Contents
- Scottish Parliament Thursday 18 May 2000
- Community Care
- Point of Order
- Business Motion
- Question Time
- First Minister's Question Time
- Points of Order
- Early Education and Child Care
- Sea Fisheries (Shellfish) Amendment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
- Learning and Skills Bill
- Parliamentary Bureau Motions
- Decision Time
- Prisons (Slopping Out)
Question Time
SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
National Health Service
To ask the Scottish Executive how patient care in Scotland will be affected by changes at the heart transplant unit at Glasgow royal infirmary. (S1O-1735)
I am pleased to reiterate the assurance that I have given elsewhere that the Executive's aim, and that of the North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust, is to do everything possible to minimise the effect of those changes on patients. Heart transplantation is now being undertaken in Newcastle on an interim basis, and most pre and post-operative care will continue to be based in Glasgow. We are working closely with the trust to put in place effective long-term arrangements for this service.
On the long-term arrangements, given that the review of transplant units in England recommends that the number of units should be cut from eight to four, and that each unit should have four surgeons, will the minister commit to having four surgeons for Scotland's only heart transplant unit, so that we never again have to depend on the decisions of one individual?
It would be inappropriate at this stage for me to give specific commitments about the most effective way of ensuring that the transplantation service is delivered in future. That is the purpose of discussions that are under way between the Scottish Executive, the trust and the national services division of the Common Services Agency, which is the national body in Scotland that, on our behalf, examines needs and considers the best ways of delivering services.
I am happy to give a commitment to work tirelessly to ensure that we have an effective service in future. I hope that there will be an enhanced service. I agree with Mary Scanlon that the previous arrangements were clearly not as robust or stable as they should have been, and I hope that we can rectify that in future.
I am sure that the minister was aware that there was only one heart transplant surgeon at Glasgow royal infirmary, so why did she not do anything about that? Why were contingency plans not put in place years ago, instead of addressing the problem now? Will the minister admit to the chamber that this situation was handled with sheer incompetence? She should do the decent thing and resign.
I respectfully remind members—Mrs Scanlon's line of questioning is perfectly in keeping with this, but, sadly, some comments that have been made in the chamber and elsewhere are not—that we are talking about a very important service for people who are, in many cases, seriously ill and who require us to do the best that we can to give them an effective service. It is important that they hear the facts.
Arrangements are being put in place for the future. There are issues about the past. If Sandra White cared to pay more attention to the facts, she would know that for several months efforts have been made to recruit for a post at the Glasgow royal infirmary. We are now taking the opportunity to examine the whole service to ensure that we put in place the staff resource that is required.
We do not have a service.
I hear Ms White say that we do not have a service. That is precisely the kind of nonsense and scaremongering that the SNP has put into the press on this issue.
I feel duty-bound to make it clear once and for all that the unit has not closed and is not closing. The Scottish Executive has no plans to close that service. Currently, nine patients are waiting to be assessed to be put on the waiting list for heart transplantation; they are still being seen in Glasgow. There are 150 patients receiving follow-up treatment in Glasgow and the 26 people who are awaiting heart transplants will get that service through our co-operative arrangements with Newcastle. [Interruption.]
Order. This is not a time for debate; it is question and answer.
Does the minister realise that the issue is of great concern to many constituents? She will know that I have written to her in the past two weeks on the matter. Can she reassure me that the Executive will take steps to ensure that enough doctors are being trained in Scotland to provide services in the NHS not just in Scotland, but throughout the United Kingdom?
I am happy to give that assurance. We will continue to work to put in place effective training arrangements. I commend those members who have raised points with me, particularly those who have taken time to meet with patients and to discuss with me the concerns that patients have raised with them. I can assure members that we will continue to bring the best skills into Scotland and to share skills across the UK.
Again, it is rather sad that some people want to suggest that there is some deep-rooted problem of a lack of specialists and consultants in the health service in Scotland, when nothing could be further from the truth. We will continue to build on our sound record.
Quality Meat Scotland
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to address the concerns expressed by livestock producers in relation to the new promotion body Quality Meat Scotland. (S1O-1712)
I have consistently supported the creation of a new meat promotion body in Scotland to meet the challenges that unquestionably face our beef, sheep and pig sectors.
