SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
Education and Young People, Tourism, Culture and Sport
Mainstreaming
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to local authority education departments on the management of the school estate in light of its mainstreaming policy. (S2O-6290)
Although the Scottish Executive has published guidance on school estate strategy issues on three occasions, the detailed management of the school estate, including appropriate provision for pupils with additional support needs, is the responsibility of the local authorities.
I had trouble hearing the minister's answer, as the audio was not entirely clear, but I do not think that it would have enlightened me anyway.
I do not accept any of that. I agree that there has been an 8 per cent increase in the number of pupils who attend independent special schools, as Mr Monteith said, but he does not seem to be aware of the fact that the number of special schools increased from 158 in 1996 to 190 in 2004. Between 2003 and 2004, the proportion of pupils in special schools in the state sector went down by only 0.03 per cent, even though there was a 4 per cent decline in the number of special school children in those two years.
The minister mentioned that he had visited a school. I invite him to visit St Andrew's School, which is a special needs school in Inverurie in Aberdeenshire. There is a huge amount of concern about the proposal to close that school and split it between two sites. Will he put it on record that the needs of children should be paramount and that education policy should not be driven by estates management, especially in the case of special needs schools? Will he look into the situation affecting St Andrew's School, which is causing great concern among parents?
The Executive is well aware of what are simply outline proposals. Similar proposals have been made in relation to Carronhill special school in Stonehaven. Although Aberdeenshire Council might consider closing those schools, it would do so only in order to open a new special learner base—there might be more than one such base—which would be attached to other schools. If the council takes that decision—I do not believe that it has yet taken it—it will have to consult parents on the details of the proposals. The decisions will be taken locally, in line with local requirements.
I welcome the minister's commitment to local investment. I invite him to ensure that local authorities consider the use of the public-private partnership process to streamline existing schools and build new schools that are of high standards, particularly for pupils who have different physical needs. I ask him to ensure that we have modern accessible schools and that, when local authorities review their school estates, they are committed to investigating the opportunities that exist to improve buildings, as well as to examining crucial staff issues.
I agree with Sarah Boyack. Our guidance to local authorities is of a broad and strategic nature. It encompasses "Building Our Future: Scotland's School Estate", "The 21st Century School" and guidance from the Education Department's additional support needs division, which was published in 2002. Considerable investment has gone into helping local authorities to provide access. For example, in the financial year, 2005-06, £25 million will be provided through the inclusion programme to support the inclusion of additional support needs pupils in mainstream schools. There will be £17 million for accessibility strategies and £9.5 million for local authorities to help to prepare for the implementation of the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 at the end of the year.
Question 2 has been withdrawn.
After-school Activities
To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to develop activities such as learning, play, sport, art, music, drama and homework clubs for children after the school day ends. (S2O-6335)
Scotland has a diverse and comprehensive programme of out-of-school-hours learning, which is facilitated through a network of local authority lead officers and co-ordinators. The Scottish Executive funds the Scottish study support network to provide information and advice and disseminate best practice throughout the network. The Executive provided £37 million between 1999 and 2003 and has committed £34 million for the period 2003-04 to 2005-06 for study support and out-of-school-hours learning, to provide a range of study-related and other physical activity, cultural development and health activities.
Does the minister agree that such out-of-school-hours activities are important for the development of children both mentally and in terms of their health? Does he agree that the Letlose guarantee that the Conservatives will cut the community schools programme by £175 million a year would seriously put at risk some of those projects in our schools throughout Scotland?
I agree with Mr Smith's comments about the purposes and benefits of study support and out-of-school-hours learning, which are wide and numerous and include building young people's confidence, self-esteem and motivation to learn. I confess that I have no idea where the Conservatives' figure of £175 million cuts has come from. That sum might be at least double our current budget and I fail to understand how one can cut that amount from a budget that is half the sum to begin with. The cuts that are now emerging in the Conservatives' figures after a lot of prompting on our part would significantly damage school-based learning and study support, as well as out-of-school-hours learning.
Does the minister agree that the role of the active schools co-ordinators could be extended to include their undertaking activities to increase volunteer participation and to encourage parents and volunteers to develop a range of after-school clubs and activities? Will he be reassured to know that we do not propose to cut a penny from education in schools in Scotland?
Not a penny, but £175 million, apparently. I welcome the first part of Lord James Douglas-Hamilton's comments. The role of the co-ordinators will develop and I will ensure that his remarks are fed back to officials in the Education Department. When the co-ordinators were established, there was an assumption that their use, purpose and role would be developed over time, which I welcome. I accept Lord James Douglas-Hamilton's assurance and wish him well in arguing against the £175 million cuts in his party's proposals.
