SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
General Questions
Crofting Counties Agricultural Grants Scheme
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the crofting counties agricultural grants scheme will retain a separate budget and remit under any future funding proposals. (S2O-10058)
The future of the crofting counties agricultural grant scheme is under consideration in the context of the rural development programme for Scotland and land management contracts. At this stage, it is not possible to anticipate the outcome of the public consultation exercise, which closes on 27 June.
I cannot emphasise strongly enough the need for this scheme to continue to be delivered in the way that it has always been delivered. It must under no circumstances become tier 3 funding, as doing so will turn it into a competitive lottery. Will the minister assure me that the status quo will remain?
I cannot provide such an assurance because we are in the middle of a public consultation that does not end until 27 June. As Ross Finnie and I are well aware of the importance of support to crofting communities, we will carefully consider all the submissions to the consultation. I am sure that the member himself will make a submission, which will be considered in due course.
Sexual Health (Young People)
To ask the Scottish Executive what role it believes the national health service has in promoting sexual health to young people. (S2O-10064)
The NHS has always had a key role in providing a wide range of health promotion advice and support for young people. All NHS boards have dedicated health promotion officers who, in addition to providing a full range of health promotion programmes, offer specialist support to local authority colleagues in the provision of sexual health advice and information to young people.
Like other members, I have signed up to the sexual health strategy, which acknowledges the need for a partnership involving parents, schools, the voluntary sector, the Executive and the NHS. Given recent reports that a third of all pregnancies in under-14s in Scotland happen in the Lothian area, does the minister agree with NHS Lothian's decision to prevent those not on its payroll from handing out contraceptives and advice to under-16s? Alternatively, does he agree with me, the British Medical Association and the Family Planning Association—or FPA, as it is now known—that limiting the role of suitably trained volunteers who work to guidelines poses an unnecessary threat to the important service provided by a range of voluntary sector organisations, including Crew 2000?
First, I acknowledge the member's support for "Respect and Responsibility: Strategy and Action Plan for Improving Sexual Health". In response to her question, NHS Lothian has, in the interests of child protection, issued protocols that forbid volunteers, including those with organisations participating in the c:card scheme, from providing condoms to under-16s. However, my understanding is that only a small number of young people are affected by the decision, because most organisations in the scheme already use paid members of staff to issue condoms. However, I am more than happy to examine the issue and will raise it with NHS Lothian during the annual review process.
Does the minister share my concern about the increased incidence of chlamydia among young people, not least because the infection is the single biggest cause of tubal infertility in women in Scotland? What steps is he taking to address the situation? Will he join me in applauding the excellent work that is being done in the Lothians and say how he will build on that work to roll out arrangements for testing, diagnosis and treatment throughout Scotland?
I reassure Susan Deacon that I share her concern about that serious matter, which forms a major plank of the work of the national sexual health advisory committee. I chair the committee, which brings round the table key health professionals and other organisations and interested parties. I recognise the good work that is being done not just in Lothian but in other parts of Scotland; I particularly acknowledge the good work on chlamydia testing in Lothian. I will await the results of the committee's work stream before taking the matter further.
Elderly Care (Argyll and Bute)
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to improve the availability of care services for elderly people in Argyll and Bute. (S2O-10022)
It is for individual local authorities to determine their community care needs and to secure an appropriate range of services.
I suggest that Argyll and Bute Council needs more help, because I am seriously concerned about the provision of elderly care services in the council's area. I have constituents who have been assessed as needing 24-hour care or day care but who have been told to wait because there is no money. No interim arrangements are in place and nothing is being provided for those people.
The joint improvement team's work is being done because all concerned recognise that there is significant room for improvement. I expect the outcome of that work to be an improvement in the services that are delivered. If such improvement does not transpire, I will be minded to ask the Social Work Inspection Agency to conduct an inspection, scrutinise the processes that are being followed and ensure that provision improves so that the needs of older people are met as they should be met. However, I hope that the joint improvement team's work will deliver significant advances in admissions, discharges and other areas in relation to which there are clearly deficiencies and problems. I want to see how that work develops during the next few months.
It is good to hear Jackie Baillie ask about issues in Argyll and Bute. I will refer to the north of Argyll and Bute. The Scottish Executive continually boasts about its record on the delivery of free personal care, so can the minister explain why there is an embargo on free personal care in Argyll and Bute? For example, only two people have left Oban hospital to enter residential or nursing care homes since Christmas, despite the fact that homes in Oban have vacancies and there remain 13 delayed discharges in the hospital. Why have some people waited five months for an assessment? Why are there no direct payments for home care packages? Why is the Scottish Executive not delivering free personal care in Argyll and Bute, despite repeated questions on the subject and an election pledge to deliver the policy throughout Scotland?
If Jamie McGrigor had done the work that Jackie Baillie has done to examine community care services in Argyll and Bute, I am sure that he would know the answers to many of his questions. If he had listened to my earlier answers, he would have heard me say that there is room for improvement—that is recognised not just by the council and the health board but by the Executive. That is why we are working with the council and the health board to ensure that they meet the requirements. As I said to Jackie Baillie, I will keep a close eye on how the improvement work proceeds and I will ensure that we follow up that work if required.
Community Health Partnerships (Nutritional Advice)
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken through community health partnerships to ensure that the constituents of Glasgow Shettleston have access to expert nutritional advice. (S2O-10042)
Each CHP is responsible for determining its priorities. The east Glasgow community health and care partnership provides not only a dietetic service that offers expert dietary advice to patients, carers, advocates and agencies, but health promotion advice that is aimed at preventing ill-health in Shettleston and neighbouring areas.
