Browse content similar to 01/03/2012. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
Line | From | To | |
---|---|---|---|
A very warm welcome to the Scottish Parliament here at Holyrood, where | :00:20. | :00:23. | |
two parties have their minds on other things - Labour and the | :00:23. | :00:26. | |
Liberal Democrats have their conferences this weekend, which | :00:27. | :00:33. | |
they have decided to hold on the same weekend. Right now it is | :00:33. | :00:35. | |
questions to the First Minister. That is the big focus at this | :00:35. | :00:39. | |
moment. Let's cross to the chamber and to my colleague. | :00:39. | :00:48. | |
Thank you. Let's listen in. Thank you very | :00:48. | :00:55. | |
much. Presiding Officer will be shocked by the relations from the | :00:55. | :01:01. | |
Leveson Inquiry about payoffs, hacking and the relationship | :01:01. | :01:05. | |
between police and politicians. It would be naive for us to see these | :01:05. | :01:10. | |
as London practises which stop at the border. What lessons have been | :01:10. | :01:15. | |
learnt from the Leveson Inquiry? Did he speak about this with the | :01:15. | :01:19. | |
editor of News International, Rupert Murdoch? Well, there was a | :01:19. | :01:24. | |
statement released yesterday on the meeting I had with the chairman of | :01:24. | :01:27. | |
News Corporation, Rupert Murdoch yesterday. In terms of meetings | :01:27. | :01:32. | |
with Rupert Murdoch, to have an open statement saying what was | :01:32. | :01:36. | |
discussed is probably a pleasant change from past practise in the | :01:36. | :01:41. | |
Labour Party. Can I say, take a serious point, | :01:41. | :01:50. | |
because in terms of the Scottish input into leve leve -- Leveson, | :01:50. | :01:56. | |
strat Clwyd will appear at the Leveson Inquiry later this month. | :01:56. | :02:00. | |
It talks about the liaison. I support the police action which has | :02:00. | :02:10. | |
:02:10. | :02:10. | ||
been taken, just as I support the Leveson Inquiry itself. It is | :02:10. | :02:15. | |
important that say wes must must assume Scottish aspects. In terms | :02:15. | :02:22. | |
of the malpractice across the pross, reported by the -- press, reported | :02:22. | :02:31. | |
by the Information Commissioner in 2006 while a range of newspaper s | :02:31. | :02:36. | |
and, I am glad to say there were few Scottish examples and regional | :02:36. | :02:40. | |
press examples from England. We have to be vigilant. It is right | :02:40. | :02:46. | |
and proper that the police are pursuing this, and appearing at the | :02:46. | :02:49. | |
inquiry. It is important to say that the evidence we have so far | :02:49. | :02:53. | |
means that co-operation is the way we should go at the present moment. | :02:53. | :02:58. | |
We stand ready and willing to act, because I think the criminal law | :02:58. | :03:05. | |
must be upheld north and south of the border. | :03:05. | :03:10. | |
Fine words have to be tested against the action that we take, | :03:10. | :03:14. | |
First Minister. We know the police are not the only people who leaked | :03:14. | :03:19. | |
stories to Rupert Murdoch. The Sun and the Sun on Sunday revealed the | :03:19. | :03:29. | |
:03:29. | :03:30. | ||
date of the referendum. Saturday, October 1st, 014, citing | :03:30. | :03:37. | |
a -- 20 14 citing a Government source. It is leaked before this | :03:37. | :03:41. | |
Parliament was told and before the people of Scotland have their say. | :03:41. | :03:45. | |
Has the First Minister, who of course wrote a column in the | :03:45. | :03:49. | |
paper's first edition thought who might possibly have been the source | :03:49. | :03:57. | |
of such a leak? What steps has the First Minister to determine the | :03:57. | :04:07. | |
:04:07. | :04:08. | ||
source of that leak? Of course we never encounter a | :04:08. | :04:14. | |
situation where a Labour politician had a column in the Sun newspaper! | :04:14. | :04:20. | |
To take the serious point, can I direct Johann Lamont to my remarks | :04:20. | :04:24. | |
on the radio on Sunday morning? I will wrote them "it is a possible | :04:24. | :04:30. | |
date of course, because we said it being the autumn of 2014. We are | :04:30. | :04:34. | |
