Equality Strategy

Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at 3:57 pm on 8 November 2000.

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Photo of Christine Grahame Christine Grahame Scottish National Party 3:57, 8 November 2000

I am not in the mood for a group hug. I have been trying to decide what this document is. It may be mince, it may be blancmange, but it is not of substance and it is certainly not in plain English. As soon as the Executive starts resorting to glossaries, it loses me and everyone else.

Page 9 of the document states:

"The Scottish Executive wants an open, just and inclusive Scotland."

I have no quarrel with that, but what is the point of saying it? Only if the Executive said the opposite would there be an argument. However, from the perspective of Scotland's almost a million older people, Scotland is not very just and inclusive—and that is after three and a half years of a Labour Government at Westminster.

In the debate almost a year ago on equality, the minister referred to

"the problems of fuel poverty, inadequate incomes and isolation—all of which were highlighted in . . . eloquent contributions".—[Official Report, 2 December 1999; Vol 3, c 1210.]

Things have not changed over the past year.