Hospitals (Skye)
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on replacing the two hospitals on Skye. (S4O-03591)
NHS Highland is considering service change proposals that will affect Skye, Lochalsh and south-west Ross. The board carried out a three-month consultation exercise, which concluded on 29 August 2014.
Following the conclusion of the consultation period, NHS Highland is considering the feedback. The board will then consider all the evidence and make a recommendation on how to proceed. NHS Highland expects that its board will consider the proposals at its meeting on 2 December 2014.
I am sure that the cabinet secretary will be aware that NHS Highland is to suspend the endoscopy services that it currently operates on Skye. Given that good progress is being made on planning the new facilities, which will offer enhanced services for Skye, Lochalsh and south-west Ross, does the cabinet secretary agree that, in the interim, all should be done to ensure that existing local surgical facilities continue if at all possible? Can he tell us when the new hospital is likely to be built?
I have received a copy of Dave Thompson’s letter to the chair of NHS Highland on the topic to which he refers, and I will reply in detail in due course.
NHS Highland has stated that it has reluctantly decided to suspend endoscopy service provision at the Mackinnon memorial hospital because the decontamination facilities there are no longer compatible with current standards and are not sufficiently reliable. I will ask NHS Highland as a matter of urgency to provide me with a full report on why that decision has been made and what other options it has considered, and I will be happy to share that report with the member.
NHS Lanarkshire (Meetings)
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met NHS Lanarkshire and what issues were discussed. (S4O-03592)
Ministers and Government officials regularly meet representatives of NHS Lanarkshire to discuss matters of importance to local people.
Can the cabinet secretary outline why NHS Lanarkshire spent nearly £6 million between October 2012 and March 2014 on referring 3,826 patients to the Golden Jubilee hospital and 4,368 patients to Ross Hall hospital, a Nuffield hospital and other private health providers in Glasgow in order to meet the treatment time guarantee? Does that not expose further creeping privatisation in NHS Scotland and highlight that the national health service in Scotland is not safe in the Scottish National Party’s hands?
The member has a bit of a cheek, given that the main budgetary challenge for NHS Lanarkshire is the £50 million a year that it has to pay in private finance initiative charges, which we inherited from the previous Administration.
With regard to privatisation, I have made it absolutely clear that the percentage of money that is spent on the private sector in Scotland is well under 1 per cent of the entire near £12 billion budget. South of the border, the Government is privatising the NHS staffing, estate and facilities, but we are not doing that in Scotland. When we purchase private sector capacity, it is because we do not have sufficient capacity in the national health service in a particular area—for example, NHS Lanarkshire’s use of Ross Hall hospital for certain procedures. That is not privatisation; it is topping up our own capacity.
Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (Employment in Scotland)
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs regarding employment in Scotland. (S4O-03593)
That is not the question that I have on my sheet, Mr Hepburn.
It is the question that I have on mine, Presiding Officer, and it is the one that I lodged.
I offer our apologies—it is my sheet that is wrong. I ask the minister to answer the question as asked by the member.
Thank you, Presiding Officer.
No formal discussions have taken place with HM Revenue and Customs. The matter is reserved, but I have written to the UK Government to express our concerns, to highlight our policy of no compulsory redundancies in the Scottish public sector, and to ask what alternative employment options the United Kingdom Government has in place to protect jobs in Scotland.
We will continue to support and assist the redeployment of staff through existing mechanisms, and our directorate officials will liaise with HMRC and monitor the situation.
I am over my brief confusion, Presiding Officer.
HMRC has suggested that it is going to outsource mailroom facilities at its location in Cumbernauld. That threatens 40 jobs. Of course, that is just the tip of the iceberg, with the Public and Commercial Services union suggesting that HMRC will shed thousands of jobs in coming years. Does the minister agree that that undermines local economies where HMRC is located, such as Cumbernauld, and also undermines HMRC’s ability to collect tax?
I am inclined to agree with Mr Hepburn, who has pursued this matter assiduously on behalf of his constituents. HMRC says that it will need fewer people in certain roles across the whole of the UK, including post handling roles. In June, HMRC announced that it will close two of its five regional post rooms by the end of 2014. We believe that its current thinking is that the remaining three, including the one in Cumbernauld, will close by March 2015. HMRC has said that it will be able to tell its staff more by mid-October.
One has to say that that is not a very good way in which to handle staff relations. We in the Scottish Government, who try to treat our public servants with appropriate respect, strongly advocate that the UK Government starts to look a bit more carefully at the way in which it handles these matters and that, in particular, it adopts the no-compulsory-redundancy policy of the Scottish Government.
