Chamber and committees

I have an interest in brownfield sites because they can regenerate areas and help to protect our greenbelt land. What is the Scottish Government doing to support the development of brownfield sites, including support for site mediation and land assembly when sites are in multiple ownership?

Parties have raised concerns about the barriers that are faced by some people who are transitioning from child to adult mental health services. Those barriers include outdated transition guidelines, too short a transition period, inconsistency between the diagnoses and treatments available across the services, and communication. As we emerge from the pandemic, will the Scottish Government commit to improving continuity for young people who are moving from child to adult mental health services?

Last week, I raised concerns in relation to parents and guardians who are still unable to attend their child’s nursery or school graduations or sports days. Will the Scottish Government produce the evidence that states that it is not safe for parents to attend before parliamentary recess, given that the First Minister assured us that it would be made available?

I am a councillor on North Lanarkshire Council.

The cabinet secretary confirmed that the SQA will be reformed. Given that the SNP Government was aware of the OECD’s report months ago, why did it wait until this point to announce that the SQA would be scrapped, especially when our young people have endured yet another exam fiasco this year because of the incompetence of the SQA and the SNP Government?

The cabinet secretary referred to the launch of a campaign for the recruitment of independent panel members. He mentioned that they will have a range of expertise in different areas, but will they have lived experience? That is very important for survivors and for making sure that they have the best possible representation on the panel.

I commend Monica Lennon for securing the debate and bringing an important issue to the Parliament.

Every member in the chamber recognises the pain and suffering that the historical practice of forced adoption has caused to many women and children throughout Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom. I add my voice to those of my colleagues and express my deepest sympathy to every person who has been impacted by those events for the anguish that they have felt.

Behind each figure that is mentioned in the motion is a young woman who found herself unexpectedly pregnant and was hidden away from society and told to give up her child because she was unmarried. The women behind those figures were told that by organisations that they trusted. Some were told that it was for the best, some were berated and it was even suggested to some that they were unsuitable mothers. Others were told that it was for their own self-respect that they should hand over their newborn baby to a married couple who could look after the child better, as they had stability. There was no support, and there was very little sympathy. It was a matter of having the child adopted or finding a way to fend for themselves.

In preparation for the debate, I read stories about women who had had their child taken from them. I could not believe the stories that I read. Women pretended to be married to keep their child, and women tried to hide their babies. Others sought refuge with a charity before their child was taken from them. The policy was horrific, and I can only imagine how those women must have felt losing the child whom they loved.

Since 1975, many brave women have put their head above the parapet to talk about their experience and how they lost a child, not due to an illness or sad circumstance but simply because they had fallen pregnant at a young age. One of the many stories that I read was that of Marion McMillan, who is rightly campaigning for the Government to investigate historical forced adoption in Scotland and issue a formal apology. It is disappointing that, after six years of hard work and effort, Marion and others are still waiting for their apology. Although we all accept that society has come a long way since then and that attitudes towards younger parents have changed, for the women who were told to give up their child, the pain and suffering live on.

Many women who were affected are now in their 70s or 80s, and time is of the essence. As Monica Lennon said, some women have sadly passed away without hearing the apology. We know that an apology will not rectify the life-changing events that young mothers experienced, but it could go some way to acknowledging the wrongdoing and how they were failed by organisations, Governments and society.

The devastating consequences for the mothers and their adopted children are clear. The mothers often talk about how they feel guilty, how they are ashamed and how they grieve, as many do not know whether their child is still alive. The adopted children have also suffered. Those who are reunited with their mothers can feel rejected and can struggle to reconnect and bond, as they spent the majority of their life living with an adopted family and not their biological parent. In truth, those people were severely let down by society. That is why the Scottish Conservatives agree that an inquiry should take place regarding the practice of adoption in Scotland, and that a formal apology should be issued as soon as possible to acknowledge any wrongdoing.

I also strongly agree with the wording of Monica Lennon’s motion in relation to the support that must be offered to families who were impacted by historical forced adoption. As I mentioned, women have been campaigning for an apology for more than six years. In 2013, Australia became the first country in the world to apologise for its history of forced adoptions. We can no longer drag our heels on this important issue. We need to follow Australia’s example and ensure that we provide the women and children who have been impacted with a heartfelt and appropriate apology.

I support the motion that has been brought before the Parliament. MSPs have a duty to start an inquiry soon and to ensure that those who were impacted receive the outcome and the justice that they deserve.

I wrote to the First Minister yesterday with a final plea on behalf of parents and guardians for them to be able to attend nursery and school graduations and sports days. Parents are understandably frustrated by the growing number of inconsistencies in the Covid restrictions. Will the First Minister consider the suggestions in my letter, such as outdoor-only events, so that parents can attend those important occasions?

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support and improve child mental health services. (S6O-00018)

I have a question on a more specific point. When will the Scottish Government deliver its manifesto commitment to introduce a national transitions strategy to improve outcomes for children and young people experiencing mental ill health in their transition to adulthood?