Tess White
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party · Scotland
“It is scandalous that the Scottish National Party Government has spent millions of pounds funding self-identification groups while shutting sex-based women’s organisations out of public funding.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the social justice secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the protection of people’s human rights in relation to new renewable energy infrastructure, including the proposed SSEN Transmission 400kV overhead power line in the North East Scotland region. (S6O-05604)”
“Does the First Minister agree with his Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy’s comment that, if people do not want pylons, battery storage or other destructive infrastructure in rural Scotland, they are on the far right? If he does not agree with her, will he apologise for her disgraceful remark?”
“Siobhian Brown: We have heard the consensus, and this is an issue that needs to be addressed in the next parliamentary session. A commission that can examine and consider the many issues that have been aired today and act quickly in the next session is the way forward ahead of legislation that the Parliament can scrutinise and amend, know…”
“Liam Kerr and Pam Gosal gave example after example of when time was made available at the beginning of the day or at the end. I am not allowed to say that the Scottish Government was lying, but it was a misrepresentation of the truth. I thank Ruth Maguire for her intervention on Maggie Chapman, because we were cringing at her speech.”
“I am clear that we cannot dismiss the comments from women involved in prostitution who are “terrified” of the proposals. That should make us all pause. Ahead of today’s debate, members received many briefings that highlight the risks, but I appreciate that opinion is divided on the issue.”
The complete record
Every one of 316 lines we hold for Tess White, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 3 of 7.
“I, too, thank my colleague Sue Webber for bringing this important debate to the chamber— The Deputy Presiding Officer: Can we have your microphone up, please? Tess White: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. In the past few months, I have had near misses from a souped-up e-scooter or e-bike in Edinburgh. One morning, I came into the office and said to my colleague Sue Webber, “I was nearly knocked over by a bike last night in the Meadows, and it was a souped-up e-bike.” She said, “Well, I’ve got a members’ business debate coming up,” so I am delighted to be speaking today. Sometimes, in Edinburgh in the evening, it feels like there is a scary swarm of riders, many with balaclavas and no lights on their machines. I ask members to imagine what that would be like if they were partially sighted.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the decision of the employment tribunal of Sandie Peggie v NHS Fife health board.”
“I move amendment S6M-19970.2, to insert at end: “; recognises, however, that violence against women and girls takes place both online and offline, and that clear action is needed from the Scottish Government to tackle it; emphasises that reported crimes against women and girls in Scotland are rising; welcomes Dr Pam Gosal MBE MSP’s Prevention of Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Bill, which, if passed, will tackle violence against women; questions the lack of Scottish Government support and legislative deliverance to tackle violence against women and girls; urges all public bodies to ensure that they are following the Supreme Court’s judgment on the definition of ‘sex’; raises concern about the reports of grooming gangs in Scotland, and calls, therefore, on the Scottish Government to urgently establish an inquiry to understand the extent of the abuse and the action necessary to tackle it.” The Deputy Presiding Officer: I remind members who are seeking to speak in the debate to check that they have pressed their request-to- speak buttons.”
“The vast majority of people in Scotland now see that the cult of gender ideology is harmful to women and girls, and no one—not even the Scottish Government—is above the law. I will end with the words of the treasured Scottish poet Magi Gibson, as a thank you to all the courageous women who are fighting for the rights and safety of women and girls in Scotland today: “Thankfully this crazy spinning globe is blessed with women holding up their half of the sky, and more Warrior women, battle wearied, bone tired, soul sore, while systems form to keep them down, oppressed, powered by politicians dumbed as Clydesdale ponies Ploughing ever deeper the same old furrows as they lumber onward, blinkered, never turning, to see exhausted women’s bodies piling up behind”. Immediate action is required. Women will not wait.”
“US legislation has made strangulation a serious stand-alone criminal offence, which has been linked to reduced intimate partner homicide rates, with 14 per cent fewer women killed. NFS can cause brain damage, organ failure, mental ill health and death. The evidence indicates that non-fatal strangulation laws reduce intimate partner homicides, yet the Scottish Government still will not have NFS as a stand-alone crime. Why not, when the evidence is so compelling? We support making NFS a stand-alone crime. Dr Pam Gosal’s Prevention of Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Bill must be supported. We must have an inquiry into grooming gangs in Scotland. In 2026, there must be a prosecution for female genital mutilation, and the Scottish Government needs to deliver single-sex spaces to keep women safe.”
