The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.
The Official Report search offers lots of different ways to find the information you’re looking for. The search is used as a professional tool by researchers and third-party organisations. It is also used by members of the public who may have less parliamentary awareness. This means it needs to provide the ability to run complex searches, and the ability to browse reports or perform a simple keyword search.
The web version of the Official Report has three different views:
Depending on the kind of search you want to do, one of these views will be the best option. The default view is to show the report for each meeting of Parliament or a committee. For a simple keyword search, the results will be shown by item of business.
When you choose to search by a particular MSP, the results returned will show each spoken contribution in Parliament or a committee, ordered by date with the most recent contributions first. This will usually return a lot of results, but you can refine your search by keyword, date and/or by meeting (committee or Chamber business).
We’ve chosen to display the entirety of each MSP’s contribution in the search results. This is intended to reduce the number of times that users need to click into an actual report to get the information that they’re looking for, but in some cases it can lead to very short contributions (“Yes.”) or very long ones (Ministerial statements, for example.) We’ll keep this under review and get feedback from users on whether this approach best meets their needs.
There are two types of keyword search:
If you select an MSP’s name from the dropdown menu, and add a phrase in quotation marks to the keyword field, then the search will return only examples of when the MSP said those exact words. You can further refine this search by adding a date range or selecting a particular committee or Meeting of the Parliament.
It’s also possible to run basic Boolean searches. For example:
There are two ways of searching by date.
You can either use the Start date and End date options to run a search across a particular date range. For example, you may know that a particular subject was discussed at some point in the last few weeks and choose a date range to reflect that.
Alternatively, you can use one of the pre-defined date ranges under “Select a time period”. These are:
If you search by an individual session, the list of MSPs and committees will automatically update to show only the MSPs and committees which were current during that session. For example, if you select Session 1 you will be show a list of MSPs and committees from Session 1.
If you add a custom date range which crosses more than one session of Parliament, the lists of MSPs and committees will update to show the information that was current at that time.
All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
Displaying 989 contributions
Meeting of the Parliament
Meeting date: 17 May 2023
Ruth Maguire
The Government has long recognised, through its equally safe strategy, that commercial sexual exploitation in all its forms is both a cause and a consequence of men’s violence against women. Can the cabinet secretary give an update on legislation to tackle male demand and end that violence?
Meeting of the Parliament
Meeting date: 10 May 2023
Ruth Maguire
I spoke with staff at one of my local GP practices, and they told me that their unsuitable premises are making recruitment and retention difficult. They are currently operating in a building that is too small. What capital funding is available for building, developing or improving primary care facilities in Ayrshire and Arran?
Meeting of the Parliament
Meeting date: 10 May 2023
Ruth Maguire
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the general practitioner workforce. (S6O-02209)
Meeting of the Parliament
Meeting date: 9 May 2023
Ruth Maguire
I am happy to speak to the Government motion and to support the vision of a just, safe and resilient Scotland that puts victims and witnesses at the heart of our justice system. The publication “Trauma Informed Justice: A Knowledge and Skills Framework for Working with Victims and Witnesses” identifies six key aims of a trauma-informed justice system. They are to
“Understand the prevalence and impact of trauma on both witnesses and the workforce”,
to
“Avoid re-traumatisation where at all possible”,
to
“Support recovery from the impact of trauma where possible”,
to
“Uphold the rights of witnesses affected by trauma to equal and effective participation in the legal process”,
to
“Support resilience of the workforce and reduce the potential impact of vicarious trauma”,
and to ensure that
“Leadership and management of organisations and systems uphold these aims”.
In some ways, it is a bit strange to find ourselves here in 2023 with those aims and principles not already embedded, when so much is known about trauma. However, the good news is that they set crystal-clear expectations and give a helpful road map to get us there, which I welcome. Change is needed.
Fair access to justice must be underpinned by a justice system that allows victims of any crime to fully participate and give evidence without that process contributing to further trauma or harm. That is fundamental to the rule of law and our democracy, and without it we put at risk the safety and trust of our communities. To meet that vision, we must ensure that our justice system does not introduce new trauma into people’s lives and that it avoids retraumatisation.
I think that we all agree on the critical importance of staff having a shared understanding of the impact of trauma as well as the knowledge and skills to minimise retraumatisation and support recovery. The acknowledgement of the effect of vicarious trauma on the workforce is important, too.
Because victims and survivors of crime and witnesses can be affected by trauma in many ways, it is imperative for the criminal justice system to be designed to be person centred and trauma informed. The motion notes the opportunity for the Parliament to further consider those issues through its scrutiny of the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill. There is much to welcome in that bill—in particular, I join colleagues in welcoming the abolition of the not proven verdict.
