Disabled Children and Young People (Transitions to Adulthood) (Scotland) Bill
Overview
The Bill as introduced aims to improve opportunities for disabled children and young people as they grow up. This Bill considers children to be under 18 and young people to be between 18 and 26.
Pam Duncan-Glancy MSP introduced the Bill because she thinks disabled children and young people need extra support to help them transition to adulthood. This will help them have the same opportunities as other children and young people.
The Bill would require:
- the Scottish Government to have a strategy explaining how they are going to improve opportunities for disabled children and young people
- a Scottish Government minister to be in charge of improving opportunities for disabled children and young people moving into adulthood
- local authorities to have plans for each disabled child and young person as they move into adulthood
Johann Lamont introduced this Bill in Session 5, however the Parliament was not able to complete its consideration before session 5 ended and so could not come to a decision on whether or not to pass the Bill. This meant that the Bill fell.
Because of the short amount of time between the scrutiny of the Session 5 Bill and the introduction of the Session 6 Bill, the Education, Children and Young People Committee has agreed to consider the evidence received in Session 5 as part of its scrutiny.
The Bill fell at Stage 1 on 23 November 2023
Contents
Stage 1 - General principles
Committees examine the Bill and gather views. They produce reports before MSPs debate the Bill in the Chamber. MSPs then decide on the purpose (“general principles”) of the Bill.
The Bill ended Stage 1 on 23 November 2023
Committee Examination
The lead committee for this Bill is the Education, Children and Young People Committee
Submit your views
The Committee gathered views on the proposals in this Bill in four ways.
The surveys and consultations closed on 27 October 2022.
Read the responses to the call for views
Read a SPICe summary of the findings of the shorter survey (133KB, pdf) posted 06 January 2023
Read a SPICe summary of the findings of the detailed call for views (222KB, pdf) posted 06 January 2023
Read the response from the Scottish Government
Evidence to previous committee
In Session 5, the Education and Skills Committee took evidence for an earlier Disabled Children and Young People (Transitions to Adulthood) (Scotland) Bill. This Bill fell at the end of the session.
Evidence submitted for that Bill has been considered by the Education, Children and Young People Committee as part of its scrutiny of the Bill reintroduced in Session 6.
Read the evidence submitted to the Education and Skills Committee
Who spoke to the lead committee in the Parliament
MSPs met with people in committee meetings to discuss what the Bill will do.
Minutes of 1 February 2023
Minutes of 8 February 2023
Minutes of 22 February 2023
Minutes of 1 March 2023
Minutes of 26 April 2023 (in private)
Minutes of 10 May 2023 (in private)
Minutes of 17 May 2023 (in private)
Minutes of 13 September 2023 (in private)
Minutes of 4 October 2023 (in private)

Meeting on 1 February 2023




Engagement
Other ways the committee heard views and experiences.
In January and February 2023 the Committee held informal private engagement sessions with with Divergent Influencers who have been through the transition from child to adult services; and parents and carers whose children have been through the process and a visit to Buchannan High School in Coatbridge, meeting senior school pupils who will soon be leaving school; and the some of the transitions team who are supporting them, including teachers, social workers and the Home Link Education Officer. Links to the anonymised notes for these sessions and the visit are listed below.
Notes from the session with parents and carers, ARC Scotland (195KB, pdf) posted 13 February 2023
Notes from the session with young people (divergent influencers) hosted and supported by ARC Scotland (188KB, pdf) posted 21 February 2023
Notes from visit to Buchanan High School Coatbridge (156KB, pdf) posted 21 February 2023
Correspondence
Committee correspondence sent and received while the Bill progressed through Parliament
Disabled Children and Young People (Transitions to Adulthood) (Scotland) Bill 21 November 2023
Letter from the Minister for Children and Young People and Keeping the Promise, 21 November 2023
Disabled Children and Young People (Transitions to Adulthood) (Scotland) Bill 25 September 2023
Letter from Pam Duncan-Glancy , 25 September 2023
Disabled Children and Young People (Transitions to Adulthood) (Scotland) Bill 11 September 2023
Letter from Enable, 11 September 2023
Work by other committees
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee
Meeting on 8 November 2022
Meeting on 13 December 2022
Report published on 4 January 2023
Finance and Public Administration Committee
Committee report
The lead committee published its Stage 1 Report on 5 October 2023.
Disabled Children and Young People (Transitions to Adulthood) (Scotland) Bill Stage 1 Report
Bill Report Easy to Read Version (186KB, pdf) posted 05 October 2023
The lead committee received the following response to its Stage 1 Report on 21 November 2023.
Letter from the Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise
Debate
MSPs debate the purpose (“general principles”) of the Bill.
Meeting on 23 November 2023
Read the minutes of proceedings (164KB, pdf) posted 23 November 2023

Vote
MSPs vote on the general principles of the Bill.
Meeting on 23 November 2023

Disabled Children and Young People (Transitions to Adulthood) (Scotland) Bill
- Submitted by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, Glasgow, Scottish Labour.
- Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 November 2023
- Motion reference: S6M-11381
- Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, 23 November 2023
Result 19 for, 90 against, 0 abstained, 20 did not vote Vote Defeated