:00:17. > :00:18.Hello, and welcome to Politics Scotland,
:00:19. > :00:26.Is David Mundell stringing Scotland along over Brexit,
:00:27. > :00:30.he's told MSPs he's not and a UK wide deal to leave the EU is the way
:00:31. > :00:35.And no Scottish Six, but the BBC announces a new TV
:00:36. > :00:38.channel for Scotland with news at the heart of its schedule.
:00:39. > :00:41.And here at Westminster, as the budget draws ever closer,
:00:42. > :00:46.will the Chancellor be able to loosen the purse strings to help
:00:47. > :00:51.relieve the pressure on health and social care?
:00:52. > :00:53.First this afternoon, the Scottish Secretary has denied
:00:54. > :00:56.that he's "stringing the Scottish Government along"
:00:57. > :00:59.over their proposals to keep Scotland in the single market.
:01:00. > :01:03.David Mundell was appearing before Holyrood's Europe committee.
:01:04. > :01:05.With more on that let's cross to our political
:01:06. > :01:09.correspondent Andrew Kerr, who's at Holyrood.
:01:10. > :01:25.Good afternoon. Mr Mandel was appearing before Holyrood's European
:01:26. > :01:28.committee. MSP is where they're making their voices heard, saying
:01:29. > :01:36.that this Parliament voted against the triggering of Article 50, an
:01:37. > :01:40.anti-Brexit Parliament as it were. The committee convener said to Mr
:01:41. > :01:44.Mundell that he was the UK Government's man in Scotland. Mr
:01:45. > :01:48.Mundell strongly denied that, of course, and said that wasn't an
:01:49. > :01:54.appropriate remark from a committee convener. Another MSP, the SNP's
:01:55. > :01:58.Richard Lochhead said to Mr Mundell, the accusation you were mentioning,
:01:59. > :02:04.the UK Government were stringing Scotland along when it came to
:02:05. > :02:09.Scotland's place in Europe document. A document which attempts to chart a
:02:10. > :02:13.course with Scotland's staying in the single market. Mr Mundell said
:02:14. > :02:17.that certainly wasn't the case, it very strong denial. He said he was
:02:18. > :02:23.yet to be convinced by the arguments in the document, and I think he
:02:24. > :02:30.believes a pan UK solution is the best one. Let's listen to what he
:02:31. > :02:34.said to be MSPs. I haven't seen evidence myself that demonstrate
:02:35. > :02:40.Scotland would benefit from a differential arrangement. I'm still
:02:41. > :02:44.open-minded on that regard. These two big issues in relation to
:02:45. > :02:50.migration and access to single market, I think the resolution we
:02:51. > :02:58.get across the UK is the one that would be best in Scotland. A really
:02:59. > :03:01.interesting point but Mr Mundell also made, was I think the Scottish
:03:02. > :03:07.Government bought the triggering of Article 50 in a few weeks' time in
:03:08. > :03:11.the middle of March, that would be a red line, the guillotine point when
:03:12. > :03:21.the UK Government would no longer respond to the Scottish Government's
:03:22. > :03:25.attempts to keep Scotland's place in the single market. Mr Mundell said
:03:26. > :03:30.that wasn't a red line at all, and the UK Government would respond when
:03:31. > :03:34.it was practical to do so. In the previous clip you heard Mr Mundell
:03:35. > :03:38.mention immigration as well, the Scottish Government is looking for
:03:39. > :03:42.the devolution of immigration powers. Mr Mundell said that wasn't
:03:43. > :03:48.going to happen but he set out some of his thinking on that topic. There
:03:49. > :03:56.will be an immigration Bill, which will essentially parallel or be
:03:57. > :04:03.dovetailed with the Great Repeal Bill. That will be an opportunity
:04:04. > :04:11.for debate and discussion around the issue of immigration. I'm not minded
:04:12. > :04:17.to a view that immigration should be devolved. So, debate and discussion
:04:18. > :04:20.about immigration. Mr Mundell was saying, there are other ways of
:04:21. > :04:27.looking at this, other ways of working with the Scottish
:04:28. > :04:30.Government. In particular, looking at central considerations, perhaps
:04:31. > :04:33.seasonal fruit pickers coming from the rest of the European Union to
:04:34. > :04:40.Scotland. Just another interesting point as well, Mr Mundell made it
:04:41. > :04:47.clear that when the UK leads the European Union, Scotland of course
:04:48. > :04:51.leads the European Union as well. Perhaps indicating about Scotland's
:04:52. > :04:55.future place in the EU, if there was to be an independent Scotland. And
:04:56. > :05:00.in a briefing to journalists after his committee appearance, he made it
:05:01. > :05:04.clear, he said to the SNP that he wants the SNP to take the idea of a
:05:05. > :05:10.second independence referendum completely off the table. I'm sure
:05:11. > :05:14.they'll do that with no problem at all!
:05:15. > :05:16.Let's cross to the Chamber at Holyrood now, where
:05:17. > :05:18.the Scottish Government is responding to the consultation
:05:19. > :05:22.on Social Security, Jeane Freeman is on her feet.
:05:23. > :05:26.The recent consultation on Social Security in Scotland, together with
:05:27. > :05:31.an initial response from the Scottish Government. I want to put
:05:32. > :05:34.on record my thanks to all of the people and organisations who have
:05:35. > :05:38.contributed directly to the consultation, and to be many more
:05:39. > :05:43.who participated in engagement events across Scotland. Throughout
:05:44. > :05:47.the consultation and since, I have listened to those with direct
:05:48. > :05:49.personal experience of the current benefits system, I've heard their
:05:50. > :05:55.experiences of the impact it's had on them and their families, and I've
:05:56. > :05:59.learned a great deal. So let me assure this Parliament, I will
:06:00. > :06:04.continue to listen and to learn from those currently using the benefit
:06:05. > :06:08.system, and those working with them, who provide such vital support and
:06:09. > :06:14.help. What has emerged is a rich seam of evidence, a solid foundation
:06:15. > :06:19.on which we can continue to build as we take each step of this new public
:06:20. > :06:25.service for our country. What is also clear is the widespread support
:06:26. > :06:29.for our intention to build a fairer and more dignified Social Security
:06:30. > :06:32.system. One based on the understanding that Social Security
:06:33. > :06:38.is an investment we make in ourselves and in each other. From
:06:39. > :06:41.the outset, we said that we will build our Social Security system in
:06:42. > :06:45.partnership with the people of Scotland in a fairer and more
:06:46. > :06:50.inclusive way. Today, I will set out the specific ways through which we
:06:51. > :06:54.will achieve that. Presiding Officer, the right to Social
:06:55. > :06:59.Security is established in article nine of the UN International
:07:00. > :07:04.covenant on economic, social and cultural rights. That is our
:07:05. > :07:08.starting point. Social Security is a human rights. The consultation
:07:09. > :07:12.responses back to our commitment to a rights -based approach, a
:07:13. > :07:16.cornerstone of our vision for the new system, and one on which our
:07:17. > :07:21.core principles of fairness, dignity and respect will be grounded. I'm
:07:22. > :07:25.pleased to announce that the forthcoming Social Security Bill
:07:26. > :07:29.will honour this great Scottish tradition, by inch rhyming these
:07:30. > :07:39.core principles in the new system is bounding legislative framework. --
:07:40. > :07:46.enshrining these core principles. Putting this on the face of the Bill
:07:47. > :07:48.will also provide a legislative mechanism for the people who
:07:49. > :07:54.interact with the new service, to know exactly what they should
:07:55. > :07:58.expect, from application, to advise, two assessments, to any necessary
:07:59. > :08:03.appeals. Presiding Officer, we are committed to ensuring that this
:08:04. > :08:07.government and all future governments are held to account to
:08:08. > :08:12.deliver for the people of Scotland. We will introduce the Bill to
:08:13. > :08:15.Parliament before the end of June, starting the process of
:08:16. > :08:19.parliamentary scrutiny that will support us to shape, improve and
:08:20. > :08:24.pass the legislation we need to set up our new Social Security system.
