Official Report 256KB pdf
Back-bench Members
14:30
Poverty (Young Parents)
During challenge poverty week, new research from Close the Gap and Save the Children Scotland has highlighted that 55 per cent of children with mothers under the age of 25 live in poverty, which is more than double the national average. Those young mothers face a youth penalty that forces under-25s to survive on at least £86 less a week. Does the First Minister agree that children do not cost less to feed or clothe based on the age of their parents, and will he join me in urging the Prime Minister to immediately end the youth penalty?
Holly Bruce raises a significant issue about the implications that the approach that has been taken with United Kingdom benefits has had on parents in our country. The Scottish Government has taken action in that respect with the implementation of the Scottish child payment, which provides weekly support to every eligible child and is a significant contributor to the fact that, as a result of the Government’s interventions, 100,000 children in Scotland are being kept out of poverty. I am happy to associate myself with Holly Bruce’s proposal and to press the United Kingdom Government to take a more sympathetic and supportive position with regard to younger parents of children in our society.
Purpose-built Student Accommodation
Residents in the Woodlands area of my constituency are concerned about the impact that the proliferation of large-scale purpose-built student accommodation—commonly known as PBSA—is having on the community. The latest application for St George’s Road—a 314-bed proposal—could mean 1,561 PBSA beds within a 300m radius, which would be an overconcentration that I hope that Glasgow City Council’s planning committee will refuse to approve. Although I would welcome a local moratorium on further large-scale PBSA developments, will the First Minister take time to consider whether there is a need for refreshed national guidance on the impact of the large-scale overconcentration and overprovision of PBSA on communities in certain areas of Scotland?
Mr Doris raises an important issue in his constituency, but he will understand that it is not appropriate for me to comment on the merits of individual planning proposals that have been advanced.
In relation to his point on guidance, the local housing strategy guidance, which was published in March 2026, expects councils to consider student accommodation requirements and the impact of current supply and demand on the wider housing system, which addresses the issue of interaction with other housing provision. That consideration should be informed by engagement with universities and other educational institutions. It would be appropriate for Glasgow City Council to consider those issues in coming to its determination on its policy approach towards matters of such a nature.
Emma Caldwell Inquiry (Terms of Reference)
The public inquiry that the Government ordered into Emma Caldwell’s murder will cover only the period between May 2005 and 2015. Although terrible mistakes were made during the first investigation, it took a further nine years after 2015 to put Emma’s killer in the dock. The inquiry will not cover the critical period during which detectives are accused of ignoring damning evidence against Emma’s killer, which was a period in which he continued to rape and abuse women. Gerry Gallacher, a detective at the time, said:
“Limiting the terms of reference is clearly being done on purpose in order to continue covering up the full truth, and this means Emma Caldwell’s family will not get the answers that they deserve.”
Why will the public inquiry into the death of Emma Caldwell cover only the period up to 2015? Can the First Minister understand why Emma’s family fear another cover-up?
I have met Mrs Caldwell, and I am very sympathetic to the concerns that she has. She is an incredibly gracious lady who has with great tenacity dealt with the most unbearable suffering in the loss of her daughter.
The terms of reference to which Pauline McNeill refers were agreed back in December. Ministers are responsible for setting the inquiry’s terms of reference, but questions regarding their interpretation and application are matters for the independent chair. Lord Scott’s interpretation does not alter the terms of reference. Ministers have always been clear that the inquiry’s terms of reference allow the chair to look at wider issues that he considers relevant to ensure an efficient and robust inquiry.
That is probably as far as I should go, because, if I went any further, I would be at risk of interfering in the detail of the inquiry, which is expressly prohibited in the inquiries legislation.
I have seen the comments that have been made by the Caldwell family, and I hope that Mrs Caldwell and her family are assured that the inquiry led by Lord Scott will get to the truth of the matter. We have no interest other than in making sure that Mrs Caldwell gets to the truth, and that is what I believe will happen as a consequence of Lord Scott’s inquiry.
Pensions (Triple Lock)
The Prime Minister has announced plans to scrap the triple lock on pensions, which will cost Scotland’s pensioners £2,000 a year by 2050. Meanwhile, the free personal care that Andy Burnham plans for England to make up for that cut is already available in Scotland, putting Scotland’s pensioners at a particular disadvantage.
What assessment has the Scottish Government made of the impact of the decision on Scotland’s pensioners? Does he agree that it shows that we have reached the limits of devolution and that Scotland’s constitutional set-up is no longer fit for purpose? [Interruption.]
