Chamber and committees

I do not want to belabour the oval racetrack issue, but I am looking at evidence on injuries to hocks, wrists, feet, hind long bones, fore long bones, hind limbs and muscles. There has been loads of evidence that thousands of dogs have been injured on oval racetracks.

Minister, I joined the committee when you left it, so I was not part of the previous evidence gathering. However, having worked with Mark Ruskell in the past few years, looking at evidence and listening to what the Dogs Trust, the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and OneKind are saying, I believe that all the evidence points to the fact that oval racetracks cause damage to dogs. I am interested in whether the Scottish Government supports the approach to oval racetracks, which you mentioned in your opening statement. I suppose that we are linking the oval racetrack issue with the evidence that oval racetracks cause injury. Is the evidence that I am looking at defining that? Is that correct?

If a straight racetrack were to open and you kept it under review, the flexibility in the proposed legislation would allow the Government to alter its approach, because the proposal covers only oval racetracks.

Retired greyhounds make great pets when they are rehomed. It looks as though we have lots of dogs that need to be rehomed in Scotland, even though racing is not happening in Scotland. I am looking at some of the data on charities that are sometimes burdened because of dogs having injuries that need to be dealt with before they can be rehomed. Is the Government working with some of those charities to look at the number of animals that need surgery or other treatment before they are rehomed? Is such data being gathered? I am looking at Andrew Voas as well.

I am speaking today on an issue that touches the very heart of family life and the values that we hold dear: the safety and quality of maternity services in Scotland. Like Clare Adamson, I have altered my speech notes extensively since the debate began.

The Healthcare Improvement Scotland inspection report into maternity services at the Royal infirmary of Edinburgh has—rightly—prompted serious reflection and urgent action. I, too, begin by acknowledging the experiences of families who bravely shared their stories, and I extend my deepest condolences to them all. Their courage in speaking out will help to drive the improvements that we all want to see.

The HIS report identified 26 areas requiring improvement, including delays of up to 29 hours for induction of labour, staffing shortages, a suboptimal skill mix and gaps in incident reporting. Inspectors also highlighted cultural issues such as staff feeling overwhelmed, unsupported and reluctant to escalate concerns. Those findings are concerning and cannot be ignored.

However, it is important to stress that those challenges, although serious, do not mean that our maternity services are unsafe overall; Scotland’s hospitals remain among the safest places to give birth. The health secretary made that clear in his ministerial statement last week, when he said that the commitment to continuous improvement is unwavering.

The Scottish Government has acted decisively. Following the HIS report, NHS Lothian’s maternity services have been escalated to level 3 of the NHS Scotland support and intervention framework, ensuring enhanced scrutiny and immediate support. That is not a token gesture—the framework is a robust mechanism that brings additional leadership, resources and accountability to drive rapid improvement.

A new Scottish maternity and neonatal task force has been established, chaired by the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health. The task force will include voices from service users, front-line staff, independent bodies and third-sector organisations. Its remit is clear: to provide national oversight, share best practice and ensure that lessons are learned quickly across Scotland.

Leadership has been strengthened, with the appointment of a dedicated associate medical director for women’s services, and cultural improvement initiatives are under way. Those steps demonstrate that the Government is not waiting for change—it is driving the change.

Although issues are being addressed in Lothian, I must acknowledge the concerns that have been raised in Wigtownshire and Stranraer; I know that the ministers on the front bench will expect me to represent my constituents in that respect. Since the closure of the Clenoch birthing suite at Galloway community hospital in 2018, expectant mothers have faced journeys of up to 70 miles along the A75 to Dumfries and Galloway royal infirmary.

Safety is my primary concern in all this, and choice is also a crucial part of the person-centred approach. I remind members that I was a clinical nurse educator prior to coming to the Parliament. As a perioperative nurse, part of my educational role was to teach midwives and junior doctors how to provide safe care during caesarean sections, including urgent and crash C-sections.

