SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
Finance and Public Services and Communities
Employer Levy
To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it or local authorities have to set a levy or tax on employers, in addition to non-domestic rates, to support local public services such as transport, as happens in France. (S2O-11741)
Neither the Executive nor local authorities currently have the power to set a levy or tax solely on employers to support local public services, other than existing powers in relation to non-domestic rates. Any new local levy or tax would require additional powers to be given by legislation. That would be limited to local taxes that fund local authority expenditure in terms of the Scotland Act 1998.
I suggest that the minister read the Burt report, which his Executive commissioned, and which says that the Executive has the power to levy a national tax, provided that it is for local government services. As a stepping stone to free public transport, will he consider learning from France, where a 1.7 per cent payroll tax on business is ring fenced for local public transport?
I disagree with the member's assertion, and I have read the Burt report in some detail. Taxation is a very sensitive issue. It can have a significant impact on economic performance. The Burt report mentions that taxation above a certain level could be a disincentive to work. Given the economic performance of our country at the moment, and the record number of people who are now in employment, that is the last thing we want here in Scotland.
Central Heating Programme
To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to address any problems arising from the handover of management of the central heating programme. (S2O-11786)
Regular meetings are held between officials and Scottish Gas representatives to ensure that progress is being made and the requirements of the contracts are being met. That includes any issues that might have arisen from the management handover.
The warm deal is an excellent programme, and many of my older constituents have taken advantage of it. However, there is a long waiting list. I have constituents in their 80s who have been told that they will have to wait at least three months, until the summer. That is not good enough. Will the minister consider some way of prioritising need when dealing with waiting lists?
Cathy Peattie is well aware that approximately 80,000 people will have benefited from our programme during the past several years. That is a major achievement. After assessment of eligibility, the current waiting list that was inherited from the Eaga Partnership has been reduced to about 4,500. All those who are on the revised list have been contacted and Scottish Gas has given a commitment that they should all receive their heating systems before 31 March. I hope that Cathy Peattie will regard that as good news.
Does the Scottish Executive have in place an accurate record of complaints against Scottish Gas? Is it monitoring the response times to such complaints and, if so, what is the maximum response time?
I cannot give the member a straightforward answer to that question, but I will investigate the matter and write to him with the information about response times. However, every complaint that is made to the Executive is looked into, and complaints from Scottish Gas are regularly monitored. I will try to find out what the position is on response times.
I refer the minister to his written answer of 12 January to my question S2W-30516, in which he said:
Is the member referring to the warm deal or to central heating?
Central heating.
The member is asking for precise figures, which, again, I do not have. I will write to her with the information.
Housing Stock Transfer
To ask the Scottish Executive how the new Minister for Communities intends to reinvigorate the campaign for housing stock transfer across Scotland. (S2O-11736)
The benefits of stock transfer are clear in places such as Glasgow and will become clear in places such as Inverclyde.
I am pleased that the minister recognises the value of stock transfer in Glasgow, in particular, where housing associations such as Reidvale Housing Association and Partick Housing Association have been so successful. Will she guarantee that once the Glasgow Housing Association has a new chief executive, the long-awaited second-stage transfer—which will result in houses being passed to the control of local people—will take place as a matter of urgency?
The Executive's view on the way forward for second-stage transfer in Glasgow is set out clearly in the letter that Malcolm Chisholm sent to the chair of the GHA board last month, which was the Executive's response to the recent report by the joint team of officials from the GHA, Communities Scotland, Glasgow City Council and the purchasers, who examined the financial issues associated with SST. We are hopeful that some of the preparatory work on cases for SST can be done before next summer.
I think I heard the minister say that it would be next summer before any second-stage transfers took place; perhaps she could confirm that.
Although it is clear that the landscape has changed, we remain absolutely committed to stock transfer, when it is appropriate. We should not rule out any delivery options that have been proved to work in the past, but local authorities should always consider carefully full and partial stock transfers as part of their strategic investment appraisals, especially if they expect to have difficulties in meeting the quality standard by 2015. We think that transfer is a very strong option when debt and investment needs are high, but we would not rule out any affordable option that could be effective in securing improvements in the living conditions of tenants in Scotland.
