Chamber and committees

Policy teams within the ScottishGovernment routinely meet with such organisations so that their interests can berepresented in the development of national policy and priorities. I would expectthese discussions will have a significant impact on the formulation of single outcome agreements between the Scottish Governmentand local authorities.

I would also expect each localauthority to continue its duty to engage with such organisations and community bodiesas it thinks fit when setting priorities and planning services as part of the newarrangements.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-7599 on 8 January 2008. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Policy teams within the ScottishGovernment routinely meet with such organisations so that their interests can berepresented in the development of national policy and priorities. I would expectthese discussions will have a significant impact on the formulation of single outcome agreements between the Scottish Governmentand local authorities.

I would also expect each localauthority to continue its duty to engage with such organisations and community bodiesas it thinks fit when setting priorities and planning services as part of the newarrangements.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-7595 on 8 January 2008. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Policy teams within the ScottishGovernment routinely meet with such organisations so that their interests can berepresented in the development of national policy and priorities. I would expectthese discussions will have a significant impact on the formulation of single outcome agreements between the Scottish Governmentand local authorities.

I would also expect each localauthority to continue its duty to engage with such organisations and community bodiesas it thinks fit when setting priorities and planning services as part of the newarrangements.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-7591 on 8 January 2008. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Policy teams within the ScottishGovernment routinely meet with such organisations so that their interests can berepresented in the development of national policy and priorities. I would expect these discussions will have a significantimpact on the formulation of single outcome agreements between the Scottish Governmentand local authorities.

I would also expect each localauthority to continue its duty to engage with such organisations and community bodiesas it thinks fit when setting priorities and planning services as part of the newarrangements.

Our historic concordat with localgovernment means that central and local government have, for the first time, a sharedset of national outcomes and indicators. Each council will develop a Single OutcomeAgreement with the Scottish Government, and we are working to have these in placeby April 2008. Local and central government will work in partnership to deliverthese shared outcomes.

The concordat details those grantswhich will no longer be ring-fenced. The removal of bureaucracy and regulation aroundthese will allow local authorities to operate more efficiently and with greaterflexibility and freedom than ever before. Reinstating the ring fencing would bea very last resort only if the partnership was failing to deliver. I have no reasonto anticipate that will happen.

No meetings are planned withthe Community Transport Association (CTA) regarding the formulation andimplementation of national indicators and targets. Officials have recently discussed the effects of theStrategic Spending Review 2007 on the funding of community transport bytelephone with the CTA’s Director for Scotland. However, he neither raised the issue of nationalindicators and targets nor requested a meeting with officials.

Further information on nationalindicators and targets can be found at:

www.scotland.gov.uk/Publication/2007/11/13092240.

No meetings have been heldwith the Community Transport Association (CTA) regarding the formulation andimplementation of the national indicators and targets. Officials have recently discussed the effects of theStrategic Spending Review 2007 on the funding of community transport bytelephone with the CTA’s Director for Scotland. However, he did not request a meeting with officialsto discuss national indicators and targets.

Further information on nationalindicators and targets can be found at:

www.scotland.gov.uk/Publication/2007/11/13092240.