Official Report 1072KB pdf
Disposable Income
I begin by noting the horrific attack on the Jewish community in Manchester this morning. I send our very best wishes to all those who have been affected.
Disposable income is what people have left to spend after paying their taxes and their bills. Put simply, it is about how many pounds they have left in their pockets. Scottish Conservatives have analysed Office for National Statistics data that reveals that the average Scottish household now has less disposable income, in real terms, than it did in 2007. People in Scotland are worse off than when John Swinney and the Scottish National Party came to power. He must surely be ashamed of that fact.
Before I answer Mr Findlay’s question, I express my horror at the attack on a synagogue in Manchester this morning. The attack came on Yom Kippur, the holiest time in the Jewish calendar, and my thoughts are with the victims, their families and all the Jewish communities in Scotland and across the United Kingdom. I record our thanks and appreciation to the emergency services and the first responders for the speed of their response.
Antisemitism is an evil that we must confront and stand resolutely against. I know that the whole Parliament speaks with one voice on such an important question. [Applause.]
I acknowledge the pressures that families face on household incomes. That is why, at the start of September, the Scottish Government took another step to assist families by abolishing peak rail fares for good. For instance, a commuter from Glasgow to Edinburgh will save in excess of £12 a day on their travel. That is just one example of how the Scottish Government is trying to support the household incomes of individuals.
Of course, one of the reasons why our economy has struggled in recent years is the effect of Brexit, which has made every single one of us poorer. Responsibility for that lies with the Conservative United Kingdom Government, which delivered the Brexit that it did.
SNP tax rises mean that most Scots now pay more tax than do people who are doing the same job in the rest of the United Kingdom. Scottish workers fear being hit yet again by Labour. Rachel Reeves has been asked to rule out tax rises. She has been asked to do that at least 10 times, but she refuses to do it. People in Scotland already have fewer pounds in their pockets. They cannot afford ever-increasing taxation. Labour will not be up front about tax rises, so will the SNP? [Interruption.]
Let us hear Mr Findlay.
Will John Swinney rule out any tax rises for workers in Scotland in his next budget?
As part of my public duty, I must correct what Mr Findlay has said. Mr Findlay was wrong, because more than half of taxpayers in Scotland continue to pay less tax than they would if they lived elsewhere in the United Kingdom.
I know that it is important that we all speak accurately to Parliament. It is a duty—[Interruption.]
Let us hear the First Minister.
It is a duty that I faithfully deploy—[Interruption.]
Colleagues, let us hear one another.
It is a duty that I faithfully deploy, and I will also point it out when Mr Findlay misleads the Parliament with incorrect information—[Interruption.]
Thank you.
Mr Findlay knows full well—[Interruption.]
We are not having pointing and shouting from our seats. First Minister, please continue.
Mr Findlay knows full well that the Government will set out its tax plans in the budget in an orderly and rational fashion. As a consequence of that, the Parliament will be able to scrutinise the Government’s financial provisions.
I reiterate the point that I have just made: more than half of taxpayers in Scotland continue to pay less than they would if they lived elsewhere in the United Kingdom. I am very proud of that fact.
This First Minister leads a Government that does not know the difference between fact and fiction. Workers in Scotland know exactly how much tax the SNP is forcing them to pay.
The next Scottish budget must bring down costs for families and businesses, but it must also give greater opportunities to young people. The SNP has inflicted economic damage on Scotland by slashing college budgets. Today, Audit Scotland revealed that the Scottish Government has cut college funding by 20 per cent in real terms since the most recent Holyrood election. SNP cuts mean fewer people going to college, learning new skills and advancing their careers. Reducing funding for colleges directly harms economic growth, which is something that the SNP does not seem to understand. Will John Swinney commit to reversing that cut, for the good of young Scots and for the good of Scotland’s economy?
First, as a consequence of the Government’s investment and of our approach to the education system, 93 per cent of young people who leave school go on to positive destinations such as work, training—[Interruption.]
Let us hear the First Minister.
—or further study, including attendance at our colleges.
The most recent Scottish Funding Council allocations provided a 2.6 per cent increase in teaching funding for 2025-26 and an increase of almost 5 per cent in capital maintenance funding to help colleges invest further in the learning experience of students.
