Ruth Davidson

:00:21. > :00:32.We're putting the leaders of the SNP, the Conservatives,

:00:33. > :00:36.Labour and the Liberal Democrats on the spot this week.

:00:37. > :00:37.They'll each face questions from a live studio

:00:38. > :00:44.And I'll try to press them for the answers.

:00:45. > :00:47.If you'd like to join in the debate on social media,

:00:48. > :00:50.We heard from Willie Rennie and Kezia Dugdale

:00:51. > :00:52.earlier in the week, and we'll speak to Nicola

:00:53. > :00:57.But tonight it's the turn of Ruth Davidson, leader

:00:58. > :01:00.of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party.

:01:01. > :01:05.And the first question for her comes from Susan Kelso.

:01:06. > :01:14.Thank you. Hello, Ruth. I am worried about the Brexit negotiations. This

:01:15. > :01:19.week we had seen Theresa May crumble in the face of questions from the

:01:20. > :01:22.public and journalists. How will she stand up to the remaining EU

:01:23. > :01:26.countries when she can't even stand up to Jeremy Paxman?

:01:27. > :01:30.I think you heard today from Theresa May, she made a big speech on

:01:31. > :01:34.Brexit. She stalked the country through the issues she wants to

:01:35. > :01:38.raise as we go forward. She's talked about her priorities for Brexit, the

:01:39. > :01:42.way in which we want to approach the negotiations, things like ensuring

:01:43. > :01:47.we get the right deal and cooperation for crime and Security,

:01:48. > :01:52.making sure we not only secure the EU nationals here's rights but

:01:53. > :01:57.abroad, to make sure we get a comprehensive free trade deal, so we

:01:58. > :02:01.can still trade freely, and these are things a whole country can get

:02:02. > :02:04.behind. I don't doubt there will be challenges. This is a case of making

:02:05. > :02:10.sure we have the right person at the table. I'm not sure what Jeremy

:02:11. > :02:13.Corbyn's priorities for Brexit are, I don't think he has laid out to the

:02:14. > :02:17.country in the same way the Prime Minister has. That is the decision

:02:18. > :02:21.the country will have to make. I have seen Theresa May work, the

:02:22. > :02:25.application she puts in, the hard work she does, the diligence she has

:02:26. > :02:30.in number ten and I think she will absolutely rise to the challenge.

:02:31. > :02:34.The three she keeps using is she offers strong and stable leadership.

:02:35. > :02:40.Was it strong not to turn up to the BBC debate? 2010 was only leaders

:02:41. > :02:46.debate, leader wide, that there's been. David Cameron took part. He

:02:47. > :02:49.didn't do it in 2015. There's only one that's ever happened. If you're

:02:50. > :02:54.looking at an example where you can trust the leadership of Jeremy

:02:55. > :02:59.Corbyn and Theresa May there is a good Scottish example. When Nicola

:03:00. > :03:01.Sturgeon was demanding a second independence referendum, Theresa May

:03:02. > :03:06.laid out her reasons very clearly that now is not the time. You had to

:03:07. > :03:10.see what the two options looked alike, nor could you be dragged back

:03:11. > :03:13.there when the country didn't want to. Let me show the contrast, you're

:03:14. > :03:18.asking me to talk about potential leaders. Let me ask you, I'm sure

:03:19. > :03:24.you'll get the chance to make your point. Jeremy Corbyn did say he

:03:25. > :03:26.would be absolutely fine with the second independence referendum and

:03:27. > :03:29.said he would negotiate with Nicola Sturgeon about it. There is an

:03:30. > :03:35.example of strong and stable leadership from Theresa May but not

:03:36. > :03:38.Jeremy Corbyn. Is it an example of strong and stable leadership of

:03:39. > :03:42.Theresa May to backtrack on her plans to make changes to national

:03:43. > :03:45.insurance contributions in the last budget? I think we want to make sure

