Question reference: S5W-33354
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 18 November 2020
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Current status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 26 November 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-32371 by Jenny Gilruth on 3 November 2020, who was invited to participate in the roundtable with academics from partner countries and the UK on approaches to international development; whether it will publish a list of those individuals who attended, and how the invite list was determined.
Answer
As detailed in the PQ you highlight here, all the academic institutions represented at the academics roundtable on 1 October, together with a summary note of the discussions can be found on this webpage: https://www.gov.scot/policies/international-development/2020-covid-19-review/ .
A more expansive list of academics from a wider range of institutions were invited to the event and key criteria for inviting them were their academic credentials on the subject of international development; and those with ID, social and economic expertise working in academic institutions in our partner countries. To encourage a frank and honest conversation on the direction of international development and the impacts of Covid-19, I conducted the meeting under Chatham House Rule, which also extends to those who were invited but did not attend. As you will be aware, this means when a meeting, or part thereof, is held under Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but not the identity of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed. However in support of transparency and openness for this review, as previously stated, the list of academic institutions represented together with a summary note of the discussions are fully available on our website.