Infrastructure, Investment and Cities
Freight Transport (Carbon Saving)
To ask the Scottish Government what carbon saving would be made by removing one supermarket lorry from the A9 between Edinburgh and Thurso and carrying the contents by rail. (S4O-04274)
Based on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Department of Energy and Climate Change carbon emission figures published in 2014 and the latest data published by the Rail Delivery Group, the Scottish Government estimates that, for each tonne transferred by rail freight rather than by road, CO2 emissions would be reduced by up to 75 per cent. The actual carbon saving may depend on loading figures.
The minister should perhaps understand that 90 per cent of the supermarkets in the Highlands are within 1 mile of the railway and that many supermarkets deliver provisions by van to the furthest-flung doors in the country. Will he explore the possibility of introducing a new means to deliver supermarket stock, which could be unloaded from containers and picked up from rail sidings en route to supermarkets, so that further reductions can be made in greenhouse gases?
I will consider that. We are refreshing our rail freight strategy and will consult on it over the summer. It will include steps that the rail industry can take to encourage and support innovation and growth in the rail freight sector.
Rail Journey Times (Highland Main Line)
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on reducing journey times on the Highland main line between Inverness and Edinburgh. (S4O-04275)
Two additional train services were added on the Highland main line in December 2011, which increased the number of trains from nine to 11 per day between Inverness and the central belt. In December 2012, following technical improvements between Perth and Inverness, journey times improved by up to 18 minutes on some services. Further journey-time improvements of around 10 minutes on average, the introduction of an hourly service between Perth and Inverness that extends to Glasgow or Edinburgh and increased opportunities for freight will be delivered by 2019.
As I am sure the minister knows, the Scottish National Party promised in its 2007 manifesto to cut journey times from Inverness to Edinburgh by 45 minutes. The latest available figures show that the average journey time between Inverness and Edinburgh has reduced, but by nine minutes, and that the Monday-to-Friday service between Inverness and Edinburgh is taking longer than it did in 2007. When exactly will the Scottish Government deliver on that eight-year-old promise? Do we have to wait a generation?
The Scottish Government is working on the next stages of the investment strategy for future control periods, so we will continue to work on our manifesto commitments. We are making progress. We are modernising the railways and investing a significant sum of money. We will be aided by the proposals that the SNP has put before the people in the Westminster election, which will mean more spending on infrastructure than would be the case if the Tories were re-elected and infrastructure spending was reduced. The commitment will come more quickly with the SNP than it ever would have done with the Tories.
I welcome any increase in the speed of journeys, particularly for freight, between Inverness and the central belt. Does the minister share my view that one of the practical technical constraints is that the vast majority of the line is single track and that a serious increase in signalling is required to increase the speed of the service?
Yes—Mr Stewart is absolutely right. There are technical and infrastructure requirements that need to be addressed to help to achieve the reduction in journey times that we all wish to see. The point is fair.
I draw members’ attention to my entry in the register of members’ interests in relation to my role in Railfuture and my presidency of the Scottish Association for Public Transport. Will the minister confirm that, in Scotland, we are investing in our rail network more than double per capita what is being invested in England and Wales?
Yes. The Scottish Government is committed to investing £5 billion in Scotland’s railways over the five years to 2019, including more than £3 billion of capital investment in Network Rail infrastructure. On a per capita basis, that is more than double the equivalent investment planned by United Kingdom ministers.
What steps can the minister take to ensure that developments in the central belt do not mean that there are no slots for improving the frequency of trains on the Highland main line?
There is always a balancing act, but we are investing in Scotland’s rail infrastructure to improve journey times across the country, expand capacity, improve the customer experience and reach out to parts of the country. In considering capacity, demand and timetabling issues, we will ensure that the Highlands and every part of Scotland are fully connected to the central belt. That is our aspiration.
Question 3, in the name of Neil Bibby, has not been lodged. An explanation has been provided.
Government Procurement
To ask the Scottish Government what changes it has planned for government procurement. (S4O-04277)
A public consultation on changes to the planned procurement rules ended last week. We are analysing the responses to that consultation and will consider them as we take forward our plans to transpose the new European procurement directives and implement the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014.
The Federation of Small Businesses Scotland has suggested one change to procurement—namely, that annual procurement reports should,
“as a minimum, publish spend with suppliers broken down by ... business size (including micro and small businesses).”
