Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Thursday, October 28, 2010

Official Report 1082KB pdf

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Scottish Executive Question Time

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General Questions

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Public Expenditure Reduction

1. To ask the Scottish Executive what level of reduction in public expenditure in Scotland for which it is responsible it would not consider to be “too far too fast” given the financial situation inherited by Her Majesty’s Government. (S3O-11715)

The cuts that are planned by the coalition Government are, as Mr McLetchie says, too fast and too deep. Next year alone, our overall budget will fall by £1.3 billion in cash terms, including a fall of £800 million in the capital budget. Those cuts to our capital budget threaten 12,000 jobs. I accept that the management of the public finances by the previous United Kingdom Government means that a substantial period of fiscal adjustment is now unavoidable. However, that should be achieved by promoting economic growth, which will create jobs, increase tax receipts and reduce welfare spending. In contrast, the austerity measures that have been proposed by the coalition risk undermining the economic recovery, increasing unemployment and doing further damage to the public finances. As we argued in the joint declaration by the devolved Administrations, the cuts should be scaled back and phased in over a longer period of time. That emphasises the urgent need for Scotland to have the same financial and economic powers as other nations, so that we can grow our economy and revenues and protect our vital public services and fairness in our society.

The cabinet secretary tells us that the cuts should be scaled back, but he omits to tell us what that scaling should be, showing a reluctance to provide a straight answer to that type of question that the Scottish National Party shares with the Labour Party. Perhaps I can help him out. The Scottish Government has just published a report in which it claims to have made a total of £1.47 billion-worth of cash-releasing efficiency savings in just two years. Amazingly, while Mr Swinney was slashing, burning, hacking and cutting at public spending over the past two years, nobody noticed—the world did not come to an end and our public services did not grind to a halt. The amount, in cash terms, that Her Majesty’s Government is asking the Scottish Government to save over the next four years is less than the amount of cash that Mr Swinney claims to have saved in the past two years. Will he explain why a future Scottish Government cannot carry on, over the next four years, doing exactly what he has done over the past two years, thereby extricating us from the financial mess that we inherited from Labour?

I agree with Mr McLetchie that the coalition Government inherited a financial mess from the Labour Party.

The point that Mr McLetchie slides past in his question is one that he regularly raises with Parliament about the additional burdens that are placed on our public services as a consequence of things such as changes in demography, increasing health care needs and increasing demands on council services—he is wont to raise such issues with me frequently when I appear before the Local Government and Communities Committee. Our cash-releasing efficiencies programme has delivered the capability to achieve more from an increasing sum of money from public finances. Mr McLetchie is now asking us to cope with all that increased demand and increased pressure in the context of a sharply declining real-terms budget—a budget that is declining much more sharply than was ever proposed or was ever the case under the previous Labour Administration. That is the difference between the two situations to which Mr McLetchie refers.

I accept entirely that this is an important subject, but for a question to take that long and for an answer to be equally long is just not on. I am afraid that I am unable to allow any supplementary questions on the issue.

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Inveramsay Bridge

2. To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will fulfil its commitment to replace the Inveramsay bridge during its current term of office. (S3O-11670)

The Government has made a commitment to deliver a new Inveramsay bridge as part of wider upgrades to the A96. Inveramsay has long been a serious hindrance to local people and acts as a block to development. Transport Scotland has now received the feasibility study into options to upgrade the bridge, which it is considering. In the light of that, I have asked Transport Scotland to complete its consideration of the options as soon as possible and to seek out opportunities to support the economic and social needs of communities along the A96, including Moray.

Now that the minister has received the study, after three and a half years of inaction, will he outline in detail what funding he has allocated to the project to fulfil the Government’s commitment to complete the project within this term of its office?

It is passing strange that Mr Rumbles chooses to raise this subject, given the previous inertia and lack of attention to the needs of the users of the A96 and, specifically, the Inveramsay bridge. It is only due to the actions of the Administration that is now in office, along with the active and committed engagement of the local member, that we are seeing the kind of progress that is taking place. Mr Rumbles really ought to look at the progress that is being made, at the benefits that we seek to deliver and, particularly in these difficult times, at the acceleration of work on this that I have asked to take place.

The minister will be aware that I have been urging action on the Inveramsay bridge for a number of years. He will also be aware that the height restrictions that were recently imposed on the bridge are forcing vehicles over 14ft 6in to divert via Colpy, which is impacting adversely on the local agricultural community. That not only has an impact on the local economy but leads to increased vehicle emissions.

Question, please.

