 Felly, llawer i'r adwytu gyntaf, a wnawn i'r pethau thwrns Cymru, Daniel Johnson. I ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce waiting time at the Edinburgh royal infamory. The Scottish Government is actively working to provide support to ensure that significant progress is made to help all boards, including NHS Lothian, to deliver better capacity planning to meet demand and ensure that all patients are seen and treated as quickly The baseline allocation of NHS Lothian has increased a total of 1.3 billion in 2017-18. In addition to this increase, the board will also receive an additional £19 million of NRAC parity funding, the largest increase of any NHS board in Scotland. We have already committed to invest £200 million over the next three years to create a network of five new elective diagnostic and treatment centres across Scotland, including in Edinburgh and Livingston. Those centres will enable people to be treated more quickly and will help to meet increasing demand whilst easing the pressures on unplanned and emergency treatment. Daniel Johnson. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer, but the reality on the ground, as reported in the press, is that doctors at the royal infirmary have been being told to send patients home in order to avert a crisis there. Patients are having to wait 17 hours in A&E. Can you imagine waiting 17 hours with an injury in a waiting room waiting to be seen? Does the cabinet secretary agree with Scotland's former lead condition, Dr Anna Greger, that NHS Scotland under the SNP is hurtling over a precipice and has been starved of cash under the SNP? Those are direct quotes. What assurances can she give me and my constituencies that the waiting-less crisis at the royal infirmary and right across Scotland will end? First of all, I say to Daniel Johnson that the NHS, including NHS Lothian, has record levels of resources. However, demand is also increasing and that is why the reforms that we are putting in place are so important. Daniel Johnson conflated a number of issues in his question, but let me address the one about the A&E waits, which, quite rightly, were not acceptable. We do not want any long waits in A&E in whatever hospital. The board has offered their assurance that they quickly recovered their A&E performance following what was higher than average attendances in the infirmary on Thursday 20 April after the Easter break. What I can say to Daniel Johnson, which will hopefully reassure him, is that the latest published weekly performance for the Edinburgh royal infirmary was 95.4 per cent for the week ending 16 April and 93.9 per cent for the week ending 23 April. I hope that he will accept that the performance, in a general sense at the Edinburgh royal infirmary on the A&E department, is actually a very good one. Yes, they did have a surge in demand after the Easter break, but those figures speak for themselves and I would hope that he would support the action that the board has taken. He raises an issue about delayed discharge and makes sure that, when there is a surge in demand, it is the responsibility of the whole hospital and their social care partners to ensure that people who are ready for discharge are discharged in a timely manner to make sure that that does not lead to unnecessary waits within the A&E department. We would expect everyone within the hospital and the social care partners to get behind and address issues when there is a surge in demand. I would be very happy to provide Daniel Johnson with more detail if he wants around the action that NHS Lothian is taking to address these matters. To ask the Scottish Government why its land and buildings transaction tax will generate £800 million less than its original estimate. That £800 million figure is deliberately misleading. The latest published data shows that the land and buildings transaction tax revenues across 2015-16 and 2016-17 were close to forecast. The Scottish Government has used the Scotland reserve to manage volatility in receipts across years, reflecting prudent financial management. The Scottish Government's forecasts were based on the best information available at the time of the forecast and have been endorsed by the independent Scottish Fiscal Commission as reasonable. When that information changes due to the changes in the economy or changes to the forecast methodology, developed in light of feedback from the Scottish Fiscal Commission, then the tax forecast will be revised to reflect us. Alison Harris A recent study by ALMA Economics, commissioned by the Scottish Government, described the Scottish Government's LBTT modelling as, ill-suited for scenario analysis and fiscal impact costing and also poor. What is the Scottish Government doing to ensure that its tax modelling is fit for purpose going forward? I am sorry to say that Alison Harris has not fairly characterised the information that we have. I am sure that, as prudent as Alison Harris is, she has checked the report that I have done and it provides analysis of the range of forecast methodology to go through its various determinants. It actually concluded that our system is good. That was the overall assessment of that particular type of methodology. I would say again that the £800 million figure is totally inaccurate. I said that our forecasts were very close within range. The actual