First Minister’s Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 19 December 2024.
Roz McCall
Conservative
The Lilias Graham Trust, which is based in Thornhill, near Stirling, has been a lifeline for families in Scotland for decades, during which time the provision of residential support and parenting capacity assessments have been part of its mission to help families on the edge of care who have been impacted by adverse childhood experiences, trauma, social exclusion and poverty. However, on 22 November, the decision was taken to wind up the trust, and the vital residential facility will close its doors on 31 January, after having written to the Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise for support, which was not forthcoming.
Given that the sustainability of services is central to the Scottish Government’s commitment to keeping the Promise, and that the vital support to improve the lives of children, families and communities that is given by third sector organisations such as the Lilias Graham Trust is at risk of disappearing altogether, how can the First Minister’s Government claim to keep the Promise if it idly stands by and lets long-standing third sector organisations that are keeping it go to the wall?
John Swinney
Scottish National Party
I understand the sentiments that underpin Roz McCall’s question, but I am not familiar with the case that she puts to me, about the Lilias Graham Trust. I am sure that the trust has made a significant contribution to supporting the wellbeing of children and young people. However, as is always the case in some of these areas, changes to service provision are driven by changes in the way in which we support families.
For example, at the heart of the Promise is a determination to try to keep families together and to avoid separating them. There may be a shift to putting more resources into supporting families in order to keep them together, which would be consistent with the direction of policy in the Promise, because that is fundamentally the core point in the Promise.
There may be changes in service provision. In Glasgow, for example, there have been significant changes in the way that the city deploys its expenditure for care-experienced young people, because it has now shifted its balance away from services that it provides and towards putting much more support into supporting families to stay together.
I will look at the issues that Roz McCall raises with me today, I will take counsel from the Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise, and I will reply in writing to Roz McCall about the issues involved.
Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to ask Government Ministers questions. These questions are asked in the Chamber itself and are known as Oral Questions. Members may also put down Written Questions. In the House of Commons, Question Time takes place for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after Prayers. The different Government Departments answer questions according to a rota and the questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the Government Department concerned. In the House of Lords up to four questions may be asked of the Government at the beginning of each day's business. They are known as 'starred questions' because they are marked with a star on the Order Paper. Questions may also be asked at the end of each day's business and these may include a short debate. They are known as 'unstarred questions' and are less frequent. Questions in both Houses must be written down in advance and put on the agenda and both Houses have methods for selecting the questions that will be asked. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P1 at the UK Parliament site.
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