Where Gypsy/Travellers LiveEqual Opportunities Committee Inquiry, March 2013
“Everyone has their own wayof life and their own culture…We want people to let us bewho we are.”(Donald Stewart, a Gypsy/Traveller)
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“I am determined this report willmake a difference to a communitythat has been discriminatedagainst for far too long.“We visited seven council sites acrossScotland for ourselves and were appalled atsome of the squalid conditions endured bytenants who pay rent and council tax forsub-standard services. We also heard ofattitudes towards the Gypsy Travellercommunity that would not be acceptableif directed at any other members ofScottish society.
“The Equal Opportunities Committee ispainfully aware of the utter frustrationexpressed by the Gypsy/Travellercommunity at numerous published reportsmaking positive recommendations that havefrankly been ignored for over a decade.
“Our report demandsurgent action.”
IntroductionBackgroundIn early 2012 we decided to follow-up on thework done by the previous Equal OpportunitiesCommittees on improving the lives ofGypsy/Travelling people in Scotland, anddecided to hold two inquiries. The first,Gypsy/Travellers and Care, focused on accessto care services and improving the generalhealth of Gypsy/Travellers.
We chose to look into where Gypsy/Travellerslive after hearing that accommodation is at theroot of many problems faced byGypsy/Travellers. As part of our inquiry, wevisited travelling persons’ sites nearEdinburgh, Dalkeith, Perth, Pitlochry, Obanand Lochgilphead, and held an externalmeeting at Clinterty Travelling Persons’ Sitenear Aberdeen.
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Where Gypsy/Travellers live
We visited sites to see for ourselves thehorrendous conditions that families, includinginfants, older people and disabled people,have to live with:
� freezing cold shower and toilet blocks withoverpriced heating
� a fire hose that couldn’t even reach all ofthe pitches
� no bus stop or roadside pavement, with thenearest playground a two-mile walk along amuddy, unlit woodland path
� inadequate attempts to make adaptationsfor a disabled resident
� a site with no fixed phone line or stablemobile phone signal, leaving residents withmedical conditions unable to easily seekemergency care
Gypsy/Travellers live not only on sites, but infixed housing amongst the settled community– where some have felt a need to hide whothey are.
Gypsy/Travellers on council-run sites paycouncil tax in addition to rent. It can be hardfor Gypsy/Travellers living on sites to find workamongst the settled community.
What Gypsy/Traveller means
Some people prefer the term ‘Gypsy’ todescribe themselves, others use ‘Traveller’.We use the term ‘Gypsy/Traveller’ to recognisethat Gypsy/Travellers are not a single, uniformgroup. We heard about different groups inevidence, including Scottish Gypsy/Travellers,Irish Gypsy/Travellers, EnglishGypsy/Travellers and Roma. Although thereare cultural similarities, such as a history oftravelling, these groups are all different.
A Tribunal judgement in 2009 held thatGypsy/Travellers are a distinct ethnic groupcovered by the law.
The reality ofGypsy/Traveller lives
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“I have read a thousandarticles in the papersabout Travellers; I wouldlove to read somethingnice, for once.”(Katrina Stewart, aGypsy/Traveller)
“The terms “Gypsy Traveller”, “Irish Traveller” and so on arebasically the same thing—you are still just a Traveller.”(Sammy Stewart, a Gypsy/Traveller)
“We are put in a hole thatcannot be seen by thecommunity. That is not nice.”(Donald Stewart,a Gypsy/Traveller)
“… the bottom line is thatthese people are membersof our community.”(Alex Jarrett, ACPOS)
Discrimination
The Scottish Human Rights Commissiondescribed discrimination towardsGypsy/Travellers as “the last bastion ofrespectable racism”.
The media tend towards negative reporting ofGypsy/Traveller issues. They encourage a‘not-in-my-backyard’ attitude, with littlereporting of the Gypsy/Traveller point of view.Some newspapers criticise planning andbuilding of private and public sites, and talkabout sites damaging local house prices.
TV programmes often portrayGypsy/Travellers badly, going as far assexualising children in some cases – anapproach that would not be taken with anyother ethnic community.
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3 The Government should explore thesuggestion of pulling together existingresearch into a single national action plan,allowing the flexibility for regionalvariations.
4 Scottish Government leadership is neededin supporting the development of sites.This is essential in supporting localauthorities and elected representatives,both in building new sites and setting anexample against discrimination.
5 We recommend that the ScottishGovernment consider piloting any newapproaches in the North East.
“We just needsomeone at strategic,Government level tosay, “I will be thechampion.””(Alex Jarrett, ACPOS)
“It has been all talk and we havenot seen any action. It is abouttime that something got done,because neither we nor otherTravellers are benefiting.”(Donald Stewart,a Gypsy/Traveller)For all recommendations, we would expect the
Government to agree with all those involved afirm timescale, and provide regular progressupdates. In all cases, Gypsy/Travellers shouldbe involved in bringing recommendations, andresulting strategies, to fruition.
Leadership
1 We feel it is crucial that an existingScottish Government minister is given anew specific and overarching responsibilityfor the on-going support and profile-raisingof Gypsy/Travellers.
2 We strongly recommend that the ScottishGovernment launch a national publicawareness-raising campaign aimed attackling discrimination and racism againstGypsy/Travellers as soon as possible.
