:00:22. > :00:27.Hello and welcome to the Scottish parliament in Holyrood. Its
:00:28. > :00:33.questions to the First Minister, what might come Timea's: election
:00:34. > :00:40.might feature. In some way. And also the conversation that Sturgeon had
:00:41. > :00:49.with Kezia Dugdale after the EU referendum suggesting that may be
:00:50. > :00:56.moving towards the idea of a second referendum. Kezia Dugdale says that
:00:57. > :00:58.is not true. It's election time and they are allowed to make these
:00:59. > :01:08.remarks. That's crossed to the chamber. What engagements do you
:01:09. > :01:12.have for the rest of the day? This is my first chance since the London
:01:13. > :01:16.attack to report my horror at what happened and my sympathies to those
:01:17. > :01:23.affected. My thoughts and behold chamber's are with those who lost
:01:24. > :01:29.their loved ones. Later today, I will take forward the government's
:01:30. > :01:42.programme. One. I'd like to associate myself and my party with
:01:43. > :01:46.the comments, Fort London victims. I'd like to ask why private
:01:47. > :01:50.conversations should not stay private? I do believe that. But the
:01:51. > :01:57.conversation that Ruth Davidson is alluding to was taken from the
:01:58. > :02:05.private sphere into the public sphere, not by me but by the Kezia
:02:06. > :02:09.Dugdale. But the fact of this conversation and a very selective
:02:10. > :02:12.account of the content of that was first put into the public domain on
:02:13. > :02:26.23rd of February in the times. with show Kezia Dugdale had talks
:02:27. > :02:36.with the First Minister. That gave me the ability to talk about that.
:02:37. > :02:42.The part that Kezia did not refer to was that I stand by that 100%. But
:02:43. > :02:46.let me get to the matter. All of the opposition parties in this chamber
:02:47. > :02:59.have tried to use the issue of an independence referendum in this
:03:00. > :03:02.election. As a smoke screen. In the Torres' case, it's because they
:03:03. > :03:10.don't want to talk about that toxic policies. Toxic policies like the
:03:11. > :03:16.rape clause, that made Ruth Davidson squirm last night. And policies like
:03:17. > :03:20.austerity cuts and extreme Brexit, and removing the rights of
:03:21. > :03:26.pensioners. The key question tomorrow is how to stop the Tories
:03:27. > :03:34.getting a stronger hand to do more damage to Scotland. Let's make sure
:03:35. > :03:41.we don't boost Theresa May's majority, and sent SNP MPs to stand
:03:42. > :03:46.up for Scotland. She's rolling back today but everyone now knows, don't
:03:47. > :03:49.have a private chat today with this First Minister because if it suits
:03:50. > :03:55.their purposes, everyone will hear about it. But we are still left with
:03:56. > :03:59.the big question. The First Minister says Kezia Dugdale told her she
:04:00. > :04:06.would drop Labour's opposition to an independence referendum. And Dugdale
:04:07. > :04:10.says it's a pack of lies. So which is it? First Minister, just be
:04:11. > :04:20.careful the use of parliamentary language. First Minister. People
:04:21. > :04:25.should think twice about court talking to Ruth Davidson because of
:04:26. > :04:29.the her Twitter account is go by, it she recorded for later. I noticed
:04:30. > :04:41.that tweet was hastily deleted. Overnight. I stand by 100% what I
:04:42. > :04:44.said last night. If anybody reads what Labour and Kezia Dugdale were
:04:45. > :04:51.saying in public around that time, they will see the ring of truth
:04:52. > :04:55.about it. Labour themselves were saying that all options including an
:04:56. > :05:01.independence referendum, were under consideration. That is the reality.
:05:02. > :05:08.It is on the record. There's an article on Labour's website today
:05:09. > :05:13.confirming that. But of course, this comes back to the heart of the
:05:14. > :05:21.matter. All of the other parties in this chamber wants to avoid the real
:05:22. > :05:24.issue in this election tomorrow. The real issue is this: the only way in
:05:25. > :05:31.Scotland to stop the Tories tightening their grip and getting a
:05:32. > :05:36.bigger majority... Is to vote SNP. Labour is not strong enough to take
:05:37. > :05:40.on the Tories any more. It's not that long ago that Kezia Dugdale
:05:41. > :05:44.seem to be advising people in Scotland to vote Tory in the
:05:45. > :05:49.election. If you want to take on the Tories tomorrow, if you want to make
:05:50. > :05:55.sure Scotland has strong voices in the House of Commons 's standing
:05:56. > :05:55.against austerity and standing up. Winston
:05:56. > :06:07.Vote SNP tomorrow. We don't need her to tell us what we already know
:06:08. > :06:11.which is that the Labour Party won't stand up to the SNP. It's not that
:06:12. > :06:19.Kezia Dugdale because Corbyn is worth. He says it's fine to have a
:06:20. > :06:25.referendum. The First Minister has dragged Kezia Dugdale to the ground.
:06:26. > :06:30.How would she have a strong the success with Corbyn? Are focused
:06:31. > :06:38.today and tomorrow is persuade as many people across from Scotland as
:06:39. > :06:43.I can. The only way to stop Theresa May, on the ropes in the selection,
:06:44. > :06:48.getting a bigger majority is making sure we don't present Tory MPs to
:06:49. > :06:53.boost the majority and strengthen our hand. Tomorrow, let's send SNP
:06:54. > :06:59.MPs to the House of Commons to stand up for Scotland and make our voice
:07:00. > :07:04.heard. The last 24 hours have set out to the choice that people chase
:07:05. > :07:08.at -- face at the polls. But the SNP, it's back to a divisive
:07:09. > :07:12.referendum for independent. With Labour, if I'm not sure, I'll phone
:07:13. > :07:17.a friend and see what you think. Is with us, it's clear. No second
:07:18. > :07:20.referendum: no more uncertainty, no division across our country, I've
:07:21. > :07:28.listened to people across Scotland and they don't want a referendum.
:07:29. > :07:35.Says a pity's sake, let it go. -- so for pity's sake. At last, something
:07:36. > :07:43.we agree about. The last 24 hours have set up clearly something the
:07:44. > :07:48.choice for Scotland. We are voting for the MPs to go to the House of
:07:49. > :07:52.Commons to vote for policies like the rape clause, benefit cuts, more
:07:53. > :07:56.austerity cuts, MPs that will vote for the dementia tax, boat to take
:07:57. > :08:03.away the winter fuel allowance, vote to take away the pension triple
:08:04. > :08:10.lock. That is what people will get every cent Tory MPs to Westminster.
