Plenary, 10 Nov 2005

Meeting date: Thursday, November 10, 2005

Official Report 699KB pdf

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Question Time

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SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE

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General Questions

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Airdrie to Bathgate Rail Link

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is ensuring that progress is made on the reopening of the Airdrie to Bathgate rail link. (S2O-8037)

Network Rail plans to introduce a bill into the Scottish Parliament early in 2006. The Scottish Executive will continue to work with Network Rail to ensure that it has the resources that are needed to achieve that.

Six weeks ago, in answer to a previous question of mine, the minister indicated that the public consultation meetings on the rail link should take place between October and November. He will therefore understand my concern that those meetings will not now be happening until January. I seek two assurances from him: first, that the delay will not lose us a slot in the legislative timetable and so delay the work going ahead; and secondly, that the delay will not mean that any of the money that was identified for the project will be lost to other things.

I can give Mary Mulligan the assurance that she seeks on both points. On her question on the consultation, I understand that the information on some of the key aspects of the scheme has yet to be provided in its final form by the consultant Jacobs Babtie. Once that is done, the consultation can begin and the formal meetings can take place. Obviously, the information is required before proper consultation can go ahead. Again, on the two specific issues that Mary Mulligan raised, I give her the assurance that she seeks.

I welcome the reopening of lines such as the Airdrie to Bathgate rail link and the economic benefits that they bring locally. Does the minister agree that there is also scope for the reopening of stations on existing lines? If so, will he give consideration to the reopening of the station at Grangemouth in my region, where there is already a freight connection to Falkirk that could easily accommodate passenger services again?

That question is a bit wide of the subject of the question that Mary Mulligan asked. Certainly, we look at the possibilities that would arise from station reopenings or, indeed, new stations. As I am sure Margaret Mitchell will expect me to say, all proposals have to go through an appropriate procedure in relation to value for money and the need to justify costs in terms of the return that can be achieved. However, I absolutely agree with the central point that she made: the potential benefits can be considerable, in terms of advantages to commuters and local people and attracting people in general back to using our rail system.

It is essential that there is no hold-up in the reopening of the line, whether as a result of consultation or legislation. Is the minister prepared to accept the Scottish National Party's offer, which was first made by Fergus Ewing during the Borders rail link debate, of assistance in the passing of a fast-track transport and works type bill? To take such action would ensure that the line reopens. We do not want any legislative problems to arise, as is happening with the current system of private bills.

It is very welcome that the SNP supports that legislation. I recognise that it will, as Fiona Hyslop rightly says, improve the private bill process and the mechanisms that are available to the Parliament properly to scrutinise these matters. In respect of the Bathgate to Airdrie rail link, as I said to Mary Mulligan earlier, I am confident that we can deliver the legislation within the parliamentary timetable. That would, of course, allow the link to happen within the timescale that we have set out. However, I appreciate Fiona Hyslop's kind offer.

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Depression (Young Children)

To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence report published in September in relation to the provision of drug treatments to young children suffering from depression. (S2O-8053)

We expect national health service boards and their partners to take account of clinical guidelines, such as the report to which the member referred, in the planning and delivery of child mental health services. In every case, clinicians should take all relevant factors into account, including the age of the patient, before deciding on the best care and treatment option.

Does the Executive have any intention of calling for a review of procedures in view of the concerns that were expressed in the NICE report?

No, but as I said, we expect the points made in the report to be taken into account in the delivery of service. In doing that, health boards will operate in the context of the significantly increased resource that we are making available to supporting children and young people with mental health problems, and to identifying and addressing issues of depression for all age groups.

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Kerr Report (Regional Planning)

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure that the Kerr report's recommendations in respect of regional planning across national health service board areas will be put into practice. (S2O-8026)

When we published the "Delivering for Health" report two weeks ago, we made it clear that we now expect NHS boards and regional planning groups to use the Kerr report to drive their service change programmes. We also set out a range of actions for regional planning groups, and a Health Department letter will be sent to the relevant parts of the NHS in Scotland to reinforce which actions we expect to be done by which specific dates.

