08/12/2016: First Minister's Questions Politics Scotland

All are welcome to the Scottish parliament here at Holyrood. Wide

range of controversies for a MSP is to question the First Minister. It

could be historical allegations regarding football. Let crossed to

the chamber. The personal literacy programme is

something the Cabinet sector a has said will be looked at. MSP is from

across the chamber are allowed to ask questions on a range of topics

before the First Minister takes questions from opposition leaders

and MSP is. In terms of questions to Nicola Sturgeon this week, we know

she will be asked about fuel poverty, death by dangerous driving,

about loneliness for older people and economic growth forecasting.

These are some of the topics which have been flagged up in advance.

Opposition leaders give very little away in the questions the register.

Ruth Davidson will ask what engagements the First Minister has

planned for the rest of the day. Cassia Dugdale will ask what

engagements she has planned for the rest of the week. There are some

visitors in the public gallery is. Including members of a group from a

school. There are some in the VIP gallery. To ask the First Minister

what engagements she has planned for the rest of the day. Engagements to

take forward its issues for the people of Scotland. Thank you for

your comments about Alex Johnson. He would not want me to stand up to

talk about him. He would want me to get stuck in to questioning the

record of this government. After a decade of Scottish control -- SNP

control over education, the worst results have been published. Who

does she blame? Us or the Labour Party? In Alex Johnson's passing,

this Parliament has missed one of its greatest personalities. All of

our thoughts are with his family. And indeed his colleagues. I take

responsibility on behalf of the Scottish Government for the

performance of Scottish education. If anyone thinks I will stand here

today and giving excuses, they are wrong. There is evidence I can cite

about Scottish education, but I will not do that because the results of

the survey earlier this week are not where I want us to be. They are not

good enough. I am determined we take the action that will lead to

improvement. The only thing I will say about them, and this is a

contextual point, and I say it simply because this survey was

carried out from a sample one and a half years ago. That was the same

time there was a survey to prompt the programme of reform. That is

firmly based on advice given to us by the OECD. I am determined we move

forward with reform and that will lead to the improvements in Scottish

education all of us want to see. The answer there was the same as the

answer always seems to be, don't worry, bear with us and it will all

seem to be fine. It is a stuck record and we have heard it before.

Fiona Hyslop in 2009, we are determined to release that train.

The Minister for learning in 2013, I am confident we will see continued

progress in future years. Last year, Angela Constance, regarding

following literacy standards, promising she was the one who would

sort things out. That went well. We have had ten years worth of promises

from several SNP Education Secretary is. Is it a pass or fail? We have a

record number of exam passes in Scottish education. That is a

statement of fact. We have a higher number of young people going into

positive destinations than was the case previously. I come back to the

point I made earlier. The survey results are not good enough. I want

to see them published at. The report that was published told us to focus

on a number of things. It said we had to focus on closing the

attainment gap. It told us to put in place a measurement system, so we

established the National improvement framework. Initial beta at school

level will be published next week. From next year, it will be informed

by new standardised assessments. It told us to simplify the curriculum.

John Swinney has taken action to reduce teacher workload, strip away

bureaucracy, and allow them to focus on what you're doing. Is said that

schools at the heart of the system, so the governance review is looking

at how we empower schools. And lastly improve leadership. We are

taking forward a new programme of developing new headteachers. These

are hard, concrete, tangible actions. I know the opposition will

want to criticise. I can have no complaint about that. What I think

is most important now is we all get behind these reforms. These reforms

that will lead to the improvements we want to see in Scottish

education. Not even an attempt from the First Minister to defend her

ministers' performance. Not even an attempt to. We're been warning about

the state of our education system for years. She talks of a governance

review to come, but we await the details. Given the evidence of this

week, I think it has to go deeper. The single biggest education reform

under this government has been curriculum for excellence. Nobody

here can simply brushed aside the fact that since it has come in,

standards have fallen. I am telling the First Minister today that our

ongoing support for curriculum for excellence cannot be taken for

granted. I believe this entire project should be put on probation.

There is a simple question I ask in all sincerity. If standards are

going down because of it, why are we sticking by it? The principles

behind the curriculum for excellence are right. Unanimous agreement

within the Parliament it is the right way, as it is in the teaching

profession. These other words of Liz Smith on seventh December. Just

yesterday. I believe curriculum for excellence is the right way forward.

