:00:18. > :00:19.Good afternoon and welcome to Politics Scotland.
:00:20. > :00:24.A fall in unemployment, with the number of people in work
:00:25. > :00:31.NHS 24 bosses are criticised by MSPs for squandering millions of pounds
:00:32. > :00:39.And here at Westminster, a universal welcome for the record
:00:40. > :00:44.number of people in work, but concerns about the underlying
:00:45. > :00:51.Employment in Scotland has reached its highest level ever
:00:52. > :00:54.with the latest figures showing that more than 2.6 million people
:00:55. > :00:59.The total grew by 21,000 in the three months
:01:00. > :01:00.between September and November last year.
:01:01. > :01:06.Here's our Business Correspondent David Henderson.
:01:07. > :01:16.A new business teeing off in Edinburgh. Shop scope sells wearable
:01:17. > :01:21.technology which allows golfers to see how they have performed out on
:01:22. > :01:26.the course. As this market expands, so does the company and its
:01:27. > :01:31.workforce. We've gone from a team of three at the start of 2015 to 18 of
:01:32. > :01:35.ten at the end of 2015. We are about to move offices to a larger office.
:01:36. > :01:40.We have just launched the product and are running a pre-selling
:01:41. > :01:43.campaign. Success at firms like this is helping drive down the
:01:44. > :01:50.unemployment rate and bring more people into the Labour market. This
:01:51. > :01:53.latest rise in employment levels means Scotland passes another
:01:54. > :01:57.milestone. The last time this number of people were in work here was
:01:58. > :02:02.before the financial crisis and a recession which followed. That's
:02:03. > :02:07.more than seven years ago. There has been a bit of a problem since the
:02:08. > :02:13.recession in that Scotland has created fewer full-time jobs, more
:02:14. > :02:17.part-time jobs and fewer self-employment jobs. So, although
:02:18. > :02:21.the employment figures as a whole are going up, the composition isn't
:02:22. > :02:26.as good as it is in the rest of the UK. And problems remain. Falling oil
:02:27. > :02:32.prices have meant thousands of job losses in the North Sea. Stuart
:02:33. > :02:38.Massey was an offshore drill for 19 years but now he is out of work.
:02:39. > :02:42.It's difficult. There really isn't anything about. When we were in
:02:43. > :02:46.work, regular phone calls used to get from the agency often, clips
:02:47. > :02:51.here, trips there, that has completely dried up. There are job
:02:52. > :02:55.players but the one thing missing there was oil related companies. So
:02:56. > :02:57.problems in the offshore industry put a dent in these job figures but
:02:58. > :02:59.overall the signs are positive. And David joins me now
:03:00. > :03:07.from the newsroom. David, particularly given that
:03:08. > :03:11.employment is going up despite the situation in the oil industry, it
:03:12. > :03:16.might seem to Lee to raise David Bell's point but it is interesting.
:03:17. > :03:21.He is saying that the composition of employment compare to the rest of
:03:22. > :03:25.the UK is what? Is it more people doing part-time jobs, low-paid paid
:03:26. > :03:29.jobs at the points specifically to fewer full-time jobs, more part-time
:03:30. > :03:35.jobs, fewer people in self-employment. I suppose it feeds
:03:36. > :03:41.into the broader point that it is taking a long time for the Scottish
:03:42. > :03:44.economy to recover from the financial crisis. The recession
:03:45. > :03:53.which followed. Seven years ago now. Employment they have returned to a
:03:54. > :03:57.level that we saw back in 2007, 2008, but there are clear underlying
:03:58. > :04:03.differences that David Bell is pointing to there. It is a reminder
:04:04. > :04:06.that the market has changed. In the past when we had recessions you
:04:07. > :04:10.would see a great spike in the number of people unemployed. The
:04:11. > :04:14.unemployment figures would reach 3 million or more. We didn't see that
:04:15. > :04:19.over the last few years because the market is more flexible. But instead
:04:20. > :04:23.what you see is far more of what economists call under employment,
:04:24. > :04:28.pretty simple concept, people not getting as many hours of work as
:04:29. > :04:32.they would like to. People working part-time, three quarters time, not
:04:33. > :04:37.working full-time. And it shows that the Labour market still has some way
:04:38. > :04:42.to go before everyone is working full-time. It is borne out as well
:04:43. > :04:46.in the GDP figures that came out last week which showed that the
:04:47. > :04:50.growth in output in Scotland has full third in the last couple of
:04:51. > :04:53.quarters. These figures today underlined that. They show that
:04:54. > :04:58.there is still some way to go before we have anywhere near full
:04:59. > :05:02.employment. I am sorry to drop this into polite conversation, but all
:05:03. > :05:05.these figures the politicians love to bat around, some questions over
:05:06. > :05:07.whether they mean what they seem to mean, particularly with the
:05:08. > :05:12.unemployment figures. Yes, when you look at the direct comparison
:05:13. > :05:16.between the strength of the Scottish economy and the UK economy, looking
:05:17. > :05:21.at the unemployment figures, the difference between Scotland and the
:05:22. > :05:26.rest of the UK is something like 0.3%, it does beg the question just
:05:27. > :05:29.how accurate are those figures, are we in the sort of what you might
:05:30. > :05:34.call a margin of error which means it is impossible to tell which
:05:35. > :05:37.actually is performing best? I know the Scottish Government in recent
:05:38. > :05:44.weeks has been fighting this up. There is a wider point here, which
:05:45. > :05:49.is in terms of the way data is gathered for job figures, ultimately
:05:50. > :05:52.it comes down to a regular survey of what people are telling surveyors.
:05:53. > :05:55.We have seen with the opinion polling in the last few days but
:05:56. > :06:00.there are problems with opinion polls, they are not always
:06:01. > :06:04.tremendously accurate. There is a claim that actually there is just
:06:05. > :06:10.not enough data out there for the nations and regions of the UK to be
:06:11. > :06:14.very confident that things are being measured properly. This all seems
:06:15. > :06:18.rather theoretical but it is going to be more and more important, as
:06:19. > :06:25.more powers are devolved to the Scottish Parliament. More and more
:06:26. > :06:29.decisions about the best thing to do economically are going to rely on
:06:30. > :06:32.data. If for example the Scottish fiscal commission is going to be
:06:33. > :06:37.able to do is job properly it has to have a very sound data and certainly
:06:38. > :06:38.these figures suggest that we may be some way from that. Thank you for
:06:39. > :06:40.that. My guest for the day
:06:41. > :06:49.is Andrew Picken, who's These economic figures, politically
:06:50. > :06:52.it is difficult to know... Of a seedy Scottish Government will claim
:06:53. > :06:55.it is done to them but George Osborne will claim it is all done to
:06:56. > :07:00.him. -- obviously the Scottish Government. I think politically you
:07:01. > :07:06.touch on the composition of the labour market earlier. The one thing
:07:07. > :07:10.striking in these figures was all through the recession, the impact on
:07:11. > :07:16.female employment and unemployment. All of the growth in employment and
:07:17. > :07:21.the fall of unemployment was pretty much taken care of by men getting
:07:22. > :07:26.jobs. You can see that developing to an election quite easily -- election
:07:27. > :07:31.issue quite easily. We all know that women make up the large majority of
:07:32. > :07:37.people in part-time roles. It was quite interesting, that wages aren't
:07:38. > :07:41.going up and salaries aren't going up very fast. They are going up by
:07:42. > :07:46.more than inflation? I think if used about the bonuses it has fallen by
:07:47. > :07:54.2%, the earnings. It is going up by 2%? It is a bit above inflation but
:07:55. > :07:56.hardly very dramatic, is it? The unemployment figures, and that, they
:07:57. > :08:01.both speak to the issue that you don't get the sense that people in
:08:02. > :08:06.the street are feeling this. But there is this general sort of
:08:07. > :08:11.growth, as such. Interesting, because it may be that what David
:08:12. > :08:14.was saying about the composition, could you help -- it could help
:08:15. > :08:15.explain that. Angry MSPs have complained that
:08:16. > :08:18.hundreds of nurses could have been recruited with the money squandered
:08:19. > :08:21.on a new IT system for NHS 24 At a Holyrood hearing,
:08:22. > :08:25.NHS 24 bosses were told they should feel "ashamed" over
:08:26. > :08:27.the waste of money. This from our political
:08:28. > :08:39.editor Brian Taylor. As the name suggests, NHS 24 is on
:08:40. > :08:44.call round the clock to help patients. In 2011 it was decided
:08:45. > :08:50.that a new IT system would improve the service. Five years on, it's
:08:51. > :08:57.still not in place and the project is ?41.6 million over budget.