What is the cabinet secretary’s response to that proposal?
I said that we have just finished a consultation exercise. I would rather wait until we have seen all the consultation responses before taking a definitive view. Gavin Brown’s substantive point, which is about giving small and medium-sized businesses as much advantage as possible, is well made. We very much have that in mind. At the same time, we want to ensure that public bodies and others are not overburdened with bureaucracy when they are involved in procurement. We try to reconcile those interests and we will make a substantive response when we have considered the consultation responses.
How will the Government ensure coherence between the 2014 act’s statutory guidance, which has just been consulted on, and the three-part duty on public bodies that is set out in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009? When my amendment on climate change was rejected at stage 2 of the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Bill, Nicola Sturgeon offered to have further discussions with me and Patrick Harvie about the development of the guidance to “encapsulate the points ... made”.
And the question is?
Will the cabinet secretary agree to meet me and Patrick Harvie to discuss the issue further?
I hope that Claudia Beamish and Patrick Harvie have responded to the consultation. I am more than happy to meet them to discuss the issue.
When the bill on public procurement was passed, the minister responsible said that all that was needed to deal with blacklisting was guidance. Can the cabinet secretary tell me of any project in Scotland in which the Government’s approach has prevented a blacklisting company from gaining a public contract?
We have put into procurement provisions a provision that no company involved in blacklisting will be allowed to have a Government contract.
It is worth pointing out—I think that Neil Findlay knows this—that, unfortunately, employment law is still the preserve of the United Kingdom Government. His party refused to agree to all employment law being devolved to Scotland. The UK Government is responsible for it.
We have taken action—the firmest action in the UK, I believe—to prevent blacklisting and we will continue to do that. If Neil Findlay wanted to work with the Government on that, I would be more than happy, but he should not make such points, because we have taken effective action to prevent blacklisting.
Question 5, in the name of Margaret McCulloch, has been withdrawn and an explanation has been provided.
Roads (Investment)
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase investment in roads as a result of the forecast population increase. (S4O-04279)
Our strategic transport projects review is a 20-year plan for investment that took into account forecast economic and population growth up to 2022. Despite Westminster’s real-terms cuts to Scottish capital budgets of about a quarter between 2010-11 and 2015-16, the Government continues to take decisive action to accelerate economic recovery through our investment decisions.
We have invested more than £6.5 billion in roads since 2007, with a further £690 million to be invested in the current financial year to ensure that our strategic road network remains safe, efficient and effective. Looking forward, we will continue to implement the STPR and our infrastructure investment plan, including completion of the largest transport infrastructure project in Scotland for a generation—the Queensferry crossing—and the dualling of the road network between Scotland’s cities.
Does the Scottish Government consider that it would be better to assess planning applications after it is known how infrastructure will develop in the area?
We do that, but when a planning application is made, we also have to take into account the likely impact on infrastructure. That correlation is underlined by, for example, policies such as no detriment. When a planning application could mean an additional burden on the road network, that should be taken into account during the planning process. There is a link between planning and infrastructure requirements.
We have also provided assistance in relation to housing developments to help with past infrastructure costs. The link is really between the investment plan for infrastructure and the planning process.
Such things are therefore taken into account. If the member has ideas on how that could be done more effectively, I am more than willing to listen to them but I assure him that what he seeks is done at the present time.
Will the Scottish Government confirm that, despite the Westminster Tory cuts to Scotland’s capital budget of more than 25 per cent in the past five years, it is committed to embarking on the largest road investment programme that Scotland has ever seen?
That is true, and it is worth remembering why it is true. A few months ago, the United Kingdom Secretary of State for Transport said that the problem in Scotland was the lack of investment in transport infrastructure. What the transport secretary, who was a minister for transport in 1989, said is correct: for decades we have not had the required investment in our road and rail networks.
In the point that was made earlier to Derek Mackay, the fact that we have had Beeching and massive disinvestment in our road and rail infrastructure was forgotten. We are doing what we can to turn that around. As Stewart Stevenson pointed out, we are making twice the level of investment per head in the rail and road network. A modern, developed economy should, at the very least, have motorways or dual carriageways between its cities, and this Government will achieve that.
