 Thank you. General Questions concluded. The next item of business is First Minister's Questions, and at question number one I call Douglas Ross. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. This week, veteran SNP MSP Fergus Ewing voted against his own Government when he refused to support Hamza Yousaf's decision to back Green Minister Lorna Slater in a vote of no confidence. There are reports that he's going to sack Fergus Ewing because of this. Is he? First Minister. I'm not going to go into issues that are matters for our group. What I will say to Douglas Ross is I'm not going to take any lectures on leadership from Douglas Ross. The leader of the Scottish Conservatives who just this week was unable to muster his own Scottish Tory MPs to vote to sanction Boris Johnson. Douglas Ross says that he did. Of course, the soon-to-be Lord Jack did not, so let's be honest. Douglas Ross isn't the leader of Scottish Conservatives. It is the Cabinet's man in Scotland, Alistair Jack. Douglas Ross, let's start with the number of areas. This is a Government issue because it was a Government vote of no confidence in a Government minister, and surely Hamza Yousaf can be honest with the people across Scotland if he takes it seriously that one of his own MSPs refused to support him, because on the day that farmers and crofters all over Scotland come to Edinburgh for the start of the Highland show, the First Minister is reported to be considering sacrificing a former Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, and one of the longest-serving SNP MSPs for a Green Minister who has failed time and time again. Fergus Ewing, that a Scottish Conservative vote of no confidence in the Green Minister, Lorna Slater, because of her dreadful performance in post, especially the disastrous handling of the deposit return scheme, which has cost businesses time and money and has completely flocked. For Green support, he is sacrificing Fergus Ewing, the son of Winnie Ewing, one of the SNP's most famous representatives. Members, let's have orderly conduct, please. We've gone from stop the world the SNP wants to get on to stop the SNP, Fergus Ewing is getting off. Why is he considering losing a party stalwart who is standing up for Scottish businesses while keeping an incompetent Green Minister who has lost their confidence? Can I just remind Douglas Ross, of course, that this Parliament voted to back Lorna Slater and this Government when it came to that vote of no confidence? I'll tell you why they did that, Presiding Officer. They did that because the deposit return scheme was not sabotaged— Excuse me, First Minister. Excuse me, Mr Hoy. Can I ask all members who feel compelled to intervene anytime a member is asking or responding to a question to cease? We will conduct our proceedings in an orderly manner, as required by our standing orders. The reason why they don't want to hear this is because the blame squarely lies with the UK Government when it comes to the sabotaging of the deposit return scheme. The reason why this Parliament backed Lorna Slater when it came to that vote of no confidence is because they know that it was the UK Government's 11th hour intervention that completely torpedoed the deposit return scheme. What have we seen from the UK Government? What have we seen from Douglas Ross when it comes to that deposit return scheme? We have seen more flip-flopping from Douglas Ross on the deposit return scheme. He stood not on one manifesto, but on two manifestos to include glass within the deposit return scheme. Of course, when Alasdair Jack gets involved, suddenly Douglas Ross changes his tune. How dare he talk about the impact on farmers when it is the hard Brexit imposed by the UK Government that has caused such damage to our farmers up and down this country? You do not have to take my word for it. You can take the NFU Scotland's word for it here, the president of the NFU Scotland, Martin Kennedy. I will quote him directly. He said that the Brexit dividend certainly has not come about at all. All the things that we were concerned about, the whole reason that we are back to remain at the time, they have all come to fruition. Perhaps Douglas Ross, if he does not want to listen to me, should listen to the farmers of this country. I would love to listen to Hamdor Yousaf actually giving an answer to a question. There are serious questions to be raised about the conduct of one of his MSPs who has voted against his own Government on a vote of no confidence. If he says that it was a right decision to back Lorna Slater, what does that say about Fergus Ewing? Hamdor Yousaf, the First Minister who will not suspend Nicola Sturgeon, who is under police investigation, looks like he will suspend Fergus Ewing for challenging green incompetence. The First Minister has also said that this deal with the Greens is worth its weight in gold, but then he quoted NFU Scotland. Let me do the same. At 10.50 this morning, from the Highland show, so just over an hour ago, the National Farmers Union of Scotland highlighted their concerns with the Nationalist pack with the Greens. They warned, and this is a quote from NFU president Martin Henry, hardening of the green agenda is given cause for serious concern, not only for rural businesses, but for the Scottish economy as a whole. Not my words, the words of the NFU president in Scotland. He went on to say, they doubt very much, that solutions to key rural issues will be possible for the Butehouse agreement continues. In the week of the Royal Highland show, Scotland's biggest agricultural event does not show that the SNP has abandoned rural Scotland. We of course represent most of rural