:08:58. > :09:00.Apologise unreservedly... The new Chief Executive Iain Crichton said
:09:01. > :09:03.the original business case had been weak, the contract had contained
:09:04. > :09:08.gaps and system delays had added to the price. The committee convener
:09:09. > :09:11.voiced anger at the cost. In my estimation is that would be a red
:09:12. > :09:17.1900 nurses that could be employed as a result of this overspend. Do
:09:18. > :09:22.not find that unacceptable? I do. Do not think on behalf of the
:09:23. > :09:26.organisation, do should be at an apology but they should be ashamed
:09:27. > :09:30.they should find themselves in this position, is not correct? The
:09:31. > :09:35.committee then turned to his predecessor John Turner. Mr Turner
:09:36. > :09:40.said response ability build the rest of the he felt let down by a senior
:09:41. > :09:43.colleague. Mr Turner signed off the contract but it later emerged that
:09:44. > :09:48.key service specifications were left out. That was because the thousand
:09:49. > :09:52.page printed version did not match the online contract which had been
:09:53. > :10:00.updated over months. There were gaps and they were spotted. Why did that
:10:01. > :10:06.happen? That is a question that has tormented me since this case came to
:10:07. > :10:09.light. The MSPs were taught the new IT system had failed tests but
:10:10. > :10:13.should be up and running for patients this year. Although that
:10:14. > :10:14.might cost another ?7 million. Eventually they were assured it
:10:15. > :10:19.would save the health service money. And Brian Taylor joins
:10:20. > :10:26.me now from Holyrood. Large public sector organisations
:10:27. > :10:32.and large IT contracts don't really mix very well, do they? This was
:10:33. > :10:35.repeatedly pointed out during the hearing that this is very far
:10:36. > :10:38.unfortunately from the first time there has been problems with an 80
:10:39. > :10:43.contract in the health service and the public service more generally.
:10:44. > :10:47.-- IT contract. The health service welcome the fact that NHS24 bosses
:10:48. > :10:51.but previous and present displayed humility but you had two hours of
:10:52. > :10:57.sustained astonishment from the MSPs at the extent of the... Involved.
:10:58. > :11:01.And the cost weighing upon the public purse. There were repeated
:11:02. > :11:05.questions from MSPs as the wider hadn't been disciplinary procedures
:11:06. > :11:07.and possible legal action as a consequence of the problems
:11:08. > :11:12.associated with this contract. The answer given was that it had been
:11:13. > :11:16.felt that the important thing was to try and sort the mess out in the
:11:17. > :11:22.interests of patients. What I found very amusing, was I think a lot of
:11:23. > :11:24.our viewers when they see things like this think there must be
:11:25. > :11:29.something terribly technical to do with accounting. It sounds like
:11:30. > :11:32.something someone didn't bother to make sure what the posted on the
:11:33. > :11:36.injured was at the centre of the printer. You could have heard had
:11:37. > :11:39.been a pin dropping in the committee room it certainly would have been
:11:40. > :11:42.audible all around the chamber. The MSPs were astonished at that. They
:11:43. > :11:46.were looking first of all to discover the cause of this problem.
:11:47. > :11:51.Who are looking for wider lessons, Gordon, one point being made was
:11:52. > :11:56.that how does this come about that isn't expertise in charge at the top
:11:57. > :11:58.of these currents. The current interim Chief Executive of NHS24
:11:59. > :12:02.said he accepted that perhaps the governments generally in the public
:12:03. > :12:05.sector in the health service, governments of IT projects over all
:12:06. > :12:09.was not as it should be, not as good as he suggested it was for example
:12:10. > :12:15.in property. There was a suggestion from both sides that central
:12:16. > :12:17.services in Scotland, where there is expertise residing, should perhaps
:12:18. > :12:19.be used in a more consistent and frequent basis by the NHS boards.
:12:20. > :12:47.Brian, thank you for that. Note of the debate on oil. The
:12:48. > :12:51.motion calls on the Scottish Government to... Let's listen to the
:12:52. > :12:56.co-convenor. The oil sector has lost 65,000 jobs, with another oil and
:12:57. > :13:02.gas production rises for the first time in 15 years. This alone is
:13:03. > :13:08.enough to demonstrate that the mantra of maximum economic
:13:09. > :13:13.extraction is not the same as securing maximum economic benefit
:13:14. > :13:19.our society or does it guarantee the security and safety of jobs in that
:13:20. > :13:22.industry with the wider economy. Many will recognise the context in
:13:23. > :13:30.which the current situation has taken place. Though oil prices to
:13:31. > :13:31.their great connection to wider geopolitical factors, the behaviour
:13:32. > :13:40.of Saudi Arabia and others. As well as the long-term decline in
:13:41. > :13:41.North Sea reduction. Something which I hope none
:13:42. > :13:49.notion that the North Sea will get back to the levels of production it
:13:50. > :13:55.once had is not something that is credible. And the over reliance on
:13:56. > :13:59.fossil fuels throughout our society and economy, not just energy but for
:14:00. > :14:05.a wide range of other economic and industrial activities. But there are
:14:06. > :14:12.additional aspects to this context. Aspects which will in my view
:14:13. > :14:18.require 's up to the long-term transition which is required and a
:14:19. > :14:22.necessary move to requiring the change that this transition will
:14:23. > :14:28.bring about. First of all, the carbon bubble. This is an argument
:14:29. > :14:31.set up in the IPCC's that assessment report which was the first to
:14:32. > :14:38.include an assessment of the overall carbon budget of the planet. Some
:14:39. > :14:43.estimate something like a thousand billion tonnes of carbon dioxide
:14:44. > :14:47.emissions or equivalent, to give us a likely chance, a likely chance of
:14:48. > :14:52.achieving that 2 degrees threshold not allowing climate change to
:14:53. > :14:57.exceed 2 degrees above preindustrial levels. And by 2011 it was estimated
:14:58. > :15:05.that more than half of that budget had already been emitted, so
:15:06. > :15:09.depending on the varieties of interpretations, somewhere between
:15:10. > :15:13.446 and 616 billion tonnes left to emit if we want to have that
:15:14. > :15:22.reasonable Other estimates put this more
:15:23. > :15:25.starkly. If we look at the additional warring factions from the
:15:26. > :15:32.way in which carbon dioxide is admitted, some estimates put this as
:15:33. > :15:39.little as 270 billion tonnes left in the global budget. This is
:15:40. > :15:43.dramatically at odds with the level of fossil fuel reserves existing on
:15:44. > :15:49.the planet. We already know we have far more fossil fuel than we can
:15:50. > :15:52.afford to burn if we are mostly serious about achieving that
:15:53. > :15:57.likelihood. This is not an argument that only comes from the IPCC, I
:15:58. > :16:02.took the ministers still able to hear me, this is not only an Aardman
:16:03. > :16:06.that comes from the IPCC, but the global intergovernmental body
:16:07. > :16:10.advising all of us, it is not a argument that only comes from
:16:11. > :16:16.environmentalists and campaigners. Just recently, a few months ago,
:16:17. > :16:21.Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England, made much the same
