Miles Briggs
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party · Scotland
“Angela Constance: It was always going to be the case that the old hospital would continue to be used while the new hospital was being built, which means that important investment is required in that regard.”
“The Sunday Mail reported on 26 April that ministers had failed to sign off on the business case for the new Monklands hospital prior to the election, so it is important that the cabinet secretary publishes the information that Scottish ministers knew during that period and that she explains why there was no statement to the Parliament bef…”
“I am happy to furnish Mr Briggs with further information about the process. When we deal with any full business case, it is important that that is thoroughly examined and scrutinised, out of respect for those who have compiled it.”
“The Nuclear Industry Association estimates that Scotland’s civil nuclear industry could have supported more than 10,000 jobs if the sector had experienced the same growth as has been evident south of the border, in England. The Scottish Government must reflect on the opportunities that the country will miss out on in years to come.”
“Whatever views members may hold on the nuclear power sector, there should be broad agreement that Torness has been one of the most significant economic and industrial assets that our country has ever had.”
“With the ongoing instability in the middle east and the consequent volatility of global gas prices, households and businesses are vulnerable to price shocks. New nuclear energy would put energy back in our own hands, protect us from fossil fuel price volatility and deliver much-needed energy security.”
The complete record
Every one of 469 lines we hold for Miles Briggs, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 4 of 10.
“We have invested in the pupil equity fund, which enables headteachers to use some of the discrete purchasing options that they have. If they wish to use those resources to support young people who would otherwise struggle to have one of those devices, those resources can, of course, be used for that. It is a bit rich for Miles Briggs to come here and talk about any of those things because his £1 billion cut to public services would not only prevent the delivery of anything additional in our schools; it would impact on school budgets and there would be swingeing cuts to local government and the NHS. Miles Briggs knows that full well.”
“Five years ago, the First Minister stated: “If we are re-elected in May, the SNP will roll out a new programme to deliver into the hands of every school child in Scotland a laptop, Chromebook or tablet to use in school and at home.” Five years on, that election pledge is nowhere near being delivered. Will the cabinet secretary tell me how much money there will be in the budget to deliver that election pledge in the 100 days that the Government has left to do so? If it does not deliver, why should any young person or parent believe a word that the SNP tells them in May? Shona Robison: I say to Miles Briggs that this Government has invested in our schools, in our teachers and in local government so that they can provide the education resources that are required.”
“In that engagement and our engagement with ministerial colleagues, we have sought to emphasise the case for the college sector, given its contributions to the economy and local communities, as well as its contribution to individuals who are enriched and improve their life circumstances through studying at college. The Scottish Government’s budget, which will be published on 13 January, will set out the Government’s spending in different areas. I look forward to the Scottish Conservatives, including Miles Briggs, voting for that budget. Schools (Pupil Attendance) 4.”
“Since 2021, Scottish Government investment in colleges has fallen by 20 per cent, leading to 12 per cent fewer students and nearly 9 per cent fewer staff. As well as the reduction in core funding, individual funding streams have been withdrawn, including the promised £26 million for transformation and £10 million for a flexible workforce development fund. What discussions have ministers now had with colleges that are expressing that they have severe and deteriorating financial situations? What support will the Government give them? Ben Macpherson: In recent times, since I came into post and through the work of my predecessor and the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, we have engaged significantly on questions of budget and finance with both Colleges Scotland, on behalf of the sector, and individual colleges.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the justice secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding any plans to deliver campus police officers across all schools. (S6O-05333)”
“That is the basis on which such assessments should be made, which ensures that the needs of children are met appropriately in our public services and education system. Renewable Energy Infrastructure (Local Authorities) 7.”
