Karen Adam
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“That is the question that I come back to: who is this growth for? When I think about economic growth in Banffshire and Buchan Coast, I do not think first about a graph or a statistic; I think about the young folk in Buckie who wonder whether there will be a good job for them if they stay in their home town.”
“In my constituency, I see that potential everywhere. Fraserburgh harbour has a master plan that looks to future proof one of Scotland’s key fishing ports. Peterhead port, with links to fishing, energy and trade, is already a massive asset for Scotland.”
“I welcome the cabinet secretary to his new post. It is great to see him in the Parliament. When we talk about the economy, it can sometimes feel like we are talking about something that is quite abstract—something that is separate from people’s everyday lives.”
“It affects access to education, work, freight, business confidence and how quickly and cleanly produce from one of Europe’s most important fishing ports can reach the market.”
“Karen Adam: I thank the member for that intervention because it gives me the opportunity to say that I have already opened conversations and will discuss what next steps the campaign is asking for.”
“The range of amendments before us shows exactly why Scotland needs these powers to be in Scotland’s hands. While other parties pull the debate towards delay, denial, dependence or unrealistic simplicity, my constituents need a serious Scottish plan that is rooted in jobs, bills, climate responsibility and, importantly, a community benefit…”
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“The cabinet secretary referred to the national centre for remote and rural health and care, which was created to help reduce health inequalities and improve the delivery of healthcare services in rural communities. Will he provide an update on the work that is being carried out by that centre and on how that will continue to be supported beyond the end of phase 1 this month? Neil Gray: The national centre was established in 2023 and has four priorities: supporting and developing our rural and island healthcare workforce; building sustainable health and care services; sharing rural primary care knowledge and data; and reducing rural health inequalities.”
“That can be done only with direct support from the Scottish Government. Through our support framework, we continue to work with boards to meet those targets and ensure that they have robust improvement plans in place. We are also investing directly in a system to ensure that children and young people receive the support that they need, when they need it.”
“I welcome recent figures that show that the Scottish Government has met child and adolescent mental health services waiting time targets for the third successive quarter. However, we must maintain the momentum, particularly in the face of unprecedented demand for mental health and neurodevelopmental services. Will the minister say more about how health boards are being supported to improve their performance and provide our young people with the support that they so desperately need? Tom Arthur: I put on the record my sincere thanks to the staff in our national health service CAMHS teams for their hard work. They play a vital role in making that achievement possible. However, we cannot be complacent. I agree with the member that we need to sustain that work and, importantly, ensure that standards are consistent across the country.”
“Motion moved, That, under Rule 9.8.5A, the time limit for groups 14 to 16 be extended by up to 30 minutes.—[Jamie Hepburn] Motion agreed to.”
“The Presiding Officer: Members will note that, although the previous time limit was extended by 30 minutes, we will shortly reach the next time limit, and we still have further debate. As a consequence, I am minded to accept a motion without notice to propose that the last sentence of rule 9.8.5A of standing orders be suspended. I would be grateful if the Minister for Parliamentary Business moved such a motion. Motion moved, That the last sentence of Rule 9.8.5A be suspended.— [Jamie Hepburn] Motion agreed to. The Presiding Officer: Under rule 9.8.5A of standing orders, I am minded to accept a motion without notice to propose that the time limit be extended by 30 minutes. I ask the minister to propose such a motion.”
“The review process under that amendment would give us the opportunity to engage with that community to understand what people would want and need out of an inspection system, if it were to be created. One of the ideas behind our inspection system is that it is about supporting our education establishments to improve the quality of learning and teaching. I would be interested in us undertaking an exercise to learn from home educators what support they need to improve the quality of learning and teaching in their homes. However, as I said, I am open to different approaches, if the Government has them. I would be keen to hear from the cabinet secretary before deciding whether to press any of my amendments to a vote. I move amendment 204.”
“I raised the issue because, as I have looked at it and engaged with colleagues, particularly in local government, I have quickly become concerned. Even on a fundamental level, the absence of data and being able to quantify— Jackie Dunbar: Will the member take an intervention? Ross Greer: Yes. Jackie Dunbar: Has the member engaged with people in the home education community on what he is putting forward? Has he engaged with their views on how this can be progressed to ensure that we are getting it right for every child? Ross Greer: The point of amendment 221 would be to engage with people in the home education community, because it is essential that we take them on board. I want us to have the mechanism to do that.”
