10/01/2013 Politics Scotland

A very warm welcome to the Scottish Parliament, happy New Year to all

future in this first programme of the year. Big news, the First

Minister has been cleared of potential breaches of the

Ministerial Code. There were complaints from a Labour MEP about

Scotland's relationship with the EU, whether the First Minister had

taken legal advice on that question. He has been cleared, but the court

does say there were muddled at potentially confusing remarks in an

interview on this topic with the BBC's Andrew Neil. Let's see if

that question comes up. The First Minister is leading a tribute now

to the former -- a former SNP minister.

Later today, I will be putting forward the Government's programme

for Scotland. The thank you very much, First

Minister, and we to wish to send condolences to his family. In the

first week after the summer recess, the First Minister removed his

Deputy Secretary Nicola Sturgeon from Helford bitter in charge of

economic recovery. Four months later, it is clear why she was keen

to move on. A children's ward was threatened with closure it

Livingstone. Such a rate cut at Perth Royal Infirmary. The scandal

caused beyond. People with terminal illnesses being denied life-

prolonging drugs available in other parts of the country. Nicola

Sturgeon proclaimed to be the Yes Minister. Can we start to calling

Alec Neil the clean up the mess Minister? As I remember it, when it

Nicola Sturgeon, the Deputy First Minister, moved, many voices across

the chamber were saying how excellent she had been as Health

Secretary. Even Jackie Baillie, I think, moved herself to. I admit it

was in contrast to what was said before, but that was the general

tone. I do not accept Johann Lamont's revisionist view. Let us

look at some of the great successes of the health service. This

Government predicted the front line of the NHS budget, delivering a

record �11.6 billion worth of resources, something that would not

have been guaranteed if we had the misfortune of the Labour Party. It

is why I suspect that the thing that really matters, public and

patient confidence in the NHS in Scotland, is at a very high level

indeed. I could also mention that this party seems almost to be a

loan in this chamber now, as I understand it, in wanting to

maintain a National Health Service free at the point of need. As I

understand it, prescription charges are part of the Labour cuts

commission. Perhaps another reason why the Scottish National Party

Government's record on the health service is so warmly supported by

the Scottish people. Perhaps the First Minister himself may not have

been so fulsome in his praise of Nicola Sturgeon when she moved if

he realised now what we're hearing about what is happening in the

health service. We know what it -- we know there is a real terms cut,

at whatever the First Minister says about free prescription charges, we

also know it is a service under phenomenal pressure. His denial of

that is a denial of his responsibility as the First

Minister of this country. Because of course, no matter what gloss the

First Minister wants to bid on it, on November seventh the order to

rub -- auditor general Caroline Gardner did our health service on a

number warning. When I challenged the First Minister on this he said

that -- the National Health Service was performing in an outstanding

fashion. The Audit Scotland report highlighted Nicola Sturgeon's real

legacy - �1 billion repair backlog. Health boards having to borrow to

keep services up and running. This is what the auditor general said,

not me. And thousands of staffing cuts leaving us with fewer nurses

than when the SNP came to power. Given the new revelations on a

daily basis about the mess Nicola Sturgeon has left the Scottish

Health Service in, does the First Minister still think the Auditor-

I think Johann Lamont is wrong, not the Auditor-General. She is wrong

in a range of ways, but in particular I know she is now --

notice she has now revised her previous claim she made on fourth

September last year that there were fewer staff in the health service

when I became First Minister. In fact, on June 12th, 130,363 in the

health service, compared with 127,000 in September 2006. Actually,

more staff in the health service but when the SNP took office.

