SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
Question 1 has been withdrawn.
Higher Education (Funding)
To ask the Scottish Executive whether each student attending a higher education establishment will have a £700 funding shortfall, as identified by Universities Scotland, during every year of study once its bursary proposals have been implemented. (S1O-4560)
Under the new student support arrangements, students from the lowest income families in Scotland will have more than £4,300 to live on, of which £2,000 will be in the form of a bursary. That will provide those students with 20 per cent more money for living expenses than they would have had before the Executive acted.
Does the minister with responsibility for student finance—among other things—recognise the problem that Universities Scotland has identified, which is that there is a significant shortfall in student funding? Does she recognise that the shortfall in students' personal finance is a direct consequence of the Labour Government's policies? If she does not recognise that, will she do something to deal with the personal and financial despair that faces many students in Scotland?
Dear me, Andrew Wilson has some difficulty in keeping up. I will clarify the figures. I understand that Universities Scotland has spoken to Andrew Wilson about outdated figures.
Is the minister aware of the Scottish students' rights charter, which was launched by the National Union of Students Scotland and which highlights concerns about barriers to study and citizens' rights? Does the minister plan to meet representatives of NUS Scotland? Will she consider monitoring levels of student debt to ensure that it is not a barrier to the economy or to higher education?
The member makes two important points. I am well aware of the campaign on student debt, which is in many ways legitimate. That is why the Executive has changed the system. When students graduate from a four-year course, they will have £4,000 less debt than they would have had before we acted. The student debt problem is real, but under the proposals for which we have legislated, students will have £4,000 less debt.
Alcohol Misuse
To ask the Scottish Executive what its funding arrangements were for tackling alcohol misuse before the publication of its "Plan for Action on alcohol problems" and what new money is being made available. (S1O-4583)
The Executive has made £1.84 million available through central budgets in this financial year to support local and national action to tackle alcohol problems. In addition, the Health Education Board for Scotland's alcohol-specific budget for this year is £490,000. Services that address alcohol problems are funded from resources that are allocated to national health service boards and local authorities. The Executive has made an additional £1.5 million available following the publication of the "Plan for Action on alcohol problems" for a national alcohol problems communication strategy.
The minister's reply is welcome, because it shows that increased support is being given to tackling alcohol problems. It is notorious that alcohol issues are given less financial support than drug issues. Will the minister assure me that, because alcohol problems impact on many areas of life, money to help tackle them will come from a wide range of budgets?
I am more than happy to reassure Mr Gorrie that the Executive is totally committed to financing programmes to address problems with alcohol misuse. I accept that we are not spending as much on alcohol issues as we are on drug issues; however, we are at an earlier stage. I intend to use the alcohol plan to develop programmes locally and nationally to deal with those problems specifically.
I refer the minister to the latest round of funding cuts, which now run to £6 million, by Scottish Borders Council. I draw the minister's attention to the Dry Dock in Eyemouth, a project that is aimed at reducing the problems that arise from alcohol misuse; for example, the project provides an alcohol-free bar for young people to socialise in. What will the minister do to prevent the closure of that project?
As the member knows, that is a matter for the local authority. However, the action plan on alcohol takes into consideration several submissions from local authorities and health boards. We will seek to address local problems through those.
Will the minister tell us what effect the police's right to confiscate alcohol from young abusers has, and whether that is an area on which we should spend more money?
One of the targets announced in the action plan addresses underage drinking. The police have powers to remove alcohol from those who are under the age of 18; it is important that the police use the powers that they have.
Teachers' Pay
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on negotiations to implement the McCrone agreement for teachers' pay in relation to education professions, including advisers and educational psychologists. (S1O-4555)
The pay and conditions of service for educational advisers and psychologists are currently under review by the Scottish negotiating committee for teachers. The SNCT has a psychologists and advisers working group, which is investigating the detail of the issue. The group expects to make recommendations to the full SNCT meeting at the end of February.
Does the minister recognise that his answer will be a disappointment for educational psychologists—such as constituents of mine who have contacted me on the issue—who are concerned that the matter is being delayed even further, almost a year after the McCrone settlement was reached? Those people do not know on what scales they will be paid, or when they will receive the pay increase that they are still due for 2001.
It is important that we reach conclusion on those issues as soon as possible. However, it is also important to point out that those groups were not part of the original McCrone agreement, and that the McCrone agreement was not final in relation to all issues—indeed, in many ways it was a starting point.
