:00:18. > :00:21.A very warm welcome to the Scottish Parliament here at Holyrood. Here,
:00:22. > :00:26.as else #, the political focus is very much
:00:27. > :00:29.upon that remarkable debate in the Commons and that decision to launch
:00:30. > :00:33.air strikes against Syria which indeed those strikes are now
:00:34. > :00:36.underway. I gather the First Minister may have some remarks to
:00:37. > :00:45.make on that subject at the start of her question session. Let's cross to
:00:46. > :00:52.the chamber now. Shona is on her feet answering the last of the
:00:53. > :00:58.scheduled questions on the issue of NHS waiting times. As soon as she
:00:59. > :01:03.brings her answer to a close, we'd expect the Presiding Officer to
:01:04. > :01:07.begin the session of First Minister's Questions where we expect
:01:08. > :01:13.the First Minister to make comments on Syria. Later today, I will have
:01:14. > :01:19.discussions to take forward our plans to host at the invitation of
:01:20. > :01:25.the United Nations annish tiff to help prepare Syrian women for peace
:01:26. > :01:28.building. On that note, I'm sure we' mindful that British service
:01:29. > :01:31.personnel are in action over Syria. Notwithstanding by opposition to
:01:32. > :01:36.this action, my thoughts and my good wishes are very much with them at
:01:37. > :01:39.this time. However, I remain deeply drubbed by the decision of the UK
:01:40. > :01:44.Government to take the country into conflict with no strategy, no exit
:01:45. > :01:54.plan and against the wishes of the overwhelming majority of Scotland's
:01:55. > :01:58.MPs. Like the First Minister, I did not support extending air strikes
:01:59. > :02:01.into Ceri. However, with British Forces now involved we must come
:02:02. > :02:06.together to support the brave men and women in our armed forces. I'm
:02:07. > :02:14.sure the First Minister will join with me extending the support of
:02:15. > :02:16.this Parliament to them. There's another issue of significance in the
:02:17. > :02:22.papers this week. It's climate change. This week, the First
:02:23. > :02:27.Minister announced she'd attend the climate summit in Paris. I'm sure
:02:28. > :02:31.she, like me, looked at David Cameron's appearance there with a
:02:32. > :02:34.mixture of demusement and anger. The Prime Minister told delegates the
:02:35. > :02:38.earth was in peril and there would be no excuses for this generation of
:02:39. > :02:46.politicians if they don't act. This is a Prime Minister who undermined
:02:47. > :02:54.the renewable industry by slashing subs did I. He can aide the one
:02:55. > :02:58.billion carbon capture in storage competition. Does this Government
:02:59. > :03:06.agree this posturing from the merriment in Paris was sheer Hib ok
:03:07. > :03:12.Si? -- hypocracy. Here's something we may not hear, yes, I do agree
:03:13. > :03:16.with that 100%. As world leaders meet in Paris over the course of
:03:17. > :03:21.this week and I were deed next week to hopefully come to an agreement
:03:22. > :03:26.that will help the world better tackle climate change, it is income
:03:27. > :03:30.bant on all of us, including the Scottish Government, to make sure
:03:31. > :03:37.our politician and practices, what we do ourselves at home is commence
:03:38. > :03:41.rate with the rhetoric we use about climate change. I will be proud to
:03:42. > :03:47.represent Scotland on Monday in Paris. I'll take our message and use
:03:48. > :03:52.that, I hope, as a motivation and spur to others to follow suit. I
:03:53. > :03:58.absolutely deplore some of the decisions being take why enby the UK
