 The final item of business is members' business debate on motion 13681, in the name of Angela Constance, on support for families of loved ones killed abroad. This debate will be concluded without any questions being put, and I would ask those who wish to speak in the debate to press the request-to-speak buttons. I call on Angela Constance to open the debate for around seven minutes, please. Presiding Officer, Kirsty Maxwell is described by her mother as a beautiful girl who touched the hearts of many, a popular young woman whose friends and families would always choose to confide in. Eighteen months ago, whilst in Benidorm with her friends, Kirsty's life was taken, as her mother says, in incredibly brutal, cruel ways and unexplained circumstances. Ever since then, Kirsty's husband Adam Maxwell and her parents, Brian and Denise Currie, have been on an arduous and anguished requests for justice for Kirsty. Kirsty's mum and her aunt Angela are here tonight in the public gallery with their local MP, Hannah Burdell, and others, Deborah Pearson, Harry and Anthony Lindsay, Kirsty and McNichol and Julie Love. All who's loved ones were killed abroad due to murder, manslaughter or suspicious circumstances. I have no doubts that I speak on behalf of this entire chamber when I express our heartfelt condolences to all of these families. However, I cannot help thinking that these same families must get weary of our words of sympathy when they are crying out for action and their answers. As MSPs, our words are important but so are our deeds, particularly to those constituents who reach out to us in their darkest hour. I thank members who supported the motion in my name and have helped to secure this debate tonight. I am grateful to members who will also make a contribution. I want to pass on the apologies of Neil Findlay MSP who is at a public meeting that we should be at in Stonyburn. I hope that that shows the importance of this issue when old foes and adversaries such as Neil and I can also co-operate on matters of such great importance. The BBC documentary, Killed Abroad, highlighted the unanswered questions around the death of Kirsty Maxwell and Craig Mallon and crucially the plight of their families. It is difficult to adjust to the death of a loved one. It is more difficult if the death is a result of a crime or suspicious circumstances. It is harder still if that death occurred abroad. The news that a loved one has died can be delivered in a variety of ways and can add to the shock and trauma experienced by families. Adam Maxwell was informed of his wife's death by a brief and unclear phone call from the Spanish police. Other challenges and complexities are dealing with unfamiliar jurisdictions and justice systems. The cost of repatriation is on average £4,000, but it can be as much as £8,000. Finding and funding suitable overseas legal representation, the cost of travel and translation services, insurance issues and post mortem and autopsy difficulties are all of that and more while grieving and dealing with the demands of daily life. Families inform that the service provided by the foreign and commonwealth office and consular services is patchy, inconsistent and support is far from proactive. Consequently, the Westminster all-party parliamentary group on deaths abroad are pursuing matters vigorously given that 80 to 90 UK citizens are murdered abroad every year. The APPG has taken evidence from 50 families from across the UK, 10 families from Scotland and organisations such as murdered abroad and deaths abroad are not alone, which was established by Julie Love after the death of her son in Venezuela in 2009. The group chaired by Hannah Burdell MP will soon report its findings and make recommendations to, mainly but not exclusively, to the foreign and commonwealth office. Clearly, the FCO has a leading role, but there is also a role for devolved services, justice, health, how we support the third sector and, of course, our external relations with other jurisdictions. There is room for improvement at both a UK and a Scottish level. I know that the Scottish Government has raised concerns of Kirstie's family with both the UK and Spanish Governments, and Police Scotland stands ready to assist the on-going investigation into Kirstie's death if invited to do so by the Spanish authorities. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service does not have the jurisdiction to investigate deaths that occur outside Scotland, except in a very few limited circumstances, one of which is when the death occurred by murder or culpable homicide by another British citizen. It may also be worth considering a review of the implementation of recent FEI legislation. The Scottish Government has an overarching commitment to support victims with access to information and a wide range of services. Yes, this is harder to achieve when overseas justice agencies are involved and we are reliant on them to investigate, but nonetheless, those important principles should apply in our endeavours for all victims here in Scotland. Therefore, will the cabinet secretary ensure that full consideration of the needs of those who have had a loved one killed abroad due to a crime or suspicious circumstances is undertaken by the victims and witness team headed by Anna Donald and also the victims task force that Whomza Yousaf will chair himself? It is important to note that the new homicide service is to be welcomed and it will be established next April, but currently that excludes victims affected by death abroad by suspected crime or suspicious circumstances, so I hope that this is something that the cabinet secretary can rectify. The needs and rights of families affected by death abroad is also missing from the victims code in Scotland and the revised we are working together for victims and witnesses