Martin Whitfield
Scottish Labour · Scotland
“To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact on its energy policy and strategy, and in light of reports that Torness nuclear power station is due to close by 2030, what its response is to the United Kingdom Government’s new fusion strategy, which aims to deliver thousands of jobs and long-term energy security. (S6O-05690)”
“I ask members to note my entry in the members’ register of interests. As we come to the conclusion of today’s debate, I rise to offer the full support of Scottish Labour for the Restraint and Seclusion in Schools (Scotland) Bill.”
“The last few motions before us today are the final motions from the committee designed to put the standing orders book in its best possible state for the next session. The first motion, regarding the sixth report, relates to cross-party groups. We have had some challenges this session with the compliance of cross-party groups.”
“Last year’s fostering and adoption statistics show that children who are going through the adoption system face significant delays, with some waiting for six months or longer.”
“I will dwell on the comments he made as convener of the Education, Children and Young People Committee, because it is a tribute to him that he saw, in that committee, the ability to fulfil a role that is crucial for committees in a unicameral Parliament.”
“The Presiding Officer: The next question is, that motion S6M-21167, in the name of Graeme Dey, on a motion on legislative consent for the Armed Forces Bill, which is UK legislation, be agreed to.”
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“We must pay attention to Dr Iain Morrison of British Medical Association Scotland, who has pointed out that the existing walk-in centres do not necessarily demonstrate good value for money, which we must keep thinking about. On the back of last week’s announcement, which Neil Gray just referred to, can he confirm how much money GP practices will see before the election next May? Neil Gray: Yes. The budget will contain an additional £98 million for general practice, pending the decision that the Parliament takes following the budget process. I am confident that Labour members, including Martin Whitfield, will support the budget, given the incredibly important investment that it will provide.”
“I also briefly state that I have some concerns about the timescale for implementation of the act. Given my experience of the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022, I believe that we will not actually see the effects of this legislation until well into session 7—although we are here talking about the bill, I place on the record that we might not even see its effects until we are in session 8. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Mercedes Villalba speak to amendment 89D and other amendments in the group.”
“Secondly, the review would collect data on land ownership and land reform outcomes, in order to better understand how the act, and any future land reform legislation, is performing and what change might be needed. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Ariane Burgess to speak to amendment 89A and other amendments in the group. Ariane Burgess: Amendment 89A would add an express provision to Martin Whitfield’s amendment 89 and would require that a review be carried out by the land commissioners to evaluate the impact and effect of part 1 of the bill on islands and island communities. The conclusions of that review could be taken into account by ministers when deciding whether to use the powers in the bill to modify the land affected by part 1, including any special provisions for islands.”
“I believe that there is also a need to set out in greater detail what that review must include, so amendment 89F would go beyond the specific provisions in the bill to identify the core land reform policy outcomes that the bill was intended to address, along with key land reform outcomes identified by the Scottish Land Commission. The amendment seeks to ensure that the review of the act would report directly in line with the stated policy outcomes for land reform in Scotland. Amendment 89G would mandate that the review of the act would not be a one-off occurrence. The first review would take place five years after royal assent and subsequent reviews would occur every three years thereafter, assessing the impact of the act and looking at what might need to be changed.”
“The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Rhoda Grant to speak to amendment 89C and other amendments in the group. Rhoda Grant: I support amendment 89 because it is important that we have post- legislative scrutiny and I pay tribute to Martin Whitfield’s commitment to his constituents, as is shown in his lodging of that amendment. I seek to strengthen amendment 89 with my amendments 89C, 89F and 89J. Amendment 89C would build on the provisions set out in Martin Whitfield’s amendment to ensure that the review process is not static but must be reapplied afresh during each scheduled review.”
“Amendment 89 would ensure that we do that. It would embed post-legislative scrutiny in the bill so that we do not simply pass laws and move on but instead return to them, examine their impact and ask whether they are delivering the outcomes that have been promised. Andrew’s story is sadly not an isolated one. It is a reminder that land reform must be living legislation that is responsive, reflective and, most of all, rooted in justice. Amendment 89 would ensure that the voices of tenants, crofters and communities are not just heard during consultations but respected in a review. I urge members to support amendment 89, not just as a technical improvement but as a moral commitment to those who have been let down in the past and to those who deserve better in the future.”
