15/09/2016: First Minister's Questions Politics Scotland

As very warm welcome to the Scottish Parliament. Could it be Brexit?

There are talks going on in London right now and that could come as

questions to the First Minister, but it could be health or economy, let's

find out by crossing to the chamber. That is Keith Brown on his feet

asking a question about the report into the Scottish economy. Also

general questions this morning on city deals and calls for feminine

hygiene products to be made free to those who use them. We will have

First Minister's Questions shortly before we move on to a debate on

domestic abuse, which will be debated throughout this afternoon.

We have a number of issues likely to come up at First Minister's

Questions today. Is it going to be health? Or will be returned to the

question that was dominating discussions at the Parliaments

yesterday, and matters the Yuki leaving the EU. Members may wish to

bulk on a speaker from the National Republic of Kenya. I would also like

to welcome the deputy speaker from the National assembly of South

Africa. We moved to First Minister's Questions. Question number one, Ruth

Davidson. To ask the First Minister what engagements she has planned for

the rest of the day. To take forward the government's programme for

Scotland. Doctors leaders have warned this week that the NHS will

expedience pockets of meltdown this winter. Can I ask that she feels her

government is doing enough to maintain staffing levels. Staffing

levels in our hospitals have increased dramatically under this

government. There are more than 11,000 additional staff working in

the NHS now than it was the case when this government took office.

The government plans intensively for the winter period. We make sure our

health boards and well resourced and supported as they plan to deal with

the additional demand that faces the health service during the winter

months. I would say that as we prepare for those winter months, it

is encouraging to note that as of now, our accident and emergency

units are the best performing anywhere in the United Kingdom. Ruth

Davidson. I would like to thank the First Minister for that reply, but

she will know that the system is in trouble. If you take the situation

with temporary staff, we were told this summer that hospitals were

having to torn to blow comes more and more to cover shifts, so we

asked every health board in Scotland to see how much this was costing.

