Infrastructure, Investment and Cities
Good afternoon. The first item of business is portfolio question time. The first section is on infrastructure, investment and cities. In order to get in as many members as possible, I would be grateful for short and succinct questions and answers to match.
Scottish Water (Flood Prevention)
The Government takes the issue of the flooding of properties by overloaded sewers very seriously. Since 2002, Scottish Water has removed more than 60 per cent of affected properties from its internal flood register. In addition, 300 properties at risk of external sewer flooding have been addressed. In this investment period, we have asked Scottish Water to continue to reduce the numbers of properties on its internal flood register, and it is required to develop a comprehensive register of properties that are at risk of internal or external sewer flooding to support the prioritisation of capital funding in future investment periods.
The cabinet secretary will be aware that Shandon in my constituency has had no fewer than four serious flooding incidents in the past 16 years. Does she share my frustration and that of local residents that, despite £42 million being invested in infrastructure improvements over five years, areas such as Shandon will not benefit as things stand? [Interruption.] What scope exists to introduce a degree of flexibility to the criteria for inclusion on the internal flood register so that, where people suffer serious and repeated flood damage, we can ensure that there is the investment necessary to safeguard their properties?
I am aware of the particular issues in the Shandon area of Jim Eadie’s constituency and absolutely appreciate his frustration and, more important, the frustration of residents in the area.
I support Jim Eadie’s comments. Both of us have worked on incidences of flooding in Shandon. Does the cabinet secretary recognise that, every time it rains in Shandon, the residents fear for their futures and their finances? Can she make a particular intervention in this case? We are looking for a very small change in Shandon. With a little bit of flexibility, we can give those residents a significant amount of relief.
I absolutely concur with Kezia Dugdale’s comments and assure her that, not least because of the representations that Jim Eadie has made to me, I am very well aware of the frustration and real anxiety that have been caused to people in the area. As I said in response to Jim Eadie’s question, Scottish Water senior managers are willing to have a meeting, and I encourage everybody with an interest to take up the offer of that meeting.
I would be grateful if members would ensure that their mobile phones are switched off.
Forth Replacement Crossing
The Forth replacement crossing project remains on time and on budget. Following the successful completion of the Fife intelligent transport system contract, which went live on 4 December 2012, we expect the junction 1A contract to be completed within the next month. Following the good work that was done on the foundations last year, this year we will see the towers of the bridge and the approach viaduct piers begin to emerge from the Firth of Forth.
I am very pleased to note the excellent progress that is being made on the construction of the Forth replacement crossing. Will the minister provide an update on where matters currently stand on the important issue of naming the bridge?
As the member will know, the naming process for the new bridge was launched on 27 November and, to date, we have received more than 4,000 different suggestions. We encourage everybody who has a suggestion to submit it via the namethebridge.co.uk website by 31 January, so that it can be considered by the naming committee. In addition, when providing a name or comment on the website, pupils, parents and teachers from Scottish schools can enter their school in a special prize draw for the chance to win a visit to the construction site and attend the bridge opening ceremony as VIP guests of Transport Scotland.
Aberdeen City Council (Infrastructure Investment)
I met representatives of Aberdeen City Council on 21 November last year to discuss the council’s ambitions for the city. In addition, the Scottish ministers have on-going engagement with the city council on a number of individual infrastructure investment projects.??
Has Aberdeen City Council had any discussions with the Government regarding tax increment financing—TIF—funding? Can the cabinet secretary confirm that TIF funding for the bid that includes the city garden project is still on the table if Aberdeen City Council chooses to follow the wishes of Aberdonians and proceed with that scheme?
I can confirm that TIF funding was specifically discussed at that meeting on 21 November and that the Government remains open to considering a TIF business case from Aberdeen that includes the city garden project, given the scheme’s potential to lever in substantial private funding, should Aberdeen City Council wish to review its plans. However, we have been consistently clear that we will not consider a TIF proposal that does not include the city garden project, as the invitation to submit a business case cannot simply be transferred to another project. Of course, the decision not to proceed with the city garden project was taken by the council’s administration and, as the member suggests, was against the express wishes of the people of Aberdeen.
