 The next item of business is topical questions, and at question number one, I call Carol Mawkin. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the reported decision to delay the progress of all new NHS capital projects for up to two years, including the Air National Treatment Centre. Cabinet Secretary, Neil Gray. Thank you, Presiding Officer, and I thank Carol Mawkin for her question. The twin challenge of a UK Government cut to our capital grant over the next five years and unprecedented levels of inflation caused by Brexit, Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine and the handling of the UK economy has impacted our ability to fund capital projects. The 10 per cent real-terms cut to our capital budget is the equivalent to a reduction of £440 million a year by 20, 27, 28, and a cumulative reduction of £1.6 billion over the period. Unfortunately, that has meant that all NHS capital projects, including the National Treatment Centre and the Air, will be paused. Our emphasis now has to be on addressing backlog maintenance and essential equipment replacement. All capital projects are now under review, and I expect the Deputy First Minister to set out the results of that review in the coming weeks. The Deputy First Minister will also be writing to the chancellor ahead of the budget, asking him to reverse the cuts to our capital investment budget. Carol Mawkin. Thank you. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. He knows that I am no fan of the Tory Government at Westminster, but it is fair to say that after 17 years in power, patients and staff alike are starting to get fed up with this Government. That SNP Government deflects him, blames and responsibility. NHS Aresianarn has already purchased the character in sight, which will now lie unused. All the while patients in this health board area suffer on long waiting lists and have less provision close to home because of long-term underfunding. Will he be setting out a timescale for Parliament for getting the critical delivery of Air National Treatment Centre back on track, or will the people of Ayrshire just have to record this as yet another example of the SNP saying one thing and doing another? They need a time frame. Cabinet secretary. Thank you. I thank Carol Mawkin for her question. Obviously, I would rather have these projects going ahead for some of the reasons that Carol Mawkin sets out. I want to see an increased capacity and ability to address the needs of the people of Scotland through our NHS. However, the financial reality is that we are facing increased costs due to spiral inflation, driven to a large extent by the disastrous mini-budget, by trusts and quartine, but also a diminishing budget—£1.6 billion over the coming years. That is the consequences that we are discussing today. As I have set out, the Deputy First Minister will be returning to Parliament with a response to the review of all capital projects, and I would expect to be able to give her further information off the back of that. I thank the cabinet secretary. It is not just in Ayrshire, however, where the impact of these delays will be felt. Across Scotland, important promises have been broken. His constituents will have similar feelings to my own, as the SNP Government can't even deliver to Munklands hospital in the cabinet secretary's own backyard. These are promises made by the SNP Government. Patients wait for years on waiting lists, staff are working in buildings that are literally crumbling, and in response, rather than deliver the local health provision that they have promised, the SNP has put the brakes on developments that are critical to the future. If the Government cannot be trusted to deliver the project in the cabinet secretary's own backyard, we have to have the Parliament updated on what the timescale will be for those projects to be undertaken. I should set out in order to avoid a conflict of interest. I have refused myself from any Government decision making in relation to the Munklands replacement project, as Carle Mocken would expect as it is in my constituency. It is clear, however, from a briefing that I received in my constituency capacity from NHS Lanarkshire at the start of the month, that their work continues towards a full business case for this much-needed new hospital by 2031. The Deputy First Minister is going to be writing to the UK Chancellor asking for a reversal of the cut to the capital budget. That has a material impact on our ability to be able to invest in capital projects. £1.6 billion less over the coming years is a material factor in the decisions that we are having to take. I would obviously be keen to work with Carle Mocken on ensuring that an incoming UK Labour Government would seek to invest in our public services and our economy by reversing those cuts to capital projects. At the minute, it is an unsustainable position from Labour, as it just wants to follow the Tory spending plans. We have much interest from members, and I will insist on concise questions and responses. I call Stuart McMillan. In addition to the letter that the cabinet secretary spoke about, can the cabinet secretary provide an update regarding