“For example, it would be appropriate for HMIE to have the ability to do a thematic inspection of home schooling, but it does not have the power to do that at the moment. We do not need to be prescriptive at this point, but we should give ourselves the option of returning to the issue to fill in what is quite a notable gap in the system. That being said, the Scottish Government may have an alternative way to address this. I understand concerns about a review being led by the chief inspector but, if the Government were to be agreeable to a review being led by ministers to consider the issues and the duties on local authorities as well as on the Government and HMIE, that would perhaps be a positive route forward.”
“In every other area of our education system, there are checks and balances to make sure that children’s needs are being met and that children are being safeguarded. There is an anomalous gap in how we regulate and make sure that children who are being home educated have their needs met and are being safeguarded. I am not comfortable with one part of the education system being held to a very different and—I have to be honest—much lower standard. I am not saying that a lower standard of education is being delivered in home education but, with regard to regulation, home education is being held to a much lower standard. I want to consider whether that difference in what is essentially quality assurance is appropriate.”
“In relation to home schooling children, it is often the case not that the school has failed the child but that the child needs education that is bespoke to them and that the family know will support them. Could trying to assimilate a child into a system that their family have purposely removed them from—for their best interests—end up adding problems, when the child was moving away from that system in the first place? Ross Greer: To be clear, the amendments are not designed to move children out of home education and back into a school environment. As Karen Adam outlined, many parents choose to home educate their children to make sure that their children’s needs are met. I am proposing that we check that children’s needs are being met.”
“When we budget for women, we are budgeting for a fairer, more equal Scotland for everyone. Women have done the heavy lifting for far too long. It is time that we lifted the burden from them and shared the power. I look forward to seeing the progress that has been made when we gather to debate the issue again next year. 16:07”
“The Scottish Government has made great progress on free childcare, the Scottish child payment and many more initiatives, such as the carers allowance supplement and, of course, the lifting of the two-child benefit cap. Those policies are great examples of what happens when we centre fairness and compassion in our budgets. They are lifting families out of poverty and recognising the value of care. Gender budgeting should not be optional; it should be law. We should not still be seeing local authorities pass budgets without proper equality impact assessments. We cannot keep saying that we care about fairness while we are still making decisions that disadvantage the very people who do the caring. This is not just a women’s issue; it concerns children, disabled people, low-income families and future generations.”
“We need to turn that on its head. Women still carry the weight of unpaid care and underpaid care in this country. They take time out of work to raise children, and they often reduce hours to support relatives, meaning that many retire without enough contributions for a full pension, yet they are the ones who have held together families, communities and even whole sectors such as health and social care. Although they are doing all that, they are still made to feel as though they should be doing more, doing it with less or doing it more quietly. We should not be interested in quiet gratitude. I am interested in structural change. I want a Scotland that builds fairness into its foundations, and that starts with how we raise and spend our money.”
“In far too many cases, doing that role has even been used against women, who are told that they did not work hard enough, did not contribute enough and did not earn enough to deserve financial security in later life. That really has to change, and the way to do that is to build that recognition directly into our systems, which is what gender budgeting is all about. That is why the National Advisory Council on Women and Girls is right to keep pushing for it. I thank the Scottish Women’s Budget Group for its briefing and for its brilliant long-term work on the topic. It has shown us clearly how budgets are not neutral but political, and that, if we do not apply a gender lens, we will end up with the same old story of services designed for a world that does not exist, where women are expected to pick up the slack.”
“Let us be honest: in Scotland, as in many other countries, we have benefited off the backs of women’s unpaid care for generations. It is mostly women who have raised the kids, cared for elderly parents, supported disabled family members, run the school fundraisers, managed the house and kept things afloat in a crisis. What have they mostly got in return? Pension gaps; poverty; burnout; and, oftentimes, stigma, especially if they are doing it alone. Such irony. Instead of valuing unpaid care as the essential work that it is, we have often treated it as a personal lifestyle choice—something to be quietly admired, maybe, but not something to properly fund or support.”
“I am proud to speak in support of the Scottish Government’s motion and to welcome the publication of the first annual statement on gender policy coherence. It is a long overdue step that will start to hold us accountable to the promises that we have made to women and girls in Scotland. The National Advisory Council on Women and Girls has given us clear direction, and its recommendations are rooted in real-world experience. We need to improve our public sector equality duty, gather better intersectional data, tackle workplace inequality, shift public attitudes and critically embed intersectional gender budgeting into our approach as a Government. I will focus my remarks on gender budgeting, because how we spend money is how we demonstrate our priorities.”
