Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Glasgow Provan)
Our priority is disrupting and dismantling criminal enterprises, and I welcome the excellent work undertaken by the police and prosecutors to recover the ill-gotten gains from organised criminals across Scotland. More than £60 million has been recovered through that effective legislation since 2003. These matters are dealt with by the police and the Crown Office—they do not hold proceeds of crime data at the level of detail that has been requested. To collate that level of detail would be complex and labour intensive due to the number of cases involved and the technical difficulties associated with linking individual cases to specific geographical locations.
I pose the following question to the minister. Should the communities that are most affected by drugs crime receive a significant share of the proceeds, which are very effectively collected by the courts?
They do receive a significant share, but Mr Martin forgets that crime knows no geographical boundaries, which is why I addressed the Association of Chief Police Officers of England and Wales. Many of the problems that are faced by communities that are blighted by drugs are similar whether in the West Midlands or in Merseyside. I pose a counter-question: if a drug delivery from Liverpool that was bound for Glasgow Provan is disrupted elsewhere by the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, who claims the proceeds of the crime? Is it the responsibility of Liverpool, is it the responsibility of Provan or does the responsibility lie elsewhere?
Sea Lice
The use and release of sea lice medicines from fish cages is regulated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Where evidence of significant breaches of licence conditions are uncovered, these are handled in accordance with SEPA’s published Enforcement Policy. The number of incidents where such licence breaches have occurred is small, and they have normally been dealt with by reports being made to the procurator fiscal.
Would the Scottish Government consider a moratorium on new fish farms until the current farmers resolve sea-lice issues?
I welcome Jean Urquhart’s question, but the Scottish Government is committed to the sustainable economic growth of the agriculture industry while giving due regard to the wider marine environment, which I understand is the basis of the member’s question.
If the aim of increasing production of all farmed fish by 50 per cent by 2020 is achieved, it will lead to a subsequent increase in use of chemical treatments. What will the minister do to ensure that those increases are taken into account when the Government looks at reforming the regulatory system?
It is true to say that as the sector grows the amount of fish and the biomass within particular sea lochs will increase, and that the need to introduce medicines to control a larger population of fish will also increase. I accept that, but it is important to note that the increase in the amount of medicines that are being deployed might not translate automatically into an increase in toxicity. People are trying to reduce the toxicity of medicines that are currently used, so the volume of medicines used may increase because they have a lower impact on the environment. I am happy to correspond with Ms Baker on that point.
Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Enforcement Actions)
Wherever possible, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency seeks to work with regulated businesses to help them to comply with regulations. When businesses wilfully or negligently harm the environment, SEPA has a range of enforcement powers that it uses to ensure that the environment is protected. Those powers include suspending or revoking a business’s permit to operate, and recommending prosecution to the procurator fiscal.
I impress on the minister one of the issues that has arisen in the process of granting a Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2000 licence for the proposed Dovesdale plant near Stonehouse. Objectors have had difficulty in adding their objections when further questions have been asked and answered by the company, which in this case is Scotgen (South Lanarkshire) Ltd.
SEPA already has a wide range of powers to ensure that the environment and human health are protected. Those begin with the permanent application process and continue through commissioning and plant operation. Nevertheless, our joint programme with SEPA on better environmental regulation seeks to ensure that SEPA has the right range of flexible enforcement options available to it.
NHS Tayside (Patient Transport)
Scottish Government ministers and officials meet all health boards on a regular basis to discuss a wide range of issues. However, arrangements for local patient transport provision are a matter for NHS Tayside to discuss with the appropriate local authorities and transport providers.
As the cabinet secretary may be aware, NHS Tayside took the decision in the summer to reduce the vital 333 bus service between Perth royal infirmary and Ninewells hospital in Dundee. The link is used by patients, relatives and staff—in particular by staff who work evenings, who have been put to real inconvenience by the service reduction. Will the cabinet secretary, when he next meets NHS Tayside, impress on it the need for a full reinstatement of that vital link?
There are two points to make. First, my understanding is that some improvements have already been made in the 333 service and in other services that are relevant to that particular connectivity. However, I am happy to take the opportunity to try to ensure that transport arrangements between Perth royal infirmary and Ninewells are up to the required standard and frequency.
I thank the cabinet secretary for that additional information. I agree that NHS Tayside has made some movement, but more is needed. It is clear that there are problems where services are being moved from one hospital to another in order to improve their quality. That has happened in Tayside and in other areas.
All those issues are covered by the remit of the short-life working group. I am keen to ensure that we provide adequate transport arrangements for patients, visitors and staff, because those are essential to the efficient working of the national health service in Scotland.
Ferry Services (Islay)
A needs-based assessment was used to determine the routes and ferry services required for Islay. We published our proposals in the draft ferries plan for consultation in December 2011. A final ferries plan setting out the way forward will be published before the end of this year.
Will the minister urge CalMac to respond to the wishes of local residents and businesses on Islay and Jura for their ferry services? Above all, will he ensure that the extra sailing to and from Islay that has been introduced for the winter timetable will be kept for the summer months?
