 bobl yn 모든. Mae hyn ymwyfnig mai drosioion iawn yn ddigon. We turn now to First Minister's questions. Jackson Carlaw. In the independence referendum campaign, just a few short years ago, the First Minister pledged, we should keep the UK pound permanently. Forever, because in her words, that was in the best interests of Scotland. This week, she and the SNP voted to ditch the UK Fel Lywodra事 Y Llywodraeth sydd ymyrch yn ei g எu ardullion yn ycwyrdol ysteiniary erkaeth o Scotland. Llyr Rwy'n g stress gyda'r fabolu y gwn i roi'r anodd yn Scotlun, ryn ni'n fawr i'r anodd yn gyfnodd arw Developernau ein Gwernodd yn gyffredigu'r anodd yn Gwernodd. Rwy'n gus apo sut rydw i ddim yn ei ddim yn fan, ond mae'n ddiwedd ymwneud yn braf oEpïs yng Nghymru i'r iawn ar hyn o sut yn gyntafol sydd byddai'n cydychdu. A hynny i ddim yn oedd i ddysgu ddefnyddol o ffordd a'r anodd, Mae oedd gyrfaen o'r cwm yw'r ystodion y pwn yn y gwaith i ddweud hynny yw'r gwasanaeth o'r gwybod i gefnogaeth Torrey? Jackson Carlaw. Rwy'n rhaid i'w dda'r ysgol y First Minister o'r cyffredinol i gael ar y pwn o'r cyffredinol i ddynnu cyfeirio i ddweud hynny yw'r gweithio'r cyffredinol i ddweud hynny. Rwy'n rhaid i'w ddweud hynny yw'r cyffredinol i ddweud hynny. ond ddim yn dweud hwnnw ymlaen nhw'n ddiwedd yn gyd, ond ddych yn ddiw! I hope that the First Minister has the six tests written down in front of her today because she had a little bit of a problem yesterday, remembering what they actually were. One of them, which she did forget about then, is that would a separate currency meet the needs of Scottish residents and businesses for stability and continuity of their financial arrangements and would it command wide support? A chdi notifau i gael dilluniau ystafellol llawer o ddod yn ddegwyd. Diolch yn du i ddod y cymdeithlu ywserio rhaid i ddangos wglu oedd o gwaith yn Combeithas개�faith o gennych cyFC? Rhaid i ddweud cyffredinol ac i ddweud cyfeithasgerfaith yng nghylch, mae sy'n gwybod i gael beth, fel hyn, ddigwethew o qualities oedd gydaeth ddangos wglu, mae hynny felly mae oedd cyfyrdd i ddweud y mae oedd cyfyrdd o ddysnydiau ac oedd o hamdreidwys gofnodau ythymiannwys atoedd y Sgoledd. How about the institute of directors? It's difficult to imagine a policy that inflicts more economic harm on Scotland than Brexit. How about the resolution foundation? Household incomes are around £1,500 a year lower today as a result of Brexit. The Federation of Small Businesses, the recent months of turmoil, political uncertainty, economic uncertainty have had a negative impact on business confidence. The former chair of Standard Life, Brexit, is an unmitigated disaster. The principle of Glasgow University, Brexit is the single biggest public crisis we've had to face in living memory. It's because of that disaster being imposed on Scotland that Scotland needs the power to take our own decisions. The Tories are laughing about it, but it is no laughing matter for businesses and individuals the length and breadth of the country. Jackson Carlaw talks about who is going to be in opposition and in government in a couple of years time. I should today congratulate him on his period of acting leadership of the Conservatives party, because polls at the weekend suggested that, under his stewardship, the Tories have gone from second place in Scottish politics to third place, or actually in one poll to fourth place in Scottish politics. Those of us in those benches thoroughly endorse Jackson Carlaw's record in office. Jackson Carlaw. That is customarily generous of the First Minister. I can assure her that, unlike some, I won't be coming to her for a reference, but I do have a sister-in-law who does HR and can help polish up that CV. She's apparently got sitting with the UN where she's looking for a future job opportunity, but let me wish her well in the two years or perhaps significantly less time left to her before the next election two years today. Perhaps there is a reason why in that great big long list of quotations, Nicola Sturgeon did not list one from anybody who is in favour of scrapping the pound. Perhaps it is because Nicola Sturgeon's plan from day one of independence could lead to an estimated 45,000 Scottish homes being pushed into negative equity, similar to that scene during the 2008 financial crisis. Now, I know that the SNP does not like to hear it, but unfortunately for them that's just our view. It's the verdict this week of Richard Marsh, one of the First Minister's own economic experts. Has he, an adviser to her own growth commission, just got it all wrong? First Minister. Of course, the essence of independence is that we take the decisions in this Parliament that are right for Scotland so that we don't have to have imposed upon us by Westminster decisions that are damaging to our interests. The real threat to Scotland right now is that damage to our economy coming from Brexit, described as a disaster by so many businesses, individuals and academics, the length and breadth of the country. That's why we see support for independence increasing. It's why we see support for the Scottish Conservatives starting to go through the floor, because people in Scotland know that the time is coming when we need to get riddatory Governments once and for all and take control of our own future into our own hands. Jackson Carlaw. We've got a plan by the First Minister to ditch the pound and create a new Scottish currency. Yesterday, she