Chamber and committees

Mr Doris raises an issue that matters enormously to me. He knows, as the Parliament does, that the focal point of my Government’s agenda is the eradication of child poverty. In the London School of Economics study that he cited, Professor Ruth Patrick said:

“The progress Scotland has made on driving poverty rates down shows another way is possible.”

We certainly need another way when the United Kingdom Government has voluntarily set out welfare reforms that, based on analysis by a Labour Government, will push 50,000 children into poverty. What on earth is the point of a Labour Government that is forcing more and more children into poverty? We are taking better decisions in Scotland, where child poverty rates are falling, whereas they are rising in every other part of the United Kingdom. That demonstrates that the Labour Government in Westminster is not delivering for the people of Scotland.

No—I do not agree with that. I accept that there are challenges in the national health service, and I am very candid about that.

I set out in my speech at the National Robotarium in January exactly how the Scottish Government is going about addressing that. Let me give Jackie Baillie some reassurance about the progress that we are making.

In April 2024, the Scottish Government provided additional funding to NHS boards to deliver 64,000 additional procedures by March 2025. By the end of January, 75,500 additional procedures had been delivered. We promised 64,000 over a whole year, and within 10 months we delivered 75,500. In addition to that, all four key radiology diagnostic tests have shown a 4 per cent decrease in the total waiting list size for diagnostic tests.

I accept that there are challenges, but the Scottish Government is focused on delivering progress for the people of Scotland, and that is what we are delivering now.

It is with great sadness that I rise to move the motion in my name to honour my colleague and friend Christina McKelvie MSP and to express our thanks for the profound effect that she had on all our lives. I thank the other parties in the chamber for offering their debating time today to allow more of my party colleagues to make their tributes. It is an act of generosity that is deeply valued by us all.

Last week, I used the term “force of nature” to describe Christina’s life. Although it is a frequently used term, in Christina's case, it was entirely justified. She was born in Glasgow in the late 1960s, and was very proud of her Easterhouse roots. Growing up, she saw at first hand her fair share of injustice affecting her family and her community. She also saw the very best in people; in particular, she drew enormous inspiration from her mum, her dad and her grandparents. Over the years, Christina spoke a lot about how those experiences had shaped her beliefs and her values, and made her determined to address the injustice that she had witnessed as a child.

Christina’s dad was diagnosed with motor neurone disease when she was just nine years old. She saw not only how her mum cared for her dad with such love as his illness progressed, but how she worked nights to support her four children at a time when there was scandalously little support available from the state.

Christina associated a yellow rose with her late mother. You, Presiding Officer, my colleagues and many others are, as I am, wearing the yellow rose in their honour today. For the last week of Christina’s life, her family placed a yellow rose by her side.

I have been rereading an interview that Christina gave a few years ago, in which she recounted the day that her dad learned of his MND diagnosis. He came to her school, rounded up Christina and her siblings and told the protesting headteacher that, although his kids could come to school any day, they could not always spend a day with their dad. He then took them to the cinema to see “Star Wars”.

On what was a devastating day, I think that I understand the lesson that Christina’s dad wanted to impart to his young children. Judging by the way that Christina recounted that story all those years later, it is clear that she did, too. Every day counts, and we should make every day count. That was certainly how Christina went on to live her life.

Christina began her career in social work services and entered the trade union movement as a member of Unison. Elected politics beckoned. Entering this Parliament in 2007, Christina quickly made her mark as one of its most energetic and engaging members. She was a tireless champion and campaigner for the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse constituency that she loved. Her efforts for her constituents who were struggling, particularly with energy bills, stand out for me as something that she did on behalf of some of the most vulnerable in her community.

In 2018, alongside her council colleague Julia Marrs, Christina worked with Scottish Power to establish a quick credit voucher scheme to support those in fuel poverty. The scheme allowed constituents attending food banks to access vital heating or power to cook their food, and having successfully trialled it in Hamilton, Scottish Power rolled it out in other areas. To date, the plan has helped around 20,000 families or individuals. Christina did not seek personal credit for that wonderful initiative, but it is clear that she was absolutely crucial to its creation.

Christina’s achievements in Parliament and in ministerial office are no less impressive. She was rightly proud of her work as convener of two committees: the European and External Relations Committee and the Equalities and Human Rights Committee.

