Official Report 390KB pdf
Back-bench Members
14:29
Suicide Prevention
Given that this week is world suicide prevention week, will the First Minister share what the Scottish Government is doing to help those who are struggling with their mental health, and how it will support organisations that deliver direct help in our local communities, such as the Trust Jack Foundation in Stonehouse, which is a vital lifeline for so many in my constituency?
As we mark world suicide prevention day on Thursday, we remember those who have taken their own lives and we offer heartfelt sympathies to all those who have lost someone to suicide. Our aim is to ensure that anyone who has thoughts of, or who is affected by, suicide can get the help that they need.
Working with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, we are driving forward our suicide prevention strategy, backed by an increased budget of £3 million this year. We have record numbers of staff providing mental health support and services to more people than ever before. Since 2021, we have provided £99 million for the communities mental health and wellbeing fund for adults, which funds grass-roots projects, including the Trust Jack Foundation in Mr Kerr’s constituency, bringing our investment in community-based support to more than £190 million since 2020.
Programme for International Student Assessment Results
Will the First Minister explain to parents why the programme for international student assessment—PISA—results that were released today confirm that Scotland trails England, and the United Kingdom as a whole, in every core subject, and why more than half of pupils are in schools where staff shortages are hindering learning? When will he publish a plan to turn that around?
In the light of the PISA results from 2022, the Government embarked on work that involved a curriculum improvement cycle in response. The work that is under way, in particular to strengthen literacy, maths and science, is important as the foundation of the improvement work that the Government takes forward.
The results that PISA has announced this morning indicate essentially a stable position in relation to Scotland’s performance, but the Government is determined to focus on improvement. In the curriculum for excellence-level data that was published for 2024-25, the proportion of secondary 3 pupils achieving third level or better in literacy sits at 90 per cent, with numeracy at 91 per cent. Those are both at their highest level ever.
While the PISA results provide some information, on a sample basis, on the performance of Scottish education, there is other data in relation to curriculum for excellence, which I have cited. In addition, the 2026 pass rates for both national 5 and highers are up in comparison with last year and in comparison with the pre-pandemic results of 2019, and the advanced higher pass rate is up in comparison with last year.
In relation to the PISA survey, it is clear that there is still improvement work to be undertaken, but teachers and educators, and the Government, are focused on ensuring that that is the case.
Health and Social Care Reform
I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests, as I am a councillor in South Lanarkshire Council.
Following the First Minister’s remarks to the BBC on Sunday, what more can he tell us about the shape of his health and social care reforms? In particular, which of the powers that currently rest with integration joint boards does he believe should fall within the remit of the national health service? Is that simply adult social care, or does he believe that the NHS should run care homes and social work offices? If that is not his intention, will those IJB powers return to local government?
Mr Fagan highlights an important discussion that we all have to have in Scotland, arising from the programme for government. On Tuesday, I set out my view, which I think is pretty widely shared in Parliament, that the arrangements for health and social care in Scotland need to be reformed, and that has to be the starting point for those conversations.
As I set out last week, I am not going to prescribe the approach that we are going to take. I will be engaging in discussions with the Deputy First Minister and the Cabinet Secretary for Public Service Reform, with Convention of Scottish Local Authority leaders, on Friday. That will open up the conversation about where the most appropriate delineation of responsibilities should rest.
I made it clear last week that I think that a single line of accountability on the delivery of health and social care would help us to deliver a more effective system that meets the needs of individuals. Just now, there is shared accountability, and I do not think that it works as effectively as it should. However, as I indicated last week, I am not going to prescribe a solution—I am going to engage in dialogue, and I encourage Mr Fagan and his colleagues in the Labour Party, and other colleagues in Parliament, to engage in that discussion over the next three months.
Artificial Intelligence (Healthcare)
Recent research carried out by the University of Edinburgh has found that doctors using artificial intelligence to generate medical notes are missing vital patient information. What is the Government doing to address those findings? Does the First Minister recognise that much more research needs to be carried out to understand where and how AI is working in healthcare settings?
I understand the concern about those reports that Carol Mochan highlights. It is absolutely vital that medical records and any references to the medical conditions of individuals are accurate, because of the implications of there being errors as a result of such an approach. The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Care will look closely at the issues that Carol Mochan raises, because they would unsettle individuals.
