SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
General Questions
Gaza
To ask the Scottish Government when it last had discussions with representatives of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office regarding the situation in Gaza and any implications for the Scottish Government's international development policy. (S3O-5524)
Officials have been in regular contact with colleagues in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to monitor the on-going situation and identify where the Scottish Government may be able to offer assistance in relation to its commitments in its international development policy.
I have been proud of Scotland's response to the humanitarian disaster in Gaza as we have lived up to the country's reputation as a caring and compassionate nation. However, the depth of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza means that the aid operation in the region will be lengthy. Will the minister meet members of different aid organisations that work on the ground there to discuss Scotland's continuing commitment to the people of Gaza?
Scotland's readiness to respond to the crisis has been admirable and reinforces our role as a responsible nation that is determined to play its part to help those who are in greatest need. It is worth mentioning that a fundraising dinner for Islamic Relief Scotland that Sandra White attended in Lanarkshire last night raised £98,000 for medical aid and equipment for Gaza. That is a mark of the commitment of people in Scotland.
Will the Scottish Government welcome the efforts of Glasgow the Caring City, which managed to get £200,000-worth of aid into Gaza from Jordan this week? I will collaborate with that charity next week to support another delivery of humanitarian aid for Gaza, which is desperately needed. I am also involved in the Scotland to Gaza convoy, which is organised by Edinburgh Direct Aid. Will the Scottish Government support, even symbolically, all the efforts of the Scottish people to do what they can to ensure that medical aid and equipment get to the Gazan people who desperately need it?
Yes. Glasgow the Caring City is an amazing organisation for the speed and appropriateness of its response to humanitarian crises throughout the world. I am aware of its work over the past month or so, and officials in our international development department have been in discussion with Mr Galbraith from the charity.
Urban Woodland
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to encourage the spread and development of new and existing woodland areas in urban environments. (S3O-5538)
In May last year, I had the pleasure of launching the second phase of Forestry Commission Scotland's woods in and around towns programme. That three-year, £24 million programme continues to support the creation and management of urban woodlands to help deliver health, education and regeneration benefits to people who live and work in Scotland's towns and cities. The programme now supports around 140 schemes, and we are all working hard to ensure that that figure continues to increase.
The minister is aware of the excellent work of the Drumchapel woodland group in Glasgow, to which he presented the Tim Stead award for social and community forestry. Does the Scottish Government plan to ensure that other urban communities are made aware of the various forestry challenge funds through, for example, the creation and promotion of a register of urban areas that are suitable for woodland development?
That is an interesting idea. I am enthusiastic about the work of the range of organisations in this field, and Drumchapel is an inspirational example. The Forestry Commission is in close contact with local authorities, community groups, woodland organisations and, indeed, landowners to ensure that there is a comprehensive awareness of the woods in and around towns challenge fund and the forestry for people challenge fund. Interest in those funds remains high, and the results of the first judging round will be announced later this month.
In the minister's answer of 18 December last year to my written question S3W-18586, he confirmed that land in the public forest estate that had been leased to private interests, as envisaged in his consultation document "Climate Change and the National Forest Estate: Consultation on forestry provisions in the Scottish Climate Change Bill", would be eligible for grant payments under the Scotland rural development programme. Is the minister not concerned that, should those proposals be implemented, there will actually be less public funding available for the organisations that he mentioned in his answer to Mr Kidd, whether community groups or other landowners, to develop woodlands in urban or, indeed, rural environments?
I am not concerned about that in the slightest, because it is simply not going to happen. The reality is that the funding that I have just mentioned will continue to be available, including, I hope, in future tranches of funding and spending rounds. There is no relationship between the two sets of funding, so I would advise the member to look at the facts and not to listen to some of the spin from her Westminster colleague, who has been particularly active in spinning a web on this matter that has little contact with reality.
Transport Developments
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the strategic transport projects review is the only means by which it will progress transport developments. (S3O-5547)
I have set out the 29 strategic transport investment priorities for the next 20 years, which will inform our decisions about future spending beyond the current programme. The STPR has identified the projects that should be owned and promoted by the Government, and it has been clear on where other delivery partners, such as local authorities and regional transport partnerships, are best placed to lead.
Will the minister give an assurance that he will work with Highland Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, British Waterways, Historic Scotland and Highlands and Islands strategic transport partnership to progress the western section of the Inverness bypass trunk link route? Will he particularly give an assurance to the Liberal Democrat-led Highland Council, which, despite allocating £119.25 million to that project over the next six years in its capital programme, is misleading the public by claiming that it cannot go ahead?
I will of course work with all the interested bodies. Like the member, I have noted that Highland Council has made substantial financial provision. We have already assisted by taking responsibility for the A9 to A96 part of the network—that will be of considerable assistance—and, as the responsible minister, I will work with the British Waterways board and HITRANS. The only remaining risk appears to be that the local Liberals could decide that they will unilaterally start to implement the £800 million cuts that the Liberals wish to make each year in our infrastructure budget.
