Scottish legislation will reform children’s hearing system

Legislation to protect Scotland’s most vulnerable people
will be at the heart of the executive’s work for the next two
years, writes Gordon Carson.

First Minister Jack McConnell told the Scottish Parliament today
that the executive would introduce laws to reform the
country’s highly regarded children’s hearings system,
which has been the subject of a long-running consultation, and to
protect vulnerable adults.

He also outlined plans to create a Scottish Human Rights
Commission, introduce mandatory drug testing for people arrested
for drug-related crimes, and bring in measures to make it more
difficult for sex offenders to get bail.

McConnell pledged to “reduce paperwork and streamline
activity” in the children’s hearings system.

He also promised to “meet persistence with
persistence” when tackling prolific young offenders.

Child health is also on the executive’s agenda, and it
plans to consult on a Health Promotion, Nutrition and Schools Bill
that will clamp down on the sale of fizzy drinks in schools.