 Dw i'r ddweud, Fawr Y Cyfaintfwyd, i bob gwrthaw ar gyfer hynny, y darwyng. Naent yn f temperryd yn dod o'r ddweud, nad oedd yn ond le taler, gyda'r cyfle byddau? Aelodwch chi'n cael ei ri'ch ddaeth, Ysgrifennu Gwenn Llamon. Rwy'n arddangos i'r gymaint, bach i'r ddweud o'r gwrthaw. Inni gynnwysgwch yn gyfaintfwyd i'r dweud o'r ddweud o'r gwrthaw gyd i'r gymaintfawr mae'rですiolyddoedd hon i'r gwasanaeth gyffredinydd i'w sefylliant y mae'r niche yn gweithio cymru yn ymgyrchol, ac mae'n fwyllgor i'rheidio'r llefnol yr ysgolweith gyda'r cyflosions cyfeltiad a cofeydd uchwynnol ar gyfer gydyntau hwn nesafol, a gael i'r cyflosions cyfeltiad i yr ysgolweith gyllidig gyda'r cyflosions cyflosions, ac mae'n hyn o gwneud y cysylltiad gylaid yn cael ei gael o pobl hwnnw, ac mae'n hynno i'r cyflosions gyfoeth sy'n cysylltu'r llefin I whole heartedly agree with the report's conclusions, but there is still much to be done. The reasons for the attainment gap are complex, including as the report notes factors in a child's home background and will require partnership working over a range of policy areas. We and our partners are strongly committed to tackling this. We are supporting a range of activities at national and local level, which will make a real difference and help to make Scotland the best place to go to school. I am sure that the member will allow me to say that closing the attainment gap also needs to involve tackling the root causes of poverty, something that only independence will give us the economic powers to do. I thank the cabinet secretary for his response, but I do question whether the Government is doing enough. Last month's figures obtained by the Scottish Conservatives revealed that, in 2013, 2.9 per cent of children from Scotland's most deprived homes achieved three As a higher, compared to 20.3 per cent from the most affluent. This gap is a vicious circle that prevents children from realising their full potential. Although the cabinet secretary is fully aware of that fact, he seems very reluctant to consider any fundamental changes to our system of schooling to resolve the problem. Surely, in the name of equality of opportunity, we need a much bolder agenda that powers head teachers increases autonomy and gives parents and pupils real choice when it comes to schooling. I agree with the member that we need to make sure that we take every possible action to improve the situation in Scotland. That is what the Government is intending to do. It does not mean tinkering with the system in the way that the leader of the member's party has suggested it. What it means is fundamental and radical change to society. That comes about, for example, by making sure that the powers to set taxation, to deal with welfare, to deal with labour market regulation lie in this Parliament. That would make a significant difference. What it also means is that you do not do things to make the situation worse. You do not, for example, create welfare policies, which, according to the child poverty action group, will mean that 100,000 more children will be in poverty by the year 2020. The biggest contribution that the Tories could make would be to understand that and to stop penalising the poor in Scotland. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Can I ask the cabinet secretary whether he saw mind-the-gap Labour social justice sounding board paper on tackling educational inequality? Is he aware that there were 12 recommendations in that report that don't require independence? Has he read it and is he willing to do some cross-party work in this area? I did read it and I'm delighted to say that that work is already under way. If the Labour Party wants to support that work, I'm absolutely thrilled. I read it with a little curiosity because this is not a manifesto, it is not a set of pledges, it's not even a pre-manifesto. It's apparently to inform the debate before the pre-manifesto process. I'm not entirely sure how that works, but if I look at those 12, preventative spending in the crucial early years, absolutely, and we need to do that and do more. Building relationships between families, schools and communities, axiomatic, I would have said, being done. Engendring a positive and welcoming atmosphere in preschool and school settings, I go to lots of schools and preschools. There is a positive and welcoming atmosphere and I'm glad that it's now recognised by Labour. High quality, flexible and affordable childcare, that requires in the end the full powers of independence. I could go on. We are doing a great deal. I'd be delighted to do it cross-party. If we could do it cross-party, then we would do everything that we could do, but there would still be a gap to close and it's the gap of poverty. That gap gets closed once this Parliament has the powers of a normal independent Parliament. To ask the Scottish Government whether our teachers and school nurses have the appropriate skills to notice early signs of mental health problems with our primary and secondary school pupils. Education authorities and other agencies have duties under the additional support for learning act 2004 as amended to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of their pupils. An additional support need can arise for any reason and be of shorter long-term duration. Additional support may be required to overcome needs arising from learning environment, health