Holyrood, made browsable

Hansard

Every contribution to the Official Report — chamber and committee — searchable in one place. Pulled from data.parliament.scot, indexed for full-text search, linked through to every MSP.

129
Current MSPs
415
MSPs ever elected
13
Parties on record
2,354,908
Hansard contributions
1999–2026
Coverage span
Official Report

Search Hansard contributions

Showing 40 of 2,354,908 contributions. Latest 30 days: 0. Coverage: 12 May 1999 — 25 Mar 2026.
Tess White Con Committee
25 Jun 2024
Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013 (Post-legislative Scrutiny)
But you cannot manage what you cannot measure. If you do not have the data, you cannot measure it. How can you improve the data if you do not have it?
Tess White Con Committee
17 Jun 2025
British Sign Language Inquiry
To me, that is basic. You can measure other things, but you should first do the most basic thing right. My colleague talked earlier about the comparison with Gaelic. Dr Adam talked about capacity building. We have heard from the previous two evidence sessions that there is a ...
Tess White Con Committee
24 Feb 2026
Subordinate Legislation
:If the public sector was collecting data on four core protected characteristics—age, disability, sex and race—you would not be facing what you term “systemic discrimination”. We have just spoken about race, and you could say that race and religion are characteristics to addre...
Tess White Con Chamber
02 Nov 2021
Sustainable Procurement and Fair Work Practices
Will the minister please explain how the SNP Government believes that it can manage work when it—disastrously—cannot manage its ferries, reduce the attainment gap or improve its drug deaths record?
Tess White (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
01 Jun 2022
Cannabis-based Products for Medicinal Use
I am grateful to Collette Stevenson for securing time for this debate. At the outset, it is important to acknowledge that people who are seeking to access cannabis-based medicine are often in significant pain and have a diminished quality of life. It is very difficult to ignor...
Tess White (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
18 Dec 2024
Portfolio Question Time · NHS Grampian Bed Capacity
Last week, Aberdeenshire health and social care partnership emphasised that “there has been no funding from Scottish Government to support initiatives to manage seasonal pressures”. Crucially, it added: “As such, there are limited additional levers that can be introduced to...
Tess White Con Chamber
09 Jan 2025
Migration System
Christine Grahame is harping back to Brexit, but that ship is gone. When you were making your speech, I started to think that you were making some interesting points, but you dashed it all when you talked about grabbing employment law. If the Scottish Government could control ...
Tess White Con Committee
25 Apr 2023
Female Participation in Sport and Physical Activity
To build on Paul O’Kane’s point about gendered language, we received feedback from the elite women athletes that there is a focus on age and that, when they are being interviewed, there is a focus on whether they are married. I accept that Catherine Salmond, who is the first f...
Tess White (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
27 Sep 2023
Patient Safety Commissioner for Scotland Bill: Stage 3
Three years on from the recommendation of the Cumberlege review to appoint a patient safety commissioner, I can confirm that the Scottish Conservatives will support the bill at stage 3. Most medical interventions are safe, but things can and do go wrong. Diagnostic and medica...
Tess White Con Committee
10 Sep 2024
National Performance Framework (Proposed National Outcomes)
What has been said about it being hard to see where the money is being spent and what the outcomes are is alarming. We do not know what the outcomes are, and we cannot manage what we do not measure properly. The committee’s meeting this morning is extremely important, because ...
Tess White (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Committee
03 Dec 2024
Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill
Minister, I will build on my colleague Paul O’Kane’s question about non-legislative interventions. You have described to the committee a host of work that is going on. However, you cannot manage what you do not measure. For example, of 181 people in hospital with learning diff...
Tess White (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
19 Mar 2025
Sexual Violence (Hospitals)
I welcome the opportunity to lead this members’ business debate on sexual violence in Scotland’s hospitals. I thank Michelle Thomson for supporting the motion and allowing it to achieve cross-party support. That means that we can shine a much-needed light on a serious safeguar...
