Energy Sector (Employment)
Through Skills Development Scotland, the Scottish Government is refreshing the “Skills Investment Plan for the Energy Sector”, which was first published in March 2011, to better understand the skills needs of employers and target its skills activity accordingly.
Following the publication of the first energy skills investment plan, we introduced the energy skills challenge fund to support those people with relevant transferable skills and experience to secure employment in the energy sector.
Will the minister join me in welcoming the fantastic work that Energy Skills Scotland and its director, Mike Duncan, are doing to address the skills gap that exists in the energy sector? Will he particularly welcome the fact that ESS is based in Aberdeen, the powerhouse of Scotland?
Yes, I welcome ESS’s work. It has a very substantial operation in Aberdeen, where it is based, but also operates throughout Scotland.
By sheer coincidence, I was at Forth Valley College just half an hour ago opening its excellent new engineering facility, which has been praised by oil and gas companies. That facility means that the college, together with the other colleges and universities in the energy skills academy, is providing world-class quality training for young people to enter an industry that will provide them with lifelong and excellent career opportunities in oil and gas because, of course, our oil and gas is not running out.
Does that new engineering facility provide an excellent opportunity to get more women into the energy sector?
Yes. I think that it was Princess Anne who, when last in Aberdeen, asked the oil and gas industry why it was neglecting one half of the population. Misperceptions exist and we need to dispel those false perceptions because 90 per cent of the jobs in the oil and gas sector are not offshore. Just this morning, I met one young female who had undertaken an energy course specifically for girls in Banff and Buchan College. I commend that example to others. I very much hope that we will see more females being encouraged into the profession. I am aware that Dennis Robertson is championing that excellent cause.
Literacy and Numeracy Targets (Fife Schools)
We are committed to improving literacy and numeracy levels across the whole of Scotland. The most recent Scottish survey of literacy and numeracy showed a strong performance in literacy in primary and secondary with over 90 per cent of all pupils performing at or above expected levels for reading and writing.
It is concerning that, in 2011-12, 5.5 per cent of high school leavers left with no passes at Scottish credit and qualifications framework level 3 or better. In years gone by, we have seen many people leave the education system without qualifications and basic skills. It is equally concerning that, since 2007-08, part-time courses in Fife have fallen by 68 per cent. Does the minister agree that we need to look at adults’ requirements to retrain, reskill and brush up on skills and that we should invest in colleges in order to do that?
Literacy and numeracy are important skills not only for adult learning but for lifelong learning. The member’s question gives me the opportunity to mention that, only a couple of hours ago, I was in St Bride’s primary school in Cowdenbeath; one of the very reasons that the school can show great improvement in its curriculum performance is the emphasis that it has put on literacy and numeracy.
The Government is involved in the provision of four literacy hubs throughout Scotland, one of which has a strong base in Fife. I take very seriously the point that core skills around literacy and numeracy are vital for people throughout their lives and working careers.
NHS Fife (Meetings)
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met NHS Fife and what issues were discussed. (S4O-03039)
Ministers and Government officials regularly meet representatives of NHS Fife to discuss matters of importance to local people.
Sadly, this is not the first time that I have raised concerns about Victoria hospital in Kirkcaldy. The inspection report from Healthcare Improvement Scotland last week said that improvements must be made to care for older people
“as a matter of priority”.
I know that the minister will highlight the improvements in accident and emergency waiting times in Fife. Although those are welcomed, constituents constantly come to me with concerns about elderly patient care. This week, a nurse reported to The Courier that
“Staff are under so much pressure it doesn’t take much for the system to get pushed to breaking point.”
Does the minister recognise those reports, which are backed up by staff surveys from the Royal College of Nursing Scotland? What steps will the Scottish Government take to ensure that those concerns are urgently addressed?
The member will be aware that Healthcare Improvement Scotland conducted a second follow-up inspection in December last year to look at the progress that the board was making. It identified a number of areas in which progress was being made, as well as areas in which it thought that further progress could be made. The board has assured us that it has a robust action plan in place to ensure that it builds on the progress that it has made to date.
I am aware of the issue that the member raises in relation to concerns that staff have raised. It is extremely important that staff feel that they can express their views if they have concerns about the way in which services are delivered in a particular health board area. I encourage the staff concerned to raise those issues through the appropriate channels in their health board or through the national confidential phone line, through which they can raise concerns that will then be investigated. I expect NHS Fife to investigate any concerns that have been raised by family members, patients or staff and to take appropriate action to address any failings that have been identified.
