12. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the young women lead report on sexual harassment in schools. (S5O-02218)

We want every child and young person in Scotland to develop mutually respectful, responsible and confident relationships. No pupil should feel unsafe, threatened or harassed at school. That is why we welcome the work of the young women lead committee in investigating and highlighting the unacceptable issues that many young people are facing.

I thank the Scottish Government for the positive way that it engaged in the project. Will the Cabinet secretary look very carefully at the findings in the report of the young women lead committee, some of which are shocking? Does he recognise that we still have a big issue with sexual harassment in schools, which has been exacerbated by the use of social media? Will he respond in full to the report?

I acknowledge the significance and seriousness of the issues that Linda Fabiani raises and I recognise that they need to be pursued consistently. There are a number of areas where our policy is developing, particularly around the importance of healthy relationships, the question of consent and ensuring that the personal and social education in schools is fit for the current period in which we are living, not to mention the advent of social media. All of those issues are relevant to the agenda that is raised so powerfully by the young women lead committee. I assure Linda Fabiani and the committee that the Government will engage seriously on the contents of its report.