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Chamber and committees

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 17 February 2025
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Displaying 264 contributions

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Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Portfolio Question Time

Meeting date: 6 February 2025

Roz McCall

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the potential impact on travel times in Mid Scotland and Fife of the proposed speed limit changes contained in the national speed management review consultation. (S6O-04311)

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Post-school Education and Skills Funding Body Landscape

Meeting date: 6 February 2025

Roz McCall

Scotland’s apprenticeship system is essential for skills development, which needs sustained investment. With on-going labour market challenges, it is crucial that funding structures are better aligned to support apprenticeships and the economy. Given the recommendations in the Withers review, which highlights the need for better co-ordination between the Scottish Government, the Scottish Funding Council and Skills Development Scotland, can the minister confirm that the transfer of funding responsibilities from SDS to the SFC will ensure that apprenticeships will finally be properly funded and will be aligned with Scotland’s needs? How many additional apprenticeship places does the minister think the proposed changes will create?

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

First Minister’s Question Time

Meeting date: 6 February 2025

Roz McCall

The whole family wellbeing fund has underspends right across the country. However, the oversight board’s report, published yesterday, was clear that the

“Explicit leadership and drive from Scottish Government and scrutiny bodies to articulate a clear set of principles, outcomes and milestones”

to ensure that the Promise is kept by 2030 has been severely lacking. The report included more than 10 critical shortcomings that needed urgent attention, including workforce shortages, financial instability for care leavers, inadequate focus, fragmented services, lack of co-ordination—the list goes on. Is it not the case that the Scottish Government simply lacks the courageous leadership needed to take the decisive actions to meet the Promise by 2030?

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Portfolio Question Time

Meeting date: 6 February 2025

Roz McCall

I will do so.

The proposed arbitrary reduction in speed limits on 60mph roads will add to journey times and, undoubtedly, to the frustration that motorists are feeling. Many businesses across the region depend on the movement of goods and materials, and single carriageway roads are the backbone of the transport infrastructure in the area. Workers who live in rural areas often have no viable alternative to using their cars, and reducing speed limits on single carriageways could significantly increase commute times, thereby creating more challenges for employees and businesses alike. The disproportionate impact that the proposals will have on my constituents and on businesses should not be taken lightly. Will the cabinet secretary carefully consider the consequences for my region and scrap the proposals as soon as possible?

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Addressing Child Poverty through Education

Meeting date: 5 February 2025

Roz McCall

I am pleased to close on behalf of the Scottish Conservatives.

The SNP promised to transform Scottish education; it was their number one priority for many years. The language may have changed from, “Judge me on my record in education” and “Closing the attainment gap,” to, “Addressing child poverty through education” and, “The poverty-related attainment gap,” but it adds up to the same thing: a supposed priority focus on education to help address societal issues.

So, what has changed in the education of Scotland’s children over the past 18 years? International rankings tell us a troubling story, with Scotland’s PISA scores in maths and science at record lows. The attainment gap remains almost stagnant, with outcomes for the poorest pupils remaining virtually unchanged. ASN pupils are not currently adequately supported in the classroom. Care-experienced pupils are still routinely excluded from school—Mr Whitfield mentioned the oversight report, which I am sure we will get into later. Children’s mental health is not being supported and child and adolescent mental health services targets have never been met—not once. Deaf students are being failed, with a continual reduction in the number of British Sign Language teachers. Teachers are experiencing violence in the classroom daily. Teacher shortages and cuts to vital school support are failing all our children, particularly the very children who need help most.

If those are the results of the SNP’s focus on education, what can we expect for things that are lower on the agenda? How can the SNP Government claim to be in pursuit of ending child poverty when too many of our children are continually left behind by an education system that is inadequate in giving them the skills that they need to succeed in life? Frankly, Scotland’s children need an education system that can help to lift them up, not put them down. That is what education is supposed to be about: giving all our children, no matter their start in life, the best possible chance at taking the opportunities that a good education can give them, whether it be knowledge-based or vocational. The truth is that education might only be part of the Scottish Government’s mission to eradicate child poverty, but it remains pivotal to the life chances of our young people.

