First Minister's Questions Politics Scotland

A very warm welcome to the Scottish Parliament here at Holyrood where

the main focus is upon the statement to be delivered this

afternoon by John Swinney, the Finance Secretary, setting out his

finances for the coming year. That's live on BBC Two Scotland. We

wouldn't want you to miss out on your weekly dose of questions to

the First Minister, that's the main substance of this programme. Eat's

cross to the chamber and find out what's happening with my colleague.

Thanks, Brian. At the moment, questions to ministers is concluded.

David Stuart of Labour has been asking about the discount scheme,

the minister Keith Brown is in response at the moment. If he can

put forward a legally based proposition which is then put in

the budget, it would show that he's being serious or posturing. We now

move to First Minister's questions. Johann lament? Thank you very much.

To ask the First Minister, your code permitted of course, what his

plans are for the rest to have day. I'll be in this chamber to hear the

Cabinet Secretary for finance and growth deliver a budget for

economic growth and job creation of Scotland.

Of course the First Minister said that last time and the evidence in

his budget proved that wasn't the case. We do know of course this

afternoon that we are going to hear John Swinney's budget. Last year he

present add budget which outlined engineering giant Duson's

investment. By the time we worked on the budget, John Swinney and

First Minister knew the company changed its plans. When did the

Prime Minister find out about that and why did he not tell Parliament?

The quest by Duson that they wanted to keep the plans commercial had to

be respected by the Scottish Government and if Johann lament is

seriously saying that she wouldn't request such a request, wouldn't

respect a request from such companies, I rather think she's a

long, long way from political office. I know that Johann lament

will want to acknowledge their outstanding success of Scottish

development international which this year once again have dem

stpraited the top performance for inward investment -- demonstrated

the top performance inward investment. Scotland beat even

London in terms of inward investment. That have to be

congratulated, not De peopled. That is very interesting but it's

not the answer to the question you were asked. So nothing new there.

The reality is that the First Minister knows when he was told and

knows that it was wrong not to tell the Parliament about Duson's

cancellation. He just doesn't want us to know The Truth. That's why

he's refused to answer any Freedom of Information requests on this

issue. The refusal to answer questions isn't just the First

Minister's style every Thursday at First Minister's "Question Time" in

this chamber, it's increasingly the style of his whole Government.

That is why the number of appeals against ministers refusing to

release information has risen by 175% in the last year. Why is that?

Is the First Minister getting even more secretive or does he have even

more to hide? THE SPEAKER: Order.

Well, I've got here the Scottish Government's performance under

Freedom of Information since we took office. Johann lament won't

mind if I compare it to 2005. The performance in terms of being on

time with the responses, that's gone up from 75% to 82% which I

think is a pretty good performance. In terms of releasing information

which was the real concern of Johann lament, it's gone up from

69% to 71%. That is a rise from the secret of days -- secretive days of

the Labour Administration in Scotland. In terms of appeals, what

has been judged in favour of the SNP Government compared to the

Labour Government has gone up from 68 to 72% judgments in favour. So

on all these criteria, this Government's performing better

under Freedom of Information than the Government at which Johann

lament was proud to serve but refused to tell the people the

whole range of important areas of information.

THE SPEAKER: Mr McKneel, I would appreciate if you stopped shouting

across the chamber. Johann lament? All of that is very interesting.

However, what the first minister... THE SPEAKER: Order. It's always

interesting and creative and enthusiastic till you look at the

figures later. However, what the First Minister has to explain is

why rosemary Agnew an Information Commissioner says "we are in a

worse position in relation to rights to information than we were

when the Freedom of Information Act was passed". That is not me saying

it, that's the Information Commissioner saying it and I

suspect I would trust her figures before those of the First Minister

himself. But of course, this is the First

Minister who can't be straight with or have respect for the Scottish

people. He refuses to tell us what advice he has on an independent

Scotland's place in Europe. Incredibly, he's even today taken

the Freedom of Information Commissioner to the Court of

Session to try to shut her up, just like when he spent hundreds of

thousands of pounds of taxpayers' cash, our cash, against official

advice to stop the public knowing The Truth about his tax plans.

In a time when families across the country are paying the price for

his budget cuts, why is he spending... THE SPEAKER: Order.

