Scottish
Parliament e-Brief
SECTION
1 - BUSINESS THIS WEEK
Parliament is in recess.
SECTION 2 - NEWS
Keeping
older workers at the top of their game
An initiative which aims to
bring older workers back into learning will continue to benefit from
Executive funding until 2008.
The Experience Counts initiative provides tailored learning programmes for over 50s, allowing them to acquire new skills. Through the programme, Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) collaborate with employers and learning institutions to provide 'bite size' or taster courses dependent on employer and worker needs.
The programme is running in three phases - today's announcement represents the second phase and sees four SSCs which operate across Scotland receive £224,000 to deliver a range of activities from enhancing the continuous professional development of staff in Scottish Colleges to the development of an older colleague mentoring programme in the transport sector.
In addition, a further £56,000 is being made available for further projects in the third phase of the programme, the funding application process for which will start soon.
2005
Scottish Household Survey
The seventh annual and technical
reports of the Scottish Household Survey (SHS) have been released.
The annual report outlines the main findings from interviews carried out in 2005, providing detailed information about people living in Scotland today. The survey has been commissioned to provide accurate, representative and up-to-date information on the characteristics, composition and behaviour of households in Scotland in a number of areas, particularly relating to communities, transport and local government.
Some of the key findings include:
Households
Almost a third (32%) of households contain only one adult (single adult or single pensioner).
Over a third (35%) contain two adults, while households containing five or more people make up only 5% of all households.
Around a quarter (27%) of households contain children (aged under 16 years) with most of these containing one or two children.
Housing
Owner-occupation - either owned outright or buying with a mortgage - now accounts for almost two-thirds (65%) of households' tenure, with 28% owning outright. 25% of households rent from a social landlord and 7% rent from a private landlord.
Owner-occupation as a household tenure has sustained a steady increase since 1999 (23% in 1999 to 28% in 2005).
Homelessness had been experienced by 4% of adults now living in private households at some point in their lives. This is highest amongst adults aged 35-44 (31%). 59% of those reporting experiencing homelessness were female.
93% of adults say their local area is either a 'very good' or 'fairly good' place to live, but there is considerable variation between tenures. 64% of households in owner-occupied accommodation and 53% of those buying their home with the help of a mortgage rated their neighbourhood as very good. In the rented sectors, around a third of social rented tenants say their area is 'very good' - 34% of those renting from a local authority or Scottish Homes and 32% of those renting from a housing association or co-operative.
The most common 'likes' are that the area is 'quiet and peaceful' (56%), it is convenient for shopping (34%); 'good neighbours' (36%).
The most common 'dislike' mentioned was 'young people hanging about' or there being 'nothing for young people to do' (16% of all respondents) and 'vandalism and graffiti' (9% of all respondents).
99% of men and 96% of women feel very or fairly safe when home alone at night. 86% of men and 64% of women feel very or fairly safe when walking alone in the local neighbourhood after dark.
Transport
Just over two-thirds of households (68%) in Scotland have access to at least one motor vehicle for private use.
63% of adult commuters travel to their place of work or education in a car or a van (as a driver or passenger), 15% walk, 14% travel by bus, 2% cycle and 4% travel by rail.
SECTION
3 - NOTES ON THIS WEEK’S CHAMBER BUSINESS
Parliament is in recess.
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