:00:20. > :00:28.A warm welcome from the Scottish Parliament here at Holyrood. Loads
:00:28. > :00:31.happening with MSPs discussing it Union Terrace Gardens and the
:00:31. > :00:35.future of the city centre of Aberdeen. The Green Investment Bank
:00:35. > :00:40.coming to Edinburgh, good news for the capital and also contention as
:00:40. > :00:42.ever over the referendum with the Electoral Commission given their
:00:42. > :00:48.views over the timing of the franchise and other matters. Let's
:00:48. > :00:54.see what is happening in the chambers, it is questions to the
:00:54. > :00:59.First Minister. And Glenn Campbell is there. The Cabinet secretary for
:00:59. > :01:04.infrastructure, Alec Neil on his feet. They have been discussing tax
:01:04. > :01:09.income and funding, a pilot scheme in Aberdeen. Now here's the main
:01:09. > :01:12.event. Johann Lamont of the Labour Party. To us the First Minister
:01:12. > :01:17.what in it was he has planned for the rest of this international
:01:17. > :01:23.women's day. With your permission, I would like to say just a few
:01:23. > :01:29.words for a woman who died tragically last weekend. -- a man.
:01:29. > :01:34.Paul McBride. His talent was great indeed and I believe he had a great
:01:34. > :01:38.deal more to contribute to the law and the future of Scotland. He will
:01:38. > :01:42.be sorely missed and I'm sure the whole chamber will wish to bear
:01:42. > :01:48.condolences as a Parliament to Paul's partner and his many friends
:01:48. > :01:53.and colleagues. Today it is international women's day. A day
:01:53. > :01:59.when the world celebrates achievements and contributions of
:01:59. > :02:02.women past and present. We rely on a huge contribution made by women
:02:02. > :02:06.to society. A fitting time to announce that the Scottish
:02:06. > :02:09.Government will fund the Scottish Resource Centre for Women in
:02:09. > :02:12.Science, Engineering and Technology at Napier University. Funding for
:02:12. > :02:17.the UK parent body had been removed by Westminster, the facility faced
:02:17. > :02:20.closure. We have acted to make sure that this centre which supports the
:02:20. > :02:23.success or women and fields of endeavour where they are
:02:23. > :02:30.significantly under-represented. It remains open to continue its vital
:02:30. > :02:35.work. Johann Lamont. May I on behalf of
:02:35. > :02:43.the Labour benches and our support and sympathy to the very sad and
:02:43. > :02:51.tragic loss of Paul McBride. But to his family and the critical debates.
:02:51. > :02:57.As the First Minister said, he will be sadly lost. John McAlpine this
:02:57. > :03:01.week like in Scotland's place in the United Kingdom to a woman in an
:03:01. > :03:09.abusive relationship. Does the First Minister agree? She did not.
:03:09. > :03:13.The Labour party feeling the need to misrepresent, really shouldn't
:03:13. > :03:20.treat usually important issues in this fashion. John McAlpine talked
:03:20. > :03:26.about the abuse of power. I think there are abuses of power in terms
:03:26. > :03:32.of Westminster over Scotland and I think if the Labour Party should
:03:32. > :03:36.try to treat the hugely important issue of abuse against women with
:03:36. > :03:43.the importance it deserves and not feel the desperate need to
:03:43. > :03:45.misrepresent what other people say. Johann Lamont. At the First
:03:46. > :03:49.Minister would be very careful about suggesting that people on
:03:49. > :03:55.this side wish to diminish the issue of domestic abuse and
:03:56. > :04:00.violence in the home. The reality is across this Parliament, there
:04:00. > :04:04.has been a commitment to address these questions which is precisely
:04:04. > :04:10.why a bit the First Minister should reflect on what his aide said. It
:04:10. > :04:14.is for the First Minister handle him and that is for him entirely,
:04:14. > :04:18.but I do not know many people who have entered into a Social Union
:04:18. > :04:22.and get the same bank account as the First Minister suggests for a
:04:22. > :04:30.separate Scotland, after an abusive relationship. He needs to deal with
:04:30. > :04:39.this. The aid's analogies are as offensive to women as his policies
:04:39. > :04:45.are. It is not being part of the United Kingdom which is holding
:04:45. > :04:50.women back. Female unemployment is higher in Scotland than the rest of
:04:50. > :04:54.the United Kingdom. When will you start doing something to help women
