:00:17. > :00:23.Hello. A very warm welcome to the Scottish Parliament here at
:00:24. > :00:27.Holyrood. Now, how are you coping with Storm Doris? Well, I hope
:00:28. > :00:31.you're battling through it. At the very least you have the opportunity
:00:32. > :00:34.to hunker down happily for the next hour as you watch questions to the
:00:35. > :00:37.First Minister. Let's cross over to the chamber.
:00:38. > :00:47.Thank you. It is pretty cold in the commentary booth where I can see
:00:48. > :00:54.John Swinney answering a question on child sex abuse, on the make-up on
:00:55. > :01:01.the panel conducting that inquiry. We turn to First Minister questions.
:01:02. > :01:04.Question number one. To ask the First Minister who engagements are
:01:05. > :01:10.planned? To take forward the Government for Scotland.
:01:11. > :01:14.Last week, the killer of Glasgow schoolgirl had four years taken off
:01:15. > :01:19.his sentence. In a case that's prompted grave concern, his lawyers
:01:20. > :01:23.argued he should have his time in jail reduced, simply on the grounds
:01:24. > :01:28.as he was not a bad a killer as others? In response the campaign
:01:29. > :01:35.said this, "There are no words to describe how we feel. It is
:01:36. > :01:40.heartbreaking and it serves no justice to Paige or her family."
:01:41. > :01:44.Less than a year after watching their daughter's killer get locked
:01:45. > :01:49.up, families should go through the ordeal or seeing that sentence
:01:50. > :01:56.reduced simply because he was not as bad a killer as others? My
:01:57. > :02:01.heartbreaks for the family. I met Paige's mother last year. And there
:02:02. > :02:06.literally are no words to express the pain and grief she and the rest
:02:07. > :02:09.of her family have gone through. And today, I am sure on behalf of
:02:10. > :02:13.everybody in the chamber, I simply want to put on records my deepest
:02:14. > :02:18.condolences for her for everything she's suffered. So, I have no
:02:19. > :02:22.difficulty whatsoever in understanding the sentiments that
:02:23. > :02:26.were expressed be I the justice for Paige campaign. If I had been a
:02:27. > :02:33.relative, I would have felt exactly the same, given the events that Ruth
:02:34. > :02:36.Davidson has outlined. Being frank about this, this is the more
:02:37. > :02:41.difficult thing for me to say, this was a decision of an independent
:02:42. > :02:44.judge in a court of law. We have an independent judiciary in this
:02:45. > :02:49.country. As well as being First Minister, I am a human being. There
:02:50. > :02:52.are many occasions where I look at decisions of courts and wish that
:02:53. > :02:57.different decisions has been reached. And it may well be this is
:02:58. > :03:01.one such case. But I respect the independence of the judiciary. I
:03:02. > :03:04.don't think anybody in this campaign, I would include Ruth
:03:05. > :03:08.Davidson in this, would expect me to interfere with those decisions. What
:03:09. > :03:11.I can do today is say absolutely that I understand and sympathise
:03:12. > :03:16.with the pain and grief that this family are experiencing.
:03:17. > :03:19.First Minister for her response. She is absolutely right to point out
:03:20. > :03:23.that we should all uphold the independence of the judiciary. But
:03:24. > :03:27.it is also right to say that it is Parliament which makes the law and
:03:28. > :03:29.it is Government which sets the framework under which our judges
:03:30. > :03:34.operate. And we on these benches say there
:03:35. > :03:38.must be change. Because a system which cuts a child murderer's
:03:39. > :03:43.sentence because he's deemed not as bad as others, is seen by most
:03:44. > :03:47.members of the public as a disgrace. Right now the Scottish Sentencing
:03:48. > :03:51.Council is exam pinning -- examining guidelines. We believe it should be
:03:52. > :03:56.a key element of its work. Does the First Minister? I think the
:03:57. > :04:01.Sentencing Council thould consider any matter it thinks appropriate. I
:04:02. > :04:04.would be absolutely happy for it to consider the issue that Ruth
:04:05. > :04:08.Davidson has just put forward. I accept that while we have an
:04:09. > :04:11.independent judiciary and courts must be allowed to take their
:04:12. > :04:16.decisions, the framework and the context for those decisions is very
:04:17. > :04:20.often set by Parliament. But no matter what context and framework
:04:21. > :04:24.Parliament sets on any of these issues, we will still have instances
:04:25. > :04:28.where decisions by courts are decisions that many people feel are
:04:29. > :04:32.the wrong decisions. That is in the very nature of an independent
:04:33. > :04:36.judiciary. But I am very clear that where there is evidence that the law
:04:37. > :04:39.has to be changed or action has to be taken, then that is something
:04:40. > :04:44.that this Government and this Parliament should reflect on very
:04:45. > :04:48.seriously. And that includes the experience of the particular tragic
:04:49. > :04:52.case we are talking today. That is why we have the sentencing Council
:04:53. > :04:56.and it is right and proper it looks at these matters in-depth. If it
:04:57. > :05:00.brings forward proposals for change to the Government then I can give an
:05:01. > :05:06.assurance today that the Government will consider any such proposals and
:05:07. > :05:10.if we think it appropriate bring forward proposals for reform. I
:05:11. > :05:14.thank the First Minister for her response, but the problem here is
:05:15. > :05:19.not just this case, it is that there are too many families who have seen
:05:20. > :05:23.their loved ones feel who do not feel they are getting the justice
:05:24. > :05:27.they deserve. They feel the dice is loaded against them in favour of the
:05:28. > :05:30.cathedrals. We have long campaigned on these benches for whole life
:05:31. > :05:34.sentences to be introduced in Scotland, so that judges could, if
:05:35. > :05:37.they wish, sentence the very worst criminals to spent the rest of their
:05:38. > :05:41.lives in jail. The Scottish Government has said in the past that
:05:42. > :05:46.it might consider such a move. What is its view now? Well, we will
:05:47. > :05:51.always consider proposals for change that we think are evidence-based,
:05:52. > :05:54.that are, dwen this is not always a popular thing to say, that are
:05:55. > :05:58.consistent with the European Convention on Human Rights, which is
:05:59. > :06:02.an important protection for our justice system generally. We will
:06:03. > :06:07.continue to consider openly and frankly any changes that are
:06:08. > :06:11.considered to be appropriate. I think while I generally agree with
:06:12. > :06:17.the thrust of the question, I don't think it is fair necessarily to go
:06:18. > :06:21.from one case where I think we are all agreed in the character risation
:06:22. > :06:26.of it to say that families are routinely let down by the justice
:06:27. > :06:31.system. We have a well performing justice system. We have one serious
:06:32. > :06:35.violent crime is one too many. I want to stress that. We nevertheless
:06:36. > :06:40.have crime rates which have fallen over the last number of years,
:06:41. > :06:44.thanks in good part to our police across the country. None of that
:06:45. > :06:50.takes away from the pain and anguish by a family who have experienced
:06:51. > :06:54.what the family has experienced. It is important, for Government and for
:06:55. > :06:57.Parliament to consider periodically whether the rules we have in place
:06:58. > :07:01.are right or whether they require to be changed. I can give an assurance
:07:02. > :07:08.on the part of the Government today that we will always seek to do that.
:07:09. > :07:11.I simply inject the caveat, which I don't think anybody is disagreeing
:07:12. > :07:16.with, that no matter what sentencing rules we have in place, no matter
:07:17. > :07:22.what frameworks we have in place, because we have rightly and properly
:07:23. > :07:26.an independent judicial system in this country there'll always be
:07:27. > :07:29.decisions taken by judges that some of us think are the wrong decisions.
