Official Report 875KB pdf
Grooming Gangs Inquiry
On 16 September, the justice secretary misrepresented Professor Alexis Jay to justify the Scottish National Party’s opposition to a grooming gangs inquiry. For months, in public and in the Parliament, she denied any wrongdoing, but we now know that Angela Constance apologised to Professor Jay on 1 December. She knew that she was wrong all along, but she tried to get away with it.
Yesterday—a full nine weeks later—Angela Constance was forced to finally come clean. Does John Swinney believe that Angela Constance tried to correct the record at the earliest possible opportunity?
The events of the past few weeks and months demonstrate that Angela Constance has set out to the Parliament the position of the Government. Where there has been a necessity for further information to be provided, she has done exactly that. The justice secretary spent the best part of two hours yesterday at the Education, Children and Young People Committee explaining all those issues and addressing the very issues that Mr Findlay puts to me this morning.
The information has been dragged out of the justice secretary.
Paragraph 1.7 of the ministerial code is crystal clear. I will read it out for John Swinney’s benefit. It states that ministers must
“give accurate and truthful information to Parliament, correcting any inadvertent error at the earliest opportunity.”
Angela Constance blatantly and brazenly decided not to correct the record at the earliest possible opportunity. How can John Swinney pretend to himself and to the public that Angela Constance has not breached the ministerial code?
As I have said on a number of occasions to the Parliament, Angela Constance was making a general observation, drawing on the remarks of Professor Alexis Jay, back in September. Having looked at the issue and at all the material, I am content that there has been no breach of the ministerial code.
Professor Jay told the Scottish Government on 26 September that she had been misrepresented. That was Angela Constance’s earliest opportunity to correct the record. She could have corrected the record—she should have—in September, October, November and December. She should have corrected the record when we challenged her in three urgent questions, two ministerial statements, two First Minister’s question times and a motion of no confidence. She should have corrected the record after being repeatedly challenged by grooming gang victims and by journalists.
Three months have passed and only now is Angela Constance trying to correct the record. She did not correct the record at the earliest opportunity, as is required under the ministerial code. How on earth can John Swinney continue to defend his disgraced justice secretary?
As I have said to the Parliament previously, and as I said on Tuesday when the issue was debated in the Parliament, and the Parliament expressed its confidence in the justice secretary, people will reach different conclusions from the words that we use in the Parliament.
The justice secretary is trying to address the concerns have been raised in a comprehensive and open way, as she did at the committee yesterday—[Interruption.]
Let us hear one another. Those who are in the gallery would like to hear.
I am satisfied with the steps that have been taken to deal with the matter.
The scandal—and it is a scandal—shows the very worst of the SNP. It is a cynical, calculating, dishonest and devious Government that always chooses short-term political fixes and convenience. It is never about doing what is right for victims. It is always about doing what is right for the SNP.
Angela Constance’s evidence to the Education, Children and Young People Committee yesterday was shambolic and indefensible. The justice secretary has confirmed beyond any doubt that she broke the ministerial code by refusing to admit her mistake at the earliest opportunity. Angela Constance misled the public, the Parliament and grooming gang victims.
What on earth will it take for John Swinney to sack any of his ministers?
Mr Findlay used some pretty strong language in his question. He said “cynical, calculating, dishonest”. The amendment that Liam Kerr lodged to the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill and the actions of the Conservative Party after it was defeated were cynical, calculating and dishonest.
Mr Findlay knows full well that Liam Kerr’s amendment would not have delivered a grooming gangs inquiry. It would have delivered none of the action the Scottish Government is now taking, whether that is the actions of the four independent inspectorates, the actions of Police Scotland, or the work of the national childhood sexual abuse panel. What Mr Findlay and his colleagues were proposing, how they behaved around those circumstances—[Interruption.]
It is really important that each and every member has the opportunity to speak when they are called to do so. I ask members to treat one another with courtesy and respect.