:03:59. > :04:03.Government. Decisions which undermine our efforts and the
:04:04. > :04:07.decision imcommented on in the chamber last week to cancel the
:04:08. > :04:12.carbon capture competition. I think it is damaging to our efforts to
:04:13. > :04:16.reduce emissions and tackle climate change, it is deeply damaging to our
:04:17. > :04:23.reputation amongst the business community. We'd two FTSE 100
:04:24. > :04:28.companies entering this competition in good faith devoting time and
:04:29. > :04:33.effort and it is nothing short of a disgrace it has been cancelled at
:04:34. > :04:38.the last minute. I'm glad the First Minister agrees with me. But she's
:04:39. > :04:41.going to Paris in her own words to show that our world leading targets
:04:42. > :04:46.set the benchmark that the international community needs to
:04:47. > :04:52.match. Presiding Officer, this Parliament unanimously set those
:04:53. > :04:56.targets in 2009. When the first minister tells the community she has
:04:57. > :05:03.the most ambitious target in the world will she remember to tell them
:05:04. > :05:08.she hasn't hit those targets once? I would encourage Kezia Dugdale to
:05:09. > :05:12.study in some detail all of the facts and information around this. I
:05:13. > :05:18.hope we can continue to come together as one on this important
:05:19. > :05:24.global issue. But when we set the target for 2013 back in 2010, the
:05:25. > :05:31.reduction in carbon we anticipated at that time was 31.7%. Thafrs the
:05:32. > :05:38.target we anticipated we would have to reduce emissions by. In actual
:05:39. > :05:43.fact, what we have achieved is 38.4% from the 1990 base Ryan. The only
:05:44. > :05:48.reason why that means we still haven't met the target is because of
:05:49. > :05:54.the increases to that baseline. Fixed annual targets were missed
:05:55. > :06:02.because of improvement to the way the data was calculated with added
:06:03. > :06:09.10.6 mega tons to the baseline. That's equivalent to all waste
:06:10. > :06:12.management, public sector buildings. We've excited the reduction we
:06:13. > :06:17.anticipated but, because of the increase in the baseline, that means
:06:18. > :06:24.we haven't met the target. I would have thought... This is actually
:06:25. > :06:33.factual information I'm sharing with the Chamber. The opposition, if we
:06:34. > :06:38.are serious about the rhetoric that is used, the very welcome rhetoric
:06:39. > :06:42.Kezia Dugdale has just used, we should do two things. We should
:06:43. > :06:47.celebrate the progress we are making in Scotland and use that to
:06:48. > :06:52.encourage others to make similar progress. But we should also not
:06:53. > :06:58.rest on our Lawrence. We should be determined to continue to make
:06:59. > :07:06.progress. It may be abop rat Presiding Officer to end with a
:07:07. > :07:12.quote from Professor Jim Skeigh a comment he made back in the summer
:07:13. > :07:16.this year. If you divide where Scotland is now as to where it was
:07:17. > :07:26.in 1990, it was among the world leaders. That is unam big ewous --
:07:27. > :07:30.unambiguous. There's more spin in that answer than your average wind
:07:31. > :07:34.turbine. The First Minister's Government has never hit a climate
:07:35. > :07:38.change target. On Monday, we saw one reason why. The report on public
:07:39. > :07:43.sector climate change duties was published. Yet again, the Scottish
:07:44. > :07:47.Government missed their own target to cut emissions from their own
:07:48. > :07:52.activities. No wonder. This report shows that the Government's use of
:07:53. > :07:56.vehicles, taxis and private cars all actually increased in the last year.