“It would be great if we could have a little more brevity in the responses as well as in the questions.”
“Talk about budget processes might sound a bit dry for some people, but it is really important that we get them right so that the money moves to the right place, where it will have a preventative impact. That is not an easy challenge in any organisation and it is far less so across the public sector, which has around half a million people working in it. It is really important that leaders understand that, that they operate in a collaborative way to make that happen, and that there are processes in the background that allow them to do so. The Deputy Presiding Officer: We have come to the end of the 20 minutes that I had allocated, but we have a bit of time in hand this afternoon, and four colleagues still want to ask a question, so I will allow those questions to be taken.”
“We all agree that councils have tough choices to make, but some of the cuts, in particular those from the Tory-led administration in Aberdeenshire, have hit vulnerable people the hardest. For example, elderly people in assisted- living complexes have been threatened with eviction. How will the reform strategy make sure that councils put people first and stop balancing their books on the backs of those who need the most help? Ivan McKee: Ms Adam makes a hugely important point. If we get the preventative agenda right, we will identify where services should be invested in that will allow us to save significantly more later, elsewhere in the system.”
“They have lost so much to Brexit, and it is time to give them something back. Scotland’s needs are distinct, and our values are even clearer. Rather than lying down to UK populism, we must use our voice in the immigration debate to stand up for Scotland. 16:04”
“That is why I support the Scottish National Party Government’s motion, because it not only rejects the damage that the white paper would cause but recognises the positive, vital contribution that migrants already make to our communities, our services and our economy. Their contribution deserves recognising, not scapegoating. I underline the need for urgent and meaningful engagement between the UK and Scottish Governments. We cannot afford to be sidelined. If the proposed rules go ahead without adaptation, it will be Scotland’s businesses, care providers and families who will pay the price. I plead that we look to the future, including that of our young people, many of whom want the freedom to work, study and travel across Europe. A new youth mobility scheme must be broad, inclusive and shaped by young people themselves.”
“National Records of Scotland and the Fraser of Allander Institute have both been crystal clear in saying that inward migration is essential if we are to sustain our economy and our public services. The argument that we need to motivate more people into work falls flat when the evidence— especially in my constituency—shows that the working-age population numbers are simply not there. We need a migration system that reflects Scotland’s needs, not Westminster’s polling priorities and a culture war that sows division. We must reject hateful messaging and work together to ensure peace in our communities.”
“Our essential seafood industry, which feeds the country and exports globally, is again being treated as expendable. Processing facilities in my constituency rely heavily on migrant workers. They are already dealing with the legacy of Brexit, from lost labour to increased bureaucracy, and we are now being told that the very workforce that has kept them going is no longer welcome. Those are not hypothetical concerns; they are genuine concerns that have been expressed directly to me in conversations that I have had with employers. We are constantly told that migration should be controlled, but what is being proposed is not control; it is restriction for the sake of restriction. It ignores Scotland’s demographic reality. Our working-age population is shrinking, our birth rate is falling and our population is ageing.”
“It is a political manoeuvre, dressed up as policy, that is aimed at placating Reform UK. It is not about helping Scotland, and it is certainly not about helping rural Scotland. It proposes raising visa thresholds to degree level, extending English language requirements to dependents, increasing the qualifying period for settlement from five years to 10 and—crucially for us—closing the overseas care worker route. In areas such as mine, that change alone could devastate care provision. Services are already stretched, vacancy rates in social care are at their highest, and now a key recruitment route is to be cut off. There is no plan to replace it—all that we have had are vague promises of training and home-grown staff. We have heard that before. It is not only care that will be affected.”
“A lot has been said about immigration in recent days, particularly from podiums in Downing Street, but very little has been said from places where decisions about immigration land the hardest, such as places in my Banffshire and Buchan Coast constituency. There, immigration is not just an abstract debate; it is a practical necessity. Immigration is necessary to ensure that there are enough workers to staff our care homes, to keep seafood processing lines running and to support our public services and the local economy. We are talking about real jobs, real communities and real people, and what the UK Government is proposing will make their lives and livelihoods much harder. The UK Government’s immigration white paper is not about supporting growth or meeting need, and it is certainly not about fairness.”
“This week marks carers week. This afternoon, I will host a round table in Parliament to discuss the Family Fund’s new report “The Cost of Caring 2025” and the urgent challenges that it highlights for families who are raising disabled and seriously ill children. With that in mind, what action is the First Minister’s Government taking to better support carers across Scotland?”
