:00:18. > :00:22.Hello and welcome to politics Scotland, coming up on the
:00:23. > :00:25.programme. The green shots continue to peep
:00:26. > :00:32.through, Scotland's economy grows again, we will look at the figures.
:00:33. > :00:38.As we plough through the winter Labour call for a full review, that
:00:39. > :00:43.is our live debate in the chamber. And here at Westminster, bankers'
:00:44. > :00:48.bonuses are on the agenda again. It's a poisoned chalice or a sign
:00:49. > :00:54.the economy is stepping up a gear. The Scottish economy grew by 0.7% in
:00:55. > :00:56.the third quarter of last year according to figures from the
:00:57. > :01:00.Scottish Government. There were similar rates of growth across
:01:01. > :01:05.service, production and construction sectors. This represents the sixth
:01:06. > :01:09.quarter of growth as the recovery has picked up. A trend welcomed by
:01:10. > :01:13.the Finance Secretary John Swinney. The figures on the development and
:01:14. > :01:17.growth in the Scottish economy are encouraging. They show over the last
:01:18. > :01:21.six quarters sustained and accelerating growth in the Scottish
:01:22. > :01:26.economy, and we have reached a point where the annual growth in the
:01:27. > :01:29.Scottish economy is at 2.1%, so this is further reinforcement of the fact
:01:30. > :01:36.that the Scottish economy is recovering, we have seen that in the
:01:37. > :01:40.labour market. We have seen that in the gross domestic product. We are
:01:41. > :01:50.joined by Douglas Fraser and by our commentator for the afternoon, the
:01:51. > :01:55.columnist Jerome Kerviel. Dug la, it seem -- George Kerr van. It is
:01:56. > :01:59.historical. They take a long time to give us the figure, this this is for
:02:00. > :02:03.the third quarter. It doesn't come as a huge surprise, it is reassuring
:02:04. > :02:08.it is the right number we are looking for. It is in line what the
:02:09. > :02:12.UK as a whole saw. The difference explained by construction. Which
:02:13. > :02:16.with all this help to buy and the improvement in the housing market
:02:17. > :02:21.has been helped a great deal, a big boost in the UK, a more modest boost
:02:22. > :02:25.in line with everything else with the services sector, the production
:02:26. > :02:30.sector in Scotland, that would probably explain that gap there was.
:02:31. > :02:34.These summer autumn months were good from the other indicators we had,
:02:35. > :02:38.the next question is what happens next. The 28th January we find out
:02:39. > :02:42.about the fourth quarter for the whole of the UK, they are faster in
:02:43. > :02:46.giving us these figures that the Scottish Government is, and there is
:02:47. > :02:50.some signs that may come off the boil a bit. The accelerating
:02:51. > :02:55.recovery that we have seen may not continue, particularly in Scotland,
:02:56. > :03:00.we saw purchasing managers for December were a bit weaker. There is
:03:01. > :03:04.still recovery, growth, I should stress but less strong than we were
:03:05. > :03:08.seeing in the period for the third quarter figures. The other factor is
:03:09. > :03:11.Grangemouth, which is a big part of the Scottish economy. The shut down,
:03:12. > :03:16.which was a dispute that lasted not more than a couple of weeks, firing
:03:17. > :03:20.it up meant the output was held back, we may say that reflected. I
:03:21. > :03:25.think that not be that great. There was a lag there. George, looking at
:03:26. > :03:27.the figure, how are they playing out the Scottish Secretary is saying
:03:28. > :03:31.that is what Scotland can achieve as part of the UK, the Finance
:03:32. > :03:36.Secretary is saying well, Scotland needs independence to achieve its
:03:37. > :03:40.full potential? Good growth figures are positive for the party in
:03:41. > :03:44.Government, which is why down south you are seeing the Cameron
:03:45. > :03:47.Government is improving its poll position, so they are good for John
:03:48. > :03:54.Swinney and Alex Salmond north of the border. And I think the fact
:03:55. > :03:57.that John Swinney can point to six consecutive quarters of growth
:03:58. > :04:01.proves he is doing something right. One month one quarter's figures is
:04:02. > :04:04.neither here nor there, they are a bit crude, subject to revision, so
:04:05. > :04:11.you have to look at it over a period of time. I think, you know, just
:04:12. > :04:14.following on, there is a slight difference between what is going on
:04:15. > :04:18.north and south of the border, in terms of economic performance, what
:04:19. > :04:23.is going on south of the boarer is very much forced by -- border is
:04:24. > :04:27.rising house prices that came on the back of some emergency subsidies the
:04:28. > :04:31.Westminster Government put in in 2013. The growth in Scotland is
:04:32. > :04:35.slightly better embedded and that comes from the fact they put more
:04:36. > :04:40.money into capital spending over the period. Dug la, it is not all good
:04:41. > :04:46.news though, looking at the Scottish sales figure, disappointing December
:04:47. > :04:49.for retailers. Yes for retail, this is Scottish Retail Consortium
:04:50. > :04:54.figures, these are vital figures an were poor. If you look at the
:04:55. > :04:59.equivalent UK figures more than 2% growth. Scottish figures more than
:05:00. > :05:02.1%, a decline. Particularly for stores that have been trading over
:05:03. > :05:07.the whole year, it is known as like for like, it is a sharp fall for
:05:08. > :05:12.them. Both food and non-food. Now, part of this maybe explained by the
:05:13. > :05:18.difficulty that the Retail Consortium has in capturing online
:05:19. > :05:23.sales, not all of the members, the retailers account for where online
:05:24. > :05:27.transactions take place. Clearly, the Christmas period in particular,
:05:28. > :05:31.was a very strong one for a move into online, so that may be one of
:05:32. > :05:35.the reasons the figures aren't particularly strong, but retail, the
:05:36. > :05:38.consumer confidence was very important, really, to getting the
:05:39. > :05:42.economy going over the past six quarters that we are see, we have
:05:43. > :05:47.seen growth. It may be because people have been spending, you know,
:05:48. > :05:53.the average spending power of the average household has been curtailed
:05:54. > :05:57.by inflation, outstripping earnings, we have heard a lot about that. It
:05:58. > :06:04.maybe house holds are getting more cautious, the hope has to be other
:06:05. > :06:09.parts of the economy, export, business, they need to pick up in
:06:10. > :06:14.order to carry on where the consumer starts. George, let us finish off
:06:15. > :06:19.with one more stat. You could finish on a high, it was the news yesterday
:06:20. > :06:23.that inflation fell to the Bank of England's 2% target for the first
:06:24. > :06:27.time in four years. David Cameron was welcoming this, but I think you
:06:28. > :06:33.have a different take on inflation don't you? It is good in the sense
:06:34. > :06:39.that your pay packet goes further, here is my warn, low inflation means
:06:40. > :06:43.that debts are heavier in real terms, if inflation goes down the
:06:44. > :06:47.debt mountain that is holding the Scottish and British economies back
:06:48. > :06:52.remains in place and gets heavier, in real terms, so watch out for
:06:53. > :06:56.that. OK, George, you stay with us here, but Douglas thanks for coming
:06:57. > :06:59.in. Another political issue that is making the headline the abolition of
:07:00. > :07:03.corroboration in criminal cases is to be delayed to allow time for a
:07:04. > :07:07.fresh review of what other safeguards might be needed. The
:07:08. > :07:13.Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill made the commitment at Holyrood's
:07:14. > :07:16.Justice Committee yesterday. The century's old requirement it says
:07:17. > :07:22.evidence must come from more than one source. . This is about access
:07:23. > :07:28.to justice, I come back to the letter sent to the committee by
:07:29. > :07:34.Colette Barry, she wanted access to justice. When I met with her she was
:07:35. > :07:38.clear she would hope, would hope that that would result in a
:07:39. > :07:41.conviction. She would be disappointed if it didn't.