Ruth Davidson has rightly and understandably quoted today the PISA

survey. Carried out by the OECD. We ask the very same organisation to

review curriculum for excellence and they have says it is the right thing

to do, but they have given us advice I have narrated in my previous

answer about how we improve standards in our school. That is

what we will continue to do. That was quite a selective summary of

what the First Minister wants us to believe the OECD report says. Let me

read out what it actually says. It says, we emphasise that this summary

is not an evaluation of Curriculum for Excellence itself and indeed the

evidence is not available for such an evaluation. Now, we have had all

the while from this government bland platitudes. All the while those

platitudes have been coming, standards have gone down. We have

gone backwards in Reading, backwards and science, backwards in maths and

this week the SNP, the First Minister's colleagues, told us that

despite all the challenges we face right now, what would be good for

Scotland is a constitutional crisis. It's not another constitutional

crisis we need, it is a government that faces up to its failure is an

tackles them head on. I asked the First Minister, what is more

important? Picking yet another fight over the constitution, or picking a

fight to improve our schools? I have to say, it may have escaped Ruth

Davidson's notice, but the entire UK faces a constitutional crisis right

now, being played out in the Supreme Court this very day. It is a

constitutional crisis created by the European obsession of the

Conservatives, the Brexit obsession. I will leave Ruth Davidson to the

politics today. I want to get back to the important matter of Scottish

education. I notice she didn't comment on the quote from Liz Smith

earlier this week, where she said the principles behind Curriculum for

Excellence are absolutely right. That is the view of the Tory

education spokesperson. It is also my view and I think it is the view

of most people across this chamber. What we now need to do is focus on

implementing the recommendations of the OECD. Making sure we invest, as

we are doing silk through the attainment fund, in raising

attainment. Making sure we have more data available at school level about

the performance of our schools. Making sure we take away bureaucracy

and invest in educational leadership. These are the hard

actions this government will take forward. That is what parents across

this country have a right to expect us to do and we will do it. This is

a sombre day for Parliament. On behalf of Scottish Labour, let me

extend our condolences to the family and friends of Alex Johnson. Are

proud and devoted family man, a great character and was respected

widely across this chamber. Can ask the First Minister what engagements

she has planned for the rest of the week. Engagements to take forward

the government's plans for Scotland. Thousands of children attend

football training stations every week. Young boys and girls wanting

to emulate their sporting heroes. But football has become enmeshed in

society's shame. Once again, people who were trusted to care for our

children have been found to be abusing. People have come forward

with the courage to speak of their abuse. Does she believe these abused

people should have justice? Of course I do. These allegations

sicken us. Enquiries must take place with the police. In order that

anyone who has been the victim of abuse gets the justice they saw

rightly deserve. What is being alleged is criminal behaviour of the

most serious kind. The NSPCC have established a dedicated advice line

for anyone with concerns relating to abuse in football. All agencies are

committed to working with the police, to ensure any allegations

are investigated properly and thoroughly. Anyone who has suffered

abuse should get access to justice. We are all horrified by child sex

abuse. But this did happen to ex-footballers. Yet we will not be

able to bring their cases to the Scottish Child abuse enquiry because

they were not in care when they were abuse. This is true for all those

who suffered abuse in youth clubs, parishes or other sports clubs.

Survivors groups have asked that the enquiry's remit be extended to all

situations where a duty of care existed. Labour has backed that

call. The growing tide of revelations from footballers adds to

that demand. Will the First Minister reconsider the enquiry's remit? The

enquiries that must take place now into the allegations that are being

made about football or first and foremost police enquiries. What is

being alleged is criminal behaviour. The police must investigate

thoroughly and robust play. If I could turn to the question about the

public enquiry into child abuse, I of course understand the motivations

of those who now call for the remit of that enquiry to be extended.

