 The final item of business is a member's business debate on motion 8901, in the name of Clare Adamson, on drowning prevention week 2023. The debate will be concluded without any questions being posed. I invite members wishing to participate, to press the request to speak buttons now or as soon as possible. I call on Clare Adamson to open the debate around seven minutes, Ms Adamson. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Can I firstly thank my colleagues who signed the motion to allow this debate to take place this afternoon? Those who have persevered to the bitter end to hear the debate this afternoon is an honour to open a final debate ahead of summer recess. Drowning prevention week took place last week, but due to parliamentary business, we were not able to hold the debate during the week itself, but its message is every bit as crucial. The purpose of the initiative in its 10th year is to reduce the number of drownings and gear drownings that occur in the UK every year by promoting the skills and knowledge that people need to be safe and have fun in the water. We have, thankfully, entered what Ormar months and people are understandably excited about enjoying Scotland's globally recognised coastlines and waterways, but it is imperative that we recognise the risks that come around water. On average, 50 people accidentally drown in Scotland each year, and we know that this is a very high figure in comparison. Sadly, I am sure that we have seen the stories recently of tragedies around water, and that emphasises the importance of messaging around Drowning prevention week as we enter the summer months. Awareness raising is a critical aspect of the messaging, so for posterity and to get it on the record yet again, I will give some of the pertinent water advice that is available. Cold water shock. It is an involuntary response to the body suddenly being unexpectedly immersed into water, which is a temperature of less than 15 degrees, which can occur in summer in Scotland. Water safety Scotland and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service advise that if you unintentionally fall into water, do not try to swim right away. Fight your instinct to swim or thrash about. Try to remain calm, relaxed, turn on to your back and adopt a starfish float position. Once floating, the initial effects of cold water shock will pass in about 90 seconds. Then call for help and look for anything that you can use to help you to get out of the water. Even if you do get out of the water, please remember that there is a risk of hypothermia and emergency services should be called if people are exposed to severe cold water. Of course, that is an event of getting into difficulty, but, as with all accident prevention, the safest way to proceed is to be proactive and be prepared. If you are going to be in or around water, check the conditions, ensure that you are not alone and bring appropriate gear and follow the advice on any equipment that you may be using. Heading those tips could be the difference between life and death. Free information resources are provided by the fantastic organisations of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Water Safety Scotland and the Royal Life Saving Society RLSS, which co-ordinates Downing Prevention Week. Indeed, RLSS's 2022 insight report clearly shows that public awareness of risk and safety is lacking. RLSS analysed 240 accidental drownings, and 49 per cent of the people who lost their slives could swim. 73 per cent of those fatalities occurred in the absence of professional supervision, and it shows how much work we have to do. Those safety resources often include vital advice aimed at individuals, but we as legislators should examine the wider policy context. I am pleased to say that water safety, indeed all safety policy, has found increased prominence in Scottish political landscape. I believe that that is in no small part due to the dedicated campaigning of the members of the cross-party group on accident prevention and safety awareness, which I convene. I am very privileged to do so. The group has seen at the first time the impact that our members have had across the Parliament's policy discussions. Water Safety Scotland, who were formed with the networking at the CPG, has conducted an interim review of Scotland's drowning prevention strategy following tangible results. Its annual report shows that water-based fatalities decreased in Scotland last year and that there were fewer people accidentally drowning. Last year, there were 96 water-related fatalities recorded, with 45 of those being considered accidental drownings. While that decline is down to hard partnership working to raise awareness of water safety, any death is a tragedy and we cannot rest on our laurels. The policy work in this area has also resulted in Water Safety Scotland launching a new educational resource in April, which includes free water safety lessons for schools and practitioners. Those materials are the first-ever curriculum-aligned water safety resource. Scotland is the only UK nation to have water safety education embedded in the national curriculum. A welcome and important step. Work is on-going both nationally and locally. I am delighted to say that, in South Lanarkshire, we have a partnership approach to water safety at a pause group. My office had recently contacted the group about Christopher's saving lives campaign. The extraordinary campaign started by Duncan and Margaret Spears following the death of their son, Christopher, in drowning. Life belt ropes have been installed along the Clyde, which borders my beautiful constituency. Because of their dedication, their unique colour-coded safety rope is a simple but effective