Chamber and committees

Those budgets reflect the pattern of expenditure for city deals around the country. A variety of factors affect those budget lines on an annual basis, and they will vary because of the profile of the deals around the country. Therefore, I encourage Mr Lumsden not to read too much into that particular factor. After all, the city deals that have been put in place are sometimes for 10 or 20 years.

Obviously, I have acceded to the request of business organisations to freeze the business rates poundage. I have done that, and that provides substantive assistance and, indeed, significant savings, because those business rates should ordinarily have increased in line with inflation. I have opted not to do that in the budget statement.

The Office for Budget Responsibility has estimated that the effect of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union has been to depress GDP by 4 per cent. That is simply an act of total economic vandalism. We did not have to leave the European Union in the fashion that we did. We could have maintained membership of the single market. However, the Conservatives were determined to ensure that that was not the case, and that was disastrous.

The only route for Scotland to gain access to European markets with the degree of freedom that we previously enjoyed is through its being an independent country. In my view, the sooner that happens, the better.

The Government’s position on the completion of the dualling of the A9 remains intact. We are taking forward steps in the budget in that regard, and there is provision in the budget to do exactly that. I have made the point openly to Parliament about the hard realities with which we are wrestling. Capital projects will be more challenging because of the effect of input prices. That situation has been caused by all the circumstances with which we are familiar, which have been fuelled by the mistakes of the United Kingdom Government. All of those factors are making capital projects more difficult to deliver. [Interruption.]

The Government will address the implications of that on a constant basis, as we take forward our policy and capital programmes, to ensure that we can deliver on the expectations of people around the country.

That is a practical illustration of the point that I have just been addressing with Mr Mason. The Government does not employ teachers; they are employed by local authorities, but Mr Marra, of course, wants to hold the Government to account for the employment of those teachers. I have come to Parliament today to set out a £550 million increase to the budget for local government. That is higher than this year’s budget and is higher than local government could have expected. Local government has the opportunity to take forward the employment of teachers and investment in public services, because the Government has delivered a funding settlement that is higher, greater and more emphatic than the arrangements that are in place and than local government could have expected.

As a matter of fact, the Government does not set water rates. They are set by the board of Scottish Water, and the directors of Scottish Water have a responsibility to take forward that decision. I am quite certain that the board of Scottish Water will be aware of the cost of living challenge that people are facing around the country and will consider those issues when it takes a decision about the level of water rates in Scotland.

I discussed those issues recently with Councillor James Stockan, as I recorded in the exchanges that I had with Mr McArthur yesterday. I am keen to take forward further detailed discussions with Orkney Islands Council on the ferry replacement issue. I recognise the scale of the issue for that relatively small authority, and the Government will engage constructively and actively with Orkney Islands Council on how we can work together to address that challenge.

I am very happy to confirm the Government’s support for such an approach. That reflects the decisions and discussions that we have taken in Cabinet about the way in which we wish to proceed on that. I had extensive discussions with the third sector in the preparation of the budget in advance of today’s announcements and I know that the cabinet secretary regularly meets with the third sector, so I am happy to confirm our desire to take forward those discussions.

We want to make sure, with the fuel insecurity fund, that we support those who face the greatest challenge and assist them in every respect that we can. The learning that we have had from the fuel insecurity fund this year, which has provided very welcome assistance to individuals, will be replicated in the fund that we take forward in the next financial year.

I agree with Emma Roddick that the issue that we are dealing with is a consequence of the energy frameworks within the United Kingdom, which do such damage to householders in all parts of Scotland, but particularly in the north of Scotland and particularly to people in remote areas and on low incomes. One of the arguments as to why Scotland should be an independent country is so that it can design a more appropriate energy policy that meets the needs of our people, particularly those with vulnerability.

I am aware of the concerns that have been raised. I very much value the services that Rape Crisis Scotland provides. The Scottish Government has made financial commitments that provide funding that will continue into the latter part of 2023, but I understand that there are earlier challenges to that. I assure Monica Lennon that the Government will engage constructively in addressing that issue. It is not all about next year; some of it is about this year, which, as I have recounted to Parliament, is particularly challenging for us. However, I come at it from a sympathetic point of view and will try to address those issues.