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.”
The complete record
Every one of 2,608 lines we hold for John Swinney, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 15 of 53.
“The First Minister: I pretty much agree with Maggie Chapman about the requirements for the transition in the north-east of Scotland. All that material has been set out by the Government in the various steps that we have taken. The transition has to be managed in an orderly fashion. In a telephone call with the Prime Minister earlier this week, I made a point about the importance of our managing the careful balance of the reduction in North Sea oil and gas activity with the upsurge in renewables. I have said to Parliament before that the oil and gas sector is contracting too fast because of the issues in relation to the energy profits levy. In my call with him on Monday, I encouraged the Prime Minister to change course on that. The upsurge in renewables has not happened as quickly as we would like.”
“Maggie Chapman: I thank the First Minister for that answer, but my constituents want to know when they will see a plan that responds to the decline of the North Sea basin. The £500 million just transition fund is not a strategy, and neither is hope. We need a plan that provides jobs and training for oil and gas workers, creates conditions for the development of offshore clean energy, and supports job creation, economic stability and the sustainability of an effective domestic supply chain. Specifically, when will the Scottish Government publish its overarching strategy—drawing together existing policy levers, including licensing, procurement and regional planning—which will enable the north-east to be the powerhouse of our new green economy and give workers and communities the future that they need and deserve?”
“We are committed to achieving a just transition in the north-east, with workers and communities at the heart of it. We have already invested £120 million through the just transition fund and the energy transition fund, bringing in even more investment, creating jobs and supporting new ideas. We are also driving forward projects such as the oil and gas transition training fund and the investment zone for the north-east of Scotland. Our support is aimed at addressing directly the needs of local people and businesses. Recent site closures show the need for more proactive planning, so we are refreshing the joint transition planning framework to support more targeted action and guide a new Just Transition Commission in the next session of Parliament.”
“The First Minister: I agree with Roz McCall’s fundamental point that nobody should go to work in fear that they will be exposed to violence. I agree entirely with that point. The Government is taking steps, through the measures that I set out in my original answer, to ensure that support is in place in schools on the basis of early intervention and prevention, to de- escalate in particular instances and to ensure that young people receive the support that they require in schools to address any behavioural issues. A range of remedies are available in the behavioural guidance that has been agreed with local authorities, which run our schools. The Government will continue to work with local authorities to ensure that that guidance is applied in full to protect teaching staff.”
“Roz McCall: No one should have to go to work afraid that, on any given day, it will result in an assault on them that needs medical attention. However, that is what is happening in Scottish schools. In the past five years, more than 5,200 incidents of pupil violence were recorded in which teaching staff required medical treatment, with at least 225 of them having to attend hospital or their general practice. We know that Scotland has the worst rate of violent injuries to school staff anywhere in the United Kingdom. Right now, teaching staff and other pupils fear that they will be next to be attacked. Will the First Minister explain what it will take to finally prioritise their safety, restore discipline and take responsibility for that failure to act?”
“There is no place for violence in Scotland’s schools. Any incident that results in staff requiring medical treatment is deeply concerning. Most young people behave well, but we recognise the challenges that staff face. As part of our joint national action plan with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities we have published guidance on consequences and on risk assessments for violent behaviour. That guidance, which was developed with teaching unions and headteachers, prioritises safety and confirms that exclusion remains available as a last resort. Our approach to tackling violent behaviour, including in schools, focuses on early intervention and prevention, and it has been backed by more than £6 million of investment since 2023.”
“It is difficult for me to make judgments in the absence of detailed knowledge about that particular case, but the performance level for child and adolescent mental health services has been met for the past year, with 91.5 per cent of young people starting treatment within 18 weeks. If Christine Grahame would be so good as to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, we will explore the particular case and will see whether more can be done to consider the questions of clinical judgment that have been applied. However, it is difficult for me to respond on that case at this moment. Attacks on Teachers 5.”
“Does the First Minister agree with me that in this case urgency should be created by her behaviour, which consists of self-harm and harm to others, and not the locus, although it appears to have been determined by the locus here? As I have anonymised and abbreviated the circumstances in her case, may I send more details to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care so that he can look into it? The First Minister: I very much sympathise with the details that Christine Grahame has put on the record. I reassure her that clinical judgment should be applied in all cases.”
