Plenary, 01 Dec 2005

Meeting date: Thursday, December 1, 2005

Official Report 736KB pdf

---

Question Time

---

SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE

---

Finance and Public Services and Communities

---

Public Services (Environmental Impact)

To ask the Scottish Executive how it encourages the managers of its departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies to have regard to environmental impact in delivering public services. (S2O-8273)

I call George Lyon.

I thought that Mr Lyon was the transport minister now.

The Scottish Executive's best-value arrangements require public service organisations to consider the environmental impact of their activities and decisions. Within the Executive, our greening government policy is driving improved environmental performance. My colleague Ross Finnie is leading a major Executive initiative to improve the environmental performance of public bodies.

I thank the minister for his answer and I am glad that it has provoked mirth on the Scottish National Party benches, although I do not know why.

The SNP has little to laugh about.

Indeed. Is progress being made on recycling and the reuse of capital equipment? Is the minister able to measure that and can he tell us how much progress is being made?

I assure the member that the Executive has set a number of challenging targets, including to reduce the CO2 emissions caused by energy use in our buildings by 7 per cent from 2003-04 levels by 2011; to reduce the amount of office waste going to landfill by recycling 70 per cent of total waste by March 2006; and to reduce water consumption in our key buildings to 7m3 per person by March 2006.

Earlier this year the First Minister announced plans to encourage Scottish public bodies to adopt fair trade practices with a view to Scotland becoming a fair trade nation, thereby delivering genuine social and environmental benefits. What progress has been made in increasing the sale, use and promotion of fair trade and fairly traded goods within and by the public bodies and agencies that Mr Robson mentioned?

We share some of the views that Mr Ballard has expressed. I would be happy to write to him to detail the progress that has been made since the First Minister made his commitment six months ago.

---

Digital Inclusion

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made on digital inclusion. (S2O-8280)

The connecting Scotland's people digital inclusion strategy was launched in 2001. Since then, the Scottish household survey has tracked internet usage. In the first quarter of 2001, the percentage of adults who used the internet for personal use was 29 per cent. That figure had increased to 51 per cent in the second quarter of 2005.

My constituent Mrs Caroline McMorran, who lives in Strathbrora, up behind Brora, is having trouble because she cannot get broadband. Does the minister consider that a significant barrier to inclusion could be created by problems in getting broadband to rural areas? How will the Executive ensure that that important aim is not hampered and that broadband is available to every community in Scotland this year, including wee, out-of-the-way places such as Strathbrora?

As I understand it, our aim is to enable every exchange. Work has been done in some of our more challenging and remote communities. Argyll has received investment, as have communities such as Bellsmyre in West Dunbartonshire. I acknowledge fully the concerns that the member expressed. The strategy is, after all, to achieve the maximum possible levels of inclusion, which we will continue to strive for. I hope that, through those efforts, individuals such as the one whom Jamie Stone mentioned will, quite rightly, be able to access broadband and all that goes with it.

I apologise for my slightly breathless arrival. The minister will be aware of plans to establish a Gaelic digital television channel. I welcome the recent announcement of funds for that, but does he acknowledge that large swathes of Scotland still cannot receive digital television cheaply or easily? What steps does he intend to take to ensure affordable access to a channel that is intended to start broadcasting next autumn, although digital switchover for much of Scotland, including large Gaelic-speaking areas, is not scheduled until 2009?

As I understand it, Digital UK is in discussions about those matters. As far as I can recall, the position was fairly fully explained in a recent debate in the chamber.

---

Local Government (Equal Pay)

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that its local government finance settlement meets its obligations under existing equal pay legislation. (S2O-8243)

Responsibility for the pay and conditions of local authority staff rests with local government, not the Executive. Those obligations include the implementation of the single status pay agreement that was negotiated between local government and the unions in 1999. I will, of course, consider any representations from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on the issue, but it is important to recognise that, since 1999, the Executive has increased its revenue funding to local government to record levels—an increase of over £3 billion by 2007-08.

I am sure that the minister is aware that, under existing legislation, without moving to the consultation on the gender duty, the Executive as a public body has a legal obligation to do all that it can to achieve equal pay. Glasgow is proposing more than 300 redundancies in order to fund an inadequate compensation settlement for equal pay, which amounts to less than a quarter of what women would be entitled to if they pursued the legal route.

