Scottish Government

FUNCTION OR POLICY

COMMITMENT
Actions we committed to in our Scheme and new commitments

OUTCOMES/ ACTIONS TAKEN
Work undertaken to date

FUTURE ACTION
Work underway or planned to address these challenges

DEADLINE/ TIMING

CONTACT
Lead unit working on this

PLANNING

Medium Impact

Publish reports on public involvement in planning

1. Research and consultation exercise on Public Involvement in Planning.

2. A White Paper on public involvement is to be published before the end of the year.

1. Findings published and, with wider research, they became the basis of the White Paper referred to below.

2. In March 2003, the Executive published 'Your Place, Your Plan: A White Paper on Public Involvement in Planning' It brings forward the Executive's proposals to strengthen and enhance public involvement at all stages in the land use planning system.

1. None- action complete

2. We will be implementing a range of proposals including: a national consultative group; local planning fora; and funding for Planning Aid.

Over the next 4 years (some proposals require primary legislation to implement).

Planning Division 1

National Planning Framework

NPF being prepared will reflect "SPP1 The Planning System" principles and priorities including the need to consider meeting the diverse needs of communities including those of minority ethnic communities.

Open stakeholder meetings were held.

We will publish the NPF and then keep it under review and update/revise it where necessary.

ongoing

Planning Division 4

Consulting with interest groups and mainstreaming equality issues into policymaking.

We will endeavour to consult all relevant stakeholders including minority ethnic communities.

We have conducted wide ranging consultations. Our initial efforts to consult with equality groups and to take account of their interests have focused on disability issues.

We will expand our consultation list to ensure it is inclusive of minority ethnic interests and we will consider a training seminar for planning staff with CRE Scotland. We have already had initial discussions with CRE on how planning policy and procedures - at national and local authority level - better can take into account the needs of people from minorty ethnic communities.

2004

Planning Division 1

Low Impact

Review development control statistics arrangements

We will implement the REAF report recommendation that the Executive introduce guidance on ethnically disaggregated monitoring of Development Control including enforcement.

Temporarily deferred due to pressure of other commitments.

The Executive is not yet in a position to introduce this guidance but we will review the situation in 2004/05 as circumstances permit.

2004/05

Planning Division 1

Review of Housing and PAN38 (planning and building standards)

SP Committee and Gypsy/Traveller representatives considered that sites should be mentioned. This was based on a false impression that existing guidance would cease to exist. Draft revised SPP3 (formerly NPPG3) mentions the subject, but it is peripheral to the main thrust of the guidance. As far as other races are concerned, the guidance assumes that all citizens are treated equally regardless of race. Responses have been received on draft SPP3. A small number of consultees, including the Scottish Parliament Equal Opportunities Committee, commented on the Gypsy/Traveller aspects.

Published "SPP3 Planning for Housing" in March 2003. SPP3 stated that planning authorities should continue to play a role, through development plans, in identifying suitable locations for Gypsy/Traveller sites where need is demonstrated.

Action complete. We will keep the policy under review and update/revise it as and when necessary.

Ongoing

Planning Division 1

HOUSING

High Impact

Support work of Housing Improvement Task Force

Equality proofing built into work of Task Force through discussions with relevant organisations and consultation.

In March 2003, a Report on the findings from the Housing Improvement Task Force - equalities proofing focus groups was produced.

A survey across Housing Divisions is planned to review mainstreaming work done and identify next steps.

Equalities issues will be taken into account in the implementation of the Task Force recommendations

Ongoing

Housing Division 3/ Housing Division 2

To prepare Executive guidance on community learning and development

Race equality issues need to be part of training content and monitoring of profile of minority ethnic students on training is required.

Community Learning and Development Working Draft Guidance was published on 28 January 2003 which was circulated to all Community Planning Partners and the wider community for comment by 24 April.

Guidance currently being finalised, and was framed in light of this consultation.

Guidance to be finalised and published

Spring 2004

Housing Division 3/Communities Scotland

To improve Community Learning and Development (CLD) management information

"Way Forward" commitment was to establish clearer management information to assess the contribution CLD makes to achieving core Executive outcomes. Focus on outcomes related to core priorities: health; education; jobs; transport; and crime. Will take account of equalities as part of this process.

Links to existing and developing data sources. But sufficient progress will be necessary to inform the new Guidance (see above). Monitoring growth in Social Capital will take time.

