 That concludes general questions. The next item of business is First Minister's Questions. At question number one, I call Douglas Ross. Thank you very much. Last night, the Scottish Conservatives led a debate and vote in Parliament on SNP green plans to introduce highly protected marine areas. Those reckless proposals would ban fishing in large parts of Scotland's seas. i ff meters, cymaint o ddiogelwadau cydnod ac i'r clywodraeth o'r tyfnodol. Y First Minister ydw'ch yn dda'n credu cyfaint o dod o rwy cadwio a'r rhai bod i'n ffeddiad o cymaint cyngorau myndllewol ac i'n dweud o'r rhaid i'n ddefnyddio cysylltu'n ddechrau. Rwy'n dechrau chyfodraeth, byddwn i ddefnyddio ceisig o'r cyfaint, a bod cyfaint o ddau llwyfodraeth i'n ddechrau cysylltu? REFMANN y byd i'n dweud pan i'r awdurdodau, today is ancontinational firefighters day and I take the opportunity to thank firefighters across Scotland for their self-haleys contribution to keeping us safe I want to pay tribute to firefighters that have lost their lives serving our communities including Barry Martin. I know his bravery will serve as a constant and continual reminder of the courage that our firefighters demonstrate at a line of duty each and every single day. O'r cwestiynau bod rhaid i ddeb yn yr unrhyw o'r plus. Rhaid i'n rhaid i ddim oherwydd ei d Gloria Cymru'r pleidiol i'ch ei ddweud gyda'r tornaf i ddweud leiaf Visit Black. ministeriwn cyfluxerau i ddweud ar yma o gyllideb fanffeshys. Mae'r trin wedi'r ddau'r hyn o brinei ar gyfer rhaid i'ch ei ddweud ar ddweud leiaf i ddweud leiaf organisations maennerydd, o edrych, o edrych rhaid i ddweud. Rathal Hamilton's GMS interview a couple of days ago, where we had four different positions on the Scottish Parliamentary Committee in around five minutes. What we've made absolutely clear is that this Government will not impose the Scottish Parliamentary Committee on any community that vehemently opposes them. We've done the consultation, we've had enormous response to that consultation. First Minister, if you could just give me one moment. I'd be grateful if when a member is speaking, other members were listening. We've done the consultation, it's had a significant response, it's only right that we now analyse those responses and while doing so, of course, Mary McCallan has committed, and I will commit also to making sure that we engage with our coastal and island communities that may well be affected by HPMAs. In terms of what mechanism we will use, how we will define community in terms of opposition or, indeed, consent, that will be something that we engage directly with the community. That is why we have done a consultation. We have done a consultation at early inception stage. It would be completely wrong of us to pre-empt at what consent mechanism we end up in place or setting the parameters here today. That would, of course, risk excluding some voices that should be heard. What we will not apologise for is, of course, taking the necessary action that we need to protect our biodiversity. That is incumbent not just on the Government of the day but on all of us to make sure that we tackle the twin crises of the climate emergency and the loss of our biodiversity. Douglas Ross Can I begin by associating myself with the remarks of the First Minister on international firefighters today? I think that my colleague Russell Finlay is speaking in a member's to-be immediately after if we can accuse on this very issue. We all celebrate and recognise the bravery of our firefighters who do tremendous work day in and day out, putting their lives at risk, which we saw so starkly with the sad loss of Barry Martin earlier this year. Getting back to the answer, which was very long in length and very short in detail, what would be completely wrong, First Minister, is to give reassurances to coastal communities that everything is fine if they are a community that is vehemently opposed to this, this will not be introduced, and then be completely unable to define what that is. He is trying to give reassurances with no substance behind it. Speaking about behind, the First Minister just needs to look behind him to Karen Adam, who said in Parliament two days ago that we need clarity on how these communities will be defined and how we will gauge vehement opposition. The SNP is saying that. She says that we need that clarity urgently. We do. I am saying that, and even the SNP benches are saying that as well. It is already crystal clear that these communities are vehemently opposed to those plans. Just listen, First Minister, to what they are saying. The Scottish Fishermen's Federation said that those plans could have a catastrophic effect. A fisherman from the Outer Hebrides said that it will be absolutely devastating. You will see a loss of population in those areas akin to the highland clearances. The Tyree community development trust said that, and this is their words, it will be the end of our community. A development trust saying that those SNP green plans will be the end of their community. Those are damning verdicts on the SNP Government's proposals from the people who know the sector best. Why is the First Minister pressing ahead with a policy that will devastate coastal, rural and fishing communities? I remind Douglas Ross that it was not many years ago of the manifesto commitment in the Scottish Conservatives manifesto. I will quote directly, we will review the current marine protected areas in