Official Report 365KB pdf
12:01
Scottish Government (Record)
Some say that the Scottish National Party Government is incompetent. Some say that it is dishonest. Some say that it is sleazy. I say that it is all three.
John Swinney has been at the heart of this incompetent, dishonest and sleazy SNP Government for almost two decades. He defended his health secretary for pocketing £11,000 of taxpayers’ money for iPad roaming charges. He defended his next health secretary for taking taxpayer-funded limos to the football. He defended his justice secretary for misrepresenting a grooming gangs expert. He defended his transport secretaries over the corrupt CalMac ferry scandal. He defended himself for deleting his Covid-era messages to Nicola Sturgeon. When will John Swinney start defending the interests of Scotland, not the interests of his sleazy SNP pals?
I defend the interests of the people of Scotland every day of my being. Having listened to Russell Findlay’s poorest hits over the course of the past minute or so, I am left wondering why the Conservatives are going to get decimated at the forthcoming election.
I have plenty more to come on the SNP’s greatest hits. John Swinney spends so much time on the moral high ground that it is a miracle that the man does not suffer from altitude sickness. The truth is that this jaded career politician—[Interruption.]
Let us hear one another.
This jaded career politician has become accustomed and immune to SNP dishonesty, incompetence and sleaze. His party has trashed the reputation of this Parliament, and it is the people of Scotland who suffer.
John Swinney has made Scotland the highest-taxed part of the United Kingdom. He has made Scotland spend more on benefits than anywhere else in the UK. That means that John Swinney is responsible for a looming £5 billion black hole in the public finances. He needs to start being honest with the people of Scotland and tell them now how much more tax he will take from them to tackle the SNP’s £5 billion bin fire.
I reassure Russell Findlay, in case he is worried about my energy in the next few weeks, that I am just raring to go for the forthcoming election and to win it well for Scotland.
As for aw the pile of abuse that he has just spouted out, which he spouts out every week, let me remind him what I reminded him of last week: the majority of taxpayers in Scotland pay less tax under an SNP Government than they would if they lived in England—[Interruption.]
Thank you.
The international credit ratings agencies complimented—[Interruption.]
Oh, they do not like this—[Interruption.]
Let us hear one another.
The international credit ratings agencies complimented the “prudent” financial management of Scotland. The only person in the Parliament who has any explaining to do about their stance on fiscal recklessness is Russell Findlay, for telling me to follow Liz Truss. What a disaster that was.
That credit rating is founded entirely on the fact that Scotland is a proud part of the United Kingdom.
I turn now to SNP incompetence. I ask you to bear with me, Presiding Officer. It would take all day to properly address this useless Government’s dismal record—in fact, it would take several days—but here are a few examples: classroom violence—up; teacher numbers—down; police stations—closed; police officer numbers—down; violent crime—up; domestic violence—up; new houses—unbuilt; major roads—unbuilt; hospital waiting times—up; general practitioners and dentists—unavailable; breakfast and bikes for kids—undelivered; new prisons—unbuilt; prisoners—set free; ferries—broken; pubs—closing; rural Scotland—ignored; oil workers—betrayed; women’s rights—trashed; drugs deaths—up. And there is so much more.
I ask John Swinney: which of those is he most ashamed of?
I am left with the same question that I had a moment ago. If all that was the case, why are the Conservatives heading for a disaster at the forthcoming parliamentary election? It is because they are simply peddling a doom loop of despair, and that is killing the Conservative party.
Let me tell Russell Findlay a few things that happened under this SNP Government. When we came to office, 62 per cent of schools were rated as being in a good or satisfactory condition; that is now 93 per cent. When this Government came to office, three and four-year-olds got 412 hours of funded early learning and childcare; they now get 1,140 hours. When we came to office, the average number of affordable homes built was 5,448; the average under this Government is now 7,734.
I tell Russell Findlay something else: waiting times in this country are coming down. They are coming down because of the leadership that I have given this Government, and they are going to continue to come down. That is an SNP Government delivering on health for the people of Scotland.
