SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
General Questions
Social Care (Procurement)
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-28083 by Shona Robison on 29 October 2009, when it will issue its final guidance on social care procurement. (S3O-9363)
The Scottish Government published draft guidance on social care procurement for consultation in January 2010 and the consultation period ends on 5 April. We will consider all responses to the consultation, along with any other available evidence, in preparing the final guidance for publication.
Does the minister agree that the guidance cannot come too soon following the fiasco of the recent social care retendering in Edinburgh? The retendering completely ignored service users' wishes and has resulted in great human and financial costs, including nearly £100,000 for the damning Deloitte report that analyses the fiasco in detail. Will the minister pay careful attention to that report before issuing the final guidance? Will she also make it clear in the guidance that retendering is not obligatory if service providers are performing well and to the satisfaction of their clients?
The procurement of social care services is ultimately the responsibility of local authorities and it would not be appropriate for ministers to intervene in that. However, the setting of guidance is clearly important. I certainly expect that the guidance will take account of all the experiences of local authorities in the processes that they have undertaken. I am sure that we will look at Edinburgh and its experience along with the experience of many other local authorities. However, I am sure that Malcolm Chisholm agrees that what is important is getting the guidance right for service users, which the Government is determined to do.
Domestic Abuse (Male Victims)
To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being considered to increase support available to male victims of domestic abuse and their children. (S3O-9413)
The Scottish Government is aware of the increase in the number of cases in which men report domestic abuse to the police. Whether domestic abuse is perpetrated by men or by women, it is never acceptable. Many professional agencies in Scotland offer services to victims of domestic abuse regardless of gender, including the police, NHS Scotland, Victim Support Scotland and local authority social work and housing services. Male victims can also access services within the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, such as victim information and advice, witness services and use of the vulnerable witness provisions where that is appropriate.
The minister will be aware of the recent discussion on the matter at the Public Petitions Committee. Will he comment on developments elsewhere in the United Kingdom?
In looking at practice elsewhere in the UK, we have been in touch specifically with the Welsh Assembly Government, which has fairly advanced provision for male victims of domestic abuse. My officials are in constant touch with our colleagues in Wales to see whether there are any particular lessons that we can learn from there.
A number of members wish to come in on this important topic. Please keep your questions and answers brief.
I have been working closely with the petitioners. I say to the minister that all the organisations that he mentioned refer male victims to a telephone helpline in the south of England. However, I thank him for his sensible response to date.
Question, please.
Does the minister agree that it is shameful that, in 10 years of the Parliament, there has not been recognition of male victims of domestic abuse and their children?
I agree with the sentiments that Mary Scanlon expresses and congratulate her on her efforts to address the issue. As I said, I hope to be able to make an announcement fairly shortly in respect of the establishment of a helpline in Scotland that is dedicated to male victims of domestic abuse in Scotland.
My constituent Jackie Walls has been closely involved with this issue and, indeed, recently took it to the Public Petitions Committee. Does the minister accept that males are excluded from seeking assistance from some women's charities and that, as a result, male victims of domestic abuse need separate help rather than just a helpline?
With the gender-based analysis approach that we are taking to the issue of domestic abuse, a dedicated facility for the male victims of domestic abuse will be required. That is the strategy that I am working on.
Does the minister recognise that the pattern shown in the figures is that domestic abuse is a crime that is overwhelmingly committed by men against women? Does he agree that if we are to eradicate domestic abuse we have to understand and challenge the attitudes that cause that pattern of behaviour? Will he confirm that in offering support to male victims of domestic abuse he remains committed to tackling the underlying gender nature of this crime?
I think that I made clear in my previous response that our strategy is based on a gender-based analysis. I accept that the vast majority of incidents are male on female, but we are also trying to address the growing problem of male victims of domestic abuse. I hope that Johann Lamont and the Labour Party agree that that is the right thing to do.
