:00:14. > :00:18.Hello and welcome to Politics Scotland. Coming up on the
:00:18. > :00:23.programme: The biggest fall in unemployment in Scotland for four
:00:23. > :00:26.years. Welcome news for UK and Scottish Government ministers.
:00:26. > :00:30.Your views are sought on the issue of same-sex marriage as the draft
:00:30. > :00:36.bill is prepared. The Scottish Government wins its
:00:36. > :00:39.legal fight to ban tobacco product displays.
:00:39. > :00:43.And here at Westminster, just what would the position be of an
:00:43. > :00:49.independent as regards the European Union? The debate and controversy
:00:49. > :00:54.Unemployment in Scotland fell by 19,000 to 204,000 between August
:00:54. > :01:01.and October. It follows three consecutive increases in
:01:01. > :01:03.unemployment. I'm now joined in the studio by our business and economy
:01:03. > :01:13.correspondent David Henderson and by our political commentator Angus
:01:13. > :01:18.Macleod. Good afternoon to stop thanks for joining me. First, David,
:01:18. > :01:22.this seems a sizable fall? E is indeed, a welcome change to the
:01:22. > :01:27.jobless total in Scotland. In the last few months we have seen the
:01:27. > :01:32.unemployment rate here creeping up slightly. This is a bit of a fall.
:01:32. > :01:37.During that same period, when unemployment was rising in Scotland,
:01:37. > :01:43.it was falling across the rest of the UK. So a welcome reversal to
:01:43. > :01:49.that. Unemployment is down by quite excitable title, 19,000 between
:01:49. > :01:55.August and October. The total now, 204,000 people looking for a job,
:01:55. > :02:02.but that trend is downwards. Across the UK, the unemployment rate also
:02:02. > :02:08.fell by less, proportionately, by 82,000, leading the total at around
:02:08. > :02:12.2.5 million. But the effect of that larger fall in Scotland is that the
:02:13. > :02:19.proportion of people and employed here has now fallen again below the
:02:19. > :02:24.UK average. -- unemployed. It is back below the UK average. The
:02:24. > :02:29.youth unemployment rate is also down, so at some welcome indicators.
:02:29. > :02:34.Part of the reason for this change may be a rise in seasonal
:02:34. > :02:39.employment as we have been finding out.
:02:39. > :02:43.Preparing for the Christmas rush at this toy shop in Glasgow, new staff
:02:43. > :02:47.are doing their bit. There is seasonal work here and at other
:02:47. > :02:53.stores across the country, and opportunities for those struggling
:02:53. > :02:59.to find a job. It is very difficult trying to get a job with so many
:02:59. > :03:03.people trying to go for the same job as you. They always tend to
:03:03. > :03:09.pick someone else because they always have got more experience or
:03:09. > :03:13.better qualifications. But this job has completely different because it
:03:13. > :03:17.was the personality they were looking for. Competition for work
:03:17. > :03:23.is always tough when the economy is flat. In recent months unemployment
:03:23. > :03:27.has crept up in Scotland, and Hanley's received its 3000 job
:03:28. > :03:33.applications for the work they have. There was a real appetite to come
:03:33. > :03:38.and work for us. We have to get that down to the number we have now,
:03:38. > :03:40.which is around 40 per this period, hopefully we can keep some of those
:03:41. > :03:47.people in employment in the new year. The latest unemployment
:03:47. > :03:52.figures show the number of Scots out of work has fallen by 19,002 a
:03:52. > :03:58.total of 204,000. It also means the unemployment rate has also fallen
:03:58. > :04:03.to below the UK average. But that has reignited the row about how to
:04:03. > :04:08.get more growth in the Scottish economy. We have got to continue
:04:08. > :04:13.efforts to boost the employment base in Scotland, which is why we
:04:13. > :04:17.are asking for an expansion in capital investment, to enable us to
:04:17. > :04:22.invest in the infrastructure that can create jobs. Because at the
:04:22. > :04:27.measures taken in the Autumn Statement, there is an extract �300
:04:27. > :04:32.million for the Scottish government to spend. There are warnings that
:04:32. > :04:37.across the UK unemployment will rise through 2013, so it is unclear
:04:37. > :04:41.how long the Christmas cheer will last.
:04:41. > :04:47.Let's pick up on that, how long will the Christmas cheer last, do
:04:47. > :04:51.you think? Probably not very long, to be honest. One of the problems
:04:51. > :04:56.with the figures we are reporting is they are very short term. We are
:04:56. > :05:00.feeling every bump in what is a very long road to recovery.
:05:00. > :05:05.Unemployment may be down a little bit but it has been up over the
:05:05. > :05:10.course of three months. Having said that, unemployment has fallen
:05:10. > :05:17.steadily, but 25,000 now in the space of about a year it, looking
:05:17. > :05:20.ahead, we have had projections from an independent body which advises
:05:20. > :05:27.the UK government, and it has pointed to the challenges that lie
:05:27. > :05:34.ahead. It has downgraded its growth forecast and expect unemployment to
:05:34. > :05:41.drift gently upwards until 2014, to reach about 8.2% before it starts
:05:41. > :05:46.to fall away. So it is a sign that there are long-term challenges to
:05:46. > :05:50.the economy that will have to be sorted before this lagging
:05:50. > :05:54.indicator starts to fall away. do you think the Scottish
:05:54. > :05:58.government's priorities will be in terms of trying to tackle that?