:08:25. > :08:29.That legislative framework, paid the Bill and the secondary legislation
:08:30. > :08:33.that will flow from it, the necessary foundations underpinning
:08:34. > :08:36.our new system -- both the Bill and the secondary legislation. I'm sure
:08:37. > :08:40.this Parliament will want to ensure we get it right and will take the
:08:41. > :08:41.time it feels is necessary for scrutiny, evidence taking and
:08:42. > :08:45.reporting. With me in the studio this week
:08:46. > :08:55.is the former Labour MP and Shadow Brexit, David Mundell saying he
:08:56. > :09:02.hopes the Scottish Government doesn't just give up on a second
:09:03. > :09:08.referendum. I'm interested in your take on how the British government
:09:09. > :09:11.is handling this, it's arguably very cack-handed. It's not very
:09:12. > :09:17.impressive. It's not unreasonable for the Scottish Government to say
:09:18. > :09:21.Scotland has an interest in this. I did think it looks as if the UK
:09:22. > :09:25.Government is properly engaged in that. I would be very critical of
:09:26. > :09:29.their handling of this and other factors around it. We've gone for
:09:30. > :09:34.such a hard edged Brexit, they've done it at such a pace, the
:09:35. > :09:39.implications of it aren't clear. Even if you accept the premise we
:09:40. > :09:44.are leaving, how we leave is of such import, I think there should have
:09:45. > :09:48.been much greater negotiations across the nations and maybe regions
:09:49. > :09:52.of the UK. If you look at implications for immigration. But
:09:53. > :09:55.also the whole economic impact. I think Theresa May could have used
:09:56. > :10:02.that as an opportunity to have engaged more comprehensively, and
:10:03. > :10:04.not just been quite so hard-line... They are giving the impression that
:10:05. > :10:10.every time the Scottish Government turns up, they say we are having
:10:11. > :10:13.that, go away. They could be ministers up here meeting farmers
:10:14. > :10:18.and fishermen, saying we know you didn't vote for this, some of you.
:10:19. > :10:22.David Davis could be up here, there's been none of that. They
:10:23. > :10:27.could have been a lot more of that and more across all of the parties,
:10:28. > :10:31.actually. You still get the sense I think Theresa May is more governed
:10:32. > :10:36.by the politics of the Conservative Party rather than the interests of
:10:37. > :10:40.the country. I do think, I think all parties because I think the Scottish
:10:41. > :10:44.Government playing politics with it a bit too, I think we need a more
:10:45. > :10:47.measured conversation about what the impact on the various communities of
:10:48. > :10:52.Scotland and the UK, what strategies we can use to deploy this. Let's see
:10:53. > :10:56.if we can negotiate a much more effective deal out of this. It seems
:10:57. > :10:59.as if there is nobody giving up properly enough. We'll talk to you
:11:00. > :11:02.again later. The BBC has announced plans
:11:03. > :11:04.to launch a new dedicated TV ?30 million a year will be invested
:11:05. > :11:09.in the project which will include an integrated news hour
:11:10. > :11:10.at nine o'clock. It follows a decision not to proceed
:11:11. > :11:22.with a so-called "Scottish Six". So here's what we're doing. We're
:11:23. > :11:30.committing to the biggest investment we've made in Scotland for over 20
:11:31. > :11:34.years. First, we'll invest ?19 million in a new, dedicated
:11:35. > :11:39.television channel for Scotland. BBC Scotland. At its core will be an
:11:40. > :11:44.hour-long news programme, made in Scotland, drawing on all the
:11:45. > :11:50.resources of the BBC here, in London and globally. We are also putting
:11:51. > :11:56.another ?1.2 million into BBC Alba, which takes the total new commitment
:11:57. > :12:02.to services for Scotland, in Scotland, to ?20 million a year.
:12:03. > :12:06.Second, we are also increasing the amount of network television
:12:07. > :12:11.production from Scotland. What this means is that for the next three
:12:12. > :12:14.years, we'll exceed our targets, spending ?20 million extra a year,
:12:15. > :12:18.compared to where we were in 2015. Joining me now is former
:12:19. > :12:21.head of news and current affairs at BBC Scotland,
:12:22. > :12:23.and former chief executive of the Yes Scotland campaign
:12:24. > :12:31.in 2014, Blair Jenkins. This is pretty much what you've been
:12:32. > :12:37.arguing for, isn't it? I've been arguing for a Scottish channel for
:12:38. > :12:43.many years, you're right. Alex Salmond asked you to do a report...
:12:44. > :12:48.We did an independent Scottish broadcasting commission and our
:12:49. > :12:53.recommendation was the need for a dedicated Scottish channel, just to
:12:54. > :12:57.give that breadth and depth of programming that you can't just do
:12:58. > :13:01.with programme opt outs. With some reservations, I think today is a
:13:02. > :13:05.very good, positive step that should be welcomed. What other
:13:06. > :13:09.reservations? It's a modest unchallenging budget for the
:13:10. > :13:17.channel, for a channel that will be under a high degree of scrutiny.
