SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
General Questions
Commonwealth Games (Anti-racism Education)
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will support anti-racism education during the 2014 Commonwealth games. (S3O-7781)
The Scottish Government is clear that there is no place for any form of discrimination in Scottish society. We are already working with our education partners to support a number of initiatives aimed at stamping out racism. The learning programmes to be delivered in the months leading up to the Commonwealth games will give us a further opportunity to do so.
The minister will be aware that the Scottish Government has squirreled away something in the order of £2.9 million from the immigration impact fund. Is the Government in a position to assure me that organisations such as Black and Ethnic Minority Infrastructure in Scotland, Show Racism the Red Card and the Ethnic Minorities Law Centre will have access to some of that funding to take forward the education programme to which she has referred?
I will write to Hugh O'Donnell specifically about the £2.9 million from the immigration impact fund.
One of the key educational opportunities of the 2014 Commonwealth games is that those who have never volunteered before will be given the opportunity to do so and, as a result, to improve their skills base and confidence. Does the minister agree that our new army of volunteers should be drawn from throughout Scottish society and that it should represent the diverse and rich cultural and racial mix within our nation? Does she agree on the benefits that that will have for anti-racism strategies to boot?
I very much agree. The volunteering opportunities of the Commonwealth games are enormous—15,000 volunteers are required. Those opportunities will give people in our more deprived communities the chance to develop their education and skills. As I mentioned previously, the games will also allow communities to make links that will develop up to 2014—and beyond, I hope—and to improve their understanding of the cultures of other countries. Schoolchildren in particular will be able to take advantage of that.
Does the minister agree that as well as focusing on anti-racism education, the best approach is positive encouragement for ethnic minorities to participate in the organising of the games?
It is important that people from all backgrounds and cultures are involved in the organisation of the Commonwealth games. We want to draw from all communities—not just in Glasgow but beyond—for the volunteering opportunities that I mentioned. The international spirit of the games gives us an opportunity to break down some of the barriers that, sadly, still exist in Scotland.
Mental Health Service Provision (Third Sector)
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the impact of single outcome agreements on direct service provision for mental health services by the third sector has been fully evaluated. (S3O-7756)
No specific evaluations have been commissioned on the impact of single outcome agreements on the third sector or on services provided by the third sector. The Scottish Government has commissioned research on how the third sector is responding to the new opportunities and challenges arising from its new relationship with the public sector; that research was commissioned with the engagement of the third sector and public sector partners.
Will the Minister for Public Health and Sport consider undertaking a detailed evaluation of the issue, given that the third sector not only benefits from but relies on such information? Rather than rely on the research to which she referred, will she ensure that a more comprehensive evaluation of the impact of single outcome agreements on the third sector is done? An organisation such as the Scottish Association for Mental Health is already expressing concerns about a £2.7 million retrenchment for other organisations, and it is not alone. The people who depend on the services will feel the impact of such moves. The issue is serious, so will the minister consider whether third sector organisations are suffering because of single outcome agreements, perhaps unintentionally?
I will say a little more about the research. It will consider not only changes that have resulted from the concordat but planned policy changes, such as the simplification of the scrutiny landscape and reducing the number of public bodies. The research will give us a lot of information about the positive impact on the third sector and could pick up any challenges, too. The research will track 20 voluntary organisations for five years.
Student Maintenance Loans
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it remains satisfied that maintenance loans available to full-time higher education students in Scotland under the non-means-tested support system remain at the level of £890 a year while all students in England studying away from home can access more than £3,000 of non-means-tested maintenance loans. (S3O-7784)
Unlike in England, students in Scotland do not have to pay tuition fees. As a result, English students have to pay an additional £3,000 each year, and leave with greater debt than Scottish students, despite generally studying for a year less. Student loan debt figures demonstrate that: in 2009, the average student debt figure for Scotland was £5,487, compared with £10,287 in England.
The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning knows that my question is focused on what help students receive as they go through their studies. I have an interest to declare, in that I have first-hand knowledge of the issue because I have a son at university doing a course that is available only in England. He receives more than the amount recommended in the parental contribution, but can access only £900 a year as a student loan. His English counterparts have over £3,000. He also pays £9,000 in university tuition fees. Like many other Scottish students studying in England, he is reliant on taking out commercial loans. Such students are doubly hit because they pay tuition fees and are not allowed to access student loans of any worth. Will the cabinet secretary take action to increase the level of student loans that are available to that segment of Scottish students?
The question was specifically about Scottish students studying in England, and there are specific reasons why we must ensure that such students are treated at the same level as English students studying in England. That is because of the proportion of European Union applications; if we were to treat those students preferentially, we would have to offer the same preferential treatment to Polish, French or German students studying at an English university.
Does the cabinet secretary agree that NUS Scotland's report "Overstretched and Overdrawn - A survey of student hardship, Summer 2009" shows clearly that tackling student hardship and the increasing reliance on commercial debt must be the Government's priority in responding to the supporting a smarter Scotland consultation?
We tackled the issue of student debt by ensuring that we reduced the amount of loan debt that was caused by the graduate endowment fee. The improvement of graduates' income by £2,300 is to be welcomed. However, I recognise that there are issues during a recession for student support as students go through university. Indeed, as the member knows, we are tackling that issue. She also knows that one of the key areas of concern is the position of independent students, who are often older and often have child care responsibilities and costs, which must also be addressed.
