SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
Safety Review (A9)
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to carry out a safety review of the A9 south of Perth. (S1O-5247)
We have recently received the findings of a safety review of the A9 between Perth and Stirling and further work will be undertaken on the basis of that study.
The minister will be aware of the concerns of residents of Auchterarder and Blackford about the safety of the junctions that serve those communities. Can the minister assure us that those junctions will be upgraded before any further housing development takes place in those areas?
I can confirm that we are examining proposals for upgrading junctions at Auchterarder and Blackford to accommodate developments that are proposed or which are at the planning stage. We expect the developers in those cases to meet the majority of the costs involved in such roadworks.
I listened to the minister's reply with interest. He will be aware that one of the big issues in a constituency such as mine is access for slow-moving traffic joining roads such as the A9. That is also a huge problem on the A90. I want to raise an issue on which I have corresponded with the minister, which is the Middlebank to Inchmichael link road. Many people want that road, including the local roads department, the police and the National Farmers Union of Scotland. I think that the minister's department accepts in principle that the road would be a good thing, even if it does not translate that into practice. Can the minister give any hope to my constituents about the future of that proposal? Will he agree at least to meet them, rather than simply suggest that they meet the local project director?
I suggest that Roseanna Cunningham's constituents, whom she has represented in correspondence with me, should take up the offer of a meeting with local officials. Following that meeting, I would welcome any further representations that she wishes to make. We have committed significant funds to creating grade-separated junctions on that stretch of the A90—that is the priority to improve road safety on that stretch of road. We will consider how to augment the proposals in order further to improve road safety.
Social Inclusion
To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to work with communities in order to promote social inclusion. (S1O-5259)
We are investing more than £192 million in social inclusion partnerships to regenerate our most needy communities. Communities Scotland has been established to support our regeneration approach and to address the most persistent problems of disadvantaged communities.
Does the minister agree that a key strategy of social inclusion is to make communities involved in more meaningful consultation? Does she agree that some communities, including the one that I represent, are concerned that consultation is sometimes tokenistic? Can she assure me that community groups will be involved in decision-making processes, not just in one-off consultations?
I would be extremely concerned if our approach was viewed as tokenistic. I am committed to ensuring that our approaches are not cosmetic. Consultation with communities and their participation and engagement with us is deep-seated because we understand that real solutions lie within that process. It can help us to understand the key issues that surround service delivery and it can help us to solve the problem of how to develop new patterns of service delivery.
Will the minister explain how she can hope to deliver social inclusion when the budgets for social inclusion partnerships have been underspent by a total of £9.6 million over the past two years, including over £1 million in the minister's constituency? Will the minister guarantee that that underspend will, in addition to this year's budget, be used for deprived communities and not recycled for ministerial announcements elsewhere?
Linda Fabiani betrays a depressing superficiality of approach, which has been pointed out to her in the past. When we work with community organisations we often see that, as projects are developed and resources are spent, we have to go at their pace. Sometimes that does not fit in with the budget lines that the Scottish Executive has developed.
Further to Miss Fabiani's question, is the minister thinking of providing an evaluation of the effectiveness of social inclusion partnerships?
I thought that it was a matter of public knowledge that we have a rigorous monitoring and evaluation process for social inclusion partnerships. I look at those monitoring reports regularly and understand each and every issue—perhaps that is an exaggeration; modesty forbids me from saying that. I should say that I understand the key issues. I take seriously the monitoring and evaluation of SIPs. I acknowledge that some have failed and, in response to that, we must ensure that we address those issues. The forthcoming community regeneration statement will outline how we intend to do that.
Does the Executive seriously believe that social inclusion will be enhanced by sending more young offenders and their parents to prison? Instead of copying David Blunkett's right-wing reactionary agenda, will the Scottish Executive take steps to end the national scandal of Scotland having one of the highest under-21 prison populations in the world?
Mr Canavan is being slightly opportunistic in asking me that question. He knows that that question should properly be addressed to other ministers.
