Minutes: 01 April 2025

1. Decision on taking business in private:

The Committee agreed to take items 3 to 6 in private.

2. Scottish Human Rights Commission:

The Committee took evidence on the Commission's report on progress in moving people from institutions to independent living from—

Jan Savage, Executive Director, Oonagh Brown, Participation and Policy Officer and Cathy Asante, Legal Officer - Human Rights based approach, Scottish Human Rights Commission.

3. Scottish Human Rights Commission (In Private):

The Committee considered the evidence it heard under agenda item 2 and agreed to write to the Scottish Government highlighting issues arising out of the session.

4. British Sign Language Inquiry (In Private):

The Committee considered its approach to the inquiry and agreed—

• the terms of the inquiry;
• to issue a call for views;
• to hold three evidence sessions;
• to take evidence from the Implementation Advisory Group and the Scottish Government;
• to agree further witnesses on the basis of the responses to the call for views;
• to undertake engagement work; and
• to take consideration of evidence heard and draft reports on this inquiry in private.

5. International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) (In Private):

The Committee considered its approach to scrutiny of the Human Rights Consortium Scotland’s report submitted to the UN Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights and agreed—

• the terms of the scrutiny process;
• to hold two evidence sessions;
• to take evidence from the Scottish Human Rights Commission and civil society groups, followed by the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice;
• to take any consideration of evidence heard and draft reports in private.

6. EU Law Tracker (In Private):

The Committee considered correspondence from the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee and agreed to write to the Minister for Equalities.

7. Operation of the Public Sector Equality Duty in Scotland (In Private):

The Committee considered the evidence received on the inquiry and agreed to consider a draft report at a future meeting.