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 8 of 10.
“They are facing pressures in the classroom that they never expected in their professional lives. Instead of receiving the support and resources that they need, they face rising workloads, growing pupil violence and pressures to plug gaps that are caused by ministers’ failure to plan. With fewer people entering the profession and more feeling that they have to leave, the SNP has made teaching in Scotland increasingly unsustainable. I hope that the debate genuinely presents an opportunity to highlight the pressures that the teaching workforce faces across Scotland. The problems with our education system are piling high on the desks of the cabinet secretary and SNP ministers, but resolving the workforce challenges must be the first step in developing solutions to the issues.”
“I do not know whether the cabinet secretary has had a chance to meet the RSC, which has made a lot of positive suggestions for growing the number of teaching professionals in such subjects. That is where growth in our economy will come from and where subject choice is critical. I hope that ministers will take on board from the debate the need to update Parliament on what will happen with STEM. I hope that we will get a commitment from the cabinet secretary or the minister to use Government debating time for that important issue, which should include the recommendations on how STEM targets will be met, as there seems to be very little focus on that—there certainly is not any focus on it in the Government’s amendment. I have spoken with teachers, and the message is clear that they feel overworked and undervalued.”
“The Scottish Conservatives support a national co-ordinated education workforce plan, to include the ASN workforce, that would deliver additional support workers and classroom assistants across our local authorities. This morning, the Education, Children and Young People Committee heard about the skills gap that must be closed if we are to align the needs of our economy with subject availability and choice in our schools. That was a key part of Willie Rennie’s motion. We have concerns about the sharp decline in the number of teachers in key subjects such as maths, physics and modern languages and about the targets that the Government has set to train and recruit teachers in those subjects. Yesterday, I met the Royal Society of Chemistry to discuss its report “Future Workforce and Educational Pathways”.”
“When SNP ministers pledged to recruit 3,500 teachers, they did not make that pledge with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities; SNP ministers said that they would deliver that recruitment in this parliamentary session. With less than a year to go, it is clear that they have failed. That pledge was made after 14 years of the same party being in office, and it is now likely to be missed by the end of this parliamentary session. I agree with the call on the Scottish Government to “develop a new, urgent plan for the teaching workforce, working with stakeholders”. That should have been done at the very start of the SNP’s time in office.”
“I thank Willie Rennie and the Liberal Democrats for using their party business time to hold the debate. It is important that we highlight the pressures that the teaching workforce faces. I am sure that everyone will remember a positive role that a teacher has played in their lives, from giving them a love for, or aspiration to study, a subject to providing the focus that is often needed to achieve their dreams. We need to accept that the workforce challenge that Willie Rennie has highlighted in the motion is stark. That puts pressure on teachers and the school community, and it leads to an inability to deliver on and meet pledges that ministers have made on non-contact time.”
“As I said in answer to Ben Macpherson, these decisions are appropriately and rightly devolved to locally elected representatives. As I understand it, there has been a series of engagements and a pause in decision making to ensure that appropriate decisions are made. As for the very serious issue that my colleague has raised, a whole suite of work is going on across Government to tackle suicide prevention. We are focused on that work and are keen to continue the long-term improvements in the statistics.”
“On Monday evening, I attended a packed public meeting, organised by Change Mental Health, to discuss the concerns of many service users. Given the well-established link between early mental health intervention and suicide prevention, what is the Scottish Government doing to address the potentially life-threatening consequences of cuts to community mental health services in Edinburgh? As mental health minister, is Maree Todd content that Edinburgh would become one of the only cities in western Europe without community mental health services? Maree Todd: I absolutely recognise the concern expressed by Change Mental Health and its valued stakeholders and partners. I work with and meet the organisation regularly, and I hear those concerns for myself.”
