 That concludes general questions. We're going to turn now to First Minister's Questions… Question No 1 from Jackson Carlaw. Presiding Officer, just before recess, I tackled the First Minister about the subject choice crisis in Scotland schools and our response was one of denial, yet this week Reform Scotland published a report spelling out that previously most people could study up to eight subjects at S4. Now, under curriculum for excellence, that's only six in most cases. Does the First Minister still refuse to accept that this is a problem? The First Minister I have read the reform Scotland study that was published this week. It looks as much of the work on this topic does. It looks at S4. As Jackson Carlaw knows, the senior phase in school does not just consist of S4, it lasts for three years. What matters is the qualifications and awards that pupils leave school with, not just those that they study at S4. What we see is the percentage of pupils getting qualifications at level 5 or above is up. The percentage leaving with hires is up. Back in 2009, the percentage of pupils getting five hires or more was 22 per cent. Last year, that was more than 30 per cent. We see the attainment gap between rich and poor and hires at an all-time low. We see a record number of school leavers now in higher education. We see school leavers from the most deprived areas in higher education up 8 per cent since a decade ago. On the day that school pupils across the country start sitting their exams, we should be paying tribute to the excellent work that they are doing. Jackson Carlaw First Minister, what also matters is the breadth as well as the depth of education and the choices available to pupils. Yesterday, the education committee was told that the problem is curriculum for excellence. Guidance was issued. It proved so confusing that, in 2016, it was re-issued, but it is still a mess. It now seems like that the Scottish Government will have to re-draft it yet again, third time lucky perhaps. With witnesses to the education committee saying yesterday that a mid-term review as recommended back in 2015 was necessary, it then noted that Education Scotland has and I quote, other priorities and that they are getting round to it. First Minister, does that not just sum up this Government? First Minister. Education Scotland is working on reducing bureaucracy, tackling unnecessary workload for teachers, something that I think Jackson Carlaw has asked us to do in the past, so Education Scotland is getting on with the job. Jackson Carlaw is, to some extent, right here when he says that it is about the choices that young people have and the breadth of education. All that curriculum for excellence is what curriculum for excellence is designed to do, but it is about choice and breadth across the entirety of the senior phase, not in one year of the senior phase alone. The problem with Jackson Carlaw's analysis here is that the outcomes from education that we are seeing, which I have cited to the chamber, do not bear that out. We see more young people leaving school with qualifications. The numbers leaving school with five hires or more has gone up, and we now see record numbers in higher education, including record numbers from deprived areas. I will be the first to concede that we have more work to do, that is why we are getting on to do it. However, the evidence that I have just read out says that young people in our schools, in our education system, are performing well and they and their teachers should be congratulated for it. Jackson Carlaw, the evidence suggests that you are not the first to concede it, you are the last to concede it. At S4 is precisely the stage when pupils should have the opportunity to experience the broadest range of subjects to take forward. We were once famed around the world for our breadth of education. Now, curriculum for excellence is narrowing horizons, but it gets worse. Yesterday, we learned that curriculum for excellence is so confusing, and with too few teachers, pupils at different levels are being taught together, not just at national 4 and 5 but at higher 2. In consequence, a 14-year-old and even an 18-year-old could be being taught in the same classroom. I do not think that that is appropriate, does the First Minister? The problem with Jackson Carlaw's analysis on those issues is that the results that are coming from Scottish education do not bear out the criticisms that he is making. I know that he does not like the evidence. He talks about the breadth of education. Because of curriculum for excellence, of course, young people now get a broad general education right up until S3. They then have three years of the senior phase where they can study a range of different subjects. Again, I will go back to the evidence. If what Jackson Carlaw was saying was correct, we would not have a situation today where there is a greater proportion of pupils leaving school with qualifications than ever before, with level 5s and higher. We would not have a situation where the proportion of young people leaving school with five hires or more has actually gone up significantly over the past number of years. We would not have a situation where there is a record number of young people going into positive destinations, including record numbers going into higher education. Those are the results of our education system, and they simply do not bear out the analysis that Jackson Carlaw is bringing to the chamber. Those are the facts. Incredibly, the First Minister's position seems to be that an increase in qualifications by pupils can only be achieved if you narrow the actual options that are available to them for study. Curriculum for excellence is only a few years old. We are only starting to see its impact. All of us here want to see the improvement of schools as our number one priority. However, we cannot just ignore the evidence this week from Professor Jim Scott, a headteacher with 18 years' experience, who said that we are