:04:54. > :05:03.back to work? Or like everything else, must we wait the 1,000 Days
:05:03. > :05:08.for a referendum before he lift a finger? A hugely important issue
:05:08. > :05:15.should not me demeaned by taking somebody's remarks totally out of
:05:15. > :05:20.context -- should not be demeaned. I would regard the Remploy we
:05:20. > :05:23.employees today suffering from an abuse of Westminster power. I would
:05:23. > :05:28.regard the cut to the Disability Living Allowance in Scotland as a
:05:28. > :05:33.huge abuse of power. And I would regard the plans to replace the
:05:33. > :05:37.Trident missiles in the Clyde as an enormous abuse of power. Which
:05:37. > :05:41.should be sorted out in Scotland. In terms of the seriousness of the
:05:41. > :05:46.issues we have challenged, we have taken that as a Parliament. I am
:05:46. > :05:49.sure she will be the first to acknowledge that against the
:05:49. > :05:57.extraordinary difficult circumstances of Westminster cuts,
:05:57. > :06:00.cuts that were told by Alistair Darling to be deeper, tougher than
:06:00. > :06:04.those of Margaret Thatcher, the fact that the investment in key
:06:04. > :06:09.areas in Scotland has not has been maintained but increased against
:06:09. > :06:13.this background is a huge tribute to the commitment that we as a
:06:13. > :06:20.government and a Parliament. For example, funding for violence
:06:20. > :06:25.against women has doubled. 21 million over three years up to 55
:06:25. > :06:30.million over four years up to 2012. Against that background of cuts
:06:30. > :06:34.imposed from Westminster, surely these figures indicate this
:06:34. > :06:40.Government's Endeavour - our joint endeavour - to give these hugely
:06:40. > :06:44.important issues the priority they deserve. Johann Lamont. I already
:06:44. > :06:49.acknowledge there is a commitment towards domestic abuse and a
:06:49. > :06:54.recognised the commitment to funding. I hear from the first Mr a
:06:54. > :07:01.critic of what the Tories in Westminster have done. I hear
:07:01. > :07:04.nothing of his responsibilities. The point I was making is that
:07:04. > :07:09.women's female unemployment is higher in Scotland than in the rest
:07:09. > :07:14.of the United Kingdom. That is his responsibility. The Deputy First
:07:14. > :07:17.Minister has also been making grand promises this week. Apparently it's
:07:17. > :07:22.only an independent Scotland where we can have a policy which did
:07:22. > :07:24.offend our sense of decency yet on her Government's watch, fuel
:07:24. > :07:28.poverty is doubled to what it is in England. She does nothing. Child
:07:28. > :07:34.care costs are higher than the United Kingdom and she does nothing.
:07:34. > :07:43.One in four children live in poverty and she does nothing. Isn't
:07:43. > :07:51.this the tomorrow government doing nothing for people in difficulties
:07:51. > :07:55.today. First Minister. Can I point out that the reason that a Tory
:07:55. > :08:00.Government rules over key areas of Scottish Life is precisely because
:08:00. > :08:10.the Labour Party have accepted the position of Westminster control
:08:10. > :08:10.
:08:10. > :08:15.over vital areas of Scotland. There is a huge difficulty in
:08:15. > :08:19.unemployment at the present moment across the sectors of society
:08:19. > :08:22.affecting women, young people, of course. But I think Johann Lamont
:08:22. > :08:27.should recognise that the employment rate, the number of
:08:27. > :08:32.people in jobs - and there at 10,000 more people employed in
:08:32. > :08:37.Scotland than there were just over one year ago - but the number of
:08:37. > :08:42.women in jobs is the highest across these islands. The employment rate
:08:42. > :08:47.in Scotland for women this high-end England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
:08:47. > :08:52.That is something which should be acknowledged. In terms of issues as
:08:52. > :08:56.we move forward, I think I have already said to Johann Lamont the
:08:56. > :08:59.importance I would stress and give to the figures we are seeing from
:08:59. > :09:05.modern apprenticeships. Remember the modern apprenticeships that the
:09:05. > :09:10.Labour Party voted against in the Budget debate. But has moved from
:09:10. > :09:16.27% of young women participating in modern apprenticeships when they
:09:16. > :09:21.were at a disgracefully low level of 15,000 up to 45% participating
:09:22. > :09:30.in modern apprenticeships now at the much increased level of 25,000.