“The land commissioners would need to lay their report before Parliament and make it publicly available, and within one year, ministers would have to publish a response outlining what actions will be taken or, if no action is proposed, explaining why. That is not just good governance: it is essential accountability, and an accountability that was sorely missed in the case of Andrew Stoddart, who was a tenant farmer at Colstoun Mains in East Lothian for more than two decades. He had invested hundreds of thousands of pounds in the land and built a life and a livelihood but was evicted under a legal framework that failed to protect him. His case exposed the fragility of tenants’ rights, the imbalance of power between landowners and tenants, and the lack of transparency about how land decisions are made. We must learn from that failure.”
“I have lodged amendment 89 in order to place a statutory review provision in the text of the bill. At stage 2, I brought forward proposals to ensure that the bill would be subject to meaningful post- legislative scrutiny and review. I then worked constructively—for which I thank the cabinet secretary and other members across the chamber—to refine that approach for stage 3. I am pleased to present the resulting amendment today, which—I reassure Mr Mountain—I will be moving. Amendment 89 would do two key things. First, it would place a duty on the land commissioners to “review the impact and effectiveness of” part 1 of the bill. Secondly, it would place a duty on the Scottish ministers to respond to that review.”
“The Deputy Presiding Officer: The next item of business is consideration of business motion S6M-19442, in the name of Graeme Dey, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, on a timetabling extension at stage 1. Motion moved, That the Parliament agrees that consideration of the Scottish Parliament (Recall and Removal of Members) Bill at stage 1 be extended to 14 November 2025.—[Martin Whitfield] Motion agreed to. Parliamentary Bureau Motions 14:04”
“The Deputy Presiding Officer: The question is, that motion S6M-19481 be agreed to. Motion agreed to, That the Parliament agrees— (a) the following programme of business— Tuesday 4 November 2025 2.00 pm Time for Reflection followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions followed by Topical Questions followed by Social Justice and Social Security Committee Debate: Financial Considerations When Leaving an Abusive Relationship followed by Stage 3 Proceedings: Land Reform (Scotland) Bill followed by Committee Announcements followed by Business Motions followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions 10.00 pm Decision Time Wednesday 5 November 2025 2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions 2.00 pm Portfolio Questions: Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands; Health and Social Care followed by Scottish Labour Party Business followed by Stage 3 Proceedings: Land Reform (Scotland) Bill followed by Business Motions followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions 7.15 pm Decision Time followed by Members’ Business Thursday 6 November 2025 11.40 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions 11.40 am General Questions 12.00 pm First Minister’s Questions followed by Members’ Business 2.30 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions 2.30 pm Portfolio Questions: Social Justice and Housing followed by Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee Debate: Strengthening Committees’ Effectiveness followed by Business Motions followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions 5.00 pm Decision Time followed by Members’ Business Tuesday 11 November 2025 2.00 pm Time for Reflection followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions followed by Topical Questions followed by Stage 1 Debate: UEFA European Championship (Scotland) Bill followed by Committee Announcements followed by Business Motions followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions 4.15 pm Decision Time followed by Members’ Business followed by Members’ Business Wednesday 12 November 2025 2.00 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions 2.00 pm Portfolio Questions: Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, and Parliamentary Business; Justice and Home Affairs followed by Scottish Green Party Business followed by Business Motions followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions 5.10 pm Decision Time followed by Members’ Business Thursday 13 November 2025 11.40 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions 11.40 am General Questions 12.00 pm First Minister’s Questions followed by Members’ Business 2.30 pm Parliamentary Bureau Motions 2.30 pm Portfolio Questions: Education and Skills followed by Stage 1 Debate: Scottish Parliament (Recall and Removal of Members) Bill followed by Business Motions followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions 5.00 pm Decision Time (b) that, for the purposes of Portfolio Questions in the week beginning 3 November 2025, in rule 13.7.3, after the word “except” the words “to the extent to which the Presiding Officer considers that the questions are on the same or similar subject matter or” are inserted.”
“It is as a representative of the Parliamentary Bureau that I will respond to Mr Ross’s request, rather than as the wearer of one of the other hats that I own, but all committees are open to receiving correspondence, and if Mr Ross would like to correspond about the provision in standing orders, the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee would be the right committee for him to write to. I thank Mr Ross for his contribution in respect of the business motion. He has highlighted the challenging area of the relationship between the Parliament and the corporate body. He has put his views on record, and I know that consideration of the issue that he has raised today will be taken forward in the various areas in which it should rightly be considered.”