Scottish waters with a view to expanding their extent and pilot the introduction of highly protected marine areas. Now they are saying that they are for pilots. That was a very different articulation that Rachael Hamilton gave on the radio a few days ago. Douglas Ross is known for flip-flopping all over the place on any issue of the day. He is known for flip-flopping on the issue of highly protected marine areas. Of course, Karen Adam was absolutely right. We will, of course, not only define communities, but we will define what consent or what opposition is. However, what I am saying to Douglas Ross very clearly is that we should analyse the huge number of consultation responses that we have had from those communities before deciding for them or imposing on them or, indeed, excluding any of those communities from that discussion. What I think that we should all absolutely agree on is the fact that we have to take action to make sure that our marine environment is sustainable for the future. What is not going to help our fishing communities is, of course, if that marine environment is not sustainable. We want to ensure that it is so that the future of our fishing industry can continue for many, many years. I am absolutely committed to doing that not to the communities involved, but hopefully with the communities involved. Muted applause from behind him, and if he could see the glum faces on the SNP members, it is incredible. It is not only coastal fishing and rural communities who are against those plans and who, seemingly, the First Minister is happy to ignore. Last night, in this chamber, three senior SNP MSPs, all former Government ministers, voted against their party on the fishing ban. Let us just listen to what they had to say. Fergus Ewing said that this will haunt the Scottish Government. Alasdair Allan said that I have never known my constituency to be so unanimously opposed to any single policy in all of my time as an MSP. Kate Forbes said that the rarest species in our coastal areas and our islands will soon become people if those proposals go ahead as planned. Does Humza Yousaf realise that he is not only out of touch with coastal communities, but he is out of touch with members of his own party? I remind Douglas Ross of the fact that this Parliament accepted by a majority an amended motion, which we also voted for amendments from the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats. There were a number of parties coming together to propose amendments, which we accepted, and then the majority of the Parliament agreed to that motion. There are good examples of, for example, Landlash Bay, where we have a no-take zone, which the community campaigned for. The community wanted in its local area. Of course, based on the studies that have been co-ordinated by the community group, we have seen that, since that protection was in place, commercially important species such as the king scallop, the European lobster have increased in size and age. Density is a good example of where we have worked with a community in order for that no-take zone to be implemented. We are not talking about imposition, we are talking about working with communities up and down the country. That is the right thing to do, because the trouble with the Conservatives is that they demand that we take action on the climate emergency. They demand that we take action when it comes to reversing some of the negative impacts and effects of the loss of biodiversity. However, whenever we propose action, they oppose it every single step of the way. That is not going to help our climate, and it certainly will not help our fishing industry or our marine environment in the future. If I had another question, there might be none from an answer from the First Minister. Hamza Yousaf spoke about the response from the Scottish Conservatives. He should be worried about the response from his own back benches, the rebellion that we have already seen. It took Nicola Sturgeon eight years to have our first major rebellion within the S&P ranks. It has taken Hamza Yousaf less than eight weeks to achieve the same. He is clearly losing his grip on his party because he insists on pursuing these extreme policies that are opposed by the very communities that he wants to impose them on. Those reckless plans would ban fishing across much of our sea. It would put thousands of jobs at risk, and it would devastate coastal, rural and fishing areas. Coastal communities, the fishing sector and even Hamza Yousaf's own MSPs have all called for the S&P Government to ditch their anti-fishing plans, yet the First Minister is plawing ahead regardless. Instead of arrogantly dismissing the many valid concerns as he has done so far, will he now do the right thing and scrap those plans? What we are doing and what we have done from the very beginning of this process and this proposal is to engage with our coastal and island communities. In total, we have had over 40 meetings with stakeholders. I have already stated that the cabinet secretary will continue that engagement. For example, prior to the consultation that was even launched, there were meetings with over 20 stakeholder groups, including some of those that Douglas Ross has mentioned, such as the Scottish Fisherman's Association, the Scottish Creel Fisherman's Association, and aquaculture groups such as the Salmon Scotland, but also important ENGOs, such as Scottish Environment Link and community