:01:47. > :01:50.windsail windsail windowsills The Labour Party supported the move
:01:50. > :01:56.for free prescriptions in this chamber and in this Parliament and
:01:56. > :02:01.if they want to reverse that policy as many suspect they do, then they
:02:01. > :02:05.should say clearly to the people of Scotland and in particular up to
:02:05. > :02:09.600,000 families earning �16,000 a year and less who had to pay for
:02:09. > :02:15.prescriptions under the previous system. In terms of the cancer
:02:15. > :02:25.drugs, it is a hugely difficult and challenging issue. We can talk about
:02:25. > :02:26.
:02:26. > :02:30.that drug if Joanne wishes, but the position is not as she stated.
:02:30. > :02:38.Everything is not about an argument between the First Minister and I
:02:38. > :02:44.about manifestoes. There are some things that are more important.
:02:44. > :02:47.It is the hugely challenging Government. Scots cancer patients
:02:47. > :02:53.are three times less likely to get the drugs they need on the Scottish
:02:53. > :02:58.NHS than patients in England according to cancer charities.
:02:58. > :03:04.Scottish cancer patients have to pay thousands of pounds for vital, life
:03:04. > :03:09.enhancing drugs which are available free south of the border. That means
:03:09. > :03:14.that some Scottish cancer victims are planning to jup root their
:03:14. > :03:20.families from their jb uproot their families to move to England for
:03:20. > :03:30.treatment they cannot afford here. We are in danger of exporting health
:03:30. > :03:33.
:03:33. > :03:43.We are in danger of exporting health refugees. Order. Order.I agree that
:03:43. > :03:47.
:03:47. > :03:52.it is shameful so I'm asking Order. I agree it is shameful we are in
:03:53. > :03:59.danger of exporting health refugees. So what is the First Minister's
:03:59. > :04:06.advice to those families? The First Minister.
:04:06. > :04:09.On the question of the drug. This was authorised by the Scottish
:04:09. > :04:19.medicines consortium in January 2010. The decision to restrict its
:04:19. > :04:22.
:04:22. > :04:28.use was the application from the pharmaceutical company. The
:04:28. > :04:31.submitting company requested that it had a licence for patients who had
:04:31. > :04:35.not previously received chemotherapy. Therefore, for that,
:04:35. > :04:40.it was approved by the Scottish medicine consortium. It is similar
:04:40. > :04:46.to the decision that was made by NICE in England. Now, of course, it
:04:46. > :04:52.is the case that in England there is a Cancer Drugs Fund and people can
:04:52. > :04:56.apply to the Cancer Drugs Fund, but this drug was listed in the Cancer
:04:56. > :05:03.Drugs Fund, but with restrictions on its use. The Cancer Drugs Fund is
:05:03. > :05:07.coming to an end in England next year. With has been criticised by
:05:07. > :05:13.the cancer charities who challenged the idea of the Cancer Drugs Fund
:05:13. > :05:16.and we know that the Labour Party in this Parliament not only voted for
:05:16. > :05:21.to remove prescription charges from Scotland which was a good vote, but
:05:21. > :05:27.voteds against the idea of the Cancer Drugs Fund in this Parliament
:05:27. > :05:32.because of the challenges to that fund. Now, I know that Joanne Lamont
:05:32. > :05:35.doesn't like to be reminded of these things, but in terms of tackling
:05:35. > :05:43.access to medicines and what's the right thing to do. I think looking
:05:43. > :05:47.at the track record in this Parliament of people facing up to
:05:47. > :05:52.prescription charges and what's the right way to put forward a medicines
:05:52. > :05:58.which can help people with life limiting conditions. Then the fact
:05:58. > :06:03.that the Labour Party agreed with this Government puts Joanne Lamont
:06:03. > :06:05.in a difficult position to pursue the line of questioning which she is
:06:05. > :06:09.now pursuing. APPLAUSE
:06:09. > :06:16.No, the extraordinary difficult position that I am in is I am not
:06:16. > :06:19.able to address these problems. I cannot only ask the questions.
