Travellers in Scotland still face discrimination

Discrimination against travellers in Scotland has failed to
improve in the four years since a parliamentary inquiry recommended
37 policy changes to tackle the issue, new research has found,
writes Simeon Brody.

More than eight in 10 young gypsies and travellers in Scotland
believe discrimination against them has stayed the same or worsened
since 2001, according to the study by Save the Children.

And over 70 per cent said their living conditions and
experiences at school had not improved in the past four years.

The peer research project was commissioned by the charity to
explore whether the position of young travellers in Scotland had
changed since the publication of the Scottish parliament’s
Equal Opportunities Committee report on public services for gypsies
and travellers in 2001.

The EOC report recommended the improvement of gypsy
accommodation sites and found a lack of cultural awareness in
schools, institutional discrimination in health provision and
general hostility from the settled community.

The committee is currently reviewing what progress has been made
since 2001 and is expected to report in the autumn.

Having Our Say from 0131 527 8200.