Despite the fact that, over several years, the Executive has stated that equal pay must be a priority—for example, Johann Lamont said it in March this year and Malcolm Chisholm said it in November 2004—COSLA, the unions and the Equal Opportunities Commission have had to make representations about the fact that the funds to settle the equal pay claims do not exist. Can the minister reconcile the Executive's actions with its statements that the issue is a priority? I would like to ask him to respond—

No, I think that that is about enough.

Ms Lamont has said that not achieving equal pay does not make economic sense. Will Mr McCabe therefore agree that his local government finance settlement does not make economic sense, because it will not achieve equal pay for women?

In my original answer, I stressed the fact that, since 2000, the Executive has made record levels of funding—an increase of over £3 billion by 2007-08—available to local government. Of course we realise that we have a duty to ensure that equal pay requirements are fully met. However, we are talking about an agreement between local authorities and the individuals whom they employ. It is the Executive's duty to fund local government and it is local government's duty to decide how it uses the resources that are made available to it.

As well as providing record funding to local authorities, the Executive has produced record burdens for local authorities. Is the minister aware of the statement made by his deputy—who was, at the time, not acting as a transport minister—to the effect that it was likely that local authorities would deliver a council tax increase of above 4 per cent? Now that that information has been confirmed by a Government minister, will Mr McCabe consider whether additional steps need to be taken so that the local government finance settlement that he has already announced to the Parliament takes account of equal pay legislation?

It would only be fair to preface my remarks by saying that we do not regard record numbers of teachers or the delivery of record numbers of care services to the people in our communities who depend on them as being a burden. We regard such things as progress, as do, I am sure, the individuals who receive those services. I do not think that Mr Lyon said exactly what John Swinney said he did. I think that he said that there was an indication of what local authorities would do. Of course, each local authority is free to set its own level and we will know the levels that they decide to set only when that is done in March next year.

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide, if necessary, funding to help local authorities to meet the possible costs of equal pay claims. (S2O-8246)

It is for local authorities to consider the implications of agreements that they negotiate with any other party. If we receive representations from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, we will, of course, consider them.

I would expect nothing less of the Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform. However, I wonder whether he is aware that, if the recent judgment in favour of female council employees costs the City of Edinburgh Council the £25 million that it estimates, that will entail a 12.5 per cent increase in council tax in Edinburgh. The only way to avoid that is for the council to empty its reserves, which it says it will have to do. Will he urgently consider putting Edinburgh council tax payers' minds at rest? They are already concerned about the implications for council tax of the fact that the Executive has not paid the extra £3 million in costs that were incurred by the council for services provided at the G8 demonstrations, never mind the other wee matter that I wrote to him about.

There are some intimate pieces of correspondence that I do not want to share with Parliament. However, I hope to have some good news to announce in the near future about exactly how we will recompense not only the City of Edinburgh Council but local authorities throughout Scotland for the activities that they undertook in connection with the G8.

I hear what Ms MacDonald says about potential council tax rises in Edinburgh, but that is against a presumption that all things remain equal. It is for the council to decide how to construct the services that it delivers when it has responded to the equal pay claims that it requires to settle. It is also for the council to decide how to use the reserves that it has built up over the years. I said in a previous answer that the Executive has made record levels of finance available to local government since 2000 and I am encouraged to hear that local authorities have used part of that finance to build up reserves.

I welcome the minister's comment that he will respond to any requests from local authorities to discuss the role that the Scottish Parliament should play in rectifying the wrong of unequal pay. Does he recognise the role of the trade unions and local authorities in attempting, in difficult times, to rectify decades of injustice against women? Will he ensure that, in any settlement, the right balance is struck between the Parliament's responsibility to women who are arguing for equal pay and the delivery of quality services by local government?

I am perfectly happy to offer those assurances. The debate about equal pay is important, as the member said, and it is critical that we provide the best terms and conditions for all those who work in local government. I have a long personal involvement with local government and, as I have said on many occasions, 99.99 per cent of the people whom I have come across in local government are there for absolutely the right reasons. They are committed to public service and we should reward them adequately. The general public and the trade unions in Scotland would agree with those sentiments, but they would also agree that we are obliged to ensure that, while we treat the people who provide public services as well as we can, we also ensure that the services that we offer are of the best possible quality.

---

Council Tax

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied with current levels of council tax across Scotland. (S2O-8252)

The setting of council tax levels is, of course, a matter for individual local authorities. I urge them to show restraint in setting their budgets for next year and to look at all possible ways of reducing the burden on local council tax payers.

