The Scottish Government is committed to improving how equality is considered in policy and the Budget.
On 21 September 2011 the Scottish Government published an Equality Statement alongside the Scottish Spending Review 2011 and Draft Budget 2012-2013. This sets out an overview assessment of the equality implications of the Scottish Budget for each portfolio and how each contributes towards making Scotland a fairer and more just society.
Equality and Budget Advisory Group (EBAG)
The Government is working in partnership with the Equality and Budget Advisory Group to:
- provide advice and support for the mainstreaming of equality in policy with the appropriate allocation of resources
- contribute to mapping the pathway between evidence, policy and spend
- improve the presentation of equality information in the Scottish budget documents
- contribute to improved commitment to and awareness of mainstreaming equality into policy and budget processes.
Last year, we specifically commissioned work on the recession and its impact on equality groups. The analytical report Coping with change and uncertainty - Scotland's equalities groups and the recession (Scottish Government, 2010) provided an equalities analysis of how individuals and equalities communities in Scotland were faring in the recession and an indication of the initial impact on the UK Government Spending Plans.
For 2011, we have reviewed the evidence considered in the report, and provided updated analysis within this year's budgeting process. The revised report, The position of Scotland's equality groups: revisiting resilience in 2011 is published alongside the Budget and Equality Budget Statement.
Equality and Budget Advisory Group Membership
EBAG includes representatives from:
- Scottish Women's Budget Group
- Equality and Human Rights Commission
- COSLA
- Scottish Government Equality and Communities Division
- Scottish Government Finance Directorate
- Scottish Government Communities Analytical Services
- Scottish Government Public Bodies Policy
- Scottish Government Office of the Chief Economic Adviser
- Scottish Government Public Service Reform Directorate (as required)
Minutes of Equality and Budget Advisory Group meetings
- 2011 - 10 February, 28 March (draft)
- 2010 - 3 February, 29 March, 24 June, 4 November
- 2009 - 24 April, 4 September, 8 October
- 2008 - 18 February, 23 October
- 2007 - 24 July
- 2006 - 16 October, 13 July, 21 February
- 2005 - 23 November, 14 June, 9 May
- 2004 - 8 December, 26 February
- 2003 - 20 November, 9 September, 4 June