Current status: Answered by Iain Gray on 15 May 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24446 by Wendy Alexander on 16 April 2002, what particular aspect of sex discrimination legislation would specifically be contravened by targeting the microcredit programme exclusively at women.
The original announcement was predicated on the programme being operated by Wellpark Enterprise Centre, in collaboration with Scottish Enterprise. Under the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, Wellpark Enterprise Centre would have been covered by an exception under section 34 of the act allowing the organisation to operate a scheme of this nature. Given the difficulties faced by Wellpark, the programme is now being operated directly by Scottish Enterprise. As a public body set up by enactment, Scottish Enterprise would not be able to deliver the programme exclusively targeted at women, as this would be unlawful under section 29 of the act.