Europe, External Affairs and Culture
Gaelic Language and Culture
We will protect Gaelic language and culture by ensuring that all key elements of Gaelic development remain in place and continue to operate effectively in promoting Gaelic in the current economic climate. For that reason, we have worked hard to protect Gaelic bodies and minimise reductions in the area. We are confident that all key Gaelic activities will continue to operate, and Gaelic will remain a key priority for the Scottish Government.
I am sure that the minister appreciates that education is at the core of protecting the Gaelic culture. In communities all over Scotland, there is a lot of pressure on parents to secure a Gaelic education for their children. Does the minister agree that it is now time for parents to be given a right to Gaelic education for their children no matter where they live in Scotland?
That is certainly a position that we support. As the member is aware, we asked Bòrd na Gàidhlig to produce a Gaelic action plan. Its focus and emphasis, particularly in early years and education, was not necessarily on a legislative right at this time, but I think that the direction of travel is as set out by the member. We just have to find the mechanism that we can use to support people, particularly considering the financial constraints. For example, the Scottish Government made an announcement recently about supporting Gaelic development at Glenurquhart primary school, and we are very supportive of moves in the city of Edinburgh to ensure that Gaelic education is promoted, developed and improved.
What opportunities will be created for the programme-making sector in Scotland by the BBC trust’s recent welcome decision? Does the Scottish Government continue to lobby for BBC Alba also to be made available on cable networks?
Indeed—and I will ensure that the full information is made available to the member on the accessibility of BBC Alba.
The minister mentioned the school in Edinburgh. One of the great successes in Gaelic development in recent years has been the success of the Gaelic school in Glasgow—both primary and secondary combined. What can the minister do to encourage the City of Edinburgh Council to follow Glasgow’s lead in that regard? What financial help may she be able to give to help Edinburgh achieve that objective?
I agree completely with the member: we should promote the success of the Gaelic school. I reassure him that only this week I announced that the Government would support funding for the development of Gaelic education in Edinburgh, particularly for a stand-alone school. I have already announced that this week.
The Gathering
I have no direct responsibility for the decision on whether any gathering event will be repeated in future years. Although the company that delivered the gathering event encountered serious financial difficulties, the event itself was a huge success. It generated £10.4 million for Scotland’s economy and attracted 47,000 visits, with attendees coming to Scotland from around the world.
Does the minister agree that a repeat gathering will be a success only if the organising structure is financially and administratively sound and if it concentrates on bringing the Scottish diaspora—especially the clans—to Scotland and is not used by some people as a party-political flag-waving exercise?
I certainly do not recognise the latter part of George Foulkes’s question. The role of the diaspora is essential in the promotion of Scotland and it was part of the success of the overall homecoming year. The Government will build on that. I am pleased to inform the member that I will make some announcements shortly about how we can further promote Scotland’s diaspora both at home and abroad in promoting Scotland’s interests.
Notwithstanding the problems that the minister has acknowledged, does she welcome the more than £10 million boost to the Scottish economy and the more than £8 million for the city of Edinburgh that resulted from the clan gathering, or does she believe, as Lord Foulkes seems to believe, that we can afford to turn up our noses at that level of financial injection?
Scotland is a warm and welcoming country, and we are looking forward to the hogmanay celebrations, which will see hundreds of thousands of people descending on Edinburgh and other parts of Scotland to celebrate. Any opportunity to promote Scotland is welcome. The year of homecoming was particularly successful, and many other countries are looking to our experience to see what they can learn in doing likewise. We should acknowledge success when we see it and build on it. Undoubtedly, we should learn lessons, but we must also build on our success.
International Development (Ethical Standards)
Our international development activity and funding support are based on the principles that are enshrined in the Paris declaration on aid effectiveness. Specific elements have been addressed within our funding criteria, where possible, to build the quality and impact of Scotland’s contribution to international development.