I am grateful to Mr Hepburn for allowing us an opportunity to make our position clear. I express my concern for his constituents, who face a very uncertain future.
Hybrid Ferries (Low-carbon Targets)
To ask the Scottish Government how investment in hybrid ferries will contribute to meeting its low-carbon targets. (S4O-03594)
The Scottish Government has invested more than £20 million to construct two hybrid ferries, the MV Hallaig and the MV Lochinvar. Mr Stevenson was involved in the project from its early days and cut the first steel for the MV Hallaig in January 2012.
On 29 September, the Deputy First Minister announced that a third hybrid ferry would be ordered from Ferguson Marine Engineering. Those low-emission hybrid ferries, built in Scotland, are helping to contribute to the Scottish Government’s targets on cutting climate change emissions, with initial operational experience indicating around a 28 per cent fuel saving and an associated reduction in carbon emissions.
The announcement of the third hybrid ferry is welcome. I was pleased to be associated with the previous initiatives.
What investment is being made in other forms of public transport in Scotland to ensure that targets on carbon emissions are met?
The Scottish Government invests more than £1 billion a year in public and sustainable transport to encourage people on to public transport and active travel modes. As I announced yesterday in relation to the new ScotRail franchise, Abellio has committed to a range of carbon-saving initiatives that includes at least 3,500 additional cycle parking spaces, a sustainability innovation fund of £100,000 a year and the installation of electric car charging points in at least 50 station car parks. In addition, Stewart Stevenson will of course be aware that, since 2010, we have invested more than £10 million to support the purchase of 126 green buses.
I also welcome the news that the contract for the third hybrid ferry has been awarded to Ferguson’s. We hope that that goes through and that everything will be okay there.
How can the Scottish Government market that innovative type of vessel more widely than just to the United Kingdom? Clearly, there is a market for those types of ships beyond Scotland.
Duncan McNeil raises an important point about the need to exploit this innovative technology as much as possible. The first way in which we can do that is by placing the orders that we have done. We can also do it by operating the vessels ourselves and securing the reductions in fuel consumption and the increases in environmental benefits.
Obviously, there is work to be done in addition to what has already been done to ensure that the market that is out there in the wider world is aware of the potential of the vessels. That would open up opportunities for Ferguson’s and others to produce more of the vessels in future.
The minister will be aware that this month Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd and Caledonian MacBrayne will place a notice in the Official Journal of the European Union indicating their plans to order a new Ardrossan to Brodick ferry. Can he confirm that the specification will be for a hybrid ferry, that the contract will be placed next spring and that building the vessel will be well within the capability and capacity of Ferguson’s in Port Glasgow?
I am afraid that I cannot confirm that the specification will be for a hybrid ferry, because we are considering the potential for liquefied natural gas. However, I can confirm that the contract will be placed next spring and that building it will be well within the capability and capacity of Ferguson’s in Port Glasgow.
Local Government Budget Savings (Public Safety)
To ask the Scottish Government how it is monitoring proposals for local government budget savings to ensure that they have no adverse consequences for public safety. (S4O-03595)
Councils are accountable to their local citizens for the work they do, and they are of course expected to comply with all legislative and regulatory burdens. Single outcome agreements, which set out agreed priorities for local areas, are progressed by community planning partnerships and provide the framework for community safety partnerships to co-ordinate a joint agency response to community safety issues.
In that case, does the minister consider that residents who pay their council tax are fully entitled to adequate and safe street lighting and that South Lanarkshire Council’s recent proposal to de-energise the street lighting in the evening in Castle Avenue in Bothwell, which is a busy area for joggers, dog walkers and cyclists, cannot be justified on such grounds and could be dangerous?
I am not fully aware of the full facts of that local authority’s current exercise, but I am happy to explore it. However, I expect the public interest and public health and safety to be clear and foremost in local authorities’ minds in making budget decisions and delivering energy efficiency programmes and programmes to decarbonise the energy sector.
According to the Scottish Government’s own statistics, which were published this weekend, 70,000 posts have disappeared from local authorities since 2008. Is the minister able to tell the chamber how many of those jobs were related to community safety initiatives?
I do not have that information to hand, but I know that local government settlements have been fair. Local government would certainly agree with that.
Our fair approach with local government has ensured that it has been able to deliver efficiencies in a way that has not led to the kind of mass redundancies that we have seen south of the border, and those fair settlements will ensure that local government is equipped to continue to deliver the quality services that we all expect.