Kezia Dugdale is right to see some survivors groups have called for

that happen. Others have said the do not wish to see it extended in that

way. The government has given this issue the most careful

consideration. The enquiry which is already the most wide-ranging public

enquiry ever held in Scotland, deliberately focuses on in care of

abuse that took place in institutions or other settings that

had legal responsibility for the long-term care of children. In place

of their parents. To widen the remit of that enquiry would mean that it

would take perhaps many many years longer to conclude its

investigations and would risk becoming completely unwieldy. And we

would be at risk, I think, of breaking our word to the survivors

of in care abuse. My view is we should allow the enquiry to get on

with its job and we should allow the police to get on a third job of

investigating allegations of abuse in football. As the police enquiries

take their course, if it does emerge there are wider systemic concerns to

be addressed, we would consider very seriously how that should be taken

forward This is about a fundamental

principle and she should look to Australia to see how it can be done.

Survivors of child abuse deserve justice, and the wait for an enquiry

has already been too long. This enquiry holds out the promise of

justice, but in restricting just who and what will be investigated, it

will deny their justice. As it currently stands, the enquiry is

excluding the vast judge of people who were abused. First sinister, how

can that be right? Please, think about. -- First Minister, how cannot

be right? Think again. The government has considered this

carefully, John Swinney considered this matter and it is something that

it sticks in three, we have to have an enquiry that can quickly give

survivors the answer is that they want to ensure that we want to learn

the lessons that they want us to learn so we can see that that kind

of in care abuse will never be allowed to happen again in Scotland.

We should look at experience in other countries and also the

experience in England about what could happen if the remote becomes

too unwieldy. -- the remit. We have to take these issues into account

and come to a balanced conclusion and that is what we are seeking to

do. Any abuse, no matter who is the victim and where that abuse occurs,

is serious and must be properly and fully investigated. There is a

distinction, I think, in terms of in care abuse where the institution

where the abuse happens was in place of the parent of the child and had

legal responsibility for the long-term care of the child. We will

continue to take these issues very seriously. And through all of our

actions, whether through public enquiry or through the action that

we support in terms of the SFA action and the action police will

take to take that make sure that anybody who was a victim of abuse

gets access to justice because they deserve justice. Ask the First

Minister what discussions the Scottish Government has had with the

Greater Glasgow health board moving staff in my constituency which could

you to eight closure -- lead to a closure of a minor injury unit in

the west of Glasgow so constituents would have to go to the north or

south. The Health Secretary had discussion this morning with the

chair of the health board about this, the health board have

announced that they plan to move some staff from the minor injury

unit at Yorkhill to Queen Elizabeth as part of their overall plans for

the winter period. The Health Secretary has spoken to the chair of

the board this morning and he has given assurances that that move is

temporary, to make sure that they are making better use of the expert

nursing staff to help as many people as possible. The Health Secretary

would be more than happy to discuss the issue in more detail with the

member and have further discussions as required with the health board.

To ask the First Minister what her response is to be an announcement on

Tuesday of 270 job losses at a company in Romford chair, and how

the government will -- Renfrew Shire, as these announcements follow

recent announcement that other firms are moving out of Paisley? Because

this -- the business ministers met with members recently and are

convening a discussion in February to discuss the best way forward

following the announcement, including the option of a task force

which I discussed with Renfrewshire Council. In terms of Babcock, we are

concerned to hear that they intend to consult on job losses, we know it

is a difficult time for the workers at that site, Scottish pride are

engaging with them -- Scottish enterprise are engaging with them to

support all options to protect jobs and I would encourage the company to

do all they can to avoid redundancies. In the unfortunate

event that any redundancies proceed, we will make sure that the support

is there to help workers affected and we will do everything we can to

help in the circumstances. They are associate the Scottish Green party

the remarks made about Alex Johnson, we have all enjoyed many debates

with Alex over the years, enjoyed them not least when we disagreed,

which, let's face it, was probably most of the time. But he always took

that role in the spirit of good humour and respect and we will miss

him. Can I ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet. The

Cabinet will next meet on Tuesday. In February this year, I described

Donald Trump as an arrogant and racist bully, and as a dangerous

extremist. To be honest, I could have said much worst. The First

Minister said she would use more diplomatic than which but she

thought her views on Donald Trump were not materially different than

our own. Now we need to work out how to deal with the reality that he

will be the US president without denying what kind of person he truly

is. And as he feels his team with powerful economic elite, white

nationalist misogynist homophobes and now climate deniers, we must

consider how our relationship with the US is going to have to change.

