27/10/2016: First Minister's Questions Politics Scotland

Hello. And a very warm welcome to the Scottish Parliament here at.

There 'll be questions on the NHS. It says there is improvements in the

NHS and record spending, but says there are problems in keeping pace

with ever increasing demand. It says for example that only one out of

eight waiting time targets has been met. Let's see the that and other

topics are raised with the First Minister.

The Scottish Conservative leader asking about the NHS just now. Let's

listen in. Over the last decade there have been improvements in the

way health services have been delivered and reduction times. There

have been improvements in overall health, patient safety and survival

rates for a number of conditions such as heart disease. These are not

my words. It is the first paragraph of the audit Scotland report

published today. Context is important. Notwithstanding all of

that, the NHS does face challenges. It faces rising demand, principally

from an ageing population. These challenges are in no way unique to

Scotland. They are common to health systems around the world. A point

made by the auditor general on radio. When she said Scotland's

performance stands up well against that and the rest of the UK. It is

in light of these challenges, in light of that rising demand that we

are ensuring record funding and will increase it more by inflation over

this period. It is why we have staff levels at the highest level ever. It

is why we are also ensuring reform of the health service, not just

investment in it. Integration of health and social care. Shifting

resources into social care and primary care and expanding elective

capacity for routine operations. There is nothing unique about fating

the health services in Scotland. It is focussing on these challenges and

we will continue to be so. The First Minister is the only

person in Scotland reading the papers thinking her Government

deserves a pat on the back for the performance in health care. And the

reason I asked the specific question which I did, which she docked s the

audit Scotland report was not from today. It was the one that came out

in 2007, when this SNP Government first came to power. Nearly ten

years on, Audit Scotland reports again with the exact same warnings

as it was giving nearly ten years ago, about the lack of a clear plan,

about the failure of this Government to get a grip. And that has

inevitable costs. Waiting time targets which have been missed.

Doctors and nurses under greater pressure and health boards that are

on the brink. The Royal College of Nursing asks today how many reports

will be published by Audit Scotland before action is taken? That is a

fair question. What is the answer? Well, I am very happy to compare the

situation in the health service today to the situation in the health

service in 2007, when this Government took office. There is now

more than ?3 billion extra investment in the health service,

compared to the time when we took office. There are 11,000 more

medical professionals and nurses and other health care professionals

working in our health service. That is why Audit Scotland today says

that staffing levels in our health service are at an all-time high. In

terms of waiting times, of course there are challenges around waiting

times in our health service. Let's look at the position when we took

office. Back then, just 85% of in-patients were seen within 18

weeks. Today, more than 90% of in-patients are seen within 12

weeks. The NHS is performing better against a tougher target. Let's look

at out patients. When we took office, p 0% of out patients were

seen within -- 70% of out-patients were seen within 12 week. Our

Accident Emergency departments and the performance of our Accident

Emergency departments are 8% points higher than Accident Emergency

departments in England, where the Tories are in Government. So, yes,

there are challenges in our health service. That is why we have our

vision 2020 strategy. It is why we have in place our new clinical

strategy. Why we are planning increased investment in the health

service. It is why we are determined to shift the balance of care into

community, social and primary care. It is why we will continue to focus

on making sure that we improve the health service to itn't co-s to have

what it has today - a high patient satisfaction levels.

So to my first question, no answers to the charges levelled by Audit

Scot and no charges levelled by the RCN and Scotland's nurses. I think

we should spell things out for what they are, that is the failure of

this Government to get to grips with the NHS and it is an outrage. Health

boards are having to make huge savings in order to break even, to

take out loans, keep going and put off essential repairs to hospital

buildings. Yet, we learn today, because of this Government's failure

to manage staffing, there has been a 47% increase in agency nursing and

midwifery staff and staggeringly the individual agency doctors are being

paid over ?400,000 each to provide cover for periods of less than a

year. And all of that, while patient care

suffers from cuts and hospital buildings are left to crumble. I

call it a scandal. What does the First Minister call it?

The funding is higher than when we took office and waiting times are

lower than when we took office. But the hypocrisy of Ruth Dvaison stag

gering. Health boards in Scotland met all their financial targets as

narrated by Audit Scotland today, in the same year that Audit Scotland is

looking at the NHS in England. It had a ?2.5 billion deficit. Three

times the deficit had in the previous year. Agency spend for

nurses is 0.4% of the total budget. Agency spend per head of population

is less than one-third of what it is in England. The point I am making

here, presiding office s this one, our NHS faces challenges. These

challenges are not unique to Scotland. They are challenges faced

by health systems across the world. As the auor general said, when it

comes to facing up to these challenges, Scotland is performing

well and we will focus on ensuring we remain doing so.

