Plenary, 04 Dec 2003

Meeting date: Thursday, December 4, 2003

Official Report 710KB pdf

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Question Time

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SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE

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Hydro Subsidies

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it will make to the Department of Trade and Industry regarding the loss of hydro subsidies in 2005 and any potential price rises for energy consumers in the Highlands and the north-east. (S2O-870)

We will be working closely with United Kingdom ministers to ensure that consumers do not lose out as a result of the decision by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets.

I know that the minister shares my concerns about fuel poverty, as does the Minister for Communities. Has the Executive been directly in touch with Stephen Timms, the UK minister for energy who, on 18 November, said that he would make

"a further announcement … at the earliest possible time"?

Have we any idea of what that time scale might be and can we have published any notification that the Executive gave directly to the UK minister?

I can assure Margaret Ewing that on 17 November—the day that the decision was announced—I spoke directly to Sir John Mogg, the chairman of Ofgem, to Ian Marchant, the chief executive of Scottish and Southern Energy plc, and to Stephen Timms, the energy minister in the Department of Trade and Industry. They all gave me assurances that they were as keen as I was to ensure that consumers would not be affected by the changes. Stephen Timms, in particular, gave me an assurance that his officials were already working on introducing an alternative scheme, in order to avoid any significant impact on consumers in the north of Scotland. Sir John Mogg indicated that, because of the legal advice that had been received, the Ofgem consultation would be completed quickly and that in that process—in the course of this year—it would come to a view on the removal of the existing subsidy arrangement. The DTI is very keen to produce an alternative proposal as quickly as possible.

I thank the minister for those answers. Does he agree that, as the Highlands are going to be such a source of renewable energy—wind power, wave power and hydroelectric power—it is very important that Highland consumers see the benefit of that and are not penalised in any way?

I could not agree more with the points that Maureen Macmillan makes. The north of Scotland in general has led the way in the United Kingdom in the production of hydroelectricity. That is the origin of the question that we are addressing here today. The DTI and I are keen to ensure that the north of Scotland does not suffer any disbenefit as a result of the changes.

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Destitution

To ask the Scottish Executive what provision it plans to make for the increasing number of destitute people in Scotland. (S2O-896)

There is no recognised measure of destitution as such. The Executive has a range of policies in place to tackle social exclusion, homelessness and poverty, as was demonstrated in the recent debate on poverty in Scotland.

Does the minister acknowledge that, regardless of where the policies that create destitution among our asylum-seeking guests come from—whether they come from London or Edinburgh—it is part of the Scottish Executive's role to make provision for people who are suffering destitution and absolute poverty on our streets, particularly as we move into winter?

I am sure that the member would recognise that the Scottish Executive is determined to ensure that we deal with poverty in Scotland and that of course we would want to deal with any cases of destitution with which we were able to deal. On previous occasions, Patrick Harvie and I have discussed the absolute requirement for us to operate within Scottish law, and within the scope of the law. Within that framework, we will do whatever we can to assist asylum seekers and refugees in Scotland. With all due respect—I understand the tenor of Mr Harvie's question—it is acknowledged that we have made strenuous efforts to provide services within the scope that exists.

Question 3 is withdrawn.

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Schools (Charitable Status)

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support charitable status for all Scotland's schools. (S2O-865)

Any body whose main purpose is the advancement of education and which provides a public benefit is able, and will continue to be able, to be considered for charitable status.

Can a clear statement be made about what Scottish schools should do to preserve that charitable status?

As Lord James and the chamber know, we are about to consult on changes to charity law generally with a view to legislating. At no point in that process will existing charities automatically lose their charitable status, provided that they meet the new definitions in the bill that we produce and that they can show clearly that a public benefit derives from their work. The regulator will deal with charitable status case by case.

Does the minister agree that it would be unforgivable if negotiations with private sector schools had delayed charity law reform? Will he confirm that he will consider affording charitable status not only to existing private sector schools, but to local authority-run school projects that are for the public benefit of local children and are funded by not-for-profit trusts?

