:00:24. > :00:30.A warm welcome from the Scottish Parliament here at Holyrood were
:00:30. > :00:34.MSPs have been discussing the provision of bus services. There is
:00:34. > :00:39.more than a note in their tour is a local council elections. There are
:00:39. > :00:46.few more noughts in that direction. We will turn to first Minister's
:00:46. > :00:51.questions in a few moments. All worked to my colleague. We are very
:00:51. > :00:55.much on election fitting here in the first Minister's questions.
:00:55. > :01:04.Since the Easter recess, the local elections are being seen as an
:01:04. > :01:10.indication of how the parties are doing. As well as determining who
:01:10. > :01:15.will be running Scottish councils. But it -- the chamber has been so
:01:15. > :01:19.for the first time since the recess period. Everyone is waiting to see
:01:19. > :01:29.how things stand and what questions they are upon us of the First
:01:29. > :01:30.
:01:30. > :01:37.Minister will put to him. Let us listen to the introduction. We now
:01:37. > :01:42.move to first Minister's questions. Johann Lamont. What engagements has
:01:42. > :01:47.the First Minister plan for the rest of the day? I will be speaking
:01:47. > :01:52.with Pat Watters, the president of COSLA to discuss the very important
:01:52. > :01:57.joint announcement that is being made today on the UK Government's
:01:57. > :02:03.misguided plans to abolish the existing council tax benefit and
:02:03. > :02:06.cut their budget by 10 %. The council tax benefits are being
:02:06. > :02:12.devolved to Scotland and English local authorities but the centre --
:02:12. > :02:17.senate tale is a 10 % cut in the budget. Half-a-million Scots
:02:17. > :02:21.benefit from this benefit. The Scottish government and COSLA will
:02:21. > :02:29.jointly be funding a 40 million shortfall which means there will be
:02:29. > :02:35.no cuts of council tax benefits in Scotland or the next year. With the
:02:35. > :02:39.new councils, when the Universal Credit is announced in its 2014
:02:40. > :02:46.minus 15, we will make sure we continue protection of some is the
:02:46. > :02:54.lowest income Scots in their future. I am sure the whole chamber will
:02:54. > :02:58.welcome this. Johann Lamont. March, 2011, before the Scottish
:02:58. > :03:04.Parliament election, the First Minister announced that he was
:03:04. > :03:09.going to end vast �170 million in a new research facility end of the
:03:09. > :03:13.Renfrew, as well as their new facility elsewhere in Scotland. He
:03:13. > :03:19.suggested a new factor was going to Dundee as well. That was welcome
:03:19. > :03:28.news for the Scottish economy. Since then, the word is that Doosan
:03:28. > :03:33.Power Systems, where a valuable player end of the Scottish economy
:03:33. > :03:38.but now it has been reported that the First Minister was told in this
:03:38. > :03:41.that the company were scrapping the planned investment. The First
:03:41. > :03:50.Minister announced they were coming, when was he going to tell us they
:03:50. > :03:56.were not? I am sure Johann Lamont did not mean to welcome the
:03:56. > :04:00.important news on council tax benefits. -- Dick mean. I am sure
:04:00. > :04:05.she bit like to welcome the better news on the Scottish economy but
:04:05. > :04:11.she did not listen to John Swinney's interview very well. The
:04:11. > :04:16.interview discussed their Doosan Power Systems announcement. This
:04:16. > :04:23.was a decision made last December. I have the text of the interview
:04:23. > :04:26.here, I am not certain if she listen to the interview. The reason
:04:26. > :04:33.we are supporting Doosan Power Systems areas they employed 1,300
:04:33. > :04:37.people in Scotland. The research and development on their worldwide
:04:37. > :04:41.Skills Centre for boiler making his continuing that investment. We also
:04:41. > :04:45.expect them to make more investments in Scotland in the
:04:45. > :04:50.future. John Swinney was not just talking about the decision on
:04:51. > :04:53.offshore wind last Sunday, he was talking about the hopes and
:04:53. > :04:57.believes that Doosan Power Systems will continue to be an important
:04:57. > :05:03.investor in the Scottish economy. This is why he is meeting them in
