Question 1, in the name of James Kelly, has been withdrawn. I have an explanation that I am satisfied with.
Town Centre First (Progress)
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress with the implementation of the town centre first principle. (S4O-04865)
We will produce an update on progress with the town centre action plan in due course. That will include an update on the implementation of the town centre first principle as well as the other wide-ranging actions stemming from the plan.
Given that there is all-party support in Dunfermline for the relocation of Fife College to Dunfermline town centre, does the minister agree that Fife College must examine that option and should publish all the details of the business case relating to each site being considered before any decision is made?
The town centre first principle applies to public bodies and requests that the health of town centres is at the heart of decision making. However, the principle recognises that town centres are not always the most suitable location for services; it simply asks that they be considered first, and asks for transparency in the decision-making process. There can be reasons not to locate in town centres, but I emphasise that they must be good reasons, and explained.
As the convener of the cross-party group on towns and town centres, I was at a Scotland’s Towns Partnership event that the minister attended last week, at which he said that he would be happy to meet anyone regarding town centres. Will he meet Fife Council, which is actively trying to keep Fife College in Dunfermline, and discuss the issue with it?
I would be happy to meet Fife Council on issues of town centre regeneration or any other issues that it wishes to raise. I last met it some months ago, on another issue. I am always happy to meet local authorities to discuss matters of importance to them.
Knife Crime (North Ayrshire)
To ask the Scottish Government how the current incidence of knife crime in North Ayrshire compares with 2007. (S4O-04866)
The number of crimes of handling offensive weapons, which includes knife crime, recorded in North Ayrshire has decreased by a massive 85 per cent since 2006-07.
That success is down to the local partnerships making a real difference and shows that we are going in the right direction for North Ayrshire. We are making progress in other parts of Scotland, too. Violent crime is at its lowest level for 41 years and, since 2006-07, crimes of handling an offensive weapon have fallen by 67 per cent nationally.
I thank the justice secretary for that encouraging answer. Although there is no room for complacency, it is reassuring for the people of North Ayrshire to know that, under the Scottish National Party Government, knife crime in North Ayrshire has fallen by a whopping 85 per cent.
Can the cabinet secretary tell us what part the no knives, better lives campaign has played in educating young people about the risks and consequences of carrying a knife?
The no knives, better lives programme has been delivered and developed locally in North Ayrshire since 2012. Partners include youth services, education, Police Scotland, Ayrshire Communities Education and Sport—ACES—the national health service, youth justice services and KA Leisure. The partnership working has been the foundation for the positive shift around the carrying of knives in North Ayrshire.
There is also a dedicated team of campus officers delivering no knives, better lives workshops in schools and colleges across Ayrshire. ACES has visited 32 primary schools and three secondary schools, as well as six problematic areas. It continues to provide programmes in schools on the risks of carrying offensive weapons.
Young’s Seafood (Fraserburgh)
To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs have been lost at Young’s Seafood’s processing plant in Fraserburgh and how many remain at risk. (S4O-04867)
When Young’s Seafood commenced the consultation process regarding its site in Fraserburgh in July 2015, the company employed 580 people. At the end of October, the company employed 534 people. The reduction of 46 was fully attributable to resignations. Since the end of October, 15 employees have been issued with notices of redundancy and have left the business in November.
The company has informed its joint consultative group that it expects to issue 152 employees with notices of redundancy in January and, based on present employee numbers, to issue a further 130 employees with notices in May. That would leave the company with 238 employees post May 2016. The final numbers will depend on transition decisions and customer demand.
In July, Stafforce Recruitment, the temporary labour agency, had 377 agency placements with the company, which reduced to 210 by the end of October 2015
The cabinet secretary will be aware of reports that some of Sainsbury’s Scottish salmon is now being processed in Poland or in other countries because the company that won the Scottish salmon supply contract has failed to deliver. Will ministers look into those reports and meet Sainsbury’s as a matter of urgency? Will they stand up for the hundreds of workers in the north-east who are facing redundancy early in the new year, and press Sainsbury’s to give those workers hope for the future instead of exporting their jobs?
As Lewis Macdonald will know, the Scottish Government at all times acts to protect employment in Scotland. We have been actively involved in all the discussions about trying to preserve and protect employment in Fraserburgh. I will certainly ensure that the reports to which Mr Macdonald referred are looked into, and that any relevant issues are raised with Sainsbury’s.
The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment, Richard Lochhead, engages regularly with the supermarkets as part of his wider responsibilities in supporting the development of the food sector in Scotland. Mr Lochhead has been very successful in encouraging supermarkets to produce in, and to retail produce from, Scotland. That significantly benefits the sustainability of many companies in Scotland and I can see no good reason why companies would not see the advantage of working with a plant such as Young’s at Fraserburgh.
