Committee
Equal Opportunities Committee, 30 Apr 2002
30 Apr 2002 · S1 · Equal Opportunities Committee
Item of business
Budget Process 2003-04
I am not sure what to take from that answer. I will move on to a general question on last year's budget, from which the committee felt there were two omissions. First, the introductory statement to the budget process lacked a strong and clear commitment to equality. Secondly, it was not emphasised that organisations that are responsible for delivering services on behalf of the Executive should be implicated in promoting equality. Has this year's budget improved by addressing those areas?
In the same item of business
The Convener:
Lab
I welcome British Sign Language interpreters Liz McLuskey and Sue Mowat to the committee. I also welcome Laura Harrison, a palantypist who has come all the w...
Mr Michael McMahon (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab):
Lab
I have a general question that applies to all the organisations from which we will hear this morning. The Scottish budget covers a range of cross-cutting iss...
Heather Fisken (Disability Rights Commission):
The questions that we received from the clerk included a definition of cross-cutting as a form of analysis. We do not see cross-cutting in that way—we see it...
Adam Gaines (Disability Rights Commission):
There is more evidence in this year's budget that cross-cutting has been taken into account than there was in last year's budget. There are more top-level in...
Wladyslaw Mejka (Disabled Persons Housing Service):
I found cross-cutting to be an interesting but difficult issue. The document does not reflect the fact that the thinking behind it includes cross-cutting. As...
Mr McMahon:
Lab
I am glad that Heather Fisken picked up on education. There seems to be the same lack of cross-referencing in the section of the report on housing—around pag...
Bob Benson (Disability Rights Commission):
Last year, we commented on the opaqueness of the process and the difficulty in providing transparency across different parts of the budget and in finding out...
Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab):
Lab
Bob Benson answered my question before I asked it, which was well done. I am pleased to hear that there has been an improvement from last year in respect of ...
Bob Benson:
It is fair to say that the budget will have an impact on disabled people. The work of the Disability Rights Commission in progressing the rights of disabled ...
Wladyslaw Mejka:
The question concerned the accessibility of the document. I obtained the document about a month ago and have spent various evenings, last thing at night in b...
Heather Fisken:
When we gave evidence last year, we pointed out that we were unable to get copies of the budget document in alternative formats. This year, one of the first ...
Adam Gaines:
On the accessibility of the budget document, the top-level information is more accessible this year than it was last year and the key objectives are easier t...
Cathy Peattie:
Lab
It has been highlighted that the voluntary sector has an important role to play in assisting the non-voluntary sector to mainstream equalities issues. What e...
Wladyslaw Mejka:
That is an interesting question. As someone who works for a voluntary sector organisation that is in one of the important pilot areas of the Executive's main...
Kay Ullrich (West of Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
You have no doubt noticed that disabled people in housing get a specific mention on page 175 of the detailed AER, under the heading "TACKLING FUEL POVERTY". ...
Wladyslaw Mejka:
It is difficult to form any realistic conclusion about the impact because of the presentation of the figures in the AER. As you rightly point out, the money ...
Kay Ullrich:
SNP
What steps are being taken to collect such data?
Wladyslaw Mejka:
I am pleased to say that the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 acknowledges two examples of good practice that my organisation has developed. It asks each local au...
Kay Ullrich:
SNP
Is that happening?
Wladyslaw Mejka:
There are early signs that it might happen.
Kay Ullrich:
SNP
I am not sure what to take from that answer. I will move on to a general question on last year's budget, from which the committee felt there were two omissio...
Adam Gaines:
There seems to be an improvement from last year in some of the presentation of information, particularly at the top level. The education section of the budge...
Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
I have a question for the Disability Rights Commission about local government. The AER shows that £9 million has been added to the general local government r...
Adam Gaines:
That sum is welcome and important because of the extent to which it will help to make schools more accessible. On the way in which the budget is presented, t...
Mr Paterson:
SNP
As a way of highlighting that discrepancy, would it be a good idea to highlight priorities that might focus minds on the major problems?
Adam Gaines:
That is where the mainstreaming equality approach takes effect, because it indicates that there are priorities and that mainstreaming equality is one of them...
Mr Paterson:
SNP
Thank you.I would like to ask the Disabled Persons Housing Service a question. I note that your submission says:"In the context of mainstreaming equalities a...
Wladyslaw Mejka:
The capital expenditure plan—£2 million is for one year, but the total is in excess of £3 million over three years—is a good example of an area in which peop...
Mr Paterson:
SNP
Are you saying that we are spending money on the problem, but that we need more money for prevention?
Wladyslaw Mejka:
If in 10 or 20 years' time we are to move to a situation in which we do not need to build more refuge space, yes, we have to spend more money on dealing with...