Infrastructure, Investment and Cities
Rail Infrastructure Investment (Perth to Edinburgh Route)
There are no current specific investment plans for the Perth to Edinburgh route, but the £60 million Scottish network improvement fund is being made available over the period from 2014 to 2019. That fund will support the funding of infrastructure improvements across the network in line with the strategic priorities of the Scottish ministers, which include improved journey times, connectivity and resilience. Network Rail will be expected to use the fund to exploit opportunities that are available through current or planned works.
The minister will be aware that, as a candidate in the Ochil constituency in 2007, he was a keen supporter of calls to reopen Kinross station. He will also know that Transform Scotland has spoken of the considerable benefits that a new line could bring to the local economies of Perthshire, Kinross-shire and Fife and by reducing journey times between the north and the central belt. What proposals, if any, can residents expect to see on improving the rail network between Perth and Edinburgh? Will they include a commitment from the Scottish Government to look again at a feasibility study into reopening a Kinross link?
On the latter point, officials are in discussions with Transform Scotland, which made the suggestion.
Community Transport (Structure and Operation)
The Scottish Government recognises the valuable service that the community transport sector provides and applauds the volunteers who give their time to help to provide those services, which are very much appreciated by their users.
Many elderly people who are eligible for a free bus pass rely heavily on community transport, whose merits the minister has just lauded. They regard community transport as an essential support, but they have to pay for the facility. Does the minister accept that that is both illogical and unfair? Does he agree that a much fairer system would be achieved by raising the age of eligibility to 65 in line with the pension age, extending the concessionary travel scheme to community transport, and thereby removing the current unfortunate discrimination?
Applying concessionary travel to the community transport sector throws up a number of issues. For example, the current campaign that Age Scotland is running asks for a 100 per cent reimbursement rate, whereas our current system delivers around 60 per cent reimbursement, and because of the nature of community transport, which involves taxis, mopeds and bicycles, it would be very difficult to get the infrastructure that is necessary to the concessionary scheme to audit that. There is also the cost, of course, which has been estimated at in excess of £11 million before implementation. If a completely free service is provided, it is, of course, likely that usage will go up. There are real issues to do with the sustainability of the scheme.
I previously wrote to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth about the plight of the Annandale Transport Initiative, whose fleet of buses desperately needs to be renewed. Are Government discussions with the Community Transport Association and the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations likely to result in the establishment of a fund to help groups such as the Annandale Transport Initiative to replace vehicles?
We are looking at that area and many people within the community transport sector would see that as a more pressing demand than the extension of concessionary travel that was mentioned.
On Annabel Goldie’s question, the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee has heard that around 60 per cent of community transport initiatives were created during the lifetime of the rural community transport initiative and the urban demand-response transport funding streams. Since those funding streams were rolled into the concordat with local authorities, only nine new groups have emerged.
To be honest, I think that that question would be best directed at councils. The principle of the concordat and the fact that we eliminated ring fencing almost completely from the grants that we give to local authorities were because we recognise that local authorities, as distinct from any other governmental body, have their own democratic mandate. It is up to them to take decisions on the issue.
Private Housing Sector (Support)
The Scottish Government is supporting activity in the private housing sector through a range of actions, including our low-cost initiative for first-time buyers—LIFT—shared equity schemes, the National Housing Trust initiative, the housebuilding infrastructure loan fund and our guarantee support for the MI new home mortgage indemnity scheme. In addition, we have announced £120 million of funding over two years to support a significant Scottish new build shared equity scheme, which is part of an overall commitment to invest an additional £290 million in loans and equity support for housing.
I assume that the Government is aware of the recent Bank of Scotland report on second steppers. What support can the Government offer to second steppers who wish to move on from their first property, potentially to start a family, but who face difficulties in selling their home due to a lack of offers and a reduction in equity caused by a reduction in house prices?
I am aware of the issues that the member raises and the Scottish Government is looking at ways of assisting second steppers more than we are at present. We hope that the new scheme that we are looking at will be able to assist second steppers. However, they are also assisted through the open market shared equity scheme—when someone buys and moves into a house for the first time, that allows someone else to move on and move up the housing ladder. We are assisting second steppers and that issue will also be considered as part of the £120 million scheme that we are currently working up.
Public Transport (Integrated Ticketing and Multimodal Use)
In October 2012, the Deputy First Minister launched the Scottish Government’s smart ticketing delivery strategy.
Integrated ticketing and easy access to multimodal use of public transport significantly increase the attractiveness of public transport while further contributing to a low-carbon economy. How are integrated ticketing and multimodal use of public transport being considered in current and future transport and urban infrastructure projects?