couldn't remember the six tests that she herself had set for it. It's not depoted by any impartial business groups or trade unions. Her own party's growth commission adviser thinks that it's a turkey. The First Minister was right when she said that permanently keeping the UK pound is in the best interests of Scotland. Isn't it just a simple fact that the best way to keep Scotland successful, to protect our pensions, to boost jobs is for Scotland to have nothing whatsoever to do with Nicola Sturgeon's plans for a breakaway currency, to keep our UK pound and to keep Scotland in the UK? As people with slightly longer memories than it suits Jackson Carlaw to have will recall, is it Jackson Carlaw and his colleagues told Scotland in 2014 that we wouldn't be allowed to keep the UK pound? There is not a shred of consistency in their arguments. What independence means is that we take decisions that are right for the interests of businesses and individuals, the length and breadth of our country. What it means is that we don't have to face the prospect of decisions like Brexit being imposed on us by Westminster. That's why we see support for independence rising, and it's why we see the terror in the eyes of Jackson Carlaw and his colleagues as they see the writing well and truly on the wall. The Scottish Labour Party welcomes today's commitment from the Scottish Government to meet ambitious climate change targets. This is the future of our planet and we need emergency action now, but we also need to ensure that the transition to a net zero greenhouse gas economy is a just transition, one that is socially just and one that benefits working people in Scotland. The First Minister's predecessor promised us that renewable energy and the low-carbon economy would deliver 130,000 jobs for Scotland by 2020. Can the First Minister tell us that will this promise be delivered? First, I welcome Richard Leonard's focus on climate change today. I hope that everybody across the chamber welcomes the fact that Scotland, in the commitments that we are making today, are not just continuing our role as a world leader, but we are redefining the bar of world leadership. Everybody in Scotland should be proud of that. Richard Leonard is right to talk about just transition. That is why the Environment Secretary has already established a just transition commission. We were encouraged to do it by the STUC, and the work of that commission will be extremely important. Meeting those targets, of course, means that we have to up our ambition and our action across the whole range of Government responsibilities. That puts a responsibility on the shoulders of opposition parties as well, not to have knee-jerk opposition to everything that is tough or challenging, as Labour and other opposition parties do in quite recent times. On the issue of jobs, there are today around 50,000 jobs across our economy as a result of the move to renewable energy and low-carbon energy. The turnover from that sector is around £11 billion a year. However, I have been very frank that Scotland is not yet doing as well on that front as we should be doing, which is why this morning at our initiative, a summit has been taken place, including the unions, to look at how we increase the supply chain benefits of these big renewable energy projects. I hope that we have the support of all parties across the chamber as we make sure that, as we do the morally right thing on climate change, we also deliver all the economic benefits in Scotland that people want to see. Richard Leonard According to the Scottish TUC, only 46,000 jobs have been created in the sector where the Government promised 130,000 jobs. That is just over a third of the number that has been promised. We all know that the figure would be much higher if contract after contract for wind turbines had not been awarded to supply chains overseas. Moving to a low-carbon economy, a renewables-focused economy should lead to a jobs windfall for Scotland, not for Spain, not for Belgium, not for the United Arab Emirates. Today's Scottish Government meeting with the companies and unions in the offshore sector is welcome, but does the First Minister recognise that what we need is not simply a one-off summit but the establishment of a permanent council for the sector to develop a strategy for the industry and a forward-looking action plan? Will the First Minister establish such a body? The First Minister If that is one of the reasonable recommendations that come from the summit, of course, we will fully consider that. I would certainly not be opposed to that kind of initiative. I want to make sure that we are doing everything possible to capture the maximum economic benefit from the renewables-low-carbon revolution. It is in all of our interests to do that. This Government has shown our willingness to act. While there are big challenges for companies such as BiFab, one of the reasons why we are having the summit today, BiFab would no longer exist right now if it had not been for the intervention of this Government. We are determined to see that benefit in the supply chain of our economy. Of course, one of the things that it is not the only factor here, but one of the factors is that we do not hold all of the levers, which is why we have invited the UK Government to take part in the summit today. I hope that I would have Richard Leonard's support if we have to ask for greater powers