:00:18. > :00:26.Hello. A warm welcome to the Scottish Parliament. A very busy day
:00:27. > :00:31.in politics. The Prime Minister is in Washington. At Westminster, they
:00:32. > :00:36.are publishing the Bill to trigger Brexit. It was just decided
:00:37. > :00:44.parliament should have a role rather than the UK Government. The Scottish
:00:45. > :00:50.Secretary 's meeting Mike Russell. A big concern about child health. All
:00:51. > :00:56.of that may come up in questions of the First Minister. That is crossed
:00:57. > :01:00.to the Chamber. General questions just concluding before the main
:01:01. > :01:08.event. We understand today that the Scottish Secretary has said there
:01:09. > :01:16.will have to be the consent of the Scottish Parliament ahead of the
:01:17. > :01:20.great repeal Bill. We will be hearing more about that later on
:01:21. > :01:29.this afternoon. Earlier on today the Scottish Parliament committees were
:01:30. > :01:32.discussing Brexit. What engagement is how she planned for the rest of
:01:33. > :01:37.the day? Engagements to take forward the Government's broken for
:01:38. > :01:42.Scotland. At the Royal College of Nursing, they said yesterday there
:01:43. > :01:46.are not enough nurses to meet Scotland's needs. Does the First
:01:47. > :01:51.Minister agree? There are more nurses working in our NHS than when
:01:52. > :01:56.the Government took office by a considerable number. As I said, many
:01:57. > :02:00.times before in this Chamber, we are committed to working not just with
:02:01. > :02:02.the RCN but with the BMA and other groups to make sure that together we
:02:03. > :02:10.are investing in the health service as well as investing in it and
:02:11. > :02:14.continuing to make the reforms that enable our health service to meet
:02:15. > :02:19.the challenges of the future. In terms of nurses, as she may be
:02:20. > :02:22.aware, yesterday I visited the university to meet with student
:02:23. > :02:26.nurses. We were confirming an increase in the number of student
:02:27. > :02:31.nurses. But also the protection of the bursary. ?3 million of
:02:32. > :02:34.additional support for student nurses who have children or other
:02:35. > :02:39.dependents to make it easier for them to pursue a fantastic career of
:02:40. > :02:42.nursing. I am aware the First Minister visited yesterday and what
:02:43. > :02:45.is interesting is the Royal College of Nursing spoke after that visit
:02:46. > :02:50.after the announcement and they were specific in what they said. I will
:02:51. > :02:56.read it. It is not enough to save there are more nurses, the question
:02:57. > :03:00.is whether the number meets demand and they say it does not. We should
:03:01. > :03:04.ask ourselves why we are in that situation. Six years ago as Health
:03:05. > :03:08.Secretary, the First Minister embarked on two years of
:03:09. > :03:12.catastrophic cuts the nursing places in Scotland and she was warned by
:03:13. > :03:16.nursing leaders the cuts were not sustainable and they could impact on
:03:17. > :03:19.patient care and she was warned from across the Chamber of the
:03:20. > :03:24.short-sightedness of her approach. Now as predicted, patients are
:03:25. > :03:27.paying the price as routine operations are cancelled and
:03:28. > :03:32.treatment waiting times grow, all because of staff shortages. Can I
:03:33. > :03:39.ask her if she had her time over again, which is still make the cuts
:03:40. > :03:42.to student nursing places? I well remember that period, significant
:03:43. > :03:47.challenges at that time with student nurses being unable to get work,
:03:48. > :03:50.there was a problem of nurse unemployment and we took decisions,
:03:51. > :03:57.as we were right to do, on the basis of the detail available at the time.
:03:58. > :04:03.Over the lifetime of this month, there has on average been 1000 new
:04:04. > :04:12.nurses in training Egypt than was the case in a comparable period
:04:13. > :04:19.under previous governments. The number of nurses and midwives is up
:04:20. > :04:22.by 5%, more than 2000 qualified nurses and midwives full-time
:04:23. > :04:26.equivalents working in the NHS today. That is the commitment of
:04:27. > :04:30.this government to supporting and investing in the NHS. I have been
:04:31. > :04:34.clearer in the past and I will continue to be clear about two
:04:35. > :04:38.things, the need for continued investment, that is why this
:04:39. > :04:42.government was elected on a commitment to increase investment in
:04:43. > :04:44.the health service over this Parliament by ?500 million more than
:04:45. > :04:50.inflation, a stronger commitment than any other party in this
:04:51. > :04:54.Parliament. Secondly, we have to reform the NHS. That is why we have
:04:55. > :04:58.integrated health and social care, we are also committed to getting
:04:59. > :05:04.more money into primary, community and mental health service. Right now
:05:05. > :05:10.she is arguing for a budget where we would give a massive tax cut to the
:05:11. > :05:14.top 10% of income earners in Scotland. I would ask her to reflect
:05:15. > :05:17.on what it would mean for the health budget, if we were to follow the
:05:18. > :05:25.advice of the Tories in this Chamber. That sounded fro much like
:05:26. > :05:30.the First Minister was asking for praise for trying to mop up a mess
:05:31. > :05:36.of her own cuts made. Let us focus on the impact of what has happened.
:05:37. > :05:40.We were contacted this week by a gentleman who was put on an urgent
:05:41. > :05:44.referral for treatment last year and was told he would receive surgery
:05:45. > :05:48.within 12 weeks. He has now been informed Aberdeen Royal Infirmary is
:05:49. > :05:52.no longer able to book his operation and has stopped referring patients
:05:53. > :05:57.to the golden jubilee in Clydebank. He has been told he will not get the
:05:58. > :06:01.operation he needs. This is on the back of reports this week that NHS
:06:02. > :06:08.Grampian operating theatres are lying empty because hospitals do not
:06:09. > :06:11.have the staff. I know the First Minister cannot comment on
:06:12. > :06:16.individual cases but I would like to remind her of the findings last year
:06:17. > :06:19.that after ten years of this assembly government, it has failed
:06:20. > :06:23.to do the long-term planning to build up a sustainable workforce in
:06:24. > :06:30.the NHS should recruit this SNP government. Can the First Minister
:06:31. > :06:33.explain to people like the man who cannot get an operation at the same
:06:34. > :06:40.time as operating theatres lying empty the cause of a lack of staff?
:06:41. > :06:44.I mentioned the increase in qualified nurses and midwives in an
:06:45. > :06:50.earlier answer. Staffing in total has increased under this government
:06:51. > :06:58.by Oval 11,500 full-time equivalents -- by over. It is at a record level.
:06:59. > :07:02.NHS Grampian, for example, is working to increase data staff. The
:07:03. > :07:07.surgical team at NHS Grampian has just employed seven newly qualified
:07:08. > :07:11.actor shimmers. That is the sign of the commitment we have two staffing
:07:12. > :07:17.within our National Health Service. -- newly qualified practitioners.
