What are the timescales for this? It goes back to the deputy convener’s point. We have an election next year, and this is an opportunity for the Parliament to take the bill forward now and get on with it, rather than waiting. The issue was raised during the 2021 election, and there is previous legislation that you have—absolutely correctly—referred to. Is this not a chance for us to get this legislation right so that it aligns with and supports the Scottish Government’s work? We could make it a wider accountability issue so that it is not sitting in a queue among other challenges.

Thank you, convener—that is very much appreciated. It would be interesting to get a view from the minister on the issue of scrutiny. The Scottish Government has been working on that issue for several years now, and it proposed its own bill, which—as the minister said—is no longer progressing.

Given the range of options for implementation, minister, what are your views on the different options that have been set out by Carnegie UK? If we are not going to have a commissioner, what alternative measures would you put in place to deliver implementation? I am keen to get your views on the different options that Carnegie UK looked at.

That is a very good reflection because this is about how you take decisions now that have a long-term impact if you also face short-term challenges, such as Covid. You mentioned that you were concerned about investigations, but what thoughts do you have about giving organisations advice, guidance and support so that they can implement wellbeing and sustainable development principles?

You said that you were concerned about creating additional burdens on public bodies, but is there not an opportunity to consider shared best practice and how to support organisations, so that the investigations option comes only after those issues have been explored, having drawn on the experience of the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales? You do not start off by investigating; you start off by supporting the principles of the purpose of those ambitions and how you could align them with the national performance framework.

Right. So, now that the Government has decided not to progress its own bill, which was similar in some ways to mine, it is about the national performance framework. What are your reflections on why implementation has not been undertaken thus far, with regard to the work that has been done to look at the implementation process across both Government and public sector bodies? What are your insights on why that has not happened?

I could ask questions all day, deputy convener, but I suspect that it would be diplomatic for me to stop at this point and thank the minister for his answers.

I feel privileged to open this debate on a condition that affects many people in our communities. It is difficult for us to imagine what it is like for your body to act without your say-so and for words to leave your lips that you did not intend to say, but that is the daily reality for tens of thousands of Scots.

Although it is estimated that one in 100 Scots may have Tourette syndrome, for too long it has been an undiscussed and underresourced condition. An example of those barriers is clear in the case of my constituent Finn. He was prescribed comprehensive behavioural intervention for tics—CBIT—therapy to help with his Tourette’s, only to discover that no one in north Edinburgh was trained in how to do it. It got worse, because on inquiring whether he could receive the treatment anywhere else in Scotland or in Edinburgh, he was told no. It surely cannot be, in a country as well resourced as ours, that patients are still unable to receive the treatment that is recommended by child and adolescent mental health services.

Far too many people who face Tourette’s go through the process of diagnosis only to find that support on the other side is lacking. That is equally true for their families. It is hard for parents to know, when their child is at an early stage, whether they are suffering from Tourette’s and how to cope with a child who is not fully in control of what they say or what their body does. Far too many parents feel helpless in trying to balance all the life changes that are required with a Tourette’s diagnosis. Often, one parent has to give up work to look after their child with Tourette’s due to disruptions at school, leaving a family with less income and stalled careers.

Wonderful organisations such as Tourette Scotland provide a range of services and support to parents and to people with Tourette’s. My constituent Tyler would not be where he is today without the support of Tourette Scotland. In his second year at school, he was noticed by someone who was running the first chances project. She helped Tyler to find a goal and showed him that he is able to achieve the things that others can. With the right support, Tyler was able to thrive, first at college, and then at university, where he graduated with a joint degree. That was only thanks to the amazing support and grant funding to help manage his Tourette’s. This summer, Tyler went to the USA to take part in Camp America for three months, helping to support kids with disabilities as a camp counsellor.

Tyler’s story should stand as an example of how Tourette’s does not have to be a barrier to life. With the right support, those with the condition can achieve great things, but it should not only be the role of third sector organisations or the national health service to provide that support. We need to foster an environment that allows those with Tourette’s to thrive, wherever they are in life. I am pleased that my office has already been in touch with the Scottish Parliament’s engagement office to introduce it to Tourette Scotland, in a bid to make our Parliament a more Tourette’s-friendly environment. In many environments, Tourette’s can still be a challenging hurdle to overcome.

