:00:25. > :00:31.A very warm welcome to the Scottish parliament here at Holyrood. What is
:00:32. > :00:36.on the agenda politically? Well, it is Brexit week. We had the big
:00:37. > :00:38.speech by the Prime Minister this week, and responses from the First
:00:39. > :00:41.Minister and many others. Could it be that, the health service or the
:00:42. > :00:44.state of the railways that comes up in the questions to the First
:00:45. > :00:50.Minister? Let's find out as we crossed the chamber.
:00:51. > :00:55.Presiding officer, Bev Robinson helps to run a small engineering
:00:56. > :00:59.business called Precision Oil Tools, employing 12 people. She has just
:01:00. > :01:02.found out her business rates are going up by 63% in April. This
:01:03. > :01:06.morning, she described this as nothing short of daylight robbery.
:01:07. > :01:11.Does the First Minister think that an increase like this for a small
:01:12. > :01:16.local fervour is acceptable? Of course, 2017 is a business rates
:01:17. > :01:19.revaluation year. All commercial premises have their property value
:01:20. > :01:26.reassessed by an independent assessor in such a year. The
:01:27. > :01:28.Scottish Government has no locus to intervene in that process. As Ruth
:01:29. > :01:34.Davidson will be aware, assessors published a draft revaluation online
:01:35. > :01:37.before the end of the year. These are subject to change when
:01:38. > :01:42.revaluation notices posted out in March, and of course, this is a
:01:43. > :01:45.crucial point, all ratepayers will have till September 30 this year to
:01:46. > :01:50.appeal their revaluation if they think it is wrong. So that is the
:01:51. > :01:57.process of revaluation that is underway. That said, this government
:01:58. > :02:02.recognises the importance of having a fair and competitive business
:02:03. > :02:07.rates regime, which is why Derek Mackay announced in the budget our
:02:08. > :02:12.plans to lift 100,000 small businesses across this country out
:02:13. > :02:20.of business rates altogether. Clearly, I don't know if the
:02:21. > :02:24.business Ruth Davidson has cited will benefit, but 100,000 businesses
:02:25. > :02:27.across our country will pay no rates at all, because that is the
:02:28. > :02:33.importance we attach to seeing small businesses grow in our economy.
:02:34. > :02:40.Absolutely nothing in there for the business that I raised, which will
:02:41. > :02:44.hurt 12 employees. But this business is not alone. We spoke yesterday to
:02:45. > :02:49.another engineering firm based in Peterhead. It is a fantastic firm
:02:50. > :02:52.which runs the largest private apprenticeship programme anywhere in
:02:53. > :02:56.the country, and it has now discovered it will have to pay an
:02:57. > :03:02.extra ?120,000, April and fears it will have to turn apprentices away
:03:03. > :03:06.as a result. Their MD told as yesterday, we have saw the highest
:03:07. > :03:11.rates here, and this increase will price many businesses out of the
:03:12. > :03:14.market they compete in locally, nationally or worldwide. The chamber
:03:15. > :03:17.of Commerce says this will drive firms that have managed to stay
:03:18. > :03:24.afloat into insolvency or at best lead to job losses. This is the
:03:25. > :03:26.reality, so what action will the First Minister consider to help them
:03:27. > :03:29.out? I think if Ruth Davidson had
:03:30. > :03:33.listened to my first answer, she would have already heard what I had
:03:34. > :03:38.to say. I would stress again, all of these businesses she sites today do
:03:39. > :03:42.fantastic work in our country to help us grow the economy and this
:03:43. > :03:46.government is on the side of business the length and breadth of
:03:47. > :03:51.this country. The process that Ruth Davidson sites, though, is a
:03:52. > :03:55.revaluation. It is being carried out by independent assessors. The kind
:03:56. > :03:58.of increases she talks about are tied to increases in the rateable
:03:59. > :04:05.value of premises. I have already outlined the process draft
:04:06. > :04:08.valuations have been published, final valuations will be published
:04:09. > :04:11.later this year, but all businesses have until September to submit
:04:12. > :04:18.appeals affecting their valuation is wrong. She asks what we're doing to
:04:19. > :04:22.support small businesses that employ people and contribute to our
:04:23. > :04:26.economic success. As I said, the small-business bonus, which goes way
:04:27. > :04:29.beyond anything in any other part of the UK, is lifting 100,000 small
:04:30. > :04:37.businesses out of business rates altogether. Ruth Davidson may also
:04:38. > :04:42.be interested in this. In the financial year 2017-18, the one that
:04:43. > :04:49.is about to start, more than half of all rateable properties in Scotland
:04:50. > :04:53.will pay nothing at all in rates due to the Small-business Bonus and the
:04:54. > :05:00.range of the business rates and reliefs in place. So I understand
:05:01. > :05:03.concerns that businesses will have, arising out of revaluation, so I am
:05:04. > :05:06.stressing the independent nature of that process and the ability
:05:07. > :05:09.businesses to appeal. This government has ensured we have a
:05:10. > :05:14.competitive and probably the most competitive small business rates
:05:15. > :05:20.regime anywhere in the UK, because that is the importance we attach to
:05:21. > :05:24.small businesses. And yet, in a double whammy, both
:05:25. > :05:27.Precision Oil only other company have been hit by the doubling of the
:05:28. > :05:34.business supplement her government is that you did overnight. --
:05:35. > :05:38.instituted overnight. But these are stories, as we learn this week that
:05:39. > :05:43.growth in Scotland is now a third of what it is elsewhere in the UK. Liz
:05:44. > :05:46.Cameron from the Scottish Chambers of commerce saved this today, no one
:05:47. > :05:52.liked to quote her in full. Scottish Government actions must be aimed
:05:53. > :05:55.squarely at increasing this rate of growth and utilising the power is at
:05:56. > :05:59.its disposal to support businesses, giving them the edge over businesses
:06:00. > :06:04.and other parts of the UK and enabling them to grow. The question
:06:05. > :06:07.is simple of this: Does the First Minister simply believe that setting
:06:08. > :06:13.higher taxes, putting higher burdens on employers like this, helps do
:06:14. > :06:18.that? Just to repeat the facts again for
:06:19. > :06:21.Ruth Davidson, 100,000 small business premises across this
:06:22. > :06:26.country taken out of business rates altogether. In terms of the large
:06:27. > :06:31.business supplement, the threshold for that increase so that fewer
:06:32. > :06:34.businesses will be subject to the large business supplement. And of
:06:35. > :06:39.course, she is presumably aware that the wider review of business rates
:06:40. > :06:42.led by Ken Barkley is underway to make sure that we continue to have a
:06:43. > :06:48.competitive and fair business rates regime. That is the kind of action
:06:49. > :06:52.Liz Cameron is right to call for from the Scottish Government, making
:06:53. > :06:56.sure that we support our businesses. It earlier, Ruth Davidson mentioned
:06:57. > :07:00.apprenticeships. Let me remind her that it is the Conservative
:07:01. > :07:04.government that is imposing the apprenticeship levy and businesses
:07:05. > :07:08.above a certain size the length and breadth of this country. That is not
:07:09. > :07:14.the Scottish Government, so perhaps she would... Well, she is shouting
:07:15. > :07:17.at me from a sedentary position, how are we spending that? Let me remind
:07:18. > :07:23.Ruth Davidson, that is not new money. What we get from that, the UK
:07:24. > :07:27.Government has taken away from in other ways, but all that money is
:07:28. > :07:30.being spent on supporting training, skills and apprenticeships across
:07:31. > :07:34.this country, so we will continue to support our businesses. The meal so
:07:35. > :07:38.say this. The last thing our businesses need right now, whether
:07:39. > :07:46.in Scotland or other parts of the UK, is to be ripped out of the
:07:47. > :07:51.world's biggest single market. That is the future they face because of a
:07:52. > :07:53.Conservative government as macro obsession with immigration rather
:07:54. > :08:00.than putting the interests of this economy first. We will continue to
:08:01. > :08:02.support businesses through the business rate scheme but also
:08:03. > :08:06.continued to argue that our businesses should continue to be
:08:07. > :08:14.free to trade within the EU single market.