Scotland. Let us leave that to the verdict of the Scottish— I will tell you, we were talking about recycling scheme a moment ago. Thank goodness that brass can be recycled, because there is plenty of brass neck from Douglas Ross when he talks about conduct of parliamentarians. For the leader of the Scottish Conservatives to talk about conduct of parliamentarians after Boris Johnson has just been sanctioned this very week, shows an incredible level of hypocrisy, Presiding Officer. Members, you will be aware of the requirement to conduct yourselves in an orderly manner. I would be grateful if people could reflect on how they are behaving at this moment. People have gathered here to hear and listen to questions and responses, First Minister. They do not want to listen. Listen how they bark in defence of Boris Johnson whenever he has mentioned. When it comes to rural Scotland, it is simply a fact that the Conservatives have completely betrayed rural Scotland because of their hard Brexit imposed on them. That is why, for example, the Conservatives will not back our sensible plans for a rural visa pilot. That would help our agriculture, community and our sector, our farmers up and down this country, who again are suffering because of that hard Brexit being imposed by Douglas Ross's Conservatives. In terms of assisting rural Scotland as best we possibly can, we know that rural Scotland is also suffering the consequences of that Tory cost of living crisis. We know high energy costs and high inflation costs have all hit agricultural Scotland hard. That is why we provide support for community-led development, including £11.6 million in 2020-23 to more than 300 community-led projects that strengthen resilience and sustainability of grass roots rural community groups. I will continue to show leadership, not just in terms of my party, but in terms of this country and protecting it from the harm and the misery and frankly the cruelty of Conservative UK Governments. Douglas Ross. It is all just deflection and spin from this useless First Minister. Questions about Fergus Ewing are answered by Boris Johnson. Mr Ross, let us conduct our business with courtesy and respect. Well, I think it is perfectly respectful. I think anyone viewing the three attempted answers by the First Minister will reach the same conclusion as I have. Questions about Fergus Ewing and an SNP MSP are responded to with answers about Boris Johnson. The First Minister stands up to quote the President of NFU Scotland not realising what he said at the Highland Show this morning, and the damning assessment of his Government and the SNP Green Coalition Government from Martin Kennedy, from Scotland's farmers and crofters. I hope that when the First Minister visits the Highland Show this week, he will listen to Scotland's farming representatives and what they think about his Government, because it is clearer than ever before that the green tail is wagging the SNP dog. The extremist greens in Government seem to be calling an awful lot the shots of this SNP Government. Their influence is having a damaging effect on every policy area. On deposit return scheme, they are risking jobs and businesses. On farming, they are risking rural livelihoods. On gender reform, they are risking women's rights. On fishing, they are risking the very future of this industry. On oil and gas, they are risking Scotland's energy security. The SNP are so out of touch with mainstream Scotland because they are being dragged that way by the Scottish Greens, so just why is Hamza Yousaf, in the words of one of his other MSPs, dancing to the tune of an extremist party? I am being accused of being out of touch by the leader of the third party in Scotland, Douglas Ross, when he took over the mantle of leadership, his party was in second place. He has managed to lead them into third place, so I am hardly going to take any lectures whatsoever on leadership from Douglas Ross. Let me just talk to some of the issues. First Minister, we will hear the First Minister. Please continue. Let me just talk to some of the issues that Douglas Ross has mentioned. He has mentioned the deposit return scheme. He has mentioned, of course, the Gender Reform Recognition Act. Of course, in a number of areas, including those two, the Conservatives have done nothing but allow their colleagues in Westminster to undermine this Parliament, undermine devolution, and that is hardly a surprise from the party that opposed the creation of the Scottish Parliament in the very first place. Douglas Ross asks why we are in a co-operation agreement with the Greens. We are in that co-operation agreement because I think that people want different political parties, and yes, the SNP and the Greens do have differences coming together to work in the national interest, but why else is that co-operation agreement so important? The number one issue facing not just Scotland but the entire planet is the climate emergency that threatens the sustainability of our planet. Time and time again, when we bring forward action to tackle that climate emergency, where are the Conservatives? They oppose every single measure. Why do they oppose every single measure? Frankly, they are morphing into climate change deniers. On Monday, Labour launched our mission to make Scotland and the UK a clean energy superpower. It is an ambitious and far-reaching plan with four objectives. It will deliver lower bills, your constituents will get lower bills, more jobs, greater energy security and make the UK and Scotland a global climate leader. It is backed up by GB Energy, a new publicly-owned energy company that will be headquartered here in Scotland. Does the First Minister