KEMI Badenoch has not responded to a request from a Holyrood committee to appear and explain the UK Government’s decision to block Scotland’s gender reforms from becoming law.
The Westminster Women’s and Equalities Minister was invited to attend a session of the Scottish Parliament's Equalities and Human Rights Committee on Tuesday next week, following a snub from Scottish Secretary Alister Jack.
Jack’s decision not to attend was branded an “absolute disgrace”, but said that Badenoch was the relevant minister who should answer questions from MSPs - despite the fact that he was the one who laid the Section 35 order in the House of Commons last week.
The move caused a row between the UK and Scottish Governments, with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon accusing Jack of acting like a ”governor-general” for using a little-known section of the Scotland Act for the first time in the history of devolution, to stop the bill from being given royal assent.
And now, the Equalities Committee has published its agenda for its next meeting on Tuesday, which both Jack and Badenoch had been invited to attend, with their names conspicuously absent from the witness list.
We've published our agenda for next Tuesday's meeting: https://t.co/K1MTFftb4q The agenda is subject to confirmation as we have not yet had a response to our invitation to the Minister for Women and Equalities, @KemiBadenoch.
— Equalities, Human Rights & Civil Justice Committee (@SP_EHRCJ) January 20, 2023
The committee tweeted: "We've published our agenda for next Tuesday's meeting. The agenda is subject to confirmation as we have not yet had a response to our invitation to the Minister for Women and Equalities, @KemiBadenoch."
The committee’s chair, SNP MSP Joe Fitzpatrick, asked Badenoch to attend to provide “further clarity” on the UK Government’s decision.
In a letter to the Tory MP, Fitzpatrick said: “The committee had previously extended this invitation to the Secretary of State for Scotland, but he has said publicly that you are the responsible minister.
“The evidence session – which can be conducted virtually if needed – will be held at 9:30am on Tuesday, January 24.
“As such, I would be grateful if you could confirm your attendance by no later than 12pm on Friday, January 20.
“Once we have received confirmation of your attendance, the committee clerks will liaise with your office to provide further details about the session.”
If Badenoch had responded to the request before the deadline, Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison, who sponsored the Gender Recognition Reform Bill through the parliamentary process, would have given evidence immediately afterwards.
However, an agenda published on Friday afternoon, listed only four witnesses, and Badenoch was not one of them.
Maggie Chapman MSP, the Scottish Greens equalities spokesperson, said: "Sunak was clear that the issuing of the Section 35 order blocking Royal Assent of the Gender Recognition Reform Bill was entirely Alister Jack's decision. When Jack was asked about his decision in Westminster this week his response was pathetic. He could not answer the most basic questions.
"The very least he can do is speak to the Committee and try to explain this unprecedented decision. Suggesting that Kemi Badenoch should answer for his decision is totally inappropriate.
"What we have seen from the Tories is a total disregard for devolution and our democracy. They have cynically smeared and attacked trans people in the most reactionary way possible and used them as a political pawn in their culture war."
The Cabinet Office has been contacted for comment.
