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We have signed up to international human rights laws that protect the right to food, but the Scottish Human Rights Commission is calling on the Government to take action and go a little bit further to ensure that the bill is fit for purpose in tackling poverty and health-related inequalities while supporting local economies and industry. How important has it been that people with lived experience of food poverty and lack of access to good food have had input? How has that been ensured in the development of the plans?

Good morning to the panel. I note, as a caveat, that my question is about how data has been gathered and used to inform the development of the plan as distinct from consultation on a finalised draft plan.

In the spirit of COP26, I highlight that reforming food systems is crucial if we are to hit our targets. In Scotland, the debate centres on what it means to be a good food nation. Will you comment on best practice in an international context and on how Scotland can learn from other countries as we seek to reform the food system? We do well in pioneering best practice in our world-beating food and drink sectors, but can we nevertheless learn from the likes of Italy on food culture, Finland on local food and Brazil on dietary guidelines? Those are just a few countries that have made changes—and acknowledged progress—from which we can all learn.

I declare a bit of an interest here, in that I have lived experience with regard to transitions, so I am grateful to you for bringing the issue to the attention of the committee.

There is a real sense of urgency behind your opening statement. Can you be certain that the balance between the information that you have from the previous consultation and the urgency of the situation is proportionate? What discussions have you had with the Scottish Government in relation to any possible policy intentions?

Good morning. I thank you all for your testimony this morning.

Do the witnesses view this issue as one on which there should be no exemptions and no excuses, or do you take the view of some that the practice is merely objectionable? What do you feel about the issue of consent?

Good morning. The witnesses mentioned questioning people and guiding them to think of life before March 2020, but things have changed significantly in many ways, and some things will never be the same again. Does the plan adequately accommodate the post-EU-exit and post-pandemic landscape? If not, how could the new landscape be incorporated into the plan? What would that look like in terms of changes of direction, aims and objectives?

I thank the panel for a very insightful session. I have learned quite a bit from it.

I had a specific question about education, but it may have grown arms and legs from hearing people give their feedback. In considering how to close the attainment gap for children in an island context, it is clearly important to recognise that inequalities are caused not only by poverty but by a range of situational factors that surround each household, which could include access to subject choices that suit a young person’s needs, for example. The point that Kieran Sinclair made about access to support for the LGBT community is pertinent. Professionals need to be able to take a holistic, multi-agency approach to assess and respond to needs in each individual situation.

What does a holistic approach look like when it comes to seeing poverty through the lens of not just educational attainment but social support, general practitioner provision and housing, for example? How can we ensure that young people on the islands have the same opportunities that young people on mainland Scotland have to close that attainment gap?

My question is on data and analysis for human rights budgeting. I highlight that we are at the beginning of black history month and that, throughout the pandemic, black, Asian and minority ethnic people have been acutely affected by pre-existing inequalities across a huge range of areas. As the pandemic has progressed, many of those underlying inequalities have made its impact far more severe for BAME people. What are your views on the quality of data on the equality characteristics? What improvements are planned in the light of forthcoming human rights obligations? For example, will you increase sample sizes of data for specific groups such as particularly vulnerable and minority groups?

It is nice to see well-kent faces. I direct my question to Alison Evison. I will build on an issue that has been mentioned. The pandemic has made more stark some of the inequalities of which we were already aware. There are numerous examples relating to local authorities, including increasing requirements for social care, housing services, school meals, council tax relief funds, and even for domestic waste, as more people have been working from home.

Virtually every local authority service has been impacted by the pandemic. In the context of what was known before and what the post-lockdown world has exposed, how do you prioritise matters, or at least focus on them, when looking through that equalities lens? I ask that you go into a bit more detail about what you have already mentioned. What does that look like practically when it comes to pre-budget planning?

Good morning, Rhoda. You touched on the Scottish Government’s intentions. Have you had discussions with the Government about its policy intentions?

Thank you.