Dearie me—all that spin from John Swinney. As we have just heard, John Swinney will always defend SNP sleaze. He will always put up taxes to spend more money on benefits. He will never take responsibility for his long list of failures.
But for John Swinney, none of that really matters, because since he was a teenager, he has cared about only one thing, and that is independence—[Interruption.]
Thank you—thank you.
The SNP members come to life when I talk about independence, but they sat in silence when I read out the list of SNP sleaze and failure. Silence—[Interruption.]
Let us all hear one another. Those in the public gallery would like to be able to follow proceedings, so let us hear one another.
John Swinney will again go into an election with independence as his number 1 priority. He says arrogantly that he will win a majority. He says that that will give him a green light for another referendum. People are sick and tired of that damaging and divisive obsession. They want politicians and the Parliament to address their problems—the cost of living, the national health service, the economy and jobs. Why does John Swinney believe that chasing independence is more important than those critical issues?
The Government is focused on people’s priorities and on delivering improvements in the lives of the people of Scotland. That is what has driven my public service for the past 29 years as a member of Parliament. It has driven every moment of my privilege to serve the people of Scotland as a minister and now as First Minister. Since 2007, under the SNP, wealth per head in Scotland has grown by 10.1 per cent, compared with 7.8 per cent in the UK. Waiting times are falling in this country. On the cost of living, we have abolished peak rail fares and we have frozen rail fares for next year. That is an SNP Government delivering within our powers on the priorities that concern people—the NHS and the cost of living.
People in Scotland are finding times hard because of the damaging decisions that have been made in the United Kingdom. Whether it is the austerity that was ushered in by the Conservatives or the Brexit that was forced upon us against our will by the Conservatives, all those things have damaged the quality of life of people in Scotland. I say to the people of Scotland that we have an opportunity on 7 May to have a fresh start with independence and I intend to deliver it.
Scottish Government (Record)
TheParliament is supposed to be about the lived experiences of Scots. Five years ago, Scots elected a Scottish Government on a clear promise to make this a Covid recovery Parliament. Let us not forget that John Swinney was the Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery. But we did not get recovery, did we? Instead, the SNP Government lost its way and took Scotland backwards. On almost every measure, things are now worse than they were five years ago. Waiting times are worse, homelessness numbers are worse, crime is up, police officer numbers are down and educational attainment is poorer. In 2021, John Swinney was the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills and promised that we would have 3,500 extra teachers. Instead, we have 810 fewer teachers compared with 2021. John Swinney and the SNP have failed. After 20 years, more of the same will not cut it, will it?
In the course of the Government’s term of office, we have taken steps to improve the lives of people in Scotland, whether that is in delivering a stronger economy, which has been delivered against the tides of austerity and the inflation surge in 2022, or in the health service, where waiting times have come down for eight months in a row as a consequence of the Government’s actions. In education, levels of attainment in our schools are rising and the poverty-related attainment gap is narrowing. The SNP Government is delivering on the priorities of the people of Scotland. We are determined to serve the people of Scotland, and we are determined to improve the lives of the people of Scotland.
I just read out the facts in the record of failure. Let us not forget that John Swinney was the education secretary who marked down working-class kids during the pandemic. When he did that, he told teachers that he did not trust their judgment and young people that he did not believe in their ability.
However, it is not just in the classrooms that he is failing our young people. The number of homeless children in 2021 was 7,500. Today, the figure stands at more than 10,000—there are 10,000 children without a home to call their own on the SNP’s watch. There are starker and more serious failures, too. The number of Scots who are sleeping rough on our streets has increased by 66 per cent since 2021, and almost 5,000 of our fellow Scots have lost their lives since 2021 to a drug deaths crisis that the SNP said was a national emergency. Will John Swinney be honest and accept that that is not a record of success but a record of failure that he should be apologising for?
The Government has to wrestle with a whole number of different challenges. Since 2021, we have had to wrestle with the significant levels of inflation that have arisen as a consequence of the invasion of Ukraine and all that flowed from that. Despite that, the Scottish Government is building more houses per head of population than are being built in any other part of the United Kingdom, so as to provide action on homelessness. The Government has taken action to invest more than £120 million in the past two years on ensuring that void accommodation is put back into use, so that thousands of families can get back into accommodation as a consequence of our actions. That is a Government acting to address the issues that are faced by people in Scotland and ensuring that we deliver better opportunities and better prospects for the people of our country.
