 Therefore, I apologise to those who have been unable to call. That concludes general questions. The next item of business is First Minister's questions, and at question number one, I called Douglas Ross. Thank you, Presiding Officer. The former First Minister promised to provide them. She said, I have nothing to hide. ond we now know she deleted them all. She broke promises to grieving families, she may have broken the law. Does the First Minister accept it was completely wrong and utterly scandalous for Nicola Sturgeon to delete those messages? First Minister. Before I answer Douglas Ross' question of substance, can I just say at the offset that this is the FMQs before Holocaust Moro Day that has now been more important to remember the victims of the Holocaust and indeed with genocides which followed. Together we remember the millions of lives that have been cut short with the utmost cruelty and brutality, the freedom and dignity of every citizen relies on our willingness to defend each other's human rights and to stand up against cruelty and violence everywhere in the world. The responsibility that we share equally is the responsibility of all of us to remember the Holocaust and of course to pay tribute to the survivors of those atrocities. So ahead of Holocaust Moro Day on Saturday, my thoughts today and I hope that everybody's thoughts, my thoughts every day should be with those who are affected then and those who are affected still. Let me importantly come to the issue of substance and I will start this exchange as I have started exchanges on this issue in recent weeks and months and that is by giving first and foremost an unreserved apology to those families who were bereaved by Covid in relation to our handling of the issue of informal communication such as an organisation on the issue of WhatsApp messages. We did not handle the requests in a way that gave families that have been bereaved by Covid confidence. In fact, quite the opposite and they have asked for nothing unreasonable. They've asked for answers, they've asked for the truth and I will certainly do that when I appear in front of the inquiry later today. Douglas Ross is asking me about Nicola Sturgeon. Of course, Nicola Sturgeon, I believe is now being confirmed, will appear in front of the Covid inquiry next week. I would say that when it comes to any decisions that are made as per records management policy any decisions, whether it's made over WhatsApp, whether issues are discussed over email, over telephone call, any communication, any method of communication that's used, it's so important that those points are then of course uploaded to the corporate record, any decisions that are made in any salient points. What I would say to Douglas Ross in the end on this point is that we have handed over 28,000 WhatsApp messages mines included, that's in very stark contrast to the Prime Minister of course. Douglas Ross. Can I fully associate myself with the First Minister's remarks ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day on Saturday? I asked a very simple question, what did he feel about Nicola Sturgeon deleting these messages and we heard nothing. While Nicola Sturgeon led the cover-up and the secrecy, she wasn't alone. The then Deputy First Minister, John Swinney, also deleted his messages and isn't it telling that neither of them can be in the chamber today. So while they deleted messages, let's look at some of the messages we have seen. The chief medical officer, Professor Gregor Smith, reminded colleagues in a WhatsApp chat to delete at the end of every day. Ken Thompson, the former Scottish Government director general, wrote, I feel moved at this point to tell you this chat is FOI recoverable. He went on, plausible deniability is my middle name. A message from the national clinical director Jason Leitch said, what's that deletion is my pre-bed ritual. And he also said, just my usual reminder to delete your chat, particularly after we reach a conclusion. From politicians to civil servants, they sought to destroy evidence. Doesn't this show a culture of secrecy running through this entire SNP Government? First Minister? I think the first culture of secrecy. We handed over 28,000 messages, 19,000 doctors. Let's hear the First Minister. The former First Minister did 250 media briefings, taking questions from journalists day after day. That hardly rings true of the accusations that Douglas Ross is making of a Government that was hiding from scrutiny far from that. Every single day, the former First Minister was standing up taking questions. First Minister, there are many members wishing to put questions in this session. It will make it far more likely that members will be taken if we can hear one another. To Douglas Ross, for all the accusations that he is throwing at the former Deputy First Minister and, of course, they will give evidence to the inquiry. I don't intend to prejudge that or put words in their mouth. I'm assuming, then, that those same accusations then ring true for his colleague the Prime Minister who hasn't handed over a single WhatsApp message. If the accusations that he is making against Nicola Sturgeon and that he is throwing towards the former Deputy First Minister, if he believes that that doesn't hold true for the Prime Minister who hasn't handed over a single