or disability, family circumstances or social and emotional factors that include mental health. The minister is probably aware that I have a particular interest in eating disorders. At the end of last year, I was privileged to open a conference on raising the awareness of eating disorders in schools that are attended by nurses, school nurses and teachers. The programme was subsequently rolled out at Murray House. Does the minister believe that that sort of programme would enable our teachers and school nurses to be more aware of some of the mental health problems within our age group at school, and would he look at trying to commend that programme to other schools? It is greatly to the member's credit that he raises this issue with this persistence, because I would certainly acknowledge that the issue of eating disorders on their early detection is profoundly important in our schools. It is for that reason that programmes like those are indeed encouraged and also for those reasons and others that nurses are prepared through competency framework for nursing in schools. Indeed, teachers are now increasingly prepared to be aware of the needs of all learners. Again, I commend all involved in the early detection of eating disorders in schools. If mental health issues are identified at nursery, primary or secondary school, which require more than can be given at school in terms of additional support needs, for example, diagnosis support and treatment, if the parents do not agree with the identification of mental health issues, what can the education authorities do? One of the focuses of the Government when it comes to dealing with and other issues in young children is getting it right for every child and ensuring that the relationship exists between professionals and families to overcome some of those early problems. Every school now has a named contact specialist children and adolescent mental health services, and teachers are increasingly trained to be able to refer people in those sensitive situations to professionals and specialists who are there to help. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it is having with local authorities about the increase in pupils in primary and secondary schools with additional support needs. The implementation of the additional support for learning act is discussed regularly with local authorities through contact with the Association of Directors of Education, the Association of Support for Learning officers and the advisory group for additional support for learning. The increase in pupils in primary and secondary schools with additional support needs is, it should be said, a result of an extension in the recording and reporting of statistics rather than an actual change in the number of pupils receiving support. The advisory group for additional support for learning will consider this year how we ensure a continued improvement in the way we collect additional support's needs statistics and how we can use this information to ensure the needs of children and young people are met. I thank the minister for the answer. He will, I think, have sight of a letter that I wrote to the cabinet secretary on Monday this week reporting back on the seminar that we had on Friday in which the key stakeholders in additional support for learning identified one of the main issues is being the fact about the insistence, but in some local authorities that children with additional support for learning had to be in mainstream school when, in fact, that is not in their best interests in every case. Could I ask what the Scottish Government is doing to try to influence the decision for special schools to use their expertise, and particularly some of the special schools who are in the independent sector? The member raises an important issue around the question of inclusion, and, although there is certainly an injunction to include, the Government has never at any stage said that all children can be included in all mainstream classes. For that reason, there is, if you like, a mixed economy available, but it is important to include where inclusion is possible. I would like to return again to the point that I made earlier, which is that we, of course, anticipated that there would be an increase in the number recorded with additional support needs because of the way that the statistics were collected, but, as I say, there is an injunction to include but not a compulsion in all and every circumstance. Minister will recall that the figures emerged in response to a question that I lodged with him, and he will also be aware of quite wide disparity in terms of the figures for different local authorities. I think that he is slightly alluded to that in his responses to Liz Smith's questions, but can he perhaps inform the chamber of any thinking about how we can get greater consistency about how those figures are collected, but also ensure that there is appropriate training in place for teachers, particularly where the additional support needs are of a complex nature? As I mentioned in response to earlier questions, there is increasingly a focus on initial and on-going teacher training to recognise a whole variety of additional needs and to respond to those. It is the case to say that different local authorities may take a different approach. I suppose that that is a feature of having those services run