:03:46. > :03:48.we have the right deal for the country. We want to ensure we have

:03:49. > :03:52.an income that can support our public services but we also don't

:03:53. > :03:57.want to hamper business organisations. OK, but was it an

:03:58. > :04:01.example of strong and stable leadership for Theresa May to

:04:02. > :04:04.reverse her proposals in the manifesto on social care? They

:04:05. > :04:09.haven't been reversed, it's about making sure in the English system,

:04:10. > :04:12.and it's a separate system in Scotland, the long-term challenge of

:04:13. > :04:16.care is addressed. These are difficult decisions, really complex

:04:17. > :04:23.issues. She wants to make sure there is ?100,000 of the well maintained

:04:24. > :04:30.for residential care. In Scotland it is only 26,000 500. These are tough

:04:31. > :04:33.questions. Government is about tough questions but she is grasping the

:04:34. > :04:38.nettle of these tough questions. She certainly has been when it comes to

:04:39. > :04:42.independence. Let's go back to the question, what is your own view? My

:04:43. > :04:46.concern is Theresa May is good at sound bites and standing up a podium

:04:47. > :04:50.and reading a rehearsed script... APPLAUSE

:04:51. > :04:54.But when she is questioned on it she crumbles and comes over as weak and

:04:55. > :05:03.wobbly, and that is my concern when she faces the EU countries. If you

:05:04. > :05:08.want a reality TV star, look to America. I want her to stand up for

:05:09. > :05:11.her views. You have one of the longest serving Home Secretary is on

:05:12. > :05:17.record, who has faced down terror threats in this country. She

:05:18. > :05:24.crumbles. I don't believe that is the case. OK, one thing she has said

:05:25. > :05:28.is she wants this election to have her own mandate, a stronger mandate

:05:29. > :05:32.and that somehow that will strengthen her hand in the Brexit

:05:33. > :05:36.negotiations. How? She will have to sit across the table from 27 other

:05:37. > :05:40.readers and asked the country to come behind her. How do you

:05:41. > :05:43.demonstrate that people abroad? If you have won an election, that's how

:05:44. > :05:48.you demonstrate the country is behind you. If she wins, no matter

:05:49. > :05:53.how big her mandate, she will still be the Prime Minister of one country

:05:54. > :05:57.against 27. That doesn't change anything? You saw before the general

:05:58. > :05:59.election was called, you had other leaders, including Nicola Sturgeon

:06:00. > :06:03.on social media, saying she had no mandate at all and didn't speak to

:06:04. > :06:07.Britain. People abroad can see that. They can see what other people in

:06:08. > :06:12.the political sphere in the UK are saying about the Prime Minister of

:06:13. > :06:20.the UK, will have to try and get the best deal for this country. I think

:06:21. > :06:23.if she is being challenged to have a mandate, and that challenge is made

:06:24. > :06:26.public, she is right to go and get it. If she offers such strong and

:06:27. > :06:30.stable leadership, why does it appear that Labour is narrowing the

:06:31. > :06:34.gap in the opinion polls? If you look at the opinion polls, and I'm

:06:35. > :06:38.not sure after 2015, Brexit or the American election you should trust

:06:39. > :06:42.them, but if you look at what's there, the biggest landslide in my

:06:43. > :06:47.political lifetime as Tony Blair in 1997. 43% of the vote. The UK

:06:48. > :06:53.Conservatives are currently polling 45%, even higher than 97 Lions wide.

