General Questions
Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route
It is likely that the actions of the objectors will cause significant delay to the construction of the Aberdeen western peripheral route. However, until we consider the terms of each challenge it is difficult to be precise about the impact on the project timetable.
Is the minister aware that much of Road Sense’s case appears already to have been taken by the Aberdeen Greenbelt Alliance to the Bern convention secretariat and comprehensively dismissed? Does the minister agree that, in view of the substantial costs that are associated with any delay to the project, the objectors should bear the costs of any further appeal?
It is worth making the point that we have yet to be served with the court papers that are associated with the appeal, so we have not yet had the opportunity to examine in any detail the basis of it. We are aware of the Bern convention activity but, of course, in view of the legal issues that surround the matter, I am somewhat constrained in what I can say.
Notwithstanding the legal action, will the minister tell us when he expects to invite companies to tender for contracts for constructing the route and when he will be able to tell us in more detail what funds the Scottish Government and the two local authorities will allocate to the project?
Richard Baker will be aware that the two local authorities have committed to providing 9.5 per cent of the funding each, thus leaving the Scottish Government to provide 81 per cent of the funding for the AWPR and 100 per cent of the funding for the fastlink route. We have stated on our website for some considerable time, and I indicated on 10 June last year in answer to question S3W-24477 from Nicol Stephen, that we are considering a non-profit-distributing trust as the funding vehicle.
United Kingdom Government (Taxation)
I have had an initial discussion with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to seek clarification on a number of the UK Government’s financial proposals that are of immediate importance to the Scottish Government and Scottish taxpayers. We await further details of the UK Government’s tax plans, which will be provided in next month’s emergency budget.
I know that the cabinet secretary agrees that the council tax is a discredited tax based on property valuations that are frozen at 1991 levels. He will also know that the new Government in London has agreed to review local government finance for England and Wales. The majority in this Parliament favours replacing the council tax with a more progressive form of taxation, so will the cabinet secretary seek assurances from the UK Government that its respect agenda will end Labour’s threat to withhold £400 million that is paid out to Scotland through the present council tax benefit system?
Council tax benefit is clearly a material consideration in relation to any reform of local government taxation within Scotland. We would certainly pursue with the United Kingdom Government, with determination, the importance of ensuring that the sum of money that is generated through council tax benefit was part of any reform of local taxation in Scotland. I assure Mr Coffey of the Government’s determination to do that.
Does the cabinet secretary agree that the most likely tax change that the old Etonians who currently run the coalition Government will introduce is an increase in value added tax? Will he join me in campaigning against one of the most regressive forms of taxation?
I am not sure that all the UK ministers are old Etonians, although a number of them certainly are. I say with confidence that there are no old Etonians on the Government front bench here, unless Mr Stevenson is concealing a dark secret.
I should perhaps declare that I went to a comprehensive school in Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Mr Purvis will appreciate that, when those changes to the tax system are introduced, they will be accompanied by compensating measures that will produce compensating revenues. For completeness, I would need to put all those changes through the input-output model. Once we see the UK Government’s financial proposals, I certainly intend, as I have done previously, to run those through so that we can consider their impact on the Scottish tax base. If we do that, I will of course make the details available through the Scottish Parliament information centre.
Without wishing to draw undue attention to the school that the next questioner attended, I advise that question 3 is from Jamie McGrigor.
Roads (Argyll and Bute)
Yes, I too attended that school.
Members may wish to know that I went to Bell Baxter high school, which was the local school in Cupar.
Despite that, the headline in today’s edition of The Oban Times & West Highland Times states “Argyll and Bute has the worst roads in Scotland”. The annual road conditions survey shows Argyll and Bute Council as 32nd out of the 32 councils and suggests that councils’ road budgets would need to rise by £45 million just to keep the roads in their present condition. Argyll and Bute Council’s transport spokesman, Councillor Duncan MacIntyre, said:
A question, please.
Presiding Officer, my question is this. Will the Scottish Government accept that Argyll and Bute is a special case and do something about it?
Argyll and Bute is a very special place. Indeed, it is the only place in Scotland where, in 1956, I suffered sunstroke.
Volcanic Activity (Economic Impact)
The Scottish Government is continuing to liaise with the Met Office, the United Kingdom Government and other relevant organisations to assess the changing risk pattern and to ensure that colleagues and stakeholders are advised appropriately. Communication with agencies such as Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise and with external business organisations is promoting the need for business continuity measures, including alternatives to air transport for supply-chain materials, product distribution and business travel. In addition, VisitScotland and EventScotland are providing advice and support to the tourism industry to minimise the potential impact on this sector in the event of continued disruption.
I thank the cabinet secretary for all the hard work that is going on to minimise disruption.
