 Ydw i'n gweithio y cwmprorau ysgolwyr r์c διαrwy星 t Willow mw nessaid yr sicr wedi cyfle ioli powdern, mae'n edrych ar y cyfle ioli powdern o'r unrhyw ar gyfer pyth�on. MakLetwch Ionill iansiau amser mwy o gwaith yllure manusyn, iolodau ddweud ar y cyfle ioli cadLAUn i meryастyr gennym. Rydえてort운 ni'n rwy'r sleidgartau ifadau iwi'n letsig, ond mae'n rhywun iア搞 BCDis. powers and indeed the missions of the Government that I lead. Being First Minister is called courses not without itsChallegs. It is fair to say. But not to standing that, is the honour of my life. In my very first speech after the result was announced, I made it clear to the people of Scotland's priority will of course be my priorities to. I have been clear from the outset that I intend on governing in the interests of the whole of Scotland and I hope that today's policy perspective that has been published is a demonstration of that. In setting out our course for the next three years we are acknowledging as we must that Scotland faces genuinely difficult challenges. Our economy and our public services are still recovering from a global pandemic. We are in the midst of a cost crisis, made worse, of course, by the UK Government's economic mismanagement, which is harming people and hurting businesses right across the country. We need to play our part in addressing the global crisis of climate change and, indeed, natural loss. We are also, and this is worth stressing, facing the most difficult public spending environment that, as this devolved Parliament has clearly ever seen. The inflationary shocks created by a hard Brexit, a global pandemic, the war in Ukraine, disastrous decisions taken as part of the UK Government's many budget have all placed great pressure on the public finances. Our ability to deal with that pressure is being constrained by UK Government spending decisions and, of course, a lack of borrowing powers. In fact, the cost to Scotland of Westminster control and the cost of not being independent has never been clearer. UK living standards have stagnated for 15 years. Indeed, the fall in living standards this year and the next is expected to be the largest on record. According to the IMF, the UK is to be amongst the worst performing of any major economy this year. The disastrous impact of Brexit, supported by both the Tories and Labour, is biting hard. As a result, we have to make really tough decisions about our priorities. I will be unapologetic about making those difficult decisions to ensure that we free up money and resources to target those who are in the greatest need. Where we can, we will go even further within the constraints of devolution. Where we can go further, I absolutely will. However, for all the significant challenges that we face—and they are significant—we also know that we can build on the important successes. Scotland currently outperforms the UK on unemployment rate, with the unemployment rate for men over 16 at the lowest on record. NHS waiting times are court backlogs improving following the pandemic. Despite the public spending climate, we have expanded free childcare provision and introduced the game-changing Scottish child payment. Of course, Scotland continues to have a highly skilled workforce, world-class universities, colleges and huge potential in some of the key economic sectors of the future. The Scottish Government is today publishing the policy perspectives, new leadership and a fresh start for Scotland, which will set out how this Government—the Government I lead—will address our challenges, build on the successes of the past but also capitalise on our strengths. It sets out the key aims, the key deliverables that we intend to achieve in each Cabinet Secretary's portfolio—working constructively, of course, with our Green Party colleagues. Throughout the next three years, we will report routinely, regularly and transparently, on our performance against those aims and against those outcomes. The report also emphasises that this Government's work will be defined by three distinct and interdependent missions. Those missions, centred on the principles of equality, opportunity and community, require us to tackle poverty, to build a fair, green and indeed a growing economy and to improve our public services. They will be central to our efforts over the next three years to improve the lives of the people of Scotland. The first mission, based on equality, is that we will continue to tackle poverty in all its forms and that we will substantially reduce child poverty in particular. Immediately, inevitably, we will be on protecting people as far as we possibly can, from the harm inflicted by the UK Government policies and the on-going cost of living crisis. That means that we will often choose to target spending so that it will benefit those who need it the most. That is one reason why the very first action that I undertook as First Minister was to increase the fuel insecurity fund to £30 million. Over the next three years, we will also invest a further £1.3 billion in the Scottish child payment. We will further develop our social security system and ensure that it continues to treat people with dignity, with fairness and respect. We will expand the provision of free-skill meals. We will reduce the number of children who go into care and will keep our promise to those who are care experience. We will work to ensure that drug death will reduce over the next three years. We will recognise just how crucial housing is to our aspirations of a fairer country. We will continue to work with local government to reduce the number of people living in temporary accommodation and subject, of course, to the will of this Parliament. We will legislate to secure a new deal for tenants and to introduce duties to prevent homelessness. We will invest to make homes in buildings greener and we will continue to deliver affordable homes, the majority of which will be for social rent in all parts of our country. We will also publish an action plan for housing in remote, rural and island areas. I can confirm today that this plan will include up to £25 million from our affordable homes budget to allow suitable properties, including empty homes, to be purchased or, indeed, long leased and turned into affordable homes for key workers and others. We will also engage with the public to explore how best we can use our existing taxation powers to deliver the most progressive taxation system in the UK and achieve the Government's three missions, which I talked to today. Scotland is a wealthy country, but that wealth is not distributed evenly. To tackle poverty, we need to be even bolder on taxation and the redistribution of wealth. That is why I will convene an anti-poverty summit, inviting experts, academics and anti-poverty campaigners, those with lived experience. I will also invite, of course, Opposition colleagues, as I believe that tackling poverty is a shared priority for us all. We will continue to support equality, inclusion and human rights, too. We will implement more of the recommendations of the National Advisory Council on women and girls. I take great pride in being the First Minister from an ethnic minority background. I know that my rights are very much interdependent on the rights of others. The Government I lead will not only protect the rights of minorities where possible, but we will also advance them, particularly for those who are the most marginalised in our society. During the parliamentary term, we will bring forward a human rights bill to incorporate within the limit, of course, of our devolved competence international standards on economic, social, cultural and environmental rights. That is, of course, stark contrast to a UK Government that pursues divisive immigration policies. It risks denying sanctuary to people during their hour of need. We will continue to support those who come to Scotland fleeing war and, indeed, fleeing persecution, and we will continue to support the many thousands of people who have come from Ukraine during the last year for as long as Scotland is their home. They will be welcomed here and they will be supported. Through those actions and many more, we will make significant progress towards making Scotland a fairer country during the next three years. However, we know that our ambition to make Scotland fairer must