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Seòmar agus comataidhean

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 23 December 2024
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Displaying 768 contributions

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Education, Children and Young People Committee

Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 22 March 2023

Willie Rennie

Does it not cause you concern that it is such a low rate? Has research been done into why it is so low? It might be a reflection of people just giving up on the system.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 22 March 2023

Willie Rennie

We can inquire.

Katy, do you want to come in?

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 22 March 2023

Willie Rennie

I am concerned about how information is shared with victims and about how we can build the confidence of victims and their families. Do we have the balance right? I understand the landscape, but I am interested in how the debate within what we might call “the system” is developing and whether improvements could be made. If so, what should those improvements be?

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 22 March 2023

Willie Rennie

The feedback that I get from victims and their families is that they often feel as though they are in the dark. They have low confidence in the system, because they just do not know what is happening. I understand all the information-sharing criteria and the other stuff that you have just mentioned. However, I am keen to understand the debate about that that goes on in the system, whether it is evolving or settled and, if it is evolving, where it might go. I am keen to build the confidence of victims and their families.

Perhaps Alistair Hogg could answer that question first.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Subordinate Legislation

Meeting date: 8 March 2023

Willie Rennie

I have no issue with the order, but I will take a cheeky opportunity to ask about uptake for two-year-olds. I know that we have made changes to the relationship with the Department for Work and Pensions so that we can access information. The gap between Scotland and England is still quite significant. According to the statistics for 2022, 14 per cent of the population in Scotland had access to provision for two-year-olds, whereas the figure for England was 21 per cent. How quickly do you envisage us closing that gap? Have you seen any early evidence that we are doing so?

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Subordinate Legislation

Meeting date: 8 March 2023

Willie Rennie

Great. Thank you.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Subordinate Legislation

Meeting date: 8 March 2023

Willie Rennie

I will also take this opportunity to ask about the provision for deferrals for four-year-olds going to primary school. We are supposed to have that provision in place from 1 August, and an evaluation of the pilot is due this month. Is it still the plan to have that evaluation report this month, in time for August?

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Subordinate Legislation

Meeting date: 8 March 2023

Willie Rennie

Could you share the details of the membership of the deferral working group and how often it has met?

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Disabled Children and Young People (Transitions to Adulthood) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 1 March 2023

Willie Rennie

Ross Greer’s question was quite a powerful one, and Pam Duncan-Glancy has gone some way to dealing with it.

It is a slight counsel of despair to say that, because we have not been able to enforce such statutory rights or plans before, we should never try to do so again. Nevertheless, that begs the question whether this will be any different from what we have had before.

It is open to us to scrutinise co-ordinated support plans. We can question them in Parliament and do all that stuff just now. There is nothing to prevent us from doing that. However, you are saying that, by stipulating that a minister is responsible and that there are scrutiny angles, that will somehow change the position. Are there parallels in other areas, where that approach has really made a difference?

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Budget 2023-24

Meeting date: 22 February 2023

Willie Rennie

Talk me through this, cabinet secretary. If a council ignores your warning on teacher numbers, what happens next? What is the process?