Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Thursday, March 15, 2012

Official Report 1085KB pdf

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Scottish Executive Question Time

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General Questions

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Dogs (Compulsory Microchipping)

1. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the compulsory microchipping of dogs. (S4O-00789)

The Scottish Government recognises the benefits of microchipping in helping to reunite dogs with owners when dogs have been lost or stolen, which is why it is recommended as best practice in the “Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs”, which was published in 2010. In addition, we have ensured that the owners of dangerous or out-of-control dogs can be required to microchip their dogs by the issue of a dog control notice under the relevant legislation. However, there are currently no plans to introduce compulsory microchipping more widely.

The cabinet secretary is probably aware that Northern Ireland will introduce compulsory microchipping in April and that the National Assembly for Wales is considering the issue. Would he welcome dialogue with the Kennel Club on how we can best progress such a scheme in Scotland?

Yes. I am always happy to have dialogue with the Kennel Club and, indeed, with Dennis Robertson. If he wishes to put a case to me, I will certainly sit down with him and discuss the relevant issues. If he wished to contact me to set up a meeting with the Kennel Club and himself, I would be happy to take that forward.

There are a number of issues that we should be conscious of. Enforcing a widespread requirement for compulsory microchipping could be costly for local authorities, and a scheme could of course be costly for owners, since any registration system and database would have to be self-sustaining financially. We are concerned about a number of issues, but I would be happy to sit down with Dennis Robertson and the Kennel Club, if that is what he desires.

Does the Scottish Government believe that the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 is strong enough to ensure responsible dog ownership?

We supported the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Bill, which Christine Grahame introduced. Indeed, I believe that all parties in the Parliament supported it. The new powers for local authorities under the 2010 act have been in force since February 2011 and, since then, local authorities have undertaken more than 1,000 investigations and issued 92 dog control notices to irresponsible dog owners. That means, of course, that 92 dogs have been microchipped and that local authorities are monitoring under the 2010 act those dogs’ behaviour and that of their owners. I hope that the legislation is making a good difference. We will of course continue to monitor it to ensure that that is the case.

Has the minister had any discussions with his United Kingdom counterparts on the compulsory microchipping of dogs? Does he agree that any consultation on the issue should be UK-wide?

I have had no direct conversations on the issue with UK counterparts. I indicated in my previous answer that we will pay close attention to developments in Northern Ireland and in England and Wales, should they, too, decide to proceed with compulsory microchipping.

On consultation, clearly Northern Ireland has taken its own decision and England and Wales will take their own decision, so here in Scotland we will take our own decision. However, I assure the member that we will pay close attention to what happens elsewhere in these islands.

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Northern Isles Ferry Contract

2. To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce the preferred bidder for the northern isles ferry contract. (S4O-00790)

We expect an announcement on the preferred bidder for the next northern isles ferry services contract to be made in April 2012.

I thank the minister for his answer and for his answers to the written questions on the issue that I lodged earlier this month. He will be aware from those questions of my concerns about the scope for the communities that rely on the services to shape the way in which they are developed. Will he assure my constituents that the quality, reliability and affordability of passenger and freight services across the northern isles network will be safeguarded? Will he guarantee that the new contract will not adversely impact on the local economy and my constituents? Specifically, will he offer an opportunity for the regional transport partnerships or the local councils to review the contract specification before it is finally agreed and published next month?

It is probably worth underlining the extent to which what Liam McArthur has asked for has already happened. Over the past two years, in preparation for the contract, we have taken the views of the Orkney and Shetland communities. There was a consultation exercise in summer 2010, which had more than 400 responses from individuals and organisations. We also held a series of public meetings. During the initial phases of the contract a key stakeholder group was involved, with relevant local authorities and RTPs. External organisations have been involved in the tender, even up to the latter stages of the tender being let, which is obviously not entirely risk free. For that reason, some RTP representatives had to sign confidentiality agreements to protect the integrity of the process. It is my view that such people have been completely involved as far as is possible in a tender process.

Our intention is that the new contract will mirror all the best aspects of the current contract, which attracts support of about £42.2 million from the Scottish Government. That is a commitment to support the economy of the northern isles. Would that commitment be mirrored by the United Kingdom Government, which is bleeding the Scottish economy dry through the fuel duties that it imposes? That would be a very good thing for the member to take forward with his colleagues in that Government.

We will continue to provide our support. I have tried to reassure the member before about the extent to which we are involving local communities in the tender process, which we are doing as far as we can.

Will the minister update the Parliament on recent discussions with Shetland Islands Council and Orkney Islands Council about this year’s extended dry-dock period for vessels?

The island authorities have raised a number of concerns, not least about the extended nine-week dry-dock period that the member mentions. Unfortunately, I had no part in the current contract, which has led to that situation. However, I have said to the northern isles authorities that we will ensure that the next tender process does not allow such a situation to arise again.

