Official Report 443KB pdf
Back-bench Members
14:30
We now move to back-bench questions to the First Minister.
Before I take the first question, which will be from Kate Campbell, I remind members that, in relation to the anti-Muslim attacks in Edinburgh, a criminal case is active for contempt of court purposes and the sub judice rule is engaged. I have exercised my discretion to allow reference to the case so that a question can be asked about the action being taken by the Scottish Government and others in the light of the attacks. However, members should avoid getting into the detail of the incident itself.
Attacks in Edinburgh (Scottish Government Response)
I know that the First Minister will share my horror and deep concern at the series of anti-Muslim attacks that took place in Edinburgh on Friday night. My thoughts are with those who have been hurt and the communities affected. People in Scotland must stand united in our condemnation of that hatred and against attempts to stoke fear and divide us.
Can the First Minister provide an update on the Scottish Government’s response to the attacks and its engagement with Scotland’s Muslim community, which will understandably be anxious because of what has happened?
I associate myself unreservedly with the comments that Kate Campbell has put on the record and I unequivocally condemn the horrendous attacks that took place on Friday.
Yesterday, along with Simita Kumar and Ben Macpherson, I visited the mosques in Broomhouse and Annandale Street and I met two young men who had been injured in the attacks. They have suffered physical injuries, but they are also clearly utterly traumatised by their experience on Friday night. They are a valued part of our community.
The Scottish Government will do all that we can to ensure that community cohesion is at the centre of all our work. We are doing that through a number of steps, including the “We are Scotland” campaign, which encourages cohesion in our communities; the work that is being taken forward in the education system to ensure that there is an awareness of the importance of cohesion in our communities; and making sure that our police are supported to undertake the valuable and critically important work that they undertook on Friday evening to protect members of the public who were subject to such a terrible attack.
I would say to Parliament, as I have said on a number of occasions, that there needs to be clear and emphatic leadership in this country that our politics are about bringing people together. That will always be what I say to Parliament and to the people of Scotland.
Transgender Prisoners (Court of Session Ruling)
There has been a very welcome and sudden U-turn from the Scottish Government in response to the court case that was decided on Friday about the presence of transgender male prisoners in the female prison estate. Although that was welcome, it was shocking that the Scottish Prison Service seemed to indicate initially that it would not be complying with the law and would continue to allow male-bodied prisoners in female prisons, putting females at risk.
I welcome the U-turn, but can the First Minister tell us how much taxpayer money has been spent on defending the indefensible with regard to this issue? Will he now finally agree to meet For Women Scotland to hear its concerns on behalf of vulnerable women?
Mr Fraser is a qualified solicitor. He will know that there is a necessity in the case of individual judgments for those involved to consider whether there is any basis on which an appeal should be mounted in a particular case. A swift decision has been taken by the Government not to appeal in this case and to indicate that the practical steps are now being taken by the Scottish Prison Service to ensure that the prison estate is entirely compliant with the judgment that was issued by Lady Ross on Friday.
The case involved considerations regarding ministers’ legal obligations under the Scotland Act 1998, the Equality Act 2010 and the European convention on human rights. The complicated interaction of rights and responsibilities was fully aired in the case that was considered by Lady Ross, and the Government is now implementing the conclusions of that decision.
Brexit (Economic Impact)
Scottish Parliament information centre research shows that economic growth in Europe has been a third higher than the United Kingdom’s since Brexit. Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson said that the UK would be £350 million a week better off outside the European Union, but Brexit has caused real damage to our economy. What assessment has the Scottish Government made of those findings? Does the First Minister share my concern that the Westminster parties continue to drag us down a path of managed economic decline?
Mr Kerr raises important issues around the economic impact of Brexit, which is relevant given that today marks 10 years since the Brexit referendum. Year on year, the scale of the Brexit disaster becomes more apparent. Modelling by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research estimated a 3.2 per cent hit to gross domestic product due to Brexit in 2025, increasing to an estimated 5.7 per cent by 2035. That equates to a cut in public revenues of around £3.3 billion in 2025 in Scotland. It is absolutely crystal clear that the Brexit experiment has failed. It is an unmitigated economic, political and societal disaster. We are clear that Scotland must rejoin the European Union as an independent member of it.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
The decisions taken by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service board yesterday will affect more than 30 fire stations across Scotland, including those in Greenock, Helensburgh and Milngavie. The Fire Brigades Union has warned that there will be the most significant cuts to the front line in decades, with station closures and the loss of firefighter jobs and appliances. Does the First Minister agree that MSPs should have the opportunity to debate and vote on those cuts?
