:00:19. > :00:27.A very warm welcome to the Scottish parliament here at Holly Ruud, one
:00:28. > :00:30.week on from the referendum. The First Minister Alex Salmond has
:00:31. > :00:36.signalled he intends to step down. Nicola Sturgeon has announced her
:00:37. > :00:42.candidacy. The candidates are beginning to muster, and the various
:00:43. > :00:48.parties, nominating members of the Smith commission to determine powers
:00:49. > :00:53.for Holyrood. The big event of today, this programme, is questions
:00:54. > :00:58.to the First Minister. That cross to the chamber. I am sure the
:00:59. > :01:02.referendum and its aftermath will be mentioned during the question Time
:01:03. > :01:06.session in the next half-hour. At the moment the energy Minister
:01:07. > :01:11.Fergus Ewing is on his feet answering a question from labour
:01:12. > :01:19.about fairer pay forward is employed by private companies and public
:01:20. > :01:27.contracts. Here is the presiding Officer. Questionable one, Joanne
:01:28. > :01:33.Lamont -- Joanne Lamont. Asking the First Minister what he is doing for
:01:34. > :01:40.the rest of the day. It is the funeral for Neal McCormack, the late
:01:41. > :01:52.MP. Mr 's as a temp -- Mr Swinney is attending. He was a fine member of
:01:53. > :01:55.Parliament for Argyll and went to vote in the referendum in person
:01:56. > :02:03.last Thursday. We will all miss him very much. On our side we want to
:02:04. > :02:07.send our condolences to his family at a sad time. For the last six
:02:08. > :02:12.weeks of First Minister has warned the people of Scotland, some might
:02:13. > :02:20.say has misled them, that the NHS would be privatised if there was a
:02:21. > :02:24.No vote. But the NHS -- that the NHS would be privatised if there was a
:02:25. > :02:27.No vote. Last week there was about and we now know it is the sovereign
:02:28. > :02:29.will of the people of Scotland to stay strong in the United Kingdom.
:02:30. > :02:39.APPLAUSE. But some weeks before that No vote,
:02:40. > :02:43.the First Minister of Scotland privatised the medical records of
:02:44. > :02:48.every Scot in the country. Why did he keep that quiet until after the
:02:49. > :02:52.referendum? Isn't it the case that Alex Salmond has done more to
:02:53. > :03:02.privatise the NHS than anyone else in Scottish history? APPLAUSE.
:03:03. > :03:07.No, it is not the case. The primary care information resource is an IT
:03:08. > :03:12.system replacing another IT system. To describe a contract for the
:03:13. > :03:15.Scottish primary care information resource as privatisation is like
:03:16. > :03:20.saying this parliament is being privatised because we use Windows on
:03:21. > :03:26.our computers. LAUGHTER. It is a ridiculous argument put forward. The
:03:27. > :03:30.system gives substantial advantages in terms of the collection and
:03:31. > :03:36.governance of information throughout the NHS. It is right and proper that
:03:37. > :03:41.the government have sought and received guarantees on the data
:03:42. > :03:49.security, that is the right thing to do, but for Joe Hanrahan and,...
:03:50. > :03:54.Alistair Darling said no government would privatise. They would say what
:03:55. > :03:58.-- see what Andy Burnham has said in the party conference, confirming
:03:59. > :04:02.that they believe in what is happening in Westminster at the
:04:03. > :04:05.moment. Given that that is confirmed by Labour, will there be accessed
:04:06. > :04:10.and is of the knock-on effect in Scotland in terms of finance and the
:04:11. > :04:14.critical importance for Scotland's future of controlling not just the
:04:15. > :04:20.administration but the finances of our National Health Service?