:06:19. > :06:29.APPLAUSE I am not in Government and I am
:06:29. > :06:29.
:06:29. > :06:36.asking the First Minister... Order. I am not in Government. I have a
:06:36. > :06:41.responsibility to raise the difficult issues which are had and
:06:41. > :06:44.I'm asking the First Minister not to retreat to the comfortable refuge of
:06:45. > :06:51.dealing with party politics, but focus on what's happening in the
:06:51. > :06:55.real world. Because First Minister, with respect, this is not good
:06:55. > :07:04.enough for people like Maureen Fleming. She is is a mother of three
:07:04. > :07:09.and a a grandmother of ten and she has bowl -- bowel cancer. Maureen
:07:09. > :07:16.has been denied the drugs which the consultant says would extend her
:07:17. > :07:21.life. The Flemings are struggling to get together the �10 thou needed for
:07:21. > :07:25.the -- the �10,000 needed for the treatment. They are planning to
:07:25. > :07:32.leave their home of 27 years and rent a flat in Newcastle because in
:07:32. > :07:39.England they can get the drug for free. Time is short. So Maureen
:07:39. > :07:45.Fleming has come to this chamber today to hear first hand what is the
:07:45. > :07:53.First Minister's advice to her and cancer victims like her. First
:07:53. > :07:57.Minister. As Joanne Lamont will have noticed we had the review which put
:07:57. > :08:02.forward a range of ways which the SNP is carrying out its job for the
:08:02. > :08:05.Scottish people. I can give Joanne Lamont a list of drugs which are
:08:05. > :08:10.available in Scotland because of the efficiency of the SNP process which
:08:10. > :08:13.is not available in England, but as far as the canner drugs fund, this
:08:13. > :08:18.chamber and indeed the cancer charities in Scotland decided that's
:08:18. > :08:23.not the right way to go. We know that the cancer drug fund comes to
:08:23. > :08:28.an end in England next year. In Scotland, we have an efficient
:08:28. > :08:33.process which would be unwise to challenge in terms of the Scottish
:08:33. > :08:41.medicines consortium and it is effectiveness is widely admired in
:08:41. > :08:46.terms of the quickness in which it judges and evalue waits drugs --
:08:46. > :08:49.evalue waits drugs, but we have the individual patient request system
:08:49. > :08:53.where people can apply in terms of the individual nature of their
:08:53. > :08:59.condition and we know also that improvements can be made to that
:08:59. > :09:03.system as well. But Joanne Lamont accuses me of playing party
:09:03. > :09:07.politics, but Joanne Lamont introduced this in the party
:09:07. > :09:12.political way and it is reasonable to point out on prescription charges
:09:12. > :09:15.and on her attitude to the Cancer Drugs Fund that the Labour Party
:09:15. > :09:20.agreed with our judgement that it is the best way to deliver health to
:09:20. > :09:22.the Scottish people. So in these extraordinary difficult
:09:23. > :09:30.circumstances, we are trying to judge a position which gives the
:09:30. > :09:36.best trEEmght to the people of Scotland -- best treatment to the
:09:36. > :09:39.people of Scotland. And it is not the case that they are a simple or
:09:39. > :09:44.easy solution to these matters. These are judged in the best way we
:09:45. > :09:52.can and it is done as I hope every member of this chamber does, with a
:09:52. > :09:56.genuine wish to protect the welfare and health of patients in Scotland.
