:00:36. > :00:41.The local elections tomorrow, the UK general election on June 8th. I
:00:42. > :00:44.guess those elections might come up in some of the topics raised with
:00:45. > :00:56.the First Ministerment let's cross to the chamber.
:00:57. > :01:01.The First Minister here to answer whatever questions put her way. The
:01:02. > :01:05.chamber looks quite full in the picture there, but tlr actually a
:01:06. > :01:09.number of empty seats. Some people allowed to campaign rather than be
:01:10. > :01:10.here in Parliament today. Getting under way, here is the Presiding
:01:11. > :01:23.Officer. Ken Mackintosh. Question number one from Ruth
:01:24. > :01:29.Davidson. I would like to ask the First Minister what engagements she
:01:30. > :01:33.has planned for the rest of the day. At the weekend, her predecessor was
:01:34. > :01:36.asked on television by one in five children leaves Primary School
:01:37. > :01:42.functionally illiterate and he replied that this was just one
:01:43. > :01:47.statistic. No, it is not, it is thousands of lives. Ten years on
:01:48. > :01:50.from this SNP government taking charge, and with councils across
:01:51. > :01:56.Scotland being asked to run our schools tomorrow, perhaps it is
:01:57. > :02:00.worth asking the current First Minister about more statistics. Why
:02:01. > :02:08.is it that between 2011 and 2015 the proportion of children performing
:02:09. > :02:11.well in new Morrissey fell? -- in new Morrissey fell. I have made no
:02:12. > :02:18.bones about my determination to raise performance in literacy,
:02:19. > :02:23.numeracy and attainment across the board. That is why we have
:02:24. > :02:27.established the new attainment challenge and framework and the
:02:28. > :02:29.attainment fund. As we have talked about many times in the past in this
:02:30. > :02:35.chamber, that is now channelling additional resources directly to
:02:36. > :02:40.headteachers in order that they can decide ways in which to best raise
:02:41. > :02:47.attainment. It is also why, as we will see, the latest figures that
:02:48. > :02:51.are in the same vein as the ones Ruth Davidson sites, these are
:02:52. > :02:54.sample surveys, and I not dismissing them but it is one of the reasons
:02:55. > :03:01.why we have taken the decision to start publishing comprehensive
:03:02. > :03:03.school by school local authority by local authority data, so that we
:03:04. > :03:10.know how our schools are performing, but crucially, so we know how the
:03:11. > :03:13.Mark Watt is working to drive up attainment. So we will remain
:03:14. > :03:16.focused on something that is vitally important for young people and
:03:17. > :03:23.parents across the country. Ruth Davidson. The First Minister talks
:03:24. > :03:27.about her intention to improve them. With absolutely no acknowledgement
:03:28. > :03:31.that the figures are on her watch. Let's take another statistic. In
:03:32. > :03:37.science, the Sutton trust as this year reported on the pronounced and
:03:38. > :03:42.sustained decline in able people's performance under the SNP. Over the
:03:43. > :03:47.last decade since the SNP came to power, it says this decline is
:03:48. > :03:49.equivalent to around a year of schooling. I know that the First
:03:50. > :03:52.Minister is going to stand and answer to every question and tell me
:03:53. > :03:58.that everything is about to be sorted soon, but can she tell me why
:03:59. > :04:05.has this drop in standards happened on her watch? While I don't dismiss
:04:06. > :04:08.Enever statistics, I think Ruth Davidson does a disservice to young
:04:09. > :04:19.people and teachers across the country because set out before, we
:04:20. > :04:26.now see record numbers of higher and advanced higher passes in our
:04:27. > :04:32.schools. We also see record numbers of positive destinations, more young
:04:33. > :04:35.people going into employment, further education and training than
:04:36. > :04:43.has ever been the case before. We're seeing far fewer people from
:04:44. > :04:46.deprived communities leaving school without qualifications. We are also
:04:47. > :04:49.starting to see, and I want to see this going further, a narrowing of
:04:50. > :04:54.the gap between the least and most deprived areas in terms of access to
:04:55. > :04:58.university. It is not simply a case of standing here and seeing what my
:04:59. > :05:03.intentions are all my intentions are absolutely solid in terms of
:05:04. > :05:05.continuing to make improvements. But as I have just done, I can point to
:05:06. > :05:12.the improvements we have already made. We will get on with investing
:05:13. > :05:14.money, conducting reforms and supporting teachers and headteachers
:05:15. > :05:22.to make sure we see continued improvement for young people across
:05:23. > :05:28.the country. I stand next to no one in my admiration for the hard work
:05:29. > :05:34.our teachers do, but what they do is under guidance that is given and
:05:35. > :05:38.described by education experts. I will quote, self-evident lunacy.
:05:39. > :05:42.That is what is coming out of the government and its arms. Here is
:05:43. > :05:45.what parents think. They think this SNP government has presided over
:05:46. > :05:49.falling standards, has failed utterly to ensure that we have
:05:50. > :05:53.enough teachers in the classroom to turn that situation around. Here is
:05:54. > :05:58.yet another statistic. 4000 fewer teachers in Scotland's schools than
:05:59. > :06:03.there were in 2007. And we know that 16% of training places for English
:06:04. > :06:09.teachers are unfilled and over a quarter of training places for maths
:06:10. > :06:14.or vacant as well. There are possible solutions for this. We have
:06:15. > :06:17.councils in the rural communities saying that they want more
:06:18. > :06:22.flexibility to tackle this crisis themselves in a way that suits their
:06:23. > :06:25.circumstances. But they are having to hang around for an answer because
:06:26. > :06:30.John Swinney's promised review has been delayed and delayed again. It
:06:31. > :06:33.is a problem of the SNP's making. The councils are saying let us fix
:06:34. > :06:41.this now and the Education Secretary is saying, let Michu on this some
:06:42. > :06:49.more. Again I ask, why is this? In terms of the governance review, that
:06:50. > :06:52.is published on the recommendations we are to them forward. That will be
:06:53. > :06:58.published after we have properly analysed the submissions that have
:06:59. > :07:03.been made to that. One thing is certain, if past experience is
:07:04. > :07:06.anything to go by, as soon as we set out the direction of travel over the
:07:07. > :07:09.governance review, the other parties in this chamber who have been
:07:10. > :07:12.calling on us to do it for months will suddenly decide that they
:07:13. > :07:22.oppose everything that we have decided to do. I would absolutely
:07:23. > :07:25.lay bets on that. But the governance review, as Ruth Davidson knows, is
:07:26. > :07:30.one part of a wider package of reform, the national improvement
:07:31. > :07:32.framework, the attainment challenge, the attainment fund, the
:07:33. > :07:36.introduction of standardised assessment, which Labour used to
:07:37. > :07:41.support but again, as soon as we decided to do it, they decided to
:07:42. > :07:46.oppose it. The publication of school by school, local authority by local
:07:47. > :07:48.authority figures so that we can track exactly... There we go, the
:07:49. > :07:56.Liberal Democrats oppose those reforms. So what we see in this
:07:57. > :07:59.chamber, time and time again is opposition parties calling for
:08:00. > :08:03.things to be done and as soon as they are done, they decide to oppose
:08:04. > :08:08.them. So we will get on and take the action, backed by investment, that
:08:09. > :08:17.is delivering improvements in our schools and we will continue to
:08:18. > :08:20.deliver improvements. I am sorry but jam tomorrow does not cut it because
:08:21. > :08:26.with this SNP government, it's not just one statistic or two or three,
:08:27. > :08:32.it is a ten year record of failure and it's leaving a situation where
:08:33. > :08:36.according to the architect of curriculum for excellence, our
:08:37. > :08:41.schools can no longer be classed as world leading. So tomorrow we elect
:08:42. > :08:46.the councillors whose job it will be to support the councillors on the
:08:47. > :08:51.ground. The SNP says that education is a priority but doesn't their
:08:52. > :08:54.failure tell a different story? We are going into the local elections
:08:55. > :09:00.tomorrow pointing at the improvements being made in our
:09:01. > :09:03.schools and crucially pointing to the ?120 million of additional
:09:04. > :09:07.resources that is now in the hands of headteachers to drive
:09:08. > :09:13.improvement. I am standing here wondering why it is the case that if
:09:14. > :09:15.education was of any priority to conservatives, they are putting out
:09:16. > :09:20.around the country right now and leaflets. I got this one through my
:09:21. > :09:31.door. This leaflet mentions me or the SNP or independence, a grand
:09:32. > :09:35.total of 43 times. It mentions Ruth Davidson or the Tories just nine
:09:36. > :09:44.times, and one of those is her signature. It mentions her policies
:09:45. > :09:57.on education zero times. Because in this election, the Tories have not
:09:58. > :10:02.put forward a single policy on our schools, social care, roads,
:10:03. > :10:07.transport, anything. They have a constitutional obsession. So I'm
:10:08. > :10:18.getting on with raising standards in our schools. You cannot see in that
:10:19. > :10:25.picture but Ruth Davidson is having a good laugh at that. She asked the
:10:26. > :10:29.first minute what engagements she has planned. I have even more
:10:30. > :10:34.engagements to take forward the government's programme for Scotland.