Summary ofRecommendations
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8 We are extremely concerned by the factthat in the four years since housingstrategy guidance was published thereseems to have been little progress. Westrongly urge the Scottish Government toexplore—
• How it might effectively measure‘success’ in working with Convention ofScottish Local Authorities (COSLA) onimplementation of guidelines;
• Whether a deadline on these measuresof success, for instance three or fiveyears, might be applied;
• What steps it might take if agreementcannot be found with COSLA on how tomake progress;
• What options there may be, in this event,for the development of legislation.Site development and maintenance
6 We expect the Minister to find a way ofestablishing a required standard for sitefacilities, whether through statutoryguidelines such as the Scottish HousingQuality Standard or by some other means.
7 Planning applications can be challengingeven before taking in to account the barriersof low-literacy and limited educationalattainment. We commend the work ofPlanning Aid for Scotland and Article 12,and expect the Scottish Government tocontinue to support such initiatives.
“… the local authorities’difficulty is that there is norequirement for them toprovide sites.”(Jim Hume, Grampian Police)
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Tenancy agreements
11 Gypsy/Travellers as site tenants shouldhave the same rights and responsibilitiesas people living in fixed housing. Weexpect that the Scottish Government willwork with Gypsy/Travellers and supportingbodies on the development of a standardGypsy/Traveller site tenancy agreement.
“If you have a tenancyagreement, everyone knowswhere they stand... Youneed a tenancy agreementwith rules.”(Fiona Townsley,a Gypsy/Traveller)
9 We ask that COSLA clarify its position, andthat local authorities, as far as COSLA’srole allows, use COSLA as a forum forsupport and partnership.
10 Under the equality duties framework, allkey public sector bodies must publish adetailed set of equality outcomes by 30April 2013. We look forward to reviewingand following up on published outcomes.
“It would save councils an awful lot of money if they listenedto Travellers when they tell them what they need.”(Charlene MacDonald, a Gypsy/Traveller)
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Transit and temporary sites
14 We recommend that the ScottishGovernment, in its support role, takefurther steps to encourage a similarapproach on guidance to that of theAssociation of Chief Police Officers inScotland (ACPOS) for health, education,social work and other local authoritydepartments.
15 We urge the Scottish Government, in thedevelopment of any national strategy, toensure that consultation with both localGypsy/Travellers and those passingthrough the area is an essential feature inguidance issued to local authorities.
“… we need a diverse andcomprehensiveaccommodation strategythat takes into account thevarying needs of thecommunity.”(Michelle Lloyd, MECOPP)
Gypsy/Traveller liaison officers (GTLOs)
12 We feel strongly that, where the role ofGTLO is adopted, it should be done jointlybetween local authorities and siteresidents.
13 We seek a commitment from COSLA towork on a review of the GTLO role, andurge the Scottish Government to engagewith COSLA on the matter.
“Managing an accommodation facilityand potentially having an enforcementrole … is quite different from beingable to provide a social care, healthand education-type liaison role.”(Michelle Lloyd, MECOPP)
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Encouraging access to servicesand support
18 We look forward to progress from theScottish Government on current initiativesand expect it to continue to supportvoluntary organisations, and ask that itexplore how pilots and projects can bereplicated.
19 We encourage the Scottish Government toexplore the inclusion of positive, non-tokenistic representation ofGypsy/Travellers in the Curriculum andcreate an action plan aimed at supportingyoung Gypsy/Travellers move from primaryto secondary education.
20 We also encourage the ScottishGovernment to explore how Getting itRight for Every Child is effectively applied,across the spectrum, to Gypsy/Travellerchildren.
16 We ask that the Scottish Government carryout a review of traditional stopping placesto explore the possibility of unblockingsites and providing services whereneeded.
17 We expect that any national action plan theScottish Government develops will suggestthat local authorities use multiple options indeveloping options for temporary stays.
“Perhaps a starting pointwould be to ask travellingpeople themselves,“What do you actuallywant from anencampment site?”(Gavin Buist, ASPS)
“I think that roadside camps —traditional roadside stoppingplaces—should be reopened,so that we can move whereour families have been forgenerations.”(Georgia McCann,a Gypsy/Traveller)
“We have to take servicesto the site rather thanexpect that on everyoccasion Gypsy Travellerswill engage with services.”(Kevin Anderson,Midlothian Council)
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Next stepsOnce the Scottish Government and COSLAhave responded in writing to our report we willconsider this and review progress against ourrecommendations every few months.
“One of my daughters … is15 but she has had only twoweeks of secondaryeducation. The reason forthat is the basic one ofdiscrimination.”(Georgia McCann, aGypsy/Traveller)
www.scottish.parliament.uk/GypsyTravellers
“Anyone who works in apublic body … and who willcome into contact withGypsy Travellers, shouldattend a seminar orawareness-raising day.”(Georgia McCann,a Gypsy/Traveller)
Committee Members
Mary FeeConvener
Marco BiagiDeputy Convener
Dennis Robertson
John Finnie Alex Johnstone John Mason
Siobhan McMahon
[email protected] 348 5213Websitewww.scottish.parliament.uk/equaloppsTwitter@SP_EqualOppsAddressRoom TG.01The Scottish ParliamentEdinburghEH99 1SP
Contact the EqualOpportunities Committee
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