:08:11. > :08:14.On the other hand, if we send strong SNP voices to Westminster, we get
:08:15. > :08:22.MPs who will stand against austerity, stand up for pensioners,
:08:23. > :08:26.stand up for more -- stand against more cuts punishing poorest people
:08:27. > :08:37.in our society. The only way to do this is to vote SNP tomorrow. The
:08:38. > :08:41.question to Kezia Dugdale. Can I offer the thoughts of these benches
:08:42. > :08:45.to the families affected by the atrocious attacks in London and
:08:46. > :08:52.First Minister what she has plans for the week. Setting up the
:08:53. > :08:57.approach. One. If the last 24 hour show us anything, it's that this
:08:58. > :08:59.First Minister will say anything to reflect from the annus killing motor
:09:00. > :09:09.-- deflects from the SNP's record. But she people want to focus on the
:09:10. > :09:24.day job. I know what she said in this
:09:25. > :09:26.conversation and so does she. I'm standing here in the chamber of the
:09:27. > :09:32.Scottish parliament and I am certain of what was said. And there was
:09:33. > :09:37.nothing wrong whatsoever with Kezia Dugdale having changed her mind
:09:38. > :09:41.since then. But what is wrong is Kezia Dugdale having heard that
:09:42. > :09:49.views, to suggest that people who still hold that view somehow
:09:50. > :09:57.something unthinkable. That is, something that is not legitimate. On
:09:58. > :10:04.the issue... Order. On the issue of staff in our NHS... There are today,
:10:05. > :10:09.12,000 more people working in our national health service than when
:10:10. > :10:12.this government took office. We have more nurses, doctors, allied health
:10:13. > :10:17.professionals in our health services than ever before. We have more per
:10:18. > :10:22.head of population than any other part of the UK. And that is because
:10:23. > :10:26.this government is investing in our health service and doing so to a
:10:27. > :10:36.much greater extent than Labour would be if they were in office. So
:10:37. > :10:40.there aren't enough nurses in the health service?. The latest live
:10:41. > :10:44.from the Prime Minister. Mr Dale, you cannot use per Parliamentary
:10:45. > :10:54.language you cannot use parliamentary
:10:55. > :11:00.language of love. The pointer is to be courteous and not impugn members'
:11:01. > :11:06.character in that way. There is a disagreement about accuracy but do
:11:07. > :11:10.not discuss character like this in the chamber. It was of course this
:11:11. > :11:18.First Minister that took the decision to slash numbers for
:11:19. > :11:22.midwives. That's why we have a shortage of nurses and midwives in
:11:23. > :11:25.Scotland. And that has severe consequences for the care that
:11:26. > :11:30.patients receive. We know from the figures released this week, that
:11:31. > :11:34.almost 500 operations were cancelled because of pressures on NHS
:11:35. > :11:39.resources. That is hundreds of people who did not get the treatment
:11:40. > :11:42.they needed because the SNP's priorities are all wrong. Does the
:11:43. > :11:52.First Minister regret not spending enough time on her day job? In
:11:53. > :11:56.January of this year, we announced a 4.7% increase in intakes to
:11:57. > :12:03.preregistration nursing and midwifery programmes. That is an
:12:04. > :12:09.extra 151 places. The fifth successive rise which equates to
:12:10. > :12:15.3360 entry places. And under this government, there have been an
:12:16. > :12:20.average of 1000 more nurses in training each year compared to the
:12:21. > :12:26.previous administration. But as the record of this government when it
:12:27. > :12:29.comes to nurse training. In terms of cancelled operations, there is
:12:30. > :12:35.always a small number of operations cancelled. But can be for a variety
:12:36. > :12:38.of different reasons. But the overwhelming, vast majority of
:12:39. > :12:42.operations in our health service go ahead as scheduled. That is down to
:12:43. > :12:49.the fantastic work number of doctors and nurses and everyone working our
:12:50. > :12:55.NHS. Yet more fake news from the First Minister. Here is the reality.
:12:56. > :13:00.Missed any targets, operations cancelled because of pressure on
:13:01. > :13:04.staff and resources. And thousands of patients trapped in hospitals
:13:05. > :13:10.when they are fit to go home. That should shame the First Minister but
:13:11. > :13:15.nothing does. Tomorrow, we can kick the Tories out of office and get a
:13:16. > :13:19.Labour government, that will work night and day to invest in our
:13:20. > :13:24.schools and hospitals. Delivering a real living wage of ?10 per hour. At
:13:25. > :13:31.a government that will deliver ?3 million more for public services.
:13:32. > :13:36.But the only way to get a Labour government tomorrow is to vote
:13:37. > :13:41.Labour. First Minister. Here we have another flip-flop from Kezia
:13:42. > :13:46.Dugdale. It's not that long ago she was telling us that Jeremy Corbyn
:13:47. > :13:51.was completely unelectable, now she is blowing with the wind all over
:13:52. > :13:57.again. The problem for Kezia Dugdale and Labour is this: they have spent
:13:58. > :14:03.all of their time in this campaign attacking the SNP and letting the
:14:04. > :14:07.Tories completely off the hook. Kezia Dugdale even did suggest a
:14:08. > :14:12.couple of weeks ago that there were parts of Scotland where people
:14:13. > :14:18.should actually vote Tory. That is what she said. The reality is a vote
:14:19. > :14:23.for Labour tomorrow, I vote for the party that was beaten into third
:14:24. > :14:27.place last year, risks letting a Tory MP in the back door. The only
:14:28. > :14:32.party in Scotland that has got the strength to take on the Tories is
:14:33. > :14:39.the SNP. If you want rid of the Tories in Scotland, if you want MPs
:14:40. > :14:45.elected that actually agree with Jeremy Mort Corbyn on a more issues
:14:46. > :14:53.than Kezia Dugdale does, then vote for the SNP tomorrow. Thank you. To
:14:54. > :15:01.ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet? Tuesday. May
:15:02. > :15:05.I first share the reflections of other members on the tragic events
:15:06. > :15:08.in London, the shock and dismay that we felt and our condolences to those
:15:09. > :15:12.affected. I'm sure the First Minister will also want to join me
:15:13. > :15:16.in condemning the US president for his opportunistic attack on the
:15:17. > :15:24.London mayor, when Londoners were still coming to terms with what
:15:25. > :15:28.happened. However, the democratic process does not stop. In these
:15:29. > :15:32.closing stages of an election campaign, there is more at stake
:15:33. > :15:37.than who said what to whom a year ago. There are critically important
:15:38. > :15:43.choices facing society and economy. The Greens have long argued for
:15:44. > :15:46.investment in the new, sustainable injuries are other industries
:15:47. > :15:55.providing jobs for the long term in a post-oil economy, instead of
:15:56. > :15:59.throwing taxes and -- subsidies at the oil industry. But she says her
:16:00. > :16:04.primary aim is to maximise extraction of fossil fuels. Even one
:16:05. > :16:08.of the newspapers endorsing SNP states today that our industrial
:16:09. > :16:13.base has been exposed as too heavily reliant on oil, so far nothing has
:16:14. > :16:17.been done to replace that. How can the First Minister defend continued
:16:18. > :16:21.subsidies and tax breaks to the biggest polluters on the planet?
