Hansard

The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick) NPA

Good afternoon. The first item of business is a debate on motion S4M-08099, in the name of Aileen Campbell, on the play strategy action plan.

The Minister for Children and Young People (Aileen Campbell) SNP

Maria Montessori said that “Play is the work of the child.” If we are a country that truly wants to become the best place to grow up in, we need to become a ...

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab) Lab

On the UNCRC, is the minister still considering changing the wording in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill to “having due regard to” as opposed to...

Aileen Campbell SNP

The Education and Culture Committee has taken a lot of evidence on that, and the process will be on-going through the stages of the bill. We are certainly ve...

Mark McDonald (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) SNP

Does the minister take a view on the prevalence of “No ball games” signs in many areas, which often act as a deterrent to outdoor play for children and which...

Aileen Campbell SNP

Absolutely. As I said, people should view open spaces as being equally for the benefit of children across the country and should allow children to access the...

Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Con

I doubt that anybody will quibble with the central ethos of the play strategy that we are debating this afternoon, as it goes without saying that play is par...

Aileen Campbell SNP

I take on board Liz Smith’s points. I know that we have an ideological difference when it comes to the approaches in the bill, but she is keen on culture cha...

Liz Smith Con

I thank the minister. I do not disagree with that. There are some deep-seated issues, and I heard the minister say earlier that she believes that in some sit...

Jayne Baxter (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Lab

I am pleased to open for the Labour Party in this debate and to welcome the publication of the Scottish Government’s play strategy and action plan. I have wo...

Aileen Campbell SNP

I made it clear in my opening speech that the strategy was not just about the play sector but about bringing lots of different departments together. For exam...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith) Lab

I must ask Jayne Baxter to draw to a close.

Jayne Baxter Lab

Okay. I thank the minister for her comments.There are some big aspirations in the action plan, and I hope that the minister will return to the chamber in the...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Lab

We now come to the open debate. I remind members that if they wish to speak in the debate, they should press their request-to-speak buttons. That is particul...

George Adam (Paisley) (SNP) SNP

I welcome this debate and the Government’s play strategy action plan. The Scottish Government says that it wants Scotland to be the best place in the world t...

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab) Lab

I thank the minister for bringing this debate to the chamber, and particularly for her excellent timing. I do not imagine that I am the only one here who wil...

Liz Smith Con

Ken Macintosh has made an exceptionally valid point. Does he agree that we should be concerned when what I would call common sense about some children’s play...

Ken Macintosh Lab

I entirely agree with that point, and I might get the chance later to talk about the risk-averse culture. Yes, there are stories of people banning conkers an...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Lab

I remind members that speeches should be of six minutes. I call Mark McDonald, to be followed by James Dornan.15:17

Mark McDonald (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) SNP

On 7 August, part of the city centre of Aberdeen was essentially turned into a playground, with 250 to 300 children participating in the Aberdeen national pl...

James Dornan (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) SNP

There is no doubt that there are clear long-term economic and social benefits attached to play, and that investing in children’s play is one of the most impo...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Lab

Before Christian Allard begins, I remind members to address one other by their full names, not only because that is required by protocol, but because it make...

Christian Allard (North East Scotland) (SNP) SNP

I welcome the Scottish Government’s action plan. We judge a society by how it looks after its children. As many members have mentioned, we have a lot to lear...

Anne McTaggart (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab

I am pleased to contribute to this important debate on the Scottish Government’s play strategy and the wider efforts that are being made to ensure that Scotl...

Fiona McLeod (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) SNP

It is extremely important that the minister talked about the fact that article 31 of the UNCRC mentions that every child has the right to play. That is the r...

Stewart Maxwell (West Scotland) (SNP) SNP

It is too easy to dismiss play as a trivial activity for children. The reality is that play is about much more than just having fun. Like many other members,...

Mary Fee (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab

Like all my colleagues in the chamber, I fully support the development of a national play strategy. Play and recreation are essential to the health and wellb...

Aileen Campbell SNP

I have a constructive point to make. I hope that Mary Fee would welcome the early years task force, which is the group that administers the change fund. Fami...

Mary Fee Lab

I thank the minister for that clarity. Those families are an important section of society, and I am pleased that they will not be overlooked.I fully support ...

Richard Lyle (Central Scotland) (SNP) SNP

I support the play strategy, as a father and grandfather. My grandson Ruaridh is now a year and a half old, and he teaches his grandfather how to play—of cou...