Perhaps why she did not seek to repeat that claim. No doubt we

might get a correction at some time. Let us just assume that Jackie

Baillie, the person who said that Scotland was the centre of hospital

acquired infection just when hospital acquired infections were

dramatically declining in Scotland, let's assume that Jackie Baillie

and others will be difficult to convince of the excellence of the

work of the people in the National Health Service. What really matters

is the satisfaction rate among the people. That is recorded in the

Scottish Household Survey, not by the Government, but the Scottish

results are very. 88% of people were satisfied with their local

health services, up from 81% in 2007. Not just a satisfaction ratio

at a high level, but also a significantly higher level than

when the SNP took office. I somehow think that the verdict of the

people of Scotland is somewhat more impartial than divided of the

Labour Party benches. After all, is did the verdict of the people of

Scotland that has this Government in office and at the Labour Party

in opposition? First of all, the First Minister he set -- says he

thinks I am wrong. By work on the assumption that he thinks I am

wrong. The problem for the First Minister is the Auditor General is

saying something very serious, and he is saying that is wrong. Staff

across Scotland are raising concerns about the pressures they

are under in the NHS. This is not an attack on staff doing a

phenomenal job. The charge is that this Government is not supporting

them and making that job more difficult. It seems every week we

have another damning report on the health service. In 2008, Nicola

Sturgeon said she had made tackling health inequalities our top

priority. Yet the auditor general, Caroline Gardner, cut -- told the

audit committee in December that in terms of life expectancy the gap is

still increasing. The Chief Medical Officer, Dr Harry Burns, also

abolished the lack of progress in tackling health inequalities in

this -- under this Government. Now we are told that we're having a

rethink to how we approach health inequalities. Is that an admission

that Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP have completely failed to deliver

their pop health target? -- pop health target?

Health inequality is a huge issue for the Scottish people. The reason

Harry Burns made that point, I heard at the commit the SNP have

done nothing. As Harry Burns has indicated, the SNP have made the

tackling of health inequalities and facing up to that situation, which

incidentally has been with us for regeneration and more in Scotland,

one of the top priorities of our Government. I can gently say to the

Labour Party that we have a range of measures directed to improve the

health of the Scottish people. One and only one of the most important

of these is our attitude to alcohol and in particular the attempt to

introduce minimum pricing which would have a significant effect on

improving the health of the Scottish people. If the Labour

Party had shown rather more enthusiasm for that, perhaps we

would have a slightly more credibility in their claims on the

National Health Service. But this chamber would do well to

remember there are certain things which... I think a National Health

Service free at the point of need should unite at this chamber. I

think Nicola Sturgeon made at a key object of of Government policy. We

know that a squad that has to be done that we know the measures, we

also know that the measures have revealed immediate short-term gains.

This is something that should unite the Scottish Parliament because it

is of huge important to -- importance to the Scottish people.

The problem is for the First Minister that seeing yet does not

make it puts off. -- that saying that. We understand the challenges,

and the challenge and -- challenge in Government then there is to test

what you do and spend against these outcomes. When I said that, the

First Minister said, no, we will not have that debate at all. The

fact is, Nicola Sturgeon was health secretary for five years. In the

127 days since she left, her successor has had to deal with the

review after review. A review into the full extent of the waiting

lists for health boards across the country, when Nicola Sturgeon told

us that NHS Lorian was a you -- isolated case. A review of access

to ground-breaking drugs for people with terminal illnesses, because

under Nicholas said -- Nicola Sturgeon we went from being the

best in the UK to the worst. And a review of health inequalities and

the resuscitation of a task force five years after Nicola Sturgeon

made it her top priority. How many reviews do we need? How many

independent reports do we need before the First Minister realises

his Government is failing to deliver for the health of the

people of Scotland? Can I just point out it was Nicola

Sturgeon who established the review into waiting lists across Scotland.

Of course, the fact we are prepared to establish that review and do

something about it is in sharp contrast to the Labour Party, where

hidden waiting lists were institutionalised within the Labour

Party policy. Johann Lamont talks about the difference between saying

something and doing something. We have talked about protecting the

health budget, and we have done that. We have delivered in full to

-- a promise to pass on the Barnett formula consequential and this year

it will see a record 11.6 billion resource budget for health in

Scotland in 2015. Exactly what we said we would do. In sharp contrast,

the Labour Party would not give up the commitment to protect the

health service budget, but in the famous Iain Gray interview on

Newsnight refused to say it the health service budget would be

ring-fenced in Scotland. We said we would have it as a key priority of

public spending in Scotland and have delivered that, exactly what

we said we would do in the election, which is why this party has been

trusted by the Scottish people with the National Health Service and our

of our vital public services in To ask the First Minister when he

will next meet the Prime Minister. He not back plans for the

foreseeable future. -- no plans.

