Good morning. The first item of business is general questions.
Breastfeeding (Guidance and Support)
To ask the Scottish Government what funding it is giving to enable national health service boards to offer the best possible guidance and support to new mothers to encourage breastfeeding. (S4O-04414)
We have invested more than £8.6 million from 2011 to date. That is provided directly to NHS boards for implementation of the maternal and infant nutrition framework, of which breastfeeding support is a key component. We have invested an additional £300,000 to assist NHS boards to achieve and maintain UNICEF baby friendly accreditation.
As a new gran, I have seen the superb support given by the Lanarkshire breastfeeding initiative to new parents to start and sustain breastfeeding, from the neonatal unit to on-going advice and encouragement at home. However, in spite of the clear scientific evidence of the benefits, from protection from disease to lifelong health benefits, there is a rapid drop-off of breastfeeding once at home.
Will the minister agree to meet me and staff from the breastfeeding initiative to discuss how to further address the issue, including consideration of the full implementation of the World Health Organization code, to address aggressive advertising by formula manufacturers? If she will consider such a meeting, I would appreciate it if she could also allow my colleague Elaine Smith, who has taken a great interest in the issue, to join us with her constituents.
I am perfectly happy to meet both Claudia Beamish and Elaine Smith to discuss the issue. I have already met people from the breastfeeding initiative. As Claudia Beamish knows, we are undertaking a strategic review of maternity and neonatal services, and I hope that breastfeeding and support for breastfeeding will play a key part in that. Rates of initial breastfeeding are increasing, albeit slowly, and too slowly for my liking. In order to sustain breastfeeding, we need to look at what support is required, so I am happy to meet the members.
What funding and support is the Scottish Government giving to NHS boards to support perinatal mental health in new mothers?
I am not sure that that is entirely relevant. I call Elaine Smith.
I thank the minister for agreeing to meet me and Claudia Beamish, and I would be happy to come to that meeting. The breast is best message seems to be well understood but rates of breastfeeding remain low, as we heard from the minister’s answers. What can the Scottish Government do to turn the issue on its head and inform parents of the health problems associated with formula feeding, to ensure that they have all the necessary facts to help them to make a properly informed choice, so that society can move to a situation in which breastfeeding becomes the norm, with formula available as a back-up for the relatively small number of mothers who simply cannot breastfeed?
I appreciate the work that Elaine Smith has done on breastfeeding. If there was an easy answer, I am sure that we would have found it by now. The benefits of breastfeeding are explained to pregnant mothers at neonatal classes, but sometimes the societal barriers are greater than mothers’ appreciation of the benefits. There are loads of strands to the issue and we need to ensure that those who are looking after mothers—midwives and people delivering neonatal classes—have the best possible information about ways of taking matters forward.
Scottish Medicines Consortium (Approved Treatments)
To ask the Scottish Government whether all treatments approved for use by the Scottish Medicines Consortium are made available by the national health service. (S4O-04415)
The Scottish Medicines Consortium provides advice to NHS Scotland about the value for patients of every newly licensed medicine. When the SMC accepts a new medicine, NHS boards are expected to make it or an equivalent SMC-accepted medicine available. NHS boards also have clinically led processes in place to look at how medicines should be used in treatment pathways, based on the available evidence.
In November 2013, the Scottish Medicines Consortium approved enzalutamide without restriction for men with incurable prostate cancer who had had chemotherapy. Soon after, Prostate Cancer UK was receiving calls from men who were being denied the drug, because their health board had placed its own restriction on its use by those who had used the drug abiraterone. At the time, Prostate Cancer UK said:
“Men with incurable prostate cancer should not be expected to fight battles with the NHS for SMC approved drugs.”
Does the cabinet secretary agree with that sentiment? Will she agree to implement the Scottish cancer coalition’s call for all SMC drug approvals to be made binding on all NHS boards to resolve this situation and many others like it?
I thank Cara Hilton for that important question. The Scottish Government is aware of the concerns of patient groups, which believe that the approach taken by the regional cancer networks is not consistent with the SMC’s advice.
The SMC has advised health boards that its advice does not promote the use of enzalutamide in this setting. Although the Scottish Government appreciates the points made by the charities, it would not be appropriate for it to direct the regional cancer networks to change their approach, where they consider it to be evidence based. However, I am sure that the regional cancer networks will review their approach as and when new evidence becomes available.
I will keep a close eye on the matter. I would be happy to keep Cara Hilton advised if there are any developments on that front.
Hepatitis C (Treatment)
Good morning, Presiding Officer.
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support the treatment of people with hepatitis C in Glasgow. (S4O-04416)
Good morning, Mr Malik.