:16:22. > :16:27.Can I say that I share Patrick Harvie's view of the comments of
:16:28. > :16:31.President Trump about the Mayor of London, Siddique Khan. I think we
:16:32. > :16:36.should all deprecate those comments at a time when the mayor 's city had
:16:37. > :16:41.just been the victim of a horrific terrorist attack. The least he
:16:42. > :16:47.should have been able to expect was complete support and loyalty from a
:16:48. > :16:53.country that is a long-standing ally of this country. On your question, I
:16:54. > :16:56.do not think these things are either or. The importance of the gas sector
:16:57. > :17:01.to our economy and the provision of our energy needs are such that we
:17:02. > :17:05.have an obligation to support it. I spoke yesterday at a UK and gas
:17:06. > :17:08.conference in Aberdeen about the importance of that sector and the
:17:09. > :17:13.work of this government is doing to make sure that we help it recover
:17:14. > :17:17.and have that bright future that I certainly think that it does. We
:17:18. > :17:20.also were speaking about the ability of the skills that have been
:17:21. > :17:25.developed in oil and gas to be transferred into other areas of our
:17:26. > :17:29.energy sector, renewable energy in particular. There is a great
:17:30. > :17:34.opportunity there. This government has a very good record when it comes
:17:35. > :17:37.to renewable energy. And when it comes to meeting climate change
:17:38. > :17:41.targets. We have some of the most ambitious targets in the world, we
:17:42. > :17:47.met them years ahead of schedule, we are already generating more than 50%
:17:48. > :17:49.of our energy electricity used to renewable energy. We continue to
:17:50. > :17:55.invest in renewable energy to make sure we are making the transition to
:17:56. > :18:01.a low or no carbon economy. That, as Patrick Harvie is aware, is a keeper
:18:02. > :18:06.of this government. There is certainly an urgent need to
:18:07. > :18:10.transition into new industries as well as to maximise the
:18:11. > :18:15.opportunities from a decommissioning. But there is
:18:16. > :18:18.absolutely a contradiction between maximising extraction and those
:18:19. > :18:22.climate change commitments that the First Minister speaks the First
:18:23. > :18:26.Minister has already condemned Donald Trump 's Mac decision to
:18:27. > :18:31.withdraw the US from the Paris agreement, but if that agreement is
:18:32. > :18:37.ever to be more than just a piece of paper, it's vital that it requires
:18:38. > :18:42.greater action from all countries. It's undeniable that the world has
:18:43. > :18:46.far more oil, coal and gas than we can afford to burn. The First
:18:47. > :18:49.Minister 's former climate change Minister agreed, excepting that at
:18:50. > :18:55.least a proportion of what is still in the North Sea must be left there.
:18:56. > :18:59.Is it not clear that only green voices are challenging the policy
:19:00. > :19:03.that unites the SNP with all three political parties which have played
:19:04. > :19:11.a role in the UK Government, that policy of maximum oil and gas
:19:12. > :19:15.extraction? Is it undeniable that that commitment, that policy, is
:19:16. > :19:19.incompatible with any meaningful commitment to the Paris agreement?
:19:20. > :19:22.How much of the North Sea's fossil fuels does the First Minister
:19:23. > :19:26.believe must be left on burnt if we are to make a fair contribution to
:19:27. > :19:34.that Paris goal of limiting climate change to 1.5 degrees? On some of
:19:35. > :19:39.this, not on all but some, Patrick Harvie and I must have do agree to
:19:40. > :19:41.disagree. I do not believe there is that incompatibility. I think the
:19:42. > :19:45.importance of the oil and gas sector to our economy and the development
:19:46. > :19:55.of skills that are important in terms of developing renewable energy
:19:56. > :20:01.are important. Of course, as a result of advances in technology,
:20:02. > :20:05.many of which are being developed in Scotland, there are new and
:20:06. > :20:09.innovative ways of using hydrocarbons that are emerging.
:20:10. > :20:16.Offering that continued opportunity. We are seeing new technologies like
:20:17. > :20:19.hydrogen, new technologies like carbon capture and storage, I think
:20:20. > :20:25.it is right that Scotland continues to seek to be a world leader in all
:20:26. > :20:30.of these different areas of our energy sector. I will come back to
:20:31. > :20:33.the central point here in terms of the Paris climate agreements, and I
:20:34. > :20:38.bitterly regret the decision of President Trump to take America out
:20:39. > :20:41.of that agreement. We are meeting our climate change targets, we are
:20:42. > :20:45.meeting the targets we have set in terms of renewable energy and we are
:20:46. > :20:48.going further in setting even more ambitious targets. We are leading
:20:49. > :20:55.the world when it comes to discharging our obligations to the
:20:56. > :20:58.planet as well. Willie Rennie. To ask the First Minister which issues
:20:59. > :21:01.will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet. Matters of
:21:02. > :21:06.importance to the people of Scotland. Can I share the sentiments
:21:07. > :21:11.about the others expressed about the London attacks. My thoughts are with
:21:12. > :21:16.families and friends of the victims of those attacks. Yesterday the NHS
:21:17. > :21:20.report on mental health services for young people was appalling. I
:21:21. > :21:24.thought I had got the First Minister on board the taking strong action to
:21:25. > :21:30.sort that. I asked her time and again about this. I have heard warm
:21:31. > :21:35.words before as well. But the latest figures show that more young people
:21:36. > :21:40.are waiting for treatment. They are waiting for longer, as well. Why are
:21:41. > :21:48.things worse this year than last year? I don't think that's the case.
:21:49. > :21:53.I know we have an election tomorrow, but I still hope that after this
:21:54. > :21:56.election, we can have some consensus around the issue of mental health.
:21:57. > :22:01.If we take the statistics that were published yesterday around
:22:02. > :22:05.children's and adolescent mental health services, we saw some
:22:06. > :22:11.improvement in terms of waiting times. We also saw that ten of the
:22:12. > :22:17.14 health boards across Scotland are meeting in the 18 week standard,
:22:18. > :22:21.which is up from only seven in the last quarter. Yes, there were a
:22:22. > :22:27.number of young people beating over a year for treatment, which is
:22:28. > :22:35.unacceptable. 74 people at one point, 7%. Again, that is down. In
:22:36. > :22:39.the final quarter of 2016. We have, like many other countries do, have
:22:40. > :22:43.challenges to address in terms of meeting the demand for mental
:22:44. > :22:47.health. Because of investments we are making and because of mental
:22:48. > :22:49.health strategy we are pursuing, we are seeing progress and we are
:22:50. > :22:54.determined to continue to make progress. I cant all be First
:22:55. > :22:58.Minister that it will never be a consensus in this Parliament as long
:22:59. > :23:00.as this government continues to fail on mental health. The fact that year
:23:01. > :23:04.on mental health. The fact that year-on-year, fewer people, fewer
:23:05. > :23:10.young people, are treated this year than last year. Those people had to
:23:11. > :23:14.wait longer, waiting times are up. Health boards are missing their
:23:15. > :23:19.targets. In fact, it's worse. The targets have never ever been met.
