:00:20. > :00:25.Hello and very warm welcome to the Scottish Parliament, the garden
:00:26. > :00:31.lobby here with exactly one week until we are going to the polls for
:00:32. > :00:34.the UK general election. In about an hour the political leaders will be
:00:35. > :00:39.out on the campaign trail trying to win your vote. And in about one
:00:40. > :00:43.minute they will be at their weekly discourse, questions to the First
:00:44. > :00:47.Minister and answers from the First Minister. That is the main subject
:00:48. > :00:54.for this programme, let's cross to the chamber. Good morning, 50 years
:00:55. > :00:57.ago today Sergeant Pepper was released, today we are bringing you
:00:58. > :01:03.not a day in their life but 45 minutes in the life of the Scottish
:01:04. > :01:08.First Minister. As far as we know no holes in the roof newly fixed and
:01:09. > :01:12.will Nicola Sturgeon get by with help from her friends? There is an
:01:13. > :01:16.election campaign going on and is fried as I'm concerned it is getting
:01:17. > :01:21.better all the time. Right now general questions coming to a close.
:01:22. > :01:26.The Health Secretary on her feet as she warms up for the main act. And
:01:27. > :01:37.shortly will have the First Minister and her weekly round of questions.
:01:38. > :01:43.We turn now to first Mr 's questions. To ask the first Mr Watt
:01:44. > :01:49.engagements she has planned. To take forward the government 's plans for
:01:50. > :01:52.Scotland. The Education Secretary said yesterday that cuts to teacher
:01:53. > :02:00.training places five years there probably went too far. Will the
:02:01. > :02:03.First Minister admit that when it comes to the basic task of putting
:02:04. > :02:10.enough teachers in classrooms her government got it wrong. As those
:02:11. > :02:19.who were in Parliament at the time in 2010-11 will recall we had a
:02:20. > :02:23.significant issue of teacher I'm home. It was thought at the time we
:02:24. > :02:27.had a surplus of features coming out of the system and many of them were
:02:28. > :02:31.struggling to get jobs. But of course every single year since then,
:02:32. > :02:38.every one of the six years since then, we have seen an increase in
:02:39. > :02:41.the numbers of students going into teacher education. And this year we
:02:42. > :02:49.are seeing an increase in teacher training numbers of 371. Also we are
:02:50. > :03:00.having a campaign to recruit teachers, targeting particularly the
:03:01. > :03:04.same subjects, -- stem subjects. And of course we saw an increase in the
:03:05. > :03:08.number of teachers working in our schools in the past years. This
:03:09. > :03:13.government is investing more than ?80 million to maintain the teacher
:03:14. > :03:17.numbers in our schools and to maintain the pupil - teacher ratio.
:03:18. > :03:20.As I have recognised previously we have got work to do but we are
:03:21. > :03:23.taking the actions that are making sure we have the right numbers of
:03:24. > :03:28.teachers in our schools and getting on with the important job of
:03:29. > :03:31.improving standards and closing the attainment gap. Once again the First
:03:32. > :03:36.Minister asking for was for promising to fix the mess our
:03:37. > :03:40.government made. It is quite simple... APPLAUSE
:03:41. > :03:43.The SNP government did not listen, to warnings from the chamber or from
:03:44. > :03:47.student leaders who called for an end to boom and bust methods towards
:03:48. > :03:51.teacher training. First they brought onto many trainees with a
:03:52. > :03:55.consequence they ended up in the dole queue, then they up the numbers
:03:56. > :04:00.to drastically with the consequence that we no longer have enough
:04:01. > :04:05.teachers. 4000 fewer than when this government came to office. Does it
:04:06. > :04:12.sound like the record of a competent government? I tell you who we do not
:04:13. > :04:18.listen to, we did not listen to the Tories. This is what they had to say
:04:19. > :04:24.about the issue. Ms Smith described it as the issue of demand and
:04:25. > :04:26.supply. She said to the education committee, given the current
:04:27. > :04:31.economic situation it might be necessary to re-examine teachers
:04:32. > :04:36.conditions. That is what the Tories wanted us to do. They wanted us to
:04:37. > :04:41.slash teacher pay and conditions. As I have said this is an important
:04:42. > :04:45.issue. Those in Parliament at the time will remember previous first
:04:46. > :04:50.ministers sessions talking about the very important issue of teacher
:04:51. > :04:53.unemployment. We inherited a figure around teacher training and was
:04:54. > :04:57.considered at that time to be leading to an oversupply of
:04:58. > :05:01.teachers. That is why we took corrective action at that time to
:05:02. > :05:05.deal with that issue. But every single one of the six years since
:05:06. > :05:08.then we have made sure we have had appropriate numbers of teachers
:05:09. > :05:14.coming in to teacher training. As I said in this year we are supporting
:05:15. > :05:18.an additional 371, going into teacher training. We have more
:05:19. > :05:22.teachers in our schools, as we saw in the most recent figures in
:05:23. > :05:29.December it was the case the previous year and we are investing
:05:30. > :05:36.?80 million to ensure we are maintaining the same number of
:05:37. > :05:40.teachers. One of the most important things, to use the words of the
:05:41. > :05:46.teacher I spoke to in East Dunbartonshire on Saturday, one of
:05:47. > :05:55.the life changing things he thinks we are doing is putting more hands
:05:56. > :06:04.into the -- putting more money in the Fletcher. So I again will be
:06:05. > :06:09.absolutely frank with this chamber, we have challenges that we are
:06:10. > :06:17.pressing on with a programme of reforms they shall we address each
:06:18. > :06:20.and every one of them. Yesterday John Swinney said we did get it
:06:21. > :06:28.wrong and today the focus Minister says it is anybody else's fault. The
:06:29. > :06:31.line seems to be forget about ten years of failure, forget about the
:06:32. > :06:34.mess they have made, forget about the children who have been failed by
:06:35. > :06:40.their government. She is the person to sort this out. First she has to
:06:41. > :06:51.admit the consequence of getting it wrong. She has two admit there are
:06:52. > :06:55.not enough teachers for additional support needs and schools are being
:06:56. > :06:58.forced to limit which subjects pupils can take because they do not
:06:59. > :07:05.have enough teachers to do the job. If she is going to fix this will she
:07:06. > :07:13.first admit what needs fixing? Ruth Davidson talks I think rightly about
:07:14. > :07:15.the importance of work force planning, the decision she's
:07:16. > :07:20.criticising from 2010 was actually based on the unanimous advice of the
:07:21. > :07:26.teacher workforce planning group. A group that includes councils,
:07:27. > :07:30.teaching unions and universities. But I also think Ruth Davidson wants
:07:31. > :07:36.me to take responsibility. In every single year since then what we have
:07:37. > :07:41.done as a government is ensure an increasing number of young people
:07:42. > :07:45.going into teacher training. So we acted to deal with an issue that was
:07:46. > :07:48.there at that time, and was the subject of much discussion in this
:07:49. > :07:53.chamber, but then we recognise we had to increase in the years after
:07:54. > :07:55.that. That is why for every one of the last six years we have increased
:07:56. > :07:59.the numbers going into teacher training and we are taking a range
:08:00. > :08:02.of other actions as well. From the National improvement framework to
:08:03. > :08:08.the attainment challenge to the attainment fund and the pupil equity
:08:09. > :08:11.fund getting resources into the hands of teachers. The increased
:08:12. > :08:15.number of teachers this year in our schools compared to the previous
:08:16. > :08:22.year. So I take responsible at it for everything this government does,
:08:23. > :08:27.but I am also absolutely determined to get on with the job of improving
:08:28. > :08:31.standards in our schools. The last point I would make is this one: I
:08:32. > :08:36.take absolute responsibility for everything this government does, but
:08:37. > :08:39.what we need to make sure over the next seven days is that we do not
:08:40. > :08:51.end up with another Westminster government that is taking action and
:08:52. > :08:55.making cuts that are likely to push an additional 1 million children
:08:56. > :09:00.across the UK into poverty. Because it is not going to help anybody
:09:01. > :09:06.raise standards in our school if we have got a Westminster government
:09:07. > :09:13.pushing children into conditions of poverty. I take responsibility but
:09:14. > :09:19.it is everybody else's fault. Earlier this week we set out our
:09:20. > :09:24.interim report into the curriculum for excellence and one of the
:09:25. > :09:31.recommendations was to ensure the proper teaching of core skills after
:09:32. > :09:34.we have seen standards drop under the scum on. I noticed John Mason
:09:35. > :09:39.has an education question in a few months' time. This is the same John
:09:40. > :09:44.Mason who said on Thursday this week we have moved on from spelling and
:09:45. > :09:46.timetables, that if someone has only basic literacy they should
:09:47. > :09:50.concentrate on what they are good at, that you do not need spelling to
:09:51. > :09:54.be a surgeon, you don't need grammar in IT and an engineer does not need
:09:55. > :10:01.high levels of English. And there was too much emphasis on "The
:10:02. > :10:08.academic" in the past. Is this the view of the government? If it is in
:10:09. > :10:11.explains why standards are so poor. I had a look at the publications of
:10:12. > :10:14.Tories published earlier this week and much of it is worth this
:10:15. > :10:21.government is already doing in our schools. They should maybe pay more
:10:22. > :10:26.attention. Getting back to the serious point standards of literacy.