Thank you, members.
The Prime Minister’s decision to scrap the triple lock, which was announced last week, will have a detrimental impact on pensioners in Scotland. By applying Scotland’s projected share of the United Kingdom’s state pension age population, the Scottish Government estimates that pensioners in Scotland could receive around £1.3 billion less per year by 2039-40, rising to around £4 billion by 2049-50, compared with the current triple lock being maintained. As Clare Haughey pointed out in her question, that is a real loss of around £2,000 per person per year if they are a pensioner.
That demonstrates an erosion of the pension settlement that was promised as a guarantee to individuals in 2014, which is exactly the point that I made at First Minister’s question time on Thursday. This is a very clear example of how the union is detrimental to the interests of pensioners. Pensioners in Scotland are losing out. The future for pensioners is independence.
Ministerial Code
The First Minister has made no secret of his refusal, and that of his Government, to engage fully and properly with Reform MSPs in this chamber and beyond. Does he consider that to be consistent with his obligations under the paragraph 10.3 of the ministerial code?
Yes.
Homelessness Prevention Fund
Last week, the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Housing reminded the Parliament that the Scottish Government is shifting its approach to homelessness from crisis management to prevention and rapid rehousing, and she cited the 10-year £50 million homelessness prevention fund. Will the First Minister advise what spending plans are in place for that fund and whether he believes that the equivalent of £5 million per year will be sufficient to prevent homelessness from occurring in Scotland?
The measures that the cabinet secretary has set out will assist with our work in relation to homelessness, but, of course, the Government is taking forward a range of other interventions, not the least of which is the sustained investment in the affordable housing supply programme, which is an essential part of the work that we are advancing. There is co-ordinated work within Government to make sure that, under our person-centred approach to the delivery of public services, those who face homelessness are supported at the earliest possible stage to avoid it. A range of different interventions will be used by the Government in an effort to make sure that that is the case.
A77 Upgrade
Last week, I met the A77 action group, which has campaigned for years for that vital road to be upgraded. After 20 years in power, when will the First Minister’s Government finally invest in the necessary action to upgrade the A77 to a dual carriageway?
Senga Beresford will know that upgrades have been made to the A77 at different stages. If memory serves me correctly, the Maybole bypass is one of the schemes that has been taken forward. It has significantly enhanced the safety of the road and has improved the quality of life for individuals in the Maybole area. Other developments will be taken forward on a sustainable basis. The Government has a capital programme that is the subject of consideration in the budget process. It will be for the Parliament to determine the contents of the budget programme, which will have an impact on the funding that is available for road improvements in Scotland.
Edinburgh Crisis Centre (Funding)
Yesterday, I visited Penumbra’s Edinburgh Crisis Centre, which is just off Leith Walk, to hear concerns about the future of the 24/7, 365-day a year mental health service for people who are experiencing crisis or distress. Due to proposed cuts from the Edinburgh integration joint board, there is growing concern that the service will be significantly reduced or forced to close, which will leave some of the most vulnerable people in Edinburgh without the help and support that they need.
The First Minister will be aware that I raise the cuts to community mental health services almost annually. Will he personally investigate the Edinburgh Crisis Centre’s situation? Under the Government’s proposals to reform public services, will there be a new funding model for sustainable third sector delivery of vital and often life-saving services?
I am sympathetic to the point that Mr Briggs raises, and I know that he has a sustained interest in questions of that nature. He is absolutely right to highlight the importance of the early intervention that such services provide in order to prevent circumstances from escalating.
In policy terms, Mr Briggs is absolutely correct. The judgment on the matter is for the Edinburgh integration joint board to determine. I am sure that Mr Briggs will be making representations to it.
I agree with Mr Briggs that the discussion about public service reform offers an opportunity. Without revealing the contents of all the discussions at this morning’s Cabinet meeting, I can say that we spent some time discussing the importance of ensuring that the third sector has an ever-more significant role in the delivery of public services as a consequence of the public service reform agenda. As we committed to in the programme for government, it is important that the third sector has access to longer-term funding support in order to provide certainty.
I say to Mr Briggs that there is an offer for us to engage constructively, because I think that we both want to get to exactly the same point. We want our public services to be more populated with third sector organisations of that type, and we want them to have more stable resources at their disposal to sustain their services.
Standards Commission for Scotland
Is it time to abolish the Standards Commission for Scotland, which has been branded a “disaster” by Scotland’s ethics watchdog?