Men's Health Forum Scotland 10K Event (Funding)
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of the lack of funding affecting the men’s 10K event in Glasgow run by the Men’s Health Forum Scotland and what it can do to secure the future of the event. (S4O-03596)
The Scottish Government recognises the importance of promoting men’s health, which is why we provided more than £500,000 to Men’s Health Forum Scotland between 2007 and 2012.
I understand that there have been issues in securing funding for the 2015 Glasgow men’s 10K event. Such events can be a fun and visible way of promoting causes such as better men’s health, but it is essential that they are sustainable as well as successful. The Scottish Government provides funding to jogscotland, which provided expert advice and support to Men’s Health Forum Scotland in marketing the 2014 event and organising the associated 5K run.
I should declare an interest as someone who has participated in the 10K event for the past few years, along with thousands of other men, the vast majority of whom say that their participation in the event has encouraged them to be fit, healthy and active all year round, not just for the event itself.
After the incredible year that elite sport has had in Scotland, surely it would be a disaster if, on what would be this event’s 10th anniversary year, it ceased to exist. I urge the cabinet secretary to explore any options with contact organisations or other potential partners that could secure a future for this event.
Good for Patrick Harvie for taking part and setting a good example—well done.
On the event next year, jogscotland has been in discussions with the organisation. I am happy to ask my officials to work with jogscotland in exploring with the organisation what options could allow the 2015 event and future ones to happen. However, the events have to be sustainable, and the organisation has to look at its business case. On-going discussions on that have taken place with jogscotland, but I am happy to ask my officials to meet jogscotland and the organisation to see whether anything more can be done to get the event happening next year.
Council Tax Reduction Scheme
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been supported by the protection of funding for the council tax reduction scheme. (S4O-03597)
According to official statistics that were published on 30 September 2014, 537,730 people in Scotland are currently supported in meeting their council tax liabilities through the council tax reduction scheme.
I welcome the measures such as the council tax reduction scheme that the Scottish Government is putting in place to help those in Scotland who are paying a heavy price for the United Kingdom Government’s welfare reforms. Does the minister share my concern about George Osborne’s freeze on in-work benefits and the impact that it will have on the working poor in Scotland? Does he agree that the Smith commission needs to deliver control over welfare?
The supplementary was a bit broader than the original question.
The attacks on working people this time from the Tory UK Government are of concern. We agree essentially with the point that, to tackle poverty and protect citizens from future cuts, we require the powers to do so, and we will of course make that case to the Smith commission.
Gambling (Devolution of Powers)
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on powers relating to gambling being devolved. (S4O-03598)
During the referendum campaign, the Government identified the advantages of the Parliament making decisions on gambling. Many of those advantages would also be realised by devolution of powers on gambling in the planned Scotland bill.
The Government will play a full part on the Smith commission and will argue for extensive devolution of further substantial powers to Scotland, in line with the vow that was made by the United Kingdom parties during the campaign.
The minister will be aware of the active campaign that I have been running in relation to fixed-odds betting terminals, which has included a members’ business debate in the Parliament earlier this year. Does the minister agree that gambling powers should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament in order to allow for the creation of gambling legislation that is in line with town centre planning policy and for action to be taken in Scotland in a way that currently is not happening across the UK?
Yes, I do. I commend Stuart McMillan’s work on the issue. To realise the aspirations of many members across the parties in the Parliament and of our partners in local government and other stakeholders, we require powers on gambling. We will make that case to the Smith commission, so that we can realise the aspirations to tackle some of the problem gambling that is experienced in Scotland.
Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011 (Effectiveness)
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the effectiveness of the arrangements relating to the Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011 and their operation. (S4O-03599)
The Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011 sets minimum standards for the property management industry and provides protections for home owners who use the services of a property factor. The act requires the Scottish ministers to maintain a register of property factors. It requires each factor to be registered with ministers and to abide by a statutory code of conduct. The Scottish Government has put in place arrangements that enable ministers and property factors to comply with their duties under the act.
Does the minister believe that there is any flexibility in the system regarding land-owning property factors to allow the owners on a new housing estate to decide on the ownership and maintenance of the green space?
The Title Conditions (Scotland) Act 2003 contains provisions on the dismissal and replacement of factors, although we are aware that there are potential difficulties in relation to land-owning maintenance companies. Following the Justice Committee’s report last year into the effectiveness of the 2003 act, the Scottish Government is preparing a voluntary code of practice on the dismissal and replacement of land-owning maintenance companies. We intend to consult key bodies on a draft of the code shortly, and we will keep the member up to date on that.
Before we move to the next item of business, members will wish to join me in welcoming to the gallery His Excellency Mr Pasquale Terracciano, the ambassador of Italy to the United Kingdom. [Applause.]