19/11/2015 Politics Scotland

Welcome to the Scottish parliament here at Holyrood. It is a

significant day. It is a year to the day since Nicola Sturgeon was

installed as First Minister in succession to Alex Salmond. During

that year, she has of course governed the devolved section of the

country. She has been in charge of the Scottish Government and has

faced bhajans in Parliament. She is doing so again today. The main

subject of this programme is questions to the First Minister.

Let's see what is happening with my colleague.

Yes, Kezia Dugdale is going on the issue of the First Minister's year

in office. Today of all days, we should judge the government on its

record. Everybody in this chamber know somebody who has been affected

by cancer. It is a horrible disease and perhaps the most common

perception is that money is no defence against it. But new

statistics published this week show that that isn't the case. Can the

First Minister tell me whether someone living in Scotland is more

likely to get cancer if they are richer or poorer? It has been a

long-standing situation that people in our most deprived communities are

more likely to die younger from illnesses like cancer, from stroke

and heart disease. That didn't start when the SNP came to government.

That has been true for generations. What is equally true is that this

government has been working hard, as previous governments did, to close

that gap, to see rates of cancer decrease and survival rates

increase. That is why we have policies not just about giving

people access to the best cancer treatment. One of the things we have

done since I have been First Minister is double the fund for new

cancer medicines, a step in the right direction. It is also why we

put such a great priority on innovative, ambitious public health

measures to improve people's diets, to cut the incidence of alcohol

misuse, to reduce smoking. These are the policies that frankly, it should

not involve party politics. Every member of this chamber should get

behind these things so that we see fewer people die from cancer. Nicola

Sturgeon has been responsible for the NHS in one way or another for

six out of the last eight years. In Scotland today, the likelihood of

someone getting cancer too often depends on how much money they have.

These new statistics show that people living in the poorest areas

are 32% more likely to have cancer than those from the wealthier areas.

They are 68% more likely to die from it. That is not right. This is 21st

century Scotland, not the Victorian times. I have never doubted the

First Minister's sincerity, but this job needs more than that. The

government's cancer strategy was due to be published at the start of this

year, but it has been repeatedly delayed. Can the First Minister

confirm when her government's cancer strategy will be published? It would

be published next spring. We are working with stakeholders across the

NHS including some of the best cancer clinicians in the world that

we are lucky to have in Scotland to make sure we get that strategy

right. Kezia Dugdale said the fact that people in our poorest

communities are more likely to die from cancer is not right. I agree.

It was not right when Labour were in office. It isn't right now. That is

why we are working to reduce deaths from cancer. We saw figures

published this week which showed that overall cancer death rates have

dropped by 11% in the past ten years. Overall cancer mortality in

2014 is the lowest and rates of other types of cancer are dropping

as well. These are things we should all take optimism from, but the job

is not done. That is why we are looking to know cancer waiting

times. It was labour that set some of the current cancer waiting times.

They were never met when Labour were in government. So we are working to

reduce cancer waiting times. We are working to make sure we get more

people into screening programmes. That is why we are investing ?30

million into text cancer early programme so that people come

forward earlier when they have symptoms and get diagnosed earlier.