I simply say to Mr Findlay that the proposition that was made by his colleague in September would have had no effect whatsoever in delivering a grooming inquiry. It would not have delivered for the victims who have suffered sexual abuse. This Government is taking the practical action to do that, and we will continue to do so.
I remind members that many members have an interest in putting a question today, and that they will be more likely to be able to do so if we can proceed and hear one another.
Housing Emergency
Presiding Officer, before I turn to my question, I wish you, colleagues across the chamber and all parliamentary staff a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. I also offer my sincere thanks to the emergency service workers who will be working throughout the festive period to keep us all safe.
Scotland is in a housing emergency; John Swinney has admitted that himself. However, to declare a housing emergency and do nothing is not leadership—it is yet another cowardly stunt.
The number of people who are sleeping rough is at its highest point in 14 years. More than 17,000 households are in temporary accommodation, which is the highest figure on record. That is the result of 18 years of Scottish National Party Government.
Let us be clear about what is going on. At the very moment that demand is rising, supply is falling. At the very moment that families need security, the system is delivering instability. At the very moment that the Government says that it understands the scale of the crisis, social sector house building has fallen to its lowest level on record. Can John Swinney explain how that represents progress or competence or anything resembling a response to the housing emergency that he admits Scotland is facing under the SNP Government?
Presiding Officer, I join Mr Sarwar in extending my good wishes to you and to parliamentary colleagues at Christmas time and in wishing everyone a happy Christmas and new year. I express my thanks to those in the emergency services, who I will have much to do with in the course of the next few days and weeks, for the service that they are giving the public over this period.
I acknowledge that there is a housing emergency. The Government has accepted that, and that is why the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Màiri McAllan, has set out the housing action plan.
Mr Sarwar said that the Government is doing nothing about that. We have taken steps and have taken one really significant action during my time as First Minister, which has been to dramatically increase the resources that are available for new house building in Scotland. On my watch as First Minister, we have given more money than ever before to increase the supply of housing.
That builds on the fact that, over the lifetime of the Government, we have helped to deliver more than 141,000 affordable homes, with more than 101,000 of those being available for social rent. That is 45 per cent more per head of population than in England and 69 per cent more than in Wales. During a period when we have all been wrestling with public spending challenges, the Government has delivered more new affordable housing than has been delivered in England or in Wales, and we are building on that record with a budget settlement that will deliver for housing in Scotland.
John Swinney should be ashamed of the SNP’s record on housing and the damage that it is doing. I say to SNP members that your constituents—
Please always speak through the chair.
There are 10,000 children who are living in temporary accommodation across Scotland today—10,000 children are living in flats, hotels, bed and breakfasts and hostels. Some of those families have been moved from place to place more than a dozen times, never settling or unpacking, never knowing where they will be next and going for years without a home.
Mr Sarwar, I cannot hear you. Mr Johnson, please desist; Mr Sarwar, continue.
They never settle or unpack and never know where they will be next, going for years without a home.
One family in Glasgow have spent 13 years in temporary accommodation and one family in Edinburgh have spent nine years in temporary accommodation. That is an entire childhood of spending year after year moving from place to place and school to school and spending Christmas after Christmas without a home to call their own. How many Christmases must a child spend without a home before John Swinney will admit that his SNP Government has utterly failed?
As I said in my earlier answer, the Government is increasing the investment that is available for housing. One of the things that we have taken forward has been to invest more money in supporting the transfer of properties from being void to being in use as accommodation. In the previous financial year, we put £40 million into that effort, and this year, we have doubled that to £80 million. In 2024-25 alone, 2,066 houses were taken out of being void properties and put into use as houses that families in those circumstances can use.
We can see from the data that was published earlier this week that the increased budget that the Government is putting in place has led to a 61 per cent increase in the past quarter in the number of approvals for affordable housing, which has resulted in an 18 per cent increase in the number of starts in the July to September period. The investment that the Government has put in place is now having an effect and boosting those numbers. Fundamentally, we have been building more houses per head of population in Scotland than has been the case in other parts of the United Kingdom, while we wrestle with the public finance challenges that we all face.
