Hansard

Kaukab Stewart SNP Chamber

25 Mar 2026

General Question Time · Sexual Crimes and Domestic Abuse

I absolutely accept that violence against women and girls—the majority of which is committed by men—is absolutely abhorrent and must be stopped, but I reject some of the characterisations that were made in that question. We are working extremely hard to do that.Yesterday, I vi...

The Minister for Equalities (Kaukab Stewart) SNP Chamber

25 Mar 2026

General Question Time · Sexual Crimes and Domestic Abuse

All forms of violence against women are abhorrent, and those who perpetrate violence and abuse—the majority of whom are men—must change their actions and behaviours.Although we recognise that some of that increase might be due to the actions to increase confidence in the justi...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Chamber

12 Mar 2026

General Question Time · Cost of Living Support (Glasgow Anniesland)

I agree. Scotland faces an on-going cost of living crisis, with global events likely to exacerbate already stretched household budgets. We have consistently called on the UK Government to do more. The Cabinet Secretary for Housing has pressed UK ministers urgently to provide p...

The Minister for Equalities (Kaukab Stewart) SNP Chamber

12 Mar 2026

General Question Time · Cost of Living Support (Glasgow Anniesland)

We recognise the pressure on household budgets, which is why we are working with key partners, including Glasgow City Council, to tackle child poverty through transforming the way in which public services are delivered. Our benefit take-up strategy, along with investment of mo...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Chamber

05 Mar 2026

Portfolio Question Time · Renewable Energy Infrastructure (North East Scotland)

As I have already said, I cannot comment on live applications.

The Minister for Equalities (Kaukab Stewart) SNP Chamber

05 Mar 2026

Portfolio Question Time · Renewable Energy Infrastructure (North East Scotland)

Regarding the specific proposal that the member raises, I am unable to comment on live applications.In June last year, I met the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy to discuss areas of her portfolio where different groups experience particular impacts in relation to net ...

The Minister for Equalities (Kaukab Stewart) SNP Chamber

05 Mar 2026

Disabled People’s Representation in Scottish Democracy

I give my sincere thanks to all the members who have contributed so thoughtfully to today’s debate. I also thank Jeremy Balfour for bringing the motion to the Parliament.The strength of feeling across the Parliament shows just how deeply we value the lived experience of disabl...

The Minister for Equalities (Kaukab Stewart) SNP Chamber

04 Mar 2026

Banking Charges for Charities and Not-for-profit Organisations

I thank all members who have contributed to this afternoon’s debate, especially Jackie Dunbar, who very passionately articulated the essence of her motion.Access to banking and financial services is fundamental to a strong, resilient economy and to the wellbeing of our communi...

The Minister for Equalities (Kaukab Stewart) SNP Chamber

24 Feb 2026

Scottish Parliament (Recall and Removal of Members) Bill: Stage 3

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I could not connect either. I would have voted no.

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

24 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

:I picked up most of that question. Was your first question regarding people with learning disabilities?

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

24 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

:That is indeed about resources, but cultural change is about mindset. We start with the premise that human rights are for everybody and that, by the very virtue of being a human, you are entitled to those basic rights. We need to keep that aim in mind, whatever else we do on ...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

24 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

:The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government and I were here very recently, and we spoke extensively to the committee about the improvements to the budget process. The use of human rights budgeting principles remains part of that process. We have made continuous pro...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

24 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

:Obviously, the ultimate aim is that the content of the high-level action plan is integrated into the forthcoming human rights tracker, which will in time support us to report on those actions and outcomes to both domestic and international committees.As I said in my opening r...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

24 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

:Thank you. I did not quite catch the second bit, but maybe you could come back in with a wee reminder for me.I previously mentioned the coming home agenda. I just want to reiterate that the Scottish Government is committed to the coming home agenda. We accept that it is compl...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

24 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

:Ms White, I am always delighted to meet with any colleague and with any member of this committee.

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

24 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

:The human rights bill will enable everybody's rights to be realised and focus everybody’s minds on ensuring that. There is also the public sector equality duty. I would remind all organisations that they have a duty to collect appropriate data to feed into that policy. We hav...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

24 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

:No, I would not go as far as that. You put your question in such stark terms, but the answer is not straightforward. I believe that we are collecting that data, although I acknowledge that there are complexities in bringing it together. We have talked before about the fact th...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

24 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

:Data is collected; it is incorrect to say that it is not. With reference to intersectionalities, which we have spoken about before, different protected characteristics intersect, which causes additional layers of discrimination, depending on the characteristics. For instance,...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

24 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

:I do not understand your question about collecting data on characteristics that are not protected, because race is a protected characteristic.