The earlier people get diagnosed, the more chance they have of

surviving. I would say to Kezia Dugdale, it is too important for

party political arguments. Let all of us unite to say, we want to CNN

to the situation where people in our most deprived communities -- we want

to see an end to the situation where people who are deprived are more

likely to die of cancer. There is no doubt that we welcome that

progress, but that progress is largely happening in the richer

parts of Scotland. That is why we need a cancer strategy. The English

NHS has a welcome plan to fight the disease. We need the same here. In

Scotland, our system is failing those most in need. 66% of eligible

people in the wealthiest areas are taking up bowel cancer screening,

yet the figure was just 45% for people in the poorest areas. And the

most recent figures show a decline in the number of women in poor

communities getting screened for breast cancer. That lower rate of

screening is one reason why people from the poorest backgrounds are

more likely to die cancer. Does the First Minister agree with me that

without dramatic government action, we could be in danger of seeing

cancer as a deprivation disease in Scotland? I agree that action is

needed to improve early diagnosis of cancer. That is important for

anybody who has cancer. But with the statistics Kezia Dugdale has

quoted, it is more important that we get people from our most deprived

communities into a diagnosis as quickly as possible. That is why

this government is investing 939 live pounds in our detect cancer

early programme. That programme has already resulted in a 4.7% increase

in early diagnosis of cancer, alongside a 50% increase in women

consulting their GP with breast symptoms and increased uptake of the

National bowel screening programme. That is the kind of action we need

to see. Over the year I have been First Minister, I have said on many

occasions that if anybody in this chamber has suggestions to make

about things they think this government should be doing to

improve, I am happy to listen. But in what I have just heard from Kezia

Dugdale, I have heard not one specific suggestion of what she

thinks this government should do. We will continue to do the work to get

people diagnosed early, to encourage people to come forward, to make sure

we give people access to the best technologies and the best drugs, to

make sure we know cancer waiting times and to make sure we are doing

all the things we need to do to improve the public health of people

in Scotland in every part of our country. With respect, Dr Richard

Simpson has commented this chamber for years and pushed this government

to be more proactive. We need an OHS that is fit for the future, and NHS

ready to tackle the challenges of the 20 40th Mac, not the 1940s. It

is just not happening. Let's look at the First Minister's record. 16

years as an MSP, eight years as a minister, seven years as Deputy

First Minister, five years in charge of the NHS. This morning, she had

the cheek to say that she is only just getting started. Week after

week, no matter what the issue... Order. The First Minister always

tells me about her opinion poll ratings. Clearly, she thinks that

that answers the question. I think it poses a question. With her

opinion poll ratings and her majority and all her power, what

exactly is she waiting for? I am not sure opinion polls are the strongest

suit for a party that is now in a scrap for second place in Scotland

with the Conservative Party. But since Kezia Dugdale has raised the

question of opinion polls, opinion polls show that people trust the SNP

more with the National Health Service that they trust the Labour

Party or any other party in Scotland. So we will continue to get

on with the job. We have seen cancer rates for by 11%. We have seen an

increase in early-stage diagnosis of cancer. We are seeing an increase in

the number of people coming forward for diagnosis by their GP and coming

forward for screening. We are working to make sure we have the

best cancer centres. We have five state-of-the-art centres in

Scotland. We are investing in state-of-the-art radiotherapy

equipment in each of them. We will continue, with the consent of the

Scottish people, to get on with the job. And we will leave Labour, as

they have been doing for so many years now, carping on the sidelines

and slowly, but surely getting beaten in Scotland not by the SNP,

but by the Tories. Question number two, Ruth Davidson. I would like to

thank the First Minister for her electoral endorsement and ask her

when she will net to meet the Secretary of State for Scotland. No

plans in the near future, but I have to thank Ruth Davidson as well for

making sure I got a copy this morning of the internal Tory lines

to take for the day. They have nothing to say about David

Cameron's new taxpayer funded private jet, but they were

nevertheless very helpful. I would take it as a wee anniversary

present. On Tuesday, a parents' group called their funding for kids

met the Education Secretary to ask for basic details on how the SNP

government plans to meet its pledge to double nursery entitlement. They

left that meeting so frustrated that they decided to speak out. As Angela

Constance was unable to provide even ballpark figures on how that pledge

could be met. They wanted to know that if this government is to double

childcare by 2020, how many extra places that will take, how many

extra staff need to be hired, how many apprenticeships to train you

staff, how many new nurseries need to be built, how much money will it

cost and where will it come from? They say Angela Constance could not

and a single one of these questions. Can the First Minister? It will cost

?880 million. Where that will come from will be set out in our budget.

It will take 20,000 additional staff, a mixture of college places

and apprenticeships. We are working with local authorities to determine

the expansion of capacity that will be required. It will be a mixture of

new-build and extension of current local authority capacity. I noted

with interest the press release that that group of parents put out

yesterday and they are to be commended for their determination

around this, but they say they're not enough places now to deliver our

policy of Dublin childcare. And that is the case, I have to say. That is

where we have committed two double childcare over the next five years

and invest more than ?800 million in delivering that. That is a

commitment to parents in Scotland will want to get behind. We know

where the SNP stand. We are going to double free childcare over the next

Parliament. What is the Tory policy? More flexibility, and we would love

you to take it up now. But I would like to thank the First Minister for

giving everyone the answer is that her Education Secretary seemed

unable to find yesterday. There is a reason the mums were asking these

questions am a and it was because they have potentially gone to the

biggest of the childcare providers, Glasgow City Council, and they have

been told the Scottish Government's plans are "impossible", and the

First Minister knows this because the mums wrote to her on the 23rd of

September, telling her. I have the letter here. We spoke to this

parents' group yesterday. They believed the government a year ago

when it said it wanted to help, but they now feel disillusioned and have

lost trust. For the last year, the First Minister has enjoyed the

headlines, but eventually, she will have to start delivering. These

parents no longer believe that she will honour so what will the First

Minister physically do to restore trust? What I will physically do is

invest ?800 million to build the capacity in our system to double the

provision of free childcare. Ruth Davidson is going to give more

flexible it. She might have heard me a few weeks ago saying that Fleck

civility will be built into our policy so that parents -- flexible

Itter will be built in so that parents can take hours not just

during term time, but during holidays as well. It will be more

flexible to fit in with the working patterns that parents have. Those

are the ambitious plans that this government has. Let me tell with

Davidson what the chief executive of early years Scotland has the same

about it today. They welcomed the Scottish Government's commitment.

