 The next item of business is First Minister's Questions and at question number one I call Douglas Roves. Tens of thousands of people work in Scotland's North Sea oil and gas sector. It raises billions of pounds to support public services and it's crucial for Scotland's economy. This week, across the Atlantic in the United States, Humza Yousaf said that Scotland will no longer be the oil and gas capital of Europe. So why has the SNP turned sour on Scotland's oil and gas? Deputy First Minister, we, of course, are committed to a just transition for the oil workers in the north-east and I want to pay tribute to the sector and indeed the workforce for the over £400 billion that they have generated for the UK coffers. Much of it, of course, squandered, but, of course, we are committed to a just transition because we know that the unlimited extraction of fossil fuels is not consistent with Scotland's ambitious climate obligations and we have to ensure a planned and fair transition that leaves no one behind. I think that Douglas Ross is very brave going on this subject today in a week where his Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has essentially pulled the rug from under the net zero ambitions, not just of the UK, but potentially damaging the net zero ambitions of Scotland and that does not just damage the environment, Presiding Officer, it damages jobs into the process and he should be ashamed to stand side by side with Rishi Sunak on that matter. Douglas Ross What a predictable response on the Deputy First Minister, because the SNP loved to talk a good game but keep missing their own climate change targets and the Deputy First Minister wants to pay tribute to oil and gas workers in the north-sea. Let's hear one another please. The Deputy First Minister wants to pay tribute to the oil and gas workers and Humza Yousaf wants to take their job away. What we need is a transition sensibly to create new energy jobs, not by throwing away the current ones. It's not a choice between oil or renewables, we need to support both. That's why Humza Yousaf's proposals are so reckless. A recent report from the Robert Gordon University warned that the rapid decline in the oil and gas sector will cost tens of thousands of jobs. Why is the SNP backing a cliff edge scenario where skilled jobs will be lost for good? It was just a year ago that Douglas Ross was urging us to follow Liz Truss over the cliff edge of her economic catastrophe for our country. That same Douglas Ross now comes to the chamber today wanting us to follow Rishi Sunak off the same cliff edge of reneging and backsliding on net zero targets. Of course, it's no surprise that one of the first people out of the stocks to support Rishi Sunak was Liz Truss herself, so that is a company that Douglas Ross is keeping. Of course we are committed to a trust transition for Scotland's energy sector, and of course we are only just, Mr Target, by 1.2 per cent, which of course shows that we are not far behind. Members, Deputy First Minister, if I may ask you just for a moment, I'm finding it difficult to hear. I think that members are being somewhat robust in their engagement with responses, and I would be grateful if we could hear one another speak. Deputy First Minister. Thank you. I've never allowed a man to shout me down in my life. I won't make any exception for Douglas Ross, Presiding Officer. Our targets are world-leading, and that's why the First Minister is in New York for the UN climate change week, because we are world-leading and we have a First Minister whose ambitions are to meet the net zero targets, showing leadership, unlike the Prime Minister who is ditching net zero targets. If he doesn't want to listen to me on that, all he needs to do is to listen to the condemnation from industry, from business and, indeed, from Tory MPs themselves. Douglas Ross. Let's just go through a few of those points. The Deputy First Minister saying that the SNP Government's targets are world-leading. They're not meeting them. Eight out of the last 12 years, they've failed to meet their own world-leading targets. Let's listen to industry. Jaggerier Land Rover said that the plans from the Prime Minister were pragmatic and brings the UK in line with other nations, which we welcome, but this is not just about what's best for our economy, it's also about what's best for our environment. Industry experts have found that new fields at Cambo and Rosebank would save 17 million tonnes of CO2 compared to foreign imports. Soil production in Scotland is cheaper, greener and protects jobs, but Humza Yousif no longer wants Scotland to be Europe's capital on oil and gas, and he's against the UK Government granting new North Sea licences. So can I just ask the Deputy First Minister, why wouldn't we use our energy on our doorstep instead of costly foreign imports? Deputy First Minister? Of course, we've been very clear about any new licences and the climate targets that they have to meet in terms of the analysis of those. They have to be robust. Of course, it's not us that will grant any new licences, but the First Minister and the Cabinet