Holyrood’s presiding officer calls for ban on all-male committees

Gender-sensitive audit also urges quotas for governing bodies and a new permanent proxy-voting scheme

Holyrood’s presiding officer is calling for a ban on all-male committees, alongside quotas for key governing bodies and a new permanent proxy-voting scheme, in order to improve gender equality within the Scottish parliament.

Publishing the findings of the first gender-sensitive audit on Friday, Alison Johnstone – the Holyrood equivalent of the Commons speaker – warned “equal representation of women is not yet embedded within the parliament, nor is it guaranteed going forward”.