go hand in hand with our work to make Scotland more prosperous. That is why the second national mission is based on the principle of opportunity, using all the powers that we have to the maximum effect, to support economic growth for a purpose, to help businesses and trade to thrive and to maximise the opportunity for a fair green economy. A crucial part of that is about making a just transition to net zero. We will never do to oil and gas workers in the north-east of Scotland what Thatcher did to our mining and steel communities. We will take the workers of the north-east, we will take the workers of the north-east and, indeed, the whole of Scotland with us on our just transition journey. We will harness the huge potential of the green economy in Scotland. The Scotland programme on its own, for example, offers the potential of £28 billion of supply chain work-based in Scotland. Our renewable energy resources will also help us to develop a new hydrogen sector, which is why a focus for the next three years is to lay the foundations for a hydrogen supply chain in Scotland. We will also continue to support innovation and entrepreneurship. Through policies such as our investment in new-tech scalar hubs, we hope to make Scotland one of the leading nations in Europe for business startups. We will also develop centres of excellence for sectors such as green technologies, health and life sciences, digital industry and advanced manufacturing. As we do that, we will seek to support economic growth and ensure that wealth is far more evenly distributed. We will continue to invest in skills so that people are able to take advantage of new opportunities. We will encourage growth in every part of Scotland by working with local and regional partners. In setting out our plans for the economy, I also want to make a broader point about the Government's relationship with our business community. I am the proud son of a business owner. In fact, just this month, my dad's business turned 40 years old. Despite our family efforts to the contrary, Mr Ews of Senior has no plans to retire just yet, but businesses and small businesses in particular are the backbone of our economy. Government support for business is essential for the delivery of a wellbeing economy. We need businesses to grow to create those good, well-paying jobs that will enable us to reinvest in initiatives to eradicate poverty. We also rely on businesses and workers to pay taxes that our public services rely on. That is why there has never been a conflict to my mind between supporting our economy to grow in line with our net zero ambitions and introducing policies such as progressive taxation, which enables us to reduce poverty. Both go hand in hand as part of that wellbeing economy that many of us support. We also need some Government regulation of business. The business community itself recognises that an unrestricted market is incompatible with the wellbeing of our people, our communities and, of course, our environment. However, the balance here needs to be right. A number of business organisations have expressed concern in recent months about the balance that the Scottish Government has been striking. In fact, they have called for a reset of the relationship between business and government. I am happy to start that reset today. I want to do so by confirming three specific steps. The first relates to the deposit return scheme. I remain committed to the scheme as a way to increase recycling, to reduce litter on our streets and beaches and help to achieve our net zero ambitions. However, we recognise the uncertainty that continues to be created as a result of the UK Government delaying the decision to exclude the scheme from the internal market act. Of course, we had hoped for a decision on that this week, but it has not come. At the same time, I and the circular economy minister have heard the concerns of business, particularly about the scheme's readiness for launch this August. As a result, we will now delay the launch of the scheme to 1 March 2024. I am pleased that I have universal support around the chamber. That provides 10 months for businesses to get ready. We will use that additional time, of course, to work with business and circularity Scotland to address the concerns with the schemes. Excuse me, First Minister. I have given a bit of latitude, but it is getting quite noisy. That is okay, Presiding Officer. They are really excited about the policy perspective that I am bringing forward to this chamber today. I have always said that I will reach across the political divide where necessary. We will use that additional time to work with businesses and circularity Scotland to address concerns with the scheme and ensure a successful launch next year. We have also developed a package of measures to simplify and de-risk the scheme and to support small businesses and hospitality in particular. The circular economy minister will provide further details to Parliament this week on the package of the new timetable and our engagement with the UK Government over the critical decisions that we need to make to allow the scheme to proceed in terms of the exemption of the Internal Market Act. The second step relates to the Scottish Government's consultation on restrictions to alcohol advertising. The aim of the consultation to reduce the harm caused by alcohol to children is not just admirable, it is one that I support wholeheartedly, but it is clear that some of the proposals have caused real concern to an industry that is already facing challenges on multiple fronts. I have therefore instructed my officials to take those ideas back to the drawing board, work with industry and, crucially, public health stakeholders to agree a new set of proposals. I believe that all of us want to reduce the harm caused by alcohol, particularly to young people. However, without undermining Scotland's world-class drinks industry or tourism sector, I am hopeful that, by taking a fresh look at this issue, we can find a way forward that achieves both of those crucial aims. Finally, I have written to key business representative groups and asked them to engage in urgent discussions with the Scottish Government to agree a new deal for Scottish businesses. Those discussions will be chaired jointly by the Cabinet Secretary for the Well-being Economy and a representative of the business sector. The discussions will explore, among other things, how the Government can better support businesses and communities using the policy levers that we have, including non-domestic rates. I have asked the co-chairs to report back to me with initial thoughts this summer. I trust that those three steps will be welcomed individually by Scotland's business community, but I hope that, collectively, they will also send a broader signal about the Government's approach to business. The Government knows that Scotland can only be successful if our businesses are successful, and so, as First Minister, my door will always be open to you. We might not always agree, but I will always give you a fair hearing, and I will seek to address your concerns wherever possible. All three of the missions that I am setting out today depend on the thriving business sector in Scotland, so the Government, I lead, will do everything that we can to help you to prosper. The third and last of our missions, which is based on community, is to focus on the delivery of key public services. For example, the NHS in social care, schools and childcare, the police and justice and public transport. The NHS in the last three years has faced the greatest challenge in its 74-year existence. Its staff have performed magnificently in the face of the pandemic. We will invest in the NHS to help it to recover from the pandemic so that, over the next three years, waiting lists will fall. The outcomes for cancer treatment will improve. We will continue to support primary care. We will invest more in general practice, particularly in the most disadvantaged areas of the country. We will also improve mental health and welfare for support and secure better access to NHS dentistry. We are also committed to improving social care services and reducing delayed discharge. I know well the workforce challenges that the adult social care sector in particular faces. That is why I commit to a timetable that