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

24 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

:We absolutely recognise and accept the challenges, but overall, we have seen good progress towards the aims of “Scotland’s Equality Evidence Strategy 2023-2025”. It is really important to get that evidence and, over the lifetime of that strategy, we have seen an increase in t...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

24 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

:I do not have the equally safe delivery plan in front of me, but from what I recall, it contains specific actions that are related to that. I will bring in Kevin McGowan to respond.

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

24 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

:I will link things together. We are absolutely committed to meeting the benchmark that international treaties and obligations such as the Istanbul convention have set. The final report from the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, a...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

24 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

:I am sorry—will you repeat that? I did not hear. I am hard of hearing; forgive me.

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

24 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

:I will bring in Elli Kontorravdis on the human rights tracker tool, because I think that where you are going with that question is about how we track such things and how all the different organisations will be enabled to fulfil their obligations. If Elli can speak about the h...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

24 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

:I fully acknowledge your concerns. We have seen some absolutely appalling scenes. Although I would always uphold the right to legitimate, peaceful protest, there is absolutely no place for the incitement of any kind of hatred towards any kind of group.

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

24 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

:I believe that the Scottish Government took a strong leadership role in response to the concerning scenes and rhetoric that we saw especially over the summer. We did that to ensure that we acknowledge the hard work that goes on at grass-roots level to bring communities togeth...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

24 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

:I totally acknowledge that. As you will be well aware, the equality and human rights fund supports highly valued projects that are tackling some of the most systemic discrimination and prejudice, and some of the projects that have been funded have a specific focus on communit...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

24 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

:I understand what you are asking. That exemplifies how wide ranging the plan is and that so many people are involved in its delivery, which supports our view that we need to take time to work through it so that we end up with something that will make sure that people can real...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

24 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

:Thank you for acknowledging the complexities and how wide ranging the issue is, given that it is cross-portfolio, cross-Governmental and cross-legislation.The high-level action plan is the first of its kind in the UK. I draw your attention to the word “action” and I acknowled...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

24 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

:I can give an example that is based on what we are already doing. We are listening carefully to feedback relating to the challenges that resulted from the UNCRC compatibility duty and the concerns that were raised about the exemption to the compatibility duty during the recen...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

24 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

:I will bring in Elli Kontorravdis on that. First, as an overview, I note that, in bringing so many treaties together—some of them for the first time—we are leading the way and being ambitious. They sit together with all the different reserved and devolved powers, as well as t...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

24 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

:We continue to make good progress on further developing and refining our human rights bill proposals. Our goal is to introduce an ambitious and effective bill that brings positive change. In July last year, we were pleased to publish the detailed discussion paper on our propo...

The Minister for Equalities (Kaukab Stewart) SNP Committee

24 Feb 2026

Subordinate Legislation

I am grateful for the opportunity to provide an update on the steps that this Government has taken to respond to the concluding observations that were made in February by the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. I last appeared before the committee...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

03 Feb 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

I totally understand that frustration. That is why I think that it has been a massive step to have Cabinet takeovers, with the people who are responsible for every portfolio in a room at the same time, given the example of the crossover that you gave about bus services and emp...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

03 Feb 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

The recommendations that you are referring to relate to the employability case study, which provided detailed recommendations in specific areas. In my letter of 19 January to the committee, I responded to the committee’s pre-budget report and laid out my detailed answer to tho...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

03 Feb 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

We know that disabled people face significant structural barriers to employment and that we need to do more to support those individuals to enter and remain in sustainable employment.With regard to our programme for government commitment and our commitment to halve the disabil...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

03 Feb 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

I just want to highlight a wee example that might help. The child poverty tagging pilot study found that high-impact lines span multiple portfolios, as has been said, and cluster around a small number of primary child poverty drivers, including social security, household incom...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

03 Feb 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

I do not have a breakdown of the figures, because there are many rape crisis centres around the country. However, I can reassure Pam Gosal that there is increased funding, and there is multi-year funding. The need for more sustainable funding has been the biggest issue that ra...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

03 Feb 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

No, we are not. We increased the funding for the delivery of our equally safe strategy by £2.4 million, which will bring it up to a total of £21.6 million, subject to the approval of the budget. We recognise the increased need in that area. I confirm that that is part of our c...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

03 Feb 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

Yes.