:10:35. > :10:38.In 2015, the First Minister said she supported a 50p top rate of tax for
:10:39. > :10:43.those earning more than ?150,000 a year. In 2016, she changed her mind
:10:44. > :10:49.and said she did not support it when she had the power to deliver it. Now
:10:50. > :10:52.in 2017, without any sense of irony, the First Minister claims to support
:10:53. > :11:01.it again. Does she really expect people to believe this time around?
:11:02. > :11:04.Kezia Dugdale should probably listen more carefully. In 2016I said that
:11:05. > :11:09.if we only did this in Scotland, without the powers that we do not
:11:10. > :11:12.have to tackle tax avoidance, because they lie at Westminster,
:11:13. > :11:17.then the advice we had taken was that that could potentially lose
:11:18. > :11:20.revenue. I do not think that anybody in this chamber would seriously
:11:21. > :11:25.stand up and argue that we should put up attacks is the advice says
:11:26. > :11:30.that it would actually lead to a reduction in revenue. So we are
:11:31. > :11:36.going into a UK wide election in a few weeks' time and we will publish
:11:37. > :11:40.our manifesto in due course. But of course this is Kezia Dugdale, the
:11:41. > :11:43.leader of the Labour Party that just a few weeks ago published a local
:11:44. > :11:49.government manifesto saying that the council tax freeze and crippled
:11:50. > :11:53.local government, and yet is leading eight Labour led authorities into
:11:54. > :11:57.this election promising to freeze the council tax, so perhaps Kezia
:11:58. > :12:05.Dugdale would comment on that before coming here and asking me about the
:12:06. > :12:10.issue of taxation. For the First Minister, who spent ten years and
:12:11. > :12:16.two elections promising to scrap the council tax! I have just heard the
:12:17. > :12:18.First Minister saying we shouldn't bother trying to tax the rich
:12:19. > :12:21.because they will just find a way around it. The same argument the
:12:22. > :12:27.Tories have been making week in, week out for years. And the truth is
:12:28. > :12:33.that the SNP have voted against a 50p top rate of tax in this chamber
:12:34. > :12:36.no less than eight times. So much for stronger for Scotland. And there
:12:37. > :12:40.is a pattern developing here. Nicholas Sturgeon has spent her
:12:41. > :12:43.entire career campaigning for more powers to stop cuts to public
:12:44. > :12:49.services. She now has the power to do so but she refuses to use it. We
:12:50. > :12:53.have a ridiculous situation where a nationalist First Minister says that
:12:54. > :12:57.she wants to tax the rich but only if England does it first. Isn't it
:12:58. > :13:01.the case that Nicola Sturgeon has plenty of principles when she is
:13:02. > :13:07.campaigning but nothing but a list of excuses when she is power. --
:13:08. > :13:10.when she is in power. What I actually said, the problem was that
:13:11. > :13:16.we do not have the powers in this Parliament to stop the wealthiest
:13:17. > :13:21.potentially trying to avoid a higher rate of tax. I want these powers.
:13:22. > :13:24.Kezia Dugdale argues to keep these powers in the hands of a Tory
:13:25. > :13:31.government at Westminster. That is the difference. And you know, Kezia
:13:32. > :13:37.Dugdale cannot really expect to be taken seriously on the issue of tax
:13:38. > :13:41.because she has come here week after week saying that I should raise
:13:42. > :13:45.taxes, not just on the rich but on ordinary working people as well. She
:13:46. > :13:50.has come here week after week saying that the council tax freeze is
:13:51. > :13:52.wrong, yet we go into an election tomorrow with eight local
:13:53. > :13:56.authorities across this country promising to continue to freeze the
:13:57. > :14:03.council tax and each and every one of those councils is a Labour led
:14:04. > :14:07.council. How can Kezia Dugdale as a single shred of credibility on tax?
:14:08. > :14:16.I think voters tomorrow will make their own judgment on labour across
:14:17. > :14:19.this country. The council tax is unfair on progressive. How do we
:14:20. > :14:25.know that, because the SNP have been telling us that for ten years. -- on
:14:26. > :14:28.fear and regressive. There we have it, another excuse for why she will
:14:29. > :14:37.not ask the richest in society to pay the -- pay a bit more tax. She
:14:38. > :14:39.claims to back a 50p tax rate but you will not implement one here in
:14:40. > :14:45.Scotland. She claims to be protecting the SNL -- protecting NHS
:14:46. > :14:50.but local services across the country face cuts and closure on her
:14:51. > :14:54.watch. She claims that education is number one priority but spends every
:14:55. > :15:02.waking minute plotting how to force independence referendum. Does Nicola
:15:03. > :15:08.Sturgeon feel any guilt at all touring the country, warning against
:15:09. > :15:13.austerity when it is her government that has cut ?1.5 billion from
:15:14. > :15:18.council services? I will continue to do what I have done for the past few
:15:19. > :15:22.years which is to argue against austerity at source. That is what I
:15:23. > :15:26.will be campaigning for in this election. The difference between me
:15:27. > :15:29.and Kezia Dugdale is she does not want to scrap posterity, she wants
:15:30. > :15:38.to transfer the burden of austerity onto the shoulders of low-paid
:15:39. > :15:41.people write across this country. And why is that? Because she prefers
:15:42. > :15:44.to allow a Tory government at Westminster to take the big
:15:45. > :15:48.decisions about our economy rather than have them made here. But Kezia
:15:49. > :15:53.Dugdale is wrong in what she says about the NHS and about council
:15:54. > :15:56.services. The NHS budget is more than ?3 billion higher today than it
:15:57. > :16:03.was when this government took office. The number of NHS staff is
:16:04. > :16:08.10% higher almost than it was when we took office. We have the best
:16:09. > :16:13.performing accident and emergency department anywhere in the UK, ?120
:16:14. > :16:17.million going into the hands of head teachers, but I will come back to
:16:18. > :16:19.the central question. If Kezia Dugdale, albeit wrongly, is accusing
:16:20. > :16:26.the government of short-changing local authorities, then the question
:16:27. > :16:30.remains, why is it only Labour councils going into this election
:16:31. > :16:34.promising to freeze the council tax? Why are they not doing what SNP
:16:35. > :16:38.councils are doing and choosing to raise revenue for schools and social
:16:39. > :16:40.care? Kezia Dugdale has no credibility on this issue and I
:16:41. > :16:53.think from looking at her she knows it. One constituency supplementary
:16:54. > :16:58.from Jackie Baillie. Can the First Minister for halt to my constituents
:16:59. > :17:03.having to endure lengthy waiting lists in contrast to what she has
:17:04. > :17:06.just said about the NHS? Let me give an example. Mr Howie was told he
:17:07. > :17:10.needed to have a knee operation of the golden jubilee only for funding
:17:11. > :17:15.to be withdrawn by NHS Greater Glasgow. He is virtually unable to
:17:16. > :17:20.walk and is in constant pain. Can I ask the First Minister choir at the
:17:21. > :17:24.start of the financial year, when patients are in severe pain and the
:17:25. > :17:27.waiting time has been badly breached, why are Greater Glasgow
:17:28. > :17:33.rationing treatment and denying people the opportunity to have
:17:34. > :17:36.operations at another NHS hospital? And what action will the First
:17:37. > :17:42.Minister take to ensure that this man and many others like him get the
:17:43. > :17:47.fitment that he needs, and we put patient care first? NHS boards
:17:48. > :17:51.across the country are investing to make sure that we have short waiting
:17:52. > :17:54.times, and waiting times today are much shorter than they were when the
:17:55. > :17:58.government took office. Health boards are also focusing on making
:17:59. > :18:01.sure that those waiting the longest get priority in terms of treatment.