A constituent of mine, Alan, shared the experience of his son, Frankie, with me. Frankie had first-hand experience of the misunderstandings that Tourette’s can bring in education settings. He was often punished for things that were outwith his control, as no one recognised his condition. It is hard to state how disruptive that can be for a child’s education and their confidence with managing Tourette’s. It can have a major impact on a child’s mental health due to the punishments that they receive for their uncontrollable actions, or the humiliation that they are subjected to because of a lack of understanding of the condition. Even when a diagnosis is made, schools are often ill equipped to deal with it effectively due to a lack of training and resources. However, it does not have to be that way.

When I spoke to Alan about his son, he told me about the practical steps that he believes are vital for ensuring that those with Tourette’s receive the necessary support. There should be clear National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and Scottish intercollegiate guidelines network guidance for Tourette’s diagnosis; a national training programme for schools, so that school staff and teachers are properly equipped to support those suffering from Tourette’s; and early recognition and intervention in schools for students, so that we can support kids from an early age to ensure that they have positive outcomes despite their condition. Those are not fairytale policies—they are achievable. We just need the political will to achieve them.

I am glad that we are joined in the public gallery by constituents who have Tourette’s. Every single one of them will have had to overcome challenges relating to their condition. It is vital that we use that momentum to deliver lasting change so that, for future generations, a Tourette’s diagnosis does not need to carry the burden that it once did.

Last week, I went to see the wonderful film “I Swear”, which illustrates the challenges of living with Tourette’s across the world. It is emotional and inspiring, and gives everyone an insight into the challenge that people with Tourette’s face. I think that everyone should go and see it, because it is a call for action. No child should see their educational attainment crumble in front of them because of a condition that they cannot control. No parent should have to give up work because the education system is unable to deal with their child’s Tourette’s. No patient should have to go through the ordeal of a diagnosis just to find that treatments are thin on the ground or non-existent.

That is why I will finish by calling on the Scottish Government to work with Tourette Scotland to create a national plan to increase funding for support services and to raise awareness across all parts of our society. We are not asking for utopia—rather, it is the standard that Tourette’s patients and their families should expect and, more importantly, deserve.

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I tried to vote. If this is the Kevin Stewart amendment, I would have voted no.

I very much welcome the minister’s comments about the action that she has committed to. When I left the screening of “I Swear”, I reflected that the condition affects not just the NHS and education but every part of our lives, including transport and the police. There is a big issue around public sector education and learning, and there is also a need to promote wider awareness among the public, so that we all understand the condition and think about what we can do to support people. We also need awareness so that we do not react in a way that makes somebody’s life worse.

What we need is to make sure that we fulfil the potential in renewables so that we have companies that make wind turbines and other kit in Scotland. For example, we have a proposal at the Port of Leith that would be transformative. We need to not just import kit but make it here in Scotland.

That means that we also need to think about the jobs that could come in our communities—joining up the thinking that I was just starting to talk about. We must think about how our communities can benefit. They need an acceleration of investment in our homes so that their heat is not expensive and does not get wasted because their homes are not energy efficient. If we use excess energy to heat our buildings, we can ensure that homes are not cold and that energy is not wasted.

Our councils need support now to implement their local heat and energy efficiency strategy plans, so that we have new, well-paid jobs across the country. We also need a joined-up investment approach so that we can maximise the benefits of capturing heat from waste and from data centres, so that we can use the additional electricity that our renewables create rather than paying £1.5 billion in constraint payments.

No, thank you.

Our transport system also needs investment to deliver decarbonised infrastructure so that people can access reliable and affordable buses and trains every day and so that they can charge their cars, wherever they live in Scotland.

Our amendment is clear that we regret the SNP Government’s failure to bring forward its promised energy and just transition strategy. People need confidence to invest. We also need a stronger climate change plan.

Our UK Labour Government has acted decisively since coming into office. Labour supported the Grangemouth area in its role in the £100 million growth deal and project willow, and an additional £200 million from the national wealth fund to secure an industrial future for the Grangemouth site. It set up Great British Energy with a remit to invest in clean power and build local supply chains. It saved the Harland & Wolff yards at Methil and Arnish. It backed 1,000 jobs in the North Sea through the aspen project, and a floating wind farm by Cerulean Winds.