Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 02 February 2011
02 Feb 2011 · S3 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Forced Marriage etc (Protection and Jurisdiction) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
The Scottish Liberal Democrats are happy to support the bill at stage 1. However, wearing two hats, as I am also a member of the Justice Committee, I support my convener’s comments about the recommendations in the committee’s report, and look forward to engaging in some of the issues that have been raised.
Over the years since the creation of the Scottish Parliament, there have been many opportunities to legislate, but some of the most significant ones have been ignored. In my view, this piece of legislation adds to the small but growing toolkit that we have to address fundamental human rights issues. The existence of that toolkit is a credit to the country.
I do not remember whether the current Administration made a manifesto commitment to legislate on this issue, but I remember that I raised it with the Cabinet Secretary for Justice in 2007. I will, therefore, do the usual politician thing and take some credit for putting the issue on the agenda, if not necessarily, thus far, on the statute book.
The issue that we are discussing is important. Previous speakers, members of the committee, committee witnesses and myself—as someone who has worked with the ethnic communities over a number of years—have been keen to point out that this legislation is clearly and distinctly about force. Other members have spoken about how we define that, and that is a matter for future debate between the Government and the committee. However, I and others have been keen to ensure that we do not intrude on cultural traditions around arranged marriage. That tradition disappeared in the UK and Scotland many years ago, although I remember my great-grandmother being a wedding arranger in Ireland, but we must bear in mind that there is a distinction between arranged marriage and forced marriage. That must be part of the education programme around the legislation that we are discussing today, when it finally makes it into statute.
Over the years since the creation of the Scottish Parliament, there have been many opportunities to legislate, but some of the most significant ones have been ignored. In my view, this piece of legislation adds to the small but growing toolkit that we have to address fundamental human rights issues. The existence of that toolkit is a credit to the country.
I do not remember whether the current Administration made a manifesto commitment to legislate on this issue, but I remember that I raised it with the Cabinet Secretary for Justice in 2007. I will, therefore, do the usual politician thing and take some credit for putting the issue on the agenda, if not necessarily, thus far, on the statute book.
The issue that we are discussing is important. Previous speakers, members of the committee, committee witnesses and myself—as someone who has worked with the ethnic communities over a number of years—have been keen to point out that this legislation is clearly and distinctly about force. Other members have spoken about how we define that, and that is a matter for future debate between the Government and the committee. However, I and others have been keen to ensure that we do not intrude on cultural traditions around arranged marriage. That tradition disappeared in the UK and Scotland many years ago, although I remember my great-grandmother being a wedding arranger in Ireland, but we must bear in mind that there is a distinction between arranged marriage and forced marriage. That must be part of the education programme around the legislation that we are discussing today, when it finally makes it into statute.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Alex Fergusson)
NPA
The next item of business is a debate on motion S3M-7820, in the name of Alex Neil, on the Forced Marriage etc (Protection and Jurisdiction) (Scotland) Bill....
The Minister for Housing and Communities (Alex Neil)
SNP
I am pleased to open the stage 1 debate on the Forced Marriage etc (Protection and Jurisdiction) (Scotland) Bill, which henceforth I shall refer to as the bi...
Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con)
Con
The Forced Marriage etc (Protection and Jurisdiction) (Scotland) Bill is important legislation. The Equal Opportunities Committee having been designated as t...
Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab)
Lab
I am pleased to take part in today’s debate on the Forced Marriage etc (Protection and Jurisdiction) (Scotland) Bill. I have read the Equal Opportunities Com...
Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con)
Con
The committee’s report, for which I thank the convener, is fairly comprehensive. It is unable to evidence a substantial number of cases; however, although th...
Hugh O’Donnell (Central Scotland) (LD)
LD
The Scottish Liberal Democrats are happy to support the bill at stage 1. However, wearing two hats, as I am also a member of the Justice Committee, I support...
Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab)
Lab
Does the member agree that we must be very clear that forced marriage is not cultural, but is firmly viewed as abuse?
Hugh O’Donnell
LD
I have no argument with that at all. I recognise fully that forced marriage in any form, whether it involves physical, psychological or other duress—or indee...
Anne McLaughlin (Glasgow) (SNP)
SNP
It is incumbent on us all when we talk about forced marriage to keep making the point that it bears absolutely no relation to arranged marriage. We in the ch...
Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab)
Lab
I am pleased to support the Forced Marriage etc (Protection and Jurisdiction) (Scotland) Bill. I believe that it has successfully addressed the problems that...
Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP)
SNP
I thank Mary Mulligan for her positive response. It has been noted. I also pay tribute to my colleague Bashir Ahmad, who felt strongly about the issue—I thin...
Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I am pleased that the Forced Marriage etc (Protection and Jurisdiction) (Scotland) Bill has at last come before Parliament, thereby allowing us to catch up w...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Trish Godman)
Lab
We move to the winding-up speeches. Hugh O’Donnell has a tight four minutes.15:16
Hugh O’Donnell
LD
It seems almost no time since I stood up for my opening speech. Unfortunately, this is a very limited debate. I would have welcomed having much more time for...
Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
As members have said, we are clear that there is a key and fundamental distinction between forced marriages, in which one or both people are forced to marry ...
Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab)
Lab
Consensus seems to have broken out in the chamber this afternoon in what has been a regrettably short debate on an important subject. I agree with my colleag...
Alex Neil
SNP
Although this has been a short debate, it has been a high-quality one and there is a great deal of consensus around the chamber.As Sandra White did, I pay tr...
Hugh O’Donnell
LD
Will victims automatically appear on the vulnerable persons database, which the police manage, and will that be flagged up through partnership agencies that ...
Alex Neil
SNP
I imagine that that will normally be the case, but there are situations in which the police have discretion to decide what appears on the database. I do not ...