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Sports Facilities (Primary Schools) (PE1256)
The next item on the agenda is consideration of current petitions, the first of which is PE1256, by Jack Ferrie on behalf of the 2007-08 primary 7 class in St Machan's primary school—I presume, then, that Jack is no longer in the class. The petition calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Government to provide additional targeted funding to ensure that all primary schools have access to appropriate all-weather sports facilities to encourage an active healthy lifestyle from an early age.
Yes, convener. Thank you for inviting me along to the meeting.
Thank you. Looking at you, David, I was just thinking that you must have been held back a good number of years to still be in P7.
A question that sticks out for me is how the Government's target of two hours of physical education a week can be achieved if pupils cannot use their playing fields and have no access to a suitable indoor venue. It just does not make sense. We should write to the Government to ask how it will address the issue.
It would also be useful to ask local authorities to carry out an audit of the number of primary schools that have suitable indoor and outdoor sports facilities. Surely that information needs to be known if any target for PE is to be set.
It would also be worth asking the Scottish Government about how the 2014 Commonwealth games legacy plan will impact on children of primary school age. I know that the Health and Sport Committee is considering the issue, but I would be broadly supportive of pursuing our consideration of it a wee bit further. We are trying to encourage young people to petition the committee, and the more that we can get out of this for them, the better.
I add one small note of concern. I would be worried, for environmental reasons, if all outdoor pitches became artificial ones. Yes, there should be access to all-weather outdoor areas for children's play, but we should not necessarily take the view that they should all be artificial outdoor pitches.
On the basis of what David Whitton has said this afternoon, I think that it might be useful for us to write to the Government to ask how many all-weather pitches have been provided since 1999 and how many of those have been provided under private finance initiative and PPP schemes. We could also ask whether those pitches are full-sized pitches. In North Lanarkshire, there was a playing fields review and it was found that many of the all-weather pitches that are being provided, particularly for primary schools, are not full-sized football pitches. My personal issue is about whether the pitches that children at new schools play on match the pitches that children at other schools play on. We might be reducing the size of all-weather pitches to fit in with cost considerations.
Let us pull all of that together. Given the recent announcement about investment in the school estate and the debate about models of funding public projects, we can ask whether there is discussion at the moment, as part of the school estate review, about the provision of sports facilities in primary and secondary schools. The matters are obviously devolved to local authorities as the deliverers of those facilities, but we can ask about the engagement at a national level, with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and others, on guidelines and guidance relating to the development of such facilities.
Members indicated agreement.
You can report back to the headmistress that you have behaved very well today, Mr Whitton. I am quite enjoying this—although I know that there is always a payback.
Independent Midwifery Services (PE1052)
PE1052, by Jayne Heron, calls on the Parliament to urge the Executive to promote the services of independent midwives and to ensure that such services continue to be available to pregnant women in Scotland.
I suggest that we close this petition, as the petitioner has asked us to do so. Further, there is to be a joint review by the United Kingdom and Scottish Governments into compulsory professional indemnity for all health professionals. That will no doubt take into consideration the subject that the petition deals with.
It is worth noting, however, that a recent report has shown that, throughout most of Scotland, mothers have little choice about where they give birth.
Do we agree to take Robin Harper's point on board but close the petition, in light of the information that Nanette Milne mentioned?
Members indicated agreement.
Scottish Prison Population (Catholics) (PE1073)
The next petition is PE1073.
Before we discuss this petition, I would like to ask for some information. It has been suggested that we might commission research into the subject of this petition, but it has also been suggested that we commission research into the subject of PE1169. Is it possible for the committee to agree to commission research into both subjects that the petitions deal with, or must we choose only one? I would like to know that before we start discussing either of them.
The wisdom of the clerk is required.
Graham Ross, from the Scottish Parliament information centre, might want to help me out on this one.
The other gatekeepers apart from the committee are SPICe, the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body and the Conveners Group.
Any proposal would have to be approved by the Conveners Group. However, as Fergus Cochrane says, there is nothing to prevent the committee from commissioning two pieces of research, if it feels that that is required.