“At the heart of many of the challenges that our teachers face around ASN is parents’ inability to seek a diagnosis pathway for autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Families across Scotland are being failed, and SNP ministers seem to be more focused on meeting child and adolescent mental health services targets by removing our young people than by giving them a diagnostic pathway. Will ministers now agree to review the changes that they have made to CAMHS pathways, as part of the ASN review that the Scottish Conservatives secured from this Government? The First Minister: The CAMHS targets are being met, and the Government has taken steps to ensure that all such decisions are made on a clinical basis by those who are empowered to take those decisions.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s public consultation on the proposed closure of Marionville fire station in Edinburgh. (S6O-05313)”
“At its next meeting in January, the group will discuss ways to engage with victims, and I am more than happy to write to the member or provide an update in February to give reassurance that victims’ voices will be at the heart of how the review is conducted. The Deputy Presiding Officer: That concludes this item of business. There will be a brief pause before we move to the next item of business, to allow front-bench members to change. Cybercrime”
“Will the cabinet secretary agree to report back to the Parliament on any destruction and loss of evidence and records when she is made aware that such an incident has happened? Russell Findlay asked whether survivors would be included in the Government’s existing strategic group or in the new task and finish group, which I do not think that she answered. Jenny Gilruth: On both points, I support reporting back to the Scottish Parliament. On records retention, I am happy to report back if we are provided with information from inspectorates on that. As I said in my statement, I will provide a fuller update to that end in February. I apologise to Mr Findlay, because I meant to catch the point on the inclusion of victims earlier. The strategic group is actively looking at that issue.”
“I began this process when I lodged my draft proposal for the bill all the way back on 22 April 2022. It has been a lengthy route, but I believe that it has been worth while. The bill has been well scrutinised—that is one of the reasons why the process has been important—and I think that it is in tune with what Government policy is intended to deliver. The effort that the non-Government bills unit has put in on the bill over such a long period of time is a huge credit to it. I could not have done this work without it. I thank it, my staff and all my colleagues. I thank the outdoor education sector and, particularly, I thank young people, who have proven to be the success story of this process, because they have given us something extra.”
“We should never forget that this bill is not about us; it is about the young people who, as Martin Whitfield rightly said, will have new, life-changing opportunities. I do not mind if they do not know who I am, but I mind if they do not get those opportunities. If the bill is agreed to, we will be the first part of the United Kingdom that will make it a statutory requirement that children must receive four nights and five days of residential outdoor education as part of their school careers. Colleagues in the Senedd and the House of Commons—Sam Rowlands and Tim Farron, in particular—are cheering us on. I hope that they, too—after the bill is, I hope, agreed to in a few minutes’ time—will be able to deliver that statutory requirement in the other parts of the United Kingdom.”
“For all the wonderful tributes that members have paid to me this afternoon, I would not have got here without the Parliament and the engagement that each member has had with me—it is a two- way process. I thank members for their warm regards and kindness, but I would not have been able to steer the bill through the Parliament without them. I hope that the bill can personify what the Parliament should be all about. We should be able to work together. In my 20 years in the Parliament, I have always thought that it works well when we can engage with each other, despite our strong political differences—we have those, let us be honest. However, throughout the time that I have spent in the Parliament, I have seen our debates sometimes get too toxic and tribal, with too much unwillingness to take on board important facts.”
“17:53 Liz Smith: If I had known that the bill was going to get Willie Rennie and the minister in a canoe, I would have introduced it much sooner than I did, but I look forward to seeing that. I say to Mr Mason, whom I sit beside on the Finance and Public Administration Committee, that, in the past year, I have moved him from voting against the bill to abstaining. I look forward to the period after Christmas, when I am still sitting beside him—at Kenny Gibson’s behest—when perhaps we might just get him to support the bill. Here we are—it has been a long journey, and I can now see the summit appearing. We have been in the foothills of this bill for quite some time—perhaps rather longer than I had wished.”
“Liz has been a long-time advocate of outdoor education, so it is very fitting that, as she approaches her retirement, this bill will be one of the last substantive contributions she makes as a long-serving MSP with a significant interest in education—both as an MSP and in her previous career as a teacher. I believe that, as amended and through collaboration, we now have a statutory framework for residential outdoor education that supports equity in provision and access, and will enable more children and young people to benefit from these unique and impactful experiences. For that vital reason, I am pleased to put the full support of Scottish ministers behind the bill. The Presiding Officer: I call Liz Smith to wind up the debate. Please take us to 6 pm, Ms Smith.”
“Natalie Don-Innes: I am open to both, Mr Rennie. A number of members mentioned support for pupils with additional support needs. Again, the Government is committed to working closely with the sector to ensure readiness for commencement, including considering capacity to meet the needs of pupils with additional support needs. I know that I am short of time, so I will conclude. Being frank, the issues that I have discussed will not be matters for me or Liz Smith, as we both prepare, for quite different reasons, to stand down, and they should not be allowed to stand in the way of the achievement that the bill represents. I cannot conclude without paying tribute to Liz Smith.”
