Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 25 June 2025
25 Jun 2025 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Education (Scotland) Bill
On the member’s point about it being only a cosmetic change, we are going from a situation in which the SQA has a single chief executive to qualifications Scotland being required to have chief executive, a chief examiner and a chief accreditation officer. The chief examiner would be accountable to an expert group, and the chief accreditation officer would be accountable to an accreditation committee. Does he really think that that is just a cosmetic change, bearing in mind that we have just passed an amendment that legally obliges each of them to act completely independently of each other?
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-18059, in the name of Jenny Gilruth, on the Education (Scotland) Bill at stage 3. I invite members who w...
The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills (Jenny Gilruth)
SNP
Thank you, Presiding Officer, for the opportunity to address the chamber this evening on the Education (Scotland) Bill, following our lengthy and detailed se...
Stephen Kerr (Central Scotland) (Con)
Con
I agree with the cabinet secretary that the bill creates an independent chief inspector of education, but how would she describe the change from the Scottish...
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
I do not accept that critique from Mr Kerr. Indeed, we have spent two days of parliamentary time debating lengthy amendments that have sought to change the t...
Pam Duncan-Glancy (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
Will the cabinet secretary give way?
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
Do I have time in hand, Presiding Officer?
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
There is not really any time in hand, cabinet secretary.
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
I will give way to Ms Duncan-Glancy.
Pam Duncan-Glancy
Lab
Does the cabinet secretary admit that the new organisation will have the same functions and the same leadership as the SQA?
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
I do not accept the member’s latter point about leadership. A new chief executive will be appointed, and a new chair of the existing organisation was appoint...
Pam Duncan-Glancy
Lab
The cabinet secretary mentioned the accreditation staff in the SQA. It is not only as a result of our deliberations, as the cabinet secretary said, that they...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
You have one minute left, cabinet secretary.
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
I have in front of me a letter from Unite the Union that I quoted to Ms Duncan-Glancy during yesterday’s proceedings. It said that relocating the accreditati...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
For the avoidance of doubt, I clarify that there is no time in hand and that members should please stick to their allocated and agreed speaking times. 20:05
Miles Briggs (Lothian) (Con)
Con
I thank the Parliament’s legislation team and, following these late sittings, the wider parliamentary staff, as well as Government officials and colleagues a...
Ross Greer (West Scotland) (Green)
Green
On the member’s point about it being only a cosmetic change, we are going from a situation in which the SQA has a single chief executive to qualifications Sc...
Miles Briggs
Con
Those changes will be improvements to the internal structures, and I hope that they work, which is why we have supported the amendments. However, I do not th...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I was caught on the hop there. I call Pam Duncan-Glancy to open on behalf of Scottish Labour. 20:11
Pam Duncan-Glancy (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
Scotland’s young people are our greatest asset, and it is incumbent on us all to legislate to ensure that the education system delivers the greatest opportun...
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
I am listening to Ms Duncan-Glancy. Of course, I have read much of the position in Labour’s press release, but the Labour Party accepted 40 Government handou...
Pam Duncan-Glancy
Lab
First, the bill will not abolish the SQA, which is exactly why we will not vote for it. Secondly, we worked with the Government to try to improve the bill be...
Ross Greer (West Scotland) (Green)
Green
The bill was a long time coming. For me, the cabinet secretary and some others, it has been nine years in the making; for other members who have been here si...
Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD)
LD
Earlier today, I was reading a speech by Tavish Scott from 2017, in which he made a passionate case for change, but that case was primarily about the inspect...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Thank you, Mr Rennie. We move to the open debate, with back-bench speeches of up to four minutes. 20:25
Jackie Dunbar (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP)
SNP
I am pleased to stand tonight to speak in favour of the Education (Scotland) Bill. As deputy convener of the Education, Children and Young People Committee, ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I call Davy Russell, who is this evening making his first speech in the Parliament. 20:29
Davy Russell (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab)
Lab
Thank you, Presiding Officer, for giving me the opportunity to make my first speech. Being elected as the member of the Scottish Parliament for Hamilton, La...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Thank you, Mr Russell. We move to closing speeches. I call Ross Greer to close on behalf of the Scottish Greens. 20:36
Ross Greer
Green
I congratulate Davy Russell on making his first speech in the chamber. I find that, nine years in, the novelty and privilege of being in the chamber have cer...
Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I want to go back to human rights. Articles 28 and 29 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child give our young people the right to an educa...