Chamber
Plenary, 27 Mar 2003
27 Mar 2003 · S1 · Plenary
Item of business
Closing the Opportunity Gap for Older People
That is just another consultation document.
The Executive has done little to assist in the provision of houses adapted specifically for elderly and disabled people, especially those in rural communities who doubly suffer from the lack of suitable housing. We would encourage local housing providers to provide adapted houses for older and disabled people through grants. We would also put in place a requirement for providers to make available for sheltered housing a minimum of 5 per cent of any new development. To increase rural housing stock, we propose to relax planning guidelines to allow the building of affordable homes for sale on the periphery of rural communities.
The Executive's warm deal initiative is a continuation of yet another Conservative policy—the home energy efficiency scheme—and was introduced in July 1999 to promote energy efficiency measures to less affluent families. The home energy efficiency scheme was very successful and assisted three million homes. Under successive Conservative Governments, the percentage of UK households with central heating rose from 60 per cent in 1981 to 90 per cent in 1997-98.
Indeed, many pensioners who have benefited from the Executive's central heating programme might have already been set to benefit, either from refurbishment schemes through the landlord or from new investment from transfers to community ownership. The Executive needs to take further measures to ensure that those who are eligible to benefit from the programme are given as much help as possible to follow that through. At present, there is a worry that the take-up rate among the elderly is too low and, given the disruption that the installation of a central heating system might cause, the Executive must articulate exactly how it will improve that rate.
Older people also want to be safe. The 2000 Scottish crime survey showed that just over 10 per cent of over-60s were worried about being assaulted. By 2002, 24 per cent of Scottish old-age pensioners were afraid to leave their homes at night and one in five of them feared that they would be mugged if they went outside. Since 1997, there has been a 24 per cent increase in recorded incidents of violent crime, a 9 per cent increase in the level of vehicle crime and a 23 per cent increase in the number of drug-related crimes.
It is time to reclaim our neighbourhoods from the criminals who destroy communities and imprison fearful people in their homes. Older people should be able to walk through their communities free from the fear of crime. To make people feel safe, we must have a fully supported, fully manned police service, which would provide effective neighbourhood policing and give crime-ridden areas a constant and visible police presence. Our police officers should be backed up by a legal system that is able to dispose of criminals appropriately and efficiently, a prison service that rehabilitates and a youth justice system that prevents youngsters from reoffending.
Consideration should be given to increasing the single occupancy discount on council tax to 50 per cent for single older people. Furthermore, we should address age discrimination in the job market by allowing older people the option of signing away their rights under normal employment regulations other than basic health and safety regulations. That would encourage employers to recruit more people from that age group. However, such ideas are for the future.
We acknowledge that the Executive is committed to closing the opportunity gap. However, although some worth-while initiatives have been introduced to address the situation, a great deal more needs to be done.
I move amendment S1M-4064.1, to leave out from "by" to end and insert:
"but notes that its policies are not working, care homes are having to close due to a funding crisis, waiting lists and times are rising, more older people feel insecure in their homes and there is an insufficient level of provision of appropriate housing for older people and considers that, if the Chancellor was to abolish his punitive stealth tax on pension funds in the forthcoming budget, the opportunity gap for older people would be greatly reduced."
The Executive has done little to assist in the provision of houses adapted specifically for elderly and disabled people, especially those in rural communities who doubly suffer from the lack of suitable housing. We would encourage local housing providers to provide adapted houses for older and disabled people through grants. We would also put in place a requirement for providers to make available for sheltered housing a minimum of 5 per cent of any new development. To increase rural housing stock, we propose to relax planning guidelines to allow the building of affordable homes for sale on the periphery of rural communities.
The Executive's warm deal initiative is a continuation of yet another Conservative policy—the home energy efficiency scheme—and was introduced in July 1999 to promote energy efficiency measures to less affluent families. The home energy efficiency scheme was very successful and assisted three million homes. Under successive Conservative Governments, the percentage of UK households with central heating rose from 60 per cent in 1981 to 90 per cent in 1997-98.
Indeed, many pensioners who have benefited from the Executive's central heating programme might have already been set to benefit, either from refurbishment schemes through the landlord or from new investment from transfers to community ownership. The Executive needs to take further measures to ensure that those who are eligible to benefit from the programme are given as much help as possible to follow that through. At present, there is a worry that the take-up rate among the elderly is too low and, given the disruption that the installation of a central heating system might cause, the Executive must articulate exactly how it will improve that rate.
Older people also want to be safe. The 2000 Scottish crime survey showed that just over 10 per cent of over-60s were worried about being assaulted. By 2002, 24 per cent of Scottish old-age pensioners were afraid to leave their homes at night and one in five of them feared that they would be mugged if they went outside. Since 1997, there has been a 24 per cent increase in recorded incidents of violent crime, a 9 per cent increase in the level of vehicle crime and a 23 per cent increase in the number of drug-related crimes.
It is time to reclaim our neighbourhoods from the criminals who destroy communities and imprison fearful people in their homes. Older people should be able to walk through their communities free from the fear of crime. To make people feel safe, we must have a fully supported, fully manned police service, which would provide effective neighbourhood policing and give crime-ridden areas a constant and visible police presence. Our police officers should be backed up by a legal system that is able to dispose of criminals appropriately and efficiently, a prison service that rehabilitates and a youth justice system that prevents youngsters from reoffending.
