Chamber
Plenary, 20 Dec 2000
20 Dec 2000 · S1 · Plenary
Item of business
Home and Community Safety
Home is where the heart is, but it is also where the danger is.
Members may recall that in April I lodged a motion calling for a home safety bill and statutory powers. I was disappointed that no Labour members signed that motion; perhaps it was because I did not mention East Ayrshire. We should recognise the work of those councils that are promoting home safety.
I congratulate Cathy Jamieson on her election as deputy leader of the Labour party in Scotland.
We must put the issue in context. There are three times as many accidents in the home as there are on the roads, although there is a greater awareness of the need to tackle road safety. We must consider mandatory powers. We should consider the options and the direction that those should take.
Many members of the Scottish Accident Prevention Council are councillors and I welcome those members who are in the gallery, including the SAPC chairman, Brian Topping, who is an SNP councillor in Aberdeenshire. As the SAPC has pointed out, it is councillors who are asking for statutory powers. In this day and age, when people believe that the Scottish Parliament is sucking up powers from local authorities, it is interesting that local authorities and councillors are asking for some kind of statutory responsibility. The Executive has a duty to respond to that.
We also have to consider the health dimension. If we are to have joined-up thinking, the Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care should look at the budgets of accident and emergency departments. I note that the number of accidents requiring emergency hospital admissions has almost doubled in the past 20 years, with a resultant cost to the taxpayer. This is about common sense and joined-up thinking.
I was pleased to host a meeting of the SAPC in the Parliament in April. I have a young family; to be told of the dangers that my three-year-old could get into because of his strength was an education. A lot of good work could be done to make people more aware.
Members may recall that in April I lodged a motion calling for a home safety bill and statutory powers. I was disappointed that no Labour members signed that motion; perhaps it was because I did not mention East Ayrshire. We should recognise the work of those councils that are promoting home safety.
I congratulate Cathy Jamieson on her election as deputy leader of the Labour party in Scotland.
We must put the issue in context. There are three times as many accidents in the home as there are on the roads, although there is a greater awareness of the need to tackle road safety. We must consider mandatory powers. We should consider the options and the direction that those should take.
Many members of the Scottish Accident Prevention Council are councillors and I welcome those members who are in the gallery, including the SAPC chairman, Brian Topping, who is an SNP councillor in Aberdeenshire. As the SAPC has pointed out, it is councillors who are asking for statutory powers. In this day and age, when people believe that the Scottish Parliament is sucking up powers from local authorities, it is interesting that local authorities and councillors are asking for some kind of statutory responsibility. The Executive has a duty to respond to that.
We also have to consider the health dimension. If we are to have joined-up thinking, the Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care should look at the budgets of accident and emergency departments. I note that the number of accidents requiring emergency hospital admissions has almost doubled in the past 20 years, with a resultant cost to the taxpayer. This is about common sense and joined-up thinking.
I was pleased to host a meeting of the SAPC in the Parliament in April. I have a young family; to be told of the dangers that my three-year-old could get into because of his strength was an education. A lot of good work could be done to make people more aware.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Sir David Steel):
NPA
The members' business debate is on motion S1M-1389, in the name of Cathy Jamieson, on home and community safety.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament congratulates East Ayrshire Council for working towards achieving a community safety strategy that encompasses safety at home, on the roa...
Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab):
Lab
I am glad to have the opportunity to speak in this debate, which is the last debate of the year, on the important issue of home and community safety.First, I...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Patricia Ferguson):
Lab
As a large number of members want to speak in the debate, I ask members to keep their speeches to four minutes.
Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
I congratulate Cathy Jamieson on raising the issue of home safety, which tends to fall off the agenda and is never debated properly. Members' business debate...
Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con):
Con
I will be brief—for no other reason than that Alex Neil has used up half the time for my speech.I welcome this debate about safety at home, on the roads and ...
Mr John Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD):
LD
I congratulate Cathy Jamieson on securing this debate, in which I am pleased to take part. I support everything that has been said about accidents in the hom...
Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab):
Lab
I congratulate my colleague Cathy Jamieson on securing the debate and join her in congratulating East Ayrshire Council on its efforts. This is the last debat...
Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green):
Green
I will be brief. Two groups have been identified as most at risk: the elderly and the poor, particularly families on benefit. One minor way forward might be ...
Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP):
SNP
Home is where the heart is, but it is also where the danger is. Members may recall that in April I lodged a motion calling for a home safety bill and statuto...
Dr Richard Simpson (Ochil) (Lab):
Lab
Does Fiona Hyslop agree that the people who have most access to the groups that we have been talking about are health visitors, who work with young families,...
Fiona Hyslop:
SNP
Indeed, we must ensure that we have joined-up, commonsense thinking. I am worried that the cut in the number of home helps might mean that that opportunity i...
Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab):
Lab
What I wish to say has a narrow focus, but I thank Cathy Jamieson for giving me the opportunity to say it. A few weeks ago, I went to a seminar on home safet...
Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con):
Con
I will start by explaining why I did not sign Cathy Jamieson's motion, despite the fact that it congratulates East Ayrshire Council. I have no problem with t...
The Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care (Malcolm Chisholm):
Lab
Once again, we have had a most useful debate. Members' business debates have made a massive contribution to the new politics in Scotland. The debate highligh...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Lab
You have a minute and a half.
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
Is that all? I will have to hurry, as I know that Cathy Jamieson will want me to respond to the point that she made on the statutory duty. Many bodies are in...
Meeting closed at 17:00.