Secretary have been very clear about those climate compatibility tests. Let's get back to the nub of this, because when Douglas Ross talks about our net zero targets, the changes and announcements made by Rishi Sunak make it harder for us to achieve our net zero targets, and that is bad for the environment. It's also bad for business. Listen to Lisa Brank in the chair of Ford UK. What she said, our business needs three things from the UK Government. Ambition, commitment and consistency. A relaxation of 2030 would undermine all three. The former Siemens UK CEO, Jurgen Mayer, it's just chaos, isn't it? It beggars belief. Everybody is now sitting wobbling and wondering, and I can tell you what. They won't be investing in the UK. It's a disaster for productivity, a disaster for jobs, well-paid jobs and it's a disaster for business confidence and investment, and we need exactly the opposite. When is Douglas Ross going to grow a backbone and support the net zero targets rather than his Prime Minister? We can trade different quotes all day. I can quote Tiota, who said that today's Government announcement is welcome as it provides the clarity industry has been asking and recognising that all low emission and affordable technologies can have a role to play in a pragmatic vehicle transition. Mr Ross, if you could just give me a moment. Mr Robertson, could I ask you please to remain silent when we're trying to hear Mr Ross's response? Angus Robertson's shouting didn't put me off when I beat him in 2017 and it doesn't put me off now. And I also have to say it was quite something for Shona Robison to blame yesterday's announcement by the Prime Minister for the SNP failing to meet their targets in eight years out of the last 12. Now let's go back to where it all began. The SNP slogan used to be it's Scotland's oil. Now it's just stop oil. Hamza Yousaf flew to New York to the finance capital of the world to tell people don't invest in our oil and gas sector. The First Minister of Scotland is talking Scotland down. It's a slap in the face to North East workers. It's naive because we still rely on oil and gas and it would be a hammer blow to Scotland's economy. So why is the SNP giving up on Scotland's crucial oil and gas sector? Deputy First Minister, no-one's giving up on Scotland's oil but it has been squandered by successive UK governments of all political colours. As I said at the beginning of my answer, we absolutely respect and appreciate the efforts made by the oil and gas sector and their workforce and we support a just transition that we have put serious money into making happen unlike the UK Tory government. But listen to what the oil and gas industry are saying. Emma Pinchbecker, the CEO of Energy UK, sudden changes to policies and targets like this are damaging to the very investment we need to fund the move towards net zero and jeopardise the economic benefits and opportunities this transformation could bring in terms of jobs, growth and greater prosperity to all parts of the country. Business needs certainty and stability when making long-term investments worth billions of pounds. The announcements by Rishi Sunak undermine all that, not just for the UK but for Scotland and Douglas Ross standing shoulder to shoulder with Rishi Sunak will not be forgiven by the people of Scotland. Presiding Officer, people across our country are paying the price for SNP incompetence and failure. At a time when they can't afford it, in every area that this Government controls we see mismanagement leading to billions of pounds of waste. In February 2015, the then health secretary Shona Robison promised to end delay discharge by the end of the year. So can she tell the chamber, since she made that promise, how many people have died while waiting to leave hospital? How many bed days have been lost and how much has it cost the taxpayer? First of all, can I say that we absolutely remain committed to eradicating delayed discharge? When I said that when I was health secretary, we absolutely were determined then as we are now. However, Annasarwa will understand that it is very challenging to do. Back then, of course, we were on the eve of the new integrated joint boards being established. I think that it is fair to say that it has been a mixed bag in terms of the delivery of delayed discharge progress. That is why we want to move forward with the national care service, something that Labour used to support, but as soon as the SNP tried to take it forward, they then opposed. We will get on with the job of tackling delayed discharge while Labour sniped from the sidelines, as always. The Deputy First Minister is in denial. Nearly 4.5 million bed days have been lost. Over 2,300 people died while waiting to leave hospital and £1.1 billion has been wasted. Shona Robison promised to end this eight years ago, long before Covid. People are being asked to pay for that failure during a cost of living crisis. One in four households facing a council tax rise of up to 22 per cent, an increase of £740 a year, an income tax rise for people earning as little as £28,000 and now proposing a £15 a day charge