Hansard

I thank Alexander Burnett for lodging the motion. It is a pleasure to take part in the debate.

I commend all those who have come together to campaign for much-needed change and to improve the lives of people with autism and learning disabilities. In particular, I pay tribute to unpaid carers for all that they do for their loved ones. They have our thanks and admiration, and they deserve to be recognised by the Parliament.

The motion is a reminder that, despite the progress that has been made, there is still much for the Parliament to do and to consider further in the next session. A number of those challenges are set out in the motion, including in relation to diagnosis and the importance of good post-diagnosis support. I underline, as Joan McAlpine did, the importance of day services and of advocacy, particularly as legislation and welfare rights continue to change and evolve.

We all share an ambition to build a more inclusive Scotland in which all our rights are respected and where nobody is unfairly denied opportunities. We all have a responsibility to realise those shared ambitions.

This week, we marked a full year since the Covid pandemic arrived in Scotland. Like Jamie Greene, I am conscious of the impact that the past 12 months have had on autistic people, people with learning disabilities and those closest to them.

The roll-out of a vaccine gives real hope that the crisis is coming to an end. However, as Joan McAlpine said, many of those working to support people with learning disabilities have concerns about the way in which the roll-out is being progressed.

The priority plan established by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation places people with severe or profound learning disabilities in group 6. They will have begun to receive appointments. The First Minister has indicated that others with learning disabilities will be prioritised, too, which is welcome.

However, some vulnerable adults with learning disabilities are currently falling through a disturbing gap in the programme. I know of one provider, Cosgrove Care, which estimates that 50 per cent of the people in its supported accommodation have not yet been offered a vaccine. The Scottish Government rightly wants to prioritise the most vulnerable, yet here is a group of vulnerable people who face significant challenges in receiving the vaccine.

Joan McAlpine mentioned a lack of data. Different records are held by different surgeries and many of the people concerned need to be vaccinated at home, not in a central vaccination centre.

Providers have rightly commended—as do I—the work of the people on the ground who are delivering the vaccine and, in particular, those who are involved in the roll-out of the vaccine to care homes. They tell me that a consistent approach to vaccination that was modelled on the programme in care homes, that was co-ordinated and that allowed vulnerable people to receive the vaccine in their own home would make an enormous difference. It would ensure that nobody in supported accommodation would fall through the gap.

I ask the minister to consider whether the roll-out is addressing the needs of people with learning disabilities, especially those who live in supported accommodation, which I am sure that the Government understands is a unique environment. I know that the Government has received various requests for different groups to be prioritised, but I impress on the minister the importance of rolling out the vaccine to the most vulnerable people as soon as possible.

Let us get the vaccine to the people who need it most and then, as we emerge from the pandemic, let us begin the work of improving the lives of autistic people and people with learning disabilities.