Seòmar agus comataidhean

Sure.

That was helpful.

I see that Oliver Mundell wants to come back in. Be very short, Oliver, because Michael Marra has been sitting patiently for about half an hour.

As we conclude the session, I ask our witnesses whether there is anything that they would like to add to the evidence they have given us this morning, perhaps because the conversation did not go in the direction that would have raised that issue. Is there anything that you feel you need to get on the record? Your evidence is informing our consideration of the legislation in an important way.

What are Liam Fowley’s concerns about the human rights issues raised by the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland?

Sorry—you are nodding vigorously.

I put my hands up.

I have to say that one of the most disturbing things that I have read in any of the evidence that we have ever received as a committee is this sentence from the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland:

“conditions for children in prison were in breach not only of the UNCRC, but also the prohibition on torture, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment in terms of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights”.

That is quite an extraordinary thing to read in this day and age in our country, so thank you for taking us down that avenue. I now call Michael Marra.

I am sorry, but I am going to move the questioning on now.

I think that I understand that. You are arguing for what I said—you feel that local authorities should have that power. I must confess that I thought that local authorities already could close schools.

I am going to bring in Diane Stockton at this point.