Plenary,

Meeting date: Thursday, May 1, 2008

Official Report 807KB pdf

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Question Time

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SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE

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General Questions

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Capital Projects (Funding)

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to abolish public-private partnerships as a means of funding capital projects. (S3O-3134)

Public sector organisations have various funding routes for major capital projects available to them, including various forms of partnership delivery with the private sector. We have further developed the non-profit-distributing model and we have not started a standard private finance initiative project since May last year. We will introduce the Scottish futures trust to take a further step towards more cost-effective means of delivering major infrastructure projects.

Presiding Officer,

"With no detail on how SFT would be capitalised, structured, governed and crucially, managed, it is not possible to comment specifically on the financial viability of SFT at this stage. There is however a clear danger that SFT could prove to be a more expensive method of delivery than we already have and that would be to the benefit of no-one."

Those are not my words, but the words of the Bank of Scotland on Mr Swinney's proposal. Likewise, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities says that it does not have the powers that it would require, and most of the private sector is baffled about why anyone would get involved in the Scottish futures trust.

Is Mr Swinney prepared to commit his Government—as the First Minister, the Deputy First Minister and others in the Cabinet have done—to match brick for brick Labour's pledge to build 250 new schools, including 100 by the end of 2009?

The Government will set out its proposals on the Scottish futures trust in due course. We examined with interest the information that came back in the consultation exercise. I saw a lot of encouraging remarks from various authorities, including Labour-led East Renfrewshire Council, which made an encouraging contribution. Ministers will set out our proposals in due course.

On the question about schools, the Government is taking forward the investment programme that we inherited. We gave a commitment that we would match brick for brick the previous Administration's commitment on school building, and that is precisely what the Government will do.

The cabinet secretary is fully aware that the commitment gave the impression that we would have new schools being delivered in Scotland, rather than just the completion of schools that had already been started. Recently, Audit Scotland told the Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee that it was aware of no new school building programme being commissioned under the Government in the past year. Audit Scotland called on the Government to produce a financial strategy on how it intends to fund such programmes. Will the Government produce such a strategy?

As I said in my answer to Mr Kerr, we will set out our proposals on the Scottish futures trust in due course. I am sure that Mr Purvis is aware that, at the end of March, I published the Government's infrastructure investment plan, which sets out the approach that we will take to schools investment. Obviously, the Government will continue to invest in the fabric of Scottish society and the infrastructure of our country. Our proposals are set out in the infrastructure investment plan.

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Voluntary Sector Funding

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding the voluntary sector will receive in the 2008-09 financial year. (S3O-3131)

The Scottish Government will support a number of third sector organisations in 2008-09. The number and identity of organisations, together with associated levels of funding, cannot be determined at this stage, particularly as many funds are competitive in nature. Historically, the Government has collated and published levels of support to the third sector retrospectively, and it will continue to do so.

We have committed to £93 million of direct investment by our third sector division between 2008 and 2011, which represents an increase of 37 per cent on the previous spending review. That investment will build capacity and sustainability in the sector. It underlines our commitment to the development of the third sector, including support for the social enterprise business model.

The minister is aware of concerns about funding across the voluntary sector in Scotland, and of stories of impending redundancies. I have a simple question for the minister. Has he instructed his officials to find out how many redundancies are occurring in the voluntary sector, or is he not bothered?

On a weekly basis, my officials meet representatives of COSLA, the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers—if Johann Lamont would stop muttering during every one of my answers I would complete the sentence—and the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, which is the representative body of the voluntary sector in Scotland. We engage in discussions on a weekly basis on the roll-out of funding to the voluntary sector, in order to monitor the impact of the arrangements that we have put in place through the concordat.

I am clearly interested in the health and vitality of the third sector in Scotland. The Government has put formidable resources into the sector. Into the bargain, we encourage local authorities to continue that support at local authority level. In some of the information that I am receiving, some of the publicly expressed concerns about a possible negative impact on individual voluntary sector organisations are not coming to fruition. I welcome the fact that local authorities are co-operating to substantially support and fund voluntary sector organisations.

That is the second time that the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth has accused me of muttering, which is not an accusation that has ever been laid at my door previously.

The cabinet secretary may recall Rob Gibson's explanation of the Government's strategy on the voluntary sector—that it was a means of getting rid of the dross and dealing with the poverty industry. Will the cabinet secretary define "dross" and "the poverty industry"? Would he be willing to come to my constituency to meet local organisations that are experiencing funding cuts to tell them why those cuts are being made?

