Fiona McLeod: Given the millions of pounds of public money and the intense public interest in Hampden, does the minister really still believe that it is best practice for the Government to continue to negotiate Hampden's future behind closed doors? As recently as yesterday, such a meeting was held with the interim managers, and it continues to be the Executive's position as restated by the minister today....
Fiona McLeod: Many of us in the chamber signed up for the children's promise and gave our pay from the final hour of 1999 to recognised children's charities. I hope that the Parliament's millennium promise is for Scotland to cherish all her children. The tone and the content of today's debate sends out that message loud and clear. The Scottish National party supports the Government in its work to help...
Fiona McLeod: This debate is about rights and young people. The equalisation of the age of consent is an essential right for young men in a civilised society, and I am sure all members of the Scottish Parliament want to believe that we live in a civilised society. Equalisation of the age of consent is long-held SNP policy. It is, perhaps, worth revisiting some of the reasons why it is required. The debate...
Fiona McLeod: I am pleased to follow a number of members who have highlighted the problems of drug misuse among young people. I was pleased to read in the Executive's document "Action in Partnership": "There are, of course, inextricable links between drug misuse, smoking and alcohol misuse. Tobacco and alcohol use often provide a gateway into illicit drug use." I am glad that this Parliament and the...
Fiona McLeod: I will speak about children's health. I am disappointed that I, as the last speaker from the floor, am the first to raise that issue. I should have thought that the minister, in her opening speech, would have wanted to talk about health and services for our future. She also failed to mention children's health services in her introduction to her first annual report, "Making it work together"....
Fiona McLeod: That is exactly the point that I was making. Dental health is affected by diet and nutrition, but dentists will explain that the problem is also one of poverty. The way in which we fund the service is another issue. If we fund dentists through payment for treatment rather than for prevention, the dental service will continue to treat the caries rather than prevent their occurrence. Recently,...
Fiona McLeod: I join other members in congratulating Elaine Smith on securing this debate. I want to raise an issue that is of particular relevance to article 32 and I have questions for the minister. As Cathy Jamieson said, it is horrendous that young children are out working when they should not be, with no protection at all. Cathy said that this is a difficult issue to tackle; there is an EC directive...
Fiona McLeod: I am concerned by the minister's answer. Young people have a lot to offer us and I would like young people to be included on the list of people whom the Executive is trying to bring on board. We do not have young people on quangos and we must put them on the list to encourage them to apply for public appointment.
Fiona McLeod: rose—
Fiona McLeod: We have spent a lot of time listening to members trying to define the knowledge economy and talking about the digital divide in Scotland. To make progress on those issues, we have to create a knowledge society. From that will flow the knowledge economy and everything that follows from it. I must reiterate John Swinney's comments about the lack of coherence and integration in the Government's...
Fiona McLeod: To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is issued to local health boards and health Trust boards on filling board vacancies and whether a standard application form for board membership is used by all health boards and Trusts.
Fiona McLeod: To ask the Scottish Executive what funds have been allocated to the Millennium Volunteers programme since its launch, how long the programme will continue and with what funding, and what organisations have received grants through the programme and for what purpose.
Fiona McLeod: To ask the Scottish Executive how local people can apply to become members of their local health board or local Health Trust Board and what measures it is taking to monitor how accessible the application process is to local people.
Fiona McLeod: To ask the Scottish Executive whether age restrictions apply to membership of non-departmental public bodies and, if so, what age restrictions apply to which bodies.
Fiona McLeod: rose—
Fiona McLeod: To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is in place regarding the treatment of young people (a) under 16 years and (b) 17-21 years who are asked to give evidence in court proceedings.
Fiona McLeod: To ask the Scottish Executive how many children under the age of 16 were held overnight in police cells (a) for less than 24 hours and (b) for more than 24 hours in each police force area in (i) 1997, (ii) 1998 and (iii) 1999.
Fiona McLeod: Does the Scottish Executive intend to review and reform planning law during this Parliament? In particular, will a right of appeal be introduced for individuals and local communities that make representations on a particular planning application?
Fiona McLeod: To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Football Task Force will issue its report; whether the report will be made available to members of the Scottish Parliament and whether it will make a statement in response to the task force’s recommendations.
Fiona McLeod: To ask the Scottish Executive to provide details of the membership and remit of the Football Partnership; how the Scottish Executive’s contribution of £1 million will be spent and how that expenditure will be monitored.