:05:58. > :06:03.heard that argument, the fundamental argument about more
:06:03. > :06:09.spending to boost short-term economic growth. The SNP government
:06:10. > :06:14.now have about �330 million as a result of the Chancellor's Autumn
:06:14. > :06:20.Statement. They will have to look to spend it on the top priorities,
:06:20. > :06:27.because they would like to spend up to 850 million on so-called shove
:06:27. > :06:30.already projects. They will be likely to focus on Connectivity, at
:06:30. > :06:37.BAFTA Road, better broadband connections and measures to boost
:06:37. > :06:40.education. If they have extra money, they will be looking to boost
:06:40. > :06:47.social mobility, to allow people to move around Scotland followed the
:06:47. > :06:52.jobs. It is a bit of a tricky situation for the current
:06:52. > :06:56.government, both Scottish and UK, but they will be welcoming this
:06:56. > :07:00.news today. There was a feeling of relief on both sides of the border
:07:00. > :07:05.when these figures were announced this morning, but the wise
:07:05. > :07:09.politician in this situation will see the wider economy as having to
:07:09. > :07:15.improve markedly before anyone can start giving three cheers. They
:07:15. > :07:21.will be aware that 200,000 people out of work in Scotland and 2.5
:07:21. > :07:26.million in the UK as a whole is no cause for celebration. We will be
:07:26. > :07:28.back with you later.. One of the world's biggest tobacco firms has
:07:28. > :07:32.lost a legal battle against the Scottish government's decision to
:07:32. > :07:35.ban shop cigarette displays. The Supreme Court dismissed an appeal
:07:35. > :07:38.by Imperial Tobacco - which argued there was no credible evidence that
:07:38. > :07:41.the ban would lead to people smoking less. Let's speak to John
:07:41. > :07:50.Watson from ASH - the charity campaigning for effective tobacco
:07:50. > :07:54.control. Good afternoon. You must be rather pleased at this judgment
:07:54. > :07:58.from the Supreme Court? Yes, we are very pleased, we said from the
:07:58. > :08:02.beginning that this is a legitimate health measure, it will have
:08:02. > :08:06.beneficial impact for young people particularly, there is evidence to
:08:06. > :08:09.support that. It has been passed overwhelmingly by the Scottish
:08:09. > :08:14.parliament, has been through records twice, we now have a
:08:14. > :08:18.unanimous decision from the Supreme Court. It is time to get on with
:08:18. > :08:24.the implementation. I think Imperial Tobacco had been saying
:08:24. > :08:28.that it was out with Holyrood's powers, but to judge has struck
:08:28. > :08:34.that argument down? I am not a lawyer, but it is clear to me that
:08:34. > :08:39.having had this initially passed by the lawyers in the Scottish
:08:39. > :08:44.parliament, having upheld the Scottish Court of Session twice,
:08:44. > :08:48.and now the Supreme Court, that seems to me fairly conclusive. I
:08:48. > :08:54.think Imperial Tobacco are interested in trying to prevent any
:08:54. > :08:58.attempt at improving public health, they will oppose any measure. I
:08:58. > :09:02.would give full credit to the Scottish government fought sticking
:09:02. > :09:06.to their guns against what I can only describe as bullying tactics
:09:06. > :09:12.on behalf of the tobacco industry fostered this is a trend we are
:09:12. > :09:16.seeing a round-the-world, in Australia now, in Norway we have
:09:16. > :09:21.that recently, in Uruguay we are seeing it. The industry has decided
:09:21. > :09:24.to give up on the health of their customers and to focus on their own
:09:25. > :09:28.profits and stop any measure to regulate their business. They would
:09:28. > :09:32.argue they are trying to protect their business, and one of the
:09:32. > :09:37.argument is that there was no credible evidence that a ban of
:09:37. > :09:41.these displays would lead people smoking less. Is there evidence to
:09:41. > :09:45.suggest it might cut down on smoking, banning these displays?
:09:45. > :09:50.Yes, there is. This is about advertising, we have all had
:09:50. > :09:53.experience of walking into a supermarket and seeing brightly-lit,
:09:53. > :09:58.brightly coloured tobacco products. The industry spent decades trying
:09:58. > :10:02.to put their products at the heart of our society, and we know young
:10:02. > :10:06.people are susceptible to that, so we have taken away adverts from
:10:06. > :10:11.papers, sponsorship of sport, and we want to take away the displays
:10:11. > :10:15.in shops because we know it has an impact. In Ireland, where they have
:10:15. > :10:19.recently had a similar display ban, we saw an immediate change in the
:10:19. > :10:24.way young people viewed smoking in their society, few of them thinking
:10:24. > :10:28.smoking was a normal thing to do. We have seen the Scottish
:10:28. > :10:34.government winning this argument, how do you think things might
:10:34. > :10:37.progress in the next few years? We have seen reports saying the
:10:37. > :10:42.Scottish government may once got them to become smoke-free, do you
:10:43. > :10:47.think that is a realistic possibility? In defining smoke free
:10:47. > :10:51.as less than 5%, I think that is an excellent way of defining what we
:10:51. > :10:56.want to do with smoking, because that is about preventing young
:10:56. > :11:01.people taking up smoking, helping those who want to quit to do so, so
:11:01. > :11:05.you are left with a fairly small number of willing adult smokers,
:11:05. > :11:09.and leading them to it. Measures like today can make a big impact.
:11:09. > :11:12.If we are clear that what we want to do is take away the
:11:12. > :11:16.opportunities for the tobacco industry to promote their products,
:11:16. > :11:22.take tobacco away from that central role in society where they want it
:11:22. > :11:28.to be, we can move, over the next generation, to having what they
:11:28. > :11:32.call a smoke-free Scotland. Thank you for joining us.
:11:32. > :11:36.This week has seen a continuation of the long-running row over
:11:36. > :11:41.whether an independent Scotland should reapply for EU membership.
:11:41. > :11:44.The President of the European Commission said it would have to.
:11:44. > :11:49.Scotland's finance secretary takes the opposing view. John Swinney
:11:49. > :11:55.gave evidence to the House of Lords yesterday, saying he would stick to
:11:55. > :12:02.change the President's opinion. looked at President Boris a's
:12:02. > :12:07.letter, and it struck me that when he is referring to the question of
:12:07. > :12:14.a country applying to be a member of the EU, he is a very specific
:12:14. > :12:20.that it is under article 14 of the treaty on the eve. When he makes
:12:20. > :12:26.the remark he makes about a part of a country ceasing to be part of
:12:26. > :12:34.that technically, there is no treaty reference to that remark. I
:12:34. > :12:38.think that is very significant, because on my reading of the treaty
:12:38. > :12:43.position, I was struck in preparing a for the committee, In re- reading
:12:43. > :12:50.some advice produced by the House of Commons library 12 months ago,
:12:50. > :12:57.they make the point in the document that there is no provision between
:12:57. > :13:04.the treaty on European Union that provides for a scenario that he has
:13:04. > :13:09.cited in that particular paragraph. I think this really does seem
:13:09. > :13:15.rather bizarre, on the one hand we have reconsidered Letter From the
:13:15. > :13:19.President of the European Community, who is the person who is going to
:13:19. > :13:24.decide whether Scotland, after independence if it came about, was
:13:24. > :13:29.a member, on the other hand you have the view of ministers are
:13:29. > :13:34.saying that they didn't take legal advice and it is only belatedly
:13:34. > :13:42.doing so. Yet you are saying that we will still be able to go on
:13:42. > :13:48.being members, don't pay any attention to Mr Barroso's advice.