:23:20. > :23:23.For adults, the performance for psychological therapies is worse
:23:24. > :23:29.this year than it ever has been before. This is why ordinary people
:23:30. > :23:32.are now prepared to stand up, and we have seen throughout the election
:23:33. > :23:36.campaign, prepared to stand up and tell the First Minister when she is
:23:37. > :23:40.getting it wrong. And our government is failing. I've been asking about
:23:41. > :23:46.mental health pretty much every week for three years. The First Minister
:23:47. > :23:50.will say she has this brand-new strategy. What she would tell you is
:23:51. > :23:57.that it was delayed for 15 months. Will she guaranteed that things will
:23:58. > :24:03.be better than this next year? Can she guaranteed that? We are seeing
:24:04. > :24:07.improvements and we intend to continue to see improvements. We are
:24:08. > :24:13.seeing more investment, more people working. The overall workforce has
:24:14. > :24:16.increased by 65% over the last number of years, we have seen
:24:17. > :24:22.nursing posts increase, ex-significant increase significant
:24:23. > :24:26.investments in mental health generally and mental health
:24:27. > :24:31.services. In terms of the stats Willie Rennie asked me about
:24:32. > :24:38.earlier, 83.6% were seen in 18 weeks. That is an increase in the
:24:39. > :24:43.previous quarter. 3621 scene within 18 weeks, 712 waiting longer than 18
:24:44. > :24:47.weeks. We are seeing improvements in these areas. But I recognise we have
:24:48. > :24:50.work to do, which is why we are investing more and why we are
:24:51. > :24:55.following the mental health strategy. We will continue to do so,
:24:56. > :25:01.so we can continue to see more progress over the next months and
:25:02. > :25:08.next year. A couple of supplementary is. The first from Ashton. To ask
:25:09. > :25:12.the First Minister Howard government has protected Scotland's budget in
:25:13. > :25:22.the face of Tory cuts. -- how her government. It's interesting that,
:25:23. > :25:30.of course, the other parties do not want to hear about this. We hear a
:25:31. > :25:34.lot rightly, from other parties, about public services. What people
:25:35. > :25:39.like Willie Rennie don't tell us is while his party was in government
:25:40. > :25:43.with the Tories for five years, the budget of this Parliament was cut by
:25:44. > :25:50.?2 billion. That is what Willie Rennie and his colleagues did to the
:25:51. > :25:54.budget of this Parliament. We have continued to protect what matters in
:25:55. > :25:57.Scotland, and that's why we have increased the health budget by ?3
:25:58. > :26:02.billion and will creep increase it even further over the life of this
:26:03. > :26:05.Parliament. We will continue to do what ever we can to protect the
:26:06. > :26:12.budget of this Parliament and our vital public services. Mark Lennon.
:26:13. > :26:19.First Minister, you will recall that on the 19th of May, strike action by
:26:20. > :26:23.further education was suspended to allow negotiations to continue. This
:26:24. > :26:29.came after college of Scotland agreed to implement phase one of the
:26:30. > :26:33.March 26 agreements. Lecturers have not received their agreed pay rise,
:26:34. > :26:36.and it may be the end of August before it reaches their bank
:26:37. > :26:40.accounts. They feel betrayed and threats of further strike action are
:26:41. > :26:46.urging. This is not what was agreed just a matter of weeks ago when John
:26:47. > :26:51.Swinney intervened personally and asked them to call off the strike.
:26:52. > :26:53.As the First Minister agree that further education lecturers
:26:54. > :26:58.suspended the strike in good faith and should be paid exactly what was
:26:59. > :27:01.agreed without further delay, and I raised with the First Minister back
:27:02. > :27:05.in April, she rightly said the employer should go the extra mile.
:27:06. > :27:10.Will she say whether she believes they have gone the distance, and why
:27:11. > :27:17.does this failing despite the appointment of a facilitator? I was
:27:18. > :27:21.very pleased that an agreement was struck that allowed strike action to
:27:22. > :27:25.be called off. That was in nobody 's interest, not in the interest of
:27:26. > :27:30.students or college lecturers who work so hard to deliver education
:27:31. > :27:34.for their students. That agreement was not easy to reach, and of course
:27:35. > :27:39.the government did intervene in the way that Monica Lennon has outlined.
:27:40. > :27:43.That agreement then was reached and I do expect now that agreement to be
:27:44. > :27:46.implemented. So we can make sure there is no further risk of strikes
:27:47. > :27:54.that would be damaging to students in our colleges. Gillian Martin.
:27:55. > :27:56.Does the First Minister see what progress her government is making in
:27:57. > :28:04.getting more young people into modern apprenticeships? We saw
:28:05. > :28:10.statistics this week showing that we have exceeded our modern average
:28:11. > :28:15.target of 26,000 the 2016 and 17. Employers are recognising the value
:28:16. > :28:18.of the opportunities brought by having their skills in our workforce
:28:19. > :28:23.and encouraging new talent. The latest figures show we are on track
:28:24. > :28:25.to reach our target of 30000 by 2020, and we are committed to
:28:26. > :28:33.enhancing the apprenticeship programme to respond to the needs of
:28:34. > :28:41.employers. Alex Rowley. I agree with the First Minister when she says
:28:42. > :28:44.talks about the party and Tory austerity devastate impact. The
:28:45. > :28:47.question people are asking is when is this government going to start to
:28:48. > :28:54.defend those communities. This year we saw a in costs to local public
:28:55. > :28:57.services. They are bursting at the seams, they cannot continue, will
:28:58. > :29:04.she defend public services moving forward? Alex Rowley is wrong, we
:29:05. > :29:09.have had this debate in the chambers so many times. There is an
:29:10. > :29:13.additional ?400 million of investment for local services this
:29:14. > :29:17.year, compared to last. That includes things like extra money for
:29:18. > :29:21.social care, and of course the hundred and ?20 million going direct
:29:22. > :29:24.to headteachers to help us close the attainment gap. Additionally, it is
:29:25. > :29:29.this government that is spending more than ?100 million every year,
:29:30. > :29:34.mitigating the impact of Tory welfare cuts like the bedroom tax.
:29:35. > :29:39.This government is continuing to do everything we can to support local
:29:40. > :29:44.services, but also to mitigate the impact of damaging Tory cuts. On the
:29:45. > :29:47.question of Tory cuts, it is the damage that Tory cuts do to
:29:48. > :29:51.communities across this country that makes it all the more astounding
:29:52. > :29:55.that so many Labour councillors, the length and breadth of this country,
:29:56. > :29:57.seems so keen to do deals with the Tories to get them into
:29:58. > :30:08.administration in different councils. Ivan McKee. Can I ask in
:30:09. > :30:12.the First Minister what the estimate is for the number of additional
:30:13. > :30:17.children who will be living in poverty by 2021? As there is a lot
:30:18. > :30:22.of Tory tax and welfare policies. -- as a result of Tory tax other
:30:23. > :30:33.policies. I do not think child poverty is funny. The Tories... The
:30:34. > :30:37.Tories are laughing. At a question about child poverty. Let me give the
:30:38. > :30:42.answer to this. This answer comes not from me on my officials but from
:30:43. > :30:50.the Institute for Fiscal Studies. As a result of Tory tax and benefit
:30:51. > :30:54.changes, by 2021, they estimate that an additional 1 million children
:30:55. > :30:58.across the UK will be living in poverty. That will take the total
:30:59. > :31:03.number of children living in poverty to more than 5 million. Equivalent
:31:04. > :31:08.to the entire population of Scotland. That is why we need strong
:31:09. > :31:12.voices in the House of Commons, standing against Tory cuts and
:31:13. > :31:19.standing against notorious assaults on the poorest in our society.