:06:54. > :07:01.Jeremy Corbyn is creeping up. -- and 97 landslide. Polls quite often

:07:02. > :07:04.narrow before the vote. I want to bring in more voices from our

:07:05. > :07:10.audience on this. The lady in the middle with the blue top. Just

:07:11. > :07:14.following what you said about Jeremy Corbyn, not really putting out case,

:07:15. > :07:17.I think at least he showed up last night and addressed the nation on

:07:18. > :07:23.how he was going to be that strong and stable leader. APPLAUSE

:07:24. > :07:26.The young man at the back. It's humiliating she tweeted her answer

:07:27. > :07:32.to that question and wasn't there to answer. The gentleman? We need a

:07:33. > :07:38.free trade agreement, it took Canada six years. We have 666 days to leave

:07:39. > :07:42.the European Union, any trade deal, there won't be a deal when we leave,

:07:43. > :07:45.it will cost households ?1700. Brexit will be a disaster and

:07:46. > :07:51.Theresa May is not the person to be at the helm of that ship. APPLAUSE

:07:52. > :07:56.I think the difference between us and other countries is we have

:07:57. > :08:01.already been within the EU, so we already comply to all of the

:08:02. > :08:04.regulations, all the other things that need to be worked out with the

:08:05. > :08:07.free trade agreement. Some of the elements that have to be decided

:08:08. > :08:12.upon. We already comply with so much of this. We are starting further

:08:13. > :08:17.ahead in the great, if you like, than another country like Canada

:08:18. > :08:20.would. When you are campaigning for Remain in the EU referendum, and you

:08:21. > :08:25.were one of the leading campaigners for that site, you said Brexit would

:08:26. > :08:29.result in the UK crashing the economy. When did you change your

:08:30. > :08:34.mind? I think if we don't get a good deal it could be very challenging.

:08:35. > :08:36.That's why I'm so supportive to make sure we have the right people

:08:37. > :08:41.leading the country and I think that is Theresa May. User Brexit would

:08:42. > :08:44.mean we would crash our economy. I think there are huge challenges.

:08:45. > :08:50.Have you changed your mind about that was still very worried? I would

:08:51. > :08:54.still Vote Remain, if the question was asked, I campaigned for it. The

:08:55. > :08:57.differences, and this might be more potent in Scotland than anywhere

:08:58. > :09:01.else, if you as a politician say there is a massive decision that the

:09:02. > :09:04.country has to make and it is so big it has to be taken out of the hands

:09:05. > :09:08.of politicians in Parliament and has to be made by the country as a

:09:09. > :09:11.whole, then to just turn around and say, I didn't like that result,

:09:12. > :09:18.let's redo the election again and again and the referendum again and

:09:19. > :09:21.again, then I don't think... I say we shouldn't do that on Scottish

:09:22. > :09:24.independence, I have the right -- I don't have the right to say that the

:09:25. > :09:30.Brexit either. I have to now make sure we have the strongest position,

:09:31. > :09:35.because that's the decision that was made year. Let's look at something

:09:36. > :09:37.you said in the aftermath about the sort of deal you thought we should

:09:38. > :09:43.get after the referendum. You would like to stay in the single

:09:44. > :09:49.market? Yes. Even if a consequence of that is maintaining free movement

:09:50. > :09:55.of labour? Even so, yes. When did you change your mind on that? The

:09:56. > :09:58.reason I campaigned for Remain and believe in free markets is on the

:09:59. > :10:01.centre-right politician. I want Scottish businesses to trade freely

:10:02. > :10:05.across the continent. You are no longer arguing you want to be in the

:10:06. > :10:10.single market? If you let me just carry on a second to explain why I'm

:10:11. > :10:13.saying that. The system we had, the system I was campaigning for within

:10:14. > :10:19.Remain was we stayed within the way in which we were allowed to do that.

:10:20. > :10:30.The framework was the single market. Now, the Prime Minister says as we

:10:31. > :10:33.leave, and that was a decision taken by the entire country, not just

:10:34. > :10:36.politicians, that as we leave she wants to ensure we still have the

:10:37. > :10:38.ability to trade freely across the continent through combines a free

:10:39. > :10:40.trade agreement. We can quibble about the framework but if it allows

:10:41. > :10:43.Scottish businesses to trade freely across the continent, of course I

:10:44. > :10:45.support that. You said you would be prepared to accept the free movement

:10:46. > :10:49.of people but your party has rejected that as a core principle of

:10:50. > :10:54.the Brexit negotiations. Because they decided or agreed that was one

:10:55. > :10:57.thing the people rejected in the vote itself. It was on the ballot

:10:58. > :11:02.paper? Being part of the European Union was one of the integral parts.