Yes, they say there are challenges, but they say they are sure that with

our dedicated workforce and determination to give every child

the best start in life, we will work together to ensure that this

laudable ambition becomes an everyday reality. Double childcare

provision. That is the everyday reality that this government will

deliver. Willie Rennie... To as the First

Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the

Cabinet. Issues of importance to the people of Scotland. We have seen

cost estimates, of 12.5 million. This could be used for 400 teachers

instead. The First Minister told us she was against crude tables. But it

has been warned that the league tables could be back, for a flagship

policy, a shambles? No. I think we have a disagreement between myself

and Winnie Rennie, on many things, but I want to make sure that we are

raising standards at schools, I want to make sure that we continue to

close the attainment gap. Between children at the least deprived and

most deprived areas. I want to make sure that parents have the

information, and also that I have the information, to make sure that

we are making progress on these objectives. I am not interested in

the reptile of league tables, high stakes teaching. But I do not think

it is acceptable that we cannot have that information, to know if the

action we take, is working to deliver the objectives. Willie

Rennie and I will continue to disagree, but we're evidencing the

fact that we're doing so. I make no apology for that. She has repeatedly

said she is not interested in the league tables, but not going to do

anything to stop them happening. Information requests have shown that

the Scottish Government only had four emails with advice on national

testing. From two people. And they had reservations. That is why it is

correct to call this a shambles. Poorly informed, badly led. Bringing

back these crude league tables. We have opposition from patents,

teachers, unions, she has said that she has been consulting, but any

circumstances in which the Boss Minister -- First Minister would

abandon this? I think this is correct, I want to close the

attainment gap, and evidence that we have been doing that, we have been

talking to teachers and improving the framework, Willie Rennie we know

that the proposal for these assessments, already carried out in

30 of the dusty to local authorities were talking to teachers and others,

about the timing of these assessments. Avoiding the teach to

test approach. I am against that. We are talking carefully about how we

can use this information, to avoid league tables, but I am not going to

apologise to make sure that I am able to stand up and tell the

members, the country, what has been happening at the schools, giving

parents access to the information about progress of children. These

assessments are not going to replace teacher judgment, these assessments

are about informing teacher judgment. It is the correct thing to

do, we will continue to talk and get on with the job of making sure we

are raising standards in schools. That is what people across the

country expect us to do. To ask the First Minister what steps the

Scottish Government is taking to promote early HIV testing? It is

important that those at risk of contracting HIV are going to be

tested properly. We are promoting HIV testing, in the revised

framework that was published in some temper. The government has been

providing more than ?28 million, to deliver this across Scotland. And

this includes funding, to tackle the stigma. That stigma is still one of

the greatest barriers to people being tested.

the greatest barriers to people will be aware that one of the Trusts

has stated that the Barrios to include stigma, like

has stated that the Barrios to and prevent deaths? Confidential

testing is also provided in some parts of the country, and we have

changed the law, so that instant, self testing kits are

changed the law, so that instant, will she get on with the job, fuel

policy increased on her watch. Will she admitted that she will not meet

the pledge of ending this poverty by November 2016? What is she going to

do with these new powers, for the pensioners having to choose between

heating and eating? We're going to bring forward plans to use all of

the new powers. Some of the powers listed, the winter fuel payments,

give us the chance to look at overall what we do. But Jackie is

standing as representative of the party, not just to vote for sticking

plaster powers, but devolution of tax credits, and the budget, did

they vote with the SNP? No. Going through the House of Commons, to

keep it in the hands of Conservatives. That is the action of

the Labour politicians in Scotland. Also, we cannot forget that while

others were voting for 167 billion to be spent on things that matter,

not nuclear weapons, she was voting to renew trident. Jackie Baillie's

credibility, has been ended, she said her maths were shaky! I think

that sums that up. Can I draw the First Minister's attention to

comments made by the STUC secretary yesterday when he recognise the

importance of the financial framework for additional perils. --

powers. It would be completely wrong to sign up for the block grant

adjustment, disadvantage in Scotland. Does the First Minister

agree with me, that Jackie Baillie should take this advice, stop

mouthing the Tory party's words? I think Jackie Baillie and Labour

stopped listening to the STUC, when they went into alliance with the

Tory party. During the referendum. I did see these comments, also from

the Professor of Glasgow University, warning of the dangers of that on

fair fiscal framework. -- unfair. The professor was a member of the

commission, and we have made clear that we will only support a

legislative consent motion on the Scotland Bill if we have a

satisfactory fiscal framework agreed between the Scottish and British

Government, absolutely nobody, not even Labour, could reasonably expect

any government to think anything else. Patrick Harvie. If the new

welfare perils are going to be used successfully to tackle this poverty,

they are going to have to work in concert with the money that the

government has been spending on energy efficiency. But no

opportunity to discuss a head of the budget, the project, how that is

going to work. Why have they not, and when we get the details? We will

discuss these things when the perils, -- powers are implemented,

but even Patrick Harvie must admit that these are not going to be in

place by the next financial year, we are going to work with stakeholders,

to look at how we can use them effectively. But Patrick Harvie is

absolutely correct to say that it is vital, as all of these things come

to Scotland that we and the great with the resources that we already

have. I look forward to Patrick Harvie being a member of that

discussion as we take four these plans. To ask the First Minister

what discussions the Scottish Government has had with NHS24? NHS24

published these plans last month, after the excellent service provider

last winter, over 70,000 calls were provided, many answered after party

sickens. NHS24 took the decision last week to pause the introduction

of the new contact system, a review is under way and I would expect an

initial report in December, detailed report in January. Obviously, last

month, in the update on the management of the contract for

NHS24, Audit Scotland said the cost had risen by 55%. That increase was

because of the delayed implementation, as the First

Minister has just said, and openly announced last Friday, can the First

Minister told Parliament what the cost is going to be to the taxpayer

of this mismanaged project, and can we get assurance that patient care

will not be affected? These are very important issues, I think it was

disappointing, very disappointing, that this decision had to be taken,

but it was taken in the interests of patient safety. It was the correct

one to take, in line with that. The new system has not been abandoned.

It is important to stress that. The implementation has been paused. The

review that I was talking about, it is under way, and Lance many of the

questions that have been released today. We will get the initial

report of that in December, and the main report in January. The Health

Secretary has asked the nothing office to provide reassurance, about

the reintroduction. It is important to say, in terms of cost, higher

than originally projected, already discussed in detail in the public

domain, but NHS24 still considers that the new system will allow them

to save costs. It is important to bear that in mind. But I will be

happy, as this review takes place, and as we get the findings, those

are to the shared with parliament. I want to thank the First Minister for

the reply on this issue. I am surprised that a large project of

this sort was not solved at the testing level, but I welcome the

fact that in the interest of patient safety it has been suspended. We

have had to reports, critical of the government's management of these

projects, the new structure set up by the government, I would ask the

First Minister to look at carefully. The most shambolic, that I have ever

seen. No business would run its systems on the one the government

have set up. I ask up to look at that structure. -- her. The review

is under way. The staff serious issues. Plans were in place to

manage the transition, including the contingency to go to the legacy

system, some issues impacting performance, initially, out with the

control of NHS24, including telecommunications. NHS24 have

apologised to those affected by the delays. It is a priority to nature

that this new system is in place, watching as quickly as possible. But

that must be done, in a way that is consistent with patient safety,

particularly as we go to the winter, festive period. NHS24 have taken the

correct decision, but all of the issues that have been raised, will

be looked at in terms of this review, and the findings will be

shared with Parliament. Thank you. That is us. The end of questions for

the First Minister, one year after she got into the job. All the

participants, including the First Minister, notably combated, --

combative form. Nicola Sturgeon was thanking with Davidson for the

questions, it was most entertaining, but not much in terms

of Revelations. I would encourage all the parties to continue, I can

hand you over to Daily Politics. of fun! I agree. I don't accept only

women interested in women's issues and men in men's issues. That is

oversimplistic. Most women might have a husband, a son, a father.

They are affected by all of these issues as well. I very much agree we

should look at these things. We very rarely discuss these issues in the

House of Commons. Let's find out why. We can welcome our viewers in

Scotland who have just joined us. Welcome to Scottish viewers. We

talked about the number of MPs and the opportunities you do have to

raise it.