Shoppers shocked as mop is used in bare-chested brawl inside Irish shopping centre
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08 Sept 2025
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08 Sept 2025
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A minister has apologised as he was quizzed over the Scottish Government’s failure to implement a number of laws which were passed at Holyrood years ago.
Parliamentary business minister Jamie Hepburn insisted the government is moving as fast as it can to implement the legislation.
Holyrood’s Equalities Committee grilled him on the progress around three Acts passed in 2020 and 2021 – the Female Genital Mutilation (Protection and Guidance) Act, the Children Act and the Domestic Abuse Protection Act.
For each of the Acts, the government has not introduced the required changes either in whole or in part.
Earlier this month, charities Scottish Women’s Aid and Children First warned the government’s failures are having “a chilling effect on the Scottish Parliament’s authority” and urgent action is needed.
Mr Hepburn said the government takes implementation seriously, but some issues can be “complex”.
Mr Hepburn said the coronavirus pandemic and capacity issues at the Scottish Government had held up work on the law around female genital mutilation (FGM).
Conservative MSP Tess White said she was “disturbed and shocked” that nothing has been done on the FGM Act – which allows courts to safeguard women who may be pressured to undergo FGM.
However, Mr Hepburn took issue with her characterisation, saying it is “unfair” to suggest nothing has happened, promising that implementation is due by spring 2026.
The Domestic Abuse Protection Act created new types of protection notices and orders.
Tory MSP Pam Gosal asked about progress on this legislation, noting there were almost 64,000 cases of domestic abuse reported to police last year.
Mr Hepburn said: “I recognise that there will be disappointment, I’m disappointed too that this isn’t fully in place yet.”
However, the minister said he could not give a definitive timescale for implementation of the Act, adding: “I’m sorry that it hasn’t been (implemented) – ideally it should’ve been.
“But we are were we are now and the task for us now is to try and put it into statutory effect as quickly as possible.”
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