Chamber and committees

On the choice of language, Spartans Community Foundation in my constituency calls its provision “alternative schools”, which I think is good.

I have two brief questions on advocacy. First, do you have any comments on how the pandemic has affected demand for advocacy and support for families? It would be interesting to hear whether the pandemic has affected demand.

Secondly, I am curious about the consistency of advocacy across the country. If a parent or young person in Glasgow needs support, there is Govan Law Centre, but what about elsewhere? Is that something that we need to consider more deeply?

As well as engagement with MSPs, you talked about training for local authorities. Are there central Government agencies that could and should be supporting you more to raise awareness?

For clarity, I was not saying that the child had to have unmet need. The question was whether the young person or child had to have unmet need at stage 1 before being considered for greater levels of support. I take from what you said that the answer to that is no.

I thank all three of you for that clarity and those helpful explanations.

Good morning. I just want to build on your responses to the convener’s questions. I found it uplifting and helpful to hear that good progress has been made and that there is good co-ordination and collaboration within Government. However, as you suggested in your opening remarks, there are some challenging competing priorities facing the public sector. How is the Scottish Government managing action towards meeting net zero among those competing priorities? Would you like to comment on that at all?

The convener alluded to the fact that, in a democracy, ministers change. With climate change, we face a challenge that requires long-term attention and engagement. There is less change in the civil service at senior level. In your view, when it comes to intergovernmental working, is the official engagement that takes place in this policy area positive?

That is reassuring.

That concludes our questions from committee members.

Agenda item 4 is a debate on the motion calling for the committee to recommend approval of the draft order. I remind the committee that only the minister and committee members may speak. This is a debate, not a question session, and I invite the minister to speak to and move the motion.

Minister, in case it is of assistance, you are entitled simply to move the motion.

As no other members wish to contribute to the debate, I invite the minister to sum up and respond.

I thank the minister and his officials. I briefly suspend the meeting before the next item.