representatives such as Coastal Communities Network. I would be grateful. Members are here because they have strong opinions on many issues, but it would be grateful if they could keep them to themselves while others are on their feet. The facts are that we have engaged even prior to this consultation. I have given an absolute commitment that will continue to engage. I have given a commitment, time and time and time again in public, that we will not impose an HPMA on any community that is vehemently opposed to it. For Douglas Ross to stand there and talk about losing grip of a party when he has been leader, the Conservatives have had the longest attempted coup in Scottish political history. Why does not Jamie Greene or Liam Kerr stand up and put Douglas Ross out of his misery? It is hardly a surprise that Douglas Ross talks about losing grip on a political party. Even he has lost faith in his own political party, he spent the entire Easter recess urging his supporters to vote for the Scottish Labour Party. Finally, Douglas Ross has got his finger on the pulse. He has finally caught up with Scottish public opinion. Even Douglas Ross has lost faith in his own leadership of the Scottish Conservative Party. I join others in recognising International Firefighters Day and paying tribute to all those who run towards danger in order to protect their fellow citizens and, in particular, our thoughts are with the family of Barry Martin, who has so tragically lost his life at just 38 years old. This morning, the criminal justice committee published its review of the Government's Domestic Abuse Act. The act was passed by this Parliament in February 2018 to give greater protections to victims, particularly women and children, from coercion and abuse. Today, five years on, the committee concludes that progress on implementing the changes has been far too slow. In the words of one expert who gave evidence, the experience of victims and survivors is still unremittingly grim. When the act was brought in, the then justice secretary, Humza Yousaf, said that he hoped that victims would be able to seek the support with the confidence that the law is behind them. When so many women and children are still being failed, does the First Minister believe that his Government has lived up to that ambition? I believe that we have, but I believe that there is always more that we can and we should do. I welcome the publication of the criminal justice committee report on its post-legislative scrutiny of the Domestic Abuse Act in 2018. We have taken action, not just as a Government in fairness, but as a collective effort by this Parliament to respond to the needs of victims of domestic abuse. We will, of course, give very careful consideration to the eight recommendations before responding formally. I will be clear on that, and I am sure that there is collective agreement on that. Any form of abuse is unacceptable. The new domestic abuse offence, which has been heralded as gold standard legislation, has given more powers to police, to the courts, to punish perpetrators of abuse and to protect people at risk. However, as the report highlights, there is clearly still more work to be done in order to improve the justice system's response to domestic abuse and to the survivors of domestic abuse. We will work with those justice agencies to consider those recommendations. The First Minister suggests that the ambition has been met. I suggest that he listens to and reads the testimony of the victims about how they feel about the process. The bill was marked as world-leading, but, as usual, the Scottish National Party Government is content to talk up change and settle for less. However, it is not just this legislation that is neglect across our justice system. We have a hate crime bill that has never been enforced, a court backlog of more than 27,000 criminal cases and 816 fewer police officers since 2020. When the First Minister was justice secretary, there was a damning review of the police complaints and disciplinary system. It reported evidence of misogyny, racism and serious discrimination issues in Police Scotland. In 2020, the then justice secretary, Humza Yousaf, told his chamber that the Government would, and I quote, move at pace in its response, and there will be no dithering, nor will there be delay. But Newsnight has spoken to women about the misogyny they faced while working in our police force. They say that many are too scared to speak out and many have been forced to leave. Is this a decisive action that the First Minister was talking about? A decisive action has seen those court backlogs fall. The reason why those court backlogs increased so much was because of the global pandemic. I think that all of us can and should recognise that. A decisive action has seen, as the SNP of being in government, the lowest crime figures on record. Of course, our record in relation to funding the police and ensuring that there are more police officers on the beat is a good one. That is why we have more police officers per head than in England and indeed in Wales. On the misogyny, we are taking decisive action on the back of an excellent report by Bannoness Kennedy in relation to what we can do more legislatively and as a society in tackling misogyny. On the police and some of the concerns that have been raised in relation to misogyny in the police force, I know from my engagement with the chief constable Ian Livingstone, how