Official Report 1038KB pdf
Budget 2025-26
John Swinney said this week that, if his budget does not pass, we are playing
“right into the hands of Elon Musk.”
Yes, you heard that right. The Scottish National Party budget will cause misery to hard-working Scots and struggling businesses, but, in the mind of Scotland’s populist First Minister, that is a price we must all pay to defeat the shadowy forces of populism. Was it John Swinney’s new year’s resolution to distract people from his failings by making ludicrous claims such as that one?
I can see the shadowy face of populism right in front of me just now.
I say that a budget that protect businesses from a challenging trading environment, delivers a real-terms increase in local government funding, invests to reform and improve the national health service, gives a huge boost to housing investment, takes steps to eradicate child poverty and invests in a clean, green transition for the Scottish economy and environment is a budget worth supporting. Mr Findlay should come to his senses and vote for the Government’s budget.
It is really something to hear John Swinney, of all people, preaching against populism. He is the leader of Scotland’s populist party—the party of blaming others, of sowing division and of fantasy promises of easy fixes. [Interruption.]
Let us hear Mr Findlay.
John Swinney sounds like a serial arsonist suddenly warning people about the risk of fire. However, despite his ridiculous rhetoric, his budget will pass because of the votes of Anas Sarwar’s Labour Party, so I ask John Swinney: what sweeteners did he have to give Labour in exchange, or did Anas Sarwar just hand him a blank cheque?
My speech on Monday was designed to set out the very serious issues that Scotland will face if the budget does not pass. We must have cool heads and a clear process to go through to secure agreement on the Government’s budget, because all that I said on Monday will come to pass if there is no agreement on the budget.
A process is under way within the Scottish Parliament to agree that and we are engaging in constructive discussions with all parties. I made it clear on Tuesday that, despite the comments that Mr Sarwar made on the radio that day, I do not in any way take the passage of the budget for granted. That is why this Government will fulfil, under my direction, its duty to engage constructively with all parties to secure a parliamentary majority and to ensure that we can deliver progress for Scotland.
Who is John Swinney trying to kid? Labour have folded and the budget will pass. Everyone knows that and he must be absolutely delighted by the weakness of Scottish Labour. This has been the cheapest budget deal in 26 years of devolution and it is typical of Labour to help the SNP, just as it did with Nicola Sturgeon’s gender law and Humza Yousaf’s hate crime act. [Interruption.]
Let us hear Mr Findlay.
At least that means that John Swinney will not have to strike any damaging deals with the Greens, as he has so often done in the past. Can he now rule out any new taxes or extremist policies that the Greens demand?
I have made it clear, as the finance secretary did in the budget statement in December, that the Government’s tax proposals will not change from what is in the budget and that there will be no further tax changes from this Government in advance of the 2026 elections. I hope that that gives some tax certainty, if Mr Findlay is genuinely seeking that clarity.
As for dialogue with other political parties, I go back to what I said in my previous answers. The Government’s door remains open for dialogue about the contents of the Government’s budget, because I want to have as much agreement as I can possibly construct in this Parliament to support the budget measures so that we can all work together, as we have a statutory duty to do, to eradicate child poverty in Scotland. The support of any member who is willing to help the Government in our efforts to eradicate child poverty will be welcomed by me.
The first part of John Swinney’s answer sounded like bad news for Patrick Harvie, but the second part was a bit less clear, so we will have to wait and see.
After almost two decades in power, John Swinney also said this week that he wants his budget to be “a turning point”, but what is it that he wants to turn away from? Is it all the times that he demanded to break up the United Kingdom? Is it the ferries that he wasted a fortune on? Is it the gender reforms that he backed? Is it the damage that he did to schools, or is it Nicola Sturgeon’s toxic legacy?
John Swinney was the driving force behind every damaging SNP policy for the past 18 years. This budget is not “a turning point”. Is it not just more of the same divisive, populist nonsense from John Swinney and the SNP?
I think that the budget has touched a bit of a raw nerve with the Conservatives. I will tell Mr Findlay a few things about the Government’s budget. Save the Children has encouraged
“all political parties in the Scottish Parliament to support the budget so children can benefit from the positive steps taken.”
The Scottish Retail Consortium said:
“Whilst the proposed Scottish Budget is far from perfect”—[Interruption.]
Let us hear the First Minister.