:11:03. > :11:05.Within days of the referendum result leave you are talking up the

:11:06. > :11:09.possibility of staying in the single market and retailing free movement

:11:10. > :11:13.of people. I was asked about my position. I believed in those things

:11:14. > :11:17.because that's what I voted for a few days before it was filmed. Let's

:11:18. > :11:20.bring in the audience, the lady in the front row with glasses and then

:11:21. > :11:26.the gentleman at the backstop don't you talk about Theresa May's Brexit

:11:27. > :11:29.priorities. Why has it not been a priority to guarantee EU nationals

:11:30. > :11:34.here? Shouldn't people be a priority? Absolutely. She made an

:11:35. > :11:38.approach to other EU leaders to ask if we could do this before Article

:11:39. > :11:42.30 and the negotiation process and was rejected on that request. She is

:11:43. > :11:46.right to say we need to get this sorted first and foremost. She is

:11:47. > :11:49.also right to make sure the millions of British people living abroad also

:11:50. > :11:53.have security that is given to them, as well as making sure we get

:11:54. > :11:59.security to EU nationals here. She could have taken the lead. She did.

:12:00. > :12:04.She should've said the UK were guaranteeing the right of EU

:12:05. > :12:08.nationals. As Prime Minister of the UK she has a responsibility to Brits

:12:09. > :12:14.who live elsewhere. Let me bring in the gentleman in the back row. What

:12:15. > :12:17.do you think of our stance to only involve a handful of Cabinet

:12:18. > :12:21.ministers in the decision-making process? Why isn't it going back to

:12:22. > :12:25.Parliament? We have agreed it will go back to Parliament and in terms

:12:26. > :12:28.of having a negotiating team, people have their different tasks. Don't

:12:29. > :12:33.think for one second that in the last year that haven't been

:12:34. > :12:37.unbelievable amounts of meetings with ministers, officials, advisors,

:12:38. > :12:41.with all of the different interest groups, individual sectors, with

:12:42. > :12:47.unions, with others, about what it is they want. One of the things I

:12:48. > :12:52.found quite surprising, because I was quite surprising about the EU

:12:53. > :12:57.result last year, was within days of it, the amount of people knocking at

:12:58. > :13:01.my door with a wholly rational response saying, this is what my

:13:02. > :13:05.company or this is what my sector or this is what my area of expertise is

:13:06. > :13:08.worried about when we leave, so this is what we have to get right. All

:13:09. > :13:12.this is what I have always hated about the European Union, if we come

:13:13. > :13:17.out, can we change it? Whether it was the fishermen 's Federation, NFU

:13:18. > :13:20.Scotland, the financial services sector. They wanted to make sure

:13:21. > :13:24.I've said that in and they could get meetings and these meetings have

:13:25. > :13:28.been going on, to make sure the government understand not just what

:13:29. > :13:31.organisations in Scotland want but right across the UK. Let me move on

:13:32. > :13:36.to another topic. We are rapidly getting through our time. This

:13:37. > :13:40.question comes from Jane Reid, submitted from home. She asks, where

:13:41. > :13:45.do you stand on the triple lock for pensioners? The triple lock was

:13:46. > :13:49.brought in because under the last government there was quite a lot of

:13:50. > :13:54.very small rises in the pension, way below inflation. One year it was

:13:55. > :13:59.only 10p a week. I should explain what the mechanism does. It means

:14:00. > :14:04.pensions, state pension is operated by either... Inflation, wages or

:14:05. > :14:09.2.5%, whatever its highest. The reason it was brought in was so that