to drive to work. Why are working people who have already been hit by the Tory mortgage bombshell being asked to pay the bill for your incompetence and failure? On the issue of the NHS, we absolutely remain committed to eradicating delayed discharge and we work with our partners to do that. However, I noticed that Anna Sarwar just moved on to talking about local government finance and taxes. First of all, about the council tax multiplier consultation. It is a consultation based on looking at how we can make the council tax fairer but also that joint group with COSLA is looking at how we could replace the council tax going forward. Here is one question that consultation asks. Why is it that someone in a band H property pays so much less as a proportion of their property value than someone in a band A property? I do not think that that is fair. Why does Anna Sarwar think that that is fair? We will get on with the consultation but it is not credible for Anna Sarwar to come here and say no to progressive taxation when it comes to income tax, no to any changes in terms of local taxation but demands money to be spent on public services. That is not a credible position for Anna Sarwar to take. Anna Sarwar, you have been in government for 16 years and that is the best answer that you can give. The Deputy First Minister just does not get it, so let me give her an example. A family in Cambuslang, the mum is a nurse, dad is a teacher, they have two young kids, their energy bills skyrocketed and they are still paying 50 per cent more, that is £2,000, their food bills are up almost 20 per cent, they have been hit with a mortgage increase of over £2,000 a year and now the SNP wants to make that worse by asking both mum and dad to pay more income tax, to pay hundreds of pounds more in council tax and £15 a day to get to the work in Glasgow. This family is being let down by both Tory and SNP incompetence, both making life harder for working people. So why can't the Deputy First Minister see that the people of Scotland are being asked to pay the price for SNP failure? We do know that Anna Sarwar is now getting his orders from Keir Starmer and that is to not promise anything in terms of progressive taxation and to turn this back on raising additional funds because what Anna Sarwar should remember is that if we had followed what she seems to be suggesting, the Tory tax policies, we would have a billion pounds less for public services in our province. Let's hear one another. That's what Anna Sarwar seems to be saying. Let me repeat, there is a consultation on council tax. No decisions have been made in terms of council tax increases and she should not be saying to the people of Ruthergline or anywhere else that that is the case because that is to mislead. But let me say to the nurse and the teacher that Anna Sarwar commented on. We have of course made sure that nurses are better paid than elsewhere in these islands by making sure that we pay through a Jennifer chain and teachers, of course, are better paid in Scotland than anywhere else in these islands because we settled with the teachers in terms of their pay claim. So we'll get on with paying public workers what they deserve to be paid and supporting household incomes and Anna Sarwar will side with the Tories against progressive taxation. What a place for Labour to end up? Question number three, Alex Cole-Hamilton. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. To ask the Deputy First Minister when the cabinet will next meet. Deputy First Minister, next Tuesday, Alex Cole-Hamilton. I'm very grateful for that reply. Presiding Officer, the list of NHS buildings being searched for the dangerous concrete known as RAC includes surgical wards, a radiotherapy ward, it includes maternity wards and major hospitals like Ninewells in the Deputy First Minister's home city. There, the area of concern extends to 9,500 square metres. That's more than the size of a football pitch. Now assumptions about what is low risk based on looking at blueprints are now being questioned because a school beam thought to be low risk was then found to be unsound. So can the Deputy First Minister vouch for the safety of everyone going for surgery, every cancer patient and every newborn currently receiving care in a ward where this concrete is suspected to be present? Let me say to Alex Cole-Hamilton that NHSs are sure have been going through all of the buildings in the NHS, looking at applying the guidance from the Institute of Structural Engineers, making sure that there is a risk rating for any buildings that need that repair, but no building and no patients and no staff will be left in any dangerous building anywhere. We shouldn't suggest that because that worries people. Alex Cole-Hamilton, I understand, was spoken to by the Health Secretary about this very matter just yesterday, but if he still has queries, I'm sure the Health Secretary will be prepared to speak to him again. I know that the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Education has also invited him to a meeting to discuss any other further concerns, but it is important that