Plenary,

Meeting date: Thursday, May 22, 2008

Official Report 748KB pdf

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Question Time

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SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE

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Education and Lifelong Learning

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Outdoor Education and Education in the Outdoors

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in developing a plan to provide greater access to outdoor education and education in the outdoors for all school pupils. (S3O-3379)

The draft outcomes for the curriculum for excellence that have been released over the course of this school year contain rich opportunities for schools to use outdoor education and outdoor learning to achieve the outcomes that are sought. Our new framework for learning and teaching—"Building the curriculum 3: A framework for learning and teaching"—which the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning will launch on 10 June, will also provide a tremendous opportunity for outdoor education and learning to flourish. The Minister for Community Safety and I led a summit with stakeholders on this issue on 5 March. Building on that, we are setting up a strategic advisory group to explore creative ways of delivering outdoor education, sharing good examples across the country and encouraging schools to provide more outdoor education opportunities.

I thank the minister for her answer. Clearly, I must wait until 10 June to see whether progress has been made.

I alert the minister to the concerns of the real world learning partnership—which includes a large number of Scottish environment organisations—about learning in the outdoors. I mention particularly its concerns about the countryside ranger service. Is the Government disposed to make arrangements to ensure that, because local authorities will be put in charge of part of the ranger service and funding for it will be taken away from Scottish Natural Heritage, the service can continue to provide the vital and almost irreplaceable education services that it currently provides?

I assure Robin Harper that the money for the ranger service is still available. We are rationalising the funding streams to local government, not cutting the funding. The funding will come through the local government settlement instead of from SNH, so countryside rangers will still be available.

Will Maureen Watt agree to meet my colleague Elizabeth Smith and me to discuss Conservative proposals for outdoor education that would give every child aged between 11 and 15 a guaranteed right to at least one week's outdoor education as part of the school curriculum?

I assure Murdo Fraser that I am willing to meet him and his colleague. I have been waiting for a request for such a meeting: I had understood that Robin Harper, Murdo Fraser and other members wanted to meet me about outdoor education. I have not had that request, but I would be delighted to meet Murdo Fraser and his colleague on their own.

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Physical Education

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will meet its manifesto commitment to ensure that every pupil has two hours of quality physical education each week delivered by specialist PE teachers. (S3O-3410)

In our concordat, local authorities have committed to developing and delivering the curriculum for excellence. We have made it clear that, as part of the curriculum for excellence, we expect schools to continue to work towards the provision of two hours good quality PE for each child every week. That is reflected in the health and wellbeing experiences and outcomes of the curriculum for excellence that were released on 13 May.

I am grateful to the minister for that response, which essentially—and not surprisingly—repeats what the First Minister said in response to my colleague Nicol Stephen last week. However, the question was "When?" In ordinary use of the English language, asking "When?" might imply that a date should be attached to the answer. That is really the central matter that other members and I want to know. So, I repeat: when will the Government meet its target as just stated by the minister?

The target is a joint target with local government. I gently remind Ross Finnie that his Administration had such a target when it was in power. I thought that he might have welcomed our wanting to continue with the target.

Between 2004 and 2007, only 211 specialist postgraduate PE teachers graduated, whereas the forecast for this year alone is for approximately 150 graduates. That demonstrates the pace of change to ensure that enough PE teachers are coming through sooner rather than later. The previous Administration singularly failed to meet its target. I would like to think that Ross Finnie shares our ambition to achieve our target. If he does, he might congratulate us on having so many PE teachers graduate this year—only English and Mathematics will have more graduates coming through—to go into schools to help to deliver the target.

The Parliament has had enough of Scottish National Party ministers' refusal to answer questions. When will the two hours of quality PE be delivered? Will they be delivered by specialist PE teachers? Yes or no.

It is important that PE be delivered by specialist PE teachers, although it is unfortunate that the situation has been made more challenging because only 211 postgraduate PE teachers graduated during the previous Administration. However, as I said to Ross Finnie, I am pleased that more than 150 PE teachers will graduate this year.

In addition, there is specialist PE training for primary school teachers in the short term, in recognition of the fact that we do not have enough specialist PE teachers to ensure that two hours of PE can be provided to every pupil by a specialist. Some 3,000 primary school teachers will experience PE training between August and December this year. If Rhona Brankin does not recognise that that approach demonstrates our commitment to PE, I wonder why she is doing the job that she does on the Labour Party front bench.

