SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
Education, Tourism, Culture<br />and Sport
Sport (Lottery Funding)
I declare an interest in that members of my family have received grants from sportscotland.
I want to make clear that there is no intention that sportscotland's share of the lottery sports fund will be diverted to pay for facilities in London. Sportscotland and the other distributors of the lottery sports fund will be expected to spend a combined total of £340 million on talented athlete development and the improvement of facilities for elite athletes and communities in their own countries.
Is the minister aware that sportscotland has indicated that, in the coming year, the maximum grant that it will give for capital works will be £750,000, and that funds will permit it to make only one such grant? Given that investment in sports facilities, inter alia, must increase if we are to train the next generation of successful athletes, what steps does he plan to take to ensure that the £40 million lost from Scottish sports funding does not lead to the further demotion of Scotland down the league table of international sports achievement?
Sportscotland's strategy is in response to the decline in overall lottery ticket sales. It reflects wider changes in the purchasing of lottery tickets, so it is wise that the entry point for contributions that can be made by sportscotland has been redefined.
Outdoor Education (Safety)
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last reviewed its guidance on safety in outdoor education. (S2O-1965)
The Executive is currently working with local authority representatives to update the relevant guidance.
The minister will recall that, in his reply to me on 18 March in the chamber, he said that he expected the physical education review to report on increasing the inclusion in school activity of minority sports such as off-road biking—which is planned for Methil in my constituency—and skateboarding, for which facilities are increasingly being provided with Executive funds. Those sports bring risks that may be different from those of traditional sports, so will the minister ensure that any review encompasses the risks associated with non-mainstream sports? Will he also ensure that the future of those sports in schools is not jeopardised by a lack of proper safety provision?
Christine May—I hope that I have got her name right this time, unlike the last time—raises an important point. She is right to say that we would like the range of sports and outdoor activities to be extended in schools and, indeed, beyond schools. We must ensure that our guidelines cover those types of sports so that they are not accidentally excluded from the list of sports in which people can participate just because of a lack of safety guidance. I am happy to ask officials to ensure that such sports are covered in the new guidance, which we hope to publish later this year.
The minister may be aware that the City of Edinburgh Council and, indeed, a head teacher are facing criminal charges in relation to the near-drowning of a six-year-old boy. There is a danger that young people may not participate in sport if we do not ensure that their safety is paramount. However, there is also a danger that teachers will become more resistant to taking part in educational visits and outdoor education. Will the minister ensure that the guidance that he produces takes account of what has happened in England, where an educational visits advisory council has recently been established? We must have robust guidance and we must have support that gives protection both to children and to teachers when engaging in outdoor education and visits.
Fiona Hyslop will appreciate that I am unable to comment on the specific instance that has been reported today in relation to Edinburgh because it is potentially subject to legal proceedings. The City of Edinburgh Council and other councils will have their own guidelines and will have a comprehensive policy; indeed, that will perhaps be the case with Edinburgh more than with many other authorities, because of its difficulties in relation to the Cairngorm tragedy of about 30 years ago. The council will be alert to the policy implications that arise from such matters.
Will the minister ensure that, while pupil safety must remain a paramount priority at all times, the guidance is sufficiently concise, relevant and to the point not to put off those wishing to participate in healthy outdoor pursuits? If the guidance is kept concise and relevant, it should succeed in its purpose.
One of the reasons why the Executive has slightly delayed publishing the guidance, which has been worked on for a number of months, is to ensure that the guidance covers all the angles that the Executive wants it to cover. The guidance should try to find a balance and to encourage young people to participate, while taking risks within that participation—that is the nature of some outdoor activities. However, outdoor education also has benefits for the personal growth of young people, who can assess their own risk as part of the framework in which they learn. It is vital that the Executive ensures that safety is the first priority. That is entirely achievable, provided the Executive gets the guidance correct and gets the balance correct within the guidance. The Executive will seek to do just as Lord James has suggested.
Looked-after Children (Mental Health Services)
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will respond to the chief social work inspector's findings in his report "Progress with Complexity" that mental health services for looked-after children are inadequate in most areas. (S2O-2032)
We are working with our expert child health support group to promote children and young people's mental health and to ensure better delivery of child and adolescent mental health services for those who need them. That includes services for vulnerable children and young people, such as those who are looked after by local authorities.