I understand the concerns that Katy Clark has put to Parliament today and the concerns that are expressed by members of the Fire Brigades Union. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service board has consulted extensively on the changes. The board decided not to take forward a whole host of changes that were part of the consultation, which was because of the very point that I have explained to Parliament on previous occasions: that individual changes would have to be assessed to determine their suitability and sustainability to ensure that an effective fire and rescue service is in place.
Some of the changes involve the closure of a number of stations that have not operated and have had no staff for some time. There is the redesign of services in different parts of the community, with the creation of new stations to reflect changes in population growth. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service board is empowered by law to take those decisions to ensure that we have sustainable services.
Obviously, members of Parliament can raise individual issues and questions in Parliament, but I am satisfied that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service board has undertaken its scrutiny of this important issue with a very strong evidence base to enable it to come to the conclusions that it has come to.
Royal Regiment of Scotland (20th Anniversary)
As this is armed forces week, will the First Minister join me in congratulating all ranks of the Royal Regiment of Scotland on its 20th anniversary? Thousands of gallant young men and women from Scotland and across the Commonwealth have served in the regiment over the past two decades, with 23 paying the ultimate sacrifice for their country, including my friend Robert Hetherington. Will the Government formally recognise the regiment’s 20th anniversary? With two-thirds of Scotland’s councils having granted Scotland’s line infantry regiment the freedom of their areas, is the First Minister willing to write to the Lord Provost of Glasgow to encourage her to grant that recognition from Scotland’s largest city?
On that specific last point that Mr Sweeney raises with me, it is obviously a matter for individual local authorities to decide on their own position. However, for my part, I set out, on behalf of the Scottish Government, my appreciation of the service of all members of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, and indeed of the service of all members of the armed forces. They undertake a perilous task on our behalf to keep us safe.
I express my sympathy to Mr Sweeney on the loss of his friend, Robert Hetherington, and commend him for his service and sacrifice in ensuring the safety and security of our country. It is important on armed forces day—and every day—to remember the sacrifice of members of our armed forces, and I do so unreservedly in Parliament today.
Local Authority Funding (North Ayrshire)
More than £441 million that was allocated to local authorities for this year is yet to be formally allocated by the joint settlement and distribution group. Given the need to invest in further health and social care integration, and given that North Ayrshire moved to critical care-only provision in April, can the First Minister say when those resources will be distributed and how much will be allocated to North Ayrshire?
All funding to local government is subject to consideration by the joint settlement and distribution group and agreed to by Convention of Scottish Local Authorities leaders. To date, £44.9 million of previously undistributed revenue funding has been discussed and agreed through those formal governance processes. As a result, North Ayrshire Council will receive an additional £1.2 million, which will be paid as a redetermination of the general revenue grant in the normal way.
Alongside a number of other smaller funding lines, £37.6 million for the teachers’ induction scheme remains undistributed, because the data will not be available until later this year, and £19.6 million for discretionary housing payments will be distributed following a reconciliation at the end of the financial year. I assure Patricia Gibson that the mechanisms to ensure the distribution of those resources will be taken forward at the appropriate opportunity, when the data is available, to ensure that local authorities can receive the funding that has been allocated to them.
Business Rates Relief (Vacant Properties)
Does the First Minister support nationally funding business rates relief for current vacant properties to encourage local growth, particularly in the rural economy of the Highlands and Islands?
A statement that relates to non-domestic rates will be made shortly by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government. Therefore, if Mr Bannerman will forgive me, I will not give a specific answer to his question. The Deputy First Minister will update Parliament on the latest developments in the Government’s thinking on non-domestic rates shortly.
NHS Scotland (Dual Roles)
What is the Scottish Government’s position on the appropriateness of a single individual holding the dual role of chief executive of NHS Scotland and director general for health and social care given that that arrangement places responsibility for operational delivery and the scrutiny of that delivery in the same office?
The arrangements to which Helen McDade has referred are about ensuring the operational delivery of the Government’s priorities on health, and the statute requires ministers to be fundamentally responsible for the delivery of healthcare services in Scotland. The holding of those two posts—director general for health in the Scottish Government and chief executive of NHS Scotland—is to enable that link to be applied in the delivery of healthcare services in Scotland.