:07:42. > :07:49.But she would accept the position and the view of the jury. But she
:07:50. > :07:53.had been groomed and abused as a child, as had he sister, she had to
:07:54. > :07:58.live with the consequence, she is a bright and intelligent woman. It had
:07:59. > :08:03.affected her whole life in very tragic ways. She wanted her day in
:08:04. > :08:08.court. She wanted, she said to me, to look her abuser in the eye and
:08:09. > :08:13.say "You ruined my childhood and damaged my life." She would have her
:08:14. > :08:19.day in court and she wanted access to justice. Have you taken time to
:08:20. > :08:23.think about whether or not Scottish Law Commission or some other
:08:24. > :08:28.mechanism could be utilised to look at the judge's power, the size of
:08:29. > :08:32.the jury, never mind what a majority looks like, the not proven verdict,
:08:33. > :08:37.the use of here say within the trial, the dock identification you
:08:38. > :08:42.have spoken about, is a time to stand aside from this at this
:08:43. > :08:49.moment, and get this right for everybody concerned. I think there
:08:50. > :08:53.is time to get the new system of evidential requirements and the
:08:54. > :09:00.other aspects that you commented on right. I don't think there is any
:09:01. > :09:04.time to delay in getting rid of corroboration. Are you saying you
:09:05. > :09:09.could keep corroboration in the bill, but it wouldn't be ins for
:09:10. > :09:14.pending something else? No, what I am saying. You are not?
:09:15. > :09:17.Corroboration has to go. Believe that to remain the bill and we have
:09:18. > :09:22.to trigger that, we recognise we have to make sure that we get the
:09:23. > :09:27.landscape right, and the balance of the scales of justice right, to
:09:28. > :09:37.ensure that the due change does not come in until such time as we have
:09:38. > :09:42.got right, the, the new landscape for prosecution and indeed the
:09:43. > :09:46.judiciary to decide upon, when matters come before them. I
:09:47. > :09:52.appreciate what you are saying about this coming in later is there a way,
:09:53. > :09:57.perhaps I shouldn't be asking this, a way the committee should ensure
:09:58. > :10:03.that they look at this again, prior to, it would be in the bill, and it
:10:04. > :10:08.would be in the act but suspended animation as it were until such time
:10:09. > :10:14.as further evidence came back to the committee, to allow us to say "OK,
:10:15. > :10:18.now we have taken our time, it is better than trying to do it as stage
:10:19. > :10:24.two." Maybe I am asking the wrong question. I don't know. These things
:10:25. > :10:27.would be triggered by subordinate legislation but there are ways
:10:28. > :10:31.through legislation that matters can come back before the committee and
:10:32. > :10:35.indeed before Parliament, and indeed, I think from discussion with
:10:36. > :10:38.various people, including accuse deminutes that would probably
:10:39. > :10:43.provide for greater scrutiny than would be dealt with in any other
:10:44. > :10:48.way. That was Kenny MacAskill there. Let us pick up with George again.
:10:49. > :10:52.George, the essence there is Kenny MacAskill offering that review of
:10:53. > :10:57.what alternative safeguards might be needed if corroboration goes, why
:10:58. > :11:01.you think he has decided to do this now? Well, I don't think it is
:11:02. > :11:05.because he is flighty, I mean, remember he was a lawyer, very
:11:06. > :11:09.well-thought-of lawyer before he became minister, he has been
:11:10. > :11:14.minister for six year, which is a long time by UK standard so he is
:11:15. > :11:18.well bedded. If he doesn't do things quickly or without a lot of thought.
:11:19. > :11:23.He wants rid of corroboration, I think what is happening is that it
:11:24. > :11:29.has become the issue has become a focus of debate for other thing, I
:11:30. > :11:31.think the judiciary is feeling a bit under pressure, issues about the
:11:32. > :11:35.integration of the Scottish police force. It has cop a head on that
:11:36. > :11:41.particular issue, but he is not going to give way. Scotland is the
:11:42. > :11:49.odd system out, the women's movement is very clear that the cases of rape
:11:50. > :11:52.the cob rakes rule is dangerous and leads to bad side effects because in
:11:53. > :11:57.those crimes there isn't a witness to gi you the corroboration, so it
:11:58. > :12:02.is a matter of the debate about how we resolve the issue to put in the
:12:03. > :12:04.safeguard, I don't think council tax will retreat on that. It is
:12:05. > :12:09.interesting what you say about the judiciary there. There has been very
:12:10. > :12:14.strong opposition from them. When you say the issue is maybe coming to
:12:15. > :12:16.a head and they express themselves, do you think there are other
:12:17. > :12:22.problems with within the judiciary and they are using that to attack
:12:23. > :12:27.the Scottish... It has to be a conservative force. So that is good.
:12:28. > :12:32.So they have to be moved along slowly to catch up with public
:12:33. > :12:36.opinion, but I do feel that the mood over the last period is the
:12:37. > :12:39.judiciary feel that the politicians are encroaching, not just in
:12:40. > :12:44.Scotland but across the UK on their prerogative, and so they are
:12:45. > :12:49.defensive and they see this as the front line. This review will report
:12:50. > :12:53.back by the end of the year, but this does delay the legislation,
:12:54. > :12:56.doesn't it? It does, I am sure Kenny MacAskill would have referred to
:12:57. > :13:00.have got it through smoothly but he is a canny operator, and I think in
:13:01. > :13:04.the end he will get his way, but he wants to bring people with him. The
:13:05. > :13:08.review is not a review of the principle as your clip showed. It is
:13:09. > :13:11.easy to see if he can do a deal on the safeguard, so everyone feels
:13:12. > :13:15.happy with the removal of the corroboration rule. Thank you, we
:13:16. > :13:19.will speak do you shortly. Let us go to our live debate in the
:13:20. > :13:22.chamber. Scottish Labour is calling on the Scottish Government to
:13:23. > :13:27.conduct a full and comprehensive review of the NHS in Scotland to
:13:28. > :13:32.ensure as they put it, it can become a 24/7 service fit for the 21st
:13:33. > :13:35.century. Our commentator is standing by in the chamber at Holyrood. It is
:13:36. > :13:41.over to you. A minute or so into the debate now,
:13:42. > :13:44.as you say, Neil Findlay Labour's health spokesperson on his feet,
:13:45. > :13:48.fleshing out his motion, the thrust of which is a call on the Scottish
:13:49. > :13:51.Government to conduct a full and comprehensive review of the NHS in
:13:52. > :13:56.Scotland, to ensure they have a service fit for the 21st century.