Relocation Policy (Small Units)
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to relocate small units to rural Scotland under its relocation policy. (S2O-11793)
To date, the Scottish ministers have relocated small units to a number of fragile rural communities, including Dingwall, Tain, Campbeltown, Kinlochleven, Alloa, Dumfries and Tiree. The Executive remains committed to the establishment of small units in fragile rural or remote areas of Scotland. The relocation guide that was published last year sets out the detail that underpins that commitment. I assure the member that I am always encouraging fellow ministers to identify Executive units that would be suitable for the small units initiative.
The deputy minister will be aware that the list that he gave omitted a particular region. He will also be aware of the success of the relocation of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency to Tweedbank, which has produced an increase in efficiency and productivity for the public sector. Does he agree that the time is now right for there to be regional targets for relocation, especially of small units? The relocation of such units to places such as Eyemouth, Jedburgh and Hawick in my colleague Euan Robson's constituency, and to Walkerburn, Innerleithen and Selkirk in my constituency, would benefit Government and be a success for the local economy in the Borders.
I am very much aware of the success of the transfer of jobs to the Borders through the Scottish Public Pensions Agency. I am also very aware that all areas of Scotland seek to be allocated the benefits of that policy. In discussions at the Finance Committee I indicated the need, in moving the policy on, fully to consider geographical targeting.
The minister will be aware—because I have raised it with him in committee on a number of occasions—that at no stage have any civil service jobs been relocated by the Scottish Executive to the Perth and Kinross Council area. Does he therefore share my concern that the Scottish Executive is currently considering proposals that have emerged from an options appraisal exercise and which may lead to the relocation to other parts of Scotland of civil servants from the freshwater fisheries laboratory at Pitlochry in my constituency? Does he understand that that would be very disruptive to the process of the freshwater fisheries laboratory?
I understand Mr Swinney's point. As I said in my previous answer, all areas of Scotland are keen to experience the benefits of the relocation policy—that bears down heavily upon me—and geographical targeting may be an area that we should consider in trying to progress that policy.
Council Tenants' Right to Buy (Suspension)
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received, or expects to receive, further representations from local authorities that tenants' right to buy should be suspended, following Fife Council being awarded pressured area status in respect of west Fife. (S2O-11799)
We are currently assessing an application from Perth and Kinross Council. I am aware that a number of other local authorities have noted in their local housing strategies their intention to apply for pressured area designation.
Is there any danger that the scheme will become a victim of its own success and will be terminated because of the pressures in the housing market?
That is not the plan. We are taking the plan forward; designations are in place in six local authority areas and, as I said, a number of others are actively considering applications. Designations provide for local flexibility and can be a useful tool for local authorities that are experiencing pressures in respect of affordable housing. It is important that we see designations as part of a wider strategic approach to meeting affordable housing need. We are putting massive investment into affordable housing.
Local Government Funding (Inverclyde)
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it believes that working families contribute proportionately to the funding of local public services in Inverclyde. (S2O-11779)
We want a local taxation system that is fair and proportionate, not just for working families in Inverclyde but for people right across Scotland. That was why we set up the Burt committee. We are now examining the committee's report and we will make a decision on the way forward in due course and in the light of all the facts.
I express some surprise that the minister does not acknowledge the fact that hard-working families already pay their fair share for the services that we all enjoy. Such families are the backbone of our national and local economy and as such should be valued, not targeted. Would it not therefore be utterly unfair and counterproductive to hit those hard-working families with an extra local income tax bill, as the minister's party and the nationalists propose to do?
A number of views have been expressed in the Burt committee's report, one of which—recommendation 3—was that the council tax should not be retained in its current form. As I said in my previous answer, ministers will have to consider all the facts in the committee's report. We will reflect on that and in due course we will produce a way forward.
Would the minister agree that working families in Inverclyde, as everywhere else, would be better off with—rather than the imposition of an extra tax—the abolition of the council tax and its replacement by a fair local income tax that is directly related to their ability to pay it?
Far be it from me to move from my neutral position on the matter but, as I said, a number of views are expressed in the Burt committee's report. It is up to all members to consider closely the facts that are set out there, to reflect on them and to come to a view on the right way forward. That is what the Scottish ministers intend to do.
Local Income Tax
To ask the Scottish Executive what personal details would be required for the operation of a local income tax. (S2O-11768)
The personal details required would depend on the details of the system of local income tax that was proposed. However, it is difficult to see how any such system could operate without precise income data.
