The Presiding Officer is looking very festive today.
Good morning, and yes, Mr Swinney, I am being festive today. [Laughter.]
Highlands and Islands Superfast Broadband Pilot
I cannot match my colleague’s chivalry, so I will stay on topic.
The Highlands and Islands lag far behind the rest of Scotland on broadband provision, with the Western Isles identified as having the worst service in Scotland. I am sure that the Deputy First Minister is aware that there is a great deal of anticipation around the delivery of improvement. Will she say what percentage of coverage the programme expects to achieve in the Western Isles, in particular, and throughout the Highlands and Islands?
Rhoda Grant is right to talk about the Western Isles, which are a key focus of discussion as we move towards the awarding of the contract. The area is particularly challenging, but I agree with her that we need to meet the aspirations of the people who live there. It will come as no surprise to Rhoda Grant that in the Western Isles, as things stand, the percentage that can be covered is lower than is the case in other areas, because of the distance of many people from the exchange. Many communities are more than 40km from their nearest exchange.
National Grid Connection (Renewables Installations)
The regulated framework within which the grid operates is tightly controlled by the Office of the Gas and Electricity Markets and underpinned by United Kingdom Government legislation. Applications to access and transmit on the electricity distribution and transmission network are made to the relevant distribution network operator. All connection infrastructure works have to be carried out by the transmission system owner or system operator; there is no option for an independent connection provider.
Does the cabinet secretary agree that competition in relation to grid and energy supply and building and connecting the corresponding infrastructure is essential if we are to achieve our energy targets, guarantee grid security and enable energy exports to the European market?
The significance of grid infrastructure cannot be overstated, and Mr Torrance is correct to raise the issue, which is fundamental to the achievement of our renewable electricity targets, which the Parliament has considered in the context of the information provided by the Government and which we are well on course to achieve.
Disclosure Scotland
Disclosure Scotland offers a range of checks, which include the basic disclosure under the Police Act 1997. An individual can apply for a basic disclosure for any purpose. Standard and enhanced disclosures are also available under the 1997 act for certain prescribed positions. In addition, Disclosure Scotland provides the protecting vulnerable groups scheme, which is a membership scheme for individuals who do regulated work with children or protected adults.
When a convicted criminal is released on licence with restrictions on whom he may associate with—particularly in relation to vulnerable young adults—what discretion do the police have to alert relevant organisations to the risk that he may pose?
I thank Nigel Don for raising that important issue. The decision on whether third-party disclosures should take place lies with the chief constable. When information is relevant to a particular individual and situation, disclosure may be made after consultation between the police and other agencies responsible for the offender’s management.
Affordable Housing (Barnett Consequentials)
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth advised Parliament yesterday that an additional £50 million will be allocated to housing in 2013-14 from the consequentials that flow to the Scottish Government as part of the United Kingdom autumn statement. One of our highest priorities is taking action on housing in Scotland, which is why the Scottish Government is implementing a range of measures that not only increase the supply of affordable and social rented homes but support our construction sector, which is helping to create jobs and stimulate economic growth. I will confirm shortly how we will allocate the additional funding for the coming year.
After including what was announced yesterday, the affordable supply budget will still be £78.4 million less than the outturn expenditure figure for 2011-12, when the number of social rented housing starts fell to 3,025, which was a reduction of more than 50 per cent from the previous year. Will the minister lobby the cabinet secretary for a further increase in the funding that is available for housing for social rent?
With less money, the Scottish Government is building as many houses as previous Administrations built. We are committed to the social rented sector and to the affordable housing supply. We will continue with our progress. We are committed to delivering 30,000 new houses and we will shortly intimate how many more we will build with the additional funding.
Remploy (Discussions with United Kingdom Government)
My colleague Fergus Ewing spoke on 6 December with Esther McVey, the Minister for Disabled People, shortly before the announcement was made that stage 2 of the commercial process would commence. On Monday 17 December, Scottish Government officials met Remploy and Department for Work and Pensions officials to discuss greater involvement with and collaboration on stage 2.
As the cabinet secretary may be aware, workers at the Remploy factory in Springburn in my constituency face the closure of their factory at the end of January. Unfortunately, the DWP and Remploy will not have allocated those workers their caseworkers until 7 January, although that is exactly the kind of help that the workers need at this vital time for them.
Patricia Ferguson’s concern about the timetable for the availability of caseworkers for the affected employees is absolutely justifiable. That illustrates the unacceptable manner in which the whole process has been conducted. This is not the first time that members, and Patricia Ferguson in particular, have had a reasonable ground to raise concerns about how the DWP and Remploy have handled the issue.
