Chamber and committees

To ask the First Minister, in light of recent reported incidents, how the Scottish Government is working to prevent knife crime. (S6F-04110)

Before Mr Torrance jumps in, I want to say that I totally agree with everything that the petitioner has said. Microchipping should be compulsory, because a cat is not only a cat—it is part of a family, too. If the proposal means that cats that are lost are brought back home, we should all support it.

We should write to the Scottish Government to ask whether, in light of the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission’s report and the new requirement in England, it will introduce legislation to mandate the microchipping and registration of cats in this parliamentary session.

Why do we not find out how many there are?

We should keep the petition open and write to the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport to ask, in light of the expectations that the Scottish Government has set, how it monitors implementation of the transition care planning guidance, CAMHS transition protocols and the transition care plan template, and whether the Scottish Government has gathered feedback from young people and their families following transition between child and adult mental health services.

The SPS agreement that was announced in yesterday’s summit cuts red tape, will save businesses thousands in fees and has been welcomed across the food and drink sector. What impact will the SPS agreement have on Scotland’s food and drink exports and how it will support the Scotland Food & Drink partnership’s ambition for food and drink to be a £20 billion sector?

In a changed world, it is more important than ever that we keep relationships with our partners around the world strong, and that we work in areas of mutual interest to meet goals that benefit our security and our economies. Following years of our international standings declining under the Conservatives at Westminster, it is positive that we now have a UK Government that is working to rebuild those relationships and is open about the value of international co-operation.

Last week saw Scotland and Europe mark the 80th anniversary of VE day. Such memories of war act as a stark reminder of what can happen when we fail to work with our international colleagues. That is why I welcome the holding of the first UK-EU summit next week, when we can cement our new relationship. As the Prime Minister has said, we should “look forward, not back” and work to build a new strategic partnership with the EU to benefit Scotland’s economy, defence and public safety.

On our economy, I am pleased to see consensus reached with the UK Government on the importance of an SPS agreement. Of all the parts of the United Kingdom, Scotland exports the most food and drink, and that sector is worth £16 billion to our economy. However, since the Tories’ Brexit deal, we have seen our agri-food trade with the EU fall by 29 per cent for meat exports and 26 per cent for dairy. In the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee’s review of the trade and co-operation agreement we saw the impact that the situation is having on businesses, in that imports are taking far longer and costs are going up.

It has been estimated that achieving a veterinary agreement will increase exports by at least 22.5 per cent. That delivers what businesses want as soon as possible—not in several years’ time.

On defence, with threats to Scotland and the United Kingdom greater than they have been in previous years, co-operation is also key. The European Union has been taking a greater role in defence in recent years, following Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. Formal collaboration will be key to supporting security across the continent but will also be important to Scotland’s defence sector, which will be bolstered by the UK Labour Government’s increase in defence spending. That investment will boost Scotland’s industry and defence sector, which employs thousands of people.

The industry has told the Westminster Defence Committee that collaboration is vital to sustain capacity at home and our competitiveness in global markets. It also says that we have an opportunity to engage in a strategic conversation on defence with the EU, due to the renewed relationship that the UK Government is pursuing. That is what a positive future with the EU looks like.

Scotland also benefits from positive and collaborative relationships with non-EU countries. The trade deal with India that was announced last week will add to the £600 million of exports that we currently achieve and give Scotland unique access to one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. The deal will benefit Scottish businesses by lowering tariffs in areas in which we are leaders, such as whisky. The Scotch Whisky Association said that it was “transformational”, increasing exports by £1 billion over the next five years and creating jobs.

Those actions—rebuilding our relationship with Europe, improving our security and defence and securing trade deals that boost the Scottish economy—demonstrate the power of international co-operation and the fact that we are taking a pragmatic approach to tackling the challenges that we face. They show that, if we want to be successful in delivering for Scotland’s people, we must look to the future and work together when it is in the best interests of our country to do so. Further, they prove the value of stepping up to deliver, not sniping from the sidelines or picking sides.

The First Minister talks about prevention, but the Edinburgh integration joint board is being forced to make cuts to preventative care and third sector organisations, including the Stafford centre, which supports 640 people with mental health issues and is estimated to save the NHS up to £4.4 million in hospital admissions. Given the situation in joint boards across Scotland, does the First Minister recognise that prevention will not be possible if IJBs are in permanent financial crisis?

I agree with Mr Torrance.

The analysis of proton versus photon radiotherapy in oligodendroglioma and assessment of cognitive health—APPROACH—trial is currently exploring whether proton beam therapy can improve cognitive outcomes for people with primary brain tumours in England and Wales. However, Scottish patients are unable to participate due to lack of funding to cover excess treatment costs.

What consideration has the Scottish Government given to support patients during the APPROACH trial to ensure that no one misses out on cutting-edge treatment?

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I had the same issue again. I would have voted no.