Does the minister believe that people are generally aware that their income data would be available to local authorities? Do they understand the implications of that?
I do not think that that is widely understood. Members of the public would need to make their own judgment. Individuals are fairly sensitive about who shares knowledge of their income. Perhaps the fact that their local council would be a party to that information will cause people to weigh up and consider the implications of any change in the tax system.
Is it not the case that, under a local income tax, there would be no requirement for local authorities to know any individual's income? That would be a matter for the Inland Revenue. The only additional detail that would be required would be to ensure that everyone's postcode was attached to their address. I suspect that that is already the case for most people.
The SNP specialises in fantasy policies—once again, it has demonstrated that tendency. The idea that local authorities could, without knowing individuals' personal income data, levy a tax that would bring in the same income that they currently enjoy seems to me to be a fantastic notion.
Regardless of what data are available on ordinary working people, will the minister confirm how much a local income tax would cost an ordinary working family in Lanarkshire?
Once again, we do not have precise data. However, if we take some of the projections from the Burt report, there is an indication that such a tax could cost hard-working families a bigger proportion of the money that is available to them.
Flooding (Financial Assistance to Local Authorities)
To ask the Scottish Executive how much financial assistance it plans to provide to local authorities under the formula which it operates, similar to the Bellwin formula, to compensate for losses incurred during recent flooding. (S2O-11798)
The Bellwin scheme was substantially improved earlier this year. It allows the Scottish ministers to provide local authorities with additional revenue support in the event of unusual conditions. Beyond that scheme, there is no formula, as such, that provides assistance.
I am sure that the minister is aware of the extent of the damage that was caused in Dingwall and Easter Ross, in my constituency, by the recent flooding. Given the probability of increasing frequency of such events in Scotland, what action is the Scottish Executive planning to take to ensure that local authorities receive compensation—through the Bellwin scheme or a similar scheme—as quickly as possible after the event?
As I suggested, we reviewed the scheme earlier this year and the level of support was increased. The results of the review were warmly welcomed by local government. The Scottish Executive's performance on making payments under the scheme in the recent past—particularly in the aftermath of recent tragedies in the Western Isles—shows that a responsive system is in place. If there is any evidence that the system was ever less than responsive, we would look at that closely but, to date, I do not think that such evidence exists.
Relocation Policy (UK Civil Service Jobs)
To ask the Scottish Executive how the planned relocation of United Kingdom civil service jobs will impact on the Executive's relocation strategy. (S2O-11804)
Our aim is to encourage the relocation of UK public sector posts to Scotland alongside our own relocation strategy within Scotland. Executive officials are working closely with Scottish Development International to communicate to UK departments the potential benefits of operating from all parts of Scotland.
Is the minister aware that UK civil service job targets, centralisation and job cuts are sending UK civil service jobs from Inverness and Fife to Edinburgh, which is the polar opposite of the Scottish Executive's strategy? Given that complete contradiction, would not it make sense for ministers to take up the call of the civil service unions for a moratorium on further relocations, so that ministers can take into account the job flow throughout the civil service, for the UK and for Scotland?
I am surprised to hear the term "complete contradiction". I thought that Mr Ballard's party's policy was for independence for Scotland but, in an independent Scotland, it would be somewhat surprising if we had any interest whatever in what the civil service south of the Border did. Mr Ballard seeks to face two ways at once: when it suits him, he calls for independence for Scotland but, at other times, not unlike his colleagues from the Scottish National Party, he tries to get even more benefits from the United Kingdom.
Education and Young People, Tourism, Culture and Sport
Question 1 has been withdrawn.
Reliance
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions its Education Department has had with Reliance regarding the security arrangements for young people while attending children's hearings from custody. (S2O-11797)
There have been no such discussions, but our attention has been drawn to a case in Orkney in which a parent who was attending a hearing from prison was handcuffed during proceedings. There has been an exchange of correspondence between my officials and Reliance on the practice. I understand that Reliance has offered to meet the chair of Orkney children's panel advisory committee to discuss the matter.
