What research was undertaken to ensure best value in encouraging growth in the credit union and community banking movement.

The aim of the Scottish Executive's support for credit unions is to remove barriers to credit union growth and ensure credit unions have access to support and development services. To date, the Executive's funding is providing support through compliance training, health checks and business planning. Funding has also been provided for capacity building that will help credit unions to extend their membership and the services they offer. We are currently monitoring the outcomes of the Executive's investment. To inform the next phase of the Executive's work, we have funded the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations to carry out research on credit union IT capacity. This has been made available to the Scottish Credit Union Partnership. Executive funded research will begin shortly looking at volunteer training needs with a summary of research findings to be published in the Scottish Executive Social Research Series at www.scotland.gov.uk/socialresearch in June 2003.A Community Banking initiative currently exists in Wester Hailes. This was originally supported with a Pathfinder grant from the Scottish Executive. Communities Scotland is currently undertaking an evaluation of this model which will look at the potential of replicating it in other areas. Communities Scotland is currently supporting Capital City Partnership's Edinburgh-wide financial inclusion strategy which aims to co-ordinate financial inclusion work across Edinburgh's Social Inclusion Partnerships (SIP). Part of this support funds the production of a baseline study which will establish the nature and scale of financial exclusion in Edinburgh SIPs and help develop local solutions In the North and East of Scotland, Communities Scotland is supporting a consortium of housing associations who are currently undertaking a feasibility study to inform the development of a joint financial inclusion project. This will include looking to identify the demand for a community banking facility.