22/09/2011 Politics Scotland

Our warm welcome to the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood. The big

topic of conversation among MSPs is the fall-out from John Swinney's

Budget statement yesterday, the spending implications and plans and

attempts to reshape the public sector. That imposition on

retailers to sell alcohol and tobacco, loads to talk about. The

these and other matters will come up in questions to the First

Minister. We now go to the chamber and my colleague, Glenn Campbell.

Questions at the moment on Freedom of Information and would be

Government make plans to extend the cover to other areas. We have also

had questions on transport, shared equity schemes, whistle blowing in

the National Health Service, such is the variety of question time

here in Holyrood. We are now heading towards the main event,

questions to the First Minister, and as Brian was saying I think

that the budget and plans the Scottish Government has for

spending over the next three years will probably dominate. Iain Gray

for Labour goes first, and it is the Conservatives' turn.

Question number one, Iain Gray. To ask the First Minister what

engagements he has planned for the rest of the day. The I am delighted

to say later today and will be meeting with a chief executive

whose company is to establish a new centre of excellence in Broxburn

creating 250 new jobs and safeguarding 1,000 others.

Among the new jobs will be up to 100 modern apprenticeships, which

will use public support as a lever for job creation and training

opportunities. I know the whole chamber will will come this latest

in a long line of welcome additions. The Labour has been a big supporter

of moderate apprenticeships. 100 modern apprenticeships are

always welcome but there are 172,000 young Scots unemployed.

Those are levels last seen under the Tory Government in 1992. Why on

earth did the First Minister cut further education in his Budget

yesterday. -- in his Budget yesterday? I am glad that Iain Gray

welcomes modern apprenticeships. Can we just have remembered Modern

apprenticeship snow in Scotland, at 25,000 per year for the next five

years, are 60 % higher than the level inherited from the Labour

Party. As Iain Gray notes, in terms of the Budget, the remarkable

things that funding for further and higher education has produced is

against cuts in Westminster that are the worst in a generation.

Many of those modern apprenticeships are delivered by

Scotland's colleges. He cut a further education last year, and

has cut it again in real terms by 20 %. I spoke to Scotland's

colleges today. They do not believe they can sustain their contribution

to the apprenticeships with this scale of cuts. 1,000 jobs have

already gone from our colleges and it is clear student places are next.

Last week, Microsoft will does he will shut colleges. -- Mike Russell

told as he will shot colleges. Let us have the truth about the

education cuts. How many colleges will they get rid of? 10, 20 or 30?

A if we are dealing with truth, let's be accurate about what was

said. Mike Russell talked about mergers with colleges being

productive. As indeed we have had recently in the City of Glasgow,

which was even supported by the Labour Party in that great city.

The 25,000 modern apprenticeships per year it will be achieved in

Scotland, as well the 100,000 training places, and our Investment

in post 16 education will rise from 1.9 2 billion to 1.99 bn, an

increase of 3.5 %. -- 1.9 2 billion to 1.99 bn. I would have thought

just a passing mention from Iain Gray in welcoming opportunities for

all, and training opportunity for every young stuff between the ages

of 16 to 19 in Scotland, would have come. He that not something this

entire Parliament should unite behind?

Yes, indeed, I agree absolutely with the SNP's George Kevin, who

referred to this policy as being from straight out of the Labour's

manifesto, but that is the trouble with that. The trouble is, those

who has to deliver these training places do not believe they will be

able to do it when they'd have to deliver a 20 % cut. Back in the 90s,

when we had youth unemployment like this, even the Tories created new

colleges and universities to expand opportunity. But this Government

will close them down. It is not just colleges - he is going to get

rid of universities, too. Everyone knows Mike Russell has a hit list,

so let us have the truth. Which universities has he decided to

close? I Noel Iain Gray, throughout his

time as Labour Leader, has led with his chin at First Minister's

Questions, but this takes the biscuit. Has he seen any of the

statements from university principals over the last 24 hours?

