Chamber and committees

Pam Duncan-Glancy has a wee supplementary question on human rights budgeting.

Thank you for covering the wider point about data, minister. The committee will really appreciate an update on that, because equality data is really important in a number of areas that fall within the committee’s remit—and, indeed, your remit, too.

I call Karen Adam.

Item 2 is consideration of an affirmative instrument. I welcome to the meeting Michael Matheson, the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport. He is accompanied by Scottish Government officials Euan O’Neill, lawyer, and Charles Stewart Roper, head of environmental governance and strategy unit, future environment division. I refer members to paper?1 and invite the?cabinet secretary to?speak to?the regulations.

We will stay with Pam Gosal for her substantive question.

I invite the committee to agree to delegate to me the publication of a short factual report on our deliberations.

Members indicated agreement.

Item 4 is to hear an update and take evidence from Christina McKelvie, the Minister for Equalities and Older People. I welcome the minister and her officials from the Scottish Government’s directorate for equality, inclusion and human rights: Jenny Kemp, strategic lead for gender, LGBTI and disability policy, equality and inclusion unit; and Nick Bland, deputy director.

I refer members to papers 2 and 3 and invite the minister to make a short opening statement.

We have gone slightly over our time. Thank you so much, minister. It is great to see you back here today. Thank you for your time and for giving us a bit more of your time than we had previously agreed.

Time is almost up. Do members have any final brief, precise questions? I know that Pam Duncan-Glancy would like to ask another question, but I ask her to keep it tight.

As there are no further questions, we move to item 3, which is consideration of the motion to approve the affirmative instrument. I invite the cabinet secretary to move the motion.

Motion moved,

That the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee recommends that the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2022 [draft] be approved.—[Michael Matheson]

Motion agreed to.

That is great—thank you very much, minister. As you have said, there are a large number of topics. One issue on which the committee has spent some time involves our inquiry into conversion practices. Thank you for your response to that, and for your response in the debate a couple of weeks back, which was helpful. In your opening remarks, you touched on the expert advisory group, and it is good to hear that that is meeting soon. Are you able to tell us the membership of the group, at this stage?