08/05/2014 Politics Scotland

A very able warm welcome to the Scottish Parliament for the business

of the day. Controversy over the waiting times in accident and

emergency in Scotland's hospitals. There is a call for tougher action

on domestic abuse. Some of these subjects make, in the course of

First Minister's Questions. Recycle some of these drugs to Africa.

Before we move to the next item of business, members will welcome to

the gallery the President of the regional council of Lombardi. We now

move to First Minister's Questions. What engagements does the first

Minister for the rest the day. Last year, the Scottish government once

again missed the accident and emergency target, meaning thousands

of Scots had to wait more than four hours for treatment. The response

was to lower the target. According to figures this week, they are not

only missing the original target, the unknown missing the easier to

reach target now. More hospital patients are suffering. The first

Minister promised action. Those waiting for treatment for more than

four hours has no chapel on his watch. -- triple. Audit Scotland

we're looking at 2013 in the statistics. Let me first say what we

are doing about the situation. statistics. Let me first say what we

Johann Lamont Would know that they are also marked on the substantial

improvements on statistics since the original ones.

improvements on statistics since the watch? I do not know how familiar

she is with statistics. The waiting times were the worst ever in

accident and emergency. Let me correct a runout. She was right in

quoting the statistics for 2012-15. That was the situation we are trying

to rectify. Let me say again, we are looking to tackle these figures and

bring them down to more acceptable levels. She said they were the worst

figures ever. Let me give the figures for 2006 -07, when she was

the Minister there were over 1 million attendances and some 300,000

less than in 2012-15. The amount of people waiting more than four hours

was 120 5,000, 753. Now that she is here these figures, will she with

the law the suggestion that the 2012-13 was the worst ever, because

it was clearly not. Will she acknowledge we are trying to improve

the performance, it is substantially better than when she was a Minister

and will she concentrate on the action plan which will serve the

people and the hospital patients in our communities as best we can. The

degree of complacency in that response is staggering. Let us go

back to a comfort zone. The politician makes a debating point

rather than responding to the question. This is what patients are

seen, what staff are seeing an poor audit Scotland are seeing an poor

audit Scotland is seen as well. The reality is does not seem to

understand or care about the problem. We have a social care

crisis which is fuelling an accident and emergency cases. People

attending accident and emergency cannot get to bed because patients

are being parked and inappropriate wards, waiting to be discharged but

with nowhere to go. Hard-working zero nurses and doctors are not to

blame. They are doing their best. As the first Minister going to get

serious about this crisis are just going to fiddle with the targets

once again? I think she should accept it as more than a debating

point to point out she is fundamentally mistaken and her claim

that 2012-13 was the worst year. The figure is a much bigger one than the

one she sated. Let me talk about complacency. I reject that totally.

