Fiona McLeod: The Labour Party said that it was better for APD to remain with the Westminster Government.
Fiona McLeod: Talking holistically, I want all benefits to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament, but I also want the economic levers that would allow us to make our economy prosperous so that we can reinvest in the welfare of a socially just Scottish society.
Fiona McLeod: I say to Mr Findlay that it is about facts and not his airy-fairy “Let’s have a go at the SNP” approach.
Fiona McLeod: As Stuart McMillan and Christina McKelvie did, I will put a question to the Labour Party. Will it vote next week for the SNP amendment to the Scotland Bill to devolve everything to the Scottish Parliament? If it does, that will be unlike the times when the Labour Party did not vote for SNP amendments just because they were from the SNP; and unlike when in July this year 184 out of 232 Labour...
Fiona McLeod: Will the member give way?
Fiona McLeod: It is interesting to be the last back-bench speaker in the debate. I have noted how much consensus there is on the bill; every party is saying that it will support the general principles at stage 1 and almost everybody is coalescing around the understanding that closing the attainment gap is the most important thing that the Government can do. It is interesting to note that, because we all...
Fiona McLeod: Does Liz Smith not think that the already achieved increase in early-learning hours from 475 to 600, with the intention to increase it further to 1,140, is a huge investment in the early years and in the learning opportunities of our youngest children?
Fiona McLeod: The cabinet secretary has alluded to the fact that this is a worrying time for students at the college. The pupils at Boclair academy, in my constituency, attend the Anniesland campus of Glasgow Clyde College. How will the change in college leadership reassure students?
Fiona McLeod: In the programme for government debate a few weeks ago, I made a speech about literacy from the earliest years. I gave many examples in that speech of the amazing work that the Scottish Government is doing to raise literacy standards for our youngest children from the very earliest days. I am sad that Cara Hilton is not in the chamber to be reminded of the facts and figures that I gave,...
Fiona McLeod: Over the four years that we have been MSPs together, Mr Findlay will have learned that I like my evidence. The Scottish Government recognises how important adult and community learning is, so in 2012 we got the literacy action plan and in 2014 we got the statement of ambition for adult learning. In my speech at the beginning of the month, I quoted extensively from the standing literacy...
Fiona McLeod: I join other members in thanking Jim Eadie for bringing the debate to Parliament. I say to members that I mean no disrespect, but I will have to leave the chamber as soon as I have made my speech, because I am hosting an event this lunch time for youth volunteers from my constituency. Some of those young people have done their volunteering by cycling to do old folks’ messages for them. I am...
Fiona McLeod: I welcome the programme for government. There is so much in it that is impressive, and I echo Linda Fabiani’s comments about its positivity. It has been good to hear that in a number of the contributions—if not all of them—this afternoon. The First Minister said much in her statement about attainment, and it is on that, and on literacy specifically, that I wish to concentrate. Many...
Fiona McLeod: We have worked closely with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and local authorities to implement our policy of providing free school meals to all children in primary 1 to 3. We are fully funding that policy, providing £70.5 million over two years in revenue funding and £24.8 million in capital funding. I am delighted that more than 129,000 P1 to P3 pupils are now benefiting from...
Fiona McLeod: No, the free school meal does not have to be a hot meal, but I reassure Mr McMillan that although lunches can be either hot or cold, they must comply with national requirements for school food and drink. Those requirements include a choice of two vegetables and two types of fruit every day, as set out in the Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2008.
Fiona McLeod: The Scottish Government recognises the need for all children and young people, including those who are in care, to live in a safe, secure, permanent and nurturing home. Regrettably, too many children and young people in care experience drift and delay, which leads to multiple placements. The Scottish Government is working with the centre for excellence for looked after children in...
Fiona McLeod: The Scottish Government is committed to supporting foster carers. In response to a recommendation from the national review of foster care, we are producing a learning and development framework that will provide foster carers with a mechanism to ensure that they are fully equipped for the role. We are also providing funding of £280,363 in each year from 2014 to 2016 through the third sector...
Fiona McLeod: Ms Grahame will recall that, during that debate, I talked about the Scottish Government’s commitment to supporting kinship carers. That is why we have legislated for the first time through the Looked After Children (Scotland) Regulations 2009 and the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 to recognise and support kinship carers of looked-after and non-looked-after children. We also...
Fiona McLeod: Fiona McLeod has identified an error in her contribution and provided the following correction. At col 1, paragraph4— Original text— We are also providing funding of £280,363 in each year from 2014 to 2016 through the third sector early intervention fund to support the work of Foster Network Scotland, which provides the fosterline support helpline and a range of other support services to...
Fiona McLeod: I welcome this timely debate, which comes only 10 months after the commencement of the Government’s huge commitment to 600 hours of early learning and childcare, which represents a 45 per cent increase in the number of free hours of early learning and childcare since we came to government in 2007. The Scottish Government is committed to developing a high-quality, flexible system of early...
Fiona McLeod: Mr McArthur knows, from our debate in committee yesterday, that the extension to 15 per cent of two-year-olds last year targeted the children of parents who were out of work and the extension to 27 per cent of two-year-olds this year is targeting the children of parents who are in low-paid employment to ensure that they get the support that is needed. This is about phased and sustainable...
