Lib Dem MSP Beatrice Wishart asks about reports that the number of primary schools exceeding their capacity has increased by a third since 2009.

Pastor Geoff Findlay from the Lifegate Church Dundee and Work Place Chaplaincy Scotland delivers today's time for reflection.

Topical questions will feature queries about Caledonian Sleeper complaints and primary school overcrowding.

The Scottish government will then lead a debate on how best to improve the lives of Gypsy/Travellers.

Image source, Google

MSPs will then celebrate the work of the Showmen’s Guild of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the evening's member's debate.

Tory MSP Liam Kerr asks if alternative interventions, such as mediation or family therapy, should feature on the face of the bill.

Isobel Bilsland says mediation is not always appropriate, such as in domestic abuse cases, but the possibility of the kind of mediation where parents do not meet could be explored.

She adds this is more expensive because it requires two mediators, however.

The convener ends the committee.

Asked about funding outwith government, Mr Valentine explains there is a "funding jigsaw" with additional funding from the Scottish Legal Aid Board, charitable trusts, and donations and charges.

The Relationships Scotland chief executive adds his organisation is not be able to make up a loss of £750,000 from the Big Lottery Fund and the Scottish government has been made aware of that.

He hopes that sustainable funding will be found going forward.

Labour MSP James Kelly raises the issue of funding for child contact centres, noting National Lottery funding will be withdrawn at the end of March.

How will you overcome this challenge, he asks.

Mr Valentine replies: "That's an excellent question."

There are very few funders in Scotland that can provide the level of support we need and we have been in discussion with the Scottish government over the last few years, he adds.

There will be interim funding between 1 April to the end of June provided from the government, while further discussions are had he tells the committee.

SNP MSP Rona Mackay asks if contact should be ordered at all, as if it must be supervised can safety be guaranteed.

Mr Valentine says the central dilemma is whether parents are able and should be able to have a continued relationship with their children.

"It's the wisdom of Solomon as to whether or not contact should go ahead."

He says it is an enormously difficult decision to make.

It is a massive loss for a child not to have contact with a parent but in a significant number of cases that may be the best outcome, he points out.

Mr Valentine calls for specialist risk assessments to be made available to courts, which can look into issues like domestic abuse.

We do not want unsafe referrals made to our contact centres and such risk assessments would improve this process, he adds.

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Mr Macgregor asks how prescriptive court orders are.

Stuart Valentine says there are at times gaps in the information contact centres get from courts.

There is a weakness in the process that the courts are not getting the full picture of all the circumstances contact centres should be aware of, he adds.

Ms Bilsland says there are problems in some parts of Scotland more than others.

Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur follows up on the fact that Relationships Scotland deciding contact is not safe, asking if courts accept these views.

Ms Bilsland says it is rare but courts do accept this, particularly when supported contact is recommended.

SNP MSP Fulton Macgregor requests information on the process.

Isobel Bilsland says information from the court and solicitors is used as a foundation on which to build, followed by staff undertaking initial interviews with parents.

If issues such as domestic abuse or child protection issues are flagged by anyone, a more in depth assessment is undertaken she adds.

According to the SPICe briefing :, external

The Children (Scotland) Bill, external proposes statutory regulation of child welfare reporters, who provide important information to the court on children, and child contact centres, which provide neutral venues where children and parents can meet with each other.

Much of the detail of this regulation has been left to secondary legislation.

This may make it hard to assess at this stage whether the policy aims would be achieved.

In addition, most child contact centres are managed by Relationship Scotland, external.

The current funding arrangements of these centres are under threat.

This is significant in the context of this part of the bill, as statutory regulation would have additional costs associated with it.

Mr Valentine says in around half of the cases coming to contact centres, domestic abuse may be an issue.

He says: "It is in no-one's interests for unsafe contact to happen."

The Relationship Scotland chief executive says the safety of everyone is the priority.

He goes on to say there are around 2,500 children coming to contact centres each year and over 32,000 separate contacts are facilitated.

80% of referrals come from courts and the legal profession, he adds.

Mr Finnie asks about knowledge of coercive behaviour and how contact can be used.

Isobel Bilsland says staff are aware of this, but a key element of contact centres is that parents are kept separate.

Mr Valentine says centres also make their own risk assessment, in addition to that made by the courts, on contact going forward.

There will be cases where Relationships Scotland has felt it is not safe or appropriate for contact to go ahead even when the court has approved it, he explains.

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Ms Gilruth asks if a child consultant mediator could become a child support worker.

Stuart Valentine from Relationships Scotland says half of the mediators are trained in this area and would be open to working in this area.

Mr Valentine says at Relationship Scotland's contact centres there 152 paid staff and 120 volunteers, with the direction of travel now towards paid staff.

Green MSP John Finnie asks about training, referring to the recent Domestic Abuse Act relating to coercive behaviour.

Staff and volunteers are sent to the local authority domestic abuse training on a rolling basis, as well as receiving in-house training, replies Ms Bilsland.

SNP MSP Jenny Gilruth highlights the bill removes the 12+ presumption on taking views from children.

Stuart Valentine from Relationships Scotland says it is very important that children have an opportunity to be heard.

We would hope there would be details in the final bill about the ways this could be done, he adds, pointing out mediators within his organisation have expertise on this.

Isobel Bilsland provides various examples for how Relationship Scotland ascertains the views of children when asked to do so by courts.

Image source, bbc

The Justice Committee continues its scrutiny of the Children Bill, external at Stage 1.

MSP are now quizzing:

• Stuart Valentine from Relationships Scotland, external
• Isobel Bilsland from Relationships Scotland Borders, external

• Read the committee papers here, external
• And submissions on the bill here, external