Tess White Con Committee
18 Mar 2025
Public Sector Equality Duty
This inquiry is coming to an end today. Of the organisations that gave feedback, 80 per cent said that the PSED is not being implemented. That huge amount is alarming. We, as a committee, need to take that away and ask ourselves, if we believe that the PSED is important—which ...
Tess White Con Chamber
19 Jun 2025
National Advisory Council on Women and Girls Equality Recommendations
Ms Mackay might like to listen to my speech—if she does, she will find out. Meanwhile, the SNP’s proposed misogyny bill is just the latest in a litany of paused, ditched or botched Sturgeon-era policies. The bill was supposed to improve protections for women against misogynis...
Tess White Con Committee
17 Jun 2025
British Sign Language Inquiry
That, however, feels very wishy-washy because if we have an act that received royal assent 10 years ago—and we are having four sessions on this—and the evidence demonstrates that there is a lack of implementation, that is a huge issue. Might you be willing to consider a change...
Tess White Con Chamber
11 Dec 2025
British Sign Language (Scotland) Act 2015 Inquiry
I know that Dr Gosal met Chief Constable Jo Farrell this week and mentioned her bill, so it is now very firmly and squarely on the table as a result of that committee work. In addition to the issue that Carol Mochan raises, there was powerful input from a deaf advocate and sur...
Tess White Con Committee
09 Dec 2025
British Sign Language Inquiry
Thank you. I have a follow-up question. You cannot manage what you do not measure, so do you have a starting position for the number of trained teachers who are deaf BSL users? Do you have a figure for 10 years ago, for five years ago, for now and for the future?
Tess White Con Committee
09 Dec 2025
British Sign Language Inquiry
That goes back to my point that you cannot manage what you do not measure, so having it as part of your mainstreaming work is important. I have one final question, Deputy First Minister. Do you or your officials have any thoughts on the idea of piloting BSL learning opportuni...
Tess White Con Committee
05 Nov 2024
Pre-budget Scrutiny 2025-26
You said that you can assure me, and you said that it is difficult to measure culture. However, many believe that culture eats strategy and planning for breakfast. If the culture centralises certain services—I gave a small example, but it is huge for a lot of women—you can pro...
Tess White (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
25 Jan 2022
My Breath is My Life
I am delighted to speak in this debate and I pay tribute to Jackie Dunbar for bringing to our attention the work of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation. Asthma is one of the most prevalent health conditions in Aberdeenshire. It is also the most common lung condition in children...
Tess White Con Committee
10 Feb 2022
Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland
So you are not confident. I am conscious of resourcing. You have cases coming in by the day, you have a backlog and you have a small team. You say that you are not sure how you can manage what you have plus everything that is coming. Basically, you need additional support.
Tess White (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
16 Nov 2022
Chronic Pain Services
It is likely that every single one of us in the chamber today either knows someone who suffers from chronic pain or perhaps even suffers from it personally. Paul O’Kane outlined the important work of the chronic pain CPG as a support group. My colleague Miles Briggs paid tribu...
Tess White (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Committee
16 May 2023
Complex Mesh Surgical Service
I have two questions for you, minister. We have heard that one mesh-injured woman who has debilitating pain has been waiting for 82 weeks for an urgent referral. What guidance is being given to health boards to manage women who have mesh-related complications?
Tess White Con Committee
16 May 2023
Complex Mesh Surgical Service
Inaudible.—health boards to manage women with mesh complications?
Tess White Con Committee
16 May 2023
Complex Mesh Surgical Service
I appreciate the acceptance that an 82-week wait is not acceptable, but what guidance is being given to health boards to manage women with mesh complications?
Tess White Con Chamber
24 Oct 2023
Transvaginal Mesh
I strongly support and echo that. Women need to build back trust. The minister talked about building trust, but the fact that not a single one of Professor Britton’s recommendations have been implemented is absolutely disgraceful. Effective treatment for mesh-injured women ha...
Tess White (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
