Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Official Report 820KB pdf

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Scottish Government Question Time

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Topical Questions

Before we start topical questions, many members will know that we received some very topical news overnight. I am sure that everyone in the chamber will wish me to record our congratulations to our own Andy Murray on his historic success in the final of the US open championships last night. [Applause.] I had been expecting to receive a topical question this morning from Bruce Crawford, the constituency MSP for Dunblane, but, unfortunately, I did not receive one. [Interruption.] I am sorry—the constituency MSP is Keith Brown. I apologise. I got the name wrong. However, he still did not put in a question.

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Town Centres

1. To ask the Scottish Government what proposals it has to revive town centres. (S4T-00029)

I am glad that I am not the only one who is feeling the effects of a late night last night.

On 9 September, I announced details of the Scottish Government’s national town centre review. That review will focus on action and will be led by an external advisory group made up of experts from organisations such as the Association of Town Centre Management, the Scottish Retail Consortium, Creative Scotland, Scottish Chambers of Commerce, the University of Stirling and the Federation of Small Businesses. The external advisory group will be chaired by leading Scottish architect Malcolm Fraser.

In the previous parliamentary session, my party secured the popular town centre regeneration fund and I welcome any review that will contribute to sustaining such regeneration. However, the Scottish Government is charging ahead with proposals to tax empty property for which there is no market demand and, in doing so, is getting egg all over its face. Will it hold back that legislation until the review group has reported, to ensure that what the minister, Derek Mackay, said in the Parliament in June will happen—that rates reform is not implemented in isolation—does so?

We welcome the support of the Scottish Conservatives, but it was this Government that funded the £60 million town centre regeneration fund in 2009. That kick-started 66 town centre projects across Scotland and created nearly 1,000 jobs. It was an incredible success and one on which we want to build.

As the member will be aware, we are taking action across an additional range of fronts. We are consulting on measures to help communities to tackle vacant and unused property in their areas as part of the community empowerment and renewal bill.

Annabel Goldie will be aware that these matters are subject to parliamentary scrutiny. On the specific point that she raised, business rates empty property relief reform is designed to introduce an incentive to bring empty properties back into use. Getting properties back into use would be extremely beneficial in the regeneration of many town centres across the country. Empty property relief will continue to remain more advantageous in Scotland than it is in England and Wales, where I understand her party is currently in government. This Government will continue to take a range of initiatives to support town centres. I have no doubt that the work that is being led by Malcolm Fraser will contribute hugely to that range of initiatives in due course.

Although I am grateful to the minister for her response and am enticed by her argument, will she not accept that the sensible thing would be to allow the review group, which is commendable in all respects, to report and then to reflect on whether the proposed tax on empty property is a meaningful or sensible way forward?

I know that Annabel Goldie is a committed parliamentarian. The empty property rates relief reform package is subject to due parliamentary scrutiny. That is the right and proper way to consider any reform.

It is worth pointing out to the chamber—I am sure Annabel Goldie will be quick to welcome it—that Scotland is the most competitive place to do business in the entire United Kingdom. We have a business rates relief package that is worth over £500 million a year, and the small business bonus scheme has removed or reduced business taxes for more than 85,000 commercial premises. Proprietors of small businesses in my constituency, many of which populate town centres, tell me about the benefits to them of that and other support that is provided by the Scottish Government. We should get behind those businesses, support the work on town centre regeneration and allow Parliament to do its job.

Before being elected to the Parliament, I had the privilege of serving on the board of Aberdeen business improvement district. Are business improvement districts making a difference in helping to revive town centres?

Yes. I know that Kevin Stewart’s involvement in Aberdeen business improvement district was extremely important. He is right to point to the role that business improvement districts can play. It is important to ensure that we empower local people and have a range of supports in place at national level to back up that effort. I look forward to working with businesses and individuals across the country who have a focus on economic regeneration and its relevance in some city and town centres.

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Music Tuition (Schools)

2. To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring equitable access to music tuition in schools. (S4T-00035)

Through curriculum for excellence, all children and young people are entitled to a broad general education from the early years through to secondary 3, including the music experiences and outcomes that are outlined in the expressive arts curriculum area. The Scottish Government expects all our children and young people to have access to music at school and to have the opportunity to learn and explore the subject.

Under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, education authorities have a duty to secure adequate and efficient provision of school education in their areas and to make that available free of charge. That includes music lessons provided as part of that school education.

The Scottish Government has written to all local authorities to ascertain the current position on charging for all forms of music tuition. We will work with education authorities to ensure that there is equitable access to music provision and that it is consistent with statute.

The curriculum for excellence states:

“Performing and creating music will be ... prominent activities for all learners.”

Clearly, where music lessons are charged for—a charge that many cannot afford—or where free lessons are available only to those who excel in an aptitude test, there is no access for all. Does the minister agree that music for fun, improved self-confidence, self-respect and the many proven benefits that it gives to a child’s learning in other areas is important and that local authorities should make music lessons available to all pupils for free?

I warmly agree with the member’s statement that music is there for fun and to develop the whole learning experience and self-confidence of the young person concerned.

It is important to draw a slight distinction between music teaching as part of school education and music tuition on top of that. Nonetheless, since July the Government has been in touch with local authorities and has begun a process on the matter, as we are aware that there should be a more level playing field than there is and that there is a variety of practices relating to fees for tuition that is provided over and above the lessons that are provided in school as part of the school curriculum.

At the moment, only handfuls of children in our primary school classes are accessing music, so I am heartened to learn that the Government is looking at that. In schools in Edinburgh aptitude tests are being given to children in primary 5 and only those who pass the test have the opportunity to go on to learn a musical instrument. I would like to see that opportunity broadened to the entire class.

I stress again that we may be talking at cross-purposes at points in the debate. There is tuition in an instrument outwith the normal school curriculum, and there are music lessons in school. I cannot agree with the statement that very few children get music in school. The curriculum for excellence puts music at the centre of the school experience. That said, the Government is keen to remind local authorities what their duties and limitations are when it comes to making charges for instrumental tuition over and above that.

It was reported at the weekend that Highland Council has a revenue of £453,000 from music tuition. Will the minister seek clarification from the council about the numbers of pupils in Alness and other less well-off communities in my constituency who have given up music tuition because of the fees and establish whether tutors are evenly distributed across the council area and, indeed, other council areas?

We will certainly seek information from Highland Council and other councils to ascertain any trends in music uptake and to consider whether that is connected to any charges for music tuition that are levied by those authorities. I note that the charges in Highland Council were increased in 2010 following a public consultation that recognised that that was preferable to reducing the number of instructors. That said, my previous point stands: music should be at the heart of every child’s educational experience.

The minister will be aware that the Education and Culture Committee had concerns, which Rob Gibson just enunciated, about the impact that instrument tuition fees are having on take-up. Orkney Islands Council is one of, I think, eight councils that do not charge in that way, so it is no surprise that Kristan Harvey was the BBC young musician of the year and Broken Strings won a Danny Kyle award at last year’s Celtic Connections. The minister will be aware of the Scotland on Sunday campaign on the issue and the proposal for a musical instrument fund. Will he ensure that councils that are currently not charging will not be left at a disadvantage, should that idea be taken up and such a fund be disbursed?

As I mentioned, the Government has been taking an interest in this issue since July. It should be said that a variety of charges are levied throughout the country. In Aberdeen, charges are as high as £340 for music instrument tuition. It is an issue that the Government wants to look at.

Incidentally, I will be interested to see the deliberations of the Education and Culture Committee, whose meeting on the subject has just ended and which has taken a great interest in it.