Committee on Climate Change (Transport Recommendations)
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the transport recommendations made by the Committee on Climate Change in its 2015 progress report. (S4O-04280)
The United Kingdom Committee on Climate Change’s 2015 progress report showed that Scotland is outperforming the UK in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, we have the ambition to do more, and we are already taking action on some of the transport recommendations made in that report. For example, our switched on fleets initiative helps to overcome barriers to the adoption of electric vehicles by providing expert analysis to highlight where they can be most effectively introduced into fleets. We are backing that analysis with £2.5 million of funding to enable councils and their partners to act by buying or leasing electric cars and vans.
The minister says that the Government is taking action on some of the recommendations, but it is unclear whether it has accepted all the recommendations. If it has, we might hear fewer speeches about how great it is to have the biggest road-building programme that we have ever had.
The report’s final recommendation calls on the Scottish Government to assess the carbon impact of any proposed changes to air passenger duty. Does the minister agree that it would be bizarre to do that, find that carbon emissions are going to go up as a result of the proposed changes and proceed anyway?
We have to look at overall carbon emissions, and it will fit within our overall policies if we look at everything that we have set out for the transition to a low-carbon economy.
On roads and road building, we support the decarbonisation of road use, so it is not necessarily the case that building roads will lead to a massive increase in emissions. We want to bring levels down, which is why we support electric cars.
To answer Patrick Harvie’s question, we do not plan to introduce congestion charges or road user charging schemes, which was a recommendation in the report. Although congestion charging is a matter for local authorities, we do not plan to support its introduction. We are doing everything in our power to take forward the climate change agenda, and I will play an active role in the Cabinet sub-committee on the matter.
What progress is being made in developing the use of hydrogen-powered vehicles, where and by whom?
I am happy to write to the member with the details of our support for such projects. We have been supporting projects through the grant assistance that the Scottish Government provides.
Transport System (Enhanced Devolution)
To ask the Scottish Government what opportunities enhanced devolution could bring to the transport system. (S4O-04281)
The Scottish Government signalled our commitment to enhanced devolution of powers over transport in our submission to the Smith commission. We argued that all transport policy that is not currently the responsibility of the Scottish Parliament should be devolved.
Enhanced devolution is a natural step to take to ensure that our transport system is as consistent and integrated as possible—administratively and practically—to best meet the needs and aspirations of the people of Scotland.
One example of the opportunities that enhanced devolution could bring to the transport system is a reduction in air passenger duty. We have confirmed that we intend to reduce APD by 50 per cent in the next session of Parliament, with a view to eventual abolition of the tax when public finances allow.
Further, of course, we have stated our view that connecting Scotland to the high speed 2 line is a priority, and that there should be a high-speed connection between Glasgow, Edinburgh and the north of England as part of any high-speed rail network.
Unlike most other countries’ Governments, the Scottish Government does not currently have responsibility for borrowing. Does the minister feel that the delivery of proper borrowing powers to this Parliament will help us to invest in more infrastructure and, in turn, help to retain and create jobs, which would boost our economy through a multiplier effect, and of course, make a long-term contribution to growth and productivity?
Yes, of course. We welcome the extensions that are currently proposed, but we could go much further with regard to all the requests that members have made of the transport budget this afternoon if we had enhanced financial flexibility and the borrowing powers that this Parliament should have in order to grow Scotland’s economy.
The minister has answered the question that I was going to ask about air passenger duty. Can he tell me how the discussions with Her Majesty’s Government in Westminster are dealing with the issue? When will we hear of the completion of those discussions?
How the matter is taken forward is now in the hands of the next Westminster Government. The matter was covered in the Smith recommendations, and it will be for the next Westminster Government to fulfil the promises in the vow that was made to the people of Scotland.
As the member would expect, we have had some technical discussions around the devolution of APD, and we hope that that power is secured for the Parliament so that the Government can use it to best effect for the economy of Scotland.
Question 9, in the name of Adam Ingram, has not been lodged. An explanation has been provided.
Edinburgh to Glasgow Improvement Programme
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the status of the Edinburgh to Glasgow improvement programme. (S4O-04283)
The Edinburgh to Glasgow improvement programme is making good progress and remains on schedule for the introduction of the first electric services on the Edinburgh to Glasgow via Falkirk High route in December 2016.
Passengers are already benefiting from the £25 million transformation of Haymarket station and the Scottish Government’s £80 million investment in the electrification of the line between Cumbernauld and Glasgow, both of which were completed on time and on budget.
