Chamber
Plenary, 12 Nov 2003
12 Nov 2003 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
Sexual Well-being
Shona Robison made a great many points. The leading one was about the time that it has taken to reach this stage, but, in a sense, she answered her own question. She said that, at the end of 1999, the Executive established a new group to establish a demonstration project—I do not have the exact name—which is a separate issue. That project was, of course, the healthy respect demonstration project, which is on-going and from which we have set up a learning network for sexual health. Many lessons are being learnt from that project, but Shona Robison must know that that group was not the expert group. I set up the expert group in my first year as Minister for Health and Community Care. I appointed the members and gave the group its broad remit, which was important.
The expert group asked me for an extension of time to allow it, as part of its work, to carry out a more comprehensive consultation and involve more of those who have expertise in the area. There are valid reasons for the time that the work has taken.
I hope that Shona Robison will also agree that there are valid reasons for our carrying out a proper consultation on the issue, which is why it would be wrong for me to give the Executive's view of each recommendation in the report. I have made the Executive's general position absolutely clear, but it is right that the people of Scotland should be involved in deciding the final strategy on this important issue.
I will mention a matter on which I did not want to spend too much time in my statement. Given that the report comes from the expert group, it was up to that group to launch the report, which it was due to do at 1.30 today. If the report got to the media at 1 o'clock rather than 1.30, I had no control over that. The point is that the report would go to the Parliament when the expert group released it. It is not my report; it is the group's report.
The expert group asked me for an extension of time to allow it, as part of its work, to carry out a more comprehensive consultation and involve more of those who have expertise in the area. There are valid reasons for the time that the work has taken.
I hope that Shona Robison will also agree that there are valid reasons for our carrying out a proper consultation on the issue, which is why it would be wrong for me to give the Executive's view of each recommendation in the report. I have made the Executive's general position absolutely clear, but it is right that the people of Scotland should be involved in deciding the final strategy on this important issue.
I will mention a matter on which I did not want to spend too much time in my statement. Given that the report comes from the expert group, it was up to that group to launch the report, which it was due to do at 1.30 today. If the report got to the media at 1 o'clock rather than 1.30, I had no control over that. The point is that the report would go to the Parliament when the expert group released it. It is not my report; it is the group's report.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Mr George Reid):
NPA
The next item of business is a statement by Malcolm Chisholm on "Enhancing Sexual Wellbeing in Scotland: a Sexual Health and Relationships Strategy".
Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP):
SNP
On a point of order Presiding Officer—
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
I will come to you, Mr Crawford, after I have finished my statement.The minister will take questions at the end of his statement. There should therefore be n...
Bruce Crawford:
SNP
I seek the Presiding Officer's guidance. In December 1999, the then Minister for Health and Community Care, Susan Deacon, announced that she was developing a...
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
I am sure that the Minister for Parliamentary Business has taken note of what you have said, Mr Crawford. Of course, we are not going into a debate, which wo...
Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP):
SSP
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. Following on from Bruce Crawford's point of order, I should say—if my understanding is correct—that it was conveyed t...
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
I am advised that the Minister for Parliamentary Business made it clear that they would be made available at half-past 1 or thereabouts.The Minister for Parl...
Bruce Crawford:
SNP
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I seek assurances about the process involved. Is it really acceptable in the Parliament for the press to receive docu...
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
I cannot rule on that point of order because you have just told me that that has happened. I will look into the matter and will perhaps come back to you a bi...
The Minister for Health and Community Care (Malcolm Chisholm):
Lab
Today, I announce to Parliament the launch of a wide-ranging consultation on proposals for a national sexual health strategy that have been prepared by an ex...
Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP):
SNP
I thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement and welcome the long-awaited report from the expert reference group. I am keen that urgent action b...
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
Shona Robison made a great many points. The leading one was about the time that it has taken to reach this stage, but, in a sense, she answered her own quest...
Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con):
Con
I thank the minister for providing an advance copy of his statement. I, too, welcome the report and the work of the reference group. I agree with the ministe...
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
I remind David Davidson that the proposal for a tsar comes from the expert group which, he will accept, is a broadly constructed group that represents many k...
Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab):
Lab
I warmly welcome the publication of the strategy and the substance and tone of the minister's statement.Does the minister agree that, by its nature, sexual h...
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
I certainly agree with Susan Deacon's main point about ensuring that the consultation goes beyond the traditional methods of involving people in this matter....
Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD):
LD
The Liberal Democrats warmly welcome the strategy on sexual health and relationships—because it is about relationships. On that note of consensus, can the mi...
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
I welcome the fact that Mike Rumbles has pointed out the key word on the front page of the document—relationships. In many ways, this is a strategy about rel...
Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green):
Green
I add my warm welcome on the publication of this draft strategy. From my background in the voluntary sector sexual health field, I know that it has been keen...
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
As I have said, in relation to education the expert group is backing the McCabe report and calling for it to be fully implemented. It has been implemented, t...
Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP):
SSP
I welcome the publication of the report, especially the contributions of professionals and agencies in providing us with a comprehensive strategy. I will foc...
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
Carolyn Leckie has fastened on to one important sentence in the document. We will certainly consult on the matter and give a view in due course. The strategy...
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
About seven minutes are left for questions. If questions and answers are kept reasonably tight, we might just about get in all members who wish to speak.
Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab):
Lab
I, too, welcome the minister's statement and the publication of the expert group's sexual health proposals. However, in the consultation that the minister wi...
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
On the member's first question, I strongly agree that young people will have to be involved as fully as the other groups whose views will be sought. We will ...
Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP):
SNP
Does the minister appreciate the frustration that many members feel? We are at an important staging post in the debate, but we have not had time to read the ...
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
I do not know where to start after all that. I would have thought that, as a result of the consultative steering group principles—which I thought we all supp...
Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD):
LD
I welcome a lot of what the minister has said, in particular what he said about respect and self-esteem. The work that can be done in our schools to build up...
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
The section on sexual health services—roughly from page 41 to 62—is the most substantial section of the report. Obviously, the issues that Margaret Smith has...
Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab):
Lab
The document says that it is not known how many young girls in Scotland have undergone female genital mutilation. Does the minister agree that female genital...