:14:10. > :14:13.it caught up. That party was going to guarantee the triple lock stays

:14:14. > :14:17.until 2020 and after that it will be a double lock, rising with wages or

:14:18. > :14:22.information. Once we have self rated, it will never drop below that

:14:23. > :14:27.again. But it is likely, is it not, that over time, that will slow the

:14:28. > :14:31.pace at which pensions increase? That depends on inflation wages. It

:14:32. > :14:35.will take money away from pensioners? It will go up every year

:14:36. > :14:39.and it won't be going up by 10p every year like we saw under Gordon

:14:40. > :14:45.Brown. It will be significant rises every year. You say that... But it

:14:46. > :14:47.wouldn't be guaranteed rise if there was no inflation and if earnings

:14:48. > :14:56.weren't rising? There would be no rise? Can you point me to a time,

:14:57. > :15:03.that has never happened, Glenn! You are confident it will continue to

:15:04. > :15:08.rise. The research into this between 2010- the present suggests that had

:15:09. > :15:11.we not had the triple lock, the 2.5% guaranteed. Which the Conservatives

:15:12. > :15:16.brought in and every other party voted against. They are supporting

:15:17. > :15:21.it at this election. Every time you put it through budget. The research

:15:22. > :15:27.carried out by the Telegraph said the pension would be worth ?107 less

:15:28. > :15:32.if the 2.5% part of the triple lock had been applied.

:15:33. > :15:38.That is why we make sure we brought it back to where it should be. It

:15:39. > :15:44.will continue into 2020 and never fall below that level again. Another

:15:45. > :15:50.question, Jonathan Bryson? I want to know what the Tories will

:15:51. > :15:55.do to demonstrate that they will value disabled people again in the

:15:56. > :15:59.future? One of the things we are trying to do. In the last general

:16:00. > :16:03.election, we said we wanted to have the disability employment gap, so we

:16:04. > :16:13.know there are barriers to people seeking to get into employment. We

:16:14. > :16:17.changed DLA. There is Personal Independence Payments. One of the

:16:18. > :16:22.reasons for that is to make sure we had parity of esteem between people

:16:23. > :16:25.who had mental health issues and physical issues, but which impacted

:16:26. > :16:28.on their ability in the workplace and perhaps weren't able to get into

:16:29. > :16:32.work. So, these are changes that we've made. And I think what is

:16:33. > :16:36.important as well is one of the things we are doing now, and you

:16:37. > :16:40.know, this is, I think this is such a good idea. I wish we'd done it

:16:41. > :16:47.sooner and wished it occurred to do it sooner, is we are putting more

:16:48. > :16:50.work coaches into Job Centres to help with issues people with

:16:51. > :16:54.disabilities have. They will help with CV writing, core skills and

:16:55. > :16:59.helping to get a job. They should be able to help employers to feel as if

:17:00. > :17:03.they are confident enough to take on disabled staff. We know sometimes

:17:04. > :17:07.the difficulty is actually at the employer end rather than the ability

:17:08. > :17:12.of the person presenting for interview. Your manifesto talks

:17:13. > :17:18.about getting one million more disabled people into work over a

:17:19. > :17:22.time. What is your own experience? Well, I just, I have a good

:17:23. > :17:30.experience in terms of work, etc. I feel that the sentiment that is

:17:31. > :17:36.around since 2010 is bad. When you have messages from the Budget, where

:17:37. > :17:40.George Osborne said we will cut taxes for the top and then cut

:17:41. > :17:42.benefits does not give a message that you value disabled people. It

:17:43. > :17:55.gives a message... It gives a message that the strong

:17:56. > :18:01.in society get spoils and those who are vulnerable are left to

:18:02. > :18:06.themselves. And I think that is deplorable. George Osborne may have

:18:07. > :18:12.gone, but I feel that that sentiment still exists. One of May's special

:18:13. > :18:16.advisers says we will target the most needy disabled. That does not

