30/01/2014 Politics Scotland

Hello and welcome to Scotland politics. This afternoon NSP is well

be debating the potential legacy of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

They are still digesting the impact of the Governor of the Bank of

England's statement yesterday. It is now time for questions to the first

Minister. We can cross lied to the chamber. Ministers are offering the

view of the government on childcare provision. That is part of the

Scottish Government's page for independence. -- pitch for

independence. Thank you. What engagements does the press Minister

have the rest of the day? Engagements are to take forward the

run's will romper Scotland. Thank you. Mark Carney said yesterday that

he has no say in their being a currency union if there is a yes

vote but he did say if there was one they would be shared institutions,

shared mechanisms and tight fiscal rules. We would cede sovereignty.

That would mean... Order, order. He obviously did not listen to what the

governor said. But that of course is par for the course. Do not listen to

anybody who says anything that might make you be challenged. That would

mean an independent Scotland which mortgage rates, tax rates and a

banking system and have our spending, borrowing and welfare

decided I a foreign country we had just left. In that respect, can I

pass on my gratitude to John Swinney and wish him all the best in his

next role and ask the first Minister whom he would prefer as his

replacement, Ed Balls or George Osborne? First Minister. I do not

know how to break the news to her but we do not control a currency or

interest rates at the moment. George intro -- Osborne does not control

them either because they are controlled by the Bank of England.

That was put in place some time ago. Being in a currency union does not

mean you do not control the currency or the interest rates. We do not

control these at the present moment. The list of other things that she

went into, we do not control these either. They are controlled in

London. Can I say to her some of the things that we shall control as an

independent Scotland. She will find them on page 46 of the report

published last year. Excise duty, air passenger duty, capital gains

tax on oil and gas taxation. National insurance, corporation tax

income tax, consumer protection, industry legislation, the minimum

wage. All of these are hugely important. Environmental

regulations, all of these things are controlled in London at the present

moment and all these things will be controlled in Scotland in an

independent Scotland. I fear the first Minister thinks all of this

questioning is just ridiculous things that he does not have to do

what. The rest of us are in the real world. I had thought that the first

Minister said the reason we want independence is because all

decisions about Scotland should be made in Scotland. It turns out he

does not mind that all of these things will be decided elsewhere.

Mark Carney said a couple of other things yesterday. The first was that

he reported to the UK Parliament. This is a parliament from which Alex

Salmond proposes to remove all Scottish representation. And Mark

Carney also said the decision on a currency union was one entirely for

politicians. Considering George Osborne has said that a currency

union is highly unlikely, Ed Balls has said it is highly unlikely, and

yesterday the Treasury said it was highly unlikely, what is the first

Minister's lamp if a currency union fails? First Minister. Can I say to

her that Stirling is as much a currency of the people of Scotland

as it is for the currency of the rest of the UK and the Bank of

England is an asset of the UK to which Scotland is entitled to a

share. But his these shared proposals put forward by the

Scottish Government. I read her a long list of things that an

independent Scotland would control and I think those are really

important. I think it is important to be able to set a minimum wage

that keeps pace with inflation. Order, order. I think it is

important instead of looking... Order! Why don't we have the power

to abolish the bedroom tax? I think I think it is important to get the

revenues from those transformations into Scotland. I think it is

important to be able to abolish weapons of mass destruction in

Scotland. I think it is important not to have to participate in

illegal wars. These are the things we can do with independence that we

cannot do a default Parliament. That is perhaps why the support for

independence is growing and the support scaremongering is reducing.

-- support for scaremongering. I am not sure at what point arguments

simply become delusion but I think we are close to that point now. The

first Minister must think that this heads of all the Scottish people but

not the bag but at least after independence they will have sits.

This is a ludicrous defence by a man who used to carry -- cry Freedom and

now gives us a list of things that we could do... Order, order. Mr

Russell. I am not sure that those brave hearts imagine they wanted

independence because of child care! It exposes the fact that he no

longer depends the concept of independence and self. The first

Minister reminds me of a Japanese soldier who fought for 30 years

after 1945. He refused to admit the war was over. The war and his

currency plan is over and Alex Salmond has lost it. Instead of

trying to nail his currency plan to his perch and make it seem alive,

will he be honest with the people of Scotland? His adviser John K told

him to come up with another plan. Will he now have the decency to

share that plan with the people of Scotland? First Minister. Somewhere

in that question that she asked she said that things I had mentioned

were small things. That is like saying nuclear weapons are

peripheral issue. Does she believe that the bedroom tax, the

transformation of childcare, abolishing nuclear weapons in this

country, not getting dragged into illegal wars, these are small

things? Order. These are small things? Parental issues? They are

the substance of the independence debate and that is the thing that

people in Scotland must control. I read a long list of the economic

things that would come under our control after independence. They

were substantial things. Can I put it this way so that she

understands? 7% of the taxation of this country we control under this

Parliament. Under the Scotland Act that will increase massively to 15%.

