Hansard

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Chamber

25 Mar 2026

First Minister’s Question Time · Conversion Practices (Ban)

Conversion practices are abhorrent. Scotland has made great strides towards equality under the SNP, but those practices remain a stain on our country. Conversion practices should be banned as quickly as possible.I am grateful that my final contribution in our national Parliame...

4. Joe FitzPatrick (Dundee City West) (SNP) SNP Chamber

25 Mar 2026

First Minister’s Question Time · Conversion Practices (Ban)

To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the Scottish Government’s commitment to banning conversion practices. (S6F-04778)

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Chamber

24 Mar 2026

Animal Welfare (Sentencing and Public Protection)

I apologise—I pressed the button inadvertently. However, this is an opportunity to put on record how sorry I will be to not be sitting next to, and sometimes plugging in, my amazing colleague Christine Grahame. I wish her all the very best for the future.

Joe FitzPatrick (Dundee City West) (SNP) SNP Chamber

24 Mar 2026

Animal Welfare (Sentencing and Public Protection)

Made a request to intervene.

Joe FitzPatrick (Dundee City West) (SNP) SNP Chamber

18 Mar 2026

Decision Time

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I am not sure whether my vote went through. I would have voted yes.

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

17 Mar 2026

Section 22 Report: “The 2024/25 audit of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency”

Thank you.

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

17 Mar 2026

Section 22 Report: “The 2024/25 audit of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency”

That makes sense, but there is a need to ensure that the process is more transparent. Maybe the auditors should have been able to identify that somewhere. It is important for audit purposes that those meetings are not just happening but minuted and recorded.Lesley, something w...

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

17 Mar 2026

Section 22 Report: “The 2024/25 audit of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency”

That is important. After all, if you are not taking a note of those meetings, it brings us back to the issue of transparency.

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

17 Mar 2026

Section 22 Report: “The 2024/25 audit of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency”

What you say about reducing the total number of meetings while still having each of the pension boards attend the same number of meetings sounds sensible. Are those meetings still formal ones that are minuted?

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

17 Mar 2026

Section 22 Report: “The 2024/25 audit of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency”

One thing that was flagged by the auditor was the reduction in formal meetings of both ARC and the scheme pension boards. Why are there fewer formal meetings? Does that not pose a challenge for transparency?

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

17 Mar 2026

Section 22 Report: “The 2024/25 audit of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency”

You mentioned the audit and risk committee. There was concern that that committee had not received the information and support that it required, but you have said that it is now getting more support. Are you confident that it is now getting the information and support that it ...

Joe FitzPatrick (Dundee City West) (SNP) SNP Committee

17 Mar 2026

Section 22 Report: “The 2024/25 audit of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency”

I have a couple of questions around governance and transparency. I know that, in your opening remarks, you acknowledged the challenges around transparency, and Lesley Fraser responded in some detail to Graham Simpson’s question on certain aspects of transparency, so we do not ...

Joe FitzPatrick (Dundee City West) (SNP) SNP Committee

10 Mar 2026

Public Health Scotland

Dr Gulhane’s comments about minimum unit pricing being the only thing that the Government does on alcohol were unfair. There is a range of strategies.It would be useful for the committee if I put it on the record that, in response to a question from Elena Whitham, Maree Todd a...

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

04 Mar 2026

“NHS in Scotland 2025: Finance and performance”

It is more of a point of information related to Graham Simpson’s question on the national referral protocol. I did not do a Google search; I did a DuckDuckGo search and the information is there. All the conditions are listed and there is an app.

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

04 Mar 2026

“NHS in Scotland 2025: Finance and performance”

I understand where Graham Simpson is coming from. Obviously, he was not overly concerned about his allergic reaction, but other folk might have been, and their first instinct might have been to go to the GP. My assumption is that going to the GP would be far more expensive for...

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

04 Mar 2026

“NHS in Scotland 2025: Finance and performance”

There have been a couple of times when more senior people were invited to give evidence, and they should have been there because they are the right people, but they have not been available. It might save your time, for instance, as you are obviously really busy. Thank you very...

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

04 Mar 2026

“NHS in Scotland 2025: Finance and performance”

As you know, I sit on the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, and there are a few times when that committee has found it difficult to obtain witnesses from health boards. This is the Public Audit Committee, but the audit function is for the whole Parliament to undertake. ...

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

04 Mar 2026

“NHS in Scotland 2025: Finance and performance”

That would be helpful, because then we would know the significant amount that the NHS has to spend. Colin Beattie’s questions showed how badly written some of those contracts were in terms of value for money for our NHS, although they are historic and predate this Parliament.

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

04 Mar 2026

“NHS in Scotland 2025: Finance and performance”

Do you have a ballpark figure for that?

Joe FitzPatrick (Dundee City West) (SNP) SNP Committee

04 Mar 2026

“NHS in Scotland 2025: Finance and performance”

I have a quick supplementary to Colin Beattie’s questions about PFI contracts. The Government has moved away from the use of such contracts, some of which could now be regarded as historical or legacy contracts. For example, the Wishaw hospital project that you talked about pr...

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

03 Mar 2026

Sport and Physical Activity

:Brilliant—thank you.

