Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Thursday, February 28, 2013

Official Report 655KB pdf

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General Question Time

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Homecoming 2014

1. To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made regarding homecoming 2014. (S4O-01849)

Planning for homecoming Scotland 2014—

Can we have the cabinet secretary’s microphone on, please?

Planning for homecoming Scotland 2014 is progressing well. We have announced that the Scottish Government is providing VisitScotland with a core budget of £5.5 million to support the year, which will be set around the five themes of ancestry, food and drink, and an active, creative and natural Scotland.

The homecoming Scotland 2014 programme is due to be launched next month. Thereafter activity will ramp up significantly, boosted by global marketing and public relations campaigns, which will be led by VisitScotland.

Activity currently taking place to prepare for homecoming Scotland 2014 includes development of the model for engaging Scotland’s communities in the year, exploration of educational aspects linked with curriculum for excellence, and the launch and on-going enhancement of a toolkit to help businesses harness the significant opportunities that the year offers.

I am sure that the cabinet secretary will agree that investment in infrastructure projects can greatly assist our tourism industry and help local economies to become more sustainable. Does she agree that the importance of homecoming 2014 in the current economic climate should not be underestimated and that the marine tourism opportunity in the west of Scotland, whether on the coast or in areas such as Loch Lomond, is a prime example of part of our economy that can deliver more? Does she agree that if any additional consequential moneys come to this Parliament from Westminster, due consideration should be given to infrastructure and tourism projects in the west of Scotland that could link in with the year of homecoming 2014?

I know that Stuart McMillan has consistently argued for marine infrastructure, particularly in the west of Scotland, and that he is particularly interested in marine and cruising activity in the Greenock area. Discussions on that are going on between Greenock cruise terminal and Scottish Enterprise.

Stuart McMillan’s more general point, about the importance of the impact of homecoming 2014 for businesses, is well made. We have carried out a lot of investment, particularly in my portfolio, in the culture and heritage aspects of what Scotland has to offer. The impact is extensive, not just on our built heritage but on our marine heritage, in bringing people to Scotland to use our waterways, in Loch Lomond or on the west coast.

I am sure that Stuart McMillan’s request about consequentials has been heard by the relevant finance minister. His point is well made.

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Housing Associations (Bedroom Tax)

2. To ask the Scottish Government how it will deal with the impact of the so-called bedroom tax on housing associations. (S4O-01850)

We have been working with a wide range of social landlords and other stakeholders since the United Kingdom Government announced its welfare reforms, to identify ways to lessen the impacts. We are investing in training and guidance for housing associations to help them deal with the bedroom tax and we will continue to support housing associations and tenants where we can.

We should not forget the impact on those who are most affected. The measure has an unfair impact on vulnerable Scottish households. Seventy-nine per cent of households that will be affected by the bedroom tax report an adult in the household with a disability.

I have written again to Lord Freud and Iain Duncan Smith to ask them to look at this again and abandon the bedroom tax part of the welfare reforms, as it continues to cause problems for the most vulnerable citizens in Scotland.

The minister is fully aware that the UK Government proposals are causing a great deal of confusion among tenants or councils and housing associations. Some people believe that the Scottish Government has the resources to stop the effects of the proposals in Scotland, despite the cuts that have been made to the Scottish budget. My question is straightforward: has the Scottish Government got the powers or resources to stop this happening in Scotland?

The Government is doing what it can within its devolved powers to lessen the impact of the UK Government’s damaging welfare reforms. However, the member is right to point out that welfare budgets are reserved to Westminster and that the welfare reforms are not of our making. From our limited budget, we have already made up the shortfall in council tax benefit, added £9.2 million to the Scottish welfare fund and invested £5 million in advice services and we will continue to consider all reasonable ways of lessening the impact of reforms such as the bedroom tax on Scottish households and our economy.

As I have said, the member is correct: these reforms are not of our making and we are doing what we can to mitigate their impacts. However, the reality is that those impacts are becoming greater and greater; no sooner do we plug one hole than another one opens. Mr Paterson is absolutely right. With its devolved resources, the Scottish Government does not have the money to mitigate all the welfare reforms or the bedroom tax.

The only way we can get rid of the bedroom tax—

Members: Oh!

Let me finish. The only way we can get rid of the bedroom tax is by trying—as I have done again this week—to persuade the UK Government to abandon it. It is recognised throughout the chamber that the tax is wrong and not fair in any way. The other alternative is to vote yes in the 2014 referendum so that we can take charge of the benefits system.

Has the Scottish Government taken legal advice on the definition of “bedroom” and will the minister issue guidance on that matter?

