Chamber and committees

We published the report of the review of the Scottish Helpline for Older People on 9 November 2009. The report contains a number of recommendations, some of which are for the Scottish Government and some for the Scottish Helpline for Older People. These require detailed consideration and discussion with the consortium which runs the Helpline. Officials will begin these discussions shortly.

This information is not held centrally.

The level of allowance paid to kinship carers of looked-after children is set locally and may depend on individual circumstances such as the carer''s benefits entitlement.

Community Planning in individual areas has been assessed by Audit Scotland as part of the Audits of Best Value and Community Planning. This assessment includes community engagement. The first round of audits is complete, with over a third being finalised in 2008-09 and 2009-10.

Audit Scotland undertook an Initial Review of Community Planning in 2006, which provided a picture of Community Planning Partnerships developing their potential. The concordat between local and central government has increased the significance of community planning and Audit Scotland is planning to revisit the subject next year to assess the impact of partnerships in the latest context.

Community planning in individual areas has been assessed by Audit Scotland as part of the audits of best value and community planning. The first round of audits is complete, with over a third being finalised in 2008-09 and 2009-10.

Audit Scotland undertook an Initial Review of Community Planning in 2006, which provided a picture of Community Planning Partnerships developing their potential. The concordat between local and central government has increased the significance of community planning and Audit Scotland is planning to revisit the subject next year to assess the impact of partnerships in the latest context.

Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs) will each be considering, in the context of their community plan and their single outcome agreement (SOA) with the Scottish Government, what strategic improvements can be encouraged within their communities to facilitate economic growth and development, including tackling unemployment. The approach taken by each CPP will start from an assessment about what is important in and appropriate for their local area and it is important to consider each approach in its own right.

Local Employability Groups or Economic Forums are the key groupings within CPPs who take responsibility for driving the theme around employment, unemployment and inactivity forward. These are multi-agency cross sectoral groups reflecting a coherent and joined-up approach from across the public, third and private sectors to this agenda. They report progress back to the main CPP. Additional support to these groups is given via Scottish Government''s Employability Team and the Employability Learning Network which has been established to provide additional support to CPPs to tackle this issue.

Local Employability Partnerships access information from a variety of sources to populate their employability indicators.

Some information about progress with tackling unemployment in each CPP area will also be the in the annual reports on implementation of the SOAs that CPPs make to their communities and to the Scottish Government. The answers to the questions S3W-28310 and S3W-28311 on 16 November 2009 provide further information about the SOA reports. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs) will each be considering, in the context of their community plan and their single outcome agreement (SOA) with the Scottish Government, what strategic improvements can be encouraged within their communities to facilitate economic growth and development, including tackling unemployment. The approach taken by each CPP will start from an assessment about what is important in and appropriate for their local area and it is important to consider each approach in its own right.

Local Employability Groups or Economic Forums are the key groupings within CPPs who take responsibility for driving the theme around employment, unemployment and inactivity forward. These are multi-agency cross sectoral groups reflecting a coherent and joined-up approach from across the public, third and private sectors to this agenda. They report progress back to the main CPP. Additional support to these groups is given via Scottish Government''s Employability Team and the Employability Learning Network which has been established to provide additional support to CPPs to tackle this issue.

Local Employability Partnerships access information from a variety of sources to populate their employability indicators.

Some information about progress with tackling unemployment in each CPP area will also be the in the annual reports on implementation of the SOAs that CPPs make to their communities and to the Scottish Government. The answers to questions S3W-28310 and S3W-28311 on 16 November 2009 provide further information about the SOA reports. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

All 32 local authorities have submitted reports on the implementation of the first round of single outcome agreements. These will be made available to Parliament shortly.

As I said to the member during oral questions on 29 October 2009, the government works with local government to assess the effectiveness and impact of single outcome agreements. The reports from local authorities on the implementation of the first round of single outcome agreements will be made available to Parliament shortly.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3O-8189, on 29 October 2009 which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor1029-02.htm#Col20666.

We are currently considering what the reports from local authorities on the implementation of the first round of single outcome agreements demonstrate about the contribution that community planning partnerships are making towards tackling unemployment.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-28083, on 29 October 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.