Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Thursday, November 25, 2010

Official Report 1072KB pdf

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Scottish Executive Question Time

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Education and Lifelong Learning

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Class Sizes (Orkney)

1. To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact on schools in Orkney of its class size commitment for primary 1 to primary 3. (S3O-12099)

Schools census data published since 2007 indicate that the proportion of Orkney’s primary 1 to primary 3 pupils in classes of 18 or fewer in successive years was as follows: in 2007, the proportion was 41.4 per cent, which is good; in 2008 it was 43 per cent, which is better; and, in 2009, it was 44.8, which is very much better. The census data for 2010 are due to be published next week, on 1 December.

Orkney is the second highest performing council in this respect, and we believe that, as with other councils that are following a class size reduction policy, its pupils will benefit from enhanced interaction with their teachers.

I think that Papdale primary school is due some plaudits, as it is the only primary school with multiple class intake.

I assure the minister that I need no persuading of the benefits of smaller class sizes, particularly in the early years. However, they are only one element in ensuring a quality education.

It might not surprise Mr Russell to learn that, in Orkney, parents and teachers have not been kept awake at night worrying about classrooms overflowing with pupils. In many instances, the concern has been, and remains, the precise opposite. I acknowledge the Government’s position regarding the class size commitment, but will the minister accept that allowing headteachers the flexibility to manage their staff and financial resources in a way that best meets the needs of the school and its pupils is desirable?

Does he acknowledge that as local authority budgets and, therefore, school budgets become tighter, that flexibility will become even more essential? Does he agree that if, in order to keep class sizes lower throughout primaries 1 to 3, class sizes balloon elsewhere in the school, pupils with additional support needs struggle to receive the support that they need, and some pupils are prevented from remaining in the same classes as their friends, that brings into some question the overall benefits that are achieved?

Like the curate’s egg, that question was good in parts. I accept the argument that class size reduction is important, I agree that it is not the only element of good education—good teaching is exceptionally important—and I agree that there should be flexibility for headteachers in many aspects of education policy and delivery. I also know that that question will be raised again in this chamber this afternoon.

However, I do not accept that there should be a free-for-all with regard to class sizes. I know that Orkney is an enlightened local authority and I look forward to seeing its director of education at tomorrow’s Association of Directors of Education in Scotland conference, but I think that one or two less enlightened local authorities might use any substantial change in this policy to very much weaken the important connection between young people and teachers that the class size policy represents.

Mr McArthur should support what we are trying to do, and should not try to trim it.

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Education and Lifelong Learning (Budget)

2. To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding and what resources the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning has been allocated following the recent budget statement. (S3O-12142)

The planned resources and funding allocated to education and lifelong learning for 2011-12 come to £2,583.6 million. That figure can be found in table 9.01 on page 135 of “Scotland’s Spending Plans and Draft Budget 2011-12”.

I am sure that, when the minister appears before the Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee next week, we will go over those figures with a fine-toothed comb.

Can the cabinet secretary confirm that the agreement between the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities that was signed off last week will result in an additional 1,200 teacher job losses on top of the 3,500 teachers who have been lost to the Scottish education system since 2007?

I cannot confirm that, because it is an erroneous interpretation of the agreement. As the First Minister indicated this morning, the negotiating teams for COSLA and the Scottish Government, of whose team I was a member, came to an agreement on the document and recommended it. The only people who seem to be carping about it are those in the Labour Party, who seem to wish to sit outside it.

This agreement is good news for Scottish education. It has reduced the fears of substantial reductions. It presents challenges, but it also provides solutions. I tend to think that that is what politicians should do—we should face up to problems and provide solutions. I am aware, however, that I have not heard a single solution from the Labour benches in the whole year in which I have held this post.

Will the cabinet secretary explain what provision has been made in the Scottish Government draft budget to support young people from less well-off backgrounds to continue in education?

That has been a core concern of mine. As was announced in the budget statement, the Scottish Government will continue the education maintenance allowance scheme, thereby reinforcing our commitment to supporting the least well-off students in Scotland. In other parts of the United Kingdom, that scheme is being removed.

