SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
Rail Services (Laurencekirk)
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to reopen Laurencekirk railway station. (S1O-5655)
Proposals to reopen a particular station are for the local transport authority or transport partnership. In this case, it would be for Aberdeenshire Council or the north-east Scotland transport partnership to bring forward any such proposals.
Is the minister aware of the difficulties in accessing public transport in the Mearns? Does he agree that reopening Laurencekirk station would do much to take traffic off the A90, to reinforce the Scottish Executive's transport policy and to stimulate the local economy? Will he contact NESTRANS to add the Executive's support to the proposal?
I am aware of the position that Mr Rumbles describes and the campaign for the reopening of Laurencekirk station. I reiterate my view that the appropriate step for Mr Rumbles, as the constituency member for the area, to take is to talk to the local authority and to NESTRANS. They are the appropriate bodies to implement a project of the kind that he suggests.
Following his answer to my constituent Mr Rumbles, and given that he has a connection with the ScotRail franchise for the east coast line, will the minister, in the talks that he is likely to have in future, discuss with the rail operators whether they will be flexible about timetabling? Without a change in timetabling, we cannot integrate Laurencekirk station into the crossrail project for Aberdeen.
Mr Davidson mentioned the Aberdeen crossrail proposals, which NESTRANS and other partners are carrying forward. The Strategic Rail Authority and Network Rail are involved in the discussions and are taking a close interest in the proposals. If the proposals present a value-for-money case, as they will, and that case includes Laurencekirk station, those responsible for timetabling and the operation of the infrastructure will be fully aware of that.
National Health Service (Grampian)
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the comments made by the secretary of the Aberdeen local medical committee in the Aberdeen Evening Express on 10 September 2002 about the quality of the national health service in Grampian. (S1O-5629)
I agree that waiting times for hospital appointments are often too long. That is why systematic work to reduce out-patient waiting times will be at the heart of the Executive's health agenda. I disagree with many of the other comments.
I take it that the minister was aware that, when Dr Ivan Wisely described the NHS in Grampian as
I cannot believe what I hear. That question comes from a member of a party which, in the mid-1990s, reduced the cash increase in Grampian to 2.6 per cent. For him to complain about a 6.8 per cent cash increase this year shows a brass neck, to put it mildly.
Is the minister aware that Grampian NHS Board management has today warmly welcomed the extra health spending in Grampian that will come from the spending review and for extra health pressures? There is concern about whether the Arbuthnott formula works as well as it might for the north-east. Will the minister assure the people of Aberdeen and the north-east that the review of the Arbuthnott formula will address issues such as the impact of having a teaching hospital and factors such as the current method of measuring rurality?
A standing committee continually reviews the Arbuthnott formula. A sub-group of that committee, chaired by Sir John Arbuthnott, is considering the additional costs of teaching hospitals. Work is being done on that, and the technical issues that surround rurality can be considered in due course as part of that review.
Will the minister give us an idea of the time scale for the review of the Arbuthnott formula? Can he tell us with any degree of confidence whether the projected £7 million deficit in the NHS in Grampian will be retrieved?
The figure of £7 million is inaccurate. As I said, Grampian NHS Board will be in recurring balance by next year. Brian Adam should know from my previous answer that a standing committee is reviewing the formula. It is an on-going process, so it will not have an end point. It will go on, and if new evidence is presented, that can be considered. Brian Adam should check with his health spokesperson, who represents Glasgow, whether it is Scottish National Party policy to shift money from Glasgow to Grampian.
Question 3 is withdrawn.
Criminal Justice (Fingerprint Evidence)
To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on the admissibility and reliability of fingerprint evidence in criminal trials. (S1O-5632)
It is for the Crown or those representing the accused to decide whether to lead fingerprint evidence in criminal trials. Questions of admissibility are for the court. The assessment of reliability is for the judge in summary proceedings and for the jury in proceedings on indictment.
Is the minister aware of petition PE544, from fingerprint specialists, which refers to the great international concern about the claim by the Scottish Criminal Record Office that
The member may be aware of the fact that I responded to committee members and supported my colleague, the Deputy First Minister, on the same day that he appeared before the justice committees. I reiterate: it is not an exact science. In Scotland, 16 points are used for fingerprint identification. I cite the case of Gilbert McNamee, the Hyde park bomber, in which 14 expert opinions were obtained. A range of opinions on the fingerprints was produced, from "identical" to "insufficient evidence". If something is a science, that does not mean that it is an exact science. The Deputy First Minister clearly said:
I ask that no references be made to current cases in supplementary questions.
