Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Official Report 833KB pdf

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Scottish Government Question Time

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Infrastructure, Investment and Cities

Good afternoon. Question 1, from Neil Findlay, was not lodged, but I have received an explanation for that.

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Rail Services (Glasgow, Paisley and Ayr)

2. To ask the Scottish Government what consultation has taken place regarding changes to the timetable for rail services between Paisley Gilmour Street, Ayr and Glasgow Central. (S4O-01337)

Consultation took place with regional transport partnerships, Passenger Focus and local authorities during May 2012 on the details of changes to rail services between Glasgow Central station and Ayr in December 2012.

Will the minister explain why consultation started only after a new timetable had been confirmed? Will he also explain why he continues to insist, as he did in his recent letter in the Paisley Daily Express, that there will be no reduction in rail services from Paisley Gilmour Street to Ayr, even though the new timetable halves the off-peak train service between Paisley and Ayr to one per hour? Is the minister trying to mislead the travelling public, or does he fail to understand the scale of the cuts to rail services that he is imposing?

The timetable had not been agreed in advance of the consultation, and we followed exactly the same process as the Labour and Liberal Democrats followed in previous consultations. The process was carried out by ScotRail and involved the partners whom I mentioned.

I would have thought that Neil Bibby would have taken the opportunity to acknowledge that, with no additional subsidy from the Scottish Government, there will be two additional services between Ayrshire and Glasgow in the morning peak period, which will provide an additional 500 seats. Perhaps he will acknowledge that. There will also be two additional services from Glasgow to Ayrshire in the evening peak period, providing a similar number of seats. All those services will call at Paisley Gilmour Street.

The new timetable is forecast to generate more than 500,000 additional passenger journeys each year. That is good news for passengers, and I would have thought that Neil Bibby would have taken the opportunity to commend us for that. I understand that, in discussions that he had with officials, he said that he was content with the changes, so I am not sure why he is complaining.

As the minister will be aware, Paisley Gilmour Street is the fourth busiest train station in Scotland and a major transport hub in my constituency. Will the minister order an evaluation of demand for services at Paisley Gilmour Street?

In discussions with the member, I have made clear that ScotRail, which has responsibility for the matter, constantly reviews its timetables. There are constraints in the current franchise, which should be acknowledged: if we make changes to the timetable we must pay the franchise holder for that.

We have managed to reach agreement, and ScotRail says that it will carry out additional work to ensure that passengers who use the service have a chance to express their views—I am more than happy to have a further passenger survey, to ensure that that is formalised. Of course, when we have the new franchise—notwithstanding events today—further changes can be made at the time.

My constituents and I very much welcome the proposed timetable changes for services between Ayr and Glasgow Central, but a minor concern remains that connectivity between Ayrshire and Paisley Gilmour Street, which is the gateway to Glasgow airport, has not improved—as I understand it, the situation is unchanged. Is there flexibility in the system to address that minor concern?

As I said, the timetable will improve connectivity between Ayrshire, Inverclyde and Glasgow in a number of respects. For example, the current half-hourly Sunday summer service from Glasgow to Ayr, which calls at Paisley Gilmour Street, will become an all-year-round service, which will be an improvement for the member’s constituents.

As I said to George Adam and in response to consultation with members, I am more than happy for ScotRail to look at the situation, through the passenger survey, so that it can find out the views of the most important people in all of this: the passengers.

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Regeneration (Inverclyde)

3. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to assist the regeneration of Inverclyde. (S4O-01338)

The Scottish Government is committed to the regeneration of Scotland’s most disadvantaged areas and to strengthening local communities, including Inverclyde. Although overall responsibility for local regeneration and economic development rests with Inverclyde Council, we continue to support Riverside Inverclyde urban regeneration company and the council in taking forward their plans for the benefit of the people and communities across the area.

We have already committed to continuing grant funding for the URC, with £2.5 million in 2012-13 and £1.5 million in 2013-14. Thereafter, funding is likely to be available to the URC from a range of sources and my officials are working with the company on revising its business plan and considering potential funding streams to support Inverclyde’s on-going regeneration. We have also provided it with accelerated funding of £3.4 million for a number of shovel-ready projects in the area that will improve the environment, improve employability, safeguard existing jobs and create jobs in construction.

