SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
General Questions
Building (Historic Sites)
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will strengthen the national controls available to prevent historically important sites, such as battlefields, being built on. (S2O-11724)
The Scottish ministers are currently consulting on a series of Scottish historic environment policy documents that set out how the historic environment will be protected and managed. A policy document on battlefields will be put out to consultation during 2007-08.
That is encouraging.
Mr Gorrie is correct to identify the importance of the planning system. In fact, battlefields are already protected under local authority planning guidelines. The Bothwell bridge proposal is possibly a case in point, as I understand that the proposal will be the subject of a local planning inquiry in the near future.
I welcome the minister's comments on the work of Historic Scotland. What international research has it undertaken to find out how other countries protect their sites of historic interest and how effective those countries' systems are? Secondly, does she agree that the protection of historic sites would give local communities the opportunity to attract more visitors to their areas? Does she accept, therefore, that extending protection to a wide range of sites in Scotland would provide a boost to our tourism industry?
It is possible that such an extension could have the effect Mr Maxwell describes.
I thank the minister for mentioning Culloden, which is, coincidentally, the subject of my question.
I am not aware that there are plans for such a development at Culloden. I am particularly heartened by the fact that the new facility at Culloden will be world class, which will have the effect that Mr Maxwell rightly mentioned: it will encourage tourism, a clear recognition of our history and a regard for history and its accurate portrayal. The Culloden site has a number of listed monuments, as physical structures and graves are located there. Those matters would have to be taken into consideration if anyone were to suggest building a wind farm on the site.
Anticipatory Health Care Pilot Schemes
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the operation of anticipatory health care pilot schemes. (S2O-11703)
Full evaluation will be undertaken from March onwards. Follow-up research with patients who have been invited in for health checks as part of the initial pilot in North Lanarkshire suggests that the keep well programme is succeeding in engaging with its target group of people who are not frequent users of health services but may suffer significant health risks.
The minister will be aware of my disappointment that my constituency, with its particular public health challenges, was not selected to pilot this valuable initiative. However, now that the programme is deemed to be successful, will the minister assure me that anticipatory health care will be extended to Greenock and Inverclyde, where I am confident it will make real improvements to my constituents' health and quality of life?
I look forward to the lessons learned from the initial pilots being applied in disadvantaged communities throughout Scotland. Duncan McNeil is right to highlight the existence of such communities in his constituency. Greenock and Inverclyde is one of the areas that we are considering actively for a second wave of pilot programmes of keep well during this year. We will make an announcement on the issue shortly.
999 Calls
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to redirect 999 calls to NHS 24. (S2O-11690)
No—999 emergency ambulance calls will continue to be answered by the Scottish Ambulance Service's emergency medical dispatch centres. Scottish Ambulance Service call handlers will continue to use the clinical algorithms that support decisions about the priority of the call and the nature of the response that is required.
I am grateful to the minister for that answer. Does he appreciate that the perception that has been created recently among the public on the matter has caused alarm and consternation, especially among senior citizens?
I am aware of some of the press reports that appeared to confuse with wider issues the change that will benefit the small minority of callers who do not require an ambulance to be sent. I am pleased to have the opportunity to clarify the position in Parliament today. I hope that Mr Gordon's constituents and anyone else who has been concerned by reports that they read in the press will be reassured.
Given NHS 24's difficult history of dealing with its core business, can the minister assure us that it is ready and able to take on the additional work to which he refers without that affecting its core business?
I was pleased to visit NHS 24 in Aberdeen between Christmas and new year and to see its operations at a very busy time of year for the organisation. I am pleased to report to Parliament on the efficiency, high morale and effective response to patients that I found on my visit. The same is true of NHS 24 throughout the country. I am confident that it will be able to deliver this additional measure to assist those who call for medical advice and assistance. I repeat the assurance that I gave Charlie Gordon: people who call 999 because they need an ambulance will get an ambulance.
Seafield Waste Water Treatment Works
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in tackling odour emissions from Seafield waste water treatment works. (S2O-11686)
Stirling Water, the operator of the Seafield works, and Scottish Water have made significant progress to reduce instances of odour emissions in recent years. Capital and operational investment amounting to some £8 million has been implemented to date. That was designed to improve the overall works performance and has had a beneficial effect on the levels of odour emissions. That is clearly demonstrated both by the falling trend in the number of odour events recorded since 2001 and in the conclusions of research into public perceptions of odour pollution from the works. However, there is still a problem. I will therefore meet Scottish Water next month to discuss further progress.
I take this opportunity to welcome the minister to her new portfolio. I know that she has a greater insight into the issue than most—it spans many years—and am sure that she shares my frustration and that of many hundreds, if not thousands, of other people in Edinburgh that a sustainable solution to the problem has not yet been put in place. When she meets the chair and chief executive of Scottish Water later this month to discuss the issue—I very much welcome the fact that she is doing so—will she ensure, while she acknowledges the work that has been done, that she looks at the independent research commissioned by Scottish Water that shows the continuing extent of the problem? Will she make it crystal clear to Scottish Water that a lasting solution to the problem, which has gone on for too long, must be put in place as a matter of urgency?
