I congratulate my good friend Clare Adamson on securing this members’ business debate on child safety week 2024. As I looked back at the text of the motion last night, I was reminded that Clare Adamson has lodged motions about child safety week previously—in fact, she has done it every year for the past 10 years. I totally understand why. She has bravely spoken previously of her family’s loss and experience, and about the importance of road safety. I applaud her for her continued consistent and passionate advocacy of child safety week, and for using her platform as an MSP to promote safety for children and young people.

As Clare Adamson has already outlined, the theme of this year’s child safety week is “Safety. Sorted!” The campaign aims to make families feel confident that, by making one small change, they can prevent a serious accident and be clear about what they need to do to keep their children safe.

Some of the posters for the campaign do not need words—they simply show a wide range of small changes that can be made to protect children. Those include: making sure that hot drinks are not placed near edges; tying up blind cords; putting cleaning products out of reach; and making sure that battery covers are properly secured.

The materials provide lots of information and numerous additional tips, some of which are well known but are well worth repeating, and some of which—I have to admit—I had not even thought of. Those include the dangers of button batteries, how to keep them away from small children and what to do if one is swallowed—or, as the leaflet puts it: look, check, store, dispose and act.

Information is provided on the risks that are posed by water beads, which can swell up to the size of a golf ball; on the importance of keeping nappy sacks well away from babies, because they will grab on to just about anything and bring it to their mouths, and nappy sacks can cling; and on the risks that are posed by magnets, especially powerful ones.

The information also highlights times when children should be taught to leave dogs alone. The trigger times are when dogs are sleeping, eating, getting a treat or playing with certain toys that they might not want to share. There is also advice on how to cut foods—not just grapes, but other foods, including sausages. They should all be cut in half long ways, then cut in half long ways again.

The information highlights that 30 children go to hospital with hot-drink burns every day. It also sets out how to cross a road safely—“Think; Stop; Look and listen; Wait; Look and listen again”—and how to secure blind cords safely.

The Child Accident Prevention Trust website has a wealth of helpful information across a range of areas. It is not just on the aspects that I have mentioned; there is also information on fire safety, falls, beach safety and so on. All the information will help to save lives if it is seen more widely.

This is the point of this year’s child safety week, and of this members’ business debate: it is to raise awareness of the small steps that we can take to reduce the chance of an accident happening.

Again, I thank Clare Adamson for securing the debate, which means that we are able to stand in the chamber of Scotland’s Parliament to share this advice and highlight where it can be found. I hope that that will make a difference and help to protect children from accidents.