Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 10 December 2024
10 Dec 2024 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Human Rights
I recognise what the cabinet secretary has said about moving the bill into the next parliamentary session, but does she recognise that we can take steps in this session to advance the cause of human rights, not least by looking at our age of criminal responsibility? She has heard me say many times that we are suboptimal in this country in that regard. In fact, we are behind Russia and China with regard to our determination of the age at which children are responsible for their criminal actions. Can she speak to the progress that the Government is making on that topic?
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-15782, in the name of Shirley-Anne Somerville, on pathways to global human rights: towards a stronger hum...
The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice (Shirley-Anne Somerville)
SNP
It is a delight and an honour to open this debate marking human rights day 2024. This year’s theme is “Our rights, our future, right now”. We are asked to re...
Jeremy Balfour (Lothian) (Con)
Con
Is the Government’s intention to introduce that bill in this parliamentary session? Will we see the bill before the next election?
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
I have been clear—and I will come back to this point later in my remarks—about the Government’s continued commitment to the human rights bill. The bill will ...
Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (LD)
LD
I recognise what the cabinet secretary has said about moving the bill into the next parliamentary session, but does she recognise that we can take steps in t...
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
I am not sure whether Mr Cole-Hamilton can read my speech from where he is sitting, but the next page is on next steps, so I will go on to talk about some of...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I call Tess White to speak to and move amendment S6M-15782.2. 15:36
Tess White (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer—again, I apologise for being late to the chamber. On this human rights day, we are reminded of the importance of protect...
Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central) (SNP)
SNP
Will the member give way?
Tess White
Con
I have a lot to get through—if I have time at the end, I will. For the past two weeks, the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee has taken ev...
Kevin Stewart
SNP
Will the member give way?
Tess White
Con
No. Those are more broken promises, and more people who feel left behind or ignored. There is also the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill. The social ca...
Kevin Stewart
SNP
Will the member give way?
Tess White
Con
No.
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
Will the member give way?
Tess White
Con
No. Meanwhile, the SNP rushed through the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill before Christmas two years ago, with “feminist to her fingertips” Nicola...
Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I am pleased to open on behalf of Scottish Labour in this debate marking human rights day. Presiding Officer, “it is right and proper, that today is also a...
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Paul O’Kane
Lab
I will take an intervention on that point.
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
I thank Paul O’Kane for allowing me to put this on the record. The Scottish Government welcomes the fact that we now have a UK Government that allows us to f...
Paul O’Kane
Lab
I thank the cabinet secretary for her intervention. I have more to say about the Conservative amendment and the prevailing attitude of the Conservatives towa...
Pam Gosal (West Scotland) (Con)
Con
Made a request to intervene.
Paul O’Kane
Lab
I turn to the Conservative amendment—I will make this point before I take an intervention. It is disappointing that the Conservative amendment would remove...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
We will have an intervention from Pam Gosal, who joins us remotely—if she still wishes to make one.
Pam Gosal
Con
I am sorry, but I did not request to intervene. I do not know what happened there.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
All right. I do not think that Ms Gosal is trying to intervene.
Paul O’Kane
Lab
That is fine. It is fairly difficult to defend wanting to remove any reference to the Council of Europe and the European convention on human rights, but ther...
Maggie Chapman (North East Scotland) (Green)
Green
We know that human rights matter. We, in the Scottish Parliament and Scottish civil society, have been talking for nearly two decades about the incorporation...
Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (LD)
LD
It gives me great pleasure to speak for the Liberal Democrats in this important debate, as I have done in each of the eight years that I have been a parliame...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
We move to the open debate. 16:02