This figure is ?248 million. That is a quarter of ?8 billion spent last

year alone on locum doctors and nurses. That figure is up by ?41

million in just one year. At its because our hospitals don't have the

staff needed to cover their waters. Does the First Minister think this

is in any way satisfactory? Health boards will make use of agency staff

were that is required to deliver high-quality care for patients. We

are clear with help boards that they should minimise the use of agency

staff and we have worked to increase the use of bank NHS staff. What we

are focused on is to make sure we have record levels of full-time

permanent staff. As I mentioned in my last answer, the increase we have

seen in full-time staff since the SNP has been in government, up by

more than 11,000 full-time equivalents in that period. That is

one of the reasons why, notwithstanding the rising demand,

we see waiting times today that are much shorter than they were when we

took office. And we have seen our accident and emergency departments

perform better than any part of the UK and that has been the case

consistently for a considerable PD 's of time. There will always be

challenges in the NHS, I would be first to concede that point, but it

is because of the resources we are putting into the health service and

what we give to health boards and because of the extra numbers of

staff but we are seeing patient satisfaction at record levels. The

First Minister would admit it, but this is in part due to the failure

by this SNP government to manage the NHS properly. Four years ago, as

Health Secretary, Nicola Sturgeon cut training places for nurses and

midwives. At the time, she called it a sensible way forward. The nurses

warned that the cut in numbers risked their not being enough

professionally qualified nurses graduating to meet the demand for

health service in the future and this cut would be bad for patient

care. The nurses were bright, and she was wrong. So let me ask, will

the First Minister accept personal responsibility for the problem is

how decisions created? The number of qualified nurses and midwives

working in our NHS today is up by more than 5% since this government

took office. Yes, I am happy to accept personal responsibility for

that increase in the number of nurses working in our National

Health Service. And just for completeness, we are seeing the

number of doctors up 25%, the number of emergency medicine consultants up

184%. Geriatric medicine consultants up by 30%, paediatric consultants up

by 84%, so there are more people working in our NHS today. Ruth

Davidson mentioned agency nurses. When we took office there were 728

full-time agency nurses working in the NHS, and last year that was down

to 276, a reduction of 61.9%. Yes, there are challenges in our National

Health Service. That is because of the increasing demand coming from an

ageing population. That is why we have pledged record funding for our

health service. In the recent Scottish election, it was the SNP

that pledged the biggest increase in health funding of any party

standing. We will increase it more than the rate of inflation, but we

will also transform health service. We are investing in primary care and

social care and community care and expanding elective treatment can

Pacitti as well. We will continue to deliver good results in a health

service and continue to see good patient satisfaction as well. Now it

is all the health boards' fault that they have to spend a quarter of ?1

billion on locum 's because they cannot get regular staff. It's

always someone else's fault with this First Minister. Here is the

charge sheet this week. This week alone we have had a removal of beers

secretary apologising again for the mess they have made of farm

payments. We've had an Education Secretary desperate to salvage Named

Persons but would even speak to the people who criticise it. Now we see

an NHS which has become so stretched that they are shelling out a quarter

of ?1 billion a year on costly locum cover. The First Minister is on the

slide, because instead of rolling up our sleeves, she's tearing up her

promise not to hold a second referendum. When will she finally

get a grip of this feeling governments? Of course, the reason

Ruth Davidson wants to talk about independence is as a smoke screen

for the almighty mess her party has created over the European union. But

let me go back to the National Health Service. I see that Ruth

Davidson was quite keen to get off the subject of the National health

service after my last answer. I'm not sure what it is about 61.9%

reduction in the use of agency nurses and others government that

Ruth Davidson didn't quite grasp in my last answer. I'm not sure what it

was about an increase in staff in the NHS, a 5% increase in qualified

nurses and midwives, it is those kind of investments delivering the

results we have seen for patients in health service that is resulting in

record patient satisfaction. I recognise there is more work to do,

but I think patients would probably prefer this government to continue

to build on this success of health service than have the Tory

government in London, who have managed to force junior doctors out

on strike. To ask the First Minister when she

will next meet the Scottish Association for Mental Health. We

met with them yesterday. Today is Where It Pink day. The First

Minister and I will put on big wigs and glasses to highlight the tall

that cancer dates and families. Today's daily record highlights the

impact of cancer treatment under this government. This mother of two

was Anna Smith many years service. She has secondary breast cancer and

is seedy seal. She wrote at the First Minister pleading for help

because she has had to raise ?90,000 were strangers to pay for her cancer

treatment. In 2016, a woman with breast cancer has took road fund her

own cancer care. That cannot be right. She finishes her

heartbreaking letter by saying, I don't know where to turn next. I'm

turning to the First Minister now. What specific steps will the First

Minister take to help and get the treatment she needs? I thank Kezia

Dugdale for raising this issue. My heart goes out to this lady, I have

received her letter. The drug in question is not generally approved

for use in the NHS, but is also the geese in England. We had asked the

company that manufactures the drug to bring forward a new application

out of the price so that it can hopefully be approved. In the

meantime, patients can seek to access drugs not approved through an

individual requests. I understand that her request was refused.

However, I can advise the chamber that this morning, following further

discussions, NHS Grampian has agreed to fund the drug for this patient

and she has been informed about this morning. I hope we can now all wish

you well in the future. There is no doubt that is wonderful news and it

will come as great comfort to an, her family and her wider friendship

network. But it shouldn't have taken the front page of the Daily Record

for that to have happened. If I can get there the First Minister back to

the letter, she says, I am not the only patient who has had to battle

this and fear and illogical system. She says, for me and them, I would

like to meet the First Minister to find a way to fix this mess. Labour

recently set out five clear of the proposals for reforming the system,

for access to medicines and submitted it to the government's on

review. This called for greater transparency on decision-making and

the ability to to negotiate on price and be entered to the postcode

lottery. Will the First Minister today commit to looking at Labour's

proposals and respond to them in detail? I would assume Kezia Dugdale

Knowsley view being undertaken by Doctor Brian Montgomery is under way

and hasn't reported yet, and the proposals will be considered by

Doctor Montgomery as part of that review. I think there is a baby CDs

issue here and I am disappointed that Kezia Dugdale is choosing to

politicise what is an extremely difficult issue. We have systems in

place to make these decisions, these very, very difficult decisions as

fair and as transparent as possible. In the last few years, we have seen

significant improvements to these systems, so for example, the changes

we have already introduced have seen a tenfold increase in the numbers of

medicines being accessed through that individual patient treatment

request system and Doctor Brian Montgomery's review will bring

forward proposals to improve that system even further, but I hope

everyone would agree it is vital we have these systems in place, because

that is how we deliver fairness to patients in an age when new drugs

are coming on the market all the time, and it's also how we deliver

fairness for taxpayers. If we don't have a robust systems in place,

effectively, we give drug companies are licensed to charge whatever they

want for the drugs they bring to make these decisions,

having receipt of all the information.

