0:00:14 > 0:00:17A very warm welcome to Holyrood where the MSPs are discussing
0:00:18 > 0:00:22serious matters, but having a giggle about the BBC Scotland
0:00:22 > 0:00:26interview in which Ed Miliband could not name all three contenders
0:00:26 > 0:00:34for the Scottish leader of the Labour Party. He got two right, but
0:00:34 > 0:00:39not Ken McIntosh. Poor Ken, perhaps poor Ed.
0:00:39 > 0:00:45Now let's cross to the chamber. We are heading towards the main
0:00:45 > 0:00:50event of the week here at high school road.
0:00:50 > 0:00:55-- at holly road. They are discussing public
0:00:55 > 0:00:59procurement. Iain Gray? To ask the First
0:00:59 > 0:01:04Minister what engagements he has planned for the rest of the day
0:01:04 > 0:01:07are carrying forward the Government's programme for Scotland.
0:01:07 > 0:01:12How disappointingly mundane. On Tuesday, the First Minister told
0:01:12 > 0:01:17the conference that he was leading the greatest step forward for
0:01:17 > 0:01:23civilisation since the hunter gatherer's put down roots 10,000
0:01:23 > 0:01:31years ago. I thought that this afternoon he
0:01:31 > 0:01:36might be ushering in an epoch of world peace or perhaps personally
0:01:36 > 0:01:40parting the North Sea for the interconnector to norbway. Or maybe,
0:01:40 > 0:01:49maybe he could just try keeping his promise to protect the NHS budget
0:01:49 > 0:01:54in real terms. Why is he cutting Scotland's NHS by
0:01:54 > 0:01:58�300 million? The NHS budget, the revenue budget, the NHS has been
0:01:58 > 0:02:04protected in real terms by this government. That is unlike, of
0:02:04 > 0:02:11course, what would have happened if the great misfortune, which would
0:02:11 > 0:02:16almost be approximate to parting the North Sea if the Labour Party
0:02:16 > 0:02:20had come into office. Because I know that Iain Gray spent a lot of
0:02:20 > 0:02:25time this week looking at the election campaign, I don't want to
0:02:25 > 0:02:30add to his agony, but does he not remember telling Newsnight Scotland
0:02:30 > 0:02:34a year ago, "We would not ring- fence the health budget" And we
0:02:34 > 0:02:38know that Labour did not mean to pass on the consequentials as the
0:02:38 > 0:02:42Labour Party and the government in Wales have not passed on the
0:02:42 > 0:02:48consequentials to the health service. So what we can be certain
0:02:48 > 0:02:52of, if the great North Sea misfortune had fallen the people of
0:02:52 > 0:02:55Scotland and Iain Gray had led the party into government, there would
0:02:55 > 0:02:59be less money spent in the National Health Service than there will be
0:02:59 > 0:03:04in this Spending Review. You see what he did there, I asked
0:03:05 > 0:03:13him a question about the NHS budgets and he gave me an answer
0:03:13 > 0:03:23about Labour's manifesto... The Welsh Labour Party... And NHS board
0:03:23 > 0:03:27budgets, but that was not the promise he made. His promise says:
0:03:27 > 0:03:32An SNP Government will protect the health budget. They have not done
0:03:32 > 0:03:39that. Since he was re-elected in May, there are fewer doctors,
0:03:39 > 0:03:45midwives and nurses. He has gotten rid of 1700 nirss since 2009. Does
0:03:45 > 0:03:50he still have the brass neck to say he is protecting our NHS? Well...
0:03:50 > 0:03:57All of the commitments we made to the National Health Service are
0:03:57 > 0:04:02being met. We protect the budget. Page 64, table 702 of the Spending
0:04:02 > 0:04:06Review shows how the NHS budget is being protected. We pledge to pass
0:04:06 > 0:04:10on the consequentials, that is something that Iain Gray would not
0:04:10 > 0:04:15commit to during the election campaign. We have done that, you
0:04:15 > 0:04:19will find it on page 58 of the Scottish Spending Review.
