Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee

Meeting date: Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Official Report 426KB pdf

Interests

Good morning, and welcome to the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee’s first meeting in session 6. As the oldest member of the committee, I have the pleasure of convening the meeting for the first two agenda items. I welcome all members and I look forward to working with them. I remind all individuals present to ensure that their mobile phones are switched to silent.

Agenda item 1 is for each of us to declare any interests that are relevant to the committee’s work. I will go first, and I have no relevant interests to declare.

I have no relevant interests to declare.

I am still employed by Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre, which might be relevant to the programme of work that we will discuss later, but that employment will end on 30 June.

I have a couple of interests to declare. I worked for Public Health Scotland until 11 May—my employment ended when I was elected to the Parliament. Although they are voluntary entries in the register of interests, it is important to mention that I served on the board of Engender Scotland for three years until the end of last year and that I was a policy officer for Inclusion Scotland between 2009 and 2015.

I have no relevant interests to declare.

I have no relevant interests to declare.

I alert members to my voluntary entry in the register of interests to show that I am a registered social worker with the Scottish Social Services Council. I was a practising social worker before my election in 2016 and I have maintained my registration since then.