:13:18. > :13:22.It's the same as with BBC for although... That's a pretty niche
:13:23. > :13:26.channel, it's not trying to appeal to a mass audience. You can look at
:13:27. > :13:31.the numbers in different ways. Let's not be too negative. It's important
:13:32. > :13:34.to get facts on the ground. If we establish a dedicated channel will
:13:35. > :13:38.build from that. Although the initial budget looks like a modest
:13:39. > :13:41.budget, I think it's a very important moment, if we are going to
:13:42. > :13:46.get a dedicated Scottish channel. What you recommended wouldn't
:13:47. > :13:52.necessarily have been the BBC to do this. At the time, I thought it was
:13:53. > :13:55.very important there was public service broadcasting competition to
:13:56. > :13:58.the BBC. We suggested the channel should be funded out of the license
:13:59. > :14:04.three. I think way things have shaped up with public service and
:14:05. > :14:08.commercial broadcasting, it now looks like the best fit to have the
:14:09. > :14:10.BBC doing it. There will be a high degree of expectation about the new
:14:11. > :14:16.channel and a high degree of scrutiny. STV are doing something
:14:17. > :14:24.similar. We'll have this twice over, we'll have two times Blair Jenkins
:14:25. > :14:29.channels. They have first mover advantage. It is to be welcomed. One
:14:30. > :14:32.of the good things about STV is they are a commercial broadcaster, they
:14:33. > :14:36.don't need to do this and they choose to do it. But the BBC is a
:14:37. > :14:39.public service broadcaster that we all pay for, therefore I think it's
:14:40. > :14:40.right and proper that the BBC should make this kind of initiative for
:14:41. > :14:50.Scottish audiences. The BBC does many things well but it
:14:51. > :14:55.does not do Scotland well and Juliet never has. If this is a sign of BBC
:14:56. > :14:59.going forward, and they are going to do rather better than Scotland, on a
:15:00. > :15:04.glass half-full bases, let's welcome it. And do you think that this is
:15:05. > :15:10.better than the Scottish six thing which has been spoken about four
:15:11. > :15:14.years? The Scottish six was always a good idea and should have been done
:15:15. > :15:19.20 years ago when the idea was first discussed, and had white, commanding
:15:20. > :15:22.support across political parties in Scotland. Most of the press was
:15:23. > :15:27.behind the idea. But now the concept has become such a controversial one
:15:28. > :15:34.that it divides public opinion. Editorially... Has become politics
:15:35. > :15:38.with a small P now? Arguably, it has. Editorially, you should us do
:15:39. > :15:43.the thing you think is the right thing to do but the BBC organisation
:15:44. > :15:47.likes to please everybody, and was no way of introducing a Scottish six
:15:48. > :15:52.without dividing the audience. I looked at that tenure to go and we
:15:53. > :15:55.had a majority in favour of a Scottish six but you are always
:15:56. > :15:59.going to have a sizeable part of the audience unhappy with everything he
:16:00. > :16:03.did. I can see why the decision has been made to go with a second
:16:04. > :16:06.channel instead. Where I think BBC journalism should benefit is with
:16:07. > :16:10.the funding going into this new channel, helping not just the
:16:11. > :16:17.programmes on the channel but also Radio Scotland and programmes like
:16:18. > :16:20.you run, Reporting Scotland. More journalism on BBC Scotland, I think
:16:21. > :16:25.that is good for audiences. The criticism, or one of the worries
:16:26. > :16:29.will be that you put on a new channel, and it will be a minority
:16:30. > :16:34.channel at least at first unless it is very successful. Not very many
:16:35. > :16:40.people will watch it and the BBC will be able to say, aha, we are
:16:41. > :16:44.doing all the things he demanded of when you asked for a Scottish six
:16:45. > :16:49.but it will be for a minority. Like every new channel, they are judged
:16:50. > :16:52.not at how many people are watching it at a specific time but the reach
:16:53. > :16:57.of the channel, what percentage of watching in any given week. That is
:16:58. > :17:03.an important measurement. The other measurement will be impact. The
:17:04. > :17:07.programmes will have to be discussed and will have to reverberate. There
:17:08. > :17:16.are a lot of different ways to be judged. The idea of having a news
:17:17. > :17:23.programme on 9pm, that is a tough slot. I am sure it was not picked
:17:24. > :17:29.randomly. Tough, why? You are up against expensive drama on BBC One,
:17:30. > :17:36.and ITV. But you are on an 7:00pm. None of this is easy. There is no
:17:37. > :17:39.easy slot. I am sure there is some thought that has gone into nine
:17:40. > :17:42.o'clock. If you were coming in as the new programmer, you might want
:17:43. > :17:46.to look at the arguments in favour of that slot and be sure you are
:17:47. > :17:50.putting it in the right place. There is not much time shifted viewing of
:17:51. > :17:59.news programmes. You either get people when you go near you do not.
:18:00. > :18:02.It is a tough slot. We are meant to take that last answer as a job
:18:03. > :18:05.application? I will not be applying. I will cheer it on but I will not be
:18:06. > :18:09.applying. Thank you very much. The Finance Secretary has capped
:18:10. > :18:11.business rate increases for the hotels and restaurants
:18:12. > :18:13.in response to widespread concern about the impact
:18:14. > :18:15.of a controversial revaluation. The 12.5% cap on any rise will also
:18:16. > :18:18.apply to more than one thousand offices in Aberdeen
:18:19. > :18:20.and Aberdeenshire, to recognise Mr Mackay also announced a package
:18:21. > :18:24.of relief for renewables yesterday. The main opposition parties said
:18:25. > :18:27.they welcomed the U-turn, The minister laid out his changes
:18:28. > :18:42.to MSPs at Holyrood. This is the first revaluation since
:18:43. > :18:46.2010. It takes account of the changes in property values during
:18:47. > :18:50.the economic recovery and confirms plans to reduce the poundage, the
:18:51. > :18:56.rate at which the taxes paid by 3.7%. To help small businesses, we
:18:57. > :19:00.are sending a bonus scheme to provide 100% rates relief to
:19:01. > :19:04.business premises with values of up to ?50,000 and from April the 1st, a
:19:05. > :19:07.further 20,000 business premises will benefit, bringing the total
:19:08. > :19:13.number of premises who pay nothing at all to 100,000. I have listened
:19:14. > :19:17.and decided that we will act nationally to tackle the impact as
:19:18. > :19:22.follows. I can confirm to the chamber that we will now offer a new
:19:23. > :19:28.national relief that caps increases for hotels at 12.5%. And because we
:19:29. > :19:32.recognise that we must maintain fairness between hotels, pubs, cafes
:19:33. > :19:37.and restaurants, this will apply across those businesses, too. That
:19:38. > :19:42.will benefit around a thousand 500 premises and provide proportionally
:19:43. > :19:46.more support to the sector in Scotland than is available in the
:19:47. > :19:50.rest of the UK. And for the renewables sector, we will offer a
:19:51. > :19:55.package of reliefs including rolling for current rates relief of up to
:19:56. > :20:02.100% for qualifying community renewables probe jacks and new-build
:20:03. > :20:12.schemes. We will lower the eligibility to 0.5 megawatts. --
:20:13. > :20:16.renewable projects. With concern to renewables in the north-east, we
:20:17. > :20:19.welcome what is proposed but it is too typical of the actions of a
:20:20. > :20:23.government that time and again falls asleep at the wheel and only wakes
:20:24. > :20:32.up when it crashes the car into the wall. Three weeks ago, the finance
:20:33. > :20:35.secretary found ?185 million, ?60 million of which came from the
:20:36. > :20:39.business rates pool, to buy off the Green Party to support his budget.
