Meeting of the Parliament
9.15 am Parliamentary Bureau Motions
followed by Scottish Government Debate: Integration of Health and Social Care
S4M-01585 Nicola Sturgeon: Integration of Health and Social Care—That the Parliament recognises the improvements achieved in terms of adult health and social care services since it was established; further recognises, particularly with regard to the needs of Scotland’s older people, that the integration of services needs to be improved to deliver better health and social care services; notes that the cornerstone of reform should be nationally agreed outcomes and that these reforms will be judged by the delivery of specific goals, such as reducing the number of delayed discharges, which directly impact on the health and care experience of older citizens; notes that services should be characterised by strong and committed clinical and care professional leadership; notes that NHS boards and local authorities will work together to produce integrated budgets that will bring to an end the cost-shunting between the NHS and local authorities that currently occurs, and notes that the Scottish Government will continue to work with partners in the NHS, local government, the third and independent sectors and professional bodies to take these reforms forward.
The Presiding Officer has selected the following amendment
S4M-01585.1 Jackie Baillie: Integration of Health and Social Care—As an amendment to motion S4M-01585 in the name of Nicola Sturgeon (Integration of Health and Social Care), insert at end “, and welcomes the Scottish Government’s acceptance of the need for legislative underpinning following the conclusions of the Expert Group on Future Options for Social Care established by Scottish Labour.”
11.40 am General Question Time
1. Linda Fabiani: To ask the Scottish Executive what initiatives there are to raise awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer to allow early diagnosis and treatment. (S4O-00479)
2. Murdo Fraser: To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish a detailed timetable for the A9 upgrading works between Perth and Inverness. (S4O-00480)
3. George Adam: To ask the Scottish Executive how it helps people with long-term medical conditions. (S4O-00481)
4. Margaret Mitchell: To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to improve the early identification of adults who are survivors of childhood sexual abuse. (S4O-00482)
5. Margo MacDonald: To ask the Scottish Executive, in order to inform voters ahead of the proposed independence referendum, when it will publish its position on the issues that are currently reserved. (S4O-00483)
6. Sarah Boyack: To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its response to the investigation by NHS Lothian of so-called hidden waiting lists. (S4O-00484)
7. John Mason: To ask the Scottish Executive when a decision will be made regarding the location of the headquarters of the proposed single police force. (S4O-00485)
8. Maureen Watt: To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with the police and judicial services in the Grampian force area. (S4O-00486)
9. Patrick Harvie: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that there is adequate winter resilience preparation across the country. (S4O-00487)
10. Richard Simpson: To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to protect children and young adults from measles, in light of reports of a substantial rise in the number of cases in the south of England and across Europe. (S4O-00488)
12.00 pm First Minister’s Question Time
1. Iain Gray: To ask the First Minister what engagements he has planned for the rest of the day. (S4F-00351)
2. Ruth Davidson: To ask the First Minister when he will next meet the Secretary of State for Scotland. (S4F-00340)
3. Willie Rennie: To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet. (S4F-00342)
4. Stuart McMillan: To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s assessment is of the economic impact on Scotland of the Prime Minister’s actions at the EU summit last week. (S4F-00345)
5. Jackie Baillie: To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s position is on the balance of spending between administrators, beds and nursing staff in the NHS. (S4F-00357)
6. Jamie Hepburn: To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of the Reform Scotland report, Powering Scotland. (S4F-00343)
2.15 pm Themed Question Time
Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth
1. Malcolm Chisholm: To ask the Scottish Executive what success it is having in increasing employment opportunities. (S4O-00489)
2. Kevin Stewart: To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth last met the leader of Aberdeen City Council. (S4O-00490)
3. Jim Eadie: Not Lodged
4. Duncan McNeil: To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to create jobs in Inverclyde. (S4O-00492)
5. Richard Baker: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will reassess its growth forecasts in light of the revised forecasts for UK growth by the Office for Budget Responsibility. (S4O-00493)
6. Hugh Henry: Not Lodged
7. Stewart Maxwell: To ask the Scottish Executive how many businesses are receiving financial support from the small business bonus scheme. (S4O-00495)
8. Bob Doris: To ask the Scottish Executive how its capital investment in Glasgow will assist in both sustaining and creating employment. (S4O-00496)
9. Colin Keir: To ask the Scottish Executive how it is helping small businesses to ensure that they remain at the heart of local communities in the current economic climate. (S4O-00497)
10. David Stewart: To ask the Scottish Executive what actions it is planning to stimulate domestic use of solar panels. (S4O-00498)
