Chamber and committees

I am pleased to hear that the cabinet secretary is writing to her UK counterpart to seek a meeting and that she will propose that that issue be on the agenda.

Let me from the outset acknowledge the incredibly difficult job that prison officers up and down the country do. The overwhelming majority do the job well. However, in any organisation, there will be individual and institutional failures, and on occasion, those failures will have a devastating impact.

Last year, I wrote to the then Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, asking that he give serious consideration to lifting Crown immunity for the Scottish Prison Service for breaches of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. I was not given a courtesy of a response. Can the cabinet secretary confirm that, during her meeting, she will urge the UK Government to seriously consider lifting Crown immunity to ensure that, if there are criminal failures in the Prison Service, those responsible are able to be held to account and are not protected by Crown immunity?

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details on the implementation of its social isolation and loneliness strategy, “Recovering our Connections 2023-2026”, particularly in relation to urban areas. (S6O-04146)

I thank the minister for her detailed response. There are a number of excellent organisations and community groups in my constituency and across Scotland that do so much to combat isolation, especially during the Christmas and festive period. There are too many groups in Glasgow Pollok to mention them all. However, I give a special mention to Southwest Arts and Music Project—SWAMP—Glasgow, Tea in the Pot, Govan craft cafe and the many faith organisations and groups in my constituency.

Does the minister agree with me that local community organisations play a vital role in combating isolation and loneliness, often supporting people whom other services cannot reach? Will she join me in congratulating the staff and, crucially, volunteers in my Glasgow Pollok constituency, and across Scotland, for their invaluable service in helping to combat loneliness and isolation this Christmas and during the festive period?

I thank the minister for her comprehensive response. Studies show that immigration over the decades has been good for both Scotland and the United Kingdom. Extreme anti-migrant rhetoric that seeks to divide our communities was once the exclusive territory of the far right, but it is now being adopted by mainstream political parties in the UK. Does the minister agree that, instead of becoming insular as a country, we should note that immigration is vital for our nation’s prosperity? Does she further agree that the best thing that all politicians can do is to confront the far right rather than appeasing it by adopting its rhetoric?

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of its ministerial population task force. (S6O-03898)

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its anti-racism in education programme. (S6O-03834)

I thank the cabinet secretary for that comprehensive response. She will be aware that we are now in black history month. Regrettably, Scotland played a leading role in the British empire, which involved the forced transportation of 3.1 million slaves from Africa to British colonies. Some of the wealthiest slave owners were Scottish—as, in fairness, were some of the leading abolitionists at the time. Does the cabinet secretary agree that, if we do not know our history, we are undoubtedly doomed to repeat it? Will she therefore provide an update on the efforts that are being made to ensure that our children are taught Scotland’s history in relation to the British empire?

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on funding allocations to ensure the best possible cancer care for patients, particularly in their local communities. (S6O-03696)

I thank the minister for her comprehensive response. I am sure that she, like me, was pleased to see the results of the Scottish cancer patient experience survey, which was published yesterday and shows that 95 per cent of cancer patients viewed the care that they received positively. However, an area for improvement, and I know that the minister will share my view on this, is that cancer patients often tell us that they want a single point of contact throughout their cancer journey who can provide advice and support. Can the minister outline the support and funding that the Scottish Government is providing to embed single points of contact across Scotland’s national health service and, in particular, in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board area, which affects my constituents in Glasgow Pollok?

Scotland can rightly pride itself on being a pioneer of the loss and damage fund, as it became the first country in the global north to commit funds for loss and damage at COP26. By doing so, Scotland recognised that those in the global south are disproportionately impacted by the climate crisis.

Does the cabinet secretary agree that, if the fight against climate injustice is to be meaningfully continued, not only must the loss and damage funds that were committed to at COP28 last year be distributed as quickly as possible to communities ravaged by the climate crisis, but that must be done in a way that does not further increase the debt burden for countries in the global south?