“The First Minister: As I have indicated in a number of my answers, the Government is investing in a sustained number of programmes through YouthLink Scotland, the violence reduction unit and the mentors in the violence reduction programme, to address those issues. They are serious and significant issues, but, in the longer term, there has been a significant fall in knife crime. We have to ensure that the programmes that we have in place remain effective and impactful in addressing the circumstances that Mr Briggs puts to me. The Presiding Officer: We move to general and constituency supplementary questions. European Union-United Kingdom Deal (Fisheries)”
“I have listened to what the First Minister has said in a number of his answers today, but he needs to acknowledge the real and concerning trend that we are seeing in Scotland. The number of violent crimes among young people in Edinburgh has doubled in one year alone. Last year, 529 alleged offences were reported to the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration, with children as young as eight having been reported for alleged violent incidents here, in the capital. According to Police Scotland, a disturbing trend of gang culture is also developing. What impact does the First Minister believe significant cuts to youth services and centres have on the issue, and why is that trend not being acknowledged today?”
“To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the setting of budget allocations, what discussions the finance secretary has had with national health service boards regarding the national resource allocation formula. (S6O-04686)”
“We have listened to people with lived experience, and the Government’s response is based on that engagement. That includes peer support for those who are affected, lived experience sessions, the funding of a service to help individuals and families to connect, and better information and awareness raising. That is on top of the further work that I alluded to, which the FM has requested. Mr Briggs asked for a timescale for the work. The work is under way and I am more than happy to respond to Mr Briggs once the timescale has been finalised. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Stephanie Callaghan joins us remotely. Vocational Skills Training (Onshore Wind and Solar Industries) 3.”
“As one of the MSPs who has campaigned on this matter over the past eight years, I welcomed the national apology. However, since then, victims and survivors have lost faith in the limited progress that has been made by the Scottish Government. In Northern Ireland, for example, a truth recovery independent panel was established, which reported interim findings in May 2024. Is the Scottish Government minded to establish something similar in Scotland? Following the meetings that the First Minister held, when will the Parliament receive an update? Natalie Don-Innes: Let me be clear that I extend my deepest sympathies to all those who have been affected by those practices. What is most important is that we listen to those with lived experience.”
“I move, That the Parliament notes the Audit Scotland report calling for a fundamental review of planning and resourcing of additional support for learning in Scotland; recognises concerns over declining numbers of additional support workers and classroom assistants; highlights the need to understand the rise in pupils with additional support needs to better target resources and training; calls on the Scottish Government and local authorities to deliver a new model of support alongside the NHS Education for Scotland trauma- informed practice training on neurodivergence and autism; expresses concern over changes to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism diagnosis pathways removing children from child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) support without suitable alternatives, and calls on the Scottish Ministers to undertake a national review into the implementation of mainstreaming policy and the availability of specialist additional school places across local authorities.”
“Teachers and parents are growing more and more concerned at the failure to provide and resource the planning of additional support for learning in our schools across Scotland. That must change, and that is why the Scottish Conservatives continue to stand up for pupils, parents and teachers and demand that SNP ministers deliver the support that our children and young people need to thrive.”
“I apologise to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, as I may have inadvertently signed her up for a visit to see its facility and the fantastic resources that it has developed to provide models of support to teachers and the school community more widely. We need those models to be embraced and rolled out nationally. I hope that today’s debate will act as a wake-up call for ministers, the Scottish Government and councils to recognise that they are not delivering the support that our children and young people need. I hope that, if Parliament supports my motion at decision time, we will get clear timelines from the Scottish Government on when the key reviews will take place. We urgently need that action.”
“I very much agree that, 10 years on from the Morgan review, we have not seen the progress that we should have seen. The Green Party amendment was not selected for debate, but it points out—importantly—a “concern that only 1,215 children in Scotland have a coordinated support plan ... which represents just 0.4% of all children with a recognised additional support need”. At that rate, ministers will continue to fail. We need a rethink, which is why the Scottish Conservatives are calling for action. I believe that there are solutions out there to support what we want to see. Last week, I visited the Yard, which is a wonderful charity that is based in Edinburgh.”
“She said: “Often there is not an immediate risk which is why some of these young people can wait for longer but I think overall the impact is longer term ... It means young people can’t get into education or be supported adequately and ultimately some of these young people will go on to develop mental health conditions on the back of neurodiverse conditions.” Those two issues are critical—we need action, and ministers need to take that forward. I turn to the amendments. I have no problem with the Government amendment, but that is because it simply states that Parliament “agrees that all children and young people should receive the help that they need to thrive”. The Scottish Conservatives agree, but we need to ask why, after 18 years, the Scottish Government is not delivering that. I welcome what is contained in the Labour amendment.”