:04:21. > :04:24.APPLAUSE. It may be a while since we last had
:04:25. > :04:28.an exchange of Christians but that is no more credible than any other
:04:29. > :04:32.answers over the last period -- and exchange of questions. Because the
:04:33. > :04:37.First Minister and his anointed successor Nicola Sturgeon have
:04:38. > :04:47.increased the number of NHS patients treated privately by almost 500%. He
:04:48. > :04:52.spends ?100 million of public money on private health care. This
:04:53. > :04:55.government privatises our health records during a campaign in which
:04:56. > :05:01.he claimed the health service would be privatised if we didn't vote for
:05:02. > :05:05.him. Guess what, he was privatising it anyway. Now that the campaign is
:05:06. > :05:10.over, will the First Minister be honest with the people of Scotland
:05:11. > :05:19.and admit he is doing more to privatise the NHS than anyone else
:05:20. > :05:26.in Scotland? The less than 1% of health board expenditure goes to the
:05:27. > :05:30.private sector in Scotland. The figure in England is 6% and the
:05:31. > :05:36.Labour Party says it is heading towards 20%. To describe software
:05:37. > :05:39.and IT system as an example of privatisation, by the same company
:05:40. > :05:43.incidentally already providing systems to the health boards in
:05:44. > :05:50.Scotland, and has done so since 1998, is... It is what happens to
:05:51. > :05:54.the Labour Party. I have said the Daily Telegraph has become the house
:05:55. > :05:59.journal. If the Daily Mail as the source material of the Labour Party,
:06:00. > :06:05.we can see why the questions get more ridiculous. Order! The position
:06:06. > :06:11.for the Scottish health service is simple. If there is a move to
:06:12. > :06:14.privatisation south of the border, and the introduction of charging and
:06:15. > :06:18.the lowering of public spending south of the border, then that
:06:19. > :06:23.impacts on the finance of the Scottish health service. That is why
:06:24. > :06:30.in order to keep our National Health Service in public hands, we have to
:06:31. > :06:33.control both of finances and the administrations. That is what we
:06:34. > :06:41.intend to do and that is supported by the majority of the Scottish
:06:42. > :06:44.people. APPLAUSE. There has been an increase in
:06:45. > :06:48.private spending on the First Minister's watch, and he knows it.
:06:49. > :06:54.So perhaps the First Minister could break the habit of a lifetime and
:06:55. > :07:03.indulge in a little truth mongering. The First Minister claims, and are
:07:04. > :07:11.now appears to continue to claim, the NHS would be privatised if there
:07:12. > :07:14.was a No Mac vote -- no vote. He is increasing the amount of money spent
:07:15. > :07:18.on private health providers and the First Minister six weeks before the
:07:19. > :07:25.referendum privatised the health records of every person in Scotland.
:07:26. > :07:30.Will the First Minister just admit that he has done more to privatise
:07:31. > :07:39.the NHS in Scotland than any other politician in history? APPLAUSE.
:07:40. > :07:44.Order. The company already provides IT
:07:45. > :07:48.systems to GPs across Scotland. It does not constitute privatisation of
:07:49. > :07:55.the NHS. It constitutes having a better IT system than we have at the
:07:56. > :08:01.present moment. Johansson Lamont 's -- Joanne Lamont has argued that I
:08:02. > :08:05.should be aware of my anointed successor. I read in the papers that
:08:06. > :08:13.they seem to be a number of successes for her. LAUGHTER.
:08:14. > :08:17.But she can be confident in the support of the members of parliament
:08:18. > :08:23.she leads at Westminster. One quoted in the Herald asked if she was under
:08:24. > :08:32.threat, said, yes, people will rally round but the sharks will be
:08:33. > :08:36.circling. Can I say, one leadership election in Scotland is enough at
:08:37. > :08:42.any one time, but we can be absolutely confident... Order. More
:08:43. > :08:47.people will vote in the SNP leadership election than the Labour
:08:48. > :08:54.Party once. STUDIO: Efforts to rising membership of the SNP. Don't
:08:55. > :08:57.worry, when the First Minister is gone I will still be doing my job
:08:58. > :09:11.and a half of the people of Scotland. APPLAUSE.
