Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is committed to remaining aligned with the EU where it is possible and meaningful for Scotland to do so. That commitment is reflected in our annual reports to the Scottish Parliament on the use of the alignment power under the UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2021. Many of our environmental regulations were derived from EU law, and that is an important area for consideration of alignment. We are currently assessing the revised EU environmental crime directive, including its provision of higher penalties for serious environmental harm that is equivalent to ecocide.

The University of Dundee is an autonomous institution that is responsible for its own decision-making powers and must consider whether further financial support is required. As of this morning, we have not yet received any request from the Scottish Funding Council. However, as I have reiterated throughout this situation, the Scottish Government and the Funding Council will give careful consideration to any request for additional support within the legislative framework.

I am encouraged by the university’s commitment to minimise job losses, but it is vital that the university consults on its revised plan with its community, including trade unions, and with the strategic advisory task force, which is chaired by Sir Alan Langlands.

Mr Marra knows that I cannot give that commitment, because that would be me dictating to an independent institution how it should go about its own governance, and I would break the law if I did that—it is as simple as that.

As I have said, the Government will consider the advice of the Climate Change Committee in an orderly fashion, and we will set out our own proposals for taking the action that is absolutely necessary. There has been parliamentary consensus on the importance of achieving net zero by 2045, which has been supported across the political spectrum. The Government will consider specific proposals and bring them forward, and the Parliament will have the opportunity to decide whether those proposals should be approved or not.

I am absolutely committed to protecting Scotland’s natural environment. In all the decisions and steps that I take, I value and cherish that natural environment. The reporter has to come to a decision that is based on the planning merits of the case. In this circumstance, on a range of different conditions, the reporter has established a notice of intention to allow the appeal, subject to 49 planning conditions that I am sure address the issues that Mr Harvie is raising with me. Those issues have to be the subject of further discussion. That is the proper exercise of the planning process, which I am obliged by law to ensure is the case.

Mr Findlay talked about reassurance for farmers. As a representative of a constituency that includes many members of the farming community, I take the commitment to support the future of Scottish agriculture very seriously, and it has always been reflected—[Interruption.] That commitment has always been reflected in my policy priorities.

I can tell the Parliament that what was not reassuring to farmers was Brexit, which Mr Findlay supported. That has damaged the economic opportunities—[Interruption.]

As Mr Harvie indicated, the appeal remains live, so members must understand that it would not be appropriate for me to comment in detail on the proposal. I am aware that the reporter has issued a notice of intention to allow the appeal and to grant planning permission in principle, subject to 49 planning conditions being met and a legal agreement—including on the Lomond promise, which includes a commitment to community benefits and fair work—being reached. The reporter is required to make his decision on the planning merits of the case and to take full account of all submissions made by the parties involved in the case, including representations from members of the local community.

I welcome the acknowledgement in Mr Sarwar’s question of the significant impact of the Covid pandemic. All of us must realise that the pandemic had a serious and detrimental effect on the ability of the NHS, over a period of about two years, to tackle the health issues that members of the public face.

That is why we have in place a plan to focus on expanding capacity. What I set out earlier this year involves enhancing the capacity of national treatment centres; expanding regional delivery of healthcare services in order to increase levels of activity; and putting in place additional capacity in hospitals such as Gartnavel general hospital, Inverclyde royal hospital, Stracathro hospital, Perth royal infirmary and Queen Margaret hospital to deliver more procedures in exactly the specialisms that Mr Sarwar put to me.

I acknowledge the scale of the challenge. We are putting in place the practical expansion of capacity to make sure that we can treat more patients, which is exactly what the Government is focused on doing.

I think that Stephen Kerr needs to go to a play park to get rid of some of his excess energy. He seems—[Interruption.]

He seems just a little bit too excited for words today.

Let me inject some basic arithmetic into Parliament today—25 plus 35 equals 60, which equals the fulfilment of the Government’s promise. One of the basic foundations of being a member of Parliament is that, when you do not get the answer that you expect, you have to pivot to deal with it. Mr Kerr cannot handle that.