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Tory MSP Annie Wells quotes Gypsy/Traveller Davie Donaldson saying little progress had been made since the inception of the parliament.

Ms Wells agrees and in fact says issues have remained stagnant.

There is a lingering sense that it is ok to be discriminatory to Gypsy/Travellers, warns the Tory MSP.

SNP MSP Ruth Maguire asks if Ms Wells's Westminster colleague Douglas Ross has received any disciplinary action against him or received any diversity training "for his frankly shameful comments last year".

Ms Wells replies: "I don't set the disciplinary arrangements for my party but I do know that the member has made an apology".

The Tory MSP explains she is speaking on behalf of herself and says she wants to see the cross-party consensus is maintained at the Scottish Parliament.

Ms Constance says future meetings will focus on employment and health.

A draft set of actions will be published early in the new year and the final ones this time next year, the cabinet secretary confirms.

She adds that these will be "more than just warm words".

The equalities secretary confirms £100,000 will be given to set up a new Gypsy/Traveller women's voice initiative, which will support young women to participate in political life in Scotland.

There will also be a programme of training and mentoring through the young Gypsy/Traveller assembly, she adds.

Ms Constance welcomes the establishment of the CPG on Gypsy/Travellers, leading Labour MSP Mary Fee to intervene and invite her to "each and every one" of the meetings!

Click here for the Scottish governemnt progress report on improving Gypsy/TravellerSites, external – Guidance on minimum sites standards, and site tenants’ core rights and responsibilities.

In 2013 the Scottish Parliament’s Equal Opportunities Committee (EOC) published a report, Where Gypsy/Travellers Live,, external which examined issues around the quality and quantity of Gypsy/Traveller sites provided by local authorities and registered social landlords (RSLs).

The report made a number of recommendations to improve Gypsy/Traveller site provision in Scotland.

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Two of the areas highlighted by the EOC were the poor quality of some Gypsy/Traveller sites, and the need for site tenants to have consistent tenancy agreements across the country.

The Gypsy/Traveller Site Working Group, external was formed in 2014, which provided the Scottish Government with expert advice and discussed ways of addressing some of the issues raised by the EOC.

“Improving Gypsy Traveller Sites – Guidance on minimum site standards, and site tenants’ core rights and responsibilities” were then developed and published in May 2015

They detail clearly the minimum standards we expect every local authority and RSL Gypsy/Traveller site to meet. They also set out the Scottish Governments expectation that all sites should meet the requirements by June 2018.

Communities and Equalities Secretary Angela Constance begins by welcoming members of the Gypsy/Traveller community to the gallery.

Ms Constance accepts there has been "plenty of talk and insufficient action".

The communities and equalities minister concedes: "Progress has been patchy, progress has been inconsistent and it quite frankly has not been good enough."

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She says the government is committed to improving the lives of Gypsy/Travellers and cites the creation of a new ministerial working group to achieve just that.

The group has published a review of site standards and has heard from Davie Donaldson who is "the driving force behind the new Young Gypsy/Traveller Assembly" who highlighted issues around education.

"The status quo is not an option."

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MSPs recently celebrated Scotland's Gypsy/Traveller community during Labour MSP Mary Fee's member's debate on 24 May 2018.

Ms Fee expressed disappointment at the lack of progress in improving the standards of Gypsy/Traveller sites.

The Labour MSP told the chamber discrimination against Gypsy/Travellers regrettably remains the last bastion of acceptable racism in Scotland.

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Equalities Secretary Angela Constance told Gypsy/Travllers in the public gallery: this is your parliament, you are welcome here.

The minister said: "We must all challenge discrimination, in all its forms, against Gypsy/Travellers."

Communities and Equalities Secretary Angela Constance uses her motion to highlight that this month sees Scotland celebrating Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month for the first time.

Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month celebrates Gypsy, Roma and Traveller culture and history by tackling the negative stereotyping and prejudices that dominate the media.

GRT History Month aims to challenge narratives that erase the impact that Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people have had on British history.

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The minister will also focus on the the recommendations of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), external.

The work of the Young Gypsy Traveller Assembly will be praised, as will COSLA's commitment to transforming the life chances of Gypsy/Travellers across the country.

The Scottish government will now lead a debate entitled 'Improving the Lives of of Scotland's Gypsy/Travellers'.

Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie welcomes the provisions on mental health and the raising of the repayment threshold.

He asks about falls in the number of people from deprived areas going to university, wondering if there is a connecting to rising levels of debt.