:09:56. > :10:02.I regret all of and the First Minister has not addressed the
:10:02. > :10:07.question I put to him because Mrs Fleming represents a failure in the
:10:07. > :10:10.system and while we are thinking and deliberating about how in future we
:10:10. > :10:16.might address this problem, it is the business of Government to
:10:16. > :10:23.address what is happening to families now who do not have time to
:10:23. > :10:28.wait. Because we are walk talk being the real lives of real Scots. I will
:10:28. > :10:32.engage in the policy debate, but I urge the First Minister to act now
:10:32. > :10:36.for those people who have been failed for the system because the
:10:36. > :10:41.First Minister and I agree that the NHS should be free at the point of
:10:41. > :10:45.need, but the reality is, isn't it the case that in the First
:10:45. > :10:50.Minister's Scotland if you have a headache, xwrur prescription is
:10:50. > :10:56.free, but if you have cancer, your prescription can cost �3,000 a
:10:56. > :11:02.month. Isn't it the case that in this Scotland, Scots with hayfever
:11:02. > :11:09.can get the prodescriptions for free, but Scots with cancer may have
:11:09. > :11:16.to leave their homeland for the treatment to save their lives.
:11:16. > :11:23.Minister. When this administration abolished
:11:23. > :11:30.prescription charges, we were in a minority. They supported the move
:11:30. > :11:38.and they supported it because they felt for that range of 600,000 Scots
:11:38. > :11:42.and �16,000 -- on �16,000 a year or less. If they felt the Cancer Drugs
:11:42. > :11:45.Fund was the right thing to do, they could have supported it, but they
:11:45. > :11:48.agreed with us and the cancer charities that wasn't the right
:11:48. > :11:52.thing to do. There are always improvements that can be made to the
:11:52. > :11:56.system, but the SM C process a robust and effective system. It is
:11:56. > :12:01.doing the best it can and we are making improvements. The individual
:12:01. > :12:06.patient request is a good system and that is why we are trying to
:12:06. > :12:10.standise across the nation in terms of looking at the particular aspects
:12:10. > :12:15.of individual patients. But to pretend to people that there is a
:12:15. > :12:21.solution to these hugely difficult questions which are faced by every
:12:21. > :12:24.health service across the world in terms of the ethicacy of what drugs
:12:24. > :12:27.can be approved for use is misleading people. And to pretend to
:12:27. > :12:33.people that the situation in England is either continuing, which it is
:12:33. > :12:35.not, or is satisfactory is wrong and the last thing I would say to Joanne
:12:35. > :12:38.Lamont and I have every consideration and respect for the
:12:38. > :12:43.individual cases and we have all had constituents in that position and
:12:43. > :12:47.that's how it is done, but we have to look with some regard at some of
:12:47. > :12:54.the information that is placed out by drugs companies in this matter.
:12:55. > :13:04.There was a statement from last week which argued the drugs tourism that
:13:04. > :13:11.Joanne Lamont referred to, we should reflect on the fact that the drug
:13:11. > :13:16.there was concern about. They did not offer the dis discount on the
:13:16. > :13:22.drug. This is franchise a company that has been operating -- this is
:13:22. > :13:27.from a company which has an operating profit of �10 billion.
:13:27. > :13:31.Perhaps we should ask the drugs companies why they have they are not
:13:31. > :13:41.prepared to offer to the Scottish people the effective drugs at a
:13:41. > :13:41.
:13:41. > :13:44.reasonable price which would allow more of them to be approved?
:13:44. > :13:50.So ask the First Minister when he will meet the Secretary of State for
:13:50. > :13:57.Scotland? I have no plans. Last year we had the embarrassing
:13:57. > :14:00.pantomime of the First Minister pretending fof legal advice on an
:14:00. > :14:04.independent Scotland relationship with the EU to find no such advice
:14:04. > :14:08.existed. They made it up to cover the fact that everything this
:14:08. > :14:15.Government said about the EU was based on little more than wishful
:14:15. > :14:19.thinking. Then, in October... We had the Deputy First Minister
:14:19. > :14:22.promising this chamber she would tell us how much it cost taxpayers
:14:23. > :14:28.for that aborted action. As of this morning, that information has not
:14:28. > :14:31.been lodged. So I will ask again, how much public money was spent on a
:14:31. > :14:41.pointless action to prevent the publication of legal advice which
:14:41. > :14:41.
:14:41. > :14:49.never existed? First Minister? have to says -s but to talk about
:14:49. > :14:53.Europe and the phrase embarrassing pantomime...