As the minister will be aware—this was highlighted again in this morning's debate—there are major shortcomings in obtaining psychiatric assistance and in recruiting clinical psychologists for children and young people. As we all know, however, looked-after children suffer disproportionately from mental health difficulties compared with the general child care population. Can the minister assure me that looked-after young people will receive the assistance that they require to prevent further exacerbation of their difficulties? Will the Scottish Executive ensure that those people who rely on services that cut across departmental boundaries are given sufficient priority to ensure that their needs are fully met?
I am grateful to the member for his comments. He takes a great deal of interest in the matter, and has had previous professional experience. He will know that a child and adolescent mental health development group has been established to draw on the expertise of colleagues from the national health service, education, social work and the voluntary sector. The major force of the development group's work is implementation of the recommendations made in the Scottish needs assessment programme—SNAP—report on child and adolescent mental health, which was published in March 2003. The group is currently focusing on the development of a template for child and adolescent mental health, which will expand on the child health support group's original template for child health services, to set out essential components of a comprehensive child and adolescent mental health service. The aim is to develop an explicit and observable child mental health provision, which can be used by health boards and their partners throughout Scotland to assess and plan child mental health arrangements. The template is expected to be ready by the end of the year.
We introduced the new format of question time so that we could have in-depth answers—that was a supreme example of one.
Will the minister ensure that mental health services for looked-after and other children recognise and diagnose communication impairment? Earlier this week, speech therapists to whom I spoke told me how much they can do for those children. Will the minister ensure that speech therapists are included?
Yes.
Schools (Local Authority Spending)
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of current underspends in various local authorities, it will direct such local authorities to spend these available resources on schools. (S2O-2007)
It is for each local authority to decide how best to manage its finances and allocate its resources, and to be held accountable for its decisions locally.
Given the proposed closures of rural schools in the Borders and the £3.5 million budget underspend that is predicted for the Scottish Borders Council in 2003-04, does the minister agree that the council should put that money into upgrading the schools that are under threat of closure because of the poor state of the buildings and facilities?
As I suggested, the decisions in that instance are for the Scottish Borders Council, as similar decisions in other cases are for other local authorities. Furthermore, Rosemary Byrne makes two basic errors. The Scottish Borders Council still does not know the outcome of its expenditure for last year because it will not close its books until the end of this month, which means that there may be some variance in the figure to which she referred. In any event, a one-year variance from the budget would not be sufficient to cover the cost of a school for the next 40, 50 or 60 years, which is the timescale in which investments take place.
Does the Executive plan to direct local authorities to use underspends to provide adequate remuneration, in line with the foster care allowance, to grandparents who provide kinship care for their grandchildren at the request of local councils, to enable those grandchildren to participate in sport on an equitable basis?
Local authority underspends are matters for the local authority. On the wider point that Mr Swinburne raises, we are aware of the issues that arise about grandparents' rights and we are keen to work through those issues and make progress on them. I am happy to have a discussion about that with Mr Swinburne if he wishes.
Local Tourism Hubs
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on the new local tourism hubs network strategy. (S2O-2016)
A project to merge the 14 area tourist boards with VisitScotland is in its early stages. The objective is to have the new tourism network operating from April 2005.
How will democratic accountability be continued in the new set-up? Will satellite areas have a degree of autonomy to pursue strategies that are tailored to their requirements?
The primary objective will be for tourism agencies throughout Scotland to work together locally and nationally to grow the opportunity to visit Scotland. That applies to the internal domestic market in the United Kingdom and to the international market. I have had early-initiative discussions with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to consider how we can meet the aspirations for local democratic input. I will endeavour to work on that issue, which is why I will chair the major task group that will consider how we can address many of the concerns.
Will the minister join me in welcoming today's announcement that the VisitScotland expo will return to Aberdeen next year, which will bring tourism industry representatives from throughout the globe back to the city? Is that a positive sign that the new hub structure will lead not to a loss of local influence but to a strategy that meets the tourism industry's needs throughout Scotland?
