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Scotland’s Winter Festivals, which include St Andrew’s Day, Christmas, Hogmanay and Burns Night, celebrate Scotland’s unique culture and creativity.

The 2013-14 Winter Festivals programme was a great success attracting over 250,000 people to events the length and breadth of the country and generating significant media interest around the world.

Participation in Scotland’s Winter Festivals is growing year on year. For example, in 2013-14 we saw a 19% comparative increase in footfall at funded events and a 26% increase in footfall at Historic Scotland events. Over the course of the 2013-14 campaign we also saw an estimated 62,000 visitors take part in St Andrew’s Day Out events, delivered by 137 private sector partner organisations offering free or discounted entry. Encouragingly, the number of private sector partner organisations taking part in the St Andrews Day out celebration increased by 140% between 2012-13 and 2013-14.

On 26 September 2014 I was also delighted to announce that the Scottish Government is providing £315,000 to support 16 events across the country as part of the 2014-15 Winter Festival’s programme. These events, alongside the many other partner activities, initiatives and attractions which make up the wider Winter Festival’s programme, offer something for everyone and the marketing effort supported by the Scottish Government will be used to encourage the people of Scotland, visitors, attractions and businesses to join in the coming celebration.

Scotland’s Population 2013: the Registrar General’s Annual Review of Demographic Trends has been published today. The review contains information about births, deaths and marriages during the year, together with other demographic information.

A copy is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 55946), or from the National Records of Scotland website: www.nrscotland.gov.uk.

The Glasgow 2014 Cultural Programme is the most ambitious cultural celebration that has ever taken place in Scotland. It is a national programme of new work with two strands: ‘Culture 2014’ which is the Scotland wide programme and ‘Festival 2014’ the Games Time celebration that will run alongside the sporting action in Glasgow.

Culture 2014 is already underway, including almost 200 projects and exhibitions and delivering over 800 events across Scotland. Many of these events are taking place along the route of the Queen’s Baton Relay and it will continue beyond the Games until 31 August 2014.

Festival 2014 will transform Glasgow during Games time, and will run from 19 July to 3 August 2014. There will be more than 1000 performances in 100 venues across the city. ‘Live zones’ in Glasgow Green, Merchant City and Kelvingrove Bandstand as well as BBC at the Quay, will be a key focus of activity throughout each day.

Details about events can be found in the programme guides:

Culture 2014 Programme Guide provides an overview of the nationwide programme of activity taking place in the run up to, during and beyond Games Time.

http://www.creativescotland.com/resources/our-publications/marketing/culture-2014-programme-guide

Festival 2014 Guide includes details of the full range of Games Time activity taking place in Glasgow, including details of sites at live zones

http://publications.glasgowlife.org.uk/arts/2014-Festival-Brochure/

I would encourage as many people as possible to take part in this once in a lifetime cultural celebration.

The Scottish Government is grateful to Dr Ian Laing and his expert review group for their very thorough investigation and report. Whilst the report was a rigorous study of local procedures and practices, the investigation was very sensitively handled by Dr Laing and his team, and fully recognised the tragic circumstances for the families affected. Ministers want to join with Dr Laing in thanking the parents for the brave and important contribution they have made to this report.

The independent report highlights a highly professional and dedicated workforce at the neonatal unit at Wishaw General Hospital; delivering high quality, compassionate care. The review team concluded that all three babies were cared for to a high clinical standard, and that the neonatal unit met required staffing levels. The report is also clear that the infection control precautions and hygiene measures of staff were of a high quality.

However, when it comes to the care of such precious and vulnerable babies we must always look at how we can improve the care that is offered. NHS Lanarkshire are committed to effectively addressing the recommendations of the independent report and we will keep progress under close review.

While NHS Lanarkshire are increasing numbers of staff, in line with recruitment happening across Scotland, we will do all we can to assist the health board with solutions for staffing required related to sickness or leave - including through supporting the creation of specialist regional nurse banks. Our innovative nursing workforce planning tool will also help to ensure that the health board has the right staff, with the right skills in the right place at all times.

We are sharing the report with the management teams of every neonatal intensive care unit in Scotland so they too can learn any appropriate lessons from it.

