 We have general questions. Questions 1. James Kelly. Thank you, Presiding Officer, to ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in the payment of the living wage in public contracts. Cabinet Secretary, Rwzana Cunningham. Our recently announced programme for government sets out our clear commitment to a range of measures to expand the living wage in Scotland, including through public contracts. We've increased the funding of the poverty alliance to promote take up of the living wage accreditation scheme, and we will work with them to explore models to boost public and third sector uptake of living wage. We will host a living wage accreditation summit with business leaders, and the Fair Work Convention will prioritise the role of the living wage in their work to develop a fair work framework for Scotland. In addition to paying the living wage to those covered by our public sector pay, including those in the NHS, the staff of contractors working in our buildings will also get the living wage, as demonstrated through our catering and cleaning contracts. We will publish statutory guidance for public bodies on how workforce-related matters, including living wage, should be taken into account in public contracts, and we will implement provisions in the Procurement Reform Scotland Act 2014, which will require public bodies procurement strategies to make a statement of their general policy on payment of a living wage. Presiding Officer, could I take this opportunity to congratulate the Scottish Parliament for the recent announcement in respect of the living wage extended to contractors here in this building? James Kelly. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer, and I also congratulate the Scottish Parliament on payment of the living wage to all workers and contractors. The cabinet secretary will be aware that the First Minister recently announced that agreement had been reached with Mighty to ensure that all cleaners at Scottish Government locations would be paid a living wage. Can I clarify that I am aware that Mighty have a contract with Annie's Land College in Glasgow? Can I clarify that the announcement from the First Minister covers all cleaners from payments made through the Scottish Government, including those in the education sector and specifically at Annie's Land College? James Kelly is asking about contracts that are not within the direct purview of this Government. We want to encourage all those contracts also to be living wage, but at the moment the deal with Mighty is in respect of those who are working directly for and within Scottish Government confines. If the member wishes to raise specific contracts with me, I am aware that Mighty do contract in the higher and further education sectors. There will probably be some attention to be paid to that and a job of work to be done there, but the recent announcement is in respect of those who are directly paid through the cleaning contract of the NHS. Chick Brody. To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to improve customer awareness of the dangers of rogue traders in the construction industry. There are a great many reputable traders in the construction industry in Scotland and there is a range of support to help people to find and use them. The Scottish Government encourages home owners to use traders who are members of trade associations. Trustmark is a Government backed initiative to help consumers find reliable and trustworthy local tradesmen to carry out repairs inside and outside the home. In addition, local authority trusted traders' schemes, the Federation of Master Builders, Find a Builder Service and the Construction Licensing Executive's reference service are all to be commended for helping home owners to find reputable traders. Advice is also available direct from local authority, private sector housing teams and trading standards officers. Chick Brody. I thank the cabinet secretary for his answer. While consumer education is a devolved matter, consumer protection is reserved to Westminster. Will the cabinet secretary pursue with his support Westminster the devolution of consumer protection so that in Scotland newly qualified, registered and appropriately named tradespeople like electricians, plumbers and roofers can carry out such designated work and so avoid heartache for households penalised by misrepresentation by those purported to be so qualified? Further devolution of consumer protection powers will enable the Scottish Government to create an effective, efficient and fair consumer protection regime that is focused on the needs of Scottish consumers and businesses. We welcome the new powers of advocacy and advice recommended by the Smith commission, but it is currently unclear whether or not power over redress is to be devolved and will therefore be seeking clarification from the UK Government. Both the UK and Scottish Government should start preparing in good faith for the transfer of the powers identified in Lord Smith's report. For our part, the Scottish Government will use whatever new powers are delivered to the Scottish Parliament to ensure we take forward this Government's work to create a fairer and more prosperous country for everyone who lives here. To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to support local authorities in meeting demand for home care provision. Last year, the then Cabinet Secretary for Health and Well-being commissioned the residential care task force to look at the way we commission and deliver services for almost vulnerable people living in care homes. The report of the task force was published earlier this year containing a number of recommendations, not least to improve the commissioning and provision of those services. The Scottish Government accepts, in principle, the recommendations, and we're currently working with COSLA, Scottish Care and other partners to take forward its recommendations for the long-term transformation of residential care in Scotland. Minister, NHS Lothian accounts for more than one in five Scottish bed days lost to delayed discharge, with older patients particularly affected. In Edinburgh, £8 million is being invested in a new 60-bed care home at Royston, increasing capacity to around 600 residential spaces, and the council is increasing fund for re-ablement. However, health and social care is 25 per cent of the total service expenditure, and the council has to find savings of £142 million over the next three years. To balance the books, there are increasing care charges, or looking at that, certainly for this year's budget, and looking at moving to reduce the use of agency staff. Is there