we give the assurance to the public that all of these matters are absolutely in hand and that the guidance from the Institute of Structural Engineers is being followed, and hopefully that's something that Alex Cole-Hamilton can join us in giving that reassuring message on. To ask the Deputy First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of the potential impact of the roll-out of the carer support payment on the national mission to tackle poverty and reduce inequality. We know that unpaid carers face a higher risk of poverty and the majority of unpaid carers are women. Carer support payment will be available in the local authority areas of Dundee, Perth and Kinross and Western Isles from November this year and will be extended to more areas from spring 2024 to be available nationally by autumn 2024. The carer support payment will extend eligibility to more carers studying full-time. It will remove barriers to education, provide more stable support, promote increased take-up and help carers access wider benefits and services. And once the case transfer from carers allowance completes, it will also provide extra payments to carers with multiple caring roles and an additional four weeks of support when a caring role ends due to bereavement. I thank the Deputy First Minister for that response. I am particularly pleased to note the expanded eligibility of carers support payment compared to the DWP's carers allowance. Can the Deputy First Minister outline how many additional carers, compared to the rest of the UK, are set to benefit from Social Security Scotland's 14th devolved payment? Despite our fixed budgets and limited powers, we have transformed social security provision in Scotland, delivering a radically different system based on dignity, fairness and respect. From launch, our carer support payment will expand access to many carers, widening access to 1,500 more carers once the benefit is available nationally. Carers support payment will also continue to benefit from our carers allowance supplement, which has provided extra support to carers in Scotland since 2018. I will again call on the UK Government to match our actions to address the fact that carers allowance is, of course, the lowest of all working-age benefits. I note the Deputy First Minister's reply and the subsequent Westminster bad response. If I could draw the focus back to Scotland and to reducing inequalities, the 2023 programme for government, where there was a promise to develop a payment for eligible 16 to 25-year-olds with care experience to provide transition security for independent living, when will the promise be fulfilled? It is not a bit Westminster bad. It was just a fact that the carers allowance is the lowest of all working-age benefits. I say to her on her question about the roll-out of the benefit for young carers. I will ensure that the minister writes to her with an update on the progress and timetable for that. To ask the Deputy First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reported comments from COSLA and council leaders questioning the achievability of net zero targets without a detailed plan and adequate funding. I would be grateful if we could do members the courtesy of hearing their questions. I am sure that Brian Whittle must be regretting submitting that question. A Tory MSP raising net zero less than 24 hours after Tory Prime Minister hollowed out her plans is a matter for pity perhaps. We will continue to work in partnership with local authorities and COSLA to develop a framework between national and local government to agree shared approaches to delivering net zero. We are doing this at a time when the UK Government appears determined to undermine the means to deliver the change. The Prime Minister's decision to renaig on the UK's key net zero commitments yesterday was an unforgivable betrayal of current and future generations. The Conservatives are trading the future of our planet for a cheap electoral ploy. I would like to say to Brian Whittle if he or his colleagues in the Scottish Tories have any influence with the UK Government, unlikely, then please urge them to rethink because you are on the wrong side of history. The First Minister, Grant Stans in New York, accusing the rest of the world of catastrophic negligence and climate change. His SNP councillors have joined COSLA, the Committee on Climate Change and countless other organisations to criticise his Government's net zero plans. The SNP Green Government love being praised for their bold, ambitious climate policies, but those same policies keep disintegrating on contact with reality. A just transition requires more than ever grander promises with no thought on how they will work in the real world. Will the Deputy First Minister now commit to setting out a detailed, pragmatic and achievable roadmap to the Scottish Government net zero, or will she continue the First Minister's approach of bashing others to disguise his Government's failures? Of course, it is the Prime Minister's announcements that are disintegrating in the face of blistering criticisms, not just from industry, not just