Chamber and committees

I echo Mark Ruskell’s welcoming of the race organisers’ announcement at Edinburgh castle last night. I was delighted to be there to welcome the interest and commitment of those organising the Tour de France, and of the women’s race into the bargain. It will be the first time in the event’s history that the women’s race will have started outside France. That presents an enormous opportunity for Scotland and demonstrates our success and effectiveness in attracting major international events. I am delighted that we have been able to secure that for 2027.

The principal lesson that I have learned from the UCI world championships is that we must put in place infrastructure and facilities that enable local people to take part in cycling activity. The Government’s investment in active travel assists in that respect. We can see the effect of many of those changes around our communities, where such infrastructure is now being put in place.

The issues that Mr MacDonald raises are serious. The effect of the increase in employer national insurance contributions will be a negative impact on growth. Indeed, there is now speculation that the material to be announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the spring statement will reduce the growth forecast that is expected for the United Kingdom, which will inevitably have the effect of reducing the tax revenues that are likely to be available for the chancellor to utilise.

The implication of that is that there is likely to be further pressure on the Scottish Government’s budget in the years to come. What we can expect is what we have seen from the Labour Government in the course of this week: the perpetuation of the austerity agenda that it inherited from the Conservatives, which it promised that it would bring to an end, but which it has revitalised as part of the Labour Government. I do not think that anyone would have imagined that a Labour Government would come into office and inflict more austerity on the people of Scotland.

I recognise the importance of all our public transport services being operated safely, and that applies to passengers and members of staff. Such incidents are indeed totally unacceptable. Police Scotland will take active steps to ensure that the community is kept safe and that there is every opportunity for bus services, and public transport services in general, to operate in the way that members of the public reasonably expect them to.

I will not tire of pointing out to the Conservatives their total and utter inadequacy in the Parliament, because they come here asking us to spend more money when they would not put budget provision in place. The Tories are a disgrace.

We have got to follow the procurement law that is in place. We have got to follow the United Kingdom Subsidy Control Act 2022, which puts an obligation on all of us to make sure that ferry tenders are determined on the basis of an open procurement process.

I would love for the vessels to be built at Ferguson Marine—of course I would love that to be the case. That is why we are putting in £14.2 million over two years to support Ferguson Marine to develop its capability. I want that to be the case, but I have to make sure that we procure our ferry vessels in accordance with the legislation that is in place in the United Kingdom.

It is for the simple reason that a competitive tendering process was undertaken to ensure that we can deliver seven new vessels for some of the smaller routes that are part of the CalMac network. That process involved companies in Scotland and in other countries, as is consistent with the terms of the procurement legislation that the Government must follow.

The Scottish Government intervened when there was a risk that Ferguson’s would cease trading on the Clyde. We arranged for new ownership to take the yard forward. The Government subsequently took decisions that led to significant orders being placed with Ferguson’s following a competitive due process. We are in the process of concluding the small vessel replacement programme—we are in the 10-day standstill period, so I can give little detail to the Parliament on that process at the moment. Most recently, the Government has supported the work at Ferguson’s through additional investment of up to £14.2 million in the yard in order to support it and guarantee its long-term future.

I agree with those sentiments, and it is for that reason that I have indicated that I will convene a gathering of political and civic leaders to establish constructive interventions that we can all agree on to create a cohesive society in which everyone feels safe and at home.

The example that Mr Stewart has given to Parliament—the steps that the community in Old Aberdeen has taken to demonstrate exactly that type of solidarity and support to the Muslim community in the city of Aberdeen—is a splendid example of the type of spirit that we need to have in this country, where we are defined by what unites us and not by what divides us.

I agree with Mr Cole-Hamilton on the impact of the drama “Adolescence”, because it is leading to significant debate in our society—which I think is absolutely necessary—about the unacceptable behaviour of some supposed influencers, who are influencing very poor behaviour, among young men in particular, in our society today.

I read with care some reflections by Gareth Southgate in the Dimbleby lecture, which I thought were significant contributions to the debate. I again reinforce—as I have done on a number of occasions as First Minister—the importance of me exercising the leadership that I need to exercise to improve the culture and behaviour of men and boys in our society today.

In relation to the question of violence in our schools, Mr Cole-Hamilton correctly indicated that the Government has worked with our local authority partners to take forward the behaviour in schools action plan. That plan includes a range of actions that are designed to improve the situation, which I think that Mr Cole-Hamilton and I would probably accept has been influenced by the aftermath of Covid and the unacceptable examples of leadership that I have just highlighted.

I am always open to wider consideration of how we can support school staff and ensure that schools are safe places for young people to be educated in, because schools must be safe places for young people to be educated in. In some circumstances, school might well be the only safe place that a young person experiences.

I am therefore very open to dialogue with Mr Cole-Hamilton on how we can take further practical measures, beyond what the Government has already announced, to ensure that we support our schools in that important work.

The Government is taking a number of steps to improve the performance of the Scottish economy, where, as I highlighted in my earlier answer to Michelle Thomson, GDP per capita has actually grown at a faster rate than in the rest of the United Kingdom.

Scottish Government interventions have helped to improve economic performance, and we are taking a positive approach towards investment. On Monday, a number of ministers took part in an enormously successful investment forum that was well supported by international investors in the Scottish economy, and we undertake constant dialogue with investors.

I recognise, support and endorse Michelle Thomson’s point that the already higher levels of economic growth per person that we have been able to deliver in Scotland under devolution would be enhanced if we had the wider range of fiscal powers that independent countries take for granted. I would want to deploy those powers to deliver growth and prosperity for the people of Scotland.