:13:48. > :13:52.Yes, because I said to. The committee should be interested in
:13:52. > :14:01.his the fact there is no foundation in the treaty for the comment that
:14:01. > :14:04.President Barroso has made. Can I just ask, your line appears to be
:14:04. > :14:09.that President Borisov doesn't seem to know what he's talking about and
:14:09. > :14:17.he is wrong when he says that it Scotland leads the UK, it also
:14:17. > :14:22.leads -- leads the E. How do you intend to establish before in 20th
:14:22. > :14:29.December 14 exactly what the position is, are you going to take
:14:29. > :14:34.a legal challenge, how you will establish the position? Essentially,
:14:34. > :14:41.the approach we will be taking is the one which the Deputy First
:14:41. > :14:46.Minister said at yesterday, which is to engage in dialogue with the
:14:46. > :14:50.European Commission on this question and to ensure that
:14:50. > :14:55.dialogue gives the EU a clear understanding of the perspective we
:14:55. > :14:59.a predator that process. Will the Scottish government but clearly to
:14:59. > :15:07.the electorate that there is a strong possibility that an
:15:07. > :15:15.independent Scotland would have to reapply for membership of the EU?
:15:15. > :15:25.And there may be a period before the application process is
:15:25. > :15:28.
:15:28. > :15:36.Will that be who clearly so people will know the gamble they are
:15:36. > :15:41.taking on continued membership within the European Union? No, we
:15:41. > :15:46.will not do that because we do not take that view. Father questioned
:15:46. > :15:53.of there being a period where Scotland might be not be in the
:15:53. > :15:59.European Union, I think the issue which has to be recognised and it
:15:59. > :16:04.is a hard to the comments I have made about the paragraph the large
:16:04. > :16:08.German highlighted at the beginning, there is no mechanism to do
:16:08. > :16:12.supplied the treaties from Scotland. So therefore we could not cooked to
:16:12. > :16:15.the people of Scotland a comment that somehow the treaties which is
:16:15. > :16:25.applied because there is no provision within the treaty to
:16:25. > :16:30.allow that happen. A robust performance by Mr Sweeney there.
:16:30. > :16:38.How damaging has this whole affair been, particularly this week, for
:16:38. > :16:43.the SNP? It has been very damaging in my view. It is a problem of
:16:43. > :16:47.perception and the perception now is that there is at least a huge?
:16:47. > :16:51.Hanging over, not so much hanging over whether an independent
:16:51. > :16:55.Scotland would remain in the European Union, but under which
:16:55. > :17:02.terms an independent Scotland would remain in the European Union. That
:17:02. > :17:06.is the unanswered question. I think one has to look at their
:17:06. > :17:11.President's role in this and why he chose to see what he did when he
:17:11. > :17:15.said it. There are some people who are suggesting that he said what he
:17:15. > :17:21.said because he was getting rather fed up with these statements that
:17:21. > :17:26.were coming from any number up about the status of an independent
:17:26. > :17:32.Scotland in the European Union. I think that he is an intensely
:17:32. > :17:36.political person, a very political animal, and I think he had one eye
:17:36. > :17:41.on the situation in Spain and the situation with Catalonia. And this
:17:41. > :17:46.was as much driving his words as anything else. The other thing to
:17:46. > :17:50.say here is we have had no real definition of what Scotland, what
:17:50. > :17:56.third-country means, in terms of either Scotland or in terms of
:17:56. > :18:01.Catalonia. I think some clarity on that would be very, very welcome
:18:02. > :18:07.from whichever source. What you're saying there about 10 being a
:18:07. > :18:11.political animal. That picks up an important point that a lot of these
:18:11. > :18:21.European Union issues are down to politics and not down to legalities.
:18:21. > :18:24.
:18:24. > :18:30.All credit to John Swinney, he went into the lion's den yesterday. You
:18:30. > :18:33.are absolutely right, everyone is getting worked up about the legal
:18:33. > :18:37.entity here and the legal status here. As always with the European
:18:37. > :18:40.Union, throughout its history, this will be a political issue and it
:18:40. > :18:45.will be settled on a political basis. And that is why the
:18:45. > :18:50.situation in Spain, the situation in Belgium and Cyprus, is really
:18:50. > :18:55.very, very relevant for the situation of Scotland and the
:18:55. > :18:59.European Union. Let's move on to another issue. The
:18:59. > :19:06.Scottish Government are publishing a bail bond same-sex marriages.
:19:06. > :19:14.They are asking people for their views. Be it is interesting here
:19:14. > :19:19.that what has happened in England. It is, if you like, it is two
:19:19. > :19:27.elements and the Anglican Church, in England there will be a legal
:19:27. > :19:33.bar against Andy couple marrying in and Church of England are a Church
:19:33. > :19:37.in Wales. -- against a gay couple. If you look at the press release,
:19:37. > :19:41.there was one person quoted in that press release who happens to be a
:19:41. > :19:45.judge of Scotland Minister on the south side of Glasgow. He was
:19:45. > :19:49.saying, I would conduct such a ceremony. So where does that place
:19:49. > :19:54.our national Church? I think there is a question of some clarity
:19:54. > :20:02.needed here. Would administer the outside his church's wishes and
:20:02. > :20:06.without Church disown him and his congregation? More on that in a
:20:06. > :20:09.moment. It is nearing that time of year
:20:09. > :20:14.when European Union member states gather run Brussels to hammer out
:20:14. > :20:17.fishing quotas for the next 12 months. That issue is being debated
:20:17. > :20:23.at Holyrood this afternoon. The Scottish Government say they want
:20:23. > :20:32.to fight a possible 20% cut in the cod quota and a reduction in days
:20:32. > :20:39.at sea. Lima car there making an intervention on the speech. -- Lima
:20:39. > :20:44.Carter. He has topped far a reform of the Common Fisheries Policy and
:20:44. > :20:51.a reform for the cod recovery plan which she says is going to reduce
:20:51. > :21:00.automatically unnecessary fishermen's days at sea. Securing
:21:00. > :21:05.an effort is she to the continued health of our industry. It would be
:21:05. > :21:10.off all of our fishermen were to become a collateral. We have been
:21:10. > :21:15.able to develop proposals with the European presidency to deliver what
:21:15. > :21:23.everyone agrees is necessary. We are in danger of being embroiled in
:21:23. > :21:29.that disputes over who has the right to provide the amendments.