Despite the constraints on our budgets, we will also guarantee that no existing student will experience a decrease in living cost support in the academic year 2011-12.

I pay tribute to the universities and colleges, which despite the difficulties of the settlement, have made it clear that they intend to maintain the number of student places. That will help every student in Scotland. Those people are putting the public interest before anything else—which is a lesson for members in this chamber.

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Outdoor Education

3. To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of research and anecdotal evidence indicating that outdoor education can improve the behaviour of disruptive pupils. (S3O-12095)

There is wide-ranging evidence of a variety of benefits stemming from outdoor learning experiences for children and young people. Many of those benefits, in particular improved mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing, have a positive impact on behaviour in educational settings.

Has the Scottish Government examined whether the perception that health and safety legislation is a barrier to outdoor education is a significant deterrent to the provision of such education? If so, what is the Scottish Government doing to encourage sharing of best practice in outdoor education?

We are very much aware of the fact that health and safety legislation can be seen as a barrier to outdoor education. To that end, we have worked with Learning and Teaching Scotland to produce online advice and guidance for teachers who want to get involved in the outdoor learning experience, which is something that we very much encourage.

Lord Young, who used to be an adviser to the Conservative Government, has made recommendations for educational visits in order to reduce the amount of bureaucracy. We support that. I wrote to Lord Young and received a response suggesting that measures will be taken to ensure that health and safety—which is a reserved matter—is not seen as a barrier and that, instead of some of the licensing regimes, we might have a code of conduct that would make it easier for teachers to be involved in outdoor education. Despite those inhibitions, it is gratifying to see that many teachers, including one or two who are present today in the chamber, still ensure that they provide children with a full range of experiences outwith the classroom. We want to encourage that.

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Textiles Industry (Skills)

4. To ask the Scottish Executive what support it has offered to aid in the development and training of skills in the textiles industry. (S3O-12098)

We are working with Skillset, the relevant sector skills council for the industry, to develop and support a wide range of initiatives to help the textiles industry in Scotland.

As well as updating the national occupational standards for the sector, new qualifications have been developed to address employers’ needs. Small employers in the sector are able to access workforce development support as part of the Government’s flexible training opportunities scheme. Through the skills in textiles programme, the Government is helping textiles firms to improve their productivity and links with academia.

The minister mentioned Skillset. With that in mind, and given that the Scottish National Party’s draft budget states that there will be increased urgency in enhancing people’s skills, does that mean that ministers today can assure me that the action plan that is being formulated by Skillset will be implemented and fully funded, and that the excellent skills in textiles and world-class skills projects will maintain their funding?

I am happy to update the member on the progress that has been made by Skillset in relation to, for example, the Scottish Qualification Authority’s accreditation co-ordination group, which has approved a leather production level 2 Scottish vocational qualification structure.

SQA has also approved a fashion and textiles assessment strategy. A level 3 SVQ in kilt making—which is very topical today—has been accredited and added to the Scottish credit and qualifications framework.

We enjoy a good relationship with Skillset, although we had some concerns during its establishment about the way in which the previous regime had been changed at UK level. As I am sure the member is aware, those issues are determined by and large at UK level. However, we have been very active in ensuring that Skillset serves the interests of the textiles industry. If there are continuing issues of concern, I am more than happy to meet the member to discuss them.

I recently met the management of the Hawick Cashmere Company Ltd in my constituency. The company is one of the leading textile producers in Scotland, if not the United Kingdom. The management highlighted to me the difficulty that it has in encouraging young people, particularly school leavers, into the industry, especially given the historical difficulties that have been faced by the sector. Does the minister believe that the answer is more effective training, or is it perhaps more to do with improving the industry’s profile among school careers advisers, not just in the Borders but throughout Scotland?

Improving the perception of careers in the industry is important. That can take place at school level, and we have encouraged that through SDS in particular, and through the careers service, but it is also true to say that the colleges have to make their offer of training for the textiles industry much more obvious. It was clear to me when I met the industry some months ago that there was not an appreciation of what the colleges can do—for example, in providing bespoke courses at the request of employers, rather than employers’ having to tap into current, continuing courses. The relationship is now working far better with Heriot-Watt University and Borders College, and that will lead to a greater uptake by young people, as the member mentioned.

