Meeting of the Parliament 25 November 2025
I would like to make some progress, but I am happy to take interventions in closing.
Those organisations, as well as children and young people, have been broadly supportive of our approach and have recognised that, where the issue lies in legislation, the focus should be on fixing that legislation.
I have carefully considered the points and the recommendations made by the committee in the stage 1 report and have responded formally.
I am now mindful of the time, so I will move to my concluding comments. In summary, the bill builds on the progress that we continue to make on children’s rights. It strengthens the protection and promotion of children’s rights in education and strengthens the legal framework for children’s rights in Scotland. I recognise that, as we have heard this afternoon, there is a range of views on those areas, but the bill offers the Parliament a very clear opportunity in this parliamentary session to make further meaningful progress on children’s rights.
I welcome the recommendation by a majority of the committee members to agree to the general principles of the Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill. I hope that the Parliament agrees to the general principles.
I move,
That the Parliament agrees to the general principles of the Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill.