Good afternoon, everyone. The first item of business this afternoon is portfolio question time. In order to get as many members in as possible, I would prefer short and succinct questions and answers.
Rural Affairs, Food and Environment
Seal Haul-out Sites
To ask the Scottish Government what factors it considers when designating seal haul-out sites. (S4O-04394)
In designating seal haul-out sites, the Scottish Government uses a methodology developed by scientists from the sea mammal research unit at the University of St Andrews that involves consideration of several factors, including the relative proportion of the regional population of each seal species that regularly uses a site, the persistence of the use of a site over time, whether the use of a site is increasing or decreasing over time and whether a particular site is a significant breeding site for grey seals.
The minister will perhaps be aware of the increasingly large seal haul-out on the estuary of the River Ythan in my region, North East Scotland. I know from correspondence with the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment that the Scottish Government is discussing with stakeholders and its statutory advisers whether the scientific evidence warrants the River Ythan site being granted designated status prior to the five-year nationwide review. Will the minister provide an update on those discussions and say what local circumstances are being taken into consideration? When does she expect a decision to be made on whether to give seals on the Ythan protected status?
I am aware that Alison McInnes wrote to the cabinet secretary, Mr Lochhead, about this issue back in March and that she had a response from him. The Scottish Government is preparing a public consultation on the possible designation of the River Ythan site that it hopes to publish this summer. The site is a relatively new one for the seals and it was identified as important too late in the original designation process to be included in the original list of 194 seal haul-out sites designated in September last year.
Local Produce
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that more people can buy local and eat Scottish produce. (S4O-04395)
The Scottish Government knows that we have a fantastic range of fine food and drink right on our doorstep. We support initiatives such as sourcing for growth, which links Scottish food producers with manufacturers; think local, which provides support to local food companies; and taste our best, which requires 40 per cent of local produce to be used. We are showing through that support our commitment to ensuring that the best of Scotland’s food is available and promoted for our people and our visitors from around the world.
As a member representing North East Scotland, I know how much the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment, Richard Lochhead, enjoyed tasting the fantastic local produce at the Scottish Seafood Association food stall last Friday at the skipper expo in Aberdeen. As an active member of the association in a previous life, I was delighted to see that the stall was a result of co-operation between the onshore and offshore fishing sectors, with the backing of the Scottish Whitefish Producers Association and the Buchan Braes coastal hotel. With the upcoming Taste of Grampian festival, will the minister ensure that, in the year of food and drink, such successes are replicated throughout Scotland so that as many people as possible have the opportunity to buy local and eat Scottish fish?
Of course, the year of food and drink offers a wonderful opportunity to promote Scotland’s food and drink to our people and our visitors through a dedicated £282,825 fund. Scotland’s natural larder is being showcased throughout 2015 in 47 events the length and breadth of the country. Taste of Grampian and other events, such as Seafest Lossiemouth, Arbroath sea fest and Scotland’s salmon festival, are being supported through the fund, providing a number of opportunities for people to buy and eat Scottish fish.
I highlight to the member that, as part of the year of food and drink, the month of October has the theme of sustainable shores, with the focus very much on promoting our fishing, seafood and salmon, with sustainability at the core.
The minister will know that the cabinet secretary attended the fantastic food and drink awards last week, for which there were a number of nominees from South Scotland, including Errington Cheese Ltd and CANAPE—Choosing A New And Positive Employment. With regard to the concerns expressed by Nourish Scotland and Christian Allard about local links and networks, what can the Scottish Government do specifically to support more rural employment and skills development in the producer and supplier chains?
The Government is supporting a number of local food projects, such as sourcing for growth, which I mentioned earlier. There is also the think local project. The taste our best scheme encourages tourism businesses across the country to use fresh seasonal Scottish produce, showcasing our high-quality produce to visitors from home and abroad.
We also have our market-driven supply chain and our food processing co-operation and marketing grant scheme, which awarded grants worth up to £47 million to 175 projects to assist with the construction of buildings, the purchase of equipment, market research and product development and to aid co-operation and collaboration in the food chain.
A new capital-only scheme opened in May, with a non-capital element to open in the autumn. The new capital-only scheme will plough £70 million into food and drink processing in Scotland as part of the new Scottish rural development programme. Our £47 million investment levered in £114 million of private sector funding and safeguarded or created about 8,500 jobs. All of that is being fed back into the local economy.
Barbed Wire (Effect on Leather Production)
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it can take to reduce the use of barbed wire in the vicinity of cattle in order to protect the quality of hides for leather production. (S4O-04396)
The Scottish Government considers the measures to protect the quality of hides a commercial matter between the leather industry and its suppliers. We would encourage tanneries, abattoirs and farmers to agree and apply their own standards.
The minister may be aware that Andrew Muirhead and Son is one of the world’s leading producers of leather and is based in my constituency. It produces leather for aircraft seats and the like. It and the United Kingdom Leather Federation have told me that, across the European Union, about €800 million is lost each year because of damaged hide. In some countries, such as Germany, only 6 per cent of hides were damaged, whereas the figure for the UK was 70 to 90 per cent. Is there no way that the Government could do something to help the industry?
The member raises an important issue for his constituency. The Scottish Government would certainly urge Andrew Muirhead & Son and other leather manufacturers to discuss this important issue with NFU Scotland in the first instance. I am aware that other countries such as Ireland have had some success in replacing barbed wire with electric fences, which has been incentivised by market demand for high-quality hide. If the member wishes further, more detailed information, I recommend that he also write directly to the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment.
Farmers Markets
To ask the Scottish Government what support it plans to provide to farmers markets. (S4O-04397)
In 2012, the Scottish Government announced £2.5 million of support for the think local initiative, to be delivered over three years. The initiative, which runs until the end of this financial year, provides targeted support to local food producers and suppliers, including farmers markets, local food retail and local food events. As part of think local, the community food fund allows food and drink producer groups, networks and community organisations to apply for up to £25,000 to establish farmers markets that celebrate and promote food and drink throughout the year.
The Scottish Government has also pledged more than £4 million to support food education from 2010 to 2016. That will ensure that pupils understand the food journey from plough to plate, with support being given to the Royal Highland Education Trust to facilitate pupil farm visits and farmers markets in schools.
Haddington farmers market, in my constituency, is well established. Indeed, it has been providing a great outlet for local produce for about 15 years, from Falko German bread to Belhaven smoked trout, Black & Gold oils and Phantassie farm vegetables. It has to constantly keep up and refresh its promotional and development activities to grow and thrive. I appreciate the grants to which the minister referred for starting up farmers markets, but can she indicate what specific support an established market such as the one in Haddington might be able to access from Scottish Government funds?
As I said in my answer, there is a £2.5 million think local fund to help champion local food, particularly with regard to adding value and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, and the community food fund can be used to promote tourism and farmers markets.
Haddington farmers market is to be commended. The Scottish Government refreshed its national food and drink policy in order for food that is tasty, nutritious, environmentally sustainable and available to all to be a key part of what makes the people of Scotland proud of their country. One priority area for the work on becoming a good food nation is support for the local food movement, particularly with regard to its socioeconomic contribution.
We believe that Scotland’s larder has a lot to offer and that access to Scottish food should be an integral part of our lives. As such, we are in the process of reviewing the local food initiatives and we will consider how best to support the promotion of local food from 2016 onwards.
Scottish Agricultural Wages Board (Consultation)
To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to report on the outcome of its consultation on the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board. (S4O-04398)
The cabinet secretary plans to issue a report on the consultation on the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board by 30 September 2015.
Given that the legislation that covers the board specifies the need for periodic reviews to ensure that it is delivering appropriate minimum rates of pay and other conditions of service for agricultural workers, why is the Scottish Government consulting on the board’s potential abolition?
The Scottish Government is asking whether the board should continue as it does now, be retained as an advisory body or be removed so that arrangements for agricultural workers are determined under general employment law. The functions of non-departmental public bodies—the board is one—are normally reviewed periodically, and the previous review that involved the board was concluded in 2008. The current review was announced as part of the Scottish Government’s 2011 agricultural manifesto, which made a commitment to reviewing the board’s function during the current session of Parliament.