to deal with that. However, I want to see us take action now. I want to see us maximise the levers at our own disposal. I want to see that around 50,000, as I said, aligns with the figures from the trade union. I want to see that number of jobs increase dramatically over the years to come. I think that that is a massive opportunity that we have, and I am determined that we seize it with both hands. Richard Leonard Presiding Officer, the First Minister talks of action and ambition. The First Minister has a bold climate change target, but her boldest climate change policy is a £150 million tax cut that benefits the richest people the most and drives up emissions. The First Minister tells us that she has factored that in, but that is simply not good enough. If the First Minister really is serious about the climate emergency, will she, once and for all, drop her commitment to cut the air departure tax? The First Minister Firstly, for reasons that members across the chamber are aware of, the reduction in air departure tax is not going ahead this year. Right across—and I said this a moment ago—the increase in our scale of ambition today will mean that we need to reconsider policies across the whole range of our responsibilities. We have committed to publishing a revised climate change plan within six months of the new legislation that has been passed, which the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee has asked us to do. We will need to write across a range of responsibilities and look at where we are going to increase the scale of our ambition. That is a discussion that I hope all parties across the chamber will be involved in. Of course, and this has been commented on by global experts just today, one of the things that sets Scotland's targets already, even before today's announcement, apart from other countries, is that we include things that other countries do not include. One of those is emissions from aviation. If we are seeing an increase for whatever reason there, we have to offset that from a decrease elsewhere. That is one of the many things that makes our targets genuinely world-leading. We do not shy away from our responsibilities here, but when it comes to things—I say this to Richard Leonard seriously—his opposition to things such as the suggestion to give councils more power over workplace parking, for example, if he wants to be taken seriously on climate change, then he has to rethink some of his positions as well. If we are all prepared to do that, then not only will Scotland be a world leader in setting targets, but over the next few years Scotland will be a world leader in meeting those targets as well. We have got a lot of interest in supplementary constituency questions. The first is from Alex Neil, to be followed by Jackie Baillie. Thank you very much indeed, Presiding Officer. Can I ask the First Minister about the consequences of the liquidation of healthcare environmental services that was limited last Friday and the loss of 150 jobs and shots? Can I ask the First Minister, if she will do all that she possibly can, to ensure that all the ex-employees of this company receive all the back pay and other monies that are still owed, amounting to an estimated total of £1 million? Can I also ask the First Minister when the remaining 250 tonnes of medical waste still stored at the short site will be removed? Finally, can I also ask the First Minister to raise with the UK Government the need to deal with the inadequacies in the company's legislation and the company's act, which have been highlighted by the demise of healthcare environmental? First Minister. Well, now that healthcare environmental services has formally entered in solvency, the redundancy payment service will be in touch with the liquidators to put a process in place to enable ex-employees to claim for unpaid wages and holiday pay up to statutory limits. In terms of the aspect of Alex Neil's question about storage of waste, recent SEPA inspections have not identified any significant environmental risk or any risk to the wellbeing of local communities. However, we will continue to work with SEPA to ensure that the sites are cleared safely and all wastes disposed of appropriately should that become necessary. In terms of the last aspect of the question, in light of the case and all of the experience arising from it, we will consider whether any changes are required to company law, which is reserved and, if necessary, we will communicate those suggested changes to the UK Government. Jackie Baillie, to be followed by Sandra White. First Minister, pigeons were found roosting inside the Vale of Leven hospital following the Easter weekend. Given that cryptococcus, an infection derived from pigeon droppings, contributed to the deaths of two patients at the Queen Elizabeth hospital, I am sure that the First Minister will appreciate the concerns of my local constituents. Can I therefore ask her to ensure that there is a review of infection control measures across all Scottish hospitals, so that we deal effectively with the problem and improve patient safety? I thank Jackie Baillie for raising the issue. I understand that pigeons were found in a public area of the hospital that was not in use at the time. However, the facilities team removed them immediately after the incident was reported and the room was then thoroughly cleaned with the recommended products for this type of incident. The