Okay. Thank you.

Thank you, convener.

The situation on the ground in Gaza is harrowing and the suffering is appalling. We have touched on access to aid and how that is progressing. The aid that we have given will be going on food distribution, education and health support in some shape, way or form, which I appreciate.

You have listed some organisations—we have had some discussions with UNRWA this morning, and you will speak to it later. I still have concerns that such organisations are being infiltrated, as suggested by commentary that we have seen and heard. The concern is that organisations that are doing legitimate work might be infiltrated by Hamas in some shape, way or form, and that they will have difficulty managing the process.

The Scottish Government has already set its parameters on what it wants to achieve with the funding that it has given. It is difficult to assess exactly how it will be managed. You have given clear guidance on what you expect and hope is taking place, but it is difficult on the ground because people are continually removed, reassessed and relocated, making it appear that everything is in complete flux all the time.

There must be real issues when it comes to ensuring that there is command, co-operation and assistance. Even when situations do occur in which individuals lose their lives while trying to queue for food, the Scottish Government has an obligation, and you have made your views and what you want to achieve clear. How can we achieve our aims if we do not have full control and are not quite sure what is happening on the ground or where we can take things in future?

My second question is, what is our plan for the future? Going forward, do we have a strategic objective for what we should be doing, given the circumstances and situations that we see every day in the media?

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I apologise to you and the chamber for not being here to ask question 2, my portfolio question on education and skills.

Together with local groups, Clackmannanshire Council has voiced strong opposition to the proposed route changes and has emphasised the importance of maintaining a reliable bus service to Forth Valley royal hospital in Larbert. The concerns are serious, and the proposals could have a negative impact on elderly and disabled people who rely on the existing bus routes. What additional support is the Scottish Government considering? What is it doing to ensure that NHS Forth Valley assists vulnerable individuals?

I thank the First Minister for early sight of the statement.

It is difficult to calculate how many Gypsy Travellers have been forced by historical policies to alter their lives. The impact has been deeply felt by the community. Those who were affected have said that such policies destroyed lives, shattered and separated families and affected generation after generation. Members of the Gypsy Traveller community have been petitioning for an apology from the Government for years, so I welcome the long-overdue apology this afternoon. Researchers have highlighted that it is the responsibility of the Scottish Government, so why has it taken so long for the apology to be given? Is the Scottish Government considering compensation for those affected? If that is the case, when is that anticipated to happen?

Every penny of public money lost to fraud or error is a penny taken from the Scottish taxpayer and, in turn, from school, hospitals and other services that we rely on. The Government has a responsibility to ensure that every penny that is raised is used effectively. That is why the Scottish Conservatives support the legislative consent motion before Parliament today.

Fraud in the public sector undermines public trust. Such financial loss corrodes the public’s confidence in the payment system. It weakens the social contract when people pay their taxes but see the system failing. Fraudsters exploiting the system puts at risk the support for genuine, vulnerable individuals. That is why we welcome the action to modernise and strengthen the toolkit to fight fraud. The measures that are outlined in the bill will ensure that there will be a fair system, including for benefit recipients.

We recognise that a number of the clauses falls within the competence of this Parliament, particularly in relation to benefits that are delivered under the agency agreements.

We also support the provisions that are being supported by the Scottish Government and the DWP to ensure that the way in which benefits are administered on behalf of the Scottish ministers might also be a tool to tackle fraud, and we support looking at what is happening across the rest of the United Kingdom in that regard.

The eligibility verification measures will allow the Government to ask commonsense, practical questions and simplify the criteria. The powers that are outlined are significant. At the same time, what is proposed is not overburdensome, and the DWP will have access in order to provide support. We believe that a reasonable balance will be struck to ensure that relevant organisations are involved.

The provisions on recovery and asset seizure in the bill are also very positive. Law enforcement agencies must be able to recover fraudulently obtained funds and seize high-value items that are bought with stolen money. It is simply wrong that individuals who defraud are allowed to purchase, for example, luxury items, simply because they have spent the money quickly. If we are to deter such actions, there must be consequences. The measures give law enforcement agencies legal powers to ensure that they can take swift and effective action. To be clear, strong safeguards and independent oversight mechanisms accompany the introduction of those powers. That is fair and that is right for Scotland.

The provisions will ensure that the Scottish Government and the UK Government will retain powers. We hope that any issues can be resolved. We also look forward to the DWP working with Social Security Scotland, which will focus on any disruption that might take place.

The bill will support honest, hard-working individuals. It will also ensure that, when errors happen—many errors happen across the system—those are sorted. The Scottish Conservatives want to ensure that every penny supports front-line workers.

The bill strikes the right balance between fairness and firmness. It will ensure that the Parliament has the powers to deal with these matters. Let us send a clear message that we are on the side of the taxpayer by supporting the bill.

Aside from the fact that the people of Scotland voted overwhelmingly for the union in 2014, does the cabinet secretary accept that the current democratic infrastructure in the Scottish Parliament—with timed speeches, pre-scripted answers and debates for which we have little or no responsibility—is stifling public confidence in democracy? How will that be addressed in the next session of Parliament?

My second question is about the resourcing of planning departments, which has continued to be a concern for a number of years, even after the changes to the fee system that have been introduced. Do you have any plans to increase funding for planning authorities, because those changes will have an impact, depending on how the funding is managed? Do you support the ring fencing of planning fee income, which is another area that has been touched on in the past? If it were implemented, how would it work and what would it mean? It would be good to get a flavour of your views on that.

You have identified a very strong issue there. There is an attempt to do more, build more, and create that atmosphere and energy as you build up that industry. However, it is hard to do that if you do not have the manpower and resource to follow that effort through.

Some local authorities have many more planning applications than others. Some get dozens of planning applications daily while others do not have the same flow. Authorities have to manage the number of applications and the time that they take and then ensure that they have procedures in place to deal with them. As you have identified, all of that can have a knock-on effect on how effective and efficient the system is. However, it appears that not having the foundations and building blocks in place is making it more difficult to achieve some of your goals and ambitions.

You realise that, but it needs to be further realised that more needs to be done and achieved. At the end of the day, if you do not have the processes in place to ensure that your goals in some areas can be achieved, you are setting things up to fail. As you have identified, some areas do not have as much demand as others, but for those that have a high level, it is crucial that we enable them to achieve their planning goals and aspirations and ensure that we get things built in those locations.