I was delighted that my colleague was present at the expo yesterday in Aberdeen, to see the good work and the high-quality tourism product from throughout Scotland. I hope that the expo will enhance the profile not only of Aberdeen, but of Scottish tourism. As I said, identifying what is best for local areas and maximising what can be done for our overall product are integral to the debate.
Will the minister join me in congratulating the Highlands on achieving seventh place among 115 world destinations for sustainable tourism? [Applause.]
I assure Jamie McGrigor that the clapping was for the achievement of the Highlands rather than the quality of his question. The achievement is tremendous. I pay tribute to the Highlands and Islands for the work that has been done on sustainable tourism. We have the ambition of growing sustainable tourism in the next few years. That commitment is shown by VisitScotland's award scheme.
Miss X Case
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will take as a result of the findings of the report on the Miss X case. (S2O-2048)
The report from the social work services inspectorate on the Scottish Borders Council case will be published shortly, together with the actions that the Scottish Executive will take.
That is no surprise. The minister has an extremely strange definition of the word "shortly". Is he aware that he has made the front page of the Southern Reporter under the headline "A deafening silence"? The article says:
The silence—such as it is—will end shortly, as I said. Christine Grahame has been grandstanding on the issue for some time, but the case is extraordinarily serious. [Interruption.] There is no point in waving a copy of the Southern Reporter at me. I have great respect for the newspaper, but I will not be rushed or bounced into responding by anybody.
Rushed?
Order.
The report raises serious issues. I saw the report for the first time on 12 March and I have taken extensive advice on it. I have asked a series of searching questions about it and its implications, and that will prepare the way for me to respond publicly to the report very soon. I will report to the Parliament and give it every opportunity to scrutinise my actions and to hear about the situation in full. I simply will not be bounced into doing that prematurely.
School Education (Sustainable Development)
To ask the Scottish Executive what importance it places on school education about environmentally and socially sustainable development. (S2O-2053)
I regard education for sustainable development as being very important.
I am pleased to hear that.
I am aware of the report and I say to Patrick Harvie that he has quoted slightly selectively from it. The report is partly critical, but it also says that there are some encouraging messages in what the Executive is seeking to do, particularly in the opportunities that have been created through the work of the sustainable development education liaison group; our work on the sustainable secondary schools partnership; our work with RSPB Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage, WWF Scotland and others; the support that we are giving for eco-schools throughout Scotland and the eco-schools initiative; the things that we are doing in relation to curriculum development and curriculum materials that we are putting into schools; and the fact that we are now monitoring the performance of local authorities in relation to the eco-schools programme. Those are all signals that we take the issue seriously. We are trying to embed sustainable development thinking as an integral part of the curriculum and we intend to continue to do so.
Before we move to questions on finance, public services and communities, I will allow a slight pause as ministers take their positions.
Finance and Communities
Arbroath Supermarkets (Planning Inquiry)
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make an announcement in respect of the planning inquiry into Arbroath supermarkets. (S2O-2043)
The report of the public local inquiry into three supermarket proposals in Arbroath is currently under consideration by the Scottish ministers. Every effort will be made to reach an early decision.
I thank the minister for her reply and am glad that consideration is continuing. However, I am sure that the minister understands that competition among supermarkets in Arbroath would deliver better pricing for people in Arbroath and surrounding districts. Consequently, will she explain to me why it has taken some 16 months to date—and it would appear that it will take longer—for an appeal that was lodged with the Executive as long ago as 6 February 2003 to be considered?
The original two applications were refused by the local council and therefore came to us on appeal. The applicants have up to six months to lodge an appeal, so the timescale can be elongated for that reason. However, given that there were a number of applications for supermarkets in the Arbroath area, the Executive considered that the most efficient method would be to hold the three inquiries at the same time in order to resolve the planning issues around the supermarket applications.
Does the minister accept that the long delay in reaching a decision has led to uncertainty and unnecessary speculation on a matter that is of great importance to the local economy of Arbroath and Angus? Is she aware of the massive local support for the Asda supermarket application? Will she ensure that, one way or the other, a decision will be taken as quickly as possible to end the uncertainty and speculation and allow the local economy to make progress?
It is essential that the planning procedures are conformed with when such applications are considered. Considering all three applications at the same time was the most sensible thing to do. It is essential for local people to be given the opportunity to partake in such inquiries and I believe that that has been the case.