:16:22. > :16:24.argument. Speaking, again, not to campaign, not the activists, but to
:16:25. > :16:28.financiers in the City of London come one of the national stability
:16:29. > :16:34.risk this country faces given our massive overexposure to the carbon
:16:35. > :16:37.bubble. This is an industry profoundly overvalued because it's
:16:38. > :16:43.values are based on the assumption that all those reserves will be
:16:44. > :16:49.turned into economic resources. We will be effectively put onto the
:16:50. > :16:53.global market and burned. The budget managed to between one fifth and one
:16:54. > :16:59.third of the world's proven reserves of oil, gas and coal, he said that
:17:00. > :17:03.estimate even of doing that approximately correct it would
:17:04. > :17:06.render the vast majority of reserves stranded, literally unbearable,
:17:07. > :17:10.which itself alters fossil fuel economics. This is a case that could
:17:11. > :17:14.be Scottish Government on a number of occasions and one previous
:17:15. > :17:20.minister, last climate change minister, appear to understand in
:17:21. > :17:24.October 2013I asked about that IPCC report and the growing consensus on
:17:25. > :17:27.the carbon bubble. He answered, I don't have a figure to give Mr happy
:17:28. > :17:31.for the percentage of fossil fuels that I would like to see remain
:17:32. > :17:34.under the earth, but I accept the point that if we were to burn all of
:17:35. > :17:40.the fossil fuels in the world we would be doing untold damage. Sadly
:17:41. > :17:46.Scotland's energy minister has repeatedly failed to endorse this
:17:47. > :17:52.basic argument. All of this comes before the most recent development
:17:53. > :17:56.in contests Zebre context, the Paris agreement. The carbon budget in the
:17:57. > :18:00.fifth assessment report is based on the 2 degrees target, the idea of
:18:01. > :18:03.creeping climate change to a limit of 2 degrees above preindustrial
:18:04. > :18:12.levels. The Paris agreement goes further. It notes with concern the
:18:13. > :18:16.estimated greenhouse gas emissions in 2025 and 2030 resulting from
:18:17. > :18:17.intended nationally determined contributions and says they do not
:18:18. > :18:22.fall within at least 2 degrees. Patrick Harvie of the
:18:23. > :18:24.Scottish Greens there. And staying at the Scottish
:18:25. > :18:26.Parliament, I'm joined by the Liberal Democrat Jim Hume,
:18:27. > :18:39.Labour's Claire Baker Claire Baker, let's start with
:18:40. > :18:43.tributes from you. You would presumably like to pay tribute,
:18:44. > :18:47.given today plus a job as figures, to George Osborne's economic policy?
:18:48. > :18:50.Obviously the figures today are encouraging for Scotland and it's
:18:51. > :18:54.good we seek a higher employment rate. By the figures there are still
:18:55. > :18:58.real concerns about the level of part-time employment in Scotland and
:18:59. > :19:02.the levels of low pay in Scotland. As the SEC have pointed out, the
:19:03. > :19:05.levels of an implement around women. There are still issues to be
:19:06. > :19:11.addressed. There are issues, but you're being a bit, June, I knew?
:19:12. > :19:16.Implement is at record levels. Record levels in recent years, not
:19:17. > :19:19.record levels. We see in Poland figures and slow growth in Scotland
:19:20. > :19:22.as well as across the rest of the UK. There is much more to be done to
:19:23. > :19:25.improve the quality of the employment of people are saying and
:19:26. > :19:30.opportunities people have availability to. What is your take
:19:31. > :19:36.on this Stewart? One moment the Scottish Government is saying it
:19:37. > :19:39.wants to campaign against George Osborne's fullest territory and was
:19:40. > :19:44.stimulate the economy and the next great new report record implement
:19:45. > :19:50.figures? They don't match up. We do have to welcome the announcement
:19:51. > :19:53.today from the Resolution Foundation and there are ports and welcome the
:19:54. > :19:58.fact that record numbers of people employment in Scotland since the
:19:59. > :20:03.recession. These figures go back to 2006. We do have to welcome that but
:20:04. > :20:05.at a same time we also have to recognise that there is still work
:20:06. > :20:10.to be done and the Scottish Government have been clear on that
:20:11. > :20:14.and will continue to work hard to ensure we do get more people into
:20:15. > :20:18.employment and continue to foster that grows in the Scottish economy.
:20:19. > :20:24.What does that mean? In specific terms, how can you claim that any of
:20:25. > :20:27.the growth and employment, which is mirroring what is happening in the
:20:28. > :20:31.UK as a whole, has anything to do in the Scottish Government? One of the
:20:32. > :20:35.things the Scottish, to have introduced, which you'll be aware
:20:36. > :20:40.of, is the increased number of individuals going into
:20:41. > :20:45.apprenticeship places and when you also consider the huge level of
:20:46. > :20:53.capital investment that the Scottish Government have put injuries cottage
:20:54. > :20:59.economy such as 30,000 houses being developed in Scotland and going
:21:00. > :21:04.forward we have a target of 50,000 houses in the next parliament if
:21:05. > :21:09.re-elected. Jim Hume, do you put any significance to the point that David
:21:10. > :21:13.Bell was making earlier in our programme that the condition of
:21:14. > :21:16.employment, arguably, despite the good news on employment, the Cubs
:21:17. > :21:22.have implement in Scotland appears to be worse than the rest of the UK?
:21:23. > :21:25.Smack the composition. It is great we have more people in employment
:21:26. > :21:30.but unemployment is still slightly higher than south of the border. We
:21:31. > :21:35.got to look at the reasons behind them but you're right point out that
:21:36. > :21:38.we have far more people in part-time jobs, so we're losing quality jobs
:21:39. > :21:43.and in the north-east you can see that with the oil industry, which we
:21:44. > :21:50.might be looking into afterwards and in the Scottish borders we have seen
:21:51. > :21:52.quite a few losses in jobs in the textiles industry. We are busy high
:21:53. > :21:57.quality jobs and we seem to gain more part-time jobs. That is not the
:21:58. > :22:05.balance I would like to see. Claire, what about oil? Which is figuring
:22:06. > :22:11.largely. Today it is trading about $20 per barrel? Do you think there
:22:12. > :22:17.is something more going on than a collapse in the price. This is, if
:22:18. > :22:20.not the end for the North Sea, is the beginning of the end? Obviously
:22:21. > :22:24.we are seeing a long-term decline in the North Sea but there is still
:22:25. > :22:28.much employment and productivity we can get from this asset we have in
:22:29. > :22:32.Scotland, a valuable asset. There is a crisis in the oil and gas sector
:22:33. > :22:36.at the moment and my own constituency and region there has
:22:37. > :22:41.been over 100 redundancies announced this week alone in companies that
:22:42. > :22:46.are supplying companies to the oil and gas sector. You can accuse the
:22:47. > :22:50.Government of being complacent, there is a real need to have another
:22:51. > :22:53.summit and make sure we have a better understanding of why we see
:22:54. > :22:56.these impact in the North Sea at Government should take
:22:57. > :22:59.responsibility for doing more research on having more bulletins
:23:00. > :23:05.and information on what the oil and gas sector is like in Scotland. More
:23:06. > :23:08.bulletins upfront now? I've never heard a politician say that before!