considering a Saturday as opposed to a Thursday to increase turnout. | :04:34. | :04:39. | |
We are only a month into a three- month consultation. I think the | :04:39. | :04:49. | |
last check we have 2,700 responses. So we are heading to 10,000 | :04:49. | :04:53. | |
responds. Once analysed then we will announce what the date will be. | :04:53. | :04:58. | |
Not until after the consultation." That is what I said last Sunday. | :04:58. | :05:06. | |
That still pertains today. I am sure in the First Minister's | :05:06. | :05:16. | |
:05:16. | :05:19. | ||
world that sound very believable. For just a few weeks ago, I read | :05:19. | :05:25. | |
out the First Minister's cringe- worthy letter to Fred Goodwin. We | :05:25. | :05:30. | |
are reminded how far the First Minister was prepared to go to | :05:30. | :05:35. | |
accommodate Donald Trump. That did not go well, although First | :05:35. | :05:43. | |
Minister, he still likes you.Ly not embar raise him by -- I will not | :05:43. | :05:50. | |
embarrass him by reading this out. It seems he has finally learnt that | :05:50. | :05:55. | |
theatre TVs and golf DVDs will not get a reply, but a good exclusive | :05:55. | :05:59. | |
will. The editor of the Sun, despite what the First Minister | :05:59. | :06:05. | |
says, the editor says is that the 18th October, 2014, he is so sure, | :06:05. | :06:11. | |
he told Twitter "See what odds you can get on it. We are right." Is | :06:11. | :06:19. | |
the First Minister saying that the editor of the Sun is wrong? | :06:19. | :06:27. | |
The First Minister is saying that Johann Lamont is wrong. | :06:27. | :06:32. | |
The position is as I have read out a few seconds ago. Can I say to | :06:32. | :06:42. | |
Johann Lamont, I don't know if citing Donald Trump is the thing to | :06:42. | :06:52. | |
:06:52. | :06:53. | ||
do. He believes he was given an assurance by my predecessor that he | :06:53. | :06:59. | |
would be blocking planning permission for the test wind farm | :06:59. | :07:03. | |
off Aberdeen. I have no way to know whether such an assurance was given, | :07:03. | :07:08. | |
but if it was given it shouldn't have been given, because First | :07:08. | :07:11. | |
Ministers cannot determine the wind farm applications of Scotland. I | :07:11. | :07:16. | |
think there is a serious issue in terms of the renewable investment | :07:16. | :07:21. | |
in Scotland. The front page of the Press and Journal today, stressing | :07:21. | :07:25. | |
thousands of jobs created because of a drive towards renewables. I | :07:25. | :07:28. | |
hope as we progress that argument, against who ever might be | :07:28. | :07:32. | |
criticising it, then will have to support of Johann Lamont and her | :07:32. | :07:38. | |
colleagues, even if we cannot count on the support of Lord McConnel. In | :07:38. | :07:41. | |
terms of relationships with newspapers I am trying to be | :07:41. | :07:51. | |
extremely restrained about this so far, but I have to now read out the | :07:51. | :07:56. | |
attendance at News International's summer party. News International | :07:56. | :08:03. | |
summer party in London, guests included David and Samantha Cameron, | :08:03. | :08:11. | |
they drank champagne and ate oysters. Labour leader, Ed Miliband. | :08:11. | :08:19. | |
Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls. Shelter from weather in a giant Oranry in | :08:19. | :08:28. | |
Kensington. I have to say that -- orangery in Kensington. Given the | :08:28. | :08:33. | |
enthusiasm for drinking champagne and eating oysters, all you get in | :08:33. | :08:43. | |
:08:43. | :08:45. | ||
Bute house is a cup of tea and the Tunnock's waiver. Some people might | :08:45. | :08:49. | |
think there is more than a trend of double-standards emanate from the | :08:49. | :08:59. | |
:08:59. | :09:02. | ||
people's party. I think the First Minister's | :09:02. | :09:07. | |
restraint is admirable. In the middle of all that I don't think we | :09:07. | :09:10. | |
got an answer. Simply asserting that I am wrong does not dispute | :09:10. | :09:17. | |
the fact that the editor of the Sun says that he is right, and that the | :09:17. | :09:23. | |
First Minister is trying to make people believe that the exclusive | :09:23. | :09:28. | |
