John Swinburne: I do not know whether Robin Harper is advocating a continuation of the yob culture, but I am just pointing out the coincidence of the fact that, when teachers stopped belting children in school, there seemed to be a lack of discipline out in the streets, which endangers people's lives in many cases. School buildings are being thrown up all over the place under public-private partnerships or...
John Swinburne: To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact on communities and, in particular, the town centre of East Kilbride of the closure of the Princes Mall post office branch in East Kilbride shopping centre and what information it has on how long it will be closed.
John Swinburne: If a person is self-employed, they can get tax relief when they purchase a computer or a motor car, but if they cannot continue their work because they need a double hip operation—which costs £10,000—they do not get tax relief. Will the minister approach the Westminster Government on that issue?
John Swinburne: Does the bill contain any measures to tackle what I call junk mail debt? Everyone is inundated with junk mail that promises instant access to £3,000 or £5,000, which can be attractive to people who are at the bottom end of the financial scale. Will the Executive stop financial organisations from sending such mail?
John Swinburne: Would the member agree that there is a culture that to be an entrepreneur one has to be a whiz kid who has just left university? Does she agree that some of the finest entrepreneurs in Scotland are well past retiral date?
John Swinburne: To ask the Scottish Executive what timescale it has set to implement the recommendations on care in the community, set out in the Kerr report, to allow older people to remain in their own homes rather than in residential care. (S2O-9820)
John Swinburne: Does the minister agree that there will require to be a considerable increase in the provision of home helps and meals-on-wheels, nursing and ancillary staff to give proper care to all those who can and should be treated in their own home? Other disciplines, such as physiotherapy and chiropody, should also be made available. The major benefit of that would be that people would be allowed to...
John Swinburne: I am nearly finished.
John Swinburne: Does the minister agree that, in the final analysis, where required, the availability of palliative care in the home would be the final piece in the complex jigsaw of care in the community?
John Swinburne: What assurance can the minister give regarding kinship carers, given the disparity across the country from one council to another? Of the 32 councils, some do very well and pay kinship carers the same amount as is paid in a fostering allowance, while others give absolutely nothing. Can he assure me that where, with the approval of social workers, children are placed with kinship carers, those...
John Swinburne: There is no doubt that in future the Kerr report will be regarded as a turning point for the better in the long history of the NHS in Scotland. In many ways, the report is visionary and, as such, it has caused controversy and debate in many areas of the NHS. The attempts at rationalisation are probably the most contentious issue currently in the NHS in Scotland. Many people regard that...
John Swinburne: Two words that strike fear into the electorate's hearts must be "planning" and "politicians". About 60 years ago, a team of visionary experts was drawn together and challenged to create a completely new town to revitalise the economy of Scotland's central belt in the East Kilbride area. I am not a believer in quangos myself, but the East Kilbride Development Corporation stands as an example...
John Swinburne: In East Kilbride, as I have said, we had a team of visionary experts. I am afraid that those working on Cumbernauld must have got drawn from the bottom of the pack. East Kilbride turned out to be the best new town in the United Kingdom. It was superb, and a beautiful place to bring up children. The whole concept was ideally realised. Cumbernauld and various other new towns that sprang up were...
John Swinburne: Will the member give way?
John Swinburne: Today's debate is aptly named "Council Tax and Pensioner Poverty". The council tax is not the cause of pensioner poverty; the blame for that lies firmly at the door of 11 Downing Street. The golden boy, Gordon Brown, and all his predecessors at 11 Downing Street have combined for about 60 years—since the end of second world war—to treat with indifference and disdain the financial problems...
John Swinburne: Will the member give way?
John Swinburne: On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I find it appalling that, despite lodging an amendment to this very good motion, my party and I have not had it selected for debate. Other parties have had their amendments selected. We have 100 per cent attendance in the chamber today, whereas only three Labour members, two Lib Dems and two Conservatives are present.
John Swinburne: My party represents solely senior citizens, but it is continually ignored when it lodges amendments. Presiding Officer, will you look into the problem and rectify it in future?
John Swinburne: To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what steps it is taking to eliminate discrimination in the Parliament. (S2O-9908)
John Swinburne: What steps is the SPCB taking to eliminate the blatant ageism that is currently condoned in this establishment, given the discrimination against those who are more than 75 years old?