SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
General Questions
Youth Forum on Europe
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will join in the thanks to the senior school pupils from all over Scotland who participated in the youth forum on Europe in the Parliament on 7 and 8 May 2006 and whether it recognises the importance of youth contributions to the debate about our country's future. (S2O-9866)
I thank Linda Fabiani for this opportunity to put on record my congratulations and thanks on behalf of the Scottish Executive to the senior school pupils from Bell Baxter high school, Earlston high school, Greenock academy, Holyrood secondary school, Linlithgow academy, Mintlaw academy, Nairn academy and Strathaven academy, and to the other young Europeans, for their contributions to the our voice on Europe event. I was extremely impressed by the high quality of their contributions to the debate on the future of Europe.
In recognising the importance of youth contributions, will the minister and the Executive reflect on the concern that was unanimously expressed by the youth contributors last week that the lack of emphasis on language training in our country is potentially damaging to our future? Ailsa Wallace of Mintlaw academy encapsulated the issue:
We are happy to meet. I gave a commitment at the forum that all the contributions were being listened to. Scottish Executive officials were there recording the views that were expressed, and we gave an undertaking to respond to them and to take away with us the ideas and issues that were raised. Among the issues raised in the pupils' presentations to the youth forum were, first, that there is a widespread ignorance of all things to do with Europe. Secondly, there was the importance of Europe to Scotland and to this institution, the Scottish Parliament, given that Europe drives much of the legislative programme that we implement here. Thirdly, there was the importance of Europe's impact on daily life. Whether it is to do with the health service, ferries or water quality, the European Union is an extremely important institution. I was pleased that the youth forum showed a willingness to engage further in the debate on how to improve integration and to make its views known to the European Commission and the other European institutions.
I was delighted to join the young people and teachers of Linlithgow academy at the youth forum on Europe. Their enthusiasm for playing an active role in Europe, which has already been referred to, was inspiring. How will the Scottish Executive ensure that all schools keep their young people informed of the opportunities that the European Union can offer them in various aspects of their lives?
As I said in response to Linda Fabiani, Executive officials attended the forum and took a note of all the views that were raised. I understand that the Scottish Parliament will be writing up a report on the event, which it will send as a response to the European Commission's plan D for democracy, dialogue and debate. The views that are expressed will help with the Scottish Executive's conclusions on its building a bridge between Europe and its citizens project, which examines how European institutions can better engage with their citizens.
Substance Abuse (Child Protection)
To ask the Scottish Executive what assurances can be given that children removed from substance-abusing families are placed in nurturing family environments. (S2O-9892)
When a child becomes looked after, the local authority has a duty to safeguard and promote the child's welfare. For many children, that will mean being placed with foster families, for others it will mean being placed with other relatives, and for a small number a children's home or unit will be in their best interests.
The report, "Hidden Harm—Next Steps: Supporting Children—Working with Parents", is one of the most important pieces of research that the Executive has done to date, because of the focus on children and the inference that we will take firmer action to remove children from substance-abusing families, at least for a while, to protect the family and, more important, the child. What assurances can the minister give me that children will not just be taken out of families and put into care? What monitoring will the Executive do to ensure that those children will have an environment that will keep them safe and secure and that attempts to normalise their childhood? What resources is the Executive prepared to put in to implement the "Hidden Harm" report, including meeting the need, to which the minister has referred, to attract more foster families and foster carers?
The many questions in Pauline McNeill's supplementary were all important. It is important to remember that the central issue is the best interests of the child, and what is best for the individual child will vary according to circumstances. The primary duty under the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 is to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need. It is obviously important to keep families together where that is possible, and one of the priorities that emerged from the "Hidden Harm" document and from many other studies was to do with the importance of retaining family links and of supporting families to become drug free. We should remember, however, that drug abuse by parents is a major risk factor for children, and we have to balance how such issues are handled.
The Parliament's Education Committee heard yesterday from Glasgow City Council that, increasingly, many of the children removed from substance-abusing families are babies in the zero-to-two age group who have themselves suffered because of substance abuse. Can the minister reassure me that any families taking in such children will have continuing care and support, because many of those children will have health and learning difficulties for some years to come as they grow up?
Fiona Hyslop is absolutely right. Against the background of that difficult problem, there is an increasing emphasis on early intervention at the right time, to avoid families getting into a position where children are damaged in the long term by those early difficulties. The issue is linked to the question of having enough foster places for those children, as I mentioned before, and to the question of the input into individual families. Some families can be supported, because it is not by any means the case that all drug-abusing families are unsuitable for bringing up children. However, families need support, monitoring and backing, and it is important that we are able to make decisions at the right time and in the right way, and that a wide range of possibilities is open to us. It is not a simple issue. A whole series of issues are being brought together in dealing with funding, support and the professional duties on the authorities.
What assurance can the minister give regarding kinship carers, given the disparity across the country from one council to another? Of the 32 councils, some do very well and pay kinship carers the same amount as is paid in a fostering allowance, while others give absolutely nothing. Can he assure me that where, with the approval of social workers, children are placed with kinship carers, those children will be financially cared for?
John Swinburne raises another important point. The wider family is a huge resource when it comes to looking after the interests of children. The issue is complex because of the different situations that can exist.
