Gangland Violence
In recent weeks, we have witnessed a sickening outbreak of gangland violence across the country. Two Scottish drug dealers have now been shot dead in Spain. Their gang has waged a turf war on Scotland’s streets since the dawn of devolution, which has mutated to include proxy groups, including the US-sanctioned Kinahan cartel. Those parasites grow rich by preying on society’s most vulnerable. Those cowards cause terror and death with guns, knives and firebombs. Those thugs go after journalists, politicians, businessmen, police and prison officers. Organised crime is out of control and communities are living in fear. Does John Swinney accept that the Scottish Parliament has failed to tackle organised crime in Scotland?
There was an awful lot in what Mr Findlay said with which I agree. Organised crime is intolerable and unacceptable. It requires the forensic attention of our police and criminal justice authorities to tackle it. That is being undertaken in Scotland relentlessly by Police Scotland and by the criminal justice authorities. I expect the authorities to pursue that level of scrutiny and activity, which is what is happening. However, I do not agree with Mr Findlay’s conclusion.
John Swinney says that he agrees about the seriousness of organised crime, but, under successive Scottish National Party and Labour Governments, organised crime has rarely been on the agenda. It was not even mentioned in the Scottish Government’s flagship five-year justice strategy—not even once. I got into politics because I could not understand why politicians do not talk about the malevolent reach and devastating harm of organised crime.
Local front-line policing is absolutely critical. The Scottish Police Federation has said:
“The bottom line is the intelligence on organised crime groups ... and terrorism comes from the communities. If you don’t have community police officers out there patrolling and picking up on that intelligence, then they’re missing out on so much.”
However, under the SNP, officer numbers have fallen by nearly 1,000. Does John Swinney accept front-line officers’ view that his Government’s decision to reduce police numbers inevitably fuels organised crime?
There are quite a number of flaws in the argument that Russell Findlay has put forward. The first flaw is that a very high number of participants in organised crime activity are currently incarcerated for a very long time in Scotland’s jails, which is contributing to the significant congestion in our prison system.
One of the operational challenges for the Scottish Prison Service—which is why I admire its work so strongly—is that it has to ensure that our prisons remain safe internally. A number of members of organised crime groups are housed in our prisons, and they cannot be housed together, as that would risk the internal stability in our prisons. That is the type of focused work that the Scottish Prison Service is taking forward.
The second flaw in Mr Findlay’s argument is in the fact that this Government established the Scottish crime campus, which is viewed across the world as one of the most innovative and successful measures in bringing together all the intelligence gathering services—whether that is Police Scotland, the National Crime Agency or the United Kingdom’s enforcement authorities—in one place. Indeed, it is visited by people from around the world, because it is a leader.
The third thing is that Mr Findlay said that we never talk about these things. Three times a year, the Government brings together the serious organised crime task force, which involves local authorities, the national health service, Police Scotland, the National Crime Agency, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and various other organisations, to ensure that we tackle the issue. Indeed, the serious organised crime strategy was published in February 2022, updating the actions that the Government is taking.
The First Minister talks about the prisons being safe—tell that to the 10 prison officers whose cars have been firebombed outside Scotland’s prisons by organised crime gangs that are fighting for control of the drugs trade inside Scotland’s prisons. There is a dangerous complacency to this Government’s approach.
We need to stop crime bosses exploiting vulnerable young people. The two men who were shot dead in Spain were groomed for a life of crime. Most of their gang associates are dead or in prison, and now there is an official policy in place that makes young people even more vulnerable to exploitation. Senior Police Scotland officers say that under-25 sentencing guidelines are part of the problem. Detective Superintendent Andy Patrick said:
“Organised crime groups are exploiting this policy. They are coercing young and vulnerable people to carry out some of these crimes because they’re under reduced risk of imprisonment.”
Will John Swinney rethink his Government’s support of those damaging guidelines?