:05:03. > :05:08.South Korea today. The fact is the First Minister and now is this
:05:08. > :05:12.project, he said it was a great stride forward, why did he not tell
:05:12. > :05:16.us about the strike back words? It has been reported the Scottish
:05:16. > :05:21.government wanted the news suppressed until after the local
:05:21. > :05:25.council elections. A Scottish government spokesman in the same
:05:25. > :05:30.article denies this, and is reported to have said that the
:05:30. > :05:33.Scottish government wanted the statement out earlier. The First
:05:33. > :05:40.Minister's own budget killed reports about the planned
:05:40. > :05:46.investment but he ate, on a eight the Freddie when this document was
:05:46. > :05:53.debated N S chamber, the new information was not provided. --
:05:53. > :05:58.eight February. Why did he not make that's payment. This and power
:05:58. > :06:06.systems let the story out at a trade fair in December, surely
:06:06. > :06:08.Scotland deserve to hear that before the Danish people debt? Just
:06:08. > :06:17.explain international investment and relationships with companies.
:06:17. > :06:27.You do not make announcements for them. If they wish to make an
:06:27. > :06:27.
:06:27. > :06:32.announcement... LAUGHTER. Order, order. If Doosan Power Systems wish
:06:33. > :06:37.to make an announcement, they have the right to do that. The
:06:37. > :06:40.announcement that they made and the information was available. That is
:06:40. > :06:45.why John Swinney was discussing it with Douglas Fraser on the radio
:06:45. > :06:50.last Sunday. Johann Lamont could not have listened to the radio
:06:50. > :06:54.interview that she was quoting. What has happened since the company
:06:54. > :07:03.made their decision last December? We have had announcements from
:07:03. > :07:09.Samsung of 500 jobs to make Methil as centre of investment. We have
:07:09. > :07:15.announcements from another job for 700 jobs in Leith. We have
:07:15. > :07:19.substantial expectations in Dundee for this offshore industry. Many
:07:19. > :07:24.companies are investing in offshore winds and many of these companies
:07:24. > :07:29.are investing in Scotland. One thing is sure - as that succession
:07:30. > :07:39.as Ms is made and thousands of jobs will be brought to the economy,
:07:40. > :07:40.
:07:40. > :07:46.Johann Lamont will not welcome a single one of them. He APPLIES.
:07:46. > :07:51.APPLAUSE. I begin to get how this works, Dyfed is in years, the First
:07:51. > :07:55.Minister announces it, get it is back he is, it is not the business
:07:55. > :07:59.of the government to make announcements on behalf of
:07:59. > :08:05.companies. It would be entirely inappropriate for us to take
:08:05. > :08:08.responsibility. Regardless of the other investment announcements,
:08:08. > :08:12.this is a hugely significant decision for the company. We must
:08:12. > :08:17.have concerns about it given them legation for jobs and our
:08:17. > :08:23.commitment to each climate change targets. We debated in a budget
:08:23. > :08:28.which reports on the news of this investment in January and February,
:08:28. > :08:32.and the Finance Secretary does not mention it. Then we are told he
:08:32. > :08:39.mentions it in a politics debate on a television programme months later.
:08:39. > :08:45.The fact is, he and his ministers knew at the end of last year about
:08:45. > :08:48.is very significant announcement. Why did he and his ministers and
:08:48. > :08:57.AMs peas, and his press office, keep on talking as if there was
:08:57. > :09:03.coming. -- and his MSPs. I think we all know what impression the First
:09:03. > :09:07.Minister wanted to create. Why did he allow his colleagues and his
:09:07. > :09:17.press office to keep on giving the impression that this project was
:09:17. > :09:22.coming to Scotland when he knew it was not? I think the law is, if it
:09:22. > :09:29.is good news Johann Lamont will not welcome met and if it is bad, the
:09:29. > :09:32.Labour party will want to revel in it. APPLAUSE. The reason we have a
:09:32. > :09:36.good relationship with Ditton Priors system is because they are
:09:36. > :09:46.good employer in Scotland and we expect them to make further
:09:46. > :09:49.