Other colleagues will have to consider our request in light of available resources. Of course, I would hope that, if we have decided that we would like research to be conducted into two areas of concern, we could persuade our colleagues to allow that to happen.
We have approached academics to ask them whether they think that there is any merit in researching the issues that the petition raises. In my experience, if you ask academics whether any further research is required, they will say yes, which is what happened in this case. They provided us with their thoughts on some issues that the petition raised.
The responses that we have received from academics so far have been useful and enlightening and have revealed that there is a lack of research into the issue. The petition refers to the disproportionate number of Catholics in Scottish prisons. As the convener said, when it first came before the committee, I indicated a preference for widening its scope, because religious minority groups seem to be disproportionately represented in our prisons. The question is: to what extent can we do that? One or two pieces of evidence have indicated that, if we start to look at religious groupings, we need to look at subsections, deprivation backgrounds, social backgrounds and other issues.
I am conscious of the fact that other members want to comment. I sense that the committee wants to consider a scoping exercise. I ask members to keep their contributions brief, given the time constraints to which we are subject today. I think that we are broadly in agreement about wanting to get to the next stage, at which we will be best able to determine whether there is scope for commissioning fuller research.
I reinforce the point that John Wilson has made. It is extremely important that we cover all the factors that could—or do—lie behind whether people go to prison.
That is the point. There is already a body of evidence that shows that there is a clear link between social deprivation, poverty and offending behaviour—the academics have highlighted that. We want to be confident that any research that the committee commissions will go beyond that. If the committee were to commission external research, one of the first things that the researchers would do is look at the evidence on the link between social and economic deprivation and crime that is already available. They would then go beyond that, to look at the issues that the petition raises.
It will not surprise members that I approach the issue from an equalities perspective. I am in favour of conducting a scoping exercise. Professor Andrew Coyle refers to the fact that
That is one issue that the scoping exercise could tease out. The original petition focused on the disproportionate number of Roman Catholics in prison; the numbers stack up on that point. From the process of us going to academics and asking them to provide us with more information, they, like John Wilson, teased out the fact that there is a disproportionate number of Muslims in Scottish prisons.
Okay. We will take the petition on to the next stage and invite Graham Ross back at a future date to discuss the scope of the exercise that could be considered. We will then have to determine how to address the petition.
Local Museums (PE1083)
PE1083, by John Arthur, calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Executive to support the creation of local museums such as the proposed Leith museum.
Members indicated agreement.
Electricity Transmission Lines (Underground Cabling) (PE1087)
The next petition, by Nancy Gardner, calls on the Parliament to consider and debate using underground and, where appropriate, undersea cabling for new electricity transmission lines such as that proposed between Beauly and Denny.
Members indicated agreement.
Convener, I agree that we should suspend the petition, but not for three months. We should suspend until such time as the Government has made its announcement. Rather than our waiting three months to bring the petition back to the committee, if the announcement is made fairly soon, as is speculated, it would be useful to be able to bring it back as soon after that date as possible.
Thank you for that suggestion; we will take it on board.
School Bus Safety (PE1098 and PE1223)
The next two petitions are broadly on school bus safety. PE1098 by Lynn Merrifield and PE1023 by Ron Beaty have both been before the committee on numerous occasions.
There is a significant overlap between what we can do and what the Westminster Government can do. Aberdeenshire Council has been pretty proactive in trying to progress school bus safety matters, while Malcolm Bruce, the member of Parliament for the Gordon area, has had a—I cannot remember the terminology.
Private member's bill.
He has presented a private member's bill at Westminster, and I have read the report on it. I do not think that it was received terribly favourably, but it might be interesting to hear about his experiences at Westminster.
We can also invite an individual from the Yellow School Bus Commission.
It might also be worth asking some young people from the Scottish Youth Parliament who are involved in transport.
Yes, I think that we want to try to get a perspective from different areas about young people's experiences.