I know that the SNP opposes our public-private partnership proposals, which will provide the single biggest investment ever in Scottish education. The SNP continues to try to create the illusion of an alternative from a spurious charitable route, to which Fiona Hyslop may have referred today.

Spurious?

Yes, the suggestion is entirely spurious. What is important is the fact that we are about to review charity law. We will have broad definitions, and we will leave it to the regulator to determine qualification for charitable status case by case. That is the best way to proceed.

Would the minister care to give his Christmas message to employees of the construction company that was forced out of business by the collapse of the East Lothian schools PPP?

I know that I have the correct colour of beard for Christmas messages but, in all seriousness, I say that the situation is difficult and involves many legal complications. Action is under way in relation to the winding-up of that company, so it would be wrong for me to comment in detail. However, such situations are not unusual with any form of contract to build a school, whether under a public-private partnership or in the traditional way. In a past life, I was involved in situations in which companies had gone bust in the middle of building a school. The situation is complex to sort out, but that can be done.

Why should charitable status be given to institutions such as Fettes College, which practise social exclusion by charging fees of up to £19,000 a year to produce uncharitable people such as Tony Blair, who practises further social exclusion by proposing to charge students top-up fees of up to £3,000 a year?

As Dennis Canavan knows, the Executive has done more to tackle social exclusion than any Administration has and it will continue to do so. One feature of our new work on charities is clarity: public benefit must flow from a body that has charitable status. The regulator will test that public benefit case by case, and if it cannot be shown, a body will have difficulty in qualifying for charitable status.

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Trunk Road Maintenance

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that the arrangements currently made by BEAR Scotland Ltd for winter gritting of trunk roads in the north of Scotland are sufficient and safe. (S2O-872)

The Scottish Executive is satisfied that the contractual requirements for trunk road winter maintenance in the north of Scotland are sufficient and safe. I assure the Parliament that any concerns that are drawn to the Executive's attention about operational arrangements will be thoroughly investigated and that appropriate action will be taken if necessary.

The minister is aware, as we discussed the matter over lunch—

Oh.

That was very dangerous.

No food was involved.

Recently, I met workers in Kingussie who told me that the new work rosters that BEAR has introduced mean that in some cases they might have to work one man per lorry for 20 out of 24 hours. How on earth can that constitute a proper health and safety policy? Does the minister agree that that matter should be investigated urgently?

As I mentioned over lunch, or, to be more accurate, just before lunch—I am glad that Fergus Ewing reached the chamber in time to ask his question after our discussion—I am willing to investigate further the serious issue that he has raised. The Scottish Executive will act urgently if there are any health and safety issues that relate to the work force or to cars, lorries or buses that are affected by trunk road maintenance. Whether in respect of the mobilisation of gritters or the working conditions of staff, BEAR should operate safely according to contractual arrangements and legislative requirements. I have no reason to believe that it is doing otherwise, but I will thoroughly investigate the matter. I know that Fergus Ewing welcomes the offer that I made to him earlier to keep him involved in the matter and to arrange a meeting directly with BEAR and Scottish Executive officials.

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Asset Seizure (Drug Dealers)

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has assessed the effectiveness of its policy of seizing the assets of suspected drug dealers. (S2O-893)

The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 considerably strengthened the previously available powers of confiscation and seizure. The First Minister recently announced that £1.5 million has already been recovered—not just from drug dealers but from other criminals—during the first few months since the implementation of the act in March this year. We expect increasing returns over the coming months as more cases come through the courts.

Obviously, we will keep the effectiveness of the provisions under review to ensure that they meet our policy of confiscating the assets of drug dealers and others who are involved in exploitative crime. Doing so will help to deplete their working capital and limit their ability to further their criminal activities.