“I believe that he would be proud of what is happening in Fraserburgh, not just because we are remembering him, but because we are building something worthy of the legacy that he left behind. It is about making sure that a boy who was born on Commerce Street 187 years ago is not just remembered but celebrated, and that, through him, we remember what Fraserburgh has contributed to the world and what it can still contribute. I thank everyone who has helped to make this happen, including the festival committee, the Rotary Club of Fraserburgh, Michael Mennie, Councillor Ann Bell, Dr Manako Yabe and, of course, my father, who introduced me to the legacy of Thomas Blake Glover—a wee boy from the Broch. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I, too, welcome the consul general. We move to the open debate. 12:56”
“Those turbines have links with Mitsubishi—the very company that Glover helped bring into being. Fraserburgh is a town where people simply get on with it, and they work very hard. It is a place with global reach and a thriving fishing industry. The people there continually recognise and act on their potential. There are plans to expand the harbour, a master plan for future growth, and a strong and growing campaign to bring back rail to connect Fraserburgh to Aberdeen. I believe that those are the kinds of forward- looking projects that would have resonated with Glover. He introduced Japan’s first steam locomotive, he modernised shipbuilding and he supported education and reform. He was a connector of people and ideas and a true visionary.”
“I fear listing every person and group in case I inadvertently leave someone out, but I note that the full programme and list of distinguished guests will be available online for those who wish to follow the celebrations. On the day, we will plant a cherry blossom tree in Glover’s memory, right there on the site of his birth. It will be a living symbol of connection and growth, with roots in the Broch, just like Glover, but looking upwards to the rising sun, and blossoming each year on the lead-up to his birthday, so reminding us of our connections with Japan. That connection continues in ways that feel almost poetic. Anyone who stands at Fraserburgh harbour—where Glover’s father once worked as harbour master—and looks out to sea will see wind turbines that form part of the Ocean Winds Moray east offshore wind project.”
“The festival is not just about looking back but about bringing people together to celebrate Fraserburgh’s connections with the wider world and everything that we have to be proud of. There is so much talent and creativity in the town. The festival’s afternoon programme will feature performances by incredible local talent. Sunday will also be a day to celebrate our international friendships. We will be joined by several distinguished guests, including the consul general; the Mitsubishi Corporation’s deputy chief regional officer for Europe, Middle East and Africa; Ronnie Watt OBE, who is a recipient of the order of the rising sun; and Lady Saltoun.”
“After that visit, and our conversations with Michael, I thought, “Why not do something here, in Fraserburgh?” I began speaking to local community leaders and, before long, a festival committee was formed as a branch of the Rotary Club of Fraserburgh. The committee consists of passionate volunteers who have given their time, energy and hearts to creating something truly special for the town that they love, and in an extraordinarily short space of time. Although she is far too modest to take credit herself, I want to recognise Councillor Ann Bell, who, as chair of the committee, has played a central role in co- ordinating the work of all who have been involved. This Sunday, 8 June, we will come together for the inaugural Thomas Blake Glover festival.”
“My father and Dr Yabe had connected at a deaf history event in Edinburgh and began exploring historical links between Scotland and Japan. During those conversations they discovered that Thomas Blake Glover had supported the very group of scholars who helped to introduce deaf education in Japan. Knowing the significance of Fraserburgh to me, my father invited me to meet him and Dr Yabe in the town, to visit the Glover garden on Commerce Street, which is the very site of Glover’s birthplace. The garden has been lovingly created and is maintained by the owner, Michael Mennie, who warmly welcomed us. He also shared with us stories of his own visit to the Glover garden in Nagasaki, where Glover’s former home is now preserved and visited by millions. In Japan, Glover is remembered, respected and celebrated.”
“Known as the Chōshū five, they went on to help to build modern Japan, and included one who became a Prime Minister who shaped the country’s constitution, and others who made advancements in railway systems, modern engineering and infrastructure, and reform of currency and finance. One made his mark on the education system in several ways, including introducing education for deaf people. That connection brings this story very close to home for me. As many members will know, my father is deaf, but they might not know that he is also a deaf historian. About this time last year, he introduced me to Dr Manako Yabe, a deaf Japanese academic and postdoctoral research associate at Heriot-Watt University, whose work focuses on deaf studies and communications technology. I am delighted to welcome Dr Yabe to the gallery today.”