I understand that, while the Winchburgh tunnel is closed, we will lose four trains an hour from Glasgow Queen Street high level to Edinburgh, but ScotRail is proposing only to add one on an additional route. Can the Government comment on whether that will be sufficient to deal with capacity?
Because Mr Mason was at the presentation and briefing that I arranged for all members of the Scottish Parliament, he will be aware that there is a full communication exercise around arrangements for that necessary period of disruption, which we will keep to a minimum, to enable that excellent investment to happen.
Passengers will still be able to make direct rail journeys between Edinburgh and Glasgow on any of the other three routes connecting the cities, and ScotRail has provided an assurance that its disruption management plan will make best use of available resources, including, where possible, additional capacity.
Culture, Europe and External Affairs
We move to portfolio questions on culture, Europe and external affairs.
European Union (Benefits)
To ask the Scottish Government what benefits it considers the European Union brings to Scotland. (S4O-04284)
EU membership has been a vibrant source of social, cultural and economic benefit for Scotland over the past 40 years. Membership provides significant economic benefits, including access to the world’s largest single market, which has more than 500 million potential customers. In 2013, the EU was the destination for 46 per cent of Scottish exports, with a worth of some £12.9 billion.
The Scottish Government welcomes the social, cultural and economic benefits that migration from the EU delivers to Scotland’s communities. The right to freedom of movement is also beneficial to Scots who move to live, work and study elsewhere in the EU.
That is why the Scottish Government will continue to make the case for Scotland’s membership of the EU, as set out in “Scotland’s Action Plan for EU Engagement”, which was launched on 27 March 2015. A booklet on the benefits of Scotland’s membership of the EU was published alongside the action plan to further emphasise the advantages that Scotland enjoys by being part of the EU.
The Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee recently held an evidence session on internationalising Scottish business. In that session, the former Labour minister Brian Wilson stated that, as 330,000 Scottish jobs depend on exports to the EU,
“it would be bonkers to come out of Europe.”—[Official Report, Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee, 4 March 2015; c 6.]
He went on to say that every company and trade union had a vested interest in ensuring that we do not leave Europe.
Does the cabinet secretary agree that Scotland’s position is and always will be best served inside the EU?
Yes, I do. It is vital that Scotland remains in the EU so that we can preserve the economic benefits of EU membership. That is why the First Minister has proposed that, if there were to be a referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU, a decision to exit the EU should require not just a majority across the whole of the UK but a majority in each of its four constituent parts—in other words, a double majority. However, not having a referendum in the first place by locking out the Tories would, of course, be preferable.
Scottish Film Studio (Location and Timetable)
To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs will announce the location and timetable for the development of a permanent Scottish film studio. (S4O-04285)
I advised the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee on 4 May that Scottish Enterprise had received a new proposal to provide studio infrastructure for Scotland. That proposal had to undergo due diligence and commercial negotiations to consider its viability.
The due diligence process is complete but has proved more complicated than first thought. Commercial negotiations are still on-going and, at present, the proposal remains commercial in confidence. As such, I am unable to provide a definitive date for any announcement on a location or timetable for the development of a permanent Scottish film studio, but I will seek to make an announcement as soon as possible.
I thank the cabinet secretary for her reply, and I hope that she enjoyed her trip to Hollywood.
Obviously, I would want the studio to be located in North Lanarkshire, even though the proposed studio near Edinburgh would be called Pentland studios. Does the cabinet secretary agree that we need to speed up progress on the proposal to use the industrial site in North Lanarkshire, where the project would be welcome and would give a much-needed boost to the local economy?
I am aware that there are different proposals on the location of a film studio. All that I can say at the moment is that discussions are on-going in relation to the proposal that Scottish Enterprise received.
The member refers to the studio that is already located in his region. It is worth reminding everyone that “Outlander”—the production that is currently being filmed in Cumbernauld—had a £38 million budget for its first season. On my visit to the United States, I was quite aware of the huge impact that that series is having, and I am delighted that it is being filmed in Scotland.
From the point of view of delivering an economic impact, the member should not underestimate what we are talking about—it is the biggest inward investment in film activity that we have had in Scotland, and it is very much to be welcomed. However, as he will appreciate, I cannot give him further information or details on a location or timetable for the proposed new studio.