:23:09. > :23:12.They need to be more honest about the situation were facing. Over the
:23:13. > :23:16.last year they try to ignore the crisis, we had an SNP MSP on a
:23:17. > :23:20.couple of weeks ago saying there was no crisis, it's clear there are
:23:21. > :23:23.people using ethnic losing jobs in the north-east as well as in Fife
:23:24. > :23:26.and the Scottish Government needs to take a more serious look at this
:23:27. > :23:28.situation along with the UK Government and see how we can get
:23:29. > :23:33.over this difficult period because people working in that sector are
:23:34. > :23:39.dependent on that employment. Stewart, do you think the SNP and
:23:40. > :23:42.Scottish Government need to be more honest with people of Scotland about
:23:43. > :23:47.what has happened? Is only one year and a half since you told us that
:23:48. > :23:49.all the -- oil revenues could help cover the Scottish Government
:23:50. > :23:53.potential deficit independent Scotland. There were going to be too
:23:54. > :23:59.oil funds, want to find short-term capital expenditure and a long-term
:24:00. > :24:03.oil fund like Norway and know all of the money has gone. But there has
:24:04. > :24:07.been no attempt by the SNP or Scottish Government to say, look, we
:24:08. > :24:13.got that wrong, here's what the figures would be nine. As Nick would
:24:14. > :24:16.be now. Oil and gas revenues increase and decrease and as does
:24:17. > :24:21.the price of oil on a daily basis and 12 years ago the price of a
:24:22. > :24:28.barrel of oil was similar to what it is now. We've been in this situation
:24:29. > :24:31.before. In terms of going forward, clearly there are challenges for the
:24:32. > :24:40.oil and gas sector and with the sanctions regime they have been
:24:41. > :24:45.enlisted from a run and more oil... Do think it's incumbent for the
:24:46. > :24:50.Scottish and say we did all these mistakes and said we would do this
:24:51. > :24:53.with our money, here's what we will do now. The forecast at the time
:24:54. > :24:58.were based upon independent analysis as well and also the forecast to
:24:59. > :25:02.admit the SNP Scottish Government had produced at the time were less
:25:03. > :25:07.than the forecasts of the UK Government. As I said, the price of
:25:08. > :25:14.oil does increase and decrease, but on a daily basis. Going back to the
:25:15. > :25:18.North Sea industry, do you think, one of the arguments just now is
:25:19. > :25:21.that even if oil prices recover, because the North Sea industry is
:25:22. > :25:24.going into decline and you have to pay companies both to decommission
:25:25. > :25:30.saying that make things pagan subsidies to get difficult oil out
:25:31. > :25:36.of the sea that oil revenues have gone in terms of resources for the
:25:37. > :25:42.state? I think oil revenues are very important for the state. We
:25:43. > :25:47.furniture at Macmillan -- we heard Stewart McMillan compare the
:25:48. > :25:51.importance as Salva Kiir to UK as an entirety, the UK as a hoard is 2%
:25:52. > :25:55.relied on oil prices adverse Conditis 20%. Oil is important for
:25:56. > :26:01.the Scottish economy. Of course we got look at alternatives. Don't you
:26:02. > :26:07.remember that people voted no in the referendum, it is not reliant at all
:26:08. > :26:11.oil revenues. The SNP claimed that in an independent Scotland they
:26:12. > :26:17.would use so much from oil revenues, 100 plus pound a barrel, we've seen
:26:18. > :26:21.today date was $20 per barrel, obviously they did not get their
:26:22. > :26:26.sums right. What I'm trying to say is obviously oil is still importance
:26:27. > :26:30.to the area, there is many jobs and we don't want to talk the industry
:26:31. > :26:38.don't. We have to leave it there. Thank you very much indeed.
:26:39. > :26:40.Now a Parliamentary inquiry into the closure of the Forth Road
:26:41. > :26:44.An engineering consultant has told MSP's that a seized pin caused
:26:45. > :26:47.the crack in a truss under the carriageway which forced
:26:48. > :26:49.the bridge to close in the run up to Christmas.
:26:50. > :26:51.Richard Hornby said there was nothing in the inspection regime
:26:52. > :26:53.which would have discovered the seizure and advised that
:26:54. > :27:04.My recommendation would be that all those linkages get replaced because
:27:05. > :27:08.one, is shown itself to be time served, all of the others are
:27:09. > :27:13.ticking time bombs to a greater or lesser extent and they should all be
:27:14. > :27:18.repaired having worked out what the actual best solution is that for one
:27:19. > :27:21.-- for that one location and implement it on all eight corners.
:27:22. > :27:25.Andrew Picken of the Sunday Post is still with me.
:27:26. > :27:31.Sees pins, will this be the new buzzword for the ages? That the
:27:32. > :27:37.problem with the story it's very technical. It's interesting the
:27:38. > :27:45.enquiry is underway and focusing on the links, which I've had the
:27:46. > :27:51.pleasure of going through the reports talking about this sort of
:27:52. > :27:56.thing. What the story is about in Lehman's terms is the capital budget
:27:57. > :28:00.cuts that the bridge authority at the time had to endure in 2012. Do
:28:01. > :28:05.you think they were responsible for what has happened? Of course there
:28:06. > :28:11.is great efforts being made to say that had nothing to do with it? They
:28:12. > :28:18.had the 65% cut in their capital budget, they had to make choices and
:28:19. > :28:24.prioritise work against other things and to a calculator is gamble that
:28:25. > :28:28.we can strengthen this part of the bridge instead of replacing it,
:28:29. > :28:37.which would have cost ?15 million and caused an cold traffic chaos. --
:28:38. > :28:43.untold. The party took that decision at the time but as a consequence of
:28:44. > :28:47.central Government cuts to their funding. Back at that discussion we
:28:48. > :28:52.had there, do you think any politicians say anything sensible
:28:53. > :28:55.about oil revenues? It was like a rerun of 2014 again, wasn't it? The
:28:56. > :29:02.Greens debate is interesting, trying to move things on to post oil, they
:29:03. > :29:08.are coming at it from an environmental argument. Their
:29:09. > :29:11.argument seems to be that this 24 billion barrels that the SNP talk
:29:12. > :29:15.about, Patrick Hardy would say much of that should be left exactly where
:29:16. > :29:19.it is because of the effects on the climate if it was taken out and we
:29:20. > :29:22.should shift the economy in a different direction. Scotland does
:29:23. > :29:26.not have a great track record with the low carbon economy, does it?
:29:27. > :29:28.Think about the thousands of wind turbines across Scotland, the
:29:29. > :29:35.majority would have been manufactured overseas and a lot of
:29:36. > :29:40.them are owned by companies based overseas as well, where the profits
:29:41. > :29:44.go. It has been successes, but it's been a missed opportunity as well.
:29:45. > :29:48.It's also difficult to know, because there were hopes with things like
:29:49. > :29:52.title and everything, but that doesn't seem to be going very far?
:29:53. > :29:58.They have been hammered because of the subsidy cuts from UK Government.
:29:59. > :30:05.Back with you later on. The Health Secretary has expressed concern
:30:06. > :30:08.about the low levels of mental health officers in some local
:30:09. > :30:10.authorities following reports last weekend that hundreds of mentally
:30:11. > :30:23.ill people across the country are being detained against their will.
:30:24. > :30:25.Because they did not have the additional safeguard
:30:26. > :30:27.of a Mental Health Officer's consent when subjected
:30:28. > :30:32.to an emergency detention certificate.
