Chamber and committees

I have the greatest respect for the comments of Dr Kennedy. I listened and I read his comments with great care, and I take them seriously, because Dr Kennedy has given a significant warning to us about what lies ahead.

I have been completely candid—[Interruption.] This will be interesting to see. I do not think that it is any secret that we are going to have a Labour Government in a little while. We will have to see how the dialogue develops here. A week on Friday, the issues that have been raised with me about the health service are going to be the Labour Party’s problem.

No, because we have exceeded our commitment to recruit 800 additional mental health workers to accident and emergency departments, GP practices, police station custody suites and prisons. We have also invested in mental health support in our schools and the appointment of mental health counsellors in order try to provide early intervention to reduce the crystallisation of demand for child and adolescent mental health services, so that young people are supported at an earlier stage. The Government has increased expenditure on mental health with a 2 per cent cash increase, representing 8.5 per cent of total national health service expenditure. Expenditure on CAMHS has also increased, and the Government will continue to support essential mental health services to assist in meeting the demands and needs of individuals in our society.

Recent analysis by the Government has estimated that reversing the two-child limit and reintroducing the family element of universal credit would lift 10,000 children in Scotland out of poverty. That would be a welcome addition to the effectiveness of the child poverty measures that the Government is already taking, which include the Scottish child payment and other measures, as a consequence of which we are keeping 100,000 children out of poverty.

It would be of assistance to us in achieving the fundamental aspiration of this Government, which is to eradicate child poverty, if we were to have the support of the United Kingdom Government through the lifting of the two-child limit, rather than the prolonging of child poverty as a consequence of the maintenance of that immoral policy.

I am sure that I speak for all members when I say that Mr Whitfield’s speech came as a great relief to us all in resolving that particular matter.

The motions in my name seek Parliament’s approval that Gillian Martin be appointed as Scottish minister and Alastair Allan be appointed as Scottish junior minister. Before I go on, though, I want to express my best wishes to Màiri McAllan as she temporarily leaves her Cabinet post to go on maternity leave. She is an outstanding and much-valued cabinet secretary, with responsibility for Scotland’s response to one of the defining challenges of our age—climate change—and she has never shied away from taking the big decisions and always seeks to push the powers of her portfolio to their limits.

Important though her Cabinet role is, it is nothing compared to the role that she is about to take on as a mother and a parent, when, with her husband Iain, they welcome their first child into their lives. There is no more vital task in our society than giving our children the best possible start in life and, although we will miss Màiri McAllan around the Cabinet table, she has my full support to take the time that she wishes to take and which she needs on maternity leave, knowing that her job will be there for her on her return. I am sad to say that that is not the experience of all women, but it is a message that I am keen for my Government to promote strongly. There should be no barrier to women holding senior positions in organisations from having children, and they deserve our full support to be able to do so. [Applause.] I know that the whole chamber will join me in sending our best wishes to Màiri and Iain as they await their new arrival.

As for today’s appointments, while Màiri McAllan takes her maternity leave, I have asked Gillian Martin to assume her responsibilities and become acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy. Gillian Martin has served as the Minister for Climate Action since May, but she has held similar briefs as a minister for some time before that. Before she was elected to Parliament, she spent time working in the energy industry and, as a representative of the north-east, she fully understands the complexities and the opportunities of her new role as she leads the Scottish Government’s efforts to deliver a just transition. She will also retain responsibility for the circular economy.

With Gillian Martin moving into a Cabinet position, I have asked Dr Alasdair Allan to take on her responsibilities and become Acting Minister for Climate Action. Dr Allan is no stranger to ministerial office, having served as a minister for many years previously in education and external affairs roles. He is well used to engaging with and listening to a wide variety of stakeholders on areas of critical importance to the Government. As a long-serving member of the Scottish Parliament for the Western Isles, Dr Allan brings a particular perspective to a portfolio where considering the needs of rural communities is absolutely vital, including on issues such as renewable heating and energy efficiency.

