Chamber and committees

When I began my speech, I made the point that we are now in a situation in which we are not immune from changing international events. That is why we are having this debate. It is important that this Parliament reflects on the fact that the international community in which we reside is changing dramatically around us, and we have to be conscious of the implications of that.

If I want to give Mr Kerr a substantive answer on the implications of international trade changes that are emerging in the international community, I must have an understanding of those questions. I have to be held to account about my understanding of those questions by Parliament, because they will shape the response that I bring forward in leading the Government in exercising our devolved responsibilities.

We will, of course, have plenty of opportunity to discuss the domestic implications of those issues on 6 May, for example, when I will set out the programme for government, which will set out the further steps that the Government will take to implement our domestic agenda.

The international community will have seen that the Scottish Government has continued the important tradition of believing in the rule of law and accepting the Supreme Court judgment, which was at the heart of my responses last week.

I was developing a point about the importance of our having a values-based approach to the international situation that we face. Much of that is focused on the values of the European Union, which have served us well and which this Government would want to see endorsed in the future.

Our stance on international conflict is also relevant to the situation that we face. As a country, we have experienced the immediate implications of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Its displacement of people led to increased levels of migration that this country has positively responded to, but significant disruptions to economic activity have also come as a consequence of that conflict. I make that point to illustrate that the consequences of the international situation are felt directly and acutely here, in Scotland.

Parliament has also debated the horror of the attack by Hamas on Israel and the significance and the brutality of the Israeli response. We have been at the forefront of calling for a ceasefire in that conflict, which has enabled us to make our voices heard in arguing for peace and stability.

A benefit in recent weeks has been a sustained effort, which will be marked in Bute house this evening, of collaboration between the Jewish and Islamic communities in Scotland. They have come together to sign what is becoming known as the Drumlanrig accord—a unified declaration by representatives of the Jewish and Islamic communities that condemns hate crime, bigotry and xenophobia and sends a crucial message of unity and mutual respect when it is much needed. I applaud everyone who has been involved in shaping that declaration for what it does in our communities.

The issue of climate action has also been relevant to the formulation of our response to the changing international situation. There is more and more dismissing of the climate emergency, with populist leaders increasingly ready to trade the hope and the health of future generations for short-term gains. We have to recognise that climate change will increase conflict, hunger, disease, inequality and mortality. It has undeniably done so for some time. Last year alone, flooding displaced thousands in Brazil and South Sudan, and wildfires swept through regions of Canada, Portugal and California. In Scotland, we have seen the effect of severe storms, and we must act together to build a fairer, greener and more resilient economy and society as a consequence.

Mr Johnson makes an absolutely valid point. Globalisation has huge benefits but, at the same time as globalisation has happened and progress has taken place in countless societies around the world, there will be other societies that have experienced prolonged inequality. There will also be profound inequalities even in some of the societies that have benefited from globalisation. He is intimately familiar with the agenda that my Government is pursuing, which is addressing inequalities that exist in our society.

There is much substance to Mr Johnson’s point, and we must be alert to the implications of those inequalities and dangers as we wrestle with the fast-changing environment that is in front of us.

No—I do not agree with that. I accept that there are challenges in the national health service, and I am very candid about that.

I set out in my speech at the National Robotarium in January exactly how the Scottish Government is going about addressing that. Let me give Jackie Baillie some reassurance about the progress that we are making.

In April 2024, the Scottish Government provided additional funding to NHS boards to deliver 64,000 additional procedures by March 2025. By the end of January, 75,500 additional procedures had been delivered. We promised 64,000 over a whole year, and within 10 months we delivered 75,500. In addition to that, all four key radiology diagnostic tests have shown a 4 per cent decrease in the total waiting list size for diagnostic tests.

I accept that there are challenges, but the Scottish Government is focused on delivering progress for the people of Scotland, and that is what we are delivering now.

I find that line of questioning very odd, coming from a party that wants the Scottish Government to scale back—

—all our international representation.

It is not good enough for Jackie Baillie to create alarm by putting those questions. Let us take the 31-day treatment standard. Some 94.7 per cent of patients were treated within 31 days of a decision to treat. The median wait is four days. Those figures are a demonstration of the national health service’s achievements.

Most importantly, we are treating more cancer patients on time, within both standards, compared with the same quarter five years ago: the figures are 4.5 per cent more patients being seen within the 31-day standard and 1.6 per cent more within the 62-day standard. Jackie Baillie mentioned mental health services. For the first time, we are now meeting the 18-week treatment standard for child and adolescent mental health services, which reflects an important commitment to support the mental health of children and young people in our society.

Yes, there are challenges, but this Government is absolutely focused on delivering on the national health service. That is why we put record funding in place, and it is also why Ms Baillie could not find it within herself to back the Government’s budget. She is not interested in investing in the national health service—it is just politics, politics, politics for Jackie Baillie.

I find that line of questioning absolutely bizarre, because the Conservatives are the ones who demand that the Government close our international offices, which are critical to the representation of Scotland abroad and the economic success of our country. I am proud of what Scottish Development International does on our behalf, and I know that the export strategies of the Scottish Government are focused on the needs of the industry.

I can assure Mr Findlay that the Scottish Government will take forward the interests of Scottish industry in all that we do. We will look at the opportunities to promote our products overseas, and we will stand shoulder to shoulder with Scottish industry as we promote our important products to overseas markets.

There can be no doubt that the tariffs that have been announced by the United States will cause damage to the global, UK and Scottish economies. Scottish Government officials and ministers have been making representations to the UK Government on the matter for some time. Yesterday, the Minister for Business, Richard Lochhead, spoke with Douglas Alexander, the UK Minister for Trade Policy and Economic Security, and emphasised the need to ensure that Scotland’s interests are protected in the negotiations with the United States. Scottish Government agencies will work with businesses to advise and support them through this difficult and uncertain period.

There is a lot in Mr Kerr’s question with which I agree. I am a believer in free and open trade, and I am a believer in exporting and international business activity. That serves Scotland well. Organisations such as the Scottish Council for Development and Industry, which is now known as Prosper, have led the debate for most of my life on the importance of exporting and broadening the export base of the Scottish economy.

As I said, there is a lot in what Mr Kerr said with which I agree. However, we have to recognise the severity of the economic impact that will come as a consequence of the tariffs. Different responses to those can be formulated. I give him the assurance that there will be close dialogue with the UK Government on the question—as I said, Mr Lochhead discussed the subject yesterday. Before Lord Mandelson took up his role as His Majesty’s ambassador to the United States, he and I had a conversation about the important issues that mattered to Scotland in relation to that role. Lord Mandelson generously gave of his time to make sure that he was aware of those issues before he took up his office.

We will leave no stone unturned to promote and protect Scottish business and to find our way through the challenges, but we must all be aware that, based on what we heard yesterday, there will be negative implications.