:00:21. > :00:26.A very warm welcome to the Scottish parliament at Holyrood. Earlier
:00:27. > :00:32.today MSPs were taking evidence from Greg Hands and John Swinney on the
:00:33. > :00:35.deal that they stroke, the fiscal framework that liberates the
:00:36. > :00:40.possibility of new tax and welfare powers. It might be matter is
:00:41. > :00:43.monetary that also arise in questions to the First Minister. It
:00:44. > :00:48.could be the announcement she made on council tax yesterday.
:00:49. > :00:54.Let's crossed to the chamber and Glenn Campbell. They are talking
:00:55. > :00:59.about railways at the moment. Other topics that have come include
:01:00. > :01:05.fracking, tourism, the islands and also a question on deposit returns
:01:06. > :01:09.for a fizzy drink bottles. Lots to talk about at Holyrood as we get
:01:10. > :01:16.under way with First Minister's Questions. A welcome from the
:01:17. > :01:23.presiding officer to a delegation. The Ambassador of the kingdom of the
:01:24. > :01:26.Netherlands. Applause for the Ambassador from the
:01:27. > :01:32.Netherlands. We now move to First Minister --
:01:33. > :01:35.First Minister's Questions. To ask the First Minister what
:01:36. > :01:41.engagements she has planned for the day. To take forward the government
:01:42. > :01:44.programme for Scotland, including meeting people from a primary school
:01:45. > :01:52.to celebrate world book Dale foot -- world book Day.
:01:53. > :01:58.For years, the SNP have promised to abolish the hated council tax. It
:01:59. > :02:02.was in their 2007 and 2011 manifestos. Thousands of leaflets
:02:03. > :02:05.were delivered, billboard after billboard was plastered with the
:02:06. > :02:10.promise to scrap the unfair council tax. The only thing she scrapped
:02:11. > :02:14.yesterday was the council tax freeze. She could have broken her
:02:15. > :02:21.promise on day one. I did it take ten years?
:02:22. > :02:27.Since 2007, we have made sure there have been eight years, soon to be
:02:28. > :02:35.nine years, of a council tax freeze, saving the average band geek council
:02:36. > :02:42.taxpayer ?1500. Labour have moaned about that every single step of the
:02:43. > :02:46.way. What we announced yesterday our plans to make local tax fairer. Or
:02:47. > :02:52.as Professor David Bell described on the radio this morning, certainly
:02:53. > :02:56.progressive. And we also set out how, with new tax powers, we will
:02:57. > :03:01.make the funding of council services in the future more closely related
:03:02. > :03:09.to income. Something that Labour has also opposed for many years. Now we
:03:10. > :03:13.are doing this in a fair way. A council tax freeze will remain in
:03:14. > :03:18.place for the next year. After that, the council tax will be capped. We
:03:19. > :03:25.cannot go back to the bad old days when Labour increased council tax by
:03:26. > :03:29.60%. The band reforms will mean that people on the highest bands will pay
:03:30. > :03:34.more with exemptions for those on lower incomes, including pensioners.
:03:35. > :03:37.Three out of four households will not pay a single penny more. And
:03:38. > :03:42.lower-income households with children will pay less. Out of that
:03:43. > :03:47.we will raise an additional ?100 million per year for education.
:03:48. > :03:54.These are fair, balanced and reasonable proposals, which is
:03:55. > :03:58.probably why labour oppose them. We will get rid once and for all of
:03:59. > :04:02.the unfair council tax. The words of the First Minister. And of course
:04:03. > :04:06.voters should have known that when the First Minister said she would
:04:07. > :04:10.get rid of the council tax, what she really meant was that she would keep
:04:11. > :04:18.it. The whole process has been a sham. Here is the SNP formula.
:04:19. > :04:23.Condemn it, freeze it, order a big report and go ahead and do it
:04:24. > :04:28.anyway. And it is not just the council tax. The SNP say fracking is
:04:29. > :04:33.bad and have opposed a temporary freeze. A big report has been
:04:34. > :04:43.ordered but all the signs are that they are going to go ahead and do it
:04:44. > :04:51.anyway. Labour would not allow fracking in Scotland. Can the First
:04:52. > :04:56.Minister give that guarantee? Before we move on from local
:04:57. > :05:10.taxation, which I am keen still to talk about, unlike Labour clearly.