:08:15. > :08:22.Under pressure, she runs to Brexit, but the truth of the matter is this:
:08:23. > :08:28.Precision Oil didn't raise Brexit today. They are raising the increase
:08:29. > :08:31.right now of the rates bill. And Score Group did not write to me
:08:32. > :08:36.about Europe. They wanted to talk about this government's failure to
:08:37. > :08:40.support them. And the Chamber of Commerce have said specifically that
:08:41. > :08:44.if we are drawn into tunnel vision on Europe, we will miss the chance
:08:45. > :08:47.to transform Scotland's attractiveness as a place to do
:08:48. > :08:51.business. That is what the First Minister should be focusing on, and
:08:52. > :08:59.the facts are these: Unemployment in Scotland is up. Employment is down.
:09:00. > :09:02.Well confident for small firms in other parts of the UK is going up,
:09:03. > :09:06.here it is falling through the floor. Yet we have a finance
:09:07. > :09:09.secretary who is heading from companies who say that rates are
:09:10. > :09:12.pushing them to the wall, we have a government that taxes people and
:09:13. > :09:18.firms more here than elsewhere in the UK, and again this week, they
:09:19. > :09:22.have been threatened with further instability with their own
:09:23. > :09:26.referendum, this time one on independence. This government is
:09:27. > :09:28.about to present the most important budget since devolution, deciding on
:09:29. > :09:35.the taxes that Scots pay and the question is this. Does the First
:09:36. > :09:39.Minister stick to her current plan of making Scotland is highly taxed
:09:40. > :09:44.part of the UK, driving our businesses and jobs, or will she
:09:45. > :09:48.change course? Will she give Score Group and thousands of people like
:09:49. > :09:52.them the support they need to succeed. These are the questions to
:09:53. > :09:59.focus on. How will she acts? Let me first just point out if you
:10:00. > :10:03.facts. Firstly, the Lloyds I Business Reporting Britain shows a
:10:04. > :10:06.business confidence increasing markedly in Scotland and more so
:10:07. > :10:10.than in the rest of the UK. Employment at the tourist sector is
:10:11. > :10:16.up by 11% in Scotland compared to just 4% in the rest of the UK. This
:10:17. > :10:19.morning, the Scottish Retail Consortium showed retail sales
:10:20. > :10:26.increasing. The latest act of Scotland PMI signifies that
:10:27. > :10:30.unemployment is down over the year and GDP per head is up 2.2% in
:10:31. > :10:36.Scotland since before the recession, much lower than that, 1.5% in the
:10:37. > :10:40.rest of the UK. So I will continue to do everything this government can
:10:41. > :10:43.to support our business community. Let's also just remind Ruth Davidson
:10:44. > :10:50.of some other fact that I know are not very welcome for her. Let's look
:10:51. > :10:54.at this claim, this ridiculous claim, about Scotland being the
:10:55. > :10:58.highest taxed part of the UK. If you are taxpayer in Scotland, you don't
:10:59. > :11:02.pay tuition fees for your younger children to go to university. If
:11:03. > :11:06.you're elderly parent is in care, you don't pay personal care. You
:11:07. > :11:11.have a health care system free the point of use. Taxpayers in Scotland
:11:12. > :11:21.get a far better deal than taxpayers in the rest of the UK, and finally,
:11:22. > :11:24.on Brexit, I am determined to save Scotland from Brexit. It is not just
:11:25. > :11:30.the case that the Tories are running towards Brexit, they want to drag
:11:31. > :11:33.Scotland kicking and screaming over that Brexit cliff edge, and I am
:11:34. > :11:42.determined they are not going to get away with it.
:11:43. > :11:44.To ask the First Minister what engagements she has planned
:11:45. > :11:55.Still engagements to take forward the government's plans for Scotland.
:11:56. > :12:01.Our NHS is on the verge of a system breakdown. In the stark words of the
:12:02. > :12:04.chairman of the British Medical Association in Scotland. Nowhere is
:12:05. > :12:08.that more obvious than in Glasgow, where new figures show that more
:12:09. > :12:12.than one in four patients are waiting longer than four hours in
:12:13. > :12:16.A at the Queen Elizabeth. Last week, pregnant women were turned
:12:17. > :12:21.away, and this week, the daily record told the harrowing tale of
:12:22. > :12:26.Karen Medel, who had to travel 300 miles a day to see her sick child
:12:27. > :12:30.Alex because there were no beds in Glasgow. So does the First Minister
:12:31. > :12:35.agree with Doctor Peter Bennie that Scotland's NHS is facing a system
:12:36. > :12:39.breakdown? As I have readily said in the past,
:12:40. > :12:44.of course, our NHS is working under pressure. The pressure comes from
:12:45. > :12:48.the changing demographics, the ageing population, and that means we
:12:49. > :12:52.need to do even more to support our national Health Service. That is why
:12:53. > :12:57.we are investing more in our NHS over this Parliament. ?500 million
:12:58. > :13:05.more than the rate of inflation, and I would remind Kezia Dugdale as I
:13:06. > :13:08.frequently do that the commitment from Labour were simply to increase
:13:09. > :13:13.it by inflation. So the commitment from this government is greater, and
:13:14. > :13:16.that helps to support record numbers of staff. But as I have also said
:13:17. > :13:20.before, it is not enough to invest more and have more members of staff
:13:21. > :13:24.working in a health service. We have also got to reform our our health
:13:25. > :13:27.service operates, which is why this government, unlike any other across
:13:28. > :13:32.the UK, took the action to integrate health and so is a. That is why we
:13:33. > :13:35.are transferring investments in the health service into social care
:13:36. > :13:39.services, and that's why we have the best performing Accident and
:13:40. > :13:44.Emergency departments in the UK and why we are starting to see delayed
:13:45. > :13:49.discharges going down. So there is much work to do, and our
:13:50. > :13:51.hard-working NHS staff work under considerable pressure, but we will
:13:52. > :13:59.continue to support them in the fantastic job they do.
:14:00. > :14:02.The First Minister can come to this chamber and attacked Labour's health
:14:03. > :14:09.plans every week, but it does not make them true. No wonder the BMA
:14:10. > :14:13.say they are sick of SNP spent. -- spin. And the problems in our NHS
:14:14. > :14:20.are not just confined to the central belt. Elaine Handy from Nairn is a
:14:21. > :14:26.48-year-old mother of two. She is the chairwoman of the Royal Navy and
:14:27. > :14:30.Royal Marines Widows' Association, and was diagnosed with cataracts few
:14:31. > :14:34.years ago. Her condition no impact on their quality of life and her
:14:35. > :14:36.optician referred her to hospital in Inverness for surgery. The Scottish
:14:37. > :14:41.Government target is that patients should wait no longer than 12 weeks
:14:42. > :14:48.for their first consultation. But Mrs Handley was told not to expect a
:14:49. > :14:53.weight of 12 weeks, but a minimum weight of 12 months. What
:14:54. > :14:56.explanation can the First Minister give Mrs Handley and other cataract
:14:57. > :15:03.patients for the shocking waiting times in NHS Highland 's?