action that the Scottish Government can take now to address the underfunding of our local authorities to allow them to deliver the greater capacity that we need in social care services now? Minister? Well, let me be clear to Ms Boyack and to the chamber this Scottish Government is already taking action to tackle the issues around delayed discharge. In August, we made £5 million of targeted funding available to seven NHS boards to help to alleviate immediate pressures on the system due to delayed discharges. We have also allocated an additional £5 million to all partnerships in November, and this is leveraging in other funding from health boards and local authorities. Of course, we have jointly with COSLA established a discharge taskforce to oversee and agree priority actions to improve discharge from hospitals. In relation to Lothian, specifically in reference to the funding that I have mentioned, the Lothian partnership received £712,000 from this pot. I believe that the City of Edinburgh and NHS Lothian plan to use some of this funding to reopen Pentland Hills care home to provide intermediate care, step up step down care that will enable people to return home following hospital admission and where possible provide an alternative to admission to hospital. Action is happening. We need to see more of this kind of service being delivered and where many other areas are doing just that. Question 4, Clyde Baker. To ask the Scottish Government when it last met NHS Fife and what issues were discussed. Cabinet Secretary, Shona Robison. I met the chair and chief executive of NHS Fife yesterday along with the leader and chief executive of Fife Council to discuss how to tackle the issue of delayed discharge in Fife. Clyde Baker. I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that response. I'm sure that following yesterday's meeting the Cabinet Secretary will be well aware of the pressures that are facing NHS Fife and Fife Council. We've seen a doubling of low-come costs, a reduction in the number of beds and nursing shortages. Last week it was revealed that bed blocking was leading to over 11,000 bed days being lost in Fife. Almost three quarters of those were people aged over seven to five who were waiting for care arrangements to be made. I appreciate the Cabinet Secretary will go into detail about the steps she'll take to try and address this issue but funding does remain at the heart of this. It's been reported in today's courier that the NHS Fife and Fife Council have identified a £3 million funding gap which they're working together to address. How can the Scottish Government help to address this? I can say to the member that the meeting yesterday was very positive and constructive. We discussed the clear and agreed plan between the council and the health board that they're now implementing to tackle the issue. Their plans include the discharge of up to 60 patients before Christmas and the joint funding of the council and health board to continue with that plan for the rest of this financial year. We also agreed with NHS Fife and Fife Council that they would continue to work with the Scottish Government on service and funding transition to make sure that they take maximum benefit from the plans for integration, which will take place from April of next year. The member will be aware that an additional £836,000 has been allocated since August to NHS Fife to address the issues related to delayed discharge, but I want to reiterate, as I did yesterday, that this is my top priority in taking forward resolving this issue. We are putting in some short-term measures, but without a doubt it is restructuring and shifting the balance of care that is going to lead to a sustainable change in the way that we deliver services into the future. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve access to rail services for disabled people. The Scottish Government continues to support substantial improvements to railway stations, trains and the provision of dedicated assistance for disabled passengers provided by ScotRail. For example, Scottish ministers have prioritised to upgrade through the £31 million access for all fund, which has included the creation of step-free access at several stations across Glasgow. Bob Doris? The minister for that answer. Gilshall station in the cadre area is notoriously poor for disabled access. In fact, it is virtually impossible. I have met and corresponded with ScotRail a number of times about this issue and they say that it does not qualify under access for all criteria. I could look specifically at the barriers with his officials in relation to Gilshall station and can you tell me what other funding streams might be available or whether we consider extending the access for all criteria? Because right now my constituents, whether disabled or mothers with params, can't access real facilities in Coddor. Minister. Well, certainly it's the department for transport that sets the criteria that guides how we give priority for Scottish stations to be included in access for all. That is the fund that is dedicated to addressing access issues at railway stations. I suppose that in those terms they do not meet the criteria as Mr Doris has mentioned. I am happy to provide further information on additional support that can be given for access to train stations and the future meetings I will have in relation to disability access and equality on transport services. And look again at how we may be able to support this particular station but essentially the criteria set by the department for transport on the fund dedicated for this issue. Patricia Ferguson. Thank you, Presiding Officer. As far back as 2009, Transport Scotland were indicating to me that Gilshall station would not be considered because of its relatively, and I use the word advisedly, low passenger usage. It was numbered at that time as number 199 out of 343. But if that is the only criteria that can be used, I think that the Scottish Government would be well advised to consider taking up with the Department of Transport whether there can be an adjustment to that because stations like Gilshall will never be able to qualify for that kind of assistance. Mr Doris is absolutely right, it is a very difficult station for people to negotiate and do not have access to the assisted passenger reservation service that is fortunately available for those with a disability. I wonder if those are discussions that the minister would be interested in taking up. Minister. Of course I'm happy to pursue the issue because we have every sympathy with those who seek the most local access to their train station. There