“I extend a warm welcome to the distinguished guests who join us in the gallery: the consul general of Japan and the cultural consul to the consulate-general of Japan in Edinburgh. It has been an honour to welcome our guests to the Parliament and to nurture the international friendships that mean so much to Scotland. Just last week, I had the pleasure of meeting the consul general at a meeting of the cross-party group on Japan, where I also met His Excellency the Japanese ambassador to the United Kingdom. It has been a week of making Scottish-Japanese connections. The scale of Glover’s global impact is truly extraordinary. He supported five young Japanese students to travel to Britain to study.”
“Tomorrow will mark the passage of exactly 187 years since a boy was born in a coastal town in the north-east of Scotland—Fraserburgh, which is fondly known as the Broch. On 6 June 1838, that boy, who was the son of the town’s harbour master, was born on Commerce Street. His name was Thomas Blake Glover. I doubt that anyone at that time could have imagined just how far that Fraserburgh boy would go—that, one day, he would be honoured by the Emperor of Japan, his work would transform entire industries and economies, and his legacy would still live on today, not just in history books but in the shared culture, education and innovation that continue to link Scotland and Japan.”
“Any further decisions in this area have to be got right, and have to be the product—as I have mentioned many times—of co-operation between Governments. That is why we continue to call on the UK Government to approach decisions on, for instance, the North Sea oil and gas projects case by case, led by rigorous evidence. A truly just transition will involve building on our strengths as an energy powerhouse, utilising—as I have mentioned many times—our skilled workforce. There are real economic opportunities around net zero and, as I have said, our record in Scotland is one of marrying up our aims on the environment with real economic growth.”
“Between 1990 and 2022, Scotland’s emissions halved, while the economy grew by 66.6 per cent. That shows us that climate action and economic growth and prosperity can be achieved simultaneously—Scotland has already done it. Ensuring the future security and prosperity of our oil and gas workers must be at the heart of our plans for a just transition towards net zero. How will the Scottish Government ensure that that is the case, and what is the minister’s message to the sector? Alasdair Allan: First, the member is quite right to point to the fact that economic growth and the decarbonisation of our economy go hand in hand. We are committed to achieving net zero by 2045, and we are proud of our record of climate action to date.”
“That includes funding of almost £2.3 million for cancer services, £1.2 million for ear, nose and throat services, £600,000 for orthopaedics and about £330,000 for ophthalmology. In addition, we have allocated £2.6 million for the national treatment centre Highland to deliver thousands of additional orthopaedic and ophthalmic operations for patients across the north of Scotland, including those from NHS Grampian. As I have said, £3.3 million of funding has been provided for two mobile MRI and CT scanners in NHS Grampian, which will ensure that patients get the diagnostic tests that they need. Alongside the further £2.5 million that is targeted at endoscopies, that will deliver an additional 5,000 scans.”
“Will the cabinet secretary provide an update on the activity that has been delivered through the additional £30 million that was allocated in 2024-25 to reduce waiting times in NHS Grampian? What further work will the Scottish Government undertake to ensure that reductions continue? Neil Gray: By accessing extra funding from the additional national investment of £30 million in planned care, NHS Grampian delivered more than 23,000 additional appointments and procedures last year. As part of our £100 million investment to clear backlogs and substantially improve waiting times, NHS Grampian has been allocated almost £7 million in funding to deliver additional appointments and procedures.”
“Let us be clear: when we see the rise of far-right rhetoric in the United Kingdom and witness on- going atrocities around the world, including in Palestine, we must not lose our moral clarity. We do not meet hate with hedging, but with courage and conscience. True leadership is not found in dog whistles or division but in the values that we pass on to our children, in the stories that we choose to tell and in the communities that we choose to stand with. Today, as we honour those who died in Srebrenica, we must also commit ourselves to the living—to standing up for truth, dignity and justice. The greatest lesson to learn is that we must ensure that “Never again” is not just a phrase that we say but a promise that we keep. 13:05”
“We have a moral duty not to look away from what has happened and is happening in the world. The genocide in Srebrenica happened in plain sight, in a United Nations-declared safe zone, and it was made possible by years of hate speech, scapegoating and propaganda. The Mothers of Srebrenica, who have fought tirelessly for justice and recognition, show us the enduring cost of silence and the strength of truth. I commend the work of Remembering Srebrenica and Beyond Srebrenica for preserving the truth and passing it on to future generations. Their efforts ensure that remembrance is not a relic of the past, but a living force that challenges hate wherever it surfaces.”
