The next petition is PE1551, by Scott Pattinson, on mandatory reporting of child abuse. After our previous consideration of the petition, we wrote to the Scottish Government to seek an update on its engagement with the UK Government and to ask what steps it would take in the absence of any meaningful response or action from the UK Government.
At the time of its response, in February, the Scottish Government advised that there was still no clarity about when the UK Government might publish the findings from its consultation, other than to say that that is expected to happen in the first part of this year. The Scottish Government said that it would give careful consideration to the findings when they are published, but it did not give us much with regard to what steps it might take in the absence of movement on the issue at a UK level.
What are members’ thoughts about possible action to take on the petition?
I imagine that there is a lot of sympathy for the petition. I am concerned that neither the UK Government nor the Scottish Government is moving the issue forward. I am not sure what we do about that, but this is a petition on which we should see movement.
My recollection from earlier discussions is that there is an argument to be had in either direction about the consequences of mandatory reporting. People working and involved in child protection certainly thought that there might be consequences.
I do not understand why, if the UK Government is not progressing matters, the Scottish Government does not take on the issue itself, because child protection falls within its remit and responsibilities. I am not sure why it is hooking its action on to UK Government action. Obviously, it must be concerned that there is no action at UK level, but I would have thought that we could contact the Scottish Government to ask why there is a delay in it acting. There are a whole series of issues on which we would be interested in hearing its response.
If we are waiting for the UK Government to respond, would the Scottish Government not input into that process? I simply ask that from a position of ignorance on the process.
We should write to seek clarification on the issue. Our paper highlights that the UK Government expects to publish its findings in the first part of 2017. We are well into that timeframe.
Yes, I would have thought so. We need to find out where the UK Government is on the issue and to seek clarity on why we in Scotland cannot strike out on our own.
I am being advised by the clerk that the Scottish Government might be waiting for the UK Government’s report in order to avoid differentiated regimes in different parts of the United Kingdom. However, there are other issues that would be, by definition, differentiated, but people can move; they can travel. There could be consequences depending on whichever part of the UK they are in. The English inquiry into historic abuse is looking at survivors of abuse who were abused in Scotland. There are quite complicated issues.
On the specific issue of mandatory reporting, it must be possible that the Scottish Government is developing a view. We need to get clarification. Does it have a timescale? Is there a point beyond which it will say that it cannot wait any longer?
Do members agree to take the action that I have outlined?
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