interagency guidance. Although it is considered that Police Scotland will not deploy family liaison officers in all cases where a British national has been murdered abroad, as it is dependent on what if any investigative role they have, would the cabinet secretary consider guidelines or regulations whereby the host police force of the family have a duty to provide a service perhaps in partnership with other organisations and I actually think that this would be welcomed by Police Scotland. Victim support Scotland informed that despite having a protocol with the foreign and commonwealth office since 2012 have only received seven notifications of Scots murdered abroad. Police Scotland are not officially notified by FCO if a Scot is murdered abroad, so the process could be improved and should also include deaths by serious crime or suspicious circumstances. Trauma-aware notifications should kick-start trauma informed support, so I wonder will the cabinet secretary do his best to help families like curses to have the right service at the right time and give full consideration to how access to emotional, practical, financial and legal support can be improved? I want to end my remarks today by quoting Kirsty's dad, Brian, who in correspondence said to me, I feel we have a chance here in Scotland to make a change and do something that actually supports victims and their families legally, emotionally and financially a protocol or vehicle that guides and supports victims families through the myriad of hoops and hurdles that ultimately forces victims families to give up hope, to give up on the system and to give up on life. Presiding Officer, I hope that together we can take the chance for change and give hope to the family of Kirsty Maxwell and others in their hour of greatest need. I know that it may sound unreasonable but may I ask those in the public gallery to refrain from showing appreciation? We now move on to the open debate. It is speeches of up to four minutes, please. I call Alexander Stewart to be followed by Bob Doris. I welcome the opportunity to take part and congratulate and thank Asa Constance for bringing this motion to the chamber this afternoon. As Ms Constance's motion acknowledges, the recent BBC documentary, Killed Abroad, highlighted the apparent obstacles and difficulties that some families have faced in seeking information and support in such an awful and tragic circumstance. Indeed, I, for one, recognise the profound impact that this must have on someone who has lost a loved one abroad. I also recognise that their experiences have seemingly exposed gaps in support and procedures provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to families of those affected and, of course, to those who need to be addressed. Those have been acknowledged and need to be addressed. Therefore, it is right and proper that we have the opportunity to debate and discuss this evening in the Scottish Parliament. I would also like to thank the parliamentary group on deaths abroad and consul services, because they have made a real contribution to the process. As we already know, it is often the work of all party groups or cross-party groups that have enormous insight. They take the time to look at studying, hearing evidence and analysing how many organisations participate. Their bid is to improve the experiences of individuals, and I think that that is being achieved as we go forward. I believe that they have seen in excess of 50 families and so far they have taken evidence at the all party group. The group is currently taking evidence from a number of families whose individuals are affected by deaths abroad, and I think that that is also very important. Once it has gathered the evidence, the responses and the group will utilise the facts and the information that they have taken, and it will go to both the United Kingdom Government and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in a bid to improve the methods by which valuable support may be granted and gained. I am also aware that it is very sad that the tragedies that take place for individuals who are currently lost or who have been reported missing abroad give the anxiety to families who find themselves in that situation where they do not know what has happened to their loved one. There are excellent charities that are working in this sector, and I would like to pay some tribute to them as we progress through this debate. The enormous length to providing advice for individuals who find themselves in that worrying, anxiety and that incomprehensible situation where they have lost a loved one. Charities like the Lucy Backman Trust have been providing outstanding level of care to families of British members who have murdered or mansluttered victims since 2008. They are also able to offer advice, repatriation assistance, problem-solving, fundraising support and many other facets of assistance to victims overseas. They provide families with information, liaison advice and support so that missing persons case overseas, and that remains core part of their operation. The skills, knowledge and contacts that they have gained in years in providing this type of level of support, along with mutually respected responsibilities for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, have enabled them to expand their remit. I think that that is very important with anyone who is dealing with a situation or a victim of a serious crime. It is vital that we sit up and listen to families and loved ones, note their concerns, address the failings and improve the service that we should be providing. I must indicate that there is an awful situation to deal with. We should ensure that the situation that they have to deal with should not and must not be exacerbated by any of the failings, by officials and obstacles that are put in