:20:31. > :20:37.In a trend started under the last Labour Government the NHS in England
:20:38. > :20:42.spends 7. 6% of its budget on the private sector. We will continue to
:20:43. > :20:46.make sure that we are investing in the public NHS not the private
:20:47. > :20:51.sector. Interestingly, one of the first things I did when I was Health
:20:52. > :20:56.Secretary was scrap the private contract for the running of
:20:57. > :21:04.Stracathrow hospital introduced by the last Labour administration. The
:21:05. > :21:09.problem for Labour here is all these things. They Pontificate about in
:21:10. > :21:16.Opposition are things they failed to do when they had the opportunity in
:21:17. > :21:20.Government. Lastly, Presiding Officer, I don't expect anybody
:21:21. > :21:23.working across our public sector to be grateful to any Government
:21:24. > :21:27.because they are dealing with extremely tough times. I recognise
:21:28. > :21:33.that and I recognise that particularly for people working at
:21:34. > :21:37.the frontline of the NHS. But I would expect opposition parties to
:21:38. > :21:43.recognise in these tough times this Government has done more in terms of
:21:44. > :21:47.public sector pay than any other Government across the UK. That's why
:21:48. > :21:51.agenda for change staff are paid more in Scotland than England. It's
:21:52. > :21:55.why newly qualified nurses are paid more in Scotland than they are in
:21:56. > :22:00.England and in Labour governed Wales. We will continue to take the
:22:01. > :22:03.right action in our NHS, which is meaning that we have record funding
:22:04. > :22:09.in our NHS and we have record numbers of staff working in our NHS
:22:10. > :22:14.as well. APPLAUSE
:22:15. > :22:18.I'm conscious we've taken a lot of time for our first two questions,
:22:19. > :22:24.serious issues as they are. There are a number of members who wish to
:22:25. > :22:33.get in. Two constituency questions the first from John finny. North
:22:34. > :22:37.West Highland's gained UNESCO status in 2015. That status is assessed
:22:38. > :22:42.every four years. It's due to be assessed in 2019. Until now the
:22:43. > :22:48.Scottish Government has provided funding to the geopark. This year
:22:49. > :22:57.the Scottish Government decided not to supply funding. They have raised
:22:58. > :23:00.just 18% of the total required. Given the effort that's gone into
:23:01. > :23:03.achieving that UNESCO status it would be a disaster if that was
:23:04. > :23:08.lost. First Minister, would you agree to have your officials examine
:23:09. > :23:13.options for providing the modest financial support to allow the west
:23:14. > :23:19.Highland geopark to retain that status, please? Can I thank you for
:23:20. > :23:23.raising this issue. I am film with geopark and the UNESCO status that
:23:24. > :23:31.it has got. I agree that is extremely important. Oars I recall
:23:32. > :23:36.-- as I recall, the Scottish Government provided core funding. I
:23:37. > :23:40.am happy to have officials to look at this again and consider whether
:23:41. > :23:44.there is anything the Scottish Government is do to help.