:18:17. > :18:21.make disabled people feel better. You have outlined some very

:18:22. > :18:25.interesting micro-policies. There has to be a message coming back to

:18:26. > :18:30.disabled people, saying, we value you. There is 30 million people,

:18:31. > :18:36.according to Scope, who are disabled in this country. Only 11 million or

:18:37. > :18:41.between 11 million-12 million people voted Tory in the last election. Why

:18:42. > :18:45.aren't you saying, come on disabled people, vote for us. That is

:18:46. > :18:50.something for all parties, I have to say. First of all, if you want a big

:18:51. > :18:53.message, my big message is I want to see the ability, no not the

:18:54. > :18:57.disability. That is one of the reasons why enabling people who are

:18:58. > :19:02.able to work and want to work and find there are barriers on their...

:19:03. > :19:05.Do you understand why Jonathan and others with disabilities feel they

:19:06. > :19:10.are being penalised when benefits are taken away? Actually, in terms

:19:11. > :19:13.of disability benefit, the movement to PIP means more people are on the

:19:14. > :19:18.higher rate. I know that when you talk about statistics it does not

:19:19. > :19:21.relate to people's own lives. It seems difficult to be able to do

:19:22. > :19:26.that. One of the things we are trying to do is to make sure that it

:19:27. > :19:30.is a more responsive benefit that does help people and also it is

:19:31. > :19:35.about making sure that people have the help that they need, rather than

:19:36. > :19:39.the fact that they are left. We don't want people to be left behind.

:19:40. > :19:45.We want them to come on that journey. That is clear, but when you

:19:46. > :19:51.have a situation where policy advisers say we are going to only

:19:52. > :19:54.help the most needy disabled and in the same statement, in front of

:19:55. > :20:00.Parliament, have a Chancellor who says, we are going to cut taxes at

:20:01. > :20:04.the top and then leave the vulnerable with less, then I find

:20:05. > :20:06.that difficult to deal with. Thank you very much for your

:20:07. > :20:12.contribution. I know that others want to come in

:20:13. > :20:18.on this. So, the gentleman in the middle with the baseball cap. You

:20:19. > :20:21.have just said that you're going to introduce like coaches into Job

:20:22. > :20:26.Centres - is this the same Job Centres that you guys are closing

:20:27. > :20:30.down all over the city? The lady over here I would like to

:20:31. > :20:40.ask if your party does get into Government if you would make, give

:20:41. > :20:44.better training to Pep assessments. I have been to an assessment. I was

:20:45. > :20:49.declined on the basis I didn't look like I had a mental health issue.

:20:50. > :20:54.Tell us more about that. I was referred by two of my medical

:20:55. > :20:59.professionals. I had chosen myself to come off of Disability Living

:21:00. > :21:04.Allowance because I felt it was well controlled. I was not able to make

:21:05. > :21:08.that choice myself. I'm epileptic and it is very well controlled

:21:09. > :21:12.thanks to the NHS. Although they are understood funded with that at the

:21:13. > :21:17.moment. When I went to my assessment it was for the mental health issues

:21:18. > :21:22.which had come from it. I was told, you don't look, I looked in perfect

:21:23. > :21:26.health, therefore I didn't qualify for any benefits. What impact did

:21:27. > :21:31.that have on you? I put in an appeal. I wanted an appeal to have

:21:32. > :21:36.people educated. I myself found that very difficult. I can only imagine

:21:37. > :21:40.how difficult it would be for someone who potentially has much, a

:21:41. > :21:46.much harder time coping. I'm in full-time work and things. It was a

:21:47. > :21:49.horrific letter to receive. Mental health and disabilities are not

:21:50. > :21:56.vizable for that reason. Is that how it's meant to work? I am happy to

:21:57. > :22:00.take that case up with. It shouldn't work like that. We want to get it

:22:01. > :22:05.right. We inherited a system which did not work well. We have done

:22:06. > :22:09.revisions and retraining. With the assessments we make sure it is

:22:10. > :22:12.medical staff doing it. There are questions about abilities, rather

:22:13. > :22:16.than ability, you know, looking at a person. That is absolutely not how

:22:17. > :22:22.it is meant to work. If that hasn't happened in your case I will take it

:22:23. > :22:25.up for you. I was told my numbers didn't add up. It is not the

:22:26. > :22:29.personal approach that the Government are putting it out there.