As you mentioned, Presiding Officer, she sponsored the very first wear it pink day in the Scottish Parliament in support of Breast Cancer Now, long before her own diagnosis. Many an image-conscious parliamentary colleague—there are some—will recall that feeling of absolute trepidation as Christina, armed with all sorts of pink paraphernalia, would hunt down members to ensure that they all played their part in the campaign to raise awareness of breast cancer. I can confidently say that the only person on the planet who could persuade me to wear endless pink paraphernalia would be Christina McKelvie.

Christina campaigned for better support for people living with MND in honour of her late father. She was a key parliamentary supporter of the Time for Inclusive Education campaign, which led to inclusive education being embedded in every school in Scotland. The diligent persuasion that Christina undertook—quietly—was crucial in my decision to make it happen.

Christina fought to support those at risk of domestic abuse by championing Clare’s law, which allows the disclosure of previous violent and abusive behaviour. She worked to tackle the stigma surrounding menopause. She launched the world’s first strategy to tackle loneliness and social isolation. She campaigned to improve the lives of Gypsy Travellers in Scotland. She fought to protect girls by introducing legislation banning female genital mutilation.

Every cause to which Christina devoted herself was underpinned by the core values that she held throughout her life: equalities, fairness and social justice. She was a lifelong campaigner on nuclear disarmament, a proud feminist, a staunch socialist, a committed trade unionist, a nationalist and an internationalist, deeply devoted to Scotland realising her potential as an independent nation at the heart of Europe. In all, Christina did make every day count.

Even in recent years, when facing her cancer diagnosis, Christina was still thinking of others. She publicly encouraged women to check themselves and to attend their screening appointments. She was so passionate about trying to improve the lives of others through her work as Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy that she was determined not to step back from her duties until she absolutely had to last summer.

Christina was a much-loved member of the SNP family, but it was of course her own family that brought her the greatest happiness in her life. Everyone who knew Christina and her partner—our parliamentary colleague and my party’s deputy leader, Keith Brown—could see how much happiness they brought each other. She spoke always of her pride in her sons, Jack and Lewis, as they grew up, and, more recently, Christina had the unbridled joy of becoming a granny. I express my deepest sympathy and that of the Government to all of Christina’s family and friends at their very personal loss.

In Christina’s heart, there was room for all of us. She was one of the kindest and most generous people I have ever met in my life. My Government has lost an outstanding minister, my party has lost one of its finest parliamentarians, and many people—of all parties and of none—have lost a true friend. However, I know that we will all feel the glow of Christina’s warmth for years to come.

There are tough days in political leadership. If you were ever having one, Christina McKelvie would make you feel better, with warmth, hope, encouragement and always with laughter. I am so profoundly grateful that my life has been blessed by the friendship and the love of one of Parliament’s finest: Christina McKelvie.

I move,

That the Parliament expresses its deep sadness at the death of Christina McKelvie MSP; offers its profound sympathy and condolences to her family and friends, and recognises her significant and widely appreciated contribution to Scottish politics and public life through years of dedicated service to her constituents in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, as a champion for social justice, as a convener of two Scottish Parliament committees, and as a Scottish Government minister since 2018.

[Applause.]

It is with great sadness that I rise to move the motion in my name to honour my colleague and friend Christina McKelvie MSP and to express our thanks for the profound effect that she had on all our lives. I thank the other parties in the chamber for offering their debating time today to allow more of my party colleagues to make their tributes. It is an act of generosity that is deeply valued by us all.

Last week, I used the term “force of nature” to describe Christina’s life. Although it is a frequently used term, in Christina's case, it was entirely justified. She was born in Glasgow in the late 1960s, and was very proud of her Easterhouse roots. Growing up, she saw at first hand her fair share of injustice affecting her family and her community. She also saw the very best in people; in particular, she drew enormous inspiration from her mum, her dad and her grandparents. Over the years, Christina spoke a lot about how those experiences had shaped her beliefs and her values, and made her determined to address the injustice that she had witnessed as a child.

Christina’s dad was diagnosed with motor neurone disease when she was just nine years old. She saw not only how her mum cared for her dad with such love as his illness progressed, but how she worked nights to support her four children at a time when there was scandalously little support available from the state.