:07:18. > :07:21.Unlike other parties in this Chamber, certainly unlike the
:07:22. > :07:27.Conservative Party, we are committed to further investment in the NHS. I
:07:28. > :07:32.say again, ?500 million over and above inflation over the life of
:07:33. > :07:36.this Parliament. I pose again the question I posed in my last answer
:07:37. > :07:40.to Ruth Davidson. It is an important question. We are in a budget process
:07:41. > :07:47.right now where we are committed to record investment in the NHS. Ruth
:07:48. > :07:52.Davidson wants us instead to cut tax for the top 10% of income earners in
:07:53. > :07:55.Scotland. I think people have a right to expect some consistency
:07:56. > :08:01.from the Conservatives when it comes to this Chamber. We are choosing
:08:02. > :08:07.investment in the NHS. Ruth Davidson thinks we should choose tax cuts for
:08:08. > :08:10.the wealthy. She is entitled to prioritise tax cuts for the
:08:11. > :08:15.wealthiest, but she cannot come to this Chamber and ask for even more
:08:16. > :08:18.money for the health service. It is time for Davidson to choose because
:08:19. > :08:31.I choose investment in the health service. We want to grow the tax
:08:32. > :08:39.base to fund public services. She is damaging our economy. I simply asked
:08:40. > :08:47.the First Minister if staffing is all fine, why are theatres lying
:08:48. > :08:51.empty and patients not getting the operations they need? She asked this
:08:52. > :08:55.week what kind of country we want to be. I am going to tell her the
:08:56. > :08:59.answer. I want a country that is run by a Scottish Government that spends
:09:00. > :09:04.its every waking hour sorting out public services like the NHS and not
:09:05. > :09:09.obsessing about another referendum. I want a Scottish Government that
:09:10. > :09:13.actually wants to deal with the child obesity crisis exposed today,
:09:14. > :09:17.not plotting how Brexit can be used to create more division and
:09:18. > :09:25.uncertainty in Scotland. That is the country I want back. She says that
:09:26. > :09:30.we must confront independence but I think it is probably time she
:09:31. > :09:37.confronted the failings of ten years of this incompetent SNP government
:09:38. > :09:42.and she tackled them instead. That is a bit rich coming from the party
:09:43. > :09:49.that created the Brexit disaster that the rest of us are dealing
:09:50. > :09:53.with. Ruth Davidson at least poses the right question because it is a
:09:54. > :09:57.question of what kind of country we want to live in. I go back to the
:09:58. > :10:00.question I posed to her earlier because she cannot have it both
:10:01. > :10:05.ways. We are in a budget process right now, Ruth Davidson's priority
:10:06. > :10:09.as she has said in the Chamber before is to cut taxes for higher
:10:10. > :10:15.rate taxpayers. She wants to cut taxes for the top 10% of income
:10:16. > :10:19.earners in this country. If we do that, she is entitled to set it as a
:10:20. > :10:25.priority, but if we do that, the reality will be less money available
:10:26. > :10:29.to invest in the NHS. Yes, it is a choice, a choice about the kind of
:10:30. > :10:34.country we want to live in. I choose a country that invests in its health
:10:35. > :10:38.service, not one that cuts taxes for the richest. That is the difference
:10:39. > :10:41.between this government and the conservative opposition. I will
:10:42. > :10:45.continue to take the action we have done over the past ten years to get
:10:46. > :10:52.more staff into the health service, more investment, waiting times down,
:10:53. > :10:56.and I will continue to make sure we take that action over the life of
:10:57. > :11:01.this Parliament and I will leave the Tories, the increasingly right ring
:11:02. > :11:12.Conservative Party to argue for tax cuts for the richest in our society
:11:13. > :11:16.-- right wing. To ask the First Minister what engagements she has
:11:17. > :11:20.planned for the rest of the week. I have engagements to take forward the
:11:21. > :11:24.Government's programme for Scotland. A new report published today exposes
:11:25. > :11:28.the horrific gap between the richest and the rest in Scotland. The Royal
:11:29. > :11:32.College of GPs in child health say that in Scotland a child from a poor
:11:33. > :11:38.Greg Grandin is more likely to suffer from ill health than a child
:11:39. > :11:42.from a wealthy area -- a child from a poor background. The child's part
:11:43. > :11:47.in life is the determined before they leave the womb based on how
:11:48. > :11:52.much money their parents have. How does the First Minister think
:11:53. > :12:00.cutting ?327 million from local services will change that? As Kezia
:12:01. > :12:08.Dugdale knows, that is not the case. The budget we have put forward is
:12:09. > :12:14.putting more than ?200 million into local services. Let me turn to the
:12:15. > :12:18.important report that has been published today. It is an important
:12:19. > :12:22.report and has important messages for the Scottish Government but
:12:23. > :12:29.indeed for governments right across the UK. It is important to note at
:12:30. > :12:31.the outset the report's view, I am quoting, there have been notable
:12:32. > :12:35.improvements in health indicators for children over recent years,
:12:36. > :12:39.there is much the Scottish Government is doing to reduce the
:12:40. > :12:42.impact of inequality and there is much in Scotland that can be
:12:43. > :12:46.celebrated and learn from. That said, I agree with the report that
:12:47. > :12:52.there is much more required to be done and we cannot be complacent. We
:12:53. > :12:59.will consider carefully all of the recommendations, many of the
:13:00. > :13:02.recommendations are already in action. Investment in health
:13:03. > :13:09.visitors, for example. The child poverty Bill including income -based
:13:10. > :13:12.poverty measures at its heart. The maternity and neonatal review
:13:13. > :13:16.published last week, action to reduce smoking harm, action to
:13:17. > :13:24.tackle obesity and improve physical health. Supporting the Daily Mail in
:13:25. > :13:29.our schools, for example. -- daily mile. As we get more welfare powers,
:13:30. > :13:32.we will do things like introduce a new grant for the tourist families
:13:33. > :13:37.across the country. I would hope that on this most important of
:13:38. > :13:40.issues we would have support across the Chamber for the measures we are
:13:41. > :13:47.taking to improve child health and reduce inequality. The macro poorest
:13:48. > :13:53.families. -- the poorest families across the country. It is not just
:13:54. > :13:56.the Labour Party that says there are ?327 million of cuts, it is the
:13:57. > :14:05.Scottish Parliament's bone information centre, the institute,
:14:06. > :14:08.it is... Does she have an alternative fact for each
:14:09. > :14:16.organisation? -- own information centre. Last night the Parliament
:14:17. > :14:20.refused to deduce a majority for the budget. Labour will not stand by
:14:21. > :14:25.while nationalist ministers who repeatedly professed their love for
:14:26. > :14:33.this country cut public services by ?327 million, hurting the most
:14:34. > :14:38.vulnerable people in this country. Presiding Officer, the shameful gap
:14:39. > :14:42.between the richest and the rest is following young people into
:14:43. > :14:45.adulthood. New figures published show that since the First Minister
