INVESTIGATIONS into claims of sexual harassment by MSPs should be undertaken by an independent body and not led by political parties, Holyrood’s Joint Working Group on Sexual Harassment has said.
The group, formed after a survey found 30% of women and 6% of men had experienced sexual harassment or sexism while working at Holyrood, also urged Parliament bosses to scrap the one-year time limit on making a complaints.
The working group recommended setting up an independent support service “to provide advice, support and advocacy, and a route through which people can submit a formal complaint” and “an overarching policy on sexual harassment,” which sets out what “zero tolerance means and the standard of behaviour expected of everyone who works in and for the Parliament”.
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In a joint letter, the Scottish Parliament’s presiding officer Ken Macintosh and chief executive Sir Paul Grice said the plans aim to “achieve a real culture of respect at Holyrood”.
They continue: “Important as policies and procedures are, we each have a duty to ensure our own behaviour meets the standard expected and to challenge the behaviour of others that falls short.
“And, while we want to ensure that any complaint is dealt with sensitively and fairly, we remain focused on our goal of preventing sexual harassment happening in the first place.”
Holyrood has been rocked in the last year with high-profile allegations of harassment by MSPs. The Tories were criticised for their investigation into a complaint against Miles Briggs,while ex-SNP MSP Mark McDonald was banned from parliament for a month.
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