A fairer Scotland for all: race equality action plan and highlight report 2017-2021
The race equality action plan sets out the key actions for the Scottish Government to drive positive change for minority ethnic communities.
Section 8: Gypsy/Travellers
Outcomes for Gypsy/Travellers are poor across the board. It is often stated that discrimination against Gypsy/Travellers is far more accepted and normalised than that directed at other minority ethnic communities. The difficulties experienced by Gypsy/Traveller communities in Scotland are long standing and seemingly intractable. While some progress has been made ie in relation to site standards and the production of a model tenancy agreement, much more needs to be done if we are to succeed to improving outcomes for these marginalised communities. Higher level engagement is now required and a radical new approach which will bring about change on a much shorter timescale. The Independent Race Equality Adviser also called for strong leadership at all levels and a powerful Ministerial voice.
The Scottish Government has therefore established a Ministerial Working Group, chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities, and attended by the Ministers for Local Government & Housing, Childcare & Early Years, Employability & Training and Public Health & Sport. The Working Group will determine priorities for action and drive forward the changes required to start making improvements for Gypsy/Travellers across a range of issues.
As a result, we have not included any actions on Gypsy/Travellers in this Action Plan, not wishing to pre-empt the Working Group.
The age profile of Gypsy/Travellers was much younger compared to the population as a whole. Only 28% of Gypsy/Travellers were aged 45 or over compared to 44% of the population as a whole, and only 4% were aged 70 or over compared to 12% of the population as a whole.
Source: Analysis of Equality Results from the 2011 Census (2014).
| SG Planned Activities |
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| Key Activities |
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Year 2 |
Year 3 |
| We will establish a Gypsy/Traveller Ministerial Working Group to cover the areas of Education, Health, Employment and Housing/Planning, which will be attended by the Ministers for these portfolios. |
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| An annual event will be held during Gypsy/Traveller month in June to promote and celebrate the cultural heritage of the community. |
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| Our Gypsy/Traveller Programme of Work will bring together all the relevant policies across Scottish Government to help secure improved outcomes for the community. |
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| We will establish a mechanism to ensure continued engagement with stakeholders and members of the community. |
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| We will work with National Records of Scotland as they engage with Gypsy/Travellers and devise their plans for Scotland's Census 2021 |
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| A joint Scottish Government and COSLA summit will be held in 2018 with local authorities to share best practice on improving the lives of Gypsy/Traveller communities. |
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| A review will be held into the progress of local authorities and Registered Social Landlords towards meeting the minimum site standards for Gypsy/Traveller sites ahead of the June 2018 deadline. |
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| Educational guidance will be published aimed at schools, including early learning and childcare settings, and local authorities, to help them improve educational outcomes for Traveller children. |
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| We will continue to engage with the Health and Social Care sector to improve Gypsy/Travellers' access to and experience of healthcare services over the lifetime of this Parliament. |
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| We will financially support organisations working to improve outcomes in areas such as employment, health and education for the Gypsy/Traveller and Roma communities. |
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| We will use social media and the One Scotland website to promote the Gypsy/Traveller community and organisations. |
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| We remain committed to Scotland's plan-led system being more effective, and we will review the Scottish Planning Policy ( SPP), including to enable the positive planning of family sites for the Gypsy/Traveller community, over this parliamentary term. The Planning Bill will pursue a higher, statutory status for policies contained within the SPP. It will also pursue measures aimed at encouraging wider engagement in the development plan. |
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