By the end of next week, we will have a new United Kingdom Government. We will await the result of the election. Although the chamber is about to rise for its summer recess, ministers across my Government will be seeking to engage promptly and constructively with counterparts in Westminster over the summer period. Gillian Martin and Dr Allan are both very keen to pursue their responsibilities, and I ask Parliament to approve their appointments today.

I move,

That the Parliament agrees that Gillian Martin be appointed as a Scottish Minister.

That the Parliament agrees that Alasdair Allan be appointed as a junior Scottish Minister.

We are all aware of the harm, disruption and inconvenience that are caused by road traffic accidents, including the most recent incidents on the A9. I express my sympathies to everyone who has been affected by the loss of a loved one, including the family and friends of the individual who was killed in the accident on the A9 last Sunday, and to anyone who has been injured on our roads.

As I confirmed at the cross-party meeting that I chaired on Tuesday, this Government’s commitment to dualling the A9 is steadfast, and progress has been made on the timetable that was published in December. Since then, we have progressed the purchase of land for four sections in the programme. The procurement process for the Tay crossing to Ballinluig project began in May, and I can advise Parliament today that we are nearing completion of the procurement process and will shortly award the contract for the dualling of the Tomatin to Moy section.

First, I associate myself with Murdo Fraser’s remarks about the assistance that was provided by my constituents in the Blair Atholl area. The community around Blair Atholl in Pitlochry and Dunkeld has had a lot of experience of providing support when previous incidents have occurred, and I express my warm thanks to the individuals who helped. For completeness, I should also say that the settlements north of Calvine, where the accident took place, in Dalwhinnie, Kingussie and Newtonmore, also provided assistance to motorists who were inconvenienced.

The accident in Calvine happened on a part of the road where it was particularly difficult to enable alternative diversion routes to be put in place. Long diversion routes had to be used, which involved significant amounts of disruption. I have asked Transport Scotland and the Cabinet Secretary for Transport to look again at the handling of that incident so that we can be certain that all assistance that can be provided in such circumstances will be provided.

In relation to the latter part of Mr Fraser’s question, the Government has had to address a number of major infrastructure projects that were part of the on-going programme that we inherited when we came into office, as well as some other projects that emerged that had to be addressed. The Government has completed satisfactorily the Borders railway, the Levenmouth railway, the Airdrie to Bathgate railway, the expansion of a number of stations, the Aberdeen western peripheral route, which was promised for 40 years but never delivered, the Queensferry crossing, the M80 completion, the M8 completion and the M74 completion. We have brought forward—

I will do so, Presiding Officer.

We brought forward improvements to the A9 at Luncarty to Pass of Birnam, as well as at Kincraig, Dalraddy, Crubenmore and the Ballinluig junction. I hope that that gives Mr Fraser confidence that the Government delivers.

The Government is committed to delivering the Nairn bypass and the dualling of the A9 from Inverness to Perth. As I indicated at the cross-party group meeting on Tuesday, the Government will keep the programme under review to identify whether there is any way that we can move faster. However, we have established a strong programme that enables us to deliver on the commitment that we have made. The Government’s commitment is absolute.

As Mr Ewing well knows from his long experience in government, we have to live within the financial resources that are available to us. We will deploy creativity in trying to expand those resources but, if our capital budget is cut by 10 per cent, that is a significant challenge to any Government of any political colour.

I understand the concern and anxiety—in particular, for employees of those organisations. There are examples of Scottish companies acquiring businesses in other parts of the United Kingdom and around the world, so acquisition is and can be a two-way process. Part of what the Government wants to do is strengthen the roots of companies in Scotland and their commitment to the Scottish economy. The recent data from the Royal Bank of Scotland purchasing managers index demonstrates that Scotland is an attractive place to do business and is attracting a great deal of interest domestically and internationally.

I greatly value the contribution that general practices make to the nation’s health. I want to make sure that general practices have the support that they need in order to deliver on their commitments. The Government has invested more than £1.2 billion in general medical services in the past financial year, and we work in close concert with general practices to make sure that they meet the needs of their patients.

The health secretary is in regular dialogue with the representatives of general practices through the British Medical Association and other organisations. That will certainly be encouraged by me.