- Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 27 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive which agency will be responsible for national co-ordination of the Communities Voices programme in the event of the abolition of Communities Scotland.
Answer
The Community Voices Programme is now part of the Fairer Scotland Fund. The Scottish Government is responsible for the performance management arrangements for the Fairer Scotland Fund.
- Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 27 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consult organisations representing vulnerable groups on arriving at national standards of service for vulnerable groups.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9808 on 27 February 2008. 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/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 27 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive which agency will be responsible for publishing information and guidance on community engagement in the event of the abolition of Communities Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government, in partnership with COSLA and third sector bodies, will issue any new information and guidance on community engagement if those involved in engagement work feel there is a need for it.
- Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 27 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive which agency will be responsible for monitoring national standards for community engagement in the event of the abolition of Communities Scotland.
Answer
The National Standards for Community Engagement are a good practice tool which have a part to play in improving community engagement. They are not mandatory. A recent evaluation of the impact of the standards, which will be published soon, has shown that they are beginning to have a positive effect. The Scottish Government, working with COSLA, will continue to promote the standards as good practice.
- Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 27 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how single outcome agreements will connect with national minimum standards of service for vulnerable groups.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9808 on 27 February 2008. 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/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 27 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to replace Communities Scotland’s local offices with a Scottish Government presence at a local level to address housing investment issues.
Answer
Yes, some staff from the Scottish Government''s Housing and Regeneration Directorate will continue to be based in offices around the country previously occupied by Communities Scotland. They will work with local stakeholders to help take forward the government''s agenda for housing as set out in Firm Foundations: The Future of Housing in Scotland.
- Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 25 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to publicise and increase the scale of the Mortgage to Rent scheme.
Answer
I have asked James Hynd, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:
The Mortgage to Rent scheme has a dedicated webpage for those wishing to find out about the scheme. The following link contains details about the scheme, including the valuation eligibility tool, application form and information leaflet:
http://www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk/stellent/groups/public/documents/webpages/cs_006676.hcsp.
There is also a telephone helpline 0845 279 9999.
Information about the Mortgage to Rent scheme is distributed to a range of organisations including Citizens Advice Bureaux, local authority money advice centres, social landlords and solicitors acting for lenders.
Members of the Mortgage to Rent team regularly carry out presentations for a variety of interested organisations to provide advice and encourage participation. Also, dedicated stands are staffed at national events hosted by organisations such as Citizens Advice Scotland and Money Advice Scotland.
Decisions on the future scale of the scheme will be made annually as part of the approval of the Affordable Housing Investment Programme.
- Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 21 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings are planned with organisations representing people with disabilities to discuss the proposal to merge the Mobility Access Committee with the Public Transport Users Committee.
Answer
The government will support MACS and PTUC through the amalgamation process and officials have met with MACS on several occasions recently. We have also started a dialogue with key MACS stakeholders.
This amalgamation will help deliver our vision to reshape the public sector by improving its efficiency, effectiveness and outcome focus for the businesses and people of Scotland.
- Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 18 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-7893 by Michael Russell on 11 January 2008, what meetings were held between 20 December 2007 and 30 January 2008 with stakeholders affected by the removal of ring-fencing from the Supporting People fund.
Answer
The Supporting People Enabling Unit is organising a series of five regional events at which representatives from the Scottish Government and local authorities are discussing with third sector service providers and other stakeholders the rationale for removing the ring-fence and the transition to the new arrangements set out in the concordat with COSLA. Meetings were held in Edinburgh (17 January 2008); Glasgow (24 January 2008), and Dundee (29 January 2008). The issues were also discussed with the Supporting People Forum and with Supporting People Lead Officers on 12 February 2008 and two further regional events will also take place in February.
- Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 December 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 8 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-6578 by John Swinney on 12 December 2007, whether reports by ministers to the Local Government Committee and the Parliament on progress in relation to single outcome agreements will be in written form.
Answer
Parliamentary scrutiny will bean essential part of monitoring progress in relation to single outcome agreements.I will be writing to the Convenor of the Local Government and Communities Committeein due course outlining how I propose the process of reporting to the committeeand to the Parliament be taken forward.
