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| Concern over Holyrood harassment claims | Concern over Holyrood harassment claims |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Scotland's health secretary has said she is very concerned by claims of sexual harassment at the Scottish Parliament. | Scotland's health secretary has said she is very concerned by claims of sexual harassment at the Scottish Parliament. |
| Shona Robison was responding to reports that women at all levels in Holyrood have experienced harassment. | Shona Robison was responding to reports that women at all levels in Holyrood have experienced harassment. |
| Human rights lawyer Aamer Anwar told the Sunday Herald newspaper that a "number of women" had approached him about the issue. | Human rights lawyer Aamer Anwar told the Sunday Herald newspaper that a "number of women" had approached him about the issue. |
| Ms Robison called on those affected to contact parliamentary authorities. | Ms Robison called on those affected to contact parliamentary authorities. |
| Speaking on the BBC's Sunday Politics Scotland programme, Shona Robison said it was time the issue was addressed. | Speaking on the BBC's Sunday Politics Scotland programme, Shona Robison said it was time the issue was addressed. |
| She said: "I'm very concerned by the reports that I've read. | She said: "I'm very concerned by the reports that I've read. |
| "There is clearly a focus at the moment about sexual harassment in a number of institutions and I would find it hard to imagine that the Scottish Parliament is immune from that." | "There is clearly a focus at the moment about sexual harassment in a number of institutions and I would find it hard to imagine that the Scottish Parliament is immune from that." |
| She added: "And what I would say to anybody is that it is really important that these issues are brought out and people obviously should report it to the parliamentary authorities, to the police possibly, and also - if it's a party issue - to the political party. | She added: "And what I would say to anybody is that it is really important that these issues are brought out and people obviously should report it to the parliamentary authorities, to the police possibly, and also - if it's a party issue - to the political party. |
| "We need to bring these things out to the open. Whether it's the Scottish Parliament, whether it's Westminster, whether it's the BBC, it's really important that things, that have perhaps been brushed under the carpet for too long in regards to sexual harassment, these things need to be brought out because clearly it's totally unacceptable that anybody should be faced with that type of behaviour." | "We need to bring these things out to the open. Whether it's the Scottish Parliament, whether it's Westminster, whether it's the BBC, it's really important that things, that have perhaps been brushed under the carpet for too long in regards to sexual harassment, these things need to be brought out because clearly it's totally unacceptable that anybody should be faced with that type of behaviour." |
| Aamer Anwar told the Sunday Herald that he had spoken to several individuals at Holyrood who had been subject to sexual harassment. | Aamer Anwar told the Sunday Herald that he had spoken to several individuals at Holyrood who had been subject to sexual harassment. |
| Propositioning young women | Propositioning young women |
| He said: "It's a catalogue of sexual harassment, stalking, social media abuse, sexual innuendos, verbal sexual abuse, touching, sexual assaults, requests for sex, cover-up, isolation and bullying." | He said: "It's a catalogue of sexual harassment, stalking, social media abuse, sexual innuendos, verbal sexual abuse, touching, sexual assaults, requests for sex, cover-up, isolation and bullying." |
| His comments come after some MPs at Westminster were accused of intimidating or propositioning young women inappropriately. | His comments come after some MPs at Westminster were accused of intimidating or propositioning young women inappropriately. |
| Theresa May has ordered an investigation into claims about the conduct of international trade minister, Mark Garnier, after he admitted asking his secretary to buy sex toys for him. | |
| The prime minister is also writing to Commons Speaker John Bercow, calling for a new contractually-binding grievance procedure to be set up for all MPs and their staff. | |
| Mr Anwar said women at Holyrood had also come up against problems of inappropriate behaviour. | |
| He added: "I have spoken to several individuals who have been subject to sexual harassment. | He added: "I have spoken to several individuals who have been subject to sexual harassment. |
| "This is not just a problem for one party. It is a problem for all parties." | "This is not just a problem for one party. It is a problem for all parties." |
| Ms Robison said that while she had not personally been a victim of sexual harassment, it was commonplace for women in political life to face abuse. | |
| She said: "On social media we do all get a level of abuse that as women wouldn't be directed at men, about how we look, what we wear. | |
| "Obviously that isn't as serious as sexual harassment in your day-to-day job, but I think it's part of an issue as a society we have where women are targeted in different ways." |