Not for the first time, Presiding Officer, I cannot allow Mr Findlay’s remarks about the under-25 sentencing guidelines to stand. It is misleading to say to members of the public that there are no consequences for criminal activity by those under the age of 25, because there are. There are very serious consequences, which involve imprisonment. We cannot have messages being issued from this Parliament that indicate that there are no consequences for serious criminal activity, because there are, no matter the age of the individual who is involved. We as a Parliament cannot have a situation in which we do not properly represent what the law and the sentencing guidelines state, because people could take the wrong conclusions from that.
Mr Findlay has made a number of remarks about the shootings that took place in Spain in recent days. Those are live police investigations, so I am not able to comment on the particular issues that are being pursued by the Spanish authorities. However, I say to Parliament that any individual who is involved in criminal activity, no matter their age, must be aware of the severity of the punishments that exist. That is the right position for people to hear from this Parliament.
John Swinney appears to be hearing things—I said no such thing.
We have top-level crime bosses making millions of pounds from killing vulnerable Scots with their drugs. We were told that the Mr Bigs would be bankrupted by the proceeds of crime law that was passed at the start of devolution, but the law has failed. Criminals and their white-collar enablers no longer fear the proceeds of crime legislation, and, 18 months ago, the SNP rejected my call to review why that is not working.
According to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, one drug dealer made more than £126 million, but it can find only £118,000-worth of his assets. The proceeds of crime legislation needs an urgent and radical overhaul. We must turn the tables on the drug gangs so that they live in fear. Will John Swinney toughen the legislation to make it fit to tackle organised crime in 2025 and beyond?
I am open to ensuring that we have in place the correct legislative framework to deal with criminality in our country. That is why the Government brings forward legislation. Mr Findlay is making suggestions about an area of policy that could be considered for strengthening. I am perfectly willing to consider that, because I do not want anybody to benefit from criminal activity in our society, and I want people to be punished accordingly.
The Government will always keep legislation under review, but it has to be acknowledged that our criminal justice authorities, the police and the Crown Office have been successful in apprehending, imprisoning, interrupting and disrupting organised crime in this country, and I give the public the assurance that, under my Government’s leadership, that will be sustained in the years to come.
University Hospital Wishaw (Neonatal Intensive Care)
Having your baby in neonatal intensive care is a terrifying experience for any parent. Families whose babies are being cared for by doctors and nurses at the Wishaw neonatal unit know that their child is being treated close to home in one of the best neonatal departments in the country. That unit treats many of the sickest babies every year, and it has allowed new parents in Lanarkshire to stay close to their families and support networks during some of the most difficult and emotional times of their lives. The Wishaw neonatal unit has won awards for the standard of care that it delivers, and even people in this chamber have relied on it in their time of need, so why does the Scottish National Party want to downgrade that life-saving unit?
The recommendations that the Government has considered in relation to the neonatal unit at Wishaw general hospital are the product of advice from an expert group that included the medical director of NHS Forth Valley; the Scottish neonatal nurses group; Bliss, which is the United Kingdom’s leading charity for babies who are born premature or sick; and the Scottish Perinatal Network.
The expert group recommended that we take forward a model that was tested at a number of different sites around the country—Queen Elizabeth university hospital, Crosshouse hospital, Edinburgh royal infirmary and Victoria hospital. The group proposed that units should be located at the Royal hospital for children in Glasgow, Aberdeen maternity hospital and Edinburgh royal infirmary’s Simpson centre for reproductive health.
Those recommendations were made for babies who have the most serious and complex conditions or are at the extremes of prematurity, so they need the most specialist level of care to have the best chance of survival. The Government received that professional clinical advice from experts, and I think that the Government is correct to follow it. The vast majority of babies will still be cared for in their local neonatal unit, and those units, including the one in Wishaw, will continue to deliver a range of care, including some intensive care.
My understanding is that the experts actually suggested a range of options and that the Government is choosing an option at the lower level of that range rather than other options. The reality is that downgrading the Wishaw neonatal unit will force families to travel on long journeys for care.
