17/04/08 - Scottish Government Written Answers regarding disability representation on PTUC and dissolution of MACS

The Scottish Parliament Written Answers Report of April 17, 2008 contains the following answers to questions regarding the decision relating to the dissolution of MACS. Disability organisations are continuing to challenge how the decision was made.

Scottish Executive

Access for Disabled People

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-10758 by Stewart Stevenson on 20 March 2008, from what date the proposal to dissolve the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland in order for it to be amalgamated with the Public Transport Users’ Committee will take effect.

(S3W-11169)

Stewart Stevenson: It is planned that the Mobility and Accessibility Committee for Scotland would be dissolved with effect from 30 June 2008 to allow for the amalgamation with the Public Transport Users’ Committee for Scotland to take place on 1 July 2008.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how a disability equality impact assessment, as required by the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, was applied in arriving at the decision to abolish the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland.

(S3W-11208)

Stewart Stevenson: The decision to amalgamate the Mobility Access Committee for Scotland (MACS) with the Public Transport Users’ Committee for Scotland (PTUC) came as a result of the Effective Government initiative which identified an overlap in the responsibilities of both bodies.

An equality impact assessment is currently being undertaken.

Once the new body has been established, it will consider how it can best organise its operational duties to meet the needs of disabled people. The Scottish Government will review the operation of the new body to evaluate and ensure the needs of disabled people are being met.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the proposal to have only three disabled people on the Public Transport Users’ Committee for Scotland is in compliance with the Scottish Government’s disability equality duty.

(S3W-11209)

Stewart Stevenson: Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, the Scottish Government is allowed to treat disabled people more favourably and can, therefore, stipulate that a number of members must be disabled. To ensure that disability issues are properly reflected within the enhanced Public Transport Users’ Committee for Scotland PTUC, we propose to increase the size of the PTUC board with three additional members who are disabled in terms of the 1995 act. There is no limit to the number of disabled members the PTUC Board may have.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive why there was no consultation on the proposal to abolish the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland.

(S3W-11210)

Stewart Stevenson: A wide ranging consultation about incorporating the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS) into the Public Transport Users’ Committee for Scotland (PTUC) was carried out during the passage of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005 between December 2005 and March 2006. The majority of respondents were in favour of the previous administration’s preferred option of an integrated high-level committee.

However, at that time, ministers decided to maintain MACS’ separate status for a limited period and revisit the situation with a view to full incorporation later on. Under the Effective Government initiative, the First Minister has announced that the Scottish Government believe that the amalgamation of the two bodies should now take place.

We recently consulted MACS and over 70 other key stakeholders and organisations seeking their views on the practical implications of the amalgamation, specifically including whether the three additional members to be appointed to the PTUC should be disabled persons under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 or would be non-disabled persons with experience of mobility and access issues.