:18:02. > :18:06.I would say that what Jackie Baillie has outlined is certainly something
:18:07. > :18:09.I want to know the detail of. I do not have all the details but the
:18:10. > :18:13.Health Secretary has told me that she has spoken this morning to the
:18:14. > :18:17.Chief Executive of Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board about this
:18:18. > :18:21.case and it is being looked into, so what we have the detail of that I
:18:22. > :18:31.will ask Shona Robison to write to the member with the full details.
:18:32. > :18:35.Patrick Abhi. I want to ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will
:18:36. > :18:40.next meet. Tuesday. The First Minister accuses opposition parties
:18:41. > :18:44.of demanding changes on education and then complaining when the
:18:45. > :18:50.Scottish Government implements those changes. The greens have never
:18:51. > :18:52.argued that standardised testing or government structure is the root of
:18:53. > :18:58.the problem. We have never supported the splitting stripping of local
:18:59. > :19:04.authorities. What we have consistently argued is that
:19:05. > :19:09.resources are at the core of the question. If we want to recognise
:19:10. > :19:15.the thousands of teachers lost in Scotland, the hundreds of additional
:19:16. > :19:18.support teachers, classroom assistants, and a lack of resources
:19:19. > :19:26.available to local authorities, isn't it clear that that has to be
:19:27. > :19:30.the core of the solution to the problem? The greens are supporting
:19:31. > :19:34.reversing the cuts to local councils and that is an important and
:19:35. > :19:38.essential first start but isn't it clear that it has to be the
:19:39. > :19:42.beginning of a change which puts resources back into our local
:19:43. > :19:45.authorities so that they are able to support the professionals doing the
:19:46. > :19:50.job around the country? Patrick Harvie and I have something of a
:19:51. > :19:55.disagreement when it comes to education reform. I concede that is
:19:56. > :20:01.the case. It is important not that we strip local authorities of their
:20:02. > :20:05.responsibilities, that is not our attention, but we do give greater
:20:06. > :20:10.economy and control to local schools. Much of the evidence around
:20:11. > :20:15.how you drive improvements in education says that that, along with
:20:16. > :20:19.the capacity of teachers and the involvement of parents is how you do
:20:20. > :20:22.that. That is how we are taking for those reforms. I think it is vitally
:20:23. > :20:28.important that we have more rigour around both how performance is
:20:29. > :20:31.assessed, of pupils, and also how that is reported publicly. That is
:20:32. > :20:36.why we are introducing standardised assessment, not to replace the
:20:37. > :20:38.judgment of teachers but to inform their judgment so that there is more
:20:39. > :20:44.rigour around that and then we want to make sure that there is
:20:45. > :20:48.transparency around the performance of schools, so for the first time
:20:49. > :20:54.ever we are going down a road where we are publishing not sample surveys
:20:55. > :20:58.based on a couple of schools but conference of school by school data
:20:59. > :21:01.so that we can properly assess how we are performing. I think these are
:21:02. > :21:10.the right reforms. I will continue to carry on with them. Everybody
:21:11. > :21:16.across the school says they want to see this happen. -- everyone across
:21:17. > :21:19.the chamber. Where I have agreement with Patrick Harvie is on the issue
:21:20. > :21:23.of resources. We have always said that resources, in the hands of
:21:24. > :21:29.headteachers is a vital part of our attainment drive. That is why, as I
:21:30. > :21:32.have said on a of occasions already today, the ?120 million that goes
:21:33. > :21:35.directly to headteachers are a crucial part of that. Headteachers
:21:36. > :21:39.are then free to decide how that money is invested and if they want
:21:40. > :21:45.to invest in additional support and staff for learning staff, that is up
:21:46. > :21:51.to the headteachers. Of course that ?120 million fund is part of a wider
:21:52. > :21:55.attainment fund which totals ?750 million across this Parliament. So
:21:56. > :21:58.yes, resources and investment is crucial but I believe that we need
:21:59. > :22:02.to couple that with the reforms that will allow us to drive improvements
:22:03. > :22:09.faster. And I make no apology for that. I'm afraid I still do not
:22:10. > :22:12.believe that the Scottish Government has yet countered the concern that
:22:13. > :22:16.standardised testing, whatever its motivation, will end up being used
:22:17. > :22:22.for the same purposes as league tables, if they were called that.
:22:23. > :22:25.But I do not accept that's teachers want to be managers or headteachers
:22:26. > :22:29.want to be chief financial officers of their schools. I think they want
:22:30. > :22:34.to focus on what they are passionate about and what they are talented at,
:22:35. > :22:41.which is teaching and education and the life chances of young people.
