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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“The cultural opportunities in Scotland are very significant, and I know that Cumbernauld theatre will take the most advantage that it can from the investment that the Government has made to ensure that it continues to make a contribution to a thriving artistic and cultural sector in Scotland. Seasonal Migrant Workers (Living Conditions)”
“I am delighted to do so. I know that Cumbernauld theatre has been a very important artistic venue in Cumbernauld for many years. It has new accommodation, and I am delighted that the Government has been able to put the resources in place to support that. I am grateful to Jamie Hepburn for the formidable representations that he has made on behalf of his constituents. In relation to the wider cultural sector in Scotland, a record total of 251 cultural organisations are receiving funding from this year. That is more than double the number of organisations that previously received core funding.”
“The issues that Beatrice Wishart raises are important, and members of the public need to be persuaded that where they are supporting and accommodating that infrastructure, they are seeing the benefit of lower energy costs. I totally accept the situation in Shetland, where there is very high generation of renewable energy and there are very high levels of fuel poverty and very high fuel bills. That is the energy system of the United Kingdom, and that is the problem that we are wrestling with. We are wrestling with an energy market that does not ensure that the people of Scotland, including the people of Shetland, are getting the benefit of their energy wealth, and that is what my Government is about—securing for the people of”
“Beatrice Wishart: Shetland has some of the highest energy bills in the United Kingdom, while renewable energy infrastructure now dominates the isles. There are 103 onshore wind turbines, with more to come, proposals for substations and 38m pylons running across Shetland, offshore wind farm developments and subsea cables that will displace the vital fishing sector, and we are not getting much back. Community benefit needs to be meaningful. The Scottish Government is getting hundreds of millions of pounds from ScotWind, so will the First Minister commit to giving Shetland its share of the ScotWind leasing revenues? The First Minister: As I have indicated already, resources have been invested in Shetland as a consequence of the Crown Estate revenues.”
“It is my priority that as a country we generate prosperity and share it across Scotland for everyone to benefit from. I want a thriving, innovative and sustainable green economy, and the offshore wind industry is at the heart of that. It is driving investment and creating skilled, well-paid jobs. Scottish Crown Estate revenue is allocated to local authorities for coastal community benefit. Since 2019, under that arrangement, more than £78 million has been passed to local authorities, including £11.5 million for Shetland. We want to go further. Through our national islands plan, we are exploring opportunities for how the revenue from ScotWind projects and the wider Crown Estate can further support community infrastructure on islands.”
“The First Minister: It is not good enough to come to Parliament to demand the expansion of provision in our schools and not be prepared to put the money in to do so. That is the challenge that Monica Lennon faces.”
“The First Minister: I am very sympathetic to the circumstances that Monica Lennon sets out to me. I represent constituents and members of the public and, over my years as a parliamentarian, I have represented many constituents who have tried to secure additional support needs provision for their children. Parents want to do the best for their children and ensure that the education system meets their needs, which is why the Government has put £29 million of additional investment in the budget. I am sorry to raise this while discussing a sensitive issue, but Monica Lennon never voted for that. Monica Lennon sat on her hands. [Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us hear one another.”
“Monica Lennon: We still do not know when the Scottish National Party will deliver the additional 3,500 teachers promised in the 2021 manifesto— or the 4,310 additional teachers, if we include the overall deficit in teachers since that promise was made. None of that will reassure my 13-year-old constituent Adam, who has barely been in school since August. He is not thriving and no longer wants to attend school, because his additional needs are not being met. Will the First Minister apologise to Adam and his family, who are now investigating home schooling because they are desperate? Will he agree to meet them in the new year and take steps not only to support Adam but to reassure the thousands of children and young people across Scotland who are being failed by this total system failure?”
“We are clear that all children and young people should receive the support that they need to thrive in their education. Support comes from all staff, not only from additional support needs specialists. As a direct result of investment from the Scottish Government, we have been able to increase the number of staff in our schools and not just the number of teachers. Educational psychologists, family liaison workers and additional support needs staff have been supported through additional investment from the Scottish Government, which includes an additional £29 million this year specifically to support the additional support needs workforce.”
