 The next item of business is a debate on Motion 457.6, in the name of Fiona Hyslop, on inclusive tourism, promoting accessible tourism, and changing lives through the visitor economy. I invite members who wish to speak to press their request to speak buttons now, and I call on Fiona Hyslop to speak to you and move the motion. Thank you, Presiding Officer. As we mark the beginning of National Tourism week tomorrow, I move the motion in my name. Since taking up my role as Cabinet Secretary for Tourism last year, I have spoken many times about what tourism means for Scotland's prosperity. I have spoken about the £11 billion of economic activity that it generates in the wider supply chain. I have spoken about the importance of Scotland's place in Europe, seven of our top 10 key markets are European and in the wider world. I have welcomed the significant increase in the jobs that the industry provides, £217,000 in 2015, which is 8.5 per cent of all of Scotland's employment. All of those are good sound reasons to be proud of our vibrant and successful tourism industry. The tourism industry continues to grow, and those who come to visit us are drawn to Scotland for a wide variety of reasons. They want to see our exceptional natural landscapes, visit our award-winning attractions and taste our wonderful food and drink. Scotland's economic strategy is not only about delivering sustainable economic growth, it is also about tackling the inequalities that continue to exist in our society. Unfortunately, those inequalities are still very real for many people. We often say about our industry that tourism is everyone's business, and we have made great progress in making that so, but tourism is not yet for everyone. One in every three people in Scotland misses out on being a visitor in their own country, and we want to change that, and we are. I am sure that everyone in the chamber can think about a holiday or even a day out that was special for them, something that brings back a fond memory or a smile when you think about it. Time with my grandparents in a caravan on the shores of Loch Dun was very special to me as a child, as I made mine in the ruins of Loch Dun castle in exploration, when all the day visitors had left. Some of you may also be familiar with the annual Glasgow Taxi Association's annual day out to Trun. Believe it or not, those trips began in 1945 with only three taxi drivers, and they are now 150. Since then, countless Glasgow children have been able to enjoy the delights of the Ayrshire coast—a wonderful example of what inclusive tourism is all about. Last February, the First Minister launched Visit Scotland's new spirit of Scotland campaign, which introduced a brand-new approach to promoting Scotland around the world. At the launch, she highlighted the new partnership between Visit Scotland and the Family Holiday Association. The aim then was to create the Scottish spirit programme of around 100 short breaks for disadvantaged families from across Scotland. In September, I launched a second project, the Glasgow pilot, to provide days out for disadvantaged families living in the Glasgow area. At that launch, I found out that, difficult as it is to believe, some families from the outlying parts of Glasgow never visit the city centre. I also met some of the families who took part in the Scottish spirit breaks. One was a single mother of two who had to give up work due to her relationship breakdown and to deteriorating physical and mental health. Another had moved to Scotland from Nigeria, where she had had her own business and was back at college trying to improve her employability while her young daughter was at nursery. Both families enjoyed weekend breaks, one in Invernessshire and the other in Ayrshire. Just over a year on from that initial launch, we did not imagine the success that it would achieve in such a short time, not just in the number and quality of the breaks that were provided, but also in the generosity of the industry in providing those opportunities for so many families. Overall, 250 families benefited from both programmes, nearly 1,000 people in total, and 555 of those were children. More than half of those families had never had a break together at all. That was a truly collaborative initiative across all parts of the industry, from historic environment Scotland to large putting green, from Abellio ScotRail to Boots and Paddles, a mobile outdoor adventure company, from Hilton hotels to The Bean and Leaf, an Ayrshire cafe bistro, providing a range of experiences that the families who took part will remember for a very long time. That could very well change their lives. Resilience is very important, and coming together at difficult times to have that time away can make a real difference to how people see themselves, their relationships and their capacity, perhaps, to move on from difficult situations. European partnership has also been a part of making the programmes a success. In January, I heard at first hand about the work of Visit Flanders, which has been developing social tourism since 2001. From helping 752 individuals then, it now helps around 150,000 people a year to have a break—quite phenomenal. Visit Flanders has recorded a range of social benefits from its social tourism initiatives, including increased citizenship and improvements to wellbeing, self-esteem and family relationships. In enabling an additional 150,000 people to take a break, it has helped to support the tourism industry, often in low season, when many businesses are struggling to stay open and employ staff. Through the signing of its renewed memorandum of understanding with Visit Scotland, both organisations will continue to share best practice and expertise on a number of topics, including social tourism. Like those families who took part in our Scots break breaks, another group that can benefit from the inclusive tourism agenda is carers. As a Government, we already recognise the vital role that unpaid carers and young carers play in our society. We know that caring can be a positive and rewarding experience and can have a positive impact on wellbeing, but it is also crucial that carers are supported effectively to enable them to better cope with the stresses and demands of their caring role, and to look after their own health and wellbeing. That includes taking a much needed break. From 1 April 2018, the new carers Scotland Act 2016 will make a meaningful difference to unpaid carers and will contribute towards the improvement of their health and wellbeing, ensuring that they can continue to care if they wish to and to have a life alongside caring. It places a duty on local authorities to provide support to carers based on the carers' identified needs, and there is a requirement for the responsible local authority to consider whether support should be provided in a form of a break from caring. It will also mean that each local authority will, under a duty, prepare and publish a short break services statement that sets out information on the breaks that are available in Scotland for the carer and cared for person. I would like to talk about respitality. The respitality initiative that is respite breaks plus hospitality already connects local carers centres with hospitality providers such as hotels, guest houses, leisure clubs and restaurants. The aim is that providers become respitality partners by offering a gift of a short break to a carer or a young carer. The pilot project was originally included in Freeson Galloway, Falkirk Fife, Midlothian and North and South Lanarkshire, which was extended in 2016 to include Angus, Dundee, Edinburgh and Perthincan Ross. It was developed and administered by Shared Care Scotland, one of our national carer organisations in partnership with Scottish Government officials and hospitality industry trust Scotland. We have provided funding that amounts to £123,000 towards the pilot since 2014. An evaluation report, published in January with findings and recommendations for future provision, is currently being considered. In addition, since 2010, the Scottish Government has also provided funding of over £20 million towards the voluntary run short breaks fund administered by Shared Care Scotland and the family fund. Those three programmes provide grants to third sector organisations to develop new and existing short breaks provisions to provide choice, flexibility and personalisation of services, and also directly to the families of disabled children and young people to support their breaks or activities. Inclusive tourism is not just about providing opportunities like those that I have just mentioned. For those who live with disability in Scotland, taking a simple break can also be challenging. Like our country, Scotland's population is diverse, with disabled people making up nearly one in five of Scotland's working-age population, and as we know, our population is also ageing. UN's guide in partnership with Visit Scotland through its inclusive tourism programme is an excellent example of how we are making tourism in Scotland available to everyone. Work to improve access can improve the experiences of a wide range of visitors, from families with young children and senior travellers to people with permanent physical or sensory disabilities. Access guides and accessible itineraries of things to do and see for visitors are available through VisitScotland.com, providing a range of information on accessible holidays in Scotland. Last Sunday, on disabled access day, the very building, which scores four and a half stars in UN's guide and has its own access statement, offered BSL guided tours for visitors and hosted entertainment from the Edinburgh signing choir. As well as tackling inequalities, the accessibility of tourism products and services has real potential to boost the wider economy by actively supporting the local communities in the areas with accessible tourism business, for example in North Berwick, with its beach wheelchair access facility. In 2015, the Great British Tourism Survey reported that tourism parties in which at least one member was identified as having a disabled disability contributed approximately £1.3 billion to Scotland's economy. That is a sizable contribution by any measure. VisitScotland is working hard this year to take the agenda further with the introduction of two new accessible tourism destination areas, hashtag accessiblefife and everyone's Edinburgh, including a basic assessment of accessibility actions during its quality assurance visits and developing new guides on inclusive events, inclusive design to support building refurbishment and development and an inclusive communications guide. The benefits that even a short break in brain cannot be underestimated and they can be economic, educational and social. The Family Holiday Association has identified a wide range of such benefits. For business, breaks can reduce the impact of seasonality by filling capacity during low or shorter season months and create and maintain employment levels both in the tourism sector and the wider economy. They also provide free marketing to help to provide and develop an improved corporate reputation. A higher number of breaks can provide support for small and emerging destinations and boost regional investment in accommodation, retail, transport, hospitality, attractions and the cultural sector. They can also promote a destination's tourism potential to the wider public. People who participate in tourism at an early age are more likely to do so as an adult, supporting longer-term sustainability. Enabling people to take breaks can also reduce pressure on health services through the improved mental and physical wellbeing of participants. They can be a reduced reliance on social services with fewer applications for unemployment and other state benefits. For those in work, a break can support better performance and less likelihood of burnout. Participants also report improved family cohesion and a higher level of life satisfaction and self-esteem. There can also be a positive impact on the ability to learn and desire to undertake a personal development. Many of us take our holiday time or our breaks for granted, but what we are talking about is the opportunity for people who perhaps might not have the opportunity to experience something that we, as I said, can often take for granted. At the broadest level, enabling more people to take a break can improve social cohesion, participation in community life and engagement with education and employment. I wonder if we can be as ambitious as visit Flanders to go to 150,000 people, which is part of the fabric of the life of their society and economy. It is certainly a wonderful example, and I think that we can and should think about it as aspiring to. I hope that that is an explanation of the impotience of this sector. I think that it is something that we can learn from and from other countries, but I also think that it will lead on. There are so many very good examples. I am not making any claims that we have a totally inclusive or accessible tourism sector as of now, but I think that, with shared ambition, that is something that we can aspire to. There are not many things in life where there is a win-win outcome. Inclusive tourism, be it increasing accessibility, giving disadvantaged families and individuals a break, or supporting growth in our sector, is one of those things that helps the individuals and helps the sector. I look forward to the contributions from everybody in this chamber, and I hope that this can be a shared endeavour that we can lead on as part on behalf of the people of Scotland. I ask members to support the motion. It is a pleasure to take part in today's debate. The debate is a timely opportunity to discuss the importance of inclusive tourism, both for the positive impact that it has on improving the lives of many people in Scotland and for the substantial economic benefit that it brings to Scotland. Today's debate is also timely because, as the cabinet secretary mentioned, this week marks Scottish tourism week, and there are many reasons to be positive about the tourist sector in Scotland. There are now more than 217,000 people working in the industry, an increase of more than 10 per cent year on year. Tourist spend in Scotland generates over £12 billion of economic activity in the wider Scottish supply chain and contributes some £6 billion to Scottish GDP. That represents about 5 per cent of total Scottish economic contribution, showing how important the tourist sector is to the economy. It is also one of the fastest-growing sectors in the economy, with growth in tourist spend of approximately 15 per cent last year. Tourists from the rest of the UK contributed the vast majority of tourist spend in Scotland, while the largest single overseas market comprised tourists from the United States, showing that the Scottish tourist market is reflective of the overall Scottish economy, with the rest of the UK market being the most important, followed by a relationship with the United States. Social tourism is now an important part of the overall growth of the tourist sector in Scotland. In 2015, tourism groups in which at least one member was identified as having a disability contributed some £1.3 billion to Scotland's economy. That is approximately 20 per cent of total spending on day visits in Scotland. Our amendment to the Government's motion today, which we will be supporting, recognises that the growing importance of social tourism is something that we should capitalise upon. Our amendment to the motion also supports the further promotion of Scotland as an accessible visitor destination for all tourists from other parts of the UK and worldwide. Recognising the social and economic benefits to be derived from inclusive tourism, VisitScotland is working to expand inclusive tourism in two main areas. First of all, accessible tourism involves working with industry and promoting the business case for those with specific access requirements to visit places and gain experiences that might not otherwise be available to them. Secondly, social tourism enables those from disadvantaged backgrounds to experience a trip to another part of Scotland—again, something that they might not otherwise benefit from. In the area of accessible tourism, VisitScotland has rightly identified potential for significant development. There are 11.6 million people in the UK with a disability, which is approximately 18.5 per cent of the total population. It is estimated that as many of four as four out of five people with a disability do not enjoy a holiday, something that many of us take for granted. I am sure that all members today will agree that this is something that is worthy of improvement. To address this, it is important that we also remember that accessibility is limited for a large number of people who have visual impairment, hearing impairment or learning disabilities, as well as physical disabilities. The accessible tourism market also includes the provision of tourist facilities for families with young children, elderly people, people with mental health issues and people with temporary physical impairments, so it is clear that this is a very wide market with wide appeal. In order to expand this market, VisitScotland has recognised a number of different access barriers that prevent people from having a holiday or a break with their family. An understanding of those barriers has helped the sector to better understand how to open up the visitor economy to as many people as possible. The member talks about the different ranges of disabilities and the need to tackle barriers. I think that it is very interesting that 71 per cent of disabilities are non-visible, so the accessibility guides that he talks about can help to open people's awareness of the types of measures that they might need to take. Dean Lockhart, I completely agree and thank you for raising that point. VisitScotland has, as I will come on to later, introduced specific training programmes to address the needs of people who have special access requirements and to provide training to tourist operators so that they can identify what those needs are. It is a very good point to highlight. The barriers that we need to highlight and which have been highlighted by VisitScotland include physical barriers concerns that people with impaired mobility may not be able to access facilities, buildings or a physical landscape. Technology barriers, as we know, holiday or accommodation bookings are increasingly being booked online, and that can prove challenging for some people to arrange bookings. There is still limited information available on accessible visitor sites in Scotland. A number of successful measures have been taken by the tourist