:00:19. > :00:23.A warm welcome to the Scottish parliament here at Holyrood, where
:00:23. > :00:27.MSPs have been debating the environment on motions from the
:00:27. > :00:31.Green Party. The main subject of this programme is questions to the
:00:31. > :00:34.First Minister. And what has this got to do with it? I would not be
:00:35. > :00:41.surprised if Mr Salmond does not face some gentle teasing from his
:00:41. > :00:46.opponents about 80 party held at the house with multi-millionaire
:00:46. > :00:50.lottery winners who ended up donating money to the SNP. He says
:00:50. > :00:56.that they were old friends, long- standing nationalists, and in any
:00:56. > :00:59.case he bought his own tea. We will cross to the chamber. We have just
:00:59. > :01:03.got general questions in the chamber just now. The presiding
:01:03. > :01:07.officer has just welcomed some guests in the gallery, some
:01:07. > :01:14.applause from the members, so now we are straight to First Minister's
:01:14. > :01:18.Questions. Johann Lamont. And I as the First Minister what engagements
:01:18. > :01:22.he has planned? I will be meeting Fergus Ewing, the Energy Minister,
:01:22. > :01:26.and I'm delighted to tell the chamber that figures this morning
:01:26. > :01:30.show that we are smashed the Government's target to meet 31% of
:01:30. > :01:35.Scotland's electricity demand from renewables in 2011. They are
:01:35. > :01:45.reaching no less than 35%, an extraordinary achievement for
:01:45. > :01:52.Scotland. I should also form the Chamber that participating in the
:01:52. > :01:54.UK COBRA meeting to discuss the tankers drivers dispute, we will be
:01:55. > :01:59.holding a resilience meeting to ensure that sensible contingencies
:01:59. > :02:02.are in place to deal with any eventuality. I want to reinforce
:02:02. > :02:06.those on calling for cool heads. I welcome the ACAS talks which are
:02:06. > :02:09.taking place tomorrow. I would urge both sides to resolve a dispute for
:02:09. > :02:16.which no strike dates have been called. The priority surely
:02:16. > :02:19.preventing a strike, not issuing and wise advice about jerry cans. I
:02:20. > :02:24.think more government preparation is what is required to promote calm
:02:24. > :02:29.and orderly behaviour in the population at large. You're an Le
:02:29. > :02:33.Monde. Thank you very much, presiding officer. It was reported
:02:33. > :02:37.this week that seven out of 10 primary school pupils are
:02:37. > :02:42.succeeding in numeracy, yet by the time they are at secondary school,
:02:42. > :02:45.two years later, nearly six out of 10 are failing. Why is it that so
:02:45. > :02:50.many of our secondary school children do not have basic
:02:50. > :02:56.accounting skills? First Minister. Two aspects of the statistics have
:02:56. > :03:00.been released are due to be stressed to the chamber. The
:03:00. > :03:04.statistics show the dramatic, extraordinary effect of curriculum
:03:04. > :03:08.for excellence in our primary schools. These are incredible
:03:08. > :03:12.statistics, in which the teachers, pupils, parents of Scotland should
:03:12. > :03:14.be celebrating these very substantial statistics, when the
:03:14. > :03:19.curriculum for excellent has been introduced, and it is showing
:03:19. > :03:22.marvellous results. It should be remembered that as far as secondary
:03:23. > :03:26.schools are concerned, the target in terms of the 40% that has been
:03:26. > :03:32.widely reported is a measurement as to where pupils are expected to be
:03:32. > :03:36.at the end of S three, not just during S two. But I would have
:03:36. > :03:39.thought the statistics indicate that surely we are on the right
:03:39. > :03:45.track in introducing curriculum for excellence, something I would hope
:03:45. > :03:53.we can all welcome. I do not think the statistics indicate any such
:03:53. > :03:56.thing, and indeed it has been said that Mike Russell's claims of
:03:56. > :04:00.improving numeracy skills were due to the curriculum for excellence
:04:00. > :04:05.were wrong, as it is too early for the curriculum to have had any
:04:05. > :04:09.impact. We may wish to reflect on that. This is a serious issue.
:04:09. > :04:13.Perhaps I can explain this in a way the First Minister might understand.