Mr Lochhead will know that it is widely acknowledged that the launch of Quality Meat Scotland has not been well handled by its sponsors. I have spoken with those involved in the steering group of the organisations responsible for the establishment of that body and they assure me that they are taking every step possible to dispel any lingering doubts about its foundation.
I thank the minister for his answer. Given the difficulties experienced by the meat sector in recent years, it is obvious that the new promotional body has to get off to the best possible start. The Scottish Beef Council, the National Sheep Association and the Scottish Crofters Union have expressed many genuine concerns about the new body, in particular about the lack of representation of their sectors on that body. Those concerns must be addressed.
Will the minister give an undertaking to use the time resulting from the delay of the launch of the new body to personally intervene in order to iron out those concerns? Will he use this opportunity to clarify what influence the Milton Keynes-based Meat and Livestock Commission will have over the new body?
I will deal with the latter point first. Quality Meat Scotland will be composed of three principal shareholders: the National Farmers Union of Scotland, the Scotch Quality Beef and Lamb Association and the MLC. That equates as two to one against the MLC. The influence that the MLC will have in QMS is proportionate to its share of the three-way holding. That is quite a significant transfer of power. If Mr Lochhead is suggesting that we should eliminate the MLC, I suggest that that is a foolish notion. If we did that, we would have to replicate the technical services that we get from Milton Keynes and, more important, from the MLC office in Brussels.
My department and I are closely involved in the steering group that is establishing the new body. However, we are not responsible for that body, which is responsible to its shareholders. I have made it clear to Quality Meat Scotland that the lack of representation by a number of the livestock organisations was an unsatisfactory way of proceeding. We have a chairman, Mr Kilpatrick, we will shortly appoint the managing director and we will be announcing the broader representation on the board.
The minister will be aware that one of the issues that the predecessor bodies to the new one were concerned about was traceability. Is he aware of the concerns about the potential introduction of sheep tagging in the autumn of this year? A consultation paper has already come out from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in England and Wales. Does he have some information for the chamber on that issue? What situation will livestock producers face in the autumn?
I regret that I am unable to give a definitive answer. The standing veterinary commission has been investigating transmissible spongiform encephalopathy and, as Mr Scott knows, whether there is any possibility that there is BSE in sheep. The question of whether we need to accelerate tagging and traceability, and to have a better record of the sheep flock, very much depends on the outcome of that. I will report on that matter soon, but it is not one that I wish to commit to at this stage.
Rural Economies (Capital Investment)
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for capital investment in rural economies in the current year. (S1O-1723)
The Scottish Executive's expenditure plans for 2000-01 and 2001-02 are set out in the recently published "Investing in You: The Annual Expenditure Report of the Scottish Executive", copies of which are available from the Scottish Parliament information centre.
I am obliged to the minister for his reply. I am sure that everyone welcomes capital investment, wherever it occurs. I welcome, for example, the £63 million investment in Motorola in Fife, to secure 700 jobs. Is the minister aware that the Borders rail feasibility study predicts 900 jobs for a £73 million capital investment on track and so on? Will he therefore apply the Motorola principle—if I may call it that—and give a like capital commitment to Borders rail today?
Sarah Boyack is listening to the question and to my response.
It is important to stress that the Executive has taken a significant step forward by publishing the report on the feasibility study, which has identified options for the future. It is vital that we hand over to the stakeholders at this stage, to consider what further developments they will be involved in.
Scottish Borders Council is to be congratulated for showing such enthusiasm and such initiative. Once the process is undertaken, that may be the time for further consideration of the market. It is vital that the Scottish Executive has taken the first step and that the feasibility study has been completed. It is for the council and the other stakeholders to develop that.
I commend to the minister the idea of joined-up government and suggest that a rail link would achieve it.
That is the kind of question that does not really need an answer. However, being a politician, I cannot resist the temptation.
It is crucial to say that, as far as Scotland is concerned, we want to ensure that we have a vibrant economy. That requires the best infrastructure and the best transport that we can provide. Sarah Boyack has already made a significant start in addressing those issues.
I would hope that, in partnership, the councils, the local enterprise companies, MSPs and MPs can move forward. At the end of the day, a modern economy needs modern infrastructure—that is the central objective of the Executive.
Health Statistics
To ask the Scottish Executive whether all the information contained in "Scottish Health Statistics 1999" is accurate. (S1O-1714)
As Mr Gibson is aware, an error occurred in the data for one table in that publication. I have no evidence to suggest that further inaccuracies exist.