The government would reiterate our thanks to the parents who shared their personal stories about the care their families received in the unit, and would also like to pay tribute to the staff who work tirelessly to care for every sick baby and to support bereaved families when the worst happens.

Scotland Week 2014 was the most successful programme to date. I travelled to Canada and the United States as part of Scotland Week 2014 to carry out an extensive programme of business engagements with top US and Canadian companies, developing both new and existing relationships.

The overall purpose of this year’s Scotland Week was to encourage economic investment and secure jobs for Scotland; promote VisitScotland’s Homecoming 2014 tourism campaign; and engage with a number of prestigious global institutions and key influencers to demonstrate that Scotland is open for business, promote strength and competiveness of Scotland’s key sectors.

Business engagements during my Canada visit included meetings to reaffirm Government support of expanded investment in Scotland and further develop relationships between Canadian companies and Scottish businesses. While in San Francisco, my business engagements highlighted entrepreneurship in Scotland, with a meeting at Stanford University underscoring the extensive collaboration between Stanford and Scottish universities exploring photonics and medicine. I also conducted a roundtable event at the Northern California World Trade Center with a focus on renewable energy and Scotland’s economic strength. A business meeting with Hewlett Packard underscored the Scottish Government’s
long-standing commitment to HP as a strong economic partner.

I conducted several courtesy meetings with provincial officials while in Canada, including the Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier for Intergovernmental Affairs and the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, to discuss mutually beneficial links between Scotland and Canada at the provincial level.
I met with the Deputy Mayor of Vancouver to formulate stronger ties between Scotland and the City of Vancouver.

My visit to Canada included several cultural engagements, including a visit to the Vancouver Art Gallery which highlighted the gallery’s Scottish connections, including to the Edinburgh International Art Festival, and its’ Myfanwy Macleod exhibition. I was also the Guest of Honour at the Victoria Highland Games Association Tartan Day Celebration and was photographed with iconic bagpipes, which will form part of the National Museums of Scotland Commonwealth exhibition, at the British Columbia legislature.

In San Francisco, I visited Muir Woods and planted a Douglas fir sapling to celebrate Scottish-American connections through John Muir, the father of American national parks; Homecoming 2014; and the John Muir Festival. I also visited the John Muir National Historic Site to unveil a plaque and met with representatives of the Sierra Club, an environmental conservation group.

In addition, I spoke at Simon Fraser University’s Scottish Studies Centre, discussing the Year of Homecoming, Scotland’s future, and Canada’s appreciation of Scotland’s rich cultural heritage.

I hosted a reception in partnership with the Scottish Canadian Business Association of British Columbia for key stakeholders in Vancouver to underscore Scotland’s investment and economic opportunities. Similarly, in San Francisco, I hosted a Team Scotland reception to promote the strength and competitiveness of Scotland’s key sectors, encourage tourism to Scotland, and highlight Homecoming 2014.

Scotland Week 2014 was the most successful programme to date. The First Minister travelled to the US as part of Scotland Week 2014 to carry out an extensive programme of business engagements with top US companies, developing both new and existing relationships, featuring 1,075 new and secured Scottish jobs for Glenrothes, Alloa, Renfrew, Glasgow, Kilmarnock and Livingston.

The overall purpose of this year’s Scotland Week was to encourage economic investment and secure jobs for Scotland; promote VisitScotland’s Homecoming 2014 tourism campaign; and engage with a number of prestigious global institutions and key influencers to demonstrate that Scotland is open for business, promote strength and competiveness of Scotland’s key sectors,

Key Highlights of the visit included:

Announcing 1075 new and secured jobs for Scotland

Leading a New York Scotland Week Trade Mission of 17 Scottish companies.

Delivering a keynote address at the prestigious Bloomberg New Energy Summit declaring Scotland’s green energy ambition. The summit was also addressed by the US Secretary of Energy Dr Ernest Moniz, Jill C Anderson Chief of Staff of the New York Power Authority and Michael Bloomberg.