welcome the significant and transformative investment? I am delighted that Anasawar has been able to clarify Scottish Labour's position because Labour has had about five different positions on this in about five different weeks. I am often saying to Anasawar that he is far more style over substance. It was good to hear a little bit of substance from Scottish Labour today. The problem was that the substance was panned by those in the industry, by climate change activists, by the trade unions and by members of his party. Finally, when we get Anasawar talking about some substance, he manages to fluff it. What I will say to Anasawar very clearly is that, when it comes to Scotland's renewable energy, why on earth should the people of Scotland trust a Labour Party who just a couple of weeks ago scrapped their £28 billion green prosperity fund? Why on earth should they trust a Labour Party who has been part of successive UK Governments who have taken £350 billion from the north-east? Anasawar thinks that we should be thankful for the fact that they are going to base a little bit of a Government department here in Scotland. I will tell you what the people of Scotland want. What the people of Scotland want is full powers over our renewable energy, so it cannot just be squandered by a UK Government whether that is Tory or whether that is Labour, Presiding Officer. Dearie, dearie me, that was a terrible answer for the First Minister. I mean, I am not sure that this is the week that the First Minister will be talking about divisions in a political party. This is a serious plan and a serious issue, but sadly we do not have a serious First Minister, because what Humza Yousaf cannot bring himself to even welcome these plans? This is billions of investment for Scotland, more jobs for Scotland, lower bills for Scotland and greater energy security, but he would rather side with the Tories and, in his own words, make life difficult for Labour. Let's look at what he is opposing. He talks about substance. Let's look at the substance of what he is opposing. Investment to make Scotland a leader in carbon capture and storage, offshore wind and hydrogen. 50,000 clean power jobs in Scotland, 17,000 jobs upgrading homes to make them energy efficient, 1.4 million homes upgraded and 1,000 local power projects, and GBE, a publicly owned energy company for the UK, headquartered here in Scotland, but no, Mr No-Style, Mr No-Substance cannot support any of them. Is the First Minister so blinded by his opposition to a Labour Government that he cannot accept what is good for Scotland? Of course that is a GBE company that we base in Scotland, because we have the majority of the renewables and the natural resources here in Scotland. Anna Sauer says that we should be thanking our London masters for the crumbs off the table. Forgive me, if I have far more ambition for our country than the leader of the Scottish Labour Party. Anna Sauer says that he does not want to hear from me. I will tell him my thoughts, of course, clearly. Let's listen to what Barney Crockett, former Labour leader of Aberdeen City Council, who quit following Labour's green energy plan, stated that Anna Sauer should listen. Anna Sauer says, are we siding with him? I am quoting a Labour councillor for goodness sake, so why does Anna Sauer not listen to what Barney Crockett had to say? He said, Margaret Thatcher never delivered a more brutal put-down of an industry than that delivered by Keir Starmer and Edinburgh. There is more to come. Moreover, he avoided answering any direct questions about Aberdeen. Rather, he deflected to Anna Sauer who made no specific response to the city, because not for the first time has Anna Sauer and the Scottish Labour Party prepared to completely abandon every single worker in the north-east. We simply will not do that. When it comes to a just transition, we have put our money where our mouth is—a £500 million just transition fund. What Scottish Labour will do is put the workers of the north-east on the scrap people. We will not be prepared to do that. Mr Sauer, I would be grateful if you could avoid the use of nicknames in future questions, Anna Sauer. I was responding to a criticism that the First Minister made of me. I was not using any nicknames to the First Minister. I was clarifying that I was not using any nicknames. It is really important to say that those plans will ensure that we do not make the same mistakes that Margaret Thatcher made. The sleet-walking that is happening by this Government is what would repeat those mistakes, because this is an SNP Government that has had 16 years to deliver for Scotland, and it failed. In 2017, the SNP promised a public energy company that scrapped it. Alex Salmond told us that Scotland would be the Saudi Arabia of renewables. It promised 130,000 green jobs and failed to deliver. Nicola Sturgeon could have taken a public stake in Scotland, but she chose to sell it off on the cheap. After 16 years in Government, people across our country are looking for action, and Labour has a plan for more jobs, lower bills, greater energy security and climate leadership. There is going to be a global leader in the clean energy revolution. The difference is that Keir Starmer and I believe that global leader will be Scotland and the UK. Why do not Humza Yousaf and the Tories? I remind Labour, because Anna Sauer does not know what his policy is. Time and time again, UK Labour politicians have said that they want to use Scotland's natural resources to give a council tax freeze to people in England. Once again, Anna Sauer and the UK Labour Party view our north-east as a cash cow. They want to take money from the north-east