Smart and integrated ticketing will feature heavily in new transport projects, whether the Glasgow subway upgrade, the Edinburgh tram or the next iteration of the ScotRail franchise. In addition, the influential Scottish cities alliance has recognised the importance of smart ticketing to achieving the alliance’s plans to leverage the strengths of Scotland’s seven cities. The alliance is funding a smart ticketing work stream, led by Dundee City Council, which is intended to generate further smart initiatives that can be adopted by each of Scotland’s seven city regions.
One lesson that might be learned from many other European countries is the need for simplicity. In Glasgow, commuters are already expected to be able to choose between the Government’s saltire card and Strathclyde partnership for transport’s new bramble card, while the zone card and the First card will no doubt still continue. Is moving from a complex array of tickets to a complex array of smart cards the best that we can do? Is it not time to knock a few heads together and get a simple system that everyone knows they can use?
There is certainly something in what Patrick Harvie says. The reason for the current pilots is that we recognise that we have a number of different modes and quite a number of different operators, so we are not quite in the same situation as London where people have the simplicity of the oyster card—which, incidentally, is being looked at again, as the technology for these things tends to move on. Simplicity is very important and can be very easy to talk about, but it is also sometimes very hard to achieve. We need to learn what applications might be available for different modes with a multitude of operators, take the best learning from those and—I agree with Patrick Harvie on this point—then make the system as simple as possible for the user.
Living Wage (Public Sector Procurement)
The European Commission has confirmed that any requirement on contractors, as part of a procurement process or public contract, to pay their employees a living wage that is set higher than the United Kingdom’s national minimum wage is unlikely to be compatible with European Union law.
As the cabinet secretary has explained, the forthcoming procurement reform bill provides an opportunity to amend the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2012 to enable local authorities to promote payment of the living wage among organisations that are in receipt of public funding through local authority internal procurement processes. Can the cabinet secretary confirm that she has considered that proposal and that she will seek to include such an amendment within the delayed procurement reform bill?
As I said in my original answer, obviously the procurement reform bill must be compliant with our obligations under European law on this and any other issue. The European Commission has given its views on what it considers to be the applicability under European law of a requirement on contractors to pay the living wage, which I set out in my original answer.
Cities Strategy
Full details of progress so far are set out in the first annual report of the Scottish cities alliance. That report was brought to and discussed at the Scottish cities alliance leadership group in April and is now available to download from the alliance’s website for all members’ scrutiny.
The inclusion of Perth and Stirling in the agenda for cities was a welcome move for Mid Scotland and Fife, but how will the Scottish Government ensure that peripheral areas of city regions are not forgotten about, especially in Fife, for example, which usually benefits from coterminosity of public services yet is split between the strategic development plans for Dundee and Edinburgh?
Jayne Baxter raises an important point. I take the opportunity to reassure her and to stress the fact that the work of the cities alliance as well as the substance of the cities strategy recognise the importance not just of cities but of the wider regions within which they sit. I think that all cities are mindful of their obligations to include their wider regions in their plans for growth. That theme recurs in the discussions at the cities alliance and will continue to do so. I am a great believer that the success of our cities is important to the success of the country, but cities should not be seen in isolation. The member’s point is well made and I am happy to ensure that the issue continues to be a theme in the discussions at the cities alliance.
Question 7, in the name of Helen Eadie, has not been lodged, and I have to say that a rather poor explanation has been provided.
Edinburgh to Glasgow Improvement Programme
As I told Parliament during the rail debate on 30 May, our electrification programme is making good progress. The electrification of the Whifflet and Cumbernauld lines will be completed in time for the 2014 Commonwealth games. The electrification of the main Edinburgh to Glasgow line will be completed by December 2016, and will be followed by the electrification of the Stirling, Dunblane and Alloa lines by December 2018.
Does the minister agree that, after cutting one third of the budget last July, to describe the continuing Edinburgh to Glasgow improvement programme as being “on track” is a little misleading, particularly given the recent statement that passengers will not benefit from shorter journey times and longer trains until December 2018, which is a full two years after electrification? I press the minister to give assurances that he will make every effort to ensure that the programme catches up so that it can be delivered on time.
As I tried to draw out in my earlier answer, in important respects we are actually well ahead of schedule. We are some four years ahead of schedule for the Whifflet programme and we have said that we will complete the Cumbernauld line before the Commonwealth games.
Superfast Broadband (Shetland)
Highlands and Islands Enterprise and BT expect to announce this autumn the first locations that are to be upgraded through the Highlands and Islands next generation broadband project. That will follow completion by BT of the first phase of its detailed network planning. Further regular announcements will be made throughout the project. At this stage, therefore, it is too early to say where in Shetland the first locations will be.
I thank the Deputy First Minister for the honesty of that answer. Does she accept that, as I understand it, there are no plans to improve any of the seven exchange activate telephone exchanges in Shetland and that therefore the policy is the wrong way round? Surely, the aim should be to get broadband to areas that currently have no broadband, or little of it, rather than to enhance the provision in areas that already have it.
