General Questions Scottish Parliament


General Questions

Similar Content

Browse content similar to General Questions. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!

Transcript


LineFromTo

I am very impressed by the club to the approach by the councils and

:00:17.:01:24.

they have chosen to be a pathfinder for the regional partnerships

:01:25.:01:29.

drowned. We have continued to invest in Ayrshire and last month, North

:01:30.:01:34.

Ayrshire was selected for one of the two pilots that will benefit the

:01:35.:01:43.

growth deal aspirations. We recently met with the Secretary of State for

:01:44.:01:49.

business energy and raised a meeting between the secretary to establish

:01:50.:01:54.

how the growth deal fitted in with the industrial strategy framework.

:01:55.:02:01.

The timeline starts by initially aligning local Godman and private

:02:02.:02:07.

enterprise finding that can -- going to commitment from the Government.

:02:08.:02:15.

This will be an ongoing project, process as many projects, online.

:02:16.:02:20.

Can the Minister told Parliament if they have done this? I would say to

:02:21.:02:28.

the member that the process that would follow is whereby we take the

:02:29.:02:35.

proposals from the local councils and their partners and we analyse

:02:36.:02:39.

those and see which ones are best susceptible to support which will

:02:40.:02:43.

generate economic growth. The councils are aware of that process.

:02:44.:02:49.

They made that point clear and have said that what we would like to see

:02:50.:02:53.

is the UK Government having moved away from the city deal model, once

:02:54.:03:00.

all the cities in Scotland have been through that process, to talk about

:03:01.:03:08.

the industrial strategy. If that is the case, it is much better that we

:03:09.:03:13.

were together on that to maximise the benefit. We have asked for the

:03:14.:03:17.

UK Government to be part of the Ayrshire growth deal. They refuse to

:03:18.:03:23.

do that but it is possible that through the industrial strategy we

:03:24.:03:31.

could work together. We will in the meantime process the proposals with

:03:32.:03:36.

the growth job partners. I submitted a motion for members business on the

:03:37.:03:44.

growth deal, nonpartisan. The UK Government has displayed a

:03:45.:03:47.

encouraging attitude and expressed an interest in it so far. She then

:03:48.:03:55.

wrote to ask all in on MPs to lobby the chance to back the deal. Does

:03:56.:04:05.

the Cabinet Secretary agree it is disappointing that not a single Tory

:04:06.:04:11.

or opposition MPs supported a debate in this chamber and nor did the

:04:12.:04:14.

Chancellor even mention it in his budget speech. Let alone allocate a

:04:15.:04:23.

single penny of the money required to generate and stimulate the

:04:24.:04:26.

lasting economic growth that Escher needs? What I can say is I have

:04:27.:04:33.

expressed my desire to take forward discussions with the UK Government

:04:34.:04:37.

to support this deal. I have done that both in writing and face to

:04:38.:04:42.

face and it is unfortunate we have not have that explicit support from

:04:43.:04:46.

the UK Government to the growth deal itself. I am still hopeful that we

:04:47.:04:54.

can have some involvement by the UK Government including possibly

:04:55.:04:57.

financial assistance to some of the ambitions of the growth deal. We

:04:58.:05:03.

wrote to the Chancellor to asking to join us and partake discussions but

:05:04.:05:06.

the UK Government failed to make that commitment. I have recently

:05:07.:05:17.

discussed support for the Ayrshires. I will continue to push the UK

:05:18.:05:27.

Government on this matter. How is the Scottish Government supporting

:05:28.:05:32.

local authorities to providing welfare and advice? Local

:05:33.:05:34.

authorities have duties to fulfil in the provision of advice support in a

:05:35.:05:41.

number of areas. The Government will spend 21 million on advice related

:05:42.:05:49.

projects in 2017-18. Of this, 660,000 will be provided to local

:05:50.:05:54.

authorities to provide support, advice provision for people affected

:05:55.:05:58.

by debt and the UK Government's cuts. The Scottish Government has

:05:59.:06:05.

provided some 6.85 million to citizens advice Scotland for the

:06:06.:06:09.

provision of welfare advice across its network of 61 blue rose.

:06:10.:06:15.

Additionally we estimate that about 5.6 million of funding for local

:06:16.:06:19.

authority financial inclusion of related projects will be provided

:06:20.:06:25.

between April 20 15th and June 20 19th through the European social

:06:26.:06:29.

fund to support people affected by poverty and social isolation. In

:06:30.:06:35.

2017-18 we are providing local government with a funding package of

:06:36.:06:41.

