SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
General Questions
Midwife-led Maternity Units
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is giving to national health service boards to set up and run midwife-led units. (S3O-2508)
It is for each NHS board to plan and organise maternity care provision to meet local need and ensure that informed choice and a variety of care options is available to all women. We expect all NHS boards to ensure that all women receive the best available evidence-based care when and where it is required.
In response to a freedom of information request, NHS Fife has recently quoted the cost of providing a midwife-led unit in Dunfermline, which is considerably higher than the cost of an alongside midwife-led unit at Forth Park hospital in Kirkcaldy. Will the minister investigate whether more funding will be made available to ensure that such facilities are put in place at Queen Margaret hospital in Dunfermline as soon as possible?
The member will be aware that from the outset of the "Right for Fife" review in 2001-02, NHS Fife has always planned to provide a community maternity unit in Queen Margaret hospital. The timetable for providing the unit depends largely on the transfer of other services between Victoria hospital in Kirkcaldy and Queen Margaret hospital. I know that the board remains committed to providing the unit within the timetable for its general hospitals and maternity project. We expect it to do so within the budget that it has been allocated. I am aware that the member has been kept informed of the developments that have been taking place.
What encouragement is the Scottish Government giving NHS boards to organise the distribution of community midwives according to maternal and neonatal risk factors in particular areas rather than on a crude population basis, as is often the case at present?
The member raises an important point. We would always expect such risk factors to be taken into account in the allocation of midwives, particularly in more deprived communities, where there is greater need. I am certainly happy to write to the member to provide more detail on that.
Delayed Discharge
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is confident that it will reach Labour's target of zero delayed discharges from hospitals by the end of March 2008 in each local authority and national health service board area. (S3O-2547)
All local authority and NHS partnerships are committed to eliminating all delays over six weeks by April 2008. We expect partnerships to continue to work together to ensure that that target is met.
I am sure that the minister will join me in congratulating the national health service on the excellent work that it has done over the past few years in reducing delayed discharges, which, by blocking beds, create major problems. Will she confirm that zero means zero only for those in hospital for more than six weeks? Will she give the Parliament an undertaking that the figure will remain at zero for the over-six-weeks delayed discharges and that the rise that has been seen by September and October each year will no longer occur? Finally, will she guarantee that in eliminating the longer-term, over-six-weeks delayed discharges, a larger number of short-term delayed discharges will not occur and there will not be a rise in the number of beds blocked?
Once we have eliminated the delays, I want to see zero delays every day, not just on census day. I have certainly made that clear and I expect all partnerships to work together and put in place plans that will ensure that the zero target is sustained. From what I can see, that is happening locally. Yes there are seasonal fluctuations, which are a challenge in keeping the figure at zero, but from what I have seen of the local plans I am assured that plans are being put in place to avoid unnecessary hospital admission and for upstream services, which can help to ensure that we maintain the figure at zero. I assure the member that I will keep a very close eye on the matter.
Inequalities
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to address inequalities in Scotland. (S3O-2530)
Our aim is to focus Government and public services on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all Scotland to flourish. We are therefore committed to tackling the prejudice and discrimination that lead to inequality in Scottish society. We will do that by mainstreaming equality across all Scottish Government policies, practices and services to ensure that our activities meet the needs of all the people we serve. The requirements of the public sector equality duties for race, disability and gender will support us in that process.
The minister will be aware that today is world book day. Earlier this morning, I had the privilege of sharing in the celebrations at St George's primary school in my constituency. Can the minister outline what progress there has been in supporting the right to read campaign, which ensures that those with visual impairment have access to the joy of reading? Will he outline what action he is taking to ensure that equality indicators are compulsory in the developing single outcome agreements? How will he ensure that the equality impact of the single outcome agreements is fully monitored?
I am happy to join the member in supporting the right to read campaign, which has a great impact on our young people, particularly primary school children. We want all our children to have access to the maximum education opportunities that literacy will bring to them as adults.
Does the minister agree that the 2014 Commonwealth games present us with a golden opportunity to provide employment opportunities for some of the most deprived areas in Glasgow? Will the Government consider introducing special measures to achieve those aims? I am, of course, willing to meet the minister to discuss any proposals.
Under the subject of equalities, minister, you are more than welcome to attempt to answer that.
The question was about equality of opportunity for people who live in the east end of Glasgow.
The recent budget addressed the extra demands that are being placed on the city of Edinburgh but, at the same time, the fairer Scotland fund delivered a real-terms cut in funding to the city of Glasgow, which is also faced with additional significant demands. Although levels of poverty, deprivation and inequality have decreased in Glasgow in recent years, the problem is still significant. Will the Government commit to follow through on the precedent that was set in relation to Edinburgh and provide additional funding to Glasgow in recognition of that city's special circumstances and particular inequalities?
I disagree with the member's comment about the fairer Scotland fund. It provides £435 million over the next three years to challenge directly some of the problems of poverty and inequality across our country. If the member does not support the idea of replacing seven different funding streams with one funding stream, thereby reducing the administrative burden on local groups that previously had to apply to many different funding streams to achieve the funding levels that were necessary to take on the work of tackling poverty in Glasgow and elsewhere, she is rather out of touch with the problems that those local groups faced.