:15:04. > :15:07.I will not comment on individual case, as I repeatedly say. Is there
:15:08. > :15:10.are individual cases any member wants to raise with the Health
:15:11. > :15:15.Secretary, they should do so. But I will say this, and this is a serious
:15:16. > :15:18.issue. Perhaps the most serious issue that we discuss in this
:15:19. > :15:24.chamber is our NHS. Of course, we want to see waiting times go further
:15:25. > :15:30.down, whether inpatient or outpatient waiting times, or waiting
:15:31. > :15:34.times for A services. They are lower than they were when this
:15:35. > :15:36.government first took office. Our responsibilities to continue to work
:15:37. > :15:40.with health care professionals to get those times even lower than they
:15:41. > :15:46.are now. Kezia Dugdale says what are doing to bring this about. I know it
:15:47. > :15:52.is uncomfortable for her, but what I said about her spending commitment
:15:53. > :15:56.is true. Anybody who doubts it doesn't have too take my word for
:15:57. > :16:02.it. They only have to go and read her manifesto from the election last
:16:03. > :16:05.year. Our commitment is to greater investment in the NHS than any other
:16:06. > :16:12.party promised in that election. But let me say this. The commitment and
:16:13. > :16:14.our manifesto, which we are in the process of implementation, is to
:16:15. > :16:20.create new elective treatment centres around the country,
:16:21. > :16:23.expanding capacity at the Golden Jubilee for operations like
:16:24. > :16:26.cataracts, and to create more elective treatment centres across
:16:27. > :16:29.the country so we build capacity for those kinds of operations and in the
:16:30. > :16:34.process take pressure off our emergency services. That is all part
:16:35. > :16:39.of the reform that is going with our record investment in the NHS.
:16:40. > :16:45.I recognise each and every day the pressure that NHS staff work under
:16:46. > :16:48.but this government is committed to working with them to make sure they
:16:49. > :16:54.continue to deliver excellent services all over the country.
:16:55. > :17:02.Kezia Dugdale. There was little comfort in that for
:17:03. > :17:07.Mrs Hambly. Labour SNP is -- Labour MSPs are dealing with cases like
:17:08. > :17:14.this. We have to bring each and every one to Parliament for
:17:15. > :17:19.something to happen? And right at the start of the First Minister's
:17:20. > :17:23.answer, she said if people have specific complaints to take into the
:17:24. > :17:27.Health Secretary. That is what she did, she wrote to Shona Robison, and
:17:28. > :17:34.I have the response you receive last week. In it, the government admits
:17:35. > :17:38.that a 12 month weight is totally unacceptable, but their response? To
:17:39. > :17:45.give her a guide on how to travel to Europe for treatment. I've got it
:17:46. > :17:51.here. If a 300 mile round trip can be described as system breakdown,
:17:52. > :17:54.and a 12 month weight is totally unacceptably, high with the First
:17:55. > :18:03.Minister describe a 3000 mile round trip to Europe for treatment? Our
:18:04. > :18:08.commitment, not just for the patient that Kezia Dugdale sites, but to
:18:09. > :18:11.every patient across the country is to provide the best quality
:18:12. > :18:17.treatment as quickly as possible in every part of the country. That is
:18:18. > :18:21.what we are focused on and dedicated to delivering in partnership with
:18:22. > :18:25.NHS staff each and every day. I know there is much work to be done, the
:18:26. > :18:30.nature of the NHS means there will always be much more work to be done,
:18:31. > :18:34.but waiting times, like patient, inpatient, emergency waiting times,
:18:35. > :18:39.they are lower today than when we took office, because of increased
:18:40. > :18:44.investment, increased staff, we are committed to further increasing
:18:45. > :18:48.investment but crucially out reforms to make sure the NHS can cope with
:18:49. > :18:56.the pressures on it. That is our commitment and we will take that
:18:57. > :19:05.forward every day. I have a number of constituency
:19:06. > :19:10.questions. Last week, the decision was taken by NHS Tayside to close
:19:11. > :19:14.the mulberry unit, a mental health inpatient facility in my
:19:15. > :19:18.constituency, and that decision was taken on safety grounds because of a
:19:19. > :19:24.lack of Junior Sa'u ya got us to cover the three sites that are
:19:25. > :19:29.within Tayside. -- junior doctors. That will invite patients, families,
:19:30. > :19:34.carers and staff living in Angus. I would like to ask the First Minister
:19:35. > :19:39.what will be done to mitigate the impact of this closure? What steps
:19:40. > :19:42.are being taken to encourage doctors into psychiatry? And will be Cabinet
:19:43. > :19:46.Secretary for health meet with me and with service users in my
:19:47. > :19:52.constituency to discuss their serious concerns? Patient safety is
:19:53. > :19:56.the absolute priority, and it is right that the board listens to the
:19:57. > :20:01.advice of clinicians to ensure all patients across Tayside continue to
:20:02. > :20:04.receive safe service. The board has assured the Scottish Government this
:20:05. > :20:08.is a temporary measure, and we will provide all support to the board as
:20:09. > :20:13.they continue to work with partners to develop a sustainable model for
:20:14. > :20:16.the long-term. Through the national workforce plan we are working with
:20:17. > :20:20.boards to identify further steps to take to fill training in disciplines
:20:21. > :20:25.that have been harder to recruit two in recent years, and NHS Tayside has
:20:26. > :20:28.approved a recruitment strategy designed to support their workforce
:20:29. > :20:33.plan, including four iCloud tree. The Health Secretary will keep the
:20:34. > :20:40.member and any other member fully up-to-date. -- including four
:20:41. > :20:45.psychiatry. Alan Knill. Can I bring the First Minister's attention to
:20:46. > :20:50.the closure of the Airdrie savings bank, announced yesterday, after 182
:20:51. > :20:54.years of trading? This has been forced by the level of regulation
:20:55. > :20:57.which now makes it very, very difficult indeed impossible for a
:20:58. > :21:03.small community bank like the Airdrie savings bank to survive in
:21:04. > :21:10.today's world. As a result of that, 70 people will lose their jobs. Can
:21:11. > :21:12.I have an assurance from the First Minister that the government and its
:21:13. > :21:24.agencies will do everything it possibly can, first of all to ensure
:21:25. > :21:28.the 70 people who have been facing forced redundancy will get maximum
:21:29. > :21:31.help in finding employment and secondly the Airdrie Savings Bank
:21:32. > :21:37.will be assisted as appropriate by Scottish enterprise and other
:21:38. > :21:41.agencies to ensure an orderly rundown, including making productive
:21:42. > :21:46.use of the very fine premises they have, both in Airdrie and other
:21:47. > :21:52.parts of Lanarkshire? Yes, I'm happy to give those assurances. We were
:21:53. > :21:56.all site I am sure to hear the news from Airdrie Savings Bank yesterday.