Question number 3 by Annabel Goldie has been withdrawn, but she has provided a satisfactory explanation.

Question 4 was not lodged by Mary Fee.

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Landlords (Registration and Appointment of Agents)

5. To ask the Scottish Executive how many landlords have been fined for (a) failing to register and (b) not notifying local authorities of the appointment of an agent since 31 August 2011 and how much has been imposed in fines. (S4O-00793)

Local authorities have not informed the Scottish Government of any landlords who have been fined by the courts for failing to register since 31 August 2011, when the maximum fine for that was increased to £50,000. Similarly, local authorities have not made us aware of any landlords who have been fined by the courts for not notifying their local authority of the appointment of an agent.

Many of my constituents are concerned about the difficulties that are caused by landlords who allow their properties, grounds and tenants to blight the community. Unregistered landlords make the situation worse. At present, housing benefit rules do not require their registration. Will the Scottish Government consider measures in the housing benefit system to ensure registration of landlords?

The housing benefit system is under substantial review and is undergoing changes at the behest of the United Kingdom Government, which controls it. At least currently, this Parliament does not control it.

In relation to unregistered landlords, it is hard to say whether the absence of referrals is because the increased fine of £50,000 is having a deterrent effect. The measure was introduced only in August last year, so we will have to give it a bit more time.

The member makes a fair point about landlord registration and behaviour. We have set up a short-life working group to consider the issue and what more we can do.

Another way in which private tenants could be protected is through tenancy agreements, which we already have in the registered social landlord sector. Could they be rolled out into the private sector?

At the risk of repeating myself, I point out that we are working with members of the Scottish private rented sector strategy group on a consultative strategy for the sector, which is due for publication next month. As part of that work, we aim to seek views on the current tenancy regime that governs private sector lets and to consider what more can be done about the issue that the member raises.

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Public Entertainment Licensing

6. To ask the Scottish Government whether local authorities are keeping to the spirit of the order that allows charging for free events held under public entertainment licences. (S4O-00794)

The Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 amended the licensing regime for public entertainment in the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 to remove the automatic exemption for free-to-enter events. The amendment, which removes the previous anomaly whereby large-scale free raves did not require a licence, will come into effect on 1 April 2012.

Local authorities have complete discretion over which types of entertainment they wish to license. Highland Council has confirmed that its existing resolution already exempts free-to-enter events and that it will review which events require a licence. Similarly, Glasgow City Council and the City of Edinburgh Council are reviewing their resolutions. I have written to all licensing conveners setting out the issues.

We expect local authorities to take decisions that fit their local conditions. Glasgow City Council, Highland Council and the City of Edinburgh Council have been forced to suspend public entertainment licences for free events. Will the Scottish Government monitor the application of public entertainment licences to free events in all local authority areas after one year?

We are more than happy to work with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to review matters. Fundamentally, we want to ensure that local authorities, which are best placed to know which events should be dealt with and which should be exempt, have discretion. It has always been the intention to ensure that relatively small-scale events that are not a risk should not be charged. That approach is replicated in Highland Council and the City of Edinburgh Council. Equally, for events such as the recent one in Kelvingrove park, local authorities should have the opportunity to take the appropriate action to ensure public safety.

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Police Support Staff

7. To ask the Scottish Executive how many police support staff are employed across the country. (S4O-00795)

On 31 December 2011, there were 6,957 police support staff across Scotland. Operational decisions about levels of police support staff are a matter for chief constables, the Scottish Police Services Authority and the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency.

The cabinet secretary will know that that is nearly 1,000 fewer staff than were in post two years previously. Will he take steps to ensure that the police service is not damaged by a significant loss of skills and experience in an effort to deliver Government efficiency savings?

Absolutely. When I went to the Unison conference earlier this week, I confirmed that we welcome the contribution that is made to policing in Scotland not simply by those who have the office of constable and wear a uniform or otherwise work as a member of the constabulary but by those who do a variety of other tasks that make the life of a policeman easier or are of such a specialist nature that police officers cannot be expected to do them.

As we move to ensure that Scotland remains safe from crime and we continue to build on the 35-year low in crime, we have to move towards a single service and, in doing so, we have to ensure that there is no duplication. However, we have given a commitment to Unison that there will be no compulsory redundancies.

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Union Terrace Gardens Project (Business Plan)

8. To ask the Scottish Executive when it received the business case for the Union Terrace gardens project in Aberdeen and when it will decide whether to approve it. (S4O-00796)

Scottish ministers have not yet received Aberdeen City Council’s tax increment financing business case for its city centre regeneration plans, which include the city garden project. Aberdeen City Council is working with the Scottish Futures Trust to develop the business case, which will be considered by Scottish ministers in due course.

