SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
Pentair Enclosures
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Scottish Enterprise regarding the future of the Pentair Enclosures factory at Macmerry. (S2O-93)
We have had extensive discussions with the company through Scottish Development International and Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian in order to pursue the options of diversification, a management buyout and the sale of the facility as a going concern. However, the company has chosen to close the facility and the focus of the agencies involved is now on supporting the workers involved in finding alternative jobs.
I am grateful for that reply. Does the minister share my concern about the loss of 55 more manufacturing jobs in my constituency and about the removal of the company's machinery to China? As he knows, I have taken the matter up with the president of the Pentair corporation and with Scottish Enterprise. In view of the fact that it has not been possible to transfer the business as a going concern, will the minister undertake to do everything possible to help to secure new opportunities for the work force at Macmerry? Will he intervene to instruct Scottish Enterprise to bring new manufacturing jobs to the Pentair factory as soon as possible?
I certainly share the concern about the loss of jobs anywhere and our thoughts go to the 55 people involved and their families, who are affected by the closure. We have already made great efforts through the agencies that report to ministers to propose alternative solutions from the one that the company has chosen to take. That being the case, I expect the local enterprise company to work both to support the staff, as John Home Robertson requested, and to talk to the company about how the facility can be used to sustain employment in the community.
To ask the Scottish Executive what extra steps will be taken—I am asking this question as a supplementary.
It is a supplementary to Mr Home Robertson's question.
To ask the Scottish Executive what extra steps will be taken to encourage at least one ferry operator to tender for the Campbeltown to Ballycastle route.
I am afraid that that is the wrong question. We move on to question 2.
Church of Scotland (Homes)
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take in view of the possible closure of Church of Scotland homes for elderly people. (S2O-88)
We understand that the Church of Scotland is considering the future of its care homes and no decision has been made with regard to closures. We regularly meet representatives of the Church of Scotland to discuss a range of issues and we last met them on 27 May. We will meet again once the review of older people's services has been completed.
The minister will understand that I would be deeply concerned by any proposal to close care homes in the most rural and remote areas, not least because of the lack of local alternative provision. The people involved are happy where they are and the trauma of relocating them to places as much as 50 miles away would be unacceptable. Accordingly, will he ask officials to consider directing priority Scottish Executive funding to the particular rural problem that I outlined?
I am fully aware of the concerns that the member expresses, which are also the concerns of his constituents. I know that he is aware of the recent agreement on care home costs that was reached between local authorities, the independent sector and the voluntary sector. Part of the agreement was to establish a working group that would consider an assessment method for comparing the costs of care throughout Scotland. The group is seeking a mutually acceptable method of assessing those costs and the Executive will act as an observer on the working group. I know that the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities has asked councils to explore fully all issues with regard to the closure of Church of Scotland homes and I assure Mr Stone that we will consider fully any recommendations that come out of that on-going work.
Is the minister aware of the fears of the people of Troon, who have witnessed the closure of their Church of Scotland residential home and are witnessing the impending closure of their council care home at St Meddan's Court and a shrinking supply of private care home places? Will he allay those fears by guaranteeing that anyone who needs a care home place in future in Troon or anywhere else in Scotland will get one?
The member will be aware that local authorities have a duty to ensure that adequate care is provided. I appreciate the concerns that the member's constituents have raised with him about potential closures. However, I remind him that in the recent past, the Executive has supplied an additional £52 million in funding to local authorities for such services.
The minister mentioned continuing talks with COSLA. The Church of Scotland minister in Whithorn told me recently that talks between COSLA and the Church of Scotland have been on-going for 13 years. Does the minister agree that it is high time that the process was concluded by the Executive's stepping in to support the church in its care programme, for all the good reasons that Jamie Stone mentioned, and because, if the church is forced to close its homes, the only alternative will be for the whole cost of care to fall to the taxpayer, rather than the current shared cost?