:13:57. > :14:02.Let us hear what he has to say. The NHS would not function, and we
:14:03. > :14:08.ignore them and their concerns at our peril. Of course, health is
:14:09. > :14:11.fully devolved. Therefore our responsibility in this Parliament is
:14:12. > :14:16.to hold ministers to account for what is going on here in Scotland.
:14:17. > :14:22.As my motion sets out, the reality is that the NHS in Scotland, and the
:14:23. > :14:27.staff who work in it, are under pressure, like never before. Budget
:14:28. > :14:32.pressures, fewer staff being asked to do more for less, the social care
:14:33. > :14:37.system in crisis, bed blocking, waiting times increasing, a skeleton
:14:38. > :14:42.weekend service, vacancy rates up, cases of bullying and the use of
:14:43. > :14:45.gagging clauses to silence staff up. Junior doctors being left to look
:14:46. > :14:50.after up to one hundred beds while working up to 100 hours a week.
:14:51. > :14:54.Patients left on troll his and sometimes being treated -- trolleys
:14:55. > :14:58.and sometimes being treated in cupboards and only last week patient
:14:59. > :15:04.being left on trolleys for up to 13 hours. Let us not forget Scotland's
:15:05. > :15:09.shame of health and equality, increasing despite the rhetoric of
:15:10. > :15:15.the Scottish Government, southern pricing given the billion pound of
:15:16. > :15:20.cuts. In the summer I called for a full scale review of the NHS in
:15:21. > :15:26.Scotland. This call was not based on a whim, or for narrow party
:15:27. > :15:31.political reasons, it followed wide-ranging discussions I had with
:15:32. > :15:48.doctor, nurse, patient, trade unions and a range of stake holders from
:15:49. > :15:53.across the NHS. We need such a review to examine how we sustainably
:15:54. > :15:58.finance and resource the NHS. We need it to ensure we have the right
:15:59. > :16:04.people and the right places to meet expectations on the health service
:16:05. > :16:08.and we needed to reflect the challenges and opportunities of an
:16:09. > :16:15.ageing population. So, let us look at some of the evidence to support
:16:16. > :16:21.this call. The auditor general told the public audit committee about the
:16:22. > :16:29.Hiddink waiting times. -- hidden waiting times. Nicola Sturgeon said
:16:30. > :16:33.it didn't exist. He said the focus on tension was on whether the 18
:16:34. > :16:38.week treatment target was being achieved rather than how it was
:16:39. > :16:43.being achieved. That information should have rung alarm bells. Those
:16:44. > :16:51.in charge of the health service at the time, it was also the -- said
:16:52. > :16:56.that the NHS budget was on an amber warning and now we see how only
:16:57. > :17:02.three health boards met the 12 week legal treatment time guarantee. With
:17:03. > :17:10.nine of the 14 failing to meet the accident and emergency target. In a
:17:11. > :17:17.recent report, in 2012 and 2013, pressure had increased and the focus
:17:18. > :17:22.was on short-term measures. The health service, it was theirs, needs
:17:23. > :17:28.to prepare for the challenges it faces. One doctor from the BMA said
:17:29. > :17:31.that NHS managers have the unenviable task of managing
:17:32. > :17:37.shrinking budgets whilst trying to achieve a range of targets annually
:17:38. > :17:42.and performance standards set by the government. This means planning for
:17:43. > :17:46.the short-term and making savings from easy targets such as the
:17:47. > :17:55.workforce. He said it was not sustainable. Another said that the
:17:56. > :17:59.picture painted of the NHS is of it doing its best whilst creaking at
:18:00. > :18:04.the seams. Next year 's budget does not look set to change much in
:18:05. > :18:08.practice, it is not sustainable to manage the health service in this
:18:09. > :18:16.way as shown all too clearly by Mr waiting times and health care staff
:18:17. > :18:22.and an increasing reliance on bank and agency staff as well as the
:18:23. > :18:26.private sector. As a previous member of the health committee on a number
:18:27. > :18:32.of health committee meetings, the question has often been asked as to
:18:33. > :18:37.where the investment should take place all this investment should
:18:38. > :18:45.take place. Does Mr Finlay have any suggestion? He makes my argument for
:18:46. > :18:51.me. That is why we need an overall review of the NHS to look at these
:18:52. > :18:55.issues. To reserve five is absolutely rife, private sector
:18:56. > :19:00.spent is up by a quarter and the use of consultants on triple time is up,
:19:01. > :19:07.use of agency nurses is up by 62%, spending on Bach -- bank staff up by
:19:08. > :19:15.the 15% and vacancy rates for consultants are up. As one from the
:19:16. > :19:20.BMA said that medical staff are feeling under considerable strain as
:19:21. > :19:25.a result. Clearly, this is not sustainable. These are his words,
:19:26. > :19:30.the words of these different groups, they are not my words. Therefore, we
:19:31. > :19:36.have a duty to listen. We can see the pressures and the increase in
:19:37. > :19:41.sick days. In the last few days, this has come to light, the amount
:19:42. > :19:49.of sick days been taken in Tayside. It shows 24 and a half percent of
:19:50. > :19:56.all sick days related to stress. 16% in Fife and 14% in Lanarkshire. Of
:19:57. > :20:02.course, before Christmas, we were reminded of the tragic death of drop
:20:03. > :20:07.-- Doctor Lauren Connerly who died in an accident having work excessive
:20:08. > :20:12.hours in a week prior to her death. We cannot treat young people who are
:20:13. > :20:17.the future of our NHS like this and that is why I have called on the
:20:18. > :20:20.Health and Safety Executive to examine junior doctor hours and I
:20:21. > :20:25.hope the Cabinet Secretary will support that call. Junior doctors
:20:26. > :20:30.are often asked to work 100 hours a week. That is clearly unhealthy for
:20:31. > :20:36.them and unhealthy for their patients. I know they would talk
:20:37. > :20:41.about averaging out the working Time directive and the rest of it, but if
:20:42. > :20:53.you are working 100 hours a week you cannot function properly and deal
:20:54. > :20:56.with patients properly. We'll head to Holyrood for some political
:20:57. > :20:58.reaction now. I'm joined by the SNP's Christian Allard, Graeme
:20:59. > :21:01.Pearson from Scottish Labour and from the Scottish Liberal Democrats
:21:02. > :21:04.we have Liam McArthur. David Cameron has defended the government's record
:21:05. > :21:10.on banking amid continuing pressure from Labour about bonuses.
