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I fully support the presumption on inclusion that was introduced in legislation more than two decades ago. However, I know of several cases in which it simply is not working in the interests of the child or of the class. I know that there is a balance, so I ask the minister to keep it under review. We want the child and the class to get the best out of the situation.

I, too, congratulate my colleague in the neighbouring constituency on securing the debate. Over the many years during which I have represented Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, I have been well aware of the impact and incidence of what is termed “rural crime”, which is defined by NFU Scotland as

“any crime that occurs in a rural location or affects any person living, working or visiting a rural location”.

I thank the NFUS in particular for its briefing.

Relative to the population, the volume of rural crime is lower than in urban locations. However, the knock-on effect in a rural community or environment often has a much deeper and more far-reaching impact, both on the victims and on the community as a whole. I note that Police Scotland, in recording crime, does not—I believe—categorise crimes as rural or urban. As a result, therefore, neither Police Scotland nor the Scottish Government have data on “rural” crimes such as the theft of agricultural machinery, plant or fuel or timber; it is simply recorded under the wider category of theft.

We therefore rely on the NFUS for the most recent figures, which are highlighted in the motion and to which other speakers have referred. They show the cost of rural crime in Scotland rising from £1.4 million in 2022 to £1.8 million in 2023. The number of claims has risen by 22 per cent. Claims for machinery theft cost £1.1 million in 2023, and claims for the theft of quad bikes and GPS kits cost £335,000 and £363,000 respectively.

Farms are seen as easy targets, and for obvious reasons it is difficult to self-police.

My intervention is a comment on the theft of sheep, which has happened in a farm in my constituency. It was obviously a shepherd who had stolen the sheep and taken them down the old drovers’ road. It was in the middle of nowhere, and the farmer did not find out until months later, at a specific time of year, that he had lost so many sheep.

I shall quote from our debate of 7 October 2020 on legislative consent to the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill. In opening for the Scottish Government, Mike Russell said:

“Members will be familiar with the main provisions, but let me go through them. In parts 1 and 2, the bill contains sweeping new blanket mutual recognition and non-discrimination provisions. Regardless of the views of the Parliament or the wishes of the people of Scotland, they would require Scotland to accept lower standards relating to food, as pointed out by Food Standards Scotland; the environment, as pointed out by Scottish Environment LINK; and building materials, as pointed out by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland. The scope of those powers can be unilaterally changed by UK ministers, and only by them.”

He also said:

“There are sweeping new spending powers in part 6 that threaten the devolved Scottish budget and transfer decision making over areas of devolved spending from the Scottish Government to the UK Government.”—[Official Report, 7 October 2020; c 67, 68.]

Thank goodness minimum unit pricing predated the act—we could not introduce that now without UK Government say-so. We cannot ban the sale of electric shock collars without UK Government permission, and we know that funding for devolved projects that was formally awarded by the EU is now dished out by the UK, taking a detour around devolution.

I turn to what Alex Rowley said—dancing on the head of a pin, and no wonder—when he opened for Labour in the same debate in 2020. It almost makes me feel sorry for him. He said:

“I want to make it clear that we will not give consent to the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill. Let me be clear: we will not give support to any measures that will reduce and constrain the competence of the Scottish Parliament.

As a political party, Labour is committed to devolution. For the avoidance of doubt, the bill is a full-on attack on the existing devolution settlement.”

He went on to say:

“However, it is not just that the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill breaks international law, or that it drives a coach and horses through devolution, but that it paves the way, in my view, for private and multinational companies to force their way into key public services in Scotland.”—[Official Report, 7 October 2020; c 75, 76.]

Claudia Beamish, in closing for Labour, said:

“We will not support legislative consent for such a disrespectful and dangerous bill.”—[Official Report, 7 October 2020; c 94.]

My question for Labour is this: if the act is “disrespectful and dangerous”, should it not be repealed rather than reviewed? After all, that was Labour’s position less than five years ago. It betrayed the WASPI women—women against state pension inequality; it betrayed the pensioners over the universal fuel allowance; and it betrayed employers through the increased national insurance contributions, which are a jobs tax. Not repealing the internal market act is a further betrayal—this time, of devolution. Surely that is a CV fit for the television programme “The Traitors”.

Thank you. I absolutely concur with what the member said—that is strange for us both, is it not? Anyway.

The Scottish Borders partnership against rural crime brings together key organisations working together to tackle that crime, in particular the increasing threat that is posed by serious organised crime groups that operate most often to order. They cannot put a tractor or a combine harvester up for sale on eBay—they have stolen it knowing exactly where they are going to sell it. The partnership includes—as one would expect—Police Scotland, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, the NFUS, Scottish Land & Estates, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the River Tweed Commission and the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which are all working together to prevent and combat rural crime.

