Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Thursday, January 26, 2012

Official Report 1176KB pdf

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Scottish Executive Question Time

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General Questions

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Unemployment (Glasgow Provan)

1. To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken recently to tackle unemployment in Glasgow Provan. (S4O-00599)

Glasgow Provan is benefiting significantly from a range of measures in the Government’s economic strategy, including the introduction of 25,000 modern apprenticeships and the Government’s opportunities for all programme. In addition, Glasgow Provan is benefiting significantly from the £8.2 million of European funding that has been awarded to the Glasgow community planning partnership between June 2011 and 2013 to support local employability activity. Glasgow has also benefited from a range of other funds to support work on school-leaver destinations and other Scotland-wide initiatives.

I refer the minister to the opportunities for all scheme, to which he referred in his answer. It offers a learning or training place to all 16 to 19-year-olds who are not already in work. I recently met a young constituent who is 17 years old, is not in employment and has been unable to access a learning or training place. What advice would the minister give to that young constituent and what action should he take?

The Government has made a commitment to deliver that support to all young people who are affected by lack of employment. We have said that every individual will have access to a training or education opportunity.

If there are particular issues with the access that Paul Martin’s constituent has had to any of the advisory services that are available through Skills Development Scotland, the Minister for Youth Employment or I would be delighted to receive details from Mr Martin and will address the issues to ensure that the young person in question is given the proper and full advice to realise the opportunities.

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National Health Service Boards (2011-12 Financial Outturn)

2. To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects the 2011-12 financial outturn of NHS boards to demonstrate that they have operated within their budget allocation. (S4O-00600)

All NHS Scotland boards are forecasting that they will achieve all their financial targets in 2011-12. Those include operating within their revenue and capital resource limits and meeting their cash requirement.

I am sure that the cabinet secretary is aware of the concerns that were raised about the ability of NHS boards to achieve that. I am also sure that the boards will raise with her on a number of occasions the increasing cost of drugs, which will be a significant budgetary pressure for them. Will she advise me what discussions she has had with her colleagues in the Department of Health in her Majesty’s Government on drugs procurement? Is she satisfied that the national health service, north and south of the border, is getting out of the pharmaceutical companies the best deal that it can get on drugs supply?

I assure David McLetchie that we have regular discussions with officials in the Department of Health about exactly those issues.

One of the good examples of how this Government continues to co-operate with United Kingdom colleagues—notwithstanding the fact that we are, in effect, independent when it comes to running the national health service—is procurement of drugs. For example, the vaccine for the recent swine flu outbreak was procured on a UK basis, because we recognise that we tend to get better deals by doing that.

There are continuing discussions about how we get value for money from the pharmaceutical industry while ensuring that patients get access to the best drugs and to new and innovative drugs. Those discussions take place regularly.

Will the Scottish Ambulance Service be provided with additional money in this financial year to implement the recently agreed deal on rest breaks, or will it have to operate within existing budgets?

I covered that point pretty squarely in my statement last week. I said that, this financial year, additional funds would be allocated to the Scottish Ambulance Service to assist it with, for example, the procurement of software that it needs to re-roster shift patterns to accommodate the arrangements that we put in place.

I also drew attention to the longer-term arrangements, which—as I said last week—will lead to the employment of around 150 additional ambulance staff. That represents a continuing financial commitment of £5 million a year over and above the allocation that the Scottish Ambulance Service has had.

We will work with the Scottish Ambulance Service to ensure that it makes the changes as efficiently as possible, but I made it clear last week that implementing the arrangements will require additional support from the Scottish Government.

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Insulin Pumps

3. To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Public Health will next meet the insulin pump awareness group Scotland to discuss the provision of insulin pumps. (S4O-00601)

I expect to meet representatives from the insulin pump awareness group Scotland and my colleague Humza Yousaf on 2 February.

I am sure that the group looks forward to that.

Nicola Sturgeon recently announced a target of 2,000 people in Scotland using insulin pumps by 2014. What is the Scottish Government doing to ensure equality of pump provision across Scotland, given that pump provision by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde falls way below the recommendation in guidelines?

We recognise the clinical benefits that patients can receive from the provision of insulin pumps. In the past four years, progress has been made to increase the number of insulin pumps that are available. However, I acknowledge the concern that Hugh Henry raises about the inequity of distribution across health boards.

I will correct Hugh Henry: the cabinet secretary announced that by 2013—not 2014—we want to increase to 25 per cent the proportion of young sufferers who have access to insulin pumps, alongside an overall increase in insulin pump provision for people in other age groups. We are working on how we can ensure that boards make good progress in taking forward pump provision. In the next couple of weeks, I hope to announce how that will be progressed locally in health board areas.

The minister knows of my interest in the subject as a co-convener of the cross-party group on diabetes. Further to Hugh Henry’s point, I am concerned about provision of insulin pumps for young people; the minister will know that the level is at zero in some health board areas. What will he do to ensure that young people have equality?