The Scottish Government is looking at all ways of dealing with this issue. We and indeed landlords are investigating the size of bedrooms, their reclassification and so on. We will continue to look at the matter and will report back when we have reached a conclusion.

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Air Services (Highlands and Islands)

3. To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the number and range of public service obligations for fragile air services in the Highlands and Islands. (S4O-01851)

The Scottish Government currently supports three PSO air services from Glasgow to Campbeltown, Tiree and Barra. We have agreed to pilot from this summer a weekend service to Campbeltown, which will be included in the new contract for the service. We generally monitor these services in the normal course of events, but we have no further plans at this time to review the number and range of air services subject to a PSO in the Highlands and Islands.

The minister will be well aware that PSOs are extensively used in France and the Republic of Ireland to sustain air services to remote regions. The iconic beach landing at Barra is a classic example of a fragile, low-capacity route that would never survive the vagaries of the free market. Will the minister agree to meet me to discuss the wider use of PSOs throughout Scotland?

I am, of course, willing to meet the member but I point out that our practice of not providing air services within local authority areas is exactly the same as that which was followed by the previous Administration.

I have already discussed the general issue of PSOs that the member raises with the local MSP, Dr Alasdair Allan, the local MP and others and I am more than happy to discuss it with David Stewart.

I am sure that the minister will be aware of Ashaig airstrip on the Isle of Skye and that Highland Council is considering the possibility of reintroducing scheduled services from Skye to the central belt, Inverness, Aberdeen and so on. Has the minister had any discussions with Highland Council on the matter and is there any way in which the Government can support or assist the council in getting flights back into Skye?

I am aware of Highland Council’s endeavours in that area but have not been approached directly by it. Of course, I am more than happy to discuss these issues with the council if it wishes to make representations.

The minister is aware of the fragility of air services in the Highlands and Islands and elsewhere and its impact on PSOs. What plans does he have to introduce a European Union-compliant successor scheme to the route development fund to support fragile air services and when will it be put in place?

The issue is being taken forward by the Deputy First Minister and I am happy to provide the member with an update on that. We have been looking at the issue seriously, because I think that we can do a great deal of work in this area.

In relation to local authority services such as that mentioned by David Stewart—and going back to a point that Margaret Burgess has just made—I must point out that the Government has neither the resources to continually backfill for the things that the Westminster Government does nor the resources to continually backfill for the things that local authorities decide that they no longer want to do. We have to live within our means. That said, I take on board John Scott’s point and will provide the information that he is looking for.

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Number Plate Cloning Fraud

4. To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the number of incidents of number plate cloning fraud. (S4O-01852)

The Scottish Government does not hold that information centrally and it is not possible to disaggregate specific crimes involving number plate cloning from the recorded crime data submitted by the police to the Scottish Government.

I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. I have a constituent who was the victim of a crime involving a vehicle that left the scene. Police have been unable to trace the vehicle, despite having its number plate, as it seems that the number plate was false or cloned.

I would be concerned if vehicle number plate cloning was on the rise, enabling criminals to avoid detection for a range of offences and causing innocent motorists to face fines or penalty points that they did not incur. What advice can the cabinet secretary offer to victims of number plate cloning and what action can the Scottish Government take to assist police in cracking down on the problem?

The member is right to raise the issue. Number plate theft is a serious matter that should be reported immediately to the appropriate authorities—the police and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency—to minimise the risk of a person receiving fixed-penalty notices or being suspected of committing crimes.

Motorists should be aware of the dangers that are associated with the crime and should take heed of advice that is readily available from many sources, including the police, the DVLA and insurance and motoring organisations. If any member of the public is aware of or suspicious about this particular crime—or indeed any type of crime—happening, they should contact the police or Crimestoppers.

The police service of Scotland will doubtless look at the issue, as we now have a specialised dedicated road traffic unit providing for all of Scotland. Either the chief constable or I would be happy to discuss the matter further with the member.

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Food Banks

5. To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with local authorities regarding the distribution of food from food banks. (S4O-01853)

Although we have had no recent discussions with local authorities regarding the distribution of food from food banks, it is of great concern that many families in Scotland now have to rely on food banks. Many low-income families who have never needed help before are now facing real hardship—welfare reform and rising fuel prices are adding to that.

We continue to work with local authorities, third sector partners and others to mitigate the worst impacts of welfare reform for those on the lowest incomes. From April, our new £33 million Scottish welfare fund will provide an additional 5,600 community care grants and more than 100,000 crisis grants for those in need. In January, we announced an additional £5.4 million for front-line advice services such as citizens advice bureaux, which will go directly towards helping people—[Interruption.]

Order.

That money will go directly towards helping people understand the changes to the United Kingdom Government benefits.