In reference to the same petition and having listened carefully to the minister, I take it that he utterly refutes the petition's claim that, by calling fingerprinting "a matter of opinion"—or an art form—ministers are wrongfully covering up errors made by experts. Is that the case?
I do not propose to comment on particular current cases, or on errors that may or may not have occurred. There is currently a civil action against the Scottish ministers, and the Presiding Officer has indicated that we should not comment.
Is the minister aware that, in the past, expert opinion was that there was at most a one in a million chance of clearly established fingerprint evidence being wrong? Is he saying that expert evidence that has been accepted in the past is no longer regarded as valid?
I am absolutely not saying that. I point out to Lord James, as I have already said, that we in Scotland use a 16-point identification system. In India, for example, identification is based on a 10-point system. In other jurisdictions, different levels of proof are accepted for identification. I repeat: this is not an exact science. Different jurisdictions approach fingerprint identification in different ways. There has been no challenge to fingerprint evidence that was accepted in the past, and we do not expect any challenge in cases where there has been a 16-point identification.
Will the minister recognise the inanity of the proposition that these are matters simply of established scientific fact? If that were the case, it would not be possible to test or challenge expert opinion evidence. Judges and juries would be excluded from reaching conclusions about expert opinion evidence.
The member is correct. What would be the point of having experts debate evidence in court if it were never in dispute? There are disputes, particularly when there are fewer than 16 points of identification. Members should accept that this is not an exact science.
Child Psychology Services
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are in place to reduce the number of children waiting to see a psychologist. (S1O-5617)
Mental health is one of our clinical priorities for the development of services in NHS Scotland. We have commissioned a review by the Scottish needs assessment programme of current provision of child and adolescent mental health services. A report is due by the end of this year. In the meantime, steps are being taken to increase the available number of clinical psychologists and to review the training needs of other relevant professionals.
Does the minister agree that the lack of mental health provision for children and young people in Scotland is a national scandal? Will he discuss with his colleague the Minister for Education and Young People early intervention, which is the key to tackling extreme behavioural problems such as depression, self-harm and violence? Will the Executive ensure that teachers are given the training that they need to identify children at risk for early referral? Will it press for the upgrading of child psychotherapy in the NHS in Scotland, as has happened in England, to ensure—
Order. The member's question is far too long.
In my answer to Adam Ingram's initial question, I acknowledged that problems exist. That is why we have commissioned a major review by SNAP and why we are very active in work force planning for mental health services. We have increased the number of those who are training to be clinical psychologists, but we know that that is not enough. We are examining the whole mental health work force to see whether people in other dispositions can be skilled up to perform a wider range of tasks. That is how to deal with the problem that the member has identified. We need more clinical psychologists, but we also need to train people from other professional groups to work in this area. We are seeking to have more mental health services provided in the primary care sector, which will help to solve some of the problems that we face.
An increasing number of the children to whom Adam Ingram refers are now being prescribed Ritalin. Will the minister assure us that adequate research has been carried out into the health effects that the drug may have on children in the short and long term?
I am aware of the controversies surrounding Ritalin. Last year, the Scottish intercollegiate guidelines network produced a guideline on the use of Ritalin. It is important that clinicians follow that. The guideline recognised that Ritalin was not to be used on its own and that other interventions were important. I support on-going research into the issue.
Cultural Heritage
To ask the Scottish Executive how it is promoting Scotland's historical and cultural heritage. (S1O-5638)
All of us in Scotland should be proud of our nation's rich and diverse historical and cultural heritage. That heritage is a key focus of the national cultural strategy, which was launched in 2000. Since then we have worked with many agencies to support and promote our heritage.
The minister knows that I supported the museums audit. I welcome the consultation that is in train following the audit. Will the minister acknowledge that there is real concern about the sustainability of the museums and galleries sector? As the minister made clear last week, funding has been earmarked for the sector in the comprehensive spending review, but there is concern that it will not rise in proportion with the increase in funding for other sectors.
We spend considerable sums on the museums sector. This year, the national institutions received about £44 million and the Scottish Museums Council received £1.9 million. Local authorities contribute about £32 million to the upkeep of museums.
