:00:17. > :01:24.I am very impressed by the club to the approach by the councils and
:01:25. > :01:29.they have chosen to be a pathfinder for the regional partnerships
:01:30. > :01:34.drowned. We have continued to invest in Ayrshire and last month, North
:01:35. > :01:43.Ayrshire was selected for one of the two pilots that will benefit the
:01:44. > :01:49.growth deal aspirations. We recently met with the Secretary of State for
:01:50. > :01:54.business energy and raised a meeting between the secretary to establish
:01:55. > :02:01.how the growth deal fitted in with the industrial strategy framework.
:02:02. > :02:07.The timeline starts by initially aligning local Godman and private
:02:08. > :02:15.enterprise finding that can -- going to commitment from the Government.
:02:16. > :02:20.This will be an ongoing project, process as many projects, online.
:02:21. > :02:28.Can the Minister told Parliament if they have done this? I would say to
:02:29. > :02:35.the member that the process that would follow is whereby we take the
:02:36. > :02:39.proposals from the local councils and their partners and we analyse
:02:40. > :02:43.those and see which ones are best susceptible to support which will
:02:44. > :02:49.generate economic growth. The councils are aware of that process.
:02:50. > :02:53.They made that point clear and have said that what we would like to see
:02:54. > :03:00.is the UK Government having moved away from the city deal model, once
:03:01. > :03:08.all the cities in Scotland have been through that process, to talk about
:03:09. > :03:13.the industrial strategy. If that is the case, it is much better that we
:03:14. > :03:17.were together on that to maximise the benefit. We have asked for the
:03:18. > :03:23.UK Government to be part of the Ayrshire growth deal. They refuse to
:03:24. > :03:31.do that but it is possible that through the industrial strategy we
:03:32. > :03:36.could work together. We will in the meantime process the proposals with
:03:37. > :03:44.the growth job partners. I submitted a motion for members business on the
:03:45. > :03:47.growth deal, nonpartisan. The UK Government has displayed a
:03:48. > :03:55.encouraging attitude and expressed an interest in it so far. She then
:03:56. > :04:05.wrote to ask all in on MPs to lobby the chance to back the deal. Does
:04:06. > :04:11.the Cabinet Secretary agree it is disappointing that not a single Tory
:04:12. > :04:14.or opposition MPs supported a debate in this chamber and nor did the
:04:15. > :04:23.Chancellor even mention it in his budget speech. Let alone allocate a
:04:24. > :04:26.single penny of the money required to generate and stimulate the
:04:27. > :04:33.lasting economic growth that Escher needs? What I can say is I have
:04:34. > :04:37.expressed my desire to take forward discussions with the UK Government
:04:38. > :04:42.to support this deal. I have done that both in writing and face to
:04:43. > :04:46.face and it is unfortunate we have not have that explicit support from
:04:47. > :04:54.the UK Government to the growth deal itself. I am still hopeful that we
:04:55. > :04:57.can have some involvement by the UK Government including possibly
:04:58. > :05:03.financial assistance to some of the ambitions of the growth deal. We
:05:04. > :05:06.wrote to the Chancellor to asking to join us and partake discussions but
:05:07. > :05:17.the UK Government failed to make that commitment. I have recently
:05:18. > :05:27.discussed support for the Ayrshires. I will continue to push the UK
:05:28. > :05:32.Government on this matter. How is the Scottish Government supporting
:05:33. > :05:34.local authorities to providing welfare and advice? Local
:05:35. > :05:41.authorities have duties to fulfil in the provision of advice support in a
:05:42. > :05:49.number of areas. The Government will spend 21 million on advice related
:05:50. > :05:54.projects in 2017-18. Of this, 660,000 will be provided to local
:05:55. > :05:58.authorities to provide support, advice provision for people affected
:05:59. > :06:05.by debt and the UK Government's cuts. The Scottish Government has
:06:06. > :06:09.provided some 6.85 million to citizens advice Scotland for the
:06:10. > :06:15.provision of welfare advice across its network of 61 blue rose.