measure against vandalism or theft of crucial safety equipment. I wholeheartedly endorse the campaign and encourage local authorities to engage with it. I want to finally mention the drowning incident review, or DIR. That has again come from partnership working. DIR is a world's first programme that aims to gather data and understand the contributory factors of an incident to help to gain better understanding of how to prevent further similar incidents. DIR can be used for fatal incidents in both inland and coastal waters and for near-miss incidents, where those are either attended by emergency services or are reported. The process, which was created by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in Rossba via Water Safety Scotland, has finished its pilot and evaluation phase, and we recently heard the group's research at our cross-party group. Finally, please be safe, enjoy the water, and I want an invitation to everyone in the communities across Scotland to attend Helites Park on 25 July for World Shrining Prevention Day. Bigger and better last year, which was the biggest event in the country, is a wonderful day for families to engage in water safety issues. I am honoured to be contributing in today's important debate, marking drowning prevention week 2023. I welcome the member Claire Adamson's motion today. In recent weeks, we have been reminded of just how unpredictable and unforgiving the water can be, from the lives taken in the Titan submarine, including that of Suleiman Daywood, a student at the University of Strathclyde, as well as the tragic drowning of Nicola Bully after she accidentally fell into the cold water. Those lives lost serve as a tragic reminder of the importance of water safety. The latest data from Water Safety Scotland shows that, in 2021, there was an increase in water-related fatalities in comparison to previous years. As the west of Scotland MSP, I have some of the finest locks and reservoirs in my region, including Loch Lomond, but with that comes a higher risk of drowning and accidental fatalities. Last year, I met with Loch Lomond rescue boat at Baloch, where I heard about the life experiences of the highly trained volunteer crew, who, at that time, responded to around 80 call-outs per year. When I got in touch with them recently, they wanted to draw my attention to walk-in tragedies, which account for a large proportion of drownings in Loch Lomond. Those are incidents in which an individual walks in for a paddle on a gently sloping shore, but suddenly drops off steeply. The cold water shock, combined with the panic and inability to swim, can then result in rapid drowning. Those accidents occur quickly, and if no help is immediately, they may result in fatalities. Chances of survival increased by wearing floatation devices or holding on to floatation devices. Education, however, is key to reducing the number of deaths. I welcome today Claire Addison speaking about all the great work that is happening for water safety and education in schools. Giving an example, the ability to swim should be part of every skills curriculum, and all adults who cannot swim should be heavily encouraged to learn to do so. Presiding Officer, more than four in 10 children leave primary skill in Scotland unable to swim. I hope that the Scottish Government will prevent the closure of local swimming pools and the cancellation of free swimming lessons by ensuring that the local government is sufficiently funded. Secondly, the dangers of the water need to be more widely publicised, given a significant number of walk-in drownings at Loch Lomond involve foreign visitors. The final point that I would like to touch on is the need for members in this chamber to help local lifeboats operating as effectively as possible. Loch Lomond rescue boat has been trying to move their base for years to reduce response times but are being held up by the Scottish Enterprise. Administrative hold-ups are unacceptable when everyone agrees that that water safety is a priority. In conclusion, Presiding Officer, I am honoured to have contributed to today's debate marking Drowning Prevention Week. Volunteers work tirelessly patrolling Scotland's waters no doubt saving countless lives, but they cannot do the impossible. It is the duty of members in this chamber to help in every way that we can. We can do so by fighting for swimming pools and lessons to remain open and accessible and by supporting local lifeboats such as the Loch Lomond rescue boat to operate effectively in our respective areas. I congratulate Clare Adamson on securing this debate and her long-standing commitment to this issue. In my constituency, we have many inland waterways that historically power local industries. In the Borders, the River Tweed and Gallow Water turned the looms in the knitting and weaving sheds and, in Perigook, the River S powered the paper mill while the reservoirs in the Pentlands keep the water on tap in the city. Those industries are long gone but the rivers and waterways flow on with other uses, often leisure. However, they are not always benign and often more lethal in the sleepy summer months. Like reservoirs, the river waters can be bitterly cold when the sun blazes on. Four people died from accidents in water in the Scottish Borders in 2021, including at least Murray 15 from Kelso, who died whilst kayaking with her dad and brother in the River Tweed, and 90-year-old Jack Reid, who died after getting into difficulty in the River Tweed near Inner Leithan. There were no water fatalities reported in 2022 in the Scottish Borders. Following those tragic deaths in 2021, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service ran a water safety initiative centered around the