Chamber
Plenary, 07 Feb 2008
07 Feb 2008 · S3 · Plenary
Item of business
Survivors of Institutional Abuse
The minister will now take questions on issues raised in his statement. I intend to allow around 30 minutes for questions, after which we will move on to the next item of business.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Alex Fergusson):
NPA
The first item of business is a statement by Adam Ingram on support for survivors of historical in-care and institutional abuse. The minister will take quest...
The Minister for Children and Early Years (Adam Ingram):
SNP
The determination of the Scottish Government to improve the life chances of children who are looked after is well documented. We all acknowledge that there a...
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
The minister will now take questions on issues raised in his statement. I intend to allow around 30 minutes for questions, after which we will move on to the...
Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab):
Lab
I thank the minister for his statement and for the early sight of it, and I join him in thanking Tom Shaw for his comprehensive report. We all recognise the ...
Adam Ingram:
SNP
Perpetrators will, obviously, be invited to take part in the proceedings of the truth and reconciliation forum, as has happened in models elsewhere in the wo...
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
Minister, I encourage you, as I encourage all members, not to refer to other members in the second person singular, but to use their full names. Thank you ve...
Elizabeth Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con):
Con
I pay tribute to the Government for bringing the matter urgently to the Parliament and I thank the minister for early sight of his statement.There is no ques...
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
I am sorry—my instruction not to use the second person singular applies not just to the minister, but to all members.
Elizabeth Smith:
Con
In his statement, the minister said that the Scottish Law Commission report"does not make specific recommendations for survivors of abuse in relation to the ...
Adam Ingram:
SNP
The time bar is an issue of some controversy. I emphasise that, in Scotland, the courts exercise their discretion in such cases. However, no guidance is prov...
Hugh O'Donnell (Central Scotland) (LD):
LD
I thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement. As other members have said, we are all supportive of the expeditious way in which the matter has ...
Adam Ingram:
SNP
The member's first question was about funding. I assure him that funding has been secured for the new services for in-care abuse survivors. I mentioned that ...
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
We come now to back-bench questions. There are nine members who wish to ask questions and 15 minutes to fit them in—I encourage brevity in questions and answ...
Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP):
SNP
I thank the minister for his statement, and I pay tribute to the survivors of abuse. The minister mentioned the time bar, which—as we know—prevents victims f...
Adam Ingram:
SNP
As I indicated in my remarks, the Scottish Law Commission has investigated that whole area of law, and has concluded that it could not recommend changes to t...
Michael McMahon (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab):
Lab
I am sure that the minister will be aware that the previous Public Petitions Committee brought this issue to the chamber and that that has ultimately led to ...
Adam Ingram:
SNP
I have had no direct discussions with the petitioners as yet, although I pay tribute to them for bringing their petitions to the Scottish Parliament, and to ...
Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab):
Lab
In your statement, you say that you believe—
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
I ask the member to refer to "his" statement, please.
Trish Godman:
Lab
Oh dear, imagine me getting that wrong. Minister, in your statement you state that the Government believes in improving status, morale and skills for residen...
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
I will not, but we will ask the minister.
Adam Ingram:
SNP
The Government currently provides funding in the region of £2.2 million to the Scottish institute for residential child care, which assists with training in ...
Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
I welcome the minister's announcement about the acceleration of registration for child care staff. My previous employers and colleagues will be delighted at ...
Adam Ingram:
SNP
I am in discussions with the Scottish Social Services Council on those matters. The member is quite correct to say that the registration process with regard ...
Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab):
Lab
I thank the minister for his statement. I think that the Shaw report is excellent. I have spent a considerable proportion of my psychiatric life in treating ...
Adam Ingram:
SNP
I acknowledge the member's knowledge and expertise and I guarantee that the funding for the commissioning of the new in-care abuse service will be additional...
Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab):
Lab
Although I do not underestimate the difficulty of gathering evidence and establishing proof in cases that date from before September 1964, that date seems ar...
Adam Ingram:
SNP
As I said to the chamber earlier, in Scotland we have taken a different approach to the time bar than in England. There is always judicial discretion in the ...
Aileen Campbell (South of Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
The minister talked about survivorScotland and said that the Government was determined to raise public awareness of the existence and impact of all forms of ...
Adam Ingram:
SNP
As the member may know, survivorScotland has a website, which obviously does the job of raising awareness. The survivorScotland strategy calls for a raising ...