:06:16. > :06:19.Additionally we estimate that about 5.6 million of funding for local
:06:20. > :06:25.authority financial inclusion of related projects will be provided
:06:26. > :06:29.between April 20 15th and June 20 19th through the European social
:06:30. > :06:35.fund to support people affected by poverty and social isolation. In
:06:36. > :06:41.2017-18 we are providing local government with a funding package of
:06:42. > :06:45.10 billion and many councils are utilising this to both fulfil a
:06:46. > :06:52.range of statutory duties to provide advice and additional welfare
:06:53. > :06:55.support. Like the Minister I oppose Tory welfare cuts but it appears the
:06:56. > :07:01.Scottish Government is happy to court agreements, formant anger and
:07:02. > :07:06.waved flags and get on with the job of governing. We know that the
:07:07. > :07:12.Government's recent benefits update campaign lasted a week and had a
:07:13. > :07:18.budget of just ?6,000. I know the Minister has shamefully decided to
:07:19. > :07:22.cut ?600,000 of funding to welfare support and advice services in grass
:07:23. > :07:26.go alone. A decision the Tories would be proud of. How can the
:07:27. > :07:34.Minister justified the shameful attack on the most honourable in our
:07:35. > :07:41.communities? -- vulnerable. I think we knew that one was coming. It is a
:07:42. > :07:46.matter of some regret. If members would not shout at me but let me
:07:47. > :07:50.speak it is a matter of some regret the political point scoring yet
:07:51. > :07:54.again is the form front of Labour's mind rather than looking at the
:07:55. > :07:59.detail of what this Government is doing to support individuals across
:08:00. > :08:05.Scotland are facing the damaging austerity cuts imposed by the UK
:08:06. > :08:10.Government. Misinformation and misrepresentation of the fax service
:08:11. > :08:14.our constituents poorly and I countenance Labour to think about
:08:15. > :08:20.that matter. Would we have done is prioritise our use of the available
:08:21. > :08:24.funding to those areas most in need, including those most affected by the
:08:25. > :08:30.roll-out of universal credit and it is wrong to suggest that this
:08:31. > :08:36.Government is not funding advice and support services in Glasgow because
:08:37. > :08:39.we are as they are across constituencies in Scotland, and
:08:40. > :08:44.finally can I say if the member had done me the courtesy of listening to
:08:45. > :08:49.what I said previously in this chamber about the benefit take-up
:08:50. > :08:54.campaign, he would understand that along the Citizens Advice Bureau we
:08:55. > :08:58.jointly agreed on that first stage and that more of that work will come
:08:59. > :09:02.forward over the next four years. Can I say a great deal more than
:09:03. > :09:08.Labour ever did when they were the Scottish Government.
:09:09. > :09:17.Question three. Thank you. To ask the Scottish Government what
:09:18. > :09:23.benefits the Glasgow city deal will bring to Motherwell and Wishaw. The
:09:24. > :09:28.Scottish Government is a Phil Parker in the Glasgow city deal which is in
:09:29. > :09:31.its delivery stage and is contributing to 500 million over 20
:09:32. > :09:35.years and the ?1.13 billion Glasgow city region deal infrastructure
:09:36. > :09:37.fund. The deal and powers Glasgow and the city region partners
:09:38. > :09:42.including North Lanarkshire Council to identify and manage and deliver a
:09:43. > :09:49.programme of investment in infrastructure. The corner punisher
:09:50. > :09:53.projects have been identified, accounting for a total capital
:09:54. > :09:57.investment of around ?170 million. These projects include potential
:09:58. > :10:02.investment in roads and the structure to improve access, and to
:10:03. > :10:09.improve road and pedestrian links in the town centre. The Ravenscraig
:10:10. > :10:14.site in my constituency has been a national priority since 2013. Can I
:10:15. > :10:21.have the assurance of the Cabinet secretary that when capital is being
:10:22. > :10:25.considered a cross portfolio areas that the unique opportunities that
:10:26. > :10:29.this site has in relation to infrastructure and central belt
:10:30. > :10:34.location and land be considered to ensure for the regeneration of the
:10:35. > :10:37.site can be achieved. To the great to the member that in relation to
:10:38. > :10:41.the Glasgow city region deal it is up to the partners to prioritise
:10:42. > :10:44.projects, which are being supported by both ourselves and the UK
:10:45. > :10:47.Government but the Scottish Government is committed to working
:10:48. > :10:52.with North Berkshire Council and other parties on options for the
:10:53. > :10:57.father redevelopment of the Ravenscraig site. Over ?45 million
:10:58. > :11:00.has been invested to date to deliver a first phase of development. Market
:11:01. > :11:05.conditions have rendered impossible to deliver the proposed phase two of
:11:06. > :11:09.the Ravenscraig Ltd master plan. That is why in August 2016 Scottish
:11:10. > :11:14.enterprise approved a contribution of up to ?415,000 to part fund the
:11:15. > :11:21.development of a new master plan that will enable Ravenscraig Ltd to
:11:22. > :11:28.create a new master plan that is due in late an early summer. There have
:11:29. > :11:33.been cross-party concerns over some of the projects in the Glasgow city
:11:34. > :11:38.deal, both schemes in particular have been plucked off dusty shelves,
:11:39. > :11:42.having when the sometimes the decades, dusted off and thrown into
:11:43. > :11:47.the mix on the back of business cases which frankly don't stack up.
