Chamber and committees

What conversations have you had with the Information Commissioner about this?

I would certainly appreciate that.

How do they feel about moving some of the money from that system into other systems?

Thank you, convener. I appreciate the opportunity to go back a bit.

I welcome the minister to her new role. I will go back to some of the questions that my colleague Stephen Kerr asked about age. The financial memorandum notes that, in practice, the cut-off to access children’s hearings will be about 17 and a half years old, not 18 years old. Witnesses have argued that that cut-off appears to be “arbitrary” and is actually due to the lengthy waits, which Sheriff Mackie said have left children “lingering” in the system. That cut-off could also contravene the UNCRC, which you said is incredibly important here.

Is the delay in the system the real reason why 17 and a half has been mentioned? Is that cut-off justifiable on any grounds other than slow processing? How will the minister make the bill compatible with the UNCRC when it is brought back to Parliament, if that happens?

I appreciate that, but, in your answer, there were three cut-offs: 17 and a half, 18 and 19. Which one is it? The UNCRC says that the relevant date is the date on which the alleged offence, if we can call it that, happened, so surely that should be the relevant date.

Thank you. If it is okay, convener, I will move on to the next area.

Good morning and thank you, convener. I, too, am pleased to be a member of the committee and look forward to the work that we will do together.

I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests and declare that I have introduced a bill in the area of education—the Disabled Children and Young People (Transitions to Adulthood) (Scotland) Bill—which has come to the committee.

Yes, I have a final one on this theme. I also have a question on finance, but, as the convener has said, we will come to that later.

Further to that, Ben Farrugia, you note in Social Work Scotland’s submission that the bill does not fully understand the interface between guardianship and adult support and protection. What should the bill do in that space, and what in that regard should be understood and addressed in the bill?

Thank you, convener—I appreciate your using your discretion to do that. I will be brief.

My question is about the support that young disabled people who are in the system might need, which was mentioned earlier. Are you confident that secure accommodation will be able to provide additional support, for which you are seeing an increasing requirement?

Good morning, panel, and thank you for the written submissions that you provided in advance, and for answering that first question.

I would like to begin where Jackie Irvine just left off. The committee has heard compelling evidence on the issue of developmental and chronological age that Jackie has just described. How do we design a person-centred approach that is responsive to the difference between chronological and developmental age, and how do we end the cliff edge of age-based detention?

As Jackie Irvine raised the topic, I ask her to start. I am also keen to hear from Ben Farrugia and Stephen Bermingham.