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Housing
5. Mr. Michael Connarty (Falkirk, East): If he will make a statement on the development of new housing partnerships in Scotland. [65829]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. Calum Macdonald): In the next three years, £278 million is being made available to develop and support new housing partnerships. The bids are being assessed by an advisory group that includes representatives from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, Scottish Homes, the Chartered Institute of Housing and the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations Ltd. From 1 July 1999, that will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Mr. Connarty: I commend my hon. Friend for the enthusiastic and imaginative way in which he has approached new partnerships in housing. I recognise that the community housing trusts will offer financial benefits to councils with high capital debts outstanding. However, will my hon. Friend ensure that councils which do not want to go down the community housing trust road because they do not have high capital debts outstanding on their housing, will not be penalised in any way because they lack the capital that they need to deal with their housing problems?
In a spirit of partnership, will my hon. Friend ensure that ballots for community housing trusts are not rigged, as Scottish Homes ballots were, and that the housing is transferred only when a majority of those balloted vote for such a transfer?
Mr. Macdonald:
I can certainly give my hon. Friend the guarantees that he seeks about ballots and tenants' rights. As part of the transfer to community ownership, it is important for tenants to arrange guarantees, for example, on future rent increases and other aspects of the tenancy that they might want to retain. It is important to realise that no transfer is likely to take place in any council for two or three years. Therefore, tenants will have a long time to study any proposals. There is no question of penalising local authorities that do not want to participate.
Mr. Andrew Welsh (Angus):
Instead of the Minister giving more than £1 million to Glasgow city council for
Mr. Macdonald:
Glasgow is pursuing a project which, if it succeeds, will directly empower tenants, contribute to community regeneration and bring additional money into housing to improve it. Every time the hon. Gentleman and the Scottish National party use language such as "privatisation" or "profiteering", they alienate not merely tenants who are thinking about going ahead with such projects, but the many who are already involved in housing associations and tenants' co-operatives, who are certainly not privatised or profiteering in the way that he describes. He should also check on SNP party policy on the subject. This weekend, when reading Inside Housing, I noted that the party's housing spokeswoman, Fiona Hyslop, said that, for the SNP,
Mr. David Marshall (Glasgow, Shettleston):
Unlike the hon. Member for Angus (Mr. Welsh), I want housing standards in Glasgow to improve. I am grateful to the Minister for having taken the trouble to visit substandard and poor housing in my constituency last year. Does he agree that one legacy of the Tory Government was the large amount of BTS--below tolerable standard--housing, mainly that owned or factored by private landlords? That is unacceptable. Will he consider extending housing partnerships to include BTS housing in areas such as Govan Hill and other parts of my constituency, and to any part of Scotland where such poor quality housing still exists?
Mr. Macdonald:
Local authorities are working hard to tackle the level of BTS housing. We will always assist them with such projects. On new housing partnerships, we are primarily targeting the tenanted sector, because much deterioration and neglect occurred there under the previous Government over 18 years.
Sir Robert Smith (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine):
Will the Minister review the regulations that apply to partnerships? Will he ensure that, in his desire to put tenants first and let them have first say, where they are happy to maintain the local authority as landlord, there will be no distortions in funding or any temptation to go against the wishes of the tenants?
Mr. Macdonald:
I repeat that no community transfer is likely until after two or three years of study of the proposals, not only by local authorities but by tenants. They can look hard at the package offered. Only at the end of that process will they be invited to vote on it. That provides a secure guarantee for tenants.
6. Mr. Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh, North and Leith):
When he will issue guidelines for local health care co-operatives. [65831]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. Sam Galbraith):
I intend to issue broad guidance for local health care co-operatives this month. From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Mr. Chisholm:
I welcome the fact that the Minister has changed his mind in the week since I raised the matter in the Scottish Grand Committee. Will he ensure that social work will be fully involved in local health care co-operatives, that nursing advice and representation will be guaranteed, and that there will be a significant role for members of the wider public? Will the co-operatives be dealt with in the forthcoming health Bill? When does he expect the Bill to be published? Is he sure that this last ever United Kingdom health Bill will pass through this House before health matters pass to the Scottish Parliament?
Mr. Galbraith:
The purpose of local health care co-operatives is to ensure that everyone involved in the delivery of care across the spectrum is involved. That is the intention, and that is what they will deliver. There is no need to have them in the health Bill because they are not statutory bodies.
