SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
General Questions
Housing Stock Transfer
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the recent votes against stock transfer in Stirling and Renfrewshire will have on the Scottish Executive's stock transfer policy. (S2O-10930)
The Stirling and Renfrewshire ballot results were very disappointing. The packages that were put before tenants would have delivered significant new housing investment and rent stability. Despite those setbacks, transfer will remain a key means for some councils to improve housing in their areas. Tenants in the Highland Council area are currently voting on a transfer proposal and tenants in Inverclyde will have an opportunity to vote shortly.
I wonder how many more ballot defeats the Executive needs before it gets the message that the privatisation of council housing is unacceptable to tenants. Will the minister demand that Gordon Brown release the almost £500 million that is currently sitting in a Westminster bank account, which should be spent on housing investment but which Gordon Brown will not give to tenants because he does not like the way in which they voted?
It is shameful that Frances Curran is, once again, calling the process privatisation. There are many housing associations throughout Scotland in which tenants have a central role. The ballot that is taking place in the Highland Council area is a good case in point, as it is not just about transferring stock to a housing association. There will be six local committees, each of which will have a tenant majority.
Is it not the case that everybody but the minister knows that the Government's flagship policy of wholesale stock transfer is dead in the water? The minister, once again, blames misinformation campaigns. Does he not accept that the debacle of the Glasgow housing stock transfer and the Government's failure to deliver second-stage transfer to Glasgow tenants has led to other tenants who are faced with a ballot not trusting the minister and the Government to deliver on their promises? Even Margaret Curran recognises that. Will the minister take the opportunity today to give a timescale for the second-stage stock transfer in Glasgow?
Tricia Marwick knows fine well that second-stage transfer is not an issue in the ballot in Highland and that it will not be an issue in the ballot in Inverclyde. Indeed, it was not an issue in any other ballot in Scotland. It is, again, misleading tenants to suggest that the challenges and difficulties of second-stage transfer are in any way relevant to the choices that they face.
What advice would the minister offer such councils regarding the servicing of their debt and the carrying out of essential repairs within reasonable rent limits?
Councils have a choice. No one is forcing councils to go down the route of community ownership. If they are able to meet their investment levels while keeping rents at a stable level, they can choose to do that. However, the fact is that community ownership is by far the best option for many councils, as it allows the debt to be written off. In the case of Highland Council, for example, the 41p in the pound that is currently being spent on the repayment of debt could be freed up to promote more investment and keep rents stable. Councils have a choice. We are not against councils investing directly in their stock if they choose to do that, but it is important that we have the option of community ownership for councils that can benefit from it.
I wonder whether the minister would care to retract his statement that the debacle in Glasgow has had no effect on the other referenda on the matter. It was a pertinent factor in people in Edinburgh rejecting the new style of ownership. Will the minister explain why, when there is so much proof that people's instincts and experience caution them against moving outwith council control, the Executive insists on pursuing that approach? It is a matter for the people as much as the politicians.
Tenants have a choice and a vote and nobody is trying to take those away. If Margo MacDonald had listened carefully to what I said to Tricia Marwick, she would know that I said that it is misleading tenants to suggest that second-stage transfer is in any way relevant to the choice that they face. I was not saying that perceptions about that do not influence some tenants—I know that research has been done on the matter in Edinburgh. That is clear in Edinburgh, but the fact is that the second-stage transfer process is unique to Glasgow.
Health Centres (Renfrew and Barrhead)
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Minister for Health and Community Care will consider a visit to Renfrew, given the Executive's recent announcement of further resources for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to support the building of new health centres in Renfrew and Barrhead. (S2O-10894)
I would be happy to respond to any invitation from the member or NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and its partners in respect of those important projects, which will improve health and social care services in Renfrew and Barrhead.
I thank the minister for his commitment. Does he agree that the facilities will provide a base from which to drive forward the public health agenda at the heart of some of the communities where we need to make the greatest progress?
Not only that, but the facilities fit extremely well with our well-received "Delivering for Health" strategy, which is about the localisation of care and the anticipation and prevention of ill health. I particularly welcome the local partnership working between social work services, general practitioners and local health services.
I echo my colleague Wendy Alexander's invitation to the minister. While he is visiting Renfrew, will he also visit Barrhead? He will be aware that East Renfrewshire enjoys good health outcomes for all people, but he might also be aware of the difference in longevity and life expectancy between the Eastwood side of the authority and the Barrhead side. He is welcome to come to Barrhead to see for himself the difference that the Executive's investment in the health centre will have on the population.
I would be happy to do that. The additional investment in resources is also about people and the services that they can provide. In Barrhead, we see a good example of best practice in the partnership working that is involved in the planned health and social care centre. I look forward not only to speaking to the staff who are involved in that process but to seeing the Barrhead facility in operation by 2010-11.
Smoking Ban (Bar Workers)
To ask the Scottish Executive how satisfied it is with the reported benefits to the general health of bar workers following the introduction of the smoking ban. (S2O-10904)
It is too early to say precisely what impact the new laws on smoke-free areas are having. However, I welcome the findings of the study of bar workers that was conducted in Tayside, which suggest that the legislation is associated with significant early improvement in respiratory and other systems associated with environmental tobacco smoke. We intend to contribute in due course to the worldwide evidence base in relation to the policy.
Are there any plans to publicise the detail of the study by the University of Dundee that the minister mentioned and the on-going study in Aberdeen? Such publicity would inform the Scottish public of the benefits of the smoking ban as well as the hazardous level of pollutants that were created by only three smokers in a small bar.