Another relevant piece of legislation that is making its way through the Parliament at the moment is the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill, which seeks to further children’s rights and uphold the Promise. The bill aims to increase safeguards and support, especially to those who may need legal measures to secure their wellbeing and safety.
In putting witnesses and victims at the heart of our justice system, it is crucial that we remember child victims of criminal harm. The majority of victims of crime who are harmed by children are themselves children. Victim Support Scotland has provided the Education, Children and Young People Committee, of which I am a member, with evidence that it does
“not believe that the children’s hearing system currently takes sufficient cognisance of victim safety or the wider elements of public protection into account, as it is currently drafted.”
The organisation suggests that victim safety and public protection should be more in line with the measures that are available to courts in order to protect victims of crime.
I welcome the Scottish child interview model that the cabinet secretary mentioned. Victim Support Scotland told us that the process of how child victims of crime are dealt with needs to be radically reformed. The organisation rightly points out:
“The Getting it Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) principles and values are not only designed to assist and help children who have harmed but also to help and assist children who are victims of crime regardless of the age of the person who has caused them harm.”
We are still at stage 1 of our scrutiny of the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill and I hope that the Government will be open to changes that further children’s rights even more, perhaps particularly on information sharing to allow safety planning for victims.
In a briefing that was sent ahead of the debate, Children 1st highlighted the bairns’ hoose approach, which is also to be welcomed. I note that Scotland’s first bairns’ hoose will open this summer and I support Children 1st’s conclusion that that approach will have a transformational impact. However, I acknowledge that, as Children 1st tells us, more energy and resource will be required to ensure that all children and young people have access to it when they need it.
At all levels of the justice system, we must have an effective, trauma-informed approach that supports people at their most vulnerable. Every contact that an individual has with the justice system can have a significant impact. Evidence shows that how we are treated affects our feelings about, and confidence in, justice processes and that those experiences are often as important as the conclusion of a case or dispute.
For the justice process to work effectively and to encourage people to report crime, victims and witnesses need to know that the services that they encounter are designed to support and help them and that the people who work within those services listen to and respect their needs. With the knowledge and skills framework and upcoming legislation, we have the opportunity to ensure that that is the case.
16:07Meeting of the Parliament
Meeting date: 9 May 2023
Ruth Maguire
I congratulate Jackie Dunbar on securing the debate and bringing this important topic to the chamber. My thanks also go to Amy Callaghan MP, who has been campaigning tirelessly for the removal of VAT on sunscreen products that are recommended by the NHS.
There are 16—forgive me, Presiding Officer; I am number blind. There are 16,000 new cases of melanoma diagnosed each year across the UK, with 2,300 people dying, but we know that 90 per cent of cases of melanoma could be prevented by staying safe in the sun. We heard those shocking statistics from Jackie Dunbar in her opening speech. However, it is important that those numbers are highlighted and repeated in order to press home how crucial action such as removing VAT on products could be in preventing cancer and saving lives.
Prevention is what the campaign is about. Sunscreen is often seen as a luxury—something that somebody buys when they head off on holiday. In Scotland, we may think about it only after the searing pain of being sunburned, which has probably happened to all of us at some point. We may even have joked about it, but would we do so, if we knew? To quote Police Scotland, we need to “stay safe”. It takes only one blistering sunburn, especially at a young age, to more than double a person’s chance of developing melanoma later in life.
Education in a young person’s life is crucial to their understanding of the world; it gives them tools that influence their decisions throughout their life. As parents and carers, we like to be role models for our children and young people. We encourage them to drink water and stay hydrated; to eat healthily; and to get outdoors and move around and play, especially when the weather is nice. When we manage to get them off their devices to go outside, we teach them not to speak to strangers and to be careful of traffic, but do we always make sure that they use sunscreen? If not, why not?
On an MSP’s salary, £3.50 for sunscreen might be cheap, but for a lot of families that impacts on the weekly amount of money that they have to spend. When we talk about being safe in the sun, we know that sunscreen alone is not enough, but with the cost of hats, summer clothes and sunglasses, the costs for families can be significant.
Over the past wee while, the cost of living crisis has been high on the agenda. Energy prices have risen, interest rates have soared and people have endured an increase in the cost of their weekly shop. With the Met Office reporting that the average hottest summer day is between 4°C and 7°C warmer than previously recorded, it is vital that families are able to afford to protect themselves and their children.
A survey by Tesco showed that 57 per cent of adults think that sun cream is too expensive—29 per cent said that they would wear it daily if it was a little cheaper, and nearly a third of parents said that they cannot always afford to apply sun cream to the whole family, often deciding to apply it only to their children. As we heard, Tesco has already absorbed the cost of VAT on all products in its own brand range, which has meant a reduction of 20 per cent in the price. I know that Morrisons backs Amy Callaghan’s campaign too. As summer approaches, I urge families who are feeling the pinch with the cost of living crisis not to skimp on buying sun cream, and to remember that it is not the brand but the ingredients that keep you safe.
