Chamber and committees

I do not know the specific answer to that question, but I will find it out.

We have very significant constraints in relation to access to firearms, and we have very restrictive licensing arrangements in that respect. However, that does not exclude the possibility of firearms getting into the hands of individuals who do not handle them responsibly or appropriately. I will find out the detailed answer to the question that Sharon Dowey has put to me, and I will write to her accordingly.

That act will transform victims’ and witnesses’ experiences of the justice system and ensure that they are treated with compassion. As all those bills were progressed, the justice secretary worked constructively and collegiately with members from across the chamber. She approached all their suggestions to improve the bills with an open mind.

Throughout her term in office, she has worked tirelessly to build a safer Scotland. She has championed the rights of victims and has worked to improve the conditions of those who serve across our criminal justice system. She has made justice more accessible to all, and in particular to those who have suffered some of the most serious crimes. She has never shied away from asking tough questions about our approach to justice, nor has she ever avoided tackling some of the biggest issues that we face.

For those reasons, Angela Constance has my full confidence as justice secretary. She is getting on with the job of making Scotland safer, and I urge members to enable her to continue doing that by rejecting the motion.

The safety and wellbeing of children in Scotland is a paramount concern of all of us as members of Parliament, no matter our politics or whether we are members of an Opposition party or a supporter of the Scottish Government. The safety and wellbeing of children in Scotland matter to us all.

Like many members here today, I have spoken to survivors of abuse to hear about their experiences—Russell Findlay has quoted some of my recent experience in this respect. I discussed those issues with Taylor and her family last week, in one of many conversations that I have had with abuse survivors. There is no doubt in my mind, and it is obvious to all, that many people have been fundamentally failed by the system over the years. That is shameful, and facing up to that awful reality has underpinned the approach of the Scottish Government.

Every member of my Government is committed to doing everything possible to deliver justice and the possibility of some element of closure for victims of the past, as well as to keeping safe the children of today and tomorrow. That sentiment anchors the steps that have been taken by my Government in addressing those issues—and those issues are being addressed, contrary to what Mr Findlay has just said to Parliament.

First, we established a year ago the expert, multi-agency national child sexual abuse and exploitation strategic group, which is considering previous inquiries, evidence and practices across social work, education, the police and healthcare in order to agree further actions and recommendations for national improvement and reform. Professor Alexis Jay, who has always been a member of that group, has now been appointed as its independent chair.

Secondly, an independent national review of the response to group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation in Scotland is being established. That will be undertaken by the Care Inspectorate, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education and Healthcare Improvement Scotland. The inspectorates are statutorily independent of Government and the agencies that they scrutinise, and they are able to compel public authorities to provide information that they request. Professor Jay has agreed to provide expert advice at key stages of the process.

Alongside that work, Police Scotland is continuing to review child sexual abuse and exploitation cases. I received an update from Police Scotland on that important work when we met recently, and Opposition leaders and spokespeople from across the chamber have been offered a briefing with Police Scotland on that work in the new year.

We will also draw on the published evidence and reports of the independent Scottish child abuse inquiry, which was established by Angela Constance in 2015 and which has been considering the abuse of children in the care of the state. The inquiry has now commenced phase 10 and has made it clear that there is scope to hear and act on evidence relating to group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation where that falls within its terms of reference. All that activity underlines the seriousness with which my Government takes the issue and our determination to leave no stone unturned, guided by expert opinion.

On several occasions in the chamber, we have discussed the comments that are at the heart of today’s debate, so I will reiterate what has already been stated. During stage 3 of the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill, in relation to Liam Kerr’s amendment that would have meant that the new victims commissioner should carry out research into child sexual abuse, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs raised awareness of the work that was led by Professor Alexis Jay. The cabinet secretary noted specifically that Professor Jay had been the chair of an independent inquiry into child sexual abuse in England and Wales, and drew on a comment, made in the past, that, in regard to child sexual abuse and exploitation,

“people should just get on with it”.

Following correspondence with Professor Jay, it was minuted at the strategic group’s meeting in October that the quote was correct and was from January but was not made in relation to the amendment or the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill. In the debate in September, the cabinet secretary did not state that Professor Jay was speaking directly about the amendment. She made a general point, drawing on the publicly stated views of Professor Jay—[Interruption.]

I know—and I imagine that most members know this, too—that Angela Constance is a sincere minister who would never address Parliament in a way that would in any way mislead Parliament or the public. That is evident to me from the way in which Angela Constance has, over a period of almost two years, openly and with candour, shared with Parliament the very acute challenges that we face in dealing with the rising prison population and the incredibly difficult decisions that we must take on this issue. There is vital work to be done to protect children, and getting on with that work has been what my Government has been doing, just as it has been getting on with a raft of other reforms.

For example, in justice, Angela Constance, in the past 18 months, has successfully steered four crucial acts through the Parliament, including the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Act 2025, which delivers the biggest reforms for victims of crime in the history of devolution. [Interruption.]

I had a briefing yesterday from the chief constable of Police Scotland, which concentrated significantly on the dangers to which individuals in our society are exposed by online activity. The detail of that briefing was truly chilling. I acknowledge and appreciate the point that Mr Balfour has put to me, because that represents a live and present threat and it can result in changes in behaviours and in actions that can have catastrophic implications in our society. It is important and essential that all of us—including the technology companies—are vigilant about the material that is posted online, to provide as much protection as possible from the changes in behaviour that can result in the kind of atrocity that happened at Bondi beach.

The Scottish Government stands in solidarity with Jewish communities worldwide who face unimaginable grief following the horrific terror attack on Bondi beach during the first night of Hanukkah. My thoughts are with all who have lost loved ones, and we grieve each loss profoundly.

Antisemitism is an evil that we must confront wherever and whenever it takes place. The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that Scotland’s Jewish community is supported, free from fear and able to continue contributing to national life. We are in close contact with Police Scotland and partners in education to ensure that every community feels safe, including at places of worship, schools and universities.

Last night, I was honoured to speak at the Hanukkah celebration at Edinburgh city chambers. Hanukkah is a celebration of light. It reminds us all that light is stronger than darkness. During the rest of Hanukkah, let us remember that, even in the darkest of times, hope and goodness will always endure.

Yes, we will provide a response. My answer to Miles Briggs will be how I will advise the Government to respond, which is that it should be in the frame of pursuing person-centred care. Carol Mochan makes the point that, sadly, many of the children who are affected by childhood dementia have a relatively short life expectancy. Maximising their life expectancy so that every precious moment is available for their families to be with them is absolutely vital. I will ensure that those issues are reflected in the Government’s response to the research that is being carried out.

The Government carefully considers all reports on the performance of the national health service.

The first thing to say is that we put in place record financial settlements for the national health service, which the Labour Party could not bring itself to vote for. We have also put in place the investment to make sure that we are increasing GP numbers and that operations are performing at levels that we have not seen since January 2020, before the pandemic. We have also seen an increase in the number of diagnostic tests performed, and, as I have just repeated to Jackie Baillie, long waits of more than a year have been down for five months in a row.

What this Government is doing is focusing on the people’s priorities. We are tackling the issues in the national health service, and we are delivering for the people of Scotland.

Christine Grahame raises a serious issue. We are all concerned about the sustainability of the third sector in light of the additional costs that it has to meet due to the increase in employer national insurance contributions. That increase has been a significant factor for all sectors, and in particular the voluntary sector, to deal with.

I am happy for the Government to co-operate with the Scottish SPCA in any way that we can to ensure that its important advisory and support services are available at all times during the year.