The point is this, while there have been some improvements in some areas

over the last ten years, which is welcome as far as it goes, welcome

as far as it goes, but the big question on the reforms to give our

NHS is a sustainable future, to allow health boards to budget for

the long term, successive SNP Health Ministers, including this First

Minister, when she was in the role, have ducked the big challenges. Now

we have an unavoidable crisis on our hands because this Government has

preferred sticking plaster solutions and a strategy of no clear

framework, no milestones and no costings, as we have heard today.

Audit Scotland and the Royal College of Nursing are recommending today

that health boards are given flexibility to plan by having

three-year rolling budgets rather than annual financial targets. We

will back that. Will she? Well, I think that last question was

a case of not waving, but drowning, grudgingly accepting there have been

some improments. There have been lots in the NHS in Scotland, unlike

the situation in England, where her party is in charge. We will continue

to focus on that. That is why we have integrated health and social

care. It is why we have in place a new national strategy. Why we have a

range to population health. All of that adding up to deliver 2020

strategy in the broader strategy to 2030. Of course she should know

there is work under way to combine it all into a framework which will

be published before the end of this year. So, I do not deny the

challenges in our health service that are challenges faced by health

services across the world. The performance of our health service is

a good one. Those working in it deserve our thanks and this

Government will continue to work hard to make sure we are supporting

them. When will the First Minister next

meet Scottish rail. We meet regular with Scottish rail. The Transport

Minister did recently last yolk. We dis-- last week. We discovered that

Scottish rail is not the only thing going off the rails. The independent

auditors gave our NHS under the SNP a check-up and results of a decade

of SNP control produced a grim diagnosis. Funding is not keeping

pace with increasing demand and patient need. Only one of eight key

targets have been met. Our workforce crisis which has been brewing for

years is getting worse. Problem didn't appear overnight. It is the

legacy of a decade of the SNP controlling our NHS.

The first minister was the Health Secretary for the best part of those

ten years. Does she accept full responsibility for the problems it

now faces? Yes, I accept, as First Minister, full responsibility for

what happens in the health service. I accept responsibility for the fact

the health service budget is ?3 billion higher than when we first

took office. I accept responsibility for the fact there are 11,000 more

staff, working in our health service than when we first took office and

responsibility for the fact of whether we look at in-patient or

out-patient waiting times, these are lower today than when this

Government took office. I accept responsibility for all of that and

more. I also accept responsibility for the manifesto commitment we made

in the recent election, where we said that we would over this

Parliament build on the increases we had already made. I crease the

health budget by ?500 million more than inflation. I think dug she has

a cheek to stand here when she ordered the manifesto which promised

the lowest funding to the health service of any party contesting the

election. Perhaps she should put her own house in order.

The First Minister can read out every statistic she likes from that

big book of excuses, but there is a human cost to a decade of SNP

miss-management. Ask the patients. And there's one patient that is not

strategied is jaim Neilson. He was miner. He worked done the pit his

whole life. He has a blocked artery in his leg. He wanted to be in the

gallery. But when I spoke to him this morning he was in too much pain

to leave the house. He has been told he'll have to wait seven months for

an appointment. That is not seven months for treatment. That is a

seven-month wait for an appointment. We've heard the First Minister rhyme

off a lot of statistics today. Can she explain to Mr Neilson why he has

to wait seven months to see a consultant under her Government?

While I agree with her is that behind all of the statistics are

behind human beings. I am very happy to ask the Health Secretary to look

into his case.ly not comment on that today without having all of the

details. It would not be reasonable for me to do so. I will repeat the

point I made earlier on. As long as one patient in our health service is

waiting too long, that is one too many. I will be the first to say

that and the first to say we have more work to do. I look back to when

we first took office and repeat, at that time 70% of out patients were

seen within the target 12 weeks. Today that is 85%. That is not good

enough, but it means we are performing well. The health service

is performing well and better than it was when we took office. I say

again, I think we have a great deal to be proud of in the way our health

service operates and the services it delivers. There is record

satisfaction, but of course there is much work still to do. That is why

this Government is focussed on doing it.

Mr Neilson does not want to know what was happening ten years ago. He

wants to know when he's going to see a doctor.