The convenor of universities - this is a significant investment in

Scotland's universities, one which will put the sector won a

competitive footing for the future. The Scottish Government has closed

the funding gap facing Scottish universities. Convenor of

universities Scotland - the Scottish Government continues to

give over �1 billion per year to the Scottish economy. Best of all,

Professor Anton muscatel lake, someone who has not always been the

most enthusiastic person for the Scottish Government, he should have

his day today. I strongly welcomed the announcement of the Scottish

Government's Spending Review. This is a fantastic commitment by the

Scottish Government which the Leeds the funding of the -- which fully

meets the needs of higher education in Scotland. Given that endorsement,

will Iain Gray find it in his heart to realise the Scottish Government

are investing in the future of Scotland?

The fact is, the First Minister is going to close that Professor's --

is not going to close that Professor's University, he is going

to close above take university. 500 staff at 5,000 students. -- Abertay

University. They are top of Mike Russell's hit list. Will the First

Minister tell us, is he going to close that a university?

I read out the vice convener of universities Scotland's statement,

and I have already pointed out that Iain Gray twice in this session has

totally misrepresented the Education Secretary. Given that

nobody in this country believes the Labour Party, if they had been in

Government, would have funded our universities to anything like this

extent, can Iain Gray find it in himself to agree with university

Scotland, -- universities Scotland, that this is a fantastic settlement

for Scotland. Annabel Goldie.

To ask the First Minister at - I read in the Scottish newspapers he

likes to be styled excellence lay - when he plans to meet the Secretary

of State for Scotland. I have no plans to meet the

Secretary of State for Scotland in the near future.

The First Minister likes to wax lyrical about the powers he does

not have, like corporation tax. Can I ask the First Minister how many

businesses in Scotland would benefit for his recent proposals

for a corporation tax cut? It would create tens of thousands

of new jobs in Scotland. I heard from the CBI that they were

thoroughly in favour of such a move. It was the CBI of Northern Ireland,

of course, who saw the advantages of such a move! I wonder why the

CBI in Scotland cannot follow their example. I notice that only two

places along the bench from Annabel Goldie is David McLetchie. If I

remember correctly, he signed up to the declaration of Wendy Alexander

that if any other country had Palmer's over corporation tax, this

Parliament and this Government should have them as well.

It is not the CBI or David McLetchie who is sitting over there

to answer questions, it is the First Minister. That is not the

question I asked. Let me give them an answer, because he does not want

to admit it. According to the Scottish Parliament's own research,

fewer than 3% of all businesses in Scotland would benefit. By the

Government's own admission, the creation of their estimated 27,000

new jobs by reducing corporation tax would take 20 years. I am all

in favour of cutting tax for business, but the First Minister

has attacks power he can use now, and it is called business rates,

paid by the vast majority of all businesses in Scotland, not just 3%.

In a press release from the Deputy First Minister, no less, we are

told that the small business bonus - delivered by the Conservatives...

Without the votes from these benches there would be no small

business bonus. That deliverance created 40,000 new jobs in just 40

years at a fraction of the cost of the First Minister's proposal for

corporation tax, so why on earth was yesterday's budget silent on

extending more help to more businesses, large and small, to cut

their businesses -- to cut their business rates and create more jobs

are now? I don't know if Annabel Goldie

bothered to look at the reaction of the Small Business Federation to

yesterday's budget, but it was incredibly enthusiastic, both about

closing the disparity between small retailers and larger retailers in

terms of the measures taken, but in particular the continuation of the

small business bonus. The most extraordinary, fantastic incentive

helping 80,000 businesses across Scotland and giving small business

at �3,000 advantage over businesses elsewhere in these islands. One of

the great things about being a majority Government is that Annabel

Goldie will no longer be able to claim the credit for SNP policies.

I put it to Annabel Goldie, let me put it as simply as possible as a

matter of arithmetic, given we know longer depend on the faults of the

Conservative Party in this Budget, does it not follow that the

decision to continue with the small business bonus, this fantastic

scheme benefiting 80,000 small businesses across Scotland, must

now, by definition, be entirely the responsibility of this SNP

Government? Constituency question.

Thank you, Presiding Officer. Since Iain Gray did not get an answer to

his final question, can the First Minister confirmed what was

reported in the Herald on Monday that the Cabinet Secretary for

Education is in favour of above tape and Dundee University's

merging? That is not what Iain Gray asked.

