- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 18 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason £425,000 was provided to Ethnic Minorities Law Centre between 2017-18 and 2020-21 as part of the Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund; what this funding was used for, and what the outcomes were of the (a) Edinburgh and (b) Highland project.
Answer
The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.
The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:
- Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
- People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
- People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
- Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities
The Ethnic Minorities Law Centre was funded to support the provision of a culturally sensitive legal advice and representation service for people from Minority Ethnic communities in Edinburgh and the Highland region, respectively. The project would deliver a range of specialist client centred services that would be targeted towards individuals and families from Minority Ethnic communities, and existing advice agencies and local organisations in those areas.
The specific outcomes to be achieved were:
- The project will continue to work diligently towards the elimination and abatement of all forms of discrimination which impacts on the lives of the Minority Ethnic population through legal representation, advice, information and education so that barriers to participation are reduced.
- The project will support minority ethnic people and communities to participate in and engage with services and civic society ensuring that they contribution is recognised and community cohesion is increased.
- The project will work to address current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life including education and employment to better reflect our communities. The project provide access to information, advice and representation.
The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 18 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason £212,500 was provided to Perth and Kinross Association of Voluntary Service (PKAVS) between 2017-18 and 2020-21 as part of the Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund; what this funding was used for, and what the outcomes were of the "Enhancing lives of ethnic minorities in Perth and Kinross" project.
Answer
The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.
The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:
- Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
- People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
- People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
- Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities
The "Enhancing lives of ethnic minorities in Perth and Kinross" project was funded to help the Perth and Kinross Minority Communities Hub (MCH) to support ethnic minority communities through focusing on building the capacity through 1-1 support and group work, promoting good relations through celebrations of multi-cultural festivals and participation and engagement of ethnic minority communities in consultations and other initiatives such as Perth City of Culture 2021 bid, reducing isolation and loneliness through activities such as walking groups, lunch clubs, peer support groups etc. and challenging discrimination by advocating, and connecting its clients to appropriate legal support provided by its partner agency (EMLC), and by providing cultural awareness and equality and diversity training to statutory and voluntary services.
The specific outcomes to be achieved were:
- Services will have enhanced understanding and capacity to address the needs of ethnic minority communities with equality, reducing discrimination.
- People from ethnic minority communities will have increased capacity to access services with equality
- Ethnic minority communities will engage more fully with opportunities to participate in the economic and cultural life of the community
The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 18 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason £106,250 was provided to Remembering Srebrenica (Scotland) between 2017-18 and 2020-21 as part of the Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund; what this funding was used for, and what the outcomes were of the Lessons from Srebrenica project.
Answer
The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.
The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:
- Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
- People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
- People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
- Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities
The “Lessons from Srebrenica” project was funded to enable 90 delegates of influential Scots and Community leaders to be taken to Bosnia over 3 years to participate in the programme for the following purposes:
- Promote improved awareness of hate crime and intolerance by marking the Srebrenica Genocide at a number of high profile annual events
- “Lessons from Srebrenica” visits will enable delegates to Bosnia to more effectively challenge hate crime and promote increased community cohesion in Scotland Lessons
- Increase public awareness of the Srebrenica Genocide in order to promote tolerance and build better community relations in Scotland, in particular through an active Schools Engagement programme.
The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdfFinal Progress Update
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 18 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason £148,750 was provided to the British Red Cross between 2017-18 and 2020-21 as part of the Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund; what this funding was used for, and what the outcomes were of The STAR project.
Answer
The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.
The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:
- Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
- People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
- People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
- Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities
The “STAR Project” was funded to provide emergency humanitarian and integration assistance to vulnerable asylum seekers in Glasgow. There were three aspects to the work:
1. Providing asylum support to individuals facing immediate crisis (particularly destitution) coming through our Triage clinic.
2. Providing more in-depth and specialist casework support and advocacy
3. Gathering an effective evidence base
The specific outcomes to be achieved were:
- The impact of crisis facing individual asylum seekers will be mitigated, enabling people to experience fewer barriers to participation
- Information will be collected and shared, and key advocacy points developed, to work together with other key stakeholders towards a longer term solution
The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 18 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason £106,250 was provided to Grampian Regional Equality Council Ltd between 2017-18 and 2020-21 as part of the Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund; what this funding was used for, and what the outcomes were of the Tackling Economic Barriers and Community Cohesion project.
Answer
The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.
The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:
- Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
- People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
- People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
- Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities
The Economic Barriers and Community Cohesion project was funded to support Grampian Regional Equality Council’s work with partners to better understand and address inequalities faced by ethnic minority groups in employment by tackling and removing specific barriers. It will work with community groups and workers to engage with ethnic minority groups in regeneration areas with the aim of improving community cohesion and access to services (particularly English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) & employability).
The specific outcomes to be achieved were:
- There are effective mechanisms to gather, analyse, disseminate and use ethnicity & employment data to influence policy & practice and improve equal representation of ethnic minorities in employment in the North East of Scotland
- There is improved community cohesion and access to services and employment in target areas (Tillydrone, Torry and Fraserburgh)
The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 18 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason £212,500 was provided to Edinburgh Interfaith between 2017-18 and 2020-21 as part of the Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund; what this funding was used for, and what the outcomes were of the Bridges not Barriers project.
Answer
The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.
