Scottish Parliament, 27 February 2020

293 contributions from 77 members. The official report.

Crofting Commission (Employment)

Alasdair Allan (Scottish National Party, Na h-Eileanan an Iar)

1. To ask the Scottish Government how many people are employed by the Crofting Commission. (S5O-04179)

Fergus Ewing (Scottish National Party, Inverness and Nairn)

The Crofting Commission currently has a staff of 55. None of them is employed directly by the commission. Two are temporary staff provided by an agency and all the others are Scottish Government staff on secondment.

Alasdair Allan (Scottish National Party, Na h-Eileanan an Iar)

Despite my constituency having more than a third of all crofts in Scotland, the Crofting Commission can often seem a long way away. What consideration can the Scottish Government give to relocating any jobs or moving any vacant posts at the Crofting Commission to the Western Isles, where they could, perhaps, be closer to the crofting communities that they serve?

Fergus Ewing (Scottish National Party, Inverness and Nairn)

Dr Allan has been raising this matter with me for some time on behalf of his constituents. As a result, I agree that it should be considered and I have already had preliminary discussions with officials. I have asked officials to explore the matter further with the Crofting Commission and its board and I will discuss it with the board when I meet it later in the year. I am always looking for ways to strengthen the links between the Crofting Commission and the communities that it serves.

Carrier Bag Charging Scheme (Exemptions)

Annabelle Ewing (Scottish National Party, Cowdenbeath)

2. To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review exemptions under the plastic bag charging scheme. (S5O-04180)

Roseanna Cunningham (Scottish National Party, Perthshire South and Kinross-shire)

W

e have no plans to review the exemptions under the Single Use Carrier Bags Charge (Scotland) Regulations 2014. Our approach to exemptions was carefully considered and was based on experience in other countries. As far as I am aware, our recent consultation on proposals for legislation on the circular economy, which included a question on increasing the carrier bag charge, raised no issues on the question of exemptions and a change to the policy.

Annabelle Ewing (Scottish National Party, Cowdenbeath)

On the important issue of the scope of the exemptions regime, the cabinet secretary will be aware that the 2014 plastic bag exemptions include bags for prescription medicines. Some groups, such as the plastic-free Dalgety Bay group, have questioned why that should still be the case. Given that the Welsh Government is reportedly looking again at its exemptions, will the cabinet secretary consider reviewing that exemption to the plastic bag charging scheme in Scotland?

Roseanna Cunningham (Scottish National Party, Perthshire South and Kinross-shire)

The single-use carrier bag charge applies to both plastic and paper bags. The exemption in the regulations for bags for prescription medicines was asked for by pharmacists in order to protect people’s privacy when collecting medicines, and that confidentiality remains important. We will, however, monitor any developments in the policy in Wales. I am glad that many pharmacies are already using paper bags when dispensing medicines and appliances, and I encourage other pharmacies to follow their lead.

Police Scotland (Drug Overdose Nasal Spray)

Shona Robison (Scottish National Party, Dundee City East)

3. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the announcement that Police Scotland is developing proposals to trial the use of a lifesaving nasal spray that allows officers to treat victims of a drugs overdose. (S5O-04181)

Humza Yousaf (Scottish National Party, Glasgow Pollok)

I very much welcome the news that Police Scotland is conducting that test of change. We know that naloxone can help to save lives and, as such, improving its provision, particularly among emergency responders, has been a key focus of the early work of the drug deaths task force. We are now seeing the results of that from other sectors, and news of the development follows the recent announcement that the Scottish Ambulance Service made about a pilot of the use of naloxone.

When the test of change that Police Scotland is running concludes, it will be for the force executive to assess the test and decide on the next key steps. As the member would expect, feedback from officers on the ground will undoubtedly be a key part of that assessment.

Shona Robison (Scottish National Party, Dundee City East)

Yesterday

I attended the drug deaths summit in Glasgow and I was encouraged by the determination that is being shown to tackle the issue on many fronts, including through the role that is played by Police Scotland. Will the cabinet secretary expand on how he sees Police Scotland’s role developing in respect of the crucial work to reduce drug deaths in Scotland?

Humza Yousaf (Scottish National Party, Glasgow Pollok)

That is an exceptionally important question. We will continue to look at how the test of change for officers to carry naloxone develops; we will be keeping a close eye on that potentially important development.

The enforcement aspect of Police Scotland’s work is incredibly important in disrupting serious and organised crime gangs, which are supplying drugs into our communities; the reducing harm aspect of its work is hugely important, too.

There are examples up and down the country—I suspect that there are examples in the member’s constituency—of the police working with multi-agency partners to reduce the harm caused by illicit drugs in our communities.

Enforcement is one aspect of the police’s work, but, equally, the police work with partners to reduce harm. It is exceptionally important that they continue to do that work.

Kenneth Macintosh (Labour, West Scotland)

Question 4 has been withdrawn.

Voluntary Sector and Third Sector (Support)

Margaret Mitchell (Conservative, Central Scotland)

5. To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support the voluntary and third sectors. (S5O-04183)

Aileen Campbell (Scottish National Party, Clydesdale)

The Scottish Government’s draft budget includes investment of £24.6 million for the third sector in 2020-21. That will enable us to continue to work in partnership to deliver on Scotland’s national performance framework.

The third sector budget represents just one aspect of overall spend on the third sector from across Scottish Government portfolios. For example, the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations has estimated that, in 2018, the income to the third sector from the Government was £472 million, which represents 7.9 per cent of its total income.

The third sector is not only a crucial part of our social and economic infrastructure; it has a key role to play in the reform of our public services—without them, we would not be able to innovate, adapt and maintain our drive to tackle deep-rooted social challenges in the way that we are doing.

Margaret Mitchell (Conservative, Central Scotland)

Given the involvement of, and reliance on, the voluntary and third sectors, especially in criminal justice work, does the cabinet secretary agree with Apex Scotland that the annual budget process for justice-related third sector organisations is “extremely wasteful and inefficient” and that, as a priority, it should be replaced with—at the very least—a more sustainable and effective minimum of three-year funding, which would encourage preventative spend?

Aileen Campbell (Scottish National Party, Clydesdale)

I think that everyone agrees that the ideal situation would be to provide three-year budgets and to indicate that length of commitment to organisations that continue to do great work, for which the sector is rightly credited.

However, it does not help that we have a yearly budget, particularly when that budget has been delayed. Indeed, the third sector has made a big plea in that regard, given the uncertainty over the delay to the United Kingdom budget. In addition to that, we have no clarity from the UK Government about the shared prosperity fund. We have continued austerity, and we are continually having to mop up the pieces left by the UK Government.

Again, on a point of principle, we are always willing to work with other parties. The fundamental challenge is that, when we get a budget of only one year, that has a knock-on impact on the programmes and the operations that we try to fund.

We will continue to engage with Margaret Mitchell. However, one of the big points of concern that the third sector has raised with me is the delay to the UK budget.

Claire Baker (Labour, Mid Scotland and Fife)

This morning, I received an email from Kingdom Off Road Motorcycle Club. I understand that the transition from the community jobs Scotland programme to the no-one left behind model, which is due to start in April 2021, appears to be creating a funding gap. I understand that offers of grants have been withdrawn. Will the cabinet secretary investigate that?

Aileen Campbell (Scottish National Party, Clydesdale)

I w

ill happily meet Claire Baker.

In my answer to Margaret Mitchell, I noted that the third sector budget that sits in my portfolio is only a small part of the overall funding that comes from Government. Indeed, on income, the SCVO noted that the

third sector has benefited from £472 million-worth of funding, from across different portfolios.

I will endeavour to meet Claire Baker to talk about that issue—because the funding to which she referred may sit in another part of Government—so that she can get clarity and the organisation that she mentioned can get the support that it may require.

City Region and Regional Growth Deals (Outcomes)

Alison Harris (Conservative, Central Scotland)

6. To ask the Scottish Government how it measures the outcomes of city and regional growth deals. (S5O-04184)

Michael Matheson (Scottish National Party, Falkirk West)

The deals are three-way partnerships between the Scottish Government, the United Kingdom Government and regional partners. It is incumbent on all partners to demonstrate impact through appropriate monitoring and evaluation arrangements.

The deals are long-term investments delivered over 10 years or more, and outcomes will take some time to develop, but we can already see returns for our economy and our communities. For example, our investment in the Glasgow city region deal is transforming Sighthill, one of our most deprived areas, for the benefit of future generations.

Alison Harris (Conservative, Central Scotland)

A recent report by Audit Scotland stated that

“The Scottish Government needs to be clearer”

about what it wants from city region deals, particularly in relation to how success is measured and the sustainability of economic growth. I appreciate that the majority of city and regional growth deals are under way, but will the cabinet secretary commit that, for future long-term infrastructure projects, those measures will be in place from the outset?

Michael Matheson (Scottish National Party, Falkirk West)

We welcome Audit Scotland’s report, which made a number of recommendations for regional partners and the Scottish Government. Disappointingly, it did not look at the United Kingdom Government element of those deals, because that is not within its remit. However, the recommendations broadly apply to the UK Government as well. The Scottish Government’s inclusive growth outcome framework, which was refreshed in December 2019, will assist the Scottish Government element of the deals to be better assessed, and to demonstrate the impact that the deals are having and support regional partners. As yet, it is not clear what the UK Government will do to make sure that we have greater sight of the impact that its investment is making through city and regional growth deals.

The Presiding Officer

Question 7 was not lodged.

Antisocial Behaviour (Off-road Vehicles)

Claire Baker (Labour, Mid Scotland and Fife)

8. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address antisocial behaviour on quad bikes and similar off-road vehicles. (S5O-04186)

Ash Denham (Scottish National Party, Edinburgh Eastern)

I am strongly committed to tackling all forms of antisocial behaviour and was pleased to hear from Police Scotland about the success that the improving Levenmouth together project has had in tackling the antisocial use of motorcycles. A range of legislative powers is available to tackle antisocial behaviour, but successful reductions in antisocial behaviour will be best achieved through that type of effective partnership working. Although the Scottish Government remains committed to ensuring that the police and local authorities have powers available to them that are effective and fit for purpose, I have asked my officials to consider whether the Levenmouth initiative could be highlighted as an example of best practice that could be adopted in other areas experiencing similar problems.

Claire Baker (Labour, Mid Scotland and Fife)

I have been raising the issue for a number of years, but a constituent still contacted me last week to describe a near miss between his family and a quad bike user in a public park. Further to the letter that I received from the minister in October, can she say more about what progress, if any, has been made in scoping a national strategy that makes clear to retailers and users of off-road vehicles that it is against the law to use them in public spaces, and that doing so creates a danger to the safety of members of the public and is antisocial behaviour that will not be tolerated?

Ash Denham (Scottish National Party, Edinburgh Eastern)

I am sorry to hear that there has been a problem in parks in Fife, especially as those are places where young children should be able to play in what should be safe surroundings without any fear of traffic. I have not received any information on that issue, but I suggest that the lessons learned from the good practice collected through the improving Levenmouth together project should be shared with the areas of Fife that are experiencing problems.

Rachael Hamilton (Conservative, Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire)

Antisocial behaviour involving reckless and illegal driving over farmland is part of a wider rural crime issue. The rural crime rate is rising and antisocial motocross, bike theft, machinery damage and rural fuel theft are damaging rural communities. The National Rural Crime Network 2018 survey stated that

27 per cent of those living in rural areas felt that crimes reported were not being dealt with sufficiently. Will the minister act on calls from rural organisations such as the Countryside Alliance to level up funding in areas where tackling rural crime is difficult, and will she work with Police Scotland to further develop its Scottish partnership against rural crime, or SPARC, programme?

Ash Denham (Scottish National Party, Edinburgh Eastern)

I would be happy to meet the member to discuss some elements of her question, although parts of it may have strayed into a colleague’s portfolio. The Scottish Government fully supports the police, our local authorities and court services to take appropriate and proportionate action to tackle antisocial behaviour. We believe that the range of powers already available to authorities allows them to deal effectively with antisocial behaviour, regardless of the circumstances. However, we are always open to listening to authorities and, indeed, to members if they have suggestions on how we can improve our approach to tackling antisocial behaviour for the benefit of all our communities.

Transport Links (West Scotland)

Neil Bibby (Labour, West Scotland)

9. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve transport links in West Scotland. (S5O-04187)

Michael Matheson (Scottish National Party, Falkirk West)

The Scottish Government is investing in a range of transport improvements in the west of Scotland, including the opening of the £30 million A737 Dalry bypass, the £5 million Den realignment and continuing design work for the schemes at Beith and on the A82. That is alongside the £350,000 that is being spent on new active travel measures in Inverclyde and North Ayrshire and the £2.5 million that is being invested in extending the life of the Gourock ferry terminal linkspan to improve the resilience of the Bute and Arran ferries for users of those services. We are also refurbishing the region’s rail fleet as part of a £475 million national programme.

Looking forward, the strategic transport projects review is considering future investment priorities for the strategic transport network.

Neil Bibby (Labour, West Scotland)

My constituents have consistently raised concerns about ScotRail services. This week’s transport statistics confirm that, since the so-called “world-leading” deal with Abellio, passenger satisfaction with ScotRail has fallen across the board.

Does the cabinet secretary agree that listening to passengers as well as the workers is key to driving improvements in my region and elsewhere? Will he therefore consider the issue of passenger and trade union representation in a future publicly owned ScotRail? Will he also consider how automatic compensation could be introduced to improve service standards for passengers?

Michael Matheson (Scottish National Party, Falkirk West)

The member raises a number of important points, but he will be aware that the recently published statistics on passenger satisfaction with ScotRail showed a marked improvement over the course of the past year, and further work is to be undertaken on that. In some cases, the increase was the largest for any rail operator in the UK providing regional passenger services. However, it is clear that there is more to be done.

In relation to Mr Bibby’s wider point about public ownership of our railways, I very much hope that it is now the Labour Party’s position to support the full devolution of all rail powers to this Parliament to allow us to be able to take that option. To date, the Labour Party has refused to back that, and I hope that it will now commit to supporting this Parliament being given the power to make the changes that are necessary to deliver on that priority.

River Esk (Pollution)

Colin Beattie (Scottish National Party, Midlothian North and Musselburgh)

10. To ask the Scottish Government what is being done to find a long-term solution to the pollution issue in the River Esk in the Midlothian North and Musselburgh constituency. (S5O-04188)

Roseanna Cunningham (Scottish National Party, Perthshire South and Kinross-shire)

I am, of course, aware of the recent pollution incident in the River Esk. Scottish Water is committed to cleaning up any sewage-related debris arising from any discharges in storm conditions. In addition, Scottish Water is making regular checks along the River Esk for any signs of sewer debris and is actively working to encourage people to stop flushing the wrong items.

In order to minimise the risk from rural diffuse pollution to water quality on the north and south Esk, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has committed to visiting farms in the catchment during 2020 and working with land managers to help to reduce pollution.

Colin Beattie (Scottish National Party, Midlothian North and Musselburgh)

Does the cabinet secretary think that it is acceptable to allow sewage to flow into local bodies of water, given that there are 17 sewage outflows along the River Esk in my constituency? Will she take action to encourage SEPA to reduce the sewage that goes into rivers and streams through outfall pipes?

Roseanna Cunningham (Scottish National Party, Perthshire South and Kinross-shire)

Operation of the sewer network is a matter for Scottish Water. As the member will be aware, discharges from outfalls generally occur during extreme storm conditions, not during regular operation. Scottish Water has committed to investigate any recurring network issues.

As I indicated in my earlier answer, SEPA intends to visit farms in the catchment and work with land managers in respect of the diffuse pollution that might emanate from land use.

The Presiding Officer

That concludes general questions. We are a minute early, but I hope that members are happy to proceed to First Minister’s question time.

Exam Results (Higher Pass Rate)

Jackson Carlaw (Conservative, Eastwood)

1. Last summer, exam results showed that the higher pass rate had dropped for the fourth year in a row. At the time, John Swinney said:

“These are a strong set of results”.

Is that still the Government’s official position?

Nicola Sturgeon (Scottish National Party, Glasgow Southside)

Yes, it is. Three quarters of young people passed higher exams, and I think that that is a good performance.

As I have said previously, although exam result performance will fluctuate from year to year, it is important that the Scottish Government assesses the underlying reasons behind that, and that is what we have done.

As I have also said repeatedly, although there are year-on-year fluctuations, the long-term trend in Scottish education, particularly in exam passes, is improving. Whether we are looking at passes at level 5 or performance at level 6, which is highers, we see more young people leaving school with these qualifications than was the case when this Government took office. We will continue to press ahead with those improvements.

Jackson Carlaw (Conservative, Eastwood)

After 13 tricksy years of the Scottish National Party being in power, that answer is certainly brave, especially when we consider the contents of the report that the Deputy First Minister commissioned into Scotland’s education crisis, which was slipped out under cover of darkness at the end of last week. In public, he praises supposedly strong results but, in private, he is interested in a detailed analysis of the reported reduction in the A to C rate at higher level. In other words, the Deputy First Minister was alarmed, as we all were, at the plummeting standards in Scotland’s schools.

It gets worse. The most recent drop in higher pass rates was mostly due to falls in crucial subjects such as English, maths and history. Just a few weeks ago, the First Minister asserted to me that results in those subjects were improving. I ask the First Minister again: is it still her position that the falling exam pass rates represent a strong set of results?

The First Minister

If Jackson Carlaw thinks that 8 pm on a Thursday evening is late, that says more about his work rate than it does about anything to do with the Scottish Government.

On John Swinney’s candour, I refer Jackson Carlaw to the press release that the Deputy First Minister issued on 6 August last year, which was the day on which the exam results were published. He said:

“there has been a fall in the overall pass rate.”

That is not hiding things; that is being open and transparent.

Let us get back to the core issue of the trend of improvement. Jackson Carlaw said that my answer was “brave”, but I believe that it was accurate. Let us look at the figures step by step.