:07:30. > :07:32.That is in the nature of the independence of the judiciary. But
:07:33. > :07:38.all of that said, we will continue to be open minded to proposals which
:07:39. > :07:42.come forward for reform and change in area as in any other area of our
:07:43. > :07:46.system. I thank the First Minister. It is one we have heard several
:07:47. > :07:51.times before from this Government. As it stands, our judges do not have
:07:52. > :07:57.the tool of a whole life tariff at their disposal. We say they should.
:07:58. > :08:00.Presiding Officer, we can sit in this Parliament and express outrage
:08:01. > :08:04.every time something like this happens, or we can do something
:08:05. > :08:11.about it. And I want to do something about it. If the Scottish Government
:08:12. > :08:15.won't act, then I can say today that the Scottish Conservatives will do
:08:16. > :08:19.so by pushing ahead with a bill pushing ahead for the introduction
:08:20. > :08:24.of whole life sentencing in Scotland. We need to stand up for
:08:25. > :08:27.families who see sentences cut less than a year after handed down. We
:08:28. > :08:32.should change the law so families feel that the law is tipping back in
:08:33. > :08:36.their favour and that the worst criminals are kept off our streets
:08:37. > :08:43.forever. We have waited too long, Presiding Officer, isn't it time
:08:44. > :08:48.that we all acted? I do think it's important that we
:08:49. > :08:51.consider to look at these issues rationally, I think Ruth Davidson is
:08:52. > :08:54.right to raise these issues. We have introduced over the course of the
:08:55. > :08:59.period that we have been in Government a whole range of reforms
:09:00. > :09:04.to our justice system. I said earlier on that the fall in crime is
:09:05. > :09:09.partly in large part due to the good work of our police officers. We are
:09:10. > :09:12.seeing increases in the rates of convictions and increases in the
:09:13. > :09:17.length of prison sentences for many offences as well. Much of that is
:09:18. > :09:20.down to reforms introduced to our justice system over the period of
:09:21. > :09:24.the last decade. We will continue to look with an open mind at proposals
:09:25. > :09:30.brought forward for further reform. I would say this and I don't want to
:09:31. > :09:36.comment too much more on the individual case, I think we are all
:09:37. > :09:40.agreed on the tragic nature of that case, but if the system that Ruth
:09:41. > :09:45.Davidson is advocating for today had been in place and this is an
:09:46. > :09:48.important point, there is no guarantee that is the sentence a
:09:49. > :09:54.particular judge would have opted for. So, I am simply making the
:09:55. > :09:59.point that even if we had and I'm not saying that it is absolutely the
:10:00. > :10:04.wrong thing to be considering, but the point I am seeking to make is
:10:05. > :10:08.this, we will always have cases, no matter the sentencing options that
:10:09. > :10:12.judges have, where a judge makes a decision that some people do not
:10:13. > :10:17.think is correct. And therefore whoever happens to be occupying the
:10:18. > :10:20.opposition benches would be raising these issues with whoever happens to
:10:21. > :10:24.be the First Minister or the Government at the time. I think
:10:25. > :10:28.these are serious issues. I would not underestimate or underplay the
:10:29. > :10:31.importance of them at all. But let's consider these things in the proper
:10:32. > :10:36.rational way that all Parliaments should. This Parliament has done on
:10:37. > :10:39.many occasions in terms of past reforms to our justice system. I
:10:40. > :10:42.give a commitment to Ruth Davidson and to Parliament today that the
:10:43. > :10:46.Government will continue to reflect and reflect further in light of this
:10:47. > :10:49.exchange at First Minister's questions about what further changes
:10:50. > :10:52.we might think appropriate and then Parliament should act in the way
:10:53. > :10:56.that it thinks best in light of all of the circumstances.
:10:57. > :11:04.I want to ask the First Minister what engagements she has for the
:11:05. > :11:08.rest of the week. To take forward the Government's programme for
:11:09. > :11:11.Scotland. Earlier this week the Greater Glasgow health board voted
:11:12. > :11:17.to close a children's ward at the hospital in Paisley. This was a
:11:18. > :11:20.decision opposed by Labour SMPs, Labour councillors and thousands of
:11:21. > :11:26.families and patients. It was the wrong decision. Last year, during
:11:27. > :11:31.the live election TV debates, the First Minister was asked if this
:11:32. > :11:34.ward would close. She promised the voters, there's no proposals to
:11:35. > :11:37.close that particular ward. But there were proposals to close that
:11:38. > :11:45.ward. So, why did she offer that false hope to thousands of families
:11:46. > :11:53.on live TV? This is an important and serious
:11:54. > :11:58.issue, but I thought Kezia Dugdale should have been able to spot the
:11:59. > :12:03.contradiction. This was voted on by greater fwlas go and Clyde health
:12:04. > :12:07.board this week. -- Glasgow and Clyde health board this week. It did
:12:08. > :12:11.not combis in a form the Scottish Government could consider last year
:12:12. > :12:15.before the Scottish election. That proposal does now... Labour have
:12:16. > :12:20.raised this as an important issue, they may want to listen to the
:12:21. > :12:26.answer that I am about to give. This is an important issue. The health
:12:27. > :12:29.board has voted to put this proposals and let's remember and I
:12:30. > :12:32.am not prejudging the Scottish Government's view of this because we
:12:33. > :12:37.have to go through a formal process of our own. This is a proposal in
:12:38. > :12:42.the context of there being a new children's hospital in the south of
:12:43. > :12:47.Glasgow, just a few miles away from the royal Alexandra Hospital. But
:12:48. > :12:51.the health board has voted. This is something which Labour called for.
:12:52. > :12:55.So I would think they might welcome it whats been designated major
:12:56. > :13:00.service change. What that means it is comes to the Scottish Government,
:13:01. > :13:04.to the Health Secretary for proper consideration and for decision.
:13:05. > :13:10.That's why it would be wrong for me to be wrong going any further in
:13:11. > :13:14.prejudging this today. It will be given full and proper consideration.
:13:15. > :13:18.I would ask Kezia Dugdale to reflect on this pointed, as Health
:13:19. > :13:22.Secretary, unlike my Labour predecessors as Health Secretary, I
:13:23. > :13:28.never shied away from overturning decisions of health boards when I
:13:29. > :13:34.considered that they were not in the interests of patients. Monklands
:13:35. > :13:39.Accident Emergency is one example. Ayr Accident Emergency is another.
:13:40. > :13:43.Some of the proposed closures, for example. We will continue to put the
:13:44. > :13:49.interests of patients first. That is what the people of Scotland and fren
:13:50. > :13:53.fewshire would expect us to do. -- Renfrewshire would expect us to
:13:54. > :13:56.do. Where the First Minister was right
:13:57. > :14:01.in that answer is that the ultimate decision to close this ward at now
:14:02. > :14:06.rests with her Government. And here's her chance to do the right
:14:07. > :14:11.thing. But I'm not holding my breath, given the two local SMP
:14:12. > :14:16.politicians couldn't be bothered to respond to the public consultation.