The seizure of more than £1.5 million in assets and the freezing of a further £3.2 million in Scotland since the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 became law is encouraging, but will the minister tell members about the mechanism under which the share that is to go to the communities that are affected will be allocated? Will he assure me that small communities such as those in Dumfries and Galloway, which also suffer from the scourge of drugs, will benefit from the redistribution of those funds?

On 21 November, the First Minister announced that any future funds that are seized as a result of the measures would go directly to communities that are most affected. Many communities throughout Scotland are blighted by the effects of drugs. As a result of conversations that Dr Murray has had with me, I know that Dumfries and Galloway is not immune to such problems.

We are working on the policy and on how we might best distribute the moneys in question. We want the moneys to be effective and targeted, and one of our problems is that if we spread them too thinly, they can cease to be effective. We shall bear in mind the arguments that the member has made about her constituency. Once the policy has been determined, we will announce the results as soon as we can.

Will the minister seek to bring an end to the current arrangement whereby 50 per cent of the proceeds of crime that are recovered are automatically handed straight back to the Treasury in London? Will he demand that all of that money is reinvested in the Scottish communities that bear the brunt of crime that is committed in Scotland?

That the glass should always be thought to be half empty rather than half full is typical. I welcome the fact that we have been able to use the money. Matters have developed in a quite unprecedented way. In the past, such money would not have been available to us, but it is now having an effect. We are in discussions with our colleagues in the Treasury and we hope that we will be able to announce the results of those discussions in the future. We are certainly making a case for Scotland about how the money should best be used, but we should recognise the progress that has been made and the benefits that have accrued. We should also start to look on the positive side rather than always be negative.

Does the minister concede that for as long as crimes go unprosecuted, for as long as there are delays in court procedures that lead to adjournment and postponement of cases and for as long as there is doubt in the minds of members of the public about the number of criminal activities that end up with a conviction, the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 will have limited practical application? Does that concern him?

Annabel Goldie spoke to her amendment in yesterday's debate, but has had to wait 24 hours to bring that matter to the chamber. We have discussed the matter previously. We are making changes, there are improvements and more resources are being invested. However, in the questions of Annabel Goldie and Nicola Sturgeon, we hear the same old worn groove from the same old record as they refuse to recognise any improvements that have been made. We will not be deflected from what we are doing and the improvements will flow through.

Does the minister agree that the best way forward is not simply to take the peanuts that we currently receive from drug criminals, because that represents only the tip of the iceberg? Does he agree that the best way forward is to save money in the criminal justice system through decent rehabilitation facilities in our communities across Scotland? For every £1 spent on rehab, we save £3 in the criminal justice system.

I recognise the benefits of treatment and rehabilitation. Indeed, we announced a thorough review of treatment and rehabilitation services in Scotland, which will be completed by the end of this year. I accept whole-heartedly that money spent on rehabilitation can be effective. However, unlike the Scottish Socialist Party, we do not believe in making respectable business people out of drug dealers. We will continue to resist that policy.

I think that Rosemary Byrne has a point of order.

I do not know who Hugh Henry was listening to. There is no way that I support drug dealers.

Wait a minute. What is the point of order?

I did not say what Hugh Henry says I said.

Order. I call Des McNulty.

There is widespread concern about dealers' use of the proceeds of drug dealing to buy up legitimate businesses in order to use those businesses for the further processing of drugs. Will the minister assure me that every mechanism in the law will be used to prevent the drug trade being furthered through the buying-up of legitimate businesses? Will he consider using pieces of legislation such as the Antisocial Behaviour etc (Scotland) Bill to do something about people who, in the furtherance of the drug trade, use children to intimidate and harass people who operate legitimate businesses?

The situation that is described by Des McNulty is complex. We know that criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated. They launder their money through a number of business activities, such as taxi firms and suntan parlours, as has been reported over the years. Indeed, examples from the rest of the UK and Europe have suggested that some money-changing facilities are being used by criminals to launder money.