Debt Advice
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to ensure that free debt advice is available to all who require it. (S2O-1981)
We announced in January an extra £4 million of new funding for free money and debt advice for 2004-05 and 2005-06. That funding will be used to develop money advice services for vulnerable groups, such as ethnic minority communities, lone parents and people with mental health issues, and to boost the £3 million annually that is already provided to local authorities by the Executive.
Is the minister aware of a statement that was made by the chairman of the HSBC Bank, which made a pre-tax profit of £6.86 billion? He advised that it was a very good year for HSBC. It was not such a good year, however, for many of those who find themselves in debt. Is it not time for us to call on our banking giants to provide funding so that we can deliver independent and objective financial advice in our local communities?
The Executive will continue to look at a number of ways of providing money advice, particularly to those with debt problems—we recognise the problems that they experience. We are also in conversation with the banks about how they can lend assistance to those who have particular problems in accessing money at affordable rates. Credit unions have provided a great way of assisting in some communities, but there are other ways in which the banks can assist people to access money and advice.
Access to Credit
To ask the Scottish Executive what action within its responsibilities it is taking to support those who are excluded from using the traditional financial sector due to their credit history. (S2O-2031)
We believe that credit unions have a vital role to play as they provide access to small loans at affordable interest rates, while at the same time encouraging a savings culture, which is a long-term way out of money problems. We want to help to market and develop credit unions and have offered a range of support including the £1.1 million capacity fund that we announced in September 2003 to help those credit unions best placed to serve low-income households to grow their membership.
I acknowledge that the Executive recognises the importance of credit unions. However, should we not push the traditional financial sector to do more? In that regard, will the minister consider promoting the uptake of basic bank accounts and look to spread the model of the Wester Hailes community banking agreement throughout communities in Scotland?
The most recent figures that we have show that 5.4 million basic bank accounts were opened by June 2002 in the UK. We recognise that there are advantages to increasing that number and, as I said in response to Paul Martin, we are in discussions with the banks as to how we can develop that further.
I thank the Presiding Officer for taking my question now as that will allow continuity with the current topic. I welcome the Executive's initiatives—its support for money advice agencies, its commitment to assist the credit union movement and its recognition of the valuable work that people do voluntarily in our communities. Does the minister agree that the numbers of people who find themselves with multiple debts, but who are still able to find lenders to lend them money or give them cards to get them deeper into debt, is of genuine concern? The points made by Paul Martin and Jackie Baillie are serious and show that all of us must have been thinking along the same lines this week. It is time that the Scottish Executive made proposals to deal with the trend. Such debt affects people of all ages, young and old, and it is too easy for people to fall into serious debt.
We recognise what the attractions might be of loan sharks and others who can prove to be very expensive in the long term. For that reason, we are working with the Department of Trade and Industry on the review of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. We are also working with the DTI on a pilot scheme that is based in Glasgow, although it will be operating Scotland-wide, to look at how we can crack down on illegal money lenders and loan sharks and ensure that we protect people, particularly those who are most vulnerable, from those unscrupulous lenders.
Planning Applications (Protection of Communities)
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will protect communities affected by planning applications that might have a negative impact on their environment or quality of life. (S2O-2013)
The purpose of the planning system is to guide change through an efficient and effective process that respects the rights of the individual while acting in the interest of the wider community. Effective community engagement is essential in shaping a sustainable Scotland. Our modernising agenda for the planning system includes measures to enhance and strengthen public involvement in all stages of the planning system.
I want to focus the minister's attention on the fact that many communities and councils are very angry at the way in which decisions that are made locally and democratically and have widespread support are overturned by the reporter at a public inquiry. Indeed, the most recent example involves Dundee City Council, which has sent material to members of all parties, asking them to raise this very point. I realise that some of the issues in question are controversial; however, if the reporter overturns a point of view that has very widespread support, surely communities must have some capacity to make their case in a higher court.
Of course the community still has the opportunity to take the matter further by seeking a review in the courts. However, the Executive and I are very anxious to ensure that people are involved in the planning process at the earliest possible stage. Doing so will secure the most effective outcomes for our communities instead of making them feel that they are up against those with other interests who perhaps do not recognise community interests.
