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Item 3 is consideration of the draft report by Gil Paterson, the disability reporter. In view of the taking-stock meeting on 22 January, I have spoken to Gil, who is happy for us to go ahead with our consideration, so I suggest that we take the item today. Is that agreed?
Members have a copy of the draft report and of a paper that was circulated by the clerks. Do members have comments or questions on the draft report?
Does the draft report relate to the inquiry that we want to initiate for the European year of people with disabilities in 2003 or is it part of a separate process?
The disability reporter suggested that, subject to the committee's agreement, in addition to providing a summary of everything that has been done so far, the draft report could be used as the basis on which to begin an inquiry into the state of preparations for the European year of people with disabilities in 2003.
That would also be subject to consultation with disability organisations.
Will disability organisations have access to the draft report to allow them to make suggestions or will we have to co-ordinate to allow us to arrive at a conclusion?
As with the gender reporter's recent work, once the committee has agreed the draft report, it will be collated and published and will become a public document. Depending on what the committee wants, there could then be consultation about what has been done so far and what various relevant bodies have proposed.
Would we have to ask bodies specifically to give us their interpretation of the report and ask for suggestions or would that happen as a matter of course?
It would probably be best for the committee to direct bodies to areas in which they are interested, but the publication of the report will probably generate interest of its own accord.
Is that okay?
Yes. Has Gil Paterson indicated what future work should flow from the report?
The third bullet point of paragraph 10 of the paper suggests that the disability reporter, supported by clerks, should work up proposals on how the implementation of the year of people with disabilities in 2003 could be monitored throughout 2002.
We can agree on the draft report today and ask Gil Paterson to report at the next meeting, under the reporters item, and answer questions. We should agree on the draft report to enable the meeting on 22 January to go ahead. We can speak to Gil Paterson at the next committee meeting about what we should do with the report.
I share Michael McMahon's concerns. The year of people with disabilities in 2003 is an opportunity to pull together organisations that work in the disability sector and give them a chance to promote issues. Some mechanism must exist to enable us to listen. I know that that is happening through pulling the report together, but there must be a formal link with the organisations. We must not assume that we know what they will want to say. Once we have had the taking-stock meeting on 22 January, we might want to review how we should progress and work towards 2003 with agencies involved in disability, so that we make the best of the year.
I do not see any difficulty with that.
Is it also agreed that we inform Scottish Executive officials of the broad areas that we will discuss, so that they will be able to prepare, to make the meeting more meaningful?
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