Chamber and committees

I, too, thank Meghan Gallacher for securing the debate and for bringing everyone together. I join her in paying tribute to all the campaigners and families in Caithness, in Moray and, indeed, in Lanarkshire, on whom I will focus in my remarks.

I know that Meghan Gallacher feels this personally, as a mum who gave birth to her baby girl in Wishaw just last year. My daughter was born in the same hospital—not last year, but 17 years ago. A few years ago, Richard Leonard and I had a lovely special visit to the hospital so that we could go and meet staff and listen to those who work in maternity and neonatal care. To my surprise, I was reunited with my midwife, who gave me the biggest hug. I was humbled that she remembered me, and we had a lovely chat.

In my earlier speech, I mentioned that, to families who have had experience of being in the neonatal department, the staff there feel like family. They feel that genuine love, compassion and care. Continuity of care is really important.

Earlier today, I made the mistake of sitting behind Mark Griffin while he made his speech. I agree with Graham Simpson that it was very moving. The fact that Mark and his family have been so open about their struggles has helped other families, particularly in relation to the financial support that Mark’s campaigning has helped to secure. In the debate, we have heard a lot about mitigation and the support that people might be able to get if the plan goes ahead, but the whole point is that we can prevent such trauma from happening.

I should also say that Mark Griffin has had to leave the chamber because Rosa needs to be picked up from Rainbows tonight, but I am sure that we would all welcome that—we would not begrudge Rosa her Rainbows experience.

As the minister knows, I chair the cross-party group on women’s health. I am very passionate about women’s health, and I make no apology for that, but I have to say that on the point about the impact on women—the birth trauma that Douglas Ross has addressed—so many issues that affect women also affect dads, partners and family units, and they can have lifelong impacts. It does not need to be like that.

I am quite jealous of Jenni Minto, as she probably has one of the best jobs in Government as Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health. She is sitting here as a lonely figure tonight, but we do not want her to be alone in this—we do not want her to be burdened with this terrible dilemma. People want to help: the people in the gallery want to help. Our communities know what they are talking about and they want to help, too.

I would actually quite like Richard Leonard to be the minister who is looking at this, because he went through the issues forensically. He asked the questions that ministers need to be asking civil servants and clinicians. We must be forensic, and we must get to the bottom of this. Carol Mochan was very clear about that earlier, and she hit the nail on the head when she asked: where is the transparency? Where are all the documents? NHS Lanarkshire was not even properly at the table, a point that the Royal College of Midwives has made in its briefings.

There is not a lot of time left. I hope that Collette Stevenson asks her business manager to secure a proper debate in the Parliament, because parents who are sitting in the gallery tonight have messaged me to ask, “What does this actually mean? What did that vote actually do?” The vote endorsed the downgrading of the neonatal unit, and that is not what people want. We are going to live to regret that, minister.

As we have heard from some of the families that have been mentioned this afternoon, significant long-term complications can be linked to premature birth and the need for neonatal care. The ability to go back to our local hospital and see those familiar faces—to have that institutional knowledge that Richard Leonard talked about—is something that money cannot buy.

So, yes, this is a dark plan. This downgrading will be dangerous. However, it is not too late, minister—we can stop it.

The question that I wanted to ask the minister earlier, when she did not take an intervention, was this: when did she last go to University hospital Wishaw? When did she last visit the neonatal unit, speak to the staff and try to walk in their shoes to understand the situation? We cannot sit behind a desk or in this Parliament and just write them off. Please listen—these people are award winning for a reason.

That is great. You have anticipated my final question by mentioning community wealth. I am interested to find out how the Government is working behind the scenes to make sure that it takes a cross-portfolio approach. What work is being done with other ministers in terms of land reform and your aspirations to make sure that there is alignment between just transition and community wealth building? How does that work in practice?

That is great; thank you. What action has the Government taken to respond to the Land Commission’s 2018 recommendations on community ownership? What expectations does the Government have of the community land leadership group?

Perhaps this can be followed up in writing. I realise that we may have got muddled and that we can clarify things in writing. The figure of £500 million relates to bus priority measures. Is the Government still committed to that investment and when will we see those measures being delivered? If there is no time to get into that, perhaps we can get that in writing.

I think that you have covered most of it. It was about expectations on the community land leadership group and what action the Government is taking on the 2018 recommendations.

I appreciate the convener giving me quite a lot of time.

Okay, we will keep an eye on that. I want to ask about antisocial behaviour. I was looking back at the Official Report of one of your last meetings as my buddy on this committee, when you were deputy convener. Antisocial behaviour is a real issue. I know from some of the questions that you asked our rail union colleagues that you totally understand that. There have been some really serious issues with antisocial behaviour and violence affecting both the public and the workforce, as you mentioned in your earlier remarks to Mark Ruskell. Can you say a bit more about the action that the Government and Transport Scotland have been taking to tackle antisocial behaviour and criminality and to understand their root causes?

I have been reading about the requirements for a significantly greater level of support at registration stage than is normally required. It seems that there are additional burdens there, which may not be fair. What is your feeling about that?

A lot of that is helpful. We would love to have you out in Hamilton to listen to residents. Taking the bus away in 2020 during the pandemic was a cynical move, and it needs to be looked at afresh. I appreciate that the issue does not sit entirely on your desk; it needs a collaborative approach.

I think that we all welcome those powers for local government, but the resource has to match them. The community bus fund, which is worth £74 million from the Scottish Government, is for all local authorities. Glasgow City Council says that taking control of a bus operator would cost it more than £200 million, so is that £74 million enough in your assessment? Is that being looked at? What more can be done financially to support local authorities?

That is correct, convener—it is my turn.

Good morning, minister and officials. I welcome Mark Ruskell asking about the ticket offices, and your reassurance, minister, that there will be no closures in Scotland. I am speaking later today at the annual general meeting of Disability Equality Scotland, as its patron—that is in my entry in the register of members’ interests—and I know that people there will also welcome that reassurance.

You said that opening hours are an operational matter for ScotRail. Is it your view that you would not want to see any reduction in the capacity and availability of staffed ticket offices?