“As I have already said, amendments that were lodged at stages 2 and 3 allowed us to explore alternate sources of funding. Mr Rennie commented on a lack of progress since 2010, and he knows that I will dispute that. Outdoor learning is and has been a priority, and there have been a number of developments, such as the outdoor learning strategic working group, the £2 billion learning estate investment programme that will incorporate covered outdoor spaces, and our development of training materials for outdoor education. I could go on, but, after all this time, I am sure that I will not convince Mr Rennie. I would be happy to extend an invite to him to witness, at first hand, outdoor education in our schools alongside me. Willie Rennie: Are we going ziplining or are we building a canoe? That is what I want to know.”
“As I said earlier, I have discussed the matter in detail with Liz Smith as part of jointly agreeing to the stage 2 amendment to remove the duty to fund provision. As part of seeking joint agreement, it will be necessary to develop a shared understanding with COSLA of what costs are considered reasonable to incur in providing the residential outdoor education entitlement to each pupil. That will be for COSLA and the Scottish Government to determine, potentially through budget discussions, as I have set out. Equally, the commencement regulations will allow us the time to gather the data and further understand the extent of the funding that is required. Mr Greer talked about the necessary capital funding to bring the sector to capacity. That is relevant to the debate around equity of provision.”
“As we have heard today, some of the considerations that have been undertaken over the past year or more by Liz Smith, MSPs and the Scottish Government have not been straightforward to navigate. Those considerations include funding, equity of provision for pupils with additional support needs, workforce implications, sector capacity, monitoring and commencement. Those issues and others have required very careful handling and input from a range of stakeholders to inform shared understandings. Members have called further attention to some of those and to other important considerations, which I will take two minutes to address. I appreciate that some members have raised concerns about the funding.”
“However, having heard at first hand from young people about the benefits that an outdoor residential trip can have, I think that it could have really helped me, as a young, quiet, anxious and shy girl, to develop certain skills and confidence and build relationships. I can certainly say that building a canoe or going white-water rafting was very alien to me when I was a little girl, and it still is. It is wholly positive that more young people will get to experience the kind of outdoor educational residential trip that is right for them. The bill allows for that choice and ensures that the needs of pupils will be considered with regard to what learning experience will be best for them.”
“As I said at the start of the debate, the work that it takes to introduce and see through a member’s bill is substantial. I want to share some of my personal experience. I did not go on an outdoor residential trip when I was in school—I went on a history trip to York, which, as I am a bit of a history buff, suited me very well. I count myself lucky that, as someone who grew up in poverty—I have been very clear about that—I got to attend one of those trips because, back in 2000, my school ensured that I and others were able to do so, which I think is something that we can celebrate.”
“I sincerely hope that, in future years, all young people in Scotland will be able to take part in the life-changing experiences that residential outdoor education delivers. As Martin Whitfield said, that will be a remarkable legacy for Liz Smith, and she should rightly be incredibly proud of the work that she has done on the bill. However, it will also be for us as a country, and for Parliament, to send out the message to our young people, to parents and carers and to teachers across Scotland that we value them and want to invest in them. I support the motion in Liz Smith’s name. 17:48 Natalie Don-Innes: In making my final remarks today, I acknowledge the journey that the Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill has been on.”
“When I speak to young people in the capital, many of them see it as a rite of passage, as City of Edinburgh Council has always valued outdoor education. Finally, I put on record a tribute to my friend and colleague, Liz Smith, for the power of work that she and her parliamentary office and team, along with the Parliament’s non-Government bills unit, have put into the bill, and for her lifelong advocacy—as a teacher and as a member of this Parliament—of the benefits of outdoor education for our young people. As we have heard today, Liz Smith is widely respected by members across the chamber and beyond. However, the bill itself is about what is best for our young people in the post-Covid era, when so many indicators tell us that young people are facing more challenges than ever before.”
“We have not focused on the outcomes that we need it to achieve for our young people, and many of our authorities are disinvesting in their outdoor education offerings and facilities. We know that, today, many children are disconnected from their learning environment and from our wonderful natural environment. I believe that Liz Smith’s Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill will allow for a reset to enable us, once again, to recognise nationally the importance of residential outdoor education. As I stated in the stage 1 debate, as an Edinburgh MSP, I know how incredibly lucky young people, and their parents and carers, are to be able to still access the residential outdoor education offering that they really enjoy and value.”