I thank the minister for her reply, but how can anyone, in considering NHS statistics and expenditure, trust this minister and the Executive?
In answer to a supplementary question from Mary Scanlon last week, the minister stated:
"In 1998-99, the figure for capital spending on equipment was £136 million."—[Official Report, 11 May 2000; Vol 6, c 583.]
Only three days earlier, in reply to a written question, the minister advised that expenditure on NHS equipment in 1998-99 was only £25 million, less than half the real-terms expenditure of four years previously, and less than a fifth—a fifth—of the figure quoted last week by the minister.
Will the minister admit that she has misled the chamber and apologise to Parliament and to the people of Scotland, as her colleague Wendy Alexander should have done yesterday?
First, I congratulate Kenny Gibson on his forensic examination of the document "Scottish Health Statistics 1999". We saw Kenny's keen interest in numbers in yesterday's debate, and I am happy to debate these figures further with him.
I have not misled—nor have I any intention of misleading—the chamber on the issue of capital spend. I will repeat the figures that I gave to Mary Scanlon last week: the total allocated expenditure on capital spend in the NHS in Scotland, which was £136 million in 1998-99, will rise to £194 million in 2001-02, which is before we allocate any additional resources for that purpose from the additional £173 million that has been added to the health budget through the Chancellor of the Exchequer's budget earlier this year.
Before I call other members, I should point out that this question is specifically about the document and nothing else—not life in general.
Will the minister acknowledge the contribution that dentists make to her statistics? Is not it the case that dentists give up their time on planning and strategic committees, health trusts and health boards—
No.
I have got them worried.
Not even slightly worried.
The question is specifically about the document's accuracy. Dr Simpson, is your question on this subject?
Well, I will try to make it so.
Will the minister seriously consider whether all the statistics need to be collected every year? The confusion of Mr Gibson et al—as well as the amount of bureaucracy involved—might be reduced if fewer statistics were collected less often.
Dr Simpson raises an interesting and important point. Post-devolution, there has been an ever-rising demand for information, statistical and otherwise, and it is important for all of us—not just the Executive, but the whole Parliament—to consider which information is most important and which is the best way to report it. By doing so, we can ensure that the time taken and the resources used for collecting data are put to the best possible use. The information and statistics division, or ISD, which produces this publication, continually reviews the data that should be included. However, I would always welcome suggestions on that point.
Question 5 has been withdrawn.
Lead Solder
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has regarding the possible health consequences of the use of lead solder in water and heating systems. (S1O-1711)
The water byelaws prohibit the use of lead fittings which may come into contact with water that may be used for drinking. Where such contamination has occurred, the health consequences will vary according to the amount of lead ingested by the individual along with other factors.
Very high levels of lead have been recently found in the domestic water supplies due to the illegal use of lead solder. Does the minister agree that the practice could be stopped by requiring the water supply in any new building to be tested to ensure that it is lead-free before a completion certificate is issued?
The important point that Nora Radcliffe makes is that the practice is already illegal, which means that byelaws should be enforced. The incident that she mentioned has led to some action: for example, all health boards have been asked to reiterate good practice in drinking water, which is to take drinking water from the mains tap wherever practical. A new leaflet is also being produced.
Furthermore, the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health is planning a survey for next spring of a significant number of new houses to identify the extent of the problem.
Will the minister confirm that, in a review of building regulations, advice will be taken about considering the banning of lead solder in water-pipe applications?
Lead solder is already banned, except in certain applications such as central heating systems where the water cannot come into contact with people directly. The byelaws already exist and should be enforced.
Can it be banned completely under the new building regulations?
The point is that lead solder is a useful building material as long as it is used safely. The byelaws ensure that the only place where it can or should be used is where there can be no possibility of contact with drinking water.
Coach House Trust
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of the activities of the Coach House Trust in the areas of community care, social inclusion, lifelong learning and the environment in the Glasgow Kelvin constituency. (S1O-1739)
I understand that the Coach House Trust assists people with mental health, drug and alcohol problems and people with learning disabilities to overcome barriers to living a full life in the community.
Can I make the minister aware of the unique qualities of the Coach House Trust? It is involved in recycling local materials, creating beautiful gardens in the back courts of the west end, and in wood sculpture and glasswork, which benefit the community. Will the minister investigate the funding difficulties of such a scheme, which suffers because it is not located in a social inclusion zone, nor in a nationally known scheme?