:14:46. > :14:51.took office, more people are going to university and that is welcome,
:14:52. > :14:56.but here is the thing, since the First Minister took office, they are
:14:57. > :15:01.ten times more likely to be from richer backgrounds than from the
:15:02. > :15:07.poorest communities. Meanwhile, we also learnt this week there are
:15:08. > :15:11.150,000 fewer people going to our colleges. This is a First Minister
:15:12. > :15:15.that said closing the attainment gap is her top priority. Isn't it the
:15:16. > :15:23.case that the gap between the richest and the rest is widening on
:15:24. > :15:27.her watch? Let me try and take these issues one by one. In terms of the
:15:28. > :15:34.budget, I heard Kezia Dugdale mention the Fraser of Allander
:15:35. > :15:39.institute, comments along the line of the headline was that more than
:15:40. > :15:44.?200 million of extra investment in local services, extra investment in
:15:45. > :15:49.schools, extra investment in social care, the ability for local councils
:15:50. > :15:55.to increased council tax to raise revenue, something Labour councils
:15:56. > :15:58.have argued for, even though they promised the opposite after the
:15:59. > :16:04.election. The budget prioritises services, fair tax and boosting our
:16:05. > :16:07.economy. In terms of the other issues Kezia Dugdale raised in what
:16:08. > :16:16.I thought was a scatter-gun question, in terms of... In terms of
:16:17. > :16:21.colleges, what we saw this week was the Government meeting its
:16:22. > :16:26.commitment to maintain 160,000 full-time equivalent places in
:16:27. > :16:30.colleges. That was the manifesto commitment and that is what we are
:16:31. > :16:36.doing. Our budget is proposing an increase in the college budget of
:16:37. > :16:37.?20 million. Another 20 million in capital funding to continue the
:16:38. > :16:49.modernising of our colleges state. If we look at the numbers going to
:16:50. > :16:54.university from the poorest backgrounds, we have a record number
:16:55. > :17:03.getting a place at the Scottish university. It is up 3.2% on the
:17:04. > :17:07.previous year and it is up 26.5% on 2011th. As I was discussing with our
:17:08. > :17:11.new fair access commissioner when I met him earlier this week, there is
:17:12. > :17:15.much more to do, but as we continue to take action we are building on
:17:16. > :17:23.the solid progress made already by this government. That is the same
:17:24. > :17:28.fair access Commissioner who said this week that he doesn't have
:17:29. > :17:32.enough money to do his job. That was in the Times this morning. That can
:17:33. > :17:38.be summed up in move along now, there's nothing to see here. Today's
:17:39. > :17:42.report says hundreds of children in Scotland are dying because they are
:17:43. > :17:46.poor and young people are accessing university because of that property.
:17:47. > :17:51.And thousands of women, desperate to make a better life for their
:17:52. > :18:06.families, are being squeezed out of college. Yet the First Minister's
:18:07. > :18:10.response is the play a game of Russian roulette with the
:18:11. > :18:12.constitution and impose these cuts on schools and valuable services.
:18:13. > :18:14.She should stop the grandstanding on Europe and the goings on
:18:15. > :18:16.independence and Teller space, what really is the SNP's top priority? Is
:18:17. > :18:19.it closing the gap between the richest and the rest or is it
:18:20. > :18:25.another device if independence referendum? That was very, very
:18:26. > :18:29.telling, wasn't it? Interestingly if the Conservatives and Labour who
:18:30. > :18:37.want to talk about the constitution today, not me or anyone on these
:18:38. > :18:42.benches. Kezia Dugdale used to say not that long ago that we should
:18:43. > :18:45.protect our place in Europe. It wasn't that long ago she was
:18:46. > :18:49.standing where she is today demanding that the Scottish
:18:50. > :18:54.Government protected our place in Europe. Today that is grandstanding.
:18:55. > :19:02.Labour yet again roll over and do exactly as they are told by the
:19:03. > :19:08.Conservative Party. No wonder... No wonder the Scottish Labour Party is
:19:09. > :19:12.in the pathetic state that it is in today. Not the courage of its
:19:13. > :19:19.convictions, but let me turn again to the important things that Kezia
:19:20. > :19:22.Dugdale raised. Child poverty and inequality and getting more children
:19:23. > :19:27.from poorer backgrounds into university. These problems didn't
:19:28. > :19:31.stop on the SNP took office will stop these problems developed under
:19:32. > :19:35.generations of Labour government in this country. What this government
:19:36. > :19:40.has done is stuck to make progress to tackle these problems, getting
:19:41. > :19:43.more young people from poorer backgrounds into university,
:19:44. > :19:47.tackling child poverty. So we will continue to take the action that
:19:48. > :19:58.Scotland needs and we will leave Labour whining on the sidelines. A
:19:59. > :20:04.constituency question from Edward Mountain. To ask the First Minister
:20:05. > :20:11.whether the management of the whip campus project which costs in excess
:20:12. > :20:16.of 40 million and was due to open in October, but was only handed over to
:20:17. > :20:19.the Highland Council this month causes concern? In light of the
:20:20. > :20:27.problems with Edinburgh schools, parents are concerned to hear of
:20:28. > :20:33.supporting scaffolding being found behind a staircase and hidden behind
:20:34. > :20:38.a plasterboard wall. Will she join me in asking for an independent
:20:39. > :20:42.enquiry into this project? This is a Highland Council project. There has
:20:43. > :20:47.been delays and I know the council has engaged with the local community
:20:48. > :20:50.regarding the reasons for the delays. I'm happy to look into those
:20:51. > :20:56.issues, although in the first instance it will be a matter for the
:20:57. > :21:00.Highland Council, but I will ask the Education Secretary to answer that
:21:01. > :21:05.specific question to him in writing. What issues will be discussed at the
:21:06. > :21:10.next meeting of the Cabinet? Matters of importance to the people of
:21:11. > :21:13.Scotland. Yet again this week this Parliament and this government has
:21:14. > :21:23.been dominated by independence. It has been like that... They laugh,
:21:24. > :21:26.they laugh, but it is this government that is obsessed with
:21:27. > :21:32.independence, not with solving the problems in this country. It has
:21:33. > :21:39.been like that for almost every day of every week for the years of this
:21:40. > :21:46.government, but this week we hear about college places cuts, economic
:21:47. > :21:51.growth being week and unemployment rising. Threats about independence
:21:52. > :21:58.won't solve those problems. It is the budget for the economy and young
:21:59. > :22:02.people that will. Cost the budget proposals are urgent. Yesterday her
:22:03. > :22:08.government failed to command a majority for her budget in this
:22:09. > :22:13.Parliament. It is not looking good for next week's vote. Does she
:22:14. > :22:22.recognise that? Firstly, I don't know how Willie Rennie has spent his
:22:23. > :22:28.week. Mine has been dominated we're talking about nurses, getting
:22:29. > :22:32.students into university. I did not answer Scotland to be in the
:22:33. > :22:36.position of facing being taken out of the European Union against