Will the minister give serious priority to the Inveramsay bridge? When might work be expected to start?

We are giving the bridge priority. We recognise the issues for freight traffic due to the change in the way in which heights are measured and are actively engaged in that matter.

Does the minister agree that, after 10 years of Liberal Democrats being in government in this place and 30 years of them representing the Gordon constituency in Westminster, it is only now, under the Scottish National Party Government, that Inveramsay bridge has featured in any transport plan and that action is being taken to address one of the most notorious bottlenecks in the north-east of Scotland?

Absolutely.

Question 3 was not lodged.

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Carbon Trust (Agricultural Sector)

4. To ask the Scottish Executive what specific support the Carbon Trust gives the agricultural sector in terms of advice or loans. (S3O-11666)

Through the Scottish Government’s funding support, the Carbon Trust offers energy site surveys to Scottish businesses with an annual spend of £50,000 and over, including those in the agriculture sector. We also support the Carbon Trust’s industrial energy efficiency accelerator, which works with many energy intensive sectors, including animal feeds and dairy.

The minister will be aware that anaerobic digestion represents a particularly attractive technology for the Scottish agricultural sector. The process not only provides farmers with a way of disposing of organic waste but also allows for the production of green energy and usable byproducts such as fertiliser. Given the recognised advantages of this green and practical technology, what action is the Scottish Government taking to help rural land managers throughout Scotland to take advantage of it?

The member raises a good issue, which is the contribution that our farmers and those in the agriculture sector can make to greening Scotland, reducing our emissions and securing business benefits from that.

I assure the member that many initiatives are under way to help the agriculture sector to take advantage of energy efficiency measures, ways of lowering their emissions and waste management processes, including anaerobic digestion. The rural development programme offers some kind of support for that kind of initiative, and we are also considering new ways in which loans can be made available to the agriculture sector in order to get some of those measures under way.

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Bervie Braes

5. To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to protect the Bervie braes from future landslips. (S3O-11681)

The Scottish Government agreed on 19 March 2010 to provide a £2 million contribution to Aberdeenshire Council for slope remediation work on the Bervie braes. It is a now matter for Aberdeenshire Council to take forward.

For the record, I should make it clear that I am talking about the Bervie braes in Stonehaven—there are others.

The minister will be aware of the issues surrounding consent from residents that is required for the Bervie braes work, and that that has the potential to hold up the project past April 2011. Can he confirm that, if the project is delayed, Scottish Government funding will still be available at a future date?

I assure Mr Don that the Government will work very co-operatively with Aberdeenshire Council on this matter and that, if issues arise out of an impact on the timescale of the sort that Mr Don raises, the Government will work co-operatively and effectively with Aberdeenshire Council to resolve them.

I hope that, given the seriousness of the issue, and the speed with which the Government acted to address the concerns of the members of the public in Stonehaven whom I met when I visited the site, progress can be made as timeously as possible to ensure that stability is applied to the Bervie braes.

Given that the project will be jointly funded by the Scottish Government and Aberdeenshire Council, will the minister take into account any difficulties that the council might have under the current funding round, to ensure that that is not an obstacle in the way of the work that is to be carried out?

Mr Johnstone will appreciate that the only way in which we can proceed on this matter is through co-operative activity between Aberdeenshire Council and the Scottish Government. That has been my approach, and I appreciate that it has been reciprocated by Aberdeenshire Council.

Under the funding arrangement that is in place, the council must contribute funds according to the terms that I have set out. We will, of course, engage with the council, but I reiterate the point of principle that the council must contribute in the fashion that I have set out.

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“The role of boards” (Audit Scotland Report)

6. To ask the Scottish Executive what lessons have been learnt from Audit Scotland’s report on the role of boards. (S3O-11703)

The Scottish Government welcomes Audit Scotland’s report. We continue to look for ways of further strengthening the relationship between the Scottish Government and public bodies as we take forward our public services reform agenda.

In the key messages section of its report, Audit Scotland says that it accepts that the Scottish Government has made progress with its public sector reform agenda. However, it goes on to say:

“Chief executives and their boards have parallel lines of accountability and this can cause confusion over who leads the organisation”.

How does the cabinet secretary intend to deal with that issue?

The question is important because it recognises that public bodies have to have clear direction and leadership. In some circumstances, that will flow directly from ministerial letters of guidance or direction, which boards must respond to in a constructive and positive way. I am confident that we have in place strong arrangements for ministers to make clear to public bodies and senior managers, in their line management responsibility to boards, what is expected of them. However, if any improvements are required to ensure that there is clarity in the leadership of public bodies, the Government will, of course, act in that fashion.