:14:17. > :14:20.The supposed post rules we have in place poster girl, Marie Black
:14:21. > :14:28.couldn't be bothered and neither could George Adam. The SMP, for
:14:29. > :14:33.Paisley found the time to oppose the closure of a local McDonald's but
:14:34. > :14:37.not a children's ward in his own constituency. Perhaps the First
:14:38. > :14:46.Minister will listen to gor Dan Clark. -- Gordan Clark. He is the
:14:47. > :14:53.man who asked her that question about the REH on live TV and he's
:14:54. > :14:56.here in the public gallery today. The First Minister promised Gordan
:14:57. > :15:00.there were no plans to close that children's ward. What does she say
:15:01. > :15:04.to him now? Will she step in and keep her word and save this ward in
:15:05. > :15:10.this hospital? I would repeat... I would repeat
:15:11. > :15:15.again what I said previously. There were no proposals. There are now
:15:16. > :15:21.proposals because of the decision taken by the Health Secretary, these
:15:22. > :15:24.proposals have been designated major service change, so they come to the
:15:25. > :15:27.Health Secretary for decision. I would have thought that was
:15:28. > :15:32.something that Labour would have welcomed, given it is something they
:15:33. > :15:36.called for. In respect of the local MP and MSP, they have recognised
:15:37. > :15:39.that this is a decision for the Health Secretary. So they have got
:15:40. > :15:43.on with the job of contacting the Health Secretary. They have invited
:15:44. > :15:46.the Health Secretary to go to Renfrewshire, to meet with patients
:15:47. > :15:50.before she takes a decision and the Health Secretary will agree to do
:15:51. > :15:54.that. That is the right and proper way to proceed. The Health Secretary
:15:55. > :15:57.will listen, not just to the views of the health board, the Health
:15:58. > :16:03.Secretary will listen to the views of patients and we will come to a
:16:04. > :16:09.decision that is in the interests of patients and that is in stark
:16:10. > :16:12.contrast to the way in which previous Labour Governments used to
:16:13. > :16:16.operate when it came to health service changes because they used to
:16:17. > :16:22.ignore the voice of patients and simply rubber stamp the health board
:16:23. > :16:26.proposals to close Accident Emergency unknits and other services
:16:27. > :16:30.across the -- units and other services across the country. This
:16:31. > :16:33.Government will act in the best interests of patients whether in
:16:34. > :16:42.Renfrewshire or anywhere else in Scotland.
:16:43. > :16:48.First Minister, parents of sick children do not want to hear a
:16:49. > :16:57.ten-year-old story about keeping A open, they want to know about the
:16:58. > :17:00.future of this ward. And the cuts in Paisley are not the only cuts
:17:01. > :17:06.planned to NHS services in Scotland. The maternity units at the Vale of
:17:07. > :17:15.Lieven and in the Clyde Royal are also under threat and we learned the
:17:16. > :17:19.MSP plan -- the SNP's plans to remove neonatal units across
:17:20. > :17:24.Scotland. Because of their failure to fund the NHS, children's health
:17:25. > :17:29.services are in crisis. Parents want to know, when will the SNP
:17:30. > :17:35.government fix the mess it has made of the NHS? First Minister, when
:17:36. > :17:40.will you get on the job of this? There are certainly some people who
:17:41. > :17:45.do not want to hear about a decision taken almost ten years ago to save
:17:46. > :17:49.Accident and Emergency services at air and Monklands and they are
:17:50. > :17:54.sitting on the Labour benches. Those are the ones that want to close
:17:55. > :17:58.them. And those people who do want to hear about that, they are the
:17:59. > :18:02.hundreds of thousands of patients who have been treated in those units
:18:03. > :18:11.in the 10-year is since. In terms of the other issues that Kezia Dugdale
:18:12. > :18:14.has raised, the maternity, midwife led maternity units at Inverclyde
:18:15. > :18:19.and the Vale of Lieven, I assume she knows the health board is
:18:20. > :18:22.reconsidering its proposals in light of the recommendations of the
:18:23. > :18:27.maternity and neonatal review. That is right and proper. In terms of
:18:28. > :18:31.what Kezia Dugdale has said about neonatal services, what she has said
:18:32. > :18:37.is absolutely and utterly disgraceful! Because what we have is
:18:38. > :18:43.an expert led report setting out what we need to do to enhance a
:18:44. > :18:48.small number of neonatal units, to make them specialist enough to care
:18:49. > :18:54.for the sickest babies in our country and yet Kezia Dugdale is
:18:55. > :18:57.somehow suggesting that as First Minister and as a Health Secretary,
:18:58. > :19:01.we should ignore the opinions of those experts when it comes to the
:19:02. > :19:07.care of the sick list babies in our country. That is utterly disgraceful
:19:08. > :19:17.and Kezia Dugdale and Labour should be deeply ashamed of themselves! And
:19:18. > :19:23.in terms of the children's Ward at the Royal Alexandra Hospital...
:19:24. > :19:27.Members, please refrain from interrupting, if members feel
:19:28. > :19:31.strongly, if you wish to be, stand up and make a point but do not speak
:19:32. > :19:34.from a sedentary position. It is very clear in this chamber that
:19:35. > :19:37.Labour is not particularly interested in patients, it is all
:19:38. > :19:43.about political point scoring for Labour in this chamber. Let me get
:19:44. > :19:47.back to the RAH and I will say this to the parrot in the gallery and
:19:48. > :19:50.every other parent in Renfrewshire who is understandably concerned
:19:51. > :19:54.about this issue, this Government will listen carefully not just the
:19:55. > :19:58.views of the health board, but to the views of parents and other
:19:59. > :20:01.patients and we will come to a decision rightly and properly based
:20:02. > :20:05.on what we think is in the best interests of patients. That is the
:20:06. > :20:08.right way for a responsible Governor to proceed and that is perhaps one
:20:09. > :20:12.of the reasons why we are in government and Labour is not even
:20:13. > :20:22.the opposition any longer, but in a dismal third place. Two
:20:23. > :20:27.supplementary is, the first is Jamie Green.
:20:28. > :20:32.Thank you, Presiding Officer. Mr Brian J from North Ayrshire set up
:20:33. > :20:35.and runs his own wedding car company which he invested ?60,000, which we
:20:36. > :20:40.should applaud this chamber. The company was going well until the
:20:41. > :20:45.Scottish Government introduced the weapons and licensing act which she
:20:46. > :20:48.forcing additional licensing costs on private operators across
:20:49. > :20:51.Scotland, he has now ceased to take bookings and is worried he might
:20:52. > :20:56.have to close shop indefinitely, I have written to the Cabinet
:20:57. > :21:00.secretaries for justice and economy, jobs and fair work, asking for
:21:01. > :21:05.clarification on this matter. Can I ask the First Minister... You can
:21:06. > :21:09.haggle, but Mr Jay is sitting watching is at home and is
:21:10. > :21:12.interested in hearing what the First Minister has to say. What guidance
:21:13. > :21:16.can she offer Mr Jay and many other like him across Scotland and what
:21:17. > :21:20.action the Government is taking to mitigate the negative affect this
:21:21. > :21:23.act is having on their industry and when it will undertake the
:21:24. > :21:30.assessments that they were promised? First Minister. Well, of course, the
:21:31. > :21:35.Ayre weapons and licensing act was introduced with the interest of
:21:36. > :21:38.public safety at heart and I think the Conservatives photographed for
:21:39. > :21:42.the bill before this Parliament. And I think they were right to do so
:21:43. > :21:45.because of the motivation of this piece of legislation. With any
:21:46. > :21:51.legislation, it is absolutely vital we strike the right balance between
:21:52. > :21:57.the legislation doing what it is intended to do, without putting
:21:58. > :22:00.unnecessary burdens on anybody. The member has rightly written to the
:22:01. > :22:02.relevant Cabinet secretaries and I will make sure they were to his
:22:03. > :22:07.correspondence and the Justice Secretary would be happy, I am
:22:08. > :22:12.telling him now, he would be happy to meet with the business concerns
:22:13. > :22:15.to discuss his circumstances and whether or not there is anything
:22:16. > :22:19.that can be done to mitigate the impact on the business. I would hope
:22:20. > :22:23.everybody across this chamber would support the motivations and
:22:24. > :22:27.provisions of this piece of legislation because it is about
:22:28. > :22:31.protecting public safety. Could I just encourage members, I am
:22:32. > :22:34.not expecting reverential silence, but just as there should not be
:22:35. > :22:38.chuntering when the Minister and First Minister is trying to answer
:22:39. > :22:42.questions, they should not be interventions when somebody is
:22:43. > :22:46.trying to ask a question. First Minister, but the Clydesdale
:22:47. > :22:49.bank and the TSB have announced the closure of two branches in my
:22:50. > :22:56.constituency. It will lose two of its three banks as a result and in
:22:57. > :23:03.one place, the last bank, the TSB. And the Clydesdale branch. What
:23:04. > :23:06.representations is the Government is banks to encourage them to maintain
:23:07. > :23:12.a High Street presence and mitigate against any closures?