sets out how this Government will get to £10 an hour for adult social care workers. While we are not able to afford to do this absolutely immediately, I want to send a signal to the sector that we are absolutely serious about improving pay, about improving terms and conditions for those who care for our most vulnerable. A key way of improving consistency of care is, of course, through the national care service, in a way that commands consensus amongst our key partners, including trade unions and local government. Yesterday, I confirmed that we would ask and seek from Parliament an extension to the scrutiny process for the legislation that will help us to build that consensus. The aim of the national care service legislation, ensuring that consistently high standard of care right across the country, is one that attracts wide support. My hope is that, by taking slightly more time to agree a way forward, we can ensure that we agree and achieve that aim. We will also continue to ensure that staff in our health and care services are valued and that they are fairly paid. As things stand, Scotland is the only part of the UK where no NHS worker has gone on strike during the last year. That is something that I am proud of and I am grateful for. The Scottish Government will soon enter into talks with junior doctors in the hope of arriving at a fair settlement for them. As well as supporting our NHS and care services, we will continue to invest in other key public services. In the justice system, the backlog of court cases caused by the pandemic is already decreasing. I will continue to fall during the next three years. We will continue to implement important improvements in our justice system, such as better handling of cases involving sexual offences. We will improve childcare for school-aged children. I will accelerate the expansion of childcare for one and two-year-olds. We will continue to focus on closing the poverty-related attainment gap in schools while raising the attainment for all. We will improve experiences and outcomes for children, for young people and their families who use and need that additional support for learning. As part of our efforts to improve school education, we will increase the availability of internationally comparable data on Scotland's educational performance. Scotland already participates in the widely respected PISA studies. We also know that we will apply to rejoin two major international statistics systems—trends in international mass and science and progress in international reading literacy. We will also make our public transport system more accessible and more available and more affordable. As an important part of that, I can confirm today that the six-month pilot to remove peak-time fares from ScotRail will start in October of this year. The evidence of the pilot and a wider fair fares review will allow us to bring forward further targeted measures from next year onwards to ensure that the costs of transport are more fairly shared. As part of that commitment to active travel, we will also ensure our investment to deliver more places where people can walk, where they can wheel and cycle safely for day-to-day journeys increases. We will double the charge point network for electric vehicles to at least 6,000 and increase the number of zero-emission buses on Scotland's roads. We will deliver six new major vessels to serve Scotland's ferry network. The final point that I want to highlight is that local government is a vital partner in delivering the services that all of us rely on. We intend to agree and implement a new deal for local government to help us to work together more effectively. Part of that is about giving local authorities far more discretion on sources of funding. As we have previously confirmed subject to Parliament's approval, we will legislate to give councils the power to apply a local visitor levy on overnight stays. As we launched a consultation yesterday on measures that will give local authorities additional powers to increase the rate of council tax in second and empty properties, the consultation also seeks views on altering the threshold for self-catering accommodation to qualify for non-domestic rates. The consultation has come about as a result of effective joint working between the Scottish Government and local government. I hope that it demonstrates to local authorities that we see them as an essential partner in helping to achieve our ambitions for Scotland in years to come. When I was elected as party leader, I promised that I would never pretend that government is easy, but it is not. I would not offer empty promises in the face of really difficult challenges. The document that we are publishing today sets out our determination to honour that commitment. It is built on the idea of working in partnership with business, with trade unions, with local government, with our third sector and, of course, our green colleagues in government. It recognises the financial constraints that we operate under. It is realistic about the social, the economic and the environmental challenges that we face, but that realism is also balanced by optimism about our ability to meet those challenges. Scotland is a land of opportunity. I am very proud of that fact. I am proud to be a product of that. My grandparents came to this country in the 1960s, barely speaking English—little money in their pockets, despite the challenges that they faced. At times, they faced hostility due to the background. They overcame those barriers and provided a life for their children and for their grandchildren that I will forever be grateful for. It is my responsibility as First Minister to ensure that every family in Scotland has that equality of opportunity, regardless of their background or where they live in Scotland. I am optimistic that we can achieve that equality of opportunity. The three missions that I have set out today will determine the priorities of the Government that I lead for the rest of this parliamentary session and help us to achieve that. Together, we will be focused on the delivery. We will ensure that we have an affordable, ambitious measures in place that protect our environment, protect business prosperity, improve people's wellbeing and reduce poverty. We will ensure that the actions that we take over the next three years stand Scotland in good stead for the next decade to come. We will use our present, very significant strength to deliver a fresh start for Scotland. The First Minister will now take questions on the issues that were raised in her statement. I intend to allow around 40 minutes for questions after which time we will move on to the next item of business. It would be helpful if those members who would wish to ask a question were to press the request-a-speak button and I call on Megan Gallagher. The First Minister makes this statement today as scandal continues to engulf his party. The SNP is in total meltdown. It is far more chief executive and now its current treasurer has been arrested amid a police investigation into the party's finances. Late footage has shown Nicola Sturgeon trying to shut down scrutiny mere months before the investigation began. Yet Humza Yousaf is so indebted to his former mentor that he will not do the right thing and suspend them while the investigation is on-going. It is past time that Humza Yousaf tackled this scandal head-on and proved to the Scottish public that he is his own man, instead of defending and deflecting from his predecessor's tarnished legacy. Turning to the substance of Humza Yousaf's statement, we welcome the decision to U-turn on 13 years of SNP education policy and rejoined international school league tables. We hope that this is just the beginning of a wholesale reevaluation of how this Government has devalued Scottish education over its time in office. Yet, as a whole, Humza Yousaf's proposal does nothing to dispel the notion that he is a continuity First Minister leading a continuity Government. Tyncing around with Nicola Sturgeon's failing policy agenda and continuing to be led by the extreme screens instead of delivering the fresh leadership Scotland needs right now. It will dismay the majority of the Scottish public that campaigning for independence is the top priority for Humza Yousaf. At a time when Scotland needs national leadership