Is the cabinet secretary aware that a high proportion of the people who are being trained in PE are one-year graduate trainees and will not be what fully trained PE teachers like me consider to be specialist PE teachers? I ask that in passing.

Members asked the cabinet secretary when the two hours of quality PE will be delivered. The answer is probably never—[Interruption.] Do not worry, that was just one of my sticks falling over—[Interruption.] That was the one that I was going to use on the cabinet secretary.

I am sorry to say that we do not have all day, Ms MacDonald.

Neither do I, Presiding Officer. I have been banging this drum for a number of years.

I hope that the cabinet secretary agrees that the important point is that primary school children should form the habit of taking daily exercise. Head teachers do not have the money in their budgets to employ the specialist PE teachers who are currently in training. I suggest that an achievable target would be for every child in every primary school to have a period of activities every day—perhaps as short as 15 or 20 minutes—which could be managed by a primary school teacher who is already overburdened with all sorts of curricular demands. Will the minister comment on my suggestion?

Margo MacDonald made a number of points and I acknowledge her work over the years in pursuit of the issue. I also acknowledge her concerns about the one-year training course, although 150 new graduates this year is a great improvement on the 211 that graduated during a three-year period under the previous Administration. Currently 250 people are going through, or being recruited to, the four-year BEd programme, which demonstrates the important acceptance that we must invest in four-year teacher training, as this Government has done.

We must distinguish between physical education and physical activity, which are both important. I acknowledge the importance of daily exercise because the Government helped to fund a pilot scheme in a number of primary schools and in one secondary school in Dumfries and Galloway—I think the pilot included schools in your constituency, Presiding Officer—in which children undertook daily aerobic skipping exercises, managed by their teachers. We did that because we must find mechanisms and create unique opportunities that will attract boys and girls to indulge with great enthusiasm in daily physical activity, which can be supplemented by physical education.

We recognise the different tasks that we have to take forward. The fit for girls programme is another example of our work to encourage girls into physical activity. I hope that that gives an idea of the broad range of the proposals that we are taking forward. If it would be helpful to Margo MacDonald, I will be more than happy to meet her to discuss some of our other proposals.

How many specialist PE teachers who are currently in their probationary year will have a permanent job at the end of that period?

As Hugh O'Donnell knows, the concordat with the local authorities makes clear the specific arrangements to maintain 53,000 teachers across Scotland. Obviously, it is up to local authorities to employ them: they are the employers of teachers. I am confident, bearing in mind authorities' joint commitment to the curriculum for excellence and two hours of quality PE a week, that they will accept responsibility for taking forward the opportunity to recruit the new probationers into permanent positions, once they have fulfilled their probationary period.

Question 3 has been withdrawn.

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Class Size Reductions

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in the last year towards delivering its class size reduction policy. (S3O-3412)

Good progress has been made. On 14 November 2007, we signed an historic concordat under which local government agreed to reduce primary 1 to primary 3 classes to a maximum of 18 as quickly as possible. Since then, we have been working with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and local authorities on achievement of that joint commitment.

The cabinet secretary will be aware that, on 5 September last year, the First Minister stated unequivocally in the chamber that this flagship education policy will be delivered within this parliamentary session. However, from a reply to a freedom of information request from my colleague Jeremy Purvis, we can see that not a single one of the councils that responded has in place a strategy to implement the SNP's class size policy within that time.

This week, the Educational Institute of Scotland told the Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee that, as well as there being no funding to deliver the policy, there is no reliable way of monitoring its implementation. Does the cabinet secretary accept that the Government's class size policy is in total disarray? Does she further accept that the failure to deliver is a colossal let-down to parents across Scotland who voted SNP because of it? Indeed, does she still believe that the promise will ever be delivered? If so, when?

I want to make it clear that the agreement that we signed with local government and COSLA on 14 November set out a joint commitment. In order to help to progress class size reductions, it also set out arrangements for local authorities to maintain teacher numbers in the face of falling school rolls, which allows significant progress to be made.

Liam McArthur may be disappointed, but the Liberal Democrats' FOI request may have reached councils at the wrong time. For example, the implication was that West Lothian Council would not be participating, but West Lothian Council is progressing with class size reductions. As of this year, it will have class sizes of 18 in P1 to P3 in areas of deprivation. I am delighted that South Lanarkshire Council—a Labour-controlled local authority—is also employing 11 more teachers this year to progress reductions in class sizes to 18 in a number of schools, particularly in areas of deprivation. Renfrewshire Council has allocated £1 million to reduce class sizes to ensure that it can help to deliver the target, and Fife Council has allocated £9 million.

