Conviction Rate
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to reports that, in the last year, the conviction rate in criminal cases has fallen by 7 per cent. (S4O-02737)
There has not been a 7 per cent fall in the conviction rate in criminal cases. The conviction rate, which is the proportion of court proceedings that resulted in the main charge being proven, was 87 per cent in 2012-13. That is the same as in 2011-12. There was a 7 per cent fall in the total number of persons with a charge proven between 2011-12 and 2012-13. That reflects the fall in the volume of court business, as recorded crime is at a 39-year low.
It is instructive that with corroboration the conviction rate for sexual offences rose. With the best of intentions, the Scottish Government wants to abolish corroboration, but the only certainties consequent upon that will be more prosecutions and more miscarriages of justice. There is certainly no certainty of more convictions. Given the controversy that that proposal has generated, will the cabinet secretary please consider, for the sake of all interested parties, removing the proposal from the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill and referring it for an external group to consider and advise on?
The conviction rate for rape and sexual offences has risen because of increased reporting, which is down to a variety of factors: an increase in awareness among and actions taken by police and prosecutors, with dedicated squads; an increase in people’s willingness to report such crimes, because of the support, sympathy and treatment given to them not only by law enforcement agencies but by other agencies such as Victim Support Scotland, Rape Crisis Scotland and Scottish Women’s Aid; and factors such as the media and the raising of awareness of historical abuse. For those reasons, people to their great credit have shown great courage and stepped forward. The increase in the number of people reporting has resulted in an increase in convictions. However, we still face significant challenges in ensuring that things are improved.
The matter of corroboration is with the Justice Committee, to which I will give evidence next year. Yesterday I spoke with the Faculty of Advocates and today I spoke with the Law Society of Scotland. I stand by the Lord Justice Clerk’s position: this is an archaic rule. It does not serve the victims of rape and sexual offences or domestic abuse. We have to provide access to justice for those who have incapacities, whether they are aged or young. The proposed change to corroboration is not about increasing the conviction rate; that is for the judiciary and juries. It is about allowing access to justice, because at the moment far too many people are denied even that.
Does the cabinet secretary agree that, although the decrease in the number of convictions for violent crimes, excluding homicide, is no cause for complacency, it is a welcome step towards a safer society?
We should not be complacent, but the fall in violent crimes, excluding homicide, is welcome and reflects the 21 per cent fall in the number of violent crimes recorded by the police between 2011-12 and 2012-13. We also must remember that the homicide rate fell by 32 per cent and is at its lowest level since records began in 1976. However, any crime of violence—any murder—is one too many. We must continue to be ever vigilant, in terms of supporting law enforcement, making legislative changes where necessary, supporting the position of victims and witnesses and changing cultural matters—in particular, the abuse of alcohol at this time of year.
Question 2 is in the name of Anne McTaggart, who I note is not in the chamber to ask it. I expect an explanation by the end of the day.
"Scotland’s Future: Your Guide to an Independent Scotland" (Promotion Costs)
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the costs of promoting the white paper on independence. (S4O-02739)
As I indicated in my statement on 26 November, the total cost of the public information campaign to support the launch of “Scotland’s Future: Your Guide to an Independent Scotland” will be around £450,000.
That is about the cost of a trip to the golf.
We understand that the Scottish Government took £800,000 from the Scottish Water budget to assist with the costs of promoting the white paper and spent about £12,500 on the launch event at the Glasgow science centre. We know that ministers will be embarking on a roadshow next year to sell the white paper. Will the Deputy First Minister confirm whether the costs of the roadshow will be met with the money taken from Scottish Water, whether they are included in the £450,000 or whether they will be met from any other budget held by the Scottish Government?
As I said in my statement, the cost of the public information campaign is around £450,000. I also said in my statement—and I repeat—that I will keep the Parliament updated on the final, total cost associated with the white paper.
One of the key constraints in providing information to the Parliament at this stage is that we are still getting very high demand for copies of the white paper. Given the demands that the Opposition has made over the months for more information about what a yes vote in the referendum means, I would have thought that Opposition members would welcome the fact that so many people are keen to access and read the white paper. If Drew Smith does not already have his own copy of the white paper, I would be delighted to provide him with it. He is welcome to come to any of the roadshow events to educate himself about the benefits of independence.
I will, as is the obligation that is placed on me, ensure that the Parliament is kept appropriately updated about the costs of the white paper.