“However, my question was prompted by a constituency case involving a child who, at home, exhibits extreme behaviour that is deteriorating. She masks the behaviour at school and in public, so the school will not and cannot make an urgent referral. At home, her increasingly violent behaviour to her family and her self-harm impact seriously on her twin sister, who is mimicking that behaviour. I am most concerned about her mother’s health as she has a heart condition and, to be frank, is at breaking point. The girl has waited since June 2023 for a CAMHS assessment, but after three years she is now further down the waiting list. That cannot be right, and hers might not be the only such case.”
“The national child and adolescent mental health services specification sets a consistent national standard, requiring boards to ensure that children and young people receive timely support that is appropriate to their needs. Children and young people are added to waiting lists and are seen according to clinical need. Decisions on urgent referrals must follow clinical judgment so as to ensure fair and proportionate responses across Scotland. The CAMHS performance target has been met for the past year, with 91.5 per cent of young people starting treatment within 18 weeks. We continue to support boards to further improve access and to ensure that services remain safe, person centred and consistent. Christine Grahame: I agree that decisions should follow clinical judgment.”
“The Government is supporting a much larger teaching profession in Scotland, because we think that that is important. We will continue to do that as part of the budget proposals that we have put forward, which Mr Cole-Hamilton and his colleagues have supported. I am very grateful to them for their support in that respect. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Referral Criteria) 4.”
“Many more are being forced to work abroad, when they want to teach here; there is a brain drain. Why cannot the First Minister admit that his Government has made an absolute pig’s ear of it, and that tens of thousands of teachers are paying the price? The First Minister: I do not agree with that characterisation. I say to Mr Cole-Hamilton that there has been an increase in post-probation employment in the past year, which is welcome. In Scotland, we have a higher number of teachers per 100,000 pupils than in any other part of the United Kingdom—by a significant margin. There are 7,584 teachers per 100,000 pupils in Scotland, compared with 5,551 in England and 5,301 in Wales. That leads to a much lower pupil teacher ratio in Scotland of 13.2 pupils per teacher, compared with 18 in England and 18.9 in Wales.”
“That is the focus of the work that the Scottish Government undertakes to ensure that we have the appropriate employment and opportunities available and that they are spread throughout the country, so that they meet the needs and aspirations of individuals. Alex Cole-Hamilton: I have to say that it seems that the First Minister has done absolutely nothing to get Margaret MacGill out of hospital in the six weeks since I first raised her case. Under the SNP, three quarters of newly qualified teachers cannot get the full-time contracts that they need to pay their bills or get a mortgage. It is absolutely brutal. One graduate has been stuck on supply lists for nine years, racking up tens of thousands of pounds-worth of debt. He even tried to take his own life.”
“I have discussed the case of Margaret MacGill with Mr Cole-Hamilton before. I would be delighted to visit Mr and Mrs MacGill, should the opportunity arise. The issue relates to the availability of particular carer support in the community. As I have rehearsed with Mr Cole-Hamilton on a number of occasions, there are challenges with staff availability to undertake that support. I reaffirm my commitment and my willingness to try to do all that we can to address the issue. On the question of teaching, I want to ensure that we have strong opportunities for members of the teaching profession.”
“While Anas Sarwar goes around smearing individuals and undermining their character, I am going to carry on supporting members of the public by reducing waiting times, opening general practice walk-in clinics, keeping unemployment low and making sure that child poverty falls in Scotland. That is an SNP Government delivering, and Anas Sarwar is finished. Graduate Teachers 3.”
“Yesterday, he did not even have the guts to come here and say to the Lord Advocate’s face the things that he put in a letter that prompted her to say that he was undermining the rule of law by his actions. That is somebody who is unfit to lead a political party. Why is Mr Sarwar desperate? He is desperate because he knows that, for all his efforts, his political ambitions are going absolutely nowhere. For years, he has told the people of this country to back Starmer, but he now wants us to believe that he wants Starmer out so that, somehow, the country can progress.”
“It is becoming clear, as every week goes by, that Mr Sarwar is getting more and more desperate about everything that he does. In order for me to answer directly the point that Mr Sarwar has put to me, I say that the individuals to whom the information that was shared with me by the Lord Advocate was passed is a matter of public record. Those were the only people to whom it was passed; that was to enable those speaking on my behalf to follow the Lord Advocate’s guidance. I have given a direct answer to Anas Sarwar, and I hope that he has the decency to accept the direct answer that I have given him. I do not think that he has because, week by week, Mr Sarwar comes here and attacks somebody’s character. He comes here and attacks my character regularly.”