Is the task force that has been set up looking at relocating and helping to find jobs for the vibrant community of small and medium-sized food processors based in Fraserburgh and Peterhead? That will help to ensure that those fishing communities will have the sustainability that they require.
Mr Allard makes a strong point. In recent years, a range of small and medium-sized food processors have emerged in Scotland. That sector is one of the great strengths of the food sector overall and it has been advanced by the promotional work undertaken by the cabinet secretary. The task force will look at the opportunity that Mr Allard mentions and there will undoubtedly be an opportunity to address the difficulties that face the workforce at Young’s by looking at employment opportunities that will exist with other processors.
Care Careers (Men and Young People)
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing and what funds it has allocated to make care a more attractive career choice for men and young people. (S4O-04868)
Recruitment, retention and the development of career pathways in the social services sector is a key area of action in “Social Services in Scotland: a shared vision and strategy 2015–2020”, which was published earlier this year.
The Scottish Social Services Council has produced a number of different resources to support those who are looking to recruit staff and for those who are looking at a career in the care sector. A key resource is the ambassadors for careers in care scheme. Those ambassadors are staff who currently work in the sector who attend events and visit schools and careers fairs to promote careers in the sector. There are currently 100 ambassadors.
Earlier this year, we agreed to provide funding of £10 million per year, as part of a tripartite arrangement with local authorities and care providers that is worth £20 million, to improve the quality of care in care homes for older people as part of our wider approach to tackling issues of recruitment and retention in the sector.
I wrote to the cabinet secretary last month asking her to meet my constituents who are GMB Scotland members and have real concerns about pay, conditions and job security for care workers. Those issues make careers in caring very unattractive. The cabinet secretary turned down that request, saying that she was too busy to meet my constituents. How on earth will she deal with the crisis in the care service if she will not even listen to the views of the people who are working at the coalface?
I certainly do listen to the views of those at the coal face. I regularly meet staff from not just the health side but the care side. Of course, we continue to discuss with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the sector what more can be done to improve pay and conditions. I am certainly more than willing to look at the request for a meeting with the GMB, but Rhoda Grant should be assured that the issue is a key priority for us. I am very happy to engage with front-line staff, and continue to do that.
Does the minister recognise that low pay is a major barrier to recruitment and retention in the sector? Is she willing to consider the Government’s role in introducing a living wage across the care sector, as that would seem to be the correct way to move forward?
I am sure that Alex Rowley is aware that we have given, and continue to give our full attention to that issue. Some progress has been made and the guidance published on 6 October makes it clear that the Scottish Government regards the payment of the living wage to be a significant indicator of an employer’s commitment to fair work practices. That is one of the clearest ways in which an employer can demonstrate that they take a positive approach to their workforce.
In addition to the £20 million deal with the care home sector, we continue to discuss with that sector, the care at home sector and COSLA what progress we can make towards implementing the living wage as quickly as possible. What we must also do within that, though, is protect capacity in the sector. We must ensure that progress is made at a pace that protects that capacity. Those discussions are on-going and I am happy to keep the member updated as we move forward with them.
Question 6, in the name of Patricia Ferguson, has not been lodged. The member has provided an explanation that I am satisfied with.
Tail Docking
To ask the Scottish Government whether, in the light of reported evidence of injury to working dogs, it will revoke the ban on tail docking in breeds that have traditionally been docked for their own protection and safety. (S4O-04870)
As the member will be aware, I recently wrote to the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee explaining that the case has been made to the Government that it could be possible to introduce a tightly defined exemption regime in Scotland that would allow vets to exercise their professional judgment to dock specific breeds. The Government has indicated a willingness to formally consult to ascertain whether there is wider support for such a course of action, and I will shortly write to the committee to clarify our proposed course of action.
The minister will be fully aware that there are divided opinions on this matter. However, those who are involved in hunting in Scotland are only too aware of the injuries that can occur to working dogs, particularly during this season. Given that MSPs are now being inundated with photographs of injuries that have taken place, will the minister undertake to make as many moves as possible to ensure that the suggested change is made in order to avoid this problem in the future?
Believe me, I am well aware that there is divided opinion in Scotland on this sensitive issue. We believe that there is possibly a case for allowing the docking of, for instance, spaniels and hunt, point and retrieve breeds that are likely to be used as working dogs only, but only a third of the tail would be removed, as research has found that shortening tails by more than that would provide no additional benefit for reducing injury. However, we have to strike a balance between protecting the welfare of puppies and protecting the welfare of adult working dogs. These are difficult issues, and if we proceed to consultation, as I indicated, it will be a genuine consultation. Alex Johnstone, other members and, most important, the relevant communities will have the opportunity to have that debate and submit their views. We will take forward the issue in a serious manner.