The only person that the Hayes this issue was right there. --

politicised this issue was right there. The truth of the matter is

that temp three have to find the courage and the strength to tell her

story on the bum page of a national newspaper for your government to

hack. Think of all the other people around the country who are waiting

for that help. We know that she is not alone. The system has to be

reformed so that in the future cancer patients don't have to hold

bake sales to find the money that they need for the cancer treatment

that they need. Can I ask the First Minister again, when the government

review is published and Gheorghe Hagi with the chamber that cases

like hers will never happen again? No, I cannot and will not give an

assurance that no patient ever again will have to find that they cannot

access a drug that they think in Olsson Sarah did they should,

because in any system that has to assess drugs there will inevitably

be hard decisions that are difficult for all of us were drugs are not

accessible for a particular patient. I also want to say this is not a

case of me and my government intervening. This is a case of the

system operating together a patient the drug that I agree she should be

accessing. This is about making sure that we have robust systems in

place. It would be entirely wrong and I hope no politician across this

chamber is seriously arguing that we should have a system based on

whether or not politicians decide to intervene in individual cases. What

we have to do is get the system in place that is robust and takes these

decisions fairly. We have made improvements and vastly increased

the access to medicine because of the improvements we have made and we

have a review under way that will report and that the recommendations

in that report for further improvements we will not hesitate to

make them. APPLAUSE. I have a constituency question. Two has to

First Minister in the Scottish Government condones Police

Scotland's decision to push ahead with plans to close a to police

stations in Dumfries Galloway, and more importantly, whether she can

give any guarantees that she will intervene to save those stations and

protect rural PlayStation spread across Scotland? This is a

consultation that will take place and is ongoing. Police Scotland

would be happy to meet with the member to discuss his local

concerns. That is the right and proper way to go about it. Question

number three, 30 two. What will be discussed at the next meeting of the

Cabinet? Matters of importance to the people of Scotland. When I

questioned... When questioned the First Minister about problem simply

Scotland control rooms before, she said where it for any reason if

service falls short we will take action rectify that. Why hasn't she

done that? We will take action to rectify any failure is when they are

brought to our attention. He has made statements in this parliament

reflecting on the changes we are making and lessons we are learning.

That will continue to be the approach we take. If Willie Rennie

wants to bring things up to me he can do that. I am surprised that you

doesn't know about this. Today we saw figures that 78,000 calls to the

police or dropped. But his calls to the national police number. That is

an appalling finger. The Police Federation said that it was

unacceptable and there are significant challenges in many parts

of the service. Sickness rates are high, morale is low. The IT system

has been abandoned. We have just heard about police stations being

shot in Dumfries Galloway. Now we discover that 78,000 calls to the

police were dropped. Will the First Minister not look again at the

damage that she is doing to the people and to the services that we

all rely on? I am sure Willie Rennie not that he has told me what

particular issue is that it wants to raise will also note that Police

Scotland said it was entirely misleading and inaccurate to suggest

that 77,000 calls are unanswered by Police Scotland. He will be aware

that please call handlers respond over 2.5 million calls every year

and Police Scotland report that the average wait time for a 101 call is

12 seconds. We will always work with the police to improve service levels

to make sure that the quality of service to the public is high and

improving. I would remain Willie Rennie that this is the government

that has adopted a thousand -- has protected a thousand extra police

officers on the street and it is part of the reason why crime is at a

41 year low across this country. Supplementary question. Yesterday,

the Scottish Government announced it was not accepting info the

recommendations from the local government Boundary Commission for

Scotland for next year's council elections. The recent why we have

Boundary Commission says that they are independent of political

parties, civil injecting the recommendations in five council

areas, whatever your view of those boundaries, leaves a nasty stench in

the air. This unprecedented decision was taken by Joe Fitzpatrick, whose

own constituency is in a council area which he has decided not to

alter. Can the First Minister explained the decision and what can

she say to convince Parliament that Mr Fitzpatrick should not earned the

nickname gerrymandering Joe. I am not sure if the member is aware

what the Tory government is doing in Westminster around boundaries at

this present time. He should have perhaps checked it out before asking

his question. We have listened carefully to the concerns of local

communities before taking these decisions. The decisions delivered

the commitment we made to protect local communities by taking forward

changes only where communities have been adequately respected. The

decisions not to implement some of the changes have cross-party

support, including from every member of Dundee City Council. Opposition

spokespeople who are to quick to attack a decision seem unaware that

their own party lobbied locally for the change not to go ahead. So, not

only is the member unaware what is Westminster colleagues are doing he

seems blissfully unaware of what his colleagues locally are doing and

saying as well. Supplementary from Claire Adamson. The First Minister

may remember that in the period this year I raised with her at the impact

of the UK Government's plan production. Housing benefit for

vulnerable people who are supported in women's aid refuge accommodation.

