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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“I accept Mr Findlay’s fundamental point that it would be better if we did not have to have those public inquiries, but when things happen, we have to be prepared to take the steps to investigate and get to the truth. Mr Findlay raises with me issues of a current nature about the circumstances in the Queen Elizabeth university hospital in relation to the safety of the water system. Lord Brodie, the chair of the hospital’s inquiry, commissioned reports and audits on water and ventilation from Andrew Poplett, the inquiry’s expert. Mr Poplett’s view is that the Queen Elizabeth university hospital’s current procedures for managing the water system are suitable and safe.”
“They say that the hospital is still unsafe for patients and that the management “cannot be trusted to make it safe.” They continue: “The people of Scotland demand it be made safe.” How does John Swinney intend to protect patients and rebuild public confidence in Scotland’s largest hospital? The First Minister: I reject the characterisation of the Government that Russell Findlay puts to me. I cite as an example the fact that the Government commissioned a public inquiry to look at this very issue. I also draw on the fact that the Government has established public inquiries to look at other major issues where patients have expressed their concerns—for example, the inquiry in NHS Tayside about the conduct of Mr Sam Eljamel in his surgery practice or the issues relating to the death of Sheku Bayoh.”
“Russell Findlay: If the Scottish Government did not apply pressure, who did, and why did they do so? This is one of many serious scandals in recent years involving Scotland’s public bodies—from Police Scotland to the Crown Office, the NHS and more. The SNP Government presides over a cynical culture that is defined by arrogance, secrecy and cover-up. It is a culture of zero accountability that misuses taxpayers’ money to crush victims and silence concerns, and which treats grieving families with utter contempt. The families of the hospital infection scandal are not going away. This is not over.”
“Nicola Sturgeon was First Minister when the hospital began treating patients on 27 April 2015, which was just 10 days before a general election. During the Scottish National Party election campaign, she kept bragging about the new hospital. For years, Nicola Sturgeon dismissed growing concerns about infections being linked to the water supply, but now the NHS has dropped a bombshell. It has told the public inquiry: “Pressure was applied to open the hospital on time and on budget, and it is now clear that the hospital opened too early. It was not ready.” Let me ask John Swinney a straight question. Did Nicola Sturgeon, or anyone else in the SNP Government, apply political pressure to open the hospital before it was ready? The First Minister: The direct answer to that question is no.”
“That is precisely why the Scottish Government took the decision in 2019 to establish a public inquiry, led by Lord Brodie, which, as I said in my first answer, will be determined to get to the truth. On a variety of issues, we have to await the outcome of the inquiry by Lord Brodie. However, I say to Russell Findlay that, in all circumstances, the Government will take seriously all Lord Brodie’s recommendations in taking forward the issues that must be addressed as a consequence of the commissioning of a public inquiry into the issue. Russell Findlay: We would not need to spend hundreds of millions of pounds on public inquiries if public bodies simply told the truth. It is no wonder that those families are so angry. The health board has not been held to account, but neither has anyone in the Scottish Government.”
“They have said: “We were all lied to … We were all disbelieved … We were all demeaned and smeared … We have had our families devastated and our lives traumatised … We cannot overstate the level of deceit and conniving cowardice” of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Those families quite rightly expect accountability. They demand a reckoning for the board’s leadership. So will John Swinney sack those who are responsible? The First Minister: First, I acknowledge the pain and suffering that the relatives of those affected by these circumstances have suffered. The pain of the loss of their loved ones has been compounded by their having had to make tenacious efforts to ensure that the truth could be established.”
“Nonetheless, if there is anything further related to the business of Government—whether that is Cabinet minutes or ministerial correspondence—that has not been submitted to the inquiry, I am happy to release it, subject to any appropriate redactions, such as personal information and the respecting of legal professional privilege. Russell Findlay: John Swinney’s commitment is welcome, but it should not have taken this long and there can be no backsliding. The families will be watching. I pay tribute to those families—I cannot begin to imagine the pain that they have suffered. I am in awe of their determination and their dignity. It is important for Mr Swinney to hear what they are saying.”
“First of all, I express my sympathies to all those who are grieving the loss of a loved one in such circumstances. I recognise the deep pain, the grief and the hurt felt by patients and their families, who have bravely provided testimony throughout all these years on the issues that Russell Findlay raises with me. The issues emerged in the course of the past few years and, as a consequence of that, the Scottish Government established a public inquiry, led by Lord Brodie, to establish the truth about what has happened. I have every confidence that Lord Brodie, in taking the evidence that he has taken, will provide the open scrutiny and the truth that is required by the families and by everybody else. The Government has shared all relevant evidence that addresses the terms of reference of the inquiry.”