That is exactly the kind of work that we wish to encourage. It aims to help people return to the possibility of full-time, mainstream employment. I believe that the trust has been recently successful in a bid to the National Lotteries Board, and that that funding is matched by the local authority and the local health board. If Ms McNeill wishes to write with more detail on her question, I will be happy to look into the matter.
I have to declare an interest. I was the local councillor when the Coach House Trust was first formed. Does the minister agree that the Richmond Fellowship Scotland ought to be congratulated on its commitment in providing workers and finances for the project when it started, and that the social work department of Glasgow City Council ought to be congratulated on contributing £30,000 after a walkabout with me? Does he agree that that is a good example of partnership in community care, which we were discussing this morning?
I am happy to repeat the point: that is an excellent example of different agencies and funding streams pulling together. I would suggest that, if a walkabout with Trish Godman brings success with £30,000 bids, I would be very happy to take her with me around many similar projects.
Breastfeeding
I ask this question as this is national breastfeeding awareness week.
To ask the Scottish Executive what the most recent statistics are concerning the proportion of new Scottish mothers choosing to breastfeed in comparison to other EU countries, and what steps are being taken to increase the proportion of women, particularly from lower income households, who choose breastfeeding as opposed to formula milk for their babies. (S1O-1699)
Fifty-five per cent of women in Scotland breastfeed their babies at birth. However, the rate after six weeks is only 36 per cent. That is lower than most other European countries. Our target is that, in five years' time, 50 per cent of mothers will breastfeed their children for at least six weeks. The Executive is actively supporting a range of measures to encourage and support breastfeeding and this week published a code of practice for employers on the subject.
Given that new mothers from lower-income households are provided with vouchers to buy formula milk, does the minister agree that there seems to be anomaly and that there is an agreed need to promote breastfeeding? Will she therefore join me in supporting proposals to introduce a voucher-based system to help lower-income breastfeeding mothers to buy healthy foods? Will she commend Lanarkshire Health Board on its excellent campaign, "You can't get fitter than a breastfed nipper"?
I am pleased to join Elaine Smith in commending Lanarkshire Health Board's campaign to promote breastfeeding. It is an excellent example of community-based activity to encourage and support women in taking up breastfeeding.
I am familiar with the point about formula milk that Elaine Smith raised. The issue is part of the welfare food scheme, which is a reserved matter. It is under review at a UK level. Officials from the Scottish Executive as well as the other UK departments are participating in that review, which is due to report this summer. The provision of vouchers for food supplements for breastfeeding is one of the options under consideration.
I begin by declaring a forthcoming interest in this subject. I join the minister in congratulating Lanarkshire Health Board on its excellent campaign that I was able to see at first hand at Law hospital on Monday.
Does the minister agree that the most effective way in which the Parliament could promote the issue of breastfeeding would be by not placing barriers in front of members of the Scottish Parliament, staff or visitors who choose breastfeeding as the best start for their babies and feed them in the Parliament complex?
There are many ways in which this Parliament can promote breastfeeding. One such way is through debates such as the one that I am delighted to be having now. The Parliament must decide what approach to adopt on this subject. I wrote to you this week, Presiding Officer, with a copy of the employers code of practice, and I hope that the Parliament will look favourably on the matter.
I am considering the matter carefully.
Does the minister envisage any of the previously announced £26 million for public health being used for the further promotion of breastfeeding? If so, could that mean an increase in the number of community dieticians employed by the national health service in Scotland?
When I announced my decision to target £26 million on health promotion and health improvement, I said that one of the priority areas would be children, along with maternal health. We are in discussion with a range of health professionals on the most effective way of channelling those additional resources and on the most effective way to add to the work that has already been done on taking forward our health white paper. I fully anticipate that work to improve and develop diet in the community and to give support to the health of mothers and children will be one of the areas that part of the resources will be allocated towards.
Salaried General Practitioners
To ask the Scottish Executive what priority is being given to the introduction of salaried general practitioners. (S1O-1745)
The Scottish Executive health department's human resources strategy stresses the need for flexible, family-friendly employment options for all health care workers. The department is committed to taking forward options that make the best use of the skilled work force available. As such, salaried service for general practitioners is being taken forward in the context of the pilots run under the Primary Care Act 1997. I have recently decided that pilot applications can be made at any time, which is a change from the previous practice.
