Dave Thompson MSP

The passing of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill in the Scottish Parliament was yet another landmark moment which I was proud to be part of. The reforms will provide greater support and provision for children and families.

As part of a £114 million package for young people over two years, every one of Scotland’s P1 to P3 children will have the option of a free meal in school from January next year, improving health and wellbeing, increasing attainment and saving families at least £330 a year for each child. This will benefit 6778 children in the Highland Council area.

From August this year, free childcare provision will be expanded to every two year-old from a workless household in Scotland – around 8,400 children or 15 per cent of all two year-olds. Further still by August next year, free childcare provision will be extended, reaching 15,400 children – 27 per cent of all two year-olds – by widening entitlement again to families that receive certain welfare benefits such as Jobseeker’s Allowance.

It’s not only children who will benefit from these changes, giving young people the right to stay in care until the age of 21 will transform lives – as a number of children’s organisations including Barnardo’s Scotland have pointed out. This change, as well as the commitment to provide better support for care leavers, underlines the SNP’s commitment to ensure all children in Scotland are given the chance to fulfil their potential. These measures will support children and families right across the country and will help secure a widely-held ambition for Scotland to be the best place in the world for children to grow up.

But only independence will give us the full powers we need to transform childcare. As the proposals outlined in Scotland’s Future explain, an SNP Government in an independent Scotland will introduce a universal system of high quality childcare, learning and provision for all children from the age of 1.

I understand there has been some concern in respect to the ‘named person’ provision contained in the Bill and I would like to reassure folk that the ‘named person’ provisions are not an attempt to subvert the family, but are simply identifying a single Professional point of contact for the child, families and other professionals

I can understand the concerns of churches and parents, but this has been working successfully across Highland Region since 2010. There has been some misinformation alleging an Orwellian conspiracy, but nothing could be further from the truth. 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.

The named person role was identified in consultations through the Highland Pathfinder project which began in late 2006. It was implemented successfully in Inverness City in early 2008, and then rolled out to Highland Region in 2010.

The Highlands have found that the arrangement has reduced by around half the number of children regarded as at risk of significant harm, so it effectively reduces state intervention in families.

I was saddened to learn of the proposed plan to close 23 out of 35 Highland Council service points, including Acharacle. These service points are extremely valuable in giving the public information and access to council services.

I understand the council has to make savings but I would not have thought taking out the front-facing service points would be a way to achieve this.

Even though many of the things service points were set up to deal with such as paying council tax or housing rent, arranging special refuse collections or picking up for planning applications and parking permits can now be done online or over the phone, some people will always want a physical service reasonably close to where they live. This is particularly the case for the vulnerable and elderly.

Furthermore, if people need to register a birth, death or marriage they must go in person with specific documents and this will mean travelling long distances just to get a face-to-face service. For those in Acharacle this would mean going to Fort William either by way of the Corran Ferry, which is a 70-mile round trip or the 90-mile round trip by Glenfinnan.

It is the most vulnerable small communities that are going to be affected and I hope the Finance, Housing and Resources Committee (FHRC) at Highland Council take this into consideration when they make their decision later in the month.

I have been concerned by the continuing controversy about the Corran Ferry fare structure.

I understand there is a further review under way and at the end of that I urge Highland Council to make a decision that weighs heavily the fragile nature of living on the Ardgour, Morvern, Ardnamurchan and Sunart peninsula that the ferry serves.

There have been reports recently that the Dail Mhor Care Home in Stronian is threatened with closure. I am assured it is not.

There is talk of relocating the adjacent primary school as its structure is apparently dilapidated but this has no impact on the Care Home.