Avante consultancy appointed to scope out this work.

Will next report to advisory group, 27 February 2004 when next steps will be agreed.

Housing division 3/ HMIE leading this project

Funding of minority ethnic organisations through the Housing Voluntary Grants Scheme

Implementation of Supporting People in April 2003. User Group to be established will take account of ethnicity. Local Authority supporting people strategic plans will require them to show how they are promoting equal opportunities in this area.

Did not go ahead because local authorities made their own consultation arrangements on strategic planning which included consultation with minority ethnic groups.

We will look for evidence in local authority strategic plans that all service user groups have been involved in planning and will discuss any gaps with local authorities.

Summer 2004

Housing Division 3

Working to prevent discrimination of Gypsies/Travellers

[cf Equality Unit entry below]

We will continue to work with G/T communities and public sector partners to develop policies and guidelines to eliminate discrimination

Many policy areas are now considering the needs of G/Ts when developing policies and guidelines

Consider new guidance on managing unauthorised camping by G/Ts

Consultation paper will be published mid-February 2004

Housing 1 in the lead, working closely with the Equality Unit

1. Monitor social landlords through Communities Scotland Regulation and Inspection Division.

2. Monitor position of minority ethnic communities through analysis of Scottish House Condition Survey 2002.

1. One of the specified aims of Communities Scotland's regulation and inspection of RSLs is to ensure that social justice and equal opportunities exist across all aspects of social housing. The performance standards include a specific equal opportunities standard.

An Equalities in Practice study and an evaluation of it have informed the agency's assessment processes and allowed Communities Scotland to gather examples of good practice and develop a practical assessment framework, which will also serve as self-assessment guidance for regulated landlords to use in improving their approach to equalities.

2. The most recent survey report was released in Nov 2003. The extent to which we can monitor minority ethnic communities is limited by the small numbers of people from these communities. This makes it impossible to disaggregate the data meaningfully.

1. The Regulation & Inspection division of Communities Scotland are part of the way through the first Pathfinder year of inspections. This will involve starting inspections of 5 local authorities and 20 RSLs.

Performance in relation to equal opportunities will be assessed in every inspection and will be covered in every inspection report. All inspection reports are published on Communities Scotland's website. The reports of the first two RSLs are already on the website and the first LA report will be place on the website on 21 January.

R&I have also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with CRE Scotland which sets out how we will work together to share information and help CRE Scotland to fulfil its role of assessing progress in the implementation of the specific duties placed on public authorities by the RR(A)A. All local authority inspection reports will be copied to CRE Scotland.

2. We are now conducting this survey as a continuous survey.

As SCHS minority ethnic numbers have proved too small and Communities Scotland is considering alternative methods

Survey material can be made available in a variety of different languages.

1. Communities Scotland Regulation and Inspection Division.

2. Scottish House Condition Survey Team

SOCIAL INCLUSION

High Impact

Provide integration and articulation within the Executive to promote the child poverty agenda and closing the gap for children and lone parents, through cross-departmental programmes and within new and existing programmes and policies.

The programmes we have underway, through Education, Health and Enterprise departments work towards reducing the opportunity gap for all experiencing disadvantage. For example, through Sure Start Scotland there are family centres with outreach functions specifically for minority ethnic communities. We are also leading on an exploratory study of the experiences of poverty in low-income families, which includes reference to equality issues/ethnicity matters.

We have created a 20m Working for Families Fund, designed to help disadvantaged people in deprived areas into work by ensuring that availability of childcare is not a barrier to entering education, training or employment. Local authorities in receipt of this funding may choose to focus on minority ethnic families

We are aware of the issues of child poverty amongst minority ethnic communities.

Ongoing

Social Inclusion Unit

Medium Impact

Produce Social Justice Annual Report

Plan to provide more data disaggregated by ethnicity

Considerable improvements in the range and depth of data has been achieved over the last couple of years through increasing data collection, linking data sources, and improving analysis. There are however still a small number of gaps where data has not yet become available. In all cases work is being taken forward to provide the required data.

This year a technical document only will be produced. We are moving towards publishing statistics online as soon as they are available on a Social Justice statistics website rather than producing an annual report. We hope this will make information more accessible.

Launch of website in early 2004.

Social Inclusion Unit

Facilitate and support the work of the Scottish Social Inclusion Network

The Minister for Social Justice is considering the recommendations of the Equalities Mainstreaming working group. Plan is to improve equalities considerations in SIP programmes and projects.