Is that the best answer the First Minister has for 10,000 children being homeless and families being in temporary accommodation for up to 13 years? That is utterly shameful and embarrassing.
The truth is that John Swinney cannot defend his record when it comes to failing Scotland’s children. There are 10,000 children without a home to call their own this Christmas.
This is the man who downgraded the results of working-class kids during the pandemic, while we have 4,310 fewer teachers in Scotland than the SNP promised at the previous election. College budgets have been slashed; violence in our schools is on the rise; more than a third of young people who ask for help with their mental health are rejected by the national health service; and we have a Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs who hunts for excuses not to have an inquiry into child sexual exploitation. [Interruption.]
Let us hear Mr Sarwar.
Failure is no longer the exception for the SNP Government; it is the rule. Things are not getting better on the First Minister’s watch for Scotland’s children—they are getting worse, and the most vulnerable are paying the highest price. Why are the SNP and John Swinney so comfortable in failing Scotland’s children?
I will tell Mr Sarwar what is shameful and embarrassing: it is him coming to the Parliament every day moaning about things when he is not prepared to vote for a budget that will increase investment in our public services. That is what is shameful and embarrassing. Mr Sarwar should think twice about that.
Mr Sarwar wants to raise my record on supporting children in Scotland. The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills was on her feet in the Parliament on Tuesday setting out the record levels of literacy and numeracy in our schools. Attendance is rising, teacher numbers are rising, and the attainment gap is further narrowing in Scotland. I am proud of the fact that, on my watch, child poverty in Scotland is falling and is at the lowest level in 30 years. [Interruption.]
Thank you, members.
If Mr Sarwar wants to know how he is getting on, he might want to have a look at some of the substance of the Ipsos polling last week. When the public in Scotland were asked, “Who do you trust most to manage education and schools in Scotland?”, trust in the SNP was rising and trust in the Labour Party was falling. The Labour Party is making absolutely no progress. If Mr Sarwar thinks that that is only on education, I can say that it also relates to health. Trust in the Labour Party to solve the issues in the health service is falling, and trust in the SNP is rising. Why? Because waiting lists are going down, waiting times are going down and general practitioner numbers are going up, and because we are delivering on the national health service.
Mossmorran
Presiding Officer, I, too, wish all colleagues a merry Christmas. I join the First Minister and Anas Sarwar in thanking our emergency services and all other key workers who will keep the country going over the festive period.
A month ago, ExxonMobil announced that it was closing its Mossmorran site in Fife. More than 400 workers face imminent redundancy. I have repeatedly asked the First Minister for the just transition plan for Mossmorran that, 18 months ago, his Government committed to producing. Freedom of information requests submitted by the Scottish Greens have returned only a single document from before last month’s announcement, which was the text of a minister’s speech given in response to a debate organised by Fife’s Green MSP Mark Ruskell. That was before the commitment to the transition plan was even made. It is absolutely clear that no work was done. Eighteen months on from the Scottish Government saying that it would come up with a plan, and a month after ExxonMobil announced the site’s closure, its workers are going into Christmas knowing that they will lose their jobs in the new year. Mossmorran’s workers need jobs that they can go into, and the community needs a proper legacy from the ExxonMobil site. Is the First Minister ready to tell them how he will fulfil the promise that his Government made?
The Government has made clear that we will identify opportunities from the on-going work at Grangemouth. As we saw from last week’s announcements, significant numbers of new jobs are coming from the investments that have been made, and I welcome the announcement that was made yesterday by Ineos and the United Kingdom Government. The exercise that we have carried out at Grangemouth has demonstrated a range of different business possibilities that can lead to new employment, some of which are now being progressed and have been announced. That learning will be applied to Mossmorran to provide the vital support that is necessary for its workforce. I appreciate that those workers will be having an extremely anxious time as a consequence of the announcement by ExxonMobil. I reassure Mr Greer that the learning and experience from Grangemouth are being applied at the industrial site at Mossmorran in similar circumstances.