:05:11. > :05:14.Order. Let me give Labour some helpful advice. Before Kezia Dugdale
:05:15. > :05:20.decides to adopt her usual position of whingeing from the sidelines, and
:05:21. > :05:24.criticise the SNP policy on local taxation, it might be a good idea to
:05:25. > :05:32.have a policy on local taxation yourself. Labour talk about reports.
:05:33. > :05:40.Iain Gray is sitting next to Kezia Dugdale right now. In 2009, Iain
:05:41. > :05:44.Gray, then the Labour leader, set up a commission to decide what Labour's
:05:45. > :05:48.policy on local taxation was going to be. The outcome of that
:05:49. > :05:54.commission has never, ever been published. So we still don't know
:05:55. > :05:59.what Labour's position on local taxes. Before you criticise hours,
:06:00. > :06:04.please have the good grace to come with one of your own. On the issue
:06:05. > :06:10.of fracking, Kezia Dugdale has just heard the Energy Minister -- Energy
:06:11. > :06:19.Minister set out the clear position of this government. We will not
:06:20. > :06:23.allow fracking. If you don't like -- they don't like the answer but
:06:24. > :06:27.perhaps they might like to listen. We will not allow fracking in
:06:28. > :06:30.Scotland because we will not take risks with our environment while
:06:31. > :06:39.there are still unanswered questions. That is why we have got a
:06:40. > :06:43.moratorium in place. Her backbenchers do not like her
:06:44. > :06:50.answer on fracking because they oppose it. All across the country
:06:51. > :06:56.SNP candidates are telling voters they will be no fracking under the
:06:57. > :07:04.SNP. The same people who promised to scrap the council tax. People
:07:05. > :07:08.deserve the truth. We know where the Tories stand. They are for it. The
:07:09. > :07:12.Lib Dems voted for it at their Conference. The Greens are against
:07:13. > :07:17.it. I have said where I stand. Scottish Labour will go into the
:07:18. > :07:24.election with a very clear manifesto commitment. We will oppose fracking.
:07:25. > :07:36.If Jim Ratcliffe of any us can get a straight answer, why can't the
:07:37. > :07:39.people of Scotland? Fracking or no? No fracking in Scotland because
:07:40. > :07:45.there is a moratorium on fracking. That is what a moratorium means. It
:07:46. > :07:48.ain't allowed to happen because we will not take risks with our
:07:49. > :07:54.environment while there are so many unanswered questions. That is the
:07:55. > :07:57.responsible way of proceeding. Of course, Labour stand up your week
:07:58. > :08:01.after week and say whatever they like about what they would do,
:08:02. > :08:10.because as we already know from Kezia Dugdale, they are going to
:08:11. > :08:15.come second in the election. Presiding officer, Jim Ratcliffe
:08:16. > :08:22.says he has had private assurances from her government that the SNP are
:08:23. > :08:25.not against fracking. He says, they are being quite clear. What they
:08:26. > :08:34.have said to us is that they are not against fracking. What does he know
:08:35. > :08:39.that we do not? The Department of energy plan it is have agreed to
:08:40. > :08:43.stop limiting conversations on fracking. Her government has
:08:44. > :08:47.tendered for research into decommissioning on fracking. If she
:08:48. > :08:54.is not planning to Phrack, why is she preparing for the clean-up? Is
:08:55. > :09:02.the SNP promised to stop fracking a real promise, or is it just an
:09:03. > :09:06.election pledge? First Minister, I know that Labour are desperate. And
:09:07. > :09:10.I know why Labour are desperate. But this really does take the biscuit.
:09:11. > :09:18.Just for the avoidance of doubt again, there is a moratorium on
:09:19. > :09:25.fracking. It is clear and simple. There is a moratorium on fracking.
:09:26. > :09:29.That means no fracking. Question number two, Ruth Davidson.