Tourism (Independent Retail Sector)
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact on tourism revenue of a thriving and diverse independent retail sector. (S2O-6266)
A thriving and attractive retail sector is part of what makes Scotland a must-visit destination for our United Kingdom and overseas guests, who spend nearly £400 million every year in Scotland—considerably more than that when day visitors are counted. VisitScotland's Scottish retail study of 2004 identified retail areas that are particularly appealing to our visitors and ways in which that appeal can be further increased. One important outcome of the study is the accreditation of retail outlets under VisitScotland's quality assurance scheme.
I thank the minister for that interesting and useful reply. She will be aware that Castle Douglas is marketing itself to tourists as a food town on account of its thriving locally owned business sector. Does she agree that the tourism industries require a public local inquiry into the recent granting of planning permission for a Tesco megastore, especially as the independent assessment that was commissioned by the council was performed by a company that works for several supermarket chains, including Tesco?
The planning of any supermarket is a matter for the local authority and the local communities involved. I am aware of Castle Douglas's great efforts to establish itself in the way that Mr Ballance has outlined—last summer, I was fortunate to experience that for myself. Castle Douglas and other areas can take some comfort from the fact that there are now 107 retail outlets that are accredited by VisitScotland, which are the kind of places that visitors will want to come to see. The specific Tesco proposal is, however, a matter for others.
I turn the minister's attention to retail sales of food. Will the assessment include what quantities of salmon meat and so on—even, dare I say it, dairy products—are sold as a result of tourism? Will she also look at the situation the other way round and see how really excellent foods and cuisine can tempt tourists and promote areas such as my constituency?
I will take the hint—as Mr Stone does not want to mention cheese directly, I will do it on his behalf. Our indigenous food products are important to us. Food outlets are also accredited and many of our restaurants are now making a virtue of the fact that they use local produce—indeed, they are marketing themselves in that way. That is something that visitors to our country want to see. One of the popular features of the Scotland village that we had in Grand Central station during tartan week was a culinary exhibition at which people were able to sample some of the best Scottish produce. Our indigenous food products are an area that we are keen to see grow.
Question 5 has been withdrawn.
Teachers
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to increase teacher numbers, for example by encouraging graduates to access postgraduate teacher training. (S2O-6479)
We have increased the number of teacher training places dramatically and have successfully recruited several hundred additional postgraduate teachers into training.
Does the minister agree that many graduates who are in other jobs—some of them are classroom assistants—would benefit from being able to enter their postgraduate teacher training with pay, so that they do not have to get into debt? What are his views on that?
As I said, we are successfully attracting graduates into training; we are actively encouraging graduates from other professions to think about entering teacher training. Indeed, we are changing entry qualifications to allow that to happen. For example, we have enabled students with a high proportion of maths in their first degree to enter training as maths teachers. We are also offering access to top-up qualifications to people's degrees so that they can enter teacher training.
Yesterday, the minister may have heard Jim Wallace commit to reassessing fee issues in relation to part-time and second-degree students. If we are to attract people from other careers to teaching—especially to become maths teachers—what input will he have to that revaluation of the fee regime for people who seek to study for second degrees or to shift vocation to become maths teachers, for example?
As always, ministers are closely in touch on those matters. Jim Wallace and I have had communication about those issues in the past, partly because of the course to which I referred in my answer to Rosemary Byrne's question—the part-time two-year teacher training course that is now being offered in the Highlands, linked to the University of Aberdeen, and that is producing a new generation of teachers who would not otherwise be able to enter teaching. As a consequence, we have discovered some anomalies in the current funding regimes, which are exactly the type of issues that we are trying to address.
What is the minister doing to attract into teaching the many people who nowadays change their career in their 30s, 40s or 50s and can bring to teaching not only their academic knowledge, but their knowledge of the world outside the classroom? Such people could make very good teachers. Will he assist them in changing careers?
Absolutely. A great stimulus to that has been the way in which, over recent years, we have made teachers' pay and conditions more attractive and made teaching much more competitive with other professions. We are also increasing professional development to allow teachers to develop throughout their whole career. Moreover, we have introduced the chartered teacher grade, which allows more to be earned in the profession.
Pupil Attainment
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in increasing pupil attainment. (S2O-6431)
Good progress is being made. There are consistent trends of improved performance in primary school and of pupils who leave school with good qualifications.