As the cabinet secretary will be aware, I have pursued this issue for many years now; in fact, as recently as 28 April, she was kind enough to reply to a parliamentary question from me in the same terms that she has replied to John Pentland. I understand the issues with regard to due diligence and commercial confidentiality, but I would be very interested to know whether, when the cabinet secretary makes the announcement—which sounds to me fairly imminent—she will do so by statement to Parliament, inspired PQ or press release.
First, I confirm that an announcement will be made. However, although the due diligence has been completed, there are further issues that have to be addressed. I am very conscious of my responsibility to inform Parliament in the appropriate way; I have not yet determined what that way will be, but I respect Parliament and I am very much aware of the need to communicate by a statement, by a question or indeed, as I have done previously, through evidence to committees.
I very much hope so.
The cabinet secretary will be well aware that my Highlands and Islands region has been the location for many famous films including “Braveheart”, the “Harry Potter” series and “Skyfall”. Does she share my view that the film studio at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in Skye has first-class production facilities and is the ideal location for shooting film and television?
When I attended the recent Celtic media festival, I made that very point about the economic impact of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and its studio and the impact of the Gaelic production “Bannan” not just in Skye but in the Western Isles.
It is important that we highlight not just the scenery here but the economic impacts. Scotland is not just a location; we need to emphasise the attractiveness of the skills on offer, and the development at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig is particularly to be commended in that respect. This is not just about growing the infrastructure but about developing skills and making clear the benefit of our wonderful locations.
Film and Arts Sectors (Shetland)
To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to the film and arts sectors in Shetland. (S4O-04286)
Creative Scotland is the national leader for Scotland’s arts, screen and creative industries, and it distributes funding on the Government’s behalf. In 2013, Creative Scotland invested more than £745,000 in the Shetland Islands through 20 awards.
One example is Shetland Arts Development Agency, a Creative Scotland annual client, which received £212,000 in 2013-14. From 2015-16, that agency will become a regularly funded organisation, receiving £750,000 over three years.
Of course, the largest investment in Shetland went to Shetland Arts Development Agency for the development of the Mareel, the United Kingdom’s most northerly music, cinema and creative industry centre, which was awarded more than £2 million in 2008-09.
I acknowledge the cabinet secretary’s awareness of the Mareel centre, which contains a wonderful broadcasting and film production unit for the islands. Although the centre is well used locally, it has a lot of spare capacity. What is the cabinet secretary doing to attract the film industry to the Mareel centre following the popular television series “Shetland”?
Although the Mareel has had its challenges, I have been very supportive of it and have visited it on a number of occasions. On the question of opportunities for using its spare capacity for further film activity, I am more than happy to receive in writing any suggestions, ideas or opportunities that the member might have for the centre, and I will ensure that Creative Scotland gets that. Alternatively, the member might want to approach Creative Scotland directly.
How does the Scottish Government support traditional Scottish music, which is a big part of Shetland’s vibrant arts sector?
The wider agencies that are there, which are obviously supported by the variety of arts development, support different activity in Shetland. With regard to traditional music, Fèis Rois has been a fantastic development, particularly in the Highlands and Islands, and we should also celebrate the different events and festivals such as the Shetland folk festival and the Shetland fiddle frenzy. There are a number of such events that are supported not only through the development of skills but by funding applications, and anyone who makes an application with regard to traditional music or another area can benefit from project funding from Creative Scotland.
Question 4 in Mark Griffin’s name has not been lodged. An explanation has been provided.
Festivals and Community Celebrations (South Scotland)
To ask the Scottish Government what support it will give to local festivals and community celebrations across South Scotland, such as Beltane in Peebles, Lanimers in Lanark and the Wickerman festival in Dumfries and Galloway. (S4O-04288)
All Scotland’s festivals—both big and small, national in outlook, such as the Wickerman festival, or community focused, such as the Peebles Beltane festival and the Lanimers festival in Lanark—are a hugely important aspect of our culture. The Scottish Government supports our festivals through Creative Scotland and EventScotland, which is VisitScotland’s events directorate. Creative Scotland supports festivals that apply directly to it for funding, and EventScotland supports a portfolio of events through its national, international and beacon programmes, which are designed to assist events to grow their audience. Support is also available through themed-year funding, which in 2015 links inspirational events with the year of food and drink.