Under an independent Scotland we would control 100% of the taxation

base of this country. That is independence. I expected there might

have been something that challenge the question that I asked. Most of

the things he mentioned he could do right now. What he concedes...

Order. His vision of independence will be constrained by a foreign

Chancellor. That is what the massive job yesterday was. -- the message of

yesterday was. Is it going to happen and if it did, it could give this

Parliament less power in the future then we now have. The first

Minister... Comeback and listen to what is happening in the real world.

-- come back. His answer is that after a Yes vote, after a Yes vote

the rest of the United Kingdom will recount, they will you turn and

start agreeing with everything he says. -- they will turn around. If

they are going to turn around, published last year. On the first

page he pays respect to the pioneering work of great Scottish

economists. That was a significant reference. One of the authors of the

fiscal report was mentioned. Is she seriously going to maintain that the

areas which I mentioned, the areas over taxation policy, income tax,

corporation tax revenues, DAT, air passenger duty, capital borrowing...

These are not peripheral or small issues. These are the substance of

just about every political debate we have had in this Parliament. At the

present moment, John Swinney is in discussions to decide how we might

be able, by going round the legislation, to find a way to

mitigate the bedroom tax. Would it not be a lot easier if this

Parliament just had the power to abolish it altogether? Order.

Capital spending in this country... One of the reasons why our economic

performance has been better than the UK as a whole, would it not be

better if we could decide to increase capital spending in this

country over the last few years? And if she actually believes that oil

and gas taxation, the great natural resources of Scotland, are smaller

peripheral matter, then she is talking to an electorate who are

well aware if we mobilise these natural resources and combine them

with the human resources in Scotland, then we can create a

society that is prosperous and more just. That is the point and logic of

Scottish independence. Ruth Davidson. Thank you. I would ask the

first Minister when he will next meet the Secretary of State for

Scotland. I have no plans in the near future but she would take the

opportunity to do this associate herself and her body from the

previous Secretary of State for Scotland, circulated by the

Conservative hardy, arguing that a vote for independence would

dishonour the sacrifice of people in war. Can she at least put that

ridiculous point outside the scope of this debate? Ruth Davidson. I am

not sure, given the campaign that is running in a national newspaper in

Scotland, that the first Minister is on the strongest grounds talking

about temperate statements that have we made. So I think the last

exchange that we just heard in this chamber, had a little bit more keep

than light so I suggest we all take a step back as we look at this

issue. The first Minister and his white paper said an independent

Scotland would have no autonomy over revenue and spending issues.

Yesterday, Mark Carney said that an independent Scotland would need to

cede national sovereignty. These statements are diametrically opposed

so I would like to ask the first Minister a very specific question.

Who should the people of Scotland believe? Alex Salmond or the

Governor of the Bank of England? First Minister. My point to the

Leader of the Opposition was this. We do not control these things at

the present moment. Neither does the Chancellor of the Exchequer because

the Bank of England has been operationally independent and has

set interest rates over the last ten years and more. So I think it is

right and proper to draw attention to the areas of the areas of fiscal

policy, the substance of mobilising the natural resources of Scotland.

Yes, I do think it is independence that controls 100% of taxation as

opposed to the 7% we control at the moment. Ruth Davidson. What has been

proposed in a white paper is a eurozone style act which Mark Carney

yesterday specifically said had not worked for Europe. It would not work

for us either. We're seeding of sovereignty, more pulling off the

school resources. That is a two-way street. The first Minister is expect

then the spurned spouse to agree to give up their independence over

areas of tax and spending as well. Can I ask him, exactly what powers

is the first Minister expecting England, Wales and Northern Ireland

to give up to join his currency union? A currency union is an

agreement to have it currency union so you can enjoy the benefits which

Mark Carney set out in the speech yesterday. There are two reasons of

the UK will want to join a currency union. The first is obvious,

Scotland is the second-biggest market of the rest of the United

Kingdom. The second is that according to the most recent

indications, 71% of the people of England, Wales and the rest of the

UK want Scotland to share the pound after Scottish independence. If that

is what Scottish people want, that is what English people want, that is

in the best interests of both countries, that is why I come to the

conclusion this is a sensible proposition. Let's put it this way,

I have got infinitely more confidence in the good judgement of

the people of England than I will have in the bad judgement of George

Osborne. First Minister will be aware this is

the third week of the outbreak of Nora virus in the Borders General

Hospital. Is he kept regularly informed of progress and is he

satisfied all is being done to bring it to a swift conclusion. Yes, for

understandable reasons, the Health Secretary and myself have kept a

careful watch on the outbreak given the disruption it causes to hospital

wards. Over Scotland as a whole, the Noro virus out rate has been less

than last year. The member is right to point to the Borders -- outbreak.