Can I ask of the First Minister, like me, welcomes the news this

morning that the UK Government is abandoning these proposals? Yes, I

am extremely relieved at this U-turn from the UK Government. I think it

is ridiculous that there has been so much worry and distress because the

people well the UK Government has dithered over making this decision

and I would take this opportunity to commend the work of Scottish women's

eight and others who have campaigned on this. The decision offers welcome

assurance that funding will be contained the current levels and the

refuges are no longer at risk of closure. We should welcome that but

also not enjoy the fact that this was ever an issue in the first

place. Last week I held the GP summoned from local GPs in Edinburgh

South and... It seems that many practices will no longer be taking

in new patients. Other First Minister arranged to meet with me,

local GPs and NHS Lothian to take steps to avert this deepening

crisis? I would be happy to as the Health Secretary to meet with the

member. We are investing to increase primary care capacity. We have

increased the numbers of posts for GP trainees that are being

advertised. Ready at this stage in this recruitment round we are ahead

of where we were at last year at the end of the recruitment round. There

is a range of investments being made to improve recruitment and retention

of GPs and we need to make sure it that we are helping GPs deal with

the workload. For example, pharmacists in GP practices and new

paramedic. There is a strong programme of work being taken

forward to work with GPs. Will have a new contract in place from next

year to deal with the demands on our GPs, who do such a wonderful job for

all of us. A supplementary. Jasper First

Minister for her reaction to the announcement by the UK Home Office

that they plan to close the immigration removal Centre next year

and whether she along with many other concerned people in the

country will renew calls for the UK Government for more humane treatment

of asylum seekers based in Scotland. I welcome the announcement that

Dungiven is to close. I am many members across the chamber have

campaigned for the closure of that for many years, so that is a

positive development. I have concerns about the alternative is to

get that the UK Government announced last week and we want to engage with

the UK Government to save we can satisfy our concerns on that. But

all of us want to see is a system that replaces it that is more at

union, not one but is less humane. The UK Government should think less

about building walls to keep vulnerable people out and more about

how we collectively support the most vulnerable people in our world and

give them the support that they so badly need. APPLAUSE. Question

number four, Angus MacDonald. Two has to First Minister hide the

Scottish Government will seek to make landownership transparent. We

are committed to improving the transparency of landownership. Work

to complete the land register is underway, with all public land being

registered by 2019 and all land by 2024. The consultation on proposals

for a register controlling interest in those who own the land was

published on the 11th of September and will help inform the regulation

to bring forward next year. They will help people to know and

understand more about decision making and land in Scotland. Does

she agree that it is a highly technical and complex area and that

improving transparency of ownership is no easy task question of the

purple individuals who would like to see us feel despite the clearly

stated will this Parliament. In light of that does the First

Minister also welcome that the relevant sections of our land reform

act received cross-party support on this chamber? I do agree that this

is a highly complex issue and the consultation that I mentioned a

moment ago will inform the detailed work that we need to do to develop

robust and workable proposals. Yes, despite Tory opposition to the land

reform act, we are at stage three of the bill and it was supported by all

parties in the chamber. This is an area where I think there is

considerable consensus across the chamber and "Can you as we take the

next steps in shipping regulations that will help further improve the

transparency of landownership in Scotland. I've preferred members to

my register of interest where I have openly and honestly declared my land

and I have no fear in doing so. I wonder if the First Minister would

care to accept an invitation from me to walk with me in the Highlands? We

can look and talk about the real plant issues which revolve around

effective and sustainable as well as productive management, rather than,

listen, rather than worry excessively about who owns what. I

would also like to rip the people to his register of interests. I think

it may explain rather a lot. While I would normally take up almost

anybody does not offer of what can the Highlands, I think a bike and

use the usual terminology I think due to considerable diary pressures

may just have to decline for the moment. Does the First Minister

share my view that the holy Grail of land reform must be a transparent

register? Which she agreed that that means no front companies or shoddy

PLCs or multinational tax havens registered in Panama?