I declare my registered interest as a member of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals. I will ask the minister about the promotion of Scotland's literary heritage. Has she considered discussing with local authorities the need to consider making it a condition of the tendering process for library book contracts that Scottish titles are purchased from Scottish publishers, given the demise of Cawdor Book Services Ltd, the last independent Scottish bookseller?
I am happy to agree with the member that the demise of Cawdor is a concern. The promotion of Scottish literature is one priority in the Executive's cultural strategy. Recently, my colleague Mike Watson met the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to discuss local cultural strategies. I hope that local authorities bear in mind the importance of promoting Scottish culture in the library and education systems.
I declare an interest as a trustee of the Scottish Mining Museum. Is the minister aware that a recent report highlighted the extremely dangerous state of some of the A-listed buildings at the Scottish Mining Museum in Newtongrange? Will she assure me that she will seek urgent action from Historic Scotland to preserve one of the most important industrial heritage sites in the world safely for future generations?
I am aware of the report, having spent a pleasant couple of hours at the Scottish Mining Museum with the member on Monday. I saw at first hand some of the problems there. I understand that the museum's board met Historic Scotland yesterday and I intend to discuss with Historic Scotland the findings of that meeting. Industrial heritage is an important part of the museums sector and I hope that we will find a way of stabilising the situation.
Question 7 has been withdrawn.
Home Adaptations
To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to help local authorities to tackle the waiting list for home adaptations for elderly, chronically ill or disabled people. (S1O-5652)
The Scottish Executive will continue to encourage local authorities to give priority to the funding of adaptations from the resources that are available to them.
The minister will be aware that about 50 people in the Highlands are on the urgent or high-priority list and need essential adaptations. Given the amount of money that the successful coalition partnership has put towards the health service, will the minister assure me that he will make every effort to ensure that the logjam is unblocked as soon as possible?
Two matters need to be addressed. One is the physical adaptations that are required to make living at home more appropriate for the individuals whom the member has identified. Much of the money for such adaptations comes from housing budgets, which are the responsibility of local authorities.
Will the minister explain the difference between community funds and development funding for housing associations? Does he accept that a query lies in the minds of many housing association tenants who cannot obtain adaptations while their associations extend their portfolios?
I am not sure whether I fully understand the logic of those questions.
The situation in Glasgow in relation to adaptations has reached crisis point. Two weeks ago, the Pollok area social work office informed me that it has already spent its whole budget—at this stage of the financial year. Whose fault is that situation? If the Executive is providing sufficient resources to carry out the adaptations, is it the case that Glasgow City Council is not spending the money appropriately? Alternatively, is it the case that the Executive is not providing enough money?
I cannot speak specifically about the community care and social work allocations within local authorities, but I point out that financial support to Glasgow City Council and to other local authorities across Scotland has increased significantly in recent years. In the Scottish budget, Andy Kerr announced that even more money will go to those local authorities.
Bus Services (Strikes)
To ask the Scottish Executive what investigation has been undertaken into the effects on tourism and the economy of bus strikes in Edinburgh. (S1O-5637)
The Scottish Executive has undertaken no such investigation.
I appreciate that the problem might appear to be a local issue. However, given the importance of the smooth running of the capital's economy to the entire Scottish economy, I ask the minister to join me in urging the management of Lothian Buses to spell out its demands for productivity changes, if the meeting that is taking place now does not result in an acceptable offer. I am told that those demands are the reason for the drivers having voted against the package that is on the table.
We want both sides in the dispute to use the talks that are being held today to avoid the kind of damaging dispute that the member describes. In a situation of free collective bargaining, that is the appropriate course of action. That is what we would expect to happen. We would encourage the resolution of the dispute to avoid the inconvenience that the member has referred to.
Homelessness (Priority Need)
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that its plans to end priority need in homelessness law are achieved. (S1O-5651)
The Homelessness etc (Scotland) Bill provides the legislative framework to enable the phasing out of priority need by 2012. The bill requires ministers to publish a statement setting out an action plan for the abolition of the priority need test.
The Executive's plan to end the priority need categorisation and to acknowledge that everyone who needs a home has a priority case is welcome. In the light of the slow progress that is being made on regeneration projects such as the project in Lochgelly in my constituency, will the minister assure members that suitable resources will be released, so that local authorities will have enough housing available and will be able to fulfil their new obligations?