:10:27. > :10:32.It is because the highest standards of literacy are so vital for every
:10:33. > :10:37.single young person across our country that we are taking the
:10:38. > :10:40.action we are taking. It is why we now have new curriculum for
:10:41. > :10:44.excellence benchmarks in place. It is why we have the attainment fund
:10:45. > :10:48.directing resources to headteachers to allow them to take the action
:10:49. > :10:53.they think is necessary to improve standards. It is why we have put in
:10:54. > :11:00.place arrangements to make sure that in future we will have comments of
:11:01. > :11:05.data telling us how our schools are performing in these basic skills of
:11:06. > :11:08.literacy and numeracy. It is why we have got initiatives like the
:11:09. > :11:13.Reading challenge, encouraging young people to read for pleasure.
:11:14. > :11:16.Standards of literacy are vitally important as a foundation for
:11:17. > :11:19.everything else our young people do which is why we will get on with the
:11:20. > :11:24.job of building on the progress we have made in our education system.
:11:25. > :11:27.Building on the hard work done by teachers and pupils across this
:11:28. > :11:32.country. And it is why I'm the Conservatives in Westminster... We
:11:33. > :11:43.will increase the budget is going to our schools while they continue to
:11:44. > :11:46.cut them. APPLAUSE To ask of us must do what
:11:47. > :11:53.engagements she has planned for the rest of the week. Engagement to take
:11:54. > :11:58.forward plan for Scotland. The SNP treatment time guarantee gives a
:11:59. > :12:02.legal guarantee of 12 weeks for treatment such as knee replacements
:12:03. > :12:07.and eye surgery. Can the First Minister tells Hamlet people waited
:12:08. > :12:10.longer than 12 weeks in last year? We have a situation like many health
:12:11. > :12:13.services of increasing demand and we're seeing more people waiting
:12:14. > :12:18.longer that we would want them to wait including for the treatment
:12:19. > :12:25.time guarantee of 12 weeks. Over 1.3 million inpatients and daycare
:12:26. > :12:31.patients have benefited from that 12 week target since it was first
:12:32. > :12:34.introduced, with 94.6 of all patients being treated within 12
:12:35. > :12:39.weeks. What we saw in the figures this week is a result of the ?10
:12:40. > :12:42.million investment made by the Health Secretary last November. We
:12:43. > :12:48.have seen a 20% reduction in outpatients waiting for treatment.
:12:49. > :12:50.And of course the Health Secretary announced ?50 million of additional
:12:51. > :12:54.investment on Tuesday this week to make sure we can see there is
:12:55. > :13:01.continued improvements in inpatient waiting times as well. There was not
:13:02. > :13:06.an answer in any of that. Let me give the First Minister the answer.
:13:07. > :13:11.In the last year alone more than 38,000 patients waited longer than
:13:12. > :13:13.12 weeks. We have just heard the first was to tell the chamber that
:13:14. > :13:17.people across Scotland have benefited from the legal guarantee
:13:18. > :13:21.that Labour can reveal today that patients actually had a better
:13:22. > :13:27.chance of being treated within 12 weeks before the SNP introduce the
:13:28. > :13:30.legal guarantee. That should shame the First Minister. Because behind
:13:31. > :13:37.these numbers are people and real lives. It is pensioners, it is
:13:38. > :13:41.children and parents waiting for months for operations. This is not
:13:42. > :13:47.the only problem facing the NHS. This week alone we have seen A
:13:48. > :13:54.targets missed again. Cancer diagnostic waiting times missed
:13:55. > :14:00.again. Staff sources we are told that the reason that Mac staff
:14:01. > :14:06.shortages. There is growing evidence of the SMP's ten year mismanagement
:14:07. > :14:13.of the NHS. When will the first ministers start fixing the mess she
:14:14. > :14:16.has made of our NHS? -- SNP. I acknowledge the challenges facing
:14:17. > :14:20.our NHS, same challenges facing health services across the world.
:14:21. > :14:28.Increasing demand because of the changing demographics. But I also
:14:29. > :14:33.have to say that in so many ways looking at so many indicators the
:14:34. > :14:39.performance of the NHS in Scotland far outstrips the performance of the
:14:40. > :14:46.NHS elsewhere in the UK and in particular on almost every indicator
:14:47. > :14:48.you can look at the performance of NHS Scotland outstrips the
:14:49. > :15:01.performance of the NHS in Labour run Wales. And you take accident and
:15:02. > :15:05.emergency, for 25 consecutive months A departments in Scotland have
:15:06. > :15:11.been the best performing anywhere in the UK. But no recognition from
:15:12. > :15:15.anybody in the opposition not the hard work of art A staff to
:15:16. > :15:25.deliver that performance. We have also seen... JEERING AND BOOING
:15:26. > :15:35.We have also seen under the SNP staffing in the NHS staffing
:15:36. > :15:38.increase by 12,000. We have seen the budget increased by ?3 billion and
:15:39. > :15:44.plans to increase it further over this Parliament going way beyond
:15:45. > :15:49.what any other party in this chamber pledged to do last year and goes way
:15:50. > :15:54.beyond what any other parties are pledging to do this year. We have
:15:55. > :15:58.more doctors, nurses and health professionals per head of population
:15:59. > :16:02.than any other part of the UK so I will acknowledge readily the
:16:03. > :16:07.pressures are NHS staff work under and thank them for what they do but
:16:08. > :16:10.I think occasionally just once in awhile the opposition parties should
:16:11. > :16:15.also recognise the good work that is being done in our NHS and the it is
:16:16. > :16:20.doing so much better than any other parts of the UK.
