Official Report 901KB pdf
Good morning. The first item of business is general question time.
Kinneil Museum
To ask the Scottish Government how the additional £34 million allocated to culture and heritage in its draft budget will assist in the preservation of any small, yet key, Scottish heritage sites under threat of closure, such as Kinneil museum in the Falkirk East constituency. (S6O-04234)
[Inaudible.]
Minister, can I check that your card is in the system?
That was an inauspicious start.
I am saddened to hear about the challenges that Kinneil museum, located in Kinneil estate, which has links with Mary Queen of Scots and the engineer James Watt, faces. I also recognise the challenges that culture and heritage organisations across Scotland face, which is why we continue to support the sector through more than £4.2 million of funding in the draft 2025-26 budget for Museums Galleries Scotland, as well as by allocating more than £74 million to Historic Environment Scotland.
Ultimately, it is for locally elected representatives to make decisions on how best to deliver services in their local communities, which includes the funding of local authority museums.
As the minister notes, this is a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization world heritage site. Kinneil museum is currently proposed for closure by Falkirk Council, but volunteers and Friends of Kinneil are keen to find a solution to the museum’s closure later this year. Given the complexities of community asset transfer for heritage sites of that nature, securing the museum’s future will probably require a partnership approach. Will the minister join me in supporting efforts to bring together both national and local stakeholders to explore options to safeguard Kinneil museum’s future?
I commend the efforts of Friends of Kinneil in trying to secure the future of Kinneil museum, which is an important part of Falkirk’s and Scotland’s heritage. I understand that Museums Galleries Scotland has been in discussions with Falkirk Council on the future of the museum. I urge Falkirk Council to continue those discussions with Museums Galleries Scotland and with key stakeholders, to explore whether there are any ways to secure the future of Kinneil museum.
South Lanarkshire Council (Support)
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support South Lanarkshire Council as part of the local government settlement for 2025-26. (S6O-04235)
If the budget is supported by Parliament, South Lanarkshire Council will receive £805.8 million in 2025-26 to fund local services, which is an extra £63.2 million, or 8.5 per cent, compared with the 2024-25 budget, to support vital day-to-day services.
This year alone, South Lanarkshire Council is having to pay back more than £40 million due to Labour’s disastrous private finance initiative contracts. Those funds are hiking up the profits of the private sector when, instead, they should be going towards local priorities.
Despite additional Scottish Government funding, I am concerned about the impact of those debt repayments when the Labour administration at the council, which is cutting free school transport provision and divesting interest in community halls, sets its budget for next year. Can the cabinet secretary assure me that this Scottish National Party Government and future SNP Governments will never follow in Labour’s PFI footsteps, which have left a damaging legacy across all our local authorities?
I can certainly give Clare Haughey that assurance. She is absolutely right that we will be paying the price of the Labour—and, indeed, Tory—flawed PFI-PPP deals for some years to come. I also assure Clare Haughey and Parliament more generally that this SNP Government will continue to ensure that all forms of procurement for sites and services provide the best value for money for the taxpayer and that they realise benefits for our communities.
PFI and PPP Unitary Charges
To ask the Scottish Government how much it anticipates will be paid in this financial year in private finance initiative and public-private partnership unitary charge payments across the public sector. (S6O-04236)
The latest published data shows that the estimated total in PFI and PPP unitary charge payments to be paid across the public sector in Scotland in 2024-25 is £1.12 billion.
When it was in office at Holyrood, Labour built a debt mountain so vast that, 18 years later, public-private partnership payments are still rising, and they will peak at an eye-watering £1.25 billion next financial year. North Ayrshire Council will have to pay more than £16 million next year for four secondary schools that were built nearly two decades ago. By the time the contract is paid off, in 2038, it will have paid £440.1 million for schools that were built for £83 million. Owning those schools will cost even more.
Can the cabinet secretary say what impact Labour’s disastrous PPP obsession continues to have on our public finances?
Kenny Gibson is quite right to highlight this important issue and its impact on local services. The SNP Government has always made it clear that the PFI approach that Labour used has not delivered best value for the taxpayer. We brought it to an end and introduced more affordable schemes in order to reduce the drain on the public purse and to stop the excessive profits. The SNP Government will continue to do that. As Kenny Gibson made clear, we are still paying for the legacy of those mistakes, as I set out in my first answer.
Regardless of the perceived flaws of past PFI models, does the cabinet secretary concede that our constituents are broadly agnostic on how major infrastructure projects are funded and delivered, and that, in short, they just want urgent progress on major projects, including the upgrading of roads such as the A1 and the A75 in my South Scotland region? Will the minister therefore set aside dogma and fully explore new and alternative models to turbocharge Scotland’s flagging infrastructure procurement programme, including by appraising the infrastructure investment partnership model, as was recently recommended by the Future Governance Forum?
