Hansard

Having responsibility for the Promise is probably the most difficult job in Government. It encapsulates everything that the Government does and it reaches every corner of its work. To be a junior minister in charge of that enormous responsibility was a gigantic task. I have seen the minister grow in strength and authority as the bill has progressed, and I think that she has become an outstanding minister. I know that she doubts herself, but she should not, because she has risen to the challenge and navigated a really difficult bill in such a way that it is now in decent shape. I thank her for that.

The minister also had the former First Minister breathing down her neck throughout the process. I want to take the opportunity to pay tribute to Nicola Sturgeon for her commitment to the Promise. I think that she came into her own during the pandemic. I know that I have probably tested her patience at times. At one point, she called me a “pathetic attention seeker”. I have three older sisters, and that was probably the only time that they have ever agreed with her. I compliment her on her time in Parliament and in Government, and I wish her well in the future.

I thank the officials. It has been a difficult process, but they have been resilient throughout, and I have appreciated the advice that they have provided.

I also thank the care-experienced community and all the various groups that have provided excellent support and guidance. They do not always agree with one another, but that is fantastic, because it gives a great feeling that a thousand flowers will bloom through the process. We have been able to learn from them and, as a result, we have developed a commendable bill.

I recommit myself and the Liberal Democrats to the Promise. It is important to say that—it is important for people to hear that we are not going cold on the Promise and that we will stay resolute to it. On its own, the bill will not deliver the Promise, but it will help on independent advocacy, the children’s hearings system, aftercare, the right to return, kinship and foster care.

I am particularly pleased about the provisions in three important areas, which came about as a result of amendments: the provisions on places of safety, as an alternative to a police station; the provisions on family group decision making, on which I am grateful to Children First for its support and guidance; and the provisions on a register of premature deaths, in relation to which I am grateful to Duncan Dunlop. Although the provisions on that that we have included in the bill are not everything that he wanted, they are a step in the right direction.

The Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill is a good bill, but we must heed the warning that we have been given. All the fine ambitions and good intentions will not matter a jot unless we deliver. COSLA and social workers gave us a stark warning. In the evidence that they gave in committee, they made it clear that they are stretched to breaking point, so if we load many more responsibilities on them, we should not be surprised if that puts the system under greater strain. The bill must be followed by the resources and the experienced people who will be needed to deliver it.

Too often, I see a system that is run on a crisis basis and that is able to respond only when a child is in crisis. When a child is in crisis, it is almost too late—it is never too late, but it is almost too late—and we cannot afford to allow that to continue, because we cannot fail.

When it comes to the future of these young people, we have two choices. We can carry on as we are, with services that are failing to meet demand and lives that are being limited and, sometimes, tragically lost, or we can draw on the amazing talents of these young people, and adults, who are amazingly resilient. They have been through so much that they could make a great contribution to our society. Those are the choices that we have. Do we want those with care experience to contribute and be great people, or do we want those lives to be limited and lost?

That is why we cannot afford to fail. We absolutely must deliver the Promise.