:21:29. > :21:32.Seoul, Presiding Officer, this is an example of self-indulgent
:21:32. > :21:42.European Union beckoning, picking fights with each other while our
:21:42. > :21:49.fishermen's livelihoods are on the line. The squabble is blocking the
:21:49. > :21:53.passage of necessary message. -- necessary measures. Many vessels
:21:53. > :21:57.and a fleet will face economic chaos and our stocks will be
:21:57. > :22:01.damaged and 2013. I am calling on all key players to see sense and
:22:01. > :22:10.work together to ensure these technical measures remain in force
:22:10. > :22:15.next year and other amendments that are required are delivered. He said
:22:15. > :22:22.it will be devastating for our fleet, are vessels, but it would be
:22:22. > :22:31.devastating for those that are producing a fish that his caught.
:22:31. > :22:39.He is quite right. This has a knock-on impact on our onshore
:22:39. > :22:44.centres as well. It this is a stock which has more than doubled over
:22:44. > :22:53.the past six years, a stock which are signed his are seeing in ever
:22:53. > :22:58.greater numbers and which has seen a draw up in cod discards.
:22:58. > :23:01.Tragically, at 20% cut will undo all that good work and will be a
:23:01. > :23:07.recipe for a mass of his cards. Our fishermen will find it impossible
:23:07. > :23:12.to catch ever more plentiful caught. They will have to dump that cod's
:23:13. > :23:19.into the sea dead. Are enervated quota scheme should be left with
:23:19. > :23:24.little quota to make a viable. Back could mean many of our large
:23:24. > :23:32.vessels discarding caught again. The cog recovery plan is to promote
:23:32. > :23:36.concerts -- conservation. I took the opportunity to speak her signed
:23:36. > :23:42.is about this yesterday. They assure me that there is a good
:23:42. > :23:52.scientific case took over the quarter and an approach that would
:23:52. > :23:57.prevent this cards. The reality is that this cut is not driven by
:23:57. > :24:02.sensible science. On that basis I will be making a row over of the
:24:02. > :24:10.quarter up another top priority and next week's council. But beyond the
:24:10. > :24:19.December council we need to fish are more regulations which
:24:19. > :24:23.recognise the conservation efforts made so far. They need to promote
:24:23. > :24:29.and encourage those initiatives, not undermine the morale allow
:24:29. > :24:39.Brussels lawyer's undermine them. Fleets have been taking good steps
:24:39. > :24:43.my head of them think -- by adopting new measures. It will be
:24:43. > :24:47.important for many of our fleets and the West Coast of Scotland
:24:47. > :24:51.which face some challenges over the next year and has done in recent
:24:52. > :24:57.months due to the ever problems we have experienced in the Scottish
:24:57. > :25:03.waters due to lack of flexibility Endicott recovery plan. There are
:25:03. > :25:08.many issues I could talk about. -- in the cod the recovery plan. We
:25:08. > :25:13.will continue to keep her eye on the various important issues that
:25:13. > :25:18.will be discussed next week. There are issues relating to high-value
:25:18. > :25:22.stocks as well as some of the other key stocks we have been mentioning
:25:22. > :25:26.in her remarks as well. It boils down to the fact that next week we
:25:26. > :25:32.will have to decide on these crucial issues with other Ministers
:25:32. > :25:35.at some ungodly hour of the morning in Brussels. I really am determined
:25:35. > :25:40.to see decision-making brought closer to home and do away with
:25:40. > :25:45.this management and Brussels which has been so damaging to Scotland
:25:45. > :25:51.and a fishing communities. That is why Scotland has been the first
:25:52. > :25:56.country to promote regionalisation. You are on your last minute. That
:25:57. > :26:02.is why we have to secured the radical reform of European
:26:02. > :26:07.fisheries policy throughout up 2013. Let's hope this is will last
:26:07. > :26:17.experience of the broken policy which stands for everything we
:26:17. > :26:27.stand for in this Parliament. We have other measures to discuss N20
:26:27. > :26:31.
:26:31. > :26:39.13th. -- in 2013. We will be left without a Mac., and thousands of
:26:39. > :26:46.livelihoods will be endangered. -- stock. I hope to go to Brussels
:26:46. > :26:54.next week and get the best possible deal for Scotland. I call on Claire
:26:55. > :26:59.Baker to speak and move amendment 527 1.2. If I am pleased we have
:26:59. > :27:03.been able to schedule the debate in advance of the Council of
:27:03. > :27:08.ministers' negotiations. The statement last week was welcome.
:27:08. > :27:18.While in the last few days we have seen some setbacks, particularly in
:27:18. > :27:18.
:27:18. > :27:28.relation to mackerel, today gives us an option to speak of our
:27:28. > :27:29.
:27:29. > :27:34.concerns. Our world class produce, or -- how Scotland's brand across
:27:34. > :27:40.the world. It is an industry which operates throughout the UK, whether
:27:40. > :27:45.our fleets may choose to land fish and other parts of the UK and where
:27:45. > :27:50.the annual quota regulations emphasise the differences between
:27:50. > :27:55.countries, once described as heated and chaotic, it is an industry
:27:55. > :28:00.exports which is dependent on her relationships with Europe. Fishing
:28:00. > :28:05.is a significant industry in Scotland, one that is seen as real
:28:05. > :28:09.times growth and landing values in recent years and success and
:28:09. > :28:19.international recognition and quality. It is a section of faces
:28:19. > :28:26.
:28:26. > :28:33.many challenges as well. Our men men today recognises their measures.
:28:33. > :28:35.I recognise the pressures on that sector, stocks have been squeezed
:28:36. > :28:41.by a inflexible regulation and the irresponsible behaviour of other
:28:41. > :28:47.countries is damaging our reputation. I understand any
:28:47. > :28:53.further sustainable management and international agreement. Our seas
:28:53. > :28:58.which we exploit, doesn't mean and negative interpretation, but we do
:28:58. > :29:02.exploit and natural resource. So when proper management of her sees
:29:02. > :29:06.and co-operation is essential if we want to leave a legacy for future
:29:06. > :29:10.generations. We are still experiencing the consequences of
:29:11. > :29:14.overfishing but we know the success we can achieve a stock recovery
:29:14. > :29:22.through sustainable management. So today we look forward to the
:29:22. > :29:26.European Union fishing negotiations and the echoes may be positive ever
:29:26. > :29:29.they were co-operation and not negotiation. These annual
:29:29. > :29:34.negotiations are well past their shelf-life and progress must be
:29:34. > :29:37.made on reforms of the Common Fisheries Policy so we can move
:29:37. > :29:44.away from this annual horse-trading. Last week's statement identified
:29:44. > :29:54.the key challenges faced as we go forward. There are some positive
:29:54. > :29:55.
