SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
Environment and Rural Development
Recycling
To ask the Scottish Executive how much recyclable household waste, sorted for recycling by householders and collected by local authorities, goes to landfill. (S2O-10607)
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency's figures show that less than 10 per cent of the material that is regarded for data purposes as collected for recycling or composting is disposed of. That material is not included in the published recycling and composting rates for municipal waste in Scotland.
That is hardly an enlightening response to someone who is not an expert on the matter. Although I am confident that much progress has been made on recycling, it has been reported to me that plastic containers that my constituents in Inverclyde take the time to wash and sort for recycling still go to landfill. After 18 months and £11 million from the Executive, does the minister think that that is acceptable and does he agree that much more needs to be done?
To help Duncan McNeil with my first answer, I say that in 2004-05 a total of 538,900 tonnes of recyclable material was collected, of which about 51,000 tonnes—the 10 per cent that I mentioned—had to go to landfill. Because we knew that the member had asked the question, my officials inquired of Inverclyde Council whether it has a particular problem with materials being sorted and collected and then going to landfill; the council assured my officials that it does not. However, now that the member has alerted me to the situation with plastics, I will investigate the matter further.
Is the minister aware that in other parts of the developed world landfilling has been reduced by 70 per cent via intense efforts to increase recycling and composting and without the use of incineration? Will the minister assure us that every effort will be made to develop a genuinely sustainable waste policy that does not rely on unsustainable, wasteful and polluting incinerators?
As the member knows, the waste strategy, which has enabled us to go from a pathetic recycling figure of 6 per cent only a few years ago to nearly 25 per cent now—we will reach 25 per cent this year—makes it clear that the first and prime target is to recover all material that can be recycled. The member mentioned the developed world. She will be acutely aware that almost all the major players in Europe, which have much better levels of recycling than we have, use combined heat and power systems and some form of incineration to deal with the residual element. I am very much against any suggestion that we should give an easy remit to local authorities or industry and not an absolute requirement to recover every fragment of recyclable material before other options are considered. However, I cannot rule out options for dealing with the residual element, particularly given that the technology may improve and that we must reduce landfill to the minimum.
Scottish Rural Development Plan (Modulation)
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scotland is able to set its own modulation rate to fund the Scottish rural development plan. (S2O-10576)
The draft voluntary modulation regulation currently allows for only one rate of voluntary modulation per member state. The Executive is pursuing that point with the European Commission and member states as the negotiations progress.
I welcome the fact that the minister is pursuing the issue. Will he acknowledge the widespread feeling in the farming sector that the modulation rate that is set should be the one that is best for Scotland, given that the recent reform of the common agricultural policy was intended to give more flexibility to our ministers to ensure that such deals are the best for Scotland? Is it the aim of the minister's end game to ensure that he has the right to set a modulation rate that is the best for Scotland?
The moment that the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mariann Fischer Boel, and her officials tabled a revised proposal for modulation we—and, indeed the United Kingdom—made it clear that the present arrangement, which gives us the right at a sub-member-state level to set a modulation rate, is the one that we wish to pursue. This is a complicated matter because the commissioner is also looking at other member states and is apparently concerned that the existence of wide variations and the use of voluntary modulation could constitute a renationalisation of the CAP. We do not share that view and have made it clear to the Commission that we wish to have the status quo, which gives us the absolute power to set an individual rate, as we see fit, here in Scotland.
Can the minister confirm that if he uses the power to raise the level of modulation, should it be granted, it will not be used as an opportunity to remove money from the current budgets and put it into areas that would divert it away from the current recipients? In other words, will he ensure that the same people get the opportunity to earn the same money for doing different things?
We are quite constrained in what we can do in terms of modulation. If we accept the analysis that a substantial proportion of Scottish agriculture is still incapable of surviving without subsidy, it does not make sense to simply and in an unfettered way transfer funds from pillar 1 to pillar 2, because that would simply remove what is, to many people in Scottish agriculture, an essential support. However, people must prepare for the fact that it might not be in existence by 2013.
Nuclear Safety (Marine Environment)
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its Environment and Rural Affairs Department was advised at the time about any risk of impact on the marine environment from serious and significant "nuclear safety events" at Faslane and Coulport, which are reported to have significantly increased in number, and, if so, what information it received. (S2O-10550)
The Environment and Rural Affairs Department has received no such information.
I am not just surprised but disgusted by that answer. The minister is telling me that he is not aware of 45 serious incidents in 2004-05, which is double the number of serious incidents in previous years, or of the fact that 13 of those 45 incidents were directly related to Trident nuclear submarines. Will he ensure that he is advised of such events in future? Further, does he support a referendum on Trident nuclear missiles?
You are entitled to answer the first of those questions, minister.