In June 2003 the Minister for Communities took the decision to dissolve the SSIN and to find alternative ways to ensure that the views of disadvantaged groups, and the organisations that represent them, are properly consulted as part of policy development. This can take many formats from discussion groups to attending conferences and seminars. In recent months this has involved organizations such as the Poverty Alliance, the People & Parliament Trust and Barnardo's.

The Equality Unit and Communities Scotland to consider ways to take forward the working group plan.

ongoing

Equality Unit/ Communities Scotland

Delivering Community Budgeting

We are about to announce the distribution of the community budgeting grant and the guidelines for its use. Equality issues will be taken into account when drawing up funding guidelines.

12 Community Planning Partnerships are acting a pilots.

Pilots became operational during 2003/04

Ongoing

HAAR

Ensure the implementation of new local money advice across Scotland, and appropriate central support for money advice, in context of new provision of Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Bill

Equal Opportunities Committee has requested information on the ways in which the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Bill mainstreams equality issues, and how this will be achieved in respect of advice provision. EOC has been referred to Executive guidance on the requirements which money advisers accredited under the new statutory debt arrangement scheme will be expected to meet (these still to be developed) Development of accreditation guidelines will take account of equalities issues, as will the development of quality assurance framework and standards for money advice.

We are working on the approval process for existing Money Advisers which are in place with such agencies as Citizens Advice and within Local Authority advice provision. Race Equality issues should already be addressed by these organisations' own checks.

We are aware that there are a number of minority ethnic communities who do not/cannot access money advice and we are working up plans to address this in 2004

Ongoing

Social Inclusion Unit

Low Impact

Oversee implementation of Community Regeneration Statement

Some concern that Community Regeneration Statement focuses more on deprived geographic communities rather than deprived communities of interest (e.g. minority ethnic communities, older people). Limited role for Executive because actual implementation responsibility of wide range of agencies.

Guidance on integration of SIPs and Community Planning issued in August 2003 enables 20% of SIP funds to be used for 'community of interest' approaches to regeneration.

Communities Scotland working with SIP's and Community Planning Partnership to progress integration recommendations on long term approaches being progressed. Executive has agreed in principle to recommendations arising on approaches to research measuring deprivation. These include recommendations on disaggregating data by age, gender and ethnicity.

March 2005.

Ongoing

HAAR

CSU

Ensure stability and further growth of credit unions in Scotland through implementation of the Credit Union Action Plan

The Scottish Credit Union Partnership advises on Credit Union policy and ensures that all equalities issues are considered.

A New fund has been launched. Our focus is on increasing the membership of credit unions

ongoing

ongoing

Social Inclusion Unit

VOLUNTARY SECTOR ISSUES

High Impact

Review funding for minority ethnic groups in the voluntary sector

The review focused on where best to target resources to meet the Executive's priorities and goals. It was a wide-ranging review encompassing all areas of minority ethnic funding in the Scottish voluntary sector.

The Executive's response to the review, published on 12 March 2002, set out an action plan and a raft of measures designed to improve the way the Executive supports the minority ethnic voluntary sector.

• Many of the actions in the action plan are being taken forward in the work plan of the Black and Ethnic Minority Infrastructure in Scotland (BEMIS).
• Others are being considered as part of several broader reviews including a strategic funding review, a review of the social economy and a review of volunteering.

• Continue to progress work through action plans resulting from several broader reviews including a strategic funding review, a review of the social economy and a review of volunteering.
• The partnership agreement gives a commitment to act on the recommendations of the Strategic funding review, to support 3 year rolling core funding for the voluntary sector and to improve its availability, effectiveness and sustainability.

The reviews will report in early 2004.

ongoing

Voluntary Issues Unit

Support the creation of a strong, well-resourced infrastructure body for the minority ethnic voluntary sector

Funding of Black and Ethnic Minority Infrastructure in Scotland (BEMIS). BEMIS was officially launched as the national umbrella organisation for the minority ethnic voluntary sector in June 2002.

• The Executive's voluntary issues unit provided core funding of 300,000 over 3 years 2001-02 to 2003-04.
• 130,000 additional funding was awarded in 2002-03 and 2003-04 for additional staff.

Consider new bid for 3 year core funding.

February 2004

Voluntary Issues Unit

Provide grants to voluntary organisations in Scotland for projects designed to reduce discrimination and promote racial equality.