:22:42. > :22:44.But if we want to reverse the decline, 4000 teachers lost, reverse
:22:45. > :22:51.the decline in other important professions, the overall level of
:22:52. > :22:56.resource needs to go higher. Over successive years we need to be
:22:57. > :22:59.resourcing local councils to make those decisions. The local
:23:00. > :23:03.government is willing to cap council tax rates at the national level
:23:04. > :23:06.without legislation. They are willing to tell England and Wales
:23:07. > :23:10.what the income tax rate should be but not willing to change them in
:23:11. > :23:14.Scotland more than an inch. Is it not very clear that we need to
:23:15. > :23:19.reject this Tory notion of Scotland as a higher tax part of the UK and
:23:20. > :23:24.make sure that people like the First Minister and myself pay a bit more
:23:25. > :23:27.tax into the plot to produce the resources that will go into
:23:28. > :23:34.education and make a difference to the life chances of every child in
:23:35. > :23:39.this country. Because of the decisions that we have made on
:23:40. > :23:43.higher rate taxpayers, we are paying more than higher rate taxpayers
:23:44. > :23:47.elsewhere in the UK. These are the right balance tax decisions that I
:23:48. > :23:50.think it is appropriate to take. At a time where inflation is rising and
:23:51. > :23:55.living standards are under pressure, I do not think it is right to
:23:56. > :23:58.increase income tax for those on the basic rate. Again, people are
:23:59. > :24:03.willing and free to take a different view but I think that is my view. On
:24:04. > :24:08.the issue of local government funding more generally, in the
:24:09. > :24:14.financial year that we are now in, there is available to local services
:24:15. > :24:17.additional spending powers of ?400 million. As Patrick Harvie said,
:24:18. > :24:21.some of that is down to the discussions that his party and my
:24:22. > :24:27.party had leading up to the agreement. There are more resources
:24:28. > :24:35.local government supporting local services. Let me assure Patrick
:24:36. > :24:41.Harvie that we have no interest in seeing headteachers be finance
:24:42. > :24:46.officers, but they need to be the leaders of learning that they need
:24:47. > :24:50.to be to drive improvement. These are sensible reforms and I think
:24:51. > :24:53.they will lead to improvements in our schools. I think it is right
:24:54. > :24:56.that we have vigorous and rigorous debate around these things but I am
:24:57. > :25:00.determined that we will take for these reforms and I am determined
:25:01. > :25:06.that we will be held to account on them, which is why the publication,
:25:07. > :25:09.and other people like to dismiss that as league tables, but that is
:25:10. > :25:13.the information that parents have access to to know how their local
:25:14. > :25:16.school is performing. It is information that the public,
:25:17. > :25:19.including other members of this chamber, then have access to to hold
:25:20. > :25:23.me and this government accountable. It is absolutely right and proper
:25:24. > :25:28.that we continue to make sure it is available. Some supplementary is,
:25:29. > :25:35.the first from Emma Harper. Last night on STV, Ruth Davidson repeated
:25:36. > :25:39.the fiction that under the new two child limit for tax credits a woman
:25:40. > :25:42.only needs to write her name into a box to prove they have had a
:25:43. > :25:47.subsequent child as a result of rape. Is this true? No, it is not
:25:48. > :25:55.true and Ruth Davidson knows it is not true. We had a powerful and
:25:56. > :26:02.emotional and emotive debate on the two child tax credit cap and I find
:26:03. > :26:06.it quite hard to believe that Ruth Davidson could have sat through that
:26:07. > :26:09.debate, as she did, and listen to some of the testimony, particularly
:26:10. > :26:13.a letter read out by Kezia Dugdale, and still go on television last
:26:14. > :26:18.night and say it was about ticking a box. I think that is disgraceful.
:26:19. > :26:23.More importantly, what it demonstrates, or at least what it
:26:24. > :26:26.gives the impression of, and I choose my words carefully, what it
:26:27. > :26:30.gives the impression of, because I hope this is not the case, is a
:26:31. > :26:36.complete lack of empathy for the emotional trauma that any woman in
:26:37. > :26:40.these circumstances would have to go through, of having to declare to a
:26:41. > :26:43.third party that their child had been conceived as a result of rape.
:26:44. > :26:47.A woman that is probably determined to do everything in our power to
:26:48. > :26:53.protect her child from being aware those facts. So I think it is really
:26:54. > :26:55.important that whatever disagreements we have around policy,
:26:56. > :26:59.and it beggars belief for me that anybody could defend the rape close,
:27:00. > :27:03.it falls into that category of a policy that is indefensible in my
:27:04. > :27:07.view. I think that is why the Tories are struggling so badly to defend
:27:08. > :27:10.it, but whatever our disagreements, when it comes to support for the
:27:11. > :27:14.most vulnerable people in our society, a bit of empathy, a bit of
:27:15. > :27:21.compassion and a bit less of the dismissive is just ticking a box
:27:22. > :27:30.would go down well from the Tories. -- a bit less of the dismissive as
:27:31. > :27:34.just ticking a box. Douglas Ross. The BBC have reported a response
:27:35. > :27:37.through Freedom of information from Police Scotland which shows that the
:27:38. > :27:40.number of serious assaults, murders and robberies are increasing in
:27:41. > :27:46.Scotland. What is the First Minister's response? The information
:27:47. > :27:49.that the BBC is reporting today is management information and it is
:27:50. > :27:52.important to stress that because it is not official figures. It may turn
:27:53. > :27:55.out that the official figures reflect the information that has
:27:56. > :27:59.been reported today but it is important that we point out the fact
:28:00. > :28:04.that sometimes that cannot be the case. The more substantive point is
:28:05. > :28:14.this. While figures fluctuate, what we are seeing in Scotland and have
:28:15. > :28:18.been seeing for quite some time is a long-term reduction in nonsexual
:28:19. > :28:27.violent crime. We have seen that for some time. There has been a 52%
:28:28. > :28:31.reduction in nonsexual violent crime from 2006 and 2015. In 2015-16, the
:28:32. > :28:35.latest year that statistics are available for, the number of
:28:36. > :28:41.homicide victims in Scotland was at its lowest level since comparable
:28:42. > :28:46.records began in 1976. So we always have to make sure we are supporting
:28:47. > :28:50.our police to keep all forms of crime low but we are seeing a
:28:51. > :28:53.long-term reduction in violent crime and we have to make sure that we
:28:54. > :28:56.continue to do everything possible to ensure that continues. That is
:28:57. > :29:03.one of the reasons why over the past number of years we have helped the
:29:04. > :29:06.police to bring in additional officers, at a time where thousands
:29:07. > :29:12.of police have been lost south of the border. That is why we continue
:29:13. > :29:16.to support our police to give the Liam Agnew growing job. Does the
:29:17. > :29:20.First Minister support the 10,000 people and more who have signed a
:29:21. > :29:28.petition against the imposition of a ?2 drop-off fee at Glasgow airport?
:29:29. > :29:32.Does the Minster agree that it will not reduce congestion and given that
:29:33. > :29:35.there are not great public transport links to Glasgow airport, a real
:29:36. > :29:41.link might have made a difference but the reality is that families
:29:42. > :29:44.going on holidays that they are entitled to will be forced to pay
:29:45. > :29:48.and it will not reduce congestion one bit, because in fact it is a
:29:49. > :29:52.smaller area and they are going to block drivers in and forced them to
:29:53. > :29:58.pay. Will the First Minister condemn this moneymaking venture? That is
:29:59. > :30:02.what it is and it has nothing to do with congestion. Will the First
:30:03. > :30:05.Minister genuinely, and I am raising this genuinely, First Minister,
:30:06. > :30:11.there is public fury at this. I think the public will appreciate
:30:12. > :30:18.your understanding that you do not think this is justified. Of course,
:30:19. > :30:21.I understand the concern of numbers of the public one of a change like
:30:22. > :30:25.this happens. I absolutely understand that many of my
:30:26. > :30:30.constituents, in common with MSPs across the chamber, use Glasgow
:30:31. > :30:33.airport regularly. My constituency is one of the closest geographically
:30:34. > :30:38.to Glasgow airport. So I understand that many people will have concerns.