Antisocial Behaviour etc (Scotland) Bill
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider amending section 90 of the Antisocial Behaviour etc (Scotland) Bill to introduce a lower age limit for restriction of liberty orders. (S2O-2021)
We are carefully considering this issue in light of the recommendations in the Communities Committee's stage 1 report. I am sure that the issue will be debated during stage 2 consideration of the bill, when we will make clear our considered position.
I thank the minister for that helpful reply. If she agrees that a progressive Government should examine the issue, will she consider accepting either her Labour colleague Elaine Smith's amendment or my own amendment, both of which would address the matter?
As far as I am aware, both the amendments that Mr Rumbles has mentioned seek to set age limits at which restriction of liberty orders can be made by the court. At the moment, I do not want to make a definitive response about that age limit.
On a point of order Presiding Officer. Is the chamber the appropriate forum in which to debate the merits of amendments that are under consideration elsewhere?
It is unusual, and members will take note.
I draw the attention of the minister and the chamber to the fact that we are debating stage 2 of the bill in committee, and I assure everyone that those debates will be taken very seriously by committee members and others who attend. It would be more helpful to have a productive discussion there rather than in the chamber.
In the interests of brevity, I can only say yes.
Question 6 has been withdrawn.
Planning Reform (Consultation)
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making to ensure a comprehensive response to its consultation papers on planning reform. (S2O-2061)
On 1 April of this year, as I am sure everyone is aware, we published the two consultation papers "Making Development Plans Deliver" and "Rights of Appeal in Planning". We are consulting widely. In the initial distribution of the consultation papers, we sent copies to a wide range of interested organisations and individuals. The consultations have been well publicised and we continue to provide copies of the papers to anyone who requests them. In addition, the consultation papers are available on the Executive's website. The consultation that I am proposing will be an active one in which we will meet all our stakeholders prior to the closing date of 30 July.
The minister will be aware that it was originally envisaged that the people would be the second chamber of the Parliament. Planning reform and third-party rights of appeal are issues that directly concern the public. Will she consider using innovative ways of involving the public in the consultation, such as those that are being promoted by the Scottish Civic Forum? What should MSPs do to encourage the public's participation in the consultations?
I am always looking for new ways to involve the community of Scotland in the Parliament's deliberations. Last summer my colleague Margaret Curran, other ministers and I showed the way when we consulted on the antisocial behaviour legislation. Such consultation is about involving as many people as possible.
I welcome the minister's positive response. Will she consider making available simple and easy-to-copy versions of the consultation documents? I know that some people have had difficulty in getting multiple copies of them. We want to engage our constituents in the debate and the minister is right that we should have that debate through to the summer. That process would be facilitated by the provision of simple documents that we can access and then spread to our constituents.
I am more than happy to help with that process. I am aware of several innovative members of my group who have already put together simple, straightforward and understandable papers. They are already engaged with their communities in discussing planning matters. If we can be of any further assistance, of course that would be okay.
Consultation is one thing, but listening to the results of the consultation is another. My constituents are very concerned that their views were not taken into account during the earlier consultation on structure planning, and that the Executive decided to go ahead with city-region plans that will split Fife, despite the fact that the people of Fife overwhelmingly rejected those plans. They include 3,000 people in my constituency who submitted a petition to the Parliament that opposed the plans. Can the minister assure me that the Executive will listen to those who respond to the consultation on the operation of the planning system?
I assure Mr Smith that we will listen to those who are consulted. However, as I have said previously on planning issues, often we have to resolve different views. The planning system has a difficult role to play.
General Questions
Borders Railway (Funding)
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of recent newspaper reports, it has agreed its share of funding for the Borders railway. (S2O-2049)
The Scottish Executive has not agreed its share of funding for the Borders railway in light of recent newspaper reports.
Well, there is an honest answer. However, how does that square with other newspaper reports, which I hope the minister has read, that his colleague Jeremy Purvis said—hint, hint—that we should not worry about the funding for the Waverley line because the coalition is committed to it? If Mr Purvis is right, how can the minister say what he just said? I presume that Mr Purvis is wrong and that there is no commitment to fund the Waverley line. Can the minister make the position clear once and for all?