I would absolutely support developing leaders and mentors in everything. My 30 years as a nurse was spent mentoring, guiding and teaching people in trauma surgery and trauma-type situations, which are very stressful.

Following the 70-mile journey to Dumfries, some women were told that they had shown up too early and were sent home again. As an MSP, I have called on NHS Dumfries and Galloway to provide holding accommodation while labour progresses, but I cannot see that that is happening at all. I do not think that we should be sending people home when they are in the early stages of labour if their home is 72 miles away.

Women have been having babies in lay-bys and in ambulances because they could not reach the hospital in time. As I said, safety and choice are my primary concerns. Women have described their experience as frightening, exhausting and traumatising, with some even reconsidering pregnancy because of the lack of local birthing provision.

I know that a wide range of perinatal services are provided in Stranraer, but birthing is not taking place there. An independent review recommended having a midwife-led birthing service for low-risk births in Stranraer. Last year 1,054 babies were born in Dumfries and Galloway, and 20 per cent of those births were considered low risk, which means that last year 210 births in Dumfries and Galloway were low risk. Obviously, there are challenges in our rural areas.

I am appealing to the minister in this: I support any progress to help to improve perinatal care and to provide confidence to expectant mums and their families in the west of the south-west region. I know that the Scottish Government has been working on maternity safety for years. The best start five-year plan sets out a vision for maternity and neonatal care that focuses on continuity, safety and family-centred support. More recently, the Government introduced new clinical guidance, a miscarriage framework and an action plan to tackle racialised health inequalities in maternity care, which others have mentioned. Those initiatives reflect a proactive, systemic approach, rather than a reactive one.

It is not just about fixing problems; it is about building a culture of trust, learning and continuous improvement. We owe that to the families who have shared their stories, the staff who care for us and every child who is born in Scotland.

I will, if the member is really quick, because time is tight.

Good morning. I have been listening carefully, and I appreciate colleagues’ thoughtful and respectful contributions so far. My amendments 12 and 13 are directly linked. Amendment 12 allows the introduction of amendment 13. My amendments seek to allow registered medical practitioners to consult other health and social care professionals, such as nurses, carers and social workers, when assessing whether a person has made a declaration voluntarily and without coercion.

I remind colleagues that I am still a registered nurse. The proposal was informed by engagement over summer recess with constituents and medical professionals working in end-of-life and palliative care. I met the Royal College of Nursing over the summer, and again recently, and I met the Scottish Association of Social Work. The medical professionals raised concerns that non-medical professionals often have more frequent and meaningful contact with individuals nearing the end of life and may be better placed to detect subtle signs of coercion or distress. I acknowledge what Bob Doris said about people feeling that they are a burden.

Originally, my amendments aimed to strengthen safeguards and promote a multidisciplinary approach, ensuring that assessments are thorough and person centred. Acknowledgement was made of concerns around the wording, particularly regarding the liability, responsibility and training of professionals, such as registered nurses, to be accountable for assessing coercion, whether overt or subtle. I am aware of the potential cost implications in that approach.

My amendments are therefore presented as probing amendments, and I am willing to work with the member in charge ahead of stage 3 to redefine the language or change it if necessary.

I think so—I had finished.

It has been pointed out to me that, because of the requirement to train health professionals—whether they are carers, registered nurses or any other people who are entering someone’s home—they would need to be provided with education. I do not know the direct costs, but I understand that that would potentially cause a cost burden under the member’s bill. I am happy for amendments 12 and 13 to be probing amendments for discussion and to hear what the member has to say about the issue.

The future farming investment scheme has shown that there is an appetite across Scotland’s agricultural sector to invest in sustainability, productivity and resilience. The Opposition is conveniently overlooking the fact that the Scottish Government provided more than £21 million to assist with that. How will the grant awards that were made benefit Scottish agriculture? Does the minister agree that the lack of a fair multi-annual funding settlement from the United Kingdom Government represents—[Interruption.]