Hansard

The Presiding Officer (Alison Johnstone) NPA

The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-19866, in the name of Jenny Gilruth, on the Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment o...

The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills (Jenny Gilruth) SNP

I am pleased to present the Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill. The bill is an importan...

Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (LD) LD

Liberal Democrats will support the bill tonight, but we share the considerable concerns of stakeholders in the chamber and beyond it about part 2 and the Gov...

Jenny Gilruth SNP

I will come on to talk about part 2 later, but I recognise that there are a number of different views, particularly about part 2 and on stakeholders’ views. ...

Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab

Will the cabinet secretary give way?

Stephen Kerr (Central Scotland) (Con) Con

Will the cabinet secretary give way?

Jenny Gilruth SNP

I am happy to give way to Mr Whitfield.

Martin Whitfield Lab

I am grateful to the cabinet secretary, given the plethora of choice that she had. The cabinet secretary has already spoken about the complexity between edu...

Jenny Gilruth SNP

The Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee raised and reported on that point. The 1980 act does not currently separate those two distinct parts...

Stephen Kerr Con

If we could go back to the issue of the rights of the child for a moment, I understand that that is a focus of the cabinet secretary’s speech, but she said t...

Jenny Gilruth SNP

I do not necessarily follow Mr Kerr’s line of questioning. The amendment to the 1980 act that is being proposed does not allow children an independent right ...

Martin Whitfield Lab

Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?

Jenny Gilruth SNP

I am mindful of the time, Presiding Officer, but I will do so.

Martin Whitfield Lab

I am grateful to the cabinet secretary for giving so much time to interventions. Does the Scottish Government recognise that the potential of the exemption t...

Jenny Gilruth SNP

I thank Mr Whitfield for his question. In relation to the exemption being replicated in other legislation, it is important to note that a similar safeguard a...

Alex Cole-Hamilton LD

Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?

Jenny Gilruth SNP

I would like to make some progress, but I am happy to take interventions in closing. Those organisations, as well as children and young people, have been br...

The Presiding Officer NPA

I call Karen Adam, on behalf of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee. 14:37

Karen Adam (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) SNP

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the bill in my capacity as convener of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee. It is a short bill wi...

John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Ind

The member is linking religious observance and religious education, but questions have previously been raised about that. Did the committee look at that poin...

Karen Adam SNP

I will come to that point in my speech. The difference between religious observance and religious and moral education did come up in committee.

Stephen Kerr Con

The convener said that there is little or no data on withdrawals. Did the committee have any concerns about that? Why would we legislate in an area on which ...

Karen Adam SNP

We did not doubt that withdrawal is happening—there is evidence that it is. I was referring to the specific and particular data that we wanted to see in orde...

Alex Cole-Hamilton LD

Does Karen Adam recognise that capacity is defined in several different age brackets by various acts of this Parliament? I have sought to clarify that and br...

Karen Adam SNP

It is not a committee bill—it is a Scottish Government bill. We had a great deal of discussion on the age at which a child could have capacity, but the major...

Miles Briggs (Lothian) (Con) Con

The cabinet secretary opened her comments by saying that the issue is finely balanced and sensitive and that the Government has looked for a middle route. Ho...

Jenny Gilruth SNP

Will the member take an intervention?

Miles Briggs Con

I will.

Jenny Gilruth SNP

I am interested in Mr Briggs’s point, because our approach maintains that only parents may initiate a withdrawal from RO or RME. Mr Briggs also mentioned con...

Miles Briggs Con

I do not disagree with some of the points that the cabinet secretary has made. The issue is about balance. Earlier, she outlined a system of opt-in and opt-o...