Opposition members might think it preferable to see the doom and gloom and wish that things will not happen. However, many parents and pupils are congratulating the local authorities that are moving forward and improving things. The reduction in class sizes in P1 to P3 in areas of deprivation will help to give firm foundations of learning to our young people. It will improve literacy and numeracy and ensure that our young people have the best start in life. Instead of trying to denigrate those who are trying to deliver class size reductions, we all should be working collectively towards that end.

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City of Edinburgh Council (New Schools)

To ask the Scottish Executive how many new schools it expects that the City of Edinburgh Council will contribute to the around 250 schools that will have been delivered under the Scottish Government by the end of this parliamentary session, as stated by the Minister for Schools and Skills on 8 May 2008. (S3O-3435)

The detail of the school building programme in Edinburgh is a matter for the city council. Current information suggests that it will have a further 11 new schools either completed or nearing completion by 2011.

Does the minister not recall that, in her answer on 8 May, she said that the City of Edinburgh Council would be responsible for any schools that were not built, but that she would take the credit for any that were built?

Since then, the situation has escalated into the most astonishing slanging match between Kenny MacAskill and Marilyn MacLaren—an unbelievable and unprecedented dispute, the likes of which I have not seen before. Each is blaming the other for schools not being built in Edinburgh.

If the council and the Executive get together, surely some progress will be made. If they do not, the people who will suffer are the pupils, the parents and all the other people connected with the new schools that are not going to be built at Portobello, Boroughmuir and James Gillespie's. If the council and the Executive need any help to get together, I will make available my good offices to ensure that they do so.

I am not sure whether there was a question in that, but I can help George Foulkes by saying that Mr MacAskill was referring to the nearly £3 billion of capital resources that was made available to local authorities over three years to secure investment in schools and other infrastructure. In Edinburgh's case, the total over the three years was £2.2 million in the first year and up to £65 million in the final year. [Interruption.] Mr MacAskill was saying that Edinburgh has been given the capital and can use it for schools if it wishes.

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Good Neighbourhood Policies

To ask the Scottish Executive—

I am sorry, Mr McNeil. Could you lift your microphone, please?

Sorry. I will start again.

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that all schools operate a good neighbourhood policy. (S3O-3452)

I do not think Mr McNeil needs a microphone, to be honest.

To answer his question, I am sure that, under the leadership of headteachers, all schools strive to be good neighbours by instilling in their pupils, in all that they do, the virtue of respect for their neighbours and the environments and communities of which they are a part.

As MSPs know, if there is one thing that strains neighbourhood relations around our schools, it is the problem of litter. Recently, I made some representations to a local secondary school, Greenock academy. In its response, it said that it has organised a programme of assemblies in which litter and pupils' wider responsibilities are addressed, and that it has established a good working relationship with community police. It has put in place disciplinary measures, and some pupils have been charged with litter offences, which sends a strong message. Litter patrols have taken place around the school and there is additional supervision at lunchtime—

Do you have a question, Mr McNeill?

Yes I do, Presiding Officer.

Catering staff have also become involved, and there has been work to make the area more attractive to stay in. Does the minister agree that Greenock academy is a school that takes its neighbourhood responsibilities seriously? Should its action plan be commended as an example of the good practice that should be adopted in schools throughout Scotland?

Yes. I am happy to acknowledge what Mr McNeil said. Many schools are involved in anti-litter campaigns that benefit their neighbourhoods. Others are involved in regeneration through the eco-schools programme—Ravenscraig primary school in Mr McNeil's constituency has just achieved its fourth green flag.

It is clear that leadership in schools is important in relation to tackling litter. The parent councils that are coming on stream also have a role to play in their discussions with local authority representatives.

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Bursaries (Means Testing)

To ask the Scottish Executive how many students will be affected by changes to means testing for bursaries. (S3O-3427)

The Scottish Government does not have a record of the number of students who will be affected because the previous Administration did not collect that information. In future years, however, we will be able to ascertain how many will be affected.

I ask the minister to consider the matter further. As she knows, students have many financial commitments, including tenancies to which they are tied in advance. Their ability to budget effectively is therefore essential.

