Seòmar agus comataidhean

Thank you for clarifying that. I also believe in access of opportunity.

Thank you, Talat. Cat, do you have anything to add?

You have spoken about collecting data and about the great research that you are doing. Thank you for that; it is important. How does collecting data improve the diversity of candidates for political parties? I know that you have touched on that but it would be good to hear a little more, because I hope that political parties are listening today and will hear about the benefits.

Cat Murphy, you spoke about some of that so would you like to start?

Thank you for those responses.

Rebecca, you have talked about leadership, and I want to touch on the issue of role models. We all know—certainly, I do—that, when you are growing up and you see someone in a certain position on television, in the street or wherever, it can make you think, “I want to be there. Why can’t I be there?” As I said, that is what happened with me. That is how you get the ambition to be there.

My party—the Conservative Party—has had three female Prime Ministers, four female leaders, including a BAME leader, and two female leaders in Scotland. What more can councillors, MSPs, MPs and parties do as role models to attract more people by saying to them, “You can be an MP, MSP or councillor, too”?

Can I probe that a little? How do you balance merit with diversity? Having a quota is all well and good, but I hope I got elected because of my ability—perhaps I should ask my party director about that. It is important to look at both merit and diversity, so how do you balance that if you use a quota?

Our previous panel of witnesses spoke about the importance of collecting data on the diversity of candidates. They meant collection by them as organisations, obviously, for research, but that is also important for you, as representatives of the parties. Do you support the idea that your party should collect and publish data on candidates?

Thank you for all your opening statements. They contained really important information.

I want to go back to Talat Yaqoob’s point about merit. As one of the first women of colour, the first Sikh and the first Indian woman in the Scottish Parliament, I would never want to have been selected, just because I was a woman of colour. I would love to have been selected because I deserved to be—and I hope, and think, that that was the case; I had the experience and the talent, and the selection was merit based.

I have spoken to many people—I train a lot of BAME women—about whether this issue is about merit. To me, this is more about the opportunity being there, the policy being there and strategies being there with parties. You should never think that you should be number 1 or number 2 on a list, because you are of colour or because you are a woman. Therefore, I would like you to give me a little bit more information on that. Those are not only my personal views and experience, but the views of the BAME women whom I work with a lot.

I was going to say good morning, but it is the afternoon already, so good afternoon. I thank the witnesses for their opening statements and all the information that they have provided so far.

My question is on candidate lists. What action are you taking to ensure that women candidates are included in electable positions on party lists? Obviously, diversity is important, as I well know as one of the first women of colour and the first Indian woman to come into the Scottish Parliament. However, we all need to ensure that selections are based on merit and that women are placed on party lists because they would make an excellent elected official.

From personal experience, I can say that I would never have wanted my party to have selected me because of the colour of my skin or because of any other category that I was placed in. I would always have wanted to have been selected and elected based on my ability.

How do your parties balance diversity and merit?

You are right—you have to have a platform. I am very lucky: I am going to an ask her to stand event tonight, and then I will be having an interview with you next week. You are right that there are only two women of colour in the Parliament, and we cannot be everywhere, but we are quite fortunate in that we can be on certain platforms and can have that voice.

Do you not think, though, that it all comes back to being in leadership roles? As deputy chair of the Scottish Conservative Party, I know that, when I speak, I am going to speak for all those women of colour—that is what I am doing today for that minority group—but I am also speaking for all those women who are represented in a more merit-based system. Again, how important is leadership when it comes to these roles?

Good morning. I thank the witnesses for their opening statements. My question is about court fees. You have touched on how expensive Court of Session fees can be. The Aarhus convention compliance committee said that the court fee exemption should apply to other courts in Scotland and not just the Court of Session. What are your views on that?