Glasgow School of Art (Fire)
To ask the Scottish Government what support it will provide to the Glasgow School of Art, following the fire at the weekend. (S4T-00712)
The First Minister has today announced a package of support for the Glasgow School of Art, following the devastation of the fire at the Mackintosh building on Friday last week. That includes the development of a phoenix bursary scheme to support students who are most affected by last week’s fire to rebuild their portfolios.
Up to £5 million in match funding has also been announced for Glasgow School of Art’s Mac building fire fund, and for additional support for any longer-term funding requirements for building recovery and restoration, following full evaluation of insurance liability.
The Scottish Government and our agencies have been working tirelessly to support GSA staff since Friday afternoon, and we will continue to provide technical, logistical, survey and conservation advice and support.
In closing, I restate our gratitude for the remarkable work of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, whose professionalism and early strategic decision making saved 90 per cent of the building and 70 per cent of its contents.
I, too, thank the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service for its fantastic work last Friday.
I am not alone in finding it difficult to remember an occasion when a fire that—thankfully—resulted in no fatalities or injuries has been met with such an outpouring of shock and loss. However, we should be eternally grateful that, thanks to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s work, way above and beyond the call of duty, we will be able to rebuild that iconic masterpiece.
I know that my colleague, Sandra White, who is away on parliamentary business, would have asked a question had she been here. I am also aware that she has spoken to the cabinet secretary, residents, students and the community council. She wants—as I do—to know what assessment has been made of what can be salvaged from the fire-damaged west end of the building, and what has been lost.
I have tried to keep all the interested parties updated. On Saturday, I spoke to Sandra White; I have also communicated with regional MSPs to ensure that they have been updated.
On what can be salvaged, it is very early days, but I can say that in terms of conservation, the early emergency actions that have been taken over the weekend and which continue are really important for restoration. We have world-class expertise in Glasgow School of Art working with Historic Scotland to 3D-scan the building. On what has been salvaged, we are trying to ensure that not only the historic artworks and the building’s content, but the students’ work, are conserved. It is very important that we retrieve their works of art and conserve as much as possible. Historic Scotland is taking a lead on both those exercises.
I am delighted to hear about the work that is to be done to protect the artworks and to help the students with the work that has been lost.
I mentioned people’s shock and loss, which shows the deep affection in which the Mackintosh building is held not just in Scotland but around the world. What support will the Scottish Government provide to Glasgow School of Art for it to take advantage of international interest in order to raise funds to return the building to its former glory?
The Scottish Government will use all its networks and agencies internationally to raise the Mackintosh fire fund’s profile and encourage contributions to the fund. I reiterate that we love the building. It has iconic status—it is a work of art in itself—not just in Scotland, but internationally.
At this time, I stress the importance of supporting the students because they are the artists and the genesis of ideas for the future.
I associate myself with the comments that have been made by the cabinet secretary and by Mr Dornan on the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. I am sure that the whole Parliament would echo those comments. I also thank the cabinet secretary for updating Glasgow members over the holiday weekend.
We do not know whether a more advanced fire prevention system would have been of great assistance in this case, but it is a tragic irony that that work was planned but had not been completed before the fire broke out. Has the cabinet secretary asked Historic Scotland to review the fire risk that is faced by other buildings that may not have quite the significance of, or be held in the same affection as, Glasgow School of Art but are significant nonetheless? What is the state of the many other significant buildings in Scotland?
The Glasgow School of Art Mackintosh building had appropriate fire protection for a grade-A listed building. It is always difficult to ensure an appropriate system. The school was doing the right thing in implementing that, but the interruption over the period—for understandable reasons—meant that the work had not been completed.
Historic Scotland is constantly working with the heritage sector. Many of the buildings in the sector are privately owned—they are not all in the public sector or under the protection of Government agencies. The situation is under constant review. I am absolutely clear that Glasgow School of Art has always been very conscious of fire risk. Unfortunately, over the weekend, that risk was realised.