This Government is absolutely committed to ensuring that we invest in our college sector to support students to move on to positive destinations, but the challenges that we face in managing our public finances have not in any way been helped by the austerity policies of the Conservatives and the folly of the Liz Truss budget, which Russell Findlay supported.
He always comes unstuck when he comes face to face with the facts produced by Audit Scotland.
Cutting college funding limits the opportunities for young people and harms our economy. The SNP’s chaotic and irresponsible approach means that there is less money for schools, hospitals, roads and everything else that needs to be fixed. Public services keep declining, yet taxes, household bills and everyday costs continue to rise. Whether John Swinney likes it or not, it is a fact that people in Scotland are worse off after 18 years of SNP Government.
Workers could face a double whammy of taxes in the upcoming Labour and SNP budgets. Is that all John Swinney has to offer Scotland—higher bills and worse public services?
I point out to Mr Findlay that the Scottish Government operates and delivers a balanced budget in every single year and that we have done so since 2007.
In relation to household bills, I have already cited the impact of the step that we have taken on peak rail fares. Council tax in Scotland is lower than for comparable properties in England, water bills are lower in Scotland than in England, and we have free prescriptions that help household incomes here in Scotland. We have free eye examinations in Scotland—a great preventative measure that helps with the cost of living—and we also have students who go to university without paying any tuition fees, unlike the situation in England.
In Scotland, we make responsible use of public finances, compared with the chaos and austerity of the Conservatives, and I am proud to defend the record of this Government.
Many members wish to put questions today. We will be better able to get more members in if we conduct ourselves appropriately.
Colleges
I am horrified by the news that is coming out of Manchester today. Like others, my thoughts are with all those who are affected and the wider Jewish community. Yom Kippur should be a time of peace and reflection. Instead, the community has been the victim of hate and violence. We must all stand against antisemitism and all forms of prejudice and hate.
This morning, a scathing Audit Scotland report laid bare the Scottish National Party’s failure to support our colleges and young people: a 20 per cent real-terms cut to colleges over the past five years, 30,000 fewer Scots getting college places, and a cash crisis that is putting jobs, institutions and college places at risk. When Scotland needs a new generation of skilled workers, why are apprenticeships and colleges of less value to the SNP than universities?
That is not the case. Last year, more than 35,000 people started a modern apprenticeship in Scotland. A record 39,000 individuals are now in training, including 20,000 who are aged 16 to 19—an increase of 2.8 per cent on the previous year. That is a consequence of the Government’s investment. Let me reiterate what that investment was, because there was a lot of noise when I stated it a little while ago. The Scottish Funding Council allocations provide a 2.6 per cent increase in teaching funding for 2025-26 and an increase of almost 5 per cent in capital maintenance funding to help colleges to invest in their estates. In addition to the investment that we are making in apprenticeships and in the college sector, the Scottish Government is investing in the skills of the future, which is exactly what the Government should do.
“Devastating”—that is how one student described the news that Forth Valley College’s Alloa campus faces closure. It seems that the First Minister would rather put his head in the sand and ignore Audit Scotland than confront the issues. Anne-Marie Harley, a lecturer at the college, said that the social benefits of what colleges do are not recognised by the SNP Government. Working-class kids are being let down by the SNP and by John Swinney—not for the first time. The future of Forth Valley College, which is home to thousands of students, is now at risk due to the financial crisis that has been caused by the SNP. Will John Swinney intervene to save the Alloa campus?
That subject has been uppermost in my mind after the representations that were made by my friend Keith Brown, the member for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane. Those issues are very much at the forefront of my mind. The education secretary is actively involved on my behalf and at my instruction in finding a way through the situation that will protect the future of the Alloa campus. For me, the Alloa campus is essential because it is located in an area of deprivation in our country and we must maximise access to learning. That is what my political agenda is about—ensuring that local communities that live in deprivation have access to learning facilities to enhance their prospects. That is what the Government is working to resolve today.
So why is the campus under threat? A 20 per cent real-terms cut was made by this SNP Government. The First Minister cannot dodge the record.