The Executive has taken housing provision seriously. We are making a significant commitment to addressing the supply and quality issues. We have exceeded our programme for government target to provide 20,000 new or improved homes in the three years up to 31 March this year. About 7,000 new or improved houses are expected to be completed in each of the years 2002-03 and 2003-04.
The minister will be aware that homelessness applications to Scottish local authorities were running at record levels last year. Never since records started have we had so many applications. Is it not about time that the minister stopped talking about action plans and actually took some action?
That is a fairly inane comment, which ignores what has been done. We have put record resources into tackling the problem of homelessness. The seriousness with which we have approached the debate about homelessness has been reflected in the actions that we are taking in our proposed homelessness legislation.
Child Protection
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1F-1460 by Jack McConnell on 6 December 2001 and the launch of the Barnardo's stolen childhood campaign, what measures have been taken to protect children from abuse through prostitution. R (S1O-5630)
The abuse of children through prostitution is often a hidden problem. We need to raise awareness of this issue and I welcome the important work undertaken by Barnardo's.
Does the minister agree that we may need to look at the law to ensure that adults who commit dreadful crimes by attempting to lure children into prostitution can be dealt with under the law? Can the minister assure me that the review that is being undertaken of the facilities that are available for vulnerable children will consider places of safety as a way forward to ensure that we have the appropriate accommodation for vulnerable children?
I am happy to give the reassurance that the working group is addressing both those issues. I have said this in the chamber before, but I will say it again: any adult who tries to lure a child into prostitution or into any situation in which that child is then abused deserves to have the full weight of the law come down upon them. I am sure that all members share that view.
Does the minister agree that to use the word "prostitution" is wrong, when we are really talking about child abuse? Although some have been accused of abusing children in the sex trade, almost no adult has been charged with doing so. Is it not time that we took real action to take these vile men out of the system altogether?
The answer that I have just given to Pauline McNeill makes my views on the matter clear, but I am happy to state again that we are talking about child abuse, which should be treated as such.
National Health Service (Low Pay)
To ask the Scottish Executive what specific proposals it intends to make, either in the context of the UK national negotiations or in any other initiative, to eradicate low pay in the NHS in Scotland. (S1O-5636)
The Scottish Executive is committed to addressing low pay in the context of the UK national negotiations on pay modernisation. Negotiations on the new modernised pay system are currently taking place, so it would be inappropriate to comment further.
Does the minister agree that, even within the limited powers of our devolved settlement, she has it within her power to establish a minimum wage for health service workers in Scotland? That would eradicate the scourge of low pay among essential health workers, such as porters, cleaners and auxiliaries, some of whom are paid as little as £4.18 per hour.
As I have said, the Scottish Executive is committed to tackling low pay issues. For example, over the past three years, targeted measures have been aimed specifically at people on low pay, and pay increases over the period have been above inflation. However, we realise that there is still work to be done, and we will continue to work through the pay negotiation bodies to address the future needs of people on low pay and to tackle any problems that they encounter.
Building Communities
To ask the Scottish Executive how the funding announced in the spending review will be used to build safe, strong communities. (S1O-5628)
The Minister for Finance and Public Services made a full statement to Parliament on 12 September, in which he gave details of the spending review. The thrust of our future programme is to improve radically the quality of life in communities across Scotland. The substantial resources that we have announced across the range of Executive portfolios will help to build safe, strong communities.
Is the minister aware of the considerable disturbance and distress that is being caused to my constituents in Bridge of Don and Aberdeen by large groups of young people involved in under-age drinking and abusive language and behaviour? Will he assure me that the new resources that have been announced in the spending review will tackle such issues through more effective policing and the provision of alternative activities for young people?
I thank the member for her question. As she knows, I have offered to visit her in her constituency and meet local representatives to discuss the issue of youth crime in that area, especially in relation to policing. Grampian police has already established some patrols on hotspots, one of which is in the Bridge of Don area. Local supermarkets have conducted campaigns on alcohol awareness and crime prevention, and I gather that off-licences are considering a voluntary agreement not to sell drink to the under-21s. Furthermore, there has been a joint event involving community education, health promotion and the fire brigade to raise awareness of under-age drinking. In addition to all that, City of Aberdeen Council, along with many local authorities, is about to introduce a ban on drinking in public places, which should also help the situation.
