Chamber and committees

Local authorities are subject to the public sector equality duties and are therefore required to equality impact assess their policies and services. Audit Scotland''s Priorities and Risks Framework highlights a number of important issues and the Scottish Government would expect local authorities to respond positively as they further develop their equalities arrangements to meet their responsibilities under the public sector equality duties. The Scottish Government is not responsible for the enforcement of the duties, this remit falls to the Equalities and Human Rights Commission.

The Scottish Government has work underway to improve the range and quality of equality information across the public sector. This work includes promoting the use of harmonised questions on ethnic groups which will allow for comparison of data from different sources. The Scottish Government is currently investigating the possibility of ethnic minority boosts to large scale social surveys. Work on this project is likely to start in spring 2009.

The Scottish Government does not intend to produce a policy paper for consideration by the Parliament on changes in relation to welfare benefits and employability and the role of Skills Development Scotland. Welfare benefits are a matter reserved to the UK Parliament.

This PQ was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0108-01.htm

I refer the member to answer to question S3W-18011 on 3 December 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Single outcome agreements do not replace all of the underlying service planning and performance management arrangements in place in local authority areas. They provide an outcome framework and focus for service planning, resource planning and performance management. They are high-level documents and should focus strategically on priority areas for improvement and end outcomes in terms of quality of life, opportunity and the context in which people live and on a limited and manageable number of priorities, not necessarily the detail of how these will be achieved. Not everything could or should be included in the SOA.

Organisations that have good local knowledge about people and their service needs, and collect valuable information that will help support the SOA process “ and through the Community Planning arrangements, should have the opportunity to influence. The Scottish Government expects the third sector to be important Community Planning partners as strategic partners as well as being involved in the design and delivery of services.

I refer the member to answer to question S3W-18011 on 3 December 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to answer to question S3W-18011 on 3 December 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-18011 on 3 December 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to answer to question S3W-18011 on 3 December 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.