Although I thank the minister for her response, I clearly differ with her about the investment in the URC. I see the Cabinet secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities shaking her head, but the evidence is clear.

Nevertheless, I seek not conflict but consensus in how we can be positive and move forward in the area. Next year’s cruise season at Clydeport’s ocean terminal is set to be a record breaker, with 85,000 passengers coming through Inverclyde as the gateway to Scotland, and I am sure that the minister agrees that Andrew Hemphill, the terminal’s general manager, and his team deserve great credit for that. However, visitor numbers could be increased by 20 per cent if berthing capacity at the quayside were extended. Does the minister agree that such a move would provide a significant opportunity not just for Inverclyde but for tourism in Scotland, and will she meet the partners to ensure that that opportunity appears in Inverclyde’s business development plan?

The member makes a good point. The cruise industry is expanding, particularly in the Inverclyde area, and I understand that the member has met the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth, John Swinney, and other members to discuss how the matter might be progressed. I also understand that Transport Scotland officials have met Clydeport to discuss the potential to increase cruise-ship capacity and extend the quayside and I am willing to meet the partners to discuss the issue further.

I call Stuart McMillan for a supplementary. I remind the member that the question is about the regeneration of Inverclyde.

Regeneration takes many forms, one of which is job creation and job sustainability. Given that, will the minister update the chamber on the work of Ferguson Shipbuilders in light of the Scottish Government’s £20 million investment in two new hybrid ferries?

In November 2011, we announced a £20 million contract for two state-of-the-art diesel electric and battery-powered vessels designed for use on the Caledonian MacBrayne Clyde and Hebrides ferry services. In securing the contract to build the vessels, Ferguson Shipbuilders in Port Glasgow has not only created 20 new apprenticeships but been able to support around 175 shipbuilding jobs in Port Glasgow and Inverclyde.

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Haudagain Roundabout

4. To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Aberdeen City Council regarding improvements to the Haudagain roundabout. (S4O-01339)

Transport Scotland officials last met Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council and Nestrans—the north east of Scotland transport partnership—on 12 April 2012 to discuss improvements to the Haudagain roundabout and other infrastructure projects. At the meeting, officials reconfirmed the Scottish Government’s commitment to starting improvements to Haudagain once the Aberdeen western peripheral route has been completed.

As the minister will be aware, the traffic modelling for the Haudagain roundabout improvements showed that the works would be effective only if the third Don crossing were developed as planned. Given that Aberdeen City Council’s Labour-led administration is now considering relocating the crossing or possibly scrapping it altogether, does the minister agree that such a move would put the Haudagain improvement works back at square one and would mean further expenditure by both council and Government and another lengthy planning and modelling exercise? Would it not be far better if the council administration stuck to the original plans for the third Don crossing, which would help to tackle congestion in the city?

I could not agree more with the point that Mark McDonald makes. It is worth saying that all options to emerge from the Aberdeen City Council Scottish transport appraisal guidance report require both the AWPR and the third Don crossing to be in place before the solutions work effectively. If the third Don crossing is not put in place, the proposed solutions at Haudagain will simply not be effective. However, it is clear that the completion of it and the AWPR would ease the strain on the Haudagain junction and assist during the construction process for delivering improvements at that bottleneck.

Could a revised plan for a third Don crossing not work well with the current proposals for the Haudagain roundabout? Is the delay to the improvements at the Haudagain not being caused by the minister’s insistence on bundling the project with the AWPR and not beginning work at the roundabout until the AWPR is completed? The work could begin right now—it is a shovel-ready project—so why does the minister not get on with it?

I will have to give the same answer that I have given to the same question from Richard Baker over a number of months. I have just made the point, as has Mark McDonald, that the studies that have been done show that the benefits to come from the Aberdeen western peripheral route require the improvements to the Haudagain roundabout to come afterwards. We have taken professional advice on the matter, including the STAG report that was mentioned, and are following it. That is the order in which to do the projects.

