Meeting of the Parliament 01 April 2025
I thank the member for that intervention, and I whole-heartedly agree that people with learning disabilities and others will absolutely feel entirely failed.
The education system is under untold pressure. To deliver for all young people, everything in it—from support for staff and pupils to the design of school buildings—needs to change. All the stories that we have shared today tell us—and we hear repeatedly—that the current system is failing people with learning disabilities and neurodivergence, as my colleague Paul O’Kane just highlighted. All too often, support comes only when families are already in crisis.
The proposed learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence bill was a chance to address those challenges, and the fact that there is no bill is, of course, a huge disappointment. The families we represent deserve better—they deserve clarity on timescales, and interim steps must be taken now to improve outcomes while we await the bill. We also know that the current approach to accountability is not fit for purpose. Families are left with nowhere to turn when services fail to meet their needs, and responsibility is blurred across multiple agencies. That is why there is a growing call for stronger oversight, whether that is through a dedicated commissioner or commission or through another model. We recognise that there is not yet consensus, but we know that we need action and a mechanism with teeth to deliver the rights of this group of people. We need that action to bring people together and to drive real and lasting change.
We often say in the chamber that we want Scotland to be the best place in the world to grow up in. In order for that to be true, it has to be the case for every child, and we have the responsibility to make it so. That needs action, not just warm words, and the Government has a responsibility to do that quickly to ensure that no one is left waiting, or fighting, for the support that they deserve.
17:31