:07:57. > :08:01.So, if her own Government can't hit their targets, how can she lecture
:08:02. > :08:10.did the rest of the world on their duty to do the same? I really think
:08:11. > :08:21.Labour should raise its game if it wants to raise issues of such global
:08:22. > :08:24.importance. What I've just farated to the Chamber is factual
:08:25. > :08:30.information about the performance of Scotland. Something, I think when it
:08:31. > :08:34.has been praised by the UK committee on climate change, when we've people
:08:35. > :08:38.like Desmond tutu and the head of the UN climate body saying in a
:08:39. > :08:49.letter to the Environment Minister in August this year, Scotland's
:08:50. > :08:53.ambition to Cree tackle climate change is a shining example. When
:08:54. > :08:58.people across the world are saying that about Scotland, why is it that
:08:59. > :09:03.Scottish Labour are the only ones still trying to talk down the
:09:04. > :09:09.achievements of our country? What I will do... What I will do Presiding
:09:10. > :09:13.Officer is I will go to Paris on behalf of the people of this
:09:14. > :09:17.country. I will encourage others to follow the lead that is recognised
:09:18. > :09:23.as being set by Scotland. But here at home, I will also make sure we
:09:24. > :09:27.continue to challenge ourselves. The progress I have outlined to the
:09:28. > :09:32.chamber shows we have actually excited the reduction in emissions
:09:33. > :09:36.we set back in 2010. But, because we know the whole world, not just
:09:37. > :09:42.Scotland, needs to go further, we'll continue to raise our sights and
:09:43. > :09:46.raise our ambitions. Raising our sights and am Bigses is what
:09:47. > :09:53.characterises this Government and it puts us in stark contrast to the
:09:54. > :09:57.opposition. Let's see if the First Minister is raising her game on
:09:58. > :10:02.climate change. She's about to get control over a key environmental
:10:03. > :10:08.tax, air passenger duty. What is her plan for this green tax? She wants
:10:09. > :10:12.to abolish it. The Government's own figures show abolishing APD will
:10:13. > :10:19.increase emissions by 50,000 tons a year. To put that in context, the
:10:20. > :10:25.First Minister could fly to Paris and back every day for 200 years and
:10:26. > :10:29.do less damage to the environment. So the First Minister heads to Paris
:10:30. > :10:33.next week, head of a Government that's missed its own targets four
:10:34. > :10:38.years in a row. Is unable to control their own emissions and plans to
:10:39. > :10:40.abolish environmental taxes. When it comes to hypocracy and climate
:10:41. > :10:47.change, isn't the First Minister giving the Prime Minister a run for
:10:48. > :11:05.his money? I won't be flying to Paris on Sunday. I'll be taking the
:11:06. > :11:10.train to Paris on Sunday! Secondly, Presiding Officer, Kezia Dugdale's
:11:11. > :11:14.argument around APD as it relates to the environment might have more
:11:15. > :11:19.force in the revenue from APD was hype O'Kated to spend on reducing
:11:20. > :11:24.emissions. It's not. It is simply a rev enenewe raising measure for the
:11:25. > :11:29.UK Government. Of course, the reason why, some of us were last night at
:11:30. > :11:33.the annual dinner of the Scottish chambers of the commerce speaking to
:11:34. > :11:35.a wide range of I business people there focussed on trying to
:11:36. > :11:42.internationalise the Scottish economy. Grow the export base of the
:11:43. > :11:47.Scottish economy. I suspect there was considerable consensus reducing
:11:48. > :11:51.APD is an important measure to create jobs, improve our transport
:11:52. > :11:56.links and help our business community grow their exports. We'll
:11:57. > :11:59.continue to make sure that as a Government we are pursuing policies
:12:00. > :12:03.that help promote equality and social justice. That help promote
:12:04. > :12:09.our environment but also help to make sure that we have a vibrant
:12:10. > :12:14.growing economy. It is in a balanced approach to governing this country
:12:15. > :12:23.which mean the SNP are standing here and Labour are sitting over there.
:12:24. > :12:27.I'd like to add my gratitude to the brave service personnel who will be
:12:28. > :12:32.involved in this necessary military action in Syria. As too often
:12:33. > :12:38.before, their self-less efforts abroad do all ensure and help to
:12:39. > :12:42.keep us living safely at home. Can I ask the First Minister when she will
:12:43. > :12:49.next meet the Secretary of State for Scotland? I have no plans in the
:12:50. > :12:53.future. The SNP's policy of free university education is failing
:12:54. > :12:57.poorer stoodents. A new report by Universities UK today shows poorer
:12:58. > :13:01.students in Scotland are only half as likely to go to university than
:13:02. > :13:06.those across the rest of the UK and the gap is getting wider. Five weeks
:13:07. > :13:10.ago, I raised this issue with the First Minister suggesting a graduate
:13:11. > :13:15.contribution could help restore bursary funding which has been
:13:16. > :13:19.gutted by this SNP Government. These are bursaries which support poor
:13:20. > :13:24.students who otherwise couldn't get a foot through the door. When this
:13:25. > :13:28.SNP Government came to office, bursary support stood at ?104
:13:29. > :13:32.million per year. Can she tell me what the figure will be next year?