seriously he takes the issue of misogyny in policing. I know that he has taken action to address that. We take the Government and the police to extremely seriously. Any concerns raised against police officers, when things go wrong, the police must be held to account. That is why I am pleased that some of the whistleblowing policies in relation to Police Scotland have been updated by the SPA. That is a direct response to the work that we commissioned from Dame Elish Angiolini in 2018. That was the review of complaints handling investigation and misconduct issues in relation to policing. That is decisive action that we have taken. Am I saying that everything is perfect? Of course not. There is more that we can do both for those who serve in a police force but also for the public that we seek to serve. There is a good track record of this Government in relation to tackling the issues that matter to people and keeping people safe right up and down Scotland. I am sorry but that is a really complacent answer from the First Minister and I think that he seems to be in denial. The fact that female police officers are feeling compelled to speak to the media in order to inspire change from this Government is a record of failure, not one of success or progress, because there is chaos across our criminal justice system. Courts are backlogged, prisons are overcrowded and a police force is being starved of resources. Isn't that the problem with the First Minister? He likes to talk big but consistently fails to deliver, because this is an incompetent and dysfunctional SNP Government that, after 16 years, has left every Scottish institution weaker—a justice system that too often fails victims, a transport system that too often fails communities, an education system that too often fails our children and a health service that too often fails staff and patients. Is it any wonder that every single day more and more people are losing trust and faith in this failing SNP Government? Annas Harwar calls it rhetoric but there are facts that he cannot and should not seek to avoid. When it comes to each and every Government department, we can look at the achievements of this Government in health. For example, we have record health spending over £19 billion to be invested in the NHS this financial year and NHS staffing up to historically high levels. Our A and E services continue to be the best performing anywhere in the UK in terms of education, not just record investment in education but record high numbers of school leavers in education, employment or training. We have the narrowest gap on record between school leavers from the most and least deprived areas, attaining one or more passes at SQF level 4 or, better than justice, crime at the lowest level since 1974, down 42 per cent, under the SNP, the highest number of police officers than at any other time during the last administration with Labour, who are last in power—more police officers per head than England and Wales—when it comes to the economy and employment at record low levels. I could go on and on and on. Despite the fact that the SNP has undoubtedly had some of the most difficult and challenging weeks, we still enjoy incredibly popular support. Annas Harwar is still in second place, and that betrays the level or lack of ambition that Annas Harwar has. After wall-to-wall coverage, negative coverage of the SNP for five to six weeks, he's happy being in second place. That's the ambition that he's got for the Labour Party, and that's why the people of Scotland haven't trusted them in the last 16 years in government. To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government plans to take in light of his declared support for the daily records of our kids, our future campaign to tackle violence against young people. Like many others, I commend the daily record for drawing attention to what is an incredibly important issue. We must all confront the causes of violence, and we must all address its consequences and minimise future victimisation and stop violence from a young age. I would call on anybody who is experiencing or witnessing violence or seeing it on social media as the campaign is highlighting to report it. That is an issue for all of us in society to confront, and I'm aware that we did not have the power of our social media platforms, but I am aware that the UK Government does, and its online safety bill, which is progressing through Westminster, could be a means to ensuring that social media companies take their responsibilities to contain violent content more seriously. I'll be writing to the UK Government to make that case, and we welcome Mr Finlay's support in that. Russell Finlay. I thank the First Minister for that answer. Abbey Jarvis was violently attacked by another teenager with every brutal moment recorded and circulated on social media, and the First Minister says he backs this important campaign against these sickening attacks. Abbey lives in fear, unable to leave home by herself or return to school, and our mum Angela struggles to explain why there has been no justice. Why are Abbey and other children victims paying the price? Angela asks, when there are no consequences for serious acts of violence, what message does that send to the children of Scotland? Again, I'm really grateful for Abbey and her mum Angela for speaking out. I've read their testimony in the daily record on a number of occasions, and I'm grateful to them and