“In the Women’s Rights Network report on safety in our hospitals, of the 198 hospitals that were the subject of freedom of information requests to Police Scotland, 133 were unable to respond, stating that the data was not kept. That is shocking. It is also deeply troubling that, in the 57 hospitals that retained data, 276 sexual assaults and 12 rapes were recorded. Sexual assaults were recorded in at least 13 of the 18 psychiatric hospitals. The incidence of assaults in psychiatric hospitals was highlighted as a major concern, and I have two spine-chilling cases in my constituency. Non-fatal strangulation—NFS—is increasing as a severe form of domestic abuse. In June 2022, England and Wales made NFS a stand-alone crime, followed by Ireland in 2023.”
“In the case of For Women Scotland v the Scottish Ministers, the Supreme Court ruled that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex. The SNP Government is still refusing to amend its policy, which allows biological men in women’s prisons. SNP ministers are defending their policy to allow criminals who identify as women to serve sentences in female jails. The Sullivan review noted that conflating sex and gender identity undermines trust in public services. Not recording biological sex accurately particularly affects women who rely on single-sex spaces for safety and dignity. Such spaces include domestic abuse refuges, prisons and hospital wards. Safety matters. Women are being let down when they are at their most vulnerable.”
“Earlier this year, a report found that there is evidence of sexism, misogyny and violence against women in Police Scotland, at both institutional and individual level. Misogyny has been identified in Scotland’s schools, with a report finding that female teachers and pupils face frequent abuse and sexual taunts. I want to pick up on a point that the cabinet secretary made about schools. She said that we must have a positive and safe culture in our schools, but the situation is getting worse, rather than better. This is a crisis in our school system, and child-accessible pornography has become a huge issue. In April, the Supreme Court ruled that the Scottish Government’s interpretation of “sex” was wrong.”
“The 2020 act aimed to strengthen the legal protection for women and girls at risk of FGM, and yet, as we heard during today’s topical questions, five years on, the act is still not in force, and no one has been convicted in Scottish courts for offences under the act. No one has been prosecuted in this country. As Rebecca McCurdy said in The Herald only yesterday, the failure to enforce the legislation is a five-year betrayal of women. Women who contributed to the bill are right to be disappointed, and that is an understatement. Women experiencing abuse struggle to get justice, and the legal aid system is broken. We are at a crisis point. Scotland faces problems with misogyny, while the SNP has dropped plans for misogyny legislation.”
“Female genital mutilation affects only girls and women. FGM is a painful procedure that involves cutting or altering the external female genitalia. Like all other forms of violence against women, FGM is practised because of deep-rooted systemic inequalities that discriminate against women and girls, and, because it is frequently done to girls, it is child abuse. The Female Gentle Mutilation (Protection and Guidance) (Scotland) Act 2020 has not been implemented. The Women’s Support Project said that the Alnisa service in NHS Lothian reported a 50 per cent increase in FGM cases in 2023. The Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation (Scotland) Act 2005 made it an offence to have FGM carried out abroad, with a maximum penalty of 14 years’ imprisonment.”
“In Glasgow alone, 1,200 women have received treatment for female genital mutilation in the past five years. Presiding Officer? The Deputy Presiding Officer: I am sorry, Ms White, but I just cannot hear what you are hearing. Please continue. Tess White: The Scottish Government’s definition of violence against women and girls views gender inequality as a root cause of such violence. Does the Scottish Government mean sex—biological sex—or gender? The two are completely different. The Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee discovered that the public sector equality duty—with sex, not gender, as one of the nine protected characteristics—was not being monitored correctly, and that risk assessments are hit and miss in Scotland. Language matters, data matters and outcomes matter.”
“Violence against women and girls can be physical, sexual or psychological. Violence against women and girls and misogynistic violence are on the increase. That is a fact. The Scottish National Party’s equally safe strategy is failing, and we are facing a national emergency—and not just in digital terms. The number of sexual assault cases has risen by 4 per cent since 2024; the number of annually recorded incidents of domestic abuse has increased by nearly 55 per cent over 20 years; Scottish authorities have identified multiple child grooming clusters in Fife, North Lanarkshire and Inverclyde; and the number of rape and attempted rape cases has risen by 11 per cent since 2024. Presiding Officer, I do not know who is talking, but I am finding it off-putting.”