The Executive funds the Ethnic Minority Grant Scheme, which is administered on our behalf by the Voluntary Action Fund (VAF).

• Following the review of funding for minority ethnic groups in the voluntary sector, we increased the funds available from 277,000 per year to 500,000.
• We increased the funding ceilings for individual projects to 31,000 per year.

Consider new rounds of bids submitted by VAF.

Ongoing

Voluntary Issues Unit

Support and develop the minority ethnic voluntary sector infrastructure and mainstream race equality issues into the general voluntary sector.

Funding of the Race Equality Development Unit at the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations

• We increased the funding from 39,000 per year to 48,000 per year for 2003/4.

Consider new bid for funding .

April 2004

Voluntary Issues Unit

Medium Impact

Promote the development of links between the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish Executive, COSLA and the minority ethnic voluntary sector at a national strategic level.

The Scottish Compact sets out the principles for the Government and the voluntary sector to work together. The Compact is supported by Good Practice Guides.

• Research undertaken to develop recommendations for setting up a monitoring and evaluation framework for the Scottish Compact in 2003.
• A revised Scottish Compact and an implementation strategy are due to be launched by VIU and SCVO early in 2004.

1. Promote use of the compact amongst Executive Staff through a series of seminars for all Executive staff.

2. Commission a study to collect baseline monitoring data and to develop an evaluation.

3. Consult with the voluntary sector on the production of a new Good Practice Guide that will set out best practice in funding and working with the minority ethnic voluntary sector.

4. In line with the partnership agreement, the Executive to encourage compacts between local authorities and the voluntary sector and improve the partnership with NHS Boards.

1. 2004

2. 2004

3. 2005

4. ongoing

Voluntary Issues Unit

Facilitate and encourage the development of good practice by mainstream voluntary organisations in the recruitment and retention of volunteers from minority ethnic backgrounds.

The Executive has been providing funding per year to the Black and Minority Ethnic Volunteering Project (BMEV) at Volunteer Development Scotland

The project aims to support minority ethnic voluntary organisations to expand the scope of their volunteer programmes and to work with others in the voluntary sector to remove barriers to volunteering by people from the minority ethnic communities.

Volunteer Development Scotland is playing the lead role in developing a new strategic framework for volunteer development in Scotland. The framework will identify how the Executive can provide leadership and support to embed a culture of volunteering in Scotland. Will build on Active Communities initiative.

• Executive officials to continue meeting with VDS on regular basis to support strategy development.
• Launch Volunteering strategy.

Ongoing

2004

Voluntary Issues Unit

Ethnic monitoring of funding

New commitment as a result of Review of funding for minority ethnic groups in the voluntary sector

In 2003-05 we piloted a new ethnic monitoring form for use in grant applications to the Executive.

• From 2005-06, we shall carry out ethnic monitoring of our own direct funding as a matter of course.
• We shall also ensure that monitoring is carried out in circumstances where we have devolved the administration of our direct funding to another organisation.

Ongoing from 2005-6

Voluntary Issues Unit

EQUALITY

High impact

Promoting equality for the following: women, older people, people with disabilities and people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender

We will ensure that in each case full consideration will be made of the impact on race equality of our promotion of relevant policies. We recognise that multiple discrimination is a particularly challenging problem and we have to ensure that we are alive to the various ways it manifests itself and consider a range of methods for its elimination.

Examples of projects:

• The new Sexual Health Strategy which is currently out for consultation emphasises the need to take account of all equality issues including ethnic, religious, cultural and gender issues.
• We provided AMINA -Muslim Women's Resource Centre (based in Glasgow) with 9,900 in 2003-04 for the extension of their telephone helpline service
• Involvement of Black and Minority Ethnic Elders Group (BMEEG) in the Older People's Consultative Forum run by the Older People's Unit.

