Margaret Curran: In the preparation for, and work around, the cabinet secretary's statement, were the needs of schools in Glasgow, especially in the east end, discussed? What proportion of the new funding will go to Glasgow? Did the cabinet secretary's department undertake modelling to indicate the likely geographical distribution of the new schools to which she is committed? Finally, can she provide the...
Margaret Curran: Further to the cabinet secretary's previous answer to Jamie McGrigor, can she reflect on the work of Govan Law Centre? She clearly values the work of people who have experience on the front line; it is fair to say that everyone in the chamber would acknowledge that Govan Law Centre has substantial experience of working in the front line. The evidence in the centre's survey is disturbing in...
Margaret Curran: Today's statement is welcome but it has been met with great disappointment. When Labour and the Lib Dems were in power, we delivered one school a week. In the timeframe that the minister has announced today, it looks like eight a year, although Mike Rumbles might be right and it might be worse than that. My constituents have seen new school building in their communities come to a halt....
Margaret Curran: I concur with other members on the significance of this legislation but, notwithstanding Robert Brown's very important comments about the bill's breadth, I will focus on the issue of rape. The bill represents another step in our many efforts over the lifetime of the Parliament to tackle the appalling levels of conviction for reported rape. It is indeed distressing that Scotland has the lowest...
Margaret Curran: Amendment 1 is an important amendment that seeks to close a significant loophole in the bill. I express my thanks to Central Scotland Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre, Scottish Women's Aid and the Equality and Human Rights Commission for their guidance and support towards the lodging of amendment 1. It is important to remember the context in which I lodged amendment 1. Scotland's...
Margaret Curran: I do not know whether it will be an achievement or a disaster if I persuade Bill Aitken to agree to the amendment, but I will give it a go anyway. I thank members for their comments on the amendment. I should have said during my opening remarks that I pay tribute to the Justice Committee, the Government and all who have been involved with the bill. The process has been very thorough, and it...
Margaret Curran: As I understand it, the Crown will still have to prove that free consent is not there. What my amendment does is disallow a defence of prior consent. I hope that that clarifies the matter. Amendment 1 agreed to.
Margaret Curran: Who will be specifically targeted to benefit from those places? Will the minister outline a timetable for me and other Glasgow MSPs? Can we have an indication of that as quickly as possible?
Margaret Curran: To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers the benefits to be of vitamin D in the prevention of multiple sclerosis.
Margaret Curran: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the Shine on Scotland campaign for vitamin D to be provided to children and pregnant women in order to prevent the development of multiple sclerosis.
Margaret Curran: I was invited by Bill Aitken to participate in a more consensual approach to the debate—which comes naturally to me, as members know—but having heard Trish Marwick I will just continue with business as usual. Her speech was shamelessly partisan and completely misrepresented the past, to which I will refer later. I do not wish to add to Kenny MacAskill's woes this week, but I will press...
Margaret Curran: Let me be clear: I am not implying any ill intent on the part of the Scottish Government; my argument is that the Government is spreading the money so thinly across the whole of Scotland that it is not focused appropriately. I have had representations about the announcement that the Government made in the east end of Glasgow, and the people I work with are deeply frustrated: they see all the...
Margaret Curran: I need to press on, if the member does not mind. I will pull the argument together. We cannot afford to allow the funding to be allocated on too broad a basis, in which case it might lose its impact. Bill Aitken was right: there needs to be a coherent link between the resources that are seized and the resources that are spent. I honestly think that the Government's approach means that we are...
Margaret Curran: I obviously welcome the announcements that the minister is making about investment in sports and other activities for young people. However, will he explain to Parliament what is distinctive about cashback for communities? The money comes from crime, but how does the cabinet secretary distinguish it from general funding that the Scottish Government should be providing for the activities that...
Margaret Curran: To ask the Scottish Executive what support is available from the Scottish judiciary for victims who give evidence in court. (S3O-7100)
Margaret Curran: I assume that the cabinet secretary is aware of the deep frustration of many victims who, despite the reforms that he mentions, believe that, fundamentally, the court system does not work in their interests. In light of that, will the Scottish Government support my colleague David Stewart's proposal for the establishment of a victims commissioner?
Margaret Curran: To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the Cabinet Secretary for Justice's decision not to proceed with plans for a pilot community court in the east end of Glasgow and the vote on motion S3M-4065 on 7 May 2009, what plans it has to implement fair, fast and flexible justice for the people of Glasgow. (S3O-6996)
Margaret Curran: As Kenny MacAskill will surely be aware, the decision to abandon the community court in the east end of Glasgow undermines his credibility in delivering that effective criminal justice system in Scotland. Will he explain why SNP parliamentarians at Westminster are demanding that the Government in that place respond to the will of Parliament whereas SNP Scottish Government ministers are...
Margaret Curran: To ask the Scottish Executive how much seized from criminals in the east end of Glasgow has been added to the CashBack for Communities fund in each year since 2005.
Margaret Curran: To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the CashBack for Communities fund for 2009 has been spent on rugby and what proportion of this has been spent in the east end of Glasgow.