The SNP often speaks about tackling inequality but fails to deliver when it comes to educating our children. Some 60 per cent of young Scots do not go to university, and working-class kids are more likely to go to college. However, our colleges are in crisis. That is directly on John Swinney, a failed former education secretary who—let us not forget—shamefully downgraded the results of working-class kids during the pandemic. Now, his SNP Government refuses to fund a new welding centre on the Clyde, forcing Labour to intervene in order to secure those skilled jobs. Livelihoods and futures are being derailed by SNP incompetence. Colleges are facing cuts, courses are being scrapped and futures are being denied. Why does this snooty, elitist SNP Government refuse to recognise the value of Scotland’s colleges?
Members: Oh!
Let us hear one another.
Where do I start on all of that? My goodness. I do not think that lecturing me, a state school boy, about elitism is a great look for Mr Sarwar. I am very proud of my state school education.
Let us take that question apart bit by bit. On tackling inequality, this is the only part of the United Kingdom where child poverty is going down. That is because of the leadership of my Government and because of my leadership as First Minister. Some 93 per cent of young people are going on to positive destinations from our schools. When it comes to big, lofty commitments, I stood beside Mr Sarwar, who told me that there would be hundreds of millions of pounds to save Grangemouth. Grangemouth got absolutely nothing, and it has now closed. Mr Sarwar should go home and think again.
Land Reform
The Scottish Greens and I, like colleagues from across the chamber, send our thoughts, prayers, love and solidarity to the victims of the attack on Heaton Park synagogue and to the whole Jewish community. It will cast a long shadow over Yom Kippur worship this evening.
Scotland is a country of 5 million people, but fewer than 500 people and companies own half of this country’s land. Many of them do not even live here. They are a motley crew including aristocrats, billionaires and minor royals from across the world. In some cases, we do not even know who they are—three quarters of a million acres are owned from tax havens such as the Cayman Islands. More Scottish land is owned by corporations and the super rich now than it was when the First Minister’s party took office in 2007.
Later this month, the Scottish Government will ask MSPs to vote for the new Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, which will not break up big estates or redistribute land from billionaires to the people of Scotland. I ask the First Minister, with less Scottish land in the hands of the people now than in 2007, is his Government just scared of those billionaires?
The Government has taken a number of steps over a number of years to enable the purchase of land by communities, to support developments that have enhanced community opportunities in a range of different parts of the country. I have had the privilege of seeing at first hand the number of productive benefits of community land ownership.
As Mr Greer knows, the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill will be before Parliament over the course of the next few weeks. Parliament will have the opportunity to scrutinise the proposals, and we will, of course, be open to dialogue about any of them, to determine how we can ensure that the land asset of Scotland is used for the benefit of the people of Scotland, which is what underpins the Government’s policy agenda.
I planned to follow up with another question about the specifics of the bill, but four Scots—including my constituent Sid Khan—were kidnapped by the Israeli military last night, and I feel that I must raise that in Parliament today.
The Scots were part of the global sumud flotilla, which is made up of dozens of ships and hundreds of ordinary people who are doing what the world’s governments have refused to do—they are trying to break Israel’s siege of Gaza and deliver life-saving goods and medical supplies to starving Palestinians. They have had their boats attacked by drones and have had chemicals dropped on them, and last night they were attacked by the Israeli navy. Not one boat made it to Gaza. Will the First Minister demand the immediate release of the four kidnapped Scots? Will he contact the Prime Minister and urge him to intervene? Given that his Government agreed to the Greens’ proposal that Scotland join the global boycott campaign against Israel, what actions will he take to force an end to the genocide?
First Minister, please respond to the matters that relate to your responsibilities.
I am aware of the incident that Mr Greer raises, and I have seen the comments from Sid Khan, one of the individuals who is involved in the situation. This morning, I asked officials from the Scottish Government to seek an update from the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, which was forthcoming. I am grateful for the information from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, which has informed us that it has lobbied the Israeli Government to respect the law and protect the safety of everyone on board. We will keep in close contact with the United Kingdom Government regarding the wellbeing of those on the flotilla.
In relation to the subsequent issues that Mr Greer raised about the actions of the Scottish Government, I set out in my statement to Parliament on 3 September the actions that the Government is taking, and I assure Mr Greer that those have been followed up by the Government.