sector to break down those barriers. VisitScotland suggests that there are three core aspects that businesses need to address to expand access in a meaningful way. First of all, training their staff to be disability aware. Secondly, provision of detailed information on access levels, on websites and brochures, and thirdly, making sure that physical facilities are fit for expanded access. I am very glad to say that those needs are being addressed. First of all, VisitScotland, as I mentioned, is arranging for specific training for managers and front-line staff of tourist accommodation so that they are aware of the requirements of tourists who require specific access needs. In addition, organisations such as Ewan's Guide work with the public sector to make sure that information is available on sites that are accessible to all members of the public, something that is to be commended. Let me move on to the second element of social inclusive tourism, which is social tourism. The expanding area of social tourism reflects that some 250,000 families in Scotland are unable to take a short break because they either cannot afford the cost or are unable to take time off because of care or other commitments. The barriers to social tourism differ from the barriers to accessible tourism. In the case of social tourism, it may be family or social barriers where the personal or financial position of an individual or family makes it difficult to afford the trip or the cost involved or indeed the time involved in having a family trip. Given that, social tourism involves facilitating access to short breaks for the most disadvantaged in society. To achieve that, collaboration across the tourist sector is required and there have been notable success stories. As the cabinet secretary has mentioned, in last year, Visit Scotland in a collaboration with the Family Holiday Association and many industry partners combined to provide two initiatives that enabled over 250 vulnerable and disadvantaged families in Scotland to take a short break or a day trip in Scotland that otherwise they would not have been able to do. That resulted in providing over 1,000 people with an experience of Scotland that otherwise was not possible. Those initiatives provided weekend breaks across Scotland and also included families visiting the wider Glasgow area to enjoy a day away from their routine stresses, which has been highlighted as being something that is very good for the individuals involved. I commend everyone involved in those initiatives for their forward thinking and generosity of time and resource in making those initiatives happen. Those initiatives are good examples of how collaboration across the tourist sector can deliver results and of how it is possible to combine the social dimension and also have a positive business outcome. For example, an increasing number of those visits are taking place during the low season of the tourist season, which means that social tourism can increase occupancy and assist tourist business during quiet times. I would now like to conclude by highlighting an example of an organisation in my own region that exemplifies many of the values of inclusive tourism that we will be discussing today. Trossics Mobility is a registered charity based on calendar that aims to break down the barriers that disabled people often face when it comes to exploring the great outdoors. That initiative provides specialised all-terrain wheelchairs, designed for the most difficult of outdoor terrains. By making access to our national parks easier for people with disabilities and other physical limitations, Trossics Mobility allows disabled people to enjoy the Scottish countryside and give individuals a sense of independence that normal wheelchairs cannot offer. A partnership with Stirling Cycle Hub has recently enabled the charity to create a link with the families of disabled people who can cycle alongside their family members in the all-terrain chairs. That is a great example of social inclusion, as without that service, those families would not be able to access the great outdoors. Trossics Mobility benefits from continued support by Stirling Council and the Loch Lomond and Trossics National Park. That will help the initiative to continue to grow and I wish them very well for the future. During the debate today, we will hear from my colleagues and other members of the chamber about how inclusive tourism is able to address the issues of social responsibility, by expanding the enjoyment of having a break away from everyday pressures and, at the same time, business growth by creating opportunities to meet the demands of many people who have previously been excluded from the market. Although there has been limited regulatory intervention to encourage and increase the availability of accessible tourist sites across Scotland, as we have heard, those initiatives are most successful when they are sector-led, involving collaboration across many different peoples and organisations involved in the sector and when they have a strong business case as well as social benefits to be derived. I congratulate everyone in the tourist sector who have worked together to promote inclusive tourism in Scotland and I move the amendment in my name. I was pleased to see the reference to Ewan's guide in the Government's motion today. I first met Ewan MacDonald a couple of years ago at a parliamentary reception to which I was invited by the late and much-missed Gordon Acmon, whose campaigning achievements we celebrated here a few weeks ago. Ewan is a power chair user who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease back in 2003. I was delighted to meet him again last week when he was here with his sister Kiki to promote the disabled access events over the weekend to which the ministers referred. Ewan, like Gordon, met a life-changing condition by seeking to achieve change in society. His starting point was that it was difficult to find accessible places to go, even just for a coffee with friends, so he set up Ewan's guide. That is a fantastic example of collective action online. It is disabled people themselves, their families and their carers, who write the reviews and put them up there. It is other people who face the same challenges who read them and take advantage of them. I hope that many more people will add their tuppence worth to that guide so that accessible venues and visitor attractions across Scotland are promoted and publicised. All venues are encouraged to meet the standards of the best, including this Parliament itself. Mark Cooper is another wheelchair user, turned campaigner, who has used his own campaigning energies to secure a change in the law to require pubs and restaurants to be accessible. Like many activists, Mark was spurred on by his own experience. After going for a drink with friends in an Edinburgh pub, he had to leave midway through the evening when he discovered that the only toilet that he could use was up some stairs that he could not climb. It was his energy and commitment that helped to secure a change to the criminal justice and licence act in 2010, requiring those seeking to obtain a renewal licence to serve alcohol to show how they have made their premises accessible. That new requirement, however, has still not been brought into force, and I believe that it is time for that to change. Our amendment today highlights the need for the Scottish Government to ensure that the change in the law is now implemented. Ministers have had over five years to consider necessary changes to secondary legislation. I have no doubt that they have done that. Now, I think that they need to get on with implementing the will of Parliament. Another formidable campaigner for the rights of disabled people is Damon Begg, formerly MP for Aberdeen South. Nowadays, he is an active member of the Aberdeen disabled action group, which advises the City Council on policy as it affects disabled people. His view is that tourist destinations in general are much better geared up now than was the case generally 20 years ago for disabled visitors in general, but that a great unmet need still exists for those who are the most severely disabled. A good example of that kind of issue is raised by the changing places campaign, which campaigns for bespoke public conveniences for those who need to lie rather than sit down in order to get changed while on a day out. Begg is very supportive of the campaign for such facilities at Aberdeen beach, which started by local nurse and mum Judith Scofield and enjoying active cross-party support. That example illustrates the point that improved access for a disabled person can also allow that person's family to enjoy a day out where they might not otherwise be able to do so. The point is that the visitor attraction itself gets a benefit from increased visitor numbers and the increased spending that goes with that. In that case, more users of Aberdeen beach will mean more income for the businesses on the beach front and improved facilities for the most disabled, which will usually mean better facilities for everyone else. It is a point that is recognised by the National Museum of Scotland, which I know is seeking to respond positively to a similar campaign by changing places around their facilities. As we have already heard, accessible tourism is not only about removing physical barriers to hauled destinations for disabled people and others. It is also about lowering the financial and social barriers that can equally prevent access to what our country has to offer. We welcome the work of VisitScotland and the ScotSpirit campaign to promote social tourism, which is another important aspect of an inclusive approach to hauled destinations in Scotland. The family hauled associations have already highlighted that a lack of access to the experience of hauled destinations is one of the consequences of poverty in Scotland. According to the national statistics, almost a third of families cannot afford a week's hauled destinations, as many as 200,000 Scottish children live in families that cannot afford a day out. The family hauled associations have been doing something about that across the UK for 40 years. It is good that we have seen the new initiative in Scotland to extend the work that they do with support from businesses large and small. Those taking advantage include families short of cash. The minister gave an example of marital breakdown, but also those struggling with the impact of bereavement or domestic violence or substance abuse. One of the striking things about their testimonies is what a difference even a short break can make to people's lives in those circumstances. It is remarkable that, even in the 21st century, a third of Scottish households have still not experienced the joys of a holiday in Scotland. That is a measurement of the number of people for whom inclusive tourism is still an aspiration rather than a fact. However, it also reflects an unreached market, as far as Scottish tourism businesses are concerned. Holiday opportunities for disadvantaged families require willing participation by those businesses, too. Their feedback is also interesting. They all regard it as a way of meeting their corporate social responsibility. Two thirds of them hoped for additional visitor numbers as a result. Three quarters thought that they were good for the image and reputation of the sector as a whole, but every single one of them recognised that they made a real difference to the families in question. That for every single one of them was part of the reason for taking part. In promoting accessible and inclusive tourism, there are all sorts of barriers that need to be addressed. A variety of partners need to be involved. Some already are, others need to be, too. However, places such as science centres, art galleries and museums, local authorities, Historic Environment Scotland, Events Scotland and Visit Scotland all have a role to play here, as do travel companies, service providers and visitor attractions on their staff. However, the driver in future, as in the past, will, I have no doubt, continue to come from those voluntary groups and committed individuals, from Ewn's Guide to the Family Holdings Association, from Mark Cooper and Anne Begg to the Changing Places campaign. Those people who themselves see what the barriers are and set out to remove them. The job of Government and its agencies and of this Parliament, as well, is to get behind those campaigners because their successes will be good for all of us. To that end, I move the amendment in my name. I apologise to the state of my voice, which is a direct result of being a tourist to Liverpool or more accurately to Anfield on Sunday, and the necessity of raising my voice on the other occasion so as to ensure the desired result. It certainly hasn't recovered yet. It feels nearly worse than watching Scotland England on Saturday, which didn't do much to my voice either. Can I broadly commend the remarks of the cabinet secretary in opening this debate? Funnily enough, I thought that this debate was short to be truncated today, because we would surely be having a full statement from the First Minister on what she announced, not the Parliament yesterday, but to the Bute House drawing room. It would have been great relief to my voice had we got a little less time today rather than that, but that didn't turn out to be the case, probably sadly for many other reasons. However, the two points that I wanted to make by way of introduction were the first on the cabinet secretary's opening remarks about the importance of the private sector across tourism investing in accessible tourism, investing in the range of services that are necessary. On that, of course, she's absolutely right. There are a range of ways in which that happens, but what I hope she might address in her final remarks this afternoon would be the impact of the changes to rates that has affected every tourism business across Scotland, even with the welcome reductions that have been brought in at the last minute by the finance secretary. Many tourism businesses that I've been made aware of have faced a 12.5 per cent rise, and it has been capped to that, but of course there is no as-yet position on next year. I hope that, as we all do, the Barclay review this summer will produce some sterling results on that, but I would hope that she'd addressed that point in her wind-up in relation to the impact that has had, particularly in terms of investing in exactly the kind of services and exactly the kind of facilities that she rightly highlighted in her opening remarks. The second point by way of introduction is Dean Lockhart's observation about the growth in tourism spend being 15 per cent in the last year. During the course of a family visit to Castle Irkot three or four Saturdays ago, I had a long discussion with the custodian there, incidentally, where a couple were pushing their mother in a wheelchair across the Castle Irkot slopes, which in itself was quite a demanding thing to do. It's one of the observations he made about the importance of that astonishingly beautiful part of Scotland, an astonishing castle being as accessible as it could be to people both old and with disabilities. He did observe that there were many more tourists at Castle Irkot. I think their numbers are considerably up in the last year, caused ironically of course by the week of the pound. I'm not proposing that we get into debate about why the pound is weakened, but there's been no two ways that that has had an impact on tourism numbers over the previous year. The point that I really wanted to address in this debate this afternoon was around what Lewis MacDonald was rightly hinting about, actually the impact of poverty on tourism and on accessible tourism. I thought very fairer observation that inclusive tourism is an aspiration or a hope rather than a reality for too many families indeed. In that sense, the reason I've tabled this amendment, as Professor was quite taken, that it got selected today, but tabled this amendment today, particularly reflects the island needs in relation to how that impacts on people with less money and their ability to use ferry services. Alasdair Allan's constituency was here earlier on, rightly benefited from a change in government support for some years now. All we look for in the Northern Isles is the same arrangements that do now exist and have existed for some seven or eight years to the Western Isles and indeed to some of the west coast islands as well. That's particularly the case when the cost of travel for a Shetland household or for people visiting the islands, but certainly for a Shetland household for a family of four is £600 a round trip from Aberdeen up to Lerwick and from Lerwick back to Aberdeen. Now, that has a very direct impact on tourism. It has a very direct impact particularly on tourists or on potential tourists who come from families with less money or who come from families where there is a disabled family member. Because, as the DWP report from last June shows, households with a disabled family member are on average more likely to live on lower incomes and current travel costs to and from Shetland represent, therefore, an additional burden for those households. We hope that the Government will take that matter forward and recognise that there's an equity issue there as well. The other aspect of tourism that a number of members—sorry, the front bench has already highlighted and Lewis Macdonald made this point particularly in relation to public conveniences to toilets. A good example at home is at Yarlsoft, which is a Bronze Age Viking remnants and very well interpreted by Historic Scotland. However, the need there now is for a car parking facility for buses, for cars and for people with disabilities because there are no public toilets at that site. Despite a number—I mean not just I but many others across the tourism industry who have been making that case to Historic Scotland now, whose chief executive is now, of course, Alex Paterson. He used to be the chief executive of Hounds Islands Enterprise. We hope that, if the minister could add to that, we'd be very grateful. We hope that Alex Paterson and Historic Environment Scotland will absolutely grasp the nettle of that, not least of which because the Yarlsoft site is visited by many, many hundreds of tourists off cruise liners. Lerwick has been one of the busier ports now in Scotland for cruise liners with 79 ships this year, with more than 50,000 people. Many of them are more elderly, I should say, rather than people with disabilities. However, where there are elderly facilities need to be appropriate for their needs and that does not currently exist. Therefore, if the Government and the Cabinet