the other young people who have chosen to speak out after such horrific incidents. What we are keen to do is to back the calls from the daily record in relation to ensuring that we work with our local authorities to ensure that there are safe places for teenagers to go. We also want to do more and work with social media companies to prevent violent content from being shared, and that's why I will write to the UK Government on that very matter. Also, the third task of the records campaign is that every adult has a role to play, so take a lead in our community to help our local children to feel cared for and included. I don't think that the response to that is that we lock up every under-18 that is committing violence and simply throw away the key and forget about them and their future. What we have to do is make sure that we are understanding what is the root cause of that violent crime and taking a public health approach to it. That is the approach that we've taken in Glasgow in particular that has worked so well over many, many years. Of course, there should be consequences in relation to that violence, but it isn't about, for example, incarcerating young people. It is about ensuring that we work with them to reduce violence and taking a public health approach to that. That's something that I'm very committed to doing. The Government has a goal of ensuring that robust community justice interventions are available across Scotland. However, the community justice budget is facing real-terms cuts over the next year. Given that the Scottish Government's stated intention is to increase the use of community justice, will the First Minister look at that again? I think that there may be some understanding. This is a supplementary with particular regards to question number three. Yes, that was my understanding. I'm happy to answer the question, because it is a really important point that Katie Clark raises. I am full-square behind the aims that she speaks about in relation to investing more in community justice. I do believe that that is a better route to go down than, for example, incarceration. We know that if we can divert people to community justice alternatives, then there is the ability to prevent re-offending. I am more than happy to continue to look at every single budget line where I can, particularly that important budget line. We are operating within a fixed budget. We have the limited powers in order to increase that budget, but that is why I spoke yesterday about the issue of making really tough choices. It is important that we all engage whether we are in government or indeed with the Opposition. We all engage in this conversation in a grown-up fashion. It is very clear that Katie Clark is up for that conversation. To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the anti-poverty summit that took place on Wednesday 3 May. I am very grateful to the over 80 people, including party leaders, who joined the anti-poverty summit. I hope that they will all agree with me that what we heard, particularly from those with direct experience of poverty, confirmed that poverty is the biggest challenge that we are facing as a country. While we have already acted to tackle the pressure on those who are most in need, of course, more must be done. While we have fixed budgets and when money is so tight and needs to be stretched so far, we must be both hard headed but also realistic about the action that has to be taken. That means some really tough choices that are needed to be bold. As we heard specifically, we have to be brave. All of us as party leaders, me as First Minister, were challenged to be brave by those with direct experience of poverty. The Government that I lead will be bold and will consider what we can do in relation to taxation and those tough decisions that have to be made and those targeted investments that we have to make. I thank the First Minister for that response. A wellbeing economy and a fair social security system are two key components to tackling poverty. Many experts agree that the UK Tory Government's policies such as cutting universal credit are worsening poverty. Of course, the minimum wage that is set by Westminster is well below the living wage, which would help people to meet the cost of living. Does the First Minister agree with me that until this Parliament has the full powers over the economy and social security, the UK Government must step up to the plate and use its powers to support instead of punish people? Can he outline the steps that the Scottish Government will take to build on its progressive record in this Government? Whenever anybody talks about poverty, they always hear the groans from the Conservative party. Instead of groans, they should be facing up to the reality that over a decade of austerity, a hard Brexit that has been imposed upon us from a mini-budget that wrecks a complete havoc on our economy, that it is their actions that have pushed more people into poverty, not just in Scotland, but right up and down the UK instead of groaning, they should face up to that fact and take some responsibility. The UK Government should match the ambition of the Scottish Government in tackling and reducing poverty, and that includes introducing the equivalent of the Scottish child payment by reinstating the universal credit uplift at £25 a week, extending the support to other means-tested benefits. Where the UK Government to reverse key reforms introduced since 2015 would put £780 million into the pockets of Scottish households that would lift 70,000 people, including 30,000 children, out of poverty this year. Let me make it clear where I can work constructively with the UK Government on reducing poverty. I will do so. It was one of the first topics that I raised in my meeting with the Prime Minister most recently. Where we have the power in this Parliament to go further, I give an absolute commitment that we will use those powers to their absolute maximum effect, because that is a collective effort that we all have to make in order to reduce poverty and, in particular, child poverty. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I noted the First Minister's headline-grabbing announcement prior to the summit of £4.5 million for after-school clubs. Does he accept that that is a drop in the ocean compared with the £1 billion financial black hole that the Government created in local authority funding through its relentless slashing of council budgets? Does he accept that it is time for the SNP to use every lever at their disposal to improve people's lives? In the summit, which we attended in good faith, we outlined a number of areas where the Government could take immediate action, wiping out school meal debt, improving debt-supporting communities, freezing water charges and providing a water rebate. The First Minister said that he is listening, so when is he going to get on and take action in those areas to make a real difference right now? The difficulty, of course, was with all those policy proposals that Paul O'Cain did not outline how on earth we would pay for them. That is the problem, that we have a Labour party who demands action but does not do the grown-up politics, which is actually putting forward how you would pay for those measures. That is the reality of government. I know that the Labour party has not been in government for over 16 years, but you have to be able to say how you are going to pay for those measures. Members, let's treat one another with courtesy and respect. It was Labour shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, who said that principles do not change, but the priorities and the policies must change according to the circumstances. I agree with her. We have to ensure that every single penny that we spend is targeted towards those who need it the most. I am more than happy to engage with Paul O'Cain constructively on some of the issues that he has raised here today. However, I would say to Paul O'Cain that we absolutely have to be realistic. We are not just coming up with potential solutions and proposals, but we have to say how on earth we are going to pay for them. I will make no apology whatsoever to say that I believe in progressive taxation. I hope that that is to call that Labour can back to it. To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to a recent report suggesting that current forestry grant funding rules are supporting projects that are harmful to peatlands and which, as a result, generate more carbon dioxide than the sequester. We do not agree that our woodland creation is harmful for peatlands. No government is doing more in these islands to ensure that woodlands and forestry help to tackle climate change. Scotland's forests remove more than 7 million tonnes of CO2 a year from the atmosphere, about 14 per cent of all Scotland's gross emissions. All grant-funded planting must comply with the UK forestry standard to maximise CO2 removals and minimise emissions. Planting on deep peat is of course banned. Guidance on ground preparation is strengthened in 2021, and we will continue to use the best available science and evidence to protect our environment, sequester carbon and get Scotland to net zero. Even from government scientists such as those in forestry research, they are suggesting that even 10 centimetres deep peat might be worth protecting, and certainly 30 centimetres of deep peat should be protected. The report highlights that trees are being planted using their own techniques, drying up peatlands, which sends organic matter down our rivers, which acidifies them, killing salmon and also causing more flooding. To keep carbon in the ground, the report says that we need to keep peatlands wet, so will the First Minister tighten up the regulations for forestry and peatlands and ensure that the right trees are planted in the right place at the right time? I will make the point again to Brian Whittle. We have a very ambitious peatland restoration programme. The new policy of prospectus that I announced a couple of weeks ago promises to deliver up to 110,000 hectares of restored peatland by 2026. Of course, he knows our target in relation to 2030 by restoring 250,000 hectares, and that is something that we are keen to do, to build capacity because we know that we need to go faster than we currently are. Of course, we are looking closely at the report that Brian Whittle references, but forest research recently carried out quite a comprehensive study on seal to uptake achieved through creating different types of woodland. The key finding of the forest research studies is that all types of woodland have important roles to play, including conifers and broadleaved woodlands and natural re-colonisation. Of course, we will listen to any experts in this regard, and we are looking at the report that Brian Whittle references in his question. As is to be expected, there are