Chamber and committees

Over the past few weeks, the chamber has facilitated a number of important recovery debates on issues that have included health, our economy, education, tackling poverty and Covid-19. This afternoon, we are debating justice—the golden thread that, in my mind, ties those and other issues together. It is the cog in the wheel of our wellbeing, livelihoods, economy and future prosperity.

The global pandemic impacted numerous functions in the justice system, but the sector could not simply transition to essential business only. Front-facing services had to continue, justice staff had to be protected and new potentially life-saving Covid legislation had to be used to protect our wider society. Police officers had to balance an education approach when engaging with the public with enforcing the law. Prison and healthcare staff had to manage Covid-19 and prevent its spread in the confinements of our prison estate. Court staff had the huge challenge of reconfiguring court processes to allow them to operate effectively and safely. Today, I pay tribute to everyone across all justice agencies and on the front line for their commitment to ensuring that justice processes adapted and responded to the constraints that Covid-19 placed on them.

In last week’s health recovery debate, I made my first speech as a newly elected MSP. I spoke about the growing intersect between policing and public health. In support of today’s wide-ranging motion, and based on my experience in policing, I will return to that theme, which I believe directly impacts on both our court system and our prison population.

The report “Justice Vision and Priorities delivery report—key achievements and impact of Covid 19”, which was published back in March, provided an update on the progress that had been made in delivering on priorities that were set in 2017 for justice organisations and partners. The priorities included improving

“health and wellbeing in justice settings, focusing on mental health and substance use.”

The report highlighted progress towards increasing the number of mental health workers across Scotland, including those in justice settings. I am pleased that that is under way and that health professionals are now working in some—albeit not all—police custody settings.

We know the devastating impact of Covid-19 on our mental health, regardless of our background or experiences. We know that people who are in contact with the criminal justice system have higher levels of mental ill health than the general population and that they generally live in communities that face social and economic disadvantage. We also know that the incidence of police interaction with people with poor mental health increased during the pandemic and that, inevitably, some of those people were taken into custody. That is at odds with a range of legislation, operating procedures and protocols on places of safety, not least the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003, which specifically states that a police station should not be used as a place of safety unless no suitable alternative is available.

Entering custody, especially for the first time, can be traumatic, particularly in circumstances in which the pathway to it was not connected to offending but was the result of someone’s circumstances and experience. In such situations, rather than making someone who is already at a low point even more vulnerable, entering police custody should offer an opportunity for health and other professionals to connect with such individuals, who often do not traditionally engage with health and other services.

I am aware of the work that is being developed by the Scottish Government, the police care network, the national health service, Police Scotland and others to take forward that important priority, and I am pleased that some aspects gained added traction during the pandemic. I very much hope that the new Cabinet Secretary for Justice will support that transformational work and the innovative opportunities to improve and develop nurse-led models of care, custody exit processes and pathways to support. Perhaps just as important are pathways into care and support that circumvent police custody in the first place—but perhaps that debate is for another day.

Policing in Scotland has evolved in recent years. It prioritises keeping people safe, protecting victims’ rights and dealing effectively with offenders while upholding the fundamental human rights of everyone who comes into contact with the service. However, the fact remains that there is a population of people who continue to enter custody having committed no crime or offence, frequently experiencing mental health issues and, in essence, being criminalised by a system that exists to protect them.

As the justice sector moves through the pandemic, there is no doubt that there will be challenges ahead, but there will also be transformative opportunities to place Scotland on a contemporary and innovative footing in respect of custody provision, through developing a truly person-led approach that has trauma-informed care, dignity and compassion at its heart.

What plans does the Scottish Government have to ensure that local employment opportunities, particularly for young people, will be a key part of Scotland’s transition to net zero.

It is truly an honour to be elected to this special place, as our nation begins its recovery from Covid-19. I express my grateful thanks to my campaign team, to my loving family, to activists and to all my constituents in Aberdeen South and North Kincardine. I pay special tribute to Maureen Watt—the former first Minister for Mental Health—for her lifetime commitment to the constituency. She will be a very hard act to follow.

I will shamelessly big up Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, which is home to a thriving food and drinks industry, higher education, innovation and stunning coastlines. It is also home to a global energy sector. However, that sector is now experiencing a significant downturn, which places jobs and livelihood at risk. That situation has been compounded by the pandemic and by a disastrous Brexit. It has created a perfect storm, which has had a profound effect on many people—specifically, on their mental health.

Following a 31-year policing career, I joined the school of nursing, midwifery and paramedic practice at Robert Gordon University, delivering nurse education across the health and policing intersect. Never did I imagine, as I lectured to my first-year students on global health challenges, that, weeks later, they would be facing the prospect of their first placements on the front line of such a challenge. I pay tribute to them all, to all NHS staff, and to all my colleagues who returned to the front line. I pay tribute to former colleagues in the emergency services—in particular, those in Police Scotland, who had to balance daily law enforcement duties with using emergency Covid legislation and responding to the growing demand from mental health distress.

I am pleased to focus my first speech on mental health and to speak in support of the motion. Even the most resilient of us felt the mental health impact of the pandemic. However, for young adults, those on low incomes, and others, the impact was significant, especially in cases in which access to care, treatment and psychological therapies was curtailed. The mental health transition and recovery plan builds on work that is already under way in response to Covid-19, and I welcome the range of engagement that informed its priorities. I am pleased that addressing CAMHS waiting times will be prioritised and that programmes such as distress brief interventions will be rolled out.

In what is dementia awareness week, many of my constituents will welcome the commitment to ensuring equitable access to mental health support for older people. I very much hope that mental health will be at the centre of the NHS recovery plan that is mentioned in the motion.

Public service is what I know; it is who I am. Over many years, I have seen health and social care converge to make people’s lives better every day. A national care service is a turning point in our commitment to social care. It is an investment for us, not a burden on us, which offers the opportunity to deliver high-quality, accessible care that is designed around people’s rights and needs.

People in my constituency and across Scotland answered the call to action in the dark days of the pandemic. The Inchgarth Covid-19 support project, Community Food Initiatives North East—the CFINE food bank—Cove Woodland Trust and others all played their part in supporting mental wellbeing. I give them my commitment that I will work as hard as I can, across the Parliament and with the cabinet secretary, to support the Scottish Government to deliver the actions in the mental health recovery plan and in the ambitious NHS recovery plan that is at the heart of the motion.

took the oath.