• The Executive will continue to consider the impact on race equality on our work to promote equality for women, older people, people with disabilities and people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

• In 2004-5 we will:

- continue the New Futures Fund, which supports projects to develop employability and work skills with unemployed clients who face one or more of a range of difficulties making them seriously disadvantaged in the labour market (e.g. people with alcohol or drugs problems, ex-offenders, those who are or have been homeless, people with disabilities (including mental health problems), members of minority ethnic communities),

- make available around 15k annually for 2 years (ending in summer 2004) for the employment of an equal opportunities officer to promote equal opportunities issues across all programmes supported by European Structural Funds (ESF) in Scotland, as well as offering general support and advice;

- make available a total of 9.3m within the ESF Objective 3 programme in Scotland to support equal opportunities by targeting joblessness among specific groups (including people with disabilities, minority ethnic communities and lone parents) (6.3m), raising awareness of gender issues throughout the economy (0.9m), and funding innovative projects to increase the accessibility of the labour market to women (2.1m);

-widen access to membership of Scotland's councils by removing certain barriers to council membership and by encouraging political parties and others to promote the involvement of people from currently under-represented groups.

ongoing

Ongoing

Ensuring the integration of refugees in Scotland

We will work to ensure that actions adopted by the Executive as a result of the work done by the Scottish Refugee Integration Forum will take full account of the need to promote race equality and eliminate discrimination as experienced by refugees and asylum seekers in Scotland.

The Scottish Refugee Integration Forum Action Plan was published on 19 February 2003, following consultation and evidence taken from a wide range of sources. There is an implementation budget for 2003/04 of 2.9 million.

A Progress Report was published on 28 August 2003, showing developments in the six months since the Action Plan was published. 230,000 funding for 12 projects to aid implementation was announced. A seminar was held for stakeholders. A further 200,000 was allocated in January 04 for the remainder of 2003-04

Executive allocated 700,000 (September 2001-March 2003) and 600,000 (2003/04) SIP funding to regeneration body Glasgow Alliance to assist communities in areas accommodating asylum seekers and refugees.

For 2003/04 150,000 was allocated to Glasgow City Council.

Funding for 2004-05 was announced in January 2004. A total of 1.09 million has been allocated by Communities Scotland. 650,000 will be provided through Glasgow Alliance to SIPs, 317,000 to Glasgow City Council for city wide integration work and non-SIP areas and 43,000 to City of Edinburgh Council.

The implementation of the action plan is being monitored. A further report will be published in February 2005.

Money is being distributed to Glasgow's networks of Social Inclusion Partnerships (SIP's) and is aimed at improving local services and promoting community development and integration. Resources are being used to benefit the wider community as well as asylum seekers and refugees

Providing funding for a variety of projects, addressing language development, childcare, community integration, and advice and information.

On-going

Equality Unit

Work to prevent discrimination of Scotland's Gypsies/Travellers

We will continue to work with Gypsy/Traveller communities and their representatives together with our public sector partners to develop policies to eliminate discrimination and prejudice.

We conduct a twice yearly count of Gypsies/Travellers on council sites, private sites and unauthorised encampments.

Many policy areas are now considering the needs of Gypsies/Travellers when developing policies. (See individual action plans for details).

We have met regularly with representatives of Gypsy/Traveller communities over the last year.

On 20 January 2003 we published guidance to support education authorities, schools and others in developing inclusive approaches to meet the education needs of Gypsies and Travellers, and others with similar experiences in interrupted learning.

a) Publish an updated response to the Equal Opportunities Committee's 2001 report,

b) Consider new guidance on unauthorised encampments (Housing Division 1 to lead).

c) Consider projects to raise awareness of needs with local authorities and other key service providers.

d) The Executive will continue to meet on a regular basis with representatives of Gypsy/Traveller communities.

a) early 2004

b) We will begin the consultation phase in February 2004.

c) 2004

d) ongoing

Equality Unit/ Housing Division 1

Taking forward the work of the Race Equality Advisory Forum (REAF)

We are committed to implementing a range of actions directly informed by the work of REAF, including the provision of a report on our promotion of race equality and the arranging of a conference to provide a forum for discussing progress made since the publication of its report.

The REAF report assisted departments and agencies in producing race equality action plans.

A response to the REAF report was published in March 2002. A review of progress on recommendations has been undertaken and

A conference was held on 8 December 2002.

Work to promote race equality will continue be progressed, monitored and reported through our scheme.

Ongoing

Equality Unit/departments

Anti-Racism Campaign -'One Scotland. Many Cultures'

We will continue to find ways of promoting the messages and the 'brand' of the campaign in ways that consolidate and deepen its impact. We will work with minority ethnic communities and groups to this end.

First phase of 'Once Scotland, Many Cultures' campaign completed.

Following the campaign's initial launch in September 2002 with 5 weeks of national TV advertising campaign, running different adverts, and accompanying campaign of radio, cinema and bill board/bus adverts, a second burst of the campaign ran from 1 March 2003 for a 2 week period.