I think that all our constituents care about value for money and value to the public purse, and I think that all our constituents would be very concerned about the excessive profits made from previous PFI deals that were poorly constructed and not good value to the public purse. I find it very strange that the Tories, who often talk about value for money and criticise the spending priorities of the Government, seem so easy with the excessive PFI profits when it suits them—[Interruption.]—and do not seem to share the concerns—[Interruption.]—that I think the public share with us.
Let us hear the cabinet secretary.
As I said in my answer to Kenny Gibson, we brought those excessive profits and poor PFI deals to an end, and we introduced more affordable schemes so that we can utilise resources in the best way as we invest in our infrastructure. We can do that while also ensuring value to the public purse—which is, it seems, unlike what the Tories want to do.
Youth Work
To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting and investing in youth work. (S6O-04237)
The Scottish Government is committed to supporting youth work and continues to fund it in a variety of ways. The block grant funding that is provided to local authorities affords them significant autonomy in allocating resources for youth work, to meet the specific needs of young people in their local areas. The Scottish Government, across portfolios, also directly funds a range of youth work initiatives, projects and programmes. Those initiatives aim to support diverse youth work models, promote partnership working and enhance the quality of youth work, supporting the best possible outcomes for the young people of Scotland.
We know that youth work, in all its various forms, can be preventative investment that reduces spending in the long term. Examples include the work of the Citadel Youth Centre, the Spartans Community Foundation and others in my constituency.
I recognise all the good work that the Scottish Government is funding and appreciate the pressures on the public finances, but will the minister say more about how the Scottish Government is working across portfolios and with other organisations to consider additional support for youth work as part of the response to the recent youth violence summit, particularly in areas such as Edinburgh, where, unfortunately, youth violence that is perpetrated by a very small minority has become more prevalent recently?
The Scottish Government also values youth work highly, and I agree that working in collaboration helps to achieve positive outcomes for young people. As I mentioned in my initial answer, the Scottish Government continues to fund a range of projects and programmes that directly support youth work, in addition to funding the local government block grant. Included in that is £20 million from phase 6 of our cashback for communities fund, which has supported 29 partnership organisations. I say to Ben Macpherson that, so far, the spend in the Edinburgh local authority area in phase 6 is circa £700,000.
On the youth violence summit that Ben Macpherson referred to, we are considering what more can be done to prevent and reduce harm from violence. A report on the key themes that were raised is being produced and a further cross-party discussion is intended.
Road Safety
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve road safety on key routes. (S6O-04238)
This year, as part of a £1.1 billion investment in maintaining and improving Scotland’s road network, the Scottish Government is investing a record £36 million in road safety initiatives across key routes. That includes £7.5 million of investment in the safety camera programme to ensure the continued deployment of safety cameras across Scotland, including on the A75 and A77. To maximise the impact of that technology, an annual site prioritisation exercise is undertaken each year, and as part of the process, consideration is being given to a change in the enforcement strategy on the A75.
In addition to those considerations, a range of engineering improvements is programmed on key routes in the south-west of Scotland. That includes the signalisation of the Cuckoo Bridge roundabout on the A75 and of the A77 Doonholm road junction.
Nobody in the village of Crocketford will ever forget the carnage that was caused by a horrid accident involving two speeding heavy goods vehicles in November 2022. The communities of Crocketford and Springholm face the dangers of cars and HGVs speeding only feet from their doors. Although work is due to begin in March on speed management plans in Crocketford—something that I have been pressing long and hard for—that is simply a sticking plaster.
During his visit last December, the First Minister agreed that Transport Scotland will consider the case for overhead average speed cameras along the length of the A75 and within those vulnerable villages. Will the cabinet secretary update us on when we can expect to hear the findings of that consideration, given that safety cameras are ineffective at addressing the problem that we have with the A75?
Work is under way, as I said in my previous answer, to consider the possibility of deploying average speed cameras on the A75. The outcome of that process will be identified through the conclusions that flow from the annual safety camera site prioritisation exercise. It is under way and Police Scotland’s west safety camera unit is considering a change to the enforcement strategy. When we have those results from Police Scotland, I will be more than happy to relay them to the member, as the First Minister communicated in his visit in December.
Gaza (Humanitarian Aid)
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any implications for its provision of funding for humanitarian aid in Gaza, whether it will provide an update on what discussions it has had with the United Kingdom Government regarding recent developments in Gaza. (S6O-04239)
To date, the Scottish Government has committed £1 million for the crisis in Gaza and the wider middle east. That money has provided food, water, medical assistance and shelter to displaced people across the region. As the political and humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to develop, Scottish Government officials will maintain regular contact with their counterparts in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. With a ceasefire now in place, we urge all parties to facilitate a surge in the delivery of humanitarian aid to alleviate the unimaginable suffering that has been endured over the past 15 months.
