– in the Scottish Parliament at on 20 March 2024.
David Torrance
Scottish National Party
7. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how the projects and activities that it funds through its international development programmes contribute to promoting human rights. (S6O-03222)
Kaukab Stewart
Scottish National Party
Our international development portfolio takes human rights-based approaches to advance the rights of marginalised groups very seriously. Key themes include health, inclusive education and equality, in alignment with the priorities of our partner countries and United Nations sustainable development goals.
Our recently launched £3 million women and girls fund will directly support women and girl-led organisations to advance gender equality and promote the rights of women and girls in our partner countries. Our education programming seeks to improve access to education for women, girls and disabled children. In health, our non-communicable diseases work aims to expand equitable access to safe and quality care.
David Torrance
Scottish National Party
The United Kingdom Tory Government’s approach to foreign policy has seen cuts to vital international development assistance programmes, along with proposed legislation that penalises some of the most vulnerable people in the world, at a cost to the taxpayer of £3.9 billion. Will the Minister reiterate calls for the UK Government to abandon the horrific Rwanda bill and reaffirm the SNP Government’s commitment to stand up for fairness, compassion, dignity and help for those who need it?
Kaukab Stewart
Scottish National Party
We have consistently called on the UK Government to fulfil its legal commitment to invest 0.7 per cent of the UK’s gross national income in official development assistance.
We have been clear in our Opposition to the UK Government’s plans to relocate people to third countries since the memorandum of understanding with Rwanda was announced. The UK Government’s Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill and its treaty with Rwanda abdicate the UK’s moral and international responsibilities to recognise and support refugees.
People should be able to make a claim for asylum with full and fair consideration by the Home Office and, if successful, they should be supported to rebuild their lives as refugees in the UK.
The political party system in the English-speaking world evolved in the 17th century, during the fight over the ascension of James the Second to the Throne. James was a Catholic and a Stuart. Those who argued for Parliamentary supremacy were called Whigs, after a Scottish word whiggamore, meaning "horse-driver," applied to Protestant rebels. It was meant as an insult.
They were opposed by Tories, from the Irish word toraidhe (literally, "pursuer," but commonly applied to highwaymen and cow thieves). It was used — obviously derisively — to refer to those who supported the Crown.
By the mid 1700s, the words Tory and Whig were commonly used to describe two political groupings. Tories supported the Church of England, the Crown, and the country gentry, while Whigs supported the rights of religious dissent and the rising industrial bourgeoisie. In the 19th century, Whigs became Liberals; Tories became Conservatives.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
The Opposition are the political parties in the House of Commons other than the largest or Government party. They are called the Opposition because they sit on the benches opposite the Government in the House of Commons Chamber. The largest of the Opposition parties is known as Her Majesty's Opposition. The role of the Official Opposition is to question and scrutinise the work of Government. The Opposition often votes against the Government. In a sense the Official Opposition is the "Government in waiting".