In 2006-07, when this Government took office, 71.1 per cent of young people left school with a level 5 qualification. In the figures for 2018-19, which were published this week, the figure was 85.1 per cent. Let us look at higher performance. In 2006-07, the percentage of young people leaving school with a higher was 41.6 per cent. In the most recent statistics, for 2018-19, the figure was 60.5 per cent. As I have also said many times in the past, more young people are now leaving school with at least five passes at higher level.

This Government will never shy away from the improvements that need to be made. If Jackson Carlaw does not want to take my word for the improvements in and strength of Scottish education, perhaps he should pay attention to what the president of the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland said about “significant progress” having been made in recent years or the international experts who advise the Scottish Government saying how impressed they are by the efforts of the Government to target inequity and inequality. In the words of one of them last week, the Scottish education system is

“doing everything that we would expect a high-performing system to do.”

That is the reality, and we will continue to press forward with those improvements.

Jackson Carlaw (Conservative, Eastwood)

Well, it has taken a long time, but the First Minister

has finally taken up the habit of her predecessor in regularly patting herself on the back for a performance that everybody else understands is far from the success she paints it to be. I note that she did not quote Professor Lindsay Paterson; she always chooses the selective quotes of people who will cheerlead for her argument.

Members

So do you.

Jackson Carlaw (Conservative, Eastwood)

I have not quoted anybody.

It gets worse. Just this month, Mr Swinney told Parliament that the Scottish Government had embarked on reforms that are closing the attainment gap and raising standards. However, his report states exactly the opposite. It says very clearly:

“candidates who are lower attaining are not improving at the same rate as higher attaining young people.”

Again, in public he is saying that everything is fine and the gap is closing, as the First Minister did—there is nothing to see here—when, in private, months before, his civil servants told him something categorically different. Does the First Minister really think that her Government has been open and transparent with pupils, parents and the public?

The First Minister

I do. I am not patting myself or the Deputy First Minister on the back; I am patting on the back the young people of Scotland, who are delivering improvements.

I know that Jackson Carlaw wants to talk down the Scottish education system, but he should not be allowed to do so.

Jackson Carlaw talks about the attainment gap, so let us look at figures that were published on Tuesday. The gap between those from the most and least deprived communities who are in a positive destination is now at a record low—it is less than half what it used to be. The hard fact of the matter is that there are now more young people leaving school with qualifications than was the case when this Government took office. Despite the best efforts of Jackson Carlaw to berate the achievements of Scottish young people, we will continue to support them, their parents and their teachers and continue to drive forward the improvements in our classrooms.

Jackson Carlaw (Conservative, Eastwood)

Pupils, parents and teachers are not patting the First Minister on the back for her performance. The cumulative denial will no longer wash, because not only did the cabinet secretary commission a report into a problem that he said did not exist and then contradict what it said, but he refused to publish it. Finally, it was brought out on a Thursday night, when the Government knew that it could not be held to account in the chamber for yet further evidence of its failure in government. The cabinet secretary obviously hoped that no one would notice. When he finally faced the music, he had the audacity to say—with a straight face—to the media that it takes time to improve an education system.

I say to the First Minister that time is up. Her Government has had 13 long years in power—13 years of failure. How much longer does she and this dreadful Government need?

The First Minister

Annie Wells comes to mind when I look across at Jackson Carlaw—he is clearly angry that people keep voting for the SNP in elections.

It is interesting that Jackson Carlaw has not been able to argue with any of the statistics that I have given him today, because those statistics showing improvement in our education system are true. We come back to nonsense about publishing something—note that we did not refuse to publish it—at 8 o’clock in the evening. John Swinney was on the radio the first thing in the morning the day after, so perhaps Jackson Carlaw was not only in his bed at 8 o’clock on Thursday night but was not up to hear John Swinney on the radio early the next morning either.

John Swinney answered a topical question in the chamber on Tuesday afternoon, and we are in the chamber now, discussing the issue. The fact that Jackson Carlaw has to talk about the process issues shows that, on the substance, he knows that he is in the wrong. Scottish education is improving, and we will continue to push forward with the improvements. Jackson Carlaw does not like it, but it is in the interests of pupils the length and breadth of this country.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (Out-of-hours General Practitioner Services)

Richard Leonard (Labour, Central Scotland)

2. Last week, I raised with the First Minister the crisis in Scotland’s general practitioner and primary care services. This week, Scotland’s largest health board, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, suspended all out-of-hours GP services at five centres due to a shortage of doctors. Does the First Minister accept that she bears any responsibility or accountability for that?

Nicola Sturgeon (Scottish National Party, Glasgow Southside)

The fact that I am standing here answering questions shows that I believe, as is right and proper, that I am accountable on these issues.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has announced temporary changes while it has a significant and sustained recruitment campaign. It has been made clear to the health board, and the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport will continue to make it clear, that it has a responsibility to ensure that there are improvements and that its out-of-hours services meet the varied needs of its local population.

It is important to note that a full home visiting service is maintained across all of Greater Glasgow and Clyde and that transport is made available to those who require it. The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport will continue to work with the board to ensure that improvements are made to allow all the services to operate in the way in which patients expect them to.

Richard Leonard (Labour, Central Scotland)

They are neither changes or improvements; they are closures.

Only last month, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport told a national newspaper:

“There is a wee plan in place now with Greater Glasgow and Clyde to make that”

out-of-hours

“service more robust.”

This week, five out-of-hours services have closed. If that is what happens when the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport has “a wee plan”, let us hope that she does not have any more.

Last week, I warned the First Minister that cuts to GP services will hit accident and emergency waiting times. Already this year, at the Queen Elizabeth university hospital in Glasgow, one in three people have waited more than four hours in the accident and emergency department. GP services are under threat, out-of-hours GP services are closing and A and E waiting times are going up. The Government talks of a whole-system approach. Is that how the First Minister defines a whole-system approach, or is it a whole-system failure?

The First Minister

A and E waiting times are improving; they remain the best in the whole of the United Kingdom and significantly better than in Wales, where Labour is in government. I come back to—[

Interruption

.] As I said last week, at the centre of that proposition from Richard Leonard is that the health service in Scotland would be better if Labour were in government. We have proof that that is not the case, because where Labour is in government—in Wales—the health service is performing significantly worse than it is in Scotland.

I come back to the plan, which Richard Leonard thinks is not important, that is in place for Greater Glasgow and Clyde. It includes a significant and sustained recruitment campaign for GPs and advanced nurse practitioners, service remodelling to create multidisciplinary teams, a review of GP pay rates to ensure that they are comparable with those in other boards and the introduction of an appropriate appointment system. Temporary changes have been made to allow those improvements to be implemented. In the meantime, GPs undertake home visits and a patient transport system is in place across Glasgow to take patients to out-of-hours services. Professor Sir Lewis Ritchie, who led on the national review of out-of-hours services, has agreed to provide support to the board as it improves those services. That is the kind of action that we need to see, and the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport will hold the board firmly to account on that.

Richard Leonard (Labour, Central Scotland)

Those services are not improving; they are closing. I accept that, last week, the First Minister might have mistakenly thought that Tarbolton was in Wales, but she knows that Glasgow, Inverclyde royal hospital, Easterhouse, Gartnavel, Greenock and the Queen Elizabeth university hospital are in Scotland.

The First Minister talks a lot about financial inputs, but people are concerned about patient outcomes. It is not only in accident and emergency where the Government is not meeting its commitments or keeping its promises.

This week, it was confirmed that treatment time guarantees are still being missed as well. Last year, they were missed 82,000 times; as many as one in four people were not treated in time. It is not enough for the First Minister to apologise to patients who wait too long, to families who are anxious and in distress or to NHS staff who are underresourced, undervalued and overstretched. It is time that the First Minister recognised her accountability, took responsibility and finally started meeting her NHS targets.

The First Minister

I will try to take on all the issues that Richard Leonard raised in that series of questions.

The statistics that were published this week show an improvement in treatment time guarantee performance, compared to the previous quarter. Our accident and emergency performance also improved in the past week and remains the best in the whole of the UK.

With regard to GPs, Labour is sensitive about its performance in Wales—and so it should be. However, with regard to Tarbolton, Richard Leonard should reflect on what he said last week, when he was inaccurate about the health secretary. In Tarbolton, the issue is not about closure; it is about a change of location, and the same number of GPs will serve the same number of patients. A number of initiatives are under way to make sure that we recruit more GPs and continue to deliver excellent health services across the country.

Interestingly, neither Richard Leonard nor Jackson Carlaw has mentioned today’s budget, because they are still trying to work out how they will justify voting against it when it delivers everything that they asked for. There is a record £15 billion of funding for our national health service to support the record numbers of people who work in it. Per head of population, spending in our national health service is higher than in other parts of the UK. That is the record of this Scottish National Party Government and we will continue to deliver the best national health service of any country in the UK.

Professor Sam Eljamel

Elizabeth Smith (Conservative, Mid Scotland and Fife)

The First Minister will be well aware of the news earlier in the week that revealed that the former NHS Tayside surgeon Professor Sam Eljamel is now practising in Libya. She will also be aware of the very considerable on-going distress that that is causing to his former patients in Scotland, who have already been waiting two years to find out whether there will be a criminal prosecution following his alleged malpractice in Scotland.

I know that the First Minister cannot comment on on-going police inquiries, but what can the Scottish Government do to offer some support to Professor Eljamel’s patients in Scotland, who have been so badly traumatised?

Nicola Sturgeon (Scottish National Party, Glasgow Southside)

I share Liz Smith’s concern

about the report that we read earlier in the week. If there is any support that the Scottish Government can give to patients of the surgeon, we are more than happy to consider it. If there are constituents of Liz Smith who want to be in touch with us, we would be happy to make that contact.

On the surgeon’s ability to practise, I of course cannot comment on on-going police investigations. However, Liz Smith will also be aware that whether a surgeon remains able to practise is a matter for the General Medical Council, and not the Scottish Government; we do not have power over that. Suffice to say, however, that I understand and share the concerns that have been raised, and certainly want to be in a position to offer whatever support we can to patients who are affected.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (Shortages)

Bob Doris (Scottish National Party, Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn)

I have been contacted by women who are suffering due to United Kingdom-wide shortages of HRT. One woman told me just this morning that

“Stopping medication abruptly can have all kinds of negative effects ... Until there is a re-established supply it feels as though you just have to wait feeling less than yourself until it becomes resolved ... All the issues you were trying to combat sweats, mood swings etc, come back there must be woman struggling day to day possibly in silence as they feel they cannot turn to their employer.’

I will write to Matt Hancock, the UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, outlining the blight that is being caused to the lives of women in my constituency, who I represent, to ask what he can do to tackle the shortage. We surely have a common cause across the UK on the matter. How can the Scottish Government assist?

Nicola Sturgeon (Scottish National Party, Glasgow Southside)

I know that many women have very real concerns about shortages of HRT. As Bob Doris rightly said, the implications of that for many women can, and will, be severe. Many women will suffer very debilitating symptoms and—as Bob Doris also rightly said—many will suffer in silence. It is an unacceptable situation, which people are rightly concerned about.

The supply of medicines is, of course, reserved to the UK Government. We continue to press it to work very closely with the affected companies to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Last month, the chief pharmaceutical officer for Scotland wrote to all national health service boards, general practitioners and community pharmacists to advise them about the latest supply position and to provide advice about appropriate HRT products for patients who are affected by the supply issues.

Any disruptions in the availability of drugs, including HRT, will be concerning to those who have been prescribed them, and anybody who is affected by the disruption should discuss alternative treatment options with their doctor in the first instance.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (Out-of-hours Services)

Jackie Baillie (Labour, Dumbarton)

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde announced the complete suspension of out-of-hours services in Inverclyde, and their effective closure at sites across Glasgow and in my constituency at the Vale of Leven hospital. That most basic of emergency services will no longer operate between 5 pm and midnight, or at weekends, forcing my constituents to travel more than 20 miles to get to an accident and emergency service. That will simply add to the waiting times at A and E, instead of treating people locally.

I say to the First Minister that temporary is 18 months to two years. The report from Sir Lewis Ritchie was five years ago. The health board has had years to sort out the problem; however, it has instead stuck its head in the sand and done nothing.

Will the First Minister instruct the health board to reverse the decision; agree that the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport will meet me and local campaigners, who are devastated by the action; and—while she is at it—sack the chair and chief executive of

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Nicola Sturgeon (Scottish National Party, Glasgow Southside)

Jackie Baillie will be aware that it was partly concern about out-of-hours performance that led the health secretary to elevate the board to level 4 of the monitoring regime. I am advised by the health secretary that she has asked Calum Campbell, who has been appointed by the Scottish Government as the board’s turnaround director, to meet with and speak to Jackie Baillie about the local issues in her constituency. If that contact has not yet been made, it will be made shortly.

The changes are temporary. We want the health board to prioritise improvements to the services at the Vale of Leven and Inverclyde. We see that as a priority, and we will work closely with the board as it takes forward the other improvements that it is required to make.

Dyce Clydesdale Bank Branch (Proposed Closure)

Mark McDonald (Independent, Aberdeen Donside)

In November 2014, Clydesdale Bank trumpeted investment in and refurbishment of its branch in Dyce in my constituency, but yesterday the bank announced plans to close the branch in September of this year. That follows the closure of the village’s RBS and the significant reduction in the opening hours of the village’s TSB. Does the First Minister share my concern with the approach that is being taken, which will be detrimental to my constituents and local businesses? Although the decision is ultimately a commercial one, will the Scottish Government do what it can to raise the matter and seek to convince Virgin Money, which owns Clydesdale, to think again?

Nicola Sturgeon (Scottish National Party, Glasgow Southside)

I understand those concerns. Closures of bank branches cause understandable concerns, particularly in more rural communities. We discuss the issue regularly with different banks, and we will continue to do so. I am sure that Fiona Hyslop, who is the new economy secretary, would be happy to discuss the issue further with Mark McDonald and raise it again with banks generally and with the Clydesdale Bank in particular.

Fife Integration Joint Board (Overspend)

Alexander Stewart (Conservative, Mid Scotland and Fife)

The Accounts Commission is seriously concerned regarding the slow progress of Fife’s integration joint board and anticipates another overspend in excess of £10 million this year. Those significant financial pressures are putting health and social care at risk. What urgent action will the Scottish Government take to ensure that the clear financial sustainability issues are addressed?

Nicola Sturgeon (Scottish National Party, Glasgow Southside)

Those issues are under discussion. The health secretary has had recent discussions about the issue. The part of the local government settlement in the budget that involves social care has at its heart the need to address such issues in Fife and more generally. I am sure that the health secretary would be happy to send a progress and update report to the member in due course.

Donald Trump (Financial Transactions)

Patrick Harvie (Green, Glasgow)

3. I welcome the decision to reject the Coul links development. It seems that some lessons may have been learned since Donald Trump was allowed to trash the Menie estate. However, big questions remain over Trump’s business dealings in Scotland. The purchase of the Menie estate and the Turnberry golf resort were part of Trump’s huge cash spending spree in the midst of a global financial crisis, while his son was bragging about

“money pouring in from Russia”.

The US House Of Representatives has heard testimony that states:

“we saw patterns of buying and selling that we thought were suggestive of money laundering”.

The testimony went on to express particular concern about

“the golf courses in Scotland and Ireland.”

Is the First Minister aware that, nearly a year ago, the campaigning organisation Avaaz sent her a briefing setting out those concerns in great detail and proposing action that is within the power of the Scottish Government? That group has heard nothing back since the summer. Can the First Minister tell us what action has been taken since that report was received?

Nicola Sturgeon (Scottish National Party, Glasgow Southside)

No, I cannot do that today, but I am happy to look at the correspondence and get back to Patrick Harvie in detail. I think that most members would recognise that I am no defender of Donald Trump or of his politics or any of his other dealings. Where there are concerns about alleged criminality in Scotland—I think that I heard Patrick Harvie mention that—those would be matters for the police and the Crown Office to investigate; they would not be matters for me to investigate. I hope that members across the chamber will understand and respect the very good reasons for that.

On the specific correspondence, I will certainly check back, through my office, to see what happened after it was received and what action, if any, was taken, and I will get back to Patrick Harvie on that as quickly as possible.

Patrick Harvie (Green, Glasgow)

The First Minister is right that criminality in Scotland would be a matter for the law officers and prosecutors, but there are also questions for the Scottish ministers leading the Scottish Government. Under the Criminal Finances Act 2017, the Government has powers that are designed for just such a situation. Trump’s known sources of income do not explain where the money came from for those huge cash transactions. There are reasonable grounds for suspecting that his lawfully obtained income is insufficient.

Trump is a “politically exposed person” under that act, and there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that he or people who he is connected with have been involved in serious crime—indeed, some of them have pleaded guilty.

Scottish ministers can apply via the Court of Session for an unexplained wealth order—a tool designed for precisely such situations. We need to have confidence that the Government will show leadership and use the powers available to it. Will the First Minister seek an unexplained wealth order and make it clear that Scotland is not a country where anyone with enough money can buy whatever land and property they want, with no questions asked?

The First Minister

Scotland is certainly not, and should never be, that kind of country. Patrick Harvie is raising serious issues to which I do not want to give answers without having the full information in front of me. I undertake to come back to him after I have had a chance to look into the matter in more detail.

As I said, and Patrick Harvie accepted, issues of alleged criminality are not for me to investigate. Beyond that—I am not talking about the specifics because it would be wrong for me to do so without having properly looked at the matter—in general terms, when the Scottish Government is taking legal action of any nature, it may also be inappropriate, or certainly ill advised, for me to talk about it in the chamber in detail. If any action in any subject is a matter for legal proceedings, a lot of sensitivity and respect for due process must be attached to that.

I take the question seriously. I will look into the correspondence that Patrick Harvie referred to and come back to him as soon as possible with as full an answer as it is possible for me to give, with all the caveats that I have injected into my answer so far, which I hope he understands.

Heathrow Expansion

Willie Rennie (Liberal Democrat, North East Fife)

4. Two hours ago, the Court of Appeal ruled against the third runway at Heathrow. I asked the First Minister about her support for Heathrow last May, but she stood firm. I asked her again in January and she refused to budge. Is the First Minister glad that a court has stopped Heathrow expansion?