in the Sun had nothing to do with him and his defence was "it wasn't | :09:28. | :09:32. | |
me, and it was not just me." It will not do. They say you can tell | :09:32. | :09:38. | |
a lot about a man by the company he keeps. What does it say about the | :09:38. | :09:48. | |
:09:48. | :09:48. | ||
First Minister's judgment if he is prepared.... If he is prepared to | :09:48. | :09:52. | |
compromise the referendum for Sir Rupert. Compromise our planning | :09:52. | :09:59. | |
system for the Turump and compromise the economic future for | :09:59. | :10:07. | |
Fred the Shred. I think, First Minister, we all know that Sir | :10:07. | :10:11. | |
Rupert ran with Sunday's story on the First Minister's note. After | :10:11. | :10:17. | |
five years of asking, will he confirm what dates he intends to | :10:18. | :10:22. | |
hold the referendum. Just name the date. | :10:22. | :10:26. | |
I think I will stick to the position of having the consultation | :10:26. | :10:32. | |
with the Scottish people. I should update Johann Lamont, there are now | :10:32. | :10:36. | |
more than 3,000 responses to that consultation. Then we will consider | :10:36. | :10:40. | |
the consultation and responses. Well, we have not had one from the | :10:40. | :10:46. | |
Labour Party yet. Although I understand they have summited to | :10:46. | :10:49. | |
the Tory liberal coalition's consultation. No great support | :10:49. | :10:54. | |
there. The Labour-Tory alliance continues | :10:54. | :11:01. | |
right through Westminster in this chamber, even into Sterling council | :11:01. | :11:05. | |
in the last week. -- Stirling council in the last | :11:05. | :11:10. | |
week. We will announce the date. It will be determined by this | :11:10. | :11:14. | |
Parliament, in the best interests of the Scottish people. I have to | :11:14. | :11:18. | |
say to Johann Lamont, the remark about the company we choose, it | :11:18. | :11:25. | |
seems an extraordinary rich one from a Labour Party that pursued a | :11:25. | :11:28. | |
15-year culture of News International and then only then, | :11:28. | :11:33. | |
and only then decided that there was dreadful things going on after | :11:33. | :11:37. | |
the Sun stopped supporting the Labour Party in politics. Hardly a | :11:37. | :11:41. | |
position of high principal. The serious issue for all of us is to | :11:41. | :11:47. | |
back the police inquiry, back the Leveson Inquiry. I think it comes | :11:47. | :11:51. | |
best from a party, that according to the past Prime Minister knew | :11:51. | :11:55. | |
about these activities from 2007. That is what he said in his Commons | :11:55. | :12:05. | |
:12:05. | :12:07. | ||
speech last year, who consumed the champagne and the oysters, once | :12:07. | :12:13. | |
there is a police inquiry, a Leveson Inquiry and quite rightly | :12:13. | :12:16. | |
News International have said they will put these past practises | :12:16. | :12:26. | |
behind them. So, the Labour Party prepared to support corrupt | :12:26. | :12:31. | |
newspapers when they knew of malpractice is in no position to | :12:31. | :12:36. | |
criticise anyone in this chamber or across politics. | :12:36. | :12:41. | |
Thank you. To ask the First Minister when he will next meet the | :12:41. | :12:45. | |
Secretary of State for Scotland? plans to meet the Secretary of | :12:45. | :12:51. | |
State in the near future. Thank you. As the debate on Scotland's | :12:51. | :12:54. | |
constitutional future goes on, we have a duty in this chamber as | :12:54. | :12:57. | |
parliamentarians and as a Government to examine not only the | :12:57. | :13:01. | |
shape of a future Scotland, but also to address the serious | :13:01. | :13:04. | |
problems facing our country right now. | :13:04. | :13:08. | |
The First Minister and I disagree on many things. | :13:08. | :13:13. | |
There is one serious area of policy where acceptance in this chamber, I | :13:13. | :13:19. | |
think, is universal, the recognition that drugs destroy | :13:19. | :13:24. | |
lives and communities. The Scottish Conservatives are proud of their | :13:24. | :13:28. | |
part in creating a new drugs strategy. I recognise the | :13:28. | :13:31. | |
commitment of my predecessor on this issue. Can the First Minister | :13:31. | :13:36. | |
