Seòmar agus comataidhean

We can and must fight for the best possible deal within the union, and the motion is part of that fight, but the long-term answer is independence, which would give the ability to design funding that follows our fleet and to negotiate directly for our coastal economy. [Interruption.]

Rural Scotland feeds this nation, but Westminster starves it of fair funding and the fair treatment that it deserves. That is why we need Scottish independence.

If we want stable investment, a fair funding share and an economic system that actually fits our needs, we have to be honest about what is required.

I note that the cabinet secretary does a lot of work, particularly in my constituency, and is praised for her collaborative work with the Scottish fishing sector.

Communities across the coast rely on a fairly funded Scottish fishing industry, but, given the UK Government’s decision to allocate Scotland less than 8 per cent of the post-European Union fishing fund, despite our sector being the largest in the UK, does the cabinet secretary agree that it is only with the full powers of independence that Scotland’s fishing industry can be properly prioritised?

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support the Scottish fishing industry. (S6O-05095)

I want to start by acknowledging everyone who has been let down by our maternity or neonatal services. Those families have suffered greatly, and every death or injury is an absolute tragedy. That any concern that is raised is not acted upon is simply not good enough. People who live with such experiences deserve to be heard, believed and shown what is changing because they made the effort to speak up.

The Scottish Government has been clear that it will ensure that it learns from every case in order to improve care and strengthen patient safety. I am glad to hear that, but parents and families need to feel that and see it in action, not just hear it in words spoken in the chamber today.

I come to this debate with a little bit of my own experience. I have had six babies, and I was lucky enough to be at the birth of my first grandchild. I have seen the difference that good care makes, but I have also seen poor care—I have seen poor practice that leaves a lasting mark. I understand the difference that it makes when people are listened to, when plans are explained and when people are treated as partners in decisions. That should be the baseline everywhere and every time.

In recent weeks, following the difficult coverage that we have seen, families have contacted us. They want straight answers, but they also want visible action. We should be honest about where culture has fallen short, and we should also be clear about the work that is already under way. Independent, unannounced inspections by Healthcare Improvement Scotland are finding issues on the ground, but they are also driving immediate improvements.

That is scrutiny doing exactly what it should. However, it builds trust only if boards act quickly and report openly so that families can see that change. National standards for maternity care have been commissioned to make expectations clear for everyone, and ministers have said that inspection findings will be acted on decisively. Delivering clear standards, honest inspection and rapid local action—that is how we build confidence.

Feeling safe is not only about what happens when something goes wrong but about the care that people receive every day. I am glad that the Scottish patient safety programme’s perinatal improvement programme and the best start supporting boards are there to improve day-to-day practice by achieving better handovers, clearer communication and stronger teamwork, particularly in emergencies. That is how care becomes more personal and more reliable, and not just the subject of a postcode lottery.

Continuity matters, too. Women should have a named midwife and a small team that they see regularly, without being passed from pillar to post, because experiencing such an approach lowers stress and improves outcomes. I have believed that for many years, and—perhaps I should declare an interest here—when I was expecting my fifth child I signed a petition in favour of such an approach, because I knew how important continuity was through my lived experience. I still believe that now. Let us make continuity real for the women who need it the most—in particular, for those who have high-risk pregnancies, as I did—and then build it across the service so that it is the norm and not an exception.

When something goes wrong, families should get a plain-language explanation and be able to see what has changed as a result. Staff should be supported to speak up and be heard, and boards must act immediately when concerns are identified. Families should be able to see that action and not have to chase it.

We should also keep sight of progress. Over the past two decades, Scotland has reduced infant mortality, neonatal deaths and stillbirths, through the support achieved by having more midwives and consultants. That does matter, but progress never represents a finish line—it creates a responsibility to keep moving. When inspection flags risks, action must be quick and visible. When the culture falls short, leadership must step in. When families ask for clarity, they should not be met with jargon. When improvement is working, we should scale it and sustain it. A new early pregnancy, maternity and neonatal oversight group will keep an eye on delivery of those aims, but what matters most is that families feel the difference when such care is given.

Birth trauma needs plain speaking. If someone was ever dismissed, not believed or left without answers, that should matter. People should not be regarded as making a fuss if they still feel an aftershock months or even years after their experience. Services must be trauma informed and include postnatal debriefs that answer questions, easy routes into perinatal mental health support and care that recognises how poverty, disability, rurality and language can compound risk and fear. Equity should not be simply part of a slogan—it must be a part of safety.

We must keep the focus on what happens to women in the room, in that moment. It is important to listen early, act quickly and be clear, to provide real continuity and to keep instructions sharp and updates plain so that families can see progress without having to fight for it. That would set us up in those early days for achieving a society that is truly founded on wellbeing.

I will finish simply: this is about creating trust and providing care that people can rely on. If we hold to those basics, we will not just talk about having safer, kinder and more consistent care but deliver it—excuse the pun—for every family in Scotland, as we absolutely should.

Will the cabinet secretary reaffirm that the Scottish Government is committed to putting patient safety at the heart of our NHS service delivery? What conversations has he had with NHS Grampian about its recovery?

Thank you. We move on to questions from Maggie Chapman.

Good morning, and welcome to the 24th meeting in 2025 of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee. We have received apologies from Tess White.

Under agenda item 1, do members agree to take in private item 4, which is consideration of evidence on the draft affirmative instruments?

Members indicated agreement.

Under agenda item 2, the committee will consider two draft affirmative instruments. I welcome to the meeting Siobhian Brown, the Minister for Victims and Community Safety. The minister is accompanied by Wendy Georgeson, who is the family law team leader at the Scottish Government, and Scott Matheson, who is a senior principal legal officer in the Scottish Government legal directorate. Thank you for joining us.

I refer members to papers 1 and 2 and invite the minister to speak to the draft instruments.

As no member wishes to ask further questions, we will move to agenda item 3, which is formal consideration of the motions on the instruments.

Motions moved,

That the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee recommends that the Regulation of Care (Child Contact Services) (Scotland) Order 2025 [draft] be approved.

That the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee recommends that the Regulation of Care (Child Contact Services) (Equality) (Scotland) Regulations 2025 [draft] be approved.—[Siobhian Brown]

Motions agreed to.