The minister recognises that overdependence on GPs who are self-employed contractors can limit the access to primary care services of neighbourhoods such as Tillydrone, Fersands and Seaton in my constituency. Does she agree that it is sometimes easier to meet the needs of users with salaried practitioners directly employed by NHS trusts? Will she join me in welcoming the steps recently taken by Grampian Health Board using the Primary Care Act pilots to achieve a mixed economy in GP services?
I join Lewis Macdonald in welcoming the steps that have been taken in Grampian and other parts of Scotland to use flexible employment options, including salaried service, to improve provision of GP services in remote areas. The needs of different communities vary and the solutions will vary as well. We are committed to working with the medical profession and with other health professionals to ensure that a range of options is available for them, which will provide the best possible equity of access to services for people across Scotland.
Forestry Commission
Before I ask the following question, I remind the chamber that this is forest festival week.
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the proposal by Forest Enterprise to lease out part of the Forest of Ae for a landfill waste site. (S1O-1713)
Oakbank Services has applied for planning permission to establish a landfill site in the Forest of Ae. The forest is owned by Scottish ministers and managed by Forest Enterprise, which is part of the Forestry Commission. The planning application is a matter for the local authority and it would therefore not be appropriate for the Scottish Executive to comment on the proposal at this stage. I know that the local MSP, Elaine Murray, has made representations on behalf of her constituents. She, of course, is the local MSP for Dumfries.
I am aware that Elaine Murray is the MSP for Dumfries.
Can the minister reconcile the use of forests for landfill with his Scottish forestry strategy document—which, curiously, does not mention landfill—and with Donald Dewar's statement that he wants to
"encourage even more people to discover the wonderful opportunities for enjoyment that our woodlands have to offer"?
The fundamental problem is that modern society generates an awful lot of rubbish. I am thinking, in particular, of junk mail from Brian Souter and others. Happily, a lot of that stuff can be recycled.
I am particularly pleased that we are taking steps to meet the targets that are set in the EU landfill directive to reduce the dumping of biodegradable waste by 25 per cent by 2006, as a first-stage target.
We still need landfill capacity, and local authorities have a responsibility for determining planning applications for sites that may be proposed. It is appropriate that sites in forests should be considered. However, Mr Mundell is quite right: we have some beautiful forests in Scotland, which must be protected. Therefore, landfill sites must be selected with great care.
I thank the minister for reflecting on my constituency interests. I have relayed to the Executive the concerns of my constituents on this issue.
On the more general point of getting rid of waste, does the minister agree that we need to promote other means of waste disposal, through renewable energy projects, to preserve the character of Scotland's rural areas?
Yes. The landfill site for the city of Edinburgh is in my back yard—if I can use that phrase of my constituency—and I fully understand Elaine Murray's concern as the constituency MSP for Dumfries. As I have indicated, the Scottish Executive is taking steps to minimise the amount of waste that has to be dumped.
Nevertheless, Dumfries and Galloway Council will need extra landfill capacity at some stage—there is no escaping that. The site in the Forest of Ae may or may not be suitable for that purpose, but I am sure that councillors in Dumfries and Galloway will consider any options carefully, as well as representations from the elected constituency MSP.
Drugs Education
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in providing drugs education to Scotland's children. (S1O-1720)
We aim to provide every pupil in every school in Scotland with appropriate drugs education. An initial analysis of a recent survey of all schools in Scotland indicates that 96 per cent of local authority schools are providing drugs education.
The Scottish Executive has established the school drugs safety team to advise on a number of drugs education issues, including the effectiveness of drugs education in schools. I expect that team to report on its findings in the summer.
I thank the minister for his response. Is he aware of the excellent joint work that is being undertaken by Lanarkshire Health Board, Lanarkshire's drug action team and the police, in bringing out "What's the Score?"—a drugs education pack that is widely regarded as being the best in the whole UK? In addition, is he aware of the life skills training programme that was published by Dr Gilbert Botvin, which has been independently reviewed and evaluated as the best in the world? Finally, will he consider—
I think that that is enough awareness. Will the minister respond?
Will the minister consider combining the best of both those programmes?
Yes. I am very much aware of the educational pack that Karen Whitefield describes. We had the opportunity to review it this week, when I and my colleague Iain Gray visited the Lanarkshire drug action team.
