What it is doing to promote better community relations between the settled communities and Gypsy/Travellers.

In accordance with the Scottish Government’s overarching approach and our Race Equality Statement, we place significant importance on ensuring that good relationships exist between settled communities and the Gypsy/Traveller community. To this end, the previous Minister for Housing and Communities, Alex Neil MSP, chaired a working party which aimed to foster good relations between both communities in the north east of Scotland where tensions were particularly acute. In March the resulting strategy was published: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/16342/management/gt/wpstrategy.
One commitment which underpins the potential success of the strategy is to develop an improved understanding amongst the settled community of Gypsy/Traveller culture, partly by increasing engagement between the two communities but also by promoting positive images and messages. We understand that media liaison arrangements are being reviewed and their effectiveness considered currently.
We are also funding Article 12, an organisation which up-skills young Gypsies/Travellers regarding issues relating to prejudice and discrimination. Article 12’s work in 2011-12 will focus on improving relations between Gypsies/Travellers and the settled community.