a range of opinions on this subject, but Scotland's forests are an important carbon sink. The strategy of having the right tree in the right place is crucial. Does the First Minister share my view that expanding, restoring and improving forest and woodlands has a key role in achieving our net zero targets and restoring Scotland's natural environment? Yes, absolutely. More than 75 per cent of woodland creation across the UK is currently in Scotland. Scotland's forests and forestry sector are making a vital contribution to our climate change targets. We have set out bold plans in the climate change plan to increase woodland cover to 21 per cent by 2032 by planting 18,000 hectares a year, including 4,000 hectares of native woodland. We are also taking steps to further protect and restore a iconic Atlantic rainforest in Caledonian pinewoods as well. The package of measures will deliver towards net zero and restore the biodiversity that underpins our economy, and, of course, importantly, the wellbeing of our planet and of local communities, too. For the record, I will be asking my first part of the question in spoken English and then in signed and spoken BSL to raise awareness. To ask the First Minister, in light of this being Deaf Awareness Week, what work the Scottish Government is undertaking to ensure that deaf people have their communication needs met? This week is what is Deaf Awareness Week. I want to ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government is doing to make sure that deaf people's communication needs are met. I thank Karen Adam for the question. I recognise the incredible work that she has done raising the issues around deaf awareness. I had the great pleasure of meeting her father a number of weeks ago, who I know has also been an advocate and a champion for raising issues around deaf awareness and BSL and the use of BSL in particular. I also wish all those who are marking Deaf Awareness Week all the very best for the awareness-raising activity and events that I know are planned. Since 2014, we have provided more than £5.5 million to promote the implementation of the sea here strategy. A refreshed strategy for 2024 will be designed collaboratively with stakeholders and, of course, importantly and crucially with people who have lived experience. It will be focused on living a good life with sensory loss. Communication plays a key and a vital role in that. For BSL users, the Scottish Government fund Contact Scotland BSL, which enables deaf and deafblind British Sign Language users to telephone any number via video, really, in temperatures 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We are investing in two technological solutions to improve communication for deaf people through our CivTech programme, a BSL English Interpreting-centralised booking system for interpreters, and enabling crucially access to public services using an online concierge service. I'm a coda, which is a child of a deaf adult, and I grew up learning BSL alongside English. The right to be understood in your own language cannot be understated. The deaf community deserves to feel included, and currently BSL provisions across Scotland can be a postcode lottery. In Scotland, we pride ourselves on being a progressive nation on BSL, however, we must go further and faster. Will the First Minister commit to providing a space where stakeholders and I can highlight to the Scottish Government what we must do to protect the future of our precious minority language in Scotland? Yes, absolutely. I can commit to that. I once again thank Karen Adam for the incredible work that she has done in her time in Parliament, and even beforehand, of course, to raise issues that are affecting our deaf community in Scotland. We've established a short-life working group for the development of the British Sign Language Plan 2023-2029, which is due to be published in October this year. The national plan provides a real opportunity to advance our approach to BSL, and we will also be establishing an implementation governance group for when the national plan has been published to ensure that we can deliver on those commitments. I'm clear that I expect stakeholders to be fully involved in that work, but particularly those with direct lived experience. The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills would, of course, be happy to arrange to meet with Karen Adam to explore those issues in more detail. We move to constituency general supplementaries, and I call Cocab Stewart. Thank you, Presiding Officer. The situation in Sudan is worsening by the day. The sister-in-law of one of my constituents of Glasgow Kelvin is currently trapped in cartoon as violence worsens across the region. I understand that the Eritrean police and security services are actively rounding up those attempting to flee. I also gather that at least three people have died whilst being transported from cartoon to Shahgrab refugee camp, and many, many more people have been kidnapped while they are trying to leave the capital city. Does the First Minister agree with me that this underlines the need for safe and legal routes to seek asylum within the UK and can he pride assurances that Scotland will do all it can within its devolved competencies to support victims caught up in this awful nightmare? I thank Cocab Stewart for raising this important issue in our Parliament. I agree with all that the member has said that the Scottish Government