:09:12. > :09:13.And as an optimist at the. Order. I hope the coronation of Nicola
:09:14. > :09:18.Sturgeon still insures she might answer a question or two which
:09:19. > :09:25.self-evidently her boss has not been able to do. But to the serious
:09:26. > :09:30.business of this government, we now know, because of the courage of a
:09:31. > :09:36.whistle-blower, there are ?450 million worth of cuts the First
:09:37. > :09:45.Minister is planning to the NHS. But he decided not to tell us until
:09:46. > :09:48.after the referendum. During the referendum campaign, the First
:09:49. > :09:55.Minister secretly privatise the health records of every Scot, while
:09:56. > :10:00.warning... It is astonishing, he was privatising the health records of
:10:01. > :10:04.every Scot while warning of the dangers of privatisation. The First
:10:05. > :10:10.Minister has increased spending on private health care to ?100 million.
:10:11. > :10:14.I asked the First Minister, why does he say he is against privatising the
:10:15. > :10:19.health service when that is exactly what he is doing? When was he
:10:20. > :10:22.planning to tell us about the ?100 million spending private health and
:10:23. > :10:25.when was he going to tell us about the privatising of our health
:10:26. > :10:30.records, and when was he going to tell us in honesty about the half ?1
:10:31. > :10:41.billion of cuts to our precious health service? The company
:10:42. > :10:45.concerned supplying software since 1998 across the UK, by definition
:10:46. > :10:51.that means Tony Blair must have been privatising the health service in
:10:52. > :10:55.1998. I think he started the process of privatisation when they pushed
:10:56. > :10:59.through foundation hospitals in the NHS in England. Including two
:11:00. > :11:03.Scottish health boards. They were involved in the design and
:11:04. > :11:08.management systems to copulate payments for GP across Scotland. A
:11:09. > :11:14.computer system does not represent privatisation of the NHS. Nor does a
:11:15. > :11:21.?450 million cost pressure over the next two years over which there
:11:22. > :11:25.was... The cost pressures are caused by both pensions and the ending of
:11:26. > :11:31.the national insurance rebate, both decisions taken by the Westminster
:11:32. > :11:36.government. Does that not exemplify the position of the Scottish
:11:37. > :11:40.Government, that cost pressures originating from Westminster have
:11:41. > :11:43.huge impact in the Scottish National health this? I am delighted to
:11:44. > :11:48.confirm to this chamber that we have increased health service spending in
:11:49. > :11:53.real terms and will continue to do so. I am delighted to tell this
:11:54. > :11:56.chamber the vast majority of people in Scotland understand why we have
:11:57. > :12:02.to control the finances of this country and our health service as
:12:03. > :12:05.well as the administration. If we can be prevented from Tory and
:12:06. > :12:15.Labour attempts to privatise our health service. I think Joanne Lamb
:12:16. > :12:18.-- Johann Lamont continues as the leader of the opposition in this
:12:19. > :12:22.Parliament for some time, but if so it would be because of the
:12:23. > :12:27.enthusiastic support of their own colleagues. Quote: The catastrophic
:12:28. > :12:33.thing would be for her to go and not have Jim Murphy as leader. If we end
:12:34. > :12:39.up with an MSP, we might as well go home for 2016. I am not as
:12:40. > :12:43.pessimistic about the Labour Party's prospects of the Labour
:12:44. > :12:48.Party. I am sure Johann Lamont will put off an excellent fight in the
:12:49. > :12:52.coming election and end up exactly where she is now, as this party
:12:53. > :13:01.continues the National Health Service in public hands. APPLAUSE.
:13:02. > :13:11.CHEERING. That is why we need a woman's touch!
