Official Report 901KB pdf
National Health Service
Last week, Scotland’s nurses issued a desperate and urgent warning about our broken national health service. Patients in extreme pain are stripped of their dignity and left for hours in accident and emergency departments. Waiting times for life-changing and life-saving operations keep going up. People are not able to get appointments for general practitioners or for dentists. Targets are being missed so often that they have become largely meaningless. Does John Swinney really still have confidence in his health secretary, Neil Gray?
Yes, I do. The health secretary and I are deeply engaged in ensuring that there is effective leadership in place to support the national health service to recover from the implications of Covid some years ago and the severe implications of the flu that we have experienced in recent weeks. We are entirely focused on the challenge.
Our NHS is in a permanent state of turmoil, but Neil Gray is failing to do his job and is refusing to be straight with the public. This week, the health secretary admitted that he misled the Parliament . After taking taxpayer-funded limos to nine football matches, he claimed that they were all to discuss Government business. Crucially, he said that he had all the official notes to prove that, but it turns out that some of the notes do not exist—Neil Gray just made that up. That was his second formal apology to the Parliament. Surely long-suffering patients deserve honest leadership at this time of crisis.
That is exactly what patients in Scotland have. [Interruption.]
On the national health service, I will tell it as it is. That is why the health secretary and I spent a large amount of time on Wednesday with a whole range of stakeholders from across the health sector, who will be crucial in helping us to support the national health service to navigate its way through the challenges that we face because of an ageing population and a significant increase in demand. That is what the health secretary and I are focused on. That is what we are doing this week, and that is what we will be doing henceforward.
I would be grateful if members could avoid shouting out in the chamber.
With that answer, the First Minister confirms that he is in a state of denial. He appears to have given a free pass to his distracted health secretary, no matter what he does. This afternoon, the planned national care service that Neil Gray is supposed to be in charge of will be scrapped, without having treated a single patient and with tens of millions of pounds down the drain. Neil Gray is giving Humza Yousaf and Michael Matheson a run for their money as the SNP’s worst health secretary. He misled Parliament, but he did not come clean straight away. The truth had to be dragged out of him by the Scottish Conservatives. I have a simple question: when exactly did John Swinney first know that Neil Gray had misled Parliament?
All those issues have been set out to Parliament. The health secretary made a statement to Parliament—[Interruption.]
Let us hear the First Minister.
The health secretary came here and raised a point of order on Tuesday, when it was clear from the points that had been raised by the Conservative and Labour members that there was an issue in relation to his original statement. I have dealt with those questions accordingly.
I say to Mr Findlay and to members of the public around the country that they should be assured that their First Minister and their health secretary are absolutely focused on delivering the leadership that is necessary to strengthen and to improve the national health service and to deliver for patients. That is my commitment to Parliament today.
That is just textbook John Swinney—failing to answer the most simple of questions. If we did not keep raising the issue, Neil Gray would never have admitted that he had misled Parliament over taxpayer-funded limos to the football. That flagrant breach must be investigated by the independent adviser on the ministerial code. John Swinney is standing by Neil Gray, just as he backed Michael Matheson and Humza Yousaf. Patients will continue to be let down by another dishonest, disgraced and distracted health secretary who is failing to bring down waiting lists.
In the real world, if people cannot do their jobs properly or do not tell the truth, they get the sack. Is it not time for John Swinney to show some leadership by sending Neil Gray—in a chauffeur-driven limo, if he likes—to collect his P45?
It is important that we put this matter in its proper context. The issue that Neil Gray had to address in Parliament on Tuesday revolved around one word that was inserted in his answer to Stephen Kerr during his parliamentary statement. That one word was the word “all”—a three-letter word—[Interruption.]
Let us hear the First Minister.
In his answer to Neil Bibby and in his original parliamentary statement, there was no issue about the language used by Neil Gray. In one answer, Neil Gray used one word that he should not have used—the word “all”—[Interruption.]
