 Thank you, very much. The next item of business is topical questions. And the question number one. I call Mertrins Fraser. Thank you. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is just taking to address the extreme delays reportedly being encountered by users of the A9 North of Duncasting called due to SGN gas pipe replacement works. Minister Fiona Hyslop. I understand that the works have regrettably caused significant disruption for communities the communities and businesses in the region, a point made forcibly to me by the local constituency MSP John Swinney, with whom I have had a number of related discussions. Yesterday, I met with Scotshire Gas Network senior management to impress on them the seriousness of the situation. SGN has given a commitment that they will reassess their road work strategy. As part of this, they will be pausing their works for the weekend of the 3rd of November beidio yn cydych chi datblygu ei左io ar Botanyddabod Cymru, iminggwch gwaith i Hellweliaeth iawn i'r newid y but, a chyr Gruffyddion Gystonesedd, yng Nghymru a Llywodraeth Cymru, yn cynyddiaddt � healthy mmwysgol. cand i fi gyrddod bethau mae erioedd wedi eu lle chael eich ffordd aeth ar gyfer hirio yn yr unig? Felly, SNP ac i roi ddigonio ddigonio ddigonio ddigonio i ddegodraeth, ac mae ein golygu rhoi'r diwethefydd o ddigonio i ddweud hyn o'r tynnu'n gawis. Mae legallyau oedd yna'r ddweud ynran Sglwrsgolened, yn cymdeithasol y Llyfrgell d undoubtedly. Felly, rydw i'n gwneud dymaeitr panfartfeydd y dymaeitr hefyd y ddweud? unid o'r eventau byddai ni'n rhoi. Rwy'n credu yr mifio ar beth a'r rhai a chyfwr покrwyddiadau i'r deunasion, ac yn ein bod yn ei iawn ddiolio'r SND. Mae sydd yn bryddoedd i'r normaidd honos cwrdd SND o fewn o'r draffatau panelol, o'r cyfreithio bryd, aio'r cyfrifwyr o gael sy'n angen y ffordd bachanhau, ond rwy'n rwy'n dechrau'n dechrau'n cylligeistu gyda'r byw yn ei brull o'ch targyn iawn o'r busg, o'i ei rydw i'r oes y cyfrifiadau, o'r cyfrifiadau mey meyru, o'r byw iddynt sleidart o'r cofnod o'r cyfrifiadau, o'r cyfrifiadau. Gweithgwys iawn o'r eich bod aelodau ermene y ddiadw i celaen, oherwydd ei bod ei rydw i'r bwysig i'r loed i'r oed i'r byw, oherwydd i'r oed i'r oed i'r oed i'r nhw'n meddyl.werdwutorsiaeth y dda, neu ac yn ddefnyddio'r ddweud. Maen nhw'n meddyl y gwirionedd, yn effaith yn werth o ddod, y d confinement oedd o'r ddod yn ddeni i'r ddweud am y gyflu-dyn gracious, mae eu ddweud yn gwineb dat a chael wneud i'r ddweud ond ond ein bod yn dweud o'r ddod y ddod o'r ddod i'r ddod o'r ddod. Maen nhw'n meddwl o'r ddod o'r ddod o'r ddod. Rwy'n ffraser. Of course it has not escaped the notice of many of those who were stuck in road works. Had the SNP Government kept their promise to deal the A9 by 2025 we would not be seeing these delays. The previous transport minister promised us a statement by the end of this year with an update on the jewelling project. So when can we expect that? We are committed to the detailing of the A9. I would also reflect that the particular emergencies that I talked about would have caused disruption anyway on that road and I think particularly in relation to ensuring that changes are made. To meet what I think is genuinely an essential change because we often have to obviously have to make sure that those gas works are done so that the in their words catastrophic loss of gas supplies to towns in the area would not be realised, but I can reassure the member that the plans are still in place to give that statement and obviously that will be given the time I'm sure in the parliament when that statement is ready to be given. John Swinney Presiding Officer, can I welcome the direct personal involvement of the Transport Minister on this significant constituency issue for me that has resulted in huge economic and social damage to the people I have the privilege to represent. Over my years in this parliament I've had many calls with many leaders of corporate organisations and I've never had ones quite so disengaged as with the chief executive of SGN on Friday. Will the minister take every opportunity to impress upon SGN the importance of understanding that, while there may be legitimacy for the repair that they have got to undertake, that cannot be at the expense of everybody else that is using the A9 and particularly the communities that I represent? Minister. Can I reiterate that John Swinney is probably one of the most hardworking and insidious MSPs representing the interests of his constituents and clearly they have been severely impacted in the past week. I share concerns about SGN's approach to the project and the level of engagement and communication. I think that they can and should have been far more proactive. I think that they did reach out and try to consult but it's one thing trying to let people know what you're doing. There's another in proactively engaging to understand the issues. I would emphasise that this is not a repair, but this is about relocation of gasworks that need to be moved because of the fast flowing tea and previous flood instances exposing gas piping. I understand the importance and imperative nature of doing this, but there's a way of doing it. Just because a corporate organisation has the right under UK legislation as a unitility to do those work, they also have a responsibility to the communities and the individuals that John Swinney has a privilege to represent. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I've listened with interest having been one of those people that have been caught in those delays, two hours and 30 minutes coming down, two hours and 23 minutes going north. I know how much those roadworks are strangling the highlands. On the sign it says it's going to take 18 weeks, 18 weeks of this. The minister suggested that there will be a pause in the middle. Can the minister confirm that delays of two and a half hours are not acceptable and she will not accept it because of the economic impact it is having on the highlands, in fact the whole of Scotland? I am sure that the member has understood from my responses to questions how serious I do take this. I do want to reflect that the severe delays were due to specific circumstances and there have been actions taken in the meantime to try and address some of those issues. The pause will allow them to rethink in terms of timescales, they were advised, I think understandably and we ensured that this work would not be done during the summer, that was refused in the summer, this is the quietest period for any such work on the A9 but that pause will allow them to reassess timescales when they can do the work, where they can do the work to try and alleviate the very real pressures that individuals businesses have been facing because of these utility works. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I think the point made previously how this impacts on the Holy Scotland. I've had constituents for five contacting me, mothers telling me they're having to rearrange to get their kids picked up for school etc. So this is an important road for the Holy Scotland. I noticed that in response to Mr Swinney on Twitter, SGN talked about the many of us causing some delays in an abnormal load. Any other company that's doing this can they work would be able to factor in that these things might happen and have the support in there to ensure that it doesn't stall the traffic. So what if this company doesn't react to what you've said, what powers have you got to do more about it and can you confirm that the statement on the A9 will come in this calendar year? As I said, the statement on the A9 will proceed as planned. In terms of powers existing, legal powers give statutory undertakers public utilities powers to place their apparatus in public roads. They have to co-ordinate that with road authorities but to date I think there may be limits as to what we could legally do to prevent them from doing that work should we want to do so. I understand the rationale for those works. Those works are essential. In terms of the vehicle recovery issues, in terms of the manual traffic light system and ensure also messaging, which will be communicated earlier on route to ensure that some of the other drivers on those routes with passengers, for example, schoolchildren, will know further down the line how long the delays are taking. All those things are happened in the last few days as a result of the intervention of Transport Scotland and are stimulated by elected representatives contacting me such as Mrs Winnie. It is clear that recent flooding has destroyed pedestrian access between Inver and Dunkeld, forcing people to cross the A9 on foot, coupled with the extreme traffic delays that were caused locally by the SGN Works. That is now causing real danger at this part of the A9. For many years, a community has called for improved lighting at this junction to improve road safety. Does the minister agree with me that more than ever Transport Scotland must introduce emergency flood lighting at the junctions locally to keep everyone safe? It is not wholly on the substantive question, but on the point. I would really say that the impact of storm has had knock-on impacts elsewhere around the A9, and elsewhere in Scotland, for example, has affected the routing of extra-wide loads with some self-caused issues. That was raised with me yesterday as well. In terms of the river Bran, that goes under the A9, and I know that there has been flooding with that that has caused issues for a local pathway. Mr Ruskell had contacted me about that. Transport Scotland is working with Perth and Cronross Council to see what can be done to mitigate. It has met the local community and the councillors yesterday to identify those issues, but in terms of the operational response to that, I will leave that to Transport Scotland and the relevant authorities in Perth and Cronross to determine what form they take. I am very aware of them. Again, the consequence of recent storms, not just Babot Storm Agnes. There have been further disruptions elsewhere on the A9, including the Slip Road to Pitlochry South. All of those compounded make it a very difficult situation that everybody is working hard to resolve. As well as the extreme economic damage to businesses locally and in the whole of