I will start again so that the Conservatives can properly hear what the voice of business is telling us about the budget. The Scottish Retail Consortium said:
“Whilst the proposed Scottish Budget is far from perfect and has flaws, there is much in it that retailers can get behind.”
It added:
“our hope is that ministers and”—[Interruption.]
Rachael Hamilton is now laughing at the voice of business in our Parliament. That is where the Conservative Party has now descended to. [Interruption.]
Let us hear the First Minister.
The Scottish Retail Consortium said:
“our hope is that ministers and MSPs can work collegiately to pass the Budget”.
In addition, Shelter Scotland has welcomed the Government’s investment in affordable housing, and local government has indicated that the budget represents a strong investment package.
There we have it. The views of child poverty organisations, business, local government and the housing sector in Scotland demonstrate that this is a budget for unity in Scotland. It is not a surprise that the populist Conservatives are having nothing to do with it.
National Health Service
In October, I warned of a winter crisis brewing in our national health service but, instead of taking action to develop a plan to keep patients and staff safe, the Scottish National Party buried its head in the sand.
The result has been deadly chaos. Over Christmas, 1,642 people waited more than 12 hours in accident and emergency departments, ambulances were put on red alert, a flu wave piled even more pressure on our hospitals, and thousands of people waited for hours even to get their calls answered by NHS 24.
Dr Iain Kennedy of the British Medical Association said:
“The NHS as we know it will struggle to see out another year”.
That is the deadly consequence of John Swinney plunging our NHS into a permanent crisis. Is that not the clearest sign that the SNP is taking Scotland in the wrong direction?
The first thing that I want to acknowledge is that the national health service has been under the most acute pressure in the past few weeks. We saw that rising in December with the emergence of flu cases, which resulted in very high demand on hospital services. The number of hospital admissions as a result of flu nearly doubled from 708 in the week ending 15 December to 1,382 in the week ending 22 December. The number of admissions then rose further to 1,596 in the week ending 29 December. Those statistics are an indication of the severity of the crisis that we have seen because of flu in our country.
Thankfully, the number of hospital admissions fell by 36 per cent in the week ending 5 January, but the number of hospital admissions in the week ending 29 December was the highest in any given week—as recorded by Public Health Scotland—going back to 2010. I have said that to explain the severity of the situation that the NHS has dealt with, and I express my thanks to the clinicians, staff, ambulance personnel, NHS 24 staff, general practitioners and everyone else in the healthcare system who has given everything that they could during the past few weeks to address the situation.
The Government has always recognised that there was a need for winter planning. We did that and, despite the enormous challenges, the NHS has withstood the greatest level of pressure since 2010. I thank members of staff for everything that they contributed to achieve that objective.
Our staff deserve praise, but they are being failed by the SNP Government, too. People across Scotland are living with the consequences of SNP failure.
Take the example of Robert, who is a retired policeman from Lanarkshire. He had to attend the accident and emergency department at Wishaw general hospital during the Christmas period due to crippling abdominal pain. Due to a lack of beds, he was forced to lie on the floor—on the floor—in excruciating pain for five and a half hours before he was eventually given morphine and oxycodone. A nurse told the family that it could be worse: one patient had been waiting more than 50 hours for a bed.
Under John Swinney’s watch, Scots who have worked all their lives, such as Robert, are forced to endure painful, dangerous and humiliating circumstances. Robert’s distressed daughter summed it up best when she said:
“My dad gave his all for others in his career, but now I am genuinely scared that the next time something happens to him he won’t make it through because of the mess that the SNP have allowed the NHS to get into.
The SNP couldn’t run a bath, let alone the NHS.”
I begin by expressing my apologies to Robert and his family for the experience that he had in Wishaw general hospital. I accept that the pressure on the NHS has made the treatment of individuals very challenging and difficult. People will not have had the experience that they should have had when receiving hospital care. I acknowledge and accept that, and I make no attempt to deny it. However, I have to say two things.
First, the level of demand and the pressure on the NHS must be acknowledged, given the scale of the pressure that we face as a consequence of the flu outbreak that we are dealing with.
Secondly, members of staff have gone out of their way to do everything that they can—by extending shifts and contributing more than could reasonably be asked of them—to do their level best for patients. I accept that, in some circumstances, that will not be enough and will not have been good enough for individuals, but we have to acknowledge those two issues, which I put to Parliament. Demand has been colossal for the NHS and, in addition, staff have given their all to support individuals such as Robert.