from business, but from some of his own members. I wonder how Maurice Golden is feeling at this point and others on the Tory back benches. The First Minister will continue, as the Scottish Government will, to show leadership on net zero. We are regarded throughout the world as having some of the most ambitious targets and ambitious policies. We will get on with the job and we will leave Rishi Sunak, Douglas Ross and the Tories to try to explain to future generations why they had no backbone when it comes to the environment. I ask the Deputy First Minister what initial assessment the Scottish Government can provide on the impact that it will have on the commitment and consistency that industry requires from the Government to ensure a just energy transition. I am aware that the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero will be answering an urgent question on this later today. The Prime Minister's reckless plans have already, of course, been branded concerning by the Climate Change Committee, who judged quotes, likely to take the UK further away from being able to meet its legal commitments. Business and consumer groups alike have referred to the plans as hugely damaging and a colossal error, and Al Gore has called them shocking and hugely disappointing. There are many others that I could quote. I know that the Tories do not like the fact to be presented to them, but the key point here and the most serious concerning point is that those announcements will have a serious impact and implication, not just for the UK, but for Scotland's climate ambitions as well. That is unforgivable. The Prime Minister's climb down on climate shows that he is a politician who is only interested in the next election rather than the next generation. What impact will his announcement have on Scotland's plans to reach net zero by 2045? Of course, he is absolutely right, and we will, of course, assess that. The cabinet secretary for net zero will answer that urgent question, but we will, of course, have to get into the detail of assessing what that impact is. Of course, he is absolutely right. The member is right to point to what this is all about. This is all about the general election, and the Tories are trying to appeal to their core vote, which is essentially culture wars, anti-migrants and now anti-environment. What an unappealing, negative, backward-looking, small-minded respect is, Presiding Officer, and it will be roundly rejected by the Scottish people once again. To ask the Deputy First Minister whether the Scottish Government will consider writing off school meal debts in light of reports of local authorities instructing sheriff officers to pursue families for unpaid school meal debt. We recognise that the cost of living crisis is, of course, putting a huge strain on families, and many are facing real challenges. We are committed to expansion of free school meals, saving families £400 per year for every eligible child, and we are any families experiencing difficulties due to the costs of paying for school meals. In the first instance, we expect local authorities to use the powers available to them and to provide necessary support. While school meal debt is a matter for councils, the Scottish Government will do everything that we can to support families and will consider all options available to us to ensure that families do not find themselves punished for struggling during a cost of living crisis. Organisations such as Aberlawer Children's Charity speak of a cycle of problem debt owed to public bodies trapping families in poverty. Not only are families experiencing the stress of being trapped in this cycle, but we have now learned that councils such as Renfrewshire in my region are sending debt collectors to families' doors, exacerbating unimaginable pressure when they are just trying to get by in a cost of living crisis. Despite what the Deputy First Minister says about causal guidance on managing school debt, families are now in a postcode lottery, with some councils writing it off and others resorting to debt collectors. 50 anti-poverty organisations and trade unions wrote to the Deputy First Minister's predecessor calling for action in the last budget, and Scottish Labour outlined plans to write off school debt in our call for an emergency cost of living act in the summer of 2022. The former First Minister said that she was sympathetic and asked the officials to look at the issue. Sympathy, warm words and another year of inaction from the Government all the while, the debt collectors are banging on the door, so if reducing poverty is a defining mission of coming into this Government, when will it take urgent action and provide resource to allow all councils to write off these debts and stop the share of officers? First of all, of course, to fund an emergency cost of living act, you would need to have progressive taxation, whether at a national level or local level. Of course, Labour has not ruled that out, so there is no more funds to pay for any emergency cost of living act than it has. Also, on this point, there is a lack of consistency from Labour