I echo Monica Lennon’s thanks to all the people who work in our education sector. They deserve a round of applause. On the housing issues that Pam Duncan-Glancy highlighted, I will add that the number of children living in bed and breakfasts has more than doubled—that is a stark example of how this issue does not stand in the area of education alone.

I welcome the contribution from the cabinet secretary regarding PEF and Fair Isle primary school—it is so important that we hear from children about their experience in our schools, and I am also up for a visit any time. I also echo the request from Martin Whitfield on publishing PEF data.

Willie Rennie and Jeremy Balfour talked about a shift in balance made by schools and teachers over the years towards doing more, which is taking them away from their core function. I think that it is more about balance between children, schools, the Government, community and families than about the partnership that Alex Rowley highlighted. The balance is skewed, and we have to bring it back.

In my last few minutes, I will bang the drum again for the excellent work done by the Social Justice and Social Security Committee on parental employment, which again highlighted that this issue cannot stand alone. Its work highlighted how well the process could work not only to take children out of poverty but to support single parents and parents in low-paid work. The evidence taken by the committee was clear that work must be done to fix three areas that are holding people back from taking an avenue out of poverty for themselves: childcare, transportation and upskilling.

How can the Government claim to be eradicating child poverty if it does not address all those issues? It is not a failing of Government to help people to help themselves. Not only is the Government refusing to address this issue; we are moving backwards on it. I have previously mentioned that Fife College had to close a fully subscribed course at its Kirkcaldy campus because the bus timetable changed, and no one could get to the class. I highlighted the issue when UHI Perth was forced to close the on-site childcare facility because of funding cuts to colleges. If early years funding did what it was meant to do, that would not have happened. Yes, I am mentioning early years funding again. Audit Scotland’s report on early learning and childcare states:

“This is a flagship policy which underpins broader ambitions to reduce child poverty and to support economic transformation. Around £1 billion is invested in it annually. But the sector is fragile.”

As Willie Rennie highlighted, there is a big funding disparity with the PVI sector, which is a big issue that must be addressed. The Government is so happy to highlight the £1 billion of investment, but it is not getting it right. The offer is so disjointed across Scotland that parents face a postcode lottery, and working parents are penalised the most.

The Government’s motion was another round of back-slapping and self-congratulatory rhetoric. I recognise the proposals that have been made in the budget and the moves towards eradicating poverty through education; however, we have heard before of record investment, policy after policy and plan after plan. The results speak for themselves. The Government may want to eradicate poverty through education but, unfortunately, the report card is coming back with a resounding “must do better”.

16:45  

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Local Libraries

Meeting date: 5 February 2025

Roz McCall

I, too, thank Mark Ruskell for securing the debate, and I echo his thanks to librarians and volunteers.

Libraries deliver a range of benefits that make them key to Scottish Government priorities such as improving literacy, closing the attainment gap, tackling social isolation and closing the digital divide. The health and wellbeing offer from libraries alone is estimated to bring a cost saving to the national health service in Scotland of £3.2 million a year.

With sustained investment, libraries have the potential to deliver transformational outcomes for the people of Scotland. I do not think that anyone here would dispute those assertions—in fact, I think that we all agree on that. However, we are faced with a situation in which local authorities such as Perth and Kinross Council have been forced to pursue a path to close some rural libraries. I have been a councillor, so I understand the budgetary pressures that councils face with every budget cycle, but it does not have to be that way.

For the rest of my contribution, I will focus on one rural library in particular, because I took the time to visit Auchterarder library to see for myself how much of an impact the closure would have. For members who do not know, Auchterarder library is the epitome of a rural library. It is small and well stocked, and it provides the community with books, puzzles, toilet facilities, free wi-fi, free access to digital newspapers and e-books, printing services and seating. It holds events, book clubs and bookbug children’s reading groups, and people can even bring their dog. I think that we can agree that it is an excellent service.