Nicola Sturgeon (Scottish National Party, Glasgow Southside)

Willie Rennie mischaracterises my answers to him. The decision on whether there will be a third runway at Heathrow is not one for me or my Government. I pointed out to him that the last time the issue came to a vote in the House of Commons, Scottish National Party MPs did not vote in favour of it. I understand that the court has ruled this morning in the way that Willie Rennie said. I have not had the opportunity to look at the reasons behind that ruling, but I want to see all policies from both the Scottish and Westminster Governments aligning with our climate change ambitions. In Scotland’s case, that is the need to get to a net zero position by 2045. Increasingly, questions have been raised, understandably and rightly, about whether expanding Heathrow in that way would align with that climate change responsibility. I hope that that is clear to Willie Rennie. I am not sure how I can make my position any clearer. As far as the court is concerned, such matters are always for the courts.

Willie Rennie (Liberal Democrat, North East Fife)

All that waffle will not tackle climate change. The court found that the United Kingdom Government had failed to carry out an environmental assessment of its Paris climate change commitments. The Scottish Government made exactly the same mistake when it signed the memorandum of understanding on Heathrow. Our parliamentary questions found that no climate change assessment had been made by Scottish ministers. They missed 600,000 tonnes of emissions, but the First Minister told us not to worry because the Tories were taking care of the environmental side of things. That looks pretty stupid today. Will the First Minister confirm that she is finally ripping up her agreement in support of Heathrow expansion?

The First Minister

I do not know how to make it clearer to Willie Rennie that the decision on Heathrow expansion is not for the Scottish Government. It is not within our power or areas of responsibility. We said that, if it was going ahead,

any economic benefit should not miss out Scotland

. I hope that Willie Rennie

understands that. In terms of our climate change ambitions, unlike the UK Government we include emissions from aviation in the calculation of our overall emissions. Again, Willie Rennie should be aware—I am sure that I have pointed it out in the chamber previously—that we are in the latter stages of the process of updating our climate change action plan, which will be published in April. We are looking right across Government at all our policies—

Mike Rumbles (Liberal Democrat, North East Scotland)

Actions, not words!

The First Minister

I am being heckled by Mike Rumbles about action, but the climate change plan is all about actions to meet our world-leading targets. That is what the Parliament demanded that the Government do. I suggest that, instead of getting up and calling for things that are outwith the powers of the Scottish Government, Willie Rennie should put his shoulder to the wheel and look at the actions that the Government, the country and the Parliament have to take—that is exactly what my Government is doing.

The Presiding Officer

There are a lot of constituency questions to get through.

Drug Summit

Annie Wells (Conservative, Glasgow)

Annemarie Ward of drug death action group, Faces & Voices of Recovery UK, said that yesterday’s drug summit

“was nothing more than a party political broadcast for the SNP”.

She went on to say:

“No one in the Scottish Government is willing to take responsibility for what’s actually under their control”.

As well as being in recovery for decades, Annemarie is also a member of the SNP. On Monday, she’s going to another funeral of a friend who died from drugs. She is asking why the Scottish Government keeps blaming Westminster when it has the powers to fund rehab beds now.

Will the First Minister put politics aside and back the cross-party calls for £15.4 million for residential rehab?

Nicola Sturgeon (Scottish National Party, Glasgow Southside)

I will listen carefully to all those with lived experience, including Annemarie Ward. I think her views deserve to be treated absolutely seriously, just like the views of anyone else.

However, for Annie Wells to say that about yesterday’s summit does a real disservice to all the people who contributed to the summit. That summit discussed issues that are important to people with lived experience, and there was discussion on changes in the law that are required. The task force reported on its recommendations and a range of initiatives and suggestions were raised yesterday that we hope will feed into the United Kingdom Government’s summit that is being held today.

I have two other points to make. On funding, the draft budget that was published a few weeks ago included an increase in funding of £12.7 million to reduce harm related to drugs. I can say today that the finance secretary will confirm this afternoon that we intend to go further than that: instead of an addition of £12.7 million, there will be an additional £20 million of funding from health dedicated to reducing harm from drugs. That will support the recommendations that the task force makes. We are serious about this issue and we are serious about working with anybody and everybody to tackle what is a public health emergency.

On the issue of UK Government action, we absolutely recognise our responsibility, and the range of actions that we are taking and the funding that we are dedicating to the issue shows that, but it is the case that there was a lot of consensus yesterday that law changes are also needed, including around having a safe consumption room, which is a responsibility that lies with the UK Government. I absolutely take my responsibility—I wish that we had a similar approach from the UK Government so that we could genuinely put party politics aside and work together in the interests of those who need us to do exactly that.

Islamophobia

Anas Sarwar (Labour, Glasgow)

Presiding Officer,

“He started screaming in my face, that I should go home, that I was a terrorist. Again, he used the ‘p’ word, swearing at me, telling me I wasn’t welcome here.”

Those are the words of Linsay Taylor, a Scots-born Muslim who wears a hijab. She goes on to say:

“I don’t use public transport. I don’t walk about streets I am unaware of. It has altered my behaviour.”

The initial findings of our public inquiry into Islamophobia will shock the majority of Scots, but sadly they will not surprise Scottish Muslims. The inquiry has found that a third of Muslims say that Islamophobia is an everyday issue, 80 per cent have experienced Islamophobia and 80 per cent believe that it is getting worse. That impacts education, policing, communities, transport and employability.

Will the First Minister commit to ensuring that all relevant Scottish Government departments make themselves available to support the work of the inquiry? I know that there are lots of issues that divide people in this chamber and in the country, but the fight against all forms of prejudice and hatred is a fight that must unite us all.

Nicola Sturgeon (Scottish National Party, Glasgow Southside)

I will give that commitment on the part of the Scottish Government that the Government and its agencies will make themselves available to co-operate with the inquiry. As Anas Sarwar said, the findings coming out of the inquiry will shock many people, but unfortunately, they do not shock Muslims and, I am sad to say, they do not entirely shock me either, because I regularly hear from Muslim friends and constituents about the completely unacceptable and heinous abuse that they are the victims of almost daily. It is unacceptable. It shames our country and, whatever else we may disagree or divide on, we must unite to stamp it out. Bigotry, racism, prejudice, antisemitism, Islamophobia and prejudice of any shape, form or nature is completely unacceptable. That is not who we are. We must never tolerate it and we must come together to make sure that it can be eradicated once and for all.

Flooding (Economic Impact)

Stuart McMillan (Scottish National Party, Greenock and Inverclyde)

5. To ask the First Minister what the economic impact has been this year of flooding. (S5F-04002)

Nicola Sturgeon (Scottish National Party, Glasgow Southside)

There is no doubt that the impact of flooding can be significant. When flooding occurs communities, businesses and infrastructure suffer, with the economic impact depending on the location, source, extent and duration of the flooding.

There are other significant consequences that, although not economic, are very important, including stress and anxiety for people who are affected, and travel disruption.

Managing flood risk is a priority for the Government. We invest a minimum of £42 million on flood-protection measures each year, as well as supporting the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s flood-forecasting service and the Scottish Flood Forum.

We are also aware of the threat of increased flooding that is posed by climate change, which is why we are leading the way in the transition to net zero emissions.

Stuart McMillan (Scottish National Party, Greenock and Inverclyde)

Last weekend, the A8 trunk road from Langbank into Inverclyde was closed due to flooding, and there were reports of people sleeping in their vehicles overnight. That was in addition to the usual flooding that happens in my constituency.

Although constituents might have been able to use a back road to get into Inverclyde, visitors to the area and drivers who were delivering goods to businesses will have struggled to reach my constituency at the weekend.

Will the First Minister support my calls for improvements to the current roads and flood-prevention infrastructure, and for a feasibility study into a bypass as a solution for improving economic opportunity and the health needs of my constituency?

The First Minister

The second strategic transport project review is now under way and is considering improvements to the transport network across Scotland, including—I can say today—the A8 in Stuart McMillan’s constituency. The review will appraise a range of potential interventions, including upgrades to the A8 through Inverclyde. That will ensure that our transport investment plans remain relevant to delivery of the outcomes of the new national transport strategy, and that they continue to be the correct decisions for the public purse.

Surface water flooding can be caused by a complex interaction of many sources of flooding. I understand that Scottish Water and Inverclyde Council are working together to consider the best way of tackling flooding issues in Inverclyde.

Playing Music (Educational Benefits)

Brian Whittle (Conservative, South Scotland)

6. To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government considers to be the educational benefits of learning to play music. (S5F-03992)

Nicola Sturgeon (Scottish National Party, Glasgow Southside)

Music education provides significant benefits to children and young people. It gives them opportunities to be creative and contributes greatly to their mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing. That is why expressive arts, which includes music, is one of the eight core areas of the curriculum in Scotland.

It is for local authorities to decide how to provide music education, depending on local circumstances, priorities and traditions. In taking those decisions, local authorities should consider the undoubted benefits that learning musical instruments can have on wellbeing and attainment.

Brian Whittle (Conservative, South Scotland)

I do not know how you can reconcile that answer with the fact that the Government refuses to class music tuition as being core to the curriculum. In areas where councils are now charging for music tuition—26 out of the 32 councils—uptake of music tuition has plummeted by as much as 45 per cent.

Like sport, art and drama, access to music tuition is increasingly available only to those who can afford it. First Minister, you never miss an opportunity to declare your desire to tackle inequality. Surely you must recognise that by persisting with such policies you are reducing opportunities for our children to participate and excel, and are actually driving inequality.

The Presiding Officer

I urge members not to use the term “you”. Refer to the First Minister by her title.

The First Minister

That was more polite than the Tories usually are, but I will let that go.

On a point of fact, in the broad general education pupils are entitled to music as one of the eight core areas of the curriculum. Secondly, the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills and I have made it clear that we are concerned by moves by local authorities to limit access to musical instrument tuition. All local authorities should consider the Education and Skills Committee’s recommendation that music tuition be provided free of charge.

Of course, we will have the budget debate in Parliament this afternoon. We were already providing a fair deal for local authorities, and as a result of the deal that was announced yesterday, an additional £95 million will go to local authorities for resource spending, which should make it easier for councils that are struggling to keep music tuition free.

The Conservatives asked us specifically to put an extra £95 million into the revenue budget of local government. Given that we have done that, perhaps the question for the Tories to answer is whether they will they back the budget or vote against the money that is needed for the very things, including music education, that they stand up in the chamber and demand.

Willie Coffey (Scottish National Party, Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley)

Does the First Minister recognise the positive influence that two successful bands from Kilmarnock—Biffy Clyro and Fatherson—are having on young people and elsewhere? Their example is opening up for young people the prospect of successful careers in the world of music, which is well provided for in East Ayrshire.

The First Minister

As an Ayrshire girl, I am always delighted to celebrate success from Ayrshire, including Kilmarnock.

Both the bands that Willie Coffey referenced are excellent and inspirational.

They also illustrate the importance of giving young people access to music, which is why it is so important that it has the place that it has in the curriculum, and why we are providing resources for local authorities to ensure that they can provide young people with music tuition free of charge, which I think they should all do.

Budget Proposals (2030 Child Poverty Target)

Sarah Boyack (Labour, Lothian)

7. To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities’ statement that the draft budget proposals put the 2030 child poverty target at risk. (S5F-03998)

Nicola Sturgeon (Scottish National Party, Glasgow Southside)

First, I would say that that response came before yesterday’s announcement that an extra £95 million was going to local government.

In addition, this year, we will introduce the Scottish child payment for eligible under-sixes. Around 140,000 families will be eligible for that. The budget also commits £843 million for affordable housing, £645 million for the expansion of early learning, £182 million for tackling the poverty-related attainment gap in schools, and £3.4 billion for social security. Local government will receive additional revenue funding of £589.4 million, alongside the ability to raise the council tax. Councils now have the potential to access an additional £724.4 million, which is a real-terms increase of 5.3 per cent.

The Scottish budget will actually help us in our efforts to tackle child poverty, and I hope that, accordingly, the member and her party will back those budget proposals this afternoon.

Sarah Boyack (Labour, Lothian)

If the First Minister had actually looked at the demand for fair funding for our services, she would know that there will be cuts to essential services following this year’s budget.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has said that the budget

“falls short of the mark”

on tackling child poverty. The Poverty Alliance has called for increased investment in the Scottish welfare fund, because crisis grants are “a vital lifeline” for families—[

Interruption

.] I know that this is difficult for Scottish National Party members. Crisis grants are “a vital lifeline” for families who are struggling to get by.

Councils need proper funding to cope with the increased demands that COSLA made representation to the Government about. Will the First Minister listen to not just us, but other organisations, in order to wipe out child poverty across Scotland and give our young people a chance for a future?

The First Minister

Quite like the Tories, Labour asked us to put additional money into local government, and we have said that we are putting additional money into local government. It is the amount that they seemed to want, but of course now Labour is trying to justify voting against it.

I do not think that anybody who cares about tackling poverty—and tackling child poverty in particular—could in good conscience vote against the budget this afternoon, because it includes the funding for the Scottish child payment, which will in its first phase deliver extra income to 140,000 families. That is something that Richard Leonard used to ask me to do but has not mentioned since we agreed to do it, strangely enough.

The budget also includes more money for affordable housing, early learning and childcare and tackling the poverty-related attainment gap in schools, and a real-terms increase in the funding available to local government.

If Labour members vote against the budget this afternoon, they put all of that at risk, including much of what we will be investing in social security. In those circumstances, it will be they who have to explain why they are prepared to put the fight against child poverty at risk. I am sure that they do not want to be in that difficult position.

The Presiding Officer

We will return to that subject later.

Brian Whittle (Conservative, South Scotland)

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. In an earlier answer that was given to Richard Leonard, the First Minister stated that Tarbolton general practitioner surgery is not closing but is just moving. It is actually moving to Mossblown, which is definitely not in Tarbolton. What she said was an inaccuracy. The GP surgery in Tarbolton is closing. I want that on the record, please.

Kenneth Macintosh (Labour, West Scotland)

I note the point that Mr Whittle made. It is a point of clarification, rather than a point of order for me to adjudicate on. However, the point has been made.

That concludes First Minister’s question time. We will move on shortly to a members’ business debate in the name of Tom Arthur. There will be a short suspension to allow members, ministers and members of the public in the gallery to change seats.

12:45 Meeting suspended.

12:48 On resuming—

War Memorials

Linda Fabiani (Scottish National Party, East Kilbride)

The next item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S5M-19754, in the name of Tom Arthur, on Scotland’s war memorials. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.

Motion debated,

That the Parliament recognises the importance of protecting and conserving Scotland’s war memorials, and highlights the positive impact that war memorial associations have in communities across the country; understands that, until 2015, the East Renfrewshire village of Neilston was one of the few communities in Scotland that did not have a unified memorial to acknowledge those who gave their lives in the service of their country; recognises the crucial role played by Matt Drennan, Secretary of the Neilston War Memorial Association, in campaigning for a memorial and raising the £85,000 required for its construction and who now dedicates significant time to the upkeep of the site; notes that Matt was instrumental in obtaining a Book of Dedication for the fallen, which now sits in Neilston Library, and that he was part of the small team that spent hundreds of hours researching the names and historical backgrounds of men from Neilston who lost their lives in the wars; further notes that Matt also plays a significant role in the organisation and running of Neilston’s annual Remembrance Service Parade; recognises the efforts of all those who support war memorials around the Renfrewshire South constituency, and all those involved in war memorial associations across Scotland, and thanks them for their selfless work.

Tom Arthur (Scottish National Party, Renfrewshire South)

I am grateful for the opportunity to lead this afternoon’s members’ business debate, which recognises both the importance of protecting and conserving Scotland’s war memorials and the positive contribution that local war memorial associations make to communities across Scotland. I thank members from across the chamber for supporting my motion to enable the debate to take place, and I look forward to hearing contributions from members regarding the war memorial associations in their areas.

My constituency takes in a number of the towns and villages of southern, eastern and western Renfrewshire, from the large towns of Barrhead, where I was brought up, and Johnstone, where I live, to the more rural villages of Lochwinnoch and Uplawmoor. Nearly all the settlements in Renfrewshire South have a war memorial and, in my capacity as the constituency MSP, I have the honour of laying wreaths at many of them on each remembrance Sunday.

Although every community in my constituency was severely impacted by the loss of life that was sustained in the two world wars, there is always a particular poignancy associated with commemorations in the villages. Even in today’s highly connected world, with many people regularly commuting to different parts of the country for work, village life is still characterised by a familiarity and sense of place that is unique. Those traits, which are a source of strength, can make the experience of loss particularly acute, so it is understandable that so many of our villages choose to have their own dedicated war memorials.

Although there is much that I would like to say about the war memorials in Renfrewshire South, I will focus my remarks on the war memorial, and its association, of one village in particular: Neilston. Until as recently as 2015, Neilston was one of only a few villages in Scotland not to have a civic memorial to honour its war dead. Residents of Neilston had long contributed funds to support national war memorials, but only the three local soldiers who fell during the Boer war were honoured with a public memorial in the grounds of Neilston parish church.

Neilston lost 164 of its young men between 1914 and 1918, including 16 in one day during the 1915 battle of Loos. That casualty rate is significantly higher than the national average. It was amid growing discomfort at the absence of a fixed memorial, with the approaching centenary of the outbreak of the first world war, that, in 2011, members of the community established the Neilston War Memorial Association.

Many people from the village and beyond soon became involved in supporting the association in its objective of funding and delivering a fitting memorial for the more than 200 Neilston lads who made the ultimate sacrifice in the two world wars and other conflicts, including in Northern Ireland. The war memorial association was supported generously by many local businesses and benefited from many individual donations, as well as from the spectacular fundraising feat of local man Jimmy Higgins, who, along with his cousin John McGuire, walked the 600 miles or so from Neilston to Vimy ridge, in France, which is the site of the battlefield where his grandfather fought in the first world war.

