Engagements (Aberdeen)
The parliamentary question was answered on 21 November 2013, and the delay was due to an administrative error.
I am grateful to the cabinet secretary. There is nothing like an oral question to concentrate the mind. I and my MSP colleagues and the MP for Aberdeen South would have been delighted to welcome the Government’s contribution to the Pound for Piper Memorial Trust’s fund at the time, if the First Minister had seen fit to tell us about it then or, indeed, in any of the weeks after the Aberdeen Donside by-election and before the anniversary of the Piper Alpha disaster. Can the cabinet secretary confirm whether there has been a breach of the “Scottish Ministerial Code 2011” in this instance? If so, will an apology be issued by her or by any other responsible minister?
There has been no breach. Paragraph 9.20 of the code states:
Homelessness
Homelessness continues to fall in Scotland, as is shown by figures published earlier this month. In the first quarter of 2013 we saw an 11 per cent fall in applications to local authorities from the previous year’s figure and, crucially, falls in the number of households with children in temporary accommodation. That continues the positive trend of falls in homelessness in Scotland in recent years. Progress has been driven by the achievement of our internationally acclaimed 2012 homelessness target and our focus on prevention, working with local authorities and others, and supported by our investment in new affordable housing.
I did not sit beside the minister to ensure that I got the answer that I wanted.
I agree that it is good news that we see homelessness figures continuing to fall. They have fallen in Stirling by 14 per cent, which is higher than the national fall of 11 per cent. The progress is the result of the adoption of the housing options approach to preventing homelessness by local authorities and their partners, rather than a change in the underlying drivers of homelessness.
What will be done to assist rough sleepers over the winter? What additional assistance will be given to charities that are already carrying out tremendous work with rough sleepers?
The Scottish Government continues to work with charities that support rough sleepers, whose numbers in Scotland are reducing. We will continue to work with charities to reduce their numbers and the number of homeless people. We have set up a number of funds for welfare reform mitigation and we are encouraging charities to ensure that anyone who is sleeping rough has the access to those funds that they should have. We continue to support them through our voluntary housing action fund, which funds a number of charitable organisations.
Vocational Education and Training (North Ayrshire)
Consistent with the aims of our reforms, the recently merged Ayrshire College is expanding vocational education opportunities across North Ayrshire. The new college is a considerable boost for North Ayrshire and it will continue to adjust its curriculum to reflect the needs of local employers. Moreover, in the academic years 2012-13 and 2013-14, Ayrshire College has received additional funding of over £3.26 million from the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council to deliver additional places for young people, women and adults returning to education.
In the year to September, youth unemployment in North Ayrshire fell from 560 to 350, which represents a fall of 37.5 per cent and is the fastest decline in Scotland. Does the minister agree that enhanced vocational education and training will reduce that number still further and will also give older unemployed people the necessary skills to return to work?
Yes, I do agree. I listened to the figures that Mr Gibson quoted, and I think that I am correct in saying that he is talking about the claimant count figures for 16 to 19-year-olds, which have fallen right across Scotland. Given the particular challenges of North Ayrshire, it is encouraging to hear about that improvement.
Department for International Development (East Kilbride)
In “Scotland’s Future: Your Guide to an Independent Scotland”, on page 365 and earlier in the document on page 31, we make it clear that international development is one of the areas where the Scottish and Westminster Governments have a mutual interest in working closely together. Our having in Scotland people with the skills to deliver Government priorities is an asset. The Scottish Government will work with the Westminster Government to preserve continuity of employment for all civil servants in Scotland, either by transfer to the Scottish Government or by continued employment with the Westminster Government where their skills will still be required by that Government. That will provide, on independence, for continuity of services and jobs, including those in DFID in East Kilbride, without either Government having to recreate significant infrastructure.
I thank the minister for that in-depth answer. We were told that the white paper would answer all our questions, but it does not make things any clearer for staff at DFID—a department that employs more than 500 people in East Kilbride. The Scottish Government cannot seem to decide whether to assure civil servants in East Kilbride that they will seamlessly transfer to the Scottish civil service or to tell them that they will stick with a UK civil service that will run its overseas aid programme out of a foreign country.