Energy Market Reform
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on how the United Kingdom Government’s proposed energy market reforms will impact on the Scottish economy. (S4O-02740)
The UK Government has not yet acknowledged the need for different levels of support across the three main island groups—Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles—a need that was identified by the research that was initiated by both Governments. The single proposed strike price of £115 per megawatt hour falls short of the level required for some projects, especially in the Western Isles.
What impact will energy market reform have on the security of supply?
I share the serious concerns that the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets and National Grid have already expressed about security of supply and the risk of blackouts over the coming years, especially in England. Electricity margins—that is, the excess of aggregate supply over peak demand—could drop to as little as 2 per cent as early as 2015-16. That is a very slim margin indeed. The Scottish Government is clear that it wants to use the surplus electricity generated from renewable sources, which is now at record levels in Scotland—40 per cent in 2012—not only to supply homes in Scotland but to keep the lights on for our good friends in England.
Emergency Services (Social Media)
To ask the Scottish Government how it encourages the emergency services to use social media as a means of communicating with the public. (S4O-02741)
The Scottish Government encourages public bodies to use social media—blogs, Twitter, Facebook and other channels. By that approach, we have demonstrated that social media are a powerful tool to communicate and engage with the public. The Scottish Government has developed policies for responsible use of social media and has made those available on its public-facing website for all, including public sector bodies, to use.
The cabinet secretary will be aware of the huge potential to keep the public informed and up to date with news and events, particularly on major incidents, often much more quickly than the traditional media can achieve. The recent events at the Clutha bar showed how Police Scotland, for example, can get information out to people relatively quickly and accurately. During the floods in Australia in 2010, the Queensland Police Service Facebook page jumped from 17,000 to 100,000 hits in just 24 hours, which shows the power that social media can achieve. Will he do everything that he can to promote further the use of social media in our public bodies in Scotland as a means of communicating directly and accurately with the people?
Mr Coffey makes a number of important points about the availability of information to members of the public, particularly during critical incidents. His reference to the helicopter crash at the Clutha bar was an illustrative example of how Police Scotland uses social media to inform members of the public and encourage their support and co-operation, which has been a subject of significant note in the chamber. I assure Mr Coffey that the Government is intent on using all such channels of communication to assist with the proactive sharing of information to ensure that members of the public can, for example, plan journeys. The traffic Scotland Twitter feed is a very helpful source of information on incidents on the transport network. Significant followings are emerging for the emergency services, which can assist in informing members of the public about relevant and important issues.
Social Care
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that Scotland’s social care system is world leading. (S4O-02742)
The Scottish Government is very proud of the high-quality social care that we have in Scotland and of the dedicated and skilled staff who work hard to support our most vulnerable children, adults and families who are dealing with challenging situations in their lives. The staff who deliver a huge variety of support and services are employed by a range of different organisations in the statutory, voluntary and independent sectors across Scotland. All those providers undertake a range of activities to ensure that services are of high quality and that they deliver good outcomes for users of services, such as improving life chances and enabling people to live longer, healthier and independent lives.
The white paper states that an independent Scotland will continue to provide high-quality, “world-leading” social care. In relation to adult social care, does the cabinet secretary really believe that statement? Does he believe that a system that exists on the basis of low pay, poor working conditions, limited training and care visits that in some cases—according to Age Scotland—are now as short as seven minutes is world leading? If he does, he is simply not living in the real world.
I see that Mr Findlay is full of his usual Christmas cheer. I can tell him that I have commissioned Healthcare Improvement Scotland and the Care Inspectorate to develop a new model of strategic inspections for adult services across Scotland that takes into consideration, among other things, some of the issues that he mentioned. In particular, I have asked them to look at the commissioning of visits of 15 minutes or less to get to the bottom of why such issues are arising in certain areas—not least those that are controlled by the Labour Party.
Young Disabled Adults (Respite Services)
To ask the Scottish Government what measures there are for young disabled adults to access bespoke respite services. (S4O-02743)
We are funding the better breaks programme to provide responsive and creative short breaks for disabled children and young people up to the age of 20 who have multiple support needs. If projects include some young adults over the age of 20, they can be considered for funding. We are also funding the take a break programme, which provides grants directly to families with disabled children and young people up to the age of 20. We are considering whether, next year, better breaks and take a break should be available to young disabled adults as well as to children and young people and their carers. A decision will be made in time for next year’s programmes.
I am aware of the issue of the provision of suitable bespoke respite services for young adults, particularly in view of the age limit for Children’s Hospice Association Scotland services. My officials will consider options and will report to me with recommendations early in the new year.
