Chamber and committees

I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

The Scottish Executive understandsthat the Executive Committee of Glasgow City Council agreed to explore alternativearrangements for the delivery of community services by the Chirnsyde Initiativeat its meeting on 8 December 2006.

As members of the board of thelocal community planning partnership, Communities Scotland will seek to be partof any dialogue aimed at ensuring that services valued by the community can continueto be delivered.

I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

The Scottish Executive providesvarious funds to local authorities and their community planning partners for investmentin community groups, for example through the Community Regeneration Fund (CRF).Terms and conditions of CRF grant include provision to withhold grant from the localauthority if any allegations of malpractice in these groups come to light. In thesecircumstances it would be for the local authority as the accountable body to investigatethe allegations.

I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

As a board member of the formerGlasgow North Social Inclusion Partnership and now the local community planningpartnership, Communities Scotland has been kept regularly informed of progress withany investigations carried out by partner organisations into the Chirnsyde Initiativeover the past five years.

I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

The decision to close the ChirnsydeCommunity Initiative was a matter for Glasgow City Council. As members of theboard of the local community planning partnership, Communities Scotland will seekto be part of any dialogue aimed at ensuring that services valued by the communitycan continue to be delivered.

I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

The Scottish Executive has madeno representations to Glasgow City Council regarding the administration of the ChirnsydeCommunity Initiative.

I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

The Scottish Executive has heldno meetings with Glasgow City Council or relevant partner organisations on the ChirnsydeCommunity Initiative. Communities Scotland, as board members of the local communityplanning partnership will be kept informed of developments at the Initiative.

The inquiry reporter’s publiclocal inquiry report into a proposal to erect a new prison at HM Prison Low Moss,Bishopbriggs has been received by Scottish ministers. Following very careful considerationof the report and the recommendation contained therein Scottish ministers intimatedon 22 December 2006 their intention to grant outline planning permission,subject to conditions and the satisfactory conclusion of an agreement undersection 75 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997.

The Executive is not presentlyconsidering the implementation of any further safeguards in this area. The Executiverequires that applications for funding are scrutinised; that appropriate terms andconditions are attached to awards of funding and that procedures are in place tomonitor compliance and performance. The Executive will, of course, continue to develop its procedures inline with audit recommendations and best practice.

Scottish Crime and Drug EnforcementAgency (SCDEA) operations are national in nature, concentrating on tackling seriouscrime which affects more than one force area in Scotland. Any operational activityundertaken by the agency in the Milton area of Glasgow would be part of a wider investigation rather than focussingspecifically on that geographical area. However, it would be inappropriate to disclosedetails of such operational activity as to do so would risk jeopardising the work carried out by the SCDEA byrevealing potentially sensitive information particularly in relation toon-going operations.

I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-30552 on 16 January 2007. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facilityfor which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.