 Byddiol sefydlu gafoddol, mae byddai saion edryd o'rAll conviction i pupules oblysigau! Rwyfyrdol, byddai saion gennyngwg chi wahanol. Pwedeithio ni i gael ei wahanol sydd harmfuligiau ac roedden nhw'n gweldio'r faile fel y reuaidd byddai saion profiol. A dwyessedgau am y rhanor, rwy'n credu sut yn cael mynd 있지 newFA trafn i benth pwyldears a'r rhanorol wedi giodd yn maith i dduf Frost Wattol. Ifyllwch, ei dда� melodydr yn gawddio'r wahanol, yn se lleoniano mewn ewe-, domyn, y During Questions 3내,ÓP DRB, PAU? Na allwchnaf ddim yn dech. 1. Rumor rthw Davidson Thank you for asking First Minister what engagement she has planned for the rest of today. First Minister Engagement is to take forward the婆bwl wok elfordd Ry ran деся gwrs. eyes In response to last week's referendum vote, the UK Government announced that it will set up on the new cabinet office unit to present options for the UK's negotiations with Union Europea. We need full involvement from all our devolved governments in that process and I understand that ministerial meetings will take place within the coming days. Can I ask what preparations the Scottish Government is making to take part in these discussions? The Scottish Government is making exhaustive and very detailed preparations to ensure that we are fully involved in the UK decision making process. As it now develops, of course, we don't yet know what the UK negotiating position is going to be. We don't even know who the UK Prime Minister is. arms which will be later in the next few weeks? We are making this very clear to the UK Government that the commitment given by the Prime Minister on Friday morning is to Consort it. That we said that there would be full engagement among the devolved Administrations and will be delivered in full. It is absolutely vital that, in the course of that development position all options for Scotland are on the table. As everybody will have heard me say a number of times over the past few days since the referendum, Scotland voted to stay in the EU, and it's my job as First Minister. I think it's this Parliament's job to do everything we can to give effect to how people in Scotland voted. Ruth Davidson I thank the First Minister for that answer, and I hope and trust that the Scottish Government will play a full and integral role. I think that we need to agree some first principles in these talks, and retaining our place in the single market should be the overriding priority. The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, has already said that he will be, and I quote, pushing the Government to ensure that this is the cornerstone of negotiations with the EU. Can I ask if the First Minister will follow the same course? The First Minister Well, I would say, in addition to what I said earlier about making sure that all options for Scotland are on the table and that we are doing everything we can to protect Scotland's position and all eventualities, that my first principle in this is to seek to give effect to the democratic will of the Scottish people that was expressed in the referendum last week when more than 60 per cent across Scotland, a majority in every local authority area, said that they wanted to stay in the EU. I do not think that, at this stage, we should be looking at second best options. I think that we should be looking to protect what people in Scotland voted for. Until the last few days, that of course was the position of Ruth Davidson when she said that our membership of the EU is crucial, not just ensuring access to the single market but also the benefit of being able to call on the EU's negotiating muscle and trade policy around the world. She said that, for so long, as Scottish employers are telling me that our jobs are sustained by staying within the EU, I will back them. I wonder what has changed in the intervening period. What happened to that spirited defence of EU membership that we saw in Wembley stadium? Why, just a few days later, is Ruth Davidson suggesting that we will meekly throw in the towel? I am not going to meekly throw in the towel. Ruth Davidson First Minister is absolutely right. It was access to single market and trade that was at the very core of my support for the European Union. It is because it helps our economy, it helps sustained jobs and it helps to keep our public services here in Scotland well funded. It is important, and it is very important, but it is not as important as our own UK single market, or does the First Minister not agree? First Minister I actually, at the single market, as it exists right now, is really important. I think that trade between Scotland and the rest of the UK is important. As is the Republic of Ireland, incidentally, who I am sure will be seeking to make sure that, in whatever negotiations unfold, trade between the Republic of Ireland and the rest of the UK is protected. Ruth Davidson wants to suddenly force the rest of us into choosing either or. It is the Conservatives that have recklessly brought this country to the brink of disaster. How long will the Tories of any credibility in suggesting that they are the party of economic stability or even the party of the United Kingdom? It is the reckless, selfish behaviour of the Conservative party that has put economic stability and the reputation of the UK on the line. I am going to continue to do the job that I was elected to do and that is to stand up for Scotland. I would not be fit to be First Minister if I did not do that. From what Ruth Davidson is saying just now, she should take a lesson from that and stand up for Scotland as well. Ruth Davidson A rather cursatory acknowledgement of the importance of the UK market to Scotland, but she should recognise it because our exports to the EU are worth £11.6 billion, but our exports to the UK are worth £48.5 billion. The UK single market is four times more important