:04:13. > :04:18.If you buy a second-year pupil in Scotland, the odds of you hitting
:04:18. > :04:23.the standard required up 3-2 against. That might be good odds if
:04:23. > :04:27.you want to win a few bob at Musselburgh, it is not so good for
:04:27. > :04:34.those of us who are parents sending our children to school under the
:04:34. > :04:39.SNP. In 2003, Labour introduced a cap of 20 pupils for every English
:04:39. > :04:43.and maths class to raise numeracy and literacy standards. The First
:04:43. > :04:47.Minister dropped that pledge. Does the First Minister agree that
:04:47. > :04:52.Scottish pupils are now paying the price for that mistake? First
:04:52. > :04:58.Minister. I really do nothing that is the way to treat this
:04:58. > :05:01.extraordinarily serious subject. I mean, firstly, we should not
:05:01. > :05:05.downgrade the achievements in the primary school. I mean, what the
:05:05. > :05:10.survey showed, the first survey, and the survey itself is an
:05:10. > :05:13.indication of national performance in numeracy. We never had the
:05:13. > :05:18.statistics before. In all the years of Labour-Liberal administration,
:05:18. > :05:23.we did not even choose to measure this. So when we have measured it,
:05:23. > :05:28.let's at least have the grace to congratulate our teachers and
:05:29. > :05:35.particularly the pupils of Scotland, showing that 99% of primary
:05:35. > :05:39.numerate for pupils and 90% of Primary 7 pupils were performing
:05:39. > :05:46.above expected levels. In anyone's terms, however it his car collided,
:05:46. > :05:50.that is an exceptional result. Now, if I could just -- correct on the
:05:50. > :05:55.figures in secondary schools of 42% and of pupils were performing well
:05:55. > :06:00.or very well at the level which must be met at the end of s 3, and
:06:00. > :06:03.another 26% were ahead of that level. I know that is not
:06:03. > :06:07.necessarily be shortened version that was reported, but that is what
:06:07. > :06:11.the statistics show. Now, what I would say about that these three
:06:11. > :06:14.things. One, it is right to measure these things. If you do not have a
:06:14. > :06:19.measurement, how on earth can you base the standards against
:06:19. > :06:21.anything? Secondly, these are substantial indications that
:06:21. > :06:25.curriculum for excellence is providing extraordinary results
:06:25. > :06:29.were the work and dedication of our teachers in primary schools.
:06:29. > :06:34.Thirdly, we have challenges in secondary schools, but let's not
:06:34. > :06:37.exaggerate what the statistics mean, and let's continue on the path of
:06:37. > :06:41.introducing curriculum for excellence throughout Scottish
:06:41. > :06:47.education so that the exceptional performance in primary can soon be
:06:47. > :06:53.replicated in our secondary schools as well. The First Minister says I
:06:53. > :06:56.should take this question seriously. It is about time he took his job
:06:56. > :07:00.seriously and answered the question. The thing about statistics is you
:07:00. > :07:05.do not select the ones that make you feel good about yourself, which
:07:05. > :07:09.the First Minister has done. You have, in government, response to
:07:09. > :07:14.what the statistics tell you, and the statistics tell you that you
:07:14. > :07:20.have got five-2 against being numerate in secondary school in
:07:20. > :07:25.Scotland. That should be a spur to action, not a scurrying about for
:07:25. > :07:28.some justification which already indicated is a nonsense. Now, I
:07:28. > :07:31.know the First Minister and I might not agree on education policy
:07:31. > :07:36.generally, but I'm sure we can agree there's nothing as negative
:07:36. > :07:41.in politics as a promise not kept. So let's look at the promises he
:07:41. > :07:45.made to Scotland's parents and pupils. A nursery teacher for every
:07:45. > :07:51.promise, not delivered. Maintain teacher numbers, promised, not
:07:51. > :07:55.delivered. Class sizes of 18 or fuel for primary, promised, not
:07:55. > :08:02.delivered. The curriculum for excellence that he talks about,
:08:02. > :08:08.promised, but not delivered. And today, two guaranteed hours of PE
:08:08. > :08:16.every day, promised, now promised again, and still not delivered. I
:08:16. > :08:19.make that... Order! You should understand what you promise and the
:08:19. > :08:24.failure to deliver it he wants to make a difference to people in
:08:24. > :08:29.Scotland. The reality is... The reality is, on the First Minister's
:08:29. > :08:33.record, I would make that 0 out of five of the First Minister, and I
:08:33. > :08:38.could go on. Let me explain to him that education is a priority for
:08:38. > :08:42.every parent in Scotland. Does he not understand there is nothing
:08:42. > :08:47.cruel than making promises to children you have absolutely no
:08:47. > :08:51.intention of keeping? First Minister. There is nothing dafter
:08:51. > :08:56.than making these things up, if I may say so. In her question, she
:08:56. > :09:03.managed to say that we had made a pledge for two hours of the four
:09:03. > :09:08.every day! I'm afraid that she should read things better. What she
:09:08. > :09:12.also said we had made a pledge of a nursery teacher for every child!