What Scots will hear from that is that John Swinney thinks that 10,000 homeless children is a measure of the Government’s success, rather than a measure of its failure.
I started my public service as a national health service dentist, and fixing our NHS is personal to me. The SNP promised an NHS recovery but failed. At the election in 2021, 549,000 Scots were on an NHS waiting list. The figure is now 786,000. In 2021, around 1,200 Scots were waiting more than two years for treatment. Today, that figure is—shamefully—almost 6,400.
The SNP has had 20 years in power. If it knew how to fix the problems in our NHS, our schools and more, it would have done it by now. That is why Scotland needs change and a new Government that will fix the SNP’s mess, get the basics right and build a better future for our country, Scotland.
They don’t want you.
Let us hear one another.
Five years ago, the SNP promised recovery and failed. Is it not the case that the next five years must be about Scotland recovering from John Swinney and the failing SNP?
One of the things that Anas Sarwar failed to mention in his commentary about the national health service is that, since 2021, we have had the Covid pandemic, which created significant disruption to our national health service. What is the Government doing about that? The Government is ensuring that waits of over a year have decreased for eight consecutive months across new out-patient and in-patient day cases. New out-patient waits of more than a year have more than halved. In 80 per cent of disciplines in the national health service, there are no waiting times whatever beyond 52 weeks. That is the Government taking action to improve the circumstances in the national health service.
Anas Sarwar talked about a potential change of Government. People in Scotland need to be really wary about all of this. Anas Sarwar stood here a couple of years ago and argued for a change of Government in the United Kingdom. We got a change of Government, but what else did we get? We got the increase in employer national insurance contributions, which is damaging the economy, and we got the actions that have been taken to remove winter fuel payments; we have had failure after failure from the UK Government. Now, Anas Sarwar turns round and says that everybody was foolish to vote for that man Keir Starmer, whom he had argued that we should all vote for. That tells us that Mr Sarwar is a man of poor judgment that the people of Scotland should not listen to and will not listen to on 7 May.
Free Bus Travel
Free bus travel for young people is the Scottish Greens’ proudest achievement of the past five years. It is a simple idea, but one that has transformed the lives of young people across the country and saved families a fortune. It has opened up opportunities for young people to take up college courses or job opportunities in neighbouring towns without having to worry about whether they can afford to get there. It means that families can take the bus for a day out without it costing them a fortune. On top of that, climate-friendly public transport is the first choice for an entire generation, because of a scheme secured by Green MSPs.
Between young people, older people and disabled people, almost half of all Scots can now use the bus for free. The Scottish Greens want to go further. We believe that Scotland can be like Malta and Luxembourg and offer free bus travel to everyone. Does the First Minister agree and, if not, what is his alternative to help people to save money on their transport costs?
All those steps are very welcome, but the Government has also put in place a £2 bus fare cap, which is being taken forward in the Highlands and Islands to determine how it can operate. We have abolished peak rail fares and we have frozen rail fares so that more people can use public transport.
Those are some of the measures that the Scottish Government is taking to make sure that people are able to access public transport and have a much greater choice when doing so.
I am glad that the First Minister has mentioned the £2 bus fare cap across the Highlands and Islands and the scrapping of peak rail fares. Those were also policies that were proposed by Green MSPs in budget negotiations. We are proud to have provided those ideas, which have saved families a fortune and are helping to tackle the climate crisis.
On top of that, we established Scotland’s first nature restoration fund, we brought in the emergency rent freeze and we wiped out school meal debts for thousands of struggling families. Green MSPs have delivered changes that have saved families a fortune and protected our planet. We know that the solutions to the climate crisis and the cost of living crisis are one and the same.
We were proud to work with the First Minister and the Scottish National Party to deliver those changes, because Greens believe in co-operating to take Scotland forward. However, those ideas were all put on the table by Green MSPs in the first place. We brought forward bold, progressive ideas and we worked to deliver them. What is the First Minister’s favourite of the changes that the Greens have delivered in this Parliament?