The First Minister says that the Government will learn from the experience at Grangemouth, which would have been absolutely fine months ago, but those workers will lose their jobs in a few weeks and the Government has not come up with the plan that, 18 months ago, it said that it would.
Yesterday, Unite the Union said that there have been a lot of
“kind words and soundbites”
from the United Kingdom Government and the Scottish Government, but that it has not seen
“any real, tangible evidence of any practical support, financial support”.
Fossil fuel giants such as ExxonMobil are all too happy to profit from Scotland’s resources and workers, but when the money runs out they are out of here. We have seen that happen countless times before.
Last time I asked this question, there was some confusion about the answer, but I am hopeful that the First Minister can make a clear commitment today. Will his Government finally commit to providing dedicated funding for Mossmorran and make it a condition of receiving that funding that any business must guarantee job interviews to workers who have lost their jobs at the site?
I am very much aware of the speculation that there was after the previous answer that I gave to Mr Greer. I am not quite sure how that speculation arose, because I thought that I was crystal clear that the scheme, approach and conditions that we have put in place at Grangemouth will be put in place at Mossmorran. I hope that that is clear. I thought that it was clear the last time I said it, but, if it was not, it is clear now.
The business concepts that are emerging from the work at Grangemouth will be prioritised and taken forward at Mossmorran. ExxonMobil had extensive discussions with the United Kingdom Government about the future of the site that the Scottish Government was not sighted on until the very last moment. That meant there was a limitation on our ability to engage substantively on those questions.
I hope that that has given Mr Greer the clarity that he seeks. The Government will engage in measures to support the workforce at Mossmorran, as the Parliament would expect us to.
Cost of Living (Support for Households)
To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government is taking to support households with the cost of living this winter. (S6F-04553)
We know that people continue to struggle with the cost of bills and life’s essentials, particularly during the winter and especially at Christmas time. The Government is doing all that it can to help within the powers that we have available to us. We will continue to allocate more than £3 billion a year to policies that tackle poverty and help to address the cost of living crisis. This winter, we will invest more than £196 million in our winter heating benefits, which provide vital support for low-income households, families with disabled children or young people, and pensioners.
I welcome the measures outlined by the First Minister, which are more necessary than ever, as Labour continuously fails to deliver during the cost of living crisis.
Scots were told by Keir Starmer that their bills would fall by £300 per year. Now, they are rising by almost £200 and are set to increase again in January and April. That means that households will be left around £500 worse off this Christmas than was promised. With the United Kingdom Government delivering nothing but rising bills and rising hardships, does the First Minister agree that it is only through independence that we can protect our living standards and cut household bills?
Members of the public can see what the United Kingdom Government delivers. At the election, it promised a cut in fuel bills, but those bills are rising. That is what the United Kingdom delivers to an energy-rich country. The sooner that Scotland’s energy is under the control of the people of Scotland, who can benefit from the energy potential of our country, the better, so that we can reduce the costs that people face for their domestic energy and commercial heating.
Spey Viaduct (Collapse)
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the partial collapse of the Spey viaduct, including what support it can offer to Moray Council in responding to the immediate consequences and the next steps for the local community. (S6F-04537)
The collapse of the Spey viaduct is a sad loss. Not only did it hold significant heritage value; it is a key feature for those using the national cycle network or travelling the Moray coastal route.
The viaduct is, of course, owned by Moray Council, and it will ultimately be for the council to lead on the next steps. It will need time to work through its options, including consulting and engaging with local communities, as it always does, but, for our part, the Government is more than happy to be part of those discussions.
The other day, I was told a story about guards running up and down a train, trying to stop people leaning out on the viaduct, because their hats kept falling into the salmon pools. Today, the Spey viaduct is one of the most photographed structures in the area and has attracted admiration and comments from legends such as Timmy Mallett.
Without making this about money or council politics, local people have been clear with me that they want to work constructively to see whether the viaduct could be fixed. Will the First Minister, or perhaps the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture—who I am sure is very familiar with the site—be willing to join me on site in the new year, to meet local businesses and staff from the Scottish Dolphin Centre to discuss the viaduct’s future?