When means testing was changed for students in England and Wales, it was implemented for new students only. Will the minister say why SNP ministers introduced their changes for all students, including those who are halfway through their courses?

On the first point, there was a general consensus that means testing had to be revised: it had been in the same state for decades. In its response to the consultation, the National Union of Students supported what we are doing.

However, I acknowledge the point about introducing changes for students during their courses. We had to consider that carefully but—unfortunately—our advice from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland was that administration of two systems running concurrently would have caused a great deal of difficulty in the information technology and administrative function. We recommend that any students who experience hardship as a result of the changes apply to their institution's discretionary fund for relief and support in the meantime.

There has been widespread support for addressing a longstanding need for change. I know that the previous Administration supported such changes, which had to be made at some point. I acknowledge that the simplest thing may have been to implement them just for new students, and we genuinely considered that option, but for administrative purposes and in order to avoid difficulties not only for students and parents, but in the operation of the system, the sensible decision was to introduce the changes as we have done.

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Europe, External Affairs and Culture

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Commonwealth Parliamentary Association

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions the Minister for Europe and External Affairs has had with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. (S3O-3380)

In October, I was delighted to speak at the 19th Commonwealth parliamentary seminar for representatives of CPA branches from around the world. That event was, of course, hosted here in the Parliament. At the time, I also attended a dinner hosted by the First Minister in his role as vice president of the CPA Scotland branch. We were pleased that Dr William Shija, the secretary-general of the CPA was present.

When I visited Malawi earlier this year, three representatives of the CPA Scotland branch travelled too, as part of a CPA-funded programme. We attended a number of joint events and visits.

Does the minister feel that the CPA Scotland branch has a role to play in the external affairs aspect of her brief? If the answer is yes, will she elaborate on which areas and by which mechanisms she believes that that role could be taken forward?

Of course. CPA Scotland, funded by the CPA worldwide organisation, does sterling work on civic governance issues. I know that Alasdair Morgan, Karen Gillon and Sarah Boyack carried out such work when they were in Malawi, and that it was warmly welcomed by counterparts there.

We maintain contact with Scottish Parliament officials and CPA representatives to keep one another in touch with our respective programmes of work in Malawi. That is the way to move forward, because international development in general is very much a focus of both the Government and Parliament in Scotland.

The CPA is not eligible to apply for funds from the Government's international development fund, as parliamentary exchanges are the responsibility of the Scottish Parliament. It is for the Parliament to support any such activity.

Will the First Minister take the opportunity to commend the legislative assembly of Northern Ireland, which has now set up its own branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and is willing to co-operate with the Scottish Parliament in co-hosting visits from overseas delegates? That is particularly valuable as that legislature can offer first-hand advice on issues such as conflict management, which I suppose can occasionally be helpful in this place.

I am sure that the First Minister would be delighted to welcome that development, as am I. It is another great example of the devolved legislatures working together for the greater benefit, bringing their respective skills and strengths. In the north of Ireland, there are particular skills and strengths that can be brought to bear throughout the world.

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Access to Music (Children)

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that access to music of all kinds is widely available to children of all ages. (S3O-3415)

During this spending review period, £10 million per year has been allocated to continue to support the national youth music initiative, which ensures access to a range of music opportunities for children and young people throughout Scotland. Opportunities are also made available through Scotland's national performing companies.

Despite the minister's encouraging words and reference to money, I am aware that, from 2009, Scottish Arts Council funding will be cut from the Scots Music Group, the Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland, the Scottish Language Dictionaries and the Scots language centre, among others. How will she and her department ensure that the SNP protects those vital elements of standing up for Scotland?

I make it clear that funding for the youth music initiative is separate—it is guaranteed for this spending review period. The fèisean movement takes part in the youth music initiative, which involves a wide range of musical genres.

Some people have been very disappointed by the Scottish Arts Council's recent announcements on flexible funding. I understand that completely but, as always, the Government takes a hands-off approach to the Arts Council.

As members know, I have commissioned an audit of Scots language provision, which we expect to receive by October. Because of the SNP Government's commitment to the Scots language and culture, we will use the results of that audit to work out how we go forward to ensure that the Scots language and culture are deemed to be an important part of Scottish culture.

The minister mentioned the youth music initiative. Will she reveal how much of that initiative's effort was put into the traditional music of Scotland, which is our unique contribution to the world's cultures? Have enough instruments been available to teach children? Has the fèisean movement been engaged throughout Scotland in teaching? Has the initiative been applied inconsistently? If so, what can she do to correct that?