“Many details about it have been shared with me by my colleague Richard Lochhead when he has made representations on behalf of his constituents, and I discussed the viaduct with Mr Lochhead and his colleague Laura Mitchell just yesterday. It is an important structure and connection, and I very much welcome the local interest. I am happy for ministers to engage in dialogue about the issue, which will ensure that the public can enjoy the magnificent outdoors of the Moray countryside.”
“Today, the Spey viaduct is one of the most photographed structures in the area and has attracted admiration and comments from legends such as Timmy Mallett. Without making this about money or council politics, local people have been clear with me that they want to work constructively to see whether the viaduct could be fixed. Will the First Minister, or perhaps the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture—who I am sure is very familiar with the site—be willing to join me on site in the new year, to meet local businesses and staff from the Scottish Dolphin Centre to discuss the viaduct’s future? The First Minister: I am very familiar with the viaduct.”
“The collapse of the Spey viaduct is a sad loss. Not only did it hold significant heritage value; it is a key feature for those using the national cycle network or travelling the Moray coastal route. The viaduct is, of course, owned by Moray Council, and it will ultimately be for the council to lead on the next steps. It will need time to work through its options, including consulting and engaging with local communities, as it always does, but, for our part, the Government is more than happy to be part of those discussions. Tim Eagle: The other day, I was told a story about guards running up and down a train, trying to stop people leaning out on the viaduct, because their hats kept falling into the salmon pools.”
“The sooner that Scotland’s energy is under the control of the people of Scotland, who can benefit from the energy potential of our country, the better, so that we can reduce the costs that people face for their domestic energy and commercial heating. Spey Viaduct (Collapse) 5.”
“Now, they are rising by almost £200 and are set to increase again in January and April. That means that households will be left around £500 worse off this Christmas than was promised. With the United Kingdom Government delivering nothing but rising bills and rising hardships, does the First Minister agree that it is only through independence that we can protect our living standards and cut household bills? The First Minister: Members of the public can see what the United Kingdom Government delivers. At the election, it promised a cut in fuel bills, but those bills are rising. That is what the United Kingdom delivers to an energy-rich country.”
“We know that people continue to struggle with the cost of bills and life’s essentials, particularly during the winter and especially at Christmas time. The Government is doing all that it can to help within the powers that we have available to us. We will continue to allocate more than £3 billion a year to policies that tackle poverty and help to address the cost of living crisis. This winter, we will invest more than £196 million in our winter heating benefits, which provide vital support for low-income households, families with disabled children or young people, and pensioners. David Torrance: I welcome the measures outlined by the First Minister, which are more necessary than ever, as Labour continuously fails to deliver during the cost of living crisis. Scots were told by Keir Starmer that their bills would fall by £300 per year.”
“The Government will engage in measures to support the workforce at Mossmorran, as the Parliament would expect us to. Cost of Living (Support for Households) 4.”
“I am not quite sure how that speculation arose, because I thought that I was crystal clear that the scheme, approach and conditions that we have put in place at Grangemouth will be put in place at Mossmorran. I hope that that is clear. I thought that it was clear the last time I said it, but, if it was not, it is clear now. The business concepts that are emerging from the work at Grangemouth will be prioritised and taken forward at Mossmorran. ExxonMobil had extensive discussions with the United Kingdom Government about the future of the site that the Scottish Government was not sighted on until the very last moment. That meant there was a limitation on our ability to engage substantively on those questions. I hope that that has given Mr Greer the clarity that he seeks.”
“Fossil fuel giants such as ExxonMobil are all too happy to profit from Scotland’s resources and workers, but when the money runs out they are out of here. We have seen that happen countless times before. Last time I asked this question, there was some confusion about the answer, but I am hopeful that the First Minister can make a clear commitment today. Will his Government finally commit to providing dedicated funding for Mossmorran and make it a condition of receiving that funding that any business must guarantee job interviews to workers who have lost their jobs at the site? The First Minister: I am very much aware of the speculation that there was after the previous answer that I gave to Mr Greer.”
