Chamber and committees

The eyes of the world were on us here in Scotland recently, as COP26 took place in Glasgow. Parliamentarians, world leaders, campaigners, and civil society activists were all gathered together with a commitment to tackle climate change, and it was a privilege for me to be able to attend some of the events associated with COP26.

There is no doubt that everyone has a part to play in response to the climate emergency, and in this debate I hope to highlight some of the commitments in the Glasgow food and climate declaration. The declaration brings together local authorities of all types and sizes, from small and medium-sized towns to mega-cities, districts and regions, territories, federal states and provinces, to speak with one voice in renewing their commitments to develop sustainable food policies, promoting mechanisms for joined-up action and calling on national Governments to put food and farming at the heart of the global response to the climate emergency.

The declaration was developed by Nourish Scotland in partnership with the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems—IPES-Food, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the global network ICLEI—Local Governments for Sustainability, the under2 coalition, C40, the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact and many others. It was presented in Glasgow city chambers during COP26.

I commend City of Edinburgh Council and West Lothian Council as two of the Lothian region local authorities that have signed up to the declaration. On behalf of West Lothian Council, as one of the most recent signatories, Councillor Kirsteen Sullivan emphasised to me how the declaration builds on strong partnership work with the West Lothian Food Network, which is committed to removing the barriers to accessing food, as well as the recently agreed “West Lothian Food Growing Strategy 2020-2025”, which looks at how food is grown in local communities. Integrated food policies and strategies will be key tools in the fight against climate change, and I know that other members will be able to give accounts from their own regions of the steps that are being taken in that regard.

The Scottish Government is also to be commended for becoming the lead signatory to the Glasgow food and climate declaration. The Scottish Government, and a growing number of Scottish local authorities, are among around 100 current signatories to the declaration, alongside regions such as Coimbra in Portugal, Catalonia in Spain and Cross River State in Nigeria; cities such as Sao Paulo, London, Washington, Paris, Vienna, Milan, Quito and Vancouver; and, most recently, the Government of Honduras. I am pleased to be able to bring the declaration and all that it stands for, to the chamber.

Looking at the decisions taken at COP26, we should note that, although important progress was made in many areas, food systems were not on the presidency agenda, despite accounting for around 30 per cent of global emissions. The COP26 agreements included some commitments on farming: 45 countries pledged urgent action on making farming more sustainable, there were commitments on methane, and signatories promised to invest in green agricultural practices and protecting nature. The United Kingdom Government stated that it is aiming for 75 per cent of farmers to engage in low-carbon practices by 2030, while Germany promised to lower emissions from land use by 25 million tonnes by the same year. It would be helpful if the minister could indicate how the Scottish Government will support Scottish farming to achieve the goals set out by the UK Government.

There are many examples around Scotland of the efforts being made to tackle climate change. One of the award winners at the recent RSPB nature of Scotland awards has been brought to my attention, and I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate them. The winner of the food and farming award, which is sponsored by the James Hutton Institute, was Kinclune organic nature farm in Angus. The focus of the award is to demonstrate that it is in the power of Scottish farmers to farm their way out of the biodiversity crisis by placing environmental and biodiversity considerations at the heart of management decisions.

The food system is hugely complex, so joined-up food policies are essential to the delivery of many different goals: dignified access to good food for all, restoring nature on land and in the sea, improving health, tackling climate change, creating good jobs throughout the supply chain and building stronger communities. The Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill that has been introduced to Parliament could lay the foundation for that joined-up food policy in Scotland, although it needs to be strengthened.

The cross-party support for the right to food bill, which was proposed by Elaine Smith MSP in the previous session and has been proposed again by my colleague Rhoda Grant, also shows the support for taking action now.

As the rest of the economy decarbonises, food systems will account for an increasing proportion of Scottish and global emissions, and we can expect food to be higher up the agenda at COP27. Given Scotland’s leadership role in the under2 coalition of subnational governments, I would encourage the Scottish Government to promote the Glasgow food and climate declaration over the next 12 months of the UK presidency.

In the lead-up to COP27 in Egypt, let us match the global action with a strong rights-based Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill at home. A national food plan can be effective only if local food plans are developed too, and I hope for an assurance that local authorities will be involved in developing any national food plan. Far more support needs to be provided for our local authorities to take the steps needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from urban and regional food systems. I look forward to hearing from the minister about the steps that will be taken across Scotland to turn the commitments in the Glasgow food and climate declaration into a reality.