:13:33. > :13:37.We'll continue to make sure we have a funding support package for our
:13:38. > :13:40.students that supports students, particularly those from the poorest
:13:41. > :13:46.backgrounds, to go to college and to university. But I actually cannot
:13:47. > :13:51.believe that Ruth Davidson has come to this chamber today and raised the
:13:52. > :13:55.issue of bursaries with this Government. Because, doesn't she
:13:56. > :13:59.remember that George Osborne, of the Conservative Party, which the last
:14:00. > :14:02.time I looked was the same party Ruth Davidson is a member of, stood
:14:03. > :14:06.up in the House of Commons last week to deliver his autumn spending
:14:07. > :14:11.statement and announced that the UK Government are going to abolish all
:14:12. > :14:16.bursary support for students from April next year. Not reduce it, not
:14:17. > :14:22.take it back a little bit, but abolish it completely. Abolish it
:14:23. > :14:27.for student nurses as well as for students in general. I'll take no
:14:28. > :14:29.lectures whatsoever when it comes to student support from the
:14:30. > :14:36.Conservative Party or from Ruth Davidson. Let me give Ruth Davidson,
:14:37. > :14:41.just as I did Kezia Dugdale a few facts which might get in the way of
:14:42. > :14:47.her rhetoric. The number of people from our most deprived communities
:14:48. > :14:51.achieving a university qualification has increased under this Government
:14:52. > :14:56.by 24%. The number of 18-year-olds from our most depride areas applying
:14:57. > :15:01.to universities is up by 50%. Young people from our most deprived air
:15:02. > :15:05.yeas are more likely now to participate in higher education by
:15:06. > :15:12.the age of 30 than they were in 2006. Though the UCAS figures have
:15:13. > :15:16.to be treated with cacks because they under estimate Scotland's
:15:17. > :15:19.performance, they show Scotland is reducing the attainment gap at
:15:20. > :15:24.university faster than any other part of the UK. Those are the facts.
:15:25. > :15:28.What will certainly not help us make any further progress is if we were
:15:29. > :15:37.to go down the road of Tories by taking away bursaries from all
:15:38. > :15:45.students. I asked for a number. It was a number that the First Minister
:15:46. > :15:49.didn't want to give. The thing is she didn't want to give the number
:15:50. > :15:55.five weeks ago either. After that session, we put in a freedom of
:15:56. > :16:01.information request who tell us bursary funding will be about ?40
:16:02. > :16:12.million in 2016 a drop of ?40 million under this Government. The
:16:13. > :16:16.SNP says their no tuition fee policy is helped to design -- designed to
:16:17. > :16:23.help poorer students get a university. Despite political
:16:24. > :16:27.rhetoric surrounding free education in Scotland the system's failed to
:16:28. > :16:35.produce more equal opportunities than the rest of the UK. The
:16:36. > :16:40.policies were reproducing existing social inequalities. So the SNP have
:16:41. > :16:44.slashed college places. They've cut bursaries and the policy that's
:16:45. > :16:50.supposed to counter all of this does not work. I know the First Minister
:16:51. > :16:54.will want to dismiss me like she's done before but these experts are
:16:55. > :16:58.telling her a contribution after graduation can be used to help
:16:59. > :17:04.poorer students into universities in the first place. Will she dismiss
:17:05. > :17:09.them too? I am not going to dismiss Ruth Davidson. But I am going to
:17:10. > :17:13.criticise as I believe people across the country will do so, her
:17:14. > :17:20.shame-faced hypocracy on this particular issue. The reality is
:17:21. > :17:25.this. Whatever the SNP Government is spending on student bursaries is
:17:26. > :17:29.going to be more than the zero the Conservatives will be spending on
:17:30. > :17:33.student bursaries when they scrap them for all students next year. We
:17:34. > :17:37.will continue to make sure that we give our students a decent funding
:17:38. > :17:44.package. Average support for students in Scotland is now the
