Due to changes made to the official Scottish Parliament website at the start of 2011, our parser that used to fetch their web pages and convert them into more structured information has stopped working. We’re afraid we cannot give a timescale as to when we will be able to cover the Scottish Parliament again. Sorry for any inconvenience caused.
Communities
Anne McLaughlin (Scottish National Party) | Question S3W-40582
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it gives to the needs of the African and Caribbean communities when developing anti-poverty policies and which representatives of those communities it consults.
Alex Neil (Scottish National Party)
The Scottish Government is fully aware of the need to consider issues concerning equalities groups, and to consult with equalities groups and have consulted with black and minority ethnic (BME) groups when developing anti-poverty strategies.
Tackling Child Poverty in Scotland: A Discussion Paper was open to public consultation and issued directly to the African and Caribbean Network.
In addition to this, some more targeted consultation activities took place including working with bodies such as the Poverty Alliance and Young Scot, to elicit the views and experience of, and engage with families with direct experience of living in poverty, through focus groups and structured discussions with equality groups. The consultation processes also included meetings and events engaging key professionals from different sectors, including organisations representing BME groups.
Taking Forward the Government Economic Strategy: A Discussion Paper on Tackling Poverty Inequality and Deprivation in Scotland (the consultation that formed Achieving Our Potential) was also issued to a wide range of BME groups, including BEMIS (Black and Minority Infrastructure in Scotland).