Hansard

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 across the chamber in recognising that abuses of power and the exploitation of vulnerable young people should always be condemned.

The personal case studies accompanying the committee report, which have been provided by the third sector organisations that work closely with vulnerable and exploited young people, are truly harrowing and show how important it is that we tackle this issue effectively.

With that in mind, it was reassuring that, in an extremely sensitive and complex area, the report has carefully drawn out several major strands in its findings. The recommendations from the Public Petitions Committee’s inquiry are extensive and well thought out. I welcome them being given the consideration that they deserve today, and Scottish Labour supports the majority of the findings that have been published.

As we have heard, the report arose from a petition that was sent to the committee in July 2011 by Barnardo’s Scotland, which called for research into child sexual exploitation and the need for new Scottish Government guidelines. The cut them free campaign, run by Barnardo’s, is to be congratulated on its effectiveness in highlighting the issue and on its role in driving the committee’s inquiry.

I also acknowledge that the ministerial short-life working group—whose findings we have already heard about from the minister—has been helpful in drawing together a brief analysis of the existing provision in Scotland and elsewhere to tackle child sexual exploitation. However, as the committee report notes, there are a number of areas where further work or research could be undertaken.

As the committee report has highlighted, over the past few years a number of bodies and working groups have examined the issue of child sexual exploitation. There have been various reports on and reviews of the matter, but there are still gaps in our knowledge. Therefore, although I welcome the intention of the short-life ministerial working group to meet in future to review any developments, I am particularly keen that it does so in response to the committee’s overarching recommendation for the establishment of a national strategy for tackling child sexual exploitation.

The ministerial short-life working group noted that child protection is everyone’s responsibility. It is our collective responsibility to keep our children and young people safe, but we must avoid the risk of collective responsibility leading to a lack of accountability for Government and its agencies.

I was reassured to read the committee’s careful consideration of the definition of child sexual exploitation. That understanding on the part of the committee has been important in aiding the development of its numerous recommendations, especially those focusing on preventative measures and the improved education and safeguarding of our young people in the future.

The sensitivities of tackling child sexual exploitation are many. Although the report acknowledges that the issue exists as part of a continuum of child sexual abuse, the committee also recognises the need to focus on sexual exploitation specifically, and I am heartened that it reflects that in the recommendations for a national strategy.

The report urges that a more co-ordinated, less piecemeal approach be taken in taking the issues forward. I believe that to be vital, and the expectation of the committee that the Scottish Government should report regularly to Parliament on its progress is similarly important.

Although it seems that much of the work that has been done on this issue has not been well co-ordinated, there have been some examples of excellent work, including the scoping study by the centre for excellence for looked-after children in Scotland, which was commissioned by the Care Inspectorate to improve the way in which it inspects services.

The recent scrutiny of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill by the Education and Culture Committee has highlighted just how vulnerable many of our young people are and how often they can be let down by the systems that should be looking after them. The CELCIS research found that a prevalence of child sexual exploitation of at least 25 per cent

“would seem likely for children in the care population”,

and an expectation exists that that figure only increases for older children, girls and children in residential care. However, the data that we have on child sexual exploitation in Scotland is variable. The need to fill in the gaps in the information is one of the key recommendations of the committee report.

Worryingly, there seem to be few children over the age of 12 on child protection registers, and I strongly support the report’s recommendation for a policy investigation into why that is the case. The vulnerability of older children and teenagers to sexual exploitation is clear, and the report effectively highlights the increasing normalisation of sexualised behaviour among young people.

The report’s recommendations on developing education programmes on internet dangers are also to be welcomed, as is the recognition of the need to challenge stereotyped behaviours, which impact on young people, especially women, and can make them vulnerable to exploitation.

I again put on record my thanks to the committee for its hard work in undertaking the inquiry. I look forward to hearing from members from across the chamber during the rest of the afternoon’s debate.