There is no clearer sign that the SNP is taking Scotland in the wrong direction than its woeful record on the NHS. We need faster access to general practitioners, but instead patients are forced to go to accident and emergency, plunging it further into crisis. We need to tackle long waits for treatment, but under the SNP nearly one in six Scots are stuck on a waiting list, with more than 100,000 people waiting for more than a year. We need to tackle the number of bed days that are lost to delayed discharge but, instead, thousands of people are stuck in hospital because, although they have been cleared to leave, they are unable to get a care package.
John Swinney has no plan, and his incompetence is risking the very existence of our NHS. Is it not the case that a change of direction for our NHS cannot come from John Swinney and the SNP? It can come only with a change of Government in 2026.
It is interesting that the people of Scotland were promised change by the Labour Government in July. What the people of Scotland have endured is, for example, the Labour Party utterly reneging on its commitment to compensate the WASPI women—women against state pension inequality. For pensioners, the change coming from the Labour Party is the removal of the winter fuel payment, when temperatures in this country are plummeting. The Labour Party’s promise of change is an absolute farce in front of the people of Scotland.
What this Government will do is concentrate on its plans to invest in and reform the national health service by ensuring that the measures in the budget are supported to improve the quality of care for people in Scotland: so that we have an expansion of frailty units to strengthen our accident and emergency capacity; so that we can expand hospital at home, which has been a huge asset to us in dealing with the winter pressures; so that we can support general practice with an extra £13.6 million; and so that we can strengthen investment in preventative measures to ensure that people are able to follow the advice—which many people did—to get the right care in the right place in advance of the winter pressures that we have faced.
All of that is contained in the Scottish Government’s budget, and I am delighted that it looks as if the Labour Party has at last come to its senses and realised that this is a budget that has strong measures to support people in Scotland.
However, Mr Sarwar needs to get off the fence. It is time for Mr Sarwar to vote in favour of lifting the two-child limit. It is time for Mr Sarwar to vote to reintroduce winter heating payments for pensioners. It is time for Mr Sarwar to get off the fence and back the Government’s budget.
Cabinet (Meetings)
I remind the chamber that, before being elected to this Parliament, I worked for eight years for the children’s charity Aberlour Child Care Trust.
To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet. (S6F-03675)
The Cabinet will next meet on Tuesday.
Before entering politics, I was a youth worker, and I vividly remember the first time that I saw a medical device known as a Tummy Tub. They are essentially buckets filled with body-temperature water, which simulate the womb in order to comfort babies going through withdrawal. They are needed because some babies are born addicted to drugs.
Since 2017, at least 1,500 babies have been born with neonatal abstinence syndrome, in which they show signs of drug addiction, such as uncontrollable trembling, hyperactivity and distressed crying. Aberlour wants to open more residential beds for mothers and babies—new intensive perinatal services. However, as things stand, all the funding for that ends next March.
Does the First Minister agree that those interventions require more Government money and more certainty? Scotland desperately needs world-leading drug services, because we need to stop people dying and because we need to do more to help those babies who spend the first days of their lives addicted to drugs.
Over the Christmas and new year period, I saw the material that Mr Cole-Hamilton published on this important issue. I acknowledge the seriousness of the point that he puts to me. No newborn baby should be born dependent on substances, and mothers should be able to get the help that they need, free from judgment and stigma. That principle underpins the Government’s approach to tackling drug issues in our society, and more will be announced and demonstrated about that in the next few days.
I welcome the points that Mr Cole-Hamilton has put to me today. We can discuss those issues further to determine what assistance the Government, in its financial provisions, can make to honour my commitment that no newborn baby should be born with any form of dependence on substances. I am happy to discuss those issues with Mr Cole-Hamilton, and I am sure that the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care will be able to take those discussions forward. We commit to addressing the legitimate points that Mr Cole-Hamilton has put to me today.
Energy Bills (Support)
To ask the First Minister, in light of recent freezing temperatures, whether he will provide an update on what steps the Scottish Government is taking to support low-income households with their energy bills. (S6F-03687)
This winter, we are forecasted to invest more than £65 million in our three winter heating benefits, which will provide vital support to more than 630,000 people with their energy bills. Additionally, we have increased investment in our warmer homes Scotland scheme by a further £20 million, taking the total investment to £85 million this financial year. That will help around 1,500 additional households to save an average of £400 a year each on their heating bills, thereby helping to tackle fuel poverty. We have also invested an additional £20 million in the Scottish welfare fund—no national equivalent of which is available elsewhere in the United Kingdom—to enable councils to provide more vital support to people in crisis this winter.
