SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
Education and Lifelong Learning
Schools (Glasgow East End)
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to commission any school building in the east end of Glasgow. (S3O-7428)
The Government is supporting local authorities in their responsibility to replace school buildings. Yesterday, I announced a new national programme of additional Government support for the building of new schools across Scotland. In addition to the £2 billion that is already being provided for school buildings, we will provide up to two thirds funding support for a £1.25 billion school building programme. Our £800 million is in addition to the record funding that is already set out in the local government settlement. The 55 schools that will be built will be in addition to the 250 schools that we and our local government partners are already committed to delivering by 2011. The 35,000 pupils who will benefit will be in addition to the 100,000 who will benefit from those 250 schools.
In the preparation for, and work around, the cabinet secretary's statement, were the needs of schools in Glasgow, especially in the east end, discussed? What proportion of the new funding will go to Glasgow? Did the cabinet secretary's department undertake modelling to indicate the likely geographical distribution of the new schools to which she is committed? Finally, can she provide the indicative timescale for the primary school building programme, from proposal to delivery?
It will be possible to start building the first primary school in 2010. Glasgow can already proceed with building new schools. I understand that the capital support that it will receive from the Government in the period 2008 to 2010 is £400 million. Although £228 million is ring fenced, mostly for housing, and a further £18 million is allocated to flood prevention schemes, £158 million is available in those two years to Glasgow City Council for investment in infrastructure, according to its priorities. It is up to the council to invest that money in schools in the east end, if it so chooses. If Margaret Curran has concerns about the ability of Glasgow City Council to make such decisions, I will be more than happy to make representations to it on her behalf.
The cabinet secretary and Margaret Curran will be aware that, although the Scottish National Party Government is providing all the additional money for new school buildings that has been mentioned, the Labour council in Glasgow has embarked on a savage school and nursery closure programme. Is the cabinet secretary aware that for children from Barmulloch primary in the north-east to get to St Gilbert's primary, which will house their new school, they will daily pass the Red Road flats, the site of Europe's largest asbestos removal programme? Does she share my concerns about that?
I have had the opportunity to meet a number of parents from the Glasgow schools to which Anne McLaughlin refers, and they expressed to me their concerns about the issue that she has highlighted. The First Minister agreed previously in the chamber to meet parents from the schools that it is proposed will be closed. There are concerns about the issues that the member raises, but we must respect the ability of councils to take decisions, whether we like them or not. Glasgow City Council has made its decisions and must take responsibility for them. I sincerely hope that it will support parents on health and safety and transport issues. The member is right to raise such concerns but, as she knows, they are a responsibility of Glasgow City Council.
Will any of the £800 million that was announced yesterday for the Scottish Futures Trust school building programme be available to spend on commissions in Glasgow during the financial years 2009-10 and 2010-11?
Ken Macintosh may be aware that we have already ensured an acceleration of capital from 2010-11, which has been done to help during the present economic situation. Money has been brought forward to 2009-10 and is benefiting a number of schools. Indeed, the Isobel Mair school in East Renfrewshire has benefited.
On a point of order. Perhaps the cabinet secretary did not hear the question, which was about £800 million of Scottish Futures Trust funding. Would it be in order for the Presiding Officer to advise the member on what the question was about?
I have to assume that the cabinet secretary knows what the question was about. The content of her reply is not for me to determine.
Apprenticeships
To ask the Scottish Executive when the measures agreed at the apprenticeship summit held on 28 April 2009 will be implemented. (S3O-7453)
We published the report from the apprenticeship summit on 5 June, and I have already implemented some of the recommendations contained in the report.
I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer, and I congratulate her on starting to spend wisely the money that Labour managed to secure for her budget during the recent negotiations.
I thank John Park for his question—it is just a pity that Labour did not manage to support the budget the first time around, when funding was available for apprenticeships. However, we got there in the end, and I am very keen about the support that we have received from Labour for the programme. In a number of areas, very constructive recommendations and advice have come from Labour, and from John Park in particular.
