Seòmar agus comataidhean

Continuity of carer was a key recommendation of the Scottish Government’s best start plan to reshape maternity and neonatal services with a vision of relationship-based continuity of carer, tailored to the individual’s needs and delivered as close to home as possible. Can the minister provide any update on the Scottish Government’s work to progress that recommendation?

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the First Minister's commitment in the programme for government 2023-24 to publish a new delivery plan for mental health and wellbeing, what it is doing to improve pathways to diagnosis for neurodivergent children. (S6O-02496)

Given that the free trade agreements threaten to harm domestic production and flood our market with imported goods of lesser quality, I find it ironic that Meghan Gallacher has asked such a question. Given the Scottish Government’s commitment to active farming and food production, does the cabinet secretary agree that the best thing that the Tories could do to help to ensure the future of domestic food production is lobby their colleagues in the UK Government to provide funding clarity for the agriculture sector post-2025?

Thank you, Presiding Officer.

I acknowledge the harsh realities that the sector faces, and I pay tribute to all those who have worked on and pushed ahead while bearing the weight of Tory political decisions. I thank them for sustaining us throughout it all, and we celebrate their resilience.

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak in this vitally important debate. I have been privileged to visit many stakeholders from across Scotland’s rural and seafood industries, from catching to processing to trading and beyond. It was clear that their successes are essential to the Scottish economy and, of course, to the local economy of my constituency of Banffshire and Buchan Coast. When the local sector thrives, so do local businesses. Families move in and support the population, and families provide labour to support education, health and many other critical public support roles. Indeed, it is not really far reaching to suggest that our food and drink industries sustain not just our physical bodies but our communities and give life to a wide range of other Scottish industries and sectors.

I love the visualisation that the story of our seafood industry is woven into the rich tapestry of Scotland’s history. Without that industry, the coastal communities such as the ones that I represent simply would not exist. Each of them is a testament to local ingenuity and is a story of a human commitment to provide. Our seafood sector is a cornerstone of seafood not just here but globally. Peterhead, in my constituency, is home to the largest fishing port in the UK and Europe’s largest white fishing port. It is the hub of Scotland’s seafood industry. There has been a harbour at Peterhead for more than 400 years and, throughout the centuries, the success of the town has been closely linked to the level of maritime trade and activity.

When I met representatives of the Peterhead fish market, I witnessed at first hand—very early in the morning—the enormous undertaking and organisation involved. It is apparent that the fish market is no ordinary marketplace. It is a testament to Scotland’s enterprise and its role in the global food economy.

On Saturday, I had a fantastic day out at SeaFest Peterhead, and it was great to see the cabinet secretary, Mairi Gougeon, there as well, enjoying the Blue Toon, as we call it. Given that it was the first such festival, it was an incredible success. It was not just a food festival; it was a showcase of what we have to offer. From the vast attendance numbers and the diversity of those who came to visit, it was apparent that there is a hunger—if members will excuse the pun—to celebrate what we have locally. From young to old, there was a true community spirit of pride and a desire to educate about what we have. That intergenerational conversation on issues concerning our rural communities is needed today more than ever.

At the Turriff Show in August, I met NFUS members and discussed how we can better incorporate the topics of fishing, farming and food security into our education system to entice our younger generations to continue that work and to—I am sure—improve what we have. I look forward to working with NFUS on that issue in the years to come.

Farming and fishing are rapidly evolving industries. It is abundantly clear that our food and drink sector—particularly our seafood sector—plays a leading role in supporting Scotland to thrive at home and abroad. On a local level, the opportunities that fishing provides are invaluable. From catching to processing and from packing to marketing, our blue economy offers those opportunities in abundance.

Although, first and foremost, we are talking about food, the Scottish fish sector is essential to Scotland’s soft power on the world stage. What does that soft power look like in numbers? Put frankly, fish and seafood are Scotland’s primary food export. In 2021, Scottish exports of fish and seafood were valued at £1 billion, or 204,000 tonnes, and they accounted for 60 per cent of total food exports. They also accounted for 63 per cent of total UK fish and seafood exports.

Although I would love nothing more than to reel off success after success, I must spend a moment discussing the many concerns that have been raised with me by farmers and fishers since I was elected. If we are to ensure the security of good-quality Scottish food and drink, it is incumbent on all of us in the chamber to listen carefully to those concerns and to address them. Among them, Brexit continues to be the number 1 concern. The loss of freedom of movement and free trade has done untold damage to our rural economy. Our prized seafood industry has been hit with an estimated 50 per cent increase in the cost of packaging items that are sent to the EU. Some shellfish exporters have estimated that the new barriers to trade with the EU have resulted in additional costs of £500 to £600 per consignment, which makes some exports unviable. In fact, Seafood Scotland has told us that post-Brexit labour shortages are having a huge impact on the seafood processing sector, with many businesses

“turning down growth opportunities due to a lack of labour.”

If the UK Government and the Labour Opposition in London will not listen, perhaps our colleagues could pass on the message of Mike Park, the chief executive of the Scottish White Fish Producers Association. Talking about Brexit, he said:

“We were the poster boys, we wanted out. But a lot have now reassessed their enthusiasm for Brexit because it has delivered nothing. It has left some very negative legacies and hasn’t provided any of the positives we were promised.”

In conclusion—[Interruption.]