On top of that, the library is 200m down the lane from the back of the primary school. The primary school is on the campus with the community school of Auchterarder, so it would be easily accessible for homework clubs and after-school support. That suggestion has been put to Perth and Kinross Council, but keeping the library open and providing an after-school solution for working parents seems a stretch too far.

At that visit, I had to queue to speak to the receptionist. There was a group sitting in the back area, which is often used for story time. I was stopped on a couple of occasions by people who were in the library and wanted to highlight how important it is to the local area and to raise their concerns with me. A gentleman was set up to work using the wi-fi. I was delighted to meet, by chance, one of the diligent campaigners, Shirley Williams, who has worked to present Perth and Kinross Council with a petition with more than 7,000 names, which calls for the cut to be stopped.

That inspiring group has highlighted that, in their opinion, the consultation process employed by Culture Perth and Kinross has been flawed and rushed. By the council’s own admission, the opening of Perth museum has been given priority, so everything is now being done at speed. That is particularly concerning to me, and I urge Culture Perth and Kinross to ensure that the consultation process has been handled properly.

The irony is not lost on me that the excellent Perth museum will host the final letter by Mary, Queen of Scots, which was written just a few hours prior to her death, to celebrate the centenary of the National Library of Scotland by the same Culture Perth and Kinross that is looking to close its rural libraries.

For me, the most important point is that the closure of rural libraries discriminates against children who live in rural areas, which goes against the terms of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The UNCRC states that every child has equal rights, including to information and culture. The library is the only publicly funded culture outlet in Auchterarder. If that is taken away, the local children of that ever-growing town will be at a disadvantage, and that cannot be allowed to happen.

18:06  

Meeting of the Parliament

Topical Question Time

Meeting date: 4 February 2025

Roz McCall

The analysis that was carried out by Ninewells hospital and the University of London, following a study that compared results from eight Scottish health board areas for three years before the pandemic with results after the pandemic, should be deeply concerning to us all, because it found that there has been a 42 per cent increase in shortsightedness, or myopia, in the wake of the pandemic lockdowns.

Given that it is so unusual for conditions such as myopia to set in at such a young age, those results are concerning. The Scottish Government’s see4school campaign is very successful in picking up vision issues in preschoolers, but what information does the Scottish Government currently have on sight and vision standards for primary and secondary pupils?

Meeting of the Parliament

Topical Question Time

Meeting date: 4 February 2025

Roz McCall

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the Covid-19 lockdowns might have left a generation of children in Scotland with damaged eyesight. (S6T-02322)

Meeting of the Parliament

Topical Question Time

Meeting date: 4 February 2025

Roz McCall

Again, I thank the cabinet secretary for his response and for the tone that he has taken on the matter so far today.

The study that I mentioned is wide ranging and has found a clear link between shortsightedness and living in urban areas with a large number of flats. For example, children who are living in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Lothian health board areas have been found to be twice as likely to be myopic as those in the Highlands and in Ayrshire and Arran. International studies, such as those conducted in China, where lockdowns were particularly strict, also show a sharp increase in myopia among seven and eight-year-olds.

With all those worrying trends, there is now a louder call for a sustained and repeated testing programme to be rolled out for slightly older year groups, including seven and eight-year-olds. Does the Scottish Government agree that an extended testing programme should be considered? Will the cabinet secretary report back to Parliament with the results of any in-depth studies regarding that public health issue?

Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Portfolio Question Time

Meeting date: 30 January 2025

Roz McCall

Next week marks children’s mental health week, which is spearheaded by Place2Be. The theme is “Know yourself, grow yourself”, which is about encouraging children and young people across the United Kingdom to embrace self-awareness and explore what that means for them. The Scottish Government’s failure to address the child and adolescent mental health services crisis has only exacerbated the issues that our children face, with thousands now waiting long periods for treatment after diagnosis.

As has already been stated, headteachers across Scotland use PEF to provide mental health and wellbeing support in their schools. However, Place2Be is concerned that such funding has an uncertain future. Will the cabinet secretary commit to considering how best we can continue to fund wellbeing support so that we can raise attainment and deal with the mental health crisis in our schools?