“Given that the figures will have changed, how will they be judged on improvement now that many children are being taken off that waiting list? It is not only me who is asking that question. The Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland has said that the number of children who are on separate waiting lists to be assessed for neurodevelopmental conditions is now not routinely being published by the Scottish Government. It says that the Scottish Government needs to be more transparent, and I agree with that call. Dr Laura Sutherland, who is the vice-chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland’s child and adolescent faculty, said that children who are at the most risk are prioritised, which can result in people with a neurodevelopmental condition waiting even longer.”
“The truth is that the only reason why ministers have been able to say that the target was met is that children and young people who are seeking an ADHD or autism diagnosis have been removed from those figures. One parent said to me that it feels like those waiting times have been gerrymandered, and I agree. That is why we are calling for a review, and I hope that Parliament will back that. I am also deeply concerned that, in recent months, three of our major health boards—my board in Lothian, the minister’s board in Highland and the board in Tayside—have been escalated to level 3 of the Government’s support and intervention framework as a result of their mental health performance, specifically on CAMHS.”
“I raised the issue of children and young people who are seeking attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism diagnosis pathways being removed from child and adolescent mental health services waiting lists without suitable alternatives being made available and without their being told about or signposted to third sector support. The Scottish Government’s press release celebrated its meeting the target for referral to CAMHS, which it set almost a decade ago, for the first time. However, I know from speaking to parents whom I represent here in Lothian that that was a slap in the face for parents who have been waiting and waiting, many of whom have now decided that they will seek private diagnosis, with no clear pathway for the delivery of shared care with GP surgeries for their children.”
“Teachers tell us again and again that we need leadership to understand how we are going to provide that additional support and what that will look like on the ground. I am deeply concerned that the message from teachers and parents is that they cannot cope unless urgent and significant investment is made to enable schools to effectively deliver the support that we need. It is also important that we understand how the implementation of mainstreaming has impacted on teachers and the wider school community, and the additional pressures that that has brought. In recent weeks, I have raised two issues at First Minister’s question time.”
“The Scottish Government and councils urgently need better quality data to understand pupils’ additional support needs and the resources required to provide support to enable all pupils to reach their full potential.” Ruth MacLeod, a member of the Accounts Commission, said: “Councils and the Scottish Government must fundamentally rethink how additional support for learning is planned and provided”. I agree, and that is why we have brought this debate to Parliament. Fundamentally, we need to urgently understand the levels of additional support for learning in our schools and realistically look at what the Scottish Government and our councils can do to meet that demand and prioritise resources.”
“The Audit Scotland report rightly calls on the Scottish Government and councils to “fundamentally rethink how they plan, fund and staff additional support for learning as part of core school education in Scotland.” Stephen Boyle, the Auditor General for Scotland, said: “The Scottish Government has failed to plan effectively for its inclusive approach to additional support for learning. Current gaps in data mean it is unclear whether all children’s right to have an education that fully develops their personality, talents and abilities is being met.”
“I am pleased to open this important debate on behalf of the Scottish Conservatives. The report on additional support for learning that Audit Scotland published earlier this year was damning, and it highlighted the Scottish National Party Government’s failure to plan and resource accordingly to tackle the issue. Teachers and school staff face unprecedented pressures, and our most vulnerable pupils are being let down. More than 40 per cent of Scottish pupils receive additional support for learning. In Edinburgh, in my region, the number of pupils with additional support needs has grown by more than 165 per cent over the past 10 years. ASN pupils now represent 39 per cent and 52 per cent of Edinburgh’s primary and secondary school population, respectively.”
“I support a healthcare system that is compassionate and responsive to the complex realities of end-of-life care, and I believe that assisted dying can be made a part of that system, as another legal choice. That is why I will support the general principles of the bill at stage 1 this evening. I will do so with the intention of seeing how the proposals can be progressed at stage 2. Ultimately, it will be for us, as a Parliament, to decide at stage 3 either to pass or reject the final bill. I look towards what measures can be contained in the bill and the conversations that we will need to continue to have as a country about how we die and how we can improve end-of-life care as a whole here, including by improving the choices that dying people can make at the very end of their lives. 18:18”
“As one individual living with cancer for over nine years recently told me when I asked for their view on the bill, they want the ability to reclaim agency over their life and the peace of mind of knowing that they can access an assisted dying pathway when they decide that the pain that they face is too much. They might not decide to use that pathway, but they would have the choice. That is why, although I continue to have a significant number of concerns about the bill as it stands, I believe that it is our role to ensure that, within whatever legal framework we take forward, individuals can, if they wish, access assisted dying and that their wishes are afforded the dignity and respect that they deserve.”