tell me what evidence there is that programmes his Government has | :13:36. | :13:39. | |
directed of rehabilitation and recovery are a14506ing results on | :13:39. | :13:43. | |
the ground? -- are achieving results on the ground? | :13:43. | :13:48. | |
acknowledge that it would be very foolish indeed for any politician | :13:48. | :13:54. | |
to claim success in the battle against drug abuse. It should be | :13:54. | :14:01. | |
said that the illicit drug use last year among 16-59 is falling. That | :14:01. | :14:11. | |
:14:11. | :14:12. | ||
is quite clear from the statistics. 2006, 2. 6%. 9.8% in 2009-10. There | :14:12. | :14:20. | |
is also encouraging information from other aspects of drugs abuse | :14:20. | :14:24. | |
reported. Nonetheless, although drug use among young people in | :14:24. | :14:27. | |
Scotland is falling according to statistics, it is still an enormous | :14:27. | :14:31. | |
problem that requires the joint effort and the combination of all | :14:31. | :14:34. | |
members of this Parliament across the parties to address it. I have | :14:34. | :14:39. | |
no doubt about that whatsoever. That is why I welcome the manner | :14:39. | :14:45. | |
and the input of her predecessor on this matter and I welcome the input | :14:45. | :14:49. | |
of people across the parties who are able to contribute, along with | :14:49. | :14:55. | |
the Government to do what we can as politician. | :14:55. | :14:59. | |
I thank the First Minister for his answer. I welcome that response and | :14:59. | :15:03. | |
the encouraging signs we are seeing. I am sure the First Minister would | :15:03. | :15:07. | |
agree the picture he paints is not complete. The NHS figures released | :15:07. | :15:11. | |
show the number of babies born to drug abusing mothers has nearly | :15:11. | :15:16. | |
doubled over the past four years. As a nation, Scotland is spending | :15:16. | :15:19. | |
�28 million a year on methadone treatment alone. In prison, which | :15:19. | :15:23. | |
is a closed society, we would expect to see a degree of control, | :15:23. | :15:28. | |
the number of prisoners taking methadone on a daily basis has | :15:28. | :15:32. | |
reached a record high, with no attempt to reduce intake in the | :15:32. | :15:37. | |
majority of cases N the last Parliament, this chamber agreed a | :15:38. | :15:40. | |
focus on rehabilitation and recovery was the appropriate | :15:40. | :15:44. | |
strategy to pursue. That was the job of Parliament, to implement the | :15:44. | :15:48. | |
strategy is the job of Government. Can I ask the First Minister, when | :15:48. | :15:58. | |
:15:58. | :16:02. | ||
are we going to start to see much We achieved a consensus around the | :16:02. | :16:09. | |
road to recovery. The difficult problems and challenges that we | :16:09. | :16:14. | |
overcome must not undermine the success there has been. For the | :16:14. | :16:19. | |
first time we put methadone in the broader context of care treatment | :16:19. | :16:26. | |
and recovery. The statistics back that up. In terms of cost of | :16:26. | :16:32. | |
methadone, that has remained stable since 2006/7. The increase in cost | :16:32. | :16:40. | |
in 2010/11 is because for the first time this Government can report | :16:40. | :16:46. | |
accurately on the supervision fees paid to pharmacists. Given that we | :16:46. | :16:51. | |
introduced that because one of the issues that came up was the need | :16:51. | :16:56. | |
and requirement to have a better understanding of statistics. Given | :16:56. | :17:00. | |
that we introduce that to get a real handle on what is happening, | :17:00. | :17:07. | |
it is not helpful to 0.2 that which is clearly the result of the action | :17:07. | :17:11. | |
retake and somehow despite that it is in any sense a failure of the | :17:11. | :17:16. | |
road to recovery. In my view that is one of these excesses of the | :17:16. | :17:20. | |
road to recovery. We must have an honest assessment of the scale of | :17:20. | :17:24. | |
the problem and for the first time in Scotland we have got those | :17:24. | :17:32. | |
statistics. I think that should be welcomed across the chamber. Can I | :17:33. | :17:37. | |
