Agenda item

With reference to article 10 of the minute of the meeting of the Corporate Policy and Performance Committee of 10 June, 2010, the Committee had before it a report by the Director of Corporate Governance which provided a six month update on progress with the Fairer Scotland Fund programme and projects currently being funded in this financial year.

The report provided a background to the establishment of the Fairer Scotland Fund and provided details of the projects and programmes that were currently being funded from the 2010/2011 fund allocation; this information was attached as appendix 1 to the report.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee:-

(a)       consider and advise the Fairer Scotland Fund Board of the Committee’s comments on progress; and

(b)       note the information at appendix 1 outlining the Fairer Scotland Fund project activity between 1 April and 30 September, 2010.

The Convener, seconded by Councillor Yuill, moved:-

to approve recommendation (b) and to congratulate the Fairer Scotland Fund Board on the successful allocation of extremely valuable financial support to programmes and projects aimed at tackling poverty and deprivation in the city.

As agreed at the beginning of the meeting (see article 1 above), the Committee then heard from Mrs Lavina Massie, Chairperson of the Fairer Scotland Fund Board, who provided a detailed background to and overview of the achievements of the Fund. She advised that the Fund, which was now in its third year, had been allocated £2.4million from the Council for the financial year 2010/2011 to continue its work.

Mrs Massie then advised of the principles behind the Fund and explained that the principles reflected the 2009 policy statement entitled “Equal Communities in a Fairer Scotland” by the Scottish Government and Cosla.  In particular, she emphasised that the programme and projects funded by the Fund were all about supporting the most vulnerable in the City with the resources available.  In terms of allocating the monies, she advised that the Board was often faced with hard decisions to make and always scrutinised every application for funding to ensure that maximum value was achieved and that there was no duplication in funding.

With regards the current year, Mrs Massie highlighted that the Board had supported projects that were providing front line services to not only disadvantaged neighbourhoods, but also providing support in terms of employability, health, financial inclusion and community safety initiatives that benefitted vulnerable individuals and families and the city as a whole.  In particular, she outlined the benefits projects had achieved in relation to employability and reducing the levels of unemployment within the city.  Finally, Mrs Massie emphasised the importance of the continuation of the fund for the vital projects that were improving the quality of life within the city in many ways.  In conclusion, she advised of the Board’s appreciation of the Council, not only for its involvement and participation in all aspects of the partnership, but especially for having the faith and confidence in the Board and communities, so that local people could take responsibility and make decisions that benefitted the communities they lived in when given the opportunity.

Thereafter members asked a number of questions to Mrs Massie regarding the current operation and success of the Fairer Scotland Fund.

As an amendment, Councillor Adam, seconded by Councillor Collie, moved:-

that the Committee:- (a) congratulate the Fairer Scotland Fund Board on the successful allocation of the Fund in 2010/2011 and agree that the fund provided extremely valuable financial support to programmes and projects aimed at tackling poverty and deprivation in the city; and (b) supports the Aberdeen City Alliance’s Fairer Scotland Fund Board in its commitment to this work and supports the continuation of this method of distribution of significant funds to the city’s most disadvantaged communities.

On a division, there voted:-  for the motion (11) – the Convener;  the Vice-Convener;  and Councillors Dean, Donnelly, Jaffrey, Kiddie, Leslie, Malone, Kevin Stewart, Yuill and Wisely; for the amendment (3) – Councillors Adam, Collie, and Graham.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)         to adopt the motion; and

(ii)        in relation to the Fairer Scotland Fund ‘Health’ priority theme, to request officers, by way of email, to advise the Committee of the following aspects:- (a) who developed  and agreed the health programme on behalf of the Community Health Partnership (CHP) and why this was not discussed by the CHP or its Executive Committee; (b) the level of match funding committed by the NHS for this theme, and the breakdown of this by project; and (c) greater detail on the actual allocation of the health themed funding by project and the output/value achieved from each of the projects in this theme.