Chamber and committees

When the system was set up in Scotland, the Parliament at the time said that it would be fairer. I am slightly concerned about some of the work that I have seen on counterfraud and surveillance. Can you tell us a bit more about the team that you have set up to do that? What sorts of things are you doing? The job description included things such as covert surveillance, which made me quite uncomfortable. Could you tell me a little bit about that? Also, how much are you spending on the counterfraud surveillance work?

At the moment, are you relying on data that is not published?

What evidence do you have of that kind of fraud and the likelihood of it happening?

Thank you for that.

With regard to the concerns that you and others have raised and to help to ensure that public bodies, for example, in Scotland both deliver the reform of the gender recognition process that we know that trans people need and understand their responsibilities to women and girls under the Equality Act 2010, do you believe that the Scottish Government should introduce guidance to give clear advice to public bodies and the wider public on how they act and operate?

Yes; I am sorry. When you were forming your view, which you set out in your letter to the cabinet secretary, what examples or evidence did you look at of where self-identification systems have been used in other jurisdictions internationally? How did that help to inform your view?

Good evening, Reem. Thank you for joining us tonight and for engaging with us at this time. During our evidence sessions, some witnesses raised similar concerns to those that are set out in your letter. Others, such as Rape Crisis Scotland, explained that single-sex services, such as the one that it provides, have never required a gender recognition certificate and that it has never asked anyone to provide proof of their gender. It also noted that its services had been trans inclusive for 15 years. Have you had any discussions with single-sex service providers in Scotland? Which organisations in Scotland did you engage with on your conclusions in your letter?

There are amendments to the legislation that relate to that area, and you are aware that the Parliament will look at that this week. Are there any other amendments that you think would be helpful in terms of providing reassurance?

I appreciate that full answer.

In a similar vein, and on the point about evaluations and reviews that you finished with, you will know that a number of people who are critical of the legislation have said that an absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. As a result, Scottish Labour has lodged amendments seeking regular reviews of the impacts of the legislation in order to gather the information that we might need. Have you seen any examples of similar monitoring in international legislation and, if so, what has it found?

Thank you for that.

Yes, of course. I am sorry. Given some of the concerns that people have raised, would it be helpful for the Government to issue guidance on that area?