:30:39. > :30:42.This is a matter for Glasgow airport and I think it is incumbent on them
:30:43. > :30:48.to make the case for why this is necessary and to have that case able
:30:49. > :30:55.to be scrutinised. Pauline McNeill raised the issue of an air link and
:30:56. > :30:59.obviously in the last Parliament and the one before that we had debates
:31:00. > :31:03.about the Glasgow airport rail link and for very good reasons we decided
:31:04. > :31:07.not to proceed with that at the time. What Pauline McNeill should be
:31:08. > :31:13.aware is that through the Glasgow and child Ally McCoist Valley City
:31:14. > :31:16.deal, funded jointly by the UK and Scottish governments, the council is
:31:17. > :31:24.now have the ability if they choose to have access to projects across
:31:25. > :31:28.Glasgow airport. -- Glasgow and Clyde Valley City deal. Whoever is
:31:29. > :31:30.in charge of the councils after tomorrow, let's hope they have the
:31:31. > :31:32.wherewithal to prioritise access to Glasgow airport if that is what they
:31:33. > :31:39.choose to do. And Does the First Minister not
:31:40. > :31:43.understand that her plans for the publication of school league stables
:31:44. > :31:46.can result in teachers teaching to the tests rather than concentrating
:31:47. > :31:52.on teaching our children in the round and that this may have the
:31:53. > :31:58.opposite effect to that which she intends? First Minister? I say this,
:31:59. > :32:01.in all sincerity. If Mike Rumble's understood properly what it was we
:32:02. > :32:04.were intending to publish, he wouldn't have asked that question.
:32:05. > :32:09.He would know the very premise of his question is wrong. Because, it's
:32:10. > :32:18.not the test score that is are being published, it's the performance of
:32:19. > :32:21.young people, the performance of young people against the curriculum
:32:22. > :32:26.of excellence, judged by teachers, informed by the test. Why is that
:32:27. > :32:30.important? Because it makes the teacher judgment more rigorous, but
:32:31. > :32:35.secondly, it avoids the narrowing of the teaching to the test because it
:32:36. > :32:39.is not only the skond starredised test scores that are taken into
:32:40. > :32:43.account. A teacher will also look at homework and the performance of
:32:44. > :32:47.children in schools. So can I say, again, in all sincerity to people
:32:48. > :32:51.across this chamber, let's have these debates but come to these
:32:52. > :32:54.debates informed of the facts of what we're doing, rather than your
:32:55. > :32:58.own prejudice about what we are doing and then perhaps we'll have
:32:59. > :33:04.meaningful debates in this chamber on this very important issue.
:33:05. > :33:07.APPLAUSE Question number 4, Kenneth Gibson?
:33:08. > :33:11.Thank you, Presiding Officer. To ask the First Minister what the Scottish
:33:12. > :33:15.Government's response is to Scotland's population rising to an
:33:16. > :33:18.all-time high of 5.4 million. We welcome the news that Scotland's
:33:19. > :33:21.population is growing, we know stimulating population growth is a
:33:22. > :33:26.key driver of sustainable economic growth. The figures published by the
:33:27. > :33:30.National Record of Scotland underlined the key role that
:33:31. > :33:33.migration has it play in our work to grow the population. There is
:33:34. > :33:36.prorobust evidence that confirmed our long standing view that migrants
:33:37. > :33:40.from outside the UK positively contributed to our society. They are
:33:41. > :33:43.mostly young, they most economically active and highly-qualified. So
:33:44. > :33:47.Scotland benefits significantly from the contribution made by people from
:33:48. > :33:51.across the world who've chosen to live, work and study here, bringing
:33:52. > :33:54.new skills and expertise and helping to underpin future economic growth
:33:55. > :34:00.and we should take every opportunity to tell them that they are very
:34:01. > :34:06.welcome here Kenneth Gibson? I thank the sfirs minister for that answer.
:34:07. > :34:16.- the First Minister. Moer than 2 million Scots emigrated in the half
:34:17. > :34:20.century before this. And we had been left with an economy swiftly
:34:21. > :34:24.overtaken by many others. Does the First Minister agree that while the
:34:25. > :34:29.population is increasing the number of excess deaths is of concern,
:34:30. > :34:33.despite the best efforts of the Presiding Officer and free movement
:34:34. > :34:42.of people will not only end Scotland's population growth but
:34:43. > :34:46.will lead to real skilled shortages. Well I thank the minister for
:34:47. > :34:52.thanking the Presiding Officer for his contribution but I better not.
:34:53. > :34:58.Latest figures show our population is increased by migration and that's
:34:59. > :35:01.why, and I make this point seriously, continued inward
:35:02. > :35:06.migration, and I know this can be unpopular in place, it is critical
:35:07. > :35:11.to maintaining population growth, which is critical to driving
:35:12. > :35:14.economic growth Fp current trends continue, net inward migration is
:35:15. > :35:18.contributed to be the main population driver for growth over
:35:19. > :35:22.the next 25 years. That's why, of all the things that should concern
:35:23. > :35:26.all of us about Brexit and the outcome of the Brexit negotiations,
:35:27. > :35:29.any serious restrictions to the ability of EU nationals to come and
:35:30. > :35:34.live in Scotland would be deeply damaging it our economy. So it is
:35:35. > :35:37.important that all of us across this chamber and all of us in mainstream
:35:38. > :35:42.politics have the courage to make that argument because if we allow
:35:43. > :35:47.the immigration and migration debate to be distorted, then we will damage
:35:48. > :35:54.our economy and our society as a result and these statistics are a
:35:55. > :35:57.stark reminder of that fact. Scotland has persistently attracted
:35:58. > :36:02.fewer migrants to come and live here, relative to other parts of the
:36:03. > :36:07.UK. In relation to our population share. Why does the First Minister
:36:08. > :36:10.think after ten years of SNP Government, Scotland is a relatively
:36:11. > :36:19.unattractive place for immigrants to come? What is disgraceful thing.
:36:20. > :36:22.What an utterly disgraceful thing for a Member of Parliament...
:36:23. > :36:28.APPLAUSE To stand up in this chairman berp
:36:29. > :36:34.and describe his own country as an unattractive place to live. Murdo
:36:35. > :36:37.Fraser, hang your head in shame. APPLAUSE
:36:38. > :36:41.As I've said before in this chamber, I remember the days and they are
:36:42. > :36:45.becoming dark, distant days, when Murdo Fraser used to be a serious
:36:46. > :36:49.politician, now it seems he must aspires to be a figure of fun in
:36:50. > :36:54.this chamber but the serious point here is this - we do have to
:36:55. > :36:58.encourage people to come here. One of the reasons why more migrants
:36:59. > :37:01.will settle in London and the south-east, is partly down to
:37:02. > :37:06.geography, which I think anybody applying a bit of common sense would
:37:07. > :37:09.grow but we've just had figures showing the contribution that inward
:37:10. > :37:14.migration is making to our population growth. So the real
:37:15. > :37:21.question is not the one Murdo Fraser posed. The real question is this -
:37:22. > :37:25.are we going to make sure, over these next few years
:37:26. > :37:32.... Or put barriers in the way of that? That is the big question and
:37:33. > :37:41.the big decision for Scotland in the next few years. Question #5, Liz
:37:42. > :37:44.Smith To ask the First Minister whether headteachers will require
:37:45. > :37:48.the agreement of the relevant local authority before a decision is made
:37:49. > :37:52.about how the pupil equity fund will be spent in their schools? I have
:37:53. > :37:56.been absolutely clear and the Deputy First Minister has been equally
:37:57. > :38:01.clear that the pupil equity funding scheme, the ?120 million of that
:38:02. > :38:05.will be used at the discretion of head teaches. The national
:38:06. > :38:07.operational guidance on the use of the funding sets out clear
:38:08. > :38:11.principles to support head teachers in their decision-making. They
:38:12. > :38:15.should work norther inship with each other and the local authority to
:38:16. > :38:18.share good practice, pool their knowledge and consider the use of
:38:19. > :38:22.funding but it is the discretion of head teaches that will be the
:38:23. > :38:27.central factor in deciding how that money is spent. Could I thank the
:38:28. > :38:32.First Minister for that reply. She's quite correct to say that John
:38:33. > :38:35.Swinney stated categorically on 13th September 2016 that under the
:38:36. > :38:38.Scottish Government reforms there would be a presumption of
:38:39. > :38:42.decision-making at school level. Could I ask her why it is, then,
:38:43. > :38:48.that from Scottish Government documents, it is very clear that
:38:49. > :38:51.there will be both national guidance and local authority guidance,
:38:52. > :38:55.compelling headteachers to agree the use of the pupil equity funding and
:38:56. > :38:58.the local authority, to be accountable to the local authority
:38:59. > :39:05.for how that money is deployed? Could the First Minister tell
:39:06. > :39:10.Parliament whether headteachers will ever have real automy or is it spin?
