John Swinney
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“Since the report from several years ago was published, the Government has presided over the passage of legislation to rationalise that area of activity. Work is under way to transfer the responsibility for the funding of further education student support from the Scottish Funding Council to the Student Awards Agency Scotland.”
“I appreciate the urgency of the general policy elements of the question, because a number of applications are now being considered by planning authorities. My view is that, given the concerns that have been expressed by planning authorities, the Government has to be responsive to the issue.”
“For as long as we do not have a proper strategy on prison capacity, rehabilitation and clearing the court backlog, early release will be a revolving door, with people going in, coming out and going back into our prisons. Our justice system is in crisis, so we need a strategy.”
“I associate myself unreservedly Mr Cole-Hamilton’s comments about the feelings in the Muslim community. On Monday, I visited the Broomhouse mosque along with Simita Kumar and the Annandale Street mosque in Edinburgh with Ben Macpherson.”
“The development of further guidance will be undertaken in a manner consistent with the ruling by Lady Ross. Malcolm Offord: I thank the First Minister for his answer, which was more comprehensive than I expected.”
“I am a huge supporter of apprenticeship programmes. With foundation apprenticeships and graduate apprenticeships, the Government has brought forward important reforms that create new and successful pathways for young people. I am determined to make sure that every young person has that desirable pathway for their future.”
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“Westminster’s charging regime is fundamentally unfair and hinders renewables projects in Scotland, and that is happening while Labour’s tax on Scotland’s energy is destroying around 1,000 jobs a month. Will the First Minister join me in calling on the UK Government to end the discriminatory transmission charging regime for existing projects right now? Does he agree that Scotland needs full control over our energy sector, which, of course, only Scottish independence can bring? The First Minister: I very much agree that the transition charging regime is hindering renewables projects in Scotland. It is wholly unfit for purpose and it unfairly penalises Scottish generators. Vast amounts of renewable energy are being produced in Scotland, and there are many more prospective projects.”
“The current system of transmission charging is wholly unfit for purpose and unfairly penalises Scottish generators, putting them at a commercial disadvantage and reducing their viability. The levers to effect change are reserved to the United Kingdom Government, and we have repeatedly called on it and Ofgem to set out equitable long- term solutions as well as immediate measures to protect Scottish generators from unfair, high and volatile charges. Furthermore, we have been clear that the views of Scotland’s renewables sector must be at the heart of any reforms. Michelle Thomson: The First Minister will have noticed that, this week, Scottish Renewables published a report setting out the damage that the Labour UK Government’s transmission charging regime is doing to Scottish generators.”
“That is the Government’s commitment. We have set out in the budget proposals other provisions that relate to extending some early learning and childcare. The Government will have more to say in the coming weeks in relation to other measures that we are able to take to tackle child poverty. Adequate funding has been put into the local government settlement to deliver on the Government’s commitment. This is supposed to be a partnership endeavour, but it does not help when local authorities do not work collaboratively with the Government to deliver the Parliament’s aspirations. Transmission Charges (Wind Farms) 4.”
“Thanks to Scottish Green councillors, Glasgow City Council is now the only local authority left that offers funded childcare to all children starting the week after a child turns three. Many families elsewhere have to pay thousands of pounds out of their own pockets while they wait for the start of the next school term. The Scottish Government promised free childcare at three, but it has not funded it. I appreciate the issues with councils not passing on the funding, but councils are trying to plug the gap. When will the First Minister come good on his party’s promise and make sure that childcare in Scotland really is free at three? The First Minister: Since 2021, the Government has put in place about £1 billion a year to provide 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare for all three and four-year- olds.”
“The Government is limited in what it can do, because local authorities are self-governing organisations. I simply point out to members that it would be helpful if West Lothian Council could deliver on the commitment, which we are all signed up to, to provide affordable childcare to individuals in Scotland, so that it does not put the difficulties that Gillian Mackay raised in front of families in West Lothian and Falkirk. Gillian Mackay: The Scottish Greens want to deliver free places for every child in Scotland from six months up, but the Scottish Government is not delivering the current commitment on funded childcare once a child turns three, which is an issue that we raised with the First Minister ahead of this year’s budget.”