:13:12. > :13:15.LAUGHTER. To ask the First Minister when he will next meet the Secretary
:13:16. > :13:19.of State for Scotland. No plans in the near future. It emerged
:13:20. > :13:22.following questioning by my colleague yesterday that we will not
:13:23. > :13:26.have a programme for government from this administration until late
:13:27. > :13:30.November. But bizarrely we will have a budget before that. In other words
:13:31. > :13:34.this government will drop the budget for a legislative programme that
:13:35. > :13:37.doesn't exist. The First Minister spoke at great length about what
:13:38. > :13:41.would happen in the event of a Yes vote and the team he was building
:13:42. > :13:46.for the first 100 days, but he doesn't appear to have any plans for
:13:47. > :13:50.the first eight weeks now he has lost. The people of Scotland demand
:13:51. > :13:54.that we get back to the real issue, people want to see a Scottish
:13:55. > :13:57.government working in the interest of all of Scotland. Why should they
:13:58. > :14:07.have to wait two more months for this government to do its job? The
:14:08. > :14:11.government will be publishing the budget, bringing forward a bill on
:14:12. > :14:15.land reform following a report of the review group, producing a bill
:14:16. > :14:19.to end automatic early release, we are in the process of delivering the
:14:20. > :14:22.Ryder Cup which I hope will any let the Commonwealth Games as one of the
:14:23. > :14:26.most successful sporting event Scotland has ever seen, we are
:14:27. > :14:31.bringing forward the regulations to allow the first same-sex marriages
:14:32. > :14:36.in Scotland. Order! . Introducing free school meals from January from
:14:37. > :14:47.primary one - three, something I remember the Labour Party were fully
:14:48. > :14:49.sure enough to vote against in this chamber. We are working with
:14:50. > :14:51.stakeholders to secure the success and ongoing operational Ferguson
:14:52. > :14:53.shipyards, and will have a reform bill to streamline civil justice,
:14:54. > :14:58.and the figures on the economy suggests the SNP in both
:14:59. > :15:02.government, particularly in the huge increase in women's employment, are
:15:03. > :15:07.bearing fruit. I have a list of a dozen things the Scottish Government
:15:08. > :15:12.is employed in the present moment. I can read down that list, I am sure
:15:13. > :15:16.there would be enthusiasm. I think we have the point. The Scottish
:15:17. > :15:18.Government is getting on with the job of governing Scotland
:15:19. > :15:25.effectively which is perhaps why opinion poll ratings are now almost
:15:26. > :15:32.50%, about five times the Scottish Conservative Party. APPLAUSE.
:15:33. > :15:36.Spectacular lack of legislation to come there. Can it really be that
:15:37. > :15:40.the First Minister does not get it? We now have at least two more months
:15:41. > :15:48.of what the papers described as a zombie government. In the
:15:49. > :15:52.meantime,... LAUGHTER. In the meantime, the First Minister will
:15:53. > :15:57.pick up another ?20,000 worth of taxpayers money as salary, will go
:15:58. > :16:01.on his farewell photo Op tour before the inevitable happens and his
:16:02. > :16:04.deputy takes over. We know he has plenty of time on his hands because
:16:05. > :16:09.that is what he told us all in agreement letter to a national
:16:10. > :16:13.newspaper this week. -- a green ink letter. But we know he is working on
:16:14. > :16:17.his book deal, not legislation, so if years in office but not in power,
:16:18. > :16:27.can he tell us what is the point of him hanging around? I suppose one of
:16:28. > :16:35.the reasons that the Scottish National party happen or go had
:16:36. > :16:43.62,870 members... -- have an hour I go. That membership expects us to do
:16:44. > :16:47.through a democratic process in terms of the election of a leader
:16:48. > :16:52.and deputy leader and then this parliament in terms of the election
:16:53. > :16:57.of a First Minister. I have already said to Ruth Davidson this
:16:58. > :17:01.substantial efforts with the Government including legislation as
:17:02. > :17:05.we speak. I know we will have the support of the Scottish Conservative
:17:06. > :17:09.Party, especially for the measures in land reform...
:17:10. > :17:21.Which I know is so close to the heart of Jimmy McGregor and other
:17:22. > :17:28.members. We have no intention whatsoever in not allowing the
:17:29. > :17:33.landowners of Scotland to develop renewable energy in their
:17:34. > :17:36.substantial holdings, and we know are crossed that range of
:17:37. > :17:42.legislation, the Conservative Party, in that phase of democracy for which
:17:43. > :17:48.they are famous, will give us support or nothing because the
:17:49. > :17:52.Scottish people recognise the SMP epitomises the wishes of the vast
:17:53. > :18:00.majority of the people of Scotland -- the SMP. Hence the success of
:18:01. > :18:07.this party and the lack of success of the Conservative Party. The
:18:08. > :18:14.Scottish Fire and Rescue Service are proposing to cut services, a
:18:15. > :18:20.reduction of 16 firefighters and local people are up in arms about
:18:21. > :18:25.this. Can I ask the First Minister if the things such a significant cut
:18:26. > :18:32.is acceptable and will he meet me to discuss concerns about these cuts?