:29:55. > :30:00.outcomes proposed for the sector. However, the recovery plan a more
:30:00. > :30:07.than 20% cut will have an impact on quota as well as a reduction
:30:07. > :30:15.indecency and cod is one of our most valuable fishes, valued at 2.3
:30:15. > :30:18.million. There is no denying that that plan is no longer working and
:30:18. > :30:23.is in need of significant reform. As was said in September, the
:30:23. > :30:28.European Commission brought forward proposals for a new plan. We are
:30:28. > :30:32.dealing with frustrations of delays on a new plan. We have a dispute
:30:32. > :30:42.between the European Parliament and Council of Ministers over who can
:30:42. > :30:49.
:30:49. > :30:59.propose and agree amendments which Let's stay at Holyrood now. We have
:30:59. > :30:59.
:30:59. > :31:03.three guests with us. Good afternoon to you all. Let's starred
:31:03. > :31:11.with the him employment statistics. It must be pretty welcome news for
:31:11. > :31:14.the SNP, it must be good news for you. These figures are to be
:31:14. > :31:24.welcomed, they are the largest fall in unemployment in the last four
:31:24. > :31:26.
:31:26. > :31:30.years. They're down by 19,002, which compared with some 0.8% in
:31:30. > :31:37.the UK, the Scottish government has been doing everything it can to
:31:37. > :31:42.support our economy. That has also entail the drawing together �180
:31:42. > :31:47.million to based specifically the economy as well as creating an �80
:31:47. > :31:54.million Bond to also create the opportunities that will help
:31:54. > :31:58.improve the job prospect for 2013. Ken Macintosh, you are looking at
:31:58. > :32:03.how the Scottish government can help increase these prospects for
:32:03. > :32:10.people. The Scottish government have at �330 million from the
:32:10. > :32:13.Autumn Statement to spend on these should all ready projects. Exactly
:32:13. > :32:18.that, I would like to see the Scottish government actually
:32:18. > :32:22.prioritise unemployment and get the figures down. There is some good
:32:22. > :32:26.news here are some people for Christmas, it is to be welcomed in
:32:26. > :32:31.that sense, but there are still over 200,000 Scots out of work,
:32:31. > :32:35.that is a terrible figure. That is grim news as you going to Christmas.
:32:35. > :32:39.It is not a healthy economic situation. Looking at the figures
:32:39. > :32:44.over the last few months, at the moment the Scottish figures have
:32:44. > :32:49.just gone under the UK average but the last few months they were above.
:32:49. > :32:54.The only conclusion you can make his that the Scottish government is
:32:54. > :33:00.making no difference whatsoever. You are making that point as well,
:33:00. > :33:04.you are saying they have to focus on their run budget. That �330
:33:04. > :33:09.million coming in after the Autumn Statement, but surely they must be
:33:09. > :33:13.doing everything they can particularly in the face of cuts
:33:13. > :33:18.from Westminster? Firstly the reduction of unemployment should be
:33:18. > :33:23.welcomed and is welcomed. The bad news for Scotland today is the fact
:33:23. > :33:27.there is also a reduction in employment, 27,000 fewer people
:33:27. > :33:37.employed in Scotland, contrary to the UK where 40,000 people have
:33:37. > :33:42.been employed. We have to take it seriously. The draft budget has a
:33:42. > :33:47.huge cuts to colleges, at a time when youth unemployment, while down
:33:47. > :33:51.today, he still historically high. At a time when the construction
:33:51. > :33:55.sector is on its knees, the housing budget has been slashed in the
:33:55. > :34:01.draft budget, so there is a lot of things the Scottish government
:34:01. > :34:06.should focus on. Another big issue we have been talking about, the
:34:06. > :34:12.issue of Europe, and the place of an independent Scotland in Europe.
:34:12. > :34:18.This has been hugely damaging for the SNP, first of all it seems they
:34:18. > :34:22.will acquire some legal advice, then there wasn't, now it seems a
:34:22. > :34:28.certain opinion of from the President of the European
:34:28. > :34:35.Commission... Can you still hear me? I have lost you at the moment.
:34:35. > :34:39.Can you hear me now? At I can. is hugely damaging, this claim from
:34:39. > :34:45.President Barroso, saying that an independent Scotland would have to
:34:45. > :34:50.reapply for that membership, and it falls into the row Ivy non-existent
:34:50. > :34:55.legal advice. I think he is entitled to his view, and that is
:34:55. > :35:00.exactly a his view, and also the fact is that his government is
:35:00. > :35:05.seeking urgent talks with President Barroso to discuss the current
:35:05. > :35:10.situation in relation to the domestic constitutional situation
:35:10. > :35:16.and to the context of the Edinburgh agreement. But I have to repeat
:35:16. > :35:20.again that this is President Barroso's view, he hasn't given any
:35:20. > :35:24.evidence as to what that is based on in terms of any legal article in
:35:24. > :35:29.the treaty, and that signifies the extent to which there is no
:35:29. > :35:34.provision in the EU treaty that deals with the situation in which
:35:34. > :35:40.one part of a member state would become independent and then take up
:35:40. > :35:44.for membership of the EU. You point out this is his view, he is an
:35:44. > :35:48.unelected man, he has been put there by the member states, which
:35:48. > :35:53.you go as far as to question his legitimacy when he speaks out on an
:35:53. > :35:57.issue like this? You have to remember, I think there is a com --
:35:58. > :36:01.conflict between his interpretation of the situation under the
:36:01. > :36:07.Convention of International Law, and either there, he makes some
:36:07. > :36:16.bold assumptions. You law is based on the rights and interests of East
:36:16. > :36:21.didn't, they have to be considered. -- EU law. It determines the rules
:36:21. > :36:27.and composition of membership. So under that, Scotland cannot be
:36:27. > :36:37.compelled to leave the EU ought to be expelled, it is no provision at
:36:37. > :36:41.all. We are hearing that from her there, it seems the SNP's argument
:36:41. > :36:48.that a Mr Barroso is a highly political figure and a lot of this
:36:48. > :36:53.may be comes down to politics and not legal points. She is retorting
:36:53. > :36:57.to the age-old SNP tactic of shooting the messenger. --
:36:57. > :37:01.resorting. This is not about his interpretation, the point is the
:37:01. > :37:06.SNP always talks about independence for Scotland on their terms as if
:37:06. > :37:12.every single decision effective will be one there is favourable to
:37:12. > :37:17.Scotland and the SNP's position. The point that Mr Barroso raises
:37:17. > :37:22.his it will have to be negotiated, and that put into question, will we