“In an age when there is growing concern about young people’s physical and mental wellbeing, the benefits of residential outdoor education cannot be overstated or underestimated. It is worth reflecting that Scotland was one of the first countries in the world to formalise outdoor education. The last significant piece of legislation around outdoor education was the Education Act 1944, known as the Butler act. In the 1960s and 1970s, outdoor education, often formalised as physical outdoor activities and based on residential experiences, was extensively developed in many parts of Scotland. In more recent times, however, the value of outdoor education has, sadly, not been given the weight that it deserves.”
“As has been said, no one doubts that outdoor education is one of the most rewarding experiences that a young person can have during their school career. I pay tribute to those who have joined us in the public gallery today for the dedication that they bring—they have dedicated their careers, in fact—to outdoor education and to our young people. In many cases, as I have seen for myself, outdoor education is truly game changing. It delivers benefits in school and learning long after pupils and teachers have returned to the classroom, and through the joy that young people experience from it. Residential trips help to build confidence, self-reliance, resilience and leadership skills, and they teach the values of friendship, teamwork and a lifelong connection to our great outdoors, which is fantastic.”
“In the time that I have served on the Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People Committee, there has been a recurring theme that teachers, parents and carers, trade unions, educationalists and, indeed, most MSPs who serve on the committee will recognise, which is that, after the pandemic, our young people continue to face major challenges. In many cases, the decisions that were taken during the lockdown had and continue to have negative impacts on our young people and the wider school environment, and the bill presents a positive opportunity to try to reset how we value young people across Scotland and to deliver a better offering for them, and for Parliament to send a message that we want to see real investment in the development of our young people now and in the future.”
“The Scottish Conservatives welcome the progress that has been made in Scotland since the passing of the British Sign Language (Scotland) Act 2015, but we are concerned about the number of issues—especially in relation to education and health—that are making it difficult for deaf people to engage in and be active members of our society and to access services so that they can realise their potential. I hope that the Scottish Government will take on board the committee’s recommendations. I also hope that all the Parliament’s committees will learn from the report. We are all members of different committees, and I hope that some of the learning from the inquiry will be applied in the work that the Parliament is doing now and will do in the future. 15:55”
“I know from the committee report that there was general consensus among witnesses that interpreter provision had improved for planned appointments in most health boards, but the situation remained unsatisfactory in most accident and emergency departments. We must do more, and we must consider how that can be delivered. We need to embrace technology more, which was touched on in the report, but health boards often do their own thing in that regard. The national approach to the delivery of some of these outcomes needs to be revisited.”
“Martin Whitfield touched on momentum, and Carol Mochan mentioned the postcode lottery around implementation. It is important that we consider that. We have limited time, so I want to touch on mental health, because that has been my greatest concern during the time that I have served as an MSP. As we have touched on, there are huge challenges with the delivery of BSL in our health service. We have to be honest about that. I have had many pieces of casework in which individuals trying to access general practitioner services have not been provided with a BSL interpreter. The ability to deliver BSL interpretation does not seem to have improved in some health board areas.”
“I do not see why the same principles of care and support provision cannot be extended—some colleges are doing that, and we need that approach to be rolled out. I hope that, in the next parliamentary session, the education committee will take into account the findings in the report. We will also need to return to the recommendations on teacher-led learning of BSL. In my time as an MSP, I have made a number of visits to schools where children were learning BSL. That has often been because a teacher has had the ability to provide such a lesson, which the kids love, or because there was a deaf child in the classroom and they wanted the child to be included in all lessons. We sometimes overcomplicate frameworks—teachers might already be delivering, and we need to be mindful of that.”
“Although the bill has not been taken forward in this session, a lot of the key issues that it covers need to be picked up in the next session on the back of the committee’s recommendations. Martin Whitfield: Is it not becoming apparent over this parliamentary session, in particular, that there are real challenges in Scotland for our young people at transitional stages, not only in their own communities but in the community as a whole? As Miles Briggs said, that will need to be looked at— not by us, sadly, but in the next session. Miles Briggs: I absolutely agree. Some really good frameworks have been developed, especially for care-experienced young people in our colleges and universities.”
