Paragraph 1
75.Paragraph 1 amends section 27 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 and section 8 of the Management of Offenders etc. (Scotland) Act 2005 so that funding for the delivery of criminal justice social work services will flow direct from the Scottish Ministers to local authorities. At present, funding flows from Scottish Ministers to local authorities via community justice authorities, which are dis-established by the Act. Paragraph 1(3)(b)(i) reinstates a reference to section 27ZA of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 into section 27A of that Act. This reference was removed by an earlier amendment and it is now considered appropriate to restore it. The effect is to revive the Scottish Ministers’ power to provide grants to local authorities in order to provide advice, guidance or assistance to the persons prescribed in the said provision.