I would be grateful if those of us who are privileged to sit in the chamber could treat one another with courtesy and respect.
On the basis of that fact, I judge that Neil Gray, in taking the action that he has taken, has acted entirely appropriately in his responsibilities to Parliament and in accordance with the ministerial code. Of course, it is up to the independent advisers whom I have appointed to take a different view from the one that I have taken—I will be inviting my independent advisers to consider the view that I have taken, and they will be free to take that decision. That is why I have strengthened the ministerial code, it is why I have strengthened the independent advisers and it is why I have appointed three individuals of eminent reputation to make sure that they can scrutinise these questions.
Fundamentally, what matters to the people of Scotland today is that they have a Government that is focused on the concerns of the people, on making sure that we strengthen the national health service—[Interruption.]
We will hear the First Minister.
—and on bringing down waiting times. That is the focus of the First Minister and the health secretary. The Conservatives do not care about that, but I certainly do.
National Health Service
Our national health service and social care system is in permanent crisis under the Scottish National Party. One route to solving the crisis lies in tackling delayed discharge, where a patient is medically cleared to go home but cannot, often due to the lack of a care package. In the words of Dr Iain Kennedy of the British Medical Association,
“The key to unlocking the front door of our hospitals lies at the back door.”
However, under the SNP, delayed discharge has soared.
On Monday, I raised the case of Yvonne, a 68-year-old grandmother from Auchterarder who is living with multiple sclerosis. Despite being medically cleared to go home, she had to spend an extra two months in hospital waiting for a care package. In desperation, she took to wearing T-shirts that said, “Can I go home now?” and “Bed blocker”. How have John Swinney and Neil Gray allowed the situation to get so bad?
The issues around delayed discharge are complex because, in essence, they rely on the strength and capacity of the social care system in Scotland. That is the key question that the Government is addressing in the steps that we are taking to ensure that the health service and the care system meet the needs of the public in Scotland.
One of the steps that we are taking to try to make the position better—I accept that the situation that Mr Sarwar has put to me is not acceptable—is to put in place a record funding settlement for the health service, which will strengthen social care. We are also delivering a real-terms increase in local authority budgets so that local authorities are able to contribute more to health and social care partnerships to ensure that more social care places are available at local level. Those are practical and tangible actions that the Government is taking to address the situation.
The fact is that it is getting worse, not better, under this Government. In 2015, the SNP pledged to end delayed discharge, but—much like its pledges on waiting times, accident and emergency performance and social care—things have got worse, not better. On any given day, around 2,000 Scots are stuck in hospital, despite being cleared to leave.
Over the past decade, we have had five health secretaries, and the cost of their collective failure to deal with the situation has risen to more than £1.5 billion. The biggest price has been paid by countless Scots who have been failed as the situation has deteriorated.
However, apparently, we are not to worry. We are told that the self-described “full-on John” is rolling up his sleeves and taking personal charge of the crisis that his party has created in our NHS. Given that he already rolled up his sleeves and wrecked our education system and rolled up his sleeves and wrecked the public finances, is it any wonder that Scots fear for the future of our NHS under the SNP?
I remind members that we do not use nicknames in the chamber.
There will be no worry on that front from me, Presiding Officer.
I am really touched that Mr Sarwar is taking such a close interest in all my press interviews. That suggests that he is a bit touchy about things these days. It suggests that he is perhaps a little bit worried about his position and that he is not quite as confident that he is heading in the direction of Bute house. However, if he is that worried, that tells us that we are on the right course in what we are doing.
Over the course of the past few weeks and months, a number of important steps have been taken by the Government to strengthen the availability of social care in our country. Some of the steps that we are taking are the expansion of frailty units, which are associated with A and E departments; the expansion of the hospital-at-home system, which is designed to care for individuals in their own homes and provide them with clinical care so that they avoid being in hospital; and the support that has been put in place in relation to the strengthening of general practitioner practices, which, of course, is not helped by the United Kingdom Government’s changes to employer national insurance contributions.
