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Publication - Consultation paper

Scotland's Forestry Strategy 2019-2029 draft: partial EQIA

Published
20 September 2018
Directorate
Environment and Forestry Directorate
Topic
Economy, Environment and climate change
ISBN
9781787812277

This partial Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) (including Fairer Scotland Duty) for Scotland's Forestry Strategy 2019 to 2029 outlines our assessment of how the draft Forestry Strategy may impact on equality, including socio-economic disadvantage.

View supporting documents Supporting documents

Section 2: Collecting information

What evidence is available about the needs of relevant groups? Please consider demographic data, including census information, research, consultation and survey reports, feedback and complaints, case law, others knowledge and experience. Please refer to the list of evidence on the EQIA page of the intranet.

Details Source of Evidence
Demographic information on the population of Scotland:

General population
Median age: 42 female, 40 male
Long term health problem or disability: 20%
Married or in a Civil Partnership: 45.4%
Race: BME 4%
Sex: 51.5% female, 48.5% male

Working age population
Median age: 45-49
Long term health problem or disability: 15%
Married or in a Civil Partnership: 37%
Race: BME 5.8%
Sex: 49.6% female, 50.4% male		 Census Scotland 2011 Results
Information on the workforce profile of Forest Enterprise Scotland & Forestry Commission Scotland:
  • Total number of staff: 1069
  • Age: 29% aged 39 and under, 71 % aged 40 and over
  • Disability: 3% have one or more disabilities, 90% not disabled, 7% have not disclosed
  • Race: <1% are of BAME ethnicity, 89.1% are White, 1.3% prefer not to say.
  • Sex: 32% female, 68% male.
 Internal HR/ MI reports as at 30th June 2018.
Wider forestry sector workforce profile: Scotland forestry workforce profile:
  • Total number FTE employed in forestry in Scotland - >25,000 FTE: 19,555 in forestry and timber processing, and 6,312 in forest recreation and tourism
  • Age: One study found that the majority of forest, timber and timber plant operatives, as well as timber and timber processing machine engineers were 35 years or over (although it was based on a small sample size).
  • Skills and training: Numbers of higher education students within Scottish FE-HE institutions are increasing but in forestry and timber technologies ( FTT) related subjects they are falling. The numbers of students enrolling into FTT courses has decreased markedly since the 1970s and 1980s (200-500 students) compared with current numbers fluctuating between 100-150.
UK forestry workforce profile: One 2011 study reported the following:
  • Gender: Male 93%, female 7%
  • Age: 43% are aged 34 and under, 57% are aged 35 and over
  • Ethnicity: White 98%, Non-white 2%
It is not clear how statistically robust this data is.
  • Age: For forestry and its sub-sectors, 57% are aged 34 or under, 43% are aged 35 or over.
 Forestry Commission 2015 Report

The Scottish Trees and Timber Sector Labour Supply and Future Demand (2017)

Scottish Forest and Timber Technologies sector: Skills and training scoping study 2015

Lantra 2010-11 factsheet

Confederation of Timber Industries 2016 report

From your research above have you identified any gaps in evidence? If so what are the gaps?

FES & FCS does not currently collate or analyse information on some of the protected characteristics of its employees. These include gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, religion/belief or sexual orientation. Some information is collated anonymously via the biennial staff survey as indicated above. As such we are unable to ascertain any impacts on staff due to these protected characteristics.

There is a lack of detailed or robust demographic data available on the forestry sector in Scotland and we therefore know very little about the profile of the workforce in terms of protected characteristics. As such we are only able to assess any impacts on the workforce in relation to gender, ethnicity and age, and even here, only on a tenuous basis.

As appropriate please describe the consultation/engagement undertaken including details of the groups involved and the methods used.

This partial EQIA has been based on an assessment of evidence and the experience and expertise of the FCS/ FES Equality & Diversity Manager and the Forestry Strategy Team.

Are there any other groups to be consulted?

In order to elicit wider views on the potential impact of the draft strategy on equality, we have included a specific question relating to this partial EQIA in the consultation document:

Q10. Would you add or change anything in the Equality Impact Assessment (which includes our assessment of the potential impact of the strategy on inequalities caused by socioeconomic disadvantage – Fairer Scotland Duty)?

The responses we receive to this question will help to inform the content of the final strategy, as well as the final EQIA.

During the formal consultation period we also intend to consult with a range of groups directly regarding the strategy and equality/inequality, including:

  • Requesting specific comment on the draft strategy from the FES/ FCS Equality & Diversity Internal Steering Group.
  • Holding a consultation meeting with staff from across FES/ FCS who share protected characteristics.
  • Approaching E&D Managers from SEPA, HSE, SNH for specific comment on the draft strategy.
  • Consulting with a broad range of stakeholders (potentially including, but not limited to those with protected characteristics) through meetings and workshops focused on the draft strategy.

Contact

Email: Bob Frost

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