:09:30. > :09:33.I hope that as a Parliament, we can unite. Not just for this year but
:09:33. > :09:38.stretching through the next five years and see that percentage of
:09:38. > :09:41.young women going into learning training and skills increasing as a
:09:41. > :09:48.contribution to our acknowledgement as a Parliament of the critical
:09:48. > :09:52.role of women in working and Scottish society. Johann Lamont and.
:09:52. > :09:56.The thirst Minister was talking to women, he would know his figures on
:09:56. > :10:00.employment for women are masking something much more serious. We
:10:00. > :10:06.have lost over 100,000 full-time jobs to temporary and part-time
:10:06. > :10:12.jobs. Women in local government - which you have targeted for cuts -
:10:12. > :10:17.and in the voluntary sector are having their hours cut. The figures
:10:17. > :10:20.are masking the fact that women disproportionately are suffering
:10:20. > :10:25.unemployment and under-employment. The gap between the words and
:10:25. > :10:28.reality grows as we speak. Last week, the First Minister told us
:10:28. > :10:33.that the only thing Rupert Murdoch got when he visited him was a cup
:10:33. > :10:37.of tea and a caramel wafer. Now we find out he also offered Rupert
:10:37. > :10:43.Murdoch a multi-million-pound tax cut. And of course, there's a
:10:43. > :10:51.pattern here. If you are a working person... We will hear the number,
:10:51. > :10:57.please. -- hear the member please. If you are a working person...
:10:57. > :11:00.Order, order. Warm words for what might happen in 1,000 days. If you
:11:00. > :11:05.are Fred Goodwin, you get all the backing the First Minister can
:11:05. > :11:08.muster. Donald Trump get direct access to the chief planning
:11:08. > :11:13.officer and if you're Rupert Murdoch, you get offers of one
:11:13. > :11:17.million pound tax cuts in exchange for headlines. Some might say,
:11:17. > :11:26.First Minister, Scotland bought and sold for Rupert Murdoch gold. Isn't
:11:26. > :11:31.it about time... Isn't it about time that we heard and women head
:11:31. > :11:34.and families across this country heard less about his fantasies for
:11:34. > :11:38.tomorrow and more about how you will deal with the realities of
:11:38. > :11:42.today? First Minister. I think that what would indicate that Johann
:11:42. > :11:47.Lamont would be better focused on one subject at a time in these
:11:48. > :11:52.question times. Let's look at the issues. The substantive issues...
:11:52. > :12:00.Order, we will hear the First Minister. The tour asking questions
:12:00. > :12:04.badly in 1 subject than asking them badly in six subject in my opinion!
:12:04. > :12:08.Let me give you the statistics. Accepting that unemployment is far
:12:08. > :12:12.too high, 10,000 more women in work than there was just over one year
:12:12. > :12:20.ago. The figure for employment - people actually in jobs - which is
:12:20. > :12:25.a very important figure, his 66.8% in Scotland and 65.3% in England.
