Chamber and committees

I do not agree with that, but there are important issues are the heart of the question. Alex Cole-Hamilton has described the challenge, and my Government is getting on with offering the solutions. I have been frank in the past: I do not think that we have done well enough in securing the economic supply chain and jobs benefits of our massive renewables opportunities, and I am absolutely certain that we must do much better in the future.

A substantial body of work is under way to ensure that, as we take advantage of the opportunities of ScotWind, we build the economic advantages to go along with it. I am determined that we will get that right. There are global shortages of some of the skills that we are talking about, which is a problem, and there are recruitment challenges that are, of course, exacerbated by Brexit. We are focused on ensuring that, as we take advantage of the amazing opportunities, particularly of offshore wind, this and future generations will see the benefits in jobs and economic activity. I certainly look forward to keeping members updated on that in the months and years to come.

The findings of the report are deeply concerning. First and foremost, my thoughts are with the children and families that have been affected. All children have the right to be cared for and protected from harm and to grow up in a safe environment in which their rights are respected and their needs are met.

Every local authority is expected to have in place appropriate child protection policies and procedures and effective processes to ensure that concerns about the safety and protection of children are identified and dealt with. The Scottish Government remains ready to work with Scottish Borders Council to assist it in addressing any concerns that are raised by the inquiry.

Not surprisingly, I do not agree with that characterisation, but I do agree about the importance of crofting to local communities and the overall landscape and economy of Scotland. These are important issues and we will continue to take forward crofting reforms as appropriate.

The rural affairs secretary has regular meetings with the Crofting Commission to discuss progress of the implementation of its actions and wider issues. We will continue to make sure that the Crofting Commission delivers on the actions in its improvement plan, and we will also take forward appropriate reforms so that crofters and crofting continue to have the important place in Scotland that they have had for a long time.

We are taking a range of immediate and short-term actions. For example, we are putting more investment into social care and taking action to increase the pay and improve the conditions of the social care workforce. I recognise that there are different employers involved, which leads to apparent inequities and injustices. One of the objectives of the national care service is to deliver national terms and conditions, but through, for example, the national living wage and our fair work practices, we are seeking to address such issues not just in social care but across the economy.

We will continue to take short-term actions while we build a new system that is fit for the future. I hope and believe that there will be a rigorous and robust debate in the Parliament about the detail of that. I really welcome that, but the Parliament has an opportunity to make a generational change in how we deliver social care across our country.

I am tempted just to say yes to all of that and to sit down, which I am sure is what the member would prefer, but I will elaborate a little. I agree with all those points about the communities in Scotland who support curling, and about the work of British Curling, Scottish Curling and all who have contributed to the success that has been enjoyed over the past few days.

I begin by congratulating team Mouat, the men’s team, for their amazing achievement. That was a really tense match. They just missed out on gold, but they should be really proud of themselves. They did themselves, all of Scotland and team GB proud.

It gives me great pleasure to take the opportunity to say a massive congratulations to Eve Muirhead and to all of team Muirhead for winning an Olympic gold medal. There is no doubt that all of the team deserve our congratulations, but Eve Muirhead is well on her way to becoming one of the true global greats of her sport; in fact, I think that she is already there.

Congratulations to all of them. In what are really tough times, they gave us all something to smile about over the weekend, and we are grateful to all of them for that. [Applause.]

Yes, from what the member has said, I absolutely agree that Mrs Sinclair’s situation does not sound at all acceptable. Through the member, I pass my thoughts to her at what I am sure is an incredibly difficult time.

We have sought to prioritise cancer care throughout the pandemic, recognising the importance of early diagnosis and early access to treatment. Plans are already being implemented to further speed up diagnosis and to ensure that treatment is swift and of high quality, but we want to make sure—and have a responsibility to make sure—that that is the experience of every patient who is suffering through cancer diagnosis.

I will not go too much further into the specific circumstances of Mrs Sinclair’s case, because it is not possible for me to do so. However, if the member will write to me with the detail, I will ask the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to look into that in particular, and to come back to him as soon as possible.