The Labour UK Government promised change. It promised to cut each household’s energy bills by £300 a year. Instead, since it came to power, we have seen not one energy price hike but two price hikes and an average fuel bill increase of £470 a year. That is on top of the effects of a cost of living crisis that was caused primarily by Westminster policies. Shamefully, the Labour UK Government removed the winter fuel payment from millions of pensioners; it gave no warning of its plans to do so before the election. Will the First Minister outline what steps the Scottish National Party Government is taking to bolster low-income household budgets, over and above helping directly with energy costs by restoring universal support next winter?
This year, we are committing more than £3 billion to policies that tackle poverty and, as far as possible, protect people during the on-going cost of living crisis. That commitment is an essential part of the Scottish Government’s work. This year alone, we are spending £154 million on activities to mitigate UK Government policies through schemes such as discretionary housing payments and the Scottish welfare fund, which provide vital support to households.
Given the agenda for change that was supposed to come from a Labour Government, we might have expected that many of the issues that we were previously mitigating because of the previous Conservative Government’s callousness would have been removed, but they have just been carried on. Indeed, on winter fuel payments, they have been made worse. People in Scotland will realise that it is the SNP Scottish Government that will act to protect those who face difficulty and that they will not get such support from a Labour Government.
Pensioners across Scotland have faced freezing temperatures this winter, and they will continue to do so over the coming weeks. The SNP is shamelessly trying to hoodwink pensioners by pretending that it has brought back the full winter payment for next year when it has not done so. Only the Conservatives have provided the full winter payment to pensioners—[Interruption.]
Let us hear Mr Balfour.
It has not been the SNP, and it has not been Labour. Does the First Minister accept that both the SNP Scottish Government and the Labour UK Government have let thousands of pensioners go cold this winter, rather than provide the support that they deserve and require?
Here we have it. A member of the Conservative Party, front-bench members of which want me to cut public expenditure by £1 billion to enable us to afford a tax cut, wants me to spend more money on winter fuel payments. That is what is being put to us today: demands for a £1 billion spending cut from Conservative front-bench members and for £155 million of expenditure from a back-bench member. There is absolutely not a scrap of cohesion in the nonsense that comes from the Conservative Party each day. [Interruption.]
Let us hear the First Minister.
As things stand, it appears to me that the people who are most likely to vote against the Scottish Government’s budget, which will include provisions to restore the winter fuel payment that was removed by—[Interruption.]. Mr Hoy is shouting at me, “Not this year.” I say to him that, in about six or seven weeks’ time, Parliament will face a vote on the budget, which will include the provision of winter fuel payments for all pensioner households in 2025-26. Will the Conservatives vote for that? Will they do so? The Conservatives want a winter fuel payment, but, in a few weeks’ time, they will have a choice—[Interruption.]
Let us hear the First Minister.
In six weeks’ time, will the Conservatives vote against a winter fuel payment for pensioners or will they not? From all that I can—[Interruption.]
I think that it is fair to say that we are probably all having difficulty hearing the only person who has been called to speak. Let us treat one another with courtesy and respect.
From what I can deduce, the Conservatives will turn their backs on pensioners in Scotland in six weeks’ time. [Interruption.] What pensioners in Scotland can rely on is the Scottish National Party Government.
Hikvision Closed-circuit Television
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is regarding the latest reported concerns on the use of Hikvision CCTV devices by local authorities in Scotland. (S6F-03677)
We are aware that there are CCTV cameras across local authorities that could be designed by Hikvision or include Hikvision components. Any decision on security cameras in local authorities is for councils to make. Although local authorities may choose to follow the Scottish Government’s lead in decommissioning all Hikvision cameras in the Scottish Government estate, they are under no obligation or duty to do so. We encourage all organisations to follow National Cyber Security Centre supply-chain security guidance when selecting a technology supplier. The guidance clearly sets out the security standards that suppliers should meet and the considerations that organisations should make during the procurement process.