I wonder whether the minister agrees with the comments of his colleague David Cairns MP, who recently told MPs of

"the terrible burden of living in constituencies controlled by the Liberal Democrats at council level."

He went on to note that the local authority in his area, Inverclyde, has

"the distinction … of being the worst-performing council in all of Scotland since the Liberal Democrats took control."—[Official Report, House of Commons, 15 November 2005; Vol 439, c 816.]

If the minister agrees with Mr Cairns, will he tell us what action he will take to ensure that people who live in Liberal Democrat-controlled areas get a much better deal?

My friend and colleague Mr Cairns makes many informed comments and I am sure that he is aware of the actions that the coalition Executive has taken to ensure that the constituents whom he serves in Inverclyde are adequately served. The Accounts Commission and Audit Scotland gave their thoughts on the situation in that area and the Executive met the council leader and the then chief executive to discuss the situation. I wrote to the leader of the council only this week to stress the need for continued progress and to arrange dates to discuss further the situation. I am sure that communities throughout Scotland appreciate the representatives that they have elected, whether they be from the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats or—rarely—the Conservative party.

---

Grant-aided Expenditure (Funding Formula)

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider amending the funding formula for grant-aided expenditure. (S2O-8282)

I have made it clear to local government on a number of occasions that I am more than willing to engage in such discussions on amendments to the funding formula. We recognise the importance of ensuring that the formula is relevant to the needs of local authorities, which is why we work closely with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to review all aspects of the formula through a joint working group.

I am pleased with the minister's answer, but wonder whether he is aware of Aberdeenshire Council's spending on school transport—I am talking about the statutory minimum that is required, following a keen competitive tendering process. The actual cost of school transport is £11.4 million, but the GAE allocation is £3.8 million. Does he agree that such a huge gap between GAE allocation and actual costs indicates that the current system is not delivering proper outcomes?

I certainly agree that there are tensions and concerns relating to the funding formula in authorities in different parts of Scotland, which is why I have said openly—and why I said a few moments ago—that I am more than willing to enter into discussions with COSLA on how the formula is applied. Of course, we have always applied the formula on a consensual basis and sought agreement between the Executive and COSLA, but there is undoubtedly evidence that the formula is producing pressured situations in parts of Scotland. That said, I must point out that local authorities have the discretion to make decisions about the financial allocations that they make. Grant-aided expenditure involves guidelines only; authorities have the discretion to decide exactly how much money they spend in particular areas.

---

Non-departmental Public Bodies

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to reduce the number of non-departmental public bodies. (S2O-8306)

The continuing need for any non-departmental public body is regularly tested as part of the governance structure under which all NDPBs operate. Of course, a review of those bodies will also form an important part of the public sector reform agenda.

My question to the minister concerns those who represent our non-departmental public bodies—otherwise known as quangos—in Scotland and it relates to two issues in particular. First, none of my constituents is represented on any public body in Scotland—I think that the same applies to constituents in most deprived constituencies in Scotland. Secondly, would it not be helpful if those who represent quangos in Scotland resided in Scotland? Three of the five board members who represent the Water Industry Commission for Scotland live outside Scotland.

I would not make residence in Scotland an absolute condition, although I take the point about there being a more informed atmosphere if people resided here when they took important decisions about public services. I am not aware of the number of people from the member's area who have applied to the public bodies, but we work hard to try to ensure that representatives on the bodies come from a broad cross-section. Of course, the more we examine the public sector and reform the current models of governance, the more democratically elected individuals will have a say about the actions of those bodies in the future.

---

Efficient Government Targets

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made by local authorities in meeting efficient government targets. (S2O-8276)

The Improvement Service is preparing its report on the levels of efficiency savings made in local government and on the efficient government national framework, which it is developing for local authorities to monitor efficiency savings on an output basis. We expect the report to be finalised in the next few weeks.

Will one of the monitored outputs be that local authority support for civil service relocations should be counted as part of the efficient government process? Is the minister aware that the highly successful relocation of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency to Tweedbank in my constituency has not only reduced costs, but has added stability and productivity to the public sector? Does he recall his visit to Walkerburn in my constituency, where that example could be replicated through a small-department relocation?

I certainly recall the visit that the member mentions, which I found extremely informative. I concur that the relocation of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency has been a success; it has given a tremendous boost to the area. We have set specific criteria for measuring our efficient government targets and have made the criteria clear in the documentation that we have produced.

