Seòmar agus comataidhean

I just want to echo how important the implementation of the legislation is and that there are women and girls out there who are suffering. Minister, I am really hoping—and will hold you to your word—that the act will be implemented in 2026,as you mentioned, because people out there are suffering right now, especially women and girls.

Good morning. The Female Genital Mutilation (Protection and Guidance) (Scotland) Act 2020 received royal assent in April 2020. However, almost five years later, it has yet to be implemented.

FGM is an abhorrent practice. There are an estimated 24,000 people living in Scotland who were born in countries where FGM happens. In 2022, I asked the then Minister for Equalities and Older People:

“Has there been more of a focus on collecting that data to accurately identify communities and spaces where this horrific practice might be taking place?”

The minister responded:

“The FGM guidance has been delayed as a result of difficult decisions that had to be taken at that time, but we are now re-establishing that work.”—[Official Report, 22 March 2022; c 18, 19.]

Every day of delay is a day too long.

The act strengthens the legal protection for women and girls at risk of FGM. Minister, as the pandemic is now over, why has there not been any progress? You just mentioned that the act could be implemented in 2026—given that we are at the end of 2024, that is another one to two years. There still is no guarantee that the act will be implemented. Minister, can you shed any more light on that?

I want to put on record that, in my original question, after I described the consultation process as rushed, I said straight away that it takes the appropriate amount of time. I know that you made that point.

I agree that consultation is very important to allow people to have their say. Committees are also important, as we can scrutinise and take evidence. My question was not about there being an issue with consultation. I am saying that the process is resource intensive—sometimes organisations are one-man bands or have only five people. I was asking what you would say to organisations when there is not a result at the end of the process and they have done all that hard work.

I wait to hear feedback next year on how the acts have been implemented.

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?

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?

Thank you.

I have one final question.

Minister, the committee has been hearing evidence on other legislation, and one of the issues that has been raised is that consultations are quite time consuming and resource intensive. Organisations sometimes do not have the manpower or the time, but consultations have deadlines, because the legislation eventually has to be implemented.

What would you say to those stakeholders, partners and organisations, who put a lot of time and effort into responding to consultations? We are talking about three crucial acts that, for various reasons, have not been implemented. You have rushed that through in a way—well, not rushed, but put in the right consultation time, only for there to be no results at the other end. What would you say to those stakeholders and partners?

Good morning. Last week, we heard from witnesses, including people with real-life experience, who were disheartened that, three years after it was announced, the learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence bill has yet to be introduced. We also heard from organisations that the consultation process was lengthy, as well as time consuming and resource consuming because of the deadlines that had to be met. Understandably, they felt disappointed because they put in so much effort, yet nothing happened.

Why is it necessary to have another consultation, when the analysis has been done and you have access to the expertise of the three panels that you have spoken about? What would you say to the people with real-life experience who said that they felt as if they have been at the “bottom of the pile” when it comes to the Scottish Government’s priorities?