Chamber
Plenary, 01 Mar 2007
01 Mar 2007 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
Schools (Western Isles)
General Questions
I will certainly keep a dialogue going with Western Isles Council. Indeed, I will be in the Western Isles shortly to meet not only council officials but teachers and pupils.
Alasdair Morrison mentioned the alternative to PPP. We should take the SNP at face value. It says that it will cancel the PPP projects if it forms an Administration—so the Western Isles project would be cancelled. It says that it will match the programme brick for brick and that it will pay for it through a Scottish futures trust that, as Alex Salmond said, would involve greater use of public bond issues. However, as the SNP acknowledges, the Scottish Executive does not have the ability to borrow or to issue bonds, so there would be no opportunity in the four years of an SNP Administration to borrow the money to pay for new schools. It would have to wait until independence.
The new schools in the Western Isles would be cancelled by the SNP, which would have to wait for the break-up of the United Kingdom before it could pay for new schools.
Alasdair Morrison mentioned the alternative to PPP. We should take the SNP at face value. It says that it will cancel the PPP projects if it forms an Administration—so the Western Isles project would be cancelled. It says that it will match the programme brick for brick and that it will pay for it through a Scottish futures trust that, as Alex Salmond said, would involve greater use of public bond issues. However, as the SNP acknowledges, the Scottish Executive does not have the ability to borrow or to issue bonds, so there would be no opportunity in the four years of an SNP Administration to borrow the money to pay for new schools. It would have to wait until independence.
The new schools in the Western Isles would be cancelled by the SNP, which would have to wait for the break-up of the United Kingdom before it could pay for new schools.
In the same item of business
5. Mr Alasdair Morrison (Western Isles) (Lab):
Lab
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give an update on the public-private partnership scheme for schools in the Western Isles. (S2O-12236)
The Minister for Education and Young People (Hugh Henry):
Lab
Western Isles Council is responsible for taking the matter forward. I understand that it is in dialogue with bidders and that it aims to reach a decision on ...
Mr Morrison:
Lab
As everyone knows, our Administration is committed to building new schools. Our record of investment in the past decade speaks for itself and tens of million...
Hugh Henry:
Lab
I will certainly keep a dialogue going with Western Isles Council. Indeed, I will be in the Western Isles shortly to meet not only council officials but teac...
Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP):
SNP
Is the minister aware that the extra costs of 2.5 per cent over the contract term, as projected by Audit Scotland, mean that the four new primary schools and...
Hugh Henry:
Lab
I do think that we are providing value for money. Fiona Hyslop's analysis of the figures is wrong. I invite her, yet again, to tell us very clearly how the S...
The Presiding Officer (Mr George Reid):
NPA
Before we start questions to the First Minister, members will wish to welcome the ambassador of Germany, His Excellency Wolfgang Ischinger and the President ...