General Practitioner Contracts
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the new general practitioner contracts currently under negotiation at United Kingdom level could allow GPs to opt out of providing out-of-hours cover in Scotland and to what extent it is involved in the negotiations. (S1O-5278)
The negotiations are being taken forward by the NHS Confederation on behalf of the four health departments in the UK and the UK general practitioners committee. The contractual framework has been agreed by the two sides and the four UK health ministers have agreed to the principles on which it is based.
I thank the minister for his answer. I would like to make the minister aware of deep concerns in my constituency. At a meeting with the lead GP last week, he said that he believes that if the proposal is not managed well, the impact on rural Scotland might be that GP services would break down if the opt-out clause was enacted in full.
Let us hear a question.
He also said that he believed that there would be difficulties in recruiting GPs. Can the minister assure me that those concerns will be taken into consideration and examined closely before any final agreements are reached?
I assure George Lyon that there is no question of the scenario that he outlined taking place. Everyone is agreed that there have to be special arrangements in remote and rural areas. Indeed, no opt-outs will take place anywhere until alternative arrangements are in place. Notwithstanding that, there has been a wide welcome for the proposed new contract in terms of its emphasis on quality and outcomes, its increased focus on primary care teams, and the reduction in bureaucracy that it will bring about. Of course, it will feature in the white paper to which the First Minister referred this morning.
Does the minister agree that the roll-out of NHS 24 will provide a comprehensive out-of-hours service, thereby reducing the level of intervention that is required by GPs in providing out-of-hours services? Will he undertake to ensure that account is taken of that in the current negotiations?
I paid a visit to NHS 24 here in Aberdeen yesterday and I was pleased to hear how the GPs in Grampian have very much welcomed, even in these early days, the effect of NHS 24. It is in its first month, but already it is having a beneficial effect on their patients and on their work loads. As NHS 24 is rolled out into the Highlands and other remote and rural areas, it will be of considerable help to GPs in dealing with some of the problems that George Lyon highlighted.
The minister should be aware that at a recent presentation by GPs to MSPs it was brought to our attention that a substantial number of GPs are aged 50 and over. The same is true of practice nurses. What is the minister doing to address the fact that there might be problems with shortfalls not far down the line?
In the near future, we will receive the report from Professor John Temple, the president of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, on medical work force planning. That is part of the much wider work on work force planning that we are doing, and which will feature in the debate at 3.30 pm. I assure Christine Grahame that having the right number of doctors, including GPs, is at the centre of that agenda.
Health Improvement
To ask the Scottish Executive what further measures are being taken to improve health and tackle cancer and heart disease. (S1O-5297)
The Executive is taking forward a wide range of measures to address determinants of health. As a result, fewer people are dying from coronary heart disease, cancer and stroke, which are Scotland's biggest killers.
Does the minister share my view that it is unacceptable that my constituents in Glasgow Springburn suffer from lung cancer at a rate that is 93 per cent above the Scottish average? What specific action has been taken in Glasgow Springburn to deal with that issue?
I recognise that throughout Scotland there are health outcome differentials. The Executive is seeking to tackle those. Greater Glasgow NHS Board is receiving £12 million between 2000 and 2004 from the health improvement fund, which will be targeted at areas such as heart disease and cancer and at examination of ways in which we can improve the situation.
Is the minister aware of the problem that was raised this morning at the north-east Scotland cancer co-ordinating and advisory group conference of the 30 per cent vacancy rate for therapy radiographers? Only 24 therapy radiographers are trained every year, most of whom are lured abroad, so what will the minister do to address that serious problem?
Nobody could be unaware of the problem with regard to radiographers, and we are seeking to tackle it. As my colleague Malcolm Chisholm said in answer to a previous question, the work force planning group is examining issues across a range of skills to try to bring people into professions such as radiography. I recognise that that will not happen overnight, because training takes so long, but we need to plan for the future, which is what we are doing.
Question 5 is withdrawn.
Waste Incinerator (Aberdeen)
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the proposal to build a waste incinerator in Aberdeen. (S1O-5250)
In view of Scottish ministers' possible future involvement in the planning application, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on the proposal at this stage. However, as environment minister, I am concerned that the draft area waste plan for the north-east of Scotland proposes early development of new energy-from-waste capacity, whereas most other plans propose to put the emphasis on recycling and composting. I have made it clear that I do not want a rush to burn waste as an early alternative to landfill. I will therefore examine carefully the north-east proposals and seek further explanation of them.
