Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee,

Meeting date: Wednesday, May 31, 2000

Official Report 174KB pdf

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“The same as you?”

The final item is the publication by the Scottish Executive of "The same as you?", which concerns the review of services for people with learning disabilities. The Deputy Minister for Community Care has drawn that document to our attention, to see whether there are any views that members would like to submit to the consultation process that is under way. Any issues that members want to raise should be identified to the clerks.

I know that we have spent quite a bit of time discussing the work that we will be doing. Is there an intention to discuss the report of the Beattie committee, which has been out for some time now? I am not sure what is happening with that report, but it certainly covers some of the same areas as "The same as you?" does, although its remit is broader.

We will have to decide what to do, but we can certainly consider how to approach the Beattie report. There might be other opportunities for us to consider the issues involved.

Have the clerks given thought to other matters that arise from "The same as you?", given that it concerns access to the workplace and to lifelong learning for disabled people and not just for able-bodied people?

If members have any points to raise, they should let the clerks know over the next few days and we shall consider them at our next regular meeting on 14 June.

That concludes our business. I advise members that Mark MacPherson, who has been helping with our clerking activities for some time, is moving on to pastures new within the clerking directorate. He will be taking up a more demanding post with the Procedures Committee, where he will have tougher characters to deal with. I thank Mark for his involvement. As a reward, he will continue to work with us on the fuel price inquiry until the summer recess.

Meeting closed at 11:22.