Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Christine Grahame) SNP

The next item of business is a statement by Shona Robison on the Scottish veterans commissioner’s report on veterans’ health and wellbeing. The cabinet secre...

The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport (Shona Robison) SNP

I thank the Scottish veterans commissioner, Eric Fraser, for the work that he has done in producing his recent report “Veterans’ Health & Wellbeing: A Di...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

The cabinet secretary will now take questions on the issues raised in her statement. I intend to allow about 20 minutes for questions, after which we must mo...

Maurice Corry (West Scotland) (Con) Con

I thank the cabinet secretary for advance sight of her statement. I join her in thanking Eric Fraser, the Scottish veterans commissioner, for his latest repo...

Shona Robison SNP

I welcome Eric Fraser to the public gallery—I have just been made aware that he is there—and I hope that he finds the proceedings interesting. Maurice Corry...

Maurice Corry Con

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I declare that I am a veteran.

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

Thank you very much.

Anas Sarwar (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab

I join the cabinet secretary in recognising the contribution of our armed forces community, our veterans and their families. I welcome Eric Fraser’s report a...

Shona Robison SNP

As I said in my statement, Scotland’s 10-year mental health strategy, which was launched last year, reinforces our commitment to the armed forces covenant an...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

Eleven members wish to ask questions. I ask for succinct questions and answers that reciprocate.

Richard Lochhead (Moray) (SNP) SNP

I thank the Scottish veterans commissioner, Eric Fraser, for another valuable report, which this time is on the health and wellbeing of veterans, and I thank...

Shona Robison SNP

The awareness-raising campaign is an opportunity to make veterans and their families aware of the range of services that I talked about in my statement and t...

Edward Mountain (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con

I declare that I am a veteran. The report identifies that many servicemen have been exposed to “combat, harsh physical conditions, stressful situations and...

Shona Robison SNP

That is a bit outwith the scope of my statement, but I will certainly get the relevant minister to write to Edward Mountain on that subject. I agree with Ed...

Graeme Dey (Angus South) (SNP) SNP

My question follows on from that answer. Does the cabinet secretary agree that, if veterans are to receive appropriate care and the support that they need, i...

Shona Robison SNP

We have been pressing United Kingdom Government ministers for some time on the need to improve the process of transferring the medical records of personnel w...

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Lab

I also welcome the constructive and positive report from the Scottish veterans commissioner. I welcome him to the gallery. In my postbag, I have a number of...

Shona Robison SNP

Yes, and a range of evidence-based treatments are available and can be tailored to the patient’s needs for PTSD that has been determined by clinicians, based...

Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Green

The commissioner’s report highlights early service leavers who leave the military voluntarily before completing the minimum four-year term as being at partic...

Shona Robison SNP

It is important to note that early leavers, as Mark Ruskell describes them, are a particularly vulnerable group, and the right services have to be provided f...

Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (LD) LD

It is a source of collective shame that veterans are more likely than most to join the ranks of our homeless population. Given the causal link between mental...

Shona Robison SNP

Alex Cole-Hamilton has pointed to a particularly vulnerable group of veterans. What I have laid out here today is our response on health and social care supp...

John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP) SNP

Does the cabinet secretary accept that, although employment is not specifically about health, it impacts on and affects people’s health? I accept that it is ...

Shona Robison SNP

Keith Brown is the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work, and he has overall responsibility in Government for veterans. He gave a full update to ...

Brian Whittle (South Scotland) (Con) Con

Does the cabinet secretary agree that, in delivering the best treatment, care and support for our veterans, we should be cognisant of the Scottish Associatio...

Shona Robison SNP

The Scottish Government acknowledges the power of sport and its impact on our lives and on the lives of injured servicemen and women. Over the coming weeks, ...

Gordon MacDonald (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) SNP

Can the cabinet secretary provide details on what is being done to ensure that physically injured veterans benefit from the latest technology in order to all...

Shona Robison SNP

In my statement, I talked about the investments that have been made in prosthetics services to ensure that cases are turned around quickly and that high-qual...

Daniel Johnson (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Lab

Members will note my interest in and personal experience of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Other members have rightly raised questions about menta...

Shona Robison SNP

That is an issue that we would expect the new mental health action plan to consider, but I will certainly ensure that that message is passed on, so that that...