I thank the minister for his clear reply. I will ask him to clarify the Executive's policies further. The minister said that incineration might not fit in with the north-east area waste plan. Would it be eligible for strategic waste funding? Does the Executive have an opinion on how incinerators can ever be classed as part of a best practicable environmental option—a BPEO?
I will, because of the reasons that I gave in my first answer, deal with the principle behind Robin Harper's first question. If a proposal that sought grant from the strategic waste fund did not meet the criteria that we have set, that would call into question whether we could grant-aid it. A bit of a carrot-and-stick approach is taken to ensure that people comply with the best practicable environmental option.
In the light of what the minister said, is he in principle for or against incineration as part of a waste disposal strategy?
I have made my view clear. We will not allow mixed-waste incineration. We will permit waste incineration only when energy can be extracted from it and we will not favour it in the hierarchy of the waste strategy. Its appropriateness will depend on cost, distance and the topography of the land that is involved. A range of factors are involved. Transporting waste vast distances is not the best practicable environmental option.
In relation to emissions from incineration or landfill sites, will the minister, in developing his waste strategy, bring forward the work that his team is undertaking to tighten, ahead of 2010, the PM10 standards that regulate particulate matter and air quality?
Yes. We are keen to do so.
Schools (Deferred Entry)
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact of deferred entry to schools on local authority education budgets. (S1O-5292)
The Executive has not yet made any assessment, as the extended entitlement to pre-school provision in respect of deferred entry came into effect only at the beginning of the 2001-02 school year. The first children who were eligible were those who reached the age of four in January or February 2002. They will begin their deferred year in August 2002.
Is the minister aware that, in Aberdeen, deferred entry has had a 15 per cent uptake and that the impact on the local education budget will be a shortfall of £300,000 to £400,000? The national target is a 9 per cent uptake, which will be compensated for, but that suggests that Aberdeen City Council will have to make cuts in its education provision or the Executive will have to make up the shortfall. Which will it be?
When the deferrals working group examined the resources that would be reintegrated into the 2002-03 settlement for pre-school education, the total funding was £137 million. Aberdeen City Council's share of that amounted to more than £4.8 million, which is a 42 per cent increase in the level of pre-school education funding that was claimed in 2001-02. I have discussed the matter with the council and the local constituency MSPs.
Is the minister aware of recent research in Aberdeen that shows that, although overall attainment in primary 1 to primary 3 is increasing, a gap in attainment is widening between children from well-off areas and those from less well-off areas? Obtaining nursery education for children from less well-off areas and allowing them to stay in nursery education to mature a bit more is vital to our objectives of social inclusion. I ask the minister to examine that issue in relation to deferred places.
The points that Elaine Thomson made demonstrate exactly why we gave parents the option of keeping their children in the pre-school sector for another year if that is of benefit to their children. The member will be pleased to hear that, when I met with representatives of the local authority yesterday, they gave me some facts and figures on the subject.
I wonder why the Executive is only now waking up to the problem when the Conservatives identified it at the time of the 1999 elections. Could the reason be that we have had three ministers with responsibility for education in the past three years?
I remind the member that it was this Executive—a Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition—that introduced proposals to ensure that every three and four-year-old has a pre-school place. I am particularly pleased about that. I am delighted that we have delivered on that manifesto commitment.
Criminal Justice (Social Work Services)
To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to improve the provision of criminal justice social work services. (S1O-5267)
We are building on the progress that has already been made both in modernising the structural arrangements for the delivery of the service and in improving the range and quality of community disposals. That is supported by a 50 per cent cash increase in funding over the three years to 2003-04.
The minister will be aware that, in March 2000, the Scottish Prison Service decided to invite tenders for the provision of social work in four of its prisons. Can the minister explain why the independent evaluation of the tendering process, which was due to be published in the middle of December last year, has been delayed on at least four occasions? The evaluation will not now be published until June this year. Does the minister agree with the Association of Directors of Social Work in Scotland that more effective criminal justice social work could be provided in our prisons if funding was given directly to the local authorities, instead of to the prison service?
