Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Thursday, January 27, 2011

Official Report 1083KB pdf

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Scottish Executive Question Time

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General Questions

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Broadband (Rural and Remote Areas)

1. To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made on delivering next generation broadband to rural and remote communities in light of its “Speak Up for Rural Scotland” consultation. (S3O-12805)

The Scottish Government published its statement “A Digital Ambition for Scotland” in October 2010. It makes clear our aspiration for next generation broadband to be available to all by 2020. The statement is being followed with a comprehensive digital strategy for Scotland, which will be published soon. The strategy will contain specific actions that will enable the achievement of our ambition and ensure that rural and remote communities are not left behind.

Scotland is set to reap early benefits from the United Kingdom Government’s recently published UK-wide broadband strategy. We successfully made the case for one of the UK’s rural market testing projects for next generation broadband to be located in the Highlands and Islands. That project is expected to bring more than £30 million-worth of infrastructure improvements to the region. Work is also under way to progress a substantial project in the south of Scotland in a second bidding round.

Additionally, in December 2010, the Scottish Government announced the five winning bids for the LEADER broadband challenge fund, under which €1 million will be distributed to support small-scale rural broadband projects.

I thank the minister for his comprehensive answer. He may be aware of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly project, which has brought together Cornwall Council and BT to deliver 100 per cent coverage of faster broadband cost effectively through a network that will be open to all communications providers equally, which will potentially benefit more than 10,000 businesses. Will he undertake to examine that exciting project to determine whether there are similar possibilities for communities in Scotland?

I would be delighted to examine closely the project that Nanette Milne mentions. It is clear that ensuring that we are connected to the next generation of broadband is the way forward for economic development in rural and more remote communities in Scotland. If we can learn any lessons from what is happening elsewhere, we should certainly learn them, but we should also build on our existing success in Scotland.

The minister may be interested to note that the cross-party group on digital participation also discussed the subject earlier this week. Professor Michael Fourman reported on the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s recommendation that fibre backhaul should be available within reach of every accessible community in Scotland. Will the minister outline any work that is taking place with the UK Government and service providers on the implementation of that recommendation?

We welcome the helpful and constructive contributions that the Royal Society of Edinburgh—and, indeed, Reform Scotland—is making to the digital Scotland debate. My officials and the Scottish Government are carefully considering a number of recent digital reports.

I will be happy to write to Willie Coffey about our current engagement with the UK Government. I alluded to some of it in my first answer to Nanette Milne. The issue is certainly shooting up the economic development agenda in Scotland and we welcome all contributions from all organisations.

The minister said that he wanted superfast broadband to be available to all within nine years. Does he agree that, in this day and age, when we hear about the introduction of superfast broadband, it is ridiculous that people in areas such as Corgarff, Lumsden and Garlogie in my constituency still cannot access ordinary broadband? That is the issue. Can we not just get them on to broadband before considering superfast broadband? It is easy to say that we want superfast for all within nine years, but what is happening now?

Mike Rumbles highlights the reason why we need the broadband providers to get their act together in certain parts of Scotland. There are still a few communities that are not connected, as he highlights in the case of his constituency.

Of course, any schemes that we have run in Scotland have been oversubscribed, which shows the level of demand. If there were ways in which Mike Rumbles’s colleagues in the UK Government could identify more resources to help the Scottish Government to connect rural Scotland to the next generation of broadband, that would be most helpful. It is clear that demand exists; the Government and the Parliament have to find the resources to meet it.

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School Nurses

2. To ask the Scottish Executive how many school nurses there have been in each year since 2007. (S3O-12785)

Official statistics show that the number of school nurses has increased substantially since September 2007, from 385 then to 413 in 2008, 442 in 2009, and 456 in 2010. Those figures, of course, do not include other nurses such as public health nurses who work in a school setting.

Will the minister join me in praising school nurses for the work that they have done on the human papillomavirus vaccine? That vaccination programme has been a singular success. Are school nurses linked to primary care practices? Have they undertaken flu vaccinations in that capacity for those in the five to 15-year-old age group during the swine flu outbreak and the seasonal flu outbreak this year?

I thank Richard Simpson for his words on the importance and good work of school nurses. I associate myself with those comments, echo his comments on the success of the HPV vaccine programme, and am happy to provide him with more information on the linkages between school nurses and primary care practices.

Richard Simpson has made a fundamental point. Ensuring that all the relevant professionals are properly integrated is part of our work around the further integration of health care. Richard Simpson will be aware that the bulk of the flu vaccine programme is delivered through general practitioner practices, but I would be more than happy to provide him with further information about the different health professionals who have specifically contributed to that programme.

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Domestic Abuse (Children and Young People)

3. To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the getting it right for every child approach, what plans it has to ensure that children and young people experiencing and recovering from domestic abuse receive appropriate support. (S3O-12784)

In 2010-11, we provided £4.16 million for the children’s services-women’s aid fund, which supports the network of children’s workers throughout Scotland. I was delighted to announce in the Parliament on 23 December last year that we will continue to fund those important local services at the same level for 2011-12.