We can take the example of Tammy Johnstone. Her son, Kai, was so sick when he was born that she was not allowed to touch him for 72 hours. She gave birth to him locally in Wishaw. However, under the SNP’s plans, she would have been forced to travel, perhaps to Aberdeen or even further afield. She told me:
“Kai was so ill that he was four weeks old before I was allowed to pick him up—how would he have been put in an ambulance anywhere, let alone to Aberdeen? Doing things like that can cause everlasting damage.”
The SNP’s plans to downgrade the Wishaw neonatal unit are opposed by clinicians, experts and parents such as Tammy. Why does John Swinney think that he is right and that experts, clinicians, nurses and parents are wrong?
I take issue with two points in the description that Mr Sarwar has put to the Parliament today. The first is the suggestion that this is somehow my personal, individual view. The Government has sought expert clinical opinion. This has not been conjured up by the Government, having considered the issue on its own behalf. We have sought expert clinical opinion, and I have put on the record where it has come from. On other occasions, members of the Parliament take the Government to task for not following expert opinion, but, in this case, Mr Sarwar wants me to ignore expert clinical opinion, which has led us to the conclusions that we have arrived at.
My second point is about the future of the Wishaw unit. The unit at Wishaw will continue, but it will be recommended that the very small number of babies who need expert specialist care to maximise their chances of survival should be treated in a different way. That is the expert advice that the Government has received.
John Swinney is choosing to listen to certain experts and to ignore other experts in the process. He is choosing to hide behind experts when it comes to the Government’s decision. The reality is that the award-winning Wishaw unit is giving life-saving care. The expertise exists there, but it would not exist if the unit was downgraded.
The SNP’s failure to support neonatal services and other services in the national health service has a human cost. I will give the First Minister another case—that of Amanda Todd, a mum who faced the prospect of travelling from Scotland to Dublin to give birth. Why? It was because the SNP has already overseen a shortage of beds here. Amanda found out that there would be space in Scotland for her and her baby only the day before her operation; she had been told to plan to go to Dublin. Amanda told me:
“It seems that the SNP Government cares more about saving money than saving babies’ lives.”
Amanda’s story is just one example of how the SNP has broken our NHS. Just this week, we learned that waiting lists for child and adolescent mental health services are growing, that Scotland’s NHS faces a cancer specialist crisis and that more Scots than ever before are being forced to go private. Is it not the case that the NHS is simply not safe in John Swinney’s hands?
The first thing that I want to say is that there is nothing in the proposal about Wishaw general hospital that is about saving money. It is about maximising the chances of saving babies’ lives. That is what the proposal, which was informed by expert opinion, is about.
On the question of cancer care that Mr Sarwar raised, I indicate to him that, in relation to the 31-day standard, the performance at the most recent stage of reporting was that 94.7 per cent of patients were treated within 31 days of a decision to treat. The median wait for treatment was just four days—at least half of those patients are being given treatment within four days of being referred in relation to the 31-day standard.
I appreciate that there are pressures on cancer services and wider healthcare services across the country. That is why the Government has introduced measures that are strengthening the NHS. For example, we committed to providing an additional 64,000 appointments and procedures by March of this year. However, we did not deliver 64,000; we delivered 105,500. The Scottish Government is putting in investment to strengthen delivery so that we reduce waiting times and improve access to the NHS, and that will dominate the Government’s approach to the NHS in the period to come.
Sewage
There are sanitary towels and wet wipes on the beach at North Berwick. There is raw sewage in Gala. There is a beach covered in thick brown discharge in Dumfries and Galloway. The River Almond is making swimmers sick. Paddle boarders get covered in sewage in the River Tay.
Today, on world environment day, the Scottish Liberal Democrats are publishing new research showing thousands of complaints from members of the public about sewage—sewage that is “absolutely honking” in Dingwall. Songs were written about Scotland being the
“land of the shining river”.
Does the First Minister mind that his Government’s own water company is dumping so much sewage into it?
On the question of water quality, I note that 87 per cent of Scotland’s entire water environment is assessed by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency as having a high or good classification, an increase from 82 per cent in 2014. Obviously, I want to ensure that we have the highest-quality natural environment, and that we have water systems that are of the highest quality, too, and those figures indicate that the Government is making progress on the steps that we are taking to ensure that that is the case.