We could also perhaps invite a council that has not done very much, although my instinct is to invite a council that is proactive.
Yes, I would much prefer the discussion to focus on good practice rather than on what is not being done.
Many of the school buses that are on contract have lap belts, but they are different from what is being called for by PE1098, which wants three-point seatbelts. That might be an issue for many operators.
In light of all those suggestions, are members happy to approve that we take the petitions on to that next stage?
Members indicated agreement.
Community Prisons (PE1150)
PE1150 is from David Wemyss, on behalf of Aberdeen prison visiting committee. We have had a number of discussions on the impact of a change to community-facing prisons, which would allow prisoners' families greater access, and we have explored different options to deal with the issues that the petition raises. Without going into too much detail—given that we have all been involved in the matter—I say that we have tried to see whether there is any opportunity for further parliamentary discussion of the issues. I know that members from all parties have been involved in discussions in the north-east. As Lewis Macdonald has been what might best be described as particularly tenacious in pursuing the issue, I will take comments from him and then from Nanette Milne.
As the convener said, the committee agreed in principle at its meeting in June to seek a parliamentary debate on the issue. That was very much welcomed by the Aberdeen prison visiting committee, which invited MSPs to join it for a discussion on the best way forward. Seven MSPs from four different parties attended that discussion—including Nanette Milne and Nigel Don—which took place at the prison at the end of September. The agreement around the table was that, of the different options available, a committee debate provided the best format for parliamentary consideration both of the proposed closure of Aberdeen prison and of the general principle of community prisons. Therefore, it seems opportune to suggest that that should continue to be the committee's objective. If members agree, that would respond positively to the unanimous view of that meeting and the clear view of the prison visiting committee.
I agree with Lewis Macdonald that we should push to get that debate. The petition raises a significant point of principle about community prisons, although it focuses largely on Aberdeen because the prison in Aberdeen may be about to close. I had been concerned that we might not have enough time on our hands, but I now know that no planning application has yet been made for the community-facing prison, so the committee should be able to flush out all the general issues in our discussion.
I agree with everything that Nanette Milne said. We have part of a report by the previous chief inspector of prisons, which states:
I agree that the petition should continue.
We have a series of options in front of us. The issue is difficult and sensitive for many members, but we have broad agreement in principle to seek time for a debate. I know that the clerk looks for the wisdom of Solomon at those moments when he has to negotiate such matters with the Parliamentary Bureau, the chamber desk and so on, but we will endeavour to find the time.
Befriending Services (PE1167)
PE1167, from Christine McNally, on behalf of Clydesdale Befriending Group and other supporting organisations, is about the positive impacts that befriending services for adults with learning disabilities have on the "The same as you?" strategy. It asks us to ensure that adequate funding is provided to support befriending opportunities and promote social inclusion.
Members indicated agreement.
Magazines and Newspapers (Display of Sexually Graphic Material) (PE1169)
PE1169, from Margaret Forbes, on behalf of Scottish Women Against Pornography, calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to introduce and enforce measures to ensure that magazines and newspapers that have sexually graphic covers are not displayed at children's eye level or below, or adjacent to children's titles and comics, and that they are screen shelved—sorry, I mean screen sleeved—before being placed on the shelf. Sorry—I almost contradicted the intention of the petition there.
The research that the Equal Opportunities Committee has commissioned is specifically on goods that are aimed at children that have inappropriate sexualised imagery. It is not about the kind of magazines and newspapers to which the petition refers—it is a specific piece of research on a different subject. I do not think that it will touch on the issues that are raised in the petition at all. I just want to be clear about that.
We will hear views from other members and then explore those points.
It was good to get that clarification from Marlyn Glen, because initially I thought that we should wait until the Equal Opportunities Committee had published its report. I now understand exactly what it is doing and I agree with Marlyn that we do not need to wait for that report.
The committee wants to deal with the issue. The questions that we raised with the cabinet secretary encouraged him to think more proactively on the matter. We note Marlyn Glen's comments about the Equal Opportunities Committee's research. Given today's discussion and the previous one, we should write to the Government to set out the broad thinking and to ask whether the Government will carry out research on some of the issues. We will await a response and then, if we need to, we can commission our own research. Is that sensible?
