:00:18. > :00:27.MSPHello, a very warm welcome to the Scottish parliament here at
:00:28. > :00:31.Holyrood. Only one underlying topic, the White Paper on independence
:00:32. > :00:35.which we expect on Tuesday. That and perhaps the views it dressed by
:00:36. > :00:40.Carwyn Jones, the Welsh first Minister, who does not fancy a
:00:41. > :00:48.post-independent sterling zone. Questions to the First Minister is
:00:49. > :00:54.the first subject of this project. If those companies get that level of
:00:55. > :00:58.training, if you can get into the North Sea, you can drill anywhere in
:00:59. > :01:03.the world, that will help global operations not just in Scotland but
:01:04. > :01:10.in Canada, Nigeria and wherever else they have operations. We take this
:01:11. > :01:18.extraordinarily seriously, that Scotland's expertise will help
:01:19. > :01:22.companies across the world, we hope to do that to the great training
:01:23. > :01:30.institutes we have in this country. We now move to first Minister
:01:31. > :01:35.questions. What engagements does he have planned for the rest of the
:01:36. > :01:40.day? Engagements to take forward the government's programme for Scotland.
:01:41. > :01:45.This week, the Institute of fiscal studies, a respected independent
:01:46. > :01:50.think tank often quoted by the First Minister, said because of falling
:01:51. > :01:56.North Sea oil revenues and an ageing population, an independent Scotland
:01:57. > :01:59.would faces significant tax rises or public spending cuts. I do not
:02:00. > :02:04.suppose any of us will get an answer but with a cock of the head and an
:02:05. > :02:15.indignant sideways look, could the First Minister tell us why they are
:02:16. > :02:22.scaremongering like this? I thought, as the ISS indicates, it
:02:23. > :02:26.would increase the tax base by growing the economy and generating
:02:27. > :02:32.extra revenue. I do not know if she is aware of this, but on the model
:02:33. > :02:37.that the EIS tests were using, it suggests the United Kingdom will be
:02:38. > :02:42.in deficit for every one of the next 50 years, the next half-century. And
:02:43. > :02:46.then indicates the UK governments will have to raise taxation or
:02:47. > :02:51.reduce expenditure to meet that sustainable position, that is what
:02:52. > :02:54.the model tells you. I think instead of looking at that, what we should
:02:55. > :03:01.be looking out in Scotland is how we will change the circumstances of the
:03:02. > :03:04.country by using investment to grow the economy, to generate more jobs,
:03:05. > :03:14.more revenue and give us a sustainable future. They are just
:03:15. > :03:17.asking us to look at the real world. Why would we bother with that
:03:18. > :03:24.malarkey when we can make things up a cigar along? -- as we go along?
:03:25. > :03:29.Presumably how we will deal with an ageing population, we will all just
:03:30. > :03:38.get younger and independents. ?300,000 worth of oil of you lay for
:03:39. > :03:44.each man, woman and child. The IFS says even in the most optimistic
:03:45. > :03:51.forecasts, income tax would have to go up by 8p or VAT rise to 27% to
:03:52. > :03:55.feel the fiscal black hole. Chuckling at his own jokes, as he
:03:56. > :03:59.likes to do, and selectively quoting lines that suits his argument, I am
:04:00. > :04:04.sure he is looking for them right now, selectively quoting lines that
:04:05. > :04:09.suit his argument, that -- could the First Minister tell us why the
:04:10. > :04:15.people of Scotland should believe him rather then the evidence of
:04:16. > :04:22.their own eyes? Let's talk about what is agreed in the IFS report. On
:04:23. > :04:28.page nine, which confirms that Scotland pays more per head in the
:04:29. > :04:34.UK at the moment, and page 11, which confirms Scotland is in a stronger
:04:35. > :04:39.fiscal position and the rest of the UK. The average revenues raised by
:04:40. > :04:46.person in the UK -- in Scotland, prices were higher than the UK in a
:04:47. > :04:49.whole. The IFS has validated an argument which I have brought this
:04:50. > :04:54.chamber many times from the government, economic revenue
:04:55. > :04:58.service, their forecast, that Scotland more than pays its way in
:04:59. > :05:05.the United Kingdom at the moment. If we take the last five years that has
:05:06. > :05:09.been billions of pounds which could have been invested in Scottish
:05:10. > :05:14.public services, or load the rate of borrowing or accommodation of both.