Education in primary schools is a critical factor in preventing drugs misuse in later years. Members may be aware that this morning my colleague the Minister for Justice announced £8.9 million additional funding for the equivalent of 315 new police officers. The police play a critical role in delivering drugs education in all our primary schools, and that capacity is transformed by today's announcement.
I have listened with great interest to the fullness of the deputy minister's response and to Ms Whitefield's comments. Will the deputy minister confirm that he is also aware of the excellent work being done by crime prevention panels, and can he satisfy the chamber that there is no duplication and wastage of precious resources in such a critical fight?
I am very much aware of the important work that crime prevention organisations do. Crime prevention is an important policy of this Administration—that is why we have committed £3 million a year through the challenge fund to supporting initiatives. In Lanarkshire earlier this week I discussed the possible replication throughout the rest of Scotland of the "What's the Score?" drug education pack, as we do not want such work duplicated between different drug action teams and crime prevention panels.
Does the deputy minister agree that one of the best ways of spreading drugs education and supporting young people at risk would be for the Scottish Executive to support the setting up of drop-in centres like Off the Record in Stirling and The Corner in Dundee? Both are excellent examples of what we need in every local authority area in Scotland.
Yes. The announcement of the drug action plan last week enabled me to commit an additional £1 million investment for treatment and an additional £1 million for rehabilitation. That money will be used as imaginatively as possible for the kinds of initiative that Keith Raffan describes. We are serious about tackling drugs. Our policy is accurate and we are putting in the finance to back it up.
Postgraduate Students
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the consultation on financial support for postgraduate students to be completed. (S1O-1728)
Our consultation paper was issued on 3 May and we have asked for responses by 15 August. We will consider the views received alongside those in the Executive's wider student finance consultation, which will be published very shortly.
Thank you. I am particularly interested in the situation of graduates who want to proceed to the diploma in education. I believe we will soon face a severe shortage of teachers. There are already shortages in some subjects. Will the deputy minister assure me that the need to attract new graduates into teaching by offering substantial grants for their postgraduate diploma year will be taken fully into account in the consultation?
Decisions on the postgraduate certificate in education are not part of the review. It is focused on the postgraduate students allowance scheme. However, the element that relates to the certificate in education is currently being considered by the McCrone committee. Any change from the current policy that will affect postgraduate teaching students will be a matter for the Minister for Children and Education.
Social Inclusion
To ask the Scottish Executive what role it sees for information and communications technologies in actively promoting social inclusion. (S1O-1747)
ICTs have a major role to play in improving access to the wide range of education, training and employment opportunities necessary for social and economic inclusion. They also enable sharing of information, development of community interests and the delivery of more accessible and efficient public services, meeting the needs of the most disadvantaged.
Thank you. This morning, in Greenock, the Minister for Children and Education launched a joint project between local schools and IBM. It aims to promote social inclusion through IT by teaching information age skills along with e-business and lifelong learning. I am sure the Deputy Minister for Communities agrees that a true information revolution must be inclusive and not just for those who can afford it. [Members: "Question!"] It will come to those who wait.
I am waiting.
Will the minister therefore agree that it is worth considering giving people in receipt of income support or jobseekers allowance a personal identification number so that they can have free access to the internet through public access points such as internet cafes, libraries and community centres?
Mr McNeil's proposal is worthy of further consideration. The Executive is undertaking a range of activities in ICT. In new community schools, we are promoting IT access for the whole community. By 2002, colleges, schools, public libraries and community centres will all be connected up to the national grid for learning. In social inclusion partnerships, 90 ICT projects are under way—all with internet access—and there are partnerships with the business community. I will know that we have succeeded when I see Mr McNeil himself surfing the net. [Laughter.]
Speaking as a regular net surfer, I wonder whether the minister will join me in welcoming the project launched recently in Auchinleck by the Ayrshire electronic community, which provides exactly the sort of resources that she is talking about—access to the internet and direct communication with agencies such as the Benefits Agency. Can she confirm that the Executive has not ruled out consideration of options that would enable people on low incomes to have information technology in their own homes in future?
I welcome the Ayrshire electronic community project, which my colleague Wendy Alexander visited on 3 May. It provides services online across agencies directly to local communities, which is critical. The digital Scotland task force report is due out at the end of the week and contains a section that deals specifically with social inclusion. I commend that report to members.
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