This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Funding for quality of life projects
07/11/2002
The Executive has allocated £95 million to local authorities to improve the local environment and the quality of life of people's daily lives.
A further £180 million was set aside in the Budget for the next three years to help drive the programme forward.
In the Parliament, Minister for Finance and Public Services Andy Kerr highlighted the success of initiatives in local authority areas the length and breadth of Scotland .
He also reiterated the Executive's support for Keith Harding MSP's Dog Fouling Bill and Scott Barrie MSP's High Hedges Bill, both of which will help the overall quality of life of the people of Scotland.
He said:
"As I mentioned today in Parliament I am delighted that the people of Scotland have benefited from the Quality of Life money provided by the Scottish Executive.
"Everything that the Scottish Executive does is about improving the quality of life of the people of Scotland.
"The Quality of Life Initiative is however more specifically concerned with every day issues which affect the man and the woman in the street - young or old - such as making our streets safer and cleaner, tackling vandalism, graffiti and dog fouling, improving our parks and open spaces.
"It is also vital that our young people have access to first class leisure facilities in their neighbourhood.
"I have been delighted with the response from our councils. They have taken heed of the Executive's key themes and priorities and adapted them to their local needs. This is an excellent example of our partnership with local government delivering for the people of Scotland. It is one that we must build on.
"I was confident that the £95 million would make a real impact in local communities and I have been proved right. The extra £180 million over the next three years will help councils build on this excellent start."
"As I have said before, they may not be considered matters of high politics but they matter in the daily lives of the people in our communities, whose priorities are our priorities".
Mr Kerr was speaking during a Parliamentary debate on Quality of Life. The motion for the debate was - "That the Parliament supports the work of the Scottish Executive, the all party group on Quality of Life, local authorities and other stakeholders, to improve the quality of life in Scotland's communities; notably the allocation to local authorities of £95 million this year and a further £180 million for the next three years to improve the local environment and the quality of people's daily lives."
The initial £95 million was announced on June 26 and provided to local authorities to support local quality of life initiatives for children and young people and the local environment.
All 32 local authorities confirmed that they would use the extra funds in full to support these improvements.
The funds were allocated between local authorities using the existing needs-based distribution formula.
Local authority allocations for 2003-04 from the £180million announced in the Budget will be confirmed as part of the local government finance settlement in early December.
The Minister highlighted the success for intitiatives throughout Scotland, including:
An initiative in Aberdeen where around 18,000 children are benefiting from free swimming lessons.
A new state of the art cleaning system in Edinburgh for removing graffiti, flyposters and chewing gum.
Money invested in upgrading roads, footpaths and lighting in Argyll and Bute.
A new anti-litter campaign in Falkirk.
A new Graffiti Removal Squad in East Renfrewshire.
£600,000 that is being invested to regenerate the area along the River Clyde in Glasgow.
The upgrading of children's play areas in Perth and Kinross.
The introduction of traffic calming measures around schools in South Ayrshire.
Including the building of skate parks for young people in South Lanarkshire.
Investment in breakfast clubs and healthy eating initiatives in schools in West Dunbartonshire.
Significant investment in recycling initiatives in North Ayrshire.