:22:37. > :22:40.Motherwell. In 2014 Willie Rennie, Ruth Davidson, Kezia Dugdale looked
:22:41. > :22:45.the Scottish people in the eye and told them that if they vote no, the
:22:46. > :22:49.place in the European Union would be protected. It was not me, it was not
:22:50. > :22:54.this government or the people of Scotland who asked to be in this
:22:55. > :22:59.position. I will apologise to know one for standing up for Scotland's
:23:00. > :23:03.interests and trying to protect Scotland's interests. And in terms
:23:04. > :23:08.of the budget we will continue to talk to other parties if they are
:23:09. > :23:11.willing to talk to us in a constructive manner and it's part of
:23:12. > :23:15.the tone of his question, I know Willie Rennie has been doing with
:23:16. > :23:20.the Finance Secretary. We will continue to look for compromise, we
:23:21. > :23:24.will continue to take appropriate compromises, but we will also be
:23:25. > :23:29.very clear that as the largest party in this Parliament by a considerable
:23:30. > :23:34.distance, we have a duty to the people of Scotland to deliver on our
:23:35. > :23:37.manifesto. With that principle in mind we will continue to talk to
:23:38. > :23:42.other parties about budget positions over the course of this week. She
:23:43. > :23:48.started off answering that question by saying that she denied she was
:23:49. > :23:50.obsessed about independence and then spent almost the rest of the answer
:23:51. > :24:07.doing exactly that. If the SNP members can calm down
:24:08. > :24:16.just a little bit, I will try and finish my answer. I am afraid this
:24:17. > :24:20.First Minister is so focused on her lifelong mission of independence,
:24:21. > :24:24.she is incapable of seeing the problems on her own doorstep. Look
:24:25. > :24:33.at the child health report today. The death in prison, the mental
:24:34. > :24:40.health sickness rates, the list goes on. Each and every one is a human
:24:41. > :24:47.tragedy. These are the things that need her time, not scheming about
:24:48. > :24:52.independence. A week to go until the budget, the clock is ticking. Will
:24:53. > :24:55.she change in time? Will she looked at the proposals from the other
:24:56. > :25:03.parties seriously rather than the way that she is doing just now, will
:25:04. > :25:07.independence be first? Can I give Willie Rennie a bit of a tip. If he
:25:08. > :25:14.does not want me to answer on a particular issue, he should not ask
:25:15. > :25:19.me about that issue. If he asks me a question, I tend to try to answer
:25:20. > :25:26.it. If he had wanted to talk about the child poverty report or the
:25:27. > :25:29.depths: in prisons, he should ask these questions are asked me about
:25:30. > :25:33.this important issues because these are the important issues that I
:25:34. > :25:37.spent every single day looking at and considering and committing
:25:38. > :25:40.Scottish Government action to. In terms of the budget, Willie Rennie
:25:41. > :25:45.knows that we are carefully and seriously considering his proposals,
:25:46. > :25:50.as we will with any reasonable proposals that come forward. I must
:25:51. > :25:52.say we are not getting any reasonable proposals from Labour or
:25:53. > :25:57.the Conservative Party because they've already decided the position
:25:58. > :26:02.on this budget, but as long as reasonable proposals come forward we
:26:03. > :26:06.will consider them and we will seek to continue to build compromise
:26:07. > :26:15.across this Chamber. We will also take seriously our duty to the
:26:16. > :26:18.people of Scotland and as the largest party in this Chamber we
:26:19. > :26:32.will try to deliver on the manifesto we were elected on. And I asked the
:26:33. > :26:49.First Minister for her reaction on the clause regarding rape. A woman
:26:50. > :26:59.should not be forced to disclose whether or not she has been raped in
:27:00. > :27:03.order to receive Social Security. It's yet another example of how the
:27:04. > :27:08.conservatives come to this Chamber demanding action on these kind of
:27:09. > :27:12.issues when their colleagues at Westminster are taking action that
:27:13. > :27:23.is undermining all the attempts to tackle child poverty and improve
:27:24. > :27:25.equality in this country. Is the First Minister aware that rape
:27:26. > :27:31.crisis Shetland want to ensure women who have been sexually assaulted
:27:32. > :27:35.don't need to travel to Aberdeen for forensic examination. Will she
:27:36. > :27:39.accept the prospect of travel by plane or overnight ferry is a
:27:40. > :27:43.barrier to rape survivors contacting the police and will she ensure that
:27:44. > :27:52.medical equipment and medical staff are provided so that the teams of
:27:53. > :27:56.sexual assault can be examined quickly and sensitively in Lerwick.
:27:57. > :27:59.We are reviewing the way that forensic examinations are undertaken
:28:00. > :28:15.for victims of rape to ensure they are carried out sensitively. I
:28:16. > :28:19.understand absolutely that there are particular issues and particular
:28:20. > :28:23.challenges when we are dealing with our island communities, but someone
:28:24. > :28:31.who has been the victim of rape in the island communities has the same
:28:32. > :28:34.right in terms of the access to justice as anyone anywhere else. I
:28:35. > :28:42.will be happy to asked the Justice Secretary to discuss the issues as
:28:43. > :28:46.they relate to Shetland in more detail. The First Minister will be
:28:47. > :28:50.aware that her Cabinet Secretary for finances due to visit Aberdeen
:28:51. > :28:57.tomorrow to meet with members of the Chamber of commerce. At that meeting
:28:58. > :29:01.Mr Mackay will be handed a letter signed by every member of Aberdeen
:29:02. > :29:06.city centre safety group Unite with some venues facing 300% increase in
:29:07. > :29:12.the rates. Some businesses have already been forced into
:29:13. > :29:17.administration and rate rises means more will disappear. Come the First
:29:18. > :29:21.Minister give a commitment that her Cabinet Secretary will do more than
:29:22. > :29:26.pay lip service to affected businesses and will instead take
:29:27. > :29:31.expedient and immediate action to seek a solution to mitigate a
:29:32. > :29:35.potentially devastating impact. The Finance Secretary will have these
:29:36. > :29:38.meeting, but the member presumably heard the exchanges at First
:29:39. > :29:48.Minister's Questions last week. This is an independently -- revaluation
:29:49. > :29:51.process. The Scottish Government cannot intervene and all businesses
:29:52. > :29:55.if they think the valuation for the property is wrong have until
:29:56. > :30:02.September of this year to issue an appeal with the Scottish Government
:30:03. > :30:07.does have the power to act. We have taken action to lift 100,000 small
:30:08. > :30:12.business premises out of business rates altogether and we will
:30:13. > :30:15.continue to make sure we have a business rates regime, including
:30:16. > :30:22.lowering the poundage rates, that supports economic growth in this
:30:23. > :30:25.country. To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government
:30:26. > :30:35.position is on the UK Government's new strategy on industry. It's
:30:36. > :30:42.underpinned by our manufacturing strategy and a willingness to
:30:43. > :30:47.intervene in key sectors to save steel plants and other industries.