:30:33. > :30:37.Emergency detention is only permissible where it is necessary as
:30:38. > :30:40.a matter of urgency because of a significant risk to the health,
:30:41. > :30:44.safety or welfare of the patients were safety of others. Medical
:30:45. > :30:47.practitioners are required to seek agreement from the mental health
:30:48. > :30:51.officer unless it is impractical for them to do so for example weather is
:30:52. > :30:54.an immediate serious or life-threatening danger to the
:30:55. > :30:57.patient and others around the patient. I am concerned by low
:30:58. > :31:01.levels of involvement by mental health officers in some areas as
:31:02. > :31:05.identified by the mental welfare commission in its annual monitoring
:31:06. > :31:08.report in September 20 15th, consent by mental health officers is an
:31:09. > :31:10.important safeguard and it is essential that local authorities
:31:11. > :31:14.ensure they have the appropriate goals of staff in place to meet
:31:15. > :31:18.statutory duties. I'm pleased to note that the mental welfare
:31:19. > :31:22.commission has plans to meet with one health board was there appears
:31:23. > :31:26.to be a particular issue on this. I look forward to hearing the
:31:27. > :31:29.outcomes. I have also asked the mental welfare commission to
:31:30. > :31:31.undertake analysis of the reasons why the medical practitioner has
:31:32. > :31:35.reported it was impractical for them to consult a medical health officer,
:31:36. > :31:38.and separately I have asked the Scottish Government's chief social
:31:39. > :31:43.worker adviser to investigate issues about the shortfall in mental health
:31:44. > :31:45.officers in local authorities with chief social worker officers and
:31:46. > :31:53.expect him to report back by the end of April. The situation is now that
:31:54. > :31:56.in the last report of the mental welfare commission has indicated,
:31:57. > :32:02.45% of those detained under the emergency detention system did not
:32:03. > :32:09.have a nHL, but this was an increase for 42% in the previous year, and
:32:10. > :32:12.37% year before. We have been in a deteriorating situation in which the
:32:13. > :32:17.mental welfare commission has drawn attention to in repeated reports. So
:32:18. > :32:21.I wonder in giving the new funding that is coming forward, whether she
:32:22. > :32:26.would give an -- considered giving specifically allocated funds to the
:32:27. > :32:31.local authorities to recruit more mental health officers. Short-term
:32:32. > :32:34.detention certificates should be granted wherever possible, in
:32:35. > :32:37.preference to an emergency detention certificate given the additional
:32:38. > :32:42.protections that they provide for the patient. So there are a number
:32:43. > :32:47.of issues that I think we need to look at and understand better which
:32:48. > :32:50.is right in my original and so I asked for a number of piece of work
:32:51. > :32:54.to look at this, to understand better some of the reasons but more
:32:55. > :32:59.importantly what action we can take. Richard Simson asked about the
:33:00. > :33:05.resources that have been allocated to help over the next five years,
:33:06. > :33:10.150 million of additional resources. Of course he will be aware of is it
:33:11. > :33:17.that there is a clear separation between the rules of the mental
:33:18. > :33:20.health officers employed by local authorities and the NHS for good
:33:21. > :33:26.reason that they may be investigating issues within the NHS,
:33:27. > :33:30.which is why where I would normally .2 I JBs B territory where these
:33:31. > :33:36.things can be resolved, there is a more compact issue here because of
:33:37. > :33:40.the potential conflict of interests, we need to be quite careful. However
:33:41. > :33:44.what I will do is once we have the reports back, and if that waste is
:33:45. > :33:48.specific action that these to be taken, and if there is an element of
:33:49. > :33:53.resorting behind that, of course I will give consideration to whether
:33:54. > :33:57.or not there requires to be further work in that domain, but I think we
:33:58. > :34:01.should wait and see what the issues are first. Given the shortage of
:34:02. > :34:06.mental health officers has been an increasing problem for some time,
:34:07. > :34:10.can I ask the Cabinet Secretary, given that mental health officers in
:34:11. > :34:16.terms of is sectioning patients, given that this is not a legal
:34:17. > :34:22.requirement, it is an important safeguard and it is best practice,
:34:23. > :34:25.will be government considered now making mental health officers input
:34:26. > :34:32.and support a legal requirement in order to ensure that that input
:34:33. > :34:36.happens at the time a patient is sectioned and ensure that numbers
:34:37. > :34:41.are now brought forward to be fully trained and suitably qualified to
:34:42. > :34:45.fill the gap? It is about getting the balance. That we don't restrict
:34:46. > :34:48.action being taken that is required for immediate safety of the patient
:34:49. > :34:53.and potentially others around them as well. With the best practice of
:34:54. > :34:58.involving in mental health officer. Again I would be happy to keep her
:34:59. > :35:01.involved in some of the discussions that will be taken forward with the
:35:02. > :35:03.mental welfare commission and the chief social worker adviser.
:35:04. > :35:05.Back to the chamber now where the independent
:35:06. > :35:07.and Scottish Green group of MSPs has been calling
:35:08. > :35:10.for the Scottish Government to plan a transition away from what they see
:35:11. > :35:12.as an over-reliance on fossil fuels and the jobs created
:35:13. > :35:15.The Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism -
:35:16. > :35:22.Fergus Ewing - is responding for the Government.
:35:23. > :35:31.We need them again to look at tax rates. We need to look at extending
:35:32. > :35:34.the investment allowance to enable great if feels to continue their
:35:35. > :35:38.work. Lastly we need to continue the good work we are doing in respect of
:35:39. > :35:42.decommissioning. We in the Scottish Government to our economic develop
:35:43. > :35:46.agencies have worked closely with many players here and have done a
:35:47. > :35:50.great amount of work. I can cite one example, the work taking place in
:35:51. > :35:58.Lerwick with the partnership between the port authority and it is an SPS,
:35:59. > :36:01.a major company in the field. So in conclusion, Presiding Officer, they
:36:02. > :36:06.believe it is in all our interests to have both a thriving and
:36:07. > :36:10.successful oil and gas industry which navigates these more severe
:36:11. > :36:17.challenges, but also going forward a thriving unsuccessful renewable
:36:18. > :36:22.sector -- and successful. I believe that as the energy minister over the
:36:23. > :36:27.last five years, we have made considerable efforts to achieve both
:36:28. > :36:43.objectives and we will certainly continue so to do. Many thanks.
:36:44. > :36:51.Amendment 1356 .2 point one. In the name of Fergus Ewing. You have six
:36:52. > :36:54.minutes. Thank you. Can I start by welcoming the opportunity presented
:36:55. > :36:57.to us this afternoon by the Independent and green group for a
:36:58. > :37:02.debate on North Sea oil and gas. It is indeed a very well timed debate.
:37:03. > :37:07.Only on Monday, the economy, energy and tourism committee by Justice
:37:08. > :37:10.report on future prospects for oil and gas in Scotland. Patrick Harvie
:37:11. > :37:14.of course sits on a committee and to be fair to him he did dissent from
:37:15. > :37:17.four of the committee's recommendations in that report. I
:37:18. > :37:21.noticed he was in the press yesterday describing reports
:37:22. > :37:24.conclusions as reckless, which I think is rather unfortunate I wish
:37:25. > :37:28.to use from a report that was supported by all the other members
:37:29. > :37:32.of the committee, all other parties represented, a report which is in my
:37:33. > :37:35.view measured unbalanced. A report which has been warmly welcomed by
:37:36. > :37:39.those in the sector and those whose jobs depend on it. The fact this
:37:40. > :37:44.debate is timely is probably the kindest thing I can say about the
:37:45. > :37:47.motions afternoon. Pour it is a remarkably downbeat depressing view
:37:48. > :37:53.of a sector, which is still of great importance to the Scottish economy.