:17:45. > :17:49.highest that it has ever been. ?5,610 per student. Up nearly 5%
:17:50. > :17:52.since the year before. We remain committed to bursaries for the
:17:53. > :17:58.poorest students unlike the Conservatives who are scrapping them
:17:59. > :18:01.from next year. Our minimum income gather teen for under graduate
:18:02. > :18:06.students from the poorest households living at home is the highest
:18:07. > :18:12.package of support anywhere in the UK. That's the reality, partly the
:18:13. > :18:17.reason we are starting to make the progress I cited in my earlier
:18:18. > :18:21.answer and decreasing our numbers from deprived communities going to
:18:22. > :18:27.university. We'll continue to do that work while also protecting a
:18:28. > :18:30.principal I hold dear which is free access to education based on your
:18:31. > :18:35.ability to learn not on your ability to pay. Led me end by quoting what
:18:36. > :18:41.the NUS had to say about the report Ruth Davidson cites. The idea that
:18:42. > :18:46.abolishing free education, a clear recognition of the public and social
:18:47. > :18:50.good provided by higher education would improve fair access would seem
:18:51. > :18:53.bizarre. It is. The NUS are right and the Tories, not for the first
:18:54. > :19:05.time, are downright wrong. The First Minister will be aware of
:19:06. > :19:12.structural safety checks on the Forth Road rage are causing major
:19:13. > :19:14.sections. Can I ask the First Minister what discussions she has
:19:15. > :19:26.held with transport Scotland to mitigate these disruptions?
:19:27. > :19:30.Officials are working with a roads operator to identify the problem and
:19:31. > :19:34.traffic management measures are now in place. The decision to close the
:19:35. > :19:37.southbound carriageway was not taken lightly because we understand the
:19:38. > :19:45.disruption to commuters that this will cause but it was taken for the
:19:46. > :19:48.right reasons, for safety reasons. Measures to reopen it partially will
:19:49. > :19:54.be taken as soon as it is safe to do so and I hope that the Shawlands is
:19:55. > :19:57.welcome in the chamber. And I would take the opportunity to thank the
:19:58. > :20:05.travelling public for the patients they are showing at the moment. Rob
:20:06. > :20:09.Gibson. What part Scotland can play in international mitigation of
:20:10. > :20:14.climate change? Scotland is supporting international efforts to
:20:15. > :20:18.secure an ambitious and legally binding climate treaty at the UN
:20:19. > :20:22.conference. Both I and the Environment Minister will be in
:20:23. > :20:27.Paris to promote the action that Scotland is taking, action which has
:20:28. > :20:32.been praised as, I quote, a shining example, by the head of the UN
:20:33. > :20:39.climate body. Scotland is three quarters of the way to achieving a
:20:40. > :20:43.world leading reductions target. We have delivered our target for
:20:44. > :20:47.community and locally ridley warbles five years early and we met our
:20:48. > :20:53.energy consumption targets seven years early. Also benefiting from
:20:54. > :20:56.45,000 low carbon jobs so I think Scotland is offer both a message and
:20:57. > :21:05.model for climate action that we will be proud to promote at these
:21:06. > :21:09.vital Paris talks. I thank the First Minister for that answer. This week
:21:10. > :21:12.the Herald described the record of the UK Government as particularly
:21:13. > :21:17.shameful with retrograde measures such as the ending of subsidies for
:21:18. > :21:21.onshore wind. Does the First Minister agree that climate justice
:21:22. > :21:25.must start at home and that climate justice must be a rallying point for
:21:26. > :21:29.all parties and all sections of the public to each act quickly to
:21:30. > :21:34.decrease our greenhouse gas emissions? But vitally, in terms of
:21:35. > :21:40.climate justice, to give onshore wind power development the top
:21:41. > :21:46.priority? I do agree with that. At home it is important that we take
:21:47. > :21:50.continued action if we are to achieve our emissions reductions.
