Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 09 January 2024
09 Jan 2024 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Changing Places Toilets
I congratulate Jeremy Balfour on bringing the motion to the chamber. I recognise his tireless efforts on behalf of disabled people in Scotland and the passion with which he has presented his motion to Parliament this evening. Jeremy Balfour is a champion for people who would otherwise be voiceless, and I am proud to serve as his party colleague and to add my voice in support of his motion.
We have got into a pretty rotten state of affairs in this parliamentary session with the SNP-Green Government when it is prepared to say things and make promises that matter a great deal to many people and then go on to blatantly renege on those promises. It is not too strong to say that that breaks the hearts of good people.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
The final item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S6M-10378, in the name of Jeremy Balfour, on addressing the availability of changing place...
Jeremy Balfour (Lothian) (Con)
Con
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I wish a happy new year to you and everyone in Parliament. I am delighted to have secured this members’ business debate...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
I gently remind members who are looking to participate and who have not yet done so that they need to press their request-to-speak buttons. 17:11
Evelyn Tweed (Stirling) (SNP)
SNP
I thank Jeremy Balfour for bringing this important debate to the chamber. In this Parliament, we aspire to a Scotland that is fair and that has dignity and r...
Stephen Kerr (Central Scotland) (Con)
Con
I am grateful to Evelyn Tweed for giving way because she is making a very impassioned and convincing speech. Will she join Jeremy Balfour in calling on the m...
Evelyn Tweed
SNP
I thank Stephen Kerr for his intervention. I will ask the minister for some reassurances further on in my speech. The Tyndrum community has done an amazing ...
Alexander Stewart (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
I am delighted to contribute to the debate, and I congratulate my colleague Jeremy Balfour on having raised this crucial subject. As a former member of the ...
Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
As convener of the cross-party group on changing places toilets, I am delighted to participate in this evening’s debate. I thank Jeremy Balfour not just for ...
Tess White (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
I, too, am delighted to speak in the debate. As a member of the changing places toilets cross-party group, I, too, pay tribute to Jeremy Balfour for securing...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
I call Stephen Kerr, who will be the final speaker in the open debate. 17:31
Stephen Kerr (Central Scotland) (Con)
Con
I congratulate Jeremy Balfour on bringing the motion to the chamber. I recognise his tireless efforts on behalf of disabled people in Scotland and the passio...
Maree Todd
SNP
To be absolutely clear, for the record, this Government has not reneged on the commitment. The commitment in our SNP manifesto and in the 2021 programme for ...
Stephen Kerr
Con
The minister says that she is delivering on her commitment, but the Government has not spent a penny of the £10 million. It is not delivering on anything whe...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
I call the minister, Maree Todd, to respond to the debate. 17:36
The Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport (Maree Todd)
SNP
I thank Mr Balfour for his on-going work to promote the importance of changing places toilets, which has allowed us time in the chamber to discuss those toil...
Paul O’Kane
Lab
I met the minister’s predecessor to discuss the issue in the early days of the parliamentary session, when we began the cross-party group. On the issues that...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
Minister, I can give you the time back.
Maree Todd
SNP
I assure Paul O’Kane that the groundwork is being done. Our £10 million investment is three and a half times bigger than that of England on a population basi...
Stephen Kerr
Con
Will the minister give way?
Maree Todd
SNP
I would like to complete this point, if Stephen Kerr will give me a moment. He had his time—he had more than four minutes.
Stephen Kerr
Con
That is not for the minister to say.
Maree Todd
SNP
I would like to use my time to put across the Government’s point of view, if that is okay with Stephen Kerr. I am lucky enough to have the Ullapool harbou...
Stephen Kerr
Con
It is almost more important that Jeremy Balfour, who has tried three times to intervene, is allowed to make an intervention, because it is his debate. I simp...
Maree Todd
SNP
I have made it absolutely clear that the fund will open at the start of next year. We have some groundwork to do between now and then. I look forward to meet...
Douglas Lumsden (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
Can the minister confirm whether the £10 million of funding will be entirely within the 2025-26 budget? Is that what she is saying?
Maree Todd
SNP
No, that is not what I am saying. If Douglas Lumsden had been listening carefully, he would know that I have said several times in the chamber, today and on ...
Evelyn Tweed
SNP
The minister mentioned rurality. Will the Government consider the need to provide a good spread of changing places toilets? In my contribution, I mentioned t...
Maree Todd
SNP
Absolutely. It is crucial that we consider the entirety of Scotland. One of the challenges that we face in Scotland is that we have a much more rural hinterl...