:21:57. > :22:01.-- we are all sad. The reality is that cannot compete in a very
:22:02. > :22:05.changed banking world, it doesn't have the skill to accommodate that
:22:06. > :22:09.change. Therefore the board has made the difficult but I think
:22:10. > :22:14.responsible decision to wind down now, in a controlled and orderly
:22:15. > :22:17.manner, while customer deposits are absolutely safe and protected and of
:22:18. > :22:25.course without the need for any public sector bail out. I think this
:22:26. > :22:29.reflects the bank's careful and prudent approach, serving the
:22:30. > :22:34.community so well for many years and it will be sadly missed. This will
:22:35. > :22:37.be a difficult time for those affected, customers, but more
:22:38. > :22:43.particularly those employees of the bank and their families as well. So
:22:44. > :22:47.I can absolutely confirm that, through our initiatives, we will
:22:48. > :22:50.provide support for any boys facing redundancy, providing skills,
:22:51. > :22:59.development and employability support. -- for anyone facing
:23:00. > :23:01.redundancy. It is important to stress here that public
:23:02. > :23:06.intervention, had it even been possible, would not have changed the
:23:07. > :23:10.decision made by the board. It is a sad decision but one that most
:23:11. > :23:13.people understand and the focus now must be on supporting the
:23:14. > :23:20.communities served by the bank and those who work for it. Gil Paterson.
:23:21. > :23:23.Many thanks. As the First Minister media we are there has been an
:23:24. > :23:30.ongoing discussion about the future of 30 long-term care beds at Saint
:23:31. > :23:33.Margarets Hospice in Clydebank in my constituency. Yesterday at a special
:23:34. > :23:37.film meeting of Western Bodiger council a motion was passed in the
:23:38. > :23:45.name of the former Provost regarding the hospice. The hospice is
:23:46. > :23:48.concerned that proposals from the integration to use their heads as
:23:49. > :23:54.social care beds may raise questions on the charitable status and the
:23:55. > :23:58.ethos of the hospice. -- use their beds. I believe an amicable solution
:23:59. > :24:03.is entirely possible. To this end could I request a meeting with the
:24:04. > :24:08.Health Secretary to explore if the Scottish Government can play a role
:24:09. > :24:15.in supporting a resolution between these groups in this important
:24:16. > :24:19.issue? Firstly, I know how valuable and valued the services that Saint
:24:20. > :24:24.Margarets hospice provides to those who benefit from them. When I was
:24:25. > :24:27.Health Secretary, I had close interaction with the hospice and
:24:28. > :24:34.indeed helped to allay some concerns they had back in those times. The
:24:35. > :24:38.Westonbirt incher help and social partnership have said, as I
:24:39. > :24:42.understand, there is nothing to undermine the charitable status of
:24:43. > :24:48.the hospice. -- West Dunbartonshire Council. But it is clear from what I
:24:49. > :24:52.have heard that there are concerns felt by the hospice and it is
:24:53. > :24:55.important to address those concerns. Gil Paterson asked specifically for
:24:56. > :24:59.a meeting with the Health Secretary, who will be happy to meet with him
:25:00. > :25:03.to discuss how the integrated joint board and the hospice can find an
:25:04. > :25:08.amicable solution but most importantly a solution that will
:25:09. > :25:11.allow St Margaret's Hospice to continue to provide the excellent
:25:12. > :25:15.care that it does for people in the surrounding communities. Question
:25:16. > :25:17.number three, Patrick Harvie. To ask the First Minister
:25:18. > :25:26.when the Cabinet will next meet? Tuesday.
:25:27. > :25:30.We heard a statement from the Prime Minister that was confused,
:25:31. > :25:37.contradictory and dangerous. The Scottish Conservatives may now be
:25:38. > :25:40.merrily trotting along behind the Brexit cheerleaders but it seems
:25:41. > :25:45.only five minutes ago that they were all for protecting our place in the
:25:46. > :25:48.single market. And we've heard from the Prime Minister empty words about
:25:49. > :25:51.considering Scotland's position but from everything else she says it
:25:52. > :25:57.seems she has already ruled out doing anything about it. So I want
:25:58. > :26:00.to hear reassurances from the First Minister that there will be no
:26:01. > :26:04.deleted the legislation to keep open the option for the people of
:26:05. > :26:08.Scotland to decide for themselves whether they want to stay on the
:26:09. > :26:13.Brexit bars as it heads over the cliff. -- Brexit bars. We know there
:26:14. > :26:17.will be deeply damaging economic impacts from ripping Scotland and
:26:18. > :26:22.the UK and not just out of Europe but out of the single market. I've
:26:23. > :26:27.never believed that economic growth should, at the expense of social
:26:28. > :26:31.justice sustainability but it now seems the UK Government wants to
:26:32. > :26:36.ignore all three because of their relentless hostility to immigration
:26:37. > :26:40.and immigrants. So what assessment has the Scottish Government carried
:26:41. > :26:45.out, not only of the direct economic impact on Scotland on jobs, incomes
:26:46. > :26:50.and from inflation, but also since the Scottish budget is now partly
:26:51. > :26:54.based on economic performance, what assessment has been made on the
:26:55. > :27:01.impact on public finances if we loser plays in the single market?
:27:02. > :27:05.The Scottish Government will make those assessments but we have seen
:27:06. > :27:10.independent assessments of the impact of hard Brexit, 80,000 jobs,
:27:11. > :27:14.?2000 in terms of real wages, real impact for people the length and
:27:15. > :27:18.breadth of the country. And Patrick Harvie is absolutely right. The
:27:19. > :27:23.Scottish Government and people didn't choose to be in this
:27:24. > :27:27.position. Scotland did not vote for the part that was set out by the
:27:28. > :27:33.Prime Minister on Tuesday and even more importantly it is against our
:27:34. > :27:36.interests as a country. It puts jobs, wages, living standards,
:27:37. > :27:42.investment on the line. And I think it threatens to fundamentally change
:27:43. > :27:45.the kind of country that we are. And not for the better. The Scottish
:27:46. > :27:50.Government has put forward proposals to protect Scotland's interests,
:27:51. > :27:58.these were described just last night I laud John Kerry a former senior UK
:27:59. > :28:02.diplomat, as oppressive, serious and substantive. The UK Government thus
:28:03. > :28:08.far has not considered those proposals with the seriousness that
:28:09. > :28:12.they merit. And that is exposing talk of a partnership of equals
:28:13. > :28:18.within the UK as nothing more than empty rhetoric. The joint
:28:19. > :28:22.ministerial subcommittee is meeting today, there will be a session at
:28:23. > :28:25.the end of the month, the Scottish Government will continue to engage
:28:26. > :28:29.and seek to further compromise, but be in no doubt, the time is fast
:28:30. > :28:35.running out for the UK Government to convince us that the key one jot
:28:36. > :28:40.about Scotland's interests. -- that they care. If they don't, Scotland
:28:41. > :28:44.faces a choice, going down the damaging path set out by Teresa May,
:28:45. > :28:50.with all the impact that we know that will have and in the knowledge
:28:51. > :28:54.that our voice doesn't matter within the UK, or do we decide to take our
:28:55. > :28:59.future into our own hands and take control of the future of our country
:29:00. > :29:02.into our own hands? The difference between me and I believe Patrick
:29:03. > :29:05.Harvie and others in this chamber is I believe that should be a decision
:29:06. > :29:15.for the Scottish people. Patrick Harvie. Well, if the First Minister
:29:16. > :29:18.is clearly right about the change that is threatened, I don't yet hear
:29:19. > :29:23.an assessment of the impact on Scottish public finances for which
:29:24. > :29:27.the government is responsible. That will happen before Brexit, it is
:29:28. > :29:31.already happening. Eight months ago, we also for election to this
:29:32. > :29:36.Parliament, each with a manifesto commitment, the Greens promised to
:29:37. > :29:39.be bold and use the Scottish parliament's new powers to protect
:29:40. > :29:44.services and investment the country needs. The SNP said it wanted to
:29:45. > :29:49.offer an alternative to Tory austerity charter it is the
:29:50. > :29:55.rear-view in which circumstances change so dramatically. -- it is a