to our firms here in Scotland and is underpinned by both our shared currency and our free borders. She says that she does not want to jeopardise that. So can I ask why then has she instructed civil servants to drop legislation for a second independence referendum? Why has her taxpayer funded spin doctors been beefing the press overnight that a second referendum is just around the corner? How does that protect Scotland's place in the UK single market, First Minister? If Ruth Davidson and her Conservative colleagues had thought that it was so vitally important to protect what we have now, the question for Ruth Davidson and her Conservative colleagues is why did they propose a referendum that put all of that on the line? Why have they brought not just Scotland but the UK to the brink of economic disaster? As I have said before, my starting point in these discussions is not independence, it is protecting Scotland. It is doing what the Conservatives have so clearly failed to do. However, if Scotland thinks that the best way to protect our position in the period that lies ahead is to look again at being independent, that is a right that Scotland should have. Let me remind Ruth Davidson of something that she said in the 2014 referendum. She said that, no means we stay in the European Union, no means we are members of the European Union. While voting for the UK is what has put membership of the European Union on the line, and I think that people of Scotland should have all of the options available to them to protect Scotland's position. Question 2, Kezia Dugdale. To ask the First Minister when she next plans to meet the Prime Minister. I spoke with the Prime Minister on Friday morning in the immediate aftermath of the referendum result. That conversation was the start of what I hope, indeed what I will insist is an on-going process of close discussion and direct involvement in the UK negotiations with the EU. I will also be with the Prime Minister tomorrow when we will both attend the Battle of the Somme centenary commemorations in France. Thank you. As the First Minister knows, the Labour Party supports her efforts to secure Scotland's place in Europe. Unlike the Tory benches, who are ultimately responsible for the country being in this mess, we share the Government's objectives, because this is essential to protect jobs, grow our economy and protect workers' rights. However, yesterday, the elected leaders of France and Spain both said that there would be no negotiations with Scotland. Scotland needs more than tea and sympathy from our European neighbours, we need their support. Can the First Minister tell us what her next steps will be? What certain Governments said yesterday was that the Brexit negotiations will be between the EU and the UK. That is a simple statement of fact. Our job, and I have always been clear about this, is to make sure that, in the context of that negotiation, all options for Scotland are on the table. That is why, as well as our intensive EU negotiation, EU interaction with member states and with EU institutions, we are seeking to ensure, as I have just said to Ruth Davidson, that Scotland is fully involved in the UK decision-making process. However, it is also vital to make sure, as I was doing in Brussels yesterday, that we are acting to ensure that the EU and all players in the EU are aware of Scotland's desire to protect our place in the European Union and that we keep minds open about options as we move forward. That was the purpose of yesterday's meetings, and from the response that I got in Brussels, it was successful. The First Minister knows that we support her efforts, but we need to know what her alternative plans are, too. I know those who are vying to lead Ruth Davidson's party to discount expert advice readily, but the economic experts are clear that we must prepare for the worst. That means more job losses and it means further austerity. The last time we met in this chamber before the EU referendum, I asked the First Minister about the contingency planning that her Government was undertaking in the event of Brexit. People are worried about their jobs, their mortgages and their pensions, so can the First Minister update us on the action that she is taking to protect Scotland's economy? That contingency planning, which is, of course, more important now that we know the outcome of the referendum, is under way across a whole range of issues. As I said when I made my statement on Tuesday in this chamber, I will endeavour to keep the Parliament and, during the parliamentary recess, the party leaders fully appraised of all the work that we are doing. My position is very clear. I want to give effect to what Scotland voted for. I do not want us to be ripped out of the European Union against our will, but, at every step of the way, as those negotiations and discussions that the UK will be taking forward unfold, we must be doing everything we can to give assurances to people who are very worried right now about their jobs, their livelihoods—in the case of EU citizens here—very worried about even their right to live here. That is why we will be working hard to look at what assurances we can give over the weeks and months ahead, but also seeking to persuade the UK Government to give assurances. One assurance that the UK Government should give today, without any further delay, is that, regardless of what happens, the right of any European citizen already living here in Scotland should be protected. At a stroke, they could give that assurance today, and I hope that they will consider doing so. We will continue to plan for all eventualities, but in doing that, no matter what Ruth Davidson might want to say, I am not prepared, as First Minister, simply to ignore how people in Scotland voted last week. I am not prepared to shrug my shoulders and simply accept that a