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support the development of the necessary harbour infrastructure, including in relation to the operations and maintenance support phase of offshore wind, to deliver a just transition to rural communities, such as Fraserburgh. (S6O-02475)

My constituency of Banffshire and Buchan Coast has a huge part to play in Scotland’s net zero ambitions. I thank the Scottish Government for its unrelenting support for the Acorn project at St Fergus and the Moray offshore wind projects and its funding of the Campaign for North East Rail’s feasibility study on bringing rail back to Peterhead and Fraserburgh.

The Fraserburgh harbour master plan has a huge part to play in our net zero goals. Will the minister meet with me and the harbour board to discuss its ambitious plan?

The Scottish Government has shown leadership on equality and human rights, and that is an inspiration not only to many here, but to others across this land and beyond, throughout the world. Our First Minister’s dedication to fighting for those fundamental causes gives me great hope.

Eleanor Roosevelt once said:

“Where, after all, do ... human rights begin? In small places, close to home ... Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.”

Those were wise words from the former first lady and distinguished human rights champion, and they underpin our journey here, in Scotland, to become an equal and inclusive community that is free from discrimination, with our potential realised and full of opportunity for all.

Scotland is already making greater strides towards equality than other parts of the United Kingdom. In 2021, the Scottish Parliament unanimously voted to incorporate the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child into law in Scotland before it was challenged by the UK Government. That bill would have been the most important thing that Scotland could do to protect the rights of children and young people and I urge the Scottish Government to do all that it can to bring the legislation back as soon as possible.

When we passed the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill last year, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said that it was a “significant step forward”. It was passed by a two-thirds majority in the Parliament. Yet again, our democracy and our progressive policies were vetoed by Westminster. Time and again, we march forward unapologetically on human rights only to be thwarted by a UK Government that is hostile not only to human rights, as we have seen with its vile Illegal Migration Act 2023, but to any part of the United Kingdom that dares to do better.

It should come as no surprise. Last year, the UK Government brought forward proposals to repeal the Human Rights Act 1998. Thankfully, those proposals have not made progress at Westminster, but that is the uncertain context in which the Scottish people find ourselves. It is for that reason that I wish to focus my remarks today on the proposed human rights bill in the programme for government.

The human rights bill would be a significant piece of legislation that could give effect to a further four of the nine core international human rights instruments of the United Nations. Those would enshrine a right to work and to favourable conditions of work. The bill would cement the right to an adequate standard of living, including the right to adequate food and housing. In the context of a Tory cost of living crisis and with the world’s energy and food security threatened by Russia’s abhorrent war in Ukraine, the need to guarantee those fundamental rights has never been more acute.

Yesterday, the First Minister spoke movingly about his past and present experiences of racism. Although racially motivated hate crimes are declining, 1,468 racist crime offences were recorded by the police in Scotland last year. We must commit ourselves by all appropriate means and without delay to a policy of eliminating racial discrimination in all its forms, and to promoting understanding between different racial, ethnic and national groups in Scotland.

The abuse and discrimination that are faced by women in society are as perennial as they are pervasive. To the surprise of no woman in the chamber today, that is particularly acute for those in the public arena. We discussed those issues at length on the gender-sensitive audit board, and I am particularly proud that, under Nicola Sturgeon’s leadership, we introduced the first gender-balanced Cabinet in the UK and that, under Humza Yousaf’s leadership, there are now more women in Government than ever before. In Humza Yousaf’s first programme for government, we have the potential through the human rights bill to enshrine non-discrimination, economic and social rights, and gender equality for all women in Scotland.

Many people with disabilities face barriers that prevent them from participating fully in society. Those barriers take many forms, from financial to physical to cultural. With that legislation, we can make it clear that disabled people have the same rights as non-disabled people and break down the barriers that prevent disabled people from realising their human rights.

Many other communities would benefit from having their rights recognised in the human rights bill, including LGBT people. On that point, I am relieved to hear that the Government is to introduce legislation swiftly to end abhorrent conversion practices. I look forward to ensuring that the rights of LGBT people are included in the bill.

With the human rights bill, we have yet another opportunity to distinguish ourselves from the cruel policies of Westminster and be a beacon for human rights. That will no doubt anger the UK Government, which is doing all that it can to undermine any Scottish progress. In the past five financial years, £700 million has been spent on mitigating the effects of UK Government policy on the Scottish people. The suffering and harm that are inflicted on us by this unequal union, day in and day out, cannot be emphasised enough.

It is the Scottish Government that offers real change. It does so with a programme for government that fights poverty tooth and nail, and which is proud and unapologetic about progressing human rights. We have made great strides in building a modern, inclusive Scotland, but we must not and will not rest on our laurels. Giving effect in Scots law to core international human rights instruments will build stronger communities, improve social justice, reduce inequalities and tackle child poverty.

The cost of the union is clear: it is a cost that is mired in inhumanity. In stark contrast, with its programme for government, the Scottish Government has, with true humanity, shown its commitment to the highest standard of equality for our citizens.

I thank the cabinet secretary for her constructive dialogue and for taking the time to listen to the concerns of the coastal communities and the fishers I represent. Fishers are well aware of the need to safeguard the health of our seas, because they rely on it for their livelihoods as well as our food security. They bring intergenerational knowledge and experience to the table. How will fishers be able to feed their wealth of knowledge into any future discussions on enhancing marine protections as we continue to protect our marine environment, as well as our world-renowned, vital food source?

On the wider discussion of wildlife traps, we have had quite robust discussions on proposed licensing. We have heard concerns from stakeholders and land managers that other people tampering with their traps might make them liable to prosecution. Has the Scottish Government given any consideration to making tampering with traps an offence?