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Gaelic-medium Education

5. To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made toward meeting demand for Gaelic-medium education across Scotland. (S3O-12078)

We are aware of a good number of areas where parents have expressed a demand for Gaelic-medium education and we would like to see it established in those areas. Of course, it is up to each local authority to make provision for such education. We support those local authorities to the limit of our abilities throughout Scotland.

I have examples from Thurso to Edinburgh of evidence that local authorities are not fully meeting parental demand. In Thurso, there has been a failure to set up a Gaelic-medium unit, and in Edinburgh there is the rumoured threat to cap the number of students at the Tollcross Gaelic-medium school, where demand outstrips supply. Will the cabinet secretary investigate those cases?

I am aware of the examples that the member mentioned, and of others. Clearly, I have a long knowledge of the sector. As the member will know, I and the minister with responsibility for Gaelic discuss the matter with councils, Bòrd na Gàidhlig and parents groups. We are directing available funding to councils in order to make progress and to support them with the delivery of Gaelic-medium education.

We should look not just at the one or two places in Scotland where the glass might be slightly empty but at the many places where the glass has filled up pretty rapidly. When I met the parents of children at the Edinburgh Gaelic-medium school recently, we all reflected on how far Gaelic-medium education has come in a decade. There is room for continued progress and I know that there is a demand from parents. If local authorities, parents, Bòrd na Gàidhlig and the Scottish Government work together, we will continue to meet that demand.

As Mr Russell knows, he, I and Rob Gibson share an enthusiasm for Gaelic-medium education. However, I was interested to hear him talk about “the limit of” the Government’s “abilities” and say that it is not just about funding. He could remove a limit from the Government’s abilities if he delivered the SNP’s election promise, which I remind members was:

“We will guarantee in law the right to a Gaelic medium education at primary level, where ... demand exists”.

Does the minister have plans to fulfil his election promise in the six months that remain?

That is an interesting question. I have to say that, as we are getting close to the election, there will be an opportunity for all of us to reflect on it. Given the present difficult situation for local authorities, I do not think that it would be reasonable at this stage to put that additional burden on them. However, I look forward to Mr Macintosh telling Scotland’s local authorities that that is precisely what he intends to do. I am sure that the Labour local authorities that are having such difficulty in accepting even the generous offer from the Government of a reduction of only 2.6 per cent will welcome the opportunity to get right behind Mr Macintosh and ensure that they deliver even more for less money. If that is Labour economics, thank goodness Labour is not going to be in a position to implement it next year.

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Early Years Education

6. To ask the Scottish Executive what priority it gives to early years education. (S3O-12117)

Early years education, both in the home and in pre-school settings, helps to set the foundations for a child’s future learning and life chances. That is reflected in the early years framework, which we developed jointly with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and other partners. We are working with COSLA, community planning partnerships throughout Scotland and other partners in the public, private and voluntary sectors to take forward the implementation of the jointly agreed priorities that are set out in the framework.

The minister will be aware of the concordat pledge that, by August 2010, local authorities will provide 15 hours a week of free early years education for three and four-year-olds. The minister might also be aware that Glasgow City Council delivered on that pledge in August 2009, which was a full year early. That council now provides more than 880 such places for two-year-olds, and they are either free or at minimal cost. The council is also working towards providing all those places free and towards extending the provision. Can the minister update the Parliament on progress by Scotland’s other local authorities on implementation of that pledge on early years education?

I am happy to do so. Expansion plans have been affected by the Westminster cuts agenda, first under Labour and then followed up by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition. Despite that, we have fully achieved the first phase of our expansion to 475 hours of pre-school education per year, delivering 8 million more hours to our children than was delivered in the final year of the previous Administration. Several councils as well as Glasgow City Council are pushing ahead to delivering 570 hours, and there are no barriers to councils offering places to under-threes. Indeed, there are 3,000 such places across Scotland.