A second phase of the campaign commenced on 18 August 2003 for a 2 week period using 2 previous TV ads and radio ads but new slogans for outdoor advertising.

The main focus of 2nd phase will be in February 2004. Key themes are raising awareness of racism with young people; and tackling racism in the workplace. Key stakeholders identified these as being key areas. We will run television ads to remind the public of the key concepts. New radio adverts and billboards being developed based on these themes.

Work to maintain the campaign's positive momentum and build on wide recognition of the "One Scotland" brand

Working with STUC, Young Scot, Youth Link and others on how best to promote the messages and on the development of new websites.

Targeting specific communities through local advertising and marketing.

Ongoing

Equality Unit

Project support and development and other sponsorship

We will work with a range of organisations to identify opportunities for promoting better race awareness and tackling racism.

We have funded a Scottish Development worker for Show Racism the Red Card, which uses football as a platform for tackling racism in schools and the wider community.

We have been developing joint work with the STUC on raising awareness of race equality in the workplace.

We have supported the UK Asian Football Championship.

We were a partner in a major MORI survey of young people commissioned by Youth Link Scotland, which included questions on race issues.

We have sponsored for the last 3 years a major conference 'Equal Futures' organised by Children in Scotland targeted specifically at young people and those that work with them to promote practical ways of securing race equality.

Continue to support these projects where relevant and consider other sponsorship/ support projects.

We are funding Heartstone ( www.heartstone.co.uk), a UK based voluntary organisation which aims to challenge racism, xenophobia and intolerance, and build understanding between people of different nationalities, cultures and backgrounds. It uses photojournalism to present issues to children and young people and will hold six exhibitions and linked education projects.

We are funding a two year 'Happy to Translate' project to develop, pilot and promote a 'logo' to be used by the public sector, NGOs and voluntary organisations. The logo will signal to those requiring TICS that they can receive appropriate support.

ongoing

Equality Unit

Translating and Interpreting

We will work with other Executive departments and stakeholders to ensure that translating and interpreting services in Scotland meet the needs of the communities they are supposed to serve and meet the high standards of all those who depend on the service.

We have commissioned a two-stage research project to review current practice in relation to the provision of TICS within public services. The research will involve an audit of TICS provision in Scotland, followed by a fuller investigation of the practice of providing interpreting and translating support to users of community languages and deaf people in need of communication support.

Possible outcomes include:

-Establishment of a database of translators and interpreters in Scotland.

-Promotion of best practice by public sector bodies.

-Development of a training needs analysis and training strategy.

Initial findings from the audit exercise spring 2004.

A final report of both stages September 2004.

Following this we will consider how best to proceed.

Equality Unit

Equality Mainstreaming

We will work with Executive departments to develop standard guidelines for 'equality proofing' legislation and budgets.

We are piloting our overall approach to mainstreaming in 2 pilot areas of the Executive - Housing and School Education.

We are working closely with Bill Teams to ensure that equality is embedded in legislation. We have developed a resource pack and an equalities input to training for bill teams. These are now under further development.

In 2003 we published Learning from Experience: lessons in Mainstreaming Equal Opportunities.

In December 2003 we launched the Mainstreaming Equality Web Site which collates equality related web-based resources, designed to help policy makers and researchers understand the broad range of equality issues.

The Equality Unit will be meeting with the Departmental Management Board of SEETLLD and SEJD in early 2004 to support mainstreaming within these departments.

Ongoing

Equality Unit/analytical services

Religious Hatred

We recognise that discrimination on the grounds of faith is often indistinguishable from racism and as we develop approaches to tackling religious bigotry and sectarianism we will ensure that these linkages are not overlooked.

The Executive set up a Cross Party Working Group on Possible Legislation to Tackle Religious Hatred, which reported in December 2002. The group concluded that legislation was desirable, in concert with a package of other measures to combat religious hatred.

Legislation on offences aggravated by religious prejudice was enacted in the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003, and commenced on 27 June 2003.

The consultation period on non-legislative recommendations finished on 14 March 2003.

The working group made it clear that legislation would not be enough in isolation. Ministers are currently considering responses to the consultation and the way forward.

Support inter-faith work including monitoring and reviewing of support worker with the Inter-Faith Council.

Develop an anti-religious hatred campaign.

ongoing

Equality Unit