Of course, there is a big decision coming up for the Parliament in the next few weeks—the decision about the budget. The budget delivers a record financial settlement for the health service and a real-terms increase for local authority funding to support the social care system. The big question is whether Labour will support the Government in our investment in the social care system.
With that answer, it is clear that John Swinney will not be joining Nicola Sturgeon at the Glasgow comedy festival. However, come May 2026, he will be joining her as an ex-First Minister of this country, because the SNP’s record on the NHS is one of abject failure. Our NHS and care system is in permanent crisis, and we have a health secretary in whom no one has confidence. He should be sacked for mismanaging our NHS, not just for misleading this Parliament.
Right now, on the SNP’s watch, more than 863,000 Scots are stuck on an NHS waiting list, and more than 100,000 of them have been waiting for more than a year to be seen. Right now, 2,000 Scots are stuck in hospital. Despite having been medically cleared to leave, they are unable to go home. No matter who it chooses as the latest health secretary, the SNP cannot deliver the new direction that our country needs.
Instead, today, John Swinney will gut his National Care Service (Scotland) Bill, with years having been wasted, millions lost and not a single extra hour of care delivered. Is that not just the latest example that no good idea survives SNP incompetence?
Yesterday, I convened a discussion at which stakeholders in the health service discussed all the challenges that we face. I am completely open about the fact that we face challenges in the health service in Scotland today. That is why I convened yesterday’s session, and it is why I am setting out the steps that we are taking to ensure that we have an immediate focus on ensuring that the resources are in place to drive down waiting times and to tackle delayed discharge. That is what we are doing.
One of the participants in yesterday’s discussion raised with me the damage and difficulty that will be faced by general practice because of the imposition of an increase in employer national insurance contributions. Is it not interesting—[Interruption.]
Let us hear the First Minister.
Is it not interesting that the Labour Party and the Labour leader are rather silent on the question of employer national insurance contributions? That is a classic example of the Westminster Government acting in a fashion that will damage the delivery of health and social care in Scotland. [Interruption.]
Let us hear the First Minister.
No amount of shouting at me by Labour members will distract me from pointing out to the public the damage that will be done because of that increase.
What do we find out? We find out that Anas Sarwar is completely and utterly hopeless and powerless in the face of a UK Government that has taken a decision that will damage Scotland’s health and social care system. The people of Scotland know that this Government will protect the interests of Scotland when Anas Sarwar sells them out.
Bus Travel (Cost)
Buses in Scotland are too expensive. We see fare hikes every year, with passengers across the country having to fork out even more cash to get on board. As part of this year’s budget negotiations, the Scottish Greens have called for a £2 cap on bus fares. For example, folks living in the First Minister’s constituency are paying an extortionate £5.10 to travel from Blairgowrie to Perth. A £2 cap on bus fares would save a commuter on that journey £31 a week, or £124 a month. Does the First Minister agree that we should cap fares and make buses in Scotland cheaper?
I understand the logic of the point that Lorna Slater makes. We want to make sure that public transport is affordable for individuals. In the period in which we worked with the Scottish Green Party in government, we took the step of introducing the concessionary travel scheme for under-22s, which has been a huge benefit. That scheme benefits many of my constituents, and it will benefit many of Lorna Slater’s constituents.
The aspiration of delivering public transport that is as low cost as possible is an aspiration that the Government shares. I am aware of the proposals that have been advanced by the Scottish Green Party, and I give Lorna Slater an assurance that they will be considered seriously by the Scottish Government.
Cheaper bus tickets are the right thing for people and planet. They would help people to save money and to leave their cars at home, and they would open up new opportunities. Already, thanks to the introduction of free bus travel for everyone under 22, which was secured by the Scottish Greens, young people across Scotland have made more than 150 million free bus journeys.
