Named Person scheme costs £500k

The Scottish Government has spent almost £500,000 of taxpayers’ money on legal costs relating to its controversial state guardian plans.

The bill for defending the Named Person Scheme in the courts stands at £479,461, according to figures released following a Freedom of Information request.

The scheme, which will see a single point of contact assigned to monitor the welfare of every child in Scotland, was ruled unlawful by the UK’S Supreme Court in July last year. Judges said the scheme’s data-sharing aspect was incompatible with the right to privacy under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Figures released by the Scottish Government show it initially spent £278,916 defending the scheme in the Scottish courts after its legality was challenged.

The No To Named Person campaign group then took the case to the Supreme Court. Defending the plans cost Scottish taxpayers a further £200,545.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said the Named Person service would ensure children, young people and families got access to the “right support at the right time”.