I am very pleased that the Government that I lead is able to afford a balanced budget that puts the money in place to deliver on our policy priorities. As a consequence, I am very proud that, because of the steps taken by this Government, child poverty in Scotland is falling. It is 9 per cent below the levels in the rest of the United Kingdom, and that is because of the leadership of an SNP Government.
Conversion Practices (Ban)
To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the Scottish Government’s commitment to banning conversion practices. (S6F-04778)
Conversion practices cause lasting harm and have no place in Scotland. The Scottish National Party Government is clear that we will end this abhorrent practice and ensure that everyone can live free from abuse.
We have publicly consulted on proposals for Scottish legislation and are supporting victims and survivors with a dedicated helpline that offers counselling support. We continue to engage with the United Kingdom Government to explore UK-wide legislation. However, I am clear that, if the UK Government is unable to introduce a fully inclusive ban, we will publish our own bill in year 1 of the next parliamentary session, should the people of Scotland re-elect my Government.
Conversion practices are abhorrent. Scotland has made great strides towards equality under the SNP, but those practices remain a stain on our country. Conversion practices should be banned as quickly as possible.
I am grateful that my final contribution in our national Parliament, after representing the people of Dundee for 19 years, is on this matter, which is very important to me and to the entire LGBTQ+ community. I am confident that the First Minister shares my views, but I would be grateful for his absolute commitment that, if he is returned to government, banning conversion practices will form part of his first programme for government.
I am happy to give that confirmation and make that commitment to Joe FitzPatrick and to make it clear that the Government is absolutely committed to equality, to advancing the rights of the LGBTQI+ community and to ending harmful and abusive conversion practices in Scotland.
Given that this is Joe FitzPatrick’s last contribution in the Parliament after his 19 years of service, it is appropriate that it is on this topic, in respect of which he has given impressive leadership in advancing the rights of individuals in our society and has been a champion of equality. I pay a warm tribute to my friend and colleague Joe FitzPatrick as he stands down from the Parliament today.
Children (Assaults in Hospitals)
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to research by Women’s Rights Network Scotland reportedly showing that some children have been assaulted in Scottish hospitals. (S6F-04782)
I am horrified by any suggestion that children have been assaulted while in hospital. I expect health boards to work closely with Police Scotland to keep patients, particularly children, safe. The national guidance for child protection in Scotland makes it clear that all concerns that a child has been abused or is at risk of abuse must be reported to the police or social work. I have asked the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to write to all health boards to express our clear concerns and to ask what has been done to support the safeguarding of children and young people while in their care.
Hospitals should be a safe space for everyone, but new findings from Women’s Rights Network Scotland reveal the grim reality that patients, including children, have been sexually assaulted in Scottish hospitals. That is utterly unacceptable. We know that those findings are just the tip of the iceberg, with most cases not being reported and victims being left to suffer in silence under the Scottish National Party. Will the First Minister confirm whether his Government will finally mandate consistent and transparent recording of sexual offences in national health service facilities and publish annual figures so that there can be accountability?
Any form of abuse of that nature is completely abhorrent. I expect health boards to work closely with Police Scotland and to uphold their legal duties as employers to keep staff, patients and visitors safe. Health boards have a legal duty and reporting systems in place to record data on sexual assault, violence and aggression. The Government’s expectation is that such reporting should be undertaken by health boards.
A 13-year-old girl was sexually assaulted at Crosshouse hospital, and a 13-year-old girl and a 15-year-old girl were assaulted at Stobhill hospital. Given that the level of sexual assaults in hospitals was raised in the Parliament and in the media last year, what work has the Scottish Government done to investigate the full scale of the issue? Does the First Minister agree that openness about the risks is essential to ensuring that there is robust safeguarding?
Yes, I agree with that point. In August, the Government published a sexual harassment guide to supplement the bullying and harassment and the gender-based violence policies that we have in place. The guide aims to support those who are active and operating in the leadership of our hospitals to ensure that such issues are properly and fully addressed and that any issues are accordingly reported to the police, as is the obligation to do.
