Chamber and committees

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?

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?

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?

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.

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reported reduction to the investing in communities fund and any impact on its aim of addressing poverty and disadvantage. (S6O-03741)

In July, third sector organisations were told, with little warning, that funding from the investing in communities fund would be cut by 5 per cent. Those organisations include the Larder in Edinburgh, which uses those funds to provide access to meals and to family and adult cookery classes.

Does cutting funds for third sector organisations align with the First Minister’s priority of tackling child poverty? Can the minister confirm whether there will be further cuts to the investing in communities fund?

Last year’s Hayward review, which we should hear about later today, noted that the impact on learners with disabilities and those with additional support needs should be considered in the creation of any new Scottish qualification. Can the minister outline whether the Scottish Government plans to review educational bodies to ensure that they are delivering a positive outcome for pupils with disabilities and those with additional support needs in developing that qualification?

I have been contacted by businesses, residents and visitors in Leith, Edinburgh regarding escalating issues of antisocial behaviour outside Newkirkgate shopping centre. It is becoming a common occurrence for assaults to take place and for needles to be left lying on the ground. Although the joined-up approach as set out in the review on antisocial behaviour is necessary, short-term action must also be taken. Can the minister advise how the Scottish Government is empowering the police to stop antisocial behaviour as it happens?

Gaelic and Scots are part of the historical and cultural fabric of this country. It is estimated that some form of Gaelic has been spoken in Scotland since the fourth century. Gaelic is in our songs and place names and our national bard wrote in Scots, but those languages are not confined to history and culture. They are living and are used daily across Scotland, but they must be supported if they are to thrive.

Gaelic, in particular, is in a worrying state. A study by the University of the Highlands and Islands warned that it could die as a living language within decades. Although the number of people with some understanding of Gaelic has risen, according to the most recent census, the number of people who speak it in the Western Isles, where it is used most, has fallen.

The struggle of the Gaelic language, despite Government initiatives over the years, is linked to many other issues that members have raised today. A lack of job opportunities in Gaelic-speaking areas and of suitable housing in rural and island communities means that people who grow up speaking Gaelic have no choice but to leave. Much of the housing in those areas is older and less energy efficient, which makes living there more expensive. Those issues all tie in with the wider depopulation that is taking place in rural Scotland.

We have to get this right, so the current scope of the bill is disappointing. It focuses largely on education, but the challenges that are faced by Gaelic and Scots are multifaceted. Of course, a bill cannot be everything at once, but we must recognise the issues.

Stakeholders have welcomed the proposed creation of Scots and Gaelic strategies, but we must work to ensure that ministers are able to create strategies that are genuinely consequential. Earlier this year, the First Minister said that the Scottish Government published too many strategies and that it should focus on delivery. Currently, however, Gaelic and Scots strategies will not even be delivered until 2028. We cannot afford to waste time.

Expanding access to education is undoubtedly important. Last week, my colleague Michael Marra and I met Sabhal Mòr Ostaig—a Gaelic college based in Skye. We were told that although many students receive part of their education in Gaelic, they lose out as they move on to other education providers who cannot give lessons in Gaelic. Ensuring the provision of Gaelic education in primary and secondary schools as well as in further education is key to ensuring that the language has a strong future.

However, education will mean little if young people cannot find a home or a job in areas where their language is spoken.