0:04:19 > 0:04:25We ensure shorter waiting times and treatment continues to improve,
0:04:25 > 0:04:29that means extra investment of �1 billion over four years, that is in
0:04:29 > 0:04:35table 803 of the Spending Review. On each and every commitment we
0:04:35 > 0:04:39have given to the National Health Service, this SNP government has
0:04:39 > 0:04:45meted -- met it and indeed, more than met it. Iain Gray should
0:04:45 > 0:04:50remember, I know it is a long, long time ago, that when he was the
0:04:50 > 0:04:55deputy Health Minister of Scotland, in a time when there was not a Tory
0:04:55 > 0:04:59government imposing massive cuts from Westminster, guess what? Nurse
0:04:59 > 0:05:05numbers in Scotland fell during his period in office and there were
0:05:05 > 0:05:155,000 less nurses than the NHS than there are today under this
0:05:15 > 0:05:17
0:05:17 > 0:05:22government! Yes, table 106 from the financial scrutiny unit briefing,
0:05:22 > 0:05:28total health spend, changeover four years, minus �319 million. That's a
0:05:28 > 0:05:35cut. That's a cut. If he cares to examine nurse and midwife numbers,
0:05:35 > 0:05:40we will find that there are fewer nurses and mid wives in our NHS now
0:05:40 > 0:05:45than there were in 2007 when he Firth became First Minister, but
0:05:45 > 0:05:51don't take my word for it, let's ask the people that really know,
0:05:51 > 0:05:56the RCN say that the nursing workforce is at breaking point. GPs
0:05:56 > 0:06:01tell us that panic measures to compensate for the NHS cuts will
0:06:01 > 0:06:06compromise the NHS. So who should we trust on the NHS? The First
0:06:06 > 0:06:09Minister who made the choices in his budget? Or the doctors, nurses
0:06:09 > 0:06:14and patients, who have no choice but to live with the consequences?
0:06:14 > 0:06:19Who is telling the truth? Alex Salmond? Or the doctors and the
0:06:19 > 0:06:23nurses? Well, people had the opportunity in May to judge between
0:06:23 > 0:06:27Alex Salmond and Iain Gray and resoundingly they decided on the
0:06:27 > 0:06:31Scottish National Party administration. Now, I named the
0:06:32 > 0:06:37key tables in the spending plans, Iain Gray chose not to reference
0:06:37 > 0:06:41them. He tpwhrieded to the health budget and capital spending.
0:06:41 > 0:06:46Presumably oblivious to the fact that the Conservative Party are
0:06:46 > 0:06:50cutting capital spending in Scotland by 36% over a four year
0:06:50 > 0:06:54period. Now I know that is the dreadful Conservative Party, they
0:06:54 > 0:07:02adopted the same plans that were left to them by the Labour
0:07:02 > 0:07:07administration. So what do we do to counter this?
0:07:07 > 0:07:15Did we say as Iain Gray did last year, we won't even pass on the
0:07:15 > 0:07:20consequentials? No, this government, this finances situation, issued a
0:07:20 > 0:07:24non-distribution programme to add another �750 million to expenditure
0:07:24 > 0:07:31on the National Health Service over the next few years.
0:07:31 > 0:07:36I have quoted the tables. I've cited Iain Gray's deplorable record,
0:07:36 > 0:07:39explained how we are getting another �750 million investment in
0:07:39 > 0:07:44the National Health Service, perhaps Iain Gray will have the
0:07:44 > 0:07:49grace to acknowledge, that if he comes along to ask questions on the
0:07:49 > 0:07:56NHS, neither on his record or his performance, nor understanding his
0:07:56 > 0:08:00statistics he is on safe ground. It doesn't matter where the First
0:08:00 > 0:08:08Minister goes in the budget, it unravels. He promised last week,
0:08:08 > 0:08:13yes, that they would be investing in capital infrastructure. Until
0:08:13 > 0:08:23CPPR looked at the figures... And we discover, then we discover that
0:08:23 > 0:08:27they are cutting, that they are cutting capital investment even
0:08:27 > 0:08:33faster than George Osborne and the Tories are! He promised to protect
0:08:33 > 0:08:41businesses, but then we discovered that he is taking an extra �850
0:08:41 > 0:08:51million off them. And last Thursday, last Thursday he
0:08:51 > 0:08:54
0:08:54 > 0:09:01promised to protect universities. On Friday, on Friday, he gave
0:09:01 > 0:09:05Abertay five weeks to emerge into Dundee University. To par phrase,
0:09:05 > 0:09:10isn't the truth just an inconvenience for this First