here, because also the two child cap and rape clause do not help vulnerable families either, so we need to see some consistency from Labour on the point about debt. It is an important point, and I would encourage councils to have consistency in applying the guidance to whether it is school meal debt or any other debt, and they should do that in a way that preserves the dignity of families, and we will continue to work with COSLA on that important matter. Very grateful. The Scottish Government's failure to fully implement its free school meals promise is relevant here, and the education committee heard just yesterday from SIPFA that government funding for the free school meals that are in place is insufficient. So Deputy First Minister, why is this Government failing to properly fund its own scheme? Deputy First Minister Scotland has the most generous free school meal provision in the UK, and we are going even further. Liam Kerr or any other Tory member cannot pitch up here, demanding more money for free school meals or anything else, when through their tax cuts that they wanted us to follow, there would be £1 billion less money to spend on public services, whether it is free school meal provision or anything else. Do not turn up here asking for more money when you want to take £1 billion out of the money that we already have. We will now move to general and constituency supplementaries, and I call Rona Mackay. Cancer Research UK announced a £123 million investment in the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute, formerly known as Cancer Research UK Beats and Institute, based at the University of Glasgow's Garskud campus in my constituency. The Beats and Name is synonymous with cancer research in West of Scotland, and the amazing work of the Beats and Institute has been life-changing for many. What can the Deputy First Minister say about the significance of this investment, particularly for the West of Scotland, and the strengths in cancer research and life science that we have in constituencies like mine? I say to Rona Mackay that I really welcome Cancer Research UK's announcement of this significant investment. Research is vital if new approaches to prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer are to continue to be developed, and this funding will ensure that the institute continues this research in the West of Scotland. The institute is recognised internationally for its quality, innovation and impact, and the Cabinet Secretary for Health met the chief executive officer of Cancer Research UK yesterday to discuss the work of the institute and recognise Cancer Research's very welcome investment. This week, we learned the disappointing news of more Bank of Scotland branch closures, including one in Millport on Cumbria and Brodic on Arran. Those are the last remaining bank branches on those island communities. Although this is disappointing news for elderly residents on islands and many businesses who operate in cash, I wonder if it has escaped the Lloyds banking group, a group that received a £20 billion taxpayer-funded bail-out many years ago, of the devastating effect that this will have for our island communities. Will the Scottish Government ministers join me in lobbying this banking group to reverse these devastating cuts to branches? I agree with Jamie Greene. I think that these services are important, particularly for those who do not have online banking facilities. Many older people are in that position. The sentiment that I agree with is a UK Government responsibility, but in terms of his call for us to have a cross-party representation, I am very happy to ask Neil Gray to speak to Jamie Greene to see how that can be arranged. Given the level of skill shortages across the Scottish economy, is the Deputy First Minister concerned that colleges are cutting courses and making staff redundant in order to balance their budgets? Skills in the future of skills is absolutely critical, which is why the weather's review is so critical going forward. The college sector will be absolutely critical in that. There have been challenges to public finances across all public bodies. No one is denying that due to UK Government austerity. We have to make sure that whether it is the college sector or any other sector is delivering within the budgets that can be allocated. However, in terms of skills, we absolutely recognise the importance of skills for the economy going forward. That is why we are keen to see that review and forward-looking review from whether it is taken forward in a way that sees the colleges at the heart of that. The Deputy First Minister will recognise that this week is the national iHealth week. As the convener of the cross-party group on universal impairment and plays at this Parliament, it has led the way with the long-standing policy of free eye tests. Will the Deputy First Minister support calls to encourage more Scots to utilise the free eye test as it can have multiple health benefits to the individual? I certainly agree with Stuart McMillan that national iHealth week is a timely opportunity to highlight the importance of