I am more than well aware that discussions have been undertaken for a considerable time with the Church of Scotland and about the balance between publicly provided services and the independent and voluntary sectors. Considerable progress was made with the recent agreement on care home costs that my predecessor, Mr McAveety, concluded. The discussions that I mentioned and their outcomes are on-going. I am confident that, with good will from all parties concerned, we can make considerable progress.
Ferry (Campbeltown to Ballycastle)
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the Campbeltown to Ballycastle ferry tendering process. (S2O-94)
The tendering process for subsidy to reinstate the service attracted no bids. We have pursued alternative means of reinstating the service, but they have not led to a successful outcome to date.
Will the minister confirm that the Executive will continue its commitment to finding an operator for the route? In light of the discussions that he and his officials have had with ferry operators, will he consider reviewing the criteria in the contract, with a view to altering them and proceeding to offer a revised contract for the route?
On the first point, I can give that confirmation. We have approached several ferry companies. We remain committed to the project and to exploring all feasible options for reinstating the route. On the second point, it is clear that no bids were made under the proposed contract terms, so they are a key factor to be considered.
What extra steps will the Executive take to encourage at least one ferry operator to tender for this crucial route?
We are discussing those issues with the ferry operators to which I referred. I am not in a position to reveal those extra steps, but we are committed to the project and I hope to provide more information soon.
Is the Executive preventing Caledonian MacBrayne from tendering for the route? If so, why?
No.
National Health Service (Highlands)
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to improve standards in the health service across the Highlands. (S2O-124)
High standards of health care and services are important not only in the Highlands but throughout Scotland. That is why we established NHS Quality Improvement Scotland to focus on improving quality and standards and why we will promote a culture of continuing improvement in NHS Scotland.
One concern of my constituents is postcode prescribing and the availability of beta interferon. The partnership agreement contains a commitment to ending postcode prescribing by ensuring that NHS-approved drugs are made available in each NHS board area. When does the Executive plan to implement that policy?
The partnership agreement makes it clear that drugs that have been approved by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland should be made available in each NHS board area and I have made it clear that drugs and treatments that that body recommends should be available to meet clinical need. There is no delay in implementing the policy; we will monitor its implementation to ensure that that commitment is met. That is an important strand of the organisation's work, along with its wider work on national standards, to which I referred in my first answer.
Carers (Support)
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it offers carers. (S2O-104)
Carers receive public support from various sources including local authorities, the national health service and voluntary bodies. The Executive is providing £21 million this year to local authorities for the benefit of carers, in addition to the £250,000 that it is providing to voluntary bodies for information and support services.
The minister will be aware that next week is national carers week. Does he agree that too many carers continue to live unidentified in the shadows? What action can the Executive take to address the situation?
I appreciate the mention of national carers week. It is clear that it is an important event in Scotland each time that it comes around. A number of measures are being developed to identify and support carers. In the recent past, the Executive introduced free personal and nursing care, which assists not only those who are cared for but their carers. The joint future agenda allows local authorities and the national health service to improve support for carers through better, more co-ordinated services.
Given that nearly 5,000 young people below the age of 16 care for someone from their own home, what plans does the Executive have to ensure that those young people are disadvantaged neither academically nor socially?
As I mentioned earlier, a range of measures is in place to identify the people who provide care in their community. The previous questioner rightly pointed out that we are not in possession of the full information. Work is under way to ensure that we know exactly who cares, where and when and to ensure that we provide them with as much support as possible.
Judiciary (Diversity)
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to increase diversity in the judiciary. (S2O-121)
In 2002, we established the independent Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland to make recommendations for the appointments of judges and sheriffs. Ministers gave specific guidance to the board inviting its members to consider the means of attracting a wider range of people to serve on the bench. I look forward to receiving the board's recommendations.
No doubt the minister is aware that one of the personal qualities that is required by candidates for the judiciary is an understanding of people and society. When some judicial judgments are looked at, such an understanding does not seem to be much in evidence. Does she agree that it is important for the judiciary to reflect the diversity of Scottish society sooner rather than later? If so, could she provide me with an assurance about the time scale of the proposals to achieve that?
