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That issue relates to the situation with the devolved settlements in England and Wales. We need to be aware of and on top of those issues. I agree with everything that has been said.
Sentence 1 in section 1 of the partnership agreement says:"Growing the economy is our top priority."I warmly welcome that bold aim, but it begs the question how.
Record investment in education means that, by 2003-04, education spending will top £5 billion for the first time. That represents £1,000 for everyone in Scotland.I do not plan to dwell too long on what has been done and what is already under way.
New investment and a new approach will be required for the Scottish system to reach the top, which is where it should be in relation both to other UK systems and to the best systems in Europe.
That would help to deal with the inequity that results from the fact that a great range of properties, from medium values to astronomical ones, are all in the top band. At the other end of the valuation scale, we could also make the system fairer for lower-value properties.
In addition to the £1.6 billion from section 94 consents, how much additional capital have you agreed for the next three years for PFI? Off the top of my head, I do not know. The value of projects that will commence in the next three years is just less than £500 million.
Cynics might say that that is because his name might be top of the blame list. Will he reassure us that people who have lost their jobs because of this gigantic mess—unlike the minister, who has been more fortunate—will not be rewarded with grotesquely inflated golden handshakes?