I am very familiar with the viaduct. Many details about it have been shared with me by my colleague Richard Lochhead when he has made representations on behalf of his constituents, and I discussed the viaduct with Mr Lochhead and his colleague Laura Mitchell just yesterday. It is an important structure and connection, and I very much welcome the local interest. I am happy for ministers to engage in dialogue about the issue, which will ensure that the public can enjoy the magnificent outdoors of the Moray countryside.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has repeatedly opposed local plans to manage and dredge the river, and has cut into the bank, which has affected the golf course, houses and other structures. Will the First Minister send a message to SEPA to tell it to stop meddling in such issues, stop prioritising flora and fauna over houses and infrastructure, and allow the management of the rivers that local people know best?
SEPA has to exercise the statutory responsibilities that the Parliament has placed on it. It is important that SEPA deploys those statutory responsibilities in a proportionate manner, with the gathering of the appropriate evidence to inform its conclusions.
Additional Support Needs
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the recent Educational Institute of Scotland findings that young people with additional support needs are being let down, and teachers are experiencing stress due to inadequate resourcing, in light of the reported reduction of nearly 20 per cent in specialist ASN staff since 2010, despite a rise of over 710 per cent in the number of pupils requiring such support since 2007. (S6F-04540)
We are clear that all children and young people should receive the support that they need to thrive in their education. Support comes from all staff, not only from additional support needs specialists. As a direct result of investment from the Scottish Government, we have been able to increase the number of staff in our schools and not just the number of teachers. Educational psychologists, family liaison workers and additional support needs staff have been supported through additional investment from the Scottish Government, which includes an additional £29 million this year specifically to support the additional support needs workforce.
We still do not know when the Scottish National Party will deliver the additional 3,500 teachers promised in the 2021 manifesto—or the 4,310 additional teachers, if we include the overall deficit in teachers since that promise was made. None of that will reassure my 13-year-old constituent Adam, who has barely been in school since August. He is not thriving and no longer wants to attend school, because his additional needs are not being met. Will the First Minister apologise to Adam and his family, who are now investigating home schooling because they are desperate? Will he agree to meet them in the new year and take steps not only to support Adam but to reassure the thousands of children and young people across Scotland who are being failed by this total system failure?
I am very sympathetic to the circumstances that Monica Lennon sets out to me. I represent constituents and members of the public and, over my years as a parliamentarian, I have represented many constituents who have tried to secure additional support needs provision for their children. Parents want to do the best for their children and ensure that the education system meets their needs, which is why the Government has put £29 million of additional investment in the budget. I am sorry to raise this while discussing a sensitive issue, but Monica Lennon never voted for that. Monica Lennon sat on her hands. [Interruption.]
Let us hear one another.
It is not good enough to come to Parliament to demand the expansion of provision in our schools and not be prepared to put the money in to do so. That is the challenge that Monica Lennon faces.
At the heart of many of the challenges that our teachers face around ASN is parents’ inability to seek a diagnosis pathway for autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Families across Scotland are being failed, and SNP ministers seem to be more focused on meeting child and adolescent mental health services targets by removing our young people than by giving them a diagnostic pathway. Will ministers now agree to review the changes that they have made to CAMHS pathways, as part of the ASN review that the Scottish Conservatives secured from this Government?
The CAMHS targets are being met, and the Government has taken steps to ensure that all such decisions are made on a clinical basis by those who are empowered to take those decisions. That is the basis on which such assessments should be made, which ensures that the needs of children are met appropriately in our public services and education system.
Renewable Energy Infrastructure (Local Authorities)
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s position is on local authorities, which host renewable energy infrastructure, receiving Scottish Crown Estate revenue allocations, such as a share of the income from ScotWind projects. (S6F-04543)
It is my priority that as a country we generate prosperity and share it across Scotland for everyone to benefit from. I want a thriving, innovative and sustainable green economy, and the offshore wind industry is at the heart of that. It is driving investment and creating skilled, well-paid jobs.