steps that were taken by the board to manage this were appropriate. Staff have been reminded to keep the windows closed to ensure that this does not happen again. In terms of any wider lessons learned and the ongoing reviews around hospital infection arising out of the situation in Glasgow, we will make sure that all appropriate lessons are fed into that and all appropriate lessons learned. The First Minister will be aware of the mindless acts of vandalism on St Simon's Roman Catholic Church and partying in my constituencies this week. The shrine of our Lady of Chestycova, which has been part of the church since the 1940s, and much loved by the Polish congregation, was desecrated. Can the First Minister offer guidance on what the Scottish Government can provide places of worship to deter the senseless acts of vandalism? The vandalism of St Simon's Church is absolutely appalling and a complete outrage. I am sure that everybody is of that view. While it is for the police to investigate incidents such as this, including any motivation for it, we should all be clear about the anti-Catholic, or, in this case, possibly anti-Polish, discrimination must not be tolerated. Just like anti-Semitism or Islamophobia, anti-Catholic discrimination is a scourge on our society and it must be eradicated. Places of worship—whether Christian churches, mosques, synagogues, temples or any places of worship—must be places of peace and sanctuary. That is why the Justice Secretary and I have given a commitment to explore further what the Scottish Government could do to ensure safety and security for all faith communities and their places of worship. Monica Lennon, to be followed by Angela Constance. Workers from Heremires hospital in East Kilbride are protesting outside of Parliament right now against payroll changes by ISSUK that will result in a week's pay being withheld from them. They are hospital cleaners, porters, catering, maintenance and domestic staff, who are low-paid and are being forced to apply for payday loans. Richard Leonard and I addressed the rally on the way to the chamber. Will the First Minister and the Health Secretary go outside and listen to the GMB, unison and the workers and commit to doing all they can to take the matter up with ISSUK and NHS Lanarkshire? First Minister? Because this is a PFI hospital, a PFI contract signed by a Labour Government, this is unfortunately, first and foremost, an issue between a private contractor and their staff. That said, NHS Lanarkshire is actively trying to resolve the issue. Our concern is for the staff involved who are valued members of the local healthcare team and it is vital to ensure that that does not impact on the hospital's ability to provide services to patients. The health secretary has written to the chief executive of ISSUK today, asking them to seek an urgent resolution to this dispute in partnership with the board and the trade union. I understand that the health board has put forward solutions and I would urge the company to react positively to that. She has also asked to meet with the chief executive to encourage him in person to follow the proposal from NHS Lanarkshire. I understand that the health secretary has also offered to meet with the trade unions to discuss the action that the Government will take in light of that. However, this is one example and one illustration of why the type of PFI contracts signed under previous Labour administrations were such a big mistake. I hope that Labour has learned lots of lessons from them. Angela Constance Thank you, Presiding Officer. First Minister, it is now two years since my constituent, Kirsty Maxwell, died in Benidorm. As you have met Kirsty's family, I know that you are well aware of their deal. Notwithstanding the central role for the foreign and commonwealth office, I believe that there is more that we can do in this Parliament to support families like Kirsty's, who have had a loved one killed abroad. Therefore, will the First Minister commit to ensuring that, before this year, we can offer families, families like Kirsty's, something more than our condolences, such as a service that provides practical, emotional and perhaps even financial support? The First Minister Yes, I agree very much with Angela Constance's comments. I take the opportunity once again to pass on my sincere condolences to the family of Kirsty Maxwell. My thoughts are with them at this very difficult time. The Cabinet Secretary for Justice and I have met Kirsty's family and, indeed, with other families who have been affected by the death of a loved one abroad. From hearing their experiences directly, I am of the view, similar to that expressed by Angela Constance, that the current system of support is not entirely satisfactory. I am very keen that we continue to explore the issue further, particularly in the context of the victim's task force and the forthcoming report from the all-party UK parliamentary group on deaths abroad and consular services. Any improvements will, of course, require change across a number of services and I would continue to welcome input from members and stakeholders as to how that might best be achieved. I think that all of us want to make sure that we do hear those experiences and that we do everything within our power to ease, as far as we possibly can, the suffering of families in those circumstances. 