:16:21. > :16:28.Kezia Dugdale. That answer was so revealing because when he First
:16:29. > :16:33.Minister's faced with her own ten year dismal record all she has in
:16:34. > :16:37.attack is a kick at the Labour Party and a attempt to suggest we talked
:16:38. > :16:40.down the staff. We know the First Minister doesn't like it when people
:16:41. > :16:44.speak the truth about her record on the NHS. Just ask the nurse who had
:16:45. > :16:50.the courage to expose what life is like under the SNP. Because here's
:16:51. > :16:55.the reality. Standards in our hospitals are down, NHS staff are
:16:56. > :16:59.overworked, and underpaid, and tens of thousands of people are waiting
:17:00. > :17:02.longer for treatment. Isn't that what happens when the SNP spends
:17:03. > :17:14.more time running a campaign for a referendum than it does... Running
:17:15. > :17:18.our NHS? ASBOs we should have a competition about who is the first
:17:19. > :17:22.one to get the referendum word in because most weeks it isn't me that
:17:23. > :17:31.mentions it. Look, if that's... BOOING
:17:32. > :17:36.If that is Labour's... Attack... Then how does Labour explain that an
:17:37. > :17:41.almost every indicator you can point to the NHS in Scotland under an SNP
:17:42. > :17:45.government is doing significantly better than the NHS in Wales, under
:17:46. > :17:50.a Labour government question mark what is Labour's excuse? Let me just
:17:51. > :17:57.point to the action we have taken on the NHS. Staffing up by 12,000,
:17:58. > :18:04.qualified nurses and midwives up by 7%. Doctors up by 30%. Consultants
:18:05. > :18:09.up by 45%. Investing more money than any other party would have done, and
:18:10. > :18:13.make sure we are delivering for basement across the country because
:18:14. > :18:17.we will continue whether it is an education or on health, we will
:18:18. > :18:20.continue to focus on delivering for people across this country, and
:18:21. > :18:30.leave the opposition to their constitutional obsessions. We have a
:18:31. > :18:38.number of constituency questions. Alistair Johnson. Bats Alison
:18:39. > :18:45.Johnstone. I am sure the Westminster and all ministers will offer the
:18:46. > :18:52.sincere sympathy to the cyclist and their family who lost his life on
:18:53. > :18:56.Princes Street yesterday. Can I ask what action is being taken to
:18:57. > :19:03.enquire into the devastating -- accident? Many groups of individuals
:19:04. > :19:06.have been calling for safe action for cyclists and pedestrians for
:19:07. > :19:11.Edinburgh and across Scotland to ensure that no other family has two
:19:12. > :19:17.bear such an appalling loss. Firstly can I convey my heartfelt sympathies
:19:18. > :19:20.to the family and friends of the cyclist who so tragically lost their
:19:21. > :19:29.life in Edinburgh yesterday. It is a tragic incident and an incident that
:19:30. > :19:32.is sad almost beyond words will stop obviously as the members will
:19:33. > :19:35.understand I will not go into any detail about the particular incident
:19:36. > :19:39.because there are and will continue to be investigations into the
:19:40. > :19:44.Scottish Government assisting in any way possible. As the member is aware
:19:45. > :19:47.we have taken a number of actions including increased investment over
:19:48. > :19:51.the years to encourage more people to cycle and to make cycling as safe
:19:52. > :19:56.as possible for people but indirect answer to the question, yes, the
:19:57. > :19:59.minister would be willing to meet with cycling groups not just in
:20:00. > :20:02.Edinburgh but across the country to look at what further action we can
:20:03. > :20:12.take to make sure cycling which is an activity we want to encourage is
:20:13. > :20:22.as safe as possible. For everybody. Thank you. Kyle done applied for a
:20:23. > :20:26.HMG at Glasgow College warehouse he been studying for a national
:20:27. > :20:29.convention in media and communications. Kyle has cerebral
:20:30. > :20:33.palsy which means he cannot write in shorthand. The SQA have told him
:20:34. > :20:39.that this means he cannot progress to an HMD because this would mean he
:20:40. > :20:41.can't complete the shorthand component of the course. Essentially
:20:42. > :20:48.penalising him because of his divisibility. Does the business
:20:49. > :20:54.agree this is unacceptable and will she look into it? I am very happy to
:20:55. > :20:57.look into this. Busy I don't know Kyle but from the short question he
:20:58. > :21:00.sounds like a remarkable young man who should be supported as much as
:21:01. > :21:05.possible to achieve the dream teahouse. I don't know the short
:21:06. > :21:08.billy microseconds answer so it would be wrong to say more about it
:21:09. > :21:11.does now but of course I will have the matter looked into and will
:21:12. > :21:17.return to remember in writing what I have the opportunity. Jackie
:21:18. > :21:25.Baillie. The First Minister will be aware of the concerns of the Vale of
:21:26. > :21:29.Leven Hospital. There is a review of emergency points such as the medical
:21:30. > :21:36.assessment unit. Can I ask her to join with me welding Hospital watch
:21:37. > :21:42.today. There was an unusual position, no one from the government
:21:43. > :21:46.could meet with them today but will she agree with a future meeting with
:21:47. > :21:53.them to discuss the importance of the hospital to my local community?
:21:54. > :21:59.I am happy to welcome Hospital watch to the chamber and congratulate them
:22:00. > :22:03.in their innovative way of submitting a position which we would
:22:04. > :22:17.be delighted to receive. In terms of the will Vale of Leven, we seek and
:22:18. > :22:20.recently have sought assurances from Greater Glasgow and Strathclyde
:22:21. > :22:24.health board, to ensure the provision across the whole of the
:22:25. > :22:27.Clyde area but particularly at this hospital and that remains a
:22:28. > :22:31.priority. It is the responsibility of any health boards to make sure
:22:32. > :22:35.that services are provided safely, and Greater Glasgow and Clyde is no
:22:36. > :22:39.exception to that in respect to the Vale of Leven. We should also
:22:40. > :22:43.remember and it is something I am proud of that it was this government
:22:44. > :22:48.that ended a decade of damaging uncertainty by delivering the vision
:22:49. > :22:51.for the Vale. We saw from a previous Labour administration was the
:22:52. > :22:56.closure of the accident and emergency department back in 2002,
:22:57. > :23:00.and in the years that followed that we saw a decline in patient and day
:23:01. > :23:06.case activity at the Vale of Leven Hospital. This government took
:23:07. > :23:09.office in 2007 and in 2009 we published the vision for the Vale
:23:10. > :23:13.document and I can tell the chamber today and this is quite an important
:23:14. > :23:16.sadistic and I hope she will welcome it as a campaigner for the Vale of
:23:17. > :23:21.leaving hospital, since we published the vision for the Vale, inpatient
:23:22. > :23:28.and day case activity has increased by almost one third at the Vale of
:23:29. > :23:32.leaving hospital. So we ended that decade of decline of the Vale of
:23:33. > :23:35.leaving, and this government is determined to make sure that the
:23:36. > :23:42.Vale of Lieven continues to have a positive future delivering for
:23:43. > :23:45.patients it serves. Question number three. Willie Rennie. Do at the
:23:46. > :23:50.First Minister what excuse will be discussed at the next Cabinet
:23:51. > :23:55.meeting. Matters of importance to the people of Scotland. This week I
:23:56. > :24:00.met campaigners in Wick, facing because it is of the downgrading of
:24:01. > :24:06.the Caithness maternity hospital and maternity unit. Young mothers told
:24:07. > :24:11.me about the harrowing 100 mile journey to Inverness to give birth.