The minister will be aware of NHS Fife’s recent record on waiting times for diagnostic tests. What steps can the Scottish Government take to help NHS Fife?
It is extremely important to ensure that our health boards, including NHS Fife, have the right balance of services in primary care provision and acute care provision and that they have good diagnostic services in place so that the patient pathway is as smooth as possible.
We have increased the level of funding to NHS Fife in the forthcoming financial year in order to allow it to continue to invest in local services. Alongside that, we have provided additional funding to get it closer to NHS Scotland resource allocation committee parity. We expect NHS Fife to use those resources to ensure that it continues to build on the improvements that it has achieved in recent years.
School Rolls (Optimum Size)
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the maximum desirable school roll size. (S4O-03040)
It is for individual education authorities to determine optimum school rolls, based on local circumstances, to best suit the educational needs of children within that area.
The minister may be aware that North Lanarkshire Council is in consultation regarding a proposed merger of Taylor high school in New Stevenston and Our Lady’s high school in Motherwell. The new school will also incorporate the students of Bothwellpark special needs school, and the planned capacity is 2,150. Does the minister share concerns that parents and carers have raised with me that, in a school of such unprecedented size, the individual needs of pupils may be difficult to identify and prioritise?
The member has put her own views on the record, but I hope that she will understand why I cannot comment on the matter. That is for the simple reason that, if the council decides to implement any closures, ministers may subsequently have to consider any question as to whether to call in. Therefore, I hope that the member will understand why I do not wish to prejudice that process by commenting any further.
Ministerial Engagements
To ask the Scottish Government whether ministerial engagements regularly coincide with yes campaign events. (S4O-03041)
Ministers attend yes campaign events in a personal capacity. I am sure that Tavish Scott is well aware that the Scottish Government’s events on Scotland’s future are published on the Scottish Government website. All ministerial engagements comply with the Scottish ministerial code and the published guidance on good practice in the run-up to the referendum.
I am grateful to the Deputy First Minister for that illuminating answer. Can she confirm that transport to and from such events follows the code of practice and is therefore paid for by the Scottish National Party and not by the taxpayer?
I refer Tavish Scott specifically to the ministerial code. It is a document that is publicly available, but I am happy to deliver a copy to him personally later on if he so desires. The ministerial code specifically provides for the fact that ministers may undertake a combination of official and political engagements during the same visit, and the rules are also clear about ensuring that public resources are not used to support political activities. We are following those rules scrupulously to ensure a proper separation, and we shall continue to do so.
Is the Scottish Government holding a Scotland’s future meeting on Arran on 30 March and, if so, how much has been spent on similar meetings across Scotland to date?
We are holding a series of Scotland’s future events across the country. I believe that the member is correct to say that we are holding such an event on Arran on the date that she mentioned. I did one in East Kilbride on Monday and it was incredibly successful. As a Government, we seek to engage directly with the people of Scotland on the biggest decision and the best opportunity that Scotland has had in 300 years. I would have thought that all politicians would want to do that, but perhaps it is because we engage so directly with the public that we are sitting on the Government benches and that the others are sitting on the Opposition benches.
Marine Protected Areas
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will focus more on enhancing rather than protecting certain characteristics in marine protected areas. (S4O-03042)
As the member will be aware, we recently consulted on a potential network of marine protected areas for Scotland and we are considering the 14,703 responses. The number of responses clearly demonstrates the interest in the issue and it is therefore vital that a proper analysis of the responses is undertaken before decisions on the network are taken. However, I am aware that a well-managed MPA network can play a vital role in the conservation of both biodiversity and geodiversity, providing long-term support to the ecosystem and the services that operate in our seas.
I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. It is indeed encouraging that so many people have written to the Scottish Government, showing the importance of marine biodiversity. Although the designation of MPAs is certainly to be welcomed, concerns remain about what I regard as the lack of ambition relating to the recovery characteristics. I believe that only two features, flame shell and maerl, have a conservation objective identified as recovery. Why has that objective not been extended to more features in the MPAs, given that recovery is highlighted in the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010?
The circumstances of each proposed MPA will be dictated by the science that underpins the designation. Where there is sufficient evidence to put such an objective in place, we propose that some MPAs have features with a “recover” objective, and we hope that some MPAs will recover through nature, rather than through specific interventions. We have not set that in stone, because we listen to the representations that are made to us about those issues, and once we have published the final designations and management plans, the number of “recover” objectives that Claudia Beamish has referred to may change.
