Chamber and committees

I intend to convenea meeting with stakeholders, including athletes and sports governing bodies, assoon as possible to discuss issues around Scotland’s representation on the world sporting stage. As part of this discussionwe will consider the feasibility of a Scottish Olympic team.

I refer the member to the answerto question S3W-605 on 14 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

COSLA and all local authoritiesare key partners in delivering health and social care services to the people ofScotland. I look forward to meeting the new leaders of COSLA once they have beenappointed. I would hope to discuss with them a wide range of issues concerning socialcare and health, and in particular my wish for the Scottish Government to work inclose partnership with COSLA in developing policies for the benefit of service usersand their carers.

In the meantime the Ministerfor Public Health is pleased to be meeting the President and Chief Executive ofCOSLA on 19 June 2007 to discuss a range of social care and health issues.

Steps will be taken to make thestatement available shortly.

The Scottish Government is currentlyconsidering how best to support those who aspire to home ownership, including thecosts of different measures. Decisions on the future funding of subsidised low-costhome ownership will be taken following the outcome of the spending review laterthis year.

The Sex Discrimination (PublicAuthorities) (Statutory Duties) (Scotland) Order 2007 places a specific duty onScottish ministers to set out priority areas for the advancement of gender equalityby public authorities in Scotland. In order to meet this duty, the Scottish Governmentis considering the process for formulating these priority areas. This process willinclude consulting all relevant stakeholders including the Convention of ScottishLocal Authorities, individual public authorities, voluntary sector, trade unionsand organisations for women and men. We will also work with the Equal OpportunitiesCommission and, from October 2007 the Commission for Equality and Human Rights,in consulting on and subsequently setting out Scottish ministers’ priority areasfor gender equality.

I refer the member to the answerto question S3W-623 on 14 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

We are taking forward therecommendations of the Strategic Group on Women’s report as indicated in the progressreport of March 2006. Furthermore, the strategic group’s recommendations -together with other available evidenceand stakeholders’ views (including the views of former members of the StrategicGroup) - have informed the developmentof the Government’s Gender Equality Scheme, which was published in March 2007.

High-level gender equalityobjectives to improve the lives of women (and men) in Scotland aredetailed in chapter 4 of the scheme, which is available from the Scottish ParliamentInformation Centre (Bib. number 42934). We will report annually on the scheme andreview it every three years.

Along with the Minister for Communitiesand Sport I have had a number of meetings with officials in Communities Scotlandto discuss aspects of housing policy and its delivery. Those discussions areon-going.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-623 on 14 June 2007. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the searchfacility for which can be found at www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.