I declare an interest as an associate member of the Library Association. That will no doubt alert the minister to the fact that I want to ask when the Executive will make recommendations about pay and conditions for school librarians. After all, school librarians are education professionals at the heart of learning and teaching in our schools and are intrinsic to the delivery of the information and communication technology skills that are so necessary—
Order. I am sorry, but we cannot have speeches in support of questions.
The McCrone agreement and the pay award for teachers affect several groups. It is important to emphasise that such issues are coming to the fore because the new pay award for teachers and the terms and conditions that became available through the McCrone agreement are exceptionally good. Several other groups are anxious to get similar treatment. However, the issues are complex and relate not only to pay. The teachers made some important concessions and significant progress was made in relation to their conditions. It may not be as straightforward for other groups to make similar proposals.
The minister will be aware that mature entrants to the teaching profession stand to lose up to £10,000 because of the McCrone deal. Will the minister assure those students that they will receive the benefit of the pay deal that they thought they had signed up to when they decided to enter the teaching profession?
One of the main reasons for postponing the meeting of the SNCT from today to the end of January—
The end of February.
I am sorry—the SNCT meeting has been put back to the end of February and not the end of January, which is today. We want to draw together the strands that relate to educational psychologists, advisers, mature students and others. We are aware of complaints, which have been discussed in the chamber on several occasions, about the concerns of the mature students. Despite the uncertainty that the delay creates, it is important to take a little more time to get the right solution that looks after the interests of our mature students.
National Health Service (Staff Safety)
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines are issued to NHS boards and trusts concerning the treatment of violent, abusive or drunken patients by doctors and nurses. (S1O-4526)
Guidance on tackling violence against general practitioners and their staff was issued on 17 December to NHS boards and primary care trusts. The guidance sets out a model local development scheme, which ensures that medical services continue to be available to patients who have been violent. Health at work guidance is currently in preparation and will include a model policy for NHS Scotland concerning refusal of treatment in certain circumstances to patients who are violent towards staff.
I hope that the minister's answer will reassure doctors, nurses and ancillary staff in accident and emergency departments. One nurse in my constituency, after serving for five years in an accident and emergency department, is about to leave the NHS because she is not prepared to return for another weekend. We all accept the need for zero tolerance in the context of domestic abuse, but the same should apply in the case of violent abuse of accident and emergency staff.
Ask a question.
Question.
I am about to ask the question. Will the minister consider using the system that is used down south, in which a yellow or red card is placed in the patient's case notes? If the patient returns for further treatment, police are called after the patient has been treated.
We would consider anything that helps to give greater protection to staff. In addition to the guidance to GPs, regulations that were issued in July 2000 set out practice governing patients where there is a removal because of violence against staff. Anything that can help to protect the security and safety of staff will be given due consideration.
The minister says that he is prepared to listen. I am glad of that. Is he aware of the situation that has been going on for two years regarding staff safety at the Glasgow royal infirmary? A petition has been lodged on the subject with the Parliament's Public Petitions Committee. Staff had discussions with management—[Members: "Speech."] It is not a speech—I began by asking whether the minister was aware of the situation.
Specific incidents are the responsibility of local management and of the trust and should be dealt with appropriately at that level. Our responsibility is to set out a framework within which the trusts can operate. That is what we are attempting to do.
It has been reported that, south of the border, Alan Milburn favours a zero-tolerance approach to those who assault or abuse NHS staff or ambulance staff. If that is the case, are members of the Scottish Parliament willing—is the minister willing—to adopt a similar zero-tolerance approach?
That question was answered in my reply to Trish Godman. Other factors need to be considered. The General Medical Council guidance tells doctors:
Scottish Transport Group Pension Schemes
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent communication it has had with the trustees of the Scottish Transport Group pension schemes about the wind-up of the pension schemes. (S1O-4554)
My officials are in regular contact with the directors of the Scottish Transport Group, including contact on progress with the wind-up of the pension schemes. The most recent such meeting was yesterday.
In view of the concern that the offer to the pensioners amounts to only about 40 per cent of the gross surplus and the fact that, about a decade after privatisation, not a single penny has yet been paid out, why are ministers obstinately refusing to meet MSPs and representatives of the pensioners? Why are the trustees following suit? Who do those people think they are? Are they not accountable to the Scottish Parliament? Will the Executive tell those bandits to hand over the money, even if it takes another threatening telephone call from the dreaded Wendy?