Opening of renewable technology company Smarter Grid Solutions first overseas office. Smarter Grid Solutions has already won a contract to model and simulate microgrid applications for the New York metro area. The First Minister met with Chairman Robert Armour, CEO Gerry Docherty and CTO Bob Currie.

Participating in an audience interview and Q&A hosted by the Wall Street Journal which was live streamed to over 1000 people, with the top three countries being USA, UK and Canada.

Delivering the inaugural Caledonian Lecture, entitled ‘The Common Weal’, at Glasgow Caledonian University New York campus, the first university in the United Kingdom to open a campus in New York.

Officially starting the annual Scotland Run where 10,000 people registered to participate in the 10k in Central Park which was covered by WNBC, WABC, WPIX and BBC.

Addressing an event marking the 50th Anniversary of Edinburgh Napier University.

Announcing sales by independent brewer Innis & Gunn increased by 9,000% and welcomed the US Government lifting the Scotch Beef ban for the first time in over 20 years.

The First Minister undertook the following business meetings:

Meeting with Ken Donnelly, Director Bank of America, Global Banking and Markets Risk; Suzanne Buchta, MD, Green Debt Capital Markets (Green Bond); John Lynch, MD, EMEA Sector Head, Energy Renewables; Alexandra Liftman, Global Environment Executive, Bank of America

Meeting with Rupert Murdoch, Executive Chairman of News Corp and Chairman and CEO of 21st Century Fox

Attended a meeting at Citibank HQ with Bill Mills, CEO North America and Alan S MacDonald, Chief Client Officer (he is also Vice Chairman of Citibank; Chair of Citigroup’s Pension Fund Committee; Chairman of Citigroup’s Private Equity Funds Committee and member of the Business Development and Business Practices Committees)

Meeting with David M Cote, Chairman and CEO of Honeywell

Meeting with Huntington Ingalls Pete Diakun Vice President of Energy Programs (also President of Newport News Industrial Corp. (NNI) and Newport News Energy); Mike Duman Program Director of Newport News Shipbuilding & Vice President, Newport News Energy); Tim Wilkins Founder, Paliria Energy

Meeting with PRA UK Steve Frederickson – Chairman, President and CEO, Donald Redmond – Vice President, Government Relations

Meeting with Arthur J Gallagher & Co. Alastair Hessett - Chief Accounting Officer Glasgow for Arthur J.Gallagher International/Giles Insurance Brokers and Douglas K. Howell - Chief Financial Officer Arthur J Gallagher & Co, Itasca, Illinois

Meeting with National Oilwell Varco (50 new jobs announced): Clay C Williams - Chief Executive Officer

Meeting with Ceridian Stuart Harvey - Chief Executive Officer and President of Ceridian Corporation

As the US is the largest inward investor into Scotland, it is important that we continue to build on this lucrative business relationship. The engagements undertaken as part of this programme have delivered tangible benefits to Scotland with more than 1,000 jobs announced, and I am confident we will see further investment in years to come.

National Museums Scotland has concluded a remuneration review for employees of National Museums Scotland Enterprises (NMSE) which started in the autumn 2013. Since its establishment in 1998, NMSE staff have historically not been subject to the Scottish Public Sector Pay Policy. The review considered wider conditions of employment in the commercial and retail sector as well as in similar organisations. It has delivered a number of improvements to terms and conditions for some NMSE employees. This includes the payment of at least the Scottish living wage to all employees. Changes will be back-dated to 1 April 2014.

A community-based approach is central to our work to tackle sectarianism. We are investing £9 million over three years to tackle sectarianism, and this includes £7.5 million to deliver 81 community-based projects over this period. We firmly believe that communities themselves need to be active participants in tackling the social issues they experience to make all of our communities safer and stronger places to live.

I welcome the comments of the UK Minister of State for Pensions. This is a clear confirmation that, following a vote for independence, the state pension will continue to be paid as it is now, on time and in full, and that all entitlements built up by individuals will be protected.

These comments reaffirm the view given in an earlier letter sent by the Department for Work and Pensions, confirming that pensions would be continue to be paid as now in an independent Scotland.

None of this should be surprising considering that social protection spending, which covers welfare and pensions spending, has been consistently more affordable in Scotland than in the UK as a whole.