Hansard

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP Chamber

26 Mar 2003

Commissioner for Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill

Anyone who needs to be convinced of the varied nature of the legislation that the Parliament is passing could do worse than look at our business programme for this afternoon. In the space of an hour or two, we have considered the Council of the Law Society of Scotland Bill, th...

Irene McGugan: SNP Committee

25 Mar 2003

Sport 21

There is little to add so I will continue to play the role of the committee member who speaks the least. I express my appreciation of the opportunity to serve on the committee and thank members for allowing me to be one of the two members who worked with the non-Executive bill...

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP Committee

25 Mar 2003

Sport 21

I agree that a lot of useful work has been done in the past four years. It has been useful to identify the issues and to make appropriate links across portfolio areas in a way that perhaps had not been done before. Sport has been linked with health, social inclusion and educat...

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP Chamber

20 Mar 2003

Question Time · School Buildings

Does the minister agree that children in Roman Catholic schools also deserve to receive their education in new and refurbished premises? If so, why has the Scottish Executive reneged on assurances of additional funding for a new Roman Catholic school in Dundee via the PPP allo...

Irene McGugan: SNP Committee

11 Mar 2003

Subordinate Legislation

That explains my hesitation at the beginning, convener—you had not yet introduced the people whom I was going to address.

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP Committee

11 Mar 2003

Subordinate Legislation

I have concerns about nursery teachers. We support integrated working, with social work and education working more closely together. I accept that the regulations do not compel local authorities to remove teachers from pre-school settings, but there is a feeling that that migh...

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP Chamber

06 Mar 2003

Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

It is with pleasure that I speak in support of Michael Russell's Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill.The Gaelic language is in an extremely precarious position. That fact was confirmed—although we did not need it to be—by the recent census figures. The policy memorandum for the bi...

Irene McGugan: SNP Chamber

05 Mar 2003

Food Supplements<br />(European Directive)

That is without doubt the case.Alex Fergusson mentioned some illnesses for which relief or a cure has been provided. Children's behavioural difficulties are another relevant condition. For some children, the simple addition of omega 3 and omega 6 fish oils into the diet has me...

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP Chamber

05 Mar 2003

Food Supplements<br />(European Directive)

It has been said that the legislation is all about consumer safety, but members who have spoken in the debate do not seem to accept that.There is no evidence that the vitamins and minerals covered by the directive, or the doses at which they are taken, are harmful. To follow u...

Irene McGugan: SNP Chamber

26 Feb 2003

Looked-after Children (Education)

I am in my final seconds. We recognise that if social workers and teachers work together, they will deliver a better outcome for children. There is an implication in some of the Executive's statements that, somehow, local authorities are wilfully not complying, but I have no d...

Irene McGugan: SNP Chamber

26 Feb 2003

Looked-after Children (Education)

I am pleased to know that the minister will continue to meet foster carers, but I know some foster carers who were insulted to receive, as their share of the £10 million, a little pack with pencils and colouring paper. There was wide variation in how the money was used. Some o...

Irene McGugan: SNP Chamber

26 Feb 2003

Looked-after Children (Education)

Absolutely. I have no difficulty with that. However, it remains the case that social workers are generally the lead workers in any group of workers who support looked-after children. I remind members that local authorities reported to us last year vacancy rates of 50 per cent ...

Irene McGugan: SNP Chamber

26 Feb 2003

Looked-after Children (Education)

The £10 million was specifically about providing materials and resources to help with homework; it was not specifically about helping children to receive full-time education or to have a care plan that addresses their educational needs. There were entirely separate announcemen...

Irene McGugan: SNP Chamber

26 Feb 2003

Looked-after Children (Education)

I would like to move on a little bit.The minister made it fairly clear in her contribution that she places at least some responsibility for the situation on local authorities. Last year, local authorities were offered no new resources to implement the plans.

Irene McGugan: SNP Chamber

26 Feb 2003

Looked-after Children (Education)

But one year later, are they satisfactory? We must focus on the problem. We heard almost the same thing a year ago—we discussed the same issues and the same problems that looked-after children face. Why do we need to hear the minister restating plans with add-on bits and new i...

Irene McGugan: SNP Chamber

26 Feb 2003

Looked-after Children (Education)

To the best of my knowledge, they have not improved.Most 16 and 17-year-old care leavers have experience of truancy and exclusion. Less than 1 per cent of them go to university.

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP Chamber

26 Feb 2003

Looked-after Children (Education)

As the minister reminded the chamber, it was more than a year ago that she made a statement to Parliament announcing plans and setting out the minimal requirement that all looked-after children should receive full-time education and have a care plan that addresses their educat...

Irene McGugan: SNP Committee

25 Feb 2003

Current Petitions

I was not involved in the discussions on PE463, but it is stated that 15,000 owners, occupiers and others were consulted and that fewer than 1 per cent lodged an objection. It could well be that the people felt that they were making their views known when they were consulted a...

