Official Report 127KB pdf
Members have a paper from the clerk for this agenda item. The convener of the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee has written to all committee conveners about mainstreaming equal opportunities in the work of parliamentary committees. The paper sets out our involvement in equalities issues, such as those that can arise under the European convention on human rights and Community law. We also scrutinise and report on drafting practice—for example, failure to use gender-neutral language in instruments.
I was content when I read that officials constantly monitor reports to ensure that all the language is gender neutral and takes into account all the other requirements that would come under the umbrella of equal opportunities. We do not need to do anything unusual. We should have an annual reporting mechanism rather than an on-going one, because it seems to be officials' practice anyway.
Why would we not include anything in this year's annual report? Can we not say in the annual report that, as its response to the letter on mainstreaming equality, the committee has agreed to report in future?
So we should make a reference to it.
Yes, we should just say that we are going to do it. Otherwise, it might be that every other committee mentions it and we do not.
It seems to be part of the officials' culture anyway.
Should the report be required under standing orders or should it be voluntary?
Has the Equal Opportunities Committee said that it should be required under standing orders?
It has made that suggestion; the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee favours a voluntary approach initially but would like other committees' views.
A voluntary approach would be sensible.
That is what other committees have said.
To summarise, once a session would be sufficient; the report would be contained in our annual report; and reporting would be voluntary.
We always have the option of reviewing that and, if it does not work, ensuring that reporting on equal opportunities becomes part of standing orders in due course.
The intention is for the convener to write to the convener of the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee with this committee's views.
Meeting closed at 14:47.