ask the First Minister F, in light of the findings of the oil and gas | :17:37. | :17:42. | |
UK Cowden done 12 activities survey, he intends to have discussions with | :17:42. | :17:47. | |
the Chancellor about the detrimental impact the UK oil | :17:47. | :17:56. | |
taxation economy is having on Aberdeen. -- effect it is having on | :17:56. | :18:06. | |
:18:06. | :18:10. | ||
Aberdeen. As the latest survey makes clear, there is a directive | :18:10. | :18:15. | |
to be sudden and and announce changes in the UK Government's | :18:15. | :18:20. | |
taxation policy which would be an unprecedented change in activity in | :18:20. | :18:25. | |
oil and gas was marred with a fault which company after company | :18:25. | :18:31. | |
directly attributed to the policies of the UK coalition Government. | :18:31. | :18:34. | |
Knowing that and seeing that evidence I do hope that the points | :18:34. | :18:37. | |
and policies that we have been charging along with industry over | :18:37. | :18:42. | |
the last year in terms of building in incentives for exploration, for | :18:42. | :18:48. | |
marginal fields, for extraction of additional oil from discovered | :18:48. | :18:55. | |
fields will have a future. I think any reasonable person can see that | :18:55. | :19:00. | |
the taxation policies of the UK Government in regards to the oil | :19:00. | :19:06. | |
and gas industry have not been good for the industry or four jobs in | :19:06. | :19:16. | |
:19:16. | :19:16. | ||
Scotland. -- or four jobs in Scotland. In terms of youth | :19:16. | :19:20. | |
unemployment, does the First Minister agree that offering | :19:20. | :19:30. | |
:19:30. | :19:38. | ||
voluntary severance to key frontline staff is not a good idea? | :19:38. | :19:44. | |
I have heard many criticisms of the policies of skills and Development | :19:44. | :19:49. | |
Scotland. They are placing more people in training schemes and have | :19:49. | :19:55. | |
a magnificent success in Modern apprenticeships, they place | :19:55. | :19:59. | |
successfully 25,000 modern apprenticeships this year. That is | :19:59. | :20:05. | |
60% lower than the position we inherited in 2007. We should judge | :20:05. | :20:09. | |
skills development Scotland on the efficiency with which they deliver | :20:09. | :20:15. | |
their services to the young people of Scotland. That is the key to | :20:15. | :20:25. | |
:20:25. | :20:27. | ||
disgusting -- discussing their success. Last year and this year we | :20:28. | :20:37. | |
want commentary on the excellent work of delivering be magnificent | :20:37. | :20:40. | |
total of 25,000 modern apprenticeships. Young people with | :20:40. | :20:46. | |
a job, training and hope in Scotland. I am sure the First | :20:46. | :20:51. | |
Minister will be aware of the situation at Dunfermline Athletic | :20:51. | :20:56. | |
today where the players have warmly been paid 60% of their wages due to | :20:56. | :21:03. | |
the situation at Rangers. Is he prepared to make representations to | :21:03. | :21:08. | |
administrators on behalf of an Furman and other clubs on what | :21:08. | :21:11. | |
steps the Scottish Government can take to assist clubs in this | :21:12. | :21:18. | |
situation? The answer is yes. Many of us realise that the position | :21:18. | :21:22. | |
developing at Rangers will have ramifications the rowed Scottish | :21:22. | :21:28. | |
football. Dunfermline Athletic is one of the early instances of this. | :21:28. | :21:38. | |
:21:38. | :21:39. | ||
I will be delighted to meet them to offer any help we can. -- | :21:39. | :21:47. | |
ramifications for about Scottish football. I am sure the member | :21:47. | :21:53. | |
understands that people who get into difficulties will meet as to | :21:54. | :21:58. | |
help their position. All the clubs in Scottish football are vital and | :21:58. | :22:06. | |
valuable and we should be trying to assist and help them all. Can I ask | :22:06. | :22:09. | |
the First Minister what steps have been taken to deal with the | :22:09. | :22:16. | |
Schmallenberg virus if it spreads to Scotland? I would like to thank | :22:16. | :22:21. | |
the Member for what is a hugely important issue. I know people in | :22:21. | :22:24. | |
his constituency will pay particular attention to s as will | :22:24. | :22:30. | |
