Monica Lennon
Scottish Labour · Scotland
“The views of clinicians are important, but I was struck by the words of Rhona Baillie OBE—the chief executive of the Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice—in a letter to all of us, and I hope that all MSPs have had a chance to read her words. Rhona is a supporter of change, with more than 40 years’ nursing experience.”
“Death is a universal experience, yet it remains a difficult subject. We all approach this debate with a profound desire to live. People who are asking us to support the bill would certainly rather live, but for many of them, that choice has been removed by a terminal diagnosis.”
“I also honour those who shared their most painful moments, so that others might not face a similar lack of choice. In a recent interview, I listened to Lorna Slater, who spoke movingly about her father’s beautiful death in Canada.”
“Assisted dying is not a replacement for palliative care—it is additional. Our views on how healthcare should be in the future must not be used as a cover to deny individual choice today. Whatever our own beliefs and preferences, our decision must be transparent and honest. Vote on this bill, not on one that does not exist.”
“The SNP went into the 2021 election promising universal free school meals for all primary pupils. When in government, the roll-out to all primary 1 to primary 7 children was promised by August 2022, but thousands of children are still waiting, years later.”
“Shirley-Anne Somerville: I am very proud of what the Scottish Government has delivered with the universal provision up to P6, our work to deliver based on Scottish child payment eligibility in P6 and P7, and the work of the pilots in our secondary schools.”
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“[Applause.] There have been delays in getting here, but it is right that we get the details right, so I listened with interest to the points that Brian Whittle and Sandesh Gulhane made. This has always been about human rights, dignity, love, human connection and all that was lost during the pandemic. No one ever dismissed concerns about safety, but what happened during the Covid years was unsafe and destroyed people’s mental health. People such as Anne could not have time with their families in their final days of life. I listened to Natasha Hamilton, Anne’s daughter, on the radio at 6.45 this morning, before I came to work, and she made a very strong case for Anne’s law to be passed.”
“I support Jackie Baillie’s amendments and the other amendments in the group. This has been a long time coming and it is really important that we get it right. I join colleagues in paying tribute to Anne Duke’s family, including Campbell Duke, who is in the gallery and is one of my constituents from East Kilbride, and to members of the care home relatives Scotland group, including Cathie Russell and Alison Leitch, who are also in the gallery. This has been their fight, and it has been a fight for all the people in Scotland who did not have a voice during the pandemic. We hear a lot about having to learn the lessons of Covid-19. The care home relatives Scotland group has had, I think, more than 150 meetings with the Scottish Government. Its members have made Scotland proud, and we all owe them a debt of thanks.”
“To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to maintain its policy aim of keeping pace with the EU on environmental protection. (S6F-04140)”
“I do not know whether I would choose an assisted death for me, but I do not want to deny others that choice, and that is why I will vote for the bill tonight. 17:20”
“I support Liam McArthur’s proposal to amend the bill to raise the minimum age to 18 and I welcome the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report’s recommendation for clarity on some matters. The bill rightly contains provisions that would make it an offence to coerce or pressure a terminally ill adult into an assisted death. I agree with Hospice UK that nobody should ever feel that they have to choose an assisted death because of a real or imagined fear of not receiving the care that they need. Whether or not the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill proceeds, I support calls from Marie Curie Scotland for the recognition and delivery of a right to palliative care. End-of-life care must be properly funded, and charitable hospices must be financially sustainable.”
“This position is not one of advocacy or opposition, but of commitment to patient-centred care. I agree with Rhona Baillie that the discussion around assisted dying should focus not solely on clinician opinion but on ensuring that people have informed, compassionate choices at the end of life. There is a solid majority of public support in every constituency, including among disabled people, for a compassionate assisted dying law, so should the bill not be allowed to proceed to the amending stages for further scrutiny? Liam McArthur has prosecuted the case for the bill in a respectful and collaborative manner, and I hope that members take the opportunity to work with him at stage 2.”
“Sadly, even with universal access to hospice care in Scotland, hundreds of Scots a year would still suffer with immense pain as they die. Four in 10 Scots have seen a loved one suffer in that way. I believe that the status quo is unfair, unsafe and unregulated and that it is failing dying Scots. Therefore, I agree with the bill’s policy memorandum that “an individual’s personal autonomy to decide on their medical care, and how their life should end in situations of terminal illness, should be protected in law”. In a compelling letter to MSPs, Rhona Baillie, chief executive officer of the Prince and Princess of Wales hospice in Glasgow, explains her view that, rather than being a replacement for excellent palliative care, assisted dying is a potential addition to the options that are available to those who face terminal illness.”
