SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
Litter Pollution
To ask the Scottish Executive what statutory measures it has introduced to reduce litter pollution. (S1O-6355)
In February 2002, we commissioned a review of the existing legislation that is relevant to litter. We are considering a report that has been submitted by Environmental Resources Management Ltd, which we received in December. We expect to publish that and our conclusions next month.
I refer the minister to motion S1M-3783, which is in my name, on litter-louts. The motion was inspired by the pupils of Chirnside Primary School in Duns, who want something to be done about the broken glass, pizza boxes, polythene bags and general detritus that pollutes our towns, countryside and seashore. Will he tell those pupils why Scotland is in a bigger mess since Labour and the Liberals took office four years ago?
I do not think that what the member has said constitutes evidence of Scotland's being in a bigger mess.
The minister is the evidence.
We should take the matter seriously. I have several points to make. We called for the review of the statutory provisions because they are not adequate to deal with the problem at the moment—I think that Christine Grahame would agree with that. The correct way of dealing with the matter is to call for a review. It is not as if we have done nothing. We have sponsored, and still sponsor, the keep Scotland beautiful campaign—we have made £900,000 available to it—and there has been the inception of the local environmental audit and management system, which will specify anti-litter and fly-tipping cleanliness measures for each local authority.
The problem is huge in the Ayr constituency and the minister is aware that the courts and the police cannot devote more time to it. Will he suggest how local authorities should deal with such a Scotland-wide problem? Will he consider issuing guidance following the review and the report that he has commissioned?
As I said to Christine Grahame, we are already pursuing the use of community wardens in some local authorities. Some of those wardens are devoting themselves to wider environmental issues, including litter. We will respond to the report fully, not just in respect of its implications for legislation but in respect of guidance on how local authorities should tackle the problem.
Free Bus Travel Schemes (Abuse)
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any abuse by bus companies of the free local off-peak bus travel scheme for older people. (S1O-6346)
We have received several letters that report alleged cases of incorrect recording of the length of concessionary fare journeys. Any abuse of the travel scheme is a matter of concern and I urge anyone who experiences such behaviour to report the matter to the bus operator and local transport authority concerned.
The minister will be aware that tickets have been issued under the concessionary travel scheme for destinations beyond the destination that is being travelled to—that issue has certainly been drawn to my attention. Will he explain why that has happened? Does it give him grounds for concern?
I am not sure whether I can give an explanation, although explanations occur to me. The situation is certainly a matter of concern. The concessionary fares scheme is an important initiative that we have introduced and I want it to work. We have set mechanisms in place to improve it—we will equalise the age of qualification for men and women, for example—and are working closely with our partners. However, at bottom, the contractual relationship for delivering the scheme lies with the local authorities and the bus companies, which should be the first port of call for any member who has evidence of such behaviour.
Although I accept that some issues remain to be resolved in the local scheme, will the minister comment on his plans to extend it into a national scheme? That would deal with many of the issues that John Scott raised.
The initiative is built on existing services, but it is built to improve. We started with the local scheme and have created a consistent minimum service throughout the country of free off-peak local bus travel. Just after the recess, we passed the Local Government in Scotland Bill, which will introduce age equalisation in April. Over the weekend, I made it clear that any Administration that I have anything to do with after the election will extend the initiative, which will become a national scheme for our older people.
Is the minister aware of complaints from pensioners in the Falkirk area who have been refused free travel to Edinburgh, for example, because FirstBus insists on charging a quarter fare, even for the part of the journey that is within the Falkirk Council area. Will he make appropriate representations to the bus company? It uses the lame excuse that its ticket machines are not yet equipped to issue the necessary through tickets.
If that is the excuse given, it seems to me to be a fairly unfortunate one. If Mr Canavan provides me with some details, I will certainly draw the matter to the attention of the concessionary fares working group. Sylvia Jackson's point that we aspire to a move towards a national scheme is perhaps the important one, as that would resolve some of the problems that have been mentioned.
Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Bill (Consultation)
To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to consult on the draft education (additional support for learning) (Scotland) bill. (S1O-6332)
Copies of the draft bill have been circulated to a wide range of individuals and organisations. Consultation on the draft bill will run until 28 March 2003. A programme of events is planned to encourage responses to the consultation.
I welcome the minister's response and urge her to ensure that parents in particular are made aware of the consultation process. Will she acknowledge the distress that many parents experience because of the difficulty of getting appropriate educational support for children who have many difficulties? I ask her to ensure that the consultation provides the opportunity for those parents' voices to be heard and acted upon.
