Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee

Meeting date: Thursday, April 20, 2017

Official Report 394KB pdf

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Cross-party Groups

Item 5 is approval of cross-party groups.

If there are no comments on the proposed WASPI CPG, are members content to approve the CPG?

Members indicated agreement.

If there are no comments on the proposed CPG on inflammatory bowel disease, are members content to approve the CPG?

Members indicated agreement.

Are there any comments on the CPG on freedom of religion or belief?

I have no objection to the creation of the group, but it is worth reflecting on some of the possible tensions that could exist between different equality strands in the group’s remit. The Scottish Parliament has legal duties under the public sector equality duty in the Equality Act 2010, which I assume would apply to cross-party groups. An eye should be kept on that in the future.

Do you wish to seek further clarification from the clerks or the legal team about that, or are you content to approve the group today?

It would be helpful if the legal team was able to advise specifically whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body’s duties under the 2010 act apply to cross-party groups. We might return to that at some point in the future.

Okay. Are members content to approve the CPG?

Members indicated agreement.

I will ask the clerks to seek that advice from the legal team.

Thank you.

10:48 Meeting continued in private until 10:52.