“Joanne told me: “Dying people should not be forced to consider going into the woods with a length of rope. They should not have to think about stepping in front of trains. It took him three weeks to die, in hospital then hospice. It was so drawn-out. I thought; I need to get him drugs. I would have done anything for him. But it was too risky; I didn’t know what would happen.” I was moved to learn that, before he died, Robert sold his motorbike and gave the money to the hospice. Like this bill, his story is not about palliative care versus assisted dying; it is about choice, dignity and person-centred care at the end of life. Joanne says that she will regret for the rest of her life that her dad was not given the choice that he wanted.”
“The bill is important to people across Scotland, including my constituents, and I am grateful to everyone who has contacted me about it. Assisted dying already exists for people who have the financial means to access it, but that choice is not available to most Scots. Denied access to safe and legal assisted dying, hundreds of terminally ill people in the UK end their lives each year, and many more attempt to do so. Robert Easton was a retired firefighter from Hamilton. Dying with pancreatic cancer, Robert desperately wanted choice. He considered Switzerland, where assisted dying is legal, but cost and other barriers ruled it out. That led him to research ways to end his own life. Some of the methods were brutal, says Robert’s daughter, Joanne Easton, who has come to Parliament today.”
“I call the final speaker, Ben Macpherson. You have around four minutes. 16:56”
“We have had to fight against speculative applications for incinerators, so I pay tribute to the Dovesdale action group and to my constituents in Whitehill. I also thank members who have supported my call for an ecocide law in Scotland, because we need system change. It is not about picking out individual locations and types of application. We need to make sure that our systems work for people and the planet, and Aarhus compliance should be at the heart of that. Reputationally, this is damaging to the Government, but it is also damaging to Scotland, and we need urgency from the Government. The Government will get backing from the chamber, but it needs to come up with something that is credible. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I advise the chamber that the time that we had in hand has just about been exhausted.”
“I was concerned to hear Dr Dixon, whom I am sure the Government respects, say that “the Government produced a really shoddy secondary paper that went into environmental courts and why it does not want one, but it was still not very convincing.” He said that creating an environmental court is one way that the Government could accelerate towards Aarhus compliance but that the Government seemed “desperate not to do that.” To me, that is inexplicable. He said that “The original consultation on the governance review hardly mentioned an environmental court and dismissed the idea without any evidence.”—[Official Report, Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee, 25 March 2025; c 47.] I would love to hear the reason for that. This issue matters to my local community.”
“If it will not lead on that, in the next parliamentary session we will need a Government that will do so. Deputy Presiding Officer, I do not know whether I am getting time back or not, so I will have to race through the rest of my contribution. It is great that two of the Parliament’s committees are focusing on the issue. Last week, at the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee, I was able to put questions to Dr Richard Dixon from Environmental Standards Scotland.”
“Monica Lennon: It is important that we have robust environmental impact assessments. Tess White might know that, in a previous life, I was a chartered town planner, so I will be happy to have a longer discussion with her on that aspect. I am glad that she has intervened on me, because it allows me to underline the point that I made in my intervention on her earlier, about the imbalance in our planning system. We do not have a level playing field, which is why my question to her on equalising the right of appeal goes to the heart of the debate. My colleague Sarah Boyack, who is nodding from the Labour front bench, is a fellow former town planner—perhaps we are responsible for the current shortfall in practising planners in this country. These are critical debates, and it is absolutely up to the Government to get this issue right.”
“The Scottish Government’s persistent failure to comply with the Aarhus convention is not simply embarrassing; it is endangering the human rights of my constituents and all the people of Scotland. I pay tribute to the Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland, Planning Democracy, Friends of the Earth Scotland, RSPB Scotland and everyone else who is fighting for environmental justice and the right to a healthy environment. Tess White: Monica Lennon talked about the importance of air, land and water quality. Does she agree that it is difficult to see how we can plan, and start to implement, an infrastructure or a project without a proper, thorough and independent environmental impact assessment? The Deputy Presiding Officer: I can give you time back, Ms Lennon.”
“We are here because Scotland is clearly in breach of the Aarhus convention, which is denying Scots access to environmental justice. I believe that this is a vital debate. Scotland is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, and we are simply not doing enough to tackle climate breakdown. The pollution of our air, land and water is not a rural or an urban problem—it is an everywhere problem. I therefore agree with Michael Matheson’s point that we should not try to split our communities. Decisions about the use of land and how we treat the environment are taken in systems that benefit the wealthy and the powerful—often to the detriment of the people and communities who have the fewest resources.”