As I tried to point out a number of times, Iain Gray twice said that

the Cabinet Secretary had proposed the closure of further and higher

education institutions. The Cabinet Secretary never did any such thing,

he opened up the possibility of mergers as we have seen that

mergers in the sector before. I am sure that she knows the College of

Art in Edinburgh or merged recently with the University of Edinburgh.

In terms of accuracy, I know she asked her? Much more carefully than

her current party leader. Perhaps a candidacy may be in the offing.

Mergers of higher education institutions have happened many

times in Scottish education history, and it is entirely different from

The First Minister will be aware of the fast resignation of the

monitoring group set up by the Health Secretary and they did so

because they felt their pews were substantially ignored by the Health

Board and that is demonstrated by their proposal to close the ward

which provides in-patient mental health services. On the basis on

the increase of cases, that means an inability to cope and patience

to my committee being sent to Lanarkshire and Ayrshire. Well he'd

meet with me and the lay members concerned to discuss their

concerns? I'm sure the Health Secretary will be glad to agree to

that and we are disappointed by the decision of lay members and we were

grateful to the monitoring group for their input into the

supplementation. We are fully aware of the strength of feeling in

support of the ward and that is by Abe Kaplan secretary published this

in 2009 and therefore the Health Secretary will be delighted to meet

with the members to pursue these talks and I would as gently as I

can point out to Jackie Baillie that if it had been up to Jackie

Pele and the Labour Party, there would not being at the lovely Downe

hospital to have these talks. -- Dave Vale of leaves. Does the

Scottish Government plan to impose a cap on the gusts of the railway

project in the borders? A community to delivering the Borders railway

project within budget is in place. Does the First Minister understand

the concerns arising from reports this week of mounting costs and

mounting delays in this NPD financed project? Given his

Government's choice of this funding net that, can he explain what else

he will do if he isn't pursuing a cap if the sole remaining better

seeks to further increase the price of completing the project?

timescales referred to in the meeting are consistent with our

programme on budget and by 20th December 14. We have publicly put

the construction figure between 235 and �225 million. The Minister for

Transport will make an announcement on the future delivery of this

project in the near future and it would like to add to things. The

track record of delivering huge budgets under budget, the end 74

and the end 84, is impeccable compared to the last administration

and when he was transport minister, not only did he not 0.1 penny into

the borders will a project, which she claimed to be supporting, but

he was a major sponsor of the Private Finance Initiative which

only this week yet again we have seen details other cost to future

generations of Scots from that misguided policy. Can I further

reminder First Minister that on the Labour lead them watch, the

sterling allowed to Cartland line went to �85 million and was two

years late. Notwithstanding, there was a question. Mr Tavish Scott

said it would be up and running by 2007. Does he therefore agree that

he needs no lessons on delivering transport projects on budget or on

time from the opposition? Yes, I do. But the cost of railway projects is

an important aspect of this chamber should acknowledge and therefore,

the example of the cost of 375 millions, the largest commuter line

opened in the last century, in Scotland, the official opening this

year within budget is testimony to the track record of this Government

compared to our predecessors. has been five years since the

Railway Bill was passed. Does the First Minister really expect people

around the borders to believe that trains will road into the

communities in 2014 when the timetable keeps going back and back

and the Minister for Transport in 2009 stated that the contract...

Your question? Can he give us some specific date as to win we can all

go online and book tickets to Galashiels? Can I repeat what I

said. The timescales referred to in the media are consistent with the

programme for delivering the Borders railway on budget and by

20th December 14. And the confidence that he can have in that

statement is based on the confidence and the strong delivery

record of Transport Scotland in terms of this Government's term of

office, which in project after project has been delivered on time

and on budget. We should not allow the mistakes of the past committed

by other parties to do his confidence in the ability of this

Government to find a way to deliver this project on time and on budget.