:21:11. > :21:18.Let us look at the figures now. Labour must almost be disappointed,
:21:19. > :21:24.looking at these figures, when you see what your friends beside you are
:21:25. > :21:28.managing to achieve in the Scottish economy? Labour is always pleased
:21:29. > :21:32.when some good news comes through. The problem as far as we will
:21:33. > :21:38.estimate is how fragile these changes are and whether we can
:21:39. > :21:43.commit to long-term growth in the economy and real jobs in communities
:21:44. > :21:47.who do not see any. Our fear is that much of the perceived growth is on
:21:48. > :21:52.the back of zero hour contracts and part-time working and low-paid jobs.
:21:53. > :21:59.As much as any growth in the economy is to be welcomed, it is not a great
:22:00. > :22:03.number. Better than nothing, but we would like to see sustainable growth
:22:04. > :22:08.and growth that will ring some degree of comfort to those who have
:22:09. > :22:13.suffered most these last few years. I think we have had six consecutive
:22:14. > :22:18.quarters of growth and when you see the inflation figures from yesterday
:22:19. > :22:23.going down, Labour 's cost of living crisis doesn't ring true true at the
:22:24. > :22:30.moment, does it? It might not to you in the BBC studio, but come down to
:22:31. > :22:35.the communities I represent and they do not feel much warm air coming in
:22:36. > :22:40.at all. We need a great deal more of investment in industry and jobs. It
:22:41. > :22:45.is good to see construction jobs are seeing some growth because often
:22:46. > :22:49.that is seen as the first signs of a building economy. But I don't think
:22:50. > :22:55.anyone is confident today that Scotland is out of the woods and we
:22:56. > :22:59.are getting on our feet again. Let us put that point to Christian
:23:00. > :23:07.Allard. Scotland is not out of the woods. To a certain extent, I would
:23:08. > :23:12.agree that we need to be cautious. The figures are very good and we
:23:13. > :23:18.have to welcome them. GDP figures and unemployment, not only are they
:23:19. > :23:22.very good, but the direction of travel during those quarters has
:23:23. > :23:28.been very good. Quarter after quarter, we push well above our
:23:29. > :23:32.weight and that is promising. Let us not forget there are difficult
:23:33. > :23:44.circumstances and we are managing to do very well because the Scottish
:23:45. > :23:48.Government. The last report from the Federation of Small Businesses was
:23:49. > :23:52.very optimistic and I am sure it is a good sign of progress that
:23:53. > :23:58.entrepreneurs are taking about a bright future. Do you think a bright
:23:59. > :24:09.future is part of the United Kingdom as the socket -- Scottish secretary
:24:10. > :24:14.was saying today? Part of the United Kingdom... Or part of the UK, it
:24:15. > :24:23.could be the same result. It is to decide what we can do here for our
:24:24. > :24:27.businesses here. And for looking after the communities. I live in a
:24:28. > :24:33.constituency which is very rich. One with full employment and
:24:34. > :24:39.particularly in Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen. I would like to see that
:24:40. > :24:45.across Scotland and independents can bring this. Listening to that, Liam
:24:46. > :24:48.McArthur, what you make of John Swinney saying that only with full
:24:49. > :24:53.powers of independence can we build a wealthier and fairer and
:24:54. > :24:58.economically sustainable Scotland? I am rather bemused, to be honest.
:24:59. > :25:03.Christian has just suggested that what we need to be as an independent
:25:04. > :25:08.Scotland in a United Kingdom and I can't see how you can square that.
:25:09. > :25:14.What we are seeing is encouraging signs of growth. Earlier figures
:25:15. > :25:19.suggested that we are on a trajectory that gives cause for
:25:20. > :25:23.optimism. Add to that figure is around inflation yesterday and some
:25:24. > :25:30.of the surveys yesterday of business indicating confidence is up. We are
:25:31. > :25:32.not out of the woods yet and we need a long-term sustainable strategy,
:25:33. > :25:39.but I believe that is a pattern which is set. Christian is also
:25:40. > :25:49.taking the credit for this recovery, but let us not forget that
:25:50. > :25:58.SNP ministers have been criticising Westminster MPs. You do say we are
:25:59. > :26:03.on a positive trajectory, but hearing from what Graham Pearson was
:26:04. > :26:09.saying, is it sustainable? He said .7% is not a huge amount. To be
:26:10. > :26:13.fair, it is stronger than most other economies in Europe. There are
:26:14. > :26:19.difficult weeks ahead, but the indications are that we are seeing
:26:20. > :26:22.growth over successive quarters with business confidence. We see
:26:23. > :26:28.employment up and unemployment down. We see inflation back to the sorts
:26:29. > :26:32.of levels which are a bit more comfortable, particularly in
:26:33. > :26:36.relation to the cost of living. All of these things combined suggest
:26:37. > :26:41.that, yes, we are not out of the woods but we are going in the right
:26:42. > :26:47.direction. Let us move on to corroboration. Christian Allard, it
:26:48. > :26:52.what is Kenny MacAskill up to at the moment with this new review looking
:26:53. > :26:58.at what alternative safeguards might be available? Is he getting cold
:26:59. > :27:02.feet? Not at all. The Cabinet Secretary for Justice has been
:27:03. > :27:12.listening to all the evidence we took at the committee. He is on the
:27:13. > :27:16.side of the Scottish Government to listen and ask for suggestions from
:27:17. > :27:22.the judicial system and a lot of people out there would be delighted
:27:23. > :27:35.to hear that he is listening. I hope he will bring back some safeguards.
:27:36. > :27:40.That is when we bring in the removal for requirements for accommodation.
:27:41. > :27:44.Has he been taken aback? One of the High Court judges is against this? I
:27:45. > :27:48.have been listening to what the media has said but if you follow the
:27:49. > :27:54.evidence we took at committee level, you will see that the debate has
:27:55. > :27:57.changed. There was a lot of opposition to the removal of
:27:58. > :28:03.corroboration and there was an understanding that it will not be
:28:04. > :28:12.removed as such but only the formal requirement for cooperation. --
:28:13. > :28:20.corroboration. What a Labour think at the moment? We are bemused. There
:28:21. > :28:25.was no reference yesterday to any possibility of an expert panel. It
:28:26. > :28:32.was only after close questioning and I asked him about taking time and
:28:33. > :28:36.getting this thing right that he finally indicated that he would
:28:37. > :28:42.create this panel and he would, indeed, slow up his progress. This
:28:43. > :28:47.whole area is a mess. Cold feet... It would be good if he did feel cold
:28:48. > :28:53.feet and not only listened, but actually responded to decent views
:28:54. > :28:57.that have been made to him, both in public and in committee, which says
:28:58. > :29:01.there are a great deal of problems here. It is not as straightforward
:29:02. > :29:07.as he was advised at the outset and we need to ensure we can solve these
:29:08. > :29:13.problems first and then decide on the issue of corroboration after.