:37:54. > :37:57.The overwhelming view of the coming enterprise and tourism committee was
:37:58. > :37:59.that with the appropriate support from government and enhanced
:38:00. > :38:03.collaboration, a sustainable industry can emerge from an existing
:38:04. > :38:08.downturn. Of course it is so long ago since we heard the Green Party
:38:09. > :38:13.banging on about peak oil. We don't need too long it in this chamber to
:38:14. > :38:17.remember Mr Harvey his colleagues that oil production was at record
:38:18. > :38:22.high levels, that the oil was going to run out very soon and that oil
:38:23. > :38:26.prices were on an embassy upwards trajectory and they would become
:38:27. > :38:31.increasingly unaffordable commodity. Today as we look at an oil price per
:38:32. > :38:34.barrel of just $28, these predictions have as much fidelity as
:38:35. > :38:39.though they said that the finances of an independent Scotland would be
:38:40. > :38:44.based on oil price of 110 dollars a barrel or more. They got a
:38:45. > :38:47.spectacular rerun. They have now changed their tune and are now
:38:48. > :38:54.saying that the decline in oil price needs transition away from fossil
:38:55. > :38:59.fuels towards a new economy. Yes, Mr Harvey can remind us of everything
:39:00. > :39:03.you said about peak oil if he wants. I am sure that Mr Fraser understands
:39:04. > :39:06.the reality of peak oil arguments and they bear no relationship to his
:39:07. > :39:11.words a few moments ago but will he at least acknowledge that our key
:39:12. > :39:15.argument, whether oil prices are high or low is that burning all the
:39:16. > :39:20.stuff we have got is simply incompatible with our own survival.
:39:21. > :39:26.That the context of bring forward is one of geology, but she'll politics
:39:27. > :39:30.and economics? The fundamental problem with his argument is that he
:39:31. > :39:33.assumes that the only use to which we put hydrocarbons is to burn them.
:39:34. > :39:39.There are many other uses to which we put harder carbons. If he visits
:39:40. > :39:43.the plant in Grangemouth he will see that hydrocarbons are used as the
:39:44. > :39:48.raw material in production of a whole range of products, hardly a
:39:49. > :39:51.thing we use in the model world that does not include some elements of
:39:52. > :39:55.hydrocarbons as source material so this is not just about having
:39:56. > :39:58.industry to produce material we can burn, it is also about having
:39:59. > :40:04.industry that produces material that provide essential components in
:40:05. > :40:07.virtually every area of modern life. Unlike other members of the
:40:08. > :40:11.Parliamentary committee, I am well aware of the decline in the sector
:40:12. > :40:14.with some 65,000 jobs that are helping support and new job losses
:40:15. > :40:18.being announced almost on a weekly basis. We also know that nature of
:40:19. > :40:22.the industry is cyclical. If you look back on changes in oil price
:40:23. > :40:26.over the last 40 years. We see that oil prices go up and down. While
:40:27. > :40:29.none of us can accurately predict the future, what we can do is expect
:40:30. > :40:34.that there will be a recovery sooner or later. There will be understated
:40:35. > :40:37.support in the coming decades and what our role today is to ensure
:40:38. > :40:41.that the industry gets the support it needs in the interim. So three
:40:42. > :40:46.areas where I believe action is required. The first is in drowning
:40:47. > :40:49.out costs and inefficiency were already the industry is taking
:40:50. > :40:52.action and undoubtably be low price is a driver to help this happen more
:40:53. > :40:55.quickly than otherwise would be the case. The second is in relation to
:40:56. > :40:59.tax. The industry was very pleased with the changes brought in by the
:41:00. > :41:03.Chancellor last year. While the result is room for more changes to
:41:04. > :41:06.been considered and I know that the cancer will be considering these in
:41:07. > :41:10.the run-up to the budget this year, the evidence -- Chancellor. The
:41:11. > :41:17.evidence that tax changes are not in fact -the list of industry demands
:41:18. > :41:18.of the present time. That was Fraser from the Scottish Conservatives
:41:19. > :41:22.there. You can follow that on the Holyrood
:41:23. > :41:28.website. Now - to Prime Ministers Questions,
:41:29. > :41:31.where the Labour opposition leader pressed David Cameron
:41:32. > :41:33.on why his government was abolishing Jeremy Corbyn said Mr Cameron had
:41:34. > :41:37."form" for hitting the less well off with unannounced policies
:41:38. > :41:39.that did not feature But the prime minister
:41:40. > :41:42.defended his plans, saying they would allow more
:41:43. > :41:44.people to go to university as they were "uncapping
:41:45. > :41:52.aspiration". In 2010, the Prime Minister's
:41:53. > :42:00.government travel tuition fees to ?9,000. Defending it by saying they
:42:01. > :42:04.would be increasing maintenance grants for students from less
:42:05. > :42:09.well-off backgrounds. They are now scrapping those very same grounds
:42:10. > :42:14.they used to boast about them being increased. -- grants. Where is the
:42:15. > :42:19.sense in doing this? Why are they abolishing those maintenance grants?
:42:20. > :42:23.The sense in doing this is we want to uncap university places so as
:42:24. > :42:27.many young people and our children in our country who wants to go to
:42:28. > :42:30.university can go to university and that is what we are doing. And
:42:31. > :42:35.before too much shouting from the party opposite, when they were in
:42:36. > :42:38.government it was labour that introduced the fees and loans
:42:39. > :42:44.system. Thousands of civilians have been killed in Yemen including a
:42:45. > :42:48.large number of the Saudi air force. We have done that using British
:42:49. > :42:53.built planes with pilots who are trained by British instructors who
:42:54. > :42:59.are dropping British made bombs and are coordinated by the Saudis and
:43:00. > :43:04.the presence of British military advisers. Isn't it time for the
:43:05. > :43:08.Prime Minister to admit that Britain is effectively taking part in a war
:43:09. > :43:13.in Yemen that is costing thousands of civilian lives and he has not
:43:14. > :43:19.sought Parliamentary approval to do that? I think the Right Honourable
:43:20. > :43:24.Gentleman started in a serious place but then seriously wandered off. It
:43:25. > :43:30.is in our interest that we back the legitimate government of Yemen and
:43:31. > :43:33.it is right to do that. We have some of the most stringent arms control
:43:34. > :43:37.measures of any country in the world, but just to be absolutely
:43:38. > :43:41.clear about our role, we are not a member of the Saudi led coalition.
:43:42. > :43:45.British military personnel are not directly involved in the Saudi led
:43:46. > :43:49.coalition operations. Personnel are not involved in carrying abstracts,
:43:50. > :43:53.directing or conducting operations in Yemen or selecting targets and we
:43:54. > :43:55.are not involved in the Saudi targeting decision making process.
:43:56. > :44:19.But yes, do we provide training and advice and help in
:44:20. > :44:21.order to make sure that countries actually do obey the norms of
:44:22. > :44:24.humanitarian law? Yes, we do. There is concern on all sides about the
:44:25. > :44:27.recent rather patchwork approach to constitutional reform. We need a new
:44:28. > :44:29.act of union, one which sets out the rules and responsibilities so that
:44:30. > :44:31.the process of devolution by consent will be both fairer and more
:44:32. > :44:33.compensable. We'll be Prime Minister agreed to meet with me and other
:44:34. > :44:36.members of the constitutional reform group to discuss a new act of union.