I agree with what Kate Maclean said. It is important that the public has confidence in the judiciary. One way of achieving that is to have more diversity in judicial appointments. That is part of our agenda to modernise the justice system and the board is working on it at the moment. I look forward to receiving the board's first annual report, which is due to be published later this summer.
National Health Service (Fife)
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in regard to the implementation of the "Right for Fife" review of Fife's health services. (S2O-113)
The Scottish Executive met with officials of Fife NHS Board this morning to resolve outstanding issues.
Is the minister aware that uncertainty over the future of Fife's health services has affected staffing and provision not only in hospitals but in other areas such as primary care? Does he agree that staff in Fife's hospitals and primary care facilities would benefit considerably from his reassurance about the imminent implementation of the "Right for Fife" preferred option?
I am concerned about that uncertainty, about which representations have been made to me. That is why I am keen that the outline business case should be approved as soon as possible. I am pleased to report that officials from the NHS board and the Health Department had a positive meeting this morning to discuss Fife's financial plan. Subject to some detailed clarification, which is expected very soon, the department believes that there is a sound financial basis for Fife to take forward the "Right for Fife" project. Once the department has received the clarification, it expects to approve the outline business case very soon and enable Fife to move forward with detailed planning of the favoured option.
Does the minister agree that one of the success stories of Fife NHS Board has been the number of specialist general practice nurses, who have helped to relieve pressure on the hospital sector? What measures is he taking to encourage an increase in the number of specialist general practice nurses, who do such a tremendous job in treating patients who have chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma, stroke and coronary heart disease?
I agree that that has been one of the strengths in Fife; others, such as public involvement in primary care and good joint working between primary care and Fife Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, were highlighted in the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland report that was published last week.
I am glad that the minister's officials had some good discussions this morning. A headline from this morning's Dunfermline Press and West of Fife Advertiser is "Hospital set to cancel surgery for a month?" How is it right for Fife that the NHS board is giving active consideration to the cancellation of surgery during August? Is he aware that it is reported that a financial problem exists—perhaps of up to about £18 million—that is forcing the board to consider those desperate measures? What action will he take to ensure that surgery is not cancelled in August? It is high time that the situation was sorted out.
I apologise to Bruce Crawford as I have not read the paper that he has in his hands, but I read another paper that carried a clear statement from Fife NHS Board that there is no question of surgery being cancelled for a month in Fife this summer.
I welcome the minister's statement. People in my constituency and others have been worried about some of the press reports and I am pleased to hear what he is saying. Will he give us assistance in respect of the release of funds, which is urgently required if we are going to move to the full business plan?
I pay tribute to the work that has been done by Marilyn Livingstone and Christine May, who have lobbied me hard on the issue. It has been a matter of ensuring that the redesign plans are built on firm financial foundations. That is precisely the reassurance that was given this morning. As I announced, I am confident that, subject to clarification of the further fine details, approval will be given very soon.
Hate Crimes
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made by its working group on extending legislation to protect women and disabled, lesbian, gay, bisexual and older people against hate crimes. (S2O-126)
The Executive will shortly discuss with representatives from relevant groups the key topics to be covered under the working group's remit. We will use feedback from the discussions to produce a consultation paper, which is likely to be published in the autumn.
I thank the minister for her reply, which is encouraging. I draw her attention to a point that has come up recently. She will be well aware of the appalling level of crimes of violence against lesbian, gay and bisexual people and of that against disabled people, which has been outlined by Capability Scotland. Is she aware of recent research that shows the appalling level of violence within the home against older parents by their own children? Is that a matter of concern?
Any evidence of violence against people, particularly against vulnerable people in the context that Robin Harper describes, is a matter of concern. The working group will examine a variety of research, including research from the Disability Rights Commission that indicated a level of concern. We will obviously give very serious attention to that research. The research basis of the evidence is crucial, but so is the action plan and consultation that emerges from it. I am happy to discuss that with the member.
