Thursday October 29th 2026
Liberal Democrat MSP for the South of Scotland Duncan Dunlop
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
Liberal Democrat MSP for the South of Scotland Duncan Dunlop has called on the SNP Government to respect the will of Parliament and bring back the Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence (LDAN) Bill after his party successfully passed a motion calling for its return.
Mr Dunlop told the Scottish Parliament that the bill would help ensure families no longer have to fight for years to secure support for their children.
The pressure is felt acutely in the South of Scotland. The 2025 Pupil Census showed that 6,714 pupils in the Scottish Borders have additional support needs, accounting for 49.3% of all pupils.
This is one of the highest rates in the country, level with Dumfries and Galloway and second only to Glasgow, where the figure stands at 56.3%.
The proposed bill would introduce mandatory training, national and local strategies, improved data collection, stronger accountability and independent advocacy for families.
Closing the Holyrood debate, Mr Dunlop highlighted the case of Oran, a seven-year-old autistic boy who attended three nurseries because none could meet his needs.
His father gave up work to care for him, while his mother had to hire an educational lawyer to secure a place at a specialist school.
After the debate, Mr Dunlop said: “Families should not have to fight for years, change nursery after nursery, quit their jobs, or employ lawyers to secure the support their child needs.”
Mr Dunlop also noted that there had been no major Scottish legislation for people with learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence since the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons (Scotland) Act 1972, despite evidence of historic abuse and ongoing breaches of rights.
He added: “This parliament has a duty to listen to and represent quieter voices. We have an opportunity to make rights actually mean something in people’s everyday lives. I urge this Parliament to take it.”
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