The level of the virus has been declining recently but she is right

to say it has had a severe and dislocating the fact on certain

areas, that is why the Health Secretary and myself have this

uppermost in mind to continue plans to deal with the virus when it

occurs and continue plans to try to eliminate that and other

hospital-acquired infections. When will the Scottish -- winded the

Scottish government last reviewed the complaints review system? We

gave evidence to the public additions committee. The additional

complaints review has been ongoing since 2011. We are grateful for her

work and will help her to a swift handover. Like the First Minister, I

would like to highlight the valuable contribution she has made in her

role, 20 cases identified as breaches by the judicial office for

Scotland since 2011. Following the decision by Miss Ali not to seek a

second term under comments reported at the weekend, could the powers of

the judicial complaints review gift the role greater independence,

especially when compared to the equivalent powers and budgets in

England and Wales and the role of the Northern Ireland judicial

appointments ombudsman. Let's put it on record that I am grateful to Miss

Ali for her valuable public service over the past 2.5 years and the

improvements she has encouraged. The reviewer carries out

responsibilities independent of the government and the judiciary. In her

appointment for 2012 to 2013, the reviewer received 43 requests and

enquiries, by comparison, the ombudsman for England and Wales

received 110 complaints of which 482 concerned personal -- the personal

conduct of officeholders. The budget reflects that difference. There is

no process of judicial complaints in Northern Ireland but that is the

position as we have it. We are grateful to Miss Ali for her work

and for the commitment she has given to smooth the introduction of her

successor. Can I ask the First Minister what's

bought the Scottish government is giving to the. Scotch process? --

what support. --. Scott. Earlier this week, it was confirmed the

registry concluded contractural negotiations and domains would be

available for sale this summer. There is an option for clearly

expressing the Scottish affinity and identity online. I concur with the

opportunities for industry in Scotland and in particular the

gaming industry as they distinguish themselves as Scottish companies.

How could the Dot Scot domain be used to harness and engage with the

tens of millions of people in the Scottish Bias? She is right to point

to the Scottish games industry where this opportunity will be

particularly attractive. Around the world, there are tens of millions of

people who claim a family connection to Scotland and many more tens of

millions have an affection and affinity for our nation. So now the

new Scottish domain has been confirmed, we have begun further

research as to how we best use Dot Scot domains, consulting with

various organisations as part of the process. There have been a number of

occasions recently where a process which has been started on this

Parliament's committee has come to fruition and we should take pride in

the work of that committee in this Parliament.

I am sure we can agree there will be commercial opportunities for

Scottish companies using the Dot Scot name. Can the First Minister

confirm there are no plans to replace existing -- the existing UK

suffix used by many companies across Scotland? I thought for a second we

were going to get the same unwavering support as the member

gave to the Bannockburn celebrations, before he realised he

was out of touch with the rest of his party. I would have hoped even

the Conservative party should agree that this is an opportunity that the

public authorities and government and the people of Scotland should

embrace, and if that leaves behind the attitudes of the Conservative

benches, I think I know which side the people of Scotland and the

companies and public authorities of Scotland will be on! What is the

Scottish government's response to the report by the Joseph Rowntree

Foundation about the number of families living below the national

standard? Based -- they found the percentage of households was 21%

below average income, a rise of 3% since 2,000 -- since 2008. The

proportion of families below the standard rose sharply last year as

benefit and tax credit cuts started to kick in. It is an except double

in a country as prosperous as Scotland a fifth of the population

should be living below socially accepted minimum hinders -- incomes,

so we need independence to defend the welfare system, expand childcare

and abolish the wealth -- and abolish the bedroom tax. Thank you

for his expert did response. The report states the number of families

under the national standard has increased by 70,000 over five

years. 82,000 of those families are now under even greater financial

strain because of the financial tap. We have asked the government

for the best part of the year to fully mitigate the bedroom tax. We

have provided evidence of the power he has to do that. The fact

confirmed by audit Scotland in relation to Renfrewshire Council.