River Tweed to educate the public. Flyers were posted at over 40 locally known areas for swimmers and other water-based activities, giving advice on water safety. A water safety event was held at the River Tweed in Kelso, where water rescue teams performed live rescues and scenes in front of the public, highlighting the importance of their actions should they themselves get into difficulty into the water. Additionally, what they can do to help others, including to deploy life belts. Learning to swim and to swim safely is another aid. I am pleased to say that the new Gala academy will have a swimming pool, as will the replacement Beaslack secondary in Penikook. Both pupils in Penikook High already have access to swimming pools nearby, but swimming is only part of the safety that it takes for prevention. Inland waters, in particular, as I have indicated, can be pretty risky. I can speak from experience as I had to instill water safety into my two young sons at the very earliest of ages. We lived in a cottage in Minigaff in Galloway, where the sunny back garden ran down to me two rivers, the Pen Kiln and beyond that the river Cree. Beyond that, there was the Laid which had powered a mill. I knew that to forbid my sons to go near the rivers would make them even more attractive. So day in and day out, we walked along the banks with Roosty, our iris setter, to observe the rivers in their seasonal moods. With their friends they would play in the Pen Kiln in the summer holidays, building a dam to make a pool large enough to swim in. If I dip my toe in, I can testify that the water was icy cold, but incidentally good for cooling an evening liberation of Chardonnay. The boys were immune to the temperature and over the summer months the river would run so low, the dorsal fins of the trout would rise above the water mark. So it was on a hot summer's day while I was potring about in the kitchen. Angus, my eldest son, came running in to tell me the Pen Kiln was in spate. I looked down the garden, but because of the banking couldn't see the river below, I quickly dismissed what he'd said. Above the skies where a blistering blue and not a cloud to be seen, but something niggled me. So I changed tack, took to my heels, ran down the garden, and sure enough, while the Cree beyond was hardly moving, save for the floating riverweeds, the Pen Kiln was a muddy torrent. A sudden and distant thunderstorm in the hills was all it took to sweep away their dam and tear lumps out of the riverbank. Any child unaware of the things of the river could have been caught up in it with little chance of survival. I do hope in part there was my lessons that had paid off. Thank you. Thank you very much Ms Graham. I'm not sure if Chardonnay is seen as a key water safety aid, but, nevertheless, I call Jackie Baillie to be followed by Ivan McKee and I'm in four minutes, Ms Baillie. Thank you, Presiding Officer, and I thank Claire Adamson for securing this debate and, indeed, for her helpful reminder of what to do if you get into difficulty. Drowning prevention week is particularly important to me as the MSP for Dumbarton, with an extensive coastline, and, of course, I have both Loch Lomond and the River Leven in my constituency. I also represent Agail and Bute, which has the second highest number of fatalities from drowning in Scotland after the Highlands. Sadly, Scotland has the highest rate of accidental drowning of all UK nations, and Water Safety Scotland reports that 62 per cent of accidental fatalities happen at inland waters, such as those in my constituency. In 2020, Ava Gray, a 12-year-old girl from Alexandria tragically drowned when she slept in the River Leven. She was a much-loved talented dancer with a bright future ahead of her, and her death was nothing short of devastating to her family and friends. Less than a year after the loss of Ava, Connor, a 16-year-old boy, died whilst playing with friends in the Loch near Balloch country park. The following day, Adina, 29, Rana, who was just nine, and Mohammad, aged 39, died in the water off Pulpit Rock near Ardlui. We know that each death is utterly heartbreaking, and I would like to place on record again my condolences for the families of those who have lost a loved one through a water-based fatality. Ava Gray's family, Leanne Ray and Jamie Gillis, have campaigned tirelessly for better water safety since her death in 2020, and I pay tribute to them for doing so. It's not always been the easiest thing for them to do. Her aunt Jamie said that Ava went into the water right beside a life ring behind a locked gate. It would have saved her life, and I have no doubt about that. Leanne and Jamie's calls for action have not gone unanswered. There are now accessible life rings in several locations near the water. Recently, pupils at secondary schools in Western Barcha, who all knew Ava well, were given safety lessons to raise awareness of the dangers of swimming in open water. Those, potentially, life-saving lessons can and should be rolled out right across the country. In addition to that, on the shores of Loch Lomond at Balloch park and along the river Leven, 25 additional public rescue equipment stations and location signs have been installed since 2021. Those safety devices were funded by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, but in truth, successive budget cuts have left the service struggling. Furthermore, those cuts have resulted in proposals to remove Pylmody stations' dedicated rescue boat crew, meaning the loss of 24-hour rescue boat crew cover for the river Clyde and surrounding areas. Even with the Pylmody station boat crew on hand at full capacity, there are issues for Loch Lomond because the emergency response time to get