“They are being drowned in jargon, overwhelmed by costs and, in effect, blocked from challenging decisions that could have irreversible impacts on their local environment and quality of life. That is not what the Aarhus convention promises. Finally, and in response to Monica Lennon’s question, I point out that that is why the Scottish Conservatives would guarantee that local communities would be able to halt electricity infrastructure projects if they would not meet local needs. We need to press pause. There is still time to do the right thing in line with the principles of the Aarhus convention. 16:45”
“Will the member take an intervention? Tess White: Will I get the time back, Presiding Officer? The Deputy Presiding Officer: I can give you the time back, Ms White. Monica Lennon: I am grateful to Tess White for taking the intervention. Can she tell members why her party opposed an equal right of appeal that would have given communities the same rights as developers? Tess White: I am not sure what Monica Lennon is referring to. We are talking about the Aarhus convention, the human rights of individuals and access to justice. The communities have not been consulted properly on the different options. It is a case of the wrong kit in the wrong place. The move would leave local democracy in tatters and the affected communities, in effect, disenfranchised from decision making on such projects.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to progress its ambition for Scotland to be a world leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture practice. (S6O-04518)”
“Friends of Stonehouse Park have honoured a “positive personality”. Hamilton District Foodbank said: “It has been a privilege to have had Christina in our lives.” I will remember the woman who believed in human rights, fought for equality and championed social justice. Christina loved a good quote, so I will conclude with words that she spoke in the Scottish Parliament that she loved. She said: “Be bold, be courageous and be brave, because the people of this land—our Scotland—demand and deserve nothing less.”—[Official Report, 25 May 2016; c 61.] [Applause.] 14:46”
“Christina McKelvie was passionate, principled and patriotic. We had our political differences but, over many years, I experienced her warmth, which so many others have mentioned, and her wisdom. As a quarter of Christina’s team, “the Holyboobs”, with Gillian Mackay and Christine Jardine, I will cherish our unforgettable moonwalk around Edinburgh. She united us to raise funds and awareness of breast cancer—an illness that does not care about party politics. Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse Labour Party paid tribute to Christina on Friday night, and I extend our sincere condolences and love to Keith, Lewis and Jack; to her grandchildren; to all her family and friends, especially her SNP family; and to everyone who loved Christina. Larkhall and District Volunteer Group will remember her as compassionate.”
“I commend to the chamber a blog by the economist Laurie Macfarlane, who wrote that “Land is Scotland’s most important economic asset.” He also said: “How land is owned, managed and used plays a fundamental role shaping Scotland’s economic, social, environmental and cultural landscapes.” I completely agree. That is why Scottish Labour will work with the Government to support the bill at stage 1 and improve it. This is not Scotland’s first land reform bill and it should not be the last. We can improve the bill, but the next Parliament will have to go further and be bolder, because Scotland’s land reform journey has many miles to travel yet. 16:36”
“Surely, we should encourage that rather than take measures that risk that coming to an end. Monica Lennon: Any good practice is always welcome, but what I am hearing from Fergus Ewing today is that he is in alliance with the Tories, who do not want land reform. It is a shame that the member feels that way, too. I will draw my comments to a conclusion. I have missed out a few things, but I want to touch on something that Finlay Carson said. He warned about the economic implications of the bill. Maintaining the status quo or allowing landowners to become even more powerful in Scotland would also have serious economic implications.”
“That includes public interest tests—I was glad to hear Michael Matheson speak about them, because the Government needs to show a bit of courage and be bolder in that area. Rhoda Grant talked about issues on which Scottish Labour will lodge amendments or support others, particularly in relation to thresholds, lotting and the role of the land and communities commissioner. We believe that the commissioner should be able to proactively investigate potential breaches of community engagement obligations. Fergus Ewing: A small number of landowners act against the interests of communities, but does Monica Lennon accept that a very large number of them often do far more to invest in, support and develop businesses, people and individuals in their communities than the public sector does?”
“I welcome the cabinet secretary’s letter to the committee last night and the fact that she has restated today that she will continue to listen, reflect and work with MSPs, stakeholders and, importantly, grass-roots voices, because we must ensure that the bill is amended at stage 2 in a coherent way. I agree with the cabinet secretary that Scotland should be a land of opportunity, and we need to be bold to ensure that Scotland is not just a playground for the extremely wealthy. I think that some members in the chamber would gladly keep things that way, so we need to work hard and be bold and ambitious at stages 2 and 3. My colleague Rhoda Grant, who attended stage 1 evidence sessions and has championed land reform throughout her political service, has set out areas in which Scottish Labour will seek to improve the bill.”