“I reassure Mr Greer that the learning and experience from Grangemouth are being applied at the industrial site at Mossmorran in similar circumstances. Ross Greer: The First Minister says that the Government will learn from the experience at Grangemouth, which would have been absolutely fine months ago, but those workers will lose their jobs in a few weeks and the Government has not come up with the plan that, 18 months ago, it said that it would. Yesterday, Unite the Union said that there have been a lot of “kind words and soundbites” from the United Kingdom Government and the Scottish Government, but that it has not seen “any real, tangible evidence of any practical support, financial support”.”
“The Government has made clear that we will identify opportunities from the on-going work at Grangemouth. As we saw from last week’s announcements, significant numbers of new jobs are coming from the investments that have been made, and I welcome the announcement that was made yesterday by Ineos and the United Kingdom Government. The exercise that we have carried out at Grangemouth has demonstrated a range of different business possibilities that can lead to new employment, some of which are now being progressed and have been announced. That learning will be applied to Mossmorran to provide the vital support that is necessary for its workforce. I appreciate that those workers will be having an extremely anxious time as a consequence of the announcement by ExxonMobil.”
“The First Minister: If Mr Sarwar wants to know how he is getting on, he might want to have a look at some of the substance of the Ipsos polling last week. When the public in Scotland were asked, “Who do you trust most to manage education and schools in Scotland?”, trust in the SNP was rising and trust in the Labour Party was falling. The Labour Party is making absolutely no progress. If Mr Sarwar thinks that that is only on education, I can say that it also relates to health. Trust in the Labour Party to solve the issues in the health service is falling, and trust in the SNP is rising. Why? Because waiting lists are going down, waiting times are going down and general practitioner numbers are going up, and because we are delivering on the national health service. Mossmorran 3.”
“The First Minister: I will tell Mr Sarwar what is shameful and embarrassing: it is him coming to the Parliament every day moaning about things when he is not prepared to vote for a budget that will increase investment in our public services. That is what is shameful and embarrassing. Mr Sarwar should think twice about that. Mr Sarwar wants to raise my record on supporting children in Scotland. The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills was on her feet in the Parliament on Tuesday setting out the record levels of literacy and numeracy in our schools. Attendance is rising, teacher numbers are rising, and the attainment gap is further narrowing in Scotland. I am proud of the fact that, on my watch, child poverty in Scotland is falling and is at the lowest level in 30 years. [Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Thank you, members.”
“College budgets have been slashed; violence in our schools is on the rise; more than a third of young people who ask for help with their mental health are rejected by the national health service; and we have a Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs who hunts for excuses not to have an inquiry into child sexual exploitation. [Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us hear Mr Sarwar. Anas Sarwar: Failure is no longer the exception for the SNP Government; it is the rule. Things are not getting better on the First Minister’s watch for Scotland’s children—they are getting worse, and the most vulnerable are paying the highest price. Why are the SNP and John Swinney so comfortable in failing Scotland’s children?”
“Anas Sarwar: Is that the best answer the First Minister has for 10,000 children being homeless and families being in temporary accommodation for up to 13 years? That is utterly shameful and embarrassing. The truth is that John Swinney cannot defend his record when it comes to failing Scotland’s children. There are 10,000 children without a home to call their own this Christmas. This is the man who downgraded the results of working-class kids during the pandemic, while we have 4,310 fewer teachers in Scotland than the SNP promised at the previous election.”
“In 2024-25 alone, 2,066 houses were taken out of being void properties and put into use as houses that families in those circumstances can use. We can see from the data that was published earlier this week that the increased budget that the Government is putting in place has led to a 61 per cent increase in the past quarter in the number of approvals for affordable housing, which has resulted in an 18 per cent increase in the number of starts in the July to September period. The investment that the Government has put in place is now having an effect and boosting those numbers. Fundamentally, we have been building more houses per head of population in Scotland than has been the case in other parts of the United Kingdom, while we wrestle with the public finance challenges that we all face.”
“That is an entire childhood of spending year after year moving from place to place and school to school and spending Christmas after Christmas without a home to call their own. How many Christmases must a child spend without a home before John Swinney will admit that his SNP Government has utterly failed? The First Minister: As I said in my earlier answer, the Government is increasing the investment that is available for housing. One of the things that we have taken forward has been to invest more money in supporting the transfer of properties from being void to being in use as accommodation. In the previous financial year, we put £40 million into that effort, and this year, we have doubled that to £80 million.”
