:00:22. > :00:28.A very warm welcome to the Scottish Parliament here at Holyrood. Today
:00:28. > :00:33.is Question as to the First Minister. Also attracting today,
:00:33. > :00:37.the new leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Ruth Davidson, her
:00:37. > :00:47.first outing at First Minister's Questions. She has got her new
:00:47. > :00:50.front bench team in place as well. Let's see how they get on.
:00:50. > :01:00.memorandum of understanding was agreed between the ports authority
:01:00. > :01:01.
:01:01. > :01:11.and the City of Edinburgh council. This agreement will unlock the vast
:01:11. > :01:11.
:01:11. > :01:17.potential of Leith port. This week, in the latest report by European
:01:17. > :01:23.experts, it was made clear how much the cost to taxpayers would be of
:01:23. > :01:25.the requirement for a separate Scotland to join the euro. Our
:01:26. > :01:30.contribution to the bail-out fund would currently be around �8
:01:30. > :01:36.billion. Is that a bill the First Minister is happy to see Scotland
:01:36. > :01:40.pay? I'm actually doubting that Iain Gray has properly read the
:01:40. > :01:44.report from the House of Commons library, because it goes through a
:01:44. > :01:48.range of options. But can I point out that this idea that Scotland
:01:48. > :01:56.would be dragooned into the euro is totally wrong. It is completely
:01:56. > :01:59.without foundation. Scotland's position will be the same as the
:01:59. > :02:04.rest of the United Kingdom, as we become an independent country. We
:02:04. > :02:08.will have exactly the same rights and obligations. The idea that
:02:08. > :02:12.Scotland is treated differently, as some sort of region, I think it is
:02:12. > :02:22.only shared by those who did not understand a point that Scotland is
:02:22. > :02:24.not only a nation, but a European nation. I have read the report, the
:02:24. > :02:34.First Minister needs to understand he's not the only politician who
:02:34. > :02:38.can read. I wonder how much he has read. He simply asserts that we
:02:38. > :02:42.would not have to join the euro. Let's see how the evidence is a
:02:42. > :02:47.stacking up. Those who disagree with him include the writers of the
:02:47. > :02:52.report, a professor from the LSE, a professor from University College
:02:52. > :02:57.London, the First Minister's own economic adviser, the European
:02:57. > :03:02.Commission, President Barroso, who says there will be no more Euro
:03:02. > :03:06.opt-outs, and of course, the treaty of Maastricht. I wonder if the
:03:06. > :03:13.First Minister has ever read that. On the First Minister's side, what
:03:13. > :03:19.do we have? We have the ever trustworthy spokesperson, who was
:03:19. > :03:23.reduced this week to miss Putin the late Robin Cook. -- to misquoting
:03:23. > :03:32.of the late Robin Cook. If the First Minister has crystal clear
:03:32. > :03:37.legal advice on this question, will he publish it? Can I refer Iain
:03:37. > :03:44.Gray to the Ministerial Code concerning legal advice? Perhaps I
:03:44. > :03:50.can help him by citing some authorities. Let's take Lord
:03:50. > :03:54.Mackenzie Stuart, for example, the only Scottish judge who's President
:03:54. > :03:59.of the European Court of Justice. He was asked to address the point
:03:59. > :04:03.about Scotland and the rest of the UK in the event of independence.
:04:03. > :04:09.Independence will leave Scotland in a situation whereby if it had to
:04:09. > :04:12.reapply, so would the rest. I am puzzled that the suggestion that
:04:12. > :04:16.there could be a difference in the situation between Scotland and the
:04:16. > :04:20.rest of the United Kingdom, if the Act of union was dissolved. I think
:04:20. > :04:23.we can reasonably say that the late Lord Mackenzie Stuart is an
:04:23. > :04:28.authority on such matters. I think we can also say that I have no
:04:28. > :04:38.knowledge that he was over-friendly to the position of the SNP. But he
:04:38. > :04:42.
