SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
General Questions
Scottish Produce (Promotion)
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to promote Scottish produce. (S3O-9343)
Through the work of Scotland Food and Drink and our enterprise agencies, we actively support the marketing and development of Scottish food and drink at home and abroad. Only yesterday, I launched a campaign that has been designed to make the consumer think about the factors that affect their food choices. In particular, it highlights the importance of fresh and seasonal produce, which, of course, we excel in producing.
The cabinet secretary will be aware from his recent visit to Malcolm Allan Ltd—a food production company in my constituency that has been highly successful in expanding its business over recent years and which has benefited from Government support, for which I know that it is grateful—of the potential that exists for that company to grow even further. I am sure that the same is true of other Scottish food producers.
The Scottish Government is taking a range of measures to support the development of Scotland's food sector through our successful food policy, which is the first such policy for Scotland.
Although supermarkets in Scotland are making some attempts to sell Scottish produce, there is no doubt that if we could encourage them to do more, for example by selling Caithness produce in a Thurso supermarket or Western Isles produce in the Western Isles—which might seem to be a strange idea to some people—it would make a huge difference to our local farmers and food producers.
Jamie Stone highlights the importance of our retail sector and our supermarket chains in supporting local produce by stocking more of it on their shelves. That is why we are delighted that there has been, since this Scottish Government took office, a 21 per cent increase in the sale of Scottish brands, not only in Scotland but in England and Wales.
Question 2 has been withdrawn.
Forensic and Fingerprint Services
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to make decisions on the future development of forensic and fingerprint services. (S3O-9293)
The Scottish Police Services Authority is currently engaging with its customers and stakeholders on the future delivery of police forensic services. I expect the SPSA to present final recommendations for my consideration in the summer.
The cabinet secretary will accept that it is now more than two years since the forensic lab in Aberdeen was first threatened with closure. Why will no conclusions be made public before the summer, given that the SPSA made a commitment as recently as November to produce an options paper by the end of last year? Does the cabinet secretary accept his responsibility for removing as soon as possible the continuing uncertainty that forensics and fingerprint staff in Aberdeen and across Scotland face?
I am extremely surprised by Mr Macdonald's attitude. The previous criticism was that there had been a rush to make a judgment and that a decision had been taken without proper consultation. We are now in a position in which a process of full consultation and discussion—with Mr Macdonald or anyone else—is under way. The member is a victim of his own success. He wished there to be consultation; consultation is taking place and we will not rush to make a judgment. He should welcome that—after all, it is what he asked for.
Can the cabinet secretary assure the public and the staff that the final decision on the provision of forensic science and fingerprint services to the police forces of Scotland will be based on the need to ensure efficacy in crime fighting locally and not on a desire to reduce costs centrally?
Absolutely. Account must be taken of those factors. It is clear that financial matters must be considered—we must achieve best value—but the need to protect our communities by ensuring that we prosecute the people who perpetrate crime is at the root of the current process. In addition to Mr Macdonald and the people who work in the labs, another major stakeholder, as Mr Adam well knows, is the chief constable of Grampian Police, which is why we will take on board his views, which clearly have great significance.
I am surprised at the minister's apparent insouciance and lack of awareness of the damage that his Government's lack of transparency on the process is causing to staff at bureaux in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and elsewhere. Can he guarantee that the planned move of the Glasgow office to the forensic services supercampus at Gartcosh will not be used as an excuse to close one of Scotland's fingerprint bureaux or to radically reduce the number of staff?
We are intent on creating the Scottish crime campus. I am surprised by Mr Macintosh's view; his colleague Mr Baker seems to criticise us for not yet having it constructed. Planning permission has been granted, work is on-going and it is expected that the campus, which will obviously be the state of the art, will be opened in 2012. The Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, the chief constable of Strathclyde Police and others have welcomed it. We want to ensure that communities throughout Scotland—not only in Grampian—are safe, especially those in Strathclyde, where we have significant problems.
Question 4 was lodged by Margaret Smith, but she is not in the chamber. The sad thing about that is that I cannot call Ian McKee to ask a perfectly good supplementary question.