Why is he spending hundreds of thousands of pounds of Scottish

people's money to stop the people of Scotland finding out what he's

doing? Which is why I come here every week

expecting Johann lament to ask about the economy and -- Johann

lament to ask about the economy and she never asks about any of these

in First Minister's questions. Can I have the Freedom of Information

Commissioner from the partial quoting of Johann Lament. She said

she was worried ability the deteriorating position because of a

propensity of local authoritys in Scotland to set up arms length

bodies. Which council in Scotland has set up more arms length bodies

than any other if it wasn't for Glasgow and incidentally, I once we

get the presence Freedom of Information legislation through

this Parliament to make it Morrow bust in this term, am extremely

similar pathettoick the Freedom of Information comixer's request to

extend it to arms length bodies set up by local authorities --

sympathetic to the Freedom of Information Commission's request.

The commissioner has gone looking for an urgent disposal of the case.

We agree that there should be an urgent disposal of the case today,

not vice versa. Johann Lament also wanted to know why there might be

more appeals under the Freedom of Information. It might be there more

requests under Freedom of Information and I've been doing a

bit of research and I find that one person, a Labour researcher, is

responsible for over 14% of all the Freedom of Information requests.

Now, unfortunately, I can't tell you who this person is because he's

asked to remain anonymous! LAUGHTER

Such is the Labour Party's commitment to Freedom of

Information. Johann Lament? Can I advise the

First Minister not to judge his suck succession of answer by the

cheering of his backbenchers. He might want to get out a bit more,

head for George Square and ask them what they think of that as an

answer to his question. Because of course, the First Minister could

solve the problem this morning in the court but she says they agree

they want to speed it up. All he needs to do is ask permission to

give the information to people of Scotland and then they wouldn't

need to be in court at all. It's no wonder that the Freedom of

Information Commissioner said this week, it's simply not acceptable

that citizens' rights continue to be eroded. The facts of the matters

are that the First Minister says, spending in colleges has gone up,

when he's cut it, Scotland is investigating the NHS because they

don't believe the figures, and he uses taxpayers' money to go to

court to stop the public knowing The Truth, not just about Europe,

but about anything he finds an convenient truth. The First

Minister wishes I would ask him the right question. The people of this

country would wish that he would start answering questions.

We have to ask him this question - the people across this country are

asking why can't this First Minister be straight with the

Scottish people? Well, the specifics of the European

question and legal advice - I believe that the statement made

last week pointing out the White Paper will be informed by the legal

advice at that time offers the solution, both of providing the

information to the Scottish people and keeping me in terms of

compliance with the ministerial code. I know that Johann Lament

would think it a tragedy if I broke the ministerial code and she

wouldn't really want that to happen. Now, I wasn't judging the success

of the last answer on the basis of the jeering in the backbenches, I

was judging it on Johann Lament's countenance which I have to say was

extremely worrying to me. If I'm not very careful, I'll end up on

leave with Rama or swimming with fishes for Colin Smith. If people

get the mood for insubordination within the Labour Party, goodness

knows what would happen if Labour ever had inflicted on the people of

Scotland the misfortune to be back in Government.

THE SPEAKER: Ruth Davidson. Thank you, Presiding Officer. To

ask the First Minister when he'll next meet the Secretary of State

for Scotland. The Deputy First Minister and I had a productive

meeting with the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State only

yesterday and the Deputy First Minister will meet the Secretary of

State again next week. Frankly I find it extraordinary

that a political party attempting to get information out of the

Government of the day worthy of roars of laughter of derision from

that Government absolutely extraordinary when this is a

Government which has been trying to block information being passed to

the public. I also find it extraordinary, Presiding Officer,

that this First Minister would like to compare this year with 2005

because from the figures I have in front of me, I don't know if he's

talking about 2004-2005 or 2005- 2006, but together the number of

appeals blocked by the Government then was 166 compared to the last

two years which goes up to 215. If we look at this case today, that

has cost us a six figure sum. That is a cost continuing to rise,

that's before we've had two days scheduled in the Court of Session.

Before the election last year, the First Minister spent over �100,000

of taxpayers' money to keep from voters his plans for a local income

tax. So I ask the First Minister, how much of the taxpayers' hard-

earned money is he and his ministerial team spending to shore

up his secret to society and to deny information to which the

people of Scotland are perfectly entitled.