:05:15. > :05:17.But because of the position within the United Kingdom, these results
:05:18. > :05:21.have not been available to Scotland. Our case is simple, instead of not
:05:22. > :05:26.having these resources available, why do we not invest in the
:05:27. > :05:31.economy, grow productivity growth exports? Make sure we have got the
:05:32. > :05:35.growth in the economy which generate more revenue? Then we will not be
:05:36. > :05:40.able to have the dreadful future forecasts over the next 50 years for
:05:41. > :05:47.the UK by the IFS's own forecast, which says it will be in deficit for
:05:48. > :05:52.the next 50 years. Johanne Lamont says an independent Scotland would
:05:53. > :05:56.change the age structure of the country. How would we do that?
:05:57. > :05:59.Perhaps we could do that by allowing young Scots who wants to work in
:06:00. > :06:07.this country to have the opportunity to escape in Scotland! Perhaps we
:06:08. > :06:12.could do it by not kicking out of the country the many skilled young
:06:13. > :06:15.people who come to study at our universities, desperately wants to
:06:16. > :06:19.work for a time permanently in Scotland but are kicked out by the
:06:20. > :06:25.Borders agency? Wouldn't that helped change the age structure? But of
:06:26. > :06:29.course, these things must be right because they are controlled from
:06:30. > :06:33.London. And Johann Lamont backs control of immigration policy from
:06:34. > :06:43.London which would consign us to that. In the central forecast of the
:06:44. > :06:49.IFS, it postulates posterior -- population growth in Scotland 4%
:06:50. > :06:55.over the next 50 years. The of Scotland has grown by 5% over the
:06:56. > :06:59.last ten years. What the IFS does tell us, if we remain trapped in the
:07:00. > :07:04.policy is governed by Westminster, we have got a very poor prospect
:07:05. > :07:12.indeed for Scotland. If we grow the economy, but investment in, then we
:07:13. > :07:17.have a bright and certain future. Another of the First Minister's
:07:18. > :07:27.tricks is to go on and on answering a question he was not asked. Only
:07:28. > :07:32.the First Minister, the IFS says in its most optimistic forecast, income
:07:33. > :07:36.tax and VAT would have to go up to fill the fiscal black hole. Only the
:07:37. > :07:45.First Minister could say that the IFS validates his edition. It does
:07:46. > :07:48.not. Eye would not be surprised if there are convicted Enron executives
:07:49. > :07:54.across the United States at this moment planning appeals saying, I
:07:55. > :08:01.know we have fiddled figures, but Alex Salmond has it to a whole new
:08:02. > :08:07.level. With every... With every economic paper the First Minister
:08:08. > :08:17.publishes, Fred Goodwin must feel a day closer to redemption. Each
:08:18. > :08:24.prospectus, each one must make Bernie Madoff spit out his prison
:08:25. > :08:29.breakfast in aberration. So, feeling free to quote a former Labour
:08:30. > :08:34.Chancellor or digging up a blog he was trawling through last week, or
:08:35. > :08:38.some more selective quotes like we got there, can the First Minister
:08:39. > :08:44.just explained this to us? White is it that the fifth chakra why is it
:08:45. > :08:47.that the fiscal uphold the IFS exposed actually does not exist, and
:08:48. > :08:57.there is nothing to worry about after all? Can I point out, Johann
:08:58. > :09:03.Lamont, I quoted from the IFS because I think it is very helpful
:09:04. > :09:06.in agreeing the current position. The IFS backs the Scottish
:09:07. > :09:10.government figures in showing that Scotland more than pays its way
:09:11. > :09:15.within the United Kingdom. I hear from the Tory benches it is not
:09:16. > :09:21.true. I have quoted one quote already. The quote on page 11 points
:09:22. > :09:27.out that Scotland is exceeded revenues by ?1550 per person. That
:09:28. > :09:30.is a direct quote from the IFS. Let's agree that over the last five
:09:31. > :09:36.years, over that period, Scotland has more than paid its way within
:09:37. > :09:40.the United Kingdom. I pointed out to a macro that I do not think the
:09:41. > :09:44.population structure of this country is a given. I think the population
:09:45. > :09:47.structure you would be enormously improved if we did not refuse young
:09:48. > :09:51.Scots the opportunity to work in their own country and if we allowed
:09:52. > :09:56.other skilled people, many of whom we have educated, to work in
:09:57. > :09:59.Scotland. That would bring about a substantial important change in the
:10:00. > :10:06.sort of challenges facing all European economies that the IFS was
:10:07. > :10:13.indicating. I have got substantial admiration for the Institute of
:10:14. > :10:16.fiscal studies. Unlike Westminster politicians including Alistair
:10:17. > :10:19.Darling who have dismissed various reports of the IFS, or the Deputy
:10:20. > :10:24.prime minister, for that matter, who accused them of... This is Nick
:10:25. > :10:32.Clegg, of distorted nonsense. Taking the highly unusual step of attacking
:10:33. > :10:38.the IFS, describing its measures as distorted and complete nonsense.