:09:12. > :09:15.Not even the Scottish National Party have made such pledges,
:09:15. > :09:20.although I do think it indicates that both numeracy and literacy are
:09:20. > :09:26.probably very important in this chamber, as well as in Scottish
:09:26. > :09:31.classrooms! The pledges of the SNP government are judged by the
:09:31. > :09:38.Scottish people, and at last year's election, as deputy leader, she and
:09:38. > :09:42.her party were found sadly wanting. There are a lot of young people
:09:42. > :09:48.sitting exams in the near future, and as a teacher we advise them to
:09:48. > :09:53.answer the question. The First Minister again failed to do that!
:09:53. > :09:57.This last week, of course, his Health Secretary was bottom of the
:09:57. > :10:02.class, and despite his protestations, this week the
:10:02. > :10:05.Education Secretary, Mike Russell, has the dunces cap. Now, we found
:10:05. > :10:09.out last Thursday that the First Minister will deny the truth until
:10:09. > :10:14.he is confronted by it. What a shame it is that the gallery in
:10:14. > :10:18.this chamber is not big enough to seat the 30,000 second-year pupils
:10:18. > :10:24.his government is failing innumeracy alone. While he waits
:10:24. > :10:28.for Scotland's future to be decided in a referendum in 1,000 days, the
:10:28. > :10:35.future of young Scots is being determined today. So in the spirit
:10:35. > :10:40.are being held for, if the First Minister... If the First Minister
:10:40. > :10:44.cannot keep his own promises, can I offer him one of ours? Will he, as
:10:45. > :10:50.a matter of urgency, bring in specialist teams into our schools
:10:50. > :10:55.to help our children learn how to count? References to last week's
:10:55. > :10:59.First Minister's Questions, references to people not having
:10:59. > :11:02.blankets in hospital. If you look at the statistics that I have
:11:02. > :11:06.detailed to the chamber, somebody who made such elementary and
:11:06. > :11:11.appalling blunders in asking a question should not start talking
:11:11. > :11:15.about Dunne's's caps and start talking about that anyway. --
:11:15. > :11:19.dunces caps. I'm answering those questions as best as anyone could
:11:19. > :11:24.possibly interpret them. I'm not responsible if she cannot think of
:11:24. > :11:30.the right questions. So Ruth Davidson now, the Scottish
:11:30. > :11:36.Conservative leader. No plans to meet the Secretary of State in the
:11:36. > :11:40.near future. Ruth Davidson. line Le Monde has just rightly
:11:40. > :11:44.raised a string of failures from the SNP government on education
:11:44. > :11:50.which will result, by the end of this Parliament, in a generation of
:11:50. > :11:54.schoolchildren failed by the SNP. The government's and so, apart from
:11:54. > :11:58.attacking the critic, is that curriculum for excellence will
:11:58. > :12:04.solve all the problems. That was a plane directly attacked by teaching
:12:04. > :12:08.unions yesterday as not credible. - - claim. The Education Secretary
:12:08. > :12:13.became even more blase, dismissing these worrying mass failures has
:12:13. > :12:20.the same as they have been for the last few generations. -- maths.