The Scottish Government is recognised internationally as a world leader for our response to hepatitis C. As a result of our hep C action plan, we have more than doubled the number of people starting treatment for hep C in Scotland, from 400 a year in 2007 to 1,100 a year in 2013. Many of those people who have been treated and cured live in the Glasgow area.
Scotland is also at the forefront of implementing new, highly effective therapies for hep C. The first of those new antiviral treatments was approved for use by the Scottish Medicines Consortium in 2014, and it is available on the national health service.
Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board has around one third of Scotland’s hepatitis C infected patients. Therefore, the massive cost of the new interferon-free drugs falls disproportionately on the health board.
People in Glasgow must wait until their liver becomes seriously damaged before they are eligible for the new treatment. One of my constituents is undergoing treatment in another part of Scotland, because access to the new treatment in that board area requires a lower level of liver damage. Will the minister please look into the issue and consider giving additional funds to Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board? Will she ensure equal access to new hep C treatment across Scotland?
If the member wants to write to me about that specific case, I would be entirely pleased to look into it.
The Government provides around £28 million of additional funding a year to support the treatment framework. We separately provide NHS boards with additional and proportionate funding to support the rising costs of the new drugs.
As I said, I am happy to take up the member’s case.
Borders Railway (Public Engagement)
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the level of engagement undertaken by Network Rail with local constituents during the building of the Borders railway. (S4O-04417)
I am delighted that we will soon see the benefit of the Scottish Government’s £294 million investment in the Borders railway.
I am aware that Network Rail has carried out extensive, positive engagement along the route with line-side neighbours. As recently as last week, the Borders railway’s project director and the Scotland for Network Rail’s route delivery director personally surveyed residents of Westfield Bank and Hardengreen.
However, I am concerned that there have been instances where Network Rail’s communication has not consistently reached the high standards that we would expect during the delivery of a publicly funded key infrastructure project. Consequently, I have written to Mark Carne, chief executive of Network Rail, expressing my concerns about its stakeholder management. I await his response.
The cabinet secretary is, of course, aware of our prior correspondence on the issue. What steps are being taken to enhance engagement between the constituents and Network Rail and to ensure that Network Rail is minimising any adverse effects on local residents from the railway?
I am aware of the issue, not least because of the member’s efforts to represent his constituents in that regard.
He will know that Transport Scotland will now provide me with a weekly update on the issues at Hardengreen and Westfield Bank. As I mentioned, I have written to Mark Carne expressing disappointment at the level of stakeholder engagement. I also mentioned the project director’s personal involvement in surveying residents.
Findings are being compiled and an action plan will be developed to address concerns. Specific concerns related to barriers, on which we have an agreed way forward, and to some tree planting, on which I also expect that we will have an agreed way forward. It is better that adverse effects not happen, because the project will be tremendously successful for the Borders and Scotland. We want to ensure that, wherever it is possible, the effects of the railway’s construction are ameliorated for everyone who is affected.
I thank the cabinet secretary for his site visits to Heriot and Falahill, which have borne the brunt of the construction works and are not having train stations.
I put on record my thanks to Craig Bowman and Carol Deveney of Network Rail and Stuart Mackay of BAM Nuttall, who have engaged with me on behalf of constituents. The cabinet secretary said that Network Rail’s engagement with the community needs to improve, and I agree with him. I hope that he will persist in ensuring that that happens, because it has taken some time to get improvements.
The only thing that I would add to that is that Network Rail and Transport Scotland met stakeholders on 1 June. There will be a further meeting on 17 June.
As Christine Grahame says, it is as well that we try to address the issues, which are minor in terms of the whole project but important to the residents who are affected. If we make sure that we address them in the right way, we can all look forward to a fantastic opening of the Borders railway in September this year.
BAE Systems (Clyde Shipyards)
To ask the Scottish Government what involvement it had in the BAE Systems announcement that it plans to continue work in both the Scotstoun and Govan yards on the Clyde. (S4O-04418)
BAE is a major player in the Scottish and United Kingdom defence industry and I am pleased that the company has decided to invest in the future of the Govan and Scotstoun shipyards.
The Scottish Government maintains regular dialogue with BAE on its forward plans. BAE still has ambitions to seek export opportunities as well as progressing with Ministry of Defence orders. Scottish Enterprise will continue to work closely with the company to offer support as it makes that investment.
I thank the cabinet secretary for that positive reply. Is he willing, diary permitting, to accompany me on a visit to BAE Systems to discuss future projects for jobs and contracts in its yards on the Clyde?
I would be happy to do so. I last visited the facility at Scotstoun on 11 February for one of the continuing updates that I have had with the company about its investment plans. There has been close working with Scottish Enterprise on the different areas of support that are available to assist the company with its investment. I would be happy to work with Mr Kidd and accompany him to a meeting to discuss that issue with BAE.