And the First Minister may not want to list on the me on the NHS. She

might want to disregard his case, but she cannot ignore what NHS staff

are saying. One in four GP surgeries are short

of staff. Nine out of ten nurses say their

workload is getting worse. This summer, the First Minister set up a

listening exercise. She's not listening to patients, to doctors

and not listening to nurses. The First Minister should stop living in

denial. When will she wake up the to the NHS crisis that started on her

watch? sometimes for opposition leaders is

that they forget people are at home watching our exchanges right now.

They will know that I did not disregard the case of Mr Nielsen. I

said I would be very happy to look into that case. If she wants to pass

me these details, I will do so. The fact is that underpin all of this. I

am not standing here at seeing everything is perfect and I am not

saying there is more work to be done. I am pointing to the progress

that has been made, the progress we are determined to build on. Our

nurses are doing a fantastic job in the health service. The work

incredibly hard and under very difficult circumstances. There are

2000 more nurses in our health service now than there were when we

took office. They are more staff, a higher budget and waiting times are

lower. Progress has been made but much work still has to be done. This

is the Government that is not just investing in our health service, but

determined to undertake reforms. To make sure it is not just for today,

but for the future as well. Question number three. To ask the

first-Minister when the Cabinet will next meet. Tuesday. The Scottish

Government is due some credit on its work on climate justice. To secure

global justice for the many victims of climate change that are

forgotten. They say this does not exclude people in our own

communities. It is not simply an international issue. It does not

apply to people under the flight path at Heathrow. One third runway

would cause extra flights per year, a massive increased emissions. The

singers to biggest threat to the whole UK meeting our climate change

targets. It will leave thousands of people's home is too noisy and

putted to live in. The unknown tens of thousands more suffering be

damaging health effects. I can only imagine the outrage, and I would

join it, for the Scottish Government and their colleagues at Westminster

if the UK Government was to inflict this kind of damage on so many lives

in Glasgow, or in Inverness, or in Dundee. In exchange for economic

self interest. They will now trip through the voting lobbies to bail

out the Tory Prime Minister who stood for election saying no is, no

buts, no third runway. What is the point of a principle like climate

justice when it is surrendered so easily? Firstly, I will let the

Prime Minister explain her own position. The decision on another

runway in London College Heathrow or anywhere else, is a decision for the

UK Government and not the Scottish Government. We recognise that there

are many hurdles still to be overcome in terms of decision around

Heathrow. This work was led by Keith Brown, our economy Secretary, we

look very closely at the option of delivering benefits to Scotland, not

just in terms of our economy but also in connectivity. 40% of long

holders at two Scotland connect through Heathrow, just 4% who do so

through Gatwick. Obviously, we will be working hard with our airports to

increase direct flights. That conductivity remains very important

to Scotland. On the economy, there is potential for significant

construction spent and jobs in the medium-term. It is a truly important

in terms of economic impact and jobs. A reduction starting on

Saturday, it will make services more viable. These are the reasons on

which our decision was based. Patrick Harvie rightly raises the

issues of climate change and emissions and the UK Government will

have to answer questions and satisfy people on the answers to these

questions. In terms of the Scottish Government, we have taken global

leadership and Sean global leadership by actually including

both domestic and international aviation and our emission reduction

targets. We are policies of the Scottish Government or policies that

we support would increase emissions and aviation, we have to work harder

to reduce emissions and other areas in order to meet our overall

targets. Climate change, meeting our reduction targets, it is something

we have a strong record on and we will show leadership on. The

arguments about connections to more destinations would make sense if

that was going to be instead of more short-haul aviation. The Scottish

Government an approach shows both. As for job creation, these are

spurious. We begin with the airport commission, 59000 by 2030 and 75000

by 2000 and 50. Pie in the sky estimate of 80,000. This is about

believable as the projections of Donald Trump's golf course. We are

not green to fall for this, are we's what will be putting in the drinks

at the SNP conference? As for fears, the fears, the Scottish Government

policy on reducing fears on aviation, despite the fact that

aviation already enjoys its privileged position as the only

transport mode that pays no tax on its fuel. Public transport remains

overpriced, unreliable and run for private profit. The art often three

times the price of flying to London on the railway. It must be time to

focus on the affordable, sustainable, low carbon transport

that people need in their daily lives, instead of boosting the most

environmentally destructive and most unhealthy and unsustainable

transport mode. Firstly, I totally respect his position on this. I

would say to him that when you come to take decisions, the Heathrow

decision is not the Scottish decision, of which option best

perhaps two sits our interest. We have to strike the right balance.

