Equal Opportunities Committee, 06 Mar 2007

Meeting date: Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Official Report 96KB pdf

---

Commission for Equality and Human Rights

Agenda item 3 concerns the commission for equality and human rights. We have received a letter from the equalities co-ordinating group expressing concern at the lack of representation of Scotland and Wales on the senior management team and in the currently proposed structure of the organisation. Do members have any comments?

In previous discussions, the committee has been concerned about that lack of representation. I therefore join the equalities co-ordinating group in expressing deep concerns. As a powerful committee of this Parliament, we should look into what action we can take.

I agree with Elaine Smith. The committee has expressed its concerns, particularly over there being no commissioner specific to Scotland. We have wondered how Scotland's case would be put across in a UK-wide commission. We should say in the strongest terms that we want clarification of whether there will be Scottish representation. Scotland must not be left behind without any input.

As you said, convener, we have made progress in Scotland. I would not like us to take a step backwards as a result of having no direct input into the commission. The committee must therefore express its view, perhaps in a letter.

When I think of all the work that has been put in, it is disappointing to say the least that the ECG has had to highlight that the arrangements for the CEHR are

"not adequately reflecting the importance and needs of Devolution within the core functional proposal".

The committee has expressed that very concern and we need to take strong action.

The ECG raises a number of concerns, and this committee has taken evidence on the single equalities body. I agree with the ECG's point about the importance of taking full account of the devolution settlement and of the unique and successful way in which equalities organisations operate in Scotland. We have a strong relationship with equalities organisations and we would not want to move away from that.

Clearly, we would like the CEHR to succeed and to have a strong relationship with the Parliament and with stakeholders in Scotland. Final decisions are still to be taken on the structure of the CEHR, so the committee might wish to write to the CEHR to request that further discussions take place in Scotland with stakeholders.

Members indicated agreement.

Clearly, although we acknowledge that the structures have still to be finalised, we would urge that a Scottish representative have a distinctive role. We have highlighted such issues in the past, during deliberations on the CEHR. If the ECG is concerned and if people in Wales are concerned, it is our responsibility to re-emphasise our concerns.

The Parliament held an equalities event not last Friday but the Friday before. Trevor Phillips was here at the Parliament, talking to us, so I would like to be able to say that I was convinced that we should not worry. However, in some way or another, I am not convinced. He came and he opened the event, but I am not sure whether he took all that much away. I would be keen for us to send a letter to him directly. We could ask the Minister for Communities to write to him as well. Would that be possible?

We could do both. It was heartening that Trevor Phillips agreed to come up to the event and to hear what Scottish organisations had to say. My worry is that we have already raised our concerns during early work on the CEHR but that our concerns do not seem to have made a great deal of difference. We should write to Trevor Phillips and to the Minister for Communities, if members feel that that would be helpful. We have to have some kind of dialogue.

From our experience of setting up the Parliament, we know that when you start with a blank sheet of paper you can put in place the things that need to be put in place. However, once an organisation starts to move, putting things in place becomes harder. The time to try to make changes to the CEHR is now.

I agree. Can we highlight those points in the legacy paper to our successor committee?

Yes, we have to do that.

Are members happy with the actions that have been proposed?

Members indicated agreement.

We will now discuss in private our draft legacy paper to the successor Equal Opportunities Committee.

Meeting continued in private until 10:43.