Chamber and committees

Does anyone else want to come in? The question was probably more specifically for Derek.

My next question builds on that. What role do the enterprise agencies and Skills Development Scotland have in promoting fair work at a local level? Do you have examples of where the agencies have influenced CPPs or LOIPs? I will go to either Sharon McIntyre or Dave McCallum on that one first.

Thank you.

Would you like to add anything, Dr Escobar?

Good afternoon, minister. Is the dispute mechanism in the regulations sufficiently robust? In addition, if an owner, occupier or tenant challenges the local authority’s decision on the rates bill but the decision is not overturned, what further course of action is open to them if they are still dissatisfied with the decision?

Thank you.

Good morning, and thanks very much for coming. How can CPPs ensure that all communities, including deprived and marginalised communities of interest, have a say in the design, delivery and evaluation of local services?

I put that question to Mark McAteer first.

That is really interesting. Forty years—who would have thought it?

I move to my second question. We have heard that there are few community participation specialists left in local authorities, which leaves a gap in expertise. Do community participation professionals have the resources that they need to build capacity and support in community participation? We have heard that there is a lack of those specialists in order to achieve what you are talking about.

Good morning. Last week, we heard that inequalities can be a moving target and that a lot has changed over the past eight years. What are the biggest challenges that your communities currently face? How do you prioritise the challenges and decide which ones the community planning partnership will tackle? As I am a Glasgow MSP, I put that question to Bernadette Monaghan first.

Yes.