Meeting of the Parliament 24 March 2026 [Draft]
I see that Joe FitzPatrick has picked up Christine Grahame’s excellent technology skills.
Many of the cases that I hear about are from constituents raising concerns that someone who has already been to court and had an order against them banning them from having a dog or pet still has an animal. I also hear about cruelty to wildlife, but often the concern is that the authorities might already be aware of the incident. The debate is important, because sentencing, legislation and the way in which the guidance is delivered must be updated. That is the point that Christine Grahame is trying to make, and that is certainly the case in my experience. The Parliament has done really good work on the issue, but we need to build on that. I look forward to the minister giving us some insight into that.
That links to the messages that I want to give about members’ business debates. I want to raise the profile of members’ business debates. Some in the Parliament suggest that they are not to be prioritised, because we have busy diaries. However, I put on record that I have certainly learned much from members’ business debates over my five years in Parliament. They have helped me with facts on many important issues and to understand the views of members from across the chamber, which definitely helps with the cross-party approach and the ability to work together. Members’ business debates have also given me confidence in other debates, because we perhaps feel more comfortable about intervening during them.
On balance, members’ business is a really important part of the parliamentary system. I thank Christine Grahame for bringing this debate to the chamber today. Sometimes, in this setting, such issues can grab the attention of ministers. We can use this process in the Parliament to get an issue further up the agenda and into different areas.
Thirdly, I thank Christine Grahame for taking part in many members’ business debates in the chamber and for raising many important points about animal welfare and other issues. It has been a great pleasure to spend so many evenings with her, and I wish her well on her next adventure, which I am sure will include more fighting for the rights of our beloved animals and more debates between Labour and the Scottish National Party. Thank you, Christine Grahame.