19/04/2012 Politics Scotland


19/04/2012

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A warm welcome from the Scottish Parliament here at Holyrood were

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MSPs have been discussing the provision of bus services. There is

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more than a note in their tour is a local council elections. There are

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few more noughts in that direction. We will turn to first Minister's

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questions in a few moments. All worked to my colleague. We are very

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much on election fitting here in the first Minister's questions.

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Since the Easter recess, the local elections are being seen as an

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indication of how the parties are doing. As well as determining who

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will be running Scottish councils. But it -- the chamber has been so

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for the first time since the recess period. Everyone is waiting to see

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how things stand and what questions they are upon us of the First

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Minister will put to him. Let us listen to the introduction. We now

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move to first Minister's questions. Johann Lamont. What engagements has

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the First Minister plan for the rest of the day? I will be speaking

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with Pat Watters, the president of COSLA to discuss the very important

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joint announcement that is being made today on the UK Government's

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misguided plans to abolish the existing council tax benefit and

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cut their budget by 10 %. The council tax benefits are being

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devolved to Scotland and English local authorities but the centre --

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senate tale is a 10 % cut in the budget. Half-a-million Scots

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benefit from this benefit. The Scottish government and COSLA will

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jointly be funding a 40 million shortfall which means there will be

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no cuts of council tax benefits in Scotland or the next year. With the

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new councils, when the Universal Credit is announced in its 2014

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minus 15, we will make sure we continue protection of some is the

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lowest income Scots in their future. I am sure the whole chamber will

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welcome this. Johann Lamont. March, 2011, before the Scottish

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Parliament election, the First Minister announced that he was

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going to end vast �170 million in a new research facility end of the

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Renfrew, as well as their new facility elsewhere in Scotland. He

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suggested a new factor was going to Dundee as well. That was welcome

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news for the Scottish economy. Since then, the word is that Doosan

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Power Systems, where a valuable player end of the Scottish economy

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but now it has been reported that the First Minister was told in this

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that the company were scrapping the planned investment. The First

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Minister announced they were coming, when was he going to tell us they

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were not? I am sure Johann Lamont did not mean to welcome the

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important news on council tax benefits. -- Dick mean. I am sure

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she bit like to welcome the better news on the Scottish economy but

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she did not listen to John Swinney's interview very well. The

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interview discussed their Doosan Power Systems announcement. This

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was a decision made last December. I have the text of the interview

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here, I am not certain if she listen to the interview. The reason

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we are supporting Doosan Power Systems areas they employed 1,300

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people in Scotland. The research and development on their worldwide

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Skills Centre for boiler making his continuing that investment. We also

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expect them to make more investments in Scotland in the

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future. John Swinney was not just talking about the decision on

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offshore wind last Sunday, he was talking about the hopes and

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believes that Doosan Power Systems will continue to be an important

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investor in the Scottish economy. This is why he is meeting them in

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South Korea today. The fact is the First Minister and now is this

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project, he said it was a great stride forward, why did he not tell

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us about the strike back words? It has been reported the Scottish

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government wanted the news suppressed until after the local

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council elections. A Scottish government spokesman in the same

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article denies this, and is reported to have said that the

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Scottish government wanted the statement out earlier. The First

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Minister's own budget killed reports about the planned

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investment but he ate, on a eight the Freddie when this document was

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debated N S chamber, the new information was not provided. --

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eight February. Why did he not make that's payment. This and power

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systems let the story out at a trade fair in December, surely

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Scotland deserve to hear that before the Danish people debt? Just

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explain international investment and relationships with companies.

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You do not make announcements for them. If they wish to make an

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announcement... LAUGHTER. Order, order. If Doosan Power Systems wish

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to make an announcement, they have the right to do that. The

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announcement that they made and the information was available. That is

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why John Swinney was discussing it with Douglas Fraser on the radio

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last Sunday. Johann Lamont could not have listened to the radio

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interview that she was quoting. What has happened since the company

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made their decision last December? We have had announcements from

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Samsung of 500 jobs to make Methil as centre of investment. We have

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announcements from another job for 700 jobs in Leith. We have

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substantial expectations in Dundee for this offshore industry. Many

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companies are investing in offshore winds and many of these companies

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are investing in Scotland. One thing is sure - as that succession

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as Ms is made and thousands of jobs will be brought to the economy,

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:07:40.:07:40.