a boat there is too long. That is where the efforts of Loch Lomond rescue boat are so important. They work so hard for the area, and I am grateful to them for all of their work. It is a charity, it is run entirely by volunteers, it is staffed by volunteers, and it is already facing a really busy summer having had just seven call-outs in a month, which is quite significant. The rescue boat that we have already heard does a truly incredible job, but it is not right that it should just be the main, if not only, source of resource, given that the lock itself is 39km long. That is a significant area to cover. I have long believed that the fire service needs to place a rescue boat at Loch Lomond itself, but I recognise its important support for the Loch Lomond rescue boat. Education and knowledge of the dangers of open water are hugely important, but more lives will be lost if we do not have the necessary investment in safety equipment, rescue boats and staff. In closing, as we go into July and August, the months with the most accidental drowning fatalities, we need to firstly educate the population to swim safely in open waters, and secondly, we need to have sufficient safety measures in place should anybody get into trouble. I have a miki to be followed by Douglas Lums in four minutes. First, I thank Clare Adamson for bringing this hugely important and often tragic subject to the chamber for debate today, just after Drowning Awareness week. I would like to focus my brief remarks this afternoon on the Christopher's Saving Lives campaign. I met Christopher Spears just once, not long before his tragic drowning in the Clyde in 2016 at the age of 28, a young man with a bright future. I cannot commend highly enough the work of his parents Duncan and Margaret Spears, constituents of mine who have watched and encouraged and supported over those long years as they have turned this tragedy as best they can into something positive, grabbing the opportunity to take forward this inspirational campaign, working hard with councils, with parliamentarians, with the Government and with others right across the country to take forward concrete steps and measures to help to reduce the number of tragic drowning accidents that occur in Scotland every year. Some successes have been achieved and have been designed in mind to get funded and installed colour-coded ropes in memory of Christopher, which have been installed in the Clyde in Glasgow, where 10 savings have been attributed to that measure. Ten families would otherwise be going through the tragic experience of Duncan and Margaret. I had measures installed on Loch Lomond, warning signs and parks in Glasgow, Alexander Park and Springburn Park in the ponds. They are following up with work with Scottish Canals to install measures across the canal in Glasgow and beyond. They have real aspirations to expand all that work further afield across Scotland. I know that Duncan and Margaret have met Scottish Government ministers and I encourage the minister to give some clarification of further engagement with Duncan and Margaret in their campaign to further roll out those ropes and other signs and safety measures across other parts of Scotland to provide counselling support for families that, like Duncan and Margaret, have been tragically affected by drowning to help them to overcome that tragic experience. To put together two measures as they describe a hard-hitting video on vandalism of ropes in lifebelts, which often unfortunately occurs, which can have tragic consequences if those measures are not in place when they are needed. I think that all those are very practical measures that can be taken forward. I would also like to pay tribute to Duncan and Margaret. It is a real example of somebody who has not asked to be in this position, but has done everything that they can over a long number of years, often outwith their comfort zone but pushing very hard and relentlessly to deliver what they can because they are driven to make a success of the campaign, as best they can. Largely self-funded, which is a huge ask, and there is work to be done to help them with fundraising so that they can continue to roll out the campaign. I would like to hear back from the minister on the specific measures that can be taken to help their campaign as part of wider drowning prevention work across Scotland. I thank Clare Adamson for securing this debate today on what is a serious and vital issue. I would also like to commend the many organisations that do so much in promoting awareness of water safety and also provide practical help and training. If someone does get into difficulty, they will have a better chance of recovering and avoiding a tragedy. I remember when I was a kid many years ago at school, and part of the school curriculum was being taken to the local swimming pool. It was uptown baths at the time and being taught how to swim. I must admit that I hated it. It was a freezing cold swimming pool that made my eyes sting, but it did teach me how to swim, and that is such a valuable life lesson. To be honest, I have never been someone who enjoys swimming, but I know that I can swim if I need to, and that gave me the confidence to go out on boats on holiday, always with a life jacket, I must add, and enjoy the fun that water sports can bring if done safely and carefully. However, I was surprised when I started doing research for today's debate that so many of our school children were not learning to swim. 25 per cent of children leave primary school unable to swim, but that in itself does not tell us the whole picture. I would imagine that, in our more deprived areas, that this number will be a lot, lot higher, because, as more of our public swimming