Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur) LD

The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-13041, in the name of Humza Yousaf, on Women Against State Pension Inequality. I invite members who wish ...

The First Minister (Humza Yousaf) SNP

I will undoubtedly miss being in the Government. It has been my life for almost the past 12 years. However, there will be some silver linings. The first, of ...

The Deputy Presiding Officer LD

I advise members that we have absolutely no time in hand this afternoon, so speeches will need to adhere to the time limits. 15:45

Douglas Ross (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con

The First Minister began with reflections on a constituency case and a constituency campaign, and I will do the same. I want to put on record in this Parliam...

The First Minister SNP

Will Douglas Ross give way?

Douglas Ross Con

I will give way if I can finish this point. There is an opportunity for Parliament to debate these important issues and work across the parties to have a dis...

The First Minister SNP

I thank Douglas Ross for taking an intervention. It is important for us to work collaboratively. That also means being up front and honest with the campaigne...

Douglas Ross Con

Yes—I do, and that is what I have said. In fact, my amendment states that the UK Government should urgently address and respond to the recommendations of the...

Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab

I welcome this debate, and I take the opportunity to join colleagues in saying to the First Minister that I wish him well after the past week. Indeed, it is ...

The First Minister SNP

Putting that photo up is an awfully cruel thing to do—it is adding insult to injury. Actually, it was only yesterday that that photo was taken. Laughter. In...

Paul O’Kane Lab

I had that conversation with WASPI women in this very Parliament at the event that I spoke about, and Labour is very clear that we support the principles con...

The Deputy Presiding Officer LD

Mr O’Kane, could you resume your seat for a second? Members—we have listened to all the speakers so far with courtesy and respect. Can we continue in a simil...

Paul O’Kane Lab

Thank you. It was important that the WASPI women who are listening in the gallery could hear what I just said, instead of the barracking that we had from th...

Maggie Chapman (North East Scotland) (Green) Green

Every 13 minutes, a WASPI woman dies. Every 13 minutes, a woman who might have lost several years’ worth of her pension—maybe as much as £42,000—dies without...

The Deputy Presiding Officer LD

I remind members that we have no time in hand. Members will therefore need to stick to their speaking time limits from now on. 16:04

Beatrice Wishart (Shetland Islands) (LD) LD

I welcome the opportunity to debate the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s recommendations. As deputy convener of the Scottish Parliament’s cross-...

The Deputy Presiding Officer LD

We move to the open debate. 16:07

Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP) SNP

I pay tribute to all Women Against State Pension Inequality campaigners, in particular those in Ayrshire WASPI, whom many MSPs met when the group visited Par...

Roz McCall (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Con

It would not be a contribution from me unless I started with a personal anecdote. I was a child who grew up in the 1970s in Glasgow, and I hit the job market...

Marie McNair (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) SNP

It is a pleasure to speak in the debate, and I thank the First Minister for bringing it to the chamber. WASPI women worked tirelessly throughout their lives...

Katy Clark (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab

It is a pleasure to contribute to this important debate and to call on the UK Government to take action now to deliver justice and compensation for WASPI wom...

Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) SNP

I thank the First Minister for bringing this debate to the chamber. I know that many folk heard him speak at Clare Haughey’s event with WASPI women the other...

Jeremy Balfour (Lothian) (Con) Con

It is always good when we get to discuss social security in the Scottish Parliament. The front benches are possibly the most stacked that they have been duri...

Ruth Maguire (Cunninghame South) (SNP) SNP

Will the member take an intervention?

Jeremy Balfour Con

Unfortunately, I do not have time to take an intervention on this occasion. Unfortunately, that consideration has sometimes been lacking in Scotland since t...

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

First, I commend the WASPI women in Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale and across Scotland for their resilience and their determination to see justic...

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Lab

I recognise the debate’s significance for the WASPI women and their on-going work in the pursuit of justice. They have been tenacious in fighting for their c...

Maggie Chapman (North East Scotland) (Green) Green

The First Minister is absolutely right to say that, if such an injustice had been experienced by men—if they had been treated in the way that the WASPI women...

Douglas Ross Con

As I explained, we can come back to the wider issue of full compensation in a separate debate, but there is the opportunity today to focus on the PHSO report...

Maggie Chapman Green

We have agreement on the PHSO report, but I consider the element that the Conservative amendment would remove—the need for fuller and fairer compensation—to ...