:29:56. > :29:58.very rear year. The change of UK Government, victim-macro, now the
:29:59. > :30:03.threat to cut us off the single market. These impact, isn't it clear
:30:04. > :30:07.that the government's economic policies, written one year ago,
:30:08. > :30:12.based largely around a status quo position on income tax can be
:30:13. > :30:17.treated as if written in stone? Surely the case is now stronger than
:30:18. > :30:21.ever to use tax powers failing, protecting people on low and middle
:30:22. > :30:25.incomes, but ensuring words like progressive come to mean something
:30:26. > :30:31.and that services for every community in the country are
:30:32. > :30:34.protected. We have put forward by two proposals including tax
:30:35. > :30:39.proposals that are freer, reasonable and progressive, we're in a budget
:30:40. > :30:41.process, and as Patrick Harvie knows, the Finance Secretary
:30:42. > :30:45.continues to discuss with them and other parties across this chamber
:30:46. > :30:50.the content of those budget proposals and those discussions will
:30:51. > :30:53.continue over the next few weeks. I agree with Patrick Harvie about the
:30:54. > :30:58.impact on decisions being made by the Tory government at Westminster
:30:59. > :31:01.on the economy, jobs and also public finances. Of course we need to
:31:02. > :31:07.respond and we will continue to respond just as they responded to
:31:08. > :31:10.welfare changes by setting up the welfare fund, mitigating the Bedroom
:31:11. > :31:15.Tax, taking action here to mitigate the worst impacts of wrong-headed
:31:16. > :31:20.decisions taken at Westminster. We will continue to do that. But sooner
:31:21. > :31:23.or later there comes a more fundamental choice, do we want to
:31:24. > :31:28.continue as a parliament and country to be in the position of always
:31:29. > :31:32.having to mitigate the impact of decisions that are out of our hands
:31:33. > :31:38.and taken by a Tory government at Westminster that a majority in this
:31:39. > :31:41.country do not vote for? Or take control of the future of the country
:31:42. > :31:42.into our own hands? That is the choice looming for the people of
:31:43. > :31:53.Scotland. A couple of further supplementary
:31:54. > :31:56.questions. Thank you. The First Minister will
:31:57. > :32:00.be aware of the landmark decision this week to award damages in a rape
:32:01. > :32:06.case, the first is a civil court. This week has also seen the
:32:07. > :32:09.publication of criminal proceedings Scotland, confirming that only 12%
:32:10. > :32:13.of police reported rape and attempted rape cases proceed to
:32:14. > :32:17.court, where the conviction rate Israel oh. Rape crisis Scotland are
:32:18. > :32:21.advising we will see more and more complainers turn to the civil
:32:22. > :32:24.justice system, but this is a hedonist crime and should always
:32:25. > :32:28.result in a criminal charge. What are the implications for the justice
:32:29. > :32:33.system if victims now feel the only justice they can get these criminal
:32:34. > :32:40.acts as to the civil court system? That absolutely should not be the
:32:41. > :32:44.message. Of the many decisions Clive Baker is rightly talking about, and
:32:45. > :32:47.I know she understands this, the decisions for the independent
:32:48. > :32:49.prosecution services and of course, the courts, but I don't make anyone
:32:50. > :32:54.can be in any doubt of the determination of this government to
:32:55. > :32:58.ensure that there is a really tough approach for anybody who commits
:32:59. > :33:02.sexual crimes or domestic violence. In terms of the statistics published
:33:03. > :33:05.this week, we see convictions for sexual crimes and domestic abuse
:33:06. > :33:11.remaining high, with the number of convictions the sexual crimes
:33:12. > :33:14.actually at an all-time high. All of us take sexual crimes very seriously
:33:15. > :33:18.and that is why it is good to see more people convicted of sexual
:33:19. > :33:23.offences and average sentences for rape and attempted rape increasing
:33:24. > :33:27.8% since last year, but we'll know there is much more work to be done
:33:28. > :33:34.here. I think it is one of those issues in which I hope there is a
:33:35. > :33:38.lot of consensus. On the particular point Claire Baker raises, but also
:33:39. > :33:43.on the issue of domestic violence, why we will soon introduce new
:33:44. > :33:49.legislation. We need to make sure there is a victim in place -- system
:33:50. > :33:52.in place where victims feel can come forward, and where perpetrators will
:33:53. > :33:57.be held to account and given appropriate sentences.
:33:58. > :34:01.Last night, the Parliament voted to keep the board of Highland
:34:02. > :34:05.enterprise. Come the First Minister governorate is indeed what will
:34:06. > :34:08.happen? -- confirmed that is what one
:34:09. > :34:11.happen? Of course, we will reflect very
:34:12. > :34:18.carefully about Parliament at last night as we always do. Can I say,
:34:19. > :34:21.whatever the disagreements around particular proposals here, I hope
:34:22. > :34:26.there will be a lot of agreement around our objectives. We're talking
:34:27. > :34:29.about the economy Italy, and we recognise that all our individual
:34:30. > :34:34.economic development agencies do a fantastic job. We to make sure they
:34:35. > :34:39.are greater than the sum of their parts and we are all working towards
:34:40. > :34:43.our goal of supporting Scotland's economy. That is the genesis of the
:34:44. > :34:50.proposals in the first phase of the review we're talking about here. In
:34:51. > :34:53.terms of HIE, let's be clear that even in terms of the proposals as
:34:54. > :34:59.they are at this stage, they would see HIE retaining its chief
:35:00. > :35:02.executive base and its headquarters in Inverness, retaining control of
:35:03. > :35:05.all staffing levels, continuing to operate from its headquarters in
:35:06. > :35:10.Inverness. So that the commitment the Highlands. The review is now in
:35:11. > :35:15.its second phase and as part of the ongoing consideration, the debate
:35:16. > :35:21.and vote in parliament will be fully taken into account.
:35:22. > :35:29.Thank you. This week, the widely respected economic think tank Fraser
:35:30. > :35:33.Allen Institute confirmed that, contrary to all SNP claims of Tory
:35:34. > :35:37.cuts and Westminster austerity, the overall Scotland budget is up in
:35:38. > :35:40.real terms over 2010. They go on to say the way in which the Scottish
:35:41. > :35:46.Government present its budget is flawed, and I quote, the selective
:35:47. > :35:48.data it presents often appears designed to is a port their
:35:49. > :35:56.arguments rather than help inform debate. Will the First Minister
:35:57. > :36:01.therefore take this opportunity to apologise on behalf of herself and
:36:02. > :36:05.the finance secretary for all the disgraceful spin the bottle the
:36:06. > :36:11.budget figures, and will she undertake to deliver a budget
:36:12. > :36:17.process that is fit for purpose? I was really hoping that he would
:36:18. > :36:25.ask about this today, because it is a spectacular own goal on his
:36:26. > :36:30.behalf. Let me quote the institute from the very blog he cites here. It
:36:31. > :36:36.says, in turn is a discretionary spending and the amount the
:36:37. > :36:39.government has to spend on day-to-day public services such as
:36:40. > :36:44.schools and hospitals - they don't like to hear this, so I'm going to
:36:45. > :36:47.repeat it - in terms of discretionary spending and the
:36:48. > :36:51.amount the government has to spend on day-to-day public services such
:36:52. > :37:00.as schools and hospitals, the budget has declined by around 5% in real
:37:01. > :37:05.terms since 2010 - 11. It also makes clear that if we were to include all
:37:06. > :37:10.of the things in the calculation that Murdo Fraser says should be
:37:11. > :37:21.included to get to his measly 0.4%, then it would have to include... It
:37:22. > :37:29.would have to include money that is not real money that can be spent on
:37:30. > :37:32.goods and services, to quote. Now, I know the Tories frequently live-in
:37:33. > :37:36.fantasyland, but I'm not sure how they think we can fund the health
:37:37. > :37:42.service or the education system with money that is not real and can be
:37:43. > :37:48.spent on goods and services. -- comment. So in terms of the money
:37:49. > :37:54.the government has to spend on goods and services across this country, it
:37:55. > :37:56.has declined by 5% in real terms as a result of decisions taken by the
:37:57. > :38:04.Conservative government in Westminster.