Any objective observer of the comments that I have put on the public record about the third sector since I became minister last year could only be convinced that I have the strongest possible support for the third sector and that I deliver that support. In a very tight financial settlement, I have delivered a 37 per cent increase in funding for the third sector. The Government has put its money where its mouth is in terms of investment in the public sector.

I would be delighted to visit the Glasgow Pollok constituency and to see voluntary sector organisations in place. I am sure many good organisations are active in that constituency. Clearly, there is always change in the provision for third sector organisations. That has not just happened since the concordat came into place; there is change every year, as local authorities and other organisations configure services to meet the needs of individuals. I would be delighted to learn more about that in Glasgow Pollok.

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Kinship Carers (Support)

To ask the Scottish Executive what support is available to grandparents and other relatives who bring up children. (S3O-3099)

Estimates suggest that there are more than 10,000 grandparents and other relatives who have responsibility for looking after children. For the first time, the Scottish Government has made resources available for local authorities to pay a weekly financial allowance to the kinship carers of more than 2,000 looked-after children. In addition, local authorities have existing powers to provide support to children in need.

All kinship carers will benefit from the Scottish Government's funding of a national advice and information service by Citizens Advice Scotland and our work with United Kingdom ministers to improve access to benefits. In addition, we are developing jointly with COSLA an early years framework, which will include support for families.

I recognise the complexity of the issue and welcome the extent of the progress that has been made on it by both the previous Government and the present one. May I press the minister a bit further, particularly regarding dates? In the information note that was circulated to members today, the minister indicated that

"The Scottish Government and COSLA have agreed that sufficient resources have been included in the total financial settlement"

to meet the commitment to pay foster care level allowances to kinship carers of looked-after children. Why did the same note go on to say that it was

"up to local authorities to … prioritise and allocate funds … to meet their commitments locally"?

Is there not a contradiction between national commitment and local discretion? Will there be a national legal minimum payment for kinship carers? Why do councils such as Glasgow, with more than 25 per cent of such children, say that they do not have the budget to meet the scheme's expectation? The figures bear them out on that.

COSLA and the councils will work with the Scottish Government to deliver the commitments that are set out in the concordat. Obviously, local authorities will implement the commitment as soon as they possibly can. They have been provided with early guidance on implementation. It is up to local authorities to provide support for kinship carers. Where a looked-after child is already living with a kinship carer and the authority's approval process is in place, local authorities have some discretion on the provision of funding to kinship carers.

Does the minister agree that the Government anticipates that local authorities will make direct payments to kinship carers of looked-after children at the earliest opportunity during the three-year concordat? Does she also agree that that will mean additional support to kinship carers of 2,000 looked-after children—there are more than 550 in Glasgow alone—that the previous Executive failed to deliver? Does she further agree that there is nothing to prevent local authorities from supporting other kinship carers in any way that they see fit?

The member is correct; those families are being supported. The previous two Executives had eight years in which to help those kinship carers; they have not been helped in the past, but they are receiving help from the Government now.

Question 4 has been withdrawn.

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Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee

To ask the Scottish Executive how and when it intends to commence planning appropriate celebrations in Scotland to mark the diamond jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen in 2012. (S3O-3067)

The Scottish Government's process of planning appropriate diamond jubilee celebrations in Scotland for 2012 has not yet started. The Scottish Government will liaise with Buckingham Palace on the content and timing of any such celebrations.

Her Majesty remains in robust health. I accept that her jubilee will in all probability be celebrated after the present Government has left office. Nevertheless, it will fall on the Government's shoulders to ensure that planning for fulsome but not ostentatious celebrations is undertaken in a timely manner. The people of Scotland will wish to pay tribute to Her Majesty's service over 60 years to the United Kingdom, just as the peoples of Australia, Canada and her many other realms will wish to do. Most of those countries are entirely separate from the United Kingdom—a circumstance in which, the minister may wish to confirm, the overwhelming majority of Scots appear not to wish to find themselves. Given the new monarchical enthusiasm sweeping through the Government, as evidenced in many ways by the First Minister, can the minister assure us that Scotland will lead the way in 2012 in celebrating Her Majesty's jubilee in what will inevitably be a busy year?

We will, of course, liaise with Buckingham Palace on the content and timing of any such celebrations. We would wish to involve a representative cross-section of the population of Scotland in the planning for any such celebration. I am more than happy to outline such details to the chamber at the appropriate time.