:12:25. > :12:33.The number of young women not just starting modern apprenticeships is
:12:33. > :12:38.45% but also going up from 20% three years ago to 35% now. Still
:12:38. > :12:43.more work to do that again, it indicates that young women taking
:12:43. > :12:46.the ride for place in the workforce. In terms of positive destinations,
:12:46. > :12:51.young women leaving school, going on to positive destinations of
:12:51. > :13:00.full-time education, employment and training is now 90.4% and that is
:13:00. > :13:04.an increase. The commitment of this government to no compulsory
:13:04. > :13:09.redundancies in our controlled public sector and the health
:13:09. > :13:13.service is vital for all workers. This seems vital to me for women
:13:13. > :13:18.given the importance they played in the public sector workforce. And
:13:18. > :13:21.finally of course, the delivery - not the commitment, not the promise
:13:21. > :13:27.but the delivery of this government of something the Labour Party never
:13:27. > :13:32.did and that is the living wage of �7.23 per hour across the public
:13:32. > :13:37.sector. That is why when it came to the test last year, not just a vast
:13:37. > :13:40.majority of Scottish men but a substantial majority of Scottish
:13:40. > :13:44.women gave this government their endorsement and placed their hopes
:13:44. > :13:48.in this government for improving the lot of Scottish society and
:13:48. > :13:54.women by getting control over the towering heights of this economy so
:13:54. > :14:02.that we can mould a better future free of Tory Government.
:14:02. > :14:06.APPLAUSE Question number two, Ruth Davidson. I would like to thank the
:14:06. > :14:09.First Minister for his warm words regarding Paul McBride. Paul made a
:14:09. > :14:12.huge contribution to Scottish public life and had many friends
:14:12. > :14:18.across this chamber and the thought of the Conservative Party are with
:14:18. > :14:23.his partner and family. I would like to ask him when he will meet
:14:23. > :14:28.the first -- the Prime Minister. Their plans in the immediate future.
:14:28. > :14:33.Today the Scottish Tories are talking about the Arkle Bell and
:14:33. > :14:40.minimum pricing. Voluntary notification for Europe and a
:14:40. > :14:44.sensible that while we hope this of drinking across Scotland,
:14:44. > :14:47.Scottish industry is not penalised she did not prove effective.
:14:47. > :14:51.Yesterday the Scottish Conservatives tried to help
:14:51. > :14:54.employers by of blocking the retail levy. A Scotland only taxes and has
:14:54. > :15:01.a �95 million cash grant by the Cabinet Secretary to plug holes in
:15:01. > :15:04.his Budget. Aided and abetted by Labour. Unheralded in the SNP
:15:04. > :15:09.massive -- manifesto and with no it assessment to check its impact on
:15:09. > :15:13.Scottish retailers, this punitive tax will result in Scottish
:15:13. > :15:18.retailers having the highest business poundage for more than 20
:15:18. > :15:21.years. Already as there has said that this uncompetitive tax will
:15:21. > :15:25.add a significant cost to their business in Scotland and has warned
:15:25. > :15:30.that future projects may now be scrapped. Can I ask the First
:15:30. > :15:36.Minister, can you tell me how many young people right now unemployed
:15:36. > :15:40.by the retail sector in Scotland? First Minister. Firstly can I say
:15:40. > :15:46.to with Davies and that I welcome the Conservative Party's change in
:15:46. > :15:51.position on minimum pricing -- can ICT with Davidson. In discussions I
:15:51. > :15:56.have recently on the constitution with the Prime Minister, I hope
:15:57. > :16:01.that and we have seen the election, both the Liberal Democrats and the
:16:01. > :16:03.Conservatives see the importance and the crucial nature of Scotland
:16:03. > :16:09.confronting its difficulties with alcohol and seeing if legislation
:16:09. > :16:12.as were trying to see if we can combat the scourge of society. I
:16:12. > :16:16.welcome the movement in both the Liberal Democrat and other
:16:16. > :16:21.Conservatives to try to make this a success as a Parliament. I don't
:16:21. > :16:26.agree with her in terms of the impact she feels the retail lobby
:16:26. > :16:31.will have. As the, she mentioned. Plans for three new stores and the
:16:31. > :16:37.replacement people on 23rd January with full knowledge of the
:16:37. > :16:42.Government's plans for the retail levy. With Davies and, if she wants
:16:42. > :16:46.to say that we do not need this move in order to fund the
:16:46. > :16:50.critically important areas of public spending, areas incidently
:16:50. > :16:52.which she called for additional public spending for and oblivious
:16:53. > :16:58.to the bat but the pressure on the budget comes from her own
:16:58. > :17:01.colleagues in Westminster than perhaps she will detail for us here
:17:01. > :17:04.and now where she will see and what she would cut and where she would
:17:04. > :17:10.raise the money as opposed to having this completely proportion
:17:10. > :17:13.that levy which allows a vital contribution in terms of health
:17:13. > :17:23.education and terms of what the general confronting of the problem
:17:23. > :17:24.