Does the minister agree that all representatives of Scottish and United Kingdom interests on the international stage should support the full investigation of any instances of alleged corruption in their external dealings by institutions based in Scotland or the United Kingdom? With reference to that, would the minister care to give some advice to the UK Government on its choice of special representatives—royal or otherwise—for trade and investment?
I agree with the member that allegations of corruption should be fully investigated. I take any allegation of corruption involving Scottish companies very seriously. It might not be appropriate for me to offer advice to the UK Government on its choice of special representatives for trade investment, but the Scottish public will expect anybody who performs those functions to do so to the highest possible standard.
Deaf Culture
The Scottish Government welcomes developments that support the languages of Scotland. The “2010 Brussels Declaration on Sign Languages in the European Union”, which was put forward by the national associations of the deaf of the member states of the European Union and its affiliated members—Iceland, Norway and Switzerland—is an important development. The declaration was signed on 19 November 2010, but the resolution has not yet been considered by the European Union.
Does the minister agree that every British Sign Language user should have the right to communicate in their own language in order to protect, preserve and promote their cultural identity? The minister may be aware that I recently consulted on a proposal to introduce a bill that aims to secure BSL as one of Scotland’s official languages, commanding equal respect and status to English and Gaelic. Will the minister support the principles of that bill?
I am well aware of the bill proposal that Cathie Craigie has put forward and of her long-standing championing of the issue. As with all members’ bills, we must await the results of the consultation on the bill. We will look closely at those results, which will influence the bill as introduced. I assume that it will have to be introduced in the next session of Parliament.
Maid of the Loch
The Maid of the Loch is an important part of the heritage of the Loch Lomond area. The Scottish Government has assisted the Loch Lomond Steamship Company in making contact with Community Enterprise in Scotland, which is helping the company put together an application for consultancy support to develop its financial strategy.
The minister will be aware that her predecessor, Michael Russell, agreed to provide substantially more in-kind assistance to help the Maid of the Loch to be fully restored. It is, therefore, extremely disappointing that she has not honoured that welcome commitment.
I reassure the member that we are supporting the project. She will be aware that our consistent advice is that we are unable to offer Scottish Government staff time free of charge to third parties, so secondments tend to be on the basis of mutual funding. On the basis that no financial strategy is in place for the Maid of the Loch, we have provided every support. Indeed, on 16 December, I received correspondence from John Hughes to reassure me that he had met the relevant organisations in order to put forward plans to ensure that that financial strategy is put in place. It is important that it is.
What steps can the Scottish Government take to encourage the lottery and other agencies to provide the funding that would allow the vessel to be reboilered?
Having a strong financial strategy will help any bid for lottery funding. The fitting of any new boiler will be dependent on that financial strategy. That is why the support that the Government is providing in relation to Community Enterprise in Scotland and Scottish Enterprise is important.
United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage Sites
I understand that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport expects that an announcement revealing which sites have been successful in their applications for inclusion on the new United Kingdom tentative list will be made before the dissolution of the Scottish Parliament in 2011.
I invite the minister to join me in paying tribute to the many Arbroath men and women who have worked closely together to ensure that Arbroath abbey, the site of the signing of the declaration of Arbroath in 1320, is included in the list of sites.
We are working with the UK department on that, and we were consulted on the selection of assessment panel members to ensure that knowledge and understanding of the Scottish sites are part of the panel’s skills base.
Antarctica
Activities in Antarctica are regulated by the Antarctic Treaty, which was signed on 1 December 1959 by the 12 nations that were active on the continent at the time, including the United Kingdom.
Does the minister share my disappointment that provisions in the Scotland Bill will prohibit members of this Parliament from bringing forward proposals to create a Scottish commissioner for the Antarctic? That would undoubtedly have been a welcome addition to the public landscape in Scotland.
Re-reservations are to be regretted, particularly when it is clear that they are not necessary in terms of administrative agreement.
Although that is an important issue, does the minister agree that the people in my constituency of Cumbernauld and Kilsyth have felt during the past month that they are living in Antarctica? It is perhaps easier to get to or about Antarctica than it is to get about the constituency of Cumbernauld and Kilsyth.