We must go further to deliver a truly affordable, reliable and accessible bus network across Scotland. We must reverse the damage of privatisation, protect essential routes and build publicly owned services that deliver for all passengers. What more is the Scottish Government doing to cut the cost of buses and to support workers and commuters?
We are taking a number of steps, some of which involve investing in the bus fleet. We are trying to lower the carbon footprint of that fleet through the investments that the Cabinet Secretary for Transport is taking forward. We are, obviously, very pleased with how the under-22s concessionary travel system is operating, because that has provided social mobility and opportunity for young people across the country and made a real difference to their lives.
I understand the proposals put forward by the Green Party and the benefits that would arise from being able to implement those proposals. They were not included in the Government’s budget in December, but I give Lorna Slater the assurance that they will be seriously considered by the Government as we move forward with our budget preparations.
US Import Tariffs
To ask the First Minister, in light of the inauguration of Donald Trump as US President, and the reported prospect of import tariffs, what sectors of Scottish business it anticipates may be most affected. (S6F-03735)
I am alert to the dangers of tariffs and to the damage that they can cause, and we are closely engaging with the fact that President Trump has asked the US Secretary of Commerce to investigate the US’s annual trade deficit and its economic and security implications.
It is important to note that no new tariffs have been established. We do not believe that tariffs are the answer, and we urge all parties with an interest in the export of Scottish goods to come together to work towards a mutually beneficial resolution.
The First Minister must, of course, be constrained and diplomatic and work in the interest of Scottish businesses. I understand that, but I am not so constrained. I find Donald Trump to be creepy and see his policies potentially wrecking not only the world economy but the Scottish economy.
Does the First Minister recall that, in 2019, phase 1 of Trumponomics involved using tariffs against the European Union, which impacted Scotland when a 25 per cent tariff on each bottle of malt whisky cost the industry £600 million in just 18 months? What damage does the First Minister worry would be brought to the whisky industry and others if tariffs were to continue or to be reimposed?
It would be a brave individual who suggested that Christine Grahame should be diplomatic on any day of the week, and I certainly do not intend to go into that particular abyss.
Christine Grahame raises an important issue because, if there were to be tariffs of the type that she set out, that would be very damaging to key sectors of the Scottish economy, of which probably the strongest example would be the Scotch whisky industry. That is why, although I entirely understand that people will have very strong views about President Trump, it is my duty as First Minister of Scotland to ensure that I take every step that I can to protect the economic and national interests of Scotland. That is why, should that situation arise, I will engage emphatically to protect the interests of Scotland and to engage with the President of the United States if it is necessary to do so.
I hope that we do not end up in that situation, because Scotland and the United States enjoy and experience a strong and long-lasting relationship, and I want that to continue to thrive in the years to come.
I remind members of my entry in the register of members’ interests in relation to my connection with the Scotch Whisky Association.
As Christine Grahame has fairly said, tariffs on Scotch whisky during Donald Trump’s first presidency were calculated to have cost the industry £600 million, and we cannot run any risk of that damage being repeated. Does the First Minister therefore agree that all politicians here should recognise the need, in the interests of our economy, to work constructively with the new US regime, whatever our view of Donald Trump might be, and that, in the words of the new president of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, some need to “haud their wheesht” when it comes to criticising the President?
If Murdo Fraser will forgive me, I will just be accountable for my conduct and contribution. People can be assured that this First Minister will be focused on the issues that matter to the people of Scotland. We have talked about the national health service already in this session. The issue of the NHS matters to me, and the Scottish economy and its prospects, including those of the Scotch whisky industry, all matter to me, into the bargain. I will take forward my responsibilities to make sure that Scotland’s economic interests are protected. Should that come from engagement and dialogue with the President of the United States, notwithstanding people’s views about the President, I will do exactly that, because it is my duty as First Minister to do so.
Accident and Emergency Waiting Times
To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government is taking to address concerns regarding waiting times in A and E departments, following reports of a mother having to wait 50 hours for medical care at University hospital Wishaw. (S6F-03736)
I apologise for the long wait that was experienced by the patient who was referred to by Meghan Gallacher, and to anyone whose experience of the national health service has fallen short. Services have been under exceptional pressure due to a number of issues, including a rise in winter illness, as I recounted to the Parliament last week.