There are applications of artificial intelligence that can help us in clinical diagnosis, and I saw a good example of that in NHS Grampian, where chest X-rays were being used against an AI tool to identify early signs of lung cancer risk among individuals. That is a real enhancement of our insight into the risk of lung cancer in individuals.
Although I understand the concerns that Carol Mochan has put to me, which I assure her that the health secretary will look at, there are other applications of AI that can be beneficial with regard to the objective of improving outcomes for individuals in our health and social care system.
Domestic Violence Offences (Criminal Justice Guidelines)
I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests as chair of North Ayrshire Women’s Aid.
The Government’s proposed misogyny bill is welcome and will help in the longer term, but, in order to protect victims of domestic violence right now, will the First Minister ensure that necessary changes are made to criminal justice guidelines so that those charged with domestic abuse offences who breach bail conditions or non-harassment orders are returned to or detained in custody?
The judiciary uses a bail test, which explicitly requires consideration of protection of victims from a risk of harm—physical or psychological—when deciding whether to grant bail. That test will consider all relevant previous behaviour of the accused, including whether breaches of bail conditions or non-harassment order conditions have occurred. Under that test, the judiciary can decide to remand any individual if they consider that that is appropriate in any given case.
As Patricia Gibson will be aware, it is for the judiciary, independently, to decide whether to remand people who are accused of offences, and the Scottish Government has no involvement in those decisions, or in any guidelines that are used. What the Government is involved in, as Parliament has consented to, is the establishment of a strong and robust bail test, which takes into account the importance of considering the protection of victims from any risk of harm in the decision about whether to grant bail.
Future Farming Investment Scheme (Payments)
Farm businesses in Orkney and across Scotland that successfully applied for the future farming investment scheme are being told that they face delays in receiving their basic payment because the Scottish Government has not assessed their claim evidence. Delays in those crucial payments will create serious financial pressures for farm businesses that are heavily reliant on predicted cash flows.
Does the First Minister agree that it is unacceptable to penalise farmers for Government inefficiencies? What will he do to ensure that evidence submitted is reviewed in a timely fashion to remove any risk of payment delays?
I want to be helpful, but I do not accept Mr McArthur’s characterisation of the issue. As part of the future farming investment scheme grant conditions, a verification process is required before basic payment claims can be processed. At the moment, about 36 per cent of beneficiaries of the future farming investment scheme have still to provide evidence that the funded investment was carried out—that represents about £7.5 million of public funding. A process has to be gone through to make sure that that information is submitted for the Government to consider. The Government cannot consider information that has not been submitted to it.
The Government has a very good track record of delivering basic payments at a very early stage. The payment window is from September to June, and the Government invariably makes those payments in September. I give Mr McArthur an assurance that work has been undertaken to ensure that we expedite the payments that are made, but it is crucial for the necessary evidence to be submitted to the Government to enable those payments to be made.
Restrictions on Wearing the Burqa
Does the First Minister consider that restrictions on wearing the burqa—which have been introduced in Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Bulgaria, Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Portugal—promote integration and community cohesion? Will his Government consider introducing similar restrictions?
Women should be free to choose what they want to wear. Anything else is either none of my business or an invitation to incite racial tension in our society—which is what that question was all about. [Interruption.]
Conversion Practices (Ban)
Conversion practices are cruel and have no place in Scotland. Last week, the programme for government made reference to banning such practices. It stated:
“Should the UK Government fail to deliver we will not hesitate to bring forward Scottish legislation.”
Can the First Minister tell us what his red lines are, which, if broken, will lead to the Scottish Government introducing its own legislation?
Holly Bruce’s question gives me the opportunity to set out the Government’s position in relation to conversion therapy. I support an effective and comprehensive ban on conversion therapy in Scotland. The Government has taken the view that, as proposals are being taken forward by the United Kingdom Government, which apply in England and Wales, there is an opportunity to extend that legislation to have an effect in Scotland and to avoid some of the legal uncertainty that can arise should there not be a consistent approach between different jurisdictions.
I go back to the opening of my answer to Holly Bruce: I want that ban to be effective and comprehensive. The Government will engage constructively with the UK Government on the question. If we come to the view that the proposal advanced by the United Kingdom Government is neither comprehensive nor effective, the Scottish Government will introduce its own legislation. I welcome the opportunity to make that clear.