That's the First Minister agree that the appointment of a climate denier

who has helped the fossil fuel industry to undermine climate change

policy to lead the EPA is sand and dangerous -- sad and dangerous

decision as Bernie Sanders put it, to the US policy and the global

climate agenda? I think we should challenge the views of anybody who

denies science around climate change and I think it is really important

that in this parliament, where we have shown a lead in years gone by,

continues to take a leap in arguing the case for the action that is

necessary to tackle Chuck climate change. Patrick Harvie asked me when

the Cabinet would next meet, when we last met on Tuesday, we had a

substantial discussion about climate change and plans for further

legislation to toughen targets around target emissions and I'm a

change so we should continue to lead by example. And all of this -- all

of us should stick up for our principles, but also seek to work at

protecting the relationship thing the peoples of Scotland and the USA,

it is an important and long standard relationship of culture, family ties

and business and I will continue to do what I can to make sure that

relationship goes from strength to strength. Thank you. I look forward,

as I am sure we all do, to the result of that Cabinet discussion

and the First Minister at the weekend gave a more detailed speech

on climate policy than I can remember before, so we all look

forward to more progress on that at domestic level. But that

relationship with the US, which the First Minister rightly says is

important, if it is going to be of value to us all, to them and to us,

surely it has to be with those state and city governments which want the

US to continue to be a progressive force on climate change, and who are

willing to resist the dangerous policies of the Trump regime once it

comes into power? There are a range of climate change initiatives,

individual statement and networks of city mayor to our adverts for this

agenda. What action is the Scottish Government taking to make contact

with those people who will be genuinely useful allies in an agenda

climate change around the world and helping them to resist the actions

of the Trump government? We are active in working with other states

and regions, in fact the committee states and regions, that is the

accurate title, we work closely with them, this time last year I was

taking part in discussions with that group and within that group Scotland

is seen as a leader. I think Patrick Harvie makes an important point and

an accurate point that in the United states, much of the action that is

required to tackle climate change not coming from Federal government

but from state governor. We were being addressed by Leonardo DiCaprio

at a recent dinner, I had the opportunity to meet with the man who

runs his climate change foundation but previously was the climate

change adviser to Governor Schwarzenegger in California, and

some of the works at California is doing around clean green energy

should give all averse a lot of calls for -- all of us a lot of

calls for optimism. We will continue to work with the American is

ministration in terms of these and other issues, but also with states

and other regions across Europe and the wider world as well and as we do

so, we will continue to make sure that we are taking the action here

that is as genuine credibility as a world leader. He was a mischievous,

humorous and engaging man, and I know that the whole chamber will

miss Alex Johnson. To ask the First Minister what issues will be

discussed at the next meeting of Cabinet. Matters of importance to

the people of Scotland. Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Japan, South

Korea, Switzerland, Estonia, Canada, Netherlands, Finland, Denmark,

Slovenia, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Norway, Austria, Vietnam,