That is broad and wide ranging. Perhaps the experience of Antarctica, whether for expedition or research purposes, has been well learned in Scotland in recent days.
Juvenile Pipe Bands (Support)
The Scottish Government supports and promotes young pipe bands through the youth music initiative and through our partners Creative Scotland.
The minister provided me recently with a very helpful response on funding for pipe bands, but I would be grateful if she could clarify an element of the criteria. Every year juvenile pipe bands have a throughput of players: some reach the leaving age, new young players come in—some of whom are basic learners on the practice chanter—and some graduate from the chanter to the pipes. As a result, although the bands appear to qualify under at least two of the criteria for those who apply to the fund, the third element is up for debate. Will the minister provide some reassurance that juvenile pipe bands will not be penalised in their funding applications through Creative Scotland? Will she agree to meet me so that we can discuss the matter further?
Please be brief, minister.
That is an important point. I am happy to take the issue forward with Creative Scotland.
Education and Lifelong Learning
We move on to questions on education and lifelong learning. I go to question 2, from Frank McAveety.
Budget 2011-12 (College Bursary Funding)
Our draft budget ensures that funding for student support in colleges will be protected at a time when Scotland’s block grant is being cut by £1.3 billion. That is a clear indication of the priority that we attach to shielding college students from the budget reductions that we are being forced to make elsewhere. The impact will be that, overall, college students will be supported at the same level of resources as this year.
I thank the cabinet secretary for her reply. I mean, I thank the new minister for her reply. Sorry about that.
I thank Mr McAveety for his faith in me and the promotion that he almost gave me.
I apologise. I should have called question 1, but the member is not here. Question 3 has been withdrawn.
Education Maintenance Allowance (East Kilbride)
In the academic year 2009-10, 620 people in East Kilbride were in receipt of education maintenance allowance.
I thank the minister for her answer and welcome her to her new role.
I think Mr Kerr will find that we have already given that guarantee. I would have thought that he would welcome the fact that, here in Scotland, we are protecting education maintenance allowance while it is being scrapped in England. The member for East Kilbride might also be interested to know that there has been a 6 per cent increase in the number of young people in his area who are benefiting from the allowance. I hope that he will join us in celebrating that fact.
The member who lodged question 5 is not here.
Farming (Careers Advice)
Careers advice in schools is delivered by Skills Development Scotland. The Scottish Government also funds Lantra—the sector skills agency that is responsible for the land sector—to promote skills development in farming and other land-based industries. A key priority for the sector is to raise awareness of the job opportunities that are available and to promote the sector as a career destination of choice.
Does the minister agree that many careers advisers do not have first-hand experience of the high-level skills and opportunities that are available in farming, for example in production, research, business development, green technology and land management? A number of schemes have been used overseas and in England to encourage school leavers to look more closely at a career in farming. Has the Scottish Government considered using such initiatives in Scotland?
I know that John Lamont is a constituency member who has a keen interest in farming. He is right to raise the issue, because, in broad terms, the farming industry needs new life-blood for its future and there is a need to encourage young people into the agriculture and land-based sectors. If we can learn lessons from across the United Kingdom and from other countries, we will be more than glad to do so.
Primary Schools (Proposed Closures)
When local authorities propose the closure of a primary school, they must undertake a consultation, using the updated and robust process that is set out in the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010.
The cabinet secretary might well be aware of East Renfrewshire Council’s proposal to close Robslee primary school and transfer the children to Giffnock primary school, which is causing great concern among the pupils, parents and teachers at both schools. Can the cabinet secretary reassure me that all interested parties, particularly parents, will get the maximum opportunity to take part in any consultation, and that there will be complete transparency in the council’s decision-making process following any consultation?
The Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Bill had two intentions: to ensure protection for vulnerable rural schools, which are very much the engine of rural activity and development and which create the potential for future success in rural areas; and to ensure that there would be a level playing field, so that parents would always be part of the process and would be given fair information. Parents would feel that nothing was being concealed and there was no deceit and, at the end of the day, they would have a chance to take part in an open and transparent process.