in order to be able to fund council tax freezes for the rest of the UK. The difference between Anna Sauer and I is that I want to keep the profit that is made and invest it in communities here in Scotland while he wants to squander it as successive UK Governments have continued to do. When it comes to investing in our renewables, when it comes to investing in our north-east, how on earth does Anna Sauer square that with the fact that his party has just dumped their £28 billion flagship green prosperity fund? Anna Sauer does not want to hear from me. He does not want to hear from his own councillor, somebody who was his own councillor before, quitting his party in protest at Anna Sauer's plans. Why does not he listen to the trade union movement? GMB union has said, and I will again quote them directly, that he warned of the dangers of cliff edge policies or North Sea oil and gas. He said that inconvenient truth for some is that the UK is still going to need oil and gas until 2050 and beyond. A ban on new licences ignores this reality. Let me say to Anna Sauer to end on a point of consensus. Neither he nor I see the future of Scotland being an unlimited extraction of oil and gas. The difference between Anna Sauer and I is that he believes that turning off the taps today will be good for the north-east and good for Scotland. I believe in a just transition that means that we will not leave a single worker on the north-east in the scrap heap. It is a shame that UK Labour does not feel the same way. 3. Mark Ruskell To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government will recommit to the leadership needed to tackle the climate emergency. We will, and absolutely this Government will lead on that. As I said out in the policy perspective, I am absolutely committed to tackling the climate emergency urgently and fairly. This week we published our response to the climate change committee's annual report, accepting 98 of its 99 recommendations with the other one being fully reserved. Although it is disappointing that we have missed the 2021 greenhouse gas emissions target so narrowly, it demonstrates that we are not far behind where those world-leading targets dictate that we should be. Our draft climate change plan that will be published in November this year will lay out how we will reduce emissions to meet future targets. We will also deepen our global leadership on international climate justice, pushing for bold action across the world, advocating the human rights of those most impacted by climate change and supporting vulnerable communities through a climate justice fund. I thank the First Minister for that considered answer. There is, of course, a consensus for deeper, more far-reaching action on the climate emergency. Scientists campaign as communities on the front line in demanding it, and the public mood is shifting. Most MSPs in this chamber, apart from, of course, the extremists and increasingly climate-denying Tories, know what must be done. Too often, when action is proposed, it gets drowned out by naysayers, defenders of business as usual and those content with watching the planet burn. Time is running out. Will the First Minister commit to a climate conversation later this year, bringing together those focused on action to speed up the journey to a greener farer future? We are committed to doing more than that. I am more than happy to take a consideration away for a climate conversation or convention to bring the appropriate stakeholders together, because we know for the good of our planet that we have to go faster and put more urgency and pace behind the action that we are taking. That is why, of course, the Scottish Government has an enviable track record in making sure that we invest in our just transition. That is why we have an enviable record when it comes to ensuring that we unleash the potential of the green economy. Mark Ruskell is absolutely right that every time the Scottish Government brings forward proposals to tackle the climate emergency, there are far too many across this chamber, but particularly in the Conservative Party, who oppose our actions time and time and time again. We will continue with our commitment to that just transition to net zero that unwavering £500 million fund. I am more than happy to commit to a meeting, to a conversation and to a convention ahead of COP 28 to discuss what more we can do to meet our climate ambitions, but it is so important that we do not just talk the talk, but when we bring the Scottish Government brings forward important interventions that are not opposed time and time again by the Climate Denying Conservative Party. First Minister, given the cost of living crisis hitting both renters and homeowners and the urgent need to decarbonise our homes to meet our climate targets, how many homes will the Scottish Government's funding retrofit this year? What lessons have been learned from last year's failure to spend the allocated £133 million on refitting our homes to make them energy-efficient and affordable to heat? I have the exact figures to hand, and I am happy to the appropriate minister who writes to Cedda Byak with the detail that she is requesting. It is so important that we reduce our heat in our buildings. That is why, of course, the emissions that come from heating buildings is why the new standard was recently published. The reason why that new standard was published is because we know that around 20 per cent of our emissions come from heating buildings. As well as investing in new buildings, retrofitting is an important issue. We are committed to investing in retrofitting. Of course, that is an issue that does not just affect