is an equality issue here as well. The latest information I have is that the station is the 14th busiest in Scotland of the 351 stations with 98,900 passenger journeys recorded in 2013. I would like to highlight the opportunity provided by ScotRail that provides alternative transport free of charge to the nearest accessible station for any disabled passenger who cannot use that station due to lack of access. Of course I'm happy to engage with the Department of Transport to guide us in the funds that are available. To ask the Scottish Government what sanctions there are on developers that make significant changes to the insides or outsides of listed buildings without applying for listed building consent. It is an offence to make changes which affect the character of a listed building be that internally or externally without listed building consent. I can refer cases to the Procurator Fiscal with a view to prosecution as an alternative or in addition to seeking prosecution the planning authority can issue a listed building enforcement notice requiring rectification of the damage done. The view of Scottish ministers is that prosecution for unauthorised works is best confined to cases where the work done is so radical that rectification is not practically feasible. There is a range of possible actions available in many cases the issue may be resolved with the submission of a retrospective application for listed building consent but in some cases the best way to achieve practical improvement to the building's condition is for the planning authority to issue an enforcement notice. I thank the minister for her comprehensive reply. Can the minister elaborate in any way on what action local authorities and indeed more importantly neighbouring residents affected by such works can take to ensure that the affected buildings in my constituency is returned to as much as possible its original state? Clearly the planning authority Glasgow City Council have the key responsibility here but of course any neighbouring residents or any person that are concerned about alterations being made to a listed building without appropriate consent can take action by reporting their concerns to the local planning authority in this case Glasgow City Council. There are a range of possible actions but obviously rectification is the best possible without prosecution and I would encourage them. Do you have got concerns to raise those with Glasgow City Council? Thank you and good morning to ask the Scottish Government whether it is developing strategy guidance for minimum standards for temporary accommodation and if so when will it be published? The Scottish Government currently has no plans of developing more strategy guidance on temporary accommodation we have recently strengthened the unsuitable accommodation order in relation to households with children and pregnant women in temporary accommodation. I am sorry that is quite a disappointing response I refer to the minister's response to my question last week on temporary accommodation and last week when the minister stated that the vast majority of temporary accommodation is of good quality and well managed local authority accommodation however a significant number of people are in poor quality and unsuitable temporary accommodation for long periods of time. For example on 30th of June this year 73 households with dependent children were living in bed and breakfast and hotel accommodation will the minister once again take up my invitation to visit some homes where families five a family in one bedroom are living in poor accommodation just to give the reality of how people are actually genuinely suffering. I believe that this is not only a responsibility but it is a moral duty to do so. I think it is important to restate that the vast majority of children living in temporary accommodation will be in good quality and well managed social housing and not unsuitable bed and breakfast accommodation and they will be waiting to be moved into settled accommodation. None of us want to see anyone living in accommodation that does not meet their needs and is not suitable for their needs and the housing regulator if there are issues with any particular accommodation then we certainly want to know about it and that can be raised with the regulator who will inspect the temporary accommodation that people are living in but I would say the homelessness prevention and strategy group has and will consider to consider any evidence in this regard to see if anything more we are clear on the importance of ensuring good standards are met as part of this and Scottish local authorities have been surveyed to identify a reasonable standard and cost for temporary accommodation and this has certainly informed the approach of local authorities and I am more than willing to speak with the member and the issues that he raised and if necessary I will not shy away from visiting accommodation that is not suitable so I am not shy away from that but the regulator will have to know about the issues before we can resolve them To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the UK Government to discuss the future of RAF Lucas The Scottish Government maintained direct contact with the UK Government on their plans for RAF Lucas throughout the period of the military basing review following the announcement in 2013 that the UK Government was to withdraw the RAF from Lucas and convert the base to receive updates on the implementation of those plans through the firm base arrangements which involve regular meetings with both the minister of defence and military contacts Ruth Campbell Minister will be aware that the department for transport recently closed its consultation on the UK space port in which Lucas was identified as a potential feasible location Can you advise if any discussions have taken place with the UK Government in relation to that matter as well as the potential for a feasibility study that could house a civilian airport? I am able to confirm that the Scottish Government officials received a briefing from the UK Government on their space port consultation prior to its announcement in July The Scottish Government wants to see the space port locator in Scotland and at this stage we remain neutral in terms of the six potential Scottish locations The Scottish Government and its agencies have offered to provide advice and support to any of the Scottish airfields that want to pursue the space port opportunity for the owner of each airfield to determine if they wish to do so In the case of RAF Lucas that is the Ministry of Defence We now move to First Minister's question Question 1