:17:24. > :17:30.with alcohol. I will not say... I want to treat this matter in terms
:17:30. > :17:37.of... I was only saying it so I would not say it! I can say it if
:17:37. > :17:42.it helps. I do want to see us treat this vitally important matter of
:17:42. > :17:46.taking the initiative, having the courage to introduce a minimum
:17:46. > :17:56.pricing policy as part of an overall and general approach to
:17:56. > :18:00.
:18:00. > :18:08.confronting the scourge and evil of I think deep retail levy does not
:18:08. > :18:11.target those selling tobacco and alcohol. Calling it a health levy
:18:11. > :18:17.is a fig-leaf to the embarrassment of the finance secretary whose
:18:17. > :18:24.numbers did not add up. He did not answer my question regarding youth
:18:24. > :18:29.employment. I will answer it for him. More than one third of Scots
:18:29. > :18:37.working in retail are under the age of 25. It supports 80,000 young
:18:37. > :18:41.people directly and is a gateway to employment for thousands more. CBI
:18:41. > :18:45.Scotland, the Scottish Property Federation, the Scottish Retail
:18:45. > :18:51.Consortium, the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, the Scottish Council
:18:51. > :18:56.for Development and Industry, the wines trade association all
:18:56. > :19:00.condemned this tax as damaging to Scotland. The First Minister says
:19:00. > :19:06.he wants to be trusted with all of Scotland's taxes and we can see now
:19:06. > :19:10.what he would do with them. He would put them up and damage the
:19:10. > :19:20.companies which are preventing youth employment figures from going
:19:20. > :19:23.up. It is not too late, will he now is go up this cynical, anti-
:19:23. > :19:29.competitive, �95 million tax that will endanger jobs and investment
:19:29. > :19:36.in Scotland? Can I as gently as possible remind her that the
:19:37. > :19:42.application of a 2.5 increase in VAT was 10 times the impact of the
:19:43. > :19:49.retail levy? Not only that, the application of that applied to
:19:49. > :19:54.goods and services across the board. Best public health supplements, in
:19:54. > :20:00.the title is the clue to what is being done with the Revenue,
:20:00. > :20:05.applies to 0.1 % of the retail outlets in Scotland. Business rates
:20:05. > :20:11.which currently account for a 2% of their turnover will go to an
:20:11. > :20:16.estimated 2.3 % of turnover. A party which swept VAT end to the
:20:16. > :20:21.Scottish economy one year ago or oblivious to be minor impact on a
:20:21. > :20:25.small number of very large retailers or a public health levy
:20:25. > :20:33.which will help finance critical areas of preventative spend in
:20:33. > :20:38.Scotland. After the publication of those figures yesterday, it we had
:20:38. > :20:45.access to the to 0.6 billion lost to the Westminster Treasury m last
:20:45. > :20:55.year's accounts, then we would have a range of choices open to us which
:20:55. > :20:55.