:29:14. > :29:16.Liam McArthur, what do the Lib Dems think at the moment? At least the
:29:17. > :29:23.Justice Secretary is listening, isn't he? I don't think he is. I
:29:24. > :29:29.would like to think he is getting cold feet. What we are talking about
:29:30. > :29:33.isn't a minor, has met exchanges but major surgery to our justice system
:29:34. > :29:38.and the notion that he is now asking Parliament to back the end of
:29:39. > :29:42.corroboration in return for some ill-defined review thereafter is a
:29:43. > :29:49.nonsense. It is almost like those on a sinking ship throwing life raft
:29:50. > :29:52.over the side and having a discussion about what safeguards and
:29:53. > :29:57.other flotation devices they might be able to cling to. It is a
:29:58. > :30:05.nonsense and a mess. We will have to leave it there. All of you, thank
:30:06. > :30:11.you all for joining us. Let us pick up with this afternoons
:30:12. > :30:14.commentator, George Kerevan. We chatted about corroboration
:30:15. > :30:21.earlier. Jumping back to the health debate, we are heading back to the
:30:22. > :30:25.chamber shortly, the Labour MSP health spokesman is calling for a
:30:26. > :30:30.review of the NHS in Scotland and he laid out a litany of problems he saw
:30:31. > :30:37.with the NHS. What do you think a review might achieve?
:30:38. > :30:45.When they don't have ideas of their own thaw they call for a review or
:30:46. > :30:49.inquiry and I some day for one to expect to call for a inquiry into
:30:50. > :30:55.the number of inquiries there have been. The issue is at Westminster
:30:56. > :31:01.and Holyrood, all the main political parties have conspired to make the
:31:02. > :31:05.NHS a Cinderella and never contemplate any cuts. Only the Welsh
:31:06. > :31:09.Government has confronted that. If you never confront the budget issue,
:31:10. > :31:14.all that will happen is every year you will try and put more money into
:31:15. > :31:18.it. You can't do that because you have to spend money on other thing,
:31:19. > :31:22.there is an issue about how we approach it, but I rather doubt that
:31:23. > :31:26.is what was being discussed today, what was being discussed was a
:31:27. > :31:30.scroert call for more spending and that is not going to be forthcoming.
:31:31. > :31:35.It is a difficult issue for my Government. But the litany of
:31:36. > :31:40.problems including bed blocking, gags clausing, junior doctors
:31:41. > :31:45.overstretched, relying on bank staff, it does seem a number of
:31:46. > :31:49.problems at the moment and the Scottish Government are probably
:31:50. > :31:53.action to keep the problems under wraps with the referendum coming up.
:31:54. > :32:01.Is that is what he is trying to do? Trying to highlight some of the
:32:02. > :32:08.problems, that are a sense at a sensitive time? What has been
:32:09. > :32:13.happening under the Treasury cosh from London over the last six years
:32:14. > :32:20.and beyond that, is that the NHS has, the main budget has been
:32:21. > :32:23.protected, it has had to deliver efficiency savings as all Government
:32:24. > :32:27.departments have been forced to do, that puts the squeeze, sometimes
:32:28. > :32:35.rather, rather blindly on some areas rather than other, and I suppose
:32:36. > :32:39.that Alec Neil would apply if he had control of the budge he could
:32:40. > :32:44.resolve some of that. The more fundamental issue is there a crisis
:32:45. > :32:49.of expectation, health is one of the areas where budget expand because of
:32:50. > :32:53.technology change, and so there will be never be enough money to go
:32:54. > :32:57.round. Thank you for that just now. Right, let us dip Tabb back into the
:32:58. > :33:02.tham ber and listen to the health -- dip back in to the chamber again and
:33:03. > :33:06.listen to the health debate. The Health Secretary on his feet at
:33:07. > :33:10.the moment offering his response to Neil Findlay, he says the calls for
:33:11. > :33:14.a review are absurd, the criticism of the NHS is based on a lack of
:33:15. > :33:18.fact, and he says they know the problems and know what needs to be
:33:19. > :33:26.done. Let us hear what he has to say. There as been a 12 point 4%
:33:27. > :33:31.reduction in hospital standardised mortality rates. Of the 31
:33:32. > :33:38.hospitals, participating in the acute patient safety programme, ten
:33:39. > :33:43.have already achieved a reduction in HSMR in excess of 15%, with three
:33:44. > :33:49.already showing a reduction in excess of 20%. And Scotland's
:33:50. > :33:56.hospitals are far cleaner than they were under Andy Kerr, cases of C
:33:57. > :34:03.diff in patients aged 65 and over have reduced by 80.5%, since they
:34:04. > :34:13.were in power, and for MRSA cases, they were reduced by 88.9%, in NHS
:34:14. > :34:18.Lanarkshire an 88.4% nationally. And of course, we have also made
:34:19. > :34:23.significant reduction, in premature, not at the moment, premature
:34:24. > :34:28.mortality... Heart disease and stroke, through a number of
:34:29. > :34:35.initiative, in unscheduled care we are based in the latest figures got
:34:36. > :34:40.95% of people being treated and discharged within four hours.
:34:41. > :34:49.When you look at the performance elsewhere, in Wales the comparable
:34:50. > :34:55.figure under Labour there, is 89%. We have reduced waiting times
:34:56. > :35:00.dramatically for inpatients and outpatients. The time of referral
:35:01. > :35:05.has been reduced. The time people have to wait for diagnostic tests
:35:06. > :35:14.has been reduced dramatically, there are no hidden waiting lists. It
:35:15. > :35:25.quotes hidden waiting list, nowhere does the Auditor General refer to
:35:26. > :35:30.hidden waiting lists. In terms of the workforce it is
:35:31. > :35:35.rising in skills levels and we are treating our workforce properly, and
:35:36. > :35:39.dealing with any problems of harassment or bullying which I have
:35:40. > :35:45.said we take a zero tolerance approach to.
:35:46. > :35:50.So all in all there are problem, pressure points but instead of
:35:51. > :35:55.exploiting them and turning a small number of cases into a large
:35:56. > :36:03.national crisis, look at the patient survey and the satisfaction rate of
:36:04. > :36:06.nearly 90%, I can tell you it is a far higher satisfaction rate than
:36:07. > :36:12.the Labour Party has had for the last ten years.
