To ask the Minister for Social Development what discussions he has had with the new local councils to ensure that economic redevelopment includes consideration of the role, and work, of the community and voluntary sector.

The Regeneration Bill will confer powers in relation to urban regeneration and community development on the new Councils from April 2016. It will be for Councils and their locally elected representatives to decide how best to address the needs of their areas through their respective Community Plans.

My department is committed to supporting the Councils in the lead up to and during the transition. For my part I have completed a series of meetings with Councillors and officials from each of the new Council areas where I discussed the transferring budgets alongside local issues raised. These meetings did not focus on the work of the community and voluntary sector.

However my Department has previously met with Councils to provide information on the department’s work in relation to the Urban Regeneration and Community Development Policy Framework. These discussions included information on supporting action 4 of the Framework, to promote an effective and efficient voluntary and community sector.