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City of Glasgow College

7. To ask the Scottish Government what educational and economic benefits the new City of Glasgow College will bring for students and Glasgow. (S3O-12093)

The educational and economic benefits of the merger were set out in the business case that was jointly prepared by the three colleges concerned. Ministers also received advice from the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council, which supported the merger. We have published on our website all the key documents on which our decision to approve the merger was based.

In approving the merger, we took into account the intended benefits for students, including wider provision, greater choice, better articulation with universities, better support and less duplication. The merger has established Scotland’s largest college in the heart of Glasgow, and has given the city an institution of international significance.

I know that the college will be a huge boost to the economies of Glasgow and of Scotland as a whole. It has been stated in the merger proposal document that two out of every five students will come from the most deprived postcode areas in Scotland, which is to be welcomed. How will that be achieved?

It is fair to say that all colleges in Scotland have a good track record in bringing learning opportunities to people from deprived backgrounds. It is a feature of all the colleges that they encourage significant numbers of students from deprived areas. As the largest college in Scotland, the new City of Glasgow College, where one in 10 of all Scotland’s learners will study, will offer a stunning prospectus of more than 2,500 courses. That will provide an unparalleled level of opportunity to many who live in areas of deprivation and who might not otherwise have been attracted to learning.

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Free School Meals

8. To ask the Scottish Executive what progress local authorities have made toward delivering the Scottish Government’s commitment on free school meals. (S3O-12119)

In March 2010, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the Scottish Government agreed that councils will provide a nutritious free meal to all children in primaries 1 to 3 in those schools that are in the 20 per cent most deprived communities in a council area. Reporting is a matter for local authorities and the information is held by them. We will continue to keep in close contact with COSLA and local authorities on the issue but, at this stage, there is no intention to introduce new or additional reporting burdens on local authorities.

I understand that the provision of free breakfasts in schools counts towards implementation of the Scottish Government’s policy. Given the demise perforce of free breakfasts in Glasgow and the likely price increases for school breakfasts and lunches in the city, will the Government give councils such as Glasgow an above-average grant settlement for next year, or will it allow its school meals policy to die in the water?

I urge Glasgow City Council to revisit those potential decisions on withdrawing breakfast club initiatives. On allocating resources, the formulae that have been in use for many years will be used again for the distribution of funds from the Scottish Government to local authorities.

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Europe, External Affairs and Culture

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St Andrew’s Day

1. To ask the Scottish Government what events are planned to celebrate St Andrew’s day. (S3O-12075)

A programme of 15 high-quality events is taking place across Scotland from Friday 26 to Tuesday 30 November to mark St Andrew’s day, our national day. In addition, all 48 of Historic Scotland’s winter ticketed attractions are open for free for four days around St Andrews day, including the weekend before, the privilege holiday and St Andrew’s day itself.

St Andrew’s day offers us an unrivalled opportunity to celebrate the best of Scotland’s rich traditional and contemporary culture at home and abroad. Where possible, Scottish ministers will engage in activity across the country to celebrate our national day. I will be at East Lothian’s saltire celebrations and Edinburgh’s event in St Andrew Square gardens.

I know that the minister is aware that last year—St Andrew’s day 2009—Glasgow the Caring City, a charity based in Glasgow, launched the cross out child poverty in Scotland campaign, supported by the minister and, indeed, by the First Minister. What support is being given to that initiative this year? Is she aware that we are launching the initiative in East Kilbride this Sunday, representing St Andrew’s day 2010, in an effort to cross out child poverty in East Kilbride?

I am certainly aware of the event, and I extend my best wishes for the launch of the cross out child poverty campaign in East Kilbride on Sunday.

I have met the Rev Neil Galbraith from Glasgow the Caring City. He will be among the judges for the public final of the St Andrew’s day debating championships on 29 November here in the Parliament, when the motion will be:

“This house believes that the private sector should do more to solve child poverty”.

The cross out poverty campaign has also been part of the engage for education website, and information about the campaign has been given to directors of education. The Rev Neil Galbraith also met officials on 18 November to discuss his involvement in the Scottish Government’s discussion paper on Scotland’s child poverty strategy.