“Amendment 126 agreed to. Amendment 127 not moved. Amendment 128 moved—[Edward Mountain]. The Deputy Presiding Officer: The question is, that amendment 128 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Deputy Presiding Officer: There will be a division. The vote is closed. 18:15”
“For Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) Allan, Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire South) (SNP) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Ind) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP) Don-Innes, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP) Forbes, Kate (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP) Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) [Proxy vote cast by Ross Greer] Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) [Proxy vote cast by Michael Marra] Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Fulton MacGregor] Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Swinney, John (Perthshire North) (SNP) Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) Against Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) The Deputy Presiding Officer: The result of the division is: For 86, Against 26, Abstentions 0.”
“Amendment 259 disagreed to. Amendment 126 moved—[Mairi Gougeon]. The Deputy Presiding Officer: The question is, that amendment 126 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Deputy Presiding Officer: There will be a division.”
“For Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind) Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) Against Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) Allan, Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire South) (SNP) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Ind) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP) Don-Innes, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP) Forbes, Kate (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP) Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) [Proxy vote cast by Ross Greer] Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) [Proxy vote cast by Michael Marra] Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Fulton MacGregor] Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Swinney, John (Perthshire North) (SNP) Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) The Deputy Presiding Officer: The result of the division is: For 26, Against 86, Abstentions 0.”
“Amendment 258 agreed to. Amendment 259 moved—[Brian Whittle]. The Deputy Presiding Officer: The question is, that amendment 259 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Deputy Presiding Officer: There will be a division.”
“For Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) Allan, Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire South) (SNP) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Ind) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP) Don-Innes, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP) Forbes, Kate (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP) Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) [Proxy vote cast by Ross Greer] Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) [Proxy vote cast by Michael Marra] Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Fulton MacGregor] Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Swinney, John (Perthshire North) (SNP) Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) Against Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) The Deputy Presiding Officer: The result of the division is: For 84, Against 27, Abstentions 0.”
“Amendment 252 disagreed to. Amendments 253 to 255 not moved. Amendments 256 and 257 moved—[Bob Doris]—and agreed to. Amendment 258 moved—[Bob Doris]. The Deputy Presiding Officer: The question is, that amendment 258 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Deputy Presiding Officer: There will be a division.”
“For Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind) Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Against Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) Allan, Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire South) (SNP) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Ind) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP) Don-Innes, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP) Forbes, Kate (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP) Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP) Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) [Proxy vote cast by Ross Greer] Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) [Proxy vote cast by Michael Marra] Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Fulton MacGregor] Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Swinney, John (Perthshire North) (SNP) Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) The Deputy Presiding Officer: The result of the division is: For 27, Against 84, Abstentions 0.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I am not sure whether my vote has been counted, because my app has not refreshed yet. I would have voted no. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I can advise that your vote was recorded, Mr Whitfield.”
“I accept that not all amendments will be approved, but preventing them from being fully explored when the advice is that the bill is flawed and ill- conceived is undemocratic. I urge members to vote against the business motion. It shows the very worst of the Parliament, which is being given an archaic clerical formulary procedure that shuts down debate and increases the likelihood of bad legislation. To be clear, a vote for the business motion is a vote to put timekeeping before debate and over good legislation, which is an affront to democracy. On that basis, I urge members to vote against the motion. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Graeme Dey to respond on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau. 15:02”
“The Parliamentary Bureau was asked for some latitude and to allow speakers up to 10 minutes in groups in which they have numerous amendments. That has obviously been rejected. It could be argued that, if the member with 15 amendments had split those among their colleagues, giving them one each, that would have created an extra 75 minutes of debating time. I am not going to play that sort of game. Ideocracy would perhaps appease some but would increase the speaking time by seven times--that is why it is a nonsensical format. I am a committed parliamentarian. I am also a realist. I want to debate issues. I want to make good legislation for the people of Scotland that everyone in the chamber can be proud of.”
