Hansard

The Convener SNP

Welcome back. Our fourth agenda item is to take evidence on Scotland-specific issues raised in the concluding observations and recommendations of the United ...

The Minister for Equalities (Kaukab Stewart) SNP

I am grateful for the opportunity to provide an update on the steps that this Government has taken to respond to the concluding observations that were made i...

The Convener SNP

We move to questions from members, and I will kick us off. What specific progress has been made on the human rights bill?

Kaukab Stewart SNP

:We continue to make good progress on further developing and refining our human rights bill proposals. Our goal is to introduce an ambitious and effective bi...

The Convener SNP

Rhoda Grant has a supplementary question.

Rhoda Grant Lab

:What are the specific non-devolved and devolved issues that are causing concern, and how do you expect to overcome them?

Kaukab Stewart SNP

:I will bring in Elli Kontorravdis on that. First, as an overview, I note that, in bringing so many treaties together—some of them for the first time—we are ...

Elli Kontorravdis (Scottish Government)

As the minister noted, we are continuing to engage with the UK Government on the challenges that have resulted from the interpretation of the Supreme Court j...

Rhoda Grant Lab

:What does that mean in practice? Where are the difficulties, and how easy are they to overcome? Do we need to be granted devolved responsibility in some are...

Kaukab Stewart SNP

:I can give an example that is based on what we are already doing. We are listening carefully to feedback relating to the challenges that resulted from the U...

Rhoda Grant Lab

:Thank you.

Maggie Chapman Green

:Good morning, minister. Thank you for joining us and for what you have said so far. I have a couple of questions on how you intend to use the high-level act...

Kaukab Stewart SNP

:Thank you for acknowledging the complexities and how wide ranging the issue is, given that it is cross-portfolio, cross-Governmental and cross-legislation.T...

Maggie Chapman Green

:No, but thank you, that is helpful. We could go into a lot of areas in quite a lot of detail. You talked about the need for cross-governmental support, and ...

Kaukab Stewart SNP

:I understand what you are asking. That exemplifies how wide ranging the plan is and that so many people are involved in its delivery, which supports our vie...

Maggie Chapman Green

:That was helpful, but certain questions are being raised with us as we talk about this issue. There are groups or organisations that are working in communit...

Kaukab Stewart SNP

:I totally acknowledge that. As you will be well aware, the equality and human rights fund supports highly valued projects that are tackling some of the most...

Maggie Chapman Green

:I appreciate that, but I think that those who run the EHRF would say that they have actually seen a 25 per cent cut, because its flat cash budget has not re...

Kaukab Stewart SNP

:I believe that the Scottish Government took a strong leadership role in response to the concerning scenes and rhetoric that we saw especially over the summe...

Maggie Chapman Green

:I am sorry to interrupt you, but I want to focus on misinformation and disinformation, which you spoke about. In Dundee and Aberdeen, I have witnessed peopl...

Kaukab Stewart SNP

:I fully acknowledge your concerns. We have seen some absolutely appalling scenes. Although I would always uphold the right to legitimate, peaceful protest, ...

Maggie Chapman Green

:When that happens, what do you expect Police Scotland to do?

Kaukab Stewart SNP

:I will bring in Elli Kontorravdis on the human rights tracker tool, because I think that where you are going with that question is about how we track such t...

Elli Kontorravdis

I will speak to the system-level actions that Maggie Chapman asked about. I reiterate what the minister said—in March, the Scottish Government will publish t...

Maggie Chapman Green

:I appreciate that the tool is coming in March, but that is not much comfort to the people who, week after week, are exposed to racist hate speech and see no...

The Convener SNP

We will move to Rhoda Grant, please.

Rhoda Grant Lab

:Beyond what is already in the high-level action plan, what actions is the Scottish Government taking to tackle violence against women?

Kaukab Stewart SNP

:I am sorry—will you repeat that? I did not hear. I am hard of hearing; forgive me.

Rhoda Grant Lab

:I am softly spoken, which is probably not helping you. I asked about the additional actions that the Scottish Government is taking to tackle violence agains...

Kaukab Stewart SNP

:I will link things together. We are absolutely committed to meeting the benchmark that international treaties and obligations such as the Istanbul conventio...