§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his willingness to support and fund(a) community and (b) staff-led co-operatives to provide care in the community in Scotland. [28531]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonDirect financial support from the Scottish Office is generally provided to national voluntary organisations to assist with headquarters running costs and for innovative projects with potential national significance. Locally organised projects may be eligible for funding under the urban programme. Local authority social work departments have been given the responsibility and financial resources to develop and purchase high-quality, cost-effective services from a range of providers in response to local need. This could include staff-led co-operatives.