“I say to SNP members that your constituents— The Presiding Officer: Please always speak through the chair. Anas Sarwar: There are 10,000 children who are living in temporary accommodation across Scotland today—10,000 children are living in flats, hotels, bed and breakfasts and hostels. Some of those families have been moved from place to place more than a dozen times, never settling or unpacking, never knowing where they will be next and going for years without a home. The Presiding Officer: Mr Sarwar, I cannot hear you. Mr Johnson, please desist; Mr Sarwar, continue. Anas Sarwar: They never settle or unpack and never know where they will be next, going for years without a home. One family in Glasgow have spent 13 years in temporary accommodation and one family in Edinburgh have spent nine years in temporary accommodation.”
“On my watch as First Minister, we have given more money than ever before to increase the supply of housing. That builds on the fact that, over the lifetime of the Government, we have helped to deliver more than 141,000 affordable homes, with more than 101,000 of those being available for social rent. That is 45 per cent more per head of population than in England and 69 per cent more than in Wales. During a period when we have all been wrestling with public spending challenges, the Government has delivered more new affordable housing than has been delivered in England or in Wales, and we are building on that record with a budget settlement that will deliver for housing in Scotland. Anas Sarwar: John Swinney should be ashamed of the SNP’s record on housing and the damage that it is doing.”
“Presiding Officer, I join Mr Sarwar in extending my good wishes to you and to parliamentary colleagues at Christmas time and in wishing everyone a happy Christmas and new year. I express my thanks to those in the emergency services, who I will have much to do with in the course of the next few days and weeks, for the service that they are giving the public over this period. I acknowledge that there is a housing emergency. The Government has accepted that, and that is why the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Màiri McAllan, has set out the housing action plan. Mr Sarwar said that the Government is doing nothing about that. We have taken steps and have taken one really significant action during my time as First Minister, which has been to dramatically increase the resources that are available for new house building in Scotland.”
“The First Minister: As I have said to the Parliament previously, and as I said on Tuesday when the issue was debated in the Parliament, and the Parliament expressed its confidence in the justice secretary, people will reach different conclusions from the words that we use in the Parliament. The justice secretary is trying to address the concerns have been raised in a comprehensive and open way, as she did at the committee yesterday—[Interruption.]”
“That was Angela Constance’s earliest opportunity to correct the record. She could have corrected the record—she should have—in September, October, November and December. She should have corrected the record when we challenged her in three urgent questions, two ministerial statements, two First Minister’s question times and a motion of no confidence. She should have corrected the record after being repeatedly challenged by grooming gang victims and by journalists. Three months have passed and only now is Angela Constance trying to correct the record. She did not correct the record at the earliest opportunity, as is required under the ministerial code. How on earth can John Swinney continue to defend his disgraced justice secretary?”
“It states that ministers must “give accurate and truthful information to Parliament, correcting any inadvertent error at the earliest opportunity.” Angela Constance blatantly and brazenly decided not to correct the record at the earliest possible opportunity. How can John Swinney pretend to himself and to the public that Angela Constance has not breached the ministerial code? The First Minister: As I have said on a number of occasions to the Parliament, Angela Constance was making a general observation, drawing on the remarks of Professor Alexis Jay, back in September. Having looked at the issue and at all the material, I am content that there has been no breach of the ministerial code. Russell Findlay: Professor Jay told the Scottish Government on 26 September that she had been misrepresented.”
“The events of the past few weeks and months demonstrate that Angela Constance has set out to the Parliament the position of the Government. Where there has been a necessity for further information to be provided, she has done exactly that. The justice secretary spent the best part of two hours yesterday at the Education, Children and Young People Committee explaining all those issues and addressing the very issues that Mr Findlay puts to me this morning. Russell Findlay: The information has been dragged out of the justice secretary. Paragraph 1.7 of the ministerial code is crystal clear. I will read it out for John Swinney’s benefit.”