On Monday, along with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, I held a further meeting with health boards, the Scottish Ambulance Service, NHS 24 and Public Health Scotland to assess the pressures and discuss on-going work to minimise delays. As part of that, we will build on the good work that is under way in many boards to ensure that every core A and E department has a frailty unit, which has been shown to shorten lengths of stays and improve outcomes for patients.
Lynn Nelson said:
“I genuinely did not believe I would leave that hospital.”
When I spoke to her this morning, she told me of her ordeal when she arrived at Wishaw general hospital in my region. She told me that the hospital was like a war zone and that she had no access to basic facilities such as a toilet or medication for pain relief. The issue is not the nurses or the doctors; it is the system that is fundamentally broken. Lynn is grateful to all the NHS staff who helped her, especially those on the ward, who she says gave outstanding care.
However, Lynn is yet to receive an apology from the health secretary for the disgraceful mismanagement of our NHS. She does not want anyone else to endure what she did. Will the First Minister write to Lynn to apologise for her having to wait 50 hours for medical care at Wishaw general hospital? Will he finally admit that the system is broken and install a health secretary who is fully focused on fixing our NHS?
If Meghan Gallacher provides me with her constituent’s address, I will happily write to convey the apology that I have put on the record in the Parliament today, because I think that what happened is unacceptable. However, I have also explained to the Parliament the enormous pressures that the health service is enduring because of the significant upsurge in winter flu cases that we have experienced in recent weeks.
The situation that was reported to me and the health secretary on Monday is an improved situation. The pressure is less intense. That should not be confused with there being no pressure, because there remains significant pressure on the national health service, but the health secretary and I are entirely focused on making sure that we address those issues, and we will continue to do so, because it is essential that we focus on what matters to the people of Scotland. That is about improving the health service, which is what we are committed to doing.
Every week the First Minister says sorry, and every week it gets worse. A and E departments across Scotland continue to be in chaos, with more than 173,000 patients having waited more than eight hours to be seen in A and E last year.
The First Minister hosted an NHS crisis meeting in Bute house yesterday. He has already sidelined the health secretary, and he is finally waking up to the years of Scottish National Party failure, but, of course, he was at the heart of the SNP Government for 17 of those 18 years. The First Minister is keen to tell us about the importance of staff, and on that we can agree. They are working flat out to keep patients safe, and there is no solution to the crisis that does not involve NHS staff. I therefore ask the First Minister to explain why Unison and other trade unions that represent the majority of NHS staff were not invited to his meeting yesterday. Do they not matter?
Jackie Baillie said that every week it gets worse. That is not true. [Interruption.] I am getting lectured about the importance of accuracy in what we say in the Parliament, so Jackie Baillie better listen to what I am going to say to her about her statement. [Interruption.]
Let us hear the First Minister.
Although the performance of A and E units is not where we want it to be, performance on the four-hour target has risen in each week since the week ending 22 December as a result of the hard work of the staff in the health service. Jackie Baillie should stop running down the staff of the national health service. For her information, I note that more than 1 million patients in Scotland have been treated within the four-hour target during the past year, and that is because our staff deliver on our behalf. We are very proud of them, into the bargain. [Interruption.]
Let us hear the First Minister.
Oh, I think that I have touched—[Interruption.]
I am calling on members to ensure that we can hear the First Minister or, indeed, whoever has been called to speak.
I do not think that Jackie Baillie wants to hear that she is giving factual inaccuracies to the Parliament today. I do not think that she is interested in hearing that. [Interruption.]
Can we please conduct ourselves in an orderly manner?
I am going to explain the fact that Jackie Baillie is sharing incorrect information with the Parliament. If Jackie Baillie—[Interruption.]