That answer is very welcome.

The minister will be aware of the positive evaluations of the children experiencing domestic abuse recovery pilot projects in Edinburgh, Fife and Forth valley in my constituency in a report that is appropriately entitled “Through the eyes of a bairn”. What is the timescale for delivering that important project?

We are looking at funding the CEDAR project through the new early years and early intervention fund. We are working up details on the scope and management of the new fund and eligibility for it, and we will make an announcement as soon as we can.

Question 4 was lodged by Brian Adam, who is not in the chamber. This is the second week in a row that he has not been in the chamber.

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European Commission (Meetings)

5. To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met representatives of the European Commission and what issues were discussed. (S3O-12811)

The Administration has established strong relations with key commissioners. Most recently, Richard Lochhead met the fisheries commissioner in November; Roseanna Cunningham will see her again in 10 days’ time. In September, I had productive talks with the education and culture commissioner, and met the humanitarian aid commissioner. In early February, Michael Russell will meet the research commissioner.

Is the minister aware that the working time directive has proved problematic for heavy and abnormal load hauliers and the police, who undertake escorting duties of loads where that is necessary? Representations could be made to the European commissioners about combining the two separate sets of regulations that cover driving times—the working time directive and the regulations on drivers’ hours—which are causing confusion. Will she consider that suggestion, which would provide the opportunity to address that issue?

I am not aware of any pending meetings with the relevant commissioner in Brussels, but I will ask my ministerial colleagues who are responsible for transport whether they have raised or can raise those points in any meetings or whether they can raise them in forthcoming correspondence. I will advise the member accordingly.

It is clear that my constituents have been clobbered by the incredibly high price of domestic heating oil during the recent cold weather period. That phenomenon may occur in other parts of the European Community. Has the minister had discussions with European Community officials about that problem, or would she be willing to discuss it with them at some point in the future in order to ascertain and identify some way of tackling it to help my constituents?

I am aware that my colleague John Swinney has raised energy issues with commissioners in the past. Scotland is an energy-rich country, but we are penalised with respect to our domestic and transport fuel prices by not having responsibility for our own energy policy. Other countries can give us lessons, one of which is to have control over our own energy policy. However, I appreciate the points that the member makes. Until Scotland has control over its energy policy, we are happy to learn lessons from other countries.

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Raptor Poisoning

6. To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made in tackling raptor poisoning. (S3O-12731)

I am sure that all colleagues in the chamber share my dismay at the continuing persecution of our birds of prey. Because of that continuing persecution, I have lodged an amendment to the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill to introduce criminal vicarious liability for employers or managers who are responsible for those who carry out offences related to bird persecution. That move is a necessary but proportionate response to the continuing blight of bird persecution in otherwise beautiful parts of rural Scotland.

Is the minister aware of the Scottish Rural Property and Business Association’s letter that suggests that raptor poisoning has been reducing of late? Does she consider that that is the case?

I am aware of the SRPBA’s letter that was recently circulated. We had a look at the figures in the information that it has given us. It used a mixture of confirmed and unconfirmed statistics, which does not reflect the true picture.

In the first half of 2010, 17 birds were illegally poisoned in Scotland. That cannot continue. Landowners who abide by the law will have absolutely nothing to fear from vicarious liability.

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NHS Borders (Meetings)

7. To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met representatives of NHS Borders. (S3O-12813)

Ministers and Government officials meet representatives of all national health service boards, including those from NHS Borders, on a regular basis.

The cabinet secretary will be all too aware of the importance of community and cottage hospitals in rural areas such as the Scottish Borders, and she might recall the previous Liberal-Labour Executive’s extremely controversial decision to close hospitals in Jedburgh and Coldstream. Does the Scottish Government agree that local hospitals in rural areas are highly regarded by the communities that they serve and that they are often much more accessible to patients than larger general hospitals such as Borders general hospital? Will the Scottish Government support NHS Borders to ensure that the remaining community hospitals remain open to continue to serve the communities that they serve?

In general, I agree with what John Lamont has said. Community hospitals are fundamentally important. They provide a valued service to people who live in more rural communities.

John Lamont will, of course, understand that health care is not delivered in a static way. It is absolutely right that NHS boards should constantly review their operations to ensure that they are meeting patients’ needs in the most appropriate way, and people should certainly not unnecessarily occupy hospital beds. I would expect any proposed changes to any hospital, including community hospitals, to be subjected to the fullest consultation with the local community. That applies to community hospitals in the member’s constituency and everywhere else in Scotland.