I acknowledge the work that has been done in my constituency through projects such as the SEAL—south-east area lifestyle—project in the Gorbals and Govanhill areas, and the work of the east end healthy living centre in the Gallowgate. Will the Scottish Executive continue to support such initiatives to assist in tackling the health inequalities that are a feature of life for too many of the constituents whom I serve in Glasgow Shettleston?
Those initiatives are significant. I applaud the east Glasgow partnership's work to address nutritional issues. A clear connection exists between the dietary and nutritional issues that Frank McAveety raises and some of the ill-health issues that apply to a large degree in the east end of Glasgow. The input of dietary advice, expertise and clinical interventions is critical to addressing those problems.
Marine Legislation
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce comprehensive marine legislation, including provisions for marine spatial planning, and what its timetable is. (S2O-10004)
I am considering a range of issues, including the potential for marine spatial planning, as part of the Executive's strategy for the long-term sustainability of Scotland's coasts and seas. I will come to a view on whether new Scottish marine legislation might be necessary in due course.
The ministerially chaired advisory group on marine and coastal strategy has existed for eight months. How many meetings have been held, how closely does it follow developments in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and how far has the concept of marine spatial planning been developed for Scotland?
As Andrew Welsh would expect, I am not driven by the agenda of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs—I expect support from the Scottish National Party on that general proposition. Everybody in the field agrees that marine spatial planning is not simply a bolt-on to terrestrial planning, but a three-dimensional issue that raises complex matters that must be considered and addressed properly. One of the advisory group's work streams has the aim of informing us better about precisely what is involved in developing marine spatial planning.
Will the advisory group address the issue of whether planning departments will have sufficient capacity and training to deal with marine spatial planning? As a forerunner to that, will the minister say what progress is being made on the transfer of planning powers over aquaculture from the Crown Estate to local authorities?
As I explained to Andrew Welsh, the advisory group is examining carefully the requirements and the principles that should guide any system of marine spatial planning. We will have to consider carefully whether local authorities have sufficient capacity or, alternatively, what mechanism can be used that is properly accountable but which nevertheless has the appropriate expertise.
Hospital-acquired Infection
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in combating MRSA in hospitals. (S2O-10003)
The ministerial task force on health care associated infection has completed its initial three-year programme to improve prevention and control of hospital-acquired infections, of which MRSA is an important element. The group is embarking on a new programme of work that will focus on implementation and monitoring of compliance with infection control requirements and guidance.
Is the minister aware that in March, leaked management team minutes from Western Isles NHS Board showed MRSA patients sharing wards with non-MRSA patients, due to there being fewer available beds as a result of budget cuts? Will he deplore the senior management's recent dismissal of the steep rise in hospital-acquired MRSA as
We need to ensure that we are comparing like with like. On rates of MRSA bacteraemia in the Western Isles, the indication is that there have been six cases between 2003 and 2006. The latest report—which has not been validated or published—gives no indication of a rise in the rates in the Western Isles. A number of issues are at play here. MRSA is a major priority for the Executive and its control is a major focus of mine. Compared with the rest of Europe, we are stabilising our rates; they are rising everywhere else. We are doing a lot of good in relation to MRSA; our investment is paying off. I am concerned about any report that points to patient safety issues. I am examining the matter and will respond in due course.
Foster Review
To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution it made to the Foster review of non-medical health professional regulation. (S2O-10015)
Scotland is committed to ensuring that the public can remain confident that dentists, pharmacists, nurses and other health professionals are fit to do their jobs. For that reason, the Scottish Executive was fully involved in the review of non-medical professional regulation. Scotland was represented on advisory and reference groups that assisted the review. The chief nursing officer actively participated in the monthly advisory group meetings from April to December 2005 and has received and commented on draft proposals throughout the process. I will be considering the eventual recommendations and their particular implications for Scotland in due course.
What discussions has the minister had with the osteopathic profession in Scotland regarding changes to the regulation of osteopaths? What assessment has he made of the merits of changes to patient care? Should the Foster review suggest that the osteopathic profession be absorbed into the Health Professions Council, and should that proceed, is it inevitable that the Scottish Executive will be obliged to accept that outcome?
No, it is not inevitable. However, I need to take the report in its totality. There is a lot of agreement on professional status revalidation issues, the regulation of support workers and many other areas, so I share a degree of common purpose with the rest of the United Kingdom. As I indicated earlier, I will respond to the report in due course, but we are driven by Scottish needs. Nonetheless, the main areas of agreement about why change is necessary are subscribed to by me and by the Executive. I will respond to those matters in due course.
Caledonian MacBrayne (Coach Charges)
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd has any plans to charge tourist operators for unoccupied seats on coaches on ferry routes across the CalMac network. (S2O-10000)
That is an operational matter for CalMac. However, I understand that the company's new charging system for coaches involves no charge for individual coach passengers.
I have discussed the matter with CalMac. Bearing in mind the increasingly fragile nature of the Highlands and Islands economy, has an assessment been conducted of the likely impact of the move on the use of routes by tourism operators? I have been advised by one major bus company that it is extremely concerned over this extraordinary move, which has been confirmed by CalMac.
I understand that the main coach operators were consulted prior to the implementation of the measure by Caledonian MacBrayne. The new coach pricing arrangements will standardise revenue from car deck space. The process simplifies the booking procedure for coach operators and, indeed, for Caledonian MacBrayne. Therefore, it should be easier for coach operators to plan their routes and tours and provide savings over the longer term.
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