“Why did the Crown Office refuse to share it with the media when the Lord Advocate told Parliament that it was public information? Does John Swinney really expect us to believe that he needs a specific warning from the Lord Advocate to give his favourite excuse? It is just not credible. Will John Swinney confirm that, after he leaked the information to SNP political advisers, none of it was passed on in any form—[Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us hear Mr Sarwar. Anas Sarwar: Was it passed on in any form to any other SNP politician or party official? Is it not the truth that this is just the latest episode of an SNP Government, with a rotten culture at its heart, in which John Swinney and the SNP will always put their party before Scotland? The First Minister: What this is evidence of is Mr Sarwar’s desperation.”
“Anas Sarwar is unfit to lead the Labour Party. [Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Stephen Kerr, I ask you to please be quiet. Anas Sarwar: That is amazing coming out of the mouth of John Swinney. These two sentences cannot both be true: “From the point at which an indictment is served, there is no limitation on its terms being made public.”—[Official Report, 18 February 2026; c 77.] and “The indictment is not a public document until it is presented in open court.” Those are two contradictory statements that John Swinney cannot run away from. There are many questions. If the Lord Advocate was recused from the matter, why was she corresponding with John Swinney about it at all? If it was for John Swinney only, why was the information shared with SNP advisers, and who did they tell?”
“The First Minister: The point that the Lord Advocate made yesterday is that the minute the indictment is served on the accused, it becomes a public document. It can be made public as a consequence of that. That is why the statement is valid. The reason why that is important, and why I have contradicted Mr Sarwar’s statement, is the contents of the Lord Advocate’s letter to Mr Sarwar yesterday. It is a damning letter. It says—these are the words of the Lord Advocate—in response to correspondence from Mr Sarwar: “the publication of your letter has put a number of factual errors into the public domain, and it is incumbent on me to correct them quickly and publicly in order to protect the rule of law.” That tells us all that we need to know. Anas Sarwar is putting factual errors into the public domain, undermining the rule of law.”
“She said that she had not given John Swinney a political advantage because, “From the point at which an indictment is served, there is no limitation on its terms being made public.”—[Official Report, 18 February 2026; c 77.] However, after the Lord Advocate had notified John Swinney, the Crown Office warned the media, saying, “We have no comment. The indictment is not a public document until it is presented in open court.” Those two statements cannot both be true. If The Sun had not published the story, the only people who would have known the details of the case before the election would have been the Crown Office, Peter Murrell and, bizarrely, because the Lord Advocate notified them, John Swinney and his SNP advisers. How is that acceptable and not the very definition of political advantage?”
“No. Anas Sarwar: I thank the First Minister for putting that on the record for future reference. It was the answer that I was expecting, but let us see, in the cold light of day, where that goes. [Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us hear Mr Sarwar. Anas Sarwar: I remind the Deputy First Minister and the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government that there have been incidents before in which members have misled this Parliament, so they should be very careful about what they say. Yesterday, the Lord Advocate appeared to give inaccurate and contradictory information to Parliament.”
“Russell Findlay: The reason why John Swinney passed sensitive information from the Lord Advocate to his SNP spin doctor is obvious. It was because he knew that it gave him and his party a political advantage in an election year. Thanks to the Lord Advocate, John Swinney and the SNP knew the precise scale of the alleged crime, while the public knew nothing. Mr Swinney was also given key information about potential timescales, which was also concealed from the public. Yesterday, the Lord Advocate claimed that she briefed John Swinney so that he did not say anything to jeopardise the case. John Swinney says that he accepts that, but her explanation is simply not credible. [Interruption.]”
“Let me make it clear that I understand the importance of protecting live criminal proceedings. That is exactly why the Lord Advocate sent me a minute to warn me about the risk of contempt of court in a significant criminal case. It is abundantly clear that I would be asked about that case in court. She did that in order to ensure that I did not prejudice the proceedings. The very brief minute that was sent to me by the Lord Advocate, which is a type of communication that I receive from the Lord Advocate on a number of occasions, was issued to the people in the Government who have to speak on my behalf. If it is important that I am reminded by the Lord Advocate that I must be careful and respect the live criminal proceedings, it is equally vital that those people who are authorised to speak on my behalf have the same information.”