Public Service Vehicles (Shared Fuel Depots and Management Systems)
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider encouraging users of public service vehicles to share fuel depots and fuel management systems to reduce costs and spills as part of its approach to achieving climate change targets and efficiency savings. (S3O-9408)
The Scottish Government welcomes and encourages any collaboration and shared services ventures that are undertaken across the public sector, including the use of shared depots and collaborative fuel procurement contracts by public service vehicle owners.
The minister might well be aware of one public sector organisation that by taking such an approach has managed to recover its capital costs in one year. Will he take every possible step to encourage the police, fire and ambulance services to adopt that approach, which can result in significant savings and improvements not only to the environment but to safety?
The member makes a very good point. I understand that one fire service has made what appear to be very substantial savings through taking a new approach, and I will raise the matter in the meetings that I have with public sector bodies.
Minister for Housing and Communities (Discussions with Local Authorities)
To ask the Scottish Executive what issues the Minister for Housing and Communities has discussed recently with local authorities. (S3O-9388)
I have recently discussed a range of housing and communities issues with local authorities and with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities spokesperson for community wellbeing and safety.
The minister will be aware that during the recent cold weather concerns were expressed not only about the plight of people sleeping rough but about local authority procedures for monitoring the provision of accommodation to and support for rough sleepers. Can he assure us that he will review the procedures and report to the Parliament any changes that might be needed to ensure that people do not have to sleep rough on our streets?
The procedures that we are following were inherited from the previous Administration, but I am keeping under constant review whether any are not satisfactory. We are working closely with our local authority colleagues on all aspects of the problem.
Has the minister urged local authorities that have not yet done so to consider housing stock transfer, which would wipe out their housing debt and improve local accountability?
I am glad to say that earlier this week I, the Glasgow Housing Association and the Glasgow and West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations announced the transfer of 16,500 houses from Glasgow Housing Association to community-based housing associations. That compares with the previous Administration's record of no second-stage transfers.
Aberdeen City Council(Single Outcome Agreements)
To ask the Scottish Executive what dialogue it has had with Aberdeen City Council on delivery of its single outcome agreements. (S3O-9358)
There has been regular dialogue with Aberdeen City Council on the single outcome agreement for the city. The council is one of the partners in the Aberdeen city alliance, which drew up the agreement. I met representatives of the alliance to sign the latest agreement on 30 July 2009.
The Scottish Government's budget has gone up this year, but the funding settlement for our local authorities means that Aberdeen and all councils face great challenges in meeting their single outcome agreements. Will the cabinet secretary clarify his view on a vexed issue that affects the situation in Aberdeen? Is it now the Scottish Government's position, as stated by its spokesman, that it will review the funding formula for local authorities only if there are major changes in Scotland's constitutional relationship with the United Kingdom?
When the current Government came to office, local authorities' share of the budget was declining. As a consequence of decisions that ministers have taken in this Administration, and of the agreement that we have secured with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, which is enshrined in the concordat, local authorities' share of the Scottish budget is now increasing. That is obviously of greater assistance to local authorities than would have been the case if we had carried on with the previous Administration's approach of reducing the share of the budget that goes to local government.
Does the cabinet secretary believe that the increased thresholds in the small business bonus and the continued council tax freeze that was agreed in the Scottish budget yesterday will help Aberdeen City Council to meet its business-related and deprivation-related outcomes?
I agree with Maureen Watt. Parliament took the decision yesterday to support the budget, in the face of fierce opposition from the Labour Party, which did not want to set a budget. Thankfully, Parliament agreed a budget, and we put in place the financial resources for local government. If we had taken the Labour Party's approach yesterday, we would not be in a position to put a finance order before Parliament next week to support local government services. Aberdeen City Council would therefore have been unable to get financial support if we had followed the foolish direction taken by the Labour Party yesterday. Maureen Watt is absolutely right that council tax payers and small businesses in Aberdeen will be relieved that the Government's budget has prevailed and that they will get the financial support to which they are entitled in these difficult times.
Despite the significant improvements that have been made since the damning Accounts Commission report of two years or so ago, is the cabinet secretary aware that Aberdeen City Council still faces extreme difficulties in making further progress, particularly in social work provision, under the current funding formula? What can the cabinet secretary do to help?