“I am grateful to Edward Mountain for taking an intervention on this point. If we look to the timing motion that is before us today, outreach was made in the usual way, as Mr Mountain defines it, about the times that are available for speaking. Did he have an opportunity to input into that with supporting evidence for why certain areas might have needed more time? That is the practice that has been used in the past and it has led to amendments and recommendations from the Parliamentary Bureau. Edward Mountain: I did, and I will come to that. For example, in group 7, a member who has two amendments will get five minutes to speak to them, as will a member who has no amendments. A member who has 15 amendments will also be given five minutes—or 20 seconds for each amendment.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on youth work provision of its budget decisions, in light of the most recent YouthLink Scotland survey indicating that the majority of young people accessing youth work do so through the voluntary sector. (S6O-05057)”
“Natalie Don-Innes: I understand Mr Whitfield’s point about the case that Mr Briggs referred to, and I have committed to looking directly into it. In relation to the secure care numbers, I can confirm that six children from England and Wales are currently placed in Scotland on cross-border placements. I will have to get back to Mr Whitfield on the number of beds that are occupied children who are on remand—I will do so following my statement.”
“I, too, thank the minister for advance sight of her statement. In relation to the case that Miles Briggs has just raised, I think it is right to say that the Scottish Government would remain the corporate parent for that individual up until the age of 18 at the very least, so it does have a direct responsibility. I have two questions. The evidence shows that we currently have 65 beds—I welcome the fact that provision will be expanded—and that, currently, 54 beds are occupied. Can the minister confirm, first, how many of those beds are occupied under cross-border placements and, secondly, how many are occupied by young people who are on remand from the court system? As the minister pointed out, there are a number of ways in which young people can end up in secure accommodation.”
“If we are to manage the amending stages better and avoid scenarios such as Meghan Gallacher highlighted, it is absolutely imperative that members and the Government engage as early as possible and, hopefully, reach a satisfactory conclusion. Commonwealth War Graves 7.”
“The complexity of the timetable is driven by the complexity of legislation. The minister indicated that there is not a substantial difference in comparison with previous sessions. However, if we look at stage 2 proceedings, we see that there is a substantial difference in the time that the process is taking. Will the minister reconfirm the Government’s commitment to work with all members across the chamber at all stages of a bill to ensure that we can seek agreement early where it is available or identify where the differences actually lie? Graeme Dey: I absolutely give that commitment. I cannot guarantee that the outcome of such discussions will satisfy the member’s concern, but we have already seen many instances in which agreement on a way forward can be reached.”
“We are losing a skill set of expertise that will be very hard to bring back. To echo Meghan Gallacher’s contribution, if we cannot get childcare right, we will not do anything with the economy and we will put pressure on families, who will start to make really serious decisions about whether they can afford to have a second child. To put it at its politest, this is putting an unrealistic expectation on the parents of today. 17:04”
“Alasdair Allan made an incredibly powerful contribution: the loss of childminders in Scotland has been a real tragedy, because they are able to provide flexible, imaginative care in the community where a child is growing up. It is right to say that the Government has tried to stem the haemorrhaging. However, 50 per cent of childminders were lost in the six years between 2016 and 2022, and the Government’s proposed policies and ideas are not filling the space that childminders have left—the aim is basically just to stem the loss. The sad thing is that, with proper support, older parents, women who want to change their work and men who want to change their work-life balance could provide the most brilliant childminding facilities—first to their own children but also to others at a later stage.”
“Parents who want to return to work and who want to know that their child is safe and in an environment in which they can properly develop, are facing challenges of all sorts, such as the amount of time and thought that they are required to put into considering how on earth they will get childcare for their children; they have no alternative but to spend almost their entire time begging grandparents and families for help, and fighting their local administration and a guidance system that is being interpreted differently in different areas. I am not blaming the councils, because they are not making decisions to limit access to childcare on a whim. The decisions are a result of shrinking budgets and a failure to properly value the people who make childcare happen.”
“We have to acknowledge that such guarantees are utterly meaningless unless we can provide the childcare workforce with adequate support to provide the childcare. I will raise another postcode lottery that has occurred: councils are being forced to interpret the guidance in such a way that they can make savings. That is the case with the City of Edinburgh Council and the surrounding councils, where cross-boundary support arrangements exist. Parents who come into Edinburgh are required to use only city-run nurseries rather than private nurseries, which might be better located geographically and familiar to the children.”
“It is a pleasure to follow Ms Gallacher’s articulate argument on the challenges that we face. I thank Jamie Greene for allowing us to discuss the subject today. The statistics that have been outlined paint a very grim picture. Families have been let down by the SNP Government’s outlandish promises, on which it has failed to deliver. I welcome that the motion “calls for the Scottish Government to guarantee that funded places are available from the day after a child’s third birthday”. A significant number of parents whom I have spoken to fully expected that to already be the case, because that is what they thought that the Scottish Government’s commitment meant. It was only afterwards that they found out that it is not.”