Can the First Minister tell me whether his government will provide

the funds to mitigate the full impact of the bedroom tax? I welcome

the fact Jackie Baillie is acknowledging that control of social

security is fundamental to defeat inequality in Scotland, which makes

her and the Labour Party position that these positions should be

retained by Westminster, all the more baffling. We note the way to

get money to people is through housing payments. John Swinney has

been meeting to see if there is a measure we can use legally in order

to try and defeat the bedroom tax in Scotland. But every single one of us

in Scotland knows the way to defeat the bedroom tax and the rest of the

impositions for the poor and disabled in Scotland is to take the

powers over Social Security that Jack -- that Jackie Baillie alone

wants to continue to reside at Westminster. Is the First Minister

in favour of on minimum income paying more tax and if not, why does

his white paper reject proposals put forward by the Liberal Democrats to

further raise the income tax to ?12,500. It sets out the policies of

the SNP which will transform a lot of the poor and low paid in

Scotland, rather than the government, of which his party so

loyally supports, which has covered sections of Scotland with inequality

and poverty. So for anybody supporting the Tory, Liberal

Alliance who have visited this -- you have put this on the poor of

Scotland requires a snack. -- ape wrasse neck. Would he agree

statutory minimum wage should be at a higher level that people can live

on and that the Westminster governments have failed to achieve

this? I hear that it is ridiculous. Since the recession of 2008, under

the Labour government and the Tory and liberal Alliance, the minimum

wage has failed to keep pace with the cost of living. If inflation

increases had been introduced five years ago, some of the lowest paid

would be earning over ?600 a year more. That is why the white paper

indicate the way forward is to ensure that at least we should

ensure by statute that the minimum wage has to keep pace with the cost

of living so we will not have a situation in the future where the

lowest paid at the end of the economic sacrifices that have to be

made. -- bear the brunt. What Scotians has the social government

-- the Scottish government had over provision of primary school places?

Their regular discussions over this with local authorities about a range

of issues. It is a statutory sponsor ability of each local authority to

provide an adequate number of school places for children and young people

in its areas. We have reduced the legal time you want class size limit

from 30 to 25, which ensures youngest pupils get more time with

teachers. Parents at the very successful and popular Hill house

brewery school have been told by the local authority they might not be a

title to a place at the school because it is heavily oversubscribed

-- Hillhead primary school. It is causing a great deal of anger

particularly among parents who have moved into that catchment area. Will

he agree a system they stand catchment areas which is Pioli

supply driven is not working well enough and should be replaced by one

that is demand led and were errant have maximum choice? -- Pioli supply

driven. -- Pioli. I do not agree, the system proposed by the

Conservative party has indicated in the past that it leads to huge chaos

and disruption on the system. Local authority statute responsibility

indicated that and I am sure Glasgow will follow that through. In the

first session of this Parliament, we had a range of debates were a number

of speakers said not enough schools were being refurbished or built, I

have heard less of that in recent times and I now know the reason why.

In the period of two terms of Labour government, 328 schools were

completed or refurbished in Scotland. The total so far for this

SNP government is 463. Given the capital constraints we have been

working under, the Labour Party do not want to talk about this any

more, no wonder, because it indicates the success of the SNP and

the failure of the government! The First Minister may be aware that

classroom assistants in primary schools in Dundee are being moved

out of primary schools where they give support to primary one and

primary to and into nursery schools. Can he commit to make sure that no

reductions in support for primary one and two across Scotland? I have

given the figures already in terms of improvements that have been made.

Given what we saw in terms of the discussion, but it this way, between

the Labour administration in Glasgow, anybody should hesitate

before attacking individual local authorities. Local authorities have

statutory responsibilities, the improvements in terms of people and

teacher ratio are clear and evident to see, as is the vast number and

increase of schools that have been built and refurbished the length and

breadth of Scotland. I know she was not around but I can assure her, in

the last session of this Parliament, her colleagues wanted to attack the

SNP government because as they saw it, there were not enough skill --

not enough schools being built. Now the figures show the opposite,

apparently it has nothing to do with this Government. It is part of the

success as -- of the schools for future programme.

A discussion towards the end about money and public spending. The

biggest arguments about money with the currency. It is time to say

goodbye from this session of questions to the First Minister,

more polity is now. -- of young children but in a caravan

it is fine, a similarly imposed space. This is the march of the

nanny state, the patronising nanny state where we know best and other

MPs have come into Parliament