Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 17 November 2016
17 Nov 2016 · S5 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry
I am grateful to the cabinet secretary for prior sight of his statement, and also for the reassurances that he has provided to Parliament and the wider public regarding his confidence in the chairmanship of Lady Smith—an appointment that has been very well received.
I want to ask two very specific questions of the cabinet secretary. First—and most important, from the angle of complete transparency and public confidence in the future of the inquiry—the cabinet secretary has given a very clear indication this afternoon, and also at the Education and Skills Committee, that he is wholly satisfied that there has been no inappropriate intervention in the inquiry by the Scottish Government. Does the cabinet secretary now believe that that statement and its supporting evidence have been accepted by the survivors groups, who were—quite naturally—very concerned when the previous chair and one other member of the panel accused the Scottish Government of interference in the inquiry’s work?
Secondly, in relation to the decision not to replace the third panel member, on which the cabinet secretary has clearly consulted Lady Smith, will he advise us of the possible circumstances in which Lady Smith and Mr Houston might require the additional specialist knowledge to be provided to the panel, which he mentioned in his statement?
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Ken Macintosh)
NPA
Good afternoon. The next item of business this afternoon is a statement by John Swinney updating us on issues relating to the Scottish child abuse inquiry. T...
The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills (John Swinney)
SNP
I wish to provide Parliament with an update on a number of points within my responsibilities in connection with the Scottish child abuse inquiry and other qu...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I thank the minister for his statement. I will allow about 20 minutes for questions.
Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
I am grateful to the cabinet secretary for prior sight of his statement, and also for the reassurances that he has provided to Parliament and the wider publi...
John Swinney
SNP
I echo Liz Smith’s remarks about Lady Smith, who is an immensely strong chair of the inquiry and who, in her own approach and record, personifies the fact th...
Iain Gray (East Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
I, too, thank the cabinet secretary for early sight of his statement. The cabinet secretary is right to describe the inquiry as a step to right the “wrongs ...
John Swinney
SNP
Iain Gray asked about the implications of not appointing a third panel member. I am confident that that factor alone will not extend the timescale of the inq...
James Dornan (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP)
SNP
I assure the cabinet secretary that the Education and Skills Committee continues to have a great deal of interest in the issue and will play its part in supp...
John Swinney
SNP
I welcome Mr Dornan’s comments and make it absolutely clear—as I have to the committee—my willingness to address any issues that the committee wishes to draw...
Ross Thomson (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
I thank the cabinet secretary for early sight of his statement. In his statement, the cabinet secretary drew a distinction between an in-care setting and a n...
John Swinney
SNP
It would probably be safer for me to refer Ross Thomson to the original remit of the inquiry, which provides—on the second page of the terms of reference—a s...
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab)
Lab
I am sure that the cabinet secretary will acknowledge that the in-care survivor support fund is completely different from compensation for the injustice that...
John Swinney
SNP
I completely accept the distinction that Jackie Baillie makes between the in-care survivor support fund and a redress scheme. My intention in pointing to the...
Clare Haughey (Rutherglen) (SNP)
SNP
I am aware that the Scottish Government has consulted widely with survivors and survivor groups, and I welcome the steps that have been taken so far. Will th...
John Swinney
SNP
Extensive consultation work was undertaken to design the survivors Scotland fund, which is just one example. Throughout all the steps that have been taken in...
John Finnie (Highlands and Islands) (Green)
Green
I thank the cabinet secretary for the early sight of his statement. I commend much of the work that has happened so far, including the cabinet secretary’s an...
John Swinney
SNP
In the financial memorandum that is associated with the limitation bill, we estimate that the range could be between 400 and 4,000 survivors coming forward, ...
Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD)
LD
I thank the cabinet secretary for sight of his statement in advance. The second of the terms of reference that he mentioned this afternoon begins: “To consi...
John Swinney
SNP
I have to set out the terms of reference in a clear fashion and I have taken steps today to take that to a point where it cannot be doubted, in relation to t...
Fulton MacGregor (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP)
SNP
I was glad to see the Scottish Government show how important this issue is by making the bill the first to be introduced to the Parliament in this session. I...
John Swinney
SNP
First, let me pay tribute to the work of Sandra Brown of the Moira Anderson foundation, who has made a very strong and distinguished contribution to this ent...
Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
I, too, welcome the publication of the limitation bill. We all recognise the need to enable survivors to have access to justice as soon as possible. The bi...
John Swinney
SNP
I can assure Claire Baker that the Government will co-operate entirely with the parliamentary timetable for the bill. A lot of preparatory work has been unde...
Jenny Gilruth (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP)
SNP
I welcome the clarification of the terms of reference. It is important that we continue to make it as clear as we can that the abuse of children in care will...
John Swinney
SNP
There is willingness on the part of the Government to continue our dialogue with survivors and we must ensure that we are open to that information. Obviously...
Gil Paterson (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP)
SNP
The Scottish Human Rights Commission established the interaction process and has said: “The justice system has not and is not working for survivors”. Is th...
John Swinney
SNP
As I explained to Mr MacGregor, the limitation bill is an enormous step by the Government to open up legal redress for individuals who have been the victims ...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I thank the cabinet secretary and members for their contributions.