I am disappointed, given Mr Canavan's long engagement with the campaign, that he appears not to be aware of one or two key points.
Having been a supporter from the beginning of the campaign group representing the ex-employees of the Scottish Transport Group, I must say that the on-going delays beggar belief. When will the minister answer the many questions that were raised at the New St Andrews House meeting that he mentioned, including the request for a meeting between the minister and the campaign group? Will the minister pressurise the trustees to talk to the campaign group and to finalise their deliberations?
The Executive shares the impatience of members and those who have been involved in the campaign, including Sylvia Jackson, that matters should be drawn to a conclusion as quickly as possible. We will respond to the questions that were raised at that meeting as soon as we can and invite any further representations the member wishes to make in the light of the answers to those questions.
Further to the minister's answer to Mr Canavan, will he confirm that it was not the trustees but the First Minister, Mr McConnell, when he was Minister for Finance, who struck the deal whereby 60 per cent of the gross surplus of the pension funds is being paid not to the workers but to the Government—£100 million to the Inland Revenue and £46 million to the Treasury? How does Lewis Macdonald, as a Labour minister, justify a Labour Government taking £150 million from a workers' pension fund? When John Prescott described that as pillage, was he wrong?
Given that Fergus Ewing was in the chamber when we debated the subject in late November, it is very disappointing that he appears to have missed entirely the point that legal ownership of the fund lies entirely with HM Government. What the Scottish Executive achieved in negotiation was a substantial handover of funds, which belong in law to HM Treasury, to the Executive for dispersal to members of the pension schemes. If the member had listened on 28 November, he would have heard the Executive say that a further £18 million had been obtained and will also be dispersed to members of the pension schemes.
I restate the urgency of the matter. Many pensioners who have waited years for the settlement are unlikely to live for long enough to receive the benefits of that settlement if we do not get a solution on the table. Will the minister give us an assurance about that? We need to know when the distribution of the money will take place and on what basis the money will be distributed. Those are the two key questions that my constituents want answers to.
The criteria for distribution have been discussed and agreed with the Transport and General Workers Union, which represented the vast majority of the pensioners when they were in employment. The criteria were also explained at the meeting on 17 December at New St Andrews House.
Scottish Audit of Gastric and<br />Oesophageal Cancer
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to receive the Scottish audit of gastric and oesophageal cancer and when it will be published. (S1O-4542)
We expect to receive the final report by March 2002. Plans are in preparation for its dissemination to NHS Scotland immediately thereafter.
Following his meeting last summer with doctors and patients, the minister will be aware of the serious concern that exists about the lack of a coherent strategy for providing upper gastrointestinal services in Glasgow. Given that there have been few signs of progress since then, will the minister assure us that, in his consideration of proposals for the future of acute services in Glasgow, he will consider carefully the provision of upper gastrointestinal services on a single site? Will he also assure us that, in the development of the cancer strategy, upper gastrointestinal services will be regarded as an urgent priority?
The cancer strategy that was published by the Executive last year indicated that there would be a review of upper gastrointestinal surgery following the audit. As I indicated, the audit will be published in March. It will then be up to the NHS boards in the west of Scotland and the regional cancer advisory group to reorganise services for that important area of surgery.
The minister will no doubt be aware that, although there are more deaths from upper gastrointestinal cancer than from breast cancer, it is an illness that gets very little publicity. What plans does the Scottish Executive have to develop an education campaign so that people become more aware of the problem and seek earlier intervention, which can save lives?
There are many developments that will be helpful, including developments in endoscopy, which is important in diagnosing upper gastrointestinal cancer. There is a lot of interest in that area and research is being done. There are also new developments in adenocarcinoma, which is becoming more common. Many people have a keen interest in those developments; I, and other members of the Executive, certainly have. It is very important that networks are developed as soon as possible after the publication of the audit so that those serious illnesses can be dealt with in the best and most appropriate way.
Before I call question 8, I warn members not to stray on to reserved matters.
Consignia (Meetings)
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met representatives from Consignia to discuss the impact of possible post office closures. (S1O-4549)
Consignia post offices and postal services are reserved matters. The Scottish Executive recognises the importance of the availability of postal services across Scotland and is regular contact with Consignia on a range of issues.