I think that I am obliged to do so.
Environmental Footprint (Local Authorities)
To ask the Scottish Executive how it is assisting local authorities to reduce their environmental footprint. (S2O-10571)
The Scottish Executive is helping local authorities to reduce their environmental footprint though a range of initiatives, including the Scotland's global footprint project, the sustainable Scotland network, updated guidance and toolkits on the sustainable development element of the duty of best value, waste audits and support for energy efficiency and renewables.
What action is the Scottish Executive taking to reduce its own footprint, especially by means of reducing its use of flights within the United Kingdom?
In the regular business of my department, it is imperative that ministers and officials regularly meet ministers from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, particularly in relation to the European aspects of agriculture, fisheries and the environment. Those meetings, almost without exception, are now conducted by confravision rather than by either party taking a flight north or south. In a variety of ways, including the use of modern technology, the Executive is trying hard to reduce its footprint.
The minister is probably aware of the many local authority-supported community transport initiatives that exist throughout Scotland and, in particular, the A to B initiative in Aberdeenshire. However, he will note that those are not covered by the pensioners' travel card. Will he speak to his colleagues in the Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department to ensure that local authorities have the opportunity to make a bigger contribution to reducing their environmental footprint by bringing such initiatives within the concessionary travel scheme?
I think that that question is just about allowable, minister.
I am grateful to you again, Presiding Officer.
Organic Agriculture
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to support organic agriculture and to meet demand for organic food. (S2O-10617)
We are implementing the organic action plan, which includes a range of actions and support measures that are aimed at the sustainable development of the Scottish organic sector. For example, we have significantly increased and extended the grant support that is available to farmers who wish to convert to organic farming. We have also prioritised organics under our processing and marketing grant schemes and increased the provision of advice, including market advice, to organic producers and processors. We work closely with organic stakeholders to ensure that our support is effectively targeted.
The minister will be aware that many farmers are frustrated by the outcome of their applications to the organic aid scheme and wider programmes such as the rural stewardship scheme. Is she seeking to increase the resources that are available for organic farming and other rural stewardship schemes? Is there any prospect of increased funding for those schemes in the short or long term?
Organic farmers have been prioritised during the past seven years and they have enjoyed a high success rate with applications to the organic aid scheme. Although the success rate is lower this year, the amount of funding that has been allocated—£11.3 million—is considerable. It is twice the amount that was committed last year and it is considerably more than was allocated in any previous year.
In planning ahead, is the minister happy that there is sufficient capacity in the organic dairy industry? I heard a rumour that a major supermarket chain might be about to change all its dairy lines to organic, which would use up the entire Scottish organic milk supply.
Clearly, we need to keep these things under review. The ranking questions about organic support will be kept under review because we need to be able to consider the implications of moves towards or away from dairy production. I need to be able to ensure, with the organic stakeholders group, that we get the support to the right producers.
Pollution (Mobile Crushing Plants)
To ask the Scottish Executive what controls are available to prevent pollution from the activity of mobile crushing plants used to crush demolition arisings for the purposes of recycling. (S2O-10583)
A mobile plushing cra—I am sorry.
The minister should put her teeth in.
I assure the member that my teeth are in.
It is rather difficult to say.
I would be concerned to hear that and interested to have information about any specific instances of what the member is referring to. I am not able to comment in full because I am not aware of those instances.
Dairy Industry (Dumfries and Galloway)
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any concerns about the effect of milk prices on the dairy industry in Dumfries and Galloway. (S2O-10613)
I share the concerns of those who are worried about the level of returns being made by many milk producers, whether they are in Dumfries and Galloway or elsewhere in Scotland. The milk price is determined by a number of factors including the proportion that is sold as fresh milk and the proportion that is sold for processing into added-value products. In both cases, purchasers of raw milk have to acknowledge that long-term continuity of supply will be guaranteed only if producers receive a reasonable return.
The minister will be aware that milk production throughout the United Kingdom is at a 13-year low and that prices for milk products have risen substantially, but those price increases have not been reflected in the prices that are being paid to producers. The minister has indicated his concern that processors such as Arla Foods Ltd in my constituency, which has invested significantly in a new processing plant, might risk losing their production base if they do not pay more for the raw materials that they receive from farmers. The minister is clearly concerned about this matter. How might the Scottish Executive input into any discussions with the processors to resolve the issue?
We have debated this hugely complex issue at considerable length in the chamber. The member said that milk production is at an all-time low but the fact is that, during the past 20 to 30 years, milk production in Scotland has reduced by only a small margin. The total amount produced has not decreased by very much; indeed, the fact that there are fewer farmers and dairy cows is more to do with the efficiency of the Scottish milk fields and the use of better genetic and other techniques.