:37:22. > :37:27.have to use the euro? Will our currency have to be the euro? That
:37:27. > :37:32.is a condition of membership. The fact we don't know that is surely a
:37:32. > :37:36.huge question mark over the whole independents project. Sweden have
:37:36. > :37:40.not had to join the euro because they have not joined the exchange
:37:40. > :37:46.rate mechanism. There are a number of different countries in different
:37:46. > :37:50.situations, but Scotland is in a unique situation of leading the
:37:50. > :37:54.euro, having been Amanda. I'm not saying Scotland doesn't want to be
:37:54. > :37:58.a member of the European Community, but it would be interesting to have
:37:58. > :38:04.a referendum, but if Scotland were to opt out of the UK, I don't think
:38:04. > :38:10.there is any question that they would have to at least have some
:38:10. > :38:16.discussions, just that uncertainty about the terms of their ongoing or
:38:16. > :38:19.their new membership in the EU. The fact that uncertainty is a question
:38:19. > :38:25.means our currency it is in question, Germany is imposing a
:38:25. > :38:33.huge lot of fiscal conditions it. The people of Scotland will want to
:38:33. > :38:37.know that before having a voter make this matter. -- a vote on this
:38:37. > :38:44.matter. I think some of your colleagues may like to see the UK
:38:45. > :38:49.opt out of this. They may question Mr Barroso's legitimacy. If I can
:38:49. > :38:55.go back to your Swedish point, they were members of course long before
:38:55. > :39:00.Lisbon, and anybody wanting to join or negotiate post Lisbon has been
:39:00. > :39:05.in a different position. It has been difficult to join the euro or
:39:05. > :39:10.making any commitment to do so in fairly short order. It is
:39:10. > :39:14.interesting, the SNP have condemned Mr Barroso for making bold
:39:14. > :39:19.assertions, they have condemned him for not providing for evidence and
:39:19. > :39:23.legal back-up, for all the legal positions he has put forward. I
:39:23. > :39:30.think it is totally hypocritical of the SNP to do that and to describe
:39:30. > :39:34.him as a political figure, when many of those in the SNP have made
:39:34. > :39:41.contrary assertions, claiming it is cut and dried, many of them could
:39:41. > :39:45.be described as political figures are also. One final issue, same-sex
:39:46. > :39:51.marriage, we have the Scottish government's proposals being are
:39:51. > :39:55.published and religious bodies have to opt in. Is this surprising?
:39:55. > :39:58.have to remember that we are all trying to make sure we have a
:39:58. > :40:03.fairer, tolerant and more progressive society in Scotland, we
:40:03. > :40:07.do have cross-party support for same-sex marriage, and what we are
:40:07. > :40:11.saying today is making sure that the legislation will have important
:40:11. > :40:19.protections in relation to religious bodies and also in terms
:40:19. > :40:22.of freedom of speech and education. Mr McIntosh, you have seen the
:40:22. > :40:26.proposals, of the Labour Party happy with them? I am not speaking
:40:26. > :40:30.on behalf of the Labour Party but I can certainly say are my own behalf
:40:30. > :40:36.but I'm very much in favour of same-sex marriage. I was surprised
:40:36. > :40:39.at the SNP's position, I am not quite sure why they have done this.
:40:39. > :40:45.The cynic in me suggests they are wanting to hide behind what is
:40:45. > :40:49.happening down south. It defeats the purpose of perhaps, there will
:40:49. > :40:54.be a lot of individual churches in Scotland who would want to carry
:40:54. > :41:02.out these, and others who would not have to. But opting in is a strange
:41:02. > :41:09.position they have taken. I would just. But that point to you, we
:41:09. > :41:13.have seen that, what you think about this opting in? There will
:41:13. > :41:17.not be a formal Scottish Conservative Party position on the
:41:17. > :41:21.bill, it will be an entirely free vote for individual members to
:41:21. > :41:26.decide. Having been locked in the finance committee this morning, I
:41:26. > :41:36.have not let -- read the Bill, the proposals, I intend to do so as
:41:36. > :41:38.
:41:38. > :41:45.soon as possible. OK, thank you to you all for joining us. That the
:41:45. > :41:51.crispy to our political Corus -- commentator once again. Just trying
:41:51. > :41:57.to seek out how the SNP are viewing Mr Barroso, you mentioned before,
:41:57. > :42:02.he is a highly political animal, that is what they are pointing out.
:42:02. > :42:07.I know there is this attempt by the Scottish government to get some
:42:07. > :42:13.kind of dialogue going with it Barroso and the Commission on the
:42:13. > :42:19.status of an independent Scotland. I am rather dubious about this. I
:42:19. > :42:24.have no special knowledge about how Barroso it's office is going to
:42:24. > :42:27.respond to this, but given we are talking about a devolved
:42:27. > :42:32.administration within a member state can why would be surprised if
:42:32. > :42:36.Barroso's office said, by all means we will talk to you. I think there
:42:36. > :42:41.is a simple way out for the Scottish government, the member
:42:41. > :42:48.state is the UK, and surely the thing to do is to approach the
:42:48. > :42:53.member state, ie the UK government, and ask them to go to Mr Barroso
:42:53. > :42:57.and the Commission to get that dialogue going. But of course, the
:42:57. > :43:02.Scottish government don't want to do that. Whichever way you turn on
:43:02. > :43:05.this argument becomes a one-way street. Thank you. Now to
:43:05. > :43:07.Westminster and to Prime Minister's Questions, where the Labour Leader
:43:07. > :43:12.Ed Miliband welcomed the fall in unemployment but accused the
:43:12. > :43:15.government of raising taxes for people in work. But David Cameron
:43:15. > :43:25.said he had to get on top of the welfare bill and claimed he was
:43:25. > :43:27.taking more people out of tax. my Right Honourable Friend confirm
:43:27. > :43:36.that the fall in youth unemployment figures is the largest since
:43:36. > :43:40.records began. And will he meet with me to discuss how important
:43:40. > :43:45.opportunities in Tamworth, including youth employment, can be
:43:45. > :43:48.promoted further. I would be delighted to meet with my
:43:48. > :43:52.honourable friend to discuss the best this situation in Tamworth,
:43:52. > :43:57.but he is right, this morning's figures show the largest quarterly
:43:58. > :44:03.fall in youth unemployment on record, 72,000 fewer people
:44:03. > :44:06.unemployed this quarter. There is obviously no room for complacency,
:44:06. > :44:11.they are still far too many people who are long-term unemployed, but
:44:11. > :44:17.in these figures we can see 40,000 more people in work, unemployment
:44:17. > :44:27.is down by 82,000 and the claimant count is down. Over a million extra
:44:27. > :44:30.