When I am holding the health service to account—for example, on reducing long waits, which has been an absolute priority of mine during my time as First Minister—I am holding the chief executive of NHS Scotland, the director general for health, and health secretaries, accountable for that very important issue. It is a part of our system’s architecture that enables us to be satisfied that the priorities of ministers are being delivered in practice in the health service around the country.
Treatment Access (Lymphoedema)
I have a constituent who, for the past nine years, has desperately sought treatment for swelling on his legs and groin that has progressively worsened and is now profoundly incapacitating. Having sought treatment in Scotland, it is clear that that is not available. However, with the help of his general practitioner, a consultant at the urology and lymphoedema clinic at St George’s, University of London was consulted, and they confirmed that the treatment, which he feels has a high chance of success, requires approval from the national services division. That approval has not been forthcoming, despite my constituent doing everything that has been asked of him.
Given the impact on his physical and mental health, which my constituent now believes to be a matter of life and death, will the First Minister, subject to me providing further details, look into the case and take steps to ensure that a referral can be made as soon as possible?
I would be very happy to do so. If Mr McArthur furnishes me with the details, I will ensure that the matter is attended to immediately. In principle, cross-border treatment within the health service is entirely conceivable, and our arrangements make provision for it. I will have to look at the specific details with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Care to see what the issues are. I am very happy to consider the case, and I give Mr McArthur reassurance that the possibility that he has set out is, in principle, entirely plausible within the health service.
Marine Environment (Protection)
Today, coastal communities and marine experts gathered outside the Parliament to demand urgent action to protect Scotland’s precious marine environment. Last year, the Scottish Government delayed a consultation on the implementation of management measures for marine protected areas and priority marine features. That capped off a decade of delays to protecting our seas from overfishing and environmental damage and to meeting legal obligations on achieving a good environmental status for our seas. Will the First Minister heed the calls from Scottish coastal communities and urgently consult on the introduction of protections to restore our marine environment and allow for greater local control?
The issue that Ariane Burgess has raised is covered by a petition that the Minister for Agriculture, Marine and the Islands received this morning, which will, obviously, be the subject of engagement. Encouraging the protection and enhancement of our marine environment is a policy priority for the Government, but it must reconcile a variety of perspectives in that process. I assure Ariane Burgess that ministers will engage substantively on the issue, and we will set out our position once we have had the opportunity to consider the evidence that has been put to us.
Organised Crime (Rural Scotland)
Like me, the First Minister represents a large area of rural Scotland, so he will be well aware of the growing concern among farmers that organised crime groups are targeting farms across rural Scotland, particularly in conjunction with organised crime groups based in Northern Ireland. Does he share my concern about such events?
I am certainly familiar with the issues that Mr Smith has raised, given my constituency workload and the visibility that they were being given when I visited the Royal Highland Show on Thursday morning.
The Government is supporting action to tackle the issue through the work of the Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime, which is a multi-agency partnership, led by Police Scotland, that works with a variety of justice and rural sector partners to provide the necessary action in that respect. We provide Police Scotland with financial support for its work. We are increasingly concerned by the link between machinery theft and serious organised crime, and the partnership is focused on addressing that practice in rural communities.
Grangemouth (Sustainable Aviation Fuel)
The Labour Government has announced £219 million for sustainable aviation fuel, a key transition option for the Grangemouth site, which produced jet fuel for all of Scotland before it was betrayed and shut down. Will the First Minister join me in calling on the United Kingdom Government to spend every penny of that money on Grangemouth and its workers?
I recognise the significance of the issue that Martyn Day has raised. The opportunity to develop jet fuel at Grangemouth was one of the significant economic opportunities that arose from the debate on the facility’s future, and it is a matter of enormous regret that the UK Government’s promised interventions to safeguard Grangemouth’s future have not been taken forward as a consequence. I endorse the calls that Mr Day has made. Given that we still face significant uncertainty about the availability of jet fuel because of the uncertainty in the middle east, making progress on the issue is an urgent priority, and I assure Mr Day of the Scottish Government’s willingness to participate in that work.
