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Chamber and committees

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 11 February 2025
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Displaying 824 contributions

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Meeting of the Parliament (Virtual)

Covid-19

Meeting date: 13 July 2021

Rachael Hamilton

In Scotland, 200,000 planned operations have been cancelled or delayed as a result of the pandemic, and some patients lie waiting in agony for vital treatments and procedures. The First Minister will be aware that the Scottish Conservatives have repeatedly called for a fund that is managed by a dedicated team of clinicians to allow the NHS to bring treatment times under control. Will her Government commit to such a clinician-led fund? Furthermore, with reference to her statement on removing the blanket requirement for close contacts to self-isolate, when will the guidance be published and will NHS workers be prioritised to help to relieve the increasing strain on our hospitals?

Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)

Points of Order

Meeting date: 24 June 2021

Rachael Hamilton

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. Today—on the final day of Parliament before recess—the Scottish Government was forced, through a freedom of information request, to release the draft farming and food production future policy group recommendations. We have been waiting for two and half years for the document and it is still only in draft form. The cabinet secretary promised the document in August 2020 after pressure from my colleagues, but of course it has still not been published.

The Scottish National Party has failed to offer policy clarity in a timely manner to the agriculture industry. By withholding the promised document for so long, the Scottish Government is disrespecting the Parliament and the sector.

I seek your guidance, Presiding Officer, as to whether the Scottish Government should uphold its commitment to publish a document when it says that it will publish it. Given that we are heading into recess in a few minutes, what parliamentary procedures are in place to ensure that we have time to scrutinise such publications?

Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)

First Minister’s Question Time

Meeting date: 24 June 2021

Rachael Hamilton

Nature is under threat—not just the capercaillie but our waders, plovers and curlews—and this Government has failed to meet 11 of the 20 Aichi biodiversity targets. Farmers have told me that they can be part of the solution to the climate change crisis, and the Government has sat on its hands for too long. There is a climate emergency, and the custodians of our land are keen to protect and meet those biodiversity targets. Today, will the First Minister commit to give clarity on agricultural policy and ensure that biodiversity targets are improved, by extending the agri-environment climate scheme beyond 2024 to protect those iconic bird species?

Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)

First Minister’s Question Time

Meeting date: 24 June 2021

Rachael Hamilton

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to curb the decline of iconic woodland bird species in Scotland. (S6F-00164)

Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)

First Minister’s Question Time

Meeting date: 17 June 2021

Rachael Hamilton

This week, I met a Borders-based travel agent who has legitimate concerns about the effect of travel restrictions on his business. Like many others, my constituent has lost commission from tour operators because of cancellations. Will the First Minister’s Government consider further support for travel agents? What is her assessment of the proposal that individuals who have received double Covid jags could avoid quarantine on return from countries on the amber list?

Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)

Women’s Health

Meeting date: 15 June 2021

Rachael Hamilton

Has that gap analysis been published?

Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)

Covid-19

Meeting date: 15 June 2021

Rachael Hamilton

Constituents who are planning essential travel have contacted me about delays in processing their Covid vaccination status through the NHS Inform system. Those delays have caused concern that their travel plans will have to be delayed or cancelled. What steps has the Scottish Government taken towards developing an app-based vaccination certification scheme? Will the First Minister update me on progress on the publication of no-show data for Covid vaccination appointments? On 1 June, she said that she would look into them.

Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)

Women’s Health

Meeting date: 15 June 2021

Rachael Hamilton

Never has there been a more pressing time than the present to debate women’s health issues. After the past 15 months, we have seen waiting times soar, an increase in the backlog of cancelled operations and cancer diagnostic tests shelved. Even young pupils have been affected by not receiving either the first or the second human papillomavirus—HPV—vaccine within the crucial 18-month stage when those young people become sexually active.

In the coming months, it is crucial that we have those services fully up and running. Women’s health has for far too long taken a back seat, and I am keen to see change, as are so many people in the chamber.

A starting point for me came in 2019, when Monica Lennon and I hosted an event with the British Heart Foundation to discuss women’s health inequalities, particularly in diagnosing heart disease. At a similar point, Caroline Criado Perez’s book “Invisible Women” was published, addressing a clear gap in women’s health treatment, as the minister said.

More recently, I was troubled by the experience of a friend from the Borders who has been waiting years for an endometriosis diagnosis. Without a doubt, urgent action must be taken to address the appalling length of waiting times for endometriosis diagnosis. Endometriosis is very common. It affects 10 per cent of women from puberty to menopause, although, as Evelyn Tweed described, the impact might affect them for life. It has been said that the average time to get a diagnosis is eight years, but it is not; in Scotland, it is eight and a half years.

We know that access to services for those women is very difficult. The inquiry by the UK all-party parliamentary group on endometriosis attracted 10,000 responses and noted that it has been difficult to access treatment in Scotland. There are specialist units in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen, but it seems that, for people who live outwith those specific health board areas, it is—I loathe to use this description—a postcode lottery. Women are experiencing physical and emotional suffering, and the Government needs to act.

The report, which is well worth a read, commits to a reduction in the average diagnosis time to four years or less by 2025, and to a year or less by 2030. I challenge the Government to meet its manifesto commitment, because it has not yet met its legally binding treatment time guarantee of 12 weeks.

In Scotland, our cross-party support ended period poverty, provided free sanitary products in schools and brought plaudits from across the globe. A reduction in waiting times, access to specialist endometriosis services and the provision of menstrual health education in schools should be key priorities, and I ask that the minister addresses that in her closing speech.

Cancer diagnosis and treatment, especially for cervical and breast cancer, have fallen by the wayside during the pandemic, with women being particularly let down. When cancer screening and detection tests were on hold from April to June last year, 4,000 fewer people received cancer diagnoses. Breast cancer represents almost a quarter of those missing cases—over 70 per cent more than would be expected—which has prompted fears that progress in fighting the disease is in jeopardy. We need proper funding. I also ask the minister whether the cervical screening awareness campaign has been restarted.

The Scottish Conservatives, through our amendment, are calling for the NHS backlog to be tackled by a separate clinician-led fund, so that we can finally bring treatment times under control. We cannot continue on the current trajectory. Women’s health is at stake.

Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)

Portfolio Question Time

Meeting date: 9 June 2021

Rachael Hamilton

I totally agree with Foysol Choudhury about the Government’s indecision and inaction. NFU Scotland’s Andrew McCornick said in February:

“Give Scottish agriculture a policy roadmap now.”

Months later, there is no plan. It is totally ridiculous. I say to the cabinet secretary that there must be no more excuses. Where is Scotland’s future farm policy document? How much longer will Scottish farmers have to wait? Why is the Scottish National Party disadvantaging Scottish farmers?

Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)

Topical Question Time

Meeting date: 8 June 2021

Rachael Hamilton

So—no apology from the minister.

The investigation concluded that there is

“a scrutiny gap in relation to compliance with ... legal duties”

and the commissioner found it

“challenging in many cases to piece together the”

key

“events and decisions”.

The report points to short-term and longer-term actions that must take place to improve that situation, which cannot happen again to any child. We need to see change and the full implementation of the report’s recommendations. The Government must act quickly to resolve that situation and prevent further unlawful detentions.

We on these benches echo calls from the children’s commissioner for an urgent review of practices of local authorities. Will the minister commit to that process in earnest to ensure that both inspection and scrutiny mechanisms are fit for purpose, so that they comply fully with the relevant legal duties and human rights obligations?