Has the cabinet secretary decided that there will be a limit on the duration of the availability of TIF funding? How long is she prepared to wait for a suitable project to come forward?
As the member will be aware, ministers have introduced regulations to allow six pilot projects for TIF schemes. In the medium to longer term, once we see what I hope will be the success of the projects that get under way—three have been approved already—the Government will take a decision on extending the use of the TIF funding mechanism. I believe that the mechanism can bring significant benefits, which has been demonstrated in the approach that we have taken so far. I will keep Parliament updated as our thinking on the matter develops.
Investment Zone (Renfrewshire)
The Scottish Government has not made any such analysis. However, as the member will be aware, Scottish Enterprise is working closely with Glasgow airport, Renfrewshire Council and Glasgow City Council to define the scale and scope of a potential investment zone centred around Glasgow airport, which we recognise as being a valuable piece of national infrastructure.
Does the minister agree that it is unacceptable that 13 people are chasing every job vacancy in Renfrewshire? Will she give a commitment that the Government will consider Renfrewshire’s case for investment to help to develop the local economy? What shovel-ready projects is the Scottish Government considering to support the development of the Renfrewshire economy?
I agree with Neil Bibby about the importance of the Government continuing to do everything in our power to support job creation. Economic conditions remain incredibly difficult for people across Scotland, and it is vital that we support them in every way that we can. The importance of job creation is one reason why I want this Parliament to have full economic powers, so that we have the full range of levers to get our economy growing and to create the jobs that people badly need.
Fuel Poverty
The Government is committed to tackling fuel poverty and is spending £0.25 billion during the current spending review period on fuel poverty and energy efficiency. We have allocated a £68 million budget to tackle fuel poverty in 2012-13, and that is having a real impact. Despite 14 per cent fuel price increases in autumn 2011, improved household energy efficiency prevented a further 35,000 households falling into fuel poverty. Statistics that were published in December last year show that 684,000 Scottish households were in fuel poverty in October 2011. That underlines the importance of the Government continuing to work in the area. There is no doubt that high energy prices are the biggest determinant of fuel poverty, and they are a disgrace in an energy-rich nation such as Scotland.
Given that the latest figures show that fuel poverty has increased, what is the status of the Scottish Government statutory commitment to eradicating fuel poverty by 2016? With organisations such as WWF and Energy Action Scotland calling for further measures to tackle fuel poverty, what progress is the Scottish Government making to secure the funding that ministers have identified for this area, especially given that two thirds of it is to come from the energy companies themselves?
We are absolutely committed to fulfilling our statutory obligations. Those obligations are not just statutorily required of us; morally, we are required to ensure that we are doing everything in our power to combat fuel poverty. The budget that Richard Baker talked about—the £200 million a year—encompasses Government funding but it also includes the money that we want to lever in from the fuel companies. That is in line with the recommendations of the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee.
One area in which we have the ability to make a difference is energy efficiency. However, after years of talking about pilot exercises, in the October just gone the Government announced—guess what?—yes, another round of pilot exercises. When will the national retrofit programme be truly national and apply throughout Scotland?
As the member is aware, the national retrofit programme will go live later this year. It is good that we tried to get in ahead of that, by using go-early pilot schemes, so that we were not sitting around waiting for the programme to go live. That is a sign of our commitment and dedication.
European Structural Funds
The Scottish Government is currently consulting on options for changes to the nomenclature of units for territorial statistics—as Margaret McDougall said, NUTS for short—regions. No decision has been made on whether to change the boundaries.
