Meeting of the Parliament 29 January 2026 [Draft]
::I add my congratulations to Daniel Johnson on doing the wheen of work that goes into bringing a bill to this stage. I also congratulate, as many members have done today, Beth Morrison and Kate Sanger, who have also done a wheen of work. It is important to mention that it is incumbent on all of us in this place to take this forward, to look at where we are now, to progress and to make sure that we make the bill the best that it can be for them. This is not the end of the road—it is just halfway along.
This debate has made one thing abundantly clear. Although the majority of our teachers and school staff act professionally and with the utmost care and compassion every single day, the system of restraint and seclusion in Scotland is not working as it should. We must be clear that restraint and seclusion should never be a routine practice. That was mentioned in the submissions by Miles Briggs and Karen Adam regarding de-escalation, and that has to be the first port of call. Restraint and seclusion should be used only as a last resort in circumstances in which there is an immediate risk of harm to the child and to others, and it should always be used within the framework that prioritises dignity, rights and wellbeing, with relevant staff and support for the child involved.
It is consistency that matters here, not only for pupils and families but for staff. Teachers and support staff deserve clarity. Willie Rennie made a good point when he talked about the middle-of-the-road circumstances that do not fit. However, I think that it is the other way round. It is the more extreme circumstances that the guidance does not quite match, and that is where we have the problem.
The fact is that clarity is required, regardless of how we look at it, and that is what we are trying to achieve. We need clarity, training and robust guidance so that teachers and children are supported proportionately and with confidence in the most challenging of situations.
Kate Sanger said to the committee:
“The reasons that are given for restraint include non-compliance, children making poor choices, sensory overload, bad language and screaming.”
She went on to explain that some children and young people
“do not have language skills or verbal skills, and screaming is a way of communicating their needs.”—[Official Report, 24 September 2025; c 2-3.]
Imagine being restrained for trying to explain yourself. That is just not acceptable.
There is clear evidence that the use of restraint and seclusion is inconsistent across Scotland’s schools. Practices vary widely between local authorities and between individual schools. It is not acceptable that parents are not informed when serious interventions are used. We have all heard in our casework of circumstances where that has happened. No parent should discover that their child has been restrained or secluded because their child has come home distressed, withdrawn, unable to explain what has happened to them or covered in cuts and bruises or with broken bones.
It is that lack of transparency that causes real harm. It can compound trauma in children—particularly those with additional support needs, who may struggle to communicate their experiences or to process the distressing events. For families, being kept in the dark undermines trust and makes it harder for them to advocate for their child or to work constructively with the schools to put the right support in place. We need clear safeguards, proper recording and meaningful parental involvement.
As has been mentioned by Daniel Johnson, Maggie Chapman and Willie Rennie, the bill affords us the opportunity to move support on to a statutory footing, and that is what we are trying to achieve. It recognises that relying on non-statutory guidance has not been enough. It acknowledges the living experiences of children, young people and families who have raised concerns over many years, and it signals a commitment to learn from those experiences and to do better.
The Conservatives support the general principles of the bill. We do so in the spirit of constructive engagement, and we will work with the Government and stakeholders to ensure that the legislation is clear, proportionate and effective in practice. Every child in Scotland deserves to feel safe, respected and protected in their school, and every family deserves honesty, transparency and confidence in the system that is meant to support them.