Committee
Equal Opportunities Committee, 20 Feb 2007
20 Feb 2007 · S2 · Equal Opportunities Committee
Item of business
Race Equality
We can ask about that in a letter to the minister, in which we can express our concerns.I agree with what colleagues have said. I am not happy about the publication of the strategy being held back, although I understand that various stakeholders support the delay. The committee reviewed its recommendations on Gypsy Travellers, and understood that the working group would consider those recommendations and their implementation. I remind members that a young Gypsy Traveller who gave evidence in the previous session said that although years had passed, nothing had happened. Unfortunately, things have not changed.I attended one of the working group's sessions, and was concerned to hear the same kind of discussion that the committee had had in the previous parliamentary session, although our discussion was much more comprehensive, given the number of Gypsy Travellers whom we involved—particularly young Gypsy Travellers, who will no longer be young when our successor committee considers the progress that has been made. We must make our views known and make a strong recommendation in our legacy paper to a future committee. There is unfinished work to be done. Things appear to be no better than they were for Gypsy Travellers and young Gypsy Travellers in Scotland, and I am not sure that waiting yet again for a strategy to progress the work that needs to be done is good enough. What I have said sounds strong, but I feel strongly about the matter.
In the same item of business
The Convener (Cathy Peattie):
Lab
Good morning. I open the Equal Opportunities Committee's fourth meeting in 2007. I remind all those present, including members, that mobile phones and BlackB...
Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab):
Lab
The delay is disappointing but, as stakeholders support it—presumably because they do not want the strategy to be rushed at the last minute—there is not much...
The Convener:
Lab
Absolutely.
Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab):
Lab
I agree with Elaine Smith. We should express our decided disappointment on the matter. The delay will affect work that we took up at the beginning of the pre...
Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP):
SSP
I agree with what members have said. The work on the strategy should be done properly. However, I am perplexed as to why that work has not been done properly...
The Convener:
Lab
We can ask about that in a letter to the minister, in which we can express our concerns.I agree with what colleagues have said. I am not happy about the publ...
Marlyn Glen:
Lab
Perhaps one problem is that we are looking for solutions to problems rather than seeing an on-going process. Publishing a report will not mean an end to the ...
The Convener:
Lab
It is absolutely right that the process is on-going, but perhaps a marker should be laid down to show where the process is and what the issues are. The commi...
Elaine Smith:
Lab
Getting the information that Carolyn Leckie asked for is important, but will the letter also include the comments that we have made and express our disappoin...
The Convener:
Lab
Yes.
Elaine Smith:
Lab
I just wanted to check that.
The Convener:
Lab
There is no reason why a copy of the Official Report of today's meeting cannot be included with the letter. I am sure that members of the committee will make...