in danger of a whole generation going past who have not had a good experience in education. Despite the best efforts of our teachers, despite the hard work of our pupils, a whole generation let down on her watch. Can the First Minister not see this for the failurement of her Government that it is? As we debate those things in this chamber today, there are young people across Scotland sitting their exams. I think that to top down their achievements in the way that Jackson Callw just has is an absolute situation where there are more vocational awards that young people can sit right now to make sure that they have the skills that they need for the workplace. Again, Jackson Callw, I note that he has not taken on any of the facts that I have cited to him. More young people leaving school with qualifications, he says, oh yeah, but that's about a narrowing. Then I point to the fact that there are more young people leaving school with five or more hires. Why can't Jackson Callw accept that that is an achievement of our young people, their parents and their teachers? We will continue to work to improve Scottish education, but as we do so, we will pay tribute to the great work that teachers and pupils are already doing across the country. Presiding Officer, this morning it has been reported that the number of emergency food parcels handed out by food banks in Scotland over the last year has risen again. The shocking fact is that more and more children in Scotland are growing up in poverty. The Scottish Government has said that it does not plan to introduce an income supplement to help the poorest families in Scotland until 2022, but wants another independence referendum before 2021. First Minister, what does that say about your priorities? What it says about my priorities is that I want the powers in this Parliament to tackle child poverty. I am not sure what it says about Richard Leonard's priorities that he wants to leave those powers in the hands of the Conservatives. Can I just ask everybody to keep the noise down? We were just talking a few minutes ago about the lessons that young people might learn. Can you please set an example to those young people? On the income supplement, we will bring forward our plans in June, and I am sure that Parliament will scrutinise those carefully. Let's look at the Trussell Trust report this morning. The rise in food bank use is utterly unacceptable, but let's look at what the trust operations manager in Scotland says about it. The benefit system is supposed to protect us all from being swept into poverty. Universal credit should be part of the solution, but currently it is the five-week wait that is leaving many people without enough money to cover the basics. As a priority, we are urging the Government to end the wait for universal credit. Universal credit is the responsibility of the UK Government. The question for Richard Leonard is whether he will join Labour in Wales this morning. What they have said in response to the Trussell Trust report is not that it is the fault of the Labour Government in Wales. What they have said is that the problem is universal credit and that is what has got to change. Will Richard Leonard agree with that now? Of course, a lot of this lies at the door of the Tory Government, but you have got the powers. Can we just clarify what the First Minister has just said? She said that she will bring forward proposals in June, but this Government has no plans to implement them for another three years. If the First Minister tells us today that she will fast-track those plans, she will have the support of the Scottish Labour Party, because in the end this is all about priorities. Mr Leonard, would Derek Mackay and Colin Smyth please stop talking to each other across the aisle? Richard Leonard. This is a matter of priorities. For example, we think that this Government should spend the 0.1 per cent of the Scottish budget needed to protect families from the impact of the two-child cap, but over the recess, the Cabinet Secretary for Social Security said, and I quote, that it is not our policy to alleviate the cap. So can the First Minister explain why that is the choice that she is making? The United Nations sent Philip Austin, an expert in poverty, here last year, to write a report. He recognised the work of the Welsh Government to mitigate the worst impacts of austerity, but he said, and I am quoting him directly, that it is outrageous that devolved Administrations need to spend resources to shield people from government policies. He is right. Those are the words of Jeremy Corbyn. This Government has mitigated the impact of Tory welfare cuts wherever we can, but is Richard Leonard really standing here and saying that the answer to those cuts is for a devolved Government to take money out of devolved services to plug the gaps in reserved services, while a Westminster Government holds on to that money? That is surely not the proposition of Scottish Labour, so I have given him this opportunity before. If he, like me, really wants to tackle those issues, will he this afternoon join with me in a letter to the UK Government asking for full power over welfare to be devolved to this Parliament? Yes or no? Given your track record, you would probably hand those powers back. You do have the powers to protect families from the cat, and you do have the powers to fastrack an income supplement, but you choose not to use them. You choose instead to talk about the constitution, you choose to play to your party base, you choose to argue for a referendum that Scotland does not want. In fact, since you became First Minister, you have placed a call another independence referendum twice, and in that time, at least three quarters of a million food parcels have been handed out to families in Scotland. So, First Minister, is not it the case that when it comes to a choice between protecting the poor and protecting your party, you always put your party first? I have to say this. If Richard