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The next item is reporters' progress reports. The first report is from Johann Lamont on gender issues.
This is beginning to sound like a repeat performance, but the group has not met and a meeting has yet to be organised. There was an important debate last week—Gill Paterson's members' business—which addressed some of the issues that we have been examining, such as the experience of women in the judicial system. Assurances were given by the Deputy Minister for Justice that action would be taken, specifically in relation to "Towards a Just Conclusion". We need to consider what the minister is suggesting. We can make progress on that but I am conscious that the group has not met, and I will try to organise that as soon as I can.
Thank you, Johann.
There has not been a meeting of the race committee since the previous one.
Okay. I know that Nora has a report and an update on our discussions last week on amendments to the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Bill.
The sexual orientation reporters group met last week. We were particularly concerned with examining the suggested amendment to the bill. At our previous meeting we had been concerned by the wording of the amendment, where the wording derived from, and whether it treated same-sex couples in the same way as opposite-sex couples.
Yes. Nora will lodge the amendment on behalf of the committee, but it will have to be lodged soon. The relevant section of the bill might not be considered next week, but it could be, because swift progress is being made. We will have to make a decision today.
I am sorry about this. It is not satisfactory.
Does the committee want a 10-minute adjournment to look at the draft amendment?
Meeting adjourned.
On resuming—
We have not had quite 10 minutes, but I hope that everyone has had a chance to consider the amendment.
The proposed amendment was discussed at the meeting. I can claim little credit for the end result, as I handed it over to people with legal expertise, who have come back with what they suggest is an amendment that meets an equality test. I leave it to members of the committee to decide whether they are happy with the wording as presented.
Nora will have to lodge the amendment and attend the Justice and Home Affairs Committee to speak to the amendment. Members of that committee will then have to vote against the Executive's amendment, a copy of which we saw last week. Although Nora will not be able to vote in that committee, she will be able to move her amendment.
I am not clear about the procedure. Is it possible to ask the Executive to accept this as an alternative amendment, rather than going through the process of challenging the Executive amendment? If the Executive was happy to accept our wording, would that be a neater way of dealing with the matter?
We could certainly try that, as we did with the census order. It would not then be necessary to lodge another amendment. We would have to get that sorted out some time today and lodge the amendment as soon as possible so that we did not miss the deadline.
Do you have any other comments, Nora?
No—that was all that we concentrated on. The next meeting of the reporters group is on 1 March and any member who wants to come along will be welcome.
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