We are, of course, frustrated by the delays to the AWPR and await the outcome of the court process. However, in the meantime, we must ensure that we go about it in the right way, not only because it will be the most effective solution but because it is the most effective use of public resources.

I accept that there are all sorts of consequences in the plans for the AWPR, the Haudagain roundabout and the third Don crossing. However, for the benefit of my constituents, the minister might want to consider whether the Government and the council can act a little more quickly to end the uncertainty for the residents whose homes are likely to be purchased by compulsory purchase orders when the upgrade to the Haudagain roundabout goes ahead. Could we have some clarity on that?

As I said in my answer to the first substantive question, of course we are willing to discuss with our partners, including Aberdeen City Council, how best we can expedite the process. The major decision is still to be taken and we are hopeful that it will be taken shortly.

I am well aware of the uncertainty that Brian Adam mentions. I am more than happy to work with our partners on that and to come back to him with a further update once we have done so.

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4G Mobile Phone Services

5. To ask the Scottish Government what its strategy is for the roll-out of 4G mobile services. (S4O-01340)

As set out in “Scotland’s Digital Future—Infrastructure Action Plan”, enhanced mobile coverage across the whole of Scotland is a priority for the Scottish Government. We continue to have discussions with mobile operators about improving coverage across Scotland.

As telecommunications regulation is currently reserved, the Scottish Government has limited powers on the future roll-out of 4G in Scotland. The Office of Communications has responsibility for auctioning the 4G spectrum, setting licence condition requirements—which include a coverage obligation—and ensuring that mobile operators fulfil them. The mobile operators themselves will make commercial decisions on their investment in Scotland. The Government has successfully lobbied Ofcom to secure a high 4G coverage obligation in Scotland. That has resulted in a 95 per cent indoor coverage target having being set in all four United Kingdom nations. That is a considerable improvement on the targets that were originally proposed and will extend 4G services across the whole country.

I thank the cabinet secretary for that detailed answer. I am the convener of the cross-party group on digital participation, and one of the common messages that we hear is that rural communities in particular must not lose out when new technologies are introduced. Will the cabinet secretary reassure me that the Scottish Government will do everything that it can within its powers to ensure that the roll-out of 4G mobile technologies in Scotland will serve all Scotland, not only the areas that are most lucrative for commercial service providers?

Yes, I assure Willie Coffey that that is our clear intention and determination. We will work with key industry partners to facilitate early and comprehensive roll-out of 4G throughout Scotland. As I said in my initial answer, we have already worked with Ofcom to secure a higher coverage obligation in Scotland than it originally proposed.

We are encouraged by the new timetable for 4G roll-out that has recently been agreed with mobile operators. That will ensure that 4G services are available throughout Scotland from early next year. As part of our world class 2020 programme, we will also look for opportunities to support early deployment and testing in Scotland of the next version of 4G technology, LTE advanced, or true 4G.

I welcome the cabinet secretary’s response and echo Willie Coffey’s comments about the importance of 4G mobile coverage, particularly in rural areas. Is the cabinet secretary aware of the process that was adopted in Germany during the last roll-out whereby there was a requirement to link up rural areas before the more populated urban areas were linked up, as a way of incentivising mobile operators not to pick the low-hanging fruit but to deal first with the difficult-to-reach areas?

We are keen to have these discussions with the providers of mobile technology. As I said in a previous response, the regulatory framework is reserved. That is why it was so important that we worked with Ofcom to ensure that a higher coverage target applies across Scotland. I understand the concerns and needs of rural communities, particularly communities as remote and rural as the ones that Liam McArthur represents. We will therefore do everything that we can to ensure that nobody and no community is left behind as this very important technology is rolled out across the country.

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Properties at risk of External Sewer Flooding

6. To ask the Scottish Government how many homes affected by external sewer flooding are listed on Scottish Water’s register of properties. (S4O-01341)

Scottish Water has been tasked in this investment period to create and maintain a register of all properties that are at risk of external sewer flooding. It currently has some 2,100 locations on that register. Scottish Water is carrying out investigations to confirm whether those cases of external flooding are the result of capacity issues in the sewerage system.