:20:40. > :20:44.Can he tell us today how much the total package of measures announced
:20:45. > :20:48.will cost, and is that figure higher or lower than the ?60 million he had
:20:49. > :20:51.lying in the business rates pool? Secondly, given that he is always
:20:52. > :20:57.telling us that there is no spare cash in this budget, we have these
:20:58. > :21:04.additional sums come from? Thirdly, is the cap on increases for one year
:21:05. > :21:10.only or is it for the next five years? And lastly, is he open to
:21:11. > :21:13.providing additional help to other sectors beyond hospitality and
:21:14. > :21:16.renewable energy and out with the north-east if they can demonstrate
:21:17. > :21:22.the hardship that this revaluation is causing them? The estimated
:21:23. > :21:27.package should be around 30- ?40 million. I have to say, I am dizzy
:21:28. > :21:32.with the speed of the U-turn but I welcome it nonetheless. At a time of
:21:33. > :21:35.increasing economic turmoil, businesses in my constituency and
:21:36. > :21:39.across Scotland's tell us that the rates rises would have led to job
:21:40. > :21:45.losses and that is not something that any of us want to see. The
:21:46. > :21:48.proposals to cap at 12.5% will be welcome relief to the many
:21:49. > :21:56.businesses affected by forgoing revenue, which according to Spice is
:21:57. > :21:59.60 million and not the 30-40,000,000 that was outlined, will fall into
:22:00. > :22:05.another part of the budget. Can the Cabinet Secretary tell me what he
:22:06. > :22:09.did not answer fully to Murdo Fraser. Is this package is ugly for
:22:10. > :22:13.one year and we face the cliff edge next year? If it is not new money
:22:14. > :22:18.which the Cabinet Secretary said it wasn't, this is clearly underspend.
:22:19. > :22:24.Is he expecting more or is this money simply from the back of his so
:22:25. > :22:28.far? The cap of 12.5% that I referred to is certainly for this
:22:29. > :22:31.financial year and we will consider any further issues around
:22:32. > :22:37.methodology, revaluation and other matters when we receive the review.
:22:38. > :22:40.I think it is right to do that so that we are better informed with the
:22:41. > :22:41.actual evidence to determine the right way forward for the next and
:22:42. > :22:47.future financial years. Mariessa Devlin is the managing
:22:48. > :22:49.director of the Enchanted Forest Nursery, which operates five
:22:50. > :22:52.nurseries in the west of Scotland. Her company had been
:22:53. > :23:03.facing a ?56,000 increase When you say ?56,000, what is your
:23:04. > :23:06.bill? How much of an increase? The increases ?56,000 across five
:23:07. > :23:10.nurseries. The most concerning increase is in our Thornliebank
:23:11. > :23:15.Nursery in Renfrewshire where we are facing an increase of ?3000 on top
:23:16. > :23:20.of what we already pay. How much do you already pay? Just over ?2000, so
:23:21. > :23:27.we will be paying ?5,000 a month in rates. Presumably the problem you
:23:28. > :23:30.have is that you do not count as one of the places given relief. We were
:23:31. > :23:35.avidly watching yesterday and we were disappointed with the
:23:36. > :23:40.information that the early years sectors will not be affected by
:23:41. > :23:45.yesterday's announcement. Say that again, you have one nursery where
:23:46. > :23:53.the bill would go up to ?5,000? Absolutely. Our rateable value on
:23:54. > :24:00.that nursery has gone up by 155%. So the monthly costs to the business
:24:01. > :24:04.alone, our annual costs are ?56,000 across five nurseries. In real
:24:05. > :24:08.terms, if we look at Thornliebank as the model, we would be paying an
:24:09. > :24:12.additional ?30,000 per annum. Effectively, that is to members of
:24:13. > :24:16.staff. We're not in a position, because of our regulators, where we
:24:17. > :24:20.could make anyone redundant and nor would we want to because we are
:24:21. > :24:24.about delivering quality early years education. But the real terms are
:24:25. > :24:29.that we need to look at efficiencies now to be able to make a
:24:30. > :24:33.sustainable. Can you do that? If you do not get the relief and you have
:24:34. > :24:36.to pay the money, what happens? We have to find efficiencies because
:24:37. > :24:40.apart from anything else we have a moral duty to these families, over
:24:41. > :24:44.600 families who come to our nurseries every day. That is the
:24:45. > :24:47.first point in the second point is many people will say that you can
:24:48. > :24:51.back charge that two parents but there is a clear saturation point
:24:52. > :24:54.with childcare fees. We have a national agenda in Scotland and we
:24:55. > :24:59.are looking to get people back into work. We want to get Scotland to be
:25:00. > :25:04.the best place to bring up children, so to charge those significant
:25:05. > :25:08.rental rates increases it towards the impossible. When you say back
:25:09. > :25:12.charge, what do you mean, sticking fees to the parents? Yes. And that
:25:13. > :25:19.is not a viable option. But presumably the reply would be that
:25:20. > :25:23.if you spread the fees over 600 families, then if you spread that
:25:24. > :25:28.amount of money and he would not have to increase the fees much at
:25:29. > :25:33.all? We do not have 600 families in Thornliebank. We have 600 families
:25:34. > :25:39.across five nurseries. But even so, they would argue. We are not just
:25:40. > :25:44.facing rates increases. We have things like the national minimum
:25:45. > :25:50.wage, and things that independent small businesses never faced in the
:25:51. > :25:54.past. How do you operate? Do you operate as a private company that
:25:55. > :25:57.makes profits? We are a private company and we also operate in
:25:58. > :26:00.partnership with local authorities to deliver the early learning and
:26:01. > :26:06.childcare entitlement for the Scottish Government. So all the work
:26:07. > :26:12.you do is through the local authority? Not all the work. We have
:26:13. > :26:16.under threes in our services, and all of the parents who come to us
:26:17. > :26:18.pay for private fees. When the children turned three, we deliver
:26:19. > :26:25.the early learning and childcare entitlement as well. How would you
:26:26. > :26:32.reply to some people watching this you might say, OK, this doesn't
:26:33. > :26:37.sound very good but you cannot have businesses, you cannot not have
:26:38. > :26:44.rates revaluation. The problem with residential property in this country
:26:45. > :26:49.is that politicians are feart to change things. It is not
:26:50. > :26:55.unreasonable to periodically change the rates. What needs to happen is
:26:56. > :26:59.we need to have a transparent approach to the revaluation. If we
:27:00. > :27:05.look at four of our nurseries within Renfrewshire boards, one sits within
:27:06. > :27:08.the local City Council and their approach is different. We have one
:27:09. > :27:12.nursery with a smaller square footage that will be paying more
:27:13. > :27:17.rates than a bursary with larger square footage. Which is cheaper,
:27:18. > :27:23.Glasgow or Renfrew? Glasgow is coming out cheaper. I think we have
:27:24. > :27:28.to look at how we make sure that there is a cohesive approach to
:27:29. > :27:31.business reassessment, but also I am really focused on the early years
:27:32. > :27:35.here, so we have a huge national agenda and I feel that many
:27:36. > :27:40.departments are not talking to each other. So you think that they need
:27:41. > :27:46.to close the attainment gap as a priority, and raising the rates is
:27:47. > :27:50.in addition with that? I think there are a few aspects in conflict. We
:27:51. > :28:14.need that result. Thank you very much for joining us.