The Standards Commission for Scotland has an important role to perform. If my memory serves me correctly—I am beginning to stray into the recesses of my recollection—the Parliament legislates for the commission, but the Government does not have any supervisory role. I am aware of the issues that have led to the points that have been made, but it is important that we have high standards of independent assessment for office-holders, and that the arrangements are in place for all to scrutinise.
Brexit
Andy Burnham has said that the United Kingdom can revisit Brexit 10 years on and that, in fact, we could “go all the way” and rejoin. Does the First Minister agree that the logic of Andy Burnham’s entirely reasonable decision to revisit Brexit must be extended to the future of Scotland and that, 12 years on, our right to decide must be respected?
I agree with Mr Brown and with the Prime Minister’s observation, which I noticed Lisa Nandy also making in an interview, that after 10 years of experiencing the implications of Brexit, the opportunity is here to revisit those implications. Given that Scotland was taken out of the European Union against our will, and given that we are now seeing pensions being undermined and pensioners losing out, despite solemn promises by the no campaign, it is important that, after a 12-year gap, Scotland should have the right to choose our constitutional future.
We know from our exchanges last week that Stephen Kerr of the Conservatives took the view that 10 years is a generation. [Interruption.] I am so pleased that there is now such broad agreement among the Scottish National Party, the Labour Party and the Conservatives that 10 years on is the right moment for us to revisit those questions. I look forward to there being a referendum on Scottish independence very soon.
Civil Partnerships (Conversion from Marriage)
Constituents of mine have been campaigning since 2021 for a change in regulations that would allow marriages to be converted to civil partnerships. Will the Scottish Government review the boundaries between aspects of marriage that are devolved and aspects that are reserved? Will it review the request from my constituents in relation to the conversion of marriages to civil partnerships, as is offered elsewhere in the United Kingdom?
The Scottish Government recognises the importance that some couples place on being able to convert their marriage to a civil partnership. Although marriage and civil partnership law is devolved in Scotland, any change in that area requires careful consideration of interactions with wider United Kingdom legislation. We need to ensure that couples who would convert a marriage to a civil partnership in Scotland retain the same rights and protections across reserved areas such as pensions, taxation, wills and titles. Ministers will therefore be requesting the relevant section 104 order from the United Kingdom Government to ensure that changes are compatible with the wider legal framework and do not disadvantage Scottish citizens, and that conversion is treated as a continuation of an existing relationship, rather than the creation of a new one.
Bluetongue (Vaccination)
Last week, the Scottish Government took the decision to extend the bluetongue control zone across the whole of Scotland. The decision makes practical sense as the disease spreads, but it does not come without significant risks. Vaccination of livestock is the key tool in the fight against bluetongue. What steps is the Scottish Government taking to ensure vaccine availability and to monitor vaccine uptake across the country?
I am grateful to Mr MacKinnon for raising that important question. I am glad that he has characterised the announcement that the Government made as being helpful. It was designed to be so, in order to support and safeguard the agricultural sector.
We are advised that vaccine availability is strong, and it is the subject of ongoing engagement and monitoring by the Minister for Agriculture, Marine and the Islands. There will be engagement with the sector, and I am pleased with the sector’s support for the steps that the Government has taken in that respect. We will continue to monitor the availability and the delivery of vaccines to ensure that the important protection that is needed is in place around the country.
GFG Alliance (Scottish Government Agreements)
Lochaber was promised hundreds of jobs, new factories and a substantial community benefit from the GFG Alliance deal. Instead, The Herald now reports that investors were told that repayments did not depend on the smelter producing
“a single piece of aluminium”
or generating any power.
Did the Scottish Government know that when it put taxpayers’ money behind the deal? Can the First Minister explain to my constituents why investors could apparently profit regardless of whether those promises were ever delivered?
Mr Baxter asks me detailed and specific questions about legal agreements, which he will understand that I will have to give precise answers to. Given the nature of this exchange, I will write to him on that basis.
However, I will make two points to Mr Baxter about the Government’s guarantee that was offered in relation to GFG. First, the guarantee was designed to ensure that we could sustain economic activity in the Lochaber area, and that has been demonstrated to have been the case. Secondly, although the Government gave a guarantee in relation to GFG, that guarantee protected the public purse from damage or disruption as a consequence, because of the strength of the asset base that the Government was guaranteeing. That relates in particular to the hydro infrastructure that is involved.
I will write to Mr Baxter with a specific answer on the detailed legal points that he puts to me. However, in the circumstances that the Government faced, an intervention to protect employment and economic activity, and an investment that protected the public purse, were rational decisions for the Government to take.
