The Bill as introduced aims to improve opportunities for disabled children and young people as they grow up. This Bill considers children to be under 18 and young people to be between 18 and 26.
Pam Duncan-Glancy MSP introduced the Bill because she thinks disabled children and young people need extra support to help them transition to adulthood. This will help them have the same opportunities as other children and young people.
The Bill would require:
Johann Lamont introduced this Bill in Session 5, however the Parliament was not able to complete its consideration before session 5 ended and so could not come to a decision on whether or not to pass the Bill. This meant that the Bill fell.
Because of the short amount of time between the scrutiny of the Session 5 Bill and the introduction of the Session 6 Bill, the Education, Children and Young People Committee has agreed to consider the evidence received in Session 5 as part of its scrutiny.
This is a Member's bill
The Bill fell on 23 November 2023 at Stage 1
This Bill fell at Stage 1 of the process to decide if it should become an Act.
The Bill impacts businesses and individuals. It creates anew licensing system which means that:
It will be a criminal offence to buy, acquire, possess or use fireworks without licence, or to supply fireworks to a person without a licence. It will also be an offence to give fireworks or pyrotechnic articles to a child, or buy them on behalf of a child.
The Bill specifies that certain fireworks can only be supplied to, and used by, members of the public at certain times, including:
There are exemptions for organised public firework displays and professionally organised displays.
The Bill also proposes the creation of 'firework control zones', where local authorities will be able to restrict the use of fireworks, although professionally organised or public displays may still be allowed.
The possession of pyrotechnic articles when travelling to or at certain places and events will become an offence under the Bill. This could include certain sports events, sports grounds or music events.
The new rules created by the Bill will be enforced by trading standards or Police Scotland.
The Scottish Govemment has created this Bill to limit the harm, distress or serious injury that can be caused by fireworks and pyrotechnic articles. The Scottish Government believes the Bill will:
[Bill link here]
[Enter doc links here]
All Bills introduced in the Parliament must be accompanied by specific documents. For most Bills, this includes:
Explanatory Notes: this document provides an overview of what the Bill does, plus a more detailed explanation of individual sections.
Policy Memorandum: this sets out the objectives of the Bill. It also lists any alternatives considered, details of consultations, and an assessment of the effects of the Bill in a range of areas.
Financial Memorandum: this sets out estimates of costs, savings, and any changes to revenues expected to result from the Bill.
Delegated Powers Memorandum: this is needed if a Bill gives powers to make subordinate legislation or allows Scottish Ministers to issue directions, guidance or codes of practice.
Statements on legislative competence: two short statements, one by the Presiding Officer and one by the person introducing the Bill. “Legislative competence” means the powers the Parliament has to make law.
This Bill requires Crown consent. It is expected that this consent will be signified at Stage 3.
This Bill [requires/does not] require a Financial Resolution
For each Bill, the Presiding Officer must decide if a 'Financial Resolution' is required. The main reasons a Bill would need a Financial Resolution are that:
If a Bill requires a Financial Resolution:
The Scottish Parliament's Information Centre (SPICe) prepares impartial research and analysis to assist MSP's in their examination of Bills and other parliamentary business.
[Link to Research]
The Bill was introduced on 20 April 2022
At Stage 1, the Bill is given to a lead committee. This is usually the committee whose remit most closely relates to the subject of the Bill. The lead committee will consider and report on the Bill. Other committees can also examine the Bill and report to the lead committee.
The lead committee for this Bill is the Education, Children and Young People Committee. The lead committee considers and reports on the Bill.
In Session 5, the Education and Skills Committee took evidence for an earlier Disabled Children and Young People (Transitions to Adulthood) (Scotland) Bill. This Bill fell at the end of the session.
Evidence submitted for that Bill has been considered by the Education, Children and Young People Committee as part of its scrutiny of the Bill reintroduced in Session 6.
Read the evidence submitted to the Education and Skills Committee
In January and February 2023 the Committee held informal private engagement sessions with with Divergent Influencers who have been through the transition from child to adult services; and parents and carers whose children have been through the process and a visit to Buchannan High School in Coatbridge, meeting senior school pupils who will soon be leaving school; and the some of the transitions team who are supporting them, including teachers, social workers and the Home Link Education Officer. Links to the anonymised notes for these sessions and the visit are listed below.
Notes from the session with parents and carers, ARC Scotland (195KB, pdf)
Notes from visit to Buchanan High School Coatbridge (156KB, pdf)
Letter from the Minister for Children and Young People with further information following evidence session 7 March 2023
Notes from Informal session on the Disabled Children and Young People (Transitions to adulthood) (Scotland) Bill 23 February 2023
The lead committee published its Stage 1 Report on 5 October 2023.
Disabled Children and Young People (Transitions to Adulthood) (Scotland) Bill Stage 1 Report
Bill Report Easy to Read Version (186KB, pdf)
The lead committee received the following response to its Stage 1 Report on 21 November 2023.
Letter from the Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise
A Stage 1 debate took place on 28 April 2022 to consider and decide on the general principles of the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Bill
[Insert Meeting links]
Result 19 for, 90 against, 0 abstained, 20 did not vote Disagreed
See further details of the motion
The Bill ended Stage 1 on 23 November 2023