United Kingdom Digital Identity Scheme
To ask the First Minister, regarding the potential impact on marginalised communities and public services in Scotland, what the Scottish Government’s response is to UK Government proposals to introduce a mandatory digital ID scheme. (S6F-04356)
I do not support the introduction of a mandatory digital ID scheme by the United Kingdom Government. People must be able to access public services through the channel that works for them. That might be a digital route, face-to-face services or another method. We are engaging regularly with the UK Government to obtain further detail beyond the announced use, which is right-to-work checks, and to further understand the implications of the proposed digital ID system for Scotland and our communities.
It is wrong to force people to share their data simply in order to go about their daily life. Keir Starmer’s proposal serves as another distraction from the very real issues that the UK faces. Does the First Minister share my concern about the security of people’s personal data and how the UK Government may seek to use it, as well as the barriers that will be put in the way of vulnerable people who already experience digital exclusion?
Mr MacDonald raises important issues about digital exclusion. Many of the proposals, which could have an effect on some of the most vulnerable in our society—particularly people with disabilities and, in some circumstances, older people—have to be entirely considered as part of the exercise. The use of digital access to public services is appropriate in many circumstances, when individuals are willing to participate in that, but we must act to avoid digital exclusion in all circumstances.
I agree with the First Minister’s stance on the issue. I say gently to him that he would have more credibility on those issues had he not been such an evangelist for the Scottish National Party’s hated named person policy, which was struck down by the courts for being an infringement of personal privacy.
What does the First Minister think is the worst aspect of the proposal? Is it the likely extortionate costs, the inevitable failure of the information technology systems, the risk of a data breach or the affront to civil liberty?
Those issues have to be looked at as part of the consideration of the ID cards proposition. I note that, prior to the Prime Minister’s announcement, in the early summer, net support in opinion polls for digital ID cards stood at 35 per cent. After the Prime Minister announced the proposal, it fell to minus 14 per cent. It seems to be the case that whatever the Prime Minister touches turns to dust.
In a Scottish Government document from 2021 entitled “A Changing Nation: How Scotland will Thrive in a Digital World”, we were told that the Government would introduce a digital identity service that would apparently be “trusted and secure” and would enable users
“to prove who they are, and that they are eligible for a service.”
Now that the First Minister is apparently against such intrusion into our lives, can we assume that those plans will not reappear?
There is a fundamental difference here, which is about the opportunity to access public services through digital means if individuals wish to do so. That is different from the mandatory proposition that is being advanced by the United Kingdom Government, which is, as my colleague Gordon MacDonald indicated, a distraction from the real difficulties that the Government faces. [Interruption.]
Let us hear one another.
Time Bar (Sam Eljamel)
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s position is on whether NHS Tayside should exempt legal claims by former patients of Professor Sam Eljamel from the three-year time bar which is currently in place. (S6F-04345)
As Liz Smith will know, I am familiar with those issues from my engagement as First Minister and as a constituency member with constituents affected by the issue. My thoughts are very much with the patients of Professor Eljamel. That is precisely why we launched the public inquiry that is now under way, to ensure that patients can obtain answers to their questions and that lessons are learned.
We fully expect NHS Tayside to consider all the facts and circumstances fairly and on a case-by-case basis, including when considering whether to plead that a case is time barred. The courts already have the power to allow an action to proceed out of time by overriding the time bar, if they see fit.
The sentence that the First Minister just quoted was exactly what the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Neil Gray, said in a letter to the patients. I repeat:
“the courts already have the power to enable an action to proceed by overriding the time bar.”
As the public inquiry continues to uncover a whole lot of information that was previously unknown to some of those patients, they are, quite reasonably, asking for the time bar to be lifted. I ask the First Minister for a categorical assurance that the Scottish Government has made section 19A of the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973 clear to NHS Tayside, allowing the ministers to ensure that NHS Tayside will lift the time bar, which is clearly a major barrier to getting at the truth.
First, I acknowledge Liz Smith’s long-standing engagement on the issue. I hope that the words that I have put on the official record of Parliament give her some reassurance. I said two things in my opening answer. The first is that we fully expect NHS Tayside to consider all the facts and circumstances fairly on a case-by-case basis, including when considering whether to plead that a case is time barred. That point has been made clearly to NHS Tayside.