:10:39. > :10:44.That is exactly why I pointed out on the basis of the IFS report, we can
:10:45. > :10:48.now beat reasonably certain that the arguments we have been putting
:10:49. > :10:50.forward that Scotland are in a stronger fiscal position than the
:10:51. > :10:55.rest of the UK are validated over the last five years. What happens
:10:56. > :10:59.over the next 50 years will depend on the policies pursued in this
:11:00. > :11:05.country. And that in turn will depend on whether we have got
:11:06. > :11:09.control of the policies set in the country. Let's get control of these
:11:10. > :11:13.economic levers, increased volatility and invest in our
:11:14. > :11:23.economy. Let's grow the Scottish economy. -- increase productivity.
:11:24. > :11:27.It is not just guilty of selective quoting, he is guilty of selective
:11:28. > :11:31.thinking. The problem with the First Minister, he says the IFS is helpful
:11:32. > :11:35.but only to the extent that it agrees with him. We know the
:11:36. > :11:38.backbenchers are only helpful to the First Minister when they agree with
:11:39. > :11:44.him. He really had to look at what all of the IFS study says and take
:11:45. > :11:48.it on board. Just when he started his campaign, the First Minister is
:11:49. > :11:57.going to the cinema on Tuesday. What is he going to see? Honey I shrunk
:11:58. > :12:01.the fiscal gap? If the First Minister is to be believed, we will
:12:02. > :12:08.not just be a new country after independence, he will invent a new
:12:09. > :12:13.arithmetic. While in every other country in the world, the choice is
:12:14. > :12:18.between tax rises or cuts in spending, Alex Salmond will have you
:12:19. > :12:24.believe we are the only country, the only country with a future like
:12:25. > :12:29.this. How big a tax cuts can we give to big business, and how much more
:12:30. > :12:34.can we spend on good things? Isn't it the case that at the very heart
:12:35. > :12:41.of next week's White Paper, and at the heart of everything this
:12:42. > :12:45.government does, is this belief. That if the First Minister and his
:12:46. > :12:49.colleagues say something confidently and often enough, no matter how
:12:50. > :12:57.wrong it is, the people of Scotland will be daft enough to believe it.
:12:58. > :13:03.Let me try another quote from the IFS which, Johann Lamont will say it
:13:04. > :13:08.is selective, but I think it underlines the point I have been
:13:09. > :13:12.making. They acknowledge that these things are uncertain but they could
:13:13. > :13:16.evolve differently if Scotland was independent rather than part of the
:13:17. > :13:20.UK. In addition, they could be substantially affected by policies
:13:21. > :13:23.chosen by the government of an independent Scotland. That is
:13:24. > :13:27.basically what I'm saying. Johann Lamont says you have to take the
:13:28. > :13:30.choice is between cutting spending and increasing taxation. That would
:13:31. > :13:37.be the choice, if that was the Labour Party position, according to
:13:38. > :13:41.the IFS analysis, with a deficit in every one of the next 50 years, we
:13:42. > :13:44.know now if Johann Lamont has any influence, we know what the policy
:13:45. > :13:50.of the next Labour government would be on that particular argument. I do
:13:51. > :13:54.not think that Johann Lamont is in a particularly good position to talk
:13:55. > :13:58.about economic advisers or the real world. Fred Goodwin was the economic
:13:59. > :14:05.adviser to Alistair Darling, not to be. The current economic adviser is
:14:06. > :14:09.the Reverend Paul Flowers. I do not think that is going to give us a
:14:10. > :14:15.tremendous indication of what the future should hold. And in terms of
:14:16. > :14:19.the real world, what is happening in the real world at the present
:14:20. > :14:23.moment, is that Labour figure after Labour figure is saying exactly what
:14:24. > :14:28.they think of the Labour Party's current coalition with the Tories.
