Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee 18 March 2025
Good morning and welcome to the eighth meeting in 2025 in session 6 of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee. We have no apologies today. Marie McNair will be joining us online.
Our first agenda item is our final evidence sessions on the operation of the public sector equality duty in Scotland. The PSED is a legal requirement for public authorities in Scotland, which, under the duty, must consider equality when carrying out their functions. The Scottish Government is making reforms to the duty and this inquiry will be an opportunity to explore those reforms and consider how they might improve the delivery of the duty.
We will hear from two panels this morning, and I welcome our first panel. Representing the Equality and Human Rights Commission Scotland, we have John Wilkes, head of Scotland; Jennifer Laughland, head of Scotland legal; and Bill Stevenson, Scotland compliance manager. You are all very welcome; thank you for attending this morning.
I refer members to papers 1 and 2. Before beginning the session, I remind all members that rule 7.5.1 of the Parliament’s standing orders prevents members from referring to any matter in relation to which legal proceedings are active, except to the extent permitted by the Presiding Officer. I advise members that Sandie Peggie’s employment tribunal case against NHS Fife is considered active for the purposes of the sub judice rule and contempt of court. I have sought and received permission from the Presiding Officer about the extent to which we can explore matters related to the case today and throughout the course of our PSED inquiry. On the basis of that permission, questions about issues connected to the case will be admissible today, but questions about the specifics of the case will not.
Before we move to questions, I invite John Wilkes to make a short opening statement.