Secondly, it is a matter of fact, which Liz Smith acknowledges, that the courts already have the power to allow an action to proceed out of time by overriding the time bar if they see fit. That is for the courts to determine, so it is not for me, as First Minister, to make that clear, but the bit that I can make clear is what the health secretary has already done, which is to make it plain to NHS Tayside that we expect the issue to be considered on a case-by-case basis. We have not proceeded on a general basis—it has to be handled on a case-by-case basis. We have made that clear to NHS Tayside, and the courts have the ability to apply that discretion, should they judge that to be appropriate. That is the right place for the issue to be handled.
I hope that that provides the reassurance that Liz Smith seeks. If she would like further reassurance, she knows that the health secretary and I will engage with her and other members who are invested in the issue.
I thank the First Minister for his detailed and considered answer, which is helpful. However, I am standing here to make sure that it is fully understood by all those in positions of power and in the courts that there is a strength of feeling from Michael Marra, Liz Smith, me and many others who have constituents who have suffered for years. They have waited for years, and only now is the truth beginning to be fully established, thanks to the public inquiry. I reinforce the point that, if we can lift the time bar, it should be lifted so that compensation can be made available to those who have suffered for far too long.
Mr Rennie gives me an opportunity to reinforce the point that I made to Liz Smith, which is that it is the Government’s expectation that NHS Tayside will consider actively, on a case-by-case basis, whether the time bar should be used as a plea or not. That is influenced by the circumstances and the details that emerge. The point that Mr Rennie makes about new information emerging as part of the public inquiry is absolutely material to that consideration, and I hope that that provides him with assurance.
I acknowledge Mr Rennie’s long-standing interest in this question. For me, it is vital that members of the public who have suffered are able to get to the truth and have no legal obstacles to being able to pursue that truth.
National Health Service
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reported comments from the chair of the British Medical Association in Scotland, that Scotland’s NHS is “dying before our eyes”. (S6F-04352)
As I have indicated to Parliament on a number of occasions, I acknowledge the pressures that our national health service faces, but let me provide some context about the situation that we find ourselves in at this time. Waits are coming down in the NHS. More than 95 per cent of patients who are diagnosed with cancer in Scotland are starting treatment within 31 days. Statistics this week show that the median wait for treatment was two days—the joint lowest on record. Ninety-seven per cent of discharges from Scottish hospitals happen without delay. The latest accident and emergency figures show that July 2025 had the lowest number of eight and 12-hour waits for any month since September 2023. The number of operations that were performed in July was the highest in five years—8.9 per cent higher than in July last year. General practitioner numbers are up, and the numbers of nurses, midwives and staff working in our NHS are also up.
There are challenges, but the Government is investing to support the national health service.
The verdict from Dr Kennedy, who is a front-line clinician, is a damning indictment on this Scottish National Party Government. He says that “the system is broken”—his words, not mine. Let us take cancer as an example. The last time that the Scottish National Party met its 62-day treatment target was 13 years ago. The number of cancer cases is now at a record high, and the number of deaths has increased, too.
The poorest communities are being hit the hardest by the SNP’s failures on cancer. Data from 2022 showed that the incidence of cancer was 24 per cent higher for the most deprived Scots compared with the least deprived. However, this week, the Government refused to publish the latest data on cancer and deprivation. Why is the Government fiddling with the figures yet again? What is it hiding? The First Minister cannot allow people to die early because they live in our poorest communities. What will he do to end the cancer postcode lottery?
I acknowledge the challenges with the 62-day cancer target. However, once someone has been identified as having a cancer diagnosis, the median wait on the 31-day pathway is two days, and the 95 per cent standard has been met again by the national health service. Those are important steps.
I say to Jackie Baillie that the risk of dying from cancer in Scotland is now at a record low, with an 11.1 per cent reduction in mortality rate since 2013. Although I acknowledge that there are still many pressures in the national health service, I hope that those two statistics—the median wait of two days for cancer treatment against the successfully met 31-day target; and the risk of dying from cancer in Scotland being at a record low—will provide Jackie Baillie with reassurance that the Government is focused on treating and supporting patients in all communities in Scotland. I am absolutely determined to ensure that we tackle issues of inequality. That is at the heart of the Government’s strategy and drives our policy approach.
