SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
General Questions
Young People
To ask the Scottish Executive what its priorities are for young people. (S3O-923)
Improving the health and education of our young people lies at the heart of our priorities. Our young people should have every opportunity to learn from their early years onwards and to develop skills to help them fulfil their ambitions and potential as citizens of Scotland. Early intervention will be a hallmark policy of the Government, particularly when young people may be vulnerable or at risk.
When will the £10 million additional support fund to improve services for children with additional support needs be in place? How much of the fund will go directly to families and carers and how much will be used to support the transition from childhood to adulthood?
I think that the member asks about additional support for learning funding. I have concerns about that, because it is important that the funds are released and reach front-line services. I raised concerns with the previous Administration about whether the £10 million of funding was for delivering the administration of the additional support for learning legislation. That is a concern, so I am more than happy to investigate how we can ensure that more resources reach the front line for classroom assistants and teachers who support young pupils who have additional support needs, rather than just backing up the administration of the legislation, which was the funding requirement of the previous Government.
Orkney Public Transport
To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to ensure that Orkney Islands Council is able to maintain Orkney's internal public transport services. (S3O-961)
Orkney Islands Council has asked the Scottish Government for substantial additional financial support towards the capital costs of a long-term programme to improve its interisland transport services. We are considering that request as part of our current spending review and we will be in touch with the council in due course.
The minister has referred to the Scottish transport appraisal guidance appraisal—STAG appraisal—of Orkney's internal transport needs, which is likely to lead to major expenditure of more than £100 million on new ferries and infrastructure. However, until that work is completed and the funding is secured, the problem remains of funding the current internal ferry and air services, which have experienced large cost increases as the result of factors that are beyond the council's control. Will the minister therefore urgently consider Orkney Islands Council's request for a continuation of the special transport grant of about £1 million, which previous transport ministers provided to keep those vital lifeline services running? Will he give the council the reply that it seeks and needs?
The First Minister, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth and I have all visited Orkney in recent months and we have discussed the issue with the council, so we are clearly aware of the difficulties that it faces. I regret to say that until the comprehensive spending review is complete, I cannot make new commitments, but I assure the member that we are aware of the council's position.
Barra Runway
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to provide Barra with a purpose-built airport runway. (S3O-920)
I expect advice before the end of the year on the future of air services to Barra, including the potential for a hard runway.
When the minister considers Barra airport's future, I urge him to ensure that air services continue. They are incredibly important to the people of Barra for social reasons. People who are going to hospital in Glasgow need to access those services, which are also important for the island's economic growth. I urge the minister to ensure that air services continue by providing a purpose-built runway with a cross-runway on which aircraft can land.
Could we have a question, please?
Will the minister assure me that he will fight for that important service in that small community?
I assure the member that I am absolutely aware of the need to continue the air service to Barra. However, the basis for providing a hard runway, rather than continuing to use the three runways that are available at Tràigh Mhòr, is not yet clear and I await further advice. A hard runway would be aligned in one fixed direction, so it is likely that there would be more diversions from Barra than there are with the current provision of three runways on the beach.
In the light of what the minister has said, will he give a long-term commitment to supporting air transport in Barra, no matter what type of runway—whether man-made or natural? On the other option that he outlined—acquiring new aircraft—what stage has consultation with the community and other interests reached?
The community's opinions and views are important in reaching a decision. Serious concerns are felt about the environmental impact of building a hard runway on the environmentally vulnerable machair that is adjacent to the present runway. That is one factor that will be considered, in addition to the fact that a hard runway would be likely to be substantially more expensive than purchasing two additional aircraft to operate the service from the beach at Tràigh Mhòr.
I call Tavish Scott. He should bear it in mind that the question is about the runway at Barra.
Of course, Presiding Officer. The minister will be well aware of today's news, which affects Barra, that the franchise arrangement between Loganair and British Airways will end in October next year. When he considers that announcement, which does indeed affect Barra and many other parts of the Highlands and Islands, will he take it into account that Loganair's statement says that the change will have no impact on the air discount scheme, which of course assists Barra, and that the scheme should continue? Will he give an assurance that the scheme will continue for the rest of the parliamentary session?
That was a lesson in opportunism.
Today's announcement from British Airways and Loganair in no way affects the air discount scheme's operation. The member will know that we are considering where to take that scheme.
Anthrax Case (Crown Office)
To ask the Scottish Executive what the latest position is on the handling by the Crown Office of the anthrax outbreak in the Scottish Borders which led to the death of Pascal Norris. (S3O-983)
The investigation into the death of Pascal Norris by the procurator fiscal for the Scottish Borders is on-going. The procurator fiscal has sent a detailed report about the death to the Crown Office, so that Crown counsel can decide whether criminal proceedings or a fatal accident inquiry should be held. A final decision will not be made until the report from the director of public health for NHS Borders is available. That report is expected to be finalised in December. [Interruption.]