their way. The goal must be support, advice and compassion to all involved. We must ensure that we are getting it right for every family and the services that are fit for purpose. It would appear that that is not always the case, and that has to be managed and acknowledged by the UK Government and the Scottish Government, because what we want to do is to learn lessons for the future. I want to start by paying tribute to Angela Constance for securing this vitally important member's debate, as well as to the family of Kirsty Maxwell for their determination to get answers for them and justice for Kirsty. I also wish to pay tribute to my constituent, Julie Love, who is a remarkable woman from Maryhill, who follows the tragic drowning of her son Colin in Venezuela, who has campaigned tirelessly to improve advice, helping support for families in such circumstances. The charity that she founded, Death Abroad, you're not alone, has directly offered support, both emotionally and practically, on a volunteer basis, and Julie sits at the heart of that advice giving and support. Let me therefore pick up on the number of areas where I feel that Julie would wish me to raise a number of concerns. In a briefing for this debate, Victim Support Scotland notes the support that they seek to offer for those who are murdered or involved in suspicious deaths or victimised overseas. That support is most welcome, of course. However, that does exclude victims of tragedies such as road traffic accidents and, in Colin Love's case, drownings. Let me stress that the families of those loved ones strongly feel a sense of loss, a sense of anger and a sense of victimisation. I believe that we must broaden the range of families that are offered support by Victim Support Scotland and others. I know that families can struggle to get authorities overseas or, indeed, here at home to consider certain deaths as suspicious. Furthermore, what evidence is used to determine whether a death is suspicious and who decides that? Broadening the range of families supported mitigates some of those concerns. So would the right to a postmortem back here in Scotland, which is something that I would like to call for today. However, it is also simply the right thing to do. Getting clear, reliable, consistent or, indeed, any information at times from the FCO can be a challenge irrespective of how your loved one passes away or dies overseas. Asking and navigating your way around various overseas legal systems and processes, it is certainly not easy and it is certainly not inexpensive either to bring your loved one back home from abroad. That is something that we will touch upon later. Let us get that definition widened and let us start to get meaningful support in place. Victim Support Scotland states that it has a protocol in place with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 2012 and has only received seven notifications of Scotland's murder. The number of actual referrals is much smaller. I find that deeply worrying. I am unclear if that protocol has ever been published, let alone promoted to ensure families are aware of their rights and support available. A number of years ago, I and Julia Love sought to get a relevant stakeholder meeting together across police, across justice, across external affairs, across health and, of course, victim support Scotland, but it felt very fragmented in nature and Government responsibilities threw up challenges in that respect. We had a cross-cutting work at a Scottish level across ministerial briefs, of course, but we also had one individual Scottish Government minister taking full responsibility for the overall approach to death, irrespective of what subtopic area it may fall within. I am aware that the new Victim Support Task Force has been established by the justice secretary. I am sure that my constituency, Julia Love, would welcome a dialogue with that forum. I also wrote Victim Support Scotland as leading on the development of a new homicide service for Scotland that will see families getting support via a dedicated case worker. Murders abroad are excluded, but Victim Support Scotland has suggested that it is willingness to extend that scope. Of course, it should be extended not just for murders abroad, but widened out far broader. There is so much more that I would like to say. I am not going to present to the officer because I know that time is short, but Julia Love, my constituent, has mentioned several times, has already changed the law once in this Parliament to extend a discretionary basis for fatal accident inquiries into the deaths of those who die overseas. I am worried and alarmed that discretion has never been used. There is no point in having laws on the statute books if they are not exercised in positive ways to get justice and answers for families. I think that we will finish off by paying tribute to Angela Constance. I think that this area deserves a full plenary session debate in the normal time of this Parliament, not just a members' debate. That is a crucial first step. Daniel Johnson, followed by Stuart Stevenson. I begin by starting off with Bob Dorris. I think that he is absolutely right. That is a very serious topic, and one that is worth further consideration in full plenary time in this place. I certainly lend my support to that, but I thank Angela Constance for bringing this debate to the chamber. More important, I associate myself with the comments and sentiments that she made at the beginning of the speech. It is wonderful that we have families here. It is right that our thoughts and sentiments are with them, but what they need to hear is about how we are going to make a change and make a difference rather than just simply warn words. That is crucial for this debate and future ones that we have on this topic. Unexpected death is always