Chamber and committees

That is good news. The issue has been raised in the chamber before when we have talked about vacant, abandoned and derelict land and what we can do about it.

We know that Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders have more than their fair share of derelict sites, such as at the former Interfloor factory in Dumfries, the George hotel in Stranraer, the Central hotel in Annan and the Mercury hotel in Moffat, to name just a few. There are also the N Peal and Glenmac buildings in Hawick.

Published research from the Glasgow Centre for Population Health shows that neglected environments can contribute to mental ill health. Dilapidated neighbourhoods and abandoned shops or houses can make people feel unsafe, with run-down environments found to contribute to anxiety and persistent low mood. Therefore, I thank the minister again for being willing to speak to me about the issue of VAT, so that we can encourage brownfield site redevelopment.

An additional point is that the combination of our legacy of out-migration and depopulation and the challenges of Brexit and demographic change means that Scotland urgently needs the powers to increase inward migration. Scotland needs a tailored migration solution to tackle depopulation. That is why the Scottish Government has called for cross-party support for a rural visa pilot scheme. The needs of Scotland are clearly not being met within the current UK Government immigration system, so that is something that we need to keep pursuing.

I am conscious of the time, Presiding Officer, but I would ask the minister to explore an innovative company called Iron and Pine, which is based in Dalbeattie. It is able to make bespoke types of builds for palliative care beds and accommodation for rural employees who might be coming just for training, but they can be used for long-term housing as well.

Thanks for giving me the time back, Deputy Presiding Officer.

I am coming to that issue.

It is crucial that, when we look at what we need to do for housing, we look at how we will tackle depopulation. Depopulation restricts the local labour supply and affects public service provision, as funding is typically population driven. Those issues were raised at a meeting that I attended with the equalities and depopulation minister in Dumfries towards the end of the summer recess.

I welcome the fact that the Scottish Government recognises the key role that is played by housing in supporting the successful delivery of its aims relating to addressing depopulation and wider population sustainability. However, we need to think innovatively in Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders in order to attract more people of working age, address depopulation and have good-quality rural housing while ensuring Scotland’s food security.

There is a wealth of evidence and research, including from the Scottish Land Commission, that demonstrates that changes to VAT in construction, which is currently at 5 per cent could help to address rural housing challenges. We know that VAT is reserved to Westminster, but the evidence shows that, if VAT were reformed, we could renew, regenerate and rebuild some vacant, abandoned and derelict sites instead of using prime agricultural land, for instance. If VAT were reduced, we could use and change those sites, which are a blight on our communities.

I understand that V division in Dumfries and Galloway is struggling to meet the demands of its large rural region with the current number of officers. As the cabinet secretary will know, Police Scotland relies on officers and staff doing more overtime to keep the service operating and to keep people safe. In addition, V division has raised concern with me about a lack of experienced officers coming into the region. What specific action is being taken to recruit police officers to rural areas such as Dumfries and Galloway as a priority?

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the recruitment of police officers in Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders. (S6O-02629)

I am sure that the First Minister will have seen the “No Life Half Lived” report from Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, which makes a number of recommendations to enable the one in five people in Scotland who live with chest, heart and stroke conditions, including in my South Scotland region, to access to rehabilitation and support. For transparency, I co-convene a number of health-related cross-party groups, including the cross-party group on lung health. Will the First Minister outline how the recommendations in the report align with the Scottish Government’s stroke improvement plan?

I note that our time is really short tonight—I will take the intervention, but I think that I am almost out of time.

I attended the Stranraer oyster festival—the cabinet secretary did as weel—where some fantastic Dumfriesshire and Galloway producers such as Stacy Hannah Chocolate, Moffat Distillery and Sulwath Brewers were selling their products. In addition, over the summer, many people supported our local food and drink producers at various agricultural shows. What further practical steps can the Scottish Government take to support the public to choose local, particularly with Food Standards Scotland pointing out that the Tory-made cost of living crisis is impacting on people’s ability to shop locally?

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage people to support their local food and drink producers. (S6O-02585)

I welcome the opportunity to speak in this short debate. I congratulate Edward Mountain on securing it, and I welcome everybody to the public gallery. I recognise the work that the member has done to raise awareness of bowel cancer and stoma care in Scotland and to champion stoma care for people across Scotland. That includes hosting the reception in the Parliament this evening—unfortunately, I will not be able to attend because I am chairing a cross-party group meeting, but I wish the member well at his event.

I remind members that I am a registered nurse. During my time in the operating theatre, I assisted in many cancer and stoma-creation surgeries. I know that stomas can be created for a number of reasons, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, or—as I experienced when I worked in Los Angeles—even as a result of trauma inflicted on people by stab wound injuries.

Not all stomas are permanent.

Will the member give way?