As the minister knows, I have written to him raising concerns about a case in Orkney in which a 16-year-old boy appeared before the panel in handcuffs. That may be a separate case from the one that the minister mentioned—I do not know. Does the minister accept that, although we need proper security arrangements, having someone sitting in handcuffs is contrary to the ethos and spirit of the children's hearings system? When the minister engages with Reliance, will he try to ensure that, while maintaining proper security, it uses more suitable means of safeguarding and securing premises than handcuffing, which, as the chair of the Orkney children's panel has told me, detracts from the purpose of the hearing?
Jim Wallace raises a difficult and sensitive issue. It is important that we are clear about which cases we are discussing. I am happy to engage with Mr Wallace further when we know the full details of the issue that he is concerned about.
Speech and Language Therapy
To ask the Scottish Executive what provision for speech and language therapy is available to nursery-age children. (S2O-11761)
All national health service boards have drawn up local plans with their local authority partners that identify priorities such as speech and language therapy for children and young people, including nursery-age children.
Will the minister join me in welcoming children, parents and staff to the brand new Kildrum nursery, which recently opened in my constituency of Cumbernauld and Kilsyth? Is he aware that the nursery, which caters for children from the age of six weeks to five years, boasts multipurpose rooms where speech and language therapists and learning support teachers can work with children and staff? Does he agree that, for children with speech or language difficulties, early intervention is essential to ensure that they receive the best start in life, and that the practice at Kildrum should be held up as an example for nurseries throughout Scotland?
Kildrum is one of many excellent early years facilities throughout Scotland that aim to give our children the best start in life. I agree whole-heartedly with Cathie Craigie that early intervention is critical. When a child has difficulties of any nature, we must ensure that help and support are provided as early as possible. I know that Kildrum and other nurseries provide a high-quality service.
Is the minister aware of the substantial concern that some local authorities are cutting back on the number of qualified teachers in their nurseries, or even completely eliminating such teachers? I regret to say that West Dunbartonshire and Glasgow are cases in point. Against such a background, is the minister satisfied that everything necessary is being done to ensure that additional support needs are identified early and will continue to be identified early?
Two separate issues arise. The early identification of additional needs must be undertaken, irrespective of what else might be happening according to Lord James Douglas-Hamilton.
Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport (Visit to Inverness)
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport will make a statement on her visit to Inverness on 12 January 2007. (S2O-11773)
I am sure that those of us who were there would agree that the launch of Scotland's year of Highland culture was a real success. It gave people a taste of the many cultural and sporting events that are to be held this year, particularly in the north, thus ensuring that the rich cultural heritage of the Highlands is properly understood and celebrated. We also want to use this year of Highland culture to raise the profile of the Highlands as a great place to live, work and invest in, as well as to visit. We hope that that will, in turn, bring real benefits to the Highlands and to the whole of Scotland for a long time to come.
I welcome the minister's remarks—it was indeed a fantastic evening. I say to the minister that this is the Scottish—I emphasise Scottish—year of Highland culture. The whole of Scotland is invited to take part. I ask the minister to promote this great festival, which showcases the modern Highlands, not only to visitors from outwith Scotland—plenty of whom were at the launch on 12 January—but to Scots themselves. We would dearly love our countrymen to visit the Highlands—too few of them do—to see for themselves the reality of our lives and culture.
I am happy to assist the year of Highland culture in any way that I can to promote events, whether international, national, regional or local. I look forward to attending many more of those events over the coming year.
Does the minister agree that properly understanding and celebrating the Scottish year of Highland culture would be aided by some interpretation for the exhibition "Fonn 's Duthcas: Land and Legacy", which will tour to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stornoway after it leaves its Inverness base? Does the minister also agree that the number of people who visit the exhibition would increase if the Executive provided every school with a DVD and explanatory notes for youngsters? Does she agree that that would help more young people in Scotland to understand the Highlands properly?
The best thing that young people could do would be to visit the exhibition, see for themselves the items on display and read the interpretative information that is available. Some of the material that has been produced for the exhibition is of the highest quality.
Not only is 2007 the year of Highland culture, it is the first year in which St Andrew's day will be a public holiday in Scotland. I congratulate Oban on being the first Scottish town to plan a St Andrew's day festival. However, the company that is organising St Andrew's day Oban 2007 is apparently experiencing difficulty in securing funding from the area tourist network and has been told that budgets for events and festivals have been cut. Will the minister comment on that and say how communities such as Oban can be helped with funding and marketing for St Andrew's day festivals?
