Seòmar agus comataidhean

I am pleased to speak in support of the motion recognising eating disorders awareness week 2026, as I have done in previous years, and I thank Elena Whitham for securing the debate.

I also associate myself with the powerful contributions from both Elena Whitham and Emma Harper, which are an important reminder of why these debates matter so much. This year’s theme of community is particularly important. Eating disorders can be profoundly isolating for those experiencing them and for their families and carers. Building supportive connections—with peers, professionals and community groups—can make a huge difference to recovery.

The scale of the challenge that we face in Scotland is sobering. Recent data from the 2024 Scottish health survey reveal that around 26 per cent of people aged 16 to 24 reported eating behaviours and feelings related to food that could be indicative of a possible eating disorder—the proportion was far higher than in older age groups. That mirrors reporting that more than a quarter of young Scots may have symptoms suggesting an eating disorder, with significant impacts on work, education and social life. Those findings echo concerns about rising prevalence since the pandemic and underline the urgent need for awareness raising and early intervention.

I put on record my thanks for the extraordinary work of the eating disorders charity Beat. Beat’s helplines, peer support groups and campaigns continue to provide essential help for people who are suffering from eating disorders, not least by giving people the opportunity to connect and share their experiences.

Those services are only part of the picture. The national review of eating disorder services set out comprehensive recommendations to improve access and quality of care, and the Scottish Government has rightly accepted those recommendations and has established a national network to co-ordinate delivery. However, we need investment in, and accountability for, delivering the recommendations to be sustained over the long term, because we know that this is not a problem that will disappear any time soon. Large numbers of young people continue to be referred to child and adolescent mental health services, and the waiting times that they face illustrate the scale of demand that is put on the system. In NHS Tayside, there is only one facility: Dudhope young people’s unit, which admits an average of 20 young people per year. Also, no data are held for adult patients. Those aspects desperately need to be addressed.

Community matters, because it is about not just clinical care, but creating supportive environments where people feel understood, where early signs do not go unnoticed or unspoken, and where friends and families know where and how to seek help. Awareness campaigns have an important place, but we must back them up with action: investment in treatment services, workforce development, research and evidence-led public education. We must ensure that no young person in Scotland feels alone in their struggle and that their communities in schools, workplaces and families are empowered to support them.

I urge ministers to listen carefully to the debate and to outline how the Scottish Government will strengthen both specialist services and community support, so that we can turn the promise of this awareness week into lasting progress for everyone who is affected by eating disorders.

20:27

I am pleased to speak in support of the motion recognising eating disorders awareness week 2026, as I have done in previous years, and I thank Elena Whitham for securing the debate.

I also associate myself with the powerful contributions from both Elena Whitham and Emma Harper, which are an important reminder of why these debates matter so much. This year’s theme of community is particularly important. Eating disorders can be profoundly isolating for those experiencing them and for their families and carers. Building supportive connections—with peers, professionals and community groups—can make a huge difference to recovery.

The scale of the challenge that we face in Scotland is sobering. Recent data from the 2024 Scottish health survey reveal that around 26 per cent of people aged 16 to 24 reported eating behaviours and feelings related to food that could be indicative of a possible eating disorder—the proportion was far higher than in older age groups. That mirrors reporting that more than a quarter of young Scots may have symptoms suggesting an eating disorder, with significant impacts on work, education and social life. Those findings echo concerns about rising prevalence since the pandemic and underline the urgent need for awareness raising and early intervention.

I put on record my thanks for the extraordinary work of the eating disorders charity Beat. Beat’s helplines, peer support groups and campaigns continue to provide essential help for people who are suffering from eating disorders, not least by giving people the opportunity to connect and share their experiences.

Those services are only part of the picture. The national review of eating disorder services set out comprehensive recommendations to improve access and quality of care, and the Scottish Government has rightly accepted those recommendations and has established a national network to co-ordinate delivery. However, we need investment in, and accountability for, delivering the recommendations to be sustained over the long term, because we know that this is not a problem that will disappear any time soon. Large numbers of young people continue to be referred to child and adolescent mental health services, and the waiting times that they face illustrate the scale of demand that is put on the system. In NHS Tayside, there is only one facility: Dudhope young people’s unit, which admits an average of 20 young people per year. Also, no data are held for adult patients. Those aspects desperately need to be addressed.