Secretary could put a little bit of pressure on her agency, we'd be very supportive of that indeed, because it would make just that difference to exactly the kind of tourists that she mentioned in her opening remarks, which I entirely endorse and the need for a change and a positive change at that. The other side that I wanted to very briefly mention as well, Presiding Officer, if I may, is the UN's guide. Lewis MacDonald and the Cabinet Secretary both mentioned that, while the Government of Motion mentions that. Lewis MacDonald made the point about it being online. Of course, that raises the somewhat obvious point that, around Scotland, we need a far better availability of broadband and mobile phone coverage so that the very people who may be able to benefit from exactly the guide that is clearly so useful can. That is not the case at this time, because broadband and mobile phone coverage for any of us who enjoy the rural and island and wild areas of Scotland, though, is patchy to put it mildly. The 4G, when I look at my phone when I was at Castle Look at the other day, 4G, there was no G on that phone as well. That whole thing was whaddling as my kids all sat there trying to get onto social media and all the rest of it, which in itself was a blessing, but that in itself is by the by. The importance of broadband and mobile phone coverage has to be recognised as the lack of it has a detrimental effect both on businesses and, indeed, on the visitor's experience. UN's guide is a graphic example of that in the context of today's debate. I strongly welcome what has been proposed in relation to the Government's motion around inclusive tourism, as has been said here in tourism week. I hope that the Government will also be minded to accept our member, who recognises that there are some additional factors that need to be taken forward, and they are highlighted in our amendment. Thank you very much. We now move to the open part of the debate. Our first speaker is David Torrance, before by Jeremy Balfour. David Torrance. Thank you, Presiding Officer. We should never underestimate how attractive Scotland is as an international tourist destination or how important tourism is for the Scottish economy. Scotland's culture, landscape and complex history attracts millions of people to visit Scotland each year from all over the world, sustaining well over 200,000 jobs. I myself have many fond memories of my own travelling around Scotland to explore and view its incredible landscapes, to visit its inspiring towns, cities and to learn about its unique and dynamic history. There should be no doubt how attractive Scotland is for tourism. As a country, we have a responsibility to utilise its appeal to grow and sustain the Scottish economy by protecting its assets for generations to come. I welcome the news that there has been a 33% increase in the volume of visits by those in the accessible tourism market to Scotland since 2009. However, it is estimated that up to £9 billion went unspent last year in the UK because people were not aware or did not know that their particular disability could be catered for. As much as Scotland's tourism is heavily orientated towards outdoor activities such as golfing, biking and hiking, it is crucial that we accept that many of our tourists, including elderly, less mobile and young children, have access needs. It is our job and our responsibility to make tourism Scotland more inclusively active and make it easier for our visitors to enjoy what Scotland has to offer. Visit Scotland has played a crucial role in unlocking Scotland's potential for tourism, highlighting the business initiative that is designed to attract more tourists, especially by making our services more accessible and inclusive. Accessibility is not much more than accommodating for future users. It is about the attitude of barriers that often pretend accessible policy from being pursued because of the vision of it being expensive. However, we must play our part in stimulating conversation to get access to the fact that it is the simple things that make the big differences that could not get the message across to normalise the topic. Almost half of disabled tourists spend between £500 to £1,000 on their holiday, with 10 per cent spend around £1,500. This produces enormous social and economic barriers. We need to invest in a broader strategy that will tackle the stigma not only for a traveller with accessible needs but for us here in Parliament and everyone involved in the tourist industry. The business case for improving accessible tourism is strong, but more needs to be done to make it tangible to business owners who may not have incentive to improve facilities. There has been a range of initiatives to regard accessible tourism, including capability Scotland's accessible tourism project, which aims to make Scotland the most accessible tourist destination in Europe and by identifying barriers faced by disabled people. In addition, The Guide Dogs Open for Business package, launched in 2013, offers inspiration to tourist industry to think about ways that can make their business more inclusive. The Scottish Disability Equality Forum launched the Accessible Travel Hub, a website that makes information, articles and guidance readily available. In last year's aiming for inclusive growth event on accessible tourism was extremely successful, bringing together representatives of more than 20 tourist organisations from around Europe to raise the level-accessible tourist expertise around the continent to present policies and achievements and to share ideas and set agendas. In my constituency, golf courses, gallies, coastal baths and museums bring hundreds of thousands of tourists to life every year. A massive impact that visitor expenditure has on local businesses, economy and jobs cannot be overstated. From direct infrastructure roles such as hotels, restaurants, staff, devos, transportation and retail industries, in addition to the opportunities that they create for services of facilities and communities that would otherwise not be sustainable. They are compelling economic as well as social benefits to ensuring that the tourism market is accessible to all, whilst a great number of businesses in Fife and wider Scotland have already made positive changes to improve their accessibility, we must continue to develop and promote our facilities and demonstrate our commitment to accessible tourism to every visitor. The tourism industry, along with Fife's best known natural assets, our beautiful coastline could be transformed by simply making our coastal areas more accessible by promoting an inclusive and proactive approach to engage new audiences we may have felt unable to enjoy their assets previously. I believe we must do it all we can so that no one feels unable to enjoy Fife's breathtaking shorelines and sceneries. In 2014, the Homeland Trust Fife opened a unique and accessible self-catering facility overlooking for Fife, designed and equipped to meet the needs of people with a range of disabilities and health conditions. The Paxton drop-in centre offers a variety of group and individual activities such as self-managing courses, alternative therapies and health walks. The Fife Tourism Partnership vision is for Fife to establish a social and economic business to venison businesses, visitors in the wider area by a whole by creating an accessible destination. The partnership also hosts a series of workshops for businesses and staff. All those services also help residents in Fife with similar disabilities, so it's a win-win scenario. UNE's guide and online guide to share information about places with disabled access lists come great reviews of places in Fife, including the Harbour Master's House and Smith Theatre in Cercodi, a massive number of tourist businesses and destinations, and now promoting services for disabled guests as a norm. I'm proud that Fife's tourist destinations and venues are being recommended for accessibility. In 2015, Scotland's accessibility tourism market was estimated to be worth £1.3 billion. I placed a spence of emphasis on stimulating conversation regarding disability and access not just in the tourist industry but in everyday life. Visit Scotland and tourist industry has made immense progress but the main tourist season is approaching and there is still much to be done to achieve the ultimate goal of making their fantastic holiday destination accessible to everyone. In conclusion, I fully support the efforts of the Scottish Government and all its partners to make tourism more accessible in order to truly change lives and to support the Scottish economy. We do have a little bit of time in hand if anyone is desperate to speak for longer than six minutes and interventions would be welcome. I call Jeremy Balfour to be followed by John Mason. I will try to keep it to 50 minutes then in that case. It is a great pleasure to be able to take part in the debate this afternoon. I suspect that there is a lot of consensus among all of us as we speak. Tourism is a vital place for Scotland and, as a representative of Llorians, we benefit from so many people coming into our city all through the year. It is good to have different types of people from different countries, from different cities and from different backgrounds. I want to touch briefly on two or three areas in regard to how we can make tourism as accessible as possible. Before someone can benefit from arriving at a hotel or going to the castle or going to some other historical site, they have to be able to get there. Often for people with disability, that is a major issue. We talk a lot and rightly about people who have issues with mobility and wheelchair use, but we have to remember that that is only six per cent of people with disability. As the cabinet secretary pointed out, a lot of disability can either be hidden or can be less obvious to people. I am pleased with what Transport Scotland has done, along with his Government's encouragement, into the 10-year accessible travel plan. I hope that over the next 10 years we will see improvements for people getting to A to B, not just for tourism but just in life in general. I suspect that one thing that perhaps we need to look at again is in regard to when people go by car to a site. Often there are disabled parking spaces available, but they are only available if you have a blue badge, which means that you have a mobility issue. You cannot get a blue badge, so you cannot use a disabled parking space if you do not have that. There will be people who have contacted me who say that they have a disability that does not affect my mobility, but just to get that bit closer would make it so much easier. I wonder whether we need to do some long-term thinking of when saying that if it is a disabled parking space it is only for those with mobility or we need to extend it out some way that people can use it for whatever disability. I also make a plea that we should encourage those who are wrongly part of it who do not have a disability to be punished in an appropriate way. We have already heard that we need to make tourism for business, and that can happen in lots of different ways. It is training staff, websites and appropriate facilities. I am sure that we are all aware of that and that things have improved over the past 20 years. I suspect that one of the areas that we are still not good on is staff knowing when to intervene and when not to intervene, and perhaps we need to look at feedback and how we do what the customer needs. I have a hidden secret that I am addicted to roller coasters. Anytime I go on holiday I try to between my family to go to somewhere that is at least within the knocking distance of a roller coaster. The higher, the bigger, the faster, the better. On a number of occasions I have been stopped going on a roller coaster because people think that my disability would stop it. Having explained to them about my disability and what I can do, often that is overcome. I understand that they want to try to be appropriate, but we must always say that the customer must come first, not the other way round. Fiona Hyslop, as someone who definitely does not do roller coasters, what I would say is that I think that you touched on something that is really important, and I think that Dean Lockhart spoke about it as well. It is the training, and I think that David Torrance talked about attitude as well, is how do we make sure that people intervene appropriately, and as you said, from a customer perspective. A lot of that is not necessarily about expensive changes, although that will happen in some instances. Actually, as a country, if we can change our attitude, that itself is a big step forward. Jeremy Balfour Thank you, cabinet secretary, and I absolutely agree with you. Maybe one of the ways to do this is to create ambassadors for disability. That is happening down south. There is some work being done by the UK Government in appointing ambassadors who can come along and work with industry and tourist boards to say that that is what we need and that is what we do not need, and it might be well worth a bit of joined-up thinking from across all four nations, where we can maybe use ambassadors to go out and speak to people about different disabilities. As you said, if we can educate, often that will not cost a company or an organisation any money but can make a real benefit to the individual's experience. Can I conclude, Deputy Presiding Officer, that we are saying that sometimes we have to recognise that a disability will stop someone doing something? That is a hard thing to see, and it is something that perhaps we do not want to recognise. Let me just give a very practical example. If you are a wheelchair user, you are probably never going to get to the top of the Scott Monument here in Edinburgh. That is something that we simply have to recognise. I think that there is also an education back on disabled people to say that we will try to be as accommodating as possible, we will try to be as open as possible, we will try to educate as possible, but there are limitations that come with your disability. I think that there are two sides of the coin and I hope that we do not ever go to the extent that we do so much, that we ruin historical buildings by making them so accessible that we lose that unique thing. I appreciate that that is a difficult balance to strike and it is a debatable area to discuss, but I think that it needs to be said in this debate that sometimes disability does mean that you cannot go. Yes, we should make every opportunity possible, but not always. I have John Mason to be followed by Ian Gray. I would like in my speech today to focus mainly on social tourism. My starting point in this debate is how much I personally, and I think that a lot of others have mentioned this as well, have benefited from having a break. That could just be a day out on the train to my leg. It could be a long weekend camping in the highlands or borders, which I assure you can be done quite cheaply with a tent, or a week away, as I did recently in Andalusia during the February recess. An interesting point that came to mind as Jeremy Balfour was speaking was that I was up one of those towers that the Moors built, and I think that it was in Sevilla. Although it is about, I do not know how many stories, I think that 13 stories, it has a ramp all the way up. I am not exactly sure why they did that, but it made it much more accessible than a lot of our towers. We all benefit from getting away from our usual routine and being physically in a different place. It is all very well saying, I am going to have a day off at home or a few days off, but all the usual chores can sit there and look at us, be it the washing or the garden or the ironing or whatever that might be. Clearly, in Glasgow, there is a tradition where families would go away for a day or maybe a little bit longer to Milport or Rothsy or Arden or one of those beautiful islands. I obviously do feel sorry for the residents of Edinburgh, D and Aberdeen, who are unfortunate enough not to have so many islands close by them. The evidence is there from a number of studies how much individuals and families benefit from having a break, and some of the benefits that have been shown to result from such breaks include parents having reduced stress and being better able to cope, positive impact on mental health, families spending more quality time together and so better family relationships going forward, and children having more confidence and increased aspirations. Other benefits are perhaps not so easy to measure, but most of us would instinctively feel that they would result, for example, families having more happy memories to share, children and families feeling more like everyone else, children and families having new experiences and broadened horizons. I personally see breaks or holidays as a chance to reflect and get away from the treadmill that all of us can sometimes be on. Then there are perhaps the harder benefits, but still important benefits, which have been mentioned already, of the boost for the travel and tourism industry and our resorts, especially during the low season if more people can use them. All of those were factors that convinced me that the Family Holiday Association, and there are other organisations in the field such as the Glasgow Children's Holiday scheme, were doing something really worthwhile when I first came across them a number of years ago. When I met the Family Holiday Association and they were asking about an area where they could maybe get involved in in Glasgow, I suggested two of the primary schools near me in Berlannarch, which is part of Greater Easterhouse, and we sat down with the two-head teachers and discussed with them some of the possibilities. They were immediately enthusiastic about the idea and they could immediately come up with families who they knew would benefit from just being away even for a day or better still for a long weekend. I understand that, in 2016, Visit Scotland and the Family Holiday Association arranged for some 254 families to have a short break or day out. It is striking and others have mentioned some of the figures that two thirds of those people had never had a break away together before. Some people would say that a holiday or a break is a luxury and if you can't afford it, well that's tough luck, you just can't afford it and that's that, but I would very much want to argue against that way of thinking. Sure, none of us need a luxury holiday and a cruise ship or some incredibly expensive type of holiday, but I do believe that we all need breaks from the usual routine and that is an essential part of our lives, be that as individuals or families. I think that it's the credit of