The complacency in the First Minister’s answer suggests that he is content with the situation as it is. The European Court of Justice has ruled that sewage dumping should happen only in exceptional circumstances, but it is happening all the time and almost everywhere, even on dry days. Last year, Scottish Water dumped sewage at least 24,500 times, but the lack of monitoring means that we know about only a fraction of what is really going on.
The Scottish Liberal Democrats are calling for a new act of Parliament—a clean water act—to tackle the issue, because, under the Scottish National Party, communities are just expected to put up with it. Last week, Thames Water got fined £100 million for sewage dumping, but there are never any consequences here in Scotland. Is that because the First Minister knows that it is his Government that is at fault for this absolutely honking problem?
What is absolutely honking is Mr Cole-Hamilton’s attempt to conflate the situation in Scotland—and the operation of one of the strongest assets in our country in our publicly owned water network—with that of Thames Water. The privatisation of water in England has been an unmitigated disaster for the people of England and Wales, and I thank our predecessors for not taking such a foolish decision in the first place.
We operate in a situation that is not perfect, but in which we have a high level of performance in relation to the quality of our natural environment. I do not think that it is a good advert for Mr Cole-Hamilton to undermine the strength of the natural environment of Scotland when we are spending £500 million on improving water quality in Scotland, and then to compare Scotland’s water—an asset to our country—to the folly that is privatisation in England and Wales.
Film and Television Production
To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government is supporting film and TV production in Edinburgh and throughout Scotland. (S6F-04160)
We are committed to seizing the significant opportunities to grow our screen sector and have increased the budget for Screen Scotland, our dedicated public agency for screen, by £2 million in the current financial year to £11.25 million. That will allow Screen Scotland to continue to nurture locally originated content, develop skills and training opportunities and education for the next generation, and increase inward investment. An ever-increasing number of productions are choosing Scotland, such as the latest Netflix drama “Dept Q”, which was supported by Screen Scotland and filmed on set and in studios in Edinburgh.
As the First Minister has said, several successful and notable productions have been filmed in Scotland in recent years, and they have made a positive creative and economic impact.
As has been mentioned, Netflix’s new, gripping, fictitious drama “Dept Q” was released globally last week. Much of it was filmed at FirstStage Studios in Leith, in my constituency, in other locations around Edinburgh and elsewhere in our picturesque nation. “Dept Q” is currently one of the most viewed series on Netflix; at the moment, it is ranked number 1 in the United Kingdom. It promotes our country in various ways—even the Parliament gets a mention—and many of the very talented cast and crew are Scots. The producers, Left Bank Pictures, have stated that they had a great experience filming in Scotland, which is really uplifting.
How can we build on our recent success, continue to grow our screen industry and work together across the public sector to make Scotland an even better and more attractive place for more filming commissions, including from the BBC and Channel 4?
Mr Macpherson gives a strong account of the situation in his constituency. I welcome the investments that have been made in relation to “Dept Q”—it has been a tremendous success and will be a great advert and showcase for our country.
The Government will support the screen sector as strongly as we can. As I indicated in my earlier answer, we have increased the budget for Screen Scotland, and in its strategy, which was published last year, it outlined an ambitious plan to grow the sector further and to combine international investment with increased support for emerging Scottish producers and local creative originations. The development is very welcome, and I am delighted that Mr Macpherson has highlighted the significance of the opportunity for Scotland.
ScotRail is owned by the Scottish Government, yet it has chosen to use an artificial intelligence voice instead of employing a Scottish voice actor. Is that how the Scottish Government supports actors—
I am sorry, Dr Gulhane, but I called for supplementaries to question 4 in particular.
That was one.
Oh, pardon me—you came round to the subject of actors. I just picked up on your last comment. [Laughter.] Do continue—my apologies.
That was my question, Presiding Officer. Is this how the Scottish Government supports actors?