“I have every sympathy with the issue, which gets to the nub of some of the dilemmas about the delivery of local authority services that the Government has to wrestle with. Statutory guidance is clear that families accessing cross-boundary placements should be treated on the same basis as families accessing local provision. West Lothian Council—which is, I point out, a Labour-led council—is not following the statutory guidance that is in place. That is a salutary warning to us all about what Labour does when it gets into power. I want to make sure that people understand the financial circumstances in West Lothian Council. West Lothian Council will receive an additional 7.8 per cent in its budget compared with its funding for 2025-26, and the Government is fully funding 1,140 hours of high-quality early learning and childcare.”
“However, I will consider Mr Sarwar’s point. I give candid answers to the Parliament. That is my style as First Minister. That is what I want to do. Having established a public inquiry, we have to enable that inquiry to take its course. That is the approach that the Government will take. I will consider Mr Sarwar’s request, and I will discuss those issues with the families I meet in the next few weeks. Childcare (West Lothian Council) 3.”
“That is why the Government established the inquiry into the Queen Elizabeth university hospital, as it was asked to do by the Parliament, and we have provided the inquiry with all the information that we have done to enable it to undertake its activities. Today, I will be meeting families who have been affected by the issues at the Queen Elizabeth university hospital. I will also be seeing other families in the next couple of weeks, because I am absolutely committed to making sure that families get the truth. Mr Sarwar asked me to put in place a process. In all honesty, I have to reserve my position on that until we get the report from Lord Brodie. The Parliament has asked for a public inquiry to be undertaken and, as First Minister, I cannot prejudge its outcome. That is the rational thing to do.”
“John Swinney has twice referred to the public inquiry, but he knows that the public inquiry is not looking at individual cases and, therefore, cannot give those families the answers that they deserve and are looking for. Will he commit today to setting up a genuinely independent expert panel, not connected to the health board or the Government, to look at each of those cases on an individual basis and to allow each of those families to ask all the questions that they have, so that they can get the answers that they need and, finally, the truth that they deserve? The First Minister: I want families who have suffered to get the truth.”
“I will always listen with care to the perspectives and interests of families who have been affected by the national health service, and the circumstances that they face, and I will do all that I can to address their suffering. That is the commitment that I give to those families. Anas Sarwar: All the families whose tragic stories I have shared are here today in the Parliament. Each and every one of the people who are standing right now has spent years having to stand up for themselves against a system that has misled them and treated them appallingly. There have been cover-ups, secrecy, misdirection and downright deception, with tragic consequences. They all want the truth about what happened to their children, and they want no other family to suffer like they have.”
“I asked the families what they would ask if they were standing here, facing John Swinney. Mark, whose daughter Charlie, who is 14, has to take regular hormone injections, simply said: “I would ask John Swinney: how do you sleep at night?” The First Minister: I cannot give an opinion on the clinical decisions that are offered in individual cases. What I can do is express my sympathy to the families who are involved, recognise their suffering and provide them with the reassurance that the inquiry that the Government has established, under the leadership of Lord Brodie, is designed to capture the evidence and provide answers to those families. Lord Brodie has the remit to do that. The Government has supported Lord Brodie in the provision of information to ensure that he can undertake that task, and that is what we expect Lord Brodie to do.”
“Those families believe that their children have been left with lifelong debilitating conditions as a result of prolonged use of those drugs due to infection risks that were caused by the hospital environment. I want to share some of those cases today. All of them took place after March 2018. Aneeka’s daughter, Eshaal, who is 9, wakes up most mornings screaming and clutching her stomach in pain; Karen’s son, Caleb, who is 10, has chronic tummy pains and incontinence issues and struggles to walk; Leann’s son, William, who is 13, was so sick on those drugs that he burned all the enamel off his teeth; and Charmaine’s daughter, Paige, who is 9, has pain in her limbs and severe stomach issues, so she cannot go to school. Her parents told me that there is a culture of cover-ups and that people were playing God with these children’s lives.”