the Scottish Government's latest engagement with the UK Government with regard to the capital budget bearing in mind, and as the cabinet secretary has touched upon the UK Government's disastrous autumn statement, the Scottish Government's capital budget and the UK Government's reckless spending decisions have a substantial impact on capital investment. It is clear that we need to see the chancellor rectify the funding situation in the spring budget. Absolutely. I think that Stuart McMillan sets out the context of the situation that we are in very well. We saw a lack of investment from the autumn statement in public services. We took the decision to ensure that all the consequentials that we had available to us continue to be invested in public services, including a real-terms increase to our NHS and social care services. However, a reversal of the capital cuts coming forward would have a major impact on our ability to invest in what we need to in our NHS estate, as has been pointed out. The Deputy First Minister met the chief secretary to the Treasury last month and made clear that the UK Government must prioritise investment in public services and infrastructure over tax cuts in the forthcoming UK spring budget. Sharon Dowie. The delay to treatment centres in Ayrton across Scotland is unacceptable, especially given that Cardiff Glen was already at a working private hospital. The former health secretary, now the First Minister, announced the treatment centre at Cardiff Glen just before local elections. Yet again, we have another broken promise from the SNP and one that will have serious consequences for people in agony waiting for treatment in our NHS. Some people in Ayrshire think that this was just another election gimmick. Can the cabinet secretary promise that the treatment centre in Ayrshire will not be scrapped altogether? What does he have to say to people waiting for treatment like my constituent who urgently needs surgery or will be unable to continue caring for his wife? Obviously, I sympathise and I have great sympathy for anyone in that situation as has been set out by the member. We have just had two new national treatment centres come on track and two to come in the process of this year at the Golden Jubilee and NHS 4th valley, which will mean that we have got an increased capacity of 20,000 in those national treatment centres. I would have obviously wanted us to go further than that. That is what our plan was. The financial reality of increased costs due to spiralling UK inflation has cut to our budget of £1.6 billion over the coming years. That means that we have to review our couple capital projects going forward. Kate Forbes. Fully appreciating the capital settlement for the Scottish Government from the UK Government is absolutely dire. This news could not have happened at a worse point because in Fort William progress has finally been made on planning for a new Belford after years of being promised one. NHS Highland has been asked to suspend the work. Even if there is no capital yet to build the hospital, which we accept because of the settlement, would the Scottish Government at least allow the planning process, Reba 3, to progress so that the work-to-date around planning is not wasted? Thank you, Presiding Officer. I thank Kate Forbes for what I think is a very sensible approach. We are absolutely engaged on that issue at the moment and we will certainly seek to take that suggestion that Kate Forbes has made forward. It is essential that NHS boards continue to plan for how they will improve and reform services and will remain committed to supporting them in that process. I go back to the point that many capital projects across the country are under threat, not because of anything that the Scottish Government has done, but because of the UK Government's disastrous management of the economy as well as the 10 per cent cut to our budget, £1.6 billion over the coming years, which will impact not just on health projects, but on capital projects across the country. Once again, we appeal to the UK Government to use the spring budget next month to reverse that devastating cut to allow us to see those important health capital projects go ahead. Edward Mountain. Thank you, Presiding Officer. The Scottish Government, to solve the Murray maternity issue, promised £5 million investment in Raigmore's maternity unit. That is now on hold. I do not see what the Government is going to say to Kate Neth from others, who might have to travel four hours in labour to get to a maternity hospital in Aberdeen or Perth. Will the cabinet secretary work with me to see if there is a way of resolving this issue and making sure the investment in Raigmore, which is long overdue, is continued? Cabinet secretary. I appreciate the question from Edward Mountain and I well appreciate the situation that he has described as incredibly challenging. I cannot give a direct commitment in terms of the investment of Raigmore, but I can commit to his suggestion of working with him to see if there is anything more that can be done to ameliorate some of the difficulties that women in his region are facing, and I would be more than happy