traumatic for family members. There are a lot of obvious and immediate questions that will occur. What happened? Why did it happen? Did something go wrong? Was the help that was supposed to be there, was it there? If there was a question of fault, who is responsible and what will happen to them? Those are the questions that will happen in any unexplained death. However, when those circumstances happen abroad, the complexity is simply compounded, because you are not just dealing with those questions that you need to have settled in order to move on and have closure for whatever that means, but you are dealing with a foreign system that potentially looks complicated and expensive to deal with because it is in another country. There is confusion about how that system works, how it will make decisions, and, indeed, there are different languages to contend with. Those are the issues that the documentary killed abroad brought to life so well. It is a terrible fate and one that we need to do better in terms of supporting those families that find themselves in those terrible circumstances. It is absolutely right that this motion talks about the CFO and the consular response that is required. It is right to highlight the work by the APPG in Westminster. Quite simply, the support that is required is not happening. Months can pass before details are received by families, there is no single point of contact, there are translation problems and far too little financial support. The issue that was raised this evening about the notification and the fact that Police Scotland has only received seven notifications under the protocol that is meant to be in place, clearly that is not good enough. I would be interested to hear from the minister as to what he will be doing in terms of seeking reassurances that that situation will be improved. However, I have also spoken with my colleague Hugh Gaffney, who has been working with the family of Craig Mallon, who died tragically in May of 2012, and who is also featured in the documentary. The conversations that he has had with him, and also subsequently with me, has highlighted the difference between the situation in England and Wales in Scotland when it comes to post mortems. That is a point that I think that Bob Doris made. In England and Wales, the coroner will normally investigate the death of the person who died of violent or unnatural death overseas, and the body is returned to the home country. The coroner has a decision to take about whether or not to undertake a post mortem, taking into account the manner of the death, whether a post mortem was done in the other country, concerns about the process or any other extenuating circumstance. In Scotland we do not have a coroner, and the rules are completely different. Although they have changed, the basic fact of the presumption that there is a possibility of a post mortem is simply not there. We seriously have to question that. I would be very interested if the cabinet secretary has any thoughts about the ability to bring forward the right of a post mortem when there is a tragic death abroad. It is right that the law has changed, but I think that we need to look at the rules that we have in Scotland. Obviously, there is a question for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, but there are also questions about what we can do here. I think that that point about the coroner and post mortem would be an important step forward for many families who tragically experienced the death of a loved one abroad. I will finish my comments there. Stuart Stevenson, followed by Alison Johnstone. When we go into another country, we present our passport. In the cover of the passport, it says, that, in the name of Her Majesty, all those to whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without letter hindrance—and this is the crucial point for this debate—to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary. So, when they accept someone into their country, their, in essence, may hear contract with us that they will honour that request from Her Majesty. Of course, the debate is about whether the support that we get from our own institutions in working with foreign jurisdictions meets the requirements that we have. Are they getting the assistance that they need? Before I move into the substance in my debate, I just want to personally give a little vote of thanks to Chloe Henderson, who is a pupil at Fraserborough academy, who has been with me this week on placement, who has done the research and written the notes for my speaking tonight. She has done very well. Like others, my constituency has experienced difficulties with people abroad and people dying. However, I want to speak about one with a slightly happier outcome, but nonetheless illustrates the need for appropriate support. Let me acknowledge that people need access to information and support at times of the bereavement abroad, and they encounter endless obstacles and unanswered questions, both from the foreign commonwealth office and the foreign jurisdiction. There are many logistical challenges that are made harder by potential language barriers, including contacting local authorities, funeral directors, caseworkers. I want to just talk for a minute or two about my constituency, Mr Allen Wright, whom my MP colleague Ailey Whiteford supported, who is from Port Soy. It was his family in the north-east of Scotland who needed consular assistance after he was taken hostage while working in an Algerian oilfield in 2013. What he thought was a power cut turned out to be a terrorist attack by militants in Amenas oilfield. Mr Wright and a colleague were forced to hide in a room with only a satellite phone to connect them to the outside world. In a television interview at the time, Mr Wright, aged 37, half my age, recounted nine