:39:11. > :39:15.This money is to be used at the discretion of headteachers. I think
:39:16. > :39:18.Liz Smith is misrepresenting, I'm sure not intentionally the intention
:39:19. > :39:26.and purpose of the guidance. Let me point to some of the content of the
:39:27. > :39:31.guidance which I know the Commission had wrongly claimed was highly
:39:32. > :39:36.prescriptive. The Drexes in that guidance refer to key principles
:39:37. > :39:39.that refer to activities funded by the pupil equity fund, firstly must
:39:40. > :39:43.be additional to current spend who. Could possibly disagree with that?
:39:44. > :39:46.Secondly it must be targeted at closing the Tynement gap. Who could
:39:47. > :39:50.possibly disagree with that? That's what it is for. Thirdly, it should
:39:51. > :39:56.be based on the evidence of what works. Again, that seems to me to be
:39:57. > :40:00.fairly sensible guidance. And next, that parents, children and young
:40:01. > :40:03.people should be involved in planning for the use of pupil equity
:40:04. > :40:08.funding. Again, I think that's common sense because, as I said in
:40:09. > :40:12.response to Patrick Harvie, there is evidence that the involvement of
:40:13. > :40:16.parents and young people in the initiative to drive improvement, are
:40:17. > :40:22.key. So, of course headteachers will share best practice with each other.
:40:23. > :40:24.Of course, as with any use of public money, there will be an
:40:25. > :40:27.accountability, not least a through the figures that are published about
:40:28. > :40:32.the performance of schools. Of course there will be account acted
:40:33. > :40:39.but this money is money to be spent at the discretion of headteachers,
:40:40. > :40:41.so, having called for this, I would've thought members across the
:40:42. > :40:46.chamber who have called for it would now support it and get behind it.
:40:47. > :40:50.Question number 6, Monica Lennon. To ask the First Minister what action
:40:51. > :40:54.the Scottish Government has taken to improve access to sanitary products?
:40:55. > :40:57.Well, the Scottish Government is actively considering what support we
:40:58. > :41:00.can provide for women and girls on a will he income to have access to
:41:01. > :41:04.sanitary products in a dignified way. Our Fairer Scotland action plan
:41:05. > :41:09.sets out the commitment to tackling poverty. However we know in the face
:41:10. > :41:14.of Tory welfare cuts and continued austerity that are pushing more and
:41:15. > :41:19.more people into poverty, it does seem we do this with one hand tied
:41:20. > :41:22.behind our back. Whether it is the bedroom tax, fair food fund,
:41:23. > :41:25.Scottish welfare fund or independent living fund, to name a few of the
:41:26. > :41:29.Scottish Government's policies, we are at mitigation of the bedroom
:41:30. > :41:33.tax, a Scottish Government policy, we spend hundreds of millions every
:41:34. > :41:38.year protecting the poorest and most vulnerable in our society from the
:41:39. > :41:41.worst excesses of a Tory Government these are resources we would rather
:41:42. > :41:44.be investing in further antipoverty measures not in mitigating or
:41:45. > :41:48.putting a sticking plaster on Tory cuts.
:41:49. > :41:52.I thank the First Minister for her answer. I welcome some of the steps
:41:53. > :41:56.the Government has outlined because last year when I asked the question
:41:57. > :42:00.I was told that the Government hasn't done any work to assess the
:42:01. > :42:05.issue and women could use food banks. But I feel we have moved on
:42:06. > :42:09.from then. Last year we had our first debate on the be score
:42:10. > :42:13.Parliament on periods Poff Tyne I have announced my intention to bring
:42:14. > :42:18.forward a members bill and since then there has been an outpouring of
:42:19. > :42:23.interest in this. In Scotland the SUS kr c. The NUS and the Scottish
:42:24. > :42:28.Youth Parliament and I could go on, they all support the proposals. No
:42:29. > :42:32.women or girl in 2017 should have to face the indignity of not having
:42:33. > :42:36.access to sanitary products during menstruation, there is no excuse why
:42:37. > :42:40.this should be the case in a progressive and wealthy country like
:42:41. > :42:45.Scotland. Does the First Minister agree with me that sanitary products
:42:46. > :42:48.are a necessity not a lucks rain that the Scottish Parliament should
:42:49. > :42:52.accordingly be taking all necessary action to enshrine that right of
:42:53. > :42:55.access into law? APPLAUSE
:42:56. > :42:59.First Minister Can I commend Monica Lennon for taking forward this
:43:00. > :43:03.issue. It is an important issue. I look forward to see the contents of
:43:04. > :43:07.her private member's bill and the government certainly is open to
:43:08. > :43:11.working in partnership as we explore the ways in which we can deal with
:43:12. > :43:16.this issue. I agree with her and I think any woman, I hope a lot of men
:43:17. > :43:20.but every woman would agree that sanitary products are not a luxury,
:43:21. > :43:23.they are a necessity and we should not have a situation where women are
:43:24. > :43:26.forced into situations of indignity because they are on incomes that
:43:27. > :43:32.can't support the purchase of these products. So, as Monica Lennon has
:43:33. > :43:35.acknowledged the Government Scottish, led by Angela Constance is
:43:36. > :43:40.exploring a number of ways in which we can help with the issue of period
:43:41. > :43:44.poverty and I know Angela Constance would be happy to talk further with
:43:45. > :43:50.Monica Lennon, as our consideration of these issues develop. I hope this
:43:51. > :43:54.Parliament can come to a consensus and agreement about ways in which we
:43:55. > :43:57.can, in a enmoogful way, help here and the Scottish Government is
:43:58. > :44:01.certainly keen to do that. It would make a welcome change to be talking
:44:02. > :44:04.about how we help women in vulnerable positions, rather than
:44:05. > :44:06.debating the ways in which certain others in certain other places are
:44:07. > :44:15.trying to penalise women in vulnerable positions.
:44:16. > :44:22.Question number 7, Mark B Russian sskel? To ask the First Minister how
:44:23. > :44:28.the High Court justice to publish its pollution strategy and how it
:44:29. > :44:31.impacts on Scotland? At the publication of the strategy, rather
:44:32. > :44:35.than content I understand the UK Government has now decided not to
:44:36. > :44:38.appeal the decision and will consulted on the updated action
:44:39. > :44:41.plan. The Scottish Government is committed to promoting air quality.
:44:42. > :44:45.The UK action plan will include a contribution from the Scottish
:44:46. > :44:47.Government setting out how we intend to deliver further air quality
:44:48. > :44:51.improvements in Scotland through the actions we set out in our own air
:44:52. > :44:56.quality strategy, cleaner air for Scotland, the road to a Heatier
:44:57. > :45:01.future and also by establishing Scotland's first low emissions zone.