:24:12. > :24:16.That part of the country feels let down by the loss of important
:24:17. > :24:19.lifeline services like this. The First Minister is under pressure on
:24:20. > :24:28.this issue and will she finally intervene and reverse this decision
:24:29. > :24:34.was to mark First Minister. This is an important issue and it is one I
:24:35. > :24:38.hopefully want to avoid party politics around. I mean this is
:24:39. > :24:45.because as Willie Rennie will be aware decisions have been taken here
:24:46. > :24:48.on the basis of advice given on the basis of patient safety and it is
:24:49. > :24:53.really important that no politician should or could run in the face of
:24:54. > :24:57.advice that is based on patient safety issues. The NHS Highland are
:24:58. > :25:04.currently undertaking a review of the clinical service model at
:25:05. > :25:08.Caithness General, but in terms of midwife services, I absolutely
:25:09. > :25:12.understand the feelings of mothers or expecting mothers faced with long
:25:13. > :25:18.journeys but what is absolutely the case is that we cannot have service
:25:19. > :25:22.provided at any hospital if the advice is that that may not be safe
:25:23. > :25:26.and it was following the death of an infant at the maternity unit in
:25:27. > :25:30.September 2015 that the board took the decision to change the operating
:25:31. > :25:36.status of the maternity units. It is a midwife led service so I
:25:37. > :25:38.understand these feelings, we will continue to work closely with the
:25:39. > :25:42.health board and make sure they have the right services in pleasant to
:25:43. > :25:47.support women in the interim who may be affected by the different model
:25:48. > :25:51.that is there but that all times and that all steps, we take patient
:25:52. > :25:56.safety as the paramount consideration. I take exception to
:25:57. > :25:59.what she has just said. I am raising this issue because it is an
:26:00. > :26:07.important issue and she should accept that I have a right to ask
:26:08. > :26:17.that question. That Minister talks about safety. What about the rest of
:26:18. > :26:22.the mothers on the narrow Alpha nine road customer a population of 30,000
:26:23. > :26:25.deserves better than a 100 mile trip to get to hospital. People across
:26:26. > :26:30.the country are being let down, too. When Nicola Sturgeon announced the
:26:31. > :26:35.legally binding and treatment time guarantee she said this that there
:26:36. > :26:40.will be a straightforward system of redress on the rare occasions when
:26:41. > :26:43.things go wrong. Was rare at first, that is true, only five patients
:26:44. > :26:52.waited longer than 12 weeks. It isn't rare any more. 13,005 patients
:26:53. > :26:58.are waiting, now. Why is it that she can come up with a triple lock fund,
:26:59. > :27:02.for independence, but is not a triple lock for patients? This
:27:03. > :27:09.waiting time guarantee is not worth the paper it is written on and
:27:10. > :27:13.13,000 people know it. Cannabis and firstly to the issue of Caithness
:27:14. > :27:17.maternity services because just for the record to be absolutely clear I
:27:18. > :27:22.did not suggest that Winnie Rennie did not have the right to ask this
:27:23. > :27:25.question. I simply expressed the hope that we would be able to
:27:26. > :27:32.discuss this issue with that party politics intervening. Because the
:27:33. > :27:36.decision to change the status of Caithness maternity unit was made by
:27:37. > :27:39.NHS Highland on the grounds of safety. It was informed by a review
:27:40. > :27:45.they commissioned after the tragic death of a child in September 15 and
:27:46. > :27:49.the Chief Medical Officer supported the findings of that review. The
:27:50. > :27:52.decision was never referred to ministers because it was made on the
:27:53. > :27:58.grounds of safety. Scottish ministers have never intervened in
:27:59. > :28:03.this case so I understand the concerns that mothers and families
:28:04. > :28:07.have here but I think more mothers and families would undoubtedly be
:28:08. > :28:09.concerned if we were standing by and allowing a service to be delivered
:28:10. > :28:13.that was putting the lives of children at risk. We will continue
:28:14. > :28:17.to work with NHS Highland to make sure that we can deliver safe
:28:18. > :28:24.services for them, supporting them, that model of care has to be at any
:28:25. > :28:27.given time. I would happily meet with any concerns about this in
:28:28. > :28:34.Caithness at this time in order to discuss this further. In relation to
:28:35. > :28:38.the waiting time guarantee yes we have more patience coming forward
:28:39. > :28:42.for treatment because of the rising demand for health services across
:28:43. > :28:45.the word but as we know we are investing record sums to deal with
:28:46. > :28:49.that. The Health Secretary this week in edition leads targeted
:28:50. > :28:53.investments to make sure as we have already seen with outpatients a
:28:54. > :28:56.reduction in number of waiting, and we can see those same improvements
:28:57. > :29:02.around inpatients and they case treatment. We have got on with the
:29:03. > :29:05.work with 80 sure that happens and lastly, I would not come unless he
:29:06. > :29:10.had raised it, choose to go into the issue of because edition for issues
:29:11. > :29:16.such as this, but Willie Rennie's position in this election just
:29:17. > :29:25.beggars belief. On the one hand, and... And before I get
:29:26. > :29:32.criticised... Willie Rennie raised it, as he is entitled to do, he has
:29:33. > :29:39.gone around criticising the SNP for wanting to give people in
:29:40. > :29:42.Scotland... For wanting to give people in Scotland a choice over
:29:43. > :29:45.their own future at the end of the Brexit future. But on the other hand
:29:46. > :29:51.he has gone round the length and breadth of the country arguing for a
:29:52. > :29:54.second referendum on EU membership. At least Willie Rennie could be
:29:55. > :29:58.consistent for once. It doesn't happen often, I know, but in future
:29:59. > :30:05.he could perhaps try a bit of consistency in this chamber.
:30:06. > :30:12.APPLAUSE If you supplement is. George Adam.
:30:13. > :30:14.Thank you First Minister. What progress has been made in
:30:15. > :30:21.introducing Scottish so security benefits? The Cabinet secretary made
:30:22. > :30:29.a statement earlier this week on the next sets we will take to deliver
:30:30. > :30:33.the Social Security benefits. None. That new system will be an increase
:30:34. > :30:36.to the carers allowance, the new better start grounds, and you'll
:30:37. > :30:39.expend assistance, so we will see over the next couple of years those
:30:40. > :30:44.benefits starting to be delivered through that new system. Of course
:30:45. > :30:48.we are seven days away from an election where the future of Social
:30:49. > :30:53.Security is a key issue. I am proud to be standing on a platform of
:30:54. > :30:57.ending cuts to support for disabled and low income people. I think it is
:30:58. > :31:00.not surprising that the Tory party wants to press ahead with billions
:31:01. > :31:05.of pounds of more cuts that are driving people into poverty and
:31:06. > :31:08.widening the quality gap. I think it is more surprising that Labour is
:31:09. > :31:12.only pledged to reverse a quarter of those further cuts to come to Social
:31:13. > :31:15.Security so we will continue to get on and deliver the new system but we
:31:16. > :31:19.will also continue to stand up across the UK for a Social Security
:31:20. > :31:27.system that has dignity at its heart.