The First Minister is well aware of previous concerns, including in the Scottish Government, about Hikvision technology being used for Chinese state surveillance, including in detention camps in Xinjiang, and of the fact that, because of Chinese intelligence law, companies such as Hikvision can be compelled to hand over material to the Chinese Government. As a result, three of our local authorities, including Stirling Council in my region, confirmed that they would not use Hikvision CCTV anywhere in their local authority. However, that is not the case for the majority of councils, nor is it the case for Police Scotland, which uses such cameras. There is therefore a concern about the surveillance of public spaces, including schools.
If ministers are to adhere to the advice of the Scottish Biometrics Commissioner that due diligence is essential with regard to the current use of Chinese Hikvision technology in Scotland, will the First Minister outline what decommissioning has taken place of Hikvision cameras and what remains in place? There is a question about full public transparency here, so I would be grateful if the First Minister clarified that.
As I indicated in my earlier answer, the Scottish Government decommissioned all Hikvision cameras across its estate last year. Liz Smith asks me for a further audit of that activity. She will appreciate that I can explore that issue in relation to Scottish Government activity. In relation to my ability to explore that in independent organisations such as local authorities, I suspect that the power for me to compel such an exploration does not exist; however, I could invite them to do that.
I will take away Liz Smith’s points and explore whether there is more that the Government can do to better align the activities of all public authorities in Scotland to address the legitimate points that have been accepted by the Government and that she has put to me today.
National Planning Framework 4
To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the effectiveness of the national planning framework 4 principles in creating sustainable places across Scotland that enhance human and environmental wellbeing. (S6F-03691)
National planning framework 4, which was published in February 2023, was a turning point for planning in Scotland. The Scottish Government has since monitored its impact and the delivery programme was last updated in October 2024. It showed that there has been positive progress in delivering NPF4 strategy principles and national planning policies. Planning decisions are for local planning authorities in the first instance, and we continue to work with them on applying NPF4 policies and practice.
Emerging local development plans will also reflect NPF4 in each part of Scotland. The Minister for Public Finance leads on that work, with a sharp focus on improving planning authority capacity and performance. That is a key part of our response to the housing emergency, including on-going work to unlock stalled sites for development.
Just before Christmas, the Scottish Government chose not to call in Aberdeen City Council’s decision to approve plans to build on the last remaining green space in Torry, St Fittick’s community park. There is no local consent for the development, but there is overwhelming local and national opposition to it. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has objected to the proposals on flooding grounds—and that flooding will only worsen. Torry has already borne the brunt of an unjust energy transition, losing all Torry to oil and gas infrastructure. The incinerator and sewage works loom over the city. People who live in Torry have a life expectancy that is 10 years lower than that of people in the rest of the city.
Torry should not lose its park to a corporate land grab. Will the First Minister explain to the people of Torry how the excellent principles in NPF4, which are designed to protect wellbeing and build healthy futures for our communities, are being upheld in that case?
I will make a few points to Maggie Chapman. I understand the importance that she and the community attach to the question, but, as it involves a live planning application that rests with Aberdeen City Council, I cannot comment in any specificity on it.
However, further to my first answer, I know that Aberdeen City Council will have to be mindful of the contents of national planning framework 4 in determining its decision on the application. On the point that Maggie Chapman puts to me, NPF4 has an effect on the consideration of the application.
Finally, I know that Ms Chapman wrote to the Minister for Public Finance on the issue and that, earlier this week, he responded by pointing out that the assessment report relating to the notification to ministers on the subject is publicly available on the Government’s website. Those issues can be considered in that context.
We move to constituency questions and general supplementaries.
Child Sexual Abuse (Mandatory Reporting)
I know that the First Minister will be aware of the work of the cross-party group on adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, having had regular supportive engagement with the group in his previous roles. He will also likely be aware of recent work on mandatory reporting, and of a round-table discussion on the matter that was held in the Parliament a couple of months ago, which I chaired in my position as convener of the group. Clearly, there is now a strong coalition of support for that measure from a broad range of survivor agencies and, crucially, from survivors themselves in Scotland.
In the light of the news this week that the United Kingdom Government will now introduce mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse across professional bodies, what further consideration has the Scottish Government given to adopting that approach in Scotland?
First, I commend Mr MacGregor on his leadership of the cross-party group on adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. He is correct that I have had a great deal of engagement with the group and with that area of policy in my previous roles in the Government.
I take the issue of child abuse extremely seriously. It is abhorrent and, as is a matter of record, the Government has taken a number of actions, including the establishment of the inquiry that is led by Lady Smith, to examine and confront the issues.