A to my ideas ago, the Scottish Government brought into being

payback orders, when the justice minister said criminals would be

paying back by the sweat of their by the harm they had done in our

communities. Can the First Minister tell me how

much of the work handed down in the last financial year has been

completed and does he think the scheme is working?

A think we are making good process on community payback orders across

the range of Justice in Scotland. Can I gently remind Ruth Davidson

we now have crime had the lowest level in Scotland for 37 years.

Just over 105,000 fewer recorded crimes reported to the police than

in 2006-07. This party is delivering on

criminal-justice in Scotland, in sharp contrast to the Tory

Government in West Minister or the Liberal Coalition in Edinburgh. --

Westminster. That is a no, he cannot tell me about his own scheme.

I will use his own figures. In 2012, more than 10,000 orders were handed

out, of which 7763 involved at will work. All of those, only 2536 were

completed. That is less than one third. Even worse, of over 2,500

requirements are officially terminated last year, one-third

were signed off and completed, so the work will never get done. Last

week, a Sheriff raised concerns criminals are coming up, been

marked down for work without lifting a finger. Sheriff Graham

Buchanan thinks the public would be horrified at if they knew how these

so-called robust community services were being administered. There is a

massive backlog, whole sentences are signed off only partially

completed, and offenders are credited with worked they never do.

Communities are being conned and not paid back. Is that why on

Monday this Scottish Government advertised for an upside body to

evaluate whether the orders are We evaluate policies because we

welcome independent scrutiny of the success of the policies.

Independent scrutiny is something I welcome. Today is an excellent they

to be doing that since I have been cleared yet again of the charges

which have been made by the opposition parties in this chamber.

We look very carefully at the success of the policies. I will

point out that the reconviction rate in Scotland dropped to its

lowest level in each of the last 13 years. It is important that the

community payback order is part of an approach which focuses on

reducing offending. Not only are we subjecting all policies to scrutiny,

but given that we have 1000 more police in the street and

communities around Scotland, this is the worst time in recent history

to be a criminal in Scotland, at the best time in recent history to

be a member of the public, with fear of crime up falling for the

first time for many years. Last week NHS Tayside made a

reduction in surgery at Perth Royal Infirmary. That is an top of

reductions in other services over the past year. Does the Scottish

government support this? Their health secretary will directly

address the question all NHS Tayside. Brief supplementary.

By two. What support can the government offer the staff of the

restaurant there who are to be made redundant following the sad

decision to close this social enterprise? The government will

extend the normal impact on pay schemes and try to help the people

in that situation. I had been to that restaurant a number of times.

The government has made available record levels of support for social

enterprise in Scotland. Question number three. I am not switched on.

Thank you. What will the impact on changes to child benefit be to

families in Scotland? They attack on the previously universal child

benefit is expected to affect 1000 households in Scotland. Of these

households 60,000 are expected to lose their entire child benefits.

The First Minister will be aware that the vast majority of Scottish

MPs voted against his attack on child benefit at Westminster. Would

he agree with me that this is further proof that this Parliament

should be the one which has the responsibility to protect Scotland

from further Tory cuts? Labour and the SNP voted in the same lobby in

the House of Commons on Tuesday. There was a recognition that the

range of changes will affect one million households in Scotland.

They will lose substantially. That includes many working councils in

Scotland. They will lose huge sums of money as a result of the

policies of the Tory and Liberal administration at Westminster.

Unity of purpose and defending people at this time of great

economic trouble is to be applauded. They would have been an extra vote

if the leader of their No campaign had not been parading around the

country. Questor number four. does the report on the Scotland's

place in renewables eight sustainable growth? This is a key

part of a strategy for economic growth. I welcome the fact that 84

% of respondents to this survey said Scotland is the most

attractive place across these islands to invest in renewables.