0:09:10 > 0:09:14Minister? I was wondering why Iain Gray asked of closures, I said
0:09:14 > 0:09:18there would not be clors of colleges and universities, then as
0:09:18 > 0:09:27Mike Russell deployed in the education debate, we find out that
0:09:27 > 0:09:33one of Ed Miliband's advisors is advocating the closure of half of
0:09:33 > 0:09:41England's universities. Then the capital figures produced on the
0:09:41 > 0:09:45capital department expund tire limits as cited by the CPPR, last
0:09:45 > 0:09:52time when we had treble counting was when Gordon Brown was the
0:09:52 > 0:09:57Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1997 to 1999, that was the same period
0:09:57 > 0:10:02when John McLaren was Labour Party special advisor, it seems that the
0:10:02 > 0:10:06old habits die hard, but the capital part is only part of the
0:10:06 > 0:10:09capital spending story it is because of the 40% near cut
0:10:09 > 0:10:15introdoused by the Tories, planned by the Labour Party that John
0:10:15 > 0:10:18Swinney has engaged in the non- profit distribution programme and
0:10:18 > 0:10:21trance ffred it from the capital budget. That is why it is
0:10:21 > 0:10:27increasing, the only place it is increasing across the United
0:10:27 > 0:10:31Kingdom as a whole. Now I heard that same mistake repeated by Ed
0:10:31 > 0:10:36Miliband in the radio this morning. I can only imagine he got his
0:10:36 > 0:10:43information from Iain Gray. Mind you as that interview ended on, as
0:10:43 > 0:10:46the BBC News site tells us that Ed Miliband was unable to name all of
0:10:46 > 0:10:54the Scottish Labour leader candidates. He got two out of three,
0:10:54 > 0:10:57which is two more than the rest of the population.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01Iwaned -- wanted to ask the First Minister when he is to next meet
0:11:01 > 0:11:06the Prime Minister? The meeting of the Prime Minister is not planned
0:11:06 > 0:11:10in the near future, but no doubt we will get round to it. The First
0:11:10 > 0:11:15Minister knows that I share his serious concerns about sectarian
0:11:15 > 0:11:18behaviour in Scotland and indeed I have raised the issue twice at
0:11:18 > 0:11:23First Minister's Questions and I do not doubt his commitment to
0:11:23 > 0:11:30tackling it, but he will be aware of growing concern about his
0:11:30 > 0:11:37proposed ledge shraigs. We know the consultation period has high
0:11:37 > 0:11:41lighted evidence that existing law, if more robust force is advocate --
0:11:41 > 0:11:49adequate and that new law may be required. That there is pressing
0:11:49 > 0:11:53evidence that the existing laws be used to good effect. So, what if
0:11:53 > 0:11:59the first is not covered by the existing law.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03I'm sure that Annabel Goldie studied by the Lord Advocate
0:12:03 > 0:12:07studying the legislation in full detail, I do think that all members
0:12:07 > 0:12:12of the chambers should look at that evidence from the Lord Advocate. He
0:12:12 > 0:12:14went through a number of cases where we would consider most
0:12:14 > 0:12:21reasonable people would consider that racist offences have not been
0:12:21 > 0:12:25covered by the Breach of the Peace legislation. Some courts have
0:12:25 > 0:12:29decided that breach of the peace has to be seen in the context. You
0:12:29 > 0:12:33can make remarks that are unacceptable, but in the context of
0:12:33 > 0:12:39the effect of that situation, the breach of the peace legislation
0:12:39 > 0:12:42does not cover it. The Lord Advocate explained why that is a
0:12:43 > 0:12:47deficiency in the range of the current legislation. I hope that
0:12:47 > 0:12:52Annabel Goldie looks at that, if we see gaps in the current legislation,
0:12:52 > 0:12:56given Annabel Goldie's call for action earlier in the year it is
0:12:56 > 0:13:00our duty to ensure that our police, our prosecution service, our Crown
0:13:00 > 0:13:05Office are equipped with the range of legislative instruments that
0:13:05 > 0:13:10they believe that they require in order to face down and tackle evils
0:13:10 > 0:13:14in society. I think that sectarianism and sectarian displace
0:13:14 > 0:13:17are unacceptable in Scottish society. Across Scottish society.
