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INTRODUCTION
1. The Scottish Ministers' Duty forms part of the duty on public bodies to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people contained in the Disability Discrimination (Public Authorities) (Statutory Duties) (Scotland) Regulations 2005. The Scottish Ministers are required to publish reports which give an overview of progress towards equality of opportunity between disabled people and other people made by public authorities; and to set out their proposals for the coordination of action by public authorities so as to bring about further progress towards equality of opportunity.
2. Scottish Ministers published 7 reports in response to this duty. Collectively, these 7 reports constitute the Scottish Ministers' response. The 7 reports are as follows:
- Arts, Culture and Built Heritage: a review of progress towards disability equality relating to the arts, culture and built heritage (see Annex A)
- Health and Wellbeing: a review of progress towards disability equality relating to health and wellbeing (see Annex B)
- Finance and Sustainable Growth: a review of progress towards disability equality relating to finance and sustainable growth (see Annex C)
- Education and Lifelong Learning: a review of progress towards disability equality relating to education and lifelong learning (see Annex D)
- Justice: a review of progress towards disability equality relating to justice (see Annex E)
- Rural Affairs and the Environment: a review of progress towards disability equality relating to rural affairs and the environment (see Annex F)
- Proposals for coordination of action by Scottish public authorities.
Approach to Reporting
3. The purpose of the Scottish Ministers' duty is to prompt leadership across the public sector and ensure that a strategic view is taken towards the promotion of disability equality. The reporting aspects of the duty are an opportunity to provide information on the effectiveness of the public sector in delivering disability equality. The coordination aspects of the duty provide Scottish Ministers with an opportunity to set strategic priorities for the delivery of disability equality.
4. Scottish Ministers commissioned research to enable reporting on the progress which is being made towards equality of opportunity between disabled people and other people across portfolios. The research was undertaken by a team from the University of Edinburgh, under the leadership of Professor Sheila Riddell. The reports examine the policy context in relation to disability equality, the availability of data and statistical evidence, and consideration of progress being made towards disability equality by public authorities. The coordination report draws together the findings from across the other 6 reports and sets out Scottish Ministers proposals for coordination of action.
Context
National Outcomes
5. The Scottish Government's stated purpose is to focus the Government and public services on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth. The Scottish Government's Economic Strategy is also geared to delivering the Government's purpose. A key element of the Government Economic Strategy is equity, including ensuring that there are opportunities for all to contribute to Scotland's sustainable economic growth.
6. Scottish Government's stated purpose will be achieved through 5 strategic objectives and a suite of national outcomes. Progress on outcomes will be measured through national indicators and targets. A number of the national outcomes relate to disability equality work, in particular the national outcome "We have tackled the significant inequalities in Scottish society." Coordination of action by public authorities is key to meeting the shared set of national outcomes.
Community Planning
7. At a local level, Community Planning Partnerships ( CPPs) are now operating in all 32 local authority areas, bringing together a range of partners, including the third sector Community Planning offers a way of balancing local and national priorities by reaching explicit agreement about the priorities of the partnership so that the activity of each agency can be clearly directed towards those priorities. CPPs are required to encourage equal opportunities specifically on the grounds of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief.
Single Outcome Agreements
8. The Scottish Government and local government share an ambition for an outcome based approach to the planning and delivery of public services in Scotland. That ambition is expressed in Concordat agreed between the Scottish Government and COSLA in November 2007 which underpins the move to Single Outcome Agreements ( SOA) between the Scottish Government and CPPs. The outcomes in an SOA should be expressed in terms of quality of life and opportunity, or in terms of the economic, social or environmental contexts that influence people's quality of life or opportunities in life. Therefore, having full regard to issues around equality is a key element in the delivery of an SOA.
Equalities Measurement Framework
9. National indicators will be disaggregated by equality strand where possible. However, we recognise the need, identified through the Equality Review, for a new means of measuring change and progress over time. The Scottish Government is contributing to the development of an Equalities Performance Framework, which is being taken forward with the Equality and Human Rights Commission and Government Equalities Office at Westminster. The measurement framework will help us to better understand outcomes for the diverse range of communities and in this context disabled people.
Conclusion
10. The Scottish Ministers' Duty is not just about what the Government does. Scottish Ministers need to consider the work of the wider public sector in relation to disability equality. We have already established a national performance framework, with a stated purpose to focus the Government and public services on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth. Our response to the Scottish Ministers' Duty is set within this context.
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