Drug Policy
In 2016, 867 people died in Scotland from a drug-related death. That figure is engraved in my mind because it included my dad. Since then, those numbers have hit record highs, with 1,017 people dying last year. Those are not just statistics—behind every one of them is a father, a mother, a son or a daughter. They represent a loved one lost and a family devastated.
However, the Government’s answer has been to introduce a consumption room in the heart of Glasgow and to vote down legislation that would enshrine the right to rehabilitation in our law. How many more lives need to be lost before the Government takes urgent action? If a right to addiction recovery bill came back to the Parliament, would the First Minister’s Government look favourably on it?
First, I express my condolences to Mr Kerr on the loss of his father; I appreciate enormously the agony that will be involved in considering the issue, given his personal circumstances.
The Government recognises the significant challenge of drug deaths in our society, which are disproportionately higher than in any other jurisdiction in western Europe. On Friday morning, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Care, the Minister for Mental Wellbeing, Public Health, Sport, Alcohol and Drugs and I took part in an extensive discussion with a range of partners from across local government, the police health boards and other organisations—including people with lived experience, who gave astonishing testimony—to assess the steps that the Government is currently taking.
We are investing heavily in increasing rehabilitation services in Scotland, and one of the reasons that the Government did not support the Right to Addiction Recovery (Scotland) Bill is because of the expanded capacity that is being put in place. A range of other measures are being taken forward, but I am open to contributions and points about what more action can be taken to add to the steps that we are already taking, so I extend an invitation to members of the Parliament to contribute to that process.
A final point is that we are experiencing an upsurge in drug deaths as a result of the increasing level of toxicity of the drugs that are being circulated in our society, which are synthetic opioids of enormous ferocity in their impact on people who are using drugs. We already face an acute challenge, and there is a growing challenge because of the issues arising from the increase in drug use.
My reflection on the Thistle is that it has helped to avoid more than 100 drug deaths, because it has intervened in more than 100 medical emergencies where people were at risk of losing their lives.
Violence in Schools
A recent report to City of Edinburgh Council’s education, children and families committee showed that there were more than 2,000 violent incidents in Edinburgh schools last year, which was a 43 per cent increase on figures from the previous year.
Our schools should be safe places for pupils and staff alike. I know that the Scottish Government has previously produced an action plan on behaviour in schools, but it is clear from those figures that that plan is not working. What further action will the First Minister’s Government take to properly tackle violence in schools?
The Government has taken steps to work with local authorities on the production of guidance and expectations around the participation of young people in education, and to tackle unacceptable behaviour in our schools. We have to work jointly with local authorities in this area to ensure that schools are well supported. Many of our schools operate with clear behavioural codes in place and there are consequences for those who do not follow those codes. I assure the member that the Government is working closely with local authorities to ensure that, in every circumstance, we will act to support teachers.
We are also taking forward a ban on the use of mobile phone technology in schools, which we acknowledge contributes significantly to some of the difficulties and challenges in schools. The Government will take steps and report to Parliament on how that approach is being taken forward.
Green Economy
New analysis from the London Stock Exchange Group has shown that the market value of the global green economy has reached a record high of $10 trillion. Can the First Minister provide an update on the steps that the Scottish National Party Government is taking to ensure that Scotland is benefiting from the substantial growth opportunities of the green economy while taking the action that is needed to tackle climate change?
The Government’s green industrial strategy is designed to ensure that we capture many of the opportunities to which Mr McMillan has referred. The climate change plan supports the requirements of our action on net zero to ensure that we are making the necessary investment to support our activities. The Government has, in the budget, committed more than £5 billion of capital and resource expenditure to support measures that are designed to have a positive impact on Scotland’s climate change goals.
It is welcome that, in recent analysis, the Confederation of British Industry in Scotland has set out that climate action contributes £10.2 billion to Scotland’s economy. That contributes significantly to our strong record on foreign direct investment, which has been recorded again today in EY’s foreign direct investment analysis, showing Scotland—for the 11th year in a row—to be the strongest part of the United Kingdom for foreign direct investment other than London and the south-east of England.
Fire Stations
Thousands of people across Scotland have signed a petition to stop the downgrading of fire stations. The First Minister is downplaying the seriousness of that decision by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service after years of underfunding by the Scottish Government. With Center Parcs coming to Hawick, that will be a key problem for residents, with an estimated 350,000 people a year visiting the area. I agree with Katy Clark—will the First Minister agree to us putting our constituents first and have a debate in this Parliament?