Primarily, such matters should be raised by members of the public directly with the service provider with which their booking was made, because it is in the nature of that relationship that compensation should be arranged. Many aspects of that relationship are regulated by the European Union, thanks to which, in a number of cases, an initial unwillingness to pay compensation has subsequently been reversed. In the first instance, any constituents who have been affected by flight cancellations should raise the matter directly with the tour operator or travel provider. However, if there is a systemic problem that is affecting individuals, I will of course be happy to make representations to the United Kingdom Government, which carries the regulatory responsibility in this area of policy.
The cabinet secretary will be aware of the risk to airports and airlines because of the volcanic activity. I am particularly concerned about the future of airline operations in such an environment. Has he had any discussions with those involved about the economic impact on airlines and on regional airports such as Prestwick as a result of the crisis?
We are in regular dialogue with the airports around Scotland and with particular airline operators. We have not been in touch with every airline operator, but we have spoken to a number of them about those issues. Clearly, a number of airlines are suffering significant disruption to their schedules and their economics as a consequence of what is being experienced. That is why we have been pressing for a much more flexible approach to the issue of flight-zone closures. In the course of the past six weeks or so in which the problem has occurred, the Civil Aviation Authority has made two material changes to the advice that it issues, which has reduced the amount of disruption to travel patterns. We have been involved in those discussions with the CAA. Indeed, the CAA was involved in the most recent conference call in which the Scottish Government participated, which took place yesterday. I assure Mr Scott that we will continue that dialogue.
Midwives (Employment)
The one-year job guarantee scheme has been successful in helping a number of newly qualified midwives to find jobs since it was introduced in 2002. So far in 2010, 36 midwives have applied to the scheme for support in finding a position. Details of the exact number of midwives who found positions through the scheme is not available, as newly qualified midwives often secure a post through their own means after they have registered with the scheme.
From my previous questions and correspondence the cabinet secretary will know about my concerns about health boards that have not activated the one-year guarantee scheme. As a result, increasing numbers of newly qualified midwives are seeking positions outwith Scotland. That raises concerns about the balance of the workforce in future years. With last week’s news that more than 600 nursing staff are now facing redundancy, can she assure my constituents that the actions by the health board will have no impact on the short-term or long-term future of the community midwife unit at Inverclyde royal hospital?
I am sure that Duncan McNeil would not want to mislead the chamber or anyone who works so hard in our national health service, so I say to him that no nurse and no person working in the NHS faces losing their job. Nobody faces redundancy, because the NHS has a policy of no compulsory redundancies. I hope that he will appreciate that.
Adult Obesity
The Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities recently published “Preventing Overweight and Obesity in Scotland: A Route Map Towards Healthy Weight”. In addition, NHS Quality Improvement Scotland published the Scottish intercollegiate guidelines network guideline 115, on the management of obesity, back in February.
Does the Government have any plans to establish parenting courses on healthy eating? If effective, such courses would benefit the individual and their families and reduce the enormous cost to the health service of obesity.
We are already supporting a number of initiatives through community food and health Scotland, from cooking classes to facilitated sessions on Scotland’s first cooking bus. We also provide support for families through our website, www.takelifeon.co.uk, which has recently been relaunched and includes specific information that can be very useful for parents.
Will the minister comment on the failure of my proposed limit on trans fat (Scotland) bill, in the light of the support for the measure from Alyn Smith, the Scottish National Party MEP and the recent research that shows that it would save 700 lives in Scotland and prevent around 1,100 heart attacks annually?
The industry has already made progress on trans fats. Our focus has been to reduce the level of saturated fat, which is of course the major health problem in Scotland. I say to Richard Simpson that I am afraid that his failure to gain cross-party support for his proposed bill cannot be laid at the door of anyone other than perhaps himself.
Question 7 was not lodged.
A9 (Berriedale)
A review of improvement options for that section of the A9 is being carried out by Scotland TranServ, the trunk road operating company. That review and an analysis of accident figures at the location does not support the introduction of any mitigation measures. Transport Scotland will, however, continue to monitor and evaluate the road safety performance of the A9 at Berriedale braes.
There was an accident at the hairpin bend that involved a coachful of children from Orkney; the coach very nearly penetrated the safety barrier. The minister will have seen the images, so he will know that they are the stuff of nightmares. Will the minister instruct his officials to look at the problem as a matter of absolute priority and will he agree to accompany me to see the truly terribly problem for himself?
Like Jamie Stone, I very much welcome the fact that the recent accident was not more serious. We understand from the police that road conditions were not likely to have been a contributory factor. My officials are looking at the damage that was inflicted on the safety barrier and will consider what the appropriate response is.
Previous
Protection for Workers