Contents
- Scottish Parliament Thursday 18 January 2001
- Fisheries
- Transport Links
- Non-departmental Public Bodies
- Business Motion
- Presiding Officer's Statement
- International Criminal Court Bill
- Question Time
- First Minister's Question Time
- Scottish Strategy for Victims
- Parliamentary Bureau Motion
- Points of Order
- Decision Time
- Hepatitis C
Question Time
SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
Water Industry
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with representatives of North of Scotland Water Authority regarding the future structure of the water industry. (S1O-2779)
I am in regular contact with the water authorities on all the strategic issues that face the authorities individually and the industry as a whole.
I thank the minister. Does he recognise the growing competitive pressures on Scotland's publicly owned water industry? Does he accept that the large-scale new investment that the industry will require runs the risk of creating a gap between charges to customers in the north of Scotland and to those elsewhere? Will he consider carefully the case for a single, Scotland-wide, publicly owned water authority, with the benefits that that would bring, especially to customers in the north and to the competitive position of the Scottish water industry as a whole?
As I said when I appeared before the Transport and the Environment Committee, I have not ruled out the possibility of a single water authority. However, before making any proposals on that, I would want to be sure that such a proposition would in no way damage the competitive nature of our water industry—especially considering the great pressure that it is under—and would not detract in any way from the efficiencies that are necessary in the current service to fight off competition and maintain our water service in the public sector.
Is it not the case that NOSWA and the other water authorities cannot meet ambitious efficiency targets and compete with multimillion pound investment programmes without jeopardising quality of service and safety? Does not that strengthen the case for a temporary exemption from the Competition Act 1998 for Scotland's water industry, before the minister sends it further down the road to privatisation?
I know it is disappointing to the member that we are not privatising the water industry. The industry will stay in the public sector; to do that, it must become more efficient and effective. If it does not, it will be in trouble.
The minister cannot stop privatisation; whether there are three authorities or one, they will be dwarfed by private companies.
The member might not like what I am saying, but he should listen to it.
It is not a question of exempting the water authorities from competition—competition is here already. Every day, the water authorities are under attack from companies that wish to take over their powers. It is not a question of compromising standards; standards are obligatory and there is no way that we can compromise them. We safeguard standards by ensuring that we have the money—and we get that from efficiency. [Interruption.] I note that the nationalists are, once again, in favour of an inefficient service.
Is the minister aware of the concerns of the trade unions about future job losses in the water industry? Will he give us some idea of the possible scale of the job losses? What type of jobs are most at risk and what will be the likely time scale? [Interruption.]
Again, I hear the nationalists calling from a sedentary position for inefficiency in the service—I hope that the whole country will note that the nationalists believe in inefficiency. Of course we have to become more efficient—no one could be against that—but the important thing is that if there are to be any reductions in staff numbers, they will be handled as sensitively as they always have been. No one in the Executive wanted to come into government to ensure that people lose their jobs. We want to ensure that our public water system is highly efficient, effective and delivers for its customers rather than just for ranting politicians.
Will Mr Galbraith tell us whether the Executive is prepared to review the funding formula that is at the core of the water authorities' problems and is causing difficulties not just for them but for their customers, especially the food processors?
David Davidson again raises the question of food processors, whose main problem is that they must comply with the urban waste water directive. They have known for 10 years that they must comply with that and have failed to do so. Funding is allocated on the simple basis that the water authorities borrow money from us at the normal Government rates and pay for that through their charges, which is the correct way to do that. That maintains the system. There is nothing secret, dramatic or in any way skewed, about the funding system.
Child Health
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to improve children's health. (S1O-2774)
"Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change", which was published last month, sets out a wide range of measures that we are implementing to improve children's health and children's health services. That reflects the priority that is given to children across the work of the Executive.
In Scotland's schools, it is commonplace to bump into vending machines purveying chocolate bars, fizzy drinks and every variety of crisps under the sun. Those machines provide not a healthy diet, but a healthy input into the school's beleaguered finances. Is the expansion of such commercial outlets in our school corridors an integral part of the Executive's plan to improve our children's health?