Fishing for Litter Project
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made with the fishing for litter project. (S4O-04399)
The Scottish Government has provided support and funding for the duration of the KIMO fishing for litter Scotland project, which recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary. Fifteen Scottish harbours are now participating and to date the project has removed more than 800 tonnes of litter from our marine environment.
It is extremely encouraging to see such a number of boats and harbours participating in the Scottish scheme. However, other players in the North Sea must play their part. What discussions has the Scottish Government had with offshore wind farm developers to ensure that they sign up to the fishing for litter initiative, given that the Fife coastline has the potential for hundreds of offshore wind farms?
The Scottish Government has not discussed the issue directly with wind farm developers, but Marine Scotland provides financial support to KIMO’s fishing for litter project, which continues to raise awareness of the significant detrimental impact of marine litter and seeks additional funding from marine industries and society in general.
Seagreen Wind Energy and Beatrice Offshore Windfarm currently fund the KIMO fishing for litter project. I am pleased that the Scottish Government and other funders have been able to continue financial support for KIMO’s work in co-ordinating and promoting this important initiative.
I, too, commend the many Scottish fishermen who have contributed to collecting the 800 tonnes of litter. Is the Scottish Government committed to funding the scheme for the next five years? Can the minister provide information about how much of the waste that is landed is recycled?
Marine Scotland has funded the project for 10 years, including a £40,000 contribution in 2015-16.
The member’s second question is rather detailed. If he wants a detailed response, he should write to the cabinet secretary, who will ensure that he gets as full a response as possible.
I point out to the minister that I met KIMO last week and wrote to the companies that are funding the project. Two of them are in the renewable energy sector—
Question, please.
—and one is from the oil and gas sector. I ask the minister to write to Oil & Gas UK and other companies to see whether they can help.
I would be more than happy to speak to the cabinet secretary to take that suggestion forward.
Agri-environment Climate Scheme
To ask the Scottish Government what the take-up has been for the agri-environment climate scheme. (S4O-04400)
As of 1 June 2015, there were 386 draft agri-environment climate scheme applications and 45 submitted agri-environment climate scheme applications.
The minister will be aware that Allan Bowie, the president of NFU Scotland, has raised concerns about the take-up of the scheme because of two factors: the complex online application system and the overlap with the basic payment scheme. I appreciate that the deadline for the basic payment scheme has been extended to 15 June, but will the minister listen to the pleas from farmers and crofters and extend the AECS deadline beyond 12 June, even at this 11th hour?
An extension to the application window would put in jeopardy our ability to meet the deadlines for approving and issuing contracts and could have an impact on the work that the rural payments and inspections division is doing to ensure that pillar 1 payments go out as early as possible. We will keep the situation under review, but any shift in that deadline would have serious repercussions for the rest of the common agricultural policy delivery.
We expect most of the draft applications to be submitted by the deadline on 12 June, but we will allow supporting documentation, such as the farm environment assessment, to be submitted until 30 June.
Rural Payments and Services (Single Application Forms)
To ask the Scottish Government whether the futures programme is on track to receive all single application forms for rural payments and services by 15 June 2015. (S4O-04401)
The Scottish Government is working hard in this transition year to implement the complex common agricultural policy. As of this morning, a total of 12,389 single application forms had been received: 7,675 have been received online through our new rural payments and services system and 4,714 have been received on paper.
With two weeks to go to the close of the extended application window, we have received just over half the expected applications. The rate of submission remains ahead of the comparable point in 2014, when we received 67 per cent of all single application forms in the final two weeks. Therefore, we are on track to receive the estimated 22,000 single application forms by the closing date of 15 June. However, we will continue to monitor the situation closely.
I thank the minister for the encouraging news that we are ahead of last year’s progress. To be parochial, will she tell us what the response has been in the north-east of Scotland and whether the area is likely to benefit from significant funding?
As of 2 June, the rural payments and inspections division had received 1,842 single application forms from north-east businesses, which is 19 per cent of the total received. That is about half the total expected, with about two weeks of the application window remaining.