As the cabinet secretary will be aware, the review of the NUTS boundaries closes tomorrow. One of the proposed changes would, for European Union administrative purposes, see the islands of Arran and the Cumbraes moved out of the Highlands and Islands and placed within North Ayrshire. Does the Scottish Government support that move, or does the minister agree that that would be detrimental for those islands, because it would separate them from all the other Scottish islands and impact on their structural funding in the long term?
I recognise Margaret McDougall’s concern. However, I stress the fact that any potential changes to NUTS boundaries mainly affect statistical reporting to the European Union. They will not affect any funding allocations from 2014 to 2020, and they are likely to have only a marginal impact, or indeed no impact at all, from 2021, as our economy continues to develop.
In the previous parliamentary session, the Scottish Government extended the crofting counties to include the islands of Arran and Cumbrae to right an historic wrong, as it considered those islands part of the Highlands and Islands. This EU proposal runs counter to that.
I recognise the close interest that Kenny Gibson has taken in the issue and I know that he has raised the matter previously. I stress again the point that I made to Margaret McDougall. Any potential changes here are mainly, though not exclusively, about statistical reporting. The impact on funding allocations, certainly over the next few years, will be non-existent, and thereafter is likely to be minimal, if indeed there is any impact.
A9 Speed Limit (Heavy Goods Vehicles)
The A9 safety group, which is chaired by Transport Scotland, last met on 4 October 2012 and discussed a number of issues, including speed limits for heavy goods vehicles on single carriageway sections of the A9 trunk road.
The minister will know that, on single carriageway sections of the A9, slow-moving HGVs are an issue. Long lines of vehicles build up behind them, leading to driver frustration. In some cases, the issue is the cause of accidents.
I am looking seriously at the issue. Murdo Fraser has raised in the past, and raises again today, the issue of safety, which must be the primary consideration when looking at this proposal, which has come from not just Mr Fraser, but a number of members. Fergus Ewing, Dave Thompson, Dave Stewart and Iain Gray have expressed interest in the issue, as have the Road Haulage Association and hauliers.
Regeneration (Ravenscraig)
The Scottish Government provisionally approved the business case for North Lanarkshire Council’s Ravenscraig phase 2 tax increment financing project in March 2011. It is expected that the public sector infrastructure investment, worth £73 million, will lever in £425 million in private investment. The Scottish Government looks forward to signing the final agreement with North Lanarkshire Council for the TIF project this year.
I know about the TIF project, having served on North Lanarkshire Council previously. Does the minister agree that the project never had a national status? Will the Government give Ravenscraig a national priority status in order to speed up the project?
It is correct to say that Ravenscraig was never accorded a national status by a Labour Administration. The second national planning framework, which was published by the Scottish Government in June 2009, recognises Ravenscraig as a key location for regeneration and renewal. We are giving careful consideration to the representations that we have received on the content of the third national planning framework and any development to which ministers are minded to accord national development status in that framework will be identified in the main issues report, which will be published in spring. I am sure that, with his interest, the member will follow the progress of that report.
Culture and External Affairs
Question 1 is in the name of Gil Paterson, but the member is not present.
Historic Scotland (Inventory of Historic Battlefields)
The inventory is a major new resource for enhancing the understanding of, enjoyment of and engagement with Scotland’s historic battlefields, which draw tourists from all over the world and represent a major education resource. Through them, we can learn about key historical events and figures and their role in shaping our culture. The inventory will develop the potential of battlefields as attractions for local and international visitors.
Given the combative nature of our relationship with England in the past, it will come as little surprise to members that many of our historic battlefields are located in the south of Scotland, which I represent.
I agree with that proposal, which is why, in my initial answer, I mentioned the importance of providing that educational link. Working with local authorities, we can undoubtedly promote both the tourism and education aspects.
Jamie McGrigor has a supplementary question.
I have not pressed my button.
I am sorry, but you had pressed your button.
I pressed it in order to ask a supplementary question after question 1.
