Plenary, 09 Mar 2006

Meeting date: Thursday, March 9, 2006

Official Report 755KB pdf

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Question Time

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SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE

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General Questions

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Paramedics

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Scottish Ambulance Service regarding the working hours of paramedics. (S2O-9181)

Officials in the Scottish Executive Health Department have met the Scottish Ambulance Service on a number of occasions in recent years to discuss the working hours of paramedics.

The minister may be aware of the concern that is being expressed by ambulance workers at rural stations in Grampian, and nationally, about on-call working. Some shifts extend to 106 hours, leaving ambulance staff exhausted and leading to what staff have called antiquated and dangerous conditions. Given the potential risk to patients, will the minister investigate seriously the concerns, which are shared by all of us in the chamber with the ambulance workers? One of my constituents, who on 13 February e-mailed the minister in detail about the concerns, is still awaiting a reply. Will the minister give an assurance that he will personally investigate that serious issue?

The member can rest assured that I will investigate that serious issue. I have had discussions not only with paramedic trainees and ambulance crew trainees but with the management of our ambulance service. We need to bear in mind that while the ambulance station at Edinburgh north receives 70 calls a day, the Kinlochbervie and Bettyhill stations receive 100 calls per annum. The Ambulance Service has a large population area to cover. We can also reflect on the fact that action that has been taken to date has reduced the number of staff working under such arrangements from 640 to 420 since 2003-04, which suggests that significant action is being taken.

Of course, we want always to do more. Where stations are most under pressure, we are trying to deal with the issues. Some stations, such as Dunoon, Fraserburgh and Stranraer, have gone from part-time to full-time. Other stations are doing more joint working in order to ensure better rotas.

However, the substantial point remains about clinical safety and safety for patients. We are open and honest in our recognition that a degree of on-call working will have to remain in our health service in order that the service can cover the geography of Scotland. However, the average for any on-call ambulance crew working in Scotland is 38 calls per annum. We need to understand the context. Nonetheless, I do not seek to underestimate the concern that is being expressed by Richard Lochhead.

Does the minister recognise the effect that the rationalisation of accident and emergency services will have on the ambulance service? In South Ayrshire, if the Ayr hospital accident and emergency service was transferred to Crosshouse, it is estimated that 35 per cent would be added to paramedic-hours requirements. What guarantees will the minister give on that issue?

I must be cautious—I do not intend to go into specifics about consultations that are going on around Scotland. However, integral to any reconfiguration of the health service in Scotland is the inclusion of the Scottish Ambulance Service, to ensure that the implications of such reconfiguration are taken into account by the professionals who provide that service.

I remind Phil Gallie that, at the end of the day, given our modern health care and ambulance services and the huge amount of paramedics who work in the service with clot-busting drugs and analytical equipment in the back of their ambulances, what is important is how long they take to get to the patient. The patient's destination will be chosen based on the patient being stabilised and treated in transit to the local accident and emergency unit.

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Development (Perthshire)

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the length of time it will take to remove development obstacles in Perthshire created by problems with water and drainage infrastructure. (S2O-9249)

We are determined that development constraints that are caused by water and drainage infrastructure will be addressed in the next investment period. In the forthcoming investment programme—the quality and standards III exercise—ministers have set Scottish Water the objective of providing sufficient strategic capacity to meet the needs of all proposed new development. It will be for developers to fund local connection costs, including the cost of relieving any local constraints that arise. However, Scottish Water will make a reasonable contribution to those costs. Today, I have laid before Parliament regulations that will increase those contributions, which will assist all developers who are required to fund the resolution of local infrastructure constraints.

Considering the number of times that this issue has been raised, that is a disappointing answer. It has consistently been raised over the years, most recently by me in a letter last month. Of course, the issue has been overtaken by the recent row and Professor Alexander's departure. Still, however, we wait for reassurances. Developers in my constituency are still waiting. I have to ask why the minister is not yet in a position to put a timescale on the lifting of embargoes. The direct result of the problem will be that construction industry jobs will be lost. That is a serious possibility in my constituency. Can the minister put a timescale on the lifting of the embargoes?

Scottish Water has already been in dialogue with the councils and met a delegation from Perth and Kinross Council last month to discuss the need for investment in water supplies and waste water treatment. I understand that another meeting with the council is planned in a few weeks to discuss concerns about the local plan. The programme for all local authorities will be spread over the eight-year period of the next investment programme. It is for Scottish Water and local authorities to agree local authorities' priorities.