The SPS was trying to introduce a new measure in order to get the best quality social work for the prison system. When such new measures are introduced, it is important to remember that we must examine them closely. The evaluation of that new pilot is with my officials and I expect it to be published in the near future. It is important that we consider the evaluation carefully before we develop the proposal in any way. It is vital that social work in the community and in the prison service work to the same sort of standards. We are moving strongly in that direction.
The minister will be aware of the huge improvement in criminal justice social work services since the introduction of national standards and 100 per cent funding in 1990. Give that success, is the minister able to say whether he favours a similar approach being taken to the social work that is undertaken with young offenders who have supervision requirements under the children's hearing system? Will he pursue that matter with the Minister for Education and Young People?
It is important that the justice system is integrated and that it works to the same standards for young people and adults. The division between the two is sometimes false. It is important to apply even standards in our programmes to treat offending behaviour and in the evaluation of those programmes. I will take up discussions with my colleague and with the education department.
Will the minister consider the appointment of a person and a small high-powered team to bring together all the non-custodial sentence activities that are run by the state, as mentioned by Scott Barrie, and by the voluntary sector? At present, that is an inchoate area. We need a non-prison service to match the prison service. Will the minister consider that proposal?
The matter is not about matching the prison service, but about matching resources appropriately in order to treat offending behaviour. Prison should be used only when public safety is an issue. It is important to treat offenders across the board.
Does the minister agree that, although community service penalties work very well in some areas, there is a lack of discipline and enforcement of such penalties in far too many other areas? If he does agree, will he consider how he might deal with that situation?
Mr Gallie has a point—[Interruption.]
Order. It does happen.
As I said, Mr Gallie has a point—albeit a small one.
National Health Service
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to rebuild the infrastructure of the NHS. (S1O-5288)
Investment in NHS Scotland continues to increase through public and private sector investment. Because of that approach, we now have the largest ever hospital-building programme in the history of NHS Scotland.
I am particularly pleased that the minister mentioned the Executive's commitment to the hospital-building programme. Does he agree that the people of south Glasgow deserve better than the renovation of a Victorian hospital such as the Southern general hospital to provide the only acute in-patient facility south of the Clyde?
It would be inappropriate for the ministerial health team to comment in detail until we receive Greater Glasgow NHS Board's submission. However, we want to find out whether the building programmes that are proposed in the acute services review have the Glasgow people's consent, whether they will deliver hospital provision that is fit for this century, rather than last century, and whether they will produce a hospital that patients and staff feel makes a difference for them. Those discussions will take place over the next period. However, we will deliberate on the issue and we will listen to the views of Janis Hughes and other members from the south side of Glasgow.
I am delighted that we are discussing proposals to improve the infrastructure of our national health service. What consideration is being given to the provision of modern general practitioner surgeries and visiting consultant facilities in Scotland's remote rural areas?
As we have made clear in previous debates, we are developing primary care support throughout Scotland. In fact, this very week, I visited the new million-pound Saltoun surgery in Fraserburgh, which will also identify ways in which we can address issues such as diabetes. We have implemented a range of strategies throughout Scotland, and will be introducing a fairly advanced programme of GP surgery development over the next few years.
Is the minister aware that out-patient waiting times in Grampian, which have been published today, show a 40 per cent increase in waiting times since Labour was elected to power in 1999? The figure has risen from 67 days to 71 days. Furthermore, the percentage of cases that are seen within the nine-week target has fallen to 45 per cent. Does he agree that we are never going to improve the NHS infrastructure in Grampian as long as Grampian NHS Board, which carries out 10 per cent of NHS activity in Scotland, receives only 9 per cent of Scottish funding?
I have said on a number of occasions that we have committed ourselves to equity in health service delivery and investment throughout Scotland. The Arbuthnott report, which was very serious, thoughtful and considered, identified ways in which we should take such an approach in this country. I have met representatives of Grampian NHS Board and we have put in place a strategy to address its deficit over the next few years.
Teacher Induction Scheme
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the introduction of the new teacher induction scheme. (S1O-5268)
From the Conservative benches—which I am unaccustomed to—I am pleased to confirm that, after much hard work, the new teacher induction scheme will be introduced, on target, in August.