“It is neither courteous nor respectful. Gillian Martin: Green electricity—the electricity produced by renewables—is the cheapest form of electricity. There are issues with transmission charges, with the transmission network use of system charges and with the contracts for difference, which I have mentioned already. We have asked the UK Government look at those issues because we want to ensure that there are favourable terms in the auction round. We need a rebalancing of electricity and gas prices, without which it will become difficult for us to decarbonise. My predecessors and I have been advocating for that for some time. It desperately and seriously needs to be looked at, and I know that I have a great deal of support in that regard from many inside and outwith the chamber.”
“The cabinet secretary talked in her statement about the size of the prize, but the fact is that the fixed costs of renewables are still massively subsidised, with huge costs being passed on to the consumer. Seagreen alone has earned £48 million with no output. Will the cabinet secretary assure us that developers that are in receipt of public money actually produce energy for public consumption? Gillian Martin: Here is another individual who cannot get behind the renewables industry or recognise the economic opportunities for Scotland. Green electricity is the cheapest—[Interruption.] The Deputy Presiding Officer: Please resume your seat for a second, cabinet secretary. I have already spoken about my weariness with the constant barracking from sedentary positions on the Conservative side of the chamber.”
“Today, the Parliament is again asked to consider a legislative consent memorandum dealing with the UK Government’s Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill. As a whole, the bill has given my colleagues—both here and in the UK Parliament— significant concern. Against the tide of illegal immigration, the bill proposes little in the way of solutions. It was reported just this week that 39,075 migrants have made the journey across the channel so far this year. Labour has failed to deal with immigration and securing our borders.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what its justification is for pursuing legal action in relation to its policy on transgender prisoners, in light of the judgment in the case, For Women Scotland Ltd v the Scottish ministers. (S6T-02747)”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. Can you confirm that the matter relating to my topical question—the Scottish National Party’s transgender prisoner guidance and the subsequent legal action—can be spoken about freely by ministers, because section 5 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 allows “matters of general public interest” to be discussed without fear of that being treated as contempt of court?”
“Police Scotland has ordered a director of For Women Scotland to attend a police station to face vandalism charges over a complaint about a broken umbrella. If she does not attend, she could be banned from Holyrood—a Parliament that is supposed to represent her, too. The optics of that for the Scottish Government are terrible. To many people, it looks like a threat to free speech and an attempt to silence criticism, silence women and intimidate that particular organisation. Who is protecting whom here? Does the First Minister agree that the police should focus on much more serious incidents than a broken umbrella? Does he think that Susan Smith should receive an immediate apology?”
“To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether British Sign Language receives parity of treatment with Gaelic within its languages portfolio, in light of evidence given by stakeholders to the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee, as part of its inquiry into the British Sign Language (Scotland) Act 2015, that, although BSL plans are delivered locally by listed authorities, strong national co-ordination, oversight and dedicated funding are still essential if the aims of the act are to be met. (S6O-05061)”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. My app did not work. I would have voted no. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Thank you, Ms White. I note that your app was not working. Your vote will be recorded.”
“To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of its revised guidance on supporting transgender pupils in schools, whether it can guarantee that, effective immediately, single-sex spaces, including toilets and changing rooms, have been made available to all girls during school hours. (S6O-05050)”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I would have voted no. The Presiding Officer: Thank you, Ms White. We will ensure that your vote is recorded.”
“We have repeatedly called on the UK Government to provide funding directly to local authorities, which we believe are best placed to provide all the services required to ensure that we have full integration. We have seen examples of that. We had the Afghan relocation scheme, and one for Syrians. We have stuff that works and I urge the UK Government to give serious consideration to the examples that we already have of good practice that supports local authorities.”
“Communities in Aberdeenshire are tolerant, respectful, welcoming and understanding, but they face a situation that was supposed to be temporary. Aberdeenshire Council is at a disadvantage because it is the fourth-lowest- funded council in Scotland and is now making swingeing cuts to its creaking services, which are already at capacity. How much of the £7.9 million, and of the additional £300,000, will go to Aberdeenshire Council? Kaukab Stewart: Tess White raises the important pressures faced by councils. However, and as I think I said in answer to a previous question, she will be fully aware that immigration is a wholly reserved area. Local councils do not fund hotel provision, which is meant to be temporary.”