figures over both financial years were forecast £919 million, out turn £906 million. That is a 1 per cent of a difference over both years. I know that Alison Harris is an accountant. We will know that it is easier to count up what you have already collected. It is much more difficult to forecast ahead, but I think in anyone's book that that range of forecasting is somewhat impressive. What is more, there has been turbulence in the economy, including the downturn in oil and gas, and Brexit impacts in terms of that response. Of course, forecasts will change. Of course, we will take that into account, including when the responsibility for forecasting transfers to the Scottish Fiscal Commission, who can determine its methodology. That is why the report that was commissioned in light of recommendations will be so helpful. To further reassure Alison Harris and other members, when the Government had more devolved taxes than we had projected, we put it in the cash reserve to ensure that it was there in the event of receiving less than had been forecasted. I think that all those actions show that the Scottish Government is managing Scotland's public finances very well. What percentage of purchases paid the same or less in LBTT compared to under stamp duty land tax since its introduction? I can advise the chamber that, for the first two years of LBTT, almost 93 per cent who bought a house for £40,000 or more, either paid less tax compared to UK SDLT or no tax whatsoever. Mike Rumbles To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the cost of delivering 100 per cent broadband coverage by 2021 and how much it has invested in this programme to date. Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, it is not yet possible to determine the cost to the public sector of delivering our 100 per cent super-fast broadband commitment. That will be determined through the procurement process, which will start later this year. A key driver is to maximise investment from suppliers, which will reduce the cost to the public purse. We are currently pre-procurement, so there has been no capital investment in the reaching 100 per cent programme to date. However, we have provisioned to invest up to £112 million during 2017-18 to improve digital infrastructure across Scotland. The funding will support the final phases of the £400 million digital Scotland super-fast broadband programme, which will deliver 95 per cent fibre broadband coverage across Scotland, enable new activity to begin on delivery of our 100 per cent super-fast broadband commitment and our mobile infill plans. The funding is in addition to the £18 million being reinvested through the two DSSB contracts as a result of gain share. Mike Rumbles Well, considering that off-com believes that it will cost up to another £250 million to reach everyone with super-fast broadband by 2021, by what date will Parliament be told how much of the Scottish Government's budget is contributing to this programme? Does he have confidence that his colleague the Finance Minister will be forthcoming with all the necessary funds? I have supreme confidence in my colleague. As was evidenced by his forecast of very difficult matter to an accuracy of 1 per cent, quite an outstanding success. Just the shame that others are not so childish that they cannot recognise that. Off-com, Mr Rumbles mentioned, recognised that success in Scotland in delivery of broadband has exceeded by some measure the performance of our friends down south. When will we deliver it? We will make progress over the summer and we will proceed with procurement at the end of this year, beginning of next year. As I informed Mr Rumbles in a 90-minute session of evidence just this morning, we will keep him fully informed. Stuart Stevenson Given that telecommunications is a reserved matter, can the cabinet secretary inform us when he last met UK Government ministers to discuss their role in achieving 100 per cent super-fast broadband in Scotland? I have sought a meeting with the relevant UK minister, who is called Matt Hancock, first in a letter in October, then in a letter in January, then in a letter in February. To date, he has not agreed to a meeting. We have not yet had the Hancock's half hour, if that is what it is to be called. I think that, to be serious, it is disrespectful that the UK minister will not meet us to discuss serious matters of real importance to Scotland. It does not really suggest that they care for Scotland a great deal, does it? Jamie Greene A contrary to what the cabinet secretary has just said in this chamber, is it not the case that the £412 million being invested in broadband in Scotland, only 15 per cent of that funding came from the Scottish Government? In fact, more than £100 million came from the UK Government. I wonder if the cabinet secretary would instead join me quite cheerily in welcoming this UK Government investment in Scotland's digital infrastructure. I always struggle to be cheerful, despite the provocation that we have in this place. Of course, as a lawyer, I remind the member that, in fact, if he reads the Scotland Act 2005, he will find, at paragraph C5, that it states quite clearly that responsibility for investment in broadband, internet and mobile telephony rests entirely with the use of broadband. The UK Government entirely, 100 per cent. Therefore, the