Digital Participation Strategy (Midlothian)
The Scottish Government’s digital participation strategy highlights the social, economic and cultural benefits that individuals and businesses can get from going online. It is estimated that the average household can save £560 a year by using the internet and the Scottish Government’s strategy aims to encourage them to do so by working in partnership with a range of organisations to promote digital skills.
Is the minister aware that her Government has changed the eligibility criteria for individual learning accounts and that it is no longer possible to use an ILA to access basic IT accounts? Surely she realises that that will have a negative impact on people who are excluded from using IT and that those are the people who most need to make the savings that she mentions. What steps will she commit to making to rectify that situation?
The funding that I just announced and identified came through my work as the culture minister in helping library activity. ILAs are the responsibility of other ministers, as Kezia Dugdale well knows. I point out that there are other ways of accessing digital learning opportunities. ILAs tend to be used more for skills and training for wider use, not necessarily for the purposes that the member identified.
2014 Commonwealth Games Cultural Legacy (Lothians)
Although the question was directed towards the cabinet secretary, I have taken responsibility for Glasgow’s 2014 Commonwealth games cultural programme.
I thank the minister for his answer and the information about the £4 million fund in particular. Will local authorities in the Lothians be able to use that fund to support them in building partnerships with other Commonwealth countries and territories to deliver the second team initiative, or will it be a different fund? Will they be linked or will they be separate funding initiatives?
I will write to Sarah Boyack with clarification about the open fund. I was at one of the information sessions yesterday but had to leave just before the question-and-answer session—otherwise I could perhaps have put that question directly to the organising committee. The information session was in Edinburgh and was absolutely packed. Many members, artists, groups and—I believe—local authorities from the Lothians were there.
National Performing Companies and Cultural Collections (Support)
The Scottish Government places great importance on supporting our five national performing companies and our national collections. I have managed to protect their budgets over the spending review period, keeping reductions as low as possible.
The support that the cabinet secretary indicated is welcome, but will she also indicate what provision the Government is making to support repairs and maintenance of existing cultural collections in particular?
Clearly, repairs and maintenance put pressure on the capital budget. The 2013-14 draft budget that has been set out includes a capital budget of £17 million, which is almost double the £8.7 million that was allocated in the 2011 spending review. Of that, £6.7 million has been allocated to the collections to support capital projects.
Homecoming 2014 (Ancestry and Robert the Bruce)
Ancestry is one of the five key themes that underpin homecoming Scotland 2014. Work is under way with partners including the National Trust for Scotland, Historic Scotland and the ancestral tourism group to ensure that the homecoming Scotland 2014 programme features a range of cultural events and activities that promote and celebrate our country’s rich ancestry. For example, the 700th anniversary of the battle of Bannockburn in 2014 will be a signature event in the homecoming Scotland programme and a centrepiece of the Stirling 2014 celebrations for the year.
Is the cabinet secretary aware of the work that the association of South Ayrshire community councils is progressing to develop a Robert the Bruce trail and to create events and activities that are based on the former Earl of Carrick’s extensive connections in the land of his birth? What support can the Scottish Government and its agencies offer to help to develop that programme for the 2014 homecoming?
I am aware of the important work of the association of South Ayrshire community councils. I am not aware of whether it applied to the homecoming fund; the homecoming fund events programme will be announced in the coming months.
I thank the cabinet secretary for referring to the trail in Dumfries and Galloway. I ask for Dumfries and Galloway not to be overlooked in the homecoming celebrations, given Robert the Bruce’s connections as Lord of Annandale and the events at Greyfriars kirk, which began a rebellion all those years ago.
It is clear from the two members’ contributions that knowledge and understanding of Robert the Bruce’s connections to a good number of parts of Scotland will be important. In relation to Dumfries and Galloway, I had the opportunity to meet a number of Joan McAlpine’s constituents at an event in the Parliament, when they told me about their plans. I encouraged them to apply to the homecoming fund, but I am not sure whether they did so. I remind all members of the opportunity to make partnership applications to support activity in 2014 that will complement the homecoming Scotland 2014 programme.