Prisoner Releases
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners have been released from custodial sentences after serving a quarter of their sentences, as a result of powers exercised by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice. (S3O-7690)
The provisions introduced by the Management of Offenders etc (Scotland) Act 2005 have enabled certain offenders to be assessed as suitable to be released under the home detention curfew scheme. Those offenders are released on licence and are under curfew, supported by electronic monitoring, to assist them to reintegrate into their communities. Between 2006, when the scheme was introduced, and 4 September 2009, 6,248 offenders sentenced to less than four years were granted home detention curfew. Eight hundred and forty-one of them—13 per cent—moved to home detention curfew after serving a quarter of their sentence in custody.
Can the cabinet secretary enlarge on the number of those released in those circumstances who have breached the terms of their licence and on the number who have offended during the unexpired period of their sentence?
The statistics show clearly that over 75 per cent of prisoners successfully completed home detention curfew. Between July 2006 and 30 August 2009, 5,993 low-risk offenders were released on licence under HDC, of whom 23 per cent—1,386—have been returned to custody, with fewer than 1 per cent being reconvicted of a further offence.
The Lighthouse
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to safeguard the future of the Lighthouse in Glasgow. (S3O-7761)
The future of the Lighthouse Trust as a company is now in the hands of the administrators, PricewaterhouseCoopers. The administrators' proposals will be developed through a process of discussion and agreement with various creditors and interests, including the Scottish Government. The Government is very keen to see a national centre of architecture continue in some form, and we are exploring ways to achieve that with the administrators.
The minister said on 28 August in The Herald:
I think that I have been entirely clear. While the process of administration continues, it is not only right but proper that those who are creditors and those who have an interest in the organisation undertake discussions with the administrators. At the end of that, all parties will be much clearer about what is possible.
We know that the Lighthouse is owned by Glasgow City Council. Taking into consideration the grants that have been received by the Lighthouse from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Scottish Arts Council, and the caveats that are attached to that funding, designating it for public purposes, will the Lighthouse remain in public hands in the future?
I have given as much indication as I can, given the nature of the process. There is a strong commitment to a centre for architecture, to the work that the Lighthouse has done and to the issues with which the Lighthouse deals. I hope that we will be able to salvage something significant out of the wreckage. However, the decision to go into administration was taken by the board. The Lighthouse had recurrent problems, which had developed for reasons that have been well publicised. To get the best out of the situation, we should have a constructive dialogue with the administrators and allow that to take its course.
In the spirit of taking the matter forward in a constructive way—that is the certainly the way in which I want to approach the situation—what steps will the minister take to ensure that the work of the Lighthouse to promote architecture and design in Scotland can be continued?
I welcome that contribution. There are positive steps that we can take. For example, the annual funding of almost £1 million is project focused, and we have no intention of withdrawing from projects if we can get them delivered, essentially for the same resources, by people who are capable of delivering them. An opportunity clearly exists for the Lighthouse to be involved in that.
Water Framework Directive
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency over the implementation of the European Union water framework directive. (S3O-7694)
The Scottish Government is in continuous discussion with SEPA on the implementation of the EU water framework directive and will shortly be invited to approve the first river basin management plans, which are due for publication in December 2009.
As the minister knows, proposals that are being considered by Scottish Power could lead to up to 40 per cent of the water flow in the River Doon being diverted to the River Dee in Kirkcudbrightshire. Given the ecological damage that such a reduction in flow would cause, and the risk of increased bathing water pollution in the Ayr bay, will she undertake to monitor the situation closely to ensure that the River Doon will not be plundered in the way that is presently being threatened?
I am well aware of the controversy that has emerged in respect of the River Doon. SEPA and Scottish Power have been in discussions for about two years about possible changes to the Galloway hydro scheme. One of the possible changes—the most extreme one—has generated an enormous amount of controversy, and I am aware of the widespread opposition. However, no formal proposals have yet been submitted by Scottish Power. They are expected to be submitted in December 2009, at which time SEPA will begin the formal consultation process. All parties will have the opportunity to make representations to SEPA and, ultimately, to the Scottish ministers. Because of that, I must be a little careful what I say about the matter here.
Firearms
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making with regard to devolving powers over firearms to the Scottish Parliament. (S3O-7707)
The Home Office continues to reject our calls to devolve responsibility for firearms legislation to the Scottish Parliament. The Calman commission recommended that legislation for air weapons be devolved, and we acted quickly to lay orders in Parliament before the summer recess—but there is still no sign of progress from the Home Office. Indeed, I invited the Home Secretary to visit Edinburgh this summer to discuss this and other issues, but the offer was not taken up.
In my constituency air-guns cause havoc and harm. The cabinet secretary may be interested to know that F division of Lothian and Borders police reports that there were 40 incidents in West Lothian over the past year. In the light of his answer, how does he intend to persuade the Home Secretary to reconsider his position, and what would he do if he was successful in securing the devolution of air-gun regulations to Scotland?
I have made it quite clear that we are ready to act immediately. There is something quite bizarre in the fact that, although I can make a decision regarding the release of Mr al-Megrahi, this Parliament cannot make a decision to tackle the safety of our communities by tackling the air weapons that are in them.
Before we move to the next item of business, members will want to join me in welcoming to the gallery Charlie Parker MLA, the Speaker of the Nova Scotia Legislature, and his delegation. [Applause.]
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