On funding, the latest analysis indicates that the north-east of Scotland will account for around €94 million of the direct payment budget—or £68 million at the current exchange rate—at the end of the transition period. That is the highest share of any of Scotland’s regions.
For the agri-environment climate scheme, the region accounts for 19 per cent of applications that are currently in the system. That is the highest total after the south-east of Scotland at 20 per cent.
With respect, I say to the minister that the late rush of last year’s application forms came under a system that was easy to understand and user-friendly. As the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee heard this morning, the current system is anything but that.
On 24 March, I asked the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment whether he would be prepared to issue pre-populated paper forms to Scotland’s farmers if it became necessary to do so. His answer was somewhat non-committal. I understand that various agents and others were advised on Monday that pre-populated forms are now available at Scottish Government department offices around the country.
Will the minister confirm whether that is the case? How will the Scottish Government make that information known to Scotland’s farming population? There are only two weeks to go before the final deadline, so why has it taken so long to put the forms in place when they have been sitting in department offices for weeks?
Our top priority is to ensure that the new system works well and enables the CAP payments to be made in time to farmers and crofters across Scotland. That priority is demonstrated by the very fact that we extended the deadline by one month to 15 June to allow customers to get used to the new system and the new rules of the CAP. That is in line with the flexibility that the European Union is offering. We will continue to urge our farmers and crofters not to delay registering for rural payments and services and to submit their single application forms as soon as they are finalised.
It is obvious that we have a much more complex policy this year, as well as the new online system. We are happy to cover the details that the member raised in a response from the cabinet secretary.
I echo the concerns that were raised at the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee meeting this morning. The scheme was described as appalling and a nightmare to operate, and there is clear worry among our farmers and our crofters about their ability to finish the forms properly. Please will the minister look at the Official Report of the meeting, address the issue of a telephone hotline and better consistent guidance, and get the advice out there to help the thousands of farmers and crofters who have yet to submit the forms?
I will be happy to look at the Official Report of the RACCE Committee meeting, as I am aware that the committee took evidence this morning on implementation of the CAP. If farmers and crofters need help with their single application forms and if they are encountering any issues, support is available from RPID local area offices, where blank paper forms continue to be available on request. Where necessary, pre-populated paper forms can also be made available. We are still aiming to be ready for payments to start from December as planned.
Justice and the Law Officers
Fiscal Work Orders
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of fiscal work orders. (S4O-04404)
The use of fiscal work orders was piloted in seven local authority areas. An evaluation of the four initial pilot sites that was published in December 2010 found the orders to be fair, efficient and effective. The evaluation also found that fiscal work orders filled a gap in the criminal justice system by providing an alternative for those offenders for whom a fine was not the most appropriate or the most effective disposal.
As a result of those successful pilots and in response to a specific recommendation from the Angiolini commission on women offenders, fiscal work orders were rolled out across Scotland from 1 April 2015.
A national implementation group, consisting of representatives from a range of organisations that are involved in the oversight and delivery of fiscal work orders, has been established to oversee the national roll-out. That group will have a key role to play in assessing the impact and effectiveness of the orders as numbers increase over time.
Is the Scottish Government monitoring fiscal work orders to ensure that demand does not exceed capacity in each community justice authority area? If demand does exceed capacity, is there provision for the Scottish Government to provide financial uplift to CJAs to allow them to meet demand?
We have provided community justice authorities with an extra £0.5 million in this financial year to assist with and support the national roll-out of fiscal work orders. The matter is already being taken forward with CJAs.
As regards the work that we are undertaking to monitor the orders, we have asked all local authorities to provide us with bimonthly monitoring information on the operational delivery of fiscal work orders in their area between the months of June and December, to include the number of orders and any additional resources that may be required in relation to their delivery. The national implementation body will monitor that information.
We have already given a commitment to consider any further funding or other issues that are identified as part of that monitoring exercise.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (Funding)
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent Audit Scotland report, which estimates that there may be a £42.7 million gap in the funding of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in 2019-20. (S4O-04405)
The challenge of bringing together eight legacy fire services represented one of the biggest public sector reforms in a generation. In its recent positive report, Audit Scotland confirmed that the fire reform process has been a huge success, stating:
“The Scottish Government and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service managed the 2013 merger of the eight fire and rescue services effectively ... and the merger followed good practice”.