“Mr Sarwar has raised an important issue about clinical care for children in the Queen Elizabeth university hospital. The inquiry that the Government set up, under the leadership of Lord Brodie, is designed to provide families with answers on that material issue. I am not a clinician, but I accept that clinical judgments will be made in the care of individuals. The inquiry that the Government established into the Queen Elizabeth university hospital is designed to provide families with the answers that they deserve. That is why the Government set up the inquiry. I want to ensure that Lord Brodie has every opportunity to provide his answers on that question. Anas Sarwar: There is a group of victims whose story has not been told enough so far.”
“Russell Findlay comes here with empty rhetoric about delivering tax cuts without telling us what services are going to be cut as a consequence. [Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us hear one another. The First Minister: To reassure Russell Findlay and the Conservatives about the situation that we find ourselves in, I say that the Government asked the credit rating agencies to assess Scotland’s position, and what did they tell us? They told us that we have prudent fiscal management here in Scotland. That is what you get with an SNP Government. Queen Elizabeth University Hospital 2.”
“The Scottish Conservatives know that we must reduce the benefits bill so that we can cut taxes to help people pay their bills, yet the SNP’s deeply irresponsible budget does absolutely nothing whatsoever to address its benefits time bomb. John Swinney should be honest for a change. He should tell the public which taxes he will raise and which services he will cut to pay for his benefits bill. The First Minister: If I needed any lessons on how to smear people, I would take them from Russell Findlay, who does it every single week in the chamber. In the budget yesterday—which, of course Russell Findlay could not support—there was investment for employability schemes to get people off benefits and into employment, which is what he is asking for, but he could not even bring himself to vote for the budget yesterday.”
“That is what I want people to do to help us to reduce child poverty, which is already falling in our society. Of course, Scotland, under an SNP Government, has significantly lower unemployment than other parts of the United Kingdom do. That is because this Government delivers for the people of our country. Russell Findlay: The First Minister is doing what he always does—resorting to nonsense smears—because he is in a state of complete and utter denial. [Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us hear Mr Findlay. Russell Findlay: This entire place is in a state of denial. The SNP, the Greens, the Lib Dems, Labour and Reform think that they can keep spending more money and giving more benefits while expecting Scottish workers and businesses to keep paying for it. We cannot—we just cannot.”
“What this exchange highlights, once again, is that Russell Findlay has come into this Parliament to go after disabled people in our country and to undermine their quality of life. [Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Thank you, members. The First Minister: I am very pleased to put on the record that, while Russell Findlay goes after the benefits of disabled people, my Government will stand shoulder to shoulder with disabled people in our society and support them in their journey into employment and into activity. I simply point out—[Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us hear one another. The First Minister: I simply point out to Russell Findlay that the Government’s budget, which was passed yesterday, contains significant support for employability schemes to enable people to access the labour market.”
“This Government should get people off benefits and into work, because that is how we improve people’s lives. Instead, the SNP hammers workers and businesses to pay for its expensive benefits. It is going to get even more unfair and even more unaffordable. An SNP Government report wants more people to qualify for adult disability payment, which already accounts for more than half of all benefits spending in Scotland. Astonishingly, that report even says that those whose condition is not serious enough to qualify should be paid the benefit. Implementing that report would add another £1 billion to the SNP’s already bloated benefits bill. Does John Swinney think that that is fair and affordable? The First Minister: The Government has not taken any decisions about those particular issues.”