:23:45. > :23:56.I will report back once we've looked at it. The tennis club is
:23:57. > :23:59.175-year-old club offering sporting facilities to Inverclyde. Chaenking
:24:00. > :24:05.to use and water exemption rules has left them with a bill of up to
:24:06. > :24:09.?2,000 per annum, which could drive up membership costs or force them to
:24:10. > :24:15.close doors. They're not the only ones. What comfort can the First
:24:16. > :24:18.Minister provide to groups across Scotland that the government will
:24:19. > :24:23.seriously look to the charges. Will she commit to a full and open review
:24:24. > :24:28.into the policy? It's not too long since we had a full review of the
:24:29. > :24:31.situation around charities with water rates or exemptions from water
:24:32. > :24:34.rates. I remember it well. At the time I was the minister in charge of
:24:35. > :24:38.taking forward the recommendations from that review. I remember well
:24:39. > :24:42.that we tried to put in place a system that was as fair as possible
:24:43. > :24:48.to as many charities across the country as possible. Now the test
:24:49. > :24:53.for zemings are based on the income of charities and capital that
:24:54. > :24:57.charities hold. Therefore there will always be some charitable
:24:58. > :25:01.organisation that don't get exemptions because of income or
:25:02. > :25:04.capital above the thresholds. I should say I'm more than happy to
:25:05. > :25:08.have the relevant minister look at particular organisation that has
:25:09. > :25:11.been cited here. I'm looking in the wrong direction, to look at the
:25:12. > :25:16.particular organisation to make sure that the rules are being applied
:25:17. > :25:20.appropriately. But the point I would make is I think all members would
:25:21. > :25:23.recognise that with any system of exemptions like this, there will
:25:24. > :25:28.always be some organisations that do not qualify for the exemptions. I
:25:29. > :25:35.know that will be very difficult for organisations who are in that
:25:36. > :25:39.position. I'll ask Rosanna Cunningham to look into this and
:25:40. > :25:43.report back. What issues will be discussed at the next meet fght
:25:44. > :25:48.Cabinet? -- of the Cabinet? Matters of importance to people of Scotland.
:25:49. > :25:54.Yet again we've heard about the poor statistics on education. The mother
:25:55. > :25:58.of our 15-year-old schoolboy said to me yesterday that she is worried her
:25:59. > :26:04.son could be one of those statistics. He is struggling with
:26:05. > :26:11.reading and writing. She is anxious about his future. And she is also
:26:12. > :26:14.angry with the SNP, who have been in charge for the whole of her son's
:26:15. > :26:26.education. What has the First Minister got to say to that mother
:26:27. > :26:31.and her son? I'm concerned to learn of a parent with concerns like that.
:26:32. > :26:34.I would say again how seriously I and the Government take the
:26:35. > :26:44.challenges on education. I won't repeat as I did with Ruth Davidson
:26:45. > :26:47.all the strengths that are there. But to recognise some of the real
:26:48. > :26:51.improvements we're making. One of the ones I didn't mention earlier on
:26:52. > :26:55.was the improvements in attainment of pupils with additional support
:26:56. > :26:58.needs for example. It's because we recognise some of these challenges
:26:59. > :27:06.that we are take the action that we are take. I don't know the school
:27:07. > :27:10.that the child quoted or the child the parent quoted goes to but it's
:27:11. > :27:15.likely that the head teacher of that school now has in his or her own
:27:16. > :27:18.hands additional resources, significant additional resources to
:27:19. > :27:21.invest in the specific areas that head teacher thinks are required to
:27:22. > :27:24.improve attainment. It's exactly that kind of action that we are
:27:25. > :27:30.determined to continue to drive forward. I would say to you, many of
:27:31. > :27:35.the reforms we are taking form are reforms that he is opposing. Yes, I
:27:36. > :27:39.think it is right that members bring concerns to this chamber. But we
:27:40. > :27:41.also then have to be prepared to do the difficult things that are
:27:42. > :27:48.required to see the improvements that we all want to see.
:27:49. > :27:51.I'm afraid that's just more promises to improve school education at some
:27:52. > :27:56.point in the future. It won't help that schoolboy now. He could be part
:27:57. > :28:03.of a lost generation. He has been at school for a decade. Every single
:28:04. > :28:06.day of that, the SNP education secretaries have been in charge.
:28:07. > :28:13.They still sit round the Cabinet table today. These are the education
:28:14. > :28:17.secretaries that rejected a pupil premium for six whole years, even
:28:18. > :28:21.though it raised attainment in England. They delayed nursery
:28:22. > :28:26.education for two-year-olds, rejected a penny on income tax for
:28:27. > :28:31.education and cut thousands of places from our colleges. When the
:28:32. > :28:37.First Minister and her ministers have got it so wrong for years,
:28:38. > :28:42.where on earth should that mother and her 15-year-old son ever trust
:28:43. > :28:45.them again? Firstly, these are important issues and important
:28:46. > :28:50.challenges that we've got to face, but I would say, I do think it does
:28:51. > :28:55.a real disservice to the young people of our country to use
:28:56. > :29:02.language like a "lost generation". That is pretty disgraceful. Willey
:29:03. > :29:06.Rennie talks about investments that he thinks we should have made years
:29:07. > :29:10.ago. I would simply remind him that those years gone past are exactly
:29:11. > :29:15.the years that the Liberal Democrats were in a Westminster coalition with
:29:16. > :29:21.the Tories, cutting Scotland's budget year after year after year.
