CEQ010/2005 | 7 October 2005

A report published today by The Scottish Parliament's Equal Opportunities Committee has concluded that the Scottish Executive has made "insufficient progress" in improving the quality of life for Gypsy/Travellers living in Scotland.

Furthermore the reported evidence suggests that extreme levels of "discrimination and vilification" persist across Scotland.

The criticism comes in preliminary findings of the Committee's review, aimed at assessing progress since the publication of its 2001 inquiry report into Gypsy/Travellers and Public Sector Policies. The Committee consistently found progress across the country to be "patchy and slow".

Cathy Peattie, Convener of the Committee, said:

"The report takes a balanced view and highlights progress where we have seen evidence of it . However, the evidence is clear and unequivocal: the progress made against our earlier recommendations is inadequate and inconsistent, and the pace of progress is far too slow.

"We have heard from Scotland's Gypsy/Travellers and other witnesses that they still suffer from an extreme level of discrimination, vilification and stereotyping and we are not moving fast enough to deliver effective services into this section of our community.

"We intend for this report to inform the work of the short-life group the Executive is setting up to look at Gypsy/Traveller issues and we will hold off publishing our final recommendations until we can examine the work of that group.

"I urge the Scottish Executive to consider carefully our Committee's findings and I welcome the Deputy Minister for Communities recognition of the need to inject new energy into its work in this matter."

The Committee will defer publication of a final report with recommendations until it has had the opportunity to assess the outcomes and impact of the Scottish Executive's recently announced short-life strategic group on Gypsy/Travellers, which is expected to report in March 2006.

Background

The Committee published the report of its Inquiry into Gypsy/Travellers and Public Sector Policies in June 2001. The report contained 37 recommendations covering accommodation, health, education, personal social services, policing and criminal justice and promoting good relations. The report was positively received by a wide range of stakeholders and the w ork of Committee was referred to as 'groundbreaking' in a Human Rights Report by the US State Department to the US Senate and House of Representatives.

In its review of progress, the Committee has looked at a significant body of evidence from Gypsy/Travellers, local authorities, the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, the Scottish Executive and a range of agencies working with Gypsy/Travellers to find out if anything has changed since 2001.

The Scottish Executive has responded twice to the 2001 report; its initial response was published in October 2001 and an updated response - Delivering for Scotland's Gypsies/Travellers - was published in June 2004.

For further information the media contact is:

Richard Holligan: 0131 348 5605
E-mail: richard.holligan@scottish.parliament.uk

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