I reassure Sarah Boyack on that point. I am aware of the difficulties that many parents face in accessing appropriate education for young people who need additional support for learning. The draft bill includes proposals to widen the opportunities for learning support for young people.
I welcome the consultation on the draft bill. I trust that the minister will take great care before making any changes to the record of needs process.
We have made it clear that we will continue the support for the existing grant-aided schools. That decision was taken after a long series of discussions and negotiations and on the basis that those schools provide a service. We expect those schools to continue to provide a service, and not only on a residential basis. We also expect them to work in partnership with local authorities to ensure that there is provision at a local level. We have provided some funding to the Scottish Society for Autism for outreach work, but there are currently no plans to introduce an eighth school into that group.
Violence in Schools
To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to address the issue of violence in schools. (S1O-6302)
There is no place in Scotland's schools for abusive or violent behaviour. We are investing in more staff and better facilities to implement the recommendations of the discipline task group and to ensure that schools and education authorities deal with discipline problems.
Given that the number of reported incidents has risen from 783 in 1999 to 5,400 this year, does the minister accept that the actions that the Executive has taken appear to have made the situation considerably worse? Can she point to the part of the document that she published yesterday with great fanfare that contains anything to make the situation better?
As Mike Russell knows very well, since the collection of the statistics started in 1999, the figure has risen. We have achieved a more robust figure as a result of having more accurate information from schools and various local authorities. I want to ensure that the statistics are accurate, but I also want to make it clear—as I did in my statement yesterday—that we will not tolerate violence and indiscipline in schools. We will continue to implement the discipline task group's recommendations. We have invested in, and will continue to invest in, the resources that are needed to make a difference at the front line—in classrooms.
Will the minister update us on the work of the discipline task group?
The discipline task group made a number of recommendations, which, as I said, we have begun to implement. In view of the statistics, it is important that we continue to update that work, which is why I have decided to recall the group and to consider whether we need additional expertise to review the position. That move will simply bring forward work that we intended to do at the end of the first year or so of the group's operation. I will bring people together to consider what additional measures might be necessary.
I am sure that the minister agrees that teachers should not have to face violence in the classroom. Does she also agree that, taken together, our commitments to reduce class sizes, extend the provision of classroom assistants, give head teachers more say in using funds, improve teacher training and professional development and make better provision for children with special educational needs will help to improve the situation and reduce violence in classrooms?
I am glad that Ian Jenkins recognises that there is not one way only in which to improve discipline in schools. We must continue to work to ensure that each school has a positive ethos, that the right support staff are in place and that school buildings are fit for the 21st century. All of those aspects are important and, in yesterday's statement, I clearly committed to all of them as the way in which to develop education.
National Health Service (Information Services)
To ask the Scottish Executive in what ways new technologies, such as the internet, are improving access to information services for national health service patients. (S1O-6350)
New technologies, including the internet, provide a significant and increasing number of patients with access to an ever-expanding body of information about health care and healthy living.
I draw to the minister's attention an online patient information service in my constituency that allows patients to access information about blood pressure, check their immunisation status and order repeat prescriptions. Does he agree that such access helps patients to make informed choices about their health care? I invite him, or one of his team, to come to Irvine to see at first hand the benefits to patients.
I congratulate the practice to which Irene Oldfather alludes, which is clearly at the cutting edge of information technology development. E-health, as I prefer to call it, is absolutely fundamental to the modernisation of the health service, which is why we give it priority. E-health empowers patients and gives them more control over their care, while creating linkages between patients and general practitioners. There is also a wider e-health agenda: it enables clinicians to relate better to one another and allows a single patient record and more integrated services. E-health can also improve the quality of care because information is essential to auditing and improving quality.
Children in Need (Guidance)
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider issuing updated guidance to local authorities on their responsibilities towards children in need under section 22 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995. (S1O-6342)
We are committed to ensuring better outcomes for children and young people who are vulnerable or at risk. A number of programmes are under way to secure improvements and I will consider whether revised guidance may be required in the light of those programmes.
The minister will be aware that no guidance has been issued since the guidance that accompanied the introduction of the act in 1997. Given the wide definition of children in need and the fact that many young people do not receive appropriate psychiatric services at an early enough age, will she re-examine section 22 to ensure that young people are adequately provided with the services that they need?
I am aware of the interest that Scott Barrie has taken in this issue, especially in relation to the provisions of the Mental Health (Scotland) Bill. We have revised guidance on children's services plans and a number of other issues in relation to the changing children's services fund. However, I accept that, given the amount of legislation and the number of changes that have been made, there is a case for reconsidering that guidance at some stage. I would want to have further discussions within the Executive and with other ministers to determine the best way in which that could be undertaken.