Road Traffic Volume (Target)
To ask the Scottish Executive how congestion and vehicle emissions will be reduced if the target for stabilising the volume of road traffic is removed. (S2O-9850)
The recent publication of "Changing Our Ways: Scotland's Climate Change Programme" demonstrates the commitment of the Scottish ministers to tackling emissions and climate change and to developing further carbon savings. Evidence suggests that road traffic levels are still rising. We are considering the 2021 target, its underpinning environmental and economic aims and the best way to achieve them as part of the consultation on the development of the national transport strategy, which was launched on 20 April 2006.
The shifting of the goalposts is a regular problem in this policy area. Does the minister recall the words of John Prescott when he came into office? He stated:
I am not responsible for John Prescott. That is probably a good thing for us both.
Recent written questions to the minister indicate that traffic flows on long stretches of road in my constituency are counted by a single traffic counter. That would not seem to allow the minister to establish the frequency and extent of commuter traffic between significant settlements, for example along the Perth to Stirling stretch of the A9. If he cannot do that, how can he decide on future public transport requirements? It will, of course, be necessary to do so if we are to reduce emissions in future.
I am happy to investigate specific issues that members have in relation to the methodology that we have adopted on traffic counting, the evidence that is necessary to inform investment in our roads infrastructure and the comparators that we use when we consider public transport improvements.
Does the minister agree that one man's increased traffic volume is another man's economic development and that the best way for Scotland to tackle emissions and road traffic is to improve the road network to bring an end to bottlenecks and traffic jams so that we can get on with building the economy?
I am sure that Mr Johnstone accepts that we are improving the road network. It is because of this devolved Government and this coalition Government's work that we are investing solidly in local road improvements—in collaboration with local government—and in the trunk road network.
Scottish Enterprise
To ask the Scottish Executive what changes it has requested in the operational and financial management and performance and financial reporting of Scottish Enterprise in response to the recent overspend. (S2O-9821)
The Scottish Executive receives regular resource budgeting reports from Scottish Enterprise as part of the current operational and financial management arrangements. The Executive has asked for those reports to be extended and to identify more clearly issues of concern. In preparing the reports, Scottish Enterprise will itself have better information following implementation of the KPMG recommendations. For example, KPMG suggested a number of ways in which financial analysis could be improved. It also recommended that Scottish Enterprise maintain a firmer grasp of likely non-cash costs throughout the year by reporting as part of its monthly management accounts and by the production of quarterly balance sheets.
I thank the minister for that answer. In the interests of openness, can Parliament now see a full, comparative, time-series report that shows the resources that were applied to every programme and recipient in 2004-05 and 2005-06, in order to ascertain what is continuing and what is being discontinued?
The detail of its budget is largely a matter for Scottish Enterprise, although I will continue to take a close interest, as no doubt will all MSPs, in the impact of the budget and operational plan for 2006-07. The Scottish Enterprise board approved the budget last Friday. The operating plan will be submitted to me, as Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, and I understand that Scottish Enterprise has agreed to submit the operating plan to the Enterprise and Culture Committee, too, which seems to me to be appropriate. I am sure that all in the chamber will continue to be closely involved in the developments at Scottish Enterprise.
I wonder whether the minister is now in a position to tell us—he could not tell us last week—from where in his budget the additional £45 million for Scottish Enterprise is coming. In other words, which other budgets will be cut?
No budgets will be cut and it is important that that is emphasised and made clear. The additional cover that was provided was found from previous underspends in the Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department and will be found this year from tight management of the department's operational budget. That will clearly involve reduced flexibility as the year goes on. I should emphasise, however, that the department has a budget of over £5 billion and it seems to me to be entirely achievable and manageable to deliver the additional investment that we are putting into Scottish Enterprise. I repeat that that investment is resource cover—non-cash cover—apart from the additional £5 million that Scottish Enterprise will raise from additional receipts.
Does the minister accept that in constituencies such as mine, which has a backlog of £40 million of non-rural roads expenditure, the ability to find the amount of money that has been found in the Scottish Executive's budget for Scottish Enterprise causes wonder about why that money was not spent on non-rural roads, which spending is a commitment in the Executive's partnership agreement?
Those are important judgments for ministers to make. Of course, I realise that there will always be competing priorities in Government. It was clear at one point, just a few weeks ago, what the scale of the cuts that were likely to be imposed by Scottish Enterprise would be if ministers did not take action. The cuts would have been across a range of projects at the local level, including training programmes, modern apprenticeships and the business gateway. There was an outcry about the extent of the cuts that would have been implemented at local level. I though that it was appropriate to take action.
Fear of Crime
To ask the Scottish Executive whether fear of crime is measured regularly in Scotland. (S2O-9878)
Fear of crime is measured regularly, in both the Scottish crime and victimisation survey and the Scottish household survey.
I am grateful for that answer. Does the minister share my view that one of the best ways to reduce fear of crime and thus to improve people's quality of life is to have uniformed police officers on foot patrol? Will she encourage chief constables to make more use of that operational response to fear of crime and, indeed, to crime itself?
It is important that communities have confidence in the police services that are provided. There is no doubt that police visibility, backed up by community wardens, is important. I hope that initiatives such as the one that we announced this week for 1,000 additional metal detectors to tackle knife crime will enable the public to be reassured that the police are there and ready to act.
Before questions to the First Minister, members will want to join me in welcoming to the chamber Pascal Couchepin, Switzerland's Minister for Home Affairs, who is in Edinburgh to open Switzerland's new consulate general. [Applause.]
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