Chamber and committees

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the latest reported figures highlighting the impact of livestock worrying in Scotland. (S6F-02874)

Thinking about my original questions to the cabinet secretary, and noting that these regulations stem from the 2022 act, I think it important that we achieve a healthy nation that is underpinned by good diets, as is set out in the act. I am interested in our pursuing the core values of the food commission, which are to support Scottish agriculture and food production, to ensure Scottish food security and to ensure that the food commission will work closely with our valued Scottish farmers. I would like to make sure that we achieve that as we progress.

I want to pick up on what has been said, including about bycatch, the need for a complete absence of disturbance on the sea bed and what Dr Coby Needle said about changing the design of creels to avoid bycatch. We need to ensure that we are working with our fishermen. The Galloway Static Gear Fishermen’s Association has 20 vessels and more than 40 members. Their knowledge makes them experts in the territory where they are fishing. I am keen to ensure that we continue to work with the fishermen so that the science, data and evidence are accurate and they can fish for the future.

Good morning, cabinet secretary. In my work on the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee and in various health-related cross-party groups, and following the work of Henry Dimbleby and Chris van Tulleken, I have been looking at different issues around ultra-processed foods—that is, foods with a high fat, sugar and salt content. I am therefore interested in the work of the commission in that respect. Will its remit include food production as well as food security? Given that that is part of how we look at the whole food system, will that be a focus of the commission?

I am interested in other issues that might impact the spawning of cod, such as climate change, predation by other species and activities other than disturbance of the sea bed. One of my local fishermen says that he is witnessing more sea bass in the northern waters. Could you say something about the impact of climate change and other activities that might affect spawning?

I thank Sharon Dowey for bringing the debate to the chamber. I think that all of us, as MSPs who represent south-west Scotland, have either raised the issue in debates previously or asked the Scottish Government questions on the need for improvements to those main arterial routes, the A75 and the A77. The A75 is part of a 95-mile long Euro route, which is fundamental to the UK’s connectivity and our wider access to Europe.

Fundamentally, it is time that we see much-needed upgrades to improve safety and efficiency. I pay tribute to the A75 and A77 action groups. Their continued campaigning efforts cannot be overplayed. It is vital to note that there have been fatal accidents on the road, as Sharon Dowey said. That includes two very recent accidents on the A75 in as many months. We now have a wife and two daughters without a husband and a father, and, as a result of the other accident, near Annan, we have a community that is devastated by the loss of a friend. My thoughts and my condolences go to the families.

We have commitments from both Governments, but the focus now must be on transforming those commitments into action as quickly as possible. I made that clear at the recent south-west Scotland transport alliance summit in Stranraer, which was held on 29 January at the North West Castle hotel. The summit was attended by MSPs and by representatives from the ferry companies Stena Line and P&O and from Belfast Harbour. There were also national health service representatives there, as well as Dumfries and Galloway and South Ayrshire council leaders. There was a consensus from all those in attendance on the absolute need for road upgrades. I know that my colleague Elena Whitham, who has attended our joint meetings on the issue, agrees that there is a critical need for road improvements.

In 2022, the Scottish Government published its second strategic transport projects review, which states that the A75 and A77 will benefit from

“improving junctions, enhancing overtaking opportunities ... or climbing lanes ... where slow moving traffic leads to risky overtaking manoeuvres, and widening or realigning carriageways to alleviate ‘pinch points’”.

Those recommendations will bring the change for which constituents have long been calling. However, the issue now is funding. The Scottish Government continues to operate in a tight economic situation—[Interruption.] I will not take any interventions, because I have only four minutes.

The Scottish Government continues to operate in a tight economic situation, with a budget that is handed to us without the ability to commit to huge infrastructure spending. That means that it is necessary for the UK Government to provide funding to ensure that the upgrades progress. That was acknowledged in the final report of the UK Government-commissioned union connectivity review.

Since the publication of STPR2 and the “Union Connectivity Review: Final Report”, progress has been made. I welcome that the Scottish and UK Governments have been working together, and I welcome collaborative engagement to explore the options for making funding available. The Scottish Government has secured £8 million from the UK Government for a feasibility study on creating bypasses for Springholm and Crocketford villages. Again, I ask the Cabinet Secretary for Transport to provide exact timescales for when the STPR2 commitments will be enacted.

In addition to the need for improvements for better safety and efficiency, I seek further clarity on the strong economic case that the central belt benefits from the connectivity to Northern Ireland. I have written to Transport Scotland to seek an update on figures and travelling patterns for cars and HGVs, so that we can show that other parts of Scotland benefit from A77 connectivity and that it is important for goods and services.

Just this week, my office has been in touch with Gist logistics, a major distribution hub in Motherwell that employs more than 2,500 people. Gist has stated how important the A77 is as part of its distribution network. The economic importance of both roads cannot be overplayed, and I ask the cabinet secretary for a commitment that the Scottish Government recognises that.

In conclusion, I ask the Government to do all that it can to get shovels in the ground on the A75 and A77 to deliver those much-needed improvements.

Wherever zones might be in the future, a 200m radius is proposed in Scotland. That is different from what is in the UK legislation, which provides for 150m. From reading our briefing papers, 150m seems to be adequate, except at the Queen Elizabeth university hospital in Glasgow, which has a part where people could gather and be heard from the wards that provide healthcare for women. What are your thoughts on the 200m proposal in Scotland and on the potential to give ministers the flexibility to extend or reduce the zones?

My next question is on a different subject—the rights of protesters versus those of women who are seeking an abortion. Our briefing papers say that the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women found that several aspects of the law on abortion in Northern Ireland violated women’s rights. Its report made a number of recommendations to

“Protect women from harassment by anti-abortion protesters by investigating complaints and prosecuting and punishing perpetrators.”

I am interested in aspects where the rights of women who are seeking medical care supersede the right of people to protest and the right to free speech.

My question follows on from Sandesh Gulhane’s question about silent prayer. Does the other legislation look at the number of people standing outside a clinic? There is a difference between having one person, who might be a minister or a priest, and having 10 people. Does the legislation cover when it is okay to walk into a place or to stand outside in silence?

You mentioned America, Rachael. I forgot to mention that I was a registered perioperative nurse for 30 years, working in California, England and Scotland. I am thinking about activities in the United States. A lot of violence has been perpetrated over the years, and there has been serious intimidation of people who work in healthcare at the homes of doctors, nurses and staff. My point is that, when we speak about people encountering protest, that includes staff, which you talked about earlier. The overarching aspects of the bill will protect everybody who is going to their work or going to access healthcare. That is what we are aiming for. Is that correct?