:44:30. > :44:38.private sector jobs under this Mr Speaker... Mr Speaker, today is
:44:38. > :44:40.a fall in unemployment is welcome. It is welcome. The part of the
:44:40. > :44:45.challenge remains at the stubbornly high level of long-term
:44:45. > :44:48.unemployment. Does the Prime Minister agree, this remains of
:44:48. > :44:58.fundamental importance of not just for the people out of work but for
:44:58. > :45:00.
:45:00. > :45:05.Long-term unemployment remains stubbornly high. The good news
:45:05. > :45:09.about the figures today is that new unemployment is down this quarter.
:45:09. > :45:14.Obviously long-term unemployment for others is still a problem, that
:45:14. > :45:21.is why getting their work programme is right. It has got 200,000 people
:45:21. > :45:25.into work but there is more to do. He said on 18th January, over the
:45:25. > :45:31.next year, unemployment will get worse not better under his policies.
:45:31. > :45:35.Perhaps he would like to withdraw that? If I am glad the Prime
:45:35. > :45:39.Minister recognises long-term unemployment is still a challenge.
:45:39. > :45:45.I want to ask him about the people who are doing the right thing and
:45:45. > :45:50.finding work. The Chancellor decided to cut credit -- tax
:45:50. > :46:00.credits and benefit. Can the Prime Minister tell us how many of those
:46:00. > :46:01.
:46:01. > :46:05.hit are actually in work? The fact is this is that welfare needs to be
:46:05. > :46:09.controlled and everyone who is on tax credits will be affected by
:46:09. > :46:13.these changes, because we have to get on top of the welfare bill.
:46:13. > :46:18.That is why we are restricting the increase on out-of-work benefits
:46:18. > :46:22.and it is also the reason why we are restricting end were benefits,
:46:22. > :46:27.but what we have also done is increased if the personal allowance
:46:27. > :46:34.because on this side of the house we believe in cutting people's
:46:34. > :46:39.taxes on the Aran mark. She is raising the taxes of people in work.
:46:39. > :46:43.And of course he did not answer the question - the answer is, despite
:46:43. > :46:48.the impression given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, there
:46:48. > :46:53.are over 16% of those affected in work. It is a factory worker on the
:46:53. > :46:57.night shift, it is the carer who looks after elderly people around
:46:57. > :47:02.the clock, and it is a cleaner who cleans the Chancellor's office
:47:02. > :47:06.while his curtains are still drawn and he is still in bed. The
:47:06. > :47:12.Chancellor calls than scroungers. What does the Prime Minister call
:47:12. > :47:17.long? He just said that we are not cutting taxes for people in work.
:47:17. > :47:25.Someone who is on the minimum wage, who works full-time, will see their
:47:25. > :47:29.income tax bill cut by one have under this Government. The fact is
:47:30. > :47:34.under this Government we are saying to working people you can earn
:47:34. > :47:39.another �3,000 before you even start paying income tax. That is
:47:39. > :47:44.why we have taken 2 million people out of tax altogether. He should be
:47:44. > :47:49.welcoming back because this is the party for people who work. His is
:47:49. > :47:54.the party for a limited welfare. the day that unemployment in
:47:54. > :47:57.Scotland showed the largest fall in four years, is the Prime Minister
:47:58. > :48:07.shocked as I am by reports in the Sunday Mail and the Daily reckon
:48:07. > :48:13.this week that some JobCentre managers were actively
:48:13. > :48:18.encouraging... And will the Prime Minister condemned as fact is and
:48:18. > :48:22.insure it ceases immediately? he makes an important point which
:48:22. > :48:26.is we want work-experience places to be additional places encouraging
:48:26. > :48:35.more young people to get a feel for work so they get a chance for work.
:48:35. > :48:42.But it is good that he welcomes the fact that unemployment -- Welt --
:48:42. > :48:45.has fallen 19,000 this quarter. Les their Westminster now. Let's
:48:46. > :48:51.speak to David Porter who is standing back on College Green.
:48:51. > :48:58.Thank you very much. Perhaps unsurprisingly our financial theme
:48:58. > :49:04.to Prime Minister's Questions there. Joining me is Anne McGuire for
:49:04. > :49:08.Labour, Mike Weir and Mike Crockart for the Liberal Democrats.
:49:08. > :49:12.Anne McGuire you have been a Minister, you know when there are
:49:12. > :49:17.good unemployment figures. It does not seem difficult to get Ministers
:49:17. > :49:21.out and about. Do you think we have turned the corner on unemployment?
:49:21. > :49:26.There is always a difficult day. Looking at the headline figures,
:49:26. > :49:30.you need to look at the analysis that the officer budge a
:49:30. > :49:36.responsibility has undertaken. Yes, it is welcome that unemployment
:49:36. > :49:43.figures have come down, but the other issue in terms of Scotland of
:49:43. > :49:50.courses -- of courses that unemployment in Scotland is
:49:50. > :49:54.decreasing at a faster rate than anywhere else. There is a decrease
:49:54. > :49:58.of employment in Scotland and in my own constituency. We have had an
:49:58. > :50:03.increase of employment since last October to the current figures. We
:50:03. > :50:07.have a problem. Do you think people are taking lower-paid jobs are
:50:08. > :50:11.part-time jobs? We're seeing more people in part-time not full
:50:11. > :50:16.employment? There is evidence to suggest that people are taking
:50:16. > :50:20.part-time jobs. If that is an individual's choice then that is
:50:20. > :50:25.fantastic. But we do know that people are taking part-time jobs
:50:25. > :50:28.when the really one full time employment. I think that is the big
:50:28. > :50:33.challenge, to convert some of those part-time jobs into the full time
:50:34. > :50:40.jobs that people want. Mike Weir, these figures show unemployment in
:50:40. > :50:44.Scotland is below the midi -- UK average. Does that mean that some
:50:44. > :50:48.of the stories that your party has been fitting out of the past few
:50:48. > :50:52.months, perhaps not true that the situation is not as bad in Scotland
:50:52. > :50:56.as you have been saying? Her it shows that what the Scottish
:50:56. > :51:03.Government has been doing things that are working. Making sure there
:51:03. > :51:07.is employment, putting money back into communities. Youth
:51:07. > :51:11.unemployment has also fallen. We cannot be complacent about it.
:51:11. > :51:16.There is still a lot to be done but it is encouraging news that we're
:51:17. > :51:24.moving in the right direction. managed to mention cattle project,
:51:24. > :51:28.which your Government has been making a great deal. -- capital. We
:51:28. > :51:32.are not seen press releases saying these projects are going to start
:51:32. > :51:36.on a certain date. I am sure the Government is looking at all of the
:51:36. > :51:46.projects and the money they have and will now -- announced in due
:51:46. > :51:51.