The report said, the market is upbeat about prospects for 2013 and

beyond. And so say all of us. you for that answer. The report

also highlights Scotland's international reputation as a

leader in renewables. Does the First Minister agreed that this is

a very encouraging fact that we seek to attract further investment

to Scotland as a result to create clean energy jobs from the Mull of

Galloway across the country. There has to be a contrast. I welcome the

report. The report says that Scotland is recognised as an

important contributor to renewables globally. It has a clear place in

Hearts and minds of many investors. What is the position of the

Scottish government on the assertion by the Chief Constable of

the police service of Scotland that the change in legislation is

required to properly to find their roles and responsibilities of the

services human-resources and finance functions? The 2012 at is

based on these. The chief constable and the chair of the police a

authority are due to meet soon. Everybody in the chamber will look

forward to seeing that agreement one week on Friday. We look forward

to the conclusion of that meeting. We were looking forward to a

conclusion before Christmas as was promised by the just as Secretary.

The Justice Secretary said in December there is no remaining

contention about what the legislation says about respective

roles. The First Minister himself before Christmas dismissed this as

a creative tension between the two men. This was wishful thinking at

that time and remains so today. Is it not true that the Cabinet

Secretary for Justice has stood back and let apiece with two heads

emerge as both camps duplicate human resources, by gnats and other

functions? The Cabinet Secretary is not in control of this situation.

What will the First Minister do now to ensure that this power struggle

is sorted out immediately? I was overestimating the goodwill and

enthusiasm for the reconciliation of the dispute. The proposed

structures are intended to be three of duplication and overlap. It was

before Christmas in a letter to the justice committee, on 20th December,

that the chair of the it a priority confirms that progress had been

made and that the hope was that agreement would be reached on 18th

January. There is a substantial body looking forward to agreement

at that meeting. I am sure the First Minister welcomes the it

genuine interest in this. Does he agree that we need to focus on and

highlight substantial progress has which have been achieved since last

summer. We have seen the establishment of a national road

patrol. That is a fair point. It is a fair point. It is important to

focus on to the very substantial range of issues which have been

introduced, rather than just focus on a disagreement which hopefully

is near reconciliation. The new police service of Scotland will

have 17,000 officers. That was something that the Labour Party

forecasts would take 30 years to deliver on. Back at what has been

delivered early, it would seem. have the application pack for the

appointment of the chief constable. I caught, the overall purpose of

the post is to establish and lead the police service of Scotland. The

post holder will provide inspirational leadership including

the direction and control of over 17,000 police officers and 6,500

police staff. Were the applicant misled? Is the legislation for

what? What went wrong? I know that job prospects for the Liberal

Democrat are poor these days! I know that people across the chamber

are genuinely looking forward to the meeting one week tomorrow at a

reconciliation of this so we can afford with the new national police

service in Scotland. This is something that would never have

been brought into being if it was up to the Liberal Democrats. What

is the response of the Scottish government to a recent survey which

places Scotland as a number one tourist destination of 2013?

heard some disgruntlement in the Tory benches. This is a good news

story for the tourist industry. The fact that one of the major

broadcasters has put forward Scotland as a number one

destination will be felt across Scotland to be something of a

success at an accolade for our visitor industry. I suggest that

most people in Scotland will say, well ban for making such a wise

choice at putting Scotland's top of the last. -- Scotland top of the

list. Two councils have come together to celebrate Lanarkshire

to a 1013. What boost to this campaign will result from this

survey? The centenary of David Livingstone is a very important. I

was visiting an exhibition in at the National Museum of Scotland

recently. I would commend the people of Scotland to attend that.

This is the year of natural Scotland. There will be an

additional �2.9 million as part of that shovel ready capital programme

to improve the facilities at Scotland's national parks.

Scotland's national parks are already popular. This extra funding

will lose their appeal and help us encourage ever more people to come

to our beautiful country. The First Minister will be aware of the 12 %

drop in tourism numbers this summer which is very worrying. What steps

is he taking to prevent this traffic decline? There was at 12 %

increase in overseas tourism expenditure over the period. There

was a two % decrease in domestic expenditure. Most analysis of these

figures would say it was an exceptionally good performance,

particularly in international tourism, in a year which many

people suspected that international jurists might be diverted elsewhere

because of the understandable concentration on the London

Olympics. I do not share the pessimism about these figures. I

think they are very good figures in these circumstances. I know that