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MSP backs young persons’ legislation          26/2/14

 

Isles SNP MSP Alasdair Allan voted for the Children and Young People Bill in the Scottish Parliament.

 

Mr Allan said the legislation would promote the rights of both children and families.

 

He says the much-debated ‘named person’ provisions in the law was “gravely misrepresented” by some national newspapers.

 

The MSP said it “simply identified a single professional point of contact for the child, families and other professionals.”

 

Alasdair Allan commented: “This bill recognises that, of the many people in a child's life, such as nurses, doctors, teachers and social workers, there has until now been now none of them acting as a single point of contact and support. This lack of any single point of contact has, time and time again, been cited as one of the main reasons why vulnerable children get overlooked, and why, sadly, tragedies happen.

 

“In early years the named person will probably be the health visitor, in school years, a guidance teacher or depute head. Most children and young people will never need to draw on this resource as the majority get all the love and support they need from their parents and carers. Indeed this is pretty much the system that already operates just across the Minch in Highland Region, without any great controversy. Now it will operate nationally.

 

“I find it disconcerting that certain quarters of the media have gravely misrepresented this legislation, alleging a huge conspiracy about what named persons might be. In reality, there is absolutely nothing in this legislation that gives anyone powers to stop families raising children in accordance with their beliefs, and there is nothing that gives anyone new powers to take children away.

 

“For these reasons I was very supportive of this bill as I believe that it is vitally important that we get things right for all of Scotland’s children. Other measures contained in the bill include the provision of free school meals to all primary 1-3 children, and a strengthening of the law around school closures.”