In considering whether we should have a law on hate crimes, will the minister consider the fact that a great number of gay men do not report that they have been victims of crime? Given that surveys by an organisation in my constituency, Beyond the Barriers, show that only 17 per cent of gay men have reported such crimes, will she consider how people can be given the confidence in the criminal justice system that they need to come forward in the first place to report crimes against them?
That is done in two ways. First, we must engage with that community and create a climate in which those issues are given proper attention. It is proper that Scotland should recognise the variety of issues that are faced by communities, and I think that the Executive has made significant strides with its equality strategy in that regard.
Museum of Flight
To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings it plans to have in respect of the bid from the National Museums of Scotland for a Concorde aircraft to be added to the collection of the Museum of Flight at East Fortune. (S2O-79)
Scottish ministers have written to the chief executive of British Airways supporting the bid by the National Museums of Scotland for a Concorde aircraft. Discussions have taken place between the National Museums of Scotland and British Airways, and the Scottish Executive meets the National Museums of Scotland regularly.
I welcome the minister's answer. Is he aware that more than a third of all MSPs have signed John Home Robertson's motion to support a Concorde going to the Museum of Flight at East Fortune in his constituency? In view of the fact that the wings of Concorde were designed by a constituent of the Lothians and that the early test flights were at Prestwick, will he continue to give very strong support to the National Museums of Scotland in its bid to British Airways in that connection?
I thank Lord James for that compelling argument in favour of the application. I support my colleague's local constituency interest in identifying bringing a Concorde to East Fortune as an added advantage to the tourist attractions of East Lothian. We genuinely recognise the importance of the bid in relation to the role that Scotland has played in the development of Concorde. We have submitted the written application and we hope that BA will consider it when making its final decision. I hope that, along with our colleagues, we can make the issue fly for the benefit of Scotland.
Nuclear Power Stations <br />(Environmental Implications)
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered the environmental implications of new nuclear power stations being built at Torness or Hunterston. (S2O-103)
No, because no application to build a new power station at either site has been made.
Will the minister clarify whether it is indeed the Executive's policy not to build any new nuclear power stations? Will he comment on the views of his coalition colleague, John Home Robertson, who stated that he is in favour of a new nuclear power station at Torness, and on the views of the Westminster Minister for Energy and Construction, Brian Wilson, who has stated that he is in favour of a new nuclear power station at Hunterston?
I am sure that John Home Robertson will speak for himself, but I can tell Ms Byrne that, from the Executive's point of view, the partnership agreement states clearly that we will not support the further development of nuclear power stations while waste management issues remain unresolved. The resolution of those waste management issues is something on which we will work jointly with our colleagues in the UK Government.
Will the minister acknowledge the fact that nuclear power stations, unlike Concorde, do not emit greenhouse gasses? Will he further acknowledge that, if we are serious about reducing carbon dioxide emissions, we will have to start thinking about replacing old polluting generating plant with new nuclear power stations? If there is to be a new reactor built somewhere in Scotland, we would be delighted to have it at Torness.
I have no doubt that the debate on the future of energy policy will continue both here and at Westminster. The Executive's position on nuclear power is as I stated in response to the first supplementary question.
Given the statement in the partnership agreement on the failure to find a solution to waste disposal, will the minister tell the Parliament whether he expects a solution for the disposal of waste in the lifetime of this Parliament? Will he promise us that that solution will not involve permanent disposal anywhere in Scotland, particularly in the South of Scotland region? How can he continue to license nuclear power stations to produce waste for which there is no disposal solution?
Mr Ballance will be aware of the United Kingdom Government's proposals on a nuclear decommissioning authority and on the establishment of a committee on radioactive waste management. We in the Scottish Executive will work with colleagues on that process.
Fife NHS Board (Meetings)
To ask the Scottish Executive when it next plans to meet Fife NHS Board. (S2O-78)
Scottish Executive Health Department officials met representatives of Fife NHS Board this morning.