:30:48. > :30:51.The UK has lacked a strategic approach for many years and
:30:52. > :30:56.therefore be publication of the industrial strategy this week is
:30:57. > :30:59.welcome. That said there was lack of engagement from the UK Government
:31:00. > :31:04.with the Scottish Government over the consultation paper which covers
:31:05. > :31:09.many devolved policy areas. We have written to the secretary of state
:31:10. > :31:13.for business, energy and industrial strategy and we will work with the
:31:14. > :31:14.UK Government on this for the benefit of the Scottish economy and
:31:15. > :31:22.the wider UK economy. Does she agree it is vital any
:31:23. > :31:29.industrial strategy aiming to reduce regional strategy must be compatible
:31:30. > :31:33.with economic development projects? Can she advised the Chamber whether
:31:34. > :31:37.an industrial strategy which the Prime Minister claims will reach
:31:38. > :31:41.every corner of the UK despite their record on regional development is
:31:42. > :31:45.more likely to succeed in attracting investment while increasing
:31:46. > :31:50.innovation, research and development and employment and productivity with
:31:51. > :31:56.Scotland in or out of the single market? I agree about the growth
:31:57. > :31:59.deal, any industrial strategy has to be built on recognising and
:32:00. > :32:03.supporting regional economic strengths. As I said in my initial
:32:04. > :32:10.answer, we have been disappointed by the limited consultation so far. The
:32:11. > :32:13.first time the Secretary of State for Business got in touch was on
:32:14. > :32:16.Monday morning, hours before the document was published. Keith Brown
:32:17. > :32:21.has written to request stronger in gauge went which is in the interest
:32:22. > :32:26.of the Scottish and UK Governments. On the final point, there is a
:32:27. > :32:29.danger the UK Government's proposed hard Brexit would jeopardise the
:32:30. > :32:33.Scottish economy, businesses and jobs they provide and that is why we
:32:34. > :32:38.continue to call on the UK Government to deliver membership of
:32:39. > :32:41.the single market with its market of 500 million people, ideally for the
:32:42. > :32:48.UK as a whole, but certainly for Scotland. What is the Scottish
:32:49. > :32:52.Government's response to the recent claim that three quarters of the
:32:53. > :32:58.country's neonatal units do not have enough nurses? I welcome the
:32:59. > :33:02.publication of the report and I would want to take this opportunity
:33:03. > :33:07.to commend Bliss on the work they do supporting parents with babies in
:33:08. > :33:10.neonatal care. They played a vital part in our own review and
:33:11. > :33:19.recommendations published last week. Boards must ensure the neonatal
:33:20. > :33:24.units are appropriately and stay -- safely staffed. To ensure babies
:33:25. > :33:28.receive safe levels of care. The networks have put processes in place
:33:29. > :33:33.to manage and escalate concerns if any units are under pressure at any
:33:34. > :33:37.time. I thank the First Minister for that answer but can I quote to her
:33:38. > :33:42.direct you what the chief executive of Bliss Scotland has said about the
:33:43. > :33:46.reality facing the service? She said, neonatal units are
:33:47. > :33:50.understaffed and under resourced now and this is putting babies across
:33:51. > :33:54.Scotland at risk. The report also states that just two of the units
:33:55. > :33:58.have plans to recruit the necessary nurses to meet the bad binman
:33:59. > :34:03.standards for adequate neonatal service provision. After ten years,
:34:04. > :34:10.will she apologise to parents across Scotland who see this workforce
:34:11. > :34:14.crisis in the NHS? -- to meet the bare minimum standards. They were
:34:15. > :34:20.fully involved in the review and the member quoted the chief executive of
:34:21. > :34:24.Bliss and I will quote her as well in terms of what you said about the
:34:25. > :34:27.review, it sets out an ambitious and progressive vision for Sam Murray
:34:28. > :34:36.centred care which is good news for the future of the services -- for
:34:37. > :34:39.family centred care. Bliss are involved in making sure we take the
:34:40. > :34:44.action that ensures high-quality neonatal care is therefore babies
:34:45. > :34:52.when they need it and we will press on with exactly that action. Thank
:34:53. > :34:55.you. Can I thank Bliss Scotland for a powerful report? The Scottish
:34:56. > :34:59.covenant published the review last week of maternity and neonatal
:35:00. > :35:02.services, there is a lot in the report that deserves consideration.
:35:03. > :35:06.Can I urge the First Minister to bring it forward in a statement to
:35:07. > :35:10.the Parliament? A key recommendation was round local services and I
:35:11. > :35:17.quote, a number of choices should be available to all women in Scotland,
:35:18. > :35:20.including birth at home, but in and alongside midwifery units, hospital
:35:21. > :35:28.birth. It goes against the proposals to close the maternity units at
:35:29. > :35:33.hospitals, will the First Minister finally accept the will of this
:35:34. > :35:43.Parliament and call for proposals in and reject them? The proposals
:35:44. > :35:47.talked about in terms of Glasgow are not firm proposals. We cannot call
:35:48. > :35:51.in something that has not been made in a firm proposal and the reason
:35:52. > :35:57.for that is we made very clear that we expected health boards to have
:35:58. > :35:59.regard to the maternity and neonatal review recommendations before they
:36:00. > :36:05.took decisions of that nature and that is what they are going to do.
:36:06. > :36:10.Looking at the recommendations and assessing any decisions they may
:36:11. > :36:18.what to take in light of the recommendations -- they may want. We
:36:19. > :36:22.have had the opportunity to consider the recommendations. There is an
:36:23. > :36:25.awful lot of detail in the report. The Health Secretary will come to
:36:26. > :36:29.Parliament and set out the Government's thinking in how we take
:36:30. > :36:34.it forward but we are determined to act on the review, the key
:36:35. > :36:37.recommendation in it is that every woman has continuity of care from a
:36:38. > :36:41.primary midwife who provides the majority of their antenatal cover
:36:42. > :36:46.childbirth and postnatal care as part of a new model of care. That
:36:47. > :36:51.presumably is why the chief executive of Bliss described it as
:36:52. > :36:59.an ambitious and progressive vision, and one we would be proud to
:37:00. > :37:02.deliver. To ask the First Minister what the impact would be on
:37:03. > :37:05.redevelopment plans for universities following its decision to ask the
:37:06. > :37:10.Scottish funding council to pay back ?50 million. There was no impact on
:37:11. > :37:13.our commitments to colleges and universities. The underspend was
:37:14. > :37:17.primarily because of the difference between academic and financial years
:37:18. > :37:20.and it was only recouped on the basis of explicit assurances from
:37:21. > :37:28.the council that all financial commitments had been met. I thank
:37:29. > :37:31.her for that answer. Education committee last month, John Swinney
:37:32. > :37:33.said all of the financial commitments universities and
:37:34. > :37:38.colleges had been met in full, but this week, we have learned objects
:37:39. > :37:42.to develop a campus of the University of Westminster and and a
:37:43. > :37:45.campus of the Scottish rural University College, they were thrown
:37:46. > :37:51.into jeopardy as a result of this claw-back. Why did her deputy failed
:37:52. > :37:57.to mention these two projects shelved as a result of the decision?