:20:55. > :21:00.are not open under Tory rule from Westminster. The First Minister is
:21:00. > :21:04.aware of the decision by the UK Government to close factories in
:21:04. > :21:08.Scotland including one in Springburn. The First Minister will,
:21:08. > :21:13.I am sure, share my concern about the way this announcement has been
:21:13. > :21:18.made and the situation these workers are being placed in. Candy
:21:18. > :21:24.First Minister indicate what action his Government will take to support
:21:24. > :21:28.and re-employ workers in Scotland? Will he encouraged the increased
:21:28. > :21:32.use of section 19 provisions and confirm whether or not his
:21:32. > :21:38.Government responded formally to the consultation and if not, what
:21:38. > :21:44.action it took to influence the outcome? We have been in discussion
:21:44. > :21:47.on that very matter. That makes it all the more disappointing that the
:21:47. > :21:54.first notification we got was yesterday afternoon when we spoke
:21:54. > :21:59.to them and were given the announcement. It was of great
:21:59. > :22:04.disappointment, not Kohli de decision but the manner in which it
:22:04. > :22:08.was communicated given the amount of discussion there had been upon
:22:08. > :22:16.the general issue. The member touched on that but it is a very
:22:16. > :22:23.important issue in terms of Article 20. The developed a reader
:22:23. > :22:28.registration process which is ongoing and has had some
:22:28. > :22:34.substantial effect. Since 20th October 10 a total of nine
:22:35. > :22:40.contracts have been awarded to supported businesses. The latest
:22:40. > :22:43.financial data up which we now have in this key area in firms that 24
:22:43. > :22:49.million was spent supporting business by the public sector for
:22:49. > :22:54.the last financial year. I share the member's great disappointment
:22:54. > :22:58.and concern. I think the announcement at best was ill-timed
:22:58. > :23:05.and insensitive. The preparations that are necessary do not seem to
:23:05. > :23:10.have been done about how it the 100 and for disabled people, a total of
:23:10. > :23:15.111 jobs in Scotland will be guided into productive employment. These
:23:15. > :23:20.discussions must start as quickly as possible. The UK Government must
:23:20. > :23:26.accept its responsibility for the situation in which it has placed so
:23:26. > :23:30.many vulnerable people. Following the announcement by RBS that 190
:23:30. > :23:34.jobs are being cut in my constituency, what action is being
:23:34. > :23:42.taken to ensure employees who are made redundant are supported into
:23:42. > :23:51.new employment? Does he D there are times that RBS need solid political
:23:51. > :23:57.leadership. -- does he agree? perfectly right to point out it was
:23:57. > :24:02.a leaked letter rather than a statement but if the Royal Bank of
:24:02. > :24:06.Scotland were to be broken up it would have implications. I regret
:24:06. > :24:10.the memo by Vince Cable to the Prime Minister, there was no
:24:10. > :24:17.acknowledgement of that matter. I share the concern regarding job
:24:17. > :24:22.losses which have been announced. I am aware that Fergus Ewing has
:24:22. > :24:32.already responded to the member with rule details of support being
:24:32. > :24:32.
:24:32. > :24:35.provided. Can I say the jobs task force which has an agreement
:24:35. > :24:39.between the financial sector and the Scottish Government, has had
:24:39. > :24:46.substantial success in a loving people who have been released by
:24:46. > :24:52.the clearing banks to find other financial sector employment. --
:24:52. > :24:56.allowing people. I hope this goes some way to assuring the member
:24:56. > :25:02.that we will minimise the time these individuals are affected by
:25:02. > :25:06.their redundancy. What issues will be discussed at the next meeting of
:25:06. > :25:12.the cabinet? We will discuss issues of importance to dead people of
:25:12. > :25:17.Scotland. In the first edition of the Sun on Sunday the First
:25:17. > :25:20.Minister played down the role in the phone hacking scandal of the
:25:21. > :25:26.Sun, News International and the News of the World, using a defence
:25:26. > :25:30.that it was not just them but others did it too. He lent his
:25:30. > :25:36.support to Rupert Murdoch and yet was silent on the side of the
:25:36. > :25:41.victims of phone hacking. Does he agree that victims will be
:25:41. > :25:46.satisfied with his failure to stand up to News International? I do not
:25:46. > :25:50.know if he managed to attend the chamber last week when I made it
:25:50. > :25:56.clear of my full support for police investigations south and north of
:25:56. > :26:06.the border. I gave full support to the Levenson inquiry. I do think
:26:06. > :26:11.Willie Rennie should take on board operation motor man. I promised
:26:11. > :26:16.last week that just in case the identification of potential
:26:16. > :26:21.criminality in terms of data protection had not been fully
:26:21. > :26:26.understood by this chamber. He will find if he looks and that list that
:26:26. > :26:30.it extends across. There are very few Scottish examples in the
:26:30. > :26:35.analysis but none the less, every single part of it should be
:26:35. > :26:41.analysed and looked at as well as supporting the police inquiry into
:26:41. > :26:46.phone hacking and the Levenson inquiry. I hope now that will
:26:46. > :26:53.explain it to Willie Rennie and he will now accept our total
:26:53. > :26:57.commitment to ensuring the law is upheld. He prefers to cosy up
:26:57. > :27:03.rather than stand up to Rupert Murdoch. Earlier this week he was
:27:03. > :27:07.caught bragging about Rupert Murdoch's support for independence.