“Following correspondence with Professor Jay, it was minuted at the strategic group’s meeting in October that the quote was correct and was from January but was not made in relation to the amendment or the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill. In the debate in September, the cabinet secretary did not state that Professor Jay was speaking directly about the amendment. She made a general point, drawing on the publicly stated views of Professor Jay— [Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us hear the”
“On several occasions in the chamber, we have discussed the comments that are at the heart of today’s debate, so I will reiterate what has already been stated. During stage 3 of the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill, in relation to Liam Kerr’s amendment that would have meant that the new victims commissioner should carry out research into child sexual abuse, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs raised awareness of the work that was led by Professor Alexis Jay. The cabinet secretary noted specifically that Professor Jay had been the chair of an independent inquiry into child sexual abuse in England and Wales, and drew on a comment, made in the past, that, in regard to child sexual abuse and exploitation, “people should just get on with it”.”
“I received an update from Police Scotland on that important work when we met recently, and Opposition leaders and spokespeople from across the chamber have been offered a briefing with Police Scotland on that work in the new year. We will also draw on the published evidence and reports of the independent Scottish child abuse inquiry, which was established by Angela Constance in 2015 and which has been considering the abuse of children in the care of the state. The inquiry has now commenced phase 10 and has made it clear that there is scope to hear and act on evidence relating to group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation where that falls within its terms of reference. All that activity underlines the seriousness with which my Government takes the issue and our determination to leave no stone unturned, guided by expert opinion.”
“Professor Alexis Jay, who has always been a member of that group, has now been appointed as its independent chair. Secondly, an independent national review of the response to group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation in Scotland is being established. That will be undertaken by the Care Inspectorate, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education and Healthcare Improvement Scotland. The inspectorates are statutorily independent of Government and the agencies that they scrutinise, and they are able to compel public authorities to provide information that they request. Professor Jay has agreed to provide expert advice at key stages of the process. Alongside that work, Police Scotland is continuing to review child sexual abuse and exploitation cases.”
“Every member of my Government is committed to doing everything possible to deliver justice and the possibility of some element of closure for victims of the past, as well as to keeping safe the children of today and tomorrow. That sentiment anchors the steps that have been taken by my Government in addressing those issues—and those issues are being addressed, contrary to what Mr Findlay has just said to Parliament. First, we established a year ago the expert, multi-agency national child sexual abuse and exploitation strategic group, which is considering previous inquiries, evidence and practices across social work, education, the police and healthcare in order to agree further actions and recommendations for national improvement and reform.”
“The safety and wellbeing of children in Scotland is a paramount concern of all of us as members of Parliament, no matter our politics or whether we are members of an Opposition party or a supporter of the Scottish Government. The safety and wellbeing of children in Scotland matter to us all. Like many members here today, I have spoken to survivors of abuse to hear about their experiences—Russell Findlay has quoted some of my recent experience in this respect. I discussed those issues with Taylor and her family last week, in one of many conversations that I have had with abuse survivors. There is no doubt in my mind, and it is obvious to all, that many people have been fundamentally failed by the system over the years. That is shameful, and facing up to that awful reality has underpinned the approach of the Scottish Government.”
“The particular elements of project funding that Rona Mackay referred to are all taken forward with the objective of encouraging cohesion among our communities in Scotland, because that represents the fundamental approach that the Government takes to encouraging that sentiment in our society.”
“Can the First Minister outline what that will do to support people to feel safe in their communities? The First Minister: The Government takes many steps, through a number of our activities, to support community cohesion. Indeed, over the period around St Andrew’s day, we took forward a campaign on the theme that, together, “We are Scotland”. The purpose of the campaign was to encourage and promote a sense of community cohesion. We take that work forward through dialogue directly with the Jewish community in Scotland. I have had a series of meetings with the Jewish community, as have ministers and officials, to encourage and nurture the inclusion and cohesion that must be at the heart of a safe society for all.”
“I have heard at first hand—not just last night, at the city chambers in Edinburgh, but on other occasions when I have met with members of the community—about the profound fear and alarm that is felt by members of the community in Scotland. Steps have been taken, and will continue to be taken, to support the community’s safety. However, in a democracy, no individual should fear for their safety. Individuals should be able to live their lives free from prejudice and hatred, and in safety. That will be the outlook and the approach taken by the Scottish Government to support the Jewish community, as we support all communities in Scotland. Rona Mackay: The Scottish Government has supported both the STV appeal and the Scottish Trades Union Congress on supporting community cohesion.”
