James Dornan: I welcome the cabinet secretary’s statement, particularly the fact that the SQA will recognise the disruption that has been caused to learners in its approach to grading exams this year. For the assurance of those learners, will the cabinet secretary reiterate her comment that their results will be based on their hard work rather than on historical data or an algorithm?
James Dornan: Does the minister share my concern that the most recent—[ Inaudible .]—statistics show a continued drop in the number of European Union students who come to study here, in Scotland?
James Dornan: This is an extremely important debate and I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak in support of the motion in the name of Kevin Stewart. That is why I am sorry that, before I get into my speech, I have to ask the minister whether, during his closing speech, he can inform me of what budget proposals Labour made to increase funding for mental health this year, last year or any year since...
James Dornan: 3. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the support that it is providing to retail, hospitality and leisure businesses. (S6O-00568)
James Dornan: Although I welcome the significant additional funding to support businesses that the Scottish Government has announced, I also recognise that we cannot go far enough to fully compensate for the substantial impact of omicron within the restrictive resources that are currently available to the Scottish Government. Does the cabinet secretary—I mean “minister”; I nearly promoted Ivan McKee...
James Dornan: Can the First Minister provide an update on what support the Scottish Government is making available to general practitioner surgeries in Scotland to expand the level of care that they provide to patients?
James Dornan: I thank the Deputy First Minister for all his hard work in getting us to this point, along with the work of many others, of course. How were the newly appointed panel of 20 experts selected and what steps were taken to ensure that the recruitment vetting process was rigorous?
James Dornan: [Inaudible.]—will be taken forward regarding the—
James Dornan: Certainly. How will the views and experiences of families inform the work that will be taken forward in relation to the review’s recommendations?
James Dornan: 8. To ask the Scottish Government what it considers to be the underlying strengths of any economic growth in Scotland. (S6O-00403)
James Dornan: I note that the minister mentioned the damaging impact of Brexit on our economy. The chairman of the Office for Budget Responsibility recently indicated that the impact of Brexit on the UK economy will be worse in the long run than the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Does the minister agree that it is high time that the UK Government provided the additional funding that was promised to...
James Dornan: The topic is difficult to talk about, especially given that, in the past 18 months or so, we have all been affected by loneliness, depression and anxiety as a result of the pandemic. There has been great progress in Scotland towards creating an environment or society where people can talk about mental health openly and honestly. We have come a long way from chastising people who suffer with...
James Dornan: I am pleased to speak in today’s debate about Scotland’s place in the world in order to highlight our progressive, inclusive and international world view as a nation. That world view stands in stark contrast to the xenophobic, insular and cruel one espoused by the UK Government led by Boris Johnson and gleefully supported by such right-wing idealogues as Priti Patel. That attitude from...
James Dornan: The First Minister will have seen the reports last week of the disgraceful anti-Catholic singing during the Orange Order marches throughout Glasgow, including in my constituency. At least three of the routes involved marching past Roman Catholic churches, which caused great distress and concern to the members of those parishes and the wider church in Scotland. Given those events, will the...
James Dornan: First, as everyone else has done, I pay tribute to the incredible hard-working staff of the Scottish Ambulance Service. They are undoubtedly at the sharp end of our health service provision, and they deal with some of the most serious situations that we will ever face in life in a professional and caring manner. They see things that would make most of us blanche, and they still save countless...
James Dornan: I appreciate that it is a sensitive and difficult subject, but can the minister tell us what actions have been taken to ensure that cervical screening is fully accessible for age groups that have lower take-up and for disabled women?
James Dornan: I am pleased to speak in the debate on behalf of my constituents—very few of whom have contacted me on this issue. I have listened to some of the—[ Inaudible. ]—today who appear to believe that although Covid-19 is undoubtedly a disaster of unprecedented proportions it should somehow not really have an impact on services. That is a weird position to take, and it is alienated from...
James Dornan: We know that, because of its complexity and the diversity of its symptoms, long Covid cannot be properly handled with a one-size-fits-all approach. What steps can the Scottish Government take to ensure that different health boards have flexibility to deliver the care that local people who are living with long Covid need?
James Dornan: 6. To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making on reducing child poverty. (S6O-00112)
James Dornan: Does the cabinet secretary agree that the Scottish child payment has already made significant strides towards reducing child poverty in Scotland in general and in Glasgow, in particular, where 58,520 payments have been made to Glasgow families, totalling £2,895,000, and that that demonstrates the Scottish Government’s progressive thinking as opposed to the regressive universal credit cuts...