:27:07. > :27:14.We have discovered Rupert Murdoch wants to break up Britain in
:27:14. > :27:20.revenge for the Levenson inquiry. Our First Minister is only too
:27:20. > :27:30.happy to leap on that and ignore any victims. That was the trade,
:27:30. > :27:31.
:27:31. > :27:36.wasn't it? I'll scratch your back, you scratch mine. It is not de
:27:36. > :27:40.chats and the free tickets to the Gulf, my problem is that rather
:27:40. > :27:45.than stand up to Rupert Murdoch he has defended them and put his
:27:45. > :27:52.interests above those of the victims, is the First Minister are
:27:52. > :27:57.not ashamed of this deal? I think Willie Rennie would do well to look
:27:58. > :28:04.at my answer last week and listen to my answer to his first question
:28:04. > :28:08.before reading out his second. We have to uphold the police
:28:08. > :28:14.investigations and ask for a lot to be enforced and upheld which
:28:14. > :28:18.clearly was not done over recent years. That is a total commitment
:28:18. > :28:25.that this Government has. I do suggest to Willie Rennie that he
:28:26. > :28:32.has a good look at the findings of the investigation and the potential
:28:32. > :28:38.criminality and the number of titles which were named. As far as
:28:38. > :28:47.other remarks are concerned, I was going to start talking about
:28:47. > :28:53.Michael Brown and Liberal Democrat donors and how they are in no
:28:53. > :28:59.position to court to anyone about their associates but I know that
:28:59. > :29:08.Liberal Democrats have always wanted to adopt a holier than thou
:29:08. > :29:12.policy across politics. To ask the First Minister what the
:29:12. > :29:17.implications are of the findings in the Government's recently published
:29:17. > :29:23.State of the economy a report. highlighted the challenge facing
:29:23. > :29:27.the global economy and the economic outlook for the months ahead. We
:29:27. > :29:33.continue to take decisive action to promote growth and create jobs,
:29:33. > :29:40.action which helps Scotland to face the recession which is both shorter
:29:40. > :29:43.and shallower than that for the UK. That is confirmed by the report as
:29:43. > :29:48.well as the extraordinary challenges which will face public
:29:48. > :29:53.spending four years to come if we remain under the control of the
:29:53. > :30:00.London Treasury. Does he share my concern that UK Government cuts and
:30:00. > :30:07.revised inflation forecasts will cost the Scottish Government 18 %
:30:07. > :30:12.in spending power over the next four years? �10,000 for every man,
:30:12. > :30:16.woman and child in Scotland? Does he agreed that the figures revealed
:30:16. > :30:21.yesterday an independent Scotland would be in a stronger fiscal
:30:21. > :30:26.position than the UK as a whole? We would be better able to stimulate
:30:26. > :30:34.investment, generate growth, raise living standards and improve the
:30:34. > :30:41.quality of life for everyone living in Scotland? Yes, I agree. The
:30:41. > :30:46.figures published yesterday with the official kite mark, too �0.6
:30:46. > :30:50.billion, �510 for every man, woman and child in Scotland. These
:30:50. > :30:54.figures speak for themselves and the anti- independence parties in
:30:54. > :31:03.this chamber better get used to hearing it because they will hear a
:31:03. > :31:10.lot more of it. Now coming to a close on First Minister's Questions.
:31:10. > :31:17.Johann Lamont is trying to identify the First Minister with the rich
:31:18. > :31:23.and famous. Today she was trying to raise the cause of justice for
:31:23. > :31:29.women and suggesting that only one of the First Minister's aides had
:31:29. > :31:34.used inappropriate language. The underlying issue here is a less
:31:34. > :31:40.enthusiastic move towards independence. Consequently I think
:31:40. > :31:46.Johann Lamont is seeking to pursue an issue. Ruth Davidson suggested