New Zealand, Australia, Sweden, Russia, and France. Scotland used to

have one of the best education systems in the world. Now we have

dropped behind all of those countries. After ten years of SNP

rule, we are not even as good as England any more. Scotland's

children and teachers have still not had a proper explanation. So can the

First Minister tell them what has gone wrong? I am not going to rise

to the bait on the politics of this issue today because I think it is

too important to all of us. As I said in response to an earlier

question, I can point to much in Scottish education that shows

improvement, whether that is exam passes, positive destinations or the

evidence which is not yet going far or fast enough around the narrowing

of the attainment gap. As I said, the outcome of the PISA survey is

not good enough. I am not bitter right to the bait on the politics, I

will continue to focus the government I need to take action on

the position. That is why all of the action that I ran through in

response to Ruth Davidson is so important, because that is what is

going to make the difference in Scottish education. A -- out of what

I talked about earlier, that is the most important thing, as well as

keeping this government to account, it is the data which we will publish

starting next week. For the first time we will publish data but us at

local authority level but on a school by school basis. From next

year, that will be informed by standardised assessment,

standardised assessment that Willie Rennie has opposed at every turn so

far in this chamber. So we will continue to focus on taking action

that needs to be taken. We are serious about seeing these

improvements made in the hope Parliament will get behind us

because some of what we are going to do over the next period will be

controversial. Some of that will run into real resistance and at that

point I think it'll be interesting to see whether those the opposition

parties are behind us on these things or not. You know when the

First Minister accuses other parties of politics, it is because she had

no answers and there have been no answers again today. Children have

been denied the explanation as to why we are where we are. Why we are

behind all of those countries. They deserve an explanation. And

complacency has been losing out of ministers for a whole decade bust up

Keith Brown said, we are now in an era when the performance of

Scotland's peaches will be matched by the Scotland government. Angela

Constance, the government's record is faster period. And the ever

modest Microsoft live at a speech entitled Scottish education, from

good to great. All of this while they provided over the worst result

ever. While they sit round the Cabinet table blocking the

transformational investment that our education needs. They preserve the

reintroduction of Thatcherite league tables, the centralisation of

education and 20,000 pages of guidance. So will the First Minister

overrule all of these ministers, and invest the ?500 million for

education in the budget next week as Mac?

here is the real nub of the matter. Education is important. We are

making sure investment gets to areas of greatest need. If Willie Rennie

cheers to go and read the report, you will find in chapter eight this

observation. While investment is important, it is not enough. The

difference in PISA scorers in different countries is less to do

with differences in investment, but more to do with differences in

policies and practice. We will invest, but also make sure we carry

forward the reforms to our school system required to be made. So far,

every single one of these reforms we have brought forward, and we heard

some of that they are, have been opposed by Willie Rennie. That proof

of the pudding is in this. As we bring form the necessary reforms,

will we have the support of this chamber? Will we have the support of

opposition who are good at the rhetoric around this, but will we

have the support when we do the tough things in education at need to

be done. We will find out sooner rather than later. One of my

constituents has been an outstanding leader of the scandal regarding the

transvaginal review. There has been a replacement of one of the members

of the review. Can the First Minister as sure as there has not

been an interference? I received a letter from Shona Robinson, where

she admitted that counterfeit material may well have been inserted

into women, but the Scottish body have said that because I have been

no adverse incidents so far, no further action is required. Surely

it is not the Scottish Government's position is the fitting of

counterfeit material is acceptable? This is an important issue. I credit

the women who have bravely brought forward this issue. I am aware of

the resignation of the cheer. An unfortunate development. I will look

into these issues personally and I will write to Jackson Carlaw or have

the Health Secretary do so, so we can give assurance this enquiry will

conclude and whatever findings it publishes will be taken forward. The

M H R A is an independent regulatory body. It is not under the

responsibility of this Parliament. These are serious and painful issues

for the women concerned. We want to ensure this enquiry concludes

properly and any actions for the Scottish Government are taken

forward, as people would expect. I will make sure we will respond in

full with the detailed information that he is asking for. Contractors

on the fourth crossing project are ripping off other tradesmen by up to

?5 per hour. They are not paying holiday pay. Workers are being

allowed on site without appropriate safety accreditation. Will the First

Minister meet with me to discuss exploited workers. Those practices

that are outlined, if they have been undertaken, are unacceptable and the

Scottish Government would not tolerate that kind of behaviour. I

am more than happy to ask the Cabinet said at a to discuss these

matters with the member so we can take forward any action necessary.

The Forth crossing bridge is nearing completion and it is an iconic

structure. We all are huge debt of gratitude to every worker who has

worked hard on that. We also will take seriously any allegations made.

To ask the First Minister how much the Scottish Government has

allocated to tackle fuel poverty and improve energy efficiency in this

parliamentary session. ?130 million and by the end of this Parliament,

we will have committed over ?1 billion to improve energy efficiency

in Scotland's homes and improve fuel poverty. Figures are improving, but

there is a great deal of work to be done. We have continually called on

the UK Government to do more in response to above inflation energy

price increases in recent years. I welcome those findings. Fuel poverty

has fallen, partly due to the falling price of domestic fuels. But

energy prices are higher in the Highlands and Islands, despite

multiple requests for the UK Government to do anything about it.