message, then that isn't just political opportunism. It is breathtaking hypocrisy, Presiding Officer. Douglas Ross. That's just risable and embarrassing from the First Minister. Look at the facts here. Nicola Sturgeon destroyed all of her messages. She did that deliberately, but some have been recovered from other people. This morning's Covid inquiry session with Liz Lloyd, Nicola Sturgeon's former chief of staff, has revealed that Covid decisions were unquestionably made on WhatsApp. There are many examples in her evidence, but let's just take one. With just two hours to go before a statement in this Parliament, Nicola Sturgeon said on WhatsApp that she was not sure what to do about the number of people at weddings and funerals. Her chief of staff replied, I think as we have only just put them up, we just leave it. I think we stay at 20. Therefore a Government decision to stay at 20 was taken over WhatsApp. Now, Hamza Yousif has previously said and I quote, the Scottish Government did not routinely make decisions through WhatsApp. Did the First Minister mislead Parliament when he said that, or did he not realise the Government's policy? Members, we must hear one another. I'm happy to repeat this to SNP members who seem to want to drown this out. So did the First Minister mislead Parliament when he said that, or did he not realise that Scottish Government policy was being made on the hoof over WhatsApp? First Minister. WhatsApp is a communication application rather than a decision making tool. Instead, each minister supported by a private office, this team compromises private secretaries and ministers of staff. A private office records the specific decisions of ministers for the official record. They are laughing, that is from the Scotland office. Of course when we ask them for Douglas Ross's WhatsApp messages, they refuse to release. The point here is, of course, that WhatsApp messages are not routinely used. Douglas Ross literally read out my quote, it's not routinely used. If it was used to make decisions, then of course, well, they get up their arms and want Douglas Ross to say. First Minister, I am sorry, I cannot hear a word that you are saying and that will be the case for those who are visiting the Parliament today. I would ask all members to remember the requirement to conduct our business in an orderly manner. The truth is inconvenient for the Conservatives here because it's very, very simple. If decisions were made over WhatsApp, then, of course, they would have to be recorded. Otherwise, how on earth would they be actioned? So they are then recorded on the corporate record and taken forward. All salient points and all key decisions. Go back to the point that I made in response to the very first question that Douglas Ross asked. I do believe that there are challenges in relation to our use of WhatsApp. It has not been, frankly, the Government's finest hour in relation to handling those requests. I put my hands up to that, unlike, of course, other Governments. That's why I have commissioned officials to deliver an externally-led review, so not a Government review but an externally-led review, into the use of mobile messaging apps and the use of non-corporate technology in the Scottish Government. That should take particular account of our interaction with statutory public inquiries. When it comes to being transparent, I go back to the point that I have made. The Government handed over 28,000 messages, 19,000 documents. I myself, as First Minister of the Government, have handed over my WhatsApp messages. That is in stark contrast to the UK Government to the Prime Minister who has refused to hand over a single message and, of course, took the inquiry to court only to lose. Douglas Ross. There was so much in that. Can I just be absolutely clear? I'm not sure what the First Minister was speaking about my own WhatsApps. I provided my WhatsApps from my time as a Government minister to the Covid inquiry and they are there on the record. Unlike Senior Nationalists, I didn't delete mine. But the evidence we've heard today is quite frankly shocking. It confirms that pandemic decisions by the SNP were made for political purposes. Well, they are saying what the education secretary is saying what on earth. Well, let me say. Nicola Sturgeon's chief of staff talks of making and I quote purely political moves on public health to start a good old-fashioned rami with the UK Government. In another handwritten note she says she is going to look at political tactics calling for things we can't do. Hiding revelations like this must have been the reason that the SNP Government destroyed so much evidence. The Deputy First Minister, the National Clinical Director, the chief medical officer all deleted their messages. Discussions and crucial decisions have vanished. A top-down culture of secrecy was rife throughout this entire Government. It looks like the most senior figures have engaged in a deliberate cover-up. So now it's been confirmed that the SNP made some crucial Covid decisions for purely political reasons. Is Hamza Yousaf ashamed that the SNP Government made purely political reasons during the pandemic? And isn't that the ultimate betrayal to sacrifice so much? First Minister. I reject the charge in its entirety, we had, of course, and published regularly the