pools are closing, more people will be turning to private pools and gyms to learn to swim. I must admit that I was lucky enough to join my local private gym, and both my children learned to swim there. What happens for those who cannot afford the £150 plus per month for a family membership? Those are the children who are missing out on a life skill that everyone should have. Yesterday, Olympic swimmer Duncan Scott wrote to the First Minister in protest of the closure of public swimming pools, telling him that pools boost fitness, health and safety, and I completely agree. The devolved Government often talks about early intervention and prevention, but when it comes to health and wellbeing, it is all talk. Is it any wonder that our nation is becoming more unhealthy when those vital local facilities are closing, placing a much greater burden on our NHS in the future? Buxburn's swimming pool in Aberdeen, where I represent, has recently closed its doors, an absolute shocking decision by the local authority that is now being taken to court by the local community as they fight to have the pool, the only one in the area that can be accessed by people with disabilities, reopened. This is not particularly political, because in the Borders it is a Tory-led council and in Midlothian it is an SNP council. I commend both those councils when they are commissioning new schools in replacement, as I have said in my speech. They make pools an integral part if there is not one there already. I completely agree, but what I am seeing is pools up and down the country closing down, and that was the point that Duncan Scott was making to the First Minister. I would like to hear from the Minister what the Scottish Government is going to do about public swimming pools up and down the country closing down. It is not enough for them to just pin the blame on local authorities that are seeing their budgets squeezed. If they value it and care about water safety, they will need to fund those local pools correctly. There is a potential lifeline. The UK Government announced additional funding for swimming pools back in March. 60 million of new money would have helped our public pools to stay open. Of course, the UK Government could not give that direct to local government, as that would have been against the devolution agreement, and the money went to the Scottish Government instead. As far as I am aware, not one penny of the cash for swimming pools has been passed to local authorities to help to keep pools open. The Scottish Government has no excuses for pools closing. It was given the money, but shamefully decided to not pass it on. No doubt we will hear warm words from the minister saying that they are doing everything they can to reduce the amount of people drowning, but that is all that it will be, warm words. If they are serious about reducing the deaths, they need to have more children learning to swim from all backgrounds. For that, they need to stop the tide of public swimming pools closing. For that to happen, they need to do the right thing and pass on the Barnett consequentials that were given by the UK Government to local authorities to save our swimming pools. I thank my colleague Claire Adamson for bringing a really important debate to the chamber. I cannot actually think of a better one to end the session on, as we go into what could be a warm summer, if we are all hoping. I want to speak in my time, but I have been doing some work on it over the past year. First, it is outdoor swimming. Dooking, call it by what you want. There cannot be a member now in this chamber, especially after the pandemic that does not have a thriving group of dookers or wild swimmers in their own community. That is as people have found the joys of outdoor swimming. Why not? Is the benefits people are experiencing from this activity on some cases extremely significant in lots of reports around that? There is science behind it, too. A few months back, I had the pleasure of hosting an event with Dr Mark Harper from Bristol University, whose research into cold water immersion on health conditions such as arthritis and mental health issues is truly groundbreaking. That is perhaps why organisations such as the Fabulous Lancer Council and CBT centering Coatbridge offer courses in a safe manner in cold water immersion through their service. Of course, with increased popularity, comes increased risk. I do not think that the strategy can just be to say, do not do something. Folk will not respond to that. We know that, particularly when they are finding that an activity brings such extreme benefits to their health. I do not think that we necessarily do just say no in Scotland. I have never found that from the Government or from the organisations, but there is clearly a balance between promoting an outdoor activity that has benefits and safety around water. Of course, that is a source of tension that I have found for many agencies and organisations involved in swimming. Everybody wants to find that balance. I think that there are lots of ways that we can do that. I welcome, already, as Claire Adamson and others have said, the work of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, SEPA, in Scottish Water for their sterling work in trying to strike this balance and ensure that people follow proper advice. However, as others have said, I have to say that there is another obvious way to ensure that we can make our water safer, and that is to ensure that swimming lessons and swimming pools are available across the country to a good standard. I know that not all people who drown, many of them, can swim, but there is still a significant proportion that cannot. I have been doing a bit of work with Scottish