11. Jackie Baillie: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will maintain the level of council tax benefit going to local authorities in any revised system from April 2013, despite a 10% reduction in the funding transferred by the UK Government. (S4O-00499)
12. Joe FitzPatrick: To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to boost economic growth through capital spending. (S4O-00500)
13. Alex Johnstone: To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide strategic guidance on the siting of wind farms. (S4O-00501)
14. Rob Gibson: To ask the Scottish Executive whether part of the funding from the fossil fuel levy account can be applied to reducing energy demand. (S4O-00502)
15. Jean Urquhart: To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to improve employment opportunities in small and micro businesses in the Highlands and Islands. (S4O-00503)
16. Bill Kidd: To ask the Scottish Executive what the expected impact on employment and economic growth is of the finance that it has committed to renewables projects. (S4O-00504)
17. Marco Biagi: To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on a hotel bed levy as considered by the City of Edinburgh Council. (S4O-00505)
18. David Torrance: Withdrawn
19. Anne McTaggart: To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to encourage growth in credit union membership. (S4O-00507)
20. Jenny Marra: To ask the Scottish Executive how it will use the £70 million National Renewables Infrastructure Fund to boost investment. (S4O-00508)
2.55 pm Scottish Government Debate: Infrastructure and Investment Plan
S4M-01584 Alex Neil: Infrastructure and Investment Plan—That the Parliament notes the importance of infrastructure investment to delivering sustainable economic growth, managing the transition to a low-carbon economy, supporting delivery of efficient and high quality public services and supporting employment and opportunity across Scotland; notes the significant investment underway in a wide range of projects to deliver new schools, hospitals, houses, roads, water infrastructure, community facilities and improved availability of high-speed broadband across Scotland; supports the long-term commitment to continue and build on these investments; supports the Scottish Government’s use of a broad range of funding methods for investment to help offset the 32% real-terms cut to Scotland’s capital budget inflicted by the UK Government, and welcomes the publication of the Scottish Government’s Infrastructure Investment Plan 2011, setting out the Scottish Government’s intentions through to 2030.
The Presiding Officer has selected the following amendments
S4M-01584.3 Lewis Macdonald: Infrastructure and Investment Plan—As an amendment to motion S4M-01584 in the name of Alex Neil (Infrastructure and Investment Plan) leave out from second “notes” to end and insert “welcomes the publication of an updated infrastructure investment plan (IIP), but regrets the hiatus in commissioning new schools and hospitals in the last parliamentary session, the delay or abandonment of major infrastructure projects included in the previous IIP and the Scottish Government’s decision to cut the funding of new social housing in half in the next two years, all of which will lead to further loss of jobs, skills and capacity in the construction sector; believes that the aspiration to lay out long-term strategic objectives is undermined by the lack of prioritisation of projects, the absence of clear links to other proposed long-term plans and the failure to provide a credible funding plan, and calls on the Scottish Government to publish details of anticipated investment and maintenance costs on an annual basis and to make a statement early in 2012.”
S4M-01584.2 Alex Johnstone: Infrastructure and Investment Plan—As an amendment to motion S4M-01584 in the name of Alex Neil (Infrastructure and Investment Plan), leave out from “to help” to end and insert “and, while welcoming the publication of the Scottish Government’s Infrastructure Investment Plan 2011, notes with interest that most of the projects have been deferred till after 2016, and further calls on ministers to set out a detailed timetable of projects with allocated budgets, along with their preferred funding option for each.”
followed by Parliamentary Bureau Motions
S4M-01581 Bruce Crawford on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau: Committee Membership—That the Parliament agrees that—
Mark McDonald be appointed to replace Derek Mackay as a member of the Finance Committee; and
Colin Keir be appointed to replace Mark McDonald as a member of the Public Audit Committee.
5.00 pm Decision Time
followed by Members’ Business
Debate on the subject of—
S4M-01223 Sandra White: University of Glasgow Ranked First in the UK—That the Parliament warmly congratulates the University of Glasgow on ranking first in the United Kingdom for international student satisfaction in a recent survey of international students in which it considers there are a number of stand-out points for the university, which, once again, has performed very well against other UK institutions; notes that this survey is the largest of its kind, with over 65 international universities, 44 UK institutions and six Scottish institutions, canvassing international students’ views on the teaching, services and overall experience of their chosen university; welcomes the fact that Glasgow has ranked first in the whole survey for social activities, as well as having both the best online library and the best sports facilities in the UK; notes that international students also report an impressive 94% satisfaction with the university’s expert lecturers and 91% of final year students are satisfied with their learning experience, and considers that international students have a vital and beneficial role in Scottish educational institutions and society.