Christina associated a yellow rose with her late mother. You, Presiding Officer, my colleagues and many others are, as I am, wearing the yellow rose in their honour today. For the last week of Christina’s life, her family placed a yellow rose by her side.

I have been rereading an interview that Christina gave a few years ago, in which she recounted the day that her dad learned of his MND diagnosis. He came to her school, rounded up Christina and her siblings and told the protesting headteacher that, although his kids could come to school any day, they could not always spend a day with their dad. He then took them to the cinema to see “Star Wars”.

On what was a devastating day, I think that I understand the lesson that Christina’s dad wanted to impart to his young children. Judging by the way that Christina recounted that story all those years later, it is clear that she did, too. Every day counts, and we should make every day count. That was certainly how Christina went on to live her life.

Christina began her career in social work services and entered the trade union movement as a member of Unison. Elected politics beckoned. Entering this Parliament in 2007, Christina quickly made her mark as one of its most energetic and engaging members. She was a tireless champion and campaigner for the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse constituency that she loved. Her efforts for her constituents who were struggling, particularly with energy bills, stand out for me as something that she did on behalf of some of the most vulnerable in her community.

In 2018, alongside her council colleague Julia Marrs, Christina worked with Scottish Power to establish a quick credit voucher scheme to support those in fuel poverty. The scheme allowed constituents attending food banks to access vital heating or power to cook their food, and having successfully trialled it in Hamilton, Scottish Power rolled it out in other areas. To date, the plan has helped around 20,000 families or individuals. Christina did not seek personal credit for that wonderful initiative, but it is clear that she was absolutely crucial to its creation.

Christina’s achievements in Parliament and in ministerial office are no less impressive. She was rightly proud of her work as convener of two committees: the European and External Relations Committee and the Equalities and Human Rights Committee.

As you mentioned, Presiding Officer, she sponsored the very first wear it pink day in the Scottish Parliament in support of Breast Cancer Now, long before her own diagnosis. Many an image-conscious parliamentary colleague—there are some—will recall that feeling of absolute trepidation as Christina, armed with all sorts of pink paraphernalia, would hunt down members to ensure that they all played their part in the campaign to raise awareness of breast cancer. I can confidently say that the only person on the planet who could persuade me to wear endless pink paraphernalia would be Christina McKelvie.

Christina campaigned for better support for people living with MND in honour of her late father. She was a key parliamentary supporter of the Time for Inclusive Education campaign, which led to inclusive education being embedded in every school in Scotland. The diligent persuasion that Christina undertook—quietly—was crucial in my decision to make it happen.

Christina fought to support those at risk of domestic abuse by championing Clare’s law, which allows the disclosure of previous violent and abusive behaviour. She worked to tackle the stigma surrounding menopause. She launched the world’s first strategy to tackle loneliness and social isolation. She campaigned to improve the lives of Gypsy Travellers in Scotland. She fought to protect girls by introducing legislation banning female genital mutilation.

Every cause to which Christina devoted herself was underpinned by the core values that she held throughout her life: equalities, fairness and social justice. She was a lifelong campaigner on nuclear disarmament, a proud feminist, a staunch socialist, a committed trade unionist, a nationalist and an internationalist, deeply devoted to Scotland realising her potential as an independent nation at the heart of Europe. In all, Christina did make every day count.

Even in recent years, when facing her cancer diagnosis, Christina was still thinking of others. She publicly encouraged women to check themselves and to attend their screening appointments. She was so passionate about trying to improve the lives of others through her work as Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy that she was determined not to step back from her duties until she absolutely had to last summer.

Christina was a much-loved member of the SNP family, but it was of course her own family that brought her the greatest happiness in her life. Everyone who knew Christina and her partner—our parliamentary colleague and my party’s deputy leader, Keith Brown—could see how much happiness they brought each other. She spoke always of her pride in her sons, Jack and Lewis, as they grew up, and, more recently, Christina had the unbridled joy of becoming a granny. I express my deepest sympathy and that of the Government to all of Christina’s family and friends at their very personal loss.