I am very well aware of the concerns about GFG. I do not dismiss them in any way whatsoever. However, I believe that the original intervention, and the intentions behind the Government’s actions, were robust and well founded.
Bus Services (Highlands)
Stagecoach has announced that it is scrapping the X99 bus service in my constituency, which is the only service of its kind that can take patients directly to Raigmore hospital. Although I welcome Highland Council stepping in to protect local jobs and services, people feel not only angry at commercial operators picking and choosing routes to run, but also abandoned. Does the First Minister share my concerns about the loss of that vital service for my constituents? Will he therefore commit to a new model for regional transport that gives communities across the Highlands a meaningful say over when and where their buses run?
I am sympathetic to the point that Mr Green makes. I have wrestled with the same issues in my constituency in different localities—particularly, I might add, in relation to access to hospital services. Therefore, I know how pivotal that service is for Mr Green’s constituents.
I very much welcome the approach that Highland Council has taken in relation to a variety of different routes, where it has intervened to try to protect the availability of local services. There are important lessons for us in relation to municipal leadership in the delivery of bus services in the interests of the community. We see that very vividly here in the city of Edinburgh with the strength of Lothian Buses and the strength of the connections that are available.
There is an opportunity for Mr Green to engage with the Government, and with Mr Flynn in particular, on the issues around the better buses legislation, which relates directly to the issues of control that Mr Green raises with me today.
Delayed Discharge (Dumfries and Galloway)
My local national health service board warned yesterday that, recently, one in four beds at Dumfries and Galloway royal infirmary was occupied by patients who were medically fit for discharge, but who required social care support. As winter approaches, the impact of that acute capacity crisis is being felt right through the local NHS. Urgent action on delayed discharge is now vital to ensure that patients have the right access to care in the right place across Dumfriesshire. Does the First Minister recognise the severity of the situation? Will he ask his ministers to work with local partners to take rapid steps to support health and social care services in Dumfries and Galloway?
I recognise those challenges. The weekend before last—I am certain—the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Care spoke to the leader of Dumfries and Galloway Council to try to address some of the practical implications of the points that Mr Hoy raises.
In Dumfries and Galloway that weekend—and in Grampian at Aberdeen royal infirmary and Dr Gray’s hospital—the impact of delayed discharge, combined with presentations at accident and emergency, created very challenging circumstances. Obviously, a critical incident was declared in Grampian. It was not quite as severe in Dumfries and Galloway, but I do not say that to minimise the significance of the issue.
Ministers are actively engaged in trying to reduce the level of delayed discharge. We rely on partners to enable that to be the case. Of course, that all plays into the discussion that we are having about the reform of social care. Delayed discharge is a significant impediment to the operation of an efficient healthcare system that meets the needs of patients in Scotland.
Family Protection Plan (Redress)
What representations has the Scottish Government made to His Majesty’s Treasury and the Financial Conduct Authority regarding redress for people in Scotland who are affected by the withdrawal of the family protection plan, many of whom are in Lanarkshire? Will he agree to meet the independent coalition of credit unions so that he can hear directly where they stand one year on and following the deaths of 56 members who were left without cover? Given that progress at Westminster has stalled, will he write to the Economic Secretary to the Treasury to ask where matters stand and when affected people in Scotland can expect redress?
I am aware of the issues that Mr MacGregor raises. The Minister for Business and Fair Work met the independent coalition of credit unions on 14 July to hear its concerns and to progress industry discussions. We will, in the light of Mr MacGregor’s point, make further representations to the United Kingdom Government and the Financial Conduct Authority. In fact, the Minister for Business and Fair Work will meet the chief executive of the FCA this afternoon to discuss that very issue.
Metastatic Breast Cancer Treatments (Genomic Testing)
To ask the First Minister, in light of the Scottish Medicines Consortium’s recent approval of new targeted treatments for metastatic breast cancer, whether he will provide a clear timetable for ensuring that NHS Scotland patients have timely access to the genomic testing required to determine whether those treatments are suitable for them, and what interim arrangements will be put in place for patients while the national genomic testing service is being developed.
That is an important issue, and I had the opportunity to discuss it with some of the metastatic breast cancer treatment campaigners who were at the Parliament last week.