:22:30. > :22:32.It is more personal, tailored to you. I will try and get the numbers

:22:33. > :22:37.right. It is four or five revisions since we came into the system that

:22:38. > :22:41.we inherited to get it better every time. I accept it is not perfect.

:22:42. > :22:44.There may not be a perfect system out there. I don't know if there is

:22:45. > :22:47.anywhere in the world. We want to try and get it right for individual

:22:48. > :22:52.people. In your case you were badly let down. I am happy to take that

:22:53. > :22:56.case up for you. I want to bring in another question, because time is

:22:57. > :23:01.moving on quickly. Our next question from Kelly Given.

:23:02. > :23:06.Politics aside, do you specifically, as a woman, truly believe in the

:23:07. > :23:12.rape clause and what it represents for our most vulnerable women? What

:23:13. > :23:17.we mean when we talk about the rape clause - there is a policy which

:23:18. > :23:22.limits tax credit claims to the first two children. There are

:23:23. > :23:28.exemptions for multiple births and for women who have a third child as

:23:29. > :23:33.a result of rape. It is about giving women extra help. Women who have

:23:34. > :23:39.been raped do deserve extra help. There is a big debate we can have on

:23:40. > :23:41.whether we should have limited or unlimited benefits. I think in

:23:42. > :23:44.exceptional cases there should be exceptions. I have said in the past

:23:45. > :23:49.when people have challenged about the way in which it is carried out,

:23:50. > :23:53.the way it is brought forward, is it is supposed to be, the way you

:23:54. > :23:57.qualify for extra help is third party professionals fill out the

:23:58. > :24:01.form for you. That is a system which currently works for people that have

:24:02. > :24:05.been victims of domestic violence and it has cross-party support. That

:24:06. > :24:11.was the best model we could see to work in this area. If as this rolls

:24:12. > :24:15.out and it is coming in now, if it doesn't work well for the woman

:24:16. > :24:19.involved, we can look at that again. You say if it doesn't work well for

:24:20. > :24:25.women involved, what do you imagine it feels like for somebody who has

:24:26. > :24:30.been raped and has had a child as a result of that to have to tell, to

:24:31. > :24:34.relive their horrific experience, albeit through a third party, just

:24:35. > :24:39.to claim a few quid in state benefits? It is very difficult when

:24:40. > :24:43.you have got to fill, when you are asked to fill out a criminal

:24:44. > :24:49.compensation form. Women who have been subject to rape already have to

:24:50. > :24:52.do. One of the reasons we have asked third party professionals to help

:24:53. > :24:57.fill it out so they don't have to go through the details. Every time I

:24:58. > :25:01.hear you speak about this, you don't look comfortable. Rape is a very

:25:02. > :25:06.difficult thing to talk about. I find it difficult when people walk

:25:07. > :25:10.through my doors, in my surgeries, if you have been subject to

:25:11. > :25:15.violence, I don't think there is any woman who hasn't been or doesn't

:25:16. > :25:18.know somebody close to them who has been subject to sexual violence at

:25:19. > :25:22.some points in their lives. I accept this is a difficult thing to talk

:25:23. > :25:27.about. I go back to the question. If you think it is a difficult thing to

:25:28. > :25:32.talk about, why are you making women talk about very painful experiences?