approach in relation to the four harms approach that we took in regards to decisions that were made in relation to the pandemic. Every single day, I can say with confidence that our overarching priority was to meet the people of this country safe. That was what the overarching priority was. That was the overarching priority. Did we get every decision right? Absolutely not, and we will be rightly questioned about that in both the UK inquiry and the Scottish inquiry. I know our motivation. Every step of the way was to ensure that we kept the people of this country safe. We were holding parties in number 10, holding parties in the treasury and the obscene spectacle of the then Prime Minister flagr and ray breaching the rules while loved ones, individuals, families couldn't go to their loved ones' frun rules. Throughout all of that, Douglas Ross hasn't had the decency to apologise once. Question 2, Anna Sarwar. Saturday marks Holocaust Memorial Day on the theme fragility of freedom. A day we pause, reflect and remember all those who have been victims of genocide, but also a moment to pause and reflect on those who still strive to live with peace, with dignity, away from conflict and without prejudice. What has been revealed at the Covid inquiry this week has rightly shocked people across Scotland. The attempts to subvert the inquiry and to breach freedom information laws is frankly a betrayal of the trust people put into this Government. What's that message is deleted on an industrial scale? The former First Minister using a private SNP email address for government business. Officials openly joking about breaking the law while the Covid pandemic tore through our country. The culture of cover-up started by the First Minister and extended down to the senior civil service. In June, when I asked Humza Yousaf if all requested emails, texts and WhatsApp messages will be handed over in full, he responded in this Parliament without equivocation yes. Now that we know this wasn't true was the First Minister knowingly misleading Parliament or was he so out of his depth he didn't know what was going on? Of course we did hand over what we had. 28,000 messages that we have have been handed over. For those officials or indeed former ministers of the Government that don't have WhatsApp messages they will have to account for that in front of the inquiry. Anasarwar can't say that there was deletion on an industrial scale when 28,000 messages have been handed over to the Covid inquiry. He can't say that I've been leading that from the top. 28,000 messages I have in a couple of hours will be questioned about them. Anasarwar is absolutely right as Douglas Ross is to ask questions about informal communications. There's nothing wrong in that but to suggest that somehow there was a cover-up I frankly do not believe even the public agree with Anasarwar nor Douglas Ross why because the public looked at this Government questioned this Government saw that this Government had a First Minister Nicola Sturgeon who stood in front of the cameras at every single day Let's hear the First Minister. Every single day and took questions from journalists, from members of this Parliament over 250 times hardly, hardly the measure or the mark of a Government that was trying to avoid scrutiny Anasarwar I think that the First Minister must live in a parallel universe. The First Minister at the time deleted every WhatsApp message The Deputy First Minister at the time deleted every WhatsApp message The chief medical officer at the time deleted every WhatsApp message The national clinical director at the time deleted every WhatsApp message If that is not deletion at an industrial scale I do not know what planet Humza Yousaf lives in. Now the First Minister gave an unequivocal commitment to Parliament but on his watch ministers and officials failed to comply with do not destroy notices Key evidence has been deleted and deliberately misleading statements have been given to the press and the public on his watch One specific issue I raised with Humza Yousaf was the use of private SNP email accounts to conduct Government business something they have repeatedly denied but evidence to the enquiry this week has blown that claim out of the water When I asked Humza Yousaf in November if all emails be the Government or party emails will be handed to the enquiry again he said this in this Parliament As for any other form of communication including any other email address it is my full expectation that that is handed over He is First Minister and leader of the SNP so can I ask him have any emails from SNP accounts been handed to the Covid enquiry and if so how many First Minister To Anasawa the point that is fundamental here is that the use of a non-Government email address such as an SNP email address that does not exempt official correspondence from freedom of information requests for example it is a freedom of information request about a particular issue or for a particular document that is not subverted because it has been sent to an SNP email address therefore it should be handed over I can give an absolute guarantee but it comes to my SNP email address no Government business was conducted over it and of course in any private communication application that I have things have messages have been handed over not only have I