I would have hoped that Jamie McGrigor would welcome that extra sailing and I would have hoped that he would have welcomed the extra sailing during the summer timetable, from Kennacraig to Port Ellen and from Port Askaig to Kennacraig. Obviously, CalMac introduced the extra sailing in response to local concerns and it has been very much welcomed. Whether we can continue with it will be partially dependent on the outcome of the final ferries plan—the draft ferries plan has been issued for consultation. I have had substantial responses from local people and many pieces of correspondence from the local member on the issue, but I have had no response from Jamie McGrigor or the Tory party on the draft ferries plan. I will, however, look at the issue and CalMac will look at it, as it always does, to try to respond to local needs.
Healthy Eating
We have introduced a range of measures to improve diet and are spending over £7.5 million to March 2015 on projects to encourage healthy eating, from community initiatives in deprived areas, to the healthy living award in catering settings. We are also working closely with the food industry—including manufacturers, retailers and caterers—to reduce the salt, fat and added sugar content of products, and we are working with the education sector to teach people about the importance of healthy eating. Further, in a significant step forward, as I announced yesterday, we are recommending traffic-light colours on all pre-packaged foods sold in Scotland, which will make it easier for consumers to make healthier food choices.
I was delighted to read that our new Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing recently reaffirmed his belief that free school meals have substantial health benefits, and I welcome the fact that the increased entitlement to free school meals that was given by the Scottish Government in 2009 has led to 44,000 children benefiting. However, will the minister ensure that there are cross-departmental discussions in the Government on how provision of free school meals can be expanded in future years, given the clear public health benefits? I know that we are in difficult financial times, but planning for the future is essential.
We have since 2007 taken forward a range of measures to extend provision of free school meals to children and young people, which includes providing free school meals to children from families who are in receipt of working tax credits and child tax credits so that they can receive a healthy meal at school. Those actions have seen the number of children and young people who are registered to receive free school meals rising from 16 per cent when we inherited the scheme in 2007 to almost 20 per cent of pupils in 2012, which totals 130,000.
On healthy eating among infants, what more can the Government do in relation to supporting and promoting breastfeeding to improve health and help to save the national health service millions of pounds, as was cited in a recent UNICEF report?
Breastfeeding has a very important part to play in helping to promote healthy eating among young children. We have set a range of targets for NHS boards to promote breastfeeding within their areas and to focus particularly on those in more deprived communities. We wish to see boards making progress in this area, and it is an issue that we continue to pursue with them.
Scottish Rail Franchise
When the Department for Transport publishes its report on the review of the west coast franchise debacle at the turn of the year, we shall assess whether there are lessons to be learned for future procurement of rail passenger services in Scotland.
Will the minister advise me what discussions the Scottish Government has had with the UK Government on the transfer of powers over rail, which could allow public sector models to form part of any review of the rail franchise in Scotland? Does he agree that publicly run railways would offer the public a better deal than the current fragmented and inefficient model?
Under the current devolution settlement, it is possible for public sector and not-for-profit bids to be submitted in relation to future provision of rail services in Scotland.
European Arrest Warrant
Separate statistics for those returned under European arrest warrants and those returned under other arrangements have not been kept in all years. However, since the beginning of 2004, between 60 and 70 persons have been returned to Scotland under a European arrest warrant.
Does the cabinet secretary agree that the Home Secretary’s position on the European arrest warrant is at best confused? Will he comment on what impact a short term or permanent opt-out would have on Scotland?
It is clear from the available figures that the European arrest warrant has increased the number of persons being returned to Scotland to face justice. The Home Office might believe that the framework that governs extraditions from Europe could revert to the Council of Europe convention on extradition of 1957. Irrespective of whether that is possible, however, those arrangements would not be as satisfactory. The actions and attitude of the UK Government towards Europe are jeopardising the administration of justice in Scotland.
Road to Recovery Programme (Methadone)
Before 2007 and the introduction of the road to recovery programme, such information was not available. To fill the gap, the Government has invested in and enhanced the Scottish drug misuse database. That has improved the information that is available on people who enter drug treatment, people’s pathways through treatment and the outcomes that they achieve. The first release of the information will be published by the Information Services Division of NHS Scotland on 18 December 2012. The report will include information on a cohort of people in specialist drug treatment, including information on prescribed and illicit drug use.
I thank the minister for what was possibly the fullest answer that I have ever received to a question of this type in the chamber.
The information will contain as much as we can possibly provide at this stage. As Annabel Goldie knows perfectly well, we have made constant and consistent improvements in the information gathering on drugs since the Government came into office in 2007; far more information is available now than there ever was before. However, we are not complacent about the situation that we are in with any aspect of the policy, and that includes opiate replacement therapies.
Before we move to First Minister’s question time, members will wish to join me in welcoming to the gallery the ambassador of El Salvador, His Excellency Mr Werner Romero. [Applause.]