Chamber and committees

I am not aware of any invitation having been received from the Career Development Centre.

I refer the member to the answers given to questions S2W-8716 and S2W-8721, answered on 16 June 2004. 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.

The cost benchmarking exercise commissioned by SFEFC represents an important element of its campaign for financial security within the sector. Progress to date is as planned and the first outputs from the first stage of the exercise were provided to colleges in July 2004.

Following a period of testing and data cleansing, SFEFC will publish high-level benchmarks for all colleges around July 2005.

It is the intention that cost benchmarking becomes embedded within colleges as an established management tool to be used at both the strategic and operational level.

I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

Advice to Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs), which includes local authorities as partners, was first issued last year when we published guidance on integrating Social Inclusion Partnerships (SIPS) and CPPs. The guidance set out the requirement for CPPs to maintain the large part of SIP expenditure in 2004-05 on existing SIP areas and themes. The information is given on page 10 of Integrating Social Inclusion Partnerships and Community Planning Partnerships published by Scottish Executive in August 2003, a copy of whichis available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 34488).

More recent advice has been provided following the announcement of the Community Regeneration Fund (CRF), which commences in April next year. CPPs are required to submit Regeneration Outcome Agreements (ROAs), which will include the need to set out how CPPs are managing the transition towards targeted outcomes. CPPs will therefore require to consider how existing SIP projects and services fit with the specific regeneration outcomes the CPP aims to achieve. Where CPPs decide continuation of funding of former SIP projects is no longer appropriate CPPs have been advised to consider whether they should sustain such projects using mainstream resources, funding from other programmes or whether time-bound exit strategies should be used. The information is given on page 16 of Community Regeneration Fund guidance on Regeneration Outcome Agreements published by the Scottish Executive in August 2004, a copy of which is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 34043)

The guidance is also available on the Communities Scotland website:

www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk.

The Scottish Executive is fully aware of the importance and value of business tourism, which is worth around £1 billion a year to the Scottish economy. VisitScotland’s Business Tourism Unit aims to make Scotland one of the world’s foremost destinations for conferences and exhibitions by 2015. While all Scottish conference destinations benefit from its marketing work, the unit works closely with the main city convention bureaux, helping them attract major conferences and providing financial support to assist with the presentation of bids for suchevents.

Social security is a reserved matter for the Department for Work and Pensions. The Executive is in regular contact with the department on a variety of issues.

I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

Communities Scotland has been in communication with Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs), which include local authorities as partners, about the process of integrating Social Inclusion Partnerships (SIPs) with CPPs. This has taken the form of guidance and support in moving forward that process.

Advice to Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs) was first issued last year when we published guidance on integrating SIPs and CPPs. The guidance set out the requirement for CPPs to maintain the large part of SIP expenditure in 2004-05 on existing SIP areas and themes. The information is given on page 10 of Integrating Social Inclusion Partnerships and Community Planning Partnerships published by Scottish Executive in August 2003, a copy of whichis available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 34488).

More recent advice has been provided following the announcement of the Community Regeneration Fund (CRF), which commences in April next year. CPPs are required to submit Regeneration Outcome Agreements (ROAs), which will include the need to set out how CPPs are managing the transition towards targeted outcomes. CPPs will therefore require to consider how existing SIP projects and services fit with the specific regeneration outcomes the CPP aims to achieve. The information is given on page 16 of Community Regeneration Fund guidance on Regeneration Outcome Agreements published by Scottish Executive in August 2004, a copy of which is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 34043).

Where CPPs decide continuation of funding of former SIP projects is no longer appropriate CPPs have been advised to consider whether they should sustain such projects using mainstream resources, funding from other programmes or whether time-bound exit strategies should be used.

 The guidance is also on the Communities Scotland website www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk.

I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

Advice to Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs) was first issued last year when we published guidance on integrating Social Inclusion Partnerships (SIPs) and CPPs. The guidance set out the requirement for CPPs to maintain the large part of SIP expenditure in 2004-05 on existing SIP areas and themes. The information is given on page 10 of Integrating Social Inclusion Partnerships and Community Planning Partnerships published by Scottish Executive in August 2003, a copy of which is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 34488).

More recent advice has been provided following the announcement of the Community Regeneration Fund (CRF), which commences in April next year. CPPs are required to submit Regeneration Outcome Agreements (ROAs), which will include the need to set out how CPPs are managing the transition towards targeted outcomes. CPPs will therefore require to consider how existing SIP projects and services fit with the specific regeneration outcomes the CPP aims to achieve. The information is given on page 16 of Community Regeneration Fund guidance on Regeneration Outcome Agreements published by the Scottish Executive in August 2004, a copy of which is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 34043)

Where CPPs decide continuation of funding of former SIP projects is no longer appropriate CPPs have been advised to consider whether they should sustain such projects using mainstream resources, funding from other programmes or whether time-bound exit strategies should be used.

 The guidance is also available on the Communities Scotland website:

www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk.

A detailed traffic model for the Haudagain roundabout will be completed in early December. This model will then be used to test and assess various options for improvement and we anticipate this work to be completed during April 2005. Decisions on whether any action is to be taken will be made following completion of the option assessment.

We have no plans to introduce new legislation to give local authorities further powers in this area. Planning authorities already have the powers necessary to deal with land or buildings the condition of which is adversely affecting the amenity of their district.

Section 179 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 gives planning authorities the power to serve on any owner, lessee or occupier of any such land or buildings a notice requiring the person responsible for the land to take whatever steps are necessary to abate the adverse effect. Where the recipient of such a notice fails to comply with its requirements, the planning authority have powers under section 179 to take steps to rectify the situation to their satisfaction and recover from the person who is the owner or lessee any expenses reasonably incurred by them in doing so.

Part 3 of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 also created a new discretionary power which enables local authorities to do anything they consider is likely to promote or improve the well-being of their area and/or persons in it. This power is designed as an enabling measure, giving local authorities the freedom to work in a more innovative and creative way in responding to the needs of their communities.

Guidance on the use of the power was issued by Scottish Ministers in April 2004 - The Local Government in Scotland Act 2003: Power to Advance Well-Being Guidance. It may be found on the Executive’s internet site at the followingaddress www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/localgov/pawbg-00.asp.