Equalities and Human Rights Committee

Meeting date: Thursday, September 13, 2018

Official Report 572KB pdf

Convener

Our next item is the choice of a new convener, following the departure of Christina McKelvie, who has been bumped from the ranks to ministerial office. On 1 June, the Parliament agreed to motion S5M-00278, which resolved that members of the Scottish National Party are eligible to be chosen as convener of the committee. I seek a nomination for the convener.

I nominate Ruth Maguire.

I seek a seconder for the nomination.

I second the nomination.

Ruth Maguire was chosen as convener.

I thank Alex Cole-Hamilton for holding the reins so ably in the absence of a convener. I add my thanks to Christina McKelvie for her service to the committee as convener and wish her well in her role of Minister for Older People and Equalities.

Our next item will be to consider the committee’s approach to pre-budget scrutiny of the 2019-20 draft budget. The committee has previously agreed to consider such discussions in private. Before I suspend the meeting and move into private session, I advise that at our next meeting on 20 September, the committee will continue taking evidence on the Age of Criminal Responsibility (Scotland) Bill and will hear from Police Scotland and organisations that represent children.