ScotRail has taken forward a development, which I understand has caused some controversy, and I am sure that ScotRail is engaging constructively with all concerned. Sometimes, these things need careful handling, and I am sure that ScotRail will do exactly that.
The Cabinet Secretary for Transport has just told me that they are fixing it—so they will be fixing it.
It is great to hear about new film production in Scotland, but we also need to see those films in Scotland. Therefore, I want to inform the First Minister that, after support, the Filmhouse is going to open at the end of this month, but it needs a tiny amount of capital to ensure that it will be accessible and able to use all the best formats for showing films. Will the First Minister commit to considering the tiny amount of capital funding that the Filmhouse needs to get over the line and get that accessibility?
Given that the proposition was put to me in such a constructive fashion, I will heartily agree to do that. If Sarah Boyack would like to furnish me with the detail—which I am sure that Mr Robertson will be close to—I will have a close look at it.
The Filmhouse is a magnificent asset in the city of Edinburgh. I remember the rite of passage that I went through in my youth in being able to see films at the Filmhouse, so I am very supportive of it. We will see what the Government can do to help.
Child Sexual Abuse Investigations
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reports that Police Scotland’s national child abuse investigation unit now carries out 700 child sexual abuse investigations a year, representing an increase of 30 per cent since 2015. (S6F-04155)
Child sexual abuse and exploitation are abhorrent crimes that have a devastating impact on victims and their families. My heart goes out to any child who has experienced abuse.
Any reported rise in abuse of that nature is, of course, deeply concerning. I recognise the vital work of Police Scotland’s national child abuse investigation unit in identifying and safeguarding children and stopping perpetrators and bringing them to justice. The Scottish Government is working with Police Scotland and other partners to support robust collective action, and I encourage anyone with a concern about a child to contact Police Scotland.
Presiding Officer,
“People based in Scotland are offending against Scottish children. It’s a lot closer to home these days. It’s on our doorstep. We are actioning between 15 and 20 search warrants on a weekly basis across Scotland. Let’s be perfectly blunt about it—the demand is through the roof.”
Those are not my words, but the words of a Police Scotland detective chief inspector.
Our children are in more danger now than they were in previous decades, thanks to the progress of technology, and paedophiles can now make direct contact with children within 30 seconds—that is a truly terrifying statistic. To say that it is down to online platforms to control the issue is naive in the extreme.
Since 2015, police numbers have gone down by 750. My question is simply this: how can Police Scotland keep our children safe when it has fewer officers and crime is increasing?
I will make a number of points to Roz McCall. First, the fact that Police Scotland’s national child abuse investigation unit is carrying out many more investigations illustrates that police resources are being deployed appropriately to tackle issues of serious crime in our society. That is my first point of reassurance.
My second is that the work that is undertaken in relation to, for example, prosecutions is formidably effective. The conviction rate for individuals who were prosecuted for child abuse in 2022-23 was 89 per cent, so the evidence that is gathered by the police and the Crown is strong enough to obtain that level of convictions. That level of convictions has been sustained, despite the fact that there has been a growth in cases.
The third point that I would make to Roz McCall is that a lot of work is undertaken in Scotland to support international activity to tackle child sexual abuse. The Atlanta declaration, which brings together the world’s leading child protection experts to tackle such abuse, has its roots in Scotland, and it is part of the work that we are taking forward to lead the international effort in that respect.
My final point is that Roz McCall said that it was naive to expect online platforms to tackle the issue, but I do not think that that is naive—I think that online platforms have an absolute obligation to tackle the issue. They are currently getting away scot free, and we are engaging with the United Kingdom Government to do as much as we can to ensure that online platforms live up to their responsibilities.
Ferry Services (Scotland to France)
To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to secure a direct ferry route between Scotland and France. (S6F-04145)
The Scottish Government remains wholly convinced that Scotland’s future would be best served by being a member of the European Union and we are determined to support the transport connections that will enable that to be possible. Improving our transport and trade links to the European mainland is even more important given the challenges that we face at this time.