Community matters, because it is about not just clinical care, but creating supportive environments where people feel understood, where early signs do not go unnoticed or unspoken, and where friends and families know where and how to seek help. Awareness campaigns have an important place, but we must back them up with action: investment in treatment services, workforce development, research and evidence-led public education. We must ensure that no young person in Scotland feels alone in their struggle and that their communities in schools, workplaces and families are empowered to support them.

I urge ministers to listen carefully to the debate and to outline how the Scottish Government will strengthen both specialist services and community support, so that we can turn the promise of this awareness week into lasting progress for everyone who is affected by eating disorders.

20:27

I am pleased to speak in support of the motion recognising eating disorders awareness week 2026, as I have done in previous years, and I thank Elena Whitham for securing the debate.

I also associate myself with the powerful contributions from both Elena Whitham and Emma Harper, which are an important reminder of why these debates matter so much. This year’s theme of community is particularly important. Eating disorders can be profoundly isolating for those experiencing them and for their families and carers. Building supportive connections—with peers, professionals and community groups—can make a huge difference to recovery.

The scale of the challenge that we face in Scotland is sobering. Recent data from the 2024 Scottish health survey reveal that around 26 per cent of people aged 16 to 24 reported eating behaviours and feelings related to food that could be indicative of a possible eating disorder—the proportion was far higher than in older age groups. That mirrors reporting that more than a quarter of young Scots may have symptoms suggesting an eating disorder, with significant impacts on work, education and social life. Those findings echo concerns about rising prevalence since the pandemic and underline the urgent need for awareness raising and early intervention.

I put on record my thanks for the extraordinary work of the eating disorders charity Beat. Beat’s helplines, peer support groups and campaigns continue to provide essential help for people who are suffering from eating disorders, not least by giving people the opportunity to connect and share their experiences.

Those services are only part of the picture. The national review of eating disorder services set out comprehensive recommendations to improve access and quality of care, and the Scottish Government has rightly accepted those recommendations and has established a national network to co-ordinate delivery. However, we need investment in, and accountability for, delivering the recommendations to be sustained over the long term, because we know that this is not a problem that will disappear any time soon. Large numbers of young people continue to be referred to child and adolescent mental health services, and the waiting times that they face illustrate the scale of demand that is put on the system. In NHS Tayside, there is only one facility: Dudhope young people’s unit, which admits an average of 20 young people per year. Also, no data are held for adult patients. Those aspects desperately need to be addressed.

Community matters, because it is about not just clinical care, but creating supportive environments where people feel understood, where early signs do not go unnoticed or unspoken, and where friends and families know where and how to seek help. Awareness campaigns have an important place, but we must back them up with action: investment in treatment services, workforce development, research and evidence-led public education. We must ensure that no young person in Scotland feels alone in their struggle and that their communities in schools, workplaces and families are empowered to support them.

I urge ministers to listen carefully to the debate and to outline how the Scottish Government will strengthen both specialist services and community support, so that we can turn the promise of this awareness week into lasting progress for everyone who is affected by eating disorders.

20:27

I am pleased to speak in support of the motion recognising eating disorders awareness week 2026, as I have done in previous years, and I thank Elena Whitham for securing the debate.

I also associate myself with the powerful contributions from both Elena Whitham and Emma Harper, which are an important reminder of why these debates matter so much. This year’s theme of community is particularly important. Eating disorders can be profoundly isolating for those experiencing them and for their families and carers. Building supportive connections—with peers, professionals and community groups—can make a huge difference to recovery.

The scale of the challenge that we face in Scotland is sobering. Recent data from the 2024 Scottish health survey reveal that around 26 per cent of people aged 16 to 24 reported eating behaviours and feelings related to food that could be indicative of a possible eating disorder—the proportion was far higher than in older age groups. That mirrors reporting that more than a quarter of young Scots may have symptoms suggesting an eating disorder, with significant impacts on work, education and social life. Those findings echo concerns about rising prevalence since the pandemic and underline the urgent need for awareness raising and early intervention.