Tory Government that we did not even vote for here in Scotland can drag us out of the European Union against our will, and I think that a majority of people in Scotland agree with that position. Hesia Dugdale. Presiding Officer, the First Minister is right to seek reassurance regarding the status of EU migrants living in Scotland, and I give her the support of those benches for that specific ask that should be given on a given night. Last night, however, the First Minister was asked by the political editor of STV News about the legal advice that she was in receipt of regarding Scotland's place in Europe. Now, I know the Government's convention is not to publish legal advice, but those are not conventional times. The Tory's reckless gamble has left us in a political, economic and constitutional crisis unparalleled in modern times. People deserve to know—in fact, they need to know—what is going to happen next. This is not about dragging up the arguments of the past, it is about our country's future. So will the First Minister publish the legal advice that she receives? Can I start by agreeing with the premise of Hesia Dugdale's question? Those are not conventional times that we live in, and therefore we should not simply accept that the way in which things are normally done should be the way things are done right now. We should also certainly learn lessons from what the Conservatives have just done, which is bringing not just Scotland but the whole UK to the position that we are in just now, with clearly no planning. I mean, when I heard the Prime Minister and other ministers during the referendum campaign say that there was no contingency planning, I assumed that that was just something that they were saying for the benefit of the campaign. It now turns out that it was right that they did no planning, and that frankly is unforgivable, and we should all make sure that we learn lessons from that. What I said to the political editor of STV last night is this, and I will say it again here. I said it in the chamber. I recognise the potential importance of some of the decisions Scotland is going to be confronted with over the next period. I am determined to be as open and as frank, not just with this Parliament but with the people of Scotland as I possibly can be. The decisions that we might be confronted with—I want, if at all possible, to be decisions that we face up to and take in a unified way, and transparency and openness is absolutely paramount to that. I stop short, as I will do again today, in saying that the Government will publish every single piece of advice that we ever get, because particularly when negotiations are at stake, I do not think that that would be a sensible thing for any Government to do. However, the commitment that I have to trying to find a path through this, to lead the country forward in as open and as transparent and as frank away as possible, is absolute. We will face challenges over this next period, as well as potentially opportunities, and I think that it is important that we face those challenges in a spirit of openness, and the Parliament has my absolute commitment to that. I call Richard Lyle. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I am sure that the First Minister and the chamber will be aware of the recent serious accident that took place at MND team park in my constituency, where a roller coaster derailed, crashed to the ground and caused some 10-people serious injury. I thank colleagues for their kind words on social media, regarding support for my constituents and take time to thank the incredible response from the public and, of course, our amazing emergency services. I therefore ask what the Scottish Government reaction is to the incident at MND amusement park. I thank Richard Lyle for his question. My heart goes out to all those affected by this terrible incident that took place at MND's theme park on Sunday afternoon, and my thoughts particularly are with the children and adults who were injured, some of them very seriously and with their families and their loved ones. I wish all of them a full and speedy recovery. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank our emergency services who were very quickly on the scene and who provided help and support to those affected with their usual courage and professionalism. We are aware that Police Scotland has been in touch with the health and safety executive, and both agencies are working together to ensure that this incident is fully investigated. The incident must be fully investigated, and any lessons or recommendations arising from that investigation must be implemented. In the meantime, I am sure that the thoughts of the whole chamber are with everybody who was affected on Sunday. Ross Thomson To ask the First Minister in light of the stark findings of the report commissioned to investigate the cremation of infants in Scotland, can the First Minister advise me what actions the Scottish Government are taking to ensure that there are no more repeats of these abhorrent practices across Scotland? In relation to the north-east region that I represent, are there any additional actions that the Scottish Government is considering taking in relation to the report's conclusions in Aberdeen? Can I first thank Ross Thomson for raising what is a very important and, for many families, is a very difficult issue? I welcome the report that Dame Eilish Angelini published, which is the culmination of several years of work investigating why those mistakes were able to happen. I pay tribute to the courage and the dignity shown by parents and families who have been involved with the investigation, as well as with other earlier investigations. Those findings will not undo all those years of pain, but I hope that they will give families some comfort to know that changes have been made and will