Is the minister aware that Professor Louise Richardson, the first female principal of a Scottish university, will deliver a St Andrew’s day lecture in Brussels to celebrate the 600th year of the University of St Andrews? Will the Scottish Government be supporting the event, and will the minister attend any of the other hugely important occasions during the forthcoming 600th anniversary year?

I would be delighted to attend any of the events for the 600th anniversary. It is a very important event to mark not just for St Andrews and the university but because of the university’s contribution to wider thinking and academic achievement. I point out that Louise Richardson, although very impressive, is not the first female principal of a Scottish university, but I am delighted that she is taking the message about the launch of the 600th anniversary campaign to Brussels, ensuring that we can engage with our European friends to help to celebrate this important anniversary.

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Cultural Co-ordinators (Termination of Contracts)

2. To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with local authorities regarding the termination of the cultural co-ordinator contracts. (S3O-12052)

The Scottish Government has not had any discussions with local authorities regarding the termination of the contracts. It was announced in 2007 that the programme would be phased out. The programme was managed by the Scottish Arts Council, as was, and that body was involved in the contractual discussions between the cultural co-ordinators and the local authorities.

I thank the minister for her reply, but there remain problems. I hope that she shares my concern that, as ever, arts and culture are in the front line for local authority cuts and that encouraging creativity in our young people still has such a low place in local authorities’ scale of priorities.

The cultural co-ordinators feel completely abandoned, and I would like the minister to respond. The Government and local authorities want to take no responsibility, but Unison is of the opinion that employment law is not being upheld. Will she have a meeting with Unison, representatives of the cultural co-ordinators and whoever else needs to be spoken to in order to sort this out?

I am happy for the member to write to me outlining his concerns in detail. I point out that, in the area that he represents, Midlothian Council and West Lothian Council continue to pay for cultural co-ordinator posts using local authority funding. The phasing-out announcement back in 2007-08 identified that it was open to local authorities to do that. The City of Edinburgh Council decided not to take the programme forward. However, it has received grants from Creative Scotland’s creative learning network fund and has set up an ambassador network. Also, in the past few weeks, the City of Edinburgh Council has appointed a manager for arts and learning, who is located in the education department. The individual in that post is an ex-cultural co-ordinator from Aberdeen.

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Scots Language

3. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the use of the Scots language. (S3O-12091)

We have taken a number of important steps to support the Scots language. Those include an audit of Scots language provision, a national conference on the Scots language, the funding of two Scots bodies, a survey of attitudes to Scots, the introduction of a census question on Scots and the establishment of a ministerial Scots language working group. The report from that group will be published soon and we will then consider how we can make further progress in responding to the recommendations of the group.

Does the minister agree that any successful strategy for encouraging the greater use of the various regional dialects of Scots must be based on an accurate picture of how widely they are currently used in day-to-day life? If so, does she agree that it is essential that members of the public are made aware of the meaning of the Scots language question in the 2011 census in order to avoid confusion over its meaning and to ensure an accurate response?

The member raises an extremely important point. We want accuracy in the census, but that relies on people being aware of what is being asked and what is appropriate in reply. That is why we have established the short-life working group to focus on raising awareness of the Scots language question in the census. The aim is to ensure that we inform people of the choices so that we receive accurate responses to the question and that people have the confidence to respond. We are working with representatives from the General Register Office for Scotland and the Scots language centre on that.

Will the Scottish Government consider implementing any recommendations of the Scots language working group that refer specifically to the use of the language by children of primary school age?

I look forward to the group publishing its report. I will give serious consideration to any recommendations in the report, and I suspect that it will include recommendations on the preparation of materials as well as on teaching and learning. I was extremely impressed by the Falkirk teachers I met who have integrated Scots into their learning. They have found that learning in their own dialect and language has a great impact on children, who can then respond properly in the classroom with confidence and an improved performance. The Scots language is not just a celebration of our culture; as those teachers from Falkirk relayed to me, it has an important role to play in improving the educational experience of many of our young Scots.