If I understand correctly, there will be a £2,000 wage subsidy for apprentices to help them to secure employment so that they can continue their apprenticeships. However, the Government has not put in place a similar subsidy for people who are currently in employment. Three weeks ago, I and representatives of the textiles sector in Scotland met the Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism with regard to an appeal for exactly such a subsidy. The sector has not received a reply from the minister, so I wonder whether the cabinet secretary and the minister will work fast to ensure that such support is available. The textiles sector desperately needs it now.
I will certainly ask the minister to reply as promptly as he can to the correspondence.
Physical Education
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is confident that it will, in this parliamentary session, fulfil the pledge in the SNP manifesto to ensure that every pupil has two hours of quality physical education each week delivered by specialist PE teachers. (S3O-7456)
I am confident that local authorities will be able to demonstrate significant progress in securing two hours of quality physical education for every pupil by the end of this parliamentary session. We have been assured by every local authority's commitment to deliver the curriculum for excellence through the 2009 single outcome agreement process. Our expectation that schools will continue to work towards providing two hours of physical education is embedded in the curriculum for excellence, which is in turn embedded in the national performance framework.
I think that that is a rather longwinded "No." We are promised progress, not that the manifesto commitment will be fulfilled.
I will not comment on the West Lothian Council report—which I have not seen—and especially not on Richard Simpson's interpretation of it, given that his interpretation of what I said to the committee is so far wide of the mark. The committee asked when we expected to fulfil the pledge, and it was 2011 that was mentioned, not 2010.
Will the Scottish Executive acknowledge that one of the main difficulties that it faces in implementing the policy is the lack of precise definitions of PE, outdoor learning and outdoor education? Will it agree to tighten up those definitions so that we can make progress on the strategy?
I am willing to look into that further, but it has been said before that physical education, as distinct from physical activity, is a part of the structured curriculum and that teachers should have specialist training to deliver the subject. There is a commonly understood distinction between physical activity and physical education, but there is still some ambiguity about it, which came out to some extent during discussions with the Health and Sport Committee. I will consider how we can clarify it further.
Students (Drop-out Rates)
To ask the Scottish Executive what the most recent statistics are on drop-out rates among full-time first-degree students and whether it has any concerns regarding these statistics. (S3O-7448)
The most recent statistics on drop-out rates among full-time first-degree students were released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency on 4 June 2009. Although there is still more to be done, we welcome the fact that the figures show an improvement in completion rates over the past five years, with the rate of students not continuing their studies reducing from 10.7 per cent to 9 per cent.
Although I welcome any reduction in drop-out rates in Scotland, rates here are still the worst in the United Kingdom. Given that, does the cabinet secretary agree that there is an urgent need to address the issue, and that one way of doing so is to use existing resources to provide a £7,000 minimum income guarantee for the poorest students? In Glasgow Caledonian University in my constituency, which is a key institution in attracting students from poorer backgrounds, the drop-out rate is 13 per cent. Will the cabinet secretary tell Parliament how the Government will tackle drop-out rates?
I understand that a number of institutions, including the Glasgow School of Art, Edinburgh College of Art and the University of Abertay Dundee have, in benchmarking, better rates than others, so obviously lessons can be learned. It is important to reflect that some of the figures are affected by the fact that, although colleges deliver a large part of higher education provision in Scotland, their provision of first-degree-level studies is comparatively low. However, I acknowledge that there is a big issue and that the approach must be not only about recruitment, but about retention and support for students once they are in—particularly in their first year. That is one reason why I have written to the spokespeople of other parties on their proposals for a £7,000 support package for students, which Pauline McNeill mentioned. There are issues about the calculations, so I have asked for clarification of how the figures were calculated, with a view to a meeting later in the summer to discuss whether we can make progress on anything in the proposals.
Question 5 has been withdrawn.
Primary Schools (Shared Headships)
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has evidence that shared headships for rural primary schools impact positively on the education of children. (S3O-7387)
There is no evidence to suggest that shared headships impact negatively on the education of children. Some local authorities view the sharing of a headteacher by two schools as preferable to having a teaching headteacher. Shared headship can be a means of protecting the viability of the smallest rural schools.