:28:15. > :28:18.Let's talk to our panel of MSPs now, from the SNP we have Gillian Mardon.
:28:19. > :28:19.Jackson Carlaw is from the Scottish Conservatives,
:28:20. > :28:22.for Scottish Labour we have Claudia Beamish and Ross Greer
:28:23. > :28:26.Jackson Carlaw, you're probably delighted by the change in the
:28:27. > :28:29.rates? We have just heard with someone from my constituency. We
:28:30. > :28:32.heard from the Minister that there was no locus to intervene and
:28:33. > :28:35.suddenly an intervention that helps certain sectors. It helps the
:28:36. > :28:41.hospitality sector and it helps businesses in Aberdeen where the SNP
:28:42. > :28:43.have lots of MPs. We need to see an agreement from the Scottish
:28:44. > :28:47.Government with all this extra cash that they seem to be able to find so
:28:48. > :28:50.readily, that they are able to assist other sectors to make a case
:28:51. > :28:58.like the one you have heard. What would you say to Marissa that we
:28:59. > :29:03.have just been talking to. She says that she is prepared to pay her way
:29:04. > :29:06.but when you have a bill going up to ?5,000 a year from ?2000 a year in
:29:07. > :29:11.one hit, that does not sound reasonable. I have been listening to
:29:12. > :29:15.what she has been saying and I would say to her to get in touch with the
:29:16. > :29:18.local council. If I can direct you to what Aberdeenshire Council has
:29:19. > :29:23.done as a result of the extra money it has been given, Aberdeenshire
:29:24. > :29:26.Council were very quick off the mark and they actually announced that
:29:27. > :29:31.they were going to have a business rates relief scheme which they will
:29:32. > :29:36.roll-out. They will roll it out before the 9th of March. The council
:29:37. > :29:38.seem to be slow in following the lead of Aberdeenshire Council. This
:29:39. > :29:45.was before the announcement yesterday. We are providing relief
:29:46. > :29:50.to hotels and the leisure centre sector. We have a welcome capping on
:29:51. > :29:53.the rates bill for the north-east. Office space, which lots of people
:29:54. > :29:58.have been lobbying me for, and I have been strongly looking for a
:29:59. > :30:02.presentation on, I would say that it is now over to the councils to
:30:03. > :30:09.deliver in terms of a relief scheme for businesses like Marissa's, who
:30:10. > :30:12.are facing financial difficulties and feel that the rates bills are
:30:13. > :30:15.too high. Actually, they need to approach the council and ask them,
:30:16. > :30:20.what would you do to help businesses like mine? Even before that point, I
:30:21. > :30:24.would contact the assessor and have a dialogue with the assessor to find
:30:25. > :30:26.out why the bill is so high. And maybe there is some mitigation that
:30:27. > :30:36.can be done at that level. Labour wanted to the top income tax
:30:37. > :30:42.so you are presumably delighted taxes on businesses are going up? It
:30:43. > :30:46.is certainly welcome that they have climbed down at the last minute on
:30:47. > :30:52.the rates relief. This does only affect certain sectors. Although it
:30:53. > :30:56.helps some businesses in Aberdeen, which is welcome, I understand that
:30:57. > :31:01.out of the 10,000 businesses that have received rates relief in the
:31:02. > :31:06.beleaguered north-east at moment, that there are still 8000 businesses
:31:07. > :31:09.that won't get something. In spite of what Gillian Martin is saying,
:31:10. > :31:13.this is a Scottish Government decision and it's a pity there
:31:14. > :31:17.wasn't more done to affect that. I also have a real concern about
:31:18. > :31:20.public services, I understand ?30 million could still be additional
:31:21. > :31:25.money that the NHS is going to have to pay. I don't know what the
:31:26. > :31:31.position of the Greens is but if we want public services, you've got to
:31:32. > :31:34.pay for them. Any time any tax on anything goes up, everyone says it's
:31:35. > :31:39.a terrible thing. That's not true, the Greens were proposing a more
:31:40. > :31:43.progressive income taxes and council tax. The issue with business rates
:31:44. > :31:49.if there is an absolute lack scrutiny. The green MSP had to
:31:50. > :31:53.launch a motion to bring down the whole thing, just to get a committee
:31:54. > :31:59.debate on this. It's been ten years since a committee of this Parliament
:32:00. > :32:03.had a debate on the poundage rate set for these rates. Why did it take
:32:04. > :32:07.a green MSP putting in a motion that would have brought it all down,
:32:08. > :32:09.which he obviously withdrew, just to get the government agreed that we
:32:10. > :32:16.should have more Parliamentary scrutiny of this? It shouldn't be up
:32:17. > :32:20.to councils to simply mitigate for decisions made elsewhere. The
:32:21. > :32:25.Council should be able to set 50% of that rate. This is their income,
:32:26. > :32:34.they should have a say on what the best rates for their area actually
:32:35. > :32:40.our. I'm curious, Gillian Martin, Scottish Six, new TV channel, what
:32:41. > :32:43.do you make of that? People may know I used to teach television
:32:44. > :32:48.production at college before I became an MSP. When I heard the news
:32:49. > :32:51.we were going to have a Scottish channel, although I understand it's
:32:52. > :32:56.only for the evening, I was delighted. That means more jobs for
:32:57. > :33:00.the types of people I used to train. Anything that sustains the creative
:33:01. > :33:05.industries in Scotland absolutely gets a thumbs up from me. I'm very
:33:06. > :33:11.pleased. I was hoping it would have a bit more money behind it. ?30
:33:12. > :33:17.million. When we had discussions before there was a figure of ?75
:33:18. > :33:21.million mooted as being what would be the amount of money that could
:33:22. > :33:24.actually sustaining channel. I'm really hoping that maybe we could
:33:25. > :33:28.have a dialogue as we go forward about maybe getting a bit more money
:33:29. > :33:37.to it. But anything that brings more production to Scotland is a winner
:33:38. > :33:40.in my book. Trebles all round? I think it's a bold and imaginative
:33:41. > :33:43.response from the BBC. It will create more jobs, it means those
:33:44. > :33:47.people who are happy with the current arrangements with the
:33:48. > :33:50.National bulletin at 6pm will see that protected. We'll also see a
:33:51. > :33:54.one-hour Britain where the failing domestic record of the Scottish
:33:55. > :33:59.Government can be properly scrutinised. It is a budget
:34:00. > :34:01.equivalent to BBC Four. I think there's an opportunity for
:34:02. > :34:05.additional programming in Scotland and the creative industries. I think
:34:06. > :34:08.that brings into relief the fact governments in Northern Ireland and
:34:09. > :34:13.Wales and their development agencies are putting much more effort into
:34:14. > :34:18.the creation of studio space to support new programmes. In Scotland
:34:19. > :34:21.we are falling way behind. There are independents who could be fulfilling
:34:22. > :34:25.these opportunities, we need to see more action from the Scottish
:34:26. > :34:31.Government to create studio capacity in Scotland and take advantage of
:34:32. > :34:35.that. You got about five party political jibes into just saying
:34:36. > :34:40.this is good news. It is good news. We went against, in principle, the
:34:41. > :34:44.idea of a Scottish Six. Our problem was we had memories of the effort
:34:45. > :34:49.the BBC made a generation ago which turned out to be a complete disaster
:34:50. > :34:53.and affected the BBC's reputation. We've also conscious of the public
:34:54. > :34:57.didn't want the change. At the same time we recognised that devolved
:34:58. > :35:04.administrations require more scrutiny. I think what the BBC have
:35:05. > :35:08.done is an imaginative response. It is a real boost potentially to the
:35:09. > :35:11.creative arts in Scotland. We've got to create that opportunity in terms
:35:12. > :35:18.of studio space for independent companies to take advantage of it.
