Child Abuse (Interaction Meeting)
It is important to say that the interaction process is an initiative led by the Scottish Human Rights Commission in which the Scottish Government is one of several participants. The first interaction process took place on 28 February and was attended by a wide range of participants, including those from local authorities, charities, religious bodies and universities, as well as individuals. I understand that a further event will be held in June and that more events are likely. One of the purposes of the process is to develop an action plan. Along with others, we will be interested in receiving that in due course.
This is a serious issue that continues to have an impact on many people’s lives, so we need to see progress made. The minister will be aware that, in pursuing the national confidential forum in isolation, Scotland is something of an anomaly internationally. Will the Government consider establishing additional measures that seek not just to understand the experience of survivors but to guarantee non-repetition and provide other forms of remedy? Can I also—
Minister.
The national confidential forum aspect of the debate is being pursued in the context of the Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Bill, and the Minister for Public Health will give evidence to the Health and Sport Committee on 30 April on the relevant sections.
Mr Bibby, you got cut off a wee bit too soon.
I ask the minister to keep Parliament informed about any developments so that members can keep their constituents updated on the progress that is being made.
Notification of consultation, such as that on time bar, is widely available on the Scottish Government website, and the Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Bill is in the legislative process. I appreciate that not all members will be keeping tabs on that, but they can do so if they choose to. Parliament will be updated on other aspects by ministers as and when appropriate.
Local Bus Services
The Scottish Government continues to support the bus route network with £50 million of subsidy per year, by monitoring bus service delivery to promote reliability and by launching a new bus investment fund this year to encourage innovative projects.
The minister may be aware that, in Cumbernauld, the First Glasgow services X4, X80 and 36 are being cut. Those cuts mean that the bus depot in Cumbernauld is no longer viable and is to be shut down. What actions will the Government take to assist the people of Cumbernauld who will be affected by those cuts?
The services are delivered by private sector entities, and it is for them to take such decisions. However, as I mentioned, we provide about £50 million of subsidy per year to help to sustain bus services. Through the local authority grant, we also provide money to local authorities, which alone—unlike the Scottish Government—can support individual bus routes. I suggest that the member speak to his local authority in relation to that.
What would be the likely impact on bus services in Cumbernauld and Kilsyth and throughout Scotland if the concessionary travel scheme—which, as he said, seems to have lukewarm support from the Labour Party—was withdrawn?
If the scheme was part of the Labour Party’s cuts commission, that would have a serious effect on bus services. We understand that some passengers would not travel without the concessionary scheme. About 30 per cent of concessionary journeys are generated by the scheme, and some bus routes—particularly those with high proportions of generated concessionary passengers—would probably prove to be commercially unviable without it.
Flooding (North East Scotland)
Following the severe weather in December, potential claims for assistance under the Bellwin scheme were notified to the Scottish Government by several local authorities, including Aberdeenshire Council and Moray Council. Local authorities have four months from the date of an emergency incident to submit interim claims for assistance. We have received no claims from local authorities in the north-east at this stage.
Aberdeenshire Council informed me that it has been in dialogue with the Scottish Government over a Bellwin scheme application for funding but, because of the claims threshold and the deadline for carrying out works, it is unlikely to receive any funds from the scheme. Does the minister agree that the terms of the scheme should be reviewed to ensure that, in more instances, local authorities benefit from funds from it rather than bear all the costs themselves?
The Bellwin scheme applies to a number of scenarios—not only flooding but other exceptional costs that local authorities face. It is therefore not in my portfolio, but I would be interested to meet Richard Baker to understand the evidence from Aberdeenshire Council. The scheme’s terms would be a matter for the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth to address in due course.
The minister will be well aware that there is a sense of urgency about certain areas in the north-east—particularly Stonehaven, where there has been a recurrent flood problem. Will he undertake to ensure that, whether negotiations are successful or not, adequate assistance is given—both financial assistance when appropriate and, otherwise, encouragement for Aberdeenshire Council to get on and deal with the problem before it happens again?
I recognise the concerns that have been expressed about Stonehaven, as I have visited the area and heard at first hand the concerns that residents have about the perceived pace at which protection measures are being implemented.
I appreciate the points that are being raised, but is the minister aware that Aberdeenshire Council is heading towards an underspend on its revenue budget over the past two years of some £53 million? Does he agree that the council should not need to apply to the Scottish Government for funding when it has such dramatic underspends and could fund capital projects from the current revenue underspend?
Mark McDonald is clearly correct that, if local authorities have substantial available resources, it is within their ability to fund schemes locally. The Bellwin scheme was set up to take account of expenditure above a particular threshold, as Richard Baker identified. That threshold is based on the local authority’s turnover. In the case of the flooding in the north-east, the scheme has not been applied because the expenditure level falls below that threshold. If Aberdeenshire Council has access to capital and resource funding, I would look to see whether there is any way in which it can contribute to the flood protection scheme.
Planning Law Reform (Retail Units)
That is primarily an issue for local planning authorities. The Scottish ministers have no plans to introduce new legislation on the matter.
I am asking the minister to do something—anything—to deal with the explosion of predatory payday loan shops on our high streets. If he is unwilling to change the law, will he meet me to see what we can do to help credit unions to open up premises on high streets, in the place of such shops?