:14:29. > :14:32.For example, the Labour Party chairperson, labour activists simply
:14:33. > :14:37.cannot stomach working alongside the Conservatives in the no campaign. In
:14:38. > :14:43.the real world, key Labour figures are coming out in favour of the yes
:14:44. > :14:47.campaign. That is what is happening in the real world. As the White
:14:48. > :14:51.Paper is launched next week, that campaign will be reinforced. Why?
:14:52. > :14:56.Because this party, this covenant has ambition for this government. We
:14:57. > :15:01.think we can invest in the future, grow the economy and give all of our
:15:02. > :15:08.people a decent future. Question two, Ruth Davidson. I will ask the
:15:09. > :15:13.first minister when he won the meet the Secretary of State in the
:15:14. > :15:17.future. No plans in the future. Nothing that has been said of the
:15:18. > :15:21.last quarter of an hour. Takes away the fact that the IFS report said
:15:22. > :15:26.clearly that an independent Scotland would start life with such a gap in
:15:27. > :15:33.its balance sheet that taxes would have to rise or spending would have
:15:34. > :15:39.to be slashed. Those are similar findings to the MBR, the CPP are,
:15:40. > :15:43.the national interests you come -- and any number of any other
:15:44. > :15:50.academics and economists who care to mention. Can I ask the Holyrood --
:15:51. > :15:53.the First Minister came to such conclusions? Is it part of some vast
:15:54. > :15:58.right-wing conspiracy or have they just done the sums? I think Ruth
:15:59. > :16:07.Davidson's interpretation is entirely wrong. The IFS point is not
:16:08. > :16:09.that the current budgetary fiscal position in Scotland is worse than
:16:10. > :16:13.the United Kingdom, they actually say it is better than that of the
:16:14. > :16:18.United Kingdom. Under their optimistic scenario it will be
:16:19. > :16:24.better up to 2040, according to the IFS figures. What they argue is that
:16:25. > :16:29.Scotland faces the challenges of every European economy. They say an
:16:30. > :16:32.ageing population is going to cause this -- considerable difficulty. I
:16:33. > :16:36.would argue that the answer to that is to grow the Scottish population
:16:37. > :16:39.by allowing people who want to work in this country, people who have
:16:40. > :16:43.grown up in this country, the opportunity to work in their own
:16:44. > :16:46.country and by allowing these many thousands of skilled people who want
:16:47. > :16:51.to work in Scotland to work in Scotland as opposed to being thrown
:16:52. > :16:55.out by Ruth Davidson's colleagues south of the border. If we are going
:16:56. > :16:59.to address the long-term challenges that the IFS indicate, we know full
:17:00. > :17:04.well what waiters in the United Kingdom. Perhaps some of these
:17:05. > :17:09.things would come to pass if that is what happens in the United Kingdom.
