Inquiry to be held over Holyrood harassment concerns

Holyrood's standards committee is to hold an inquiry in light of concerns about sexual harassment

Holyrood's standards committee has agreed to launch an inquiry into how the parliament deals with reports of sexual harassment.

In light of recent concerns about harassment and inappropriate behaviour, the committee is to examine procedures, rules and support for victims.

MSPs will take evidence from equalities groups, legal experts and unions and look at how other parliaments operate.

Convener Clare Adamson said this was an "important and detailed bit of work".

Meanwhile, two members of Holyrood's all-male management group of MSPs indicated they would quit, amid criticism about the lack of gender balance.

• Look back on SPCB questions on harassment on Holyrood Live

Holyrood's Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh had asked the standards committee to examine the code of conduct for MSPs, while committee member Daniel Johnson had sought support for an inquiry into how victims are supported.

The inquiry will examine reports of sexual harassment at the parliament, and how they are dealt with. It will look at how those making reports are supported, and the processes and rules relating to such matters.

The precise remit of the inquiry and the witnesses it will hear from is yet to be decided.

The parliamentary corporate body group is currently all male

Both Holyrood and Westminster have been hit by reports of harassment, with Scottish Children's Minister Mark McDonald resigning over "inappropriate" past behaviour.

Labour MSP Monica Lennon has also claimed she was groped by a senior male colleague, while it has been reported that SNP MSP Willie Coffey was reported to parliamentary authorities following a complaint about "unsolicited attention".

Parliamentary authorities set up a dedicated phone line for people to report concerns, which officials confirmed received four calls during the first three days it was in operation.

There have been calls for Holyrood's all-male management group of MSPs, the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, to resign to usher in a more gender-balanced group.

This was reiterated by former Labour leader Kezia Dugdale during a question session to the group at Holyrood, where all nine questions tabled were on the subject of harassment.

Gender balance

SNP MSP Gordon Macdonald has now announced he is quitting the group while he recovers from an operation, which the party said provided an opportunity to replace him with a female MSP.

Green representative Andy Wightman said he would also be leaving the SPCB, saying it was "no longer tenable" for it to be all-male.

He said he would step down once parliament had agreed a way of appointing a more gender-balanced team - and said he would resign regardless if this did not happen within a reasonable timescale.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also made reference to this during her weekly question session, telling MSPs that "parliament has a duty to lead by example" while pursuing legislation about gender balance on public boards.

Mr Macintosh has suggested that changes could also be made to the bureau - the group which organises parliamentary business and which is also currently all-male.

During questions to the SPCB, Mr Wightman revealed that the presiding officer had written to party leaders to look at how gender balance could be achieved.

Elsewhere in the session, Ms Lennon renewed her calls for an independent inquiry into the issue of harassment, while Gillian Martin suggested an independent audit of the experiences of female MSPs and staff.