handed over what's that messages on my private Twitter account where there's been private DMs that they have also been handed over to so when it comes to the Government I have made it very clear to every single minister every single cabinet secretary the permanent secretary has made it clear to every single civil servant that communication that is used that we must comply with the Public Records Act with FOI legislation and indeed with a mobile messaging policy I go back to the point that I made to Douglas Ross that regardless of the communication method used whether it's an SNP email address or otherwise any decisions that are made must be recorded in the corporate record and the salient points therefore recorded as well and we'll continue to comply fully as I intend to do in a couple of hours time and we'll go back to the inquiry Anna Sarwar This is meant to be a Government he's in charge of and a party he's in charge of but he can't answer for anybody else in Government or his party and only goes back to his own messages and his own emails but this isn't just about the inquiry this is about how this Government operates because this is a party that over the last 17 years in Government has created a culture of secrecy and cover-up and we believe that it's one standard for them and another standard for everyone else because somehow the rules don't apply to the SNP they have abused the trust that the people of Scotland put in them and if they won't take my word from it maybe they should listen to Caroline Stewart of the Scottish Covid bereaved she said this I trusted them I felt him and Nicola Sturgeon were honest and trying to be open with us and to find out that that was all just a facade I don't understand how they can hold their head up high First Minister how can you ever expect the people of Scotland to trust you or your party ever again Always through the chair please First Minister I'll always leave the verdict of trust to the Scottish people and that's why we will comply with not just the UK inquiry the Scottish Covid inquiry but of course we instruct it when it comes to transparency that's why we've handed over 28,000 WhatsApp messages that's transparency 19,000 documents that's transparency when it comes to what this Government has done across a range of portfolios whether it's the duty of Canada whether it's the patient safety commissioner that is transparency whether it's public inquiries and instructing them 250 media conferences that was transparency taking questions from this chamber let's hear the First Minister dozens of occasions that is transparency and I will end where I started my response to Douglas Ross that when it comes to those families that have been bereaved by Covid first and foremost our responsibility is to them I can promise them when I appear in front of the inquiry that I know that they won't just want warm words they will want to see and hear truthful answers to straight questions and that's why I intend to do when I appear in front of the inquiry in a couple of hours time. We have many members as you would expect wishing to put questions to date I'd be grateful if we could therefore keep our questions and responses concise and at question number three I call Ross Greer. I'd like to associate the Scottish Greens with the First Minister and ask Sarwar's remarks ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day to the First Minister whether he will provide an update on how the Scottish Government will continue to protect tenants in the private rented sector after the expiry of the rent cap under the Cost of Loving Tenant Protection Scotland Act 2022. The Scottish Government has led the way far ahead of any other part of the UK in protecting private tenants against rent rises and eviction during the cost of living crisis we are absolutely committed to supporting tenants when these protections end on 31 March 2024 that is why yesterday regulations were laid that will subject to approval of course of this Parliament temporarily amend the existing rent adjudication process for a period of 12 months this will help protect tenants from excessively large rent increases that could be experienced if there is a move back to open market rent in a single step whilst the naming landlords to continue to reinvest in our private rented sector the Minister for Tenant Rights has written to the lead committee with further details Ross Greer I thank the First Minister for that answer and for highlighting that the emergency rent protections in Scotland have been far ahead of anything else in the UK a lead role that Scotland will continue when long-term rent controls are introduced in the housing bill very soon some tenants watching today may be receiving rent increase notices right now which are well above the 3% cap so can the First Minister reassure tenants that the rent cap remains fully in place until the 31st of March so any rent increase notice issued before the 1st of April is very much subject to that cap even if the increase won't apply until after that date if a tenant receives a rent increase notice above that they should refer it to rent service Scotland and rent will be reduced by the end of March so any rent increase notice issued before the 1st of April is very much subject to that cap to rent service Scotland and rent will be