Meeting of the Parliament 25 June 2015
I have lost my place now.
I am pleased that the Scottish Government introduced positive amendments that will improve notification procedures and require local authorities to fully consider the impact of licensing sexual entertainment venues on the local authority’s wider objectives, such as reducing violence against women and protecting children and young people. I hope that that will give local communities a bigger say in whether such venues can operate in their areas.
The cabinet secretary’s amendments in those areas reflect what I hoped to achieve in the amendments that I lodged at stage 2. That is welcome progress. I hope that we can develop more joined-up policy making at local and national levels in building towards the type of Scotland that we all want to see.
The sex industry can never be allowed to operate in a vacuum. Our approach needs to reflect the goals in “Equally Safe” of a Scotland where all individuals are equally safe and respected and where our town and city centres are welcoming to all. Until now, the industry has in effect been unregulated so, although the bill is far from ideal, the new licensing regime that it proposes is certainly better than the current situation.
Regardless of the debates about the legality of the new regime, we have to be vigilant in monitoring that regime. In licensing such venues, the Scottish Government risks normalising a harmful form of sexual exploitation. As the Zero Tolerance Trust pointed out in its initial briefing to the Local Government and Regeneration Committee,
“if we are to move beyond women’s value and worth being located in their bodies and their perceived sexual attractiveness, we need to move beyond seeing sexual entertainment venues as normal and harmless.”
We need to challenge a culture where women and girls are viewed and treated as sexualised objects. To fail to send out a clear message on that is to fail our young people.
There is no doubt that the taxi and private hire car industry is changing rapidly, and it is vital that the legislation reflects the pace of change. During the committee’s evidence sessions, there was concern about whether the bill will be robust enough and future proofed enough to prevent taxi app companies from bypassing local regimes. I hope that it will be, but only time will tell.
I know that the Scottish Taxi Federation was pleased with the assurances that it received from the cabinet secretary. We all agree that it is vital that there is a level playing field and a fairer deal for all in the sector.
Scottish Labour fully supports the air weapons proposals in the bill. It is estimated that 500,000 airguns are owned by people throughout Scotland. The bill will—rightly—require anyone who owns an airgun to demonstrate a legitimate reason for having such a weapon.
There is no doubt in my mind that air weapons are dangerous. The tragic death of two-year-old Andrew Morton 10 years ago and the heartache that his family continue to endure every day highlight the real and pressing need for us to act to prevent future tragedies.
Half of all firearms offences involve the use of an air weapon, and every single day our police officers and animal welfare groups have to deal with the consequences of those weapons being misused. The proposals in the bill are welcome and will ensure that Scotland has a strong and robust air weapons licensing regime.
The bill’s proposals on metal dealers and metal theft are welcome and will bring Scotland into line with the rest of the UK. Metal theft is a big issue in many of our communities, and it is never a victimless crime. We hope that the bill will strengthen the licensing of metal dealing and reduce metal theft and related criminal activity, which not only inconvenience the public but endanger the public and offenders, too.
I notice that I have run out of time. In conclusion, although the bill is not without its flaws, many of the proposals that it contains are welcome, and it is certainly a step in the right direction. Scottish Labour will support the bill, and I look forward to the rest of the debate.
16:21