Hansard

As we conclude the final stage of the bill, what matters most is what happens next: how the legislation is implemented, how it delivers for the people it is meant to serve and how we respond to the many challenges that remain.

For all its difficulties, the bill has laid the groundwork for progress. It is not the transformation that many had hoped for, but it is a step towards a more equitable and consistent care system in Scotland. It will introduce important changes that will make a real difference to people’s lives, and I do not want to lose sight of that. Many members have spoken movingly about Anne’s law, and I pay tribute to her family. In addition, I think back to the confusion and desperation of our constituents during the Covid crisis.

We have made really important progress today. The improved rights for unpaid carers and the strengthening of independent advocacy are not small things and they should not be overlooked. They are important changes that this Parliament has made. They are the product of advocacy, campaigning and hard work across the sector, in the Parliament and beyond, and we must recognise those wins.

However, our job is not to rest on our laurels. We must not stop here; we must continue and deliver progress. The cracks in our social care system remain, and they have been made deeper by the years of underinvestment. We still face the same core issues: workforce pressures, fragmented structures, unclear lines of accountability and a system that too often leaves people navigating complexity when they are at their most vulnerable.

The ambition to bring more of the care sector into public hands should not be dropped. It should be pursued strategically and incrementally, recognising the financial and logistical challenges while staying true to the long-term goal. I hope that the Parliament can agree to that and that the Labour Party will not drop it but will work towards a more publicly delivered care service. Public care should continue to be seen as a necessary investment in the dignity and wellbeing of our communities.

If the Parliament is serious about the issue, we must treat the bill as the first step and as a foundation. That means committing to on-going dialogue with local authorities, the workforce and people who receive care. It means funding the changes that we legislate for, being honest when things do not go to plan and being open to doing things differently.

I acknowledge the constructive spirit in which the Opposition and the Government have worked together between stages 2 and 3, which has undoubtedly made the bill stronger.

The complexity of care reform is not an excuse to walk away from it; it is the very reason why we must rise to the challenge. We cannot lose sight of the people who are at the heart of the reforms, because they are counting on us—and will continue to count on us—to get this right.