We have also launched a national NHS network to bring together health boards and partner organisations to explore and share approaches to preventing sexual harassment across NHS Scotland. That will include information on data and reporting, training and education, sharing of best practice and providing support to staff and employers. A range of action has been undertaken to follow up on the issues that Katy Clark referred to, which were raised in the Parliament last year.
HMP and YOI Polmont (Staff Shortages)
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland report indicating that staff shortages mean young prisoners at HMP and YOI Polmont lack enough opportunities for work, education or recreation and spend “far too long locked in their cells”. (S6F-04789)
I welcome the report and have noted the continued improvements that the Scottish Prison Service has made since the inspection was carried out last August, as set out in the post-inspection update. I also fully understand that, although much progress has been made, there remains much more to do, and the Scottish Government and the Scottish Prison Service are fully committed to continued improvement. The Scottish Prison Service has increased its staffing levels and is providing enhanced support to young people. It is also taking action to increase the time that is spent out of cells through providing new purpose-built outdoor space for young people and reviewed opportunities for activities.
It is extremely sad that yet another inspection at Polmont young offenders institution has told us that there are deep-rooted problems in keeping young offenders safe. The tragic suicide of 19-year-old Daniel Kerr two weeks ago illustrates again that the state is failing to keep those young people safe—and that comes after the findings of the inquiry into the deaths of William Brown and Katie Allan.
This week, Professor Sarah Armstrong pointed out in an interview that the issue is not just about resources. However, despite the professionalism and dedication of our prison staff, the system still operates in a way that is completely contrary to the obvious needs of a young person who struggles when they are detained and does not have adequate time out of their cell. In fact, His Majesty’s chief inspector of prisons for Scotland, Sara Snell, said:
“Young men in Polmont continue to spend far too long locked in their cells”.
Why has there not already been a complete shake-up of how we detain young offenders? Surely, in the last days of this current Scottish Government, it is time to admit failure on the issue.
Perhaps the First Minister and I could agree that Scotland must implement a new daily structure in the Polmont young offenders institution—one in which, at the very least, adequate and productive time out of a prison cell is at the heart of the system.
First, I record my sadness at the death of Daniel Kerr, which Pauline McNeill referred to. It is a tragedy, and I extend my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Daniel Kerr. The Government clearly regrets that that has happened.
There has been a very strong focus on the issue in Government, led by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs through the ministerial accountability board, in the light of the fatal accident inquiry that took place in relation to Polmont. A whole series of interventions and actions have taken place, some of which I recounted in my earlier answer.
I assure Pauline McNeill that those steps have been taken. They have been the subject of analysis and assessment by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons. The inspection on which the report is based was carried out in August of last year, and a great deal more has happened as a consequence.
Much of the focus is on ensuring that Polmont is better able to support young people and assist in providing opportunities for the necessary exercise and engagement. Those steps are in place, and that is what the ministerial accountability board has examined. I assure Pauline McNeill that that will remain the focus of the Government.
I was pleased to see that the Scottish Prison Service has piloted non-pain-inducing control and restraint techniques that reduce the risk of injury to staff and prisoners. Can the First Minister assure me that the pilot approach will be rolled out across the prison estate, with staff being given the appropriate training?
Yes, it will be rolled out to the remainder of the estate.
The Scottish Prison Service’s new approach to control and restraint is successfully running in three establishments. I am pleased to say that the Prison Officers Association Scotland has welcomed it, and we will take forward the approach that has been set out in the question.
Immigrants and Minority Groups (Protests and Rhetoric)
To ask the First Minister, in light of the reported rise in protests and rhetoric aimed at immigrants and minority groups, what action any future Scottish administration can take to restore kindness, decency and tolerance to politics. (S6F-04786)
I strongly condemn rhetoric that seeks to vilify or dehumanise minority groups. Scotland has a proud history of welcoming people of all nationalities and faiths, including those seeking refuge and asylum from war and persecution. We all share responsibility to uphold that legacy, and there is no place for division that harms communities.
