25/04/2013 Politics Scotland

Parliament at Holyrood. As we go on air, some sad news. The MP for

Aberdeen done site has died. My personal sympathies to his family.

Let's cross to the chamber now. cue, Brian. This is an occasion

where we expect Parliament to pause and reflect upon the death of a

colleague. Politics will be put to one side. We are expecting the

presiding officer to make an official announcement. Flags are

flying at half side. It is understood Alex Salmond will make a

tribute to Mr Adam. He went from being a counsellor to being elected

to the Scottish Parliament in 1999. He then became a constituency MSP

when he won the Aberdeen done side seat. He was also briefly and

minister in the second MSP government at Holyrood. There will

be a by-election in Aberdeen. That is a question for tomorrow but for

today, the sympathies of MSPs and everyone in Hollywood will be with

his family. General questions are just coming to a close here before

that statement from the presiding officer. Mr Adam was someone who has

been praised across the chamber for his personal manner. In particular,

we heard from his Labour neighbour, and beg, who described him as

hard-working and an ideal digital opponent. I am very sad to inform

the chamber of our dear friend, Brian Adam. Our flags are being

flown at half-mast. There will be a motion of condolence next week where

we will have the opportunity to pay tribute. There will also be a book

of condolence in the black and white corridor and I know members will

wish to add their contribution to it. Today, however, our thoughts are

with his family. Brian Adam was an exceptional MSP. The he sustained a

minority government as a chief whip. His greatest service was to the

people of Aberdeen over a quarter of a century. First as a counsellor

then as an MSP. I am proud to say that I have known and admired him

over that entire period as an outstanding politician, a fine human

being and a dear friend. Our condolences go to his wife and his

five children. This is a difficult time for them. We moved to First

Minister's Questions. Thank you. Can I, on behalf of my party and my

colleagues here, say we are deeply saddened by the news that he passed

away. He was a man of strong conviction, of decency, of profound

faith, a man who cared deeply for his family and his country. Our

thoughts are with those who feel his loss most sorely. It is a sad day

for those here. Not only those who worked with him as a colleague but

those who love him as a friend. We share your sadness at the loss of a

fine Scott. Can I ask the First Minister what engagements he has

planned. Can I thank you for your sympathy. Thank you, presiding

officer. If Scotland voted yes in the referendum, the first budget

will be set in 2016. Who will be First Minister preferred to sign

off? Ed Balls or Angela Merkel? must not pick the Cabinet in advance

but if the Scottish people back the Scottish National Party, that first

budget will be set by John Sweeney. We know that is not true. Given what

has been said in the last week and despite the fact that you have

deployed the First Minister, they have been unable to answer the very

simple question about implications for Scotland being in a sterling

zone. I agree with the First Minister that George Osborne is a

trustworthy man. I just don't understand why he thinks that he is

going to change after the referendum. I agree that George

Osborne's fiscal monetary problems are wrong for Scotland and the whole

of the UK, but it is Osborne he will do the deal with if he wins the

referendum. That is the difference between Alex Salmond and me. I want

to get rid of the Tories and keep the union. He wants rid of the union

and keep the Tories in charge of the economy. Could the First Minister

explained to me and his colleagues why that would be independence?

I point out that somewhere in that question she conceded that the first

elections for Scottish Parliament! If that is the case, I am delighted.

Can I point out that the arguments for a sterling area was set out in

detail by the fiscal commissioner some weeks ago. We can point out

that on the basis of last year's figures, for example, the 4 billion

relative surplus, the ample room for manoeuvre would mean we have the

ability now to generate that income which Scotland has generated, and

use it to benefit the people of Scotland. That is the flexibility on

taxation that Scotland would have as an independent country. She is in an

unfortunate position because even when she proposes these policies by

controlling income tax, the members of Parliament at Westminster who she

is led to control, describe it as being dead in the water. It doesn't

even get discussed at the conference. It is not surprising

that Johann Lamont is considering the first elections for a Scottish

Parliament. I think she should try harder to unite with her own MPs

instead of uniting with George Osborne, that slippery character.