:35:19. > :35:21.What do you do make of it? It's exciting, it's a long time in the
:35:22. > :35:25.making. The way the BBC has dealt with it is very positive. The fact
:35:26. > :35:29.there are going to be 80 new jobs to start with, and even though it will
:35:30. > :35:33.only be evenings to begin with, I think the fact the nine o'clock
:35:34. > :35:39.Scottish focused news will be international news as well, which is
:35:40. > :35:45.very important. And I think the fact that the BBC have made it quite
:35:46. > :35:47.clear that it is about the portrait of Scotland that's really important,
:35:48. > :35:54.and the opportunities for young people coming through as
:35:55. > :35:59.journalists, but also as other aspects of film, is really, really
:36:00. > :36:03.great. And the creative industries will be able to flourish more here
:36:04. > :36:07.because of it. I welcome it and I like to see it expanded, I'd also
:36:08. > :36:11.like to see an absolute commitment by the BBC that not only is it
:36:12. > :36:16.coming to Scotland as a new channel, but that there will be a lots of
:36:17. > :36:24.regionalisation. Not only in South Scotland but across Scotland. Can we
:36:25. > :36:27.have some criticism? I suppose the criticism of this proposal from the
:36:28. > :36:32.BBC is people will say, they are going to set up a minority channel,
:36:33. > :36:35.dump the Scottish bits onto that claim they are doing their public
:36:36. > :36:40.sector duty. I think there's something in that. I will stop by
:36:41. > :36:43.welcoming the fact this will create 80 new journalist jobs. There's
:36:44. > :36:49.something right in what you've just said. I have concerns about creating
:36:50. > :36:54.a new channel. If you forgive me for talking about STV your competitor
:36:55. > :37:00.and the regional STV stations, they don't remotely the STB's primary
:37:01. > :37:05.channel. The risk is this isn't a significant new investment to make a
:37:06. > :37:09.Scottish news programme that works. I'm not particularly cynical, it is
:37:10. > :37:13.a risk. The fact this opportunity is now there is really welcome. We just
:37:14. > :37:17.need to make sure it works. This shouldn't be seen as a minor
:37:18. > :37:21.distraction, it shouldn't even be seen as extra investment. A lot of
:37:22. > :37:25.this money is making up for money that has gone out BBC Scotland in
:37:26. > :37:34.recent years. This is reversing a lot of cuts to jobs. A glorious full
:37:35. > :37:36.shot of all of you standing there. How absolutely lovely!
:37:37. > :37:47.What do you make of this? I think it's really interesting, it's a
:37:48. > :37:52.really clever move. The big news is the BBC managed to keep it a secret.
:37:53. > :37:55.First time that everything! Arrow I think we were all locked in the
:37:56. > :38:00.Scottish Six debate and I think it's exciting to see that. I know you'll
:38:01. > :38:09.push me to make some criticism. Make one. What we need to watch is,
:38:10. > :38:19.because I think a strength of the BBC was that it was integrated, at
:38:20. > :38:23.its best it does integrated news and drama very well. But I just think
:38:24. > :38:26.there was obviously an agenda about the need to develop Scots
:38:27. > :38:32.broadcasting and develop Scottish news is much more, and do more in
:38:33. > :38:36.depth of an approach. This looks as if it's got the absolute potential
:38:37. > :38:43.to do that. A lot will depend on what happens now. BBC Scotland is
:38:44. > :38:48.very strong, I think, and it will grow now. And actually meet the new
:38:49. > :38:52.demands. And we'll get a proper focus on news in Scotland, I think.
:38:53. > :38:56.Without throwing out the baby with the bath water. So you're not having
:38:57. > :39:00.to make a terrible choice, do I want to watch UK news Scottish news.
:39:01. > :39:02.You'll be able to do both. I know some people aren't comfortable with
:39:03. > :39:10.that but I think that's probably what Scottish people want.
:39:11. > :39:19.There was a sense, was there not, that Scottish Six wasn't being
:39:20. > :39:25.talked about in pubs and living rooms across Scotland, it was
:39:26. > :39:30.politicians. Yes. I think people want good quality news and good
:39:31. > :39:34.quality news about Scotland. And all the ramifications of that, drama and
:39:35. > :39:38.the creative industries impact, I think people do respect that. But I
:39:39. > :39:42.don't think they like the idle or choice sometimes presented to them.
:39:43. > :39:51.I hope Scots still have an influence at a UK level. I think they've done
:39:52. > :39:54.a good and clever job today. Don't go away, will speak to you later.
:39:55. > :39:56.Now to this week's Prime Minister's Questions,
:39:57. > :39:58.where the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, again,
:39:59. > :40:02.He questioned why there were was a lack of hospital beds,
:40:03. > :40:05.a lack of doctors and a lack of nurses in England and accused
:40:06. > :40:08.the UK Government of putting the health service and social care
:40:09. > :40:11.The Prime Minister, Theresa May, was armed with her own statistics
:40:12. > :40:18.which she used to defend her government's record.