“Of course, if people live in Scotland, they also have access to the social contract, which means that they do not pay prescription charges, they do not pay for personal care and they do not pay for tuition fees—as we have heard this week, the whole issue of student debt in the United Kingdom is becoming such a significant issue, but people living in Scotland do not pay tuition fees in Scotland. I think that the Government has got the balance right in asking people on higher incomes to pay slightly more in taxation. Of course, the majority of taxpayers in Scotland pay less in taxation than they would pay if they lived in other parts of the United Kingdom and they get access to the social contract, which protects people from the rises in the cost of living. Russell Findlay: No one is asked to pay more tax—they are forced to pay more tax.”
“It results in the abolition of peak rail fares, which means that, if a person is a commuter between Edinburgh and Glasgow, their travel costs have been halved as a consequence of the Government’s action. [Interruption.] I hear a Conservative member talk about rural areas. The Government is piloting a £2 bus fare cap in the Highlands and Islands, and I heard on my visit to Shetland that it is going down fantastically well as a measure to support the cost of living.”
“That is the only reason why John Swinney can fund his benefits spending, and it is going to get worse. A new report from the Scottish Fiscal Commission says that 1 million Scots will be in receipt of benefits by the end of the decade. At the same time, 1 million Scots will be paying income tax at the higher rate of 42p or more. Does John Swinney think that that is fair and affordable? The First Minister: I think that the Government’s approach in its budget and in its social security expenditure is fair and affordable. What the Government is doing in relation to cost of living support, for example, has a whole variety of different elements to it. It results in people in Scotland paying lower council tax, on average, than people in other parts of the United Kingdom.”
“I do believe that it is fair and affordable. The Government successfully took a budget through Parliament that was passed with the support of members of different persuasions from across Parliament and that puts in place the resources to enable us to provide the type of support that we all designed when the social security legislation was passed unanimously. That legislation ensures that people who require support are treated with dignity, fairness and respect. Russell Findlay: John Swinney has just said that his benefits spending is fair and affordable. It is neither. Hard-working Scots who are struggling with the cost of living are already forced to pay £1.8 billion more each year in SNP income tax. That is £1.8 billion more than they would pay if they did the same job for the same wage elsewhere in the United Kingdom.”
“I continue to call for a properly constituted international peace plan that respects Ukrainian sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and one that is agreed by Ukraine and restores peace in Europe. Until that time comes, I say to our Ukrainian friends that they have our support for as long as they need it, that Scotland remains their sanctuary and that, if they wish, Scotland remains their home. Slava Ukraini. [Applause.] 12:03”
“Scotland stands for democracy, human rights and the rule of law here, at home, and around the world. That is why this Government will always resolutely condemn Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine. Tuesday marked the war’s fourth anniversary, and my thoughts go out to everyone from Ukraine who is involved in the conflict and in support of Ukrainians everywhere during this difficult time. Since the war began, more than 29,000 Ukrainian people have arrived in the United Kingdom, sponsored either by an individual in Scotland or by the Scottish Government. More than 21,000 of those came through our supersponsor scheme. Many have started to rebuild their lives here and are making valuable contributions to our communities.”
“However, they will not do so because, on the fundamental challenges that Scotland faces, it is increasingly clear that Labour, the Lib Dems and now Reform are in opposition to this SNP Government in name only. On 7 May, that fact will not be lost on ordinary, hard-working Scots, who will have to pick up the bill for yet another bad SNP budget.”
“However, after planned transfers to councils for social care wage increases, funding for other health and social care services is set to fall by 0.6 per cent in real terms. Ultimately, the Scottish Government says that it can take the budget to the country, but I believe that people will see through the smoke and mirrors. The harsh reality is that the budget will pass because of the spineless complacency of other parties in this place. Even now, it is not too late for them to see sense, to take their heads out of the sand and to side with the Scottish Conservatives in supporting decisive action to tackle the SNP’s bloated benefits bill, to cut tax and to properly fund productive public services.”