Ms Somerville says work has focused on delivering for those from poorer households.

She argues changes to bursaries and income thresholds are vital for this.

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Green MSP Andy Wightman welcomes the minister's commitment to more support for higher and further education students with additional support needs.

Mr Wightman asks if the minister agrees more part-time college courses would increase the inclusivity of access and asks if this specific question will be part of the consultation with learners.

The minister replies part-time college courses are exceptionally important, particularly for more mature learners.

Ms Somerville says she is determined the consultation will look at this issue.

Labour MSP Iain Gray welcomes the raising of the care leavers bursary and more consistent support for FE students.

However, he highlights the review's recommendation that each student be provided with £8,100 and asks why has the government refused to provide this.

Mr Gray urges the minister to restore grants to 2007 levels.

Mr Somerville criticises Scottish Labour's public spending proposals, labelling them a "fantasy".

She goes on to emphasise the £21m investment in this parliamentary term for student support.

Tory MSP Liz Smith welcomes many aspects of the statement and accepts student support is never an easy area of policy making.

Ms Smith says the bursary support for poorest students in higher education will still be below what it was five years ago.

Why are the full range of changes not being made until 2021, she asks, given the Scottish government has the powers now.

Finally Ms Smith chastises the minister for scant mention of part-time students.

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The minister points out the student support review did not look at part-time students.

The Scottish government will do so shortly, she adds.

On the timing of the changes, Ms Somerville argues the government does not have the powers to enact many of them.

The minister points out there has been an increase in HE grants today.

The ambition is to create a combined portal for student support for further and higher education for the 2019-20 academic year, the minister confirms.

The information will also be provided through other means, reflecting the fact that not all students have internet access, she states.

Ms Somerville confirms the student loan repayment threshold will be increased to £25,000 from April 2021.

The minister points to commitments around mental health support for students, efforts to tackle sexual harassment on campuses and advice on financial support.

Negotiations with the DWP has commenced regarding the recommendations that people do not lose social security benefits because they are a student, Ms Somerville confirms.

Support for part-time and disabled students and for carers is also being considered, she adds.

Jamie McIvor
BBC Scotland education correspondent

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The proposal for a "guaranteed income" for students would bring clarity and simplicity to the system.

While all Scottish students receive free tuition, arrangements for help towards living costs are more complicated.

For instance a university student from a family with an income of less than £19,000 is entitled to a bursary of £1,875 and a loan of £5,750 - a total of £7,625.

Someone from a family with an income of more than £34,000 gets no bursary while the loan they are entitled to is just £4,750.

There are different arrangements for college students.

• Students 'should get income of £8,100'
• How the student loan system works
• Read more here

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Further and Higher Education Minister Shirley-Anne Somerville says the higher education bursary threshold will be raised from £19,000 to £21,000 by 2019-20.

The minister adds the government will increase bursary support for the poorest students in higher education from £1,875 to £2,000.

Ms Somerville says 31,000 higher education students will benefit from these announcements and others she made.

The minister argues these are the first steps to delivering the equivalent of the real living wage to students.

The key recommendations of the Scottish government commissioned report, external review included:

• A new social contract for students
• Minimum student income entitlement in both further and higher education
• Minimum student income of £8,100
• Increased means-tested bursaries, and discretionary funds protected
• Student loan terms enhanced, including an increased loan repayment threshold

Image source, Independent Report for Scotland

• Student loans available in further education
• Debt write-off for students transitioning from further to higher education
• Common systems of administration within further and higher education
• A new approach for students on benefits

Read more here.

Higher and Further Education Minister Shirley-Anne Somerville confirms £21m will be invested to improve student support.

Further funding will also be provided to increase bursaries for care-experienced young people, she adds.

This will take support to the equivalent of the real living wage, Ms Somerville explains.

The minister says £16m will be invested in 2019-20 for students from the lowest income families.

Image source, Thinkstock

All college and university students should have an income of at least £8,100 a year, according to an independent review of student finance.

The report, external, commissioned by the Scottish government, also recommended changes to the student loan system.

The £8,100 figure would be a mix of loans and bursaries determined by personal circumstances.

Student leaders said "serious investment" was needed to change the "broken" support system.

The Scottish government said it would take time to consider the recommendations and set out its next steps "in due course".

The review looked at the financial support available to all students and considered whether it support met the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable.

It also examined the current repayment threshold and period for student loan debt.

Read more here.

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In a late addition to chamber business Higher and Further Education Minister Shirley-Anne Somerville will now give a ministerial statement on student support.