Chamber and committees

Before I answer Mr Greer’s question, I express my congratulations to Ross Greer and Gillian Mackay on their election as co-leaders of the Scottish Green Party. I extend my admiration to Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater for their service and I look forward, as I do with all party leaders, to co-operating on the issues that require our co-operation in a Parliament in which no one party has a majority at present.

On the substance of Mr Greer’s point, I acknowledge that financial distress can be a significant source of difficulty for families and that it can increase the challenges that they face. That is why the Government’s agenda is absolutely focused on eradicating child poverty. That is my key priority and it is at the heart of the Government’s agenda. The support that we put in place is designed to do that, with measures such as the Scottish child payment. That does not exist in England and Wales and it is a significant measure that supports families who are in difficulty. On other occasions, we have taken steps to remove council tax debt. Ms McAllan, the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, and I are very happy to engage in discussions with Mr Greer about the proposals that he wishes to bring forward for the Housing (Scotland) Bill, which is coming to the Parliament for consideration.

I understand the concerns that have been raised by Evelyn Tweed about that junction. I understand that there is an on-going police investigation into recent claims in the area; that will be subject to review by Transport Scotland.

I would be happy for ministers to meet Evelyn Tweed and her constituents to discuss the issue. It is important that we are responsive to the challenges that are faced on the road network. Transport Scotland and the Cabinet Secretary for Transport look carefully at all these incidents to identify where we can take action to improve road safety. I am happy for those arrangements to be put in place.

The Government has made clear since the Supreme Court ruling that we accept the judgment and that we are taking forward detailed work that is necessary as a consequence. A working group convened by the permanent secretary is actively considering the implications of the judgment across every key area of Government.

As a result of that work, action has already been taken, including updated guidance for the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018 and amendments to the public appointments recruitment process for regulated public bodies, through which the act is applied. Through joint working with Police Scotland, we will publicly consult on the stop-and-search code of practice before the end of this year. Actions have been taken. We also continue to engage with the Equality and Human Rights Commission while we await its updated code of practice, which I understand is yet to be submitted to the United Kingdom Government.

As I have explained in my answers and as has been explained by other ministers, the Government is undertaking the careful, detailed legal work that is required to put in place the provisions that are required following the Supreme Court case. We have taken some of the actions that we have been able to take to date, and we will continue to pursue the other issues as we take forward that work.

Government lawyers support the Government in its work to ensure that, at all times, the Government is acting within the law.

It is clear that climate change is driving more extreme weather, and, this summer, very dry conditions have been seen across Scotland, particularly in the east. Today, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has confirmed that the number of areas that have significant water scarcity has increased to 10.

With SEPA and Scottish Water, we are implementing Scotland’s national water scarcity plan, to support those who are affected. I recognise the seriousness of the situation, particularly for producers. SEPA is working closely with affected water abstractors—principally, NFU Scotland and the Scotch Whisky Association, and others—to minimise the impact where possible.

Our investment in resilience measures over many years means that Scottish Water is able to maintain supplies to all parts of Scotland during prolonged dry periods. However, supplies are clearly not infinite, so I encourage everyone to use water responsibly.

Not for the first time, Mr Rowley has raised significant issues and provided an indication of where the solutions lie. I very much welcome the content of his question and express the willingness of ministers to engage with him on those points.

The situation has been acute. This year, I started to receive a weekly water scarcity warning from SEPA in April. Normally, I would probably begin to receive such warnings in August. That gives a practical indication of the effects of climate change.

Mr Rowley will be familiar with the Government’s priority of tackling climate change, which is part of the solution. Another part of the solution is the constant improvements that are being made to water infrastructure around the country. A significant upgrade has just been completed in my constituency, in the city of Perth, to deal with the issues that Mr Rowley has raised. Such developments, which are going on around the country, often cause some disruption to members of the public, and we have to wrestle with that, too.

Mr Rowley’s final point was about the importance of water resilience and what more must be done to secure that. That obviously has an effect on capital priorities, but the Government will be happy to engage with Mr Rowley and other interested members on those questions, which are very much on the agenda of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy.

That is required not only for the River Eden; the current environment tells us that we need such river management plans in place across the board, and Mr Rennie is absolutely right to say that that can happen only if everybody is round the table to make it happen. I have seen such developments being successful in my constituency, but it required every party to be round the table to make that possible.

Mr Rennie highlights, as did Mr Rowley, the significant impact on this year’s agricultural harvest. Malting barley is not at the strength that we would want to see and some vegetable crops have not flourished to the extent that we would want them to, because of the absence of both rainfall and the ability to abstract water.

I will take away from today’s First Minister’s questions the importance of river management catchment areas and will ask ministers to engage with Mr Rennie and other interested members on how that can be taken forward at local level.

First of all, the Government takes a neutral stance on the bill, which is before Parliament just now. It is a member’s bill, not a Government bill, and the Government takes a neutral stance on it, so I can express only a personal opinion to Pam Duncan-Glancy.

As Ms Duncan-Glancy will know, I do not support the bill, and I do not support it for many of the reasons that she has just put on the record. I have enormous personal sympathy with the point that she raises. Parliament will have to wrestle with those issues as it considers the legislation, but I can only express to her my agreement with the point that she has made.

Well, I was here on Tuesday, leading a debate on the Government’s priorities for Scotland and, in that debate, I set out—[Interruption.]

—in a partnership with Nigel Farage, and Scotland is going to send both of them packing.