Chamber
Plenary, 14 Nov 2007
14 Nov 2007 · S3 · Plenary
Item of business
Stobhill Hospital <br />(Parking Charges)
I hear an allegation from Cathie Craigie that it might be my mobile phone that was interfering with the sound system, but it was definitely not mine.
As we enter the festive period, some of us—rather unwillingly, I must say—find ourselves in some of the shopping malls that exist throughout Scotland. I was recently struck by the quality of the car parking facilities in many shopping centres and by the fact that those facilities are provided free. That led me to compare the free car parking spaces in those facilities with the fact that our hospitals charge for car parking. It reflects poorly on society that people who visit relatives and staff who care for patients who are at a vulnerable period in their lives are charged to do so.
I will deal with several of the arguments that Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board has presented in respect of the implementation of car parking charges at Stobhill. I was born in Stobhill hospital and have lived in the area my entire life, but I have never known a problem with car parking at the hospital. The capacity has always been sufficient and no issues have arisen with commuters abusing the car park to use it as a park-and-ride facility to travel to Glasgow city centre.
One reason that the health board has given to justify the proposals is that they would fit with the board's green transport policy. If the board cared so much about its green transport policy, why has it not put in place what is required to deliver it? Not one additional bus service will be delivered by 25 November, not one cycle shed will be in place—which is a Glasgow City Council requirement—and there will be no showering facilities for those who wish to cycle to work. The health board has implemented no element of the green transport policy.
That is another example of how Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board puts its policies first and worries later about the policies that will have to follow. It is unacceptable. I call on the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing to say in her summing up that she will ensure that the health board puts in place its green transport policy before it implements the car parking charges at Stobhill hospital.
For many years, Stobhill hospital has enjoyed the support of the community and has had an effective and constructive relationship with it. However, there is already evidence that that relationship will be put at risk if the car parking charges are implemented. There is evidence that building contractors who are involved in the ambulatory care and diagnostic unit project are parking in the surrounding area and that those who wish to evade paying the charges will do likewise. Despite the fact that I, and other elected members, have made representations to senior health board staff on that issue, they have not been able to deal with it.
We are aware of the tensions that car parking can cause, particularly when people park outside their own residential area. That will be a consequence of the implementation of car parking charges at Stobhill. I call on the cabinet secretary to meet me and the local residents who will be affected, so that she can hear about the problem at first hand. I note that she visited the hospital to launch the new ACAD unit, which I welcome. However, she also has to meet the people who are concerned about this issue. I hope that she will make a commitment today to do so.
The health board has confirmed that it will make proposals for a private company to enforce the car parking policy. When the parish council built Stobhill hospital in 1899 to ensure that poor people could access health facilities, I am sure that it did not expect that 100 years later we would not only impose car parking charges on those who are already financially disadvantaged but use private companies to enforce those charges. I ask the cabinet secretary to join me in condemning such use of private contractors and to ensure that those who are already financially disadvantaged are assisted.
Far too often in members' business debates there is no clarity in the minister's response. I call on the cabinet secretary to suspend the introduction of charges at Stobhill hospital until the board's green transport plan is put in place. That point has already been made by the hospital's medical staff association. Will she review the very principle of implementing charges at Stobhill hospital? I accept that charges might have to be implemented at some sites but not at others. Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board has made it clear that it will take a blanket approach to implementing charges, which is unacceptable.
Will the cabinet secretary carry out a review of the impact that charges will have on the surrounding community? The current review of hospital car parking charges is wide ranging, but it does not cover specifically the challenges that Stobhill hospital will face.
The strength of opposition to the charges is something that I have not seen since the save Stobhill campaign. A number of representations from unions, communities and elected representatives have been made. I ask the cabinet secretary to ensure that their views are considered seriously.
As we enter the festive period, some of us—rather unwillingly, I must say—find ourselves in some of the shopping malls that exist throughout Scotland. I was recently struck by the quality of the car parking facilities in many shopping centres and by the fact that those facilities are provided free. That led me to compare the free car parking spaces in those facilities with the fact that our hospitals charge for car parking. It reflects poorly on society that people who visit relatives and staff who care for patients who are at a vulnerable period in their lives are charged to do so.
I will deal with several of the arguments that Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board has presented in respect of the implementation of car parking charges at Stobhill. I was born in Stobhill hospital and have lived in the area my entire life, but I have never known a problem with car parking at the hospital. The capacity has always been sufficient and no issues have arisen with commuters abusing the car park to use it as a park-and-ride facility to travel to Glasgow city centre.
One reason that the health board has given to justify the proposals is that they would fit with the board's green transport policy. If the board cared so much about its green transport policy, why has it not put in place what is required to deliver it? Not one additional bus service will be delivered by 25 November, not one cycle shed will be in place—which is a Glasgow City Council requirement—and there will be no showering facilities for those who wish to cycle to work. The health board has implemented no element of the green transport policy.
That is another example of how Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board puts its policies first and worries later about the policies that will have to follow. It is unacceptable. I call on the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing to say in her summing up that she will ensure that the health board puts in place its green transport policy before it implements the car parking charges at Stobhill hospital.