Public transport and good quality, affordable, accessible public

transport in Scotland and connecting Scotland to other parts of the UK

and other parts of Europe is extremely important. So too is

making sure we have the air links to make sure our economy grows and to

boost the conductivity that our economy depends on. These are

decisions we have to balance. Around all of that is our obligation, our

moral obligation, to make the climate change targets and to reduce

emissions. The record, I am not complicit about it, is a very strong

record. We include emissions from aviation. We have met our target

years ahead of schedule and we are also working on the policies in

place to meet that. These will always be difficult decisions to

strike different balances. Meeting our climate change targets but also

making sure we have the infrastructure to support jobs,

these are not exclusive objectives. As the first-Minister what issues

will be discussed. Matters of importance to the people of

Scotland. The Government said it would eradicate bed blocking.

Thousands of people are still stuck in hospital. It said we would meet

all the targets, but missed seven out of eight. It said it would

recruit enough GPs, but the shortage has got worse. The Royal College of

Nursing is right to ask how many more reports will be published by

Audit Scotland before action is taken? Does the NHS give the

first-Minister sleepless nights? The NHS has always uppermost in my mind

day and night because it is one of the most important responsibilities

of any Government to make sure we have a health service delivering for

patients who need it. As I have said earlier, we have a health service

that is responding well in difficult circumstances. They have been

improvements over the time we have been in office. It faces significant

challenges. Willie Rennie talked about their days were lost. The

number last has reduced over the last year. There is much more work

to be done. On primary care, recently it was made clear to shift

resources from kit into primary care. For the first time ever, half

of the total budget will be spent in the community. I think that is a

really important commitment and one that is right. We have work to do. I

would be the first to admit that. Compared to the UK, our health

service is performing well and facing up to these challenges. Our

job is to support to do so. One last thing to Willie Rennie, I mentioned

earlier on our health budget has increased by ?3 million since we

took office. In of these years I was two it was against the liberal

conservative coalition at Westminster that was abusing our

budget by 5% every term. Maybe Willie Rennie should reflect on

that. -- reducing our budget. The First Minister is blaming everybody

else for the last ten years. It is about time she accepted

responsibility for her own responsibilities. Workforce planning

is the way to get valued staff with the right skill in the right place.

The odd general was very critical of this Government's workforce

planning. The health service has only five yearly workforce is

planned. It takes seven years to train a doctor. Isn't it the tragedy

that it takes nine years to educate and SNP Government to take this

seriously? Of course. That ignores the fact that there are more doctors

working in our health service to date unaware nine years ago. There

are more staff now than there were nine years ago when we took office

and we continue to make sure that our health service is adequately

resourced. In terms of planning, we are working to implement our new

strategy. That, together with the integration of health and social

care, is how we deliver our vision. Our work is underway and I said

earlier of bringing all of these strands together into an integrated

framework, which will also include our workforce plan and decisions to

make sure these strategies can be implemented. I know I am now

repeating myself. It is worth seeing again, our health service is making

progress. It is performing well. In common with other health services,

it faces real challenges. That is why this Government is promising and

has delivered record investment, staff and waiting times are lower

than when we took office. We take nothing for granted and continue to

work hard with the health service to build on that progress. Kenneth

Gibson. Thank you, presiding officer. The First Minister would be

aware that the ferry service from Ardrossan to trim will lose jobs.

The existing services are direct, fastest and cheapest route for

passengers. Does it remain the first choice of a sure port and serving

Aaron? When can we expect a decision to make sure the ferry will sail

from Ardrossan harbour's we are committing to providing the best

possible service as well as work and the new ferry that you referred to.

The task force has been set up and we're looking at Ardrossan in the

first instance. No options are off the table. We will take into account

the local benefits and the impact on public spending and the needs of

very users. No decisions have been made and we will negotiate closely.

On radio this morning, the health minister stated that the opposition

was standing in the way of service change. The irony of that statement

is not lost on this Chamber. Assuming the first-Minister is

taking responsibility for service closures, will she named the health

services that she will close. Is it children' Ward? Has she already

decided to close the maternity unit? Does that mean that the promises

made to my committee by the first-Minister and the Health

Secretary before the election count for nothing? All of the particular

services that she refers to their are undergoing due process. That is

the way it should proceed. I will take no lessons from Labour when it

comes to protecting local health services. We talked a lot today

about the position of the health service when we took office. The A

mac were on the brink of closure and were saved by this Government.

Generally speaking, there is a moment of truth coming for the

opposition because they are all quite happy to talk the language of

shifting the balance of clear from acute health services into the

community. We will soon see whether they are prepared to back that

rhetoric when with action. I suspect we all have our suspicions about how

they will behave in those circumstances.