:45:02. > :45:04.Can I thank the myrrhs stin forefor that response but Presiding Officer
:45:05. > :45:09.I'm in the prepared it put my family at Ricks any more on Scotland's
:45:10. > :45:13.polluted streets. It is a public health crisis. 2,000 people die
:45:14. > :45:16.every year not just in the First Minister's city but across Scotland.
:45:17. > :45:20.The UK Government's plans were slated by the High Court. They rely
:45:21. > :45:23.on dodgy emissions data from car companies while putting off aeks to
:45:24. > :45:29.saves lives today. The Scottish Government has made the same errors,
:45:30. > :45:33.and it captured by the same ruling. When will the First Minister step
:45:34. > :45:38.out of the shadow of the toxic Tory plans and urge lently review
:45:39. > :45:42.Scotland's Clean Air strategy, include funding more than a solitary
:45:43. > :45:47.low emissions zone? Well, obviously I'm not responsible for the UK
:45:48. > :45:50.Government's plans. I am responsible for the plans the Scottish
:45:51. > :45:53.Government put forward and you know on this, as on any other issue we
:45:54. > :45:56.are happy to discuss with other parties in the chamber how we
:45:57. > :46:01.improve the plans that we have in place but I think it is important to
:46:02. > :46:05.point out that we, in Scotland, we are meeting both domestic and
:46:06. > :46:08.European air quality targets across much of the country, although, there
:46:09. > :46:12.are still hotspots of poorer air quality in a number of areas,
:46:13. > :46:18.particularly urban areas and it is an issue that interests me hugely,
:46:19. > :46:21.not just as First Minister, but as an MSP representing an urban
:46:22. > :46:25.constituency. All local authorities with air quality management areas
:46:26. > :46:28.now have action plans in place and the Scottish Government is working
:46:29. > :46:32.with these authorities, including with Glasgow City Council to help
:46:33. > :46:36.implement the plans and deliver air quality improvement. Another point
:46:37. > :46:40.that I think it is important to stress is that we have set actually
:46:41. > :46:46.more stringent air quality targets than the rest of the UK has.
:46:47. > :46:52.Scotland is the first country in Europe to legislate for particular
:46:53. > :46:55.matter, 2.5, a pollutant that is a concern for human health and we are
:46:56. > :47:00.providing practical and financial support to local authorities. So
:47:01. > :47:03.we'll continue to take actions to address what I absolutely agree with
:47:04. > :47:06.the member is an issue of the utmost importance and the Environment
:47:07. > :47:10.Secretary I know will be happy to speak to the member, if he wishes
:47:11. > :47:13.to, in order to take his views about how we strengthen these plans,
:47:14. > :47:17.further. Could the First Minister provide
:47:18. > :47:22.further details on the work underway to deliver Scotland's first low
:47:23. > :47:27.emissions zone? Well, we are working with local authorities and indeed
:47:28. > :47:32.with other partners, to develop the first Low Emission Zone, which will
:47:33. > :47:41.improve health and help create better places to live, to work and
:47:42. > :47:45.for people to visit. A national modelling framework has been
:47:46. > :47:49.developed to provide the evidence base in designing the zone and the
:47:50. > :47:53.vehicle restrictions needed to deliver air quality improvement. The
:47:54. > :47:58.Des igs nation of low emissions zones is of course a matter for
:47:59. > :48:01.local individual individuals but we look forward to agreeing with them
:48:02. > :48:05.the location of the first zone, once the new administrations are in
:48:06. > :48:11.place, following tomorrow's election. Thank you very much, that
:48:12. > :48:16.concludes... Point of order Yesterday the Scottish Government
:48:17. > :48:19.issued a press release announcing a regeneration project in Glasgow
:48:20. > :48:23.which everyone knows is an SNP target. I have written to the
:48:24. > :48:27.Permanent Secretary of the Scottish Government to complain against the
:48:28. > :48:33.clear be possibility that purdah guidance was ignored. Can you advise
:48:34. > :48:38.if there are any grounds to bring the minister in question before this
:48:39. > :48:41.Parliament, next week, to explain how on earth a government
:48:42. > :48:46.announcement, with the clear possibility of influencing party
:48:47. > :48:51.politics, was allowed to go out? Can I thank for the point of order.
:48:52. > :48:53.I think these sort of questions are matters for the Ministerial Code and
:48:54. > :48:56.should be persued with the Scottish Government directly. That condition
:48:57. > :49:00.cluds First Minister's Questions. We will move on to general quest.
:49:01. > :49:04.STUDIO: Well, there we have it. Conclusion of questions to the First
:49:05. > :49:10.Minister. A little sting in the tail there, in that point of order from
:49:11. > :49:14.Ross Thompson reminding us of course the chamber was ex-or sized by the
:49:15. > :49:17.spending elections. The elections to the local government taking place
:49:18. > :49:20.tomorrow. The UK general election on June 8th but it was also the
:49:21. > :49:36.Scottish Government's record that kanld a fair bit of scrutiny there,
:49:37. > :49:41.didn't it. We have Sev Carrell and Lynsey Bews It was actually
:49:42. > :49:45.refreshing to be back on a domestic agenda. We concern ourselves with UK
:49:46. > :49:47.Government poll sane finally in First Minister questions the
:49:48. > :49:50.Scottish Government were under attack on domestic record. For what
:49:51. > :49:54.it is woerted I think Ruth Davis son was on a strong topic area. I
:49:55. > :49:59.thought she pulled the punches somewhat. She could have' been more
:50:00. > :50:02.aggressive I thought say on bringing forward the SNP manifestos from 2007
:50:03. > :50:05.and the last Scottish Government elections as well, and saying - you
:50:06. > :50:10.have been here before, you have promised this before, and what have
:50:11. > :50:16.have you dedelivered a decline in performance. But it wasn't a muted
:50:17. > :50:20.performance in response but there was the first anyonester was
:50:21. > :50:25.cautious, little bomb boost, she is defending a record which she knows
:50:26. > :50:28.is not that wonderful right now. She z she acknowledged there were issues
:50:29. > :50:31.that need to be worked on in education and then of course she
:50:32. > :50:35.went on to list all of the measures the Government is taking. The
:50:36. > :50:39.trouble is, the Opposition parties are saying it is taking a very long
:50:40. > :50:45.time for Government to make progress on this. The Government, for
:50:46. > :50:48.example, originally results were due to be published earlier, before
:50:49. > :50:52.government elections now delayed until later and Liz Smith coming in
:50:53. > :50:56.later with concerns over exactly what is going to be contained in
:50:57. > :50:59.this governance review. Some of the draft guidance already out there for
:51:00. > :51:04.money going to head teaches, concerns over how much local
:51:05. > :51:07.authorities are going to be able to influence how headteachers spend
:51:08. > :51:12.that money. Sev, rather an effective bit of business towards the end what
:51:13. > :51:18.wr she held up a Conservative leaflet which wr she said it
:51:19. > :51:21.mentioned the SNP 43 times and education the square root of
:51:22. > :51:24.nothing. My heart sank. This is something politicians will use.