That is an infestation of squirrels, I have to say! We no longer cry

freedom, we cry flexibility, whatever that might mean. The First

Minister has yet to answer a simple question about implications of his

choice with no plan for the currency. John Sweeney told the BBC

that Scotland might leave the UK without paying any debts at all. It

seems that an independent Scotland might end up like Greece. John

Sweeney wants us to start off like Greece by defaulting on our debts.

Four weeks ago... Four weeks ago, I asked the First Minister what his

other plan was it we couldn't agree on a currency union. Like George

Osborne, he said, there was and not another plan. If it fails wouldn't

Scotland start off life like an international pariah without

currency? Opposition is that Scotland is entitled to a share of

the assets proportionally to the UK, and the liabilities of the UK. That

is the responsible position we put forward. As Melvin King said in the

House of Commons, the House of Commons is not just England, it is

the bank of the UK. There is a realistic points to make. If George

Osborne says that all of the monetary assets belong to him, then

by definition, as night follows day, then so do the liabilities. People

may have noticed that George Osborne and Alistair Darling between them

have piled up an enormous number of liabilities over the last few years.

Johann Lamont criticises the Tory party. Can I say that it is

difficult to do that when you are in alliance with the Conservative

Party. You can't say you don't like what George Osborne is doing and

then campaign shoulder to shoulder in a campaign! We are in the

remarkable position where Alistair Darling, the leader of the better to

get their party, says you must not believe a single thing George

Osborne says. Nothing he said had any credibility, he says. George

Osborne says that anything Alistair says hasn't got any credibility.

Literally, he is a dead man walking! We can be an independent country and

control our resources and taxation, and that will make Scotland much

better off than the better to get their campaign would ever manage.

The First Minister talks about credibility. He changes his position

on this more times than I change my shoes! The only consistency is that

it is not consistent. He does not say the same thing from one week to

another. He talks about yielding up liabilities. Yes, we remember the

bank of Scotland, the bank that's the First Minister used to work for.

If you don't have another plan, you can boil down the First Minister 's

position to this. Please don't let that be in a currency union with no

credibility about what you would take into that negotiation. Clearly,

it in the last response, the First Minister does not understand why

this matters. He thinks this is a bit of a game, but it matters to

families worrying about what currency they will pay in and how

they will put food on the table. It matters to pensioners who are

entitled to know how their pension will be paid. It matters to the

person who has saved all their lives and wonders whether there are

savings are worth anything. It matters to anyone paying off a

mortgage, anyone in a job, anyone with a business. The currency we

have is the most basic question, and it is astonishing that the First

Minister has been unable to answer this. What the First Minister is

saying is that he wants a divorce. Isn't he gambling with Scotland's

future. First Minister. When we publish the report to the fiscal

commissioner, we put forwards plans. We said it was in the interest of

the UK and that is a whole range of points about trade floors between

Scotland and the rest of the UK but the most substantial point is that

Scottish resources, which bankrolled the Stirling area, �50 billion. What

would happen to sterling if that was outside the Stirling area? Just the

obvious economic self interest. The overwhelming self interest of the

rest of the UK. That's perhaps why I was asked for times... Danny

Alexander was asked for times on the other programme and he refused to

rule it out. Johann Lamont says she does not know the SNP's position. I

just said it out. What is Labour's position? Never mind Alistair

Darling. It was said to Gordon Brewer, remember the five tests for

joining the euro? Five tests to join the euro. Certainly. Maybe she

should bring her finance controller into line. And then of course, we

have, perhaps, an independent adjudication of these matters so

let's turn to David transfer, former member of the Labour policy

committee. He was appointed by a Labour government. He said there are

no major obstacles are all to a currency union if both sides acted

with an open mind. The UK government have made it up. It is more

political than economic. It is likely, given how disastrous George

Osborne has been, that if Scotland had their own fiscal policy, they

would do better. Osborne lecturing the Scots in economics is like a

freshman who failed. I agree with David glance there. He is the

eminent economist at the Labour Party appointed. Ruth Davidson.