The sophistication of criminals needs to be matched by the sophistication of our law enforcement agencies. That is why we have invested significantly in the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency, which has had a remarkable record so far. However, we cannot be complacent. Every time we make a major advance, the criminals—often multinational businesses—also invest more in trying to stay ahead of those engaged in law enforcement. If legislation needs to be passed, we will do so. If investment needs to be made, we will certainly consider that.

We are meeting with some success. In that regard, I pay tribute to those in the SDEA, and I recognise the work that has been done by Jim Orr, who leads the SDEA and who will be retiring shortly. The SDEA has been remarkably successful and I am sure that it will continue to be so.

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Older People (Financial Security)

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to meet its social justice target of making sure that older people are financially secure. (S2O-879)

We have implemented a wide range of measures to tackle poverty and disadvantage. For example, we are helping to maximise disposable income through our central heating programme, the warm deal, free local off-peak bus travel—which will be extended to a national scheme—and free personal and nursing care.

Does the minister agree that the average council tax bill represents more than 25 per cent of the basic state pension but only 3.5 per cent of gross annual earnings? The Executive's omission of a target on dealing with the unfair impact of the council tax on pensioners means that it is failing pensioners. Will the Executive remedy that disregard by addressing the failures of the council tax benefit system or, further, by following John Prescott's plan for a 20 per cent reduction in council tax in England and Wales next April, which would release the necessary income to allow senior citizens to pay for household essentials such as heating?

I do not know whether I will cover all the issues that John Swinburne raised in those questions, but I am sure that he will come back to me if I do not. I take it that his general point is about council tax rises and the impact that they have on pensioners' disposable income. The rises in Scotland were different from those in England—they were less than 5 per cent—and more than half of pensioner households receive council tax benefit, which exists to help poorer households.

I am sure that John Swinburne agrees that we have an important target for the poorest pensioners in Scotland, on whom our policies focus when appropriate. He will know about the review of local government finance, and my colleague Andy Kerr is working very closely with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to ensure that we develop appropriate council tax policies.

Some people—I do not know whether Mr Swinburne has ever been one—are irresponsible in relation to how they communicate issues around the level of council tax payments that are required, because they imply that no tax would ever be required and that we do not have to pay for social services and public services. From my experience of working with the pensioners' movement, pensioners are aware of the need to be financially responsible. The Executive will also be financially responsible, and that is how we will deliver the best for pensioners in Scotland.

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Rented Housing

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to measure the level of need for rented housing in each local authority area. (S2O-867)

All local authorities have a statutory duty to prepare a local housing strategy, which should include a comprehensive assessment of housing needs. I have asked local authorities to submit their strategies by April 2004. Communities Scotland will assess each strategy to develop a more comprehensive view of housing need at the national level.

The minister will be aware that a handful of councils have submitted their strategies this year. However, is she aware that at least one of them gave a net annual need figure for affordable housing that was half the level that it had identified through its housing needs assessment, on the basis that it regarded the strategy as a bid and put in a bid at the level at which it thought that it might be funded? Does she accept that, if other councils follow suit, there is a serious risk that councils in general or in aggregate might under-report the true level of need in Scotland? Will she ensure that councils submit needs assessments that are calculated on an agreed national methodology and that they report their estimated needs in full?

I am sure that you will find this a surprising statement, Presiding Officer: I have some sympathy with what Murray Tosh has just said. It is clear that the local housing strategies are not bidding documents and we are trying to discourage local authorities from thinking of them as such. A rational approach towards housing in Scotland is needed. We need to be clear about how we measure need and what levers we use to attempt to meet that need. We are now attempting to develop further the rational approach that we have adopted and to ensure that we have the dialogue with local authorities and other housing providers that is necessary for us to meet the complex housing needs of Scotland's population, whether in urban or rural areas. We are taking forward our affordable housing strategy on that basis.

Has the minister directly consulted housing associations, such as Forth Housing Association and Rural Stirling Housing Association, which are in my area, to get a fuller picture not only of the points that Murray Tosh raises, but of details on infrastructure, such as water and sewerage?