Leonard cannot see the relationship between the constitution, the powers that we have in this Parliament and Tory welfare cuts that are pushing children into poverty, Richard Leonard does not deserve ever to be in government in Scotland. We will continue to do everything that we can to mitigate the impact of these policies. We will bring forward policies of our own to lift children out of poverty. Unlike Richard Leonard and the Labour Party, we will argue for those powers to lie in this Parliament, not in the hands of the Tories. As long as Richard Leonard on the constitution continues to back the Tories, the people of Scotland will see him for exactly what he is. We have some constituency supplementaries, the first from Annabelle Ewing. Thank you, Presiding Officer. The First Minister will be aware of the latest unplanned flaring incident at Musmorran. My constituents have had to put up with hugely disturbing noise pollution since Sunday, and are rightly anxious about air quality. Surely all data that is held by SEPA and ExxonMobil on the composition of these emissions should now be published? Is it not high time that SEPA uses its enforcement powers to the fullest? Annabelle Ewing, I am well aware of the issue, and I understand the concerns that are raised by the local community following the unplanned flaring at the Musmorran complex in Fife. SEPA's air quality monitoring continues to show that there is not a cause for concern. That said, I do appreciate that noise and light pollution is a significant, a very significant issue for local residents. I understand that SEPA announced a formal investigation into the current flaring incident this morning. A range of enforcement powers are at its disposal, which it of course exercises independently of government. However, I am very clear that the company must take steps to minimise the frequency and adverse impacts of flaring on the local community. SEPA has advised us that it will publish air quality monitoring data on the dedicated Musmorran online hub later today. Additionally, the Musmorran and Brifute Bay independent air quality monitoring review group will also publish air quality data annually. The First Minister will be aware of the huge wildfires that have been burning across parts of my region, the Highlands and Islands, over the past few days, most notably in Murray, where large areas of grassland have been destroyed. Will she join me in thanking all those involved in fighting the fires, most notably the fire and other emergency services, but also the many estate workers, farmers and others who have played such a crucial role so far? Will she advise me what support the Scottish Government could offer to those local people whose livelihoods have been impacted and what will be done to examine the causes of those fires and prevent more from occurring in the future? I thank the member for raising an important issue that we have, as you would expect, been in touch with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to offer any additional support as they continue to tackle those fires and as they also look at the causes. I understand that the incident in Murray is reducing, as is the case in Skye and Abermurgen, but those continue to be serious incidents and we will continue to liez closely with the Fire and Rescue Service. John Mason, to be followed by Bob Doris. Thank you very much. I think that the First Minister is aware of the issue of marches in my constituency and particularly the recent proposed one on Easter Sunday by the Apprentice Boys past a couple of Catholic Churches. I wonder if she thinks that the present arrangements and legal arrangements are satisfactory or perhaps if Glasgow City Council needs more powers in order to reduce or restrict such marches? First Minister. We are also always rather happy to talk to councils about the range of powers that they are disposal. I have faith in Police Scotland to ensure the safety of members of the public and those who participate in any marches. Police Scotland works closely with councils to ensure that adequate safety measures are in place and will take appropriate and proportionate action in the event of any problems arising. I was absolutely appalled, as I am sure that everybody in this chamber was, with the incident that took place outside St Alfonso's Church last year. This is an opportunity for all of us to reiterate that nobody should ever be a target of hatred simply because of their faith and the Scottish Government will always be very clear on that point. Bob Doris. First Minister, I have a large Sri Lankan community in my constituency who have contributed greatly to the communities that I serve. One of my constituents lost two of his relatives and 13 of his friends in the horrific and evil terror attacks in Sri Lanka. They are grieving at this hugely difficult time. I will be meeting community members shortly to discuss how we can commemorate their loved ones and to show our solidarity. Glasgow's Lord Provost has indicated her support also. Will the First Minister back those efforts and ensure that she or a member of the Scottish Government attend such an occasion to show their support and solidarity with those who have lost their loved ones? I thank Bob Doris for raising the issue on behalf of his constituents. I want to again, as I did yesterday, express my deepest condolences to all those affected and to express my wholehearted support for any efforts to commemorate those who have lost their lives and to show solidarity with the Sri Lankan community here in Scotland and indeed around the world. The Scottish Government will be very keen to take part in any events that are held. We have all been really shocked and saddened by those attacks. I have written to the Prime Minister and the President of Sri Lanka on behalf of the people of Scotland to express our sincere condolences. I welcome Bob Doris' efforts to reach out to the Sri Lankan community here at this desperately sad time and I hope