Fiona McLeod: That might not help me with my next question, which is whether there are plans for an information or training campaign for funeral directors before the full implementation of the Certification of Death (Scotland) Act 2011. That follows confusion that has caused constituents of mine a great deal of anguish at a difficult time.
Fiona McLeod: Much of the debate is predicated on the future demographics in Scotland. We have heard the facts and figures on that, but it is important that, in looking at the demographics, we also look at the changes that have happened in healthcare in the past 20 years and those that will certainly come in future. For example, medical and technological advances allow much more day surgery and more...
Fiona McLeod: I ask Ms Baillie please not to try to intervene, as she has done with everybody. It was her party that chose to have a very short debate on the issue. I am 90 seconds into a four-minute speech. It would have been better to have had a longer debate to produce more facts and figures but, to have a rational debate, we cannot focus entirely on bed counting or on the numbers of nurses on wards....
Fiona McLeod: In 2002, research by Foote and Stanners found that, in 20 to 30 per cent of cases in which over-75s were admitted on an acute occasion, the admission was inappropriate. I think that Mark McDonald referred to that. Not only were the admissions inappropriate, they resulted in longer stays in hospital. What I do not understand is this. Jackie Baillie obviously gets what we are talking...
Fiona McLeod: I take great delight in taking part in the debate and in the comments that have been made about the voluntary sector. My speech will be about my experiences as a volunteer and working in the voluntary sector. It must be a good 13 or 14 years ago that I was one of the volunteer founders and youth workers at Westerton junior youth club. Before that, I was the volunteer librarian at the Marie...
Fiona McLeod: I was pleased that the minister mentioned housing—which I understand falls under the fourth principle—more than once. I want to talk about a rather different form of housing from the one that the minister has alluded to. I understand that Scottish Canals is planning to have houseboats at Kirkintilloch marina in my constituency. Has any consideration been given to whether those boats will...
Fiona McLeod: As convener of the National Trust for Scotland (Governance etc) Bill Committee, I thank, among others, my fellow committee members, those who took the time to give us evidence—both in writing and as witnesses—and, especially, the clerks and the Scottish Parliament information centre for all the support that they gave us. I will use my tight six minutes to talk about the background to why...
Fiona McLeod: 9. I draw members’ attention to my entry in the register of members’ interests as chair of the Scottish Library and Information Council. To ask the Scottish Government what its plans are for book week Scotland 2013, following the successful launch of book week Scotland in 2012. (S4O-01973)
Fiona McLeod: I thank the cabinet secretary for telling us that the plans are in development. The Scottish Library and Information Council looks forward to working in partnership to ensure that 2013 is as successful as 2012.
Fiona McLeod: 15. To ask the Scottish Government when the Scotland route of the Queen’s baton relay will be announced. (S4O-01939)
Fiona McLeod: Will local people be prioritised to carry the baton in their home town? Will there be any costs to the participants? My questions arise from constituents’ experiences as Olympic torch bearers, which left some of them out of pocket and others many miles from home. They still enjoyed the experience but I hope that we can learn from it.
Fiona McLeod: It is traditional to thank and congratulate the member who brought the subject of a members’ business debate to the chamber. In so congratulating Jackie Baillie, I would like to add a few personal thanks of my own. I thank the Bearsden resource centre of Alzheimer Scotland. On a personal level, the staff there have supported me in my journey as a carer, and the carers group that they hold...
Fiona McLeod: I will be mindful of our standing orders and confine my speech to the content of the motion. In 2003, along with 100,000 people in Glasgow, a million people in London and tens of millions of people in 60 countries across the planet, I marched and shouted, “Not in my name,” to an illegal war predicated on lies. No matter what Labour Party members want to say today, no revision of history...
Fiona McLeod: No, I do not think that it is appropriate to give way so that the Tory party can revise its stance and morality in this debate. Last weekend, the Sunday Herald had a two-page spread headlined, “The courage of ‘cowards’”. The article was about the call for recognition, with medals, of world war one conscientious objectors. I say very clearly that pacifists are not cowards. Pacifists...
Fiona McLeod: I add my thanks and congratulations to Mark McDonald on securing the debate. I will pick up on two aspects of the “Count us in” report: partnership working and challenging negative attitudes. I will marry those aspects to the national autism strategy, which the Government produced 18 months ago. My remarks will be based on the Asperger’s end of the spectrum, because I know quite a lot...
Fiona McLeod: I thank Christina McKelvie for bringing the debate on this innovative and interesting initiative to Parliament. I join Christina McKelvie and Malcolm Chisholm in congratulating Dougie Baird and his fellow tweeters. I am not a prolific tweeter, but I look forward to, on Wednesday 27 March, becoming one of the audience of half a million who will take part in #Scotlandhour. It is appropriate...
Fiona McLeod: I will start by being positive and quoting from Professor Siddiqui, who spoke at today’s time for reflection. She said: “The most rewarding life is a life of giving.” That is relevant to today’s debate about demographics, and that is how we should look on the demographic challenge that is facing us, because our older relatives give us a great deal. I want to concentrate on housing for...
Fiona McLeod: I thank Ms White for taking away a whole section of my speech. On the importance of appropriate housing for older people, we have heard about the need to lessen emergency hospital admissions, which currently cost us £1.4 billion a year. Appropriate housing could cut into that, especially when it comes to falls prevention. We know that the preventative agenda can save quite a sum.
Fiona McLeod: I do not think that I could find anything to say in favour of the bedroom tax. Coming back to the debate, the Scottish Government’s strategy for older people’s housing, which Kenneth Gibson and the cabinet secretary mentioned, recognised the importance of appropriate housing for older people. The Government’s strategy also recognises that there needs to be choice in housing options....
Fiona McLeod: On widening access, does the minister agree with Robin Parker, NUS Scotland’s president? He said in September last year, following Johann Lamont’s cuts commission speech: “With tuition fees, we will have no hope of ever making university open to people from all backgrounds in Scotland”.