Does the minister understand the severe impediments to economic growth in rural Scotland—particularly the parts of Perthshire in my constituency—that are due to lack of action? Will the minister give us a definitive commitment that, as a result of the resignation of Professor Alan Alexander and the non-agreement of a Scottish Water business plan for the forthcoming period, there will be no deceleration of the investment programme that Scottish Water has proposed and that there will be a guarantee that the improvements that are required to sustain economic growth in rural Perthshire will be made?

Absolutely. Economic growth is our number 1 priority. It is for Scottish Water to work with local authority partners and others to deliver our objectives. We must bring about improvements in the planning and delivery of that new capacity. To aid that process, I have asked Scottish Water to prepare an annual strategic capacity report that will set out specific investment plans. It is required to publish it by 1 April this year and to update it annually thereafter. Of course, the report will cover Perthshire and will provide useful clarity to all parties.

Ministers have stated that we are absolutely determined that development constraints that are caused by water and infrastructure will be addressed in the next investment period. I give Mr Swinney a categorical assurance that the resignation of Professor Alexander will not stand in the way of that.

The minister should be aware that social development, as well as economic development, is being held up by development constraints. For example, affordable housing schemes cannot progress. I ask the minister to be definitive in her answer to my question. Has the resignation of Professor Alexander caused any delay in the programme that is being pursued by the Executive?

I assure the member that the resignation of Professor Alexander should not cause any delay. We are concerned to get another chairman in place as quickly as possible. I also assure the member that £14 million is being made available annually to ensure that affordable housing interests continue to be met.

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Tourism

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact on tourism in Scotland is anticipated from the London Olympics in 2012 and the 2014 Commonwealth games being held in Glasgow. (S2O-9228)

Australia's experience of the 2000 Olympic and Paralympic games in Sydney was that an estimated £296 million-worth of publicity was generated for Queensland—which is the same distance from Sydney as Scotland is from London—as a visitor destination as a result of the games. During the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth games, Manchester saw an additional 1 million visitors, many of whom went on to visit other parts of the country. We expect the 2012 games and a Glasgow games in 2014 to have a similarly positive impact on tourism. Both events will support our commitment to achieving the goal of growing Scotland's tourism industry by 50 per cent by 2015.

I welcome the support that has been given to this issue by the First Minister, the Executive and the delegation that will leave for Australia today, which includes the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, Patricia Ferguson. What steps are being taken to spread the anticipated tourism benefit as widely as possible, including to the kingdom of Fife, part of which I represent?

I would not expect Christine May to ask about anything other than the effects on the kingdom of Fife. That is quite appropriate.

As she rightly mentioned, the First Minister and Patricia Ferguson are currently on their way to Melbourne to support Glasgow's bid—[Laughter.] I am sorry, they will soon be on their way. They will make a presentation on Glasgow's bid for the 2014 Commonwealth games and Patricia Ferguson will attend the Commonwealth sports ministers meeting.

As part of the structure of the London Olympic games arrangements, a nations and regions committee has been set up in order to spread the benefits across the country. A Scottish steering group is involved in that. Julia Bracewell, the chair of sportscotland, is involved in both bodies—she chairs the second body—and the objective of the exercise is to spread the good activity around the country. A series of issues relating to sport, tourism and other activities are expected to be raised by the two events, assuming that Glasgow wins the Commonwealth games bid which, I am confident, it will.

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Dentists

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to address the shortfall in the number of dentists in Scotland. (S2O-9244)

We are increasing the number of graduates from Scotland's dental schools from 108, which the figure was five years ago, to 135 this year and 143 by 2008. We have given health boards new powers to recruit salaried dentists and we have helped with the recruitment from Poland of dentists for the Scottish national health service. We have put in place golden hello payments for new and returning dentists who want to practise in the NHS in Scotland. Furthermore, we will from September this year offer bursaries to dental students in return for a commitment to work in the NHS in Scotland after they graduate. Those bursaries will be worth up to £4,000 per student per year.

I am sure that all that will be a comfort to the Presiding Officer this week.

The Executive must be aware that a third of all graduate dentists leave Scotland to take up their first posts. Although the Polish dentists are welcome, they will provide treatment for only 80,000 patients. Given that more than 1 million under-16s and over-65s are not registered with an NHS dentist and that, from 1 April 2006, free dental checks will be available to all, how will the shortfall be met?

I hope that Tricia Marwick listened to my answer to her initial question. I was delighted to read in the press this week that the Scottish National Party is supporting our proposition for bursaries for students who will commit to work for the NHS in Scotland.