“Earlier this year, Banff academy also took part in a powerful international art project called “Banff to Bethlehem”, working with a Palestinian artist to explore themes of resilience and solidarity. The Banff academy pupils’ artwork was actually projected on to the separation wall in the West Bank. That is essential education with critical engagement, teaching not just what it means to care but what it means to act. In a year that marks both 80 years since victory in Europe day and 30 years since the horror of Srebrenica, education such as this could not be more vital. Schools do more than teach lessons; they ensure that fostering emotional intelligence, social responsibility and a deep understanding of justice is a part of our education system. After all, is that not the most important education that we could give our children?”
“This year, three of its religious, moral and philosophical studies pupils received national recognition in the Beyond Srebrenica national schools competition for their powerful and compassionate writing about the genocide. Finlay in secondary 4 was named the overall senior phase winner, and he will soon travel to Bosnia on a fully funded visit, including a trip to the Srebrenica memorial centre. Kellan and Nikolas, both in S3, were also highly commended. All three pupils and the staff who supported them are here in the Parliament today, and I am delighted to welcome them, along with other Banff academy pupils, who are here to celebrate and support one another’s achievements.”
“I thank my colleague Michelle Thomson for bringing this vitally important motion before the Parliament. The 30th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica is not only a time to mourn the 8,372 lives lost; it is a time to reflect on the responsibilities that we carry as parliamentarians, as educators and as human beings. We say never again, but that promise must live in action, not just in memory, because genocide does not begin with weapons; it begins with words, dehumanisation, division and the slow erosion of empathy. It is in our schools, our homes and our institutions that we must build the resilience to resist that, which is why I am proud to mention the young people and teachers at Banff academy in my constituency.”
“There is also the rural affordable homes for key workers fund, which is demand led, so I am keen to encourage colleagues across the chamber and the public sector to ensure that applications come in for the fund. We must encourage the best use of the homes that we have at the moment, as well as developing new homes.”
“Housing plays a key role in sustaining our rural communities. Will the cabinet secretary provide an update on the action that the Scottish Government is taking to tackle the housing emergency in rural and island communities? Shirley-Anne Somerville: We are determined to deliver on not only the 110,000 affordable homes target but the part of the target that states that at least 10 per cent will be in rural and island communities. That work is supported by the rural and islands housing action plan. I have already mentioned some of the funds that are available for that plan, such as the £30 million rural and islands housing fund, the extension of which to March 2028 we recently announced in the programme for government.”
“Once again, Scotland’s fishers have been utterly betrayed by a Westminster Government in London—this time by Labour and its EU-UK deal. How will the Scottish Government continue to support fishers, particularly in my constituency of Banffshire and Buchan Coast, and will the First Minister give an assurance that his Government will always put Scotland’s fisheries first?”
“However, when it is at the point where 40 per cent of all children have ASN, and everything from being gifted to being a permanent wheelchair user is an ASN, the grouping of a wide range of issues under one category masks those issues and makes it hard to identify the right kind of support. Although I think that we should keep that definition, we need better disaggregation of the data. Although there are serious resource implications for getting this right, we could make policy and legislative changes right now with no cost, which would at least make some initial progress while we resolve the more difficult issues of resources. Our children deserve that. It is a crisis in our schools, and those changes need to be delivered now. I hope that the cabinet secretary can commit this afternoon to taking at least some actions. 16:18”
“She thought that that was fantastic—her anxiety went down at the thought that that dedicated support would be there—until that member of staff said to her that they had only ever worked with children who had autism but that they were sure that, between the two of them, they would be able to work out how to provide the right support for her. That was a failure not only for the young woman but for the member of staff, who had not been adequately supported to do their job—the job that they had been assigned to. Constituents have brought plenty of other examples to me since. I want to address definition issues. Richard Leonard made an important point. Quite rightly, we have a very broad definition of additional support needs, and there is a whole range of advantages to that.”
“We constantly hear from teachers that they still want to work with children and young people and that they want the opportunity of career progression without moving into a management position. Making ASN teaching a promoted post would be an obvious way to support that. Although it would require additional resources because promoted posts have higher salaries attached to them, we must recognise the need to have specialist staff in our schools among both teaching and support staff. One of the first constituents to whom I spoke after I was first elected in 2016 was a deaf 15- year-old young woman, who was in high school. She told me that, on her first day of high school, she had been assigned a member of staff for one- on-one support.”