Will the minister give a commitment here and now to participate fully in the roll-out of the Government gateway project, otherwise known as "Your Guide", if and when the project is given the go-ahead by the Department of Trade and Industry? As the minister will be aware, such initiatives will provide vital new income streams to replace revenue that is lost from across-the-counter benefits transactions.
The Scottish Executive and the UK Government are committed to high-quality, universal postal services and a dynamic post office that can thrive in a world of technological change and increased competitive pressures. At the end of next month, the pilot will come to a conclusion and there will be discussions between officials in Andy Kerr's department, the DTI and Consignia on rolling out the project throughout Scotland.
Does the minister agree with the general point that competition is often not the best way to ensure that equitable and effective or efficient public services are delivered throughout the country? We should recognise and respect that legislative and regulatory powers for the matters under discussion lie with Westminster, but will the minister give an assurance that he will liaise closely with the Secretary of State for Scotland and his UK counterparts to ensure that services, particularly in rural and poorer communities—which are of particular concern to Scotland—are protected in the light of today's announcement by the regulator?
The announcement to which the member refers is the publication of a Postcomm document at a minute past midnight. I can give the assurance that the Executive and the UK Government are determined to deliver the best possible services to post office customers and that we will work towards that with the UK Government. The Scottish Executive recognises the importance of the post office network to rural communities in particular. The matter is reserved, but the Scottish Executive will ensure that the Postcomm consultation takes full account of rural communities' needs.
Unemployment will not be a reserved matter when it hits and postal workers are looking for answers. I ask the minister to treat the matter as the worst crisis in the post office in modern times. Does the minister accept that the Royal Mail has been in difficulties only since it was privatised and that more privatisation is not the answer in Scotland? Will the minister give an assurance that he will investigate the moving of international mail from Glasgow to Berkshire and of the Glasgow parcels office in Springburn to Coventry? The Scots wages office and orders for uniforms and cleaning materials have already been hijacked by Swindon, Sheffield and Leeds.
Order. I said that the question was limited to the impact of possible post office closures in Scotland—that is the narrow scope of the question.
I have seen press reports that have quoted 8,000 post office closures in the UK, but the UK Government and the Scottish Executive do not recognise those figures. I assure the Parliament that there will be no repeat of the Tory years in which 3,500 post offices were closed throughout the country.
sportscotland (Meetings)
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will next meet sportscotland and what issues will be discussed. (S1O-4569)
I met the board of sportscotland informally on Monday 29 January and we discussed a number of sporting matters that are of interest to the Executive and sportscotland. My colleague Mike Watson will meet the chairman and the chief executive on Monday 4 February. They will discuss sport 21, the national sport strategy for Scotland.
I thank the minister for her answer. I hope that, in discussing that strategy, Mike Watson will raise the issue of playing fields. Recently, I attended an under-13 Scottish cup tie at Barrhead and was disappointed to discover that ballots were still being held for teams to gain access to play on grass football pitches. Will the minister give an assurance that initiatives will be discussed to ensure that Scottish children have access to grass football pitches throughout Scotland?
I reassure the member that the planning provision is against the presumption of development on school playing fields. A case would need to be made that suitable alternative sites were available for football pitches if playing fields were to be developed.
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I wonder whether Mr Monteith will clarify whether he said Barrhead and whether he was referring to the brand-new grass pitches that were put in and paid for by the council and the Scottish Sports Council.
That is definitely not a point of order.
Will the minister assure us that when she, or Mike Watson, next meets sportscotland, she will ensure that the issue of low participation of young women in sport will be addressed in the next review of sport 21?
I assure the member that I will continue to take a strong interest in the participation of young women in physical activity. That participation might be in sport, or it might be in activities such as dance. I was interested to see recently that 88 per cent of equestrians in Scotland are women. Like Rhona Brankin, I am anxious to promote physical activity among girls and young women.
When the ministers next meet sportscotland, will they be prepared to raise the issue of establishing football supporters' trusts in Scotland? The minister will be aware of the increasing development of such trusts in England and Wales, which the Government has provided with financial support. Here in Scotland, no financial support has been provided for the establishment of such trusts.
I am happy to reassure the member that both Mike Watson and I are keen supporters of football supporters' trusts. We have had a number of discussions about how those trusts might be progressed and I advise the member that an announcement on the matter will be made very soon.