The minister will be aware of the proposals in the Scottish Borders to link several primary schools under shared headships. That has caused considerable concern in Newcastleton, where the local primary school is to be paired with Stirches primary school in Hawick, which is more than 20 miles away. Does the Scottish Government acknowledge that it is, wherever possible, preferable to have a dedicated headteacher based on site in rural schools such as Newcastleton primary school and that local authorities that have large rural areas, such as Scottish Borders Council, often require additional resources to support such schools?
I am aware of the situation that John Lamont mentions, and I have been in correspondence with him on it. All I can say is that it is up to each individual authority to decide how best to proceed. There are sometimes advantages from shared headships, not least of which is that a head who is not teaching has more time for management. It can also result in a better calibre of applicant for the post. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education, which has looked into the issue, says that whether a shared headteacher post works really comes down to the quality of the headteacher. The decision is for councils to take—the Scottish Government does not impose a decision or direct councils on this. Councils sometimes decide to have shared headships in the best interests of the teaching in a particular school and to keep rural schools available and open.
Schools (Local Food Procurement)
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in encouraging schools to procure food from local sources. (S3O-7394)
Under the Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Act 2007, local authorities have a duty to have regard to Scottish Government guidance on sustainable development when procuring food and drink or catering services for schools. Our guidance document "Integrating sustainable development into procurement of food and catering services" gives advice on how aspects such as freshness, quality standards and asking for seasonally available produce can lead to more engagement from local suppliers while staying within European Union procurement law.
Will the minister expand on what practical measures the Government has taken to make it easier for public agencies such as schools to procure locally produced food?
As I indicated, some work streams are on-going. For example, Robin Gourlay of East Ayrshire Council chaired the national food and drink policy work stream on public procurement, which consulted widely with producers, processors, the hospitality industry and public sector procurement specialists. Recommendations from his draft report are currently being considered by officials as the next steps of the food and drink policy are taken forward. Nanette Milne will probably be aware that Aberdeenshire is making particular progress in that area.
Europe, External Affairs and Culture
Scottish MEPs
To ask the Scottish Government how it will make use of the six Scottish MEPs to further Scotland's best interests in the European Union. (S3O-7471)
First, I congratulate all six of Scotland's newly elected MEPs. The Scottish Government has already begun to engage proactively with them—as a team and individually—in order that they may deliver the best possible outcomes for Scotland in key EU areas such as fisheries and renewable energy.
I wonder how they might help us to gain the best from the European recovery programme, which contains not only renewables elements but broadband, carbon capture and storage, and the North Sea grid.
The recovery programme that is under way has a number of priorities. On broadband, it is fair to say that while Scotland still needs some development, it is not in a category in which substantial investment is needed to complete the coverage, which is an issue in north Wales, for example.
The minister will be aware from his previous incarnation of the cross-party team effort of Scotland's MEPs in resisting the introduction of the current proposals for the electronic identification of Scotland's sheep flock. Does he agree that as those efforts continue, the addition of George Lyon, a former NFU Scotland president, as one of Scotland's six MEPs will be enormously helpful? Will he do all that he can, as Europe minister, to facilitate a meeting between his former boss the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment and Commissioner Vassiliou to agree a voluntary on-farm sheep ID scheme?
The member used the word "incarnation". I always welcome incarnation and reincarnation. In the case of George Lyon, that is precisely what has happened: he is reborn as an MEP. I am sure that members will be delighted to hear that, typical of the constructive approach of both of us, we have already had a telephone conversation. I hope that I will meet George Lyon shortly—not something that I have said often—to discuss the role that he will play. He has indicated that he wishes to have a positive relationship with this Government, which is what I want with all of our MEPs. Together, I am sure that we will make a difference.
How can the Scottish Parliament further co-operate with the six Scottish MEPs to increase the understanding of the European issues that have a direct impact on Scotland and to allow MSPs to express their views on European affairs?
