SOCIAL INCLUSION COMMITTEE TO FOCUS ON THE SOCIAL INCLUSION AGENDA

Continuing the Scottish Parliament’s commitment to engage with Scotland’s communities, the Committee wants to hear from those people and organisations working to promote social inclusion.

The Committee’s plan is as follows:

Phase One – Notification of Interest.

As the first step, the Committee wishes to hear from people and organisations with views on the structures, policies and realities of social inclusion in Scotland today. Those interested are invited to forward the following details to the clerks of the committee:

1. Contact name, address and telephone number
2. Brief background on the area of interest in social inclusion
3. Brief overview of key messages you wish to get across to the Committee

Once the Committee has an overview of the people involved in social inclusion and of the key issues, invitations will be issued to a representative sample of these contacts to attend a seminar with committee members. This seminar is aimed at exploring the current social inclusion agenda and raising and discussing the issues affecting those involved in the field.

Once the seminar has taken place, the Committee will commission further detailed investigation into the key issues raised which will provide the Committee with options for its approach to the social inclusion agenda. The Committee will then decide upon a programme of inquiries into the most pertinent issues. It is anticipated that this stage will be reached around Easter 2001.

The Committee is determined to involve as many people and organisations as is practicable in its work in this crucial field and community representatives are especially urged to become involved.

To register your interest in this process please contact the clerks to the Social Inclusion Committee, with the information outlined above by Monday 2 October 2000. Contact details are as follows:

email: social.inclusion.committee@scottish.parliament.uk