The Auditor General for Scotland said:
“This achievement provides a valuable opportunity to share the lessons of how this was done with other public bodies going through a merger process”.
Audit Scotland singled out as especially effective local engagement with communities throughout the reform process, which has had no adverse impact on the public, and stated that the creation of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has allowed the performance of the service to improve over time.
The policy aims of the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 were to protect and improve local services while not cutting front-line services. However, the chief officer of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Alasdair Hay, stated in evidence to the Public Audit Committee on 27 May that there has already been a reduction from approximately 4,000 whole-time firefighters to 3,850 since the creation of the single service, and that if the SFRS is to take the amount of money indicated in the Audit Scotland report out of the budget, it will have to look at a further reduction in the number of whole-time firefighters across Scotland. Does the minister have any plans to avert that possibility, and does he believe that there should be a minimum number of whole-time firefighters in Scotland, as there are for police officers?
In my initial answer, I recognised the challenge that the SFRS has faced in implementing reform, but I also celebrated the fact that that has been done largely successfully and without any adverse impact on the public—I am sure Dr Murray will be pleased to hear that.
We recognise that there is a challenge going forward. As I am sure Dr Murray is aware, we have to address the issue of VAT. We were aware of that issue at the time of the 2012 Act, when we objected to the UK Government’s position. We continue to do that. Other issues such as changes to employer national insurance contributions or to single-tier pensions are impacting on the SFRS.
The SFRS is having to cope with a number of external budget pressures, but it is important to stress that to date there have been no compulsory redundancies and no station closures in Scotland. By contrast, fire and rescue service reform has not been implemented in England, and across England and Wales there have been 39 station closures and 4,700 firefighters have been lost. We must look at the issue in context. The service is doing the best that it can to cope with budget pressures, and it will continue to deliver a good-quality service to the public. There has been no adverse impact on public safety so far.
Thank you. Before I call Roderick Campbell, let me say that brief questions and answers would be welcome.
Does the minister agree with comments made by the chief inspector of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Steven Torrie, when he said that Scotland
“would have been in a far worse position”
without reform?
I think that Roderick Campbell is alluding to the point that I just made in answer to Dr Murray, and he is absolutely correct. I also agree with Mr Torrie’s further comments, when he said that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has done
“a pretty remarkable job of bringing in the reform, maintaining business as usual and making progress.”—[Official Report, Justice Committee, 28 April 2015; c 32.]
It is impressive to see how the SFRS has coped with responding to budget pressures caused by steep cuts to Scotland’s block grant, and it has achieved reform savings in each year since its creation. I reiterate the contrast with what is happening in England, where 4,700 firefighters have been lost and stations have closed across England and Wales. We should be grateful that we have not had that in Scotland so far.
The minister failed to answer two specific questions that Elaine Murray asked him. I hope he will reflect on that and reply to her in writing.
The minister mentioned VAT liability, but that was a problem wholly created by the Scottish Government’s failure to take the advice that it was given by the Treasury. Notwithstanding that, he will have our support in hoping that the UK Government will now move to bail out the Scottish Government from the mess that it created.
Mr Henry appears to have a short memory—his party voted for the 2012 act, which brought in the single fire and rescue service in Scotland, so it is a bit rich for him to claim some distance between that decision and now. I welcome his support in tackling the VAT issue with the UK Government. I hope that we can find common cause on that, and I look forward to working with Dr Murray and Mr Henry on the VAT issue, as will the cabinet secretary, in relation to Police Scotland.
I apologise to Dr Murray for missing out her point about the establishment number, on which she seeks an answer. Bearing in mind the Presiding Officer’s comments, I will come back to her on that in more detail,
Antisocial Behaviour
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that there is an adequate joined-up approach to tackling antisocial behaviour. (S4O-04406)
Yes. We have a national strategy in place that is based on prevention, early intervention and diversionary activities. The strategy is having a positive impact in communities throughout Scotland, including in Alex Rowley’s constituency, where school-based police officers undertake diversionary work to ensure that young people are guided away from antisocial behaviour.
