Chamber and committees

I do not doubt the passion and the sincerity with which Bill Kidd has spoken today. I read his motion very carefully. Some motions that we have debated in the chamber about Palestine have gone further than Bill Kidd’s; however, I felt that there was a lack of balance in it, and I will use my time to look at the situation without diminishing in any way the atrocities that we have seen in Gaza and the impact that they are having on a daily basis.

We must also acknowledge what happened on 7 October—the terrorist attack that saw women raped, mutilated and murdered and countless people across Israel killed, with many still held hostage. Their families across the world are waiting for news, but they are not hearing a single thing. Outside our Parliament, on almost a weekly basis—and, I know, in Glasgow on a weekly basis—we see people, including families, worried about their loved ones in Israel whom they have not heard from since 7 October. We cannot allow that to be forgotten.

Although the motion echoes the UN concerns about addressing the broader context, it fails to mention the terrorist attack by Hamas. It seems to call for an oversimplification of the issues that we have in front of us. Some of the atrocities on 7 October were filmed on dashcams and mobile phones by the terrorists themselves. There might be disagreements in the chamber, but I implore MSPs to watch a 47-minute film of footage that was pieced together, to properly understand the sheer evil that was witnessed by many on 7 October.

Humanitarian aid has been mentioned quite a lot during the debate, and it is part of the motion that we are debating. However, we know that there are issues with Hamas continuing to misappropriate humanitarian aid supplies, using aid as a vital tool to preserve its own influence and control over Gazans. The new model of aid distribution that has been introduced with the support of the US, which involves the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation providing aid directly to Gazan families, is to ensure that that aid reaches the civilians who need it and is not repurposed for violence.

The international community has been clear that Hamas should play no future role—

I will in one moment, Mr Greer.

The international community has been clear that Hamas should play no future role in the civilian administration of Gaza. Unless its control of the aid supply chain is broken, Hamas will continue to exert influence over Gazan streets and perpetuate the cycle of violence and suffering that we all continue to witness.

The cabinet secretary has spoken about preventative spend. Does he agree that GPs can play a crucial role? I recently met Dr Robert Lockhart from Elgin, whom I think the cabinet secretary met on Friday. He discussed what they can do locally and nationally with more funding.

What percentage of the health budget is currently spent on general practice? What percentage does the cabinet secretary believe it should be to allow our GPs to deliver more?

The Deputy First Minister has spoken about the investment that comes with the bill. What are her reflections on previous investment in the Gaelic language? I am thinking about police cars and uniforms being labelled with both the language of Scotland and Gaelic. Could that investment have been put, years ago, into the Gaelic services that we see today, rather than being spent on something symbolic on police cars and uniforms? Would that have been a better way to spend that money?

I would never in any way—no one would—endorse executions of women and children who are waiting to get aid. No one is going to defend that—I am not going to defend it. I think that Ross Greer also acknowledges that Hamas, a recognised terror group, is using humanitarian aid for its own means, by preventing it from getting to those who need it and by using it to redouble its efforts to rearm.

I know that we are short of time, but I need to say that an immediate ceasefire such as is called for—one that does not ensure the release of all the remaining hostages—cannot be supported. Historically, ceasefires have been exploited by Hamas to rearm and regroup, as has been seen in the violations of past agreements during the 2014 and 2021 conflicts. We must take that on board.

I reiterate that what we are seeing in Gaza is appalling. We all want to see it stop. What we saw in Israel on 7 October was appalling, too, and the fact that people are still being kept hostage and away from their families as a bargaining chip is something that no one can support. We must have a balanced resolution that condemns terrorism, supports Israel’s right to self-defence and promotes direct negotiations with a two-state solution.

I will finish with a quote:

“The path to peace lies not in one-sided declarations but in fostering dialogue, accountability and mutual security. Let us work towards a resolution that brings hope to both Palestinians and Israelis.”

My constituent Sarah Beaton, from Elgin, asked me to share her experience of the health service in the hope that it improves things for others. Last June, Sarah was bleeding heavily during her period and went to see her general practitioner. Following multiple visits, she was recommended for a scan. There was a nine-month waiting list to get a scan. When she received the scan results, there were anomalies and she was suggested for referral to a gynaecologist. She was told that, on an NHS waiting list, she would have to wait another year and a half. Frightened, Sarah and her family felt that she could not wait that long and she went private, paying for it herself. That led to the discovery of cancerous lesions, which were operated on last month, and Sarah is now recovering at home.

This morning, I received a response from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to a letter that I sent him about the case. What does the First Minister say to Sarah? What will be done to reduce NHS waiting times for gynaecology in Grampian, which are among the longest in the country?

Further to that point of order, Presiding Officer. What you have just said now makes it clear that you were aware of requests back to last Thursday. In the chamber yesterday, you specifically said that you were not aware of any requests. It is important to you and to this entire Parliament that we give accurate statements to this chamber, so, on reflection, will you now correct the record from yesterday?

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I am grateful that you have agreed to meet me this evening. However, yesterday, you repeated the claim in the chamber that you had not been aware of any invitations to meet me. The chief executive of the Parliament has now confirmed that he had a discussion with you last Thursday about my first request to meet you, so, on reflection, do you agree with the chief executive that you had that discussion last Thursday, and are there opportunities for you to correct the record?

The cabinet secretary will be aware of the case of Carol Shaw, who was violently attacked by a pupil in her school. He lifted her up and threw her head first on to a concrete floor, endangering her life. Following the attack, he went to another teacher’s desk, put his foot up on the desk and said:

“The stupid cow deserved it.”

What does the cabinet secretary say about that horrifying attack? When she speaks about consequences, will she have a discussion with the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs about how that individual escaped custody, despite the sheriff in the case saying that he could have received 18 months in custody?

The minister will be aware that I have tried to ask supplementaries to transport questions, but there have been no opportunities to do so, for understandable reasons. I attempted to ask a question on the matter at First Minister’s question time about a month ago, but it was not selected because of the demands that the Presiding Officer has to deal with.

The issue has now been on-going in Keith for almost a year. I have asked twice for the Cabinet Secretary for Transport to come to Keith and hear from residents and businesses there about the impact that the road works are having. Will the minister, to whom I presented a petition on the issue back in December 2024, make the strongest possible representation to Fiona Hyslop that she should come to Keith to hear about what has been happening in the town as a result of those long on-going works?