locally and a feature, ultimately, of local decision making and local democracy, but I am more than happy to discuss with the member if he has any local concerns that he wishes to bring to me. To ask the Scottish Government how Scotland's universities will benefit from the EU's £80 billion Euro horizon 2020 programme. Scotland's universities and research organisations benefited from the previous research innovation programme, framework programme 7, to the tune of €538 million. With an even larger budget than FP7 of around €80 billion, horizon 2020 offers vast opportunities for our world-class universities to benefit to an even greater extent than before. I am therefore encouraging as much engagement with the programme as I can, and I would encourage every university to engage every higher education, further education institution and for members to become familiar with the programme and to encourage participation wherever they can. Presiding Officer, I am sure that the cabinet secretary will agree with me that Scotland's universities outperform the rest of the UK in research and innovation. They are well placed to benefit from that €80 billion fund. However, is it also where the application criteria requires partners from three different EU member states to apply for those funds and that, consequently, given our close partnership already with the rest of the UK's academic institutions, an independent Scotland will be able to maximise our ability to reap the benefits of that €80 billion pot of cash, but also so can England's universities? I surprisingly hear Labour members laughing at that, but, in actual fact, that is yet another wonderful example of what the benefits of an independent would bring to Scotland. With Scotland as an independent member and with the rest of the UK as an independent member, we already have two countries that could participate. With the addition of only a third country, we have viable programmes. One of the difficulties that has often been in getting those three member states to participate, particularly because Mr Bibby, unfortunately, is not interested in that answer because he is talking to somebody else. However, if he were to pay attention to it, he would discover that one of the difficulties that existed in his programme for a considerable period of time was the inability for our voice to be heard over the voice of the rest of the UK. If we were an independent member state, working with the rest of the UK, it would be an even better situation. I can hardly wait. 5. Angus MacDonald To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards ensuring that speech and language therapies are available in Gaelic medium schools. Good progress has been made recently. That includes an audit commissioned by Borsma Gaelic, the preparation of Gaelic resources for schools, and plans are now in place for an additional support needs speech and language therapy seminar in June, which will be for those working in Gaelic medium education. 6. Angus MacDonald I thank the minister for his reply. I am aware of the Gaelic research conference at the University of Edinburgh in June, which I hope to attend. I am aware that work is on-going with NHS Scotland and local authorities. However, it is fair to say that provision of speech and language therapy for Gaelic pupils around the country is patchy. Will the minister give an assurance that work will continue to ensure that SLT is available in all GME schools, if required? The Minister for Education and Skills I would certainly agree about the importance of this issue and can confirm, obviously, that, with the Government looking at the wider issue of guidance for Gaelic medium education, I am sure that it is one of the issues that it will be looked at. However, it is also relevant to say that, although services that are present might not always be provided in Gaelic, there is a discussion on going around the new resources and the best way to ensure that wherever it is possible. 6. Christina McKelvie I ask the Scottish Government what investment it plans to improve the learning experience on its university estate. The Scottish Government is providing £34.8 million of capital funding for our universities in financial year 2014-15. Total sums invested in university estates this year will be a matter for dialogue between funding council and individual institutions. Christina McKelvie The cabinet secretary agrees with me that the best environment for young people to learn is the most innovative and the most flexible learning environment. Would the cabinet secretary agree to meet with me the innovative team at the University of West of Scotland's Hamilton campus, who has some amazing aspirational ideas in creating that innovative learning flexible environment? I am always happy to meet with the local member about the issue, and I would be very happy to take her up on her offer. I did spend part of Monday afternoon with the leadership team at the University of West of Scotland at their facility on the Crichton campus in Dumfries. I was very impressed with the work that they are doing and their ambitions. I am sure that they have very similar ambitions for Hamilton. We are very constrained in capital expenditure, and that is one of the prices that we pay for being part of the union, and I hope that that will change over a period of time. I understand that the member