“The council leader, Susan Aitken, has made clear her absolute outrage at what happened in the authority, and an agreement has been reached with Strathclyde Pension Fund for the former chief executive to repay some money to the council. These are serious issues, but it is important to be clear that there has been no inference that such practice is widespread across our local government structures. The issue was particular to Glasgow City Council, and the Accounts Commission has responded in a very strong manner. Road Safety (A84) 4.”
“Huge sums of taxpayer money have been used to line the pockets of penny-pinching paper pushers in Glasgow as they sail off into taxpayer-funded early retirement. There is no accountability. Will the cabinet secretary ensure that there is a code of conduct for council chief executives and officers, with proper sanctions, to stop rogue officers exploiting the public purse for personal gain? Shona Robison: I reiterate that the Accounts Commission has investigated and has written to every council to highlight its recommendations and the importance of elected members and officers following the Nolan principles of public life. As I said, the new chief executive of Glasgow City Council has rectified the issues, with input from councillors.”
“To ask the Scottish Government whether it has engaged with the Equality and Human Rights Commission in relation to the 19 public bodies and organisations that were found to have misrepresented the Equality Act 2010. (S6O- 04949)”
“The Supreme Court has provided clarity, and now the SNP Government must restore its tattered credibility. In closing, I echo the words of women and girls up and down the country who cannot speak for themselves: just get on with it—women will not be ignored, and we will not wait. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Rachael Hamilton. 18:03”
“I do not know the exact figure that is being spent—it was quoted as being £250,000, but my understanding is that, this week, the figure has risen to £600,000, and, as Jackie Baillie said, could go up to £1 million. That is shocking. NHS Fife is paying only a small part of that; the large part is being paid by the Scottish Government. There are fears that the can could be kicked well into 2026. I would like to ask the minister to address that point in closing the debate. Is the Scottish Government going to kick the issue into 2026, or is it going to follow the law this year? If it is kicked down the road into next year, that beggars belief. I say to the SNP Government that the game is up. As Jackie Baillie and my colleagues have said several times in the chamber, nobody is above the law.”
“Shamefully, there has been no directive from John Swinney to Scotland’s public bodies to comply with the Supreme Court ruling, leaving them, as my colleague Jackie Baillie said, wide open to litigation. The foot dragging from Scotland’s First Minister is sending a clear message to women and girls across the country. As Michelle Thomson said, inaction is action. The captured SNP would rather keep our rights in limbo than confront biological reality. The SNP is fixated on self-ID and is pandering to party activists rather than upholding the rule of law. It is not wishful thinking; it is wilful ignorance. Now, Scottish ministers are throwing away even more taxpayers’ money to defend themselves again in court.”
“The Supreme Court judgment was unanimous: under the Equality Act 2010, “woman” means a biological woman, and “sex” means biological sex. We cannot get clearer than that—no ifs, no buts. The Scottish Parliament has acted to comply with the law. So, too, has the City of Edinburgh Council. Even the beleaguered Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre has fallen into line. However, under the SNP Government, there are still men in women’s prisons; too many hospital wards are still mixed sex; women and girls are still having to get changed in gender-neutral changing rooms at their local leisure centres; and children went back to school in August with unlawful trans guidance still in place, which means that teenage girls still have to share school toilets with boys. It is absolutely shocking.”
“It is shocking that my colleague has to bring a members’ business debate in order to do that. Whether it is because of their arrogance or ignorance, we will not let SNP ministers get away with it. Let me first congratulate the tenacious trio who are here today from For Women Scotland. Marion Calder, Susan Smith—I am sorry; I am getting emotional—and Trina Budge courageously fought for women’s sex-based rights from their kitchen tables to the highest court in the land. After meeting on Mumsnet, those three incredible women defended women’s rights while the SNP Government and its army of lawyers did their best to dismantle them. Sex Matters and Scottish Lesbians, as interveners in the case, should also be thanked.”