:21:51. > :21:56.That is why we designated improving energy efficiency as a national
:21:57. > :21:58.infrastructure priority and Scotland has made significant process in
:21:59. > :22:01.renewable electricity with around half hour gross out of the
:22:02. > :22:06.conception now coming from renewables. We do share the
:22:07. > :22:12.renewables sector's and says that the damaging and premature concerns
:22:13. > :22:17.will hamper future progress. We talk about climate justice, it is
:22:18. > :22:21.important to concentrate on the contribution we can make to climate
:22:22. > :22:25.justice around the world and that is why I am proud that Scotland is
:22:26. > :22:30.showing the way by putting people and human rights at the heart of our
:22:31. > :22:35.action on climate change. We supported 11 projects through our
:22:36. > :22:40.climate Justice fund in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia, which helps
:22:41. > :22:46.some of the world's poorest and most burnable people. Both at home and
:22:47. > :22:55.overseas, I think Scotland should be... -- most vulnerable people.
:22:56. > :23:01.What will the impact on Scotland B of the recent defence review?
:23:02. > :23:04.Scotland has been disproportionately hit by previous Strategic Defence
:23:05. > :23:09.Review is which resulted in the closure of bases and the creation of
:23:10. > :23:12.major capability gaps. I wrote to the Prime Minister this week seeking
:23:13. > :23:20.assurances for Scotland about the latest review. While we welcome
:23:21. > :23:24.plans to locate nine Kraft here, we understand that previous commitments
:23:25. > :23:30.have never materialised. The report creates more uncertainty for
:23:31. > :23:34.shipbuilders on the Clyde. Overall, the review does little to reverse
:23:35. > :23:40.the disproportionate decline in Scotland's defence footprint over
:23:41. > :23:45.more than a decade and most indefensibly it proposes wasting an
:23:46. > :23:49.estimated ?167 billion on Trident at a time when people are being so hard
:23:50. > :23:54.hit by the Treasury's damaging austerity cuts. I gather from that
:23:55. > :23:56.response is the First Minister already she is my concerns about the
:23:57. > :24:03.balance of what the UK Government is up to. Does the First Minister feel
:24:04. > :24:06.there is any prospect at all that the UK Government might rebalance to
:24:07. > :24:15.conventional forces which might protect this rather than preserving
:24:16. > :24:19.a sacred cow called Trident? In this train the -- chamber, Trident is
:24:20. > :24:23.only supported by the Conservatives and Jackie Baillie, an unholy
:24:24. > :24:30.alliance if ever we saw one. I do share the concerns that... Order! I
:24:31. > :24:35.think it is important that we see a balanced defence. The National
:24:36. > :24:39.Security strategy which accompanied the defence review's range of
:24:40. > :24:43.threats, all of which we should take very seriously, but not one of these
:24:44. > :24:48.threats is Trident a sensible answer. Instead of investing in
:24:49. > :24:50.Trident, we should be in Courage under UK Government to make show we
:24:51. > :25:00.have the right conventional forces in place. I am glad, Presiding
:25:01. > :25:06.Officer, the First Minister acknowledges the loss of the base as
:25:07. > :25:10.a consequence and given her opening remarks this morning, does she also
:25:11. > :25:15.welcome that the review underlines the UK Government's commitment to
:25:16. > :25:19.spending to % of the UK's GDP on meeting our commitments and on
:25:20. > :25:25.making sure our forces remain some of the best in the world? We have
:25:26. > :25:28.seen disproportionate cuts to our conventional defences in Scotland
:25:29. > :25:32.and while I welcome anything that secures the future of Lossiemouth,
:25:33. > :25:37.it is important to point out that the only reason there has been any
:25:38. > :25:44.threat is due to decisions taken or proposed by the UK Government. We do
:25:45. > :25:49.face, and this day is a very timely reminder of this, we face a range of
:25:50. > :25:52.threats, Presiding Officer, which is why I think it is right that we
:25:53. > :25:58.continue to argue for conventional defence forces with the right
:25:59. > :26:01.capabilities and to oppose spending so much money on nuclear weapons
:26:02. > :26:10.that do not provide a defence to any of the threats we face as a country.