Joe FitzPatrick (Dundee City West) (SNP) SNP Committee

03 Mar 2026

Sport and Physical Activity

I will pick up on the summer of sport, which Kim Atkinson mentioned. We have discussed the huge injection of funding into sport. Half of that significant amount of money is for the summer of sport, to ensure that there is a long-term legacy. Often, we wrongly think of legacy a...

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

25 Feb 2026

Section 22 Reports: “The 2024/25 audit of NHS Ayrshire and Arran” and “The 2024/25 audit of NHS Grampian”

:One of the criticisms in the external audit was that the whole-system plan did not sufficiently demonstrate what you are doing to improve things. Are you developing an improvement plan that is similar to that of NHS Grampian?

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

25 Feb 2026

Section 22 Reports: “The 2024/25 audit of NHS Ayrshire and Arran” and “The 2024/25 audit of NHS Grampian”

:I guess that the hope is that patients will see the benefit at the end of it. Working across the public services will be more complex for you because of the landscape—you have more local authorities, for a start. Are you managing to pull that together to make savings, particu...

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

25 Feb 2026

Section 22 Reports: “The 2024/25 audit of NHS Ayrshire and Arran” and “The 2024/25 audit of NHS Grampian”

:I have a couple of questions for NHS Ayrshire and Arran, which is a little bit behind NHS Grampian in terms of escalation to level 4. What do you hope to get from that? Is it something similar to what NHS Grampian has experienced?

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

25 Feb 2026

Section 22 Reports: “The 2024/25 audit of NHS Ayrshire and Arran” and “The 2024/25 audit of NHS Grampian”

:I have a final question for NHS Grampian. On making public services more efficient, the Government is keen that we work together across public services. Are you looking to share more of the back-office work and salaries across the two local authorities and the health board? A...

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

25 Feb 2026

Section 22 Reports: “The 2024/25 audit of NHS Ayrshire and Arran” and “The 2024/25 audit of NHS Grampian”

:Alison, we have worked together on a number of things so I know that what I am going to ask about—transparency—is something that you care about. When you make decisions, can the public see what those decisions are? Are you publishing all that?

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

25 Feb 2026

Section 22 Reports: “The 2024/25 audit of NHS Ayrshire and Arran” and “The 2024/25 audit of NHS Grampian”

:Will you share those priorities for the record?

Joe FitzPatrick (Dundee City West) (SNP) SNP Committee

25 Feb 2026

Section 22 Reports: “The 2024/25 audit of NHS Ayrshire and Arran” and “The 2024/25 audit of NHS Grampian”

Some areas of questioning have been covered, and I might focus more on NHS Grampian, given that Jamie Greene focused more on NHS Ayrshire and Arran. For transparency, I note that a number of my family members work on the front line in NHS Grampian. I do not think that anything...

Joe FitzPatrick (Dundee City West) (SNP) SNP Committee

24 Feb 2026

Non-surgical Procedures and Functions of Medical Reviewers (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

I am very sympathetic to Dr Gulhane’s amendments 64 and 65. I wonder whether the minister would consider agreeing to discuss those amendments further with Dr Gulhane in advance of stage 3, and, if she agrees to do that, whether Dr Gulhane will agree not to move them at this st...

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

18 Feb 2026

Section 22 Report: “The 2024/25 audit of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency”

That would be helpful. Thank you.

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

18 Feb 2026

Section 22 Report: “The 2024/25 audit of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency”

The UK Government has set the 8 per cent rate for someone who has been underpaid. Has it also set a percentage for someone who has been overpaid?

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

18 Feb 2026

Section 22 Report: “The 2024/25 audit of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency”

Would those people be expected to pay that back?

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

18 Feb 2026

Section 22 Report: “The 2024/25 audit of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency”

You said that, if someone was underpaid, they would be compensated by 8 per cent, which seems fair. However, I am slightly concerned about the opposite situation. If someone has been overpaid, will they have to pay that back? If so, would they have to pay it back with interest...

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

18 Feb 2026

Section 22 Report: “The 2024/25 audit of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency”

Are you confident that that part of the transparency of the process has been successful?

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

18 Feb 2026

Section 22 Report: “The 2024/25 audit of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency”

Do the individuals know that they are potentially impacted? Do they know that there is a question mark over whether they are getting the right amount?

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

18 Feb 2026

Section 22 Report: “The 2024/25 audit of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency”

Some of my specific questions have been answered in responses to others, but I will follow on from Colin Beattie’s questions about the implications for individual members. Can you give us an idea of the scale of the impact that being on the wrong benefit could have on an indiv...

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

18 Feb 2026

“Delayed discharges: A symptom of the challenges facing health and social care” and “Community health and social care: Performance 2025”

Thank you.

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

18 Feb 2026

“Delayed discharges: A symptom of the challenges facing health and social care” and “Community health and social care: Performance 2025”

Are we managing to resource that collaboration work? Time is one of the most challenging issues, so is there funding to ensure that there is time to collaborate?

