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Will the Government tell us why only 5 per cent of the £251 million that was allocated to the project in 2020 has been spent? We have also seen the recent cancellation of projects such as the Prestwick spaceport. Has the minister considered appointing an independent chair to push the project along?

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the Ayrshire growth deal. (S6O-05107)

I thank Paul Sweeney for again securing a debate on this important subject. I have spoken in previous years’ debates on the issue, and it saddens me that, once again, we need to raise our voices to speak out for those who are dying in poverty.

This year’s report tells us that we have not moved the dial one bit, so all our efforts must remain focused not on talk, reports or briefings but on the delivery of services and the redistribution of wealth. My colleague Richard Leonard put that so much better than I have done. The issue is about how, as a society, we can redistribute wealth and power.

As with so many things that we encounter in the course of our lives, the process of death is influenced by the poverty and inequality that are experienced by so many. That one in four working-age people and one in six older people still die in poverty should shame us all. I have said this before in the chamber, but I feel compelled to say it again: everyone deserves as pain-free and peaceful a death as possible, surrounded by those who love them, in a place that comforts them and that they have chosen.

Little attention is paid to working people and the strain that often comes with working multiple jobs or living in forgotten communities. What makes me say that? I grew up in a coalfield community. It is almost 40 years since the rapid closure of the mining industry began in coalfield communities in the South Scotland region, yet we are still seeing the consequences. Figures that I found last year suggest that 44 per cent of the working-age population in the Scottish coalfields are claiming some form of benefits, compared with a Scottish average of 23 per cent; 40 per cent of people in the Scottish coalfields have no qualifications, compared with a figure of 27 per cent for Scotland as a whole; and the mortality rate in the Scottish coalfields is 25 per cent higher than the Scottish average. That is why I feel that we do not prioritise the issue enough.

Poverty is the root of the injustice that permeates our society, and that injustice is often suffered from the cradle to the grave. I simply cannot accept that, which is what has driven me to speak in today’s debate. We must do more to stop so many having so little while the few have so much. The reality is that, at the end of life, the rich can often afford to stay at home and receive direct daily care in the places where they have lived and prospered. At a time of their choosing, they can move to a place that is more suitable to support them. However, for those who have suffered through a life of struggling to make ends meet, often, no such options exist. Their lives end, as they proceeded, with a sense of powerlessness.

I was fortunate to see that exhibition in Glasgow and then in the Scottish Parliament. It brought home what is the reality for so many people who wish to stay in their own homes but who are struggling to do so. We must not forget that they do that throughout their lives. That injustice must be made right.

That powerlessness is the final injustice and we should be doing everything that we can to limit it. I am going to say some words again because, when I think about the issue, I think that we all need to understand this: everyone deserves as pain-free and peaceful a death as possible, surrounded by those who love them, in a place that comforts them and where they can make choices. Those choices should never be dictated by what can be afforded. I cannot accept that someone who is dying cannot get the care and comfort that they deserve in a time of need such as the end of life. Surely, we must be looking for solutions to providing all the care and comfort that are necessary. I will close on that point, Presiding Officer.

I offer my deepest condolences to all those affected by what we have heard about today. I commend the families who have bravely shared their stories and have spoken out about their experiences, and I thank them for sitting with us in the public gallery today. I also thank the families who are watching the debate at home. I understand that speaking about this will not have been easy, and I offer my personal thanks to them all for telling their stories. We have heard their call for a national investigation, and I hope that the Government has, too.

Jackie Baillie and Willie Rennie have shown that this is not an either/or situation. The cabinet secretary can support our motion, so I ask the minister to come back to me, through an intervention, with an answer to this question. Is your position that there will be an investigation, or is your position, as your amendment suggests, that it is a case of “if” there is an investigation? I would be happy to take an intervention.

I know that many members were shocked to read the findings of last week’s Healthcare Improvement Scotland report, on which many contributions to today’s debate concentrated. It revealed major concerns around culture, oversight of patient safety, and staff wellbeing. Staff reported feelings of frustration, burnout and being ignored. The culture of mistrust that has developed should never be allowed in our NHS. Staff should feel supported, appreciated and listened to, and they should never—ever—feel that they cannot escalate concerns. The duty of candour must be real, and the Government must show leadership in that area.

We have heard about the challenges of maternity services—in the interests of time, I will not go over them again. However, in my South Scotland patch, challenges in the Wigtownshire area are beyond what women should have to accept. The Galloway community hospital action group, some of whom are listening to the debate today, have fought a powerful campaign against the closure of the maternity unit in Stranraer. That closure means that people have to travel 70 miles to Dumfries, and I have heard from a constituent that the road was flooded and therefore closed today. That causes extra strain and stress to mothers and families in the area. The Patient Safety Commissioner for Scotland met the group only a couple of months ago and felt that there was a gap in the service. That is not what 21st century midwifery care should look like.

The Scottish Government has failed to provide adequate oversight for the decision in Wigtownshire. It must look at how it interacts with the integration joint board, and it must listen to the community. Much of what has happened there is due to the Scottish Government’s inability to workforce plan effectively, which has left mothers and babies in Stranraer without a maternity unit.

Before I close today’s debate, I will take a moment to reflect on some of the calls from the Royal College of Midwives. In response to the Healthcare Improvement Scotland report, the RCM warned that

“staff shortages, rising workloads, and a lack of specialist and educator roles in maternity services are placing unsustainable pressure on staff and risking the long-term quality of care.”

As other members, including my colleague Michael Marra, have said, the RCM has been urging the Scottish Government to make changes—it has been raising the issue with the Government for years. Systemic challenges are letting down women, their families and the maternity staff. Many midwives feel that they are at breaking point, and the union is strongly urging the Government to invest in its maternity staff. The task force recommendations need to be implemented, and some investment needs to be put behind that. I urge the Scottish Government to listen to that.

Our calls today are clear. For the staff, improvements to workforce planning are desperately needed, to ensure that the maternity wards are sufficiently staffed. We need investment in leadership and in mentorship within midwifery. Many of the solutions already lie with the nursing and midwifery task force, and we support the task force. We want the solutions to be delivered, but that does not need to be done by the task force alone.

For the mothers, the babies and their families, a national investigation is required into the design and delivery of maternity and neonatal services across Scotland. It is clear that members must vote for the Scottish Labour motion tonight if we are to protect mothers, babies and families in Scotland.

Again, I offer my deepest condolences and gratitude to those who have shared their stories and experiences. Without you, change cannot happen. We want change to happen, and it is now over to the Scottish Government.

I thank Emma Harper, who knows that I always value her professional background. One focus of the task force is on leadership and mentoring and how investment needs to go into that. Would she support that?

I do not think that what the minister has said is clear.

I hope that Patrick Harvie has listened hard to what has been said, because we thought deeply about what to ask for. We understand what has been said about the task force, but it has not been implemented. We understand that the task force will be headed by the minister, but how can we be sure about what will happen?

I hope that Patrick Harvie will vote for our motion, which is absolutely clear about what the Parliament is looking to deliver today. Any loss or harm in maternity and neonatal services is tragic, especially when deaths could have been prevented. As others have said, such incidents are rare and the majority of the women have a safe and good experience when giving birth, but that does not diminish the experience of those who do not.

I fully agree, and Paul Sweeney will agree with me that we must have a culture of transparency, not secrecy. That comes from the top. Agreeing to our motion would show clear leadership from the top of the Scottish Government.