---

Education And Young People, Tourism, Culture And Sport

---

Curriculum (History)

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to continue to teach history in secondary 1 and secondary 2 as a distinct subject, in the light of recent announcements and public concern. (S2O-8238)

As I have consistently made clear, history will always be taught in both primary and secondary schools. A clear part of becoming a responsible citizen is to have an understanding of the world and the events that have shaped it. Parliament can have absolute confidence that history in Scottish schools is safe in my hands.

I thank the minister for his answer, but it did not address the specific point that I raised, nor will it dispel the concern and disbelief that are felt about the removal of history as a distinct subject in S1 and S2.

We have had word from home from Professor Tom Devine, who has called the proposal the thin end of the wedge. Here in the Parliament, Duncan Rice spoke eloquently last week at the Sabhal Mòr lecture in favour of history being a key component of the curriculum. Will the minister ensure that the current curriculum review addresses the teaching of history and other subjects in both a Scottish and world context such that pupils are made aware of the massive contribution made by Scots people in previous generations who played major roles in all spheres of academic endeavour, such as James Clerk Maxwell, John Napier and Alexander Fleming, and that that perspective becomes a defining attribute of the Scottish curriculum?

It is a pity that Mr Mather did not attend this morning's debate; if he had done so, he would recognise that what he suggests this afternoon perpetuates a myth. It would be right for people to exhibit an air of disbelief in relation to the suggestion that we would discontinue history in S1 and S2, because there is no proposal to discontinue history in S1 and S2 and there never has been.

In this morning's debate, the real threat to history in Scotland came from the SNP's clear perspective of a centrally driven view of history. The SNP would narrow down history to purely Scottish events—and only those events of which the SNP approves—and there would be a sort of nationalist indoctrination through our schools system. Pupils would not be allowed to study the second world war, what happened in European history or the impact of the Balkans on European history.

I am passionate about history in Scottish schools. I want history to be taught in Scottish schools, partly so that future generations can understand why, in this early part of the 21st century, nationalism went into decline and decay and why the SNP lost its way and fused its future with the Greens and the Trots. I want children to understand why the Greens—whose members have departed the chamber—relegated their environmental concerns and made them secondary to the constitution of this country. I want them to understand why it was important that nationalism declined. That is only one of the reasons why I support history in our schools.

---

Safe Play

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to promote safe play for children in communities. (S2O-8321)

The Executive supports safe play for children in communities in a variety of ways, including the provision of child care strategy funding to local authorities.

I draw members' attention to my declaration in the register of members' interests as a non-remunerated director of the Petersburn Development Trust.

Does the minister agree that high-quality play facilities can ensure that young people engage in positive social and recreational activities, which can benefit the wider community? Will the minister join me in congratulating the Petersburn Development Trust on securing a highly commended award from the Scottish Urban Regeneration Forum for the development of a play area for teenagers in Petersburn?

As well as having clear health benefits, play is crucial to children's social, emotional and physical development, and I am delighted to join Karen Whitefield in congratulating the Petersburn Development Trust. There must be something about that local area, because awards have also been made to parents action for safe play Kirkshaws, which my colleague Patricia Ferguson attended recently to make other awards.

Play is central to the matters that I have mentioned and is an important component of bringing up children.

---

Class Sizes

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in reducing class sizes. (S2O-8316)

Very good progress is being made in training the teachers who are required to meet our 2007 class size commitments by then.

I welcome the progress that the minister has outlined, but I am sure that he is aware that there are particular challenges for local authorities—such as West Lothian, which covers my constituency—in which school rolls are increasing and additional classes may be needed. What additional finance, over and above school fund moneys, has been provided for authorities that have increasing rolls? Will the minister confirm that sufficient resources have been provided for each such local authority to achieve class size reductions in good time?

We are in the process of concluding the discussions that we have been having with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities. In fact, Tom McCabe referred to those discussions last week in his statement to the Parliament on the local government settlement. Part of the thinking behind that is to ensure that we have clear ideas about how many extra teachers each local authority needs to employ. We are working hard on a distribution mechanism that will support that and additional cash is sitting in my budget waiting to go out to local authorities to employ those teachers.

Mary Mulligan referred to a particular problem, which is the fact that, in areas of increasing population, it can take a couple of years before the grant-aided expenditure allocations catch up with the population growth. That remains a feature of the way in which resources are distributed, but we are examining ways in which we can ensure that all our class size commitments can be fulfilled throughout Scotland.