Ms Baillie did not say that Dr Kennedy’s assessment of our NHS also stated:
“if it wasn’t for international medical graduates and doctors coming from overseas, the NHS would have ... collapsed.”
We know that Westminster and Labour’s anti-immigration policies are frustrating the efforts of overseas medical staff to come to Scotland and support our health and social care services. [Interruption.]
Let us hear one another.
Will the First Minister join me in calling for the Prime Minister to rethink harmful anti-immigration policies?
Clare Adamson raises a significant issue about the flow of individuals coming to work in our national health service. In the year ending in June 2025, there was a 77 per cent drop in the number of health and care worker visas that were granted by the Home Office. Scottish Care data indicates that 26 per cent of social care workers in our social care system have come from another country. That tells us that we depend on a flow of individuals coming into Scotland to support our national health service. That is being made more difficult, if not impossible, by the actions of the Labour Government. If Jackie Baillie is interested in solutions, she should try to persuade the United Kingdom Labour Government to take a different course that will help our national health service.
We move to constituency and general supplementary questions.
World Ostomy Day
The Parliament will know that 4 October is world ostomy day. Ostomates will know that, although a bag may be needed for life, it gives them back their life.
In 2023, with the support of the previous First Minister, I launched five asks on behalf of Scottish ostomates, yet only one has been delivered. Will the First Minister acknowledge the importance of care and choice for ostomates? Will he ask the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to meet me to see how we can progress the remaining asks before the Parliament is dissolved?
I pay tribute to Edward Mountain, who has given exemplary personal leadership on this issue, and I thank him for his contribution to the debate. I am very happy to ask the health secretary to meet Mr Mountain. I will ask for an update on the conversation to satisfy myself that everything that can be done is being done to address the past commitments that were given to Mr Mountain in order to assist in strengthening the care that is available for those who are affected.
Moira Anderson
The First Minister will be aware of reports this week that new information has emerged in the case of Moira Anderson, who disappeared in Coatbridge in 1957, aged just 11. It is reported that the new information is credible and suggests that Moira’s remains could be in an old mineshaft in the town.
Will the First Minister join me, as well as Sandra Brown OBE, founder of the Moira Anderson Foundation, in urging Police Scotland to continue to follow up on all leads, including this latest one? I know that the First Minister will share my hope that, one day, Moira will be located, bringing long-overdue peace for her, her family and the whole Monklands community, who have borne this tragedy down several generations for nearly 70 years.
I am aware of the reports that Mr MacGregor raises with me. At the outset of my answer, I express my sympathies to the family of Moira Anderson and congratulate those who are involved in the Moira Anderson Foundation, which is a wonderful organisation, and especially Sandra Brown, who gives such exemplary leadership to its activity. Sandra Brown and her colleagues have never lost their determination to solve the case of Moira Anderson’s disappearance.
I cannot comment on operational policing matters, but I am aware that Police Scotland has stated that any new information that it receives relating to the case will be fully assessed and investigated. It is an absolute priority for us to ensure that unresolved homicides are addressed. Those cases are never closed. As we have seen in recent years, the success of Police Scotland in investigating and resolving some of those cases has brought peace to many individuals who have had to live with the torment of losing a loved one. I hope dearly that that can be the case in relation to Moira Anderson.
Global Sumud Flotilla
The First Minister has already addressed the question of what happened last night, when the global sumud flotilla was illegally intercepted by Israeli forces. There are four Scots in the flotilla: my friend Sid Khan, who was mentioned earlier, Margaret Pacetta, Jim Hickey and Yvonne Ridley. They were sailing in international waters and, when I heard from them at about 6 o’clock last night, were about to approach the 12-mile zone around Gaza, which is now recognised as Palestinian territory by the UK Government.
I am aware that Hamish Faulkner, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan, has already contacted Israeli officials, and we are hopeful that we will see the safe return of those people pretty soon.
Does the First Minister agree that Israel is in breach of international law and had no right to be on board or to seize any of those boats in the first place? Does he agree that there is a great deal of courage among the 500 people across the world who took part in the flotilla, whose aim, apart from taking the aid, was to show Palestinians in Gaza that the world has not forgotten them and acknowledges how isolated they feel?
I call the First Minister to answer with regard to devolved responsibilities.