SNP pressure at Westminster has prompted the UK Government to look

at the limit and rate clause for benefit payments. Will the First

Minister join with me in urging to response to the consultation and

leave the Tories in no doubt that their policy should be scrapped?

The clause policy is disgusting, immoral. It should never, ever have

seen the light of day in the first place. Can I pay tribute to Alison,

who represents a part of my constituency in the House of

Commons. She's been steadfast in her determination to fight this clause.

The announcement this week of a consultation in welcome. But I think

it is too early to declare victory. I would encourage people to response

to that consultation and I would call on the UK Government, without

any further delay to drop a policy that forces women in certain

circumstances f they want to access tax credits, to prove they have been

raped. I can not think of anything more disgraceful than that.

Over the last 30 years the Blackburn local employment scheme has helped

3,000 young people, including many who have been in care into

employment. The future of the scheme is uncertain due to the unflexible

way in which SDS grants are managed. I have twice writ on the the Cabinet

Secretary seeking a meeting to the solution. Both times my request has

been refused. Developing the young workforce is supposed to be the

priority for the Government. Will the First Minister instruct the

Cabinet Secretary to meet with me and representatives so we can find a

way forward for this essential service?

I'm happy to ask the Cabinet Secretary to meet with the member. I

am not familiar with this series -- service in detail. I know they do a

fantastic job. The member is raising a reasonable point and the Cabinet

Secretary will arrange to meet with them and discuss it in more detail.

Thank you, Presiding Officer. Can the First Minister provide an update

on discussions with UK Government on protecting Scotland's position

within the EU? As mentioned in Mike Russell's statement, he and I

attended the committee at Downing Street on Monday. He met with David

Davis and #2k5i6d Mondail last week. We set out our determination to

protect Scotland's place in the single market. Despite a full and

frank excuse of views around the table, we learned nothing about the

UK Government's approach to the EU negotiations than we already knew

when we went into the meeting, I with was to put it mildly,

frustrating. However, we do have an agreement that a detailed work

programme will be developed for the GMC sub committee, which will be

integrated into the wider process so devolved administrations can

influence key sub committee decisions. The Scottish Government

will continue to focus on protecting Scotland's interests. The economic

and social interests which have been put at risk by the Brexit decision.

I thank the First Minister for that answer. Expert research shows that

Brexit threatens up to 80,000 jobs in Scotland and could cost the

economy over ?11 billion a year by 2030. We know, thanks to the Goldman

Sachs tapes that Theresa May agrees with forecasts like this. Publicly

she says Brexit means Brexit. Privately it means disaster. In

discussion an explanation as to why she's happy to be led by the wishes

of hard-right Brexit-teers over economics and common sense? No, she

didn't. I suspect the truth is that the Prime Minister doesn't have a

plan for Brexit, so the hard-right are able to impose their own

aagenda. When we met this week the Prime Minister was unable or

unwilling to answer the most simple and obvious questions. Brexit might

mean Brexit, but the Prime Minister couldn't tell us what means in

practise. The only new information is that the UK Government has set up

what they have called a hotline to David Davis. I can share with the

chamber today that Michael Russell called that hotline this week. He

called it just before midday on Tuesday. It took until after 6pm

yesterday to actually get David Davis on the hotline. That is 36

hours. So, yes, there is now a telephone line we can call. It is

just currently not very hot. Thank you. When is the First

Minister... When is the First Minister going to understand that

securing the best possible Brexit deal for Scotland requires

ministerial collaboration and co-operation, not hostility and

threats? Yesterday in his statement Mike

Russell was unable to identify a single positive contribution that

has been made to the GMC process. All we heard was moaning about the

UK. What the Scottish Tories want the Scottish Government to do, I

suppose what they have done, capitulate. And that is not what we

are prepared to do. I do think collaboration is

essential. I just wish the UK Government would start collaborating

us. 36 hours to get through on a hotline does not stand to me very

constructive collaboration. I have been very clear about my priorities.

Firstly I want to work across the UK and across the political spectrum to

avert a hard Brexit for all of the UK because I think it will be a

disaster. If that is not possible, we will put forward proposals to

avoid a hard Brexit for Scotland, to keep us in the single market, even

if the rest of the UK chooses to leave. When we put forward these

proposals it will be interesting to see what the response of the

Conservatives will be. Of course in the referendum campaign, Ruth

Davidson was very clear and in the days after the referendum, that she

thought that the UK should stay within the single market. The proof

of the pudding will be to see whether the Scottish Conservatives

are prepared to back proposals in Scottish interests or if they will

continue to capitulate to their bosses at Westminster.