Free Nursery Places
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to change legislation that prevents children from accessing free nursery entitlement on reaching their third birthday. (S3O-2551)
Entitlement to pre-school education was increased from 412.5 hours a year to 475 hours a year in the autumn of 2007 and it will increase further, to 570 hours a year, in August 2010. We are now starting to consider options to deliver the final step in achieving a 50 per cent increase by 2011. Options include starting entitlement from a child's third birthday or equalising entitlement so that all children receive six full terms of pre-school education before they start school. I will examine all the options to ensure that children in Scotland get the best start in life.
Excellent. I should give a loud cheer.
Steady—the Government has not done it yet.
Exactly. The devil is in the detail, and the minister gave us a lot of detail. However, I will not be churlish. My constituent, Alexis Stevenson, from Kirkintilloch, who is petitioning the Parliament for such a change, will no doubt be delighted to hear what the minister has just said, but I think that we will still continue with the petition.
As I indicated in my answer, we are looking at those very live options in order to complete the job.
Wick High School
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that Wick high school is in need of substantial refurbishment or replacement and, if so, what measures it plans to take to secure improvements to Wick high school. (S3O-2545)
The Highland Council has statutory responsibility for the provision and maintenance of school buildings in its area. Questions regarding investment priorities for individual schools within the estate are matters for the council.
Over the past three years, Highland Council has undertaken the largest secondary school building programme for several generations. Unfortunately, Wick high school has not reached the top of that programme. This week, the parents council of Wick high school published an extensive catalogue of the deficiencies in the school building. Will the minister agree to visit Wick high school to hear the parents' concerns at first hand? When can Highland Council expect to get extra cash from the Scottish futures trust to rebuild Wick high school?
I am aware of Highland Council's capital programme for secondary school refurbishments. Wick high school was on the council's original list of schools requiring refurbishment but was not included in the final list of 11. I understand that the highest priority is Thurso high school, followed by the unit for students with special needs at Nairn academy, and that joint third were Plockton high school and Nairn academy, with Wick high school next on the programme.
At a packed meeting at Wick high school—I have here a copy of the article on it in the press—the chairman of Highland Council's education culture and sport committee, Bill Fernie, told us that the council does not have the resources for a new build. Wick high school should be on Scotland's conscience. Further to my written request that the First Minister come to see the school for himself, will the minister instruct senior Scottish Government officials to visit the school and come back with proposals about how a state-of-the-art school suitable for the 21st century can be fast tracked?
Officials are constantly in touch with all local authorities regarding their school building programmes. The member well knows that, as is the case with other councils, it is for the Highland Council to determine its priorities. It is not for the Scottish Government to intervene to decide on the council's priorities.
Wick high school was given the lowest rating possible for the current state of its buildings. At what point and against which standards can a school be deemed to be unfit and unsafe for the purpose of educating children? [Interruption.]
Too many conversations are taking place round the chamber.
The member will be aware that the state of school buildings is a matter for councils to address, according to certain criteria. If the member wishes more detail on when a school is deemed to be unfit for purpose, I will write to her about that.
The minister will be aware that the fabric of Wick high school has been deteriorating since Peter Peacock was the leader of Highland Council. During the eight years of the Liberal-Labour Administration, not enough money was given to the council to deal with the problem.
Come to the question, please.
Does the minister agree that novel methods might require to be used? Does she support the idea of the council investigating a bond issue to deal with some of the immediate problems?
Various options are open to councils for accessing funding to rebuild their estate. As members know, the Government plans to introduce a Scottish futures trust, on which consultation ended last year.
Oil and Gas Exploration (Moray Firth)
To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers support the proposals by the United Kingdom Government to allow oil and gas exploration within the protected area of the Moray Firth. (S3O-2552)
Oil and gas exploration and exploitation are critically important to the Scottish economy but so, of course, is our environment. In considering whether such activities should be permitted in the Moray Firth special area of conservation, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, as the relevant competent authority, must comply with the requirements of the European Union habitats directive and the Offshore Petroleum Activities (Conservation of Habitats) Regulations 2001, as amended.
I presume that the minister will have seen today's coverage in The Press and Journal, which shows that Westminster's attitude to the available science is deeply flawed and that our precious marine environment is in danger. Has the Government decided whether to make representations to Westminster on this serious issue, given that we already know that its attitude is seriously flawed?
Our science will not be seriously flawed and our attitude will be determined by the work that is being undertaken by Scottish Natural Heritage. I repeat what I have just told the member. SNH is finalising its comments. The consultation round does not finish until 14 March. When I have seen SNH's advice, I am certain that I will do my usual robust thing.
Does the minister acknowledge that UK ministers and the oil and gas industry are guided by guidelines that were drawn up by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, whose data do not bear out the concerns that Mr Harper has expressed? Does he share my view that the UK Government's requirement that a strategic environmental assessment be carried out before a block is released for exploration under a licensing round is the right approach?
The right approach is to listen to the advice of SNH, to submit that before the end of the licensing round and to recognise the sensitivity of the issue.
I am delighted to say, before we move to First Minister's question time, that His Excellency Ron Prosor, the Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom, has joined us in the Presiding Officer's gallery this afternoon. Ambassador, on behalf of the Scottish Parliament I bid you a very warm welcome. [Applause]
Previous
Rape and Sexual Offences