:25:33. > :25:35.That's why they themselves don't have to fill out the form. That is

:25:36. > :25:38.why it is for others to do it. They don't have to bring forward

:25:39. > :25:41.evidence. They don't have to bring forward a crime report number. They

:25:42. > :25:46.don't have to bring forward supporting convictions. It is about

:25:47. > :25:50.making sure if they want extra financial support, it is there for

:25:51. > :25:53.them. Do you not think it will be more of a deterrent. I personally

:25:54. > :25:58.have not experienced anything like that, if I had, I would imagine that

:25:59. > :26:02.being faced with a choice, if I was to have to fill out an eight-page

:26:03. > :26:08.form or walk away without a few extra quid, I would probably do

:26:09. > :26:11.that. Can one not argue it is a money-saving technique? To put

:26:12. > :26:16.people off from making the claim? Absolutely not. There is a limit on

:26:17. > :26:20.child tax credits. It is set at two children. There a debate on whether

:26:21. > :26:24.you should have limited or unlimited benefits. If there are limits, there

:26:25. > :26:27.should be exemptions when there are exceptional cases. And, you know,

:26:28. > :26:34.like I say, if there is a way of doing it better, I want to hear it.

:26:35. > :26:37.But I do think that women who have had children in the worst of

:26:38. > :26:42.circumstances, if they want extra help it should be there for them.

:26:43. > :26:45.You either make people answer the question, or you don't. If there is

:26:46. > :26:51.a limit and somebody comes forward who has had a child in an, you know,

:26:52. > :26:56.in a multiple birth or whether a child of rape, and that limit is

:26:57. > :27:01.there, you, you know, there's got to be way to know. Maybe the underlying

:27:02. > :27:06.policy is wrong. Again that is a question coming back to, do you have

:27:07. > :27:11.a system of limited benefits or unlimited benefits. That is a

:27:12. > :27:19.different debate. Let's see where the audience want to take this. The

:27:20. > :27:23.gentleman in the back row? I've had like, I'm not myself experienced

:27:24. > :27:29.anything like this, but I have friends that I know has experienced

:27:30. > :27:34.sexual assault and rape, and, at least one of my friends I was

:27:35. > :27:38.talking to very confident, I will not say any names, they said they

:27:39. > :27:43.didn't want to come forewashed at all because to talk about this would

:27:44. > :27:49.be to relive something for her which is really horrific. It puts someone

:27:50. > :27:53.in that position to have relive, even go to a professional otherwise

:27:54. > :28:00.or to go with poverty because they cannot afford to have the child

:28:01. > :28:06.benefit for their child. That is morally offending policy. I don't

:28:07. > :28:10.think you should defend it, Ruth. Well, look, like I say I have people

:28:11. > :28:15.who come through my doors and you are right, some women do want to go

:28:16. > :28:18.down a criminal justice route. Some don't. Some want to know what is

:28:19. > :28:22.available to them. We will help them anyway we can. There is a limit on

:28:23. > :28:26.this particular benefit at the moment. And if people want extra

:28:27. > :28:29.help, then I think it should be available for them. Thank you very

:28:30. > :28:38.much. We are into our final minute or so. A very brief question.

:28:39. > :28:42.Why is it acceptable for the UK Government to block 16 and 17 year

:28:43. > :28:45.olds from voting when they have proved their maturity in the

:28:46. > :28:56.Scottish and local council elections? That is one where I am

:28:57. > :29:01.losing. I have lobbied in public. I was acceptable and the referendum

:29:02. > :29:06.happened and I am a convert. The work I and others... You cannot

:29:07. > :29:10.persuade Theresa May to do one of her famous U-turns? I am working on

:29:11. > :29:16.it. Watch this space! We are at the end of the time already. The half

:29:17. > :29:21.hour has flown past. Thank you to Ruth Davidson for being here and to

:29:22. > :29:27.you all for your comments and questions. The fourth and final ask

:29:28. > :29:32.the leader will be on form night with Nicola Sturgeon. To everyone

:29:33. > :29:36.here, watching in Glasgow, thanks for watching and good night.