:38:05. > :38:06.To ask the First Minister what procedures are in place
:38:07. > :38:09.to ensure that the necessary treatment and care in maternity
:38:10. > :38:25.The arrival of a baby for any family is not only time of joy, but clearly
:38:26. > :38:28.also a of stress and worry. We aim to ensure the NHS provide the
:38:29. > :38:33.services for both mothers and expecting babies to get the best
:38:34. > :38:37.care possible. We will soon publish our review of maternity and neonatal
:38:38. > :38:41.care. On the rare occasions, and they are rare, that maternity units
:38:42. > :38:44.had to divert care, we are very clear that there are contingencies
:38:45. > :38:47.in place to ensure the safety of mothers and babies warm and taming
:38:48. > :38:56.quality of care at all times. Thank you the reply. Would she
:38:57. > :38:58.therefore approve me that larger hospitals and community services
:38:59. > :39:05.working together in a collaborative way to ensure safe services is a
:39:06. > :39:08.real benefit and much preferable to the market-based health system?
:39:09. > :39:13.I think there is an important point of the media. This is one of the
:39:14. > :39:15.benefits of having an integrated health care system, but hospitals in
:39:16. > :39:20.different health boards in certain circumstances can support each
:39:21. > :39:25.other. And sure this question has arisen because of the circumstances
:39:26. > :39:29.in Glasgow at the end of last week at the Queen Elizabeth University
:39:30. > :39:34.Hospital, I had missions were diverted for a short period of time
:39:35. > :39:37.due to an usual combination of a high number of admissions and a
:39:38. > :39:42.number of women developing complications. Three women were
:39:43. > :39:48.diverted to other units and several more had planned procedures declared
:39:49. > :39:50.quite few hours. But because of our integrated health care system,
:39:51. > :39:55.contingency plans were activated and care could be safely provided at
:39:56. > :39:58.other hospitals. These are very rare occasions, but when there are these
:39:59. > :40:00.very rare occasions, it is vital those arrangements are in place and
:40:01. > :40:01.work well. To ask the First Minister
:40:02. > :40:03.whether the Scottish Government considers that appropriate resources
:40:04. > :40:05.are in place to support teachers of children
:40:06. > :40:17.with additional support needs? We are very clear that all children
:40:18. > :40:19.and young people must get the support that they need to reach
:40:20. > :40:27.their full learning potential. Additional support For Learning
:40:28. > :40:31.Acknowledged In Places Duties On Local Authorities To Provide For The
:40:32. > :40:34.Needs Of Their People. Well We Have Published Statutory Guidance To
:40:35. > :40:37.Support Education Authorities Fulfilling His Duties, It Is For
:40:38. > :40:44.Those Authorities To Make Sure They Have The Appropriate Resources In
:40:45. > :40:50.Place To Fulfil Those. These work is essential to the
:40:51. > :40:55.Scottish Government's policy getting a driver of a child. But staff are
:40:56. > :40:58.under enormous pressure and are exhausted, feel undervalued and
:40:59. > :41:03.stressed and lacking in training and support. With the First Minister
:41:04. > :41:06.except that after a decade of SNP management, this report is clear
:41:07. > :41:13.evidence that this government are simply failing? Know I don't think
:41:14. > :41:18.that is a fair characterisation of the position. I do recognise the
:41:19. > :41:21.pressure and the stress associated by definition with the job of
:41:22. > :41:28.teachers who support children with additional needs. I know he takes a
:41:29. > :41:30.very close interest in these matters and he knows there has been a
:41:31. > :41:37.fundamental change in how children with additional needs in the
:41:38. > :41:41.educational system since, I think, 2004, when the vast majority are now
:41:42. > :41:45.in mainstream education. The other point to stress that well teachers
:41:46. > :41:49.specifically for pupils with additional support needs are vitally
:41:50. > :41:52.important in our system, it is the job of all teachers to make sure all
:41:53. > :41:56.pupils get the care and support they need. That is why this government is
:41:57. > :42:00.putting such an emphasis on supporting schools with the
:42:01. > :42:05.additional resources going through the attainment fund directly to
:42:06. > :42:08.schools. We continue to work with local authorities and teachers to
:42:09. > :42:14.make sure the support there when and where it is needed.
:42:15. > :42:19.Thank you. Since 2010, almost 500 initial support needs teachers have
:42:20. > :42:23.been cut. The First Minister knows that require the attainment gap, we
:42:24. > :42:27.must support young people with additional support needs. The
:42:28. > :42:31.government used the tax powers they have and amend the budget proposals
:42:32. > :42:35.to prevent local authorities being forced to make cuts, many of which
:42:36. > :42:39.will fall on education and result in fewer additional support needs
:42:40. > :42:46.teachers? As a key part of the budget, ?120
:42:47. > :42:50.million will go directly to head teachers in schools for headteachers
:42:51. > :42:54.to then determine how to invest that money to raise attainment as close
:42:55. > :42:58.the attainment gap. If headteachers want to use that money for
:42:59. > :43:05.additional support, that will be an option available to them. This is
:43:06. > :43:09.part of our determination to get resources not just into education in
:43:10. > :43:12.general, but also to school and headteachers so they can have the
:43:13. > :43:13.biggest impact. I think people across the chamber will support
:43:14. > :43:14.that. To ask the First Minister
:43:15. > :43:16.what the Scottish Government's position is on the comment
:43:17. > :43:19.by the Chair of BMA Scotland that the NHS is "stretched pretty
:43:20. > :43:29.much to breaking point". Our NHS and care staff to a
:43:30. > :43:32.fantastic job in the face of increased demand that they have my
:43:33. > :43:37.thanks for the work we do. For our NHS to provide the services people
:43:38. > :43:40.need lying into the future, we must deliver the twin approach of
:43:41. > :43:44.investment and reform, so our plan sets out a range of actions to show
:43:45. > :43:47.we have sustainable services, including bringing forward a
:43:48. > :43:52.national health and social workforce plan this spring to ensure our NHS
:43:53. > :43:55.continues to have the right number and skills for the future. That is
:43:56. > :44:01.of course backed up by our commitment to increase any NHS
:44:02. > :44:04.investment by ?500 million more than inflation by the end of this
:44:05. > :44:10.Parliament. I would like to quote the chair of
:44:11. > :44:13.the BMA Scotland. We are just fed up with a mantra that says from
:44:14. > :44:18.government, we have more doctors than ever. The question is, do we
:44:19. > :44:21.have enough doctors? Do we have enough nurses? Do we have enough
:44:22. > :44:24.staff outside the health service to provide the care that people need,
:44:25. > :44:28.and the present, we don't. The majority of staff in the health
:44:29. > :44:33.service and our working way beyond what they are supposed to be doing,
:44:34. > :44:36.just to keep things running. Eventually, that leads to personal
:44:37. > :44:41.breakdown and eventually, it leads to system breakdown. The impression
:44:42. > :44:47.the government tries to give is that things are OK just now. They are
:44:48. > :44:52.not. Please tell the truth -- who is telling the jury? Nicola Sturgeon,
:44:53. > :44:58.or Doctor Peter Bennie? We work closely with the BMA, and
:44:59. > :45:02.all staff organisations, and staff the length and breadth of the
:45:03. > :45:05.country. That is why we have set out a very clear direction of travel,
:45:06. > :45:14.building on the progress that has been made in our NHS over the past
:45:15. > :45:16.ten years, so yes, continuing to increase staff numbers, but also
:45:17. > :45:23.making sure we have the right mix of skills. We consider many of the
:45:24. > :45:27.concerns about the pressure on GPs in primary care. Much of that will
:45:28. > :45:31.be addressed by building up multidisciplinary teams in primary
:45:32. > :45:34.care, which is why the health and social workforce plan to be
:45:35. > :45:37.published in Spring is so important. It is also why it is so
:45:38. > :45:42.fundamentally important that we continue to back all of these plans
:45:43. > :45:46.with investment, and I say again, and I know Labour don't like it, and
:45:47. > :45:50.a commitment to investment is much stronger than the commitment they
:45:51. > :45:56.made. It is simply a fact that if Labour had won the election last Me,
:45:57. > :45:59.unlike the other may seem, the NHS today would have less funding than
:46:00. > :46:04.it does, and I would be the case for the duration of this Parliament. So
:46:05. > :46:07.investment and reform, working with the health service, will continue to
:46:08. > :46:13.be out we take these improvements forward.