First Minister? Can I just point out, it's the Information

Commissioner who's going to court today by the agreement of the

government because she wants disposal of the public interest

element and the Freedom of Information request. Can I also

point out that the Scottish Government is a minority of the

number of public interest questions to be settled under the freedom of

nfpgs. Ruth Davidson asks about the figures I have -- information. The

point I was making, it's in terms of information released, that is

the amount of information given out to the public, that is 71% which is

a rise. In terms of the responses on time, and incidentally most

appeals take place because of lack of response, then that's risen from

75% to 72%. On the adjudication of the appeals, there's also a rising

trend in favour of the Scottish Government's interpretation of the

Act. Let me say, I welcome the Conservative Party's new found

conversion to the question of Freedom of Information. As I recall

it, perhaps I'm open to correction from the new direction of the

Conservative Party led by Ruth Davidson. The Conservative Party

were the least party in favour of Freedom of Information and the

people who're most suspicious about giving any information out at all.

So I know that she really does welcome, despite the better

together campaign, and the alliance of the Labour Party and the

Conservatives, that she does welcome the fact on every criteria

the performance of the SNP Government and Freedom of

Information exceeds that of the Labour lib ral administration that

went before us -- liberal administration that went before us.

I asked about costs but I guess you Two cases that have cost over

�100,000 each but what this Government hasn't told us is that

there are �500 more appeals since this First Minister came to power.

Is the First Minister so pa tphoeud that even the smallest details are

- even who he has been to the theatre with? If this First

Minister is to open... Order, settle down. At the risk of

sparking yet another costly legal action against the interests of the

people of Scotland, can this First Minister tell us, for instance,

what legal advice he's received about an independent Scotland

leaving NATO? The position on appeals, if you take 2006, 8% of

cases went to appeal, in 2011 it was 6% of cases. Ruth Davidson will

have to take on board the point I was making with the -- about the

increased volume of numbers of requests and I am sure no

Conservative researcher is responsible for 14% in themselves

of the number of FOI requests coming forward. In terms of being

to the theatre, I confirm that I have not been to the theatre with

any member of the Conservative Party parliamentary group and I

have no intention of doing so. With that reassurance I can put Ruth

Davidson's mind at rest. I am grateful to Fergus Ewing for

his positive engagement with me and local stakeholders in seeking to

develop other solutions tpwu will take time for those solutions to be

put in place. Can I ask the First Minister to make representations to

ensure everything possible is done to accelerate this process

alongside any steps that might be taken more immediately and in

particular will he support an urgent review of proposals put

forward by Orkney islands council that could facilitate away from

fossil fuels and help alleviate the current constraints? Well, can I

thank him for raising the issue. Orkney has massive renewables

potential and Scottish cabinet colleagues were impressed with work

being done there when the cabinet met. We recognise good capacity in

Orkney and moratorium announced is a cause for concern. I raised the

issue of island connections with the Secretary of State this week in

a meeting in London and put together the proposal, this was on

the precise issue of connection charges which is directly related

to this issue. The idea of a working group between the Scottish

Government, UK Government and the island councils, and of course in

consultation with the network operators to see if we can get a

resolution to this issue, both in terms of the current grid capacity,

but also in terms of the future charging to allow that renewables

potential to be unleashed from the islands. The Secretary of State was

very interested in that suggestion. I hope it can be taken forward.

Because it's in the interests, certainly of the Isles, but in the

interests of all of Scotland, island communities economic

potential contributes to the whole Scottish nation. David Stewart.

Presiding officer, the First Minister will be well aware of the

severe fuel crisis in the Western Isles where garages are running out

of petrol and diesel and motorists are forced to sell rationing at the

pumps. This has severe kopbs kwebss -- consequences for emergency

vehicles and the public. Will the First Minister agree to meet

Scottish fuels to help find a solution for the Western Isles?