The cabinet secretary will be aware of the significant flaws in the consultation on school closures in Argyll and Bute. Across a whole range of measures, the council has failed to make a case for closure in the overwhelming majority of schools. In particular, the requirements of carrying out a community impact assessment and considering alternative options to closure were absent. The cabinet secretary will be aware that both requirements are statutory.
I am always happy to be enticed by Jackie Baillie, particularly as we get so close to Christmas, but I have to remain unenticed at the moment. Jackie Baillie is aware that, as I have a connection with the Argyll and Bute constituency, it would be quite improper for me to comment on the closures process there. However, the new minister, Angela Constance, has taken responsibility for the matter and I am sure that she will reply very soon to Jackie Baillie’s reasonable request for a meeting.
I thank the minister for his replies to earlier questions, particularly on the proposed closure in East Renfrewshire of Robslee primary school and Auchenback primary school. For the avoidance of doubt and to provide clarity for members, will the minister advise us of the criteria that will be used, should parents be unhappy with the local authority’s decision and request a call-in?
I am happy to do so. A number of criteria can be used for a call-in decision, but they generally relate to the quality of the process that has been undertaken. For example, a crucial question is whether the local authority had considered the alternatives that had been proposed. The member will be aware that I have recently called in four decisions in the Western Isles, one based on my view that alternatives had not been adequately considered. Another question is whether the information that was provided to parents was and remained accurate during the process. Allegations have been made in Scotland that information changed during the process or was deeply flawed at the start of it and was not corrected. There are various other reasons for call-ins.
Aberdeen City Council (Education Budget and Teacher Numbers)
The Scottish Government has held discussions with all local authorities to discuss the budget settlement for 2011-12. Those discussions have included consideration of the implications for education budgets, and, within that, plans for teacher employment.
I may be at risk of ending the Christmas truce.
As might be expected, the member has jabbed his Pickelhaube straight back on to his head and has returned to fighting between the trenches.
College Student Support Budget 2011-12
My reply is similar to that which I gave Mr McAveety a few minutes ago. Our draft budget ensures that funding for student support in colleges will be protected, at a time when Scotland’s block grant is being cut by £1.3 billion. That is a clear indication of the priority that we attach to shielding college students from the budget reductions that we are being forced to make elsewhere.
Is the minister aware of the role that colleges play as a stepping stone in education? Will she reflect on the implications for training for young people to take up much-needed green jobs? If support is not available for such training, how will the Government fulfil its commitment to meet climate change targets without a skilled workforce to meet those challenges?
I reassure Mrs Peattie that I value greatly the role and contribution of Scotland’s colleges in providing education and training opportunities. I appreciate that life is difficult for college students who are taking their first tentative steps into the adult world or the world of work. Some college students are parents, some are part-time workers and others have been made redundant and are taking up opportunities to retrain. The point about the importance of skilling up our workforce for green jobs is well made. It is important that we focus on that as we go forward. The Scottish Government has done well in protecting student support budgets. Clearly, I would like to do more, but the Government operates within the limits of the housekeeping money that it is given by Westminster.
I welcome the minister to her new role. Notwithstanding her earlier comments, there is huge pressure on college budgets and on the delivery of student support, which is leading to cuts in child care provision at colleges and increasing the pressure on that provision, as more adults with caring responsibilities try to return to college. What steps will the minister take to ensure that child care budgets do not run dry, as they have in previous years?
Mrs Baker should be reassured by the action that the Government has already taken. Student support budgets are being maintained at an all-time high and at record levels. As I said to Mr McAveety, on 21 December, the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council announced a further £3.5 million for student support. The allocation of those funds is a matter for the individual colleges, which gives them scope and flexibility. We do not have strict eligibility criteria that are operated by a central agency. Colleges can make assessments based on face-to-face contact with students. Colleges the length and breadth of Scotland work hard to support parents who are college students.
