I thank Kenneth Gibson for bringing this important debate to the chamber. Today’s debate is an opportunity for me to step into old shoes from the years that I spent as my party’s spokesperson on older people, which was a role that I took great pride in. As I turn 61 today, I am a proud older person. [Applause.]

The debate also gives me an opportunity to discuss some of the biggest challenges that face older people across Scotland, some of which I have spoken about before in the chamber. Age Scotland’s second big survey provides a detailed snapshot of the challenges that older people face in Scotland in 2023. The survey—to which more than 4,100 people over the age of 50 contributed—highlighted on-going issues with older people’s mental health, which some respondents felt were long-lasting effects of the Covid-19 situation.

Loneliness is often an issue that comes up when the mental health challenges that older people face are discussed, and the survey confirms that it is still very much a live issue. Nearly half of the respondents to the survey said that they sometimes felt lonely, and 10 per cent said that they felt lonely either most or all of the time. Age Scotland supports 400 organisations and community groups with their vitally important work to prevent and tackle loneliness, but many of those groups are struggling to keep their doors open and keep the lights on. In recent years, at least 30 groups have been forced to close. Looking forward, it is important that those groups are supported to continue to provide support for individuals. They are a lifeline across communities, and I commend and congratulate all of them.

The First Minister was entering office when Age Scotland’s big survey was carried out, and respondents were asked about what priorities the Government should have. Unsurprisingly, social care and the national health service ranked highly among their priorities. Respondents suggested that the importance of reducing waiting lists and maintaining a seamless and joined-up approach in social care should be highlighted. Only 4 per cent of respondents thought that issues such as independence should be classed as priorities.

In looking at the findings, one of the biggest concerns is the fact that just 13 per cent of the older people who responded said that they felt valued for their contribution to society. That is even lower than the figure of 21 per cent that was recorded in the 2021 survey.

Along with the many other pieces of research carried out by Age Scotland, the big survey has provided an important spotlight on older people’s priorities, and on the challenges that they face in their communities. That is very important at a time when the views of older people are rarely given the attention that they deserve, and I thank Age Scotland for doing that work and giving those people a voice.

Today’s debate gives members the chance to reflect on the fantastic work that Age Scotland has done over the last 80 years, which has supported countless older people across communities. I know that in my region of Mid Scotland and Fife, numerous organisations and individuals have benefited from Age Scotland’s support, and other organisations and charities have supported individuals who are lonely. Kenneth Gibson talked about men’s sheds. I have visited fantastic men’s sheds in my region, where men come together to support one another, which provides a real benefit.

I know that Kenneth Gibson wishes the chief executive, Katherine Crawford, the best success going forward. I also do that, because it is vitally important that individuals in communities in our constituencies are supported, and that the voice of older people is truly heard.

You have identified that there is a skills shortage. However, we have a wealth of talent among volunteers at, for example, men’s sheds, where they bring together individuals who have skills from having worked in a wide range of sectors in the past, which they can pass on to others who come and join them. Have you tapped into the third and voluntary sectors to see what skills they can add to the existing base and hand over to others? Those individuals might have stopped being in the working environment that they were in earlier in their lives, but they still have a skills base that they can hand on to the next generation, which could support many of your organisations.

You have all talked about the ambitions of the strategy, and it is clear that there are ambitions in each of your sectors. However, those ambitions will be realised only if we have the appropriate actions, framework and delivery. In your written submissions, you identify that we have a skills shortage, that there are funding support issues and that investment is required. It all comes down to the plans that each of your organisations has for future investment based on the financial support that is provided over the medium to long term. Squaring that circle is the only way to achieve the ambitions.

You all want to survive and thrive, but it appears that you are at a crossroads. For many of your organisations, the next step could be a challenge. We know that there are already challenges, but the challenges could be bigger, depending on where you take your organisations and where you want them to be. For me, the issue is about financial support and investment in the medium to long term, and what you need to ensure that you can survive and thrive based on the strategy that has been set.

To ask the Scottish Government how many civil servants worked on the production of the latest “Building a New Scotland” paper on immigration and European Union policy. (S6O-02775)

The minister has just related that 21 civil servants may have spent their time working on a policy that will never be implemented. Does he think that civil servants’ time is better spent on dealing with national health service backlogs, for example, or on writing this latest piece of literature in the Scottish National Party’s taxpayer-funded independence campaign?

Residents are exhausted by the continued disturbances. The new facility continues to fail the inmates and residents, who cannot wait months for mitigation measures to be implemented. They need action, and they need it now. It is quite clear from what was said at the public meeting that residents were not in any way considered through the design and planning processes for the facility. What urgent action can we put in place to resolve the situation for the exhausted residents?

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I do not think that my app worked. It says that I have not voted, so I do not think that my vote was recorded. I would have voted no.

You have given us a very honest and stark view of the industry that you all represent and are trying to maintain and sustain. I suspect that, without some of the interventions that you are asking for, the industry or many organisations will be at a tipping point with regard to what might happen next. We have already touched on what might be required to get some financial support. We have touched on the issue of the 90 out of 180-day rule with regard to visas. That would give you some hope, if such areas could be managed and maintained.

What other opportunities do you see, if any, with regard to challenging the situation and where you want the sector to go? The sector is in a dire situation and needs help to progress.

Each of you has talents in your own sector. Are you doing anything collectively to try to make progress or to challenge? We have opportunities here to tackle the Government. Is anyone within your own sectors coming forward with potential solutions? We have heard about some of those this morning, which is really encouraging, but are there others? What are other parts of the world doing in similar situations? Are they doing something that we could support or copy, or does everything have to come from the Government side and from the funding mechanisms that we control here? Is that the only opportunity that we have?

Does anyone else want to add to that?

Cabinet secretary, you have talked about the approach that the Government is taking, about competence, about the effects and about some aspects of scrutiny. Those are all valid in the process. How has the Scottish Parliament’s EU law tracker supported the Government’s approach to alignment? Has the Government reflected on that? You have mentioned some sectors and business organisations this morning—how have they managed to co-operate under that process?