Hansard

Since I have two opportunities to speak in the debate, I will use this one to pay tribute to some of my colleagues who are leaving Parliament.

As several other members have done, I pay tribute to Nanette Milne. I have held the health brief for only a relatively short period, but I have felt great warmth from Nanette Milne, both in meetings in Parliament and outside it, in NHS Tayside and other forums. I hope that Nanette has a long and happy retirement from Parliament.

While mentioning a woman who is stepping down from Parliament, I reflect on the example that women in this Parliament have set for me since I stepped into the role for the first time five years ago. There is an added pressure—if not a burden or responsibility—on women in elected politics. People like Nanette Milne bear it with great fortitude and dignity, and are a good example to us all.

This week, Parliament dissolves, and three very special colleagues of mine in the Labour group will not be seeking re-election. Duncan McNeil made his last speech in the chamber on the Scotland Bill last week. Given that this is a health debate, it is appropriate that I pay tribute to him now. As convener of the Health and Sport Committee for the past five years, he has paid assiduous attention to the health of the national health service throughout Scotland. Duncan always provides insightful and grounded analyses of how decisions that are made here affect our constituents and the people whom he represents. He has given great service to Parliament and its development over the past 16 years, and I know that he will be missed.

I pay tribute also to my colleague Hugh Henry, whose sense of humour and wit will be dearly missed. Hugh Henry and Duncan McNeil are giants of the first 16 years of this devolved Parliament.

I also pay very special tribute to my dear friend and colleague, Malcolm Chisholm. This is the last debate that I will participate in with Malcolm. Since I stepped into this building five years ago, he has been the most supportive, inspirational and empathetic mentor that any young politician could hope for. He has taken very special care of me and of our Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale, and we will both be forever indebted to him. With his attention to detail, I always feel reassured and more confident when Malcolm Chisholm is taking part in a debate, and I get the sense from the Government members that they feel the same. He will be greatly missed in Parliament.

I turn now to some contributions to the debate, although I summarised most earlier. I was particularly taken by Kevin Stewart’s thoughtful reflection on the bill. He mentioned the welcome inspection regime, reuse of lairs—which is very welcome and particularly important—and licensing of funeral directors. I mentioned fuel poverty in my opening speech. It will be important to watch that issue closely, as we go forward. He also took the opportunity to highlight Citizens Advice Scotland’s figures and the geographical disparity in costs of funerals, giving great weight and evidence to the case that my colleague Lesley Brennan made about funeral poverty. He highlighted the 35 per cent increase in inquiries about affordability, which together with the geographical differences in costs, are particularly stark statistics.

Kevin Stewart’s contribution made me reflect on representation that I received from a constituent on that very issue, in respect of insurance policies for funerals. Some couples had been paying into insurance policies for many years to cover their funeral costs, but when the bill came the policies fell short of the actual costs of the funerals, and the family was left to cover the rest. Insurance policies should probably be regulated by the European Union. I wonder whether the matter can, at the summit that the Government will hold—which Kevin Stewart referred to—be addressed along with the welfare payment of £1,300 to which Lesley Brennan referred. That payment goes no way towards meeting the average cost of a funeral, which is £3,500.

As MSPs will know from representations about it, there is an issue with timing of payments—whether they will be approved by the Department for Work and Pensions and whether funeral directors can rely on the money when the application is still in progress. I am sure that all those issues will be discussed at the summit, and by the commission that the cabinet secretary, Alex Neil, has commissioned.

I close by saying that I have, throughout the passage of the bill, enjoyed Stewart Stevenson’s contributions. The points that he made today about records of burials added a lighter note to the debate, but also added a important cultural note about knowing our place and about being able to track and record where our ancestors are buried. That is important not only for companies in Scotland, by allowing them to stretch abroad and to make business through genealogy, but for people who are making their family trees. It also adds to our sense of place and of belonging in this country.

That is a very appropriate note to end on, and a very important provision in the bill, which the Scottish Labour Party is delighted to support.