by BILL HEANEY
Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Adam Harley MSP has today questioned Health Minister Maree Todd, pictured right, on the government’s decision to abandon the Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence bill, which the SNP has announced it will not pursue after years of consultation.
Speaking in the Scottish Parliament chamber, Adam Harley said: “The Minister says we need change now, but we should have had it already. She says we cannot afford to waste years waiting for a Bill to pass through Parliament, but people have already been waiting five years since the Government first made this commitment in the programme for government in 2021. They delayed it in 2024, and now they’ve scrapped it right after an election.
“It’s exactly this sort of thing that leaves people scunnered with politics.
“Among the tangible commitments that have disappeared is mandatory training on learning disabilities and neurodivergence for public sector workers. This is a crucial part of making sure everyone is well served by the public sector, but it’s now been folded into the much longer process of public service reform.
“If the Government’s commitment is genuine, it needs to commit to making sure this and other crucial steps in the now-abandoned bill aren’t kicked into the long grass.”
Top of page picture: Adam Harley MSP