Johann Lamont will not welcome a single one of them. He APPLIES.

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APPLAUSE. I begin to get how this works, Dyfed is in years, the First

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Minister announces it, get it is back he is, it is not the business

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of the government to make announcements on behalf of

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companies. It would be entirely inappropriate for us to take

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responsibility. Regardless of the other investment announcements,

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this is a hugely significant decision for the company. We must

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have concerns about it given them legation for jobs and our

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commitment to each climate change targets. We debated in a budget

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which reports on the news of this investment in January and February,

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and the Finance Secretary does not mention it. Then we are told he

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mentions it in a politics debate on a television programme months later.

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The fact is, he and his ministers knew at the end of last year about

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is very significant announcement. Why did he and his ministers and

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AMs peas, and his press office, keep on talking as if there was

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coming. -- and his MSPs. I think we all know what impression the First

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Minister wanted to create. Why did he allow his colleagues and his

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press office to keep on giving the impression that this project was

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coming to Scotland when he knew it was not? I think the law is, if it

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is good news Johann Lamont will not welcome met and if it is bad, the

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Labour party will want to revel in it. APPLAUSE. The reason we have a

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good relationship with Ditton Priors system is because they are

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good employer in Scotland and we expect them to make further

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investment in Scotland. -- Doosan Power Systems. Doosan Power Systems

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and an important investor in the economy but not every major company

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is going to go into the offshore wind company market. Many combine

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with Scottish companies around the coastline of Scotland, that is news

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we should welcome. Since December when the company make their

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decision as a result of a liquidity crisis in the eurozone, we have had

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a huge investments made, huge investments in the Scottish economy

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on offshore wind. The question is, are we as a country prepared to

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welcome the investors combining with our own companies and charting

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the future of Engineering in Scotland? This side of the chamber

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says yes we sued and we are. They labour company seems to be mired in

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negativity which cost them so dear in last year's elections. The First

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Minister again wilfully misses the point. We were and are able to

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respond to this decision because the First Minister chose not to

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tell us. -- where I made all. This is about the First Minister's

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integrity and the integrity of his Government. If this where one of we

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might give him the benefit of the doubt but there is a pattern here.

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Before the last election when he took credit for the Investment, he

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kept to about local income tax plans Hedon from the public. When

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he was forced to come clean, he chose to take his friend Rupert

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:11:39.:11:42.

Murdoch's involvement in a scandal to do so. Good grief! The

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Advertising Standards Agency has even had to pull him up about the

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pandas. LAUGHTER. This series. - we have a shared concern about his

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decision -- this decision. If he will suppress serious issues like

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their Doosan Power Systems Investment before local elections,

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Guinness knows what he will conceal before their referendum. After this,

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how can any of us believed a word he says. -- goodness knows. I said,

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do San are one of the companies had planned to visit. I want to make it

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clear we encourage the real opportunities which exist in the

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renewables market - where was their Labour press office when John

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Swinney was discussing Doosan Power Systems last Sunday. Where was his

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statesman from her saying she was concerned about his investments?

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The same as them -- the same lack of support for the Samsung

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investment from them - as Lee on a Sunday morning. Johann Lamont says

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to me that all these dreadful things - but I know she does not

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mean it. I have been reading Labour's gains. - Labour Hame. The

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election agent for every Labour candidate in Glasgow says, the

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Labour Party attitude to me is, to deny he is connected with the

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electorate then a way that none of Labour's post devolution leaders

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has managed to do Edghill it could -- is ridiculous. So out of the

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mouth of labour, of the man who is masterminding their campaign in

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Glasgow, comes the essential work, Labour leadership ridiculous.

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Davidson. To ask the First Minister when he will next meet the prime

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minister? A no plans in the near future but I would like to meet him

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today to find out what extra powers Scotland is going to receive as he

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visits Scotland today. I am sure he was spend a lot of time spelling

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out the additional powers he promised us. I am sure we will hear

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a great deal from the First Minister on the extra powers that

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are coming to the Scottish Parliament as of yesterday and how

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:14:53.:14:57.