“However, in 85 days, Scottish workers will have an opportunity to vote for a party that will both cut tax and reduce the benefits bill. That party is the Scottish Conservative Party. 15:50”
“Ultimately, we go into the election campaign with a clear set of tax pledges. On income tax, we would raise the higher-rate thresholds, bringing them into line with the rest of the UK over the next parliamentary session. Scotland’s tax rates are too complicated and uncompetitive, so we would cut the basic and intermediate rates of tax to 19p. In recent weeks, we have also outlined a serious package of support for business that goes way beyond that of the SNP Government. We would pay for that by lowering the ballooning SNP benefits bill. Our welfare proposals will make work pay. The cosy left-wing consensus here in Holyrood wants to keep taxes high and, along with Reform, it also supports more benefits spending.”
“Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats will back the budget, despite being conned last year by the broken promise of no spending on independence. In a smoke-filled room somewhere in Bute house, post-election promises are no doubt being made. Alex Cole- Hamilton will be measuring the curtains along the ministerial corridors. The man who bought a Tesla and then sold it to virtue signal is eyeing up the Government’s car fleet. Beyond the cosy left-wing consensus and the dubious deal making, people out there in the real world are looking for a new approach. Willie Rennie: Will the member give way? Craig Hoy: I will not give way; I do not have the time, unless I will get the time back, Presiding Officer. There is no time. [Interruption.] I would be very happy to enter a smoke-filled room to find out what other deals are being done.”
“Under the SNP, the benefits bill is, frankly, out of control. By the end of the decade, SNP ministers will be spending £10 billion on social security. The truth is that the SNP is happy to park people on benefits, many with treatable mental health conditions, because the culture of dependency creates political advantage for John Swinney. It is the crudest form of vote buying. It is cynical, unsustainable and, frankly, wrong. Neil Gray: Will the member give way? Craig Hoy: I do not have time. The sad fact is that this dismal budget will pass in the Parliament because Scottish Labour is too weak, too divided, and too distracted to stand up to the SNP. The SNP Government has shown itself unfit for office, but Scottish Labour has shown itself as incapable of real opposition.”
“Therefore, is it any wonder that the Accounts Commission has warned that, combined, Scotland’s 32 local authorities face a budget black hole of nearly £1 billion by 2027, which is 500 times more than the £28 million that the Government has come forward with today? That means that there is a real risk of Scotland’s councils collapsing into bankruptcy by the end of the decade, while council tax bills for hard-working Scots are set to climb. It is not just council tax that will rise as a result of this bad SNP budget. Yet again, the SNP is reaching for the only lever that it ever pulls: clobbering middle-income earners with higher income tax bills. By the end of the decade, one in three Scots will be paying the SNP’s higher rate of tax. A tax that is intended for the few will be paid by the many. Why is tax soaring in Scotland?”
“Agenda for change staff are due a pay increase of 3.75 per cent and resident doctors have been awarded 9.4 per cent. Something serious will have to give at the front line of our NHS. Neil Gray: Will the member give way? Craig Hoy: No, I do not have time. The cabinet secretary has repeatedly claimed that the budget offers a fair deal for Scotland’s councils, but COSLA begs to differ. It has admitted that some services that are offered that are “critical to population health” will be slashed this April. Despite her claims, for the period that is covered by the budget and the spending review, councils are set to see a real-terms cut in their cash settlement. That means more cuts and higher bills, not just this year but right through to the end of the decade.”
“The only person the budget appears to add up for is Shona Robison, because she initially thought that it provided her with nearly enough coverage to get out the door in May, but analysts have warned that that will not hold. Whoever replaces her will, almost inevitably, be forced back to the Parliament with an emergency statement to fix the mistakes that she has made. [Interruption.] Let us look at some of the detail in Shona Robison’s plans. The Government insists that it is properly funding our NHS, but do not take my word for it. David Phillips from the Institute for Fiscal Studies says that funding allocations for health in 2026-27 look—and I quote, Mr Swinney— “increasingly detached from reality.” Excluding social care pay, health and social care funding is up by only 1.6 per cent in cash terms, but down by 0.6 per cent in real terms.”
“Where would it come from? Craig Hoy: The only place where this— The Deputy Presiding Officer: First Minister, please let Mr Hoy continue. Craig Hoy: If Mr Swinney wants to know where the £1 billion will come from, it will come from cutting the SNP’s bloated benefits bill. Members: Oh! Craig Hoy: It would come from getting rid of the pork-barrel politics, where John Swinney is buying votes— The Deputy Presiding Officer: Mr Hoy, could you please resume your seat for a second. I say to members that I think that we would expect better behaviour all round. We should listen to Mr Hoy, who has the floor. Craig Hoy: I do not know who has rattled Mr Swinney’s cage, but it is certainly rattled.”