10 billion and many councils are utilising this to both fulfil a

:06:42.:06:45.

range of statutory duties to provide advice and additional welfare

:06:46.:06:52.

support. Like the Minister I oppose Tory welfare cuts but it appears the

:06:53.:06:55.

Scottish Government is happy to court agreements, formant anger and

:06:56.:07:01.

waved flags and get on with the job of governing. We know that the

:07:02.:07:06.

Government's recent benefits update campaign lasted a week and had a

:07:07.:07:12.

budget of just ?6,000. I know the Minister has shamefully decided to

:07:13.:07:18.

cut ?600,000 of funding to welfare support and advice services in grass

:07:19.:07:22.

go alone. A decision the Tories would be proud of. How can the

:07:23.:07:26.

Minister justified the shameful attack on the most honourable in our

:07:27.:07:34.

communities? -- vulnerable. I think we knew that one was coming. It is a

:07:35.:07:41.

matter of some regret. If members would not shout at me but let me

:07:42.:07:46.

speak it is a matter of some regret the political point scoring yet

:07:47.:07:50.

again is the form front of Labour's mind rather than looking at the

:07:51.:07:54.

detail of what this Government is doing to support individuals across

:07:55.:07:59.

Scotland are facing the damaging austerity cuts imposed by the UK

:08:00.:08:05.

Government. Misinformation and misrepresentation of the fax service

:08:06.:08:10.

our constituents poorly and I countenance Labour to think about

:08:11.:08:14.

that matter. Would we have done is prioritise our use of the available

:08:15.:08:20.

funding to those areas most in need, including those most affected by the

:08:21.:08:24.

roll-out of universal credit and it is wrong to suggest that this

:08:25.:08:30.

Government is not funding advice and support services in Glasgow because

:08:31.:08:36.

we are as they are across constituencies in Scotland, and

:08:37.:08:39.

finally can I say if the member had done me the courtesy of listening to

:08:40.:08:44.

what I said previously in this chamber about the benefit take-up

:08:45.:08:49.

campaign, he would understand that along the Citizens Advice Bureau we

:08:50.:08:54.

jointly agreed on that first stage and that more of that work will come

:08:55.:08:58.

forward over the next four years. Can I say a great deal more than

:08:59.:09:02.

Labour ever did when they were the Scottish Government.

:09:03.:09:08.

Question three. Thank you. To ask the Scottish Government what

:09:09.:09:17.

benefits the Glasgow city deal will bring to Motherwell and Wishaw. The

:09:18.:09:23.

Scottish Government is a Phil Parker in the Glasgow city deal which is in

:09:24.:09:28.

its delivery stage and is contributing to 500 million over 20

:09:29.:09:31.

years and the ?1.13 billion Glasgow city region deal infrastructure

:09:32.:09:35.

fund. The deal and powers Glasgow and the city region partners

:09:36.:09:37.

including North Lanarkshire Council to identify and manage and deliver a

:09:38.:09:42.

programme of investment in infrastructure. The corner punisher

:09:43.:09:49.

projects have been identified, accounting for a total capital

:09:50.:09:53.

investment of around ?170 million. These projects include potential

:09:54.:09:57.

investment in roads and the structure to improve access, and to

:09:58.:10:02.

improve road and pedestrian links in the town centre. The Ravenscraig

:10:03.:10:09.

site in my constituency has been a national priority since 2013. Can I

:10:10.:10:14.

have the assurance of the Cabinet secretary that when capital is being

:10:15.:10:21.

considered a cross portfolio areas that the unique opportunities that

:10:22.:10:25.

this site has in relation to infrastructure and central belt

:10:26.:10:29.

location and land be considered to ensure for the regeneration of the

:10:30.:10:34.

site can be achieved. To the great to the member that in relation to

:10:35.:10:37.

the Glasgow city region deal it is up to the partners to prioritise

:10:38.:10:41.

projects, which are being supported by both ourselves and the UK

:10:42.:10:44.

Government but the Scottish Government is committed to working

:10:45.:10:47.

with North Berkshire Council and other parties on options for the

:10:48.:10:52.

father redevelopment of the Ravenscraig site. Over ?45 million

:10:53.:10:57.

has been invested to date to deliver a first phase of development. Market

:10:58.:11:00.

conditions have rendered impossible to deliver the proposed phase two of

:11:01.:11:05.

the Ravenscraig Ltd master plan. That is why in August 2016 Scottish

:11:06.:11:09.

enterprise approved a contribution of up to ?415,000 to part fund the

:11:10.:11:14.

development of a new master plan that will enable Ravenscraig Ltd to

:11:15.:11:21.

create a new master plan that is due in late an early summer. There have

:11:22.:11:28.

been cross-party concerns over some of the projects in the Glasgow city

:11:29.:11:33.

deal, both schemes in particular have been plucked off dusty shelves,

:11:34.:11:38.

having when the sometimes the decades, dusted off and thrown into

:11:39.:11:42.

the mix on the back of business cases which frankly don't stack up.