12 Mar 2024
Flood Management
I, too, thank Willie Rennie for securing time for a debate on such an important topic. For those flood-hit communities in my region that are struggling to get back on their feet, it feels as though the magnitude of what happened still has not hit Humza Yousaf’s Government. Th...
Tess White Con Committee
03 Dec 2024
Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill
The issue that you talk about with psychiatrists is huge. There is no workforce plan and the issue has not shifted since I came into this job nearly four years ago. Suzi Martin from the National Autistic Society Scotland shared with the committee last week that Scotland “is ...
Tess White Con Chamber
10 Dec 2024
Human Rights
No. Meanwhile, the SNP rushed through the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill before Christmas two years ago, with “feminist to her fingertips” Nicola Sturgeon dismissing women’s valid concerns. More valuable resources were wasted trying to defend the flawed legislation...
Tess White (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Committee
28 Oct 2025
Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
Good morning, cabinet secretary. I have two questions. First, you talked yesterday to some of the witnesses who came before the committee. When we heard from stakeholders, they were fairly unanimous that the bill will create conflict between parents and children. Such conflict...
Tess White Con Committee
28 Oct 2025
Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
Will you be giving extra support to headteachers to manage the situation when conflicts arise and students have to be given additional support?
Tess White Con Committee
16 Dec 2025
Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
My amendments are about ensuring that the process that follows a withdrawal request is clear, fair and workable for families and schools. At stage 1, we heard strong concerns that the bill as drafted will place schools in the middle of very sensitive family decisions, without ...
Tess White Con Committee
28 Oct 2021
Cross-Party Groups
Engagement is how you will measure success. Do you have any engagement indicator or will you take a general view at the end of the year?
Tess White (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
18 Nov 2021
Road Safety (Falkirk)
I am delighted to speak today; I pay tribute to my colleague Stephen Kerr for securing this debate on road safety in Falkirk. Mr Kerr made a strong case for introducing a 20mph speed limit in Airth and Reddingmuirhead. Falkirk residents have been vocal in their support for th...
Tess White Con Chamber
25 Nov 2021
Portfolio Question Time · Culture Strategy (Progress)
The indicators for the national outcome for culture are currently using data from two years ago to measure performance, making it very difficult to assess the impact of the culture strategy and the Scottish Government’s interventions to strengthen the sector during the Covid-1...
Tess White (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
08 Mar 2022
International Women’s Day 2022
International women’s day has been observed for more than a century. In many parts of the world, much has changed for women since the early 1900s, from enfranchisement to the #MeToo movement. In other parts, progress has slowed significantly or has even reversed, sometimes dra...
Tess White (North East Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber
22 Jun 2022
Social Care Charges
The reality is that many of us will have care needs at some point in our lifetimes. At other points, we might need to deliver care to a loved one. However, it is clear that the status quo in social care cannot continue. We have seen several initiatives from this SNP Government...
Tess White Con Committee
03 Jun 2025
British Sign Language Inquiry
My next question is for Lucy as well. One in four women experience domestic abuse in their lifetime. Do you believe that we should monitor and measure that much better than we do right now?
Tess White Con Committee
24 Feb 2026
Subordinate Legislation
:Before Kevin comes in, I want to point out that I have made freedom of information requests of 160 public sector organisations. Many of them cannot even define sex; they collect data on gender. Some of them could not give me an answer on what actions they have taken on the ni...
Tess White Con Committee
13 Jan 2026
Public Sector Equality Duty
Great. I am not going to go into it—do not worry.This disproportionately affects women with religious or cultural requirements, survivors of trauma and women who simply need privacy from the opposite sex, so this does directly undermine the Scottish Government’s efforts to inc...
← Back to list
Committee

