Seòmar agus comataidhean

Thank you very much. I am done now, convener.

Thank you for that.

That brings me on nicely to my next question. I will maybe get some further information from you here. The 2015 act puts a duty on CPPs to tackle socioeconomic inequalities. To what extent can CPPs and their partners tackle the cause of socioeconomic disadvantage and not just deal with the consequences? For example, we heard last week about the growth in in-work poverty.

Good morning, panel. I want to touch on the challenges that communities face. We heard last week that inequality can be a moving target and that lots has changed over the past eight years. What are the biggest challenges facing your communities at the moment, and how do you prioritise which ones the CPP tackles?

I will go to Lee Haxton first.

I will move on and ask my next question, which Shaw Anderson has touched on. The 2015 act places a duty on community planning partnerships to tackle socioeconomic inequalities. To what extent can CPPs and their partners tackle the causes of those inequalities and not just deal with the consequences? For a different angle, I ask Michelle Crombie to comment so that we can find out what is happening in Aberdeen.

Thanks for that. Ruth Whatling, do you have anything to add?

Thanks very much for that.

Thank you, convener.

Good morning, panel. What are the main challenges that are being faced by communities across Scotland, and have they changed in the years since the act was passed in 2015? I am thinking about the Covid pandemic, in particular. Looking ahead, what role should community planning partnerships have in supporting communities during the cost of living crisis? I put those questions to Stuart Graham, first.

That is perfect. Thank you for those responses.

Stuart Graham has touched on the subject of my next question. We spoke about communities of place. The guidance to part 2 of the 2015 act speaks about impacts on communities of interest. People with disabilities have been mentioned; communities of interest also include young people leaving care and vulnerable adults, for example. Is there any evidence that community planning partnerships are identifying and engaging with those communities?

I have one final question, convener. Kirsty McNeill spoke about this a bit earlier. As well as communities of place, the guidance on part 2 of the 2015 act referred to impacts on communities of interest. What evidence is there that community planning partnerships are identifying and engaging with those communities?