As the deputy minister is fully aware, there is considerable concern among Stirling University education students that when they enter the teaching profession in January 2003 they may not be able to join the teacher induction scheme, unlike other education students, who will join the scheme in autumn 2002. Does the minister agree that, if that is the case, Stirling education students are being discriminated against? What steps is he taking to ensure that January 2003 entrants will be able to join the teacher induction scheme?
It is true that the only guarantee in relation to the teacher induction scheme is for those joining the scheme at the start of the school year in August. The current scheme will be introduced in August this year, and the plan is that the scheme will start in August in subsequent years for all students. However, as the problem has been drawn to our attention by local MSPs and others, we have examined the issue, as has the teacher induction group. Although there has been no change to the guarantee, there have been discussions with several local authorities that have indicated a willingness to take on student teachers as probationers earlier in the year. We would encourage that, we are pleased that those discussions are taking place and we hope that there is a satisfactory outcome for the students involved.
The minister is clearly enjoying not only our policies but our benches as well. Up to 100 students at Stirling University who will graduate as school teachers will not be included in the scheme for probationers. Why was that group forgotten about? What is being done? Will the deadlines that the minister set be delivered on? Local authorities are making it clear that those deadlines are not yet being met.
In relation to the overall working of the scheme and the deadlines that have been set, all primary probationers have now been notified of the local authority for which they will be working during their probationary year. All of them have been offered one of their top five choices, with three quarters offered their first-choice authority. It has been more difficult with the secondary probationers because of the range of subjects involved and the choices that the students have put forward. However, the Executive and the General Teaching Council for Scotland are on target to notify all secondary probationers of their training posts in early June.
Careers Guidance
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in implementing an all-age careers guidance service throughout Scotland. (S1O-5275)
Careers Scotland was established on 1 April this year.
I welcome the initiative, as I believe that the introduction of an all-age guidance service is long overdue. However, in the light of the alignment of the service with Scottish Enterprise and the understandable drive to meet national standards, will the minister assure me that local flexibility and innovation in the service will not be lost?
I am happy to give Marilyn Livingstone that assurance. The purpose of establishing Careers Scotland was to produce a nationally consistent careers service for all ages, but some 220 members serve on local advisory boards. In many instances, the service will be delivered through locally negotiated service agreements. That should ensure appropriate and effective local delivery of the service within the national framework.
What will the total spend on the new careers service be this year and what will it be next year?
This year, it will be £33 million, compared with £23 million at the time of the establishment of the Parliament, which represents an increase of some 40 per cent over three years.
The minister will be aware from the extensive evidence to the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee that careers advice in schools is vital. Will he undertake to work with the Minister for Education and Young People to ensure that there is such provision, not just through Careers Scotland, but through careers teachers in schools?
Co-operation between the careers service and schools is key and I will discuss that issue with my colleague, but the locally negotiated service agreements are more important. They will ensure that careers advice is delivered in schools and give head teachers in particular a named contact at Careers Scotland and a say in how the service is delivered most appropriately for their pupils.
Listed Buildings
To ask the Scottish Executive what action will be taken to ensure that payments in respect of insurance claims following damage to listed buildings are used to pay for the restoration work. (S1O-5296)
I am aware of the member's concerns, which arise from a case in Aberdeen that resulted in a fatal accident and considerable destruction to the city centre. However, transactions between an insurer and the party insured are not the responsibility of Government.
I am glad that the minister is aware of the building at 41 Union Street, Aberdeen, which is causing the partial closure of Union Street. The building was listed and suffered a fire. There was major damage and the building was left unrepaired for years while the owners pocketed the insurance money. Despite Aberdeen City Council's attempts to make the owners carry out repairs, they were not done. I ask the Scottish Executive to consider what can be done to give more power to local authorities to ensure that that will not happen with other listed buildings.
Elaine Thomson and Lewis Macdonald brought the matter to my attention. As I was in the city, I took a stroll down Union Street to have a look at the building. I share the concern of the member and Aberdeen City Council that it has taken more than three years since the fire for repairs to the building to commence. It might be helpful if I briefly run through the powers that exist. [Members: "No."] I could be brief about the powers under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997, but if the member wishes to write to ask me to investigate the particular case in greater detail, I would be happy to do so.