That issue has been debated at some length previously in the chamber. It is unfortunate that a number of fairly complex issues are, not for the first time, being oversimplified in the cut and thrust of question time.
We are developing better joint working than ever between health and education, on issues such as diet and health promotion in schools. We are also working in those areas nationally with greater energy, co-ordination and investment than ever. I agree with Christine Grahame's main point. It is important that the messages are consistent and that our youngsters do not receive mixed messages in school or elsewhere. However, we are engaged in a national effort to ensure that that happens effectively in future.
Does the minister agree that an initiative that should be copied throughout the country is fruit plus, which was launched on Monday at St Cuthbert's Primary School, in my constituency? Agencies such as the Greater Glasgow Health Board, Glasgow City Council and Sainsbury's are working to provide children in primary schools and other centres throughout the Glasgow area with several pieces of fruit each week. Does she further agree that the inclusion in the curriculum of packages that introduce the healthy consumption of fruit and vegetables to children's diet should be considered as a step forward?
I agree fully with Patricia Ferguson that the initiative that was launched this week in Glasgow, which aims to provide fruit to our schoolchildren, is an excellent example of the kind of work that must be done if we are to make a lasting change in the eating habits of our children. The initiative is a practical example of partnership working in action—not just within the public sector, but with effective partnerships with the private sector when that is in the best interests of our people.
That project builds on our work on providing fruit in nursery schools. I hope that we will continue to take such practical action throughout the country in years to come.
Museums
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria were used in deciding which museums were selected as beneficiaries of the funding package announced on 21 December 2000. (S1O-2806)
The Scottish Fisheries Museum, the Scottish Maritime Museum and the Scottish Mining Museum were accepted as museums of national importance to our cultural heritage on the strength of evidence from a number of independent studies and expert advice from the National Museums of Scotland.
The minister has not answered the question, which asked what criteria were used. Does he agree that the same criteria would apply equally to the Museum of Lead Mining at Wanlockhead?
The criteria that were used considered whether museums were of national significance, and it was not evident to everyone that that was the case with the Museum of Lead Mining at Wanlockhead. Alasdair Morgan is aware that we are conducting a national audit of all our museums and considering their collections, services and buildings to determine what is of national significance in them. The mining museum will be one of the first to be considered and I await further advice.
The minister will be aware that I wrote to him recently on exactly this subject—or perhaps he is not aware, as the answers that I received in his letter bore absolutely no relation to the questions that I had asked. Is he aware that most teachers would tell him that there is considerably greater educational benefit in taking their class to visit the mining museum at Wanlockhead than there is in visits to many other museums, including some of those to which he has given funding? Will he undertake to visit the museum at Wanlockhead and to review his funding strategy so that Wanlockhead does not have to rely on generous donations, such as the £20,000 that it received recently, to allow it to survive?
The member's remarks are a dreadful slight on all the other museums, which, I am sure, would be only too happy to challenge his view. I am sure that everyone supports their local museum, as he has done, but to claim that that museum is somehow superior to all others is not something in which we should engage. Many museums up and down the country are funded from a number of sources. It would help if the local authority matched the funding that some local authorities put into museums. Perhaps Dumfries and Galloway should think about that for Wanlockhead.
Will the minister join me in welcoming the good news for our heritage that, following the Government's cash injection, the Scottish Maritime Museum in Irvine is to reopen its doors in April? Does the minister believe that that may also open up funding opportunities for the world's oldest clipper ship, the Carrick/City of Adelaide?
Yes, I realise that it is good news—the nationalists will not like that.
The thing about the museum at Irvine is that it has sought over a number of years to develop and improve. It has had a funding crisis, National Museums of Scotland has advised me that it has a collection of national importance and so we have put money in. That funding is not without strings; the museum will have to examine its service, its governance and how it relates to other museums. The same will apply to all future funding. However, I am happy to have been able to put cash into it and other museums. I look forward to the full audit of all museums other than the national ones.