Scottish Baccalaureate
The Scottish baccalaureate has been recognised by many universities, in their prospectuses and, more generally, in developing the knowledge and skills that are necessary for higher education. The number of centres that are approved to deliver the baccalaureate has doubled this year to 140. As uptake of the qualification increases, I expect recognition by universities also to increase.
Given the range of weighting that we have in relation to exams for the curriculum for excellence and the Scottish baccalaureate, how will the package come together to deliver a comprehensive range of examinations for our students?
Very simply, the Scottish credit and qualifications framework provides an internationally respected framework for understanding how all levels of examination in Scotland, from the very basic right up to the postgraduate level, fit within a comprehensive system. We are proud of that and we are already exporting it. For example, the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework Partnership has advised the Hong Kong Government on how it could put in place a similar framework. We also see how the baccalaureate is contributing as part of the whole, for example by allowing advanced standing in university entrance. There is a way in which qualifications ratchet up and do different things. We are developing a robust and effective system.
Elizabeth Smith, very briefly, please.
Can the cabinet secretary update us on the Scottish baccalaureate for the arts and social sciences?
Very briefly, minister.
I can indeed. We will have a report early in 2011 that I will share with the chamber. I am enthusiastic to ensure that the baccalaureate continues to grow, but it must be evidence based.
That was a little too brief, minister. [Laughter.]
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. You were not in the chair earlier, so I apologise to the Deputy Presiding Officer, the minister and other members for missing my question, which was the first education question. I did so for no reason other than that I forgot about today’s different timings. There is no excuse for that and I apologise.
I appreciate your gesture and your honesty, Mr Purvis. Thank you for that.
General Questions
Air Discount Scheme
The Scottish Government’s position is that the air discount scheme is not intended to cover business-related travel and the original notification to the European Commission in 2006 did not expressly request it. Although we are aware that business-related claims have been made, we do not believe that a publicly funded scheme should be used to subsidise public and private sector travel budgets.
I welcome Keith Brown to his new position and the various challenges that he will find in his new portfolio, some of which will continue to exist after the snow melts. As an early priority, will he look again at the decision taken by his predecessor to cut business-related travel from the highly successful scheme? The scheme was introduced in 2005 by my colleague Tavish Scott and has delivered real social and economic benefits to Orkney and communities throughout the Highlands and Islands by helping to reduce the high cost of travel on our lifeline air services.
I am happy to meet Liam McArthur at any time to discuss any issues that he wishes to discuss and, where possible, I commit to consulting well in advance of making decisions.
Question 2 was not lodged.
Breastfeeding (Community Mothers)
Services such as community mothers and other peer-support programmes are recognised by the Scottish Government as a valuable method of supporting mothers who choose to breastfeed.
Does the minister recognise that the Scottish Government’s cuts to local authority budgets are directly affecting front-line services such as community mothers, which supports and sustains breastfeeding? It is a particularly important service in places such as Lanarkshire, where there are worryingly low breastfeeding rates. Does the minister consider that any decision to cut funding to community mothers projects would contravene duties under section 19 of the Equality Act 2010, given the disproportionate impact on women?
Given the massive cuts to the Scottish Government’s budget from the United Kingdom Government, the settlement for local government has been widely welcomed as good. It is up to each local authority—including North Lanarkshire in the member’s area—to decide how to spend that money. I hope that the council wants to give priority to supporting breastfeeding initiatives and community mothers. My expectation is that NHS Lanarkshire will continue to support community mothers in the best way that it can and I am happy to provide the member with more details about its plans for doing so.
Business Support (West Dunbartonshire)
An extensive array of support and advice services is available to West Dunbartonshire businesses from a wide range of public and private sector organisations including Scottish Enterprise, the small business gateway, the local council, Scottish Development International, Skills Development Scotland, VisitScotland, the third sector, financial institutions and other sectoral advisory bodies.