“It is the will to seek treatment, to seek access to the next drug trial and to spend another day with loved ones, even with the pain that often comes with treatment and living with a disease. However, as treatment pathways come to an end and people move on to palliative care, there is a fear of pain and of how they will die. Like many families, I and my sisters have supported my parents and other family members in their final days of life. It has never been easy for us, and it never is easy for anyone. What is essential is that an individual facing the end of life should have the right to make an informed, autonomous choice about their care, including having the option, for those who want it, of assisted dying.”
“I am grateful for ministers’ engagement on my bill to date and to Marie Curie for working with me on it. I have the utmost respect for those who dedicate their careers to our palliative care and hospice sectors and for the journey that they help individuals and their loved ones to take as they approach the end of life. As co-convener, along with Jackie Baillie, of the Parliament’s cross-party group on cancer, I have been inspired at every meeting by the lived experiences of people and their families and friends following a cancer diagnosis. No one can be prepared for, or know, how they will respond to a diagnosis of cancer or of any life-limiting disease. However, as an MSP who has, over the past decade, been speaking to people who are living with cancer, I know that the will to live and buy time is strong.”
“I have to reflect that, after several attempts over the past 15 years to change the law around assisted dying, neither the Scottish Government nor Parliament has come together to demand the vital improvements that we need, now and in the future, to help deliver better palliative care pathways as well as new funding models that would help charitable hospices to become financially sustainable. Those are especially needed following the impacts of the recent rise in employer national insurance contributions and the agenda for change pay increases. That is why I launched my proposed right to palliative care (Scotland) bill, and it is why, if the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill is passed at stage 1 this evening, I intend to lodge amendments at stage 2 to introduce a legal right to palliative care.”
“I am pleased that, following cross-party working, the Scottish Government agreed to change the policy. A recent written answer showed that, to date, over 71,000 of our fellow Scots have benefited directly from that policy and the help and vital support that it has now legally provided. The founding principle of our national health service, of care from cradle to grave, has underpinned the social fabric of our country and society for more than 76 years. However, what is often not recognised is the reality that palliative and end-of-life care is provided predominantly by the charitable sector, either in a hospice or in a hospice-at-home setting, with no currently existing legal right to palliative care.”
“Like other colleagues, I pay tribute to Liam McArthur for the manner in which he has progressed the bill during the current session of Parliament. Ten years ago, prior to being elected to Parliament, I met Amanda Kopel. Many members on all sides of the chamber will know what a formidable lady and campaigner she is—I see that the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government is nodding in acknowledgement. Before I was elected, I promised Amanda that, if I was lucky enough to come to Parliament, I would try to progress Frank’s law—named after her late husband—to extend free personal care to people under the age of 65. During that campaign, I met hundreds of people who were living with a terminal illness. Many were diagnosed way before their time—in fact, during what should have been the best years of their lives.”
“We need to ensure that the action plan is giving support where it is needed. The budget also provides extra funding for additional support for learning, which was a key ask from the teaching trade unions. The member asked a final question about SAGRABIS and violent behaviour. I am happy to take that question away, because the guidance on consequences will not be published until next week. Although I do not want to prejudge the outcome of that work, my firm expectation is that it will be in agreement with the member’s point.”
“We share legal responsibilities, which is exactly why the national action plan ties COSLA to the work. Mr Briggs also raised an issue about parents’ lack of understanding or knowledge of the plan. I accept that. The point was also raised by Mike Corbett of the NASUWT. I discussed the point extensively with Councillor Tony Buchanan, the COSLA spokesperson for children and young people, and on the back of that, he and I wrote to the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland about helping to support that confidence raising. We need to use the national action plan to inform behaviour policy in our schools. I will continue my work on that, but I would welcome the member’s support. In every school that I go into, I am constantly surprised and amazed by some of the approaches that are being used.”