:09:49. > :09:53.investment in Scotland. -- Doosan Power Systems. Doosan Power Systems
:09:53. > :09:58.and an important investor in the economy but not every major company
:09:59. > :10:02.is going to go into the offshore wind company market. Many combine
:10:03. > :10:07.with Scottish companies around the coastline of Scotland, that is news
:10:07. > :10:12.we should welcome. Since December when the company make their
:10:12. > :10:18.decision as a result of a liquidity crisis in the eurozone, we have had
:10:18. > :10:24.a huge investments made, huge investments in the Scottish economy
:10:24. > :10:27.on offshore wind. The question is, are we as a country prepared to
:10:27. > :10:33.welcome the investors combining with our own companies and charting
:10:33. > :10:38.the future of Engineering in Scotland? This side of the chamber
:10:38. > :10:46.says yes we sued and we are. They labour company seems to be mired in
:10:46. > :10:51.negativity which cost them so dear in last year's elections. The First
:10:51. > :10:56.Minister again wilfully misses the point. We were and are able to
:10:56. > :11:01.respond to this decision because the First Minister chose not to
:11:01. > :11:07.tell us. -- where I made all. This is about the First Minister's
:11:07. > :11:11.integrity and the integrity of his Government. If this where one of we
:11:11. > :11:16.might give him the benefit of the doubt but there is a pattern here.
:11:16. > :11:22.Before the last election when he took credit for the Investment, he
:11:22. > :11:29.kept to about local income tax plans Hedon from the public. When
:11:29. > :11:39.he was forced to come clean, he chose to take his friend Rupert
:11:39. > :11:42.
:11:42. > :11:45.Murdoch's involvement in a scandal to do so. Good grief! The
:11:45. > :11:55.Advertising Standards Agency has even had to pull him up about the
:11:55. > :12:01.
:12:01. > :12:06.pandas. LAUGHTER. This series. - we have a shared concern about his
:12:06. > :12:10.decision -- this decision. If he will suppress serious issues like
:12:10. > :12:15.their Doosan Power Systems Investment before local elections,
:12:15. > :12:25.Guinness knows what he will conceal before their referendum. After this,
:12:25. > :12:27.
:12:27. > :12:34.how can any of us believed a word he says. -- goodness knows. I said,
:12:34. > :12:40.do San are one of the companies had planned to visit. I want to make it
:12:40. > :12:44.clear we encourage the real opportunities which exist in the
:12:44. > :12:49.renewables market - where was their Labour press office when John
:12:49. > :12:56.Swinney was discussing Doosan Power Systems last Sunday. Where was his
:12:56. > :13:01.statesman from her saying she was concerned about his investments?
:13:01. > :13:05.The same as them -- the same lack of support for the Samsung
:13:05. > :13:10.investment from them - as Lee on a Sunday morning. Johann Lamont says
:13:10. > :13:20.to me that all these dreadful things - but I know she does not
:13:20. > :13:28.
:13:28. > :13:37.mean it. I have been reading Labour's gains. - Labour Hame. The
:13:37. > :13:43.election agent for every Labour candidate in Glasgow says, the
:13:43. > :13:47.Labour Party attitude to me is, to deny he is connected with the
:13:47. > :13:54.electorate then a way that none of Labour's post devolution leaders
:13:54. > :13:58.has managed to do Edghill it could -- is ridiculous. So out of the
:13:58. > :14:06.mouth of labour, of the man who is masterminding their campaign in
:14:06. > :14:14.Glasgow, comes the essential work, Labour leadership ridiculous.