Educational Assessment Results
I am not sure about you, Presiding Officer, but I do not accept the First Minister’s earlier answer on the programme for international student assessment—PISA—results that were released today. I do not think that we should ignore international standards in favour of our own stats that we cannot necessarily believe in. The Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic was at this morning’s meeting of the Education and Gaelic Committee, where she said that we should not listen to those results because they do not take account of aspects such as artistic expression.
Let me express this as artistically as possible: these results are a shocking disgrace. The First Minister was education secretary when Nicola Sturgeon called education her “number 1 priority”. Will he now apologise to pupils and parents for those results and explain how the Government will finally get on top of the problem that it has created?
In my earlier answer to Helen McDade, I set out the comprehensive range of data that it is important to look at in relation to anything connected with education. Yes, I acknowledged the position on PISA; I also added to the debate the importance of the curriculum for excellence-level data, which showed that, for secondary 3 pupils, literacy and numeracy are at the highest levels ever.
But they are still behind those in the rest of the country.
Excuse me. If you ask a question, please do not heckle when the First Minister is trying to answer it.
In addition, the 2026 pass rates for national 5s and highers are up, compared with those for last year and with the pre-pandemic results of 2019. The advanced higher pass rate is also up.
I welcome the progress that has been made in Scottish education. It has come about because of the investment that the Government has made in strengthening the education system and investing to tackle the poverty-related attainment gap. Significant progress has been delivered in narrowing that gap, which is being reinforced by work that the Government is undertaking on poverty.
The improvement work that the education secretary is leading principally relates to the curriculum improvement cycles and ensuring that we improve standards in all disciplines, especially maths; that we invest in strengthening the quality of learning and teaching; and that more young people take science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects in our schools. That is the focus of the Government’s efforts to improve education. We are building on the successes of young people in Scotland, who should be proud of what they achieved in their examination results in August.
Visitor Levy (Impact of Motorhomes)
Highland Council has just published proposals for a local visitor levy, and colleagues in the area will no doubt be receiving material similar to the correspondence that I have received, which points out the impacts of motorhomes. How is the Government responding to the huge demand from visitors, and will it reconsider introducing powers for local authorities to tackle the issue by placing a levy on motorhomes? [Interruption.]
Let us hear the question, please.
I am aware of the consultation that Highland Council is undertaking on a fixed-amount visitor levy. That and the associated regulatory issues are matters for Highland Council. Local authorities have enforcement powers to address any of the issues that have been raised, and it remains open to them to use those powers at their discretion.
Depo-Provera (Support for Long-term Users)
What progress has the Scottish Government made in supporting women who have been affected by long-term use of the contraceptive injection Depo-Provera, including on the commitment that the Minister for Mental Wellbeing, Public Health, Sport, Alcohol and Drugs made that the chief pharmaceutical officer would write to healthcare professionals regarding the risks associated with the drug’s long-term use—not least the risk of meningiomas, which women in my constituency have been affected by?
I have great sympathy with women who have been harmed by that drug. As medicines regulation is reserved to the United Kingdom Government, it is for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to consider any further investigation.
The Minister for Mental Wellbeing, Public Health, Sport, Alcohol and Drugs met women who have been affected by the drug to hear their experiences at first hand and agree a series of actions. This week, the chief pharmaceutical officer, having taken advice from the MHRA, will write to healthcare professionals across Scotland to highlight the small increased risks associated with long-term use of Depo-Provera. The letter will remind clinicians to describe clearly the risks associated with the drug, to review any prescribing every two years, in line with guidance, and to take appropriate actions if a tumour is suspected.
Sewage Dumping
Scottish Water data shows that sewage was dumped into our waters more than 100,000 times last year. That figure is four times higher than it was, because more overflows are now being monitored. However, we are still miles behind England, which records every incident, so we still do not know the true extent of sewage dumping in our rivers and lochs and on our beaches. Therefore, is the First Minister comfortable with bosses at the Government-owned water company taking home bonuses of up to £115,000—the same as a ministerial salary—when sewage is being dumped in our waters on that scale?
Remuneration at Scottish Water is a matter for the company, which operates at arm’s length from the Government.