Mary Mulligan told the annual conference of the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations that there is a need for such dialogue in Scotland and that we need to be clear about what is happening in housing provision on the front line and about the complexity of housing need. In some areas, we have an oversupply of inadequate housing and, in other places, there is an absolute shortage and the situation is acute. We need to understand that, which is why we are about to inaugurate a discussion with the key stakeholders, particularly picking up some of the issues to which Sylvia Jackson referred.

Does the minister recall stating, during the passage of the Homelessness etc (Scotland) Bill, that there would be no increase in homelessness applications as a result of that legislation? Will she say what monitoring has been carried out to check that position and what action has been taken to ensure that the waiting time for mainstream applicants for social rented housing decreases rather than increases?

To be honest, I am not sure whether I really followed what Linda Fabiani said. I am not sure whether she was asking me about homelessness applications or mainstream housing, but I can come back to her if she tells me that I did not answer the question properly. We recognised that there would be an increase in homelessness applications, because we have given people the most radical package of rights that they have ever had in relation to homelessness, as has been recognised. We have always said that the increased package of rights has to be set in the context of a rational approach to housing to ensure that we balance supply with need, which is what we are attempting to do. That is why we introduced local housing strategies and are taking a much more evidence-based approach. It is also why we introduced systems, such as comprehensive registers, under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001. I am happy to pursue those issues with Linda Fabiani later.

In the village of Braemar, which is in the centre of the Cairngorms national park, in my constituency, 40 per cent of the 200 houses are second homes. There is a crying need for more rented accommodation. Does the minister appreciate that in such circumstances we need to take action in the shorter term as well as in the longer term?

Yes. That is why we announced £10 million for the supply of housing in rural areas. I am aware that there are pockets of absolute shortage, particularly within the social rented sector. I am not pretending that somehow that money is a global solution to the problem. We must consider a much more comprehensive approach to ensure that we use the levers that are available to us to ensure that there is affordable housing in the social rented sector and to address the exclusion that some low-income families feel from the owner-occupied sector. We all face that challenge. I recognise the point that Mike Rumbles is raising. There are some immediate challenges.

Will the minister confirm that she has more than enough evidence of a serious shortage of affordable rented housing in some local authority areas in Scotland? Following her discussions with East Lothian Council on 6 October about a prudential borrowing scheme for investment in housing to rent, will she say when that exciting initiative can be taken forward?

We anticipate the introduction of the prudential regime to housing in April 2004. I see that as a key development for many local authorities, in particular East Lothian Council, which faces many challenges and has taken forward its housing policy in an interesting way. The prudential regime is one option for it to take, as it sees fit—it is, of course, a matter for the council—to develop housing policy appropriate to its needs. That option is an important arm in our development of housing policy in Scotland.

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Strategic Rail Authority (Meetings)

To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met the Strategic Rail Authority. (S2O-886)

The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the Strategic Rail Authority on a wide range of issues. I last met a representative of the SRA at approximately 11 am today.

That precedes the minister's lunch meeting with my colleague, but there we go.

On the speculation about the SRA and the upgrade at Waverley, can the minister assure the Parliament that the work will address both capacity and access, that it will not be done piecemeal or on the cheap and that it will produce a first-class station for a capital city? Will he also assure us that the upgrade will be paid for in full by the United Kingdom bodies responsible, which have, after all, funded out of UK taxation—the projects are paid for by us as well—the Leeds and Manchester Piccadilly upgrades as well as £1.4 billion for the high-speed rail link from the channel to London?

I can answer yes to most of the questions, but not to all of them. Yes, the upgrade of the station will tackle the capacity issues and the access issues—disabled access in particular. Yes, the upgrade will be of high quality and will respect the world heritage status of that area of Edinburgh. Yes, the upgrade needs to be a development fit for the capital city of Scotland, but it also needs to allow the development of rail services throughout Scotland. That is one reason why the upgrade is so strongly supported by people in the north, on the rest of the east coast and in the west of Scotland. It is crucial that we gain additional capacity so that, over the coming years, we can build the rail network in Scotland in the way that the Scottish Executive plans.