:09:30. > :09:33.To ask the First Minister when she will next meet the Secretary of
:09:34. > :09:38.State for Scotland. I have no immediate plans. This
:09:39. > :09:40.morning the Defence Secretary announced extra funding to help
:09:41. > :09:44.support our naval base on the Clydebridge which are welcome. We
:09:45. > :09:50.First Minister and I have an honest disagreement about the decision to
:09:51. > :09:55.renew our nuclear deterrence and four remain earning -- integral part
:09:56. > :09:59.of the UK's defence. We should all be able to agree on one thing. That
:10:00. > :10:08.if the submarines go, the jobs go. Does the First Minister agri-? No, I
:10:09. > :10:12.support the continuation of Faslane as a naval base, a conventional
:10:13. > :10:18.naval base. I do not believe we should be spending ?167 billion and
:10:19. > :10:21.rising on nuclear weapons that we cannot afford, that are not the
:10:22. > :10:26.appropriate defence of our country. That kind of money would be better
:10:27. > :10:35.spent supporting jobs, not just in the defence industry but across
:10:36. > :10:39.public services as well. The First Minister is flying in the
:10:40. > :10:49.face of the evidence. The GMB union has said... Order! The Defence
:10:50. > :10:57.Secretary says thousands of highly skilled jobs would disappear. And
:10:58. > :11:01.even the local SMP -- MSP, Jackie Baillie, Labour's long-range, admits
:11:02. > :11:05.this morning that nobody has come up with a credible plan to replace
:11:06. > :11:10.those jobs. The loss of that employment would devastate my local
:11:11. > :11:14.community. Perhaps she has in mind Jeremy Corbyn's new position, that
:11:15. > :11:18.we should build the submarines, keep the jobs but stick the missiles in a
:11:19. > :11:23.shed. I know the First Minister linked arms with the Labour leader
:11:24. > :11:29.in London last week, but please tell me she does not agree with him on
:11:30. > :11:33.that as well? He referred -- he refused to turn up until after I had
:11:34. > :11:38.left, for some unknown reason! I will leave that to him to explain. I
:11:39. > :11:46.have to say to Ruth Davidson, when it comes to the point where you have
:11:47. > :11:54.to call Jackie Baillie, it really should tell you your arguments have
:11:55. > :11:58.got rather threadbare. On the serious issue of defence jobs, Ruth
:11:59. > :12:04.Davidson should look at the numbers of defence personnel in Scotland and
:12:05. > :12:08.what has happened to those numbers under this Conservative government.
:12:09. > :12:14.We have seen a haemorrhaging of conventional defence jobs. We have
:12:15. > :12:19.seen the closure of bases. We have seen our forces take a hammering as
:12:20. > :12:22.a result of Tory austerity. The report done a year or so back on the
:12:23. > :12:28.question of whether Trident should be renewed, set out very clearly the
:12:29. > :12:32.price that conventional forces pay through the accession with Trident.
:12:33. > :12:38.My position is clear. Support our conventional forces, supported
:12:39. > :12:40.Faslane as a naval base, but let's not spend obscene amounts of money
:12:41. > :12:46.on obscene nuclear weapons when there is so much more we could do
:12:47. > :12:53.with it. Colin Beattie. To ask the First
:12:54. > :12:59.Minister what steps the Scottish government is taking to support the
:13:00. > :13:02.107 workers in Greggs bakery in my constituency, whose jobs are now
:13:03. > :13:07.under threat as a result of the company's decision to close this
:13:08. > :13:10.facility? I was very concerned, as I know the member would have been, to
:13:11. > :13:15.learn of the situation. I know this will be a very anxious time for the
:13:16. > :13:19.employees and their families. As soon as the announcement was made,
:13:20. > :13:26.we immediately contacted the company to offer support for employees.
:13:27. > :13:29.Fergus Ewing will be speaking with Management today and with union
:13:30. > :13:34.representatives to explore all possible options for supporting the
:13:35. > :13:38.Midlothian site and its workforce. We will continue to engage and
:13:39. > :13:41.monitor the situation closely, and I will ask Fergus Ewing to update the
:13:42. > :13:45.member after his discussions later today.
:13:46. > :13:48.Willie Rennie. To ask the First Minister what issues will be
:13:49. > :13:54.discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet. Matters of importance to
:13:55. > :13:57.the people of Scotland. Last week the First Minister cut hundreds of
:13:58. > :14:02.millions of pounds from education budgets. She said she had no choice.
