working people of Scotland are paying the price of two weak Governments.

Research from the University of Strathclyde shows that early entrepreneurial activity in Scotland is lower than the UK average. To grow a strong economy and build our reputation as a great place to do business, early entrepreneurs must be better supported. In particular, our technology sector, which is suffering from a lack of capital investment, would benefit. Scottish Government grants need to grow businesses in the long term and reward entrepreneurship. Edinburgh has a growing technology sector, and we cannot afford to miss out. It is imperative that the Government works with our tech and digital industries so that we can be best placed to take advantage of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence.

Growth is also being stunted by our skills system. The British Chamber of Commerce’s business barometer report found that 71 per cent of organisations in Scotland were facing skills shortages. The Scottish Government has allowed that to happen by not planning for the sector that is key to Scotland’s success and by failing to provide workers with the right skills. Our skills system is rigid and does not adapt to the needs of businesses and people, which slows growth. However, while economic inactivity has risen to 23.2 per cent, the Scottish Government has cut the budget for skills programmes, which support young people into work, by 36 per cent.

Scottish Labour will work in partnership with businesses to create a flexible, modular skills system, underpinned by digital skills passports, which can adapt to the needs of the economy. UK Labour would set up a national wealth fund, unlocking private investment and creating 69,000 green jobs. The Scottish Government’s focus on economic growth now is welcome, but its record does not reflect those warm words. We are lagging in productivity and employment compared with the rest of the UK. Scotland needs a Government that will put growth first and work with businesses to invest and unlock Scotland’s potential. Scottish Labour is ready for a change.

It is known that immunisation rates are lower among those living in more deprived areas and in black and minority ethnic communities because of various factors, including a lack of trust and a lack of information. What measures is the Scottish Government taking to increase uptake of vaccines by those groups?

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I could not connect. I would have voted yes.