What recent discussions has the Government had with the UK

government regarding transmission charges for companies wishing to

connect to the UK grid? Scottish Government and Indeed

supported by other voices across this chamber have long argued that

rapidly-changing the energy sector and the current charging regime

makes no sense and must be changed. Scotland has some of the greatest

low carbon energy areas in Europe yet depressing approach sees

Scotland generally in the areas of the highest renewable resource and

paying the highest charges. We have substantial hopes that we will be

on the brink of a breakthrough of this matter and we are still

confident of a better outcome but I would like to see the decoration

from OFGEM sooner rather than later. Thank you. Earlier this week,

Scottish renewables Chief Executive proposed 1600 megawatts of wave and

tidal projects planned for Orkney waters and they face an annual

charge of �56 million compared to an �11 million subsidy if they were

on the south-west coast of England. Is there any case for this unfair

discrepancy in charges? And when the First Minister again urge the

UK government to look again at this issue? I have pressed this issue

and many times with the previous and current government. I have my

most recent letter for the Secretary of State for Energy and

climate change when I argued for a level playing field. Mr Sheehan's

most recent response indicated broad agreement with that. Can I

remind people across the chamber that the last time this was voted

for in this Parliament, it was carried with no votes against and

there should be a more equitable approach to transmission charging

across the UK. One that did not discriminate against Scotland and

parts of Scotland in particular. The result of that division was 457

against, carrying the support of the main parties. 52 abstentions

and I do not understand why the Conservatives and Labour parties

could not find it in their hard to argue that Scottish generators

should get an equal deal to mobilise the great resources of

Scotland? The First Minister has welcomed the project transmit

undertaken by the current government and I'm sure he will

welcome the extension to the time frame for the project to allow all

of these issues to be fleshed out but he will have noticed from

Scottish renewables and their report about the large

discrepancies, particularly in Ireland areas and does he think

there is a case for separating the issues relating to Ireland areas

compared to the rest of the UK? They should not be any log jam. We

have every reason to believe that the announcements from OFGEM which

were expected this autumn would bring about the closing of this

massive disparity and we believe we have the support of the United

Kingdom Secretary for energy and cannot change and we are still

confident that we will get a resolution of this long-standing

and quite disgraceful piece of discrimination. I am surprised to

hear the member welcomed the delay in coming to that conclusion. Our

belief was that he would have a resolution this autumn and why it

is so important is that the decisions and the investment

decisions cannot wait for OFGEM to have another six months of talking

when we need action and we believe we had at principled agreement that

action would be taken so I know that Liam will add his for us to

the many voices across Scotland who say this disparity must be closed

and closed now. What action is the Scottish Government taking

following the loss of 1000 jobs in the further education sector over

the last year? It is important for every member that he will protect

college places for young Scots and we are providing a record number of

training opportunities, including a commitment to their awarding of a

training place to all 16 - 19 year- olds and reform that means we can

deliver these opportunities for young Scots. The Government has

reiterated the causes and principles and the importance of

avoiding compulsory redundancies and that is something being

achieved in almost every college. would be intrigued to know how

yesterday's announcement of 20% cuts in colleges budgets is going

to help prevent future job losses. I am glad he mentioned college

places because it would like to ask him a further question. Can the

First Minister guarantee that despite these cuts, he will meet

his own election manifesto promise to maintain the number of college

places for Scotland's students over the lifetime of this Parliament?

will make not just that manifesto commitment but the other manifesto

commitments which were so strongly supported by the Scottish people.

As far as a compulsory redundancies are concerned, I would welcome

again at the Labour Party's support for the urging of the education

ministers and urging the colleges to go down the road of other

aspects of public sectors in the control of this government and

avoiding compulsory redundancies. I should say that many colleges have

already given that commitment. the First Minister agree that there

is nothing more inspirational for fans and players alike than the

sound of the pipes. Does he share the disappointment of hundreds of

Scottish fans who have travelled halfway across the world to support

the national team... Excuse me... I'm sorry. That has nothing to do

with the question posed. Question number six... To as the first but

as to whether the Scottish Government has received a response

from the Advocate-General to the final report of the review of the

relationship between a High Court and the Supreme Court in criminal

cases? I understand the Advocate General wrote yesterday indicating

that he would reflect further on their conclusions of the review and

the group has recommended a resolution to the clear anomaly

where an appeal to the UK Supreme Court is refused by the highest

court in Scotland but there is still potential for leave to be

granted. That isn't possible for cases coming from English courts

and the review group agrees that there is no comprehensible reason

for this inconsistency. There we have it. The end of the programme.

The biggest controversy is over the implications of John Swinney's

budget statement. Iain Gray going on the question of colleges,

suggesting there was a hit list and that was denied. Although he was