Residents in the Kingsknowe Crescent area of my constituency have suffered since the 1990s from severe external sewer flooding. Despite assurances from Scottish Water’s predecessor, East of Scotland Water, that the cause would be addressed, no work has taken place to resolve the sewer capacity issues. Scottish Water had an operating surplus of close to £300 million in 2011-12; are there any restrictions on Scottish Water reinvesting such surpluses in capital projects to alleviate external sewer flooding?

The issue that Gordon MacDonald raises is of huge importance to the constituents he refers to. I know that Scottish Water is aware of the seriousness of the external sewer flooding problem at Kingsknowe Crescent. As the member is aware, it is a complex problem that arises from the fact that sewers and drains are not large enough to drain both the sewage and the surface water in the locality when there has been high rainfall. Scottish Water is currently undertaking a study specific to Kingsknowe Crescent with the City of Edinburgh Council to try to obtain a better understanding of the problem. I understand that it will present the results of the study and the options for resolution at the meeting that you will have on 22 October.

The member also notes that Scottish Water has significant operating surpluses. In 2011-12, Scottish Water had £74 million of surplus before tax, which I can tell the chamber was fully reinvested in the improvement of services.

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Construction Companies (Public Sector Contracts)

7. To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that construction companies headquartered in Scotland are provided with the best possible opportunities of being successful in bidding for public sector contracts. (S4O-01342)

As part of the Government’s drive to promote sustainable economic growth, we have greatly increased ease of access to public sector contracts through the introduction of the public contracts Scotland website, which provides suppliers free of charge with a single access point to thousands of Scottish contracting opportunities.

We are also working with business to deliver improvements to the public procurement process. As I announced today, we will shortly begin a thorough review of construction procurement across the public sector and we are currently consulting on a procurement reform bill that will embed procurement systems and practices that are streamlined and business friendly.

In my recent meetings with Robertson Construction Group and Ogilvie Homes, both of which are based in my constituency, the companies expressed concerns about the speed at which public sector contracts are being brought successfully to the marketplace and about the number of pre-qualification questionnaires that they are required to submit compared with the number of successful outcomes. Will the cabinet secretary review those matters closely to see what can be done to speed up the contract process and remove any unnecessary and expensive burdens from the pre-qualification process?

Yes, we will. I agree with Bruce Crawford about the importance of getting more projects under way and getting them under way more quickly. That is why, despite the significant cuts to our capital budgets, we have used innovative ways to maximise capital spending to support infrastructure investment and jobs. Examples include the national housing trust and the hub initiative.

We have worked with public and private sector representatives, including firms in the construction sector, to introduce standardised questions to test supplier capacity and capability in the pre-qualification process. Those questions are being rolled out across the public sector.

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Culture and External Affairs

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International Development

1. To ask the Scottish Government what its future budget plans are for international development. (S4O-01346)

The Scottish Government has committed to maintaining the international development fund at £9 million per year up to the end of the spending review period in 2014-15. That has been supplemented by a £3 million Scottish Government contribution to the climate justice fund.

The Scottish Government’s £2.5 million contribution to the Scottish sport relief home and away programme will attract match funding from sport relief for development projects, approximately half of which will be in Scotland and half of which will be in the world’s poorest countries.

I welcome the minister to his new post and wish him every success. Will he provide an update on what the Scottish Government is doing internationally to protect some of the world’s poorest communities, which are worst affected by climate change?

The latest round of the international development fund supports Scotland-based organisations that work on the ground in sub-Saharan Africa and which are taking forward projects to respond to the effects of climate change.

The member will be aware that the First Minister and the former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, came together earlier this year to launch the Scottish Government’s £3 million climate justice fund, for which the Scottish Government is providing £1 million a year for the next three years. That is open to applications for water projects in Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia, and the successful projects are due to be announced shortly. The groundbreaking climate justice fund is important, as it recognises that those in the developed world, who have the most, contribute most to climate change, yet the effects of climate change impact disproportionately on the poorest in the developing world.

Following the successful visit of Che Guevara’s daughter Aleida to Scotland last month, which included a visit to the Parliament, will the Scottish Government consider opportunities to develop links with Cuba as part of its international development budget plans?