Thank you Presiding Officer. To ask the First Minister, further to the

decision by the secondary Teachers' Association to take industrial

action, what steps does the Scottish Government going to take to resolve

the issue of workloads? The Scottish Government's educational delivery

plan, published in June, made clear our commitment to tackle bureaucracy

and tackle excess sieve teacher workload. We work with teachers and

parents both nationally and locally to take concrete steps, these

include the removal of unit assessments the removal of these

units is part of a package of messages designed to address

unnecessary bobbing rock considersy and -- unnecessary bureaucracy.

On these benches we share the view that strike action is not

appropriate. Nonetheless there remains a serious issue with teacher

workloads. The Scottish Government figures show between 2008 and 2015

there was an 11% decrease in the number of secondary school teachers

in Scotland. Representing a loss of 3,008 staff. In particular, since

2007, more than 100 stem teachers a year have been cut. With 187 fewer

computing teachers. 410 fewer maths teachers and 105 fewer chemistry

teachers. This is clearly having a strong impact on teacher workloads

in key subjects. In light of the statistics, what action is the

Scottish Government taking to stem and reverse this trend?

As the member will be aware, the last couple of years, the Scottish

Government has provided funding to local authorities to encourage

teacher numbers. We maintain to do so. The issue of workload is

important. It is why John Swinney since he's been appointed Education

Secretary has spent so much time and effort working with teachers to try

to address the legitimate concerns that they have. And the changes to

the national five higher and higher advanced qualifications announced by

the Deputy First Minister are part of messages designed to address

unnecessary bureaucracy and take workload away from teachers which is

not felt necessary to sear job of teaching Young people. Making sure

funding is getting to areas of greatest need. Bringing transparency

to school performance. A Government review making sure power and

responsibility lies as close as it should, in schools, as far as

possible with head teachers. This is about a determination to ensure

teachers are able to do what they do best and the contribution is helping

us raise the standards in education and close that attainment gap. It is

something we are focussed on and continue to be.

To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government will seek to

improvement systems supporting children in care.

On the 15th October, I announced an independent root and branch review

of the care system. The review, which will be the first of its kind

anywhere in the world, will take forward in partnership with young

people who have experience of care. And it will look at the legislation,

the practise and the ethos in culture of the system. It is of

vital importance that wilien to young people's experience of being

looked after. I am committed to using what they tell us, to help

change the care system, put love at the heart of the care system and

make their lives better. I am delighted by the First

Minister's commitment to a review. What other action is the Scottish

Government taking to support care experienced young people to have the

best opportunities in life? Well, we have already taken specific

action to modernise our children's hearing system, to review secure

care, east establish youth board, support learning opportunities for

foster carers and residential workers and support families on the

edge of care. These are some things we have already done and the list

could go on. There are improvements being made. School inclusions, for

example, are down. More young people are in permanent rather than

temporary placements. We look at the statistics for young people who

experience care. None of us can be satisfied that we are yet doing

enough. Those statistics are horrifying. And when I speak to, as

I have been doing a lot recently, young people who are in care or who

have been in care, the simple message they give me is the system

works well to stop things happening to them. It should to some extent.

You have to have safeguards in place.

We need a system that ensures where young people cannot live with their

own families, for whatever reason, when the state is their corporate

parent, then we give them a sense of family, a sense of belonging, a

sense of love and the whole system is operating to make sure they can

reach their full potential. That is what I am determined to do. This

Parliament cannot do it alone. We will only succeed if it is driven by

the experiences of young people in care. That is what will make this

review unique. Thank you very much. Can I welcome

very much that the First Minister had to say there. Can I urge her to

look in particular at an area with those are underrepresented, that is

in terms of access to higher education. Will she look at the

support available to those with care experience to ensure the maximum

opportunity is providing for them to gain the benefit of an university

education? Yes. I will give that commitment. We have announced

certain changes to make sure that commitment can be delivered. I

mentioned the statistics earlier on. One of the horrifying statistics is

only 6% of care experienced young people will go to university. That

is why we have already accepted the recommendations that came from

widening access commission, to ensure a guaranteed place in

university for a care experienced young person with the grade, but to

ensure full grants. That is one concrete example of progress that we

are already making. But we've got to do much more. We've got to do it in

parter inship with those who are the experts here. Those who are in care,

or who have experienced care. I have been moved beyond belief by some of

the conversations I've had with care-experienced young people in the

last few months. I've got no doubt that if we come together, not just

as a Parliament, but as a country and if we put these young people at

the heart of what we're trying to do then we can do Something Special.