The Scottish Government absolutely accepts the point that Mr MacGregor makes about the importance of the issue being addressed by professionals. I want to be very clear in saying that, in Scotland, professionals already have a professional duty to report child abuse. A practitioner’s failure to do so could constitute a breach of their employment contract, lead to disciplinary action or give rise to a claim for civil damages. Practitioners could also be struck off social work, teaching or medical registers for gross misconduct.
We are, however, considering the United Kingdom Government’s proposed planned approach to mandatory reporting, and we will consider all relevant recommendations that come out of the independent Scottish child abuse inquiry that I referred to.
RAAC-affected Homes (Aberdeen)
Devastated owners of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete-affected homes in Aberdeen face being out of pocket, out of their homes and out of options when Aberdeen City Council purchases their homes at post-RAAC valuation rates. Claims for compensation from the Torry RAAC campaign group have seen the council point at the Government, the local MP point at the United Kingdom Government and the Scottish Government point at the council. Will the First Minister step in to help the residents or will he, too, duck responsibility and point at someone else?
Mr Kerr will appreciate that the issues are complex and that there will be interaction between private and public interests. The Minister for Housing has met council leaders and has been in discussion with the city council about the issues, because leadership on the question is vested in it.
I am certainly happy to take away the question that Mr Kerr has raised about whether more dialogue would help to provide a solution for individuals, and I accept that distress and uncertainty are being caused for members of the public. I will ask the Minister for Housing to look again at the questions and to determine whether there is anything further that the Government can do to assist dialogue on the matter.
Autism Assessment and Support
Yesterday, the National Autistic Society Scotland and Autistic Knowledge Development published a report on the embrace autism programme, which examines the benefits of having post-diagnostic support for people who receive the assessment of having autism. The results of the programme were extremely positive. For example, the number of people reporting having no purpose in life fell from one in four to one in 10, and understanding of autism rose dramatically. Unfortunately, in the current pathway, diagnosis is, essentially, an end point, whereas for people it is a starting point for their understanding of autism.
Although we know that, in 2019, 9,700 people in England and Wales were awaiting assessment, with the number rising to 78,000, we do not have comparable numbers for Scotland. Does the First Minister agree that we need to look at putting in place post-diagnostic support for people who receive such an assessment? Furthermore, before we do that, can we at least have accurate numbers on people awaiting assessment for autism and for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder?
I remind members of my diagnosis.
I accept the importance of the points that Mr Johnson puts to me. I read the report yesterday: obviously, the weakness in data is a matter of concern. I will take the point away and see whether there is more that we can do to strengthen the data that is available.
We have provided support to assist in this area through a couple of channels—the general allocation to health boards around mental health and psychological service support and, specifically, our adult autism support fund. However, I would be the first to accept that the type of assistance that Mr Johnson is talking about is unlikely to be met by the size of the resources that are currently available.
I assure Mr Johnson that we will explore the questions. The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care will be happy to do so. I know that Mr Johnson will have engaged with the health secretary on those points, because I know how much of a contribution to parliamentary proceedings he has made on the subject.
I assure him that the Government will explore what is possible on whether there is more that we can do to address the findings in the report.
Many members wish to put questions. Concise questions and responses will give more members the opportunity to do so.
Lockerbie Inquiry
Following the recent publication of Dr Jim Swire’s book on Lockerbie, and its subsequent serialisation on television, and given the resistance of the United Kingdom Government—even after 30 years—to requests to release documents relating to the atrocity, and the remaining concerns of some people, including me, about the credibility of the conviction of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, would the First Minister support a UK inquiry?
First, let me express my sympathies to those who lost loved ones on board Pan Am flight 103 and in the town of Lockerbie. I remember the event vividly. It was terrifying for the community in Dumfries and Galloway and for all the families who were affected by the atrocity.
Members will be aware that an on-going criminal case is under way in the American courts, so I would prefer not to speculate on possible inquiries while criminal investigations and judicial processes remain open. Of course, it is a matter of fact that the Lord Advocate has been very closely involved in the preparation for criminal proceedings in the United States.
Illegal Release of Lynx
Yesterday, the illegal release of two lynx south of Aviemore was spotted by local gamekeepers. Gamekeepers then worked with the police and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland to safely recapture the animals, which I am pleased to say are now safe in care.