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Public Buildings (Out-of-hours Access)

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to monitor the effect on the public of seeking out-of-hours access to public buildings that have been private finance initiative or public-private partnership funded. (S3O-3091)

Contracts for the provision of public buildings, whether PPP, PFI, or any other kind, are specified, procured, and monitored by the relevant public body. Under standardised PFI contract forms, for many years it has been possible for the public body concerned to specify the requirements needed to meet user interests, including the effect on the public of seeking out-of-hours access to public buildings.

The cabinet secretary is well aware that we are trying to encourage children to engage in sports and activities. That is a good initiative, but increasingly we find that people cannot access the facilities that we, the public, have paid for. I hope that the cabinet secretary can devise a scheme to free up those facilities so that we can engage with children, get them off the streets doing useful exercise, and help the community in general.

Mr Paterson makes an entirely fair point. It is essential that we use all Scotland's public infrastructure to maximum effect, particularly in providing opportunities for young people to exercise and be involved in extracurricular activities. Mr MacAskill has taken several decisions on the distribution of resources through the proceeds of crime funds that have been designed to create exactly the type of circumstances to which Mr Paterson refers. The Government will encourage all public bodies to ensure that, as part of their integrated planning for the use of public facilities, they take into account the issues and concerns that Mr Paterson fairly raises.

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Southern General Hospital

To ask the Scottish Government what benefits it considers will accrue by paying for the new Southern general hospital by traditional procurement methods. (S3O-3088)

The Scottish Government has sought to ensure that the project is deliverable, affordable and sustainable and that it represents best value for money for the taxpayer.

Does the cabinet secretary agree that the traditional procurement method has its place along with the Scottish futures trust, prudential borrowing and the non-profit model in providing Scotland's public services?

I agree with Christina McKelvie. The Government is taking sensible and pragmatic decisions on refurbishing Scotland's public infrastructure. The decision to invest in the Southern general hospital through traditional procurement methods indicates that there is confidence in the Government on the long-term planning for Scotland's infrastructure—confidence for which the Government should be applauded.

In that confident vein, will the minister set out for Audit Scotland the papers that are associated with the decision that he has made, particularly those on the management of risk, so that Audit Scotland can test whether traditional procurement methods or alternative methods are a better way of handling the risks that are associated with such a major capital project?

Audit Scotland can make any request that it desires to the Government for information—it is not my business to set out Audit Scotland's agenda. With all the Government's capital infrastructure projects, we are determined to ensure that we work at all times to protect the public purse and deliver projects efficiently and effectively. That will be a significant improvement on the situation that we inherited from the previous Administration.

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Tourism Industry

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to support Scotland's tourism industry. (S3O-3130)

The Scottish Government's purpose is to create a more successful country, through increasing sustainable economic growth. A strong, vibrant and growing tourism industry directly supports that purpose and our strategic objective to realise our full economic potential with more and better employment opportunities. We will continue to work closely with the tourism industry, individual tourism businesses, agencies and local authorities to help them grow revenues by 50 per cent by 2015.

As part of that approach, I was involved in meetings as part of Scotland week to promote Scotland as a tourism destination. The First Minister and the Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture highlighted 2009 as the year of homecoming during their meetings in the United States of America. We have acted to reduce the costs that thousands of small tourism businesses face, through our decision to reduce business rates. Those are just two examples of the range of efforts by the Scottish Government and VisitScotland to maximise the economic opportunities in the tourism sector.

We support the 50 per cent growth target, which is shared between Government and the industry. In the minister's discussions and meetings with the industry, surely everyone will tell him that raising skills levels in the tourism workforce is central to achieving the growth that we want. However, how can that possibly be achieved by the sudden ending of adult apprenticeships in hospitality, travel and tourism, with no programmes to replace them?

There are modern apprenticeship opportunities for 16 to 19-year-olds in the hospitality sector. The sector is working together with much greater cohesion than was the case previously. The Scottish Government, VisitScotland, EventScotland, VisitScotland.com, local authorities, Historic Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and enterprise agencies are pulling together £90-plus million. There is also the industry's investment, which includes investment in its training requirements.

I am delighted to say that His Excellency Dr Kuban Mambetaliev, the Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan, has joined us in the Presiding Officer's gallery for First Minister's questions. Ambassador, I warmly welcome you on behalf of the Scottish Parliament.