Will the minister provide reasons why the small business bonus scheme is not being made mandatory, as is being done with the equivalent scheme in England?
We will monitor the recent policy changes in England, although they appear only to remove the central requirement for an application form and, at first glance, seem to fall short of making the scheme fully mandatory.
Will the minister intervene to ensure that Scottish Enterprise honours the agreement between the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the Scottish Government with regard to funding for the urban regeneration companies such as Clydebank Re-built? Will he or the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth meet me in advance of any decision being made about the future funding of Clydebank Re-built from Scottish Enterprise or Scottish Government sources?
I am very conscious of the public money that has gone into the project in question and am more than happy to meet Mr McNulty. I am happy to meet, talk and see how we take the matter forward.
Glasgow Airport Rail Link
We have no plans to reinstate the branch line element of the Glasgow airport rail link project and we continue to dispose of surplus land.
I am disappointed in that answer, given that the Government claimed to have reluctantly decided to cancel the project. Whoever is in government now faces the prospect of having access to £2.2 billion, starting in 2013 with specific projects. I wonder why the Government will not consider reinstating GARL, given the fact that it claimed that the decision to cancel the project was taken reluctantly and that it is the only capital project in the history of devolution to have been cancelled mid construction.
It is worth considering some of the real-life circumstances that we face, such as the departing Chief Secretary to the Treasury in the previous Westminster Government saying that there was no money left, and the massive cuts to the capital budget from which we are suffering. Wendy Alexander cannot hide from those facts, no matter how hard she tries. The simple fact is that the cuts to our revenue budget are dwarfed by those to our capital budget.
Medical Professionals (NHS Grampian)
Information for May 2007 is not held centrally, as the annual NHS National Services Scotland manpower census is conducted on 30 September each year. However, for the period from September 2006 to September 2010, medical staff numbers in NHS Grampian grew by 190, which is an increase of 11.4 per cent.
Does the cabinet secretary believe that the fact that NHS Grampian employs more nurses, doctors, dentists and other health professionals than it did at the start of this Administration—professionals who would not be there had Labour won in 2007—is a clear demonstration that the Scottish National Party Government has the national health service at the heart of its priorities?
I agree entirely with the sentiments of Maureen Watt’s question. On a range of measures, even the hardest critics in the Opposition would recognise that this SNP Government has had the NHS absolutely at its heart. More people are working in and will be working in the NHS at the end of this session of Parliament than were at the start of the session. That is one reason why we have seen such incredibly good strides forward on waiting times, to use one example.
I join the cabinet secretary in thanking all staff for their hard work, particularly during the bad weather when so many of them made such a huge effort to keep the service going. However, I bring us back to the reality of the fact that the workforce group that she set up is faced with cuts of 1,500 nurses, 230 allied health professionals and 68 doctors this year. When will the workforce plans for next year be available? How will the cabinet secretary ensure that medical graduates currently being trained will have adequate job opportunities, given her plans to cut 25 per cent from foundation year 1 and foundation year 2 and 40 per cent of doctors from the certificate of completion of training?
Richard Simpson should perhaps spend a bit more time studying these issues. If he did, he would be aware of the reshaping the medical workforce programme, which is about ensuring that Scotland can move from a service delivered by doctors in training to one delivered by trained doctors. It is a very important piece of work. There is unanimity among those on the front line behind that change, and I would sincerely hope to have Richard Simpson’s full support for progress towards that aim.
Ski Industry
The Scottish Government recognises the valuable economic benefits and employment opportunities that snow sports bring to Scotland and we continue to support their development. Through sportscotland, VisitScotland and our enterprise agencies, we provide funding to enable the industry to realise its full potential. Building on the success of last season, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise have commissioned a strategic review of snow sports that is designed to identify what further can be done to develop this important industry.
I refer members to my entry in the register of interests.