:14:14. > :14:19.Davidson. To ask the First Minister when he will next meet the prime
:14:19. > :14:24.minister? A no plans in the near future but I would like to meet him
:14:24. > :14:29.today to find out what extra powers Scotland is going to receive as he
:14:29. > :14:35.visits Scotland today. I am sure he was spend a lot of time spelling
:14:35. > :14:38.out the additional powers he promised us. I am sure we will hear
:14:38. > :14:43.a great deal from the First Minister on the extra powers that
:14:43. > :14:53.are coming to the Scottish Parliament as of yesterday and how
:14:53. > :14:57.
:14:57. > :15:06.Does the First Minister supports the nuclear weapons role in Chapter
:15:06. > :15:12.four in debt 1995 NATO enlargement study? 25 out of the 28 NATO
:15:12. > :15:16.members are non-nuclear countries. Secondly, the First Minister
:15:16. > :15:20.believes that investment in new nuclear weapons in Scotland would
:15:20. > :15:26.be a total and utter obscenity and this Parliament has been right to
:15:26. > :15:30.reject any suggestion of the renewal of Trident just as this
:15:30. > :15:37.parliament looked forward to the removal of Trident nuclear weapons
:15:37. > :15:42.from Scottish soil. Those members are signed up to it. I am proud
:15:42. > :15:46.that the UK is a founder member of NATO, I am proud that after
:15:46. > :15:50.unimaginable horrors on our doorstep we chose to stand together
:15:50. > :15:56.with other responsible Nations to prevent atrocities ever happening
:15:56. > :16:02.again. I am proud that for more than 60 years the UK with NATO has
:16:02. > :16:10.acted to protect its allies in Europe, despite the SNP's
:16:10. > :16:13.opposition to missions in Bosnia, Macedonia and Kosovo. A mission at
:16:13. > :16:20.which this First Minister disgracefully called unpardonable
:16:20. > :16:25.folly. We hear the SNP is to debate whether it is to change his
:16:25. > :16:29.opposition to NATO and not before time. He has already changed his
:16:29. > :16:34.position on the pound, the Queen and the Bank of England, all
:16:34. > :16:38.sacrificed on the altar of political expediency. How will he
:16:38. > :16:44.now show leadership and have his party positively embrace the
:16:44. > :16:48.essential role of nuclear weapons in NATO without changing on their
:16:48. > :16:58.demands for the rapid removal of a nuclear deterrent on Scotland's
:16:58. > :17:02.waters? I notice in international engagements that the word Iraq was
:17:02. > :17:08.suitably absent. Unlike the Conservative Party, the SNP takes
:17:08. > :17:11.its stance on what is past and validated by the United Nations. If
:17:11. > :17:20.we support international engagements based on the roar of
:17:20. > :17:25.law, we do not support illegality and adventures like Iraq. They cost
:17:25. > :17:30.thousands of lives of our soldiers and tens, if not hundreds of
:17:30. > :17:35.thousands of lives in Iraq. The Conservative Party want to slide
:17:35. > :17:41.over the argument about the rule of international law, but they shall
:17:42. > :17:46.not be allowed to do so. Can I repeat, three out of the 28 members
:17:46. > :17:52.of NATO possess nuclear weapons, that means 25 do not possess
:17:52. > :17:58.nuclear weapons. 990 countries in the world are at non-nuclear weapon
:17:58. > :18:05.countries. I want Scotland to be one of these countries. I want it
:18:05. > :18:13.to be one of the 180 of those who do not possess nuclear weapons. The
:18:13. > :18:21.Canadian House of Commons in December 2010 unanimously supported
:18:21. > :18:25.a motion to a raise nuclear weapons will stop that motion passed
:18:26. > :18:32.unanimously. They have stated their fundamental opposition to nuclear
:18:32. > :18:39.weapons. That is a believe the SNP has and that is why we look forward
:18:39. > :18:47.to the day that we can get nuclear weapons off Scottish soil. A brief
:18:47. > :18:51.supplementary. Can I ask the First Minister in Duke of planning
:18:51. > :19:01.permission for fracking in Duffy share in my region, what is the
:19:01. > :19:01.