I hear comments by members from sedentary positions. It is a shame that those members did not listen to Rhona Brankin on 17 March last year, when she said that

"we plan to introduce a bursary scheme for dental students who commit to NHS dentistry on graduation".—[Official Report, 17 March 2005; c 15535.]

Indeed, if Tricia Marwick had read the dental action plan that was published on the same day last year, she would have seen exactly the same point in it.

A range of measures are being introduced—including bursaries—to tie students. Dental students who receive four years' bursary will commit to work in the NHS in Scotland for four years after they complete their training. I hope that Tricia Marwick will welcome that measure.

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Athletics

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that Scottish athletes succeed at international level. (S2O-9187)

The Executive is fully committed to ensuring that our top athletes have the best possible support to allow them to perform at their best on the international stage.

I am sure that the minister will want to support not only the ministers who are heading over to the Melbourne games but our athletes, to whom we wish every success at the Melbourne games.

The minister may be aware of the athlete personal award scheme, which UK Sport runs and which it describes as being

"to ensure that athletes can train and perform to the highest levels"

in the run-up to Olympic games.

He may also be aware that, at the last winter Olympics, some 40 per cent of the athletes in the Great Britain team were Scotland-based athletes. However, is he also aware that, under a freedom of information request, UK Sport published a document this week that highlights that only 20 per cent of athlete personal awards had been made to Scottish athletes? Why is that the case, and what action does the Executive intend to take to ensure that Scottish athletes get a fair share of that funding?

The question of support for Scottish athletes is a complex one in which facilities, coaching and training, broadening the base and, of course, individual support need to be taken on board. The Scottish Institute of Sport's six area institutes also support that general activity.

On the general point, I will ask the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport to respond specifically to the detail of the question. I am standing in for Patricia Ferguson this morning and I am not fully acquainted with the detail of the matter. However, I can say that various organisations and bodies that represent the different areas of Scottish sport are involved with sportscotland in distributing money and support to Scottish athletes. I will ensure that Michael Matheson gets a detailed reply.

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Specialist Teachers

To ask the Scottish Executive how many full-time equivalent specialist teachers were employed in primary schools in 2000 and 2005. (S2O-9258)

The only available figures are for 2003, when 2,218 specialist teachers were employed and for 2004, when the figure had increased to 2,262.

Surely the minister must accept that that is still a very low figure, given the number of primary schools in Scotland and the contribution that those teachers make? Does he agree that the contribution of full-time equivalent specialist teachers, whose work is much appreciated by the children and staff in all our primary schools, is vital to the delivery of a rounded and holistic education that develops the skills of all children? Does he also agree that those services are too often the first to be cut? Finally, does the Executive have a policy on specialist services to primary schools and, if not, why not?

Several points arise from the questions. On the first point about the figure being low, I agree that it needs to increase, which is why we have committed ourselves to providing an extra 1,000 specialist teachers who will move between secondary and primary schools. They will be employed centrally and will move out to visit schools in rural areas and elsewhere. We are on the move on that and we are increasing the number as part of the major commitment that we made to increase our teacher numbers to 53,000. Our universities are bulging at the seams with new students. That will help to fulfil that commitment.

I also agree that those teachers are a vital part of our education system. We are very clear that we want to see an increase in the number of visiting teachers because of the impacts that they make on young people. We are seeing a gradual improvement in that in the cluster arrangements and learning community arrangements that we have put in place between the primary and secondary schools in our cities. Under those arrangements, secondary science and modern languages teachers will move down to help in primary schools. That is happening in addition to the work that traditional visiting teachers undertake.

Robin Harper also queries whether local authorities are reducing the number of visiting teachers. That is something that I would very much regret because it would mean that authorities were heading in exactly the opposite direction to the one that the Executive wants them to take. Such action is not what we are funding, which is an increase in the number of our teachers.

Question 7 has been withdrawn.

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Nuclear Submarine Facilities

To ask the Scottish Executive what its role is in the planning process in respect of nuclear submarine facilities in Scotland. (S2O-9182)

If a proposal requires planning permission, Scottish ministers play their usual role within the planning system. Whether a proposal requires planning permission will depend on the particular circumstances of the case.

I welcome nuclear developments in Scotland, but will the minister clarify why her colleague at Westminster has said that there is no planning veto with regard to such developments when, in fact, there might well be?

I am blessed with many things, but a requirement that Mr Cairns be answerable to me is not one of them. He is accountable to Westminster for his answers. However, the position on this issue is clear: defence is a reserved matter, and planning is devolved. As I said, if a proposal requires planning permission, the Executive might become involved in the decision-making process.