Social Justice
a Scotland where everyone matters
Indicators of Progress 2003
Foreword
We are delivering social justice for Scotland.
Four years on since devolution, we continue to make real progress in tackling poverty and disadvantage, and promoting social inclusion.
The statistics speak for themselves.
This report meets the four year commitment of the first Scottish Executive to report annually on progress on the social justice milestones.
Over these years our policies have evolved to fit the environment. Becoming smarter, quicker, sharper. Ensuring focus, tackling the real issues, and encouraging change and improvement.
New commitments in the Partnership Agreement 1 for the new Scottish Executive will help achieve our goals, by delivering outcomes that will benefit Scotland and its people - growing the economy, delivering excellence in public services, supporting strong communities, and developing an ambitious and confident Scotland.
Too many lives and communities have been damaged by the absence of opportunities, or by poor housing and neighbourhoods. We are supporting communities and rebuilding respect, making communities safe secure and clean, securing environmental justice for all.
We must build on what we know. We know that we are succeeding on:
- Taking children, working age people and pensioners out of poverty
- Reducing unemployment, including for disadvantaged groups and areas
- Giving our children access to quality care and early learning before entering school
And we now have more and better data for every milestone bar one. But we also know that more work needs to be done in many areas:
- To close the gap in the performance of pupils, and improve attendance
- To give children a permanent home
- To get more 16-19 year olds into education, training or employment.
This Report is only a milestone itself, in the development of our commitment to social justice. Scotland is changing, and our strategy will change to deliver for Scotland.
Margaret Curran
Minister for Communities
1 http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/government/pfbs-00.asp