the Highlands, which, if it goes on until February, will be on a devastating scale, is there not a further risk to human life? Drivers are planning the journey, expanding three hours normally. Finding that it takes six hours, not three hours, if they are fatigued, the risk of driver error and therefore fatalities surely increases exponentially. Will the minister therefore instruct the highly paid executives at Transport Scotland who cannot subcontract responsibility to get out of their plush offices in Glasgow and get to Dunkeld and supervise this being sorted out? The SDN is responsible for the work that is being done with Bear Scotland. It has had and will continue to have the co-operation and advice from Transport Scotland. In terms of the delays, I think that I have said that the issues around the excessive delays were caused by specific incidents and mitigation to help support should those incidents happen in the future have already been taken. I can relate that, both yesterday and today, the normal pattern, as predicted from the planning and looking at figures from last year in October, has been taken. However, I take the point that this is a significant impact on individuals and those excessive times cannot be acceptable going forward. That is precisely why I personally asked to meet with the senior management to impress on them their responsibilities to make sure that the reset of the programme is fit for purpose for the whole economy along the A9 and specifically for the community of Dunkeld. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to resolve industrial action in schools. Negotiations on local government pay are rightly between COSLA, the representative of the employer, local government and the trade unions representing the workforce. As recently as last week, COSLA has re-emphasised the importance of the Scottish Government respecting this negotiating arrangement. We have worked constructively with COSLA to find the solution, providing £155 million at stage 3 of the budget to support a meaningful pay offer and providing further insurances for £24.25. We have also worked with COSLA to identify an additional £80 million for the improved offer of 21 September, which was accepted by two of the three local government unions. The First Minister made it clear that COSLA is not in control of its own budgets. Will the minister meet with Unison to discuss how this dispute can finally be resolved? I think that it really is important to recognise the appropriate negotiating forums. However, the Scottish Government is meeting frequently with COSLA to continue to look at what more we can do to support COSLA in finding a resolution to a dispute that no one wants to continue. It is important that we respect the right of the trade unions to withhold the labour. That is absolutely the right which this Government supports. However, we cannot overstate the impact of those closures on the children who are affected and their parents. Will the Scottish Government set out a timescale to get to a minimum of £15 per hour pay for all local government workers? I think that that is one of the interesting aspects of Unison's ask. One of the challenges that COSLA is reflecting to us is that although two trade unions have accepted, they are not 100 per cent sure what the ask is of Unison. There is talk around £15 an hour, so it is certainly something that the Scottish Government and COSLA are keen to look at what language might help. If that is what it takes to get to a settlement to stop more disruption of our children's education, we definitely should be sitting around the table and discussing that. Work on going across the Scottish Government to look at how that can go much wider. It is important that the £15 an hour in relation to local government workers is part of that. We are already agreeing to do that, but it is clear that Unison is looking for something more. To fund the teachers pay deal last year, the Government cut £155 million from elsewhere within the education budget. Does the minister anticipate further cuts in the education budget when the Government inevitably intervenes to resolve the dispute? It is important to emphasise just how hard COSLA and Scottish Government officials worked to make sure that we can identify the £80 million that, in fair respect, everyone thought was the ask of all three unions to settle the deal in a way that did not impact on front-line services. That was not easy to do. It took a huge amount of work, and it feels like we have pushed that envelope to the end. That is why I think that COSLA in particular will be keen to talk about the road map to £15 an hour, because there is not potentially a cost in this year. This year is particularly difficult. We cannot change the income for this year, so that is why that is a really important suggestion, that is where unison is going. I hope that they articulate that clearly so that we can have that discussion and that COSLA can have that discussion with unison. I know that COSLA is working really hard to speak to unison to discuss what they ask because no one wants this dispute to go on any longer than it has to.