The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.
The Official Report search offers lots of different ways to find the information you’re looking for. The search is used as a professional tool by researchers and third-party organisations. It is also used by members of the public who may have less parliamentary awareness. This means it needs to provide the ability to run complex searches, and the ability to browse reports or perform a simple keyword search.
The web version of the Official Report has three different views:
Depending on the kind of search you want to do, one of these views will be the best option. The default view is to show the report for each meeting of Parliament or a committee. For a simple keyword search, the results will be shown by item of business.
When you choose to search by a particular MSP, the results returned will show each spoken contribution in Parliament or a committee, ordered by date with the most recent contributions first. This will usually return a lot of results, but you can refine your search by keyword, date and/or by meeting (committee or Chamber business).
We’ve chosen to display the entirety of each MSP’s contribution in the search results. This is intended to reduce the number of times that users need to click into an actual report to get the information that they’re looking for, but in some cases it can lead to very short contributions (“Yes.”) or very long ones (Ministerial statements, for example.) We’ll keep this under review and get feedback from users on whether this approach best meets their needs.
There are two types of keyword search:
If you select an MSP’s name from the dropdown menu, and add a phrase in quotation marks to the keyword field, then the search will return only examples of when the MSP said those exact words. You can further refine this search by adding a date range or selecting a particular committee or Meeting of the Parliament.
It’s also possible to run basic Boolean searches. For example:
There are two ways of searching by date.
You can either use the Start date and End date options to run a search across a particular date range. For example, you may know that a particular subject was discussed at some point in the last few weeks and choose a date range to reflect that.
Alternatively, you can use one of the pre-defined date ranges under “Select a time period”. These are:
If you search by an individual session, the list of MSPs and committees will automatically update to show only the MSPs and committees which were current during that session. For example, if you select Session 1 you will be show a list of MSPs and committees from Session 1.
If you add a custom date range which crosses more than one session of Parliament, the lists of MSPs and committees will update to show the information that was current at that time.
All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
Displaying 935 contributions
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 24 January 2024
Willie Rennie
I think that the Government has certainly moved, including on the CSOs and on sharing information in a much more specific fashion, which is helpful. Amendment 17 is also helpful, although it is a bit vague and we could do with a bit more precision on exactly what the service will look like. That might not be appropriate for legislation, but there is a bit of scepticism as to whether that will be forthcoming.
I accept what Ross Greer says, but I do not understand why an empowering, more comprehensive system, in which you empower the reporter to make that risk assessment for all children, making sure that no children fall between the different stools, is not appropriate. It seems broader and more empowering than the specific and narrow provision that the minister wishes to put in place.
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 24 January 2024
Willie Rennie
Okay. I would prefer more of a reassurance than a discussion, because I think that we have got to—
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 24 January 2024
Willie Rennie
I have three amendments in the group, so I will go into a little bit of detail. I apologise.
The purpose of my amendment 122 is to establish an information-sharing system between the children’s hearings system and the single point of contact service or elected victim support organisation. It will be based on a robust assessment of the risk posed to the victim or person harmed by the subject child. The degree of information that is provided to the victim will depend on the level of risk that is established by the assessment.
The aim of the amendment is to successfully balance the subject child’s right to privacy with the rights of the victim to information and support to recover, especially if they are a child. That will help to ensure that UNCRC rights are being fulfilled, where possible, for all children and not just the subject child. The right to privacy is important. However, it is not an absolute right and should not infringe other people’s rights to safety or recovery. An objective and robust risk assessment is the best way to achieve a balance of those rights.
I am proposing a three-tier system. The first tier is the information that all victims will be entitled to, whether or not their case is reported to the SCRA system, and when it is processed through the children’s hearings system. The SCRA should operate that opt-out information system. All victims should be entitled to information about both how the system works and victim support resources. They should get basic information on the dates of hearings and the final decision of the hearing. They should also be told if the case has not been referred to a hearing. That is the basic level.
The second tier would provide further case-specific information, particularly in relation to compulsory supervision orders, when it is deemed that the child poses a significant risk of harm to themselves or others. It will include information on how a CSO works, dates, conditions and what happens if the rules are not stuck to. All of that should enable a victim to plan for their own safety. Conditions under the CSO that relate to engagement with social work or personal details about the subject child will not be allowed to be shared. That would not be appropriate.
10:15The third tier of information sharing will be reserved for cases in which the panel has deemed that the subject child must have their liberty restricted in secure accommodation due to the risk to the person who has been harmed or to the wider public. That will be in cases in which an offence has taken place. However, that will not be restricted to referrals on offence grounds.
Under the third tier, victims will be notified when the child is released from secure accommodation or transferred to an adult prison. The information that is provided should, where possible, replicate that which is provided through the victim notification system in the criminal justice system. Of course, victims can opt out of that. They can also choose to communicate through a trusted adult.
I am pleased that the Government has introduced amendments 13, 15 and 17 to share information with regard to CSOs—amendment 13 is particularly relevant in that regard. However, I cannot understand why the Government has not introduced an amendment like mine, which empowers the reporter to carry out a risk assessment for all child subjects and their victims. By restricting the scope, the Government potentially restricts the powers and discretion of the reporter to inform and share. It would be beneficial for all victims to have a basic understanding of how the system works and what they might expect. The dates of hearings that are included in tier 1 do not include private or personal information.
I urge members to support amendment 122. It is comprehensive—it does not cover only CSOs. It empowers the reporter and it is tiered depending on severity, so it is sensitive and more sophisticated.
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 17 January 2024
Willie Rennie
You have dug into quite a bit of important detail, but I have never had from any of your predecessors a simple explanation for why we have slipped down the international rankings and why there is a yawning poverty-related attainment gap. I have never had that explained properly and succinctly to me. There is clearly recognition that there is a problem, because we have had an eight-year programme of education reform, whatever you might think of that. There is clearly a recognition that there is an issue, a problem or, as you describe it, a challenge. However, can you succinctly explain to me how we have got into this position?
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 17 January 2024
Willie Rennie
We are quite far into this reform programme; we could say that it started in 2016. I would like to understand from the cabinet secretary what she thinks is wrong with Scottish education and what we are trying to fix.
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 17 January 2024
Willie Rennie
So, what do you accept? Why did we do all this?
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 17 January 2024
Willie Rennie
I have lots of ideas.
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 17 January 2024
Willie Rennie
I have had a promise that more will be coming in addition, in order to close the gap between the private, voluntary and independent sector and council sector pay rates, which results—as you know—in the departure of experienced staff from private nurseries. I was promised that we would have a solution, but I have not seen anything. What is happening?
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 17 January 2024
Willie Rennie
Go on—just between us.
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 17 January 2024
Willie Rennie
Will we have that in time for the debate that you are proposing?