“Mairi Gougeon has signalled her intention to leave the Parliament at the end of this session, and there will be opportunities to say nice things about her closer to that time. Despite all the doom and gloom that we have heard from members of the Tory front bench today, there is a majority in the Parliament for advancing Scotland’s land reform journey. The committee’s stage 1 report recommends support for the bill’s general principles. However, we make really important recommendations on how the bill should be improved and strengthened, and we set out where more clarity is required.”
“A Scotland that aspires to be modern and democratic needs to change that. Tim Eagle spoke about large estate owners gifting small plots of land to local people to build homes on, but our communities deserve to have greater control over their own destiny. They deserve choice, not charity. As a member of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee, I am in the privileged position of being one of the seven committee MSPs who have been scrutinising the bill. We have read and listened to a colossal amount of evidence. Like the convener, I am hugely grateful to everyone who has contributed, and a special word of thanks must be recorded for the committee clerks and SPICe colleagues. I recognise that the cabinet secretary and her officials have worked really hard to reach this stage.”
“We have not waited for the Government to do all the work. My colleague Mercedes Villalba consulted on a member’s bill a couple of summers ago, and I hope that the Government is very much looking at that work as we try to improve the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill. Rural communities deserve the opportunities that can be unlocked if land is owned, managed and used in the public interest. Our ambition is for urban communities to also benefit. As a Central Scotland MSP, I know that there is an overreliance on speculative private developers, which contributes to the acquisition of strategic land banks. We have heard about the community right to buy, but we need that to be more meaningful and to be a reality. We know that wealthy landowners are powerful and have huge influence over decisions that impact the people of Scotland.”
“Some people hold the view that it does not matter who owns Scotland’s land. They do not mind that Scotland’s pattern of private land ownership is probably the most concentrated in the world. Some people are relaxed that anyone in the world can buy large amounts of land in Scotland with relatively little scrutiny. Scottish Labour members believe that those things do matter. It matters that less than 1 per cent of Scotland’s people own two thirds of Scotland’s rural land. The story of who owns Scotland is a long history of inequality, and we need to write a new chapter. The bill is the latest attempt to spread the ownership of Scotland’s land into the hands of the many, not the wealthy few. Scottish Labour absolutely supports the bill’s principles, because we know that the land reform journey is far from over.”
“Scottish Labour is entirely committed to playing our part to ensure that the words that we share in the Parliament turn into action. 16:24”
“I know that Tess White is not in the chamber, but she and I, along with other campaigners, visited Bute house in the summer to talk about the impact of stillbirth and to campaign for the placental growth factor test, which helps to identify the risk of pre-eclampsia. I was with my good friend Lynsey Hamilton and her husband Bradley, who were there because of the loss of their baby, Carys. The outcome of that meeting shows that we can be a listening Parliament and that we can have a listening Government. We rely on the courage of the changemakers, such as Louise Caldwell and Lynsey Hamilton, to put pressure on us to ensure that we step up. I asked the minister for an update on dedicated baby loss facilities. There is more work to do.”
“Whether members represent Shetland, Central Scotland, the Borders or anywhere in between, the issues that we are debating affect every corner of Scotland. At the time, the Sunday Mail’s editor said: “Extraordinary people rarely think they have done anything out of the ordinary. The courage, dedication and sheer determination of these unsung heroes make them Scotland’s champions.” That was said in direct reference to Louise Caldwell. I know that I am running out of time, but I will mention a couple of other things. I am really grateful that the Government included recognition of stillbirth.”
“It has been a privilege to help Louise to have a platform in the Scottish Parliament. Louise attended a meeting of the cross-party group on women’s health to share her experience, and I am glad that she was able to do that. This is the first time that Louise and Craig have ever been to the Scottish Parliament. I hope that their attendance reinforces the importance of opening up the Parliament to the people of Scotland. Rather than the Parliament just being a place where members come to talk among ourselves, it should be a place where people can feel seen and heard, can influence our policies and where investment goes, and can make change happen. Louise Caldwell was crowned the Sunday Mail’s community champion in 2022, which is no mean feat and is a national recognition.”