:11:48. > :11:51.The link road in North Lanarkshire and Stewart Field Way any skilled
:11:52. > :11:55.rider just to for which there is little to no justification. Claire
:11:56. > :11:59.Adamson is right to point out that Ravenscraig would be a useful any
:12:00. > :12:02.other city the money to be spent in as far as I can see there's nothing
:12:03. > :12:05.going on there. Such are the concerns of the local government and
:12:06. > :12:09.communities committee that will be doing at an enquiry into city deal
:12:10. > :12:13.so does the Minister agree with me that the Glasgow city deal should be
:12:14. > :12:23.rough rest in order to deliver the economic growth across the region? I
:12:24. > :12:27.would not want certainly to roll out a fresher look at these things but I
:12:28. > :12:30.point to the fact that the basis of the city deal includes an assurance
:12:31. > :12:33.framework that the UK and Scottish Government have signed up to. If
:12:34. > :12:38.that is dissatisfaction terms the dues framework and the member might
:12:39. > :12:42.want to take it with the UK Government to they share the
:12:43. > :12:46.dissatisfaction. I have not had that feedback as things stand but it is
:12:47. > :12:48.the case that perhaps the new local authority elections will provide us
:12:49. > :12:52.with the opportunity to look afresh at these things. As to whether
:12:53. > :12:57.projects were taken off dusty shelves, the projects were put
:12:58. > :12:59.forward by local authorities and we agreed to support them. They chose
:13:00. > :13:05.the priorities and we have backed them up. To ask the Scottish
:13:06. > :13:13.Government how many women in Scotland have been implanted with
:13:14. > :13:20.transfer journal mesh since 2007. 13,006 and 65 women in Scotland have
:13:21. > :13:24.been implanted since 2007. The Minister will be aware of the
:13:25. > :13:30.devastation felt by Scottish mesh of survivors who feel that the review
:13:31. > :13:33.into the use of mesh was a whitewash. The government is
:13:34. > :13:36.confident it is not a whitewash when will they bring forward the debate
:13:37. > :13:48.on this very important issue to the women and men of Scotland? As Neil
:13:49. > :13:53.Findlay knows, the chamber had the opportunity to question the Cabinet
:13:54. > :13:57.Secretary when she came with the statement to Parliament on the 30th
:13:58. > :14:04.of March, the Cabinet Secretary is also due to appear in front of the
:14:05. > :14:09.petitions committee and I think once that has taken its course if the
:14:10. > :14:17.debate is required then her ministers are happy to agree. To ask
:14:18. > :14:23.the Scottish Government what action has been taken to preserve green
:14:24. > :14:30.spaces. Scottish planning policy requires local development plans to
:14:31. > :14:36.identify and protect open spaces that have been identified as a
:14:37. > :14:38.valued and functional. We aim to significantly enhance green
:14:39. > :14:44.networks, particularly in and around our towns and cities. I thank the
:14:45. > :14:52.Minister for that reply and in my own constituency of Glasgow Kelvin,
:14:53. > :14:54.North Kelvin Meadows was saved after the community came together to
:14:55. > :14:59.oppose the planning application from the development subsequently called
:15:00. > :15:03.in by the Scottish Government. In the Cabinet Secretary advised by the
:15:04. > :15:11.Scottish Government can offer in further support to save green spaces
:15:12. > :15:16.such as Kelvin and others on how the support is communicated to the focal
:15:17. > :15:25.communities? In other satellite has been a keen campaigner on the issue
:15:26. > :15:28.of North Kelvin Meadows, so let me assure the Scottish Government have
:15:29. > :15:33.taken action to support green space. I understand that North Kelvin medal
:15:34. > :15:39.is owned by Glasgow City Council, so thanks to our community empowerment
:15:40. > :15:42.act there is a right for community bodies to make requests to local
:15:43. > :15:47.authorities for any land that they feel they can make better use of
:15:48. > :15:53.through the asset transfer process. That may be an option there. Asset
:15:54. > :15:58.transfer of course will give more communities the opportunity to have
:15:59. > :16:02.control of land or premises to help them develop their own economies and
:16:03. > :16:04.environments. Any community body interested in using assets
:16:05. > :16:10.transferred to preserve green space in the area should get in touch with
:16:11. > :16:13.the community ownership support service. This is a programme is
:16:14. > :16:21.funded by the government to help community groups take on land or
:16:22. > :16:23.build assets for their communities. Thank you presiding officer. To ask
:16:24. > :16:26.the Scottish Government what progress it is making in closing the
:16:27. > :16:31.attainment gap in the Scottish Borders. The Scottish Government
:16:32. > :16:34.through the Scottish attainment challenges providing increased
:16:35. > :16:38.support for local authorities, including Scottish Borders with the
:16:39. > :16:43.work to close a poverty related attainment gap. The Scottish Borders
:16:44. > :16:46.have received over ?315,000 from the attainment Scotland fund over the
:16:47. > :16:53.course of the last two years and will receive 1.8 million in pupil
:16:54. > :16:55.equity funding in 2017-2018. Head teachers have the flexibility to
:16:56. > :16:59.target resources and interventions the noble close the attainment gap
:17:00. > :17:03.and the currently preparing the plans for the use of this funding.
