Seòmar agus comataidhean

Thank you.

With regard to hormone treatments, in the example of a female who is placed on testosterone, how do we ensure that people understand the potential risks of, for example, osteoporosis? Obviously, you will have much better in-depth clinical knowledge of such things, but the issue has been raised with me. Can people access bone density scans and so on, as they go through their life journey?

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking in response to the reported rise in hospice care costs, including to ensure that employees in that sector have pay parity with NHS staff. (S6F-03333)

Given that hospice care is so valued, does the First Minister recognise that urgent action is needed? The sector is under serious financial constraints, with threats of closures. The Government must ensure that the hospice workforce does not conclude that it is undervalued and leave the sector. Hospices simply cannot take that impact. What action will the First Minister take today—right now—to reassure hospices and the workforce?

Given the recent news that alcohol-related deaths are at a 15-year high and that the number of people who are accessing planned alcohol care and treatment has been declining for a decade, healthcare professionals in my region, South Scotland, tell me that the prevalence of ARBD unplanned presentations at emergency departments is increasing. That is not good for the patients, for the families or for the staff. Does the Government recognise that, and what measures is it taking to ensure that early intervention and support for those patients and families can be achieved right across Scotland?

I also thank Graham Simpson for bringing this important debate to the chamber. In my contribution, I will talk specifically about the workforce that we need now and into the future to address all the important points that colleagues have raised. I have been fascinated by the knowledge of colleagues, and I have learned a great deal. I can generally get a lot of information about buildings in Scotland by following my dear colleague Paul Sweeney on social media.

Tonight’s debate is such an important one. The work to ensure the continued existence of the buildings that we are talking about must be done in tandem with the progression of construction training. Members have made many important points about legislation, but we need the workforce to be able to do all the work that is required to tackle the retrofitting challenges that we face.

During the summer, I had the great pleasure of meeting a number of trades workers from a great variety of trades and backgrounds across my South Scotland region. Young workers in particular recognise that they need the skills to enable us to meet the challenge of reaching net zero and deliver on the retrofitting of buildings, not only now but way into the future. There are lots of skills that they need to develop.

The consistent message that I have heard from businesses and workers across the sector is that the Scottish Government must set policies to establish clearer training routes, to invest in local training, in particular, and to drive a desire to save some of the skills and understanding in what is a craft industry. I have previously raised in the chamber the challenge that young apprentices face in accessing the local education that will allow us to keep those craft skills. People seem to find it difficult to find the right provision to enable them to keep up their competencies and qualifications and become professional in the sector.

A number of points made by members have made me realise that we need to support the workforce, and I hope that the minister might consider some of the points that have been raised with me. We need to champion some skills from a very early age—from primary school—and ensure that people see them as offering a lifelong career and as linked to the future of our environment in our desire to get to net zero.

We perhaps also need to address some of the further education complexities for apprentices, such as the long distances that they might require to travel to get some of the skills they need. We should consider how to support apprentices with that. We should perhaps consider a model of education infrastructure that helps people who might be challenged if they have to go and work far away, particularly if they are young. There has been a suggestion about mobile education facilities, and I wonder whether the minister could speak with his colleagues in the education and economy portfolios to explore what we can do to progress that.

I thank everybody for their interesting contributions, and I thank Graham Simpson for bringing the debate to the chamber.

During the summer, I met a number of workers in the house-building industry, such as roofers, joiners and other trades workers. Young people and industry experts told me about the challenges that they face in finding training places and skilled workers and recruiting into the industry. I met a young apprentice who required to travel to London to gain a qualification to allow him to work in his chosen trade, and that is not unusual.

Given how important house building and, indeed, home improvement are to the Scottish economy, will the Deputy First Minister agree to encourage better cross-portfolio working to ensure that the sector can bridge that gap in locally accessible training places? Also, will she consider meeting industry experts, who have some solutions to help with those skills gaps?

The member is absolutely right. We are discussing trying to tackle the issue on all fronts so that we get it right, because the reality is that those vehicles are being driven right through the heart of our communities. Local councillors and community councils have raised the issues with me. There is no doubt in my mind that we must work with communities to tackle the issue, which causes them undue concern and stress.

As we have heard, great safety issues exist, with often tragic outcomes. We have heard that young people often will not understand the tragic risks to themselves and their wider communities, and I believe that working together is the answer. We need to get the correct legislation, but we need to do so with communities. It is essential that we work together if we are going to turn a corner. I am interested in hearing what the minister believes we can do together to make a difference.

I thank Bob Doris for bringing the debate to the chamber and David Gow’s family for allowing Bob Doris to share his tragic story in the chamber.

I will make a short contribution to the debate, which follows a number of discussions with residents in my South Scotland region over the summer break. Following those conversations, there is no doubt in my mind that off-road bikes and vehicles are being driven illegally and recklessly throughout Scotland. I will give an example.

I was in Netherthird, part of my constituency near where I live, on the doorstep with someone, and what I would describe as a dirt bike was being driven up and down the street. Residents said to me that they had tried to work with the community council and the police, but it was a continuing issue.

Members have outlined many of the points that I would raise.

I also note that my friend and colleague Claire Baker has raised that important issue in the chamber many times. I am really glad to have the debate right across the chamber. We agree that we need to move the issue forward.

Constituents have raised multiple issues around safety, fear, excessive noise, and damage to fields, farmlands and their favourite community walks and, of course, fencing around property and pathways, which other members have mentioned.

Other members have also mentioned the variety of vehicles—I have learned of more tonight. In my area, there are issues with off-road bikes, quad bikes and dirt bikes, as they are described, particularly around sound and noise pollution. However, the adaptation of bikes and e-bikes is something that I have just heard of tonight.

I thank the minister for her statement. There is a clear disparity in the availability of services, based on where people live. To ensure sustainable services, there is an expectation that gender identity healthcare will be provided in a number of different settings. The report refers to a “distributed” network or “regional” model. In her statement, the minister said that that is being actioned at pace. Can the minister be clearer on those models and on the timescale for them?