This is wholly unacceptable. If there are members who wish to come to the chamber and shout, they should perhaps think about whether this is where they wish to be. We have a great—[Interruption.]
If members wish to remain in the chamber, it is essential that they conduct themselves in a courteous and respectful manner. That includes respecting the authority of the chair.
On Wednesday, I had a round-table discussion with the health secretary and a range of health stakeholders, some of whom represent employees in the national health service. The author of the survey that Mr Sarwar cited to me last week—the Royal College of Nursing—was represented around the table. It is important to note that I heard directly from those who represent some of the workforce.
That is not the last discussion that we will have in Bute house about the national health service. We made that clear earlier in the week. If Jackie Baillie had been paying as much attention to my press output as Anas Sarwar has, she would have heard that there will be more round-table discussions in Bute house. I will be delighted for Unison, the GMB and other unions to participate. I suspect that they will make a more constructive contribution than Jackie Baillie ever will.
Deepfake Images and Videos
To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government plans to make creating sexually explicit “deepfake” images and videos a crime. (S6F-03730)
I recognise the significant harm that can be caused by such images—especially to women, who are often the victims. The publication, distribution or sharing of sexually explicit deepfake images or videos without consent can currently be prosecuted using the offence concerning disclosure of intimate images.
The development of artificial intelligence means that creating such images is easier than ever. It is a growing problem, which we take very seriously. Therefore, we are carefully considering whether specific legislation is required to provide greater protection to those who are at risk of image-based abuse. That work includes giving consideration to United Kingdom Government plans to criminalise the creation of deepfake images being extended to Scotland. That would require legislative consent, and we are open to working with the UK Government on it.
Deepfake abuse has been described as a “new frontier” of violence against women. The proliferation of sexually explicit deepfake images has grown at an alarming rate and is causing devastating harm to victims. #MyImageMyChoice, which is a campaign group that tackles image abuse, has found that 99 per cent of deepfake images are of women and girls.
One of the most unsettling features of that abuse is that it is often people who are known to the victim who are creating and sharing the images. Teenage girls have found that their classmates are using apps to transform their social media posts into nudes before sharing them. I have raised the issue before, so I am pleased with the First Minister’s answer. Does he agree that there is now urgency to close any loopholes in the law in Scotland by working with the United Kingdom Government, which is doing the same? As I said, it is the sharing of images that is illegal, so we need to close that gap. Does the First Minister agree that we, as a Parliament, and the Scottish Government need to send a clear message that dealing with that type of abuse is part of the campaign to eradicate violence against women and girls?
Yes. I agree with that point from Pauline McNeill. She makes an important point about the pace at which the threat has arisen. The answer of substance that I gave was based on the fact that, in 2016, this Parliament passed the Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Act 2016, which provides for the action that I set out in my answer. However, it is just nine years later, and the situation that Pauline McNeill has put to me demonstrates the pace at which roll-out of technology is happening.
The UK Government has said that it intends to amend the Data (Use and Access) Bill to criminalise those who create artificial images either for sexual gratification or to cause alarm, distress or humiliation. There is perhaps an opportunity to move at pace because of what the UK Government has done and because it has a legislative vehicle available for us to utilise legislative consent to make urgent progress on the question. I give Pauline McNeill the assurance that the Government will engage constructively with the UK Government, with urgency, to ensure that that is the case.
We move to general and constituency supplementaries.
Cream o’ Galloway (Manufacturing)
Does the First Minister share my concern about the news that Brymor, the owner of the uniquely Dumfries and Galloway brand, Cream o’ Galloway, is planning to move manufacturing of the brand from Galloway to North Yorkshire? It is a huge letdown for local people and will be of considerable concern to my constituents. Can the First Minister provide an assurance that the Scottish Government’s PACE—partnership action for continuing employment—will support anyone who has lost a job?
I regret that decision. Obviously, the Government will use its agencies to support any individual who is affected. We will also engage with the company to see whether there is any way in which we can ensure continuation of production in the Dumfries and Galloway area, given the importance of authenticity in the source of production of important products of that type.
