21 April 2006
An influential parliamentary committee has recommended a radical shake-up in the method of tackling deprivation in Scotland.
Proposed changes include a single national fund to replace the various financing streams that exist at present.
According to the Scottish Parliament's finance committee, a single fund would reduce bureaucracy and allow the wider problems of deprivation to be tackled more effectively.
Committee convener Des McNulty said that although the Scottish Executive had provided more resources for initiatives aimed at tackling deprivation, the committee found a lack of clarity on the eligibility for such funds and their purpose. This made it difficult to assess what progress was being made or how effectively the money was being spent.
McNulty added: 'Separate streams of funding create unnecessary bureaucracy and have fostered the growth of a “deprivation industry”. The maximum available resources should be spent helping individuals, families and communities.'
The new approach to funding deprivation has been recommended in a report, which follows a wide-ranging review.
The report states: 'To bring together funding streams coming from different executive departments, the committee recommends that the executive should consider establishing a single deprivation fund which should supplement existing area-based programmes with funding to tackle the wider problems of household deprivation.'
It suggested that the single fund could incorporate all the current schemes that tackle deprivation.
These include the 'bureaucratic' community regeneration fund, the housing estate regeneration fund, the working for families fund, tackling antisocial behaviour funding and the system of financing education deprivation through grant-aided expenditure.
The committee was critical of the existing Scottish index of multiple deprivation as a means of allocating resources to tackle rural deprivation. It called for better monitoring to ensure it delivered better results to suit local circumstances and priorities.
The committee emphasised the need for greater clarity in the roles and responsibilities of partners such as local authorities and Communities Scotland.
McNulty said that, at present, too much money was swallowed up unproductively because resources were routed through area-based organisations or local government departments, which had kept out more efficient voluntary sector providers.
He also urged greater use of tendering and contracting out to ensure tangible results and better value for money.
PFapr2006