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee 25 June 2024

25 Jun 2024 · S6 · Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Item of business
Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013 (Post-legislative Scrutiny)
White, Tess Con North East Scotland Watch on SPTV
But you cannot manage what you cannot measure. If you do not have the data, you cannot measure it. How can you improve the data if you do not have it?

In the same item of business

The Convener SNP
The next item on our agenda is an evidence session with the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport. This session will conclude the committee’s ...
The Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport (Maree Todd) SNP
I would like to start by thanking the committee and all those who have taken time to give evidence during the past few months. I very much welcome any chance...
The Convener SNP
I am aware that we have limited time with you, minister, so I ask members to be concise with their questions and ask you and your officials to be concise wit...
Carol Mochan (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab
Good morning. Thank you for the introduction, which set out some of the things that we have heard in evidence on the approach and the differences in options ...
Maree Todd SNP
The Government encourages all local authorities to approach SDS in the same way so that people understand their options and are offered the full range of cho...
Carol Mochan Lab
On statutory responsibility, including that of social workers—who are, I am sure you would accept, under enormous pressure—how do we support the statutory se...
Maree Todd SNP
A number of pieces of work are in place to support the social work profession to ensure that a standard level of knowledge exists across the profession for a...
Joanne Finlay (Scottish Government)
We give out the local authority transformational funding each year, which is £3.696 million this year. I have just received back all the reports from local a...
Rachael McGruer (Scottish Government)
On the activity that we are carrying out now, I know that Social Work Scotland has come to the committee already and given evidence about the work that it ha...
Carol Mochan Lab
I am interested to know a little bit about funding for independent advocacy services. Do we have secure funding for those after 2027?
Maree Todd SNP
I think that the three-year commitment to the landscape in which we are operating shows the intent of Government. We see that as crucial. We know that the th...
Gillian Mackay (Central Scotland) (Green) Green
Self-directed support has, understandably, been implemented alongside other pressing issues. Some believe that that has affected its prioritisation. How can ...
Maree Todd SNP
That is a really good question. This committee will be well aware of the complexity of the health and social care system and how challenging it is to have an...
Gillian Mackay Green
You mention the different layers of delivery. Policy can be quite inspirational and forward looking, but by the time you get through all the layers, a change...
Maree Todd SNP
I agree that it is not always recognised that it is the primary delivery mechanism. I meet constituents on a regular basis—as you all will—who say, “I’ve bee...
Emma Harper (South Scotland) (SNP) SNP
Good morning. I have a wee supplementary question on an issue that was covered in Carol Mochan’s questions. We heard evidence from the Dumfries and Galloway ...
Maree Todd SNP
It is challenging to achieve consistency across the board. We work not only with COSLA, but directly with chief officers in each local authority area. A few ...
Joanne Finlay
Through the improvement plan, a number of local authorities worked with Social Work Scotland on the development of the framework, and a set of reflections an...
Ruth Maguire (Cunninghame South) (SNP) SNP
Good morning. You mentioned that the budget for social care support and NCS delivery has increased by 29.1 per cent this year. I am sure that the Scottish Go...
Maree Todd SNP
I think that everyone acknowledges just how challenging the landscape is at the moment, given the pressures that we face. This has been a long review of SDS,...
Rachael McGruer
We heard from the Feeley review that there were challenges with eligibility criteria, which were sometimes seen as a barrier to accessing self-directed suppo...
Joanne Finlay
The policy team has been working with the health and care experience survey, which provides social care data across the board. This year, we added five quest...
Ruth Maguire SNP
As a constituency MSP, it is always challenging when you have first-hand experience of where needs are not being met, and abstract discussions do not always ...
Maree Todd SNP
Absolutely. As I always say when answering questions of that nature, I am a Highland MSP, and I know at my core that one size does not fit all. In fact, wher...
Ruth Maguire SNP
Thank you.
Tess White (North East Scotland) (Con) Con
Good morning, minister. A stakeholder in the social care sector shared with me that SDS has not “been the opportunity so far that has fulfilled its promise....
Maree Todd SNP
We are working on accurate data. It is not as simple as saying that we should put in extra money. If it were that simple, we probably would just throw money ...
Tess White Con
I am not suggesting more money. I am actually suggesting focusing on getting the data and taking action, rather than adding additional complexity with a new ...
Maree Todd SNP
In my casework as a constituency MSP, I certainly hear that concern. People think that option 1 is SDS, and that concerns me, because it suggests that people...
Joanne Finlay
We are funding In Control Scotland, part of whose work has involved working with local authorities on option 2 and option 3 of the SDS improvement plan, look...