:12:20. > :12:27.What a depressing lack of ambition! It is the First Minister are
:12:27. > :12:32.satisfied that Mike Russell's answer is good enough? Well, as I
:12:32. > :12:36.mentioned, this is the first time that such a survey has been
:12:36. > :12:41.conducted in Scottish education. The conducting of the survey is a
:12:41. > :12:47.sign of our commitment to drive up standards of literacy and numeracy
:12:47. > :12:52.in Scottish schools. But can I just repeat to Ruth Davidson what I said
:12:52. > :12:54.earlier, that the figures that she should consider are these
:12:54. > :13:01.exceptional figures in primary education, where curriculum
:13:01. > :13:06.excellence has been introduced. Let me repeat them, 99% of primary four
:13:06. > :13:11.pupils are performing within or above expected levels. That strikes
:13:11. > :13:15.me as a substantial, good and excellent performance. The survey
:13:15. > :13:18.also indicates that we have challenges to meet in terms of
:13:18. > :13:21.secondary education but it allows us to hope and believe that
:13:21. > :13:25.curriculum for excellence is going to help in that process. That is
:13:25. > :13:29.something supported by Scotland's largest teaching union, the
:13:29. > :13:32.Educational Institute of Scotland, who are strong supporters of
:13:32. > :13:39.curriculum for excellence and see the value perhaps because they have
:13:39. > :13:47.got so many members in primary schools. Finally, I was struck at
:13:47. > :13:53.the Conservative Party conference by... He says I was not there!
:13:53. > :13:57.Neither was anybody else, by the looks of it! But I was struck by
:13:57. > :14:02.Ruth Davidson's pledge, in terms of the Labour Party, Scotland's expect
:14:02. > :14:07.us to work together, and we are with the Labour Party. That is the
:14:07. > :14:17.truth of it. The two and two Independence Party's united in
:14:17. > :14:21.
:14:21. > :14:24.negativity and nihilism. There was no attempt there to address the
:14:24. > :14:28.massive drop of in standards that are failing our secondary school
:14:28. > :14:32.pupils, which is why the agency has said that curriculum for excellence
:14:32. > :14:37.being a sticking plaster was not a credible position. Last week the
:14:37. > :14:42.Education Secretary was forced into a U-turn, because teachers know
:14:42. > :14:45.that their schools are simply not ready to deliver the new exams.
:14:45. > :14:49.They have been turning a deaf ear to them for months. And it is not
:14:49. > :14:56.just teachers. Shares of university courts are deeply unhappy about
:14:56. > :14:59.plans for university governments. - - governance. One of our most
:14:59. > :15:02.respected educationalists, Lindsay Paterson, warning that teachers are
:15:02. > :15:06.being failed in their training, many not competent enough to teach
:15:06. > :15:12.mathematics. That is 15 months after the Government's own report
:15:12. > :15:16.said the same thing. Amid this growing chorus of criticism, we
:15:16. > :15:20.have an education secretary who is arrogant enough to think he knows
:15:20. > :15:26.better than the educational experts, better than the universities,
:15:26. > :15:32.better than the college students, and is magisterially dismissive of
:15:32. > :15:36.school teachers. Is it not time that the First Minister got on top
:15:36. > :15:46.of his Education Secretary, called him into his office, and demand
:15:46. > :15:48.
:15:48. > :15:52.that he stop failing Scotland's I'm going to have to decline that
:15:52. > :15:56.particular invitation. If I may. I didn't think it was Brody, I
:15:56. > :15:59.thought it was don hoe who was trying to get to the Tory
:15:59. > :16:05.conference, and then he got turned down. The serious issue - in terms
:16:05. > :16:11.of what the determination in the survey that's been conducted, since
:16:11. > :16:17.Ruth Davidson seems to guard my answers with some scepticism and
:16:17. > :16:21.Mike Russell's with some scepticism, the Tories don't have a single idea
:16:21. > :16:25.on Scottish education. Scotland has a national resource that other
:16:25. > :16:29.countries can only envy, national surveys and a trusted way of
:16:29. > :16:33.assessing national standards. When the SSN finally said the new
:16:33. > :16:37.development and resources are there for support for teachers, they are
:16:37. > :16:40.a formidable contribution to teaching and learning. Their survey
:16:40. > :16:45.which indicates the excellence of results in primary schools and not
:16:45. > :16:48.even Ruth Davidson is going to deny that, is part of a process of
:16:49. > :16:52.driving up standards in Scottish education. We have the ability to
:16:52. > :16:56.do that against the most extraordinary funding cuts against
:16:56. > :16:59.Westminster, the greatest in living memory is a single achievement of
:17:00. > :17:04.this Government. Finally, on a day, and this will be the first and last
:17:04. > :17:09.time I quote the Daily Mail in this chamber, the Daily Mail front-page
:17:09. > :17:15.says of the Westminster Government "passtys, petrol and the politics
:17:15. > :17:25.of panic" is the headline. It is not right for any Tory Government
:17:25. > :17:26.
