Chamber and committees

When you google “self-directed support”, loads of information comes up from Alzheimer Scotland and In Control, for example. We now have a toolkit that people can use to help them to understand what self-directed support is. How do you deliver the education then? You said that you bring in groups, so is that done online? How do nurses know that self-directed support exists? In the cases that I have worked with, the people do not know that they are getting self-directed support, because if they get it through option 3, a local authority delivers it. Does that matter? They know that they are getting care so does it matter whether they know the technological language?

We have heard lots this morning already but I am interested in how we look at training for all different types of staff, whether it is the people who are auditing the finances or social workers, and at everybody who is involved in training and education.

I am very familiar with Dumfries and Galloway, Stephen, and my background is that I am a registered nurse. How do you ensure that staff in all the different parts of Dumfries and Galloway—the local authority or the national health service—get education on the self-directed support legislation? I am looking directly at you, Stephen, so go ahead first, please.

It is vital that cancer is detected at the earliest possible stage to ensure the best chance of survival for patients. Our rapid diagnostic services, including the service that has been established in Dumfries and Galloway NHS, play a crucial role in that. Will the minister provide an update on the Scottish Government’s assessment of the impact to date of Scotland’s rapid cancer diagnostic services?

I welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate, and I congratulate Mark Ruskell on securing it. I will keep my contribution brief.

The removal of the peak rail fare has undoubtedly benefited people in many parts of Scotland, enabling them to travel by train more affordably. It has also had benefits for emissions reduction and action against climate change.

The removal of peak rail fares has also built on the Scottish National Party Government’s commitment to making public transport more accessible and reliable, and it has encouraged people to switch away from cars to cleaner, greener public transport. From expanding free bus travel to under 22s to putting money straight back into people’s pockets with reduced rail fares, the SNP is helping people where it matters. Every pound saved can help to mitigate the impact of the Tory-inflicted cost of living crisis.

Although the off-peak rail fare is welcome, it does not benefit many of my constituents across South Scotland. For example, at present, there are no ScotRail services from Lockerbie to either Glasgow or Edinburgh. The west coast main line is serviced by TransPennine Express and, on occasion, Avanti West Coast. There are no rail services from Stranraer to Ayr at all at the moment, and the replacement bus service takes substantially more time to get to Ayr than the rail service did.

The reason why the rail service has not been working for the past eight months is the derelict Ayr station hotel. Although that is not the responsibility of the Scottish Government but that of South Ayrshire Council, it is another example of how my constituents from Stranraer, Wigtownshire and East Ayrshire are not benefiting from the removal of the peak rail fare offer that the Scottish Government introduced.

Another example of how South Scotland is disadvantaged in relation to the peak rail fare cut is the Scottish Government’s recent investment of £20 million in Reston railway station, which I visited just last week. It is an amazing, welcome, fantastic and accessible asset for people living in Reston and the surrounding areas of the Scottish Borders. However, there are no ScotRail services on the line; the station is serviced by TransPennine Express, Avanti West Coast, the London North Eastern Railway and Lumo, and none of those operators offers non-peak rail fares at any time of day, which means that people across the south are missing out.

The parts of Dumfries and Galloway that see the benefit are those on the Gretna to Glasgow line, but many constituents choose not to use the service, because it is much quicker to take the TransPennine Express from Lockerbie to Edinburgh, which takes 58 minutes as opposed to the two hours that it takes to travel from Dumfries to Glasgow.

I have lobbied successive transport ministers for improvements to the line, such as the reduction of journey times and electrification. The second strategic transport projects review—STPR2—made recommendations for the line to be improved. I have written to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport to request an update on the intended timescales.

I welcome the extension of the peak rail fare cut. However, I ask the cabinet secretary to consider the issues that I have raised about how many communities across South Scotland might not benefit from that excellent pilot scheme. I ask whether she could explore whether transport officials and ScotRail could look to enter reciprocal commercial agreements with other operators, which would mean that constituents on the Scottish stations that do not have ScotRail services could also benefit from non-peak fares at all times during the pilot scheme period.

Okay. I know that the Global Salmon Initiative is working to look at non-medicinal approaches to managing sea lice, and there is continuing research and development. That is part of the process of research and development as we move forward. Are more chemicals and more types of antibiotics being used? Is that a concern?

I have a quick question. Some information from the University of Victoria says that fish mortality on fish farms has increased in Norway, Canada, the United Kingdom, Chile, Australia and New Zealand. What work is being done to learn lessons? I want to highlight that it is not just a Scottish problem but a global issue. What work is being done to join up all the scientific knowledge?

Good morning, everybody. Rachel Mulrenan, you mentioned chemicals and the environment. I do not want to impose on my colleagues’ questions about welfare that might be coming up, but I am interested to hear your thoughts on the progress towards use of medications and chemicals having minimal impact on the surrounding environment.

Our papers talk about comparisons between regulations in Norway and Scotland. The Norwegian industry has been established for a long time and seems to have not a condensed system but a quite straightforward system. In Scotland, however, it has been noted that the system is a wee bit disjointed. What do you think about that? What could Scotland do differently with regulation?

I think that it has been answered. It was about sea cage research sites elsewhere on the globe. What is the barrier to Scotland having those? Is it just cost?

I am thinking about what Ariane Burgess said about stress in salmon. I am assuming that using biological methods or cleaner fish might be less stressful for the salmon. In the previous panel, it was said that the cleaner fish—the wrasse—were all wild caught, but I understand that the lumpfish are farmed, and work is being done and millions of pounds are being invested to look at breeding and husbandry programmes for other specialised cleaner fish. How does that all that link with improved welfare and reduced stress for the salmon?