I am grateful to the member.
Does the minister agree that the recent unlawful and deliberate destruction of Lanrick Castle, which was a listed building in central Scotland, was an appalling act of vandalism? Will she undertake to look at the implications of that case and ensure that unscrupulous owners cannot wilfully destroy Scotland's built heritage in the future?
Yes. I am sorry that I was not allowed to go through the various provisions that are available to local authorities. I share the member's concerns about the matter, which is being dealt with in the courts, as she will be aware. A number of powers are available to Scottish ministers and local authorities, but sometimes there are cost problems in using those powers. I am aware that costs can sometimes deter local authorities from taking action.
Lifeline Air Services
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will reconsider its policy on the provision of financial support for lifeline air services to islands in the light of evidence set out in the comparative study of public service obligations in Europe by Cranfield University. (S1O-5261)
The future use of public service obligations in Scotland will be addressed in the forthcoming Scottish air transport consultation document, on which the Executive will seek detailed views.
I thank the minister for his reply and welcome the commitment to consider public service obligations as part of that study. Will he confirm the record level of spending given to Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd by the Scottish Executive but note that only £9.39 of the price of an air ticket relates to landing charges? In respect of the cost of flying between Aberdeen and Shetland, a £300 ticket is not greatly reduced by having lower landing charges. Will he undertake to visit my constituency and meet local people, businesses and public sector organisations to consider how best to take into account such factors in reviewing the consultation when it takes place?
Tavish Scott is right. Support from the Executive for Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd has trebled in the past five years and now stands at a record level of more than £21 million. As he says, the support that that provides to landing charges means that they account for a very small part of air fares within the Highlands and Islands. As part of our air transport consultation, we will seek detailed views on the possibilities of extending public service obligations. We will hold two major conferences—one in the north of Scotland and one in the south—and a number of further events on specific topics. I expect Shetland and other areas to bid to host some of those events in the course of the consultation during the summer.
Given the importance of air links to our island communities, the fact that almost all, if not all, the PSOs in the UK are within Scotland and the fact that we have a Scottish Parliament, a Scottish transport minister and a Scottish transport department, why are PSOs dealt with by a London department rather than by the Scottish Executive? Is that evidence of the superior talents of the UK department or the incompetence of the Scottish Executive?
Unfortunately, Mr MacAskill does not understand that that is evidence of the fact that PSOs require to be negotiated within a European context. Therefore the United Kingdom, as the member state, is involved in the process.
Fishing (Seine Net)
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage seine net fishing. (S1O-5257)
We are not specifically encouraging seine net fishing, nor are we discouraging it. The science shows that it has no particular conservation benefit and it is therefore essentially a commercial judgment for the fishermen concerned.
Is the minister aware that a significant minority of skippers believe that seine net fishing has significant environmental advantages and delivers better quality fish? Will he consider supporting the training necessary to bring more skippers into the seine net fishing industry?
I do not wish to be disrespectful to the views of that minority, but I repeat that recent trials have been inconclusive about whether the use of seine nets makes any difference when the same cod end is used. Therefore, the environmental benefit has not been proven. The case for seine nets can be argued in terms of quality, because of the swifter nature of the catch, but the trials to date do not prove conclusively the range of environmental benefits that some fishermen have posited. It is essentially a commercial matter for the fishermen concerned.
I agree with Stewart Stevenson that seine netting is a good form of fishing. It is nice to hear him talking about something sane for a change.
That point is already taken into account. I assure Jamie McGrigor that in the trials that took place increased mesh sizes were fully taken into consideration. As I said, no significant difference was shown in the preliminary trials when the same cod end was used. The trials are continuing. There is no evidence to prove the benefits to which Jamie McGrigor and Stewart Stevenson refer.
Has the minister taken into account in his calculations the great damage that can be done to the sea bed by some of the more modern methods of trawling?
Yes. Those methods are taken into consideration and are under constant review. To produce sustainable fisheries, we must consider the methodology and the way in which nets are deployed.