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Public Art

4. To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to promote public art. (S3O-12082)

Public art is a key part of our streetscapes and gives a sense of place and visual delight to communities across Scotland. The Scottish Government is doing much to promote public art through the work of Creative Scotland, Historic Scotland and other cultural bodies in conjunction with local authorities. For example, the National Galleries of Scotland this year commissioned the celebrated sculptor Antony Gormley to display six life-size figures along the Water of Leith. The project has helped passers-by to appreciate and enjoy the public spaces that they inhabit.

The minister may be aware that, earlier this week, I welcomed Ruth Parsons of Historic Scotland to view a selection of the public art works in Glenrothes as part of my campaign to have some of them listed and protected for the future. Does the minister agree that the public art collection in Glenrothes is a unique part of Glenrothes’s heritage? I invite her to Glenrothes to see for herself the hippos, dinosaurs, irises, mushrooms and other artworks.

I welcome the member’s interest and passion in advocating recognition of the diverse and unique pieces of town art that exist in Glenrothes. I would be delighted to come and see the hippos and so on. I suspect that my six-year-old son might enjoy the visit as well.

On a more serious point, recognising and promoting public art is part of Historic Scotland’s responsibilities, too. In looking at our civic collections, we should think not just about our buildings but about our art. I am delighted that there has been a constructive dialogue with Historic Scotland. I know that Glenrothes has a special place in Tricia Marwick’s heart and I would be delighted to come and visit.

I draw to the minister’s attention what I regard to be almost the Cinderella of the art world: sculpture, an art form that can give great pleasure and even inspiration to many of us. I was glad to hear the minister mention the work of Antony Gormley in her first answer. What further action is the Scottish Government taking to promote sculpture, which is often used as public art?

We have supported and are helping to fund the now fully funded phase 1 of the redevelopment of the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop through our partner, Creative Scotland, with lottery funding and the recent grant in aid. I understand that the work on that is due to start in early 2011. It is an ambitious project, which will create a centre of excellence for visual arts in Scotland, with local, national and international impact. I reassure the member that that certainly takes sculpture, as part of our contribution to Scotland’s cultural experience, from being a Cinderella, as he perceives it, to being not just local but national and international in its reach.

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Museums (Report on Funding)

5. To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received the report that it commissioned on museum funding. (S3O-12113)

I received the report from the museums think tank last week and have now read it and am considering its findings and recommendations. I will also have a number of meetings with museums organisations this week, which will help to inform my response to the report that is due in the near future. As I advised the member in my answer to his written question on 18 November, the remit of the think tank is broader than just matters of funding.

I am pleased to hear that the long-delayed report has finally been handed over to ministers, as there is much work to be done to ensure the most equitable distribution of cultural funding throughout Scotland.

The minister will be aware that I have been keen to ensure that the National Galleries of Scotland increases the number of works made available for display at other sites throughout the country. She will also be aware that I campaigned for Titian’s “Diana and Actaeon” to be displayed in Glasgow, which proved a resounding success, as it had more than 140,000 visitors. Given that fact, will the Government give serious consideration to ensuring that similar works by artists such as Botticelli, Cézanne, Raeburn and Blake are displayed regularly outside Edinburgh?

I thank the member for his support for the collaboration that has already taken place and for recognising the importance of the Titian exhibition in the Kelvingrove in July as part of the Scotland tour. I draw to his attention the fact that the very successful Glasgow boys exhibition, which is now taking London by storm, also featured 30 paintings that were loaned from the National Galleries of Scotland. That indicates the movement by both Glasgow and the national collections in working together for the benefit of the people of Glasgow and Scotland. That is the type of collaboration, exchange and co-ordinated exhibition that I want to encourage in the future.

I am sure that the minister will be aware of and will welcome the recent £2.8 million Heritage Lottery Fund grant support for Dunfermline’s major museum and art gallery, which is linked to the development of the Dunfermline Carnegie library. Does she agree that, considering the new museum’s proposed emphasis on Dunfermline’s industrial heritage and the close connection between Dunfermline, Andrew Carnegie—175 years old today—and the Scottish town planner Patrick Geddes, the man who coined “ecology”, it would be desirable if the new project could stress those links in its concepts and exhibitions and perhaps repeat for the benefit of our banking fraternity Andrew Carnegie’s great line, “The man who dies rich dies disgraced”?