:37:58. > :38:00.At a time when universities are describing the funding package as
:38:01. > :38:04.unsustainable, why did the Scottish Government take this money out of
:38:05. > :38:07.the university system? I read explained the reason for the
:38:08. > :38:13.underspend and I do not think the characterisation of the member in
:38:14. > :38:19.the capital projects, I do not think it is correct. -- I ready explain.
:38:20. > :38:28.If we take the Hamilton College, that project is taking its course
:38:29. > :38:32.and I hope to see it progress. I repeat what I said earlier which is
:38:33. > :38:36.what the Education Secretary said to Parliament in committee, no changes
:38:37. > :38:39.to the planned allocation of funding to universities or colleges, no
:38:40. > :38:45.institution has lost out and I hope that reassurance is welcome to the
:38:46. > :38:49.Chamber. Thank you. The First Minister has just been made aware of
:38:50. > :38:53.the shameful attempts of Labour to link the campus in Hamilton to this
:38:54. > :38:58.issue. While I am saddened at the campus will no longer continue in
:38:59. > :39:01.the town centre, does the First Minister agree that the solution
:39:02. > :39:09.arrived at to build a brand-new state of the art hampers at Hamilton
:39:10. > :39:12.which will accommodate more students and the potential to bring
:39:13. > :39:17.substantial economic and social benefits? Can she advised that while
:39:18. > :39:20.the support and advice provided by Scottish funding council throughout
:39:21. > :39:24.the process has been most welcome, should capital funding be required
:39:25. > :39:32.to complete the project, she might consider that favourably? She has
:39:33. > :39:41.just underlined the point I made, this issue in terms of the Hamilton
:39:42. > :39:43.College campus, it is with the council still yew College and the
:39:44. > :39:48.funding council. I am pleased they will be developing the campus
:39:49. > :39:51.because it brings the potential benefits she highlights,
:39:52. > :39:57.particularly for young people in her constituency. It has been fully
:39:58. > :39:59.involved to date and I would expect the support to continue, as the
:40:00. > :40:06.project develops, to ensure this project is realised. Thank you. The
:40:07. > :40:13.financial report to the Scottish funding council board dated the 20th
:40:14. > :40:16.of February, 2014, confirms the Scottish covenant had advised the
:40:17. > :40:21.Scottish funding council not to apply any of the 50 million funds --
:40:22. > :40:24.the Scottish Government. Until the 2nd of October, 2014, when the
:40:25. > :40:29.Scottish Government issued further confirmation it wanted the money
:40:30. > :40:32.back, funding council was discussing how to spend the money. Who is
:40:33. > :40:38.responsible for the gross mismanagement? The Scottish funding
:40:39. > :40:42.council knew throughout that this was money that would be returned to
:40:43. > :40:46.the Scottish Government. As I said in my previous answer, the decision
:40:47. > :40:51.to do that did not affect the planned allocation of funding to
:40:52. > :40:53.universities or colleges. This government will continue to make
:40:54. > :40:58.sure we give fair funding settlements to universities and
:40:59. > :41:02.colleges. I said in an earlier answer, the budget currently before
:41:03. > :41:07.Parliament proposes an increase in investment in our colleges of ?20
:41:08. > :41:11.million in resource funding and ?20 million in capital funding.
:41:12. > :41:15.Throughout the lifetime of this covenant, we have invested half ?1
:41:16. > :41:19.billion in modernising our college is state -- government. We have
:41:20. > :41:26.brand-new campuses in Glasgow, one in my constituency. I opened the new
:41:27. > :41:40.airship campus just a matter of weeks ago -- Ayrshire. The evidence
:41:41. > :41:43.of the investment speaks for itself. To ask the First Minister what the
:41:44. > :41:51.Scottish Government's position is on reports of NHS boards spending over
:41:52. > :41:55.?1500 on a single agency nurse shift. We are clear with boards they
:41:56. > :41:58.must make every effort to drive agency spending down but we
:41:59. > :42:03.recognise there may be times because of peaks in demand of staff illness
:42:04. > :42:09.for example in highly specialised areas that agency staff are used to
:42:10. > :42:15.ensure safe care of patients. Agency usage remains very low, 0.4% of
:42:16. > :42:20.nursing and midwifery capacity in 2015-16. We are working with NHS
:42:21. > :42:26.national services Scotland on a nationally coordinated programme for
:42:27. > :42:30.temporary staffing. I think my constituents will have been shocked
:42:31. > :42:36.by that figure and also by the fact some ?4.8 million was spent in the
:42:37. > :42:43.last year on agency nurses and midwives in Lothian alone and that
:42:44. > :42:49.is four times the amount spent three years ago. It is an increasing and
:42:50. > :42:54.humongous amount of money spent on supposedly temporary measures which
:42:55. > :42:58.cannot be spent using the First Minister's words on investing in the
:42:59. > :43:05.NHS. The First Minister, as a former Health Minister responsible for
:43:06. > :43:08.cutting student nurse places, she surely has the humility to accept
:43:09. > :43:17.some personal responsibility for that? As I said, spending on agency
:43:18. > :43:25.staffing is very low in the NHS and agency usage amounts to less than
:43:26. > :43:29.half of 1% of nursing and midwifery capacity in 2015-16. As I said
:43:30. > :43:34.earlier, we have increased the number of qualified nurses and
:43:35. > :43:38.midwives. But we want to see reliance on agency staffing reduced
:43:39. > :43:42.even further which is why we are committed to investing even further
:43:43. > :43:48.in staffing. I take personal response will for everything in my
:43:49. > :43:52.responsibility. I have not heard the member asked the Prime Minister or
:43:53. > :43:57.Health Secretary South of the border to take responsibility for the
:43:58. > :44:01.report in July when NHS trusts paid over ?2000 for a single agency
:44:02. > :44:06.shift. We will continue to take the action to make sure our NHS is
:44:07. > :44:14.properly staffed, delivering the excellent care they do to patients
:44:15. > :44:17.across the country. The close of questions of the first
:44:18. > :44:24.list, closing as they began with discussions about the health service
:44:25. > :44:31.-- First Minister. Alternative fact, it has come across the Atlantic it
:44:32. > :44:38.is being used even by the Trump team and the Prime Minister is going to
:44:39. > :44:42.see the US president in the next day or so. She is in Washington now for
:44:43. > :44:49.talks with the Republican party. I'm joined by two colleagues, Lindsay
:44:50. > :44:54.McIntosh and Robbie Dinwoodie. Alternative fact is, let us go to
:44:55. > :44:56.Kezia Dugdale, she raised that subject, she is saying huge cuts in
:44:57. > :45:03.local government, Nicola Sturgeon saying huge increases in local
:45:04. > :45:09.services. The great irony. The figures come from the same analysis.