3. Alison Johnstone Thank you. I congratulate the First Minister on her change of heart in declaring a climate emergency just weeks after voting against the green motion to do just that. I welcome her change of heart and her commitment to introducing more ambitious climate targets. I am also pleased to hear of Richard Leonard's passion for renewable jobs in light of his party's recent approval of a new coal mine. An emergency demands immediate action. The world's climate scientists have warned that we have a decade to deliver the change that we need to avoid climate catastrophe. So what immediate changes in government policy does the First Minister plan now that she has recognised the climate emergency? First, there is no change of heart. Let me quote the chairman of the climate change committee. This morning, Scotland has been a leader within the UK with many of its policies to tackle climate change. We said that we would act on the updated advice, and that is exactly what we have done. The other parts of the UK, as far as I am aware, have not yet reacted or given commitments to the report that was published this morning. In terms of the commitment to recognise the climate emergency, the first thing that we have done is increase the scale of our targets. We will now look at our climate change plan. We will bring forward a revised climate change plan within six months of the new act passing. We will look right across our range of responsibilities to make sure that we are continuing the policies that we have under wages now, but also increasing where that is necessary. The advice of the climate change committee, the advice of non-governmental organisations, will be very important to us as we do that. Targets, policies and plans are essential, they are important, but we need action. Investing in public transport and safer streets has a crucial role to play in tackling the climate emergency. Now, this Government boasts of how it has doubled spending on walking and cycling, but it is still just 3 per cent of the transport budget. Is it a surprise that we are currently seeing journeys by bike in Scotland at 1 per cent? That is woeful, and in telling contrast, the Scottish Government continues to pursue a climate-busting tax cut worth £160 billion that would benefit wealthy frequent fliers the most. Young climate campaigners will not understand how the First Minister can support that. Now that you have recognised the climate emergency, will you abandon this unfair and environmentally damaging proposal and invest the money in active travel and in the public transport that people use every day? First Minister? First, it is because of the actions that we have been taking across a whole range of areas that we have already in Scotland almost halft our emissions. The record in Scotland is a good one, and it is recognised globally as such. All of us, me included, recognise that we have to do more, we have to do it faster, which is why we have made the commitment that we have made today. We have doubled the active travel budget. Alison Johnstone can dismiss that, but it was widely welcomed at the time, and it is an important statement of our intent. Working with the Greens, of course, we have come forward with a plan to give councils more power, to raise more revenue, to invest more in public transport, again something that is welcomed by those who care about the environment. In terms of air departure tasks, it is not happening this year for reasons that the Parliament is aware of. Right across all areas of our responsibility, the renewed commitment that we have made today will mean that we have to look carefully at every single policy. Where I absolutely agree with Alison Johnstone, setting targets is one thing, having the policy programme in place to meet them is what really matters. That is what this Government is committed to doing. I look forward to those plans being scrutinised by parties across the chamber. I look forward to all parties, and this is probably not fair to direct this during a Green question. It is more directed at some of the other parties here, but I hope that all parties are prepared to rise to the challenge, to drop the knee-jerk opposition when it suits the short-term politics and all of his unite behind doing what is right for the future of our planet. Some further supplementaries, the first from Bill Kidd, to be full by Kezia Dugdale. Bill Kidd. Thank you, Presiding Officer. To ask the First Minister what is the Scottish Government's position regarding the 9.4 million signatures gathered in support of the Babakasha petition calling for an end to the nuclear weapons across the world? We take the view, which I think is a statement of the obvious, that the use of nuclear weapons would be indiscriminate and devastating, bringing unspeakable human suffering and widespread and lasting environmental damage. The Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament have made clear our opposition to nuclear weapons. We need to do all we can to create the conditions for a safer world without them. It is very encouraging to see the number of signatures that have supported the petition that Bill Kidd refers to. I take the opportunity again today to call on the UK Government and, indeed, calling on all those who have not yet taken steps to rid the world of these dreadful weapons of mass destruction to reconsider urgently. Kezia Dugdale, to be full by Keith Brown. Thank you. This week, women in England and Wales were told that