What more can the First Minister do to help low-income households with

their fuel bills? There are particular issues in rural areas.

The working group concluded recently. We will continue to take

action regarding energy efficiency in our homes. We will continue to

work with the energy companies to make sure there is a treatment for

those on low income, for example I don't think it is acceptable some of

the most vulnerable consumers on prepayment meters should be paying

more. The Cabinet Secretary is convening a meeting next week. We

will continue to take action across a range of issues, to make sure we

continue to see the trend in the most recent figures will continue.

Which is a reduction of people living in fuel poverty in Scotland.

I met recently with the chair of the Scottish rural fuel poverty task

force. He was keen to bring forward improvements for remote rural

Scotland. What proportion of investments will the government be

putting into tackling fuel poverty will be put into energy carer

schemes? We will respond in full to that report at the start of next

year. We will lay out the actions we will take regarding the

recommendations. He raises an important issue and it is of course

areas like that that we want to address with the funding we are

committed to. More detail will be set out at the start of the year by

the Communities Secretary. To ask the First Minister what the Scottish

Government's position is on increasing sentences imposed by

causing death by dangerous driving. Those who drive dangerously and kill

people ruin lives, not just of those who die, but of their family and

friends. The UK Government is currently consulting on whether

courts should have increased power to deal with such offenders. Nothing

can compensate for the loss of a family member, but increasing

penalties may help discourage people from driving dangerously in the

first place. This area of law is not devolved to Scotland. I would

encourage all those with concerns to respond to the consultation. The

four -- there is a campaign in a newspaper in Falkirk to end the

loophole where I drink-driver often gets a shorter sentence where they

flee the scene of the accident. It is a lesser offence to be charged

with careless driving. It is important to raise awareness of the

dangers associated with anyone driving a car dangerously. I think

it is legitimate to campaign for tougher sentences. Sentencing is a

matter for the courts. Some of the issues that the member has raised as

part of the campaign from the newspaper in Falkirk are being

looked at in the UK Government's consultation. I encourage everyone

in this Parliament and across the country to respond to the

consultation. I think there is a strong case to toughen up sentences

available to the courts in these circumstances. I hope that is the

direction the UK Government will take once they have considered the

responses to the consultation. To ask the First Minister what the

response is to the recent revised for cast for growth? It signals a

weaker outcome for the Scottish economy than immediately prior to

the EU referendum. This government's immediate focus is on seeking to

safeguard Scotland's place in Europe and our position in the single

market. Given that now every economic forecaster has revised

their growth projections down words, will the First Minister order a

review of the economic strategy published in March 2015 and the

inward investment strategy published in March 2016, both of which were

before Brexit, to reflect the challenging market conditions for

our businesses? She raises reasonable points. We keep our

economic strategy under review on an ongoing basis. Were looking

particularly closely at some of the aspects of the economic strategy in

light of Brexit and our budget next week will set out our plans to

ensure Scotland is a competitive place to do business and we are

focusing on growth in our economy. The skills and enterprise review is

very much about making sure all of our agencies working in this area

are working in a coordinated and comprehensive way to take forward

the economic strategy. We will continue to review and keep

under consideration that strategy, so we have the right measures in

place. The economy is Secretary is happy to discuss this in more detail

with members. How will making Scotland the most highly taxed part

of the UK help our economy grow? I intend to make sure we have fair and

balanced taxation for individuals and companies in this country. The

Tories are imposing Brexit and deep cuts. We will balance all of these

things in our budget. We will make sure we are focusing on growth, but

also protecting our public services and the most vulnerable in our

society because the Conservatives' policies are hitting the most

vulnerable and making it harder to protect public services. Finance

Secretary will set out our budget in the interests of Scotland in all of

these areas. To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish

Government can take in light of age Scotland's campaign to tackle

loneliness over the festive season. It is especially heartbreaking to

think at this time of year that many of our older neighbours will spend

Christmas alone. On Monday of this week, I helped to launch the festive

campaign. I would encourage everyone across Scotland to reach out to

older people in their communities. We are setting up a national

strategy to help tackle this issue. ?20 million currently supports seven

projects regarding social isolation in older people. We cannot leave

everything to government when personal neighbourly contact is

important. Will the national strategy consider the isolation

experienced by older people who may have a concessionary bus pass, but

no transport let alone busses, particularly in rural areas, knowing

that loneliness has serious implications for mental health,

money spent here could be money saved in the NHS, as well as giving

a greater quality of life. Will this have a place in that strategy?

