Meeting of the Parliament 17 February 2026 [Draft]
I remind members of my entry in the register of members’ interests. I am married to a Roman Catholic primary school teacher, and I was formerly the convener of Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights).
I am pleased to speak for the Scottish Liberal Democrats at stage 3 of this important bill. Before entering politics, I was a youth worker. Fighting for the rights and wellbeing of children is in my DNA; it is why I am in politics. That is why legislation such as this bill matters to me, and it also matters to my party.
At stage 1, I said that the bill asked a fundamental question: do we believe that children have rights, and should those rights be taken seriously in the day-to-day decisions that shape their world view? In my party’s view, the answer remains yes.
Part 1 of the bill will strengthen the requirement for schools to involve children where decisions are taken about their participation in aspects of school life that affect their values. It will require that children be informed and given the space to express their views, and, where disagreement arises, it will require there to be engagement and ensure that children’s views are considered in line with their “age and maturity”.
Make no mistake: we are talking about a vanishingly small number of cases in which such a disagreement will take place. However, that provision reflects article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which is the right of the child to express a view on matters that affect them and for that view to be “given due weight” according to their “age and maturity”. We all signed up to that principle in the Parliament by unanimously agreeing to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024. That principle is not radical; it is foundational.
We have heard legitimate concerns about clarity, the distinction between different elements of school provision, how capacity is assessed and how we ensure that family relationships are protected. I recognise that there are tensions. The concerns were raised in serious contributions, and they deserve serious consideration.
I and my party support the denominational school sector. I am married to a Roman Catholic primary school teacher and I led the defence of Roman Catholic schools and other denominational schools when they were challenged at my party conference some years ago. Religious education has been disaggregated from religious observation in the bill, and I believe that the bill is now in a space in which it will not disrupt religious education or threaten the existence of denominational schools.
Stage 2 improved the bill. Clarifications have been made and safeguards have been strengthened. Because of that, the balance between recognising children’s voices and respecting the central role of parents has been made clearer. There is always room for improvement in legislation, but part 1 of the bill now represents a proportionate and thoughtful step forward in embedding children’s rights in practice. The test for us at stage 3 is whether the bill as a whole strengthens or weakens children’s rights in Scotland. That is a balanced decision to make, but our judgment is that the bill, taken in the round, strengthens children’s rights.
Scotland has rightly been recognised for its ambition in incorporating the UNCRC into Scots law. That architecture must remain strong and we must take it seriously. It must remain enforceable and meaningful in day-to-day practice. The bill does not abandon that ambition; it builds on it—cautiously, yes, but constructively.
We, in this Parliament, have a duty not only to speak about children’s rights but to embed them—to consider them in the systems that shape children’s daily lives. The bill that we have debated today moves us forward in that regard. Liberal Democrats will vote for the bill at stage 3 not because it is flawless, but because it represents measured progress and because children’s rights are too important to be left standing still. Let us ensure that Scotland’s approach to children’s rights remains not only ambitious but careful, balanced and worthy of the young people whom it serves.