How can the minister possibly claim that the Executive is making good progress towards hitting its targets of reducing S1 and S2 class sizes in maths and English by 2007 when the truth is that it does not even know the up-to-date number of classes that are above or below the target? Will the minister contact all local education authorities to ask for up-to-date figures? The last figures that the Executive published were for 2003.

An annual census of teacher numbers is taken, which reveals to us a lot of the detail to which Mr Canavan refers. The reason that I can claim that we are making progress is that we are making progress. There was a 45 per cent increase in the number of primary teachers coming into our schools in August 2005 from those who started training in 2004. There has been an 85 per cent increase in teaching graduates in maths and a 52 per cent increase in English in 2005. There has also been an increase of more than 200 per cent in the number of chemistry teachers who have been recruited into our schools.

Beyond what we are doing to train our own teachers in universities, we are recruiting teachers from outside Scotland. That is why there has been a huge increase in the number of registered teachers coming to Scotland and registering here. Such registrations are up by more than 100 per cent in maths and, in English, they are up by more than 118 per cent.

That is real progress and we will hit our targets.

Does the minister agree that expanding the number of available teacher training places is not enough on its own to secure our next generation of teachers? Does he agree that there must be an adequate supply of high-quality school placements and mentors for trainee teachers and that those mentors must be properly supported so that they have enough time to mentor the large number of student teachers who are in their care?

Lord James makes a good point. One of the pressures that we are putting on the university sector because we are recruiting so many teachers is the difficulty—although the universities have solved the problem—of getting enough student placements. We are mindful of the impact that that has on schools. We have learned a huge amount in the past three years from how new probationer teachers are supported in their schools with proper mentoring and a reduction in class contact time. They get full, proper support to ease their transition into school.

We want to apply those lessons in turn to student teachers when they are training in schools before graduation. Much further thinking is being done on that, and we hope to make progress on it in due course.

Will the minister confirm that it is not the numbers of teachers in training or on the register that matter, but the numbers of teachers in the classrooms? The minister should bear in mind that head teachers told him that meeting the target of 20 pupils per class in S1 and S2 for English and maths is not achievable. Will the minister admit that that target is no longer a target but an aspiration—a welcome one, but an aspiration nonetheless? The minister cannot realistically hope to meet the target and he knows it.

No, I do not accept that. We are well on the way to meeting the target. As I have said many times in the chamber, we will provide the resources to local authorities to ensure that the targets can be met.

Equally, we have said to head teachers that we will provide an element of discretion at local level when head teachers judge that they can have class sizes even smaller than 20 if that can be done to the advantage of particular groups of pupils without disadvantage to the remainder. We will provide that flexibility.

Be in no doubt, however: we will put in place the resources to allow the targets that we set to be met—and met in full.

---

Teachers (Abuse Allegations)

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to issue national guidelines for dealing with allegations of abuse against teachers. (S2O-8304)

"Safe and Well: Good practice in schools and education for keeping children safe and well", which was issued by the Scottish Executive in August, contains clear guidelines about the processes that schools and authorities should follow in the event of allegations being made against a member of staff. The handbook provides information on how schools can create an environment in which their pupils and staff feel safe.

Is the minister aware that Dundee City Council has full guidelines in place to deal with complaints and allegations against teachers? The guidelines allow for cases to be dealt with thoroughly and timeously and are similar to guidelines that have been put in place in the rest of the United Kingdom. Will the Scottish Executive consider introducing similar procedures throughout Scotland to protect teachers and pupils?

I am not aware of the arrangements that have been made in Dundee. However, as I indicated, the national handbook, which was issued as recently as August, lays down guidelines about the processes. It is up to local authorities to take on board the spirit and the processes involved. Those processes include, among other things, arrangements for what to do about confidentiality in cases of complaint and about having a communications strategy so that parents and pupils are well informed about the arrangements concerning rumours and gossip and actual events in their community.

I call question 6, in the name of Mary Scanlon.

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I believe that I am next on the list.

I am sorry, Mr Gallie. I skipped you in error.

---

Sex Education (Parental Consultation)

A belated thank you, Presiding Officer.

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the contents of its leaflet for parents and carers describing their rights to be consulted in advance of sex education being delivered to their child meet the criteria that are laid out in circular 2/2001 from the Executive to directors of education. (S2O-8237)

Yes.

Is it not the case that circular 2/2001 placed the onus on schools to consult parents? Is it not the case that the leaflet in relation to which the minister just answered, "yes" changes that onus and places it on parents? Why has that change been made? Were the notes of guidance changed?