My Government has strengthened protections for communities facing division and harm, showing the impact that collective action can deliver. As elected representatives, we must lead by example, ensuring that political discourse is grounded in respect and constructive dialogue. That is how most people conduct themselves and what they expect from those in public office. We all have a duty to uphold human rights and challenge discrimination in all its forms.
I associate myself with those words. In asking what is potentially my final question, I wish all members across the chamber the very best in the future.
The reality is that, in recent times, we have seen a rise in antisemitic abuse and far-right protests. There are people who aspire to become members of the Scottish Parliament who are spouting Islamophobic bile on social media and cracking jokes at the expense of gay people.
When I joined this place a decade ago, there was genuine desire to find common ground on some difficult societal issues on Gypsy Travellers, migrants, refugees and transgender people—people who are our friends, our neighbours and our fellow Scots.
Ten years on, I am utterly saddened to hear politicians use language that reduces people to adjectives such as “dangerous”, “unwanted” and “unwelcome”. I challenge not just the First Minister but the leaders of all the political parties that hope to return members to this place to commit their parties in the next parliamentary session to using their privilege of platform wisely, to debating with decency and to remembering that the language that is used in here affects people out there. I hope that we can do politics better, and that we can all agree that hatred will never, ever have a place in this Parliament.
I associate myself entirely with Jamie Greene’s comments. Jamie Greene has made a distinguished contribution to this Parliament over the 10 years that he has been here, and I wish him well for all that lies ahead for him. He has made an important contribution in shaping many of the reforms that have enhanced the rights of individuals in our society—he should be proud of what he has contributed to this Parliament.
I associate myself entirely with the substance of Mr Greene’s question and the appeal that he makes, and I commit myself to exercising leadership in that way. That is the way that I exercise leadership—with respect to other people in our society and respecting the rights of every single person in our society. I am horrified by some of the behaviour and by the racial intolerance and hatred towards other people that are now expressed publicly in our society. In my constituency, there are people who stand outside a hotel that accommodates asylum seekers and who have banners with language that is hate filled—it is appalling.
On Mr Greene’s point about the aspirations of politicians to come into the Parliament, let me speak something out loud, because I know that everyone is talking about it today. The homophobic joke—well, alleged joke—by Malcolm Offord, the leader of Reform in Scotland, is a warning to this country of what is coming our way. There is no place for homophobia, racism and intolerance. That is what Reform represents, and we all have to stand up against that bile in our society.
We move to constituency and general supplementaries.
Diving Facilities (Ayr)
Ayr diving club has been in existence since 1964 and uses one of only four diving facilities in the whole of Scotland. It is the only one on the west coast, with the other three being on the east coast. There is a risk of closure of the diving facility, as it needs a substantial amount of money to repair mechanical and structural issues in order to address safety concerns and ensure environmental sustainability. That is money that the council simply does not have. If the diving facility in Ayr can no longer operate, the nearest facility is 85 miles away, in Edinburgh.
What can the Scottish Government do to support the diving facility and ensure that divers on the west coast have equitable access to diving facilities compared with those in the east?
I recognise the importance to people in the south-west of Scotland of the facility at the Citadel leisure centre. As Sharon Dowey makes clear, it is a matter for South Ayrshire Council. Obviously, through the investments that we are making in the budget, the Government is providing support for greater access to swimming lessons in our facilities around the country.
The issue that the member raises is a particularly specialist area. I will ask officials to explore what opportunities there are for co-operation but, fundamentally, it remains a matter for South Ayrshire Council.
Spinal Muscular Atrophy Screening
For the past five years, I have been working with clinicians and impacted families who have campaigned to get Scotland’s national health service to add spinal muscular atrophy to a range of conditions that newborn babies are screened for as part of the heel prick testing programme. Indeed, I have raised the issue directly with the First Minister in this place. This week, Scotland became the first part of the United Kingdom to introduce that test right across the country, which will be life changing for those who are born with that rare condition.
Will the First Minister join me in congratulating the clinicians and the families, including my constituents the Pearsons and their toddler, Grayce, on their successful campaign? Will the First Minister consider further enhancing newborn baby screening programmes in the next session of Parliament?