I associate myself entirely with the analysis of the situation that Pauline McNeill has set out. I welcome the commitments that have been made by Hamish Faulkner, who is the responsible minister in the United Kingdom Government. I have had the privilege of discussing these issues with Mr Faulkner and Mr Sarwar at the Palestinian embassy in the past couple of weeks.
There is a range of issues involved in this area, and many of us are concerned that Israel is operating outside the scope of international law. All of us have lived through a time in which there has been a rules-based system in the world and international law has been respected. However, we are living in a world now where that is feeling very frayed, and—Pauline McNeill and I will be absolutely at one on this—we have to return to a rules-based international system that will protect individuals, especially our citizens who have bravely decided to go to the aid of the Palestinian people. I commend them for their courage, I pray for their safety and I assure Pauline McNeill that the Scottish Government will do all that we can to work with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, for whose assistance I express my appreciation, in trying to ensure their safety in the days to come.
Energy Debt
New figures from Energy Action Scotland show that energy debt has soared to a record £4.4 billion in just four years, with vulnerable Scots burdened with £400 million of that. It is a disgrace that, in an energy-rich country, so many people are in fuel poverty, and especially that, under a Labour United Kingdom Government that pledged to cut bills, the energy price cap has risen again to £1,755. Does the First Minister share my concern that Labour—the UK Government—has lost control of the cost of living crisis? Can he set out what the Scottish Government is doing to support households in the face of the UK Government’s inaction?
Please answer with a focus on devolved responsibilities, First Minister.
Karen Adam is absolutely correct that average energy costs were supposed to have fallen by £300, but they are now nearly £200 higher than they were at the time of the UK general election last year. I share her concern about the energy costs for households in Scotland. Through our budget this year, the Scottish Government continues to allocate more than £3 billion a year to policies that tackle poverty and the cost of living, with more than £300 million for energy efficiency and clean heating and more than £196 million for winter benefits. We will take forward further commitments in that respect in the budget that will come to Parliament in due course.
Visitor Levy (Transition Period)
The visitor levy came into effect in Edinburgh yesterday, yet the final guidance for businesses was published only last week. The owner of Linwater caravan park has contacted me, stating that
“Accommodation Providers are reporting to me that Booking systems have been unable to adapt in time, particularly to the 5-night rule; meaning”
many
“small operators now face the choice of applying the 5% levy incorrectly to all nights or inputting it manually for every booking.
This is creating significant risks of error, bank refund fees, and an extra administrative burden that small businesses can ill afford.”
I believe that it is unreasonable to expect those businesses to request the redesign of global booking systems and processes in just a few working days, especially when they have been seeking clarity from the council since July. What support can the Scottish Government offer to those businesses during this transition period?
Parliament legislated for the visitor levy scheme on the basis that it would be designed, taken forward and administered at a local level by individual local authorities. The issues that Sue Webber raises with me are matters for the City of Edinburgh Council under the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024. It is important that we respect the local autonomy of local authorities. I am often encouraged by the Conservatives to respect the local autonomy of local authorities and, in this case, I intend to do so.
University of Dundee (Recovery Plan)
This week, hundreds of staff left the University of Dundee, ending countless years of collective service. Their loss is keenly felt by their colleagues and students, and results from a crisis for which they bear no responsibility. I know that the First Minister will join me in sending them best wishes and thanks.
Has the First Minister had the chance to catch up on the astonishing scenes at yesterday’s Education, Children and Young People Committee? The trade unions and I and other MSPs were told by ministers that the latest version of the university’s recovery plan from management had been rejected, and rightly so. Yet yesterday, the Scottish Funding Council said that it had been neither rejected nor approved—it is not alive and not dead. Can the First Minister provide proper clarity on the standing of that zombie plan, so that the remaining staff, who are looking on ever more anxiously, can know what on earth is going on?
In dialogue with the Funding Council, the Government is taking forward an approach with the University of Dundee—which I have repeated to Parliament on numerous occasions—that will protect the character and identity of the University of Dundee and its significance within the city’s economy and the regional and national economies of Scotland. The original proposals that came forward from the University of Dundee were unacceptable to the Government, because that test would not have been met. That is the test that the Government is applying.