:31:20. > :31:27.With the number of planted questions, I think word gardeners'
:31:28. > :31:38.question time today. -- we are at gardeners' question Time. This week,
:31:39. > :31:42.a number of... A number of middle east countries cut links to Qatar
:31:43. > :31:46.because of its support to terrorism. For years, the Scottish Government
:31:47. > :31:50.has sought to develop business links to that country, sending the current
:31:51. > :31:55.Transport Secretary on a trip with Tory MP Sir Nicholas Soames to
:31:56. > :31:59.develop business links, asking them to invest in their sovereign wealth
:32:00. > :32:06.fund in Scottish schools, roads and infrastructure. In light of this
:32:07. > :32:10.recent developments, has the Scottish Government was revised its
:32:11. > :32:18.policy towards the Qatar limousine? It does not have in place any
:32:19. > :32:23.suppliers based on Qatar. We will always make the case for jobs and
:32:24. > :32:26.investment. We expect all countries to comply with international human
:32:27. > :32:30.rights law and will use an international engagement as an
:32:31. > :32:35.opportunity to promote promote understanding and respect of human
:32:36. > :32:41.rights. That will be the case with Qatar as with other countries across
:32:42. > :32:46.the world. To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will
:32:47. > :32:51.reaffirm its commitment to the top powers climate accord? It is fully
:32:52. > :32:54.committed to the Paris agreement. The need for international
:32:55. > :32:58.corporation is greater than ever. The decision by President Ron to
:32:59. > :33:05.withdraw the US from the agreement is short-sighted, irresponsible and
:33:06. > :33:08.downright wrong. -- president from. It presents challenges to countries
:33:09. > :33:13.but gives important opportunities to our economy and society, and it is
:33:14. > :33:20.vital for all countries to stay on course. The Scottish Government
:33:21. > :33:27.demonstrates our commitment to the Paris agreement over the next coming
:33:28. > :33:32.weeks. Angler Merkel, the German Chancellor and French President
:33:33. > :33:35.Emmanuel Macron have both expressed condemnation of the US withdrawal
:33:36. > :33:38.from the accord. Does the First Minister share my view that the UK
:33:39. > :33:42.Government should have been far more robust in its response and Theresa
:33:43. > :33:49.May should have shown leadership in this, but rather than lacking the
:33:50. > :33:54.backbone to stand up to trump? Like I'm sure many people across the
:33:55. > :33:58.chamber would like to have seen the Prime Minister on behalf of the UK
:33:59. > :34:03.signed the letter that France, Germany and Italy sent to President
:34:04. > :34:07.Trump, sometimes it does feel as of the Prime Minister is more concerned
:34:08. > :34:12.with not offending President trump then it is about doing the right
:34:13. > :34:17.thing for this country. That is the wrong approach. The Paris agreement
:34:18. > :34:21.was secured through long and difficult negotiations in 2015, it
:34:22. > :34:25.followed more than 20 years of international consensus building.
:34:26. > :34:28.The focus of all countries should be on implementation. That is certainly
:34:29. > :34:32.the focus that this government will have as we make our contribution to
:34:33. > :34:40.making sure the aims of the agreement are taking forward and
:34:41. > :34:44.fulfilled. As a society, we need to burn and landfill less resources.
:34:45. > :34:48.But the current draft climate change plan does not consider energy from
:34:49. > :34:53.waste. Perhaps this is because, according to their own figures, the
:34:54. > :35:00.Scottish Government are planning a 12 fold increase in installation
:35:01. > :35:05.over the next five years. Layered on top of this, councils might be
:35:06. > :35:10.contracted to burn and recycle the same waste. Clearly, that cannot
:35:11. > :35:15.happen. In the interests of the powers climate accord, will be First
:35:16. > :35:19.Minister agree with the Conservatives on a moratorium on new
:35:20. > :35:24.incinerator construction? Of course, the draft climate change plan is
:35:25. > :35:30.just that. It draft, it is consultation and contributions to be
:35:31. > :35:35.made. The Conservatives putting forward that motion, that will be
:35:36. > :35:41.given full consideration. Both are plan and strategy show ambition in
:35:42. > :35:44.this area, and they are therefore consultation so we can move forward
:35:45. > :35:49.to a position where we have maximum consensus as we move our country
:35:50. > :35:51.forward. The some very difficult things to meet ambitious climate
:35:52. > :35:54.change targets. We are doing the things that are right, not the full
:35:55. > :36:04.Scotland but the whole of the world. Ross Greer. States, may as, industry
:36:05. > :36:09.and the American public are other try rejecting Donald Trump's attempt
:36:10. > :36:13.to make the US payrolls: a rogue state. It
:36:14. > :36:20.He is tilting at windmills. The First Minister's US engagement
:36:21. > :36:22.strategy commits the Scottish Government to engage in a state and
:36:23. > :36:29.agencies on climate change in the US. What is being done to make this
:36:30. > :36:33.commitment in the light of Donald Trump's announcement? A few weeks
:36:34. > :36:37.ago I met with the government of California to commit Scotland and
:36:38. > :36:41.the state of California to work together on issues like climate
:36:42. > :36:44.change. We will continue to explore these opportunities to do likewise
:36:45. > :36:49.with other American States. I disagree strongly with the decision
:36:50. > :36:53.President Trump took on the Paris agreement, one thing that I think is
:36:54. > :36:57.important to stress is, because of the way the United States is
:36:58. > :37:01.governed, much of the responsibility for taking forward initiatives that
:37:02. > :37:05.are about tackling climate change, lie in the responsibility of the
:37:06. > :37:10.states. I think states and cities in America have a big role to play.
:37:11. > :37:15.Scotland, the UK as a whole if it chooses to, and other countries, can
:37:16. > :37:21.have a contribution to work with states and cities to take this
:37:22. > :37:24.forward. Scotland is active in working with both the US and the
:37:25. > :37:28.world. With regions and cities to make sure that we make a full
:37:29. > :37:33.contribution and will continue to. How does the First Minister of the
:37:34. > :37:42.support from Paris agreement match with the introduction of a new air
:37:43. > :37:46.departure tax Bill which will reduce charges by 50%? Increase carbon
:37:47. > :37:52.emissions, and result in reductions to the Scottish Government budget of
:37:53. > :37:59.millions of pounds could James Kelly is aware that the committee climate
:38:00. > :38:04.change looked specifically at this. The committee said, which the
:38:05. > :38:07.government accepts, that if we do anything in this policy area or
:38:08. > :38:11.anything else that has an adverse effect on emissions, then we have a
:38:12. > :38:16.corresponding responsibility to make sure that we compensate for that in
:38:17. > :38:19.other ways. That is factored in to our thinking and planning around
:38:20. > :38:26.climate change. We will continue to take the decisions, growing our
:38:27. > :38:29.economy, with all of us accept as important, supporting business to
:38:30. > :38:33.generate the economic activity and the wealth we need to support our
:38:34. > :38:37.public services, making sure we do the right things for our environment
:38:38. > :38:43.and tackling climate change. We will continue to operate in that way.