I thank Chris Harvie for his question and for providing an opportunity for the Parliament to mark the 175th anniversary of the birth of Andrew Carnegie. It will be up to the museum itself to establish what exhibitions it has, but I cannot believe that there would be an exhibition in Dunfermline that did not celebrate the historic link with Andrew Carnegie.

I also put on record my thanks to Fife Council and commend it for committing £6.8 million to this significant project, which will further enhance Dunfermline’s tourist attractions.

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China (Visit)

6. To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment the Minister for Culture and External Affairs has made of the Scottish Government’s recent visit to China. (S3O-12101)

The First Minister’s visit to China in July and the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning’s visit to China in October ensured that the Scottish Government continued to make significant progress in deepening our bilateral relationship with China across a range of areas and in support of the objectives that are set out in the Government’s China plan. The First Minister led a high-level trade mission to China from 4 to 11 July 2010 to pursue Sino-Scottish business opportunities in key sectors, including the renewable energy, tourism, education and textile sectors. Following the First Minister’s meetings with the vice-minister of administration of quality supervision, inspection and quarantine during his 2009 and 2010 visits, the geographical indicator status of Scotch whisky has been agreed. The United Kingdom Government announced that on 8 November.

I thank the minister for that comprehensive answer.

I am sure that the minister would join me in welcoming Vince Cable’s success in reaching an important agreement with the Chinese Government to protect Scotch whisky. Has the Government made any assessment of the potential financial benefit that that will bring to our whisky industry? What help will it offer that vital Scottish industry as it continues to develop in the Chinese market?

I congratulate the Scotch Whisky Association, which has campaigned for three years for a GI of origin in China; indeed, it made its first application in 2007. There have been discussions between the SWA and the Chinese Government for three years, and I am pleased that the Scottish Government has played its part.

The important issue to consider for the industry is that there were £44 million of Scotch whisky exports to China in 2009. We should bear in mind the global scale of whisky exports, and that Scotch whisky contributes £3.9 billion in gross value added to the Scottish economy. We should also bear in mind that China is now the second biggest market. There is huge potential there, and the protection to prevent the production of counterfeits and stamp out claims of Scottish provenance where none exists will greatly enhance the opportunities in that market.

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Cultural Activity (Linlithgow)

7. To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to promote cultural activity in the Linlithgow parliamentary constituency. (S3O-12134)

Alongside local authorities, Creative Scotland promotes cultural activity across Scotland to ensure a vibrant and thriving cultural scene throughout the country. I was delighted to announce the continuation of funding for the youth music initiative during my visit to the Scottish youth brass band championships in Perth on Sunday. The further investment of £10 million ensures that that successful programme will continue for another year, and it will provide young people throughout the country, including in the Linlithgow constituency, with the opportunity to get involved in music projects and activities. The evening was a fantastic showcase of entertainment, and West Lothian was well represented by the West Lothian schools brass band, which came runner-up in the premier section.

I am very aware of the musical abilities of people in West Lothian.

Will the minister join me in congratulating the management board and patrons of Bathgate Regal community theatre, which is based in my constituency, on the completion of their project to restore the design of the theatre’s frontage to its original 1930s design? Will she give a commitment to urge national arts companies to use that theatre and therefore allow my constituents to experience national productions in their community?

Indeed I will but, at the end of the day, it will be up to the companies to make their programming decisions themselves. Bathgate Regal community theatre now looks spectacular; it is changed days from its recent position. It should be celebrated. It is a great space, and it provides great opportunities to showcase some of the best of Scotland’s talents.

My answer to the question is similar to my answer to a question that Ted Brocklebank asked about the Byre theatre in St Andrews. We must be conscious of ensuring that all parts of Scotland can enjoy some of the best of our cultural productions. I know that, in celebrating Scotland’s sense of place, Creative Scotland is keen to ensure that there is a regional impact from investment in our cultural bodies. Bathgate certainly deserves to see the best.

I am afraid that we must conclude themed questions at this point. [Laughter.] I am glad that that is amusing.