their entire email message in photograph history would be subjected to police examination should they report a rape to the police. Whether it is what they wear, their sexual history or who they text, women are once again forced to choose between their privacy and the pursuit of justice. Can the First Minister explain what safeguards are in place to ensure that this does not and could not happen in Scotland? I thank Kezia Dugdale for raising the issue. In all the justice reforms that we are taking forward to tackle violence against women, rape and domestic violence, we must make sure that the rights of women or those attacked and abused are absolutely centre stage. We must not make it more difficult or more intimidating or more off-putting for women to come forward. I fear, as Kezia Dugdale does, that the announcements elsewhere in the UK might make that the case. We will ensure that that is at the heart of all our justice policy and I am sure that this Parliament will work with us in ensuring that that is exactly the environment that we are seeking to create. Keith Brown. To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government has already or whether it intends to carry out a review of the potential impact on Scotland of leaks from the National Security Council and whether it agrees with me that, as all service personnel, including members of my old unit, four or five commander who are in the gallery today, have to sign and abide by the terms of this act, as well as many others, that any breach of the act by a member of the NEC should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I think that most people would agree with the sentiments that Keith Brown has just articulated. Obviously, it is a matter for the police to determine what criminal investigations they take forward and what the progress of them might be. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on that. Politically, as a politician, it is reprehensible that there were leaks from the National Security Committee. It is a sign of the complete dysfunction at the heart of the UK Government. Any minister who has been found guilty of leaking in such a way is right that they lose their job. However, all politicians and Governments should recognise the responsibility and the privileges that we carry and should not be behaving in the way that it appears. Gavin Williamson was behaving for his own selfish political ends. To ask the First Minister what the social and economic impacts are of immigration. All Scotland's future population growth is projected to come from migration. It is essential for our future prosperity and delivery of our public services. All of us, in my view, have a duty to dispel the many myths about migration. We know that people who come to live and work in Scotland typically contribute more through tax revenues than they consume by way of public services. Research from Oxford Economics published last year found that people who arrived in the UK in 2016 are projected to make a total net positive contribution of just under £27 billion to the UK's public finances over the entirety of their stay. We should be very proud that people have chosen to make Scotland their home, and we should welcome the ways in which they shape our culture, our communities and our country. I thank the First Minister for that reply. In my group in the Abercleid constituency, there are hundreds of EU nationals who have chosen to make my community their home, enriching the community. Does the First Minister agree with me that it is incumbent upon every Scottish politician to stand up for migrants in our communities, highlighting the huge contribution to make, not only culturally but as the stats provided by the FSB this morning show to our economy, and that the upcoming EU elections are an opportunity to show that Scotland is open and welcoming by ensuring that anti-immigration parties such as UKIP, the Brexit party and the Tories no longer represent Scotland in Europe? I encourage members not to actively campaign for the European elections where they are imminent. I agree with everything that Stuart McMillan has just said, in particular. The statistics that have been released by the Federation of Small Businesses today show that one in 10 businesses in Scotland is led by a migrant entrepreneur, and those firms contribute more than £13 billion to the Scottish economy and provide more than 100,000 jobs. Those statistics bring into sharp focus the catastrophic effect of the UK Government's obsession with ending free movement and the effect that that could have on small businesses and our general economic wellbeing. It is now vital and urgent for this Parliament to have the additional powers that we need to enable the design of migration policies that meet the needs of Scottish businesses, communities and public services, and to send a very clear message wherever we choose to send it that the Tories hostile immigration environment is not welcome here in Scotland and it is time for it to end. Question 5, Jamie Greene. To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's responses to the long-term infrastructure recommendations of the Glasgow Connectivity Commission. The publication of the commission's report is very timely, as Transport Scotland is currently undertaking a nationwide assessment of transport requirements. That is being done through an updated national transport strategy and the second