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

18 Feb 2026

“Delayed discharges: A symptom of the challenges facing health and social care” and “Community health and social care: Performance 2025”

The next area that I will ask about is delayed discharge and the variations in that across the country. There is some really good practice, and I highlight NHS Tayside, in my local area, where elected members get regular briefings and have been told off for calling it “delayed...

Joe FitzPatrick (Dundee City West) (SNP) SNP Committee

18 Feb 2026

“Delayed discharges: A symptom of the challenges facing health and social care” and “Community health and social care: Performance 2025”

I want to cover some areas in which I think some really good practice is happening across Scotland. You have talked about some of this already, but I want to give you the opportunity to say a little bit more about how things are working in practice and how we are measuring the...

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

17 Feb 2026

Food Standards Scotland and the First National Good Food Nation Plan

That is fair enough. However, this is meant to be an information scheme. It is great if it is being looked at, but my point is that, if I have taken the bother to go and look it up, in the short term, I should at least be able to see that information. If I am taking my friends...

Joe FitzPatrick (Dundee City West) (SNP) SNP Committee

17 Feb 2026

Food Standards Scotland and the First National Good Food Nation Plan

I will ask some questions about the food hygiene information scheme. There has been a bit of media coverage of the scheme in England, where they have a sticker that goes on the window. Obviously, it relies on the establishment to change that sticker, so that people know whethe...

Joe FitzPatrick (Dundee City West) (SNP) SNP Chamber

11 Feb 2026

Community Policing

The budget has not yet been passed. What amendments will the Conservatives seek to make to it to increase the justice budget? Where will that money come from?

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

11 Feb 2026

“Best Value in policing: Joint Best Value audit of policing in Scotland”

We will take that as a positive.10:00

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

11 Feb 2026

“Best Value in policing: Joint Best Value audit of policing in Scotland”

Do you have confidence that the SPA is getting to grips with that now?

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

11 Feb 2026

“Best Value in policing: Joint Best Value audit of policing in Scotland”

I move on to the Police Scotland estate. You say in the report that the current estate is “unsustainable” and that“around £500 million will be required to deliver the masterplan, with a £200 million funding gap still to be addressed.”That is quite significant. What is being do...

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

11 Feb 2026

“Best Value in policing: Joint Best Value audit of policing in Scotland”

At that point, that might be something that the Auditor General would look at.

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

11 Feb 2026

“Best Value in policing: Joint Best Value audit of policing in Scotland”

Did you say that you would be looking at the policing together programme again in 2027-28?

Joe FitzPatrick (Dundee City West) (SNP) SNP Committee

11 Feb 2026

“Best Value in policing: Joint Best Value audit of policing in Scotland”

First, I put on the record an interest that I have: a close family member works in forensics, so I will steer clear of any questions that directly relate to that.The first area on which I will focus is equalities. The report reminds us that, in 2023, the then chief constable—q...

Joe FitzPatrick (Dundee City West) (SNP) SNP Chamber

05 Feb 2026

First Minister’s Question Time

This week, I joined disabled people, third-party organisations and colleagues in welcoming the first disabled people’s cabinet, which was hosted by the First Minister. I was appalled to learn that the Labour Party has quietly lodged a motion to annul the changes that this Scot...

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

04 Feb 2026

Section 22 Report: “The 2024/25 audit of Historic Environment Scotland”

That is appreciated. It is helpful, and it will give more confidence to the organisation going forward and help it to be successful, which is what we all want. Thanks very much.

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

04 Feb 2026

Section 22 Report: “The 2024/25 audit of Historic Environment Scotland”

It is about getting that confidence, and one thing that is helpful for that is transparency. Are the board papers now being published? Are the minutes being published?

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

04 Feb 2026

Section 22 Report: “The 2024/25 audit of Historic Environment Scotland”

That is appreciated. However, from my perspective, and perhaps that of my colleagues, a large number of board members were not exercising their roles in the way that we would have hoped. Has there been additional training? Since you have come in and appointed two new members, ...

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

04 Feb 2026

Section 22 Report: “The 2024/25 audit of Historic Environment Scotland”

New since 2024, is what I mean.

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

04 Feb 2026

Section 22 Report: “The 2024/25 audit of Historic Environment Scotland”

So, it is mostly new members.

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

04 Feb 2026

Section 22 Report: “The 2024/25 audit of Historic Environment Scotland”

I appreciate that it was before your time, Ms Riach—and before yours, Sir Mark—but it seems that the board was prepared to make that decision without a business case. Is the board entirely new, or are some of the board members from that time still there? What is the ratio of f...

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

04 Feb 2026

Section 22 Report: “The 2024/25 audit of Historic Environment Scotland”

It seems strange that a decision of such significance was able to be made without the approval of the board. Can the executive team still operate without the approval of the board at that level?

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

04 Feb 2026

Section 22 Report: “The 2024/25 audit of Historic Environment Scotland”

What action did the Scottish Government take? Were you aware that that big decision had been taken by the executive team without the agreement of the board?

Joe FitzPatrick SNP Committee

04 Feb 2026

Section 22 Report: “The 2024/25 audit of Historic Environment Scotland”

My next question is for Kenneth Hogg or Shona Riach. Was the Scottish Government aware of the decision making around that issue and of the business case?