Something we can look back on in years with pride. What is the

Scottish Government's position on the statement from the RCN that

NUSSing in Scotland is facing a perfect storm? We appreciate the

dedication and recognise the pressures they face. Under this

Government there are 2,100 extra qualified nurses and midwives. A

rise of more than 5% since we first took office. We are not complacent.

We will increase the number of trainee nurses and midwives. A

fourth successive rise. We will spend ?450,000 to enable former

nurses and midwives to retrain and return to the profession. The member

used the phrase which I accept was the RCN's about a perfect storm.

What will add to the challenges that our health service is facing of

course is a situation where those who work in our health service from

other countries are prevented from doing so in the future. When we

value our health service staff, make sure we value all of them,

regardless of where they were born. Does she believe it was a mistake to

cut the number of student work places in Scotland? Can she tell

Parliament why has it taken ten years for her to bring forced an NHS

workforce plan? Workforce plans are in place and health boards. The

number of qualified nurses and midwives working today is higher

than mummy took office. That, I would suggest, means that the

policies have been the right policies. We have more work to do

and we are determined to do that work and focus on the challenges and

work with our NHS staff. That concludes the First Minister's

Questions. That is the end of questions to the first-Minister and

was the beginning of the topic of the health service and the Scotland

report on the NHS that dominated proceedings. I am joined by two

journalists. Let's talk to you first of all. Nicola Sturgeon opted to

attack, rather than wait for the attack to come from her opponents.

She did and that is because her opponent had so much ammunition. If

you did not get on the front foot, she would have been run over. The

audit report, despite what it says about being positive steps, it also

outlines the major problems and the fact that the Scottish Government is

putting sticking plasters on what looks like a shattered bone of a

health service. A really interesting line towards the end of the

exchanges where Nicola Sturgeon says a time of decision is coming for

opposition parties about shifting resources from old-fashioned

hospital care into community care and social care. She's talking about

a big shift as that is what orders columns are calling for. The whole

thing about health is going to be the big issue for today. Part of the

Audit Scotland report does talk about the problems that they face in

terms of reach shipping the health service and whether they are doing

enough to do that. It outlines how much pressure there is. It says the

report acknowledges that have been improvements and spending is at the

record level. That is right. Nicola was quick to talk about that and the

positive things. Talking about there is more spending, more staff and all

that is true. It doesn't take away from the other points that the

report was making about the pressures that still exist and it

talks about unprecedented spending that are required. These are

problems. What is your take on how the first-Minister handled it. Did

she managed to suppress the extent of the attack from Willie Rennie or

Kezia Dugdale. It started off with roots Davidson. -- Ruth. She did not

get stuffed up by anyone in the Chamber. What she did not do was

outlying for the long-term. All the short-term positive is that I are to

be welcomed and pointed out Bihar. There is a long-term issue that the

NHS needs major reform and they have to go forward with that. -- by her.

She hinted at the end that they would be some big decisions coming

and she was challenging the opposition to row in behind them. We

have the health and social care integration. It is almost ten years

into your Government is fine but you would ask, why now? Is it because

things have gotten bad press and bad reports. That was the difficulty for

Nicola Sturgeon. She was the minister in charge for all those

years. I think that is right and I think that is what makes this

doesn't cut for Nicola. She was associated so much with the health

services it was her fiefdom. Let's turn to the topic of Patrick Harvie

and that they supported the Heathrow runway. Nicola Sturgeon is saying it

is not our decision. She was supportive, wasn't she? Be formally

backed the bed one week or so before the announcement. -- the bid. This

is fully endorsed by the Scottish Government. For all the reasons, it

could be a good deal for Scotland. Patrick Harvie raised the

discrepancies with the credentials, whilst also backing airport

expansions. I would recommend a great column in the Courier about

the complexities around the issue and making sure the UK Government

gets his own plans through. They will be hand in glove with them.

This is a good deal for Scotland, it is a good deal for Scotland. Equally

excellent columns and the Edinburgh evening News. They are tied up with

Gatwick. I thought it was interesting that Patrick Harvie used

what is a damaging, or hurtful thing to say to Nicola about how the SNP

would end up walking through the lobbies with Tories to support

Heathrow. The Europe question was raised. Obliquely but raised as well

and the Secretary of State for Scotland was giving evidence this

morning to a committee. We're not learning details, are we? I think

that is the big problem with the whole European situation. The UK

Government is not giving any information at all. That is what

Nicola is saying when she came out of the meeting at Downing Street the

other day she spoke about frustration. You could hear it, too.