In Christina’s heart, there was room for all of us. She was one of the kindest and most generous people I have ever met in my life. My Government has lost an outstanding minister, my party has lost one of its finest parliamentarians, and many people—of all parties and of none—have lost a true friend. However, I know that we will all feel the glow of Christina’s warmth for years to come.

There are tough days in political leadership. If you were ever having one, Christina McKelvie would make you feel better, with warmth, hope, encouragement and always with laughter. I am so profoundly grateful that my life has been blessed by the friendship and the love of one of Parliament’s finest: Christina McKelvie.

I move,

That the Parliament expresses its deep sadness at the death of Christina McKelvie MSP; offers its profound sympathy and condolences to her family and friends, and recognises her significant and widely appreciated contribution to Scottish politics and public life through years of dedicated service to her constituents in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, as a champion for social justice, as a convener of two Scottish Parliament committees, and as a Scottish Government minister since 2018.

[Applause.]

I thank Russell Findlay for his kind remarks about my dear colleague Christina McKelvie. I appreciate his condolences to all on the sad news.

The Government will consider the recommendations that are contained in the Audit Scotland report. We are taking forward a series of investments to strengthen access to healthcare in Scotland. General practice is one of the areas in which access is most critical. The Government’s investment through the primary care improvement fund, for example, and other steps that have been taken to expand the workforce in general practice are among the practical steps that we are taking to address the issues in the Audit Scotland report.

Today is an unbearably sad day as we all come to terms with the loss of our generous, kind, loyal and fun-loving colleague Christina McKelvie. Members across the chamber all feel that loss, but my party is aching at the news today.

Christina was a parliamentarian of the highest motivation and the finest nature. I was proud that she was a member of my Government, giving her all to make life better for others, which was always her motivation. She served her constituents, her party and her country with the greatest amount of devotion that was imaginable.

Today, I express to her partner, and my deputy, Keith Brown—one of my dearest friends—and to her sons, Jack and Lewis, my profound sympathy at their loss and my gratitude for the benefit of having known such a magnificent woman.

Climate change is driving more extreme weather conditions in Scotland. This month, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency reported that Scotland has had a drier than average winter. Scotland’s national water scarcity plan sets out how water resources will be managed during periods of prolonged dry weather. As part of that plan, the Scottish Government, SEPA and Scottish Water have established rigorous processes to monitor the situation and to support those affected.

Summer is usually a crucial time of the year for water demand and, potentially, for water shortages. It is important that water users and abstractors are aware of the risk of water scarcity, so that we can all help to reduce the pressure on the water environment. From May, SEPA will provide weekly water scarcity reports to update key sectors and stakeholders on the position.

I thank Mercedes Villalba for her kind remarks about Christina McKelvie.

I am grateful to Ash Regan for her comments on my dear colleague.

I am deeply concerned by recent incidents in Edinburgh and am fully supportive of Police Scotland’s efforts to apprehend those responsible. Although it would be inappropriate to comment on the investigation itself, I reassure members that significant resource is being put into the scrutiny of closed-circuit television footage and that door-to-door inquiries and increased patrols are being deployed in the area.

I encourage anyone who has information to report it directly to Police Scotland. There are, of course, a range of other measures that are being taken in relation to the work of the serious organised crime task force and its key partners to disrupt, deter and detect serious organised crime. That remains an absolute priority for all partners.

Those issues and judgments are a matter for the chief constable in the exercise of her operational responsibility for control of policing. It would be inappropriate for me to specify where police officers should be located, other than to reassure communities that, where the intelligence that is actively scrutinised by Police Scotland identifies the potential for violence to emerge in our society, that will be responded to by Police Scotland and resources will be allocated accordingly.

In the budget, the Government has allocated £1.62 billion to support police capacity and capability, which represents an increase of £57 million in resource funding to enable our police to undertake the roles that we expect them to undertake. There is now capital funding in place that is assisting with the renewal of the estate, technology and fleet activities, and investment in body-worn video camera equipment has been rolled out for the first area of the country in the past few days.

Over many years, I have listened to lots of debate—certainly during the 2014 referendum campaign—that have indicated that oil revenues are not going to be a source of strength for Scotland in the future. Mr Hoy is alighting on the challenges that exist as a consequence of a declining oil basin. We have to adjust to that and put in place measures to tackle those issues, and that is what the Government is doing.