Dr McKee asks a good question. There are two aspects. One aspect is the role of the Parliament in issues of subsidiarity. The Lisbon treaty anticipates an enhanced role for sub-national Parliaments. In those circumstances, as the Presiding Officer and members will be aware, the Parliament itself is endeavouring to engage with Westminster on the issue, and the Government is engaging with the United Kingdom Government on the issue, to ensure that our parliamentary scrutiny activities are kept up to speed and improved. MEPs have a strong role to play in being an early warning system for material that is going through Europe.
Latin America (Engagement)
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to engage with Latin American countries. (S3O-7457)
I am aware of the member's keen interest in Latin American countries, particularly Cuba. I had the privilege of having dinner with a Cuban delegation and the member some time ago.
The minister guessed correctly about my specific interest in Latin American countries. Is he aware that the Assembly Government has successfully developed a number of formal links with Cuba in education and is looking to foster agricultural links, with a particular interest in Cuba's permaculture urban food movement? In light of that, and given his previous answer, will the minister seriously consider engaging with Cuba, particularly in this historic year of the 50th anniversary of the socialist revolution in that country?
I am happy to say that I will seriously consider our relationship with Cuba as part of our relationship with Latin America. I would welcome an opportunity to talk to the member about that. I invite her to come and see me about it. I stress that no decision has been made about how exactly we are to proceed, but it makes sense for us to engage as constructively as possible in each area of the globe, and also to address language issues where major languages are likely to be part of our efforts. That must be led not only by economic matters, but by cultural and political matters.
Will the minister ensure that, in any engagement with Cuba, human rights are at the top of the agenda, in particular the suppression of free speech in Cuba and the oppression of those who express political views that are contrary to those of the current authoritarian regime?
I am certain that anybody with whom we work will want to emulate the wonderful freedom of speech that we have in Scotland, where Mr Fraser and I can discuss these matters fully in the open and agree on them. Human rights are very important. In all our work, we should encourage people to offer the same opportunities that we enjoy. I encourage Mr Fraser to take his interest a step further and support an independence referendum in Scotland that will allow the people to choose.
Latin America (Opportunities)
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to explore areas of opportunity in Latin America that would prove beneficial to Scotland. (S3O-7488)
Darien.
I am tempted to comment on the Darien expedition, but I will resist. That expedition included the sending of a large number of woollen bonnets from Dundee, which is perhaps not the trade activity that I had in mind when I talked about trade links with South America.
Darien—[Laughter.] Sorry. Sandra White.
I hear what the minister says and agree with his reply to Elaine Smith, but I am interested specifically in the green energy production that not just Cuba, but other Latin American countries are at the forefront of. Has the minister thought about speaking to those countries about their green energy production? Scotland has expertise in green energy, too.
Following his meeting with the First Minister during Scotland week in 2008, Luis Alberto Moreno, the president of the Inter-American Development Bank, visited Scotland in October 2008. The IDB is working on a number of proposals to promote renewable energy partnerships between Scotland and Latin American. While President Moreno was here, he had meetings with a number of companies that are involved in renewables.
Question 4 has been withdrawn.
Edinburgh Festivals
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions the Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution has had with the organisers of the Edinburgh festivals about the impact on the festivals of the economic downturn. (S3O-7415)
Of course, the festivals—not just the Edinburgh festivals but all Scotland's festivals—will be the subject of a debate later this afternoon.
I thank the minister for his optimistic answer.
I can certainly confirm for the member—who has a strong interest in the matter—that we intend to continue with the expo fund, which has another year to run. Our commitment to the Edinburgh festivals is strong and constant. We take seriously indeed the conclusions of the "Thundering Hooves" report, on which a great deal of progress has been made. The essential message of that report should always be kept in mind: the excellence of the Edinburgh festivals must be a perpetual excellence. Year on year, those festivals must be the greatest arts festivals in the world. Certainly, the fringe is the largest festival of its kind, but we must ensure that Edinburgh's unique collection of 12 festivals continues to grow and develop.
Commission on Scottish Devolution
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the recommendations of the Calman Commission on Scottish Devolution. (S3O-7460)
The member will not be surprised to know that we support some of the Calman recommendations, in particular those that we argued for—the member has usually been on the other side in those arguments, so I welcome his conversion—on matters such as air-guns, drink driving and a range of other issues. We have made those arguments for some time, so I am glad that others are now catching up with us.