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Health Services (Reform)

8. To ask the Scottish Government whether the United Kingdom Government’s proposals to reform health services in England will have implications for NHS Scotland. (S3O-12733)

The vast majority of the provisions in the Westminster Health and Social Care Bill affect England only, but we have ensured that the legislation allows for any arrangements that currently exist between the health service in Scotland and the health service in England to continue, where appropriate, within the proposals for health and social care in England. Most important, I can confirm that the Scottish Government remains committed to a publicly funded and publicly delivered national health service.

Does the cabinet secretary, in emphasising the importance of the Scottish Government’s determination to keep the national health service public, agree with the findings of the House of Commons Select Committee on Health that the reforms that are being introduced in the NHS in England are risky and expensive?

Will the cabinet secretary expand on her reported comments that the reforms south of the border may make the stability of the NHS in Scotland more attractive to health professionals from elsewhere in the United Kingdom? Will she confirm that it is the Scottish Government’s intention to protect health spending for the duration of the next parliamentary session?

I will deal with that last point first. I confirm that, as the First Minister set out earlier this week, it is our intention to protect health spending for the duration of the next parliamentary session. That is an important commitment, which is certainly not matched by all other parties in the chamber.

On Jamie Hepburn’s questions about the health reforms south of the border, it is not for me to tell other parts of the UK how to structure their health service. Suffice it to say that the reforms that are taking place south of the border are not ones that I or this Government would introduce in Scotland. In my view, they will introduce greater privatisation and dangerous price competition into the health service south of the border, which I do not believe will be in the interests of patients.

The report of the Select Committee on Health makes for interesting reading and anyone who has an interest in such matters would find it worth their while taking the time to read it. I confirm, as I did in my original answer, that this Government remains committed to a publicly funded, publicly delivered health service that will continue to deliver the improvements that we have seen over the past four years.

What additional costs will there be to Scottish health boards and authorities as a result of the legislative consent motion on the Health and Social Care Bill at Westminster? Where reciprocal arrangements are in place, how will they be affected by that bill?

We are discussing those issues with the Department of Health, and the Parliament and the Health and Sport Committee will have an opportunity to scrutinise them in the context of the legislative consent motion.

An example of the arrangements whereby the Scottish Government can use services from agencies south of the border are those around the Health Protection Agency. It is important that we ensure that when we get value from such arrangements, they continue, the reforms south of the border notwithstanding, and that is the focus of the legislative consent motion.

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Outdoor Education

9. To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that all schoolchildren experience high-quality outdoor educational opportunities. (S3O-12759)

The Scottish Government believes that every child should experience outdoor learning, which we recognise can be delivered in a variety of situations.

The Scottish Government provided over £400,000 in both 2009-10 and 2010-11 to promote the use of the outdoors to help deliver the curriculum for excellence for all our young people. In April 2010, we published “Curriculum for Excellence through Outdoor Learning”, which advocates embedding use of the outdoors in learning and teaching to provide powerful learning experiences for all children and young people.

Is the minister aware that Fife Council is taking action to close Ardroy outdoor education centre, despite all the health, social and developmental benefits that it provides? It is a remarkable centre. What dialogue has he had with Fife Council on the issue, given the Government’s long-standing aim of developing outdoor educational opportunities across Scotland, which he has just outlined? The closure of the Ardroy centre will blow yet another hole in the Government’s manifesto on a key issue.

I advise Helen Eadie to keep up with the times. The reality is that although she and others may have a strong emotional attachment to the Ardroy outdoor education centre, its regrettable closure, if that is what the council decides to do, would not affect the opportunity for every pupil in Fife to have access to the outdoors. [Interruption.]

Members should know—the hollow laughs mean that some members do not know—that the Ardroy centre is not of the standard that many schools would wish and, as a result, its usage in recent years has been low. It is in close proximity to a number of residential properties and is under a formal notice from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to provide a new sewerage system, which would cost in the region of £300,000.

As many of Fife’s pupils as possible will still have access to the outdoors. The closure of the centre would be regrettable, but it would not do what the member suggested, and it was wrong for her to make such a suggestion.

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Barnett Consequentials

10. To ask the Scottish Government whether the Minister for Culture and External Affairs has been involved in discussions about disputed Barnett consequentials at joint ministerial committee meetings. (S3O-12728)

Yes. On 22 November, ministers discussed the dispute resolution protocol. We agreed to find ways for an independent third party to provide advice on issues that were not resolved earlier in the process. I hope that that will allow us to move quickly to find agreement on the Olympics issue, on which the three devolved Administrations are united in the view that Barnett consequentials should be applied.

In light of her experience of the Westminster Government’s propensity to rewrite the rules on Barnett consequentials to Scotland’s disadvantage, does the minister believe that Parliament should put its trust in the loosely worded no-detriment clause that is proposed for inclusion in the Scotland Bill?

The no-detriment clause in the Scotland Bill is a blank cheque for the Treasury. Experience shows that we should pin down the Treasury before the legislation is passed.