:19:01. > :19:07.Scottish Government's position bury on mind recommendations which were
:19:07. > :19:12.published earlier in the week? Does the Scottish Government have any
:19:12. > :19:15.concerns about the environment will possibilities, the environmental
:19:16. > :19:20.concerns in this fracking process or concerns about the possible
:19:20. > :19:23.impact on our climate change targets? There are a number of
:19:23. > :19:28.concerns which have been expressed internationally and south of the
:19:28. > :19:34.border about the process. The Scottish Government is well aware
:19:34. > :19:40.of the research that is ongoing into the process. There are many
:19:40. > :19:45.aspects of the recovery of hydrocarbons which need to be
:19:45. > :19:49.examined very solely in terms of environmental implications. When
:19:49. > :19:52.and if it comes to a planning decision to be made by the Scottish
:19:52. > :19:59.Government, the member can be a Sjoerd that environmental evidence
:19:59. > :20:03.will be taken fully into account. Question number three. What issues
:20:03. > :20:10.will be discussed at the next meeting other Cabinet? We will
:20:10. > :20:18.discuss issues of importance to the people of Scotland. On Tuesday the
:20:18. > :20:22.report into failings of Ayrshire and Arran's freedom of information
:20:22. > :20:29.was published. It was produced following the deaths of 20 patients.
:20:29. > :20:34.These reports were hidden and ignored. This week's report is very
:20:34. > :20:41.critical of the NHS and it is clear it was institutionally secret. I
:20:41. > :20:44.suspect it was not alone. How much has the First Minister learnt about
:20:44. > :20:53.the other 13 health boards and their practice in the six weeks
:20:53. > :20:59.since I asked this? Can I declare an interest as I did before that
:20:59. > :21:03.the complainant is known to me, he is a friend of mine. I want that to
:21:03. > :21:07.stand on the record. But the allegations are a matter for the
:21:07. > :21:16.police to investigate and ministers cannot comment further on criminal
:21:16. > :21:20.allegations. As soon as the news broke in terms of the information,
:21:20. > :21:24.NHS Ayrshire and Arran were instructed to review their
:21:24. > :21:30.procedures and report back. The outcome of that review was received
:21:30. > :21:34.in March. They are currently implementing the actions and the
:21:34. > :21:41.chief executive will report by the end of May. The Health Secretary
:21:41. > :21:46.has also commissioned a review which is being carried out. The
:21:46. > :21:51.findings of this review and any wider learning for all health
:21:51. > :21:56.boards will be provided by next month. But it is four years on
:21:56. > :22:00.since this problem first began. It is a year on from the involvement
:22:00. > :22:04.of the information commissioner. It is four months after the Health
:22:04. > :22:10.Secretary was officially told and now a report that heavily
:22:10. > :22:14.criticises the board. Yet we still have no formal inquiry into the
:22:14. > :22:18.freedom of information arrangements. Their share and Arran it might not
:22:18. > :22:23.be alone, others might be falling short as well. The First Minister
:22:24. > :22:29.needs to act on this on a Scotland wide bases. I do not blame him for
:22:29. > :22:33.the failings, nobody would, but if he fails to act and have a Scotland
:22:33. > :22:39.wide inquiry into the freedom of information arrangements, every
:22:39. > :22:44.single health board, he might get the blame for that. Will he agree
:22:44. > :22:51.today to do an inquiry? I am sure that Willie Rennie would be the
:22:51. > :22:56.last person to attribute blame to ministers. I point out to the first
:22:56. > :23:00.answer, that a review on the clinical governance arrangements is
:23:00. > :23:05.currently being made by health care improvements Scotland and the whole
:23:05. > :23:08.objective is the findings of that review and any wider lessons for
:23:08. > :23:13.all health boards will be provided to the Cabinet Secretary by early
:23:13. > :23:20.next month. In my view, given that when the information came to light,
:23:20. > :23:24.that is pretty effective action. We expect our health boards to act
:23:24. > :23:28.properly within the terms of the Freedom of Information legislation.