The minister is aware that next year, Fife NHS Board faces a deficit of almost £18 million. It has made a farce of the "Right for Fife" health consultation and consultants at the Queen Margaret hospital and the Victoria hospital are now waging campaigns through the media. Will he guarantee that the financial problems of Fife NHS Board will not result in a poorer health service for all the people of Fife?
The issues that were discussed this morning and have been discussed in the past few weeks aim to ensure that Fife NHS Board's plans are clinically safe—that is the most important issue—and financially affordable. As I said earlier, we are now almost there on the second important criterion. I am confident that, in the very near future, the outline business case will be approved and that the further detailed work can be done—that includes the work of the group that I asked the board to appoint in relation to the development of services at the Queen Margaret hospital in Dunfermline. Of course, I insisted that local people were involved in planning.
When officials from the minister's department next meet Fife NHS Board, will the other sections in the "Right for Fife" document, as well as the provision of acute hospital services, be highlighted? Does he agree that the implementation of the "Right for Fife" proposals, with their emphasis on better and more local primary care services, would considerably benefit all Fifers?
That is an important point and connects with one of the key messages that I would like to stress about the health service throughout Scotland. In general, the policy direction is to have more services delivered in local communities, but the corollary is that, for some services, it is clinically safer and better in respect of the quality of care to concentrate services for certain specialisms. That is the framework for all the acute services reviews and the controversies that we all know so well throughout Scotland.
Young People
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on use by ministers—I repeat, by ministers—of the word "ned" in relation to young people. (S2O-98)
As this morning's debate indicated, the Executive recognises that the overwhelming majority of young people make a significant contribution to life in Scotland. However, a number of young people engage in unacceptable—I repeat, unacceptable—forms of behaviour, and I repeat that they must be tackled.
They must be tackled, but must they be called "neds"? Does the minister agree that our children deserve positive and supportive language from the Parliament? Has she read "Performance Audit: Dealing with offending by young people"? It states:
That is why we are doing what we are doing. Rather than blame people who use the term in question, it is much better to try to solve the problem. With all due respect, the member has a strange sense of priorities. I am quite happy to tell my constituents, such as elderly women who are mugged and hard-pressed families whose car tyres are regularly slashed, that the Scottish Socialist Party's policy is to say to them, "Look, be careful how you describe that, because you might hurt their feelings."
Does the minister agree that the term "ned"—which is, in fact, an abbreviation of ne'er-do-well—is not a collective description of young people, the vast majority of whom behave in a perfectly appropriate manner, but is an appropriate description of those who behave in the antisocial manner that the minister described, no matter what age group they belong to?
Let me make the Executive's position abundantly clear. We will not engage in semantics on the issue; instead, we will focus on the policies and services that we are delivering to tackle the problem. The Executive parties are the only parties in the chamber that are dedicated to tackling the causes of the problem rather than to arguing about semantics.
Will the minister refute the notion that only those from difficult and troubled backgrounds are involved in youth disorder? That notion insults the many young people who, no matter what difficulties they face in their lives, do not feel the need to bully or intimidate those around them. The notion also disregards the hostile and unacceptable behaviour of some young people from prosperous backgrounds. Does she agree that our constituents do not seek a semantic debate about how to describe behaviour; instead, they seek respect for their demand for peace in their communities for themselves and their children?
I agree with Johann Lamont, who has had a strong influence on the development of our policies on the issue. It is vital that we begin to understand the causes of youth disorder in our communities. We should not be glib and make sweeping statements. Some members' deliberate misinterpretation of the situation does a disservice, not only to our policy, but to the young people involved.
Scottish Natural Heritage (Relocation)
To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to respond to concerns raised with regard to the proposed relocation of Scottish Natural Heritage from Edinburgh to Inverness. (S2O-102)
The First Minister has stressed that the Executive will take as flexible an approach as possible in implementing the relocation. A meeting took place with the chairman of Scottish Natural Heritage on 2 June to discuss the concerns that have been expressed. Today, officials discussed with SNH a package of measures that are designed to address those concerns and to ensure that the relocation is as smooth as possible.