Does the First Minister supports the nuclear weapons role in Chapter

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four in debt 1995 NATO enlargement study? 25 out of the 28 NATO

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members are non-nuclear countries. Secondly, the First Minister

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believes that investment in new nuclear weapons in Scotland would

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be a total and utter obscenity and this Parliament has been right to

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reject any suggestion of the renewal of Trident just as this

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parliament looked forward to the removal of Trident nuclear weapons

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from Scottish soil. Those members are signed up to it. I am proud

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that the UK is a founder member of NATO, I am proud that after

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unimaginable horrors on our doorstep we chose to stand together

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with other responsible Nations to prevent atrocities ever happening

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again. I am proud that for more than 60 years the UK with NATO has

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acted to protect its allies in Europe, despite the SNP's

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opposition to missions in Bosnia, Macedonia and Kosovo. A mission at

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which this First Minister disgracefully called unpardonable

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folly. We hear the SNP is to debate whether it is to change his

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opposition to NATO and not before time. He has already changed his

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position on the pound, the Queen and the Bank of England, all

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sacrificed on the altar of political expediency. How will he

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now show leadership and have his party positively embrace the

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essential role of nuclear weapons in NATO without changing on their

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demands for the rapid removal of a nuclear deterrent on Scotland's

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waters? I notice in international engagements that the word Iraq was

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suitably absent. Unlike the Conservative Party, the SNP takes

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its stance on what is past and validated by the United Nations. If

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we support international engagements based on the roar of

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law, we do not support illegality and adventures like Iraq. They cost

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thousands of lives of our soldiers and tens, if not hundreds of

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thousands of lives in Iraq. The Conservative Party want to slide

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over the argument about the rule of international law, but they shall

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not be allowed to do so. Can I repeat, three out of the 28 members

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of NATO possess nuclear weapons, that means 25 do not possess

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nuclear weapons. 990 countries in the world are at non-nuclear weapon

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countries. I want Scotland to be one of these countries. I want it

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to be one of the 180 of those who do not possess nuclear weapons. The

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Canadian House of Commons in December 2010 unanimously supported

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a motion to a raise nuclear weapons will stop that motion passed

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unanimously. They have stated their fundamental opposition to nuclear

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weapons. That is a believe the SNP has and that is why we look forward

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to the day that we can get nuclear weapons off Scottish soil. A brief

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supplementary. Can I ask the First Minister in Duke of planning

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permission for fracking in Duffy share in my region, what is the

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:19:01.:19:01.

Scottish Government's position bury on mind recommendations which were

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published earlier in the week? Does the Scottish Government have any

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concerns about the environment will possibilities, the environmental

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concerns in this fracking process or concerns about the possible

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impact on our climate change targets? There are a number of

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concerns which have been expressed internationally and south of the

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border about the process. The Scottish Government is well aware

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of the research that is ongoing into the process. There are many

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aspects of the recovery of hydrocarbons which need to be

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examined very solely in terms of environmental implications. When

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and if it comes to a planning decision to be made by the Scottish

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Government, the member can be a Sjoerd that environmental evidence

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will be taken fully into account. Question number three. What issues

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will be discussed at the next meeting other Cabinet? We will

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discuss issues of importance to the people of Scotland. On Tuesday the

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report into failings of Ayrshire and Arran's freedom of information

:20:18.:20:22.

was published. It was produced following the deaths of 20 patients.

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These reports were hidden and ignored. This week's report is very

:20:29.:20:34.

critical of the NHS and it is clear it was institutionally secret. I

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suspect it was not alone. How much has the First Minister learnt about

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the other 13 health boards and their practice in the six weeks

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since I asked this? Can I declare an interest as I did before that

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the complainant is known to me, he is a friend of mine. I want that to

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stand on the record. But the allegations are a matter for the

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police to investigate and ministers cannot comment further on criminal

:21:07.:21:16.

allegations. As soon as the news broke in terms of the information,

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NHS Ayrshire and Arran were instructed to review their

:21:20.:21:24.

procedures and report back. The outcome of that review was received

:21:24.:21:30.

in March. They are currently implementing the actions and the

:21:30.:21:34.

chief executive will report by the end of May. The Health Secretary

:21:34.:21:41.

has also commissioned a review which is being carried out. The

:21:41.:21:46.

findings of this review and any wider learning for all health

:21:46.:21:51.

boards will be provided by next month. But it is four years on

:21:51.:21:56.