:04:42. > :04:46.looked precisely at this case. The. He put forward very clearly was
:04:46. > :04:52.that Scotland and the rest of the UK would be in exactly the same
:04:53. > :04:57.legal position. I asked a former director general of the European
:04:57. > :05:01.Commission, ambassador to the UN in New York, and he said, Scotland and
:05:01. > :05:07.the rest of the UK would be equally entitled to continue their full
:05:07. > :05:11.membership of the European Union. I am quite happy to quote a whole
:05:11. > :05:14.range of these to Iain Gray. I hope he will accept that these are
:05:14. > :05:19.important authorities, whose view has been published. I hope he has
:05:19. > :05:23.read them, and I hope he will now abandon this attempt to somehow
:05:23. > :05:28.suggest that Scotland, with its enormous natural resources, the
:05:28. > :05:31.dominating position of the European Union's or oil and gas resources,
:05:31. > :05:41.its great renewable resources, would somehow not be wanted by the
:05:41. > :05:51.rest of the European Union! I read those reports, and I read them this
:05:51. > :05:52.
:05:52. > :05:58.morning. The point is that they do not precisely address the question
:05:58. > :06:02.I am put into the First Minister. They both say, one on the evidence
:06:02. > :06:06.of the other, but they both say that Scotland would continue to be
:06:06. > :06:12.a member of the European Union. My question to the First Minister is,
:06:12. > :06:16.what does he say to all of those experts who accept that point but
:06:16. > :06:26.say that as a member of the European Union, Scotland would have
:06:26. > :06:27.
:06:27. > :06:37.to join the euro? Well, it may be that the interpretation is that the
:06:37. > :06:46.rest of the UK would be in the same position - my question... That the
:06:46. > :06:50.member finish his question, please. I love it when they think they have
:06:50. > :06:56.discovered something. My question is, what would Scotland's position
:06:56. > :07:02.be? All those experts say, we would be in the euro and it would cost �8
:07:02. > :07:05.billion. As for the legal advice, everyone knows, Alex Salmond had
:07:05. > :07:13.legal advice agreeing with him on this point, he would have found a
:07:13. > :07:17.way to get it out. What Fiona Hyslop says is that letting
:07:18. > :07:23.Scotland know whether his policy is going to cost Scotland �8 billion
:07:23. > :07:28.is contrary to the public interest. I don't think so, doesn't she
:07:28. > :07:36.really mean it is contrary to the SNP's interest, so they are going
:07:36. > :07:42.to keep it secret? First Minister... Well, aren't we making progress?
:07:42. > :07:47.Iain Gray has now read, this morning, the legal advice on some
:07:47. > :07:53.of the most incredible people who have addressed this question. So,
:07:53. > :07:57.let me give him another credible person. The first longest serving
:07:57. > :08:03.Secretary-General of the European Commission. They say, Scotland
:08:03. > :08:05.would have equal status with the other states. The remainder of the
:08:05. > :08:10.United Kingdom would not be in a more powerful position than
:08:10. > :08:13.Scotland. Therefore we come to Iain Gray's dramatic admission before
:08:13. > :08:18.this chamber - it might very well be that the rest of the UK would
:08:18. > :08:22.have to join the euro. Now, we understand the entrenched
:08:22. > :08:27.opposition of the unionist parties to Scottish independence. What they
:08:27. > :08:31.are worried about is that England and the rest would be forced into
:08:31. > :08:36.membership of the Euro! Let me put to him the point that as a
:08:36. > :08:39.successor state, both parts inherit the rights and obligations,
:08:39. > :08:43.including the opt-out negotiated by the UK. But I can offer him this
:08:43. > :08:48.further reassurance, but even if that was not the case, even if it
:08:48. > :08:52.was the case of Sweden as a new member, Sweden is not in the euro.
:08:52. > :08:57.Why? Because the people of Sweden said they did not want to join it,
:08:57. > :09:01.and that was accepted by the European Commission. So, let's
:09:01. > :09:05.sweep away all this scaremongering and accept the fact that Scotland
:09:05. > :09:09.is a European nation, and right across Europe, people will be
:09:09. > :09:19.anxious to see Scotland have the same rights and obligations as
:09:19. > :09:20.
:09:20. > :09:25.other European members. In the face of expert opinion which says an
:09:25. > :09:29.independent Scotland would have to be in the euro, the First Minister
:09:29. > :09:36.continues simply to assert, on no evidence whatsoever, that that is
:09:36. > :09:45.not the case. Where is my evidence? I read out a list of expert
:09:45. > :09:53.evidence opinion, that's where my evidence is. The First Minister has
:09:53. > :10:00.a mandate to ask Scottish people if they want separation, but he has no
:10:00. > :10:04.mandate to mislead. He must give us all the facts before we decide. The
:10:04. > :10:10.experts say a separate Scotland would have to join the euro, and it
:10:10. > :10:14.would cost at least �8 billion. Does Alex Salmond, on such an
:10:14. > :10:24.important question, really think he can just stick his fingers in his
:10:24. > :10:24.
