Meeting of the Parliament 05 March 2026 [Draft]
I do not agree with Ms Regan’s assumption on the matter. As I said, protecting vulnerable children is a top priority for the Government. We are taking action to protect vulnerable children through the Promise and non-legislative means. The Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill is making its way through the Parliament and will add protection for children and young people. On top of that, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills announced last week that we will establish a statutory public inquiry into Scotland’s response to group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation. That will speak directly to some of the asks that Ms Regan has brought to me.
Although the Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill is making its way through the Parliament, Ms Regan has not reached out to me to engage on any of those matters. She is more than welcome to do so.