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Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 13 May 2025
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Displaying 1371 contributions

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Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Portfolio Question Time

Meeting date: 7 May 2025

Neil Gray

I absolutely understand and sympathise with the position that Mrs Gault is in. I thank Sandesh Gulhane for raising the issue again.

I will need to check the Official Report. I do not remember describing this as cosmetic surgery, but as reconstructive surgery, which it is. It is a complex procedure that requires specialist provision.

The £30 million intervention that we brought forward last year allowed for the employment of further consultants in the field. I hope that the additional investment that we are bringing forward this year will not just provide sustainability but deliver against the waiting times that we want to see and give confidence to patients such as Mrs Gault that we will get through those. Dr Gulhane is absolutely right to say that it is imperative that we do so for those women, and that is what we intend to do.

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Portfolio Question Time

Meeting date: 7 May 2025

Neil Gray

Yes.

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Portfolio Question Time

Meeting date: 7 May 2025

Neil Gray

Although cancer waiting times reporting across United Kingdom nations are not directly comparable, we note that prostate cancer five-year survival rates in Scotland are similar to those observed in England.

The earlier prostate cancer is diagnosed, the easier it is to treat, which is why we continue to invest in our detect cancer earlier programme. Additionally, the Scottish Government continues to invest in cancer services and in improving waiting times. Over the past five years, we have invested more than £40 million, which has been focused on urological cancers, including prostate cancer, and colorectal and breast cancers. In 2024-25, £11.3 million was provided to boards.

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Portfolio Question Time

Meeting date: 7 May 2025

Neil Gray

First and foremost, we will continue talking to the BMA. On the announcement on the programme for government, the 100,000 new appointments are to help general practice to deliver what it does best, which is to prevent ill health. Cardiovascular disease is evidently an issue for us in Scotland, and we have worked with the BMA to deliver on that, for which I am grateful to it.

That basis of constructive dialogue and of finding ways in which we can support general practice is the way in which I will deal with the discussions with the BMA. Yes, we need more resource going in and, yes, we need to provide GPs with greater support, because they are the absolute fulcrum of our NHS.

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Programme for Government

Meeting date: 6 May 2025

Neil Gray

Will Jackie Baillie give way?

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Programme for Government

Meeting date: 6 May 2025

Neil Gray

Will the member give way?

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Programme for Government

Meeting date: 6 May 2025

Neil Gray

Last year, Labour promised to cut energy bills, end austerity and deliver change. Instead, it has short-changed the people, continued to balance the books on the backs of pensioners and disabled people, and allowed energy bills to go up—[Interruption.]

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Programme for Government

Meeting date: 6 May 2025

Neil Gray

Yes—pharmacists and others across the primary care sector are fundamental to the future success and sustainability of the health service, and I am happy to give that confirmation.

Also on a health theme, Gillian Mackay made a series of constructive health-related asks, some of which we are progressing. I would be more than happy to pick up on them and discuss them at our next meeting.

We understand the challenges the people are facing and the issues that families are dealing with. Turbulent times globally have seen costs rise, and the impacts of those rises pose risks for everyday life.

Decisions of Westminster Governments have not just worsened the cost of living challenges that the people of Scottish are facing; in many cases, it is the decisions of Westminster Governments that have caused the challenges, because Scotland is an afterthought for those Governments.

From Brexit to rising energy bills and austerity in the form of cuts to winter fuel payments for our pensioners, it is our people who have suffered. Only when it starts to cost Labour at the ballot box—only when the pain threatens its own power, not when the pain is felt by pensioners—does the party brief that it will consider its position. It is so disappointing to see that from a Labour Government—from a Labour Government, Presiding Officer. It is in the face of that situation that we have set out a clear, focused agenda to deliver for people and communities right across the country.

This programme for government not only sets out what we will do to achieve our key priorities over the coming year but underlines our many strengths and the many successes that have been delivered. Although child poverty levels remain high, we are making progress. We are investing in early learning and childcare, in housing and in measures such as the Scottish child payment. Those investments will support families to escape poverty. Child poverty levels in Scotland are falling at a time when they are rising in other parts of the country.

In this programme for government, we are ensuring that businesses are in the best possible place to create jobs and grow the economy. A strong, dynamic and growing economy will support measures to invest in our public services and to eradicate poverty.

Our devolved employability programmes have supported tens of thousands of people to enter—and to progress in—work. Scotland has a track record of success when it comes to attracting investment, and we consistently outperform other parts of the UK. However, we are not resting on our laurels. That is why we are accelerating a targeted programme of key engagements on key investment. Scotland is, and will continue to be, a globally facing country—one that is open for business.

In our programme for government, we have set out a clear, focused agenda to deliver—to deliver for the people of Scotland and, as I have set out, to deliver for the whole of Scotland. This is a programme for government that is focused on hope and delivery. It is a programme that shows that the Government understands the reality of the headwinds that people are facing and that we are taking action.

We are seeing progress in our health service: accident and emergency waits are down; delayed discharge is down; and more procedures are being delivered. There is much more for us to do, but we are making progress.

Labour and the Tories cannot stand that, because, while we are delivering for the people of Scotland, they are contributing precisely nothing. They opted out of the budget process while others in the chamber achieved something for the country. They failed to vote for the budget—a budget that is delivering progress on eradicating child poverty, delivering for the economy and on combating the climate emergency and delivering for our public services—because politics is their priority.

Delivery is our priority. We are delivering, and those parties cannot stand it—[Interruption.] They do not like it—they are rattled. Farage has got them rattled, Presiding Officer—[Interruption.]

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Programme for Government

Meeting date: 6 May 2025

Neil Gray

We want to make progress, for the reasons that Martin Whitfield set out. I have an interest in that regard. The scheduling of those bills will be brought forward as quickly as possible.

Jackie Baillie, in her conclusion, asked what the SNP’s priorities are. I can tell her that they are record funding for the NHS; delivering for people who are accessing health services; delivering high-quality public services; eradicating child poverty; boosting the economy; and delivering on the climate emergency commitments.

Meanwhile, the Labour UK Government is projected to increase child poverty, has stifled the economy with the tax on jobs through increased employer national insurance contributions and has let energy bills increase when it promised to reduce them. It has also abandoned the women against state pension inequality—the WASPI women. Labour’s failure in Government has opened the door to Farage, and it should be ashamed.

Members raised a number of other issues, but I will not be able to turn to all of them. Patrick Harvie referenced the peak rail fares removal pilot and supporting that in the spirit of consensus. He needs to be reminded that the pilot was extended after the Greens left the Government, and that we extended the pilot for a second time in the summer of 2024, as opposed to while the Greens were in government.

There are a number of very good contributions to reflect on. Emma Roddick delivered a thoughtful contribution on how we counteract the rise of Nigel Farage and the opportunity that is open to us through independence. I will take away Sarah Boyack’s point regarding the linkage between mental health and economic inactivity. We are incredibly cognisant of that point, and it is something that we are delivering against, including in Lothian, where we understand that there are specific challenges.

I see that Joe FitzPatrick is seeking to intervene remotely. I will take his intervention.

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Programme for Government

Meeting date: 6 May 2025

Neil Gray

Kevin Stewart focused on the health service, Audrey Nicoll spoke about energy and the economy, and Stuart McMillan spoke about his work regarding non-surgical cosmetic procedures while also addressing the fact that that has been a cross-party effort.