:29:22. > :29:31.The last point I would make is the most important point. He says that
:29:32. > :29:35.the young man and the parent they talked about, what money -- what
:29:36. > :29:41.goodwill this money do? The money is in the hands of head teachers right
:29:42. > :29:43.now. I have spoke ton head teachers who are talking about the
:29:44. > :29:47.initiatives they are taking forward with the investment. The additional
:29:48. > :29:51.investment direct to head teachers, the extra investment elsewhere in
:29:52. > :29:54.our attainment fund, but also the measures we're taking forward to
:29:55. > :30:00.ensure that we can track the progress as a result of these
:30:01. > :30:04.measures and Willie Rennie repeatedly stands up in this chamber
:30:05. > :30:10.and opposes the things we're trying to do to see these improvements and
:30:11. > :30:13.make sure we can be accountable to every parent across this country.
:30:14. > :30:15.We'll get on with doing the things that need to be done, even sometimes
:30:16. > :30:22.when they are difficult and they don't get the support of the Liberal
:30:23. > :30:27.Democrats. A few topical supplementaries.
:30:28. > :30:31.Thank you Presiding Officer. Last night BBC Scotland broadcast a
:30:32. > :30:36.shocking documentary on the human trafficking trade. It provided clear
:30:37. > :30:39.evidence that young girls are being trafficked from Slovakia to Glasgow,
:30:40. > :30:43.where they're forced into sham marriages to local men. This is a
:30:44. > :30:48.scandal and a human tragedy, which is going on right under our noses
:30:49. > :30:52.here in Scotland right now. Can the First Minister set out what her
:30:53. > :30:55.Government will do to support girls who arrive in such appalling
:30:56. > :31:00.circumstances and what measures can be taken to crack down on
:31:01. > :31:06.trafficking, and traffickers who engage in this evil trade? This is
:31:07. > :31:10.an extremely important issue. It is as she is right to say, both a
:31:11. > :31:14.terrible crime. That is what human trafficking is. It's also a global
:31:15. > :31:21.problem. But it's important that we take robust steps to tackle it, both
:31:22. > :31:25.in cracking down on the crime committed but also making sure we're
:31:26. > :31:29.supporting the victims. Now in terms of tackling the crime, the human
:31:30. > :31:35.trafficking and exploitation act that was passed by this Parliament
:31:36. > :31:38.in to 15 gives police -- in 2015, gives police and prosecutors
:31:39. > :31:45.enhanced powers to detect and prosecute those who are responsible
:31:46. > :31:50.for human trafficking. Police Scotland uses joint investigation
:31:51. > :31:54.teams to work with Romanian and Slovakian police in this area. It's
:31:55. > :32:00.vital police Scotland continues to work closely with UK immigration,
:32:01. > :32:03.Europol and other nations' police forces in order to investigate
:32:04. > :32:09.offences and bring those responsible to justice. We will continue to make
:32:10. > :32:13.sure that our police force have the powers and eresources to investigate
:32:14. > :32:17.and to tackle what are evil crimes against these individuals. The
:32:18. > :32:22.second important point is how we support victims of human
:32:23. > :32:27.trafficking. We continue to support what is invaluable work of
:32:28. > :32:35.organisations that offer assistance to victims. In 2017/18 the
:32:36. > :32:39.Government will provide grant funding of ?800,000 to the specific
:32:40. > :32:43.organisations who support adult victims of human trafficking. That's
:32:44. > :32:48.an increase on previous funding. We'll continue to work with them to
:32:49. > :32:52.improve the support available to prevent re-trafficking. There's a
:32:53. > :32:55.range of - I don't have time to go into all of it, I'd be happy to
:32:56. > :32:59.write to the member with the detail of the work we are doing - but we
:33:00. > :33:03.should all agree that the crime of trafficking is evil. We must bring
:33:04. > :33:06.those responsible to justice and provide the support that the victims
:33:07. > :33:11.need. The Government will continue to focus on doing exactly that.
