Chamber and committees

In February 2007, 38 graduates paid the graduate endowment in full by cash. In February 2008, 34 graduates paid the graduate endowment in full by cash.

These numbers are too small to provide a breakdown by parliamentary constituency without risking identification of individuals. Furthermore, insufficient postcode information is available for some cases to allow such a breakdown.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-13070 on 27 May 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/webapp/wa.search.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-13070 on 27 May 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/webapp/wa.search.

The Scottish Government takes the issue of home repossessions very seriously and already funds a range of measures to assist individuals and families who are in danger of losing their homes. Free or subsidised legal advice and representation is available through the legal aid scheme and free advice is provided to unassisted litigants in seven sheriff courts through the In Court Advice service. We also fund free to client money advice services across Scotland through local authorities.

We plan to evaluate the Small Business Bonus Scheme after it has been fully implemented in 2009-10. All of our evaluations, whether commissioned externally or performed in-house, are independent in character.

The information requested is not available. It is estimated that approximately 50% of the population are entitled to free NHS prescriptions.

We do not hold this information centrally. The most recent school meals data is available on the Scottish Executive website at:

www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/School-Education/SchMeals2007.

Figures for 2008 are due to be published in June.

However, all P1 to P3 pupils in the five local authorities involved in the free school lunch trial were entitled to free school lunches in February 2008. We expect to receive the report on the findings of the evaluation of the trial, including information about uptake, at the end of July.

Since May 2007 I have met with a number of equality organisations and discussed a wide range of issues. Time does not allow me to provide a comprehensive account of those organisations here and now but include:

Inclusion Scotland, Capability Scotland and others to discuss independent living and how progress can be made towards increasing choice and control for disabled people, in July 2007

I attended the Positive Action in Housing AGM on 7 September 2007. As you will know, PAiH play a lead role in lobbying and advocating for the housing needs of people from minority ethnic and refugee communities.

In December last year, I met with representatives from STUC Women''s Committee, Scottish Women''s Convention and Scottish Women''s Budget Group to discuss how to tackle the gender pay gap.

I have chaired three meetings of the National Group to Address Violence Against Women, in June and November 2007 and February 2008.

Also in February, I met with Stonewall Scotland and spoke at their conference on tackling work place discrimination.

Earlier this month I met with the Yom Hashoah Glasgow Jewish Representative Council.

As for my colleagues, the Minister for Children and Early Years met with For Scotland''s Disabled Children for the second time on 20 March this year, to discuss improving life chances of disabled children and providing families with appropriate levels of support.

The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing met with Ethnic Enable earlier this month to hear about its work, meet with volunteers and discuss issues of multiple discrimination. Ethnic Enable is a disability organisation run by and for disabled people from minority ethnic communities.

She also met with BEMIS in January this year to discuss their work, in particular with respect to the voluntary sector.

The Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture met with LGBT Youth last Saturday to discuss human rights and LGBT equality.

The Minister for Public Health met with a wide range of disability organisations at the STUC disabled workers conference in September 2007 and discussed a range of issues including employability, independent living and access to education and training.

In April, The Minister for Community Safety gave a keynote address and met people attending the Faith & Belief in Scotland “ young people''s event.

Further to my answer of 17 April 2008, the equality impact assessment currently being undertaken, has been established to examine the effect of the amalgamation of the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS) with the Public Transport Users'' Committee for Scotland (PTUC), taking on board evidence from stakeholders as gathered in the recent consultation, to assess how the enlarged PTUC will best meet the interests of disabled travellers in the future.

The decision to move to full incorporation of MACS with the PTUC was taken following a wide-ranging consultation seeking views from organisations representing disability and mobility interests carried out between December 2005 and March 2006. The requirement to undertake an equality impact assessment in relation to disability came into effect in December 2006.

I refer the member to the question S3W-12723 on 13 May 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/webapp/wa.search.