Chamber and committees

I am interested in how a placing request is dealt with if the mainstream school has an ASL unit or a dedicated space within it, such that there is not a binary distinction between a mainstream school that does not have specific provision and a specialist school that does. Is a particular process followed? Are there any differences when you handle a request where there is ASL provision in the mainstream school? Obviously, if the request has reached you, either the young person or the family has felt that that is not sufficient to meet their needs.

I had a piece of casework on exactly that issue.

Perhaps I could ask about that a little bit more. Are the legislation and the guidance under which the tribunal is operating clear enough on how you should go about dealing with a case that relates to provision in the mainstream setting?

I believe that we are just about to move on to that topic, and I have got lots of questions about it. However, other members want to come in first.

That was all very useful.

Thank you; that is really useful.

You mentioned the most commonly handed-out leaflet, which committee members are aware of and which includes misinformation about things such as the risk of breast cancer. Have you seen examples of that having an impact after it has been handed to a woman who is seeking an abortion? Have your staff had to have a discussion other than the one that was expected because of concerns about information in the leaflet?

I want to follow up on the point about silent prayer and intent so that I understand it correctly. I am trying to figure out how unprecedented the proposals are, because that is the argument that some folk are making. I understand that the comparison that I am drawing is not like for like, because it concerns stalking and harassment. It is not illegal to stand silently outside somebody else’s house, but my understanding is that, if you are doing it as part of a pattern of behaviour in which you are stalking the individual, that is already an offence under the law. Police officers are already being asked to make judgments about intent in not entirely dissimilar circumstances, are they not?

That is useful. I asked that partly so that I could understand just how unprecedented the proposals would be, given my lack of familiarity with other areas of the law.

Would you like to add to that, Dr Wallage?

That takes us neatly on to Gerry Corrigan and the impact on the police, but I believe that colleagues will cover that.