continue to be made to prevent this ever-happening again. We have already made a number of important changes, including the appointment of an inspector of crematoria and the introduction of the Beryll and Cremation Act 2016. We accept all the report's recommendations and we will implement them as soon as possible. In relation to Aberdeen City Council, it has taken steps to remove responsible individuals from their roles. I hope that the organisational culture that led staff to conceal those practices is a thing of the past. The chief executive of the council has this week apologised and has pledged to take personal responsibility for improving procedures, so changes are being made. That does not undo the hurt and the pain that families have suffered. However, I commit to Parliament today that we move forward to implement all of the recommendations. Parliament will be fully involved in that work. The credibility of the Scottish child abuse inquiry is hanging by a thread. Professor Lam, one of three panel members has resigned citing Scottish Government interference, compromising the independence of the inquiry. We all owe survivors of abuse, justice and redress. What is the First Minister doing to fix this before we fail them once again? First, I say to Ingrid that this is a matter of the utmost importance to the Government. We all owe it to the survivors of abuse to make sure that this is a thorough investigation of the abuse that they suffered. We do not accept Professor Lam's comments about the independence of the inquiry. The key decisions in relation to the inquiry's direction within the terms of reference and its programme of work are absolutely taken by the inquiry panel, supported by the inquiry secretary. However, the Scottish Government does have an obligation under the Inquiries Act 2005 to fulfil its responsibilities, and I believe that we have acted appropriately in doing so. Our priority now remains in supporting the successful operation of the inquiry and ensuring that the situation does not impact on its progress in the weeks and months to come. To answer Ingrid directly, we have instructed officials to begin planning for the appointment of a new panel member with that process taking place over the summer, and we will make sure that the focus is on continuing the inquiry being under way. The Deputy First Minister is due to meet the survivor groups next week to listen to their views about the inquiry's progress. The Deputy First Minister will no doubt keep Parliament updated on the work as it progresses, but I want the chamber to be assured of the Government's commitment to making sure that the inquiry proceeds does so well and does so smoothly. To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet. The Cabinet will meet on occasion over the summer recess. It is worth pointing out, that, since 2008, the cabinet has met 42 times outside of Edinburgh across 25 different local authority areas, and I hope that that is a signal of our commitment to openness and accessibility. Much of that engagement takes place during the summer recess, and it is our intention that it will continue this year. That is all very welcome, and I hope that it takes the train at every opportunity. On Friday morning, after the chief fraudsters of the leave campaign had stood in front of the cameras looking like rabbits caught in the headlights, the First Minister told us clearly that people who have done us the honour of choosing to live and work here in Scotland are welcome. Those remarks meant a great deal to a great many people. That must be the first time in generations that a political decision has resulted in so many of our friends and neighbours living in fear and uncertainty about something so fundamental as where they will be allowed to live. I know that the First Minister shares that concern. Does she agree with me that the way for the UK Government to allay those concerns is to introduce urgent emergency legislation to immediately give all EU citizens already in this country indefinite leave to remain? What actions can the Scottish Government take to offer practical assistance, for example, with legal support or additional resources for advice agencies such as citizens advice bureaus, to those who are currently struggling with the complicated process of applying for residency? I thank Patrick Harvie for his question. He referred to the chief fraudsters of the leave campaign, which I see this morning have spent more time stabbing each other in the back than preparing for the consequences of their actions, which perhaps says more about the true motivations of certain individuals in the campaign. Can I agree 100 per cent with the substance of Patrick Harvie's question? I abhor absolutely abhor the way in which this referendum has made people who have come to make this country their home feel about being here. I, on my way to Brussels yesterday morning, going through Edinburgh airport, spoke to a number of EU citizens here who told me first hand how they felt, but also how positive they had felt when they heard. Not just me as First Minister but this whole Parliament say clearly that they were welcome here, so we can't make that clear often enough. In terms of Patrick Harvie's specific questions, I repeat what I said to Kezia Dugdale. I think that the UK Government should now make clear that everybody living in this country, from other European countries, that their right to remain here will not be affected by anything that happens over the course of the Brexit negotiations. That would be an important step forward. I hope that the declared candidates for the Conservative leadership will each of them make that clear in the course of their campaign to be the new leader of the Tory party. We will continue to make that case. In terms of practical support, we can provide. I am keen that we look at