“I am delighted that, in exercising our devolved responsibilities, we have avoided a resident doctors strike in Scotland, unlike the rest of the United Kingdom. We now know that the United Kingdom Government is useless. We know that because Mr Sarwar has told us how useless the UK Prime Minister and the UK Government are. I am so delighted that the negotiations by the Scottish Government and the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and the commitment of the resident doctors have got us to a position where we have avoided industrial action, we have been able to open general practice walk-in clinics and we have falling waiting times—all because of the leadership of a Scottish National Party Government on health. The Presiding Officer: That concludes First Minister’s questions.”
“The hardship and the impact on the Scottish economy and on households will be significant if the energy profits levy is not removed. We will be pressing for that to be done. Resident Doctors (Pay Deal)”
“As Beatrice Wishart will know, the Scottish Government has been actively pressing the United Kingdom Government—indeed, I have done so myself with the Prime Minister directly—about the importance of removing the energy profits levy because of the damage that is being done to the sector and the impact that it is having on the Scottish economy. There has not been sufficient upsurge in renewables activity to counterbalance the issues in relation to oil and gas. I assure Beatrice Wishart that those issues are regularly pressed with the United Kingdom Government. I want to ensure that it understands the significance of the impact of its decisions on Scotland. To be blunt, I do not think that it does understand that at the present moment, in any way, shape or form.”
“The Government has put steps in place to address cladding issues, the seriousness of which I acknowledge. The measures that have been put in place by the Government involve very detailed, site-by-site work to resolve the particular issues that are involved. The Cabinet Secretary for Housing is dealing with all those questions. I assure Mr Briggs that the Government has propositions in place that can address those issues, and I will be happy to engage on individual questions. Sullum Voe Oil Terminal (Expansion of Clair Field)”
“I am familiar with the issues that Mr Brown raises, and the Scottish Government has been in contact with the UK Government about them. There are many examples of disruption and hardship being caused to individuals. I assure Mr Brown and the Parliament that the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government is in active dialogue with the UK Government, which has the responsibility to resolve those issues.”
“Significant leading technology is being developed there, and we will do all that we can to help to protect it for the future. Access to”
“I am familiar with the news. I had the pleasure of visiting Orbex, which is an incredibly innovative, creative and inventive organisation. It faces uncertainty, given the decisions that have been announced. My colleague Richard Lochhead, the Minister for Business and Employment, will meet with the company and the administrators today. The Deputy First Minister has been closely engaged with the interim administrators, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the United Kingdom Government to further understand the steps that can be taken to safeguard the opportunities at Orbex. I am very clear that this is a significant issue, because the space sector has real potential, with significant economic benefits for Scotland. The Government will do all that it can to support a secure future for Orbex.”
“I am very familiar with the Titan crane. I have been up it. It is an incredible landmark that recognises the industrial heritage of the Clydebank area, which is of such significance in Scotland’s story. It is a magnificent facility. The duty of care falls on the local authority, West Dunbartonshire Council, which I encourage to provide adequate care and maintenance of the site. The Government will engage constructively in every way we can to ensure that the crane can be accessed by members of the public. I thank Marie McNair for raising the issue and the significance of the Titan crane to Scotland’s industrial landscape.”
“The First Minister: First, I welcome Mr Greene’s commitment on behalf of the Liberal Democrats to support the Government’s budget— that is indeed welcome. The budget is a product of constructive engagement to serve the people who sent us here. That is what this is all about: Parliament engaging—[Interruption.] The Government does not have a majority, so we need to work with others to get the budget through. This year, we have experienced constructive collaboration with some political parties in order to advance on the issues. I am sure that the people of Scotland will notice that. I welcome the support that the Liberal Democrats will give us this afternoon for the budget. Let me make it clear that a Government under my leadership will always work to serve the people of Scotland, addressing their priorities and meeting their needs.”
