1. To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s report on how women born in the 1950s were affected by increases to the state pension age, and given that women are more likely to live in poverty than men, what assessment it has made of the potential impact that changes to the state pension age have had on the poverty rate among women in Scotland. (S6T-01903)

The Scottish Government welcomes the findings of the report, which recognise the communication failures by the United Kingdom Government. The Scottish Government has always and will always support the WASPI women—women against state pension inequality—and this is a significant moment for all those who have been involved in that campaign.

We know that too many single female pensioners are living in relative poverty after housing costs—23 per cent compared to 16 per cent of single men in 2020 to 2023, for example. The UK Government must take responsibility for the harm that it has caused to the WASPI women through its maladministration.

Given the substantial impact that the issue has had on so many women, does the Cabinet secretary agree with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s recommendation that the UK Government, whether Conservative or Labour, should apologise for its failure of the WASPI women who have been affected by the increase in the state pension age and set up a compensation scheme? Does she agree that the Department for Work and Pensions should “do the right thing”?

The ombudsman’s report was clear that the DWP must do the right thing right away.

That means that the UK Government must not only apologise for the harms caused by the maladministration; it must also act. It must set up a compensation scheme that provides full and genuine compensation for the women concerned.

It is deeply disappointing that, after years of promises made by Labour and Tory members, those parties are both now refusing to accept the report’s recommendations to fully compensate the women who have been impacted. Alan Brown MP has cross-party support to compensate women through a bill. Once again, it is clear that only with strong voices from the Scottish National Party at Westminster can Westminster Governments be held to account, regardless of whether they are Labour or Tory.

It is incredibly disappointing that, since the publication of the ombudsman’s report last week, the Labour Party has repeatedly failed to give a guarantee that its party in power would honour Westminster’s responsibility to provide justice and full compensation to the estimated 3.6 million WASPI women. Can the Cabinet secretary provide assurances that the Scottish Government will urge the next UK Government to deliver justice?

The Scottish Government, as I said in my original answer, has and always will support the WASPI women. We are exceptionally concerned about the impact that inaction will have on poverty levels in Scotland. That is why it is important that the Parliament continues to speak about the issue and, importantly, to press for action.

I note that Jackie Baillie was pictured campaigning with WASPI activists just a fortnight ago. Last year, in Paisley, Anas Sarwar walked behind a WASPI banner. The list of every newsletter and campaign leaflet—

This is a ministerial response.

I am quite happy for Mr Kerr to press the button and ask a question but, in the meantime, I will continue to deal with Audrey Nicoll’s question, because she is quite right to point to the betrayal of WASPI women. She is quite right to point to the fact that they deserve not just our respect but action. What is very clear is that, at this rate, there will be no change at Westminster, and that is exceptionally disappointing and a betrayal of every single WASPI woman—women whom we have spoken about in the chamber over many a year.

This is a very serious report, and I thank all the women who have contributed to it and campaigned over many years. Now that the report has been published, will the Cabinet secretary take the opportunity to outline what steps she is taking to discuss its implications for WASPI women in Scotland with the relevant UK ministers? I am sure that she agrees that a swift response from this UK Government is extremely important in terms of the next steps, as is listening to the views of all those who are impacted.

Given that poverty and inequality statistics published last week—to which I think the cabinet secretary referred—show static and rising poverty rates among pensioners over the past decade, what more will the Scottish Government do, within its powers, to support pensioners?

I discussed the matter only yesterday, when I was at Westminster and met my colleague Stephen Flynn, who continues to press the UK Government and will press any successive UK Government on what it would do. Disappointingly, he has had no response.

Paul O’Kane should be assured that the Scottish Government and the SNP group at Westminster will continue to press for action. I have a great deal of respect for Mr O’Kane and there are many issues on which we share common cause, but this Parliament cannot just be about mitigating the worst excesses of Westminster, whether they be Labour or Tory excesses. This Parliament is for much more than that. I am deeply disappointed that a Labour representative comes to the chamber and asks what the Scottish Government will do to mitigate the policy of a prospective Labour Government.

I am sure that members across the chamber will agree that time matters in the situation. Given that it is almost 30 years since the original seeds of the scandal were sown and more than 10 years since its impact first came to light and that, as a result, many of the WASPI women have sadly now passed away waiting for justice, I hope that the ombudsman’s decision will be seen as a staging post for the final justice that those women will receive. Does the Cabinet secretary agree that we cannot wait or delay the implementation of the recommendations but should extend compensation to the women who are left, so that they can enjoy it in the time that remains for them?

Alex Cole-Hamilton is right to point out that time is of the essence, and that is why I continue to call on the UK Government to take action. The issue is a long-discussed betrayal—I emphasise that it is a betrayal—of the WASPI women. The report laid bare the extent of that. To be frank, change should have happened already. The member and I agree on that but, if the report could become the stepping stone to genuine compensation being put in place, it will have done its job and much more. Disappointingly, however, it does not seem that that will happen.

I, too, put on record my thanks to all the WASPI women who have campaigned on the issue for so long. Not only should their call for proper compensation be answered—we know that some women have lost up to six years of their pension—but we need to continue to stand with them and join their calls for fair and fast compensation. Will the Cabinet secretary outline how else we can continue to support the WASPI women in their campaign for justice?

The ability of the Parliament and the Government to take action on the issue is restricted by our legislative competence on reserved issues. However, the SNP will continue to use its voice in the Government to ensure that we speak up for WASPI women, and I am sure that Maggie Chapman and fellow colleagues in the Scottish Greens will do likewise.

It is disappointing that we will not, I fear, be able to call with a united voice on the current UK Government to take the fair and fast action on the compensation that Maggie Chapman discussed.