Patient Safety
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to take action over fears for patient safety at Glasgow royal infirmary as reported in The Herald on 9 January 2001. (S1O-2781)
The Executive does not plan to take action on the basis of that specific report. I understand that the clinician who had concerns originally has indicated that he is now content that action is being taken by trust management to ensure that patients continue to be treated within a safe care environment. The Executive will, however, continue to monitor the situation.
First, will the minister acknowledge that Glasgow royal infirmary is a regional facility, covering the west of Scotland, and not just a local facility? I do not think that it is enough for accountability to lie with the trust or the health board. Surely the Scottish Executive must have some accountability. Furthermore, does the minister accept that patients throughout Scotland have read Ross Carter's comments in the press and that there must be some higher authority on whom they can rely, or some independent source who can tell them whether everything is well at Glasgow royal infirmary?
As Pauline McNeill and other Glasgow members may be aware, other senior clinicians at the GRI and in Glasgow have commented since the initial press reports were published and have addressed many of the issues to which those reports referred.
I agree with the essence of Pauline McNeill's wider point about accountability. It is essential, post-devolution in particular, that there is effective accountability in the NHS, not just at local level, although that is crucial, but at national level. That is precisely why we set out detailed proposals in the Scottish health plan, which was published in December, on how we plan to improve accountability. We are now developing the implementation of the proposals, which will address exactly the issues that Pauline McNeill wants addressed.
A consultant surgeon at Glasgow royal infirmary—he is not the first to speak out at the royal—has said that it is the only hospital in Scotland that does not have 24-hour access to intensive care for all patients after major operations. If we behave as if we regard ourselves as underdogs in Glasgow, that is because we are treated like underdogs. Will the minister take responsibility for Glasgow royal infirmary and end this smugness?
The sugestion that Glasgow is treated as an underdog in the NHS, or in any other area, is palpable nonsense. Next year every health board area in Scotland will receive funding increases of more than twice the rate of inflation. In Glasgow, because of the new fairer funding formula, which recognises the needs of Glasgow—especially those of its deprived communities—the health board will receive a 7.5 per cent increase in funding. Those are real resources to deliver improvements for patients. In Glasgow—as elsewhere—we will take practical action to deliver real results; we will not indulge in idle, scaremongering rhetoric or press release politics. The people of Scotland deserve better than that.
Social Inclusion Partnerships
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding will be available to social inclusion partnerships in 2001-02. (S1O-2775)
Our core funding for SIPs in 2001-02 will total £53.9 million, which is an increase of £3.8 million over the provisional allocations that were announced previously. That will be supplemented by £1 million for drug misuse initiatives and around £1.8 million for support costs. Other partners will also contribute substantial sums to the achievement of SIP strategies. I expect that a proportion of the £20 million for 2001-02 from the better neighbourhood services fund, which was announced earlier this week, will also help regeneration in SIP areas.
I welcome the minister's response. I agree that the resources that have been announced will make a difference to parts of Scotland. Does the minister agree that the third of the better neighbourhood services fund that will be made available to the city of Glasgow shows that the partnership between the Executive and Glasgow City Council to tackle deprivation and poverty is of fundamental importance, and that that partnership should be continued to make a difference for the people of Glasgow?
Yes. This has been a good week for Glasgow. The recent announcement of £90 million over three years for the better neighbourhood services fund demonstrates our commitment to tackling poverty, promoting inclusion and enabling regeneration.
As the Minister for Health and Community Care said, the Executive recognises Glasgow's problems and welcomes the progress that we have made this week. I thank the First Minister for his commitment to Glasgow.
I take on board the comments that were made by Frank McAveety and the minister, but I have concerns about the SIPs. Perhaps the minister could alleviate those concerns. Is she aware of continuing concerns about the misuse of SIP funding in the north of Glasgow? Will she guarantee that the investigations—which I understand are still going on—are being conducted thoroughly and rigorously? Will such investigations continue throughout the life of the SIPs?
I believe that Sandra White has pursued this matter on several occasions. She has made serious allegations and I hope that they can be substantiated. I am confident that we have vigorous mechanisms in place to ensure monitoring of SIPs, which is a matter that I take very seriously. I am well acquainted with SIP issues. I have met the local constituency member to discuss allegations about SIPs and I will be happy to pursue the issue. I am yet to be persuaded, but I will investigate it.
