5. To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring that local government finance support schemes are operating effectively. (S6O-02761)

Local authorities are accountable to their local communities and have the financial freedom to operate independently, taking account of local needs. The Scottish Government will continue to work in partnership with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to agree a more detailed programme of work, including a fiscal framework and an outcomes and accountability framework, to underpin the Verity house agreement in the coming months. We have also committed to inviting the Accounts Commission and Audit Scotland to be part of that work.

I have been helping a number of my constituents regarding the dual housing support scheme, which supports people to go into rehabilitation, and the discretionary housing payment, which mitigates the Tories’ bedroom tax. Those are excellent examples of the Scottish Government putting cash into the hands of the most vulnerable at the most difficult of times, in marked contrast to Westminster’s austerity.

However, it has become apparent that many constituents and third sector organisations are not aware of those support schemes, which are administered by the local authority. I urge the Scottish Government to work with local authorities to ensure that those initiatives are promoted locally and are passported to the people who are entitled to that vital support.

I thank Clare Adamson for her supplementary and for highlighting that Scottish Government investment.

We have commissioned Healthcare Improvement Scotland to establish regional improvement hubs, which will bring together groups of alcohol and drug partnerships and other key parts of the local system to design and improve pathways into, through and from rehab. Part of that work is to ensure that local pathways promote routes into residential rehabilitation such as the dual housing support fund.

Local authorities are responsible for promoting the discretionary housing payment scheme in their areas. The Scottish Government has been working with third sector partners to raise awareness of the support that is available to households, particularly with the newly established fuller benefit cap mitigation.