:23:29. > :23:35.We will make sure that the route used happen and the lessons will be
:23:35. > :23:39.applied across Scotland. -- reviews. That seems to be reasonable and
:23:39. > :23:44.comprehensible -- comprehensive action. What representations at the
:23:44. > :23:48.Scottish Government has received from charities and other
:23:48. > :23:58.organisations regarding the Government's planned announcement
:23:58. > :24:01.
:24:01. > :24:06.of abolition of council tax benefit. This includes Age UK, because over
:24:06. > :24:12.half the recipients are pensioners, child poverty Action Group,
:24:12. > :24:16.Citizens Advice UK and the Trades Union Congress. The 10% cut will
:24:16. > :24:22.have increased the liability potentially of around 558,000
:24:22. > :24:27.people in Scotland. Pensioners, carers, the unemployed, those on
:24:27. > :24:32.tax credit and people who cannot work because of disability. They
:24:32. > :24:36.would potentially be affected by a 10% cut in funding. The
:24:36. > :24:40.announcement I made earlier on we have acted as swiftly as we
:24:40. > :24:44.possibly can to ensure the cut will not take place and I think it is
:24:44. > :24:49.right and proper we respond where we can to protect the most
:24:49. > :24:53.vulnerable people in Scotland. thank the First Minister and unlike
:24:53. > :24:59.some I welcome the announcement he has made today that the Scottish
:24:59. > :25:07.Government will protect over half- a-million vulnerable Scots from the
:25:07. > :25:12.UK Government cuts to council tax benefits. Would the First Minister
:25:12. > :25:17.agree that the Labour's repeated the flip-flops, the only party that
:25:17. > :25:21.can be trusted to protect those most vulnerable and those in need
:25:21. > :25:27.is the Scottish National Party by its standing with them in tough
:25:27. > :25:32.times? I would not have time and a single answer to discuss at the
:25:32. > :25:36.Labour Party's change in positions on the council tax freeze. First
:25:36. > :25:41.they were against it and then they were for it and then they were
:25:41. > :25:45.against it again and now it depends in which area of the country you
:25:45. > :25:55.are in. Apparently they are now for it after being against it in
:25:55. > :25:56.
:25:56. > :26:01.Glasgow. I think people in Scotland know as they approached the local
:26:01. > :26:05.elections that a vote for the Labour Party means higher council
:26:05. > :26:10.tax, higher bills for families in Scotland and the SNP will have
:26:10. > :26:15.nothing to do with it. Briefly, please. Well the First Minister
:26:15. > :26:18.confirm the details of this deal. Is it true that those local
:26:18. > :26:23.authorities with disproportionate number of people on council tax
:26:23. > :26:28.benefit will have to shoulder the burden of �70 million of cuts in a
:26:28. > :26:36.yet where they have also had to shoulder 89% of the Scottish cover
:26:36. > :26:39.map's own budget cuts? This is robbing Peter to play -- pay Paul.
:26:39. > :26:49.The percentage of funding of local Government in Scotland is higher
:26:49. > :26:50.