Thank you. I would like to associate myself with the tributes paid to

Brian Adam. Too often, people only see the conflict in this Parliament

and they don't see the camaraderie. He had friends on all sides of the

chamber. He took great pride in serving the people of Aberdeen.

First, as a counsellor and then as a parliamentarian. He did so with

decency. The thought of everybody on this side of the chamber are with

his friends and family at this time. I would like to ask the First

Minister when he will meet the Prime Minister. That will be much

appreciated by Brian 's family. I have no plans in the near future.

The First Minister seemed very keen to use quotations to start a second

ago. I would like to remind him of his own words in November 1999 when

he said the pound sterling has been around Scotland's neck and cost them

jobs Abbas parody. Ten years later, he said sterling is sinking like a

stone. He has also said that we cannot allow ourselves to be held

back by clinging on to sterling. Can I ask at what point the pound

sterling stopped being a millstone and started being a life raft?

point out that Ruth Davidson is an alliance with the person who was the

leader of the pro-euro campaign. When I have been in Parliament, the

Conservative Party when making plans to join the euro. I don't think Ken

Clarke has ever revoked his support for the euro. She is an alliance

with Alistair Darling, who was in support of the Google. -- of the

euro. I am merely pointing out that the consistent thread of the SNP is

that we put forward what is in the economic interests of Scotland. That

is the basis of what was said and that is the basis of what the SNP

and Scottish garden -- Government will always act on. The difficulty

for the Westminster Government is that the interests of Scotland are

very far from the top of the agenda. It is not likely First Minister to

be shy in just telling us. It is when a more fiscally conservative

Government came in in 2010, isn't it? Let's leave the last and Buster

of whatever that answer was supposed to be aside. The First Minister,

already this week, is already had the UK Chancellor, I Bank of England

expert as well, telling him how difficult it would be to secure his

preferred choice of a sterling zone. Yet even had his own former economic

adviser saying he should expect to fail in his negotiations. Indeed,

politically, his fellow separatists have all said independence should

mean Scotland having its own currency. We know this First

Minister is a gamble and is reckless, but is he honestly telling

Scotland he would intermingle Haitians with no bargaining position

and no back-up plan customer -- he would enter negotiations with no

bargaining commission back-up plan? What is the plan B? Is it to use

sterling anyway, I visit a separate policy, as his economic -- economic

adviser suggests? The position is �50 billion of Scottish assets which

underpin the UAE the economy. -- the UK economy. The Conservatives are

celebrating because of the last six months, GDP has flat lined entirely.

It Chancellor is paying -- who is playing with fire according to the

International Monetary Fund. Who has been downgraded by two of the rating

agencies, and yet, the Better Together campaign are still

delivering leaflets saying you have to maintain triple-A status by

voting for the union. When we publish a report, we have showed in

the most enormous detail the arguments for a sterling area. We

expect at the very least the Chief Secretary to the Treasury could have

read the report. In the middle of his four times refusing to rule out

the idea of a sterling zone, Danny Alexander said the arguments hadn't

been put forward. The agonies were put forward in enormous detail in

this report, and maybe it is high time that the Better Together

campaign started reading and stopped delivering leaflets claiming

triple-A status. Ruth Davidson is representative of the party...

Order! I'm anticipating the next report. The earlier. The downgraded

party in Scotland defending the downgraded Chancellor. We defended

Scotland's interests in the knowledge that Scottish resources

are our bargaining position. I have a constituency question. I would

like to ask what help could be offered to 70 employees who risk

route -- losing their jobs in the finesse this week after 40 years of

production? I share the deep concern and respect of this development, and

the outcome of the employees affected, the families and the whole

area. We are doing everything possible to support the employees.