terrifying hours that he and colleagues spent trying to remain hidden. Others, who were subject to that, were not as fortunate and were killed. Mr Wright had to make an emotional call to his family at home, not knowing if it was his last. He chose not to speak to his two daughters as he didn't want them to remember the last phone call over a crackly line. He said, "'You fear the worst, you can't put words into how bad it you feel.'" That is the environment into which we expect the foreign and commonwealth office, the Scottish Government and local jurisdictions to respond to the needs of those in Mr Wright's circumstance and his colleagues who were killed. It was a happy ending for my constituent, but it illustrates the general point. Relatives who are looking for help often simply do not know what the questions that they should be asking are—far less—what the answers that they need. Let me conclude by saying that it is not simply a matter for a couple of people in my constituency scattered around members' constituencies that are represented tonight. A 2015 survey sent to 150 families found that they did not feel supported by the experience of trying to bring a loved one home after death. More than half said that the FCO was not at all helpful. In terms of grief, there are many unpredictable factors. The people who are grieving are vulnerable and need a very special kind of help and support that has to be tailored to their individual needs. I hope that the debate will play its role in alerting Scottish administration, but the foreign and commonwealth office and the jurisdictions abroad to provide an enhanced and more relevant form of support to those who lose people abroad. Alison Johnstone, followed by Fulton MacGregor. I, too, would like to thank Angela Constance for securing the debate. Each of us in this chamber has experienced the loss of a loved one. We know how painful, sad and empty life can feel when someone so loved and so close to us is no longer here. That is all the worst when the death is of a young person with so much life ahead of them. In the case of Kirsty Maxwell, the loss was still worse. Kirsty's death occurred in unexplained circumstances, thousands of miles away from her home and family, in a country with a different language and legal system. It is in those challenging and terrible circumstances that nobody can ever be expected to be prepared for that we would expect the best possible support. In the case of Kirsty and, as we have heard, too many others who have died abroad in unexplained circumstances, that support has simply not been there. Kirsty's parents have said that they got no help whatsoever, no guidance about what to do from the UK or Spanish Governments, and they felt, and I am quoting, utterly abandoned, very much abandoned. Kirsty's husband Adam described the support received as the bare minimum, and Kirsty's family is not the first to experience serious problems in getting the support that they need. That has been a long-running problem over many, many years. In 2014, the House of Commons foreign affairs committee's investigation on consular services found significant and widespread failings in the support given to families of British citizens who have died abroad. From calls and emails not being returned, desk officers not being adequately trained to assist traumatised families, failure to appoint a suitable person to help such as a liaison officer, and failure or even refusal to provide long-term assistance in the case of lengthy investigations or trials. Situations that can be terribly stressful, not to mention expensive, for some people possibly unaffordable. The committee heard from many families who had lost loved ones who had received a poor level of support at such a difficult time. Well, that was 2014, so what has changed? To judge from the experience of Kirsty's family, not nearly enough. Kirsty's MP, Hannah Bardell, has worked tirelessly on this issue. She has established the all-party group on deaths abroad, and she has spoken of the difficulties in getting assistance where there is no conviction. Presiding Officer, there is little sense of the foreign office being there to back you up in one of the worst possible situations that a family can ever find themselves in, and to fight their corner when things are not happening as they should. Of course, other countries have their own legal systems and their processes, and they must be respected, but helping bereaved families who have lost a loved one to navigate a legal system that is unknown to them, particularly in the case of an unexplained death such as Kirsty's, is not interfering. Holding a country to their own standards, their own standards, is not interfering. As Hannah Bardell has said in Kirsty's case, there is a Spanish victims' Bill of Rights, which is not being respected. It is not interfering to ensure that British citizens in a foreign country get access to the same standard of support and service as that country's own citizens. In closing, I would like to pay tribute to Kirsty's husband Adam, her parents Denise and Brian Currie, all her family and friends who have been tireless in finding out what happened. In the BBC documentary referred to in the motion, Kirsty's parents say that they have promised their daughter that they will not give up until they get answers, and I know from meeting them that they most certainly will not give up. Their determination in such difficult and challenging circumstances is truly inspiring. The least that we can do is to ensure that they have the full support of the UK Government and the Scottish Government, all the resources that are disposable to help to find those answers. That support has been lacking in Kirsty's case, in the case of Craig Mallon and in too many others. There is obviously cross-party agreement here this evening for the need for improvement and change. That must change and change quickly before more families are let down at such a difficult time. Fulton MacGregor, followed by Maurice Corry. Thank you to Angela Constance for bringing this very important issue to the chamber and for highlighting it and the tragic case of Kirsty Maxwell. In my contribution, I would like to concentrate on a young man from Coatbridge in my constituency whose story, through being told in the local Coatbridge neared the advertiser, as well as the national press, has touched many hearts. His story was also part of the recent BBC documentary referred to by Angela Constance and others. I would like to put on record my thanks to David Swindell from the multilingual review team for the briefing. 