“I will not have all these goings- on across the benches. We will listen to the speaker who is on his feet with some courtesy. Craig Hoy: No wonder Mr Swinney wants to shout his opponents down. He knows that we are backed by independent analysts who are saying that this is a bad budget for Scotland. Shona Robison has robbed Scotland’s colleges blind for the past half-decade, but she now claims to be riding to their rescue and expects them to be grateful when she returns some of the cash that the SNP has stolen in recent years. The Government is being equally economical with the facts on health spending. The IFS warns that the overall health and social care budget for day-to-day spending is set to increase by just 0.2 per cent in real terms in the coming year.”
“The First Minister rose— Craig Hoy: I will give way to Mr Swinney, but will he comment on the fact that Audit Scotland declared that the situation that colleges faced under the SNP as a result of those cuts was stark? The First Minister: I point out to Mr Hoy that he is falling into the usual trick of the Conservatives, which is to come here and demand tax cuts that would reduce public expenditure and then demand more public expenditure for one particular sector. That just illustrates the total economic illiteracy of the Conservative Party. Craig Hoy: Given that independent analysts have said that this budget is in a parallel universe—[Interruption.] The First Minister: Please answer the question. Craig Hoy: I will happily give way— The Deputy Presiding Officer: Mr Hoy, please resume your seat.”
“Give way! The Deputy Presiding Officer: First Minister, please. Craig Hoy: On college spending, Shona Robison claims to have delivered a major boost to the sector, which is already facing significant cash pressures, but she is misleading Parliament once again. She claims that there is a £70 million uplift, but she knows that funding for the Dunfermline learning campus has been set aside and that the real increase is only £40 million. [Interruption.] At the same time, the cabinet secretary cannot escape another fact—that the sector endured a 20 per cent real-terms funding cut at the hands of the SNP Government over the five years to 2025-26. [Interruption.] The Deputy Presiding Officer: Members!”
“[Applause.] I move, That the Parliament expresses its shock and sadness following the death of Jeane Freeman; appreciates her long contribution to public life and politics, including as the MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Minister for Social Security, where she established Social Security Scotland, and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport during the COVID-19 pandemic; recognises the high esteem in which she was held by civic society and colleagues in all parties, and offers its deepest sympathy and condolences to her partner, family and many friends. 14:08”
“Like so many others across the chamber and across the country, I express my gratitude for all that Jeane did over the course of her life—for her service, her dedication, her compassion and her humanity. I am grateful for the example that Jeane set for us and the legacy that she leaves behind. I pay tribute to Jeane Freeman, a woman of principle who lived out her values, shared them with us all and made Scotland a better country as a result.”
“Jeane contributed so much to the Government, to this Parliament and to the lives of people across Scotland. For Jeane, that contribution was her life’s mission, which she carried from her childhood throughout her life and up to the very end, even volunteering to support members of the public at the Beatson cancer centre by assisting with the tea trolley. Her death was a terrible shock, coming just weeks after her cancer diagnosis. On behalf of the Scottish Government and the people of Scotland, I express my deepest condolences to her partner Susan and her much-loved family, who join us today in the gallery. I always welcomed Jeane’s wisdom, her considered opinions, her advice and her kindness.”
“She was a calm voice of authority to persuade others of the benefits of independence. In the 2016 election, Jeane was elected as MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley and became a tireless advocate for her constituency. Her work as the first ever Minister for Social Security in Scotland was arguably one of the landmark achievements in her life. In that role, she managed the devolution of new powers and the creation of Social Security Scotland. Our social security system is built on dignity, fairness and respect, and that is because of Jeane. Those were her values. They were values that she embodied and put into her politics; they were values that were passed down from her parents; and they were values that were put into the law of Scotland. I was fortunate enough to see those values practised up close.”
“Jeane was living the lessons that she learned from her parents: a commitment to social justice and improving people’s lives. In 1996, Jeane received an OBE for her service to the rehabilitation of people with experience of the criminal justice system. Jeane also worked as a senior civil servant and then as special adviser to the then First Minister, Jack McConnell. In that role, she was heavily involved in the purchase of the Golden Jubilee hospital in Clydebank. She could see the benefits of ensuring that that significant asset was better used for the benefit of all in Scotland. Jeane’s political journey demonstrated a willingness to think afresh about the world around her. She was a founding member of Women for Independence and one of the faces of the yes Scotland campaign.”