The Cabinet Secretary for Transport met Mr Ruskell on Tuesday evening to discuss the issue and I know that she is happy to continue communicating regularly with potential operators and with Scotland’s main ports so that Scottish exporters and passengers can have more direct routes to and from Europe.
I welcome that engagement with the cabinet secretary earlier this week. It is absolutely clear that a direct ferry service between Rosyth and Dunkirk would be a great win for the economy and the environment as well as being wonderful news for all of us who cherish connections with the rest of Europe.
I understand that the ferry operator DFDS wants to move forward and to begin sailings next spring, Forth Ports in Rosyth wants progress, the port of Dunkirk has bought into the idea and the Westminster Government is also supportive. The only thing that is getting in the way, First Minister, is Brexit bureaucracy regarding the location of a border control post. Time is ticking away because a resolution must be found by the end of June in order to secure the service. First Minister, are you able to take the lead in convening stakeholders to resolve the remaining issues and get that over the line?
I remind members always to speak through the chair.
I welcome the assessment given by Mr Ruskell. I know that the Cabinet Secretary for Transport is very much engaged on the question and is familiar with the border control issue that is causing some difficulty. She has discussed the issue with Mr Ruskell and with Annabelle Ewing, who has also been pursuing the issue. We have had good and constructive discussions with DFDS, Forth Ports and various other interested parties.
I am very happy to be involved, but I am super-confident that the Cabinet Secretary for Transport will be able to do all that I could possibly contribute. I am sure that she will let me know if she needs any support. I assure Mr Ruskell that the Government would welcome the ferry route and that we will do everything that we can to remove any obstacles that are in the way.
We move on to constituency and general supplementary questions. Concise questions and responses will enable more members to be involved.
Immigration (Workers’ Skills)
The chief executive of Scottish Engineering has warned that Labour’s immigration proposals risk undermining the recruitment of vital workers, saying:
“Immigration is a vital source of skills and experience that cannot be replaced overnight.”
My concern is not only for Scotland but for my constituency, including Grangemouth, where science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills must be part and parcel of any future economic recovery. Will the Scottish National Party Government continue to make the case for a separate immigration system for Scotland, not only because it is the right thing but because it is an economic imperative?
The Government will do that. I am not sure whether I have shared this detail with Parliament, although I think that I may have done. In the aftermath of the publication by the United Kingdom Government of its green paper on immigration, I convened a meeting of stakeholders across the education, health, social care, food and drink, hospitality, construction and engineering sectors. The view that was expressed to me from around that table was that the proposals from the UK Government were directly damaging to the prospects of the Scottish economy, given the challenges that we face in boosting our working-age population, which is boosted by migration.
We are working with stakeholders. I also raised the issue with the Prime Minister when we met a week past Friday and indicated that we need a different and distinctive approach to migration in Scotland. This Government will pursue that, doing so in consultation and dialogue with stakeholders, one of which is Scottish Engineering. I welcome the contribution from that organisation, which Michelle Thomson has placed on the record.
Largs (Care Home Impact)
I spoke today to the Largs Medical Group, which is the only general practitioner practice serving the people of Largs. Staff raised their concerns about plans for a new 80-bed care home that would focus mainly on patients with dementia. The GP practice is worried that it will bear the brunt of the additional pressure created by such a facility. Is the First Minister aware of those plans and does he agree that there is a risk of an impact on local residents, who are already worried about the difficulty of getting GP appointments?
I am not familiar with the case that Pam Gosal puts to me, although I understand that Mr Gibson, who is the local member, has met the Largs Medical Group to discuss the issue.
This is a local matter and a variety of discussions will have to be undertaken with the local authority and the health board. Those issues will be considered at a local level, but it is important that we have a network of social care and residential care facilities around the country that meets the needs of the population. That must be a fundamental hallmark of our society. Of course, one of the challenges that we face in social care and residential care is finding enough care workers, which is not helped by the UK Government’s approach to immigration.