Voluntary Sector
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any benefits from direct grant investment in the voluntary sector. (S1O-5298)
Yes. We recognise the importance of the voluntary sector to Scottish society and to the economy. We believe that voluntary sector and community groups are in close touch with many parts of Scottish society and are well placed to identify and respond to changing needs. The sector is uniquely placed to tackle many of the challenging targets set by the Executive and it is already a major provider and innovator in housing, child care and community care. Direct funding of the voluntary sector is crucial to enable that work to continue.
Will the minister acknowledge that a key concern is the immense pressure on the voluntary sector to reinvent the wheel to secure funding? Does he agree that our funding strategy should not only encourage innovation but build on existing success? Will he confirm that the Scottish Executive will lead by example in its funding approaches so that, instead of spending time using their ingenuity to convince potential funders that their work is new, voluntary organisations can display in action that they carry out effective work in our local communities?
The Executive believes that encouraging innovation is essential. We want to examine and reward new methods of service delivery. Johann Lamont makes the valid point that we should not encourage the voluntary sector to rebadge or redefine work that has already been done to gain the label of innovation. A balance must be struck between encouraging new methods of service delivery and rewarding and sustaining the good-quality delivery that makes a contribution to communities throughout Scotland.
How much of the £3 million that the Executive has invested in money advice is likely to end up with voluntary sector groups such as Citizens Advice Scotland? Does the Executive intend to move towards a system of universally available independent advice throughout Scotland?
There are different ways of providing money advice throughout the country; the provision is not systematic. In some communities, the voluntary sector takes the lead, while in others the local authority takes the lead. We believe, to our encouragement, that local authorities will engage with the voluntary sector and other organisations to ensure that good-quality comprehensive money advice is available. We have made it clear to those who disburse the money that we want quality assurance and service-level agreements. We want any money that is spent to be additional to the money that has been provided. We want the best-quality advice to be delivered to those who need it, but we will not tolerate the indiscriminate spending of the £3 million without regard to the quality of the service.
NHS Foundation Trusts
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to create national health service foundation trusts. (S1O-5285)
There are no plans to create NHS foundation trusts in Scotland.
That is not a surprise. Given that the success of such hospitals is based on achieving high performance-assessment targets, better patient outcomes, value for money and good financial management, will the minister consider allowing Scottish hospitals the freedom to manage their affairs for the benefit of patients?
I am sure that Mary Scanlon realises that foundation trusts do not exist in England, although there is a proposal to develop them. We believe in empowering front-line staff, but we also believe in more integrated single-system working. Our priorities are to bridge the gap between primary and acute care and to develop primary care services. It is not consistent with those priorities to have more independent acute hospitals that do their own thing.
Does the minister accept that the establishment of foundation trusts would, of necessity, lead to the reintroduction of the purchaser/provider split, thereby paving the way for the reintroduction of the internal market? Will he assure me that the Labour-led Executive, which abolished the hated internal market, will never reintroduce it into the national health service?
Members will have noticed that David McLetchie tried to suggest this morning that we are reintroducing the internal market in the form of general practitioner fundholding. He would not take an intervention because he knew that that is not true. Of course, we would like to have more services in primary care and we wish to empower primary care teams. However, we do not want to recreate the internal market with all its bureaucracy. Therefore, we will certainly not go down that route.
Ambulances (Angus)
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to review the provision of ambulances in Angus. (S1O-5287)
The provision of ambulance services in Angus, as in the rest of Scotland, is the subject of on-going review by the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Is the minister aware of concern among Angus GPs about the one-hour ambulance requests from patients and their fears that crews and vehicles are simply insufficient? Given the continuing knock-on effects of the closure of acute services at Stracathro hospital, will she ensure that the ambulance service in Angus has the resources to allow it to provide the service that it wants to give?
I am aware that one GP has raised concerns about ambulance response times and is arranging a meeting with the general manager of Angus NHS Trust to discuss the matter. However, I am also aware that improvements have been made to the ambulance service, including the provision of seven additional, front-line emergency ambulance staff. All ambulance stations in Angus now operate cover 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A paramedic-led thrombolytic service has also been introduced and the service is being supported to improve its service on a daily basis.
Fines (Non-payment)
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take to reduce the number of people admitted to prisons for non-payment of fines. (S1O-5282)
The Executive is of the view that imprisonment for fine default should be a last resort. We are actively promoting the use of supervised attendance orders by the courts as an alternative to fines and will consider carefully any recommendations on fine default that emerge from the current review of summary justice.