Melanoma UK projects that over 19,000 people in the UK are expected to be diagnosed with melanoma in 2025. It is vital that action is taken now to remove VAT on sunscreen so that protection is affordable and easy for young people and families, in order to save lives and prevent cancer.
17:27Meeting of the Parliament
Meeting date: 4 May 2023
Ruth Maguire
I thank Bill Kidd for bringing this important debate to the Scottish Parliament chamber, allowing each of us to recognise the selfless acts of firefighters across Scotland and the world and to give them our thanks and the recognition that they deserve.
Few jobs are more selfless than firefighting. Imagine what it takes for someone to throw on their protective equipment, override every human instinct and run towards danger, knowing that they might not survive, to tackle flames that never want to die and searing heat that no one should experience. We have seen it time and again at tragedies such as Grenfell tower in London and the twin towers in New York and, most recently, with the loss of Barry Martin while he was tackling a blaze at the Jenners store here in our capital. Those men and women whom we remember and those who continue to come to our aid and protect our communities would probably tell us that they were just doing their job.
I am talking about men such as Tom Brown. He was 53 when he lost his life having had 28 years of experience in the service. He joined Strathclyde Fire Brigade in February 1979 and served for 20 years at Johnstone in Renfrewshire before moving to Kilwinning fire station. On Tuesday, 1 May 2007, Tom attended a fire in an unoccupied property on Bank Street in Irvine. He was one of four firefighters who entered the house that morning. All were wearing breathing apparatus. Just seconds after getting the fire under control and leaving the house, Tom collapsed. Colleagues from his green watch division based at Kilwinning fire station did what they could to save him but, sadly, he had suffered a heart attack, and passed away at Crosshouse hospital the following afternoon, Wednesday, 2 May 2007. He left behind his partner, Natalie, and stepdaughters, Natasha and Jessica.
Tom was described as a popular member of staff and a very able firefighter. His final act was protecting our community by tackling one of the many house fires that he would have faced throughout his time in the service.
Today, while remembering those firefighters such as Tom who lost their lives, our thoughts should also be with the families of those who have died in service. I pay tribute to the parents, siblings, partners and children who are heroes themselves.
On the day that we gather to remember, we should also pledge to support firefighters in whatever meaningful way we can. Risk of death should not be the norm. The report from the University of Central Lancashire, which was commissioned by the Fire Brigades Union, found that there are serious health risks to UK firefighters following exposure to toxic fire effluents. It revealed that firefighters such as Tom Brown are dying from heart attacks at five times the rate of the general public, almost three times the rate are dying from stroke, and firefighters are significantly more likely to suffer from cancer.
Understanding the effects of those harmful contaminants is vital to creating a better working environment for our brave firefighters. I am pleased that the Fire Brigades Union continued its research with an extra 100 firefighters last month, and I welcome the additional £10 million funding uplift and the continued engagement between the Scottish Government and the fire service on providing better resources and to discuss current and future actions to protect firefighters.
Today we are honouring and remembering extraordinary public servants. I say to the families who have lost loved ones that we know that our words will never replace them but, today and every day, we offer them our eternal gratitude.
13:03Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 3 May 2023
Ruth Maguire
I do not want to interrupt. I just feel that it is quite an important point. I appreciate that you are newer to the bill.
The evidence that we have heard is that there is concern that it is a move to a subjective test rather than having the objective safeguard of reasonableness in there.
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 3 May 2023
Ruth Maguire
Good morning, minister. As you say, the bill is about advancing children’s rights, and I would like to cover some areas where concerns have been raised in that regard. On compulsory supervision orders, concerns have been raised with us that the imposition of movement restriction conditions could amount to the deprivation of liberty of a child or young person, without legal safeguards. Have you considered whether more needs to be done with regard to access to legal representation for young people?
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 3 May 2023
Ruth Maguire
Forgive me, minister, but the change that I am asking about is a move from something that has a—I am losing my words now. Give me a second.
The change to a consideration of psychological harm is a subjective test. There was perhaps some objectivity in relation to “reasonable person”. I might be getting that wrong; if I am, forgive me. That is the specific change that I am looking for your reflections on.
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 3 May 2023
Ruth Maguire
Okay. Thank you.
The other change relates to criteria and a move to a consideration of what is described as psychological “harm”, which is a pretty subjective test—actually, it is a subjective test, not a “pretty subjective” test.
What consideration has been given to that in relation to children’s rights, and what specific safeguards would you put in place to ensure that MRCs are used only in the appropriate circumstances?