“I welcome some of the steps that the United Kingdom Government has taken in the course of this week alone to apply greater regulatory force to many of these issues. Ash Regan asked me specifically about her bill. The bill is at stage 1 consideration, and the Government has engaged with that process. We will listen with care to the conclusions of the Criminal Justice Committee when its report is available to us.”
“First, I acknowledge unreservedly the significance of the issue that Ash Regan puts to me and, in particular, the significant increase in sexual violence and the reporting of sexual violence in our society. That is evidenced in a lot of the data that we have wrestled with in Parliament and it has resulted in the Government’s actions to ensure that more cases are pursued, more cases are taken to court and more prosecutions are successfully achieved. However, that is not to suggest in any way that there is not more that we need to do, which is about education, advice and intervention to create a different culture in the attitude towards women and girls in our society—an attitude that is being fuelled by so much of the unacceptable material that is floating around on social media.”
“The Government has a foundation to its tax approach; it is based on the progressive principle. We have taken that principle and applied it to the council tax provisions at the higher end of the spectrum. Those policies will be brought forward as part of the Government’s budget process. Violence Against Woman and Girls (Prostitution)”
“Mr Carson makes a series of reasonable points. I have been very pleased to convene the round table on Alzheimer’s care suggested to me by one of Scotland’s leading and most distinguished industrialists, Sir Iain Anderson. I welcome Sir Iain’s intervention to advance these issues, and the active participation of clinicians. Mr Carson makes a strong point about the early intervention support that Alzheimer Scotland makes, particularly in community settings, which I suspect must be the context of the arrangements in Mr Carson’s constituency. I give him the assurance that I will take the issue away and explore it with the health secretary to see what steps we can take to ensure that there is continuity of service. It is obvious that any disruption to the care arrangements of individuals with Alzheimer’s is likely to be damaging to them.”
“Given the total absence of proper formal communication from the UK Government to the Scottish Government about an issue that has implications for the delivery of our responsibilities, this is an example of shockingly poor conduct by the UK Government. Dementia Support (Dumfries and Galloway)”
“As Audrey Nicoll has recounted, the Government was not advised that that vessel was coming into Scottish waters. It is pretty obvious that, when such an event happens—when a vessel of that type comes into Scottish waters—there could well be implications for the exercise of Scots law and Scots jurisprudence. I have raised with the UK Government my complete dissatisfaction at the absence of prior notice that that was going to be undertaken, because of the potential interaction with our responsibilities. One example of that is that the Lord Advocate is seeking to establish that all aspects of the rule of law are being respected with the presence of the tanker in Scottish waters, which is her statutory responsibility, and that we can be assured that the health and welfare of those on board are preserved.”
“Ministerial invitations will be considered and judgments will be arrived at as to whether it is appropriate for ministers to be undertaking engagements. A decision has been taken that Ivan McKee will determine applications, given his wider planning responsibilities and the importance of those approaches being taken. I say to Rachael Hamilton that the Government is absolutely committed to ensuring that Scotland’s enormous renewable energy wealth is utilised for the benefit of the people of Scotland. I look forward to making more progress on that when Scotland is able to exercise the powers of independence to lower fuel bills by putting Scotland’s energy wealth to work for the people of Scotland. Seized”
“We are aware of a cluster of outbreaks of the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 in the Scottish Borders. Food safety is a matter for the Food Standards Agency. On the point that Christine Grahame asked me about, Public Health Scotland advises that the risk to public health from the virus is very low, and Food Standards Scotland advises that avian influenza poses a very low food safety risk to consumers. On the advice of Public Health Scotland, properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat. I also assure Christine Grahame that rigorous safety measures are in place to monitor the condition of different sites, and those are what highlighted the issues that are being faced in the Borders. Energy Convention (Scottish Borders)”
“It is important that we, as MSPs, listen to experts, including those who will be tasked with implementing any change in the law—in this case, those who will be helping people to die. Does the First Minister agree that, if those experts tell us that the legislation could be unsafe and inoperable, we should listen to them? The First Minister: As I indicated in my earlier answer, the Government is neutral on the bill. It is a matter of conscience and personal decision making, I think, for all members of Parliament. My view, of opposition to the bill, has been expressed publicly and is well known. It will be up to individual members to assess the points that are expressed by a variety of stakeholders as Parliament considers this important bill.”