that he will convey to them my support, solidarity and condolences. I am quite sure that the entire chamber will join the First Minister in those last remarks. Presiding Officer, it is a shame that no one else has yet welcomed yesterday's very positive announcement about putting Scotland's future back into Scotland's hands because it is clear that UK politics is broken and the UK Government has shown contempt for Scotland. So Greens agree that change is needed and we continue to take the view that independence offers the chance of the new direction that this country badly needs. In that campaign, we will advocate for the green new deal that we proposed in Parliament yesterday and which the Government voted for to tackle the climate crisis and inequality together. But is it also clear that neither devolution nor a currency union nor the business as usual vision set out in the SNP's growth commission would permit the genuine economic independence that we need to make that transformational agenda possible? Why should we close off the possibilities that independence offers now of all times? I do not agree with that at all, although I certainly welcome Patrick Harvie's comments about my statement yesterday and support for independence. I think that it is healthy that there are a range of parties backing independence and putting forward a range of views. The essence of independence is that we decide those issues for ourselves. My party conference, as some have noticed, will meet at the weekend and we will have a very positive debate about how independence will allow us to emulate the success of other small independent countries and become more prosperous and fairer as a result. I think that the big question particularly for the unionist parties in this chamber is this. Given in particular the price that Scotland is paying right now for being governed by Westminster, why should not Scotland be independent? Independence is normal. 12 of the countries in the EU that have more influence over our future right now than we do are the same size or smaller than Scotland. Nobody is going to force them out of the EU against their will and nobody should force Scotland out of the EU against our will. The sooner Scotland is an equal, normal, independent country, the better for all of us. Patrick Harvie, that needs to be a clear contrast with a failed UK agenda. They are brutal austerity economics, but they have also banned onshore winds, scrapped warm home subsidies, sold off the green investment bank, forced fracking on to local communities and refused to meet the climate strikers. Scotland can and wants to do better. Without independence, we have one hand tied behind our backs. Under the growth commission, we would have the other hand tied instead, gaining political independence but without the real economic control that we need. People who were open but not convinced in 2014 are far more likely to back independence if it is based on a positive, bold vision for Scotland's future. Will the First Minister accept that what the growth commission offers is closer to the failed economics of the UK and that the Scottish green plans for a green new deal offer the alternative that we need, the foundation of a bold new vision for Scotland? I do not agree with Patrick Harvie's comments about the growth commission. What it sets out is the fact that so many small independent countries are richer and fairer than Scotland and sets out how Scotland as an independent country can emulate that, create a strong economy but then crucially use the strength of our economy to build a fairer, more just society. That is the positive, bold vision that I look forward to campaigning on the next time within this term of Parliament that we give people in Scotland the choice of independence. I am more convinced every day that when given that choice, the people of Scotland will opt to become a normal, independent nation. Question 4, Willie Rennie. This week, I have been lobbied by people who want urgent action on climate change. Young climate change activist Greta Thunberg lobbied Westminster SNP leader Ian Blackford 2. He boasted about the SNP Government's record. Back here, at exactly the same moment, his Government was announcing that it was intent on cutting aviation tax to increase air flights to and from Scotland. Is this something to boast about? Would Greta be impressed? Unlike most other countries, we take account of all aviation emissions in our climate change targets. To meet those climate change targets, we have to reduce across all areas of emissions. Willie Rennie says that we boast about Scotland's performance. If you look at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, former executive secretary—this is what she said just in February—Scotland has already been at the forefront of climate action, and the bill that is currently before Parliament confirms that status as a world leader. That is what the world says about Scotland on climate change. The chair of the IPCC, who was in Edinburgh, just shortly said that he is impressed with the Scottish Government's climate change plan and is pleased to see that it is based on science. Scotland is a world leader. Our current plans would become carbon neutral by 2050, but we expect a week today—I am looking at the Environment Secretary for Confirmation—a week today that we will get the updated advice from the Committee on Climate Change. If that advice says that we can go further or faster, we will accept that advice. That is something that everybody across this Parliament should warmly welcome. Just because she measures it does not justify the air tax expansion. I do not think that Greta would truly be impressed. When I raised the issue of domestic waste with the First Minister before, she said that I was exaggerating. That was before this week's catastrophic report, commissioned by the Government. It says that, in action from this Government, means that £1 billion will be spent to send Scottish waste