:18:33. > :18:39.There are accruing changes but no job losses in these changes. If the
:18:40. > :18:44.member is concerned about it I will arrange for a meeting so he can
:18:45. > :18:52.carry Ford these concerns, but I am told there are no job losses
:18:53. > :18:56.involved, as he describes the situation, but let's have the
:18:57. > :19:05.meeting and see if they can articulate the concerns and get to
:19:06. > :19:07.the bottom of the question. To ask the First Minister what questions
:19:08. > :19:14.will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet. Issues of
:19:15. > :19:21.importance. Yesterday John Swinney said in his support for home rule
:19:22. > :19:30.and federalism, he joins the company of Gladstone, Gordon Brown, and
:19:31. > :19:34.Michael Forsyth. Plans for home rule and federalism were published two
:19:35. > :19:38.years ago. Can the First Minister tell us if he is now a supporter of
:19:39. > :19:45.federalism and on which part of our plan we can find common cause?
:19:46. > :19:50.Theirs and expect Haitian after the referendum that given the comments
:19:51. > :19:59.not of Gladstone but certainly of Gordon Brown, -- and expectation. He
:20:00. > :20:02.was opposing not home rule but federalism with a powerhouse
:20:03. > :20:07.parliament coming from the steps being taken in Westminster rather
:20:08. > :20:14.than the home rule proposals published last spring, so in terms
:20:15. > :20:18.of securing the jobs test for a powerhouse parliament I will stand
:20:19. > :20:26.shoulder to shoulder with William Gladstone, Gordon Brown and Willie
:20:27. > :20:31.Rennie. I thank them for that constructive engagement. The plans
:20:32. > :20:36.that were put before the voters last week were the plans set out by our
:20:37. > :20:42.three parties. I am looking forward to his plans to come forward as well
:20:43. > :20:47.because then we can create a Scottish parliament with the tax
:20:48. > :20:51.powers to give us that flexibility to do things differently here,
:20:52. > :20:56.powers to tackle inequality, invest for the long term and create a
:20:57. > :21:02.stronger economy and fairer society. Driving down powers into the
:21:03. > :21:08.communities, which I am sure he is in favour of, and creating a federal
:21:09. > :21:13.UK. He has not commented on our proposals but can he find common
:21:14. > :21:19.cause on what we put forth and engaged in a proper discussion? I
:21:20. > :21:26.think we can have a very constructive discussion to improve
:21:27. > :21:33.Scotland's situation. I don't follow the position about home rule and as
:21:34. > :21:39.close to federalism as Willie Rennie proposes, given these were not, as I
:21:40. > :21:44.conceive, what was produced last spring or though it was talked about
:21:45. > :21:48.in the referendum campaign. I was struck during the campaign by a
:21:49. > :21:55.tweet saying someone was supporting anyone who could give us devo max.
