Public Audit Committee
Community empowerment: Covid-19 update - Follow up information
Letter to Convener from Paul Johnston, Director-General Communities, Scottish Government, 21 January 2022
Dear Convener
Public Audit Committee scrutiny of the joint Auditor General for Scotland and the Accounts Commission Report: Community Empowerment: Covid-19 update.
Thank you for your letter dated 9 December 2021 regarding the joint Auditor General for Scotland and the Accounts Commission’s report Community Empowerment: Covid-19 Update, published on 28 October 2021. I would also like to thank you for providing me with an overview of your discussions and findings at your meeting on 25 November 2021.
As you outlined, the report highlights the effect Covid 19 has had on our communities especially on vulnerable citizens but it also highlights the excellent response and collaborative approach across many sectors and communities. I am also aware the report highlighted challenges that remain around inequalities and poorer outcomes for those most vulnerable groups, and that greater collaboration across the public and third sectors with communities will be vital to our success as we continue to come out of the pandemic.
The Scottish Government and our partners published an ambitious Covid Recovery Strategy in October last year which lays out our joint vision of how we recover from the pandemic and is referenced in the attached Annex.
The Committee made a number of specific points and raised important questions for the Scottish Government. I have provided responses at Annex A which I hope you find helpful and will also be beneficial for your correspondence with the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee.
Yours sincerely
Paul Johnston
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