Ruth Davidson told delegates attending this years Conservative Party conference that the Scottish Government should scrap the Named Person scheme
SCOTTISH CONSERVATIVES leader Ruth Davidson has renewed calls to scrap the Named Person legislation in Scotland during a speech at the Conservative Party conference.
Davidson told delegates in Birmingham today that it is time for the Scottish Government to listen and learn after the UK Supreme Court ruled that its plans were “unlawful”.
Earlier this month, the Scottish Government announced a three-month consultation on how to ensure the legislation complies with the law, weeks after the UK Supreme Court ruled that elements of the scheme were incompatible with the rights of family life, as set out in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
“Let me be clear: we have never had a problem with the single point of contact advising and supporting a child or a parent, when, or if, they want it.” Ruth Davidson
The Named Person policy was part of the Children and Young People Scotland Act (2014), and sets out procedure for an individual to be appointed as a single point of contact, such as a teacher or health professional, to look out for the welfare of children up to the age of 18 years old.
Davidson said: “Let me be clear: we have never had a problem with the single point of contact advising and supporting a child or a parent, when, or if, they want it.
“But what we would scrap – right now – are the provisions which give that person the power to monitor a child’s wellbeing.”
“And a listening government would understand the problem, and ditch this absurd, unlawful plan, once and for all.” Ruth Davidson
Davidson added: “And we would scrap – right now – the power to share that information with a whole range of public bodies, all behind the backs of parents.
“But a state-appointed guardian with powers to go behind parents backs? No. And a listening government would understand the problem, and ditch this absurd, unlawful plan, once and for all.”
The Edinburgh Central MSP went on: “If we were in government, we would take a different approach to supporting children and families.
“If we were in government, we would take a different approach to supporting children and families.” Ruth Davidson
“Not by going behind parent’s backs and handling responsibility for their wellbeing over to the state, but by getting to grips with the issues that cause families to fall apart in the first place and which deprive children of the love and the sense of wellbeing they deserve.”
She announced a set of proposals that would support families, including creating a ‘crisis family fund’ and a network of family hubs.
Davidson said that the crisis family fund – which would cost £100m to set up and be administrated by local councils – would provide support for more projects across Scotland that provide intensive support for parents struggling with drug addiction, debt or mental health problems.
She [Davidson] has announced a set of proposals that would support families, including creating a ‘crisis family fund’ and a network of family hubs.
Davidson’s announcement follows recent recommendations from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, which included the creation a network of ‘family hubs’, where families would get advice on employment, relationships, and on parenting skills to help them cope, as part of a wider bid to tackle poverty.
Davidson told delegates that her party would like to roll this policy out across the country to provide relationship and employment support to families.
Picture courtesy of David Thomson
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