“Amendment 2 would enable a court to issue standard requirements in every direction—for instance, those could state that a person must attend in a private place with minimal distractions, using a stable internet connection. I believe that that approach better meets the concerns of members than requiring rigidity in locations or technical requirements. I am pleased to have been able to work with Liam Kerr on amendment 1, which relates to reporting on the use of virtual attendance in court proceedings. The report will provide important evidence on the effectiveness of the provision in delivering benefits to all users in the justice system. I ask members to support amendments 1, 2 and 59 and to oppose amendments 58 and 60.”
“It is not necessary to place an additional burden for technical specifications over and above that. In addition, my amendment 2 will require a court, when issuing a direction detailing how a person is to attend virtually, to set out “what requirements must be satisfied by the location from which the person is to appear”. The purpose of the amendment is to enable the court to set parameters around what makes a location suitable for virtual attendance. That would guarantee that the provision can continue to afford flexibility to police and professional witnesses while ensuring that remote evidence continues to be delivered in a way that is consistent with the solemnity and integrity of court proceedings.”
“The amendment would require individual directions, in every single case, to contain technical specifications that are, on the whole, outwith the general expertise and role of sheriffs and High Court judges. I am sure that court users and, indeed, MSPs would not expect judges to routinely spend their time setting out minimum broadband speeds in open court. Therefore I do not support amendments 58 and 60, which would do nothing to improve the practice of virtual attendance or the experience of court users. However, to provide reassurance, I point out that the bill already provides that, if a direction is being given on virtual attendance, it must require the witnesses to use means that enable all the other parties, the judge and, where applicable, the jury, to see and hear the witness.”
“On the amendment’s requirement for the court to be “satisfied that the electronic means” of virtual attendance “is of sufficient speed and quality”, it is not clear how the court could be meaningfully satisfied in each case, given the volume of witnesses attending from different locations. It would be entirely impractical and problematic to place an obligation on the court to be satisfied as to the minimum technical requirements before the witness can give evidence remotely. In addition, these amendments are not future proofed, which means that, as technology expands and improves in the years to come, courts would still be required to check on the speed and quality of internet connections. Ms McNeill’s amendment 60 relates to information contained within the court’s direction that sets out how a person is to attend proceedings virtually.”
“Going back to the specifics of amendment 58, it would, in my view, place an unsustainable burden on the courts to require them to appoint those officials. The significant costs and demands on resources that that would bring would mean that virtual attendance would become essentially impracticable, and we would lose all the benefits that it currently provides. As I said at stage 2 when an almost identical amendment was debated, virtual attendance provisions have been very effectively used to allow police and professional witnesses to give evidence remotely in High Court cases, often from their workplaces. It would be wholly inappropriate to require officials who are appointed by the court to attend at those locations with such witnesses.”
“Those are preliminary hearings, which tend to be quite short; sentencing hearings in which the person is detained; full- committal hearings in sheriff courts, when the person is detained; and bail appeal hearings. A determination was also issued that people who were suspected of having Covid would be advised to self-isolate and to attend virtually. Overall, virtual attendance has been determined for shorter, more procedural hearings. The default position is that people attend court in person, in particular for hearings in which evidence is being led and for trials. In those cases, the expectation is that people attend court in person unless the person is a vulnerable witness and has had opportunities to give pre-recorded evidence.”
“I do not know whether the cabinet secretary can answer that, but it would be helpful to know that before we close the matter. 14:30 Angela Constance: I am not aware of a requirement to have someone on site with professional witnesses such as doctors, police officers and other experts. I would have the utmost confidence in police officers being able to give evidence to courts remotely. The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service’s evidence-by- commissioner suites are overseen by the court service. It is worth reminding members that the default mode of attendance is physical. There has only ever been one determination issued by the Lord Justice General, in September 2022, specifying types of hearings in which the default mode of attendance is virtual.”
