Tinker Experiment Raised at Parliament

Making Rights Real welcomes that Mark Ruskell MSP today raised a question at the Scottish Parliament  in support of victims of the horrific Tinker Experiment.

Ruskell asked “the Scottish Government whether it will issue a formal public apology to members of the Gypsy Traveller community, in light of reports of the harm caused by what was known as the Tinker Experiment.”

The Minister for Equalities, Kaukab Stewart MSP responded by outlining the timetable for publishing the independent archival research  on the issue by the end of May.

Watch the exchange at Parliament here:

Roseanna McPhee, who has been tirelessly campaigning for an apology and redress from the Scottish Government for decades, today said, “It is good that at least one MSP has stood up and questioned the human rights violations we have faced over generations as victims of the Tinker Experiment. We thank him and continue to call for an apology for Scotland’s most shameful actions.”

Clare MacGillivray, Director of Making Rights Real said, “Brave victims of the Tinker Experiment have been calling for an apology and redress for egregious breaches of their rights for decades. They continue to suffer from the legacy of forced assimilation, including inadequate housing, which the UN has branded unacceptable and the Scottish Housing Regulator has said breaches Scottish site standards. It is time for the Scottish Ministers to act. Issue an apology now and set up a scheme of redress for the victims.”

You can read the full  Parliamentary session here:

Meeting of the Parliament: 15/05/2025 | Scottish Parliament Website