Thank you for the opportunity to be here. I am the cabinet secretary with primary responsibility for equality issues, although that responsibility is shared across the Government. Gavin Gray works under Roseanna Cunningham’s portfolio in relation to employment and fair work matters, and Lesley Musa works in the equalities unit, specialising in racial equality and other issues that are relevant to today’s discussion. I will make a few opening remarks, but I will keep them fairly brief if that is okay with you, convener.
I congratulate the Equal Opportunities Committee on conducting this inquiry and showing leadership on the issues, which are extremely important. I thank you very much for the invitation to come and discuss them with you this morning. It is particularly timely, given the new emphasis on addressing in-work poverty within the programme for government and in the Scottish Government.
Equality is very much at the forefront of Scottish Government policy and, since the publication of the programme for government, it has been firmly at the core of wider Scottish Government agendas including the fair work agenda. The Scottish Government values Scotland’s diverse and ethnic minority communities, the contribution that they make and the important role that they play in enriching Scotland socially, culturally and economically. We know that that is not a homogenous group, however. There are big differences between ethnic groups and, of course, within them—for example, between men and women, with some groups having more traditional views on the position of women in the family and on their not working.
We know that minority ethnic groups are disadvantaged on a range of measures and indicators throughout the area of employment. Research suggests that minority ethnic people experience disparate levels of unemployment and underemployment, mismatches between educational qualifications and types and quality of employment, and employment discrimination. Poverty rates are also higher for minority ethnic groups, which is why employment has been identified as one of the four key areas in the development of a new racial equality framework for Scotland.
The public sector is leading the way in developing good employment practice, and the committee has received a wealth of evidence about initiatives that are designed to improve the experiences and employment rates of ethnic minorities. We have a comprehensive vision to put the public sector equality duty at the heart of workplace practices. However, there is more that can be done.
Progress towards our vision will depend on changing the organisational culture at a local level so that it promotes the value of equality and fosters a more trusting working environment. A positive culture shift will help to drive an increase in employee equality declaration rates, and that improvement will help to build the employee data baselines that are needed to improve local practice in the recruitment, development and retention of staff.
The Scottish Government is committed to helping unemployed people to achieve their full potential. We recognise that more help is required for those who are most disadvantaged in the labour market and that the public and private sectors are key partners in that work.
I welcome this opportunity to discuss with the committee what the Scottish Government is doing to tackle discrimination and inequality in the workplace to ensure that every citizen has the opportunity to fulfil their potential. I am happy to answer any questions.