Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government, 13 December 2021
Dear Convener
Thank you for your letter of 5 November 2021 setting out the views of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee as part of its pre-budget scrutiny focusing on human rights budgeting.
In the Scottish Budget 2022-23, the Promoting Equality and Human Rights budget line is £44.98 million. This represents an increase of 39% from the 2021-22 (£32.28 million) budgetary position. This will enable continued funding to organisations supporting some of the most vulnerable in society through Delivering Equally Safe and Embedding Equality and Human Rights funds, aligned with the National Performance Framework. This increase also delivers on a range of Manifesto and Programme for Government commitments in equality, inclusion and human rights including support to frontline organisations that work to tackle gender-based violence or deliver Equally Safe. This demonstrates the Scottish Government’s commitment and priority to promoting equality and realising human rights for the people of Scotland.
I welcome the Committee’s focus on human rights budgeting and recognition of the important work of the National Taskforce for Human Rights Leadership, the Equality Budget Advisory Group, the Social Renewal Advisory Board and the First Minister’s National Advisory Council on Women and Girls. The Scottish Government established these groups to provide advice and expertise and challenge ourselves to take ambitious action to fulfil human rights and advance equality. I am grateful to them in doing just that through the suite of bold and aspirational recommendations that they have made.
The Scottish Government has taken a range of actions to increase the use and effectiveness of equality budgeting including establishing the Equality Budget Advisory Group, the publication of the Equality and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement and wider work to mainstream equality and human rights. We will fulfil our 2021-22 Programme for Government commitment to further embed equality and human rights within all stages of the Budget process to ensure funding and investment advances equality and human rights for all of Scotland’s people.
It is essential that in responding to the recommendations to improve the budget process that a coherent approach is taken that delivers practical improvements to the budget process which translate into better outcomes for Scotland’s communities, especially for those most marginalised. The annex to this letter sets out further information on this as well as responding to the points raised in the Committee’s pre-budget scrutiny letter.
I would be happy to engage further with the Committee on these matters, and hope you find this response helpful.
Yours sincerely
Shona Robison
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