:40:19. > :40:26.Mr Speaker, I asked the Prime Minister why one in six A units
:40:27. > :40:30.are currently set for closure or downgrading, she didn't answer. One
:40:31. > :40:35.of the problems, and she knows this, is that ?4.6 billion cut to social
:40:36. > :40:39.care, which has a knock-on effect. Her friend the Tory chair of the
:40:40. > :40:45.Local Government Association Lord Porter has said, and I quote, extra
:40:46. > :40:49.council tax income will not bring in anywhere near enough money to
:40:50. > :40:53.alleviate the growing pressure on social care. Two weeks ago we found
:40:54. > :41:05.out about the sweetheart deal with Tory Surrey. When will the other 151
:41:06. > :41:12.social services departments in England get the same as the Surrey
:41:13. > :41:17.deal? The right honourable gentleman refers to the questions he asked me
:41:18. > :41:25.about Surrey County Council two weeks ago. Those claims were utterly
:41:26. > :41:29.destroyed the same afternoon. So rather than asking the same
:41:30. > :41:35.question, he should stand up and apologise. In recent days the Prime
:41:36. > :41:38.Minister has said it is a key personal commitment to transform the
:41:39. > :41:42.way that domestic violence is tackled. And it's hugely welcome
:41:43. > :41:47.that she's called for ideas about how the treatment of victims can be
:41:48. > :41:51.improved, and more convictions secured against abusers. Combating
:41:52. > :41:56.violence against women and preventing domestic violence is the
:41:57. > :42:01.aim of the Istanbul convention, which the UK has yet to ratify. Does
:42:02. > :42:04.the Prime Minister agree with members right across this House that
:42:05. > :42:10.the convention should be ratified as a priority? The right honourable
:42:11. > :42:16.gentleman has raised a particularly important subject. As he says, it's
:42:17. > :42:22.one that I'd take particularly seriously. There was still an
:42:23. > :42:26.estimated 1.3 million female victims of domestic abuse in the last year
:42:27. > :42:30.and over 400,000 victims of sexual violence. We signed up to the
:42:31. > :42:36.Istanbul convention, we are fully committed to ratifying it, that is
:42:37. > :42:40.why we supported the private members Bill in principle at second reading
:42:41. > :42:43.and Committee Stage. The measures we have in place in many ways actually
:42:44. > :42:48.go further than the convention, but I'm very clear that we need to
:42:49. > :42:52.maintain this momentum. That's why I'm setting up a ministerial working
:42:53. > :42:55.group to look at the legislation, to look at how we can provide support
:42:56. > :43:01.to victims and the possibility of a domestic violence act in future. The
:43:02. > :43:06.green investment bank is currently being sold and some recent newspaper
:43:07. > :43:11.reports suggest the contract could soon be concluded. This, despite the
:43:12. > :43:14.UK's stated focus on research and development, and the fact no
:43:15. > :43:20.realistic guarantees have yet been given as to the continuation of a
:43:21. > :43:24.proper headquarters based in Edinburgh. Will the Prime Minister
:43:25. > :43:28.commit to looking again at why a sale at this time is not in the best
:43:29. > :43:33.interest of Edinburgh, not in the best interest of the green agenda,
:43:34. > :43:38.and not in the best interest of the UK taxpayers? Can I say to the
:43:39. > :43:41.honourable lady, she raises an issue in relation to the green investment
:43:42. > :43:43.bank, I will write to her with a response to the question she has
:43:44. > :43:45.raised. Well let's cross to Westminster now,
:43:46. > :43:56.where our Westminster correspondent He has got some art behind him this
:43:57. > :44:01.week! I've got some MPs and a lord as well. Plenty of issues for Prime
:44:02. > :44:05.Minister's Questions. Without further ado let me introduce my
:44:06. > :44:13.panel. Lord Wallace from the Democrats, Ian Murray from Scottish
:44:14. > :44:18.Labour, the SNP and Iain Stewart from the Conservatives. PMQ 's today
:44:19. > :44:22.dominated by health and social care. We know it is devolved in Scotland
:44:23. > :44:26.but the arguments for Scotland are probably the arguments in the whole
:44:27. > :44:28.of the UK. There is a feeling amongst many people, whatever
:44:29. > :44:34.governments in Edinburgh and London say, the health system and social
:44:35. > :44:38.care system both need more money. Well, demand for health care and
:44:39. > :44:44.social care is constantly rising. It has been for decades and will
:44:45. > :44:48.continue to rise, as medical treatments improve, as the
:44:49. > :44:51.population gets older. That's an inevitability. What we need to do is
:44:52. > :44:56.have a grown-up discussion about how we can make the health service as
:44:57. > :44:59.efficient as possible. Join it up properly with social care. There are
:45:00. > :45:02.issues in Scotland and England. In England we are putting in more
:45:03. > :45:07.money. That won't be the whole story. I think we need to have a
:45:08. > :45:08.proper look at how we have a holistic approach to looking at
:45:09. > :45:16.health and social care. But in simple terms, there are too
:45:17. > :45:19.many people going through the hospital doors and not enough coming
:45:20. > :45:24.out the other end. One of the problems is looking at people who do
:45:25. > :45:28.go to hospital for treatment, particularly in A, who do not
:45:29. > :45:32.actually need to go. That is why in England there is a different
:45:33. > :45:36.situation than Scotland. We have these transformation plans to look
:45:37. > :45:40.at expanding the range of treatments available at GP surgeries. So that
:45:41. > :45:43.people can be treated in their community, closer to home without
:45:44. > :45:50.having to go to hospital, creating more capacity in the hospitals. Is
:45:51. > :45:55.it the case that in Scotland, it is basically the same type of pressures
:45:56. > :46:01.that we have in England, and that we are used to seeing, that simply,
:46:02. > :46:04.with an ageing population, you have to change the way you do health
:46:05. > :46:07.care? That is a challenge for all governments, with the NHS, and it is
:46:08. > :46:10.a challenge for the Scottish Government as much as it is down
:46:11. > :46:16.here. But demographics are important. One of the things that
:46:17. > :46:22.Jeremy Corbyn could have landed a bigger blow on today was the nursing
:46:23. > :46:27.bursaries. We give nursing bursaries in Scotland and they have stopped it
:46:28. > :46:31.in England. As a result we have a 5% increase in the numbers of student
:46:32. > :46:34.increases. Most of my family are nurses and there is no way in the
:46:35. > :46:37.world that if they had been asked to take out a loan, they would have
:46:38. > :46:42.gone into nursing and that would have been a huge loss to the NHS. In
:46:43. > :46:47.fairness to Jeremy Corbyn, he raised that, but you are saying he did not
:46:48. > :46:50.kick hard enough? I think he also could have raised Jeremy Hunt's
:46:51. > :46:55.visit to the US, looking at bringing in private money to the NHS. That
:46:56. > :46:57.will signal the start of the end of the NHS in England and it will never
:46:58. > :47:02.happen in Scotland, whoever is in charge. Iain Murray, we know there
:47:03. > :47:08.are pressures on the system in Scotland. Things are slightly
:47:09. > :47:12.different, but the core demographics of the same. We have an ageing
:47:13. > :47:17.population, often with multifaceted problems, who are more expensive to
:47:18. > :47:23.take care of, and are living longer. That is the big challenge. The
:47:24. > :47:25.problem in Scotland is the throughput that you talked about
:47:26. > :47:30.earlier. More people are going to hospitals because there is a GP
:47:31. > :47:33.crisis in Scotland. There are fewer GPs, the surgeries are in special
:47:34. > :47:37.measures, people are closing their lists. If you cannot get a GP
:47:38. > :47:41.appointment, you go to A People worry about loved ones and that is
:47:42. > :47:44.what happens. Older people spend more time in hospital because we
:47:45. > :47:48.cannot get them out of the back door. The reason we cannot is
:47:49. > :47:54.because the social care system is run by local authorities and is
:47:55. > :47:58.under severe strain. There are tens of millions of pounds of cuts in the
:47:59. > :48:02.budget. The Scottish Government tomorrow is passing a budget
:48:03. > :48:05.transferring another ?170 million of cuts put through by the Greens to
:48:06. > :48:10.our local services, meaning that we will not be able to give older
:48:11. > :48:15.people the social care packages they deserve. These are the key issues.