One individual, in particular, who has made and continues to make a huge contribution is Matt Drennan, the secretary of the Neilston War Memorial Association. I am delighted that he has been able to join us today in the public gallery, along with his wife, Jacqueline. It was Matt’s good friend, the writer and photographer Keith Fergus, who first told me about Matt’s key role in the association. I had the pleasure of meeting them for coffee over the weekend, and I was blown away by Matt’s passion and his encyclopaedic knowledge of the impact that the two world wars had on Neilston and the wider area. Forensic in detail and utterly dedicated to his subject as he is, it was a privilege to chat with him.

When Neilston’s unique and moving war memorial was erected, it might have seemed to some as though it was job done, but that was not the case for Matt. He continues his assiduous research to ensure that all who fell are honoured and that the list of names on the memorial is updated as new information comes to light. Matt was instrumental in obtaining a book of dedication for the fallen, which sits in Neilston library, and he was part of the small team that spent hundreds of hours researching the names and backgrounds of those who lost their lives in the wars.

Matt plays a significant role in the organisation and running of Neilston’s annual remembrance service parade, as well as in ensuring that the memorial is well maintained. He has been a key part of the development of the Neilston War Memorial Association into a wider-ranging community organisation, helping to secure lottery funding for bagpipe parades, Christmas lights and, later this year, a community fun day in Kingston park to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of the second world war.

Matt is currently working on a special and worthwhile project. This Sunday will mark the 75th anniversary of the arrival in Neilston of 19 Norwegian refugees. Their journey from their native island of Sørøya to the safety of the Kingston park hostel in Neilston is a harrowing and heroic story.

In early 1945, as Hitler’s 1,000-year Reich began to collapse after barely a decade, German forces began the forced deportation of able-bodied civilians from Norway to forced labour camps. The islanders of Sørøya resisted and were met with a brutal German retaliation. There was indiscriminate bombing of civilians, destruction of property and the requisition of food supplies.

An audacious rescue mission was launched by the Royal Navy, which successfully transported over 500 civilians to safety in Murmansk, Russia. The next stage of the mission involved a perilous convoy that skirted the Arctic Circle to transport the refugees to Scotland. Harried by U-boats and one of the final maritime Luftwaffe missions of the war, the convoy also had to contend with atrocious weather.

During the treacherous journey, one of the convoy ships—the American Liberty ship, the SS Henry Bacon—suffered storm damage and became separated from the main convoy. Under heavy enemy fire, the crew valiantly held out for some time, downing several German torpedo bombers. When the vessel was struck, 27 members of the crew went down with the ship, selflessly ensuring that 19 Norwegian refugees found refuge in the lifeboats before reaching safety in Scotland.

To commemorate those American sailors, who made the ultimate sacrifice, Matt Drennan is leading the Neilston War Memorial Association’s efforts to establish a memorial in Kingston park that will consist of 27 native Norwegian trees—one for each life that was lost on the SS Henry Bacon. Those crew members’ lives were given so that the refugees could find sanctuary. We must continuously reflect on their example and remind others of it.

The events of the second world war—indeed, of all wars—must serve as a lesson to us today, as they demonstrate our capacity for both evil and good. The work of the Neilston War Memorial Association and Matt Drennan, in particular, has perhaps never been more important in helping us to remember, understand and learn. I put on the record my sincere thanks to Matt and everyone who is involved in the association for all the work that they do. They are a credit to their community and I wish them the very best in all their future work.

The Deputy Presiding Officer

We move to the open debate.

I remind members that we are time limited today, so everyone must stick to no more than four minutes for their speeches. We have a lot of members who wish to speak.

Maurice Corry (Conservative, West Scotland)

I thank Tom Arthur for bringing this significant subject to the chamber for debate. I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak about Scotland’s war memorials and the importance of their preservation.

I am sure that most, if not all, of us in the chamber have had the opportunity to stand before war memorials and view plaques that are etched with the names of hundreds or even thousands of men and women who died fighting for their country. I believe that I speak not only for myself when I say that these visual representations of the staggering losses of war are very poignant. They remind us of the extraordinary sacrifices that were made by ordinary people in our local areas and in the country as a whole. War memorials are much more than ornate stone walls and metal plaques; they are monuments to the memory of beloved husbands and wives and cherished sons and daughters.

For those who have never seen warfare, viewing monuments and memorials does not bestow understanding of the hardships and horrors that soldiers often endure in war. However, they remind all who see them of the soldiers who bravely faced such struggles and why they deserve our respect. As a veteran, I am aware of how important it is to remember those who have fallen in war. There is a famous epitaph by John Maxwell Edmonds that says:

“When you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today.”

Many men and women have given their lives for our tomorrow. It is humbling to remember the courage and sacrifice of so many who died so that Scotland could continue to progress. We must remember, and we must make it possible for future generations to remember as well. For that reason, we construct and preserve war memorials, and in doing so we ensure that

“Their name liveth for evermore.”

It does Scotland credit that we have an estimated 10,000 war memorials, the majority of which are dedicated to soldiers from the first world war to the present. They are found not only in major cities but in our rural communities. In Helensburgh, which is my home town, we are lucky enough to have the Hermitage park war memorial by which to remember those from our community who gave their lives in times of war. It has recently benefited from repairs, and the names of the soldiers, sailors and airmen, which were worn and difficult to read, are now perfectly legible.

The war memorial in the little village or hamlet of Shandon on the Gare Loch, in my region, was recently relocated from the parish church after many years spent lying in the garden there and not being erected. That reflects the loyalty and the total dedication of the local people, who wanted to put it back in place by Blairvadach.

As Tom Arthur has mentioned, Mr Drennan and his team did a lot of work in Neilston. He played a crucial role in obtaining a book of dedication for the fallen in Neilston and worked on a team who dedicated hundreds of hours to finding the names and histories of those from Neilston who fell in the wars.

The Neilston war memorial was completed in 2016 and stands in memory of 217 men from Neilston who died in war. I am proud to have that memorial in my region. Now that the memorial is finished, Mr Drennan is dedicating his life to its upkeep and the preservation of the memory of Neilston’s war heroes.

I will mention two other examples from my region. First, in Arrochar, Mary Haggarty and others in the Arrochar, Tarbet and Ardlui community council have put together wonderful historical records of the war memorial and the first world war. They are now working on second world war records and have refurbished the memorial park on the A83, which is much more accessible for people to come and see.

In Rosneath, the war memorial is dedicated to the American convoys and the sailors who sailed the North Atlantic so bravely in defending and protecting our nation and to make sure that we were fed and supplied with materials.

We owe a debt to our fallen soldiers, sailors and airmen, which we can never repay. They made the ultimate sacrifice, for which we should be eternally grateful. We can convey that gratitude by ensuring that their legacies continue in our memory, and war memorials play a major part in that continuation. The efforts of, and stories by, people such as Mr Drennan and Mary Haggarty, as well as those of the villages of Rosneath and Shandon, have ensured that they will be remembered as much more than mere names engraved on a war memorial wall.

I thank all those individuals and organisations who are working diligently to preserve Scotland’s war memorials. They are immortalising the memory of Scotland’s fallen heroes.

The Deputy Presiding Officer

This

is a very important subject, and I do not want to cut people off mid-flow, but members will have less than four minutes each from now on.

Annabelle Ewing (Scottish National Party, Cowdenbeath)

I am pleased to be called to speak in this lunch-time debate on Scotland’s war memorials. I, too, congratulate Tom Arthur on securing the debate and on his excellent tribute to the work of the Neilston War Memorial Association.

When reflecting on what I would say today, I considered the nature of the important role of war memorials in villages, towns and cities across Scotland. I concluded that war memorials are not just about paying tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice, as important as that is. War memorials serve as a reminder of the importance of and pride in community; they also ensure that current and future generations are mindful of what war involves and the terrible impact that it has.

I praise all the associations across the land that look after our war memorials and, indeed, all the individuals involved, be they members of community councils, the Royal British Legion or the council, or simply local volunteers. I also praise all the local “in bloom” organisations, which contribute their time to ensure that any flowerbeds are carefully cultivated, nurtured and tended to.

In my Cowdenbeath constituency, as in every constituency in Scotland, there is no community that does not have some form of war memorial. Presiding Officer, you will be pleased to hear that I cannot in the time available list every war memorial in my Cowdenbeath constituency, but I will mention a few.

The Cowdenbeath war memorial is dedicated to the men who gave their lives in the first and second world wars. I am privileged to lay a wreath there every year as the constituency MSP. I always take the time at that dignified ceremony to read the names of the fallen, which are inscribed on the memorial. It is a very long roll call, with many sharing the same surname. I also mention the spruced-up memorial at the town house in Cowdenbeath, where all concerned have done a very good job.

Kelty has a well-loved memorial that represents, through an iconic statue, a Highland soldier from the first world war.

It is worth noting that, in Benarty, there was no non-utilitarian war memorial to the fallen from the village until as recently as 1980; rather, given the area’s strong mining heritage, Benarty had the Mary pit war memorial. Further to work by the Benarty heritage preservation group and its excellent research project, “Benarty Patriots: The Fallen of WW1”, and after painstaking research, the names of 179 young men of Benarty were found, and those names are now inscribed on the war memorial, ensuring that the sacrifice of those young men is recognised.

I also recognise the many other kinds of memorial to the fallen across my constituency—for example, the bronze placard in Rosyth parish church, the Inverkeithing roll of honour, which sits in the vestibule of St John’s church, and the stone of remembrance in Lochgelly bowling club, which is inscribed with the names of six members of the club who died in the first world war. All those memorials are part of the fabric of our nation and we thank very much indeed all those who look after them.

Elaine Smith (Labour, Central Scotland)

I thank Tom Arthur for lodging the motion and congratulate Matt Drennan and the Neilston War Memorial Association on their hard work in building the memorial and their on-going work.

War memorials are an important reminder of the tragic impact of wars on local communities. They are sobering reminders of the sacrifices of ordinary people, especially in the two world wars, but also in numerous other conflicts. After the first world war, the scale of the losses and the large number of soldiers whose fate remained unknown and uncertain left those at home with a shared sense of grief. Few families were untouched, and people needed somewhere to focus their grief. That led to the construction of many memorials—sadly, as we have heard, that did not happen at that time in Neilston.

We cannot overestimate the importance of war memorials, which sit at the centre of our communities, as Annabelle Ewing said, and remind us of the sacrifices made by so many young men and women. They have also come to play an important educational role for schools and local history groups. By keeping the memory of the fallen alive, they help us to learn about the history of conflicts and understand the human cost.

I have a special interest in the memorial in my home town of Coatbridge, in Fulton MacGregor’s constituency. I have attended numerous remembrance services there over the years. Like many monuments around Scotland, it is a remarkable and beautiful piece of art. A less well-known fact is that the architect was a woman named Edith Mary Wardlaw Burnet Hughes. She was one of the many women who shaped Scotland but whose story is hidden beneath the stories of Scotland’s men. She attended lectures at the Sorbonne and was a graduate of Gray’s school of art in Aberdeen. She set up a practice in 1920, specialising in domestic architecture. She is considered Britain’s first practising woman architect. Her two most important public commissions were the Coatbridge war memorial and Glasgow’s mercat cross, which many members will be familiar with. It is important to recall the contribution of women in Scotland to these issues.

I turn specifically to those who are remembered on the Coatbridge monument. Two dedicated researchers have compiled information on all 863 fallen soldiers. It is only when detailed family histories are reconstructed and linked to one another that something of the full extent of the collective communal tragedy experienced in one small community can be felt. I am sure that that is the case in Neilston as well as in Coatbridge.

When my own parish of St Patrick’s marked the centenary of the armistice, we remembered the 200 sons of our parish who died in the first world war. Les Jenkins, a retired teacher from Coatbridge, started what became a 35-year project, completing it in his retirement to mark the centenary. Little did he know at the time that John McCann, another Coatbridge man, was also researching the lives of Coatbridge’s fallen and had accumulated hundreds of photos from visits to battlefields. Les’s biographies, which are now available in the local studies room at Airdrie library, tell the human story in a heartbreaking way. One example is the story of 19-year-old George Orr of Church Street in Coatbridge, who died on the western front and is also remembered on the Thiepval memorial, where 45 Coatbridge men are remembered, together with 72,000 others who were reported missing at the Somme. Another man was killed on the day his child was born, and another three brothers, aged from 21 to 23, were killed within nine months of one another. There are names of women on the memorial, too, many of whom were serving as nurses—one senior staff nurse, Kathrine Aitken, died at the Somme in 1915 aged 27.

There were also those whose lives were cut short due to injuries sustained, including my own great-grandfather, Jimmy McDowell, who lost a leg. They all deserve to be remembered, and I am sure that the new memorial at Neilston will become as important to its community as the one in Coatbridge is.

The debate is an important opportunity for the Parliament to place on record our appreciation for all those who give their time to research and record our history, particularly those who do so in a voluntary capacity. I again thank Tom Arthur for bringing the debate to the chamber.

Emma Harper (Scottish National Party, South Scotland)

I am pleased to be able to speak in the debate, and I congratulate my colleague Tom Arthur on his absolutely excellent contribution.

The debate gives us the opportunity to note the many important sacrifices that have been made over many years, including during the first and second world wars, the recent war in Iraq and the conflict in Afghanistan.

The earliest memorials in Scotland, one of which is in Ayr, record battles that were fought against Viking and English invaders. After the 19th century, war memorials began to be a common feature of communities across Scotland,

“to acknowledge those who gave their lives in the service of their country”.

as Tom Arthur’s motion rightly states.

The south-west of Scotland is home to many historical and modern war memorials. In Ayr, we have the ruins of Dunoon castle, which in 1833 was besieged and taken by Edward Balliol, who surrendered it to Edward III of England. An insurrection ensued, with Balliol being driven out of Scotland. There is a memorial to the castle’s recapture in the castle grounds, which is thought to have been there since the early 15th century.

There are other notable local memorials, one of which is directly beside MacLellan’s castle in Kirkcudbright town centre in my South Scotland region. It serves to honour those who died in the great war and those who fell in world war two. The historic ruins of MacLellan’s castle act as a backdrop to the war memorial, which was unveiled in 1921. It is just one of many great war memorials by the acclaimed Scottish sculptor and artist George Henry Paulin, who died in 1962. The bronze figures on top of the stone base show a warrior holding a sword and shield while protecting a sleeping child. Panels on the memorial’s base list the names of 88 people who died in the first world war and 36 who fell in the second.

Each year, a service is held on remembrance Sunday and, two years ago, the memorial was also used by the Holocaust Education Trust to educate young people across the region about the Holocaust, and to promote the values of tolerance, respect and kindness towards one another, which we should continue to promote across Scotland today.

In noting Tom Arthur’s references to Neilston and the Neilston War Memorial Association, I, too, welcome Matt and Jacqueline Drennan to the gallery.

I recognise work that has been done by local people in Dumfries and Galloway. Shortly after my election, I was contacted by local constituents Craig Brydson and his father Jim, who were actively trying to establish a war memorial in Buittle churchyard to honour those from the local Buittle parish area, which is near Dalbeattie, who had died fighting for their country. They wanted a new memorial to replace the original plaque, which was located inside Buittle parish church, which had been sold and converted into a private home. For years, that made it difficult for local people to access the plaque on important remembrance occasions. Jim wanted the memorial to honour his uncles, Private George Brydson of the Scottish Rifles section, who died in world war one, and Captain William Brydson of the merchant navy, who died during the second world war.

Through crowdfunding, Jim—along with residents—successfully raised £1,700 for the new memorial. It was carved and inscribed by local business Douglas Swan & Sons in Kirkcudbright. Through engagement with Dumfries and Galloway Council and collaboration with my colleague Councillor Rob Davidson, I was able to assist in having the memorial established, and I attended the unveiling ceremony.

I again welcome the debate and note the importance of our war memorials and the people who look after them.

Alison Johnstone (Green, Lothian)

I thank Tom Arthur

for bringing this debate to the chamber.

Memory is an important part of who we are as individuals, as communities and, indeed, as a country. As well as helping us to shape who we are now, importantly, it helps us to learn from the mistakes of our past and to create a better future.

The region that I represent—Lothian—has a great many war memorials, and it is right that we remember all those who lost their lives in war. Bathgate in the west of my region is home to Scotland’s Korean war memorial and, just up the road from this chamber, Edinburgh castle, which is one of the most visited places in the United Kingdom, houses Scotland’s national war memorial. More recently, Edinburgh saw the arrival of a statue to Wojtek the bear, who served Polish regiments by carrying ammunition in the second world war. The statue honours the memory of Polish soldiers and reminds us that millions of animals have served and died in wars.

However, Scotland has very few peace memorials, and none at all to those who opposed war as conscientious objectors. Wales has had a memorial to conscientious objectors in Cardiff’s national garden of peace since 2005 and London has a commemorative stone in Tavistock Square, but Scotland has no such memorial.

I know from previous debates that we in this Parliament appreciate that objecting to war and resisting conscription takes great bravery and personal conviction, especially when there is widespread societal support for war, as has been the norm, and severe penalties for those who refuse to serve in armed roles, as was the case during the two world wars.

We have spoken in this chamber about Walter Roberts, who was a conscientious objector who died in Dyce work camp in 1916, after being forced to quarry stone in terrible conditions. Thousands of conscientious objectors were conscripted into coal mining during the second world war, again in dangerous conditions. In the words of Ernest Bevin:

“conscientious objectors, although they have refused to take up arms, have shown as much courage as anyone else in Civil Defence”—[

Official Report

,

House of Commons

, 9 December 1943; Vol 395, c 1108.]

It is important to remember that many who refused to fight served their country in medical and other support roles, and were killed doing so.

It is also vital that we remember the role of women in the struggle for peace. For instance, Edinburgh’s Chrystal Macmillan took part in a women’s peace conference at The Hague during the first world war.

It is therefore well past time that, in Scotland, we formally commemorate those who have experienced hardship, imprisonment and even given their lives in the cause of peace. That is why I welcome the work of the Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre, which has been working for some years to build a memorial to conscientious objectors and others who have opposed war. The City of Edinburgh Council has given permission for such a memorial to be erected in Princes Street gardens, and a particularly beautiful and poignant design by artist Kate Ive has won the design competition. Her design will be the first piece of art by a woman to go on permanent display in the gardens.

