Chamber
Plenary, 03 Dec 2009
03 Dec 2009 · S3 · Plenary
Item of business
Getting it Right for Every Child
Does Jamie Stone share my concern about the demise of health visiting, especially in his home town of Tain? Health visitors have provided an excellent service there for many decades, but their jobs are threatened and there is no recruitment, so they will not be able to help other people, including young carers.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Alasdair Morgan):
SNP
The next item of business is a debate on motion S3M-5335, in the name of Adam Ingram, on getting it right for every child.
The Minister for Children and Early Years (Adam Ingram):
SNP
There is no more important task than ensuring that we get it right for Scotland's children. They are part of our society now, and they will mould the way in ...
Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab):
Lab
I welcome this important debate. There is nothing in the Government's motion with which I or my Labour colleagues disagree. However, we feel that a number of...
Elizabeth Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con):
Con
The Scottish Conservatives warmly welcome today's debate on getting it right for every child and the continued programme of work to improve services for vuln...
Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD):
LD
I welcome the opportunity to speak in a debate that enables Liberal Democrats to restate our support for the GIRFEC agenda. As others have done, I commend th...
Angela Constance (Livingston) (SNP):
SNP
On balance, I agree with the Aberlour Child Care Trust's conclusions on the evaluation of GIRFEC so far. It states in its briefing that much has been achieve...
David Whitton (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab):
Lab
First, I apologise in advance for having to leave the chamber after my speech in order to attend another meeting.My colleague Karen Whitefield outlined Labou...
Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP):
SNP
No member in the chamber will argue against the principles of getting it right for every child—who can sensibly take an opposing view? However, it is one thi...
Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab):
Lab
I welcome the opportunity to participate in the debate and discuss the motion. Members are right to highlight the progress that has been made, but we must re...
Adam Ingram:
SNP
Will the member give way?
Duncan McNeil:
Lab
Yes, but I ask the minister to be quick. I do not have as much time as he has.
Adam Ingram:
SNP
At the moment, early identification and intervention are not embedded in our systems. That is what we hope GIRFEC will do if it is implemented throughout the...
Duncan McNeil:
Lab
We live in hope but at this point we cannot ignore the SCRA's hard, hard messages.The SCRA report also highlights specific issues about the power of child pr...
Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con):
Con
I am pleased to speak in this afternoon's debate and welcome the Highland GIRFEC report's measuring of outcomes, putting the child's needs at the heart of de...
Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
The amendment states:"almost half of the 30 councils inspected were assessed as weak or unsatisfactory in relation to the assessment of risks and needs".Elev...
The Presiding Officer (Alex Fergusson):
NPA
I call Hugh Henry. You have quite a long time really, Mr Henry.
Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab):
Lab
That was a dangerous exhortation, Presiding Officer.There is no doubt that, as is wider civic society in Scotland, all members are committed to the principle...
Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green):
Green
In the light of the reassurances that I have repeatedly received in Parliament in response to questions about home visiting, and given the figures that Mary ...
Hugh Henry:
Lab
We are duty bound to review any area of activity in which there is a sign of weakness. Home visiting is critical, because often it can pick up some of the we...
Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD):
LD
I rise in support of the motion in the name of the minister. I am heartened by the progress that has been shown in the getting it right pathfinder project in...
Mary Scanlon:
Con
Does Jamie Stone share my concern about the demise of health visiting, especially in his home town of Tain? Health visitors have provided an excellent servic...
Jamie Stone:
LD
The issue is perhaps not entirely connected to the subject of the debate, but Mary Scanlon makes a valid point. The issue will have been raised with her as m...
Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
Presiding Officer, is there still some leeway in the time that you are allocating to speeches?
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
There is a certain amount.
Jamie Hepburn:
SNP
Thank you. In that case, I will declare an interest. I recently became a father—Applause. The debate seems to have greater relevance for me than it might hav...
Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD):
LD
Liberal Democrats have always supported the getting it right for every child policy. That is not surprising, because it touches on elements of Liberal philos...
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
I am afraid that I must hurry you.
Ross Finnie:
LD
The issue is highlighted in the Health and Sport Committee's report on that matter, which I hope the minister will respond to constructively. I hope that the...
Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con):
Con
When I saw that a debate on GIRFEC was scheduled for this afternoon, I wondered why we were having another debate on the subject just short of three months s...
Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab):
Lab
It has been an interesting debate, in which there have been many significant speeches by members of all parties.It seems to me that the Labour amendment acts...