:26:50. > :26:54.now than it was when we take office. If you exclude the health service
:26:54. > :26:58.then it is dramatically higher as a share of the non health service
:26:58. > :27:03.budget in Scotland will stop the SNP have played fair with local
:27:03. > :27:08.authorities across the country, unlike the Labour Party. Can I
:27:08. > :27:13.point out that this announcement is being made jointly by the President
:27:13. > :27:17.of the Convention of local authorities in Scotland. Does she
:27:17. > :27:20.believe a Labour Party councillor which have signed up to an
:27:20. > :27:27.agreement if he did not think it was in the interests of people in
:27:27. > :27:32.Scotland? When 500,000 people in Scotland, the poorest in our
:27:32. > :27:42.communities, are facing cuts in their council tax benefit, while a
:27:42. > :27:42.
:27:42. > :27:47.Labour Party not welcome the joint action to protect those families?
:27:47. > :27:52.would appreciate it you would stop shouting across the chamber.
:27:52. > :27:55.Question number five. What plans does the Scottish Government have
:27:55. > :28:00.to deal with an increase in the number of female offenders in light
:28:00. > :28:05.of the recent report by the Commission on women offenders?
:28:05. > :28:11.would like to put on record the Scottish Government, and I hope the
:28:11. > :28:14.whole chamber's gratitude and other members of the Commission for the
:28:14. > :28:18.fantastic work they had done in offering ideas and more effective
:28:18. > :28:23.ways of dealing with women in the criminal justice system. The
:28:23. > :28:27.commission has made several key recommendations. We will consider
:28:27. > :28:32.these in full and report back with a detailed response in the summer.
:28:32. > :28:35.The Government has already introduced a robust system of
:28:35. > :28:45.community-based sentences which would be far more appropriate for
:28:45. > :28:46.
:28:47. > :28:50.women than being in prison. There is also the �8.5 million for her a
:28:50. > :28:54.centre in Glasgow. I am sure we would want to play a full part in
:28:54. > :29:00.the debates in this Parliament as we take for what many of the
:29:00. > :29:04.suggestions. I thank the First Minister for his answer and his
:29:04. > :29:09.support for the excellent report. The number of female prisoners has
:29:09. > :29:15.doubled over the last 10 years in this country and 70% of female
:29:15. > :29:20.prisoners go on to ascend again. Community justice centres, formerly
:29:20. > :29:24.Known As Time Out centres, significantly reduce reoffending by
:29:24. > :29:27.tackling the debilitating cycle of the diction and depression. Well
:29:27. > :29:33.the First Minister committed to expanding these centres throughout
:29:33. > :29:38.the country? We will look at very carefully at all the suggestions
:29:38. > :29:41.and on 26th April I am told it is the date for debate in the
:29:41. > :29:46.parliament and I know that good ideas will come forward from all
:29:46. > :29:55.sides in Parliament. It is right to point out that the female prison
:29:55. > :29:59.population has increased from 210 up to 444 in April this year. There
:29:59. > :30:05.are far fewer women in prison as a percentage of the population than
:30:05. > :30:09.men, but it is a worrying trend and it is one that the report suggests
:30:09. > :30:13.there are measures which can be considered to reverse that trend
:30:13. > :30:19.and to find far more suitable forms of punishment and addressing
:30:19. > :30:23.reoffending behaviour than prison incarceration are. The commission
:30:23. > :30:28.report stands. I know many members will have read it because it is a
:30:28. > :30:32.subject very close to the Hearts of many MSPs and I'm sure that debate
:30:32. > :30:35.when it takes place will be conducted in the best traditions of
:30:35. > :30:42.this chamber where ideas come forward from all sides of the House
:30:42. > :30:46.and they can hopefully be taken forward in to better action. There
:30:46. > :30:53.we have it, Alex Salmond sitting down on an answer about the prison
:30:53. > :30:57.population, particularly the women's population, the report by
:30:57. > :31:02.the Lord Advocate. Earlier we had we rate of a about institutional
:31:02. > :31:07.secrecy in the health board and Johann Lamont suggesting there was
:31:07. > :31:11.institutional secretly -- secrecy closer to home when he was
:31:11. > :31:17.discussing Doosan Power Systems withdrawing from a business in