We have set out the action plan which has been welcomed by the

profession. This government, unlike the Labour government, promise to

protect real spending in the NHS. Last December, the figure in terms

of December increased, but we want to get that even higher. If she

wants to hear about complacency, then perhaps she should recall when

she was Minister and Andrew care was Health Minister, quite recent study,

what the figure was, 87.5%, that figure was healed by Andrew care as

showing that the vast vast majority of departments were meeting the

targets. In terms of her and her party 's credibility, she can

explain why when she was a Minister, at 87.5% was wonderful, White 93%

under this government is such a disaster? Will she accept that

thanks to the hard-working professionals in the NHS, that is an

improvement, and improvement we intend to drive up father with our

investment plan. But when she comes to this chamber to make up figures

when she cannot substantiate her point. Then she and her party are

fundamentally lacking in any credibility on the NHS. The fact

that the Scottish National party backbenchers responded so warmly to

the Ansar tells us all about the problem. Doctor Thomson, the cheer

of the British Medical Association consultants said medical staff are

working under considerable strain to maintain high quality care and an

overstretched system. Clearly, this is not sustainable. But what we get

from the first Minister is a first Minister coming up with

unsustainable and sewers. Let us be honest about what is happening here

and what the Government 's approach is, it is revealed in this line in

the audit Scotland report. It says, the Scottish government has

indicated it will review the 95% target after September 2014. What

could possibly be happening in September 2014! Well, we are not

prepared to wait for his referendum before we make sure that the ill and

the injured do not have to wait for treatment. Is it not the case that

the first Minister cares more about the constitution of the country than

the health of the people. In dealing with the situation, we announced the

?50 million emergency care plan, we are reviewing the 95% figure towards

the end of the year because we want to drive it up towards 98%. I have

been very critical of the Labour Party and the health service. ,

because they would not fall or commit to protect the health service

budget in real terms. I remember Lord McConnell seeing every other

service, we have to cut its cloth, because of the were going to go into

education. There is another administration and these islands,

the Labour administration, who decided that because of the spending

cuts in Westminster, the could not protect the NHS. Not on a single

occasion have the even reached 90% in Wales. They have failed every

time. In contrast, in Scotland, we have rising staff in the NHS. We

have 127,000 staff and a staff last year. Advisory medical staff has

increased, rising nursing staff and midwifery. This has been made

possible because we have protected the health service in real terms. If

the Labour record in office in this place was so lamentable and if the

record on wheels is so much worse, then how on earth can they have any

credibility with regard to the NHS. So why not welcome the investment

investment which has been put in to drive the figures up. Get behind the

plan and stop trying to rewrite history about the current

administration or the previous one. Thank you. When will we first

Minister next meet the Prime Minister? I have no plans in the

near future. You asked me about the implementation of a Scottish

clearing 's lot. That is information which can come forward and issues of

domestic abuse. We are considering the Solicitor General 's proposals

on this. Also, the chief constable has proposed a group to look at the

disclosure scheme in Scotland. I can assure her that these will be

carefully considered. I would like to thank the first Minister and

welcome what he has said. While he is any listening mode, can he also

look at the request by me for a public enquiry into the baby Ashes

scandal. The first Minister was keen to talk about whales, but less keen

to talk about his own record in Scotland. The first Minister cannot

get away from the fact that he missed his target for treating

people in accident and emergency and then lowers his target and then

missed it again. This is not just about the people waiting for more

than four hours an accident and emergency, or the thousands waiting

more than 12 hours, this is about everybody having to expect to wait

half an longer than they did just five years ago. The first Minister

wants to blame everyone else when something goes wrong, but is it not

the case that it is this government which has overseen the National rail

service for the last seven years in Scotland. Does this feel you're not

land squarely on his desk and will he not start to take some

responsibility for it? The responsibility we have taken four

was the emergency health care action plan which we announced. The ?50

million will make a substantial difference. The chair of emergency

medicine in Scotland welcomed the action plan and the close working

relationship with the close NHS which is unveiling the plan across

Scotland. The government will implement what is regarded as

sensible policies. But to prove what the situation when we took over at

the Senate is more reasonable to suggest there are a lot more work is

now in the NHS. There are actually twice the number of consultants in

accident and emergency than when we took over. It is entirely reasonable

to put forward those points. All of those are true. Therefore, when the

action plan is announced and welcomed across the NHS, brothers

already signs as detailed in the audit Scotland report that it is

working, we are looking at a serious problem and taking affirmative

action to do something about it. We know more people are being treated

and the NHS is under pressure. We are committed to providing extra

nurses for Scotland but that does not take us away from the fact that

a and E targets are being missed, nursing targets or down and read

slashes -- bed numbers are slashed. Last week, the finance secretary

said that this government had absolute control over the NHS. We

have control over what type of NHS we want, and direction we want it to

take. With this complete control over the NHS, are all of these cuts

by SNP designed or is the First Minister being so busy with the

referendum that they have happened by accident? The health service

budget has been protected in real terms and that was the right

decision to make. I will defend the decision to anyone at any time. That

has not been easy because of the cutbacks from Westminster but

nonetheless the budget has been protected. It is their for

reasonable to point out that the staff members working in the NHS is

higher than when we started and is a virtue of that investment. The

nonprofit distribution programme across the NHS is yielding great

results and we look forward to the direct investment in Glasgow of the

new general hospitals and these are improving health care are radically

across Scotland. That is a substantial achievement given the

cutbacks elsewhere. The Prime Minister talks about little else

apart from Wales but can I point out that while we have a major challenge

in some of our health boards in Scotland, none of our health boards

anywhere in Scotland are registering the 81.7%, 86% in south end which

have been registered by health boards under pressure cells of the

border. One of the reasons why people have confidence in this

health service is the unbending commitment of this government to

fund it in real terms but also the fact we are committed not to

privatise it. For any Tory politician to come to this or any

other chamber and ignore the dismay caused to the health service across

England, almost beggars belief. We will respond to crisis by investing

more. We will meet challenges as they come but it will be a public

NHS for the people of Scotland. The First Minister will know that

European structural funds for the Highlands important in terms of

delivering economic growth. Can he confirm that the ?172 million for

the new structural fund will be spent in the Highlands and Islands

and decisions on which projects are to be disappointed with the taken

locally rather than removing this function to Edinburgh as others

fear. These matters are under discussion but I am sure he will

look at the recent investments being made in Shetland, not least in the

airport and other things. These decisions are under discussion at

present. What issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the

Cabinet? Matters of importance to the members of Scotland. Audit

Scotland says a lack of hospital beds is a major problem. Hospital

beds are at a record low but last week, the Health Secretary said

there was not a strategic shortage of beds. Handed the case that his

government has only really woken up to this problem two years ago. He

mentioned the Royal College. Doesn't he think we're in this position

because he failed to act enough? We are in a position where quite

clearly, waiting times are improving in Accident and Emergency. Staff in

Accident and Emergency are treating more patients than ever before. We

are implementing lessons where best practice is ensuring already very

substantial results. We are seeking the terms of the infrastructure in

the health service to bring about facilities like the emergency care

centre in Aberdeen which is absolutely superb in terms of

managing the flow of patients. In terms of new facilities, lots of

things have been planned and there has been continuing investment of

the NHS in the last few years. It is absolutely right the Health

Secretary puts together that action plan to deal with the pressures on

the National Health Service but I think there should be some

acknowledgement that this NHS is treating more patients than ever

before, the public have fantastic confidence in the service and they

have nothing but admiration for the staff who are performing to such an

exceptional degree. He talked about the public hands of the NHS in

keeping it in Scotland. That is the point I want to tackle, charging

people for continuing care. It announced last Friday that it was

ending the principle that people who need continuing care can get it free

in their community. The only way people can avoid hundreds of pounds

of charges is to stay in hospital. And that's going to increase the

pressure on bed numbers and make the weighting problem worse? He has one

half of his government trying to get people out of hospital and the other

half giving them all the in -- financial investment to stay in

hospital. That doesn't make sense? The Health Secretary Nicola

statement and I am sure he will want to participate in that discussion.

