Hansard

It may be useful if I begin by describing where the voluntary issues unit sits in the overall scheme of things at the Scottish Executive. It is one of three divisions within the social justice group, which I head, the other two being the equality unit and the social inclusion division. The role of the voluntary issues unit is to encourage, support and develop the relationship between the Executive and the voluntary sector. It is not the channel or gateway for all the Executive's dealings with the sector, because the Executive's policy is to encourage mainstreaming. For example, the education department will deal directly with the voluntary sector on education issues, the health department will deal directly with the sector on health issues, and so on. However, the voluntary issues unit sits at the centre to encourage and support those contacts. In policy terms, the Executive regards the voluntary sector as an important player in all aspects of the business with which the Executive deals. It sees the sector as a key partner in policy development, service delivery and the development of community capacity—alternatively known as the accumulation of social capital. That is recognised in the terms of the Scottish compact, which is the agreement between the Executive and the voluntary sector—I think members have copies of it. The compact provides a framework for developing further the relationship between the sector and the Executive. The Executive's commitment is also backed up with money. In 1998-99, the Executive directly provided the sector with £23 million; that has risen to £39 million in 2001-02. The Executive has made a number of commitments to the sector to modernise the legal and financial framework within which the sector operates. In particular, a funding review is under way—no doubt we will talk more about that. There is also a separate but connected review of the funding of the black and ethnic minority voluntary sector. A review of charity law was conducted by Jean McFadden, responsibility for which lies with the Deputy First Minister, Jim Wallace, and with the justice department. However, my group also takes a close interest in that, because half of Scotland's voluntary organisations are charities.A review of the social economy began yesterday with the secondment to the social justice group of a member of staff from the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, who will conduct that review over the next three months or so. Several new funding mechanisms have been developed and we are investigating new ways of funding the voluntary sector. In fact, even as I speak, social investment Scotland—a new loan fund for social economy organisations—is being launched.We are also strengthening the sector's infrastructure support; for example, we have completed the national network of councils of voluntary service and local volunteer development agencies. The Executive has doubled its funding for both those networks.We have good working relationships with the main sector umbrella bodies, the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations and Volunteer Development Scotland. We have two main formal forums in which we meet: the voluntary sector forum, which is chaired alternately by the Minister for Social Justice or her deputy and by the convener of the SCVO. The forum meets a couple of times a year to run through issues of concern to both sides. The convener of the SCVO and the chair of Volunteer Development Scotland also participate in the voluntary issues management board. The board meets three times a year and involves senior officials from the Scottish Executive and the voluntary sector. At an official level, I chair the board. We have good, regular, informal contacts with the SCVO, Volunteer Development Scotland and other umbrella bodies across the sector. Increasingly, we are developing international contacts. It is increasingly apparent that many countries across the world are working at different stages of very similar agendas. We have things to offer other countries and they undoubtedly have things to offer us. For example, Sheenagh Adams attended the main United Nations conference at the start of the international year of volunteering, in Amsterdam. A representative of the SCVO and I were invited to Canada at the beginning of this year to discuss our compact and a similar agreement on which the Government of Canada is working with its voluntary sector. That visit was followed up by a ministerial visit in July, when Margaret Curran, accompanied by SCVO representatives and me, went back to Ottawa and on to Quebec, which is at the forefront of interesting developments on the social economy. We hope to build on those contacts. I recommend to the committee the website of the voluntary sector initiative in Canada, which is highly accessible and very informative. I can provide the clerk with contacts if that would be helpful.