Chamber and committees

I will direct my final question to Caroline Warburton initially. You said that, sometimes, there is a conflict between the demand for tourism services and the impact on communities. What role does VisitScotland have in giving communities a voice in how services are designed? How do you manage the conflict between what communities want and what demand there is for tourism services, particularly when it comes to the impact on deprived or marginal communities? Tourism has a great economic impact in Scotland, but some communities feel the burden more than others. How do you manage that?

Thanks, Sharon.

Derek, do you have anything to add from Scottish Enterprise’s point of view?

Eann, do you have any insight to share?

How is Police Scotland engaging with particular minority communities of interest or identity to support them in getting their voices heard?

Has that been because of the reorganisation to a national fire service or explicitly because of the community empowerment legislation?

Thank you, Derek.

I will come to Karen Jackson and Eann Sinclair with my second question. How do you go about building capacity in more deprived areas and more marginalised rural areas? How do you build capacity in those communities to make sure that they can contribute effectively and have their voices heard on how services are delivered for them?

I will put my question to Stephen and Valerie first. How is participation with communities affecting how your organisations work with community planning partnerships? Has that changed in the eight years since the 2015 act was passed, or are you just continuing as you were?

Yes, convener. I will put this question to Pauline Smith first. How do your membership organisations ensure that all voices are heard? I am thinking of particular communities of interest or identity across the spectrum. How do those sometimes minority groups get their voice heard at community planning partnership level? What are your membership organisations doing to facilitate that?

How is community participation influencing how your organisation operates? Has that changed in the eight years since the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 was passed?

How have community planning partnerships helped marginalised and disempowered communities to build capacity and confidence to challenge or influence decision making so that they can engage fully in the community planning process? Are communities, particularly those that are marginalised or disadvantaged, aware that community planning partnerships exist?