Irene McGugan: SNP Committee

25 Feb 2003

New Petitions

So you never reach the point at which you have everything in place to—

Irene McGugan: SNP Committee

25 Feb 2003

New Petitions

The point that I am trying to make is that you currently have the capacity to refer such matters to the Scottish ministers to make a compulsory order. Have you ever tried to get them to make such an order?

Irene McGugan: SNP Committee

25 Feb 2003

New Petitions

That gives me a nice lead-in for my question. What has been your experience of trying to get the Scotland Office to act by using its existing power? Does the problem go wider than Councillor Logue's community? Do other local authorities have similar difficulties when trying to...

Irene McGugan: SNP Committee

25 Feb 2003

New Petitions

I am glad that Alasdair Morrison is here because I have a question for him. He used two specific words in the letters he wrote to the committee and he repeated them in the submission that he has just made. He said that he anticipates that a decision will be made "shortly" and ...

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP Committee

25 Feb 2003

New Petitions

I whole-heartedly endorse the suggestion that, in view of the recent announcement, we raise the issue of funding with the Scottish Executive. As I understand it, the issues that the committee has raised with the Executive on the previous petitions have centred more on the adeq...

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP Chamber

20 Feb 2003

Arbroath CAFE Project

I add my congratulations to those that have been offered to Andrew Welsh and to the young people of the CAFE project—not only for the work that they do, but because they are probably unique in having two motions relating to them lodged in the Scottish Parliament in the space o...

Irene McGugan: SNP Chamber

20 Feb 2003

Question Time · Executive Agencies and Non-departmental Public Bodies (Relocation)

Does the minister accept the fact that, as yet, the relocation programme has not made a significant impact in ensuring that more of Scotland's communities share in the economic and social benefits? Glasgow has almost 20 civil service jobs per thousand and Edinburgh has 28 per ...

7. Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP Chamber

20 Feb 2003

Question Time · Executive Agencies and Non-departmental Public Bodies (Relocation)

To ask the Scottish Executive what factors will be taken into account in forthcoming decisions on the relocation of staff and offices of executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies. (S1O-6460)

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP Chamber

20 Feb 2003

Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill

I will confine my remarks to the physical punishment of children. The bill is a step in the right direction, but it is a small step. As Richard Simpson suggested, it pales into insignificance in comparison to the actions that are being taken by an increasing number of countrie...

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP Committee

18 Feb 2003

Petition

I agree with the suggestion that has been made. It was never the petitioner's intention that there should be legislation. He recognised that guidance and rules were all that was needed to bring us into line with almost every other country in the world where such simple guidanc...

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP Chamber

12 Feb 2003

Young People in Sport

I congratulate Tom McCabe on bringing forward the matter for debate. I was unfamiliar with Hamilton International Sports Trust, but I have enjoyed hearing about its work and achievements. I commend the trust for its efforts.My comments on young people in sport will be more gen...

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP Chamber

12 Feb 2003

Protection of Children (Scotland) Bill

No one is in any doubt that we in Parliament need to do all that we can to increase the protection that we afford our children. The bill, as the minister said, is another tool to assist us in that, but it certainly comes none too soon; Lord Cullen's inquiry following the Dunbl...

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP Chamber

12 Feb 2003

Protection of Children (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

I am not rising to speak against amendment 1. In fact, the SNP will not oppose any of the amendments that have been lodged at stage 3.The stage 2 amendment to which the minister referred would have extended the duty to make a referral beyond registered child care agencies to a...

Irene McGugan: SNP Chamber

12 Feb 2003

Education

I am closing.We want new and refurbished schools—we take issue simply with the funding method. All the figures and our costings have been and will continue to be disputed, but the question is: can we afford not to offer our children the best possible education? The SNP will de...

Irene McGugan: SNP Chamber

12 Feb 2003

Education

No, thank you.The document says nothing about the concern over the long-term decline in modern language learning, although such learning is one of the greatest tools for improving literacy. The number of entrants to French exams has decreased by 50 per cent in 20 years and the...

Irene McGugan: SNP Chamber

12 Feb 2003

Education

One of the Executive's social justice milestones was an increase in attainment levels in basic core skills, but statistics reveal that more and more pupils are not meeting the minimum levels as they progress through school.

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP Chamber

12 Feb 2003

Education

On Saturday, The Herald contained an interesting article that reported on a study that was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, which showed that people in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are broadly disappointed with the impact of devolution. However, that...

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP Committee

11 Feb 2003

Children's Commissioners (Seminar)

It is highly appropriate that someone from the Scottish Parliament should go to talk about our commissioner.

Irene McGugan: SNP Chamber

06 Feb 2003

Organic Farming Targets (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

We must ensure that support for our farmers is at the very least equivalent to the support offered elsewhere.Another factor to take into account is the on-going concern about the safety of food and its nutritional value. Fruit and vegetables are good for us and part of the hea...

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP Chamber

06 Feb 2003

Organic Farming Targets (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

My personal enthusiasm for organic food and farming goes back a long way; my support for the bill today is not tokenistic. I have been a consistent advocate within the SNP for organic farming, I was an original member of Robin Harper's steering group and, not least, I am a con...