:17:10. > :17:16.The policy levers and ambition for this country, we can create a new
:17:17. > :17:21.and better future for ourselves. Presiding Officer, picking out half
:17:22. > :17:25.a sentence for page 11, repeating it again and again might be a life raft
:17:26. > :17:29.of a debating point but it does not change the headline message of the
:17:30. > :17:32.report which was that even to begin to balance the books in an
:17:33. > :17:39.independent Scotland, there must be a huge spending cut or a tax rise
:17:40. > :17:45.equivalent to VAT of 27% or a 9% hike in income tax. The inconvenient
:17:46. > :17:51.truth for the First Minister is that the IFS is not alone in its
:17:52. > :17:55.analysis. Independent think tanks,, economist, financial experts,
:17:56. > :18:00.business groups, trade bodies are lining up and seeing the same
:18:01. > :18:05.things. The books to not balance, the currency is not secure and the
:18:06. > :18:25.oil is a finite resource. ROAMING
:18:26. > :18:32.-- GROANING the Prime Minister -- First Minister is sticking his
:18:33. > :18:35.fingers in his ears and his argument with more holes in it than Rab C
:18:36. > :18:42.Nesbitt's fest. All of the report is saying one
:18:43. > :18:46.thing and Alex Salmond is seeing another. Why should voters close
:18:47. > :18:53.their eyes, cross their fingers and take a punt on the far-fetched
:18:54. > :18:59.things? The only thing Ruth Davidson left out was a reference to Doctor
:19:00. > :19:01.Who. I understand it is actually being simultaneously broadcast in 50
:19:02. > :19:09.countries. 75. being simultaneously broadcast in 50
:19:10. > :19:16.of 25 since I started this sentence! I think all of the dismal forecasts
:19:17. > :19:23.of Ruth Davidson required to be challenged. I know the Tory party,
:19:24. > :19:29.the premised, the Deputy Prime Minister, I am not doing that, I am
:19:30. > :19:33.just pointing out what the IFS said. Ruth Davidson cited the fact that in
:19:34. > :19:36.the IFS report it validates something that she has never
:19:37. > :19:42.publicly admitted, as far as I know, that Scotland is more than pays its
:19:43. > :19:46.way and over the last five years, many billions which could have been
:19:47. > :19:50.used to invest in the economy have gone south, in every sense. I know
:19:51. > :19:53.is inconvenient truth but the letters in the report. Let's talk
:19:54. > :19:59.about what IFS says about the future. This is Paul Johnson, the
:20:00. > :20:02.director, in order to avoid problems for modern road, you need to make
:20:03. > :20:08.some changes in the short run. These are perfectly was able changes,
:20:09. > :20:13.despite what is happening at the moment, as I say, this is not
:20:14. > :20:18.unusual among developed countries. They are facing, as a whole, these
:20:19. > :20:22.kind of challenges. Now that I have indicated how we in this Government
:20:23. > :20:26.would face this Government in an independent Scotland, we would go up
:20:27. > :20:29.economy, the tax base, the country, by growing the economy. I agree that
:20:30. > :20:32.everything we stay with United Kingdom and allow the Home Office to
:20:33. > :20:36.fling out talented people who want to work in this country, if we deny
:20:37. > :20:41.young Scots the opportunity to work in their own country then I have no
:20:42. > :20:45.doubt the future is Scotland, as indicated by some of the IFS's
:20:46. > :20:48.forecast. But there is an alternative. That alternative is to
:20:49. > :20:53.believe in the resources and the ability of the people of this
:20:54. > :20:58.country, invest in that future and grow the economy. Ruth Davidson
:20:59. > :21:02.remarkably, for a conservative audition, said she felt I was alone
:21:03. > :21:07.in this August. The reason I am here is that by a substantial
:21:08. > :21:11.overwhelming verdict of the Scottish people be elected this Government
:21:12. > :21:16.and they give their verdict time and time again on the prospects of the
:21:17. > :21:20.Conservative party of Scotland. When Johann Lamont said about the ageing
:21:21. > :21:23.profile of Scotland, I thought she was talking about the Conservative
:21:24. > :21:28.party! The reason this Government was elected as the people of
:21:29. > :21:34.Scotland know that this is a country with ingenuity and ability. Our
:21:35. > :21:39.people are an ingenious people. We have the ability. They also that
:21:40. > :21:42.having vast natural resources in oil and gas is an asset, not a
:21:43. > :21:48.liability. If you combine these two things with an ingenious population
:21:49. > :21:52.then you can make a success of your economy. It is that ambition and
:21:53. > :21:55.belief which will be reflected in the white paper and reflected in the
:21:56. > :22:02.votes of the people of Scotland next year. The First Minister will be
:22:03. > :22:07.aware that on Tuesday, 280 homes in Greenock lost their power and for
:22:08. > :22:14.houses were set on fire, putting the ball's lives of risk, due to metal
:22:15. > :22:19.thieves. The consequences go on in that all of the circuit boards of
:22:20. > :22:24.the central heating boilers have been blown and will have to be
:22:25. > :22:33.replaced by significant investment. -- putting people's lives at risk.
