Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00556 on 16 June 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

The establishment of the Fair Food Fund is part of a sustained investment by the Scottish Government to tackle food poverty in Scotland. From 2013 to 2016 the food poverty budget was £500k per annum and supported the Emergency Food Fund. On 10 March 2016 Mr Neil, the then Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, announced an increase in the food poverty budget for 2016-17 to £1 million. On 2 June 2016 Ms Constance announced £1 million will be made available each year of this parliament from 2016-17 to invest in projects that provide dignified and sustainable support for people affected by food poverty.

The Fair Food Fund has been designed in conjunction with the Independent Short-Life Working Group on Food Poverty which has been commissioned by Scottish Ministers to identify the issues which push people into food poverty and make recommendations on how they can be addressed. Membership of the group includes poverty organisations such as Oxfam and the Poverty Alliance, emergency food providers such as the Trussell Trust, other organisations with an interest in food poverty such as Fareshare and Nourish Scotland, independent funders such as the Robertson Trust, Big Lottery and The Hunter Foundation, and local government. The group also includes people with direct experience of food poverty through the Poverty Truth Commission. The criteria for the fund aligns with the recommendations of the group.

The Fair Food Transformation Fund (52% of the overall budget) will open shortly and will be promoted through a range of organisations including Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations, Community Food and Health Scotland, Third Sector Interface and Interfaith. All funded projects will be evaluated throughout their lifetime to ensure that the Fair Food Fund is getting effective support to those who most need it.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00448 on 16 June 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00448 on 16 June 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00556 on 16 June 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

The Volunteering Support Fund (VSF) provides £1.1 million per annum to support delivery of the following outcomes, which were agreed with the third sector:

Third sector organisations create new volunteering projects, increasing the diversity of volunteers, especially those from disadvantaged groups.

Third sector organisations provide improved opportunities for skills and personal development through volunteering.

Third sector organisations improve their capacity to deploy and support volunteers;

By involving volunteers; third sector organisations enhance the services they deliver to better meet the needs of the communities they operate within.

Following a consultation of a wide range of stakeholders the Scottish Government set out the broad criteria for support from the VSF in the tender document as part of the standard Scottish Government procurement arrangements. The detailed eligibility criteria were set out by Voluntary Action Fund (VAF) in their tender submission to the Scottish Government.

The VSF has been in operation for four years and the operation of the fund is discussed in regular engagement between Scottish Government and VAF. Regular reports are submitted to the Scottish Government in compliance with the terms and conditions of the contract and recommendations have consistently been of a minor technical nature. The Scottish Government has received no representations seeking a review of the eligibility criteria.

The current Volunteer Support Fund will cease on 31 March 2017 and the level of support provided for the fund in subsequent years will be carefully considered as part of the forthcoming spending review process. We will look at how the fund has operated, the impact it has had, what would contribute to improvement and consider what changes, if any, ought to be considered to support volunteering in the period ahead. In this context we would expect to consider the focus, eligibility criteria and outcomes of any future funding.

<>Under the terms of the Volunteering Support Fund (VSF) contract between the Scottish Government and Voluntary Action Fund (VAF), the VSF is promoted by VAF on their website; in social media and by emails. The VAF promotional material also provides details of how potential applicants can contact VAF staff for help with the application process.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00556 on 16 June 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00556 on 16 June 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00448 on 16 June 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.