“Jamie Greene: I thank the First Minister for that. In the draft budget, I welcomed our calls for more funding for colleges, young entrepreneurs, autism assessments and our islands, but I have also made it clear that we need to see more for hospices, care providers, and hospitality and self- catering businesses, all of which are crying out for more support. Today it sounds as though we have made some progress for social care, for hospices and on business rates. My calculation puts the amount at just shy of £300 million for Liberal Democrat priorities. Why did we get that progress? Because we chose to negotiate properly and get things done. That is why we will support the budget this afternoon. I ask the First Minister to spell out the difference that the Liberal Democrats have made to this year’s budget.”
“The issues raised by Jamie Greene are ones that the finance secretary has been working on, and I thank Jamie Greene for his constructive engagement in the budget process. I can confirm that an additional £2.9 million will be provided to ensure that hospices can maintain parity for their staff with national health service agenda for change. An additional £20 million will be provided to local government for social care, which can be used for matters such as funding the real living wage for adult and child care services. On business rates, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government will later today outline that licensed premises and music venues that are liable for basic and intermediate property rates will see their relief increase to 40 per cent, subject to the £110,000 cap per business in Scotland.”
“There are systems and initiatives in place to ensure that women who report crimes of violence are able to be protected. I encourage Police Scotland to ensure that there is wider awareness of all the issues and of the different routes to report a crime. Draft Budget 2026-27 (Business Rates, Hospices and the Care Sector) 7.”
“What does the First Minister say to the people of Bellshill who need physical access to a police station to safely report a crime, particularly women who are at risk of domestic abuse, who cannot afford to leave an electronic trail behind them? The First Minister: One of the points that has been made to me about the situation at Bellshill police station is that the decision was arrived at by Police Scotland due to the lower level of footfall that was presenting there. There will be operational decisions that Police Scotland has to make in relation to facilities that are not being used as frequently as they might have been in the past. On the question about the reporting of crimes, there are many different ways to report a crime.”
“Decisions on the management and use of the police estate lie with the chief constable, but I recognise that people in the Lanarkshire area will have concerns about the plans that Mr Griffin has raised with me. I can confirm that police officers will remain embedded in communities across Lanarkshire, and community policing continues to be a priority for Police Scotland in all those areas. Mark Griffin: Bellshill police station, along with other stations across Lanarkshire, will close to members of the public on 1 April, in order, Police Scotland says, to free up officers from being behind a desk. However, they are behind a desk only because the Scottish National Party Government slashed Police Scotland’s budget and forced the redundancies of thousands of support staff, who did an excellent job at lower cost.”
“One practical example is that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service must wrestle with the fact that our climate is changing and so there are significant new demands relating to issues such as wildfire and flooding. Those are two very substantial issues that can affect all parts of the country. We must ensure that we have the right resources in the right place, which is the purpose of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service strategic review. The SFRS will engage on all those questions, and the Parliament will, of course, be able to interact on them, too. However, I give the assurance that I understand that we need to have in place an effective fire and rescue service in Scotland, and I believe that we do.”
“The SFRS warned that 500 firefighter posts could be cut over the next three years. That is stark, because it follows warnings that, in addition to the number of firefighters falling by nearly 1,200 over the past 12 years in Scotland, that review could lead to the removal of 166 firefighter posts. If, God forbid, something catastrophic should occur in the areas where those cuts are happening, will the First Minister shoulder responsibility for the hollowing out of the fire service? The First Minister: It is very important that, in all parts of the country, we have an effective and efficient fire and rescue service. However, as members will understand, there will be tremendous challenges in allocating resources that are appropriate for the conditions and circumstances that we face.”
“The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service will determine how its resources should best be deployed to adapt to changing risks, keep our communities safe, remain effective and efficient, and ensure that we have resources in the right place and at the right time. Last summer, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service carried out a public consultation on its strategic review, and the large number of responses are being independently analysed. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service board will then decide which of the options should go forward for implementation over the next five years. Rachael Hamilton: I thank the First Minister for that answer, but, shamefully, the review has now been delayed until after the elections in May, which is unacceptable to my constituents in Hawick who deserve to know the future of their local station.”
“Now that we know from Anas Sarwar that the Labour Government in the United Kingdom is absolutely useless and that the Prime Minister should leave office, little attention will be paid to the central issues that affect our economic wellbeing, principally the issue of tariffs on whisky. Although this Government in Scotland will always act to champion and take forward the interests of our country, we are being undermined by a useless Labour Government in London that Anas Sarwar encouraged everybody to support. It shows quite clearly what poor judgment Anas Sarwar has. Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (Service Delivery Review) 5.”