Does the minister accept that the public-private partnership programme, which, in my constituency, has developed five brand-new secondary schools, has led to a significant increase in pupil attainment? Will he extend that programme to Glasgow primary schools? I believe that Glasgow City Council has submitted proposals for such a programme to the Scottish Executive.
Paul Martin is correct to point to the great success of our investment in education in Scotland and our attempts to rectify previous huge underinvestment and the crumbling schools that we inherited the length and breadth of the country. Glasgow is a particularly good example of a council that is facing up to tough decisions and making the necessary investments. I have visited a number of schools in Glasgow that have experienced the benefits of PPP expenditure. Indeed, before question time started, I was discussing with Patricia Ferguson the investments that have been made particularly in primary schools in her constituency not just by PPPs, but by a wider range of sources. As a result of such investment in a school in the heart of Paul Martin's constituency, more pupils are returning to and staying in education in that community. Attainment in Glasgow is improving, although I should point out that it lags behind attainment in other parts of Scotland. Nevertheless, the trend is in the right direction and that is partly down to the creation of the proper learning environment for our pupils in the 21st century.
I am sure that the minister will join me in congratulating the pupils of Kells Primary School in New Galloway in my constituency on their recent incredible achievement in coming second out of more than 600 entrants in the recent United Kingdom-wide BBC "Songs of Praise" junior school choir competition. The school has traditionally had a very strong musical ethos. Does he agree that it is more than just a coincidence that the pupils of that school also regularly exceed every academic target that they are set and that perhaps a stronger musical ethos throughout Scotland's schools might point a way towards better pupil achievement?
I take this rare opportunity to agree with my parliamentary colleague. First, I congratulate the school on the achievement to which he has drawn attention. Secondly, he is absolutely right to say that a school benefits from having a good ethos and good school leadership that promotes music, sport, languages or whatever the school chooses as a particular strength. As a result, there are improvements not only in achievements in that subject, but in pupils' motivation. If pupils are better motivated, they stick with all the learning that is available, not just with that subject specialism. It is a thoroughly good thing for schools to develop that level of expertise and to enhance themselves in such a way. In fact, that is one of the features of our new schools of ambition programme. Such an approach is not universally taken, but we want it to be taken more and more and we will increase investment to ensure that that happens.
Community Schools
To ask the Scottish Executive how it is supporting the development of community schools. (S2O-6326)
We are supporting the roll-out of integrated community schooling across Scotland by providing £77.9 million over the next four years and are working closely with Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education to develop self-evaluation tools to help to guide schools and other local partners to improve integrated working.
Does the minister agree that the sustainability of rural schools is vital to an area such as the Borders and that developing community schools would be an excellent way of securing that sustainability? Does he also agree that such sustainability could be put at risk if the community schools programme is cut by a Conservative Government—something that seems to have dawned on Lord James Douglas-Hamilton after discussion with his finance spokesman, who is sitting next to him on the Tory front bench?
Jeremy Purvis is right to point out the damage that would be done by the cuts that the Conservatives clearly plan to make not just to that programme, but to education in general. They are talking not just about straight cuts in expenditure, but about the transfer of money from the state sector into the private sector through the virtual voucher scheme that they are promoting. Those cuts will be thoroughly damaging.
Finance and Public Services and Communities
Fresh Talent Initiative
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken under the fresh talent initiative to maximise the number of international students remaining in Scotland after graduation. (S2O-06384)
We have identified students as a target group for the fresh talent initiative and are working on a number of strands of activity to encourage international students to come and study in Scotland, and to remain here at the end of their studies. Significantly, the fresh talent working in Scotland scheme, which will be introduced in the summer, will enable international students who graduate with a higher national diploma or an undergraduate, masters or PhD degree from a Scottish university or college, to apply to remain in the country for up to two years following their graduation.
I welcome the minister's commitment and ask him to ensure that the new scheme is marketed properly through universities and local enterprise companies, so that students and employers know what opportunities the fresh talent initiative will bring.
I agree with Sarah Boyack's points and assure her that there have been discussions with the Home Office about visa matters. Those discussions will continue, although they are on hold at the moment.
Of course, graduates will remain in Scotland after graduation only if we have an economy that offers them the opportunities that they seek. At the moment we export graduates because we do not offer sufficient economic opportunities. What is the Executive doing to encourage an increase in spending on research and development in the Scottish economy, which might provide some of the graduate-level jobs that we require?