Ferry Services (Barra)
This week, I attended a meeting with constituents from Barra, CalMac Ferries and Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd. It became clear during the meeting that it has long been recognised that Barra’s ferry, the MV Isle of Lewis, will be retired next year. Despite that, however, a practical alternative ferry has not been planned for the route. CMAL suggested a ferry with a lot less capacity, citing the population size of the isle of Barra, apparently ignorant of the fact that the islanders cannot get bookings on their existing ferry due to lack of capacity. Barra is the southern gateway to the Western Isles.
The fact that decisions are made on assumptions held by distant bureaucrats rather than the available data indicates why our ferry provision is in such a mess. Will the First Minister intervene personally to ensure that, when the MV Isle of Lewis is retired, the people of Barra have a ferry that meets their needs?
Let us keep our questions and responses concise.
As Rhoda Grant probably knows, I am very familiar with issues in relation to the ferry fleet. CalMac has to make a variety of operational judgments. One of the obligations of the contract that has been put in place is that such judgments must be undertaken in dialogue with the ferry users committee and individual island communities, which I know is something that the Cabinet Secretary for Transport insists on at all times.
As Rhoda Grant will know, more capacity will come into the fleet shortly, and those operational issues will be considered. I hear her point in relation to the MV Isle of Lewis and I will ask for a briefing on the current situation to make sure that the needs of the community in Barra are properly taken into account.
Child Poverty
New analysis from Loughborough University has highlighted a strong correlation between Westminster’s cruel two-child cap and child poverty. It also found that SNP policies such as the Scottish child payment have contributed to overall lower levels of poverty across Scotland compared with the rest of the United Kingdom. Will the First Minister advise what assessment the Scottish Government has made of that report? Can he say more about what action the Scottish Government is taking to eradicate child poverty in Scotland despite the barriers that Westminster puts in the way?
The report highlights the difference in the approaches that are taken in Scottish Government policies and United Kingdom Government policies, which has resulted in a situation where child poverty rates are lower in Scotland than in the rest of the UK. There are interesting and powerful observations in the report.
The Scottish Government is taking forward work to remove the two-child limit, which is a step that should have been taken by the Labour Government. People in Scotland can be assured that the Scottish Government is getting on with doing what a Labour Government is not doing properly for Scotland, and that we will be lifting children out of poverty as a consequence.
Marine Environment and Fisheries
In light of the recent “Ocean Witness” report from Open Seas, how can the Scottish Government accelerate the delivery of the required management measures in order to protect the marine environment and safeguard sustainable fisheries for the future?
There is an interplay of different factors that have to be considered in relation to fisheries management and the sustainability of our oceans. The Government’s policy framework aims to do that and to reconcile some of those tensions and challenges. We will take that forward through engagement with different communities and stakeholders and by ensuring that we fulfil our statutory obligations.
Scottish Water (Pay Negotiations)
I remind members of my voluntary register of interests.
Scottish Water workers are on strike this week. On Tuesday night, Scottish Water’s chief executive turned up at pay talks with the trade unions for less than two minutes. If Scottish Water’s chief executive officer can scoop up almost half a million pounds a year, why can he not lead pay negotiations? So, will the First Minister instruct his acting cabinet secretary and direct the bosses of Scottish Water—whose inflation-busting salaries, bonuses, pensions and benefits he, as a minister, for more than a decade, personally supported and signed off—to do the job that they are lavishly rewarded for, enter meaningful negotiations this afternoon, make an acceptable offer and get this industrial dispute resolved once and for all?
Yesterday, I received a letter from the general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress on some of those questions about the Scottish Water pay talks. Last night, I asked for an update from the chief executive of Scottish Water on the approach that has been taken to the negotiations. I received that update just before 8 o’clock this morning, and I have considered it. In that note from the chief executive of Scottish Water, he indicates to me that he attended the talks to demonstrate leadership support for the engagement but—[Interruption.] I ask Mr Leonard to allow me to finish my sentence. The chief executive said that he did not participate in the negotiations because he wanted to leave them to the established negotiating machinery, involving the trade unions and the leadership of Scottish Water.
