Equality and human rights must be at heart of Programme for Government
This week's Programme for Government must have human rights and equality at its heart, says the Scottish Greens equality spokesperson, Maggie Chapman MSP.
Ms Chapman has called for the First Minister to lay out clear timelines for a watertight ban on conversion practices and the introduction of the Human Rights Bill.
Both policies were key commitments in the Bute House Agreement that brought the Scottish Greens into government, and were featured in both party manifestos, but both have already been delayed and neither has a timeline for implementation.
There have been media reports indicating that the Scottish Government will seek to use UK legislation to ban conversion practice rather than continuing with a specific Scottish ban.
Ms Chapman said: “The Programme for Government is a key opportunity for the First Minister to stand up, show where his principles and values lie, and lay out his priorities. Human rights and equality must be at the heart of this vision, not just in words but also in action.
“These are crucial bills, and they have been continuously delayed. Many of us want to see them introduced with enough time for scrutiny, so that we can ensure they are as strong and as robust as possible.
"The First Minister has repeatedly said that tackling child poverty is his government’s main mission. The Human Rights legislation in particular will give him and all public bodies the tools to strengthen our action to protect and enhance the rights - and wellbeing - of children and young people.
“Everyone in Scotland deserves to be protected from harm, and these bills are crucial to ensuring that. However, we are running out of time and, without clear timelines, many will be worried that they may not be introduced in this parliamentary session.
“Particularly against a backdrop of negativity, scapegoating and scaremongering from Westminster and parts of the media, it is vital that we stand up for human rights and against those who would seek to undermine or remove them.
“Our parliament is at its best when we are working together to build a more equal society. These bills are part of that tradition and I hope to see them at the centre of this week’s Programme for Government."