I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer, but has he considered Robert Watson’s public petition, which highlights the gap in the provision of respite care for young disabled adults? Will he encourage health boards and local authorities to do what is necessary to provide the bespoke respite services that are required, whether that means pooling budgets or adopting a funding model similar to the one that is used to fund children’s hospices in Scotland?
My officials will work in the new year with a view to taking the issue forward. We will consider the views that are expressed in Robert Watson’s petition and the model that CHAS has suggested.
As commissioners of care, local authorities and national health service boards have a statutory responsibility to determine the requirements of local services and to provide or commission services. Each local authority and health board will decide on its own priorities and how best to address the need for respite.
As it is Christmas, will the minister commission research to establish the number of young adults who need bespoke respite services so that the policy responses that he mentioned are evidence based?
I am always willing to listen to the good fairy godmother, Jackie Baillie. She makes a very good suggestion—one that we have already implemented. We are already trying to quantify the demand for such services among this group but, in the spirit of Christmas, I am prepared to give Jackie Baillie the credit for her press release, which no doubt will be hitting the streets as we speak.
As if.
Proposed Higgs Centre for Innovation
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide support for the proposed centre for innovation that is to be based in Edinburgh and named after the Nobel laureate, Professor Peter Higgs. (S4O-02744)
We welcome the recognition that Professor Higgs is now receiving as a result of his deserved Nobel award and the inspiration that that is providing to the next generation of physicists.
The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the Higgs legacy and I am delighted to announce that, via the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council, we are further supporting that legacy through a £2 million contribution to the proposed Higgs centre for ideas and an additional £2 million to support postgraduate study in physics or mathematics.
Those are welcome announcements in recognition of Professor Higgs’s marvellous achievement, but they are leveraged, of course, by the funding of £11 million through the Science and Technology Facilities Council, which allows for the centre for innovation to be set up. Will the cabinet secretary not agree with me that it is that combination of devolved and reserved funding and effort that makes us strongest—something that it would be foolish to jeopardise by removing Scotland from the United Kingdom? [Applause.]
It is quite significant that there was no applause from members on the Labour benches for the announcement of £4 million for the Higgs centre but there was applause for Iain Gray’s unfortunately partisan welcome of that £4 million. That says it all about the position of the Labour Party. It will not welcome investment in excellence in Scottish education; it will only welcome its own spokesperson, who wants to run it down.
For the avoidance of doubt, I will say that research has no boundaries. That is what it says in the white paper. Research has no boundaries between Scotland and England and it has no international boundaries. Research excellence in Scotland has no boundaries—the work that Peter Higgs did had no boundaries. That is the way we should go forward with research, rather than taking the narrow, partisan view that we have just heard from Iain Gray.
Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013 (Support for Carers)
To ask the Scottish Government how the Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013 supports carers. (S4O-02745)
The Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act, which will come into force on 1 April 2014, provides a power for local authorities to support carers. At the discretion of local authorities, carers can be offered a choice of one of the four options for self-directed support as set out in the statute. Regulations about the waiving of charges for support to carers under the act and the accompanying guidance will come into force next April.
We know that the festive period can be stressful for most people and additionally stressful for carers. What steps has the cabinet secretary taken to provide additional respite and to improve access to respite for paid and unpaid carers at this time of year?
The member will be aware of the whole range of actions that we have taken to support carers in Scotland, including in the self-directed support act, where we have made clear what the policy is in relation to charging carers for services that they receive in their role as carers—in other words, such charges do not need to be made. As the member will also be aware, we have already announced our intention to introduce to Parliament—over the next 18 months or so—a carers bill, which will further enhance the rights of carers in Scotland.
Commonwealth Games (Benefits for West Scotland)
To ask the Scottish Government what benefits the Commonwealth games will bring to West Scotland. (S4O-02746)
The BIG 2014 communities programme has awarded almost £650,000 to about 430 community programmes; 55 businesses have won games-related contracts; and four projects have been awarded £223,000 through the active places fund, complementing the 26 community sport hubs that are already in place. That is a small sample of the work that is going on. I encourage Mr Paterson and other members to visit the legacy 2014 website, where they can get more details on what is happening in their areas.
There has been some chatter in the press—in one paper, in fact—about legacy. Can the minister provide details on how the Government plans to measure the legacy of the Commonwealth games?
Our assessing legacy 2014 website tracks the games legacy outcome indicators and reports every six months on progress against the 48 legacy programmes. The progress as at the end of September will be published on the assessing legacy 2014 website later today.