:36:13. > :36:17.Thank you, if members don't keep to the times given we will lose a
:36:18. > :36:24.member from this debate. I call on Jim Hulme to move the next
:36:25. > :36:30.amendment. Thank you. I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the
:36:31. > :36:33.debate. Labour's party motion describes the NHS has the most
:36:34. > :36:37.valued and loved public ser servicing that is a statement I
:36:38. > :36:41.endorse, and I associate myself with the Cabinet secretary's Christmas
:36:42. > :36:45.message where he spoke of the extraordinary work undertaken by NHS
:36:46. > :36:49.staff across Scotland on a daily basis to improve the lives of
:36:50. > :36:53.others. NHS staff are the life blood of the Health Service and just as we
:36:54. > :36:57.look upon them to ensure our welfare in our time of need, they rely on us
:36:58. > :37:02.to ensure their welfare is taken care of as well. But the reality is
:37:03. > :37:07.that many front line staff are under extreme pressure, just last month
:37:08. > :37:11.the BMA chairman warned up that reports of stress and burn out among
:37:12. > :37:18.all grades of clinical staff are emerging across the service, this
:37:19. > :37:24.followed RCN 2013 employment survey, which made for alarming reading. It
:37:25. > :37:28.revealed 54% of Scotland nurses were working more than their contracted
:37:29. > :37:33.weekly hours with much of the overtime going unpaid. 58% reported
:37:34. > :37:38.being under too much pressure, and this should keep the Cabinet
:37:39. > :37:41.secretary up at night, 55% believe that they are unable to provide the
:37:42. > :37:46.standards of care they would like to, due to this pressure. When you
:37:47. > :37:51.continue to pile pressure on any employee, then corners may
:37:52. > :37:57.inevitably be cut. That might be tolerable in many professions, but
:37:58. > :38:00.when decisions and actions can mean life-and-death corner cutting can't
:38:01. > :38:04.be tolerated. We only have to look at Lanarkshire as mentioned before,
:38:05. > :38:08.to see why the Cabinet secretary should be and I am sure he is,
:38:09. > :38:12.straining every sinew to support the majority of nurses who believe they
:38:13. > :38:17.cannot provide the standard of care they want. Health improvement
:38:18. > :38:21.Scotland will move to make 21 recommendation, following their
:38:22. > :38:25.discovery of poor working condition, inadequate staff, delays in
:38:26. > :38:29.admitting emergency pay shipts and patients not being listened to. Why
:38:30. > :38:32.no definitive conclusions could be drawn, it is telling that quality of
:38:33. > :38:37.care couldn't be ruled out as a factor behind the unusually high
:38:38. > :38:41.mortality rates. At this point I must take issue with the specific
:38:42. > :38:44.part of the Cabinet secretary's almenment, in it he praises the
:38:45. > :38:49.Scottish patient safety programme and the role it plays in Scotland's
:38:50. > :38:54.hospital, I don't contest that point but I refer him to the health
:38:55. > :38:59.improvement Scotland's report, which stated that the review team found
:39:00. > :39:03.that awareness of the Scottish patient safety programme was low in
:39:04. > :39:08.the majority of areas it visited, with little evidence that staff were
:39:09. > :39:10.consistently applying improvement techniques, although there were
:39:11. > :39:15.exceptions of course, some elements of the programme specifically
:39:16. > :39:22.executive safety walk rounds are not in place and other key interventions
:39:23. > :39:26.need to be reliably implemented. So I presume it will be some concern to
:39:27. > :39:30.the Cabinet secretary that not only are there somel mentes of the safety
:39:31. > :39:35.programme not being implemented and some staff are not even wear of its
:39:36. > :39:40.existence. The Cabinet secretary must ensure that this particular
:39:41. > :39:44.finding is exclusive to NHS Lanarkshire, and not widespread
:39:45. > :39:49.throughout the NHS. These pressures staff are born out of many thing,
:39:50. > :39:54.the expectations placed on staff by Government, but staffing bottlenecks
:39:55. > :39:59.on certain wards, in certain hospital, and certain specialities
:40:00. > :40:04.across Scotland contribute. The latest NHS workforce statistics up
:40:05. > :40:09.to September 2013 reveal a significant increase in both
:40:10. > :40:13.consultant, nursing and midwifery vacancies.
:40:14. > :40:17.In just 12 month, there are an additional 70 consultant posts lying
:40:18. > :40:21.empty. Double what they were in September 2012 and with a 26%
:40:22. > :40:25.increase in the number of posts which had been lying empty for over
:40:26. > :40:31.six months. In that same period, there has been a 20% increase in the
:40:32. > :40:36.number of nurse g and midwifery vacancies with nearly 1400 posts
:40:37. > :40:42.lying empty and a 27% increase in those empty for over six months. The
:40:43. > :40:48.recruitment issues that the BMA and Royal College of Nurses continue to
:40:49. > :40:53.warn us should be one of the Cabinet secretary's main priorities. Has the
:40:54. > :40:57.member has an opportunity to look at what unison Scotland said when they
:40:58. > :41:01.say the we are please the Scottish government has listened and we will
:41:02. > :41:04.train more nurses in 2014? I am aware of that and I will come to
:41:05. > :41:10.that point in my summing up. I recognise it is not the whole NHS is
:41:11. > :41:15.brokered but there are points that need priority. -- broken. There has
:41:16. > :41:18.been a knock-on effect on NHS ability to provide treatment in a
:41:19. > :41:22.timely fashion also, I have highlighted this in the chamber
:41:23. > :41:27.before, the disparity in treatment times for cancers, not only in
:41:28. > :41:33.different health boards but type and make no apology for doing so again.
:41:34. > :41:44.In the most recent stat 95% standard was only achieved in three of the
:41:45. > :41:50.types. 9.6 of screens, 10.1 of urology patients and 13.4 of head,
:41:51. > :41:55.neck and patients had to wait over the 62 days for their first
:41:56. > :41:58.treatment. We will leave Jim Hulme on that day
:41:59. > :42:04.bait for the moment. You can watch the rest of the debate live on
:42:05. > :42:08.demand at BBC Scotland land's democracy website. David Cameron has
:42:09. > :42:12.defended the Government's record on banking amid continuing pressure
:42:13. > :42:17.from Labour about bonuses. During Prime Minister's Questions Mr
:42:18. > :42:19.Cameron said he would veto any proposal by the Royal Bank of
:42:20. > :42:24.Scotland to increase the overall level of pay and bonuses, he was
:42:25. > :42:29.responding to the Labour leader Ed Miliband.