I agreed to that meeting. This is to do with tax and work that needs

to be done to address that situation. So we will continue to

pursue that and hopefully can find a solution. Jang The First Minister

will be airwaeur that a major employer in Falkirk as well as

Dundee and Aberdeenshire has announced jobs are at risk as a

result of reduction in work received from one of the major

clients. With the company pledging to work with employee representives

and other clients in an attempt to minimise the number of job losses

can I ask the First Minister ensures the Scottish Government

offers whatever support it can to give them and employees support at

what is understandably a very difficult time for them. Well, I

share the member's concern in respect of the announcement made

yesterday regarding Scotia gas networks and this is to do with the

amount of contracted work from the regulator to reinforce the gas

network in Scotland. I am deeply concerned about the reduction in

that contracted work from the regulator. But obviously concerned

at the impact that can have on employees, families and surrounding

areas. I spoke yesterday with the managing director, that's Michael

Thompson, and immediately offered support through our partnership

action for continuing employment, that's the pace programme

initiative for those employees who may be affected by redundancy. I

also think it's possible, because there are key skills involved in

terms of the reinforcement of the gas network that certainly is

transferable to a number of other industries, including water and

electricity, and I have undertaken to be personally involved in seeing

the maximum amount of transfer take place to mitigate the number of job

losses in Falkirk, Dundee and the north-west of -- north-east of

Scotland. What safeguards exist to protect taxpayers against the

improper use of public funds by Government agencies? Well, the

Scottish Government's committed to the highest standard of

accountability across the public sector as evidenced by six

consecutive years of unqualified audit opinions from the Auditor

General for Scotland on the Scottish Government's consolidated

accounts. Presiding Officer, Scottish enterprise has been

demonstrating its own approach to stimulating economic growth in

Scotland and protecting taxpayers with employees withdrawing

thousands of pounds in the organisation's corporate credit

cards for personal use and how some businesses would love that kind of

flexible friend. If this is the experience of Scotland's enterprise

agency, Heaven knows what maybe going on elsewhere in the public

sector so will the First Minister instruct an urgent investigation

into the use of corporate credit cards by his Government agencies to

ensure that more robust safeguards for the protection of the taxpayer

are applied across the board? can we just remember that audit

Scotland in terms of the national fraud initiatives contrasted the

high level of commitment to NFI in Scotland contrasting with level

from UK Government and on SS - Scottish enterprise, internal audit

did identify non-compliance issues in relation to corporate credit

cards, given the requirement to settle the bill personally,

Scottish enterprise suffered no financial loss as a result. They

have increased frequency of the review processes to ensure any

future non-compliance is highlighted and addressed quickly.

It's not quite the dramatic situation that Annabel Goldie

suggested in her question. To ask the First Minister whether

the Scottish Government will consider establishing a national

tennis centre? Well, I was delighted to meet Andy and Judy

Murray last Sunday. It's clear that both are passionate about

developing tennis in Scotland to ensure youngsters have greater

access to stpaeult -- facilities and coaching to make the most of

their potential. A discussion about their idea for a tennis academy, as

well as improving facilities and interest in tennis, all of which is

in line with the Scottish Government's ambition to increase

young Scots participation in sport. We will be exploring this with

Murrays and the team over the next few months and hope to make an

announcement in this regard in the near future. I thank the First

Minister to that answer. Le take this opportunity to congratulate

the tennis centre in my constituency which has the largest

junior tennis participation programme in the UK and can he

ensure the Government is doing all it could to provide facilities are

to tennis and grass root sports for all ages and abilities across the

whole of Scotland, ensuring a lasting legacy from the

Commonwealth Games in 2014. Yes, he is right to draw ahe tension to the

success that is have taken place in tennis. There is a range of figures

in terms of number of coaches which tell - it's very much on the up in

Scotland. I can give the member that assurance. But we should also

reflect in terms of the wider range of facilities and sport, the

substantial contributions to the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome indoor