“Her father was a trade unionist and served in the Royal Air Force during world war two. He spoke to Jeane of the social contract between a Government and its people and of the inequality that he saw when he came home after the war ended. He taught her the need for fairness and compassion—that everyone in our society deserves equal opportunity. Jeane took those lessons to heart. They were values that she practised in her politics, in her career and in her life: when she became the first woman to chair the National Union of Students in Scotland; when she trained and worked as a nurse; when she founded Apex Scotland; when she was a member of the Parole Board for Scotland; and when she was a member of the Scottish Police Services Authority board and the NHS national waiting times centre board.”
“Every single day, with exceptional dedication, grace and selflessness, she threw herself into her work to keep people healthy and safe without a thought for her own health, and to support our health services, in which she took such pride and to which she gave such commitment. She was the first to accept that she might not have got everything right, but Jeane made a terrific difference to and for us all. Although she will always be remembered for what she did then, it is only one highlight in a long and distinguished career that was built on social justice, care and service to others. Jeane will always be remembered for the moral values that she brought to all that she did. She said that she learned those moral values from her parents. Her mother worked 12-hour shifts as a sister in a psychiatric hospital.”
“For those outside of Government, Jeane will always be remembered, first and foremost, for the pivotal role that she played during the Covid pandemic. That was one of the greatest public health crises in history, one of the greatest challenges that our national health service has ever seen and one of the greatest challenges that our society has seen. There was no blueprint or precedent for us to draw on during that period. All of us—politicians, citizens and community leaders—were in uncharted waters. Jeane, as Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport, was one of the people who provided selfless leadership to help us to steer our way through it. Thankfully, Jeane was the right person for the job. I remember well her leadership, her pragmatism and her determined commitment to evidence-based and, necessarily often, brave decision making.”
“Jeane Freeman was a remarkable colleague, a woman of principle and a woman of courage. She was dedicated in all that she did, selfless in her actions and unfailingly compassionate. Scottish politics and public life in Scotland have lost an outstanding individual who leaves for us all an incredible legacy. Working alongside her both here in the chamber and in Cabinet, I valued her counsel, her wisdom, her solidarity and her care. Jeane gave her counsel freely and openly to support the common good. She always offered wise thinking when we wrestled with difficult questions. Whenever I faced political challenges, Jeane would offer support. At moments of personal difficulty, Jeane would offer care and kindness.”
“12:49 On resuming— Public Services (Funding)”
“Let me correct some of what Sue Webber said. Operation numbers in Scotland are up, out-patient, in-patient and day-case waits are down and the Government is taking forward an investment strategy that is designed to ensure that our national health service is fit for the future. That is what the planning work that is going on throughout Scotland is all about. That is why we are delivering an increased number of operations. I look forward to continuing that work, in the months and years to come, to ensure that the national health service delivers for the people of Scotland under a strong Scottish National Party Government. The Presiding Officer: That concludes First Minister’s question time. There will be a short suspension to allow those leaving the chamber and the public gallery to do so. 12:48 Meeting suspended.”
“The Government continues to use the powers that we have to raise incomes and improve energy efficiency, including by increasing funding for the warmer homes Scotland scheme, investing more than £197 million in our winter heating benefits and providing a further £1 million this year to expand energy bill debt advice services. We are doing everything that we can with our budget, and I am glad that the budget is progressing through the Parliament to enable us to do that. However, there is a contradiction in Scotland— it is an energy-rich country that has high levels of fuel poverty. I agree with my colleague that it is important that Scotland’s energy wealth works for the people of Scotland, and we can achieve that only with the fresh start of independence.”