having a free, regular NHS i examination and contacting an optometrist as the first port of call for any eye problem. We know that it can provide a full health check of the eyes as well as a sight test. That can help to detect early signs of sight-threatening conditions as well as other serious health conditions. I am proud that Scotland remains the only part of the islands to provide free universal NHS eye examinations. The Scottish Government is committed to maintaining that. Last week, the Scottish Government rejected calls from across this chamber and from industry to pause the licensing scheme for short-term lets because of the emerging unintended consequences. Yesterday, we saw yet more confusion about this policy, with the Times newspaper reporting that the Home Link, which arranged house swaps, had been told by ministers that swaps would now be excluded from the rules. We also learned that the Deputy First Minister herself wrote to councils in March saying that guidance would be produced, offering temporary exemptions for house swaps, but there is no record of such guidance ever being published. Meanwhile, the housing minister, who replied to the debate last week, seemed to be unaware of any of this. Can I get some clarity, please? Are house swaps to be excluded from the licensing scheme? Yes or no? Does not this demonstrate once again that this is a shambolic policy from a Government where the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing? I will certainly get Shirley-Anne Somerville as the social justice secretary to write to the member, because it is important that there is clarity on this matter. Murdo Fraser is right to raise that, and I will make sure that that is made not just available to Murdo Fraser but to other members across the chamber. However, in terms of the policy per se, what is important that Murdo Fraser and others do is to encourage those who are running short-term lets to now get their licence in order by 1 October, because that will be critical in making sure that what this is all about at the end of the day is that whoever is using a short-term let in whatever sector can be guaranteed of the same safety measures applying no matter where they are staying. That is at the heart of what this is about, but on that specific point I will make sure that the cabinet secretary writes to the member and puts that across to other MSPs as well. The Deputy First Minister will be aware that Highland Council has cancelled 10 new school buildings, and that also means that desperately needed affordable housing will be lost. It is due to delays with her Government's learning estate investment programme. Can I ask the Deputy First Minister will she now make decisions about this fund so that local authorities can build schools? Will she apologise to pupils, parents, teachers and communities that have been so badly affected? First of all, the LEAP project has been enormously important in terms of the phases 1 and 2, and 37 projects were announced, including three in the Highlands through those first two phases. In terms of the third phase, the cabinet secretary for education will be updating Parliament in due course, but one of the issues that we have had to look at is the position of rat schools in relation to phase 3 and to make sure that they receive the priority that they require. What I would say to the member is that, despite our cuts to capital budgets, that will be a cut of nearly 6.7 per cent. That makes it very difficult whether it is building schools, hospitals or anything else. I hope that the member will join us in making sure that we say to the UK Government that we absolutely need investment in capital in the same way that the Welsh Labour Government has said. I just met the Treasury with the Welsh Labour Government yesterday, and we are saying exactly the same. It is just a pity that Labour members in this place are not aligning with their Welsh Labour courts. Thank you, Presiding Officer. One year after Liz Truss's disastrous Tory UK mini-budget, can the Deputy First Minister outline the impact of this chaotic event on Scotland's economy? The disastrous mini-budget, enthusiastically backed by the Scottish Tories, Douglas Ross in particular, sent shockwaves through the economy, causing market interest rates to jump, sterling to fall and literally crashed the pension market in the UK. Alongside this, the proposed tax cuts on the market reaction reduced any lingering credibility that the UK had in terms of economic management, which was already severely damaged by Brexit. That, of course, is now being followed by the equivalent to that by Rishi Sunak on net zero. Of course, Liz Truss being the biggest cheerleader for the backsliding and reneging on those net zero targets. If there was an argument for independence, what has happened with net zero this week? Surely there can be no better argument that control over net zero and the economy should rest here in this Parliament. Thank you, Presiding Officer. This week, Clackmannanshire Council admitted that a house that caught fire was not fitted with the legally required interlinked