:38:44. > :38:47.What is the Scottish Government was in the response to reports more in
:38:48. > :38:53.one in four GP practices have a vacancy? We have increased GP
:38:54. > :38:57.recruitment and retention funding to from one to ?5 million as part of an
:38:58. > :39:01.investment package in support of General practice. We have also
:39:02. > :39:05.increased GP training places and doubled the number of ?20,000
:39:06. > :39:11.bursaries for hard to fill training post. Recruitment is challenging for
:39:12. > :39:18.GPs but it is welcome that the vacancy survey shows it is reduced
:39:19. > :39:22.by 2% in the last year. The BMA have also commented that every unfilled
:39:23. > :39:26.vacancy puts more and more strain on remaining GPs who struggle to cover
:39:27. > :39:29.the gaps in their practice while also coping with increased demands
:39:30. > :39:33.on their services. Does the First Minister agree with that assessment,
:39:34. > :39:37.given starting today is affected by recruitment and training decision
:39:38. > :39:39.taken several years ago, does he take personal responsibility for a
:39:40. > :39:51.crisis in workforce planning across the NHS? I do agree with the
:39:52. > :39:53.assessment that the member read out. I also take responsibility for
:39:54. > :39:57.making sure this government is taking the action to help address
:39:58. > :40:00.the challenge that we and other countries have around GP
:40:01. > :40:05.recruitment. Investment in GP services has gone up each and every
:40:06. > :40:09.year under this government, funding indirect support of General practice
:40:10. > :40:15.will increase by ?250 million by the end of this Parliament. That is part
:40:16. > :40:21.our wider commitment to increasing care funding by ?500 million. The
:40:22. > :40:25.BMA chair, Doctor Alan McDevitt, said this is a positive step in the
:40:26. > :40:30.direction to a shared vision of general practice. We absolutely take
:40:31. > :40:33.our responsibility to address these challenges, but possibly the worst
:40:34. > :40:39.thing that we could see right now in terms of addressing recruitment
:40:40. > :40:42.challenges whether therefore GPs or nurses or other services, is to have
:40:43. > :40:47.the ability of the best and brightest across Europe to come to
:40:48. > :40:50.this country. That is the real and present danger to all our efforts to
:40:51. > :41:00.tackle this is that the Tories present to Scotland and the UK as a
:41:01. > :41:04.whole. Stuart McMillan. What action your government is taking to recruit
:41:05. > :41:08.more staff to the NHS, and whether to update Parliament on the latest
:41:09. > :41:13.anarchist often trigger. As I said, we have more
:41:14. > :41:18.staffing in the NHS is at record levels. We have challenges with
:41:19. > :41:21.vacancies for some groups of staff which we are working to address.
:41:22. > :41:27.There are more staff and I notice and it is because of the efforts of
:41:28. > :41:30.those staff that patients across the country get the excellent care and
:41:31. > :41:33.treatment they do. All of us should be grateful to them for that. That
:41:34. > :41:39.concludes First Minister's Questions. There we have it, but
:41:40. > :41:43.close of questions to the First Minister. I thought the presiding
:41:44. > :41:47.officer was going to carry on but he concluded. We had discussions about
:41:48. > :41:55.the language used in parliament, it wasn't for having called liars, E
:41:56. > :42:01.wasn't for untruths, I'm not sure because he got about 40 years. Let's
:42:02. > :42:07.talk over the issues. Kim Andrews, a lot of controversy about the
:42:08. > :42:13.exchange between Kezia Dugdale and Nicola Sturgeon. Remind us what that
:42:14. > :42:17.is about? This started at last night's televised leaders debate
:42:18. > :42:22.where Nicola Sturgeon claims that during a private conversation with
:42:23. > :42:28.Kezia Dugdale the day after the EU referendum in June last year, Kezia
:42:29. > :42:32.Dugdale had indicated her support for a second Scottish independence
:42:33. > :42:36.referendum, and indicated she would try and boost the Scottish Labour
:42:37. > :42:40.Party. She's moving in that direction? Yes. She thought the
:42:41. > :42:47.Scottish Labour Party was moving in that direction. Today she called
:42:48. > :42:55.that a lie. It's become somewhat of a row today, it's turned into
:42:56. > :43:02.something they are calling Dug-gate. It's officially a gate! With
:43:03. > :43:08.Dug-gate wide open, Ruth Davidson dashed away like a whip it away from
:43:09. > :43:16.her own or the UK Government's record and it's turned the screws
:43:17. > :43:24.back into a revival that helps both the SNP and conservative. But we're
:43:25. > :43:29.not cynics. The explanation given by Nicola Sturgeon was called a clout
:43:30. > :43:33.by Ruth Davidson, not parliamentary language, and she wouldn't use that
:43:34. > :43:39.in the chamber. That would never do. The expedition was Ruth Davidson had
:43:40. > :43:44.blown the gaff on it. She referenced a story in The Times newspaper in
:43:45. > :43:48.which Kezia Dugdale talked about secret talks after Brexit. She left
:43:49. > :43:51.out the part about the possibility of dropping opposition to their
:43:52. > :43:58.second independence referendum which she has claimed, we should point
:43:59. > :44:10.out, Kezia Dugdale denies. She said 100%, she stands by what was said.
:44:11. > :44:20.But some on this. Labour lot at this time was tiptoeing towards options.
:44:21. > :44:23.There was a softening opposition. Dugdale gave interviews hinting at
:44:24. > :44:28.direction of travel that the first man has taken the extra step and
:44:29. > :44:32.cemented into something. It fits with the narrative of that time.
:44:33. > :44:35.According to the Scottish Government, there is no record of
:44:36. > :44:43.this conversation and no recording or minute of it. It does fit with
:44:44. > :44:48.the mood and narrative at the time from Kezia Dugdale last June and
:44:49. > :44:53.July. If she was to be, she's just coming down the stairs there, as she
:44:54. > :44:58.was in favour of a referendum, it would be the position where she is
:44:59. > :45:02.firmly not, she wasn't in favour of independence? It wasn't arguing for
:45:03. > :45:05.independence but a concept of a choice? That's right but you could
:45:06. > :45:08.say, if you want to have another referendum, does that suggest you
:45:09. > :45:12.are in favour of independence was now you have the question in 2014
:45:13. > :45:17.which was answered, the answer was no. I don't know anyone opposed to
:45:18. > :45:23.independence would want to have another go. The people are really
:45:24. > :45:25.pushing for that, there are of course people who support
:45:26. > :45:29.independence, particularly damaging I think to Kezia Dugdale in terms of
:45:30. > :45:34.content. It's damaging in terms of timing as well. This is the last day
:45:35. > :45:37.of campaigning and this is the story that dominating. This is the story
:45:38. > :45:41.reaching all the newspapers and what we're talking about, what the
:45:42. > :45:45.politicians talk about. There is no comeback from this or switching the
:45:46. > :45:49.campaign onto something else. There is no recovery. People will go to
:45:50. > :45:56.the polls with this story, others as well, but the story there. Is it the
:45:57. > :46:01.economy? And minor matters like the fans that concern the?