Does the minister share my concern that the implementation of marine protected areas, although it is an important move to protect Scotland’s marine treasures, might affect the livelihoods of our fishermen and cause fisheries displacement? Furthermore, can he clarify what support the Scottish Government would give to fishers affected by such consequences?
In the majority of MPA designations, there will simply be a designation, so that we are aware of the marine feature. Other MPAs will have management plans attached to them, where that is required, and in some cases that may have some impact on fishing activity, but I do not expect there to be a huge number of such MPAs. We are in detailed discussions with the fishing industry, as we have been throughout the process, and those conversations continue. We will take a proportionate approach to the MPAs and listen to the concerns of the fishing industry.
Co-operative Group (Agricultural Assets)
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Co-operative Group regarding the potential sale of agricultural assets. (S4O-03043)
The Co-operative Group is developing its ideas on how it intends to proceed with the sale of its farming business. I discussed the company’s plans with its director of farm business and operations when the company’s announcement was made last month. Since then, my officials have maintained a dialogue with the company in order to understand the impact on employees and the potential scope for maximising the economic and community benefits of the sale.
As the cabinet secretary knows, the Co-op is to sell all three of its farms and its two packing houses in Scotland. Most of the land that we have in community ownership is in north-west Scotland. Does he agree that the sale provides a great opportunity to add prime agricultural land to and diversify community landholdings?
The co-operative and community sector needs at least six months to put a bid together, because it wants to retain the commitment to sustainable farming and co-operative business models and to create a new centre to support Scottish farming. Will the cabinet secretary do all that he can to work with the Co-operative Group to slow the sale process and will he work with others who want to develop such a bid?
In my conversation with the Co-operative Group’s director of farm business, I asked questions about the subject that Alison Johnstone raises, because I am aware of the potential interest, which she has verified. He explained that the plan is to sell the whole farm business as a going concern and that detaching any part would have a negative impact on the value of the business.
However, as I said, my officials are in regular contact with the Co-operative Group. I have a great deal of sympathy for the aims and objectives of people who believe that we should diversify the ownership of prime agricultural land and I will certainly convey to the Co-operative Group the points that those who are involved in the campaign are making.
The cabinet secretary may be aware that Monktonhill farm, which is at Troon in my constituency, may be a part of the Co-op’s assets. Part of the land there, which the Co-op owns, has so far been unavailable to Transport Scotland, which has with the help of Stagecoach, South Ayrshire Council and others been seeking to create a park-and-ride facility at Monkton with a view to delivering hard-shoulder running for Stagecoach buses on the A77 into Glasgow. Will the cabinet secretary and the Scottish Government please support that project again, through Transport Scotland, if and when the land becomes available?
As the farming minister, I am not quite aware of the detail of the sale’s transport implications in the member’s constituency. However, if there is a case for building such issues into the conversations that I am having with the Co-operative Group, I will be happy to do that when I have more details. Perhaps the member can send me some information.
Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in reviewing the operation of the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012. (S4O-03044)
Section 11 of the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012 requires the Scottish ministers to report to Parliament on the act’s operation over two full football seasons. The Government has commissioned an independent evaluation of the operation of section 1, which is on offensive behaviour at regulated football matches, by the University of Stirling in conjunction with ScotCen Social Research. That work is on-going.
The act requires the Government to report to Parliament no later than 1 August 2015 and we will do so. The work that I described and the evaluation that we are commissioning of section 6, which is on threatening communications, will ensure that our report to Parliament is based on a comprehensive, quality-assured and evidence-based evaluation of the first two full seasons in which the act has operated.
I understand that the University of Stirling researchers who are carrying out the independent evaluation of the 2012 act have already submitted their evidence to the Scottish Government in the form of interim reports. Will the minister say whether the required report will be presented to Parliament earlier than August 2015 or, better still, whether she will commit to repealing the act, as Scottish Labour has done today?
I do not profess to be an expert on football, but even I know that this year’s football season will not be over until the end of May. That means that the research is still on-going; it will cover the second full football season of the act’s operation. The legislation provided for that approach, which is precisely what we are doing.
I have read this morning’s Daily Record and I give Siobhan McMahon my sympathies—Scottish Labour’s deputy leader has obviously stolen her thunder.