Swimming on this. In the 29th of March last year, I hosted a parliamentary event here at the Scottish Parliament, which was aimed at saving our pools. Scottish Swimming pools are under threat of closure. We are hearing that, and we have heard that from other members. Inflationary energy costs, I think that are absolutely the main thing. Perhaps Douglas Lumsden would be able to speak to his colleagues down south about that. However, combined with ageing venues and staff shortages, I thank Fulton MacGregor for taking this intervention. Does he not agree with me that, as the party often talks about, the UK Government should be doing more? In this instance, it has done more. It has given money to the Scottish Government. It is just that that has not been passed on to swimming pools. I thank the member for that intervention. My understanding of that is that it is as simple and straightforward as that. I do not think that that is an area where we maybe want to play cheap politics in terms of that. I do think that the Scottish Government is committed to swimming pools, but, as I am saying, inflationary energy costs, combined with ageing venues and staff shortages, has led to a crisis in the leisure sector and never has there been the need greater to highlight the importance of pools for safety, for health and for communities. I know that Scottish Swimming strongly believes that swimming pools are vital community hubs for the population of Scotland. Not only is water safety classrooms teaching more than 100,000 children each week the essential life skills learning to swim, but it is part of the nation's health service, improving mental and physical wellbeing of all ages and the ability to, in turn, save the NHS millions every year. The petition has already achieved 8,664 signatures, and I hope to get a member's debate on the subject in the new term. I know that politically this is an issue that sits with local authorities, but, going back to what I said to Douglas Lums in there, I think that we actually all need to pull together here, the two national governments, as well as local authorities, to make sure that pools are safe and that young people have access to them. I have asked questions in the chamber about making swimming less in statutory as well, and, although it does not seem like something that would happen just now, I am pleased with the Government's response in strategy that, through investment from Sport Scotland, there are four swimming pilot projects where evaluation is on-going about how we can take that forward. I think that we need to hear more about that. When more and more people, as I have said, are entering the water for leisure, it is more vital than ever that swimming is again regarded as a life-skill and not a hobby. I want to end now by paying tribute to two local 16-year-olds, Emily Dees and Lauren Campbell, who, in December last year, potentially saved a man's life when he fell through the ice into the Monkland Canal on Coatbridge while retrieving his dog. For this, he received recommendations from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Royal Life Saving Society, IWARTS, Safety Scotland and North Lancer Council in March 2, and I would like to add mine to hearing the Scottish Parliament. This instance, however, illustrates the dangers of water and the importance of water safety strategies, and I again thank my colleague Clare Adamson for bringing it to the chamber. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Mr McGregor, and I call the final speaker in the open debate, Paul Sweeney, up to four minutes, please, Mrs Sweeney. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I congratulate the member, from what I well wish of, for bringing this motion for members' business today. I'll be a week behind drowning prevention, due to unnecessary constraints on parliamentary business, but nonetheless an essential and important topic for debate ahead of the summer recess, because we know the risks faced by our neighbours and friends and fellow citizens in this country from drowning, and we know from what the member from the Barton said about it being the highest rate in the UK is an acute issue that we really need to get to grips with in Scotland, and certainly in my own area of Glasgow we know that there are major risks associated with the river Clyde in the city. It might well be a famous waterway produced great industrial benefits to the city, but it also presents a murkier and darker side behind its waters. Decades of neglect and a lack of dredging by the privatised port authority has resulted in a river. That is indeed dangerous, and in some instances very deadly indeed. Whilst last week was drowning prevention, we get an essential awareness-raising week that aims to educate people about water safety and drowning prevention, draw attention to the dangers of open water and equip people of all ages with the essential skills and knowledge to stay safe in and around water. It was important that the points that were raised by several members today, such as Ms Goswell, Mr Lumsden and the member for Coatbridge in Christen, about swimming lessons and school provision and access to municipal swimming baths. That is essential that we look at securing that capacity in Scotland. I know that there have been cases raised about the costs of running it associated with heating and so on, but that is where we really need to get on the front foot with capital investment to introduce district heat networks and innovative ways of ensuring that those facilities are sustainable for the future. Yes, I am happy to give away. Douglas Lumsden, I thank the member for taking an intervention. Does he share my concern that there is a potential economic