:31:28. > :31:36.Thank you. First Minister, yet the shocking report yesterday showed
:31:37. > :31:42.just how high the role of silences that surrounds some of our thwarting
:31:43. > :31:47.estate, what assurances can find First Minister give that there will
:31:48. > :31:55.be a licensing scheme for driven grouse shoots. And why can the role
:31:56. > :32:00.not be extended to wildlife crimes? I share the concerns about the
:32:01. > :32:04.report on the fate of raptors which does paint a disturbing picture of
:32:05. > :32:14.the illegal killing of our iconic golden eagles. It shows around one
:32:15. > :32:16.third of tax golden eagles disappeared in suspicious
:32:17. > :32:20.circumstances. We have announced a copper hence a set of measures that
:32:21. > :32:23.seek to build on the action taken in recent years. The proposals
:32:24. > :32:36.yesterday send out a very strong message that we have. I hope the
:32:37. > :32:39.measures announced by the Cabinet Secretary yesterday will be welcomed
:32:40. > :32:51.by the member and I know she will be happy to meet with them to discuss
:32:52. > :33:00.this further. John Mason. Tap-in order. Order. Thank you, to ask the
:33:01. > :33:03.First Minister what recent discussions the Scottish Government
:33:04. > :33:06.has had with local authority directors of education concerning
:33:07. > :33:12.the quality of newly qualified teachers. We are determined to
:33:13. > :33:17.ensure that all newly qualified teachers enter the profession
:33:18. > :33:27.feeling confident in the skills and knowledge. We meet with the broader
:33:28. > :33:29.range of issues and we will be discussing next steps with
:33:30. > :33:33.universities, the General teaching Council for Scotland and local
:33:34. > :33:38.authorities. As we approach the end of the 2017 exam season I also want
:33:39. > :33:41.to take this opportunity to thank all our teachers who have been
:33:42. > :33:45.involved, it is important for teachers to know their commitment is
:33:46. > :33:52.valid and Nick Roach vision is vital to young people success at school
:33:53. > :33:58.and in future. I wonder if the First Minister agrees with comments by
:33:59. > :34:01.Maureen McKenna who is president of the Association of directors of
:34:02. > :34:06.education in Scotland when she said I have been very impressed by the
:34:07. > :34:12.quality of newly qualified teachers coming to teach in Glasgow and our
:34:13. > :34:16.headteachers also report very positively about the quality of
:34:17. > :34:20.newly qualified teachers. And also made the point that teacher training
:34:21. > :34:26.college or university is just the first step in and training on the
:34:27. > :34:30.job as hugely important. I think the comments are very important and
:34:31. > :34:40.legitimate comments. It is testament to our teachers and of course
:34:41. > :34:46.testament to pupils at right now we have got got record passes and we
:34:47. > :34:49.have record number of people going into education and training and most
:34:50. > :34:52.significantly we are starting to see the attainment gap, the kind of
:34:53. > :34:56.attainment gap seen in many countries beginning to close. Of
:34:57. > :35:01.course that does not mean we have not got much more to do. Our own
:35:02. > :35:06.report which I referred to in my first answer found inconsistencies
:35:07. > :35:12.between courses and that is a cause of concern that none of that changes
:35:13. > :35:17.the fact that Scotland has excellent teacher who deserve our support. Can
:35:18. > :35:21.I asked directly whether you believe in the context of teacher training
:35:22. > :35:25.there should be much more greater emphasis on literacy and numeracy or
:35:26. > :35:29.whether you agree with Mr Mason when he says that "Learning timetables
:35:30. > :35:37.and spelling were stronger in that we have moved on". The guidance that
:35:38. > :35:41.was issued at primacy on literacy and numeracy. As I said in earlier
:35:42. > :35:46.answers high standards of literacy and new Morrissey are essential to
:35:47. > :35:49.providing the foundation for learning of judge in other subjects.
:35:50. > :35:55.The report I refer to that was published last week did show a
:35:56. > :36:00.variation in terms of what student teachers say about learning around
:36:01. > :36:05.literacy and that is something we want to address that standards of
:36:06. > :36:11.literacy are vitally important that is why I say we have got new
:36:12. > :36:14.benchmarks putting new focus is on literacy and why we have got
:36:15. > :36:18.initiatives like the Reading challenge trying to use the pleasure
:36:19. > :36:21.of reading to help improve literacy among young people as well. We'll
:36:22. > :36:24.continue to get on with these things and as we decide will have the
:36:25. > :36:31.support of people across the chamber. Glasgow University report
:36:32. > :36:37.notes that Tory benefit sanctions have caused more harm to the poor
:36:38. > :36:40.than electrolysis since the workers. Many hundreds of those sanctions
:36:41. > :36:44.include single parents who are unable to attend interviews due to
:36:45. > :36:48.child care or not having enough money for the bus. Last night the
:36:49. > :37:03.Prime Minister failed to attend... Miss McAlpine. Sorry, First
:37:04. > :37:06.Minister. The question has to be supplementary to the question on the
:37:07. > :37:15.order paper. We move on to question number five. Thank you residing
:37:16. > :37:20.officer. To ask what the Scottish Government is doing to provide
:37:21. > :37:26.support for people with dementia. Of course this is dementia awareness
:37:27. > :37:31.week and I'm pleased to say this government has maintained a priority
:37:32. > :37:35.focus on dementia since 2007. We have prioritised national sport.
:37:36. > :37:39.Education and training, improved their standards forever with a
:37:40. > :37:42.diagnosis of dementia regardless of where they live, their age or the
:37:43. > :37:46.severity of their illness and we have ensured the provision of
:37:47. > :37:49.high-quality person centred post diagnostic support. We will publish
:37:50. > :37:52.a new dementia strategy in the coming weeks which will set out in
:37:53. > :37:58.further detail the work that we and our partners will undertake to
:37:59. > :38:04.support people dementia and their families and carers. I thank your
:38:05. > :38:09.for the answer but as usual to hear that answer you would think
:38:10. > :38:15.everything was fine. So let me tell her what the real world looks like.
:38:16. > :38:25.In the north-east... I will tell you what the real world looks like.