Scotland and the rest of the UK, but the whole world is going to have to look at putting serious amounts of investment public and private as well in relation to retrofitting our buildings, both residential and non-residential buildings. That is an issue that we take seriously. The member will be aware about our heating building bill that we will introduce shortly. I ask that all political parties engage in that in the spirit of collaboration, because we know that when it comes to tackling the climate emergency, we are all going to have to come together, particularly on issues around heating buildings, in order to tackle what is the biggest threat that the planet faces. To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to improve access to sexual health advice. Access to sexual health advice and services continues to be one of the Scottish Government's priorities, which is why we are currently revising the sexual health and bloodborne virus framework. Sexual health is also a key priority in our women's health plan, which looks to improve access to contraception services. The development of the NHS informed women's health platform provides easy access to information, including contraception and sexual health. We also have ambitious targets to eliminate hepatitis C as a public health threat by March 2025 and eliminate HIV transmission by 2030. The framework will set out priorities for sexual health and BBV and will also make an announcement on its publication shortly indeed. According to Public Health Scotland, cases of gonorrhea were steadily increasing prior to the Covid pandemic, but have increased rapidly since the end of 2021. They are now almost 50 per cent higher than those recorded in 2019. Does the First Minister agree that those figures speak to the need to both redouble our efforts firstly to encourage people of all ages and at all stages of life to practice safe sex and secondly to end the stigma around seeking medical assistance in the cases of STIs? Yes, I do agree with Clare Adamson. The point of emphasis that Clare Adamson makes on those of all ages is really important. Although we have a lot of outreach work and awareness-raising campaigns that are targeted towards young people when it comes to STIs, they can affect people of all ages. Following the pandemic, especially sexual health services have been working hard to try to reduce backlog in contraception provision and to recover to pre-Covid levels of services. There are simple and painless tests for gonorrhea. It can be cured and harm limited if appropriate antibiotics are given at an early stage. To add to the point that I was making earlier on or just a moment ago, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Nicholas Deedman has written to NHS boards to highlight the importance of early diagnosis of gonorrhea. The Government will do everything that we can to raise awareness of this important issue, but make sure that it is a campaign that is not just targeted towards one specific demographic, but given that people of all ages can be affected by STIs by gonorrhea, we will ensure that we take a broad brush approach in that respect. I see NHS GP patients all the time and, unfortunately, they keep coming back to see me to say that they are unable to access sexual health clinics. What would the First Minister say to my patients? I would just say what I said a moment ago that, of course, there are backlogs that are being worked on. I understand whether there may be slightly longer waits than any of us would like, but that is why funding is being provided to NHS boards annually through our outcomes framework to deliver on a range of those strategic priorities. £800,000, for example, of funding will shortly be allocated to projects that support progress to improve sexual health and blood-borne virus outcomes. We have received a large number of very high-quality bids in confirming those successfully in the coming weeks. We have also provided £0.5 million to support the development of an online STI testing service, a pilot project that is currently under way in NHS Lothian. I am not denying the points that Sandra Scohani is making. There are still challenges as we recover our services, all of our NHS and social care services in the back of the pandemic. The Government is putting the appropriate and requisite funding in place to try to alleviate those backlogs to ensure that people get the services that they need in a timely manner. To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on whether the Scottish Government is fully committed to improving the safety and condition of all of Scotland's major roads. We are fully committed to improving road safety. As such, we continue to invest in the safety and condition of our motorway and trunk road network. For example, we are currently progressing or have recently completed key improvements on the A9, A96, A92, A90, A77, A737, A720, A83 and A82. Our future investment priorities are set out in the STPR2, which was published in December last year and a focus on improving safety, climate change, adaptation and resilience of the road network. However, it is also worth noting that Scotland's 32 local authorities are responsible for the operation and maintenance of their respective local road network. I thank the First Minister for that update. Much has rightly been said in this place about the dismal progress in improving the A9 and the A96, but the reality is right across Scotland. There are far too many roads that should not just be crumbling, but they are costing lives. In the south and west of Scotland, in my area, the A75, the A77, the A737, the A84, the A85, the A8, the M8 is at permanent