Hansard

We have heard some powerful contributions from across the chamber and I thank colleagues from all parties for recognising the importance of this debate.

The speeches from Jackie Dunbar and Beatrice Wishart were both very strong, because they came from a personal angle. We can never underestimate coercion and we can never underestimate what an abuser will do.

Let us be clear about what the committee report tells us. Four years after these issues were first raised, basic financial protections for victims of domestic abuse are still missing. I thank the Social Justice and Social Security Committee for taking action on the issue and for producing the report, and I thank the clerks and everyone who gave evidence to the committee.

It is not acceptable that the changes to the process are not further up the priority list; that failure lies squarely with the Scottish Government. I have to agree with Karen Adam: it is disappointing that there has been no civil legal aid legislation in this session. Victims of domestic abuse deserve better. They deserve a Government that acts with urgency, not one that issues warm words while survivors are forced to choose between safety and destitution.

Women’s Aid told the committee that survivors with even modest savings may be left paying for the home they fled while trying to rebuild their lives elsewhere. Engender and Shelter Scotland described women and children being placed in hotels for weeks because councils have nowhere else for them to go. Citizens Advice Scotland warned that debt rules can leave only £1,000 in a bank account. Such rules could literally stop a woman from leaving her abuser. Those are not abstract policy failures; they are barriers that trap victims who are in danger.

My friend and colleague Alexander Stewart highlighted that there is one incident of domestic abuse every eight minutes. That is a horrific statistic and it highlights how important it is that we do something more about this issue.

Mr Stewart, Bob Doris and Maggie Chapman all mentioned that victims might have to approach 11 different services before they get any assistance, which shows that there is a fundamental gap in our system. In her initial speech, Carol Mochan highlighted the need for better knowledge and advertising of the help that is out there so that victims can get the support that they need. That is something that could happen now.

I turn to the minister’s contribution, because she mentioned that there are three or four separate consultations and reviews on the back of the reports from both committees. That only represents further delay, however, because the reports already highlight what needs to be changed. Tangible changes to the system are required, not further consultation and reviews of work that has already begun. I am sorry, but I say to the minister that asking officials to simply consider the report for the next equally safe strategy is not enough. We could have seen much more action if only it had been a priority for the Government. Leadership is what is required now; what has been announced is cold comfort for victims of abuse, given that we are not doing more.

Finally, I highlight the contribution from Pam Gosal, who is actively trying to do something in this space with her Prevention of Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Bill. We should congratulate Ms Gosal on all the hard work that she has put in to introduce the bill.

The committee has called for commonsense deliverable actions. It asks the Government to make permanent the fund to leave, in order to cover deposits, travel and essentials when a survivor escapes abuse; to guarantee year-round funding for discretionary housing payments so that no council runs out mid-year; to review the Scottish welfare fund to make it consistent, trauma informed and accessible; and to ensure that the equally safe strategy delivers not just aspirations but real, practical financial support. However, progress in that regard remains painfully slow.

The committee has done its job. It has listened to survivors, charities and those on the front line, and the evidence is clear. What is missing now is leadership. The Scottish Conservatives are calling on the SNP Government to stop deflecting and actively move forward to support victims of domestic abuse, because every day of delay risks another victim being turned away, another survivor being forced to return to an unsafe home and another life being put at risk because the system could not help in time.

Let us not make victims pay the price of Government inaction—let us work together to ensure that financial barriers are never again a reason for someone to stay with their abuser. The time for reviews and rhetoric has passed; we need common sense, compassion and action now.