The survey that was done in Tayside is important. It shows that, even a short time after the ban was implemented, there had been a reduction of almost 33 per cent in respiratory symptoms, such as wheezes and coughs, and sensory symptoms, such as sore eyes and sore throats. We are already seeing significant improvements.
School Facilities
To ask the Scottish Executive what priorities it has set for the additional investment in school facilities. (S2O-10903)
In announcing an additional £30 million for this year's schools fund capital grant, I emphasised the benefits of using it to deliver greener, healthier schools. That money is in addition to the excellent public-private partnership, schools fund and prudential borrowing investment that is under way in our schools.
I ask the minister to join me in congratulating South Lanarkshire Council on its ambitious programme to replace all its primary schools. Two new schools have opened in my constituency and two are under construction. Will the minister tell us what effect the Scottish National Party's plans would have on the building programme? [Interruption.] What further information can be given to local authorities so that they can enhance the opportunities for disabled children, particularly in physical education, and ensure that they have access to mainstream school facilities?
SNP members should not get too excited.
Is the minister aware that the SNP's school-building programme will match brick for brick any proposals by the Executive? When he considers his priorities, what priority does he give to after-hours access to PPP schools by youth and community groups to tackle the fitness and obesity problems in our communities? Can he confirm that expensive PPP programmes lock out youth and community groups from schools at 4 o'clock? What is the Executive doing about that?
That is one of the myths that the SNP portrays about PPP schools. There is nothing particular about PPP funding that allows or does not allow access to schools. Recently, I visited one of the brand new PPP schools in Scotland. It is open to the whole community seven days a week for all the hours of the day for which it is possible to open. There is nothing to prevent PPP schools from doing that.
Briefly, please.
I asked the SNP what would be the legal status of its proposed trust, but it is unable to answer. I asked whether the SNP would issue bonds, whether it would have the power to issue bonds and who would stand as guarantor, but it is unable to answer. The SNP has a slogan about school improvement, but it has no plans to sustain that.
Will the minister consider increasing the number of school sports halls as a priority for investment? Will he take into account the fact that the retention of school playing fields should be an important factor before decisions are made on investment priorities?
Sports facilities are prominent in the development of new schools. Indeed, some of the sports facilities at Williamwood high school, which I mentioned earlier, are par excellence and second to none. Those new facilities are open to the community because one of our key objectives is to make sure that sport, art and drama facilities, for example, in which we are making a major investment on behalf of the public, are widely accessible to the wider community.
St Andrews Agreement
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to work more closely and effectively with politicians, business leaders, trade unions and civic society in Northern Ireland to support the St Andrews agreement and to foster economic and social cohesion between Scotland and the island of Ireland. (S2O-10890)
The Scottish Executive has developed good relationships with the Government in Northern Ireland and we will continue to build on those. The First Minister is in regular contact with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. In addition, he will meet the Taoiseach in Dublin shortly.
I understand that £200 million of European money is available to Ireland and Northern Ireland to promote cross-border economic co-operation and that it could well be increased to include Scotland. What steps will be taken to identify how that money could be increased and, once we have achieved access to those funds, will the reinstatement of the Campbeltown to Ballycastle ferry feature in subsequent plans to ensure better economic co-operation between us and the island of Ireland?
I am not in a position to predetermine what form the discussions will take. The maritime cross-border co-operation programme is being examined at the moment. It represents another part of our determination to foster the best-possible individual and economic relationships to benefit people in Scotland as well as in Northern Ireland.
Scoliosis
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in improving services for the treatment of scoliosis. (S2O-10915)
There has been considerable additional investment in the scoliosis service since its designation as a national service in April 2005. As a result, there are now more specialist staff, new equipment and outreach clinics in Glasgow. Throughput for both assessment and surgery is now much faster, with most children waiting no more than four months for surgery.
Is the minister aware of the on-going cases of two of my young constituents in East Renfrewshire who have experienced unacceptable delays in accessing surgery? Will he investigate the impact of the welcome recent investment in scoliosis services and will he monitor that investment and the restructuring reform programme to see what benefit they have had for patients? Will he look in particular at whether there is enough capacity in the system—simply whether there are enough surgeons in Scotland who are qualified to treat scoliosis—so that patients such as my constituents and others in Scotland do not have to travel to England or elsewhere for treatment?
Reference has been made in the past to patients travelling to Stanmore hospital for treatment. As a result of difficulties in delivering the service, we felt that it was appropriate to offer parents and their children the opportunity to receive early access to expert care at Stanmore. More than 39 children took up that offer. However, I take the point that we want to build a sustainable service in Scotland and that is exactly what we are doing through the national service that we provide.
Question 7 has been withdrawn.
Children's Sports Glasses (National Health Service Provision)
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to extend arrangements for the provision of NHS glasses for children under 16 to include the provision of sports glasses. (S2O-10933)
Children under 16 get help with buying glasses through the optical voucher scheme. Additional vouchers are not provided for the purchase of sports glasses and there are no current plans to amend the scheme.
Does the minister agree that encouraging our young people to be active and become involved in sport is essential if we are to build a healthy Scottish youth? Does he also agree that many young people who take up active sports such as rugby or shinty require visual correction by the provision of sports safety glasses, which can be prohibitively expensive to their families as they often cost upwards of £150? Will he undertake to look into the possibility of having the glasses provided free of charge to those children who need them?
We are always happy to consider proposals of that kind. We have not seen such a proposal from either sports or optical interests, but if Mrs Milne wishes to write to me on the matter, I will consider it with interest.
Before we come to First Minister's question time, members will want to join me in welcoming to the gallery, during his three-day visit to Parliament, Cardinal Keith O'Brien. [Applause.]