Irene McGugan: SNP Committee

04 Feb 2003

Commissioner for Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

I do not think that the commissioner needs a power of access. In the majority of cases, the commissioner would want to negotiate amicably with whomever, or with whatever agency, was under investigation. When there is sufficient concern to justify using such a power, others in ...

Irene McGugan: SNP Committee

04 Feb 2003

Commissioner for Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

I will underline that point. The bill is clear that an appointment—whether a first or a second appointment—is fully covered by section 2. Nomination by the Parliament is required and the appointments need not be consecutive—that is, a first appointment may have occurred five y...

Irene McGugan: SNP Committee

04 Feb 2003

Commissioner for Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

That is right, but as it is not that kind of amendment, I cannot accept it.On amendment 9, Karen Gillon has comprehensively outlined the view that was taken by those of us who were involved in drawing up the bill. We feel that there are sufficient elements within the bill to a...

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP Committee

04 Feb 2003

Commissioner for Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

I will speak in favour of the view that Karen Gillon has expressed.Amendment 8 is ambiguous and imprecise. I would accept amendment 8 if it were a genuine Martini amendment—

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP Chamber

29 Jan 2003

“Educating for Excellence”

The emphasis in the statement was on choice and opportunity. Surely the flexibility that the minister seeks will not become a reality unless the system is relieved of the burden of certain initiatives, guidelines and targets. I am not clear about how that is to be achieved. In...

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP Committee

28 Jan 2003

Convener

I nominate Kay Ullrich.

Irene McGugan: SNP Committee

21 Jan 2003

Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I am sure that you are very heartened that, from the evidence that the committee has received, there is overwhelming support for a bill. However, some shortcomings have been identified also. From all that you have heard, what changes to the bill do you feel are necessary or po...

Irene McGugan: SNP Committee

21 Jan 2003

Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

That would be quite similar to the Meek report recommendations.

Irene McGugan: SNP Committee

21 Jan 2003

Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

You said that you expect the Gaelic board to produce a language plan for Gaelic. Would not legislative support assist the board in helping Gaelic to survive? Would such support be useful for its work?

Irene McGugan: SNP Committee

21 Jan 2003

Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

The evidence shows that the number of Gaelic speakers is not rising fast enough to save the language, and that the kind of means of voluntary enabling that you describe have not, to date, been sufficiently effective to secure the language. I use the word "secure" in its normal...

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP Committee

21 Jan 2003

Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I would like to expand on what Jackie Baillie said about the gap between what the Executive feels and what the bill proposes. Your written evidence is clear that the Government's commitments include working towards secure status for Gaelic. Will you say clearly for the Officia...

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP Chamber

15 Jan 2003

Commissioner for Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I begin by conveying apologies from Michael Russell, who is, unfortunately, unwell this afternoon. On a happier note, I congratulate Karen Gillon on her comprehensive introduction to the debate. Not a lot more needs to be said, although perhaps we are still required to say som...

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP Committee

14 Jan 2003

McCrone Agreement

My views are similar to those of other members. I understand that the Auditor General for Scotland has an investigation of McCrone as part of his work programme for the coming year. We ought to take that into consideration when we decide how best to tackle the issue.

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP Chamber

09 Jan 2003

Child Protection Review

From the outset, I say that we welcome the review and its recommendations. It can only be good that the issue is being debated and addressed at a national level.However, we have to ensure that this opportunity to tackle the problems in child protection brings about real and la...

Irene McGugan: SNP Committee

07 Jan 2003

Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Do you accept that, without some form of legislation that is backed up by enforcement, the end result will be that the language will die?

Irene McGugan: SNP Committee

07 Jan 2003

Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I will quote a little from the written evidence of Mr Dunbar, from whom we will hear later. He says:"The lesson from virtually any other jurisdiction which is serious about protecting minority languages is that both ‘compulsion' and enforcement are absolutely essential."I thin...

Irene McGugan: SNP Committee

07 Jan 2003

Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Good as the charter is, does Highland Council still feel that the bill is necessary as well?

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP Committee

07 Jan 2003

Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages was ratified in respect of Gaelic and I presume that that is impacting on the promotion and preservation of Gaelic. How does it fall short of achieving everything that Highland Council wants and why is the bill also neces...

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP Committee

17 Dec 2002

Human Rights Conference

I have not looked at my commitments for that day. I will check and come back to the committee on that.

Irene McGugan: SNP Chamber

12 Dec 2002

Children and Young People (Services)

I welcome the member's comments about the reality of social workers' jobs. Does he associate himself with the First Minister's remarks, when he blamed"professional defensiveness, professional jealousies and barriers between different agencies"for the system's failings?

Irene McGugan: SNP Chamber

12 Dec 2002

Children and Young People (Services)

I accept all of what the minister said about the number of people on courses increasing and the number of social workers increasing, but why then did 17 of the 18 local authorities that responded to us this week say that the situation is still getting worse?

Irene McGugan: SNP Chamber

12 Dec 2002

Children and Young People (Services)

Robert Brown should be aware that redefining poverty does not make the least bit of difference. All those children are in poverty in Scotland today and little has been done to alleviate the situation. It seemed appropriate to focus on youth justice and child protection in the ...