:51:51. > :51:54.course what will be done. A Mike Crockard, from a UK Government has
:51:54. > :51:58.vowed to, do you feel you we have turn the corner or is it too early
:51:58. > :52:04.to say that with regards to unemployment?
:52:04. > :52:07.It is too early to be complacent about this. These are encouraging
:52:07. > :52:13.figures, 82,000 draw up in unemployment. The biggest draw up
:52:13. > :52:18.in unemployment that we have seen for over a decade. Almost a quarter
:52:18. > :52:22.of that, 19,000 of that coming in Scotland. These are good figures,
:52:22. > :52:25.but we certainly cannot be complacent about it. The things
:52:25. > :52:30.that have come out in the Autumn Statement will hopefully help to
:52:30. > :52:32.accelerate that. What we need his private business to be more
:52:32. > :52:36.confident and actually to invest some of the money that they have
:52:36. > :52:42.available to them. The capital allowances will help one to that.
:52:42. > :52:46.The extra job any corporation tax will help them do that. We're doing
:52:46. > :52:53.what we can but it is up to private business to have the confidence to
:52:53. > :52:58.invest in the economy. Let's move on to another subject - Europe.
:52:58. > :53:03.Wall with an independent Scotland's position be in a European Union.
:53:03. > :53:07.Anne McGuire, from what we heard from the Commission and letters
:53:07. > :53:10.written by the Commission President. Day think we have moved a major way
:53:10. > :53:16.for me now? I think if the President are the commission is
:53:16. > :53:21.really saying that Scotland would have to apply as the state, a new
:53:21. > :53:26.state, if that is what the referendum deliver it, then I think
:53:26. > :53:30.we should take that seriously. What it has exposed is that the smoke
:53:30. > :53:38.and mirrors that have been around this issue by the First Minister
:53:39. > :53:44.and his deputy. What we had this week was a definitive opinion of
:53:44. > :53:47.exactly what the situation is. And that, I hope, will encourage the
:53:48. > :53:52.current Scottish Government to be more honest, not just about Europe
:53:52. > :53:59.but also the implications for Scotland far if we do separate from
:53:59. > :54:03.the rest of the United Kingdom. This is not just the decision for
:54:03. > :54:12.20th October 14, this is a decision for more than a generation in terms
:54:13. > :54:18.of the future of Scotland. -- 20th October 14. They want more honesty
:54:18. > :54:25.from you. A position has always been clear. We believe we will
:54:25. > :54:30.always be a member of the European Union after independence. We are a
:54:30. > :54:36.member of the European Union, our position is that we are citizens of
:54:36. > :54:42.the European Union and we still well be. If Greece wanted to leave
:54:42. > :54:49.they would have to negotiate their way out. It comes from the Tory's
:54:49. > :54:51.down here. We have been in the position where we are negotiating
:54:51. > :54:58.hour conditions were staying in, they are negotiating the conditions
:54:58. > :55:03.for getting out. How do you take that argument that we have heard
:55:03. > :55:13.from my clear that Paul's an independence referendum, a country
:55:13. > :55:17.like Scotland, is still a member of the E u. -- European Union? They
:55:17. > :55:22.would have to apply to be a member of the European Union. Any sensible
:55:22. > :55:26.person would say that they would be allowed to join the European Union.
:55:26. > :55:31.But the real uncertainty is around what the conditions would be if
:55:31. > :55:35.they were allowed to join. Would they have to join the euro? Whit a
:55:35. > :55:41.have to join the Shane Chowen in the what? There are so many
:55:41. > :55:46.unknowns. What the Scottish Government need to do is to deal
:55:46. > :55:50.with these in a more far -- on his and fair way. -- fees that
:55:50. > :55:54.requirements. Thank you for joining us this afternoon.
:55:54. > :56:00.Time to hand back to you. The sirens are just started here!
:56:00. > :56:04.Thank you very much. I am joined in the studio far final time by Angus
:56:04. > :56:08.MacLeod, a political commentator far this afternoon.
:56:08. > :56:12.This has been released - the First Minister's official Christmas card.
:56:12. > :56:19.We will see it on the screen you. What you make of it?
:56:19. > :56:26.uncharitable minds say it is like that type of graduate sent to
:56:26. > :56:34.someone in hospital rather than a Christmas card. -- type a Christmas
:56:34. > :56:37.card you would send. I would hazard a guess that one
:56:37. > :56:42.person who is not going to be receiving the First Minister's
:56:42. > :56:48.Christmas card this year is a certain President Barroso, care of
:56:48. > :56:54.Brussels. That is for sure. It is your final programme of 2012. What
:56:54. > :56:59.has been your big highlight of 2012? It actually came quite early
:56:59. > :57:03.in the area. It was when the Prime Minister David Cameron walk up that
:57:03. > :57:07.Sunday morning to find out that Mr Cameron had decided that he was
:57:07. > :57:13.going to give the power to the Scottish Parliament to are
:57:13. > :57:17.organised and hold a referendum on independence. He recognised the
:57:17. > :57:21.Scottish Parliament's right to do so. I think that has set a kind of
:57:21. > :57:27.political template for the whole of the Year. It concentrated minds
:57:27. > :57:29.wonderfully, not just on the pro- union aside but as time has shown,
:57:29. > :57:34.it has started to concentrate minds wonderfully within the Scottish
:57:34. > :57:38.Government. From that moment on, we were no longer talking about
:57:38. > :57:47.something theoretical. We were talking about something that is now
:57:47. > :57:51.actually only 22 months away. And I think, that for me, was the kind,
:57:51. > :57:57.it's set the pace on the whole of the political year for Scotland. If
:57:57. > :58:04.it was a year ago, 2013 coming up. I year with no elections. That is
:58:04. > :58:07.my highlight of 2013, the fact that we will have no elections. But
:58:07. > :58:12.despite this frenetic activity on all sides of the constitutional
:58:12. > :58:18.agreement, by the end of 2013 we will be needing our real relaxation
:58:18. > :58:22.from it. It we will not get it, it will carry on into 2014. And the
:58:22. > :58:26.European argument that we have seen today. They will run and run.
:58:26. > :58:31.they will run and run and the temperature will increase. I think
:58:31. > :58:37.that some of the language will start to get a bit hot as well.
:58:37. > :58:43.Thank you very much as well -- for that as well.
:58:43. > :58:47.That is all from us just now. We are back at the same time next week,