heat and smoke alarms, despite legislation requiring this from February 2022. This may not be an isolated incident and it may be putting vulnerable tenants and elderly at risk. Therefore, Deputy First Minister, what urgent action can the Scottish Government put in place to ensure that councils are fulfilling their legal responsibilities and protecting tenants and lives? I am concerned to hear about that. Of course, councils absolutely should be making sure that they apply the legislation in the same way as anyone else. If Alexander Stewart wants to write to me with those details, that is certainly something that we can raise with the council, because it is very important that tenants feel safe in their homes. I refer members to my register of interests as a trade union member. This week, members of UCU, Unison and Unite the Union are on strike at the University of Dundee because their employer has repeatedly failed to make a fair pay offer. Year on year, real terms pay cuts are harming university workers, student learning and our education system. Deputy First Minister, will you join me in urging university principals in our city of Dundee and across the country to meet the demands of campus unions? Of course, this is a matter for Dundee University or any other universities in terms of them being independent institutions and the way that they conduct industrial relations. However, we would expect them to follow the fair work principles in terms of good engagement with the unions and we would expect them to follow those in the same way as other institutions should, so we would urge them to continue to get round the table with the union partners to try to find a resolution. I would just say to Mercedes Villalbao that what we are seeing from Keir Starmer is a complete retreat from workers' rights. You turn on every commitment in terms of workers' rights, so perhaps she should have a word with Keir Starmer or a suspect. She probably does not agree with him anyway. However, in terms of the devolution of employment law, I hope that she will sign the motion that is up for debate next week, because I understand that Anna Sarwar has sent a memo round saying that Labour should not sign it. I hope that Mercedes Villalbao will sign it, because there are notions of independent minds. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Deputy First Minister, I continue to mind that a single mother with a short-term let property has been in touch with me this week. She will shortly be obliged to display her licence notice to the front window of a property to be compliant with the short-term let regulations that include her name and address. She is concerned about her wellbeing and privacy of her daughter and herself due to her domestic relationship. Can the Deputy First Minister confirm whether it is her intention for short-term let regulations to make responsible owners afraid and scared and possibly having to withdraw the property, and will she look at again whether that type of privacy is appropriate in Scotland today? No, and if Jeremy Balfour wants to finish us with the case, we will look at it in terms of what the guidance has been issued from Edinburgh City Council. No one should be afraid and scared. What we are asking here is for short-term let owners to get a licence on basic safety measures. That is all. Not to put themselves in a position of being afraid or scared, this is about basic safety standards. However, if Jeremy Balfour wants to finish us with the details, if there is an issue in terms of the guidance that has been issued by Edinburgh, we will look at that. That is all that I can offer at this stage. The Conservatives delivered a ruinous Brexit, and this week, care stammer says that he will tweak that ruinous Brexit while ruling out a return to the European single market. He stated his priorities were economic growth and the opportunities and the outcomes for young people that were lost through Brexit. Does the Deputy First Minister agree with me that the only way to get the benefits of the European Union back is for Scotland to be there as an independent nation and back to the family of nations of Europe? Clare Adamson is exactly right, and it appears to me that Labour does not like to hear the word Brexit even more than the Tories do not like to hear the word Brexit. I wonder why that is, but Brexit is an on-going disaster for Scotland. The Labour Party now wants to keep Scotland out of the hugely important European single market and out of the European customs union. Of course, it backs the end of freedom of movement, which was so important for the Scottish economy. The real question here for Labour, though, is when the onslaught of workers' rights begins, are they going to look trade unions in the eye or workers in the eye and say, That's okay, we support that, we don't care about workers' rights. Thank you, and that concludes First Minister's questions. The next item of business is a member's business debate in the name of Jackie Dunbar, and there will now be a short suspension to allow members to leave the chamber and the public to leave the gallery.