Report to the People
Section 2A
One issue, unfortunately, dominated proceedings last week in the Scottish Parliament. Although we debated a number of matters which impact locally, such as drugs and the flooding problem in Inverclyde, they were overshadowed by the proposed repeal of section 2A of the Local Government Act 1986, commonly known as section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988.
I have received a number of letters from constituents who have expressed genuine worries over these proposals. I take these concerns seriously and appreciate that some people are anxious about issues of promotion of homosexuality and pornographic material being available in schools.
Given the level of public feeling, I feel I should take this opportunity to attempt to allay these fears.
The best way to start, I suppose, is with a question. Would I, as a father and grandfather, be associated with any move to promote homosexuality or to fill classrooms with sexually explicit reading material?
Absolutely not. Like most parents, I would vigorously oppose any measure which placed our children at risk.
A point worth bearing in mind is that repealing section 2A is not the sum total of these proposals. We should be wary of "quick fixes" to difficult problems and, were a simple repeal being proposed, I would be deeply unhappy. Rather, this repeal is only one measure in our comprehensive Public Ethics Bill. This bill, as Donald Dewar clearly stated on Thursday, will ensure that promotion of homosexuality will not take place in our schools. Guidelines will be established and the highest ethical standards will be confirmed. I agree with him.
Indeed, the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill will double this protection by making any adult who abuses a position of trust criminally liable.
I have confidence in the professionalism of Scotland’s teachers. I am sure that they will handle any discussion of sexuality sensitively and fairly. Further, schools involved in teaching sensitive issues will do so following appropriate consultation with parents.
I have discussed the issues surrounding the proposed bill with Frank McAveety, the Minister charged with its implementation. Frank assured me that, as an ex-teacher and a father, he shares my view that the promotion of homosexuality and sexually explicit material in school would be unacceptable and will not be permitted by virtue of repealing section 2A. He wishes to see prejudice and discrimination in our classrooms ended and joins with me in wanting to see a modern Scotland, built on equality and fairness.
This view is widely shared in the Parliament. All of the main political parties in Scotland, apart from the Conservatives, support the repeal. I am sure that, were the proposals truly threatening and dangerous, our political opponents would waste no time in highlighting it.
The majority of Scottish Parliamentarians view repeal of section 2A as an issue of equality. It is a question of delivering human rights to a section of our society. It will also allow teachers to deliver a safe and supportive learning environment for all our children.
While the debate will undoubtedly rage on, we must remind ourselves that the consultation and committee process is ongoing. With the final vote in the Parliament some months away, and to ensure that these concerns are reflected in the final bill, I will continue to play my part and listen to my constituents on both sides of the argument.
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