I am sure that the cabinet secretary will agree that it is a testament to local communities and imaginative individuals that, year after year, they voluntarily commit time and money to support those festivals and celebrations. What support can be given specifically by VisitScotland to help to promote and market those events to ensure that rural and small-town festivities do not lose out to the cities, and that they are used to maximise home and foreign tourism opportunities? There has been some disappointment in that regard so far.
It is clear that the responsibility for VisitScotland lies with Fergus Ewing as Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism. However, we debated fairly recently in the chamber the role of festivals, including rural festivals, which are very important to the economy of Scotland. In my discussions with VisitScotland, we want to try to promote awareness that people do not go to the cities just for cultural experiences. If we look throughout Scotland across the calendar year, we will find festivals of some description. We need to improve how we promote Scotland as a festival nation, but marketing of that is a matter for VisitScotland. I will ask it to communicate to Claudia Beamish its plans.
Creative Scotland (Meetings)
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Creative Scotland. (S4O-04289)
The Scottish Government regularly meets Creative Scotland to discuss its plans, progress and priorities. Most recently, I attended the British Film Commission familiarisation visit reception with Creative Scotland staff on 25 April. That event welcomed television studio executives from Los Angeles to Scotland. I also met the new chair of Creative Scotland, Richard Findlay, on 1 April to discuss his new role.
In its evidence in the Education and Culture Committee’s inquiry on the attainment gap in Scottish schools, the Unison trade union was just one of many organisations that highlighted the importance of the arts. I think that it gave us the example of the benefit to English marks of going to see a play as opposed to reading it out loud in the class.
What is your question?
Unison went on to highlight the importance of out-of-school charges and, therefore, the importance of being supported in school, but charges are making that less likely. In other words, we are likely to increase the attainment gap. In either percentage or real terms, how much is Creative Scotland spending on helping poorer and deprived households to access the arts?
I cannot give Ken Macintosh the exact amount now, but I am happy to follow that up.
Part of my discussion with the new chair of Creative Scotland was about the Government’s three priorities, as set out in our programme for government. Tackling inequalities is one of those priorities. There are different ways of doing that in relation to the attainment gap.
I refer Ken Macintosh to one of the most seminal pieces of research, which showed that although viewing or seeing plays or productions is important, participation has a bigger impact on young people. Regardless of parental income, participation will have a bigger influence on whether people subsequently enjoy the arts as adults. In order to close the attainment gap—or equality gaps of any description—it is really important that we focus on participation, although that is not to say that being able to see productions is not really important.
Our national companies already do a great deal of work in taking orchestra, theatre and ballet performances around the country. Perhaps Parliament should become more familiar with that work. I will therefore ask the national companies to ensure that they communicate to members information on activities in their constituencies in order to reach out and ensure that young people who might never be taken by their parents to see a play or a performance have the opportunity to see such things.
At the weekend, I was at a paying artists campaign event that was highlighting the issue of artists not being paid. I am pleased that, since October, Creative Scotland has put in its guidelines for funding applications that it expects that artists will be paid standard rates. What more can be done to encourage and enforce standard rates of pay more widely throughout the arts and cultural sector?
It is very important that Creative Scotland has made that a part of its requirements. Again, I raised proactively with Creative Scotland some time ago—I think that it was before Claire Baker was in her current position—the importance of paying artists. There are two points here: one is public expectation and the second is funding requirements for funding bodies. There needs to be more general awareness: far too often people think that, for charitable events and suchlike, artists can be asked to come along without expecting to be paid. Generally across society there is more to be done in recognising the importance of paying for the performances that people receive. That is probably the area that needs more focus and emphasis with regard to what is acceptable. It is dependent on everybody asking at events, “Are the artists being paid?”
National Museums Scotland (Industrial Dispute)
To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made in bringing to an end the dispute at National Museums Scotland. (S4O-04290)
As I said in my response to Drew Smith MSP last week, I have met both the chair and the director of National Museums Scotland and representatives of the unions and strongly encouraged both sides to develop a more productive working relationship to try and negotiate an agreement that would resolve the dispute. The two sides met most recently on 13 April and have agreed to maintain contact.