I am pleased to hear that dialogue is continuing, but the minister will be aware that many people, including members of the Scottish Parliament, representatives of the unions and members of SNH's board, have expressed considerable concerns about the matter. I stress that those concerns are not about the relocation policy, but about the substance and handling of the particular decision on SNH. Does the Executive plan to reconsider or modify the decision in the light of those concerns? Will the Executive examine further the specific concerns about best value, operational effectiveness and the impact on staff and will there, at any stage, be an independent assessment of the decision?
Over a 30-year period, the move to Inverness will cost, in net present value terms, somewhere in the region of £22 million. On the same basis, the cost of the other options considered ranged from £15 million to £22 million.
When will the minister publish a strategy for job dispersal that, first, allays the fears of workers in departments and agencies such as SNH who may find themselves working in Inverness or other parts of Scotland and, secondly, ensures that every part of Scotland has a fair share of public sector jobs that will underpin many fragile economies?
I advise the member that I have responsibility not for relocation policy per se, but for the relocation of SNH. We took the view that the relocation of SNH should bring benefits in terms of the development of relocation policy that would outweigh the financial aspects to which I have referred. Efficiency benefits can also be secured in the longer term, and it is important to have regard to both staff interests and the wider economic benefits that the relocation policy brings. The member will accept the fact that the relocation policy is in the interests of the wider economic development of Inverness and its environs.
Will the minister consider an argument, on the grounds of value for money or operational effectiveness, for SNH to retain some staff in Edinburgh?
That is something that we are discussing with SNH. SNH has indicated that it intends to see whether some reduction in the proposed 100 per cent dispersal could be argued as being either sensible or desirable on the basis of the functional relationships that may exist within the organisation. Such an argument could be made on the grounds of the reduction of risk or costs. However, we have said that we would be willing to consider such options only if they proposed a modest change and still delivered the vast majority of relocated jobs to Inverness.
Nursery Nurses
To ask the Scottish Executive how many discussions it has had with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities in the past two years regarding a pay review for nursery nurses. (S2O-101)
COSLA and the Scottish Executive are in regular formal and informal contact about a wide range of issues and do not hold centrally records of how many contacts are made in relation to any specific issue.
Given the fact that it takes 10 years for a nursery nurse to reach their maximum salary of £13,800 and the fact that they are entrusted with the care and development of the young people whom we discussed this morning, does the minister value that job and agree that their pay is a political issue? As a member of the Parliament, does he hold the political view that nursery nurses are not adequately paid, or does he believe that one MSP is worth four nursery nurses?
Nursery nurses perform a vital job in a vital sector of our education and care service, and we very much value their work. That is why we have invested significant sums of money in it over recent years—£80 million a year more than in 1999 and £185 million each year. There are now 27,000 individuals employed in that sector. However, nursery nurses are employees of local authorities, for the most part, and this dispute must be resolved between local authorities and the unions that are involved. We encourage COSLA and the unions to keep talking. We want a fair settlement for the nursery nurses that is also financially sustainable for the local authorities.
National Health Service (Returning Staff)
To ask the Scottish Executive what further plans it has to attract health professionals to return to work in the NHS. (S2O-106)
There are many recruitment and retention initiatives, including various return-to-practice courses and incentive schemes.
Many universities provide those courses, but I am asking the minister which schemes the Executive has in mind to attract back a great pool of talent that is underused, partly because of the inflexibility of working hours in national health service contracts.
We have funded, increased and promoted a large number of schemes. For example, there has been a big increase in the number of nurses doing return-to-practice courses. Those were funded over the last year, and they will continue to be funded by the Executive. It is not just nurses who go on those courses: allied health professionals, doctors, dentists and pharmacists also attend. That may be of some comfort to Mr Davidson, in case he has to return to work in that sector one day.
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