all options for that. I said on Tuesday that I am convening next week at a summit of all the EU consuls general that will take place next week. One of the things there I want to discuss is exactly what practical support might be useful for the Scottish Government to provide to anybody in this situation. There are many, many things about this referendum and the outcome of this referendum that I am really angry and upset about. Above all of the other things, this idea that somehow we are not the open and inclusive and welcoming country that I know we are in this Parliament has a duty to stand up and get that message out there loudly and clearly. Scotland is open, inclusive and welcoming and no Tory Government behaving in its own party interests should ever be allowed to destroy that. I very much welcome the positive response that the First Minister has given and I share her outrage at the irresponsibility of Mr Johnson, one of the central architects of a deceitful leave campaign for his abdication of responsibility for the mess that he helped to create. I turn now to the options for Scotland in the way forward. The First Minister and I voted the same way in 2014 and we voted the same way in this year's referendum as well, but many people did not and do not want to be forced to choose between remaining members of one union or the other. Can the First Minister tell us following her meetings in Brussels what other options do exist to protect Scotland's EU status? Would they require treaty change and is that realistic? Or does she believe that ultimately Scotland will be left with no option but to choose between remaining in the EU as 62 per cent chose last week or remaining in the UK as 55 per cent chose two years ago? First Minister. Let me say to Patrick Harvie that it is too early to be definitive in terms of an answer to that question. My purpose in Brussels yesterday was to make Scotland's voice heard and to raise awareness of Scotland's case. We are at a very early stage before we even know what the UK's negotiating position is going to be in determining what the different options might be. We are certainly within the Scottish Government looking at what those options might be and starting to develop what they might be, but we are a long way from being definitive about that. I repeat what I said earlier this week that all of the options at this stage must be on the table. As we develop our work on that, Parliament must be fully involved in that work. I repeat my commitment that it will be. In terms of the independence option, I have been very clear since Friday that that option is very much on the table. It has to be on the table, but it is not my starting point. My starting point is how we best protect Scotland's position. If we get to the stage of a second independence referendum and we are not there yet, but if we get there, there will be a number of issues that are up for discussion and have to be properly discussed and debated. However, one thing that I think is already very clear is that if we got to that stage, the debate that we would be having is a very different debate to the one that we had in 2014. For many people, not myself and not Patrick Harvie, but for many people, they saw it as a choice as a step into the unknown with independence or the known quantity, the stability of the United Kingdom. That will not be the case if we are in this situation in future. Then it will be a choice between a potentially unstable and unpredictable United Kingdom and a choice that might allow us to preserve our stable position within the United Kingdom. Those are decisions that lie ahead of us. It is important that we take those decisions as a Parliament, as a country, in good order. I am acutely aware that if I get to the stage in it, I keep stressing if, because that is the position that I am in. If I get to the stage where I, as First Minister, am asking people in Scotland to look again at the issue of independence, it will be not just my responsibility, but I will have a prime responsibility to persuade people of that case. If I am in that position, I tend to do that openly and, as I said, in response to Kezia Dugdale. First Minister, what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the cabinet? We will discuss the important issues to Scotland. I do not know whether she felt the same, but I found it difficult to believe that Ruth Davidson showed no signs of embarrassment at all when she claimed to stand up for our place in the United Kingdom a few minutes ago. Within weeks of becoming leader of the apparently official opposition, support for independence is now a record high. God help the union if it carries on like that. As we discussed on Friday with the First Minister, she knows that I oppose independence, but will support her efforts to maintain a strong relationship with the European Union. There are three specific EU measures that are especially beneficial to Scotland. The European Arrest warrant provides for speedy extradition of criminals back to justice. The Erasmus programme provides for students to complete their degrees in more than one country, and the EHIC card gives a right to state-provided healthcare in Europe. As the legislative power in all three areas is devolved, does the First Minister believe that those could be the foundation of any new agreement between Scotland and the European Union? I think that this is a very reasonable line of questioning from Willie Rennie. Can I say to him about the Conservatives? I absolutely agree that the Conservatives should feel deeply ashamed of themselves right now, and a bit more humility would have been in order from their benches this morning. In terms of the substance of Willie Rennie's question, let me be clear again, I know that Willie Rennie understands that, but my priority is to seek—I do not pretend that this is