She was exasperated. She says she is being challenged by the other side

to support and offer Scotland's ideas. You got the impression from

David Mandel that the Tory Government not know what they are

doing and Nicola Sturgeon pointed out the hotline to David Davies,

which you can imagine was cold and you can imagine it like the bat

phone. Nobody answering. Maybe not just now. Number withheld. Stand

aside for his second and we will explain what is going on behind as

here. The leaders of all the parties are gathering for this sombre event.

There is a book that is being published along with it. The reason

this is being done and commemorating those tragic events. That is to be

an education pack on genocide to be used in Scotland's schools to

explain the circumstances in which such tragic events can occur. All of

the leaders are gathering, led by the first-Minister and that is the

document they are. If your kids are in school, stand-by to learn about

these matters in due course. That is the event that is taking place here.

I will come back to my colleagues in a couple of minutes. Another issue

that has arisen, and MOT and checking whether Parliament is doing

the job in holding the Government to account. I questioned him on this

idea of a review. I started by asking the presiding officer who is

behind us, I started by asking the presiding officer Ken Mackintosh, he

has this idea that Parliament's identity needs to be stressed.

Here's what he had to say. I think it needs clarification. People, it

could be ans optimistic hope, in saying that everyone talks about

Westminster and you're never quite sure. Do they mean the Government or

Parliament? I think it is helpful to make sure our role is clear.

Everyone in this Chamber, Government, backbenchers, the rule

here is to question the Government on what they are doing. That is why

we are here. I will give you an example. We are not an alternative

executive. The committee is used to promote legislation. That has fallen

into disease. I would like to see, is there a role for the

parliamentarians. -- has ceased. Is there a mocking campaign endlessly.

You are looking for something in between? That is exactly it. That

idea that we are an opposition body that is going to stop anything, that

is not the point of Parliament. What we could do with is developing the

role of parliamentarians. It is difficult here... At Westminster,

the committees have a distinct role. Here, if you are a member of the

Government or opposition, that is clear enough. How many senior

backbenchers do we have? How many chairs that have authority of their

own? People who are developing a career in a Parliamentary role,

rather than a permanent role. That is exactly it. It is that idea that

people can be independently minded. I apps that the accept that

parliamentarians members of the jackal parties and there is a place

for political loyalty. We are loyal to the people of Scotland. --

political parties. Do you think some of that has got lost? I still

remember the excitement of 1999. This idea that this Chamber is

shaped to emphasise the fact that it is a multiparty system and to stress

the fact politics would flourish. The Parliament has become more

tribal and partisan in the last couple of years. As well as

reflecting public mood, we should set the tone and that is what I

would like. We have dealt with the tone of Parliament. The role of the

commission will be our their scrutiny methods robust? What is

your concern there? The key here is that we are getting new powers. I

use the term, I do not regard the Parliament as broken, this is an

MOT. I am not starting with the premise is that we are not able to

hold the Government from account, far from it. We need to look at the

ways we have a balance here. We have talked about the role of

parliamentarians and the role of committees. I think, again, this

idea of checks and balances and getting the balance right. I could

do reforms such as extending the question is, to make sure

backbenchers get a say. There are little things like that that would

adjust the balance. I want to make sure the people of Scotland have

confidence that they are engaging themselves and they set the

direction of travel. Ken Macintosh earlier speaking to me inside the

Chamber. We just had questions to the first-Minister. Let's talk about

those issues that he is raising there. He is talking about the need

for Parliament to stress its identity. We talk about Holyrood and

it gets blurred. It does indeed. What we have seen recently is a move

towards what Ken Macintosh is saying, the new committees and

strong parliamentarians in positions of influence... Ken Macintosh just

behind you. I should not have interrupted. Carry on. That moves

things on. That keeps up that level of scrutiny. There is a need for

reform. That is a need for Parliament to change, especially

with the new powers, we cannot rely on having one or two individuals who

will do the job. The job has to be set up so it will be done

efficiently. Your paper and others have been critical about the

scrutiny of Government. In the past and right now. I think it is

interesting now that Ken Macintosh spoke about comity chairs and having

powerful chairman. They were keen to distinguish themselves and show a

different style. One of the things at Westminster that they could learn

from is that there is a strong tradition of a committee chair...

Thank you for that. Thank you for you and thank you for watching. It

is the Scottish politician of the year awards tonight. I think we

should all win and they should all have prizes. Goodbye. -- V should