I was particularly interested in the minister's announcement at the convention of the Highlands and Islands of a new centre for telehealth and a virtual school of rural health care. Will he outline how he expects health boards to use those initiatives to improve health care in rural areas? Will he ensure that the centre for telehealth will promote videoconferencing between remote patients and city-based consultants so that patients, particularly those from the islands, do not have to continue to make unnecessary and often stressful journeys for routine consultations?

I am happy to be able to confirm that we will indeed look to the centre for telehealth to deliver the kind of benefits that Maureen Macmillan outlines. We have asked Grampian NHS Board to produce proposals for it to act as a centre of excellence in telemedicine to serve the NHS in Scotland. The purpose of that will be to provide technical and common standards in support of telemedicine to ensure that the help that is provided to those who are working in rural and remote locations is backed up by specialists at central hospitals in the way that Maureen Macmillan has described, and that that help is given on the basis of clinical protocols that ensure safety and efficiency, while respecting patient confidentiality.

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Communication Impairment

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to address the needs of people with communication impairment. (S2O-8030)

I am pleased to have this opportunity to recognise the work being undertaken on this issue by both the Scottish Parliament short-life working group on communication impairment and the communication impairment action group. We are currently considering a research proposal that was submitted by the communication impairment action group and hope to be able to respond to it shortly. We are also undertaking a number of initiatives across departments to address the needs of people with communication impairment.

The minister will be aware that communication impairment encompasses but goes beyond people with sensory impairment, such as those who are deaf or hard of hearing or those who are blind. Is he aware that people with communication impairment are denied access to services and activities that the rest of us take for granted? For example, they can struggle to open a bank account or to use public transport. Does he agree that we need to have a national strategy and that, as a first step, we need to map the needs of people with communication impairment? When can we expect a decision on the research proposal that is currently before him?

I certainly agree that the issue cuts across many different portfolios in the Executive. The idea of mapping the issue and involving the people who are affected is an attractive feature of the research proposal. I was pleased to be at a presentation about the proposal given by the communication impairment action group, and I liked the way in which it based a lot of the action research on the experiences of people who have communication impairment. I was generally impressed, but a lot of assessment has to be done by our social research professionals. We should be able to respond in general terms before too long.

The minister will be aware that communication impairment involves not just the inability to communicate orally but the inability to understand written communication. A recent press report suggested that one in five people have difficulty in complying with medication instructions because they cannot follow them. Can he confirm that any action that the Executive takes will address all forms of communication difficulty as well as how the needs of people with such difficulties can be assessed and met?

I think that that is already recognised as an issue in general terms, but we will need to address the particular difficulty that Eleanor Scott mentioned as well as speech communication impairments.

Will the proposal that the minister is considering also deal with the levels of communication impairment among young offenders? A high percentage of people in HM Young Offenders Institution Polmont were discovered to have a severe communication impairment. Will he consider how that issue might be addressed, particularly in relation to future offending behaviour?

Again, that illustrates the point that I made about the issue's cross-cutting nature—it cuts across many, if not all, Executive portfolios—which is also a distinctive feature of the proposal that was made to us. Obviously, I was conscious of the health aspects, but the issue goes far wider. Certainly, considering how the issue affects offenders in the justice system will be important.

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High-voltage Transmission Lines

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in discussions between it and the United Kingdom Government's stakeholder advisory group on electric and magnetic fields, which is looking into the health issues associated with 400kV transmission lines. (S2O-8022)

The Scottish Executive Health Department is represented on the main stakeholder advisory group and remains committed to supporting its work. In determining future policy, the Executive will take into account the work of the group and advice from the Health Protection Agency.

In light of public concern, such as the concerns of the Stirling before pylons campaign in my constituency, will the minister encourage the Westminster stakeholder advisory group on EMF, in which he is involved, to finalise its report on the health issues of such transmission lines as soon as possible so that its advice can be taken into account when the Scottish Executive makes its decision on the proposed Beauly to Denny 400kV transmission line?

I can assure Dr Jackson that members of the stakeholder advisory group on EMF—which involves all manner of interested parties, from Government to the private sector to community organisations—are determined to work together towards an agreed outcome on its considerations. I look forward to the group's interim recommendations, which should be available to Scottish ministers early next year.