easy—to see if we can find a way to protect Scotland's current relationship with the EU, because that is what people in Scotland voted for. However, there are a range of issues, and Willie Rennie has run through some of them—the arrest warrant, Erasmus, and the health protection card—that might not withstand what might happen. We may well be in a position in Scotland to give early certainty about it, and I can assure Willie Rennie that those are all things that are under our active consideration as we take forward the next steps in this process. Willie Rennie. There are thousands of criminals that have been extradited to and from the United Kingdom. There are hundreds of thousands of students that have benefited from the Erasmus programme, and there are also millions of holidaymakers with the heat card. I think that those are practical benefits that they could see the benefit from maintaining. While she was in Brussels yesterday, her finance secretary explained that he had set aside a small contingency to protect Scotland's budget from the effects of lower revenues or cuts to the block grant as a result of Brexit. The First Minister knows that I already have concerns about the funding for colleges, schools and nurseries. That situation could get worse with Brexit. Will she consider a greater use of income tax powers to mitigate the effects of Brexit on our education system? First Minister. I will come back to that point in a second. Just to finish off on Willie Rennie's first point, I am not in any way stepping back at this stage from the commitment that I have to seek to give effect to what people in Scotland voted for. However, there is a possibility that, even as we seek to do that, there will be issues where we can give certainty right now. He has raised what some of those issues might be. While I cannot stand here and give the definitive answers to each of those right now, Willie Rennie should know that those are all things that are under our active consideration. On the wider financial and economic issues, if anybody doubts the irresponsibility of what the Conservatives have done to this country, they only had to read the Economist Intelligence Unit report that was published yesterday, which laid bare the fiscal economic consequences of the position that we are now in. Clearly, that has consequences for Scotland, and we do not yet know fully what those consequences will be. As part of our preparations for dealing with the consequences of that, we need to make sure that we are taking the time and the care to look at all the elements of our budgetary planning. That will undoubtedly have impacts on our timescale for budgets and spending reviews over the next period. I am not saying that anything is on or off the table right now, but it is another aspect of the very careful work that we will have to do in the months ahead. I assure the Parliament that, as we do that work, we will seek to do it in an open way, not just with Parliament but with the people of Scotland as a whole. Alex Neil Can I ask the First Minister if she will use the Scottish Government's involvement in the negotiation team between the UK and the EU to try to ensure that any draft agreement between the EU and the UK will be subject to explicit approval by this Parliament so that we can protect Scotland's interests in that situation? Assuming, of course, that we are still not an independent country by that time. The First Minister Yes, I think that we need to make sure at every step of the way that this Parliament's voice is heard. I think that it is inconceivable that we would not require to give legislative consent to the many legislative issues that arise from the process. We all know the boundaries of the legislative consent process. I am not overstating what that could deliver in terms of the overall UK position, but it is in my view—and it would be for every party and every member of the chamber—to decide for themselves. However, I could not, personally and as First Minister, contemplate giving legislative consent to legislation that takes this country out of Europe against the express will of the Scottish people. However, the answer to Alan Neill's question directly is, of course, that this Parliament, as well as this Government, should make sure that our voice is heard at every step of the way. Adam Tomkins Thank you, Presiding Officer. Just to be clear on that point that the First Minister is just talking about, over the course of the weekend, the impression was given that this Parliament has the legal power to block or veto the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union. Does the First Minister agree with me that, as a matter of law, we have no such power? The First Minister What I have said is what the reality of the situation is. We have the power. Members will recall that, before the election, we had a debate—if I can put it politely—with the UK Government over whether legislative consent was required for the trade union bill. We said it was, the UK Government said it wasn't, and we got into a stand-off position. My view is clear. Legislative consent for legislation to take us out of Europe, giving the enormous impact in our devolved responsibilities, would be required. I have never suggested that the impact of that would be more than it actually is. However, I do believe that a UK Government that was seeking to act in devolved areas against the express will of this Parliament would, in an even further way, be taking itself into constitutional uncharted territory. Frankly, all of this is just another illustration of how we have been taken to this point by a Government that is acting completely recklessly without any thought to the consequences or the implications. No thought to the consequences for Scotland, no thought to the consequences for Ireland, no thought to the consequences for