:33:12. > :33:15.As the First Minister may be aware there is huge disappointment and
:33:16. > :33:18.shock following the decision by the Crown office after a prolonged
:33:19. > :33:23.police investigation and I'm told nine court hearings to drop the case
:33:24. > :33:30.relating to the alleged illegal killing of a hen harrier in my
:33:31. > :33:36.constituency in 2013. They have taken a view that the evidence was
:33:37. > :33:41.inadd missable. Notwithstanding the progress made in recent years, will
:33:42. > :33:46.the First Minister acknowledge this case represents a serious crime
:33:47. > :33:49.against a threatened species. Most often this takes place in remote
:33:50. > :33:54.areas, the law and the approach of the Crown office must take into
:33:55. > :33:58.account such factors. Will the first machine investigate this case will a
:33:59. > :34:03.view tone suring the justice system doesn't miss any opportunities to
:34:04. > :34:09.hold those who illegally kill indigenous species to account? Yes,
:34:10. > :34:12.I do agree very much with Richard Lockhead. He will understand the
:34:13. > :34:17.decisions of the prosecution of crime are decisions for the Crown
:34:18. > :34:20.office and the law officers act in that respect independently of
:34:21. > :34:27.ministers. I think it's important that we take wildlife crime very
:34:28. > :34:30.seriously, indeed particularly in cases whereas he has highlighted
:34:31. > :34:38.today it threatens a threatened species. I would be happy to ask the
:34:39. > :34:42.relevant minister again to meet with Richard Lockhead to see what more we
:34:43. > :34:47.can do, particularly taking into account his point about often these
:34:48. > :34:50.crime take place in remote areas and are more difficult to detect. It's
:34:51. > :34:54.important to make sure the policy framework, the law around this and
:34:55. > :34:57.though it's independent of ministers, the decisions taken by
:34:58. > :35:01.the Crown office, are doing everything possible to crack down on
:35:02. > :35:03.these kinds of crime and I can assure him that we'll continue to do
:35:04. > :35:07.everything we can to make sure that's the case.
:35:08. > :35:13.Cry, College lecturers have been forced on strike for the fourth day
:35:14. > :35:18.in this dispute, impacting on them, their family and on their students'
:35:19. > :35:23.education and exams. Can I ask how many days lecturers will need to
:35:24. > :35:28.strike before the First Minister intervenes to ensure the pay deal is
:35:29. > :35:34.honoured and does she agree preparation time is essential for
:35:35. > :35:38.high quality learning? Yes I do agree with that Leys point. I want
:35:39. > :35:44.to see the dispute settled and I don't want to see lecturers on
:35:45. > :35:50.strike and it is not in their interest or students. As members
:35:51. > :35:59.will be aware, I won't go into all the detail, we have moved to a
:36:00. > :36:03.position of national bargaining, the discussions are about a
:36:04. > :36:08.harmonisation and this will see a pay rise for the majority. The
:36:09. > :36:12.discussions now are about how different college by college terms
:36:13. > :36:16.and conditions are replaced with a national system. Talks are
:36:17. > :36:23.continuing, and I would encourage both sides to go the extra mile,
:36:24. > :36:29.including and perhaps especially the employers. I would say in terms of
:36:30. > :36:33.point about government intervention, ministers have been speaking
:36:34. > :36:36.regularly with both sides in the dispute, trying to make sure we are
:36:37. > :36:42.doing everything to encourage them to move to a resolution. The move to
:36:43. > :36:47.national bargaining was something the unions campaigned for and
:36:48. > :36:52.something I'm delighted to say this government has delivered. But if a
:36:53. > :36:55.government has to step in, that is not the success of national
:36:56. > :37:00.bargaining that, would be the failure of national bargaining. So