:38:26. > :38:30.Order. I will tell you what the real world looks like. In the north-east
:38:31. > :38:37.number of people diagnosed with dementia has increased by more than
:38:38. > :38:41.44% in the last decade. However in 2014-15 in NHS Grampian only 23%
:38:42. > :38:47.people diagnosed were referred for post diagnostic support. What will
:38:48. > :38:54.the Scottish Government do to ensure that people in royal areas are able
:38:55. > :38:58.to access the support they require? You know, here as in so many other
:38:59. > :39:01.areas of course, unlike other countries has more work to do. We
:39:02. > :39:06.are seeing more and more people diagnosed with dementia as the
:39:07. > :39:09.operation lives longer. One of the things Scotland is recognised for
:39:10. > :39:15.internationally is our high rates of diagnosis of dementia. Any expert
:39:16. > :39:18.you speak to converse is true of any condition of course but particularly
:39:19. > :39:23.for dementia because of the nature of support that is required, early
:39:24. > :39:27.diagnosis is essential. We are leading the world in terms of
:39:28. > :39:32.getting people diagnosed early. We have more work to do in terms of the
:39:33. > :39:35.provision of post-IPO to support but we are again way ahead of most other
:39:36. > :39:41.countries when it comes to putting in place post diagnostic services.
:39:42. > :39:46.Later this month we will publish our new dementia strategy that will
:39:47. > :39:51.build on these commitments and build on what we aim to achieve in the
:39:52. > :39:59.years ahead. But one thing will not be doing is imposing a dementia tax
:40:00. > :40:03.on all people. I am proud that in Scotland for over 65 so we have free
:40:04. > :40:08.personal and nursing care. For older people that are eligible for nursing
:40:09. > :40:13.care contribution of nearly ?13,000 a year if you have to fund your own
:40:14. > :40:16.care from the state. That does not take away the burden on personal
:40:17. > :40:23.resources but it significantly reduces it. We will also not be
:40:24. > :40:26.ensuring that certain body in their Villa has their own has part of
:40:27. > :40:32.their financial assessment, something that Tories are planning
:40:33. > :40:36.to do in England. On this as in so many other areas we have work to do
:40:37. > :40:40.but I am proud that when it comes to a progressive approach to dementia
:40:41. > :40:44.and for paying for social care Scotland is so much further ahead
:40:45. > :40:47.than anywhere else in the UK and next week we have to make sure we do
:40:48. > :41:00.not allow Tories to drag us backwards. I think I know the answer
:41:01. > :41:05.that does the First Minister agree with me that the dementia tax which
:41:06. > :41:10.is essentially a plot to allow the financial services industry to asset
:41:11. > :41:24.strip dementia sufferers has to be one of the most inhumane manifesto
:41:25. > :41:27.pledges Evora -- ever devised? I think from a sedentary position with
:41:28. > :41:34.Davidson is trying to defend just as Ms Davidson defends the rate clause
:41:35. > :41:39.and other inhumane Tory policies. But not only is the dementia tax in
:41:40. > :41:44.principle wrong, what is completely beyond belief is that we have a
:41:45. > :41:48.Prime Minister who has put forward that policy is now cannot answer
:41:49. > :41:53.even the most basic questions about it. There was firstly to be no cap
:41:54. > :41:56.on the cost of care and then there is to be a cap but nobody in the
:41:57. > :42:01.Tories can tell anybody where the level that is going to be set. Just
:42:02. > :42:04.as they cannot tell anybody what the means test for the winter fuel
:42:05. > :42:08.allowance is going to be, who is going to lose it and he was going to
:42:09. > :42:11.retain it. With Davidson said you do not have to worry about that in
:42:12. > :42:15.Scotland but they will not tell us how much money they will devolve to
:42:16. > :42:17.go with the power. Are they going to devolve the budget now for the
:42:18. > :42:23.winter fuel allowance or do as they did with employment support and take
:42:24. > :42:28.money off before they do? The Tory manifesto published a couple of
:42:29. > :42:32.weeks ago was nothing short of an assault on pension benefits. The
:42:33. > :42:35.triple lock for pensions to go, the winter fuel allowance to go and
:42:36. > :42:39.dementia tax. I think it is very clear for pensioners across Scotland
:42:40. > :42:43.if you want to make sure Theresa May does not have the power to take away
:42:44. > :42:54.your benefits and protections make sure you have got strong MPs
:42:55. > :43:00.standing up for you. APPLAUSE Question number six. Rulli to ask
:43:01. > :43:04.the First Minister what the Scottish Government is doing to help people
:43:05. > :43:10.with arthritis who are struggling to work. In December last year we
:43:11. > :43:14.launched fairer Scotland for disabled people which includes a
:43:15. > :43:21.plan for increased funding for the active and independent living
:43:22. > :43:26.programme, to help ensure that people can find the support they
:43:27. > :43:30.need to stay in work. From April we are using devolve powers to provide
:43:31. > :43:32.Scottish employment services specifically for people with
:43:33. > :43:37.long-term health conditions to help them find work and stay in work. We
:43:38. > :43:40.have also committed to exploring new ways of integrating health
:43:41. > :43:43.disability and employment supporters, to ensure people can
:43:44. > :43:50.find their way quickly to the tailored and person centred support
:43:51. > :43:56.they need. Thank you. Would the First Minister agree that there is a
:43:57. > :43:59.need to recognise the scale and impact of musculoskeletal conditions
:44:00. > :44:04.like arthritis in Scotland. It is the biggest cause of disability and
:44:05. > :44:07.pain across the country. The course into arthritis research UK it
:44:08. > :44:13.accounts for half of all work-related illness. And in
:44:14. > :44:16.Scotland 800,000 people live with osteoarthritis, the most common
:44:17. > :44:23.form. Anyone who has it will tell you it is a very painful condition.
:44:24. > :44:27.There is some evidence to suggest that the use of cannabis for many
:44:28. > :44:31.sufferers can alleviate the pain. Have called for the use of it under
:44:32. > :44:35.strict medical conditions, for example countries such as Germany,
:44:36. > :44:41.Canada and 24 states in the US do this already. Earlier this year the
:44:42. > :44:46.medicines and health care products and regulatory agency said that
:44:47. > :44:50.cannabinoids is safe and companies can now apply for a licence. I was
:44:51. > :44:55.genuinely pleased to know that the SNP conference overwhelmingly backed
:44:56. > :44:58.it last year. With the First Minister consider taking steps to
:44:59. > :45:02.license cannabis for medical purposes, or would the First
:45:03. > :45:12.Minister at least commit to looking at the basis for this? Thank you for
:45:13. > :45:15.raising the issue, more generally I agree in terms of arthritis and
:45:16. > :45:18.other musculoskeletal conditions that for many people it would be
:45:19. > :45:22.conditions like that that make it very difficult for them to sustain
:45:23. > :45:25.employment which is why the work I spoke about my first answer is so
:45:26. > :45:30.important to help people either get or stay in employment. It is also
:45:31. > :45:34.one of the reasons why you think the assault on benefits for disabled
:45:35. > :45:37.people and other people are so wrong because often they penalise people
:45:38. > :45:42.who want to work but find it difficult to do so. One of the year
:45:43. > :45:46.the benefit changes I hope we see reversed in the next couple of years
:45:47. > :45:50.is the cup to employment support allowance for disabled people. On
:45:51. > :45:54.the issue of cannabis, I have long been of the view that there is a
:45:55. > :45:57.case for medicinal use of cannabis. I am not in favour of the
:45:58. > :46:01.decriminalisation or legalisation of cannabis generally. use of cannabis
:46:02. > :46:06.but carefully used for certainly conditions I think there is a case
:46:07. > :46:10.to be made. There are two macro issues all related issues, the use
:46:11. > :46:14.of cannabis itself and obviously the licensing and classification of
:46:15. > :46:19.drugs is a matter reserved to the UK Government and also the separate
:46:20. > :46:25.issue related which is what I think she raises of drugs that are derived
:46:26. > :46:31.from cannabis. Now as with all drugs in terms of their approval or not or
:46:32. > :46:34.use in Scotland that is a decision for the independent Scottish
:46:35. > :46:41.medicines Consortium. I will happily browse -- ask the Health Secretary
:46:42. > :46:50.to write to the Minister on related issues with drugs but I am
:46:51. > :46:54.sympathetic, in terms of medicines we have a recognised process in
:46:55. > :46:57.place for Scotland and of course it is open to any manufacturer of drugs
:46:58. > :47:03.to ask for approval for that process. That includes a First
:47:04. > :47:06.Minister's Questions. There we have it, the ends of questions to the
:47:07. > :47:11.First Minister. There will be another section next week, and as he
:47:12. > :47:14.said that the shifting -- they are shifting the First Minister's
:47:15. > :47:18.Questions to Wednesday next week just before the election. We will
:47:19. > :47:21.come to the election later but here are my two colleagues chewing over
:47:22. > :47:24.what happened there. There was a pattern there, wasn't there, what
:47:25. > :47:28.are you doing, why are you bothering about a referendum question what are
:47:29. > :47:34.you doing, why you bothering about the referendum? Health, education...