I think that is a slight mischaracterisation of the policy. I believe that the policy that we are pursuing is the right one; it is ambitious and it is about delivering infrastructure right across the country. It is too early at this stage to answer precisely Tavish Scott’s question about exchange activate broadband, but it is important to point out that for any exchanges that are not upgraded, there will be access to an innovation fund to assess technology options once the fibre backbone has been deployed and new innovative solutions are available to exploit the fibre, which has the potential to benefit very small exchanges in the longer term. I hope that that is reassuring to some extent, but I am happy to keep Tavish Scott and other members who have an interest in the issue updated with more details as the projects roll out over the next few months.
Culture and External Affairs
International Development Fund (Occupied Palestinian Territories)
The Scottish Government remains concerned about the situation between Israel and Palestine and supports all on-going international peace efforts in the region.
As part of the Council for European Palestinian Relations, I, along with my colleague John Finnie, visited Gaza as part of a parliamentary delegation just six days after the ceasefire last November.
I note the substantial amount of work that Claudia Beamish and Mr Finnie have done in relation to the situation in Gaza. I read Claudia Beamish’s report on her website when she arrived back from Gaza, which gave a very harrowing account of the pragmatic life that Gazans have to live.
Does the minister share my welcome for the work that the UK Government is doing through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, in seeking to build new schools in the Gaza strip to expand access to education for 24,000 pupils?
Yes I do. I also recognise the role that the UK Government, through the Department for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, has played in trying to create peace in an extraordinarily difficult situation. I believe that we could be doing more. I believe that the UK Government is doing as much as it possibly can. I recognise that diplomatic interventions can be difficult, but projects such as the one that Jamie McGrigor outlined are important and education is important.
Creative Scotland (Vision Statement)
I understand that Creative Scotland is producing a forward plan for the next three to five years to replace its initial corporate plan. All non-departmental public bodies are required to have such plans. I expect the plan to include actions to take forward the Scottish Government’s vision for culture and heritage, as set out in my recent Talbot Rice lecture and my forthcoming letter of guidance.
I thank the minister for her confirmation of a quotation that was in The Scotsman last week, in which she boldly said:
Ken Macintosh has quoted my answer to a question that was asked after my lecture, which has been very well received by the sector. I draw his attention to the statement that was made by the board of Creative Scotland on 7 December 2012, and the action plan that it published in March that addresses his concern. He might be aware that a considerable amount of work and consultation have been done during the past year, in which one of the issues has been continuity and certainty of resourcing. If he has kept abreast of developments during the past year, he will know that the board has already taken steps to change funding streams in order to give some certainty and continuity, which addresses his point. We are well on the way to making improvements.
Will the cabinet secretary clarify from her lecture of 5 June whether economic criteria will now play any role in arts spending for projects the length and breadth of Scotland?
In my lecture, I made it clear that I do not think that the culture and heritage sector has to make any new economic case for support and funding. We know the vital role that it plays in those areas and we are taking a commonsense approach in ensuring that we are ambitious for our cultural sector, which needs to have confidence in our approach. Implementation of the administration of the developments of Creative Scotland and its processes as they roll out will be addressed.
I regret to say that question 3, in the name of Patricia Ferguson, has been withdrawn today, for not entirely the best of reasons.
BBC Scotland (Budget Reductions)
The First Minister and I continue to have serious concerns regarding the impact of reductions in the BBC Scotland budget, and we have repeatedly made that clear to the BBC. Our concern is shared by parties across this Parliament as demonstrated by the unanimous report of the Education and Culture Committee on broadcasting published on 9 May 2013.
Is the Government satisfied that BBC Scotland is currently sufficiently staffed to gather news in rural areas around Dundee, the north-east, the Highlands and Islands, Dumfries and Selkirk? What, if any, assurance has the cabinet secretary or the First Minister received from BBC Scotland about the provision of regional radio news bulletins to such areas following the planned digital switchover?
On the first question, no, I am not satisfied. I also share the concerns expressed in the Education and Culture Committee report. Paragraph 37 says:
Is the cabinet secretary aware of the rumour that the latest victim of the cuts at BBC Scotland is the well-respected and experienced journalist Derek Bateman? What is the cabinet secretary’s view of BBC Scotland saying that it will provide full in-depth programming in the run-up to the 2014 referendum while at the same time getting rid of experienced and knowledgeable broadcast journalists from its staff?
It would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to intervene in the operational and editorial decisions of broadcasters, including the BBC, or in specific human resource decisions. I welcome the £5 million investment by the BBC in relation to the referendum. However, it would be unfortunate if the BBC lost expertise at the precise moment when the country and, indeed, the world need to hear our story.