We are making progress. Last year, the level of antisocial behaviour that was reported by members of the public decreased by almost 14 per cent in Scotland as a whole. Partnership working has been central to achieving that reduction, and I have been particularly impressed with the partnerships that have developed between Police Scotland and communities throughout the country. The partnerships have been working to identify areas of concern to allow the deployment of appropriate resources and proactively prevent antisocial behaviour.
I thank the minister for his response, but I suppose that it all depends on how we define antisocial behaviour. My concern is that too many of my constituents have reported to me the difficulties that they have experienced in getting the police to respond.
I am told that the Cowdenbeath constituency is now covered by Dunfermline district, which means that a police officer in Kincardine could be called out to deal with antisocial behaviour in Cowdenbeath. That journey is itself an issue, and often police do not come in numbers because there are not enough of them.
And your question is?
Is the minister satisfied that Police Scotland is continuing to do the excellent job that was previously done by the police force in Fife in tackling antisocial behaviour?
I take the matter that Alex Rowley raises very seriously, and I am happy to look into the issue that he mentioned with regard to his constituents.
In general, however, I can say that work is on-going throughout Scotland—indeed, in Fife, the work is advanced—to develop local ward-level plans for policing based on local priorities. Those plans cover aspects such as how to tackle particular issues that have been flagged up, such as the query that Claire Baker raised about antisocial behaviour in relation to quad-bike thefts. That is a useful approach that is being deployed at a local level.
I am happy to look at the matter, and I am sure that the cabinet secretary will look into the problems in Cowdenbeath that Alex Rowley mentioned.
Given the incidence not only of antisocial behaviour but of criminal offences such as vandalism, dishonesty and violence involving children under the age of 10, does the minister consider that parenting orders have the potential to make a positive impact on tackling such issues? Can he indicate how many of those orders have been issued in Scotland to date?
I apologise, as I do not have the answer to the specific question that Margaret Mitchell raises, but we are happy to come back to her in correspondence on the number of parenting orders.
I certainly recognise the importance of involving families in ensuring that we have an understanding of the issues that relate to children and their welfare, and of the need to ensure that children have enough positive diversionary activities to keep them out of harm’s way and away from those individuals who may wish to distract them towards crime. The diversion of people away from crime is a very important plank of Government activity on keeping children safe and reducing crime at a local level.
Cashback for Communities (Glasgow)
To ask the Scottish Government how the cashback for communities scheme has contributed to supporting sport and physical activity opportunities for young people in the Glasgow region. (S4O-04407)
We are rightly proud of our unique cashback for communities programme. Up to the end of March 2014, Glasgow’s young people and their communities benefited directly from more than £5.3 million of cashback investment. More than 160,000 activities and opportunities have helped to develop important life skills through a wide range of sporting, cultural, youth work and youth employability schemes.
Glasgow continues to benefit under phase 3 of the cashback funding. Given the extensive range of the different programmes that are being delivered in Glasgow, I am happy to write to Bob Doris with details of the programmes rather than trying to list them all now.
I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer, and I look forward to seeing the list. Communities that suffer from significant crime often also have significant levels of deprivation that can make access to sport and physical activity opportunities more challenging and less affordable. Those communities also have significant health inequalities, which are a key cross-Government priority.
Will the cabinet secretary consider working with ministerial colleagues to refocus a larger share of future proceeds-of-crime cash in those communities, including areas such as Springburn, Royston and Possilpark, which could benefit the constituents that I represent?
Bob Doris raises a valid point. All cashback projects are required under the terms of their grants to focus activity in deprived communities identified in the Scottish index of multiple deprivation. Bob Doris may be aware that projects that are currently being funded through the proceeds-of-crime arrangements have their funding and provisions committed until the end of March 2017. Phase 4 of the cashback programme will commence in April 2017 and decisions on that tranche will be taken nearer that time.
Bob Doris raises a valid point that we should consider further, and I assure him that that will be part of our thinking on how we can improve the operation of the cashback programme.