Yes, I do agree with the sentiment behind that question, which is why

we are putting so much emphasis on transparency. I refer you to my

original and so on work to reform the land register and introducing a

register of controlling interests. One of the reasons we want to do

that is to reduce the scope of the kind of revelations we saw exposed

in the Panama papers scandal, for example. We will do as much as we

can to make sure our system of land ownership in Scotland and the

details are as transparent as possible. Some of the changes he may

like to see here are reserved to the Westminster government, so I hope he

will join with us in seeking the powers we need to do everything he

would like to see us do. Douglas Ross. To ask the First Minister of

the Faculty of Advocates... We will continue to discuss the spending

review process with the Lord Advocate. The Scottish Government

has provided the service with extra funding of ?4.7 million over the

past two years to allow it to prosecute exceptionally complex

cases. In addition, we are providing just over ?3 million for the

prosecution of domestic abuse cases as part of the extra ?20 million

across the justice sector to tackle abuse against women and girls. The

Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service continues to meet its

targets and the Lord Advocate, previously Dean of the Faculty of

Advocates himself, he is keen to continue to lead the service and

automated it delivers for everyone in Scotland. Brian McConnachie QC, a

former prosecutor at the Crown Office has claimed that Scottish

office cuts to the system have left the Crown Office and the Procurator

Fiscal Service to under resourced. If you keep doing that you will end

up with substandard justice system. The First Minister rightly mention

the additional funding for domestic abuse. Can the First Minister

provide assurances that the Crown Office is sufficiently resourced to

handle the increasing demands placed on it to ensure that the victims

really do receive the justice they deserve? Is important to point out

the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service budget has not been

cut, it has remained static over the past five years, with additional

funding provided for the three complex cases I spoke about and to

improve the time taken to prosecute domestic abuse. We will continue to

discuss with the Lord Advocate, the finance secretary will do that, to

make sure the Crown Office does have the resources it needs to prosecute

crime and to meet the targets I said earlier on and will repeat no, it

continues to meet. It is an extremely high performing public

service, as the public have a right to expect it to be. Question number

six, Claudia Beamish. Task the First Minister of what the Scottish

Government's response is to the UK Climate Change Committee to reducing

emissions in Scotland 2016 progress report? We welcome this new progress

report from the committee on climate change. Rosanna Canning and I were

delighted to meet with the cheers of the committee shortly after its

launch on Tuesday. In the report, the committee recognises that

Scotland continues to lead the UK in reducing greenhouse gas emissions

and we have exceeded the level of 2020 target six years early. We will

consider the report and will respond in due course. Our new climate

change plan will set out our priorities and commitments for

reducing emissions under the 2009 act and we will also work with the

committee to introduce a new climate change bill, with proposals to be

outlined in early 2017. As she will know, many of the technologies

needed as we shift towards a low carbon future are in their infancy

or don't yet exist. What assessment has the Scottish Government done on

the state of funding and commercialisation of funding for

support in the heaviest greenhouse gas emitting sectors, transport and

agriculture and the synergy between these, and what the assurances and

she gives to the chamber today that the central research funding will be

available from our government? Roseanna Cunningham, the Cabinet

Secretary for the environment, has just met the search providers. We

undertake assessments across all these areas. I will ask Rosanna

Cunningham to write to the member with the details. The member makes

two points that I think merit underlining. First is the importance

of new and emerging technologies. On Monday, I was launching the first

phase of eight major tidal stream power project, a project that when

it is fully installed, will have the capacity to power the equivalent of

almost 200,000 homes across Scotland. The UK Government has just

given the go-ahead to Hinkley point, a decision I think is wrong. The

point I'm making is that right now the UK Government continues to do

that on a contract that would allow this project to move into second

place. I hope they take a decision on that and that it's a positive

decision, very quickly. The second point is the importance of us now

are paying our action in areas like transport, housing and agriculture.

I think everyone would accept that we have seen considerable success,

when it comes to electricity generation, in terms of reducing

emissions, but we must now go into areas which will be much harder --

agriculture, housing, the energy sector more generally. If we are

serious about meeting our current targets and then meeting more

ambitious targets, we need to do that. I hope when we do put forward

the proposal is to achieve that, we will have support from right across

the chamber. The UK Climate Change Committee this week highlighted once

again that emissions from transport are holding us back, that there are

zero actions in your government's climate action plan to address this.