this Parliament that there has been an increased focus on mental health over the last six years while I've been here and surely having a break from the usual routine has got to be one of the positive ways of helping people's mental health. We're told that 250,000 families in Scotland are unable to take even a short break mainly for cost reasons and the numbers can be quite staggering and I think that we've got a lot to learn from other countries, as has been mentioned, France and Spain, where the unions and the tourism industry are heavily committed to the idea of social tourism and I think that Flanders is seen as one of the leaders in this sector with some 150,000 disadvantaged people getting a break each year as the cabinet secretary said and these are quite staggering numbers. Visit Scotland and Family Holiday Association came up with this report, Tourism for Everyone, which I think looks back mainly at last year. I have to say that it has got a number of figures in it, hard and factual figures, so I can read some of them. 254 families benefited from a short break or a day out, 90 per cent of all families fell able to cope better after their experience, 97 per cent visited new bits of Scotland, 94 per cent had more confidence to try more trips in future, 88 per cent felt more optimistic about the future, 87 per cent said that they got on better as a family, 100 per cent would recommend attractions to family and friends and that has to be really encouraging figures but I think what strikes me in that report and elsewhere sometimes is the personal stories of people. We've probably all heard the stories in the past about children in Glasgow who had never seen a cow but a few years ago I was struck and quite shocked when I was living in London and someone was telling me about kids in London who have never seen the Thames. What kind of society are we in that that kind of thing can still be said about us today? Some of the quotes in this report, I find quite moving personally and I hope members will be interested. For example, a family caster, Rachel and her daughter, Amy, live with Rachel's parents. She's a good mum and very capable but has low self-confidence etc. She said, we have stayed overnight with relatives but Amy has never left the town we live in. I mean I just find this quite hard to even think about. Amy has never left the town we live in. I've only ever been to Edinburgh once on the train and I really liked it so I would like to do something like that with Amy. That's a family nowadays living in Scotland. Another quote from a family, we don't have a table in our house and dinner time is always stressful. Staying at a hotel gave us the chance to eat together at a table for the first time and for me that was incredible. I mean that's pretty special isn't it? Finally the quote from a family who, it's not just financial issues, it's the fact that people are not used to being in hotels and things and there can be quite a reluctance. So it says that the family needed a bit of support and reassurance in relation to staying in a hotel. Right up until the Friday of the planned weekend away, mum was adamant that she was not going. I helped her to manage her fears and worries and build her confidence so that she felt able to go away with her boys. It has been an amazing experience for the family and they are so grateful to everyone who made it possible. In conclusion I think that we do see the hard side, we see the benefit to the economy but there's real families and real people who can benefit from social tourism. I call Ian Gray to be followed by John Finnie. Presiding Officer, the title of this afternoon's debate is quite broad and there's been quite a broad sweep to the debate from social tourism to disability access. I intend to use my time to focus on one particular facility in my constituency, that's Lucky House. I intend to puff Lucky House gratuitously but I do so because I think it is a great example of what is possible and there are some lessons there which could be learned more broadly. For those who don't know or have never seen Lucky House, it is a beautiful 18th century classical mansion set in lovely grounds near North Berwick. It was for many years a respite centre for MS sufferers run from 1970 through until 1998 by Servant Nuns and then from 1998 until 2010 taken over by the MS Society, who in 2010 made, I think, the wrong-headed decision to withdraw their support from Lucky House. What followed was almost certain closure, halted in the end by a huge locally based campaign but with support from all over, given that this was a national centre, a national facility. In 2011, Lucky House reopened, this time as an independent charity, under the redoubtable leadership of Mario Keefe. I have to say that Lucky House since then has received significant support from East Lothian Council and from the Scottish Government on more than one occasion. That has allowed it to continue and to expand the services that it provides because it is no longer a respite centre for MS sufferers alone but covers a wide range of conditions. Indeed, last year, 2016, 37 per cent of the guests were not MS sufferers but had one of some 30 other conditions such as MND, Huntington's and others, which require very significant degrees of care. In doing this and expanding, Lucky House has worked closely with campaigners who have been mentioned already, such as Gordon Aitman and Ewan MacDonald. Lucky House is a respite centre, but if you go to Lucky House, it will talk to you not about respite but about holidays, because Lucky very much sees itself as being about breaks, breaks for four days, maybe up to as much as two weeks. Why is that? Firstly, it is because of happily its circumstance to find itself in my entirely objective opinion, the most beautiful county in Scotland. The minister talked about Scotland's beautiful countryside, visitor attractions of many different kinds and wonderful food and drink. He slowly has all of that and more. Lucky is a short distance from the beautiful beach in North Berwick, where North Berwick beach wheelchairs that the minister referred to are also there. Lucky House is a very close relationship and is a regular user, as you would imagine, of North Berwick beach wheelchairs. The unique thing about Lucky is two or three things. This is the most important. It is the model of break that Lucky provides. Lucky is not a break or a holiday for somebody who needs significant care. It is a holiday for those who need care and their carers. Carers come with usually their loved ones to Lucky, but they do not have to carry out their day-to-day caring responsibilities. This is the big difference. Two differences, really. This is respite for the carer without the cared-for person having to go away somewhere else. The couple, husband and wife, can stay and enjoy their holiday together. However, it is not an accessible holiday that they can go to, which means that the carer has to continue with his or her care and duties day by day. It is aimed at carers as well as those who are cared for. Secondly, it deals with people who have a very significant level of care. In fact, 50 per cent of Lucky House last year have the highest level of care needs. Thirdly, for a respite centre, Lucky House is just pretty good fun. The first time I visited Lucky House, I remember that it was in June, and I arrived at the door to be greeted by Santa Claus. That was because they had realised that it was Christmas in Australia, so they decided that it should be Christmas in Lucky as well. In recent months and years—the last year or so—Lucky, staff have developed a most unusual client handling technique that allows them to remove someone from their wheelchair, encase them in a flying suit and then strap them into a microlight so that they can fly above East Lothian. Many are the guests who have discovered that when it comes to mobility, we are all pretty equal once we get a few hundred metres above the ground or even a roller coaster like Mr Balfour. It is very much a place that allows people the opportunities that they want, whatever they might be and whatever is required to provide them. It is also a health facility, the Lucky MOT has produced over 700 preventative interventions for its guests in the last year. It has a very intensive wheelchair examination that has led many people to leave Lucky with a wheelchair far more suited to their needs than they arrived. It has a close and developing relationship with Queen Margaret University in order to ensure that their care informs and is informed by cutting-edge research in social care that that university specialises in. What are the lessons of Lucky House for inclusive tourism? First, we should support Lucky House and they have a reception here a week tomorrow, so everyone will be very welcome at 6 o'clock the members lounge and you can find out more about Lucky. The second big lesson is that in inclusive tourism carers must be considered as well. The third lesson is that if you believe in what is possible, Mr Balfour might be right that you might find things that are impossible, but if you really believe in what can be done, tourism can be not just inclusive but pretty close to without limits as well. John Finnie is followed by Sandra White. I start by aligning myself with almost all of Mr Gray's comments there, by the exception of his constituency, the finest, and the work of Lucky House and Mr Keefer who I think is with us in the chamber today. I have a constituent who is probably at least one who is eternally grateful for the support that is being given there. I think that it is very good that we talk about disabilities. I am conscious that the term mainstreaming is used a lot and I commend that approach. I do not think that those things are about an aimed individual or a department. I think that we are all responsible, but that does not mean that even new builds or new initiatives are not without their challenges. I think that it is important that technologies and procedures improve and that standards all around improve and our expectations. Certainly, there are practises that I have heard from a number of colleagues that, hopefully, in years to come, will not hear that there are people living on one side of a city who have never been in the city centre or people who have not seen the countryside. Something that will underpin some of that is equality's impact assessments. Again, I will say that there are challenges remaining there. Those are routinely done and, sadly, quite often as a tick box. I favour our rights-based approach to how we do business—all business—and that includes tourism. The point of reference for me, on this occasion, is the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Article 9 of the convention requires countries to, I quote, identify and eliminate obstacles. There is an important role for health and safety in that and risk assessment. To identify and eliminate barriers—and, of course, as we have heard, not all barriers are physical—many of them are attitudinal, particularly with regard to mental health. Also, it goes on to say and ensure that persons with disabilities can access their environment, and transport is terribly important. Regardless of whether you're able-bodied or not, if a lift at a ferry terminal isn't working, if there are limitations with bus travel, if taxi travel proves challenging, that will affect all of us, but it will compound itself when it comes to those with disabilities. It's also about inspection, repair and replacement regimes. I think that there is a danger that, in recent years, the fabric of a lot of our communities hasn't been maintained. Public facilities and services that we all share are an important resource for tourists, too. I think that there is an issue—I was speaking with the RNIB at the weekend, and there were concerns expressed about street furniture and road signage that isn't removed, so I think that we need to be alert to even the very mundane things that can affect people. There's been mention made of communication technology and the benefit of that in sharing information. Again, I would link myself with the comments of Tavish Scott there. That's all very well. If you're sitting with 4G in this chamber, it's not the case elsewhere, and we need greater multilingual signage. We need to be very clear that those with hearing and visual impairments are catered for, too. There's some very good news. The national collections provide free access to the public, and that allows participation for those with low income, of whom women, disabled people and some ethnic minority groups are disproportionately represented, so I think that that's very positive. Social tourism access to breaks most of us take for granted, as a phrase that's been said. In the last session, I was part of the Equal Opportunities Committee that did a report into loneliness and isolation, and we went to the island of Islay and my constituents. We all went to Easterhouse, and there are real challenges of isolation. I commend the work that, and I'm sure that it has taken place across the country, but NHS Highland has a campaign on this just now, along with the Inverness Courier and Draycrease primary in my area, where people are encouraged to mix intergenerational mixing. There's a lot of good things happening, and I know that the Scottish Government consultation on its delivery plan 2016-20 picks up on the UN rights references. If I just pick out a few of them, commitment 6, a new help guide aimed at boosting accessible design. I think that design is everything. There are challenges, and we've heard from some people about the challenges of retrofitting, and we need to get it right from the outset. That was connected with the legacy of the 2016 year of innovation. Another aspect commitment 7 was to help to guide tourism industry with the importance of IT, and social media, which is very important. We also hear that Creative Scotland is undertaking a wide-ranging review of equality, diversity, inclusion in the arts screen and creative industries. I hope that that can be reflected in that public funding is going to the promotion of diversity in some of the arts aspects that are publicly funded, and I certainly would make public financial support conditional on that. UN's guide has been mentioned by a number of people, and I think that the great attraction of that is, rather than politicians pontificating, that this is someone who, at the very much, has delivered experience with their sister and understands UN's from Leithan as uncommendable work. I hope that that is a diminishing workload that UN has. The Visit Scotland initiative has to be appreciated, and people have talked about some of the benefits. The concessionary bus scheme has been a tremendous boost, particularly for allowing social mobility for the older generation, and the economic benefits are very important. I have to say that I am not so drawn to the economic benefits as to the social health, both physical health and mental wellbeing. I can understand that if someone is making important decisions over whether they will heat their home or put food on the table, then probably the last thing on their mind is a holiday, let alone anything fancier than a trip to the city centre, but we must, if we are wanting to improve our communities, we must do that. There is no doubt that all those problems are reflected in life expectancy issues. I am just keeping going until you tell me otherwise, Presiding Officer. Do not take that as a given. I think that there might be another half-minute at the most. Okay, okay, thanks. Scottish Greens will support Tavish Scott's amendment tonight. I think that the Northern Isles have geographic challenges. They do not mean that they should not go there as tourists, but those challenges should be celebrated. Indeed, they should be supported. When Mr Scott refers to that as an equity issue, I would agree with that. Respirality is very important. The carer centres have an important role to play, both in sound posting and assistance with benefits. Of course, a lot of those things are about structures, facilities and information, but they are also about inclusion. I would again commend the role that access panels can play, not only in improving the lot of locals, but those visitors to the area. Fundamentally, a lot of things are about changed attitudes. I welcome the improvements. I think that there is a way to go. I do not sense any complacency. I think that we can have a more equitable future, and as the cabinet secretary said, that will take a shared endeavour. I thank you very much, Presiding Officer, and I thank John Finnie. I presume that my time is absolutely dead. I do not have extra time, perhaps, but maybe so. You could speak a little more slowly. I will do my best. I am pleased to be speaking in the debate today, Presiding Officer. I think that it is a debate that has been very welcome, not just by people in the gallery and others but by members also. I think that the contributions have been excellent, and in many cases John Mason is very moving. I am pleased to be speaking on the debate. I also want to thank the many groups and individuals who have sent us in information regarding their experiences, and in particular Visit Scotland, which has been mentioned by most members—many members—for the information that they have sent us in regarding training programmes and access to statement tools. I think that they are doing an absolutely great job. I thank them very much for their information. Fiona Hyslop opened up the debate and others about the great memories that they had when they were kids. We certainly had great memories when we were kids. Basically, family holidays and a broth had written my wee speech freezing a broth, but I thought I would score that out in a broth. Leaving and port seating, which it was called at that time, was not seating sands. It was not quite as fancy as seating sands is now in port seating. We would never have got that break a family from government, a family of eight. We would never have got a break away at all if it had not been for my father working in the shipyards of trade union and friends, being able to get a fund together. We were not the only ones who were able to take advantage of what others did too, but we would never have got that break if it had not been that social cohesion a way back even in those days. I thank them very much for that. I know that things have changed, but they have not changed dramatically for lots of other people out there. It was not too many years ago that myself and others used to run summer play schemes, as we called them. They are still on-going at the moment for days out or even week colleges, as we mentioned with John and others. We took those kids from Paisley. They had never been doing the water, as you might call it. They had not been to Lars, Millport or Ayr, and they had not even been to Glasgow. We took them on a subway before, and they had never been to Kelvin Grove. It was a fascinating experience, not just for us but for the kids as well. I know that those are on-going, and it is something that we have to continue, but it is just sad, as Lewis Macdonald had mentioned, when the 21st century at this moment in time, we still have kids that need to have that as well. Kids who are still living in poverty. The settlement has been figures provided by Visit Scotland and the Family Association, which I know that John Mason alluded to in that regard regarding the initiatives that they have done with social tourism, providing struggling families. You win Scotland with a short break, whether it be for a day or a week as well, and two thirds of the families had never had a break together before. I really do believe that social tourism has the potential to help many more vulnerable families and disadvantaged families. People are just low-wage at the same time, but it really does have a longer benefit in society and in the economy, and not just in the economy, but in health as well. If you can manage to get a break, it is a fantastic thing, particularly for mental health and other health problems. It really does support a great need in Scotland. 