“Louise is incredibly modest about her campaigning work. I often use the word “changemaker” to describe Louise—I know that she will be blushing at that, but it is thoroughly deserved. I will come on to speak about the award that she received form the Sunday Mail. Louise does not want to be in that position. She is a campaigner because she has the lived experience. She knows what it is to have experienced miscarriage and to have to find yourself in the general labour ward of your local maternity hospital in a nightmare situation. The balloons, cards, elated parents and newborn babies are in juxtaposition with the mothers, partners, dads and other family members who are in utter shock, disbelief and so much pain. When Louise came to me for help, of course, I was going to listen and do whatever I could.”
“I am fortunate that I do not have the lived experience that many people have shared today, and I am grateful to hear from colleagues about their own experiences. As an MSP, I rely on my constituents to tell me about their experiences. It is a great privilege when they feel that they can open up and trust me with their trauma and loss. Beatrice Wishart made an excellent contribution, and I am glad that she was able to take part. I know that she is claiming Louise Caldwell as a Shetlander, which she was briefly. I thank Beatrice Wishart for her genuine support and compassion for Louise Caldwell, who is one of my constituents in Central Scotland. Louise and her husband Craig are from East Kilbride and are in the public gallery and, true to form, I can see that they are sitting at the very back of it.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak in this important debate and am therefore grateful to the minister for bringing the motion to the Parliament. I associate myself with her remarks about sympathy for all those who have been affected and our collective efforts to smash the stigma. It is good to see the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care in the chamber, and I hope that that gives an indication of how important the issue is to the Government. We all recognise that, for generations, miscarriage, stillbirth, baby loss and women’s health have not been high on the agenda for policy makers or Governments anywhere. The issues that we are debating today are certainly not unique to Scotland, but we all have a responsibility to right that injustice. That is why today’s debate is so important.”
“I am aware that the documents that have been published today are dense and are aimed specifically at senior management and health professionals involved in miscarriage care. However, I know from speaking to women and partners who have experienced miscarriage that there is a real need to provide more clear and accessible information to those who are going through the experience.”
“Kath Abrahams, the chief executive officer of Tommy’s national centre for miscarriage research, has today described the framework as “a real milestone on the path to excellent care for women and families in Scotland”. As well as Tommy’s, the organisations Held In Our Hearts, the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity and the Miscarriage Association have been at the heart of the work, and I thank them for their crucial input. Thankfully, for most women, a first miscarriage is also their last, but that does not mean that it is not a devastating experience that is full of questions that often just cannot be answered, such as “Why did it happen to me?”, “Did I do something wrong?” and “Can I help to prevent it from happening again?” Although there are often no answers, we can provide women with as much information as possible.”
“In developing the framework, an expert miscarriage group and a writing group were established, and I am deeply grateful to everyone who has been involved. The expert group was co- chaired by Colin Duncan, a professor of reproductive medicine and science at the University of Edinburgh, and Professor Justine Craig, Scotland’s chief midwifery officer, and it had wide representation from across the NHS, the royal colleges and third sector organisations. The expert group has set out timescales for delivery of the framework and its 34 deliverables and actions. I acknowledge that this is a difficult time for boards and that there will be some challenges to implementation, which is why I am pleased to announce £1.5 million of funding for boards in the next financial year to support that very important work.”
“We will approach the debate in good faith, because we have not yet read the framework. However, on the point about the territorial boards that have yet to make progress, can the minister give a timeline for when that work will be completed? Jenni Minto: I recognise the very important work that Monica Lennon has done in women’s health and for her constituents. I cannot give a timeframe just now, but my team of officials is working closely with NHS boards to ensure that those separate spaces are created as soon as possible. In some cases, it might be down to the financing of the building of the hospital, or there might be issues with trying to find a specific space. There are a number of reasons, but we are working closely with health boards.”
“As I said in the chamber yesterday in an intervention on Ross Greer, I welcome the commitment to expand access to free school meals. However, we are already a long way behind and we have to speed that up. As the cabinet secretary knows, we have discussed the importance of young people’s voices being at the heart of that. We have learned a harsh lesson in this Parliament about setting targets and not living up to people’s expectations. We missed our climate targets because of delay and inaction, and we must not do that when it comes to the targets for reducing child poverty. We have the evidence and, I think, the political consensus. We just have to get on and do it. 16:12”
“As Martin Whitfield said, it is not always because of poverty, but there is an intersection with poverty. Families are struggling with poverty and low incomes, and children are waiting for the correct pathways around autism, ADHD and access to speech and language therapy. What I see in my inbox and advice surgeries is childhoods evaporating as people wait for support that comes far too late. We have to do better. In South Lanarkshire, which is part of my Central Scotland region, more than one in five children are living in relative poverty. I have been asked to ask the cabinet secretary what additional provision will be put in place for young people in S5 and S6, as EMA has not changed for more than 20 years, remaining at £30 a week, with low eligibility criteria.”
