Cyfarfod y Gweithgor Opsiynau Deddfwriaethol ar Hawliau Dynol: 22 Medi 2022

• Charles Whitmore (Chair), WCVA / Human Rights Consortium (CW)
• Rhian Davies, Disability Wales
• Catherine Fookes, WEN Wales
• Simon Hoffman, Swansea University
• Sarah Nason, Bangor University
• Alicja Zalesinska, Tai Pawb

Welsh Government Officials

• Paul Dear, Equality and Human Rights Division
• Karyn Pittick, Human Rights Team
• Kimberley Mortimer, Human Rights Team

Apologies

• Dawn Da Silva (WG), Legal Services        

The group agreed that minutes of meetings would be published.

The group agreed that for inter-group communication and GDPR purposes all communication would now be addressed as a group and contact details would be public to all members of the group.

The Chair clarified that the working group had been asked to advise on which human rights the group should concentrate on to take forward in legislation. The Chair asked for opinion on whether non-legislative options should also be considered.

Consensus on focussing on legislative options but acknowledgement that the policy questions of ‘what difference are we trying to make’ and ‘is there another way of achieving this’ must be addressed.

Action 1: It was agreed that Simon would draft clauses to the TOR to reflect the focus of the group.

Action 2: It was agreed that Simon, Chair and Secretariat would discuss further and bring Simon’s draft clauses to the working group.

Paul advised that the Minister for Social Justice and the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution would be meeting to discuss further stakeholder additions to the working group (in particular, a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic representative and an expert from the legal sector) this week and would also discuss a list of experts that the group could call upon for discussion relating to key issues.

The exception was for a representative from the EHRC which had been agreed but not actioned for this meeting.

Action 3: Paul to report back to the group on the decisions made by the Ministers.

It was agreed that hour long meetings would held every 2 months (6 to 8 weeks) and feed into the HRAG meetings.

Action 4: Secretariat to send around calendar invitations for future HRLOWG meetings.

A proposal to hold a one-day ‘Scotland Day’ evidence session was discussed. Three evidence sessions to be held during the day, one with Government, one with the Scottish Task Force and one with an academic group.

Action 5: Secretariat to approach the Scottish Government to agree a ‘Scotland Day’.

Action 6: Simon to approach contacts in Scotland to agree participation in a ‘Scotland Day’.

Action 7: All to start drafting questions/issues to be explored so that they might be circulated in advance.

Action 8: Secretariat to circulate dates for:  a pre-meeting to the ‘Scotland Day’ to discuss approach and questions; the ‘Scotland Day’; and a debrief session.

It was agreed to also explore whether the civil society alliance conference in Scotland 10-11 November could be used to make further links.

The secretariat was asked to contact Commissioners (such as the Children’s Commissioner) and appropriate ombudsmen to set up evidence sessions with them.

Action 9: Secretariat to explore discussions with Commissioners and Ombudsmen further.

Action 10: Chair to take a summary of today’s discussion along with a revised TOR to the HRAG 8 November.