The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:
- Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
- People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
- People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
- Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities
The ‘Building Bridges not Barriers’ project was funded to support the strategic exchange of information and knowledge in order to better support those with protected characteristics. The project would specifically focus on providing access and connecting young people with accurate information on faith groups; developing more supportive connections between the elderly with dementia and/or living alone and their faith communities; and between faith communities, services and civic society.
The specific outcomes to be achieved were:
- Religious prejudice among young people is reduced
- Fewer barriers to participation of the elderly in their faith communities
- Increased engagement and participation between people and communities with services and civic society
The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 18 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason £45,000 was provided to Men in Childcare between 2017-18 and 2020-21 as part of the Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund; what this funding was used for, and what the outcomes were of the Men in Childcare project.
Answer
The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.
The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:
- Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
- People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
- People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
- Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities
The Men in Childcare project was funded to support national media advertising of college based SQA certificated training courses, that would help encourage men to consider childcare as a career. It would support the offer of SQA level 6 qualifications to encourage better parenting and an awareness of the importance of Play and Child Development. Through HNC qualification the number of men working in Early Years settings would increase, providing a more gender balanced workplace. The project would also promote the importance of fathers’ involvement with their child from birth.
The specific outcomes to be achieved were:
- Men in Childcare will increase the number of men entering the childcare workforce, by recruiting male students to a free of charge College based SQA Certificated Training Course.
- Men in Childcare to advise a network of employers in the Early Years Sector on positive effect gender balance in the workforce
- Men in Childcare will promote awareness of the need for more Father friendly Early Years environments throughout Scotland, in keeping with the National Parenting Strategy and the principles of Getting it Rights for Every Child (GIRFEC)
The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 18 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason £85,000 was provided to Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council (ELREC) between 2017-18 and 2020-21 for the True Colours project, as part of the Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund; what this funding was used for, and what the outcomes were of this project.
Answer
The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.
The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:
- Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
- People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
- People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
- Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities
The ‘True Colours’ project was funded to help young people who experience racial bullying in schools. The project’s focus was to implement a peer education programme, tackling issues of bullying, prejudice and discrimination, whilst promoting equality and good relations among students within schools in Edinburgh area. The project supported the input of numerous young volunteers for them to gain new skills and hands on work experience thereby increasing their employment prospects.
The specific outcomes to be achieved were:
- Improve knowledge and awareness of up to 25 young volunteers on equality, human rights, discrimination, hate crime and bullying; Improve their research, public speaking, social media and presentation skills.
- Enhance confidence amongst young people and school workers by increasing their awareness and knowledge in relation to equality, with particular emphasis on prejudice-based bullying, stereotyping, racism, gender equality and homophobia.
- Promote anti-bullying culture in schools trough creating anti-bullying videos, encouraging creativity, empathy and interpersonal skills.
The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 18 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what plans there are to incentivise students to study STEM subjects at (a) National 5, (b) Higher, (c) Advanced Higher and (d) university level.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all young people have the opportunity to develop core STEM skills and knowledge. Through the Curriculum Improvement Cycle, we have established a systematic approach to curriculum improvement which will help to ensure that STEM subjects are attractive and accessible to all children and young people.
Inspiring young people to study STEM is at the heart of our STEM Education and Training Strategy. In the last Financial Year alone, the Scottish Government provided over £1.74 million to a range of organisations which support high-quality delivery of STEM education. This includes funding SSERC’s Young STEM Leader Programme, which gives young people the chance to become STEM role models and inspire their peers to develop an interest in STEM through the creation and delivery of STEM activities and events.
Further opportunities are available for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds including the SSERC Research Placements Programme which helps develop pupils’ professional skills through undertaking STEM research placements and Strathclyde University’s Engineering Scholars Programme which provides tutoring opportunities. The Scottish Funding Council also provide support to senior phase pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and underrepresented groups through the National Schools Programme (NSP) which provides impartial advice and application support to pursue higher education in university, which includes STEM subjects.
The Scottish Government also funds a range of highly regarded professional learning for STEM teachers and technicians and we continue to fund Scottish Teachers Advancing Computing Science (STACS) which work to drive improvement in the take up and delivery of computing science in schools. This funding underlines the Scottish Government’s commitment to the delivery of high-quality STEM education in Scotland’s schools. All these programmes help young people realise positive post-school destinations including further and higher STEM education and employment.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 18 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to educate students about cardiovascular health by adding more in-depth content to the curriculum in personal and social education lessons.
Answer
Health and Wellbeing is one of the eight curricular areas in Curriculum for Excellence. Learning in Health and Wellbeing is designed to ensure children and young people develop the knowledge and understanding, skills, capabilities and attributes which they need for mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing.
While the Curriculum for Excellence framework is set at a national level, it is up to local authorities and schools to determine how they will deliver the curriculum to best suit the children and young people in their area. Local authorities and schools will use a range of approaches and resources to support children and young people with their mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing in line with local needs and circumstances. This can include learning and teaching about cardiovascular health for which there are existing learning experiences and outcomes in Health and Wellbeing and Sciences where this learning can be delivered.
Health and Wellbeing is also about the whole approach of the nursery, school, college or other setting. The concept of health and wellbeing as a responsibility of all emphasizes that everyone, including educators, parents, and community members, plays a crucial role in promoting and supporting health and wellbeing of children and young people.