:23:13. > :23:16.The decision to close these branches while a commercial decision, it is
:23:17. > :23:21.obviously very disappointing for the customers, local communities and the
:23:22. > :23:25.staff affected by these decisions. While we recognise that branch
:23:26. > :23:30.activity and football may be declining due to be increasing
:23:31. > :23:33.number of bank transactions can -- conducted online, the Scottish
:23:34. > :23:37.Government in the concept we have with banks would urge them to
:23:38. > :23:41.consider branch closes as a last result and consult staff and
:23:42. > :23:47.communities before making a final decision. Bank branches and the same
:23:48. > :23:50.can be said of post offices, they are important in terms of the
:23:51. > :23:55.business they do and the football they bring to other businesses. Many
:23:56. > :23:58.customers continue to have a strong preference or a need for
:23:59. > :24:03.face-to-face provision of banking services and I would expect banks to
:24:04. > :24:09.explore -- to explore all practices to boost footfall and boost services
:24:10. > :24:11.in local communities wherever it is viable.
:24:12. > :24:17.Question number three, Willie Rennie. What issues to be discussed
:24:18. > :24:23.at the next meeting of the Cabinet? Matters of importance for Scotland.
:24:24. > :24:27.For years, the SNP government has instructed the Chief Constables of
:24:28. > :24:33.Scotland to employ 1,000 extra officers. Is that policy still in
:24:34. > :24:37.force? We have a thousand extra officers at the moment and in terms
:24:38. > :24:42.of our budget for the year, I expect that to continue. Willie Rennie will
:24:43. > :24:46.be aware from discussions in this chamber and I think from the SNP's
:24:47. > :24:50.manifesto at the last election, it is important going forward that we
:24:51. > :24:53.not only maintain an appropriate level of front line police officers,
:24:54. > :24:57.but we recognise the changing pattern of crime, the increase
:24:58. > :25:01.inside the crime and ensure the police have the right mix of
:25:02. > :25:08.specialist staff, the right crime fighting force on the front line in
:25:09. > :25:12.our communities. Police officers will always be the most important
:25:13. > :25:16.part of that. We have 1,000 more police officers than we inherited, I
:25:17. > :25:21.would always expect to have way more police officers than we inherited.
:25:22. > :25:24.And we will continue to work with Police Scotland to ensure that
:25:25. > :25:30.balance and that mix is the right one. As the member will be aware,
:25:31. > :25:36.Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority will shortly
:25:37. > :25:40.publish a consultation on their strategy for the next period, and
:25:41. > :25:43.that is one I hope Parliament and every member Parliament will
:25:44. > :25:47.positively engage. For years, the First Minister has
:25:48. > :25:56.spoken about little else but the 1,000 extra officers. She has done
:25:57. > :25:59.it again just now. Order! At Mr Rennie answer the
:26:00. > :26:05.question. So I would have thought a change of
:26:06. > :26:10.policy like seems to be happening now would have merited some kind of
:26:11. > :26:16.formal announcement from the Government before now. Civilians are
:26:17. > :26:23.important. Not least for cyber crime and call centres. Yet 2,000 valuable
:26:24. > :26:31.civilian posts have been lost in recent years. This is very sensitive
:26:32. > :26:36.and important, as we will soon find out what with the contributory
:26:37. > :26:42.factors to the events following the crash? So this policy really does
:26:43. > :26:46.matter. Communities deserve a clear explanation of government policy.
:26:47. > :26:49.Next week, the Chief Constable will publish the policing plan for the
:26:50. > :26:55.next ten years. What limits on officers has he been given by the
:26:56. > :26:58.First Minister? Can I thank Willie Rennie for the
:26:59. > :27:02.confirmation that I talk about little else other than matters like
:27:03. > :27:05.justice and health and education, because it gives lie to the
:27:06. > :27:15.accusation that I am always talking about other matters. But this is...
:27:16. > :27:19.In terms of major policy changes, if and when there are major policy
:27:20. > :27:22.changes on this or any other matter, of course the Government will make
:27:23. > :27:27.that clear to Parliament. But I set out early on for Willie Rennie our
:27:28. > :27:32.manifesto for the election, what it said last year, and that was very
:27:33. > :27:34.open about what we consider to be the challenges of policing, given
:27:35. > :27:38.the changing patterns of crime and how we had to work with the police
:27:39. > :27:41.service to make sure they are equipped to deal with that. And
:27:42. > :27:46.maintaining appropriate numbers of police officers, as we have done in
:27:47. > :27:49.each and every one of the ten years we have been in office, continues to
:27:50. > :27:56.be extremely important. What the Chief Constable and the Scottish
:27:57. > :27:58.Police Authority will do next week is set out their draft strategy for
:27:59. > :28:00.consultation and it is important they consult widely on that in terms
:28:01. > :28:03.of the challenges and the opportunities they face in the
:28:04. > :28:09.period ahead. I will not pre-empt what they said. But they will
:28:10. > :28:12.continue to work with and be guided by government in terms of the
:28:13. > :28:19.decisions they take as a result of that. Finally, perhaps unlike Lee's
:28:20. > :28:24.forces in other parts of the UK, we have increased funding for front
:28:25. > :28:28.line services for the coming year. There was an increase in funding in
:28:29. > :28:33.terms of the revenue for Police Scotland, which we have pledged to
:28:34. > :28:38.protect in real terms over this Parliament, but also, additional
:28:39. > :28:42.reform funding and stage one of the draft budget to Derek Mackay
:28:43. > :28:46.announced, with even more funding. We are putting resources into our
:28:47. > :28:50.police services and we are required to work with the Chief Constable and
:28:51. > :28:52.his colleagues and the Scottish Police Authority to make sure those
:28:53. > :28:59.resources support a police force equipped to deal with crime not just
:29:00. > :29:01.now, but in the years to come. One of the supplementary from Rory
:29:02. > :29:06.Grant. This Parliament voted in December
:29:07. > :29:11.the 7th that seafarers and buoyed by Marine Scotland should receive a
:29:12. > :29:15.fair pay settlement rather than the pay cut they now face. Despite this,
:29:16. > :29:21.really -- Marine Scotland has refused to increase pay offer,
:29:22. > :29:26.putting them on and on equal footing. Will the First Minister
:29:27. > :29:32.make sure Marine Scotland respects the decision of this Parliament now?