Sector Skills Councils
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Sector Skills Development Agency about establishing sector skills councils in Scotland. (S1O-6318)
The Scottish Executive holds regular discussions with the Sector Skills Development Agency to ensure that the new UK-wide network of sector skills councils is successfully established in Scotland.
As the minister will be aware, funding for national training organisations—the predecessor bodies—will come to an end at the end of March. However, no substantive sector skills councils have yet been established. Will he urge the SSDA to pull its finger out and get the sector skills councils established? Does he agree that, rather than try to set up a business skills unit hub in Scotland when we already have one, the Executive should concentrate on its main job, which is getting the SSCs established?
Some progress has been made. Although he knows this well, Mr Neil does not acknowledge the fact that five trail-blazing SSCs, have been provisionally licensed. One of them—Cogent—is based in Aberdeen, although it is a UK body. We are in constant contact with the SSDA to progress the range of issues and, earlier this month, the Scottish Executive and the SSDA signed a formal protocol. Therefore, he should not worry, as we are working closely to ensure that the transition from NTOs to SSCs will progress and that the momentum will be maintained and accelerated.
Does the minister agree that, if the Sector Skills Development Agency is to be effective and successful, it must work closely with further education colleges in providing training, especially in sectors in which there is a lack of skilled people and where there are large numbers of job vacancies?
There are two important aspects to the SSCs, and we must ensure that, in every case, they are their main characteristics. Mr Raffan is right to say that, first, they must work with all the other providers and stakeholders in their industry to ensure that training is delivered effectively and efficiently. Secondly, the SSCs must be employer led. That is important in establishing the connection between skills training and the labour market.
Does the minister see a real opportunity for the sector skills councils in the tremendous news we heard at lunch time that jobs will be coming to Clydebank and Rosyth? Does he remember the cynical action of the Conservatives on the last day of the previous Conservative Government, when they announced the movement of jobs to the Devonport dockyard, moving all the jobs to Trident—
I do not think the minister is responsible for that.
Does the minister remember the damage caused to people throughout Scotland? I hope that he sees opportunities in today's announcement.
The most important thing about today's announcement is the fact that it shows a clear recognition that the traditional skills that Scotland has provided for so long are still here and have a future, not just this year or next year, but into the decades ahead. The news is very welcome.
Police (Protective Clothing)
To ask the Scottish Executive whether all police officers have access to protective vests and body armour when required. (S1O-6347)
That is an operational matter for chief constables, but I am aware that all Scottish police forces have in place robust processes to protect officers against foreseeable risks.
I thank the Minister for Justice for that reply, but does not he agree that both the public and the police are at risk when the police are spread far too thinly on the ground? Does not he think that it is time for the Executive to give a commitment to increase police numbers greatly in order to increase visibility within neighbourhoods and communities?
I am pleased to be able to say that the Executive has increased police numbers to record levels and is funding the police to record levels. I am sure that taking forward the recommendations of Her Majesty's chief inspector of constabulary's recent report on visibility will help to address that issue. However, Lord James Douglas-Hamilton cannot cover up the fact that the Executive has supported the police more than any previous Administration—certainly more than any Tory Administration.
Aggregates Tax (Road Projects)
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the aggregates tax has had on road projects such as the dualling of the A92 from Dundee to Arbroath. (S1O-6339)
The A92 dualling between Dundee and Arbroath is a local road project and is the responsibility of Angus Council. The council estimates additional costs due to aggregates tax of £3.75 million, compared with a total cost overrun of £20 million.
Does the minister accept that previous answers on the aggregates tax have claimed that it should be revenue neutral, but that that can be the case only when it is considered within the overall Government budget? Does he also accept that if the tax is to be revenue neutral, the Executive must address the costs to minimise their impact on important projects such as the A92 dualling?
Alex Johnstone will be aware that the aggregates tax is the responsibility not of this Administration but of the United Kingdom Government. The UK Government, in the light of its responsibility, has undertaken a review of the impact of the aggregates tax. Its impact on any road contract will depend on the materials and constructions used, and the way in which the contract is rolled out. I do not think that there is a single, straightforward percentage impact on road projects. The issue depends on how quickly the roads construction industry responds to the purpose of the aggregates tax, which is to increase the use of recycled aggregates and other environmentally less damaging materials.
Emergency Fire Cover
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the position on the use of military service personnel for emergency fire cover has changed in the light of current circumstances and what discussions the Executive has had, and what agreements have been reached, in respect of guaranteeing that requisite numbers of servicemen will be available. (S1O-6305)
The contingency arrangements for emergency fire cover provided by the armed forces remain the same as for previous strikes. The number of armed forces personnel involved also remains the same. Any proposed changes in numbers would be the subject of discussions between the Executive and the Ministry of Defence.