:46:02. > :46:07.I think constitutional politics is with the backdrop in Scotland, but
:46:08. > :46:10.one of the striking things about this general election campaign has
:46:11. > :46:16.been the focus the public seem to have been putting on devolved
:46:17. > :46:19.issues. On the spot, things like health and education, when you look
:46:20. > :46:24.at the debates. Are they going to be going into the booths tomorrow
:46:25. > :46:28.thinking about actually, this might be on Westminster issues, but we are
:46:29. > :46:31.annoyed about education, we are happy with education, unhappy with
:46:32. > :46:35.health. They will vote on those issues as well. Increasingly, in a
:46:36. > :46:43.country that seems to be divided down the referendum lines, almost
:46:44. > :46:46.three years on from about, Kezia Dugdale and Scottish Labour spent a
:46:47. > :46:51.lot of time getting away from the idea that seeped through last summer
:46:52. > :46:58.that Kezia was weak on the union, so to speak. The Tories have made...
:46:59. > :47:02.And that statement from Jeremy Corbyn, and the manifesto was clear.
:47:03. > :47:08.She went even further than that, at the launch of the manifesto. It was
:47:09. > :47:13.not war chest no, it was never? -- it was not just no, it was never.
:47:14. > :47:16.This has set the narrative for the last couple of days. It shatters
:47:17. > :47:19.that. It's a blow to Labour because it shatters everything they have
:47:20. > :47:23.tried to build on the narrative of the union for the last year. You're
:47:24. > :47:27.right, everyone is chatting about around here. One theory is that
:47:28. > :47:32.Nicola Sturgeon was so exasperated by what she saw was a slightly
:47:33. > :47:36.contentious approach Kezia Dugdale that she came out with it. Another
:47:37. > :47:42.theory is that she had planned all along. What's your gas? I suspect
:47:43. > :47:47.there is a bit of both. Had it in the background? Absolutely. She said
:47:48. > :47:51.today at FMQs that Kezia Dugdale put this in the public domain herself.
:47:52. > :47:54.That's true, but she did it in February. We've had all this time
:47:55. > :47:58.were Labour have been shaping this narrative of being against the
:47:59. > :48:02.second in referendum, you have had for months to deploy that is, and
:48:03. > :48:09.she deployed at last night with maximum effect. When Nicola
:48:10. > :48:15.Sturgeon... Lets not forget, Ruth Davidson was under the Koch for her
:48:16. > :48:18.record. When Nicola said what she said the Kezia Dugdale, she was
:48:19. > :48:25.getting a hard time about her lack of action, Holyrood mitigating UK
:48:26. > :48:31.health care policy. There was definitely some opportunism there.
:48:32. > :48:36.In adverting or planned? There's not much Nicola Sturgeon does that is
:48:37. > :48:41.not planned. She might just have got annoyed with the debate? I agree
:48:42. > :48:45.with keirin, I think it was a bit of both. I think it had been on the
:48:46. > :48:49.back burner and was bought out in this final debate, possibly to scoop
:48:50. > :48:54.up those Labour votes and those anti-Tory votes we know exist. You
:48:55. > :48:57.say this is a helpful guide for Kezia Dugdale because it's about
:48:58. > :49:03.reputation, or approach. Some might say it helps the Tories, in that,
:49:04. > :49:09.certainly, the self image that Ruth Davidson was projecting today is
:49:10. > :49:14.that they are the only party still unionist. Does that help them? It's
:49:15. > :49:18.a big win for Ruth in terms of a debate last night, but she was under
:49:19. > :49:22.pressure on the rape laws. That could have been the story then this
:49:23. > :49:29.happened. She is off the hook on that one. She can focus today... She
:49:30. > :49:34.was under pressure on that one know? She was very uncomfortable on that
:49:35. > :49:39.topic as well. One might suspect Ruth has Private views on the rape
:49:40. > :49:44.laws but is choosing to back in the UK Government on this one. She is
:49:45. > :49:48.buzzing this angle that she is the only unionist. Ironically in the
:49:49. > :49:51.past she has used Jeremy Corbyn to point that out, and actually ever
:49:52. > :49:56.something Kezia Dugdale has alleged to have said which is comeback to
:49:57. > :49:59.want her today. Dugdale herself once again on the First Minister 's
:50:00. > :50:03.record and again on the health service. Today was very much a
:50:04. > :50:11.general election campaign First Minister's Questions. Ruth Davidson
:50:12. > :50:24.went on the union, we already went on mental health, Patrick Harvie on
:50:25. > :50:27.environmental issues and the record. While the constitutional record
:50:28. > :50:30.behind the scenes last night, the cut through in Scotland where they
:50:31. > :50:35.have made any gains they have, it has been by focusing on the SNP 's
:50:36. > :50:39.record. Particularly on health. The health service strains no matter
:50:40. > :50:42.what the government does. If you are in opposition and you can't find a
:50:43. > :50:45.story to pick out with the health service, you've got a problem.
:50:46. > :50:52.Particularly for the Labour Party, both UK and Scotland created the
:50:53. > :50:56.health service, it feels that have a right to defend it. The empathy for
:50:57. > :51:00.the health services there. Far greater than it is for education,
:51:01. > :51:04.where people may frankly have memories of school and are not all
:51:05. > :51:07.that charming and wonderful. Yet everything is personal, the empathy,
:51:08. > :51:11.you remember when your granny was treated in hospital, or when you
:51:12. > :51:15.yourself got hospital treatment. The empathy there, you have to get it
:51:16. > :51:19.right. You absolutely do and that's what Labour is trading on. You
:51:20. > :51:24.remember all the good things that happened, most people enjoy positive
:51:25. > :51:29.experiences in terms of the treatment, if you are not actually
:51:30. > :51:33.going through it. There are one or two moments when things go bad and
:51:34. > :51:40.people remember those as well. They have incredible emotional cutlery.
:51:41. > :51:44.Kezia Dugdale eluded back to that. You mentioned other issues. Patrick
:51:45. > :51:48.Harvie and the environment. An issue threaded throughout the whole of
:51:49. > :51:51.FMQs today. It was, of course brought into sharp focus by the
:51:52. > :51:54.decision of President Trump to withdraw from the Paris agreement.