the whole of rural Scotland. There have been no cases of the bias in | :22:30. | :22:36. | |
Scotland so far. We remain vigilant and as soon as the Scottish | :22:36. | :22:41. | |
Government became aware of the emerging disease we alerted key | :22:41. | :22:45. | |
stakeholders in January. The Scottish Agricultural College wrote | :22:46. | :22:51. | |
to veteran medians to alert them to the symptoms of the disease and | :22:51. | :22:57. | |
encourage reporting of suspicious cases. As he will be aware and | :22:57. | :23:06. | |
Institute is testing samples from 27th January. Thank you for that | :23:06. | :23:10. | |
response and acknowledging the importance of early reporting of | :23:10. | :23:16. | |
the symptoms of the spiders. Last November it was agreed to form a | :23:16. | :23:22. | |
strategic management board. Another recommendation was that there | :23:22. | :23:27. | |
should be a phased reduction in the number of disease surveillance | :23:27. | :23:32. | |
centres across the country. Will the First Minister ensure that more | :23:32. | :23:39. | |
steps are taken to reduce and -- no steps are taken to reduce the | :23:39. | :23:43. | |
number of disease surveillance services without proper | :23:43. | :23:53. | |
:23:53. | :23:55. | ||
consultation? Given the importance of early detection, diagnosis and | :23:55. | :24:02. | |
such over these kind of diseases? Absolutely. He can be certain that | :24:02. | :24:07. | |
we will ensure adequate surveillance is in place for future | :24:07. | :24:16. | |
needs. I should have added, because it is an opportunity to do so, that | :24:16. | :24:25. | |
farmers and veterinarians have been asked to voluntarily report suspect | :24:25. | :24:33. | |
cases and testing is provided free of charge. That is working well. In | :24:33. | :24:37. | |
the early stages of the lambing season three cases have been | :24:37. | :24:44. | |
reported -- suspected cases, but they have proven to be negative. | :24:44. | :24:47. | |
What steps is the Scottish Government taking to improve | :24:47. | :24:52. | |
childcare provision? We announced a significant investment in Ehrler | :24:52. | :24:57. | |
learning and childcare which includes 4.5 million for looked | :24:57. | :25:03. | |
after two-year-olds and a further 4.5 million for a community based | :25:03. | :25:07. | |
solutions for childcare. That is drawn down from the wider 270 | :25:07. | :25:14. | |
million early years change fund. thank the First Minister for that | :25:14. | :25:19. | |
answer. I know he is fully aware of just how important it is to the | :25:19. | :25:24. | |
economy that parents are able to access good quality childcare. It | :25:24. | :25:29. | |
enables parents to go to work and is of huge importance in efforts to | :25:30. | :25:34. | |
ensure gender equality in the workforce. Recognising that child | :25:34. | :25:38. | |
care in Scotland is partly controlled by funding mechanisms | :25:38. | :25:43. | |
determined by Westminster, does he therefore believe one of the most | :25:43. | :25:46. | |
damaging thing as the UK Government could have done was to reduce the | :25:46. | :25:52. | |
childcare element of the working tax credit from 80% of costs to 70%, | :25:52. | :25:58. | |
families rely on it for more than �500 per year. If he believes this | :25:58. | :26:03. | |
kind of cut is the coalition's priority, we did not be far better | :26:03. | :26:07. | |
for everyone if this responsibility for benefits policy were in the | :26:08. | :26:14. | |
hands of this parliament and Government? It strikes me as a very | :26:14. | :26:23. | |
substantial and well argued point. I was genuinely surprised to hear | :26:23. | :26:27. | |
from the Labour benches. It was a Tory policy they would not have | :26:27. | :26:32. | |
supported if they had come to this Parliament. It has had a | :26:32. | :26:36. | |
substantial impact on people and working families in Scotland. I am | :26:36. | :26:43. | |
very concerned and interested in the costs of childcare and the care | :26:43. | :26:49. | |
which were reported this Monday. I had a look at the figures and it is | :26:49. | :26:52. | |
absolutely certain and true that in terms of out-of-school and | :26:52. | :26:56. | |