Isn't it time for big, bold ideas? Does the Prime Minister -- First

Minister agree with me that in order to protect the vulnerable and reduce

road casualties make our environment low carbon places to live, we should

be seeing 20 is plenty on all Scotland's residential roads? We

would certainly encourage local authorities to consider that with

it's important. Let me first they agree with the member. We've had

considerable success. It has not been easy to achieve, but in the

area of climate change and reducing emissions, the further we raise our

ambition, that tough and it gets to take the action and the more

controversial some of the actions become. That's where consensus

aboard around the stream bed is going to be so important. There is

no doubt that transport, partly because it impacts directly on the

lives of many people, falls into that more controversial area. But if

we want to continue to meet ambitious targets and see them

stretch further, we will have to do that. The final comment I would

make, the member who has real credibility on this issue, I would

argue that the second, the climate change report this week lauded

Scotland as a leader, is lauded as for having met our target ahead of

schedule. Yes, it said we had much more to do, but I do think we should

concentrate on the positive as well as pressure the government and

rightly challenge the government to go further. I would hope we would

get some positive endorsement from the The members of the chamber on

the progress, often with their help, we have managed to make so far. The

report makes clear that emissions from heavy goods vehicles account

for 17% of Scotland's transport emissions, but the Scottish

Government has achieved an overall change in those emissions between

2009 and 2014. Will the First Minister consider promoting urban

consolidation centres, logistical hubs which reduce freight journeys,

in order to reduce emissions from the transport sector and link this

to a transport specific climate targets? I would be very happy, as

I'm sure she will be, to ask the Cabinet Secretary for the

environment to meet with the member to discuss that and other

suggestions. As we continue to make sure we have the plans in place to

meet the current target, but also extend that target, as I said, we're

going to have to consider proposals, in the nature of the one the member

has just put forward, to make sure we can do that. The more cross-party

consensus we can build on this, the more chance we have of being

successful. Roseanna Cunningham will be happy to meet to discuss that

proposal in more depth. To ask the First Minister how the Scottish

Government will achieve 100% broadband roll-out across Scotland.

As they announced on the programme for government, we intend to provide

100% broadband coverage to both domestic and commercial premises

across Scotland and to do that we will launch a programme in 2017. We

have published a prior information notice, which launches formal supply

and engagement process to help inform our delivery plan. This

activity builds on the ?400 million investment to deliver broadband

coverage to at least 95% of premises by the end of next year. As a

result, 640,000 premises had accessed by the end of August this

year. In my removal consistency, there are still -- in my rural

constituency, there are still problems with mobile phone coverage.

What plans does the Scottish Government have to improve that?

This is an important question for everyone living in a rural part of

Scotland. Mobile phone connectivity is reserved matter largely, we have

been determined to take action to improve mobile coverage across the

country. Our mobile action plan shows are interested in blue

coverage across Scotland, particularly in rural areas. We are

the only part of the UK to have such a plan in place, which demonstrates

our approach and a willingness to work with industry and providers to

improve mobile coverage in remote areas. The Cabinet Secretary would

be happy to meet with Kate Forbes to discuss the progress. Does the First

Minister except that current access to broadband is far from adequate

for many across Scotland and will she heed audit Scotland's advice

that recommends we should publish more information on the performance

of the programme, in particular data on speed and coverage? We have

already increased access to next-generation broadband. We're on

track to meet our target of 95% coverage by the end of next year.

And the commitment we've given to 100% coverage is not one that has

been given by other governments across the UK. We are serious about

making sure this commitment is there for everyone, not just for some. I

said last week and I think it is true, these days, broadband coverage

and digital connectivity is as fundamental to how you live your

life or run your business as electricity or running water, that's

how important it is. Obviously, but is information published of the

project and am happy to consider if there is more information we can

publish about progress. But the commitment we have already made is

being met. We are on track to meet our commitment by the end of next

year and we are absolutely determined bubble meet the 100%

target by the end of this Parliament. Can I ask the First

Minister why the commitment of the SNP manifesto just five months ago

of 100% broadband by 2020 has already slipped to 2021? The

commitment is by the end of the parliament, the commitment is as the

commitment has always been and it is a commitment I have just reiterated

on more than one occasion here today. By the end of this

Parliament, we intend that there will be next-generation broadband

access for 100% of commercial and residential premises across the

country. I can't remember if that was the commitment in the Labour

Party manifesto, but I know it was a commitment in the SNP manifesto and

I'm determined that we are going to deliver that. That concludes

tempting. That is the cause of questions to the First Minister

there. We're back to journalistic colleagues to discuss the issues.