set in line with the cap I fully agree that tenants need to know their rights and what their rights are and how to act upon them that's why a national renters rights marketing campaign will launch very soon indeed and that will highlight existing rights and the changes when the emergency measures end that will include online guidance and tools to help people understand how the changes affect them specifically the Government has taken very clear action very bold action to support people through the cost crisis we're determined to build on that and our forthcoming housing bill will set out proposals for longer term reform of the rental sector and we're committed to working of course not just with tenants that's crucial but also with responsible landlords and other key stakeholders to ensure the legislation delivers reform that works in reality Matthew presiding officer the SNP green rent cap has not only failed to tackle the housing emergency but has exacerbated it rents in Scotland have increased by more than 14% despite the SNP green rent cap and as a result of Cuddecap Scotland is only part of the UK where the numbers of properties sold by landlords have gone up this ill thought policy has hindered mobility caused enormous price hikes when people do move and has reduced the availability of housing by driving landlords out of the market does the First Minister agree that his Government's interferences in the market has been nothing short of a disaster and will he scrap this cap First Minister My goodness that is the most conservative contribution I think I've ever heard in this chamber how dare the Government interfere in the middle of a UK Government's cost of living crisis to help tenants because of the economic damage caused how dare we have the temerity to protect renters because of the economic vandalism of Pam Gosol's party and of course her contribution doesn't bear the reality doesn't bear the facts First Minister if I might stop you there I am aware of members who are clearly having a conversation with one another across the aisles it's totally unacceptable during First Minister's questions so please continue and of course it doesn't bear the reality if we look at the facts as the latest Scottish landlord register data shows the number of registered properties for rent in Scotland between August 22 and November 23 has actually increased so we of course will work with responsible landlords of course we'll work with tenants and other stakeholder groups but let me say to Pam Gosol I'll never make an apology The new rent adjudication rules are welcome empowering private tenants to challenge any unreasonable rent heights but for that proposed transition to work as intended tenants need to be fully informed of those rights can the Scottish Government expand on how they intend to ensure that both renters and private landlords across Scotland understand the system that will be in place from April I agree with that it's vital that both tenants and landlords are made aware of the changes that will come into place from the 1st of April tenants understanding their rights and how to act upon them is a crucial part of the changes that we are making to the rent adjudication process working effectively in practice that's why we're working in response to Ross Greer's question on a range of awareness raising activities and provision of clear guidance to support people through that transition a national rental rights marketing campaign will launch very soon and we're also working on an online rent increase calculator to assist landlords and tenants in establishing what rent could be charged from the 1st of April should it be subject to adjudication to ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the Scottish Government's latest engagement with the UK Government regarding the status of the Grangemouth refinery Last week, the Energy Secretary chaired the first meeting of the Grangemouth Future Industry Board which includes representatives of the refinery at its workforce plus the UK Government I'm encouraged that the UK Minister of State for Energy, Security and Net Zero did respond positively to Neil Gray's request to consider any proposal that supports a long-term and sustainable future for the Grangemouth industrial cluster recognising its very strategic national importance to the economy of the whole of the UK My Government is committed to exploring all options to extend the life of the refinery and bring forward new transition projects at pace I also welcome the UK Government's support of the Tata Steel plant in Wales and I look forward to constructive dialogue to a similar package being available for Grangemouth to the Cabinet Secretary has written to the UK Government to seek a further discussion I thank the First Minister for that response It is indeed heartening to hear that the UK Government is now open to giving support to the vitally important chemical cluster in Grangemouth in my constituency There is a potential for the refinery to move quickly to a biorefinery to be utilised for sustainable aviation fuel in other words a just transition for workers right now This would require support from the UK Government in terms of their policy barriers surrounding the Hefa cap What indications if any are there that the UK Government realises potential are willing