Chamber and committees

We have not yet had any such meetings, but I am sure that opportunities will arise for me and my Ministerial colleagues to see the work of housing co-operatives in the course of our housing visits across Scotland.

There are no community care co-operatives in Scotland. There are however 79 Local Health Care Co-operatives (LHCCs).LHCCs are voluntary groupings of GPs and other local care professionals which will strengthen and support individual practices in delivering care. LHCCs are part of the internal management structure of Primary Care Trusts: they are not separately constituted bodies and they will collectively manage the resources for primary and community care. Bringing together these services is an important element of the broader strategy to promote more joined up working at local level.

During my summer visits programme I visited a number of Primary Care Trusts and met with, among others, a number of LHCC Chairs. I plan to make more such visits in the future.LHCCs have only been in existence since 1 April 1999 and yet 95% of Scottish GPs are involved. The last few months have seen LHCCs deal mainly with operational issues but I hope that over the next few months we will see them become more involved in the planning and delivery of services to patients.

GP Out of Hours arrangements are provided in a number of ways. The latest figures we have indicate that across Scotland there are 37 co-operatives, 23 rotas and 2 deputising services.

The Social Inclusion Network action team on local anti-poverty action has looked at a number of such organisations as part of its work to identify good practice but no systematic mapping exercise has been carried out.

We are keen to address financial exclusion by a variety of means and we are interested in credit unions as a possible vehicle to improving access to financial services. We are tracking the Taskforce on credit unions and we are keen to see how we can act on its recommendations. I will be meeting with the Chair of the Taskforce, Fred Goodwin in the near future. The Social Inclusion Network action team looking at the impact of local anti poverty action, including the activities of credit unions, will be reporting very shortly with ideas for the way ahead. We recognise that while there are many successful credit unions in Scotland more needs to be done if the movement is to grow significantly.

The latest data collected centrally on childcare are set out in the Statistical Information Note Social Work Daycare Services for Children in Scotland, November 1997, published by the then Scottish Office in May 1999. Data are not, however, centrally collected on whether provision is co-operative or employee owned.

Not at present.

Scotland already has two agencies with the responsibility for promoting and stimulating enterprise within their respective areas, namely Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.I have already held discussions with a number of business leaders and they are generally supportive of the current structure and activities of the two agencies. Both organisations have strategies which contain clear commitments to assisting new and growing businesses, which may include co-operative ventures, and I intend to work closely with them to ensure that they deliver on our commitment to bring together the promotion of enterprise and lifelong learning.

Scotland already has two agencies with the responsibility for promoting and stimulating enterprise within their respective areas, namely Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

I have already held discussions with a number of business leaders and they are generally supportive of the current structure and activities of the two agencies. Both organisations have strategies which contain clear commitments to assisting new and growing businesses, which may include co-operative ventures, and I intend to work closely with them to ensure that they deliver on our commitment to bring together the promotion of enterprise and lifelong learning.