Hansard

The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick) NPA

The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-08840, in the name of David Stewart, on the report on tackling child sexual exploitation in Scotland. It ...

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Lab

The Public Petitions Committee’s role, in my view, is to shine a light into the dark corners of Scotland, and there can be no darker corner than child sexual...

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con) Con

The member will be aware that adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse have welcomed the report, which focuses on child sexual exploitation, which includes ...

David Stewart Lab

The member has made some interesting points and I am happy to go along to her cross-party group in April to go through those points in a lot more detail. I t...

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

I thank David Stewart and all the members of the Public Petitions Committee for their comprehensive work on child sexual exploitation. This is a debate that ...

Margaret Mitchell Con

Earlier, the minister mentioned the Rochdale case in greater Manchester. In that case, the national health service crisis intervention team helped to expose ...

Aileen Campbell SNP

I thank Margaret Mitchell for the clear interest that she takes in working to ensure that some of the issues that we are discussing are dealt with adequately...

Gil Paterson (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) SNP

A view is starting to be heard that, rather than police forces, taxpayers and voluntary groups investigating the actions of people on the internet, internet ...

Aileen Campbell SNP

There are many different issues around internet safety—not least some of the particularly tragic incidents that happened last summer—which is why we held and...

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

I begin by thanking the Public Petitions Committee for its work in producing the report that we are debating today. My Labour colleagues and I join members ...

Jackson Carlaw (West Scotland) (Con) Con

I thank David Stewart for his opening speech, introducing the committee’s report. I add my thanks to those who gave evidence, the clerks and others who made ...

Aileen Campbell SNP

I have said that we want to take all the learning that we have and to have an action plan, so that we can take action, as opposed to having another prolonged...

Jackson Carlaw Con

I agree with the minister—I hope that I have not been giving a false impression. Any national strategy has to be based on actions, and I welcome what the min...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott) Con

We move to the open debate. We have a little time in hand. I can offer David Torrance, to be followed by Graeme Pearson, up to seven minutes. 15:14

David Torrance (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) SNP

I begin by thanking the committee clerking team for their hard work and their efforts in helping us put together the report. I also thank the numerous orga...

Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab

I offer my sincere thanks to three separate entities. First, I thank Barnardo’s for bringing forward the evidence that lay behind the petition, which resulte...

Aileen Campbell SNP

Will the member take an intervention?

Graeme Pearson Lab

I will, if the Presiding Officer is happy for me to do so.

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

I am.

Aileen Campbell SNP

I am sorry for intervening at this stage; I had not quite realised how far into his allotted time the member was. I point out that, last year, we hosted a s...

Graeme Pearson Lab

I thank the minister for that intervention and I am happy to acknowledge her point. The use of chat rooms to choreograph the exploitation of children is a ne...

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP) SNP

As a member of the Public Petitions Committee since 2008, I found the petition one of the most challenging that I have faced, given the subject matter that w...

Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD) LD

I congratulate David Stewart and his Public Petitions Committee colleagues on their work. The issue of child sexual exploitation is undoubtedly complex, and ...

Angus MacDonald (Falkirk East) (SNP) SNP

I hope that Parliament will bear with me as I speak with a heavy cold, but also with a heavy heart as we debate this horrendous subject. Child sexual exploit...

Jamie Hepburn (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) SNP

I thank the committee for its work and Barnardo’s for its petition. David Stewart was right to talk about “the dark corners of Scotland”. None of us doubts...

Neil Bibby (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab

I welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate. We often say that debates are important, but I cannot think of many debates that are more important than on...

George Adam (Paisley) (SNP) SNP

I, too, thank the committee for the difficult work that it undertook in its inquiry. As the convener, Dave Stewart, and Angus MacDonald said, if one child is...

Anne McTaggart (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab

I am especially pleased to participate in the debate, as I am a member of the Public Petitions Committee that produced the report on tackling child sexual ex...

Clare Adamson (Central Scotland) (SNP) SNP

I thank my colleagues who sit on the Public Petitions Committee for their dedication in bringing this important issue to the chamber. I echo Liam McArthur’s ...

Liam McArthur LD

I am very grateful to Clare Adamson for taking an intervention. She will know that I support the principle of the named person, but one of the concerns that ...