:26:11. > :26:14.To ask the First Minister about the Scottish Government, whether it has
:26:15. > :26:19.requested an extension of the 45 day course alteration period for Tata
:26:20. > :26:23.Steel plans? We have discussed the length of the consultation period
:26:24. > :26:27.with both the company and workforce representatives. The minimum
:26:28. > :26:30.statutory period is due to end tomorrow but consultation is still
:26:31. > :26:35.ongoing and that is primarily a matter for the company and the
:26:36. > :26:40.unions. The focus of our activity remains very firmly on securing an
:26:41. > :26:47.alternative commercial operator for DL and flybridge and he will know
:26:48. > :26:50.that Tata Steel has confirmed that there are serious parties
:26:51. > :26:54.potentially interested in the plants. This is encouraging and we
:26:55. > :26:58.continue to do everything we can to assist that process. I'm sure
:26:59. > :27:03.everybody across the chamber will recognise there are no quick fixes
:27:04. > :27:08.here. There are certainly no easy fixes. But with the workforce, the
:27:09. > :27:15.unions and others, we are working tirelessly in however it is to keep
:27:16. > :27:19.these plants open. Clearly, workers are very stressed and worried about
:27:20. > :27:23.their future. Does the First Minister agree that we have the
:27:24. > :27:27.potential to create a centre of excellence for steelwork in
:27:28. > :27:32.Scotland? And can she reassure me that in the quest to a cheap that,
:27:33. > :27:36.leaving no stone unturned, that the Scottish Government is prepared to
:27:37. > :27:40.provide support for any transitional period, leading to a buyer taking
:27:41. > :27:46.over or public ownership that may be necessary to see the deal -- jobs,
:27:47. > :27:53.which I trust the Scottish Government values? I think the
:27:54. > :27:58.member knows how highly from we value the jobs and the continuation
:27:59. > :28:02.of the steel industry in Scotland. I very much agreed that there is a
:28:03. > :28:06.real opportunity to create a centre of excellence in the steel industry
:28:07. > :28:11.in Scotland. When I say we will leave no stone unturned, I mean
:28:12. > :28:14.exactly that. If there is any viable option that will secure the future
:28:15. > :28:19.of these, the Government will explore taking that forward. The
:28:20. > :28:23.Government has been, suggestions made at the task was about support
:28:24. > :28:27.that could be provided in a transitional period and the Scottish
:28:28. > :28:32.Government is exploring all of these options, but I would like to repeat
:28:33. > :28:36.what I said in my initial answer, we do have serious parties that are
:28:37. > :28:40.expressing potential interest in the plants. I think it is therefore
:28:41. > :28:45.appropriate and right that we concentrate on doing everything we
:28:46. > :28:49.can to see one of those expressions of interest turned into something
:28:50. > :28:51.real and viable and that, at the moment, is where the Scottish
:28:52. > :28:56.Government will continue to expand our energy. Is the First Minister
:28:57. > :29:04.able to give an update on the work being done to reduce fuel costs at
:29:05. > :29:07.the Tata plans? We have been working very intensively to create the best
:29:08. > :29:11.business environment for any new operator that might be prepared to
:29:12. > :29:15.take on the site. As a result of work that was commissioned by the
:29:16. > :29:18.Business Minister, we know now that energy costs at the site could be
:29:19. > :29:22.cut significantly and there is potential for renewable energy
:29:23. > :29:25.generation from the plants and we also continue to maintain pressure
:29:26. > :29:30.on the European Commission to exaggerate state aid clearance for
:29:31. > :29:37.the energy intensive package and to do that before Christmas. On
:29:38. > :29:41.business rates, we agreed that the assessor will take on the steel
:29:42. > :29:46.industry for the next re-evaluation where we are open to options of
:29:47. > :29:50.reducing the options as long as they comply with state aid rules. As well
:29:51. > :29:54.as doing everything we can to secure commercial operator for these
:29:55. > :29:57.plants, we will continue to do everything we can to reduce the
:29:58. > :30:04.running costs, which make these plans even more attractive to any
:30:05. > :30:11.commercial operator. Question six. To ask the First Minister what the
:30:12. > :30:20.Scottish Government is doing to reduce health care... We have a
:30:21. > :30:24.range of public health policies on tobacco, alcohol, diet, for
:30:25. > :30:28.example, to improve health and close the quality gap. One of the ways the
:30:29. > :30:35.Scottish Government is tackling health inequalities is by informing
:30:36. > :30:40.the GPs contract to give them more time and particularly in areas where
:30:41. > :30:43.patients face the greatest inequalities and health issues.