Rare Birds (Poisoning)
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to stop the illegal poisoning of rare birds. (S1O-4540)
The Scottish Executive is committed through its operation of the wildlife incident investigation scheme to investigating the misuse and abuse of pesticides. Where poisoning has been confirmed, my department's agricultural staff conduct field investigations in close co-operation with the police.
Is the minister aware that recent research by RSPB Scotland showed an alarming rise in the poisoning of red kites in 2001, some of which happened in my area? Does he agree that the introduction of tougher wildlife laws would act as a deterrent and help to stop such incidents in the future? Will he commit himself to publishing a draft bill on the subject as soon as possible?
The Scottish Agricultural Science Agency has reported that since 1989, of the 51 red kites submitted for analysis under the incident investigation scheme that I referred to, 24 were confirmed to have been poisoned. It is worrying that 10 of those were poisoned in 2001.
I think that the minister is aware that the project to reintroduce the red kite to Galloway has been hit severely by the poisoning of many of those magnificent birds.
As soon as possible means as soon as possible. It is fairly self-evident.
Nutritional Deficiency
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to remedy the nutritional deficiency recorded by National Children's Homes Scotland in one child in six examined at the royal hospital for sick children in Edinburgh. (S1O-4568)
The Scottish Executive is committed to improving the diet of all children as part of giving every child the best possible start in life. Implementation of the Scottish diet action plan is being given added momentum at national and local level to improve the diet of Scottish children throughout their childhood years.
Does the minister agree that a great deal of money has been spent on health education programmes to persuade people of the merits of eating fresh fruit and vegetables, for example, but that, according to the National Children's Homes Scotland survey, those programmes do not appear to have had much impact? Does she think that it might be a good idea to ensure that every child has a free school meal every day and that, if the Scottish Executive cannot find the £174 million that that would require, we should consider raising the money through the limited tax-raising powers of the Parliament?
The member is concentrating on only one way of dealing with nutritional deficiency in our children. Several projects are going on at the moment, including breakfast clubs, the provision of fruit and vegetables in schools and the health improvement fund that provides fruit and salad bars in schools. A number of things are being done to improve young children's nutrition.
Does the minister agree that, if children are encouraged to have a healthy diet, their quality of life, health and length of life are likely to be enormously enhanced, especially if that good practice is continued? Will she give the maximum support to the Health Education Board for Scotland in that context?
I agree that food is very important in determining the health that people will enjoy in later life. It is therefore important that young people pick up good eating habits at an early age.
Accident and Emergency Departments (Specialist Nurses)
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in the use of specialist nurses in accident and emergency departments. (S1O-4575)
We are making progress on several fronts. In July 2000, we announced £6 million of ring-fenced funding for training an additional 210 specialist nurses. Of those 210 nurses, 40 were specialist nurses in accident and emergency departments. There are now four programmes in Scotland that prepare nurses for the emergency nurse practitioner role.
Does the minister agree that Aberdeen royal infirmary has been proactive in modernising and redesigning the way in which NHS services are delivered? That has been shown in the recent introduction of dedicated emergency nurse practitioners, a role that is proving extremely popular and successful and is enabling significant reductions in waiting times. Does he agree that further development of specialist nurses is urgently required and is an essential part of the modernisation that is required in the NHS?
I agree with Elaine Thomson that redesigning services is crucial and empowers front-line staff to organise and deliver those services. That is a vital part of our decentralising agenda for health, although we are quite happy to be centralisers when it comes to ensuring that there are national standards and that money is available. The initiative to which Elaine Thomson referred is important. I am determined to value and empower nurses further in the coming year as a way of improving care for patients.
Does the minister agree that the decision of Greater Glasgow Primary Care NHS Trust to cut the number of accident and emergency departments in the city from five to two is seriously misguided? Will he subject that decision to the closest possible scrutiny when the proposals reach him for approval?
Nicola Sturgeon will know that, at the moment, that is a matter for the Greater Glasgow Health Board. She ought also to know that the board is still considering the relative merits of having two or three accident and emergency departments. The proposals will, of course, eventually come to me and I can assure her that I will consider them from the point of view of best care for patients. I think that everybody accepts that change was necessary, but, ultimately, what matters is that the best possible services are available to the people of Glasgow.
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