I ask whoever has a mobile phone on to turn it off.
I do not need introductory music.
When determining whether a fatal accident inquiry should be held, Crown counsel will take into account that matter and others, including what the source of the anthrax was.
Green Spaces (Glasgow)
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take through the planning system to protect parkland and other green space in Glasgow. (S3O-971)
National planning policy on open space is set out in national planning policy guideline 11, which is on sport, physical recreation and open space. That is under review and will shortly be replaced by Scottish planning policy 11, on open space and physical activity.
I welcome the review of the national planning policy guideline. The minister will be aware of the furore over the plans for a nightclub in Glasgow's botanic gardens, which have—rightly—caused outrage throughout the city, not least because of the lack of consultation or even public information before Glasgow City Council agreed a lease. Is he also aware of the local campaign against the loss of green space at Broomhill Avenue and at Turtle park and Stepping Stones park in Pollokshields? My good friend the Deputy First Minister supports the campaign on the latter.
I am very much aware of the botanic gardens and Broomhill Avenue issues to which the member refers. I note the concerns that he and local people have expressed about the Broomhill Avenue proposal. I am aware of no planning application at this stage. As the council owns the land, the matter may come to the Scottish ministers for determination, so I will not be specific.
The minister will be aware that the Planning etc (Scotland) Act 2006 placed great emphasis on public consultation. Is he aware that the proposal for sale of land in the Broomhill area has never been put out to public consultation and that the local councillor was never consulted on it? Does he agree with local people, a local councillor and me that the land should not go on sale until proper consultation has been carried out?
I will make no specific reference to the merits of the proposal, which is at an early stage. However, I agree with the member that an important part of a council's responsibility in considering developments of that kind is that there should be full and frank consultation with the local community and all interested parties. I support all efforts to achieve that.
VisitScotland (Meetings)
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met VisitScotland and what issues were discussed. (S3O-972)
The Scottish Government meets VisitScotland regularly. Among the issues discussed are the promotion of Scotland as a successful tourist destination and how we can support the industry in our shared ambition to grow tourism revenue by 50 per cent in the decade to 2015.
The minister will be aware that in his statement of 26 September Mr Swinney announced that he intends to cut the number of VisitScotland hubs to just six, renewing concerns about a loss of local control. Can the minister use this opportunity to spell out in more detail exactly what his plans for the restructuring of the network are?
I can. On 27 August, we met the tourism community in plenary session; 70 people contributed to that debate. We will meet the community again on 19 November. We have created a situation in which local groups and area tourism partnerships will flower in Scotland. They will operate within the framework that has been delivered and will create the vibrancy that we seek, to achieve the revenues that we want and to ensure that the year of homecoming takes Scottish tourism to a totally new level.
Following John Swinney's announcement of the further centralisation of VisitScotland in the statement to which Gavin Brown referred, I asked the minister what consultation he had conducted with the tourism industry in Fife and what consultation he intended to hold on the proposed changes. The answer was none. What assessment has the minister made of the impact of the changes on tourism in different parts of Scotland? Why does he treat with contempt tourism businesses such as guest houses, hotels, shops, museums, visitor attractions and water activity centres, many of which are based in my constituency and are the backbone of the tourism industry in Scotland? He appears not to want to seek the views of those businesses or to listen to them.
I would like to thank the member for that question, but it was such a negative perversion of reality that I cannot do so. The session of 27 August included representatives of the types of businesses that he mentioned. Those who put themselves forward to me were invited to that event. There will be a second meeting on 19 November. If the member and others, including his constituents, want to come along, they should do so and be involved. The industry is being listened to as never before and the Government will deliver a future for it as never before.
Does the minister realise that tourism in Edinburgh generates £1.6 billion annually and sustains more than 30,000 jobs? Recently, it has been promoted successfully by VisitScotland Edinburgh and the Lothians, which was set up only two years ago. Did the minister notice the comment that the director of city development in Edinburgh made this week on the proposed reorganisation? He said:
I will certainly ensure that the council is invited to our session on 19 November. We are conscious of the central role that Edinburgh plays in generating tourism and tourism revenues in Scotland. We are throwing no babies out with the bath water; rather, we are energising the babies in the Scottish tourism bath. We are putting tourism at the centre of our economic policy. VisitScotland will sit in the strategic forum. It will be the focus of the drive forward, not just to boost revenues from tourism but to use tourism as the hook that gives people a greater awareness of Scotland and of the potential within Scotland.
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