gridlock, I could go on and on. Far too many single carriage roads are accident hotspots. Over the last three years, we have lost sadly over 450 lives, each one a tragedy. It should not be a discussion about if those roads will see upgrade investment. I have a very specific question to ask you this afternoon. Are there any major and vital road building projects or upgrades that were promised and pledged by the SNP Government, which will no longer go ahead as a direct result of the Bute House agreement? What makes our job more difficult when it comes to capital infrastructure projects is the continued cut to a capital budget by the UK Government over the years. Therefore, we have a limited pot whereby to invest in capital infrastructure, not just road building projects but other capital infrastructure projects, so crucial to the people of Scotland up and down the country. We have a strong record when it comes to investing in our trunk road network. Jamie Greene mentioned a few of the roads that we have invested in—for example, the A9, £430 million of investment that has gone into the dualling of the A9. We are fully committed to ensuring the dualling between Perth and Inverness. He mentioned the A77, and the Government is proud to have invested in the May ball bypass in the A75. Another road mentioned by Jamie Greene has made improvements, but Transport Scotland has also submitted an A75 business case to the UK Department for Transport, part of its union connectivity development fund. We hope that that will get backing from the Scottish Conservatives and from the UK Government. We have a strong record when it comes to investing in our trunk road network, but what I would say to Jamie Greene is that that job would be far easier to do if the UK Government did not continue to cut our capital budget. Question 6, Pam Duncan-Glancy. To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government is responding to the on-going industrial disputes in further and higher education. While the Scottish Government has no direct role in resolving industrial disputes in the further and higher education sectors, we are clear that we expect trade unions and their employers to work together to resolve issues around pay, terms and conditions. The Minister for Higher and Further Education has met both college and university employers and trade unions in recent weeks, urging them to engage in constructive and meaningful dialogue in pursuit of a resolution to those disputes. I recognise that students are being adversely affected by the industrial action and I expect both colleges and universities to have appropriate mitigations in place to minimise any disruption, including from the impact of marking and assessment boycotts. Pam Duncan-Glancy. The chamber may be aware of the breaking news in the last few minutes that the young man on the titan submersible is a student in Glasgow, and I'm sure everyone here will join me in sharing their thoughts with him and his family at this unprecedented and difficult time. I'm afraid the answer from the First Minister is unacceptable and further lack of leadership. I and my colleagues on the Labour benches support the staff and trade unions and their right to strike, and we stand with them in their decision to do so. We know that it's been one that they have not taken lightly. They have been pushed to the brink. The First Minister must accept that this industrial action is a result of a lack of leadership and complete inaction in the further and higher education sector by the Scottish Government and a consequence of years of real-terms budget cuts that have left staff and students paying the price. Can he tell me today? Will he intervene and end this inaction, or will he allow students to walk across the stage at their graduation ceremonies with a blank piece of paper? First and foremost, let me associate myself with the remarks that Pam Duncan-Glancy makes. I wasn't aware of that news and, of course, my thoughts are with everybody who has been affected, not just their families, their loved ones but, of course, the communities that will be impacted by that news. In terms of our leadership in relation to the higher education and further education sectors, Pam Duncan-Glancy is wrong to characterise it by saying that we haven't appropriately funded those sectors. If I look at, since 2012-2013, over the course of the last decade, the college sector's resource budget has increased by over £168 million or 33 per cent in cash terms in the same timeframe between 2012-2013 and 2019-20, the university sector resource budget has increased by £23 million. We are providing appropriate funding, of course, because there will always be calls to fund those sectors more. What I will do, and I made this point when I met trade unions earlier this week in the UCU, is that I will continue to call—this Government will continue to call—for employers to get round the table, enter into meaningful discussions with our trade unions. We know that industrial action is not wanted by anybody. We know that trade unions do not want to go on strike. We know that it severely affects employers, but we know, of course, that, importantly, the most adverse impact is on our students. I urge all those involved to get back round the table to make sure that there is a fair funding settlement. In terms of the right to strike, again, Pam Duncan-Glancy is well off the mark when she says that we do not support that. This Government does support people's right to strike—the right to withdraw labour. There is, of course, Keir Starmer, who has told us front bench not to join in picket lines up and down the country. That is something that I will not be saying to, of course, any politician, so we do support any work, whether they are in higher education or further education, to their right to strike. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. It is important to reiterate that universities and colleges are autonomous institutions in the Scottish Government, as the First Minister says, has no locust to involve itself in the internal disputes. I ask the First Minister that, as we know, it is those who work in the further and higher education institutions across Scotland that have made a major international success story. Therefore, it is vitally important that a settlement is based on fair work principles and that those running these institutions must reach, as much as possible, a proper relationship in finance with the staff. I cannot agree more with that. The whole point of the letter that was sent by Graham Day to the sector was to reiterate those very points that were sent to all college principals. It could not have been stronger about the importance of our commitment to fair work principles. Bill Kidd is absolutely right. Operational decisions on resourcing, on staffing matters, are for individual institutions. We do not have, as ministers, a direct role in those decisions, but fair work principles must be the guiding light when it comes to the settlement of these disputes. I urge once again all those employers to meaningfully engage and get around the table and ensure that we get a settlement in the best interests of course of staff, but I would suggest more importantly of the students that have been affected. What is so terribly disappointing about the way that the First Minister is answering those questions is that he has used this as an occasion to engage in political knock-about. What we really know is that this is an issue about young people, because whether or not we agree with the lecturers or not, surely the First Minister recognises that these are students who have had their education disrupted by Covid restrictions and are now being used as collateral in this dispute. Will the First Minister take this opportunity to send a message from this chamber today that young people should not be treated as collateral in this dispute and that their work should be properly assessed and properly celebrated? I am happy to reiterate that point, because it is what I have said in response to the questions that have been asked just a moment ago. I have said time and time again when I asked about these disputes that, ultimately, they are not just young people, they are students, all of them are young and not so young that are being impacted and that are being affected by these disputes. When I spoke to trade unions this week, I absolutely got the very strong impression from trade unions, as I often do, that they have only taken industrial action because they see it as a last resort. I do not doubt that for a minute, I do not doubt it for a second. It is so important that, yes, as a collective, this chamber comes together and I, as First Minister, send a very clear message that we expect employers to get back on the table with the trade unions and come to a settlement that is, of course, embedded in our principles around fair work. We move to constituency and general supplementaries, and I call Rona Mackay. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Last week, I chaired around table with media representatives, campaigners and cross-party MSPs on the media's role in tackling violence against women. We have agreed to meet again and, of course, the First Minister would be welcome to attend, but, in the meantime, can I ask what the Scottish Government has done on the impact, what analysis it has done on the impact of gendered online harassment on women's safety? I am grateful to Rona Mackay for raising this issue, and I put on record my admiration for Rona Mackay for raising this issue on many occasions. There have been other parliamentarians who have rightly done so. Of course, if Rona Mackay sends me the invitation across to a further conversation, if I am not able to attend it, I will be sure that somebody from the Scottish Government is able to attend, because we all know that abuse or bullying online and offline is totally unacceptable. We are continuing to work closely with the United Kingdom Government and Ofcom in developing proposals for stronger safety measures online to help to protect children and young people through the United Kingdom Government's online safety bill. Rona Mackay will be aware that I have written to the UK Government on the back of the excellent campaign, an important campaign that has been promoted by the daily record in relation to violence in our schools, because I do believe that our media companies could be doing a lot more in this regard. Within the Scottish Government, we are starting work to consider how we gather, I should say, greater analysis regarding online harms at building on some of the reflections on the women injustice senior leadership group. The First Minister will be aware of the publication today of the second report of the Promise Oversight Board. It states that, due to the current pace of change, it believes that delivering the original aims of the plan 21-24 is no longer realistic and that a lot more needs to be done to keep the promise by 2030. The board also calls for explicit leadership and drive from the Scottish Government to articulate a clear set of principles, outcomes and milestones that will guarantee the promises kept so that Scotland's care experience young people's life chances are not defined but the fact that they have been in care. What will the First Minister do