:44:37. > :44:39.We come from all the major political parties including experts such as
:44:40. > :44:41.Lord Lisvane better known to this house as the former clerk Robert
:44:42. > :44:45.Rogers. Very happy to meet with the honourable lady who has great
:44:46. > :44:49.expertise in this area. What I believe and I think where would be
:44:50. > :44:53.common interest in is what we are trying to do as a government is find
:44:54. > :44:59.the devolution settlement that works for all of the devolved nations of
:45:00. > :45:02.the United Kingdom, including importantly for England as well. I
:45:03. > :45:06.think we have made some very good progress with the further devolution
:45:07. > :45:09.measures we have had in Scotland and Wales the maintenance of the
:45:10. > :45:12.devolved Assembly in Northern Ireland. If there are further
:45:13. > :45:17.measures we can take I am very happy to see them but I don't necessarily
:45:18. > :45:21.believe that simply write anything down in one place. The problem but I
:45:22. > :45:25.am happy to meet with her. Does he agree with me that our nuclear
:45:26. > :45:29.deterrent only works against our nation's enemies of our nuclear
:45:30. > :45:32.submarines actually are equipped with nuclear missiles? And that
:45:33. > :45:36.those such as the Leader of the Opposition who do not believe that
:45:37. > :45:40.having the defence policy inspired by the Beatles yellow submarine and
:45:41. > :45:42.while the members opposite may twist and shout the current leader
:45:43. > :45:53.certainly needs help. I congratulate my friend Matt on his
:45:54. > :46:00.ingenious question. There is a comic element descending submarines to see
:46:01. > :46:03.without missiles but it is absolutely serious because the
:46:04. > :46:11.deterrent has been on a cross-party basis and absolutely key part of our
:46:12. > :46:14.defence and making sure we have got the ultimate insurance policy which
:46:15. > :46:19.we support from this site we should vote on in this house. All I can say
:46:20. > :46:21.when it comes to Beatles songs is that the Leader of the Opposition
:46:22. > :46:24.prefers back in the USSR. Let's cross to College Green
:46:25. > :46:36.outside Parliament now, On one guarantee. No more Beatles
:46:37. > :46:40.jokes? No, I was thinking about to say it to me namely a Beatles song.
:46:41. > :46:46.I am a great Beatles fan but whatever I did would not be funny so
:46:47. > :46:49.I will resist that temptation. It might be a question I thought my
:46:50. > :46:54.guests and they're all looking slightly worried now. Lord Jim
:46:55. > :47:00.Wallace for the Liberal Democrats come Iain Murray from Labour, Hannah
:47:01. > :47:04.Bardell for the SNP and John Stephenson for the Conservatives.
:47:05. > :47:10.John Stevenson, unemployment figures could today but there is a feeling
:47:11. > :47:15.that perhaps there are dark economic clouds around the corner? I have
:47:16. > :47:19.welcomed the news today because we have seen it go back turned
:47:20. > :47:23.prerecession levels, more people in implement and the average salary
:47:24. > :47:26.going up by 2%, inflation is low, meaning the standard of living is
:47:27. > :47:30.improving. There's lots of positive news and I agree we should never be
:47:31. > :47:33.complacent, we got to make sure we stick to our long-term economic plan
:47:34. > :47:37.and make sure the economy continues to grow and we continue to see in
:47:38. > :47:41.climate grow as well. Your Government has been very critical of
:47:42. > :47:45.what the Government down here at Westminster has done. Yet we have
:47:46. > :47:48.record implement in Scotland? We do, that is very much to be welcomed.
:47:49. > :47:53.Scotland is doing better than the rest of the UK in terms of implement
:47:54. > :47:57.figures, particularly in youth employment, more people going to
:47:58. > :48:01.bolster destinations than before, over 90% across Scotland. There are
:48:02. > :48:04.still ?12 billion of welfare cuts coming down the line and hitting
:48:05. > :48:09.some of the poorest families harder and families that are in work, 6000
:48:10. > :48:13.people in my constituency going to be affected. It's great to more
:48:14. > :48:16.people in employment but it's about good quality long-term jobs as
:48:17. > :48:21.insuring we protect the poorest in our society. Iain Murray, as far as
:48:22. > :48:25.Scotland is concerned we've heard of record implement levels they are to
:48:26. > :48:31.be welcomed, but if you go to the north-east of Scotland, there are
:48:32. > :48:34.very bit concerned about the oil industry? Absolutely, the oil and
:48:35. > :48:38.gas industry, there is a concern at the moment and it seemed oil price
:48:39. > :48:41.private -- plummet further with the Iranians sanctions lifted more oil
:48:42. > :48:44.will come onto the market and it looks like the oil price will be
:48:45. > :48:48.consistently low for a long period of time that at this year 's
:48:49. > :48:51.concerns and I just spoke to the Chancellor to ask him to look at his
:48:52. > :48:56.budget again to see what help you can provide and I'm sure cross-party
:48:57. > :48:59.everyone will do everything they can to make sure the anchor that
:49:00. > :49:03.industry in Aberdeen and the city deal would be a big part of that
:49:04. > :49:06.they the Chancellor comes to a conclusion. Interestingly the
:49:07. > :49:08.Resolution Foundation report unemployment and an implement is
:49:09. > :49:12.interesting because it highlights key areas. You mentioned some of the
:49:13. > :49:15.headwinds but particularly in Scotland there is an issue around
:49:16. > :49:18.getting disabled people into employment and people with low
:49:19. > :49:22.qualifications. It is lagging behind the rest of the UK and that's why
:49:23. > :49:25.I'm pleased the work reason Paris in the Scotland Bill will be devolved
:49:26. > :49:30.to Scotland so it can design his own system to get its people back into
:49:31. > :49:33.work. In hindsight, when you were in college and Government some of your
:49:34. > :49:38.colleagues were very concerned about what the Conservatives wanted to do
:49:39. > :49:42.that with hindsight, where the Conservatives right about austerity?
:49:43. > :49:46.It appears as though in employment terms the economy is turning? We
:49:47. > :49:49.knew we had difficult as it is today, it was a coalition decision.
:49:50. > :49:55.The Conservatives cannot take all the greater things are improving, we
:49:56. > :49:58.took the hit at the last election but many things we did were right
:49:59. > :50:03.and it was not on the right path to get these implement levels. There is
:50:04. > :50:07.no room for complacency. The point being made by the low oil price and
:50:08. > :50:11.real challenges facing the oil and gas industry in the North East,
:50:12. > :50:16.that's why both governments have got to work and I fear sometimes there
:50:17. > :50:21.is complacency, SNP MSP tells us the oil industry is in good health, I
:50:22. > :50:23.don't know where he is, he cannot be picking up messages from his own
:50:24. > :50:27.constituents, both governments have got to address these issues have
:50:28. > :50:32.been European's point, the report as a number of recommendations that I'm
:50:33. > :50:35.apply to both governments and I hope that both will be responding to try
:50:36. > :50:40.and address some of the issues of people with disabilities and lower
:50:41. > :50:44.skill levels. We will probably get something on the oil industry in the
:50:45. > :50:48.upcoming budget. That will be a big Parliamentary occasion. Another
:50:49. > :50:53.potential big parliamentary occasion will be when Westminster MPs get the
:50:54. > :50:57.chance to vote on the renewal of Trident. In party political terms
:50:58. > :51:03.with the divisions within the Labour Party, this is a gift for you, isn't
:51:04. > :51:06.it? It is sad that for many years we had a consensus between the two
:51:07. > :51:10.major parties about our defence policy with regard to the nuclear
:51:11. > :51:13.deterrent. It's a shame you're starting to see that change, Dodig
:51:14. > :51:19.is good for the country and people of this country would like it and
:51:20. > :51:22.from my party's perspective we will be renewing Trident and supporting
:51:23. > :51:26.the renewal of Trident. I think it's very sad to see that they've been
:51:27. > :51:28.now got to a union that list part is developing a little thing that's
:51:29. > :51:32.good and don't think the people of this country would like to see that
:51:33. > :51:37.either. Hannah, it will come as no surprise that your party will be
:51:38. > :51:40.voting against the Government on this. Absolutely, it's important to
:51:41. > :51:43.render that for some time politicians and people across
:51:44. > :51:48.Scotland have been united in their opposition to Trident. ?167 billion
:51:49. > :51:53.to be spent on a nuclear warhead we will never use and we have some of
:51:54. > :51:56.the poorest people in society becoming poorer. On the matter of
:51:57. > :52:02.oil and .com there's a report today from the Robert Gordon University,
:52:03. > :52:05.saying that all powers should be devolved to Scotland for the oil and
:52:06. > :52:07.gas industry because the UK Government is failing the industry.