As Susan Deacon says, I am well aware of the history of the issue and of the frustration that has built up on it. There has previously been enforcement action, and a petition on the matter was considered by the Transport and the Environment Committee. The Scottish Executive code of practice on odour was produced as a result of that lobbying. There has also been investment to tackle the issue across the country. I assure Susan Deacon that I will read the research to which she refers and that I am determined to make urgent progress on the issue. I know that the matter is complex and that some improvements have already been made, but more needs to be done. My purpose in meeting Scottish Water next month is to press it to ensure that the problem is sorted out.
Healthy Food (Dundee)
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to encourage convenience stores and retailers in Dundee to promote healthy food. (S2O-11696)
We are funding the healthy living programme that is run by the Scottish Grocers Federation to increase the availability of healthy foods in local neighbourhood shops, especially in low-income communities. Phase 3 of the programme, which Andy Kerr launched on 18 December 2006, is designed to expand the initiative as widely as possible. It now includes a number of convenience stores in the city of Dundee.
Does the minister agree that making healthy food available in deprived communities does not in itself change the culture of unhealthy eating? Is he aware of the great work that the Dundee healthy living initiative is doing to teach people basic cooking skills on a budget and to allow them to experiment and try healthy food at no cost to them? Unfortunately, that successful scheme has no long-term funding. Does the minister acknowledge the importance of community-based support? Will he agree to meet me to discuss the long-term future of the scheme, to enable those in our most deprived communities to benefit from the SGF healthy living programme?
I agree that it is not simply a matter of making healthy food available and that retailers and others can do a number of things to assist consumers to make healthy choices. I am aware of the Dundee healthy living initiative, of the good work that the group is doing in Dundee and of the success that it has had in making a difference to those whom it has supported. I am happy to meet Kate Maclean to discuss the future of the project. NHS Health Scotland is taking an interest in the work that it is doing and in the sustainability of projects that seek to promote healthy living in disadvantaged communities. I expect that to continue.
Neurological Conditions (Polio)
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the treatment of neurological conditions among those who have survived a polio attack earlier in life. (S2O-11675)
The treatment of any condition is a matter for clinical judgment. In that context, NHS Quality Improvement Scotland is carrying out a stocktake of services that are provided to those with any kind of neurological condition. That work will pave the way for the drafting of clinical standards for neurological conditions, including post-polio syndrome.
Does the minister accept that the level and quality of treatment available to this group of patients is too variable throughout Scotland and that we need a national approach, starting with an acknowledgement that there is a specific syndrome? I hope that the minister's answer means that the national health service in Scotland now recognises post-polio syndrome.
It is fair to say that post-polio syndrome is a well recognised clinical condition—there is no issue with that. Mr Morgan raises an important point about ensuring quality of service for sufferers of the syndrome, of whom there are relatively few, which means that there is not the same focus as there is with larger groups. Because there are relatively few sufferers of the syndrome, this is an appropriate area for consideration of a national service. National services should be available when the number of people involved is small, but there are significant cost implications or significant implications for patients.
Glasgow Housing Stock Transfer<br />(Second Stage)
To ask the Scottish Executive how the change in personnel at the Glasgow Housing Association and in the communities ministerial team will impact on progress towards second-stage transfer of housing stock. (S2O-11670)
Scottish Executive ministers and the Glasgow Housing Association remain committed to taking forward the second-stage transfer of housing stock in Glasgow. We will do that on the basis of the way forward set out by Malcolm Chisholm in his letter to the GHA board of last December.
I am sure that we all wish the new ministerial team well, particularly in relation to this issue. Before the new year, we were beginning to get an indication that the Executive recognised that additional money would be required if second-stage transfer was to go ahead and that some progress would be possible before the end of this parliamentary session. Many people in Glasgow—housing associations, residents, tenants and voters—want to have clarity and to know that progress will be made before the election. Will the minister confirm whether that is possible?
We have a meeting coming up with the board of the GHA, but we have also to consider the joint team report that was delivered before Christmas, a key conclusion of which was that to achieve an affordable second-stage transfer policy that meets our core objectives, we have to consider carefully the structure of the local housing organisations in Glasgow, in discussion with them.
Will the minister join me in paying tribute to the 600 volunteers who have been responsible for ensuring that the investment has been best spent? Will she ensure that we focus on supporting local housing organisations towards the full empowerment that they deserve, rather than on being concerned about the future chief executive of the Glasgow Housing Association?
I assure the member that I know of his interest in this issue. My interest—and that of Des McNulty and the rest of the Executive—is in improving the quality of life of people in the social rented sector in Glasgow, which we will do over a 10-year period. The Glasgow stock transfer will see some £1.5 billion of investment in the quality of people's lives. We are proud of what we are doing in Glasgow.
It is almost a year since the joint working team was set up to take forward second-stage transfer. Does the minister understand the anger and sense of betrayal that is felt by the tenants of Glasgow, who were promised second-stage transfer at the time of the ballots? Will she, even now, give those tenants some indication of when the first second-stage transfer will take place?
It is not possible to give a definitive date. As I said, I will meet the GHA. We are keen to progress second-stage transfers as soon as possible. Doing so has been a complex matter. Financial complexities are involved and major challenges must still be overcome, but I reiterate that we have made huge steps forward in Glasgow, and we will continue to invest. We will meet the GHA next week and local organisations in the future.