ALBA/SCOTLAND: CHILDREN AND SOCIAL INCLUSION - LEAGUE URGE INITIATIVE
The Celtic League General Secretary has written to the Scottish governments Communities Minister urging a British-Irish Council initiative to address child poverty and social inclusion.
The move comes ahead of the publication of a report to the UN this week from Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People (SCCYP)..
Social inclusion is an area that the British-Irish Council have established a working group on and problems in Scotland are replicated in other member States of the Council. As recently as March 2008 similar concerns to those now being voiced in Scotland were expressed by CORI in Ireland.
"Stewart Maxwell MSP Communities Minister The Scottish Parliament Edinburgh EH99 1SP
Dear Minister Maxwell
British Irish Council: Quality of Life social inclusion for children
I am writing to you ahead of the publication of a report by the Children Commissioner for Scotland to the United Nations on the topic of the quality of life of the child in Scottish society. The report is predicted to be a hard hitting publication that highlights a number of areas and issues that could be vastly improved on, including the improvement of social inclusion for children in Scottish life.
The Celtic League is aware that Scotland and Wales are members of the British Irish Council with responsibility for the priority area of 'social inclusion' on the Council. We are therefore writing to you to ask what the British Irish Council assessment is of the position of child poverty and social inclusion throughout the countries of the British Isles. Also we would be interested to learn what measures, if any, the British Irish Council is doing to work more closely on this issue with other member countries of the Council and what methods are being formulated to offer joint solutions.
We have copied the same letter to Dr Brian Gibbons AM at the Welsh Assembly Government to ask him the same questions.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely
Rhisiart Tal-e-bot
CC Dr Brian Gibbons AM, Minister for Social Justice and Local Government, Wales"
CORI Report here:
See also:
"Scotland a Nation Failing its Children" (The Scotsman)
(voir le site) UN report paints morbid picture of Scots youths (The Scottish Herald)
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J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League
09/06/08
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