Actually, I did answer that question. I told Margaret McCulloch that we would, of course, preserve continuity of employment with the Westminster Government, through negotiation. Page 49 of the white paper specifically mentions that one of the delivery functions of the international relations and defence department of an independent Scotland would be in East Kilbride.
If I am going to make progress through the questions, we must have the questions a bit shorter and the answers considerably shorter.
Miscarriage Support
Health professionals provide tailored care and support to people who have experienced miscarriage, which may include further investigation or counselling, as appropriate. Additionally, a patient may be referred to an appropriate voluntary organisation. During 2013 the Scottish Government has provided funding to several organisations that work in the field.
I thank the minister for that reply. Organisations such as Scottish Care and Information on Miscarriage have been supporting mothers in my region—Glasgow—since 1992 and have worked to identify and tackle the causes of miscarriage and stillbirth through expert research. Does the Scottish Government have any plans to review their level of funding or to assist them and similar charities in acquiring alternative funding streams?
I met SCIM last week to discuss such issues. We provide it with a grant of more than £7,000 a year for the work that it undertakes in the greater Glasgow and Clyde area. We also provide funding to a range of other organisations that work in the field, to help them to support families who experience miscarriage.
Road Safety (A937 Montrose to Laurencekirk)
The A937 is a local road, so responsibility for it rests with Angus Council and Aberdeenshire Council.
The minister will be fully aware that recent analyses and figures have indicated that the A937 is, as it has been described,
Alex Johnstone should be more careful about how he describes the road. The road that was described as being
I have recently written to Angus Council and Aberdeenshire Council, which are responsible for the section of road, to ask them what they are doing to improve safety on what we know is an extremely dangerous stretch. Is the Government able to do anything to help in that process, given that the road in question adjoins a trunk road? The best brains need to be applied not only to the problem of the Laurencekirk junction, which I know the minister is working on, but to the stretch down to Hillside.
It is worth my while saying that the Scottish Government has, as a roads authority, no authority to suggest or make improvements to a road for which another roads authority is responsible. However, Nigel Don is quite right to say that we work closely with local authorities, not least on roads maintenance. If the local authorities or the regional transport partnership make such a request we will be more than happy to work with them on the issue.
Carers’ Rights Day
On carers’ rights day and all year round, the Scottish Government supports unpaid carers and young carers by providing valuable care and support to their families, friends and neighbours. With partners, we are developing a carers’ rights charter that will set out and consolidate existing rights and which will be widely available next year. Moreover, subject to the outcome of consultation and parliamentary approval, the Scottish Government intends to introduce new legislation to support carers and young carers.
Although the First Minister’s announcement of a carers’ rights bill at the carers parliament in October was very welcome, can the minister advise on the powers that can be used now to make councils such as East Dunbartonshire Council follow their duty to give carers their assessments?
The legislation is clear that where carers request an assessment the local authority must provide it. Local authorities must also notify carers of their entitlement to make such a request. I note that some councils support carers without any assessment, but it is important that councils undertake a good-quality assessment of all carers who request it.
Policing (Stop and Search)
The use of stop and search is an operational matter for Police Scotland. Since the organisation’s formation in April 2013, there has been approximately one stop and search per police officer per week, which amounts to 12,089 police officers carrying out 454,737 stop and searches. Stop and search is effective not only in taking knives or other weapons off the street before they are used to commit violent crimes but in recovering drugs or alcohol, which can reduce antisocial behaviour and its blight in our communities.
Since the inception of Police Scotland, stop and searches have increased by 45 per cent in Aberdeen. Given the chief constable’s statement that there are no targets for stop and search, will the cabinet secretary give me an assurance that he will keep a close eye on the statistics in order to assure my constituents that the procedure is being used only when there is suspicion of crime or during special operations?
Yes. Mr Stewart makes a good point; after all, this is a matter of balance. Having discussed the stop and search issue with the chief constable, I can confirm that—as Kevin Stewart said—there are no targets for numbers of searches. Helpfully, however, there are percentage targets for positive searches. I have been reassured that stop and search is an intelligence-led tactic that is used appropriately by Police Scotland to keep people and communities safe, but the Scottish Police Authority and the Scottish Government will, of course, continue to monitor its use.