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The Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 is intended to deliver a modern, streamlined,efficient and effective vetting and barring system. The legislation will come into force once all the constituent elementsare in place to ensure that that is what is delivered. This necessarily involvesthe development of processes and IT systems, a comprehensive programme of consultationand secondary legislation and guidance and training for users prior to the systemgoing live. A substantial implementationprogramme has already begun but it is too early in that process to be definitive about when the legislationwill come into force. We will keep the Scottish Parliament and stakeholders informedof progress and planned commencement dates through regular reports.

The Scottish Governmentis committed to supporting the third sector. We believe that the third sector hasa major role to play in delivering our overarching purpose which is to focusgovernment and public services on creating a more successful country, with opportunitiesfor all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth.The government’s five strategic objectives underpin that purpose and we are keento develop new partnerships and relationships with all sectors to help us achieveour aims for a more successful Scotland.

Local authoritiesare required to assess the extent and nature of housing need in their areas as partof their Local Housing Strategy and Development Planning processes. The government is currently conducting an exercisewhich is seeking to gain a consistent picture from local authorities of their assessmentsof affordable housing need for their areas, and the evidence which supports this.

A major piece of researchon housing need was conducted for the Scottish government by Professor Glen Bramleyand published in November 2006. This contains analysis of housing need by localauthority area, and at national level. Although the analysis does not examine projectedneed in each of the next four years, it contains projections for 2005, 2006, andat five year intervals thereafter. Further information can be found at:

http://www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk/stellent/groups/public/documents/webpages/cs_016551.pdf.

The Government’s homelessnesstarget is to abolish priority need by 2012. I refer the member to answer to questionS3W-1134 on 26 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facility for whichcan be found at:http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

As part of its currentStrategic Spending Review, the government is considering future investment requirementsfor affordable housing. Figures relating to plans for affordable housing provisionin future years will not be known until the conclusion of the Spending Review laterthis year.

I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-2446 on 14 August 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I will write to youshortly on this issue, setting out in more detail an answer to your question.

The information requestedis not held centrally.

We support the practiceof three year funding for the voluntary sector across the public sector and encouragethe use of longer term funding arrangements, where possible, to provide a stableand efficient operating environment for the sector.

I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-2446 on 14 August 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

The Local Governmentin Scotland Act (2003) introduced the statutory responsibility of best value forlocal authorities. To ensure that best value is consistentlyapplied by local authorities Audit Scotland carries out an audit of best value andcommunity planning of each local authority, normally on a three year cycle. Allpublished audit reports are available from the Accounts Commission.