MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT Thursday 3 April 2014 Session 4 © Parliamentary copyright. Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body Information on the Scottish Parliament’s copyright policy can be found on the website - www.scottish.parliament.uk or by contacting Public Information on 0131 348 5000 Thursday 3 April 2014 CONTENTS Col. GENERAL QUESTION TIME .......................................................................................................................... 29783 Child Poverty ........................................................................................................................................ 29783 Student Accommodation (Impact on Communities) ............................................................................. 29784 Fixed-odds Betting Terminals ............................................................................................................... 29784 Software Engineering (Skills Support) .................................................................................................. 29785 Rail Freight ........................................................................................................................................... 29786 Cycle Infrastructure (Community Links Programme) ........................................................................... 29787 School Closures.................................................................................................................................... 29788 Bowel Screening Awareness ................................................................................................................ 29789 Asbestos in Workplaces ....................................................................................................................... 29790 FIRST MINISTER’S QUESTION TIME ............................................................................................................. 29792 Engagements ........................................................................................................................................ 29792 Secretary of State for Scotland (Meetings) .......................................................................................... 29797 Cabinet (Meetings) ............................................................................................................................... 29800 Trident ................................................................................................................................................... 29801 “An overview of local government in Scotland 2014” ........................................................................... 29803 Police Scotland (Public Accountability) ................................................................................................ 29804 LOCAL COURTS ......................................................................................................................................... 29806 Motion debated—[Jim Hume]. Jim Hume (South Scotland) (LD) .......................................................................................................... 29806 Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab) ............................................................................................. 29809 Christine Grahame (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) ........................................ 29810 John Lamont (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) ................................................................... 29812 Elaine Murray (Dumfriesshire) (Lab) .................................................................................................... 29813 The Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs (Roseanna Cunningham) ................................ 29815 DEFECTIVE AND DANGEROUS BUILDINGS (RECOVERY OF EXPENSES) (SCOTLAND) BILL: STAGE 1 ............................................................................. 29818 Motion moved—[David Stewart]. David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) ....................................................................................... 29818 Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) ............................................................................................. 29822 The Minister for Local Government and Planning (Derek Mackay) ..................................................... 29824 Sarah Boyack (Lothian) (Lab) ............................................................................................................... 29826 Cameron Buchanan (Lothian) (Con) .................................................................................................... 29828 John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP) ................................................................................................. 29830 Cameron Buchanan .............................................................................................................................. 29832 Mary Fee (West Scotland) (Lab) .......................................................................................................... 29833 Derek Mackay ....................................................................................................................................... 29835 David Stewart ....................................................................................................................................... 29837 DEVELOPING SKILLS FOR SCOTLAND’S DIGITAL ECONOMY ......................................................................... 29841 Motion moved—[Angela Constance]. Amendment moved—[Jenny Marra]. The Minister for Youth Employment (Angela Constance) .................................................................... 29841 Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) ............................................................................................. 29845 Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con) ....................................................................................... 29847 Gordon MacDonald (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) ............................................................................... 29849 James Kelly (Rutherglen) (Lab) ............................................................................................................ 29850 Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) .............................................................................. 29852 Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD) ................................................................................................... 29853 Clare Adamson (Central Scotland) (SNP) ............................................................................................ 29855 Hanzala Malik (Glasgow) (Lab) ............................................................................................................ 29857 Bruce Crawford (Stirling) (SNP) ........................................................................................................... 29858 Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) ......................................................................................... 29859 Fiona McLeod (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) .............................................................................. 29861 Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green) ........................................................................................................ 29862 Roderick Campbell (North East Fife) (SNP) ......................................................................................... 29864 Gavin Brown (Lothian) (Con) ................................................................................................................ 29865 Jenny Marra .......................................................................................................................................... 29867 Angela Constance ................................................................................................................................ 29869 PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU MOTIONS ........................................................................................................... 29872 Motions moved—[Joe FitzPatrick]. DECISION TIME .......................................................................................................................................... 29873 29783 3 APRIL 2014 29784 Student Accommodation (Impact on Scottish Parliament Communities) Thursday 3 April 2014 2. Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Government what action it is [The Deputy Presiding Officer opened the taking to protect communities from overprovision meeting at 11:40] of student accommodation. (S4O-03107) The Minister for Housing and Welfare General Question Time (Margaret Burgess): Local authorities have responsibility for planning the range of housing in Child Poverty their communities. The provision of new housing, such as student accommodation, is therefore a 1. Aileen McLeod (South Scotland) (SNP): To matter for local authorities to consider through the ask the Scottish Government what impact the planning system and their local housing strategies, estimated 100,000 increase in the number of using the houses in multiple occupation licensing children living in poverty by 2020 would have on regime to manage overprovision as necessary. health inequalities. (S4O-03106) Sandra White: I am aware that councils have The Minister for Public Health (Michael responsibility in this area, but some areas in my Matheson): I am extremely concerned about the constituency of Glasgow Kelvin are in real danger