The memorial will be in the form of a bronze tree and the flowers are based on those of the dove tree, which are said to look like handkerchiefs, recalling a meeting of the no-conscription fellowship in 1916, where, in the face of an aggressive crowd who were trying to break in, the attendees waved their handkerchiefs instead of clapping. Granite from Aberdeen will be used in the memorial to symbolise people who have died in the service of peace.

I recognise Matt Drennan’s fundraising efforts for Neilston. The Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre has done an incredible job of fundraising for the memorial that I have been talking about. The crowdfunder page is just £2,000 off its target of £59,000, and I encourage anyone who is able to to give what they can to ensure that the memorial becomes a reality.

I join Tom Arthur in recognising the efforts of all those who work hard to conserve these important memorials and help us to learn. I also ask that we recognise the efforts of the Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre, the Quakers and other organisations that work to memorialise the efforts of those who have made sacrifice for the cause of peace.

Fulton MacGregor (Scottish National Party, Coatbridge and Chryston)

I, too, thank Tom Arthur for bringing this important debate to the chamber. There are several war memorials in my constituency of Coatbridge and Chryston. Elaine Smith referred to the big one in Coatbridge, and there are others in Glenboig, Muirhead and Stepps.

At this point, it is worth mentioning that it is important to

respect the war memorials. Unfortunately, since my election in 2016, I have had to raise the issue of vandalism at the memorial in Coatbridge twice. The protection of war memorials is something that we can all get behind.

The main reason I wanted to speak

in the debate is to pay tribute to the work of three local men and their relationship to the Coatbridge cenotaph. Those three men have taken the time to understand our history and do something to make sure that it is not lost.

As Elaine Smith mentioned—perhaps we can be a tag team on this issue and get all the information across—there are two different pieces of work.

First I want to speak about Mr Les Jenkins. As a declaration of interest, I should say that Mr Jenkins was my history teacher at Coatbridge high school in the 1990s. He had a long career there of 30 years,

and he is well remembered and much loved by many former pupils, including myself. I take this opportunity to thank him because his passion for history and politics certainly had an effect on my development in those areas.

Mr Jenkins worked on the programme of the war memorial for more than 35 years, which will have included the time that I was at the school, and completed it in the centenary year. He has compiled the stories of all 863 first world war fallen who are on the Coatbridge cenotaph. As Elaine Smith said, the stories are now in a series of folders that are available at Airdrie library.

Mr Jenkins is a bit of a force of nature and I am aware that he still goes into the school to deliver a workshop with secondary 4 pupils on his research. It is testament to him, and another example of his inspiration, that three of Coatbridge high school’s current history teachers, Karen Dunion, Laura Ballantyne and Derek Reid, were all taught by him. His research also helped the school when it was planning a careers event in 2018 to commemorate the end of the first world war.

The other two gentlemen I want to talk about are John McCann and Steven Buick. I welcome Steven Buick to the chamber today. John McCann was not able to make it as he now lives in Belfast, but he is from Coatbridge and I know that he is watching proceedings today. He and Steven Buick have created a website, which is a culmination of more than a decade of research by John, who travelled across Europe to piece together scraps of the information that was recorded about the brave fighting men from Coatbridge who lost their lives during the great war.

John McCann has always had an interest in the war, and he began reading about men who had the same name as him and who died in world war 1, as all his relatives had survived the first and second world wars. As he was doing so, he thought about the memorial. He was quite shocked to learn that no research had been done on the men who it commemorates, so he decided to do it himself. Thirteen year later, the website has come to fruition—all the men were listed on it in February last year. That is where Steven Buick came into the equation, because he has been a web developer since the mid-1990s. He also grew up in Coatbridge and has moved back to his childhood home, where he still lives. He noticed John’s post asking for someone to help him to make his research available on the internet, was inspired and duly obliged.

As of today, the website has received 54,000 views. There has been a lot of support from family and friends of the fallen, who have found out information about their loved ones. I include myself in that, as we were able to trace my gran’s brother. I was quite surprised that family members did not know where he was.

The Presiding Officer is asking me to close, so I thank Tom Arthur again for bringing the debate to the chamber, and I thank the three men whom I have mentioned for the work that they have done in making sure that our war dead are remembered.

Gordon Lindhurst (Conservative, Lothian)

As I drove up to the crossroads in the village of Gordon, a lone man held up his hand to bring me to a halt. I stopped as he requested, turning off the car engine as I realised why he was there. It was a Sunday—remembrance Sunday—and I was on my way to speak at a church further on. Gathered around the war memorial on the opposite corner to me was a small crowd of people who were there to remember—the war memorial provided the focal point for doing so.

Across Scotland, dotted through countryside, villages, towns and cities, the stone war memorials stand as silent witnesses to those who fought, and died, far from home. They stand as a reminder of the importance of peace and seeking the peace in and for all time. Their numbers silently bear witness to the tragedy of the times when politicians have failed to maintain peace and the consequences for everyone of that failure, including for families and future generations.

However, war memorials also stand for something more: to remind us of the importance of having something that is worth fighting for. Do we still have that? We should always be prepared to ask ourselves that question. I remember my mother taking me to the cenotaph on remembrance day as a young lad, and I remember the very old soldiers—at least, that was how they seemed to me at the time—who were present to remember. However, the real meaning of it all only finally sank in, I think, on a beautifully sunny day years later when, as a teenager, I walked with my Aunt Betty on the Ardrossan shore. We came to stop at the war memorial, and my aunt started to read the names on it. She said, “I remember him; he had blue eyes and fair hair” and, “I also remember him; he sat behind me in maths class”, and so on. As she did so, the names came alive to me as real people. That day gave me a real understanding of what war memorials are really about: people, real people.

Whether it is the Korean war memorial in the Bathgate hills, the Scottish war poets memorial here in Edinburgh or the lists of names on wall plaques in innumerable churches and halls up and down the country, such as Charlotte chapel in Edinburgh, they all bear silent witness. Stones and bronze cannot speak; it takes people to remember and to speak, but we need the memorials to remind us that we need to remember and to act, as the man at the Gordon crossroads did.

Graeme Dey (Scottish National Party, Angus South)

I thank Tom Arthur for providing the opportunity to highlight the important role that local communities play in ensuring that our armed forces personnel, and especially the fallen, are never forgotten or overlooked. Today, we are specifically noting the hard work of Matt Drennan and the Neilston War Memorial Association in their efforts to create and care for a memorial in their community. However, through the contributions of other members, we have also noted that such work is mirrored in communities the length and breadth of Scotland.

Memorials such as that in Neilston are not there to glorify war but, instead, to recognise the sacrifices that were made to protect the freedoms that we enjoy today. They help us to remember the hardships that were endured, the courage that was displayed in the face of adversity and, sadly, the ultimate sacrifice that is made during times of conflict. They also serve as a lasting reminder that despite all the talk of a war to end all wars, many conflicts have, sadly, followed. Memorials give friends, family and the general public important and poignant focal points to pay their respects to so many of our country’s young men and women who did not return home from conflict. In the case of Neilston, the memorial is for the 217 souls who have given their lives since the first world war.

In my role as veterans minister, I have been lucky enough to have seen at first hand multiple examples of the outstanding work that is being done to honour those who have fought, or continue to fight, for the liberties and relative peace that we often take for granted, and I am often humbled by those experiences. The great work that is being done in Neilston is often replicated right across our country.

In my constituency, I am particularly proud of our award-winning Carnoustie war memorial, which, in 2019, was given the accolade of the best-kept war memorial in Scotland. In nearby East Haven, we have a memorial that marks the contribution of the Airedale terriers in world war one.

Next month, I will visit Ballingry cemetery at the invitation of Annabelle Ewing. That invitation came about following last month’s debate in the Parliament on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. I look forward to having the opportunity to pay my respects and to witnessing a fine example of the work that is being done by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to ensure that our fallen servicemen and servicewomen are commemorated with the dignity that they deserve.

Alison Johnstone and Gordon Lindhurst mentioned the Korean war memorial, which is certainly in the “very special” category—I say that having visited it twice myself. However, of all the memorials that I have visited and will no doubt visit, in terms of sheer poignancy nothing will surpass the commemoration of nine soldiers of the K6 force of the British Indian Army at Kingussie. The simple graves are lovingly tended to by local Legion Scotland member Isobel Harling and are the subject of a poignant annual ceremony that is organised by Glasgow-based Colourful Heritage.

I am pleased that the Scottish Government plays its part in ensuring that war memorials throughout the country are looked after to the highest standard. Through the Scottish Government’s centenary memorials restoration fund, Historic Environment Scotland provided support totalling £1 million to the War Memorials Trust. The money was used to aid repairs to war memorials throughout Scotland from April 2013 to March 2018. The programme supported the repair and conservation of about 125 projects all told, and the support has not ended. Last year, Historic Environment Scotland awarded the War Memorials Trust approximately £90,000 to cover 50 per cent of its grants programme and conservation programme for 2019 to 2023.

The Government—and I, as veterans minister—believe that war memorials have played and will continue to play a vital role in ensuring that, regardless of age or rank, those who laid down their lives for ideals that we all cherish will forever hold an honoured place in our hearts.

In closing the debate, I will return to its subject: the Neilston War Memorial Association and, specifically, its plans to build on its previous achievements by developing an additional memorial at Kingston park. As Tom Arthur highlighted, the new memorial will be to remember 22 American sailors and seven members of the United States Navy armed guard who gave their lives during an operation to rescue Norwegian refugees in the Arctic Circle, towards the end of the second world war. Many of those refugees and others subsequently spent the remainder of the war housed in Neilston, at the Kingston park hostel. It is great to see that the Neilston War Memorial Association continues to show community spirit and I wish it all success in its aims for the new memorial.

I thank Tom Arthur for introducing the debate and for allowing us all to recognise the great work of Matt Drennan and the Neilston War Memorial Association, and that of others in other parts of our country.

13:30 Meeting suspended.

14:00 On resuming—

Exam Results 2019 (Analysis)

Linda Fabiani (Scottish National Party, East Kilbride)

The next item of business is a ministerial statement by John Swinney on analysis of the 2019 exam diet. The cabinet secretary will take questions at the end of his statement.

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

Education is the highest priority of this Government, because we want all Scotland’s children and young people to reach their full potential. We believe that we have a moral imperative to ensure that all young people in Scotland receive a first-class education in their local school. Monitoring and analysing performance are key to ensuring that we deliver that overriding aim. That is why the Government and its partners regularly consider young people’s performance in exams and take action to support continued strong performance.

Previously in the chamber, I committed to publishing analysis of the 2019 exam diet, which I did last Thursday. Four papers considering diet performance—by the Association of the Directors of Education in Scotland, Education Scotland, the Scottish Qualifications Authority and the Scottish Government—were published, including summary information and proposed system-wide actions for partners.

A substantial proportion of that information was also contained in a response to a freedom of information review that I was advised required to be answered last Thursday in order to meet the statutory deadline. Because the bulk of the material formed part of the review response, I took the decision to release the report and the review concurrently. I was conscious of my commitment to Parliament to publish that material and therefore felt that it would not have been appropriate to release it to a private individual alone without making it available to Parliament through general publication. However, it was never our intention to release it as late in the day as we did.

The necessary material for issue was approved at approximately 5.30 pm. That was later than would have been ideal, but given the deadline that I had been advised of, I decided to proceed with publication. I have subsequently been advised that the statutory deadline that I was given was incorrect. Therefore, it is deeply unfortunate that a series of issues delayed publication, including the issuing of a press release, until later that evening.

We sought to be as timely and informative as possible with publication, but it must not be forgotten that much of the material is not new, but has been available since August last year, because the SQA publishes annually a commentary on exam results and individual course reports. Members will also be keenly aware of the number of times that we have discussed that information in the chamber and at committee.

I do not suggest that such an important issue does not merit discussion—far from it. I welcome any discussion on this Government’s education record and the significant improvements that it has delivered. However, I hope that we can all agree on the need to focus discussion on positive steps that we can take to support our young people in achieving their potential.

It is important to note that the papers demonstrate excellent collaboration with our partners in considering the drivers of exam performance, which identified a range of actions to underpin future positive performance in exams.

On 27 November 2019, I set out to the Education and Skills Committee that, in following up on the analysis, the key areas to focus on would include partners conducting further work to ensure alignment of the curriculum and assessment journey from secondary 1 to 6; partners considering how better to support professional learning and development; and the maintenance of a clear focus on enhancing learning and teaching.

The papers that we released last week include further details on how that could be achieved. The actions that were set out include the following. Partners will remind teachers and schools of the materials and activities that are available to support professional learning—particularly for subjects whose course reports have identified specific issues—and the SQA will evaluate its approach to assessment and the on-going appropriateness of that approach. There will be identification of key priorities for support for learning, teaching and assessment, and Education Scotland senior regional advisers will discuss national qualifications results with local authority directors, in order to identify which schools need further support or challenge, and to identify how best to meet need in a collaborative and empowered system.

We will agree how to identify schools that need the most support to raise attainment, and how to identify follow-up action, and Education Scotland and the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland will agree how to share performance across regional improvement collaboratives and to include follow-up action within the plans of those collaboratives.

There will also be longer-term work to ensure alignment of the curriculum and assessment journey from S1 to S6. All partners will consider co-ordinated enhancement to support professional learning and development, and all partners will provide evidence to feed into on-going discussions on performance. There will be a focus on delivering those actions in order to support future performance.

I also highlight other actions that are under way. They include expanding teacher numbers to a 10-year high and increasing the focus on enhancing learning and teaching, strengthening leadership, reducing workload, and promoting teacher empowerment. We are empowering schools with the resources and flexibility that they need in order to close the attainment gap and to meet the distinctive needs of pupils through pupil equity funding.

We are increasing the capacity of local authorities and schools that face the greatest challenges through the Scottish attainment challenge, and we are strengthening the capacity to support improvement in our education system by creating regional improvement collaboratives and by expanding the work of Education Scotland, including the appointment of six senior regional advisers and 32 attainment advisors—one for each education authority.

An additional action that was identified was that we will continue to raise the profile of the mixed economy of awards and pathways, including consideration of a second national achievement day celebrating the impact of the wider range of pathways. We should never forget that one of the key aims of curriculum for excellence is to support all children and young people to achieve their potential, and to do so whatever form that might take.

Statistics that were released this week show that the number of young people who achieve one or more awards, which is monitored as part of the developing the young workforce strategy, reached 17.1 per cent last year, which was up from 14.8 per cent the year before. It is entirely appropriate to consider the drivers of exam performance and to better understand how we might best support future performance, However, that should be done in parallel with recognition of the significant achievements that are to be celebrated in Scottish education.

We have more young people leaving for positive destinations than ever, and there have been significant improvements in school leavers achieving one or more national qualifications at levels 4 to 7 over time. Specifically, performance at level 6—higher—has improved. When the Government took office, significantly fewer than half of pupils—41.6 per cent, to be precise—left school with a higher or equivalent, or better. Direct comparisons cannot always be made because of changes to precisely how statistics are collected, but I can say that the latest figure is that more than 60 per cent—60.5 per cent—of pupils are at at least that level.

In addition, where we can make direct comparisons, we find that the number of pupils who get a higher or better is up by more than 10 percentage points on 2009-10—from 50.4 per cent to 60.5 per cent in 2018-19. The attainment gap is closing there, too. Among those who achieve higher level awards or better, the gap between the most well off and the least well off has fallen by a fifth since 2009-10.

It is not the case that some subjects matter more than others. However, when we look at the subjects that are taken by the most pupils, pass rates in the majority of the top 10 have increased since 2015: maths, chemistry, modern studies, physics, biology and geography—major subjects—are all up.

We should also acknowledge volatility in pass rates. Last year saw an increase on the previous year in the pass rate at national 5, and a fall from the previous year in the pass rate at higher. We cannot expect continual increases in pass rates. The published papers set out pass rates by exam, and did so with a clear warning that, where subjects have small numbers of entries, changes in pass rates should be considered with caution. That is important advice from the SQA that should assist constructive and dispassionate consideration of the content of the papers.

It is clear that there are plenty of achievements by our children and young people to celebrate and to build on. We can celebrate current successes and at the same time recognise that time might yet still be needed to fully achieve what we have been working towards.

I remain committed to the changes that we have instituted, and continue to believe that they are the right things to do. In that, I am also committed to working with our partners to continue to monitor performance, to learn, and to drive further improvement. The Government has engaged constructively with Parliament on another element of the process through a review of the curriculum, the terms of which I was pleased to set out yesterday.

It is right to consider exam performance, and it is right to share the messages from that. That is what I said I would do, and that is what I have done. There is plenty to celebrate in the achievements of our young people, and we will continue with our efforts to ensure that there can be many more in the future. The published papers set out what future actions are needed. Those actions will be taken in order to ensure that every young person in Scotland will be able to achieve their full potential.

The Deputy Presiding Officer

The cabinet secretary will now take questions on the issues that were raised in his statement. I will allow about 20 minutes for that.

Jamie Greene (Conservative, West Scotland)

I thank the cabinet secretary for prior sight of his statement.

I took up the education brief only a week ago, but it is clear to me that much good work is going on in Scottish education. Many people are working passionately to deliver the best possible education.

However, from the volume of correspondence in my inbox and what we learned in the past week, I know that the number of people who leave school with at least one qualification has dropped, and that the number of people who leave school with the gold standard of three or more highers is at its lowest since 2014. We know that there was a significant drop in pass rates at higher level in key subjects including English, maths and history. Rates in some subjects dropped by as much as 10 per cent, which goes far beyond acceptable annual variation.

We know that the remit for the review of curriculum for excellence has been expanded after political pressure from Conservative members and others, while the cabinet secretary was protesting that everything was fine.

Yesterday, we learned from a well-respected piece of research by the University of Dundee that Scotland has lost its coveted place as the top nation of the United Kingdom in children’s reading.

The jargon and excuse-filled statement that we have just heard from Mr Swinney simply will not wash.

Does Mr Swinney disagree with teachers who think that a 10 per cent drop in exam pass rates is way more than anticipated and acceptable annual volatility? Does he accept that attainment at many levels has been in decline for the past five years, which seems to suggest that the reforms to the curriculum and examination structure have not been as effective as they were intended to be?

