Chamber and committees

I absolutely accept that front-line police officers are under pressures, and I take any views that are expressed by those who are on the front line in the police—or, indeed, in any public service—very seriously. My duty, and the duty of my Government, is to ensure that we are working with our public services to support them to the fullest possible extent. I again take the opportunity to pay tribute to the work of our police officers and the staff who support them throughout the country every single day.

In my previous answer, I referred very directly to the situation in Scotland. The facts—[Interruption.]. The facts, Presiding Officer, demonstrate the priority that we attach to policing. I readily accept that it is the duty of the Government to demonstrate that each and every single day.

For example, the total number of officers in Scotland now is higher than the number of officers in the situation that we inherited. Of course, that should be compared with a 20,000 reduction in police officers where the Conservatives are in Government. There are 32 officers per 10,000 head of population in Scotland, compared with 23 officers per 10,000 in England and Wales. This relates directly to the understandable feeling of pressure that police officers are under right now: Police Scotland has plans in train to recruit an additional 300 officers in July—in other words, the month that is about to start.

On for our police officers, which is one of the issues that the Scottish Police Federation wrote about, the negotiations are on-going and it is important that they are given space to continue and, I hope, to conclude positively. However, if we look again—this relates directly to the question, Presiding Officer, because it is about the value and the priority that we attach to policing—at England and Wales, the lowest starting salary for a police officer is £21,654, while in Scotland—[Interruption.]

That is why having the powers of independence is good for our country, including our national health service.

We will continue to work with local authorities to ensure that teacher recruitment is supported. Of course, local authorities are responsible for both recruitment and deployment of their staff, but it is ultimately for teachers to decide where they work. No minister can dictate that. Probationer teachers choose five local authorities for which they would be willing to work as they complete their probation year, and they are allocated a place by balancing their choice with local need. Local authorities also have the autonomy to provide incentives to attract teachers to their areas, and some have already offered initiatives such as free housing for an extended period.

No, I do not think that that is acceptable, but nor do I think it is acceptable for anybody, particularly those in any of our public services, to be dealing with a situation where inflation is at almost 10 per cent. Food prices are rising, energy prices are rising and the powers to deal effectively with that do not lie with this Parliament.

What does lie with this Government, of course, is work around police officer pay, and I have already said that the process of negotiation is under way. I hope that it will conclude constructively and fairly, very soon. It starts from a base whereby police officers in Scotland coming into the force are already paid more than those in England and Wales, and last year, in Scotland, they got a pay uplift that the majority of officers elsewhere in the United Kingdom did not get.

That does not make life easy for our police officers or any other public sector worker, but we will continue to value them not just in rhetoric but in action. However, we need to see action taken on the cost of living, to reduce the pressures on police officers and everybody else across our country.

I know that Jackie Baillie would not want to distress patients in any way. I know how hard consultants are working and I take their comments very seriously. However, it is also important to make the point that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has confirmed that

“there are no plans to increase schedule length, stop treatments early or interrupt schedules.”

In addition,

“any”

service delivery

“suggestions that could be detrimental to patients were immediately ... rejected”.

I confirm that, as outlined in our “Health and social care: national workforce strategy”, we are investing £10 million in our cancer therapy and acute oncology workforce to keep up with the growing demand on services. We have also convened a national oncology task force that brings together boards’ chief executives and medical directors to consider further national solutions. We are taking the issue seriously and will continue to do so.

My final point, which I think that I also made in response to Anas Sarwar, is that, since the Government took office, there has been a more than 90 per cent increase in consultant oncologists working in our national health service. That is an indication of the priority that we attach to cancer services. We will continue to work with the workforce to support it in delivering services to patients.

The Scottish Government has already been engaged on the issue. We have been working with the DriveAbility Scotland service to explore different options. I understand that NHS Lothian’s driving assessment team has prepared a draft business plan for the establishment of an additional centre in Glasgow and that that is currently being considered by NHS National Services Scotland. The Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport will keep Bob Doris apprised when NSS reaches its conclusion on the proposal.

The completion timetable for the two ferries is, of course, a matter in the public domain and work is taking place to deliver that. Yes, the ferry fleet is ageing; that is the whole point of the resilience fund that was established in 2018 and partly the point of the infrastructure investment plan, which of course is backed by a further £580 million. It is vital that our island communities have access to reliable ferries, and that is exactly what the Government will continue to be focused on delivering.

Absolutely. The CalMac staff do an excellent job, often in really difficult circumstances, so I want to recognise and acknowledge that—[Interruption.] The Conservatives clearly do not want to hear me thank those who work on the CalMac services—[Interruption.]

This is important, Presiding Officer: it is in answer to the question. I repeat, the starting salary in England and Wales is £21,654, just in case Douglas Ross missed that figure, while in Scotland, a new police constable starts on £26,737. [Interruption.]

Last year—this is my final point, Presiding Officer—officers in Scotland received a £700 pay uplift and a separate non-consolidated payment of £250. In England and Wales, where the Conservatives are in power, the majority of police officers received no increase in pay whatsoever. That is the difference in the priority of policing.

I cannot agree to a bill unless I have seen it, so if Douglas Ross wants to publish the bill—[Interruption.]