“The Scottish Government is aware of the findings of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, which detail its members’ views on assisted dying legislation. Similar to the college, the Scottish Government maintains a position of neutrality on the bill. Our stage 2 assessment of non-Government amendments to the bill, focusing on the technical, legal and delivery aspects, was informed in part by the evidence that stakeholders provided to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, and we continue to pay close attention to stakeholder views. Pam Duncan-Glancy: I hope that the technical issues with the audio and video feed have resolved themselves. I thank the First Minister for that answer.”
“I stress that the matter is actively in front of the court and that the Government is trying to make information available to ensure that members of the public—[Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Thank you, members. The First Minister: —can follow the case in a well-informed way.”
“In such situations, the Government must wrestle with complex issues and make difficult decisions that balance and reflect—[Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us hear the First Minister. The First Minister: —the interests and rights of individuals. The matter is actively in front of the courts at this time. Scottish ministers appreciate the public interest in the particular circumstances of this case, so, in the interests of open justice, the Government will publish our written case—that being our answers to the judicial review and our note of argument—ahead of the hearing that is due to begin on 3 February. Making the materials that have been lodged with the court publicly available will allow anyone with an interest to follow, in a well-informed way, what is said in court.”
“Melissa Young was jailed for 20 years for murder, having left his victim with 29 injuries from multiple stab wounds. Paris Green was jailed for 18 years for torture and murder. He recently assaulted a female member of staff, but has still not been moved to a male prison. Let me ask the First Minister this question. Those evil killers are all housed with women prisoners. Are they male or female? The First Minister: As I indicated in my earlier answer, the Scottish Government must ensure that, on all occasions, our policies comply with our legal obligations, including the Scotland Act 1998—[Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us hear the First Minister. The First Minister: —and the European convention on human rights.”
“The Scottish Government has to make difficult decisions that balance the interests and rights of individuals, often in complex situations, and this is one such situation. Douglas Ross: I am not allowed to call the First Minister a liar, but that answer was not truthful. I have just said that I am not allowed to do it, but he is not giving a truthful answer. It is desperate stuff from the First Minister. How on earth can he stand up here and say that the Government is respecting the Supreme Court ruling when it is in court arguing the very opposite? Those actions threaten women’s safety. Right now, at this very moment, three biological males are housed in Scotland’s female prison estate. Alex Stewart was jailed for 19 years for murder after stabbing his victim 16 times in the chest.”
“The judgment of the Supreme Court is accepted by the Scottish Government. What we are doing—as any responsible Government must—is ensuring that our policies comply with all our legal obligations, including the Scotland Act 1998 and the European convention on human rights. Every key area of Government that is or might be affected by the Supreme Court judgment is carrying out assessments across legislation, guidance and policies, and changes have already been made in some areas. The prisons guidance has not been changed, and it can be taken from that that the Scottish Government has concluded that it does not need to be changed in light of the Supreme Court judgment. For Women Scotland has brought proceedings challenging that conclusion, as it is entitled to do. The matter is now before the court.”
“When we add that to the decisions about employer national insurance contributions, it shows that the Labour Government is costing Scotland jobs. We cannot afford to have any more control from Labour in”
“The second point is that, in Wales, where there is a Labour Administration, the UK Labour Government has decided to allocate that money to the Welsh Government to enable distribution to take place in a way that is complementary to the priorities of the Welsh Government. That is a rational and logical position to adopt. In Scotland, the UK Labour Government has engaged in no dialogue with us whatsoever about the delivery of this funding, and it is being deployed in a way that was chosen by the UK Government with no regard paid to the priorities that are democratically agreed by this Parliament. Worse than all of that, people in Scotland are now losing jobs because of the decisions of a Labour Government.”
“Does he agree that Scotland’s communities are being not only short- changed but denied the right to decide their own priorities? While Labour politicians in Wales have defended devolution, they called Starmer’s approach a constitutional outrage. Is it not time for Labour MSPs in the Scottish Parliament to do the same or to accept that Scotland would be far better served by a Scottish Parliament that had the full powers of independence? The First Minister: There are two issues that I want to address in response to the matter that Mr Brown has raised with me. The first is the fact that, when it comes to the quantum of support that is available, the resources that are available in Scotland are dwarfed by those that are available in Wales, so there is no equity in the arrangements that have been put in place.”