strategic transport projects review. The strategic review will look at what infrastructure is needed to provide Scotland with a transport network fit for the future and it will advise ministers on future investments. We will consider the commission's recommendations as part of the appraisal that will allow us to balance the needs of communities around the country. I commend the work of Professor David Begg and his team for producing what I think is a ambitious and forward-thinking plan that the Glasgow region is crying out for. It could transform how people travel and commute around Glasgow but it also offers a number of proposals that offer real economic upside to the entire west of Scotland. First Minister, I think that the report deserves proper merit of scrutiny and debate given the scale of its proposals and the importance to Glasgow. Can she confirm how the Government will address and respond to each of the recommendations that are made in the report and ensure that this report does not simply gather dust on the shells of Glasgow City Council? I think that I did do that in my original answer but I am very happy to agree with Jamie Greene's assessment of the commission's report. I would also welcome and pay tribute to the work of Professor David Begg and indeed pay tribute to the vision of the administration in Glasgow City Council for commissioning this piece of work. I think that it has great potential as a Glasgow MSP and a Glasgow resident. I can see the potential of many of its recommendations. It is now right that it is considered in full and that it is considered in the context of the broader strategic work that Transport Scotland is going to undertake and the commitment that I give today is that it will happen and that it will allow the Government to consider all of the commission's recommendations and look at how it will benefit not just Glasgow in the west of Scotland but how those proposals fit in to a strategy that benefits the whole of the country. I am sure that Parliament will be kept updated as that work proceeds. Question 6, Neil Findlay. To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government has taken to address climate change. First Minister. As we have already been debating today, there is a climate emergency and we must all act accordingly. That is why the Scottish Government embraces today's report from the UK Committee on Climate Change and all that it contains. This morning, we lodged amendments to the climate change bill, which, if supported by Parliament, will set a net zero target for 2045, meaning that Scotland's contribution to climate change will end within a generation. It would also make us carbon neutral by 2040. The committee's advice is clear that achieving those targets depends on action from the UK as well as the Scottish Government. As such, we have today written to UK ministers requesting an urgent meeting and a collaborative approach. I can also confirm, as I think I have done this morning, that we will also update the current climate change plan within six months of the bill receiving royal assent, as recommended by the Environment Committee. Neil Findlay. I welcome the flurry of announcements from politicians, including the First Minister, declaring a climate emergency. Can the First Minister advise how appalling bus and train services and abstention by her MSPs on Heathrow expansion, the failure to legislate for a legal ban and fracking, support for the expansion of air travel and a policy to cut, then scrap, air departure tax, contribute to addressing the climate emergency or could ever be described as world-leading? The First Minister. Of course, it is global experts who describe Scotland's actions as world-leading. They are lining up today to do exactly that, while encouraging us to go further. I think that all parties should really get behind this. Of course, we will continue to have disagreements on individual policies, but the scale of ambition in those targets puts us way ahead of any other country in the world. It redefines the bar of world leadership, and it is something all of us should be proud of. I would say to Neil Findlay, as I said to Richard Leonard, if Labour, as I believe they sincerely do, wants to see greater investment in bus travel, for example, why on earth are they so opposed to the proposal to give councils power to raise the revenue to do exactly that, to help to get people out of cars and on to public transport? There is a glaring inconsistency at the heart of Labour's position. Until they sort that out, they might lack the credibility to ask the kind of questions that Neil Findlay has just asked. Maurice Golden. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I welcome the ambition on climate change, but this SNP Government is set to miss its recycling target by 12 years, has barely moved on transport emissions, and its lack of planning on a landfill ban could cost taxpayers £1 billion. Given those failures and a host of others, how can this Parliament have confidence that future targets will be met by this SNP Government? Because on climate change we are meeting the current targets and we are upping our scale of ambition so that we do even more in the future. On a day when the Committee on Climate Change has issued advice not just to the Scottish Government but to the UK Government and the Welsh Government, and on a day when the Scottish Government has immediately accepted that advice, I have not heard the UK Government accept the advice to it. I think that the Welsh Government this morning has said that they might respond by the end of next year to the Committee on Climate Change. We are taking the world-leading action that people expect us to take, and we will make sure that we have in place the policies to meet those targets. That is our responsibility for all of us. As I said to the Tories, as I have said to Labour, we all have to step up to the plate on this. People will be watching closely in the months and years to come absolutely what this Government does, but they will be paying very close attention to Tory policies as well, and thus far I suspect that the Tories will be found wanting. I hope that changes as well so that together we can make sure that Scotland is a world leader, not just in the targets that we set but in our meeting of those targets as well. That is something this and future generations will be proud of. Liam McArthur Thank you very much, Scottish Liberal Democrats. I welcome the decision by the Scottish Government to the revised commitment to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. Last week, the First Minister told Willie Rennie that she would not drop her plans for a £250 million tax cut to the aviation industry, instead boasting that the Government would just measure the extra emissions instead. That is a response that she has repeated again this week. This morning, the chief executive of the climate change committee has said, quote, that it would help immensely with the emissions challenge that is in Scotland if the Government did not choose to cut tax to boost flights. Will she accept the advice and scrap the proposed aviation tax cut? The First Minister As I have said two or three times already today, that change is not happening this year for reasons that have been well set out, but we will consider our policies across the whole range of Government responsibilities because that is what we require to do in light of the advice that we are accepting today. We take that responsibility, but again, can I say to the Liberals, as I have said to Labour and I have said to Tories, when this Parliament returns to discuss workplace parking over the next few weeks, I am going to remember this discussion at First Minister's Questions, because you cannot have it both ways. You cannot call for the Government to set world-leading targets. You cannot call for the Government to introduce policies and then, for knee-jerk easy reasons, oppose everything that the Government comes forward with. The responsibility is on all of us. Let's see if the other parties are willing to rise to it. David Stewart Thank you, Presiding Officer. To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made regarding the level of opiate addiction. First Minister Achieving a comprehensive picture of addictive opiate use is challenging, not least due to the nature of illicit drug-taking, which means that there will always be a degree of estimation. I know that Dave Stewart has raised the issue before the impact of addiction to prescribed opioids. Those are very legitimate concerns due to the potentially highly addictive properties of those medicines. Those concerns were affected in both our chronic pain strategy and refreshed our polypharmacy guidance that was published last year. Through the national therapeutic indicators, we are monitoring the numbers being prescribed strong opioids over a long period. That is informing the establishment of the chief medical officer by the chief medical officer of a short-life working group examining prescribing trends in Scotland. David Stewart Will the First Minister join with me in congratulating the Sunday Times for her first-class campaign, highlighting the marked spiral prescriptions for opiates and the serious associated problems of addiction and overdose? Opiates contributed to 815 drug deaths in Scotland in 2017. Does the First Minister share my serious concerns that addiction created by super-strength opiate painkillers, which have a dark side and can ruin lives every bit as much as illegal drugs? The First Minister Yes, I share that concern. I congratulate the Sunday Times and others for raising that important issue. Opioid prescribing can be appropriate for short-term pain if that is part of an evidence-based clinical decision, but for longer-term pain, clinicians are and should be advised to discuss alternatives with patients as part of a quality primary care prescribing strategy. We published our first chronic pain strategy last year, and one of its aims is to tackle the issue of over-treatment. As I said, the chief medical officer for Scotland is convening a short-life working group of experts to examine prescribing trends in Scotland, which will complement work that is being undertaken by Public Health England on the evidence for dependence on and withdrawal from prescribed medicine. Those are important issues, and it is important that we take them seriously. I give an assurance today that the Scottish Government and our clinical advisors will continue to do so. The First Minister's questions We will move on shortly to members' business in the name of Ian Gray on the 25th anniversary commemoration of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. There will just be a short suspension before the debate begins to allow members and the minister to change seats. A short suspension