I put on record my thanks for the extraordinary work of the eating disorders charity Beat. Beat’s helplines, peer support groups and campaigns continue to provide essential help for people who are suffering from eating disorders, not least by giving people the opportunity to connect and share their experiences.

Those services are only part of the picture. The national review of eating disorder services set out comprehensive recommendations to improve access and quality of care, and the Scottish Government has rightly accepted those recommendations and has established a national network to co-ordinate delivery. However, we need investment in, and accountability for, delivering the recommendations to be sustained over the long term, because we know that this is not a problem that will disappear any time soon. Large numbers of young people continue to be referred to child and adolescent mental health services, and the waiting times that they face illustrate the scale of demand that is put on the system. In NHS Tayside, there is only one facility: Dudhope young people’s unit, which admits an average of 20 young people per year. Also, no data are held for adult patients. Those aspects desperately need to be addressed.

Community matters, because it is about not just clinical care, but creating supportive environments where people feel understood, where early signs do not go unnoticed or unspoken, and where friends and families know where and how to seek help. Awareness campaigns have an important place, but we must back them up with action: investment in treatment services, workforce development, research and evidence-led public education. We must ensure that no young person in Scotland feels alone in their struggle and that their communities in schools, workplaces and families are empowered to support them.

I urge ministers to listen carefully to the debate and to outline how the Scottish Government will strengthen both specialist services and community support, so that we can turn the promise of this awareness week into lasting progress for everyone who is affected by eating disorders.

20:27

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent changes to Scottish Qualifications Authority policy permitting internet-enabled devices, such as Chromebooks, in exams, what action it is taking to ensure that pupils who rely on speech-to-text as their normal way of working are not, in practice, prevented from using this technology during exams. (S6O-05500)

Chromebooks are used by the majority of local authorities. Parents and support for learning staff have reported that, despite the SQA’s policy change, pupils are unable to use speech-to-text on Chromebooks in exams, because the required software is not being funded. Pupils who use speech-to-text as their normal way of working are therefore forced to use a scribe in exams.

Does the cabinet secretary accept that that places those pupils, who already face barriers to learning, at a clear disadvantage? Will she commit to finding a practical solution, whether through funding or technical guidance, such as paying for individual invigilators to ensure that pupils do not access the internet, as a potential way forward?

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent changes to Scottish Qualifications Authority policy permitting internet-enabled devices, such as Chromebooks, in exams, what action it is taking to ensure that pupils who rely on speech-to-text as their normal way of working are not, in practice, prevented from using this technology during exams. (S6O-05500)

Chromebooks are used by the majority of local authorities. Parents and support for learning staff have reported that, despite the SQA’s policy change, pupils are unable to use speech-to-text on Chromebooks in exams, because the required software is not being funded. Pupils who use speech-to-text as their normal way of working are therefore forced to use a scribe in exams.

Does the cabinet secretary accept that that places those pupils, who already face barriers to learning, at a clear disadvantage? Will she commit to finding a practical solution, whether through funding or technical guidance, such as paying for individual invigilators to ensure that pupils do not access the internet, as a potential way forward?

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent changes to Scottish Qualifications Authority policy permitting internet-enabled devices, such as Chromebooks, in exams, what action it is taking to ensure that pupils who rely on speech-to-text as their normal way of working are not, in practice, prevented from using this technology during exams. (S6O-05500)

Chromebooks are used by the majority of local authorities. Parents and support for learning staff have reported that, despite the SQA’s policy change, pupils are unable to use speech-to-text on Chromebooks in exams, because the required software is not being funded. Pupils who use speech-to-text as their normal way of working are therefore forced to use a scribe in exams.

Does the cabinet secretary accept that that places those pupils, who already face barriers to learning, at a clear disadvantage? Will she commit to finding a practical solution, whether through funding or technical guidance, such as paying for individual invigilators to ensure that pupils do not access the internet, as a potential way forward?