SNP to ditch controversial named persons scheme after panel review.

BILL: SNP accused of ‘wasting millions’ after it gives in to pressure to scrap controversial policy

The Scottish Government has dropped the controversial named person scheme following recommendation from an expert panel.

Education Secretary John Swinney announced the move yesterday afternoon as he revealed he was scrapping parts four and five of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 Bill and the Children and Young People Information Sharing Bill.

The measures would have made it a provision for every child and young person to have a named person to act as a clear point of contact from the moment they were born to the age of 18.

Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Liz Smith, Scottish Conservative education spokeswoman, was among critics calling on Mr Swinney to apologise for the anxiety the “universally unpopular and unworkable” policy had caused.

She said: “Millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money has been wasted as has the time that should have been spent addressing the challenges facing our most vulnerable children.

“John Swinney should apologise to all the professionals on the front line who have been faced with endless bureaucracy around this policy and the anxiety of not knowing where their legal responsibilities lay.”

Scottish Labour’s education spokesperson Iain Gray said: “This whole process has been a shambles.

“The principle of the named person scheme was a good one but it has been destroyed by the incompetence of successive SNP ministers.

“They lost control of the policy, lost the confidence and support of practitioners, parents and the public, then lost the challenge in the Supreme Court.”

Mr Swinney said: “I believe we have taken an important step forward in providing families and practitioners with certainty about how information sharing can support wellbeing in a transparent way which respects the rights of everyone.

“The mandatory named person scheme for every child – underpinned by law – will now not happen. We will withdraw our Bill and repeal the relevant legislation.

“Instead, existing voluntary services that provide a point of contact for support will continue under current legal powers, where councils and health boards wish to provide them and parents want to use them.

“In this way, we will support our children and young people so that they can thrive and rise to the challenges and opportunities that life brings.”

Picture: PA. Education Secretary John Swinney and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at Holyrood yesterday.