:14:53. > :14:58.LAUGHTER In the wake of the House of Commons
:14:58. > :15:01.where her ally in the leader of the Liberal Democrats who I should give
:15:01. > :15:05.another mention to because he doesn't get a question today who
:15:05. > :15:11.said that the Prime Minister had taken leave of her senses and that
:15:11. > :15:21.is that allies in the coalition Government, I think, takes the most
:15:21. > :15:23.
:15:23. > :15:29.extraordinary degree of bravado for which I congratulate Ruth Davison.
:15:29. > :15:33.She would do well not to make these claims in the future. In terms of
:15:33. > :15:39.bare faced bravado when the SNP's own voters are more interesting in
:15:39. > :15:42.holding a referendum on Europe than voting on independence, I think the
:15:42. > :15:46.First Minister goes some himself. Despite being promised. Seven months
:15:46. > :15:49.ago for that information, it is still being kept secret, we don't
:15:49. > :15:53.that. Last night we heard from another one of the ministers of this
:15:53. > :16:01.Government who says that at last Scottish Government legal advice on
:16:01. > :16:05.the EU does actually exist. Now, on the basis that she was not
:16:05. > :16:09.pretending, the First Minister needs to tell the people of Scotland what
:16:09. > :16:15.that advice contains. Last year, the NHS commissioner ruled that question
:16:15. > :16:21.had a right to know on this critical issue and vague promises of edited
:16:21. > :16:24.highlights in a far off White Paper just won't cut it. Is the First
:16:25. > :16:29.Minister once again going to go through the costly farce of fighting
:16:29. > :16:39.in the courts to stop the people of Scotland knowing the truth or will
:16:39. > :16:51.
:16:51. > :16:57.he reveal what the Information When you request information, it is
:16:57. > :17:03.normal to receive it. This is no great surprise. We will do what the
:17:03. > :17:08.Deputy First Minister said on October 23rd, 2012, that the White
:17:08. > :17:15.Paper will be based on the advice we received. The UK government have
:17:15. > :17:19.not published advice, that has not been done. The UK government
:17:19. > :17:27.published legal advice from an eminent expert, James Crawford. We
:17:27. > :17:32.now have a large selection of eminent experts who can opine on
:17:32. > :17:34.the Scottish government within the context of the European Union and a
:17:34. > :17:44.10 scale of 18 months is a reasonable timescale for the
:17:44. > :17:47.
:17:47. > :17:51.successful completion of the negotiations. Lord Malloch Brown, a
:17:51. > :17:55.minister in the last Labour government, and only yesterday, a
:17:55. > :18:01.former Taoiseach and EU ambassador to the United States said exactly
:18:01. > :18:07.the same thing. Perhaps the absolutely clinching view that you
:18:07. > :18:11.could negotiate your position from within, and 18 months was a
:18:11. > :18:19.reasonable timescale, should come from the UK Government's legal
:18:19. > :18:25.adviser, Professor James Crawford. The Scottish estimate is around 18
:18:25. > :18:30.months, which seems realistic, he said. We have this consensus of
:18:30. > :18:40.legal experts, including even the UK Government's expert, can Ruth
:18:40. > :18:46.
:18:46. > :18:49.Davidson not bring herself to join the consensus? To ask the First
:18:49. > :18:56.Minister what discussions the Scottish government has had
:18:56. > :19:02.regarding its investments in offshore wind energy prospects?
:19:02. > :19:09.Discussions have been held regarding we ensure energy projects.