Does the minister agree that, along with food, it is essential that those in need are offered broader advice concerning health and budgeting, in order to provide longer-term solutions to poverty? Will she join me in congratulating Cfine—Community Food initiatives North East—for developing a food distribution strategy in conjunction with Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council and other stakeholders?

I join Maureen Watt in congratulating that initiative in Aberdeen. I have been looking at some other food distribution charities and social enterprises and they are certainly worth looking at, as they provide a vital service to local communities.

The Government is doing all that it can to tackle poverty and inequality in Scotland. We are committed to tackling the long-term drivers of poverty through early intervention and prevention. Our approach includes funding interventions that are designed to maximise household incomes and to improve children’s life chances: examples include £11 million for 2013 to 2015 to build on the success of the family nurse partnership initiative and the establishment of £272 million early years change funds over this parliamentary session.

Scottish Government officials have convened a health impact delivery group—comprising representatives of NHS Scotland, local government and the third sector—to identify the impact of welfare reforms on health and the mitigations that can be put in place. That will include the provision of advice and support and the identification of good practice that is already in place for health boards so that that good practice can be shared more widely.

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Post-mortems (West of Scotland)

6. To ask the Scottish Government what action the Cabinet Secretary for Justice will take to reduce delays in post-mortems in the west of Scotland. (S4O-01854)

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, which provides mortuary services for the two west of Scotland health boards—NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lanarkshire—and for the procurator fiscal in its Southern general hospital mortuary facility in Glasgow has advised that there are currently no delays to those services, with the hospital post-mortems being carried out within three to four working days.

All post-mortem examinations that are requested as a result of deaths reported to the procurator fiscal on Friday 22 February 2013 were scheduled for examination at the Southern general hospital on Thursday 28 February, which is within the three to four working days period.

Since December 2012, almost all the post-mortem examinations that are instructed by the procurator fiscal in the west of Scotland are being undertaken at the newly established Southern general hospital mortuary facilities in Glasgow. That state-of-the-art, modern mortuary facility has replaced the services that were previously provided at the 80-year-old Glasgow city mortuary, which has now closed.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Services works with the national health service and the pathologists who conduct the post-mortem examinations at the Southern general mortuary facility, and all are committed to ensuring that the post-mortem process is conducted timeously.

I thank the cabinet secretary for that response, although the information that I have is clearly different from the information that his officials have provided to him.

I am sure that the cabinet secretary appreciates the traumatic experience of a sudden death in any family. The information that I have is that the average wait for a post-mortem in the Southern general hospital is 10 days. It can go beyond that, of course. In a recent, but not isolated, incident in my constituency, my constituent’s mother passed away on the seventh of the month, the post-mortem did not take place until the 22nd and the funeral could not take place until the 26th. I am sure that the cabinet secretary would agree that that is an unacceptable wait for any bereaved family, and that it adds to the trauma of a sudden death.

Will the cabinet secretary work with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing to investigate those matters and end the unacceptable delays that affect bereaved families in the west of Scotland?

I certainly agree that a sudden death is traumatic for the relatives and that we must look after the interests of those who are suffering.

I understand that the matter has been raised previously in correspondence by Mr McNeil. That correspondence was passed to Mr John Green, the head of the Crown Office’s Scottish fatalities investigation unit, to consider. Mr Green telephoned Mr McNeil’s office on 1 February 2013. I understand that Mr McNeil was absent, but Mr Green spoke to one of Mr McNeil’s staff, apprised him of the situation and indicated that he would be happy to discuss anything further with Mr McNeil upon his return. So far, I understand that no follow-up contact has been received by Mr Green, but I suggest that Mr Green is still willing to engage with Mr McNeil and that, in order to try to achieve the outcome that Mr McNeil and I agree on, which is a reduction in the trauma for the victims, Mr McNeil should speak to Mr Green.

Mr Green confirmed the details that I have outlined this morning, which contradict the cabinet secretary. There was a 10-day wait, according to Mr Green. However, the point is that there are two cabinet secretaries involved in this matter—the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing. Since I spoke to Mr Green, I have asked the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing questions about the issue. Both cabinet secretaries should get together and get it sorted.

Under the constitutional arrangements, it is the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service that deals with this matter. [Interruption.]

Order.

That is perfectly appropriate, because it is challenged to look after the best interests of our communities. It does so in an impartial way, and that is how post-mortems are carried out. I suggest, therefore, that Mr McNeil should take up Mr Green’s offer to discuss the matter. The Government is happy to do what we can—my colleague, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing will deal with the particular medical matters—but post-mortems are a matter for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, and Mr McNeil would do well to speak to Mr Green, the head of the Crown Office’s Scottish fatalities investigation unit, who called him on 1 February.