I am happy to look into the matter that Jamie McGrigor raises and to ascertain whether funding has been cut. The best thing for the company that is arranging the St Andrew's day celebrations in Oban to do would be to contact EventScotland, which has budgets for regional, national and international events. I am sure that, as long as the company meets the criteria, it will have an opportunity to secure funding.
I heartily endorse the minister's stated objective that people should visit the Highlands, not just this year but in future years. Does she agree that the proposed new degree in adventure tourism at Lochaber College would contribute significantly to that objective? Does she also agree that the proposal to offer the degree under the umbrella of the UHI Millennium Institute is unique in the United Kingdom, and that it is important to give every assistance to the people who are developing the degree and to the students who might want to participate in it, such as the pupils from Grantown grammar school whom I met on Monday?
As Fergus Ewing knows, I have been keen to promote the Highlands as an area in which adventure sport can be enjoyed by local people, Scots who visit the area and international visitors. That is one of the reasons why our agencies have been so involved in helping to secure international adventure sport events.
Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Bill
To ask the Scottish Executive what amendments it intends to lodge to the Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Bill. (S2O-11806)
Following yesterday's welcome and productive debate on the bill's principles, the Executive will consider lodging amendments at stage 2. If amendments are considered necessary, they will be lodged within the usual timescale.
I understand that the Executive still thinks that it is necessary to introduce anonymised systems for pupils who receive free school meals. However, given the mixed views on the issue, particularly on fingerprinting and other biometric systems, is the minister open to proposals to amend the relevant section of the bill? In particular, will the Executive close the gap between its initial statements that parental consent for biometrics would be an essential prerequisite and its later statement that parental consent would merely be a matter of good practice? Is the minister open to accepting amendments to ensure that parental consent is a legal requirement?
We have never specified how an anonymous system should be introduced. That is a matter for local authorities, as we have made clear. We encourage local authorities to engage with and involve parents. Despite what Patrick Harvie says, there are powerful arguments for anonymous systems. There is conflicting evidence on the matter, as we heard during yesterday's debate. There are people who hold diametrically opposed views to those of Patrick Harvie.
Does the minister recognise the inconsistency in the Executive's position? We are regularly told that we must respect the rights of local authorities to make decisions about education in their areas, yet the Executive is setting its face against giving powers to local authorities to decide whether or not to fund free school meals, regardless of whether or not the Executive supports their position.
The Parliament had an extensive debate on that very point yesterday, and I see no point in adding anything further to what was said.
Children in Care (Education Champion)
To ask the Scottish Executive how the creation of a national "champion" will help to improve the educational performance of children in care. (S2O-11760)
Anna Fowlie, who is on secondment from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, will work closely with chief executives and senior officials in each local authority to identify what more needs to be done to improve educational outcomes for their looked-after children.
Given the fact that children in care gain far fewer qualifications than other pupils, that development, together with the £12.8 million that goes with it, is very positive, and has been welcomed by COSLA and Barnardo's. Will targets that have to be met within a specific timeframe be set, so as to gauge the success, or otherwise, of this latest initiative to improve the educational performance of children in care?
It might be difficult to have specific targets and timeframes at this stage. It is generally recognised that we as a society collectively fail children in care. All of us—local authority staff, councillors, MSPs and ministers—must take our responsibilities for those children seriously. Too many of them start their young lives disadvantaged, and that disadvantage continues when they go into care. It is not good enough that many of them are more vulnerable to failure at a relatively early stage in life. We need to do something about that. We are determined to ensure that we all face up to our responsibilities.
Nursery Education (Funding)
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total additional allocation to local authorities has been for nursery education since November 2006. (S2O-11765)
On 27 November 2006, the Minister for Education and Young People announced the allocation of £40 million of additional resources for the purchase of educational materials for use in schools, including local authority nursery classes and schools. On 12 January 2007, the minister announced an additional £12.8 million of funding for children's services. Options for the use of that funding include play equipment provision by providers of pre-school education.
I ask the minister to join me in welcoming such additional funding, particularly the additional £1 million for Dundee, Angus and Aberdeenshire, which is proof of the on-going commitment of the Executive to expanding and improving early years education.
The Executive has a good record on extending early years education and care to more people throughout Scotland, with the result that 96 per cent of three-year-olds and 99 per cent of four-year-olds are registered for pre-school education.
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First Minister's Question Time