Is the minister aware that 25 per cent of our armed services have been committed to the gulf? Is he aware that almost 20 per cent of the armed forces have been set aside for fire service involvement, which, in effect, knocks out 20 per cent of our navy as well? Has the minister detected any concerns at all among his colleagues south of the border about sustaining the present effort, given the huge pressure that is building up on the armed services?
The Deputy First Minister and I met the responsible chief of the armed forces for Scotland this morning. He indicated that they plan to continue providing cover at the same level, if required.
Does the minister agree that it would be better if the servicemen did not have to be utilised in that way, and that the strike could and should be settled through genuine negotiations? Given the hostile and contradictory Executive statement yesterday, will the minister tell members what the Executive is doing to reach a fair and just settlement with the firefighters?
I agree that negotiations are the way to resolve the dispute and I hope that, even at this stage, the Fire Brigades Union will call off the proposed next round of strike action. Such action is not just putting strain on the armed forces; it is putting communities across Scotland and the UK at risk. Yesterday, the Deputy First Minister made clear the Scottish Executive's position. We have also made it clear that the negotiations are a matter for the FBU and the employers. We want those negotiations to come to a successful conclusion.
Does the minister not accept that many hundreds of thousands of Scots are appalled at the use of the armed forces as a tool to help to break an independent trade union—the Fire Brigades Union? Does he not agree that public safety is the number 1 issue and that it would be far better for the Executive to use its influence to persuade the Government in Westminster to back off and free the employers and the FBU to negotiate a just settlement? That would have been done months ago but for the interference of the Westminster Government.
I think that hundreds of thousands of Scots would prefer that the armed forces did not have to be used in these circumstances. It is regrettable that, in order to provide vital safety cover and protect lives and property, the armed forces are being used. I argue that people across the UK would be appalled if there were no one to cover for striking FBU members. The armed forces are absolutely essential to protect safety across the country. Without them, there would be many fatalities and situations of crisis. It would be absurd if there were no cover to protect our communities when the FBU walked out.
We come to question number 11. I call Tommy Sheridan.
I think that the problem, Presiding Officer—
Please ask your question, Mr Sheridan.
I will, but I want to point out that the issue as regards the firefighters is that, if John Prescott had not stopped being prepared to make deals, we would not need the Army. [Interruption.]
Ask the question.
I am about to do that.
If you do not want to ask your question, I will move on, Mr Sheridan.
I am sorry, Presiding Officer, but it appears that someone has opened the gate to the crèche.
Direct Grant Support (Glasgow)
To ask the Scottish Executive how much more direct grant support Glasgow City Council would receive if it received the average mainland increase in direct grant expenditure in 2003-04, 2004-05 and
Glasgow receives the highest grant per head of any mainland council in Scotland. That is because the Executive takes account of the city's deprivation, its metropolitan role and the need to protect the council from the impact of the city's declining population. Indeed, if Glasgow were to receive the average mainland grant per head, it would get around £210 million less grant each year.
I do not know whether the minister is being deliberately deceitful; I think that he understood the question.
I will confirm that Tommy Sheridan opposed the investment of £1.6 billion in the public sector in Glasgow, which created 3,000 jobs; that he opposed the £700,000 health investment in Glasgow; and that he opposed the investment in Glasgow's schools. When he talks about answering questions appropriately, perhaps he should consider using less rhetoric and have more care for the city.
Is the minister saying that George Black is lying?
Tommy Sheridan should stop talking the city down. The city's economy has grown more in the past three years than it has done in a generation, and there are 20,000 more people employed in the city than there were three years ago. That is a result of the Scottish Executive working in partnership with Glasgow and other agencies to make the city a success, not a result of Tommy Sheridan endlessly talking the city down.
I hope that I can bring some calm to the situation, Presiding Officer.
The Executive puts a cost floor into the calculations for payment to local authorities to protect those authorities, such as Glasgow, whose population is falling while that of other authorities rises.
Will the minister advise what the effect on the resources available to Glasgow City Council would be if its collection rate for council tax achieved the Scottish average?
I am unaware of the precise figure. I will correspond with the member on the matter.
NHS 24
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact NHS 24 has had on primary and secondary health care in areas in which it has been rolled out. (S1O-6301)
NHS 24 is central to our drive to modernise the way in which we provide care to patients. It delivers direct access to high-quality advice on symptoms from experienced nurses to a consistent national standard. By so doing, it should empower patient self-care and help to reduce the demand on hard-pressed front-line national health service staff.