Pinneys of Scotland Site
It has been reported that the former Pinneys site in Annan has been broken into 12 times in the past year, and the factory has been ransacked. It is coming up for seven years since the factory’s closure was announced, and there is no sign of life at the site, let alone the 120 jobs that were promised by the Scottish Government at the time, when Scottish Enterprise sourced a buyer for the site and pledged to invest almost £2 million of taxpayers’ money.
Recent events have left my constituents wondering what has gone so badly wrong. Will the First Minister commit to an investigation of the deal with Bhagat Holdings Ltd, and will he publish a timeline of the involvement of the Scottish Government and its agencies at the site since 2018?
I am happy to provide Mr Mundell with a substantive response to the points that he has raised. Our enterprise agencies do a very good job of securing investment and working with companies to create employment. They have a formidable track record of success.
There will, however, be ventures that do not come to fruition. Members who have any understanding of the economy understand that there is risk; some ventures succeed and some ventures do not. However, I am assured and confident that our enterprise agencies do a fantastic job in attracting investment to our country, and we should all applaud the work that they undertake.
Cervical Cancer (Vaccination Programme)
In the United Kingdom, around 3,200 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, with more than 800 of those losing their lives. This week marks cervical cancer prevention week, which is a week-long campaign that raises awareness about cervical cancer screening and prevention, encouraging uptake of both. Will the First Minister provide an update on the success of the human papillomavirus vaccine programme in reducing cervical cancer rates in Scotland?
The HPV vaccination programme has achieved great success in Scotland. Since the programme started offering immunisation to girls aged 12 to 13 in schools, research has shown that no cervical cancer cases have been detected in women who have been fully vaccinated as part of the programme. It is a remarkable achievement by the programme.
The Scottish Government is working with Public Health Scotland and the cervical cancer elimination expert group to ensure that our measures to eliminate the diseases that are caused by HPV are available to all and effective for all, with the aim of eliminating cervical cancer. This year’s vaccination programme is under way. I strongly encourage parents to give their consent and ensure that young people receive the protection that is offered by the vaccine.
Uist (Haulage Costs)
The First Minister will be aware of the eye-watering increases in haulage costs for perishable food to businesses in Uist. In some cases, prices have increased by 120 per cent, stopping some food supplies within the islands. Press reports state that DFDS has already engaged with the Scottish Government about the issue. What is the outcome of that engagement? Will the First Minister act to protect consumers in Uist? Will he now stop the 10 per cent ferry fare increase to the islands?
The Government has had engagement with DFDS on that question. I will ensure that an update is provided to Rhoda Grant on that, so that the concerns that have been raised can be properly addressed. Obviously, it is a decision for DFDS.
The Government has to operate a sustainable ferry network, and the price increases that have been put forward are essential to ensure the sustainability of the ferry network, which is critical to the delivery of good services and to individuals’ access to the islands. Of course, many ferry journeys benefit from the road equivalent tariff, which was brought in by the Scottish Government. That has meant that the cost of travel to our islands is formidably lower than it would have been had we left the matter to the neglect of the Labour Party, which did not introduce the road equivalent tariff before this Government came to office.
Bank of New York Mellon (Edinburgh Office)
The First Minister might be aware that BNY Mellon has announced the closure of its Edinburgh office, signalling the loss of around 400 jobs for the Lothian region. Has the First Minister had any contact with the bank? Does he accept that the reason why those jobs are going south is to do with the policies that his Government is pursuing?
That is a significant issue. The point that I would make is contrary to what Mr Balfour has put on the record. If I heard him correctly, he mentioned the closure of the BNY Mellon site. However, that is not what BNY Mellon said this morning, which was that it is
“currently evaluating the scale of our operations at our Capital House site in Edinburgh”.
It is really important that members of Parliament do not cause unnecessary alarm among members of the public who are employed by companies. If I misheard Mr Balfour, I will apologise, but I do not think that I did.
