Equal Opportunities Committee, 12 Sep 2000

Meeting date: Tuesday, September 12, 2000

Official Report 89KB pdf

---

Correspondence

The final item on the agenda is correspondence, of which members have a list.

Would it be possible for the letter that you received from Jackie Baillie on the clarification of the equalities unit's role to be circulated? As you are aware, several of us were concerned about, first, the length of time that it was taking to establish that unit, secondly how the unit would be resourced and, thirdly, how we would fit in as the Equal Opportunities Committee once the unit had been formed. I would like to see what Jackie Baillie suggests is the role of the equalities unit.

Yes. That is no problem.

When members receive their agendas and the list of correspondence, they are free to phone the clerk prior to the meeting to request copies of any of the listed correspondence, in case they want to raise any point about the correspondence at the meeting.

The final two pieces of correspondence on the list are from the Disabled Persons Housing Service and could be relevant to our future work. What were the concerns in those letters?

I wrote to ministers about concerns that had arisen from the evidence that the DPHS had given to the committee. Members should contact the clerk if they want copies of the responses. One is still outstanding. I wrote to another minister; I could not remember which one, but I am advised that it was Jim Wallace.

The correspondence from Kirkcaldy Area Abuse Survivors Project has come in from my constituency, but it concerns a national funding issue. I want to make members aware that there will be a cross-party working group meeting on Thursday 14 September at lunch time. I will report back from that meeting, because the funding of such projects is a major issue.

As Irene McGugan has not been able to get back to our meeting to report on behalf of the disability reporters group, I will point out that her report mentions the fact that Disability Scotland has gone into administrative insolvency. Everybody will have read about that in the press. On Friday, when I heard about that, I phoned Jackie Baillie about it. I have also spoken at length to Irene McGugan about the matter and she suggests that we write to the minister to ask what action she has taken or is willing to undertake.

I am happy to do that on behalf of the committee and to get a response in writing. Is that agreed?

Members indicated agreement.

Meeting closed at 10:35.