An annual monitoring report said that poverty in Scotland was decreasing for children and pensioners, but not among working-age adults. Substantial problems in ill-health and low educational achievement by many children still existed.
Source: Guy Palmer, Tom MacInnes and Peter Kenway, Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion in Scotland 2006, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report | JRF press release
Date: 2006-Dec
A progress report was published on the commitment by the Scottish Executive to eradicate fuel poverty by 2016. Statistics published separately showed that there were around 328,000 households in fuel poverty in Scotland in 2003-04 - a slight increase on the figure for 2002.
Source: Progress Report on the Scottish Fuel Poverty Statement 2002, Scottish Executive (web publication only) | Scottish House Condition Survey: Fuel Poverty Report - 2003/04, Scottish Executive (web publication only)
Links: Progress report | SE press release | 2002 statement | SHCS report
Date: 2006-Nov
A report examined the issues of poverty and destitution in Scotland as experienced by asylum seekers, refugees, and the host community.
Source: Poverty and Asylum in Scotland, Poverty Alliance (0141 353 0440)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Oct
A report examined what people in Scotland with direct experience of poverty and social exclusion thought about the policies that were currently being pursued, and what else they would like to see being done to address the problems they faced.
Source: Lynn Burnett, Dignity Shouldn t Have to be Earned! Get Heard Scotland, Poverty Alliance (0141 353 0440)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Oct
The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2006 was published - an official tool for identifying small area concentrations of multiple deprivation across all of Scotland. It divided Scotland into 6,505 small geographical areas (called 'data zones'), with a median population size of 769, which were then ranked from 1 (most deprived) to 6505 (least deprived) using 37 indicators of deprivation across 7 categories or 'domains'.
Source: Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2006: General Report, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | Technical report | Guidance | SE press release (1) | SE press release (2) | BBC report
Date: 2006-Oct
An article examined trends in social mobility in Scotland. Although upward mobility predominated, its amount was lower in younger cohorts than in older. Nevertheless, relative mobility had not changed as upward mobility had declined, just as in earlier studies it was found not to have changed as upward mobility rose.
Source: Cristina Iannelli and Lindsay Paterson, 'Social mobility in Scotland since the middle of the twentieth century', Sociological Review, Volume 54 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Aug
An article said that, contrary to the view of New Scotland as a 'prosperous, smart, and successful' country, marked class divisions and structured inequalities persisted within contemporary Scottish society.
Source: Alex Law and Gerry Mooney, '"We ve never had it so good": the "problem" of the working class in devolved Scotland', Critical Social Policy, Volume 26 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Aug
A report said that people in Scotland on sickness or incapacity benefits were up to five times more likely to be in financial difficulty than the rest of the population.
Source: Clare Lardner, Paying the Price: The real costs of illness and disability for CAB clients, Citizens Advice Scotland (0131 550 1000)
Links: Report | CAS press release
Date: 2006-Jul
A report called for decision-makers at all levels of government to put in place measures to tackle the problem of fuel poverty in Scotland. A more 'holistic' approach was needed in existing schemes, and there needed to be a replication of successful schemes to improve hard-to-treat housing.
Source: Best Practice in Fuel Poverty Schemes: Proposals and recommendations for the future of fuel poverty schemes in Scotland, Energy Action Scotland (0141 221 2788)
Links: Report | EAS press release
Date: 2006-Jun
A report by a committee of MSPs said that plans needed to be put in place to ensure that Scottish projects did not lose out through changes to the distribution of European Structural Funds.
Source: Report on an Inquiry into the Scottish Executive s Plans for Future Structural Funds Programmes 2007-13, 4th Report 2006, SP Paper 611, Scottish Parliament European and External Relations Committee, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SP press release
Date: 2006-Jun
An audit report examined the six main public sector pension schemes in Scotland, which would provide retirement benefits to about 950,000 people. It said that the level of unfunded liabilities in the schemes might be as high as 43 billion.
Source: Public Sector Pension Schemes in Scotland, Audit Scotland for Accounts Commission and Auditor General (0131 477 1234)
Links: Report | Audit Scotland press release | COSLA press release
Date: 2006-Jun
An article examined the potential impact of revaluing council tax bands in a sample area of 11 local authority areas in Scotland. While improving equity, a revaluation was found likely to create more disruption to local government, personal finances, and the housing market than revaluations within a tax system based on capital values.
Source: Colin Jones, Chris Leishman and Allison Orr, 'The revaluation of council tax bands: more than rearranging the deck chairs', Policy & Politics, Volume 34 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Apr
A report by a committee of MSPs said that deprivation policies had existed in varying guises over many years: but there were still too many areas in Scotland characterized by concentrations of multiple deprivation. Although there had been regeneration success stories, in other areas change had been limited or partial. It called for the establishment of a single fund to combat deprivation.
Source: Cross-cutting Expenditure Review of Deprivation, 5th Report 2006, SP Paper 536, Scottish Parliament Finance Committee, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SP press release
Date: 2006-Apr
A report examined the services and projects for children and young people that had been funded in disadvantaged communities in Scotland through the Better Neighbourhood Services Fund. There had been a significant focus in BNSF on developing services for children and young people. Projects for children and young people accounted for an average of a third of the pathfinders budgets.
Source: Liz Shiel, Ian Clark and Francesca Richards, Children and Young People Services and Projects in the BNSF Programme, Scottish Executive (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Feb
A report examined employability initiatives that had been funded in disadvantaged communities in Scotland through the Better Neighbourhood Services Fund. Even though the 5 pathfinders (out of 12) with employability themes had not all reached the end of their initial BNSF allocation, positive impacts were already evident.
Source: Liz Shiel, Ian Clark and Francesca Richards, Employability Initiatives in the Better Neighbourhood Services Fund, Scottish Executive (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Feb
An article examined the association of occupation with suicide in men in Scotland. The largest number of male deaths in groups with elevated suicide rates occurred in low-paying occupations, such as labourers.
Source: Cameron Stark et al., 'Male suicide and occupation in Scotland', Health Statistics Quarterly 29, Spring 2006, Office for National Statistics, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Article
Date: 2006-Feb
A report examined the services and projects for older people that had been funded in disadvantaged communities in Scotland through the Better Neighbourhood Services Fund. The value of funding allocated to older people s services was comparatively small, representing just 7 per cent of the total 90 million budget - despite guidelines highlighting older people as potential beneficiaries of BNSF services.
Source: Liz Shiel, Ian Clark and Francesca Richards, Older People s Services in the Better Neighbourhood Services Fund, Scottish Executive (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Feb
The Scottish Executive began consultation on the system of National Health Service prescription charging. Proposals included extending prescription charge exemption to a greater number of people on low incomes.
Source: Review of NHS Prescription Charges and Exemption Arrangements in Scotland, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Consultation document | SE press release
Date: 2006-Jan