I am delighted to welcome those developments, which have come about as a result of a tenacious campaign by the Pearson family on behalf of their daughter Grayce, supported by Bob Doris, who has been an enthusiastic champion of that objective. The screening programme is an essential part of ensuring the health and wellbeing of children. The Government will explore and examine opportunities to enhance the screening programme, and we will take that work forward should we have the privilege of being returned to office after the election in May.
Ferry Services (South Uist and Barra)
It feels a little like groundhog day. South Uist and Barra face yet another chaotic holiday period. South Uist faces an 85 per cent cut in its ferry service during the Easter period. The First Minister knows that this community has suffered from cuts for years, and that has caused businesses to struggle. The community was instrumental in getting the Scottish Government to provide compensation, but what it really wants is to run its businesses successfully and, to do so, it needs a reliable ferry service.
Will the First Minister intervene and ensure that those islands do not suffer another dismal holiday period?
Every effort is made to ensure that the CalMac Ferries network can meet the needs of all island communities, and there will be local dialogue about the delivery of individual services. New vessels are joining the fleet—the MV Isle of Islay is about to enter service, which will assist in improving capacity. Refits are on-going for vessels that are going through their contracted annual maintenance, but there will be active dialogue to ensure that ferry communities have the services and support that they require.
Renters and First-time Buyers (Support)
New data shows that banks have withdrawn mortgage offers across the board, leaving first-time buyers in the lurch as rates spiral out of control. While the Westminster Labour Government sits on its hands as mortgage rates spiral in broken Brexit Britain, the Scottish National Party will support renters and first-time buyers with up to £10,000 to help them to get on the property ladder. People want to get on in life, and the SNP will help them every step of the way.
Will the First Minister outline what steps the Scottish Government is taking to support renters and those who hope to buy their first home?
The Government has taken a number of steps to support renters through the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025, but we are also setting out proposals to provide up to £10,000 towards a deposit to give people the help that they need in order to buy their first home. I have heard from many young people who feel unable to get the necessary resources together for a deposit, but they can rely on a re-elected SNP Government to deliver exactly that for them.
Rural Support Plan
I remind members of my entry in the register of members’ interests—I am a small farmer.
This is one of those moments not of anger, but of disappointment. It is disappointing that the Scottish Government waited until the last days of the parliamentary session to release the rural support plan, thereby avoiding the scrutiny that it deserves. Seventy per cent of the document is about things that we already know, and there is next to no detail on future support schemes. The few figures that are in this document show year-on-year real-terms cuts that amount to nearly a quarter of a billion pounds in lost funding.
Will the First Minister explain not to me but to my constituents and everybody in the agricultural community why, if the Scottish National Party Government is so proud of this uninspiring plan, it released it too late to be scrutinised by the Parliament?
I will tell Mr Eagle what is uninspiring: the implications of Brexit, which his Government forced upon the people of this country. Agricultural support has been undermined by the Conservative Government’s actions in negotiating the Brexit that it put in place.
That is absolutely shameful.
Answer the question.
Let us hear one another.
It is all very well for Mr Eagle to take issue with me on this question, but the real guilty parties on Brexit and its implications for agriculture are the Conservative Party and its activities, and the Conservatives will be found out for all of that on 7 May.
Trongate 103 Cultural Centre (Notices to Quit)
Will the First Minister intervene urgently to stop City Property, Glasgow City Council’s arm’s‑length landlord, from issuing a notice to quit tomorrow to seven independent charitable arts organisations at the publicly funded Trongate 103 cultural centre, which would force them out and leave them facing an additional £700,000 a year in costs—four times their previous rent and ten times their service charges—while ignoring the independent sustainability study that was commissioned by the council, especially amid the wider crisis engulfing Glasgow’s cultural ecosystem, including the indefinite closures of the Centre for Contemporary Arts, the Lighthouse, the Arches and the People’s Palace? City Property is out of control. Will the First Minister intervene and get a grip of the issue?
I have every sympathy with the issue that Mr Sweeney has raised, but such matters are properly for Glasgow City Council and its arm’s-length organisations to determine. The Parliament often wrestles with the issue of where decisions should be made, and such decisions are properly for Glasgow City Council to make.