“Mr Mountain referred to the strength of the national treatment centre, which is an outstanding asset that delivers care not just to patients in the Highlands but to those in the Perthshire areas that I represent and in other parts of the country. We are taking decisions to ensure effective deployment of clinical services, but that has to be done safely. That underpins the Government’s decisions. Fuel Poverty and”
“I have not seen the press commentary that Mr Mountain speaks of, but I spoke to a representative of the Inverness Courier at the weekend when I visited the Sutherland area with my colleague Maree Todd. I will look at the remarks to see how they have been set out. The fundamental point that I was making— which I think that Mr Mountain will understand—is that a certain level of active delivery of cases is required in an area to sustain the safety of clinical services within it. We want to maximise the delivery of services in as many localities as we can, but they have to be clinically safe. We will work to do that in all localities.”
“The Government is taking every action to tackle the cost of living challenges that members of the public face in Scotland. Last week, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and I were pleased to announce the freezing of rail fares in Scotland for the next financial year. It comes on top of the decision last September to eliminate peak rail fares, which resulted in an average cost reduction of about 17 per cent on all ScotRail ticket types, and a 48 per cent reduction in commuting costs for commuters between Edinburgh and Glasgow. That is demonstrable evidence of the Scottish Government acting to tackle the cost of living pressures that members of the public face. I commit to Mr Adam and to the Parliament that the Government will do as much as it can to support households in these difficult days. Raigmore Hospital (Specialist Care)”
“Ministers are actively engaged in dialogue with the Glasgow and Clyde Rape Crisis. The context is that there has been a 12.5 per cent uplift in the delivering equally safe fund in 2025-26, taking total investment in the fund to £21.6 million. A couple of weeks ago, Sharon Dowey raised issues with me concerning the distribution of that funding in relation to a project in her locality. Ministers are exploring those distribution issues in order to address them. I hope that that assures Pauline McNeill that the Government is investing substantially in the equally safe programme and that it recognises the demand for that support in the country. There might be issues with the programme’s deployment around the country, but that is the subject of active discussion with ministers. Rail Fares (Freeze)”
“That is the fundamental response that Meghan Gallacher requires—that all providers of such services must be able to be satisfied that they are not presiding over situations like the ones highlighted in relation to Skye house. I hope that that gives some reassurance to Meghan Gallacher about this case. There has been another case, in which I instructed the health secretary to call in the leadership of NHS Forth Valley to make clear the Government’s expectations on improvement. That is the culture that I want to preside over. I am grateful to Meghan Gallacher for raising the issue, because it provides me with an opportunity to signal the importance that I attach to such issues being taken seriously by NHS leadership in Scotland, which Ms Gallacher has a right to expect from those authorities. Glasgow and Clyde Rape Crisis (Funding)”
“I have considerable sympathy with the point that Meghan Gallacher puts to me. The Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing has already been in contact with the chief executive of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to request an urgent meeting to express the Government’s expectation that all 16 formal requirements and nine areas for improvement at Skye house be addressed and implemented swiftly and demonstrably. The issues that emerged in the Skye house report make for very concerning reading. I want to signal today, in response to Meghan Gallacher’s point, the importance that I attach to those issues being confronted not just by the organisations that are responsible but by other organisations that deliver comparable services.”
“That is why we must maximise the steps that we can take—and have taken—in Scotland, to temper any impact of business rate changes on businesses, and to ensure that businesses are supported through these difficult times. That is, of course, integral to the Government’s budget.”
“I am deeply concerned to hear about the difficulties that Donald Russell faces. It is a business of exceptional quality and significance in Aberdeenshire. The Government is supportive of the continued operation of the business, and Richard Lochhead, the Minister for Business and Employment, is urgently seeking a meeting with the company to understand how the Scottish Government can support it. We will work on trying to create a positive outcome. I am acutely aware of the challenging conditions in which businesses are operating because of the increase in employment costs including employer national insurance contributions, and the increased energy costs with which businesses are wrestling. Those are some of the practical and hard realities that have been created by the actions of the United Kingdom Government.”
“A balanced, orderly approach is what will safeguard livelihoods in the north-east of Scotland, and that is what the Scottish Government is committed to.”