:14:03. > :14:06.But she would bring those cuts to an end as soon as she had the powers.
:14:07. > :14:11.This week she announced extra money for education. She did so without
:14:12. > :14:18.gaining one single additional power at all. The cruel twist for children
:14:19. > :14:22.is that they will not see a single penny until next year. The First
:14:23. > :14:29.Minister could have invested this money, this year, why didn't she? As
:14:30. > :14:32.Willie Rennie will presumably know, because he was here when John
:14:33. > :14:36.Swinney made the announcement in the budget last week, we are also
:14:37. > :14:43.doubling the education attainment font, starting in the financial year
:14:44. > :14:47.about to start. As a result of the announcement made yesterday, from
:14:48. > :14:52.2017 we will invest an additional ?100 million in education. That, I
:14:53. > :14:56.think, is welcome investment that will be welcomed by people across
:14:57. > :14:59.Scotland even if not by Willie Rennie. I know that the Lib Dem
:15:00. > :15:03.position is that having spent the last five years helping the Tories
:15:04. > :15:07.cut our budget, they want to spend the next five years hiking up the
:15:08. > :15:12.taxes of everyone earning over ?11,000 a year. That is not my
:15:13. > :15:14.position. I will continue to argue for a fair and balanced approach
:15:15. > :15:23.which gets money into education. Last week, she told us she would cut
:15:24. > :15:29.education budget, even though she said, even though she said education
:15:30. > :15:34.was her top priority. Massive cuts for one year. It could set back a
:15:35. > :15:39.child's chances for a lifetime. Scotland used to have one of the
:15:40. > :15:45.best education systems in the world. It has now slipped down the
:15:46. > :15:49.international rankings. The situation is urgent, 1p on income
:15:50. > :15:55.tax would generate five times as much for education now down her
:15:56. > :16:01.timid and tardy proposals would next year. Even though she had all the
:16:02. > :16:06.powers, she still could education budgets last week. Surely the First
:16:07. > :16:11.Minister can no longer boast education is her top priority.
:16:12. > :16:16.Willie Rennie is making things up as he goes along. Gross revenue
:16:17. > :16:20.expenditure on education has increased in each of the last three
:16:21. > :16:26.years, Council plans show that in this financial year the spending, a
:16:27. > :16:30.further ?150 million. The finance secretary announced a doubling of
:16:31. > :16:37.the tame and Bund, I announced plans that results in an extra ?100,000 of
:16:38. > :16:44.education. A 1p increase on the basic rate, let me remind Willie
:16:45. > :16:49.Rennie, would hit every single person earning over ?11,000 a year.
:16:50. > :16:55.I do not think that is the right approach. In terms of world rankings
:16:56. > :16:59.of education, the desire to see Scottish education being the best in
:17:00. > :17:02.the world is why we have embarked on a workaround the national
:17:03. > :17:07.improvement framework. Willie Rennie has opposed us on that every single
:17:08. > :17:11.step of the way, so instead of moaning from the sidelines as he is
:17:12. > :17:15.becoming good at, then maybe he should get behind the sensible
:17:16. > :17:23.policies do improve our education system. To ask the business to what
:17:24. > :17:31.the Scottish Government has done to encourage people to access modern
:17:32. > :17:40.apprenticeships. The most recent... We are taking action to ensure that
:17:41. > :17:46.we are supporting modern apprenticeships. We have a target
:17:47. > :17:50.we've met every year of 25,000 modern apprenticeships. The fair
:17:51. > :17:54.works secretary announced we were increasing that the 26,000 on the
:17:55. > :18:01.way to making sure we reach 30000 by 20 20. Can I thank the First
:18:02. > :18:14.Minister for her answer? I met with two modern apprentices on Monday.
