There will be a division.

For

Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con)
Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green)
Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab)
Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab)
Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con)

Against

Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP)
FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP)
Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP)
Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP)
Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP)

Amendment 129 was already debated with amendment 128. I call Paul Sweeney to move or not move amendment 129.

I call Brian Whittle to wind up and to press or seek to withdraw amendment 116.

I call Brian Whittle to wind up and indicate whether he wishes to press or seek to withdraw amendment 91.

The result of the division is: For 4, Against 5, Abstentions 1.

Amendment 91 disagreed to.

Amendment 69 moved—[Gillian Mackay]—and agreed to.

Amendment 41, in the name of the minister, has already been debated with amendment 91. I remind members that, if amendment 41 is agreed to, I cannot call amendment 70 because of pre-emption.

Amendment 41 moved—[Maree Todd]—and agreed to.

Amendment 92 not moved.

Amendment 93 moved—[Brian Whittle].

I remind members that I hold a bank nurse contract with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

The culture in respect of and the attitude to the rights of service users that are reported to have been shown by some staff in Skye house are hugely concerning. Can the minister advise how the Scottish Government will champion the rights of vulnerable children and young people who use services such as Skye house and ensure that all staff are fully trained on the welfare of patients and are cognisant of the rights of all children and young people?

I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests. I am a registered mental health nurse and hold a current registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, and I am employed as a bank nurse by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

I am pleased to speak in the debate, which has become an annual fixture in the Parliament, to mark eating disorders awareness week. I thank my colleague Emma Harper for lodging the motion and for her commitment to bringing the subject to the chamber and focusing minds on how important it is.

Eating disorders do not discriminate and anyone can be affected by them. They are serious illnesses that can change, and even end, lives. The eating disorders charity Beat estimates that at least one in 50 people in Scotland are living with an eating disorder, but the real number could be even higher. Disorders such as ARFID, anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating disorder and OSFED are complex mental health conditions. Of course, they affect not only the person with the condition but their family and friends, who can feel helpless and heartbroken as they watch their loved ones struggle.

With that level of prevalence, most of us probably know someone who is, or who has been, affected. That is why the focus of this year’s eating disorders awareness week is that eating disorders can affect anyone, regardless of their age, gender, sexuality, ethnicity or background, and it is not always those whom we might expect. Eating disorders are often misunderstood, mislabelled or undiagnosed, which can prevent people from reaching out for help.

The risk of not receiving support and treatment for any mental illness can be incredibly dangerous, and that is even more true for eating disorders. Together, they are responsible for more loss of life than any other form of psychological illness, and anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. When they are not fatal, such disorders can still lead to severe long-term physical health consequences, such as organ damage and fertility issues, and can increase the risk of heart problems and type 2 diabetes.

This year, Beat’s eating disorders awareness week survey showed that four in five respondents answered that they would feel

“more comfortable opening up to others about their experiences if there was greater awareness and understanding of eating disorders.”

Respondents reported fearing

“stigma around saying they have an eating disorder due to misconceptions about who is affected and the lack of knowledge about how eating disorders present.”

Challenging those misconceptions can lead to people seeking help earlier, which can increase their chances of a full recovery.

The topic of stigma frequently arises when we talk about eating disorders; last year’s debate in Parliament underlined that with its focus on ARFID, which is a less well-known condition. In that debate, our colleague Kevin Stewart spoke about the fact that

“one in four people who develop an eating disorder is”

male and highlighted that there is still much work to be done to raise awareness of that fact and change attitudes to ensure that

“no one is afraid to come forward for help.”—[Official Report, 5 March 2024; c 90.]

Since I first spoke on the subject in the chamber, there has been much positive progress. The Scottish Government’s mental health and wellbeing strategy and delivery plan specifically mentions stigma as a phenomenon that requires a sustained effort to tackle. There has also been a national review of eating disorder services; the establishment of the national eating disorders network; and work with those with lived experience. Challenging stigma is not an easy task, especially as eating disorders are, by their nature, associated with deniability, secrecy, stigma and shame. However, to help and treat people and save lives, we must all rise to that challenge.

I again thank Beat for all that it does to that end and for the material that it has provided for this year’s awareness week. I recommend Beat’s website and helplines as a trustworthy, reliable and judgment-free source of support to anyone who is concerned about themselves or about a friend, colleague or loved one.

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the social justice secretary has had with the United Kingdom Government regarding the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign and potential compensation for women in Scotland. (S6O-04340)

The Labour UK Government, like the Tories before it, has failed the WASPI women. Before taking power, countless Labour politicians pledged a resolution, yet now they try to gaslight the very same women, claiming that most were aware of the state pension age changes and should not be given compensation. That is certainly not the view that is held by many of the WASPI women who have contacted me over the years.

Can the cabinet secretary advise whether she has had any correspondence—other than the cross-party letter that she said she has not had a response to—on any of the issues that have been raised in the chamber about the alleged informing of those women about the changes?