:51:55. > :51:58.We have been having the reactions of all the leaders from that. Theresa
:51:59. > :52:03.May criticised for not having a strong enough reaction. I was in
:52:04. > :52:07.Glasgow this morning for Jeremy Corbyn rally, he was kicking off the
:52:08. > :52:11.day, rousing the troops in Glasgow, talking about how he would actually
:52:12. > :52:14.pick up the phone to Jeremy Corbyn as soon as he got into Downing
:52:15. > :52:18.Street to say, you would should not have done that. Nicola Sturgeon has
:52:19. > :52:21.been strong on this as well, the Scottish Government has a reasonably
:52:22. > :52:25.decent record on climate change. It has met some targets, failed others,
:52:26. > :52:29.of course bug Patrick Harvie this is comfortable ground. This is what the
:52:30. > :52:36.Green Party babble. He wanted a different approach. -- this is what
:52:37. > :52:39.the Green Party are there for. Nicola staying she cannot agree on
:52:40. > :52:44.that, only yesterday in Aberdeen talking about an investment led
:52:45. > :52:49.future. She has to counteract all that today. Patrick Harvie pointing
:52:50. > :52:53.out that in the Paris agreement, it says leave some in the ground. That
:52:54. > :52:58.is part of the deal. He was trying to find out how much. He was saying,
:52:59. > :53:01.you can criticise tramp but let's look at our own responsibilities on
:53:02. > :53:05.this issue. Nicola Sturgeon walking a fine line, as she does on so many
:53:06. > :53:10.issues, between the interests of business and of course supporting
:53:11. > :53:13.the economy in the north-east, recent job losses are bare in the
:53:14. > :53:18.last three years, down to the vomiting oil prices. But of course
:53:19. > :53:23.also talking about the Scottish Government 's green differentials as
:53:24. > :53:27.well. Patrick Harvie raising it substantially, others raising it as
:53:28. > :53:29.well. Nicola Sturgeon trying to tread a balance between economic
:53:30. > :53:35.growth and environmental development. It's the fine line the
:53:36. > :53:40.SNP has always walked. Also, still has to walk, while it still has a
:53:41. > :53:45.second independence referendum somewhere, kind of, at the back of
:53:46. > :53:48.the table. Oil underpins the economic case, whatever the SNP
:53:49. > :53:53.says, it's a massive part of the economic case last time around and
:53:54. > :53:57.it will play a part next time. Let's not forget the north-east at the
:53:58. > :53:59.moment is our real battle ground, between the SNP and the
:54:00. > :54:03.Conservatives. Nicola Sturgeon does not want to be seen as boring the
:54:04. > :54:07.oil industry under the bus. There's enough trouble with the fishing
:54:08. > :54:10.industry at the moment, to lose those votes which could be key in
:54:11. > :54:16.seats like Aberdeen, Aberdeen South and other seats north-east. Let's
:54:17. > :54:22.turn to the final leader, Willie Rennie. An issue he has frankly made
:54:23. > :54:27.his own, successfully spewing, in a dog-eared, consistent basis, the
:54:28. > :54:33.question of mental health. -- successfully pursued. It seems to be
:54:34. > :54:38.coming more and more to the agenda. He pushed forward awareness of
:54:39. > :54:43.mental health, there has been lots of celebrity interest. It's becoming
:54:44. > :54:46.an important issue and it's about parity between physical ill-health
:54:47. > :54:50.and mental ill-health and we are treated in the NHS. Willie Rennie
:54:51. > :54:52.was highlighting some NHS figures coming out yesterday suggesting
:54:53. > :54:56.there are fewer children being treated for for mental health
:54:57. > :54:59.issues, and they are happy to wait longer to get treatment. I think it
:55:00. > :55:03.was an average of a two-week long wait. Asking Nicola Sturgeon of
:55:04. > :55:09.course, ten years in power, what are you doing about this? This is the
:55:10. > :55:13.way government works, a First Minister in the chamber, facing
:55:14. > :55:17.awkward questions and repeatedly awkward questions on mental health.
:55:18. > :55:20.It will go back to her department, the Scottish Government, and saying,
:55:21. > :55:25.I want this fixed. I'm not having another day like that. She answers
:55:26. > :55:28.the question is relatively calmly, without being particularly robust,
:55:29. > :55:32.because she knows it is a tricky subject? Absolutely. I do not think
:55:33. > :55:37.there is a politician in Scotland who is happy the state of mental
:55:38. > :55:43.health service in Scotland. And the current provision. Things are
:55:44. > :55:46.improving, some figures are slipping in others. But the First Minister
:55:47. > :55:50.will not be happy with that. She knows improvements need to be made,
:55:51. > :55:54.and that once the election is over, her and Willie Rennie will be able
:55:55. > :55:59.to speak about it rather than just shout across and score points
:56:00. > :56:02.because there's about tomorrow. That's the sort of thing where both
:56:03. > :56:06.Willie Rennie and Nicola Sturgeon have been very good at working
:56:07. > :56:12.together, to try and push something constructive whilst Willie Rennie
:56:13. > :56:17.has really made sure it stays on the agenda at Holyrood in the chamber at
:56:18. > :56:19.FMQs. Awkward questions from the rivals, she had some questions from
:56:20. > :56:23.the backbenches that perhaps led her into areas she was hoping for. I
:56:24. > :56:28.love Neil Findlay calling it gardeners question Time. Perhaps
:56:29. > :56:34.more supportive than otherwise. Keirin was pointing out earlier that
:56:35. > :56:37.it's an election FMQs, isn't it? One backbencher even grinned after she
:56:38. > :56:43.sat down, having given the question. They were giving her the back-up.
:56:44. > :56:47.They are on her team. Giving her the ammo to fire at Ruth Davidson's
:56:48. > :56:51.Tories. It happens all the time, backbench questions that give Nicola
:56:52. > :56:54.Sturgeon a chance to put the boot into the Tories talk about how great
:56:55. > :56:59.the Scottish Government is. She has highlighted a bit more given the
:57:00. > :57:05.general election tomorrow. Briefly, the election tomorrow as you
:57:06. > :57:08.mentioned. Forecasts? Scotland, UK? I think the SNP will hold the vast
:57:09. > :57:12.majority of seats in Scotland. I think there will be gains for the
:57:13. > :57:18.Tories. Might not match up to what their private ambitions may be. Lib
:57:19. > :57:22.Dems, Labour. Who knows? I think the SNP will be the biggest party. It
:57:23. > :57:27.will win the election in Scotland but it will also fall back. One
:57:28. > :57:31.interesting thing will be how much the Tory vote share in packs the
:57:32. > :57:35.number of seats. Will it get over the line and win a lot of seats and
:57:36. > :57:39.make it look good on paper, blue on the map. Or will it fall just short
:57:40. > :57:44.and lose some of the momentum narrative it has built up so far?
:57:45. > :57:48.Keirin and Lindsay, thank you both. General election tomorrow of course,
:57:49. > :57:53.all the coverage on BBC Scotland and the wireless. I will be on the
:57:54. > :57:59.telly! Fancy joining me? It would be great if you did. Now, goodbye.
:58:00. > :58:02.'So that's me, 75 years young this year.
:58:03. > :58:07.'three of Scotland's greatest artists have agreed to paint me.'
:58:08. > :58:09.I'm about to be humiliated and I love it.
:58:10. > :58:13.I'd maybe try shocked... CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS
:58:14. > :58:15.You know, I'm meeting an idol of mine.
:58:16. > :58:19.He's this kind of national treasure within Scotland.