Stewart Stevenson MSP signs East Lothian's first-ever Single Outcome Agreement

Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Stewart Stevenson MSP visited Haddington on Monday 27 July 2009 to sign a document that will better link the efforts of a variety of public bodies across the county by jointly planning for the future of East Lothian under the civic leadership of the Council. This signing of the Scottish Government's Single Outcome Agreement (SOA) with East Lothian is the fruit of months of teamwork among all Community Planning Partners who agreed this groundbreaking approach to better serving East Lothian's people in May of this year.

The East Lothian Community Planning Partnership (ELCPP) includes the council, health, police and voluntary organisations. It also includes organisations like Scottish Enterprise, Sustrans and SEPA. The role of the Community Planning Partnership is to work together to make sure that services are delivered in a way that:

• makes the best use of resources
• meet needs
• promotes the well-being of people in East Lothian.

In consultation with the communities that they serve, East Lothian's Community Planning Partners have identified eight key themes, which sum up the priorities for East Lothian. These are:

• Encouraging enterprise, with a focus on small businesses, tourism and local food production
• Ensuring that our children and young people have the best start in life
• Promoting healthier, more active, and independent lives
• Addressing inequality, with a focus on tackling poverty and health inequalities, especially in the west of East Lothian
• Building safer communities
• Ensuring that everyone in East Lothian has access to affordable housing
• Protecting and enhancing the environment
• Encouraging stronger and more vibrant communities.

For each of these, they have developed a range of outcomes, or results, that they would like to achieve. These form the basis of East Lothian's Single Outcome Agreement. They feel that these themes and outcomes reflect the needs and wishes of communities and individuals in East Lothian.

East Lothian Council Leader Councillor David Berry says:

"This Single Outcome Agreement between the Scottish Government and East Lothian Community Planning Partnership is intended-above all-to make a difference in people's lives. Many public and voluntary bodies work hard across the county to provide people with a variety of services. The challenge is to do so across organisations in a coherent, cost-effective manner, with none of the joins showing. The SOA identifies such challenges and agrees priorities to address them.

"I am honoured to be representing East Lothian Council who, with the civic lead role in our Community Planning Partnership, is grateful to all our partners for their teamwork in bringing this together. The official signing of this Single Outcome Agreement on the Partnership's behalf today is a gateway to smoother servicing of our people's many needs."

Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Stewart Stevenson MSP says:

"This Government and Scotland's councils have a shared ambition to see public services working together with Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs) to improve quality of life and opportunities for people right across Scotland.

"I am delighted to be in East Lothian for the signing of this year's Single Outcome Agreements. The agreements between the Scottish Government and Community Planning Partners reflect local circumstances and priorities in these challenging economic times for the people of East Lothian. Together, we can work towards our goal of increasing sustainable economic growth and help East Lothian play its part in creating a more successful Scotland."