Yes, but it might be helpful to let the Government know the breadth of the research that we are talking about. For instance, it is important that we examine the level of non-compliance with the voluntary code and that we test the public's perception of sexually explicit front covers being in view of children in shops. However, that is not enough. If we are going to go ahead with research, it is worth while going the whole way and covering more. We should consider the social cost of the problem and the reasons why the code is not adhered to. We should consider what is needed to improve the voluntary code and, importantly, its enforcement, and whether it should be made mandatory.
Anne McLaughlin has that quizzical look on her face that sometimes worries me. On you go, Anne.
Actually, I had decided to say nothing but, as you are inviting me, I will say that it would be useful to clarify what comes under the remit of this Parliament and what comes under the remit of Westminster. The area is one of those in which there is crossover. It would be good to have absolute clarity on that, so that we know where to direct the questions.
The clerk says that he will take that on board and deal with it.
Social Rented Housing (Standards) (PE1189)
PE1189, from Anne Lear, on behalf of Govanhill Housing Association, calls on the Parliament to urge the Government to conduct an inquiry into the responsibilities of private landlords, the levels of social housing that are below tolerable standard, the impact of slum living conditions on the health and wellbeing of residents and the wider community, and whether such conditions merit housing renewal area status and additional Scottish Government funding. I declare an interest as a constituency member for the affected area.
I suppose that I should declare an interest and then say nothing.
I thought that you were going to say that you are a private landlord.
After an absence of many years from the field, I hope that I will become a private landlord again before Christmas. I shall then happily submit myself to whatever regulations are in force.
After the jail sentence, you will have to. I acknowledge what you say.
I have a lot of sympathy with the petition, but is it sufficiently wide enough for the committee to take it any further? It is specifically about one area. That is a question.
Okay. I know that.
I understand what Nanette Milne is saying, but the petitioner's response is quite detailed, and the petition may have wider implications for other communities at some stage. As the convener said, Govanhill has special requirements and quite complex needs. Because the housing association has gone into so much detail about the things that it would like to be further clarified, I would like to keep the petition open and get more clarity. I will say no more than that because I know that the convener has a few things to say. However, I support pushing things a little bit further because of the particular conditions in Govanhill and the particular situation that it faces.
I regularly visit Govanhill and am aware of the issues there. It was nice of the housing association to invite the committee, whose convener is the local elected member, to visit the area. I am not sure what that says about the convener.
There are two or three immediate observations to make. John Wilson is right to say that the community is still awaiting formal responses from Glasgow City Council to a number of questions that the petitioners have raised through the community organisations. There is also an issue around the dialogue that the council and the Government would need to have to address both the legislation and the resource implications. As the letters from Govanhill Housing Association indicate, extensive and long-running resources are required. Those of us who have been involved in the issue for 10 years know the ups and downs that there have been.
I would be willing to participate in that exercise if we could extend it slightly to include representatives of tenants from the private landlord sector. The housing association tenants have fairly good housing conditions; the issue is the other housing providers. It would be useful to get some evidence of what they have to live with and how they are treated by their landlords. Govanhill Housing Association may be able to facilitate that by bringing in other tenants to give us their views.
Those suggestions are extremely helpful, because we need to get an holistic view. We will not resolve the fundamentals, or even begin to start resolving them, without the partnership of the police and other regulatory organisations that deal with people's willingness to comply with the law, and the council, which has a role in providing services to the community. We, as local MSPs, have received information on recent developments, but there is a need to keep the pressure on. We can continue the petition in one or two areas that the petitioners identified in their extensive letter and, taking on board John Wilson's point, raise them with the Government and Glasgow City Council, as the two key organisations with the resource opportunities. In addition, we can ask the clerks to liaise with the housing association to pull together a broader framework. We could try to facilitate that some time in the new year, depending on our diaries, so that two or three committee members can pay a visit and hear about the experiences of local residents, particularly those at the sharpest end, as John Wilson said, who own properties and have seen their value plummet because of problems, and those who rent from private landlords. We can also hear about the wider impact on the neighbourhood.