:37:01. > :37:05.ministers will continue to discuss with both sides and do everything we
:37:06. > :37:10.can to bring the dispute to a settlement. Talks are ongoing today
:37:11. > :37:15.and certainly tomorrow I would hope we would see resolution of this,
:37:16. > :37:19.because that is in the interests of college lecturers and students and I
:37:20. > :37:24.hope that reassures the member that the government will continue to make
:37:25. > :37:32.shoor we are doing everything possible to bring that about. Four
:37:33. > :37:36.more questions. I would like to refer members to my register of
:37:37. > :37:40.interests to ask how the Government is marking mental health awareness
:37:41. > :37:43.week. Well, I welcome the opportunity to highlight mental
:37:44. > :37:50.health awareness week. It is important that we all do what we can
:37:51. > :37:55.to raise awareness. To mark the week, the minister for mental health
:37:56. > :38:03.met with parents of children and spoke at an event to discuss mental
:38:04. > :38:06.health stigma. We will hold the first meeting on 23rd June. That is
:38:07. > :38:12.a specific commitment, because we know working with stake holders will
:38:13. > :38:21.be key to building on the actions of the strategy. Thank you. In my
:38:22. > :38:27.opinion, one of the most important actioned in the strategy is to build
:38:28. > :38:31.a clinical network. Can the First Minister outline how the network
:38:32. > :38:35.will help mothers experiencing mental health problems? Progress is
:38:36. > :38:41.being made and I'm happy to confirm that this week the lead clinician
:38:42. > :38:44.for mental health has been successfully appointed. The Scottish
:38:45. > :38:48.Government officials attended the conference on Monday and heard at
:38:49. > :38:53.first hand from mothers their experience in asking for and getting
:38:54. > :38:56.the right help and I would expect the new network to help us get it
:38:57. > :39:01.right by driving up standards of care through sbe sbrags of services
:39:02. > :39:06.and -- integration of services and more collaboration. To ask the First
:39:07. > :39:12.Minister whether the Scottish Government has had discussions with
:39:13. > :39:21.SEPA to encourage it to have staff in gaining mouth. -- Grangemouth.
:39:22. > :39:27.The Scottish government is in discussions about the SEPA estate.
:39:28. > :39:35.SEPA staff are present in gaining mouth. But I -- Grangemouth. But I
:39:36. > :39:42.understand following discussions SEPA has agree toad see the benefits
:39:43. > :39:49.of supporting a Grangemouth site. Thank you. I welcome the fact that
:39:50. > :39:58.SEPA are going to have those discussions for Grangemouth. Doesn't
:39:59. > :40:02.require an answer. Question 6. To ask the First Minister what the
:40:03. > :40:06.Scottish government is doing to better resource planning authorities
:40:07. > :40:12.in light of an increase in planning fees for major applications from 1st
:40:13. > :40:16.June 2017. We need a planning system to support business and communities
:40:17. > :40:19.to deliver high quality development. There has been a general
:40:20. > :40:24.understanding that fee levels are too low and in many instances not in
:40:25. > :40:30.proportion to the work involved. We have always been clear that fees and
:40:31. > :40:34.performance go hand and hand and we are increasing the maximum fee to
:40:35. > :40:38.provide further resources. The Government will continue to work
:40:39. > :40:44.wall stake holders to ensure that planning services deliver for
:40:45. > :40:49.Scotland's communities. The First Minister will be aware that the
:40:50. > :40:55.national view of planning fee, that maximum fees have Ryz frn 30,000 to
:40:56. > :40:57.125,000 and let me say this is a welcome resource for local
:40:58. > :41:02.authorities. Many planning authorities have done an excellent
:41:03. > :41:07.job, despite cuts. Organisations such as homes for Scotland and
:41:08. > :41:12.smaller building firms who want to make sure there is an improvement in