Planning Documentation
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that planning applications and their associated documents are easy to understand. (S4O-04871)
The larger or more complex the planning proposal, the greater the complexity and volume of information submitted is likely to be. Consequently, some planning applications may be more difficult to understand than others.
It is all too common to think that placing a lot of documents in a corner of a local authority’s website counts as transparency; it does not, especially when some residents have to hire planning experts to analyse the documents. What assurances can the Scottish Government give that communities’ desire for open planning processes will be met with genuine clarity rather than just a box-ticking exercise?
I emphasise the importance that we place on early engagement. One of the core values that are set out is that the planning service should
“be inclusive, engaging all interests as early and effectively as possible”,
and that is picked up in our guidance on planning application procedures through circular 3/2013. Planning advice note 3/2010, on community engagement, also recognises the variety of methods of engagement and states:
“What is important is that the approach adopted suits the scale and impact of the project, the people participating and the particular situation.”
In addition, applications for national and major developments must comply with the requirements for pre-application consultation with communities, which include holding a public event and advertising in a newspaper with details of how to make a written submission. Planning authorities can require additional consultation measures in such cases.
The current review of the Scottish planning system has identified community engagement and streamlining of the processes as two of its six key issues. The independent review panel’s call for evidence closes on 1 December and, if the member has not already responded, perhaps he would like to do so.
Higher Education Governance (Scotland) Bill
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with universities regarding the Higher Education Governance (Scotland) Bill. (S4O-04872)
Scottish Government officials have met representatives of our universities on several occasions in the past few months. I met key higher education stakeholders, including Universities Scotland and the rector of the University of Edinburgh, on 4 November to discuss the Higher Education Governance (Scotland) Bill. I also met Anne Richards, vice-convener of court at the University of Edinburgh, on 2 November to discuss the bill.
Does the cabinet secretary agree that the size of the senates in our universities should be proportionate to the size of the universities and that a one-size-fits-all approach therefore does not meet the needs of institutions such as the world-leading University of Edinburgh? Given that, will she, in the spirit of reasonableness for which she is renowned, agree to look again at the issue?
The 2012 von Prondzynski review of higher education governance recommended that academic boards should feature no more than 120 members. The recommendations in that wide-ranging report have informed the provisions in the bill. However, I remain open minded on the final form of the provisions. As Mr Eadie knows, the Scottish Government is considering the evidence that has been put to the Education and Culture Committee on this point. I reassure him that we will consider the matter very carefully.
Black Friday
To ask the Scottish Government whether it anticipates any public order issues arising from so-called black Friday events being run by retailers. (S4O-04873)
Sales promotions at Christmas are not new and are an important part of the retail offering at this time of year, but the importation of the concept of black Friday from beyond our shores and the hype that goes with it is a new phenomenon. As the member will be aware, it resulted in some very irresponsible behaviour and quite disgraceful scenes last year, including scenes of physical violence towards staff and other shoppers.
It is not for the Scottish Government to dictate to retailers their practices or how and when they choose to promote certain products, but we fully expect that they will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure the safety of their staff and customers and to encourage responsible behaviour. I am confident that retailers are fully aware of the events of last year and will make every effort to ensure that they are not repeated.
I am pleased that some retailers have decided not to participate in these events this year, but others are going ahead with this recent innovation, which seems to be deliberately designed to whip customers up into a frenzy of aggression and, in some cases, violence. Will the Scottish Government hold retailers accountable if any issues arise in relation to public order or public safety as a result of this deliberate new innovation?
I repeat that retailers have a responsibility to look after the safety of their staff and customers. I commend the work of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers, as the trade union that represents shopworkers, on its freedom from fear campaign, which is welcome. Indeed, we had a debate recently that celebrated respect for shopworkers week.
The Scottish business resilience centre is also doing important work with Police Scotland and 20,000 copies of a violence reduction handbook have been issued to retailers across Scotland to ensure that they are aware of their responsibilities to their staff and customers and to encourage good practice. That has been widely shared. The Scottish Retail Consortium also recognises the value of the advice from Police Scotland and is taking the issue very seriously this year.
I assure the member that we will keep an eye on the issue, but I believe that the retail sector is taking its responsibilities very seriously.
Before we move to the next item of business, members will want to join me in welcoming to the gallery Mr Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, speaker of the Pakistani Provincial Assembly of Balochistan. [Applause.]