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This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007

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New approach through community budgeting

31/10/2002

A new approach to modernising public services is to be tried out in 12 areas of Scotland it was announced today.

Margaret Curran, Minister for Social Justice, revealed which Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs) would try out community budgeting in a two-year exercise to find out whether it delivers better local services, particularly in deprived communities, or for communities of interest such as the elderly or children.

Community budgeting is a method of allowing local authorities and their partners, including NHS Boards, the police and community groups, to examine the level and nature of public spending in their area.

The information can then be used to develop services designed to meet specific needs, either within a local area or for a particular community of interest.

Ms Curran said:

"The Scottish Executive is committed to ensuring that services should be responsive and flexible to the needs of the community that is being provided for and shaped in a manner that suits the varied needs of diverse communities. The community budgeting approach is clearly one of the means of taking forward these issues.

"The 12 pilots I am announcing today will enable us to test out the community budgeting approach before considering any wider application in Scotland. CPPs are being asked to develop their own approach to community budgeting. This may mean looking at spend for example on key service areas, or within specific communities of interest, to help us gain a better understanding of how spending links to outcomes and where improvements might be made.

"This approach will ultimately assist in the development of local community planning by recognising how services are being delivered, how money is being spent and what the needs of the communities involved are."

The 12 CPP's and the funding provided in 2002-03/2003-04 are as follows:

North Lanarkshire £191,800/£282,800

South Lanarkshire £191,800/£282,800

Glasgow £191,800/£282,800

Edinburgh £191,800/£282,800

Fife £191,800/£282,800

Highlands £164,400/£242,400

Aberdeen City £164,400/£242,400

Aberdeenshire £164,400/£242,400

North Ayrshire £137,000/£202,000

South Ayrshire £137,000/£202,000

East Ayrshire £137,000/£202,000

Dumfries and Galloway £137,000/£202,000.

The Community Regeneration Statement, published in June, made clear that Social Inclusion Partnerships (SIPs) were to be included within the community planning framework.

Page updated: Thursday, July 22, 2004