:41:13. > :41:16.the service for those fees, would the First Minister recognise that
:41:17. > :41:21.these costs could be prohibitive if there is no at dramatic improvement
:41:22. > :41:24.in waiting times, in particular I'm looking at the figures for house
:41:25. > :41:29.building where there is an average wait of 48 weeks and I know the
:41:30. > :41:32.Government has a strong interest in this, planning to build 50,000
:41:33. > :41:38.houses and I would like to know what the First Minister can do to ensure
:41:39. > :41:41.the additional costs are spent on improving the planning system
:41:42. > :41:47.itself? I think it would make two points. First, it is important to
:41:48. > :41:52.stress the maximum fee and the fee increase only applies to major
:41:53. > :41:56.applications, that less than 1% of applications. So it wouldn't impact
:41:57. > :42:01.op plans to deliver 50,000 affordable homes. The second point
:42:02. > :42:05.is important, the fee increase is about giving councils resources to
:42:06. > :42:09.improve performance and improving planning performance and doing it on
:42:10. > :42:13.a consistent basis is one of the things we can do to boost sxhibg
:42:14. > :42:16.growth in -- economic growth in Scotland and it is vital the
:42:17. > :42:21.increases lead to that improvement in performance. I should say we are
:42:22. > :42:24.seeing improvements, reductions in waiting times, but there is more
:42:25. > :42:29.that can be done and I hope this increase in the fee together with
:42:30. > :42:36.the actions we will take from the review will help with that in the
:42:37. > :42:40.period ahead. Question 7. To ask the First Minister in light of local
:42:41. > :42:45.Government elections whether Scottish Scotland will act to
:42:46. > :42:51.randomise the names of candidates on ballot papers. For someone whose
:42:52. > :42:59.surname starts with an S, I can see the attraction. Can I congratulate
:43:00. > :43:05.all councillors elected, we will wish them well. Following the
:43:06. > :43:09.successful electronic count, randomised ordering of candidates'
:43:10. > :43:12.surnames is one innovation the Scottish Government will consider. I
:43:13. > :43:20.should say no decisions have been taken. But it is one of changes that
:43:21. > :43:30.will be considered. Thank you. The SNP randomises its own internal SNP
:43:31. > :43:43.ballot will and so seems reasonable to introduce such a method. In
:43:44. > :43:55.Glasgow, 40 of the 43 contests with Mo or two candidates from the same
:43:56. > :44:01.party stood. Glasgow City Council has populated by these names. Does
:44:02. > :44:07.the First Minister agree that after three elections, under the Single
:44:08. > :44:11.Transferable Vote, there is something wrong when a surname can
:44:12. > :44:15.prove a decisive factor and if this not addressed the credibility of the
:44:16. > :44:25.Single Transferable Vote system is at stake. I think that has to count
:44:26. > :44:31.as a classic Kenny Gibson question. Can I say just before address the
:44:32. > :44:42.question, I'm delighted that there was an Aiken electeded in Glasgow.
:44:43. > :44:46.Councillor Susan atd Ken is' -- - Aitken it set to be the leader of
:44:47. > :44:50.Glasgow council. It is important that no candidate in any election is
:44:51. > :44:54.at an unfair disadvantage. I think we would all agree with that. That
:44:55. > :45:00.is why we have said that we will examine the particular issue that
:45:01. > :45:02.Kenny Gibson has raised. Its important with any changes to
:45:03. > :45:07.elections that we build consensus around that. It is not for any one
:45:08. > :45:13.party to decide on those changes. So as we look at that, we will be
:45:14. > :45:21.looking at opinion not just across the parties, but across civic
:45:22. > :45:26.Scotland. So as we do, have this consideration I would everyone to
:45:27. > :45:29.contribute to it to build consensus. Thank you. That is the end of First
:45:30. > :45:33.Minister's questions.