has a meeting with representatives of the Scottish funding council next week to discuss the Hamilton campus and, following on that, of course, I will be happy to meet with her and UWS. Question 7, Rob Gibbs. To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in support for the use of Scots language in the curriculum for excellence? Our ambition is for Scots to be recognised, valued and used in Scottish life and in schools. The teaching and learning of Scots is included in the curriculum for excellence and provides opportunities for children and young people to become confident individuals, giving them knowledge of cultural heritage and a national perspective. The role of the recently appointed Scots language co-ordinators at Education Scotland will help, I believe, to support practitioners in teaching Scots while developing Scots in the curriculum and resources around that. I thank the minister very much for that and welcome the Scots language co-ordinators in post. Since the opportunities to read and use Scots language can help develop enthusiasm, motivation for learning, openness to new ideas, self-respect and respect for others, all attributes that fit the curriculum for excellence. Are the guidelines for the curriculum for excellence available to teachers in a clear form that sets Scots language up in its own right? Scots language is located under the curriculum area of the curriculum for excellence and within that is the literacy and English sections of the experiences and outcomes. Scots language is identified in that context. Specific mention is made therein, should be said, of the importance of engaging with a wide range of texts, for instance, in Scottish literature. One of the things that has come to pass without perhaps some of the predicted disaster is that now young people in Scotland are quite used to sitting exams with Scottish literature in them and indeed increasingly enthusiastic about awards such as Scottish studies. To ask the Scottish Government how universities will progress in independent Scotland. I am saying that in independent Scotland our excellent and world-beating higher education sector could further extend its already considerable reach. Getting control over the financial levers that drive growth will support more world-class research and innovation. In addition, framing our own immigration policies would help to ensure that the brightest international talent is attracted to and retained by Scotland's universities. Does he agree with the comments made by Professor Paul Boyle of the Research Council UK that international collaborative research is extremely important and that post-independence this should continue? He certainly does agree with Professor Boyle that international collaborative research is extremely important. As Professor Petra Vend of Queen Margaret University said in her evidence to the same Education and Culture Committee session on 25 March, academic research is collaborative by nature. Research does not only stretch to the rest of the UK or Europe but is truly international. I think that that is a fair point. Our universities already have a number of high-profile partnerships with many prominent European partners. Just to take one example, the Scottish University's Physics Alliance launched the first international max-plank partnership. Strathraid University is in partnership with the Fraunhofer Institute. The University of Dundee is in the European Lead Factory programme with the innovation medicines initiative. With independence, we would seek to continue the continuity of a single research area within the UK, maintaining long-term stability in research funding and systems that support initiatives of scale to both Scotland and the UK, collaborating and supporting what is and will remain a world-class research base. On what criteria the Scottish Government is making the judgment that the subscription model of university research would be superior to the amount of money that can be maintained through the present UK structure? It is absolutely axiomatic that the excellence of Scottish higher education will win out no matter what. It is desirable that we take part in the research councils on the basis of equality, and it is desirable that we keep that decision-making on research. That is a key point into the whole-day principle. In all those circumstances, what we are talking about is an enhancement of a system that works so far. There are some elements in the system of which we are critical. The member will be aware of the issue of postdoctoral research and the way in which drawing those together in one or two places may damage some of the excellence in Scotland. There needs to be a discussion and exchange of ideas, but the people who know best about that are very often the people who are doing it. I was immensely heartened to see in the Herald just last week 103 Scottish academics or 102. I am not entirely sure that there were so many arguing that it was independence that was required in order to make the full potential of Scotland's research activity achieve what it can achieve. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that there are enough supply teachers available in rural schools. It is important that we have the right number of teachers with the right skills in the right places. With that in mind, the Scottish Government undertakes an annual teacher workforce planning exercise in consultation with other relevant stakeholders to determine the requirement for newly qualified teachers. The exercise includes provision for supply teachers. The recent involvement of the University of the Highlands and Islands in teacher education will help the situation. I welcome the SNCT's decision to amend the pay arrangements for teachers undertaking short-term supply work, and that will also help. Ultimately, however, as the member knows, the sourcing of appropriate supply cover is a matter for individual local authorities to address through their own workforce planning measures as the employers of teachers. I thank the cabinet secretary for that reply. He will be aware that, due to the shortage in supply teachers, education officials in Murray are having to return to the classroom to teach children, and those shortages are due to some of the issues that he highlighted, less teachers being trained. Maybe he will review his workforce planning tool to make sure that sufficient teachers are being trained. Also, when reviewing the salaries paid to supply teachers, can he take into account the rate of salary that would make it attractive for supply teachers to travel to rural and remote schools? Both of those issues have been covered. The issue of fewer supply teachers is a problem for some local authorities, but it is being addressed. It is being addressed by making sure that there are more teachers being trained. I have brought that forward, and indeed I met this morning with the University of the Highlands and Islands to talk about their teacher training activity. I hope that we can continue to take that trend forward. It is also being addressed by making sure that the change that came about in 2011 at the agreement of the trade unions—it is very important to stress that, the member somehow omitted to say that—was an agreement between all three parties who are part of the SNCT. That agreement was changed this year in the light of new negotiation to ensure that any disincentives that existed for some people to undertake supply work was removed. Those things are definitely happening and will continue to happen. I think that we are beginning to see an easing of this situation, but I think that we have managed to resolve the difficulty of oversupply of teachers, a problem that, as the member knows, can largely be placed at the door of a previous administration that trained too many teachers without being able to pay for them. To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to people returning to education, training or employment who have very young children. The Scottish Government is taking a range of action to support parents of young children returning to education, training or employment. We know that high-quality, flexible, accessible and affordable childcare is a vital source of support for those parents who are working, studying or training. That is why the Children and Young People Act will deliver increased and more flexible early learning and childcare. We are also providing record levels of financial support to college students and ensuring that our training programmes are developed to include the support that is necessary for those with very young children. Parents of children with disabilities face particular challenges when they try to go back to work or education in the early years of their child's life. Could the minister therefore explain why SNP members of the European Parliament voted against extending maternity leave for parents of disabled children? Would the minister accept that the SNP's poor voting record on the rights of working parents in Europe does not bode well for the Convention of Employment? Does not bode well for the Convention on Employment and Labour Relations, which it proposes to create in the event of a yes vote this September? I think that it would be important for Margaret McCulloch to recognise that, following a yes vote in September, we will have control over maternity and paternity levels. We will be able to take control and make sure that that works for the best interests of children and families. On the very important point about making sure that we support families with disabled children, I am happy to take any points that Margaret McCulloch wants to raise, if there are specific things that she wants to try and tackle for her parents or for her constituents. However, it is important to recognise that the point that she is raising is a reserved issue. That is the crux of the independence argument. It is about making sure that we in this Parliament have the proper powers to support parents and families and not to make the snide political points that she makes from the sidelines. Mark McDonald will come down a little. Thank you, Presiding Officer. As a member of the SNP and a parent of a disabled child, I am very disappointed by the comments that Margaret McCulloch has made in trying to politicise the issue around who cares about parents with disabled children. Does the minister agree that, in order to deliver the kind of transformational flexible childcare that is required, we need, as Professor Sir Donald Mackay has pointed out, control of both sides of the balance sheet? Otherwise, the income that is generated from encouraging people back into the workforce is not retained by the Scottish Government and therefore cannot be reinvested in the way that we would like to see? Absolutely. Donald Mackay's points that he raised are very pertinent. Indeed, so, too, are the words of Bronwyn Cohn, who is the former chief executive of children in Scotland, who made a similar point. The fact of the matter is that, unless we have both sides of the balance sheet, we cannot retain the money that is generated through having increased participation in the workforce through parents who are unable to get back into work through increased childcare. We will not be able to retain that money to reinvest that back into childcare to create the type of childcare system that will emulate the best in Europe. That is what we will get if we have the yes vote in September. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of what impact the reported decreasing levels of numeracy in schools will have on the uptake of so-called STEM subjects in further and higher education. The Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy is an important addition to our picture of learning and teaching of numeracy in Scotland. Much has been and is being achieved, however, there is still progress to be made. We all want to see the best possible outcomes achieved for every learner. We are continuing to support the improvement of numeracy levels, recently announcing an extra million-pound funding over three years to expand the local authority numeracy hubs programme, which includes East Lothian's numeracy academy work. That is in addition to on-going support for teachers and schools in numeracy from Education Scotland. We do recognise a strong grounding in numeracy underpins learning across STEM-related subjects. We continue to see high uptake and attainment in science and mathematics qualifications in our schools, enabling young people to make strong transitions to further learning or employment. 11. Skills Development Scotland's skills investment plan for the energy sector put it very succinctly. It said that engineering sectors were more likely than average to report issues in attracting skilled staff. It stands to reason that fewer pupils are doing well in numeracy, and that was the finding of the survey, although it was hard to make that out from the minister's answer, that fewer pupils are doing well in numeracy. It will mean fewer pupils pursuing science and maths through their academic careers and into their working lives. The Scottish Government additional funding that was announced is, of course, very welcome, but it does amount to, by next year, a 0.0001 per cent increase in the school's budget. Does the minister really believe that that is an adequate response to such a serious problem? First, I hesitate to take the member up on math or even arithmetic, but he will appreciate that the money concern is being focused specifically on numeracy, and that is important. I would certainly acknowledge that I do not think that anyone could take away from the fact that the statistics and question show a dip in performance in second year in schools. That is something that we have to take seriously. We have to look at issues around the structure, the progression that goes into teaching, numeracy and maths in schools. I think that where the member's argument does not stand is where he continues to talk about qualifications, because the fact of the matter is that there has been an increase in the number of school leavers coming out of school with higher maths, for instance, went up from 19 per cent of school leavers in 2007-08 to 24 per cent in 2011-12. It is a great deal for us to do, but the evidence is in the qualifications that numeracy is having a positive effect on people. Ask the minister what improvement there has been in the maths performance of pupils by the time they reach the end of their secondary education and what impact that will have on the uptake of STEM subjects in further and higher education. I have mentioned the improvements that there have been in the number or the proportion of school leavers who are coming out of school with higher maths. It is also worth saying that the pass rates for higher maths have remained consistently high, sitting at 72 per cent in 2007-08 and that increased to 73 per cent in 2012-13. As I say, I do not take away from the importance of making sure that we get over the fact that there is a dip in performance in second year, but I do want to stress that the evidence is there in the qualifications that teachers are teaching numeracy and teaching it well. Question 12, in the name of Fiona McLeod, has been withdrawn and a satisfactory explanation provided. Question 13, more in what? To ask the Scottish Government whether Scotland's universities will continue to benefit from research funding from outside the country in the event of a yes vote in the independence referendum. Presiding Officer, independent Scotland would continue to attract funding from research councils into which it had paid, as well as from Europe and international sources, based on the international excellence of our universities and our world-class research base. Indeed, we believe that independence will bring opportunities for increased research funding through collaborations with the private sector and with partners in Europe and beyond, facilitated by access to additional financial leavers and our greater presence and profile on the world stage as an independent nation