childminder clubs, the costs in Scotland are above the English | :26:57. | :27:02. | |
average. It should be said that nursery provision for up to year- | :27:02. | :27:05. | |
olds and under and over two year- olds is actually below the English | :27:05. | :27:13. | |
average. We should be aware of that. We should also be aware that there | :27:13. | :27:19. | |
is a wide divergence in the cost of childcare in a variety of areas and | :27:19. | :27:25. | |
its availability in various parts of Scotland. I was particularly | :27:25. | :27:31. | |
pleased to see the comments from Malcolm Chisholm ms p after it be | :27:31. | :27:35. | |
inspiring early years taskforce meeting, he gave particular thanks | :27:35. | :27:43. | |
to Harry Burns and others that there was uniting across cross | :27:43. | :27:48. | |
party lines. Money makes a very important point and perhaps we | :27:48. | :27:54. | |
should inspire -- aspire to the situation in the Scandinavian | :27:54. | :28:01. | |
countries which are by far the highest standards of child care | :28:01. | :28:06. | |
provision. Norway, Denmark and Finland almost certainly control of | :28:07. | :28:13. | |
their own tax and benefits policies and are a small independent | :28:13. | :28:19. | |
European nations. Can I ask the First Minister whether the | :28:19. | :28:22. | |
timetable for the reform for the children's hearing system has | :28:22. | :28:29. | |
changed? It has not changed, September is still the target. It | :28:29. | :28:33. | |
was agreed yesterday that that target remains achievable. We will | :28:33. | :28:37. | |
always listen to people on the ground to share an interest in the | :28:37. | :28:41. | |
working of the current system and the successful delivery of the | :28:41. | :28:49. | |
reforms which is the vital thing. The National convenor of children's | :28:49. | :28:55. | |
hearings was removed from her role in 20th September 11. Support team | :28:55. | :29:03. | |
should have been a place by 20th January 12. This weekend it was | :29:03. | :29:08. | |
reported that the board to suspended the national convenor are | :29:08. | :29:13. | |
now drawing up contingency plans to re timetable the process. If there | :29:13. | :29:17. | |
is a problem the Children's Minister should account to | :29:17. | :29:21. | |
Parliament for it. If there is not a problem then when will the | :29:22. | :29:25. | |
national convenor be allowed to return to her post to get on with | :29:25. | :29:31. | |
her job of supporting some of these most vulnerable people in our | :29:31. | :29:36. | |
society. The volunteers are left worrying about the mess that has | :29:36. | :29:46. | |
:29:46. | :29:46. | ||
been allowed to develop. I think you should understand that I cannot, | :29:46. | :29:52. | |
neither can the children's minister, come in on a live debate such as | :29:52. | :29:58. | |
this. That is the fundamental basis of what you can or cannot do in a | :29:58. | :30:02. | |
parliamentary system. To be helpful to Remember I will try to provide a | :30:02. | :30:06. | |
bit more detail. There are 10 projects within the overall | :30:07. | :30:12. | |
delivery programme. Nine of them are on track. The 10th project | :30:12. | :30:16. | |
relates to the establishment of the area support teams which must be | :30:16. | :30:20. | |
made by local authorities and does in some aspect required the | :30:20. | :30:27. | |
national convenor to be in post. As I stressed, I cannot discuss the | :30:27. | :30:31. | |
suspension of the national convener, it is alive employment issue and it | :30:31. | :30:37. | |
lies in the province of children's hearings Scotland. We have Cichon | :30:37. | :30:46. | |
did a senior official to work with the organisation and there are | :30:46. | :30:51. | |
things which have to be agreed with Deacon bearer. -- we have so | :30:51. | :31:00. | |
conduct. Can I further assure him that the children's Minister will | :31:00. | :31:05. | |
keep the chamber informed. I think it is important to stress, given | :31:05. | :31:09. | |
the excellence of the participation in the children's hearing system | :31:09. | :31:13. | |
over the years, that all members will be pleased to know that the | :31:13. | :31:19. |