Chamber and committees

Thank you, convener. I will be as quick as possible.

This is a question for David Ferguson. It is about how we can use our infrastructure to meet our climate change, net zero and biodiversity targets. I am talking about issues such as having access to green space, 20-minute neighbourhoods and so on. When I lived in California, we got points for car pooling and walking or cycling. There was a scheme whereby those points could be exchanged for movie tickets, which was great in Los Angeles. That was a good way of getting outside and getting active. However, I do not know whether we have car pooling or car sharing or walking or cycling incentive schemes in Scotland. Do we need to provide such schemes?

I am also thinking about the e-bike revolution. How do we make e-bikes less expensive? Do we need to do more to encourage uptake of e-bikes? I know that the Scottish Government has an e-bike grant fund. In 2019-20, £273,000 was given out and more than 100 e-bikes were provided. So far, more than 600 e-bikes have been provided through that scheme. How do we use our infrastructure to support our net zero targets?

Sure. In the previous session of Parliament, the Health and Sport Committee, of which I was a member, held an inquiry into the subject, and its report was called “Social prescribing: physical activity is an investment, not a cost”. We gathered evidence and held sessions around that.

My question is for David Ferguson, who asked what further evidence we need in order to do more to support social prescribing programmes. I know that there are general practices that do a fantastic job in signposting people, but community link workers would help to play a part in that. Do you have any reflections on the Health and Sport Committee’s report and how it can feed in to develop further evidence about the benefits of social prescribing of physical activity?

We have seen a massive uptake of e-bikes and cargo bikes. Even Michael Matheson, who is the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport, has an e-bike. What more should be done to encourage folk to get out and use their e-bikes?

Jenni Minto has just mentioned loads of lamb recipes, but does she agree that lamb also has evident nutritional benefits? For example, it is high in protein—a 3oz serving contains 25g of it. That shows how beneficial it is to our health.

Given the public health advice to redouble efforts in respect of face covering, space and infection-control measures, does the Scottish Government intend to update guidance on the type of face covering that the public should use to ensure that that is an FFP2 mask or equivalent, that it is worn over the nose and the mouth, and that it is disposed of or laundered properly?

I commend all parties in the chamber for taking a united approach to tackling drug-related deaths. We must use every opportunity at our disposal to identify people who are at risk and to signpost them to support services. Will the minister provide an update on engagement with her UK Government counterparts on proposals to introduce safe consumption facilities in Scotland?

The Deputy First Minister has outlined what action has taken place across Scotland, including in Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders. I thank all the staff and leadership for their efforts. As more such weather events are predicted, can the Deputy First Minister provide further information on what work is under way to identify the most vulnerable and on how the Government can assist and support the local resilience partnerships?

That is a great idea; I will keep Rachael Hamilton in the loop. The issue transcends politics; we need to work together to promote rural skills development for the future. I thank the member.

Like other members, I will check out the tasty recipes in this “Tasty Little Guide” on Scotch lamb. I know that we dinnae really have props in the chamber, but here it is: it has Scotch lamb and beef recipes and it was created by Quality Meat Scotland.

Lamb for St Andrew’s day is a good news story for us, which needs to be promoted, shared and celebrated. I welcome the debate. I encourage everyone to consider eating Scotch lamb on St Andrew’s day, and I thank the Scottish Government for supporting our lamb and sheep sector.

I welcome the opportunity to speak in the lamb for St Andrew’s day debate and congratulate Jim Fairlie on securing it.

Jim has highlighted perfectly why we should eat lamb on St Andrew’s day. I put on record my support for the campaign to promote Scotch lamb on St Andrew’s day, which is a campaign that I have been aware of and have backed since my election in 2016. I support what is stated in the motion, I congratulate George Purves on launching the campaign back in 2009 and I welcome how it has grown year on year since then.

Organisations supporting the lamb for St Andrew’s day campaign include Quality Meat Scotland, the NFU Scotland, the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland and the National Sheep Association Scotland. Pre-Covid, when I was a member of the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee in the previous parliamentary session, I attended the Scottish NSA’s annual dinner at Airth castle in Stirlingshire in 2019 and was pleased to carve the lamb to help to promote Scotch lamb.

All those organisations have supported United Auctions’ campaign to make Scotch lamb PGI—protected geographical indication—the go-to dish for St Andrew’s day, just as turkey is synonymous with Christmas day. #LambForStAndrewsDay has been a positive campaign since its introduction. Last year alone, there was a 9 per cent uplift in the value of lamb and a 6.9 per cent uplift in the volume of lamb being sold in Scotland.

In a bold move to supply free lamb to as many Scottish schools as possible during the week of St Andrew’s day, the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland launched a lamb bank in August this year. The scheme allows farmers who are selling lambs via IAAS marts to donate lambs for the initiative, which aims to get as many Scottish school children as possible cooking and eating lamb on and around St Andrew’s day. Because of the lamb bank, and support and promotion by Quality Meat Scotland and partners, 30,000 portions of lamb will be served this year at 180 participating schools across Scotland.

Across Dumfries and Galloway, in my South Scotland region, that includes Lockerbie academy and Castle Douglas high school. At both those schools, health and technology pupils have had the option of making either a Scotch lamb burger or a Scotch lamb wrap with crushed garlic peas, and those have also been on the menu in the canteen.

Those steps are welcome. As well as promoting our Scotch lamb, they help to educate young people. Rachael Hamilton was right about that. We are helping to educate young people about Scottish agriculture and about the importance of supporting and promoting the industry and local supply chains. That is also an important part of tackling the climate emergency.

In a response to a question that I asked him in the chamber, Jamie Hepburn agreed to meet me and NFU Scotland representative George Jamieson to talk about how we might develop rural skills. There is a wee bit of progress.

In 2019, I led a debate on resolution 1325 and women, peace and security in which I highlighted the invaluable role of women as conflict negotiators, which is largely because women focus on housing, food and water security instead of solely on military security. Will the cabinet secretary give further detail on any additional plans specifically related to the Scottish Parliament and Government that will support and enable women to become conflict negotiators, particularly in the middle east?