Meeting of the Parliament 12 March 2026 [Draft]
Before I turn to my amendment—members will be glad to hear that I intend to be very brief—it would be helpful if the cabinet secretary could give us some indication of the financial cost of this. I have been in the Parliament for 10 years and have never been in a position where we have been asked to pass a bill without any concept of the costs. I appreciate that that will take time to draw up, but will it be funded in year 2, year 3, year 4 and so on? I appreciate that the Government is neutral on the bill, but whoever forms the Government after May will have to fund it. For us to pass legislation when we have no concept of the costs seems rather strange.
I turn to my amendment 297. It is an important amendment that would introduce a requirement for Scottish ministers to review and report specifically on the interaction between the operation of the bill and suicide prevention. It would ensure consideration of overall suicide rates, any cases where individuals might have benefited from alternative interventions, the effectiveness of procedures for identifying and supporting those who are at risk and any unintended impacts on mental health or suicide prevention measures. It would promote transparency and accountability and, as always, the protection of vulnerable individuals in relation to the broader public health implications of the bill.
It closely follows an amendment from Stephen Kerr amendment, which suggests recording and reporting on the impact of the bill on suicide prevention services. Amendment 297 builds on that. I believe that it will help if it is agreed to, and I hope that colleagues will support it.