0:13:17 > 0:13:22They should not be allowed to attach themselves to our beautiful
0:13:22 > 0:13:26game of football. I thank you for your response. He
0:13:26 > 0:13:32and I know we are all united in condemning sectarian behaviour
0:13:32 > 0:13:37where it occurs, but that is why we must not do aservice to the public
0:13:37 > 0:13:41by making bad law for the sake of making law. Will the Firth confirm
0:13:41 > 0:13:47to me that he will keep answer open mind on legislation and be swayed
0:13:47 > 0:13:54by the evidence presented to this Parliament -- will the First
0:13:54 > 0:13:59Minister confirm that he will keen answer open mind, rather than
0:13:59 > 0:14:04displace laws to recreate new laws just because he can.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08Annabel Goldie I commend you to read the explanation that the Lord
0:14:08 > 0:14:15Advocate gave. It is a detailed explanation, I have to say when I
0:14:15 > 0:14:19read it I thought that it made the case for the legislative change
0:14:19 > 0:14:23beyond any event whatsoever. I am not certain if you have had the
0:14:24 > 0:14:29opportunity to study that in detail, but I commend it to her and indeed
0:14:29 > 0:14:34to the rest of the chamber. It was an excellent showing of why there
0:14:34 > 0:14:40are gaps in the legislation. Why over a period of time, the
0:14:40 > 0:14:44interation of the breaching of peace has changed. I am sure that
0:14:44 > 0:14:50when Annabel Goldie reads that, that if we have to act desisively
0:14:50 > 0:14:55that we have to ensure that we give our law enforcers and the people
0:14:55 > 0:14:59charged that, the police and others, the tools that they require to do
0:14:59 > 0:15:04the job that we expect them to do. Can I say something else that is
0:15:04 > 0:15:08important. We must be able to as a chamber and Parliament to be able
0:15:08 > 0:15:12to get into a state of thinking where we recognise that there are
0:15:12 > 0:15:16some things that we have to tackle jointly as a society.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21Early in the year Annabel Goldie and others said that they wished to
0:15:21 > 0:15:24have more time to consider the legislation. I agreed to that, the
0:15:25 > 0:15:29reason I agreed was not because I did not think I was getting a
0:15:29 > 0:15:33majority, because I wanted to take the entire chamber, I do think we
0:15:33 > 0:15:37should take the entire chamber, that is the responsibility of
0:15:37 > 0:15:42governments as well as of opposition. We have to rise above
0:15:42 > 0:15:46the quick and easy point to make and recognise the statements made
0:15:46 > 0:15:50by the Lord Advocate. Unless we face down what has happened in our
0:15:50 > 0:15:54football grounds and around our football grounds and have the
0:15:54 > 0:15:59courage and the inteing rate to -- integrity to tackle it as a
0:15:59 > 0:16:03Parliament, we will not have a football game left. There are
0:16:03 > 0:16:09European authorities who find what we see as unacceptable, they take
0:16:09 > 0:16:13action. Surely as a pairplt, -- Parliament, we have to face down
0:16:13 > 0:16:16sectarianism and give the police and those responsible for law and
0:16:16 > 0:16:21order in Scotland the instruments that they have asked for, so that
0:16:21 > 0:16:25they can do the job that we expect them to do.
0:16:25 > 0:16:33The First Minister will appreciate the public concern about
0:16:33 > 0:16:38yesterday's Appeal Court conviction for a heinous crime committed in my
0:16:38 > 0:16:43constituency. What assurance can you provide for my constituents and
0:16:43 > 0:16:53those across Scotland where Robert Foy is viewed as a danger to the
0:16:53 > 0:16:57public, that he will spend the entire of his ensense behind bars.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01Firstly the Justice Secretary will be bringing forward the required
0:17:01 > 0:17:08changes in the framework of the law. Considered changes that Lord
0:17:08 > 0:17:12Hamilton called for at the time of the judgment last March to enable
0:17:12 > 0:17:17what seems to be a complex but loophole in the law to be closed.
0:17:17 > 0:17:22Secondly in terms of how the punishment and other parts of
0:17:22 > 0:17:26sentences that are opposed that no- one released in any case in
0:17:26 > 0:17:30Scotland over the last few year unless and until there is a
0:17:30 > 0:17:36judgment that they are not a danger to the public. So I think that we
0:17:36 > 0:17:38recognise and have recognised the gap in the law. We are grateful for
0:17:38 > 0:17:46the support, Victim Support Scotland in terms of the actions
0:17:46 > 0:17:48that the Justice Secretary is as a Parliament will have the
0:17:48 > 0:17:55opportunity to consider the changes in the law necessary to fully
0:17:55 > 0:17:59protect Scottish society. Can I ask the First Minister what
0:17:59 > 0:18:05issues are to be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08Matters of importance to the people of Scotland. This morning I met the
0:18:08 > 0:18:15Labour's recruit to the Liberal Democrats, who after a brief
0:18:15 > 0:18:23flirtation with the SNP has returned to the liberal fold. That
0:18:23 > 0:18:33is good news, but... What is less good news is that there are an
0:18:33 > 0:18:34
0:18:34 > 0:18:39estimated 830,000 victims of crime in Scotland every year.