On tributes and thanks that are owed, on Saturday, I met the staff of Glasgow School of Art, including Professor Tom Inns and Muriel Gray and their senior management team. They had all been through a great deal over the previous 24 hours, and had been working tirelessly to ensure continuity for students. I will feed back to Historic Scotland the question and the points that have been raised.
I associate my party with the tributes to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
I heard what the cabinet secretary said about recovering as much student work as possible. What measures have been put in place to support students whose degree work has been damaged or lost, and who might currently be embarking on their future careers? I am thinking of not just students’ academic results, but the retail value of their paintings and other work.
The insurance assessment is on-going, of course. We want to help the students to rebuild their portfolios where necessary, and to take advantage of opportunities and support that are being offered by other art schools, not just in Scotland—Edinburgh College of Art was one of the first to respond and to offer support—but in the rest of the United Kingdom and internationally.
I emphasise that the phoenix bursary scheme that I have announced today is designed precisely to help students. The students will have a bright future; we will all rally to their cause, as we will to the cause of the building. We have talented young artists and we owe it to them to ensure that the recovery of Glasgow School of Art is about not just the building but support for its students’ on-going careers.
As the member for Orkney, I confirm that the strong affection for Glasgow School of Art is shared by people throughout the country and far beyond it. I associate myself with the comments of James Dornan and the cabinet secretary, and I record my gratitude and that of my party for the efforts of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
The fire has affected students who were coming to the end of their degree studies. What is the duration of the bursary? Will specific help be given to students who are at the very end of their courses? Will the cabinet secretary give a little more detail about the nature of the support that might be available to such students?
My colleague Michael Russell has been in close contact with Glasgow School of Art—indeed, we were in constant touch over the weekend. Discussions are taking place with the Student Awards Agency for Scotland and the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council. More detail on that will appear in the coming period, but consideration is being given to financial support for students who might need additional time to complete their portfolios. We are very conscious of the importance of that. That is why, although a lot of the international and media focus has, understandably, been on the internationally iconic building, it is incumbent on us all to ensure continuity for students in their academic work, and to ensure that students who are in their final year can complete it. I assure Liam McArthur that every effort is being made by all the agencies and especially by Glasgow School of Art, given its responsibility to its students.
Devro (Job Losses)
I declare an interest. I am a member of Unite the union, which organises at Devro, and I have friends and family who work at Devro.
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support Devro and its workforce following the announcement of major job losses. (S4T-00710)
John Swinney, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth, has met Peter Page, the chief executive officer of Devro plc. Since the announcement, the Scottish Government, through Scottish Enterprise, has worked closely with the company.
The majority of employment at the Scottish sites is protected, and our partnership action for continuing employment—PACE—initiative is actively involved, providing support and advice. The Scottish manufacturing advisory service has also been actively involved.
Devro has been manufacturing in Scotland for more than 50 years. Scottish Enterprise has met Devro and will actively support the company through this difficult phase, to help to develop future plans and ensure the long-term sustainability of its business. My ministerial colleagues and I will be kept fully informed of all developments.
I thank the minister. The news has come as a shock, given that Devro is investing and prospering abroad.
Does the minister agree that the potential loss of 130 jobs—a quarter of Devro’s Scottish employees—is a devastating blow for the workforce, the local economy and the community, because Devro is one of the biggest private sector employers in my constituency? What firm commitment can the Scottish Government give to fully supporting the workers who might lose their livelihoods? Can further meetings be held with the company to see whether practical Government assistance can be given to keep the jobs in Scotland?
I respect and appreciate the member’s close interest in the matter. She mentioned that friends and family are involved at the factory.
This is an extremely serious matter and is taken in that light. That is why John Swinney met the chief executive of the company, and that is why Scottish Enterprise has met the company at top level—discussions included Lena Wilson, chief executive of Scottish Enterprise. I am able to further advise the member that a follow-up meeting with the company is due on 30 May.
