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Better communities in Scotland: Closing the gap
Ministerial Foreword
Social justice is at the heart of the Scottish Executive's work. Breaking the cycle of deprivation, raising personal and community ambitions, and lifting children out of the misery of poverty are important aims of this government.
We are committed to building a better Scotland, where a child's potential, and not their background or postcode, will decide their future. We want to see a Scotland where every neighbourhood is a safe, attractive place to live, work and play, where public services meet the needs of people, not the demands of the organisations which deliver them, and where social justice is a right, not a privilege.
Much has been done since 1997, but we recognise that we still have much to do, particularly in those areas that continue to be badly affected by poor health, low educational achievements, and poverty. That is why we have published this statement, setting out our plan for changing Scotland's most deprived communities for good.
We will build on the firm foundations that are already in place. Scotland's network of Social Inclusion Partnerships, working closely with community leaders, local authorities, and other public agencies, has already made a significant difference. Radical policies, such as transferring Glasgow's entire council housing stock into community ownership, will also bring about dramatic improvements to people's lives.
However, more needs to be done and we believe that community planning is the best way to make sure all agencies work together with deprived communities - and with each other - to deliver better and more responsive services. We also need to make sure people have the skills and confidence they need to take advantage of the many opportunities that modern Scotland offers.
For the first time we will properly measure the success of local initiatives. We need to make sure the highest level of public spending in Scotland's history delivers the changes needed to close the gap between our poorest communities and the rest of the country.
The time for talking is over. Nearly a third of Scotland's children still live in poverty. There are still too many neighbourhoods where crime and the fear of crime are commonplace and too many streets scarred by litter and graffiti. There are still too many Scots who feel excluded from the economic prosperity and social and cultural benefits the rest of the country enjoys at the start of the 21st century.
Putting this statement into practice will be a difficult challenge for all of us working to close the gap between our deprived communities and the rest of Scotland - central and local government, other public agencies, the private sector and voluntary and community groups. It will mean critically changing the way we work together and with deprived people themselves. We can achieve social justice in Scotland but we must all work together. There is no other way.
Margaret Curran
Minister for Social Justice
June 2002
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