right now to ensure that keeping the promise remains on track? This is an issue of the utmost importance not just to me as First Minister, not just to the Government that I lead, but I am certain that it is of the utmost importance to every single parliamentarian here. I want to give an absolute guarantee, cast iron commitment to every single person that has experienced care, every single care experienced person, whether young or at any stage throughout their life, that we fully intend to keep the promise. The report that is referenced by Rose McAll from the Oversight Board published today is, I think, a reminder, a wake-up call, in fact, that we have to move with more urgency and with more pace. That report has been published, and we will give it full and due consideration. What is important within that Oversight Board report was referenced that the longer-term target in relation to 2030 can be met, but it requires swift and urgent action. We have brought forward a range of actions already. I am happy to ensure that Natalie Dawn writes to Rose McAll with detail of what we have done, but I can also absolutely confirm that we will introduce a promise bill by the end of this parliamentary session to make any further legislative changes required to keep the promise. The First Minister will be aware of calls made by my constituent Lawrence Cowan and his four-year-old daughter Ailesh to improve funding for disabled children across Scotland. Ailesh has a rare genetic condition, and the yard in Edinburgh is a place where she is celebrated for who she is and not defined by her disability. The Scottish Government's decision to freeze funding levels since 2016 means that the yard's funding has effectively reduced from £163 per family to just £39 this year. Will the First Minister agree to meet with the yard and its families to discuss how the Scottish Government can better work with them to ensure that no disabled child in Scotland feels alone? I absolutely agree with the sentiment behind Claire Baker's question, and I am happy to look at the case in more detail. Of course, I will ensure that the Government meets with those families who have been affected by the issue that Claire Baker raises and the good work that the yard does. If Claire Baker will forgive me, I will look at the detail of the work that is done by the yard, and I will look at the funding issues that have been raised. I will ensure that we engage in the way that Claire Baker has asked, but I would say to Claire Baker that there is much that we have done, particularly through Social Security Scotland, in order to help those with disabilities. However, I take the point, particularly around the cost of living crisis that has affected those who are the most vulnerable in our society, even harder than anybody else. There is more that we absolutely can do. I am open to exploring what that is, and in relation to the work that the yard is doing and the issues raised by Ailesh and her family, I will ensure that the Scottish Government engages to hear more about that good work. My constituents cannot book sailings between Shetland and Aberdeen beyond 30 September, because Transport Scotland has not opened up the booking system beyond that date. It appears to be a bureaucratic decision that has little to do with meeting the needs of the people who rely on this lifeline service to the Scottish mainland. It is the third time that islanders have faced a cliff edge for bookings in the past 12 months. Results from my survey of 1,000 responses show that 85 per cent of people want to book more than three months in advance, and, indeed, Serco and North Link frequently tell islanders to book early. I have repeatedly been advised that the system will open as soon as possible, but those are hollow-sounding words for my constituents. Does the First Minister agree with me that his Glasgow constituents would not put up with such travel restrictions? Can he answer why mine should? Beatrice Wishart raises very important points. Indeed, I do not think that it is helpful to put one part of the country against another, because I think that all of us should have access to transport services. In the case of Beatrice Wishart's constituents, there are lifeline services that are so, so important. Beatrice Wishart raises a very important point. Indeed, there can sometimes be technical reasons for why booking systems cannot be open, but I will look at the issue personally. I am sure that the transport minister engages with Beatrice Wishart on this particular issue, because if the booking system can be opened earlier, clearly that would be of great help and use to shetlanders, to island communities, and we will see what can be done in that regard. I will ensure that we update Beatrice Wishart as soon as he possibly can. That concludes First Minister's questions. In an answer to Anas Sarwar, the First Minister said that, of course, the GB Energy Company would be based in Scotland because we have the majority of the renewables here in Scotland. If he was over his brief, he would know that at the year-end 2022 Scotland had 21 per cent of total UK renewables-installed capacity and 26 per cent of renewable electricity generated. Since he has not corrected the record from the last time I pointed out his error, could you guide him as to how he can rectify his latest gaff? The member will be aware that the content of member's contributions is not generally a matter for the chair. The member will also be aware that there is a mechanism that exists by which members can correct any inaccuracy. We will now have a brief suspension in order to clear the gallery and to allow members to leave the chamber.