I notice that there are still no recent newspaper reports committing the Scottish National Party to the funding of the Waverley rail line. As recently as 31 March, I met the Waverley railway partnership at a meeting that was convened by Mr Purvis, Mr Robson and Ms Brankin, who actively promote the scheme with other members of the Executive and me to ensure that the Executive provides funding. We now have all the information that we require on the Waverley railway partnership's business case. I will be able to make a decision once I receive from my officials the full report on the completed business case, which I will get soon.
I am delighted that Miss Grahame is such an avid reader of my press releases. The minister will know that, at the meeting that I convened and chaired on behalf of constituents and the Waverley railway partnership, the issue was the importance of considering long-term, strategic planning for the benefits of the project. Does he agree that that is a better approach than one of carping from the sidelines?
It is important to point out that if a new railway line is built in an area such as the Borders, it can bring significant economic, environmental and social benefits. I heard comments on the radio this morning—rather than getting them from one of Mr Purvis's or Ms Grahame's press releases—about general movements in housing costs in Scotland and how, in anticipation of the benefits of the Waverley line, there is growing confidence in the Borders and a shift in housing prices there. Investment in public transport can result in such tangible benefits, which are encouraging to see.
So that I can clarify the position once and for all in my column in the Border Telegraph, will the minister tell us when he will make the announcement on the funding?
The track record of the Conservative party, not only in relation to the Borders rail link but in relation to any of the other major public transport projects that the Executive is supporting, is non-existent. It was the Conservatives who pulled money out of public transport and neglected our railways for decades. Given such insecure foundations, it is interesting to see David Mundell now try to put Executive members under pressure on the issue. We are determined to make the decision soon. We are committed to the Borders rail project, as was pointed out in the partnership agreement, and I am confident that, over the next few years, not only with the Borders railway but with a £3 billion programme of investment in Scotland's transport over a 10-year period, we will start to transform the quality of public transport in Scotland. That is something to which I hope everyone in this chamber is committed.
The minister and the Parliament will be familiar with my making the point that Midlothian has no train service whatsoever. It is one of the few areas in Scotland still to be in that position. With regard to the business case for the Waverley line, is the minister aware of the importance of being able to transport my constituents into Edinburgh in order to support the city's economy? Is that matter being considered in addition to the benefits to both Midlothian and the Borders?
It is important to emphasise the fact that there are significant benefits to Midlothian, East Lothian and areas other than the Borders as a result of the Borders rail link to Edinburgh. All those benefits will be looked at and quantified as part of the assessment of the business case that comes forward from the Waverley railway partnership.
I welcome the minister's answer and particularly his comments about not just developing the Waverley line but having somewhere for it to stop when it reaches Edinburgh. In the context of that answer, will he clarify whether the new platforms and train paths at Waverley station have the capacity to take the Waverley line, or whether other, much needed, central Scotland rail projects will be assumed in that welcome initial stage of the development of Waverley station?
The initial stage that we announced this week, which will increase capacity from 24 trains per hour to 28 trains per hour, can accommodate the Borders railway line and the other projects that I mentioned.
Tolled Bridges (Review)
To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to start the review of tolled bridges referred to in "A Partnership for a Better Scotland". (S2O-1972)
Preparations for the review are at an advanced stage and I will make an announcement on the remit and programme for taking forward this work in due course.
In light of the calls for removal of the tolls on the Skye and Erskine bridges, will the minister have regard to the fact that the capital costs of building the Forth road bridge were repaid in 1996? Will he further note the economic situation in Fife, where the level of unemployment in central Fife is acute and is higher than in many other parts of Scotland? As one of the solutions to the problem, will he hear my call for the Forth road bridge tolls to be abolished as an outcome of the review? Will he join me in welcoming the news that the Scottish Trades Union Congress yesterday agreed a motion calling for another multimodal crossing over or under the Forth?
All those issues will certainly be taken into consideration as part of the review. I met representatives of FETA—the Forth Estuary Transport Authority, which is responsible for the bridge—to discuss the pressures that it faces and to encourage it to develop proposals for the crossing over the coming months.