26-year-old Craig Mallon's life ended tragically within hours of my arriving in the holiday resort of Loret de Mar, Spain, on 19 May 2012, when he was fatally assaulted by a single punch in a busy street near several nightclubs. I knew as quickly reverberated around the Monklands community. On the basis of cross-party working, I would like to make mention of the work of my parliamentary colleague Hugh Gaffney, who I know has done working this issue with Hannah Burdell through the cross-party group at Westminster. I think that it is right that, for issues like this, party politics are put well to one side. The case is unresolved, still open and subject to on-going court investigations, but only as a result of the persistence of Craig's family, friends and previous employer who have sought answers. No family or relative should ever have to endure what happened to Craig Mallon's family. They learned about his death by a phone call from Craig's brother, not via official channels. When attending the Spanish lottery for identification purposes, his body had not been prepared or cleaned and there was therefore a lack of dignity. There was no second autopsy when Craig's body was returned to Scotland. Family liaison officers in Scotland could not give active part in providing support advice or updates. The family received a visit from Victim Support Scotland, who could offer no formalised support, financial or pastoral assistance. Some documented updates in Catalan in Spanish were sent to Craig's family from the British consulate without being translated into English for them. Inaccurate media reporting and updates from Spain were confusing and did not confirm to Craig's family that it was being treated as a homicide. That took until 2012 to get confirmation. The family left their own devices to recruit a lawyer in another country with no advice from the British consulate or other UK body. After a year, the services of the lawyer were terminated when it was learned that, despite changing charging substantial sums of money, she had not provided progressive professional services. Craig's family had to navigate through a different legal and investigatory system in another country, only getting progress as a result of constantly pushing the Spanish authorities for answers. That was a family who, despite having financial and mental angle review team support, have still been struggling with the complexities of this unfamiliar legal system in another country, because there is no formalised support, structure or advice provided in Scotland or the UK as a whole. I am informed by David Swindell that, while there were British consulate communications shortcomings in the early stages of the investigation, the support provided by the Barcelona consular official in the past two years has been supportive as regards liaison with the Spanish lawyer and Spanish court to the extent that there is a meeting with the judge scheduled for the 30th of November this year regarding evidential opportunities. Presiding Officer, sadly in April this year, Craig's mum Antoinette died aged 48, not seeing various key lines of inquiry being progressed and justice for her son. His father Ian Marlin is unable to attend tonight's debate due to illness, but he's hopeful that changes will be made to ensure that other families, unfortunate to lose a loved one to home aside abroad, do not have to endure what happened to him and his beloved Antoinette. I know that the cabinet secretary is sympathetic to this situation and the others, and I would ask if you would consider meeting the family of Craig and thinking about what options are available for supporting any others, although we all hope that there will never be another that may end up in this situation. I will end there, Presiding Officer. The last of the open debate contributions is from Maurice Corry. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. May I also thank Angela Constance for bringing that important motion to the chamber tonight. When a loved one is tragically killed abroad, families have to navigate their way through a nightmare of decisions, all of which tend to be unfamiliar and unclear. Ensuring that they have strong support in what must be a very harrowing time is sometimes that we need to get right, and it certainly needs to be done. Losing a loved one in any situation is extremely difficult, but when this happens in another country, with different procedures and processes to reckon with, families often feel that they are left to struggle with limited help. Understandably, this lack of information, even at its most basic, can fuel feelings of anxiety and stress. A lack of communication is a stand-out issue. Too often, families encounter slow responses that fail to give them the answers that they need. Often families have been notified of the death of a loved one abroad indirectly and through the media and through wrong and unclear channels of communication. Families should never have to encounter that lack of clarity. Foreign protocols and procedures can be