I am aware of the Scottish Medicines Consortium’s decision. On genomic sequencing, Dame Anna Dominiczak, our chief scientific adviser on health, has been leading some important work, which has led to significant progress. I therefore give Amanda Bland the assurance that our clinicians and advisers are working closely with the Scottish Medicines Consortium, as a consequence of the SMC decision, to advance the provision of the care pathway that Amanda Bland has raised. We will report further progress to the Parliament when we are able to do so.
Public Debt (Low-income Families)
Low-income families in Scotland are facing a public debt crisis. Public debt intensifies and sustains child poverty, and the systems that are currently in place to recover public debt often push families further and deeper into poverty. We need a fairer and more consistent approach. Will the First Minister join me in supporting the necessary legislative and policy changes that are required in Scotland to tackle the public debt crisis and help to end child poverty?
That is, of course, one of the interventions that we can make, and the Government has done so for a number of years. The council tax reduction scheme that we have was abolished by the Conservative Government but maintained by the Scottish Government to ensure that many of the families who were affected by the circumstances that Carol Mochan has raised would have the protection of the Scottish Government in that respect. I am happy to explore other areas in which such action would be helpful.
The Government has engaged on other occasions: for example, on the write-off of council tax debt, and we also support advisory services to provide individual advice. However, the interventions that Carol Mochan has raised are integral to the efforts to eradicate child poverty, and we would happily engage with her on that question.
Youth Antisocial and Criminal Behaviour
Last Tuesday, a gang of youths tore up the inside of the local Asda in Kirkcaldy, putting shop staff and customers at serious risk of physical harm. Such instances of antisocial behaviour have become an absolute blight across our communities. Police Scotland revealed that shoplifting that is perpetrated by children has doubled in just four years—many incidents being at the behest of criminal gangs, who, according to Police Scotland, are undeterred by our weak justice system.
The First Minister’s recent attempts to downplay the scale of antisocial and criminal behaviour among our youth are simply not good enough, especially given the fact that my inbox is flooded with constituents’ requests for urgent action to be taken on those issues. What will the First Minister and his Government do to ensure that those issues are dealt with fully and seriously, so that our communities can feel safe again?
Let me be crystal clear that I deplore antisocial behaviour in all its forms, so I am not in any way sure to what comments of mine Julie MacDougall is referring.
The Government has taken practical steps in our budget for this year to make additional resources available to Police Scotland to tackle retail crime, with a commitment to extending that funding for a three-year period, to ensure that it is available. We also equip the police with the powers that they require to apprehend those who are committing criminal conduct. I assure Julie MacDougall and all other members of the Government’s determination to tackle antisocial behaviour and ensure that the police are equipped to do so.
Police Welfare Checks (Mental Health)
The First Minister will know that police officers undertake so-called welfare checks. One of my constituents had such a check recently, when they were in mental health crisis and self-harming. Six police officers—yes, six officers—turned up at my constituent’s door. Things escalated—unsurprisingly, given my constituent’s previous very negative experiences with the police. The officers restrained my constituent on the ground, resulting in cuts and significant bruising. As if that were not bad enough, my constituent was then arrested and charged. My constituent needed medical care for an acute mental health crisis, not to be criminalised for their mental distress. What will the Scottish Government do to ensure that we stop criminalising mental distress?
I cannot comment on the specific circumstances described by Maggie Chapman, but I am confident that officers from Police Scotland would have approached the situation with the appropriate intention of ensuring that an individual in distress was supported. I often hear from police officers, locally and nationally, about the volume of engagement that police officers have with members of the public in mental health distress.
I agree with Maggie Chapman that that was not an ideal intervention, because such an intervention may cause alarm in an individual who is facing distress. That is why the Government has committed, with some criticism of what it has done, to providing new resources to support community-based mental health services to ensure that the earliest possible intervention can be delivered. That is the best way of protecting and supporting individuals who are vulnerable as a result of mental ill health. The involvement of the police is not ideal, but, in circumstances in which the safety of an individual is in jeopardy, it may be the most considered approach that can be taken.
State Pension (Currency in Independent Scotland)
Pensioners in Scotland can be assured that, under Labour’s proposals, they will receive an increase in their state pension year on year. The First Minister claims that pensions would be better in an independent Scotland. In what currency will the state pension be paid in those circumstances?
An independent Scotland would commence using pound sterling and would convert to a Scots currency at the appropriate economic opportunity.
The very best thing about that question is that Claire Baker and the Labour Party have come on to my ground, because they are talking about independence, they are debating independence, and we are going to deliver independence.
Thank you, First Minister, and I thank colleagues who asked questions. To those who were unable to ask questions, my apologies; time is limited.
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