focus on tackling the big challenges we all face—a global cost of living crisis and NHS on its knees—thanks to this First Minister and a sluggish economy, we have a nationalist leader continuing to appeal to his hopelessly divided party. So, can I ask the First Minister on the commitments that he makes in his threadbare document whether anyone seriously believes that this Government will close the attainment gap by the end of this Parliament? Secondly, on the deposit return scheme. We welcome the delay, which is a humiliation for the Green Minister, Lorna Slater, but can the First Minister promise that this Scottish Government will engage with businesses on the deposit return scheme, which it has failed to do so far? Finally, given the scandal in Gullfidd's party, can the First Minister tell me whether the SNP remains in debt to Peter Murrell and when it intends to repay that loan? First Minister, I will ask you to respond to the questions within your First Minister's response. Indeed, can I talk about the issues that I think are of importance to the people of Scotland? What I would say to Meghan Gallagher is awfully brave to talk about a global cost of living crisis. We are dealing with a Tory Westminster cost of living crisis. That is why the most recent IMF projections project that the UK Government in fact is an outlier—the lowest growth of any G7 economy. That is a Tory cost of living crisis. That is a union dividend that Scotland definitely does not need, and you should own that as opposed to trying to deflect away from it. We have listened to Scottish business, and Lorna Slater will give further updates to the package of measures on the DRS scheme that we are bringing forward. All of us talk about the need to tackle the climate emergency. We need to hear the First Minister's response to the questions that Ms Gallagher raised. We are the ones who not only talk the talk, but we are prepared to walk the walk. When it comes to the Conservatives, every time we bring forward a measure on the climate emergency, they are the first ones to oppose it time and time again. They are not serious at all about tackling the climate emergency. We will continue to talk and engage with not just business, but with the Scottish public about the priorities that they have. I may say to Meghan Gallagher that it is brave—some may use another word for it—when it comes to talking about propriety. Your Deputy Prime Minister and the former Prime Minister are all under investigation by the Standards Commission. While we absolutely face challenges, I would rather be standing here with the opportunity to deliver for the people of Scotland rather than languishing in the opposition such as Meghan Gallagher and the Scottish Tories. Before I call the next MSP, if we continue to make such noise, we cannot hear any of the answers, and I think that that would be unfortunate. I call Anas Sarwar. Some of the announcements in the First Minister's statement today are welcome. Some of it is undoubtedly well-intentioned, but much of it is rehashed promises from the past that have never been delivered. However, what Humza Yousaf cannot escape from is that he is not now running a functioning Government. This is an SNP that is mired in scandal, mired in division, talking to themselves about themselves, and the crisis that now engulfs the SNP is not just an indication of how it governs its party but also how it governs our country. A 16-year culture of command and control of financial mismanagement and a lack of transparency, meaning secrecy and cover-ups, often with devastating consequences. No amount of spin or the pretense of a reset or a fresh start is going to hide what is now becoming clearer to the public every single day. Our country is now crying out for leadership, for hope, for new ideas and a new vision to confront the twin crises that our nation faces. A cost of living crisis with families struggling to pay the bills and an NHS crisis with patients struggling to access life-saving treatment. Continuity won't cut it. Incompetence has consequences and, frankly, Scotland deserves better, but it doesn't need to be like this. This isn't as good as it gets. Change is possible. We can have a Government that tackles the cost of living crisis and brings down bills. We can have a Government that grows the economy and invests in the opportunities of the future. We can have a Government that can restore and renew our NHS, and we can have a Government that puts the people's priorities first. After just three weeks in office, isn't it already clear that it can't be this First Minister or this SNP Government? Not a single idea, not a single proposal, not a single bit of understanding of the policy perspective is completely vacuous from the master of the sound bite. No substance at all. All style and no substance whatsoever from Anas Sarwar, because he is vacuous, completely devoid of any policy proposals of his own whatsoever. He says that the Scottish Government in the last 16 years hasn't achieved anything. What we've achieved is the game-changing Scottish child payment, which has helped 385,000 children under the age of 16 who are now eligible. We've established new public services, including, of course, social security, Scotland, based on fairness, dignity and respect that is delivering 13 benefits, seven of them only available here in Scotland. We've delivered the baby box. We've abolished tuition fees, of course. The back door tuition fees were something that was brought in by the Scottish Labour Party. We've abolished prescription charges. We've made sure that care is free for all when it comes to free personal and nursing care. We have now free bus travel for over 2 million people, for those who are under 22, for people with disabilities, with those over the age of 60. We've built 118,000 affordable homes. We've funded child care. We have the most generous offer of child care here in Scotland compared to anywhere else in the UK. Of course, the difference between Anna Sauer and I is that, when it comes to a Tory cost of living crisis, he wants to keep the powers in the hands of the Conservatives. I want to ensure that this parliament has all the financial and economic levers to tackle that cost of living crisis. Anna Sauer says that people of Scotland are crying out for change. What we don't need is a replacement of one Tory Government with a pale imitation of a Tory Government with Keir Starmer. Even Anna Sauer must be embarrassed. I know that Richard Leonard will be. I know that Anna Sauer must be embarrassed by Keir Sauer appealing to the right with his anti-refugee, anti-immigration rhetoric, his inability to stand up for the most marginalised. We know that it's only with the powers of independence will we get rid of Tory Governments in Scotland for good. During modern apprenticeship week, colleagues from across the chamber will have heard directly from apprentices about the high quality learning and work experience that they receive. I know that the First Minister will appreciate that apprenticeships also support economic renewal locally and nationally. Can I ask when Skills Development Scotland will issue contracts for 2023-2024 new starts and enable local training providers to clear the back-global folk waiting and new start learners to begin their journeys to quality jobs on those excellent workplace learning programmes? I thank Ruth Maguire for the question. I can also pay credit to her. She has raised this issue on a number of occasions. Modern apprentices are of course a vital resource for employers to invest in their workforce. I think that all of us have seen that in our own home constituencies. Investing in skills across people's lifetimes is critical to our future productivity and delivering a fair green and growing economy. My priority is for high-quality apprenticeships that provide sustainable jobs and careers supporting our transition to net zero. I can say that SDS has already issued contracts for the 39,000 modern apprentices currently in training and expect SDS to finalise contracts for new modern apprentices' starts in the next few days. Can I ask the First Minister what detailed analysis has been undertaken by this new Government when it comes to looking at the question of progressively increasing tax rates on middle and higher earners, a policy that