Chamber and committees

In conclusion, we fear that, if the issue is left in the hands of the Government, with its flawed data and lack of meaningful consultation, we will have a very dangerous outcome. I know that it is not entirely in the gift of the committee, but I urge the committee to bid for a committee-led debate. You have Labour talent here today but there are many more owls in the Parliament. We have had a members’ business debate on the issue led by a Scottish Conservative member and others have asked questions. There is cross-party support—that is important to know. We cannot play politics. If we truly want the best start for all of Scotland’s babies, at the very least we have to pause this process before a terrible mistake is made.

Good morning. I thank the convener for that very helpful summary of the journey that Karen McKeown has been on and of where we are currently. I would like to say that things are improving in addressing Scotland’s mental health crisis, but, sadly, they are not.

It is timely that we are meeting today, following world suicide prevention day yesterday. My thoughts are with everyone across Scotland who has lost a loved one to suicide and with those who are struggling today with their mental health. Help is available but, sadly, there is not always enough help when people need it. It is still very difficult to access services.

On the point about data, Karen McKeown and others continue to do their own research and to ask questions. I will not repeat the information in your packs, but the responses to Karen’s recent freedom of information request show that there are still gaps in how data is collected.

I have written to NHS Lanarkshire to ask why it is not recording waiting times for adult mental health referrals and on-going waiting times, but I have not had a response. I do not say that to embarrass NHS Lanarkshire. The convener had his finger on the pulse when he talked about Karen’s concerns about staff burnout and wellbeing. I will not give a lot of details but, when I recently attended an appointment with a constituent and one of their family members, I was very aware, in the course of that interaction, that the NHS staff involved in trying to help constituents were extremely stressed and burned out.

I support Karen in pushing the Parliament and the Government for an independent review. I heard what the convener said about the demand on the committee’s time, but, if the committee had time, it would be good if it could go out and speak to staff on a confidential basis, because I am picking up that staff are afraid to speak out. I know that trade unions are doing an excellent job in supporting staff, but we are not hearing from those on the front line.

We need more data and to help people before they fall into crisis. I recently read in Third Force News that some charity leaders have said that, in Scotland, we now have not a mental health crisis but a scandal, because we know that more action is required.

I want to leave the committee with this. From reading some briefings, I know that the Scottish Government has committed to increasing the suicide prevention budget to £2.8 million by the end of this parliamentary session, but experts say that that is nowhere near enough and that there will be more suicides and more people in crisis. I also hear appeals for an early review of the 10-year national suicide prevention strategy, which is a joint endeavour between the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities. There are good things in the strategy but, without resources, we will not see progress.

I continue to urge the committee to do whatever it can to ensure that we get a proper in-depth review of mental health services in Scotland, which should include consideration of what data we do and do not record and proper evaluation. Having more scrutiny and debate in the Parliament can only be a good thing. I know that committees, including the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, are stretched, but if we do not find space in this parliamentary session to do that work properly and to push the Government further, more of our constituents will lose their lives, and we will have more Karen McKeowns looking to the Parliament and asking what we did.

I thank the convener and other committee members for all their work on the petition over the past three years.

I welcome Liam Kerr’s motion and hope that the whole Parliament will back it today. All primary school pupils in Wales and in London have free school meals because that has been made a political priority. Does Liam Kerr agree that the SNP needs to drop the spin and the excuses in its amendment and put the needs of Scotland’s children first?

[Made a request to intervene.]

We do not need to travel internationally to find good practice. For example, Inverclyde Council is a Scottish local authority that has rolled out universal free school meals to all primary pupils. We have examples of local producers and young people with ideas. At the round-table discussion that the cabinet secretary and I held, we heard that many councils are ready to go in that direction, but we need leadership, direction and a wee bit of pulling people together. Will the cabinet secretary pick up the phone to some of those who are doing it already?

Is it your view that more needs to be done on that political persuasion and a national conversation? That is a role for the Government but also for all of us in the Parliament. How would you see that working in practice if it was to work more effectively?

That is helpful. Thank you. I will bring in Emily Nurse.

Before I come to Emily Nurse, I note that she was right to say that the Government has been working on the climate change plan for some time, but I am not aware that a draft has been published. Should the Government consider the option of putting on the table what it has been doing so far in order to give Parliament and the public a better understanding and provide transparency? There is huge public interest in this area and public anxiety about who will pay the price of many of the interventions that are required. Would it be helpful right now for the Government to think about putting a draft out, or could that be a distraction?

David Hawkey has caught my eye again. We will come to Emily Nurse in just a moment.

No. I think that my question is worth asking.

We know that there is a complex mix of devolved and reserved policy levers, which we need in order to achieve our emissions reduction targets in Scotland. I think that everyone would agree that we need the Scottish and UK Governments to work together on climate policy, although I do not want to put words in anyone’s mouth—you might not agree with that. If you do, are there any areas of policy that might be more challenging than others in that respect and, if so, what needs to happen to address them?