:17:26. > :17:31.to lecture this Government about incompetence. The First Minister
:17:31. > :17:36.will be aware of the situation of the Elgin platform operated by
:17:36. > :17:40.Total in the North sea. What discussions have been had with UK
:17:40. > :17:46.ministers and industry representatives regarding
:17:46. > :17:52.contingencies for gas supply. I ask if he'll join me in welcoming the
:17:52. > :17:56.safety of hundreds of workers that should have been in place? I'm glad
:17:56. > :18:00.the last part was put into the question because all of us should
:18:00. > :18:04.welcome the safe evacuation of personnel from the Elgin offshore
:18:04. > :18:07.platform. Members will wish to be aware that the Scottish Government
:18:07. > :18:11.officials have been in regular contact with tp total, as well as
:18:11. > :18:15.the UK Government about this ongoing incident. A Governmental
:18:15. > :18:19.interest group was meant to monitor the incident attended by marine
:18:19. > :18:23.Scotland and on behalf of the Scottish Government with the
:18:23. > :18:26.representative of the Secretary of State for Energy, the Health and
:18:26. > :18:30.Safety Executive and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The group
:18:30. > :18:33.will meet on an ongoing basis. The Scottish Government, through marine
:18:33. > :18:36.Scotland, is of course responsible for the marine environment.
:18:36. > :18:40.Therefore marine Scotland scientists are intending to review
:18:40. > :18:45.any environmental implications which thus far are minimal but
:18:45. > :18:48.nonetheless we shouldn't underrate the seriousness of this incident.
:18:48. > :18:54.We'll remain in close contact with the primary responders about the
:18:54. > :19:00.incident. We have made it clear to Total and others, the Government
:19:00. > :19:03.will continue to inassist in any way we can and we are insisting on
:19:03. > :19:07.the transperson si of any information.
:19:07. > :19:12.Spooking of working together and speaking of protecting our people,
:19:12. > :19:16.will you join me in condemning the change of the approach now being
:19:16. > :19:21.taken by the Ministry of Defence now under the Tory-led coalition
:19:21. > :19:25.which is now saying they will not accept liability for the radiation,
:19:25. > :19:29.whereas the previous Labour Government did. Reflecting the
:19:29. > :19:32.concerns of my constituents, will the First Minister request an
:19:32. > :19:38.urgent meeting with the Prime Minister and demand that the
:19:38. > :19:42.polluter pays principle is applied and honoured urgently to address
:19:42. > :19:45.the concerns put to me by my constituents. It's really important,
:19:45. > :19:49.First Minister, that you do this meeting personally to add your
:19:49. > :19:55.voice to the many voices that are coming from the whole of my
:19:55. > :20:05.constituency and right along the coast, indeed Rod Campbell has even
:20:05. > :20:09.
:20:09. > :20:17.written on the matter. I think we should treelt this -- treat this
:20:17. > :20:22.matter seriously. There is insistence on the
:20:22. > :20:25.regulations in terms of environmental clean-up and the
:20:25. > :20:32.polluter pays principle being properly reflected. We should allow
:20:32. > :20:35.the processes to take their course. Discussions are not at an end yet,
:20:35. > :20:39.but the suggestion of intervention personally be the Prime Minister I
:20:39. > :20:44.think it may well reach the stage where that is required. I don't by
:20:44. > :20:48.any means rule that out and I think it's necessary that, and perhaps
:20:48. > :20:53.Helen could reflect on this herself, that we approach this issue in a
:20:53. > :20:56.way that reflects the seriousness for the residents concerned and
:20:56. > :21:00.indeed for the Scottish environment and insist as a Parliament that the
:21:00. > :21:07.proper principles of polluter pays are properly reflected in the
:21:07. > :21:11.action to come. THE SPEAKER: Question three. Willie
:21:11. > :21:19.Rennieny. What issues will be discussed at the next Cabinet
:21:19. > :21:24.meeting? Issues of importance to the people of Scotland. Proposals
:21:24. > :21:28.were described in the Bill as a dog's breakfast ah poison pill and
:21:28. > :21:32.dangerous. He had six red lights. Then last week, he decided to
:21:32. > :21:37.support the Scotland Bill. What has been the major change to the Bill
:21:37. > :21:40.that we've missed? What's changed? Well, I've been struck by some of
:21:40. > :21:45.the comments I've heard from the Liberal Democrats. As I understood
:21:45. > :21:50.it, the six things we were suggesting as improvements to the