since this problem first began. It is a year on from the involvement

:21:56.:22:00.

of the information commissioner. It is four months after the Health

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Secretary was officially told and now a report that heavily

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criticises the board. Yet we still have no formal inquiry into the

:22:10.:22:14.

freedom of information arrangements. Their share and Arran it might not

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be alone, others might be falling short as well. The First Minister

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needs to act on this on a Scotland wide bases. I do not blame him for

:22:24.:22:29.

the failings, nobody would, but if he fails to act and have a Scotland

:22:29.:22:33.

wide inquiry into the freedom of information arrangements, every

:22:33.:22:39.

single health board, he might get the blame for that. Will he agree

:22:39.:22:44.

today to do an inquiry? I am sure that Willie Rennie would be the

:22:44.:22:51.

last person to attribute blame to ministers. I point out to the first

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answer, that a review on the clinical governance arrangements is

:22:56.:23:00.

currently being made by health care improvements Scotland and the whole

:23:00.:23:05.

objective is the findings of that review and any wider lessons for

:23:05.:23:08.

all health boards will be provided to the Cabinet Secretary by early

:23:08.:23:13.

next month. In my view, given that when the information came to light,

:23:13.:23:20.

that is pretty effective action. We expect our health boards to act

:23:20.:23:24.

properly within the terms of the Freedom of Information legislation.

:23:24.:23:28.

We will make sure that the route used happen and the lessons will be

:23:29.:23:35.

applied across Scotland. -- reviews. That seems to be reasonable and

:23:35.:23:39.

comprehensible -- comprehensive action. What representations at the

:23:39.:23:44.

Scottish Government has received from charities and other

:23:44.:23:48.

organisations regarding the Government's planned announcement

:23:48.:23:58.
:23:58.:24:01.

of abolition of council tax benefit. This includes Age UK, because over

:24:01.:24:06.

half the recipients are pensioners, child poverty Action Group,

:24:06.:24:12.

Citizens Advice UK and the Trades Union Congress. The 10% cut will

:24:12.:24:16.

have increased the liability potentially of around 558,000

:24:16.:24:22.

people in Scotland. Pensioners, carers, the unemployed, those on

:24:22.:24:27.

tax credit and people who cannot work because of disability. They

:24:27.:24:32.

would potentially be affected by a 10% cut in funding. The

:24:32.:24:36.

announcement I made earlier on we have acted as swiftly as we

:24:36.:24:40.

possibly can to ensure the cut will not take place and I think it is

:24:40.:24:44.

right and proper we respond where we can to protect the most

:24:44.:24:49.

vulnerable people in Scotland. thank the First Minister and unlike

:24:49.:24:53.

some I welcome the announcement he has made today that the Scottish

:24:53.:24:59.

Government will protect over half- a-million vulnerable Scots from the

:24:59.:25:07.

UK Government cuts to council tax benefits. Would the First Minister

:25:07.:25:12.

agree that the Labour's repeated the flip-flops, the only party that

:25:12.:25:17.

can be trusted to protect those most vulnerable and those in need

:25:17.:25:21.

is the Scottish National Party by its standing with them in tough

:25:21.:25:27.

times? I would not have time and a single answer to discuss at the

:25:27.:25:32.

Labour Party's change in positions on the council tax freeze. First

:25:32.:25:36.

they were against it and then they were for it and then they were

:25:36.:25:41.

against it again and now it depends in which area of the country you

:25:41.:25:45.

are in. Apparently they are now for it after being against it in

:25:45.:25:55.
:25:55.:25:56.

Glasgow. I think people in Scotland know as they approached the local

:25:56.:26:01.

elections that a vote for the Labour Party means higher council

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tax, higher bills for families in Scotland and the SNP will have

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nothing to do with it. Briefly, please. Well the First Minister

:26:10.:26:15.

confirm the details of this deal. Is it true that those local

:26:15.:26:18.

authorities with disproportionate number of people on council tax

:26:18.:26:23.

benefit will have to shoulder the burden of �70 million of cuts in a

:26:23.:26:28.

yet where they have also had to shoulder 89% of the Scottish cover

:26:28.:26:36.

map's own budget cuts? This is robbing Peter to play -- pay Paul.

:26:36.:26:39.