arena, the �55 million investment in the Aberdeen sports village,

sports complex and here in Edinburgh, refurbished pool, all of

which will be added to both by the additional facilities built for the

Commonwealth Games, and in particular, the �25 million

committed to Scotland's first ever national performance for sport in

which we will have a football academy at its heart. All these

initiatives bode well for the future, both of participation and

excellence of sport in Scotland. First Minister, one of Scotland's

local authorities announced that 1300 job losses, many of them in my

constituency... Sorry, that's not the question. We are talking about

a tennis centre. Could you resume your seat. We move to question

number five. To ask the First Minister whether

the Scottish Government supports the Royal College of Nursing's this

is nursing campaign, celebrating the professionalism and compassion

of nursing staff? Well, Scotland's nurses and other National Health

Service staff do extraordinary work day after day and deserve our

wholehearted and united support. So I am pleased to put on record my my

personal support, the support of Government, the support of the

parliament for the Royal College of Nursing's campaign which as the

member rightly says, celebrates both Protestant tpegsalism and the

-- professionalism and compassion of nursing staff. I am sure the

whole parliament would wish to join the First Minister in praising our

hard working nursing staff. But can I ask the First Minister if he

agrees with his backbenchers when they said yesterday that the Royal

College of Nursing were wrong in stating that the nursing staff

numbers are now at their lowest since 2005 and is the First

Minister asking the public to believe that axing 2,500 nursing

posts is having no direct effect upon our nurses' ability to deliver

the quality of patient care to which they aspire and which they

RCN campaign celebrates? Well, that's not what the backbenchers

said, as - well, what they said there are more qualified nurses and

midwives per thousand population in Scotland than the rest of UK, 7.9

nurses and midwives compared to 5.9 in England, 7.2 in Wales and 7.6 in

Northern Ireland. There are currently more nurses and midwives

in post than nine, ten years when Labour was in Government in

Scotland in the great boom years for public spending and now we have

had the detail last week on the National Health Service staffing in

Scotland, I do hope that the Labour leader will draw her constant and

inaccurate remarks that are less staff employed in the National

Health Service when when the SNP took office. It's clear from the

statistics last week there are more people employed in our National

Health Service than when the SNP took office and that's clear from

the statistics and I know that Johann Lamont and Richard Simpson

will bage sthous correct the -- will be anxious to correct the

record. Could I ask the First Minister what

his reaction is to the experience of members of this parliament,

including myself, stated yesterday of a level of nursing staff on duty

at right in hospital wards which fall short of patients' needs and

expectations and leads to unnecessary pressure on frontline

staff? Well, there are obviously in times of extraordinary economic

stringency, despite the termination of this Government and achievement

in protecting the revenue budget of the National Health Service in real

terms, something that hasn't been done by some other administrations

in these islands, and people would doubt very considerably if a

Conservative administration would have managed such an achievement.

There are obviously our National Health Service is still under

pressure and that's most certainly the case. All the more so then we

should celebrate the record achievements under the range of

indicaters that show our National Health Service staff, our nurses,

doctors, the whole range of staff throughout the National Health

Service are performing exceptionally for this country in

difficult times. Question number six. Thank you. To

ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's position is

on the study published by the new economics foundation relating to a

halt on mackerel fishing. Government agrees with the report

that fishing at sustainable levels would result in increased profit

for the industry. We are moving towards fishing at maximum

sustainable yield. The benefits of transitional approach we are

working on partnership with fishermen are skills are market

capacity are not lost, key factors, not considered in this report. I

think in terms of mackerel and sustainability, then this entire

chamber should unite in congratulating Scottish and indeed

Norwegian fishermen over a period of many years of fishing this stock

sustainably and ensure and unite in our demand to ensure that the

European Union come to an agreement with Iceland and faroes on the

current totally unsatisfactory position of overfishing by these

communities and that is why there has to be a resolution of that

crisis and to implement sanctions as soon as possible.

I thank you the First Minister for his answer. This report has caused

concern in north-east communities communities where mackerel fish

something a key part of the industry. Can the First Minister

advise what the Government is doing to advise others to ensure some of

more extreme approaches outlined in the report do in the gain traction

elsewhere and does he agree it would be easier to advocate on

behalf of the fishing industry as an independent Scotland at the

heart of Europe? Well, they've of course it would be much easier to

do that job if he wasn't prevented from speaking at some of the

European Council meetings as indeed has been the case. Given that

Scotland holds three quarters of the UK share of mackerel quota, it

seem illlogical that ministers do not have a full seat at the council

making decisions on the future of that industry. Surely it is self-

evident that a Scottish Minister responsible to this parliament

representing and answerable to the fishing communities of Scotland

would be able to make that case as a member of the European Union.

Thank you. This report has been rightly

slammed by fishing organisations but on the issue of mackerel stocks

can the First Minister update us on what the Scottish Government is

doing to ensure a continued supply of mackerel is available to

supermarkets and other outlets and can he confirm if the meeting with

the supermarkets promised by his cabinet Secretary has taken place?

Well, Richard Lockhead will respond directly and he makes many, many

meetings with supermarkets to enormous success for Scottish food

and drink over the last years. The key issue in terms of mackerel

stock is to resolve the situation with faroes and Iceland, that's the

key issue. This is a stock been fished sustainably over many years.

One of the most profitable stocks in Scotland. Available to our

fishing communities and to a supermarkets and we must absolutely

get a resolution of the overfishing taking place, that is why Richard

Lockhead has been pushing strongly to get the action by the the

European Union and that action and compliance with the international

regulation are the only way that we can assure sustainable supplies for

our fishermen to catch and for our consumers to eat.

That is First Ministers questions. There we have it, the close of

questions to the First Minister. The closing exchanges there about

the fishing industry, earlier the dom dominant theme was allegations

of secrecy on the part of the Scottish Government, allegations

that were robustly denied by Mr Salmond. No secrecy about the