has been proven in the past to actually reduce economic activity and weaken the tax take? What analysis has he undertaken to ensure that that is not going to happen in his Scottish Government and that will have very important implications for how we address the deficit that is being projected by the Scottish Fiscal Commission? Detail analysis is undertaken whenever we make tax changes. I completely understand the point that Liz Smith is raising around, for example, tax divergence. That is an important factor in that analysis, but I am unapologetic in saying that I believe that those who earn the most, like Liz Smith and I, should pay more. We earn more, and therefore we should pay more. I can hear Sue Webber disagreeing with that. Sue Webber was the MSP that privately said that NHS workers should take a 20 per cent pay cut in a scheme that she described as salary sacrifice, so I am not sure that I am going to take financial advice from Sue Webber. Our progressive taxation, which was announced in the budget by the former Deputy First Minister, has allowed us to invest £1 billion extra in our NHS. Detail analysis is undertaken. Of course, if I listened to Liz Smith, if I listened to Douglas Ross, we would have done what she asked us to do and replicated those disastrous tax cuts to the wealthy that Liz Truss and Quasie Carting brought forward. That would have meant that, instead of having £1 billion extra to spend, our budget would have been cut by £500 million. That is why I am not sure that I will take economic literacy advice from the Conservatives. First Minister, Scotland can be proud of its global reputation as an open and outward-looking country. The recent Targon week in New York is an incredible celebration of our nation on the world stage, which makes James Cleverley's latest intervention on overseas meetings seem all the more insecure and desperate. Scottish ministers have a clear responsibility to promote Scotland internationally. In the face of the latest attempt to undermine our devolution by Westminster, will the First Minister reaffirm his Government's commitment to championing Scotland on the world stage? Absolutely. Of course, the Scottish Conservatives never even wanted the creation of the Scottish Parliament, so it is hardly a surprise that they are chipping away to try to undermine devolution every chance that they get. I can absolutely reaffirm my intention and the Government that I lead—our intention—to promote Scotland on the world stage. The UK Government continues to deny the mandate from the people for a referendum on independence and encroach on devolution. Since Brexit, we have seen nine breaches of the Soul Convention, the imposition of the Internal Market Act, the veto of this Parliament's legislation passed by a majority on gender recognition, and the threat to give UK ministers powers to amend or scrap vital EU law in devolved areas. Our international and external engagement, often done in very good collaboration with UK embassies right across the world, is to the benefit of our Scottish food and drink industry, to our tourism sector, to our excellent higher education and further education sectors. It is often to the benefit of life science and technology sectors, to our renewable sector. When I think of that excellent, transformative, life-saving work done by our international development teams and our people-to-people relationship with Malawi, why on earth would the UK Government want to try to put a stop to that? Well, we know why, because they are hell-bent on undermining devolution. While I am First Minister, I will do everything that I possibly can to stop them from doing that. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Hundreds of Scots are struggling more than ever, and they need this Government-focused on their priorities. Child poverty has remained at 24 per cent for the entire time the SNP has been in government, and severe child poverty has been rising. The First Minister has been a member of the Scottish Government for over a decade, and in various guises he has failed to use the powers of this Parliament effectively to address the rising levels of very deep poverty. The First Minister has defined himself as a continuity candidate. Aint that the truth? Is not this prospectus just more of the same? Where are the new financial measures? How much of this is new money? How much of his £1.3 billion for the child payment is new money? Is not it clear that Scotland needs more than just a summit on poverty? It needs action. Does not he realise that continuity won't cut it? You can see that I have a rapturous response from his own back benches, Presiding Officer, and quite rightly so. What was the first action that I took when I was First Minister? I did not just make sure that we doubled the fuel and security fund, I made sure that we tripled it. I made sure that we invested £25 million additional funding for our just transition in the Northeast, because I am going to take the workers of the Northeast with us on that just transition journey. I made sure that we invested, as I said, £15 million for school-age childcare, targeted towards the lowest income households in the country. I made sure that there was additional money for deep-end surgeries. Those are the GP surgeries that are located in the areas of highest deprivation. That is where my focus is, and that is where the focus of this Government is. What I would say to Paul O'Kane, where he and I do not differ, is that there is a need to make sure that we go further in reducing and tackling child poverty. Let us not forget that we are doing that with one hand tied behind our back, and unfortunately he wants to keep that hand tied behind our back, because the financial levers, the levers over employment, the levers over the economy, the substantial levers are still held by a Conservative Government. Where we have powers, we must go further. I am absolutely happy to commit that when it comes to taxation, when it comes to, for example, how we redistribute wealth more evenly, I am committed to doing that. That is why, in that anti-poverty summit that he dismisses, I have made sure that we invite the opposition parties from the opposition. I hope that he will not dismiss that invitation. I hope that he and indeed Anas Sarwar will come to that summit, because where there are genuinely good ideas, I will make sure that we as a Government listen to them and progress them together. To ask the First Minister how Scottish Government policies will account for the needs of and challenges faced by rural and island communities. There is no doubt that the opportunity, equality, community and those three driving missions are vital to everyone, no matter where you live, whether that is in rural, island or indeed urban Scotland. Everybody will benefit from the actions that are taken to tackle poverty and cope with the cost of living crisis and support and strengthen our vital public services. We will ensure that we take a tailored approach, taking full account of regional circumstances, working closely with our partners in rural and island areas. For example, I am focused on housing in rural areas through that announcement that I have already made, the £25 million fund for affordable homes for those who need it, including key workers. We are consulting on giving councils powers to raise council tax on second and long-term empty properties. That will help many parts of Scotland, but we know particularly our rural and island communities. We will also publish a rural delivery plan, setting out actions that the Government is taking to support our rural and island communities. I call Alex Cole-Hamilton to be followed by Fergus Ewing. Mr Cole-Hamilton, thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Presiding Officer, everyone, including those SNP-backed benches otherwise engaged today, knows that this First Minister's relaunch has been utterly torpedoed. While he is focused on the turmoil within his own party, NHS waiting times are still being missed, more ferries are breaking down, and record amounts of sewage are being dumped into Scotland's rivers. This is a Government in total paralysis, and for those reasonable-minded people, finally rethinking their support for the SNP, there is an alternative. Scottish Liberal Democrats will be part of the change that