Chamber and committees

If Mr Carson drops me the details of his constituent’s situation, I will be happy to look into that and see what we can do to assist him. Mr Carson raises a serious and significant issue, because one way of tackling delayed discharge is by doing exactly what he invites me to do, which is to provide more support for property adaptations so that people can sustainably return to their homes.

I am aware that there are inadequacies in the adaptations budget because the Government has had to take a lot of difficult decisions to deal with the pressures of inflation and public sector pay this year. I assure Mr Carson that the issue of housing adaptations is a significant priority and is the subject of discussion between the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government and me as we finalise the Government’s budget. That is another reason why Mr Carson should think about supporting the Government’s budget when the time comes.

In the past 12 months, there has been an increase in the number of operations performed in the NHS. In the 12 months to June 2024, outpatient activity increased over the previous 12 months. There have been more than 1.5 million attendances at A and E departments, and, on this Government’s watch, there has been an 82 per cent increase in the A and E consultant headcount, compared with 10 years ago. I say to Mr Sarwar that we are investing, and that we are fully aware of the challenges that we face and are addressing them.

Mr Sarwar went on to talk about the budget. From what I said last week, he knows that I welcome the investment that has been made in public expenditure as a consequence of the budget, and I give him the absolute assurance that that will be invested in strengthening, reforming and improving the national health service. However, there is one challenge in all of that: that expenditure will be able to be deployed only if there is a parliamentary majority in favour of supporting our budget. So, Mr Sarwar is not an innocent bystander on that question. If Mr Sarwar wants the money to be spent, he should vote for the budget.

The chancellor’s decision to raise alcohol duty while reducing draught duty increases the disadvantage that is facing the spirits sector. As Mr MacDonald correctly puts on the record, the Scotch whisky industry plays a vital role in our economy and supports tens of thousands of high-value jobs, especially in our rural and island regions. I therefore agree with the concerns expressed by Mr MacDonald. Last week, I set out alternative taxation proposals that the United Kingdom Government could have made to avoid tax increases of that nature.

Yesterday, I was delighted to visit the Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh to hear more about the jobs that the industry supports and the formidable impact that it has on the Scottish economy in many localities. The changes that have been made by the UK Government are a matter of concern.

That last issue is not a matter for me; the Parliament decides on what committees it has. Once the Parliament has decided on that, ministers will engage fully and substantively. The Cabinet Secretary for Transport already reports regularly to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee. If the Parliament chooses to change the committee arrangements, the Government will respond accordingly, and we will engage with all parliamentary scrutiny, as is our duty.

I pay tribute to the campaigners who have argued on the issue. I have been a strong supporter of A9 dualling for all my parliamentary life, and we have made substantial progress with the dualling of the Kincraig to Dalraddy stretch, the Luncarty to Pass of Birnam stretch and the improvements at the Ballinluig junction in my constituency. In addition, of course, the next steps are being taken on the Moy to Tomatin section. I am delighted that construction work will start there soon.

I give the Parliament an assurance that the Government is absolutely determined to ensure that the project progresses.

Additional investment of £42 million in affordable housing this year has been targeted at the local authorities in the central belt with sustained temporary accommodation pressures. That funding is to increase the supply of social and affordable homes, including properties that are suitable for larger families, through acquisitions and, where appropriate, to bring long-term-empty social homes back into use.

We are providing record funding of more than £14 billion to local authorities in this financial year to deliver a range of services, including homelessness services, and we are introducing new homelessness prevention duties. We are investing more than £90 million in discretionary housing payments to help families to meet their housing costs and to sustain tenancies, and we recently announced measures on rent controls to help to protect tenants and keep people in their homes.

I acknowledge the challenges that we face in the NHS, and I welcome the fact that we have the opportunity for further investment as a result of the United Kingdom budget. I do not know why Mr Sarwar cannot just embrace my positive and constructive contribution to the discussion.

If Mr Sarwar wants to have an engaged conversation about how we can deliver investment to the NHS, I suggest that he takes seriously the offer from the Government to engage around the budget process. I come back to my fundamental point: it is all very well getting the allocations of money from the UK Government, but that money cannot be spent unless this Parliament approves a budget, and that places a responsibility on Mr Sarwar and the Labour Party.

I have a duty as the First Minister of Scotland to engage with other Governments and to represent the people of Scotland in that process. As part of that duty, I wrote the letter in question that Mr Harvie cites.

There are deep cultural, social and economic ties between Scotland and the United States of America, and I think that they are important. They are important for employment in our economy, for the cultural expression of our country and for the way in which we are able to pursue our objectives.

Although there are very big differences in expression, priority and way of life between me and Donald Trump—clearly, because of what I said before the presidential election—I cannot deny the existence of links between Scotland and the United States, and, regardless of the presidential choice in the United States, I want to maintain good relationships between Scotland and the United States.

Mr Harvie knows me well enough to know that the concerns of people who feel marginalised in our society and who feel under threat are concerns that I wrestle with every single day as First Minister. I stood here and pledged to be the First Minister of all of Scotland, and that is entirely what I intend to do.

The finance secretary has written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on this important issue, because we need clarity for our own budgeting purposes about what compensatory effects will be allocated to public funds to deal with the increased costs that will arise from the increase in the employers’ national insurance contribution. That will apply to clearly identifiable public service organisations, but there is also a question about whether it will apply to organisations that are not classified as being in the public sector but provide public services, such as care providers, third sector organisations or, further afield, universities and colleges into the bargain.

There is significant uncertainty about whether that will be adequately and properly covered in the budget, and that will be the subject of detailed discussions between the Scottish Government and the UK Government as we proceed with our budget steps.

I am delighted to welcome the pupils of Banff academy to the Parliament. I look forward to seeing their bill, as tackling misinformation is an issue that is challenging societies across the world. I am pleased that those young people recognise that important principle and that they are taking action that shows that they are keen to engage in our democratic processes.

It is essential that we understand the impact that online harm, such as that caused by misinformation, has on our young people. We provide funding for and work with a range of organisations, including Barnardo’s and NSPCC’s Childline, which support children and help us to develop policies and design services that safeguard young people and provide the right support when they need it. In addition, we will continue to engage with the United Kingdom Government and Ofcom on the implementation of the Online Safety Act 2023 to help to keep children and young people safe online.

I welcome the report on the committee’s inquiry. The Cabinet Secretary for Transport has already made it clear that we will carefully consider and respond to its recommendations.

The Government remains fully committed to progressing A9 dualling in line with the delivery plan that was announced in December 2023. We have made good early progress through the procurement of the Tay crossing to Ballinluig project, which began in May 2024, and the construction contract for the Tomatin to Moy project, which was awarded in July 2024.