 Good morning. The first item of business is General Questions and at question number one, I call Neil Bibby. Thank you, Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government what funding it will provide to support the work of the Enver Clyde Task Force, including in relation to investment in facilities at Fergusham quotes. Cabinet Secretary, Neil Gray. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Ministers participate in the work of Enver Clyde Task Force to examine new ways of enabling a successful and sustainable wellbeing economy to thrive in the area. The task force joint chairs submitted a letter to the Minister for Small Business, Trade and Innovation setting out a number of investment proposals. Those proposals will be given detailed consideration by the Scottish Government. Separately, a formal request for capital investment has been made by Ferguson Marine Port Glasgow, which is currently undergoing due diligence, once concluded ministers will update Parliament should further investment in Ferguson Marine be agreed. Neil Bibby. I thank the minister for that answer. The GMB trade union supported by parties across this chamber have made the Government aware of an impending deadline for placing a new plating line order at Ferguson's. Workers and management are clear that this investment is essential to improving efficiencies and securing a future for the yard. Failure to do this urgently will result in many more months of delay. The Inverclyde task force was established because the former finance secretary believed that it could make the case for levering in funding to Inverclyde. Recent job losses make that need even greater. Will the Government commit today to investing facilities at Ferguson's and additional cash to kick-start Inverclyde's economy? If it won't today, when will a decision be made? I thank Neil Bibby for that question and his interest in this area. I am sure to meet union officials later this afternoon with Stuart McMillan, who has them in Parliament today, to discuss some of those issues as well as others. He will be aware of the state aid and subsidy control issues that are at play with regard to the request, but we continue to scrutinise that and look to do everything that we can to make sure that the yard is supported within the powers and resources that we have that we are able to continue that support. We will continue to engage, as he would expect, both with the management and with the trade unions to continue that engagement work. As co-chair of the Inverclyde task force, I want to be clear that the recent funding asks from the task force and the funding ask from the cross-party group of politicians regarding Ferguson's marine are two separate matters. That said, the task force has outlined several ambitious projects in Inverclyde. On the issue of the Ferguson marine and the investment, investment would be extremely urgent and important. I would ask the cabinet secretary to update the chamber at the quickest possible time after the due diligence is completed. Cabinet secretary, I thank Stuart McMillan not just for his consistent and diligent work for his constituents both in terms of the task force but also with Ferguson marine but also for his question there. I can give him that undertaking that we will consider this as quickly as possible in terms of Ferguson marine and update him and other colleagues as quickly as we can once that due diligence process has been completed. Separately regarding the task force, as was confirmed by the Minister for Small Business, Trade and Innovation and is replied to the letter from Stuart McMillan and the leader of Inverclyde Council, the Scottish Government will scrutinise the proposals that are assembled by the task force and we will also continue to participate in the work of the task force, offering feedback on the proposals and work with UK Government colleagues who are also involved and have an interested stake. Jamie Greene Thank you. Inverclyde task force is a wider remit to ensure that the region makes best use of all its maritime assets for improved economic prosperity. To that end, can I ask if the cabinet secretary is aware of local campaigners who believe that its port facilities, including in-screen dry dock, are being vastly underutilised and would he be willing to come to Greenock and meet with those campaigners? I thank Jamie Greene for that question. I'd be more than happy to engage with the work that he speaks of to make sure that we're able to see the maximum benefit of the infrastructure that we have in place, both in Inverclyde and the port infrastructure that we have there, in Inverclyde and Greenock, but also across Scotland to make sure that the work that I believe we will be able to enjoy going forward can be enjoyed by as many communities as possible. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is and whether the regeneration plans for Glasgow's Golden Zed will deliver the jobs and opportunities needed to grow the city economy. The Scottish Government supports Glasgow City Council's Golden Zed regeneration plans, as they align fully with our commitment in the programme for government to drive regional economic growth and empowerment. The programme for government also acknowledges Glasgow's pivotal role as a key economic driver in the region and for the rest of Scotland. Those plans will be crucial in fostering growth, generating employment opportunities and enhancing prospects, not only for Glasgow but for the wider region as well. I, too, welcome the investment secured to Glasgow back on the map, as I hope, the number two in the UK list of retail centres that it has enjoyed for the last two decades. However, we are already losing shoppers due to the current state of Glasgow city centre. There are also significant concerns about parts of Suckie Hall Street, given cause for concern, since the ABC went down in the fire, Glasgow School of Art Fire. Will the Scottish Government support my call for a robust economic impact assessment to ensure that there is a viable plan for the Golden Zed with a delivery team in place, because without delivery, we will not see the result that we want? I thank Pauline McNeill for that question and the work that she is doing to engage with Glasgow City Council and recognise the importance of getting this right, of making sure that we have an offering in Glasgow city centre that is relevant to what people are looking for for city centre locations. I understand that the Golden Zed regeneration plans are already based on