First, I am sure that I speak on behalf of all members when I say that we are all delighted that Douglas Lumsden was there only as a visitor. [Interruption.] Christine Grahame is saying that we only have his word for that, but I am sure that there is objective evidence as well.

It is a serious matter. Visitor attractions across the country have suffered greatly because of Covid, and we are seeking to help them recover. As I am sure the member will appreciate, I am not able today to give a commitment to financial assistance for Peterhead Prison Museum in particular, but I undertake to look in detail at the matter and to consider whether we can do more—or, perhaps more appropriately, whether the local council can be encouraged to do more—to support it.

No, I do not agree with that. However, I agree—I said this in my initial answer—that the Government must ensure the implementation of that recovery plan and must ensure that it is flexible and adaptable so that it is fit for the very significant challenge that Scotland faces and, indeed, countries across the world face in recovering our health services from the pandemic.

Today’s Audit Scotland report is very fair and challenging. People can go and read it for themselves. It also sets out and acknowledges the work that is under way. For example, page 3 of the report says that Scottish Government plans have

“the potential to help the NHS become sustainable”.

Later on, the report says:

“The Scottish Government recognises that the risks relating to workforce capacity and wellbeing are significant”

and

“has introduced a range of controls to mitigate”

those risks. It also says that

“The Scottish Government and NHS are implementing lessons learned during the pandemic”

and

“The Scottish Government’s plans for the recovery and redesign of NHS services are ambitious”,

although it goes on to say that they are “challenging”. It further says:

“The NHS has implemented a range of new ways of working to improve access to healthcare services”.

That recognises and records the work that is under way.

Finally, I simply note that we are investing record sums in the national health service. I think that it is just over £100 per head more than equivalent investment south of the border, which I think equates to £600 million more being spent on the NHS than would be the case if we followed the investment of the United Kingdom Government. There are also record numbers of people working in our national health service.

I recognise the challenge. It is perhaps one of the biggest challenges that faces us and other Governments, but we are focused on it, the recovery plan will help us to address it and we will continue to ensure that the plan and the resources that back it up are fit for the scale of that challenge.

I know that Douglas Ross probably scripted that contribution before he came into the chamber, but anybody who is listening will hear me taking very seriously the Audit Scotland report, the challenge that it poses and the challenges that our NHS faces, which are in common with challenges that health services across the world face. People can go and read the report for themselves; they do not have to take my word or Douglas Ross’s word for what it says. However, people will also have heard me set out that the report recognises the work that the Scottish Government is doing. The report rightly questions the detail of that work and says that our ambitions are “challenging” and will take time to deliver. As it always does, the Scottish Government will pay very close attention to the recommendations that the report makes.

I take all the comments about accident and emergency seriously. Of course, the NHS is and has been on an emergency footing. It would have been unthinkable for it not to have been on an emergency footing, given that we have faced the emergency and crisis of a global pandemic. The consequences of that for our NHS and for people who are waiting for care has been severe, and I recognise that. However, if we look at A and E on its own, there are absolutely big challenges for us to confront, but our A and E units are still the best performing anywhere in the United Kingdom and have been for six years in a row. We have invested in staffing in our accident and emergency units and redesigned them to ensure that only those who need emergency care access it in that way, so they get quicker treatment. I do not shy away from the challenges. Recovery of our health service is a massive challenge for us and Governments everywhere, but we are addressing it with resources, support and the absolute focus that people have every right to expect from us.

That is an important question. I have made clear the Scottish Government’s position on maximum economic recovery. We must make sure that we face up to the tough decisions as we progress towards net zero.

The Climate Change Committee report that has been published today is well worth a read for everyone. It does not quite go as far as to say that there should be no further exploration, but Mark Ruskell summarises it reasonably fairly when he talks about a “presumption”. It also says that it is wrong to say that new exploration will have a meaningful impact on energy costs for consumers.

All Governments have to take this issue seriously, but the powers lie with the UK Government, so we will continue to make our arguments very strongly.