:21:56. > :22:02.That was a tweet from JK Rowling, and it seems to emphasise there is a
:22:03. > :22:06.considerable expectation on anyone who voted no and financed the
:22:07. > :22:14.campaign, a substantial expectation of seeing real economic powers. My
:22:15. > :22:22.difficulty is that when I mentioned my reading of the report proposing
:22:23. > :22:26.the ending of the Barnett formula, Willie Rennie denied that at the
:22:27. > :22:31.chamber, so I went back to the Campbell commission report in case I
:22:32. > :22:37.had missed red and was misrepresenting the position, and
:22:38. > :22:43.paragraph 131 says, I will quote, the UK should move the independence
:22:44. > :22:49.formula to serve all parts of the UK, McKnight and the Barnett formula
:22:50. > :22:55.was only ever to be a temporary measure. Willie Rennie is going to
:22:56. > :23:02.have to clarify what exactly the Lib Dems are proposing, is it what was
:23:03. > :23:11.in the Campbell report? He may find my successor, whoever he or she may
:23:12. > :23:18.be, maybe less indulgent with Willie Rennie's missed me rambling -- mess
:23:19. > :23:25.remembering of his own policies. Roderick Campbell. To ask that First
:23:26. > :23:29.Minister for the Scottish minister fans to discuss with the UK
:23:30. > :23:39.Government extending the voting franchise to 16 and 17-year-olds. As
:23:40. > :23:42.I made clear in this chamber, the thoughtful and passionate engagement
:23:43. > :23:48.of young voters in this debate means there is a answerable case for
:23:49. > :23:53.giving 16 and 17-year-olds the vote in Scotland and across the UK. I am
:23:54. > :23:57.glad this has the support of all parties. The Deputy First Minister
:23:58. > :24:03.wrote to the Prime Minister urging the UK Prime Minister to devolve
:24:04. > :24:08.electoral responsibilities to the Scottish Parliament, so we can
:24:09. > :24:15.ensure 16 and 17-year-olds can take part in the 2016 election. I welcome
:24:16. > :24:20.those comments. I am sure it you will agree it would be wrong to
:24:21. > :24:25.remove the vote from 16 and 17-year-olds after allowing them to
:24:26. > :24:27.choose the future of the country. Will this issue be discussed next
:24:28. > :24:34.time he speaks to the Prime Minister? I can assure that and
:24:35. > :24:39.yesterday the Deputy First Minister wrote to the Prime Minister now
:24:40. > :24:44.there is a consensus on this issue, we have to keep faith with these
:24:45. > :24:51.youngsters who voted in the referendum and also the next peer
:24:52. > :24:58.group of youngsters coming forward. It would be a substantial setback in
:24:59. > :25:02.democratic terms if in our 2016 elections there 16 and 17-year-olds
:25:03. > :25:07.were not entitled to vote, so there must be a sharp focus on securing
:25:08. > :25:11.the ability to make sure our elections in 2016 extent that
:25:12. > :25:18.franchise and we keep faith with young people who showed such
:25:19. > :25:20.overwhelming numbers that they were willing and able to take part in
:25:21. > :25:30.democratic discussion. To ask the First Minister what the
:25:31. > :25:35.Scottish Government's edition is on raising the minimum wage to ?8 an
:25:36. > :25:39.hour. We welcome any increase in the national minimum wage, which has
:25:40. > :25:44.failed to keep up with inflation. The proposed increase coming from
:25:45. > :25:52.the Labour conference is phased and will not take place until 2020,
:25:53. > :26:00.meaning an increase of just 20% at 20p in real terms. It is proposed we
:26:01. > :26:08.should raise the minimum wage to the living wage, those are part of that
:26:09. > :26:12.measures I would propose. I thank the Minister for that response. He
:26:13. > :26:19.will be aware Ed Miliband is proposing a national minimum wage
:26:20. > :26:24.rate of ?8 an hour. The majority of this chamber support this, as they
:26:25. > :26:29.do the living wage, currently ?7 65 and are, and although the Government
:26:30. > :26:35.did not take the opportunity to bring in the living wage for public
:26:36. > :26:39.sector contracts, will he work with Labour to make sure for the public
:26:40. > :26:44.sector and those engaged in delivering public sector contracts,
:26:45. > :26:48.their wages are increased to ?8 an hour, so we can address the cost of
:26:49. > :26:56.living crisis and help working people who were struggling across
:26:57. > :27:02.Scotland right now. Can I point out to Jackie Baillie, if the minimum
:27:03. > :27:10.wage had kept pace with inflation since 2008 it would already be ?7 48