I am not aware of such a change. I read both the circular and the guidance leaflet before considering my response. It has been the case for a considerable time that the advice that is laid down in the guidance has been the approach that Scottish schools have taken.

I am not sure what point Mr Gallie is getting at in this regard, but I can tell him that there is an obligation on schools to make parents aware of the possibilities under this section and on parents, if they are so minded, to engage with a school about the detail and content of the sex education available in it.

---

Rural School Closures

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria are used to determine whether rural primary schools should be closed. (S2O-8255)

We issued additional guidance to authorities on school estate matters, including school closures, in September 2004. In the guidance, we make clear our expectation that, in consulting and deciding on all school closure proposals, education authorities should take account of educational, financial, community, rural development and all other factors.

Given the unanimous agreement by Moray councillors to support the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the Scottish Executive regarding the presumption against closure of primary schools, has the minister firmed up the guidance relating to the presumption against closure? If so, when will the new guidance be available? How can local authorities be supported in and advised on conducting consultations, whether formal or informal, to ensure that they are genuinely open and objective and that they attract the confidence and respect of communities?

I have made it clear to the Parliament's Education Committee that I am thinking about a range of improvements that we can make to the guidance that we issued a year ago. We have learned some lessons from that and have had time to see it bed down. We are examining the guidance and will issue revisions to it once we have reached a full view on how it can be improved. For example, the current guidance applies to formal consultations, but we will try to catch informal consultations in future guidance. We want to do that partly because of the experience of Moray Council. In the revised guidance, we will stick to the position that each proposed school closure needs to be looked at on its merits and that there should not be a presumption either in favour of or against closing.

The member asked whether further guidance would be issued to local authorities on how to conduct such consultations. COSLA has set up a working group of its members that will consider the issue. We hope to pull together the most effective practice and to share it more widely across the Scottish local government community.

Will the minister consider offering guidance to Conservative councillors in the Borders on taking decisions on their proposals to close schools across the region? One Tory councillor voted against closing every school, one voted in favour of doing so and all the other Tories voted a different way each time.

We are all accustomed to a high degree of confusion in the Tory ranks. We see it all the time in the chamber. I cannot comment on the local circumstances, but whenever I have offered guidance to the Conservatives in a constructive spirit of good will, they have not taken it.

---

Curriculum (History)

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to promote Scottish history in schools. (S2O-8270)

We want every young person to develop knowledge and understanding of the world and Scotland's place in it, and to have a clear sense of what shaped our present circumstances.

When my colleague Jim Mather raised this issue, the minister's response was quite poor. When children in the late 21st century read about what happened in the early 21st century, they will learn that the electorate chucked out the Labour Government in 2007.

Is the minister embarrassed that, more than six years into devolution, the people of Scotland still have to campaign to get more Scottish history taught in their classrooms? What research has the minister done on comparing the access that children in other European countries have to the history of their nations with the lack of access that our children have in their classrooms to the history of their nation?

I am pleased that there is a debate about what ought to be contained in our curriculum. Part of the purpose of the curriculum reform document that the Executive published a year ago was to stimulate debate and discussion on what ought to be the content of our curriculum in the future, because it is not exactly as we want it to be. An important part of that discussion concerns history teaching in our schools.

However, it would be wrong to give the impression that there is no teaching of Scottish history in our schools. That is far from being the case. In fact, there is evidence that the teaching of Scottish history has improved over recent years. For example, in our five-to-14 environmental studies guidelines we clearly stress the importance of maintaining a focus on the Scottish context in history. There is an explanation that, both in primary school and during the first two years of secondary school, attention is to be given to events in Scottish history.

Our standard grade, higher and advanced higher history courses all offer options to study different periods in Scottish history. The standard grade course contains a mandatory unit on changing life in Scotland and Britain. There are three options of different periods for study. The higher course contains a mandatory unit on Scottish and British history, with options of different periods for study. The advanced higher course contains an option for study of northern Britain and the Romans to 1000 AD. Other options are "Scottish Independence: 1286 to 1329", "Georgians and Jacobites" and "Britain at War and Peace". In intermediate 1 and 2, there are opportunities to study Wallace; Robert the Bruce; the wars of independence; Mary, Queen of Scots and the reformation; the treaty of union; immigrants and exiles in Scotland from 1830 to 1930; and campaigning for social change in Scotland in the 1900s to 1979. Do not tell me there is nothing about Scottish history in the curriculum.