“Save the Children, which has been mentioned by other speakers, has highlighted that the poverty-related attainment gap in education is already well established long before a child starts school. It is therefore important that the Scottish Government does all that it can to expand publicly funded early learning and childcare from the end of paid maternity leave, and that we do not get complacent about the Scottish child payment and its uptake. We need to simplify it so that as many families as possible who are entitled to it get it, particularly because of its link to accessing free school meals. In the casework that is keeping me busy at the moment, I am seeing far too many children and young people who are not getting the support that they need.”
“Ahead of the debate, the Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland highlighted the crucial role that schools play in addressing child poverty. Although they cannot single-handedly solve child poverty and should never be expected to do so, our schools mitigate some of its worst impacts by helping to reduce household costs, maximising income and supporting children from lower-income households to learn, thrive and reach their potential. I therefore say a huge thank you to the teachers and education workforce of Scotland for the amazing work that they do. We know that increasing family incomes is key to reducing child poverty. I am pleased that it is a priority for the UK Labour Government, but there is more that we need to do in this Parliament and elsewhere.”
“Presiding Officer, “Growing up in one of Scotland’s most deprived communities is likely to put a person at the bottom of the class and, in too many instances, into an early grave.”— [Official Report, 2 June 2016; c 47.] That is what I said to the Parliament in my very first speech back in 2016. Tragically, child poverty and inequality remain a scandal of epic proportions in our country. In Scotland today, one in three families with a baby under the age of one are living in poverty. The cabinet secretary rightly talked about our shared aspiration to eradicate child poverty, but that is more than an aspiration; it is our legal and moral obligation to babies, children and young people in every corner of Scotland.”
“The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Miles Briggs to speak to and move amendment S6M- 16330.4. 15:30”
“I move, That the Parliament notes the critical contribution made by education in eradicating child poverty, which is a national mission and the single greatest priority for the Scottish Government; notes recent analysis by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, which highlights that Scotland will see a reduction in child poverty levels in the years ahead due to Scotland-specific policies, such as the Scottish Child Payment; further notes that the Scottish Government has committed to making further progress, and agrees that there is a collective responsibility for every local authority, and educational organisation and body in Scotland, to work together with the Scottish Government to address child poverty; commends Scotland’s teachers and schools for their work to close the poverty-related attainment gap, and recognises that progress has been made, and that this programme will require more funding certainty over the longer term; welcomes the further investment in tackling child poverty through education in the draft Scottish Budget for 2025-26, including within schools through the expansion of free school meals, the uprating of the school clothing grant, continued funding for the Scottish Attainment Challenge and investment in Bright Start Breakfasts, as well as the around £1 billion investment in funded early learning and childcare and the £3.5 million investment in new skills pathways for colleges, and agrees that all MSPs across the Parliament have a responsibility to promote the interests of children and young people and to work together to share ideas and innovation to address child poverty through education.”
“That is a main reason why I decided, when I was appointed to my role, that we should rejoin some of the international tables, which the Conservative amendment refers to. On the Labour amendment, I agree with the belief that our education system needs to “set young people on” a “path to opportunities for their future”, and I whole-heartedly agree that education “can help lift people out of poverty”. I ask members to reflect on our joint objective, which is to eradicate child poverty now and in the future. We cannot achieve that alone or in isolation; it demands collaboration across all political parties. That collaboration will drive improvement in the communities that we all represent, for the benefit of the children of Scotland. To that end, I look forward to listening to views from the parties.”
“Is the cabinet secretary able to say whether such work will include looking at the school uniform grant rising in line with inflation? Jenny Gilruth: My understanding is that we have already looked at increasing the school clothing grant in line with inflation. I am happy to write to Monica Lennon to confirm that. Presiding Officer, I am mindful of the time. Today, I have deliberately set out a consensual approach to working with colleagues from across the chamber, because I very much recognise the importance of doing so in a Parliament of minorities. We have reflected on the Conservatives’ amendment. We agree that “every child, no matter their background” should have “the best start in life”, and we agree with the call to improve education standards.”
“That was what we were elected to do—not to grandstand and grab headlines, but to deliver for people and planet. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call on Alex Cole-Hamilton to open on behalf of the Scottish Liberal Democrats. 15:14”