We have acted immediately to organise a redundancy support event

for Friday the 3rd of May in fossil. -- in fossil. All employees will be

invited to this event and every out of support possible will be

supplied. I will be delighted if a constituency member will meet with

the finance secretary to discuss these matters. To ask the First

Minister what the Scottish Government's position is on reports

that nurses spend 279,000 hours a week on non-essential paperwork.

We're working with health boards to ensure that front-line national

health staff can focus on delivering high quality patient care. This

includes working with the just paperwork requirements so that we

can maximise their role as clinical leaders and guardians of patient

safety. We have recognised this as a priority, which the RCN has

welcomed. I thank you for your response. In the week that losses

want about the dramatic increase in paperwork, taking them away from

direct patient care, the Royal College of nurses and Unison warned

the Scottish Government about on safe staffing levels, with 27% of

losses seeing staffing levels are really only ever safe. -- hardly

ever see. Would the First Minister agree that cutting staffing levels

has had in a big -- in the April impact on patient care and will he

consider reversing the cuts to ensure we provide a very based

patient care? Is she well knows, the protection of the budget of the

National Health Service in the 2011 election and the election after was

one of the pledges made by this Government, which we kept two. That

pledge was not made by the Labour Party, so we can get to the

conclusion that the National Health Service is better funded than it

would have been if the Scottish evil had voted otherwise. -- the Scottish

people had voted otherwise. If we look at qualified losses and

midwives, in September 2007, there were 37,549. September 2006, there

was 41,026. There are now 41,745. She will also be aware that per 1000

of the population, Scotland has the highest number of qualified losses

in any of the countries in the Psion -- Islands. There are huge pressures

on the National Health Service will stop of course that is. But in terms

of the budget that has been committed to patient care, the

National Health Service and the losses of Scotland are doing an

outstanding job. -- the Nazis of Scotland. -- the North Seas of

Scotland. By the UK Government to Scottish banknotes is ridiculous.

The bogus claims ignore the fact that the Scottish banknote issue is

not backed by the bank of -- the Bank of England, it is held only a

one-to-one basis at the Bank of England. If I could quote again from

a professor, I don't see it as a big problem. It is not a major

president. I do think it is a great deal of scaremongering. There is not

a great deal of economics going into this. Thank you for his reply. The

optimum currency area seems to be at variance with the banking act of

2009 which secures the distinct status of Scottish banknotes. Does

the First Minister agree that George Osborne's blunder into this issue

represents no more than scaremongering, and will he join

with me in inviting the Chancellor to make many more visits to Scotland

in the coming months, as this can only increase the prospects for a

yes vote in September 2014? People will remember, I think 18 months

ago, that George Osborne paid a visit to Scotland and said the

constitutional debate was damaging inward investment. He said he

thought about companies, but couldn't name them, that this was

the case. Since then, Scotland has got the lead in a mod investment

over the last years. Greater London in the last year. We have had his

scaremongering before. In terms of the reaction, I think he is

absolutely correct. A Tory Chancellor coming to Scotland and

talking down the country and telling us what we can do is exactly the

sort of stimulus that the yes campaign it needs. I agree in terms

of the issue with James Scott, its -- former Scottish finance director,

that this bogus claim by the Treasury should be treated with

contempt. Therefore, we can make an offer to George Osborne. Let's pay

his bus there incoming to Scotland to sink the No campaign. Securing

the future of Scottish banknotes or any other favourable terms of a

currency union with sterling might well be possible, might even be

ending -- in Scotland and the rest of the UK's interests. But how can

we be any strong position to negotiate those terms if the

Government has closed down the other option of a generic west mac

genuinely independent currency? put forward what we think is in the

best interests of Scotland. Can I just point out that the note issue

and scaremongering story was particularly extraordinary. The Isle

of Man issues sterling notes banked -- backed by balances at the Bank of

England. It is not even in the United Kingdom at present. The

importance of this is that if you can identify behind any reasonable

argument of the total scaremongering basis coming from the Chancellor of

the Exchequer, it probably follows that Alistair Darling was correct in

saying that nothing George Osborne says was -- has any credibility.

