Chamber and committees

That is a good point, and that was a helpful intervention, David.

A huge thank you to Sandra and David, who have raised a huge number of issues, some of which I do not think we were expecting. I had an expectation about where our discussion would go, but they have raised more issues for us to consider. As Maggie Chapman suggested, we will want to take a bit of time to do that and work out our approach.

I suggest to members that, for now, we make a formal decision to keep the petition open and write to the Scottish Government for its initial thoughts on the evidence that Sandra and David have presented today. Are members agreed?

Members indicated agreement.

That concludes the public part of today’s meeting. I say a huge thank you to all three of you for a really interesting session. We move into private session to discuss the remaining items on our agenda.

Good morning and welcome to the 31st meeting in session 6 of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee. Our first agenda item is to hear from the Scottish Human Rights Commission. I refer members to papers 1 and 2.

From the Scottish Human Rights Commission, I welcome Ian Duddy, chair; Eilidh Dickson, policy and international officer; and Jim Farish, commissioner. I invite Ian Duddy to make a short opening statement.

Rachael Hamilton is keen to press you on prisons, which you mentioned. This is probably as good a time as any for me to bring her in.

There might be an issue of clarity with regard to where the research that she did, in order to justify the letter, came from.

That is really helpful. Thanks.

You mentioned Covid. Some work has been paused, to a degree, because of Covid, including the development of strategic litigation. It would be useful to get an idea of what else has been paused and what plans there are to pick up such work, post-Covid.

For the record, it is probably worth my saying that, as far as I am aware, Ms Alsalem did not make any attempt to contact the committee to present any evidence throughout the entirety of our stage 1 or stage 2 proceedings.

No—you can move or not move the amendment.

Amendment 104 not moved.

Amendment 136 moved—[Jamie Greene].

There will be a division.

For

Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP)
Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab)
FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP)
Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con)
Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con)
MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP)

Against

Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green)