The member will be aware that the international development budget is extremely tight. To get the maximum impact from that, we focus absolutely on countries that need support most—the sub-Saharan African countries that I mentioned and countries on the subcontinent that are low on the human development index. For that reason, it is important to keep a geographic and thematic focus.

I know that ministers have had engagement with Cuba and with representatives from Cuba, but there are no plans at the moment for the international development fund to go further than its current geographic focus.

Adam Ingram’s question was withdrawn, for which he has provided an entirely understandable explanation.

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Youth Olympic Games 2018

3. To ask the Scottish Government what involvement the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs will have with Glasgow City Council regarding the 2018 youth Olympic games under the major events strategy. (S4O-01348)

The Scottish Government is delighted to work with our partners Glasgow City Council and the British Olympic Association on a youth Olympic games bid that we believe will delight and surprise the International Olympic Committee. The bid falls under the portfolio responsibility of Shona Robison, the Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport. As a result, she chairs the bid board, on which Councillor Gordon Matheson, Glasgow City Council’s leader—and, of course, Anne McTaggart’s former boss—and Lord Colin Moynihan, the BOA’s chair, sit.

The bid board meets regularly. The meetings have been productive and all the members are focused on producing a bid that is in keeping with the national events strategy’s mission to develop events that deliver a clear and lasting impact for Scotland. The bid will emphasise the superb infrastructure that is in place and our nation’s unrivalled passion for sport.

I welcome the minister to his new post. Does he agree that we need to create a positive working relationship between stakeholders and that all elected members should be involved in helping to bring the 2018 youth Olympic games to Glasgow, to build on the legacy of the 2012 Olympic games and the 2014 Commonwealth games?

I could not disagree with that. I absolutely endorse everything that the member says. The success of the 2012 Olympics came through collaborative, consensual working between all partners. The 2014 organising committee has met on many occasions and also takes much heart from that approach. We will do the same. In that spirit of consensus, not only do we have Glasgow City Council, the Scottish Government and the BOA working together, but every party leader in the chamber has signed up in support of the bid, as well as the independent member, Margo MacDonald. Even all the United Kingdom party leaders have signed up to it. In that spirit of consensus, I can ensure that the member is given an official Glasgow 2018 bid lanyard, which I am sure that she will wear with great pride.

Maybe I will not be eligible for a lanyard, but if one comes I will be happy to accept it. Given the importance to the areas surrounding Glasgow of the impact of any successful bid, will the minister engage with other local authorities—for example, those in Renfrewshire and, on the north side of the Clyde, in Dunbartonshire—to consider what input they might have and what contribution they might make?

Much as for the Glasgow 2014 bid, there have been discussions with a number of local authorities not just in the central belt and surrounding areas, but across the country, as I mentioned in my previous answer. Shona Robison is chairing and leading the bid board, and I have no doubt that she and the board will engage with the surrounding local authorities on the impact of the bid. We want to ensure that, should the bid be successful, the legacy is not just for Glasgow or even just for the surrounding areas, but for the whole of Scotland.

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Young Scots Fund

4. To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made with the young Scots fund in supporting emerging young talent. (S4O-01349)

Early progress is being made through the investment of £505,000 that we have provided in 2012-13 for a graduate incentive programme with the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, which seeks to increase graduate recruitment in Scotland’s small businesses. The young Scots fund is a manifesto commitment covering the five-year term of this Parliament, and planning is progressing well for the national conservation centre, the national centre for youth arts and the national performance centre for sport.

In the draft budget, the fund appears to be £12.5 million for the financial year 2013-14 but the figure drops substantially the following year to £7.5 million. Why is that?

As I explained, a number of the projects that are being developed now are capital projects. I am delighted to say that the national conservation centre is now attracting not only European Union funding but Heritage Lottery funding, so it will be even more ambitious than it was originally. Initially, there will be projects that relate particularly to graduate employment and the opportunities for all youth employment proposals. In most of the capital spend, especially in my portfolio area, there is a big focus on 2012 to 2014, although progress on the national performance centre for sport will be made particularly in 2014-15 and 2015-16.