We engage constructively with BNY Mellon, which is a great investor in Scotland: it is one of a huge number of financial services companies that employ thousands of people here. Yesterday, the Deputy First Minister and I, along with a number of ministers, visited the new headquarters of JPMorganChase, which employs more than 2,500 staff at a magnificent state-of-the-art campus that it has opened in the centre of Glasgow.
We should have a lot of pride in the strength of our financial services sector. The Scottish Government will always engage constructively with any company that is examining the footprint of its operations in Scotland.
Energy Skills Passport Pilot
As we progress on our journey to net zero, it is absolutely vital that we recognise and retain the considerable skills of oil and gas workers, who will continue to play an incredibly important part in taking forward the green jobs of the future. How will the energy skills passport pilot scheme, which was launched this week, support workers to identify routes to careers in renewables and clean energy?
That is one of the measures that we are bringing forward as part of our programme. We have provided £3.7 million of funding to support the industry in developing an energy skills passport, which will help the transition that Audrey Nicoll refers to. It is important that the skills that we have available to us in Scotland in the oil and gas sector can be utilised in all aspects of economic activity in Scotland, and I am very optimistic that that will be the case with renewables as well.
NHS Tayside (Job Grading)
I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests, which shows that I am a member of the GMB union.
In October last year, I raised with the First Minister the case of NHS Tayside district nurses who have been waiting six years for their job grading to be honoured. Shona Middleton and Cathy Fugaccia toiled through the pandemic and served the public of Tayside day in, day out, and they are with us in the public gallery today. Shona has said:
“We are nurses not political campaigners and would much rather not have to go to Holyrood but we refuse to give up. It is not just about us. It is about all NHS Scotland staff being treated with fairness and respect. Managers should not be allowed to choose which of their promises to keep and which to break.”
Surely the First Minister can tell them today that six years of delays and excuses are entirely unacceptable, and that NHS Tayside should finally get its act together.
Obviously, I want those issues to be resolved. Health boards have a responsibility to exercise their functions properly in that respect. I will seek an update from NHS Tayside on that question and share it with Mr Marra. In my previous exchange on the issue with Mr Marra, I made the point that, as the case may well reach an employment tribunal, I have to be careful about what I say in that respect but, with that caveat, I will try to give Mr Marra as comprehensive a reply as I can on the current situation in relation to the case.
Animal and Plant Health Agency (Livestock on Ferries)
I remind members of my entry in the register of members’ interests, which shows that I am a farmer.
The First Minister might have heard this week of a very unhelpful change by the United Kingdom Animal and Plant Health Agency that means that livestock would need to be accompanied on ferry journeys by someone who could euthanise the animals. However, I have just heard—literally in the past couple of minutes—from the Scottish Crofting Federation and NFU Scotland that the APHA has rolled back on that, which means, I hope, that the change will not need to go ahead.
Has the Government had any contact with the APHA on the issue, and if it has not, will it do so to make sure that we do not need to put that change in place? Will the Government make sure that CalMac Ferries talks to our island agricultural community to make sure that people know that the change is not going ahead?
The issue will not be with CalMac, because it will have to follow the regulatory regime that is put in place by the animal health regulator. If that situation has transpired, I welcome it. I am very familiar with the strength of the agricultural community in our islands. Indeed, on Monday, Mr Fairlie and I were involved in discussions with the agricultural community in the highland Perthshire area, and representatives from Orkney travelled down to take part in one of the other round-table discussions that I was involved in this week.
I want to make sure that we can support our island agricultural communities. I will explore whether we need to make any further advice available but, if the situation that Mr Eagle has put to me has arisen, I am pleased to welcome that.
That concludes First Minister’s question time. The next item of business is a members’ business debate in the name of Michelle Thomson. There will be a short suspension to allow people to leave the chamber and the public gallery.
12:49 Meeting suspended.Air ais
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