Meeting of the Parliament 16 December 2025 [Draft]
The safety and wellbeing of children in Scotland is a paramount concern of all of us as members of Parliament, no matter our politics or whether we are members of an Opposition party or a supporter of the Scottish Government. The safety and wellbeing of children in Scotland matter to us all.
Like many members here today, I have spoken to survivors of abuse to hear about their experiences—Russell Findlay has quoted some of my recent experience in this respect. I discussed those issues with Taylor and her family last week, in one of many conversations that I have had with abuse survivors. There is no doubt in my mind, and it is obvious to all, that many people have been fundamentally failed by the system over the years. That is shameful, and facing up to that awful reality has underpinned the approach of the Scottish Government.
Every member of my Government is committed to doing everything possible to deliver justice and the possibility of some element of closure for victims of the past, as well as to keeping safe the children of today and tomorrow. That sentiment anchors the steps that have been taken by my Government in addressing those issues—and those issues are being addressed, contrary to what Mr Findlay has just said to Parliament.
First, we established a year ago the expert, multi-agency national child sexual abuse and exploitation strategic group, which is considering previous inquiries, evidence and practices across social work, education, the police and healthcare in order to agree further actions and recommendations for national improvement and reform. Professor Alexis Jay, who has always been a member of that group, has now been appointed as its independent chair.
Secondly, an independent national review of the response to group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation in Scotland is being established. That will be undertaken by the Care Inspectorate, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education and Healthcare Improvement Scotland. The inspectorates are statutorily independent of Government and the agencies that they scrutinise, and they are able to compel public authorities to provide information that they request. Professor Jay has agreed to provide expert advice at key stages of the process.
Alongside that work, Police Scotland is continuing to review child sexual abuse and exploitation cases. I received an update from Police Scotland on that important work when we met recently, and Opposition leaders and spokespeople from across the chamber have been offered a briefing with Police Scotland on that work in the new year.
We will also draw on the published evidence and reports of the independent Scottish child abuse inquiry, which was established by Angela Constance in 2015 and which has been considering the abuse of children in the care of the state. The inquiry has now commenced phase 10 and has made it clear that there is scope to hear and act on evidence relating to group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation where that falls within its terms of reference. All that activity underlines the seriousness with which my Government takes the issue and our determination to leave no stone unturned, guided by expert opinion.
On several occasions in the chamber, we have discussed the comments that are at the heart of today’s debate, so I will reiterate what has already been stated. During stage 3 of the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill, in relation to Liam Kerr’s amendment that would have meant that the new victims commissioner should carry out research into child sexual abuse, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs raised awareness of the work that was led by Professor Alexis Jay. The cabinet secretary noted specifically that Professor Jay had been the chair of an independent inquiry into child sexual abuse in England and Wales, and drew on a comment, made in the past, that, in regard to child sexual abuse and exploitation,
“people should just get on with it”.
Following correspondence with Professor Jay, it was minuted at the strategic group’s meeting in October that the quote was correct and was from January but was not made in relation to the amendment or the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill. In the debate in September, the cabinet secretary did not state that Professor Jay was speaking directly about the amendment. She made a general point, drawing on the publicly stated views of Professor Jay—[Interruption.]