I have been up to Glenshee a couple of times this season and I can confirm that the facilities and conditions are fantastic. I encourage others to go. The A93 is a local road that stretches from Perth and Kinross to Aberdeenshire and winter maintenance is a matter for those local authorities. I know that those local authorities take the requirement to keep the road open very seriously, because of the economic benefits that Glenshee brings to the area. I saw for myself how hard they were working to ensure that cars could get access to the Glenshee centre but, of course, we will keep a close eye on these matters.
The Ross and Cromarty District Council took to an advanced and costed stage an exciting project to establish skiing on the slopes of Ben Wyvis, near Dingwall, in John Farquhar Munro’s constituency. Unfortunately, all those years ago the then Conservative Government refused to grant the capital consent to the council and the project was shelved. While I cannot ask the minister to commit to capital spend, will she agree to let her officials meet me to see the documents, which are very interesting, and to discuss whether the project could be revived in some future year?
I am always happy to meet or have my officials meet to discuss such matters, but we have to recognise the real constraints on capital investment across the board, which make it extremely difficult to make capital investment of that nature. There is, of course, always the opportunity for commercial interest in such ventures. I encourage Jamie Stone to encourage, in turn, commercial interest in that initiative.
Nurses (NHS Ayrshire and Arran)
Information for May 2007 is not centrally held for the reasons that I explained in a previous answer. However, for the period from September 2007 to September 2010, nursing staff numbers in NHS Ayrshire and Arran increased by 470, an increase of 12.4 per cent.
I am pleased that the cabinet secretary is able to confirm that hundreds more front-line health professionals, including nurses, are now working in NHS Ayrshire and Arran than was the case when the Scottish Government came into office, not least in the accident and emergency unit that her predecessor tried to close. That proves this Government’s commitment to continuous improvement in the health of people in Ayrshire and Arran and, indeed, the health of the nation.
I agree with Kenny Gibson. The principal Opposition party does not like to hear the facts, but the facts are—as Kenny Gibson narrates—that more people will be working in our national health service at the end of this session of the Parliament than were at the start of it. That is good news for patients across Scotland. The extra good news for Ayrshire and Arran is that there is still a functioning accident and emergency department at Ayr hospital, which it would not have had if the previous Administration had stayed in office.
The cabinet secretary will of course be aware of the recent Government statistics that show that there are already 550 fewer nurses in the NHS. Before the financial year is out, a total cut of 1,500 nurses will be made. Does the cabinet secretary, who I know is fond of hearing the facts, recognise that, according to nurses themselves, the strain that is being felt is considerable—operations are being cancelled, re-admissions are up and the risk of contracting hospital-acquired infections is increasing? Does she recognise that her boast about the increase in the number of staff in the NHS is perhaps down to much higher increases in managers and not the nurses who deliver front-line care?
If Jackie Baillie had listened, she would have heard the figures that I gave in response to Maureen Watt and Kenny Gibson’s questions, which were for doctors and nurses. There are more doctors and more nurses. I appreciate that Jackie Baillie much prefers to attack the NHS than to praise it for the fantastic work it does, but the facts speak for themselves. This is a challenging time for our NHS. This Government is determined to stand by our NHS and ensure that we get through these tough times. It would better befit the Opposition if it showed similar support for the hard-working people in our national health service.
Question 9 is withdrawn.
Inverness Bypass
My predecessor, Stewart Stevenson, met representatives of Highland Council on 10 November to discuss developments regarding the proposed Inverness bypass as part of the strategic transport projects review joint action plan.
The minister will be well aware that the city of Inverness desperately needs a bypass because of the staggering population growth in the area over the past decade. Does he share my view that a bypass would slash traffic congestion and provide well-needed stimulus to business and tourism? Can he offer any message of hope today as an early Christmas present for the Highlands?
I am aware that the member is very well versed in these matters, including the circumstances of the Scottish Government’s commitment on the eastern link and the council’s commitment on the western link. Those options, which include crossings of the river Ness and the Caledonian canal, are out to public consultation at the moment. The consultation does not close until 28 January. I assure him that we will take a very close look at the responses as soon as we can, once the consultation process is closed.
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