Colleges (Support)
To ask the Scottish Executive what support is available for colleges to cope with additional demand for places. (S3O-9320)
In June, we announced an extra £28.1 million to help colleges to offer more places, particularly to young people. That was on top of a 2009-10 budget of nearly £650 million. Over the period 2007-08 to 2010-11, we plan to spend more than £2.5 billion, which is an increase of nearly 20 per cent on the previous four years. That is significant investment that recognises that colleges are central to supporting people and businesses that have been affected by the recession.
I am sure that the minister would like to join me in congratulating Andy Murray, who has just made it into the final of the Australian open.
Hooray!
The minister will be aware that none of the extra £28 million that he mentioned went to rural colleges such as Elmwood College in north-east Fife, which have been coping with a considerable increase in student numbers. Elmwood College has had to spread its educational resources more thinly, and it has reduced bursaries to 90 per cent, which means that students are making direct contributions in order to meet the funding shortfall. Will the minister review college funding to remove the current discrimination against rural colleges, which are also trying to cope with youth unemployment?
While the minister is answering that question, perhaps Mr Smith might consider turning off his BlackBerry. I assume that he got the information about Andy Murray from that.
I congratulate Andy Murray, who is a product of a good Scottish education, although perhaps not a college education. However, I am sure that colleges will take the lesson on teaching tennis skills, if not on switching-off-BlackBerry skills.
Does the minister agree that, with colleges such as Adam Smith College and Carnegie College receiving less than half the money they said they would need to support new students, there will be increased pressure on discretionary funds? Will he therefore commit to ensuring that discretionary funds, such as those for hardship and child care, do not run dry?
I am always astonished by the ability of Labour Party representatives to demand more expenditure when the Scottish Government's budget is being cut by their party at Westminster. Their performance is astonishing.
Supermarket Ombudsman
To ask the Scottish Government what impact it considers a supermarket ombudsman will have on farmers and consumers. (S3O-9352)
The Scottish Government believes that a supermarket ombudsman will deliver fair prices and a fair deal for all in the food supply chain, including farmers and consumers.
The fact that the United Kingdom Government has at last accepted the need for the creation of a supermarket ombudsman is a welcome development, but that development will be meaningless if the body is not given the powers that it needs effectively to police the food supply chain. Will the cabinet secretary undertake to make the strongest possible representations to the UK Government to ensure that the body is given all the powers it needs to ensure a fair deal for everyone who is involved in putting food on our tables?
Maureen Watt has made a number of good points. I welcome the belated commitment that UK Government has made. It may have taken it 12 years, and it has announced it just a few months before a UK general election, but we have finally got there—it has agreed to the principle of establishing an ombudsman. I understand that there will be further consultation, and we are waiting to hear more details about the form that the body will take, but it will certainly play a key role. Since it took office, the Scottish Government has made a number of strong representations to the UK Government on the matter; indeed, on Tuesday this week, I wrote once again to the responsible minister in the UK Government to press the case for action to be taken as soon as possible.
Problem Drug Users (Naloxone)
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the use of naloxone for problem drug users. (S3O-9345)
I have asked the national forum on drug-related deaths to develop a national protocol and guidelines on naloxone provision. A short-life working group has been established to take forward that work under the leadership of Carole Hunter, who is lead pharmacist for Glasgow addiction services. The working group aims to have the draft protocol presented for consideration at the next full forum meeting, on 3 February 2010. I will consider the matter further once the forum has delivered the protocol and any recommendations for roll-out.
The minister will be aware that, if a person is addicted to heroin, for example, their mind will be on getting their next fix, not on a training session on how to use naloxone, and that, if a person is overdosing, it is physically impossible for them to self-administer that life-saving antidote. When the minister is considering the draft protocol in the next few weeks, will he consider finding a way, either by legislative changes or by letters of comfort, to enable friends and families of drug users to access naloxone—which is, after all, non-toxic—and the training that could mean the difference between life and death for their loved one?
Anne McLaughlin has made exactly the right point. Naloxone is used to reverse the effects of opiate overdoses; therefore, we believe that it has the potential to save lives. The member is also correct to say that, for obvious reasons, those who may be subject to overdoses are often not in a position to administer naloxone to themselves to save their life. Under the Medicines Act 1968, no one but individual patients in receipt of a prescription is allowed to administer injectable prescription-only medicines, but there is support for extending the existing schemes. We very much want to consider that matter to try to find a way to save lives where possible.