has consistently sought and advocated for safe and legal routes to enable people to seek safety under the refugee convention. A convention in the UK, of course, was first to sign. The majority in this Parliament made that clear in the debate on Tuesday as well. Without such routes, people will continue, of course, to be forced into dangerous journeys that put their lives at further risk. The member has just mentioned countries where we can see that scenario taking place. What we need is a humane asylum system, in which people's cases are dealt with swiftly and fairly. It is not the UK Government's illegal migration bill, which Douglas Ross voted for in earlier stages in the House of Commons. It is not fit for purpose. It is a complete abdication of international responsibility. It is a complete abdication of our moral responsibility. We will be engaging with the UK Government, urging them—pleading with them—to do the right thing. If we can do the right thing for those seeking to flee from war in Ukraine, as we absolutely should, it is the right thing to do, then we should make sure that we are doing that for everybody who is fleeing war right across the world, regardless of which continent they are fleeing from, regardless of their colour of skin or regardless of their religion. Alexander Stewart Thank you, Presiding Officer. First Minister, NHS Forth Valley continues to struggle even under special measures. Complaints are going up and performance targets are falling short. 1,704 complaints were received between April 22 and January 23, an increase of 30 per cent compared with the same period the year before. Patients are clearly still not receiving the care that they deserve. First Minister, what further action can be put in place to ensure that this upturn and complaints are rectified as a matter of urgency? I was sure that Alexander Stewart was right to raise the issues. He is right to raise those issues, and he has raised them before with me. That is one of the reasons that we took the action. I took the action when I was health secretary to escalate NHS Forth Valley to the second highest level of escalation. Part of that reason was because of the complaints handling, because of the culture in NHS Forth Valley and because of the performance in relation to NHS Forth Valley. I did offer at the time when I was health secretary a meeting between Alexander Stewart and indeed the individual, Christine McLaughlin, who was hearing the oversight group. I do not know if that meeting has taken place. If it has not, I am more than happy to facilitate that from my office. There is an improvement plan in place. I think that we all recognise, given the nature of the challenges that NHS Forth Valley is facing, that the improvement plan will take time to embed. I am assured that the improvement is being made. I will get the latest update from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care after First Minister's questions, but if Alexander Stewart wishes to meet with the Cabinet Secretary to get a further update, we will make that happen. Now that the work of the short-life working group on buffer zones has concluded, does the First Minister agree that all of our collective focus should be on delivering national legislation as the most robust way to put buffer zones in place in Scotland, and that our collective aim should be to bring forward the final proposal for my member's bill before summer recess? I absolutely fully agree with that. I extend my thanks to the members of the working group for helping us to get to this point. Gillian Mackay is right, the focus should absolutely now be on that national approach. I can give an absolute commitment, although I know Gillian Mackay knows this, that we work closely with her on the member's bill. It is of incredible importance, and it is vital to ensure that women get safe access to healthcare. I am fully supportive, and the Government is fully supportive, of those safe access zones. I know that my officials have been working at pace with Gillian Martin on the development of the legislation. I am pleased to hear from her ambition around the introduction of that before summer recess. I look forward to engaging with her personally, as well as with the cabinet secretary and the ministers involved. More than 6,500 rapes and sexual assaults were reported to have taken place in hospitals in England and Wales between 2019 and 2022. However, Police Scotland does not record such data, and therefore we do not know the scale of the problem in Scottish hospital awards. A constituent has written to me, and she is rightly unsettled by this alarming oversight. First Minister, what action will this Government take to ensure that appropriate and accurate data is collected to identify the scale of the problem? I am also raising a very important matter indeed. I do not have the detail in front of me in relation to the data that is or is not collected, but I have promised that I am ghost liable to look and request as she has asked me to do what data is collected in this regard. If there is more that we can do and Police Scotland can do in relation to recording that data, I will ask and explore and I will write to the member with further detail. That concludes First Minister's questions. The next item of business is a member's business debate in the name of Bill Kidd. There will be a short suspension now to allow members to leave the chamber and public gallery.