:22:34. > :22:36.This is a part, as he knows, of a growing trend. Scottish Power have
:22:37. > :22:41.reported that over 800 substations now have been subject to attacks
:22:42. > :22:45.since 2011 and 70,000 homes in Scotland have been affected. While
:22:46. > :22:49.we appreciate the Scottish Government is looking at legislation
:22:50. > :22:52.and it can work to address these issues, can he give us an assurance
:22:53. > :22:57.that that legislation will be brought forward as soon as
:22:58. > :23:01.possible. And in the meantime, assure action between the police and
:23:02. > :23:06.Scottish Power to ensure that we take action against these reckless
:23:07. > :23:10.people were putting people's lives in danger. I am very much aware of
:23:11. > :23:19.the incident and aware of not just the inconvenience but danger it
:23:20. > :23:24.would cause to his constituents by a disgraceful theft of metal. I can
:23:25. > :23:28.bring him the assurance that we will bring forward legislation at the
:23:29. > :23:33.earliest opportunity but in terms of current action, in terms of police
:23:34. > :23:39.action and action which is co-ordinated by Police Scotland and
:23:40. > :23:42.the transport police and in terms of the Justice Secretary and Scottish
:23:43. > :23:44.Power is specifically on the issue of protection and security of power
:23:45. > :23:48.lines, that that action will be taken. I agree that it is a very
:23:49. > :23:54.serious situation. What makes it all the more galling is that actual cost
:23:55. > :24:01.or value of the theft was from tens of pounds. But it put the lives of
:24:02. > :24:04.hundreds of people under substantial inconvenience and some into
:24:05. > :24:09.substantial danger. That makes it all the more deplorable. To ask the
:24:10. > :24:14.First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of
:24:15. > :24:19.Cabinet? Issues of importance for the people of Scotland. Does he
:24:20. > :24:23.think police officers are being taken off the streets to backfill
:24:24. > :24:29.civilian jobs? I agree with what the Chief Constable has said on a number
:24:30. > :24:32.of occasions, that is not people see of Police Scotland. If he had
:24:33. > :24:36.actually read what the Chief Constable had said yesterday, he
:24:37. > :24:41.would not have said just what he has said to the chamber. He was actually
:24:42. > :24:45.a lot more clear about this before, as well. He said it was utter
:24:46. > :24:54.nonsense and the bus by the Chief Constable said yesterday that it was
:24:55. > :24:56.happening on a daily basis. -- and the Chief Constable said yesterday.
:24:57. > :25:03.Police officers have been taken off the streets. Add to that list of
:25:04. > :25:07.police stations shut to the public, control rooms closing, Audit
:25:08. > :25:11.Scotland have been scathing. Chiefs at loggerheads and a police
:25:12. > :25:19.authority that says it just does not know where the savings will come
:25:20. > :25:23.from. This grand maze was something Kenny MacAskill said was a once in a
:25:24. > :25:29.generation opportunity. Is that not a warning to people that the next
:25:30. > :25:33.time these people try to sell us something that is a once in a
:25:34. > :25:39.generation opportunity, they might not believe a word they say? I say
:25:40. > :25:42.to Willie Rennie, unfortunately for him I have read the report from the
:25:43. > :25:48.audit committee and have the full post before me. He ordered two words
:25:49. > :25:52.of the quote. The actual full quote is that, " we do not have a policy
:25:53. > :25:56.or strategy to backfill police officers. Of course it happens on a
:25:57. > :26:02.daily basis but is not part of the plan." Along with, "and most repeat,
:26:03. > :26:06.we do not have a strategy or plan to backfill posts. I want as many
:26:07. > :26:11.officers as possible to be on the street." These "with the Chief
:26:12. > :26:17.Constable. Not the two words that Willie Rennie tried to take out of
:26:18. > :26:22.context. -- these are the words of the Chief Constable. Most people
:26:23. > :26:26.would regard the advent of Police Scotland and the ability to merge
:26:27. > :26:30.ten organisations into one is making very substantial achievements
:26:31. > :26:33.indeed. Most people regard the record number of police officers on
:26:34. > :26:36.the streets and communities of Scotland... If it were up to Willie