:10:24. > :10:30.ears, and his head in the sand? think that was a swerve away from
:10:30. > :10:34.the dramatic admission which happened earlier. I have quoted the
:10:34. > :10:38.former director general of the European Commission, the only
:10:38. > :10:42.Scottish judge who chaired the European Court of Justice. But Iain
:10:42. > :10:47.Gray does not want to talk about these, so let's talk about the
:10:47. > :10:51.reality, that as a successor state, Scotland, as well as the rest of
:10:51. > :10:55.the UK, would inherit the opt-out negotiated by the UK Government.
:10:55. > :11:00.Even if that were not the case, you would be in the same position as
:11:00. > :11:09.Sweden, and Sweden has not joined the euro. That's because the people
:11:09. > :11:11.of Sweden did not want to join the euro. The European Commissioner for
:11:11. > :11:16.Economic Affairs says that membership of the euro is for the
:11:16. > :11:19.Swedish people to decide upon. I have been in politics a fair time.
:11:19. > :11:23.I remember when the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, a Labour
:11:23. > :11:27.Prime Minister, said he wanted to have the courage of his convictions
:11:27. > :11:30.and join the euro. Most of us now say that you would not do that and
:11:30. > :11:33.then it was in the economic interests of the country to do so.
:11:33. > :11:38.And that will be decided by the people of Scotland in a referendum.
:11:38. > :11:40.We will have the same rights and obligations as the rest of the
:11:40. > :11:50.United Kingdom and every other European Union member, that's the
:11:50. > :11:57.
:11:57. > :12:02.reality. Question number two, Ruth Davidson. To ask the First Minister
:12:02. > :12:05.when he will next meet the Prime Minister. I have no plans to meet
:12:05. > :12:10.the Prime Minister in the near future. I know that what Davidson
:12:10. > :12:14.met him in the recent past. Can I congratulate her on her birthday?
:12:14. > :12:18.Can I congratulate her on her success in leading her party?
:12:18. > :12:22.Although I would mention that this hobby of hers of kick-boxing, in a
:12:22. > :12:28.political sense, seems to have become endemic among her colleagues
:12:28. > :12:33.over the past couple of days. could thank the first Minister for
:12:33. > :12:36.his birthday wishes. Not many people get the boost of the front
:12:36. > :12:43.page of the Scotsman on their birthday. I was reading an SNP
:12:43. > :12:48.press release today, quoting Liz Lochhead as saying, if there was a
:12:48. > :12:51.referendum tomorrow, I would vote yes. So, let me ask the First
:12:51. > :12:55.Minister, if there was a straightforward yes or no
:12:55. > :13:03.referendum held tomorrow, is he really confident that he would win?
:13:03. > :13:06.Yes. And I would vote yes. I guess the question is, why don't you
:13:06. > :13:11.invite a referendum tomorrow? But we know the answer to that, and we
:13:11. > :13:18.know the answer to that from the exchange we have just had. We know
:13:18. > :13:24.that the First Minister, from the recent exchange, is scared to
:13:25. > :13:30.publish the legal advice on an independent Scotland joining Europe.
:13:30. > :13:34.He is feared to name the question on a referendum, and we know he is
:13:35. > :13:38.feared to name the day. And no wonder. Presiding Officer, the
:13:38. > :13:43.First Minister is such a fan of polls that I am going to read a
:13:43. > :13:47.couple to him. At the weekend we had a BBC poll which backed
:13:47. > :13:53.independence, barely a quarter of people backing independence. And we
:13:53. > :14:00.have a poll running currently on Scotsman .com, with over 30 there
:14:00. > :14:04.isn't -- 35,000 votes, showing that by nearly three-1, Scotland wants a
:14:04. > :14:10.simple, straightforward, yes or no question. So, Liz Lochhead once a
:14:10. > :14:18.poll tomorrow, and Scotland wants a single, simple, yes no question -
:14:18. > :14:21.why doesn't the First Minister just get on with it? I was interested in
:14:21. > :14:26.the poll at the weekend, and interested in what Davidson's
:14:26. > :14:30.appearance on The Politics Show. It was clearly explained to her that
:14:30. > :14:33.the question she was citing in relation to the Scotland bill was
:14:33. > :14:43.actually about devolution Max, and the support she was climbing was
:14:43. > :14:43.