On a point of order. I did not make allegations. The allegations were made by a constituent, not by me.
Will the minister assure us that the money for those partnerships will in part be used to give core funding to existing voluntary organisations that provide vital services in the area? The tendency in the past has been to direct such new funds to new projects and to ignore existing organisations, which wither away.
I assume that Mr Gorrie is referring to the better neighbourhood services fund. The focus will be on delivering outcomes, innovative services and working in partnership. I take Mr Gorrie's point. The money will be negotiated by local authorities, but there will be an emphasis on working with local communities so that their priorities are funded. We have made progress in developing innovative services. I reassure Mr Gorrie that that is how that money will be spent.
Town Centres
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to invest in the development of town centres across Scotland. (S1O-2801)
The Scottish Executive, through agencies such as Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Homes, is engaged in a wide range of projects that aim to secure town centre development throughout Scotland.
I thank the minister for his reply. He will be aware that the Cumbernauld Development Corporation, a Government agency, was dissolved in 1996. That action left a grossly incomplete town centre, which is a blight on an otherwise outstanding community.
What comfort can the minister give that the Government, unlike the previous Conservative Administration, will not wash its hands of that problem? Furthermore, will he undertake to meet me to discuss solutions to the problem and the situation in other traditional town centres in places such as Kilsyth and Wishaw that are faced by similar challenges to the heart of the community?
The member will be interested to note that in 1998 the Government revised town centre planning policy to emphasise the importance of protecting and enhancing existing centres and to stress that the town centre should be the new choice for new retail, commercial and leisure developments. I am sure that the member will join me in thanking the local MSP Cathie Craigie for her regular and excellent interventions into a number of the issues that he raises.
The minister will not be aware that I have written to the Minister for Finance and Local Government on the issue of rateable values for properties based on rents that cannot be realised, which has been brought to my attention by the Dumfries town centre manager. The current appeals process does not seem to allow for the problem of declining rental values. Will the Executive undertake to examine that problem, which leads to significant numbers of empty properties in town centres such as Dumfries?
As the member rightly said, I was not aware that she had written to the Minister for Finance and Local Government. I am happy to liaise with my colleague Angus MacKay to discuss the issue that she raises.
Is the minister aware that an initiative called town improvement zones is being pursued in England and Wales? If not, will he undertake to examine that initiative and whether it can be applied in Scotland? Perhaps he should also note that Mr John Dowson, the town centre manager in Dumfries, would be happy to facilitate a pilot project in that very worthy town centre.
I am very willing to learn from best practice from anywhere in the UK.
City Councils (Dundee and Glasgow)
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with Dundee City Council and Glasgow City Council on their funding situation. (S1O-2802)
The First Minister, Angus MacKay, and I met Glasgow City Council yesterday; and the First Minister and Angus MacKay met Dundee City Council on 18 December 2000.
Does the minister acknowledge that both cities are the victims of a Tory reorganisation that butchered their boundaries and eroded their tax bases and so joeyed their finances that they had no choice but to levy amongst the highest council taxes in Scotland at the same time as cutting spending on important government services? Will he show that the problems that face cities matter just as much in this Parliament as the problems that face fishing, farming or the countryside? Will he intervene to right that Tory wrong, either by restoring the natural boundaries of those cities or by introducing metropolitan status, so that all of those who benefit from city services must contribute to the financing of those services?
I am sure that the chamber is fully aware of the unprincipled nature of the previous reorganisation of local government by the Conservatives, which left a whole range of anomalies. The Executive is acutely conscious of the issues that Mr McAllion has raised. We have announced recently a cities review to take a long-term look at the structure of our cities and how we can address their underlying problems to redress the balance that he has indicated needs redressing: the cities' ability to provide services. We will soon meet the city councils to help to set the agenda for that review, and we will expect the city councils to put all the issues that concern them on that agenda so that we can deal with them properly.