Consideration should be given to increasing the single occupancy discount on council tax to 50 per cent for single older people. Furthermore, we should address age discrimination in the job market by allowing older people the option of signing away their rights under normal employment regulations other than basic health and safety regulations. That would encourage employers to recruit more people from that age group. However, such ideas are for the future.
We acknowledge that the Executive is committed to closing the opportunity gap. However, although some worth-while initiatives have been introduced to address the situation, a great deal more needs to be done.
I move amendment S1M-4064.1, to leave out from "by" to end and insert:
"but notes that its policies are not working, care homes are having to close due to a funding crisis, waiting lists and times are rising, more older people feel insecure in their homes and there is an insufficient level of provision of appropriate housing for older people and considers that, if the Chancellor was to abolish his punitive stealth tax on pension funds in the forthcoming budget, the opportunity gap for older people would be greatly reduced."
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Mr George Reid):
SNP
Good morning. The first item of business today is a debate on motion S1M-4064, in the name of Margaret Curran, on closing the opportunity gap for older peopl...
Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP):
SSP
On a point of order, Presiding Officer.
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
SNP
I will finish the introduction, Mr Sheridan, and then I will call you.Those members who wish to contribute to the debate should please press their request-to...
Tommy Sheridan:
SSP
I have already informed the Presiding Officer's office that the Scottish Coalition for Justice not War has asked for the observance of a minute's silence tod...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
SNP
We have no wish to diminish the feelings of people on the subject, Mr Sheridan, but there is a public demonstration throughout Edinburgh and I suggest that t...
The Minister for Social Justice (Ms Margaret Curran):
Lab
This is an historic moment for the Parliament—although I think that I have said that in most of the debates in which I have spoken, which have been historic ...
Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con):
Con
I am delighted to be speaking to Margaret Curran in this, the last meeting of the Parliament in this session. Does she think that the Chancellor of the Exche...
Ms Curran:
Lab
That question gives me a pleasurable opportunity to say that perhaps the best thing that has happened to this country in the past five years has been Gordon ...
Mrs Lyndsay McIntosh (Central Scotland) (Con):
Con
Oh, but I am.
Ms Curran:
Lab
Yes, she is. We have debated poverty on many occasions in the Parliament. Those debates have been robust, enjoyable and thorough, but they have often tended ...
Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con):
Con
We have all received a briefing from Help the Aged this morning. Given the work that the Executive has done on fuel poverty, does the minister agree with Hel...
Ms Curran:
Lab
I have not seen the Help the Aged briefing and I am wise enough not to endorse figures that I have not seen. Let me make our position abundantly clear. We ha...
Mr Davidson:
Con
Transco is heavily involved in delivering, on behalf of the Executive, the central heating programme for pensioners and others. Representatives of Transco ha...
Ms Curran:
Lab
My God, it will be quite a debate if the Tories are going to start defending the unemployed. The Conservatives are experienced in issues relating to massive ...
Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP):
SNP
Will the minister give way?
Ms Curran:
Lab
I must press on, as I do not want to run out of time. We can pursue some of those issues later.Helping our older people to be more active is part of our stra...
Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab):
Lab
The minister mentioned stereotyping older people. Does she agree that the experience of older women can be very different from that of older men? Given their...
Ms Curran:
Lab
I thank Johann Lamont for introducing another theme that is dear to my heart. In the equality strategy, we have now recognised that age is itself a key deter...
Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP):
SNP
That was a nice, cheery speech from the Minister for Social Justice. She is obviously demob happy, and I do not intend to lower the tone too much in my speec...
Mr Davidson:
Con
Does Mr Gibson agree that it would be far better to raise the basic pension level, including the amount of money that people have to apply for through the bu...
Mr Gibson:
SNP
I believe that the basic pension should be raised. However, I am astonished that the Conservatives did not address that issue when they were in power. They d...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
SNP
You actually have about two minutes, Mr Gibson.
Mr Gibson:
SNP
In that case, I might mention it after all. Half of those in the over-65 age group live in households with no car, whereas the corresponding figure for all h...
Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con):
Con
At the outset, I should perhaps declare an interest as I fall into the category of older people and my opportunity gap may well deteriorate in the near futur...
Mr Gibson:
SNP
Does Mr Harding accept that the situation is actually worse than that? Once people go over the threshold, not only will they suffer a marginal tax rate of 40...
Mr Harding:
Con
I agree. I was just about to make that point, more or less. It is unfair that a pensioner on a modest but average income faces a marginal tax rate of 40 per ...
Ms Curran:
Lab
I am not sure whether either Mr Harding or I will be back in the next Parliament but I would not like to miss another opportunity to have a duel with him.
Mrs McIntosh:
Con
Yes—strip to the waist.
Ms Curran:
Lab
Let us not get carried away.I know that the Conservatives were committed to the right-to-buy policy but, as ever, their approach was half-baked. There are no...
Mr Harding:
Con
That is absolute rubbish. Whether people can afford repairs to and maintenance of their properties should be assessed by the mortgage lenders, which determin...