Will the First Minister join me in condemning that illegal release and in thanking all those who were involved in the capture of the animals without harming them? Will he also ask the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands to meet me to discuss the genuine concerns that were caused for my constituents by what was a very serious wildlife crime?
I agree with Mr Mountain’s comments in relation to the illegal release of the two lynx. It should not have happened—it was an illegal act, and I join him in condemning it.
I am enormously grateful to everybody who contributed to the safe capture of the lynx. They have been captured by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which is one of the great and wonderful assets of our country. I am aware that a number of other parties assisted in the process, including Police Scotland officers and local gamekeepers.
I am certain that the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands will be happy to meet Mr Mountain to discuss his question.
National Galleries of Scotland (Art Works Project)
In committee evidence, National Galleries of Scotland stated that the lack of investment in its estate is increasing to “a critical level” the risk of a “catastrophic incident” in the gallery buildings. The largest project to mitigate that risk—the art works project in Granton, north Edinburgh—has yet to get off the ground. Will the Scottish Government do all that it can to expedite progress on the project? Can the First Minister assure us that no national galleries will close their doors?
In my previous answer, I made reference to the great assets of Scotland. National Galleries of Scotland is another of Scotland’s great assets, and we are determined to support the galleries. The Government budget includes a record £34 million uplift for culture, and National Galleries of Scotland received a 9 per cent increase in its overall budget. I hope that that data reassures Mr Choudhury of the importance that the Government attaches to nurturing and supporting our cultural assets.
As a country, we are enormously fortunate to have our national galleries and the collections that they nurture on our behalf. The Government will engage constructively with the national galleries to ensure that they are well supported through the challenges that lie ahead.
I come back to my key point, which I made to Mr Choudhury before—or, maybe, around the time when—the Government’s budget was set out, which is that we need votes to get the Government’s budget through. In that answer, I promised him that there would be a big settlement for culture, and I have delivered on my word. All that he needs to do now is vote for the Government’s budget, then we will all be happy.
Non-surgical Cosmetic Procedures (Public Consultation)
I welcome the launch of the public consultation on non-surgical cosmetic procedures, and I want to ensure that as many people as possible have the opportunity to respond to it. Will the First Minister join me in encouraging people to respond to the consultation? Their input will help to shape the action that the Scottish Government will take to improve client safety in that growing industry.
I am grateful to Mr McMillan for his question and I pay tribute to the campaign work that he has undertaken on the issue for some time.
The consultation to which he refers has been brought forward by the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health in order to develop proposals for robust and effective regulation. The consultation closes on 14 February, so I encourage anyone who wishes to express a view to contribute to formulation of the approach to the issue.
National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Research and Surveillance Unit (Closure)
I have been contacted by constituents who are concerned at reports that the national CJD research and surveillance unit, which is based in Edinburgh, might close in March. The unit has done significant work for the past 34 years, including the identification in 1996 of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. The unit is funded through the UK Government, and I have written to the UK and Scottish health secretaries about the matter.
Can the First Minister comment on the potential closure of the unit and on concerns that no guarantee has been given about retention of the data, samples and evidence that have been accumulated over decades? Does he agree that it is vital that that work be retained and made available for current and future research?
I am not familiar with the situation that Mr Ross has mentioned, but the contents of what he has put to me sound very significant. I will discuss the issue with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and explore Mr Ross’s substantive points, because I understand the importance of supporting data and research. I will write to Mr Ross with a substantive answer.
Business Confidence
The latest Bank of Scotland business barometer shows that business confidence in Scotland rose 13 per cent in December. What assessment has the First Minister made of the findings? Can he outline how the budget will support business and thus help confidence to rise further?
Growing the economy is central to delivery of all our priorities—in particular, our agenda of eradicating child poverty and investing in our public services. The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic and I are engaged actively in supporting investment. Yesterday, the Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy and I were present at the announcement of an £800 million investment in battery energy storage activity in Scotland by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners. That is an indication of the openness for business that Scotland represents.
The budget includes investment of £321 million through our excellent enterprise agencies, a £200 million investment in the Scottish National Investment Bank and a £15 million fund to help start-ups to grow. Those are all more reasons why the budget should be supported, so that we can all contribute to supporting growth and development of the Scottish economy, which will bring benefits to us all.
That concludes First Minister’s question time. There will be a short suspension to allow people leaving the chamber and the gallery to do so.
12:45 Meeting suspended.Air ais
General Question TimeAir adhart
Scotland’s Connectivity