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Broadband Services

7. To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met United Kingdom Government ministers to discuss the provision of broadband services in Scotland. (S3O-11675)

The last meeting between Scottish ministers and UK ministers on the subject of broadband provision in Scotland was on 22 February 2010, when the Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism met Stephen Timms, the then UK Minister for Digital Britain.

Following the Scottish Government’s successful bid to the UK Government for inclusion of the Highlands and Islands as one of the four UK rural market testing pilots for superfast broadband, as announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 20 October 2010, a further meeting is now being sought with relevant UK ministers. That meeting will focus on the next steps for the deployment of the pilot and will discuss more generally the support that may be available for improved broadband access throughout Scotland.

I am glad to hear that, although there have been no meetings with the present UK Government ministers, such meetings are planned.

Although the situation in the Highlands and Islands is important, the failure to provide a good service is adversely affecting local businesses in constituencies such as mine, Dunfermline West, with those people who work from home being particularly poorly served at the moment. What is the minister planning to do in those discussions with UK ministers to help home workers who are striving to help the Scottish economy?

Jim Tolson raises an important point about home workers, which my visit to Vertex in Dingwall the other week clearly illustrated to me. There are many home workers in the company who use information technology and broadband communications to take part in various activities.

As part of the Government’s agenda for connectivity, on which the Minister for Culture and External Affairs published some material the other week, we will engage in dialogue with the UK Government and service providers to maximise the capability of broadband use in Scotland. It is a significant contributor to our country’s economic potential, and the home-working sector offers an opportunity into the bargain.

Is the cabinet secretary aware that in my region, the South of Scotland, many residents suffer from poor internet connections? Although it is welcome that the area that Treasury chief Danny Alexander represents will now benefit from superfast broadband, David Mundell and Michael Moore at the Scotland Office have not been quite so successful in gaining improvements for the South of Scotland. Will the minister outline how the Scottish Government will help rural communities in the south that are not part of the project to gain better internet connections?

There have already been three interventions by different Administrations in Scotland to address some of those questions. First, our predecessors put in place the exchange activate programme to install broadband capacity in many rural exchanges, which would otherwise not have happened. Secondly, this Administration has used that deal to expand the capability of many of those exchanges and to increase capacity, as service usage has far outstripped expectations.

Thirdly, we have put in place resources to ensure that people in hard-to-reach locations are able to access a broadband service. The Scottish Government has done a great deal over the years to expand broadband capability. For the roll-out of the next generation of broadband we need an approach that guarantees that rural areas, such as those that my colleague Aileen Campbell represents, and Perthshire and Angus, which I represent, can access broadband services in an efficient and effective way so that there is no digital exclusion in Scotland. We will pursue that approach with providers and the UK Government.

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Gourock to Dunoon Ferry Service Tender

8. To ask the Scottish Executive what the timetable is for the tendering of the Gourock to Dunoon ferry service. (S3O-11755)

Ministers are currently considering the tender and contract documents for the Gourock to Dunoon ferry service. When the documentation is finalised, the timetable for the remaining stages of the procurement process will be announced.

The minister will be well aware that in accordance with article 18 of the European Union procedural regulations, the Scottish Government was required to launch a public tender for the route before 2009. The subsequent public service contract should start before June 2011. Will the Government comply with that timetable? If not, is the minister aware that that will cause widespread disappointment in Argyll and Bute and beyond?

We are continuing to work with the European Commission on that very important service but, fundamentally, we seek to deliver for the people of the Cowal peninsula and Dunoon a service that carries both vehicles and passengers. Every part of our effort is directed at ensuring that we give it the best possible opportunity.

Question 9 has been withdrawn.

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Glasgow City Council (Meetings)

10. To ask the Scottish Government when it last met representatives of Glasgow City Council and what was discussed. (S3O-11701)

Scottish Government officials regularly meet representatives of councils, including Glasgow City Council, to discuss a range of issues.

Is the cabinet secretary aware of the situation in Glasgow with regard to free personal care and care home admissions? Targets are being set to remove people from free personal nursing care and reduce admissions to care homes, which is resulting in the most vulnerable people suffering, and in some cases languishing in hospital.

It is clear that individual assessments must be made about the appropriate care arrangements for every person who is judged to require such assistance, and a range of statutory functions must be followed. If Sandra White is concerned about the way in which those issues have been addressed in relation to particular individuals, I respectfully suggest that she raises her concerns with Glasgow City Council, which should address them.