is coming. There is a nervous laughter coming from these benches, but they know that it is true. They know that their vote is slipping away from them. I cannot hear Mr Cole-Hamilton's question. Can we have Mr Cole-Hamilton, please? I am surprised that you can hear me over the sound of CVs being frantically updated from the Government benches. I would like to ask the First Minister if I may, Presiding Officer. When he was health secretary, Humza Yousaf personally promised to clear down the atrocious mental health waiting list by this March 2023. That came and went. It was an utter failure. How many more years will it be before people are treated on time? Yesterday, I had the great pleasure of visiting Street Soccer, the chain centre in Dundee. The manager wrote me into a game of six-a-sides with the excellent folklore involved in engaging with Street Soccer. It made me think that, in that game of six-a-sides, Alex Cole-Hamilton and his Liberal Democrats could not even field a team with the four Liberal Democrat MSPs. When he talked about getting defence from his conservative colleagues, there is a surprise—their former coalition partner. I would be careful of boasting with too much confidence about the support that Alex Cole-Hamilton and the Liberal Democrats have here in Scotland. The Government is absolutely focused—it is one of our significant priorities, of course—to tackle those long waits and far too long waits in regards to mental health. However, in Cams in particular, we are making progress. Overall, Cams waiting lists have decreased by more than 9 per cent since the last quarter. That is a reduction of £777. In terms of children waiting over 18 weeks, that has decreased by more than 30 per cent since the last quarter. Children waiting over 52 weeks decreased by more than 40 per cent since the last quarter. Importantly and crucially, the number of children that are starting treatment from Cams in this quarter is the highest on record. We are seeing more and more young people. That is not to take away from the very important points that Alex Cole-Hamilton raised. We are committed to increasing the workforce within Cams and we have seen that workforce continue to increase. I take his points about mental health very seriously in this Government that will be focused on that challenge. At the SNP leadership hustings hosted by the excellent Inverness courier and Highland news media group, the First Minister was asked whether he supported the dualling of the A9 from Perth to Inverness in total and the dualling of the A96 from Inverness to Aldern, including the nearby bypass. The First Minister gave very welcome commitments, because they were entirely unequivocal. That will happen. The First Minister said that and I very much welcome it. The capital will be found. Therefore, when this excellent news will be the subject of a detailed ministerial statement, and given that we have been treading water for two years, will that be before the summer recess? I thank Fergus Ewing and I spotted him during that leadership hustings by the excellent Inverness courier. Just to give him an absolute assurance, we remain committed to the dualling of the A9. That commitment remains absolute. We have invested more than £430 million. It has been spent to date. Of course, I can understand completely the disappointment around the Tomatin to Moai section and more targeting a contract award before the end of 2023. If that can be brought forward, I am engaged already with Transport Scotland to see if that can be brought forward in any way, shape or form. However, I know that Fergus Ewing understands our obligations to public finance and public spending. We will provide, in terms of the remaining sections, an updated timescale. We will be provided an autumn this year, but I have heard Fergus Ewing say that we can bring that timetable to before the summer recess. I will take that away for our consideration. We remain committed to not just improving the A96 but, of course, dualling the Inverness to Nair, including the Nair and bypass, with a view of completing the statutory process as soon as we possibly can. The Government's reckless plan to ban fishing in large parts of Scotland's seas has been conveniently omitted from today's statement. Plans drawn up and implicitly listed in the SNP's deal with the Greens have provoked an outcry from coastal communities, the fishing industry, islanders and anyone who cares about Scotland's economy. Meanwhile, Scotland's farmers remain in the dark over SNP plans for future funding, despite rolling tractors on the Parliament's lawn just a few months ago. Details thin as gruel—this latest policy prospectus—is more of the same from a Government who remains out of touch with the priorities of rural Scotland. No mention of farming, no mention of fishing, no mention of agriculture and one mention of rural, Presiding Officer. Will the First Minister listen to rural and coastal communities and drop the reckless HMPA proposals, and will he urgently deliver a new agricultural bill that supports rural Scotland? The First Minister has an excellent track record when it comes to working with rural communities, but particularly our farming communities. Rachael Hamilton can laugh at all she wants, but what is not a laughing matter is the hard Brexit that her party has imposed, which has harmed rural Scotland up and down the country. What I would say about the important issue of highly protected marine areas is that I have listened to the concern, and we will listen to the concern of our coastal islander fishing communities. The consultation, of course, did close yesterday. No criteria, no site selection has been made. We will analyse the consultation, but having spoken this morning to Mary McAllen, she will and we will as a Government engage with those coastal communities, with those fishing communities to hear on them. A very basic principle that we have always operated by, and I continue to reaffirm it and confirm it today, is that we are not going to impose those policies on communities that do not want them, so we will work constructively with them. However, let us not forget—let me go back to the point that I was making to Megan Gallacher. We are facing twin crises of a climate emergency and nature and biodiversity loss. Every time we propose something, the Conservatives oppose it. It is really important that difficult decisions that we make get our as much consensus in this Parliament as possible. Only by taking really difficult decisions will we ensure that we tackle those twin crises. However, I hear what a number of our fishing communities and island communities are saying. Of course, that is an area that is of importance to the Government and to our green colleagues as well, but I am sure that we are in absolute agreement. I know that we are in absolute agreement that we will work with our coastal communities and our fishing communities to see if we can find a way forward together. Before I call the next member, I would advise that time is marching on a bit. I would be keen to take as many members as possible. Obviously, there are many important issues to be raised and responded to, but I would appreciate succinct questions and answers to match, First Minister. I call Kenneth Gibson to be followed by Daniel Johnson. Thank you, Presiding Officer. The First Minister is rightly ambitious for Scotland, unlike his opponents who want most decisions to be taken by our next-door neighbour. However, to secure a Scotland where that does not happen, we need a growing thriving and productive economy. Is that possible when workers earning £43,663 to £50,270 a year pay 54 per cent of that marginal rate in income tax and national insurance with VAT, fuel and excise duties eating into the rest? Does the First Minister accept the Scottish Fiscal Commission's view that high rates of marginal tax impact Scotland's productivity, inhibiting growth and diminishing the resources available to tackle poverty and deliver prosperity? First Minister. Kenneth Gibson raises an exceptionally important point. I know why the growing was coming from the Conservatives, because they unfortunately are the ones who are in charge of the majority of the economic and financial levers. The disappointment does not come from the Conservatives, because I expect them to moan