SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
General Questions
School Building Programme
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make an announcement on a nationally funded school building programme to help deliver school buildings around Scotland, including a new Eastwood high school and a new Barrhead high school. (S3O-4100)
In response to parliamentary question S3W-16167, I informed Parliament this morning that the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, in accepting the recommendations of the Audit Scotland report of March 2008, have established a joint working group to discuss future policy, funding and delivery and to prepare a new school estate strategy by next spring.
Having lodged my question before I heard about yesterday's statement on the Scottish Futures Trust, I fully expected to be overtaken by events. Imagine my surprise when, in a full parliamentary hour yesterday, the minister's colleague, Mr Swinney, seemed unable to provide any information on the new funding programme other than the name of the chairman—oh, and that it has no funds. I ask the cabinet secretary a simple question: will any pupils in Scotland benefit from a Scottish Futures Trust-funded school before the end of the parliamentary session in 2011?
I am delighted that yesterday's announcement means that the Scottish Futures Trust is being established. We have a new chair for it and we also, as of this morning, have an answer to Ken Macintosh's question that indicates that we will produce our school estate strategy in the spring.
Wick high school in my constituency is in a dreadful condition, as I have mentioned in the Parliament many times. Councillors of all political complexions in Highland Council say that they simply do not have the funds to build a new school under the existing settlement. As the Scottish Futures Trust progresses, will the minister conduct an audit of school structures throughout Scotland and require councils to give the figures so that problems such as those with Wick high school will be brought to the top of her agenda?
The discussions that will take place with COSLA will do exactly what Jamie Stone asks: they will identify where in Scotland the priorities are and where attention is required. However, I acknowledge that, in discussions that I have had with Highland Council, it acknowledges that it has resources to make improvements. The council has made decisions about its priorities for its funding for the next four years. I understand that some funding will go to Wick high school but the council will, no doubt, be able to inform Mr Stone of that. His point is well made. That is exactly why we are responding to the Audit Scotland report's recommendations and will produce a school estate strategy in the spring.
Is the minister aware of comments that were made by Mr Macintosh's Westminster parliamentary colleague—a Mr Murphy—who, following the meeting between Mr Swinney and East Renfrewshire Council to progress the new schools, claimed:
The simple answer to that is yes. When I met East Renfrewshire Council, we had a constructive discussion. Too many Opposition members are prepared to take a cannot-do attitude; the can-do attitude that we are witnessing in councils throughout Scotland will be helpful. I enjoyed my visit to East Renfrewshire Council very much and I hope to progress the matters that we discussed at the meeting.
I thought I heard the cabinet secretary say that the school under construction that she visited this morning is being constructed because of a decision that the present Administration made. She said that the construction work started in June or July of last year, which would mean that the planning and approval for it would have been made before May 2007. Can the cabinet secretary confirm that, in fact, this Administration gave approval for that? If not, will she correct the misleading impression that she gave?
My understanding is that the Government came to power in May 2007. The approval for the Falkirk schools was given in May 2007. It is this Government, under our funding settlement, that supports Falkirk Council to the tune of £5 million on an annual basis. I would take the word of the site construction manager, who said that construction work started in June and July 2007, over the member's understanding.
Class Sizes
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its position remains that a reduction in class sizes to 18 for primaries 1 to 3 will be achieved in the lifetime of this parliamentary session, as stated by the First Minister on 5 September 2007. (S3O-4082)
An historic concordat was signed with local government on 14 November 2007. Under that agreement, local government is committed to make year-on-year progress on the reduction of primary 1 to primary 3 classes to a maximum of 18 pupils.
I have a simple supplementary question: are class sizes rising in any Scottish National Party-led council in Scotland—yes or no?
I am delighted that there are class size reductions across Scotland in a number of areas, including those of SNP-run administrations, not least in Fife and West Lothian, where we have seen significant progress.