divide for people who can afford swimming lessons and who can go to private pools and that there are no public pools left for everyone else? I absolutely agree with that concern. Swimming, as we know, is the most democratic sport in Scotland. It has the biggest participation and it has the greatest balance across class and gender. It is a very good way of people keeping fit and learning an essential life skill. In that sense, it makes total sense for the Government to look at the swimming pool provision closely. I certainly know that, in the health and sport committee, we were looking at the issue. Around 90 per cent of sport funding in Scotland is channeled through local authorities. We know that we are under a lot of financial pressure. We really need to look at particularly capital intensive facilities such as swimming pools and ensure that we are making modernisations to ensure that the running costs are not becoming excessive and that we can maintain them as viable public assets. The consequences, as the member says, are considerable for inequality and access to sporting facilities such as that, but also learning a critical life-saving skill. It would be appalling to think that that lack of opportunity could result in someone's death, ultimately, and that is something that we need to be cognisant of. I echo the tributes played by the member for Glasgow Proven and the member for Motherwell and Wishaw about the Spears family and their courageous campaign in memory of their son, Christopher, who was lost to the river Clyde in 2016, just at the age of 28 years. In particular, the innovation that they have been pursuing, not just to simply raise awareness but also introduce practical interventions in our public realm to save lives. The co-design of the innovative floating safety rope with Ibex Marine, in particular, has been incredible to see happen. That company support has been fantastic. It was interesting to meet Duncan Spears' Christopher's dad. Recently, when he talked about how the workers at the factory have a photograph of Christopher up to inspire them to know that their work does save lives, and the rope itself has the colour yellow to be seen, orange for suicide prevention and also purple, which is Christopher's colour. That simple measure introduced following their campaign is estimated to have saved the lives of more than 10 people who have fallen into the Clyde. That is an achievement that they should be incredibly proud of. However, the reality is that, Deputy Presiding Officer, we need more than just improved safety equipment. We need dedicated 24-hour search and rescue cover on the river Clyde. I was concerned to be contacted by firefighters recently who informed me that proposed cuts by the fire and rescue service will mean that that 24-hour rescue provision on the Clyde is now at risk. If rubber stamped that proposal, we would see a poem of those dedicated rescue boat crew removed from the station and replaced with a dual-crewed approach. Consequently, in addition to potentially 15 job losses, we would have that dedicated boat crew lost because they would have to cover the fire engine and the boat as well. With 22 rescues conducted by that crew in the last year alone, I call on the First Minister to make an intervention with the fire and rescue service to stop this cut and ensure that capacity is maintained on the river. I hope that the Minister will echo that call today and ensure that she engages across Government to protect this vital life-saving measure on the Clyde. We cannot have a retreat in capacity for saving lives when we know that it will make a positive difference because of Government cuts, not acceptable. I now call on Siobhan Brown to respond to the debate, Minister. I would like to thank Clare Adamson for raising today's motion during attention to drowning prevention week 2023, which helps to raise awareness on how people can stay safe in and around water and what to do in an emergency, and Clare Adamson highlighted in her contribution some of the stark figures on drowning. With summer upon us and the school holidays, it is timely to raise the profile of water safety and remind people of the steps that they can take to keep themselves and others safe in and around water and what to do in an emergency. The Scottish Government is committed to continuing to work closely with all relevant organisations to explore opportunities, to collaborate and to help reduce incidents. We want to raise awareness, particularly amongst those who are most at risk. Water Safety Scotland is a key partner in this work, and I would like to thank the Water Safety Scotland partners for their strategic approach, their work and their commitment to making our waters safer. We recognise that, with the extent, nature and the appeal of our seas, locks and rivers, water safety will always be a challenge and a priority. It is important to be aware that 90 per cent of standing fresh water in the UK is in Scotland, with more than 27,000 locks and more than 120,000 kilometres of rivers and streams. Mainland Scotland has 9,910 kilometres of coastline, and that increases of some 16,500 kilometres with many of our islands, which is 52 per cent of the UK coastline. It is not just the extent of our waters that poses a challenge, but also their nature. Sudden changes in depth, which Pam Goswell alluded to in her contribution, deceptively cold temperatures and hidden currents can all mean that even good swimmers can get into difficulty very quickly. Activities in and around water are enjoyed safely and responsibly by the majority of people. However, in Scotland we have an average of 92 water-related fatalities per year, which of around 50 are accidental drowning