and groan about any time somebody who is wealthy has to pay more. My concern is more with the Labour party, who wants to keep those financial levers and fiscal levers in the hands of the Conservatives, something that I cannot understand. We will continue to work with business where we can. I will continue to ensure not only to bring forward progressive taxation, but to ensure that we can redistribute the wealth that Scotland has more evenly. Going back to the point that I was raising to Liz Smith, we will always ensure that there is robust analysis behind any of the spend and tax decisions that we make. My goodness, it would be so much more of an easier task if we had those full powers of independence, so we had the levers in our hands, as opposed to the UK Government's hands, who are hell bent on only giving tax cuts to the wealthiest. When it comes to business and the economy, I think that the most remarkable thing about the First Minister's statement was that it scrapped and u-turned more initiatives than it created or set up new measures. Indeed, the document itself is just merely bland postures and platitudes. Who is going to object to growing jobs, higher wages or creating more businesses, perhaps maybe other than the green ministers who do not believe in growth? There are no measures or no quantum or no criterion of success. How many businesses will be created by 2026? What new training and support measures will be put in place to help people into higher-wage work? What reform will be undertaken of the cluttered landscape of enterprise support agencies? Overall, if the First Minister is so clear that there needs to be a new deal for business, what was wrong with the old deal? This is about a new leadership and an ability for a fresh start. That is building upon the successes that the Government has had. Think of the tens of thousands of businesses that would not have survived the global pandemic. It was not for the measures that we have brought in place before the pandemic in terms of the small business bonus scheme. We have worked incredibly hard with business over the years, but I also listen to business when they want a reset of that relationship, and that is why, yes, we will take longer, for example, on the launch of the DRS scheme. That is listening to business. I am certain that, if I had said that we would go live in August, I would have been castigated for that by the Opposition. I am afraid that there is no way that I am going to be able to appease Daniel Johnson, despite my very best efforts. On the points that I agree with Daniel Johnson, his point about reforming the landscape—he called it a cluttered landscape, I think—reforming the landscape of agencies, I think that that is something that is very worthy of attention, and I know that that is something that the Government we are collectively looking at within Government. On the prospectus itself, what you have is a clear set of outcomes, where you, as the Opposition, and indeed the Scottish public, can hold us to account for the deliverability of those outcomes. We have promised to report on those outcomes annually, and I am sure that Daniel Johnson will take great joy in holding the Government to account in that regard. The UK Government has failed for years now to reach a decision on excluding Scotland's bottle deposit return scheme from the Internal Market Act. Now, it very much looks like it has deliberately generated uncertainty to undermine the scheme, up to and including Alistair Jack, misleading the House of Commons. This is Westminster's delay, but can the First Minister say what he and the circular economy minister will do? Excuse me, we need to hear Mr Greer's question, but a brief question would be appreciated. This is Westminster's delay, Presiding Officer, but can the First Minister say what he and the circular economy minister will do to secure the exclusion and ensure that Scotland's scheme goes ahead next March? First Minister, there is no surprise that the Scottish Tories just do not understand devolution. There is no doubt whatsoever that not providing the exemption under the Internal Markets Act is existential to the deposit return scheme. We cannot progress a deposit return scheme if it was not for that exemption of the Internal Market Act, which we know far overreaches when it comes to devolution issues. I am committed to the deposit return scheme. It will reduce littering substantially by a third. It will increase recycling rates of single-use drinks containers towards 90 per cent. It will cut emissions by 4 million tonnes over 25 years. That is the equivalent of taking 83,000 cars off the road. It has already delivered hundreds of millions of pounds of investment across Scotland, and it will create over 500 new green jobs. We need that UK Government exclusion, the IMA, the Internal Market Act exclusion, and I know that we will do everything in our power. I also know that the UK Government, certainly in some departments—Defra, for example—is supportive of that exemption, but we know that Alistair Jack will do everything that he possibly can to undermine this Parliament and undermine devolution. We will continue to do what we can in our power, but it would be helpful if those who support the deposit return scheme get behind the Scottish Government and persuade the UK Government to do the right thing and allow the scheme to go ahead next year. I very much welcome what the First Minister said about being bolder on taxation and talking about redistribution of wealth. Can he say any more specifically on council tax? It is specifically both on the second and empty homes initiative, and on the longer term, whether we can replace council tax. I have announced some possible changes jointly with COSLA in relation to council tax, because I think that we can possibly go further on council tax. I am really up for that discussion. There was an excellent STUC report published, I think, December last year, certainly towards the tail end of last year, which gave a number of policy suggestions that I think are very worthy of consideration from this Government, many of them involving the reform to council tax, but also alternatives to council tax as well. Scotland has led the way in delivering affordable housing right across the country between 2018 and 2022. We know that we have seen 59 per cent more affordable homes delivered per head in the population than in comparison to England, for example. However, I am keen to look at what we can do within the current council tax structures, but I certainly would not allow further reform of council tax, but also potentially looking at the alternatives to council tax, because we know that we can do better. A real priority for the Scottish people is the recovery of our NHS and its sustainability for the future, not the continuity offered from the Sturgeon era. The First Minister leaves a woeful record in health. Primary care is where almost all healthcare is delivered, and the Maryhill group GP practice in Elgin sent me a copy of their letter to the new Cabinet Secretary for Health, highlighting the growing threat of financial instability for GP practices. Practices are already short-staffed and under pressure, and the £65 million S&P cut from the primary care budget affects everyone and is undermining general practice. Will the First Minister commit to reinstating the £65 million to protect general practice and the future of the NHS? When I was speaking potentially earlier, when it came to the issues of social care, I did reference that there can be no NHS recovery without social care recovery. I may have said that we would commit to a timetable to get to 10 pound an hour. Forgive me if I said that, I meant £12 an hour, because that is, of course, a figure that will help with the workforce challenges that social care is currently facing—an adult social care in particular. I will give an absolute commitment to Sandra Scorhani that, when it comes to her NHS recovery, we believe that a social care recovery is vital to that. What is also vital to an NHS recovery is not having NHS staff feeling that they have no choice but to go on strike. As they have done time and time again—conservatives led England—they have done that because the Conservatives do not value our NHS staff in the way that the Scottish Government does value our