I point out that, in recent days, the Scottish Government has put in place financial support to ensure the completion of the Citizens Theatre refurbishment for the people of Glasgow. The Scottish Government is delivering £3.5 million of extra funding right into the heart of Glasgow, in addition to the other investments that we are making in the city to strengthen its cultural identity. The Government will continue to do that when it has the power and responsibility to do so.
Lochgelly Medical Centre
A new medical centre for Lochgelly is a shovel-ready project, but its delivery has been combined, at the 11th hour and to everyone’s surprise, with an entirely separate capital project that, although welcome, is not yet out of the starting blocks. Can a phased approach be considered so that Lochgelly can go first and a long-standing Government commitment to the people of Lochgelly can be met?
I will certainly give consideration to whether a phased approach would be practical. I understand that different proposals are at different stages, so we can certainly consider the issue that Annabelle Ewing has raised and has championed on behalf of her constituents.
As Annabelle Ewing prepares to step down from the Parliament at the forthcoming election, I pay tribute to her public service and to her commitment to her constituents in Cowdenbeath, which she has exercised on many issues, but especially on this issue, for many years.
Summer of Sport (Impact on Health and Wellbeing)
The First Minister will know about my passionate belief that sport is a force for good in our communities. Declining physical literacy levels among our children are directly linked to increasingly poor health outcomes in Scotland, and I say that as a performance coach of some 25 years. We have a fantastic summer of sport on the way, which, I am sure, we are all relishing, but how will the Scottish Government ensure that the summer of sport will have a positive legacy and impact on the health and wellbeing of all the people in Scotland across all our communities?
The purpose of the investment that the Government has made in the summer of sport is to ensure that exactly what Mr Whittle has set out can be realised as a consequence. The summer of sport is designed to engage communities the length and breadth of the country, to give individuals an appetite for sport and to achieve the benefits of physical exercise, which Mr Whittle has championed.
On Tuesday, the Cabinet considered other important issues in relation to the degree to which young people are using phone technology and whether exercise and engagement in sporting activity could be alternative choices. Many issues have to be addressed in that respect, but the investment in the summer of sport will certainly help to achieve the objectives that Mr Whittle has raised with me.
Ming Yang (Investment)
Last October, the Chinese renewables company Ming Yang announced an investment of £1,500 million in my constituency, which would initially create 1,500 direct jobs and lead to 4,000 jobs in phase 3. Rumours now suggest that Mr Miliband of the United Kingdom Government is about to reject the investment on the grounds of national security, but members of the industry in Scotland say that a technical solution to those concerns can and should be found through an open tendering competition by the UK Government. Will the First Minister—as Alex Salmond most certainly would have done—move heaven and earth to secure the largest-ever such investment in Scotland, and will he persuade the UK Government that to do anything other than approve the investment would be an act of abject betrayal?
I recognise the seriousness and the significance of the issue that Mr Ewing raises, which is being decided on by the UK Government. The fact that the UK Government has not come to a decision for some considerable time is causing no end of frustration. Like Mr Ewing, I am hearing all sorts of rumours about the decision. As things stand, I have no clarity on what decision the UK Government has come to, but I assure Mr Ewing that very, very vigorous representations have been made to the UK Government on the decision, which is central to our renewables future.
I have previously raised in Parliament the fact that the lack of a decision by the UK Government is slowing down the upsurge in renewables activity at the same time as the UK Government is penalising the North Sea oil and gas sector through the energy profits levy. What we have here is a perfect storm for the people of Scotland, whereby decisions that are for the UK Government to take are having a damaging effect on Scotland, whether in relation to oil and gas or renewables.
The answer is to take Scotland’s future and Scotland’s energy into Scotland’s hands, and we will be able to do that only with the fresh start of independence.
That concludes First Minister’s question time. The next item of business will be a members’ business debate on a motion in the name of Pam Gosal.
We will have a short suspension to allow those who are leaving the chamber and the gallery to do so.
12:51
Meeting suspended.
12:52
On resuming—
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