Chamber and committees

We have no plans to allocate any of the accelerated funding to the Homeowners Support Fund. At the end of June 2008, we announced a package of major reforms, which included £25 million between 2008-10 to support the Homeowners Support Fund.

From the accelerated funding we are planning to prioritise bringing forward new construction but will also spend on off the shelf units and land acquisitions for future development. Some of the units provided or to be developed will be for the Low-cost Initiative for First Time Buyers (LIFT). Actual spend allocations are not available as we will review opportunities on a regular basis over the coming months and allocate funds to specific projects rather than announcing geographic allocations, so that best strategic fit and value for money can be assured.

The information sought could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The voluntary sector is a valued partner in tackling poverty, inequality and deprivation in Scotland. The Scottish Government would be concerned if voluntary organisations were being denied involvement in dialogue aimed at reducing inequality.

Voluntary organisations are making a huge contribution at national and local level in areas such as financial inclusion, income maximisation and the promotion of employability. Well developed relationships with a wide range of client groups is a crucial element of this.

The voluntary sector has a key role to play, working in partnership with local authorities and other community planning partners, in taking forward the anti-poverty framework and delivery of the government''s Solidarity target.

We are committed to ensuring that the entire third sector, which includes voluntary organisations and social enterprises, plays a central part in our overarching purpose to create a successful country where all can flourish.

Our commitment to the third sector is underpinned by a funding package worth £93 million over the three year period 2008-11 to support development and capacity building in the sector. This represents a 37% increase in funding.

The review of policy directions will be undertaken by Scottish ministers drawing on the outcome of the consultation exercise undertaken by the Big Lottery Fund.

The Scottish Government has provided each community planning partnership with an allocation from the Fairer Scotland Fund to assist delivery of priority outcomes for disadvantaged communities and people in their area.

It is for each individual partnership to decide how best to invest this money.

By reducing reporting requirements associated with the fund, compared to the seven separate programmes which preceded it, the Scottish Government has enabled community planning partnerships to prioritise frontline action and reduce administration.

A public consultation exercise will be undertaken by UK Big Lottery Fund and an accompanying Scotland document will offer the opportunity to gather input to the revision of Scottish Policy Directions. This will assist the Scottish Government shape the new policy framework for the Big Lottery Fund. The Scottish Government will be closely engaged in this consultation.

The Scottish Government has provided each community planning partnership with an allocation from the Fairer Scotland Fund to assist delivery of priority outcomes for disadvantaged communities and people in their area.

It is for each individual partnership to decide how best to invest this money.

The Scottish Government expects democratically elected local authorities to be at the heart of decision making on deployment of the Fairer Scotland Fund.

Community planning partnerships have been awarded Fairer Scotland Fund resources to help them achieve key outcomes which will regenerate communities; tackle poverty, and address barriers to work.

As the partner with responsibility to administer the Fairer Scotland Fund and initiate, facilitate and maintain community planning in each council area, local authorities help public agencies, the voluntary sector and communities to plan and deliver better services together. The Fairer Scotland Fund provides the catalyst for positive change in our most disadvantaged areas, and for our most vulnerable people.

The projected increase in total Scottish housing debt is not an entirely new development. In 2007-08 and 2008-09 total housing debt in Scotland was reduced due to the exclusion of debt within Argyll and Bute, Eilean Siar and Inverclyde. Had the debt from these local authorities not been written off there would have been year on year increases in total Scottish housing debt in each of the last two financial years, 2007-08 and 2008-09.

The Local Authority Housing Income and Expenditure statistics publication is based on information provided to the Scottish Government by local authorities. The information given for March 2009 is the position which Local authorities expect to reach based on their 2008-09 plans. From this expected expenditure it is estimated that the overall level of housing debt in local authority areas in Scotland will increase by £92.9 million to £1,934.9 million. This would be the first increase in overall housing debt for over a decade.

Closer inspection of the projected debt also shows that the largest expected increase totalling £85.9 million are in four council areas - Midlothian, Aberdeen, East Lothian and Edinburgh. In the case of Aberdeen, Midlothian and East Lothian, the councils have recently built council housing, are building council housing or have plans to build new council housing in the coming year on the strength of low levels of housing debt. This is in line with Scottish Government policy to encourage new council house building where councils have both a proven excess housing demand and prudential borrowing capacity.