Meeting of the Parliament 13 March 2026 [Draft]
Good morning, colleagues.
In June last year, we commissioned a review of our dignity at work policies and systems to help to ensure that the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body and members of the Scottish Parliament, as employers, were prepared for the forthcoming changes in employment law arising from the Employment Rights Act 2025. As part of the review, in January, we asked all staff who work for the parliamentary corporate body and for MSPs to take part in a dignity at work survey.
The corporate body considered a report on that work yesterday, and it has now been published. The report contains a summary of experiences that were submitted in confidence and anonymously. The corporate body welcomes the evidence of widespread positive practice across the Parliament, but we will all be shocked and deeply concerned to learn of some reported serious allegations.
The review and publication of the report have brought issues to light that were previously unknown, and we are grateful to everyone who took part in the review. Speaking out is never easy, and our foremost concern is for anyone who is affected by inappropriate conduct. Senior Parliament officials made the Parliament police unit aware of the limited information that we have, and they have sought advice regarding reporting duties and signposting.
The Parliament has taken the steps that it can to support individuals who report concerns, and I encourage anyone who has experienced inappropriate conduct to report it. Officials will support any person who wishes to formally report concerns. There can and must be zero tolerance of inappropriate behaviour.
This is an important piece of work. Now that we have the findings, we must begin work on the recommendations quickly. Yesterday, the parliamentary corporate body gave its full support to implementing the comprehensive package of recommendations.
I want to see the highest standards of behaviour across the Parliament, and I thank the corporate body members and party leaders for their support. I know that we are all united in our ambition to ensure that everyone experiences Parliament as a safe, respectful and welcoming workplace.