Scottish Crown Estate revenue is allocated to local authorities for coastal community benefit. Since 2019, under that arrangement, more than £78 million has been passed to local authorities, including £11.5 million for Shetland.
We want to go further. Through our national islands plan, we are exploring opportunities for how the revenue from ScotWind projects and the wider Crown Estate can further support community infrastructure on islands.
Shetland has some of the highest energy bills in the United Kingdom, while renewable energy infrastructure now dominates the isles. There are 103 onshore wind turbines, with more to come, proposals for substations and 38m pylons running across Shetland, offshore wind farm developments and subsea cables that will displace the vital fishing sector, and we are not getting much back. Community benefit needs to be meaningful. The Scottish Government is getting hundreds of millions of pounds from ScotWind, so will the First Minister commit to giving Shetland its share of the ScotWind leasing revenues?
As I have indicated already, resources have been invested in Shetland as a consequence of the Crown Estate revenues. The issues that Beatrice Wishart raises are important, and members of the public need to be persuaded that where they are supporting and accommodating that infrastructure, they are seeing the benefit of lower energy costs.
I totally accept the situation in Shetland, where there is very high generation of renewable energy and there are very high levels of fuel poverty and very high fuel bills. That is the energy system of the United Kingdom, and that is the problem that we are wrestling with. We are wrestling with an energy market that does not ensure that the people of Scotland, including the people of Shetland, are getting the benefit of their energy wealth, and that is what my Government is about—securing for the people of Scotland.
ScotWind is one of the most significant green investment opportunities of the just transition, with the potential to create thousands of high-quality jobs, strengthen our domestic supply chains and generate considerable public revenue. Will the First Minister further outline how the Scottish Government is ensuring that communities across Scotland, particularly in coastal and island areas, will see lasting economic and social benefits from ScotWind, while it also furthers our future energy security?
Our coastal regions are already eligible for community funds that support education, infrastructure, environmental initiatives and revenue reinvestment. We know that ScotWind is a catalyst for careers in the green industries, offering training and capacity building in project management, engineering, manufacturing and maritime services. We will always seek to ensure that benefits from ScotWind continue to be retained and invested locally in our communities.
As the First Minister just said, Scotland is an energy-rich nation, so surely revenues from our natural resources should benefit us all, yet the ScotWind auction round massively undervalued Scotland’s offshore energy resources by setting a bid ceiling. Similar auctions held at the same time raised 20 to 40 times the amount per megawatt capacity than ScotWind did. Does the First Minister accept that setting a bid ceiling was a mistake? What assurance can he offer my constituents in the north-east that that mistake will not be repeated?
I say to Mercedes Villalba that she is not comparing like for like in the conditions of the projects that were taken forward in the different leasing rounds. That is the first point. The second point is that we have taken decisions that will enable the development of the supply chain with very significant economic opportunities for Scotland. However, we need the United Kingdom Government to ensure that grid connections will be delivered in a fashion that meets the needs of the industry in Scotland.
Finally, I could not agree with Mercedes Villalba more that the energy wealth of Scotland should benefit the people of Scotland. That is why we need Scottish independence.
We move to constituency and general supplementary questions. Concise questions and responses will enable more members to put a question.
Cumbernauld Theatre
The Scottish Government has announced £150,000 of investment in each of the next two years in Cumbernauld theatre, along with £100,000 from Creative Scotland. That has been very much welcomed in my constituency. Will the First Minister join me in thanking everyone at Cumbernauld theatre for the work that they do? Will he set out how he thinks that that investment will help to secure the theatre’s future?
I am delighted to do so. I know that Cumbernauld theatre has been a very important artistic venue in Cumbernauld for many years. It has new accommodation, and I am delighted that the Government has been able to put the resources in place to support that. I am grateful to Jamie Hepburn for the formidable representations that he has made on behalf of his constituents.