:11:43.:11:47.

The link road in North Lanarkshire and Stewart Field Way any skilled

:11:48.:11:51.

rider just to for which there is little to no justification. Claire

:11:52.:11:55.

Adamson is right to point out that Ravenscraig would be a useful any

:11:56.:11:59.

other city the money to be spent in as far as I can see there's nothing

:12:00.:12:02.

going on there. Such are the concerns of the local government and

:12:03.:12:05.

communities committee that will be doing at an enquiry into city deal

:12:06.:12:09.

so does the Minister agree with me that the Glasgow city deal should be

:12:10.:12:13.

rough rest in order to deliver the economic growth across the region? I

:12:14.:12:23.

would not want certainly to roll out a fresher look at these things but I

:12:24.:12:27.

point to the fact that the basis of the city deal includes an assurance

:12:28.:12:30.

framework that the UK and Scottish Government have signed up to. If

:12:31.:12:33.

that is dissatisfaction terms the dues framework and the member might

:12:34.:12:38.

want to take it with the UK Government to they share the

:12:39.:12:42.

dissatisfaction. I have not had that feedback as things stand but it is

:12:43.:12:46.

the case that perhaps the new local authority elections will provide us

:12:47.:12:48.

with the opportunity to look afresh at these things. As to whether

:12:49.:12:52.

projects were taken off dusty shelves, the projects were put

:12:53.:12:57.

forward by local authorities and we agreed to support them. They chose

:12:58.:12:59.

the priorities and we have backed them up. To ask the Scottish

:13:00.:13:05.

Government how many women in Scotland have been implanted with

:13:06.:13:13.

transfer journal mesh since 2007. 13,006 and 65 women in Scotland have

:13:14.:13:20.

been implanted since 2007. The Minister will be aware of the

:13:21.:13:24.

devastation felt by Scottish mesh of survivors who feel that the review

:13:25.:13:30.

into the use of mesh was a whitewash. The government is

:13:31.:13:33.

confident it is not a whitewash when will they bring forward the debate

:13:34.:13:36.

on this very important issue to the women and men of Scotland? As Neil

:13:37.:13:48.

Findlay knows, the chamber had the opportunity to question the Cabinet

:13:49.:13:53.

Secretary when she came with the statement to Parliament on the 30th

:13:54.:13:57.

of March, the Cabinet Secretary is also due to appear in front of the

:13:58.:14:04.

petitions committee and I think once that has taken its course if the

:14:05.:14:09.

debate is required then her ministers are happy to agree. To ask

:14:10.:14:17.

the Scottish Government what action has been taken to preserve green

:14:18.:14:23.

spaces. Scottish planning policy requires local development plans to

:14:24.:14:30.

identify and protect open spaces that have been identified as a

:14:31.:14:36.

valued and functional. We aim to significantly enhance green

:14:37.:14:38.

networks, particularly in and around our towns and cities. I thank the

:14:39.:14:44.

Minister for that reply and in my own constituency of Glasgow Kelvin,

:14:45.:14:52.

North Kelvin Meadows was saved after the community came together to

:14:53.:14:54.

oppose the planning application from the development subsequently called

:14:55.:14:59.

in by the Scottish Government. In the Cabinet Secretary advised by the

:15:00.:15:03.

Scottish Government can offer in further support to save green spaces

:15:04.:15:11.

such as Kelvin and others on how the support is communicated to the focal

:15:12.:15:16.

communities? In other satellite has been a keen campaigner on the issue

:15:17.:15:25.

of North Kelvin Meadows, so let me assure the Scottish Government have

:15:26.:15:28.

taken action to support green space. I understand that North Kelvin medal

:15:29.:15:33.

is owned by Glasgow City Council, so thanks to our community empowerment

:15:34.:15:39.

act there is a right for community bodies to make requests to local

:15:40.:15:42.

authorities for any land that they feel they can make better use of

:15:43.:15:47.

through the asset transfer process. That may be an option there. Asset

:15:48.:15:53.

transfer of course will give more communities the opportunity to have

:15:54.:15:58.

control of land or premises to help them develop their own economies and

:15:59.:16:02.

environments. Any community body interested in using assets

:16:03.:16:04.

transferred to preserve green space in the area should get in touch with

:16:05.:16:10.

the community ownership support service. This is a programme is

:16:11.:16:13.

