Hansard

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I wish a happy new year to you and everyone in Parliament.

I am delighted to have secured this members’ business debate. I thank all my colleagues who supported the motion. I understand that it will not be a topic that is familiar to everyone but, for those who rely on changing places, it is of the utmost importance. Changing places represent peace of mind while out and about, knowing that the necessary facilities are available, and people’s ability to enjoy a day out without having to worry about whether they will be able to use a bathroom. Fundamentally, changing places represent the difference between inclusion and exclusion.

Changing places are not a luxury, but a necessity. They are something that every person who has a disability will probably use at sometime in their lifetime. For those who are unaware, they are a specialised toilet facility designed for people with complex disabilities who require assistance with toileting. They are much larger than standard accessible toilets and come equipped with additional features to make using the toilet easier and more dignified for both the individual and their carer. They include a special toilet, a hoist, a changing bench and a lowered basin, among other things. Those are not luxuries; they are essential.

I am sometimes asked what has been my proudest achievement from my time in Parliament, and I take great joy in telling people that I was part of the effort that added a provision to the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 stipulating that all new building projects of a certain size would have to have a changing places toilet. It seems like a small thing, but I genuinely believe that it has made, and will continue to make, a massive difference to the lives of people with disabilities in Scotland.

However, I note that it should not take legislation for businesses to install a changing places toilet. Other than it being the right thing to do, there is hard evidence that it can increase customer engagement. The purple pound is a real and lucrative force that should never be overlooked.

We, as lawmakers, have a duty to consider the inclusion of disabled people as a top priority. The funding of changing places toilets should be a priority for us all to ensure that Scotland is a place that is fully inclusive and fully open for everyone to participate in. That is why I find it so disappointing that the Scottish Government has decided not to prioritise changing places toilets. As with so many other issues, the Scottish National Party has talked a big game, promising support and funding for installation, but when it comes to delivery, it has let everyone down.

The 2021 programme for government pledged that £10 million would go towards installation of changing places toilets in new buildings, and towards retrofitting older premises. Two years on, not a single penny of that money has been distributed, despite a number of projects, some in my region, being ready and waiting for the money. It was incredibly disappointing to hear Maree Todd, the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport, answer a question on when the funding would finally be released by saying that there were no plans even to begin processing distribution until 2025. I remind members that it was an SNP pledge in the 2021 programme for government. That means that we will be waiting four years for funding that is desperately needed.

I was hoping that there might have been a change of heart from the SNP and that there would have been provision in the budget statement last month, but it was completely absent. We are talking about a relatively small amount of money in the grand scheme of the Scottish budget, but it will make a massive and real difference—[Inaudible.]

It should also be put on record that, at this point, the United Kingdom Government made a similar pledge on £30 million for England, which has been distributed and spent and disabled lives have been changed. Why is it that the big bad UK Government is able to follow through on its promises, but the Scottish Government cannot? Could it be that one Government values inclusion and the other does not?

I am tired of rhetoric, I am tired of empty promises, and I am tired of disabled people being promised the world by the SNP but having delivered to them absolutely nothing. To be very clear, I say that this is not just about a convenient option; it is about absolutely necessary equipment to allow people with profound disabilities and their families to participate in society. The betrayal by the Scottish Government in this way will not be forgotten by disabled people across Scotland.

I started this speech by wishing everyone a happy new year. The minister can make the new year of everyone with disabilities better by releasing the money now. I implore her to reconsider when she will allow people to spend the money. We have waited long enough. Disabled people deserve more.