“Keith Brown: The First Minister will be aware that, in Wales, the Welsh Labour Government will decide how to spend £547 million of local growth funding, whereas, in Scotland, it appears that the UK Government intends to spend Scotland’s £140 million for us. At the same time, analysis shows that Forth Valley, which includes my constituency, faces a cut of around a third compared with current funding levels, which threatens employability, skills and business support programmes that sustain local jobs. In my constituency, local groups will lose jobs. Does the First Minister agree that that represents blatant political bias, with Scotland’s communities being not only short-changed— [Interruption.] I do not know why the Tories do not like that being raised.”
“Despite repeated requests over the past year, we have had no meaningful discussion with the UK Government on the local growth fund. The Secretary of State for Scotland wrote to us on the day of the announcement, stating that UK Government officials would be in contact, but we have no more detail on the programme. The announcement has come far too late. The Scottish Government and local authorities repeatedly warned the UK Government that any reduction in funding would have a devastating impact, and we can now see that in the reports of some organisations issuing redundancy notices. The programme does not come close to matching the shared prosperity fund that it will replace, and it leaves nine Scottish local authorities with no allocation whatsoever.”
“I also say again, in the hope that I express this clearly to the public and to Parliament, that I will insist that the infrastructure that is under the control of the Scottish Government can and should be used only to support the international rules- based system, because that is the foundation for the peace that I have enjoyed throughout my life, and I want to make sure that that is the case for my children and my grandchildren. Local Growth Fund (Allocations) 4.”
“Gillian Mackay: People across the world are terrified, and we have the ability to take action, so I again ask the First Minister whether he will stop the US military using all publicly owned Scottish airports if it launches operations against Greenland and whether he will stand with the international community. The First Minister: I absolutely stand with the international community on the resolute views that have been expressed on the situation in Greenland and on protecting the status of Greenland and the right of the people of Greenland to determine their own future. I state that unreservedly to Parliament.”
“I want to make it clear that I believe that it is important that all that infrastructure, if it were ever to be used, could be used only in a way that was consistent with the international rules-based system for the arrangements between countries. As First Minister, I will ensure that that is the case. Gillian Mackay: It is not good enough for us to be vague on this. We are talking about a US Government that is pulling its own citizens out of their communities, that has shot a mother in broad daylight and that is actively advertising that it wants to invade other countries. People across the world are terrified, and we have—[Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us hear Ms Mackay. Mr Kerr, I am chairing the Parliament at the moment, thank you.”
“I acknowledge the importance of the issues and the concern that Gillian Mackay raises. As I have made clear over the past couple of weeks, and over the entirety of my political life, I believe fundamentally in the international rules-based system for ensuring peace and security in the world. As I expressed in relation to the situation in Venezuela—I put this on the record last week in response to Mercedes Villalba—I do not believe that the intervention in Venezuela could be justified within the international rules-based system. Gillian Mackay raises issues concerning the use of infrastructure in Scotland that is under the control of the Scottish Government.”
“Mr Sarwar knows that it is all over. It is finished. The dream is gone. He is in opposition and we are going to stay in government. US Military (Use of Scottish Infrastructure) 3.”
“The First Minister: I do not think that today is the day that Mr Sarwar is in a strong enough position to accuse me of talking rubbish. This morning, a health campaigner raised publicly the fact that she has requested a formal apology from Mr Sarwar after a campaign leaflet—which I have in front of me—was posted to thousands of homes around the country with a false quotation in support of his party in it. The campaigner who was falsely quoted asked a fair question: “If they’ve written that out of nowhere, what else have they lied about?” So, I do not think that Mr Sarwar is in a position to say to me anything about the budget. Not only has he misled the public in a campaign leaflet—a member of the public has called him out—but he is wrestling with Reform to try to get into second place in the opinion polls.”
“Let us hear one another. Anas Sarwar: It is okay—we will say cheerio to Shona Robison in four months’ time too. The SNP has spent the past 19 years failing to deal with the real issues that are facing Scotland. It has nothing new to deal with the crisis created on its watch: nothing to deal with the hundreds of thousands of Scots who are stuck on national health service waiting lists; nothing to deal with the drug deaths emergency that is killing hundreds of people a year; nothing to address the homelessness crisis that is leaving 10,000 kids stuck in temporary accommodation; nothing to help businesses, wages or the economy to grow; and nothing for the thousands of our amazing young people who are missing out on the education that they deserve. John Swinney has had 20 years. He has had his chance and he has failed, has he not?”