The Government plans to invest £6 billion during the current regulatory period, from 2021 to 2027. Over the past 15 years, Scottish Water has reduced leakage by 58 per cent, which represents significant improvement in the maintenance of Scotland’s water supplies. In 2024, there were 36 waste water-related environmental pollution incidents per 10,000km of sewer. That figure is lower than the corresponding one for England, where the Environment Agency reported 47 incidents per 10,000km of sewer.
We are taking steps to ensure that Scottish Water is effective in tackling any risk of sewage leaks, and increased monitoring will help in that respect, but it is important to remember that Scottish Water’s comparative performance is one indication of the strength of the performance of the company, which is owned by the public.
Ferries (Proposed Single Body)
Following the announcement in the programme for government last week, what discussions have taken place with Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd and Caledonian MacBrayne, which are both based in Inverclyde, on the new single ferries body that it is proposed will cover the Clyde and the Western Isles? I remind members that my wife works part time for CalMac.
Last week, Transport Scotland met representatives of the leadership of both CMAL and Caledonian MacBrayne to set out ministers’ priorities, and further engagement will take place shortly.
Discussions on the proposal remain at an early stage, but it is a priority to deliver reliable and resilient ferry services that provide value for money and meet the needs of island communities, residents and businesses. That requirement will lie at the heart of all our decision making, and we will update Parliament in the usual manner as work progresses.
Climate and Biodiversity Crises (Impacts)
In light of the recent United Nations report entitled “Limiting Overshoot”, which states that the planet is on course for a best-case scenario of 1.8°C of warming above pre-industrial levels, what steps is the First Minister taking to ensure that people in rural and island communities can adapt to the impacts of the climate and biodiversity crises?
The Government recognises the significant threats that we face from climate change. That is why taking climate action and addressing the biodiversity crisis is one of the Government’s four principal priorities, as set out in the programme for government last week.
We are taking forward a range of measures to ensure that we adapt to the changing climate and improve resilience in rural and island communities. We will take the adaptation actions that are necessary within the climate change plan that Parliament considered before the election and which governs so much of our activity. Indeed, at Cabinet this morning, Gillian Martin set out the approaches that she will take in leading the Government’s efforts to ensure that the climate change plan is pursued and delivered by the Government.
I assure Ariane Burgess of the importance that we attach to taking action and to ensuring that we honour our commitments and obligations in that respect.
Telemedicine (Rural and Island Communities)
I declare an interest as an employee of the national health service.
The First Minister will share my frustration with the isolation from services and the long travel times faced by patients in the Highlands and Islands when accessing vital basic healthcare. Will he show the urgency and leadership required and support the rapid roll-out of advanced telemedicine technologies to remedy the remote and island penalty that our communities face under this Scottish National Party Government?
As I indicated in the programme for government last week, I want to ensure that healthcare services are delivered as close to home as is safe for individuals. Some of the advances in telemedicine that Mr Currie refers to are important ways of strengthening how those services can be delivered in rural and island communities, and the Government will take those steps. There is already advanced work in relation to the provision of remote medical care and the Government will continue to reflect that in its priorities.
The agenda for the reform of healthcare service provision is designed to ensure that we improve access to those services for people in Scotland and that will be at the heart of the reforms that we take forward.
Possilpark Tenement Fire
The wilful fire raising at a tenement renovation in Possilpark on Sunday was not only a disgraceful attack on my community and on a property that had finally secured much-needed investment after 20 years of dereliction but a result of months of malicious online lies in social media that were intended to whip up community tensions. Will the First Minister assure Parliament that not only the perpetrators but those who recklessly incited that crime and those who now celebrate the destruction of social housing for local families will face investigation and prosecution where the evidence exists?
I agree unreservedly with Paul Sweeney. The events on Sunday evening were deplorable. It has now been confirmed that the fire was started maliciously and the fact that that arose because of the spreading of misinformation that the accommodation was to be used by migrants is a further disgrace. Those who are responsible for the action will be pursued, those who circulated information to incite that behaviour will be pursued and those who are responsible for celebrating such behaviour will also be pursued by Police Scotland.
I want to make it clear to Parliament today that, at a time when we are wrestling with housing challenges in our country, people going around wasting public money by setting fire to flats that are being renovated is a disgrace. It undermines efforts to improve people’s quality of life by providing good-quality housing to members of the public. Anyone who is involved in the inciting of racial tension or stirring up behaviour that leads to the destruction of good accommodation is a disgrace and will be pursued by Police Scotland.