:48:16. > :48:18.When you have a debate about funding them, and not having any more of
:48:19. > :48:21.these cuts, if more people are going in the front door and they cannot
:48:22. > :48:24.get out the back door for social care, you have a crisis on your
:48:25. > :48:29.hands. The Scottish demographics are much older then England and Wales
:48:30. > :48:35.and that is a time bomb that will only explode soon. We need more
:48:36. > :48:38.investment and not another series of budget cuts. You have been in
:48:39. > :48:42.government, you have sat in those chairs and you have had people
:48:43. > :48:45.saying about you need more money for various things. Is it the truth that
:48:46. > :48:48.unless we are willing to pay more money in taxes, we will not get the
:48:49. > :48:55.Rolls-Royce health service that we might like? There is an issue and we
:48:56. > :49:02.have centred on the past -- we have said it in the past on education,
:49:03. > :49:07.that an extra penny on tax could be diverted to the health service. But
:49:08. > :49:12.we all have to accept that as long as we try to make party points about
:49:13. > :49:16.this, we will not get to grips with that. We're people in hospital beds,
:49:17. > :49:19.elderly people in hospital beds. There is no medical reason why they
:49:20. > :49:22.need to be there but the provision is not there with social care to let
:49:23. > :49:27.them get out of hospital and back into their community. It is not just
:49:28. > :49:31.money. We need better structural integration and social services. We
:49:32. > :49:35.were talking about that in the Scottish Parliament. We need to get
:49:36. > :49:43.some progress on that. The other big issue on health, which we have got
:49:44. > :49:46.to address, is mental health. We identified children with mental
:49:47. > :49:50.health problems, waiting a year for treatment. That is just not
:49:51. > :49:53.acceptable. I think, along with the other issues, mental health is
:49:54. > :49:57.something we need to get a grip of. Is it perhaps time that cross-party
:49:58. > :50:05.we do something that does not happen normally. You, the politicians, say
:50:06. > :50:08.let's try to take it out of the political firing line. Let's have a
:50:09. > :50:13.discussion on social care where we can make some sensible decisions and
:50:14. > :50:18.come up with something radical and not be shot down by our political
:50:19. > :50:21.opponents. Personally, I would be in favour of that. Whatever reforms we
:50:22. > :50:29.need to make going forward cannot just last a lifetime. They have to
:50:30. > :50:33.be far reaching. They need to last for a generation. Personally, I am
:50:34. > :50:36.not the Health Secretary and I am afraid that if it was down to me,
:50:37. > :50:40.that is what I would look at. None of us will say that we should not be
:50:41. > :50:45.talking to each other. Take it out of the political arena. As long as
:50:46. > :50:49.what is on the table is not privatising the health service, and
:50:50. > :50:53.I think that is what is on the table, let's look at it. We're
:50:54. > :50:57.talking about structural changes. You have something like 500 new
:50:58. > :51:00.community nurses being trained so that we can stop people having to go
:51:01. > :51:04.into hospital in the first place, so that they can be treated in the
:51:05. > :51:09.community. Anybody that comes forward with a good idea, of course
:51:10. > :51:13.we should be listening. We cannot just stick to party political
:51:14. > :51:18.messages. Is it now time to say, OK, let's take this out of front line
:51:19. > :51:24.politics, argumentative politics, and try to do something new? I think
:51:25. > :51:27.all four of us would agree that better integration of health and
:51:28. > :51:32.social has to happen because while we have the silos of the NHS dealing
:51:33. > :51:37.with acute patients and local authorities dealing with people at,
:51:38. > :51:43.and people taken out of the system, there is a problem. We have to think
:51:44. > :51:47.about a cross-party approach. The difficulty is, and I will make a
:51:48. > :51:50.party political point here, we have tried to do this when Andy Burnham
:51:51. > :51:55.was Health Secretary down here. There was an agreement in the room,
:51:56. > :51:59.and by the time that agreement got into being in print, the
:52:00. > :52:02.Conservatives had produced a billboard calling it a death tax.
:52:03. > :52:06.There has to be trust on this. The second thing that hasn't happened,
:52:07. > :52:10.there has to be an agreement of the problems before we see solutions.
:52:11. > :52:16.Final point for you? We have recommended a Royal commission on
:52:17. > :52:21.health. My colleague, no Milan, has been trying to bring people together
:52:22. > :52:25.from the health services, experts and politicians, because I do think
:52:26. > :52:29.that it is so important to us that we really need a consensus to go
:52:30. > :52:33.forward. That is the same north and south of the border. There is no
:52:34. > :52:36.point in one government doing something if an incoming government
:52:37. > :52:43.undoes it. We need to find a broad measure of support. Thank you all.
:52:44. > :52:46.We decided to focus on one issue there because it is so important.
:52:47. > :52:50.They are very disappointed that I did not ask them about Brexit. I
:52:51. > :52:51.have given them a week off but next week, we will return to Brexit.
:52:52. > :53:02.Thank heavens for that! Look, all of this talk about
:53:03. > :53:10.cross-party this, that and the other, in part it sounds naive but
:53:11. > :53:15.it would be good to see everyone integrated on this. But they could
:53:16. > :53:18.not even talk about how important it was to take the politics out of this
:53:19. > :53:23.without scoring party political points. I think there is a place for
:53:24. > :53:27.it, particularly when you are talking about structural change. But
:53:28. > :53:31.you cannot get away from a hard politics and that is not just
:53:32. > :53:34.because politicians are evil people. But it is because there are
:53:35. > :53:39.substantial points that are contested that need to be discussed.
:53:40. > :53:43.One of the issues in Scotland is the extent of local authority funding.
:53:44. > :53:46.We had not properly discussed it and we keep suppressing it. You can
:53:47. > :53:50.argue about the causes of that. I think there is a real issue about
:53:51. > :53:57.local authority funding in Scotland. He paid a terrible price. Social
:53:58. > :54:00.care needs to be properly funded. Local authorities need to be
:54:01. > :54:09.properly funded and we're not doing that. That is all for this week.
:54:10. > :54:31.We're back next Wednesday and First Minister's Questions
:54:32. > :54:36.see how the life of the Scottish child has changed
:54:37. > :54:42.Children don't get to play outside in the way that they used to.
:54:43. > :54:45.I can remember being afraid to go to school.
:54:46. > :54:48.How we were raised shaped not just us but also our nation.
:54:49. > :54:53.Educating the mass of a population - that is a wonderful ideal.