:27:11. > :27:18.per hour. The proposal to increase to ?8 is for 2020 and includes a 2%
:27:19. > :27:21.increase year by year to get their which is less than the increase
:27:22. > :27:28.taking place in the minimum wage before 2008. People on low wages
:27:29. > :27:33.have been drained by successive Westminster governments, including
:27:34. > :27:40.when Alistair Darling was Chancellor, offering increases that
:27:41. > :27:44.were less than inflation, so what I think is important is to understand
:27:45. > :27:51.that the living wage by 2020, even if it was only to keep pace with
:27:52. > :27:57.inflation, should be ?8 57 per our in the forecast, and this Parliament
:27:58. > :28:01.should aspire to raise the minimum wage to the living wage, as
:28:02. > :28:05.recommended in our welfare proposals, and when this Parliament
:28:06. > :28:11.has control over the minimum wage, I am certain the progressive influence
:28:12. > :28:20.of Jackie Baillie and myself will ensure we move towards a living wage
:28:21. > :28:23.in Scotland. If the minimum wage were to have increased in line with
:28:24. > :28:32.the commitments in the White Paper, in which year would it reach ?8 and
:28:33. > :28:38.are? If the minimum wage commitments in the White Paper after a guarantee
:28:39. > :28:44.from the fair wage commission that it keeps place with inflation, so we
:28:45. > :28:48.would be in a fundamentally that position than in the last few years,
:28:49. > :28:53.when the Labour and Conservative parties, going through a recession,
:28:54. > :28:59.penalised the lowest paid people in the country. Gavin Brown wasn't
:29:00. > :29:03.among the most enthusiastic supporters of this Government's
:29:04. > :29:08.introduction of the living wage across the public sector, but we
:29:09. > :29:11.have been vindicated, and that is the answer from the electorate in
:29:12. > :29:18.terms of the introduction of the living wage at ?7 65 and therefore
:29:19. > :29:23.we look forward to raising the level of the minimum wage to a living
:29:24. > :29:31.wage, so all workers in Scotland get a fair day's pay for a fair day's
:29:32. > :29:34.work. To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government is doing to
:29:35. > :29:43.capitalise on the legacy of the Ryder Cup? Golf tourism is worth a
:29:44. > :29:46.lot to Scotland annually. The 2014 Ryder Cup is the perfect catalyst
:29:47. > :29:51.for further growth in tourism as well as reinforcing our position as
:29:52. > :29:57.the home of golf. Visit Scotland estimates it will benefit the
:29:58. > :30:01.economy I at least ?100 million. One of the most important aspects of the
:30:02. > :30:07.process which brought it to Scotland is a commitment made as part of the
:30:08. > :30:12.Ryder Cup board that has been taken for Ward and 350,000 youngsters
:30:13. > :30:19.across Scotland have been introduced to the game of golf. A golf
:30:20. > :30:23.programme will be extended into a family golf approach where
:30:24. > :30:29.youngsters ask parents to play with them, emphasising golf should be a
:30:30. > :30:33.game for everyone in Scotland. In the Ryder Cup, 50 young unemployed
:30:34. > :30:39.people volunteered to get the increase in skills and improve
:30:40. > :30:44.future opportunities all round. I think just as the Commonwealth Games
:30:45. > :30:47.was a success for the city of Glasgow, we intend to do the same
:30:48. > :30:54.thing with the Ryder Cup in Gleneagles. I thank the First
:30:55. > :30:57.Minister for his response. We all welcome the work on going to
:30:58. > :31:02.capitalise on those benefits, and I was interested he seems to think the
:31:03. > :31:09.Ryder Cup is part of his legislative programme for the coming year. I
:31:10. > :31:12.wonder if with his upcoming retirement, he is looking forward as
:31:13. > :31:18.much as we are to him spending more time with his golf clubs. I am
:31:19. > :31:24.looking forward enormously to playing golf as often as possible,
:31:25. > :31:31.but I suspect that the wishes of the Conservative Party to see me
:31:32. > :31:36.disappear from the Scottish politics will be as disappointing to them as
:31:37. > :31:45.future election results in Scotland will almost undoubtedly be. That is
:31:46. > :31:51.First Minister's Questions. We move to members' business. Alex Salmond
:31:52. > :31:57.ending with a bit of a stink, a suggestion his replacement might not
:31:58. > :32:02.be gentle on political opponents. As Tony Blair said the great clunking
:32:03. > :32:08.fist of Gordon Brown would come down upon them, but on the subject of
:32:09. > :32:10.sport, well done to Dundee United for