During Question Time in the Scottish Parliament,
(Glasgow) (Lab) asked:
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is
taking to engage communities across Scotland as the Hate Crime
and Public Order (Scotland) Bill progresses. (S5O-04494)
The Cabinet Secretary for Justice ():
Following the recommendations that
were made in Lord Bracadale’s “Independent Review of Hate Crime
Legislation in Scotland”, the Scottish Government engaged
extensively with stakeholders. In November 2018, the Scottish
Government launched the “One Scotland: Hate Has No Home Here”
consultation and ran 11 public awareness events throughout
Scotland. A series of stakeholder engagement events and
bilateral meetings were also undertaken.
Since the bill’s introduction, we
have engaged with more than 45 organisations. I have met a
number of stakeholders and organisations, including faith and
equalities groups, legal experts and victims groups. As the
bill makes its way through Parliament, I will ensure that I
continue to engage with those stakeholders, who include not
just representatives of communities that are directly affected
by hate crime but opponents of the bill. As I have said, it is
essential that we make sure that all those who have an opinion
on the bill have their voices listened to, and I have committed
to ensuring that I do that.
:
The justice secretary and I recognise the importance of
challenging hate crime and defeating prejudice and hatred.
Sadly, for us and many others, it is often a daily experience.
I know that the cabinet secretary and I share the same ambition
and want the same outcome, which is to make Scotland a fairer
and more equal country, where everyone has the same
opportunity, regardless of their race or religion.
There are lots of good things in the
bill—it consolidates the aggravation, adds vulnerability and
sex, and removes outdated blasphemy laws—but does the cabinet
secretary accept that the way in which aspects of the bill are
drafted and the narrative that has been built around the bill
risk undermining the very purpose of the bill, and risk
fracturing the coalition that we need to build across Scotland
if we are to defeat hate?
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
I ask you to be brief, cabinet secretary, because we are
pressed for time.
:
I do not think that Anas Sarwar’s
characterisation of the bill is incorrect; there are challenges
around the narrative. That is why it is important that, as
legislators, we all engage with those who oppose the bill and
that, crucially, we listen to the voices of those who are
impacted by hatred. has been at the forefront of tackling hatred in many
of its forms, so he will know that it is important that we
listen to the voices of those who are directly impacted by
it.
As the cabinet secretary who will
lead the bill through Parliament, I will engage, I will listen
and I will find common ground where I can. My only plea to
those who oppose the bill is to ask them to do the same and to
listen to those who are directly impacted by hate crime. They
should ask themselves why organisations such as the Equality
Network, Stonewall, the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities, the Muslim Council for
Scotland and many other groups support the bill, including its
inclusion of a stirring-up offence.