Does the cabinet secretary agree that one of the difficulties in implementing the class size reduction policy is that there is wilful opposition from, for example, Labour-controlled Glasgow City Council which, despite a £15.3 million underspend, refuses to invest in reducing class sizes, even in deprived communities, and places hostility to the SNP Government ahead of the educational future of children in Glasgow?
I understand from something Gordon Matheson said on Radio Scotland that Glasgow City Council's education budget has indeed increased over the past year. It is for the council to make decisions about the employment of teachers, but it would be disappointing if it did not use the opportunity of retirals this year to replace such teachers with the probationers and post-probationers we discussed in the debate earlier today.
Glen Oaks Housing Association (Meetings)
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met officials from Glen Oaks Housing Association. (S3O-4127)
I met officials and committee members from Glen Oaks Housing Association in September 2007 to hear their concerns about the regeneration of the Arden neighbourhood. Since then, Scottish Government officials and the Scottish Housing Regulator have had a number of meetings with officials of Glen Oaks to discuss the work of the association. The most recent meeting was on 25 June 2008, to discuss the association's draft inspection report.
I thank the minister for that response. He will be aware of the deadlock between Glen Oaks Housing Association and Glasgow City Council, which has not been forthcoming with the money that is desperately needed for regeneration in Arden. How can he assist in that matter so that residents in Arden can benefit from the investment that they need and deserve?
I am aware of the frustration that is felt in Arden, particularly by members of the Glen Oaks Housing Association. It is for Glasgow City Council to consider proposals for the regeneration of the Arden area and their relative priority for funding. From my meeting with the association and from recent correspondence, I am aware that there is frustration in Arden that a regeneration strategy has not yet been agreed. I have written to the council asking that it update me on its timescales and I await a response. I am also aware that Councillor Gibson in Glasgow has written to the council and to me in pursuance of the same matter.
I welcome the minister's comment that he is willing to convene a meeting to address the issues. That is a welcome step forward. Can he indicate how much of the up to £100 million that the First Minister announced can be expected to be secured for Glasgow?
The up to £100 million that the First Minister announced on 1 August will be allocated in the normal pattern of events, using the projects that housing associations across the country propose, according to the normal criteria. Money will be allocated to those areas that are in most need. That process is under way, and I look forward to announcements in due course.
Hospital Car Parks (Running Costs)
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will compensate national health service boards for the costs of running hospital car parks, following the recent announcement of the abolition of hospital car parking charges. (S3O-4091)
Funding of £1.4 million is being made available to assist NHS boards that currently charge for car parking, over the transitional period to 31 March 2009. Thereafter, those NHS boards will be required to absorb the costs of providing and managing car parks from their unified budgets in exactly the same way as do other NHS boards that have not introduced charges for parking.
Concerns have been raised by NHS Highland that it will have to find an additional £600,000 to cover the cost of running its car park year on year. In addition, it will need to find ways of improving the car park facilities to deter people who have no business at the hospital from parking there. Will the cabinet secretary give a commitment that that money will not be taken out of front-line patient services?
As the member will be aware, income raised from car parking charges was never used to fund front-line services. It is important to draw to her attention the fact that the income raised from car parking charges across the five NHS boards that have charging amounts to one twentieth of 1 per cent of the total NHS budget. The nine health boards that do not charge manage to meet the costs of maintaining their car parks from within their budgets. It is fair and reasonable to expect the five that do charge to do likewise when car park charges are abolished at the end of this year.
Does the minister agree that allowing car parking charges to remain at Ninewells hospital in Dundee and at the infirmaries in Edinburgh and Glasgow sets up a two-tier system that discriminates against those who use and work in the hospitals, which is hardly fair and reasonable? [Interruption.]
Order.
Thank you. Does the minister also agree that that is an unacceptable extra financial burden on patients and staff, some of whom live in areas with high levels of deprivation? [Interruption.]
Order.
