As someone who was driven to get involved in politics by a belief that Scotland could be a fairer and better place, I think it appropriate that my first contribution to a debate in the chamber is to support a campaign to tackle a form of discrimination that still exists in our society. The Macmillan better deal campaign has successfully highlighted some of the grossly unjust financial hurdles facing people who have already been dealt one of life's biggest blows. It is simply unacceptable that people who are facing the stress and anxiety of being affected by cancer then find themselves also having to cope with the unexpected extra costs that seem to come hand in hand with a long-term health condition or illness.

I would like to pay tribute to Macmillan Cancer Support at the beginning of my speech for the work that it has undertaken to highlight the financial and emotional burden that is placed on cancer patients due to the cost of simply parking their car when visiting a hospital. Although we must of course encourage people to use public transport as much as possible, that is often not an option for cancer patients because of the treatments that they must undertake.

Brian Adam's motion highlights another financial cost—that of travel insurance. For people who are affected by cancer, the positive benefits of relaxing and recuperating on holiday should not come with extra baggage that none of us would relish—the exasperating task of speaking to countless insensitive insurance company call centres while desperately searching for someone who is sympathetic to their needs and can offer a deal that is not more expensive than their flights, if indeed they can offer a deal at all.

The stories of refused cover or downright silly sums being asked are unfortunately all too common. I will give members two examples from here in the Lothians. The first example is of a man in Edinburgh who was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2006. He was quoted £2,000 for a short break in the sunshine. The second example is of a lady who had recovered from breast cancer after a mastectomy one year ago. She was advised by her doctor not only that was she fit to travel but that a holiday would be a good idea. She had hoped to visit a friend in Benidorm, and members can imagine her disappointment when she was refused cover entirely.

As those examples make clear, many people who have had cancer or other serious medical conditions are unsuccessful at wading their way through the murky waters of travel insurance to find a fair deal. Many end up scrapping their holiday plans altogether while others take the risk of going abroad uncovered. It is time to put an end to this inequitable treatment.

I commend Macmillan for the work that it is doing to make the system fairer, easier and less stressful. One example of that is Macmillan's useful web forum, which has been very helpful for people trying to access specialist insurance. It also offers sensitive and reasonably priced services. The forum has allowed many people to bypass the stress of going through several harrowing phone calls and horrifying quotes.

Macmillan's recovered but not covered campaign highlights one of the many ways in which people with cancer still face discrimination. Anti-discrimination legislation sends a signal of the kind of society that we want Scotland to be, but as the campaign shows, legislation is simply not enough. Changing society is about changing attitudes, and it is vital that employers, service providers and people from all walks of life receive that message load and clear from the Parliament today. Discriminatory practices will continue to exist while we continue to put up with them. I commend the work of Macmillan Cancer Support in shining a light on this issue, and I thank Brian Adam for bringing it to the chamber today.