:47:35. > :47:38.Ruth Davidson's attack convertible, she is really going for education.
:47:39. > :47:42.It is peanuts every single week there has been an edited question,
:47:43. > :47:44.and it will be quite easy for Nicola Sturgeon du Quebec, obviously read
:47:45. > :47:50.is going to ask about education again. She came with quotes from the
:47:51. > :47:56.Conservatives from 2010! Are busy this was a valid example from this
:47:57. > :47:59.week, with John Swinney having said that we got the numbers wrong in
:48:00. > :48:03.terms of keeping the supply of new teachers coming through. But then at
:48:04. > :48:09.the same anger as Nicola Sturgeon said the maid was an independent
:48:10. > :48:12.recommendation of how many had to be bright so there wasn't an
:48:13. > :48:16.oversupply, just the right number of students compare to the number of
:48:17. > :48:20.people leaving. We are getting this again and again, the response is
:48:21. > :48:27.always it is better than elsewhere, but she's very careful not to
:48:28. > :48:31.sound... As if she is complacent in any the education in Scotland. It is
:48:32. > :48:34.the gift that keeps on giving for the Tories, tunnelling else this
:48:35. > :48:38.week. She gives a very spirited defence, saying oh, yeah, this is
:48:39. > :48:43.what was recommended at the time but the problem is as wise babies and
:48:44. > :48:46.quickly pointed out John has admitted but Billy Mac that they
:48:47. > :48:50.used too much and her argument saying I take responsibility but you
:48:51. > :48:53.know luck at Westminster, it did look like she wasn't taking this on
:48:54. > :48:57.civility. He was saying they have cut it too much now, with hand side,
:48:58. > :49:01.with the evidence at the time it appeared there was an oversupply.
:49:02. > :49:06.The problem for her is that she now has the year record. And it isn't
:49:07. > :49:09.great. The Tories are going to keep coming back to it week after week
:49:10. > :49:13.and it is cutting through and actually the BBC TV debate we had
:49:14. > :49:16.this week showed it was cutting through and members of the audience
:49:17. > :49:18.asked what they like and although they are devolved issues, people
:49:19. > :49:24.were raising things like education and health in that debate with her,
:49:25. > :49:31.and it does reading to issues of Nicola Sturgeon's confidence. Bat
:49:32. > :49:37.competence. We mention dedication and health. Education from Ruth
:49:38. > :49:40.Davidson, and Kezia Dugdale with waiting times. Waiting times are a
:49:41. > :49:45.challenge for everyone and Nicola Sturgeon said similar things, well,
:49:46. > :49:49.it is worth... She contrasted it with Wales, didn't she. Contrasted
:49:50. > :49:54.with the Labour government. The devolved assembly having health was
:49:55. > :49:59.one be there and it is obviously Labour and there's the diptychs that
:50:00. > :50:03.I get their statistics are worse than in Scotland. Busy there is a
:50:04. > :50:08.target of 12 weeks and it hasn't been met. The mantra, Simon, is the
:50:09. > :50:12.business of get on with the day job. It was almost in parallel, Ruth
:50:13. > :50:16.Davidson, put aside the referendum and get on with the day job stop and
:50:17. > :50:21.Kezia Dugdale, actually used the phrase gets on with your day job.
:50:22. > :50:24.Nicola Sturgeon used this. I think the phrase is coming from both
:50:25. > :50:29.opposition parties and focus groups will stop do you mean it works in
:50:30. > :50:35.other words? This election next week up a, the main issue is going to be
:50:36. > :50:39.independence referendum, are you for and against, and people in focus
:50:40. > :50:42.groups telling the Tories, telling Labour, that they once Nicola
:50:43. > :50:45.Sturgeon to get on with the day job am aware that the education or
:50:46. > :50:51.health. You said yourself, they are devolved matters, this pilot is not
:50:52. > :50:56.that this parliament cannot control that is it legitimate for opposition
:50:57. > :51:00.party to go on these issues? I think it is, it doesn't play into Nicola
:51:01. > :51:04.Sturgeon's competence, and at the end of the day she has called and if
:51:05. > :51:08.and -- independence referendum recently and for her to argue that
:51:09. > :51:11.it is the other parties obsessing, it just wasn't all that this is how
:51:12. > :51:14.the election has broken down, and they would rather she focused on
:51:15. > :51:19.education and health when the services are in trouble. It is
:51:20. > :51:23.unfair, isn't it, when you could elect 59 MPs of one party and they
:51:24. > :51:28.would have no influence will stop I saw the SNP on this... It is about
:51:29. > :51:33.her record. The SNP that I saw the other day, they were putting out
:51:34. > :51:40.tweets about their stewardship of the NHS, said the NHS could still be
:51:41. > :51:46.on the doorstep. Can we see all the four leaders in there, a photocall
:51:47. > :51:48.in support of the married QE Organisation, looking chipper and
:51:49. > :51:52.cheery there, but earlier giving each other a kicking. Willie Rennie
:51:53. > :51:58.I can see to their having a bit of a go on the subject, taking objection
:51:59. > :52:04.to the suggestion it was a political matter. I will gently point out he
:52:05. > :52:07.had been canvassing in that constituency recently. He raised a
:52:08. > :52:13.serious point, about maternity services in the northern highlands.
