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Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 19 December 2024
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Displaying 570 contributions

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Education, Children and Young People Committee

The Promise (Staff Recruitment and Retention)

Meeting date: 4 December 2024

George Adam

Good morning. I will go down a similar route to that of my earlier questions. We keep hearing about the recruitment and retention of social workers and how we manage that.

I can understand that someone becomes a social worker for all the right reasons, including to help people and families. However, given the many challenges that you have outlined, there might be difficulties in continuing to deliver services. What would be the best way forward for us in dealing with recruitment and retention issues? I know that those are two separate aspects. First, there is a need to recruit people and, secondly, there is a need to retain them, once they are in post. How do we manage that and find a way forward?

Education, Children and Young People Committee

The Promise (Staff Recruitment and Retention)

Meeting date: 4 December 2024

George Adam

Yes, that is helpful, particularly your mention of artificial intelligence, but that would be a whole different discussion.

Ben, do you have anything else to say on that?

Education, Children and Young People Committee

The Promise (Staff Recruitment and Retention)

Meeting date: 4 December 2024

George Adam

Local authorities have a history of doing that, with people who have gone down one career path jumping to do something else, because they have the skill set from elsewhere. That was more a statement than a question. Thank you.

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee [Draft]

Empire, Slavery and Scotland’s Museums

Meeting date: 28 November 2024

George Adam

It just shows you how things have changed over my lifetime. We need to embrace those issues.

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee [Draft]

Empire, Slavery and Scotland’s Museums

Meeting date: 28 November 2024

George Adam

Good morning. My question has changed in my head about three or four times as the conversation has gone on, but I will try to say something lucid and come to some conclusion with everything that I am trying to ask.

You did the comprehensive audit of museums’ collections. The biggest capital spend in the cultural sector at the moment is the Paisley museum, so I will use Paisley as an example. I am wearing a tie in the Paisley pattern, for which the town is famous. It is black and white, which is for St Mirren as well—I am going totally Paisley today. A lot of people in Paisley probably do not know the history of the pattern, the fact that it is steeped in empire and colonialism and the fact that it was not a wee wifie or a man in Paisley who decided in their weaving cottage to make a Paisley pattern but that it was taken from India. It was originally created in India in the 11th century and became popular here in the 17th and 18th centuries.

I know that the Paisley museum is going to do an exhibition on the pattern. I hope that it looks into that history as well, because things like that will open people’s eyes and make them realise that they need to know more about something that is part of their culture. Do we agree that those are the key things that will get people in and get them talking?

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee [Draft]

Empire, Slavery and Scotland’s Museums

Meeting date: 28 November 2024

George Adam

I had forgotten about the Robertson’s jam symbol. I have probably excised it from my head because it was just there all the time.

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee [Draft]

Empire, Slavery and Scotland’s Museums

Meeting date: 28 November 2024

George Adam

Modern museums—I believe that that is what Paisley is trying to create—have such conversations with young people and children to make sure that they understand.

If you look across the road from the museum to the University of the West of Scotland, there is a statue of the Rev Witherspoon. Paisley is very proud of the fact that he signed the declaration of independence for the United States, but he was also a slave owner. In my opinion, it is not so much that we need to take the statue down; it is more about the context. That is what you have been saying, Zandra. The context is that he signed the declaration and said those weighty words but, at the same time, he was a slave owner—along with just about everyone else who signed the document.

Education, Children and Young People Committee [Draft]

Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill

Meeting date: 27 November 2024

George Adam

That was one of the things that I was going to say. We heard from people who work in the sector and think that it is providing life-changing choices, but even they say that their buildings are falling to bits.

Nick March mentioned that the cost per person per centre was £420, but some centres have had an increase due to the capital expenses related to the building. That brings me to the question of who pays for that if the kids are coming automatically to the centres as a statutory duty. I do not think that the financial memorandum takes the capital spend into account at all.

We have been told by the groups, “Don’t worry about it. We’ll sort it.” I think that that was the trust idea that you were talking about—nudge, nudge, wink, wink, it will be all right on the night. However, I have serious concerns. Who ends up footing the bill? Who ends up being asked to pay for it when we have a statutory duty for kids to turn up at the centres?

Education, Children and Young People Committee [Draft]

Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill

Meeting date: 27 November 2024

George Adam

Some facilities may become unsustainable and unaffordable to upgrade.

Education, Children and Young People Committee [Draft]

Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill

Meeting date: 27 November 2024

George Adam

That is a matter of opinion.