- 1st Report, 2015 (Session 4): Subordinate Legislation (391KB pdf)
SP Paper 673 (Web Only)
EO/S4/15/R1
Remit and membership
Remit:
1. The remit of the Equal Opportunities Committee is to consider and report on matters relating to equal opportunities and upon the observance of equal opportunities within the Parliament.
2. In these Rules, “equal opportunities” includes the prevention, elimination or regulation of discrimination between persons on grounds of sex or marital status, on racial grounds or on grounds of disability, age, sexual orientation, language or social origin or of other personal attributes, including beliefs or opinions such as religious beliefs or political opinions.”
(Standing Orders of the Scottish Parliament, Rule 6.9)
Membership:
Christian Allard
Jayne Baxter
John Finnie
Alex Johnstone
John Mason
Margaret McCulloch (Convener)
Sandra White (Deputy Convener)
Committee Clerking Team:
Clerk to the Committee
Ruth McGill
Assistant Clerk
Ailsa Burn-Murdoch
Subordinate Legislation
The Committee reports to the Parliament as follows—
Background
1. At its 2nd meeting on 5 February 20151, the Equal Opportunities Committee formally considered the following instrument—
- The Equality Act 2010 (Specification of Public Authorities) (Scotland) Order 2015 [draft];
2. The instrument was laid on 7 January 2015 and is subject to affirmative procedure. It was referred to the Equal Opportunities Committee as lead committee as it relates to the Equality Act 2010 (‘the 2010 Act’)2.
3. This Order adds certain bodies to the list of Scottish public authorities in Part 3 of Schedule 19 to the Equality Act 2010. The public authorities listed in that Part are subject to the public sector equality duty in section 149 of that Act.
4. The public sector equality duty is to have regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited under the Act, to advance equality of opportunity and to foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.
Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee consideration
5. The Committee noted that the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee considered the instrument at its meeting on 20 January 20153 and agreed it did not need to draw it to the attention of the Parliament.
Equal Opportunities Committee consideration
6. The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners’ Rights, Alex Neil and accompanying Scottish Government officials, gave evidence on the instrument at the Equal Opportunities Committee meeting on 5 February 2015.
7. The Cabinet Secretary moved the motion lodged in his name: S4M-12227—That the Equal Opportunities Committee recommends that the Equality Act 2010 (Specification of Public Authorities) (Scotland) Order 2015 be approved.
8. The motion was agreed to.
Any links to external websites in this report were working correctly at the time of publication. However, the Scottish Parliament cannot accept responsibility for content on external websites
Footnotes:
1 Scottish Parliament Equal Opportunities Committee. Official Report, 5 February 2015.
2 Available at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents
3 Scottish Parliament Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee. Official Report, 20 January 2015. Col 3
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