I entirely agree with the final part of the minister's answer. However, to illustrate Elaine Murray's point I am holding up a 250ml carton of milk that I just purchased in the Parliament's canteen for 20p—some might say that is a major investment for me. That 20p for a quarter of a litre is probably 2p more than any dairy farmer is paid for producing a full litre. The enormous disparity between the farm-gate price and the shelf price is the essence of the problem. What representations has the Executive made to the various inquiries that have taken place and are taking place on the issue? What measures has the Executive taken to bring about a more equitable distribution of the funding that is available through the chain at present?
We are all impressed that Alex Fergusson made such a major investment so that he could make his point so tellingly. No doubt his colleagues will have a small whip-round to help him out on that.
Health and Community Care
Mesothelioma
To ask the Scottish Executive when the number of cases of mesothelioma is expected to peak in Scotland and how many people are expected to be diagnosed in each of the peak years. (S2O-10560)
The average annual number of new cases diagnosed in Scotland between 1991 and 2003 was 183. Estimates derived from projections of mortality for Great Britain as a whole suggest that the number of new cases of mesothelioma in Scotland may peak at around 195 to 245 per year some time between 2011 and 2015.
As the minister will be aware, the Scottish medicines consortium has approved the use of Alimta, whereas the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has rejected its use south of the border. Professor Nick Thatcher, who is professor of medical oncology at the University of Manchester and consultant oncologist in medical oncology at the Christie hospital in Manchester, has stated:
Clearly, all such decisions must be informed by the scientific evidence and by the scientific expertise of those involved. Although NICE has made a determination, I understand that it has not yet considered appeals against that determination. I do not expect to receive advice about what should happen in Scotland until that process is completed. We will, of course, take due cognisance of that advice when it comes.
The minister will be aware that I wrote to the Minister for Health and Community Care on the Alimta issue some months ago, but I want to ask about a related issue. Is the minister aware of the good work that is being done by Clydebank Asbestos Group and Clydeside Action on Asbestos to support people with mesothelioma by helping them to access benefits and support? Is he aware that that work is being considered by Macmillan Cancer Support, which has developed a pilot for cancer sufferers more generally? Will the minister agree to meet Clydebank Asbestos Group, Macmillan Cancer Support and myself to discuss how some of the beneficial work that is being done has broader applicability?
The work that has been done is indeed widely recognised. I am aware of Des McNulty's on-going interest in the issue and I will be happy to meet him to discuss those matters in the way that he suggests.
Chemotherapy Patients (Wigs)
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will instigate a review of policy in respect of the provision of wigs to patients undergoing chemotherapy. (S2O-10627)
We are currently reviewing policy on the provision of wigs. From 1 April, we reduced the cost of the basic modacrylic wig to £6.65 to bring it into line with prescription charges for other items. A short-life working group has been established to consider the matter, including questions related to patients who are undergoing chemotherapy.
I declare an interest as the patron of the Scottish Breast Cancer Campaign.
The member is arguing her point rather than asking a question.
Could we have something running in tandem with that service to make it better?
I would be happy to examine Wig Bank, to which Margo MacDonald refers. Clearly, we want there to be a range of provision. I am pleased with her comments about the improvements in the basic provision, which are important. I am happy to ask my officials in the short-life working group to consider the work in Edinburgh to which she refers.
Dental Services (Western Isles)
Alasdair Morgan will ask question 3.
Morrison
I beg your pardon. It is Alasdair Morrison. I was distracted by Mr Morrison's search for a console to enable the sound engineer to give him sound.
I am indeed. I apologise to the chamber for my delay.
Yes. NHS Western Isles purchased the Bayhead dental practice in Stornoway last year and has since extended the premises by adding a further surgery. New patients are now being registered, opening hours have been extended and a mobile dental unit is now in place.
I am delighted with that response, so I am almost inclined not to ask a supplementary. Given the success of what has been achieved in the Western Isles, does the minister recognise that the same set of principles, procedures and practices can be translated to other parts of the country?
Yes. We are clear that the way in which dental services are provided will vary from community to community. In the Western Isles and Shetland, dental services are provided principally in premises that are owned by national health service boards and are delivered by dentists who are employed by NHS boards. That is clearly part of the right way to deliver dental services in the islands and elsewhere in Scotland. At the same time, we continue to encourage dentists who own their own premises to continue to provide NHS services. For that reason, we have put in place a significant range of extra incentives and rewards for dentists who continue to treat all categories of NHS patient.
Although the minister's news is welcome, can he comment on the overall shortage of dentists and orthodontists throughout the Highlands and Islands and outline the action that he proposes to take to alleviate the critical situation?