“I apologise for being 40 seconds late for this important debate. Like others, I pay tribute to my colleague Pam Gosal for securing the parliamentary time for it. We are five months on from the Supreme Court judgment, and it should shame the SNP Government that MSPs are still having to call for policies to be updated in line with the law. I am delighted that Jackie Baillie has spoken in the debate. I thank her for that, but I would have liked to see more of her Labour colleagues speaking in the debate. To Maggie Chapman, I say that I find the term “cis woman” offensive, and I say to Rona Mackay that she must have drawn the short straw to have to come here tonight to be the Scottish Government’s spokesperson. When Scottish ministers are determined to dodge scrutiny, we must use every available lever to demand answers.”
“To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the steps that the Scottish Government is taking as a result of the Supreme Court judgment in For Women Scotland Ltd v the Scottish ministers. (S6F-04252)”
“How can John Swinney claim that protecting the rights of women has been one of his top priorities when his Government continues to unlawfully deny women and girls their dignity and privacy in changing rooms and toilets? That is the reality across Scotland’s captured public bodies. The public sector equality duty is not working. The SNP Government is repeatedly dragging its feet on implementing the Supreme Court’s ruling, and its moral cowardice means that men can still access women’s single-sex spaces.”
“It does not grasp the basics, either, such as protecting the rights and dignity of women and girls. The irony of the SNP Government publishing a statement on gender policy coherence is not lost on the women who have been fighting for years to protect their sex-based rights from the SNP’s thoroughly incoherent policies on sex and gender. What timing, when human rights charity Sex Matters wrote to the SNP Government this week to warn of legal action within 14 days if it keeps failing to comply with the UK Supreme Court’s ruling on biological sex. In today’s call to MSPs, the EHRC again made it clear that the law must be followed now.”
“The number of domestic abuse incidents is rising in Scotland, but the justice system is stacked against traumatised women, who cannot even find a legal aid solicitor to take their case. The SNP Government says that it has strengthened the law in relation to violence against women and girls, but it keeps playing for time on making non-fatal strangulation a stand-alone crime. Fiona Drouet is having to take a civil case against her daughter’s strangler and abuser, who was given community service after her daughter took her own life due to what he did to her. How is that justice? The document that we are debating today feels more like an SNP public relations exercise than a genuine, well-intentioned attempt to grapple with the systemic challenges that hold women back.”
“I welcome today’s debate. It is so important to shine a light on what women and girls in Scotland are experiencing today. There is a mismatch—the Scottish National Party Government’s aspiration in this area has not been matched by delivery. Wherever we look, from a woman’s earnings to her experience of the healthcare system, women in Scotland are too often still getting a raw deal. The pay gap between men and women is widening. Women still experience poorer health outcomes for a range of issues. Gynaecological conditions are frequently misunderstood and misdiagnosed, and too many women are still not believed. Too many women are stuck on waiting lists for breast reconstruction and gynaecological services. Women are still more likely to live in poverty. Childcare is often inaccessible and unaffordable for working parents.”
“NHS Grampian is in a particularly acute position, which is why it has been escalated through the framework—not in a punitive way but in a way that provides support. The work that the Government and KPMG will provide to the board is expected to ensure that options are available to protect patient-facing services and to enhance the performance of NHS Grampian so that its patients can feel the benefit.”
“Swingeing cuts in NHS Grampian will decimate as many as 79 services for patients, including a vital X-ray facility at Kincardine community hospital. In a bid to cut down overtime pay, face-to-face appointments that are deemed unnecessary could soon stop. That is a crisis of the Scottish National Party’s making, due to years of underfunding. It is clear that balance sheets are being prioritised over vulnerable patients. Will the cabinet secretary tell my constituents how long this dire situation will go on? Neil Gray: I expect NHS Grampian and all boards to take proportionate decisions that ensure that service delivery is financially sustainable, as well as sustainable in relation to what patients can expect to receive from those who provide services.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with agricultural organisations regarding any increases in production costs as a result of new transmission infrastructure. (S6O-04802)”
“Of course, we await the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s code of practice, which it is consulting on. A great amount of work is going on across the length and breadth of Government to ensure that, once we receive further information from the EHRC, we are ready for implementation. We are in a state of readiness to act once further information comes our way.”