:21:50. > :21:54.Scotland Bill, they were always or have been Liberal Democrat policy
:21:54. > :21:57.somewhere. So I mean, I can understand the political debate,
:21:57. > :22:04.but as far as I understand the Liberal Democrats' position, they
:22:04. > :22:09.are celebrating the fact that they haven't managed to implement their
:22:09. > :22:13.own policy. Maybe that's the nasty effect of their senior partners in
:22:13. > :22:18.the coalition who must be an increasing and daily embarrassment
:22:18. > :22:22.for Willie Rennie and his colleagues. Of course, that is the
:22:22. > :22:26.principal reason why he has so few colleagues in this Parliament. But,
:22:26. > :22:30.can I just say that I think the Scotland Bill has been overtaken by
:22:30. > :22:33.events. I think very shortly, the people of Scotland will have the
:22:33. > :22:42.opportunity to transform our circumstances and I very much
:22:42. > :22:46.believe we will seize that I can understand why the First
:22:46. > :22:52.Minister may be a wee bit reluctant to tell us. He was satisfied, and
:22:52. > :22:57.this is it, two reviews, over three years, and a major concession,
:22:57. > :23:02.listen to this, on dental hygienists. He's some negotiator, I
:23:02. > :23:05.have to say. If he tears up his red lines like this on deefloution, how
:23:05. > :23:09.will he manage on independence when he has to negotiate with the rest
:23:09. > :23:12.of the world -- devolution. The Scotland Bill is a major step
:23:12. > :23:16.forward. These powers are coming soon. Can the First Minister tell
:23:16. > :23:21.me how he plans to use the stamp duty power and what will be the
:23:21. > :23:24.first capital projects that will benefit from the new borrowing
:23:24. > :23:29.powers? Well, I don't think capital budgets are a strong point for the
:23:29. > :23:36.Liberal Democrats at the present moment, given that the Government
:23:36. > :23:40.cut the Scotland Government budget by 30% and it's only the strength
:23:40. > :23:44.and ingenuity of John Swinney that found the strength to increase the
:23:44. > :23:48.capital budget. Let me return to the issue of where Willie Rennie
:23:48. > :23:55.stands. I know he stands over there, he just doesn't ask the questions
:23:55. > :23:59.very well. Only a few seconds ago, the chamber was being electrifyed
:23:59. > :24:03.with a demand for the double devolution of the crown estate
:24:03. > :24:07.commission. That was one of the things we suggestsed that this
:24:07. > :24:11.chamber which incidentally voted overwhelmingly for that policy
:24:11. > :24:16.should be in the Scotland Bill. As far as I understand it, Willie
:24:16. > :24:18.Rennie's position is not putting iten in the Scotland Bill, is not
:24:18. > :24:22.an embarrassment for the Secretary of State for Scotland who's meant
:24:22. > :24:26.to believe nit, not a comment on the Westminster Government for not
:24:26. > :24:30.accepting the verdict of their own Parliamentary Committee that should
:24:30. > :24:34.be devolved, but a comment on the SNP Government who want it there.
:24:35. > :24:40.It's exactly why when it comes to referendum, people will vote for a
:24:40. > :24:45.situation where we take the future of our country into our hands and
:24:45. > :24:49.I'm not dependent on liberals and Tories in Westminster.
:24:50. > :24:53.Gill Pat terson. I ask the First Minister what
:24:53. > :24:59.discussions the Scottish Government's had with the UK
:24:59. > :25:02.Government on alcohol pricing? continuing and have had extensive
:25:02. > :25:06.discussions and ministerial and official level with the UK
:25:06. > :25:09.Government. Scotland is somewhat ahead of the game in taking bold
:25:09. > :25:15.action to tackle alcohol misuse. Last week's news that the UK
:25:15. > :25:18.Government is moving on to that ground I think is extremely welcome
:25:18. > :25:23.indeed. I thank the First Minister for the
:25:23. > :25:27.response and welcome the Scottish Government's leadership on this
:25:27. > :25:30.issue. As he will be aware, Scots drink a quarter more than their
:25:31. > :25:35.counterparts nearly in England and Wales, fuelling higher levels of
:25:35. > :25:41.alcohol related harm. Indeed, the total cost of alcohol misuse to
:25:41. > :25:45.Scotland is estimated to average �3.6 billion every year. Does the
:25:45. > :25:50.First Minister agree that it's important to find consensus on such
:25:50. > :25:56.an important cause? Does he like me find it difficult to understand and
:25:56. > :25:59.quite frankly pathetic that the only party continuing to impose
:25:59. > :26:08.minimum pricing is the Scottish Labour Party?
