Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 16 January 2025
16 Jan 2025 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Highlands and Islands)
I thank Rhoda Grant for initiating this critical debate and the Scottish Human Rights Commission for having the courage to carry this inquiry out and publish its findings in full.
In her excellent foreword, Angela O’Hagan calls for
“all duty bearers to evaluate their own work and reflect on how to improve people’s human rights.”
She also calls for the Scottish Parliament
“to take serious and careful consideration”
of the report, so why does it take an Opposition MSP, in members’ business time, to force the report to the debating chamber of the Parliament? Are not the Government and the Parliament duty bearers? Should not the Government set aside parliamentary time to debate a report into the human rights of the people of the Highlands and Islands?
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
The next item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S6M-15705, in the name of Rhoda Grant, on the Scottish Human Rights Commission’s spotlight ...
Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)
Lab
I thank members who signed my motion and allowed this important debate to take place. I also pay tribute to the Scottish Human Rights Commission for its spot...
The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic (Kate Forbes)
SNP
I am sure that Rhoda Grant will join me in acknowledging just how many people in the Highlands and Islands are in fuel poverty—I believe that the figure in t...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
I can give you the time back for the intervention, Ms Grant.
Rhoda Grant
Lab
I agree with the cabinet secretary—people in the area are dependent on vehicles, and I note that some of the measures that are used to pinpoint poverty take ...
Paul Sweeney (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
Rhoda Grant is making a very powerful speech on the report. Perhaps she might reflect on the power of co-operatives and their potential further development i...
Rhoda Grant
Lab
Indeed. Co-operatives are already used in rural areas. Crofting, which is the agricultural system in place in rural areas, is based on co-operative working. ...
Emma Roddick (Highlands and Islands) (SNP)
SNP
First, I thank Rhoda Grant for securing this important debate. I was glad to support her motion. Secondly, I thank the Scottish Human Rights Commission for u...
Jamie Halcro Johnston (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
I thank Rhoda Grant for bringing this debate to the chamber. Along with debates this afternoon on the A9 dualling and on rural healthcare, it begins a very w...
Richard Leonard (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I thank Rhoda Grant for initiating this critical debate and the Scottish Human Rights Commission for having the courage to carry this inquiry out and publish...
The Minister for Parliamentary Business (Jamie Hepburn)
SNP
Of course, if Mr Leonard’s business manager cares to raise that matter with me, I would be more than willing to give consideration to scheduling such a debate.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
Richard Leonard, I can give you the time back.
Richard Leonard
Lab
Thank you. I hope that the Minister for Parliamentary Business will propose that at a future meeting of the business bureau. However, I will tell members w...
Ariane Burgess (Highlands and Islands) (Green)
Green
I thank the Scottish Human Rights Commission for producing its frank and hard-hitting report, and I thank Rhoda Grant for raising it in the chamber. Althoug...
Beatrice Wishart (Shetland Islands) (LD)
LD
I thank Rhoda Grant for bringing this important debate to the chamber. The Scottish Human Rights Commission’s report “Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in...
Finlay Carson (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con)
Con
I congratulate Rhoda Grant on bringing this important debate to the chamber, and I join her and other rural MSPs in welcoming the Scottish Human Rights Commi...
The Minister for Parliamentary Business (Jamie Hepburn)
SNP
I, too, thank Rhoda Grant for bringing the motion to Parliament. Like her, I thank the Scottish Human Rights Commission for the report that is at the centre ...
Richard Leonard
Lab
Will the minister take an intervention?
Jamie Hepburn
SNP
Of course.
Richard Leonard
Lab
For clarity, does that mean that you will schedule Government time to debate the report?
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
I will not. I ask the minister to respond.
Jamie Hepburn
SNP
Of course, your perspective on these matters is always welcome, Presiding Officer. I go back to my earlier point that I am more than willing to consider the...
Rhoda Grant
Lab
One proposal in the report that the Government could implement now is human rights-based budgeting. Will that be considered? That would address an awful lot ...
Jamie Hepburn
SNP
I have already made the point that the Government will give full consideration to everything in the report—as it should, because it is a thorough and diligen...
Jamie Halcro Johnston
Con
The point that was being made is that a lot of the planning decisions on energy infrastructure are being passed by the Scottish Government. You said that—
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
Speak through the chair.
Jamie Halcro Johnston
Con
My apologies. The minister said that the Government would give due consideration to the report and would come back in due course. When it comes to timescales...
Jamie Hepburn
SNP
It would be remiss of me to provide an exact timescale, and I do not have one before me just now. However, the commitment is to come back as soon as possible...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
That concludes the debate, and I suspend this meeting of Parliament until 2 o’clock. 13:33 Meeting suspended. 14:00 On resuming—