“I note that the cabinet secretary used the words “gender” and “sexual identity”. Before asking my question, I will say that any legal action that was brought against the Scottish Prison Service in respect of its policies would be brought against the Scottish ministers. Have the Scottish Prison Service’s policies been brought into line with the Supreme Court judgment in For Women Scotland Ltd v the Scottish ministers? Angela Constance: As a minister, I would never comment on live proceedings, but, again, I cannot stress more how clear I have been and how clear the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and other ministers have been that there is a Supreme Court judgment. We are all, at pace, working through the implications for implementation.”
“Are we agreed? Members: No. The Deputy Presiding Officer: There will be a division. The vote is closed.”
“Good intentions are one thing, but how we deliver is another. If we do not measure delivery, how on earth will we know whether our good intentions have come to pass? The reality is that most of the information that is required is already collected, and amendment 81 would give the minister the power to determine what should be in the list. I find it quite frustrating that, once again, the Government is trying to hide behind some sort of legislation. As I said, good intentions are one thing, but delivering on the ground is another. During the time that I have been in the Parliament, this Government has been very poor in its delivery. I hope that the rest of the members in the chamber see sense and vote in favour of my amendments. I press amendment 81. 17:45 The Deputy Presiding Officer: The question is, that amendment 81 be agreed to.”
“I think that she should reconsider the description of the motive that my colleague Brian Whittle had in lodging amendments 81 and 87. I do not think that she is doing her argument any favours by describing his approach, or the approach of those who support the amendments, as cynical. I hope that she will reconsider. Maree Todd: The only purpose of the amendments is to hinder progress on vital reforms, such as improving the flow of information through our health and social care systems and delivering breaks for carers and Anne’s law. That is why I have used the term “cynical”. I have not used it lightly. I urge members to reject both amendments in this group. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I invite Brian Whittle to wind up and to press or withdraw amendment 81. Brian Whittle: Cynical, am I?”
“The effect of amendment 87 would be to hold up the coming into force of every reform in the bill, pending further reporting. Let me be clear: Parliament has well- established mechanisms for scrutinising the costs and impact of legislation. Indeed, Mr Whittle, as a member of this Parliament, has every opportunity to question the Government at any time on its spending decisions. I repeat what I said at stage 2. Mr Whittle’s amendment is simply a cynical attempt to slow things down by adding to the processes that the Parliament has chosen to put in place to assess the costs of legislation. Stephen Kerr: I am very disappointed to hear the minister describe the amendments as “cynical”, when what we are trying to do is put the focus and emphasis on the legislation’s impact on the lives of the people who receive the service.”
“I ask members not to support amendment 81, in order to allow care providers to focus their resources where they are needed most. Martin Whitfield: In the light of the contribution with regard to post-legislative scrutiny and the ability for Parliament to return to the bill once it has been enacted, what was the Government’s thinking on that and how do we see it encompassed in the bill? In its latest form, it has been created entirely over the period in which post-legislative scrutiny has been a consideration of this Parliament. Maree Todd: Brian Whittle’s amendment 87 is a retread of the amendment that he lodged at stage 2, which the committee rightly rejected. I am disappointed to see that Mr Whittle has brought it back.”
“Much of the data that is not collected is not collected precisely because it would have no utility, yet that is the very data that amendment 81 would mandate the Government to collect. Where there has been clear, demonstrable value in doing so, I have supported amendments that will require the Government to collect information and report on matters such as fair work, the state of the social care market, and the provision of independent advocacy services. If Mr Whittle had lodged an amendment that identified specific information that he wanted to be collected, I might have supported him in that. However, I cannot support the imposition on ministers of such an incredibly vague duty to collect whatever data is not otherwise being collected. It would be irresponsible to do so.”
“As I have already said, we, as a Parliament, must be mindful of the need not to impose on the public sector needless administrative burdens that waste taxpayers’ money and divert public servants needlessly away from front-line duties. Brian Whittle: Minister, you already collect most of this data. Where is the administrative burden? The Deputy Presiding Officer: Please speak through the chair. Maree Todd: Amendment 81 would place ministers under an extraordinarily vague duty to gather data that is not otherwise being collected. It gives a list of things that the report must include. Data is already collected on much of what is listed, but that list is expressly declared to be non- exhaustive. The amount of data that could be collected, but is not, is near infinite.”