Was the subject of business rates brought up in the minister's discussions with Glasgow City Council? There is unanimity among all parties on the council that it should be allowed to keep 100 per cent of its business rates, perhaps for two or even three years. However, the crisis facing Glasgow is that a large chunk of money is leaving the city and perhaps that solution would alleviate the situation a little. Although I appreciate that extra moneys are going into Glasgow, that idea has been proposed consistently by the Labour Administration and Opposition parties on the council.
We had an extremely cordial and constructive meeting yesterday with Glasgow City Council, at which Mr Young's point was indeed raised. It is somewhat ironic that the Conservatives changed the policy to take non-domestic rates away from local authorities and to pool them nationally. We are aware of the issue; when local authorities kept their non-domestic rates locally, there was a form of equalisation of grant to ensure that those authorities with low tax bases could none the less provide their services. Any future change would mean that there would have to be an equalisation process to ensure that areas were not disadvantaged. However, we are prepared to consider the matter in future.
Does the minister agree that, in the city of Glasgow—where the average income is 20 per cent below the Scottish average but yet the council tax is 25 per cent higher than average—the Executive's funding arrangement with Glasgow will do absolutely nothing to lower the level of council tax, and will continue the Tory policy of penalising and neglecting the city of Glasgow?
Quite the reverse. As Margaret Curran said, Glasgow has had extremely good news this week, with additional funding on top of the grant settlement that it received, which gives grant to Glasgow at a rate 24 per cent above the Scottish average. That funding recognises Glasgow's circumstances and will be used to address the city's problems. I understand that, since yesterday's meeting, the leader of Glasgow City Council has indicated that his administration will be able to set a council tax rise below the rate of inflation so that, in real terms, the council tax level in Glasgow will fall.
Road Traffic Accidents
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to reduce the level of road traffic accidents. (S1O-2776)
In March last year, the Scottish Executive and the UK Government announced targets for road accident casualty reductions in the period to 2010. The targets and a strategy for achieving them were set out in the document "Tomorrow's Roads—Safer for Everyone".
Does the minister agree that we need to create a culture in this country in which we regard road traffic accidents as seriously as we regard accidents in other modes of transport, and that we should recognise that, although there has been a reduction in recent years in the number of road casualties, many improvements must still be made?
I agree with Bristow Muldoon on that point. The Scottish Road Safety Campaign has developed a strategy called Foolspeed, which aims to change people's attitude towards speed on the roads. The strategy aims to make drivers drive more safely, not just by looking at the maximum speed limit, but by considering the speed that is appropriate in the circumstances in which they are driving. That campaign is linked to our objective of trying to reduce the accident rate, particularly for children. We aim to reduce the current rate by 50 per cent. Changing the attitude of drivers is important, but local authorities can also work to create a different experience on the roads.
Will the minister bring us up to date on what discussions and planning, if any, are under way with regard to coping with the new road hazard to children and adults: drivers who are under the influence of drugs other than the drug that we already acknowledge as posing a big threat, alcohol?
Work is being done to identify the extent to which drug-related incidents are an issue on our roads. Scottish police forces are aware of the problem, which must be considered in addition to the work that is being done on drinking and driving.
Ruminant Feed
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to press Her Majesty's Government to seek, at the earliest opportunity, a derogation from the proposed EU-wide ban on the use of fishmeal in feed for ruminants. (S1O-2787)
That temporary ban is part of a wider package of measures that is vital in controlling BSE throughout the EU. Within the UK, the risk from fishmeal is acknowledged to be very low. The Scottish Executive is therefore working to secure a derogation at the earliest opportunity.
Is the minister aware that, under the peculiar circumstances of the feed industry in Scotland, any requirement to conform to such a ban, even for a temporary period, could have a massive impact on the feed processing and manufacturing industry? Is she aware that the loss of fishmeal manufacture, and of the value of fishmeal manufactured in Scotland, could result in a further cost to the fish processing industry of some £1.5 million to £2 million per year?
It is clear that there could be an impact on feed mills that produce both ruminant and non-ruminant rations. A short consultation is currently under way with the relevant trade interests. That will be followed by legislation, which will be made and laid as quickly as possible. On-farm use of ruminant food containing fishmeal will not be banned until 1 April at the earliest.