:45:10. > :45:16.Fraser of Allander looked at it and think you can see it as cuts to
:45:17. > :45:20.local services, but if you look at it another way, because of the money
:45:21. > :45:27.going into merging the NHS and the care budgets, you could say... And
:45:28. > :45:32.money from schools. It is a fact that the figures can be interpreted
:45:33. > :45:38.in different ways, hence you get the claim alternative facts. A bit
:45:39. > :45:42.baffling for the listeners. To be fair, the two ways to interpret it,
:45:43. > :45:50.unlike the original etymology of alternative facts which was the two
:45:51. > :45:53.pictures of the capital. That is just black and white. There is a bit
:45:54. > :46:04.of wiggle room. Kezia Dugdale getting very exercised
:46:05. > :46:07.in the attack. She was and I think Nicola Sturgeon struggled more
:46:08. > :46:14.against Kvyat Dugdale than she did against Ruth Davidson. It felt that
:46:15. > :46:19.when Kezia attacks Nicola from the left, she gets more uncomfortable
:46:20. > :46:24.than when she can slap down the evil Tories on the right. She describes
:46:25. > :46:29.Kezia Dugdale's approach is being scatter-gun. What do you make of the
:46:30. > :46:34.approach she was making? She was trying to build upon a series of
:46:35. > :46:37.points. What she was trying to do was tied the problems that we are
:46:38. > :46:41.seeing in the health service at the moment directly back to Nicola
:46:42. > :46:45.Sturgeon when she was Health Secretary Fred Gray number of years
:46:46. > :46:53.under Alex Salmond's administration. What Ruth did was bring up a Times
:46:54. > :46:57.story about what is really difficult situation in NHS Grampian about
:46:58. > :47:02.theatre is going despite patients needing operations because there
:47:03. > :47:07.aren't enough staff to fill them. And, Robbie, Ruth Davidson pursuing
:47:08. > :47:11.a tactic that has become almost standard week after week. I don't
:47:12. > :47:15.expect you to comment on an individual case, but here is an
:47:16. > :47:17.individual case. The point is there is never a tactic that has become
:47:18. > :47:20.almost standard week after week. I don't expect you to comment on an
:47:21. > :47:22.individual case, but here is an individual case. The point is there
:47:23. > :47:33.is another way to completely satisfy or demand in the NHS. This easy to
:47:34. > :47:38.attack the previous administration, but the SNP, we are getting the same
:47:39. > :47:42.mantra. Ten years is a long time in power. It is on your watch now. It
:47:43. > :47:50.is not an easy thing to say, but the great comeback as Lynsey rightly
:47:51. > :47:56.says that Nicola has got against Ruth Davidson is alimony, you want a
:47:57. > :48:03.10% tax for the wealthiest in this country. You will make things worse.
:48:04. > :48:06.Let's talk about that. It was a contrary distinction. Ruth Davidson
:48:07. > :48:09.arguing for expenditure in the health service and Nicola Sturgeon
:48:10. > :48:13.fighting back with the tax point, a reflection of the fact that this
:48:14. > :48:20.government now has tax powers as well as spending powers. The point
:48:21. > :48:25.is that she says big your side. Do we spend money on the NHS or giving
:48:26. > :48:30.tax cuts to the rich. You have to call that one, Ruth. I thought it
:48:31. > :48:34.was a good stance. On the budget generally. It was the background to
:48:35. > :48:37.it because Nicola Sturgeon was saying you are in favour of this in
:48:38. > :48:42.the middle of these budget negotiations. What I think was quite
:48:43. > :48:48.clear is that they have given up on getting any deals with Labour. They
:48:49. > :48:52.are entrenched, but they do see an opportunity to reach out to the
:48:53. > :49:01.Liberal Democrats and the Green Party to get them onside. Willie
:49:02. > :49:06.Rennie was contributing today. The expectation is that he might be the
:49:07. > :49:10.most likeliest deal maker. Nicola Sturgeon was at pains to say he was
:49:11. > :49:14.seriously negotiating. He said it is not looking good at the moment. I
:49:15. > :49:18.think the Green Party is the more likely deal maker because of this
:49:19. > :49:21.independence issue that permeates everything at the Scottish
:49:22. > :49:29.Parliament. Because they might need them for an independence bill?
:49:30. > :49:32.That's right. They don't want to knock down an SNP government because
:49:33. > :49:36.is the best chance of getting a referendum. Nicola's answer was
:49:37. > :49:45.interesting because she kept stressing that they don't have the
:49:46. > :49:52.largest majority, but they are the biggest party. There were requests
:49:53. > :49:57.for details on spending, but the Green Party want to know about the
:49:58. > :50:01.movement contacts. There may be some reluctance to do that. It is
:50:02. > :50:04.interesting to look at which tax powers the Green Party are looking
:50:05. > :50:10.for. I can't see Derek Mackay making any movement on income tax, but
:50:11. > :50:16.could there be anything with the other taxes? Property taxes and
:50:17. > :50:20.things like that? Or maybe just the upper right bands? They made such a
:50:21. > :50:28.big deal about this being a balanced package during the election. You
:50:29. > :50:34.also have to remember that the penny for Scotland will be a shadow that
:50:35. > :50:40.always hangs over him. They wanted to reverse the penny cut proposed by
:50:41. > :50:47.Gordon Brown? Yes, and they were burned and it will take a lot
:50:48. > :50:51.together again. He will be having a wee word with his successor. What
:50:52. > :50:55.was interesting and it is a running theme is that it is really Nicola
:50:56. > :51:02.that raises the question of independence. That is a good one.
:51:03. > :51:07.She is attacked for it all the time. Willie Rennie accused her of
:51:08. > :51:11.obsessing about it. And then asked about ten questions on it! He spoke
:51:12. > :51:14.about the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament being
:51:15. > :51:18.overshadowed by this independence issue. He is not of the Scottish
:51:19. > :51:23.parliament and he is the one raising it there. Ruth Davidson got into
:51:24. > :51:27.opposition by making it her campaign about saving the union. To be fair,
:51:28. > :51:31.she was saying I don't know what you have been talking about this week,
:51:32. > :51:36.but I've been talking about nursing and education, but she hasn't
:51:37. > :51:41.forgotten independence, has she? No, particularly in the context of
:51:42. > :51:45.Brexit. We hear incremental language from her. She turned to Kezia
:51:46. > :51:49.Dugdale and said that Labour are rolling over on all opposition to
:51:50. > :51:55.Scotland been yanked out of the European market. The Labour leader
:51:56. > :51:59.will be -- the Labour leader was unhappy at that point. We have some
:52:00. > :52:04.breaking news on Brexit. David Mandel the Scottish Secretary has
:52:05. > :52:07.been commenting following talks he had this morning with Mike Russell.