workers up and down this country. A referendum brought about purely for the internal purposes of the Conservative Party, each and every one of you should be deeply, deeply ashamed of yourselves. The First Minister will be aware that neo-Nazi stickers have appeared in Glasgow claiming white zones, and there are reports that first, second and even third-generation migrants are being told to go home. Can we therefore send a unified message from this Parliament to our immigrants directly that this is your home and to the spreaders of hate, that the people not welcome here are not migrants but you and your hateful message? Absolutely. I could not agree more with Anas Sarwar, so let every single one of us, regardless of our party, regardless of our disagreements, make this clear. If you have done us the honour of choosing to make Scotland your home, if you contribute to our economy, our society, our culture, our very sense of who we are, then it does not matter whether your first, second, third, fourth generation, it does not matter whether you come from a European country or a country outside Europe, this is your home, we are proud to have you here and that is a message we are never ever going to stop saying. For those who say anything else, Anas Sarwar is right, it is them who do not speak for Scotland, not those who have chosen to make this their home. To ask the First Minister what contingency plans the UK Government may have put in place following the referendum to ensure that technology and other resources are in place to continue seamless payments to farmers and other recipients of EU financial support after the expiry of the two-year exit period. The Conservatives are laughing at that question because the Conservatives right now would rather do that than face up to the fact that their colleagues in Westminster have got us to where we are just now without any contingency planning whatsoever, no contingency planning for the issue that Colin Beattie raises and no contingency planning for anything else. We are not going to get any over the next few weeks either as they immerse themselves in an internal leadership election. That is the shameful position that we have been put in. In Scotland, we cannot undo that and we cannot resolve all of that, but our responsibility, whether in Government or across this Parliament, is to seek to provide the leadership here that is so sadly lacking at Westminster to find a way through this to navigate a path that is in the best interests of Scotland and that is what I am determined to do and I hope that I have the backing of the whole Parliament as I do it. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Would the First Minister accept that fishing people in Scotland, unindeed in Shetland, voted leave last Thursday? Would she accept that that reflects the manifest failures of the common fisheries policy over many decades and therefore is it important that, in whatever option is now pursued, that fact is recognised and indeed acted upon? Yes, I do accept that. If I can deal with fishing first of all, I recognise that many people in the fishing communities voted leave because of their frustrations with the common fisheries policy. Frustrations that my party and indeed the Tavish Scots party have expressed over many years and, as there have been reforms to the common fisheries policy in recent years, so too must we continue to argue for further ones in the future. I find it impossible, though, to forget the fact that it was a Conservative Government under Ted Heath that thought that our fishermen were expendable when it came to European negotiations. In terms of the wider issue here—there is a wider issue here of Tavish Scotland for giving me for broadening it out—there were a million people in Scotland who voted to leave the European Union and I and all of us have to listen to that and respond to that and understand their reasons. While I am focused, as I think people would expect me to be focused on trying to give effect to a majority opinion in Scotland, let me also make clear that I see it as a key responsibility of mine to understand and engage with and respond to the concerns of those who voted the other way last week. To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government is taking to ensure school leavers gain a place at college or university or gain employment, training or an apprenticeship. Our education policies are all focused on improving outcomes for our young people and I am determined to ensure that all of our young people have equal chances to succeed beyond school. Under this Government, the percentage of young people leaving school and going on to positive destinations has increased from 84 per cent to a record high this year of 92 per cent. The education delivery plan that the Deputy First Minister published on Tuesday sets out over 50 actions to further transform the education system, including supporting all young people into positive destinations. I thank the First Minister for her response. First chances and the REACH project at St Andrews University are both currently engaged in a partnership with Glynothys High School in my constituency. This year, 23 pupils from the school are being supported by the projects, and last year, eight pupils went on to study at St Andrews. Does the First Minister agree with me that strong partnerships between higher education institutions should and must be used as a mechanism to support the Government's ambitions to close the attainment gap by encouraging ambition, aspiration and achievement? Yes, I agree absolutely with that and I hope that all members will, in their final report, the commission on widening access made a series of recommendations about how we strengthen partnerships between schools, colleges and universities. Those included the expansion of academic bridging programmes, a