Independent Vehicular Ferry Routes (PE1192)
PE1192, from Donald Ewen Darroch, calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to state how it is supporting and promoting independent vehicular ferry routes between the islands and the mainland, and how the planning system is playing a constructive role in supporting the economic and social future of such routes. Jamie McGrigor, who cannot be here today, supports the petition. He supports organisations providing lifeline ferry services and hopes that the Scottish Government can work with those organisations to maintain those services. Do members have any comments on how we should deal with the petition? We await a major strategy report on ferries.
While we await the strategy report, it might be appropriate to suspend consideration of the petition.
I accept that recommendation. We can get an update on how early in 2010 the strategy report is expected.
You mentioned ferry routes that provide a lifeline service to communities, but there are other, privately owned ferries that would probably also come into the equation. Our briefing paper refers to just NorthLink and Caledonian MacBrayne, but I can think of other private sector operators who might have an interest.
NHS Services (Rural Areas) (PE1243)
PE1243, by Jenna McDonald and Fiona Henderson, calls on the Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to ensure that the funding of hospitals in rural areas is increased to ensure that they are properly equipped and staffed so that they can treat more local people, thus ensuring that there is no need for long journeys to centres of bigger populations. Do members have any comments on what to do with the petition? We have had it in front of us on a couple of occasions. I do not know whether we can add much more to it, given that local MSPs will continue the pressure to ensure that further resources are allocated. Can we recommend closing the petition?
Yes.
We will close the petition on that basis.
The petition was lodged by two students from Fraserburgh academy. I congratulate the two girls on presenting the petition so well. We should acknowledge that some of what they wanted to achieve has been achieved, and that they were part of that.
I appreciate that. It was an oversight on my part not to say that and I thank Anne for doing so.
Rosyth Bypass (PE1255)
PE1255, by Carol McKenzie, calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to commit to developing a Rosyth bypass to cope with any increase in the number of heavy goods vehicles diverted from using the Forth road bridge. As members have no comments, I will close the petition on the basis that the transport review has been announced.
Court Reporters (PE1257)
PE1257, by Mark Hutchison, calls on the Parliament to urge the Government to take measures to ensure that solicitors acting as court reporters, who knowingly supply false information to a sheriff, are not immune from prosecution, and that their reports are amended to correct any inaccuracies before the court makes a decision.
Members indicated agreement.
Vitamin D Supplements (Guidance) (PE1259)
PE1259 is the final current petition for consideration today. I congratulate Ryan McLaughlin and his family for their patience; they have been in the gallery for most of the afternoon, along with other representatives from the Multiple Sclerosis Society Scotland. The very good petition that Ryan McLaughlin presented to us some months ago calls on the Parliament to urge the Government to produce new guidelines on vitamin D supplementation for children and pregnant women, and to run a broader awareness campaign to ensure that people know what levels of vitamin D supplements they should be taking.
I would like to hear about the Government's response to its meeting with Ryan's family.
Okay.
I was going to ask about that, but I also wanted to find out whether the leaflet that details the new guidelines on vitamin D supplementation has been issued, as it would be good to see a copy.
Are there any other comments?
The healthy start scheme is a safety net for vulnerable women and children in disadvantaged families. NHS boards may provide vitamins to non-beneficiaries of the scheme—how many do so? Also, how can we be sure that those who are not in receipt of vitamins are aware of the importance of vitamin D? It is not just about receipt of the vitamin, but whether people know how important it is.
The petition raises a number of issues with regard to other statutory organisations, so we want some proper detail on that. We want to pull together the information so that we can find out exactly what the responses have been and where the gaps are. Those gaps can perhaps be filled by better direction from the health department through dialogue with the minister, or the matter can be raised through some of the national organisations using their guidance and recommendations. We will take that forward.
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