:52:08. > :52:12.There is Mike Russell in the background having a chat there.
:52:13. > :52:17.Anyway, the pair of them were having a talk and David Mandel suggested
:52:18. > :52:21.whether Holyrood should have a say on the Brexit bill, the bill being
:52:22. > :52:30.published today by the UK Government. He says there is no role
:52:31. > :52:36.for Holyrood on that, but there could be a role on the great repeal
:52:37. > :52:41.bill, the bill down the road that would disentangle the UK, including
:52:42. > :52:45.Scotland's involvement with the European Union. While we have been
:52:46. > :52:50.on-air Mr Mondale has been speaking to my colleague Kirsten Campbell.
:52:51. > :52:54.The Scottish Parliament house to determine for itself its processes
:52:55. > :52:58.in terms of legislative concern. I don't believe that a so-called
:52:59. > :53:03.legislative concern motion is required for the notification bill.
:53:04. > :53:08.That's because that bill is just about notifying the EU that we
:53:09. > :53:14.intend to negotiate an exit and that is clearly a reserved matter. Legend
:53:15. > :53:17.Steve consents required when Westminster is legislating on
:53:18. > :53:24.devolved issues that are within the responsibility of the Scottish
:53:25. > :53:29.Parliament. -- legislative consents. When it comes to the great repeal
:53:30. > :53:34.Bill, will that be different? I assume it is a bill that will cover
:53:35. > :53:38.significant areas that impact on the powers of the Scottish parliament
:53:39. > :53:42.and the responsibilities of Scottish ministers. Therefore I would
:53:43. > :53:46.anticipate it will be a bill that requires legislative consent because
:53:47. > :53:49.there will be changes to the powers of this Parliament and the
:53:50. > :53:52.responsibilities of Scottish ministers and we will be looking to
:53:53. > :53:57.go through that motion process in the Parliament when that bill comes
:53:58. > :54:03.forward. What happens if the Scottish parliament withholds its
:54:04. > :54:12.consent? What I have said is that negotiation of our fiscal framework
:54:13. > :54:15.we were told we would not get that consent. I want to be able to
:54:16. > :54:20.persuade Parliament this bill is the right one. It will be delivering for
:54:21. > :54:25.this Parliament additional powers and it will be ensuring that
:54:26. > :54:29.ministers have responsibilities once we leave the EU for matters that are
:54:30. > :54:34.currently dealt with in Brussels. It will also incorporate the body of
:54:35. > :54:39.existing law into our Scots law system. It's something Parliament
:54:40. > :54:44.will want to embrace and I will be spending my time persuading them to
:54:45. > :54:48.do that. Persuasion, persuasion. David Mondale speaking to my
:54:49. > :54:52.colleague Kirsten Campbell. He is talking about a legislative content
:54:53. > :55:00.motion, not on the bill being published today, the build-up begins
:55:01. > :55:04.the process of taking United Kingdom out of the EU, he's talking about
:55:05. > :55:09.the wider bill, the great repeal bill back on pixel the relationships
:55:10. > :55:13.between Scotland, the UK and the European Union. Much of the
:55:14. > :55:16.legislation involved in European discussions is legislation that
:55:17. > :55:22.perhaps potentially would reside here at Holyrood rather than at the
:55:23. > :55:28.UK level. I'm still joined by my two colleagues. What do you make of it.
:55:29. > :55:35.Robbie first. The fact there is no LCM on today's bill, it means that
:55:36. > :55:39.once it goes through, it is sold. That's a key point. When the great
:55:40. > :55:44.repeal Bill comes forward this Parliament will be in Abeid because
:55:45. > :55:49.it won't be able to rock anything by withholding an RCM. This is about
:55:50. > :55:58.repatriating laws from Europe to Westminster. The repeal Bill will
:55:59. > :56:05.stay we need to put in new mechanisms and that will be either
:56:06. > :56:08.the UK or in terms of devolved matters, the Scottish parliament.
:56:09. > :56:14.Where does that put Scottish ministers? Do they want to withhold
:56:15. > :56:19.legislative consents? The key thing here is that it is not the principle
:56:20. > :56:24.that Scotland gets a say on, once the decision has been taken and the
:56:25. > :56:29.clock is ticking on Article 50, it will be too late? That is a good
:56:30. > :56:33.point. The gun is to be head of the ministers here because if they don't
:56:34. > :56:43.sign of the great repeal bill or if it doesn't go through, we will have
:56:44. > :56:47.great laws in -- we will have great holes in our laws. I was surprised
:56:48. > :56:52.that David Mondale went as far as he did. He spoke to the print press
:56:53. > :57:01.earlier and I think he was even stronger in his interview that yes,
:57:02. > :57:10.there will be an LCM. To commit was quite interesting. He is making it
:57:11. > :57:18.as an offer, but the LCM legislative consent is just that. The UK will
:57:19. > :57:23.carry on regardless. The Power does reside there? Yes, and he was asked
:57:24. > :57:28.about the implications if the LCM was not passed and he said it would
:57:29. > :57:31.be significant. Maybe what he means is that maybe not legally
:57:32. > :57:35.significant because as you say it will still be pushed ahead with that
:57:36. > :57:37.bill, but it will be politically significant because we will be in
:57:38. > :57:54.yet another constitutional crisis. The LCM is provided for in the
:57:55. > :57:58.Scotland act. He wanted to appear as if he is making an offer, but they
:57:59. > :58:05.have no real choice but to bring radical changes to Scots law... If
:58:06. > :58:09.by then the European thing looks like going through. It sounds good
:58:10. > :58:16.concession, but identikit tes. By the time this becomes an issue
:58:17. > :58:21.article issue -- becomes an issue, Article 50 would have been
:58:22. > :58:26.triggered. Our option is beginning to vanish? They are, especially of
:58:27. > :58:31.the Theresa May's unit speech when she ruled out membership of the
:58:32. > :58:35.single market. I think people were surprised that Theresa May was that
:58:36. > :58:40.categoric, both in Scotland and the rest of the UK. It pushed Nicola
:58:41. > :58:44.Sturgeon perhaps in a direction that she did want to go to which was to
:58:45. > :58:50.put an independence referendum front and centre of this debate again.
:58:51. > :58:57.Thank you both very much indeed. A good programme there. Great to get
:58:58. > :59:02.Mr Mondale's rence. From me Brian Taylor, goodbye.
:59:03. > :59:05.Timeline is the new current affairs show for you.
:59:06. > :59:08.Thought-provoking and challenging... On the issues that matter.
:59:09. > :59:13.Relevant, engaging and sharp... On TV, social and online.
:59:14. > :59:16.Join us in Scotland's newest conversation.