Chamber and committees

I understand entirely the concern that Rhoda Grant puts to me. My understanding is that the decision has been arrived at in order to concentrate on the proposed spaceport development in Shetland.

Rhoda Grant raises two issues with me. The first is whether I will intervene to see whether there is an alternative; I give her an assurance that ministers will do so to see whether there is any other way in which the development can be taken forward.

Rhoda Grant also raises a completely reasonable question about the public investment that has been either spent or committed to the development, and how that stands. Contractual arrangements will have been put in place in the provision of grant funding. I will explore those issues and reply in writing to Rhoda Grant about what steps can be taken to address what I recognise to be a legitimate issue that she has raised with me today.

The development that Sharon Dowey raises with me is a live planning application, so I cannot make any specific comment about it. What I can say, however—[Interruption.] I am simply pointing out that I would be breaching the ministerial code if I commented on a live planning application. [Interruption.]

I reassure you, Presiding Officer, that, unlike Mr Findlay, I will not be using props in the course of my answer.

Mr Findlay helpfully reminds the public of the problem with the letter that he sent me the other week. His letter discloses a £950 million gaping hole at the very heart of Conservative taxation proposals to this Parliament. That reeks of economic incompetence, and that economic incompetence is a consistent approach for the Scottish Conservatives.

Maybe Mr Lumsden and Mr Burnett can find it in themselves to welcome the tripling of investment in offshore renewables that the Government has put in place. Maybe they could welcome the £768 million investment in housing to boost affordable housing expenditure in Scotland. Perhaps they could welcome the £200 million refuelling of the Scottish National Investment Bank to strengthen the Scottish economy. That is this Government delivering to strengthen the economy in Scotland.

I think that Mr Findlay will have to practise his gags a little more after that one.

I have not seen Mr Findlay’s letter yet, because I was at an early learning centre this morning explaining the importance of the Government’s commitment to lift the two-child cap that the Conservatives imposed, which is sending children in our country into poverty.

I will have a good look at the letter when I get back upstairs, but I will tell Mr Findlay two things. First, if we look at tax alone, more than 50 per cent of taxpayers in Scotland are better off than those in the rest of the United Kingdom, as a consequence of the tax decisions that we have made. When we take tax and social security together, 60 per cent of taxpayers in Scotland are better off than they would be if they lived in the rest of the United Kingdom. That is what I call delivering for Scotland.

Mr Findlay made the point that there is apparently no enhancement of public services in Scotland, but the early learning and childcare centre that I visited this morning is part of a network around the country that is supported by £1 billion of early learning and childcare investment. That has meant that, in this country, three and four-year-olds—and many two-year-olds—have access to 1,140 hours of early learning and childcare. That promise was made by the Scottish Government and delivered by this SNP Government.

Mr Findlay talks about efficiency in government. The Minister for Public Finance, Ivan McKee, who is sitting in the chamber, was referenced by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government yesterday as having a remit to address the issues of productivity and performance in public services. He is devoting his energy to doing that as part of the plans that the health secretary and other ministers are taking forward in our public services.

For Mr Findlay’s benefit, I say that this Government is absolutely determined to improve the performance of our public services. There are challenges in our public services that arise out of the disruptive effects of Covid, but this Government is 100 per cent focused on making sure—[Interruption.]

I am very much aware of the tenacious campaign that Stuart McMillan has led on the issue on behalf of his constituents. Fuel costs can make a significant contribution to the pressure that households and businesses wrestle with on an on-going basis. I welcome the UK Government’s plan to implement the CMA’s recommendations on the fuel price market, and I urge it is to speed up progress where possible. Given the CMA’s comments on current fuel prices, we urge the United Kingdom Government to use the CMA’s new fuel price monitoring function, which will commence in January next year, to scrutinise the market and take action where necessary to keep the prices that drivers pay at the lowest rate possible.

The Government has made it clear that we welcome stability in energy supplies. The developments that EDF has taken forward support that objective. Of course, we will have to make a transition to lower-cost energy products and prices, and that will be best secured through investment in renewable energy. I hope that GB energy will help us to speed up the approach that has been taken, particularly regarding the developments on the grid, which are the responsibility of the United Kingdom Government. I hope that the incoming United Kingdom Government is able to improve the performance in grid connection so that Scotland can realise its energy potential. If it does not improve that, we will not be able to realise the opportunities for low energy prices, which everyone wants in Scotland.

Mr Coffey is 100 per cent correct.

Members: Oh!

On performance, there have been increases—for example, in the number of operations that have been performed in the national health service over the past 12 months and in the performance on waiting times in a number of disciplines. In cancer care, there have been improvements in performance in relation to the 31-day standard, so that more patients are being treated and are treated within a quicker timescale.

Mr Sarwar asked about the “squandering” of the opportunity. The only squandering of the opportunity will be if the Government is unable on 1 April to put the practical proposals in the budget into practice. That means that the Parliament has to pass the Government’s budget. We are very open to constructive discussion with political parties about the contents of the budget. However, Mr Sarwar will—to use his word—squander the possibility of strengthening our public services if he does not vote for the Government’s budget.