:18:15. > :18:17.They have taken on eight modern apprenticeships, with other
:18:18. > :18:22.apprentices being taken on throughout Scotland. Can I ask how
:18:23. > :18:26.the modern pension programme contributed to youth employment
:18:27. > :18:31.levels, which I notice at the highest level in a decade? Modern
:18:32. > :18:34.apprentice chips are a key element of our approach to economic
:18:35. > :18:41.development and to youth employment -- apprenticeships. We have seen
:18:42. > :18:48.them have a big impact on our youth employment rates. You've employment
:18:49. > :18:52.in Scotland is at its highest level since 2006, and over the last year,
:18:53. > :18:56.you've employment rate increased by 4%. There was an increased the
:18:57. > :19:03.number of young people in employment by 19,000, taken it to 360 8000. The
:19:04. > :19:09.youth employment strategy sets out a seven-year employment plan --
:19:10. > :19:23.368,000. The seven year action plan you
:19:24. > :19:28.mentioned includes the equalities plan. Could she update what progress
:19:29. > :19:32.has been made on that, in helping disabled young people into
:19:33. > :19:39.apprenticeships? The modern apprenticeships equality plan was
:19:40. > :19:44.published on the 2nd of December and includes plans to improve modern
:19:45. > :19:49.apprenticeships, for disabled people and on gender balance. The targets
:19:50. > :19:59.have been included in each group which have to be achieved by 2021,
:20:00. > :20:03.and we will report these annually. It is not a change which will happen
:20:04. > :20:09.overnight, but it is a change we are determined to see happen. Can the
:20:10. > :20:12.First Minister tell us what plans the Scottish Government has for its
:20:13. > :20:18.share of the UK Government's apprentice ship levied when it comes
:20:19. > :20:25.to Scotland? If he can get onto his colleagues in Westminster and get us
:20:26. > :20:30.the details, we may be able to answer the question. We have been
:20:31. > :20:34.pressing the Treasury and indeed other ministers and UK Government
:20:35. > :20:37.and officials to get that information, and we will continue to
:20:38. > :20:43.do so. When we know what the situation as we will try to make
:20:44. > :20:52.sure we make get as positively as we can. In light of the third Force
:20:53. > :21:02.News article by the Scottish children services, indicating 0.4%
:21:03. > :21:07.of modern friendships start in 2014, this is in stark contrast to the
:21:08. > :21:12.8.6% of the working population aged 16 to 24 who have a disability.
:21:13. > :21:15.Could the First Minister outlined the work being undertaken with
:21:16. > :21:20.employers as part of the action plan to ensure the 2021 target of
:21:21. > :21:25.increasing the number of modern friendships for those with
:21:26. > :21:30.disabilities is achieved? Working with employers is part of the action
:21:31. > :21:36.plan, because it is employers we need to persuade the benefit of
:21:37. > :21:41.making sure we have a more diverse population in the programme, that is
:21:42. > :21:46.at the heart of the action plan. The target I have spoken about
:21:47. > :21:50.challenging targets, they will not be reached overnight, but progress
:21:51. > :21:54.is already being made following the publication of the action plan. We
:21:55. > :22:00.have seen some improvement in the proportion of starts from people
:22:01. > :22:04.reporting a disability. 3% is up on last year, and a slight improvement
:22:05. > :22:10.on those from a minority, ethnic group. There's a lot of work to be
:22:11. > :22:14.done, but those figures are promising and the work that are set
:22:15. > :22:20.out in the action plan gives me confident we will see further
:22:21. > :22:24.progress in the years to come. If modern apprentices are so important,
:22:25. > :22:31.can I ask her, why is she could the skills of in Scotland budget in real
:22:32. > :22:37.terms? Why is she planning a cut of 50% in support for hospitality and
:22:38. > :22:42.retail apprentices until 2020? Ken McIntire show will know... He will
:22:43. > :22:49.know we are meeting our targets on modern pensions, we have a record
:22:50. > :22:56.number, 20 5000. It was announced it will increase to 26,000, and we set
:22:57. > :23:01.a target to get that to 30,000 by 2020. Instead of this constant,
:23:02. > :23:05.continual whingeing from the sidelines, can't Labour get behind
:23:06. > :23:14.us when we are making progress on such an important issue? To ask the
:23:15. > :23:18.first Minster what the Scottish Government is doing to ensure young
:23:19. > :23:35.people with new logical conditions receive appropriate care. -- new
:23:36. > :23:40.logical. -- neurological. An assessment will reflect the clinical
:23:41. > :23:46.assessment, and evidence of the practice, and we are investing ?250
:23:47. > :23:53.million in social care partnerships to protect and grow social care
:23:54. > :23:57.services, and also investing 11.6 million to implement self support,
:23:58. > :24:00.increasing the availability of social care so more people can stay
:24:01. > :24:06.at home with their families and friends are doing the things that
:24:07. > :24:11.give their lives meaning. Can I thank the First Minister for that
:24:12. > :24:16.response? She will be aware of Sue Ryder's report of young people with
:24:17. > :24:21.neurological problems being put in all the people care homes because of
:24:22. > :24:25.lack of care. It highlighted health reports don't know how many people
:24:26. > :24:29.have neurological conditions, and indeed what their needs. It is
:24:30. > :24:37.difficult to see how the health and social care spending will impact on.