In relation to the wider cultural sector in Scotland, a record total of 251 cultural organisations are receiving funding from this year. That is more than double the number of organisations that previously received core funding. The cultural opportunities in Scotland are very significant, and I know that Cumbernauld theatre will take the most advantage that it can from the investment that the Government has made to ensure that it continues to make a contribution to a thriving artistic and cultural sector in Scotland.
Seasonal Migrant Workers (Living Conditions)
Presiding Officer,
“Well, those conditions look unacceptable—completely unacceptable.”
Those were the First Minister’s words last year when he was shown footage of the overcrowded, unfit and unsafe living conditions of seasonal migrant workers on farms in Scotland. Then, the First Minister promised to close the loopholes in legislation that leave these workers unprotected. Less than a month ago, the Cabinet Secretary for Housing told us:
“We know that there is a gap in protection ... the Scottish Government will look to introduce a set of bespoke statutory accommodation standards”.—[Written Answers, 19 November 2025; S6W-41436.]
However, yesterday, in response to a shocking new BBC Scotland report, the First Minister said that the laws already exist and are regulated by local councils.
When will the First Minister act and use the powers that he has—before the current session of Parliament ends—to address this national stain and close this shameful loophole?
I understand the strength of the point that Mr Leonard puts to me. Last Friday, in my constituency capacity, I engaged with an organisation that is making representations on behalf of seasonal migrant workers in my constituency, and I understand the challenges and the issues that individuals face.
I think that it is wrong to say that there are no powers that can be used just now by local authorities. There are inspection responsibilities that local authorities can take forward. That is the point of the answer that I was giving to that particular question. If there are further measures that can be taken to strengthen legislation, the Government will do so.
Football Grounds (Alcohol Sales)
At Aberdeen’s home match against Kilmarnock at the weekend, alcohol sales were allowed as part of a successful trial. Alcohol is allowed at football for those who are lucky enough to be able to afford hospitality. Alcohol sales are allowed at rugby matches and ice hockey games, but they are banned for normal punters when they go to their local football match. Does the First Minister agree that the time is now right to look at ways of allowing the controlled sale of alcohol at football grounds and to end the discrimination against football fans?
Mr Lumsden highlights a particular pilot that is able to be taken forward within local licensing arrangements under certain conditions. I understand that that was taken forward in the case that Mr Lumsden raises. The Government has no plans to revisit this particular issue, but we will of course look with care at the outcome of the pilot that is being taken forward.
St Mirren Football Club
The First Minister will be aware that Christmas came early for Paisley buddies on Sunday. What he may not be aware of is that St Mirren is now the first fan-owned club to win a major trophy, not just in Scotland but in the United Kingdom. At a time when our national game faces real challenges, does he agree that community-based fan ownership could be part of the solution? Will he join me in congratulating St Mirren’s players, staff and supporters on their truly historic win? As it is the only team that can now win the domestic treble, when can Stephen Robinson and his team expect to receive their invite to visit the First Minister at Bute house?
Let me express my unbridled joy to Mr Adam, who is experiencing unbridled joy at the success of St Mirren on winning the Premier Sports cup with a magnificent performance at Hampden on Sunday. The point that Mr Adam makes—I know that he and his wife are devoted supporters of St Mirren—is that the role and the approach of the community-owned club model is a real strength for St Mirren. I am sure that it is a model that can be followed in other parts of the country. Given the success that St Mirren has attracted as a consequence, I am sure that it will be followed with interest in other parts of the country.
Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board
What is the First Minister’s response to the immediate resignation of three leading environmental members of the agriculture reform implementation oversight board and policy development group, who cite systemic failures of process, a lack of transparency and repeated disregard for evidence in the Scottish Government’s approach to agriculture reform? How can the First Minister support a reform process that is so lacking in coherence, clarity and honesty that experts now say that they no longer have any confidence in the Government’s policy-making machine? Does John Swinney accept that that raises serious concerns that his Scottish National Party Government is incapable of delivering the food security, climate or nature outcomes that Scotland desperately deserves?