The Scottish Arts Council recently published the year 4 report of the youth music initiative, which contains details on allocations up to 2007. That report gives a full breakdown of the styles and genres of music that were available as part of the primary 6 target provision.

Although the report confirms that all 32 local authorities and Jordanhill school sustained the primary 6 target in 2006-07, it says that, in the wide range of activity throughout Scotland, some authorities offer more innovative and exciting combinations of activity than do others. I encourage Mr Gibson to read that report and to make representations to the Arts Council, as many members do when they feel passionately about aspects of Scottish culture.

Will the minister tell us even one way in which children's access to music provision has improved in the past year? Is it not the case that cultural co-ordinators, who are vital to widening access, are being run down and will be axed? In Edinburgh, is not the council's SNP coalition administration depriving children of opportunities to access and enjoy Scottish Ballet and Scottish Opera? We welcome the continuation of the youth music initiative, but is not its budget flatlining in cash terms and therefore declining in real terms?

It is interesting that I am being asked all those questions when I am the first minister with responsibility for culture and the arts in Scotland to try to map the provision of music in outreach, education and other activity throughout the country. That has never been done before. Provision has been piecemeal. For the first time, our national companies are letting us know what work they do, so that we can see how to use them to best advantage.

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Joint Ministerial Committee on Europe

To ask the Scottish Executive what matters it raised at the last joint ministerial committee on Europe. (S3O-3457)

I attended the most recent meeting of the joint ministerial committee on Europe on 3 March, when the discussions centred on preparation for the forthcoming European Council—the spring council—and on United Kingdom and devolved Administration co-ordination in relation to European Union affairs.

Given the Executive's commitment to standing up for Scotland, will the minister indicate why, during the year in which the SNP has been in power, no Scottish minister has attended any council of ministers meetings on education, youth, culture, environment, social policy, health, transport, enterprise, competitiveness or a range of other areas? The range of issues of importance to Scotland that have been discussed at those meetings include child protection, culture, climate change and biodiversity. Is this really what the minister means by standing up for Scotland?

I could talk for an hour about the marked difference the SNP Government has made to European relations. We find that UK ministers often do not wish us to attend council meetings. Sitting beside me is Mr Maxwell, whose UK counterpart has refused his taking part in delegations to council. This Government stands up for Scotland at every turn. In recognition of that, perhaps Ms Oldfather should discuss with UK Labour the issue of ensuring that we are able to do so.

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Creative Scotland

To ask the Scottish Executive whether creative Scotland will be the lead economic development agency for the creative industries. (S3O-3417)

As I said in my evidence last week to the Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee, creative Scotland will be the leading public body in advocating for the creative industries. At the request of the agencies involved, and as outlined in the report of the short-term working group, a creative economy forum will be established to ensure that the key public bodies work together to maximise the success of our creative businesses. I have sent the Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee the report of the creative industries working group that I discussed with it last week.

Creative Scotland's transition team told the Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee that creative Scotland will be the lead development—not advocacy but development—agency for the creative industries in Scotland. The minister will recall that Scottish Enterprise told the committee the same thing—about Scottish Enterprise. She may recall page 55 of the SNP manifesto, which says:

"We will transfer the budgets for the creative industries from Scottish Enterprise to Creative Scotland."

However, Jack Perry, the chief executive of Scottish Enterprise, told the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee yesterday that ministers signed off its operating plan with no transfer of those budgets. Why has the Government broken that clear SNP promise?

Had Mr Purvis been able to attend last week's meeting of the Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee, he would have heard all of that being discussed in great detail. Creative Scotland will indeed be the leading public body advocating for the creative industries, and it will be an arts development agency. Its main contribution to the creative economy will be to lead the transition team's forum. The forum is not a public body but a group of professionals who are committed to the creative economy and who have chosen to come together. Their job will be to inform what the public sector does and to accelerate growth in the creative industries. The creative industries are one of our key industry sectors, and we must all work together to ensure that the sector is the success that it can be for Scotland.

The minister will no doubt be aware of the very good work of the six creative industries offices around Scotland. Will she indicate which organisation—creative Scotland or the Scottish Enterprise network—they will report to, and which they will receive their funding from?

