Donald Dewar: Although I do not want to trouble the chamber with a history lesson—or a constitutional lesson—I am genuinely astonished at Mr McLetchie's comments. He has constantly said that there should be a rebalancing of power and responsibility between the Executive and the legislature, and has always held himself up as being particularly proud of Parliament's rights. He must recognise that the...
Donald Dewar: What a very pleasant end to that question. The answer to the main point is that we have no such plans, but I confess that I, too, have been reading the questions that are advanced in the press. I notice that in referring to Jim Wallace, Mr McLetchie described him as a wee, pretending First Minister. It looks as if Mr McLetchie is determined to get back to the nursery and to march forward...
Donald Dewar: If I could find the page, it would help me to answer the question. The important point is not to have specific celebrations—although I believe that there is a genuine and important record of achievement to be celebrated—but to continue the good work that has been done over the past year. It is interesting to note that of the total of 159 commitments in the programme for government, 37...
Donald Dewar: Yes. I remember well the proposition that the partnership would founder on the rock of student finance. We have put in place a scheme that will increase support for students in higher education in Scotland by around £50 million year on year and, most important of all, will give a heavy weighting to wider access for students from families with a limited financial background. It is important...
Donald Dewar: It is nice to hear the voice of one of the factions within the SNP—the very distinctive voice of Alex Neil. I really welcome it. I remind him, because I know that he will want to consider this point, that as his own financial spokesman, Sir Andrew Wilson—[MEMBERS: "It is not Sir Andrew."] I am sorry. I hasten to reassure John Swinney that he is not someone whom one can totally forget on...
Donald Dewar: We are keeping a careful eye on the situation and we recognise the relevance of that point and the problem that we face. To put the matter into something of a context, however, the average water charge in England and Wales in this financial year is £219; it is £189 in Scotland. However we organise the industry, the one inalienable, inescapable fact is that we will have to spend around £1.6...
Donald Dewar: I perhaps regret giving those figures in my initial answer instead of waiting for the second shot, but I have the advantage of being able to repeat them. Self-evidently, someone in the lowest council tax band will be paying half the charge paid by those at the upper end of the banding scale, so there is a substantial differential. By and large, better-off people live in high-band housing and...
Donald Dewar: I have already explained to Richard Lochhead that we have a graded system of charging. I can also point him to a large number of things that we are doing, at both the Westminster and Scottish Executive level, to help people at the bottom end of the income scale. Indeed, this cannot be taken in isolation, and I could cite a whole range of measures, including the £150 heating allowance for...
Donald Dewar: I take this opportunity to say that I have every sympathy with those affected by the recent flooding. Scottish ministers continue to give a high priority to flood prevention. I acknowledge the role that councils and the emergency services played in helping those worst affected by the extreme weather over recent times. Reinstatement of damaged property and other losses incurred are matters for...
Donald Dewar: I have sympathy with the need for proper planning. I will, however, say that we were dealing with quite extraordinary circumstances, even if only over a short period. Kinloss experienced 67 hours of continuous rain. That must be some sort of unenviable world record. Clearly, Kinloss was crying about something—I look for further information to its representative in Parliament. The rain...
Donald Dewar: Funnily enough, the provost of Edinburgh did not mention that imminent event when we had dinner last night. Obviously, we will apply the relevant rules and consider any application that comes to us fairly, equitably and with sympathy. However, the rules will be the rules.
Donald Dewar: The Executive is making excellent progress in achieving its priorities as set out in its programme for action, Making It Work Together: A Programme for Government . Only 1 of the 37 Programme for Government commitments due to be in place by May 2000 remains outstanding. A further four commitments not yet due for implementation have also been delivered.
Donald Dewar: I am quite glad to be back, too. I am delighted to be able to agree with something that the honourable gentleman has said. I meant to say Alex Salmond—I am reverting to a past life. He will not be surprised to hear that we discussed many interesting things at the Cabinet meeting, but that I cannot tell him any more than that.
Donald Dewar: I accept that this is a Parliament with a much more open approach to legislative opportunity; that is already becoming apparent. I cannot say that on occasion that does not give members of the Executive sleepless nights. There are many joys, as well as irritations, in this dream. However, that approach is in place, we support it and we have always been protective of it. There is undoubtedly a...
Donald Dewar: I thank Annabel Goldie very much. I am very glad to have her good wishes; however, I do not want to make a habit of receiving good wishes on this basis. In any case, general rudeness should not be taken as rough wooing. I last met the Prime Minister in Cardiff on 7 April at the joint ministerial committee on health. I speak regularly to him on the telephone, of course, but the specific...
Donald Dewar: A bad case of one hand clapping, I think. Of course I sympathise with Annabel Goldie's comments about crime; an increase in recorded crime figures is always a matter of concern. This year's increase over last year's figures was 1 per cent, which is fortunately a lower rate of increase than last year. About 14,700 policemen are currently in service, which is historically a high number. As Miss...
Donald Dewar: Those dispositions are available to the courts and it is important that courts consider such orders in suitable cases. However, apart from encouraging courts to do that, the most important thing that any Executive can do is to ensure that there are places to take up and that resources and expertise are available. It is particularly unattractive to consider such a recommendation and then...
Donald Dewar: It would be fair to say that that is a well-timed question. I know that Scott Barrie will have been as delighted as I was by the announcement the other day that Motorola is making its largest investment in Europe—an investment of some £1.3 billion—in the former Hyundai site outside Dunfermline to create a state-of-the-art semi-conductor facility, which will employ up to 1,350 people. The...
Donald Dewar: I have no difficulty in agreeing with Scott Barrie, but this is a matter in which everyone can take some satisfaction. I know from personal experience how hard my department and Locate in Scotland worked and the extent of the positive willingness on the part of the two major electronics companies to reach an agreement and this happy solution. That is not the only good story in Fife. I was...
Donald Dewar: The assisted areas map is a reserved matter, but it is one in which we have an interest and it is a fair point to put to me. I make no complaint about the matter being raised. The Secretary of State for Scotland and I regularly discuss issues affecting development. The negotiations on the assisted areas map with the Commission have been a long, difficult and drawn-out process. We will...