Plainly, we will take every possible step to help to secure the long-term future of the company, which has about 520 employees at its plants in Moodiesburn and Bellshill. The member is correct that the proposed reduction is 130—a very substantial number of employees indeed.
The PACE initiative, which has the function of assisting those who are made redundant to find other opportunities, has already been alerted and advised, and the people at PACE are ready, willing and available to provide assistance to those employees, as they do to all other people in Scotland who find themselves facing the unpleasant threat of redundancy.
I am happy to assure the member, first, that we are doing everything possible with and through Scottish Enterprise and, secondly, that I will personally ensure that she is kept fully informed of all major further developments.
I thank the minister for saying that he will keep me informed of developments. However, is he aware that two years ago, Devro moved its financial team from Moodiesburn to London and that a letter from chief executive Peter Page, whom the minister has mentioned, says that the current changes
“are part of a programme to refocus and streamline the group’s manufacturing worldwide”?
Can the minister give any examples of practical assistance that can be given to Devro to ensure that it continues to manufacture here in Scotland and that it keeps its headquarters in Moodiesburn? More generally, can the minister comment on the Scottish Government’s plans to stop the overall decline of Scottish manufacturing?
Yes I can, and yes I will.
In 2007, Devro was offered regional selective assistance of £1.64 million as assistance in implementing a project to improve productivity and product quality, to safeguard 200 permanent jobs and to incur capital expenditure of £9.1 million on plant and machinery. That grant was paid in full and the final instalment was in 2012. Project jobs and assets are due to remain in conditions until 21 June 2014.
I understand that, in the discussions with the cabinet secretary, Mr Page stressed that the decision was very much part of a review of the company’s global operations. From her local knowledge, Elaine Smith will know more about the company than I do, but I understand that Devro is a global company that operates in many countries, including the USA, the Czech Republic and Australia. Mr Page took pains to stress to the cabinet secretary that the review of Devro’s global operations reflected difficult market conditions.
Members will know that the difficulties that Vion—a main sausage producer—faces have led to on-going problems for the sector. Devro produces collagen sausage casings, and Vion was a major customer. We are aware that the market situation has been difficult, but through Scottish Enterprise we continue to provide every possible support in relation to ensuring that there is investment in the technology at the factories where possible and that that helps to secure the long-term future of operations in Scotland, as the member correctly exhorts us to do.
I, too, declare an interest as a member of Unite the union, which organises in the Devro plants. I put on record my appreciation of Peter Page, Devro’s chief executive, taking a conference call on Friday morning to discuss the plant at Bellshill and particularly the one at Moodiesburn.
Will the minister give the assurance that not only Elaine Smith but the other constituency member with an interest, Michael McMahon, and the list members for Central Scotland will be kept up to date with developments? Because of Devro’s long association with Bellshill and particularly Moodiesburn, we all have a duty to keep not only the workforce but the communities in those two areas fully informed of any developments in the future of both plants.
I am happy to provide Mr Wilson with the assurance that all members who have an interest, through either their local constituency or their regional constituency, will be kept advised of any major developments in relation to the Scottish Government’s involvement.
I also agree with Mr Wilson that these are extremely important matters, and we treat them with the utmost seriousness. The 45-day redundancy consultation period began a few days ago, and I believe that it is planned that redundancies will be operative in July, with a further tranche in quarter 1 next year. It appears that it will be a two-stage process.
Because there is more time, PACE is better able—with the benefit of some notice—to be of practical assistance to many of the individuals involved. People are made redundant in units of one, and each one must be provided with whatever assistance PACE can reasonably provide. PACE is very good at providing that function in Scotland and has had a relatively high success rate in the work that it does in helping people to find other opportunities, whether employment, training or other fruitful activity.
I am happy to give the undertaking to keep all members advised of what work we can do. As I mentioned, Scottish Enterprise will meet the company again in a couple of days’ time.
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