:29:33. > :29:36.I think the member knows and indeed shares the commitment of this
:29:37. > :29:40.Government to fair pay and I will certainly after this session of
:29:41. > :29:44.questions today look into this matter and respond to her in
:29:45. > :29:48.writing. I believe it is important the public sector leads by example
:29:49. > :29:51.on issues of fair pay, there will always be issues involved in
:29:52. > :29:54.negotiations that it would not be appropriate for gunmen to get
:29:55. > :29:59.involved and while negotiations are under way, but I will undertake to
:30:00. > :30:02.look into this matter and return to this as quickly as possible --
:30:03. > :30:07.appropriate for government. What is the Scottish Cup mud's response to
:30:08. > :30:12.the report by Macmillan Cancer that highlights the disparity in survival
:30:13. > :30:18.rates between people from more and less deprived areas. The last
:30:19. > :30:23.tenuous have seen an overall reduction in the cancer mortality
:30:24. > :30:27.rate of 11%. 100 million strategy set out a range of actions to
:30:28. > :30:32.improve survival for people affected by cancer, including targeted
:30:33. > :30:39.efforts to increase screening uptake in deprived areas. Our detect cancer
:30:40. > :30:45.early programme is aimed at reducing in qualities and we expect to see
:30:46. > :30:48.continued improvements in survival. The most recent staging daters shows
:30:49. > :30:54.the largest increase in early diagnosis, state-run diagnosis of
:30:55. > :30:58.16.3% in the three tumour groups I have mentioned, has been in the most
:30:59. > :31:02.deprived areas of the country so there is still more work to do, but
:31:03. > :31:04.that data would suggest we are starting to see signs of a narrowing
:31:05. > :31:19.of that inequality gap. I have to confess I am one of them,
:31:20. > :31:21.have been reluctant to engage with the screening and early diagnosis
:31:22. > :31:27.with the health services. Does she feel it is just a question of money
:31:28. > :31:32.here? Or are we needing to change underlying attitudes? Well, firstly,
:31:33. > :31:37.we have to make sure we resource screening programmes and prevention
:31:38. > :31:41.strategies, so they detect cancer early programme which was introduced
:31:42. > :31:45.when I was Health Secretary is backed by ?41 million of resource.
:31:46. > :31:51.But I do think John Mason is right to say it is not just about
:31:52. > :31:55.resources, it is about changing attitudes, changing cultures.
:31:56. > :32:01.Encouraging people not to be frightened to come forward for early
:32:02. > :32:06.examination if they are worried about any symptoms. The earlier
:32:07. > :32:11.cancer is diagnosed, then the better the chance of survival. That is why
:32:12. > :32:14.we put such emphasis on early detection on our screening
:32:15. > :32:19.programmes, on encouraging people to come forward that is the whole ethos
:32:20. > :32:23.and motivation of the detect cancer early initiative. That is
:32:24. > :32:28.particularly important when it comes to men, who suspect that they may
:32:29. > :32:32.have early symptoms of cancer. We know that men generally, I am
:32:33. > :32:36.generalising here, are often less likely to come forward and to see a
:32:37. > :32:40.doctor. So it is really important that we stress the messages of
:32:41. > :32:44.taking advice if you've got any concerns because that will help
:32:45. > :32:49.ensure that we detect cancer early. If we do that then we will safe more
:32:50. > :32:54.lives in the process. And I think we've all got a part to play in
:32:55. > :32:59.getting these messages across. The research found you are up to 98%
:33:00. > :33:08.more likely to die from cancer if you are from the most deprived,
:33:09. > :33:11.compared to the least deprived area. Inequalities have widened in terms
:33:12. > :33:16.of health, attainment and wealth. Will the First Minister agree that
:33:17. > :33:22.the greatest fight against cancer deprivation has been led by Glasgow
:33:23. > :33:27.City Council and McMillan. Would she agree to work closely with the
:33:28. > :33:34.council and McMillan to replicate the programme and roll it out across
:33:35. > :33:39.Scotland? We work closely with organisations like McMillan and
:33:40. > :33:43.partner with them in areas. We work with Glasgow City Council and others
:33:44. > :33:48.to support our work in these areas. It is right that we continue to do
:33:49. > :33:52.so. I don't think any of us should underestimate the challenges here.
:33:53. > :33:56.Nor should any of us, whatever party, somehow pretend these are
:33:57. > :34:02.issues which have just arisen under one more party. The issues of
:34:03. > :34:06.inequalities and including health inequalities are long standing and
:34:07. > :34:14.deep rooted in Scotland. We have seen some statistics around heart
:34:15. > :34:19.disease and stroke, for example. In our most deprived areas mortality
:34:20. > :34:27.rates for heart disease have decreased by 31% and by stroke for
:34:28. > :34:32.24% over the last period. We are making progress in some of these
:34:33. > :34:35.areas. We need to do more. Going back to cancer we know that
:34:36. > :34:39.prevention first and foremost is important. That is why this
:34:40. > :34:43.Government has picked up on the work of the last Labour Government around
:34:44. > :34:47.reducing smoking rates, trying to deal with the problems of alcohol
:34:48. > :34:52.misuse. We know these are drivers of some kind of cancer, but also early
:34:53. > :34:59.detection. Our screening programmes are important. Encouraging people to
:35:00. > :35:04.come forward and the cancer t tumour types that programme focuses on are
:35:05. > :35:07.responsible for half of all cancers in Scotland. I hope people around
:35:08. > :35:13.the chamber would agree there is a great deal of work being done here.
:35:14. > :35:16.Much is about proper resources, much is about changing long-held
:35:17. > :35:19.attitudes and patterns of behaviour. That is something where all of us
:35:20. > :35:25.should come together and make sure we do play our part in achieving.
:35:26. > :35:30.Question number five. To ask the First Minister in light
:35:31. > :35:36.of the verdict whether the Scottish Government considers that it was
:35:37. > :35:44.worthwhile for it to spend ?136,000 on legal fees in the recent Brexit
:35:45. > :35:48.case at the Supreme Court? Well, I not only think it was worthwhile for
:35:49. > :35:51.the Scottish Government to be represented in that case, I think it
:35:52. > :35:54.was essential for the Scottish Government to be represented in that
:35:55. > :35:59.case. And interestingly, just as an aside,
:36:00. > :36:03.he might want to say to his Tory colleagues in Westminster that it is
:36:04. > :36:07.about time they told us how much time they spent defending a case
:36:08. > :36:12.that they always knew they would lose. The Supreme Court case was
:36:13. > :36:15.necessary to force the UK Government to enact the legislation currently
:36:16. > :36:19.going through the Westminster Parliament before the triggering of
:36:20. > :36:22.Article 50. It raises funt mental issues about the rights of people in
:36:23. > :36:26.Scot #4r57bd and the role of this Parliament. So -- Scotland and the
:36:27. > :36:31.role of this Parliament. So, yes it is right like the Government in
:36:32. > :36:35.Wales defended our interests in what was the most constitutional law case
:36:36. > :36:41.for many, many years. This is like a game of jeopardy. The
:36:42. > :36:45.answer is Brexit. Westminster and the Tories.
:36:46. > :36:50.What is the question? It's any question that you ask us First
:36:51. > :36:55.Minister. My point was about the use of taxpayers' cash, because this SNP
:36:56. > :36:58.Government will literally say and do anything that they think furthers
:36:59. > :37:06.their goal of tearing our union apart.