I heard somebody behind me say, "Unbelievable!" I could not agree more. I am not "allowing" car park charges to remain at Ninewells and the other two private finance initiative hospitals; I cannot stop the charges—because Labour tied the NHS into ridiculously expensive PFI contracts. It would cost tens of millions of pounds to get out of the PFI contract at Ninewells, which would hit front-line budgets. That fact simply serves to illustrate the scandal of Labour PFI, and all Scotland says thank goodness that it is in the past.
Work-related Assaults
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it holds statistics on work-related assaults and, if so, what they were for 2006-07 and 2007-08. (S3O-4156)
Only police officers and other emergency workers are identifiable in the recorded crime and court proceedings statistics on assaults.
I thank the minister for that full reply. It is clear that the legislation is now beginning to have an impact and that many people are now feeling the benefit of it, and I welcome the Government's extension of the number of people who are covered by it. It was right to start with emergency workers, but will the minister now reflect on the success of the legislation and on the fact that many others workers in Scotland, such as shop workers and transport staff, face not only intimidation but violence and assault day and daily? Will he consider ways of extending the legislation to give those workers the protection that the public believe they deserve?
I agree with the sentiments that Hugh Henry has expressed. I think that we all accept in principle that an assault on any citizen of Scotland should be condemned and that the forces of the justice system have to be applied strongly to crimes against the person. Hugh Henry makes a case for the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005 being extended to cover other workers. I am always willing to look at that. Following Shona Robison's representations with regard to an odious assault on Scottish Water workers, we are looking at that. I am pleased that, this year, we have already extended the act to cover general practitioners, other doctors, nurses and midwives working in the community. I am pleased that we have a cross-party approach to this issue and I am sure that it will continue.
Hospital Car Parks (Charges)
To ask the Scottish Government what action can be taken to reduce the burden on patients, their families and staff caused by car parking charges at Ninewells hospital in Dundee and other hospitals with private finance initiative contracts. (S3O-4135)
I am asking those national health service boards where parking charges remain because of PFI contracts to enter into discussions with the PFI providers to explore the opportunities for reducing charges for parking. Those NHS boards will report to me on the outcome of those discussions and I will give full consideration to those reports.
I understand that the cost of buying out the PFI contract at Ninewells hospital could be up to 30 million public pounds. Will the cabinet secretary confirm the size of the financial noose that the previous Administration's PFI contract has placed around NHS Tayside?
I thank Joe FitzPatrick for that question and acknowledge the strong representations on the issue that he has made as the local MSP. I confirm what I said earlier: it would cost tens of millions of pounds to escape from the PFI contract at Ninewells, which was imposed by the previous Labour Administration. That illustrates the scandal of Labour-supported PFI. I confirm that we will do everything possible to get the charges down, but make no mistake—every person who has to pay car parking charges at Ninewells hospital is suffering the legacy of Labour's obsession with privatising our NHS.
National Health Service (Staffing)
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last had discussions with chairs of NHS boards about staffing levels. (S3O-4087)
Staffing issues are routinely discussed with national health service board chief executives and other members of board management teams. General workforce issues are covered in the annual reviews of all boards. The general workforce implications of "Better Health, Better Care" were also discussed collectively with health board chairs on 25 February this year.
Is the cabinet secretary aware that, in Dunfermline, nursing staff are under so much pressure owing to the shortage of nurses that a number of patients have experienced problems—such as my constituent, Mrs Thomson, who is in her late 70s and was required to wait for more than 30 minutes when she made a request for toilet assistance? Does the cabinet secretary agree that that is unacceptable? What will she do to address the needs of patients and alleviate the pressure on our hard-working nurses, who have complained to me about the shortage of nurses and are feeling pressured?
I value greatly the contribution of nurses and all the other staff who work so hard in our national health service. The number of nurses and the overall number of staff in the NHS have continued to rise over the past year. If Helen Eadie has any particular constituency cases in which she thinks the standard of care has fallen below what it should be, I will be more than happy to take them up with NHS Fife.
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