The A9 north of Inverness exercises my attention, and it was disappointing that the recent announcement did not include significant investment for that stretch of road. Will the minister agree to meet the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and European Commission representatives to establish what additional funds may be available to bring forward some much-cherished projects, such as the improvements on the A9 at Berridale?
I will be happy to sit down and discuss with major stakeholders such as the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority—I know how important its activity is to the economy of the A9 area north of Inverness. As other information that I have put out makes clear, we are not simply supporting trunk roads; we are supporting other roads, and we will continue to work with the appropriate bodies on the development of proposals that are outwith the STPR. I am happy to give that assurance.
Electricity Supply Interruptions<br />(Compensation for Small Businesses)
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers the compensation arrangements for small businesses in the event of electricity supply interruptions to be adequate. (S3O-5525)
The regulation of compensation, including payment levels, is the responsibility of the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets. It specifies guaranteed standards of performance in supply restoration and the compensation due to businesses whose supply is disrupted for lengthy periods. Research undertaken by Ofgem suggests that businesses place a higher priority on being reconnected as quickly as possible than on compensation.
Is the minister aware of the series of related power cuts that occurred in Alloa in my constituency in the vital trading week before Christmas, which led to some businesses losing thousands of pounds? Does the minister believe that the Ofgem scheme that he mentioned should allow for the repayment of verifiable losses by businesses and, indeed, domestic users?
I am very aware of the interruptions in Alloa, which were caused by a number of separate cable faults on the network that supplies Alloa town centre, during the week prior to 25 December. Ofgem has commissioned research to ask business how it would value a range of potential improvements in the electricity supply service. More than 1,000 business customers have taken part in the survey, and the results show that business customers value a reduction in the time taken to restore electricity supplies more highly than a number of other potential network service and environmental improvements.
Order. Perhaps I may be so bold as to suggest that the minister is verging on a speech.
There has been no indication that there is any willingness on the part of business to pay for increases in compensation.
Public Transport (Roxburgh and Berwickshire)
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it will give to Scottish Borders Council to develop public transport in Roxburgh and Berwickshire. (S3O-5456)
The Scottish Government encourages all local authorities to promote public transport. Scottish Government funding for bus services is considerable and includes some £280 million per year, which is invested through local authorities, to help drive down fares, encourage more routes and increase passenger numbers. We are also committed to developing rail services, including an investment of between £235 million and £295 million in the Borders railway project to improve public transport provision for communities located along the new rail line and those who will be linked to it by local bus services.
Presiding Officer,
I am delighted to hear that our councillors in the Borders are on message. I can assure Mr Lamont that, as I said in my earlier answer, the Government will encourage the integration of bus services with the Borders railway to ensure that communities that are not directly connected to the railway have public transport connections to it, in order to maximise the number of passengers who use the railway. A series of measures are being taken in the Borders to improve the roads network and public transport services, which are funded to the tune to which I referred, and I am sure that those measures will benefit Mr Lamont's constituents. I will continue to keep the issues under review.
In the cabinet secretary's discussions—amicable, I am sure—with Scottish Borders Council, which has responsibility for bus companies, will he highlight the need for buses with low-rise platforms to enable the elderly, those with limited mobility and those with wheelchairs and pushchairs to access public transport, whether to use the Borders railway or otherwise? Those buses are in short supply in the Borders.
I am sure that Scottish Borders Council is in discussions with the relevant local bus companies. Low-rise buses are now available extensively throughout the country, and I know from my constituents how much they are appreciated because they improve the accessibility of services. I am sure that Scottish Borders Council will be aware of that important information and will take action in its discussions with the relevant transport providers.
Shop Workers (Redundancy Support)
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to support shop workers recently made redundant as a result of the closure of several leading high street stores. (S3O-5469)
During the Christmas period, partnership action for continuing employment—PACE—teams made a huge effort to get out to Woolworths stores throughout the country. Last week in Parliament, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning put on record her thanks for the support that PACE teams have offered in their work with Woolworths staff. Local PACE teams continue to work with many companies, including those in the retail sector such as Zavvi and Adams Kids.
I am sure that members will agree that the events of recent weeks have meant a worrying time for shop workers, many of whom find themselves in the deeply disturbing situation of going to work each day not knowing whether they will still have a job at the end of their shift. Is the minister aware that the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers is extremely keen to meet the ministerial team to discuss how the Scottish Government can best respond to the needs of shop workers during these worrying times? Will she give a commitment to Parliament that the ministerial team is willing to participate in such a meeting at the earliest opportunity?
I assure the member that we will have discussions with any relevant organisations to help shop workers and others through this difficult period. PACE teams are being as flexible as possible so that they can cope with the wide variety and spread throughout the country of shop workers and others who face redundancy. By creating a new national helpline from next month and a revamped website for better information resources, as well as by tasking 80 Skills Development Scotland staff to work jointly with Jobcentre Plus, we believe that we will be able to help those who experience redundancy.
What actions of the Scottish Government, if any, have led to the widespread loss of jobs in the retail trade industry in Scotland?
As I said in answer to the previous question, PACE teams are reacting as best they can to help workers who face redundancy.