national network of summer schools and academic programmes targeting early and sustained support for the most able disadvantaged learners. I have made very clear, as has the Deputy First Minister, that accelerating progress on fair access is a priority. Some of what we require to do to achieve that will be challenging for the university sector, but I want to take this opportunity to welcome their positive response to that challenge. We are already working closely with the sector, and that work will continue over the summer. To ask the First Minister what long-term plans the Scottish Government has to address concerns about the sustainability of the NHS in Scotland that was raised recently by the BMA. Over the lifetime of this Parliament, we will increase the health resource budget by £500 million over inflation. That was the highest proposed increase of any party in the recent election. However, we are also working to further shift the balance of care from acute to primary and community settings. That is why, as well as increasing the health budget, we are also committed to increasing the share of it that goes to primary care, community care, social care and mental health services in each year of this Parliament. Investment and reform are the key watch words of our plans for the Parliament ahead. Donald Cameron I am grateful to the First Minister for her answer. One of the points that was made so forcibly by the BMA last week was the pressure that doctors feel as a result of rising demands and workloads placed on them, not just funding issues, but also an ageing population and on-going staffing problems. Those are long-term challenges requiring long-term solutions. As someone who is health secretary for over five years, does the First Minister accept that she bears some personal responsibility for not preparing for the present crisis? Can she commit the Scottish Government to meaningful reform of the NHS so that it has a sustainable future for the next generation? I take some personal responsibility for the fact that we have a record high workforce in our national health service today. Many more doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, a whole range of professionals working in our health service. My job is to make sure that we continue not just to invest in the health service, but to make sure that it is equipped to respond to some of the challenges that the member rightly raises. That is why our manifesto talked about five new elective treatment centres to deal with the growing number of elected operations that come with an ageing population. That is why we have already taken steps to integrate health and social care, and we are already transferring resources from the health service into social care and why we have our primary care transformation plan under way. We will continue to invest the money that the health service needs, but we will also take the steps to ensure that it is a modern fit-for-purpose service that can meet all those challenges of the future. To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's position is on the industrial dispute between the RMT and Ibello ScotRail. I am extremely disappointed that we are seeing industrial action on our railways. It is after all the travelling public that loses out in situations like this. I would once again urge both parties to reopen meaningful discussions and work towards an agreement that stops further strikes from going ahead. Safety is paramount to everything that is done on our rail network. Scottish ministers do not set ScotRail's operational policy, but we expect employers and unions to arrive at a safe, efficient, customer-focused solution, and we believe that that can be done with no further strike action. A multi-agency response team has and will continue to operate in each of the strike dates if they go ahead, and all modes of transport have continued to perform well. Neil Bibby The First Minister knows that conductor operation guarantees passengers that a rail worker, in addition to the driver, will always be on a train to assist passengers, including in the event of an emergency. Can the First Minister tell us whether the Government believes that passengers will be at more risk or less risk if there is an accident or incident and that there is no longer a second rail worker to assist? In addition to safety concerns, does she believe that disabled passengers will be disadvantaged or not if they no longer have the guarantee or assistance of a rail worker? Herein lies the complete misunderstanding of the issue that we are dealing with. The franchise mandates ScotRail to have that second member of staff unless there are exceptional circumstances on board each and every single train. That is audited regularly. That is not an issue about whether there is going to no longer be a second member of staff on a train. That is an issue about whether it is drivers that open the doors or not. That policy of driver-controlled doors has been in operation in many of our rail services in this country with no safety concerns for, I think, around 30 years. When I used to travel from Irvine to Glasgow in my university days, the train was operated in that way in terms of the doors, but this emphatically is not about having a situation where there are not two members of staff on the train. If Labour wanted to be helpful in that, it could start by understanding the issue and putting the right information out there, not the wrong information. Can I thank the First Minister and all members? Before I close this session of prominent and introduce some of recess, can I encourage members? I look forward to welcoming members back on Saturday morning, along with their guests, their local heroes, when the Parliament will be opening its doors to the people of Scotland for our opening ceremony. I close this session of prominent.