:37:07. > :37:09.And they don't care how much Scottish taxpayers' money they
:37:10. > :37:16.squander in the process. This ?136,000 is one example of the tens
:37:17. > :37:20.of millions of pounds that this SNP Government spends on policy
:37:21. > :37:25.decisions that they believe will promote separation, such as the
:37:26. > :37:29.unpopular plans to dismantal the British Transport Police. No-one
:37:30. > :37:34.should be under any illusions, this SNP Government puts its own
:37:35. > :37:39.interests first, not Scotland. With this SNP Government taking ever more
:37:40. > :37:43.money out of the pockets of hard-working Scots, will the First
:37:44. > :37:48.Minister cut out the needless spend on furthering their unwanted
:37:49. > :37:56.campaign for independence and instead focus on growing our
:37:57. > :37:59.economy? You always know when it happens regularly when David
:38:00. > :38:03.Davidson is completely embarrassed by one of her backbenchers because
:38:04. > :38:07.she starts to is a separate conversation on the front bench as
:38:08. > :38:13.though she's somewhere else and what is happening behind her is nothing
:38:14. > :38:16.actually dodo with you. Ruth I sympathy because -- sympathise
:38:17. > :38:20.because I would have been embarrassed had he been one of my
:38:21. > :38:26.backbenchers. Don't you worry, I am going to answer his question.
:38:27. > :38:29.Firstly, in the spirit of finding some consensus, because as members
:38:30. > :38:39.know that is always what I like to do. I agree with Morris, Brexit is
:38:40. > :38:42.like a game of jeopardy. Unfortunately the Tories are playing
:38:43. > :38:46.it at the expense of the rest of us and it is completely unacceptable.
:38:47. > :38:52.Secondly, and this may be a point, it seems to be a point that has
:38:53. > :38:56.completely escaped him, but there would have been no case at the
:38:57. > :39:02.Supreme Court for the Scottish Government to have to intervene in
:39:03. > :39:07.if the Tories hadn't invested on -- on appealing this case every step of
:39:08. > :39:12.the way to the Supreme Court. Even though everybody knew they were
:39:13. > :39:17.going to lose. I think it might be more appropriate for him to ask his
:39:18. > :39:21.colleagues, Tory colleagues at Westminster, how much they spent on
:39:22. > :39:26.this case. Because so far they are refusing to say what the legal costs
:39:27. > :39:29.of this case have been for the Westminster Government. My final
:39:30. > :39:34.point is this, you know, another reason, it a east not the main
:39:35. > :39:39.reason, but it is another reason why I think it was worthwhile to take
:39:40. > :39:43.that case, because it ex-exposed something, did it not? It exposed
:39:44. > :39:50.the fact that when the Tories told us that they were going to embed the
:39:51. > :39:55.convention in statute and this was going to make so much of a difrnsz,
:39:56. > :39:58.they were misleading people -- difference, they were misleading
:39:59. > :40:03.people, because that promise was exposed in this case as being
:40:04. > :40:07.utterly meaningless. Maybe just another benefit of this case is that
:40:08. > :40:09.we exposed the fact that the promises the Tories make to Scotland
:40:10. > :40:36.can never, ever be trusted. Order! Order! That's quite enough!
:40:37. > :40:42.Question number six, Mark Griffin. Thank you, Presiding Officer, we got
:40:43. > :40:46.here eventually to ask the First Minister why the wealth gap between
:40:47. > :40:49.rich and poor in Scotland is widening? The Scottish Government is
:40:50. > :40:56.committed to creating a fairer and more equal Scotland. We are taking a
:40:57. > :41:00.range of actions to tackle inequalitied, including a child
:41:01. > :41:06.poverty bill and encourage employers to pay the real living wage. While
:41:07. > :41:10.all categories of household wealth have increased, the main reason the
:41:11. > :41:15.gap in rich and poor has increased is the private pension wealth. It is
:41:16. > :41:22.not distributed equally. As it increased by 39% between 2012-2014,
:41:23. > :41:26.the wealth gap has also increased. However, we remain committed to
:41:27. > :41:31.doing everything we can within our powers and our resources to tackle
:41:32. > :41:37.poverty and to close the inequality gap.
:41:38. > :41:42.First Minister, Wealth is more concentrated under this Government
:41:43. > :41:47.and the wealthiest 1% alone own more than the wealth of the bottom 50%.
:41:48. > :41:56.But this week the Government choose not to use their power to tax that
:41:57. > :42:01.wealthiest 1% at 50 p, top rate. The Government's newest adviser, a
:42:02. > :42:06.20% top-up on Universal Credit. When will the Government make the choice
:42:07. > :42:11.to use the powers over tax and social security to reverse these
:42:12. > :42:15.appealing trends? Firstly, on social security, the
:42:16. > :42:18.minister for social security made a statement in this very chamber just
:42:19. > :42:23.yesterday, updating Parliament on the work we are doing to create a
:42:24. > :42:27.new social security agency, to update on a response to the
:42:28. > :42:31.consultation around social security. We have set out a range of ways in
:42:32. > :42:37.which we are going to use these new powers to try to tackle poverty and
:42:38. > :42:41.disadvantage amongst those who depend on the social security
:42:42. > :42:46.system. One thing we will do is abolish the bedroom tax. We mitigate
:42:47. > :42:54.the bedroom tax but we about to abolish it at source. Right now we
:42:55. > :42:57.have a situation where the UK Government introduce their benefit
:42:58. > :43:01.cap. What we would give with one hand, they will talk away with
:43:02. > :43:06.other. I hope everyone gets behind us when we say that is completely
:43:07. > :43:12.unacceptable. In terms of tax, we will debate this
:43:13. > :43:18.afternoon the final stage of the Budget, a Budget that strikes the
:43:19. > :43:23.right balance between raising extra rev threw tax, not giving higher
:43:24. > :43:27.rate payers a tax cut. Investing ?900 million more in our front line
:43:28. > :43:32.public services and those who might vote against that Budget this
:43:33. > :43:36.afternoon will be voting against that ?900 million additional
:43:37. > :43:41.spending on our public services. My final point is this, Mark Griffin
:43:42. > :43:45.talks about raising taxes on the wealthiest. I would encourage
:43:46. > :43:48.everybody interested in this to read Labour's amendment to the Budget
:43:49. > :43:56.this afternoon. That is not what it talks about. It talks about raising
:43:57. > :44:04.tax by 1% for everybody earning over ?11,500 a year. That's Labour's tax
:44:05. > :44:08.policy. Not tagling austerity, but transferring austerity to the
:44:09. > :44:16.shoulders of the lowest paid. The difference between Mark Gri if, fin
:44:17. > :44:17.and I is I don't think somebody earning ?11,500 qualities as
:44:18. > :44:26.wealthy. Thank you, to ask the First Minister
:44:27. > :44:31.who discussions have been held over the future of broadcasting in
:44:32. > :44:34.Scotland? The Scottish Government has had several discussions
:44:35. > :44:38.regarding the future of broadcasting in Scotland through the active
:44:39. > :44:42.involvement in the recent renewal of the BBC charter. The Culture
:44:43. > :44:46.Secretary met with the Director-General this morning to
:44:47. > :44:49.discuss yesterday's announcements for the plans for Scotland,
:44:50. > :44:53.including the welcome announcement of a new channel for Scotland from
:44:54. > :45:00.autumn next year. Pro-irto this she met with him on 29th February, 18th
:45:01. > :45:03.August and 17th October, 2016, to reiterate the Scottish Government's
:45:04. > :45:07.position on how there could be better outcomes for audiences and
:45:08. > :45:11.for Scotland's creative sector. Thank you, First Minister for that
:45:12. > :45:15.answer. I welcome the announcement yesterday as a step in the right
:45:16. > :45:18.direction and heard a bit more detail from the BBC at committee
:45:19. > :45:21.this morning. Does the First Minister agree while it is a good
:45:22. > :45:26.start it must be properly resourced and that the BBC should be working
:45:27. > :45:30.towards a fairer share of the license fee raised in Scotland being
:45:31. > :45:32.invested here as these plans would leave us lagging behind Wales and
:45:33. > :45:46.Northern Ireland in that respect? I hope this is something we can
:45:47. > :45:50.unite behind. I unequivocally welcomed the announcement yesterday
:45:51. > :45:56.of a BBC Scotland channel. The SNP first called for a separate channel
:45:57. > :45:59.in April 2006 when we made a contribution to the last charter
:46:00. > :46:02.renewal process. So this is something we welcome. I think
:46:03. > :46:06.everybody would agree it is vital it is properly resourced. I welcome the
:46:07. > :46:11.commitments made yesterday to resource in, I particularly welcome
:46:12. > :46:16.the commitments made yesterday to an additional 80 journalist jobs in
:46:17. > :46:19.Scotland. A difficult time for journalists and for the media
:46:20. > :46:23.generally. That is announcement we should all welcome. But we have got
:46:24. > :46:29.to be very firm and said the BBC that this channel has to be properly
:46:30. > :46:33.resourced, on an ongoing basis. When the Scottish broadcasting Commission
:46:34. > :46:39.reported in 2009, it estimated a similar channel would cost around
:46:40. > :46:42.?75 million a year which is double the ?30 million announced yesterday.