funded by the government to help community groups take on land or

:16:14.:16:21.

build assets for their communities. Thank you presiding officer. To ask

:16:22.:16:23.

the Scottish Government what progress it is making in closing the

:16:24.:16:26.

attainment gap in the Scottish Borders. The Scottish Government

:16:27.:16:31.

through the Scottish attainment challenges providing increased

:16:32.:16:34.

support for local authorities, including Scottish Borders with the

:16:35.:16:38.

work to close a poverty related attainment gap. The Scottish Borders

:16:39.:16:43.

have received over ?315,000 from the attainment Scotland fund over the

:16:44.:16:46.

course of the last two years and will receive 1.8 million in pupil

:16:47.:16:53.

equity funding in 2017-2018. Head teachers have the flexibility to

:16:54.:16:55.

target resources and interventions the noble close the attainment gap

:16:56.:16:59.

and the currently preparing the plans for the use of this funding.

:17:00.:17:03.

Thank you. The attainment gap in the Borders remains one of the worst in

:17:04.:17:09.

Scotland. Indeed the SNP's record on education in the Borders is not

:17:10.:17:13.

good, class sizes are at a record high as teaching numbers dropped by

:17:14.:17:17.

nearly 80, the number of supply teachers have plummeted by 40%, only

:17:18.:17:23.

one in ten primary 1-3 tables or in smaller classes, a record low, and

:17:24.:17:27.

the standard of education across Scotland which was once a world

:17:28.:17:32.

leading is now only average. Teachers work incredibly hard on the

:17:33.:17:35.

Scottish Borders but they aren't pupils are being let down by this

:17:36.:17:41.

SNP government. Is this a record the Cabinet Secretary is proud of? We

:17:42.:17:50.

know the cheerful optimistic tone that John Lamb and is going to be

:17:51.:17:54.

taking to the Borders over the course of the next few weeks. I was

:17:55.:17:59.

going to be genderless to Mr alignment to say to him that I know

:18:00.:18:05.

he will be leaving us tomorrow but on the basis of the miserable tone

:18:06.:18:11.

that he has expressed he can realise the significant investment that has

:18:12.:18:14.

been made in the Borders and I look forward to making sure that the

:18:15.:18:18.

young people and electors of the Borders understand the strenuous

:18:19.:18:23.

efforts this government will make to close the attainment gap in the

:18:24.:18:26.

Borders and I look forward to Mr Lamb at's -- to Mr Lambert being a

:18:27.:18:37.

distant observer of that process. To ask the Scottish Government what

:18:38.:18:40.

discussions it has had with the Welsh government regarding organ

:18:41.:18:44.

donation scissor human transplantation Wales axe 2013 came

:18:45.:18:51.

into full effect in December 20 15. Scottish Government officials have

:18:52.:18:55.

been in regular contact with Welsh colleagues since the introduction of

:18:56.:18:58.

the human transplantation Wales act and are due to meet soon to discuss

:18:59.:19:03.

the operation of the act. Additionally the opt out system in

:19:04.:19:07.

Wales is discussed in regular meetings on organ donation such as

:19:08.:19:10.

NHS blood and transport board meetings and taking organ

:19:11.:19:15.

transplantation to 2020 strategy meetings where all four governments

:19:16.:19:21.

of the UK are represented. The Scottish Conservatives supported the

:19:22.:19:23.

Scottish Government to hinder progress of an McTaggart 's bill

:19:24.:19:26.

when the government took the view that we should wait to see what the

:19:27.:19:31.

speedy in Wales was. The government at the time and to Kelly enlist

:19:32.:19:35.

Parliament to bring forward fresh proposals in light of that. Where

:19:36.:19:40.

now almost 18 months since the introduction of the change in Wales,

:19:41.:19:44.

the car I have the Minister Wendy Eley introduction of new fresh

:19:45.:19:47.

Scottish Government proposals will come? As Jackson Carla knows the

:19:48.:19:55.

Scottish Government has recently gone out to consultation, including

:19:56.:19:59.

a presumption in favour of moving to an opt out system, assuming it can

:20:00.:20:06.

be introduced safely. The consultation responses are currently

:20:07.:20:09.

being independently analysed and we will there from that analysis as

:20:10.:20:15.

well as from the experience and evidence from elsewhere in the world

:20:16.:20:21.

including Wales and we will look at that analysis carefully before

:20:22.:20:25.

reaching a decision on the way forward. We expect to receive the

:20:26.:20:30.

analysis in May and will continue to take steps in the months thereafter.

:20:31.:20:34.

That concludes general questions.

:20:35.:20:39.

Download Subtitles

SRT

ASS