There are obviously opportunities for the Parliament to debate these questions, but I note that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service board is empowered by statute to take decisions about the operational delivery of services based on the financial allocations that are made by the Government.
The Government has been increasing the resources that are made available to the SRFS. The budget for 2026-27 provides the SFRS with an additional £23.8 million compared with the previous year, bringing its total budget to £535 million, which is a 5.7 per cent increase.
I understand the concerns that Rachael Hamilton is raising about the circumstances in relation to the expansion of Center Parcs facilities, which is a development that will take place over a number of years. It is part of the obligation of the SFRS to continue to monitor these issues and to address local concerns as they are expressed.
Local Government Budgets (Glasgow City Council)
Figures from Audit Scotland that were published in the press last week indicate that Glasgow City Council is looking at a budget shortfall of £86.7 million. That has worried many of my constituents, as well as councillors, who fear that they will have to pass on cuts. What action will the Government take to make sure that budget shortfalls at Glasgow City Council do not impact vital services and that we keep our constituents safe?
That is a focal point of the Government’s annual budget. The Government has put in place local government settlements that have increased the resources that are available to local government in recent years. Indeed, there is a real-terms increase in resources to local government in the current budget. As Iris Duane will know, the Government has to reconcile a variety of competing spending requirements as part of its budget, and we look forward to the engagement that will involve members of the Parliament in the course of the budget-setting process over the next few months.
Accident and Emergency Targets
In April 2026, one third of patients attending accident and emergency were not seen within four hours. In the scrutiny of that, the people of Scotland are tired of the same rehearsed, scripted and dismissive answers that are given week after week in the chamber. The First Minister likes to project the image of a safe, steady manager; the truth is that he is simply managing decline. Will the First Minister put aside rigid dogma, stop dismissing patient suffering and deliver the reforms that Scotland desperately needs to meet the statutory four-hour A and E waiting-time target?
That is what the Government is working to achieve. We have put in place a variety of different interventions to try to reduce demand and pressure on A and E services. For example, the introduction of the pharmacy first Scotland service is designed to provide ready high street access to diagnostic services for particularly low-level incidents; the expansion of general practitioner walk-in clinics is designed to ensure that we support that endeavour; and the increase in GP numbers is designed to ensure that there are alternatives to people undertaking visits to A and E.
We are clearly wrestling with challenging circumstances in A and E services, but, in the health service as a whole, there has been an increase in the number of procedures that are being undertaken. We committed to 150,000 extra appointments and procedures in the past year, and, in fact, we delivered more than 168,000 additional appointments and procedures. We have seen reductions in the number of in-patient and day case admissions. The number of people waiting for more than 52 weeks is down for 15 months in a row, and the number of out-patients is down for 11 months in a row. Our interventions are all helping to reduce the pressures on our health service, which will assist in reducing pressure on A and E.
Delayed Discharge (Impacts)
The Scottish National Party promised to completely eradicate delayed discharges from hospital, but a consultant from Borders general hospital has confirmed to me that, on any one day, up to 30 per cent of the hospital’s beds are blocked by patients who could be cared for at home. Delayed discharge is draining £440 million a year from the health service, so investing properly in social care is essential. Given that massive strain on hospitals, what exactly is the Government finally going to do to give social care the priority and investment that it deserves?
The Government has taken a number of steps to strengthen social care, not least of which has been to increase the payments made to social care staff, so that social care is an attractive profession.
There is a substantive point to the issue that Mr Dunlop has raised. I have spent a significant amount of time with other ministers trying to take practical steps to reduce delayed discharge, because it is undesirable for people to be in hospital for longer than is required.
The Government is considering the steps that need to be taken, and I am of the view that there is a necessity for significant reform in social care. The Government brought forward proposals for a national care service, but those did not command the support of Parliament and so we are looking at further proposals. I am open to engagement with other parties, because, as Mr Dunlop knows, the Government does not have a majority here. If we want to improve things for members of the public and if we all agree that the social care system is not working effectively, we must be prepared to contemplate reform. I know there will be resistance to that reform, but I look forward to working with colleagues from across the political spectrum to secure the reform that is necessary to deliver better outcomes for members of the public.
That concludes questions from back-bench members. I apologise to those members I was unable to call; there were many of you.
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