Will the minister confirm that effective prisons play a key role in building safer communities? In the light of the chief inspector of prison's damning report on Craiginches prison, will the minister also ensure that some of the new resources make their way to that prison? Its name was missing when Jim Wallace listed in his recent statement the prisons that will receive new investment.
We need to join up activities that are carried out in prison to treat offending behaviour with community resources. Under the Cranstoun Drug Services Scotland initiative, we have put additional resources—some £10 million over three years—into all prisons in Scotland, including Craiginches. Although we cannot yet see the effects of that programme, I expect to see some improvements. That said, I have accepted in the past that there are some specific problems with drug treatment in the Grampian area. We are examining the matter and I hope to make an announcement at a later stage.
Question 14 has been withdrawn.
National Health Service (Winter Pressures)
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to help the NHS in Scotland through the busy winter period. (S1O-5639)
It is very important to ensure that the additional pressures that winter brings to health and social care services do not disrupt care for patients and clients. The NHS and its planning partners are now finalising plans that build upon the experience of previous winters. Those plans include extra staff, more beds, increased critical care capacity, additional nursing home places and co-ordinated action on delayed discharge. The measures are supported by a significant investment of £12 million specifically for winter pressures, which comes on top of £20 million specifically for the reduction of delayed discharge.
I welcome the additional resources that are being committed to solving the problem. Will the minister reassure me that those resources will be specifically targeted at problems associated with the winter months? Will he also assure me that the Executive acknowledges the need for joined-up policies in order to tackle the winter problems that are faced by some of the most vulnerable people in our society?
The advantage of allocating the money at this time is that it can be targeted on winter pressures. I am often criticised for allocating money to health boards in a general way and we cannot then guarantee that that money will be used for a specific purpose.
Does the minister share my concern at today's news of the discovery of an outbreak of legionnaire's bacteria at Perth royal infirmary? Does the minister agree that the public can have confidence in our hospitals this winter only if effective measures are put in place to prevent such outbreaks?
Over the past year, I have been very concerned about hospital-acquired infections. That is why we are going to produce an action plan on that in October, which will be based on the national convention that we held at the end of June. At that convention, we took ideas from experts in the field in order to drive forward work in that area. The member will also know that, for the first time, we have national standards in that field and inspections against those standards are being carried out by the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland. A report is expected in December.
Questions 16 and 17 have been withdrawn.
Urban Regeneration
To ask the Scottish Executive what lessons it has drawn from the experience of the new life for urban Scotland initiative and its impact on local communities such as Whitfield in Dundee. (S1O-5654)
An evaluation of the new life for urban Scotland programme that was commissioned by the Scottish Executive reported in 1999. A key conclusion was that the partnership approach to delivering the initiative had been successful, but that sustainability would depend upon the partnership's capacity for plugging into wider structures and networks, mainstreaming and increasing community capacity.
The shocking levels of child poverty in parts of Whitfield in 1998—a decade after the new life initiative was launched—were revealed recently by Save the Children. Does the minister accept that regeneration policies that are limited to small geographical areas, which are abandoned early without a proper exit strategy and which are confined mainly to physical and environmental improvements are not the answer for Scotland's poor? Does the minister agree that, without an irreversible shift in wealth and power in this country, and to use an old phrase, the poor we shall always have with us?
I reassure the member that I am completely committed to an irreversible shift in wealth and power in this country and I do my best every day to try and bring that about. I also make it clear that we are committed on the need to maintain investment and support to communities that face concentrated levels of poverty.
Question 19 is from Johann Lamont, who is not here. We move to question 20.
Congestion Charging
To ask the Scottish Executive whether an effective, modern, 21st century public transport system for Edinburgh is conditional on the adoption of a congestion charging scheme implemented by the council. (S1O-5611)
No. The primary role of any congestion charging scheme is to tackle congestion. However, the scheme that is being developed by the City of Edinburgh Council would also raise additional streams of funding that could be used for additional transport enhancements.
The first part of the minister's answer is extremely welcome, if I may say so. Will the minister assure me that such vital development as the upgrading of Waverley station, the railway stop at Edinburgh airport and the upgrading of the A8000 will not be dependent upon the success of charging for entry to the capital city of Scotland?
The rail projects to which the member refers are both projects that are being implemented with rail partners. In that respect, the role of the City of Edinburgh Council is of less significance.
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