Dr Milne makes the fair point that great progress has been made in the city of Aberdeen since the Accounts Commission report, and I pay tribute to the leadership and chief executive of Aberdeen City Council for undertaking the necessary reform. Clearly, there are still major challenges, because the city lived beyond its means for a significant number of years, as I am sure Dr Milne accepts. The council's leadership are now taking steps to ensure that the city's finances are on a stable and sustainable footing, and the Scottish Government will support them in their efforts.
Community Health Services(Areas of Multiple Deprivation)
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase access to community-based health services in areas of multiple deprivation. (S3O-9406)
The Scottish Government is making wide-ranging investment to improve access to health services across Scotland, particularly in those areas of multiple deprivation where we see significant health inequalities. We are investing £82 million from 2009 to 2011 in the primary and community care premises modernisation programme, which will significantly improve the quality of and access to a range of health services in the community.
There is no doubting that a clear link exists between health inequalities and issues such as unemployment and poverty. There is therefore an on-going need to increase access to high-quality health services in areas of multiple deprivation. Will the minister therefore consider favourably a proposal to trial NHS walk-in centres in Scotland? Will she give particular consideration to trialling such a centre in South Ayrshire, which, according to the most recent Scottish index of multiple deprivation, has 19 areas that are among the 15 per cent most deprived in Scotland?
The evidence that we have considered carefully through the task force that produced the "Equally Well" report tells us that people who live in the most deprived communities are the least likely to access health services. I therefore suggest to John Scott that the approach in our keep well initiative, which involves proactively contacting people who are not using the health service, is the best way to deliver and to encourage people from deprived communities to use and access the health service. I am not convinced that the sort of walk-in centre that the member promotes would address health inequalities in the way that he suggests. We are always keen to develop new ideas in the health service to ensure that access is as wide as we can make it. However, the evidence shows that the keep well approach is the way in which to tackle health inequalities.
National Insurance Contributions(Scottish Budget Impact)
To ask the Scottish Government what impact the Chancellor of the Exchequer's plans to increase national insurance contributions by 1 per cent from April 2011 at a cost of £104.3 million to the Scottish budget will have on jobs in local government, the national health service, the police and fire services. (S3O-9417)
As the member will be aware, we do not have certainty about our budgets for 2011-12 and beyond. We are obliged to wait and see what emerges from the next Westminster spending review, which is expected later this year. However, we know that respected institutions are predicting deep reductions in public spending in 2011-12 and in the medium term. We know that the chancellor's increase in national insurance contribution rates will make those cuts deeper by more than £100 million in Scotland alone in a single year. The tax will be collected by the United Kingdom Government. If the £100 million additional burden was retained in Scotland, it could pay for 2,300 police officers or approximately 4,000 nurses each year.
Does the cabinet secretary agree that the £104.3 million that the chancellor will remove year on year from the Scottish block through his national insurance increases and which will go straight to the Treasury should be returned by the UK Government to Scotland? Will he therefore initiate discussions with the Treasury on that basis?
The issue is perhaps a perfect illustration of the limitations and constraints of the financial responsibilities of the Parliament as currently constituted. If we had a broader range of financial powers, we would be able to take a range of decisions that would allow us to guarantee the sustainability of the Scottish economy in the years to come. That would be a welcome step and it is one on which Mr Gibson and I entirely agree.
I draw the cabinet secretary's attention to the recent Scottish Police Federation report that revealed that forces are suffering an £11 million shortfall in funding as a result of the introduction of the Scottish Government's concordat with local government. Does the cabinet secretary agree with the comments of Les Gray, chairman of the Strathclyde branch of the Scottish Police Federation, that the situation will lead to
The points in the newspaper report to which the member refers have absolutely nothing to do with the concordat and everything to do with the cuts that have been imposed on Scotland by the United Kingdom Government and that Government's financial mismanagement of the United Kingdom's public finances.