:26:08. > :26:18.Well, it's a perfectly normal question. As I understand it, not
:26:18. > :26:21.all of the Scottish Labour Party supports minimum pricing.
:26:21. > :26:24.Joanne Lamont leads the party as a whole, but the party represents at
:26:24. > :26:30.Westminster, as I understand it from last Friday's statement, are
:26:30. > :26:34.in favour of minimum pricing. We have a situation where the Scottish
:26:34. > :26:37.Parliament and Westminster in England are in favour of it, but
:26:37. > :26:41.there are parties against it where our difficulties of alcohol are
:26:41. > :26:48.even greater where they are in England. I really do think that fld
:26:48. > :26:51.require all of Joanne Lamont's numerical and literacy skills to
:26:51. > :26:55.resolve this particular dilemma. Further more, can I welcome the
:26:55. > :27:00.fact that in the space of only a few weeks, we have convinced UK
:27:00. > :27:03.Government ministers that hitherto unbreakable legal obstacles that
:27:03. > :27:07.they saw preventing the introduction of minimum pricing
:27:07. > :27:10.have somehow magically disappeared. I suspect there are a few other
:27:10. > :27:16.legal obstacles that will magically disappear when the people of
:27:16. > :27:20.Scotland indicate the determination on a variety of matters.
:27:20. > :27:25.Richard Simpson. Could I add to Gill's comments by
:27:25. > :27:29.saying that while Scots do drink 23% more, they do so at exactly the
:27:29. > :27:34.same price as England pays for its drinks. The position of the
:27:34. > :27:39.Scottish Labour Party is that we remain very sceptical of minimum
:27:39. > :27:43.unit pricing, but does the First Minister accept that where there is
:27:43. > :27:48.validity o our greatest concern, which is the wind fall profits of
:27:48. > :27:52.over �100 million, in UK terms likely to be over �1 billion and
:27:52. > :27:56.this mainly to the supermarkets, and that the unintended
:27:56. > :28:01.consequences of this wind fall, the dangers of which have been pointed
:28:01. > :28:06.out by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, is important and therefore,
:28:06. > :28:10.will he look again at the fact that this party, despite its scepticism,
:28:10. > :28:17.is offering to make this a unanimous policy, provided the
:28:17. > :28:21.Government agrees to claw back the entire wind fall profits. Sorry, as
:28:21. > :28:27.I understand if Labour Party's position, they were against the
:28:27. > :28:31.health induced levy on the major supermarkets as well. So if we are
:28:31. > :28:36.now having another change in policy, then of course I welcome that. Can
:28:36. > :28:40.I say to Richard Simpson, it would be far better just to gracefully
:28:40. > :28:43.accept that Labour are going to have to get on board their minimum
:28:43. > :28:46.pricing argument. I suspect in terms of your own embarrassment,
:28:47. > :28:50.the sooner you get to that position, the better.
:28:50. > :28:55.There we have it. We have come to the close of the coverage of First
:28:55. > :28:59.Minister's questions, to borrow a phrase from Ruth Davidson, it
:28:59. > :29:04.seemeded as if Mr Salmond was magisterially dismissive. He was on
:29:04. > :29:08.good form with Joanne and Ruth. On the close of the issue of alcohol
:29:08. > :29:12.particularly and also managing with Willie Rennie to have the changes.
:29:12. > :29:16.The Scottish Government's backed down on demands with regard with
:29:16. > :29:20.regard to the Scotland Bill. Mr Salmond was pointing out that these
:29:20. > :29:23.were advanced by the Liberal Democrats, a successful turning
:29:23. > :29:27.around of the argument as far as Alex Salmond was concerned.
:29:27. > :29:33.Throughout the discussions there, we had a series of substantive
:29:33. > :29:36.issues of concern to the Scottish people, not least of course the
:29:36. > :29:40.situation facing the North Sea platform where there have been
:29:40. > :29:46.problems with Mr Salmond offering to assist and insist on publication