Police Scotland (Accountability and Government Intervention)
To ask the Scottish Government how Police Scotland is held to account and on what occasions Scottish ministers have intervened in relation to policy issues. (S4O-04408)
The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 established the role of the Scottish Police Authority in holding the chief constable to account for the policing of Scotland. Scrutiny of policing in Scotland has never been higher. The Scottish Police Authority, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland, Audit Scotland, the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner and 32 local authority scrutiny boards all have a key role. This Parliament also plays an important role and we have seen that effectively undertaken over the past two years.
Scottish ministers determine the strategic priorities for the policing of Scotland and ensure that those are delivered along with key commitments in the programme for government. It is appropriate that a strong relationship is maintained between Police Scotland, the SPA and the Scottish Government. To support that, a framework for strategic engagement is in place that sets out how we engage on policing issues and, in turn, how we can ensure that effective decisions are being made.
I did not hear in that response any specific answer about the occasions on which ministers have intervened. I would be interested to know when Scottish ministers have met the chief constable to discuss policy issues either formally or informally.
The minister is living in his own little world when he says that scrutiny has never been more effective. The SPA has singularly failed to hold Police Scotland to account—armed police and stop and search are just two examples. If the SPA is failing, why is the Scottish Government sitting back and allowing that to happen?
I meet the chief constable very regularly—each month—to discuss a range of issues around policing and that is a matter of public record. We consider issues that are matters of concern.
I must confess that I think that Hugh Henry lives in some strange parallel universe if he thinks that, prior to the SPA’s introduction, the eight forces that we had across Scotland were under detailed scrutiny in some way. The facts of the matter are that they were not under any great detailed scrutiny. Policing is under a greater level of scrutiny now than it has ever been. That is not to say that it is perfect, but it is under a much greater level of scrutiny. For example, the issue of armed police officers was investigated by HMICS, which made a range of recommendations that have been taken forward by Police Scotland. That was also the case with the SPA and its investigation.
Hugh Henry said that we sit back and do nothing on these matters. On the issue of stop and search, this Government has set up an independent group under John Scott to look at that very issue, in order to address the concerns that have been raised. If anyone is living in a strange, bizarre wee world it is certainly Hugh Henry.
Fatal Accidents (Support for Families of Victims)
To ask the Scottish Government how the justice system supports families of victims of fatal accidents. (S4O-04409)
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service recognises that nearest relatives in cases where a loved one has died require support and information about the circumstances surrounding the death. The Scottish fatalities investigation unit is a team of dedicated specialists in the COPFS who carry out investigations into reported deaths and who liaise with the nearest relatives to provide information.
However, I recognise that more needs to be done to explain to families what communication they can expect from the COPFS. Last week I advised Justice Committee members that I had requested that the COPFS prepares a milestone charter for that purpose. The charter will outline what families can expect from the COPFS in terms of the timing of investigations and our decision making. It will set out clearly how and when we will communicate with families, outlining the key milestones in the investigation and when information will be provided to them.
The Solicitor General will be aware of the case of my constituent Alison Hume who died in the Galston mineshaft accident in 2008. Since then, the family have had little or no support from any formal agency to help them to cope, get answers to the many questions and find closure. Will the Solicitor General further consider how best to provide support for families of victims of fatal accidents, either by extending the scope of organisations such as Victim Support Scotland or by supporting local organisations such as HALO Support in Ayrshire that provide that type of support free of charge?
As I indicated, I am committed to improving communication on information and decision making by use of the new milestone charter. Through the victim information and advice service, which includes an officer dedicated to work within the Scottish fatalities investigation unit, we can assist families not just by providing them with information about our work, but by referring them to third sector support organisations that can support them through the trauma of the loss.
As well as Victim Support Scotland, a number of organisations, such as Brake and Scotland’s Campaign against Irresponsible Drivers, provide valuable, focused support to families in certain circumstances such as homicides and road traffic deaths. I recognise, however, that there may be no single organisation that aims to provide comprehensive emotional and psychological support in all cases in which someone dies suddenly and unexpectedly.
I am sorry that Ms Hume’s family have suffered such a lack of support since her death. If it would assist, I would be happy to meet them to hear of their experience and their concerns, to discuss where the potential gaps are and to listen to what they think needs to be put in place to help other families dealing with such a loss.
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