Chamber and committees

I am pleased to say that we have today published the first progress report against our Games Legacy Plan, A games legacy for Scotland, which was launched in September 2009. Since then, working with our partners, we have made good progress across all key areas in our ambitions for delivering a lasting legacy for the people and communities of Scotland.

This update outlines the progress made on our aspiration to get people more physically active. Significant progress has been made through the launch of the Active Nation campaign with Scots everywhere taking their own steps towards a healthier life. The first community sports hub is also now in use with each local authority committed to creating and developing their own hubs to suit local needs and priorities.

The work done in regenerating the east end of Glasgow through the work on the athlete''s village and velodrome is also detailed. The games continue to provide an essential boost to the national and local economy with the report illustrating Scottish companies'' successes in winning 82% of games related contracts so far, worth around £158 million to the Scottish economy.

In developing programmes for our young people, 71 youth legacy ambassadors have been recruited from all over Scotland to promote and ensure that young people will be directly involved in creating the legacies they want to see in their own communities.

The Scottish Government has always been quite clear that the games will touch upon all communities. The games for Scotland programme around the Delhi handover was celebrated in all 32 local authorities and work will continue to ensure that the level of engagement and commitment by partners is maintained as we move forward to 2014.

With the games now handed to Scotland the update reflects that their legacy is beginning to deliver for people now, and shows that we are well on track not only to deliver an outstanding games but leave a lasting impact on all of Scotland.

The update A games legacy for Scotland can be found at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/ArtsCultureSport/Sport/MajorEvents/Glasgow-2014/Commonwealth-games.

A copy of the document has also been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) (Bib. number 52207).

Responsibility for the implementation of community planning lies with the partnerships themselves. This information is not held centrally.

 

Responsibility for the implementation of community planning lies with the partnerships themselves. This information is not held centrally.

 

Responsibility for the implementation of community planning lies with the partnerships themselves. This information is not held centrally.

 

Responsibility for the implementation of community planning lies with the partnerships themselves. This information is not held centrally.

 

Responsibility for the implementation of community planning lies with the partnerships themselves. This information is not held centrally.

 

The Scottish Government firmly believes that partnership working is key to making the best use of available resources and improving efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of public services. In particular, we are seeking efficiency savings across public services of 3 per cent for 2011-12, with each delivery body expected to report publicly on their plans to improve the efficiency of public services, actions undertaken and results achieved.

The work of social inclusion partnerships (SIPs) is now integrated into community planning partnerships (CPPs). Responsibility for the implementation of community planning lies with the partnerships themselves.

The Scottish Government is committed to the principle of partnership working that delivers outcomes that matter for local people. Audit Scotland carry out risk-based best value audits of local authorities, including community planning. Reports of the audits are in the public domain. Audit Scotland is also planning to undertake a review of community planning partnerships in 2011-12 to assess their effectiveness.

In assessing the overall level of funding to be provided to local authorities in 2011-12, the Scottish Government has negotiated a funding package with the COSLA leadership. For each local authority to secure its share of that package, it will be required to agree to deliver certain commitments, including continuing to work with the Scottish Government towards implementation of the Carers and Young Carers Strategy at local level, including the maintenance of an extra 10,000 weeks respite care. Under the terms negotiated, if Glasgow City Council agrees to deliver the full package, its overall resource funding for 2011-12 will be reduced by 2.6% compared to the funding it received in 2010-11. If the council chooses not to agree to the full package, its resource funding will be reduced by 6.4%.

A provisional funding allocation of the total local government settlement to each council for 2011-12 will be announced to the Parliament in a statement in early December 2010, accompanied by a finance circular issued to local authorities. The provisional allocation will be calculated on the basis that all local authorities will agree the terms of the package. Subject to their responses, final amounts will then be confirmed in two stages, first in a local government finance order which will be laid for parliamentary approval in February 2011, following the passage of the Budget Bill, and second in an amendment order to be laid in March 2011 after all local authorities have set their council tax levels for 2011-12.

Within the total to be provided to Glasgow City Council, under the terms of the local government funding settlement, ring fencing for specific services has largely been removed. As a result, whether or not Glasgow City Council agrees to the package, funding for respite care within the total it receives will not be separately identified. It will be for the council to determine what it spends on respite care.