extensive research and economic analysis, and, although all investment involves an element of risk, I am sure that, once implemented, the plans will have a significant impact on the ability of the city to attract and retain jobs. I am more than happy to furnish her with more details in collaboration with colleagues in Glasgow City Council to make sure that we can realise the potential that is there. Many shops and restaurants have been forced to close in Glasgow city centre in recent years. The British Retail Consortium recently found that footfall in Glasgow was down more than it was in 10 other large UK cities. Another report revealed that footfall was 19 per cent lower than it was pre-Covid. Does the minister recognise that the SNP Council's lower mission zone may be forcing people away from Glasgow city centre? No, I do not. I think that the member helps to make the case for the need for this regeneration work, but I also point to the very clear evidence of businesses that I have been engaged with and those that return business surveys around the areas of key concern for them. They are energy costs, the impact of Brexit on labour market issues and the cost of living crisis, the inflationary impact of interest rate rises, which are having an impossible impact on their trading environment. I encourage the member to ensure that she is directing her focus on the UK Government to ensure that those questions have been answered. To ask the Scottish Government, in light of gas safety week, which takes place this week, what engagement it has had with community safety organisations regarding action to improve gas safety awareness. We provide Scottish Government grant funding and work with our partner, Rospa, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, which has supported and promoted gas safety week for many years. Rospa is very active in the promotion of gas and carbon monoxide safety and represents the Scottish Government's interest in the stakeholder forum of the all-party parliamentary carbon monoxide group. Rospa works with gas distribution network to develop a web hub on carbon monoxide and has just launched two surveys to assess people's awareness for the prevention of carbon monoxide poisoning. We know unchecked gas appliances run a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning or explosion, and it is therefore crucial to get appliances checked regularly by gas-safe registered engineers. What action the Scottish Government is taking to encourage people to arrange their annual gas safety check, and what help might be available to those who find themselves in fuel poverty and unable to do this? Duties relating to maintenance of appliances applicable to landlords are set out in UK legislation. Through our partners, Rospa, we have promoted, via social media and newsletter, the gas-safe registers advice. Two, one, check your gas appliances every year, and two, check your engineer is gas-safe registered. Going forward, Rospa is developing two surveys. One is aimed at private landlords and the other at the general public to assess their awareness of carbon monoxide poisoning and what they do to prevent it. The web hub will be developed to address the shortfalls of information covering safety and responsibility. To ask the Scottish Government when it agreed the investment zone selection method with the UK Government. Scottish and UK Government officials developed a joint approach to place selection over the period from April to June, with regular updates provided to ministers throughout this period. Scottish and UK ministers formally confirmed their agreement to the approach and selected the two regions on 22 June. A formal note on the selection method was published on 18 August to fulfil the commitment made to Dundee City Council leader John Alexander. I'm afraid that the cabinet secretary needs to get the story straight. On 18 July he told me, in an answer to a written question, that invitation to host an investment zone was not subject to abiding our application process. Then, as he says on 18 August, a document titled investment zones in Scotland policy model and place selection methodology appeared on the UK Government's website. The decision to award those investment zones to Glasgow and Aberdeen featured on page 1 of the document. Does he agree with his ministerial colleague Tom Arthur, who told the finance committee that having transparency on the application process is very important, very important indeed in my view, given that Dundee has now neither a green fee port nor an investment zone and that this is nothing more than a political fix? I'm sure that Michael Marra has no interest, given that one of the investment zones chosen was in his region to pick community against community, as he appeared to try to do in answer to that question. Of course, the Scottish and UK Governments have committed again in response to a request from John Alexander to engage on what further help might be available for Dundee in the Tay City region to ensure that we're taking full advantage of the economic opportunities, the undoubted economic opportunities that arise from those communities. I'm committed to engaging with that and I believe that UK Government colleagues are as well. Question 5, Daniel Johnson. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to the recommendation by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child to develop statutory guidance on the use of restraint on children to ensure that it is used only as a measure of last resort and to exclusively to prevent harm to the child or others and monitor its implementation. Cabinet Secretary, Jenny Goldruth. I am aware of Mr Johnson's long-standing interest in this subject and I know he will agree with me that all children and young people have the right to be treated with respect and to be safe and to do so with staff who work with them. Of course, any use of restraint must be carried out with regard to the welfare of the child. That is provided for in the guidance that is already in place in education custody, mental health and care settings aimed at controlling and limiting the use of restraint. But Mr Johnson will know that we consulted on the draft guidance on physical intervention in schools and I intend to publish revised guidance in due course. We are also exploring options to strengthen the legal framework in this area, including placing the guidance on a statutory basis, and I will be happy to discuss that with him when we meet next week. I thank the cabinet secretary for her