Chamber and committees

The cabinet secretary will be aware of the issues that local people, and we as local MSPs, have raised in Wigtownshire regarding the provision of rural maternity services.

Safety has always been my primary concern when addressing these matters. What assurances can the cabinet secretary give to our constituents in rural and more remote areas, such as the south-west region, regarding the provision of safe maternity services, and can he provide some feedback on the Government’s recent meeting with the local Galloway community hospital action group?

Good morning. Sandesh Gulhane touched on the issues involving criminal justice, health and assessment, and you spoke in your opening statement about the collaboration that is required between health, education and social care. We have had members’ business debates about eating disorders, which are also linked with neurodevelopmental conditions. I recently met the Dumfries and Galloway Ehlers-Danlos group, which identified the issue of co-existing and co-occurring conditions such as dyslexia and ADHD. I am thinking about eating disorders such as avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder. It is all very complex, which is why, I assume, there needs to be collaboration, co-working and all that engagement. I just want to highlight the complexity of everything.

I have a quick question that will pick up on your comments on stigma and helping to support people in the work environment. When I was an NHS educator, we used Turas, which is a digital training platform from NHS Education for Scotland. NES created and delivered a foundations of neurodiversity-affirming practice webinar in 2023. That is recommended for all health and social care staff, but the organisation does not seem to be tracking whether that has been delivered or what numbers have received the training. It is fair enough to recommend that as a starting point for all staff, but does that mean that it is being delivered to all staff?

The training is a great way of creating a neuro-affirming work environment so that people who are clinical educators—as I was—can understand what works best for people who might be autistic or might have ADHD. Is there a way of finding out how that training is being delivered by health boards?

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. It looks as though my app did not connect for that vote. I would have voted no.

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I couldnae connect, and I would have voted no.

The UK is delivering less than half of the United Nations target for international development. Will the First Minister describe the further evidence, which he heard about on his recent trip, of the damage that has been caused by wider cuts to international aid budgets?

I would like to continue, if Mr Findlay does not mind.

Indeed, two members have already used stigmatising language in the debate. I agree with the comment in the report that some of the language in the bill can be considered stigmatising. The requirement to have a diagnosis of

“‘addiction’ ... risks creating stigma”,

which might discourage

“individuals from putting themselves forward for treatment.”

An example of repairing the language would be to change the word “addiction” to “substance use disorder”, or “addict” to “a person with a problem with problematic drug use”. It is really important that we help to support people and take the stigma out of this. That is backed up elsewhere in the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders”, which reflects what I am saying about stigmatising language.

As a member who represents a rural region, I will highlight the requirement in the bill for a right to an in-person appointment. That would disadvantage people who are resident in remote and rural areas.

I recognise the hard work on which Mr Ross has embarked while introducing his member’s bill. Having taken a member’s bill through the Parliament in the previous session, I know how much hard work it is for a member and their team, and how much support from the excellent non-Government bills unit is involved.

I also understand and acknowledge the principles that lie behind the bill. The minister already described the wider approach and policy measures on housing, employment and healthcare that are necessary to address recovery from addiction.

I would like to make a couple of pages of progress.

Every life that is lost due to alcohol and drugs has a devastating, heartbreaking and tragic effect on families and communities.

For the debate, I will keep my comments focused on the evidence that we took, as I am a member of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee. I will also focus on the stage 1 report.

No, I will continue speaking, because I have a couple of pages left of my speech that I would like to finish.

During and since the Covid pandemic, we have seen the advances of Near Me appointments and video consultations—they should be taken into consideration should the bill progress. Video or remote consultations suit people in rural areas for a number of reasons, such as those relating to travel, transport, time and privacy.

The committee also heard concerns about the three-week timescales for individuals to commence treatment that are proposed in the bill, which might cause challenges in the quality and choice of treatment and could, again, lead to restrictions of treatment.

I am conscious of time, Presiding Officer. As can be seen throughout the report and heard from speakers across the chamber, there are many calls for changes to be made, and so many proposed alterations would require additional scrutiny and additional time. Some of the requested changes are not insignificant and would leave the bill significantly different from the original bill that was proposed. For that reason, I cannot support the bill at stage 1.