There will obviously be the development of individual plans, and I appreciate the importance, necessity and urgency of clarity about plans. That is what the Government is working on with the Funding Council. However, I assure Mr Marra that, in response to its willingness to invest to support the university’s transition, what the Government is seeking is a university that will remain the strong asset to the city, region and country that the University of Dundee is. That is the test that we are applying to those plans.
Energy Sector (Jobs and Skills in North-east Scotland)
I warmly welcome the Scottish Government’s work to respond to the immediate priorities of energy businesses in my constituency and across the north-east, with £8.5 million of new funding for clean energy careers. It is vital that we continue to support the communities that, through oil and gas, provided energy security for generations and that, as the country accelerates towards a clean energy future, we ensure that those communities remain at the centre of Scotland’s energy future. Will the First Minister say more about the steps that the Scottish Government is taking to support jobs and skills in the north-east, particularly in the face of Labour’s challenging fiscal regime?
I welcome the investments that the Government has made in this policy area. On Monday, I had the pleasure of opening the energy transition skills hub in the city of Aberdeen, which is the result of £4.5 million of investment from our just transition fund and an excellent collaboration involving North East Scotland College, ETZ Ltd and Shell UK, which have been significant partners in bringing about that development. That is one example of the steps that have been taken, and it was a pleasure to see Audrey Nicoll at the event on Monday in Aberdeen.
On the energy profits levy, I have made it crystal clear to the Parliament that I think that the levy has gone on for far too long and is set at too high a level. That is an issue that the United Kingdom Government must address, and I hope that it does so.
Scottish Stroke Care Standards
The 2025 Scottish stroke improvement report shows that, in my region of Mid Scotland and Fife, only 67 per cent of stroke patients in NHS Fife, 53 per cent in NHS Tayside and 40 per cent in NHS Forth Valley received a full stroke care bundle on admission. That is a serious failure given that the required standard is 80 per cent. Across Scotland, not a single health board met the standard, with just 53 per cent of patients across the country receiving the bundle.
The Scottish Government now wants to introduce a revised 100 per cent standard, which I welcome. However, given that we are not close to meeting the standard now, how will the Government ensure that health board management teams and, more importantly, the named person for stroke are accountable for meeting the standard? What immediate action will be taken to support our hard-working stroke clinical teams so that they can give patients the effective care that they urgently need and deserve?
The fundamental point at the heart of Roz McCall’s question is the importance of ensuring that patients who suffer a stroke can be provided with the rehabilitation and support they need to enable their recovery. When that is provided, in many cases, recovery is very strong as a consequence. The importance and urgency of the question are not lost on me. The steps that the Government is taking to ensure that we have a better flow-through of patients in our healthcare system are designed to ensure that patients receive the support that they require in hospital and, ideally, at home. Measures such as the hospital at home service are designed to assist in that respect, too, to enable the rehabilitation of individuals who have suffered health incidents such as a stroke. I will look closely at the application of the standards to ensure that the improvements that Roz McCall seeks can be taken forward.
Thank you.
I call Keith Brown for a point of order.
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I am sure that you agree that it is very important that, in this chamber, we speak the truth. It is important for the benefit of the people in the gallery, for every member of this chamber, for the reputation of the Parliament and for the wider public—not least to try to stem the tide of misinformation and disinformation that we see all the time.
Today, Russell Findlay—[Interruption.] That is coming from those who have tried to speak against or shout down the truth.
During this parliamentary session, Russell Findlay has already had to apologise to the chamber for falsely accusing me of misleading the Parliament. Today, he sought to mislead the Parliament by stating that a majority of people in Scotland pay more tax than their counterparts in the rest of the UK, when, in fact, the truth is that a majority of people in Scotland pay less tax than people in the rest of the UK. We are all entitled to our own opinions, but we are not entitled to our own facts. In order to help to build trust in this place, can Mr Findlay be offered the opportunity, when he eventually returns to the chamber, to correct the record and apologise for misleading the Parliament?
Thank you, Mr Brown. The content of members’ contributions is not ordinarily a matter for the chair—it is generally a debating point.
That concludes First Minister’s questions. Before the next item of business, which is a members’ business debate in the name of Ariane Burgess, there will be a short suspension to allow people to leave the public gallery and the chamber.
12:48 Meeting suspended.Previous
General Question Time