:51:25. > :51:30.They'll hold up that single leaflet, having had a dozen or maybe 15
:51:31. > :51:36.through the letterbox. I certainly had 12, 15, perhaps even 20 through,
:51:37. > :51:43.some repeated times from one particular party We know parties
:51:44. > :51:46.already target particular members with particular messages and I'm
:51:47. > :51:50.sure the Tories could point to other leaflets. It was a good hit on the
:51:51. > :51:56.day, effective. But we see these two often in my view, I'm afraid. Let's
:51:57. > :52:00.turn to the questions from Kezia Dugdale, on taxation, the 50p rate
:52:01. > :52:04.that's become a mantra for Labour and the First Minister giving her
:52:05. > :52:09.response, her explanation. Ye, Kezia Dugdale pointing out, you look back
:52:10. > :52:16.to 2015, Sturgeon sting and the SNP backing that a 50p top rate - across
:52:17. > :52:21.the UK. . The key point. And in 2016 it'll cost us money if we bring it
:52:22. > :52:25.in in Scotland, top rate tax payers could leave the country and we could
:52:26. > :52:28.lose, I think she said at the time, ?30 million worth of tax, so we're
:52:29. > :52:31.not going to do it. Hinting yesterday, again this could be a
:52:32. > :52:34.pledge the SNP put forward again. I think it does expose, you know,
:52:35. > :52:39.really how much influence the SNP can have at Westminster, when they
:52:40. > :52:43.are putting forward policies that would have to be introduced across
:52:44. > :52:48.the whole of the UK in order for them to back them. And finishing
:52:49. > :52:52.with a stinger towards Kezia Dugdale, saying - what was t you are
:52:53. > :52:57.looking out of place, and you know it, you are looking like a loser
:52:58. > :53:02.basically was what she was trying to say. Yes and she put the boot in and
:53:03. > :53:08.highlighted last week the fact that some Labour councils have promised
:53:09. > :53:11.to freeze the council tax and Kezia Dugdale is talking about using
:53:12. > :53:18.taxation to raise revenue well there is the chance and some Labour
:53:19. > :53:21.councils not taking that chance. And briefly, Sev, the Green position,
:53:22. > :53:24.Patrick Harvie trying to take a purist position saying we have never
:53:25. > :53:29.asked for them, the other parties are. Yes he managed a universal
:53:30. > :53:34.response to everything. He brought in school testing and the 50p too,
:53:35. > :53:39.rate... Through a single question Exactly But he was coming at the SNP
:53:40. > :53:45.as a kind of friendly critic saying - you can do, you can improve on
:53:46. > :53:50.school performance by investing more through higher taxation. So Nicola
:53:51. > :53:57.Sturgeon didn't entirely get off the hook on the 50p tax request that
:53:58. > :54:01.Kezia Dugdale had taken up. We have a little shotty. Leaders don't get
:54:02. > :54:06.their chance each we are, you will notice that Willy Rennie it wasn't
:54:07. > :54:10.his turn to get a question in to the First Minister. We thought it was
:54:11. > :54:14.unfair, we gave him an opportunity. My colleague, Glenn Campbell spoke
:54:15. > :54:19.to Willy are enany the Liberal Democrat leader. The SNP have a
:54:20. > :54:23.record of just over 10 years. The economy is teetering on the edge of
:54:24. > :54:27.a recession, we have educational records slumping down the rankings
:54:28. > :54:30.and a mental health strategy that's way behind where it should be.
:54:31. > :54:34.That's the record of the SNP in Government ie. ' Quite happy to deal
:54:35. > :54:39.with that in this election campaign. -- I'm happy. It is about time we
:54:40. > :54:44.got these people out of power. Of in terms of the opinion polls, whether
:54:45. > :54:48.it is the local elections or the general election, the SNP still
:54:49. > :54:52.appear to be the dominant force in Scottish politics. How are you going
:54:53. > :54:56.to go about changing that? Well, let's see what happens in this
:54:57. > :54:59.election campaign. Because I think what we will see is one of the
:55:00. > :55:02.biggest changes in public opinion since 2014. We will see the SNP
:55:03. > :55:05.going down over the course of the general election campaign. And the
:55:06. > :55:08.Liberal Democrats will be on the rise. I can see us, with our unique
:55:09. > :55:11.position of standing up for Scotland in the United Kingdom and the United
:55:12. > :55:13.Kingdom in the European Union, together with our progressive
:55:14. > :55:16.package of policies, on mental health and education, that we will
:55:17. > :55:21.garner more support in this campaign. Well there, we have T
:55:22. > :55:26.reckons, of course, he is going to get more. The others all say the
:55:27. > :55:30.same. Hey, these are elections, local elections tomorrow, UK
:55:31. > :55:33.election on June 8th. Still joined by my colleagues heemplt let's talk
:55:34. > :55:36.about the local elections first, they've tended to be swamped since
:55:37. > :55:40.Theresa May made the announcement but these are significant elections
:55:41. > :55:44.in themselves, 32 councils, what would count as a significant result
:55:45. > :55:48.do you think? Obviously each councillor wants top win. We have
:55:49. > :55:51.some magic numbers, we have 18 local authorities in Scotland where Labour
:55:52. > :55:55.are either in overall control or partial control. We'll need to see
:55:56. > :55:59.how many Labour lose. There is a significant question - they could
:56:00. > :56:03.actually lose all of them, or find themselves having to struggle back
:56:04. > :56:07.into power by going to coalition, very difficult question of going
:56:08. > :56:10.into coalition with the Tories, potentially with the SNP in
:56:11. > :56:15.Edinburgh. The other question, are the opinion polls which show the SNP
:56:16. > :56:21.45%, the Tories nudging 30 and Labour at 14 or 15 or maybe up to
:56:22. > :56:25.18, going to be borne out by the turnout tomorrow and the other
:56:26. > :56:29.question is ssh will the turnout be significant? Can we really place a
:56:30. > :56:33.loss the lot of reliance of that, as huge opinion poll ahead of the June
:56:34. > :56:38.8th election? If advance of that June 8th election, what would
:56:39. > :56:40.tomorrow? Does it offer pointers to it or a differential turnout,
:56:41. > :56:44.entirely different elections s it dangerous to be making too many
:56:45. > :56:48.assumptions from tomorrow? I think it is dangerous to be making too
:56:49. > :56:50.many broad assumption abouts what could happen in the general
:56:51. > :56:55.election, it is a different voting system as some of ev said, turnout
:56:56. > :56:59.is generally low, so it is difficult for parties to get a grasp of the
:57:00. > :57:03.national picture. Maybe it'll difficult some steps to parts of the
:57:04. > :57:07.country where supports is particularly weak or strong and
:57:08. > :57:11.maybe it can inform where they need it campaign strategically across the
:57:12. > :57:14.country. And very, very briefly, Sev, the UK general election will
:57:15. > :57:18.dominate after tomorrow. It dominates now, doesn't it? Indeed it
:57:19. > :57:22.does. We are now going to have to, this is like a phoney war and we're
:57:23. > :57:27.going to kick into a new phase. Next week After next weekend. Of course
:57:28. > :57:31.England has council elections too. Next week will when it begins in
:57:32. > :57:35.earnest. What, four-and-a-half weeks, five weeks to gnchts I
:57:36. > :57:39.believe so. It could be great fun. We'll all watch out for T we had the
:57:40. > :57:43.local elections already planned, but now we'll be turning our attention
:57:44. > :57:46.to the small matter of a UK general election as well. All of those
:57:47. > :57:51.issues really on the table today in questions to the First Minister. The
:57:52. > :57:53.entire session was permeated by elections from. Me, Brian Taylor,
:57:54. > :58:01.for now, goodbye. Because you're the one
:58:02. > :58:04.that passes the money across. This is the third time your daughter
:58:05. > :58:14.has being trafficked. Sam Poling journeys
:58:15. > :58:17.through the sophisticated world 'If I start to ask the questions
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