250,000 families are unable to take even a short break due to the circumstances that they live in. I mentioned the fact that ill health is caring responsibilities. I really think that I need to mention it, and others have mentioned it also. I am trying to get the word right. Respiratality, hospitality with RAS in the front. Respiratality initiative, which really has enabled 564 unpaid carers and a companion to take a break. It was given by the tourism industry, hotels, guest houses, larger clubs and restaurants. It is absolutely fantastic, and the Scottish Government, which is allocating more than £20 million from 2010 to 2017 towards the short break fund administered on behalf of the carers, the national carers organisation by Shares Scotland. It is fantastic, and it has been mentioned before that everyone needs a break at some time in their lives. That is an absolutely fantastic initiative. We are going to talk about social tourism, helping to tackle deprivation and so on. I am wondering whether the new social communities committee has been thinking before I came to this debate whether I should mention it or not. I know that Fiona Hyslop is not the cabinet secretary for this, but we are looking at the child poverty bill, and you wonder if, perhaps, since it may be right, I will raise this. If that should be part of the child poverty bill, we should be looking at that as part of children living in poverty, that they cannot get a break, because that does have a direct effect on how they live their lives and how their families live their lives. John Mason had mentioned the fact that people had not even sat round a table. In some cases, those kids are living four, five, six to a room, but there is absolutely no space and no comfort to even do homework. I wonder within myself and within the Parliament whether we should be looking at the fact that child poverty is a terrible thing, and no one should be living in poverty. We are looking at a bill that is to eradicate poverty, but that should not be part of the ethos of that child poverty bill. I will certainly be raising that, and I would perhaps say that the cabinet secretary will take it back as well and mention it perhaps in her summing up. I am glad and pleased to be speaking in this debate that there are some fantastic things going on out there, and we have to move forward and ensure that not just in the social part of deprivation but people with disabilities also in caring responsibilities get the same chance of a break as anyone here has as well. We have heard from others the importance of tourism and the vital role that it plays in the Scottish economy, including the need to make it accessible to all and ideas on how to do that. We live in a country so blessed with history, beautiful scenery and modern iconic structures, such as the Kelpas and the Falkirk Whale in my hometown, but it is no wonder that we are a magnet for tourists from throughout the UK and abroad. In many shops and indeed many areas of retail, leisure and tourist attractions, there are, however, still far too many barriers that people with disabilities face. Last Friday, I visited the Forth Valley Sensory Centre in Falkirk and met manager Jackie Winning and a great group of people who use the centre. A number were visually impaired, others had hearing loss, but every one of them told me of the great job that the centre plays in assisting them in their daily lives and the value that they placed on the services that it provides. A 2016 survey of people with disabilities reported that only 12 per cent of pubs and clubs were cited as good in making access easy for people with disabilities. This is not just people in wheelchairs or those with limited mobility, but people with visual impairments, deafness and those with less obvious problems. Only 15 per cent of restaurants, 42 per cent of hotels and 43 per cent of railways and 57 per cent of museums and galleries were deemed to go that extra mile to make life a bit easier and enable people with disabilities to enjoy what so many people take for granted, the ability to make the most of our lovely country. Whether it is day trips, weekends away, holidays or accessing attractions and facilities, many of our fellow citizens find that the hurdles begin right from the start. Checking out locations, travel in hotels and in 2017 that also means the internet and websites. Often bad enough for those with good vision, but for those with limited or no sites the challenges are tenfold. Many of Scotland's attractions, hotels and restaurants need to take into consideration the needs of those with disabilities and make their websites more user friendly. Revamping cluttered web pages and enhancing small fonts would certainly go a long way in assisting people looking to access your business. Take for example VisitScotland, its website certainly goes a long way in making its site as accessible as possible for those with visual impairment. By the simple use of good contrasts, a clear font and an easy ability to change the background colours and font size. Kettering for people with disabilities makes good business sense. Once people find a business that knows how to make life that bit easier, it has in recent surveys shown that those people are more likely to return to that business. Once a booking has been received, a good business can give specific help to people with a disability by giving clear and concise directions of how to get to their attraction, especially if there is a need to use public transport highlighting any pitfalls en route. Accessibility of transport is still a major issue, as we have already heard, for many people. Not only physical access, but also the use of voice-only announcements at, take for example, airports and train stations. There is also the added difficulty of a bus driver he or she may face in communicating the correct stop to get off. Within the hospitality sector, priority should be given to keeping Clutter away from the entrance ways and corridors. Often, a simple task such as this can be of immense help to a lot of people and perhaps the interior designers could incorporate the need to contrast colours for all people to see into the decor. Also, perhaps the larger establishments could have staff trained in British Sign Language. Happily, ever-growing numbers of older people are still able to enjoy life to the full, visiting hotels, restaurants and visitor attractions, further increasing the need for the use of such things as handrails and mid-height sockets. Deputy Presiding Officer, could I also just mention asthmatics? I wish more hotels would remember that not everyone thinks that feather bedding or duck down implies luxury. Not offering an alternative implies a business is yet to wake up to the need of providing full accessibility of those with less obvious issues. In the design of new buildings, whether visitor centres, hotels, museums, music venues or from cafes to transport hubs, the needs of those with sensory impairments needs to be built in from the start. Not just ramps in disabled toilets but other aids to make the building more inclusive from the beginning. In the vicinity of major venues, local councils need to be encouraged to install specialist crossings over roads that provide not only the when to cross but give sufficient time for people with disabilities to actually cross, something that you do not really think about when you are able to just rush across that road. I could go on, Deputy Presiding Officer, but I am delighted to have contributed to this debate and I look forward to the day when our beautiful country truly is accessible to all. There are a number of reasons why I am happy to be involved in this debate, but one was reminded me by David Torrance, my colleague, when he mentioned the Scottish Disability and Equality Forum, of which I declare an interest as one of their patrons. Also, the fact that, just after he waxed lyrical about the coastline of Fife, he said, and what has it paisley's got to offer people, which could have, Presiding Officer, changed the tone of the speech, but I will refer him to the official record and previous debates that we have had. I am pleased to be part of the debate for a number of reasons. The main one being that I am a man who is married to a woman who has a disability. The disabling condition has changed over the years that we have been married. I know what it is like when you are arranging a holiday or when you are trying to go abroad. The silly wee things that everyone takes for granted are the things that we automatically have to – well, I say wee, it is the royal wee. Stacey has to organise, because I tend to believe that there is no such thing as a problem that we cannot overcome, but Stacey likes to make sure that there is just a wee bit of reality in that statement as well and make sure that we do it. You have to make sure that you understand that where you go, there is accessibility for you to get backwards and forwards, you can enjoy it, and both, if in a husband and wife situation, both can actually enjoy that as well. I often think about the fact that when we first went abroad, when Stacey's disability got worse, we went to Rome for a weekend. Now, Presiding Officer, Rome has been there for a wee while and it is not the most accessible place in the world, but we never missed anything. We managed to get ourselves made to be and managed to see everything. There was one point when Stacey actually said, you know, I never thought, as my disability got worse, that I'd be able to be going down the side streets and all that. I personally take all the credit for that, but at the end of the day there was actually – that's how someone feels in that scenario. I think if we're having this debate and we're talking about how things can be so much better than it shows the kind of future we're looking for. I also come at this, and I think it was John Finnie mentioned, access panels. I'm still a member of Remshire access panel, and they used to complain and moan on a regular basis when I first met them, because they felt as if they weren't being listened to and they weren't involved in the process. There was a whole list of things locally that they were worried about, but since then we've managed to get them involved and engaging with the local authority. An example of that would be Paisley's historic town hall, which has now had a £1.7 million revamp. Part of that was to ensure that we could get access to the front of the building. Instead of going in some side entrance and some side door to event, you were actually going in with everybody else, and that sends out an important message to everyone that they are equally as important as a customer, a client or a person attending an event. That was from the design stage that they were involved to make sure that it didn't make any difference to the historic building. It still looks the same. It still is the same impressive building, but it was designed that way bit different to make sure that we could actually bring it into the 21st century and get that access there as well. I think that when you look at some of the things that have been done locally, I can actually see that an access panel is extremely important with that. One of the things that we also want to talk about is that it's only sensible that people visit destinations that offer them the actual support. It's not always about physical access, as others have said, because my personal circumstances are about accessibility with Stacey, but, as Fiona Hyslop said, 71 per cent of people with disabilities are non-visible. It's important that any accessible tourism approach must take that into account, designed in such a manner that it is fully inclusive and meets the needs of all potential groups. That means absolutely everybody. At this point, I would like to talk about Ewan's Guide, as everyone else has, because, although it's not always about accessibility, in many cases and for many people, that is one of the main issues. Ewan's Guide was founded in 2013 by Ewan MacDonald and his sister, Kiki. One of the things that they made sure was that it's almost like a simple night out with someone with a disability and a family. It can be like a Normandy Dede-type landing organisation to know where is the toilet, can we move about in the venue, can we get into the venue, once you're in the venue, as you are able to move about as well. Those are all things that normally people take for granted, and it's good to see that we're actually looking at this as a way forward. As Alison Harrison quite rightly said, if you design that in such a way, then people will come back. The lot of matter that they come back, their family members will come back, so it will help the economy and it will help that tourist destination as well. It's important that some things are mentioned about training as well, and I think that that's extremely important as well. However, Ewan's Guide's Listings also gives you information about accessible toilet, wheelchair access, hearing loops and multiple other access information. I know that Ewan is also a keen football fan, and there's also a situation in Scotland when we're talking about accessing tourism and part of the economy as our national sport. It depends on which stadium you turn up at, and what kind of experience you're going to get on that given day. I was part of the recent successful fan buy-out of St Myrran, along with Gordon Scott. One of the first things that we did in Paisley 2021 stadium was that we ensured that we had a disabled platform that was at a level that people could actually see and be protected from the elements. That sounds like a simple thing to do, but a lot of football grounds—I'm looking at Mr Finnie—hearts are actually not too bad as well. They have quite a good accessible area as well, but there are many grounds where you're just left at the front and to the elements and get absolutely soaked as well. One of the things that if we're going to remember all our businesses, whether it be football clubs, whether it be others, they have to think about who their patrons are potentially going to be and how inclusive they are going to be with that. That shows that, whereas the club before just had you down at the bottom now—we've got this platform that's probably one of the best in Scotland—the situation that we had before was that during the Commonwealth Games, we had to fight to keep the temporary disabled platforms in the stand, in the north stand and in the Hamden park. That just shows that, even in this day and age, we still have to have these debates and fights. I think that this is an absolutely fantastic debate for us. I think that it's great that we're all in Visit Scotland and are taking it serious about the fact that there is a market there for people with disabilities and families there. I think that we need to work at that, we need to grasp this, because we've got this opportunity here to show that Scotland is that country that will go out that extra mile to make sure that, regardless of your background and regardless of your abilities, you will still be able to get access to a decent holiday or a venue. I call Rhoda Grant to be followed by Richard Lyle. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Tourism makes an important contribution to the Scottish economy, and if we want to protect that, we need to have world-leading facilities. Other countries recognise the benefit of their tourism industry and look to constantly upgrade the facilities that they have to meet customer needs. I like getting out and about and seeing different parts of Scotland and have no problems recommending it to domestic and foreign tourists. However, getting round some of our most beautiful parts proves challenging for disabled people. Someone who has mobility problems depends on a wheel chair and can find it challenging, because that thought hasn't been put into the way that we design our tourist attractions. However, it's not just about wheelchair users. We need facilities to take account of different types of disabilities. People who have limited vision need colour contrast to find their way around facilities. How often are disabled toilets and bathrooms all white? The porcel in the walls, the floor, even the grip handles and shower curtains are all white and, worst of all, the toilet seat. It might be accessible to someone with sight, but it isn't accessible to someone with impaired vision. The same is true of audible fire alarms in hotels. It's not very reassuring if you're profoundly deaf. The use of written signs does not work for people with cognitive impairment and the list goes on and on. When designing visitor attractions, such basic design ideals should be incorporated. What makes someone accessible to people with disabilities also makes it accessible for everybody. Easily understandable information alongside physical accessibility creates no barriers but allows everyone to enjoy our wonderful facilities. Ewn and Kiki MacDonald set up Ewn's guide, which many people have mentioned today, a trip adviser for people with disabilities. I'm really proud that Brian McMullen, who helped pioneer the Inclusion Scotland internship programme in the Parliament, now works with them too. Ewn's guide is a really useful tool. Imagine your frustration if you decide to go out with family or friends and discover that you can't access the venue that they have booked. Ewn's guide gives people confidence to plan a trip, a meal or simply a drink out with friends. It was good to see Ewn, Kiki MacDonald and Ryan in the Parliament last week encouraging MSPs to feed in reviews on accessibility to make it easy for people to plan social events. Another advocate for accessibility is Mark Cooper, who headed up the BARD campaign fighting for legislation to promote accessibility. As others have said, this is now in statute and has been for many years but has yet to be enacted. It's a simple piece of legislation that forces licences to think about how accessible their premises are for disabled people. The people who have driven the greatest change often have a disability. It's often said that necessity is the mother of invention but all they're asking for is fairness and equality, the ability to enjoy what the rest of us take for granted. Gordon Aikman has been mentioned in his work bringing practical initiatives to the attention of those in power. His writing was also really powerful. One piece that especially struck a chord with me was when he was able to get on to the beach with a specially adapted wheelchair, the sheer pleasure of being able to do something that we all enjoy and take for granted. I also want to talk about public transport as people also need to be able to travel to venues and attractions. Imagine how it feels if the bus simply drives past because they see you are in a wheelchair and they cannot be bothered to spend the time to lower the ramp. I know of someone having a day out who was left behind by the last bus some 30 miles from home because the ramp didn't work. That would put paid to anyone's confidence and would the risk go out again? We've all read about the high-profile cases where wheelchair users have been left behind because of bikes and buggies taking up the disabled spaces and buses. We need to provide space for bikes and buggies but people in wheelchairs are especially vulnerable and therefore they must have priority. People who have vision impairment have difficulty using busses as well because there are no audible announcements. People who can see can tell where they are and there are often signs that they can read on buses saying where the next stop is. However, if you can't see, you have to depend on the driver to tell you. Train travel can be just as bad. There are only a couple of wheelchair-accessible spaces and you need to buy a ticket and then book your wheelchair space. You can't just turn up because someone needs to be there to help you fit a ramp to get on to the train. Even if you book a wheelchair space, there's no guarantee that you'll get on the train. If somebody else in a wheelchair is there before you, you can't get on because there are limited spaces. I know of people who have booked correctly and still experience problems. It's easy to see how your confidence can disappear and people become isolated because of lack of access to transport. The Liberal Democrat amendment takes this further by asking for affordable ferry fares for all, noting that disabled people are more likely to face poverty. That's correct, but they're also more likely to have to travel with an assistant or a family member due to the barriers that they will face. People with disabilities need to enjoy the same freedoms as the rest of us take for granted. When you're out and about, assess your journey and experience from the point of view of a disabled person. If you see something that's worked well, then put a review on YoonsGuide and tell others so that they can use your experience. YoonsGuide don't have enough reviews from the Highlands and Islands, so they were telling me last week. That's my mission, to get people to review facilities in this beautiful region. It's not just about holidays and social interaction. The same principles are required for day-to-day life and access to work. I'm delighted to be a contributor to the Scottish Government's debate on inclusive tourism, particularly as a constituency MSP for Urningston and Belsil, which is home to so many amazing visitor attractions. Many of which I hope to highlight in this debate not only for their many interesting features but for their inclusive and accessible credentials. Before I come to the many wonders of Lanarkshire, I want to focus on specifically the issues around access to attractions and places of interest in Scotland. It has to be said that improving the accessibility of tourism, products and services has the real potential to enhance social equality, help achieve industrial growth ambitions and boost the wider economy. Therefore, inclusive tourism supports a continual strategic economic focus on the four eyes of innovation, investment, internationalisation and inclusive growth within Scotland's economic strategy. A strategy that has been deployed by Visit Scotland through the inclusive tourism programme that involves delivering on their accessible tourism approach with an aim to harness a growing inclusive tourism market and help make Scotland an international recognised inclusive destination with a resultant increase in economic, cultural and social benefits. While I'm keen to highlight the inclusive credentials of some of many of my local attractions and places of interest, I also wish to share a few of the core messages from a report that was emailed to me by a quality network entitled Wish You Were Here, the Scottish LGBT travel report and, indeed, some examples of Visit Scotland's on-going work. Wish You Were Here by the quality network highlights key research findings relating to LGBT travel and perceptions of Scotland as an LGBT-friendly destination. In the report, which had 1,365 total responses of which 930 were criteria fulfilled, it outlined that 77 per cent of people consider Scotland an LGBT-friendly destination. Clearly from the report, feeling welcome is very important to LGBT travellers, and whilst the perception is that Scotland is an LGBT-friendly destination, it's quite high among Scottish LGBT travellers. There is a need for improvement among individuals. I hope that this is an area that, across the chamber, we can work together to ensure that we do more work as part of our wider consideration on inclusive tourism. I'm delighted that Visit Scotland has been working with and encouraging business owners and industrial partners to engage with accessible tourism programmes for a number of years now, helping to position Scotland as an inclusive and accessible destination. I recall being recognised in September 2016 when Visit Scotland co-organised with partners at Visit Flanders a conference on behalf of the European Network for Accessible Tourism, ENAT. The conference, which the cabinet secretary addressed, focused on best practice in delivering and marketing accessible tourism. More locally, however, I'm aware that Visit Scotland has been working closely, as many people have said already, to UN's guide over the last few years, including commissioning the organisation to develop a series of accessible itineraries of things to do and see in Glasgow and a place close to my heart and in my constituency, the fantastic Stratli Park. I'm sure that we all can agree, in joining Visit Scotland in its view, that UN's guide are important partners in advocating Scotland's inclusive tourism programme for businesses and continue to support them with their disabled access activities. On Stratli Park, the chair of Lanarkshire area tourism partnership, Mark Halpin, said that Lanarkshire offers a variety of accessible attractions and accommodation, including MND's Scotland theme park, the Boath House gym, the Alona, the holiday express in, within Stratli country park. The partnership is committed to welcoming all visitors by improving customer service and information for anyone with additional access needs. That's exactly what we should be championing today, and I was listening intently to a speech by George Adam when I was researching and considering what contributions to make during today's debate. I checked out UN's guide online and was pleased to see that Stratli Park has received a review from a user of the park who eloquently puts across the benefits of this space in my constituency. The individual said that there is a multitude of nice areas around the park and the lake. There's a step-free path that goes around the whole of the lake. It's a good place to visit for a change of scene and for some fresh air, and lots of activities to keep you active. Of course, Stratli Park isn't the only amazing attraction in my constituency. I'm very lucky to have attractions such as Boddwell Castle, which is a historic venue and a beautiful part of my constituency. I also have the fantastic Hamilton Racecourse, where many excellent race meetings are held along with various functions. However, I recognise that sometimes those amazing spaces and places can be costly to access. Access restricted by cost is an area that I want to end my remarks on today. As already has been said by, I believe, Sandra White, there are still many families across, and John Mason, and there are many families across Scotland who don't have the opportunity for a break due to their low income or struggling situations. I believe that everyone should have an opportunity for a break. The impact for those who do not have that opportunity for a break is huge, and helping to increase access to tourism holds great potential. In 2016, we visited Scotland in partnership with the Family Holiday Association, and over 30 partners from across the tourism industry delivered two successful social tourism initiatives, which provided 254 struggling families in Scotland with a short break. Initiative like those truly showcase the best of inclusive tourism, where we lend a hand to those who need it, and well deserve a break to mean a difference. As we move forward as a country, I want us to continue to make accessible tourism a priority, so that, regardless of what you have as an accessible requirement of whether you have LGBT or face financial difficult times, we all need that break in spaces to escape to. Scotland is a country filled to the brim with potential, not only in tourism, but in the most general of senses. I look forward to us continuing to unlock that potential, and I once again welcome today's debate. Thank you, Mr Loyall. I call Bill Bowman to follow by Gordon MacDonald and Mr MacDonald will be the last speaker in the open debate. Mr Bowman, please. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I would like to thank Fiona Hyslop for taking me on a short trip down memory lane with her earlier on. I remember as a kid seeing these taxis in Glasgow with the balloons and the streamers taking children to the seaside for a charitable short break. I also thank Sandra White for reminding me about the trips from the Broomalaw down the river to the tail of the bank. Those are things that had slightly got lost in the clouds of my memory. Today's debate gives everyone taking part in opportunity to speak about and highlight some of the reasons why we love Scotland and why so many people come and visit our natural beauty, our illustrious history, our many scenic routes and the fantastic range of attractions and sights for young and old alike, and all of that before mentioning Scotland's fabulous food and drink. As today's debate has highlighted, tourism is one of Scotland's key economic contributors, with visitor expenditure totaling over £5 billion in 2015, and it is Scotland's largest industry. I will speak a little bit now about my area of the north-east region, and I suspect that it will not be in such eloquent and lovely terms as the time for reflection minister did about Murray. In 2015, almost 400,000 people visited the Dundee contemporary arts centre, and over 140,000 visited the McManus art gallery and museum. Those are two impressive attractions in the centre of the city, one that is a world-class centre for the development and exhibition of contemporary art and culture, and the other a museum that charts Dundee's rich industrial history as a city that is once famous for jamb and journalism. I encourage members to visit the chamber when they get the opportunity. Dundee's tourism industry is set to get an even bigger boost in the next few years with the opening of the VNA museum and the redevelopment of the waterfront, and I think that our hope is, and I hope that it will be more than a hope, that the VNA will be designed to be accessible to all. Those two projects are a sign of a city that very much wants to be open for business under ones that will have a very positive impact on the city by encouraging inward investment and should lead to the creation of new jobs, many of them tourist related. In 2015, the tourism industry supported over 9,000 jobs over the Dundee and Angus area. Figures like that demonstrate just how important the industry is not only to our overall economic performance but also to our local economies, the length and breadth of Scotland, particularly our rural communities, where many small businesses depend on tourism in order to survive. Presiding officers, Scotland's tourism success is one that we can all share in, but this afternoon's focus is on how we involve everyone in our tourism industry and opening it up to those who may feel that they have not yet discovered Scotland for whatever reasons, as we have heard earlier. Towards the end of last year, out with the peak tourist season, Visit Scotland piloted the scheme that they hoped would put social tourism on the map. In partnership with Family Holiday Association, as well as accommodation, transport and activity providers, they provided over 250 struggling families who had at least one child who had not had a break for a long time with exactly that, a family break. I suspect that most of us in the chamber could take the idea of a family break for granted, but according to Visit Scotland, one in three people in Scotland are unable to take a holiday due to cost, ill health or caring responsibilities. In true Scottish fashion, the marketing of the scheme was centered around Spirit of Scotland or hashtag Scotspirit, a campaign at its heart designed to give families the opportunity to get away and spend quality time together. At the start of my contribution, I spoke about Dundee, a city where one in four children are recognised as living in poverty and a city that has the third-largest percentage of its population living in the 15 per cent most deprived areas. That is not a record for us to be proud of. Behind those figures are a lot of families who will not have been on holiday together, who will not have travelled and experienced most of the country they live in, but families who I hope will benefit from Visit Scotland's ambition to make sure that everyone is able to experience our tourism industry for themselves. I have to confess that before today's debate, I was not wholly familiar with the concept of social tourism. I have certainly learned a lot, I must admit, from listening to others. Perhaps it is no great surprise that, unlike in several countries in Europe where it receives public funding, it is a less well-known idea concept in Britain. However, as Visit Scotland's pilot demonstrated and has been spoken about today, there are a number of benefits to be reaped from exploring it more. Benefits for young people and their self-development. Benefits for their families and benefits for our economy. To conclude, social tourism is about opening up opportunities for individuals and families. While it is important to go out and promote Scotland to the world, we cannot and must not forget about our own people here at home, and particularly those who need support to enjoy what some take for granted. I thank you very much, Mr Bowman. I call Gordon MacDonald and then move to closing speeches after that. Mr MacDonald, please. The purple pound is recognition of the spending power of disabled people and their families. In relation to tourism, it was estimated to be worth £1.3 billion to Scotland's economy in 2015. The Visit Scotland briefing highlights that one of its key priorities is accessible tourism, and you can understand why when you realise that there are 12 million disabled people in the UK alone whose spending power is estimated to be worth over £200 billion a year. I was recently contacted by a constituent who has a 16-year-old disabled son, and she highlighted a major issue that impacts on residents and tourists alike, and that is the lack of changing places toilets. In Scotland, there are just 144 changing places toilets, including one here in the Scottish Parliament but not one at Edinburgh airport, Scotland's biggest airport, although they are planning to have one installed next year. The difficulties that lack of facilities presents were highlighted by my constituent. A significant number of people and their family carers are unable to access services or visit places because of a lack of adequate toilet facilities. Changing places toilets enable many people with profound and multiple learning disabilities to participate in the community, but sadly there is currently no legal requirements for provisions of these fully accessible toilets. Therefore, excluding many people with PMLD from leading as normal a life as possible and hugely affecting their quality of life. Over 230,000 people in the UK require changing places toilets, including those with profound and multiple learning disabilities, people with conditions that may affect their movement, including cerebral palsy and motor neuron disease, people with head or spinal injuries, people living with a stroke or older people who require assistance. PAMAS, the Dundee-based charity promoting a more inclusive society, is part of the campaigning group changing places that seeks an improvement in the provision of CP toilets. They highlighted that some of the difficulties where people with complex disabilities require assistance from one or two assistance. Without a suitable changing bench, many disabled people have to be laid on the floor to be changed. That is undignified, unhygienic and puts assistance at risk of injury. In the absence of a hoist, assistance are again put at risk when forced to manually transfer a disabled person who is unable to self-transfer between a wheelchair and the WC. My constituent in our meeting informed me that the lack of adequate toilet facilities leave many people isolated, lonely and frustrated. We cannot stray too far from somewhere we can change him. On days when the weather keeps us indoors, my son becomes so bored, lonely and frustrated, he will repeatedly knock the same spot on the wall until his knuckles are grazed and he wears a wallpaper and crumbles holes in the wall. The Equality Act 2010 protects disabled people against direct discrimination and indirect discrimination and requires that owners of public and commercial buildings take reasonable steps to make sure that their premises and services are accessible. The public sector equality duty requires that public bodies place equality at the heart of everything that they do. The Scottish Government strategy, the keys to life and improving quality of life for people with learning disabilities, was published by the Minister for Public Health in June 2013. The document sets out a vision for improved partnership, working to deliver better outcomes for people with learning disabilities and their families and carers. The strategy outlines some of the risks and inequality experienced by people with profound and multiple learning disabilities of being unable to use the toilet facilities when out on a day trip. The non-domestic building technical handbook that provides advice to architects and engineers makes it clear that the provision of changing places toilets is at the discretion of the property owner and is not a requirement. Seven years after the Equality Act and four years after the Scottish Government strategy, we needed a change to the law to ensure that facilities are provided and improve the quality of life for disabled people. That will encourage more people with disabilities and their families to visit Scotland and, in particular, our capital city Edinburgh, to create jobs and to grow our economy. Many countries across Europe have recognised the spending power of disabled people. The European Commission, along with the European Disability Forum, organises the access city awards that are now in their seventh year. The awards recognise those cities that are examples of best practice in making EU cities more accessible. Chester is the winner of the 2017 competition. The first UK city to win the award and was chosen out of 43 cities from 21 countries. What an accolade for Scotland's capital if we could aim to win this award in future years. The publicity that will be generated would not only encourage many of the 12 million disabled people in the UK to visit, but it will also encourage the 80 million EU citizens who are disabled to consider Edinburgh and Scotland as a world-class holiday destination. If we are serious about accessible tourism, we have to address the issues that affect disabled residents and tourists alike. Edinburgh airport has recognised the need to address the issue, and I urge other tourist-related attractions to consider how they can support disabled visitors to enjoy a day out to Edinburgh and across Scotland. I thank you very much, Mr Donald. I now call on Tavish Scott to close with Liberal Democrats. Seven minutes are thereabouts. Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. Well, Gordon MacDonald, having raised Edinburgh airport, I cannot resist a couple of observations about that. If he is making representations to them, let me give him another couple of examples, because all the gates along at the far end of the pier from about 11 onwards do not all have lift access. Mr MacDonald made a very strong argument there about particular facilities that are needed at Edinburgh airport. The capital cities entrance into Scotland for lots and lots of people coming on flights from all over the UK and all over the world, and yet, if you are a mum with a push chair or if you are a person with a disability or if you are old and struggle with steps, there are too many of those gates at Edinburgh where there is no lift. I believe that Mr MacDonald is right to highlight, as indeed others have done, the importance of airports that are money-making ventures. After all, they have to be profitable to survive, investing in the kind of facilities that are needed, because Rhoda Grant was right in her earlier remarks. Those are not just facilities that help people when they are going on holiday or help people when they are taking a short break, as other members have highlighted, but they are about people going about a normal day. Mr MacDonald is quite right to highlight that. He also raised a financial number, a figure about how much inclusive and accessible tourism is worth to Scotland, and a number of those have been correctly banded around this afternoon. It was the two human speeches of this debate that struck me this afternoon. The first was George Adams. I am still slightly contemplating the vision of George and Stacey Adams on the floor of the Coliseum in Rome. I do not know who would be more frightened of the lions or George Adams, but George Adams made a very strong point about the design stage involvement, access panels and other ways in which people who have an inherent and deep knowledge of how facilities should be designed should be involved in public buildings and in other buildings that are being constructed or are being adapted to make them more accessible for wheelchair access or for people who need other assistance. That, I believe, is a very strong case indeed. He made a point about, I was about to say, Love Street, but I am too old for, when I was starting to watch the premiership football, it was Love Street, but no longer about the design of modern stadia. Suddenly, ironically, being at Anfield on Saturday, the wheelchairs, the fork and wheelchairs were down the front of that main stand, and George Adams made a good point that, if its pouring was rain, the other folk were going to get the wettest in the climatic conditions. That is something for stadia designers to take into account and, obviously, that is being thought of. The second was Jeremy Balfour, who made a very thoughtful series of remarks about the importance of facilities being appropriate for use. He made some observations about disabled parking spaces for people with limited mobility, not just those with blue badges. I think that he shared the thought to the chamber this afternoon that the policing of that or the definition of that would create some interesting challenges for local councils and for legislators. Nevertheless, there is an important principle to at least consider there and, as well, the on-going issue of the abusive spaces by people who just should not be there in the first place. He also, I thought, importantly said that there needs to be a sense of realism in this discussion because there are limitations, there will be limitations. Part of my part of the world is the NOS nature reserve and indeed the Herman S nature reserve. They are not the easiest places to get to and it is beyond SNH or indeed any of our other agencies to put in place perfect accessible access to nature reserves, which involve a five minute ferry crossing in an inflatable boat and then a walk around the cliffs. We need to find other ways so that people can experience and enjoy the absolute extraordinary wildlife and birdlife of parts of Scotland such as that. However, Jeremy Balfour made a strong point about the need to recognise that occasionally we cannot just do everything that we may wish to do. He also finished by saying that he made a great couple of lines about being on the roller coaster and enjoying being on the roller coaster and enjoying being on one now. It is going to last about a couple of years and goodness knows what is going to happen at the end of it, but that is certainly for a different debate altogether. Just two final points by me, Deputy Presiding Officer. Rhoda Grant made an important point about facilities being there for not just visitors and tourists with disabilities or with particular needs, but about everyday life. Rhoda Grant made the point about ferry services and the cost of those ferry services. They are not, of course, just for all people who will benefit from that. The point that I wanted to make here is that James Tate from the Shetland Tourism Association pointed out last year that 78 per cent of local businesses in Shetland describe expensive travel costs as the main disincentive to visitor tourism and barrier to industry growth. That is my observation to the Government in designing, in this case, transport policies that are supportive of the growing tourism industry in Scotland. They need to take into account the wider benefits that that would have to residents and to visitors as well as to, specifically in the context of this debate, the inclusive and accessible tourism as well. I have finally concluded by supporting the amendments both in Lewis MacDonald's name and in Dean Lockhart's name as contributions to the Government's motion, which we will support from those benches as in the tone of this debate. That is very much a matter, I suspect, for a broad parliamentary agreement. Thank you very much. Mr Scott called Monica Lennon to close for Labour. Seven minutes are there abouts, please, Ms Lennon. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I, too, welcome the chance to take part in this debate today. We have also welcomed the Government's motion and all the Opposition amendments today, and we also appreciate support for our amendments from members who have confirmed that so far. We firmly believe that everyone should be able to equally enjoy access to the many wonderful places and visits and attractions that are right across Scotland. We have heard about many of those places today. I think that sometimes we have heard today about roller coaster, or sometimes politics feels like a roller coaster ride, but it has been nice today to look at our common appreciation of the places, not only in our own regions and constituencies, but also the places that we have visited as perhaps in our younger days or with our families. It has been nice today to look at our common appreciation and love for our little parts of Scotland. As the cabinet secretary said, not everyone yet has the same equity of access, and it is unfortunate that there are a number of things that we still have to do to make sure that everyone can enjoy the quality of access. I was very heartened by the cabinet secretary's opening remarks and that she is firmly committed to that. I think that that is a determination that we can see across the chamber. It is very much a debate about Scotland's wonderful places, but it is a debate about equality today, about our connections with our people and with place. As many colleagues have mentioned across the chamber, it is about health and wellbeing, and it is about being nice to yourself and being kind to each other in doing so. I have learned a lot about other parts of Scotland and appreciated other people's lived experience. I hope that that is something that we can all reflect on today. There have been a number of real challenges raised, so I think that it brings a dose of reality to the debate. On some of the physical barriers, we have talked about the historic environment. It is always that conundrum about the places that we love because they come from another point in history, but if you start to completely change them, they will lose that value. Given the creative minds and talents that we have in Scotland, it is not beyond us to find solutions. John Finnie was absolutely right to talk about new buildings and the constant changes that we face in terms of not just the fabric of buildings, but also transport, as other colleagues have mentioned, about lighting, street furniture and maintenance of those things. I know that when I am in Hamilton Town Centre, I get really annoyed about the A boards, which I know that traders love because everyone wants to showcase their business and do it in different ways. Sometimes you cannot fix it on to the shop front because that might perhaps be a listed building, but that kind of clutter in the street becomes a real barrier to people who are trying to get around. I think that David Torrin said a really nice thing when he said that it is the simple things that can make the biggest difference. I know that other people have echoed that today, and I think that that is true. I know that John Finnie also talked about the importance of equality and impact statements. We have talked about the work of access panels. It is great to see that there is a high level of awareness across the chamber about the importance of those things. Alison Harris, who I bumped into this morning and she was telling me about her visit to Fort Valley Sensory Centre. It is good that she has brought that into the debate today. Modigran also made some really good points, particularly in relation to toilets, which have been talked a lot about today, which are important, but also about public transport and the need for audible announcements. We can all agree that there is work to be done there. In terms of our debate today, Labour's amendment to the debate today, again we have put on record our thanks to Mark Cooper, a campaigner. It is due to Mark's hard work and determination that he helped to secure change the criminal justice and licensing act 2010. We look forward to the implementation of that legislation. I note that the cabinet secretary was nodding in a friendly manner to Lewis MacDonald at the beginning, so we hope to hear something about that perhaps in closing. I know that Dean Lockhart said that if the sector can lead in terms of changes, that is better than regulation, but when there is regulation, it still has to be implemented and enforced. That is another area where we need to see some improvement. If we all fall off the rollercoaster at the Scottish politics, perhaps there could be a future career for some of us in terms of tourism and marketing. We have heard some wonderful tributes to special places in people's areas. Ingrid gave a very moving and impressive speech earlier on about Lluci House. It was a wonderful image to think of someone soaring over East Lothian in a microlite. We have had roller coasters and microlites. It is important that, although we are looking at some of the very practical challenges at our face, we do not set any limits on our aspiration when it comes to making Scotland an equal country. Dean Lockhart mentioned access to national parks, which is really important. He talked about all-terrain vehicles in the tropics. There is a lot of good work to touch on, but the issues around poverty and the need for more socially inclusive approaches have had some powerful statements on that. John Mason's comment about the child in London who has never seen the Thames. That is something that we can all relate to in terms of our constituents and people that we know. Sandra White was just thinking out loud, but when she said, perhaps we need to explore through the child poverty bill, that was quite encouraging. I was thinking during the debate about school trips. Quite often, for young people, it is where you go with your classmates and your school. It could be a very local trip to your local museum, but it could be a residential trip. For some families, it really is beyond their reach. I know that, when everyone comes back after school holidays, people want to know where did you go. Sometimes we need to think about the pressure that that puts on young people as well. There is much that we can all agree on in the speeches today. As I said, we would appreciate support for our amendment. We think that it is an important one. I know that there is extra time going around, but I do not know if that has gone, Presiding Officer. Do you have much time left? You can have another minute, if you like, as long as you speak into your microphone, because you have a wee bit of an issue about turning away from it. Can you just confirm from me one thing? Was Ian Gray in the microlight? I did not hear that bit. That is in the next chapter with Jeremy Balfour. Richard Lyle also spoke. Richard and I are in neighbouring parts of Lanarkshire, of course. As a point of information, I have been challenged by a lucky house to microlight fly to raise money, so I look forward to the donation from the Deputy Presiding Officer. Well, you have caught me well out there, yes, I agree. Perhaps you can microfly your way over to Stav Clyde Park, where you might get a warm welcome from Richard Lyle. Jeremy Balfour would be very welcome to come to MND's theme park as well and try out the roller coasters there. I think that we can only think that there is lots to offer. I was also pleased that Richard Lyle had mentioned the submission from the equality network, so we have talked a lot about disability, we have talked about poverty, but I think that it is important to recognise LGBTI issues as well. It is encouraging that 77 per cent of people said that the Sea Scotland is an LGBTI friendly destination, but, again, there is more that we can do to build on our reputation there. Thank you for your generosity, Presiding Officer. Thank you, and I will teach me to intervene from the chair. Call Rachel Hamilton, please. Nine minutes are there abouts, Ms Hamilton. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I draw members to my register of interests. Some members will know that I own a hospitality business. Today, we have heard excellent contributions from all sides about the benefits that tourism can bring to the Scottish economy and how rightly the sector should be proud of what it has achieved. I am sorry that I will not be able to mention everybody's wonderful ideas and thoughts in closing today, but I thought that there were some very excellent contributions. I just want to make the same point as Tavish Scott about George and Stacey Adam. I find it amazing that you visited Rome, George, because I visited Rome and went to the forum, the Coliseum and the Spanish Steps, and I found it quite a challenge myself with my family. Fiona Hyslop reminds us that there are many reasons why visitors come to Scotland. We have wonderful food and drink, and we have exceptional landscapes as well. We know that it is not just about physical access, but that accessible tourism opens the doors to those with visual impairments, hearing impairments, learning disabilities, and for those with mental health. A number of members have mentioned today the value of the tourism industry and spending by Tourism Scotland, as we know, generates £12 million in economic activity in the wider Scottish supply chain and contributes £6 billion to the Scottish GDP. As we celebrate tourism week, I would like to pay tribute to those who work really hard to drive the economy and create jobs and attract visitors. We know that this is a growth sector, and those who work within the industry also know that there is room for improvement. Improvement in this respect can come in the form of promoting accessible tourism. We know that there is an economic benefit that can be gained from inclusive tourism, and visit Britain reveals that around £12 billion is spent in this area and affects 18.5 per cent of our total population. However, that is more than just economic development to develop accessible tourism in Scotland. We need to make it happen and we need to make it possible for everyone to access Scotland's wonderful tourist destinations. It says on the Government website that tourism is everyone's business, everyone in Scotland is an ambassador, which, of course, leads to Jeremy Balfe's point that we should possibly have ambassadors to help to deliver that improvement. I welcome the Scottish Government funding to deliver the aim, and we have heard that it can break barriers, whether they are technology or physical barriers, and many members have touched on the measures that are being implemented, such as the two new accessible tourism destinations in Fife and Edinburgh, and also producing a new guide to help event organisers to make their events more accessible. Really important is the development of a new website, an accessible guide website and promotional campaign. I look forward to hearing further developments from Visit Scotland about their new programme and what they will be doing to encourage businesses to work in partnership with local authorities as well. However, there is so much to be positive about that. Fiona Hyslop made an excellent point about a shared partnership between hospitality providers and local carers to offer hospitality, which I have to admit that I had never heard of. Ian Gray talked passionately about Lluci House, which is a wonderful respite centre that is based near North Berwick. When I met Mario Keith, who runs the centre, I said to her that this is more like a hotel, and she said that that is absolutely the ethos that we are trying to deliver. Ian Gray is completely right about the fun aspect of Lluci House, because those with MS, MND and Parkinson's are treated to flights in the paragliders. Mr Gray, I would like to be the first person to donate £10 to your charity, because I would love to see you in a paraglide. In fact, I would quite like to come and visit. I feel you have opened up a competition, Mr Gray. You are doing well. I will see how Cheltenham goes. Tavish Scott spoke of the need for better parking in toilet facilities of Historic Scotland and Attractions 2. Jeremy Balfour spoke about the problems of parking closer to a venue for people without a blue badge. My colleague Jeremy Balfour urged members to think carefully about the practicalities of delivering accessible tourism in historic and listed buildings. It is clear that we need to raise the awareness of inclusive tourism. That is not just the need to see it rolled out further, but we also need to highlight individuals who currently practice social tourism but do not publicise it. That includes the programmes, events and activities that enable all groups of people from youth, families, retirees and individuals with modest incomes and individuals with restricted physical and mental capacity. However, we want everybody to enjoy tourism. Alison Harris and Rhoda Grant spoke about the practicalities of delivering accessible and inclusive tourism. I love a feather duvet, but Alison Harris makes a very good point about asthmatics that they might not want a feather duvet. Surveys have shown that most organisations do not know that they were involved in social tourism as that would not have highlighted that. That means that those searching for appropriate destinations are not getting full sight of those appropriate available destinations out there. David Torrance highlighted Guide Dogs Scotland. I, too, received the briefing yesterday. It is really important that, in 2012, when Visit Scotland launched its initial accessible tourism project, its events were the most popular stakeholder events that guide dog owners wished to participate in. We must ensure that everybody is included in that. By simply making people aware of what social tourism and accessible tourism are, we can see a concentrated effort to help more people with disabilities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds to experience the joys of a Scottish holiday. Lewis MacDonald made an excellent contribution about a Ewan MacDonald's initiative, and I wish I had met Ewan, too. We have heard today that Ewan's guide works really hard to try and raise awareness and remove the fear of the unknown and provides a brochure that reviews the accessibility of locations and attractions. I just looked at the website last night and found, on my own doorstep, Abbotsford House, which is near Melrose and Melrose Abbey, the John Gray Centre in Haddington and the National Museum of Flight. Again, I go back to the idea of introducing ambassadors to help disabled people at venues and events, and I think that that probably is quite a good idea. We have heard today about members and their local accessibility and social tourism venues. We have heard about the Tross Act's mobility benefits, the beach buggies on North Berwick beach, the work done by Aberdeen Beach, the Family Holiday Association, Strathclyde Park, Hamilton Racecourse and the up-and-coming V&A Museum. We have heard many mention the benefits of a holiday. We know that a holiday provides individuals and families with physical and mental health, as well as broader educational, cultural and communal advantages. Sandra White said that everybody needs a break, which is a really important comment to make. I was also struck by Tavish Scott's comments about the impact of poverty on aspiration and hope, which says it all. Holidays have the potential to tackle social inclusion, loneliness and isolation, as has been mentioned today. That reflects the value that our tourism community brings beyond our economic benefits. I warmly welcome the generosity of the hospitality industry, which has recently dug deep to help to give a short break to those who ordinarily would not be able to enjoy a holiday. Last year, I lodged a motion to congratulate Visit Scotland initiatives, Spirit of Scotland and breaking barriers for families. I wanted to recognise the advantages that the 300 people from disadvantaged backgrounds have had in going on a short break. We have heard today of those who got involved, such as Hilton hotels. Very often, those initiatives are successful when they are, as Dean Lockhart pointed out. We think that the Labour amendment is fair and asked for the implementation of section 179. The section in question means that anyone applying for a licence has to state when what disabled access they have. Given that it is already law and has been since 2010, we are happy to support it. We just would like to see what is happening with the implementation. Those wider benefits are still not being experienced by one in three people who are unable to access them because of cost, ill health or caring responsibilities. Those are the groups of people that this type of tourism can help. When helping, we will see the positive benefits that have been mentioned in the chamber. As Dean Lockhart's amendment makes clear, the focus should be for all, not just those who live in Scotland but outside too. We want to ensure that Scotland remains a welcoming place for everyone, no matter where they are from or what disability they might have. I support the motion in Dean Lockhart's name. Thank you very much. I call Fiona Hyslop to close with the Cabinet Secretary for Justice 458. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. I am pleased to respond to what has been a very thought-provoking and informative debate. Bill Bowman reflected that we have all learned something in this debate. There has also been a generous spirit across the chamber. That should reflect what we want from the spirit of Scotland in terms of how we should be as a nation. I think that it has helped us to identify what we can do and what we can aspire to. I think that there has also been a sense of realism and challenge. That is really important. Although there has been a lot of content about the good things and good examples, we should not let us think that we should be satisfied with that. I think that that is the challenge that we have. I hope that it has also been thought-provoking for everyone here in the chamber. Increasing the role of tourism has been recognised for the almost unique reach that it has across our economy, across our country in terms of place and also across our society. I hope that today has given a chance to see tourism in a new light. I wanted to bring this debate here today because I wanted to shine a light on this area and to see what more we can do in terms of bringing the force of the support of the Parliament to spread the word, to recognise what is there, but to encourage more activity. One of the first visits that I made as Cabinet Secretary for Tourism was to the Segal Trust, and its amazing work in providing accessible canal-based tourism breaks. I think that that also reflects an attitude that has got to be about can-do. The can-do attitude that has been expressed through a number of contributions has been very important in how we take that forward. There are three amendments that are submitted in relation to today's motion. In relation to Dean Lockhart's amendment to further promote Scotland as an accessible destination, I am very happy to support that. Our work to date is only the beginning of ensuring that Scotland is a destination for everyone. I am also happy to support Lewis McDonald's amendment on making accessibility a condition of licensing applications. The Cabinet Secretary for Justice has already advised that work on the implementation of the act will begin this year. Although there are secondary legislation issues, we will try to make sure that the work is taken forward as early as possible and I will ask the relevant officials to keep Lewis McDonald informed of progress. Turning to Tavish Scott's amendment, the ingenuity of Tavish Scott to get his constituency always into his debate, is to be commended. He raised an important point of the cost of travel. We are working hard to support disabled families through our disability delivery plan, including addressing accessibility and providing decent incomes. Work to reduce ferry fares to the northern isles is under way and older disabled island has already received two or three return journeys to the mainland each year. I am happy to support the amendment. He also read the issue around rates. In terms of small business bonus in this sector, I understand that half of premises will not pay rates at all. 8,500 will benefit from the cap that has been introduced, but in relation to the Barclay review, the finance secretary has already indicated that he has identified tourism. I am also at my request to the Barclay review. In other areas, the wide range of benefits that inclusive tourism can bring helps tourism industry, as we have heard Alison Harris has made the point that the economic benefit of this has to be broadcast more widely to the tourism industry. The social and educational benefits that we have heard of and for families more widely. I also heard a number of references to visit Flanders. I thought that what struck me when I had my discussion with them was the genesis in the trade union movement. It struck me listening to Sandra White about the experience of her family, the experience of a family of eight from government, and the support from the unions is perhaps something that we should reflect on as we go forward with our venture in the social tourism area. However, we should learn from other countries, but also if we are trying to tackle inequalities that exist in our society, we must look and identify what can be done. In terms of the simple perception of what we should do, it is also about making sure that doing something that is regular, such as going out for a drink to our local, taking a day trip to museums or galleries, getting on a ferry or whatever we do, we are trying to think about how we make sure that is something that is readily accessible for everyone. I think that George Adam's personal reflections were very helpful in giving us a sense of what the many people face. In terms of what we know from Unisguide, Paul and Ryan are here today, they only know too well of the impact of those barriers. However, if you look at the reviews that were referred to, Rhoda Grant, as a recognising that Highlands and Islands needs to be more reviews from their represented her constituency and the challenges very well, but if you take the review of the theatre Royal and Glasgow, a building that I have been involved in as Cabinet Secretary for Funding, Glasgow's oldest theatre or the five voluntary action premises, you can see a difference that removing some of the barriers can make. The website itself also aims to be accessible to the widest range of people, regardless of technology or ability. In relation to some of the other points, I thought that Sandra White, perhaps in her thinking about how you tackle the issue of poverty in particular, Richard Lyle, Tamish Scott again and John Mason all refer to this, talked about what we might want to do and think about in terms of what we do with and for children. 2018 is Scotland's year of young people and it will aim to inspire Scotland through its young people to celebrate their achievements, create new opportunities for them to shine. Many of those opportunities could come from our tourism industry, whether it is the opportunity to travel beyond their own area, see something out of the ordinary, do something different at school or the opportunity to take a break from caring or other responsibilities. Those can make a huge difference to the lives of young people. I wonder whether we should collectively challenge ourselves in 2018 in the year of young people to think about what we can do. Sandra White referred to the child poverty bill, which is another minister's responsibility, but I think that if we set our mind to thinking of our ambition for what we expect for our young people, we certainly should address that. In terms of references to contributions, Dean Lockhart mentioned the tropics mobility. I am keen and interested to learn more. I have met one of the individuals involved and I was very inspired by what I heard. Lewis MacDonald made a very important point about getting behind champions. It is not what we do or what government can say or do. We can provide support, we can do things in terms of legislation, but I think that we should really get behind our champions. He mentioned Judith Scofield, for example, and Dame Anne Begg. In relation to Tavish Scott, he mentioned Jarzhoff. In terms of those points, I will raise them with Historic Environment Scotland and I hope that it can respond directly to him. It is also important to recognise what is being done. Historic Environment Scotland, all its staff sites that were open in March, took part in the disabled access day for the first time. We are seeing that with a number of our collections and institutions. In relation to Historic Environment Scotland, they have procured two new mobility vehicles for Edinburgh and Stirling castles to help activity there. David Torrance was thoughtful in talking about unlocking potential. Unlocking potential for both tourism businesses and individuals is a key part of our perspective. Jeremy Balfour introduced the concepts of our roller coaster analysis. He said something that I thought was quite interesting about basic things around near-access parking. It occurred to me that, having used some time ago parent and child parking in supermarkets, perhaps some of our visitor institutions could think about something like that for near-access parking in terms of activity. In relation to ambassadors, we can look at that, but we will draw to his attention some of the customer excellence schemes that already exist. George Adam referred particularly to access panels as well. John Mason brought to life the real heart of this debate in terms of social tourism and reflected on the real impact on real individuals and particularly on children. I think that reflecting the feedback of those who have been involved in the social tourism has been very important. Ian Gray, your Ian Gray's champion of looking house, was really inspiring. I think that your microflight challenge is one that I am sure everybody in the chamber would want to help to support. He made an important point about families. I think that that is the model of care that he talked about in looking house. That reflects everything that we have been talking about. We cannot treat individuals with either disabilities or those who need care on their own. They are part of our society and they are part of families. I think that looking at it from that perspective would be helpful. Again, from the tourism businesses, quite frequently, when people go on holiday and they are taking somebody with them, that is an additional expenditure. John Finnie talked about a rights-based approach for this. I thought that that was a very important part of the debate. I think that that also ties in with young people and children and the debate that Sandra White brought in to the discussion. George Adam talked about the town halls and football stadiums. I think that there is a challenge with older buildings in reflection to the town halls, but I am very conscious that, in my constituency in Llynsgol, a very old building in the borough halls has been refurbished and restored, but in a very accessible way as well. Rhoda Grant talked about colour coding as well. There was a focus on some of the latter debates on some of the equality networks issue for LGBT visitors on which you are here. The real theme of our debate has to be about how we can make sure that Scotland is more welcoming, to make sure that we are more welcoming for all. If we are serious about our economic strategy and inclusive growth, there has been a part and parcel of Scotland's society and our economic activity. I think that there is no better argument and no better case than that of tourism being able to drive as a key sector in our economy that inclusive growth agenda. I think that perhaps the most important statistic for me in relation to the Scottish spirit breaks we have heard is that 98 per cent of children had fun and created happy memories. That is a personal and perfect outcome, I am sure. We want to create happy memories, we want to create resilience, we want this to be the sort of country that we want to live in to make sure that we have that warm welcome that we are accessible for all. If this debate has done anything to help contribute to that agenda, I am very grateful for the contributions. I think that collectively we can be very pleased about not only the tone but also the content and the inspiration that many of the speeches during this debate have given us today.