fatalities. The latest figures from the water accident incident database indicate that accidental drowning fatalities in 2022 decreased in Scotland, and that is compared to 2021, which was a particularly difficult year. Those figures highlight the crucial collaborative work that our water safety partners are doing to help reduce the risk of drowning in Scotland and the commitment to achieve water safety drowning prevention strategy aims to reduce accidental drowning by 50 per cent by 2026. I am very aware of the devastating impact that drowning has had on friends and family, and I will continue to use my role as Minister for Victims and Community Safety as my predecessors did before me to make it a priority to help to reduce the numbers of drowning incidents in Scotland. In response to terrible tragedies in Scotland's waterways during the summer of 2021, the Scottish Government brought together key water safety organisations to collaboratively develop an action plan that promoted and aimed to improve partnership working, intelligence gathering and sharing, awareness raising, skills training and responses to incidents. The water safety action plan, which complements the important work of Water Safety Scotland, outlines the key initiatives to improve education, data, local area water safety planning and incident reviews. The co-designed action plan was published in March 2022, and the publication of the annual review and the update on progress one year on was published on Wednesday 21 June last week. This is now on the Scottish Government website, and to highlight some of the key highlights include that the membership of Water Safety Scotland has increased to 56 organisations who are now working collaboratively together to actively take forward water safety initiatives. Water Safety Scotland's innovative drowning and review procedure was launched earlier this year. The review has been endorsed by all frontline rescue organisations and means that, for the first time, partners are working together to review fatal drownings and to gather relevant data and intelligence that will help to develop measures to prevent future incidents and to identify high risk locations. This pioneering work is recognised as a world first and has attracted attention from administrations as far as New Zealand. Age-appropriate educational resources have been developed for each education level from ages 3 to 18. This work, completed jointly with Education Scotland and Water Safety Scotland, is the first of its kind in the UK and now provides teachers with simple and effective tools to help educate children about how to keep themselves and others safe. I will come to your point just in one moment around water with the particular emphasis on the dangers of cold water, shock and the importance on how to float to live. With summer upon us and people wanting to enjoy the good weather, it is important to remind the public to stay safe and follow the three-part water safety code. Stop and think, spot the dangers, stay together and stay close, and in an emergency call 999. I would like to reflect on some of the contributions that we have had today in the debate, and I will start with Dublin Ruddleston. I have been advised that the Barnett consequentials that you refer to have been given added to the local authority funding block. The Scottish Government is working with Sports Scotland, local authorities COSLA and the Scottish Swimming to understand the challenges that are currently faced for swimming pools and leisure facilities. Although it is important to know how to swim, yes. It is interesting to hear the minister say that that money has already been allocated, because John Swinney had to correct the record back at the end of May when he made an intervention and admitted that it was new money and had not been part of any money that had already been allocated. Is the minister sure that what she is saying is correct that it has been allocated, because that is not what the former finance secretary seemed to say in my response? What I did say is that Barnett consequentials have been added to the local authority block and we are currently engaging on how we can work with swimming pools throughout the... No, I'm moving on to other people. Moving on to Ivan McKee and Claire Adamson mentioning Duncan and Margaret Spears inspirational campaign about Christopher's campaign. I had the honour of meeting Duncan several weeks ago to find out about the work, and I'm looking forward to working together with the campaign and also writing to all the local authorities on his behalf to see what work can be done. Christine Grahame gave her personal accounts of the dangers of rivers and Jackie Baillie also want to echo all the condolences to the families who have lost people to drowning and all the great work that's been done at Loch Lomond with the rescue boat. To finish, I'd like to express my sincere thanks to all the partners involved, particularly Water Safety Scotland, for driving this important work forward. Your continued efforts to work collaboratively providing time and resource is greatly appreciated and is making a real difference. I'm very much looking forward to meeting many of the Water Safety Scotland partners when I attend the upcoming Water Safety Open Day at Helix Park on the 25th of July to support the UN's World Drowning Prevention Day. With that, Presiding Officer, I close the last debate for the term. Thank you. Thank you minister. I think that's probably my job, but that does indeed conclude the debate. I would like to congratulate members on making it through to the final item of business. I wish you a happy, restful and, of course, safe summer recess. I close this meeting of Parliament.