« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
Appendix B
Advisory Committee Remits : 1971-1999
Overview
While, over the years, there has been a tendency for the remit of one Committee to be continued to its successor with little change in wording, there are some discontinuities, with a noticeable narrowing in the early 1980s, which was not counteracted for nearly a decade.
The initial remit for the first Committee was very broad and recognised the scope for involvement in many aspects of Traveller life and in the interplay between Travellers and the settled community. The second Committee had a generally similar remit but with a greater emphasis on the role which needed to be played by the local authorities. This was further re-emphasised in the third Committee's remit in terms of the three year period within which significant progress on site provision was expected to be achieved. Here too there was a specific reference to the entitlement of Travellers to equality of access to various forms of services on the same basis as the settled community.
The remit for the Committee's fourth term, was the beginning of the narrowing down to a remit concerned almost exclusively with achieving site provision. This was echoed in the remit for the fifth term, where there is no reference to the wider educational, health or community needs of Travellers or the problems of mutual tolerance between them and the settled community.
It was only with the remit for the sixth term that the range of issues to be addressed begins to broaden again with specific reference to education and health needs. Once again the succeeding seventh and eighth terms follow very similar wording but the most significant difference from that of the sixth term is the appearance of the need to identify guidance 'on any aspect relating to Travelling People' and either 'to review and update existing published guidance' or 'to recommend how that need might best be met'.
First term 1971-1974
'To keep the whole situation relating to "Scotland's Travelling People" under review over a three-year period, in particular to provide a bridge between the Travellers and the settled community with a view to achieving greater tolerance and understanding of each other's point of view, and in general to act as a focal point for the further consideration of the welfare of Travellers'.
Second term 1975-1978
'To keep the whole situation relating to "Scotland's Travelling People" under review over a three-year period; to provide a bridge between the Travellers and the settled community with a view to achieving greater tolerance and understanding of each other's point of view; to act as a focal point for consideration of the problems of Travellers; to advise on the active promotion of measures to ensure adequate provision for their welfare; and to encourage action by local authorities to alleviate the problems'.
Third term 1979-1982
'To provide, over a three-year period, advice to the Secretary of State, Scottish local authorities and others, with a view to achieving improvement in living conditions, well being and opportunities of the Travelling People of Scotland; to be a bridge between Travellers and the settled communities so as to promote mutual tolerance and understanding; to act as a focal point for the consideration and co-ordination of action by local authorities to provide, within a three-year period, properly constituted sites for renting by Travellers; to encourage the provision of adequate educational and other services to Travellers which are standard to other sections of the population'.
Fourth term 1983-1985
Remit not available.
Fifth term 1986-1988
'To advise the Secretary of State on issues relating to Travelling People and in particular:
- to encourage progress towards the achievement of the Secretary of State's pitch targets by 1988 with the aim of securing full site provision by December 1988;
- to monitor progress towards achievement of these targets and to review and update them in 1987-88;
- to advise particular local authorities, whether on request or at the instigation of the Secretary of State or others, on appropriate ways to secure adequate provision of sites for Travelling People;
- to use their good offices to resolve disputes that may arise over details of such provision;
- to identify any need for published guidance on aspects of site provision and to recommend (at any time during the period of office) how that need might best be met'.
Sixth term 1989-91
'To advise the Secretary of State on issues relating to Travelling People and in particular:
- to encourage progress towards the achievement of the Secretary of State's pitch targets by 1988 with the aim of securing full site provision by December 1991;
- to monitor progress towards achievement of these targets and to keep them under regular review;
- to advise particular local authorities, whether on request or at the instigation of the Secretary of State or others, on appropriate ways to secure adequate provision of new sites for Travelling People; and to use their good offices to resolve disputes that may arise over the details of such provision;
- to formulate guidelines for the upgrading of existing official Travellers' sites;
- to encourage effective and efficient management of official sites and to review regularly advice to local authorities on this aspect;
- to liaise with local authorities and other agencies on the social needs of Travellers, in particular to encourage the use and expansion of educational and health facilities by and for Travellers;
- to collect information on rental and occupancy of official sites and to formulate a policy on retention of pitches by Travellers on such sites;
- to identify any need for further guidance on any aspect relating to Travelling People and to review and update existing published guidance'.
Seventh term 1992-1994
'To advise the Secretary of State on issues relating to Travelling People and in particular:
- to encourage progress towards the achievement of the Secretary of State's pitch targets by end-1994;
- to monitor progress towards achievement of these targets and to review them in 1993;
- to advise particular local authorities, whether on request or at the instigation of the Secretary of State or others, on appropriate ways to secure adequate provision of new sites for Travelling People; and to use their good offices to resolve disputes that may arise over the details of such provision;
- to advise on the upgrading of existing official Traveller sites;
- to encourage effective and efficient management of official sites;
- to liaise with local authorities and other agencies on the social needs of Travellers; in particular to encourage the use and expansion of educational and health facilities by and for Travellers;
- to identify any need for further guidance on any aspect relating to Travelling People and to recommend how that need might best be met'.
Eighth term 1995-1997
'To advise the Secretary of State on issues relating to Travelling People and in particular:
- to encourage progress towards the achievement of the Secretary of State's pitch targets by end-1997;
- to monitor progress towards achievement of these targets and reassess them in terms of the restructuring of local government;
- to advise particular local authorities, whether on request or at the instigation of the Secretary of State or others, on appropriate ways to secure adequate provision of new sites for Travelling People; and to use their good offices to resolve disputes that may arise over the details of such provision;
- to advise on the upgrading of existing official Traveller sites;
- to encourage effective and efficient management of official sites and to renew advice to local authorities on this aspect;
- to liaise with local authorities and other agencies on the social needs of Travellers; in particular to encourage the use and expansion of educational and health facilities by and for Travellers;
- to identify any need for further guidance on any aspect relating to Travelling People and to recommend how that need might best be met'.
Ninth term 1998-1999
'To advise the Secretary of State on issues relating to Travelling People and, in particular:
- to make recommendations for the future role of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and local authorities with regard to provision for Travellers and to ensure a co-ordinated approach throughout Scotland;
- to advise local authorities on appropriate ways to secure adequate provision of sites for Travelling People during the final phase of the Scottish Office Development Department capital grant scheme;
- to encourage effective management of official sites;
- to liaise with local authorities and other agencies on the social needs of Travellers; in particular to encourage the use and expansion of educational and health facilities by and for Travellers;
- to identify any need for further guidance on any aspect relating to Travelling People and to recommend how that need best be met'.
« Previous | Contents | Next »