I thank the minister for his reply, such as it was. Is he aware that, since NHS 24 was rolled out in Grampian, there has been no reduction in the number of people who turn up for general practice appointments the day after they call? Is he also aware that there has been a major impact on local hospital services? Formerly, 80 per cent of patients were admitted during the day and 20 per cent at night. Now, 60 per cent are admitted during the night and only 40 per cent during the day, which leads to major changes on medical rotas and has a big impact on out-patient clinic waiting times. Will the minister tell us whether he plans to review the operation of NHS 24 and whether the impact is likely to be the same elsewhere?
Two weeks ago, Brian Adam said that people in the public services do not perform well when they are continually attacked. I hope that he agrees with that. He also said that he did not think that we need to be overly concerned about poor performance in the public services and that we should not be overly concerned about the quality of staff. I do not know what Brian Adam is saying this afternoon, but I will do my best to respond.
Will the minister tell us how many nurses have returned to the NHS because of the greater flexibility afforded to staff in NHS 24? What progress is the Executive making on introducing more flexible working for nurses throughout the NHS?
Mrs Smith has raised one of the critical issues that faces the Scottish health service, which is how to engage in a more flexible use of staff, particularly nursing staff. We want to work in partnership with NHS 24 and other major health care providers to ensure flexibility in how people are utilised throughout the system.
Does the minister agree that the careful introduction of NHS 24 to Scotland, which has been much slower than in England, has been done to ensure that it is integrated effectively with the out-of-hours service? Will he also indicate whether he intends to implement NHS 24 for accident and emergency as well? We know from a number of studies that the inappropriate use of accident and emergency is still quite high.
I assure Dr Simpson that we are committed to addressing the complex issue of people presenting themselves at A and E units when more appropriate settings could be utilised. We have that under review and await the outcome before we consider how such provision can be delivered in future. If Dr Simpson has any valuable advice from his professional background, I would be happy to receive it.
Strategic Rail Authority (Meetings)
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met the Strategic Rail Authority and what matters were discussed. (S1O-6312)
The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the Strategic Rail Authority on a wide range of issues.
The minister will be aware that the Strategic Rail Authority published its strategic plan today. It appears to confirm that the SRA's cunning plan for our railways is to improve punctuality by not running trains; to reduce journey times by not stopping at stations; and to reduce overcrowding by making trains too expensive to use.
It is important to recognise that the SRA's strategic plan is very much about getting a grip on the costs of rail projects and injecting some realism into plans for the railway throughout Britain. It is very disappointing that some Virgin CrossCountry services will now stop at Edinburgh instead of going further north.
Is the minister as confident as he was that Waverley station will be redeveloped? In October, he told me that the redevelopment of the station was one of the Executive's top priorities. He said that he saw no reason why it should not proceed by 2008. Today, a spokesperson for the SRA stated:
Of course. The comments on what the SRA's strategic plan says about Waverley are extremely unfortunate. The plan states:
Given the fact that Scotland paid its share for rail projects south of the border, including the rail links to Stansted airport and to the channel tunnel, why is there no commitment from the Strategic Rail Authority to fund in full air links to our cities' airports and the redevelopment of Waverley station, which are equally important to our economy? Which new projects will the Strategic Rail Authority fund in full, and when will those be delivered?
Mr MacAskill gets to the nub of the issue but completely fails to understand the importance of it. The SRA's strategic plan recognises that the redevelopment of Waverley station is a strategic priority for the UK rail network. Therefore, the SRA will work with us in delivering it. That is why the SRA is in the lead in the redevelopment of Waverley and why I expect it to work with us to deliver that. The alternative would be for us to deliver the station's redevelopment from Scottish resources, which would not recognise the fact that the rest of the UK should contribute to the development of Waverley, just as we contribute to the strategic rail network.
Question 14 is withdrawn.
Further and Higher Education <br />(Disabled Access)
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to improve access to further and higher education for people with disabilities. (S1O-6329)
Improving access to further and higher education is a key priority. We have drawn the funding councils' attention to the importance of ensuring that the institutions comply with the new duties under the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 to ensure that disabled people are not disadvantaged in accessing further and higher education. We have provided the funding councils with additional funding to assist further education colleges and higher education institutions towards compliance.
What staff training has been put in place to enable staff to support students?
The most significant staff training that has been put in place in further education is the Beattie resources for inclusiveness in technology and education centre, which is located at Stevenson College in my constituency but provides a service to every college in the FE sector. Every college is now signed up to the BRITE scheme and has sent staff to the BRITE centre. When they return to their institutions, those members of staff cascade the training that they have received in the methods and technology that are available for working with students with disabilities.
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Clyde (Regeneration)