Those issues are under discussion with all the agencies involved, including the local authorities. The creative industries are vital to Scotland's future, and it is extremely important that everybody works together with the team Scotland approach. That means that we will get it right. We are determined to get it right, and everyone in the field is committed to getting it right. This Government listens to those with the expertise, who will come to us and discuss getting it right.

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Creative Scotland

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made towards establishing creative Scotland. (S3O-3443)

We are making progress towards establishing creative Scotland. The Parliament is considering our legislation and the Government is taking forward parallel work to transform the existing bodies into creative Scotland.

The minister will be aware that some dissatisfaction has been expressed about the competence of the financial memorandum to the Creative Scotland Bill. Indeed, the minister told the Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee last week that the financial memorandum

"contained estimates of the likely costs of the transition"—[Official Report, Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee, 14 May 2008; c 1035.]

to creative Scotland.

Does the minister agree that a financial memorandum to a bill that is before Parliament should be accurate and based on detailed costings, as opposed to estimates that are based on guesswork?

I understand the frustration felt by the Finance Committee. We want to get on and establish creative Scotland as quickly as possible, after years of inaction by the previous Administration. Consultation fatigue has set in right across the sector. We want to give the cultural sector the certainty for which it has waited so long. That means that we are introducing legislation and, in parallel, building the plan for the new body.

I have provided the Finance Committee with more detail about the one-off costs of establishing creative Scotland, which it has shared with the Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee, which is the lead committee on the bill. As I confirmed last week at the Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee, I have undertaken to give further detailed information on financing before stage 2 of the bill process.

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Traditional Voluntary Arts

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is providing to traditional voluntary arts. (S3O-3464)

The Scottish Arts Council supports a wide range of traditional arts activity and voluntary arts organisations.

I am sure that the minister is aware that, as we have already heard this afternoon, many voluntary arts organisations do not believe that they are being supported by the Scottish Arts Council. Will the minister tell the Parliament why organisations such as the Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland, the Scottish Traditions of Dance Trust, the Edinburgh music initiative and the Scots language centre, to name only a few, were eligible for funding from the Scottish Arts Council last year but are not eligible this year, and why their applications have been deemed unsuitable? Without support to help with their core costs, many of those groups will struggle to survive beyond the end of the year and many will be in serious trouble long before the conclusion of the Scots language audit.

Has the minister discussed the matter with the Scottish Arts Council? Will transitional funding be offered to those affected? How will the Government ensure that those organisations, which protect and promote Scotland's rich heritage and culture, can continue to exist beyond 2008?

Just for clarification, the two-year flexible funding that was brought in lasts until the end of March next year. The Scottish Arts Council is already in discussion with voluntary arts organisations about the overall relationship between the voluntary sector and the council—and creative Scotland, when it comes into being. I have already discussed today the position of our particularly wonderful Scottish traditional arts. The Scots language audit is on-going and will be completed. In tandem, we are discussing how Scotland's unique cultural tradition can be taken forward. For clarification, it is worth saying that the Scottish Arts Council is continuing to fund other organisations that relate very much to Scottish culture and language.

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Cultural Activities (Deprived Communities)

To ask the Scottish Executive what resources are available to deprived communities for cultural activities. (S3O-3432)

The Scottish Government is committed to widening access to culture for everyone in Scotland, including those who live in our most deprived communities. Several initiatives are being supported that relate to that commitment.

For example, our match-funded cultural pathfinder programme targets communities that tend not to take part in culture and includes projects in areas of multiple deprivation. The fairer Scotland fund and the cashback for communities arts and business match fund represent substantial potential resources for those seeking to use the arts in working together to tackle deprivation and poverty. Local authorities also make a substantial contribution, and the Scottish Government is working in partnership with local government to advance the agenda to widen cultural access for all communities in Scotland.

The minister will be aware that James McAvoy recently drew attention to the importance of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in providing drama courses of the highest quality, which he emphasised was particularly important for young people from deprived backgrounds. She has dropped cultural co-ordinators, who assist the most excluded, and she says that the Government listens to experts and expertise. I ask her to listen to James McAvoy and others who have called for direct intervention in the RSAMD to ensure that the opportunity that it offers young people in Scotland continues to exist.

I draw members' attention to another thing that Mr James McAvoy mentioned: the 16 years of chronic underfunding of RSAMD drama courses. Fiona Hyslop, as Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, has taken firm action this week in relation to that. Under her settlement, she has already issued more money to the RSAMD than was previously issued, and discussions with the RSAMD and the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council are on-going.