It is entirely up to you, cabinet secretary.

Good afternoon, cabinet secretary and officials. I appreciate the time that you have spent with the committee today.

Before I ask my question, I put on the record how pleased I was to hear you mention nurture, which is very close to my heart. In my constituency, PEF money has been spent on nurture, and I have seen how that positive reinforcement and emotional literacy has permeated whole schools and not only the children who are accessing nurture classes or being given additional support in that area.

How is the Government supporting local authorities to meet the stretch aims that Mr Gregory mentioned? You alluded to the fact that, when you came into post, some of those stretch aims were perhaps a bit vague. Will you speak to some of the work that is being done to firm them up and to support local authorities to achieve them?

We are fortunate that Scotland is home to products that are recognised around the world for their quality. Thankfully, the UK Government has U-turned on its damaging plans to water down the definition of “single malt”, which would have been detrimental to our whisky industry.

Will the cabinet secretary assure me and, more importantly, the industry that the Scottish Government will continue to support and promote Scottish food and drink producers and their products, unlike the Labour Party, which, once again, has failed to fulfil a pre-election promise—its promise to back Scottish producers to the hilt?

Women experience and navigate public space differently from men, and that has long been the case. Pre-existing gender inequalities have dictated women’s patterns of movement and participation outside the home for decades, if not centuries. There are the dynamics of paid and unpaid work and women’s participation in the public and domestic spheres, their use of or exclusion from different public buildings and services, and issues around safety and security.

Gender inequality is an enduring issue because structures have perpetuated it. The Scottish and UK Governments, the public and third sectors and businesses all have a role to play in restructuring our systems. All of us in Parliament have a responsibility to ensure that women and girls are supported to participate fully in decisions that affect their lives in relation to all personal, educational and professional opportunities.

Of course, there are some important areas of law that are relevant to today’s debate that are currently reserved, such as the Equality Act 2010. The law around single-sex spaces has been the same across Britain since that act was passed by the UK Parliament more than a decade ago.

The law functions in two ways. A policy that does not allow trans people to access single-sex spaces in line with their lived sex will be unlawful if it is not

“a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.”

However, the legislation allows spaces to be operated on a separate-sex basis without that being unlawful sex discrimination.

To reiterate points that colleagues have already made, public bodies in Scotland are expected to comply with the requirements of the Equality Act 2010, and it is the responsibility of service providers to interpret and comply with that UK act. The legislation is clear that single-sex spaces to enable and enhance the protection of women and girls are permissible.

To establish a separate single-sex service, service providers must show that they meet at least one of a number of statutory conditions, and that limiting the service on the basis of sex is

“a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.”

For example, according to guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which is the UK body that is responsible for enforcing the legislation, a legitimate aim could be for reasons of privacy or decency, to prevent trauma or to ensure health and safety. The service provider must be able to show that their action is a proportionate way of achieving that aim.

The Scottish Government has been crystal clear in its support of the 2010 act’s provision of separate and single-sex exemptions. As a modern progressive nation, it is incumbent on us to demonstrate our leadership on human rights. The Scottish Government is taking practical steps to secure the progressive implementation of all human rights by seeking to embed equality, dignity and respect in our services. At Government level, that involves building the public sector’s capacity and capability to embed a human rights-based approach in everything that it does.

I am aware of the comments that were made last week by Aberdeenshire Council’s principal solicitor in his evidence to the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee on reforms to the public sector equality duty. He acknowledged that, although there are pending judicial rulings and outcomes, Aberdeenshire Council’s focus as a public body is clear. It endeavours to ensure that equality duties are considered in everything that it does and that a consistent approach is applied to planning and resourcing the provision of safe spaces for everyone where services are delivered.

Just last week, I had the privilege of speaking to and answering questions from two sets of school pupils in my constituency. One topic of discussion was the incorporation into Scots law of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was a landmark moment in the Parliament’s history, and one of which we should be very proud. It is always with some amazement and a few open mouths that young people respond to hearing tales from my school days and how things have changed for the better.

The serious point is that the public sector has absolutely risen to the challenge of doing the right thing by our children and young people, and we are seeing much progress in that area. The Scottish Government is now in the process of developing robust proposals to incorporate into Scots law international treaties concerning women, disabled people and people who have experienced racism.

Our public services are just that—they are public and accessible to everyone, and they must balance the needs of all users. Sometimes that will not be an easy task, and decisions will require to be made on a case-by-case basis, using a commonsense, practical and empathetic approach that is cognisant of particular local circumstances. All of us in our leadership roles must reinforce the need to treat everyone with compassion, dignity and respect.

I think that we are all in agreement that women and girls in Scotland must be empowered to exercise equal rights and opportunities, have equitable access to economic resources and decision making, and live their lives free from all forms of violence, abuse and harassment. The Scottish Government is continually taking forward work to protect, promote and improve equality for women and girls in Scotland.

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect the value of provenance in the Scottish food and drink industry. (S6O-04414)

Good morning, and welcome to the eighth meeting in 2025 of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee. I have received apologies from Elena Whitham and David Torrance.

The first item on our agenda is a decision on whether to take item 4 in private. Do members agree to do so?

Members indicated agreement.

To what extent does sportscotland have oversight of youth football in Scotland?

Despite the fact that you give funding to the SFA?

I have to say, Mr Dunlop, that I am rather concerned by what I have heard this morning. You said that you will have conversations and that you are trying to influence, but given that the issue that has been raised this morning has been coming to the committee’s attention for several years and over several parliamentary sessions, I am concerned that sportscotland has not already picked up on it. The complaint was put into the CMA in December last year, and we are now in March, but there have not been conversations yet. I ask that you update the committee on sportscotland’s position when you have had those discussions with the SFA and the SPFL.

Thank you. I call Emma Harper.