It is a pertinent point about the power of preventative spending, if

we invest a small amount in these problems then we save money for the

NHS, local authorities and others. She also raises important point

about those living in rural areas, and for those living in rural areas

those issues are often more acute. So in developing the national

strategy that I spoke about, I can give them an assurance that we will

consider all of those issues of cross government so we are as

effectively as possible tackling those issues. That concludes First

Minister's questions. A festive note for the conclusion

but not particularly festive because it was dealing with loneliness at

Christmas. Allegations about education and sexual abuse

allegations in football. On education, both Ruth Davidson and

Willie Rennie really went for it, and the 13 of the almost said, OK,

hands up. -- and the First Minister almost said. This was bound to be

the big issues for the opposition parties, the lowest rankings of all

time in the PISA stats, international comparison of

education level. And she had to take it on the chin. She had to say, we

cannot defend it. She then went on to lay out some of the things she

said the government had been doing to address these failings, because

they reflect decisions for -- from two years ago. At that time they

asked the lady for advice on what they -- the OED what they should be

doing and they should get that. Ruth Davidson and Willie Rennie said,

repeating quotes from previous education secretaries and Ben Foster

is saying it is good to be great, -- saying it is going to be great.

Willie Rennie said that misses had been using complacency for a decade.

-- ministers had been losing complacency. He had a point but the

reforms that have been bought in have been backed by the opposition

parties. And wasn't that a change. You heard John Swinney shouting,

that is a change, and he is the Education Secretary. She indicated

that might change, she has got to put it on probation. If this is the

problem, how are we sticking with it? I am stuck with the remark from

the First Minister when she said, yes, investment is important but it

does not necessarily define the difference in those international

comparison scores. The SNP want to put more money into education but

there is not as much as they would like. That is why she is defending

not going down that road by saying that investment is important but not

the only thing. We need to find out what is going wrong here and put it

right. Let's turn to the subject of the historical child abuse

allegations connected to football, the First Minister was in a

difficult dilemma coming to an enquiry. She is, they are serious

allegations and we do not know how half far-reaching these will be. The

Scottish Government is already conducting an enquiry into

historical allegations for children who have been in care. Some

survivors say that that should be widened out to include other groups

who have been abused, that could be football clubs. But Nicola Sturgeon

said not all survivors want that. If you expand the enquiry, it could

take a long time to finish its work and a lot of the people who were

abuse are quite elderly, and they may not live to see the results of

that though justice could be denied for them. It is a difficult

question. She said it was a primarily criminal question, police

enquiries, but she left open the positivity that she might return to

it. Her main defence of not going forward is that it was in the hands

of the police and we knew that would be the case. But the fact is, she

then said if the results of all of these police enquiries show systemic

abuse, then we are not ruling out looking into that in the future. She

was trying to say the particular issue with children who were in

care, extended slightly to say, while they were in care, abuse that

happened elsewhere, not necessarily in that setting, that has already

been extended by John Swinney, she was joined to say that was

particular because it was institution. For those who are in

loco parentis. It was indeed, and I guess these fit for clubs, they were

not in a position but I don't think just saying that will ease the

consultant -- is the consent of parents who have sent their sport --

recruit children for training. It is the national sport of Scotland.

Kezia Dugdale was affected and effective today, she said, please

think again. There was an accident plea to include this kind of abuse,

boys organisations, scouts, Boys' Brigade, anything in that context.