Does the minister agree that the custodial sentences for non-payment are derisory, that supervised attendance orders are ineffective and that the only way to ensure payment and reduce the risk of imprisonment is to authorise direct deductions from pay or benefits? Will he approach the appropriate UK departments accordingly?
The answers to the first two parts of Bill Aitken's question are no and no. The custodial orders and their alternatives are working extremely well and are used highly effectively by many courts. Nonetheless, I refer to my answer to an earlier question, which was that we need to consider whether certain people are able to carry out community service orders. There are some problems with SAOs, and we will address those in the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill.
Prison sentences for fine default impact particularly on women and their children and are in effect a punishment for poverty. What measures is the Executive taking to reduce substantially the number of women who are received into, for example, Cornton Vale prison and to ensure that no one is imprisoned for fine default?
I do not have the figures for today, but yesterday there were no women prisoners in Cornton Vale prison for fine default. That is to be welcomed by all members. However, the last annual report showed that there were some 500 to 600 fine receptions into Cornton Vale, although they were for very short periods. The disruption that is caused by such receptions is unacceptable. The report "A Better Way" has set the Executive the challenging target of halving that number over the next few years. Through a number of measures, we will seek to achieve that reasonable objective.
Question 19 has been withdrawn.
Public Appointments
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken in order to encourage a wider range of candidates to come forward for public appointments. (S1O-5291)
There is no doubt that we are still not attracting enough women, people from ethnic communities or people with disabilities to serve on non-departmental public bodies. I am committed to tackling that. The boards of NDPBs should reflect the social and cultural mix in Scotland. The creation of a Scottish commissioner for public appointments, with specific responsibility for promoting diversity, should be a great step forward.
I welcome the appointment of the commissioner and share the minister's view that that will make a significant difference. The Executive is making progress in appointing more women and more ethnic minority and disabled people to truly reflect Scottish society, but progress is slower than expected. What further positive measures can be taken? For example, there is targeting that recognises in particular the contribution that people can bring from life experience.
I share Jackie Baillie's view on targeting. The Executive will ensure that we target more appropriately. One of the best ways of increasing awareness is the work shadow initiative, which allows people to understand fully what is involved in being part of public bodies. That is why I have launched today an Executive initiative that is designed to encourage a more diverse range of people to come forward for public appointments. I have written to 60 organisations seeking their involvement and assistance in enabling people to work shadow those serving on our public bodies, which will allow the shadows to get an understanding of the role that is played by people on public bodies. We intend to have at least 100 shadows by the end of the process.
Older People
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking in order to increase physical activity among older people. (S1O-5266)
Older people are encouraged and supported to be physically active through programmes operating at both national and local levels. Across Scotland, NHS boards and local authorities provide wide-ranging opportunities for older people to take part in health-enhancing physical activity, tailored to the specific needs of the individual.
Is the minister aware of the view of the physical activity task force that approximately half of all falls among older people are caused by the lack of sufficient activity and balanced exercise? Will he increase that sort of activity for older people, as it brings about major benefits for their health and independence?
I welcome Robert Brown's contribution on this issue. The task force will report in June with a series of recommendations. The key issue is how we will address those recommendations. We will need to provide increased activity for the elderly and a variety of activities that includes interesting and powerful pursuits for those who want them.
In view of the fact that people are living much longer—and looking much younger, I may say—I suggest that more vigorous forms of exercise be introduced, such as dancing or things of that nature.
John, are you asking?
No cheers, thank you, Presiding Officer.
Two offers in the one day is not bad for me. If we had all had physical education teachers as glamorous as Margo MacDonald, perhaps we would have taken more interest in PE. [Members: "Sook!"] On the serious content of Margo MacDonald's contribution, a range of strategies should be adopted. Someone from a teaching background, such as Margo MacDonald, knows that there are different ways of identifying starting activities for people. I recommend that we take that point on board. I am sure that the task force's recommendations will identify the fact that the issue is not specifically about those who want active sports lifestyles and that there are many ways in which people can have active lifestyles.
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