:26:37. > :26:42.Rennie, they would not be there at the moment. Most people would regard
:26:43. > :26:46.a 39 year low in recorded crime as ease of Sancho achievement. If they
:26:47. > :26:50.want to look for an alternative to the policies which are being pursued
:26:51. > :26:55.and is common, reinforcing the front line, putting the evidence on the
:26:56. > :27:00.front line, not the back of this. If they want to look for alternatives,
:27:01. > :27:05.they only need to glance south of the border, what happens under the
:27:06. > :27:10.control of Willie Rennie's colleagues, England is about to lose
:27:11. > :27:16.almost the number of record police officers that Scotland now has. I
:27:17. > :27:19.now have three questions. Can I ask that they be as brief as possible
:27:20. > :27:22.and the answer is also as brief as possible. To ask the First Minister
:27:23. > :27:31.what the Scottish Government's response is to the IFS report an
:27:32. > :27:37.independent Scotland. As I said, given that the same for guest from
:27:38. > :27:41.the IFS and OBR said that the UK will run a fiscal deficit for the
:27:42. > :27:48.next 50 years then perhaps it should not be a surprise that I believe
:27:49. > :27:52.independence is a key to changing the outcome and IFS is not in the
:27:53. > :27:55.report that the overall test your prognosis would be substantially
:27:56. > :27:58.affected by the policies chosen by the Government of an independent
:27:59. > :28:02.Scotland. We choose policies for growth and achievement, that is what
:28:03. > :28:06.make the difference. I thank the First Minister for his reply. I
:28:07. > :28:10.spoke to Paul Johnson on Tuesday and he admitted that the IFS is going to
:28:11. > :28:14.work October on the impact of the UK leaving the EU, following that
:28:15. > :28:22.proposed EU referendum. Does he agree that would be a better focus
:28:23. > :28:27.for the IFS than attempting to predict Scotland was that
:28:28. > :28:31.circumstances in 50 years and that Scotland has a relative budget
:28:32. > :28:39.surplus of job on five million and, and independence, could reform the
:28:40. > :28:43.tax system to increase profit. The first but in particular violated in
:28:44. > :28:46.the FS report, now presumably universally accepted, that that is
:28:47. > :28:51.exactly what Scotland has lost out over the last five years. We have
:28:52. > :28:55.been in are consistently stronger fiscal position than the UK as a
:28:56. > :29:00.whole but have been unable to use these massive resources for the
:29:01. > :29:03.benefit of the Scottish economy. -- but in particular what was said in
:29:04. > :29:08.the IFS report. I believe in changing these population forecasts
:29:09. > :29:11.by investing in the future of the economy. I think there is any number
:29:12. > :29:16.of young Scots who want to work in this economy, if given the choice to
:29:17. > :29:19.do so. I think it is a foolish and mistaken policy to throw people out
:29:20. > :29:23.of the country when they want to commit themselves to Scotland. I
:29:24. > :29:26.think we can rise to these challenges. I think we can invest in
:29:27. > :29:32.the future. I think we can draw this economy and that is an altogether
:29:33. > :29:34.more convincing prospect than the dismal prospects offered by the
:29:35. > :29:40.Unionist parties, who would keep us in the current box of low growth and
:29:41. > :29:44.low aspiration. -- I think we can make this economy grow. To ask the
:29:45. > :29:47.First Minister when the Scottish Government will bring forward plans
:29:48. > :29:53.to extend legislation to make will fold neglect of patients a criminal
:29:54. > :29:56.offence. I thank you for this opportunity to address this
:29:57. > :30:03.question. It is hugely important. That recommendation for Wolf Hall
:30:04. > :30:08.neglected to be -- wilful neglect to be a criminal offence suggest that
:30:09. > :30:12.it could be improved in the wake of the Mid Staffordshire scandal. It is
:30:13. > :30:17.already an offence and religion to mental health patients in Scotland
:30:18. > :30:20.and we are examining the best legislative banner image to extend
:30:21. > :30:24.this to all patients. The cabin secretary for health will be
:30:25. > :30:28.updating Parliament by the end of the year. -- the Cabinet Secretary.