As I said in response to Hugh Henry, we are taking forward a range of work to put in place measures to allow the more equitable provision of insulin pumps across health boards. One aspect of the work that we intend to pursue will be to look at where boards are and at what further progress needs to be made in the next two years to achieve the target that the cabinet secretary has set. In the next couple of weeks, I hope to provide members with further details on how we expect health boards to take forward provision.

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National Housing Trust

4. To ask the Scottish Executive how many homes will be constructed under phase 1 of the national housing trust initiative. (S4O-00602)

Contracts for 614 homes have been signed under phase 1 of the national housing trust initiative and a further deal is being pursued. The first 16 homes are already complete in Stirling and have been let to tenants.

Under phase 1, only 12 local authorities moved forward. Five dropped out, which left only seven in place. The minister originally projected the construction of 1,025 homes, which appears to have been ambitious. Given that the figures show clearly that phase 1 was unattractive to the vast majority of councils and private developers, what evidence can he offer to suggest that phase 2 will not be a similar embarrassment?

The first piece of evidence is that more than half of Scottish councils have expressed an interest in going forward to phase 2. There is also the fact that the 600-plus houses that are being built under phase 1 are supporting about 1,000 jobs. As John Swinney said yesterday, for an investment of about £2 million by the Scottish Government, more than £100 million has been spent in the construction industry. That seems to be a productive use of Scottish Government resources. Given councils’ interest in phase 2, the initiative is likely to grow in the future.

Is the minister aware that in North Lanarkshire in March 2011, more than 17,000 households were on the waiting list for a council house and that 472 households were living in temporary accommodation? Given the scale of the housing shortage, how does the Scottish Government intend to help local authorities to meet the Government’s 2012 commitment on homelessness?

We are making a great deal of progress on homelessness. I think that seven authorities have reached the 2012 target and that many others are close behind. We intend to push forward with that.

There is no doubt that there are affordable housing supply issues. Of course, the Labour Party’s track record locally and nationally on building council houses shows why we face some of the problems that we face.

We have committed to building 5,000 new council houses in the next five years. That is starting to help to alleviate some of the problems and we will continue to build those houses. We will also continue to build affordable housing and affordable social housing, which will total about 30,000 homes over the next five years. That will certainly help to deal with the situation that Elaine Smith describes.

As a large proportion of the phase 1 homes will be built in Edinburgh, how many construction jobs will the phase 1 initiative support in that city and across Scotland?

As I have given the figures for the entire project—around 1,000 jobs will be supported—I will be happy to provide Colin Keir with the detailed figures for Edinburgh. I will also provide any other members who are interested with figures for the councils that are involved in the scheme in their areas. Against the background of a £1.3 billion cut in our budget, we must find other ways of ensuring that we provide those houses. The scheme offers an innovative way of doing that, and it is providing real houses for people who are now starting to use them, which must be a good thing.

Although I accept that some people in my constituency will benefit from mid-market rents under the national housing trust scheme, will the minister accept that the drive towards mid-market rents through the trust, which is caused by declining subsidies to housing associations, cannot be a substitute for social rented housing if councils are to have any chance of meeting their homelessness obligations at the end of this year?

It is worth pointing out that many of the houses that are built under the national housing trust initiative will have rents that will be set well below housing benefit levels, which will be available to people on lower incomes. However, it is true that we must do more on social rented housing.

I have mentioned some of the constraints that we face, such as a £1.3 billion cut this year, and a 32 per cent cut over the next three years. As was mentioned in the debates earlier this morning, it is useful to keep that context in mind in considering what the Government is able to do. Against that background, I think that 30,000 affordable houses over a five-year period, including 5,000 council houses, is a pretty good start.

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Scottish Agricultural Wages Board

5. I declare my membership of the trade union Unite.

To ask the Scottish Executive when the next review of the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board will take place. (S4O-00603)

I plan to review the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board again in 2013.

As the cabinet secretary is aware, the Agricultural Wages Board in Scotland has historically benefited those in the agricultural sector and related industries by ensuring not only that wages and conditions keep pace with the national minimum wage, but that they have consistently been better, particularly for those under the age of 22. I seek an assurance from the cabinet secretary that the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board will be retained and that there will be developments that bring wages for agricultural workers in line with those proposed by the Scottish living wage campaign.

Clearly, I cannot pre-empt the 2013 review, but I recognise that John Wilson has a good track record on speaking up for the role of the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board, which provides safeguards relating to the particular circumstances of agricultural workers in Scotland. The board also provides a useful forum for negotiations in an industry that is particularly fragmented. I have no doubt that John Wilson will make his views known at the time of the review.

I note what the cabinet secretary says about not pre-empting the review, but will he confirm that there is nothing to prevent him from saying now in response to John Wilson’s question that the board will continue?

Nothing, apart from our manifesto commitment to review the future of the board in 2013, which I will stick to. We will listen to views from all parties in the chamber when we come to the next review of the board in 2013.