:19:09. > :19:19.Regarding offshore wind -- the scheme is to be developed alongside
:19:19. > :19:24.the Aberdeen renewable Energy Group, and is confident of securing new
:19:24. > :19:27.funding. Can he estimate what the Scottish government and the
:19:27. > :19:36.agencies have made of the benefits of the European offshore wind
:19:36. > :19:41.deployment centre a driver of jobs since Scotland? It will and Trish -
:19:41. > :19:51.- produce employment. 265 is the estimate in construction, and 25 in
:19:51. > :19:56.operation. It is not as a wind farm, it is a deployment centred to test
:19:56. > :20:03.the technologies, which is why there are only 11 turbines in the
:20:03. > :20:07.proposed development. the significance of what is to put
:20:07. > :20:13.Scotland and Aberdeen in a central position in the development of this
:20:13. > :20:17.new technology. That technology is estimated to be able to provide
:20:17. > :20:21.tens of thousands of jobs in Scotland because it is a technology
:20:21. > :20:29.which is going to be necessary for the energy needs of Scotland,
:20:29. > :20:34.England and the European Continent. The offshore wind deployment centre
:20:34. > :20:39.is important for the future of Scotland's offshore industry. Can I
:20:39. > :20:45.ask the First Minister if they are unable to sell their shares, will
:20:45. > :20:55.he stay open to secure its future? I saw the Labour Party spokesperson
:20:55. > :20:55.
:20:55. > :20:59.suggesting that we should match the funding, which was secured, 40
:20:59. > :21:03.million euros. Is that another Labour party spending commitment?
:21:03. > :21:08.Are they saying that 40 million euros to be spent from the Scottish
:21:08. > :21:11.Government? This is a commercial government supported by the 40
:21:11. > :21:14.million European investments secured by the initiative of the
:21:14. > :21:18.Scottish government. The project partners are confident they will be
:21:18. > :21:24.able to secure interested in the project. There are many companies
:21:24. > :21:32.interested in in the development of deep offshore wind in Scotland. He
:21:33. > :21:38.should come to this chamber and to outline his commitments. He said he
:21:38. > :21:48.is only asking a question. But his colleagues in Aberdeen was making a
:21:48. > :21:54.
:21:54. > :21:57.recommendation. To ask what the position is on the use of
:21:57. > :22:02.electronic tagging for offenders as an alternative for a short-term
:22:02. > :22:07.sentences. There is strong evidence that community sentences are an
:22:07. > :22:11.alternative -- effective alternative. 58% of offenders in
:22:11. > :22:15.prison for three months or less are reconvicted in one year, compared
:22:16. > :22:21.with 24% of those who receive a community sentence. Electronic
:22:21. > :22:26.monitoring has been used since 2002, and continues to play a part in
:22:26. > :22:33.offender management. It is possible development to include satellite
:22:33. > :22:37.tracking offenders. Thank you. Is the first Minister aware that in
:22:37. > :22:41.Sweden, anyone given six months or less can apply to be tagged under
:22:41. > :22:48.house arrest while being monitored? Any breach, and they will be
:22:48. > :22:53.returned to jail. Reoffending fell to 12%. The cost to the taxed it --
:22:53. > :22:58.the taxpayer, �40 per day. Given the success of tagging there, with
:22:58. > :23:07.the First Minister consider following their model? -- would be
:23:07. > :23:13.First Minister consider? There was an event at Strathclyde University
:23:13. > :23:16.which head from his -- heard from the Swedish probation service. Many
:23:16. > :23:19.of the characteristics are already in place in Scotland, but the
:23:19. > :23:23.consultation this summer will be an opportunity to capture any
:23:23. > :23:33.opportunities for improvements. We have the lowest crime rate in 37
:23:33. > :23:34.
:23:34. > :23:38.years, but we are all -- all was -- we are always keen to improve.
:23:38. > :23:43.wondered if the First Minister has had a chance to look in on the
:23:43. > :23:48.debate we had on Tuesday because in that, people that he himself has
:23:48. > :23:54.classified as offenders were split into two camps, those with
:23:54. > :23:58.electronic tags and could vote in an election, and those who had
:23:58. > :24:01.custodial for the same crime, more or less, and could not vote. I
:24:01. > :24:08.wondered if he agrees there is a matter of equity we should look a
:24:08. > :24:13.act. -- we should look at. It was an excellent debate on all sides.