I call Alasdair Morgan.
Sorry. I meant to call David Whitton.
That is all right, Presiding Officer. It would be easy to lose track after that very long answer.
Were there such a ban, I would ask for it to be lifted now. As the minister responsible for this area of work, I know the amount of time and effort that the civil servants who work with me have put into answering questions from the Calman commission and working constructively. I attended the launch of the commission's report on Monday, but I do not think that the member was there, so I have better first-hand knowledge of what Ken Calman said than the member does.
Does the minister agree that, given that the Labour Party has argued for the past 10 years that the current devolution settlement is somehow the immutable will of the Scottish people, the fact that it is now offering extensions to that settlement only gives weight to the arguments for full independence for Scotland?
As ever, I find myself in complete agreement with my friend Mr Morgan. I could not put it better myself.
Question 7 was lodged by Helen Eadie, but I do not think that she is in the chamber, which is unfortunate, shall we say.
Scottish Maritime Museum
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it provides for the Scottish maritime museum. (S3O-7420)
Support for non-national museums, including the Scottish maritime museum, is routed through Museums Galleries Scotland, which makes decisions on funding, taking into account the business needs of the museums and competing demands for the grant fund. The planned funding for the Scottish maritime museum from Museums Galleries Scotland in 2009-10 is £305,000.
The minister will recall the report that he and I wrote way back in October 2002, a copy of which I dusted down, and he will know that some of the issues that we identified remain. Now that he is the minister, will he ensure that a robust and consistent funding framework is in place for the museums sector? Might I invite him to give a specific commitment to provide continual financial assistance to industrial museums and to announce that wonderfully good news at an event at the Scottish maritime museum in my constituency?
In the interest of accuracy, I point out that part of the Scottish maritime museum is in Jackie Baillie's constituency. I have already committed to visiting the Denny tank, which is in her constituency, and I am a long-time supporter of not just the Scottish maritime museum but the industrial museum sector.
The member alluded to the fact that the maritime museum is part of a group of industrial museums, as is the Scottish mining museum. There has been some additional capital funding, but there is no long-term, sustainable funding for that museum. Will the minister commit today to taking the Scottish mining museum into the group of national museums, as it already has a national collection?
No, I will not make that commitment, and I regret that I have been asked to do so. If the member was trying to be helpful—which she should be, because it is co-operation that makes a difference on such issues—she would have told the Parliament, as I am about to, that Henry McLeish, the chair of the Scottish mining museum, spoke to the museums summit, was part of the debate and discussion, and will be part of the process of setting the national strategy.
Cultural Developments (Borders)
To ask the Scottish Executive how it is supporting cultural development in the Borders. (S3O-7412)
The Scottish Government, through the Scottish Arts Council, is supporting a wide variety of cultural developments in the Borders. It is supporting, for example, the Eastgate theatre and the Wynd theatre, the Borders book festival—which I will attend this week; I will be there tomorrow—young people through the youth music initiative, and artists. We welcome the enthusiastic way in which the Borders has embraced the year of homecoming, which features the return to the ridings and the in the footsteps of the reivers events and the clan Scott gathering, which homecoming Scotland is supporting.
I look forward to seeing the minister tomorrow in Melrose.
It is important not to be against projects, but to be in favour of them. I am happy to say that I am strongly in favour of the Abbotsford project. My visit to Abbotsford just before the HLF decision shows my support for it. I have had conversations with the member about Abbotsford and I hope to go back there again. A fundraising event is being held this evening by the Faculty of Advocates. Alas, I do not think that I will get to that event, but I express my support for it. We must ensure that Abbotsford is secured. These are difficult times financially—nobody is saying anything other than that—but I have given a commitment to the member that I will work as closely with him and the Abbotsford trustees as I can on something that Scotland needs to have: a place where we can remember the extraordinary genius of Walter Scott and reflect on his cultural influence on the nation and, more widely, on the importance of the writer not just as an entertainer or storyteller, but as a conscience of the nation.
Meeting suspended.