:46:14. > :46:19.That includes First Minister's Questions...
:46:20. > :46:23.The close of questions, very wide ranging, I am joined by two
:46:24. > :46:29.journalistic colleagues, we will talk Brexit in a minute, but David
:46:30. > :46:34.Clegg, the economy first, questions from Ruth Davidson, the challenge
:46:35. > :46:38.from Patrick Harvie to increase taxation, discussions about the
:46:39. > :46:43.probity of the budget figures, all in there on spending today? Yes,
:46:44. > :46:47.Nicola Sturgeon had the toughest 45 minutes at the office I have seen
:46:48. > :46:53.for a while. She took hits from all sides. It was quite a challenging
:46:54. > :46:56.time. On the tax and economy issues, part of the problem was she was
:46:57. > :47:03.being attacked from the right and left. Yes. Patrick Harvie wanting
:47:04. > :47:13.her to increase tax, the Conservatives wanting her to adjust
:47:14. > :47:17.taxes, the burden on business. Quite effective Jenni Davidson, relating
:47:18. > :47:24.it to some individual businesses? Yes, you can't argue with examples,
:47:25. > :47:27.which are just examples, the question is what it means for
:47:28. > :47:31.businesses as a whole? As Nicola Sturgeon pointed out for some small
:47:32. > :47:35.businesses it was good news that they are going to be taken out of
:47:36. > :47:40.business tax altogether but I think the questions about large
:47:41. > :47:44.businesses, large business supplement, there has been concern
:47:45. > :47:48.about that. And more generally from the business committee about things
:47:49. > :47:53.like support for enterprise and skills, the effect of Brexit, things
:47:54. > :47:59.like that. And you had budget negotiations going on again, Patrick
:48:00. > :48:02.Harvie again saying that they needed only one party to support them to
:48:03. > :48:05.get the budget through, he was playing that it will not just the
:48:06. > :48:14.spending, he will need something on tax. Yes, the Greens are keen to get
:48:15. > :48:20.income tax raised and yes, the sign so far from the SNP is they will not
:48:21. > :48:22.give him that. Last week, at FM queues, there seemed like
:48:23. > :48:28.negotiation between the Lib Dems than Nicola Sturgeon on the floor,
:48:29. > :48:32.this time it was the Greens than Nicola Sturgeon. Probably they lived
:48:33. > :48:39.in the Mansour easier for the SNP accommodate. That Michael Robert Lee
:48:40. > :48:42.the Lib Dem the manse. But what about the budget document is not
:48:43. > :48:50.being that the bust? I think it was right to be raised, that we have
:48:51. > :48:55.examples of natural experts being used quite effectively to give
:48:56. > :49:01.Nicola Sturgeon travel. We also saw that with the BMA and comments made
:49:02. > :49:04.about the state of the NHS. Interesting that there is quite a
:49:05. > :49:08.bit of interesting back and forth going on with regards to the budget
:49:09. > :49:12.progress, particularly the Greens and SNP. These are Patrick Harvie
:49:13. > :49:18.using because the Jewish and, because he was almost setting out
:49:19. > :49:23.the Greens -- Patrick Harvie using the constitution, and that they need
:49:24. > :49:27.to do something about the economy here and now, why so timid on
:49:28. > :49:33.taxation? That is difficult for Nicola Sturgeon to answer. Another
:49:34. > :49:37.couple of questions, such as the Highlands and Islands enterprise,
:49:38. > :49:42.that the individual board should go, Nicola Sturgeon giving some
:49:43. > :49:48.assurances. Turkish Scott was shaking his head during that. The
:49:49. > :49:54.Scottish Government was defeated in the vote last night on the subject.
:49:55. > :49:59.But it is not a binding board, they can ignore the fact that the MSPs
:50:00. > :50:05.called for it. Budget guessing that it was part of the wider
:50:06. > :50:10.consultation. Turkish Scott not happy with that either. They have
:50:11. > :50:17.indicated that they are likely to match the boards in Scottish
:50:18. > :50:22.enterprise and skills development Scotland, but as Nicola Sturgeon
:50:23. > :50:28.said, keeping the ads. And executive, chief executive in
:50:29. > :50:34.Inverness. David, we had individual examples given by Ruth Davidson,
:50:35. > :50:38.another by Kezia Dugdale, on the question of health. Yes, Labour have
:50:39. > :50:42.been doing well on discussion about the problems facing the NHS. And in
:50:43. > :50:48.the past a lot of that has been illustrated by waiting times, dry
:50:49. > :50:56.statistics. Generic figures. The Labour Party have done well finding
:50:57. > :51:02.human examples, and another use quite cleverly, starting with she
:51:03. > :51:05.has not been able to get a cataract operation and as Nicholas Dudgeon
:51:06. > :51:11.tried to deflect that issue, it was followed up with, she was told to go
:51:12. > :51:17.to Europe to get it, a double blow. Difficult for the First Minister,
:51:18. > :51:23.when facing general questions, but an individual example is hard to
:51:24. > :51:30.ignore. Because Dudgeon has figures, but cannot respond to a case study.