Does Mr Swinney accept that the attainment gap is the result of a higher decline in attainment among the least-deprived pupils, rather than of a levelling up among the most deprived?

We all want to get this right, but until the education secretary has the humility to accept that when something is not working it needs to be fixed, we will not do so. That will be a shame that rests on his head and that of his party for a long time to come.

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

I know that Jamie Greene has only recently assumed his role, but if he looks at what I said—and at what I said yesterday in my speech at Wester Hailes education centre—he will see that I make it expressly clear that I do not believe that everything is perfect, and that I believe that there are issues that we need constantly to improve in Scottish education, and to which I face up.

I take some reassurance from the assessment of the international council of education advisers, which met last week. The council’s judgment, which I quoted yesterday, is that the Scottish education system is using all the approaches and making all the interventions that the council would expect of a high-performing education system. That is not to say that everything is perfect; it is to recognise that we are using interventions that are designed to strengthen performance.

Jamie Greene referred to the reading survey results that were issued today. Of course, the Conservatives regularly make a lot of the programme for international student assessment figures, and the PISA analysis that came out relatively recently—just before the turn of the year—indicated a significant increase in performance in reading in Scotland, up to the point at which only five countries in the world have discernibly stronger performance in reading than Scotland. That is from a survey that the Conservatives believe to be the strongest assessment of performance.

There will be exam volatility. If Jamie Greene is going to argue that exam pass rates must constantly increase, he will be at odds with all prevailing opinion on education, which recognises that we cannot have constantly rising pass rates. There will be volatility in individual subjects. However, I made the point in my statement that the majority of the large-volume subjects saw an increase in pass rates at higher.

Jamie Greene said that there has been a five-year fall in attainment. I have in front of me the figures on the percentage of school leavers who attain one pass or more at Scottish credit and qualifications framework levels 4, 5 and 6. I accept that in the past year, 2018-19, there were slight falls in those figures, but if we go back five years to 2013-14, we see that the rate for highers then was 58.1 per cent; it is now 60.5 per cent. That is an increase. If we go back even further to 2009-10, the percentage of young people achieving one pass or more at SCQF level 6 was 50.4 per cent; it is now 60.5 per cent. That is a huge increase in performance.

I am absolutely committed to working to close the poverty-related attainment gap and I am determined to make whatever necessary interventions I can to ensure that that happens. There is clear evidence across a majority of indicators that we are closing that gap. It will take time, but the Government’s resolve to secure that objective is absolute.

Iain Gray (Labour, East Lothian)

I thank the Deputy First Minister for early sight of his statement, if not for early sight of the report. I remember some convoluted excuses from my teaching days, but today’s opening explanation was a classic of the genre. However, we now have the analysis and I have three questions.

First, can we agree that the key finding is a four-year trend of falling attainment in the majority of subjects at all levels, except for a slight one-year improvement at national 5?

Secondly, will the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development review not only have the analysis made available to it but be expected to consider whether the trends are driven by the curricular structure?

Finally, I have been struck by the response from a number of teachers that they see the problem as the loss of specialist subject principal teachers in most schools and of specialist subject advisers in all authorities. Will Mr Swinney take positive steps to reverse that unplanned change to the way in which our schools are structured?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

On Mr Gray’s first point, we have to look at performance over a number of years. When we do that, as I have just rehearsed with Mr Greene, we see a strong rise in the attainment of young people—the percentage of school leavers attaining one pass or more at SCQF levels 4, 5 and 6—over the duration of this Government. I heard Mr Gray’s point about the pass rate at higher, but he knows full well that there is no statistical difference in the pass rate performance over three years. Mr Gray is a man who knows his numbers; he is experienced in that area as a former teacher. He knows that there is no statistically significant difference in three years of those numbers, with the exception—which I have always accepted—of the fall in the pass rate between 2017-18 and 2018-19. However, Mr Gray must accept that the reverse took place in the national 5 pass rate, which fell in 2017-18 and went up in 2018-19. That analysis must be looked at over time.

The second point was about the OECD review. The OECD will be free to look at whatever it considers is appropriate. It can consider all aspects of those questions as it undertakes the review, which will be independent of Government. It is not for me to prejudge how the OECD goes about that exercise.

Thirdly, Mr Gray knows, from what I have said before, that I think that the loss of subject specialisms in schools, which has taken place over a number of years, is a matter of regret. That is why, under the career pathways work that I commissioned from Professor Moyra Boland of the University of Glasgow, I have supported the development of career specialisms in the teaching profession to ensure that some of that capacity can be restored. The second thing that I have done is make investments in Education Scotland over the past two years, strengthening the subject capability within it and its regional capability to support improvement in our schools. Those reforms will benefit schools in Scotland.

The Deputy Presiding Officer

The guidelines are that the front-bench questions should take five minutes, but we are almost halfway through the session. There are back benchers who will not be able to ask questions today.

Ross Greer (Green, West Scotland)

On Tuesday, I asked the cabinet secretary about sharp falls in the pass rates for specific subjects, such as higher history, and the need to investigate those declines. There is a clear trend across most higher subjects, indicating a systemic issue as well as problems with specific courses. Teachers have repeatedly identified the problem of excessive performance indicators creating a perverse incentive to move towards a burdensome tick-box culture of teaching. Will the Scottish Government take action to address the number and role of performance indicators?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

I would be very pleased to explore the specifics of the issue that Ross Greer raises. As he knows, I have taken steps to remove many performance indicators. I removed unit assessments, which were burdensome—I accept that. I requested that those be removed over a three-year period. We have removed all manner of pointless management bureaucracy in the broad general education—for example, regarding experiences and outcomes and whether they are satisfied in all circumstances. If Mr Greer wants to write to me with some specific points about indicators, I will happily consider those, because I have no interest in the collection of pointless information if it distracts teachers from enhancing learning and teaching.

Beatrice Wishart (Liberal Democrat, Shetland Islands)

I, too, thank the cabinet secretary for early sight of his statement.

The cabinet secretary said yesterday that pupil equity funding has been provided on a sustained basis. However, our analysis of Government figures has found that the total PEF allowance for 2019-20 is lower than what was spent last year in 23 local authority areas. That means that support could actually be scaled back in some areas this year. Will the cabinet secretary commit to making PEF a permanent feature of Scottish education, with multiyear settlements, so that investment decisions can be made for children for the long term and provide greater certainty to schools and staff?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

Let me reassure Beatrice Wishart that we allocate £120 million of pupil equity funding each year. If that money is not spent in that year, the allocations are protected and preserved to enable them to be spent in subsequent years by the individual schools concerned. If a school does not spend all its PEF allocation in one year, it does not lose that allocation—that allocation is carried forward. If there is an example of somewhere that has not happened, I would be happy to explore it, because that should not have happened.

The Government had a manifesto commitment to sustain pupil equity funding until March 2021. Some months ago, I confirmed that we would extend that to March 2022, because we will formulate a budget in the spring of next year, which will cover the financial year to the end of 2022. PEF will be a permanent feature of education spending for the length of the line of sight that I have in this parliamentary session. If there is any carry-over from one year to the next, I assure Beatrice Wishart that that should be available to individual schools. If she has any examples of that not being the case, I encourage her to write to me and I will follow the matter up.

Clare Adamson (Scottish National Party, Motherwell and Wishaw)

Recent figures show that, in my area of North Lanarkshire, 94.3 per cent of school leavers in 2018-19 went on to positive destinations after school. That compares with 86.9 per cent of school leavers doing so in 2009-10.

How will the Scottish Government build on the excellent work that is already being done throughout the learner journey to prepare pupils for destinations after school?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

There is some very good work going on in schools across the country. That is the case in North Lanarkshire, as I saw when Clare Adamson and I visited Braidhurst high school, in her consistency, where strong work is being done through developing the young workforce agenda, which connects school pupils with the world of work. That is enhanced by the availability of foundation apprenticeships, a strong new element of the learner journey that enables young people to progress.

There will be some groups for whom we face more significant challenges in enabling them to go on to positive destinations. Those will undoubtedly include young people with additional support needs and young people who are care experienced. As Clare Adamson will be aware, the Government is taking a range of measures, particularly in the light of the care review, to strengthen the outcomes for young people who are care experienced and ensure that they can enjoy the same positive destinations as the overwhelming majority of Clare Adamson’s constituents will be experiencing.

Jamie Halcro Johnston (Conservative, Highlands and Islands)

In its analysis document, which was published last week, the Scottish Government said:

“Pass rates are only part of the attainment story.”

That shows a casual lack of concern when we are faced with another year in which attainment has fallen across a range of outcomes. The Scottish Government seems to be ignoring the fact that those pass rates represent individuals who risk being left with the consequences of that decline in standards for the rest of their life.

Does the Deputy First Minister, indeed,

“welcome any discussion on this government’s education record”?

Why has the Government failed to bring a full debate on education to this chamber for two years, and will he give a commitment today to ensure that more Government time this year is given over to debating what was once the Government’s number 1 priority?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

Subject to the agreement of the Parliamentary Bureau, there will be a Government debate on education on 17 March.

Daniel Johnson (Labour, Edinburgh Southern)

In his answer to Clare Adamson, the cabinet secretary mentioned the need to focus on additional support needs. Recently released figures from the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition highlight that, since 2012, spend per pupil with ASN has fallen by 26 per cent and that the number of specialist ASN support staff has decreased by 403. How does the cabinet secretary explain that worrying trend, what will he do to fix it and does he agree with me that we cannot address the ASN attainment gap without those specialist staff?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

As Daniel Johnson will be aware, the Government has invested £15 million of additional expenditure into supporting ASN education. That will be subject to a decision that will be taken this afternoon—the Government’s budget has to pass to enable that expenditure to be undertaken. I am sure that Daniel Johnson will reflect on that point.

I think that I heard an aside from Jenny Marra. I say to her that I am very pleased that local authority investment in education has been rising for three years in a row. That is a welcome investment in the education of our young people in challenging times.

I assure Daniel Johnson of the Government’s absolute determination to invest properly. As he knows, I await the outcome of Angela Morgan’s review of ASN education. I look forward to engaging with that review on the issues that it raises, so that we can directly address the issues Daniel Johnson has raised.

Rona Mackay (Scottish National Party, Strathkelvin and Bearsden)

I welcome the cabinet secretary’s outline of the review’s remit and thank him for his communication with the Education and Skills Committee during the process.

How will the review engage directly with teachers and hear the views of education practitioners across the board?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

I intend to establish a practitioner forum as part of the review. That forum will enable practitioners’ voices, and the voices of young people, to be heard within the review. It is important that the lived experience of those who are teaching and who are experiencing education in Scotland is heard by the OECD in the review.

Elizabeth Smith (Conservative, Mid Scotland and Fife)

I am encouraged to hear that the remit will include the responsibilities for curriculum design and support. Does that mean that the OECD will examine the roles of Education Scotland and the SQA in that respect?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

This is the first opportunity that I have had to acknowledge the reshuffle in the Conservative benches and its impact on Liz Smith. I thank her for her long interest in education. I had hoped, for a moment, that that interest had stopped, but she has just asked another question on education, so I presume that we are going to be stuck with it for some time—which will be a privilege and a pleasure for me to experience.

In relation to curriculum design, as I told Iain Gray, the OECD will look at any issues that it believes to be relevant. I am not going to prescribe to the OECD what should be explored; it is for the OECD to consider the topics and themes of the review.

Jenny Marra (Labour, North East Scotland)

The number of children who are leaving school in Dundee without any qualifications has risen again. It was 0.8 per cent in 2011 and is 4.8 per cent today. Those children have had every day, week, month and year of their education under the Scottish National Party, and they have been utterly failed by nationalism.

Dundee has yet to set its budget. Will Mr Swinney pick up the phone to John Alexander today and tell him not to make cuts to education in Dundee?

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

I accurately predicted from Jenny Marra’s muttering earlier on where she might be heading with her question. I am very pleased that Scottish local authorities have increased expenditure on education for the past three years, and I look forward to local authorities continuing that trend.

The Deputy Presiding Officer

That concludes questions on the statement. Unfortunately, Alasdair Allan, Gail Ross and Stuart McMillan were not able to get in. When the Presiding Officers cut off members mid-statement during questions and answers, there are complaints. The other side of that is that members rather ramble on, both in questions and in answers, and other colleagues get missed out. I ask members to please think about how we can deal with the situation in the future.

Transvaginal Mesh Implants (Removal)

Neil Findlay (Labour, Lothian)

1. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when Dr Veronikis will come to Scotland to carry out full mesh removal procedures. (S5O-04171)

Jeane Freeman (Scottish National Party, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley)

This week, the chief medical officer wrote to Dr Veronikis to reiterate her invitation to him to come to Scotland for an observational visit. In their discussions, they have been looking at a provisional date of April or May. She also advised him of the offer of a contract of employment, subject to the detailed deliberations and agreement on processes and working in the NHS Scotland environment, which have previously been discussed with him and are standard for any visiting clinician.

We hope that Dr Veronikis will be able to accept that offer, subject to his availability. Today, the chief medical officer has written again to Dr Veronikis to get his response to her earlier letter, which contained the offer of a contract of employment.

Neil Findlay (Labour, Lothian)

Things are moving ahead very slowly, but I am pleased to hear that there is some progress at last.

In the meantime, women here are being told that they are having full mesh removal procedures, and those have been recorded on their medical records, only for them to then go to the US to be operated on by Dr Veronikis and find that he has removed 10cm, 15cm, 20cm or more of mesh from them.

This week, I got a response from the First Minister following the meeting that we had in November, which said that if women had such concerns, they should report the cases to the regulator. These women have gone through enough. They do not need the added stress of taking individual cases to the General Medical Council. I am asking whether the cabinet secretary—or, indeed, the First Minister—will now call in the GMC to look at what appears to be the systematic misleading of patients in the recording of procedures on patients’ notes.

Jeane Freeman (Scottish National Party, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley)

I have two points to make in response to that. On the point about matters moving slowly, I completely understand what Mr Findlay is saying. I share that frustration, but there are proper processes to go through to ensure that Dr Veronikis understands the environment in Scotland in which he would be operating, as he has acknowledged. Dr Veronikis has accepted that it is the right professional approach to come for an observational visit so that he understands what he

needs by way of instruments and so on before he can come and operate. The offer of a contract of employment is a clear indication that that is where we want to be.

Mr Findlay has raised the point about cases before. We committed to having an independent clinician-led case note review, and that is under way. Professor Alison Britton has agreed to act as moderator for the review. It will involve independent clinicians who will be sourced by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and who will look at the cases of each of the individual women and discuss them with them. That is the right next step to take before we see what evidence exists that could—if necessary—be referred to regulators. We need to do that in a way that involves, as it has done, the royal college, Professor Britton and the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland, to ensure that patients’ views are fed into it. That work is well under way.

The specific reviews will begin in April. We will write to all the women whose information we hold, from the meetings that the First Minister and I have had with them, plus any others who have written to me. Others may want to come forward. We will write to those whom we know of at the moment to tell them exactly what will happen in their individual cases.

They will also be told how they can be involved and that we will take the lead in ensuring that their individual cases are looked at. It is a very serious situation, and I assure Neil Findlay that I will take further action if it is required.

Christine Grahame (Scottish National Party, Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale)

That was, quite rightly, a very long and detailed answer, but I must ask for shorter supplementaries and shorter answers. That was a very full answer.

Miles Briggs (Conservative, Lothian)

In a letter that I received from the cabinet secretary on 24 February, she said that work is currently on-going on drawing up the organisations, set-up criteria and validity for the new £1 million fund. Will women who are affected be involved in that, and what discussions have taken place?

Jeane Freeman (Scottish National Party, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley)

Yes. We are working with the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland. We already have a lot of information, which has come from the women who have been in touch with us and with whom we have met, about the specific financial issues that have affected them. We will continue to involve them.

I hope to announce the exact details of the fund very shortly, including what the criteria are and how to apply.

Ruth Maguire (Scottish National Party, Cunninghame South)

My constituent Julie is a full-time carer for her husband who has serious mobility issues. She is anxious and worried about her capacity to make the journey to Edinburgh, and the impact that it will have on her recovery. Will the cabinet secretary explore with me, perhaps at a later date, the issue of travel, recovery and rehabilitation for women from the west of Scotland who have to travel to Edinburgh?

Jeane Freeman (Scottish National Party, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley)

I am happy to tell Ms Maguire about the existing arrangements and how they might assist her constituent. I am also happy to look in more detail at the use of the fund, and whether there are aspects of care that can be delivered more locally.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Clare Adamson (Scottish National Party, Motherwell and Wishaw)

2. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve outcomes for people with inflammatory bowel disease. (S5O-04172)

Clare Haughey (Scottish National Party, Rutherglen)

Through its modernising patient pathways programme, the Scottish Government has been working closely with health boards and Crohn’s and Colitis UK in recent years to improve IBD services, pathways and patient outcomes across Scotland.

That includes the development of a series of self-management tools, care plans, a mobile app and supporting the pilot of a new specialist IBD community nurse model. In addition, we are currently trialling flare cards in NHS Lothian. Those provide people with quick and easy advice on the immediate steps that they can take to help manage unpredictable and fluctuating symptoms. The cards were co-developed with Crohn’s and Colitis UK and will shortly be extended to a further two health board areas: NHS Grampian and NHS Borders, with the intention of rolling their use out across the rest of Scotland, subject to further evaluation.

Clare Adamson (Scottish National Party, Motherwell and Wishaw)

I thank the minister for the information regarding flare cards.

Based on discussions in the cross-party group on IBD, I understand that different health boards have different pathways for diagnosis and treatment of people; some are using primary care options and some are using secondary care options. In that context, what is the Government doing to ensure that there are clear pathways and protocols available to IBD sufferers across Scotland, and that those pathways are in line with best practice?

The Deputy Presiding Officer

Clare Adamson—

[Interruption.]

Oh, no. That would mean that you would be answering your own question. I call the minister.

