Chamber and committees

Will the rise in the number of domestic abuse cases feature in that?

I think that this question is for James Gray. Last year, the Scottish Government provided a cash injection to eliminate a structural deficit in the policing budget. I understand that the budget has now been balanced. Given all the challenges, what steps will you take to maintain a balanced budget?

My second question was going to be about efficiency savings, but you explained all that in your first answer. I will move on to the action that you are planning to take in response to your work with the Equality and Human Rights Commission on impact assessments. Does that have budgetary implications for SLAB?

How much have your staff numbers come down?

Would that include extra training for officers in any of the areas?

What you have been describing sounds quite labour intensive, which I imagine would incur additional costs. I guess that the most important thing is that you can evaluate and evidence the work that you are doing.

Would you like to say anything else about the general costs and your budget?

On the day on which the UK Government is cutting £20 per week from the poorest people in our society, thereby pushing thousands of children into poverty, does the Deputy First Minister agree that the Supreme Court ruling today has shown that devolution simply does not enable this Parliament to protect Scotland and, in particular, our children, from Westminster control?

I thank the minister for outlining the work that is under way to drive down the number of unwanted fire alarms. Will the minister outline what work is under way to modernise the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to allow it to expand its work on fire prevention and fire safety with vulnerable households?

I was recently contacted by a constituent who was a participant in the Novavax Covid vaccine trials. The vaccine is yet to be approved, but my constituent has been unable to access her vaccination status via the app and has not been issued with a QR code in her vaccination letter. Will the First Minister outline what support is available for trial participants, to ensure that they are not disadvantaged during the roll-out of the certification programme?

I am pleased to be speaking in this important and uplifting debate, and I thank my colleague Gordon MacDonald for bringing it to the chamber.

As we have heard from the fantastic speeches across the chamber, music is vital to wellbeing and confidence, particularly for children and young people. I first heard of Sistema Scotland when it was set up in Raploch, in Stirling, in 2008. I was blown away by its ethos and purpose of building on children’s natural potential and abilities by enhancing self-esteem and unlocking each individual’s dreams and ambitions. The charity reduces harmful inequality and the poverty attainment gap. Importantly, the activities are great fun for everyone in the community and bring families together. More than 2,800 children now benefit from big noise projects throughout Scotland, which is utterly fantastic.

Every new initiative that is set up by the charity is, in my view, a bonus, and I am delighted that Wester Hailes will shortly be able to benefit from the great initiative. The big noise programme has been evaluated by the Glasgow Centre for Population Health since 2013, and a wide range of positive impacts have been evidenced. It is, of course, entirely in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

I am delighted that the big noise programme focuses on early years intervention. It begins by working with children at nursery and in primary 1 and 2, with them gradually building on core skills such as listening, concentration, rhythm, rhyme and teamwork while learning to play an instrument in a group. We all know how much children love music. I know of a young girl with learning difficulties who lights up when she hears music—instinctively, she feels happy and wants to sing and dance.

Typically, a big noise child receives up to four after-school sessions of intervention and support a week during term time, and up to four days each week during spring, summer and autumn holidays, until they leave school.

All eligible children are actively encouraged to participate, and the big noise teams work in partnership with children and families to overcome any barriers to attendance. There is a non-exclusion policy, and teams are trained in positive behaviour techniques, elements of child development and psychology and trauma-aware practice.

Even the dreaded pandemic has not silenced the big noise. Throughout 2020-21, Sistema Scotland used whatever ways were possible under the restrictions. Those ranged from delivering thousands of one-to-one online lessons to working closely with education and local authority partners to deliver Covid-safe in-school lessons, often providing additional support to schools by offering a greater number of lessons to a greater number of pupils than pre-pandemic.

Musicians act as educators, mentors and role models, supporting positive behaviours and life choices. They provide emotional and practical support and are inspirational. Young people open up to them and many say that they feel they can tell them anything, which is crucial for good mental health.

Sistema Scotland’s funding is based on a blended model of public sector investment coupled with significant private sector support. The Scottish Government started supporting Sistema Scotland’s work in 2012 and in the past nine years it has invested more than £4 million. Every pound of that investment has been worth it in so many ways. Music is an international language. There are no barriers to listening to and enjoying music.

Now, thanks to Sistema Scotland, there are no barriers to participating, learning an instrument, and enjoying the lifelong benefits from such an inspirational early learning initiative.