:14:43. > :14:49.not that. Therefore I was very surprised to see Ruth Davidson
:14:49. > :14:52.repeat it on Tuesday. We will stick to what we said in the election
:14:53. > :14:57.campaign. We will have the referendum on Scottish independence,
:14:57. > :14:59.and there will be a straight yes or no question. We will have it in the
:15:00. > :15:05.second half of his parliamentary term. The reason we will do that is
:15:05. > :15:09.because that is what we said in the election campaign, that gain does,
:15:09. > :15:14.I think she will accept, a pretty overwhelming result in terms of the
:15:14. > :15:17.verdict of the people of Scotland. -- that gained us. Just as the
:15:17. > :15:27.people of Scotland showed faith in the Scottish National Party, so
:15:27. > :15:29.
:15:29. > :15:37.this SNP government shows faith in The I have a large number of
:15:37. > :15:42.constituency and topical questions. The First Minister will be aware of
:15:42. > :15:47.the double blow and the constituency this week when 50
:15:47. > :15:57.staff in Aberdeen at and around 150 more throughout Scotland were made
:15:57. > :16:00.
:16:00. > :16:07.redundant. On Tuesday, Argus Care, based in my constituency, announced
:16:07. > :16:16.they were going into administration. It has been announced that a scheme
:16:16. > :16:25.is in place to help this. A plan to ensure minimum disruption in the
:16:25. > :16:29.care of the elderly. These are two very important constituency issues
:16:29. > :16:38.and important for Scotland as a whole. Those facing redundancy have
:16:38. > :16:43.been provided with information about services. There is already
:16:43. > :16:48.tailored help been provided for those affected. On the second point,
:16:48. > :16:54.there is progress being made as the Scottish government is working with
:16:54. > :16:59.COSLA which will ensure continuity of care for all residents in the 12
:16:59. > :17:06.care homes across Scotland. All staff currently delivering these
:17:06. > :17:12.vital services will remain in place. The First Minister will be aware of
:17:12. > :17:21.the sudden departure of dot Preston from his post as managing director
:17:21. > :17:28.of jeep-type vehicle. Staff have been told he is leaving as part of
:17:28. > :17:32.-- CALMAC. Can he reassured us that it will remain as an entity and the
:17:32. > :17:36.guarantee that the refocusing will not have a negative impact on
:17:36. > :17:40.services users and that any changes will be subject to full
:17:40. > :17:47.consultation. That is always the case and they will give that
:17:47. > :17:50.indication. Personal matters are always difficult to touch upon and
:17:50. > :17:59.John Swinney will send a letter to the member giving as much
:17:59. > :18:05.information as possible. CALMAC Will continue to provide the key
:18:05. > :18:09.services required for Scotland's island communities. A as we
:18:09. > :18:13.approach Sunday, will the First Minister join me in condemning it
:18:13. > :18:18.recent acts of disrespect on statues and the more deals in
:18:18. > :18:21.Scotland? Given a links between these and Scottish regiments and
:18:21. > :18:25.their communities, would the First Minister agree that everyone should
:18:25. > :18:30.be aware of troops sacrifices in the past and present and give them
:18:30. > :18:35.the respect and honour they deserve? I know the whole chamber
:18:35. > :18:41.will unreservedly condemn wanton acts of theft or vandalism towards
:18:41. > :18:45.war memorials. There are thousands of memorials across Scotland which
:18:45. > :18:48.mark the sacrifice of Scottish men and women. These memorials are an
:18:48. > :18:53.integral part of the fabric of our communities and should be respected
:18:53. > :18:58.at all times. It is vital that young people in particular fully
:18:58. > :19:06.appreciate and understand the sacrifices made and that is why the
:19:06. > :19:11.Scottish Veterans Fund is providing a range of support so that those
:19:11. > :19:18.sacrifices and the meaning of it can be fully explained, articulated
:19:18. > :19:26.and appreciated by everyone in our communities. I raised this issue as
:19:26. > :19:30.an MSP for Glasgow pock with excellent housing associations and
:19:31. > :19:36.co-operate since serving my community. They express my dismay
:19:36. > :19:39.at cutting �112 million out of Glasgow's housing budget across the
:19:39. > :19:45.next three years which will have a huge impact on the ability to
:19:45. > :19:49.create housing for people and a massive impact on the local economy.