:24:13. > :24:19.Various arguments were put forward. I agree with the majority position
:24:19. > :24:23.taken, when people engage in crime and receive a prison sentence, they
:24:23. > :24:28.sacrifice some entitlements, the entitlement to freedom and also the
:24:28. > :24:31.entitlement to vote. That is the position I take. I thought it was a
:24:31. > :24:37.good debate, and it did the parliament proud in terms of a hat
:24:37. > :24:42.that was conducted. To ask what steps the Scottish government is
:24:42. > :24:49.taking to tackle bullying in the National Health Service. In 2011 we
:24:49. > :24:53.worked with health boards and trade unions to set out a new minimum
:24:53. > :24:59.standard insuring all members of National Health Service staff are
:24:59. > :25:04.treated fairly and consistently. A national helpline went live in
:25:04. > :25:14.April, providing support for staff who fear they may be bullied or to
:25:14. > :25:19.
:25:19. > :25:24.raise concerns about their health service. He is right to praise and
:25:24. > :25:27.thank hard-working staff for their dedication, but less than one-third
:25:27. > :25:33.of nurses believe that if they reported their concerns they would
:25:33. > :25:37.be believed. Any suggestion of a culture of management bullying is
:25:37. > :25:45.unacceptable, particularly where it would fit in robust whistle-blowing
:25:45. > :25:52.procedures which are necessary. More than a third of staff say they
:25:53. > :26:01.have been a victim of bullying. Will he ensure that this helpline
:26:01. > :26:08.has publicised more widely? -- is publicised? He should be careful
:26:08. > :26:13.with the statistics he is using. The staff survey said that 22% of
:26:13. > :26:18.staff believe they had been bullied or harassed, but 31% of that was
:26:18. > :26:24.from service users or relatives of service users, which is important
:26:24. > :26:28.to understand the terms of the statistics. We have introduced a
:26:28. > :26:38.confidential alert line. I do not agree with Jackie Baillie he seemed
:26:38. > :26:41.
:26:41. > :26:51.to suggest that such a thing was not necessary. Given that this has
:26:51. > :26:55.
:26:55. > :27:02.been introduced, posters and flyers were issued to the health board to
:27:02. > :27:08.promote this alert line, and it is true that we are planning more
:27:08. > :27:12.promotion throughout the year, making sure staff are aware of the
:27:12. > :27:19.confidential resource. Staff will be pleased to know that includes
:27:19. > :27:22.advice on payslips. To ask the First Minister what discussions the
:27:22. > :27:30.Scottish government is having with local authorities regarding Gaelic
:27:31. > :27:34.medium schools. A summit was hosted in February this year, attended by
:27:34. > :27:39.all local authorities that provide education and leading
:27:39. > :27:49.educationalists. The Minister for Scottish languages announced
:27:49. > :27:54.
:27:54. > :27:58.�90,000 to fund summer schools. Would he agree with many in the
:27:59. > :28:03.Gaelic community who feel strongly that the urgent priority should be
:28:03. > :28:07.addressing the concerns of teacher training in terms of the employment
:28:07. > :28:15.of teachers in Gallic Region Education and their retention in
:28:16. > :28:20.areas where there is high demand, rather than insisting local
:28:20. > :28:27.authorities spending where there is no demand? -- Gaelic region
:28:27. > :28:30.education. Yes, I agree. She should also know that the new posts in the
:28:30. > :28:40.University of the Highlands and Islands in Gaelic teacher training,
:28:40. > :28:45.
:28:45. > :28:50.they are very effective. We should be delighted to see the indications
:28:50. > :29:00.from public opinion surveys which, contrary to the view that the
:29:00. > :29:02.
:29:02. > :29:10.sometimes put forward in some of her less reputable... There is
:29:10. > :29:14.widespread public support for Gaelic medium education and for the
:29:14. > :29:18.BBC channel which has had outstanding figures, of over
:29:19. > :29:28.500,000 people on many occasions, which has a spectacular achievement.
:29:29. > :29:35.
:29:35. > :29:39.There we have it. A wide range of topics. The main event was those
:29:39. > :29:43.very serious and honest exchanges between Johann Lamont and the First