:42:30. > :42:34.Mr Speaker RBS are expected to ask the government to approve bonuses of
:42:35. > :42:40.over 100% on multimillion pound salaries. Does the Prime Minister
:42:41. > :42:44.think that is acceptable? What can I can till him about RBS is we will
:42:45. > :42:50.continue with our plans for RBS that have seen bonuses come down by 85%,
:42:51. > :42:54.that have seen the bonus pool at one third of the level that it was under
:42:55. > :43:00.Labour, and I can confirm today that just as we have had limits on cash
:43:01. > :43:04.bonuses of ?2,000 at RBS this year and last year, will do the same next
:43:05. > :43:08.year as well. I think we can all agree with the
:43:09. > :43:13.general sentiments he expresses about bonuses but today I am asking
:43:14. > :43:19.a specific question. RBS are talking to parts of the Government, about
:43:20. > :43:23.the proposal to pay over 100% bonus, he is the Prime Minister. The
:43:24. > :43:30.taxpayer will foot the bill. Will he put a stop to it by telling RBS to
:43:31. > :43:34.drop this idea? I will tell him what we are saying, it is this. If there
:43:35. > :43:39.are any proposals to increase the overall pay that is pay and bonus
:43:40. > :43:43.bill, at RBS, at the investment bank, any proposals for that, we
:43:44. > :43:48.will veto it. What a pity the past Government never took an approach
:43:49. > :43:52.like that. Thank you, given that we have heard reports that half a dozen
:43:53. > :43:57.terrorist suspects could soon be released on to our streets, can the
:43:58. > :44:01.Prime Minister give an assurance that public safety will not be cop
:44:02. > :44:08.promised once the Government's latest experiment with terrorism
:44:09. > :44:13.controls expires? -- compromised. We will take every step necessary to
:44:14. > :44:18.keep the British public safe, I think that the TPIM measures are
:44:19. > :44:21.working well. It's a myth to pretend that control orders would be kept in
:44:22. > :44:26.place forever. Many people were taken off control orders during the
:44:27. > :44:30.existence of that set of measures and all of the time I listened
:44:31. > :44:32.carefully to the head of the Metropolitan Police service, and to
:44:33. > :44:36.the heads of the security service who were involved in drawing up the
:44:37. > :44:41.measures and who advice us on how best to keep the country safe. The
:44:42. > :44:52.leader of the op sings has said what Holland is doing in France I want to
:44:53. > :44:57.do in Britain. Given recent events across the
:44:58. > :45:04.channel, does my honourable friend agree with me this is at odds with
:45:05. > :45:09.our long-term economic plan? I didn't... I didn't catch all of
:45:10. > :45:13.President Hollande's press conference because I was in front of
:45:14. > :45:17.the Liaison Committee, one thing I did no sis is -- notice is that the
:45:18. > :45:23.French proposals are to cut spending in order to cut taxes, in order to
:45:24. > :45:27.make the economy more competitive. Now, perhaps the Shadow Chancellor
:45:28. > :45:31.and his new silent form will want to consider some of these ideas and
:45:32. > :45:34.recognise that this revolution of making business more competitive, of
:45:35. > :45:56.trying to win this the global race, that is a proper plan for the
:45:57. > :46:05.economy. The issue of bonuses is likely
:46:06. > :46:10.confusing. David Cameron does not agree with what Ed Miliband was
:46:11. > :46:15.calling for. Yes, it is a dreary College Green here today and I
:46:16. > :46:20.suppose bankers bonuses is an issue which will be a poisoned chalice --
:46:21. > :46:31.chalice for whoever is in government. Bonuses will be coming.
:46:32. > :46:36.As far as RBS is concerned, the bank owned by the UK taxpayers, if
:46:37. > :46:42.taxpayers are paying bonuses, that might be a bit of a problem. Today,
:46:43. > :46:47.David Cameron said there would be a cash limit of eight ?2000 bonus but
:46:48. > :46:51.he did not agree on a cap on bonuses in shares. But he said that as far
:46:52. > :46:57.as he was concerned there would be no increase in the overall amount of
:46:58. > :47:02.bonus payments paid. Why is that important? It means the global
:47:03. > :47:06.figure for RBS for bonus payments will not go up mainly because the
:47:07. > :47:17.number of people working for RBS has declined. It is one of those
:47:18. > :47:19.difficult issues for politicians in government and to discuss that and
:47:20. > :47:22.the other issues important to Scotland, I am joined by Mike Weir
:47:23. > :47:27.and Russell Brand. Let me start with you first. When you were in
:47:28. > :47:32.government, you got bashed for bankers bonuses and know you're
:47:33. > :47:38.doing the same to the Conservatives. Absolutely, because if we recognise
:47:39. > :47:44.that households are suffering and businesses are suffering even yet
:47:45. > :47:51.and the inability to grow businesses with the need of money from banks is
:47:52. > :48:01.not happening. Yet those at the top end in the banking system will be
:48:02. > :48:06.lying back in a way in which it really sickens the wider public.
:48:07. > :48:15.Bonuses are just unthinkable. They have no shame. I think that has come
:48:16. > :48:19.across loud and clear today. Mike Weir, you may not like the size of
:48:20. > :48:23.the bonuses but if you want a vibrant banking sector, and we know
:48:24. > :48:29.how important that is in Scotland and Edinburgh, you are going to have
:48:30. > :48:33.to pay the going rate. To a certain extent. We have to wonder if bankers
:48:34. > :48:40.have a sense of awareness. There is pain in the economy caused by banks
:48:41. > :48:45.in the first instance. There are scandals with embedded interest
:48:46. > :48:49.swaps caused by bankers. Part of the argument today is not just about
:48:50. > :48:56.this years bonuses but whether they will agree to European rules limit
:48:57. > :49:01.bonuses to just one haven't -- 100% of salary, Heaven forfend! Yes we
:49:02. > :49:06.need to have good banks and make sure they survive, but there must be
:49:07. > :49:12.a limit on what is a reasonable bonus. Surely anyone out there would
:49:13. > :49:16.think that 100% of salary is far more than reasonable. You alluded to
:49:17. > :49:21.the changes that were coming from the European Commission next year.
:49:22. > :49:27.What is your party 's position on that? I think the European rules
:49:28. > :49:32.seem perfectly reasonable. They are trying to put a limit on it. If
:49:33. > :49:38.bankers are serious that they will move away, it has to be done at an
:49:39. > :49:42.international level and this is a good start. Bankers are well paid at
:49:43. > :49:46.the top end of the scale at the moment. Different perhaps at the
:49:47. > :49:51.lower end. At the top end they are well paid and bonuses should not be
:49:52. > :49:57.allowed to go out of control as in the past. None of the banks are
:49:58. > :50:01.making huge profits at the moment to justify large bonuses. Sticking with
:50:02. > :50:06.economic matters, an important announcement from the Treasury this
:50:07. > :50:08.week that they would guarantee UK debts if Scotland votes for
:50:09. > :50:15.independence. That is basically truncating the Treasury's argument.
:50:16. > :50:18.Was it the right thing for the Treasury to do at this time?