very welcome remarks. She will be aware that I have a consultation open on a member's bill on this precise subject. Does she agree with me that not just the committee's comments but also the fact that Northern Ireland is now consulting on this very issue changes the context? Does she agree with me that we need robust reporting standards and training standards for teachers, rather than just simply guidance itself to make progress in this area? I thank Daniel Johnson for his supplementary question. I am, of course, aware about the consultation that he has engaged in on the possibility of his member's bill on the use of restraint and seclusion in schools. I think that he makes a very valid point in relation to the context changing and other parts of the UK looking at what more they might be able to do. I very much look forward to considering further details of his member's bill proposal. Of course, we will be meeting next week to discuss some of that detail. He has made mention of reporting and training standards, particularly in relation to teacher education. I will keep discussing both of those topics in a bit more detail with him when we meet next week. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Fraser of Allander survey that found that only 9 per cent of businesses felt that the Scottish Government understands the business landscape in Scotland. We are grateful to the Fraser of Allander institute who I met yesterday to discuss this in other areas around the Scottish economy for carrying out the survey of 400 businesses. There is no doubt that the results are disappointing. That is why the role of the new deal for business group to build trust with business and to drive meaningful, tangible change is important. While the indicators from the survey could help track progress over time, a broader set of indicators should be developed to more fully measure progress and impact. Those could include broader impact indicators such as business confidence and business investment, and that will be further considered by the new deal for business group. The new deal for business group is just part of a process to ensure that we create the conditions collaboratively to support business, which in turn will drive fair, green economic growth and, with a purpose, feeding into strong and sustainable finances to tackle poverty and support our public services and communities. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. The business community has clearly delivered a vote of no confidence in the SNP's economic management. Therefore, will the cabinet secretary tackle decisively action to ensure that every single minister in the Scottish Government is 100 per cent committed to the key objective of economic growth? Yes. I thank Alexander Stewart for that answer. The work that I have been doing, the First Minister has been leading across the Government to ensure that we are responsive to business needs. Of course, we have to recognise that not all the levers of the economy are in the control of the Scottish Government. I am sure that colleagues in the Conservative party must know, unless they have been hiding behind a bushel all summer, that the main drivers of concern for those in business in Scotland are areas around the impact of Brexit on labour supply, the impact of high interest rates on their tradeable environment and ensuring that they are able to meet economic growth. All those areas need to see further action from the UK Government, which has wrecked the economy from that disastrous trust-quartime budget. To ask the Scottish Government what its responses are regarding levels of attainment in modern studies in the most recent SQA exam results in Renfrewshire. Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills and, as a former modern studies teacher, I congratulate the ambition, hard work and resilience of the young people in Renfrewshire who achieved a strong set of results in modern studies. In 2023, pass rates for modern studies at national 5 in Renfrewshire were above the national average and the same as the national average at higher. The achievements of those young people should be celebrated. I am glad to hear that answer from the cabinet secretary because she knows how important modern studies are in teaching good citizenship and respectful debate. Young people and their teachers across Renfrewshire work extremely hard to achieve their results in the subject. What would the cabinet secretary say to a colleague encouraging the denigration of young people's exam results in order to attack a political opponent? Will she join me in condemning the actions of her colleagues from local SNP branches, council groups and even the chamber, who seem to believe that the life chances of pupils at Park Mains High and excellent school in my region are fair game in desperate political attacks? Clearly, I think that we could all learn to be a little more circumspect and thoughtful on our use of social media and in particular how and what adults say and do impacts on our children and young people. I understand the tweets that the member has alluded to, has since been deleted and the member has apologised at the time, but I am intrigued by the care that Mr O'Cain appears to attach to one tweet from an SNP backbencher. The Scottish Labour Party has, of course, attached no such care to the 1,620 children in Rutherglen, Hamilton West, who have been affected by the two-child benefit cap. It is the Tory's heinous rape clause, which is harming children and their outcomes, the length and breadth of this country, and instead of coming to the chamber today with a backbone, Mr O'Cain comes to be moan a tweet on social media. Schools work hard to deliver a diverse academic and vocational journey for students. For example, Bearsden within my constituency achieved the Gold Ambassador award for their work to equally promote academic and vocational career pathways. What does the Scottish Government do to support schools and the delivery of those routes? I thank the member for her question. She raises a really important point. Of course, this year we have seen a record number of vocational and technical qualifications achieved this year, and that breadth of pathways is hugely important in relation to the qualifications on offer to our young people. She mentions Bearsden academy in her own constituency. I have been more than happy to visit the school, along with the member, to hear about some of the work that has been undertaken in that school. Thank you. That concludes general questions.