Members will know that we have set up a working group, led by Scottish Enterprise Grampian, specifically to look at the fish processing industry. It is still possible to feed fishmeal products to pigs and poultry, so the impact on the fish processing industry will not be as great as was previously expected.
Autistic Spectrum Disorder
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the development of a national network for people with autistic spectrum disorder, following the proposal of the Scottish Society for Autism and the National Autistic Society. (S1O-2810)
Proposals on how to move the network forward were received late last year and officials met representatives from those organisations in November to discuss their outline plans.
We are considering how best to achieve the right focus and balance in the network's approach before reaching conclusions.
Was the minister as impressed as many members were at the level of attendance at and the standard of speeches made in last week's debate, secured by Lloyd Quinan, on autism? Given the level of concern that was shown by members from all sides about the services available to people with autistic spectrum disorder, can the minister assure me that the Executive will make progress on this matter with all possible speed?
I agree that we had an excellent debate on autistic spectrum disorder last week. As I announced in that debate, we expect a key early priority for the network to be a mapping exercise to identify gaps in services. That initiative will be complemented by two other important developments: we have asked the newly created Public Health Institute to conduct a needs assessment on the issue and by June of this year we expect partnership in practice agreements to have been made between local authorities and health boards to chart and plan developments in services.
Air Traffic Control Centre (Prestwick)
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last discussed with Her Majesty's Government the local impact of the development of the new Scottish air traffic control centre at Prestwick. (S1O-2791)
The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government about a wide range of issues, including the new Scottish air traffic control centre at Prestwick.
Does the minister agree that the new centre is essential to the safety of air travellers from Scotland in Scottish air space and across northern England? Will she advise her colleagues south of the border of our concern at their delay in providing funding for the construction of the air traffic control centre before now? Does she realise the local economic impact that there would be on Ayrshire if the 800 jobs currently in the air traffic control centre were to be lost?
This is a matter for the UK Government, with whom we are in discussion. We are keen to ensure that we have a facility in Prestwick that provides safety and important facilities. We are well aware of the importance to the local economy of the construction jobs that will be created when the Prestwick air traffic control centre is developed.
I will ask for supplementary questions, but they must be on the local impact of the air traffic control centre.
My question is in relation to the development of the centre.
Is the minister aware of the report of the House of Commons Select Committee on Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs that was published yesterday and condemned the lengthy delays in starting building work on the new centre in Ayrshire and unreservedly condemned the waste of £15.7 million on an aborted private finance initiative for Prestwick? That money would have been far better used to develop Prestwick than to chase city slickers and fat cats in the City of London.
That is decisively a matter for Westminster. Alex Neil might want to suggest that some of his colleagues take up the issue, since they still have seats there—perhaps Mr Salmond would be able to.
We have to be careful that questions are not on reserved matters.
Speculation in the press and elsewhere suggests that the new air traffic control centre might never be built at Prestwick. Will the minister assure us that she will do all that she can to make certain that the centre is built at Prestwick?
I repeat that we are in regular contact with our colleagues at Westminster. The issue is a matter for them and I do not think that some of the speculation has been helpful. The key point is that we can work with the UK Government to ensure that we have the right facilities for Prestwick.
Drink Driving
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce random breath testing as a means of tackling the recent increase in drink-driving offences. (S1O-2786)
Policy and legislation relating to drinking and driving is the responsibility of the UK Government, although enforcement of the law is the responsibility of the police in Scotland. The GB road safety strategy, which was published last year, includes a commitment to strengthening police powers for roadside testing.
I appreciate that the Road Traffic Act 1988 is a reserved responsibility, but I urge the minister to do everything in her power to encourage police forces in Scotland to enforce that vital legislation.
In view of the 76 per cent increase in the number of drivers who tested positive for alcohol following road accidents over the recent holiday period, will the minister confirm publicly that police officers have unfettered powers to stop drivers under section 163 of the 1988 act and that that power can be applied to random breath tests? That would be well worth while, not only to catch offenders but, much more important, to deter drinkers who might think of driving.