to take the steps necessary and act in the best interests of Scotland for this vitally important national asset First Minister Michelle Thomson is absolutely right there is a huge opportunity in relation to that transition to net zero for Grangemouth and it's clear however there are serious regulatory barriers that Michelle Thomson has already spoken to to the owners of Grangemouth to develop those opportunities such as SAF sustainable aviation fuel The company has made clear that a major barrier to that immediate investment and I stress again immediate investment in a biorefinery at the site is the UK Government's proposed SAF mandate and that Hefa cap that was mentioned by Michelle Thomson that requires action from the UK Government to be immediate and urgent Grangemouth's hard workers and the wider community cannot be left at the mercy of the UK Government in action The Scottish Government wants to secure the best possible future for Grangemouth The key powers in this area of course lie regrettably at Westminster so we will continue to push them to make the necessary changes to ensure that it plays a key role in powering Scotland's drive to net zero to the request that we have made to the UK Government to help that transition that transition for Grangemouth and their workers Question 5 Annie Wells To ask the First Minister in light of the Scottish Government's plans to open the first SAF drug consumption in Glasgow later this year what assurances he can provide that other areas of drug policy including spaces for residential rehabilitation will not be deprioritised First Minister It absolutely won't be deprioritised Drug deaths are of course a public health emergency and we remain absolutely committed to investing an additional £250 million in our national mission to reduce harm and deaths caused by drugs We will continue to take a person-centred approach to address the wider needs of some of our most vulnerable people We have been clear in our commitment to support the establishment of a safer drug consumption facility in Scotland To give Annie Wells a hope a sense of reassurance funding was earmarked in the knowledge that Glasgow might need to proceed quickly following the Lord Advocate's position so no existing drug and alcohol services will therefore be affected to fund this pilot that we remain absolutely committed to expanding residential rehabilitation capacity by 50 per cent by the end of this Parliament and this includes the expansion of Beechwood House in Inverness which I'm pleased to say broke ground this week this will add much needed capacity in the Highlands when it opens in October Annie Wells will be here for that response Residential rehabilitation is a vital way in not just helping drug users to beat addiction but to help them to get their lives back and yet the most recent figures show people starting places in these facilities fell to their lowest in the last and more than two years We know there aren't fewer people addicted to drugs so why have those receiving this kind of help reduced Can the First Minister assure those vulnerable people that his government will not oversee the reduction in places? First Minister First of all, we've obviously maintained the drugs budget for 24-25 that's in the face of, of course, significant cuts to our resource budget over the last couple of years and in terms of the expansion of residential rehab investment the seven capacity projects combined provides an increase of 172 beds by 25-26 boosting the current rehab capacity in Scotland from 425 to 597 far from being a cut that's an increase of up over 40% we've, as I said, progressed work on safer drug consumption facilities we're continuing to widen the access to life-saving eloxone we're continuing to drive the implementation of the MAT standards in terms of the safer drug consumption facility which Annie Wells mentioned in her first question and please we've got to this position that would have been far easier and far quicker of course if the UK Government had approved it in the first place Paul Sweeney The safe consumption pilot in Glasgow is a critical part of our effort to tackle the drug death crisis in our country but we need many complementary tools in that toolkit to address the crisis effectively the turning point 218 centre in Glasgow which supports women in the justice system with a number of critical issues such as problematic drug use is set to close next month due to funding cuts and interventions are not being compromised when his Government are allowing a well established and effective lifeline service in Glasgow to close I would say, as I did in response to a question from Paul McNeill if it was last week or a couple of weeks ago on relations turning point 218 I know what is an excellent service these are local decisions that are made in relation to funding and our discussions with Glasgow City Council they have made it clear that if that service has to close they are already ensuring that there is the appropriate service provision available for the women impacted Question 6 To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government plans to take in response to the reported rise in attacks on prison guards and weapons found in prisons First Minister that this Government and the Scottish Prison Service recognise the importance