0:18:39 > 0:18:45What is the Scottish Government to do to support victims? Well, let's
0:18:45 > 0:18:48start with the real issue first. The question of victims of crime.
0:18:48 > 0:18:54I'm sure that Willie Rennie will acknowledge at that crime in
0:18:54 > 0:18:59Scotland is now at a 33-year low. I believe that is the result of the
0:18:59 > 0:19:03many of the policies put forward by this government, in particular the
0:19:03 > 0:19:07policy of putting 1,000 extra police officers on the streets and
0:19:07 > 0:19:11communities of Scotland. That is a policy which was widely supported
0:19:11 > 0:19:15across this chamber, although I have to say that the nds were not
0:19:15 > 0:19:21among the advocates for that policy. -- that the Liberal Democrats were
0:19:21 > 0:19:28not among that advocates for that policy. So crime has been driven to
0:19:28 > 0:19:32a 33-year low. As far as councillor Dylan is concerned let me quote him,
0:19:33 > 0:19:40"Members and supporters of the Lib Dems do not understand why the
0:19:40 > 0:19:46party leadership in Scotland are cheerleaders to Tory policies and
0:19:46 > 0:19:52Tory beliefs, they sound more Tory than the Tories and enough is
0:19:52 > 0:20:02enough" First Minister, First Minister, he is back with us! He is
0:20:02 > 0:20:03
0:20:03 > 0:20:11back with us. The Irish issue here, though -- the issue here, though,
0:20:11 > 0:20:18is that he has relegated his rights bill. Will the First Minister
0:20:18 > 0:20:23change his mind and bring forward the Victims's Bill this year. Will
0:20:23 > 0:20:26we start to use some of the proceeds from prisoners earnings to
0:20:27 > 0:20:30help victims? Steps are being taken elsewhere in the UK to help to make
0:20:30 > 0:20:37that happen. Would that the not be a move to assure victims of crime
0:20:37 > 0:20:40that their interests are being taken seriously? Well, Victim
0:20:40 > 0:20:46Support Scotland has they indicated are working close with the
0:20:46 > 0:20:51government in a range of issues. If Willie Rennie has proposals that
0:20:51 > 0:20:56mentioned they will be considered. That indeed is a serious issue.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00But Willie Rennie, and I think he will regard it as a mistake, chose
0:21:00 > 0:21:04to develop that serious issue with this incredible indorsment from
0:21:04 > 0:21:08councillor Dylan of the Liberal Democrats. All I can say is that
0:21:08 > 0:21:15Willie Rennie now thinks that councillor Dylan, given the quotes
0:21:15 > 0:21:19he made, is one of his foremost supporters, so I can only think
0:21:19 > 0:21:22there need to be another candidate fort Liberal Democrat leadership of
0:21:22 > 0:21:27Scotland. To ask what discusses --
0:21:27 > 0:21:32discussions the government has had with the crown state regarding the
0:21:32 > 0:21:37minerals mined from Scotland? Whether is it a mineral wealth, the
0:21:37 > 0:21:42value of a shore line or the opportunities offered by renewables,
0:21:42 > 0:21:48Scotland's communities need control of the assets. We have long argued
0:21:48 > 0:21:52for the control of the states. The Scotland bill provides an excellent
0:21:52 > 0:21:55opportunity to do this. I hope given the Parliament, that we
0:21:55 > 0:21:59support that by a large majority and the Secretary of State may
0:21:59 > 0:22:03choose to consider that perhaps things that are endorsed so
0:22:03 > 0:22:07resoufpbdingly by the communities of Scotland in an -- resoundingly
0:22:07 > 0:22:11by the community of Scotland in an election is something that should
0:22:11 > 0:22:16be included in the current Scotland bill. Thank you for your response.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20The time is right for the adayic legislation governing the current
0:22:20 > 0:22:24state to be brought into line with the realities of devolution in
0:22:25 > 0:22:28modern Scotland. Accountable to Scottish Parliament and its people
0:22:28 > 0:22:32in delivering direct benefits to its communities. Will you continue
0:22:32 > 0:22:36it make the case to the UK government that the current state
0:22:36 > 0:22:38be devolved to Parliament as soon as possible? I met with the
0:22:38 > 0:22:43Chancellor of the Exchequer of the crown estate and the Scottish
0:22:43 > 0:22:47commissioner last week. We pride our detailed paper to the UK
0:22:47 > 0:22:51government setting out the case for change. The state in Scotland