No, the upgrade will not all be funded by the SRA. We believe that a partnership approach will be the right approach. There is already a partnership involving the SRA. The initiative is led by the SRA, with Network Rail also in a leading role. The Scottish Executive is part of the group, as is the City of Edinburgh Council. I think that that approach will deliver the project. We are prepared to pay our share of the funding of the project. The key for me is that the project be delivered. It will be delivered in phases. I want to get the phase involving development, the expansion of capacity and the improvement of access under way as soon as possible. We will make an announcement on that as soon as possible.

The minister has almost answered my question. He talked about developing Waverley station "over the coming years", which will start alarm bells ringing for people who know that the station is already at capacity. He said that he will produce the proposals shortly. Will he publish details of the scope of the work that he wants at Waverley station? The key thing is not only that we start the work at the station, but that the work is of sufficient scale to cope with our radical ambitions, which are not only for Edinburgh and the surrounding area, but for the whole of the east of Scotland.

I agree with that point completely. I reassure Sarah Boyack that the development proposals will tackle the issues of congestion at the station and the level of access that is required to develop new services. Improvements to disability access will also be covered. That work will be done in the first phase of the development. Given that the development is a major project that will cost a great deal of money, it must be phased appropriately and a partnership approach is important.

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Congestion Charging

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that, before any congestion charging proposal is approved, it complies fully with the criterion of fair treatment in relation to road users. (S2O-889)

A charging scheme cannot come into force until the order that makes it has been submitted to and confirmed by the Scottish ministers. We would assess the extent to which any scheme meets the fair treatment criterion and would consider the scheme as a whole before deciding whether to confirm an order.

Does the minister accept that a scheme that introduced exemptions for residents of one local authority area who cause congestion while charging residents of other local authority areas who cause equal congestion would not be fair treatment but outrageous discrimination? Would he reject any such proposal?

I have said several times that any scheme must be fair and appropriate and that there must be evidence of public support for it, which must not come only from the local authority area in question. We will consider all representations that are made. We are starting such a process for the proposed Edinburgh road-user charging scheme. As the Minister for Transport, I must decide with the other Scottish ministers whether to grant the final confirmation of the order, so it would be inappropriate for me to say more this afternoon.

Is the minister aware that it is estimated that almost half the money that is raised from the City of Edinburgh Council's congestion charge—which could be as much as half of £900 million—may be returned to local authorities outside Edinburgh to fund local transport improvements? For example, £96 million could go back to West Lothian Council. Does the minister agree that that issue should be taken into account when deciding whether fair treatment is ensured?

All the factors will be taken into account. The significant sums of money that Robin Harper is talking about could be wisely invested in new public transport initiatives, which is part of the proposal. However, that is only one consideration that ministers must take into account when considering the attitude of local people towards the scheme.

The suggestion ties in well with the Scottish Executive's commitment to increase dramatically the level of investment in public transport in Scotland. In the period to 2006, the Executive's direct funding for public transport will increase by more than 70 per cent, excluding any contribution that might be made from road-user charging. Separately, we are committed to £375 million of new investment in the Edinburgh trams project, which again excludes any investment that may flow from road-user charging.

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Scottish Ambulance Service<br />(Prioritisation of Calls)

To ask the Scottish Executive how the Scottish Ambulance Service prioritises emergency calls in the local community during sporting events. (S2O-890)

Emergency calls to the Scottish Ambulance Service will be categorised in the same way, whether or not a sporting event is being held in a locality. The service uses an electronic call-categorisation system to assist staff in prioritising the response to emergency calls.

The minister talked about categorising and prioritising. Does he agree that something is very wrong with the system when, in one instance, two ambulances that were sitting outside a football ground could not respond to an emergency call a few yards away? Will he look into the way in which the service is categorised and prioritised?