Mr. Desmond Swayne (New Forest, West):
Can the Minister confirm that the cost of setting up the new primary care trusts is broadly equivalent to the cost of supplying 150 full-time, fully qualified nurses?
Mr. Galbraith:
I think that the hon. Gentleman has heard earlier questions from his Front-Bench colleagues and is trying to get some drift on bureaucratic costs. I repeat that reducing the number of trusts in Scotland has saved us £18 million; over the life of the Government, reducing bureaucracy set up by his Government will save the people of Scotland £100 million, all of which can be directly put into nurses, doctors and patient care.
7. Ms Sandra Osborne (Ayr):
If he will make a statement about the actions the Government are taking to protect the victims of domestic violence and abuse. [65832]
The Minister for Education, Scottish Office (Mrs. Helen Liddell):
The campaign against domestic violence is a priority for the Government. We have established a Scottish partnership on domestic violence to report with a detailed work plan and timetable by 31 March this year. We have also embarked on a consultation exercise on preventing violence against women; a proposed action plan is intended as part of that consultation. At Christmas, a new advertising campaign was launched, aimed at raising awareness and changing attitudes. It will roll out over the next three years. From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Ms Osborne:
I welcome the priority that the Government give to domestic violence. Will the Minister join me in condemning the actions of the former divisional commander of Kilmarnock police, who ordered the release of a man who had been charged with assaulting his wife, because that man was a family friend? Does she
Mrs. Liddell:
I share my hon. Friend's concern about the incident that was reported in the newspapers over Christmas. I know that the chief constable of Strathclyde has dealt with that matter. May I draw to my hon. Friend's attention the way in which the media covered that case? It was done in a sensible and responsible manner and the media concentrated their attention on the negative impact of domestic violence on the well-being of families in Scotland. I pay tribute to the media organisations in Scotland that have signed up to the campaign against domestic violence. It will take time to change attitudes, but it will be helpful to have the support of the community and of the media not only in news columns, but throughout.
As for the resources required to deal with domestic violence, our prime concern must be for the plight of the victims of such violence. So far, the Scottish Office has provided £200,000 to Scottish Women's Aid, the umbrella organisation for local women's groups. That includes more than £83,000 for work on developing refuge and permanent rehousing options for abused women who would otherwise be homeless. More than £111,000 has been devoted to social welfare aspects of the work of Scottish Women's Aid, and £25,000 has been provided for training. Over and above that, considerable expenditure has been incurred by the police, the justice system, the health service and others who deal with the consequences of domestic violence.
Mr. Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh and Berwickshire):
I acknowledge and welcome the announcement that the Minister has made about the work that is being done. Does she acknowledge that when I did divorce work as a solicitor, I found that the best way of preventing domestic violence was often to have a refuge place available to which the family could be taken in an emergency? The hon. Member for Ayr (Ms Osborne) is right that the provision of such refuges is still inadequate. Can the Minister give the House a commitment to do all in her power not merely to make available £73,000, but to work with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the voluntary sector to establish proper provision of refuges throughout Scotland?
Mrs. Liddell:
I share the hon. Gentleman's concern on these matters. I have pointed out that £200,000 has been given to Scottish Women's Aid. Yes, the issue of refuges is serious, but we want to move to a situation in which domestic violence is so abhorrent in our society that we no longer have need of such refuges. Those in the hon. Gentleman's profession who deal with women from differing social classes also acknowledge that there has to be a multiplicity of routes to assistance for families and women who are the victims of domestic abuse.
Dr. Norman A. Godman (Greenock and Inverclyde):
I welcome the initiative that my hon. Friend has just mentioned. May I remind her that young victims of
Mrs. Liddell:
My hon. Friend the Minister for Home Affairs and Devolution is currently looking at that matter. It is an issue that many who are concerned about domestic abuse take very much into account.
Mr. John Bercow (Buckingham):
Given the importance of tackling domestic violence and abuse, on which there is unanimity in the House, can the Minister explain to us this afternoon why Victim Support (Scotland) has suffered a decrease in its budget despite an increase of 300 per cent. in requests for its assistance?
Mrs. Liddell:
That is simply not true. I will make that point when I visit Victim Support (Scotland) on Thursday morning, accompanying the Princess Royal.
"stock transfer is not ruled out."
There appears to be quite a lot of confusion on SNP policy. The hon. Gentleman would do best to try to sort that out.
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