0:22:51 > 0:22:55should be administered in Scotland, accountable to this Parliament it
0:22:55 > 0:23:03should benefit the communities directly. In the year to mamp this
0:23:03 > 0:23:08year, there is a surplus of �9.9 million. Resources raised in
0:23:08 > 0:23:12Scotland which we should democratly elect to the communities of
0:23:12 > 0:23:17Scotland. That democratic process of accountability would be somewhat
0:23:17 > 0:23:21better than having some sort of lottery which is the most recent
0:23:21 > 0:23:31extraordinary proposal from the United Kingdom government which has
0:23:31 > 0:23:35
0:23:35 > 0:23:40been roundly criticised by a post Work over Lords, job security and
0:23:40 > 0:23:46falling care standards. We are maintaining our policy of no
0:23:46 > 0:23:56compulsory redundancies to increase job security. We are passing on the
0:23:56 > 0:24:01full consequential its to NHS Scotland. There is no doubt that
0:24:01 > 0:24:05the morale of nurses is plummeting. They are worried about falling care
0:24:05 > 0:24:09standards and they are uncertain about the future. The SNP and the
0:24:09 > 0:24:17first Government promised to protect the health budget. Not part
0:24:17 > 0:24:21of the budget, but all of the budget. Yet there is a real terms
0:24:21 > 0:24:31reduction of �320 million in revenue alone. Can that the First
0:24:31 > 0:24:32
0:24:32 > 0:24:38Minister tell me, if the SNP is protecting the NHS, why are there
0:24:38 > 0:24:43fewer health professionals in the NHS than at any point since 2005?
0:24:43 > 0:24:48There are more people working in the National Health Service than
0:24:48 > 0:24:54there were in 2007. Nobody would argue that the NHS like every other
0:24:54 > 0:24:59public sector service in Scotland is not under budgetary pressure. It
0:24:59 > 0:25:07comes from the cuts to Scotland from the United Kingdom Government.
0:25:07 > 0:25:14That is not just of the work of that Conservative, -- the
0:25:14 > 0:25:19Conservative Party, but also the Labour Party. We are now being told
0:25:19 > 0:25:23that the Chancellor at the time of wanted to go even further. Given
0:25:23 > 0:25:27that we know that the Labour Party would not have protected the
0:25:27 > 0:25:34National have service as this government has protected it, how
0:25:34 > 0:25:39can any Labour candidate come to this chamber and claim that they
0:25:39 > 0:25:47have any credibility in a service at that they refused to even
0:25:47 > 0:25:57protect with the Barnett consequential? Uniquely in these
0:25:57 > 0:26:07islands, the Cabinet Secretary announced that that no redundancy
0:26:07 > 0:26:08
0:26:08 > 0:26:14promise is to be maintained. We have also to consider another group
0:26:14 > 0:26:24of people. That is what the patients feel about the NHS. The
0:26:24 > 0:26:27
0:26:27 > 0:26:33most recent survey in August said that 84.6% of people in Scotland
0:26:33 > 0:26:37were satisfied with the service, an increase from the survey in 2007.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41We have to recognise the work of our national health service and
0:26:41 > 0:26:48also recognise that the people of Scotland recognise and support
0:26:48 > 0:26:52their excellent work they are doing. Who has responsibility for
0:26:52 > 0:26:56decisions regarding university mergers? The Scottish funding
0:26:56 > 0:27:00council is a body responsible and it can make proposals, but
0:27:00 > 0:27:07ultimately, it is for the universities themselves concerned.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11On Tuesday, Lord Sutherland described the consultation process
0:27:11 > 0:27:21regarding the possible merger between Dundee and Abertay as a
0:27:21 > 0:27:25
0:27:25 > 0:27:29merger by fax. His six weeks sufficient time? The Scottish
0:27:29 > 0:27:35funding council makes proposals. But there will be no closure of any
0:27:35 > 0:27:41college or university. And there will be no forced merger of any
0:27:41 > 0:27:51institution either. The Scottish funding council is entitled to make
0:27:51 > 0:27:57
0:27:57 > 0:28:06proposals. There were concerns in terms of the Government's -- issues
0:28:06 > 0:28:14surrounding the retiral of the head of Abertay University. We are not
0:28:14 > 0:28:24as a Government going to tell any or force any mergers between a
0:28:24 > 0:28:31
0:28:31 > 0:28:35milling partners. -- unwilling parties. In these circumstances,...