:24:38. > :24:40.More than that,... Who are supposed to have mandatory delivery plans for
:24:41. > :24:46.neurological services have them. What will the Scottish Government
:24:47. > :24:53.do? Will they show leadership and drive forward a strategy for people
:24:54. > :24:57.with neurological conditions? I am aware of the report, and I think
:24:58. > :25:02.they make a lots of very important and indeed very legitimate point in
:25:03. > :25:07.that report. It is many of the points, including the one Rhoda
:25:08. > :25:13.Grant highlights, a people under 65, that is driving the work I spoke
:25:14. > :25:16.about, the review that health care improvements are undertaken about
:25:17. > :25:21.how quality of care for people with temp... Conditions can be enhanced
:25:22. > :25:24.in all care settings. As I said, there are clinical standards in
:25:25. > :25:29.place for neurological services, which were implemented in 2010, but
:25:30. > :25:35.the review will allow us to ensure they up to date. The extra
:25:36. > :25:39.investment in social care is pertinent here, because it we invest
:25:40. > :25:43.properly in social care, we develop the services that enable people,
:25:44. > :25:50.where ever possible, to stay in and be cared for in their own homes, and
:25:51. > :25:56.that is an important part. What measures are there in our penal
:25:57. > :26:00.system to identify and assist those who may be suffering from
:26:01. > :26:04.neurological conditions. That is a good point, I'm happy to asked the
:26:05. > :26:09.Justice Secretary to write to Christine Grahame with detail, both
:26:10. > :26:14.of what we already do in our prison system to deal people with
:26:15. > :26:17.neurological conditions, and whether there may be more we can and should
:26:18. > :26:22.be doing. There are a number of people in our prison system who do
:26:23. > :26:26.need a lot of care and support, because perhaps some of the reasons
:26:27. > :26:32.they end up in prisons are not properly dealt with in the first
:26:33. > :26:35.place. I am more than happy to ask the Justice Secretary to write
:26:36. > :26:44.further to Christine Grahame on that issue. One of the recommendations in
:26:45. > :26:47.the report was the need for the development of a method for
:26:48. > :26:50.collecting and presenting data on the prevalence of tempered macro
:26:51. > :26:56.conditions. Does the First Minister agree on the portals of a copper
:26:57. > :27:02.retentive database? I do, that was one of the many recommendations made
:27:03. > :27:07.by Sue Ryder that was important and sensible. I can tell the chamber
:27:08. > :27:11.that Doctor John Paul Leach was appointed as the new chair to the
:27:12. > :27:15.national advisory committee for tempered macro conditions, and we
:27:16. > :27:22.will work with them to improve the methods of collecting and presenting
:27:23. > :27:28.data -- neurological conditions. That is how we make sure services
:27:29. > :27:34.are improved on. Having suffered eight haematoma myself to and half
:27:35. > :27:40.years ago, and been blessed with an excellent recovery after the work at
:27:41. > :27:47.Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, can the First Minister give us an update of
:27:48. > :27:52.the support provided for that department with which it works
:27:53. > :27:58.closely, and its treatment of such conditions and inflation to young
:27:59. > :28:00.people. I know the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary has identified local
:28:01. > :28:05.clinical leaders in the care of younger people, this is to be
:28:06. > :28:17.commended. I recognise the efforts of clinicians and support staff
:28:18. > :28:22.across the country in neurology. It is through joint working that we see
:28:23. > :28:28.between Aberdeen and Inverness and rip primary care that people of all
:28:29. > :28:31.ages are supported by local clinical teams, addressing any rehabilitation
:28:32. > :28:37.needs as they return home. Some of the work done in Aberdeen is
:28:38. > :28:44.excellent, and I'm sure other areas could look to it usefully. I wonder