Given that the justice secretary managed to get £7 million out of the finance secretary to prevent a strike in the Scottish Prison Service in the run-up to this and next year’s elections, does the culture secretary have so little clout in the Cabinet that she cannot even weasel £200,000 from John Swinney to pay low-paid staff in National Museums Scotland the money that they are owed for working unsociable hours? In her answer, will she spare us any reference to Wales, England, Ulan Bator or anywhere else that she has no responsibility for and instead concentrate on what she does have responsibility for?
The reason why the member does not want me to mention Wales is that there they want to take away a weekend working allowance from those who already have it, which is not the situation in Scotland. I would hope that the member would do a bit of research before he comes here. He knows, because he was in the chamber when I made it clear last week, that the cost of the proposal would be £400,000 a year, which would amount to £1.2 million by the next spending review.
The member is also wrong in another area, because there is no no-strike agreement with the Prison Officers Association Scotland. Of course, the only person who introduced such an agreement was Jack Straw, when he was a Labour Home Secretary. The member is also wrong on another count—
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I wonder whether the cabinet secretary will reflect on her comments and correct the record, as I never said that there was a no-strike agreement. Maybe she will correct the record when she gets the opportunity.
Mr Findlay, you know very well that that is not a point of order, but you have made your point. Cabinet secretary, please conclude.
Neil Findlay is wrong on a third element. The Scottish Prison Service found funding within its existing budget because the agreement was made in good faith to incentivise the engagement of prison officer staff in a process of discussion. The issue in relation to National Museums Scotland is to get both parties to have a discussion that is not predicated only on the introduction of a new weekend working allowance for staff on new contracts since 2011.
European Parliament (Monitoring of Proceedings)
To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors proceedings at the European Parliament. (S4O-04291)
The Scottish Government monitors proceedings in the European Parliament through the Scottish Government’s European Union office, based in Brussels.
I am sure that the cabinet secretary and the Scottish Government Cabinet will be fully aware of the medium combustion plants directive, which has the potential to cost thousands of jobs and slow down North Sea oil production by up to 60 per cent, so why did Scottish National Party MEPs, in the past hour, choose not to vote for Ian Duncan’s amendment to exempt North Sea oil rigs?
Matters for the European Parliament are matters for the European Parliament. The member might not have noticed, but I have been in the chamber since the beginning of the meeting at 2 o’clock, when I was leading for the Government in the debate on the deaths of migrants in the Mediterranean.
The Scottish Government is fully aware of the medium combustion plants directive and what it means for Scotland. In co-operation with the office of the United Kingdom permanent representation to the European Union, we have been working with the policy team on the issue. We have offered a further briefing to all Scottish MEPs on the importance of the issue and directed them to SSE’s EU liaison officer in relation to some issues. We are aware of the issues and they have been discussed not just here but in the European Parliament. However, I am not accountable for events in Brussels within the past hour.
First World War Commemorations 2015
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Scottish commemorations programme’s first world war commemorations for 2015. (S4O-04293)
The programme of events to commemorate first world war dates of particular relevance to the people of Scotland is progressing well both for 2015 and, beyond that, for the years to 2018. On Saturday 25 April, the First Minister and I were privileged to take part in the dawn service for the Gallipoli and Anzac day commemorations at Edinburgh castle. The first national event will be the commemoration of the Quintinshill rail disaster, with services in both Gretna and Rosebank cemetery, Leith, on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 May.
In Stirling, on 4 June, I will attend an evening reception followed by Sir Hew Strachan’s lecture “1915: The search for solutions”, which commemorates the troops leaving Scotland for Gallipoli from Stirling castle. That will mark the opening of a weekend of commemorative activity in Stirling including a photographic exhibition, a play by local children and displays by military bands from both Scotland and Turkey.
I offer my personal congratulations to the Scottish commemorations panel on its successful programme of events last year.
Will the cabinet secretary provide an update on the progress of the centenary memorials restoration fund and confirm which war memorial projects in the West Scotland region have benefited from the fund?
I am not aware of the details that the member requests for the West Scotland region, but the centenary memorials restoration fund is run by Historic Scotland and I will ask it to provide those details to the member. The Heritage Lottery Fund is responsible for some of the projects, and I will ask for those to be identified as well.
The member is right to pay tribute to the work of the Scottish commemorations panel, which has set up a range of different events in a very considered and thoughtful way. In particular, I thank the chair, Norman Drummond, and all the members of the board for guiding us through the next few years.
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