In terms of the success which we are committed to in Scotland, that would

have been substantially enhanced if the Westminster government had not

withheld its attendance allowance which will help extraordinarily with

the finances of that. In terms of financial pressures on the National

Health Service, one of the most significant pressures which we

cannot unfortunately do anything about is the disaster of the Private

Finance initiative which is resulting in payments of eight to

ten times the actual cost of hospitals because of the disastrous

contacts that he and his colleagues find when they were in government in

this office. Our commitment to public National Health Service is

not just to protect the funding but to have a public health service is

not paying over the odds to private contractors. What is the Scottish

Government's position on the increase in Scotland's position. We

are very pleased that it is at its highest ever level. It is vital to

economic growth and welcome news indeed.

economic growth and welcome news prosperous society? I do agree with

that. I think one of the signs of the failure of Westminster control

of the Scottish economy was the lack of growth in Scotland over 100

years. 10% compared to 60% population growth in England.

Thankfully since the advent of this Parliament, these trends are

reversing. Parliament, these trends are

eventually see the Labour cuts, that free personal care will be defended.

We protected the local budget in relative terms and it will stand at

?10.6 billion. In addition, since 2008, three payments for nursing

care have risen in line with inflation and we are also providing

an additional ?5 million to local authorities for care of older

people. Given the view of Peter Johnson that Ceredigion County

Council social work budgets are under huge pressure with some yearly

at breaking point, but is the Scottish Government going to do to

address the fact that local government revenue spending has had

a cut of 1.2% while costs have risen 10%. With demand for services

growing, more older people living longer, isn't it time for the

Scottish Government to sort out the squeeze on God government funding?

-- local government funding. There is a squeeze on public spending in

Scotland because of the squeeze being inflicted by the Westminster

government. In terms of where the various aspects of public spending

have been protected, chiefly protected if the health service.

Neighbour did not commit to that. The second only to the health

service in terms of protection of spending. In 2006 when the Labour

Party were in office, Johann Lamont and others were in that

administration, that percentage was dodgy for .7%. In 2014 it is 36.7%.

Times are tough, how can they be otherwise? Local government spending

has risen. Whatever that squeeze and difficulty is, we know it could have

been worse if cerebral yak and colleagues had continued in office.

-- Sarah Boyack. Westminster retained attendance allowance. To

date that is around ?300 million. Surely the whole chamber would agree

this should be returned to Scotland. Even the Labour Party

asked for that and was refused. It is a hugely important issue and

doors include the withdrawal of attendance allowance. Henry McLeish

said it was unfair that it should be withdrawn and it was Jim Murphy as

the Westminster Minister who said, no, we are going to keep the

attendance allowance money and since then, that amounts to over ?300

million which tells us two things. Wouldn't it be a grand idea of we

considered all aspects of policy, not just spending but revenue and

Social Security. Secondly, how useful with that money be now to

help funding the things that the Labour Party say they care about but

when in office, withdrew funding from Scotland. What the Scottish

Government's position on the minimum pricing plan for alcohol being

referred to the EU Court of Justice? We look forward to making the case

before the European Court of Justice for this vital public help tool

which will help you balance Scotland's relationship with

alcohol. Each week, misuse is responsible for 20 deaths and 700

hospital admissions. Minimum pricing would save lives within months of

introduction. We remain committed to implementing that to reduce alcohol

related harm. Scotland is leading the way on this issue and the

governments of Ireland and Estonia have outlined they will merge their

own outlining pricing systems. Does he recalled the wise words of the

Commissioner when he said he was in favour of it in principle along with

the evidence of Canada and the support of each of the UK's chief

legal officer is, does this not demonstrate further that minimum

pricing is essential if we are to cut violent crime and save lives in

Scotland? We welcome the backing in principle as the member points out

quite likely, this adds to the wave of support for the policy

particularly for those who work daily with those suffering from

alcohol misuse. In Canada it has reduced in harm and it has led to an

estimated 32% reduction in holy alcohol related deaths. I welcome

the referral to the European Court of Human Rights forward to

implementing the policy but evidence shows will save lives.

There we have come to the close of our coverage.

before. There will not be serving editors on IPSO, the industry being

run by the boys in it. Effectively it is, because the appointments

committee for IPSO contains Rupert Murdoch's most loyal Lieutenant, the

editor of The Times, himself found to be wanting by the courts. Everson

said there should be no direct influence of the industry on the

appointments.