:28:45. > :28:55.if the First Minister to tell us the neurological Alliance has in fact
:28:56. > :29:00.received I'd direct grant. -- a direct grant. How they'd been
:29:01. > :29:07.funded? I will look into that issue and write to the member with details
:29:08. > :29:11.on it. To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's
:29:12. > :29:20.bazillion is on the BBC's proposal to introduce a Scottish Six
:29:21. > :29:24.programme -- position. In some respects, the BBC has to catch up
:29:25. > :29:29.with those changes and deliver news programme in which reflects the
:29:30. > :29:33.complexity and bred tea of life in Scotland, so we do welcome proposals
:29:34. > :29:38.to introduce a new service for BBC Scotland, and I am sure it will draw
:29:39. > :29:44.on the very best of our journalistic talent to reduce programmes of the
:29:45. > :29:48.very highest standard. I am interested in the point she has just
:29:49. > :29:52.made about the most important consideration being in the ability
:29:53. > :29:56.of BBC Scotland to harness the best talent so it will deliver the
:29:57. > :30:01.highest possible standards when it comes to reporting UK, international
:30:02. > :30:05.and Scottish news. Will she also agreed this should be entirely free
:30:06. > :30:08.from governments and politicians, some of whom have sought to
:30:09. > :30:17.influence what is broadcast on the BBC? I do. I am very happy to agree
:30:18. > :30:27.that the Conservative UK Government should stop interfering in the BBC.
:30:28. > :30:32.As you do quite often. Yes, on a serious note, I do agree with that
:30:33. > :30:36.point. I think there is a very interesting debate here, but there
:30:37. > :30:41.is an exciting opportunity. I understand that might be people in
:30:42. > :30:45.Scotland who don't think this is required, that it is maybe not
:30:46. > :30:49.something necessary. What I struggle to understand those who argue that
:30:50. > :30:55.somehow in Scotland, and BBC Scotland in particular, aren't up to
:30:56. > :31:00.producing a dedicated news programme with a journalistic talent we have.
:31:01. > :31:06.Of course they are. It would be a great addition, and I am very
:31:07. > :31:10.supportive of it. Does the First Minister agree the establishment of
:31:11. > :31:15.a Scottish Six would provide great opportunities for those individuals,
:31:16. > :31:19.who are currently being trained at college in Aberdeen in broadcast
:31:20. > :31:23.and, and would allow them to attain your skills in Scotland rather than
:31:24. > :31:29.having to seek opportunities elsewhere? That is a really good
:31:30. > :31:33.point. We should be trying to see more opportunities for those who
:31:34. > :31:38.want to pursue a career in journalism. This is a matter of
:31:39. > :31:42.great regret to all others, how much difficulty some sections of the
:31:43. > :31:46.media are in and the pressures that are on the newspaper industry, and
:31:47. > :31:52.the announcements that have been about redundancies and job losses,
:31:53. > :31:56.so anything that is about reversing that trend and critic more
:31:57. > :31:59.opportunities for pride journalistic get on in Scotland is something we
:32:00. > :32:11.should be united behind. Before I end First Minister's
:32:12. > :32:18.Questions, can I thank all of the party leaders. An additional ten
:32:19. > :32:23.backbench members were able to ask the First Minister a question. I
:32:24. > :32:27.intend to circulate this video to the party leaders. I hope you will
:32:28. > :32:33.watch it and I hope we will repeat next week. Thank you very much. Some
:32:34. > :32:39.gentle chiding from the presiding officer to those who occasionally go
:32:40. > :32:44.on a bit longer. A mixed bag today. From the council tax to fracking, to
:32:45. > :32:52.Faslane Trident, and the future of the BBC. The First Minister
:32:53. > :33:00.referring to bright young journalists. 23 isn't bad.
:33:01. > :33:03.your subsidies? Do you want money from the British government, and
:33:04. > :33:05.then you can lobby the British government on how they spend