Hansard

In response to the statement made by the minister on 27 January this year, the Scottish National Party gave a broad welcome to the Executive's strategy and action plan, "Respect and Responsibility". I give a similar welcome to today's debate. However, it is difficult for us to acknowledge the progress that has been made to date in implementing the action plan, as set out in the Executive's motion, when we have seen very little evidence of that progress so far.

I was concerned to note in today's press release from the Executive that it has taken six months to announce the membership of the national sexual health advisory committee. I would have thought that that could have been done much more quickly, so that we could start to see some action being delivered. However, we have an opportunity today to question the Executive about those matters and to look more closely at the targets and the timescales for the delivery of the action plan. As was acknowledged, the strategy was well overdue, given Scotland's poor sexual health record, with sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia on the increase, not just among the young, but among the over-40s, where the incidence has doubled in the four years to 2003.

Teenage pregnancies are a worry and rates in Scotland are among the highest in Europe. As a Dundee member, I am acutely aware that we have a particular problem in the city and that it is linked to social deprivation and lack of opportunity. Tackling teenage pregnancy has as much to do with tackling poverty as it does with improving access to medical and support services.

Research tells us that confident girls and young women are less likely to become pregnant or contract a sexually transmitted infection. Conversely, those with low self-esteem are more likely to be persuaded into having early sexual experiences. We must ensure that our young people are confident enough to delay sexual activity until it is right for them and that when they become active, they are well informed about safe sex. I support the Executive's message of "Delay until you're ready, but be safe when you are active."

There is much to commend in "Respect and Responsibility", such as the important commitment to ensure that high-quality and accessible information services are provided equitably throughout Scotland. We know how difficult it can be for people of all ages, but for young people in particular, to access services in more remote and rural areas. Often, the family general practitioner is the only provider of services, and that can put many people off seeking the help that they need.

I welcome the commitment that all schools will be expected to provide high-quality sex and relationships education. However, it is important that, in delivering the strategy, we try to take parents with us. Parents must be consulted on the sex and relationships education that is offered to their child, because if they are not comfortable with what is being taught, the measures in the strategy will be very difficult to deliver. There must be a partnership. If schools fulfil those requirements and if parents play their part by showing an interest in this area of their child's education, the concerns raised in the Tory amendment will prove unfounded.

Of course, parents have the primary role in ensuring that children are brought up to have respect for themselves and others. However, schools also have that duty. The Tories seem to be saying that we should do nothing and leave everything to parents. Most parents want assistance in dealing with such difficult and sensitive issues and welcome a bit of help with their child's growing-up process. How on earth can we do nothing to address the high levels of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections in Scotland? We would be abdicating our responsibility if we did not help parents to ensure that their children grow up respecting themselves and others.

As I said, there is much to commend in the action plan, but the focus now moves to delivery. In response to the minister's statement in January, I raised concerns about the lack of specific targets and timescales. I am still concerned about that gap, and my amendment seeks to address it. At the time, in response to those concerns, the minister said that the centre for change and innovation was due to

"get all the clinicians and experts in the field together".—[Official Report, 27 January 2005; c 14028.]

That was to happen the following month, with the purpose of ensuring that the strategy could be rolled out and delivered—indeed, he referred to that in his opening speech today. He also said in January that, as soon as that event had been held, the Executive would begin to work on "reasonable" timescales. I wonder whether, in his winding-up speech, he will tell us about those "reasonable" timescales and whether they will be published, so that we can use them to measure the changes and results on the ground.

The minister mentioned that, as part of delivering the strategy, he wrote to health board chiefs and local authority leaders. What progress has been made on that front? How far advanced is the development of the local strategies and plans? Moreover, in January, he said that NHS Quality Improvement Scotland would

"set out a regime of monitoring the performance of health boards as they deliver the strategy". [Official Report, 27 January 2005; c 14033.]

Is that regime now in place?

After the minister's statement in January, I paid tribute to his decision to chair the national sexual health advisory committee. I was going to ask him about the number of times that it has met; however, given that it has not yet been established, I take it that the answer to that question is "none". In that case, will he tell us how often it will meet after its initial meeting on 28 June and how those meetings will be reported back to Parliament?

As well as the absence of timescales, we were—and are—concerned about the level of funding for the strategy. The minister announced an additional £5 million over three years on top of the existing £10 million budget for specific sexual health initiatives. That figure is somewhat less than the £300 million over three years announced by John Reid, the then Secretary of State for Health in England. Have people who work in the field, specifically those who have been appointed to the advisory committee, raised the issue of resources with the minister and will he keep the level of funding under review? I notice that, in today's press release, he announced that £4.5 million will be allocated to implement the sexual health strategy. Will he confirm whether that is simply a re-announcement of the same funding that he announced in his statement in January?

Scotland's future sexual health well-being is dependent on the strategy delivering a much-needed change in attitudes, better access to services and improved sex education. The minister has our support in trying to deliver that transformation.

I move amendment S2M-2958.2, to insert at end:

"and calls on the Executive to publish reasonable timescales for the implementation of the action plan as soon as possible."