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the returning of hostages should be welcome, but they will not undo the suffering that has been inflicted on the people of Gaza or the actions that Amnesty International said broke the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Does the minister agree that the ceasefire is not the end of the conflict and that diplomatic pressure on all parties is needed to deliver a free Palestine and regional peace, particularly following recent violence in the West Bank? Will the Scottish Government consider actions to prevent public money from going to organisations that have profited from the war?
I agree entirely with Mr Choudhury on the need to urge all parties to abide by the terms of the ceasefire and to ensure that we maximise support and humanitarian aid not only in terms of infrastructure, but in recognition of the fact that this is a severely traumatised population. We need long-term sustained investment to support the people of Gaza, and the Scottish Government is committed to that.
On his specific points on procurement, the member will recognise that we operate under a suite of domestic and international procurement laws and regulations, by which we must abide. I hope that the member recognise, from the commitments that the Scottish Government has made and what it has delivered to date, that we very much have the same position and view that he has on this matter.
I recently met Highland-Palestine, which is a group that does incredible work to raise awareness and show solidarity from the Highlands with the people of Palestine. Although the news that a ceasefire agreement has been reached is extremely welcome, the humanitarian situation on the ground in Palestine remains desperate. What further discussions has the Government had with the UK Government about allowing Palestinians who have lost homes and loved ones to resettle and find sanctuary in Scotland?
Scotland has a long history of welcoming people who are fleeing war and persecution. The Minister for Equalities wrote to the UK Government in November to call again for a bespoke family reunion scheme to be established, to enable people in Gaza to seek sanctuary with family members in the UK.
The Home Office replied on 7 January, saying that no changes to existing visa schemes and immigration routes were planned. We are extremely disappointed by that reply and continue to urge the UK Government to provide support for Palestinian families in their time of extreme suffering.
Community Preservation
To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting community efforts to preserve built heritage, ancient monuments and archaeological sites. (S6O-04240)
The Scottish Government delivers support for the historic environment through our sponsorship of Historic Environment Scotland, the lead public body responsible for preserving, maintaining and promoting the historic environment.
Through part of the £13.5 million that HES delivers in annual grants, it has been able to support numerous projects such as funding volunteers to uncover, record and recover the balance of the bedrock at Balfron, and a volunteer training programme to capacity build local members and volunteers of the Bannockburn House Trust with regard to basic restoration and traditional building methods.
The BBC’s “Digging for Britain” recently featured volunteers from the rescuers of Old Kilmadock and archaeologist Dr Murray Cook, following the discovery and preservation of a Pictish stone near Doune. Will the minister join me in congratulating them on their work and advise what steps are being taken to encourage more volunteers to work in that area?
I am pleased to congratulate the ROOK volunteers on their important discovery. For Scotland’s historic environment, volunteers are essential. The Make Your Mark national volunteer campaign was an outcome of Scotland’s first strategy for the historic environment, and volunteering has remained a key priority in the revised strategy—“Our Past, Our Future: The Strategy for Scotland’s Historic Environment”—to empower resilient and inclusive communities and places.
Historic Environment Scotland is an Investing in Volunteers-accredited organisation. We aim to increase the number and diversity of heritage volunteers in Scotland, while promoting volunteering opportunities, connecting co-ordinators nationwide, sharing inclusive practice and evidencing impacts to lobby for funding. Make Your Mark also plays an important role in contributing to the wider reach of volunteering in Scotland, through the lens of the Scottish Government’s commitment to volunteering and Scotland’s volunteering action plan.
I ask Miles Briggs for a concise question 8.
Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (Remit)
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the remit of the Scottish child abuse inquiry remains appropriate. (S6O-04241)
The remit of the Scottish child abuse inquiry was established following extensive consultation with survivors. The inquiry, which has now been operating for nine years, is independent and Lady Smith, its chair, is responsible for deciding what is examined by the inquiry to fulfil its remit. I believe that the remit remains appropriate.
The Deputy First Minister will know that people who have attended the inquiry are concerned that many victims have felt that their voices have not been heard, that non-disclosure agreements used by public bodies have often stopped truths coming out in the inquiry, and that it is looking at only historical abuse. One of the campaigners has put forward the idea of establishing an independent national whistleblowing officer for education and children’s services. Will the Deputy First Minister consider that, and will she meet me and campaigners to further discuss the issue?
An important point to make is that we initially established the remit of the inquiry in order to respond to survivors’ requests. I continue to engage with survivors independently of the inquiry.
My view is that changing the remit at this late stage would mean that it will take significantly longer for the inquiry to reach and publish its conclusions, which would risk failing to respond to survivors of in-care abuse and would delay the opportunity to address any recommendations that the inquiry might make. I am very happy to engage with the member on those matters.
That concludes general questions.
Before we move to First Minister’s questions, I call the First Minister to make a short statement about tomorrow’s weather warning.
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