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I thank the member for taking an intervention. Does he truly believe that a Tory austerity agenda, a Tory Brexit and a Tory cost of living crisis have had no impact at all on our national health service?

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how much of its annual budget is allocated to the provision of BSL services to ensure that the Parliament is accessible to those who use BSL, in light of the 2022 census results showing that BSL is used by 117,300 people, or 2.2 per cent of the population. (S6O-03584)

When I think of public services, as I did when I was writing this speech, I automatically thought—as I am sure many others do—of the support that they provide us with throughout our lives, from the cradle to the grave, often caring for and supporting us when we most need it. In particular, I thought about our national health service. In my remarks, I will focus principally on that institution, which gave me my first opportunity to serve the public, delivered my six children and two grandchildren, took care of my relatives before they passed away and, on so many occasions throughout my life, has taken care of me and my family in our hours of need. I know that I am far from being alone in feeling gratitude for and pride in the NHS. It is a manifestation of our collective commitment to one other and it embodies the values of compassion, solidarity and care.

The Scottish people look to us to provide investment in the NHS: not only investment in monetary terms but investment in the fundamental belief in the institution itself. Many people who stand at a ballot box are looking to vote for the NHS and to see a party dedicated to the protection of it. That is a marker of our society, and it goes beyond ensuring that every person in Scotland has access to the care and support that they need; it is a matter of ensuring that the NHS is there for future generations, too, delivering services when we are no longer here.

I am proud to support an SNP Scottish Government that is committed to improving Scotland’s public services, particularly our NHS, not as a cost but as a vital investment in our future health, equality and prosperity. Proof of that investment comes in the form of an NHS workforce in Scotland that is currently the highest paid in the UK. Scotland has had the best-performing core accident and emergency units in the UK for nine years. NHS funding has more than doubled, and we have the highest number of general practitioners per head in the UK.

As a consequence of the SNP Government’s decisions, £1.5 billion is available to spend on public services in Scotland today that would not be available had the Government not taken the decisions that it has taken on tax. A socially just and progressive approach to public service investment, design and delivery is essential, and that must be underpinned by fair work and a progressive tax policy. That approach ensures that everyone contributes their fair share to the funding of services that benefit all of us. It is about creating a society in which everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

However, the challenges that we face are significant. Nobody is turning a blind eye to that, but the UK spring budget fell far short of what Scotland needs to deliver further investment in public services and infrastructure. That has resulted in a cut in the Scottish core block grant of around £400 million in real terms for 2024-25 compared with 2022-23. Such cuts hinder our ability to make the necessary investments in our public services. To me, that does not signify a priority on the part of the UK Government to deliver for our NHS. Therefore, I support the Scottish Government’s call on the incoming UK Administration to hold an emergency budget to restore the £1.3 billion cut in Scotland’s capital budget. For as long as the Scottish Government remains on a fixed budget under the current devolution settlement, there are limits to what we can achieve in terms of investment in public services. It is imperative that we have the resources that are needed to support them effectively.

Despite those challenges, people in Scotland currently benefit from policies that are not available in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. They support Scots who are struggling after 14 years of austerity cuts, through measures such as free tuition fees, free prescriptions, free personal care, the Scottish child payment and the mitigation of the bedroom tax. That shows an SNP Scottish Government proving that it prioritises its citizens.

My grandmother was a domestic supervisor at the Royal Cornhill hospital in Aberdeen. Alongside her worked my mother and my auntie. My grandmother had a reputation as a white-glove type, ensuring the highest standards of cleanliness and care. That pride in working for the NHS was a badge of honour in my family. I did a turn as an NHS domestic at Aberdeen royal infirmary, and I remember the pride that my family felt when I started working there. It was celebrated. Before my first late-night shift, my grandmother cooked me a special tea to sustain me, making sure that I was fit for a job that she held in high regard. It was a fulfilling and rewarding job, and one of great importance.

Public services are the core of our society. They represent our collective commitment to care for one another, and we have a deep regard for and pride in them. By investing in those services we invest in the future of Scotland, which is exactly what the SNP Scottish Government is doing.

As there are no more questions, that brings us to the end of the session. Thank you for your participation. We will pause while we move into private session.

We have a supplementary question on this from Meghan Gallacher.

We are running very short of time, but I would like to ask for our witnesses’ thoughts on the bill’s provision on inclusive communication. I put that first to Heather Fisken.

Good morning, and welcome to the 15th meeting in 2024, in session 6, of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee. We have received apologies from Annie Wells.

This morning, we will take evidence on the Disability Commissioner (Scotland) Bill from two panels of witnesses. I refer members to papers 1 and 2.

I welcome to the meeting our first panel. Lyn Pornaro is the chief executive officer of Disability Equality Scotland; Tressa Burke is the chief executive officer of Glasgow Disability Alliance; Karen Wylie is the policy and participation manager at Glasgow Disability Alliance; Heather Fisken, who is joining us remotely, is the chief executive of Inclusion Scotland; Dr Pauline Nolan is the head of policy and engagement at Inclusion Scotland; and Jenny Miller is the chief executive at PAMIS—Promoting a More Inclusive Society. I thank all of you for attending the meeting.

We are quite tight for time, so we will go straight to questions. I will ask the first questions. What are your thoughts on the bill? Do you agree with its general principles?

Since no other member wishes to come in on that question, that brings us to the conclusion of our first panel. I thank you all very much for your testimonies. I suspend the meeting briefly until we go to our second panel.

We will now take evidence from our second panel. I welcome to the meeting Jamie Cooke, who is head of policy and communications at Enable; Suzi Martin, who is external affairs manager at the National Autistic Society Scotland; Alice Struthers, who is programme director at the Neurological Alliance of Scotland; and Eddie McConnell, who is the chair of the Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities. You are all very welcome, and thank you for attending this morning.

We are tight for time, so we will move straight to questions. I will kick off by asking what your views are on the bill and whether you support its general principles.

We now have questions from Marie McNair.