unfamiliar. Indeed, the way that investigations of those deaths are conducted fostered unwarranted confusion. Even the wait for the return of a victim's belongings to their family can take far too long in many instances. Surely it is critical to make those international processes smoother for the sake of Scotland's grieving families. Unhelpful speculation by a foreign investigator is another issue. Offering speculation on the cause of death of a victim is not clearly good enough. It is paramount that families of those loved ones be treated with both respect and dignity. For that to happen, they must be given answers and sincere answers with crucial details that they deserve. Never was this demonstrated to me more than when one of my constituents went missing in the mountains of Vietnam and many months later was sadly found dead. Support for those families can be furthered in clear ways. Surely if the Foreign and Commonwealth Office offered translation services, family members could have a greater understanding of even the most fundamental answers, such as the cause of death of a loved one. Repatriation services are also costly and complex for families to handle. Funding should be far more readily available to lessen the unnecessary difficulties such as those. The all-party parliamentary group on deaths abroad and consular services should be of great encouragement to families as they go forward in its unimaginable situation. The group's hopes to improve the services and processes for bereaved families of loved ones who are missing in jail have been killed or died in suspicious circumstances. It has served to show the gaps in our consular services and pushes forward recommendations for how those issues can be put right. For my own military experience and working overseas, I can appreciate fully the need for this support to grieving families to be as helpful and efficient as possible. The armed forces community has lost many loved ones overseas on deployed operations. For the most part, those cases have been treated with the utmost respect by the forces, both for the bereaved and those who have passed away, but ensuring that their dependents are offered advice and support from an understanding single point of contact will help to remove the obstacles that they, like other bereaved families in Scotland, can face. I welcome the motion and debate tonight. I hope that, for the sake of families enduring a tragic loss, support services will act with the greater sensitivity and openness. Hamza Yousaf, I thank Angela Constance for bringing this important debate to the chamber and also to those who have signed the motion. I know all of us. In the chamber, we would rather not be dealing with the issues that, unfortunately, face families in the case of the Maxwell family that they have had to suffer. However, we are in this situation. We are here and it is only right that we shine a spotlight and ask the questions that very much need to be asked—some of those for the FCO but equally some of those for Government in Scotland but also for institutions in Scotland and support services in Scotland. I am thankful for Angela Constance for bringing this debate to the chamber. I also agree and associate myself with her remarks. Others have made around perhaps a longer session—that is, of course, for the Parliament and the bureau to decide, but the Government, of course, would be willing to be part of that debate. It is certainly an idea that is worth further consideration. I can also add on behalf of the Government and, personally, on behalf of the First Minister, that there are sympathies once again to the Maxwell family, who I know are here. A number of people have mentioned that if any of us were in the situation, the Maxwell family, unfortunately, would find themselves in, we would be demanding the answers to the questions that they are rightly demanding answers to. Whether that person is killed here or abroad, every single one of us would want to know the circumstances surrounding that death, the who, the why, the where. As other members have said, the absolute complexity, the difficulties of navigating a foreign landscape in those circumstances is something that I cannot even imagine the difficulties. I pay tribute to the Maxwell family and the other families who have gone through something similar for their tenacity and what they are doing on behalf of Kirsty's legacy to keep going in that respect. I can also put on record my thanks to the press and to the BBC documentary for the killed abroad documentary programme that was done. It is important that, again, a light is shown on these issues, which ask questions that need answers to. I want to thank them on record for that. I am very aware that Kirsty's family has not been satisfied with their experience of dealing with Spanish authorities. I recognise the strong view of the family that mistakes have been made from the earliest point in the process. I will be meeting with Kirsty's family, who are in the chamber this evening, alongside Angela Constance, their MP Hannah Bardell, also after the debate finishes, to further discuss the dreadful incident. If I can touch upon a few common themes that would be made by a number of speakers, before I do that, I want to emphasise some of the action that we have taken from our Scottish Government perspective. The chamber may be aware of the first minister that she made with the Kirsty's family in August. She heard their concerns first-hand and since then has taken forward a number of actions. The Scottish Government has pressed the FCO to fully support the family in its efforts to secure justice through the Spanish legal systems. At the family's request, the First Minister also wrote to the Spanish Prime Minister seeking reassurance that the necessary resources have been deployed to allow the Spanish