Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 01 May 2024
01 May 2024 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Women’s State Pensions (Compensation)
We have agreement on the PHSO report, but I consider the element that the Conservative amendment would remove—the need for fuller and fairer compensation—to be a vital and intrinsic aspect of the WASPI campaign, and it is one that Scottish Greens support, so we should retain that element.
I agree with the principle and the sentiment of the Labour amendment and with the detail of most of it. Greens have long supported and called for a clear system of notifications about future pension changes. We have always supported the pension triple lock, and I am glad to have the opportunity to put that on the record again today. However, we cannot endorse what is clearly part of the Labour general election campaign machine, so we will abstain on the Labour amendment at decision time.
I thank the Scottish Government for bringing forward the debate, and I thank colleagues across the chamber for their contributions. However, most of all, I thank the WASPI women for their tireless fight for fair and fast compensation—for justice. While we have been here this afternoon, seven WASPI women might have died without that justice. We should act together for them, and the UK Government definitely must act.
16:42In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-13041, in the name of Humza Yousaf, on Women Against State Pension Inequality. I invite members who wish ...
The First Minister (Humza Yousaf)
SNP
I will undoubtedly miss being in the Government. It has been my life for almost the past 12 years. However, there will be some silver linings. The first, of ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
I advise members that we have absolutely no time in hand this afternoon, so speeches will need to adhere to the time limits. 15:45
Douglas Ross (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
The First Minister began with reflections on a constituency case and a constituency campaign, and I will do the same. I want to put on record in this Parliam...
The First Minister
SNP
Will Douglas Ross give way?
Douglas Ross
Con
I will give way if I can finish this point. There is an opportunity for Parliament to debate these important issues and work across the parties to have a dis...
The First Minister
SNP
I thank Douglas Ross for taking an intervention. It is important for us to work collaboratively. That also means being up front and honest with the campaigne...
Douglas Ross
Con
Yes—I do, and that is what I have said. In fact, my amendment states that the UK Government should urgently address and respond to the recommendations of the...
Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I welcome this debate, and I take the opportunity to join colleagues in saying to the First Minister that I wish him well after the past week. Indeed, it is ...
The First Minister
SNP
Putting that photo up is an awfully cruel thing to do—it is adding insult to injury. Actually, it was only yesterday that that photo was taken. Laughter. In...
Paul O’Kane
Lab
I had that conversation with WASPI women in this very Parliament at the event that I spoke about, and Labour is very clear that we support the principles con...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
Mr O’Kane, could you resume your seat for a second? Members—we have listened to all the speakers so far with courtesy and respect. Can we continue in a simil...
Paul O’Kane
Lab
Thank you. It was important that the WASPI women who are listening in the gallery could hear what I just said, instead of the barracking that we had from th...
Maggie Chapman (North East Scotland) (Green)
Green
Every 13 minutes, a WASPI woman dies. Every 13 minutes, a woman who might have lost several years’ worth of her pension—maybe as much as £42,000—dies without...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
I remind members that we have no time in hand. Members will therefore need to stick to their speaking time limits from now on. 16:04
Beatrice Wishart (Shetland Islands) (LD)
LD
I welcome the opportunity to debate the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s recommendations. As deputy convener of the Scottish Parliament’s cross-...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
We move to the open debate. 16:07
Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP)
SNP
I pay tribute to all Women Against State Pension Inequality campaigners, in particular those in Ayrshire WASPI, whom many MSPs met when the group visited Par...
Roz McCall (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
It would not be a contribution from me unless I started with a personal anecdote. I was a child who grew up in the 1970s in Glasgow, and I hit the job market...
Marie McNair (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP)
SNP
It is a pleasure to speak in the debate, and I thank the First Minister for bringing it to the chamber. WASPI women worked tirelessly throughout their lives...
Katy Clark (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
It is a pleasure to contribute to this important debate and to call on the UK Government to take action now to deliver justice and compensation for WASPI wom...
Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central) (SNP)
SNP
I thank the First Minister for bringing this debate to the chamber. I know that many folk heard him speak at Clare Haughey’s event with WASPI women the other...
Jeremy Balfour (Lothian) (Con)
Con
It is always good when we get to discuss social security in the Scottish Parliament. The front benches are possibly the most stacked that they have been duri...
Ruth Maguire (Cunninghame South) (SNP)
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Jeremy Balfour
Con
Unfortunately, I do not have time to take an intervention on this occasion. Unfortunately, that consideration has sometimes been lacking in Scotland since t...
Christine Grahame (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP)
SNP
First, I commend the WASPI women in Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale and across Scotland for their resilience and their determination to see justic...
Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
I recognise the debate’s significance for the WASPI women and their on-going work in the pursuit of justice. They have been tenacious in fighting for their c...
Maggie Chapman (North East Scotland) (Green)
Green
The First Minister is absolutely right to say that, if such an injustice had been experienced by men—if they had been treated in the way that the WASPI women...
Douglas Ross
Con
As I explained, we can come back to the wider issue of full compensation in a separate debate, but there is the opportunity today to focus on the PHSO report...
Maggie Chapman
Green
We have agreement on the PHSO report, but I consider the element that the Conservative amendment would remove—the need for fuller and fairer compensation—to ...