I certainly agree with the suggestion that we should discourage anyone from drinking and driving. The fatalities on our roads are horrific and we all want to work to stop them.
The police have to develop an approach that they believe will be sensitive. We now have the figures from the festive safety campaign and can compare them with those of last year's summer campaign. The police have taken a selective approach to target major events and to use their information to target people who they know to have prior convictions for drink driving and to try to ensure that they are not still out on our roads, endangering people.
This is a huge issue, and the work that the police have done will be monitored using the information that we have received from the Christmas period. I agree with Mr Home Robertson that this has to be one of our core priorities.
Question 13 has been withdrawn.
Hospital-acquired Infections
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has all the necessary information to target activity and resources to best effect in tackling hospital-acquired infections. (S1O-2809)
Tackling hospital-acquired infection is a priority for the Scottish Executive. "Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change" sets out the steps that we expect the national health service in Scotland to take. That includes ensuring that every NHS trust has effective infection control policies and measures in place. The Executive is also considering what further measures for surveillance at a national level might be required.
The English Secretary of State for Health admits that methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus is endemic in the English hospital system and hospital-acquired infection causes 5,000 deaths in England each year. What is the extent of those problems in Scotland? Can the Minister for Health and Community Care tell us how many HAI deaths and MRSA infections there have been? If the minister cannot tell us, why can she not?
This is a very serious issue and I hope to treat it with the seriousness it deserves. The Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health already gathers data on this matter, so we are closely monitoring the incidence of HAI in Scotland. As I have just indicated, we are also considering how to improve further surveillance nationally.
MRSA and hospital-acquired infection in general are a growing problem—not just in England, or just in Scotland, but worldwide. The reasons for HAI's occurrence are complex, hence any solution that we pursue will, by necessity, require to be equally complex. For example, the work that we set in train before Christmas as part of our anti-microbial resistance strategy, to ensure that antibiotics are used only when appropriate—so that we can tackle the problem of increasing microbial resistance to antibiotics—is as much a part of our strategy to deal with HAI as the measures that we set out in the health plan to improve cleanliness in our hospitals.
We are progressing with work in this area on a number of fronts, and take it very seriously. Other members in this chamber ought to do likewise.
We heard yesterday that Alan Milburn has devoted £30 million of extra resources to ensure cleanliness in hospitals in England and to make ward sisters responsible for monitoring the standard of cleansing. Does the minister propose to tackle the issues that need addressed in cleansing by making ward sisters responsible? What role should managers in the NHS fulfil if they are not supervising the wards that they are paid to manage?
I find it intriguing that, in this Parliament, we are first asked to do things differently in Scotland and then asked to compare our measures with those being implemented in England. The commitment that I share with Alan Milburn is that hospital cleanliness needs to be prioritised and addressed. In our own Scottish health plan, we have set out how that will be done. That includes additional investment and a recognition of the need for ward sisters and other front-line staff to be given the resources they require and to be empowered to take the necessary action to ensure that cleanliness is improved. We are serious about our work on this matter and if Nick Johnston wishes to study the health plan in more detail, he will see what that work entails.
European Single Currency
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will undertake an assessment of the impact UK membership of the European single currency would have on the Scottish economy. (S1O-2790)
Policy on UK membership of the European single currency is a reserved function.
That is one of the most pathetic and complacent answers I have ever received in this chamber. The responsibility of the Scottish Executive is to look after the interests of Scotland and the Scottish economy. Is an independent and realistic assessment of the positive and negative impacts that membership would have on the Scottish economy not the role of the Scottish Executive? Does the Executive have responsibility for Scottish enterprise and business or not?
I bow to Alex Neil's ability to recognise the pathetic. We have witnessed a rare spectacle today—both Alex Salmond and John Swinney applauding Mr Neil. That is welcome and heartening.
I respectfully urge Mr Neil to write as a matter of urgency on this issue to his MP, Mr George Foulkes. If he is further exercised about it, I suggest as a last resort that he makes further representation to his close friend and sadly departing colleague, the MP for Banff and Buchan.