“That is the Government investing to support business and the economy, alongside a range of other measures in the budget that I hope that Mr Sarwar will support. Anas Sarwar: In the words of his old pal Alex Neil, the First Minister is talking “rubbish”. He has failed to deal with the serious question of— [Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us hear Mr Sarwar. Anas Sarwar: —revaluations that will see some businesses being forced to pay 300 or 400 per cent higher amounts, which risks the survival of those businesses. He completely ignored that question. The one bit of good news is that Scots do not have to put up with his failure for much longer: in May, they can choose a new Government. The Scottish National Party has spent the past 19 years—[Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Sorry, Mr Sarwar—it is somewhat noisy.”
“On the subject of business rates, the business rates position is a product of two elements: the independent valuation that is undertaken and the policy decisions that are taken by the Scottish Government. The independent valuation, which was agreed to across the Parliament, has taken its course. In policy terms, this Government has put in place a 15 per cent relief to retail, hospitality and leisure premises in mainland Scotland that are liable for the basic or intermediate property rate; we have expanded the 100 per cent relief for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses on our islands; we have maintained the small business bonus scheme; and, crucially, we have put in place a package of business rates reliefs worth an estimated £864 million in the forthcoming financial year.”
“John Swinney cannot solve the big issues that he has created— The Presiding Officer: Let us hear one another. Anas Sarwar: There is an urgent new issue that risks the future of thousands of businesses. Why has there been no pause to business rate revaluations? They have meant that many businesses face a 400 per cent increase—far greater than any rate relief—and risk their survival and the loss of thousands of jobs. Why has there been no pause to those revaluations? The First Minister: I notice that Mr Sarwar has moved the subject on from the tax position of teachers and nurses, because I have completely demolished the arguments that he has put in front of me today.”
“Anas Sarwar: John Swinney deliberately focuses on the lowest band and ignores the thousands of nurses and teachers who are paying more tax in Scotland. Although a million Scots face paying more, the 19th John Swinney budget does not even try to deal with the issues that are leading to billions of pounds being wasted and opportunities being squandered. There is no plan to deal with delayed discharge, meaning that taxpayers pick up a bill of half a billion pounds; there is no plan to deal with Scotland’s prison system, while people pay £1 billion and rising for the new Barlinnie prison in Glasgow; and there is no plan to grow Scotland’s economy, costing us £800 million. All those plans can only come about with a change of Government in May.”
“I will explain to Mr Sarwar that a band 6 nurse who is at the bottom of the scale will take home an additional £1,994 after tax, compared with someone in the same band in England. A qualified teacher at the bottom of the band will take home £6,365 more after tax in Scotland than the equivalent teacher in England. Those are the facts for Mr Sarwar. A band 6 nurse living in Scotland will take home—[Interruption.] Mr Sarwar asked me about nurses, and I am giving him an answer about nurses. A band 6 nurse at the bottom of the scale will take home an additional £1,994 because they live in Scotland and not England, and a teacher in Scotland will take home £6,365 more than they would in England. That is because this Government delivers fair pay for public service workers.”
“It is absolutely mind blowing that Labour and the other so-called Opposition parties will let this SNP boorach of a budget pass. It is a desperate budget that kills aspiration, a damaging budget that harms business and a dishonest budget that will need to be fixed within months. It is the same old John Swinney. Do the people of Scotland not deserve lower taxes, fairer benefits and a Government that is focused on economic growth? The First Minister: Our budget delivers on the priorities of the people of Scotland, strengthening our national health service and supporting people and businesses on cost of living challenges. In the budget, the Scottish Government is expanding the best package of cost of living support anywhere—”
“At a time when unemployment is lower in Scotland than it is in the rest of the United Kingdom, and gross domestic product per capita has increased at a faster rate in Scotland than it has in the rest of the UK, the Scottish Government is delivering for the Scottish economy, and we will carry on doing so. Russell Findlay: The First Minister says that he recognises the challenges facing businesses, but then he decides to make them worse. For the avoidance of any doubt, the Scottish Conservatives will not and cannot back a budget that does nothing to help Scotland’s workers and businesses. Having been delivered by a finance secretary who is running for the hills, this budget hammers people with higher taxes to fund a bloated benefits system.”