“I engaged substantively with Liam Kerr, Mr Briggs’s predecessor as his party’s spokesperson on education—he was at the table, engaging with me and other parties on the draft action plan. Part of my response today set out that, as we approach phase 2, there will be further information coming in relation to consequences. I am more than happy to engage with Mr Briggs on that. He is correct to say that teachers must be supported in our schools—he will know that I take the issue very seriously, having come from the classroom myself. He spoke about the role of council or school management—he will also know some of my frustrations, as the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, in relation to the different responsibilities of the Government and of local authorities in that space, which are stipulated in law.”
“I will try to summarise them all— forgive me if I forget any of them. I am more than happy to meet him to talk about the issues at length. I had substantive discussions with the teaching unions yesterday, in advance of the committee session that Miles Briggs and I attended last night. We talked for two hours about some of the broader issues related to the challenges in our classrooms. The NASUWT’s research on the matter, in addition to that of the EIS, has been seminal to the national action plan. I hear the challenge from Mr Briggs about where the action plan is now. I hope that he understands the tone that I am taking and that I am continuing to engage with Opposition parties on the plan. I recognise that we have got to get it right.”
“Teachers want to know that they will be supported and that any decisions on disruptive and violent pupils, whom they cannot manage in the classroom, will be respected, including by council management. The cabinet secretary says that consequences are an essential part of a supportive learning environment—I agree. One of the action plan outcomes was that school staff should “feel confident to report, record, monitor, assess and respond to individual incidents and patterns of behaviour”. Will the new guidance on consequences include a presumption that, if a pupil has been violent towards a member of staff—including towards classroom assistants, which I believe is not being recorded—they will be kept out of the classroom until their behaviour changes? Jenny Gilruth: Miles Briggs raises a number of important points.”
“I thank the cabinet secretary for advance sight of the statement. At a time when teaching unions are reporting record levels of violence in our classrooms and teachers are requesting self-defence training, I continue to have deep concerns that the plan and what has been outlined today will not end violence in our classrooms and schools. Teachers and parents with whom I have spoken said that they had not even heard of the relationship and behaviour in schools action plan. Ministers have a long way to go to demonstrate and give confidence to teachers and our school communities that the plan will deliver the safe school environments that we all want to see.”
“As we have already heard, the proposals by the Edinburgh integration joint board are likely to see key services cut, including drop-in support, carers services and, even as we mark victory in Europe day, veterans support services. The First Minister apportioned blame, but the cuts are not acceptable. The IJB will cut £29 million from services in Edinburgh. Does he think that our health services will be improved by the decisions that are being taken by the IJB? Will he agree to meet the cross-party group of MSPs who are trying to raise the issue in Parliament and who have just had the First Minister whack this back at us? We need action and we want the First Minister to take heed of that today.”
“The emphasis in the programme for government is on alternative methods of assessment that are already very common in our college and university community and contribute significantly to Scotland’s international reputation. There must be high standards in our examination system, but I do not think that those can be delivered only by high-stakes exams. In fact, some of the best assessment of performance can be made during an academic year. That is what happens in many of our universities and colleges and the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills is taking the sensible step of applying more of that in our school community.”
“The education section of the programme for government states that SNP ministers will ensure “the removal of written exams in more practical subjects”. I have two questions for the First Minister. How do ministers plan to deliver that change this year? Does that move away from our traditional and rigorous Scottish exam system represent SNP exam policy and does the First Minister understand concerns that that could further weaken our education system and confuse employers? The First Minister: If Mr Briggs is saying that the only way that the performance of a student can be assessed is by a written examination— [Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us hear the First Minister. The First Minister: That is what I take from Mr Briggs’s question.”
“As the minister has accepted, there is growing concern around the financial sustainability of the higher education sector as a whole. Given the Scottish Funding Council’s role in monitoring the financial health of the sector, will the minister advise why the publication of its annual report on the financial sustainability of the higher education sector has been delayed from January this year, and will he advise when the report will be published? Graeme Dey: I have to admit that I am not aware of the reason behind the publication being delayed. I will write to Miles Briggs as soon as possible with an answer on that.”
