Chamber and committees

I agree with you, convener. We should write to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs and we should keep the petition open until then.

Good morning, cabinet secretary. What reassurance can you offer the petitioner that the upgrade of the A75 as outlined in STPR2 will be delivered in a timely manner and will be sufficient to meet the needs of road users and local communities?

Cabinet secretary, what other assurance can you give to ensure that such a project will not cause any further delays or significant inconvenience to A75 road users?

You have answered part of my next question, but can you give us an indication of when residents of those villages can expect to see the bypass completed?

The medical director of Lothian Local Medical Committee recently stated that many practices can no longer afford to take on additional GPs and that some are at risk of going bust. Given that, in November, the cabinet secretary announced an additional £13.6 million for general practice staffing, can he advise me what impact that will have on GPs’ retention and, specifically, how many new GPs the Scottish Government expects that it will hire?

The Scottish Government supports the adoption of heat networks to improve energy efficiency and tackle fuel poverty, but such systems are not covered by the Ofgem price cap, and my constituents report that developers are increasing prices by 150 per cent. On the issue of fuel poverty, can the minister advise us how the Scottish Government is protecting residents who use heat networks from being overcharged by developers or factors? Will the Scottish Government raise the issue with Ofgem or the UK Government?

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I am struggling with my app. I would have voted yes.

I congratulate Maggie Chapman on bringing this important issue to the chamber. The system that we have to prevent destitution and homelessness is by no means perfect, but it is far better than that for those who have no recourse to public funds, who are being forced into destitution by a system that completely overlooks them.

People with NRPF include students, asylum seekers and EU citizens without leave to remain. Many have contributed to our economy through taxes or tuition fees, yet they cannot access many benefits or services, including homelessness support. They also pay a surcharge—something like 150 per cent of the cost of care—to use our national health service. I have met students who pay large tuition fees that support our universities but were forced to take out loans to pay for healthcare.

The “Destitution by design” briefing outlines the ways in which NRPF has contributed to destitution and its on-going effects. Those with NRPF and experiencing destitution are

“6 times more likely to be sleeping rough”

than other destitute groups. A third who accessed support from the fair way Scotland partnership had no weekly income at all. People with NRPF are 8.5 times more likely to use accident and emergency, costing the taxpayer money. The briefing even outlines the horrific situation of survivors of domestic abuse being unable to get homelessness support.

I met Shakti Women’s Aid Edinburgh, which provides support, including safe accommodation and befriending services, for those with NRPF who are fleeing abusive situations. Those services are so important but will not be available across Scotland, and they are subject to Shakti Women’s Aid continuing to receive grant funding. Members must recognise that any system that delivers outcomes such as that is not working for anyone.

Although the power to make great changes to NRPF is reserved, Scotland can and should be taking action. “Ending Destitution in Scotland—A Road Map for Policymakers” outlines ways in which that can happen. The first is the bus scheme—my colleague Paul Sweeney has done great work in pushing for that scheme for asylum seekers. However, we know that half of those seeking support for destitution are not asylum seekers, and that being unable to travel means missing job interviews, immigration interviews or medical appointments.

Secondly, the report recommends the expansion of the fair way Scotland partnership or the establishment of a crisis fund. Given that the Scottish Government already grants funding to organisations that provide crisis funds for those with NRPF, we should simply look at the system and create a single point of access across the country.

Ultimately, making major changes to the rules is a matter for the UK Government, but we must elevate the harm that is caused by fully funding local authorities and organisations that support some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

I join members in welcoming the continued recognition of Scotland as a fair trade nation. It is a testament not only to the work of campaigners and businesses that promote and stock fair trade goods but to Scotland’s role as an outward-looking global nation.

A Scottish Labour Government kick-started the process in 2007 for Scotland to be recognised as a fair trade nation. However, the history of the movement goes far beyond that. The modern fair trade movement is said to have started after world war two with an American woman called Edna Ruth Byler, who would buy lace products from women in Puerto Rico for a truly fair price and sell them to her friends. She said:

“I’m just a woman trying to help other women.”

Those simple principles of support, fairness and trade justice remain to this day.

Since then the movement has grown massively, with the UK’s own fair trade certification turning 31 this year, generating millions in premiums for producers, improving their lives, and building their communities.

Edinburgh has played a role in the fair trade movement. On George Street, in the centre of the city, sits Hadeel, a fair trade shop selling Palestinian goods and providing a source of income for artisans and farmers. The University of Edinburgh is one of Scotland’s three universities with Fairtrade status. Edinburgh itself gained Fairtrade city status in 2004.

The Edinburgh Fairtrade city steering group organises events marking Fairtrade fortnight such as the Fairtrade festival and displays in Edinburgh’s libraries. That commitment has led to Edinburgh hosting the Fair Trade Towns International conference this August, bringing together producers and campaigners from across the world to discuss the benefits of fair trade and how we can use fair trade to meet the sustainable development goals.

I have heard at first hand about the impact of fair trade through the cross-party group on Bangladesh. We heard from a representative of Community Crafts, a fair trade organisation that has operated for more than 40 years, giving marginalised women the opportunity to make a fair wage by creating products from upcycled saris. Those products are sold right here, in Edinburgh, at One World Shop, which I visited last year and which has sold only fair trade goods for more than 40 years. The representative from Community Crafts was in Scotland to find more buyers for their goods. That shows the strength of feeling towards fair trade here in Scotland, and its powerful global effects.

However, given the continued prevalence of poor working practices and exploitation in the production of the clothes that we wear, or the technology that we use every day, there is still much more to achieve. Fair trade in Bangladesh, especially, can be a powerful force for achieving climate justice. Producers in the global south can be considered to have done the least to cause the climate crisis, but they face the greatest loss from climate change. For a multinational corporation, a changing climate may mean a loss on the balance sheet, but for a small-scale farmer, it means losing their livelihood. With fair trade, producers are better able to adapt and protect their livelihood and communities.

I note the story of Colombian coffee co-operative Red Ecolsierra, which, through fair trade, was able to invest in sustainable growing practices, such as shade trees and better coffee drying. However, we must keep working to maximise the benefit of being a fair trade nation.

Colin Smyth has already discussed procurement and a standard definition, which are positive steps. We should also be looking to further encourage businesses across all sectors to adopt fair trade practices and to support them to build sustainable ethical supply chains by renewing and strengthening the Scottish businesses pledge.

I would welcome any further work to embed and encourage the principles of fair trade all across our economy. The strength of the fair trade movement in Scotland is something that we should be proud of. While much of the world seems to be turning inwards, with fair trade, we can make a positive case for co-operation and friendship.

I raised Islamophobia with the First Minister just two weeks ago. The abhorrent attack on Aberdeen Mosque and Islamic Centre demonstrates that Scotland is not immune to hatred, so I welcome the First Minister’s condemning it today. Will he outline what action is being taken to protect mosques during Ramadan? Does he agree that education is key to combating Islamophobia and hatred of all forms?