That is the account that has been given to me. Talks start at 1 o’clock this afternoon, and Mr Leonard will not be surprised to hear what the Government is doing: we are encouraging a resolution of those issues to ensure that the matters are resolved amicably.
Winter Fuel Payment
This week, Labour chancellor Rachel Reeves indicated that, although some more pensioners could receive winter fuel payments this winter as a result of the United Kingdom Government’s U-turn, not all will. Although Labour is determined to take away winter fuel payments from pensioners, can the First Minister provide an update on the Scottish National Party Government’s work to reinstate a universal winter fuel payment to all pensioners in Scotland?
That is another example of why people have been left dismayed by the actions of the incoming Labour Government. One of its first actions, after 14 miserable Conservative years, was to take away the universal winter fuel payments from pensioners. Frankly, for members of the public, it beggars belief that that was the priority of the Labour Government.
The Scottish Government is taking action and has made provision in the budget that means that every pensioner household in Scotland will receive a guaranteed minimum of £100 this winter. That will support 815,000 pensioner households and increase the total forecasted investment in our winter heating benefits to £138 million. Pensioners in Scotland can be assured that, when the Labour Government lets you down, the SNP will come to your rescue.
National Health Service Waiting Times (Gynaecology)
My constituent Sarah Beaton, from Elgin, asked me to share her experience of the health service in the hope that it improves things for others. Last June, Sarah was bleeding heavily during her period and went to see her general practitioner. Following multiple visits, she was recommended for a scan. There was a nine-month waiting list to get a scan. When she received the scan results, there were anomalies and she was suggested for referral to a gynaecologist. She was told that, on an NHS waiting list, she would have to wait another year and a half. Frightened, Sarah and her family felt that she could not wait that long and she went private, paying for it herself. That led to the discovery of cancerous lesions, which were operated on last month, and Sarah is now recovering at home.
This morning, I received a response from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to a letter that I sent him about the case. What does the First Minister say to Sarah? What will be done to reduce NHS waiting times for gynaecology in Grampian, which are among the longest in the country?
I am sorry to hear of the experience of Mr Ross’s constituent, and I wish Sarah Beaton well in her recovery. The circumstances that Mr Ross has set out are unacceptable. The health service should be able to address those issues faster, which is why the Government is concentrating on work to reduce long waits and investing to ensure that more procedures are undertaken.
In an answer to Anas Sarwar earlier, I cited that, during the early part of this year, we were able to exceed the targets that we expected to meet on early intervention through procedures. That underpins the approach that the Government is taking to address the situation. We have allocated more than £8.8 million to health boards to target long waits for gynaecology, in particular, to avoid the situation that Mr Ross recounted.
Energy Sector
A new report from Robert Gordon University has warned that 800 energy jobs a month could be lost unless urgent action is taken. That will be of significant concern to many of my constituents who are employed in the sector. Despite those dire warnings, the Labour United Kingdom Government seems determined to press ahead with its misguided energy policies. It is refusing to back vital initiatives such as the Acorn project and is sitting silent as workers lose their jobs.
Does the First Minister share my concern that Scotland’s energy sector appears to be an afterthought for the UK Government? In the face of Westminster inaction, what steps is the Scottish National Party Government taking to deliver a just transition for my constituents in Aberdeen Donside?
The Government is taking a number of steps to ensure that we support a just transition to net zero in the Scottish economy. Part of that involves a focused approach to investment in renewables, which will have significant benefits to Jackie Dunbar’s constituents.
What would also help us in our climate change journey, which is now absolutely critical and pressing, is support from the United Kingdom Government for the Acorn carbon capture and storage project. It is critical that that agreement is given in the spending review next week. We have waited far too long for that. I was promised support for the project by the previous UK Conservative Government, but it failed to deliver. It is now incumbent on the UK Labour Government to take a step that will give us a strategic foundation to our approach to tackling climate change. That decision can be made next week by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and I encourage the chancellor to take the decision to approve the Acorn project. We have waited far too long for that decision.
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