“Ms McNeill mentioned the great facilities that Victim Support Scotland has in Edinburgh, and for children, we have the bairns’ hoose. As I said, Ms McNeill’s amendment 58 would require an official appointed by the court to be in attendance with every person attending a trial virtually. My concern is that that would be unworkable. Pauline McNeill: It is helpful to clarify that, when such Government-funded suites or those of Victim Support Scotland are used, we already have in place satisfactory arrangements. However, given that the bill would give the Lord President a permanent power to allow virtual evidence to be given, I just wondered who would check—if people were not giving evidence in those suites—that no one else was in the room and that everything was as it should be. That was my motivation in lodging the amendment.”
“Does the cabinet secretary envisage limiting remote evidence, in effect, to professional witnesses and police officers, where there is an assurance that there will not be interference in the evidence, if it is given remotely? Angela Constance: Right now, virtual attendance is mostly used by professional witnesses—police officers, doctors and so on— and it is quite often done from their place of work, by which I mean the place where they work every day in a professional environment. In terms of vulnerable witnesses, where there is the opportunity either to have special measures or to give evidence remotely, there are evidence-by- commissioner suites, in which the Government has invested money, and a court official is present at those facilities.”
“To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to meet the interim and final child poverty reduction targets, in light of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s finding in its report, “Poverty in Scotland 2025”, that current levels remain largely unchanged since 2021. (S6T-02704)”
“I have already stated that I am more than happy to look at what other mitigation measures we need once we go through the process.”
“Emily Burton, who is a senior conservation officer at the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick and who was at the summit, said: “Local authorities, businesses, and individuals need consistent and clear advice on tried and tested, effective solutions for living alongside gulls, together with information about where funding can be found to support them.” Will the minister confirm that the Scottish Government will step up to the role of facilitating consistent and clear advice and ensure that, beyond the £100,000 that he mentioned, funding is there to support solutions? Jim Fairlie: The first part of the process was holding the summit, and the second part is taking the five steps that I outlined. As I just said, the £100,000 will get that process up and running.”
“The cabinet secretary has the power to make the change, not in a directorial and top-down way but by saying, “This is the message—implement it in the way that you need to.” To be fair to Stephen Kerr, in relation to his intervention, I am not sure that the cabinet secretary has gone that far by referencing support for headteachers who introduce a ban. The Deputy Presiding Officer: That concludes the debate on mobile phones in schools. Protecting Scotland’s Fire Service”
“To slightly corrupt Willie Rennie’s contribution, the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government should give our schools the agency to be able to say that there should be no mobile phones in classrooms unless there is a need for one. The detail of “unless there is a need for one” can be devised through discussions with young people, the school community and parents. We have heard that there is overwhelming evidence that smartphones are potentially rewiring the brains of our young people, but we cannot go down the route of a ban without providing full and proper support. We cannot have leadership if there is no listening, but we need leadership when there has been listening.”
“On the issue that the cabinet secretary was talking about, it would be easy to go to article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and ask, “Why are children not involved in this decision?” Children are, of course, involved in the decision. We have heard brilliant examples of headteachers working with their communities on how to implement a ban. On the genuine question in today’s debate, we have to turn to Willie Rennie’s opening speech. Our schools, our headteachers, our parents and our children are looking for authority in that message. Our headteachers need support, and there needs to be a clear message.”
“Of course, any regulatory move of the type that he has suggested would take power away from local authorities and centralise power with the national Government. More broadly, I am struck by the approach of the NASUWT, which has been quite critical of the UK Government’s position on the matter. Dr Patrick Roach said: “If the Government introduces blanket bans that are unenforceable, this will make the behaviour crisis worse, not better.” That takes me to the point that the issue is about how bans are enforced and how we trust Scotland’s teaching profession. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Briefly, cabinet secretary. Jenny Gilruth: Will Mr Whitfield respond to that point? Martin Whitfield: I offer my deepest regret for interrupting the cabinet secretary’s contribution. Of course, education policy is devolved in Scotland.”
“We place parameters around our children’s lives because we are adults and parents, and because— regarding the stages of development that children go through—it is good for them sometimes to push up against walls, to see how far they can go and why those walls are there. A number of members have said or have implied that Scottish Labour has no trust in teachers, including headteachers, in schools. That is simply nonsense. We trust our teachers to deliver curriculum for excellence, which requires certain signposted activities to be arrived at, and we empower them to teach that curriculum in the way that is appropriate and correct for a small group, for a large group or for the entire school. Jenny Gilruth: I am interested in the point that Martin Whitfield is making.”