:51:31. > :51:34.-- Nicola Sturgeon has figures. It looks bad, despite the fact that
:51:35. > :51:38.it's difficult to defend against. If you could hang on for a second, we
:51:39. > :51:45.will come to the topic of the day, the week, the month, the year, and
:51:46. > :51:48.that is Brexit, whether there should be a Scottish independence
:51:49. > :51:54.referendum following it. We had Nicola Sturgeon's response, and I
:51:55. > :51:58.spoke to some members of the parliament here, one from the
:51:59. > :52:01.Conservatives, one from the SNP, starting with Adam Thompkins from
:52:02. > :52:05.the Conservatives that the Prime Minister's comments know about
:52:06. > :52:09.leaving the single market wedding contradiction to what you're saying
:52:10. > :52:13.the manifesto. The manifesto commitment was about
:52:14. > :52:17.what David Cameron hoped to achieve in negotiations which he undertook
:52:18. > :52:21.with the 27 member states last year. But the prime ministers setting out
:52:22. > :52:25.this week was an ambition that the United Kingdom, despite leaving the
:52:26. > :52:30.Bishop of the single market, should have the freest possible trade. The
:52:31. > :52:34.greatest possible access to the single market through a new bold
:52:35. > :52:37.comprehensive and very ambitious free trade agreement with the
:52:38. > :52:41.European Union. Leaving the institutions of the single market
:52:42. > :52:49.but not leaving access to our participation in. Is that a good
:52:50. > :52:53.comparison? No, there are big differences. Membership of the
:52:54. > :52:58.single market is essential for truly free trade. This is a hard Brexit,
:52:59. > :53:05.leaving the single market will cost Scotland 80,000 jobs, according to
:53:06. > :53:09.the Fraser of Ireland Institute. No reason to believe that there will be
:53:10. > :53:15.job losses if we can sustain the Prime Minister's ambition, with full
:53:16. > :53:18.access to the single market. The British Chamber of Commerce and
:53:19. > :53:20.other institutions have said that free-trade agreements are different
:53:21. > :53:25.from membership of the single market. Overseas investors invest in
:53:26. > :53:30.Britain because they are a member of the single market not because we
:53:31. > :53:34.have the trade agreements. It is because the fastest-growing economy
:53:35. > :53:39.in the in the G7, the economics of their story of the G7, more jobs...
:53:40. > :53:44.But you have HSBC shifting a key part of investment portfolio plans
:53:45. > :53:48.from London to Paris? And other examples that will continue to
:53:49. > :53:53.invest and exhilarate investment. Facebook was an example.
:53:54. > :53:56.Notwithstanding the United Kingdom forwarded to leave the European
:53:57. > :54:00.Union. The European committee of this Parliament has 150 written
:54:01. > :54:04.pieces from organisations and businesses across Scotland who took
:54:05. > :54:09.the trouble to write to us and the vast majority argue for continued
:54:10. > :54:12.membership of the single market. Consequences for Scotland? Do you
:54:13. > :54:15.think it makes the independence referendum, that has always been on
:54:16. > :54:20.the table, more likely or inevitable? Theresa May has said she
:54:21. > :54:24.will consider the government paper and was more open than seven that
:54:25. > :54:31.the Tories in this place. But this is not that she has... She said she
:54:32. > :54:35.will consider it and the door is open. Is she respects gotten as a
:54:36. > :54:39.nation within the UK she will consider that the bug, which is
:54:40. > :54:43.actually a continuation of the volition, granting more powers to
:54:44. > :54:47.this Parliament to allow Scotland to demean a member of the single
:54:48. > :54:52.market. Is it feasible that could be a Scottish deal as part of that UK
:54:53. > :54:56.deal? The UK Government has said we will look at it. The argument has to
:54:57. > :55:02.be credible. Some of the proposals for additional devolution in that
:55:03. > :55:06.paper are for ones that would not strengthen the union. Scottish
:55:07. > :55:15.membership of the European single market maybe through the European
:55:16. > :55:20.economic area such as with Nabi? In that you have to be an independent
:55:21. > :55:26.state. -- through the European economic area such as Norway. Adam
:55:27. > :55:32.and Ruth Davidson said that they wanted as to remain in the single
:55:33. > :55:37.market. And in the European Union, but we lost. After the referendum,
:55:38. > :55:42.he said he wanted Scotland to remain in the single market. It is up to
:55:43. > :55:46.Theresa May noted short that if she respects Scotland's place in the
:55:47. > :55:50.union she will listen to the people of Scotland and not drag us out of
:55:51. > :55:54.the single market. But the Scottish people do not want a second
:55:55. > :55:59.independence referendum, by a large majority. Thank you both very much.
:56:00. > :56:05.That was earlier. And some developments today, and discussions
:56:06. > :56:08.going on right now between ministers in Scotland and other devolved
:56:09. > :56:14.administrations, the joint misdeed your committee, and the answer given
:56:15. > :56:18.by the First Minister to Patrick Harvie. David Clegg, she was saying
:56:19. > :56:23.that the time is fast running out, the choice is looming, does this
:56:24. > :56:27.sound like a referendum is getting ever closer? Nicola Sturgeon is
:56:28. > :56:31.striking a cautious tone when she talks about this. I feel she is
:56:32. > :56:35.running out of space. The rhetoric cannot be ramped up any more before
:56:36. > :56:42.she has to pull the trigger. I think she is trying to bag some time, see
:56:43. > :56:48.if ID cards fall, and not make the final decision before she has to. --
:56:49. > :56:53.see how the cards fall. The Saints are not encouraging for winning a
:56:54. > :56:56.referendum. Those discussions going on, ministers looking seriously at
:56:57. > :57:01.the Scottish Government paper including that proposal of
:57:02. > :57:06.membership of the EEA. Yes, and Theresa May's speech on Monday
:57:07. > :57:12.effectively ruled that out. Not encouraging? Not at all. She did say
:57:13. > :57:16.obviously that the other devolved nations would be included and would
:57:17. > :57:20.be listened to but given that she has been really clear that the UK is
:57:21. > :57:23.coming out of the single market I don't see how that part of the
:57:24. > :57:28.Scottish Government proposals can work. And talks still going, still
:57:29. > :57:33.looking at them, the UK Government still looking at it? Mike Russell is
:57:34. > :57:38.saying that in hope rather than anticipation. Hard that the UK
:57:39. > :57:43.Government could mean that given what else said. That is causing
:57:44. > :57:45.problems for the Scottish Conservatives and Ruth Davidson,
:57:46. > :57:54.Sturgeon again deflecting criticism of the metric of the domestic issue,
:57:55. > :57:58.because the Ruth Davidson's edition is not credible, she campaigned for
:57:59. > :58:02.Remain, and after the void she wanted the UK to remain in the
:58:03. > :58:05.single market even if that meant sacrificing controls of immigration,
:58:06. > :58:11.that has not happened and she has changed her viewpoint, not credible.
:58:12. > :58:15.Any problems for the parties post-Brexit, particularly for the
:58:16. > :58:19.Conservatives? Absolutely, stuck between a rock and a hard place,
:58:20. > :58:25.they cannot be disloyal to their own party, they are a UK wide party,
:58:26. > :58:28.Ruth Davidson cannot speak out, or would be unwise to speak out,
:58:29. > :58:33.against Theresa May the position taken by the UK Government. That is
:58:34. > :58:39.the need to show unity. But her personal opinions, obviously, that
:58:40. > :58:43.disagrees with the line taken by the UK Government. But Theresa May
:58:44. > :58:50.doesn't necessarily agree with... Jenni Davidson, David Clegg, thank
:58:51. > :58:55.you both will stop this is Brexit we, pretty much everything is, so
:58:56. > :58:57.dominant, huge, and from me, Brian Taylor, goodbye.
:58:58. > :59:01.Parents are facing an explosion in the number of children saying
:59:02. > :59:07.It was like a battle, like in a war zone. She would literally scream.
:59:08. > :59:13.Although the stories that we tell are fictional, at their core
:59:14. > :59:17.they're based upon the lives and experiences of real people.
:59:18. > :59:19.It's like a photograph of history. Yes!
:59:20. > :59:23.David Lloyd George did make a substantial contribution to
:59:24. > :59:26.Allied victory in the First World War.
:59:27. > :59:31.was capable of greatness but also of failure.