That question strikes me as being rather wide of the fresh talent initiative mark. Of course, as in so many things, Mr Fraser is quite wrong. In 1999-2000, 79 per cent of students stayed to work in Scotland after graduation. In 2002-03, that figure went up to 89 per cent, so the Scottish Executive is making demonstrable progress. Parliament and I would have a lot more time for the Tory position on fresh talent and attracting new people to Scotland if we did not see that Murdo Fraser's party is currently conflating immigration and asylum. That is an utterly barbaric policy, which means that under the Tories, the 10,000th refugee from Darfur would get into the UK, but the 10,001st would not. We are talking about a party that has turned its back on the 1951 United Nations "Convention relating to the Status of Refugees".
Pensioner Poverty
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to relieve pensioner poverty. (S2O-06390)
The Executive is committed to tackling pensioner poverty; for example, the Executive provides a number of free measures that help to maximise pensioners' disposable income, including the central heating programme and free local off-peak bus travel. Since 1997, 190,000 pensioners—almost three quarters—have been taken out of absolute poverty.
I appreciate the efforts that are being made by the Executive and the Labour Government in supporting our pensioners. The central heating programme has benefited many of my constituents in Cumbernauld and Kilsyth and pensioners from Westfield pensioners club who have benefited from the scheme are in the public gallery.
I welcome Cathie Craigie's comments about the central heating programme, which has been very successful. Some 48,000 systems have been installed and the targets have been exceeded by 1,000 in the latest year.
Further to Cathie Craigie's question, does the minister agree that the Executive and all preceding Governments have abjectly failed this country's senior citizens when they complacently admit to the existence of pensioner poverty in this, the fourth richest economy of the 21st century? Should not the question that was posed have been to ask what action is being taken to eliminate pensioner poverty, rather than "to relieve" it?
Nobody is saying that the task is complete, but it is undoubted that we are heading in the right direction. The headline figure that I gave for the large number of pensioners who have been removed from absolute poverty since 1997 indicates that. Some £10 billion more is spent on pensions now than was spent in 1997, with half of that going to the poorest third of pensioners. Although it is controversial for other parties, it is the choice that the Government at Westminster made and it has borne fruit for a very large number of pensioners in Scotland.
Does the minister agree that a useful step to assist many pensioners would be to abolish the council tax—which bears heavily on people on fixed incomes, including many pensioners—and to replace it with a tax that is based on ability to pay?
I have been talking to many pensioners in recent times. They all welcome the major budget announcement that £200 will go to everyone aged over 65 years, which represents recognition that there are issues in this regard. As the member knows, we will have our own review of local government finance. However, we accept that all local government systems are fraught with difficulties. We have seen examples of that in recent times.
Housing (Dundee)
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to reduce homelessness and increase the provision of affordable housing in Dundee. (S2O-06402)
This financial year, the Executive will provide funding of £10.7 million to Dundee to ensure that homelessness is prevented and tackled and to provide affordable housing. That funding will be spent in accordance with the agreed local housing and homelessness strategies.
I thank the minister for his reply. While I recognise and applaud the work of the Executive so far, and Dundee's homelessness strategy—in particular, the 200 new affordable homes in Stobswell, Kirkton and Whitfield—will the minister give serious consideration to allowing pressured area status for city authorities, such as Dundee, which are still so short of family-sized homes?
Great progress is being made in Dundee. I was pleased to see quite recently some of the new housing to which the member referred. The sum of £10 million that I announced is a 44 per cent increase on the allocation at the start of the previous financial year. More people will have rights under our progressive homelessness legislation, but Dundee is doing well on housing. For example, it is managing to house a large number of people who do not have priority as being homeless. Obviously, consideration needs to be given to the quality standard and to the strategy that Dundee wants to have in place for 2015. I know that there are still issues to be resolved in Dundee, but overall good progress is being made there.
Lennoxtown Initiative
To ask the Scottish Executive what its justification was for choosing the model of a company limited by guarantee for the Lennoxtown Initiative as the vehicle for spending public money in the regeneration of the village. (S2O-6351)
The Lennoxtown Initiative is a community-led initiative, the aim of which is to regenerate the Lennoxtown area by achieving sustainable economic health and community well-being. The decision to progress that through the model of a company limited by guarantee was taken by the three partner organisations that are involved: East Dunbartonshire Council, Scottish Enterprise Dunbartonshire and the then Greater Glasgow Primary Care NHS Trust.