Does the minister agree that a study into yet another Forth road bridge is a waste of resources and that we should focus on upgrading the existing infrastructure, starting with the signalling on the Forth rail bridge and finishing with the opening of stations at Methil, Leven and St Andrews?
I agree there are significant shorter-term measures that we can take, such as the introduction of the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine line, which will take pressure off the Forth rail bridge and allow us to upgrade to improve services to Fife. In relation to our longer-term view of the Forth crossing, which is vital for Scotland, I would like to see the balance of investment swing towards public transport and better public transport services for that crossing, but it would be wrong at this stage to rule out any of the options for the future.
Motorists (Assistance)
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take, or propose that Her Majesty's Government should take, any measures to assist the motorist in Scotland, in light of the necessity of a motor car for many people in rural and urban Scotland. (S2O-2038)
I am pleased at the breadth of questions on transport issues in this general question time.
As the minister knows, the level of tax on fuel in Scotland is, thanks to the London Labour chancellor, the highest, or among the highest, in the world—although it is not high enough for the Liberal party. Can he explain what, in his view, is the justification for that dubious honour? Is there any reason connected with the environment? If so, can he explain the strange absence of massive clouds of smog scudding along our skyline? Is it the truth that the problem is not damage to the environment, but damage caused by the chancellor, and that the colour of the problem is not green but Brown?
Fuel duty is a reserved matter, as Fergus Ewing correctly pointed out, and it would be wrong for me to comment on it in the chamber.
Prison Escort Services
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review its policy on the privatisation of prison escort services. (S2O-2001)
As I made clear in my statement to Parliament yesterday, we are committed to those reforms because they will get more police on front-line operational duties. However, as I also made clear, I expect Reliance Secure Task Management Ltd to meet the terms of the contract and to deliver a high-quality service.
Is it not absolutely farcical that sheriffs threaten strike action because of lack of security in their courts and that a private security guard with a van full of prisoners is reported to have had to ask directions on how to get to the prison? Does the minister not agree that when the state orders people to be taken into custody, the state should have direct responsibility for ensuring that those people are kept in custody and should not pass on that responsibility to a private company whose main motive is profit rather than public safety?
As I outlined clearly in yesterday's statement, there will still be a police presence in and around the courts. Matters of court security are matters for the chief constable. In the lead-up to the award of the contract, a range of discussions took place on that issue. Reassurances were given that overall responsibility for security in the courts would not be removed from the police.
Rail Services (Fife, Perth and Edinburgh)
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve rail services between Perth, Fife and Edinburgh. (S2O-2012)
The Scottish Executive is funding new trains and longer platforms that will lead to, for example, a 28 per cent increase in peak-time capacity on Fife services. The new Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine line will also bring significant benefits. The Executive is of course prepared to consider any proposals that local authorities and their transport partners may promote for new or improved rail services between Perth, Fife and Edinburgh.
The minister will be aware of the importance of good transport links with the capital for economic development in those areas. He is probably also aware that there is deep dissatisfaction among people in Fife about the level of service between Fife and Edinburgh. It is equally unacceptable to people in Perth that it can sometimes take two hours to get from Perth to Edinburgh. In the context of the renewal of the ScotRail franchise, will the minister outline what discussions he has had with the relevant authorities about driving up the service that is available to people in Perth and Fife?
I welcome the fact that there is a demand for better public transport. In my view, there is a real opportunity to grow the market for passenger services on our railways in Scotland. Fife is certainly one of the prime candidates for improved services.
Does the minister agree that pressure on the Forth road bridge and congestion in Edinburgh can be relieved only by the provision of a fast, frequent and safe rail service from Fife and beyond? What hope can the minister give to frustrated commuters from Markinch, who have been waiting for the redevelopment of their station for five years, that the work to include toilets, disabled access and closed-circuit television will begin in the very near future?
The delivery of such projects is not in my direct control, but I am keen to provide support for the funding, planning and appraisal of those projects. In relation to the Fife services, I have mentioned that there will be 29 new trains throughout Scotland, several of which will be targeted on services to the north of Edinburgh. That will benefit the Fife commuter services. I also want to mention the longer platforms at stations on the Fife circle and the benefits of the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine line, which will take pressure off the Forth road bridge and will lead to further improvements in commuter services in the area.
That concludes general questions.
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