Chamber and committees

The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee has launched an inquiry into ADHD and autism pathways and support. I warmly welcome that, because many of my constituents have contacted me about the issue. However, that has led to constituents asking what that means for the learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence bill that the Scottish Government has committed to. Can the minister provide an assurance that that legislation is still being worked on and that the additional inquiry highlights how seriously the Parliament views improving the systems to help neurodivergent people of all ages to get the support that they need?

The First Minister will be aware of the recent announcement that the RTS switch-off is to be phased out and has been delayed. That is welcome, as the experience of many of my constituents has been far from positive, with some making appointments, only to have the engineers not turn up or to have the appointments cancelled at short notice. Will the First Minister join me in calling on anyone who has an RTS meter to contact their energy supplier as soon as possible and, if they have any issues, to contact their MSP or an advice service such as Advice Direct Scotland or Age Scotland for support?

The report describes a forced and systematic initiative to remove Gypsy Traveller children from their families and communities. How will the Scottish Government ensure that Gypsy Traveller community members who were affected by that shameful period in their history are supported in getting closure and coming to terms with the ordeals that they suffered?

Please record that I voted no.

During last year’s UK election, Labour promised voters change. However, since coming to power, it has adopted Tory austerity as its own policy, failed to scrap the two-child benefit cap limit, announced plans to remove benefits from disabled people and introduced a jobs tax for employers with the increase in employer national insurance contributions. It is therefore no surprise that 50 per cent of the population want an independence referendum and support independence.

In light of the Prime Minister’s reported comments, will the cabinet secretary encourage those who are in favour of independence to write to the Prime Minister to show their support for it? What discussions has the Scottish Government had with the UK Government with regard to setting out the process for Scotland to reclaim its independence?

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, what discussions it has had with the United Kingdom Government in relation to the Prime Minister’s reported comments that he does not believe that there will be another independence referendum during his Administration and that nobody is raising this with him as their first priority, in light of reports that recent polling shows support for independence at over 50 per cent. (S6O-04840)

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. My app was not working, but it seems to be working now. It says that I voted no.

Despite claims made by Conservative and Labour members last week, Professor Gillies clearly outlines the impact of a number of policies implemented by past and previous UK Tory and Labour Governments, including restrictive immigration policies, national insurance rises and Brexit. What is the cabinet secretary's assessment of how those Westminster policies have done further damage to the University of Dundee?

It is my great pleasure to open the debate, and I thank colleagues who signed the motion and those who will speak in the debate. I also welcome the commissioners and staff of the Scottish Law Commission who are in the public gallery. In particular, I acknowledge Lady Paton, the chair of the Scottish Law Commission.

I lodged the motion as a member but, as colleagues will know, I convene the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee. I think that it is fair to say that we have greatly enjoyed our engagement with the Scottish Law Commission during this parliamentary session and in the previous session. I am sure that the committee’s former convener, Graham Simpson, will also acknowledge that in his comments.

Folk in the chamber will know that, within the past year or so, the Law Commission has moved its offices in Edinburgh from Causewayside up to Parliament house. It is very nice to welcome the commissioners and staff to the Scottish Parliament and to the public gallery.

I also welcome Michael Clancy from the Law Society of Scotland, who is also in the public gallery. With regard to today’s debate, he sent me an email at the beginning of the week that said that the Law Society

“congratulates the Scottish Law Commission on achieving such a milestone and also on all its significant work to reform the law of Scotland for the improvement of the lives of people in Scotland.”

I thought that it would be useful to put that on the record, and I am sure that colleagues from the Scottish Law Commission will be pleased with those comments.

Today, we mark a significant milestone: 60 years since the Scottish Law Commission was established under the Law Commissions Act 1965. As Scotland’s law reform body, the commission’s mission, which is to simplify, modernise and improve Scots law, is essential. Outdated or unnecessarily complex laws lead to inefficiency, injustice and a legal system that does not serve the needs of ordinary people. The commission has continuously worked to address those challenges.

As members will know, the commission operates through five-year work programmes that are approved by Scottish ministers. Those are informed by judges, lawyers, Government departments, interest groups and the general public. It is a collaborative effort that ensures that Scots law remains fit for purpose and is brought up to date.

The Government can refer areas of work for review, and projects can be undertaken jointly with the Law Commission for England and Wales and the Northern Ireland Law Commission, such as the recent work on self-driving cars, which culminated in the Automated Vehicles Act 2024. Since 2013, part of the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee’s remit has been to scrutinise specific Scottish Law Commission bills that comply with parliamentary rules. So far this session, we have led scrutiny on four such bills, and we anticipate a fifth before the end of the session: a bill on contracts, as announced in the programme for government. The committee has consistently been impressed by the commission’s diligence, research and consultative approach, notwithstanding some of our helpful recommendations in our stage 1 reports.

The commission’s proposals are thorough, thoughtful and widely supported by legal stakeholders. Crucially, the commission does not have a party-political stance. The Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee is very much a non-party-political committee, which cannot be said for all committees in the Parliament. I am pleased that members of the committee tend to approach the activities that we undertake without a party-political bias.

Recent SLC bills that have been scrutinised by the committee and that are now law include the Moveable Transactions (Scotland) Bill, which was about improving access to secured lending; the Trusts and Succession (Scotland) Bill, which updated key legislation dating back to 1921; and the Judicial Factors (Scotland) Bill, which modernised Victorian-era law. In addition, the Leases (Automatic Continuation etc) (Scotland) Bill is currently under review, and our committee recently signed off our stage 1 report on it.

Although some of those bills are technical in nature, their real-world impacts should not be understated. The Moveable Transactions (Scotland) Bill was one bill that people in the legal fraternity were quite happy to talk to me about at various events in the Parliament that I attended over the years. They knew how important that legislation was and how it affected business operations. Likewise, succession law reform touches the lives of many, as it governs the distribution of estates after death.

Beyond technical updates, the commission’s work has shaped areas such as family law and defamation, contributing to fundamental legal improvements for the public. The high rate of implementation is testament to the commission’s ability to drive positive change through consensus and diligent research. This Friday, 13 June 2025, the commission will hold a conference at the University of Edinburgh, reflecting on “Law Reform: Shaping Society?” The keynote speaker, Lord Hodge, deputy president of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, will be joined by Lady Wise, Dr Alisdair MacPherson, Professor James Lee and many other esteemed guests. I am sure that all of us in the chamber wish to extend our thanks to them. I hope that the event on Friday is a great success, and we can look forward to discussions on how legal reform continues to improve and shape our society. I am sure that we—certainly the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee, but the Parliament as a whole—will have feedback from the event.

I express my gratitude to the Scottish Law Commission’s past and present members for their contribution to Scots law over six decades. Their work ensures that our legal framework evolves to meet modern needs and remains efficient, fair and just.

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the United Kingdom Government regarding multiyear funding settlements. (S6O-04783)