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Briefing Document No 6 - Page 1 of 4
Social Justice ... A Scotland Where Everyone Matters
Two documents published in late 1999 represent the next stage in developing the Executive's social inclusion strategy - a report expressing a commitment to tackling problems of poverty and social exclusion, shared with the UK Government, and a more technical document setting out the detail of the 20-year targets and "milestones" along the way there; an Annual Scottish Social Justice Report will be published to monitor progress on these targets. An "Action Plan" will be published in the spring of 2000 setting out programmes to achieve the targets.
"The Scottish Executive has put delivering social justice at the heart of our Programme for Government. In our report Social Justice - A Scotland where everyone matters, we set out our commitment to social justice and our principal aim of defeating child poverty in Scotland. In the report we set out our vision, our targets and our milestones for delivering social justice in Scotland. The targets are long-term targets for 2020 - so we can be sure we are focusing on solutions that stand the test of time. The milestones are for the short term - so we can make sure progress is being made to deliver these long-term targets."
A general "lifecycle" approach to setting targets and milestones has been adopted, and there are 10 long-term targets and 29 milestones:
Targets
Every child matters
a. Defeat child poverty in Scotland within a generation
b. All children in Scotland can read, write and count to a level appropriate for their ability on leaving primary school
Every young person matters
c. Every young person leaves school with the maximum level of skills and qualifications possible
d. Every 19 year old is engaged in education, training or work
Every family matters
e. There will be full employment in Scotland
f. Every one will be undertaking some form of learning to widen their knowledge and skills
Every older person matters
g. Make sure older people are financially secure
h. Increase the number of older people who enjoy active, independent and healthy lives
Every community matters
i. Reduce inequalities between communities
j. Increase residents' satisfaction with their neighbourhoods and communities
Milestones
Every child matters
1. Reducing the proportion of our children living in workless households
2. Reducing the proportion of our children living in low income households
3. Increasing the proportions of our children who attain the appropriate levels in reading, writing and maths by the end of Primary 2 and Primary 7
4. All of our children will have access to quality care and early learning before entering school
5. Improving the well-being of our young children through reductions in the proportion of women smoking during pregnancy, the percentage of low birth-weight babies, dental decay among 5 year olds, and by increasing the proportion of women breastfeeding
6. Reducing the number of households, and particularly families with children, living in temporary accommodation
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