I am glad to take the opportunity to do that and to report on a number of initiatives. We recently introduced the bursary scheme for dental students, which we announced in the dental action plan in spring 2005. I am delighted to say that the scheme is now in place for students who are starting their studies in the current academic year. It will provide significant additional financial support to dental students in exchange for a commitment to continue to work in the NHS in Scotland for a period of years after their graduation. We believe that the scheme, in addition to the existing support for rural practices through golden hellos and other incentives, will make a significant difference to the supply of dentists in the Highlands in years to come.
Junior Doctors (Training)
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be a reduction in training posts for junior doctors under the modernising medical careers initiative. (S2O-10557)
No, there will be no change to, and therefore no reduction in, the number of training posts in August 2007, when the final phase of modernising medical careers is implemented.
Does the minister appreciate that there is widespread concern among junior doctors about the new training proposals in the modernising medical careers initiative, correspondence on which is filling all our mailbags? To alleviate some of those concerns, will the minister give a clear commitment to an expansion of consultant numbers, not only to ensure that the current pool of senior house officers has a realistic chance of progressing to consultant grade, but to seize the opportunity to absorb the pool of senior house officers over the next three to five years to help sustain health services throughout Scotland?
The member finished in the right place, because we should design our health care services for the needs of patients, not for the needs of any individual organisation or those who work in the national health service.
The minister is right to say that the health service exists to provide a service for patients, but surely it also has a duty to adhere to good employment practices? There are real concerns among junior doctors about how the modernising medical careers initiative will roll out. There is a singular lack of information. Scotland is one area under MMC, so there is a fear that junior doctors could be sent anywhere in Scotland for their next post, irrespective of where they choose to work. How will the minister reassure those doctors and deal with their real fears, which have resulted in an online petition—it had 600 supporters when I last looked—asking for the roll-out of the modernising medical careers initiative to be postponed?
I think that the minister has got the sense of the question.
First, would "anywhere in Scotland" include places such as the Highlands, where we want our professionals to develop their careers and be exposed to the services that are being provided in remote and rural parts of Scotland? Our desire in that regard fits exactly with our healthy living strategy.
General Practitioner Services
To ask the Scottish Executive what its plans are for the development of GP services. (S2O-10575)
We are committed to the development of GP services to reflect the priorities of the delivering for health programme. We see GPs as significant players in shifting the balance of care by working in partnership with other primary care providers such as community pharmacies, dental practices, optometrists and NHS 24.
Given the spirit of the minister's answer to my colleague Shona Robison that the health service should be configured to meet patients' needs, does he have any concerns that the worthwhile, laudable and supportable objectives that he wants GPs to deliver will be hindered because there might not be enough of them in the future? Is the minister concerned that the number of training places for GPs in Scotland has remained static at 280 and that, with the advancing age of our GPs, 30 per cent of whom are over 50, not enough GPs are being trained to deliver the services that the minister wants to deliver?
We need to get the context straight for the public and the Parliament. Resources devoted to GP services in Scotland have increased by 48 per cent and a further £12.6 million is going into the system. We have more GPs now than we have ever had.
Question 6 is withdrawn; the member is unwell.
Care Home Provision (Highlands)
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there has been any progress in improving care home provision in the Highlands. (S2O-10565)
I understand that Highland Council has recently approved the commencement of a care home procurement exercise to secure 168 comprehensive and flexible care home places for frail older people. The council is currently refurbishing a number of its care homes in rural locations to ensure compliance with statutory requirements.
The minister will be aware that because of recent decisions by Highland Council, many people in rural communities are concerned that it will not be possible for them to be cared for near their homes and families. Does the minister agree that, wherever possible, care for the elderly must be delivered and provided as locally as possible?
The principle of access to care is important, but the way it is delivered is a matter for local authorities rather than the Executive. However, because we are responsible for the health service, we are cognisant of the problems for those people who are leaving hospital in the Highlands and looking for a place in a care home. We will work with Highland Council to address the issues when it brings them to our attention in detail, which I understand it intends to do in the near future.
“Review of the Scottish Diet Action Plan”
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish a response to NHS Health Scotland's "Review of the Scottish Diet Action Plan". (S2O-10623)
The review considers complex and important issues concerning food and health in Scotland. I am considering it carefully and will respond in due course.
Does the minister acknowledge that the review of the Executive's diet action plan shows that, overwhelmingly, targets are not being achieved? For example, Scots are getting only half the fruit and vegetables that they need for good health. The review concludes that Executive resources and initiatives are spread too thinly. What does the Executive intend to do about that?
Dietary targets were set in 1996. Since then, our partnership Government has done a great deal to improve the diet of our communities. Cultural change takes time. However, we are working in schools with the hungry for success campaign, in nurseries on diet and curriculum, and in workplaces with Scotland's health at work. There is also the legislation that Peter Peacock is introducing.