0:28:35 > 0:28:39I am really saying that the funding settlement for Scottish
0:28:39 > 0:28:43universities would not be adequate. Now every university thinks it is
0:28:43 > 0:28:51superb, she does not see anything about it. I think they could do a
0:28:51 > 0:28:57lot worse than to look at the City of Aberdeen. Tomorrow, there will
0:28:57 > 0:29:05be a meeting between the two principles to look again at how the
0:29:05 > 0:29:10further sharing of facilities in that city can allow two a distinct
0:29:10 > 0:29:15institutions to run at their universities in an efficient manner.
0:29:15 > 0:29:25There might be alive in the north that many institutions can have a
0:29:25 > 0:29:31look at. Lord Sutherland also said that he could not imagine a worse
0:29:31 > 0:29:36we are undertaking a merger. Does the First Minister agree with Lord
0:29:36 > 0:29:41Sutherland that this will send a chill down the spines of
0:29:41 > 0:29:48universities across Scotland? think the member should catch up
0:29:48 > 0:29:55with the consequences of the agreed merger in the three Glasgow
0:29:55 > 0:30:01colleges. There has been a strong endorsement on the impact of that
0:30:01 > 0:30:08merger. A saving of four million pounds in financial efficiencies.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12The merger has established a great New College and the City of Glasgow.
0:30:12 > 0:30:22There were 69 mergers of colleges in the period of the last Labour
0:30:22 > 0:30:22
0:30:22 > 0:30:28government in England. Let's do not think that mergers are new. There
0:30:28 > 0:30:32will be no closure, no closure of any college or university as far as
0:30:32 > 0:30:42this Government is concerned over the period of this government in
0:30:42 > 0:30:43
0:30:43 > 0:30:47Scotland. There will be no forced a -- forced merger either. As we have
0:30:47 > 0:30:51demonstrated by the colleges and Glasgow, there can be occasions
0:30:51 > 0:30:59where a great deal can be gained for the colleges and for the public
0:30:59 > 0:31:07purse in having a merger which achieves such an excellent result.
0:31:07 > 0:31:13In light of that answer, can the First Minister confirm that the
0:31:13 > 0:31:16merger talks between Dundee and Abertay will come to a halt at the
0:31:16 > 0:31:22end of October as the Scottish funding councils set out in its
0:31:22 > 0:31:32letter? It is for the universities to respond to the proposals. And I
0:31:32 > 0:31:33
0:31:33 > 0:31:38am sure they will. I will give a serious answer says last week, she
0:31:38 > 0:31:45asked a serious question. Well, I think most people who were here
0:31:45 > 0:31:49last would say that was a reasonable estimate of the position.
0:31:49 > 0:31:53It is for the university chords have to respond to proposals. I
0:31:53 > 0:32:03they could is entirely reasonable, given the circumstances of the last
0:32:03 > 0:32:04
0:32:04 > 0:32:12year or so, affecting Abertay, that would be a reasonable thing to have
0:32:12 > 0:32:16given the amount of money devoted to these things. I hope and believe
0:32:16 > 0:32:21that the response of both universities will be such that they
0:32:21 > 0:32:24will come back and demonstrate that they have a plan which will achieve
0:32:25 > 0:32:30proper efficiencies and value for the public purse in a way that they
0:32:30 > 0:32:40find compatible with their futures. There will be no closures of
0:32:40 > 0:32:47institutions under this government, and no forced mergers. That ends
0:32:47 > 0:32:54the First Minister's questions. Coming to the close of our coverage
0:32:54 > 0:33:00of First Minister's questions. Some very robust exchanges indeed over
0:33:00 > 0:33:07health spending. The most intriguing exchanges were Annabel