:30:44. > :30:47.Further changes will be made to the 20 something contract, including
:30:48. > :30:50.reviewing the allocation formula, and this will ensure GPs surgeries
:30:51. > :30:57.in the areas of most need will receive funding. I thank the First
:30:58. > :31:02.Minister for her response. She mentioned GB funding, earlier this
:31:03. > :31:08.week a report by Professor Graham Watt highlighted that GPs are the
:31:09. > :31:12.most the cries -- deprived areas in the countries receive less than
:31:13. > :31:18.those in well off areas. Scotland has the worst wealth inequalities in
:31:19. > :31:27.Western Europe and this is one of the reasons behind it. What can the
:31:28. > :31:32.Scottish Government do more than it is currently doing to combat these
:31:33. > :31:36.inequalities? Firstly, I welcome Professor Watt's findings and we
:31:37. > :31:40.will take them fully into account in delivering a new GP contract for
:31:41. > :31:47.2017 and a company in revised allocation formula. Professor Watt
:31:48. > :31:52.examine data from 2011-12. I have looked at the recent data for GP
:31:53. > :31:58.payments for 2014-15 and what they show is that the most deprived
:31:59. > :32:03.practices received on average 79 65 more per patient than practices in
:32:04. > :32:07.the most affluent areas in 2014-15, so I hope that is a sign of some
:32:08. > :32:14.progress in the direction he wants is to go in. The allegations former
:32:15. > :32:18.has been in place since 2004. It has undergone some revisions and changes
:32:19. > :32:23.since then but the new GP contract, which will take effect in 2017,
:32:24. > :32:27.gives us a good opportunity to revise that allegations former to
:32:28. > :32:30.make sure it is reflecting the various need of GPs practices in
:32:31. > :32:33.different local communities and I look forward to having the support
:32:34. > :32:39.of the chamber as we seek to do that. Does the First Minister agree
:32:40. > :32:43.that over and above fundamental action is necessary to support
:32:44. > :32:47.targeted action with the most vulnerable individuals and the most
:32:48. > :32:50.disadvantaged communities initiative such as the Royal College of Nursing
:32:51. > :32:55.innovative nursing at the edge initiative which will actually be
:32:56. > :33:02.featured in a cross-party group on mental health in five minutes' time.
:33:03. > :33:05.I better make take too long and swing that I will make you late for
:33:06. > :33:11.the meeting but I do agree with that and send my best wishes to the
:33:12. > :33:15.meeting and support the work he has referred to. But I do agree with
:33:16. > :33:19.that and I would also refer him to the support that we showed to the
:33:20. > :33:23.defender GP practices which are very much about recognising the
:33:24. > :33:26.particular needs in our most deprived communities and we have got
:33:27. > :33:31.to make sure that as well as raising the health outcomes of our country,
:33:32. > :33:35.generally, we are taking the action that will close the gap as well.
:33:36. > :33:43.Thank you. That ends First Minister's Questions.
:33:44. > :33:46.Democratic exchanges on health, on industry, on climate change.
:33:47. > :33:51.Democracy operating in the context of conflict, to which there was a
:33:52. > :33:53.reference at the very beginning. I will hand you over to the daily
:33:54. > :34:02.politics. and one of the chance was, what do
:34:03. > :34:04.we want? Peace. When do we want it?