Volunteering (Children's and Young People's Activities)

Part of First Minister's Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at 12:00 pm on 7 December 2006.

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Photo of Rt Hon Jack McConnell Rt Hon Jack McConnell Labour 12:00, 7 December 2006

If the bill were shelved unnecessarily and, six months or nine months later, an incident involving a youngster occurred that could have been avoided if the legislation had been in place, we would all regret that—all of us in this Parliament would, no matter what our views on the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Bill.

The serious way in which to handle this issue is to listen to the representations, take them on board, answer the questions that require to be answered and make any adjustments that are required—all the while ensuring that, at the end of the day, Scotland's children are properly protected. Our objective is to create a proportionate, balanced system that puts the interests of the children first. When ministers respond to the discussions that are currently taking place in the committee, they will have in mind the fact that, while speed is important, it is not of the essence. What is essential is that we get the legislation right.