:19:49. > :19:53.Can I urge the First Minister to tackle this question urgently? It
:19:53. > :19:58.is essential that we have housing policy which meets the needs of the
:19:58. > :20:02.people of Glasgow and affords economic opportunities. This
:20:02. > :20:07.decision flies in the face of the needs of Glasgow and I urge him to
:20:07. > :20:10.change it as soon as possible. decision is not as it has been
:20:10. > :20:17.presented and I am perfectly happy to make sure she has the facts at
:20:17. > :20:22.her disposal. This government's record in social housing is
:20:22. > :20:26.exemplary in terms of the finance is available to us. We are
:20:26. > :20:30.mobilising tens and indeed hundreds of thousands of pounds of
:20:30. > :20:34.investment across the country by a variety of new mechanisms which are
:20:34. > :20:39.urgently required. I would point out to her that the gentleman
:20:39. > :20:43.sitting on her left once said of the Labour Party and housing that
:20:43. > :20:47.they had passed the best housing legislation in the world and then
:20:47. > :20:53.forgotten to build the houses. We have not forgotten to build the
:20:53. > :20:58.houses. To ask the First Minister what
:20:58. > :21:03.issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the cabinet? Issues
:21:03. > :21:08.of importance to been people of Scotland. Last month I asked the
:21:08. > :21:12.First Minister if he would use part of the �67 million additional fund
:21:12. > :21:16.his government had been allocated to stop the �40 million cut his
:21:16. > :21:25.Scottish colleges. He was not able to answer that his seat any closer
:21:25. > :21:30.now? Details of the consequences will follow shortly. Over the last
:21:30. > :21:40.couple of weeks, I have had the great pleasure of opening the new
:21:40. > :21:42.
:21:42. > :21:46.Dundee College campus in the new -- and the new Forth Valley, -- campus.
:21:46. > :21:49.The capital moving through the project just now it is
:21:49. > :21:55.approximately five times what he supported in their lines with the
:21:55. > :21:59.Labour Party. That budget which is continuing in Inverness and, muck
:21:59. > :22:08.should be taken into the equation when Willie Rennie speaks about
:22:08. > :22:13.this. First Minister, the issue is urgent. The First Minister has �67
:22:13. > :22:20.million he was not expecting. Scotland's colleges are doing great
:22:20. > :22:27.work to get people engaged with the world. Angus predicts losing 400
:22:27. > :22:32.full-time places. Border's it could lose seven full-time courses.
:22:32. > :22:35.Principal say they cannot guarantee quality of student numbers. The
:22:35. > :22:38.First Minister should take a positive step today to unite the
:22:38. > :22:43.Parliament for the good of Scotland and announce he will use the extra
:22:43. > :22:48.money to protect colleges. It makes no sense to continue to delay this
:22:48. > :22:55.decision. Why can he not give certainty today, does he not
:22:55. > :23:00.understand that this is urgent? has been noted by the college
:23:00. > :23:08.principals, we are carrying on debate just now as to how best to
:23:08. > :23:14.help the colleges. The college sector has been a dramatic and the
:23:14. > :23:18.right for beneficiary. Can I say to Willie Rennie and I know this is
:23:18. > :23:22.difficult because the alliance with the Tory party is uncomfortable for
:23:22. > :23:29.many Liberal Democrats, but he says we have �60 million we were not
:23:29. > :23:38.expecting. Our budget is down by �3 billion as a result of their
:23:38. > :23:45.activities of a coalition in Westminster. First Minister, to ask
:23:45. > :23:52.what the outcome was of his trip to the United Arab Emirates? A highly
:23:52. > :23:57.successful visit which strength and energy links for Scotland. In my
:23:57. > :24:00.meeting with the governments of both countries, Scotland it is
:24:00. > :24:04.regarded as a world leader in the energy sector with great
:24:04. > :24:11.opportunities not just for oil and gas but in a renewable sector. I
:24:11. > :24:17.was also excited to meet the Abu Dhabi national energy company which
:24:17. > :24:22.is committed to further investment in a North Sea assets. I know the
:24:22. > :24:27.whole chamber will recognise the importance of these assets in
:24:27. > :24:30.advertising Scotland's great energy Welt across a range of sectors and
:24:30. > :24:37.mobilising investment worldwide to develop these resources on behalf
:24:37. > :24:40.of the people in Scotland. I thank him for this response and I
:24:40. > :24:45.obviously have a considerable interest in that investment. Could
:24:45. > :24:52.he tell me anything more about discussions regarding the
:24:52. > :24:55.development of renewable energy? can. The institute in Abu Dhabi has
:24:55. > :25:02.announced its intention to enter into a framework of action for
:25:02. > :25:07.Scotland. This framework will create a concrete set of actions to
:25:07. > :25:14.develop renewables and share expertise, the first agreement
:25:14. > :25:20.between the company and the country. It is a demonstration that if we
:25:20. > :25:24.are successful in securing that agreement, Scotland can lead the
:25:24. > :25:34.way in all aspects of the energy sector including the renewables.
