Hansard

No one is in any doubt that we in Parliament need to do all that we can to increase the protection that we afford our children. The bill, as the minister said, is another tool to assist us in that, but it certainly comes none too soon; Lord Cullen's inquiry following the Dunblane tragedy and his report, which addressed the vetting and supervision of adults working with children, was published some years ago.

Central to the bill has been the need to balance carefully the rights of children with those of individuals. Concerns were expressed about the extent to which incidents will be thoroughly investigated, and about the mechanisms by which individuals will have the opportunity to defend their actions during any disciplinary or dismissal process. However, reassurance was sought and was given that referral to the list will be properly made, appropriate and backed up by robust evidence and relevant procedures.

That brings me to the need for information and guidance for all employers. The Education, Culture and Sport Committee noted in its stage 1 report that it is vital that training and guidance are provided to organisations to enable them to make consistent and fair decisions. Guidance on what constitutes harm was also recommended. I am pleased that the minister took all of that on board, and I am also pleased to hear that she intends to involve the STUC and others in the development of the guidance. I hope that "others" includes voluntary sector interests—I am sure it will—because some voluntary organisations are concerned about the impact of implementation.

It is vital that everyone view the bill's proposals as fair and transparent, because at the end of the day the main point is that the legislation will introduce further safeguards that will help minimise the risk of unsuitable individuals' being able to work with children. As such, it is a welcome initiative, and by implementing it Parliament can take credit for improving the situation of some of Scotland's most vulnerable children.