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Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 13 January 2025
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Displaying 801 contributions

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Criminal Justice Committee

Policing and Mental Health

Meeting date: 11 September 2024

Fulton MacGregor

I ran out of time to ask the previous two panels of witnesses about that, but I ask because I wonder whether the types of offences that police officers are dealing with are changing. Are those offences potentially more traumatic and, from your oversight perspective, is it the case that Police Scotland does not have the resources or the expertise yet to deal with that?

I will give the example of the internet, which is probably an obvious one. You said that you had been a police officer for 40 years—or you worked in emergency services for 40 years—so you will have seen a big change in that area of internet offences and online crimes. To go back to the initial question, I guess that I am asking whether part of the reason for the increase in psychological disorders is that the nature of policing is changing. Does Police Scotland have the ability and expertise to deal with that, or is it playing catch up?

Criminal Justice Committee

Policing and Mental Health

Meeting date: 11 September 2024

Fulton MacGregor

I am sorry. I quickly changed what I said because I knew that.

Public Audit Committee

Tackling Digital Exclusion

Meeting date: 5 September 2024

Fulton MacGregor

A recent BBC news article reported that £10 million of funding for the connecting Scotland programme was to be suspended during this financial year. Can you comment on the impact that that might have on tackling digital exclusion and the implementation of your recommendations in the report?

Public Audit Committee

Tackling Digital Exclusion

Meeting date: 5 September 2024

Fulton MacGregor

My final line of questioning is on council digital services. The report highlights the fact that, as I think we all find in the cases of our constituents at times, those services are not always easy to access. Your report looks at some of the strategies of particular councils, almost as good-practice examples. There is probably good practice on the part of different digital services even within councils. What further support is required from the Scottish Government and COSLA to ensure that some of the positive work that the councils are doing to eliminate digital exclusion is being shared and applied at a more national level so that the approach does not depend on someone’s postcode and the council area that they live in?

Public Audit Committee

Tackling Digital Exclusion

Meeting date: 5 September 2024

Fulton MacGregor

Good morning to the panel. You have stolen my line, convener—I was about to comment on the fact that I am joining the meeting digitally.

I have enjoyed this morning’s session so far. It has been very interesting. I have a couple of questions. The report sets out the measures that Social Security Scotland has in place to minimise digital exclusion, which include non-digital facilities to apply for benefits and the availability of face-to-face guidance and home visits. Does any member of the panel know whether those measures are being shared with other public bodies? If so, how is that being done?

Criminal Justice Committee

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

Meeting date: 4 September 2024

Fulton MacGregor

If I am picking it up right, it is right to say that a real mitigation to the risks that you are talking about is access to showering facilities immediately after attending a fire or an incident. Am I also picking up correctly that some fire stations have those facilities and that they are used but some do not so it is almost a bit of a postcode lottery situation? Is that accurate?

Criminal Justice Committee

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

Meeting date: 4 September 2024

Fulton MacGregor

Replacing facilities alone would not be enough. Further education and other factors, such as relief, are also important. Has a business case been made about how those improvements can be implemented?

Criminal Justice Committee

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

Meeting date: 4 September 2024

Fulton MacGregor

Thank you. Dave Crawford and Tim Kirk, just quickly, because I know that I probably do not have much time left for questioning, do you have any thoughts from your organisation’s perspective on the decontamination issue?

Criminal Justice Committee

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

Meeting date: 4 September 2024

Fulton MacGregor

I apologise to the witnesses but I will also be talking about decontamination. As Colin Brown said, there is a lot to cover, but I think that your opening statements about decontamination leave us as politicians and committee members in a position where that issue simply cannot be ignored because it sounds very serious indeed.

I do not think I was in for Katy Clark’s members’ debate, so some of what I want to ask might have been covered there, if briefly. You said that there was scientific evidence, or that it was beyond scientific evidence—something to that effect—that firefighters were at risk because of some of the chemicals that they deal with. Can you expand on that a bit so that the committee can have an understanding on the record of what that might look like?

Criminal Justice Committee

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

Meeting date: 4 September 2024

Fulton MacGregor

Thank you. I will come to Dave Crawford and Tim Kirk in a minute.

There are obviously quite a lot of things in the mix there and, as you have heard and accept, budgets are extremely tight and we are still in an austerity phase but we are talking about people’s health. If there was one thing that could get sorted to improve that whole situation for firefighters’ health, what do you think it would be? What is your one ask?