Here is the front page of the Daily Record, A Woman Requiring A Cancer

Drug To Prolong Her Life, Being Told By Specialists She Doesn't Get It.

It Was Initially Died On Grounds -- It Was Initially Denied On Grounds

Of Costs. She Made A Special Request, It Was Turned Down And It

Is In Their Becker Today, It Is Raised With The First Minister And

Today, She Is Told She Is Getting The Drug. Quite A Development.

Here we have a Labour trying to raise an issue that they probably

thought they could catch First Minister unawares on, but she came

back and said that yes, she is going to get the money. In political terms

it was a slam dunk for Nicola Sturgeon, but it raises other

questions about if other patients who don't get drugs can write to the

First Minister and chalk up the system and get them. It is wonderful

news for that family and one has tremendous accord with them. The

point that Hamish is making there is that those drugs are restricted for

the reasonable cost and Nicola Sturgeon herself said the

politicians must not second-guess the decisions of the professionals.

It is always difficult when the political becomes professional. It

was a good question from Kezia Dugdale. It is a difficult area to

try and gain ground on because Nicola Sturgeon knows that brief

very well. That is why she... She had the generic exchange on health

with Ruth Davidson earlier, about prolonging the life of a mum who has

a picture on the front page of the paper staring at you, that is

harder. I thought that was the better approach. This third spots in

First Minister's Questions is better for Kezia Dugdale. She is not so,

but if. Labour are at demanding and guarantee that there will not be

another case like Anne McClane-Chang and Nicola Sturgeon refusing to give

a guarantee for the reason that she made about the cost and availability

of drugs. I thought she trod that balance well. She gave her aunt and

individual case and suggest that wouldn't be this drug provided...

She was trying to set it was the political intervention and you could

see Carla Suarez Navarro saying, come on! On the broader issue saying

that this is not something they can do on a regular basis and this -- as

politicians they have to stand back. But then people could write to the

First Minister demand this treatment that they don't get it as quite not?

Nicola Sturgeon may have opened up something kitchen may live to

regret. He cannot give every drug to every patient who thinks that they

require it. Obviously, the NHS is underachieved structural pressure.

We have an agent population. As time goes on unless there is an increase

in funding there will be more and more cases were you have to make

difficult decisions. The exchange with Ruth Davidson, she was sent to

much use of agency nurses, Nicola Sturgeon saying it is done and we

have record numbers of staff in the NHS. It is an area that Nicola

Sturgeon knows well. These questions have been going on prolonged time

whether it is waiting times for targets. I don't know how much it

resonates with the public in terms of their own personal experience of

the NHS. Edward mountain attempting -- a tempting offer to go for a walk

in the Highlands, unaccountably she declined the semantic approach. I

think Edward mountain was a bit unfairly treated! He said I am a

landowner I have knowledge of this area, I want to talk to you about

this issue. She did tease him. She did not answer his question or a

goal in it road. She is also not going for a walk with him in the

Highlands! I think it was unfairly treated. Graham Simpson from the

Conservatives raising the issue of the council boundaries being changed

on recommendations but in certain areas they are not being changed and

he reckoned in Dundee were Joe Fitzpatrick is the Minister in the

local MSP he called gerrymandering joke. To be fair, Joe Fitzpatrick

did look pretty delighted with that nickname! I think he thought he was

probably going to get more ground but that they needed. I thought that

story might have more legs. The Conservatives in Dundee are also

backing it. I don't think he was repaired for that part! It was a

great nickname. They will call him that in the streets of Dundee.