There are some measures that those in the farming community and beyond can take to help. If people see something suspicious, out of the ordinary and out of place, they can, if intervention is needed immediately, phone 999, or otherwise the 101 number, or they can report anonymously through Crimestoppers or even on the Police Scotland website. They should not, however, put themselves at risk by confronting intruders, no matter how angry and compelled to do so they may feel, because these are really serious criminals. People can put in place measures to deter and prevent such crime—for example, marking, tracking and securing their farm machinery and tools—including in the areas that are most impacted. If those measures are taken, that must surely help to reduce insurance premiums.

Indeed, many years ago, I suggested to Police Scotland that it should have a stall at the Borders shows where farmers could discreetly report their concerns, in particular about the theft of livestock. I knew that farmers often felt guilty—although they should not—because they thought that such thefts could somehow have been prevented and that they were not protecting their livestock. Farmers have to remember, however, that these criminals are well organised. They have scoped out their targets and have the delivery all in hand, even shipping abroad. It is very difficult to combat such crime, therefore, as it is not casual these days.

I ask the Scottish Government, therefore, whether it would be helpful if Police Scotland categorised rural crime as I defined earlier, thus providing invaluable data to help detect and deter. Lest we get lost in figures and data, however, I stress that each and every rural theft is personal. It is distressing to the victim or victims, and must make them feel very insecure in their remote settings—let us not forget that.

I appreciate that it is a matter for Police Scotland. I mentioned that when I addressed the point. I am sure that insurers could help, because they will know what they are insuring and whether a theft was in a rural or urban area. We should therefore start with the insurers.

Will the member take an intervention?

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I had a technical issue. I would have voted no.

I meant to pop this in earlier, but I think that the minister will probably want to take this opportunity to compliment the mobile libraries across Scotland, which go to even remoter parts of my constituency and the Highlands and Islands.

Warning duly noted, Deputy Presiding Officer.

I congratulate the member on securing the debate. This is not the first time that I have leapt to the defence of our public libraries, and I welcome those in the public gallery and beyond who are listening.

Before I go on to speak about the libraries in my constituency, I note that one of the reasons that I am the beneficiary of two degrees can be attributed to my then local library at Blackhall, in Edinburgh.

Stuck for somewhere to study at home—we were five children, stretching from ages one to 16; the 16-year-old was me—in a cramped council house, I sought sanctuary in that library and stumbled across critiques of Shakespeare plays that I had been studying for my highers. I never knew that such books had been written and I could not put them down. That A pass in higher English passported me to university. That in itself led to my career as a secondary teacher, and then as a solicitor and a politician—thanks all to Blackhall library, although I do not know if the library will thank me for being a politician.

Indeed, as a novice teacher, my own education improved in leaps and bounds thanks to the wonderful, eccentric Dorothy Devlin, who was then the librarian at Woodmill high school in Dunfermline, which was my very first posting. I think that, as a team, we made English as a subject worthwhile, and even fun. She also stood her ground against an attempt to censor her stock of books. There was something wild and radical about her, so even though she had a bun, and spectacles on the end of her nose, she put paid to the assumption that librarians are boring—they are radical. Today, there is the internet, which is useful, of course, but it cannot replace the feel and look of a book, which has no annoying pop-ups.

To fast-forward decades, as an MSP, I hold two of my surgeries in local libraries at Newtongrange and Gorebridge; indeed, my next surgery is due this Friday. Like many libraries, they go beyond books—-there are CDs and newspapers, and the library provides not only a spot for a politician, but internet access and training. There are reading groups for under-fives, bookbug sessions and mums-and-toddlers sessions. Indeed, I frequently encounter a crawling toddler as I listen to a constituent’s concerns. I am also well acquainted with “The Wheels on the Bus” and other ditties.

There are folk for whom the library is a destination where they can pick up a book or two and have a wee chat with the librarian, and keep warm now that their winter fuel payment, at least for this year, is gone—that is politics. I do even better—I am provided with a cup of coffee and, depending on the duty librarian, even a biscuit or two, so I am right in there in the thick of it with what libraries are all about.

I end on this quote from Laura Ward, an American singer:

“Libraries always remind me that there are good things in this world.”

Let us keep our libraries, with all the diverse opportunities and spaces that they provide, right at the heart of their communities—and if they try to close one in my constituency, I will be right there, barricading the doors.