Free-to-air Broadcasting (Major Events)
The Scottish Government has consistently argued that major events of national interest to Scotland must be made available live on free-to-air television.
I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer but, given her recent euphoric announcement that in the land of milk and honey all Scotland football matches would be on free-to-air television, has she considered the cost, contacted the national football authorities and UEFA, and sought legal advice regarding existing contracts and European Union directives? Or is this another case of ministers making assertions rather than seeking assurances?
Dear, oh dear—how sad. I thought that the fact that people in Scotland want to see their national team playing is something that we would want to support.
Arts Festivals (Regeneration Areas)
We are aware of the significant cultural, social and economic contribution that Scotland’s arts and culture festivals make to all our communities. That is why Creative Scotland’s creative place awards, for example, reward the hard work and imagination that contribute to the rich cultural life of a community, as well as its social and economic wellbeing.
Does the minister agree that arts events such as the coast festival, the launch of which I attended recently in Macduff, are vital in supporting community spirit and boosting the local economy by attracting visitors, both foreign and domestic?
I absolutely agree. We all know that the arts and culture make a vital contribution to social and economic wellbeing. On top of that, they are a great way in which people can come together, as the member said, and share creative experiences.
Given that the Leith festival benefits not just regeneration areas in Leith but the whole of Leith and Edinburgh and further afield, is it not time that the Leith festival received some funding from the national fund that is available for national festivals? Would the Leith festival at the beginning of June each year not be the ideal curtain-raiser for the great summer of festivals, which continues tonight with the launch of the film festival?
The member makes a good point about the wider contribution and impact that festivals can make. I am not entirely sure whether the Leith festival has applied for funding, but I am more than happy to sit down with the member to explore that.
European Commission (Meetings)
The Government has regular contact with the Commission and other member states concerning a range of issues in order to govern in the best interests of the people of Scotland.
The cabinet secretary will no doubt be aware of the multi-annual financial framework budget proposals that could see a huge cut to funding for broadband infrastructure across Europe. Could she indicate whether and how that might impact on the digital participation strategy in Scotland?
Obviously, the Scottish Government is disappointed by the cuts to the connecting Europe facility that arose from the negotiations on the multi-annual financial framework. The funding was cut from £9.2 billion to £1 billion. We think that that will make the fulfilment of our world-class 2020 digital connectivity ambitions more challenging, but we will persist in our digital participation agenda.
The cabinet secretary’s colleague, Humza Yousaf, who is sitting beside her, recently got into hot water in Qatar by patently misrepresenting the United Kingdom Government’s position on European Union membership. At any meeting with the European Commission, will the cabinet secretary undertake to ensure that that gaffe is not repeated and that, instead, attention is focused on obtaining answers to the many challenging and unresolved questions that are posed by her Government’s policy on independence?
When I travel internationally, one of the most challenging questions that I am asked involves people’s concerns about what the future will hold under the union and whether there will be a future for the UK as part of the EU. Those concerns have arisen not as a result of anything that this Government has said; they have arisen precisely as a result of the points that have been made by two senior UK Cabinet ministers.
Nordic Council (Meetings)
As the member will be aware, the Scottish Government is not a member of the Nordic Council and has therefore not attended any meetings of that interparliamentary body, nor of its intergovernmental equivalent, the Nordic Council of Ministers.
Socially, culturally and economically, Scotland has much to gain from greater involvement with the Nordic nations. Regular attendance as observers at the Nordic Council in the run-up to the independence referendum will allow Scotland to build closer ties with Norden and will allow for greater co-operation after independence. Does the cabinet secretary have any plans to arrange a visit by either ministers or officials to the Nordic Council in the near future?
The Scottish Government has regular contact with the Nordic countries on a number of policies of common interest, including regional development, through the northern periphery and North Sea programmes, and knowledge exchange, through the Nordic horizons group, which the Scottish Government supports and funds. Those are examples of the improving engagement strategy between Scotland and the five Nordic countries, which will also be extended to include the three Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
First World War Commemoration (Conscientious Objectors and Peace Groups)
The Scottish Government thinks that the commemoration programme should allow for a spirit of open inquiry, as we seek to remember and understand the broad impact that the first world war had on all parts of Scotland and beyond.
I am reassured by the cabinet secretary’s reply. I have noted with concern the use of the word “celebration” by some people in Westminster to describe the events that will mark the centenary of the commencement of four years of awful, indiscriminate slaughter in the fields of France and Flanders. Does the cabinet secretary agree that sombre remembrance of the lives that were lost in world war one is not a celebration and that we must not glorify that or any conflict?
The Scottish Government has made it clear that in our programme we want to ensure that commemoration is key. We must remember, we must learn, and we should never, ever, forget the tragedy of war.