Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 13 June 2017
13 Jun 2017 · S5 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Independent Advisory Group on Hate Crime, Prejudice and Community Cohesion
Yes. According to the rainbow index for 2016, which is published by ILGA-Europe, Scotland is one of the most progressive countries on LGBTI equality. However, we cannot be complacent. It is unacceptable that, as we have seen in the hate crime statistics, homophobic incidents have increased by 5 per cent, and I think that they increased by 10 per cent in the previous year. Crimes against the LGBTI community are the second most common form of hate crime, although we have progressive policies and legislation in place. We need to continue to work closely with national LGBTI organisations.
It is important to advance and promote equality outwith Scotland. That is why the Government allows civil partners from elsewhere who want to get married in Scotland to do so, and it is why my party wants to ensure that same-sex couples have equal pension rights. It is also why we believe that the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office should appoint a special envoy to promote rights and to help alleviate the discrimination and persecution that the LGBTI community faces throughout the world.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Ken Macintosh)
NPA
The next item is a statement by Angela Constance on the independent advisory group on hate crime, prejudice and community cohesion. The cabinet secretary wil...
The Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities (Angela Constance)
SNP
There is absolutely no excuse for hate crime and prejudice. The Scottish Government is committed to tackling it wherever it happens, whenever it happens and ...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I urge those who wish to ask a question to press their request-to-speak button if they have not already done so. I call Adam Tomkins.
Adam Tomkins (Glasgow) (Con)
Con
I welcome the cabinet secretary’s statement and the action that the Government is taking on hate crime, prejudice and community cohesion. Ministers have our ...
Angela Constance
SNP
I appreciate Mr Tomkins’s verbalisation of support for the action that we have taken in response to the range of recommendations that Duncan Morrow and his g...
Pauline McNeill (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
We welcome the statement and the priority that has been given to tackling hate crime and prejudice, and, in particular, the reference to the education servic...
Angela Constance
SNP
I am grateful again for the tone and tenor of the member’s question. She is right to highlight the importance of education. She will be aware that counterter...
Emma Harper (South Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
Last week, a gentleman who is a citizen of the European Union came into my regional office in Dumfries because he had been on the receiving end of extreme ve...
Angela Constance
SNP
Emma Harper raises an important issue. Behind the statistics lie the personal testimony and experience of individuals. She touches on something that I did no...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
We have a number of questions and I hope to get through them all.
Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con)
Con
I welcome the cabinet secretary’s statement. The advisory group’s report highlights concerns that “data collection and disaggregation appears to be inconsis...
Angela Constance
SNP
I hope to reassure the member. The justice analytical services division is working on a broader range of information with respect to victims, offenders and t...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I remind members to keep questions and answers as succinct as possible.
Fulton MacGregor (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP)
SNP
What more will the Scottish Government do to reduce and tackle disability hate crime?
Angela Constance
SNP
I hope that it goes without saying that we are absolutely committed to tackling hate crime in all its forms, including disability hate crime. We believe that...
Mary Fee (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I thank the cabinet secretary for advance sight of her statement. I agree that tackling hate crime in all its forms must be a priority and I welcome her anno...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Briefly please, Ms Fee.
Mary Fee
Lab
There has undoubtedly been progress in improving the knowledge of police officers about the specific hate crime that is suffered by members of the lesbian, g...
Angela Constance
SNP
I advise Mary Fee that I am informed that work has already been undertaken with Police Scotland on specific training for police officers about LGBTI issues. ...
John Finnie (Highlands and Islands) (Green)
Green
I thank the cabinet secretary for early sight of her statement and assure her of the Scottish Green Party’s support for the initiatives that she outlined. An...
Angela Constance
SNP
I reassure Mr Finnie that we engage with all communities without fear or favour, whether it is the Jewish or the Muslim community. If the Muslim community ap...
Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (LD)
LD
I, too, thank the cabinet secretary for giving us advance sight of her statement. Does she agree that tackling hate crime must start from an early age and th...
Angela Constance
SNP
It is of course the Government’s job and duty to provide as much clarity and certainty on such matters as possible. Mr Cole-Hamilton might be interested to n...
John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)
SNP
The cabinet secretary mentioned Jo Cox, who was a victim of hate crime. I think that the cabinet secretary said that she was going to attend an event this we...
Angela Constance
SNP
Yes. Several ministers recently met Brendan Cox to hear about the work of the Jo Cox Foundation, and I know that the Presiding Officer and other parliamentar...
James Kelly (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
Will the cabinet secretary give an assurance that the work of the Bracadale review in relation to the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communi...
Angela Constance
SNP
It is not for ministers to hinder parliamentary scrutiny of any piece of proposed legislation, including the member’s bill. The Bracadale review includes the...
Rona Mackay (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP)
SNP
I welcome the cabinet secretary’s statement on LGBTI equality. Does she agree that that is important not just in Scotland but across the UK?
Angela Constance
SNP
Yes. According to the rainbow index for 2016, which is published by ILGA-Europe, Scotland is one of the most progressive countries on LGBTI equality. However...