of providing a safe and secure environment for those who live and indeed work in our prisons by adopting a zero-tolerance approach towards all violence while the SPS do report an increase in the recovery of weapons within prisons this is likely to be a result of the positive impact of the mitigations that have been put in place to detect, to deter and reduce the availability of contraband across the prison estate the rise also highlights the professionalism of our prison officers their ability to identify and manage both risk and threat of violence towards staff is absolutely to be condemned and I'm sure we'll be united on that those acts of violence towards staff have reduced by 28% over the last four years Thank the First Minister for that answer Pizzengard attacks are more than doubled in seven years with nearly 4,000 weapons discovered in the last 10 years so these include homemade weapons like knives made from razor blades melted into toothbrushes so Phil Fairlie from the Prisoner's Officers Association said this week that the trend is growing at an alarming rate in coincides with an increase in assaults on both staff and prisoners and we're heading towards record high population numbers and have more members of organised crime gangs inside our prisons than ever I agree with the First Minister that we have a high regard for our prison guards on the work that they do but does he agree that he that the fear going into work and indeed prisoners themselves should not fear being in prison so what discussions are the Scottish Government having to ascertain why these homemade weapons are circulating and is the First Minister concerned that the increase may be symptomatic of severe overcrowding in Scottish prisons These are all the excellent questions from Pauline McNeill and I'll try to address them and if there's further information that the justice secretary can send to Pauline McNeill I will ensure that that happens in relation to the overcrowding in our prisons I don't disagree a jawt actually with what Pauline McNeill said our prison population is far too high and therefore there's a number of efforts going in to try to reduce that our numbers in remand are far too high our numbers in the female prison population are far too high so there's a whole range of actions that justice secretary and I have spoken about is not a silver bullet as Pauline McNeill would absolutely understand but there's a range of actions that we can take so I agree with her in reducing the prison population being necessary in relation to the actions that we're taking in regards to weapons and contraband into prisons, again the justice secretary will furnish her with further details but we are investing in technology such as rapid scan machines and indeed other technology body scanners and so on and so forth in order to try to detect that contraband into our prisons and the last point that I would make to Pauline McNeill is she's absolutely right to say that we must place value on those who work in our prisons and that's why I was really pleased that the latest paper proposal was overwhelmingly accepted by the SPAS partner trade unions and that's a two-year deal that delivers a salary increase of 10% for the majority of staff with those in the lowest salaries benefiting from a over 12% rise so I do believe that every single one of us should continue to praise the efforts of our prison staff right up and down the country for the fantastic work that they do. We move to general and constituency supplementaries I call Christine Graham. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. First Minister, in a written answer to me this week and following Westminster scrutiny of the Excel bully dog regulations it appears that there are estimated between 50,000 under 150,000 Excel bully type dogs in England and Wales. Extraclating those to Scotland would mean between 5,000 and 15,000 dogs. Given those numbers can I ask what help there is now for existing and mainly responsible owners to identify whether or not their dog fits that particular breed type what concerns the First Minister has of an influx to welfare charities and what concerns he has that vets in Scotland may find themselves euthanising perfectly healthy dogs? There are very legitimate concerns that are raised by Christine Graham and I know that she has put on record her concern and opposition to the actions that we are having to take and I understand and willing to continue to have conversations with Christine Graham around the approach because I do still believe that the Scottish Government did not breed as the right approach to having to respond to an unannounced decision that was made by the UK Government without any consultation with the Scottish Government whatsoever. We are and Siobhan Brown, the Minister will happily write to Christine Graham in relation to all of the issues that Christine Graham raises. We have to think about the impact on owners of course we also have to think of the potential impact on animal re-homing centres as well as the veterinary profession and all of those issues are being currently considered as we progress these matters at pace. Thank you. Following the SNP Green Government's latest budget, NHS Highland has been forced to put development of the much needed and already delayed replacement for