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Disabled Children and Young People (Transitions to Adulthood) (Scotland) Bill

The Bill as introduced aims to improve opportunities for disabled children and young people as they grow up. This Bill considers children to be under 18 and young people to be between 18 and 26.

This is a Member's bill

The Bill fell on 23 November 2023 at Stage 1

Introduced: the Bill and its documents

Overview

The Bill as introduced aims to improve opportunities for disabled children and young people as they grow up. This Bill considers children to be under 18 and young people to be between 18 and 26.

Pam Duncan-Glancy MSP introduced the Bill because she thinks disabled children and young people need extra support to help them transition to adulthood. This will help them have the same opportunities as other children and young people.

The Bill would require:

  • the Scottish Government to have a strategy explaining how they are going to improve opportunities for disabled children and young people
  • a Scottish Government minister to be in charge of improving opportunities for disabled children and young people moving into adulthood
  • local authorities to have plans for each disabled child and young person as they move into adulthood

Johann Lamont introduced this Bill in Session 5, however the Parliament was not able to complete its consideration before session 5 ended and so could not come to a decision on whether or not to pass the Bill. This meant that the Bill fell.

Because of the short amount of time between the scrutiny of the Session 5 Bill and the introduction of the Session 6 Bill, the Education, Children and Young People Committee has agreed to consider the evidence received in Session 5 as part of its scrutiny.

Why the Bill was created

Pam Duncan-Glancy MSP thinks there is not enough support for disabled children and young people when they transition to adulthood.

The Bill aims to make sure that there are structures in place to support disabled children and young people at that time in their lives.

Accompanying Documents

Explanatory Notes (181KB, pdf) posted 20 April 2022

Policy Memorandum (267KB, pdf) posted 20 April 2022

Financial Memorandum (244KB, pdf) posted 20 April 2022

Delegated Powers Memorandum (248KB, pdf) posted 20 April 2022

Statements on legislative competence (93KB, pdf) posted 20 April 2022 

Accompanying Documents (print versions)

Explanatory Notes (183KB, pdf) posted 20 April 2022

Policy Memorandum (410KB, pdf) posted 20 April 2022

Financial Memorandum (238KB, pdf) posted 20 April 2022

Delegated Powers Memorandum (237KB, pdf) posted 20 April 2022

Statements on legislative competence  (141KB, pdf) posted 20 April 2022

Financial Resolution

The Presiding Officer has decided Rule 9.12 under of Standing Orders that a financial resolution is required for this Bill.

Research on the Bill

The Scottish Parliament's Information Centre (SPICe) prepares impartial research and analysis to assist MSPs in their examination of Bills and other parliamentary business.

Research briefing on the Disabled Children and Young People (Transitions to Adulthood) (Scotland) Bill


The Bill was introduced on 20 April 2022

Stage 1: general principles

At Stage 1, the Bill is given to a lead committee. This is usually the committee whose remit most closely relates to the subject of the Bill. The lead committee will consider and report on the Bill. Other committees may also examine the Bill and report to the lead committee. Finally, there is a debate and vote by all MSPs on the general principles of the Bill. If the general principles are not agreed to, then the Bill ‘falls’ and can’t become law.

Evidence to previous committee

In Session 5, the Education and Skills Committee took evidence for an earlier Disabled Children and Young People (Transitions to Adulthood) (Scotland) Bill.  This Bill fell at the end of the session.

Evidence submitted for that Bill has been considered by the Education, Children and Young People Committee as part of its scrutiny of the Bill reintroduced in Session 6.

Read the evidence submitted to the Education and Skills Committee in Session 5

Lead committee examines the Bill

The lead committee for this Bill is the Education, Children and Young People Committee.

Call for views (closed)

The Committee gathered views on the proposals in this Bill in four ways.

The surveys and consultations closed on 27 October 2022.

Read the call for views

Read a SPICe summary of the findings of the shorter survey (133KB, pdf) posted 06 January 2023

Read a SPICe summary of the findings of the detailed call for views (222KB, pdf) posted 06 January 2023

Read the response from the Scottish Government

Meetings of the lead committee

Engagement

In January and February 2023 the Committee held informal private engagement sessions with with Divergent Influencers who have been through the transition from child to adult services; and parents and carers whose children have been through the process and a visit to Buchannan High School in Coatbridge, meeting senior school pupils who will soon be leaving school; and the some of the transitions team who are supporting them, including teachers, social workers and the Home Link Education Officer. Links to the anonymised notes for these sessions and the visit are listed below.

Notes from the session with parents and carers, ARC Scotland (195KB, pdf) posted 13 February 2023

Notes from the session with young people (divergent influencers) hosted and supported by ARC Scotland (188KB, pdf) posted 21 February 2023

Notes from visit to Buchanan High School Coatbridge (156KB, pdf) posted 21 February 2023

Correspondence: lead committee

National Transitions to Adulthood Strategy for Disabled Young People

Letter from the Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise, 31 May 2024

Disabled Children and Young People (Transitions to Adulthood) (Scotland) Bill 21 November 2023

Letter from the Minister for Children and Young People and Keeping the Promise, 21 November 2023

Disabled Children and Young People (Transitions to Adulthood) (Scotland) Bill 25 September 2023

Letter from Pam Duncan-Glancy , 25 September 2023

Disabled Children and Young People (Transitions to Adulthood) (Scotland) Bill 11 September 2023

Letter from Enable, 11 September 2023

Disabled Children and Young People (Transitions to Adulthood) (Scotland) Bill 17 August 2023

Response from Pam Duncan-Glancy, 17 August 2023

See a full list of Stage 1 correspondence

Stage 1 report by the lead committee

The lead committee published its Stage 1 Report on 5 October 2023.

Disabled Children and Young People (Transitions to Adulthood) (Scotland) Bill Stage 1 Report

Bill Report Easy to Read Version (186KB, pdf) posted 05 October 2023

The lead committee received the following response to its Stage 1 Report on 21 November 2023.

Letter from the Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise

Work by other committees

Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee

Meetings

Report

The Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee published its report on 4 January 2023.

Read the report


Stage 1 Debate and decision

A Stage 1 debate took place on 23 November 2023 to consider and decide on the general principles of the Bill.

  • Motion title: Disabled Children and Young People (Transitions to Adulthood) (Scotland) Bill
  • Text of motion: That the Parliament agrees to the general principles of the Disabled Children and Young People (Transitions to Adulthood) (Scotland) Bill.
  • Submitted by: Pam Duncan-Glancy
  • Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 November 2023
  • Motion reference: S6M-11381
  • Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, 23 November 2023

Result 19 for, 90 against, 0 abstained, 20 did not vote Vote Defeated

See further details of the motion


Parliament did not agree the general principles of the Bill

The Bill ended Stage 1 on 23 November 2023

Bill falls

The Bill fell at Stage 1 on 23 November 2023.