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Khalil Rasjed Dale

6. To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the relevant authorities regarding the kidnap of former Dumfries resident Khalil Rasjed Dale in Pakistan on 5 January 2012. (S4O-00604)

We have spoken several times with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London regarding Mr Dale. Our thoughts are with Mr Dale’s family, and we urge those involved to release Mr Dale and return him to his family as soon as possible.

I thank the cabinet secretary very much for his answer, because there was a flurry of media activity after Mr Dale was captured three weeks ago, but no information has been publicly available since then. His friends in Dumfries and Galloway are understandably extremely concerned.

I have been told that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not believe that it is in Mr Dale’s interest to release information at the moment. I can only ask whether the cabinet secretary can reassure Mr Dale’s friends that he will continue to do what it is in his power to do to ensure that Mr Dale is not forgotten and—I hope—to secure his release.

I can give Elaine Murray and her constituents—Mr Dale’s family and friends—that assurance. My colleague the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs spoke to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office last week. These are deeply sensitive matters, and the FCO, those on the ground in Pakistan and the International Committee of the Red Cross are involved. I can assure Elaine Murray that all those involved have experience and a track record, and that those on site are doing what they can, but I appreciate the strain on the family.

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Court Closures (Consultation)

7. To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with the Scottish Court Service in relation to plans to consult on the closure of courts. (S4O-00605)

Any proposals for the closure of court locations would be for the Scottish Court Service in the first instance and would be subject to public consultation and, ultimately, parliamentary approval. No decisions have been made at this stage.

Through the making justice work programme, the Scottish Government has had recent discussions with the Scottish Court Service regarding future court structures. I met Eric McQueen, the executive director for field services, on 15 December, to be briefed on the court service’s initial review of the options for future court structures. In addition, Scottish Government officials sit on the future court structures project board, which met most recently on 14 December.

Does the cabinet secretary share the concern of my constituents in Fife that although the Scottish Court Service says that it currently has no plans for court closures it is pursuing options to reduce the number of courts, and Cupar sheriff court and Kirkcaldy justice of the peace court have been identified for potential closure?

Does the cabinet secretary accept that budget cuts of 20 per cent and a significant cut in capital budget for the Court Service are driving such decisions? Will he rule out the widespread closure, as a consequence of the Scottish Government’s cuts, of a local network of courts throughout Scotland, which not only play a vital role in delivering justice in the communities that they serve, but provide crucial support for witnesses to and victims of crime?

The Lord President confirmed in his evidence to the Justice Committee on 1 November that consideration of the issue is at “the very early stages”. He went on to say:

“Implementation is some distance down the line.”—[Official Report, Justice Committee, 1 November 2011; c 391.]

No final decisions on closures of sheriff and justice of the peace courts could be taken without local consultation and, ultimately, the Parliament’s approval. We should take the Lord President, who is our most senior judge, at his word. We should accept that all matters are being looked at, given the financial difficulties in the service and indeed in every organisation north of the border because of the cuts from south of the border. Some people down south might see fit to ignore the advice of the Lord President, but elected representatives here should take our most senior judge’s word—if not necessarily as gospel—as having been given honestly and truthfully.

Before we come to question 8, I note that Mr Harvie has only just come into the chamber. It is a matter of courtesy to the Parliament and its members that members asking questions be here from the beginning of question time.

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Money Laundering (Land and Property Transactions)

8. Presiding Officer, I apologise for coming into the chamber late.

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to prevent land and property transactions being used for the purpose of laundering money and other criminal activities. (S4O-00606)

The Scottish police service will bring charges against any individual, company or organisation that is involved in laundering money and will actively target the assets of criminals and criminal organisations who engage in serious and organised crime in Scotland.

The Scottish money laundering unit, which is based in the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, is responsible for conducting money laundering investigations. The SMLU is the single point of contact for the Scottish police service in the administration of suspicious activity reports, which are disclosed by financial institutions, accountants, lawyers and other members of the regulated sector.

Mr Harvie will be aware that we have brought forward proposals to strengthen the law in relation to land and property fraud through the Land Registration etc (Scotland) Bill, which will create an offence of intentionally or recklessly making a false or misleading statement to the keeper of the Registers of Scotland or intentionally or recklessly failing to supply material information.

The cabinet secretary will be aware that current rules on land registration do not require the registration of the true or beneficial ownership of land. Will he have a discussion with the minister with responsibility for the Land Registration etc (Scotland) Bill, to ascertain what changes can be made to the bill before stage 3 to ensure that we close loopholes that currently exist, in relation to criminal activity and the use of off-shore tax havens?

I am more than happy to have such a discussion. Work is going on in the Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism’s department with regard to the remit of the bill. In my department, the serious organised crime taskforce and others are looking at the issue. The matter causes us concern and I agree with the member that action must be taken. I give an assurance that the Administration will, with the forces of law enforcement and Registers of Scotland, ensure that wherever possible we minimise the possibility of people being involved in criminality or fraud.