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I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. It is good to hear about the evaluations and investment.

As the Parliament is aware, there has been a notable rise, in recent years, in the number of children identified as having additional support needs. It is my understanding that councils have a statutory duty under the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 to provide out-of-school and holiday care for children with disabilities and additional support needs. However, a number of parents in my constituency and elsewhere have raised concerns with me that the level of provision that is available is inadequate to meet their children’s needs. That concern is especially pressing as we approach the school summer holidays. Councillor Euan Hyslop has been raising the issue with the City of Edinburgh Council administration. Will the cabinet secretary say a bit more about how she is considering the issue nationally and engaging with councils at this time?

We want to support our students and welcome those from abroad, but it is time to signal to purpose-built student accommodation developers that their plans are increasingly unwelcome in communities such as the one that I represent. In my constituency and in Edinburgh as a whole, there is increasing concern about the amount of purpose-built student accommodation that is being built in our capital city, especially when there is an acute housing emergency. In many instances, PBSA extracts money out of Scotland, sometimes into tax havens, and uses up valuable urban land where normal housing should be built instead. Therefore, I urge the Scottish Government to work with the City of Edinburgh Council to restrict future PBSA development, if possible, because it often involves corporate exploitation of students and Scotland’s urban land.

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of holiday hub provision for children with disabilities and additional support needs in the city of Edinburgh and elsewhere in Scotland. (S6O-04863)

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak in this important debate on progressing the recommendations on equality that have been made by the National Advisory Council on Women and Girls.

The National Advisory Council on Women and Girls was formed as a catalyst for change and as an organisation that could address gender inequality and provide independent strategic advice to the First Minister and the wider Scottish Government. Since it was formed in 2017, it has made a series of recommendations to tackle gender inequality across Scotland, with a particular focus on creating the leadership, culture and systems that are required to enable women and girls to be better prioritised and responded to in the right ways.

Much has been said in the debate already about the progress that has been made in multiple areas, including social security, pay and equality—whether financial or in terms of opportunity. I absolutely celebrate all that and welcome the Government’s statements on the progress that it wants to continue to make and that Parliament wants to be made. Hard-won progress has been achieved, and we rightly recognise that today, as well as reflecting on what more needs to be done.

One of the priorities in the advisory council’s recommendations is the issue of attitudinal shifts. Other speakers have talked about that already, and I will focus the remainder of my remarks in that space.

The Scottish Government is exercising leadership to challenge the underpinning issues that affect the safety of women and girls in our society, which, as has been emphasised already, involve the behaviour of men and boys. We have made much progress, but there is more to do—that is absolutely certain.

Let me be clear: if they had this opportunity, most men and boys would speak as passionately as me about the need for greater equality and in support of women and girls. Of course, there are still social attitudes and behaviours that are counterproductive and negative and which cause great harm to women and girls in our society, so we must continue to challenge that behaviour in men and boys, and we must do so proactively, passionately and strategically.

We have made real progress, but we are also at a very fragile time, particularly when it comes to boys. Some of the influences around them in modern Scotland try to lead our society towards regression. Online influences—some influencers are well known—can be very harmful and are very worrying.

All of that feeds into the greater challenge presented by a number of younger people in our society. They might have situations around them that have made their lives challenging, but they are engaging in some really challenging behaviour, whether that is violence or theft. The youth summit update that we received earlier today in Parliament was really helpful, because this is all connected, including the issue of violence in schools. I am glad of and support the elevated steps that we have seen and would expect from central Government to deal with the issue of the very small but growing minority of young men who are engaging in extremely challenging and worrying behaviour, including in my constituency. Their behaviour, which could impact other young men around them, includes the spreading of harmful messages about and attitudes to women and girls, and has the potential to have a really damaging effect on our communities, not just in the short to medium term, but beyond that, into the years and decades ahead.

An urgent and strong response on how we support men and boys to make better choices, and how we deal with those who are making bad choices, is really important, because we do not want to go backwards. We have enough work to do as things are, so let us continue to make progress and think together, between now and the 16 days of activism in November, about what more we can do, as MSPs in our communities and with other stakeholders in our country, to challenge the bad attitudes of a minority of men and boys, and to change those social attitudes in our communities and in our society.

It is good to be working with colleagues on this issue. I am proud to support the advisory council in its work and the Government in progressing that. I hope that, when we come back from the recess, we can think about what more we can do. I look forward to supporting the Government in its endeavours.

As the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service considers all of that, the population in Edinburgh, and particularly in the north and east of Edinburgh, is clearly and obviously growing. Last year, when there was a fire at Breadalbane Street in my constituency, fire engines from Marionville fire station were some of the first on the scene, probably saving lives. A few weeks ago, when Cables Wynd house in my constituency unfortunately caught fire, fire engines from Marionville fire station were some of the first on the scene, again probably saving lives. Just last week, in a neighbouring constituency, Hawkhill court unfortunately caught fire, and in many people’s view, fire engines from Marionville fire station undoubtedly saved lives. Does all of that not make a compelling case that it is essential to keep a fire station at Marionville or nearby, despite the reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete issues that need to be dealt with?

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is assessing the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s capacity to provide emergency response cover and ensure community safety in Edinburgh, including in relation to meeting any needs resulting from population growth in the Lothians. (S6O-04819)

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. Please record a no vote.

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on planned capital investment in the Seafield waste water treatment works, including the no regrets funding commitment and what consideration is being given to further investment after the private finance initiative contract ends, to meet the needs of population growth, climate change and the Edinburgh waterfront development. (S6O-04794)

For many years, people in the north-east of Edinburgh have, unfortunately, experienced unpleasant odours at times. Although the situation is much better than it was in the past, that still happens. When I took the chair of the stakeholder group in 2016, I was determined to make improvements and deliver the necessary investment.

It is unfortunate that the no regrets funding investment has been delayed due to wider economic circumstances. However, it is reassuring to hear the minister clarify that the Government and Scottish Water are committed to that no regrets investment and that planning is already under way to meet the needs of our growing city and to ensure that the plant becomes a state-of-the-art 21st century facility once the PFI contract ends. I would be grateful if the minister could confirm that, in the months and years ahead, ministers will continue to engage with me, as the local MSP and chair of the stakeholder group, along with community organisations.

Will the minister outline further details of the next phase of the £10 million scheme and when it will be reopened? Will he also look again at exempting from the land and buildings transaction tax additional dwelling supplement people that are affected by cladding that need or want to move, such as some of my constituents who were affected by the Breadalbane Street fire last year?