There is an opinion poll out today about whether there will be a second

referendum, the majority just saying no. We were going to chat Brexit

with the guys in a minute, but here is the man who really knows about

it, John Curtis. Before the vote on June 23, some of the polls were

asking people how do you think you would vote on an independence

referendum if the UK votes to leave the European Union. The answer now

looks as though that perhaps it has not made much impact at all. We did

have the opinion polls conducted in the immediate wake of the referendum

results that suggest of the had been a small but perceptible swing in

favour of independence. What was previously the position that 53% of

the people wanted to stay in the UK, very even split, but maybe four or

5% swing in favour of independence such that there was a slight

improvement in people wanting to leave the UK. Actually, no, support

for the independence stays at around 46% to 47%, the majority are still

in favour of staying in the UK and it may be true that the

constitutional debate has not been seriously changed as a result of the

Brexit vote. First of all, Paul stunned before the 23rd of June said

maybe a few people will shift, but not necessarily a great number of

people. One needs to realise that the question that those who voted no

are now potentially facing is which matters to you more, just how strong

is that the manned or that support remaining inside the European Union

amongst Scots and how important is it to them compared to remaining

inside the UK who when no voters. What we have learned from the polls

is that for a clear majority of those who voted no, even if they

might have voted in favour of remaining inside the EU, being part

of the UK for them is more important, something they value more

highly than being part of the European Union. Only a fifth of

those people who voted no in September 2014 say that they would

fare to be part of the European Union as opposed to being part of

the UK. There are some voters there that the SNP can hope to appeal to

but the truth is that the pool of people who voted two years ago

against independence look as though they feel strongly commit to the

youth -- to the EU, that pool of voters looks as though it is

relatively small. The UK decision to leave the EU changes some of the

arguments. It means for example that then it was being argued that of

Scotland voted to become independent it would have to leave the European

Union and then reapply as a new member. Now we are having arguments

about if Scotland became independent that it inherits the UK's current

membership of the rest of the UK leaves? On the other hand, it is

also being debated whether or not you would have to have a real border

if the United Kingdom was outside the EU single market and Scotland

were within it. That might be making things more difficult. Equally,

insofar as much of the argument in favour of independence... Scotland

remaining inside the UK was an argument about free trade,

containing access to the market. Now it is becoming more of a choice as

to which market is the higher priority for Scotland, if we were to

have another referendum some of the terms of the debate would be

different. So far at least that debate does not seem to have done

very much to shift public opinion home but we have not had that much

of the debate about independence since the vote on June 23.

So, Hamish MacDonnell, we have docs debate between Mike Russell and

David Davis on high the next stage of the process on discussing Brexit.

Is it likely that there will be a second independence referendum? I

think there will be and I think there will be because Nicola

Sturgeon has laid out some red lines. She has said access to the

single market was absolutely vital. Being a member of the single market

rather than just having access. She has made it clear that as far as she

is concerned they are are important. If you look at what has happened, it

appears as though we will have trouble getting full membership of

the single market. David Davis saying it was very improbable that

we would be. Looking at that we will see that Nicola Sturgeon is almost

bedding 70 corner where she may feel compelled to call another

independence referendum whether or not the opinion polls in her favour

and at the moment they are not. There has been a bit a shift, an

initial surge of the EU referendum putting independence perhaps in the

lead. More recent poll suggesting back to a situation where

independence is behind the option of the union. So, a bit of a move

towards independence but not enough to give that significantly that

would be required. There was always a widespread assumption in the

build-up to the EU referendum that a vote to Remain from Scotland and is

a fool to Leave in the rest would ring about an independence

referendum. People want that significantly exercised by leaving

the EU that it would move them to the independence camp. I have always

viewed this talk of triggers, whether that is the voted top of the

outcome of the deal as a red herring. The only thing that matters

for the SNP is public support. If Theresa May comes up with a great

deal and there is no support for it than they will not push for a

referendum. Do you think the Scottish Government will be embedded

in the UK negotiation team will they simply be consulted, as the UK

ministers my preferred? There would obviously want to be embedded.

Theresa May has given broad hints that they will be. If they are

embedded will they have any real influence on the discussions? I

would expect to see someone like Mike Russell heavily involved, but

is he involved where it matters? Izzy involved that those small

discussions with the Prime Minister that sets the agenda, or is he just

brought in for the discussions on the EU. There has to be a Scottish

minister there. It will be Mike Russell. However much he will be Bob

remains to be seen. Theresa May said that freedom of movement have to be

constrained because that is what the people of Britain buildable. She is

in a really difficult position. How do she strike the balance between

freedom of movement and access to the single market? She can. You

can't be in the single market and not have been of movement. So, that

balance between freedom of movement and membership of the single market.

Nicola Sturgeon adamant that membership of the single market is

required to maintain the UK economy. She is also talking at this stage

about working within the UK parameter, working within the UK

situation to try to secure a deal that he believes to be good for

Scotland but also for the UK. It is only if that feels that she perhaps

goes down the Scottish parameter of a second referendum. From me, Brian

Taylor, goodbye. SOUNDS TO THE TUNE OF: In The Hall

Of The Mountain King by Grieg We follow five amateur orchestras

from all across the country, on a musical journey

to find one winner to perform alongside the pros

at Proms In the Park.