John Swinney says August 2017 start for named person

credit - Scottish government flickr

The Scottish Government hopes to introduce its named person scheme by August 2017 after a period of "intense engagement" on amendments, Education Secretary John Swinney told MSPs.

Implementation of the plan was halted after the UK's Supreme Court ruled that data sharing provisions were unlawful.

Swinney, who is also Deputy First Minister, told Holyrood that the Scottish Government was committed to amending and enforcing the system.

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Tory MSPs want named person to be scrapped, while Labour want children aged 16 and 17 excluded.

The policy, which would assign a named person to everyone under the age of 18 in Scotland, was originally meant to be rolled out on 31 August, 2016.

However, the Supreme Court said that the plan to have a named professional for every child in Scotland breaches rights to privacy and a family life under the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Scottish Government then moved to halt the planned implementation until amendments to the Children and Young People Act were made.

Swinney has since held talks with public sector leaders and charities to change the legislation and said the government will seek to bring the system into force "as soon as practicable".

The Deputy First Minister said the Scottish Government would undertake a three-month period of "intense engagement" with key stakeholders and opposition groups.

He said he wanted the scheme to be put into place "as quickly as possible".

Swinney said: "It is my ambition to work towards a commencement date and these provisions by August 2017."

He added: "The Supreme Court judgment provides us with an opportunity to amend the information sharing provisions in the 2014 Act in a way that improves the Named Person service and reassures parents and practitioners and the wider public.

"It provides us with the opportunity to continue in the spirit of shared purpose and consensus - to getting it right for every child."