fact that he is asking me to be grateful that they are contributing about a quarter of the total seems to me to suggest that the Tories are not fit to stand up for Scotland. Mary Fee To ask the Scottish Government how leaving the EU will impact on third sector funding in West Scotland region. Michael Russell Presiding Officer, EU funding benefits the third sector across Scotland significantly, including in the member's region. While we have been assured that funding contracts for structural funds projects that are entered into before the UK leaves the EU will be paid in full, there are no guarantees on European funding streams after the UK leaves the EU. In order to address this uncertainty, the Scottish Government has confirmed that it will be passing on the current UK Government guarantees in full to Scottish stakeholders to provide stability and certainty for key sectors of the Scottish economy. The Scottish Government will continue to do all that it can to protect Scotland's interests in Europe during the UK negotiations to leave the European Union. Mary Fee I thank the minister for that answer. Despite his reassurances, third sector organisations across West Scotland and Scotland continue to be worried about the impact of funding being withdrawn. On leaving the EU, it is clear that new funding streams and mechanisms for delivery will have to be developed. Post Brexit, does the Government support a UK-wide cohesion programme or a distinct Scottish system? Does it envisage that that will be subject to the Barnett formula? Will the minister give a commitment to ensure that third sector is closely involved in establishing any new funding programme? I cannot only give that commitment. I can demonstrate it. I met with the SCVO yesterday for the second time in recent months to discuss issues to do with funding of the third sector. I will be working with them on an event in Brussels in June. I have given a commitment to ensure that there is further engagement with them and others to look at the situation not just in Scotland but, interestingly, as a member raises, across the UK. The constant complaint from the third sector is that it can get no information from the current UK Government and it cannot even get meetings with the current UK Government much as the difficulty that Fergus Ewing has experienced in trying to get those meetings. I can give a commitment to the member that we will continue to engage with the third sector nationally and locally. We will engage with the third sector outside Scotland to discuss with them how funding should be developed because there are really serious risks, as the member indicates. I will also make those representations to the UK Government and also in Brussels. Maurice Corry To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of its expenditure for the third sector is now being delivered on a three-year rolling funding structure. Minister, I am happy to write to the member with that information but none of it will be delivered on a three-year funding structure if the EU is not involved in funding key third sector projects. I would commend to Mr Corry and to other Conservatives that they focus on the issue of ensuring that money continues to flow from the European Union rather than the ideological nonsense that they are presently engaged in. Question 5, Patrick Harvie. Thank you to ask the Scottish Government what it considers to be the fairest system for councils to raise local revenue. We are committed to ensuring fairness in all taxes. As the First Minister reiterated to the chamber on April 20, the Government is willing to discuss across the political spectrum and with council administrations the length and breadth of the country matters relating to local taxation. Patrick Harvie Well, there was no chance, I am relieved to say that the cabinet secretary was going to say council tax. After election, after election, after election the SNP has stood on a commitment to scrap the unfair hated council tax. Now that the Government is consulting on its Scottish approach to taxation with four key principles, it seems abundantly clear that council tax, as it stands, is not only broken and antique but is also out of step with the Government's own taxation principles. Does the cabinet secretary agree that the councillors who are elected later this week in councils up and down Scotland should not be consigned to seeing their revenue come from this broken system of taxation but should have available to them a new modern replacement system of council tax or of local taxation, which will be legislated for during this session of Parliament? Well, I wish all candidates the very best of luck in the council elections that Patrick Harvie has mentioned. I look forward to working with local authorities and the Convention of Scottish Leadership as well. In these matters as well as all parties in Parliament in the spirit of the debate that we had on 22 September, where I said that the Parliament supports continuing discussion by all parties with local government and wider society of measures to improve progressivity and local finance. I look forward to working with local government and wider society of measures to improve progressivity and local finance. I look forward to working with local government and wider society of measures to improve progressivity and local finance.