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Will the minister take an intervention?

I am grateful to the minister for taking an intervention following that very important point regarding missing persons.

The minister will also recall that, at stage 1, I raised the question of safeguarding of children. Indeed, the minister kindly wrote to me, making reference to the Children (Scotland) Act 2020, and she talked about provisions being commenced in 2025 to cover the points that I had raised.

Is the minister able to say in what part of 2025 the Government is considering rolling out those provisions, which are important for safeguarding children?

In her statement, the cabinet secretary talked about the work that was introduced by the SNP Government to support better outcomes.

However, annex A of the 2023 national improvement plan, which lists on-going and completed activities, shows that just 41 out of 116 action points are completed, and 65 are still on-going.

Will the new NIF result in a greater success rate?

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. In the short time that I have, I will concentrate on Forces Children Scotland, although not because I do not recognise the contributions of all people who have been involved in the armed forces—both serving and veterans. The issue of young people and children echoes what Willie Rennie said in his speech.

Forces Children Scotland was founded in 1815, just four days before the battle of Waterloo, which stands as a pivot point in history and as a roll call for Scotland’s armed forces—the Cameron Highlanders, the Gordon Highlanders, the Black Watch and, indeed, the Scots Guards all served there. History tells us that approximately 6,000 to 7,000 Scottish soldiers paid with their lives at that battle. It is a testament to Forces Children Scotland that it is supporting more than 13,000 children—twice the number of adults who gave their lives at that battle.

I recommend, to all in the chamber and outside Parliament, the Forces Children Scotland report “It’s not just their job, it’s our whole lives”. The children are rarely forgotten in discussions about veterans and serving officers, but sadly their needs are rarely followed through on. I will follow the report in looking at that issue from the perspective of children’s rights—as colleagues across the chamber will surely know, I will never refrain from an opportunity to make reference to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

At the end of the day, our forces’ children and young people are unique among our children and young people. First, their experiences are very difficult to understand for someone on the outside who has not shared those experiences. Secondly, as we have already heard, they are a group of children who frequently move. They find a great deal of comfort among children who understand their situation, but they can sometimes feel like outsiders.

The First Minister will be aware of EDF Energy’s decision to extend the life of Torness nuclear power station until 2030, which will secure hundreds of jobs, boost the economy of East Lothian and South Scotland, and provide crucial support to Scotland’s energy grid. Torness has been Scotland’s most productive clean energy asset, cutting 100 million tonnes of CO₂, reducing the risk of blackouts, and saving consumers up to £75 annually on their energy bills. Will the First Minister warmly welcome the extension?

I agree absolutely. I welcome that intervention, because it allows me to talk about article 9 of the UNCRC, which is about the right of a child not to be separated from their parent. As an immediate statement of a human right, that can be incredibly challenging to comprehend for an adult who is in charge of armed forces or is responsible for a group of serving soldiers or officers. However, a young person has the right not to be separated from their parents. One of the challenges that forces children face is—obviously—frequent separation from one parent, and sometimes both parents, which for a child leads to a lack of stability and confidence.

There is a call for that to be considered first and foremost when decisions are taken on who will serve and where and how they will serve. Clearly, those are not easy decisions to make. Perhaps in some situations, they are not decisions that are warranted by the value of the expected service that is required. However, for young people and children whose parents are going off to serve, knowing that they have been considered is incredibly important. They will then understand that the adults who are making decisions about their parents appreciate and understand the existence of their children.

In the time that I have left, I want to mention article 18 of the UNCRC, which is on access to childcare and family support. I welcome the Scottish Government’s commitments in respect of those things, particularly family support. However, I would ask that the Scottish Government identify forces children specifically, or forces children and families—to refer back to Jamie Greene’s intervention—as a priority group for receiving such support. That, again, would indicate an intention to support that group and their communities at difficult and challenging times.

I am conscious of my time, Deputy Presiding Officer. I recommend Forces Children Scotland to everyone in the chamber and outside the Parliament. I also recommend that, when we talk about our veterans and our forces, we pause to remember that a significant number of children surround and are woven into the choices that are made about them.

I am grateful for your indulgence.

I will.

Paul Sweeney has made a very powerful contribution on what is a massively important issue. Is it not right that society should reflect on how it cares for those at the very start of life—babies and children—but also for those at the end of life? The member has adequately shown that we are not addressing that sufficiently and in the right way at this time and in this place.

Traditional skills such as stonemasonry are of vital importance across the south of Scotland. There are excellent examples of facilitators, such as the Ridge, a Scottish charitable incorporated organisation in Dunbar, East Lothian. Will the minister confirm that support for traditional apprenticeships, which frequently come at greater expense than other apprenticeships, will be both supported and championed by the Government?

The First Minister will be aware of EDF Energy’s decision to extend the life of Torness nuclear power station until 2030, which will secure hundreds of jobs, boost the economy of East Lothian and South Scotland, and provide crucial support to Scotland’s energy grid. Torness has been Scotland’s most productive clean energy asset, cutting 100 million tonnes of CO₂, reducing the risk of blackouts, and saving consumers up to £75 annually on their energy bills. Will the First Minister warmly welcome the extension?