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Digital Participation

5. To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made to increase digital participation across Scotland. (S4O-01350)

The latest figures from the Scottish household survey, which was published in August, report that in 2011 more than 75 per cent of Scottish adults used the internet. The market communications report from the Office of Communications, which was published in March, reports an overall increase of 7 per cent in broadband uptake last year. A range of initiatives are under way, through the Scottish Library and Information Council, in schools and communities. In the first six months of 2012, the Scottish Government funded projects across Scotland that reached more than 4,500 people.

In the member’s region, over the past five years more than 10,000 people in Fife have attended internet taster sessions in local libraries. Yesterday, Fife Council, working with the digital participation action group, which brings together public, private and third sector organisations that are committed to improving digital participation, held an event in the Rothes halls, Glenrothes, as part of the programme to increase the level of digital participation in Fife, in particular among the over-55 age group.

I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Good progress is being made, but obviously online sources for services can be very important for people in rural communities. Will she give some idea of the specific commitments that the Scottish Government might have in place to help rural communities?

Clearly, there is supply and demand. In Glasgow we have to make sure that we stimulate demand for usage, but in rural areas there are connectivity issues. My colleague the Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities will be taking forward the procurement proposals, which are well advanced, particularly in the Highlands and Islands, to make sure that we have the connectivity that is required to ensure that there can be rural uptake on the supply side.

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World Festival of Flight 2013

6. To ask the Scottish Government what discussion it has had with interested parties regarding the proposed world festival of flight 2013 to be held in the Ayr constituency. (S4O-01351)

The Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment met the co-curator of the world festival of flight 2013 in November 2011 and I met the co-curators in March this year. We both expressed our interest in the event and asked to be kept updated as the proposals progressed.

I thank the cabinet secretary for her answer. She will be aware of the growing interest in the world festival of flight 2013, including the proposed aviation film festival, the proposed aviation history exposition and the celebration of the first use of Monkton meadows as an airfield in 1913. Given the cabinet secretary’s local knowledge and her role in cultural and economic development, will she give her full support to the event, including the lecture series running up to the event as well as the festival itself, please?

I am very interested in the festival. I think that John Scott is right to identify that film was starting to develop at the same time as flight, so the combination of film and flight as part of the festival is very attractive. I have encouraged the organisers to contact Creative Scotland and EventScotland for what I think could be a very exciting event. I am familiar with the area—I used to spend weekends at Prestwick airport a long time ago—and I think that this is an exciting project. I wish it very well.

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Cultural Exchange (Non-EU European Nations)

7. To ask the Scottish Government what cultural exchanges it is pursuing with non-European Union European nations. (S4O-01352)

The Scottish Government recognises the value of cultural exchanges with a range of countries across the world, including our priority countries and non-EU European countries. The Scottish Government supports the work of our partner agencies, such as Creative Scotland and the National Museum of Scotland, to pursue exchanges. For example, NMS has recently collaborated with the State Hermitage Museum of St Petersburg to bring the Catherine the Great exhibition to Edinburgh.

Cultural exchanges are an effective means of developing Scotland’s international relations and promoting our unique heritage and distinctive culture, which in turn can open up opportunities for investment in Scotland, contributing to economic growth.

I thank the cabinet secretary for her answer. Has the Scottish Government been made aware of non-EU cultural organisations having difficulties in obtaining United Kingdom visas, which makes participation in events such as the Edinburgh festivals more difficult?

No concerns in that regard have been raised with me or my officials, but I suspect that any concerns would be raised with the United Kingdom Border Agency and immigration officials. However, if the member is aware of an impact on artists involved in the Edinburgh festivals, I am more than happy for him to write to me and I will investigate.

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BBC Scotland

8. To ask the Scottish Government when it last met representatives of BBC Scotland and what issues were discussed. (S4O-01353)

I met the then director general of the BBC, Mark Thompson, on 8 September 2012 and the chair of the BBC Trust, Lord Patten, on 22 September 2012, who were chairing events at which I was speaking. I discussed cuts to BBC Scotland, in particular with Mr Thompson. I also expect to discuss that matter with the director of BBC Scotland at a meeting scheduled for 8 November 2012.