Given that the business case was published in the Aberdeen press some weeks ago and the referendum has passed, I am somewhat surprised that the cabinet secretary has still not received the business case for this vital project. When does he expect to make a decision on whether he will approve it, given that there is so much controversy about whether the business case for the Union Terrace gardens proposal stacks up? If there is a shortfall in the ambitious plans to raise additional revenue from business rates, will the Scottish Government assist in plugging any funding gap that may emerge in the project?

I repeat that we have not received the business case. It is difficult for me to comment on something that I have not received. However, I am sure that Aberdeen City Council, under the excellent management of some of my colleagues, will submit a robust business case and ensure that the council’s finances remain in a robust position. I am sure that Richard Baker will be glad to join me in wishing that that happens.

I put on the record my membership of Aberdeen City Council. I welcome Richard Baker’s acknowledgment that this is a “vital project”.

The cabinet secretary will be aware that, the more private sector financial backing is secured for the city garden project, the less money will require to be borrowed under tax increment financing. Will he join me in calling for further private sector donors to come forward and add to the £55 million that has been leveraged thus far from private sector donors—the majority from Sir Ian Wood—and pledged towards the project?

When we receive the business case, one of the issues that we will look at is the private sector leverage. Indeed, one reason why we asked for the business case to be submitted was that the projected private sector leverage in the proposal, as opposed to the business case, was very attractive. However, I will not be in a position to make a detailed comment on the business case until I receive it from the city council.

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Cardiology Services

9. To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take following the recent Audit Scotland report on cardiology services. (S4O-00797)

I very much welcome the Audit Scotland report, which shows that

“More patients are getting more effective treatment, death rates have reduced, people are living longer after treatment and waiting times have fallen.”

We are already taking forward many of the report’s recommendations through our work on the better heart disease and stroke care action plan and Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s heart disease improvement programme. The national advisory committee on heart disease continues to monitor progress.

I thank the cabinet secretary for that very helpful response, but I suggest that further work needs to be done in relation to patients in remote and rural areas and the islands, given the specified time for the most effective treatment and recovery of cardiac patients.

I fully agree with Mary Scanlon that it is vital that we ensure that someone who suffers a stroke or a heart attack has access to good care, regardless of where in the country they live. As we have discussed previously in many different contexts, the challenges are different and often greater when we are dealing with remote and rural areas, but there is no doubt about our commitment and determination to deliver access to such care. I will be happy to keep Mary Scanlon and others advised of progress.

I agree that considerable progress has been made in tackling heart disease. National health service staff should be congratulated on their efforts.

However, the cabinet secretary will be aware that the recent Audit Scotland report on cardiology services showed that people in deprived communities

“are not always getting the same level of treatment as the rest of the population”.

What action will she take to ensure equal access to services?

It is a very important point and, because it is so important, it is vital that we do not misrepresent the position. Jackie Baillie will be aware, and I am sure that she will agree, that inequitable access to cardiac interventions for people in more deprived areas is a long-standing issue, but there are numerous reasons for that. ISD Scotland has suggested that, once people from deprived areas get into the system, they are just as likely to access care, so encouraging and supporting people in deprived areas to access care is the key challenge.

However, it is also important to remember that we have cut heart attack mortality rates faster in the most deprived areas than we have anywhere else. The latest figures show a 34.1 per cent reduction in mortality among people in the most deprived category, which is double the drop observed in the least deprived category.

I take the issue very seriously. There is no room for complacency. As with many other conditions, we face particular challenges in relation to people in deprived areas. That is why it is extremely important that we continue to take forward all this work through our heart disease and stroke strategy.

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Modern Apprenticeship Vacancies (Advertising)

10. To ask the Scottish Executive how it advertises vacancies for modern apprenticeships. (S4O-00798)

In Scotland, all apprentices must be employed, so apprenticeship opportunities are advertised and recruited for by employers in the same way as they advertise and recruit to fill other job opportunities in their organisations.

Is the cabinet secretary aware that there is no longer a central portal for advertising modern apprenticeship vacancies, as there was in the past? Will he ask Skills Development Scotland to consider including such a portal on the my world of work website, to help prospective apprentices access the opportunities that they need?

We recognise the need to ensure that young people can access job adverts, but it is important that we do not duplicate existing services of one sort or another. Between 30 and 40 per cent of jobs are advertised through Jobcentre Plus and in a variety of other ways. I am glad that the Labour Party is now convinced of the worth of my world of work; its conversion from its previous hostility is welcome. The my world of work service includes a freephone helpline for young people. We are improving it constantly, and of course SDS will look to see how more progress can be made.

It is true that modern apprenticeship places are being filled and being filled well. The 25,000 places that are on offer are in considerable demand. That is a record number, which I am sure will be filled. In those circumstances, I encourage anyone who encourages young people to look for work to ensure that they look widely, that they always look at the advantages of modern apprenticeships and that they look on the my world of work website.