There is clear guidance on safety at sports grounds, which is why ambulances are required to be in attendance at major sporting events. I am sure that we all understand the reason for that. In those circumstances, the Scottish Ambulance Service must ensure that the requisite number of emergency vehicles are available for all the other calls that may be necessary. I know that there was a tragic incident in Glasgow recently, which I was very sorry to read about, and I extend my condolences to the family involved. I know that the Scottish Ambulance Service is urgently reviewing the circumstances of the case, but I do not think that the fact that there were two ambulances at Ibrox is a relevant factor.

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Transportation of Patients (Charging)

To ask the Scottish Executive how charging patients with cancer in the Dumbarton area for their transport to Paisley for treatment is consistent with its social inclusion strategy. (S2O-907)

Ambulance transport will be provided wherever there is a clinical need. In other cases, financial support for travel costs is available for those who need it.

Does the minister agree that the rush to centralise services not just in the Argyll and Clyde NHS Board area, but in all areas, undermines the Executive's social inclusion policy? Can he guarantee that those who are in poor families will be helped?

The reality is that the moves that have been made out of the Vale of Leven hospital were made for reasons of clinical safety, which has to be the paramount consideration. Equally, services will be and are delivered locally wherever that is possible. I know that, for example, a lot of the cancer services that the question refers to are delivered at the Vale of Leven hospital.

As I said, when patients have to travel, they will get an ambulance if that is clinically required. That is a matter for the clinicians to decide. When patients use public transport, the same system will apply throughout Scotland—although there is an extra provision in the Highlands—and people on low incomes will not pay. People who are over 60 and have to use public transport will benefit from the national scheme that we all know about.

Does the minister agree that, rather than transport patients across the Clyde, it would be better and more desirable to tell NHS Argyll and Clyde to work with NHS Greater Glasgow to ensure that a full range of services are provided for people who live north of the river, as that would fit their natural travel-to-work patterns, their social patterns and existing transport links?

Over the next year, NHS Argyll and Clyde will undertake a major piece of work in its clinical services review. It has already made some decisions on maternity provision, which I have commented on, and it is looking at all the other services. The question mentions cancer patients and many of the patient flows from Jackie Baillie's constituency into Glasgow are to the Beatson oncology clinic. The same travel arrangements will apply as I described earlier.

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Hydro Schemes

To ask the Scottish Executive what role new hydro schemes will play in its plans to increase the generation of electricity by renewable means. (S2O-871)

That depends on what proposals come forward from the industry, but I have approved three new hydro schemes this year and I am considering eight more.

The minister will shortly have to make a decision on the Shieldaig-Slattadale proposal in the west Highlands. Will he give an undertaking to take into account decisions that have already been made locally? Should he decide to reject that scheme, will he, in the interests of transparency, make available any new scientific evidence that might have persuaded him that it was inappropriate to proceed?

Alex Johnstone will understand that the consents procedure requires that I do not comment on the particulars of any specific project. The Shieldaig decision—like every other decision on a renewable energy proposal—will be made on the basis of our existing planning and consent guidance, whose provisions are clear. I remind Parliament that it is only a few weeks since a number of members—especially on the Conservative benches—suggested that the planning guidance on renewable energy for wind farms was not tough enough in taking environmental considerations into account. However, on both wind and hydro power, we will seek to strike a balance between economic development and environmental considerations, as is set out clearly in the national planning policy guidance on renewable energy.

I am sure that the minister will agree that an increase in the generation of electricity from renewable sources in the Highlands and Islands is to be very much welcomed. However, that requires an upgrade to the interconnectors and the grid. Who will provide the cash for that? What is the scale of the investment that is required? Will that be in place during this session?

The responsibility for upgrades to the grid lies with the grid owners. We are working jointly with the Department of Trade and Industry, the regulator—the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets—and the grid-owning companies on their plans for carrying the work forward.