Scottish Parliament News
number 13

Cathy Peattie MSP
Falkirk East


One Year On

On 14 May 2003, Scottish Ministers published their four-year programme for government until 2007.

In the first year, there has been significant progress.

Economic Growth

  • Transport improvements: Edinburgh Park Station, 29 new trains, £18 million to improve bus services.

  • Fresh Talent project tackling population decline.

  • Scottish reform of the Common Agricultural Policy.

  • Significant increase in funding for tourism marketing and streamlining of Scotland's tourism organisations.

  • Maintaining Scotland's advantage through record funding for Higher Education Institutions.

  • Doubled the Scottish Co-Investment Fund to help small and growing businesses.

  • Establishment of Intermediary Technology Institutes in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Dundee.

  • Better access for businesses - support for 20 new destinations through the Route Development Fund.

Safer Communities

  • Introduced the Anti-Social Behaviour Bill which will help build safer, stronger communities.

  • Legislated to protect vulnerable witnesses.

  • Dramatically fewer households living in fuel poverty.

  • Introduced a decent homes standard.

  • Established a Sentencing Commission to ensure consistency of sentencing and new bail procedures.

  • Worked to reform the criminal justice system by consulting on recommendations of McInnes Committee to improve service in the lower courts.

  • High Court delays and inefficiencies tackled and victims supported with the Criminal Procedure Bill.

  • Consulting on plans to tackle high re-offending rates.

  • Funded local authorities to introduce 20mph speed limits around schools.

  • Published the National Planning Framework and consultation on improving the planning system.

Arts and Culture

  • Commission set up to review the cultural sector.

  • Supported a National Theatre for Scotland.

  • Worked to established Scotland as a world class events destination with EventScotland.

Public Services

  • Removing bureaucracy, increasing efficiency and reforming health services with the NHS Reform Bill.

  • Introduced and achieved waiting times guarantees:

  • No patient with a guarantee waiting over 9 months for in-patient/daycase treatment, or over 24 weeks for cardiac revascularisation.

  • Increased NHS capacity - over 13,000 procedures undertaken at the Golden Jubilee Hospital.

  • Introduced and funded new GP contracts to allow expansion of primary care services.

  • Record increase in NHS workforce, more consultants, more doctors in training and the largest increase in the number of nurses for over 20 years.

  • Established UK's first dedicated male cancer clinic.

  • Tackling discipline through a range of measures including new exclusion guidelines, behaviour co-ordinators and piloting restorative justice in schools.

  • Increasing vocational opportunities through the £40 million enterprise in education strategy and changes to schools and colleges, to create a "can do, will do" culture amongst our young people.

  • Providing pupils with more choice - reviewing the curriculum, making it more relevant to every pupil and more opportunities to develop wider skills.

  • Introduced a new Children's Charter and established a Children's Commissioner.

  • Boosted the chances of less well-off young people to stay at school by rolling out the Educational Maintenance Allowance across Scotland.

Environment

  • Nature Conservation Bill to safeguard Scotland's natural environment.

  • Set up a Strategic Waste Fund, to help local authorities put in place the infrastructure to transform Scotland's record on recycling municipal waste.

  • Announced consultation on our plans for protecting Scotland's coastline and marine environment.

  • Consulting on environmental conditions we expect farmers to meet to receive support through the CAP.

Petition Vote Elections Lobby Ministers MSPs Give Views Online Fora Consultations Cross Party Groups

Current Consultations

Scottish Parliament on-line fora - www.communitypeople.net/interactive/

Scottish Executive on-line fora - www.scotland.gov.uk/views/forums.asp

Scottish Parliament Committees currently calling for evidence / Bills in Progress - see www.scottish.parliament.uk

Scottish Executive Consultations - see www.scotland.gov.uk/views/views.asp

Forthcoming Consultations

Electronic Communications Act 2000: Certificates under Section 85(5A) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (Summer 2004);
Water Services: Principles of Charging (Summer 2004);
Smoking in Public Places Consultation (Spring 2004);
Sustainable Development Guidance for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) (Autumn 2004);
The Need for a Professional Body for FE (launch Spring 2004);
Draft Charities (Scotland) Bill (Spring 2004);
Investing in Water Services 2006-2014 (Quality & Standards III) (Summer 2004)

Council Not Good Enough

"The HMI report highlights serious flaws in Falkirk Council's Education Service. These are not problems in schools' delivery of the service. These are problems at the top. When the majority of indicators are judged only fair, that is simply not good enough.

"The report criticises the lack of leadership and poor communication within the service. Why have those in political control allowed this situation to develop? Must they not also be guilty of poor communication, leadership and scrutiny?

"The report goes some way to answering this question. It notes that `the Education and Leisure Committee in particular did not always provide a clear enough lead for officers…' and that `the Council and ESMT needed to provide stronger leadership and give clearer direction to Education Services.' "

"The report also highlights the Council's lack of focus, and the inadequate advice, procedures, timescale and monitoring for implementing policies. All but one secondary head backed this criticism.

"Another complaint has been the poor access to information and the time taken to respond to enquiries. I can personally corroborate that criticism.

"The buck stops with the elected members. The Council has two months to decide what they are going to do about the problems, and a year before HMI come back to assess progress. The Council needs to ensure that it properly - and inclusively - scrutinises what is happening. All elected members, and the public they represent, need access to information, and the opportunity to input to policy and practice. If providing more support to staff and a better service to the public means reform of the Council's structure, then so be it."

BP Sell Olefins & Derivatives

"A great deal of uncertainty surrounds the plan for O&D to become a separate company," said Cathy Peattie MSP.

"This could have major consequences, not only for Grangemouth and surrounding areas, but for Scotland as a whole. I'm sure that the Scottish Executive will be very concerned about this development.

"The announcement was made against a backdrop of record profits, so it's good news for shareholders; but coming in the wake of a restructuring that entailed hundreds of job losses, it's a kick in the teeth for the workforce.

"Fears about job security, pensions and so on must be addressed by BP as soon as possible _ if reassurances cannot be given regarding the new company, then it is reasonable to conclude that the whole scheme is a derivative of corporate greed and cynicism."

Since the announcement, Cathy and colleague Michael Connarty have met trade union and company representatives, and Cathy has raised the issue in the Scottish Parliament, and organised a meeting with unions and the Scottish Executive.

Business in Parliament

Stephen Barr joined other business people to take a seat in the Scottish Parliament, taking part in a major conference bringing together the nation's politicians with the people driving Scotland's economy. The conference, a unique partnership event organised jointly by the Parliament and the Scottish Executive, was designed to engage business people in the political process, to listen to the views of business and to focus on key actions for Scottish economic growth.

Every MSP was invited to nominate a constituent to take part in Business in the Parliament, including a chance to question Ministers in the chamber.

"This was a very valuable exercise," said Stephen, who is the Managing Director of the local leisure property & marketing company, the Mariner Group, "and I am grateful to Cathy Peattie for this unique opportunity to tell the First Minister, the Scottish Executive and Parliament about the problems that small businesses face, and how the development agencies can best help us to grow.

"We need entrepreneurs in business and in government, and both central and local government need to engage more effectively with business people. I am pleased that this is now happening. This conference was a chance to push the process into a higher gear.

"Getting the right conditions in place to see our economy thrive is a shared responsibility," said Cathy. "Businesses, MSPs and Ministers need to work together to create a successful economy"

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