Is the minister aware that the Government-funded Draper report, which was published in June this year, showed that children who live within 200m of high-voltage power lines are twice as likely to have childhood leukaemia? Will he assure us that, in its consideration of the route of the Beauly to Denny power line, the Scottish Executive will take account of the Draper report, particularly given that more than 300 students at the University of Stirling will live within 200m of the planned pylon corridor?

I refer Mr Crawford to my answer to Dr Jackson. We are certainly aware of the Draper report, which is the reason why we and UK Government colleagues have undertaken the SAGE process. The stakeholder advisory group will allow us to have the best available advice, which will be based on the consideration of evidence both from the United Kingdom and elsewhere in the world. That is why I look forward to those recommendations early next year, on which further decisions can then be made.

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Small Enterprises

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is creating more opportunities for small enterprises to gain new business. (S2O-7995)

Advice and support for small and growing businesses—including on aspects such as diversification and internationalisation—are primarily an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, which work with local partner organisations.

The Executive has also been working directly with small and medium-sized enterprises and their representative bodies to reduce the barriers that they encounter in bidding for public sector contracts. The Deputy First Minister recently met business representatives to discuss improving SME access to contracting opportunities.

I am very pleased with that answer, which almost pre-empts my supplementary question.

I presume that the minister is aware that only 38 per cent of businesses with a turnover of £25,000 or less sell anything to local government, compared with 65 per cent of businesses with a turnover above £5 million. What progress has he made, through discussions with business and local authorities, on making contracts in the public sector more accessible?

The member makes reference to discussions. We have had extensive discussions with SME representatives and their representative organisations, including the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, the Confederation of British Industry Scotland, the Institute of Directors and the Federation of Small Businesses, about improving SME access to contracting opportunities. As a consequence of those discussions, we have produced revised procurement regulations, which will place greater emphasis on the need to advertise contract opportunities, a code of good practice for purchasers and suppliers and a model qualification questionnaire, aimed at standardising processes and reducing bureaucracy. We are also making substantial progress on e-procurement, to widen access to public procurement for small businesses.

Given that, according to answers that have been given to written questions, much of the information is not held centrally, how will the minister measure success in increasing the amount of business that is given to small and medium-sized enterprises in Scotland through the public sector?

Direct business support for small businesses is delivered for us by our economic development agencies, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise. We receive a regular update, the next of which will be published soon, on progress on meeting our targets in "A Smart, Successful Scotland". That will provide the information that Mr Neil seeks.

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Flood Prevention Decisions

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the presence of minor underground works such as drainage has any effect on decisions made under the Flood Prevention and Land Drainage (Scotland) Act 1997. (S2O-8047)

The presence of underground works such as drainage, particularly if unknown, complicates any assessment by local authorities of the condition of watercourses and any subsequent remedial action that may be required.

Does the minister agree that minor underground works such as drainage should have no relevance when determining what is functional flood plain? Does she share my disappointment, and the disappointment felt by many residents of Murrayfield, Stockbridge and other areas of Edinburgh, that the long-awaited flood prevention scheme in the city has been delayed? Does she share the widespread concern that the Scottish Rugby Union has succeeded in using the presence of minor underground works as a justification for removing its back pitches from the flood plain?

I am aware of the strong feelings that exist about the outcome of the inquiry and the fact that work cannot yet go ahead. More than 30 objections to the council's proposed scheme were considered at the local public inquiry. I recognise the pressing need for a flood prevention scheme for the Water of Leith. The inquiry identified that the proposed scheme has shortcomings, and ministers have proposed several modifications to address them. In proposing those modifications, ministers are obliged by the act to consult everyone on whom the local authority originally served notice—some 2,300 people in the case of this scheme. Those people have until 16 December to make their views known.

Ministers will consider representations carefully before making a decision. I assure the member that we will do that as quickly as possible. The planning authority will have regard to Scottish planning policy 7 and any other relevant planning guidance when considering proposals for development on a functional flood plain.