It is not difficult to have sympathy with that but we have already seen

what happens when enquiries get out of control. Nicola Sturgeon cited

the initial example. Or the Edinburgh trams or whatever. --

Nicola Sturgeon cited the English example. We will talk to you again

in a second. I mentioned the role of opposition, and both of the

principal opposition leaders this week have been setting out their

stall as to how they see the status of Scotland changing. We had a

speech from Ruth Davidson earlier in the week and yesterday we had Kezia

Dugdale on the idea of extended the scope of our situation changed to

include English regions. Let's hear from the two of them. This is an act

of union to save the union, I believe in the United Kingdom, I

think it is the most powerful force to redistribute wealth and that is

the argument I have always made. This is a chance to reform it for a

new age and I think we should grasp the asked unity. Scott asked that

after being in the pocket of yes or no, they want progress and change

and they want change and this gives us the opportunity to bring our

country together and I'm proud to advocate it. We know in Scotland, if

you do not pick a proper efforts to bring the two sides back together

after a referendum, divisions can stay there. I do not want to see

that happen the rest of the UK as well which is why I am putting in

the plea today to see if people are saying yes or no to come back

together. As a country, as we are talking about Brexit, that we are

using civil language so people in the rest of Europe, the other 27

nations that will be sitting across the table from negotiating our exit,

understand our position as well. Ruth Davidson and Kezia Dugdale are

both making speeches in London, with those comments. Kezia Dugdale first,

she was previously attacking the First Minister on sticking to the

day job, some felt she was doing that quite effectively, why shift

onto this constitutional ground? Because Labour is in a quagmire over

where it stands on the constitution. It now looks more clear, it looks as

if at long last, and this speech apparently had Jeremy Corbyn's

approval, Labour would now seem to be officially a federal party,

supporting a federal... He is not quite there, he is endorsing the

convention but not official policy. The thing is that, people's

convention, that smells awfully like long grass to me. I think a lot of

people will think that. It is a good idea, it buys time, stops her having

to characterise herself as a Unionist which Labour hate. But will

there be anything in it? The crisis is now with Brexit. Not a few years

down the road. It was a strategy not immediate policy, strategy just to

get a card in the game. It is interesting, I think Gordon Brown

has backed what Kezia Dugdale is doing. He was doing this and

endorsing this prior to misses Doug Bell. -- to Kezia Dugdale. He has

been talking for two years about reforming the constitution of the

UK, and study as powerful and influential as Gordon Brown has not

really managed to take that further forward. I do not know if his

intervention will make much difference to the plight of Scottish

Labour. Let's talk to Ruth Davidson, she said that she was trying to put

aside the differences and bring about unity, some people said, hang

on a second, the problem was caught in the first place by the

Conservatives. She would say that. This is the mess of her party's own

making. This was a mess born of David Cameron's confident that he

could have a referendum safe in the knowledge that Britain would not be

mad enough to vote for Brexit, now they have. And surprise, surprise,

the language has become inflamed, I do not think anyone should be

surprised by that. There will have to be reconciliation after that and

that is true, but whether the Conservatives are the people with

the moral high ground here, I am not so sure. She's also train to stress

the UK damaging to this, preserve the UK damaging. She is, and after

2014 when Scotland voted to stay in the union, since then politicians

have been calling on people to heal the divide but now we have had the

Brexit referendum and massive differences between Scotland and

England. And that is only heightening the differences north

and south of the border. You have the tribute from all of the leaders

from Alex Thomson, this was him taking the oath in 1999, he was 38,

he was here constantly until his death tragically very recently, he

thought he had a problem with gallstones a few months ago and it

turned out to be terminal cancer. The Book of Remembrance has been

opened. He was resolutely Tory, union and and Scottish, what did you

make of him? I think someone who was very much on the right-hand side of

his party, but he had a great sense of humour. He always conducted

debates in that style. And I think that made him quite likeable, you

could agree with him but it was likeable. You could disagree with

him but it was done with a smile. He was a big personality, he will be

missed. Indeed, a big person in Parliament, and talking about him

being on the right, he was the sole Tory voice on the welfare reform

committee and the Conservatives at Westminster were pushing through

quite controversial welfare reforms. The SNP and Labour were attacking

them for those and Alex Johnson was the Parthenon committee to fight the

fight for the Conservatives and stand there corner, he did that with

character and robustly but that is why we have had quite warm tributes

to him. Very warm tributes, he was a man of the north-east, from Lewis

critics given country, and I remember are lying, he was a man

rooted in the land, but it was never really for him.

Oh, Walt. You got to call me Walt. Mr Disney was my old man.

Enjoy four BBC films this Christmas on BBC Two.