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

03 Feb 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

I would just like to clarify this. Ms White, are you referring to historical—

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

03 Feb 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

I always get that wrong—forgive me.Inspiring Scotland is our fund manager, and it undertakes all the proper scrutiny. We follow that due diligence.

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

03 Feb 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

I always get confused about this: is it “Aspiring”?

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

03 Feb 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

Absolutely. To reiterate, generally, the funding helps to ensure that all vulnerable groups continue to receive support and that they get information and advocacy, and all of that has to be undertaken within the framework of the law. I make it clear, as I did to the committee ...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

03 Feb 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

I recognise that. I think that we all recognise that we are operating in very difficult financial circumstances. I am sure that the cabinet secretary can develop that further and provide a more detailed and bigger picture.The equality and human rights fund plays an important r...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

03 Feb 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

I assure you that we keep in mind the aim of securing benefits for communities in everything that we do. Sometimes, that means that we have to decide to realign things so that they fit together better and run more smoothly. I am constantly trying to embed communication, integr...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

03 Feb 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

As I outlined in my opening remarks, the changes that we have made demonstrate more transparency—that has been recognised. We are spending £72 million to promote equality, tackle discrimination, foster inclusion and embed human rights across the public sector to deliver better...

The Minister for Equalities (Kaukab Stewart) SNP Committee

03 Feb 2026

Budget Scrutiny 2026-27

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to return to the committee. I value the committee’s continued engagement and its scrutiny, which matters because embedding equality, inclusion and human rights in budget decisions and across the Government is core business, not a one-off...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

13 Jan 2026

Public Sector Equality Duty

Respectfully, that is not within my scope. That is for the committee to decide.

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

13 Jan 2026

Public Sector Equality Duty

Dissatisfaction. However, it is not within my gift and control. It is also unfortunate that, in the short time that I have had here, I have not also been able to go into regulation 11, which I was able to use for the first time. I have not had the opportunity to discuss, or be...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

13 Jan 2026

Public Sector Equality Duty

I would like to briefly comment on that. You are addressing your remarks and registering your dissent to me. However—

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

13 Jan 2026

Public Sector Equality Duty

Apologies, convener. I was invited to come between 11 and 12, so I scheduled an extra half hour on top of that, and we are now over that as well. If there are any further questions that members feel they need answers to, the committee can—as always—write to me, and I will be h...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

13 Jan 2026

Public Sector Equality Duty

With respect, that question would be better asked of the minister for sport, who would have more in-depth knowledge. However, I would like to offer a short view, just to provide you with some reassurance of my understanding around this, especially when it comes to women from a...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

13 Jan 2026

Public Sector Equality Duty

Just to help you—I did actually see that bit.

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

13 Jan 2026

Public Sector Equality Duty

Indeed.

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

13 Jan 2026

Public Sector Equality Duty

We have made it very clear, as I have said—thank you for the opportunity to restate it again—that the Scottish Government accepts the Supreme Court ruling. We expect everyone to comply with the law.

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

13 Jan 2026

Public Sector Equality Duty

I cannot speak on behalf of other public bodies. You would have to ask them.

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

13 Jan 2026

Public Sector Equality Duty

My answer to that is that I am very much in line with the EHRC on this. We know that robust, good-quality data is important. We know that because we shape our services around that data. We can forward plan based on it and allocate funding. There are lots of good reasons for ha...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

13 Jan 2026

Public Sector Equality Duty

The fund that you are referring to supports 47 organisations. It is important to emphasise that. We have previously engaged with LGBT Youth Scotland to determine the facts around various media reports. What you are referring to now and what you are presenting to me I have no w...

Kaukab Stewart SNP Committee

13 Jan 2026

Public Sector Equality Duty

Our equality and human rights fund continues to advance equality for those with protected characteristics, and we support 47 organisations that make a difference to people’s lives. That of course includes working with a range of LGBTQI+ organisations to help shape policy and p...