Moray FLOW-Park Proposals
The First Minister will no doubt be aware of the Moray FLOW-Park proposal, but is he aware that the siting of the turbines will box in Moray’s only public Royal Yacht Association-approved marine training centre to shallow waters? Does he agree that the effective loss of that local resource in Findhorn Bay cannot be allowed to happen?
That issue will be part and parcel of the consideration of the application that has been made. The issue, along with many others, including the views of the local community, will be fully and thoroughly considered as part of the assessment of any application that comes forward.
University Hospital Monklands
Last week, I asked whether Neil Gray was informed of the serious concerns raised by NHS Scotland Assure relating to the replacement University Monklands hospital in March. Someone in the Scottish Government was informed and knew that the replacement project could not proceed. Can the First Minister tell Parliament who knew and why the announcement to delay the hospital was not made until after the election, given that it was clearly running two years behind schedule?
Any project of that type requires to go through a full scrutiny of the business case and the assurance process. In this case, that was not completed until after the election. Announcements could not be made until that process was completed, and it was completed after the election.
Scottish National Investment Bank
Does the First Minister agree that the Scottish National Investment Bank may need to broaden its advice network in relation to the volatile start-up market, given the heavy losses that were recently publicised? Does he defend the bank’s long-term value to the taxpayer, as indicated by Shona Robison to the Finance and Public Administration Committee during last year’s budget scrutiny?
Yes, I do. The Scottish National Investment Bank makes an important contribution by lending to projects that are, without doubt, higher risk than routine private market investments that will be the subject of inquiry.
The SNIB was set up to try to help projects, initiatives and enterprises that carry a higher risk in terms of scale and nature but which could deliver significant benefits to the Scottish economy. The SNIB has supported a number of projects that demonstrate those characteristics. There will be projects that do not succeed. I accept that that can cause public unease, but we must make a balanced judgment about whether the Government should operate in this space by encouraging higher-risk investments that can bring higher returns to the Scottish economy. That judgment lies at the heart of the pursuit of economic growth, and the SNIB makes an important contribution to that endeavour.
Food Security
I have received a number of inquiries from concerned constituents on the issue of food security, particularly in light of the recent comments by the United Kingdom Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs urging people to stock up on food, and National Audit Office warnings that Britain’s food supply chain is at risk, given the growing threat of cyberattacks and the climate crisis, alongside overreliance on the private sector to deal with food supply disruption. What steps is the Scottish Government taking to address those issues across Scotland?
Scotland’s food system is resilient and well placed to respond to a range of potential challenges. The Government closely monitors overall food security and works in partnership with industry to identify and manage risks and ensure a co-ordinated and effective response to any disruption.
I agree with Colm Merrick with regard to the warnings from the National Audit Office and others about the increasing likelihood and severity of shocks caused by extreme weather events. Hence the importance of the Government taking climate action, as I said in response to Ariane Burgess, and of protecting against cyberattacks. Those issues are central to the Government’s consideration of resilience on a regular basis.
Bus Fare Cap (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Half of Scotland can now travel by bus for £2 or for free and those in Edinburgh city centre have fares capped at £2.40 on Lothian Buses. Yet half a million people in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, who will collectively make 40,000 bus journeys today, can pay more than £12 for a journey into town. Can the First Minister tell me when the Scottish National Party’s transformational bus cap will reach Scotland’s third largest city and the surrounding area?
I am delighted with the commitment that the Government made in its manifesto to ensure that the £2 bus fare cap, which we have piloted in the Highlands and Islands, would be extended to the west of Scotland in the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport area. I am delighted that that was delivered yesterday. It is another example of the SNP Government delivering for the people of our country in the cost of living crisis.
Having delivered on our commitment in our 100-days document, we will now move on to other parts of the country. I want to ensure that other parts of the country benefit from the £2 bus fare cap as quickly as they possibly can. That is an urgent priority for ministers as we take forward our programme to ensure that we deliver for the rest of Scotland in the way that we have delivered for the Highlands and Islands and the west of Scotland.
That ends back-bench members’ questions to the First Minister. Apologies to the many colleagues who were unable to ask questions today due to time constraints.
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