What are the implications for scientific evidence in court

following the appeal court ruling in the King -- in the Kimberley Hainey

K scratch might -- the Kimberley Hainey case? The member will be

aware of the incorrect reporting that the appeal court had revealed

the these witnesses incorrectly. We have issued a statement connecting

misinterpretation and have placed a copy of the statement out. I know

that Professor Sue Black and Doctor Kate Cunningham are held in the

highest regard. The work in very important scientific disciplines,

which have important roles to play in criminal. -- in criminal case.

Professor Sue Black said that the comments made by the appeal judge

took signs in the law back 100 years in Scotland. Yesterday's apology was

welcome, but it would be good if we could make some advances to better

understanding between science and the law as a result of this appeal.

Well the First Minister and ask the Cabinet Secretary to meet with the

Law Society to take forward training for law students in the wider

judiciary? Well he consider taking on the English Law commission

proposals on the appointment of scientific advisers the courts? And

will be First Minister meet with me, Professor Sue Black and her

colleagues from the scientific unity in Scotland to discuss how our legal

system may be see -- may be better served to improve understanding?

think the statement made by the judiciary is very important indeed

and should be taking full account of. That is exactly why I am doing

this. Can I just say, in this wider issue, in terms of criminal

procedures and expert evidence, the Act in 1995 contains the procedures

for raising concerns from expert evidence. It is important that both

the prosecution and defence have access to the best experts in the

field. Expert evidence should be vigorously tested through the court

process. The system is flexible enough to deliver this. That is

within the system at the point -- the present moment. Given the appeal

court's ruling that it is perfectly in order for the judiciary as a

whole to consider what the appeal court has said to see if the rules

of court needs to be altered in any way in terms of giving that

provision which is already within the criminal law Scotland, the full

emphasis and importance is there. In terms of the meetings after the

statement of judiciary are necessary, I'm sure the Cabinet

Secretary would be elected to meet the expert witnesses concerned.

What's discussion has the Scottish Government had with Ofgem in

regarding to the proposed new Tariff Comparison Rate? The Deputy First

Minister has responded to Ofgem's consultation in December. The

proposed Tariff Comparison Rate is one of the number of proposals aimed

at providing clear and simple information for consumers. We

recognise these proposals are step forward in promoting consumer

engagement in the market, and we support the work of Ofgem to support

-- simple fight Harris. To take this work forward, Ofgem must make sure

these proposals are effective, particularly with ensuring consumers

vulnerable to feel -- fuel poverty. Does he agree that far too many

people in energy rich Scotland still live in fuel poverty, and the

Government -- the public are right to expect regulation so that energy

suppliers serve the needs of the people rather than shareholders?

do agree that energy suppliers must meet the needs of the public. I also

agree that it is in agony -- a disgrace that in energy rich

Scotland, the country which has contributed above average in terms

of conservation is to the UK Treasury for every single one of the

last 32 years, that we still have fuel poverty. In terms of what

discovered -- the Scottish comment is doing, we announced funding for

local authorities to transform thousands of properties across

Scotland. There was also a �32 million extension to the energy

assistance package, which will help secure heating for more than 300,000

households. These are steps forward in what is a very difficult

situation facing many of our fellow citizens. That ends First Minister

's questions. Can I remind members that there is a book of condolence.

There we have it. The presiding officer reminding us about the book

of condolences to Brian Adam, the late MSP for Aberdeen onside.

Parliament rose to the occasion today. It is quite fitting and

proper. Equally, there were very warm we felt tributes to the late