Official Report 517KB pdf
10:15
Our next petition is PE1979, lodged by Neil McLennan, Christine Scott, Alison Dickie and Bill Cook, which calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to launch an independent inquiry to examine concerns that allegations about child protection, child abuse, safeguarding and children’s rights have been mishandled by public bodies, including local authorities and the General Teaching Council for Scotland; to examine gaps in the Scottish child abuse inquiry; and to establish an independent national whistleblowing officer for education and children’s services in Scotland to handle these inquiries in the future.
We are joined by our colleague Meghan Gallacher, who has expressed an interest in this petition.
The legacy report of the session 6 Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee recommended that this committee pursue the issue further, noting:
“This could include consideration of whether referring the petition could be appropriate if other committees are undertaking relevant work which would allow substantive scrutiny of the issues.”
In its submission to this committee, the Scottish Government refers to work being done in relation to the issues raised in the petition. That work includes a commitment in the Scottish National Party manifesto to legislate to make reporting of harm to children, including child sexual abuse, mandatory by adults tasked with safeguarding young people. It also includes phase 11 of the Scottish child abuse inquiry, which will consider the extent to which failures by state or non-state institutions to protect children in care in Scotland from abuse have been addressed—by changes to practice, policy or legislation—and whether any further changes in practice, policy or legislation are necessary in order to protect children in care in Scotland from abuse in future. It also includes the Scottish Government’s intention to establish a targeted independent inquiry and a Scottish truth project; and the Scottish Government’s support for the UK Public Office (Accountability) Bill.
In their response, the petitioners state that they are “frustrated” with the Scottish Government’s submission and that the key focus of the petition
“continues to be on securing independent investigation of allegations relating to the mishandling of child abuse concerns by public bodies through an independent national whistleblowing office (INWO) for education and children’s services”.
The petitioners welcomed the support of the City of Edinburgh Council, in its submission. However, the petitioners stated:
“We urge caution though on the reference to the ‘past’ treatment of whistleblowers … as it’s alleged this culture continues.”
Finally, the petitioners’ submission cites comments by Professor Alexis Jay OBE, the chair of the public inquiry into group-based child sexual abuse, about the petition and states that the petitioners would welcome a meeting with Professor Jay.
Do members have any comments or suggestions for action?
I ask that the petition stays open and that the committee writes to Professor Jay. We could also see whether we could facilitate a meeting with the petitioners and Professor Jay.
I will note that. Are there any further points before we bring in our colleague Megan Gallacher?
I am content with those suggestions.
I absolutely support the petition remaining open. There could be a direct link with the grooming gangs scandal. This is a very serious issue, so I agree 100 per cent that it should remain open and be referred to the relevant bodies.
Ms Gallacher joins us and is keen to speak on this petition, so I invite her to address the committee.
Thank you. I welcome colleagues’ comments. This petition was lodged in 2022, and I welcome the efforts by this group of petitioners to continue the conversation about whistleblowing and the need for a national discussion on how we change whistleblowing, not just to make whistleblowing safe for public sector employees, but to ensure that we safeguard children. The point is well made that the issue links directly to what we are seeing in relation to grooming gangs and the wider issues around child safeguarding.
If I may make a further suggestion, I understand that the convener has set out the Scottish Government’s response in relation to phase 11 of the Scottish child abuse inquiry, but I wonder whether the committee would seek clarification from the Scottish Government that that work will include whistleblowing. The response is generic—I understand that the Government is trying to provide an overview—but it would be helpful, not just for the committee but for the petitioners, to know that whistleblowing will be at the heart of the work that the Government is undertaking. I say that because we must ensure that the measures that will be considered and the recommendations that follow, and that are then put into practice in terms of policy, will be followed. For that reason, we need to know exactly what the work will include.
Thank you. Do colleagues have any response to what Ms Gallacher has said? They seem a straightforward set of suggestions in addition to what has been proposed already.
I am quite content to seek a response from the Scottish Government on the inquiry, if we can.
Are we all content?
Members indicated agreement.
We have noted your points, Ms Gallacher. Thank you very much for attending today. We will make sure that the petition is carried forward.