to follow up in due course with him on that point. Alex Cole-Hamilton. Thank you, Presiding Officer. We have heard about the Belford hospital in Lochaber. There is the reprovisioning of the Cathinas general. There is also the reprovisioning of the Princess Alexandra eye pavilion in Edinburgh. All of those are much-needed projects. All of them already delayed, and it amounts to nothing more than a hard stop on these much-needed projects by this Government in the public having nothing, none of it, when it comes to the excuses offered. When it comes to the national treatment centre, the cabinet secretary will know that the Government pledged that these would be conducting 40,000 inpatient procedures a year from next year. With the hard stop put on those treatment centres, what does he have to say in terms of the impact that will have on his Government's efforts to drive down waiting times? Cabinet Secretary. I don't disagree with the assessment of these projects being much-needed. As I said to Carol Mocken, I absolutely agree that if we had the finance available, we would be deploying it. That's absolutely clear. Alex Cole-Hamilton, as others across the chamber, cannot ignore the financial reality that we've got increasing costs and a diminished budget because of decisions that have been taken elsewhere. I would be keen to work with Alex Cole-Hamilton to try to persuade UK ministers to reverse the capital costs, the capital cuts, rather than trying to lay the blame at the Scottish Government, which is doing all it can, to invest in those projects. In terms of the national treatment centres, they are going to be delivering an increased capacity of 20,000 elective surgery cases. It's not where we want it to be. We want to have all those national treatment centres up and running, which is why we need a reversal to the cuts to our budget. Annabelle Ewing. I welcome the cabinet secretary to his new post, and I wish him very well indeed. In light of the current financial challenges that I've outlined this afternoon by the cabinet secretary, it seems to me that it is sadly inevitable that a prioritisation of current capital projects in the health sector will now require to be made. Cabinet secretary, given that the Scottish Government first promised a new medical centre for Lachgelli in 2011, surely it must be Lachgelli's turn now. Cabinet secretary. I thank Annabelle Ewing for her question and for her kind wishes, which I appreciate. I also appreciate the situation that she faces in her constituency with regard to the project that she describes in Lachgelli. I have no doubt as a strong constituency advocate that she is that she'll continue to make that case and I'll be more than happy, as I've offered to others, to have a discussion around what may be possible. At the moment, all capital projects across Government are under review, as she is aware. The Deputy First Minister will be returning with the results of that review, which will set out the trajectory for our capital investments going forward. Graham Simpson. The full business case for the replacement Monkland hospital will be ready next year, we're told. That is a year late. Can the cabinet secretary promise that we'll have a new hospital open in 2031, as we were promised? As I've already set out in response to a question from Carol Mocken, I have recused myself from decision making on a Government perspective in relation to the Monkland replacement project because it rests within my constituency, as Graham Simpson would expect. I know that he was on the same call with NHS Lanarkshire that I was at the start of this month in my constituency capacity, where they set out that progress continues to be made towards that full business case for that much-needed hospital by 2031. Fulton MacGregor. I appreciate the cabinet secretary's answer to Graham Simpson on the Monkland hospital, but he will be aware, like I am, that there is great concern among constituents, given the news yesterday. He will also be aware of the urgent need for a new Monkland hospital. He was also on the same call with NHS Lanarkshire, who seems confident that the project will go ahead. Can I ask what discussions the Government has had in relation to the new Monkland hospital? I thank Fulton MacGregor for that question and also for reiterating the fact that this is a much-needed project. I have a constituency interest in that, so I have had to recuse myself from a Government decision making perspective in it. I will make sure that Fulton MacGregor gets a written update from a Government perspective from one of my ministerial colleagues to ensure that he is kept up-to-date, but his understanding from that meeting with NHS Lanarkshire is the one that I share. Question 2, Liam Kerr. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether the A96 will be dualled from Inverness to Aberdeen. Minister Fiona Hyslop. We remain committed to improving the A96, including dualling Inverness to Nairn and the Nairn bypass, despite a worst-case scenario for Scotland following the UK autumn statement. I am acutely aware of the importance of the route to those living along the corridor and our current plans are to fully dual the route. As part of this process we are undertaking the corridor review which, through initial consultation, generated 11,000 improvement options. It is only right that these are fully appraised. I am expecting draft outcomes from the review to be ready for a final public consultation in the coming months before reaching a final decision. Liam Kerr. In 2011, the SNP promised that the A96 would be dualled in full by 2030. No ifs, no buts, no climate corridor review. Cabinet Secretary, 11 people have been killed and 69 seriously injured on the A96 in the last four years with two more tragically lost just last week. It turns out that this Government has spent just £800,000 on road safety improvements in that time, but £5 million on its climate review. Does the cabinet secretary have any concerns that spending over five times as much on a climate review as on saving people's lives might suggest that the central belt-focused Government has its priorities wrong? Minister. I express my condolences to the families following the two fatalities following the accident on 12 February at Redhill in Vernes. I can relate that only last year £610,000 was spent on road maintenance and safety. I can also relate to the member that in total there has been 31 million pounds spent on the development and the planning and all the design work necessary particularly for the dualling aspect of that road in Vernes. However, as we have already heard in answers today, if we have a UK Government that has not invested in infrastructure, has cut infrastructure, not just for Scotland but for the rest of the world... Members, let's hear the minister. ...and if we also have a Labour Party that would want to continue that financial position, that puts capital infrastructure whether it is in the central belt, whether it is in the north of Scotland, whether it is in the highlands or the north east at a very difficult position. I will continue the job in ensuring that the review develops and also the important work on the A96 in Vernes there and why pass continues. Liam Kerr. Of course, the question was not about how much has been spent but about the £800,000 spent on road safety improvements. That is pitiful. Cabinet Secretary, over the weekend the Northern Scotland reported that the promise to the A96 by 2030 was abandoned more than three years ago. FOIs suggest that the disgraced former transport minister Michael Matheson ensured that the public was not told of this. So let me ask this Cabinet Secretary clearly and concisely a yes or no question. Will the SNP, the A96, in full by 2030 as was promised? Minister. The SNP Government will respect the review that is taking place, respect all those thousands of people who have inputted into that. Let us hear the minister. Our current plans are to dual the A96 but in particular the A96 dualling between Inverness and Naern is a priority as the member well knows. Fergus Ewing. On 19 February 2021 the then Cabinet Secretary Michael Matheson announced that the made orders for the nearby bypass and the dual section of the A96 from Inverness would be made, would be issued that summer. Three years on they still haven't been made. What is three year delay being deliberate as a means of ensuring that the Scottish Government don't have to spend the money on delivering their promise for a nearby bypass for which my constituents have waited over 15 years? If the cabinet secretary refutes that proposition will she now publish a detailed plan setting out and when it will be completed? Minister. As I advised Mr Ewing during our recent meeting, Transport Scotland is pressing forward with the significant work and it is significant work required to publish the made orders for the A96 inverness to Naern including near bypass. I look forward to that happening in the first quarter of 2024 which also includes provision for the compulsory purchase orders to complete the statutory process for the scheme. Delivery of the scheme, as he well knows can only commence if approved under the relevant statutory authorisation process and thereafter a timetable for progress can be set in line with available budgets. Rhoda Grant. Cabinet secretary is again given a commitment to dualling the A96 from Inverness to Naern including the Naern bypass. It is a surprise to discover through an FOI that only one piece of land has been bought thus far at Milton of Culloden and that no other compulsory purchase orders had been made. Cabinet secretary, can you tell us how much land she will require to be purchased for this piece of work and when it will be completed? Minister. As I have relayed in previous answers there is a statutory process there is a stage process for that work that is required. The made orders will enable the compulsory purchase orders for that section to be delivered and we expect to announce that in the first quarter of 2024 which is very very soon indeed. That concludes topical questions. The next item of business is a debate on motions 12210 and 12211 in the name of Humza Yousaf on appointment of Scottish ministers and junior Scottish ministers who wish to speak in the debate to press their request to speak buttons.