Chamber and committees

Jan, do you have anything to add?

Good morning. Thank you for your opening statements and for all the information that you have provided so far.

I want to move on from my colleague Paul O’Kane’s questions. The state of the nation report provides an assessment of how civil and political rights are met in Scotland. In fact, the commission found that human rights failings occur across Scotland, specifically in places of detention and across rural communities. Extensive barriers were also reported in justice, which you have mentioned—you have talked about the monitoring. How has that report been received? What feeling do you get that the Scottish Government and public authorities are going to address those failings? You have mentioned the monitoring, but will they address those failings?

Thank you. I have a supplementary, and then I will ask one more question.

Even to this day, women are still at a disadvantage compared with men, and that is especially true of women in custody. Two years ago, a male double rapist was briefly put into a women’s prison simply because he had claimed that he was a woman. That put many vulnerable women at risk. Do you recognise the importance of single-sex spaces and services, especially when it comes to vulnerable women such as women in custody or in rape crisis centres?

Thank you. Angela O’Hagan, you said that you spoke to the First Minister. You may not want to divulge what was said, but were your recommendations and your considerations well received? As you say, it is good that there was a debate on the report, but was it received well?

You will be happy to hear that this is my last question. What more can MSPs do to ensure that the Parliament is effective as a human rights guarantor? Earlier, you mentioned some of the monitoring stuff that you want to do. Would there be any benefit in your doing further work with members and committees? What planning should be in place to prepare for the next parliamentary session?

I would like to ask one more question. You mentioned the rights of women, the rights of people with a disability and the rights of people from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. The committee has heard evidence that it is sometimes challenging to reach out to and engage with certain communities, especially ethnic minority communities. Have you had any problems in that regard? You said that you did some work in that area. What gaps did you notice? What more can we—or you—do to reach out to those communities?

As someone who comes from a BAME background, I know that there are certain things that I would find it difficult to do—whether in a job or anything else—not only as a woman, but as a member of an ethnic minority living in a different culture. There are some things that you would probably take for granted that you do every day, but which I would find difficult because of the cultural aspect surrounding that. Could you shed a bit of light on that?

Thank you.

Thank you for those responses. I have a question on data. In 2022, I was told that some work had to be done on collecting the data to identify those communities and spaces where this horrific practice takes place. What work has been done on data collection since I asked that question in Parliament in 2022?

Minister, today is the last day of the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. For many women, 16 days are a lifetime. Indeed, the latest Scottish Government statistics paint a very shocking picture, with almost 64,000 domestic abuse cases reported to Police Scotland, and a reoffending rate of 65 per cent, which is a 3 per cent increase.

Next month, we will be in 2025; the last domestic abuse act was passed in 2021, which is almost four years ago. I have spoken to many survivors and organisations who put in so much effort to ensure that that legislation was introduced and eventually passed, but they are still waiting. Can you update the committee on the Government’s target date for implementing part 1 of the 2021 act?

Minister, as I said, 64,000 cases were reported to Police Scotland—that is a 3 per cent rise on the year before. The number of reoffenders has gone up as well. What can you say to the survivors and victims who are out there listening today? Are they part of the Scottish Government’s consciousness?

Your officials have just said that next year, you are going to look at next steps. Those survivors are looking for an implementation date—I emphasise that to you, minister. People are suffering out there, and domestic violence is an abhorrent and shocking crime. We need to ensure that people who are going through domestic abuse have confidence that the Scottish Government is implementing the acts that are passed.

When you say that next steps will happen next year, what does that mean? Does it mean another year, or two years, later? What are we looking at here?