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The Scottish Government participates actively in international human rights monitoring mechanisms, including the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), and welcomes the engagement of both national human rights institutions and civil society organisations.

The Scottish Human Rights Commission plays a formal part in these mechanisms and the Scottish Government’s position on the matters raised in the context of the UPR will be made public in due course. The United Nations Human Rights Council is expected to hold an interactive dialogue in Geneva in 2017.

Scotland’s National Action Plan for Human Rights (SNAP) is a co-produced initiative which pursues the shared vision of a Scotland where everyone is able to live with human dignity. SNAP was launched jointly in 2013 by the Chair of the Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC), the then Deputy First Minister and the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights.

The Scottish Government contributes to the work of SNAP in a variety of ways and values the potential which it offers for enhanced collaboration between SNAP partners, including the SHRC, public sector institutions, the private sector, the third sector, and contributors from across the whole of Scottish civil society. The Scottish Government commented on proposals for the future of SNAP which were prepared by the SHRC and presented to a meeting of SNAP partners held on 31 October 2016. The Scottish Government has also offered to assist the SHRC in taking an Improvement approach to SNAP, with a view to supporting practical delivery and enabling progress to be measured.

The Scottish Government is directly accountable to the Scottish Parliament for the action it takes to give effect to human rights obligations in Scotland. It also participates actively in international human rights monitoring mechanisms run by both the United Nations and the Council of Europe.

Examinations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and the UN Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) were held during 2016. Scotland’s record will be further examined at the United Nations in 2017 under the Universal Periodic Review. An examination under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) is expected later in the year. State party reports under the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT) will also be submitted in 2017.

Recent Scottish Government-led activity designed to achieve the further and better implementation of human rights in Scotland has included: a Disability Delivery Plan linked to the UNCRPD; a Race Equality Framework which reflects CERD obligations; implementation of Equally Safe, Scotland’s strategy to prevent and eradicate violence against women and girls, in keeping with both CEDAW and the Istanbul Convention; use of Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment to support implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC); a Fairer Scotland Action Plan which addresses a wide range of economic and social rights; action to embed dignity and respect at the heart of social security provision in Scotland; and the robust defence of civil and political rights in the face of UK Government threats to the Human Rights Act. The Scottish Government is also committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is working to integrate both human rights and the SDGs into Scotland’s National Performance Framework.

The Scottish Government has regular discussions with stakeholders from across the whole of Scottish civil society. Those discussions address the full spectrum of international human rights obligations – civil, political, economic, social and cultural – as well as specific obligations set out in treaties concerning, for example, the rights of disabled people, the rights of children, the elimination of racial discrimination, the elimination of discrimination against women, the prevention of torture and inhuman treatment, the rights of national minorities, and obligations in relation to regional and minority languages. Recent meetings with stakeholders have included a roundtable event to support civil society engagement with the Universal Periodic Review process, under which Scotland’s record will be examined by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2017.

The effectiveness of human rights legislation in Scotland is assessed in a variety of ways, including in reports submitted to the United Nations and the Council of Europe and through the work of UN Special Rapporteurs and the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights. The Scottish Government is committed to integrating both human rights and the UN Sustainable Development Goals in the National Performance Framework. The Scottish Parliament itself plays a central role in monitoring and evaluating compliance with relevant obligations. Scotland’s courts act as the ultimate forum in which the effectiveness of human rights legislation can be definitively tested.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-05525 on 9 January 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

This is an operational matter for Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). I have asked the Interim Chief Executive of HIE to contact you with the information you have requested and my understanding is that this will be with you soon.

Our draft Budget for 2017-18 provides for an additional £107m, bringing the total support available from the NHS through Integration Authorities to protect social care to £357m. In addition, we have committed to work with local authorities, providers, disabled people and other partners to deliver reform to adult social care, beginning with work to reform the National Care Home Contract, and looking at the funding and delivery of Care at Home.

On 18 February 2016, the Cabinet Secretary announced the creation of the Primary Care Mental Health Fund alongside the Primary Care Transformation Fund, which Boards – working with their partners, which may include third sector organisations – can submit proposals to support this transformative change.

Through the fund, £10 million will be invested in primary care mental health services over 2016-17 and 2017-18 to encourage the development of new models of care to ensure that people with mental health challenges are provided with the most appropriate treatment, as quickly as possible, in the most appropriate setting.

The Scottish Government's Trafficking and Exploitation Strategy will be published by 31 May 2017 as required by the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015. This will set out the Scottish Government’s plans to address human trafficking in Scotland, including monitoring, data collection, reporting and staff training. The Scottish Government’s draft proposals in these areas are set out in the draft strategy (available at https://consult.scotland.gov.uk/human-trafficking-team/a-human-trafficking-and-exploitation-strategy/) a public consultation on which recently closed.

In relation to hate crime, we accept the recommendations of the report of the Independent Advisory Group on Hate Crime, Prejudice and Community Cohesion, and will set out how we intend to take these forward in early 2017. This will include monitoring, data collection, reporting and staff training.

The Scottish Government believe that consumers must be empowered to take action when things go wrong and that is why we are committed to using new powers on consumer advocacy and advice to ensure the interests of Scotland’s consumers are protected, including in the energy market. It is vital that we create a system of consumer protection, competition and regulation in Scotland that is fully aligned with the needs of our citizens and businesses and which improves people’s lives. Although our powers are limited, we will use these to maximum effect.

We published our policy statement Delivering better outcomes for consumers and businesses in Scotland on 13 December and it can be found at http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2016/12/5688 The statement outlines a number of current and planned activities along with a set of principles which will guide our work.

The Scottish Government are fully supportive of energy market reforms that will promote a market that works equally well for all Scottish energy consumers regardless of geographical location and meter type. We are actively encouraging suppliers to move forward with implementation and will monitor the impact within the Scottish context. This was discussed at the Scottish Government's Energy Summit held on 14 December in Edinburgh.

This Government has made it clear that we will maintain the dedicated support including HIE’s strengthening communities remit which is locally based, managed and directed by HIE and protects the unique services that HIE delivers for our Highlands and Islands economy.

HIE will retain its Chief Executive based at its headquarters in Inverness, staff will also continue to operate from the Headquarters in Inverness and HIE’s area-based locations across the area from Lerwick to Lochgilphead. Businesses and communities will continue to access services across the Highlands and Islands area.

Similarly HIE will continue to engage with local authorities and Business Gateway to deliver effective support to businesses.

As part of the work being taken forward in Phase two of the Enterprise and Skills Review we will consider the formation, format and remit of the new Scotland-wide Statutory Board. This will include what needs to be put in place in relation to budgets, appraisal, monitoring and evaluation of a range of areas including performance measures of HIE and their operational plans to ensure that HIE continues to be able to deliver an excellent service to the Highlands and Islands.

In addition we will consider areas including remuneration, risk and assurance currently carried out by current Board committees.

HIE senior management will continue to work in the same way as they do now but will benefit from the coordination provided by the new Scotland-wide Statutory Board.

This Government wants to see the strongest possible links between the work of HIE, Skills Development Scotland and the Funding Council to ensure that the support we are providing to train our young people, improve the skills of our workforce, support our businesses and communities is aligned with the economic needs of the Highlands and Islands and of Scotland.