to England. That is 87,000 bin lorries sent down the M74. Did she know that, when her Government banned waste to landfill in Scotland, they were just going to dump it in England? Will the First Minister end the planned £250 million tax break for the airline industry and tackle a million tonnes of waste? Or will Greta need to come back? Just on a point of fact, and for reasons that Willie Rennie knows so I will not repeat here, the announcement from the Minister this week was that the cutting of the air discount tax was not going ahead in the coming year, just so that he does not inadvertently give people the wrong impression. On waste, we are working with councils to ensure that we are reducing waste that goes to landfill. However, whether it is on climate change, reducing emissions or in any other aspect of environmental action, this Government, not by our own estimations but by the estimations of many across the world, is leading the world. We should continue to do so. I think that it is right and proper that other parties in this chamber, the pressure groups and activists put greater pressure on us to do more, and we will continue to do so because we are determined to continue to be the world leader and take the action that the next generation wants to see. We have some further supplementaries, the first from Anas Sarwar to be followed by Gil Paterson. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Today we welcome officers of the all-party parliamentary group on British Muslims, Baroness Cydae Warsi and Westrueding MP to the Scottish Parliament. Their landmark Islamophobia defined report, which I, as chair of the CPG on tackling Islamophobia, and our secretary, Professor Peter Hopkins, who has 10 years of extensive research on Islamophobia in Scotland, contributed to. That definition has been adopted by hundreds of organisations, academics and communities across the country. While the UK Government continues to dodge and dither on this issue, we have a chance to show leadership here in Scotland. Today, I hope, that it will be adopted by organisations in Scotland, all Scottish political parties and, crucially, by the Scottish Government. Will the First Minister make that commitment today so that we can focus not on whether Islamophobia exists, not on what it means and how it manifests itself, but we as policymakers can focus on what we do to challenge and defeat it? I think that all organisations should sign up to the accepted definition on Islamophobia, as I believe also on the accepted definition of antisemitism. I am happy to update on the Scottish Government's position. I certainly want to see the Scottish Government do that as well. I would also take the opportunity to welcome members of the all-party group to the Scottish Parliament today and commend the work that Anas Sarwar, my colleague, has done in tackling Islamophobia. To say this, it should not be down to the Muslim members of this Parliament to lead that fight on their own. Every single one of us should be shoulder to shoulder with every Muslim across our country in tackling Islamophobia. As First Minister, I am more than prepared to lead from the front in that battle. Gil Paterson, to be followed by Monica Lennon. Many thanks, Presiding Officer. First Minister, I am sure that you will be aware of the UNICEF report that suggests that a large number of children are not being immunised against measles in the United Kingdom. Is that something that the Scottish Government is considering? Is that having any impact in Scotland and, if so, what action is being taken? The statistics that have been published today by UNICEF are taken from the World Health Organization analysis of measles and rebella data at a UK level. I am pleased to say that childhood immunisation rates across Scotland remain very high, and that reflects both the hard-working commitment of our colleagues in the national health service and also a recognition of the benefits of vaccination. It is worth noting that uptake of the first dose of the MMR vaccine in children up to age 5 is 96.6 per cent. That continues to exceed the 95 per cent target. However, Gil Paterson is absolutely right to raise this important issue. We are not complacent, and I want to assure the chamber that we will continue to make every effort to promote and encourage childhood vaccinations. Monica Lennon, to be followed by Rona Mackay. First Minister, this week I lodged my members' bill on the provision of free period products. If passed, it will make Scotland a world leader, giving legal underpinning to the provision in schools, colleges and universities, which has already been rolled out, and going further by establishing a universal opt-in system that will allow anyone in Scotland to access free period products should they need them. I know that the First Minister agrees with me that access to period products should be a right and not a privilege. Building on the strong cross-party consensus that exists already, will the First Minister confirm today if she backs my bill and will the Scottish Government enthusiastically get behind the proposals? First Minister, we certainly look very carefully at the provisions of the bill. In terms of what the bill is trying to achieve, I am 100 per cent behind that. I would pay tribute to all those who have campaigned on this issue. I would say that Scotland is already a world leader in tackling period poverty. We already have free sanitary products available in schools, colleges and universities. We see a growing number of private sector organisations following suit. Although Monica Lennon is to be commended for bringing forward the bill, I do not think that we should wait for legislation to encourage all organisations, all companies, to do what we have already done in government, leave from the front and make sure that no person has to go without sanitary products that they cannot afford. Free access should be absolutely the norm everywhere in Scotland. In the year since the