Chamber and committees

I am delighted to welcome the news, which Emma Roddick has commented on, that CorPower Ocean will site its 5 megawatt array at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney. The project is scheduled to deploy in 2029 and will see components manufactured locally, creating skilled jobs and supporting the local supply chain. This is another indication of our communities’ outlook and willingness to embrace renewables. It is a huge fillip to the magnificent activity that has been going on at EMEC in Orkney for many years.

I assure Emma Roddick that the Government will ensure that there is wide awareness of the significance of a project of this nature in strengthening our agenda on renewables, which is a huge strength for Scotland.

First, it is important that inspections of that type take place so that we can challenge unacceptable practice. Therefore, I am grateful to Healthcare Improvement Scotland for the thoroughness of the work that it has undertaken. Secondly, although I understand the legitimate points that Mr Marra has made, strengths in the service were also identified, which Mr Marra acknowledged in his question. That should be recognised, but it should not be an excuse for not addressing unacceptable practice. My third point is that it is essential that the NHS Tayside leadership takes forward those issues with urgency. That will be communicated firmly to the leadership—it probably already has been—by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care.

I will say two things to Mr Stewart in that respect. First, our planning hub is looking practically at a number of sites that have stalled or have some difficulty. We all know that issues can emerge in the system, and our planning hub is looking at those particular developments. If Mr Stewart writes to me, I will make sure that the relevant minister takes that forward.

My second point is on the question of construction costs, which I referred to earlier in my answer to Mr Sarwar. One of the problems with a number of developments is that the cost of construction materials increased substantially during 2021-22. The annual average growth rate in construction costs was 5 per cent in the four-year period between 2017 and 2020. In 2021-22, it was 24 per cent—nearly five times as much. Those are some of the practical cost issues that are being wrestled with.

If Mr Stewart wants to send me details of that situation, I will certainly explore what can be done through the planning hub to support his constituents.

First, I thank Dr Margaret Cook for her service as principal of UHI Perth, and I wish her well for the future. The college is a self-governing and autonomous institution that is part of the University of the Highlands and Islands. It is responsible for its own decisions within the funding envelopes that the Scottish Government provides. The Government, of course, supports substantially the college sector in Scotland. Decisions on distribution of funds are made on the Government’s behalf by the Scottish Funding Council, in accordance with legislation.

The Government strongly supports the college sector. I look forward to the leadership of UHI Perth taking forward the strengthened measures that are required to ensure the future of the institution, which plays a significant part in the education of my constituents and has a formidable footprint in the local economy in Perthshire.

First, the number of GPs has increased. In 2017, there were 4,904. According to the latest statistics, there are now 5,211. Secondly, the Government is putting in place arrangements for the 100,000 extra appointments as a consequence of negotiating that agreement with the self-same organisations to which Mr Findlay referred.

The people of Scotland know that my Government is absolutely focused on delivering on the issues that are of concern to them. That is partly about improving access to the national health service. As I set out to Parliament on Tuesday, the Scottish Government is absolutely focused on delivering on the people’s priorities.

I do not think that it is a particular revelation for Parliament to hear that the Conservatives condemned something. They condemn absolutely everything. They have absolutely nothing—[Interruption.]

That is only one part of the plan that we are taking forward, which I will come on to in a second.

Before I get to that, let us look at the issue of temporary accommodation. Because of the financial support that the Scottish Government has put in place, 20 local authority areas have reduced the number of children in temporary accommodation. In 2023-24, 12 local authorities reduced the number of households in temporary accommodation. Why is that happening? It is happening because the Government has put financial support in place to ensure that void accommodation can be brought back into use so that families can be accommodated. That is a change in Government policy that has been made under my leadership. Now—yes, right now; it is all happening as we speak—local authority temporary accommodation levels are coming down because of investment from the Government. That is investment in a budget that the Labour Party refused to support. Labour members should not come here and complain about housing when they were not prepared to press a button to vote in favour of £768 million. No wonder I complain about the Labour Party whinging about things.

On GP appointments, the Government is taking a number of measures. We are delivering 100,000 additional appointments for GPs. We are also expanding pharmacy first services to reduce pressure and demand on GP services, and we are expanding the availability of allied health practitioners in front-line health services. Those measures will deal with the issues that have been raised about the 8 am rush by reducing pressure on GP services. That is the plan that the Government is taking forward, and that is what the Government will implement.

On performance in our hospitals, significant challenges remain in the national health service, which I have acknowledged in all my answers to First Minister’s questions.

On the four-hour A and E targets, the latest data shows that there has been an improvement in performance and that it has strengthened over recent weeks. When we look at the delivery of pledges on waiting times in our national health service, as I indicated in my earlier answer to Mr Findlay, we pledged to conduct 64,000 additional appointments by the end of March 2025. We did not do that; we delivered 105,500. In addition, we have put in place investment, but the Labour Party could not bring itself to support that in the budget.

The point that I am making to the Parliament is that the Labour Party comes here to complain about issues, but it will not do the heavy lifting to support the budget that makes the investment possible. I point out to the Labour Party that it voted against record investment of £21 billion in the national health service, yet it comes to chamber to complain to me about different issues. That is the hypocrisy that I am highlighting from the Labour Party. We have set out that our investment in the NHS will be focused on addressing the priorities of the people, which is to reduce waiting times and improve access to GP services. The Government will deliver on those commitments.

As I said, the bill is going through stage 2 consideration. If amendments are lodged, ministers will consider the issues that arise out of that process and, ultimately, the bill will come back to Parliament for stage 3 consideration.

I acknowledge the issue that Mr Harvie raises with me. The purpose of the rent control legislation is to ensure that tenants have more say and more control, and that landlords fulfil their obligations. Those considerations will lie at the heart of the legislation.