“It reminds us all that light is stronger than darkness. During the rest of Hanukkah, let us remember that, even in the darkest of times, hope and goodness will always endure. Rona Mackay: I am glad to hear that the First Minister has shown his solidarity with Jewish people by attending the Hanukkah event that he spoke about. Will he join me in encouraging members and the public to reject all hatred, discrimination and prejudice? Does he agree that language is important and that how we act in our words and deeds, and in standing up to prejudice, is vital in an age of misinformation? The First Minister: It is absolutely vital that, in all our actions, we do all that we can to reject hatred, discrimination and prejudice in our society. This is a particularly concerning and alarming time for the Jewish community in Scotland.”
“The Scottish Government stands in solidarity with Jewish communities worldwide who face unimaginable grief following the horrific terror attack on Bondi beach during the first night of Hanukkah. My thoughts are with all who have lost loved ones, and we grieve each loss profoundly. Antisemitism is an evil that we must confront wherever and whenever it takes place. The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that Scotland’s Jewish community is supported, free from fear and able to continue contributing to national life. We are in close contact with Police Scotland and partners in education to ensure that every community feels safe, including at places of worship, schools and universities. Last night, I was honoured to speak at the Hanukkah celebration at Edinburgh city chambers. Hanukkah is a celebration of light.”
“That is, essentially, the Government collaborating with a locally based approach to the design of flood prevention schemes. Mr Hoy is asking me to take that power away from local authorities and to decide on the issue in the centre. Normally, Mr Hoy rails against the Government deciding on such issues. I have had much correspondence over the years from people who do not like the scheme that is proposed at Whitesands, but it is important that we listen carefully to the expert advice about the right course of action on such issues. The Presiding Officer: That concludes First Minister’s question time. There will be a short suspension to allow people to leave the public gallery and the chamber. 12:49 Meeting suspended. 12:51 On resuming— Neurodevelopmental Conditions (Support)”
“Flooding at Whitesands has been a long-term issue. There has been significant parliamentary and political pressure for a scheme to be put in place. A number of very well-designed flood prevention schemes have been put in place in different communities in Scotland that have provided respite for families who are affected. I simply observe that early weather information suggests that there will be very heavy rain in the south-west of Scotland over the course of this weekend, so there are challenging circumstances out there at all times. Flood defence schemes are developed locally. They are put to wider discussion across all local authorities to determine the funding priorities, and the Government allocates funding to them accordingly.”
“Any individual who requires healthcare treatment should get that healthcare treatment. That is the simple premise behind the national health service, and it is applied in all circumstances. It is important that we have up-to-date information on the medical conditions of individuals to enable us to plan their treatment, and that is exactly what the national health service ensures. Whitesands Flood”
“Mercedes Villalba will appreciate that custodial decisions are arrived at by the application of law in the United Kingdom and that it would be inappropriate for me, as First Minister, who has to observe the rule of law, to make any comment about independent decisions that are arrived at by prosecutorial or judicial authorities. NHS Waiting Lists (Automatic Removal)”
“I am a very strong supporter of human rights. I have deep anxieties with regard to what I am hearing about the consideration that is being given to curtailing the application and scope of the European convention on human rights in the United Kingdom. The obligation to observe the ECHR is one of the great developments during my lifetime. It has strengthened individual rights, and we are the better for it. I am concerned by the direction of travel on that question, and I assure Mercedes Villalba of my support on it. This evening, I will attend a Scottish Human Rights Commission event in the Parliament.”
“I understand the concerns that Mr Fraser raises with me. As he correctly says, the assessors act independently on this question. However, I am concerned by the detail that I am hearing about some of the decisions that have been arrived at, which is why the Minister for Public Finance has already engaged in considering the implications of the issues and what is driving the changes in the methodologies that are producing those results. I assure Mr Fraser that the issue is already being addressed by the Government. It is an important issue, because it will affect the sustainability of many businesses as a consequence of the proposed changes. The matter is being pursued by ministers at this time. Prisoners (Palestine Action)”