For many years, Stobhill hospital has enjoyed the support of the community and has had an effective and constructive relationship with it. However, there is already evidence that that relationship will be put at risk if the car parking charges are implemented. There is evidence that building contractors who are involved in the ambulatory care and diagnostic unit project are parking in the surrounding area and that those who wish to evade paying the charges will do likewise. Despite the fact that I, and other elected members, have made representations to senior health board staff on that issue, they have not been able to deal with it.
We are aware of the tensions that car parking can cause, particularly when people park outside their own residential area. That will be a consequence of the implementation of car parking charges at Stobhill. I call on the cabinet secretary to meet me and the local residents who will be affected, so that she can hear about the problem at first hand. I note that she visited the hospital to launch the new ACAD unit, which I welcome. However, she also has to meet the people who are concerned about this issue. I hope that she will make a commitment today to do so.
The health board has confirmed that it will make proposals for a private company to enforce the car parking policy. When the parish council built Stobhill hospital in 1899 to ensure that poor people could access health facilities, I am sure that it did not expect that 100 years later we would not only impose car parking charges on those who are already financially disadvantaged but use private companies to enforce those charges. I ask the cabinet secretary to join me in condemning such use of private contractors and to ensure that those who are already financially disadvantaged are assisted.
Far too often in members' business debates there is no clarity in the minister's response. I call on the cabinet secretary to suspend the introduction of charges at Stobhill hospital until the board's green transport plan is put in place. That point has already been made by the hospital's medical staff association. Will she review the very principle of implementing charges at Stobhill hospital? I accept that charges might have to be implemented at some sites but not at others. Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board has made it clear that it will take a blanket approach to implementing charges, which is unacceptable.
Will the cabinet secretary carry out a review of the impact that charges will have on the surrounding community? The current review of hospital car parking charges is wide ranging, but it does not cover specifically the challenges that Stobhill hospital will face.
The strength of opposition to the charges is something that I have not seen since the save Stobhill campaign. A number of representations from unions, communities and elected representatives have been made. I ask the cabinet secretary to ensure that their views are considered seriously.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Trish Godman):
Lab
The final item of business is a members' business debate on motion S3M-612, in the name of Paul Martin, on car parking charges at Stobhill hospital. The deba...
Motion debated,
That the Parliament notes with concern the proposal by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to introduce car parking charges at Stobhill Hospital later this year; r...
Paul Martin (Glasgow Springburn) (Lab):
Lab
I thank all the members who supported the motion and the thousands of people from my constituency and other constituencies who signed a petition in oppositio...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Lab
I ask members to check that their mobile phones are switched off.
Paul Martin:
Lab
I hear an allegation from Cathie Craigie that it might be my mobile phone that was interfering with the sound system, but it was definitely not mine.As we en...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Lab
Before I call other members to speak, I remind them that the debate is about parking at Stobhill hospital—the motion is quite specific.
Gil Paterson (West of Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
I congratulate Paul Martin on securing this debate on an important matter. I apologise to him and to members that I will have to leave when I finish speaking...
Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab):
Lab
I congratulate Paul Martin on securing the debate. Stobhill serves his constituency, but the wider area that it serves stretches into my constituency, too. I...
Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (SNP):
SNP
As we are all aware, Stobhill is only one of the hospitals where such car parking charges are being imposed. The charges are spread across Glasgow and the Bo...
Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab):
Lab
Like other members, I congratulate Paul Martin on bringing his motion to the Parliament for debate. I acknowledge the work that he has done over the years to...
Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con):
Con
I, too, thank Paul Martin for giving us the opportunity to debate this issue. I appreciate that a review is under way. I have lodged motions in relation to S...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Lab
Given the number of members who wish to speak, I am minded to accept a motion under rule 8.14.3, that the debate be extended by up to 30 minutes.
Motion moved,
That, under Rule 8.14.3, the debate be extended until 6.31 pm.—Paul Martin.
Motion agreed to.
Stuart McMillan (West of Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
This is my first speech in the Parliament that I have not written down, so it might be a wee bit more interesting than usual. However, I guarantee that my sp...
David Whitton (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab):
Lab
I speak in support of the motion in Paul Martin's name. I have also supported the local petition that he organised. More than 300 of the signatures on the pe...
Bob Doris (Glasgow) (SNP):
SNP
I pay tribute to Paul Martin for bringing the issue to Parliament's attention. The debate so far has been useful in shining a light on many of the problems t...
Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab):
Lab
I thank Paul Martin for giving us the opportunity to have this debate this evening. I start with a confession: I was not born at Stobhill, or even in Glasgow...
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab):
Lab
I, too, congratulate Paul Martin on securing this debate. At the outset, I should make it clear that I recognise that the motion very much deals with Stobhil...
The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing (Nicola Sturgeon):
SNP
I could be unseasonal and suggest to Jackie Baillie that it was open to the previous Administration to tackle this issue before last Christmas and that it de...
Paul Martin:
Lab
I welcome the cabinet secretary's commitment to carry out a review in respect of a number of issues, but will she examine the fact that the green transport p...
Nicola Sturgeon:
SNP
I will go on to talk about the review and about the timescale that I have deliberately set for it, because I understand that many car parking policies have b...
Meeting closed at 18:31.