Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Government of Malawi about the treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual citizens and what support it is giving to human rights and equality organisations working to tackle homophobia and transphobia in Malawi. (S3O-10994)

The Minister for Culture and External Affairs (Fiona Hyslop): During my visit in February, I raised in discussion with the Government of Malawi the concerns that had been expressed in Scotland about the general issue of human rights in relation to gay rights.

On 19 May, I wrote to the hon Etta Banda MP, [Malawi's] Minister of Foreign Affairs, expressing my disappointment at the outcome of the court case regarding the two men who had been imprisoned in Malawi and who were subsequently pardoned. The Scottish Government's co-operation agreement with the Government of Malawi identifies priority areas for development funding, including civil society and governance, and some of the projects that we are funding contribute to the strengthening of human rights. An example is Challenges Worldwide's capacity building for justice project, which will build the capacity of a range of public sector and civil society organisations that are working in Malawi to promote the rule of law and access to justice. We will continue to work with Malawi in the context of strengthening human rights within civil society and governance systems.

Margaret Smith: I welcome the action that has been taken by the cabinet secretary following the arrest of the two gay men concerned in Malawi. I welcome the Government's support for Malawi, given the obvious needs in the country and the historical links between our two countries. How will the Scottish Government go about re-examining its aid relationship with Malawi in future? What changes, if any, have been made to the existing aid arrangements, and what new processes will the Scottish Government undertake regarding aid donations to ensure that Scottish taxpayers' money is targeted where it is needed in ways that support equality and human rights in Malawi?

Fiona Hyslop: Bids for projects by Scotland-based charities working in Malawi are subject in the first instance to independent evaluation, and to on-going rigorous and robust evaluation thereafter. We are confident that the resources that we are providing reach those in need. We do not provide money to the Malawian Government as such; it goes to Scottish non-governmental organisations working in the area.

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): In Malawi, as in much of Africa, issues around sexuality and gender identity are strongly contested in a way that this country has moved on from in recent generations. Therefore, does not the Government have a responsibility to recognise that there will be people who will violently oppose the progressive values of human rights and equality, and to be proactive in seeking out allies for those progressive values in an effort to increase its capacity to act as an advocate for human rights and equality in Malawi and other parts of Africa in the future?

Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to my original answer, in which I mentioned some of the capacity-building, governance and human rights aspects of projects that we are already supporting.

As the member is no doubt aware, not that long ago there were people in this country who did not have the same views that he and I do on some of the issues in question, and there are still some people of whom that is true. We must be tolerant of other nations and countries and understand that progress on that journey may take longer elsewhere than it did here. We cannot impose a value system; we must help people to develop it themselves. However, I hear the points that the member makes.