I welcome the minister's response to the issue generally, and particularly his response to the cross-party group on drug and alcohol misuse, which I chair.
I entirely agree with Dr Richard Simpson. We wish to deal with the matter as he specifically suggests. We believe that naloxone has the potential to save lives, which is why I have asked the national forum on drug-related deaths to work on a national protocol. It is important to ensure that prisoners who have been released are given high priority. The statistics show that they are at very high risk of death, perhaps as a result of taking drugs that are much stronger than those that they have been accustomed to during their incarceration. I thank members of all parties for their support for the drugs strategy, which is now being implemented. The work that we are discussing is a key supplement to that work.
Landscape Partnerships (Rural Priority Funding)
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is giving to help landscape partnerships access rural priority funding. (S3O-9256)
Rural priorities is a competitive grant scheme that is available to a wide range of different groups, including landscape partnerships. So far, more than a quarter of a billion pounds has been approved under rural priorities to support around 3,600 projects in rural Scotland. Detailed eligibility guidance is available to all rural priorities applicants, and all applicants will have the additional support of rural priorities case officers in their regions.
The minister will be aware of the many collaborative bracken-control projects in which several landowners are involved, including the Ochils landscape partnership in my region. Those projects often face difficulties when they apply for Scottish rural development programme and LEADER funding. Will the cabinet secretary agree to meet the Ochils landscape partnership and look into how the application process can be reformed and simplified?
I have, of course, taken an interest in the proposals that have been made by the Ochils landscape partnership, which states that it
Protection of Children and Prevention of Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the Protection of Children and Prevention of Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2005 is being applied effectively. (S3O-9325)
The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that children are protected from sexual abuse. We will continue to work with police and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to ensure that those who commit sexual offences against children are brought to justice.
There is considerable confusion arising from the fact that only a small number of people are being prosecuted under the 2005 act, with most offenders being prosecuted under earlier legislation. Given the lack of clarity surrounding the number of children in Scotland who are experiencing sexual exploitation, will the Government commit to funding research to identify whether the paucity of convictions under the 2005 act is due to the situation that I have just outlined, to a lack of offences occurring or even—as Barnardo's Scotland suspects—to a lack of priority?
I do not think that the priority should necessarily be further research. I would be happy to meet Robin Harper to explain the position and I explain to the chamber that we believe that it is not simply about the number of convictions—there is a variety of matters to consider.
I am sure that the cabinet secretary will be aware of the offences that were committed by Ryan Yates, who sought to attack two children in Aberdeen just two days into a sexual offences prevention order. Does he agree that there should be an investigation into that shocking incident to see what more could have been done to restrict Mr Yates's behaviour and whether, in the light of the incident, there should be a review of procedures?
Those matters are, fundamentally, for the Crown Office and the police. We are delighted that Mr Yates has been brought to justice. It will be for the court to decide what sentence is imposed. Orders for lifelong restriction now exist: we believe that they are an important tool. We do not comment on individual cases, but judges who impose orders for lifelong restriction because they feel that that is appropriate will have the full support of the Government. I understand that orders for lifelong restriction did not exist when Mr Yates's previous sentence was imposed. It is now for the judiciary to decide what to do in his case.
Housing Co-operatives (Support)
To ask the Scottish Government how it supports housing co-operatives. (S3O-9334)
The Scottish Government supports the work of housing co-ops by investing in the provision of new affordable housing. My recent visit to Easthall Park Housing Co-operative in Easterhouse highlighted the good work of such organisations in their communities. The housing co-operative sector is part of the registered social landlord sector, and individual organisations within the sector establish their own vision and business plan to suit their specific needs.
Does the minister share my dismay that, since the introduction of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, the number of Scottish housing co-operatives has dropped from 45 to 18? Will he confirm that the Government endorses the housing co-operative as a sustainable and valuable community ownership model and that he will continue to offer support for it?
We estimate that there are only 14, rather than 18, housing co-operatives in Scotland. The massive reduction in their number is a direct result of the Labour-Lib Dem Administration's efforts in 2001. However, the SNP Government is committed to the principle of co-operation and is encouraging housing co-operatives by giving record support to them and to the whole social housing sector in order to complete the construction of a record number of social houses in Scotland this year.
Previous
Newspaper Industry