Hansard

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 think that we all know that—and who led a Government debate on the subject in this very Parliament in 2008. He was clear in his speech in that debate and in the many conversations that I had with him about the issue that arranged marriage with the consent of all is not to be confused with forced marriage. That message has come across well in today’s debate.

I congratulate the Equal Opportunities Committee, of which I was a member for a number of years, on its work on the bill. As other members have pointed out, the issue is very emotive. It is not always easy to put emotions to one side when considering legislation, but the Equal Opportunities Committee has managed to do so very successfully.

One thing that we must remember is that although, as the minister has said, the problem predominantly affects women, it can also affect men. Indeed, I was reminded of that fact by a number of young men who spoke to me after a debate on the subject in which I participated in Glasgow city chambers.

Abuse in forced marriages can take many forms: rape, domestic violence, beatings, forced slavery and the victim’s inevitable feeling of helplessness. Perhaps the worst aspect is that the helpless people who are subjected to that continual violence and abuse are also cut off from the outside world and from help; basically, they have been abandoned by the vast majority of the community. I simply do not know how they manage to cope with having to live in such a terrible atmosphere. Anne McLaughlin was very articulate in highlighting the situation that was faced by one of her constituents, but there are many more such people out there.

We need to get what is a very forward-looking bill right for the victims. I sincerely hope that it gives people the courage to come forward to get the help and guidance that will be provided. I note and welcome the minister’s comments in that respect.

The UK forced marriage unit has stated that in 2009 it dealt with 375 actual forced marriage cases. Up until 2009, approximately 10 per cent per year—or, under the 2009 figure, 40 cases—involved people from Scotland. As Malcolm Chisholm and others have pointed out, that might not seem like a huge number, but given the population differences between England and Scotland, that 10 per cent is quite a large number for a country the size of Scotland. As a result, I ask the minister whether during the bill’s passage and when it comes to fruition, the number of cases, which I hope will not rise, will be monitored.

Finally, with regard to section 2(3)(g), the Law Society of Scotland has said that,

“given that forced marriage legislation is already in place in England and Wales it would suggest substituting ‘United Kingdom’ with ‘Scotland’.”

Is the minister seeking to amend the bill to follow that recommendation or will it be up to members to do so?

I think that we all agree that we need to do something about forced marriages, and I welcome the contributions that have been made by members of all political parties. I look forward to the bill going through Parliament and coming to fruition to give justice to the people in this country who are suffering in forced marriages.

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