Hansard

I thank John Mason for securing the debate, which is very timely, given the publication of the Scottish Government’s national parenting strategy, in which—as has been mentioned—the Scottish Government has announced that it is investing £18 million, and the emphasis that it places on fathers, including fathers who live apart from their children.

I know exactly where Anne McTaggart was coming from but, like John Mason and other MSPs, I have had numerous constituents come to me on the issue. It is not the case that the fathers concerned think that they are better than anyone else or that they should have extra rights; what they want is equality of rights. I think that that is the gist of tonight’s debate.

The debate is timely not only because of the announcement of the strategy, but because of the announcement of the consultation on the proposals to transform Scotland’s courts, which include changes to sheriff courts and civil cases, and the recommendation that specialist family sheriffs be introduced. I note that that is mentioned in the briefing that we received from Families Need Fathers, which says:

“We suggest that more courts should have specialist family sheriffs who have adequate support and training, to avoid cases dragging on for months and years.”

John Mason mentioned that issue. I am sure that I do not need to, but I suggest to Families Need Fathers and other groups that they take part in that consultation. I am sure that their participation would be more than welcome.

Families Need Fathers also makes a point about the courts that is similar to the point that John Mason made. In its briefing, it mentions contact orders, which are raised with me. John Mason explained the issue well. Contact orders should fulfil not just the needs of the mother and the father, but those of the child. That is an extremely important issue, which should be raised in the consultation on the proposed changes to court proceedings.

I hope that the recommendations that the strategy makes will go a long way to alleviating some of the difficulties that exist. One of the recommendations includes a

“Focus on fathers and male carers, including those who live away from their children”,

which is one of the issues that we are debating. In the strategy, the Government also says:

“we will update the Parenting Agreement for Scotland—a pack with a parenting agreement for separating parents”.

That is extremely important, too.

Another interesting aspect of the strategy is that it says that

“A fathers’ roundtable meeting will be held twice a year”.

Will the minister give us some more information on that twice-yearly meeting, such as who will attend it and how people will be approached to attend it?

A proposal that is particularly important in the context of what John Mason said about court orders and fathers not always having the ability to get medicine for their children is that

“NHS Health Scotland will set up a Fathers’ Forum”.

It would be interesting to find out more from the minister about how that forum will be set up and whether groups or individuals will be involved in it.

It has been a great pleasure to speak in this debate on a very important subject—as I said, many constituents have come to see me on this issue—and I am grateful to John Mason for securing the debate. The fact is that families need fathers and fathers need contact with their children.