Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur) LD

The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-03381, in the name of Keith Brown, on a Scottish approach to the mental health and wellbeing of our veter...

The Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans (Keith Brown) SNP

I am delighted to open the debate, as we emerge from the pandemic. The mental health of the whole population is a fundamental consideration for the Scottish ...

Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab

In the motion, the cabinet secretary mentions veterans and their families. Will he, in his speech, talk about the support that is aimed at veterans’ families...

Keith Brown SNP

I will. Martin Whitfield will find references to families throughout my speech. I am sure that the minister, too, will mention families, when he speaks. The...

The Deputy Presiding Officer LD

I can inform the chamber that the time that we had available across the afternoon was exhausted earlier, so I will have to ask members to stick to their time...

Craig Hoy (South Scotland) (Con) Con

I thank the minister for his opening remarks. I am very pleased to open the debate on behalf of my party. The Scottish Conservatives believe that veterans mu...

Paul Sweeney (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab

I begin by sharing the sentiments from across the chamber of solidarity with the people of Ukraine, who are showing such immense bravery in the face of conti...

Martin Whitfield Lab

When we talk about the community, we are talking about not just the veterans but their families. One challenge with using the census data is that additional ...

Paul Sweeney Lab

My friend raises an extremely important point about data interdependencies. That metadata will be critical to building a network of understanding about depen...

Keith Brown SNP

I agree with the member’s point, but will he recognise that we have tried for years to get information on veterans in Scotland from the United Kingdom Govern...

Paul Sweeney Lab

I recognise that complaint, and it is certainly one that I made frequently when I was a member in the House of Commons. I accept that we have made a breakthr...

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

I apologise to members, as I will have to leave the debate early. I am privileged to speak for my party in this important debate, and I am grateful to the c...

Graeme Dey (Angus South) (SNP) SNP

I very much welcome the scheduling of the debate, both because of the importance of the subject matter and because it represents a potential sea change in br...

Finlay Carson (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Con

An estimated 5 million veterans live in the UK at present, and a further 20,000 personnel leave the armed forces every year. When they leave, their healthcar...

Paul Sweeney Lab

Does the member agree that a particularly difficult cohort is those whose discharge is unplanned—for example, if they have failed a compulsory drugs test—and...

Finlay Carson Con

Absolutely. Our veterans can find themselves in different and unique situations. Those need to be addressed in a unique and proper way. The position that ma...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing) SNP

I call Paul O’Kane—I am sorry; I call Christine Grahame, to be followed by Paul O’Kane. 15:50

Christine Grahame (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) SNP

I thought that I had changed identity for a moment, Presiding Officer. It is a bitter irony that, as we debate the issue, men and women on both sides in Ukr...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

I call Paul O’Kane, who joins us remotely. 15:57

Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab

I associate myself with the comments of colleagues on the unfolding horrors in Ukraine. Once again, I offer my solidarity to the Ukrainian people. I thank K...

Audrey Nicoll (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) SNP

I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests: I am a councillor on Aberdeen City Council. Last week, a family member WhatsApped me with...

Sue Webber (Lothian) (Con) Con

Like all members, the Scottish Conservatives want servicemen and servicewomen who choose to settle in Scotland on leaving our armed forces to know that they ...

Keith Brown SNP

Will Sue Webber give way?

Sue Webber Con

I will not. Thank you. That means that members of the armed forces will receive the same income, regardless of where they are domiciled in the UK. We calle...

Paul Sweeney Lab

Will Sue Webber give way?

Sue Webber Con

I will not at the moment, thanks. Invaluable work is done by non-government organisations. I pay tribute to the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen & Families Ass...

Gillian Mackay (Central Scotland) (Green) Green

One in 10 UK armed forces personnel was seen by military healthcare services for a mental health related reason in 2020-21. Although that represents a fall i...

Emma Harper (South Scotland) (SNP) SNP

Veterans, service personnel and their families contribute a huge amount to our society. I welcome the great strides that the Scottish Government has made tow...

Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab

It is a great pleasure to speak in the debate, but it is right to echo the words about the situation in Ukraine, which brings so much of what we have talked ...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

Kenneth Gibson will be the last speaker in the open debate. 16:33