Official Report 220KB pdf
Item 4 is a follow-up to our work on the Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation (Scotland) Act 2005, on which we were the lead committee. The Deputy Minister for Justice has written to inform the committee of the Executive's post-enactment activities in relation to FGM. Do members want to comment on the letter?
The letter is welcome, and the report and attached material are good. However, it does not seem that a huge amount of funding has been given to groups to run awareness seminars and so on. We obviously welcome their getting any funding, because that sends the message that they are worthy of support. Could we ask whether the funding was a one-off, how much was allocated to each group and whether there will be future funding? Could our clerks consider the recommendations that we made at the time—we asked for follow-up work to be done—to see whether the report covers them all? Perhaps we should have done that ourselves before coming to the meeting, but I did not have time to plough through my file on the matter. Could we consider under a future agenda item how the Executive's work matches up to what we asked for?
We will write to ask whether there will be more funding if it is necessary and if the requisite groups ask for it. When we get the response we can discuss it and try to match up the recommendations and the actions. We always knew that the act's success would depend on the quality of the work that was done after it was passed. That is why the minister's response is so welcome.
I echo what Elaine Smith said. Although the £3,000 funding is welcome, I wonder how far it will go, whether it is a one-off and whether there will be any follow-up. The same applies to the information that has been provided. Although it is good, are there plans to reissue it annually—new people are coming into Britain and into work all the time—until it is properly mainstreamed and everybody has training on the issue?
We welcome the report from the minister and note the post-enactment activities. Do members want the convener to write to the minister seeking further information about continuing activities, particularly in relation to whether funding is needed or has been requested, and the on-going issuing of guidance?
Sometimes money can be thrown at a problem. If the groups are operating in a non-bureaucratic way, perhaps £3,000 is adequate. We should check on that and check whether the funding could be repeated if it is required. Are members happy with that?
Meeting closed at 11:45.
Previous
Petition