Third Don Crossing (Discussions with Aberdeen City Council)
The only discussion that has taken place recently was between officials from Transport Scotland and Aberdeen City Council about the possibility of including the third Don crossing in the non-profit-distributing contract to construct the Aberdeen western peripheral route and the Balmedie to Tipperty upgrade.
The cabinet secretary will be aware that Aberdeen City Council agreed yesterday to progress with the third Don crossing, which is very welcome news indeed. Will the cabinet secretary consider bundling the third Don crossing contract with the AWPR contract if Aberdeen City Council requests that?
Yes, we will consider that, although a final decision is expected to be taken prior to the issuing of the tender documents for the main NPD contract, which is programmed for spring 2013. I assure Kevin Stewart that consideration will be given to any such request by Aberdeen City Council.
Is the cabinet secretary aware that Tillydrone community council also met yesterday—in Mr Stewart’s constituency—and that far from welcoming the matter, it wanted to discuss with its local councillors what the impact of the project would be? When ministers next discuss the project with Aberdeen City Council, will they address the concerns of local people about the division of their community by a new road and about the impact on regeneration?
Not only will ministers be mindful of local opinion, but I expect Aberdeen City Council—as I would any other council—to take account of such views. Such considerations are first and foremost for local communities, balancing the needs of the economy and regeneration with the interests of individual communities. I expect all that to be taken into account before final decisions are taken.
Domestic Abuse Courts
Domestic abuse is completely unacceptable and has no place in a modern Scotland. We know that helping victims through this traumatic time requires support from the point that they make contact with the police, criminal justice social work or the third sector. That network of support is available throughout the country. Additional advocacy support is provided in Glasgow where, unfortunately, there is a high density of cases.
With more than 500 charges with a domestic abuse aggravation reported to the fiscal from Inverness alone and more than 1,000 from the Highland Council area, does the cabinet secretary agree that the Highlands victims would benefit from a specialist domestic abuse court? Could he encourage officials to examine the possibility of putting one in place?
We recognise that domestic abuse scars far too many communities—probably every community in Scotland. Statistically, the Northern Constabulary area has the second lowest number of cases, but there are still far too many.
Will some of the £10 million that was announced yesterday for justice be allocated to upgrade courts in the Highlands and to develop a specialist domestic abuse court for males and females? That will ensure that there is equity of access to justice, and help people in the area, who face the longest travelling distances.
We are aware of the difficulties that are caused by remoteness in the north. Although we recognise that domestic abuse is not gender specific and there is domestic abuse by females against males, it is sadly still the case that such abuse is significantly dwarfed by the domestic abuse that is perpetrated by males against females. Both aspects are being addressed. Such matters are for the Scottish Court Service, but I assure Mary Scanlon—as I assured John Finnie—that they are viewed with the utmost seriousness by all the agencies.
RAF Leuchars (Multi-role Brigade Proposals)
The Scottish Government has persistently pressed the United Kingdom Government to deliver on the commitments that it has made to defence communities around Scotland, including at Leuchars.
Would the cabinet secretary agree that, notwithstanding the considerable underspend in defence spending in Scotland over recent years, it now seems that the promise of 6,500 to 7,000 Army troops by the then Secretary of State for Defence, Liam Fox, in July 2011 was a considerable overstatement? Moreover, does the cabinet secretary accept and understand that the delay in making an announcement is causing considerable concern in the local community?
Rod Campbell is right to highlight the concern and uncertainty that the delay in the basing announcement is creating in the communities that he represents. He is also right to highlight the disproportionate reductions that have taken place in the military in Scotland following the decisions of successive UK Governments, which have since 2000 amounted to 35 per cent in Scotland in comparison with 20 per cent in the UK as a whole.
BBC Scotland (Job Losses)
It is vital that BBC Scotland maintains the highest standards of broadcasting in radio, television and online services throughout Scotland. Given the licence fee freeze that the United Kingdom Government has imposed, the Scottish Government maintains grave concerns about the impact of job losses at BBC Scotland, including in the Highlands and Islands.
Briefly, Ms Urquhart.
I agree with the ambition that the minister clearly stated, but does he agree that deleting the senior reporter post in BBC Radio Highland does not allow for a truly nationwide service such as he described?
Minister, briefly.
I share the member’s concerns. We are happy to make such concerns known to BBC Scotland directors and to the BBC team in the UK as a whole.