:46:43. > :46:46.And of course yesterday's announcement increased the
:46:47. > :46:49.percentage of the licence fee raised in Scotland that is spent in
:46:50. > :46:54.Scotland and again, I absolutely welcome that. But that still does
:46:55. > :46:58.leave that percentage lower than the corresponding percentages in Wales
:46:59. > :47:02.and Northern Ireland. I absolutely think the announcement yesterday by
:47:03. > :47:05.the BBC were a welcome progress and I thank Lord Hall from making those
:47:06. > :47:10.announcement yesterday, but I think we all now have an interest in
:47:11. > :47:13.making sure the announcement is turned into a successful reality and
:47:14. > :47:17.for the Channel to be successful, with high-quality content, as we
:47:18. > :47:23.have the talent here to produce, it does necessitate good, solid funding
:47:24. > :47:26.for the long-term. So we should unite in making sure the BBC deliver
:47:27. > :47:32.on that commitment. Can I join the First Minister in
:47:33. > :47:36.that? We heard from Lord Hall this morning 60% of the programming on
:47:37. > :47:39.the new channel will be new commissioning and together with the
:47:40. > :47:42.initiative of BBC studios, the question for the Scottish Government
:47:43. > :47:44.is whether we are structured in Scotland to ensure we can take
:47:45. > :47:49.advantage of that opportunity. There is a wide drone that widespread
:47:50. > :47:52.belief that devolved administration in Northern Ireland is working in
:47:53. > :47:59.partnership with the development agency to take the advantage created
:48:00. > :48:03.by the sector, whereas Scottish Enterprise and creative Scotland
:48:04. > :48:07.here is not facilitating that. At the same time, there are real
:48:08. > :48:10.concerns over studio capacity in Scotland, with major studios being
:48:11. > :48:14.built and commissioned elsewhere in the UK. Will the First Minister
:48:15. > :48:18.ensure ministers as well take advantage of the opportunity this
:48:19. > :48:21.now creates to ensure that our creative sector in Scotland is able
:48:22. > :48:27.to take advantage of the opportunity that has now been presented?
:48:28. > :48:33.Well, I agree with much of that question. I genuinely glad to hear
:48:34. > :48:35.the Tories welcome what was announced just a day because when I
:48:36. > :48:40.called for a separate Scottish channel back in 2015, at the admit
:48:41. > :48:45.television Festival, Liz Smith said I was just showing how out of touch
:48:46. > :48:49.I was and she did not want to see millions of pounds of licence fee
:48:50. > :48:53.funds diverted to pay for it, so I am really glad to hear the
:48:54. > :48:57.conversion of the Scottish Tories. On to the wider issue rightly
:48:58. > :49:01.raised, the Minister will be aware of the changes we are making and the
:49:02. > :49:04.funding available in Scotland has bought the screening of the film
:49:05. > :49:09.sector and it is absolutely vital that we make sure the sector is
:49:10. > :49:13.equipped and the relationships of Creative Scotland and with the wider
:49:14. > :49:18.sector and Scottish Enterprise, they are the right ones to continue
:49:19. > :49:22.growth. We are seeing success in the film sector right now, I understand,
:49:23. > :49:27.I have got many constituency interests who talk to me about this
:49:28. > :49:30.regulator. The view within the film sector is that we need additional
:49:31. > :49:35.studio space. I do not want to say much more about that now because
:49:36. > :49:38.some of the proposals are subject to planning decisions. I certainly
:49:39. > :49:42.would agree I would want to see the provision of studio space in the
:49:43. > :49:47.future. We have state aid issues in terms of our ability to directly
:49:48. > :49:51.fund that. But we have a success story for the Scottish economy, we
:49:52. > :49:54.now have the opportunity to turn this into an even bigger success
:49:55. > :49:57.story and that is why we should be and using a stick and welcome it
:49:58. > :50:02.with both hands. Thank you very much, that concludes
:50:03. > :50:04.First Minister's Questions. There we have it, First Minister's
:50:05. > :50:10.Questions. Running over a bit, but they were discussing broadcasting so
:50:11. > :50:17.I forgive them! Joined by two colleagues now, ill ever met an and
:50:18. > :50:24.Kieran Andrews, we will raise up broadcasting issue in a moment --
:50:25. > :50:28.Lynsey Bews. A tragic case raised by Ruth Davidson, can you reminders of
:50:29. > :50:32.the basics of that case? Yes, this is the shocking murder of the
:50:33. > :50:36.teenager Ruth Davidson, who was killed by John Leathem, who was
:50:37. > :50:41.originally sentenced and served a minimum term in prison of 27 years
:50:42. > :50:45.and had that reduced on appeal to a minimum of 23 years, that does not
:50:46. > :50:48.mean he will be out in 23 years but that is the minimum tariff. It
:50:49. > :50:53.sounded as if the First Minister was not delighted with that judicial
:50:54. > :50:57.decision. Unusual comment from Nicola Sturgeon saying there will be
:50:58. > :51:00.times when people including herself as a human being as well as a
:51:01. > :51:04.politician might not agree with what judges hands down in appeals or in
:51:05. > :51:07.original sentences, and she said for her, this was probably one of those
:51:08. > :51:11.times. It is always difficult, you have
:51:12. > :51:15.this independence of the Judiciary Committee First Minister stressing
:51:16. > :51:19.that again and again, and stressing the frustration there can be.