state. As Professor Ferdinand Von Prandzinski put it in his evidence to the Education and Culture Committee in March 2014, the Government's objective, he discerned as being, and I think that it is, to ensure that a significant research fund is available to Scotland equal to or better than what is available now. I thank the cabinet secretary for his answer. Given that a recent letter to the Herald from more than 100 academics, as the cabinet secretary already alluded to, including the signature of Professor Brian McGregor, vice-principal of Aberdeen University, claiming that independence will allow research to thrive, is it also the case that the no campaign has failed to acknowledge the cumulative erosion of science funding in recent years and its impact on university research, and is this something that independent Scotland will seek to rectify? Yes, very much so, I have to say. Of course, one of the fallacies of the no campaign is to try and present a picture in which everything is rosy in the union. Of course, it is far from rosy. Let us look at the issue of pensions, for example, which are being eroded all the time by the union. Let us look at defence jobs, which are being eroded all the time by the union. I would like to ask the question. Presiding Officer, you are quite right. Let us look at research, because in research it is the pressure upon UK Government spending and the constant pressure that takes place in Westminster that is the real threat. People are cleverer than I am, Professor Brian McGregor, the vice-principal of Aberdeen University, and 102 other academics, people of real experience in this field pointing out that it is indeed the threat from the union that is the threat to higher education research, not the threat from independence. We have shown as a Government our long-term commitment to research and knowledge exchange activities in Scotland, investing £364 million in 2013-14, a 38 per cent increase in funding for research and knowledge exchange since 2007. Two thirds of that funding supports the research space in our universities, and that is the type of thing that will be under threat from the union. To ask the Scottish Government what the benefits to Scotland's education sector are of being part of the EU. Taking higher education as an example, and I shall stick to higher education, Scotland's world-renowned universities play an active part in EU programmes such as Erasmus Plus. Institutions derive benefit from collaborative relationships. The European arena is indeed one in which the quality of teaching, learning and research in Scottish universities can be promoted and advanced to extend our global reach and influence. The cabinet secretary mentioned earlier, as my colleague Maureen Watt also mentioned, about the letter signed by more than 100 highly respected academics, rejecting the no-campaigns, scaremongering on the continuation of cross-border research and funding. Does the cabinet secretary agree with me that, given funding to Scottish universities from Europe, it has been worth more than €500 million since 2007 and now the £80 billion horizon programme, that the real threat to research is the UK Government's obsession with leaving Europe rather than playing an important part within it as an independent Scotland would do? I wholeheartedly agree with the member. We have made it clear that, where wisdom is spoken by the member, we should all agree, and she has been very wise in this, because we have made it clear, as she has made it clear, that an independent Scotland wants to continue as a committed member of the EU. That will give it the access to these opportunities. It is the rest of the UK that would seek to drag Scotland out of the EU, and that, I have to say yet again, would be an unacceptable price from staying in the union. Question 15, James Dornan. I agree with the cabinet secretary that my colleague Sandra White is indeed a very wise woman. To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had regarding the Erasmus Plus programme, which supports young people into lifelong learning and was mentioned in his last response. The Scottish Government officials are working closely with colleagues in the UK Government and the National Agency for Erasmus Plus, which is jointly run by the British Council and ECORIS to ensure that Scotland's interests are well represented in delivery of this programme. In recent weeks, Scottish officials have participated in the first class governmental programme board meeting, attended the launch of Erasmus Plus and met with national agency leads for Scotland. James Dornan. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. I know that there are a lot of organisations, including Exchange Scotland, to offer the pleasure of meeting on a few occasions, who support young Scots who want to access these opportunities through Erasmus Plus. What further assistance will be provided to the sector to ensure that the take-up of those opportunities continues to increase? Of course, direct representation in Europe would help us in that matter, but we already provide significant support for the voluntary sector, including youth volunteer organisations like Exchange Scotland. Going forward, we are going to continue to support YouthLink, the national agency for youth work in Scotland, to work with the British Council and partners to remote international and European youth work, provide guidance on Erasmus Plus and other European opportunities for youth workers and young people. We have also funded NUS Scotland with £200,000 over the last two years to deliver a project that works to increase awareness and uptake of student outward mobility opportunities, including those offered by Erasmus Plus. Of course, we now have a scheme that supports students to study in Europe. Question 16, Stuart Max. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on Professor Paul Boyle's view that research councils UK strongly support an independent Scotland remaining part of the network. I think that I may have mentioned this earlier this afternoon, but we indeed, the member says, no, but I have a distinct memory of doing so. We welcome the comments with Professor Boyle, chief executive of the economic and social research council. His comments are consistent with our proposition to maintain a common research area with the rest of the UK as outlined in Scotland's future, and in the paper, a higher education research in independent Scotland, which I had the pleasure to launch on 30 April. I thank the cabinet secretary for his answer. Does the cabinet secretary agree with the 103 academics that I mentioned earlier, who signed an open letter highlighting the advantages to university research from a yes vote, and deliberately the most clearly pointed out that the only threat to funding for our universities comes from the Westminster's cuts agenda? Yes, I agree. It is deeply regrettable that Professor Paul Boyle in the research councils UK had to issue the following statement. The way that the quote attributed to Professor Paul Boyle has been used is misleading in suggesting that research councils support an independent Scotland remain part of the UK research council system. Should there be a vote for independence, the current system could not continue. Does the cabinet secretary regret misrepresenting Professor Boyle, and will he now apologise to him for that? A little bit of calm from everyone, please. I checked the record that Professor Boyle said what he said. That is the—any implication that is taken out of that has been drawn by a whole range of people. What I regret is that Mr Bibby has so little confidence in the research excellence of Scottish universities that he wants to undermine those universities by implying in some sense that the excellence of those universities would not win out in terms of competition for funding. That is the problem that we have. I am sure that the professor can speak for himself, and indeed he did at the committee, and he said what he said. Finally, Kezia Dugdale. To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address the educational attainment gap between children from different social backgrounds. As I said earlier, my response to John Lamont, only with the full economic powers of independence, will be able to do everything required to tackle the root cause of poverty and close the attainment gap. Our commitment to improve attainment has a firm foundation in all our key policies and programmes that affect children and young people, including curriculum for excellence, teaching Scotland's future, the early years framework and opportunities for all. Those policies clearly set out what needs to be done and is being done to support every child and young person's successful learning journey. We are working to ensure that teachers and school leaders have the right skills and experience to deliver improved outcomes for all children and young people, including those who are most disadvantaged. Briefly, Kezia Dugdale. Presiding Officer, I was a bit disappointed in the minister's response to the mind the gap report given the calibre of the people from across the educational community who had been involved in that report. He selectively quoted recommendation 3, which was about the link between the educational attainment of a parent and the development of the child. What work is the Scottish Government doing in this area when he says that it is already happening? For example, to Bellshill academy, where I was some weeks ago, where I saw some excellent work being done involving parents and the whole school to bear down on the issue of attainment and to make sure, by using data and by making sure that it has worked with individual young people and parents, that we can, in actual fact, see a difference. I encourage the member to reflect on what is actually happening rather than not knowing what is happening and talking about it. If he reflects on what is actually happening, then he can see huge progress being made. I welcome the support that comes from the Labour Party in that regard. If the Labour Party wants to support what is taking place in improving attainment, I would be delighted to see it on the side with that. I would be delighted to see it on the side with that. Having it on the side with that, we could do even more than we are doing now. That would be a prize to have. Let's observe what is happening and then let's work together to make sure that even more of it is happening. Producing a report that simply talks about things that might want to happen doesn't, without reflecting on what is there, isn't actually a very good idea. That concludes portfolio questions. We will now move to the next item of business, which is a debate on motion number 100.