the Belford hospital in Fort William on hold. The current building will be 60 years old next year and patient staff and pretty much everyone except clearly the Scottish Government so can the First Minister tell me when the people of Lacharba who have been campaigning for decades for a new Belford will get the new hospital that they have been promised? First Minister. We will of course provide this chamber with an update in relation to our capital projects including health capital projects. What I would say to Jamie Halcro Johnston is of course in the face of a real terms cut not just to our resource budget but a 10 per cent cut to our capital budget and that over the coming five years we are continuing to ensure that NHS gets a pay uplift. A very, very stark contrast to a Conservative UK Government that has prioritised tax cuts for the wealthy over prioritising spending in the NHS. Go to Grant. The First Minister will be aware that the A9 North has been closed several times recently cutting caithness off from the remainder of the mainland and specialist maternity services. It is also known that Regmore maternity unit cannot quote pleading to women being asked to leave the unit with nowhere to go 100 miles from home as their labour progresses and despite this the Scottish Government have paused caithness, health redesign and the Regmore maternity unit redevelopment. Therefore can I ask the First Minister to revisit the downgrade and to continue the redesign so that women requiring specialist maternity care are never again abandoned? First Minister Can I say that the member raises very important points indeed and I have obviously been involved in this issue when I was Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and know it well and of course the member is absolutely correct that those refurbishments and construction to Regmore is much required and much needed. The Cabinet Secretary for the NHS has outlined the very challenging position in relation to capital projects due to the cut that we have experienced in the capital budget from the UK Government over the next five years but I will confirm to the chamber that no final decisions have been taken on individual projects in NHS Highland. We absolutely remain committed to the reinstatement of consultant-led maternity services at Dr Gray's hospital and any decisions made in relation to Regmore redevelopment will have no impact on the overall plan to return on consultant-led services to Dr Gray's by 2026 but notwithstanding all of that the points that the member raises are important and crucial and that is why we are keen to update Parliament as soon as we can on our capital infrastructure projects. Stuart McMillan With the First Minister providing assurance that budgetary pressures mean that the Scottish Government are not currently able to commit to the Empire, Slavery and Scotland's medium steering group suggestion for their work, which includes bringing forward plans for a dedicated space to address Scotland's role in empire, colonialism and also historic slavery, that this has not been ruled out for the future and that consideration will be given to locating such a facility in my Grinwch, Niferclay constituency given its links with the transatlantic slave trade. First Minister The Scottish Government has allocated £200,000 in this year's budget to support the on-going work related to empire, slavery and Scotland's museum recommendations. We will all work towards the recommendations published by the steering group. We will support the building of an effective resilient organisation, which contains the necessary skills to identify and acquire additional funding streams to allow this crucial work to progress and develop over the coming years. The location of any facility remains to be determined, but I hope that Stuart McMillan will take some comfort from the reassurances of the importance that we place on the empire museum. Miles Briggs It is over three years since SNP ministers cancelled the new iPavillion hospital replacement in Edinburgh. A decision the former First Minister agreed to you turn on during the 2021 Holyrood election pledging to build a new hospital during this Parliament. Can I ask the First Minister if he will keep that pledge to patients in Edinburgh and the south-east of Scotland? First Minister There is no doubting of course that that has to be done, but I go back to the point that I made to his colleagues. We are having to take forward capital spending projects in the face of high inflation in terms of construction costs, but a 10 per cent cut to our capital budget over the next five years. That is being done, being imposed upon Scotland by the Conservatives. Miles Briggs has every right to replace the current infrastructure by the Conservatives. Miles Briggs has every right to ask us about the progress that we are making. I would hope that he would also use any influence he has with the UK Government to tell them to reverse that capital cut, which is having such significant impacts on our budget and on health infrastructure right up and down the country. That concludes First Minister's questions. The next item of business is a member's business debate in the name of Paul O'Kane. There will now be a short suspension to allow those leaving the chamber to go before that debate begins.