“As a member of the Education, Children and Young People Committee, I want to concentrate my comments on education. It is not surprising that education aspects received the most feedback during the committee’s consultation. Issues that were raised include early years provision, mainstreaming, support around transitions, qualifications and the fluency of teachers in BSL. The committee recommended that the Scottish Government consider what action could be taken to increase the number of deaf BSL users being qualified to perform teaching roles, which is really important. What has struck me is the work of other members during this parliamentary session—for example, Pam Duncan-Glancy’s bill on transitions and the key principles behind it.”
“Several responses suggested that there was a lack of enforceability with the act, as has been mentioned in the debate, and some responses mentioned a postcode lottery, which we so often talk about, when it comes to delivering on the act in local government and in our health boards. The committee received mixed responses on the second national plan—I hope that ministers have taken that into account—in relation to not only measurable goals and timelines but clear accountability mechanisms, which need to be improved. One respondent said that there had been “little in the way of measurable progress across the piece”—[Official Report, Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee, 3 June 2025; c 10.] in relation to the plan.”
“That is about 2 per cent of our population, so delivering on the 2015 act matters. In 2015, the Scottish Parliament passed the British Sign Language (Scotland) Bill, which has helped to deliver many improvements. We must acknowledge that; it is fair that we do. The committee has found that the act has increased awareness of BSL as a language, with respondents to the committee’s call for views agreeing that the act has increased the visibility and recognition of BSL and that it has helped to raise public awareness. However, for me, as with everything in politics and everything that we do in the Parliament, it is about outcomes. We must challenge ourselves, and the committee report certainly does that. The committee found that responses were not completely positive.”
“I welcome this debate. For me, it is a debate about post- legislative scrutiny, which we have not seen much of in the Parliament. Therefore, I welcome the fact that the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee took the time to do such scrutiny of the 2015 act. I thank the members of the committee and their clerks for putting together the report. I also thank everyone who provided evidence to the committee—many charities and organisations, sometimes small organisations, that work in our communities. I also pay tribute to Mark Griffin for his long-standing campaigning on BSL and to the convener, Karen Adam, for her and the committee’s work. As Pam Gosal mentioned in her opening speech, according to the latest Scottish census, there are just over 117,000 BSL users in Scotland.”
“To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of, and support it is providing to, childhood dementia awareness. (S6F-04519)”
“This year’s statistics show that we have made further progress in narrowing the attainment gap across a range of measures. However, Mr Briggs made no comment on the impact on our education system across the board of the austerity policies that his party followed when it was in power. If members speak to any headteacher, they will hear about how, as a direct result of those policies and that approach, poverty is corroding the progress that is being made in our schools. I make no apologies for the Scottish Government’s approach, which is delivering progress and improvement across the board. I wish that the Conservatives could bring themselves to welcome that good news for Scotland’s children and young people.”
“In the previous year’s budget, the Government made a direct intervention to protect teacher numbers. We uplifted ring-fenced funding to £186.5 million and provided local authorities with an extra £28 million to support those with additional support needs. The Conservatives chose to vote against that investment, which speaks to some of the challenges in that regard. On teacher employment, it is worth welcoming the fact that there has been an increase in the proportion of probationers in the teacher induction scheme who have secured a teaching post in the year following their probation. As a result of our investment, the figure has gone up to 69 per cent compared with 65 per cent last year. I am pleased that Mr Briggs welcomed the action relating to additional support needs, which has been informed by cross-party working.”
“If SNP ministers can take credit for anything today, it is their ability to spin a record of failure. Will the cabinet secretary be honest with the teaching profession across our country and admit that the SNP pledge on teacher numbers will now not be met? Jenny Gilruth: I find it remarkable that Miles Briggs was unable to welcome in his comments a single measure that was announced today. The statistics are the result of the hard work of Scotland’s teachers and pupils, and the success that we have seen across the board in relation to attainment, attendance and, more broadly, the narrowing of the attainment gap is to be welcomed. To come to some of Mr Briggs’ points, it is worth reminding Parliament that, since 2014, teacher numbers have increased by more than 2,500 thanks to investment from this Government.”