I am happy to meet the member to discuss the options that are available. I understand her concern, but the planning process is probably not the most relevant vehicle through which to address the issue. There are reserved issues to do with regulation.
Question 5, in the name of Ken Macintosh, has been withdrawn. The member provided an explanation.
Golden Eagles (Protection)
All wild birds are protected in Scotland under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Golden eagles are listed in schedule 1 to the 1981 act, which provides further protection measures to prevent disturbance to nesting birds. Last month, we added golden eagles to schedules A1 and 1A to the 1981 act, to provide year-round protection for nest sites and protect birds from harassment.
As the minister acknowledged, there have been a number of shocking incidents across Scotland during the past year. Earlier this month, a golden eagle was shot on the southern upland way. In light of that, will the minister reassure the Parliament that investigations into the illegal killing of eagles are carried out quickly and effectively? Is he willing to update the Parliament on the investigation into the killing of the golden eagle that was found on Deeside in May 2012?
As I said, police reform has resulted in a revised structure for wildlife crime, which will improve co-ordination and support for wildlife crime officers. I have every confidence in Assistant Chief Constable Graham, who has been appointed to lead the work. We also have a specialist unit in the Crown Office, which ensures that there is greater understanding of the complexities of this area of the law, in and out of the courtroom. That is a major development, which should not be underestimated and which will increase the focus on wildlife crime.
I am sure that members welcome the drop in reported poisonings of birds of prey, but I am concerned that there has been no decline in other forms of raptor persecution. The Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011 introduced vicarious liability, to combat raptor persecution. Will the minister indicate what the next steps will be? Now that Police Scotland has been established, what new approaches will be introduced?
Graeme Pearson is right to say that vicarious liability is a significant development in the law on wildlife crime. The provisions came into force on 1 January 2012 and the legislation has not yet been tested in court, as he is aware. I believe, however, that the legislation has had the welcome effect of encouraging responsible land managers to examine the training of and procedures for their staff. I have no doubt that, if a land manager or owner is prosecuted under the provisions, it will have a salutary effect on others who have been content to turn a blind eye to unlawful practices that are carried out on their land.
The RSPB states that one of the key problems for the survival of golden eagles is the lack of live prey that is available to the species. Does the minister agree that a healthy supply of food species in golden eagle areas, such as rabbits and mountain hares, is a factor in the maintenance of healthy numbers of golden eagles? Is he, through the appropriate agencies, doing something about the decline of those species in some areas?
The member raises an important point about the need for golden eagles to have adequate food supplies. It is not as simple as saying that it is all about raptor persecution; we know that there are multiple influences on the sad decline in the populations of a number of our key, iconic species of birds. Clearly, mountain hares are a species that we want to protect. If there was any persecution of those animals by land managers, we would be concerned about it. If the member has constructive proposals that he would like me to consider, I would be happy to meet him to discuss the issues.
Question 7, in the name of Richard Simpson, has been withdrawn. The member has provided me with a satisfactory explanation.
Pension and Social Welfare Costs (Affordability)
The Scottish Government published a detailed assessment of Scotland’s public finances in the “Scotland's Balance Sheet” report last week. The analysis demonstrates that spending on social protection, which includes pensions and welfare expenditure, has been consistently more affordable in Scotland than in the rest of the United Kingdom over the past five years. Indeed, the report shows that spending on social protection in Scotland as a share of gross domestic product is lower than it is in the UK as a whole and in the majority of the European Union 15 countries during 2011. Those figures clearly show that welfare and pensions would be more affordable in Scotland if we had full responsibility for our economy.
The minister might be aware that the recent research that he referred to estimated that, in South Lanarkshire alone, welfare cuts will total £104 million a year by 2014-15. Given that social welfare is more affordable in Scotland than it is in the UK, does he think that this Parliament would take the same approach to welfare as Westminster?
It is hard to conceive that this Parliament would take the same approach to welfare reform as has been taken in the UK Parliament, given that on issues such as the bedroom tax, for example, an overwhelming majority of members of the UK Parliament who represent Scottish constituencies voted against the provisions that the UK Government is taking forward. As we consider the implications of the welfare reform agenda in Scotland, that is a strong illustration of how democratic control of those issues in Scotland would lead to a better set of decisions being taken in the interests of the people of our country.
Oil Test Drilling (Ayrshire Coast)
The Scottish Government has had no discussions with the Ministry of Defence regarding test drilling for oil off the Ayrshire coast.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, there were oil test drilling rigs between Ailsa Craig and Sanda island, off the tip of the Mull of Kintyre—a route through which Polaris submarines passed. It is believed that those wells could have been successful, but they were capped by the UK defence secretary at the time. Will the Scottish Government support efforts that are being made to determine whether those McCrone-like instructions curtailed the production of oil and gas and, therefore, the potential for significant economic development in south-west Scotland?
The Government is focused on taking forward our oil and gas strategy, which was formulated in partnership with the industry to ensure that the potential that we know exists in Scottish waters to recover oil and gas reserves, which are estimated to total more than half the value that has so far been extracted—up to 24 billion recoverable barrels of oil, with a wholesale potential value of £1.5 trillion—is realised for Scotland. We will concentrate our efforts on taking forward that approach in partnership with the oil and gas industry in Scotland.