Parliament unanimously passed the Social Security Bill, what progress has been made in establishing Scotland's newest public service? Of course, it is a year since the Social Security Bill was passed. I can tell the chamber today that in that year almost £200 million has been paid out to almost 80,000 people across the country. There are carers who have extra money in their pockets because of our carers' allowance supplement. There are low-income families now getting the best start grant. The Social Security Minister will correct me if I am about to get this figure wrong, but in the early days of the best start grant, we paid out something like four times the amount of money that had been paid out under the previous system controlled by the Westminster Government. That is an amazing success. There is much more to do, but I would like at this stage to pay tribute to all those who have worked so hard to create the new social security agency and make sure that we have made such a positive start to putting fairness and dignity at the heart of social security in Scotland. To ask the First Minister what assistance will be provided to help the mental health of school pupils. Our 2018 programme for government set out a £250 million package of measures to support positive mental health and prevent ill health. As part of that, we are committed to the creation of school councillors in every secondary school with availability to local primary and special schools across the country. To ensure that commitment is met in full by September next year, we are providing around £27 million in the first two years of implementation. That will support the delivery and employment of councillors to ensure that school pupils get the mental health support that they need. School counselling will enhance the work that schools already do to support children and young people to learn about mental well-being through curriculum for excellence. Stuart McMillan I thank the First Minister for that reply and, as the First Minister will know, exam season is now upon us. I can ask the First Minister if she shares my welcome of Sam H's excellent testing times campaign. She will be aware that Sam H has produced a range of tips for young people on how to prepare for exams and how to manage the anxieties that they can bring. Does the First Minister agree with me that any young person who feels worried or under pressure should not suffer in silence and should not be afraid to seek support? The First Minister I thank Stuart McMillan for raising that. I welcome the Sam H testing times campaign, which, of course, has launched to coincide with the start of the exams. Sitting school exams is a distant memory for me now, but, as I am sure all people in the chamber do, I still remember the sense of stress and anxiety that was associated with that. It is really important that we recognise the impact that anxiety about school work and exams can have on young people's mental health. I wholeheartedly agree with Stuart McMillan that it is really important for young people to be able to discuss their emotional wellbeing openly if they are concerned or upset that they should speak with teachers, parents, carers or peers. All schools should help young people to develop resilience and personal coping skills and should have measures in place to support young people. I thank Sam H for the advice that he has made available. Again, as I have done already this morning, I take the opportunity to wish pupils who are completing assignments or taking exams the very best of luck over the next few weeks. Daniel Johnson Thank you, Presiding Officer. Neurodevelopmental disorders are a very significant component of the mental health issues in our schools. Groups representing children with dyslexia, ADHD, autism and others regularly call for NDDs to be a mandatory component of initial teacher education and on-going CPD. Can the First Minister outline how her Government will ensure that all teachers are trained in teaching children with neurodevelopmental disorders? I remind the chamber of my own diagnosis. The First Minister I think that this is an important issue. Neurodevelopmental conditions are an important part of what we are discussing in mental health. The issue of teacher training is also extremely important. The Deputy First Minister is advising me that the providers of initial teacher education were at the recent summit on autism that was held and that that is very much part of initial teacher education. However, I am sure that the education secretary will be very happy to discuss with the member whether there are further steps that could be taken to embed that even more firmly. John Scott Thank you, Presiding Officer. Mr Scott, can you lift your microphone? I beg your pardon. I thank you, Presiding Officer. A particular concern is mental health issues in rural areas of young people. What further help can she give to the specific problem in rural Scotland that is bliting rural Scotland at this time? The First Minister That is a very important issue. Access to services generally is often more challenging in rural areas, for obvious reasons, and that can be particularly the case with access to mental health services. It is important that services are available on an equitable basis. When we are talking, for example, about counsellors in secondary schools, it is important that there is proper provision in every part of the country. NHS 24, of course, some of the online services and digital services that they make available are specifically helpful for people in rural areas who perhaps find it more difficult to access physical services, but I want to give an assurance that access to services for those in rural areas is a core part of the planning that the national health service does and other agencies do generally in terms of making sure that there is that equity of access. To ask the First Minister what measures the Scottish Government will put in place to reverse the reported