Clare Haughey (Scottish National Party, Rutherglen)

First, I pay tribute to the work of the Parliament’s cross-party group on IBD and to Clare Adamson for the interest that she has shown in IBD over some years. The modernising patient pathways programme is leading on a series of national workshops with the gastroenterology community across Scotland, with a view to producing evidence-based standardised pathways for people who present with lower gastrointestinal symptoms, including those with an IBD diagnosis.

Mary Fee (Labour, West Scotland)

Children and young people with inflammatory bowel disease are often misdiagnosed, which results in multiple hospital admissions and absences from school. An early diagnosis is a significant factor, given the huge rise in paediatric inflammatory bowel disease, which is mainly driven by Crohn’s disease. What steps will the Scottish Government and the NHS take to improve diagnosis for children and young people who have inflammatory bowel disease?

Clare Haughey (Scottish National Party, Rutherglen)

Mary Fee has raised an important issue. The Scottish Government has been investing in research by Cure Crohn’s Colitis and the Crohn’s and colitis in childhood research project, which is led by Professor Charlie Lees, a consultant gastroenterologist based at the Western general hospital.

The project will help to determine what causes disease flare-ups in some patients, and has the potential to lead to the development of personalised therapy for colitis. The project that I referred to is the PREdiCCT—prognostic effect of environmental factors in Crohn’s and colitis—study. There is investment in and research on this important issue in Scotland.

Scottish Ambulance Service (Investment)

Stuart McMillan (Scottish National Party, Greenock and Inverclyde)

3. To ask the Scottish Government what investment it is making in the Scottish Ambulance Service ahead of the west of Scotland trauma network being launched. (S5O-04173)

Jeane Freeman (Scottish National Party, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley)

By the end of 2019-20, we will have invested £33.4 million in the Scottish trauma network, which includes the Scottish Ambulance Service. Funding is planned to increase to £41.6 million annually by 2023-24.

Thanks to the investment to date, the SAS trauma desk, which is based at the Glasgow ambulance control centre, is operational 24/7 and plays a vital role in the co-ordination of the service’s response to trauma. There is additional investment in major trauma equipment across the service’s emergency vehicle fleet.

Stuart McMillan (Scottish National Party, Greenock and Inverclyde)

At a recent community council meeting in my constituency, where senior staff from the Inverclyde royal hospital spoke about the west of Scotland trauma network, concerns were raised by constituents about the impact of the network on local ambulance provision. Will the cabinet secretary provide assurances to my constituents that the Scottish Ambulance Service will be able to meet the needs of the local community when the trauma network is launched, and that it will not result in slower response times in Inverclyde, particularly as ambulances have to take patients up to Paisley and Glasgow?

Jeane Freeman (Scottish National Party, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley)

I understand that such concerns have arisen in that instance, but the Ambulance Service is really clear about our expectation that it gives consideration to the impact of any changes where additional demands are placed on its capacity.

The SAS is undertaking a national review of demand and capacity, which will include the anticipated demand on it from the west of Scotland trauma network. It will use its experience from elsewhere in Scotland where there are trauma centres—Aberdeen and Dundee, currently. The review of demand and capacity will help it to ensure that it is able to meet demands and, from that, it will set out its requirements of the health service in terms of additional resources and where those resources need to be deployed.

We are committed to supporting the Ambulance Service in that work and to seriously considering the outcome of its national review of demand and capacity, taking account of all the factors that we have outlined.

Urology Appointments (NHS Tayside)

Murdo Fraser (Conservative, Mid Scotland and Fife)

4. To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting times are for a urology appointment at NHS Tayside. (S5O-04174)

Jeane Freeman (Scottish National Party, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley)

The average wait for a new out-patient urology appointment in NHS Tayside was 32 days during the quarter that ended in December 2019.

More than £9.6 million has been made available to NHS Tayside in the current financial year to reduce waiting times across all specialties. In autumn 2019, NHS Tayside opened a treatment centre that is specifically focused on reducing urology waiting times. The focus is to enhance patient pathways and experience when accessing urology out-patient services.

Murdo Fraser (Conservative, Mid Scotland and Fife)

Despite the figures that the cabinet secretary quoted, I have been told by two constituents in just the past few weeks that they have been told that they have to wait 60 weeks to see a specialist urologist in NHS Tayside. I am sure that the cabinet secretary agrees that, for people with conditions that are sometimes painful and distressing, a wait of a year and two months is totally unacceptable. Will the cabinet secretary do more to help NHS Tayside to address that problem?

Jeane Freeman (Scottish National Party, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley)

I completely agree with Murdo Fraser and his constituents that that wait is too long. If he would care to send me the details of the specific cases that he referenced, I will pick them up directly with NHS Tayside.

All the boards have a trajectory from the waiting times improvement plan, and we have a weekly—in some instances, daily—focus with boards on the improvements that they are making against the investment that we have given them to improve waiting times.

I would like to see the information about the specific matter, have a detailed look at it with NHS Tayside and then get back to Mr Fraser.

Obesity Rates (School-age Children)

Willie Coffey (Scottish National Party, Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley)

5. To ask the Scottish Government whether obesity rates in school-age children are reducing and what measures are being considered to make further progress. (S5O-04175)

Clare Haughey (Scottish National Party, Rutherglen)

The percentage of children who are at risk of being overweight has been fairly constant over the past decade at about 22 per cent, of which 10 per cent are at risk of obesity. However, there are increasing inequalities in child unhealthy weight between children who live in the most and least deprived areas. That is why our ambition to halve childhood obesity by 2030 and significantly reduce health inequalities sits at the heart of “A healthier future: Scotland’s diet and healthy weight delivery plan”, which was published in 2018.

We are taking action on many fronts. In the coming months, we will publish a plan to make it easier for people to eat well outside the home, and we will introduce legislation later this year to restrict the promotion of foods that are high in fat, sugar or salt. There is more to be done to strengthen support for children and families to eat well and have healthy weight in the early years.

Willie Coffey (Scottish National Party, Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley)

According to Obesity Action Scotland, 16 per cent of children aged two to 15—that is about 130,000 children—are at risk of obesity. As the minister said, the problem seems to be widening between the most deprived and the most well-off communities. Can the minister give us some assurance that the Government’s commitment to halve child obesity by 2030 can get back on track? What more can we, our families and our schools do to encourage healthy eating in the home and at school?

Clare Haughey (Scottish National Party, Rutherglen)

I assure Willie Coffey that the Scottish Government is committed to reducing the number of obese people across Scotland, and particularly the number of obese children. The Scottish Government is doing many things, but the issue is fundamentally one for everyone in Scotland, including public bodies, industry and front-line practitioners, all of whom have a part to play in improving Scotland’s diet and supporting children to eat well.

We welcome the commitment of local partners in North Ayrshire, the east region and a number of other localities to work across the system to lead innovative action in their local communities. That includes exploring opportunities through a wide range of levers, such as planning and licensing, to tackle childhood obesity.

Drug and Alcohol Treatment Services (Punitive Sanction Regimes)

Ruth Maguire (Scottish National Party, Cunninghame South)

6. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the use of punitive sanction regimes in drug and alcohol treatment services. (S5O-04176)

Jeane Freeman (Scottish National Party, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley)

The Scottish Government does not advocate the use of punitive sanctions in drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services. In line with the approach in the rest of our national health service, a person-centred approach to treatment and recovery is a key focus of our “Rights, Respect and Recovery” strategy, and it is highlighted as part of our eight-point treatment plan.

Ruth Maguire (Scottish National Party, Cunninghame South)

The cabinet secretary will share my concern that punitive sanction regimes do exist in drug and alcohol treatment services. What will the Scottish Government do to ensure that that ends and that all treatment services meet people where they are and offer them the best chance of support and recovery?

Jeane Freeman (Scottish National Party, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley)

As I think members across the chamber understand, in addition to the significant additional investment that the First Minister mentioned at First Minister’s question time, which my colleague Ms Forbes will make clear in the budget debate to come, all of the investment should be focused on ensuring that all our services, including mental health services, wrap around individuals rather than forcing them to fit into the nature of processes and services and how services want to run themselves.

That was a clear signal and a clear recommendation that came to us from the Dundee drugs commission, and we are actively taking that approach in our plans for the coming financial year.

That significant investment, which is in addition to the £50 million-odd that sits with our health boards for this work, will be used proactively to ensure that we are listening, as Mr FitzPatrick was doing yesterday, to the voices of those with personal experience and service providers and users. We will ensure that the drug and alcohol treatment services are targeted at what individuals need and that they reach out beyond health into housing and other matters that are the responsibility of our local authority colleagues. In that way, we will put the services around the individuals and genuinely help them to move on with their lives.

The Deputy Presiding Officer

Question 7, which will be the last question, will have to be brief on all counts.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (Meetings)

Anas Sarwar (Labour, Glasgow)

7. To ask the Scottish Government when it last met NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and what was discussed. (S5O-04177)

Jeane Freeman (Scottish National Party, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley)

Ministers and Scottish Government officials regularly meet representatives of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. As Mr Sarwar will know, we have two oversight boards running on that health board. I last met the chair of the health board on 7 February. The second performance oversight group that has been established, which is chaired by NHS Scotland’s chief performance officer, also met on 7 February and its second meeting will be held later today.

Anas Sarwar (Labour, Glasgow)

The cabinet secretary knows my views on the leadership of the health board.

The matter of out-of-hours general practitioner services in Greater Glasgow and Clyde came up earlier, during First Minister’s questions. The problem is not just temporary closures; it is a systemic problem to do with GP shortages. In 2017, there were 54 closures of out-of-hours services across the health board because of GP shortages; in 2018, there were 258 closures; and, in 2019, there were 816 closures. What urgent action will the cabinet secretary take to ensure that we have continuity of care for the people across Greater Glasgow and Clyde?

Jeane Freeman (Scottish National Party, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley)

I am grateful for that question. I need to correct Mr Sarwar in as much as the problem with out-of-hours services in Greater Glasgow and Clyde is not about GP shortages. GPs are willing to be involved in those services. The problem is that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has not paid attention to Sir Lewis Ritchie’s review and it has not enacted his very clear recommendations. That has resulted in the instances that you mentioned. One of the reasons why I escalated the full board to level 4 of the monitoring regime is so that we can direct and improve the service.

It is clear to me from visiting those out-of-hours services, from Sir Lewis Ritchie’s direct engagement with GPs and from my conversations with GPs, that GPs are very willing to work in those services. Many of them consider that to be a positive enhancement to their role. However, they need there to be a multidisciplinary team in those services, an appointment-based system and a location that is safe and offers them what they legitimately expect from working conditions.

The board has consolidated to four out-of-hours centres in order to ensure that it can deliver that service, under our direction. It will then expand from four to seven and then back to nine centres, in order to ensure that we have a robust, sustainable service. Out-of-hours services are critical to primary care, which is critical to integration. I could not agree more. That is the basis of the issue; that is why we are taking the action that we are.

The Deputy Presiding Officer

I apologise to Fulton MacGregor for failing to reach his question.

Budget (Scotland) (No 4) Bill: Stage 1

Kenneth Macintosh (Labour, West Scotland)

I invite colleagues to join me in welcoming to our gallery Mr Alex Maskey MLA, who is the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly. [

Applause

.]

The next item of business is a debate on motion S5M-21013, in the name of Kate Forbes, on the Budget (Scotland) (No 4) Bill at stage 1.

Kate Forbes (Scottish National Party, Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch)

I am delighted to open this debate today on the budget.

I thank the Finance and Constitution Committee for its report, to which I will respond ahead of stage 3. I also thank all the parties across the chamber—yes, all of them—for their consideration of the budget and for their constructive engagement in the budget discussions.

These have been unusual circumstances for all of us. It has never been more important for a budget to deliver stability and investment for Scotland’s economy and public services, while accelerating our response to the climate emergency.

The budget that I presented to Parliament makes significant progress against our four key themes of increasing wellbeing, tackling climate change, reducing child poverty and increasing sustainable and inclusive economic growth. I recognise that there is ambition on all sides of the chamber, including my own, for us to do more in a range of those areas.

In order to provide the certainty that our public services require, I met all parties in good faith to secure agreement and ensure that the budget passes. I am therefore delighted to confirm that I have reached an agreement with the Scottish Green Party that will secure the passage of this progressive budget.

In addition to the spending measures that I outlined to Parliament earlier this month, the agreement that we have struck will deliver an additional £95 million for local authorities, meeting a key ask of all parties and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities; an additional £18 million for Police Scotland, helping the men and women of our police force to keep us safe and taking total additional investment to £60 million; £25 million of additional investment in energy efficiency and fuel poverty measures to help tackle climate change; £15 million more in active travel, taking total investment to £100 million for the first time; and £5 million more to support the development of rail infrastructure projects. Perhaps most significantly, our agreement secures an additional £15 million to support the extension of concessionary bus travel to everyone aged 18 and under, which I am particularly proud to be able to deliver.

Murdo Fraser (Conservative, Mid Scotland and Fife)

I am grateful to the finance secretary for giving way. Could she clarify exactly what will happen with concessionary travel for the under-19s? Yesterday, the Green Party was trumpeting the new policy initiative that is to be delivered, but the wording in the finance secretary’s agreement says that the funding will support “preparations” for a new scheme, with the aim, if possible, of delivering it next year. Is that a cast-iron guarantee, as the Greens claim, or is it simply a possibility, as the finance secretary says?

Kate Forbes (Scottish National Party, Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch)

The member will know that, as a competent Government, we do not roll out programmes until we are sure that they meet due diligence and are well designed. There is due diligence and preparatory work to do, not least in engaging with young people to ensure that the system is designed for them and by them. I believe that the contribution that the policy will make to tackling climate change, helping household budgets and empowering our young people means that it should be very difficult to vote against the budget at decision time.

All parties were publicly clear about their asks, and there has been agreement across parties. In delivering additional local government funding, police funding and action on climate change and concessionary bus travel, the additional package meets demands from every party in the Parliament. Although a deal has been done to secure passage of the budget bill, I hope that all parties will recognise that it is a deal that delivers for the country as a whole.

I intend to fund the additional commitments through limited amounts of underspend from this year, taking a multiyear approach to non-domestic rates management without impacting local authority revenues, and an increased consequentials assumption, including for the fossil fuel levy. That is not without risk, forced as we are to set our budget in advance of the United Kingdom Government’s budget and with very little clarity on the block grant adjustments. However, I have made a judgment call, and I recognise that the country needs certainty—it needs the budget to be agreed and passed.

The ambition of our national performance framework is reflected through the budget’s priority themes: tackling climate change, reducing child poverty, supporting inclusive growth and, in the roundest sense, improving the wellbeing of people in Scotland. Central to the budget are our efforts to accelerate the transition to a net zero economy by delivering a green new deal for Scotland that works in partnership with people, places and businesses to deliver the transformation that we need to meet our world-leading climate change targets.

The budget sets out new proposals with increased funding in manufacturing, energy use and generation, how we heat our homes and how we use our land. It includes proposals to plant new forests and pledges record investment of £250 million over 10 years to restore our peatlands. All of that will support our efforts to end our contribution to climate change and to support Scotland’s economy, which in turn will boost wellbeing.

The year 2020 will also be a landmark year for the devolution of social security benefits, with £3 billion in benefit spend transferring to the Scottish Government. That expenditure will reach approximately 800,000 people, making a real difference to real lives and wellbeing through a new system that is based on dignity and respect. That reinforces the importance of passing the budget bill.

We are doing all that we can to tackle poverty and inequality in this budget, including by providing £21 million for the new Scottish child payment. Worth £10 a week per child to low-income families with a child under six and described as a “game changer” by the Child Poverty Action Group, it will be introduced later in 2020. Once it has been fully rolled out, it will lift 30,000 children out of poverty. Alongside that, we are investing £110 million to mitigate the worst impacts of UK Government welfare reform. That includes providing more for discretionary housing payments and for the Scottish welfare fund.

The budget also has an outward focus and will help developing countries to grow in a fair and sustainable manner.

Another budget milestone is our record investment of £15 billion in health and care services, which represents an increase of more than £1 billion in 2020-21. That not only meets but exceeds our commitment to pass on all health resource consequentials; it does so by allocating a further £100 million to support front-line spending.

The budget that I presented to Parliament provided local government with an increase of £494 million to support the delivery of core local services. Having listened to the case that was made by all parties and COSLA, through our agreement with the Greens, I will allocate a further £95 million to local government’s core settlement, taking the total increase to £589 million.

Returning to the economy, we are focused on stability and growth at this time of uncertain global economic conditions. Stability and growth are made all the more important by the nature of the hard Brexit that is being sought by the UK Government, which is clearly demonstrated in the negotiating mandate that was published this morning.

Alongside early progress on our £7 billion national infrastructure mission, this budget provides £220 million of fresh seed money for the Scottish national investment bank; continues to support city region and growth deals; increases the international trade and investment budget by more than 25 per cent; includes a £200 million commitment to additional low-carbon investment through the innovative green growth accelerator model; and delivers a 20 per cent increase in the transport infrastructure and connectivity budget.

We are also continuing to deliver further support for communities through a progressive public sector pay policy that is targeted at the lowest paid. We are investing more than £800 million to help to deliver 50,000 new homes in this session of Parliament. We are investing in improved bus infrastructure, electric vehicle charging and increased active travel. We are continuing to prioritise investment in education through real-terms increases for further and higher education and the provision of £645 million to almost double childcare from August.

To help to pay for that and other vital expenditure, the budget continues a progressive approach to tax that provides stability ahead of the delayed UK budget. Fifty-six per cent of Scottish income tax payers will pay less income tax in 2020-21 than they would pay if they lived elsewhere in the UK. A lower rates poundage will be paid on 95 per cent of properties in Scotland than is paid elsewhere in the UK.

I am proud to present this budget to Parliament. It is a budget that delivers for the people of Scotland and meets the key asks of all parties, despite the uncertainty and delay of the UK budget. All parties wished to see additional investment in local government. This budget delivers that. All parties wished to see more money for our police. This budget delivers that. All parties wanted to see increased investment to tackle climate change. This budget delivers that.