Question 6, in the name of Stuart McMillan, has been withdrawn for understandable reasons.
Listed Buildings (Preservation)
To ask the Scottish Government what strategy it has in place to ensure that listed buildings are preserved. (S4O-04420)
All owners of listed buildings have a general responsibility to maintain their property. If owners fail to fulfil that responsibility, planning authorities have powers to intervene. That can include a local authority carrying out necessary works itself and billing the owner. Similar powers are retained by ministers.
Last year, “Our Place in Time: The Historic Environment Strategy for Scotland” was published. It is Scotland’s first ever strategy for the historic environment. One of the key priorities set out in the strategy is for the people who are involved in the management of our historic environment to continue to apply effective and proportionate protection and regulation with controls and incentives. I am confident that historic buildings will benefit as the strategy is delivered.
Broadford works in Aberdeen has the largest cluster of at-risk A-listed buildings in the United Kingdom, which are under threat because of fire raising and vandalism attacks. Does the Government have any tools at its disposal to force the owner to develop the site, for which he has planning permission? Is it possible to charge him the non-domestic rates that he is currently exempt from paying?
Historic Scotland’s role in listed buildings is as advisers to local authorities. We and Historic Scotland are in contact with Aberdeen City Council’s planning officials, whose role is to liaise with building standards colleagues and, importantly, the owner of the site to agree on what additional measures can be put in place.
I understand that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has confirmed that it had a multi-agency site meeting on 28 May with representatives of Aberdeen City Council. It will be presenting a range of options for consideration by the relevant planning committee on the council.
The member is correct. One of the best ways to deal with any risk to vacant properties is to make use of them. However, we must ensure that we do that collectively with owners and in conjunction with the relevant planning authority, which in this case is Aberdeen City Council. I respect the member’s important constituency interest in the issue and I assure him that we will continue to take a keen interest in the developments at Broadford.
Poverty and Inequality
To ask the Scottish Government what impact the measures in the Queen’s speech will have on its ability to tackle poverty and inequality. (S4O-04421)
The full employment and welfare benefits bill announced in the Queen’s speech includes initial details about additional cuts to the United Kingdom welfare budget. Those include freezing working-age benefits, tax credits and child benefit for two years; lowering the benefit cap to £23,000; and removing automatic entitlement to housing support for 18 to 21-year-olds.
Those three provisions alone will make it much more difficult for the Scottish Government to tackle poverty. However, they account for only a fraction of the £12 billion reduction in welfare spend that the UK Government has said that it will introduce. The Scottish Government will continue to mitigate the worst aspects of welfare reform but there is a genuine limit to what we can do in the face of such severe on-going cuts.
In 2005, during the leadership contest for the Conservative Party, the Prime Minister described the need for citizens advice bureaux to make referrals for food parcels as an indictment of failed government. Does the cabinet secretary therefore agree that, for David Cameron and his Government to put through further austerity measures, knowing that it will mean that many, many more families are plunged into crisis and reliant on food banks, is disgraceful and hypocritical?
I entirely agree. The Trussell Trust, which is the main agency that runs food banks in Scotland, reports that, in 2014-15, more than eight times the number of people were helped than just two years previously, and that the most common reasons for people using food banks are benefit changes and delays, and low income.
The increased reliance on food banks and the further £12 billion of welfare cuts that the Tories are proposing shows that they cannot be trusted with the welfare system. We need full powers over social security here in this Parliament so that we can establish a more equal, fair, simple and humane system for Scotland.
A82 (Improvements)
To ask the Scottish Government what improvements it has made to the A82. (S4O-04422)
The Scottish Government is committed to improving the A82 and has invested more than £20 million recently on the Crianlarich bypass, and at Pulpit Rock and Glen Gloy. The Pulpit Rock improvement enabled the road to open to two-way traffic for the first time in 30 years. A £2 million design commission to improve the 17km section of the A82 from Tarbet to Inverarnan is also well under way.
I am sure that the minister will be pleased to hear that I have been contacted by constituents throughout the west Highlands and beyond who are delighted by the improvements at Pulpit Rock on Loch Lomondside, especially given, as he rightly says, that the road there has been a long-standing impediment to traffic for many years. Taken together with the Crianlarich bypass—
Do you have a question?
Does the minister agree that, with full borrowing powers, we could do much more to upgrade infrastructure throughout the Highlands and Islands and the rest of Scotland?
I am happy to be the bearer of good news and to spread joy across Scotland with infrastructure investment. The short answer to the question is yes, I do and yes, we could.
Before we move to the next item of business, members will wish to join me in welcoming to the gallery His Excellency Mr Euripides Evriviades, the High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus. [Applause.]