decline in subject choice in secondary schools. The purpose of the curriculum is to provide young people with the skills, knowledge and experiences that will prepare them for their life beyond school and provide them with the best possible opportunities to fulfil their potential. As I have already said in the chamber, our focus must be on the whole school experience, on the range of qualifications achieved on leaving school and on the destinations of young people once they leave school. We will continue to ensure that that is the case. I thank the First Minister for that response. However, does she recognise that the biggest issue that is concerning parents and pupils in this whole issue is about the growing inequity in subject choice? What is her answer to parents who are very concerned that their young people are receiving only a choice of six subjects in S4, while in other schools it is seven or eight? What is her answer to that? Many of them feel that their youngsters are being disadvantaged when it comes to college and university applications. I take these issues seriously. As I said earlier, we will pay close attention to the reform Scotland report and the review that the education committee is doing. I repeat some of the points that I made earlier. It is important. I hope that everybody in the chamber accepts that it is not simply the qualifications that young people do in S4 that count, but the qualifications that they do across the three years. What I would say to a parent in response to Liz Smith's question is that the evidence says that more young people are going to university, including more young people from our deprived communities. The evidence suggests that, contrary to the assertion that young people, particularly in deprived communities, are somehow being disadvantaged, we see the attainment gap closing, which is the reverse of the concern that Liz Smith is raising. Jenny Gilruth The truth is that pupils in Scotland now study a broader curriculum for longer, and when they go on to choose their subjects—I used to teach it—they study those subjects in far greater detail than under standard grade. Progression and depth are the principles of curriculum for excellence, a system that the Tories used to support. Does the First Minister think that Liz Smith is willfully ignoring those facts, or has she just not done her homework? I think that all of those issues should be taken seriously. I think that we should listen to all views on them, but, contrary to what some people in the Tory and Labour benches seem to think, I think that we should particularly listen to the views of a teacher, which Jenny Gilruth was before she was in this Parliament. The evidence says that more young people are leaving school with qualifications, more young people are leaving school with five hires or more, and more young people are going into positive destinations, including university. Those are the outcome facts that I have not heard any member of the Opposition manage to explain how that aligns with the analysis that they are putting forward. We will continue to do the hard work that is necessary to ensure that we continue to see improvements in education. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Unlike Liz Smith or Jenny Gilruth, I was not a teacher, but I was a pupil not that long ago. Is the First Minister concerned that the Government's own education agency refuses to acknowledge what a number of studies have now shown that the number of subjects on offer to young people, particularly at a higher level, has direct correspondence with the level of deprivation in their community? Of course, we will pay attention to all those views that are expressed. Again, I point out the fact that, if all those things were creating the disadvantage that Ross Greer and others are suggesting, we would not have a situation that the attainment gap in access to university right now is at an all-time low. The numbers from deprived communities going into university are at a high. The evidence suggests that far from pupils from deprived communities being held back, they are doing better than they have ever done before. That is the progress that we need to concentrate on making sure that it continues. Johann Lamont It would not have happened back in the day, I can tell you that. I may not be a teacher now. I am no longer a parent of young children. I suggest that the First Minister listens to teachers, to parents and to the evidence from the experts that are telling us currently that the system is more unequal than it was before and that they are disturbed, that the evidence is suggesting that the poorest, most disadvantaged young people in our communities are more disadvantaged than they were before. I urge her to look to the evidence and then address that question. We will listen to views and evidence from wherever it comes. I say this in all seriousness to Johann Lamont. What I will not ignore and what nobody should ignore are the results of our education system. The fact of the matter is that we now have a record number of school leavers in higher education. School leavers from the most deprived areas in higher education are up eight percentage points since a decade ago. Overall, the numbers in university from deprived areas are at a record high. The evidence does not bear out the fact that the attainment of the inequality gap is growing. On the contrary, all of the evidence shows that that gap is narrowing. Everything that we do in Government and everything that we do in our education system will be designed to ensure that that gap continues to narrow, because that is what all of us should be focused on. Thank you very much. That concludes First Minister's questions. We are going to move on shortly to members' business in the name of Bill Kidd on international workers memorial day 2019. Before we do, we are going to have a short suspension to allow members of the ministers and the public gallery to change seats. A short suspension.