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The proposed development in Stirling would create one of the largest film studio campuses in Scotland, which would be a game changer for film and television productions. What is the Scottish Government doing to ensure that the project becomes a reality and has the potential to filter down to the wider supply chain, paving the way for a major economic benefit throughout the region?

I thank Fergus Ewing for that intervention—he makes a valid point. We are aware that—as that radio programme highlighted—a number of schools are finding that girls are now not using their facilities because of what may happen in those facilities, and that that is having an effect on them when it comes to eating. The Government should look at that, and I whole-heartedly agree with Fergus Ewing’s comments in his intervention.

As I said, eating disorders are underreported, which may be due to people feeling that their GP may not know how to help them with what is happening. We have heard this evening about the charity Beat and the work that it does, which I whole-heartedly support. We know that eating disorders, which come in many forms, such as anorexia, bulimia and binge-eating disorder, as well as lesser-known conditions, are often misunderstood, mislabelled or even undiagnosed.

It is salient to mention that eating disorders do not affect only the person who has the condition. Friends and family often become carers, with many feeling helpless and heartbroken as they watch their loved one struggle with the disorder.

Eating disorders are one of the largest mental health challenges of our time. Such disorders are about so much more than just food—image, social media and many other issues are in the mix. They can also be a coping mechanism for broader and more complicated issues that have progressed. Beat, which was formerly known as the Eating Disorders Association, does extremely strong and positive work in that regard, and its national helpline encourages and empowers people to seek support and advice.

As we have heard, ensuring that individuals get support for their illness is vitally important. Beat also supports family and friends to ensure that they are equipped with the skills to look after their loved ones. In addition, Beat advocates to increase knowledge of eating disorders among healthcare staff and other relevant professionals.

When people have the courage to come forward, it is important that they get the right help in the right place at the right time. I hope that the minister’s summing-up speech will provide the Scottish Government with an opportunity to indicate the position that it is taking, not least as we need to see much more focus on the issue brought to the fore at a national level. We all want to ensure that every individual who has such an issue is supported, and that they and their families can support one another together and live free of eating disorders.

I am pleased to contribute to this members’ business debate, and I thank Emma Harper for bringing it to the chamber. As we know from the motion, this year’s eating disorders awareness week, which runs until 2 March, is already under way. The theme this year is that eating disorders can affect anybody. I welcome that theme. I feel that it is vital that the great many misconceptions about eating disorders are challenged as vigorously as possible, especially as public misunderstanding and stigma can often prevent people from reaching out for help. Help is available, but we need to make sure that it is provided across all areas and that there is not a postcode lottery, which does happen from time to time.

Not only can eating disorders affect anyone, but it is often the case that they affect those individuals whom we would not expect to be affected. We are currently seeing many younger people being affected, as a result of portrayals and images of what they should or might look like. We know that, at present, around 1.25 million people in the UK are living with an eating disorder, which equates to more than one in 50 people in Scotland. However, the real number is probably much higher, because many cases go unreported.

I am pleased to be able to contribute to this afternoon’s important debate, and I thank Elena Whitham for bringing it to the chamber.

How alcohol use disorders interact with the Scottish justice system is still not very well understood. Elena Whitham’s motion lays out the key statistics, including the fact that nearly two thirds of people in prison have an alcohol use disorder. However, this issue goes beyond mere numbers. Far too much of the current legislation on the problem focuses entirely on alcohol use in prisons. In reality, alcohol use disorders affect individuals who are at all stages of the justice system. That includes during initial police contact, in custody centres and court settings and during liaison and diversion and throughcare.

It is clear that the current approach to alcohol and drug use is not working in prison settings. At His Majesty’s Prison Glenochil in Clackmannanshire in my region, 35 inmates were found to be under the influence of drugs on Christmas day. Although prison staff reportedly seized the articles that were causing the problem, the indication is that the issue is far reaching, so it is only fair that drugs and alcohol be considered when we are dealing with situations in our prisons.

The Scottish Prison Service was forced to introduce a policy to deal with influences on individuals as a result of that incident, but it is only one example of the disruption that can be caused in prisons and to the wider system. The Scottish prison healthcare network previously published guidance on the misuse of drugs in prisons and in custody settings; unfortunately, that guidance is no longer in use, and our prisons are often worse off as result.

As members from across the chamber will agree, further action is needed to tackle the attitude to alcohol in the wider justice system. Today’s motion mentions the solutions that are being created to support individuals who require treatment in the justice system, but it is disappointing that some approaches are not being considered. More guidance might need to be ascertained from the cabinet secretary in that respect, and I look forward to hearing about that in her summing up.

The Scottish Government is in the process of creating a national service specification for alcohol and drugs services, following the publication of UK-wide alcohol treatment guidelines. That could provide an opportunity to ensure that effective standards are in place in the justice system as a whole. I hope that, in summing up, the cabinet secretary will give an update on the Scottish Government’s progress on that, because it is a complex issue that requires bold solutions.

We have heard about the number of individuals—men, in particular—who were drunk during their offending, about the number of women who have suffered as a result of alcohol-related domestic abuse and violence and about the number of individuals in our custody and our systems who are suffering. That should have an impact on what we do.

I hope that, in tackling the issue, the Scottish Government will follow the advice and evidence from other areas on how to manage it. The justice system needs to be equipped to support hard-working staff with the tools that they need to do their job effectively, to support themselves and to support those going through the justice system.

As Carol Mochan mentioned, the number of such deaths is at a 15-year high. Even with minimum unit pricing having been introduced seven years ago, it is clear that we still have an emergency and that individuals are slipping through the net. What do we need to do with regard to treatment and rehabilitation for individuals? The report found that individuals said that they would accept support in custody, but it does not seem to be being provided.

Investment in higher education and business is critical to attracting and retaining the best talent, which is needed to help to deliver economic growth. However, the Institute for Fiscal Studies has reported a large-scale real-terms decrease in the funding that is provided to Scottish universities, and there are real concerns that that investment has not been prioritised. How realistic are plans to establish a stand-alone business school?

Cabinet secretary, you have systematically—

I will, once I have made some progress.

Last year’s Local Government Information Unit survey asked senior council representatives whether they thought that the current level of local government finances was sustainable. Not one respondent said yes. That was unprecedented. On top of that, respondents from 23 councils indicated that, given the balances that they had, they would find it really difficult to pass a balanced budget in at least one of the next five financial years.

This year’s reports by Audit Scotland and the Accounts Commission paint an even more concerning picture. They make it clear that the situation is unprecedented—councils face uncertain futures and are uncertain about where the opportunities are to enable them to balance their budgets. The scale of the uncertainty means that only around half of councils have long-term financial plans in place.

I will take the cabinet secretary’s intervention.

Over the past 10 years, you have systematically—

—removed millions and billions of pounds from local government. None of that paints a picture of a Scottish Government that has the interests of local government at its heart.

As it stands, councils across Scotland are sceptical about what the budget means for long-term council funding. Indeed, COSLA has made it abundantly clear that budgets will not receive the impact that is required to improve services.