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to encourage the public to travel by bus, in light of reports that the recent Transport Scotland Covid-19 transport trends indicate that concessionary bus travel is down by 35 per cent on pre-pandemic levels. (S6O-00380)

Pre-pandemic Scottish Government analysis showed that Scottish bus passenger numbers were falling by an average of 10 per cent per year, yet on Lothian Buses services, passenger numbers had remained constant. Given the success of that mutual ownership model, is the Scottish Government prepared to give local authorities the resources that are provided for in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, so that the rest of Scotland can enjoy the level of service that is offered by Lothian Buses? Will the Scottish Government take this opportunity to support Scottish Labour’s call for free transport for the under-25s?

How do you plan to limit the negative aspects of automation? For example, there has been a five-week wait for universal credit, and dealing with the DWP’s system has caused confusion.

My question is for the minister. Are there any plans to make Scotland’s baby box more accommodating to parents with disabled babies, through, for example, providing more items in the box for low-income families?

The pandemic has demonstrated the true value of social care, despite the low pay that is endemic throughout the sector. Social care workers have been at the forefront of caring for and protecting our loved ones who have been most vulnerable to Covid-19. Will the Government show that it is serious about investing in social care by delivering an immediate uplift to £12 per hour for social care workers?

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to allocate additional funding in its forthcoming budget to provide pay increases for front-line public sector workers. (S6O-00345)

This question is probably for Beth Watts. Do you think that the rapid rehousing transition plans are well enough resourced?

It gives me great pleasure to speak in today’s debate. The devolution of welfare powers gives us the chance to shape the kind of society that we want to be, and to restore dignity and respect to the heart of the social security system.

However, we now know that the delay on the SNP’s part has only halted progress and has potentially affected benefit take-up in Scotland. Covid-19 has hit low-income families and the most vulnerable people disproportionately hard, and it has deepened poverty and dragged more families into financial insecurity. Today, half of families who are in poverty have a member who is a disabled person. Even before the pandemic, child poverty rates were high and were projected to rise further.

Over the next decade, Scotland must be bold and willing to use the full levers of power in order to transform, if we are to meet our target on child poverty and live up to our ambitions of being a nation that respects, protects and fulfils human rights, and one in which we can all achieve our potential.

We can start with the Scottish child payment, which has continued to be on the minds of members thanks to the efforts of my friend and colleague Pam Duncan-Glancy. Just over a quarter of children in Scotland live in poverty—260,000 children right now, in 2021. That should shame us all. We talk a lot, but Parliament needs to get seriously ambitious for Scotland’s children. Let us raise the Scottish child payment to £40 a week. Let us ensure that every kid in Scotland has a good quality of life without the people who love them having to worry about where the money is coming from.

Even with full roll-out, the Scottish Government is likely to miss its interim child poverty target by 6 per cent, thereby leaving an extra 50,000 children in poverty. From the end of furlough to the cruel cut to universal credit, thanks to the Tories and the Scottish Government’s delays in rolling out and increasing the Scottish child payment, Scottish families’ incomes have been squeezed when they are already having to deal with the economic shock of the pandemic. We can and must do better.

People who have lifelong conditions look at Parliament and ask how we are going to defend them. For example, people who have multiple sclerosis are looking for hope. The MS Society, Labour and many other organisations are all calling for removal of the 20m rule from the proposed adult disability payment assessment. The Scottish Government is replacing the personal independence payment with the ADP and has, for the new benefit, retained the PIP eligibility criteria, including the 20m rule, in its assessment criteria. In 2021, a Citizens Advice Scotland survey found that a majority of advisors working to help people with disabilities to navigate the social security system agreed that the distance should be extended to 50m.

Fatigue, both physical and mental, is one of the most debilitating symptoms of MS and other neurological conditions, and the rule does not consider the severity of the fatigue that many people experience after walking 20m. I would therefore be grateful if the Government could respond to the concerns that have been raised by people who have MS. Is the Government prepared to change the eligibility criteria? Those who claim the disability payment deserve dignity and respect.

The social security system that is shaped in Parliament must ensure that no one is held back by poverty and inequality. Scottish Labour would use the powers that we have in Scotland to make sure that people have the support that they need in order to participate fully in society. The social security system that Labour would build would secure the wellbeing and human rights of everyone, and it would seek to guarantee a minimum income standard that no one would fall below. Having a strong and adequate automated SSS would lead to a higher level of uptake. Scottish Labour would build a social security system based on the principles of adequacy, respect and simplicity.

Those are the principles that will guide me as we come together to shape our social security system for Scotland and ensure that it works for all.

What percentage of BME families with children are claiming the new Scottish child payment?

I can see that Satwat Rehman is shaking her head.