Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing) SNP

The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-12639, in the name of Shirley-Anne Somerville, on the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Amendment) ...

The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice (Shirley-Anne Somerville) SNP

The Gender Representation on Public Boards (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill seeks to remove the section 2 definition of “woman” from the original Gender Represent...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

I call Karen Adam to speak on behalf of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee. 15:26

Karen Adam (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) SNP

As noted at the end of our stage 1 report, the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee is satisfied that the Gender Representation on Public Boa...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

Thank you, Ms Adam. I now call on Meghan Gallacher to speak on behalf of the Scottish Conservatives. Ms Gallacher is joining us remotely. 15:30

Meghan Gallacher (Central Scotland) (Con) Con

Today’s stage 1 debate will be relatively brief. The cabinet secretary and the convener have said that the amendment is a technical one. The one question th...

Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab

I am pleased to open on behalf of Scottish Labour in the debate. Scottish Labour supported the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018 and...

Marie McNair (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) SNP

I speak in the debate as a new member of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee. I thank the committee clerks for their assistance in the p...

Carol Mochan (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab

I begin by thanking the committee for its work and its report. As my colleague Paul O’Kane said, we accept the committee’s recommendations in full and agree ...

Evelyn Tweed (Stirling) (SNP) SNP

As a very new member of the committee, I am pleased to speak in today’s debate. As the convener said, this is essentially a single-issue bill and an exercise...

Ash Regan (Edinburgh Eastern) (Alba) Alba

The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice has described the amendment bill as simply a small technical fix to the statute book, but I completely disagree with...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

We move to the closing speeches. I call Paul O’Kane to close on behalf of Scottish Labour. 15:50

Paul O’Kane Lab

I do not intend to detain the chamber for too much longer in having to listen to me, given that I opened for the Labour Party at the beginning of the debate....

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

I call Annie Wells to close on behalf of the Scottish Conservatives. 15:52

Annie Wells (Glasgow) (Con) Con

I, too, will keep my remarks short, because we have now heard from most of my fellow members of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee and ...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

I call the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Shirley-Anne Somerville, to close on behalf of the Scottish Government. 15:54

Shirley-Anne Somerville SNP

Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. I thank all the members who have contributed to this afternoon’s debate. As I said in my opening remarks, it is very ...

Tess White (North East Scotland) (Con) Con

Will the cabinet secretary join me in recognising the work of For Women Scotland—some of whom are in the gallery today—whose tenacity and fundraising removed...

Shirley-Anne Somerville SNP

As I mentioned in my opening remarks, the Government recognises the court’s decision. It is important that the Government listens to all groups—whether they ...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

That concludes the debate on the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill at stage 1. There will be a short pause before we move on...