“The Scottish Government’s budget for the forthcoming financial year will ensure the lowest basic property rate since 2018-19 and will support business and communities with a package of reliefs that will be worth an estimated £864 million in 2026-27. In response to a key ask from the business community about increased support for the college sector, the Government has increased the colleges budget by £70 million. Another call from the business community was for support for infrastructure investment. We have set out our plans on infrastructure. [Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us hear one another. The First Minister: Yesterday, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport told the Parliament about the delivery of plans to dual the A9, which is one of the central economic pledges of the Scottish Government.”
“The Confederation of British Industry Scotland is calling it a “missed opportunity”; UK Hospitality Scotland says that it “missed the mark spectacularly” on business support; and the Federation of Small Businesses says that ministers must “urgently reconsider their approach” to economic growth. When will John Swinney learn that he has to back business and not attack it? The First Minister: I recognise the challenges that are always felt in the business community. Of all the things that I could be accused of as a member of the Government, that is not one. I have always had very close and active dialogue with the business community in Scotland.”
“The Conservatives are unable to match the Scottish Government’s record on financial stewardship and support for vulnerable people in our country. Russell Findlay: We value social security, but we will always tell the truth about the SNP’s out-of- control, unaffordable benefits bill. John Swinney’s economic approach is ruinous, but there is another way. The only responsible, credible and sustainable way to raise more revenue for public services is by growing Scotland’s economy, which can be achieved by supporting those who create jobs and generate wealth. However, Scottish businesses face tax rises of almost £300 million in the coming weeks, and their verdict on John Swinney’s budget is damning.”
“The First Minister: Nobody in Scotland takes seriously Russell Findlay’s claim that the Conservative Party values the safety net of social security, because, every week, its members come to the Parliament and attack the very social security expenditure that is keeping children out of poverty. As a matter of fact, the updated Scottish Fiscal Commission forecasts show a substantial reduction in the Scottish Government’s benefits investment over and above the block grant adjustments received from the United Kingdom Government. That demonstrates that the action that the Scottish Government is taking is sustainable. As is demonstrated by our budget— and as we have always done since we formed the Government—we propose costed financial programmes that deliver real benefits for the people of Scotland.”
“We value the safety net for those who are in genuine need—[Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us hear Mr Findlay. Russell Findlay: —but the Scottish National Party’s benefits bill is out of control, and it will now go up by another £650 million. [Interruption.] I will keep saying it, no matter how noisy SNP members are: Scotland cannot afford this. The Scottish Conservatives believe that taxes cannot keep rising in order to fund higher spending on benefits. Why does John Swinney not understand that his reckless approach is unfair and unsustainable?”
“The First Minister: —with an expansion of support for breakfast clubs and additional investment in after-school activities, with measures that have been taken through the extra time programme, with an increase in the Scottish child payment and with an expansion of the Scottish child payment for babies under one year. That is a demonstration of a Government that is on the side of the people of Scotland, and I am proud of the measures that we set out in the budget on Tuesday. Russell Findlay: John Swinney gave those taxpayers a miserly cut—not to help anyone, but to get a cheap and easy headline. For many others, income taxes will rise even further. One of the reasons for John Swinney’s tax raid is so that he can spend even more on benefits.”
“I am pleased to see that auditions for pantomime dame are being entered early by Rachel Hamilton in Parliament today. Frankly, that was pantomime stuff from the Conservatives. The Conservative Party has come forward with a proposition for tax cuts that would involve £1 billion-worth of cuts to public expenditure, but with not a scrap of detail about how those would be delivered. That is a false proposition. My Government has brought forward a range of measures that build on existing cost of living support, such as free prescriptions, free eye tests and the free bus travel that is available in Scotland—[Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Can I just ensure that we can all hear one another? That would be helpful—and it is, of course, necessary.”
“There is no point in applying sanctions to Governments that ignore international law, undermine the rule of law and invade independent countries in the way that Russia has invaded Ukraine, without taking action when those sanctions are applied. I am happy to set out the Scottish Government’s position on that point of principle. The Presiding Officer: That concludes First Minister’s question time. The next item of business is a members’ business debate in the name of Claire Baker. There will be a short suspension to allow people to leave the chamber and the public gallery. 12:47 Meeting suspended. 12:48 On resuming— Non-fatal Strangulation Laws and Intimate Partner Homicides”