The percentage of funding of local Government in Scotland is higher

:26:39.:26:49.
:26:49.:26:50.

now than it was when we take office. If you exclude the health service

:26:50.:26:54.

then it is dramatically higher as a share of the non health service

:26:54.:26:58.

budget in Scotland will stop the SNP have played fair with local

:26:58.:27:03.

authorities across the country, unlike the Labour Party. Can I

:27:03.:27:08.

point out that this announcement is being made jointly by the President

:27:08.:27:13.

of the Convention of local authorities in Scotland. Does she

:27:13.:27:17.

believe a Labour Party councillor which have signed up to an

:27:17.:27:20.

agreement if he did not think it was in the interests of people in

:27:20.:27:27.

Scotland? When 500,000 people in Scotland, the poorest in our

:27:27.:27:32.

communities, are facing cuts in their council tax benefit, while a

:27:32.:27:42.
:27:42.:27:42.

Labour Party not welcome the joint action to protect those families?

:27:42.:27:47.

would appreciate it you would stop shouting across the chamber.

:27:47.:27:52.

Question number five. What plans does the Scottish Government have

:27:52.:27:55.

to deal with an increase in the number of female offenders in light

:27:55.:28:00.

of the recent report by the Commission on women offenders?

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would like to put on record the Scottish Government, and I hope the

:28:05.:28:11.

whole chamber's gratitude and other members of the Commission for the

:28:11.:28:14.

fantastic work they had done in offering ideas and more effective

:28:14.:28:18.

ways of dealing with women in the criminal justice system. The

:28:18.:28:23.

commission has made several key recommendations. We will consider

:28:23.:28:27.

these in full and report back with a detailed response in the summer.

:28:27.:28:32.

The Government has already introduced a robust system of

:28:32.:28:35.

community-based sentences which would be far more appropriate for

:28:35.:28:45.
:28:45.:28:46.

women than being in prison. There is also the �8.5 million for her a

:28:47.:28:50.

centre in Glasgow. I am sure we would want to play a full part in

:28:50.:28:54.

the debates in this Parliament as we take for what many of the

:28:54.:29:00.

suggestions. I thank the First Minister for his answer and his

:29:00.:29:04.

support for the excellent report. The number of female prisoners has

:29:04.:29:09.

doubled over the last 10 years in this country and 70% of female

:29:09.:29:15.

prisoners go on to ascend again. Community justice centres, formerly

:29:15.:29:20.

Known As Time Out centres, significantly reduce reoffending by

:29:20.:29:24.

tackling the debilitating cycle of the diction and depression. Well

:29:24.:29:27.

the First Minister committed to expanding these centres throughout

:29:27.:29:33.

the country? We will look at very carefully at all the suggestions

:29:33.:29:38.

and on 26th April I am told it is the date for debate in the

:29:38.:29:41.

parliament and I know that good ideas will come forward from all

:29:41.:29:46.

sides in Parliament. It is right to point out that the female prison

:29:46.:29:55.

population has increased from 210 up to 444 in April this year. There

:29:55.:29:59.

are far fewer women in prison as a percentage of the population than

:29:59.:30:05.

men, but it is a worrying trend and it is one that the report suggests

:30:05.:30:09.

there are measures which can be considered to reverse that trend

:30:09.:30:13.

and to find far more suitable forms of punishment and addressing

:30:13.:30:19.

reoffending behaviour than prison incarceration are. The commission

:30:19.:30:23.

report stands. I know many members will have read it because it is a

:30:23.:30:28.

subject very close to the Hearts of many MSPs and I'm sure that debate

:30:28.:30:32.

when it takes place will be conducted in the best traditions of

:30:32.:30:35.

this chamber where ideas come forward from all sides of the House

:30:35.:30:42.

and they can hopefully be taken forward in to better action. There

:30:42.:30:46.

we have it, Alex Salmond sitting down on an answer about the prison

:30:46.:30:53.

population, particularly the women's population, the report by

:30:53.:30:57.

the Lord Advocate. Earlier we had we rate of a about institutional

:30:57.:31:02.

secrecy in the health board and Johann Lamont suggesting there was

:31:02.:31:07.

institutional secretly -- secrecy closer to home when he was

:31:07.:31:11.

discussing Doosan Power Systems withdrawing from a business in

:31:11.:31:17.

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