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Prison Officers Association
11. Mr. McKelvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to meet representatives of the Prison Officers Association to discuss working conditions and future employment prospects. [34181]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: My right hon. Friend has asked to meet the Scottish Prison Officers Association, and will do so on 19 July.
Mr. McKelvey: When the Minister meets Scottish prison officers, will he discuss the proposed private prison in Bowhouse in my constituency? I welcome that proposal, but I do not welcome the fact that the prison will be run privately. Has the right hon. Gentleman seen the Coopers and Lybrand report, which was commissioned by the Home Office and which clearly shows the appalling level of violence in private prisons in England? In one such private prison, there were 34 per cent. more assaults than in a comparable non-private prison. Will he have second thoughts about the prison being run privately, and put it into the hands of Scottish prison officers instead?
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The hon. Gentleman can take it that we will ensure, through the specification, the highest standards of service in the new prison, which, as he will appreciate, will bring hundreds of jobs to his constituency--not only construction jobs but long-term jobs for the staff who will operate it. We expect that the private sector provider will recruit most of its staff in the local area. As for track records elsewhere in Britain, inspectors' reports have confirmed that private management of prisons can work well, with considerable savings to the taxpayer. None the less, the hon. Gentleman's point will be taken seriously, and we shall ensure that there are safeguards against any possibility of abuse.
Mr. Batiste: Is my right hon. Friend aware that the Home Office is considering introducing a medal for prison officers to recognise exceptional bravery in the course of their work, rather similar to the police medal for exceptional bravery by police officers? Will he commit the Scottish Office to supporting that initiative?
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Most certainly. I am glad to say that the Secretary of State has supported the initiative. As one who has a prison in his constituency, I have the highest regard for prison officers, who are extremely courageous in the face of adversity. The proposal is altogether wise and far-sighted.
Mr. O'Neill: I join other Members in thanking Ministers for the manner in which they handled the reception of the people from Dunblane and the Snowdrop petitioners today. They would like to see a tightening of the punishments for individuals who seek to use guns for any criminal purpose in Scotland. It should not be forgotten that, when such individuals are incarcerated, they will be in the hands of the prison officers of our country, whose morale has been dashed by the arbitrary withdrawal of parole and the like. Their job is becoming even more difficult, and there is a crisis not only of pay and conditions but of morale. The Minister must do something about that if he is to play fair by those men, who have one of the most unpleasant and difficult jobs in our country.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The hon. Gentleman is correct to call for severity for offences involving firearms, and the Scottish Prison Service certainly should be strongly supported. He should not complain too much if remission for dangerous criminals is reduced in the future, as we believe that that is not an automatic right but a privilege to be earned by good behaviour. If dangerous criminals spend longer in prison as a result, there will be fewer of them in the community.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise Area
12. Mrs. Ray Michie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the economic prospects of the Highlands and Islands enterprise area. [34182]
Mr. Kynoch: They remain excellent.
Mrs. Michie: Will the Minister confirm that the Scottish Office has at last made a decision on introducing a ferry service between Campbeltown and Ballycastle? Who is to operate the service, what vessel will be used and what is the starting date? Will the Minister give as full an answer as possible? Otherwise, I may entertain the slightest suspicion that the Secretary of State will pull another rabbit out of the hat at Dumfries on Friday.
Mr. Kynoch: I am sorry to disappoint the hon. Lady, but she has been misinformed. My right hon. Friend has said consistently that he is keen to establish the route, but significant obstacles must be overcome. He is working as best he can and as fast as he can to overcome them, and I assure the hon. Lady that we will keep her informed on his progress. Unfortunately, we do not see an announcement on a conclusion being made in the next week.
Mr. Wilson: Is not the main obstacle that Ministers must overcome their quite irrational prejudice against anything operating in the public sector? Does not everyone involved in the project--which has potential benefits for my constituency--agree that the sensible thing to do is to allow Caledonian MacBrayne to operate a vessel that it owns? It has the back-up of a fleet to provide flexibility, and it will provide jobs to Scottish seamen. The firm also has all the advantages of experience. It wants to do it, but the Government are obsessed with the idea that, unless a private sector operator can be involved--even one using a Caledonian MacBrayne vessel--the project cannot go ahead.
Will the Minister play fair with the communities involved in Northern Ireland and in the highlands and islands--and, potentially, in my constituency at Ardrossan--and allow the project to go ahead? Will Ministers get rid of their ridiculous prejudice? Never mind what the Secretary of State is telling the Minister--will he answer for himself? CalMac wants to run it, and it is best placed to do so--the Government should let it do so.
Mr. Kynoch:
From the hon. Gentleman's words, it is apparent why he is no longer a transport spokesman, but perhaps that means that he can now commit his party to all sorts of expenditure proposals. The Government are adamant that we will make the right decision, and that it will be considered properly. As I said to the hon. Member for Argyll and Bute (Mrs. Michie), the Secretary of State is trying to overcome the obstacles, and he is keen to reach as speedy a conclusion as possible.
Mr. Bellingham:
Is the Minister aware that the McFadden commission's stated aim is the abolition of Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the transfer of its responsibilities to a tartan tax-raising Parliament? Does he agree that that would have a calamitous effect on the highlands and islands?
Mr. Kynoch:
I agree with my hon. Friend. Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise have done a remarkably good job for economic development in Scotland. I hope very much that they will continue to do so, and that they will have the full support of the Government.
13. Dr. Spink:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the level of revenue support for Scottish local government in the current year. [34183]
Mr. Michael Forsyth:
Local government grant support amounts to £5.4 billion in Scotland, an increase of 3.6 per cent.
Dr. Spink:
Will my right hon. Friend confirm that Government spending on local government in Scotland is 43 per cent. above expenditure for England? Could that spending be sustained if Scotland had its own tax-raising Parliament? If not, how could that Parliament possibly cut taxes? Would not taxes have to increase, with the result that people north of the border would take home less than people south of the border?
Mr. Forsyth:
I entirely agree with my hon. Friend. Local authority expenditure in Scotland is 44 per cent. higher per head than in England. It is difficult to see how the Leader of the Opposition can go around Scotland suggesting that a tax-raising parliament could reduce taxes. That presupposes that Members of this House will continue to vote for 44 per cent. more in spending for Scottish local authorities than for authorities in their own constituencies, and then sit back and watch the parliament cut taxes. That is not the real world. Labour would endanger local authority expenditure and other public services by setting up a Scottish parliament with tax-raising powers. That parliament would lead to resentment on both sides of the border, which would destroy the Union that is the United Kingdom.
Dr. Reid:
Would not those who devote their time and effort to local government in Scotland like nothing better than to have a parliament with which they can work,
Mr. Forsyth:
The hon. Gentleman is normally a sensible chap. How on earth did he get himself into a party that is prepared to give up the office of Secretary of State, to allow a reduction in the number of Members of Parliament here and to allow hard-working Scots to pay a tartan tax and take home smaller pay packets than people in England? How on earth can he call himself a Unionist and still be involved with that rabble?
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