:52:14. > :52:20.It was about a woman from Caithness having to travel 100 miles. If there
:52:21. > :52:25.are problems, yes. It is now a midwife led units rather than a
:52:26. > :52:28.doctor led unit in Caithness. The First Minister stressed that this is
:52:29. > :52:32.a matter for clinical judgment rather than ministerial
:52:33. > :52:34.intervention. She said I can't override the independent
:52:35. > :52:38.recommendation that it wasn't safe, when busy there was the point that
:52:39. > :52:43.it was actually as a result of a death of a child stop as the leaders
:52:44. > :52:47.had backed up the stairs after that combined photocall, I see the Health
:52:48. > :52:52.Secretary there, be married cheery event of course. Hang on, chums, we
:52:53. > :52:55.will catch up a little bit more of the general election now because
:52:56. > :53:03.that BBC debate last night, seven parties taking part. Here's a
:53:04. > :53:07.flavour of it with Angus Robertson. Dementia tax, and ends to the Winter
:53:08. > :53:14.fuel payment, and cuts to the pension, I think those people
:53:15. > :53:18.deserve to know by how much. Why is Britain the second biggest arms
:53:19. > :53:24.dealer in the world? Why are we selling to 22 of the 30 countries on
:53:25. > :53:33.the government was like own human rights watch list? APPLAUSE
:53:34. > :53:39.We need to do the -- we need to reduce immigration by having an
:53:40. > :53:43.Australian style points system. Ukip has just claimed that people voted
:53:44. > :53:48.to leave the European Union and in so doing they are still voting for
:53:49. > :53:53.curbing immigration. I don't think we can read that into the result. I
:53:54. > :53:57.just had to take on some of Jeremy Corbyn's fantasy economic. He has
:53:58. > :54:01.this money tree wish list in his manifesto. It is easy to think about
:54:02. > :54:08.how you spend money but it is harder to raise it and his proposals don't
:54:09. > :54:13.add up, it's as though he think it's a game, game of Monopoly, perhaps,
:54:14. > :54:18.where you ask the money for the Electric, the railways come at and
:54:19. > :54:22.the gasworks. It isn't like that. Leadership is about understanding
:54:23. > :54:26.the people you represent. It is about being prepared to learn. It is
:54:27. > :54:31.about not being so high and mighty you can't take advice. It is also
:54:32. > :54:36.about bringing people with you. It is also about insuring your
:54:37. > :54:39.responsibility to protect the safety and security of everybody in this
:54:40. > :54:43.country and to lead a government that cares for everybody in the
:54:44. > :54:48.country. The Prime Minister isn't here tonight. She can't be bothered.
:54:49. > :54:56.So why should you? In fact, they offer is on BBC Two next. Why not
:54:57. > :55:00.make yourself a brew. You are not worth Theresa May's time, don't give
:55:01. > :55:04.her yours will stop don't make yourself a brew. Fascinating
:55:05. > :55:10.analysis deal to come from my chums here. Let's go with the point
:55:11. > :55:14.mentioned there, the missing Prime Minister. What do you make of it
:55:15. > :55:17.pretty much she said she doesn't need to do this. It's Jeremy
:55:18. > :55:21.Corbyn's turned to lose and all that sort of thing. What do you make of
:55:22. > :55:25.it? There was no clear winner last night but I think there was a clear
:55:26. > :55:27.blue zone which was Theresa May which was because she has run this
:55:28. > :55:34.campaign initially starting up strong and stable leadership,... It
:55:35. > :55:37.was almost presidential as well, her versus Corbin. But she wasn't there
:55:38. > :55:43.to take questions or provide answers so it looks appalling and on what
:55:44. > :55:46.the campaign has come off as, coming off the rails, it sort of emphasised
:55:47. > :55:52.the fact that maybe she is out of touch, slightly arrogant. She is
:55:53. > :55:55.clutching at straws, saying perhaps Corbin could make more of but
:55:56. > :56:00.actually Caroline Lucas and Tim Farron especially we saw there who
:56:01. > :56:05.were saying what he should have been saying that why isn't she here? Why
:56:06. > :56:09.isn't she debating us? It was a bad night for her personally and for the
:56:10. > :56:15.Tories. Jenny, what you make of it were to mark nobody won the May that
:56:16. > :56:18.a fair assessment? I think it was difficult because obviously there
:56:19. > :56:21.was a lot of people there and it wasn't a head to head between two
:56:22. > :56:26.leaders where you could say one person came out strong, strongly,
:56:27. > :56:30.you know, there were good contributions from everybody, as
:56:31. > :56:33.Simon has just said. Obviously that manoeuvre yesterday by Jeremy Corbyn
:56:34. > :56:40.or his team... He decided he was going. Coming after all. To reason
:56:41. > :56:46.that may in such a lose lose situation saying oh, after get
:56:47. > :56:50.mine,... She looked weak by not going on but there is no way to come
:56:51. > :56:55.out of it well and there was no way that Amber Rudd could stand in fully
:56:56. > :56:59.because she is not Theresa May, and that final word is that she isn't
:57:00. > :57:03.Theresa May. Polls all over the place, it would seem. One poll
:57:04. > :57:07.suggested the gap has narrowed to four point other is suggesting ten,
:57:08. > :57:11.and all suggesting a Conservative-led. What you expect
:57:12. > :57:18.for the final week. I think it will get a bit intense. The start of a
:57:19. > :57:22.domain, the Tories tried running the 2015 campaign again, the coalition
:57:23. > :57:25.of chaos idea, a week later leader propped up by Nicola Sturgeon and
:57:26. > :57:29.that didn't get any traction because in England especially because the
:57:30. > :57:33.polls suggested 20 points ahead for Theresa May but now could be Tories
:57:34. > :57:36.will probably really focus on this message and that will start having
:57:37. > :57:42.some traction, focus minds in England and also I think the idea of
:57:43. > :57:46.Brexit as well, do you want may or Corbin, I think that will focus
:57:47. > :57:49.minds, and I think probably the Tories will end up with a decent
:57:50. > :57:54.majority, despite having run a totally atrocious campaign. Do you
:57:55. > :57:58.reckon, Jenny, that the Conservatives will go on this who do
:57:59. > :58:02.you want to be negotiating Brexit? Of course, the Scottish independence
:58:03. > :58:06.is a big issue and also Brexit, the whole of the GB and the UK will be
:58:07. > :58:10.affected. That is that at this point at the moment, taking things away
:58:11. > :58:13.from other policies. That was busy their aim from the outset, the
:58:14. > :58:16.entire election running on Brexit, they have kind of us that with the
:58:17. > :58:20.manifesto mistake many in the so-called dementia tax. Just taking
:58:21. > :58:25.it back, and you could see earlier in the week Theresa May was trying
:58:26. > :58:31.to appeal to the working class work it vote -- you did vote, we heard we
:58:32. > :58:37.understand your reasons for wanting this. Thank you both very much for
:58:38. > :58:40.joining us. A discussion there a general election but of course
:58:41. > :58:43.coverage, too, of the First Minister's Questions. As I said
:58:44. > :58:46.earlier we are on again next week but questions on Wednesday because
:58:47. > :58:50.they have brought it forward a day to allow the politicians do all be
:58:51. > :59:13.out campaigning on the Thursday. Henri, from Holyrood, all the best.
:59:14. > :59:17.It was an industry bursting at the seams.
:59:18. > :59:19.We exported thread to the whole world.
:59:20. > :59:23.So why did fortunes unravel for Paisley?
:59:24. > :59:26.Something had to be closed. Devastating.
:59:27. > :59:35.cities and traditions in The Art Of Japanese Life.
:59:36. > :59:40.In Japan, art and life are intrinsically connected.
:59:41. > :59:43.Understanding the principles behind the art
:59:44. > :59:47.unlocks the mysteries of Japanese culture.