:51:20. > :51:23.Indeed, politicians will always express that frustration. A key
:51:24. > :51:27.point in this is the fact that what Ruth Davidson was talking about, it
:51:28. > :51:35.would not have made a difference necessarily. This was about one
:51:36. > :51:39.individual judge's decision, changing the law. Yes, it might
:51:40. > :51:45.strengthen things, it might discourage the attitudes that result
:51:46. > :51:51.in more lenient sentencing, but it would not change necessarily the
:51:52. > :51:54.decision made in this case. Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister,
:51:55. > :51:57.treading a cautious line between those two positions, willing to look
:51:58. > :52:01.at whole life sentences and stressing that had to be scepticism
:52:02. > :52:05.about whether they would be applied by judges. Yes, and that would seem
:52:06. > :52:08.to be a reasonable position to take. I think the frustration for read
:52:09. > :52:12.Davidson is this has been raised by the Conservatives many times and
:52:13. > :52:15.that is what has brought about this idea about a member's bill to try
:52:16. > :52:20.and force the issue and bring the issue into the Parliament more
:52:21. > :52:25.often. On the question of judging, we had the issue of the health
:52:26. > :52:28.service raised, the Royal Hospital, raised by the Labour leader, and the
:52:29. > :52:32.First Minister stressing it would be the Health Secretary who judged that
:52:33. > :52:41.because big decisions about hospitals came to central
:52:42. > :52:48.government. Yes, this case in particular... It was really Kezia
:52:49. > :52:55.Dugdale's comfort zone. Nicola Sturgeon is correct to say that it
:52:56. > :53:01.will be their decision. There is an out for her. It is under
:53:02. > :53:05.consideration, so the Scottish Government cannot comment on it
:53:06. > :53:08.fully. But there are serious questions and Kezia Dugdale raise
:53:09. > :53:12.them about how much the First Minister knew before the election
:53:13. > :53:17.and how we will make the decision as we approach another election. As an
:53:18. > :53:21.opposition, as Kezia Dugdale tries to establish Labour as the official
:53:22. > :53:28.opposition, to keep chipping away at questions. Macro and on the subject
:53:29. > :53:33.of treating sick children, stressing that they had to take expert advice.
:53:34. > :53:36.Even when perhaps popular sentiment was against that.
:53:37. > :53:41.Kezia Dugdale also brought up the issue of the intensive care unit for
:53:42. > :53:44.babies being closed. As part of that maternity review. On that, Nicola
:53:45. > :53:49.Sturgeon has got the experts on her side. She got quite angry about
:53:50. > :53:55.that. The Royal College of Midwives said the content of the review could
:53:56. > :53:59.revolutionise care, so she has the backing of midwives. Hang on, as I
:54:00. > :54:04.mentioned the subject of the BBC's plans announced yesterday was raised
:54:05. > :54:08.in committee this morning. Lord Hall, Tony Hall, the Director of the
:54:09. > :54:13.BBC, giving evidence, this is a taste of the exchanges with the
:54:14. > :54:17.committee -- committee convener, John McAlpine.
:54:18. > :54:22.You will be aware one of the criticisms, perhaps criticisms, but
:54:23. > :54:26.queries, is that the Scottish digital channel proposed ten years
:54:27. > :54:33.ago was costed at 75 million and this new channel will have 30
:54:34. > :54:38.million of money, which is all new. I wondered whether you could tell
:54:39. > :54:41.us, is that a starting point, do you expect that to increase and to think
:54:42. > :54:47.you will be able to deliver the services for that amount? Yes, I
:54:48. > :54:51.cannot compare with the proposal that was put forward a decade ago
:54:52. > :54:56.because I do not quite know how that was, the numbers were put together.
:54:57. > :55:02.But I can confirm that no hidden overheads in this. The 30 million we
:55:03. > :55:07.are talking about is money to spend on the Channel. If you look at the
:55:08. > :55:12.BBC -- if you look at BBC Four, there are other things we will lay
:55:13. > :55:17.into it, this is absolutely money we can spend on content. We have looked
:55:18. > :55:22.at an outline, we have done an outline for what the Channel will
:55:23. > :55:26.look like. 60% of the output will be new commissions, which I think is
:55:27. > :55:31.really a very good start. To go back to the funding, 30 million commit
:55:32. > :55:38.spend 60 million for example commissioning Match of the Day
:55:39. > :55:43.writes, so 30 million, it does not go that far. In terms of you
:55:44. > :55:46.referring to the committee's interests in the proportion of the
:55:47. > :55:52.licence fee that is spent in Scotland, in your good year, it is
:55:53. > :55:57.currently not a great year at 55%, but in your good year, I think it
:55:58. > :56:02.was 2014, you are spending about 63%. I understand with this new
:56:03. > :56:06.money, it is up to 67%. That is still a long way behind both
:56:07. > :56:12.Northern Ireland at 75 and Wales at 95. Are we are going to get to a
:56:13. > :56:19.position where Scotland has parity with those other nations in the UK?
:56:20. > :56:22.You are right to say we have taken not a good year, if you take the
:56:23. > :56:29.previous year, that was boosted by money we put in both for the Olympic
:56:30. > :56:35.Games and the referendum. Again, it is an artificial year. I want to
:56:36. > :56:39.take a base we can take the 20 million from and you can see that
:56:40. > :56:46.and we hold ourselves to account for that. Which gets to 68% from a
:56:47. > :56:55.figure of 55%, which I know you have focused on a lot. We have started.
:56:56. > :56:58.If you add to the 68% another sum which is for distribution, in other
:56:59. > :57:05.words, I think we should be including in these figures the
:57:06. > :57:08.amount we pay, over 30 million, to distribute programmes around
:57:09. > :57:12.Scotland. So you get to another 11% on that which gets to a figure of
:57:13. > :57:17.79%. But you are right, compare to 68% on content against Northern
:57:18. > :57:23.Ireland which is 74%, I think we are moving and shifting and I think the
:57:24. > :57:28.challenge now the BBC Scotland and the BBC is to see whether in terms
:57:29. > :57:32.of the net spending, we can do more than we are committing to do, and
:57:33. > :57:36.that depends on good ideas and winning commissions. We are open to
:57:37. > :57:40.making sure, that is why we have the Commission which is based here, to
:57:41. > :57:45.make sure we get good stuff on the network, as we can.
:57:46. > :57:49.Lord Hall giving evidence this morning to a Holyrood committee.
:57:50. > :57:52.Still joined by my colleagues. Nicola Sturgeon in questions was
:57:53. > :57:59.saying it has to be backed up by resources. That is a theme made by
:58:00. > :58:03.many MSPs. Yes, perhaps the announcement of this new channel and
:58:04. > :58:07.new programme was a bit of a surprise for some people. I did not
:58:08. > :58:12.get the Scottish six they were looking for, the SNP, but they got
:58:13. > :58:16.this new channel, and they are looking at whether there is enough
:58:17. > :58:19.to fund it. Any investment in journalism is to be welcomed and I
:58:20. > :58:23.am sure the First Minister and the Scottish Cup mat will welcome the
:58:24. > :58:27.extra scrutiny from having more journalists in Scotland. That is a
:58:28. > :58:31.good point, as well. The announcement has generally been
:58:32. > :58:33.welcomed? Yes, broadly, it is good news for broadcasting. This is one
:58:34. > :58:38.of the biggest investments in Scotland for 20 years, which is
:58:39. > :58:42.great news. Lynsey and Kieran, thank you very
:58:43. > :58:45.much indeed. We are closing our coverage of First Minister's
:58:46. > :58:48.Questions and my attention shifting to Perth, I have just seen the
:58:49. > :58:52.Labour leader walking by, with the Labour conference beginning
:58:53. > :58:54.tomorrow, I am going to Perth later to cover that for you. From me,
:58:55. > :58:58.Brian Taylor, have a good afternoon. see how the life of the Scottish
:58:59. > :59:02.child has changed Children don't get to play outside
:59:03. > :59:08.in the way that they used to. I can remember being afraid to
:59:09. > :59:11.go to school. How we were raised shaped not just
:59:12. > :59:15.us but also our nation. Educating the mass of a population -
:59:16. > :59:27.that is a wonderful ideal. I've searched the world to find
:59:28. > :59:33.these extraordinary people.