There is one ask of Parliament that I have not yet responded to. That was a request from parties for a £15 million increase in drug services, while our draft budget proposed an increase of £12.7 million. I am pleased to inform Parliament—although members might already know this—that Jeane Freeman has identified an additional £7.3 million from within her portfolio to help to reduce the harms and deaths that are caused by drug use. That will increase direct investment by the Scottish Government in drug services by up to £20 million, exceeding the demand that was made of us.

This is a budget that renews our social contract with the people of Scotland. It provides the resources that Parliament has requested. There might be parties that will contrive reasons to vote against it. They might want tax cuts for the rich or to turn this budget for public services into an argument against independence. The reality is that this budget delivers their key asks. It delivers for our public services, and it delivers for Scotland. Accordingly, I urge all members to support the budget bill tonight.

I move,

That the Parliament agrees to the general principles of the Budget (Scotland) (No.4) Bill.

Donald Cameron (Conservative, Highlands and Islands)

I pay tribute to my predecessor in the role, Murdo Fraser. He left big shoes to fill. I am glad to see that he is still beside me and will speak later in the debate.

I welcome Kate Forbes to her role as Cabinet Secretary for Finance, and note that the takeover of finance roles by Highland MSPs proceeds apace. I have enjoyed working with her on many other issues, so I am sure that our engagement in this portfolio will be constructive. In fact, since I was appointed to my role, we have met on several occasions to discuss the budget because my party was open and willing to engage in such dialogue. As Kate Forbes said, the discussions were candid and friendly, and were conducted in good faith. Although our parties might hold fundamentally different views on many issues, we all care that our public services are well funded and that Scotland prospers.

In that spirit, I will start with what we welcome in the budget. We welcome several of the announcements, including additional support for infrastructure and manufacturing. We welcome equally the funding for the police that was announced yesterday, although it should not have taken sustained pressure from us and others, including the police themselves, to shame the Government into taking action.

Let us look at what has not been delivered and the reasons why we cannot support the budget. We made an overarching request that there be no further divergence from UK tax rates, and we asked the cabinet secretary to undertake that if, in its budget on 11 March, the UK Government were to make changes to ease the tax burden on working people south of the border, the Scottish Government would match that. We did not seek a tax cut. We wanted to ensure that the tax gap widens no further, so that Scotland can remain competitive and continue to attract the best talent. That commitment was not forthcoming from the Scottish Government; for that reason alone, we could not have supported the budget.

I do not want to focus on tax today, important though it is. When we met the cabinet secretary, we made other reasonable and affordable proposals. We outlined a proposal to reverse some of the Scottish Government’s damaging cuts to drug rehabilitation services, and called specifically for £15.4 million for additional drug rehabilitation beds, over what is in the budget. Despite our productive conversations with the cabinet secretary, that was rejected on a day when an editorial in

The Times

rightly said:

“Scotland’s record of drug deaths is a matter for national shame.”

We sought funding not for combating drugs in general, but for a specific policy of providing residential beds. Scotland has seen a dramatic reduction in the number of drug rehabilitation beds. In 2007, there were 353 across 22 services; today there are just 70 places in three facilities. That is unacceptable, especially in this week, of all weeks, when we had two drug summits in Glasgow that were organised by the UK Government and Scottish Government to look at ways to solve this country’s worst humanitarian crisis.

We also outlined to the cabinet secretary the problems that are faced by our cash-strapped councils. Although revenue funding has been addressed, £95 million split between 32 local authorities will go only so far. In taking account of inflation, is it any wonder that—as COSLA pointed out—most local authorities will have to increase council tax simply to make ends meet?

In that context, it is the Government’s failure to fund the capital allocation to our councils properly with £117 million, which we also requested, on which I want to concentrate. I will illustrate what I say with an example from the Highlands that is close to home for me and the cabinet secretary. The example is road repairs. It is not a glamorous issue, but it is, nonetheless, crucial. Highland Council’s core capital funding is expected to be £23.74 million, which is a reduction of one third from last year. Local councillors tell me that it is inevitable that road repairs will be affected by that cut to capital funding even with increased council tax. Yesterday, I saw photos of some of the roads in the north of Skye.

John Finnie (Green, Highlands and Islands)

Does Donald Cameron agree that, given that Scotland has a backlog of £3 billion-worth of roads repairs, the wrong priority for Highland Council is to build new roads—which requires obscene sums of money—as part of the Inverness and Highlands city region deal?

Donald Cameron (Conservative, Highlands and Islands)

I think that John Finnie will agree that the priority is to fix the roads that are in such a bad state.

Yesterday, I was sent photos of roads in the north of Skye, which is in the cabinet secretary’s constituency. The roads are riddled with potholes, the tarmac is crumbling, and there are craters everywhere. The roads on Skye and the notorious Stromeferry bypass in Wester Ross, which is deep in the heart of the area that the cabinet secretary represents, are vital lifeline roads that connect small communities across Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch.

Kate Forbes (Scottish National Party, Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch)

If that is the case, why did Highland Council issue a press release today that says that it is planning its biggest single investment in roads projects for years? [

Interruption

.]

Donald Cameron (Conservative, Highlands and Islands)

As I have said, it is inevitable that the council will have to do that by increasing council tax because of the cut to its core grant. The roads will not be repaired now, which is what the budget means in practice for the cabinet secretary’s constituents as they go about their everyday lives.

That is the reality of her budget.

As I have said, our requests were not unreasonable, unaffordable or over the top. For truly extreme demands, enter stage left—or stage far left—the Scottish Green Party. Of course, it was going to be—

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

Will the member take an intervention?

Donald Cameron (Conservative, Highlands and Islands)

No, I have already taken interventions. I am not going to give way.

It was going—[

Interruption

.] It was going to be the Greens’ big year. No more Patrick the poodle: 2020 was to be the year that the Greens finally stood up to the Scottish National Party, and the year in which they stamped their feet, banged their drums and made their blood-curdling demands. New road projects were to be cut, the dualling of the A9 was to be stopped, the A96 upgrade was to be halted, the Sheriffhall roundabout was to be completely revamped and they were going to get a definitive commitment to free bus travel for young people. However, one by one, the demands have either been abandoned or watered down so much that they have become meaningless.

Let us look at free bus travel—

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

Will the member take an intervention?

Donald Cameron (Conservative, Highlands and Islands)

No, I will not take an intervention. I have taken many already.

What have the Greens received? They have received funding to “support preparations” to introduce concessionary bus fares “if possible”, subject to “research and due diligence”. There are get-out clauses wherever we look. How much have they received? They got £15 million. What would be the yearly cost of the proposal? According to the Greens themselves, it would be £80 million per year—more than five times the amount that they have actually received. That is not a commitment from the Scottish Government; it is a con trick. Patrick Harvie has been played like a fiddle—and not for the first time.

I will move on to a very serious issue. Underpinning the budget was the assertion that all the cash was accounted for. Yet again, we were told that there was no more money. However, it turns out that Kate Forbes has an even bigger sofa than Derek Mackay. She knows the respect that I have for her, but it makes a mockery of the budget process to insist that there is no more money, but then to produce it at whim.

John Swinney (Scottish National Party, Perthshire North)

Will the member take an intervention?

Donald Cameron (Conservative, Highlands and Islands)

I am in my last minute.

How can committees that are involved in budget scrutiny and external organisations that are assessing the budget take the process seriously when the figures that we are presented with are simply not real? The budget process is becoming a charade and it demeans Parliament.

Of course, thanks to the UK Government, Scotland will benefit from an additional £1.1 billion in real terms, according to the Treasury. In fact, the Scottish Government figures are even higher—the draft budget refers to a whopping £1.5 billion in Barnett consequentials. There is no austerity, and here is the thing: people cannot complain—[

Interruption

.] People cannot complain about austerity and then inflict austerity on Scotland’s local authorities in terms of their capital funding. Ultimately, the budget—[

Interruption

.]

The Presiding Officer

Order.

Donald Cameron (Conservative, Highlands and Islands)

Ultimately, the budget comes at a time when the people of Scotland have to pay higher council tax bills, and when anyone who earns more than £27,000 will pay more income tax than they would pay if they lived elsewhere in the UK. As ever with this Government, people are paying more but getting less.

I move amendment S5M-21013.1, to insert at end:

“, but, in so doing, regrets that the Scottish Government has made no commitment to prevent further divergence from UK tax rates, and further regrets that the draft Budget fails to fund a proper drug rehabilitation strategy or provide adequate capital funding for local authorities.”

The Presiding Officer

I call Bruce Crawford to open for the Finance and Constitution Committee.

Bruce Crawford (Scottish National Party, Stirling)

Before yesterday’s agreement between the Scottish Government and the Green Party, I had intended to say that this afternoon’s debate would include calls from across Parliament for additional spending allocations in the budget, and that there would be the usual theatre, in which the Opposition would claim that there was money stuffed down the sofa to pay for that additional spending. In contrast, there would be weary sighs from the Government and protestations that the Opposition would need to say where the money was coming from.

Whatever is said, I am glad that, for the sake of stability and certainty in the public sector and the economy, an early agreement has been arrived at.

I will leave it for others to comment on the merits or otherwise of the budget deal, because if I did so I would, rightly, be accused of straying too far from my remit as the convener of the Finance and Constitution Committee.

Whatever the circumstances, the job of Parliament’s committees is not to indulge in the theatre or speculation that surrounds budget deals. Our job is to get our hands dirty and to ask the difficult questions that can sometimes be awkward for all the political parties in Parliament.

The Finance and Constitution Committee’s report on this year’s budget asks the difficult and awkward question whether it remains prudent for Government and Parliament to agree an annual budget that allocates every available penny.

Neil Findlay (Labour, Lothian)

Bruce Crawford makes a valid point. Is it not ludicrous, however, that Parliament is told that there is no more money because it has all been allocated, only for magic beans to be found down the back of someone’s couch?

Bruce Crawford (Scottish National Party, Stirling)

I made reference to that in my opening, so I will not go back over that ground.

The committee asked that important question because of the increased volatility and risk that arise from tax and social security devolution. Further budgetary risks arise from continued economic uncertainty—which is likely to be exacerbated by the impact of Covid-19—and the UK Government’s decisions about European Union funding because of Brexit.

The operation of the fiscal framework adds to volatility and risk. The two most significant risks are that spending on demand-led social security benefits in Scotland is higher than the corresponding increase in the block grant, and that devolved tax revenues in Scotland are lower than the adjustment to the block grant.

Given that the size of those revenues and expenditure can be estimated only when the budget is being set, an additional risk arises from forecast error. Once we know the numbers, that can result in substantial reconciliations. We are now starting to see that forecast error impact on income tax. At this stage, we have only initial outturn data, so it is too early to draw firm conclusions on the extent of the risk. Nevertheless, the committee notes that, across the next three financial years, the Scottish Government is likely to need to find about £1 billion to repay negative income tax reconciliations.

Patrick Harvie (Green, Glasgow)

I am grateful to the Finance and Constitution Committee’s convener for giving way. Does he agree that another strong theme in the evidence that the committee took from a wide range of sources is that uncertainties are made worse because of the order in which we are doing things—having to pass a Scottish budget before the UK budget has been passed? Does he agree that the witnesses that we have heard from will find it unacceptable if we are forced into that situation in the context of next year’s budgetary constraints?

Bruce Crawford (Scottish National Party, Stirling)

I will specifically address that matter. Witnesses did make such comments.

Of course, the Scottish Government has two additional budget management tools to help it to manage increased volatility. First, it has the power to borrow up to £600 million a year, with an overall limit of £1.75 billion. Secondly, there is a reserve with an overall cap of £700 million, and annual drawdown limits of £250 million for resource and £100 million for capital spending.

The Scottish Government’s view is that, given the far greater than anticipated volatility, those powers are insufficient. Although the fiscal framework is due to be reviewed in 2022, ministers have asked Her Majesty’s Treasury to extend the resource borrowing and reserve powers in the short term. The committee has invited the Treasury to consider the findings of our budget report in responding to that request.

However, that would not answer the question that I posed earlier. Indeed, if HM Treasury were to agree to increase the borrowing and reserve powers, that would make the question more immediate. Do we want to consider, as a whole Parliament, whether it might now be more prudent, when additional funding becomes available, to build up a reserve to deal with future volatility? Alternatively, are we content that all new and additional funding be allocated, and that we deal with future volatility as and when it arises?

The forecast negative reconciliation of £550m for 2018-19 is likely to present the Scottish Government and Parliament with a significant challenge in setting next year’s budget. The cabinet secretary suggested to the committee that were the Scottish Government to build up a significant reserve, there would be accusations that she was not using the Government’s resources as well as she could. Today might well demonstrate that the cabinet secretary made a fair point.

Use of the reserve therefore raises the wider question about the need for a more strategic approach to budget management and the Government’s medium-term financial strategy. In our pre-budget report, the committee indicated that we were somewhat disappointed by the lack of information in the MTFS regarding how the forecast £1 billion negative reconciliation would be addressed. In response, the Scottish Government stated its position that decisions on management of income tax reconciliations can be taken only in each budget year. The committee asks—reasonably, I think—how that approach is consistent with the principles and priorities that are set out in the MTFS, which appear to provide the basis for a strategic approach to management of reconciliations.

The committee also asks how the Government will seek to find an appropriate balance between increasing the size of the reserve and/or committing to further public expenditure. The committee recognises that there will always be political pressures to allocate all available resources annually. However, Government and Parliament now need to consider seriously whether that is a sustainable approach.

The committee believes that the possibility of shifting from an annual focus on allocations to a more medium-term approach needs to be considered. The committee therefore recommends that the next MTFS set out the basis for a more strategic approach to budgetary management that seeks to address medium-term volatility and risk. In addition, the possibility of multi-annual budgets for public bodies should be considered. That said, the committee fully recognises that that would be a significant challenge, given the lack of a recent UK comprehensive spending review, and given some of the reasons that Patrick Harvie outlined earlier.

I recognise that it will not be easy to engender meaningful wider debate, but I live in hope. However, I warn Parliament that the challenges that the committee identified will not go away. Come December, it is likely that the Government will need to find about £500 million to address negative reconciliations.

There will also come a point in future budgets when Parliament will need to decide how to deal with positive reconciliations, which could be substantial. Should such additional funding be spent, or should it be kept in reserve to pay for future negative reconciliations? The answer will depend on our collective willingness to engage constructively on whether it is now prudent to plan beyond a one-year budget horizon. Our report is intended to contribute positively to that debate.

In conclusion, I thank our committee clerking team and our adviser, David Eisner, for their highly professional and considered input to preparation of our report.

Sarah Boyack (Labour, Lothian)

Although we welcomed the opportunity to meet the new cabinet secretary and we welcome her to her post as she deals with her first budget, we believe that the budget is a disappointment that is full of smoke and mirrors. It is all about the headlines and not the reality on the ground. The budget comes at an absolutely critical time for Scotland, after 13 years of mismanagement and underinvestment from the SNP, but—again—it does not deliver the transformational change that Scotland needs.

Before the celebrations begin on the SNP and Green benches, let us be clear that there will be cuts in our communities following today’s budget. A decade of underfunding and austerity has come with a hefty price tag. There has been a reduction of 10,000 full-time equivalent jobs, which is 33,000 redundancies in our communities. People have had to deal with those job losses. It is fascinating to hear the Tories say that austerity is over, but it has taken them a long time—10 years—and we have not seen the evidence yet. We want to see the actual consequentials. The worry is that the consequentials that are coming down the track will involve smoke and mirrors, too. There is a procedural issue about our ability to examine those consequentials when they are in place.

John Mason (Scottish National Party, Glasgow Shettleston)

Will the member give way?

Sarah Boyack (Labour, Lothian)

No—I need to make progress. I will give way to the member in a minute.

We are in a climate emergency, further and higher education services are under pressure and our local councils’ finances are teetering on a cliff edge as the demand for social care soars. That is also impacting on our national health service. We have had a decade of Scottish austerity, inequality is growing and poverty has become normalised. The number of food banks has grown in response to the erosion of the safety net that our councils play a key role in delivering. Councils are at the front line of tackling inequality, supporting our communities and giving young people the chances that they need to succeed in life.

The cabinet secretary asks us to celebrate the additional £95 million for local government that was found behind the sofa for today’s debate, which I suspect will be the image that lasts for us all. However, that £95 million was just the gap or the underfunded element in the Scottish Government’s commitments that had to be delivered by local government, so that money should have been in the budget in the first place. We have asked for fair funding for local government. We want to stop the cuts and ensure that there is investment to deliver on the programme.

Even with the additional money that the cabinet secretary announced yesterday, our councillor colleagues across the country will still have to make tough decisions. They are working hard, but they do not have the investment that is desperately needed, so they are having to make tough choices. The SNP Government controls the purse strings, but it does not take responsibility for its cuts.

The issue is not just with revenue expenditure, as the cuts of £117 million in capital funding mean that it will be tough to achieve the transformation that we need in our schools and council buildings and to provide the investment to meet our future needs. In my council—the City of Edinburgh Council—alone, the bill to refurbish existing schools and build new ones to meet the needs of the additional population will be £570 million, and it will need to borrow £260 million to meet that cost, which means that it will have to find an additional £17.5 million annually in revenue spending.

The SNP makes a big play about money for the NHS, but we have had mismanagement of that precious resource on an unprecedented scale. We have had cuts to integration joint boards and the loss of key staff in leadership positions. Six of our mainland health boards are in special measures, staff in front-line positions are under increasing pressure and patients are waiting longer to access general practitioner services or just to be treated. In the Local Government and Communities Committee, when I asked the cabinet secretary whether the budget will solve our social care crisis and end delayed discharge, she could not answer me. That is because so much of the additional resource that she wanted to talk about is already ring fenced and does not deal with the growing social care crisis in our communities.

The Local Government and Communities Committee has taken evidence on the lack of investment in preventative spend. COSLA is not the only body that is raising that issue; many organisations are making representations on it.

John Mason (Scottish National Party, Glasgow Shettleston)

Many of us agree with the member that there should be more preventative spend, but does she accept that there needs to be disinvestment from other services and that the problem is that we have to take the money away from hospitals or somewhere else?