:25:34. > :25:38.
:25:38. > :25:46.What human rights groups bed the First Minister Qatar? Can I point
:25:46. > :25:52.out that they have not had a political prisoner for 10 years.
:25:52. > :26:02.They are the unable or of the Arab Spring, it is the home of Al-
:26:02. > :26:07.Jazeera. Any impression given that this is a place other than
:26:07. > :26:11.somewhere very admirable in their range of policies it has been
:26:11. > :26:18.pursuing of late, I know Scotland and this parliament would not want
:26:18. > :26:21.in any way to insult their people. To ask what the Scottish
:26:21. > :26:27.government's response is to the GMC's survey suggesting that junior
:26:27. > :26:32.doctors feel pressure to work more than a 48 hour week in breach of
:26:32. > :26:35.the European working time directive? I take this is a very
:26:35. > :26:40.serious issue and any suggestion that junior doctors feel pressure
:26:40. > :26:45.to work more than 48 hours a week is totally unacceptable. The GMC
:26:45. > :26:49.Survey actually shows that the vast majority of trainees do not feel
:26:49. > :26:55.under that pressure and demonstrates a reduction, which I
:26:55. > :26:58.am sure he will be the first to recognise, and the Scottish
:26:58. > :27:02.government through its national monitoring team for continued to
:27:02. > :27:06.work to ensure that the hours junior doctors work are complied
:27:06. > :27:11.with all the contractual and legislative requirements. Thank you
:27:11. > :27:19.for that response. Does the First Minister recognise that against a
:27:19. > :27:23.backdrop of reducing staff and a drive to reduce expenditure and the
:27:23. > :27:27.uncertainty of future employment for junior doctors at the end of
:27:27. > :27:32.training, is it any surprise they feel they have to break the law and
:27:32. > :27:37.lie to meet the demands of the job? Does he share my concerns about the
:27:37. > :27:42.consequences this they have for patients and indeed for junior
:27:42. > :27:49.doctors as in the tragic case of Lorraine Connolly who served at
:27:49. > :27:55.Inverclyde Royal Hospital? I will answer the second part first.
:27:55. > :28:00.I do wonder if he has actually read the GMC Survey, which shows that
:28:00. > :28:06.the vast majority of junior doctors reported a working time directive
:28:06. > :28:11.complied water? This a vet actually ask the question about people
:28:11. > :28:17.feeling under pressure and that feeling was 10%. It is too high,
:28:17. > :28:23.but that is a declining percentage. It is a confidential survey is well,
:28:24. > :28:29.so do not give the impression that this very serious issue is not been
:28:29. > :28:35.tackled. Do not give the impression that this is a widespread practice
:28:35. > :28:39.because it is not. On the second part of the question, there is an
:28:39. > :28:46.internal investigation in NHS Greater Glasgow on Clyde which is
:28:46. > :28:50.ongoing. Given the nature of the ongoing investigations, we should
:28:50. > :28:57.not commit further at this stage other than to of course extend the
:28:57. > :29:01.sympathy of this chamber to the family of the doctor affected.
:29:01. > :29:05.Ending on a sombre moment there but earlier we had discussions between
:29:05. > :29:10.the First Minister and his frontbench opponents, a bit of a
:29:10. > :29:14.kick-boxing exercise with regard to the exchanges with the Iain Gray,
:29:14. > :29:18.but he seemed to be gently tiptoeing around how to deal with
:29:18. > :29:22.Ruth Davidson. He was neither aggressive nor patronising, to
:29:23. > :29:26.potential approaches he may have made. He seemed to be sending her
:29:26. > :29:34.out while at the same time being far more on the particular issue
:29:34. > :29:39.she put forward. This was the idea of holding a referendum early and a
:29:39. > :29:43.purely I guess or no question on independence. He was at easing