I accept that all the residents of Lennoxtown welcome regeneration. Anyone who drives through the village can see that it is badly needed, as most of the shops on the main street are boarded up. I hope that the minister will agree that it is worth re-examining the issue in detail, because in my view the majority of residents in Lennoxtown do not believe that the model that has been chosen is democratic or transparent and do not feel at all involved in the regeneration of the village. It seems that the people who have been appointed to the board of the company can almost reappoint themselves when their period of office terminates, if they are up for re-election, but the people of the village cannot elect anyone to the board, which is a great bone of contention.
Please ask a question.
Does the minister agree that we need to examine the model that has been chosen in more detail? I hope that he will do so.
The decision about the model was taken by the three local partners: East Dunbartonshire Council, Scottish Enterprise Dunbartonshire and the then Greater Glasgow Primary Care NHS Trust, which is now part of NHS Greater Glasgow. I am told that the partners said at a recent meeting that they would take on board the concerns that have been raised and that they would consider the current governance arrangements to see whether they are appropriate. Decisions about those arrangements are a matter for the three local partners. I understand that the process is taking some time, but we should acknowledge the imaginative use that is being made of the capital receipts from the Lennox castle site, all of which will be reinvested in the Lennoxtown Initiative. I am confident that progress will be made before too long.
Opencast Mining
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce the content of its revised planning guidance on opencast mining. (S2O-6399)
The Executive currently plans to issue finalised guidance in June.
The minister will be aware that the revised guidance will come too late for three applications in my constituency. Will she investigate whether those applications can be considered in relation to the criteria that are set out in the new guidance, which relate to environmental impact, employment and community benefit? Will she consider the applications in that light?
It is not possible for me to comment on the applications to which the member referred because they have been notified to the Executive under the current rules and regulations. However, it should be clear that councils must take account of all relevant material considerations, such as the policies in development plans, national planning guidance and the views of statutory consultees and the public. We are already in a position in which there must be recognition of the environmental consequences of a development, but we must establish whether there is community benefit.
Will the minister confirm that the Executive will not bow to the scaremongering campaign of opencast companies about the introduction of a general presumption against opencasting and a fixing of minimum separation distances between opencast sites and communities that would be affected by them? In addition, will she commit to funding research into the long-term health impacts on communities of airborne particulate matter from opencast sites, given that the independent review of national planning policy guideline 16, which was commissioned by the Executive, recommended just that?
On the question about revised Scottish planning policy guideline 16, and the presumption against opencast mining in particular, there has been some misrepresentation and lack of understanding of the changes. It is understandable that we still recognise the economic benefits and local job opportunities that come with opencast coal mining, but we also recognise that there might be consequences for communities from developments and their cumulative impact.
The minister will be aware that opencast mining is precisely the kind of development that creates deep resentment because of the unfairness that is built into the appeals stage of the planning process, which is why such an overwhelming majority of consultees supported the third-party right of appeal. Does the minister accept that widening of appeal rights will be necessary if the Executive is to take what its advisers have called
It is true that some people are frustrated about the opencast coal industry and that some people in the industry are frustrated by some organisations' bad practice in working with communities. It is my view that where there has not been appropriate consultation, and where people have not lived up to the conditions to which they committed themselves, frustration has been created that is sometimes captured in the idea of extending the right of appeal.
I am pleased to hear that an announcement will be made in June, but will the minister reassure me and people in communities such as Fauldhouse and Blackridge in my constituency that after the guidance is issued, more emphasis will be given to monitoring planning permission for opencast mining as well as to enforcing any planning conditions that are set?
I commend the people in the industry who have already voluntarily developed compliance projects, who have worked with communities and who have committed themselves to working with them. I am sure that people in the industry who are committed to its success want to separate themselves from some of the more unacceptable practices of the past.
Tenant Rights (Private Sector)
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to increase the rights of private sector tenants. (S2O-6375)
The Housing (Scotland) Bill will improve the right of private sector tenants to homes that are properly maintained. It will also give them the right to adapt their homes to suit disabled occupants. We are increasing the protections that are available to private sector tenants by introducing mandatory registration of landlords and by improving the licensing system for houses in multiple occupation.
The minister will be aware that some private sector tenants live in properties that are desperately in need of improvement; I am thinking in particular of tenemental properties in Dumbarton and Helensburgh in my constituency. What mechanisms are in place to encourage private sector landlords to invest in their properties so that all of us, irrespective of tenure, can enjoy 21st century housing?
Jackie Baillie will be aware of my personal commitment to, and belief in, the importance of demanding high standards from the private sector. We all know about the consequences for the sector as a whole of the few landlords who do not meet those standards. We have proposals for registration of landlords, which means that there exists the possibility that there will be proper dialogue with them.