police and prosecutors to carry out a full and thorough investigation into Kirsty's death. Notwithstanding that, every single member has mentioned that the family feel that there have been deficiencies, not just in the Spanish process, but also in the support that they have received, albeit through the FCO or, indeed, through other support agencies. We will continue to liaise with the FCO on various aspects of the investigation, including the family's engagement with the Spanish legal system. As a member of the citizens of this country, when something is tragic and awful happens to us, as has happened to the Maxwell family, we expect our Scottish Government to step in and to provide the support services that we so desperately need. On this occasion, there are some serious questions about whether the Maxwell family received that, or indeed not, in which case, of course, the family's view that I recognise very much so. We are committed to ensuring that everything that is possible is done to establish the full circumstances that led to Kirsty's death. While there is no locus to investigate Police Scotland, it has also been clear that they stand ready to assist the Spanish authorities with their inquiries. To date, they have not been called upon, but that offer remains on the table. Police Scotland's family is an officer. They have met with Kirsty's family on a number of occasions about the case and continued to support them through this difficult period. However, when I meet with the Maxwell family, of course, we will look to probe that further to see whether there is more support that they need from Police Scotland. On the Scottish Government, I have touched upon the First Minister and her interest and the fact that she has personally intervened where appropriate. We are also committed, and I am committed, to doing everything that I possibly can to help the Maxwell family, but other families who suffer the death of a loved one abroad—many of my colleagues from across the chamber spoke about, unfortunately, families that they have in their constituency who have had a loved one pass away abroad. I have taken notes on that, but equally I will follow up with them and with the families as well. Daniel Johnson On the specific point about second postmortems, will the cabinet secretary commit to looking at fatal accident inquiries that does permit second postmortems, but it has a very high threshold and a much higher threshold than that that exists in England and Wales? Hamza Yousaf Although I am conscious of time, I was coming to that issue along with a couple of others, but I will address it just now. Postmortems, of course, Daniel Johnson will be aware, are ultimately the responsibility of the Lord Advocate. I will raise this issue with the Lord Advocate. There were issues raised around the postmortems and the possibility of a postmortem rightly for the Lord Advocate and understandably so for the independence of the judiciary and independence of the Crown, but I will raise that issue with him. I will also raise the issue that Bob Dorris mentioned around the change of law and fatal accident inquiries for those that died abroad and killed abroad at the discretion of the Lord Advocate and asking about that threshold that you mentioned and whether that needs to be re-examined and re-booked again. I will have to be fairly quick now. Thank you, Bob Dorris. I really appreciate the comments that you are making, cabinet secretary, but there has always been the wider issue about how the Lord Advocate could make an informed decision to use that discretion. One of the ways that the Lord Advocate could make an informed decision was when families have got concerns that he could construct a postmortem that could inform that potential discretionary decision. Right now, he is flying blind a little bit in the information that he has available. I will raise the issue with the Lord Advocate. Of course, I invite other members of the Parliament to do so. I will just end because I am conscious of the time on the victims task force, which I have mentioned and I announced. Angela Constance previously asked me whether or not we will look at the experiences of those families who have died abroad. I absolutely will do that, but what I would like to do is to extend that out to other families as well. Many families have been mentioned here. I think that I have a specific request from Fulton on the family of Craig Mallon. Of course, I would be happy to meet them. Perhaps he is part of a wider format, and if he thinks that one-to-one is better, he needs a way. For the victims task force, we should absolutely look at the support that is needed for families of victims who have died abroad. I will also engage with the all-parliamentary group that Tanna Burdell has set up and has played a key role in founding and supporting. I am very happy to engage with the group and to review the support that is provided for bereaved families. I know that Scottish Government officials are due to meet the all-party group in the coming weeks, and I look forward to reading it from that. I will write to Tanna Burdell as the chair of the group to offer my assistance in this important piece of work. I will also look into the issue of Police Scotland notifications, which was raised. I am happy to keep members, especially Daniel Johnson, raised about other members who spoke in the debate and updated on the progress of that. I look forward to the meeting with the Maxwell family. I really thank Angela for giving this important issue. I agree with those around the chamber that perhaps there is a wider and a further and a more in-depth discussion to go, but I thank her for bringing it in. I thank members for some very helpful contributions for the Government to take forward. That concludes the debate, and the meeting is closed.