“Voters will know when they go to the polls in May that SNP promises on teacher numbers have been broken and that they cannot trust the SNP on education. I welcome the work that the cabinet secretary outlined about ASN. That work is important, and it has come about because the Scottish Conservatives brought forward a vote to Parliament to deliver it. However, we need action, not only words. The biggest failure in the statement is the broken promise on eradicating the attainment gap. More than a decade on from Nicola Sturgeon’s flagship pledge, there remains a chasm between the most and least deprived kids in our country when it comes to basic literacy and numeracy. Too many pupils are being failed, and we are falling short of the expectation that we should be delivering a basic education for them.”
“I welcome Paul O’Kane to his position as Labour Party spokesperson on education. The third-last sentence of the cabinet secretary’s statement claims that promises are being kept. Amazingly, the cabinet secretary managed to state that to the Parliament today while keeping a straight face. The facts speak for the reality, which is that teacher numbers remain at a historic low in our country. When the SNP first took power in 2007, there were just over 55,000 teachers in Scotland. That total has been lower in every subsequent year. In the run-up to the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections, SNP ministers pledged to employ an additional 3,500 teachers and classroom assistants, which is another pledge that has not been kept.”
“It was positive to hear from those young people that that helps not only by providing practical sessions but by focusing their learning in other subjects, including the theoretical importance of, for example, mathematics to work. It also plants in those young people’s heads the seed of a future career ladder and pathways beyond it into further and higher education.”
“We lack that in our debate in the Scottish Parliament. As I have stated in almost every education debate, Conservative members want real reform to provide more opportunities for our young people. I refer to opportunities such as the ones that I saw on Friday when I visited Liberton high school with my Lothian colleague Sue Webber—I know that Daniel Johnson was there a few weeks previously. The school has partnered with the Tigers construction academy to offer young people in that part of the city a foundation apprenticeship in construction skills to give them a taste of the careers on offer in the construction industry.”
“I, too, thank all the people who gave evidence to the committee and all the organisations that provided helpful briefings ahead of the debate. In seven minutes, I will not be able to touch upon all the work that they highlighted, but we were given a lot of helpful content about the work that our colleges and universities are undertaking to try to close the gap and give people the opportunity to get into education. I highlight something on which I agree with Keir Starmer—I did not necessarily think that I would say that. It is something that he said at the Labour Party conference. I say to Mr Whitfield that I was not there. I welcome the fact that the Prime Minister set the challenge of making vocational options as attractive to parents—we must remember them—and young people as higher education.”
“We have a proactive approach to helping people to train in midwifery, and we want as many midwives as possible to be able to enhance their skills and experience as part of that, taking account of the challenges that he mentioned. We also want those people to stay in Scotland and work in midwifery here. With respect, this is a matter that needs the engagement of health ministers and others in the Scottish Government, so I will take the point away and provide a detailed response to Miles Briggs at a later date.”
“Lothian MSPs have been contacted by newly qualified midwives who have expressed concern that they cannot access further experience without gaining employment and securing a permanent position. There is no clear pathway for midwives to complete their preceptorship before applying for permanent positions in NHS Scotland. Has the Scottish Government considered the approach of the Welsh Government, for example, which provides a job guarantee scheme for newly qualified midwives that guarantees them a minimum of 22 hours of work, allowing them to achieve their preceptorship before they apply for jobs? Ben Macpherson: I am grateful to Miles Briggs for raising those points. In my capacity as a constituency MSP, I have engaged on some of those matters over the past few years.”
“I associate myself with the warm congratulations to Ricky Demarco. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the culture secretary has had with the finance and local government secretary regarding providing support to Edinburgh in dealing with the pressures of holding major annual cultural events and royal visits, including reintroducing the capital city supplement. (S6O-05229)”
“To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of police officers in Edinburgh and the Lothians, in light of the growth in the population of south-east Scotland and any additional policing duties in the capital. (S6O- 05206)”
“Rights must be workable in practice, and many education professionals, from teachers to directors of education, have warned that the bill is unclear and burdensome and that it risks creating conflict. The proposed change cannot come at the cost of damaging relationships at home or overwhelming our schools, which are already complaining of too much bureaucracy within their walls. Given the uncertainties and the potential impact on families and teaching staff, the Scottish Conservatives will not support the bill at stage 1, and will look to lodge amendments at stage 2. 14:54”