:17:04. > :17:09.Thank you. The attainment gap in the Borders remains one of the worst in
:17:10. > :17:13.Scotland. Indeed the SNP's record on education in the Borders is not
:17:14. > :17:17.good, class sizes are at a record high as teaching numbers dropped by
:17:18. > :17:23.nearly 80, the number of supply teachers have plummeted by 40%, only
:17:24. > :17:27.one in ten primary 1-3 tables or in smaller classes, a record low, and
:17:28. > :17:32.the standard of education across Scotland which was once a world
:17:33. > :17:35.leading is now only average. Teachers work incredibly hard on the
:17:36. > :17:41.Scottish Borders but they aren't pupils are being let down by this
:17:42. > :17:50.SNP government. Is this a record the Cabinet Secretary is proud of? We
:17:51. > :17:54.know the cheerful optimistic tone that John Lamb and is going to be
:17:55. > :17:59.taking to the Borders over the course of the next few weeks. I was
:18:00. > :18:05.going to be genderless to Mr alignment to say to him that I know
:18:06. > :18:11.he will be leaving us tomorrow but on the basis of the miserable tone
:18:12. > :18:14.that he has expressed he can realise the significant investment that has
:18:15. > :18:18.been made in the Borders and I look forward to making sure that the
:18:19. > :18:23.young people and electors of the Borders understand the strenuous
:18:24. > :18:26.efforts this government will make to close the attainment gap in the
:18:27. > :18:37.Borders and I look forward to Mr Lamb at's -- to Mr Lambert being a
:18:38. > :18:40.distant observer of that process. To ask the Scottish Government what
:18:41. > :18:44.discussions it has had with the Welsh government regarding organ
:18:45. > :18:51.donation scissor human transplantation Wales axe 2013 came
:18:52. > :18:55.into full effect in December 20 15. Scottish Government officials have
:18:56. > :18:58.been in regular contact with Welsh colleagues since the introduction of
:18:59. > :19:03.the human transplantation Wales act and are due to meet soon to discuss
:19:04. > :19:07.the operation of the act. Additionally the opt out system in
:19:08. > :19:10.Wales is discussed in regular meetings on organ donation such as
:19:11. > :19:15.NHS blood and transport board meetings and taking organ
:19:16. > :19:21.transplantation to 2020 strategy meetings where all four governments
:19:22. > :19:23.of the UK are represented. The Scottish Conservatives supported the
:19:24. > :19:26.Scottish Government to hinder progress of an McTaggart 's bill
:19:27. > :19:31.when the government took the view that we should wait to see what the
:19:32. > :19:35.speedy in Wales was. The government at the time and to Kelly enlist
:19:36. > :19:40.Parliament to bring forward fresh proposals in light of that. Where
:19:41. > :19:44.now almost 18 months since the introduction of the change in Wales,
:19:45. > :19:47.the car I have the Minister Wendy Eley introduction of new fresh
:19:48. > :19:55.Scottish Government proposals will come? As Jackson Carla knows the
:19:56. > :19:59.Scottish Government has recently gone out to consultation, including
:20:00. > :20:06.a presumption in favour of moving to an opt out system, assuming it can
:20:07. > :20:09.be introduced safely. The consultation responses are currently
:20:10. > :20:15.being independently analysed and we will there from that analysis as
:20:16. > :20:21.well as from the experience and evidence from elsewhere in the world
:20:22. > :20:25.including Wales and we will look at that analysis carefully before
:20:26. > :20:30.reaching a decision on the way forward. We expect to receive the
:20:31. > :20:34.analysis in May and will continue to take steps in the months thereafter.
:20:35. > :20:39.That concludes general questions.