NHS staff. That is why they remain the best paid compared to anyone else in the UK. We will ensure that we engage, meaningfully, as the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care is doing with junior doctors just later this week. We will try to get to a point where we can hopefully prevent industrial action. Of course, we will continue to invest in primary care. It is fair to say that, of course, we have a record number of GPs in Scotland, more per head than in the rest of the UK. We have 95 GPs here for every 100,000 people in Scotland compared to 79 in England. However, we are also committed to further increasing the number of GPs in Scotland by 800 by the end of 2027. To answer his question directly, we are committed to investing an additional £1 billion in our NHS, which is only possible, of course, because we did not listen to the Conservatives' advice of giving tax cuts to the wealthiest, which would have meant £500 million less to spend in the Scottish Government's budget. Before I call the next speaker, I would really have to say that we must have succinct questions and, First Minister, succinct answers. Otherwise, I will have to cut people from asking a question, and I would like to gain as many members as I possibly can. I call Emma Harper to be followed by Pan Duncan-Glansy, Ms Harper. The First Minister will be aware of many challenges that we have across Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders, including the need for investment in roads and rail infrastructure so that we can keep young folk and attract businesses to the region. Given that, will the First Minister give a commitment that this Government will pay attention to the needs of Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders? Will he advance STPR2, and will the First Minister show that Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders are not forgotten because we in the south are crucial to Scotland's future and our economy, our culture and our possibility? In the interests of brevity, yes, I will commit to that. Of course, there are important improvements in the A77 and the A75. There are part of STPR2. We will, of course, make sure that we make progress with them. The south of Scotland enterprise £34.5 million budget will also improve business and community resilience that will help to protect but also, crucially, to create jobs. That sits alongside the £85 million that we are investing to the Borderlands growth deal. I will do everything that I can to ensure that this Government meets the needs of the people of the south of Scotland. This Government has had 16 years to get childcare right, but still parents struggle. They find that childcare is inflexible, does not wrap around their life and what is available is only there for some kids of certain ages. It drives inequality, holds back opportunity and fails community. That is why I welcomed the commitment that now FMA during his leadership campaign to deliver free childcare for one and two-year-olds. Today's plan talks only of developing that childcare, not delivering it. This new Government promised ambition, but we are yet to see it. There is a difference between being developed and being delivered. Can I ask the First Minister today? Can you promise people who become parents over the next year that their child will have access to free childcare by the time they turn one? I mean it very clear during the election contest that Pam Duncan Glancy refers to that, of course, we would accelerate the expansion of childcare to one and two-year-olds. That continues to be this Government's priority. Just as a demonstration of how important childcare is as a priority to me and the Government that I lead, one of the first announcements that I made, of course, was that £15 million for school-age childcare for those in the lowest-income household. I am absolutely committed to that. The point that I take in relation to Pam Duncan Glancy's question is that we must work with the sector because we know that there are challenges around what they perceive to be equitable funding or the need for more equitable funding in relation to childcare costs. I am happy to engage and I will be engaging with the sector directly. However, I remain committed to the promises that I made during that election contest, which is that we will accelerate the expansion of childcare for one and two-year-olds. I refer members to my register of interests. The mental health and wellbeing of children and young people is crucial in achieving the Government's ambition to make Scotland the best place in the world to grow up. Can I ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government will do to ensure that children and young people's mental health and wellbeing is supported? What we will do is focus on ensuring that young people, in particular, get that timely access to mental health treatment that they most definitely need. I gave some examples of where we are making progress in my response to Alex Cole-Hamilton's question. What we will continue to do is invest in CAMHS support staff, but what I am committed to doing—this Government will be committed to doing—is investing in those pre-crisis interventions as well. Of course, we know that CAMHS and those who work in CAMHS do an excellent job, but we also know that if we can invent an earlier intervention in that pre-crisis intervention, we know how useful, helpful and beneficial that can be to young people in Scotland. Clare Hawke should be in no doubt—she knows, of course, this area very, very well—she should be in no doubt whatsoever of this Government's firm commitment to mental health to bringing downweighting lists and backlogs, particularly for our young people. I call Craig Hoyt. We follow the budget and failure. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. On 28 February, Lorna Slater said, and I quote, that no one with any credibility would delay the deposit return scheme. Given that he's just done that, was she right? Of course, we know that the UK Government is not granting the exemption of the internal markets act as existential to the deposit return scheme. To answer his question, no, the UK Government is not credible—never will be credible—and that's why the Conservatives have been flashed in every single election here in Scotland for over half a century. I can squeeze in, Mr Fairlie, if I have a brief question for Mr Fairlie and a succinct answer for us, Mr Fairlie. First Minister, yesterday I was at the climate change swapshop in my constituency in Leitham where I was born. It's a place that helps people in desperate need of the most basic things, like furniture, bed linen, clothes, crockery, cups and cutlery. The demand for their service is now so great that the manager has asked me to help her find more volunteers. That is the direct result of the policies of that party there, now being able to help by that party over there. Rather than independence being a distraction, as claimed by those union parties, does the First Minister agree with me that now, more than ever, it's an absolute imperative to make sure that we can govern in this country in a way that makes Tory food banks and climate change swapshops a thing of the past? Absolutely. I agree with what my colleague Jim Fairlie has said. As I have said out today, independence is essential. We can't afford to be in this unequal union a day longer, because what has it resulted in? It's resulted in a cost crisis. It's resulted in a hard Brexit, now supported by, of course, the Labour Party too. It's resulted in a policy where we turn back refugees that are in need. It's resulted, of course, in a policy where the UK's economic growth lags behind every other major economy in the world in the terms of the G7. I absolutely agree with Jim Fairlie that it's with the powers of independence that we build a wealthier, fairer, greener and more equal country. I'll be doing everything that I can to make sure that independence is achieved in this country sooner rather than later. Thank you, First Minister. That concludes the First Minister's statement. It's point of order. Dr Gohani. Of course, follow my questions. I declare an interest as a working GP in the NHS. Thank you, Dr Gohani. That will be noted on the record. There will be a short pause before we move on to the next item of business.