:50:19. > :50:25.Absolutely because we still have several months to go to the
:50:26. > :50:32.referendum vote. We need to be sure, as a nation, that borrowing
:50:33. > :50:37.will still continue, those that might be in a position to lend to
:50:38. > :50:41.the UK... The whole system needs to be assured that we will not default
:50:42. > :50:45.on any borrowing so it was right that we laid the marker down and
:50:46. > :50:50.everyone out there can see that it will be paid for any borrowing which
:50:51. > :50:54.we as a nation and take. But does it weaken the Treasury 's case when
:50:55. > :50:59.they say they will not do any negotiation before a referendum? It
:51:00. > :51:03.is about the well-being of the economy and our ability to borrow as
:51:04. > :51:15.far as the UK is concerned. It is right to lay the marker down and
:51:16. > :51:21.they had to whether we will be good for anything we borrowed. It is
:51:22. > :51:26.right that we have done that and it is what was required by the wider
:51:27. > :51:31.economic world. Mike Weir, presumably you agree that it was a
:51:32. > :51:39.common-sense measure? Indeed, and it was put forward by the Scottish
:51:40. > :51:44.Government in a document. We have made our position perfectly clear
:51:45. > :51:49.that we are willing to negotiate with the Treasury and the UK
:51:50. > :51:53.Government as to debts and assets to be divided on independence. It is
:51:54. > :51:59.high time the Treasury took a sensible decision and they have
:52:00. > :52:03.started to do so. But they must make a sensible position and look at
:52:04. > :52:06.these issues. But your party has hinted that if it doesn't like some
:52:07. > :52:11.of the negotiations it could potentially walk away. What message
:52:12. > :52:27.does that send to the international money markets? We say that the UK
:52:28. > :52:33.and us would be willing to take on a proportion of the debt. Also a
:52:34. > :52:37.proportion of the assets. That means negotiation between the two parties
:52:38. > :52:46.to sort this out and that can be done relatively easily. Thank you
:52:47. > :52:51.both. The arguments over economics will continue throughout this year.
:52:52. > :52:55.But one thing, even in years when we have referendums on Scottish
:52:56. > :53:01.independence, two friends here are still willing to share an umbrella
:53:02. > :53:04.when need be! Thanks for that. Voters go to the polls in
:53:05. > :53:07.Cowdenbeath a week tomorrow to elect a new MSP following the death of
:53:08. > :53:10.Labour's Helen Eadie. Our political editor, Brian Taylor, has been to
:53:11. > :53:19.the constituency to see how the campaign is going.
:53:20. > :53:24.The name is Cowdenbeath but this constituency is a disparate amalgam
:53:25. > :53:35.of small towns and villages. Once, Cole was king but no jobs are scarce
:53:36. > :53:39.and precious. Defending a Labour majority is currently Fife Council
:53:40. > :53:44.leader. He encounters anxiety about employment visiting a club. There
:53:45. > :53:50.were six of 7000 men in that regard but not now. He insists he supports
:53:51. > :53:56.the council tax freeze up to 2016 and says he will be equally robust
:53:57. > :54:01.in Parliament. If I am elected, I will be a strong voice in the
:54:02. > :54:05.Scottish parliament speaking out for issues in this constituency around
:54:06. > :54:08.skills, jobs and education. These are the issues I will want to take
:54:09. > :54:16.to the floor of the Scottish Parliament. In the 2011 Scottish
:54:17. > :54:23.parliament elections the 2011 Scottish Parliament elections BNP
:54:24. > :54:34.won every constituency in Fife. Labour staunch the tide of the SNP
:54:35. > :54:48.avalanche. Labour say they are making strides. This candidate
:54:49. > :54:52.oppose the SNP. It is labours for the losing but we speak to people on
:54:53. > :54:56.the doorstep and we get an excellent response to the messages we take to
:54:57. > :55:03.people. If we can speak to enough people, I am confident we have the
:55:04. > :55:13.right message to win. The stories start third. Someone said that we
:55:14. > :55:20.have a big hill to climb. We are on the beach here. One of these deeds
:55:21. > :55:26.and we will break out and it might as well be now. For the Lib Dems, it
:55:27. > :55:33.is about attacking this Scottish government. People appreciate the
:55:34. > :55:37.fact that taxes are going down and people are being critical of the
:55:38. > :55:47.SNP. People feel they have the wrong priorities. UKIP say they are a
:55:48. > :55:51.fresh voice. We believe that small businesses are the lifeblood of this
:55:52. > :55:55.country and they should be supported. They should not have
:55:56. > :56:06.directives from Europe on their back. So it is about politics.
:56:07. > :56:10.Local, Scottish and the UK. There are seven... There are seven
:56:11. > :56:13.candidates standing in the by-election. The Victims' Final
:56:14. > :56:16.Right Party and the Scottish Democratic Alliance are also
:56:17. > :56:19.contesting the seat. You can see the full list on the politics page of
:56:20. > :56:22.the BBC Scotland news website. Let's get a final thought with our
:56:23. > :56:31.commentator for the afternoon, George Kerevan.
:56:32. > :56:38.That by-election is one that no one has noticed. It is a reasonably safe
:56:39. > :56:42.Labour seat and Labour are happy to keep the thing dampened down and
:56:43. > :56:49.walk away with it. The SNP are putting an effort in towards the
:56:50. > :56:52.referendum but as Brian said, if they couldn't win it in the last
:56:53. > :57:01.election it would be difficult to do it this time. And bankers bonuses? A
:57:02. > :57:05.difficult balance for any government to strike, isn't it? You don't want
:57:06. > :57:11.the bankers going away but you don't want them awarding high bonuses.
:57:12. > :57:17.David Cameron made a statement he will live to regret. His argument
:57:18. > :57:22.was that he would block any increase in the overall RBS spend on bonuses.
:57:23. > :57:26.Of course he can do that because RBS is getting rid of its investment
:57:27. > :57:30.bankers but it doesn't stop individual investment bankers
:57:31. > :57:35.getting more money. He has also caused a problem because he is
:57:36. > :57:41.opposing the EU legislation to place a limit on the ratio of high
:57:42. > :57:45.salaries, high bonuses to lower ones within the banking profession and
:57:46. > :57:51.unless that goes through it becomes difficult to block the bonuses. It
:57:52. > :57:58.is interesting this issue comes around every year. I suppose bankers
:57:59. > :58:02.say they need the bonus? If I was being offered a bonus of several
:58:03. > :58:07.million pounds, I would say I needed! The issue is not about greed
:58:08. > :58:13.and people feeling jealous of bankers. If people are paid absurd
:58:14. > :58:21.bonuses, they take absurd risks and that is why they have to go. Do you
:58:22. > :58:27.think they will go? They will because Europe will put a damper on
:58:28. > :58:32.it. Even under UK law, it can reasonably deny them under company
:58:33. > :58:38.law. It needs European legislation to put a brake on bonuses. Thank you
:58:39. > :58:43.for coming in and it is good to see you. That is all we have time for.
:58:44. > :58:50.We will be back at the same time on BBC Two Scotland and we will have
:58:51. > :58:51.more on the Cowdenbeath by-election. From all of us, have a good
:58:52. > :58:57.afternoon.