Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 08 December 2021
08 Dec 2021 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Scotland’s Redress Scheme
I thank Mr Marra for his comments. He is right to characterise the matter in that way and express the hope that survivors will feel listened to at this stage. As I placed on the record in answer to an urgent question on this point some weeks ago from Pauline McNeill, if my memory serves me correctly, the paragraph that I quoted from the report by Lady Smith is one of the most uncomfortable paragraphs written about Government that I have had to respond to. I hope that survivors feel that we are now properly addressing the issues that they raised.
On publicity, an awareness campaign will be rolled out as part of the scheme’s launch in order to maximise awareness and understanding of its existence. I am heartened that we had 700 applications to the advance payment scheme, as that suggests that word was able to get out. The advance payment scheme was available to only a limited proportion of the survivor community, and the fact that there were 700 successful applications gives me hope that we can get the message out. Nevertheless, we will put in a great deal of effort to ensure that that happens. I invite members of Parliament to support us in that endeavour, because it is vital that individuals are aware of the scheme so that they can make applications as appropriate.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
The next item of business is a statement by John Swinney on Scotland’s redress scheme. The Deputy First Minister will take questions at the end of his statem...
The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery (John Swinney)
SNP
As a Parliament, we have pledged to keep the promise that all of Scotland’s children will grow up loved, safe and respected, but a rightly ambitious future s...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
The Deputy First Minister will now take questions on the issues that were raised in his statement. I intend to allow around 20 minutes for questions, after w...
Jamie Greene (West Scotland) (Con)
Con
I thank the Deputy First Minister for advance sight of his statement. I add my absolute support. As he mentioned, we remain committed on a cross-party basis ...
John Swinney
SNP
I thank Mr Greene for his questions and I acknowledge the enormously helpful role that he played in the bill’s passage through Parliament in the previous ses...
Michael Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I thank the Deputy First Minister for advance sight of his statement. I associate Labour members and the Labour Party with his eloquent and heartfelt words, ...
John Swinney
SNP
I thank Mr Marra for his comments. He is right to characterise the matter in that way and express the hope that survivors will feel listened to at this stage...
Clare Adamson (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP)
SNP
I thank the Deputy First Minister for his statement—not just its content, marking the milestones of applications to Redress Scotland, but his reiteration of ...
John Swinney
SNP
I am not in any way surprised that Clare Adamson has put that question to me, because it was an amendment that she lodged, in her capacity as convener of the...
Meghan Gallacher (Central Scotland) (Con)
Con
In response to the Deputy First Minister’s previous update on the scheme in June, it was noted that 25 per cent of applications to the advance payment scheme...
John Swinney
SNP
We wrestled with slightly different issues in the advance payment scheme, simply because of the eligibility criteria that it involved. I assure Meghan Gallac...
Rona Mackay (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP)
SNP
What legal advice will be available to applicants who are going through the process?
John Swinney
SNP
Applicants will be able to obtain independent legal advice, and we have set out a framework as the basis on which that will be available to enable individual...
Katy Clark (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I welcome the statement and in particular the apologies that have been made by the Scottish Government to survivors. Does the Deputy First Minister agree tha...
John Swinney
SNP
I accept Katy Clark’s point that the surrounding support will be just as important for many individuals, and in some circumstances more important, than the a...
Audrey Nicoll (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP)
SNP
What steps has the Scottish Government taken to ensure that the waiver scheme is fair?
John Swinney
SNP
The waiver scheme is a sensitive part of the scheme, and it was sensitive during the passage of the legislation. In the Government’s view, and ultimately in ...
Beatrice Wishart (Shetland Islands) (LD)
LD
I am pleased that Scotland’s redress scheme has been established so quickly since the passing of the historic legislation at the end of the last parliamentar...
John Swinney
SNP
There will be an on-going campaign to make sure that awareness is high. We will monitor the pattern of applications, and we have a good benchmark from the ad...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
James Dornan joins us remotely.
James Dornan (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP)
SNP
I thank the Deputy First Minister for all his hard work in getting us to this point, along with the work of many others, of course. How were the newly appoin...
John Swinney
SNP
I thank Mr Dornan for his kind remarks. They prompt me to thank a range of civil servants who have worked extraordinarily hard since the passage of the act i...
Maggie Chapman (North East Scotland) (Green)
Green
I thank the Deputy First Minister for sight of his statement and welcome the opening of the scheme this week. I also associate myself and my group with his h...
John Swinney
SNP
I will write to Katy Clark and place the letter in the Scottish Parliament information centre so that all members can have access to the information. During...
Alexander Stewart (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
I welcome the fact that a survivors forum will be established early next year. What mechanisms will be put in place to ensure that the forum’s views and opin...
John Swinney
SNP
The forum will be launched swiftly once we begin to build up the engagement with survivors. I assure Mr Stewart that it will be able to submit its thoughts a...
Kaukab Stewart (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP)
SNP
I thank the Deputy First Minister for clarification on the panel’s selection. How will the newly appointed panel of 20 experts aid in delivering the redress ...
John Swinney
SNP
There will be two elements to that. First, the panellists will determine the applications independently of Government. The Government will do a lot of the wo...
Sarah Boyack (Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
Is it possible for the Deputy First Minister to outline how constituents can apply for support from caseworkers and independent legal support as mentioned in...
John Swinney
SNP
The contact points that I mentioned in my statement will be available for individuals. However, I will write to all members to provide the necessary informat...