Chamber and committees

My question was going to be exactly the same as Russell Findlay’s question—I was going to push you both to say what your preferred balance would be.

However, to go back to sexual offence cases, I just want to get on record that the not proven verdict is used disproportionately in rape cases. Not proven made up 44 per cent of rape and attempted rape acquittals in comparison with 20 per cent of all crimes and offences. That is a huge imbalance.

Your research has led you to believe that we should abolish the not proven verdict, and you have answered the question that I have just outlined by saying that you cannot really say what your preferred balance would be.

My next question is another tricky one. In your estimation, if the verdict were to be abolished, what would be acceptable to the legal profession? What do you think that it would suggest as an optimum?

Good morning. Does the judge explain what not proven is at any point in a real courtroom, either in his summing up or in direction? That is my first question. I genuinely do not know what is actually said.

I know—I just thought that, with your background, maybe you would have a view.

I accept that—I understand. That is fine.

I had not expected to speak in the debate, but I am very happy to be Christine Grahame’s stand-in. I have not prepared anything, so it will be a short speech. It is the first time that I have heard Kenny Gibson admit that he is getting older, so that is quite something.

As Kenny says, there has never been a better time to grow old. Age Scotland is getting older—this is its 80th birthday. I add my thanks to those of Alexander Stewart and others for everything that it does for older people. It is easy not to value older people and the huge contribution that they make to our society.

The question of health is important. Physical health and, particularly, mental health are important, which is why organisations and charities such as men’s sheds are so important. I have visited several men’s sheds in my constituency. The wellbeing that they bring to the men who go there is fantastic. It keeps them mentally strong and gives them a reason to get out of bed in the morning.

Members mentioned volunteering. There is a thriving voluntary sector in my constituency. East Dunbartonshire Voluntary Action has many initiatives, including a befriender initiative that matches up young people with older people. That has been hugely successful and does so much to combat loneliness, which helps everybody’s wellbeing.

However, as Colin Smyth and others have said, it is not all a bed of roses. Older people are struggling with the cost of living and to keep their homes warm. They must always be a priority and must be helped. I know that the Scottish Government takes all that on board, as much as it can, in order to keep people comfortable in their homes. Indeed, it is important to have homes.

I again thank Age Scotland for everything that it has done over the past eight decades. It would be too much to mention how many people it has comforted and supported. I wish it a happy birthday, and long may it continue.

The minister mentioned the mental health strategy delivery and workforce plan, which is welcome. Can she say more about how the plan will help to ensure that we are meeting changing mental health needs across Scotland?

I am aware that people can get help from the Diabetes UK helpline.

Will the minister detail any collaborative efforts with pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors to mitigate the supply issues with drugs for people with type 2 diabetes? What steps are being taken to enhance the resilience of the supply chain in order to prevent future disruptions?

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any supply issues with drugs for people with type 2 diabetes. (S6O-02807)

I thank Martin Whitfield for bringing this important debate to the chamber and for his commitment to improving the lives of young people and children.

About one in every 100 children in Scotland goes into care before their first birthday, and children living in the 10 per cent most deprived areas of Scotland are 20 times more likely to become care experienced than those in the 10 per cent least deprived areas. I could fill my four-minute slot with a barrage of statistics about outcomes for care-experienced young people—all of them important but, frankly, none of them good. Instead, I will focus on the Scottish Government’s commitment to improving the lives of young people through the Promise and on addressing the points in Martin Whitfield’s motion.

As Martin Whitfield said, the Promise oversight board’s second report highlights a number of areas that are crucial to the wellbeing of care-experienced children, including sibling contact, homelessness and education. There is so much in the report that it is impossible to cover everything in a short speech. On sibling contact, as a member of the Criminal Justice Committee in this session and of the Justice Committee in the previous one, I had an amendment accepted to the Children (Scotland) Bill to ensure that local authorities must take steps to promote direct contact between a looked-after child and their siblings, where appropriate—it is important to say “where appropriate”. I have seen how important sibling contact is to the welfare of children through friends of mine who adopted a little boy aged 18 months, and his sister one year later. Those children now have their sibling bond to nurture them as they grow up. I cannot stress how important that attachment, nurture and security is.

Care-experienced adults are twice as likely to have experienced homelessness, usually before their 30th birthday. That is shocking. We must do better and improve the pathways and outcomes for care-experienced people, which is exactly why the Promise was set up.

Education is the building block that is needed for every young person, but particularly for care-experienced young people, who face unique challenges. A central aim of the Promise is that they are supported in attending and attaining all subjects, and are encouraged to enter higher education. Only yesterday, I saw a billboard advertising job vacancies for care-experienced people. That is a huge sign of progress.

According to the report, the term “care experienced” is not defined in statute. I am pleased that that is expected to be rectified in the Scottish Government’s forthcoming Promise bill. I am sure that the minister can expand on that. Legislation can be a force for good, as I believe that bill will be.

Last week, in the Parliament, I met an inspiring group of young people—the changemakers, who are supported by Children 1st, which is the driving force behind the bairns’ hoose and supports children in Scotland holistically and practically every day. They do an amazing job, and my meeting with them filled me with hope and optimism. I understand that Children 1st is now working with parents to produce a film to spread the word about its peer research and help professionals to keep the Promise. Sharing and working together is always the best way forward.

As Martin Whitfield’s motion says,

“Keeping the Promise is non-negotiable”,

and I am sure that the minister will confirm that when summing up. We must build on what we have started, without further delay. I urge everyone to believe that the Scottish Government is committed to getting it right for every child, whatever their background or life experience. We have much to do, and I accept that perhaps the pace could and should be a little faster, but our commitment is strong, and we will fulfil our Promise to Scotland’s disadvantaged young people.

To put into context some of the things that we have been hearing, I note that a pilot project was started in September for the new process. That will be evaluated to assess resource requirements, whether the process is workable and so on. That started in September, as I said, and it is on-going. We need to wait to see what the outcome of that is. There is also the short-life strategic leadership group, which reports to ministers through a cross-portfolio ministerial group for prisoner health and social care.

There are things happening as a result of our meeting with Gill Imery. It is easy to cherry pick things that may still need to be implemented, but I think that the wheels are definitely turning now, and I hope that things come to a good conclusion.