:52:08. > :52:11.We heard political point scoring from parties on both sides,
:52:12. > :52:16.particularly from the Government, added gleeful joy that the oil price
:52:17. > :52:19.has dropped. We must unite and do everything we can to support the
:52:20. > :52:22.industry. There's been some positive noises but we hope that tax
:52:23. > :52:30.allowances will be strongly considered by the UK Government.
:52:31. > :52:33.Going to the topic of Trident, your party is quite divided on this
:52:34. > :52:37.issue? Has been clear, the party policy of the Labour Party as we
:52:38. > :52:42.currently stand is to renew the nuclear deterrent, there is no split
:52:43. > :52:46.in that sense. That is is table position and can only be changed at
:52:47. > :52:50.the conference, which is not until September. We're going through a
:52:51. > :52:53.defence review just now and my leader as a different view to the
:52:54. > :52:56.party policy. I have a different view to the party policy at the
:52:57. > :53:00.moment but that's clearly where we are and that defence review will
:53:01. > :53:04.run. Emily Thornaby has put out the terms and conditions of the review,
:53:05. > :53:08.including the renewal of Trident and will see where it goes. I wouldn't
:53:09. > :53:15.say that any debate on the subject is division, the country is divided
:53:16. > :53:20.and I did a straw poll of about 120 people and was on was 50-50. It's no
:53:21. > :53:24.wonder that there are two from views about the revered -- we will try to.
:53:25. > :53:27.It's a complex and difficult subject unveiled the defence review comes to
:53:28. > :53:30.a sensible conclusions we can take that followed the conference. The
:53:31. > :53:33.vote could be before then and let's not forget that the Conservatives
:53:34. > :53:36.already have an overall majority in the house, it looks like they are
:53:37. > :53:40.pretty solid in terms of this particular issue, so they will
:53:41. > :53:45.probably get renewal in any case, but let's have a proper debate. That
:53:46. > :53:51.a point, we know the Conservatives support this and they have a
:53:52. > :53:55.majority on this issue. For the good of Parliament, might be good to get
:53:56. > :53:59.this sooner rather than later? It is in the Government's hands. I suspect
:54:00. > :54:02.it will try to make some political capital out of it if it causes
:54:03. > :54:05.embarrassment to some of the other parties. I don't think is the best
:54:06. > :54:11.way of doing such a fundamental position. -- decision. We don't
:54:12. > :54:15.support like-for-like replacement, we want to de-escalate and say they
:54:16. > :54:18.should be de-escalation and it's worth remembering that in
:54:19. > :54:22.Government, as did the previous Labour Government, the number you
:54:23. > :54:26.nuclear warheads we had reduced quite significantly that must
:54:27. > :54:30.continue that. I don't believe you achieve anything by relocating
:54:31. > :54:34.Trident from the Clyde to barrel or wherever, that does not do anything
:54:35. > :54:39.for reducing nuclear capability and that's what we should concentrate
:54:40. > :54:44.on. Final question, the issue of Trident, is it something that could
:54:45. > :54:48.almost hijack the Scottish parliamentary elections if we get a
:54:49. > :54:52.vote in the next month or so? I don't know, there are wider issues
:54:53. > :54:55.for the Scottish by Mngeni elections when you look at devolution, the
:54:56. > :54:59.Scottish Parliamentary elections are about it is happening in Scotland,
:55:00. > :55:02.health, education, policing, and that's what it should be about.
:55:03. > :55:06.Trident is a national issue that should be decided here at
:55:07. > :55:10.Westminster and clear about that. That just shows the lack of
:55:11. > :55:14.understanding of the issue in Scotland. People do see this as a
:55:15. > :55:19.Scottish issue, of course, it's an issue across the UK, but the nuclear
:55:20. > :55:22.warhead is in Scottish waters and those convoys are going through
:55:23. > :55:25.Scottish streets and one of my colleagues had a ten minute rule
:55:26. > :55:30.Bill on this issue today but overall Beeb will want to know what the key
:55:31. > :55:36.issues are for people of Scotland, the economy, and what the SNP will
:55:37. > :55:37.be doing. I hope Trident does not overshadow the Scottish
:55:38. > :55:41.Parliamentary elections because this will be his first Scottish
:55:42. > :55:44.Parliamentary elections with proper fiscal power was coming and we want
:55:45. > :55:46.to hold the SNP Government to account on their deplorable record
:55:47. > :55:52.in terms of public services. The biggest issue that might overshadow
:55:53. > :55:57.the elections is a potential EU referendum on the 30th of June. As
:55:58. > :56:02.the danger. I think, Trident might come into it. Scottish opinion is
:56:03. > :56:05.not clear-cut as we are alleged to Lee. Opinion polls show there are
:56:06. > :56:09.mixed views within Scotland. We should look at what the response of
:56:10. > :56:13.those is our office discovered a Scottish parliament and what their
:56:14. > :56:16.record on education and health and police and transport and they have
:56:17. > :56:22.lots of arguing to do. Thank you very much. That is it from us. Let
:56:23. > :56:27.it be. No! Time for some final
:56:28. > :56:38.thoughts from you Andrew. Economy, it strikes me watching
:56:39. > :56:42.that, a few years ago, 2010, 2011, both the SNP and Labour had a good
:56:43. > :56:47.narrative on the economy. Austerity is wrong, it's increasing the
:56:48. > :56:50.downturn in the economy, is wrong-headed not just for the
:56:51. > :56:54.effects on people but for the effects on the economy as a whole.
:56:55. > :57:01.Do you think the SNP and Labour have a problem now? You're not taking
:57:02. > :57:05.account of this, there is no real narrative, is there? The job figures
:57:06. > :57:09.have fluctuated but overall things are getting better. It makes it a
:57:10. > :57:15.lot more difficult from the point I made earlier in terms of the detail
:57:16. > :57:18.below it, in terms of the mill in Plymouth, that is where the argument
:57:19. > :57:22.will move onto if they cannot move on to the headline. -- female
:57:23. > :57:28.employment that if you George Osborne you say, I accept, I will
:57:29. > :57:32.try and do my best. You have no intellectual critique. It is the
:57:33. > :57:38.simplest argument. Everyone can understand that fewer people are out
:57:39. > :57:42.of work. Trident, relisted literally do you think that would dominate the
:57:43. > :57:47.Scottish election? Is hard to say, the SNP would want it to be but for
:57:48. > :57:51.the people watching at home, they need to know its academic because
:57:52. > :57:54.the Tories had a majority, so of course it will pass. This is about
:57:55. > :58:00.political embarrassment and I don't think that chimes with people. The
:58:01. > :58:04.most interesting thing was Iain Murray's answers. Rather than say,
:58:05. > :58:10.and he is against renewal, is said of saying I'm against renewal, he is
:58:11. > :58:13.saying it is not an issue, Labour Party policy will not change before
:58:14. > :58:18.its conference, contrary to what we heard last week, can we just pleased
:58:19. > :58:25.to talk about this. It is incredibly difficult for him, isn't it?
:58:26. > :58:28.Everything he said is right, but the reality of the politics is they are
:58:29. > :58:32.so divided on this issue. He did not even mention the fact that fact that
:58:33. > :58:37.the Scottish Labour Party just voted against rearing Trident. Look the
:58:38. > :58:42.other way, he did was to Galway and lots of people in Labour do but for
:58:43. > :58:43.a lot of people in Labour it's a defining issue and they will rebel
:58:44. > :58:44.on this. That's all we have time
:58:45. > :58:46.for this afternoon. We'll have live coverage
:58:47. > :58:48.of First Minister's Questions tomorrow at midday -
:58:49. > :58:50.and I'll be back with Hope you can join us then,
:58:51. > :58:57.but from everyone here,