“If more universities and colleges follow the same lines and offer similar courses, that will help to reduce the number of students who drop out of university, which is something that we should all want to see. I congratulate all those involved in the programme, which has made such a difference to many people already, on the great impact that it is having on many young people’s lives. I also congratulate George Adam on securing the debate. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Stephanie Callaghan. [Interruption.] We had a problem with Ms Callaghan’s audio, but it has been resolved. Please start again, Ms Callaghan. 13:11”
“The transition from school to higher or further education is a big step and a big responsibility for many young people who are leaving home or care for the first time, often to travel across the country or even further afield. Initiatives such as the UWS foundation academy can provide our young people with that extra bit of knowledge on how university life will impact them, help them to answer their many questions and address any fears and doubts that they might have. Other universities have adopted a similar approach. I know that many of our colleges provide early holistic support to young people, but the foundation academy is the first of its kind in Scotland, which has been recognised through many awards, as George Adam said.”
“Many of those young people will be the first person in their family who has ever gone to university, so programmes such as this present a real pre- university experience and an opportunity for them to ask the many questions that they had. The programme has provided numerous benefits to young people, including the opportunity for them to understand what they can expect beyond the boundaries of secondary school education. Ahead of the debate, I was thinking that it does not seem too long ago since I went to university. I remember the shock to my system—I went from rural Perthshire to an Aberdeen student hall flat with a railway right behind it. Luckily for me, I made many great, lifelong friends at university. However, I acknowledge that that does not happen for many young people.”
“The UWS is continuing to expand the offer to other schools throughout the west of Scotland. The University of the West Scotland is rightly proud of delivering the foundation academy programme to senior school pupils across the west of Scotland. As George Adam outlined, this unique initiative offers pupils the opportunity to experience studying at university level while developing key academic and personal skills to ensure that they are prepared for the university experience. The Parliament’s education committee recently met care-experienced young people to discuss the barriers to higher and further education that they are experiencing. One of the key messages that I heard from them and took away was that many felt that they were unprepared for university life.”
“The foundation programme includes a visit to one of the four UWS campuses and a 10- week university-level module that is delivered by UWS lecturers to pupils in their school setting. The modulated timetable, which delivers one period a week for pupils, is really important. The fact that it is free for schools has broken down many barriers, with the UWS also covering the transport costs of the campus visit, which takes place during the school day. Pupils are invited to be involved during their S5 year, with the aim of completing the programme by December of their S6 year. As has been mentioned, since the pilot in 2022, the UWS has engaged with more than 2,500 senior pupils across more than 30 schools in Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, Lanarkshire, Argyll and Bute, Dumfries and Galloway and Glasgow city.”
“I start by thanking George Adam, my Education, Children and Young People Committee colleague and Paisley mafia member, for securing this debate. I put on record just how impressed I was to hear about the work that is being undertaken by the University of the West of Scotland when I recently met representatives in the Parliament. I look forward to a visit that I have set up to see some of those leading projects. The University of the West of Scotland is one of Scotland’s largest modern universities and a leading provider of undergraduate, postgraduate and research degree education. As has been mentioned, since the launch of the foundation, in 2022, the programme has grown year on year, with headteachers, pupils, deputy heads and teachers in schools all remarking on the positive benefits that it is bringing to pupils, and I agree.”
“The only way that ministers have been able to meet their target on waiting times for child and adolescent mental health services has been by removing from the waiting times figures young people and children who were waiting for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism diagnoses. That is a fact. It is a shameful situation. I have been contacted by many parents in Edinburgh who have been forced to go private to seek a diagnosis for their children. In follow-up meetings, their general practice has told them that it will not accept responsibility for the continuing care of those children or deliver the prescriptions that they need. Will the First Minister review that policy? More specifically, will the Government distribute national guidance on prescribing for such young people?”
“I speak in support of my amendment, which seeks to change the business programme motion by replacing the debate on the first Tuesday back on the international situation with a debate on addressing violence in schools. I make no apology for again highlighting my concerns about the breakdown in discipline in our classrooms and the need for leadership from ministers to turn the situation around. Survey after survey by unions has revealed that teachers are being punched, kicked and spat at by pupils, being set upon by yobs wielding hockey sticks and broken glass, and having their cars vandalised.”
“It is difficult for me to comment on criminality aspects, but I will take away from the question issues around how the police engage with our schools, because that is important, as and when such incidents take place.”