Museums and Galleries (Registered Charities)
The Scottish Government provides annual support of £3.2 million for non-national museums and galleries, mainly through Museums Galleries Scotland. That level of funding has been protected from cuts in recent spending reviews. Museums Galleries Scotland offers a range of services to support local museums and galleries, whether or not they are registered charities, including access to funding, advice and training.
Is the cabinet secretary aware of Grampian transport museum, which is in Alford, in my constituency? It does great work and it provides a fantastic community benefit, not just for Alford but for the wider area of Grampian and beyond. The museum is looking to develop a visitor centre to enhance the attraction, because visitor numbers are increasing year on year. What Government funding can it access to complement the self-financing that it already has?
Again, I direct the member to Museums Galleries Scotland, which provides funding on behalf of the Scottish Government. A range of funding is available, from £5,000 to £40,000. The capital round closes on 14 January, so if the museum has not already applied for that funding, it will need to move quickly to do so. There is also a strategic development fund that offers project funding of up to £30,000, and applications for that close on 6 May. If the museum has not already explored those options, I strongly encourage it to do so.
Scottish Government Priorities (Culture and External Affairs)
The Scottish Government will continue to prioritise Scotland’s economic ambitions both at home and abroad, supporting our artists and cultural and heritage infrastructure, improving the quality of life for Scotland’s communities, supporting young people’s learning and creativity through engagement with culture and heritage, and promoting, protecting and improving access to Scotland’s historic environment. The draft budget, which was published in September 2012, provides more detail of our priorities.
The United Kingdom Government will soon be offering high-end television tax relief to attract major production companies to the UK, but there are concerns in the industry that Scotland could lose out due to its lack of facilities compared with England and Wales. Will the cabinet secretary make it one of her priorities to ensure that facilities are in place to allow major production companies that will be attracted by the tax relief to base their operations—and to film—in Scotland?
I have had a number of important discussions about the development of production facilities. The member will be aware that we had a debate on the issue in the Parliament just before the recess, in which I announced that Creative Scotland would be looking at a feasibility study to make sure that we can deliver on that.
Creative Scotland (Appointment of Chief Executive)
Creative Scotland’s chief executive announced his resignation on 3 December and he will leave at the end of January 2013. The board of Creative Scotland will take forward the recruitment process for a new chief executive as a matter of urgency.
I do not know whether the cabinet secretary is aware of the letter in The Herald last month from arts practitioners in Dumfries and Galloway who were actually rather positive about the way in which they had been treated by Creative Scotland and who wanted reassurances that the new management of Creative Scotland will continue to look favourably on areas outside the central belt. Those artistic practitioners believe that, under the old Scottish Arts Council, there was a central belt bias in the awarding of funds.
The member makes an important point. I am aware of the letter and I recognise the positive impact that Creative Scotland has had throughout Scotland in different partnerships. I know from visiting Dumfries and Galloway that there have been positive responses to the engagement there. It is important that the new management takes forward that all-Scotland approach in ensuring that the support for our cultural infrastructure and indeed for our artists reaches all parts of Scotland.
It is entirely predictable that a fund distribution body such as Creative Scotland will never find it easy to satisfy potential recipients of funding but, given the very public spat that Creative Scotland generated, will the minister clarify what the main criteria are that Creative Scotland should apply in deciding who receives funding?
Clearly, that is a matter for Creative Scotland. The Parliament has established the important principle that, as minister, I should not direct the body on what its criteria for artistic excellence should be. Artistic excellence will clearly be one criterion, but there will also be impacts through participation, which is another criterion. Indeed, some of the excellent work that has been taking place in relation to Creative Scotland’s work relates to culture and ageing, and encouraging older people’s festivals in terms of art and participation. There are also the creative industries—we just heard about film production—and Creative Scotland is actively involved in that regard.
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