Hansard

The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick) NPA

The first item of business is a debate on motion S4M-03289, in the name of Jenny Marra, on women’s representation.09:15

Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab

I am delighted to be able to open a debate on equality in the Scottish Parliament in this, the United Nations year of empowering women. I note that this appe...

Humza Yousaf (Glasgow) (SNP) SNP

Why, in the 13 years when it was in power, did the Labour Government not bring in a 40 per cent quota for public sector bodies?

Jenny Marra Lab

We have always supported equal representation in our party and it is something that we will look towards in the future. We have been out of power for quite a...

Christine Grahame (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) SNP

Will the member take an intervention?

Jenny Marra Lab

No, thank you. No amount of application information to highly skilled and qualified women through Government DVDs, brochures and e-mailed vacancies are chang...

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP) SNP

Can the member indicate how the appointments to the current police boards are made? My understanding is that the majority of the appointments come from local...

Jenny Marra Lab

I think that the member will find, if he looks at gender representation among councillors in Scotland, that Labour has a much better record of electing women...

Christine Grahame SNP

The member is concerned about gender balance and interventions. However, does she agree that the Justice Committee took the view that it is quality on the bo...

Jenny Marra Lab

If the member had been listening to my speech, she would have found that I have already made the case that a quota enforces the idea of a meritocracy and tha...

The Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport (Shona Robison) SNP

I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak on behalf of the Scottish Government in this timely debate. I say that it is timely because, as every member ...

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Lab) Lab

I find it very sad that the minister cannot recognise that we have passion for equality. I wish that her party could show the same passion for the issue.

Shona Robison SNP

A person can be passionate about an issue without having to resort to the petty party-political attacks that we saw Jenny Marra making. If Jenny Marra and th...

Neil Findlay (Lothian) (Lab) Lab

Will the minister give way?

Shona Robison SNP

In a minute.There has been good progress in relation to public appointments over the years, but it is not enough. Our public bodies need board members who re...

Neil Findlay Lab

The minister’s party regularly points to Scandinavia and to the Norwegian and Finnish Governments. Are those Governments patronising, too?

Shona Robison SNP

I did not say that. Perhaps the member should have listened. It is refreshing that the Labour Party has stopped denigrating small independent countries and h...

Jenny Marra Lab

Does the minister acknowledge that this is perhaps the first time that a quota has been proposed in this context? She says that there is no consensus out the...

Shona Robison SNP

I could not agree more with the member. That is the tone that she should have taken from the start of the debate, because I am happy to work with her and oth...

Annabel Goldie (West Scotland) (Con) Con

I shall try not to be provocative or patronising and I shall do my level best to be passionate. I thank Jenny Marra for bringing this important issue to the ...

Dennis Robertson (Aberdeenshire West) (SNP) SNP

Will the member take an intervention?

Annabel Goldie Con

I am very tight for time. Will the member forgive me if I try to use my five minutes as best I can?Although I certainly broadly sympathise with the thrust of...

The Presiding Officer NPA

We now move to open debate. Time is extremely tight and the Presiding Officers will struggle to get into the debate everybody who wants to speak, so we will ...

Clare Adamson (Central Scotland) (SNP) SNP

I welcome the debate and agree that the lack of women’s representation at the highest level of public life—and in private industry—is a concern that everyone...

Jenny Marra Lab

Will the member give way?

The Presiding Officer NPA

The member does not have time.

Clare Adamson SNP

I am in my last few minutes. A European Commission report, “Women in economic decision-making in the EU”, looks at improved company performance evidenced by ...

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Lab

I welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate. We have had several interesting speeches, particularly from Jenny Marra, who mentioned the international as...

Christine Grahame (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) SNP

I agreed with much of what John Park said, but Kezia Dugdale and Jenny Marra have quality—they are here not because they are women, but because they are good...

John Park Lab

May I clarify my point?