:30:29. > :30:32.The First Minister will be aware of Scottish Labour's proposal to create
:30:33. > :30:36.an integrated health and social care Inspectorate that is independent of
:30:37. > :30:40.government, accessible to staff and patients, allowing them to raise
:30:41. > :30:43.their concerns and that has the powers to take tough, decisive
:30:44. > :30:49.action. Can he explained was why he has failed to consider our proposals
:30:50. > :30:52.so far? Proposals are considered. It is hugely important and we will be
:30:53. > :30:59.looking at proposals as they carry forward that policy. We she has been
:31:00. > :31:02.very unfair to the achievements of the Scottish health service,
:31:03. > :31:08.entrance of patient data. -- I think she has been very unfair. Perhaps we
:31:09. > :31:12.should look at what Professor Don Berwick says about patient safety
:31:13. > :31:17.and Scotland. The Scottish patient safety programme is without doubt
:31:18. > :31:21.one of the most ambitions patient safety initiatives and the world.
:31:22. > :31:27.National and skill, Boldin aims, disciplined and size. Aligned
:31:28. > :31:30.towards the common vision, making Scotland the save nation on earth
:31:31. > :31:37.from the viewpoint of health care. That is the view of the person who's
:31:38. > :31:40.made -- whose recommendations she has asked us to consider. We have to
:31:41. > :31:43.consider favourably that recommendation. Of the ten key
:31:44. > :31:48.recommendations, none of them are already in place in Scotland. They
:31:49. > :31:53.have been in place as part of the patient safety programme. That which
:31:54. > :31:57.she asked me about is one which we will consider very positively so
:31:58. > :32:04.that we can live up to the Professor's estimation of patient
:32:05. > :32:08.safety in Scotland. What is the Scottish Government doing to ensure
:32:09. > :32:12.that statistics are accurate? Scotland is now a safer place, as we
:32:13. > :32:16.know, supported by the 1000 additional officers, as opposed to
:32:17. > :32:23.what is happening south of the border. There is a well-established
:32:24. > :32:27.system in place to ensure consistent reporting of police data. The
:32:28. > :32:32.Scottish crime recording standard provides a victim oriented approach
:32:33. > :32:40.and insurers uniformity in crime reporting but is this throughout
:32:41. > :32:46.Scotland. We are working closely with Police Scotland to ensure that
:32:47. > :32:50.published purely Scotland management information is always robust. And I
:32:51. > :32:55.think the First Minister or his response but he will know that this
:32:56. > :33:06.week, senior police officers have spoken out against a target
:33:07. > :33:12.culture. What assurances can he give us that gaming is accurate? From
:33:13. > :33:17.what I've said, we can have confidence that the statistics -- in
:33:18. > :33:22.the statistics that Police Scotland introduce stop I really would think
:33:23. > :33:26.that given the excellence of these scissors sticks, Murdo Fraser might
:33:27. > :33:29.just suspect that are more than 1000 extra police in the streets of
:33:30. > :33:34.Scotland, as opposed to the thousands who have been made
:33:35. > :33:38.redundant south of the border. Recorded crime is at a 39 year low.
:33:39. > :33:44.Our police officers are doing an excellent job on behalf of the
:33:45. > :33:50.people of Scotland. -- excellence of these statistics. There is a
:33:51. > :33:53.fundamental breakdown in trust between the UK Government and the
:33:54. > :33:57.police service of stop just as there is a fundamental breakdown in trust
:33:58. > :34:04.between UK Government and the fire service. -- and the police service.
:34:05. > :34:07.Just as there is. In Scotland, we value and regard the work of
:34:08. > :34:13.uniformed services, unlike his colleagues south of the border. In
:34:14. > :34:18.First Minister's questions. That is the cause of questions. Time
:34:19. > :34:24.for me to say goodbye. I will hand over to David.
:34:25. > :34:29.mistake for the Conservatives to do this. They are trying to allege
:34:30. > :34:39.improper knowledge on our part of some influence in terms of the
:34:40. > :34:45.Reverend Flowers. Secondly, by getting into a political dogfight,
:34:46. > :34:49.they are going to focus attention of our relationship with the Co-op in
:34:50. > :34:55.recent years, terms of encouraging men to take over Lloyds bank. The
:34:56. > :35:03.latest revelation about leaning on the European Union. This was started
:35:04. > :35:12.in the last three days by the Prime Minister. I think it has been an
:35:13. > :35:14.error of judgement. We are going to welcome you in Scotland.