I begin by expressing my thanks to those who have participated in the work of the ARIOB. It has been an important exercise in creating partnership working in relation to difficult and sensitive judgments that involve competing interests and perspectives. The Government is absolutely committed to maintaining an approach to agriculture that focuses on supporting the agriculture sector, supporting the measures to tackle the nature crisis that we face and implementing measures on climate change. The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands will continue to give leadership on the issue and bring parties together to find common ground in difficult and sensitive areas of policy.
Health and Social Care Partnerships (Funding)
The First Minister will be aware that health and social care partnerships across Scotland are reporting significant shortfalls in their budgets. In Argyll and Bute, there is a £6 million budget gap. The consequence of that is that, in the past few days, a number of my elderly constituents have found themselves stuck in hospital, medically fit to leave but unable to do so because their care package is simply not being funded. The First Minister knows that that will drive up delayed discharge and have a knock-on effect on hospital capacity. What urgent action will he take to address that crisis in social care, so that my constituents can go home for Christmas?
Many of those issues were discussed yesterday at a meeting between ministers and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to address the significant challenges that we face in relation to delayed discharge. Some of that is about the capacity that exists in local communities and the number of staff who are available. As Jackie Baillie will know, we have very low levels of unemployment in Scotland—significantly lower than the rest of the United Kingdom—and vacancies in social care in the provision of packages at local level.
The Government has a keen interest in resolving the issue, because that will reduce pressure in our hospitals, which have been experiencing acute challenges because of the rise in flu admissions, although, thankfully, it looks as though that increase is slowing. The Government is working with local authorities to ensure that we have the support in place to meet the needs that Jackie Baillie has raised with me.
Postal Services
Although, last week, Royal Mail issued communications stating that Inverclyde was one of the areas that are affected by some postal issues, there was no mention of people waiting many weeks between deliveries. This week, I have been inundated with messages from constituents highlighting the problems that they are facing. Some of those constituents, including cancer patients, have missed hospital appointments as a consequence of Royal Mail’s failure.
Will the First Minister ensure that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde engages with Royal Mail to stress the seriousness of the issue and to seek assurances about when the problem will be resolved?
I will take that issue forward. I know that it will be an urgent priority for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to ensure that patients are able to be properly notified of appointments. If there are delays in relation to Royal Mail services, we will seek to address those directly with Royal Mail through the channels that Mr McMillan has suggested.
Adult Disability Payment
Statistics from Social Security Scotland that were published on Tuesday morning indicate a sustained increase of 19 per cent in rejected applications for adult disability payment. That is worrying and means that ADP is now less generous and less supportive to disabled people than the benefit that it was supposed to replace—the personal independence payment.
Will the First Minister tell us whether that sustained increase is a result of policy change? If so, why has such a policy change been made, given the promise that ADP would be better than PIP?
Obviously, every individual application has to be considered on its merits, and the approach to that has been set out by ministers. The approach of Social Security Scotland is to operate with dignity, compassion and respect. Those are the founding values of Social Security Scotland, and they will be applied to the application process that is taken forward.
Fish Processing Sector (Economic Stability)
Fish processors in my constituency are under serious economic pressure due to quota cuts. There are fears that local jobs may be lost and that businesses will suffer.
Will the First Minister set out how the Scottish Government will help to drive economic stability for the fisheries sector, especially in my constituency, where livelihoods depend on it?
I ask that members always have their camera on when they are contributing remotely.
The Scottish Government values our fish processing sector and is committed to a sustainable and prosperous seafood industry. Due to the exceptional fish quota cuts for mackerel, the Scottish Government will act. Today, we have announced that fishing licences will change for 2026, so that Scottish vessels must land 70 per cent of their mackerel and 70 per cent of their herring into Scotland. That will take effect from 1 January 2026 and will help to protect jobs in our fish processing sector and wider supply chains during this challenging period, and provide stability and position the sector well for when stocks recover. Those measures will apply for 2026 and will be kept under review.
That concludes First Minister’s question time.
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