Chamber and committees

Correct.

Can the First Minister confirm what action the Scottish Government is taking to ensure that shortfalls in Government funding for non-self-funded care home places are not being made up for with an unaffordable raise in the cost of care for self-funders?

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I would have voted yes, but my phone crashed.

As the corporate body is aware, in the past the Parliament has celebrated the provision of a high-quality crèche service in the building, which allows parents and carers to access parliamentary business and to meet more easily with members of the Scottish Parliament. In October 2020, the SPCB committed to having a new contract in place as soon as possible at the start of the new parliamentary session. What steps are being taken to speed up that process, including consulting not just members but constituents, in the interests of supporting wider engagement with the Parliament?

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what progress has been made on reopening the Scottish Parliament crèche. (S6O-00857)

I wish every success to Stirling’s bid to be UK city of culture, but it is becoming clear that many cultural events, outlets and institutions across Scotland are struggling to keep their doors open in the wake of the pandemic. What more can the Scottish Government do to ensure that cultural organisations are supported so that events such as UK city of culture have a fighting chance of returning to Scotland in the future?

Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems recently highlighted the so-called multiple disadvantages faced by black and minority ethnic people who are struggling with alcohol harm, whereby culture and other issues add to the barriers to people seeking treatment. What is the Scottish Government doing to ensure that everyone in our society can access the support that they need?

I thank Jenni Minto for bringing the debate to the chamber. It is a pleasure to speak in honour and recognition of Dr Elsie Inglis, who was a true pioneer of women’s rights and medical services in this city, this country and across Europe.

It is fitting that we mark Dr Inglis’s life and work in the same week that we mark international women’s day, when we celebrate the role of women across the world. She certainly made a difference to more of the world than many people of her era had the chance to. Much has already been said about her domestic activities and her work on the rights of women across Britain, especially their right to participate in society and their right to equality and dignity with regard to medical treatment. It is remarkable that Dr Inglis was able to achieve so much when society’s odds were stacked against her, and her achievements speak to her determination to do what was right.

That was certainly noticeable in Dr Inglis’s service during the first world war, when she set up hospitals and medical teams to aid allied troops in the most appalling conditions. Her work in Serbia in dealing with a typhus epidemic and during her captivity has made her a national hero in that country. As Denis Keefe, the former United Kingdom ambassador to Serbia, noted:

“In Scotland she became a doctor, in Serbia she became a saint.”

In light of recent events, I was particularly struck to see that one of Dr Inglis’s final journeys was to Odessa, then part of the Russian empire, to aid suffering soldiers there. It is a sobering thought that we are once again sending aid to allies fighting in the same region.

Dr Inglis died a day after she returned to Britain, and she never got to see the legacy that she had created for women in Britain and for medicine abroad. It is therefore fitting that we are finally discussing how best to celebrate Elsie Inglis’s legacy. I pay tribute to the organisations such as the OneCity Trust and Girlguiding Scotland that have been campaigning tirelessly for a statue to Dr Inglis, and to the lord provost of Edinburgh, Frank Ross, who has personally campaigned for this cause. I also pay tribute to the fundraising work of Fiona Garwood and Thea Laurie, both of whom are in the Parliament today, I believe. Whatever the final form, I agree that it is time that Edinburgh recognised Dr Inglis’s life and work with a permanent memorial.

I also note the initiative this month at Edinburgh central library, inspired by the Elsie Inglis campaign, to create a mural to highlight Edinburgh’s unsung women. I hope that, through those efforts, we will soon be able to further the work of Elsie Inglis and her fellow campaigners for equality, so that the women who have shaped our city and our nation are remembered at least as much as their male counterparts. [Applause.]

I declare an interest as chair of Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council.

I welcome the opportunity to speak in the chamber on international women’s day. Scottish Labour supports the motion and the amendment. As other members are, I am shocked by the scenes of families being torn apart by the war on Ukraine and of women continuing to care for their children and elderly relatives in unimaginable conditions. Women there are, as they are in every other conflict, being exposed to rape, sexual abuse and male violence simply because they are women. In situations of war, women must be placed at the heart of the peace process and at the centre of recovery. That must be one of our messages on international women’s day.

In Scotland, each year the Parliament provides a focus for members to celebrate women’s achievements in every sphere of life. For example, members have supported me in a motion commending Angela Moohan and the Larder West Lothian. The project provides high-quality training and dignified food provision. Angela has now made it into the NatWest WISE—women in social enterprise—2022 top 100 list. She is only one example among many inspirational stories. The pandemic has shown the strength of so many women who have been caring for their communities and families throughout it.

All political parties have made promises that there should be no return to the old inequalities, as we come out of the pandemic, but we must recognise that the evidence is that we are not going in that direction. Yesterday, for example, Women in Sport published a report, “Reframing Sport for Teenage Girls: Building Strong Foundations for their Futures”. It caught my attention because I am concerned by the decline in sporting activity during the pandemic, which has led to increased isolation and mental health problems for young people, as community and sports facilities were closed.

The report shows that, by the time they reach secondary school, girls drop out of active participation in sport at nearly twice the rate that teenage boys drop out. Citing reasons including loss of confidence, worry about body image and increased pressure from gender stereotyping, those girls are missing out on so much. It is on all of us to address that.

Scottish Labour is committed to seeing more women and girls living active lives and participating in sport at all levels. We must encourage participation by women from various religions and diverse minority communities, in particular, through provision of single-sex opportunities. We must also create community spaces that are welcoming and safe places in which women can exercise.

The remit and membership of the Scottish Government women in sport advisory board is under review as we learn from the pandemic. I ask that the “Reframing Sport for Teenage Girls” report be considered by the advisory board and that priority be given to addressing the issues that have resulted in girls and young women pulling away from sport and outdoor activities.

I hope that the specific needs of women and girls from ethnic minority communities can be addressed. Investing in the next generation means investing now in girls and young women, and supporting them to lead healthy and active lives.

I pay tribute to the many smaller organisations that work for and with women in our black and ethnic minority communities and in our various cultures. Those organisations include Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council, Saheliya, Networking Key Services, Milan Senior Welfare Organisation and Multi-Cultural Family Base. There are many others that work with and support women in Edinburgh—for example, Action for Children’s heritage and inclusion project, which seeks to end isolation among teenage girls, and Intercultural Youth Scotland.

We recognise that the contribution that is made by many women in our communities is so often in addition to the commitment that they already invest in their homes and families. Parliament must find a way to ensure that their knowledge and experience inform our legislation and policy making.

I also pay tribute to individuals including Mrs Saroj Lal, Mrs Shamshad Rahim, Mrs Shaheen Unis, Mrs Rohini Sharma Joshi and, of course, my two colleagues Pam Gosal and Kaukab Stewart, for making a difference in the black and ethnic minority community.

To conclude, I say that women in Scotland must have confidence that the Parliament listens to, learns from and acts on their concerns and priorities—not only on international women’s day, but every day.

Good morning. I have a very short question. I have heard black and minority ethnic people say that they feel uncomfortable going to a dedicated BME organisation because they feel that the community is so small and that word can get out. Socially and culturally, they feel very uncomfortable. What is your view on that? Marsha Scott said that more investment is needed, but should work be done on language, too? How can that effect be mitigated? Should people be referred to wider services rather than to a BME organisation?