I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer and for raising the issue of cuts. In an answer to Ken Macintosh, she said that in an independent Scotland viewers will be able to

“enjoy more home-grown content, including a Scottish national broadcaster that will build on the existing staff and assets of BBC Scotland, while enjoying the same programmes and channels as they do now.”—[Official Report, 20 September 2012; c 11700.]

Does that mean that the new independent broadcaster will purchase the existing BBC infrastructure and resources in Scotland? How does the Scottish Government propose to fund such a generous service?

Clearly, we will set out our programme in the white paper in November 2013, but let me reassure Siobhan McMahon that the licence fee revenue for Scotland is currently £320 million and we will certainly have a share in the assets of BBC Scotland.

I remember that Ken Macintosh was particularly concerned about whether David Attenborough’s “Frozen Planet” was shown in Ireland. I can confirm that David Attenborough’s “Frozen Planet” is shown even in independent Ireland, on RTÉ2’s television channel. I reassure the member—as I did Ken Macintosh—that the biggest threat to the BBC is currently coming from the future faced under a Tory Government as part of the union.

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Historic Built Environment (Highlands and Islands)

9. To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve the historic built environment in the Highlands and Islands, given the increase in funding to Historic Scotland as set out in the draft budget 2013-14. (S4O-01354)

The additional £1 million allocated to Historic Scotland in the budget for 2013-14 is to help the efficient management of the Historic Scotland estate, increasing opportunities for local maintenance contractors and supporting jobs throughout Scotland including the Highlands and Islands.

How much of the cost of repairs to Scotland’s built heritage will be clawed back by the United Kingdom Treasury in VAT imposed on repairs to historic buildings? What impact will the imposition of VAT on approved alterations to listed buildings have on our struggle to maintain the viability of our historic buildings?

The Scottish Government has repeatedly requested that the UK Government stimulates economic growth in construction in the heritage sector by reducing VAT. The imposition by the UK Government of 20 per cent VAT is an attack on economic growth and the built environment. It is the wrong move and it is in the wrong direction. Using past data, the Treasury would be likely to take an amount somewhere in the range of £25 million out of the construction industry in the VAT hike for 2013-14, but what is even worse is that that tax hike to 20 per cent could discourage the commissioning of work in the first place.

Will the minister join me in welcoming Historic Scotland’s recent funding support for Campbeltown’s historic wee picture house? What other support can that cinema receive to allow its restoration project to go forward?

I am pleased that Historic Scotland has been able to support the film house in Campbeltown. It is a good example of how investment, in cinema houses or in borough halls the length and breadth of Scotland, is not only helping to regenerate town centres but contributing to a vibrant cultural scene. I am pleased that support has already been given and I will be interested to hear from the member about any further plans that the cinema has. I am sure that funders across the country, whether Creative Scotland or others, would be interested in that programme.

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Trade Unions (International Projects)

10. To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with trade unions regarding support for international projects in which they are both involved. (S4O-01355)

The Scottish Government is keen to engage with all sections of society in working together to promote our international engagement. There are a number of areas in which we collaborate with trade unions in Scotland. For example, at the last biannual meeting between the First Minister and the Scottish Trades Union Congress it was agreed that the STUC would undertake a study to look at lessons that could be learned from the manufacturing sector in Germany, with support from Scottish Government analysts.

The recent Mandela day celebrations were a positive example of the Scottish Government working with trade unions, civic society and local government to engage the Scottish people in international and development issues.

The minister will be aware of my interest in the Fire Brigades Union’s Palestinian training project that is taking place in Dundee to train some 20 fire officials from the Palestinian civil defence department. What assistance might the Scottish Government be able to provide? Specifically, is the minister examining possibilities for assisting with the accommodation of those officials?

I thank the member for the question and note his sustained interest in and passion for the issue.

The Scottish Government has previously supported efforts in international development and aid for Palestine, including humanitarian aid for Gaza. The particular issue raised by the member is with officials and I am happy for the member to be updated once a decision is reached.