FOUR men and three women MSPs will investigate Holyrood’s culture in the wake of the sexual harassment scandal that has swept through politics north and south of the Border.
Clare Adamson of the SNP is the convener of the committee holding the inquiry announced last week by Ken Macintosh, the Scottish Parliament’s presiding officer.
She is joined by deputy convener Patrick Harvie of the Scottish Greens plus SNP MSPs Kate Forbes and Tom Arthur, and Tories Alexander Stewart and Jamie Halcro Johnston. Labour MSP Daniel Johnson has indicated he will step down from the committee and is expected to be replaced by a female Labour MSP.
Tomorrow they will decide if they should hold initial discussions on the inquiry behind closed doors when they meet to lay out the groundwork for the inquiry on November 23.
An agenda for tomorrow’s meeting of the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments committee stated: “The Committee will decide whether its consideration of its approach to its inquiry into sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct at the Scottish Parliament should be taken in private at a future meeting.”
It is understood a private meeting is being considered with a view to allowing the MSPs to freely discuss witnesses they may want to call. The inquiry will review the MSP Code of Conduct to see if it provides sufficient protection or whether it should be improved. It will take evidence from a range of organisations including equality and women’s groups, trade unions and employment law experts.
“We want to make sure the code of conduct is absolutely fit for purpose in terms of sexual harassment or any other harassment issues that may come to light,” said Adamson last night.
“At this stage it is not about individual experience,s but that may change.”
The inquiry comes after lawyer Aamer Anwar said sexual harassment was rife at Holyrood.
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