 Good morning. The first item of business today is General Question number 1 from Ruth Maguire. Presiding Officer, to ask the Scottish Government what action it's taking on to ensure that social housing is affordable to tenants. Minister Kevin Stewart. The Scottish Government does not direct individual social landlords on setting rent levels for their tentancies. Individual social landlords are responsible for setting rents and consultation with their tenants. In doing so, it is required by the Scottish social housing week to strike a balance between the level of services provided, the cost of the services, and how far current and prospective tenants and service users can afford the rents. This means that each social landlord should be considering the ability of their current and future tenants to afford proposed increases in light of the tenants' circumstances. On the issue of mitigating the UK Government's welfare reforms, this year we are spending around £50 million to mitigate the bedroom tax, helping over 70,000 households in the social sector in receipt of housing benefit or universal credit. Ruth Maguire. When I raised this matter last year, the minister informed me that the Scottish Government would be working with social landlords in 2018 to understand how savings could be made within the affordable housing supply that could be reinvested towards keeping rents affordable. After a 6 per cent increase last year, I have a constituent who has again seen his rent increased by 6 per cent this year, with little or no improvements to his own home. This was not the increase that was consulted on by the housing association, but it includes a further recalibration of rent structures. He told me that his rent has increased by 30 per cent in the last five years. Does the minister agree with me that action on the affordability of social housing for low-paid workers is urgent? Minister, could you also suggest your microphone towards you? Certainly, Presiding Officer. As Ruth Maguire has noted, we, as a Government, are taking an active interest in the issue of affordability. For example, in the context of the tackling child poverty delivery plan, we are currently doing research on this very issue. The first progress report on child poverty to be published in the summer will set out the progress that we have made on this agenda to date. I know that social landlords understand the importance of keeping rents affordable and meeting the needs of the people that they serve. They must get that balance right between the rent levels that they set and the level of services that they provide, including the cost of services that I have seen previously. They must not increase rents without regard to affordability. We will continue to work with the sector to agree the best ways to keep rents affordable, for example, through improving procurement capability to deliver efficiencies. I am more than willing to meet with Ms Maguire to discuss the issues around this particular constituent to make sure that the constituent has had a financial health check to make sure that he is getting everything that he is entitled to and beyond that to discuss the matters around the housing association that she has talked about. Graham Simpson Ruth Maguire raised an important issue. One of the ways to keep rents down or to keep them in check is to build more social housing. The Government is committed to building 35,000 houses for social rent. In the first two years of this Parliament, only 8,500, according to the Government's own figures, were built way off-target. Can the minister say how he hopes to get the programme back on track? Michael Matheson First of all, in terms of rent affordability, here in Scotland in 2016-17, rents and housing associations were some 18 per cent lower than in England and 21 per cent lower for local authority homes. There is a big difference between SNP-run Scotland and Tory-run England in that regard. In terms of the housing programme, the housing programme is on track. We have said that we will deliver 50,000 affordable homes, 35,000 of those for social rent. We are on track to do so. I am sure that Mr Simpson knows that is the case, because I pontificate it quite a bit. We will continue to deliver what is the biggest housing programme since the 1970s, unlike what is happening south of the border, where it does not seem to have the same ethos as us in terms of the delivery of social housing. Liam Kerr The Scottish Government, how many local authority providers in the north-east provide 1,140 hours of funded childcare? Liam Kerr Every three and four-year-old and eligible two-year-old is entitled to 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare from August 2020. At the moment, legal entitlement is 600 hours. No local authority is under legal obligation to offer 1,140 hours yet. Local authorities have been asked to phase in the expanded offer and to ensure that those children who stand to gain the most from extra funded hours are the first to benefit. Currently, 22 local authority settings in the north-east, comprising Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angust, D and Murray, offer 1,140 hours. A further 38 local authority settings in the north-east will be phasing in and delivering the extended provision later this year. Liam Kerr I thank the minister for that answer. We are well over halfway point in the expansion of childcare provision to the 1,140 hours. I am happy to help the minister. In fact, in the north-east, freedom of information requests have revealed only eight out of 222 public childcare centres that are offering the target of 1,140. That is eight out of 222. To reassure parents who are feeling let down and show the minister's confidence in the delivery of the target, will the minister commit to resigning if she fails to deliver the 1,140 hours at every public childcare centre in the north-east by 2020? To reassure the member again, I am absolutely confident that, in 18 months' time, when the local authorities are legally obliged to deliver 11,40 hours of free childcare, they will be. Let me assure you that we are on target and we are going to deliver this transformative programme. Let me reassure the member further, because the member restricted his question to local authority settings, as well as the local authority settings, which are already providing 11,40 hours. An estimated 77 partner providers are currently delivering the expanded entitlement of 11,40 hours, and at least an additional 22 partner providers are expected to do so from August this year. If I were building a bridge, you would not expect to be driving over it 18 months before it was built. Gillian Martin Thank you, Presiding Officer, and let's not forget that the Tories that were in charge of Aberdeenshire Council on Friday I visited Hoodles Nursery in Old Meldrum, one of many private partner provider nurseries, gaining up for 11,40 hours provision. Can I ask Minister Notale Enter to ensure that partner providers and childminders are included in the free childcare revolution and that parents get to choose the best type of provision that suits them and children? Maureen I�한로 Ao Myrydig Oedon Maureen I corpse Maureen I'r provider neutral funding that follows the child approach will empower parents and carers to choose from a range of high-quality providers, including childminders in Beverly and Private and third sector settings. The power is in the parents' hands well and truly d accessible youth for the child that will suit them and their family best. The provider just had to meet the national standard and have a place available. Our multi-year funding agreement will enable local authorities to pay sustainable rates to funded providers by 2020. We are committed to supporting providers in the transition to 2020 while We know that they will be absolutely crucial to our success. Our delivery support plan builds on support already available, such as the 100 per cent business rates relief, and sets out further actions to support providers. Meaningful partnership working between providers and local authorities is key to ensuring choice for parents and carers. The ELC partnership forum, established with COSLA, is helping to share good practice and we are going to hold a partnership summit this summer as we approach one year to go. Willie Coffey, what progress is being made by the local authorities to adjust payment frequencies to private voluntary sector and home-based providers to encourage both local and national sustainability of the 1140 hours? A key aspect of our funding follows the child approach to be introduced in 2020, August 2020, is that local authorities ensure that funded providers are paid promptly and efficiently for delivering the funded entitlement. That will support the sustainability of funded providers and ensure healthy cash flows. As a minimum, it is expected that local authorities should look to pay a funded provider within 30 days of the start of term and preferably much sooner. The timing of the payment should be stipulated in the agreement between the local authority and the funded provider or in the general conditions governing terms of business. There are already examples of local authorities with prompt payment practices. As I said, we are encouraging the sharing of good practice through the Knowledge Hub. Jamie Greene, to ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce air pollution in North Ayrshire. The Scottish Government works closely with all local authorities in Scotland on reducing air pollution. Financial and other support is provided to authorities to assist them with monitoring and to our necessary actions to improve air quality. The Cleaner Air for Scotland strategy sets out a series of actions for Government, Transport Scotland, local authorities and others to further reduce air pollution across all areas of Scotland. An independent review of the strategy is currently on-going. Jamie Greene. I can assign the Cabinet Secretary for that response, but clearly one of the main drivers of reducing air pollution in towns across North Ayrshire and right across Scotland will be improving the uptake of low-emission vehicles. On that point, can I ask the cabinet secretary how many charging points has this Government installed in North Ayrshire? If that information is not available in the chamber now, I'd be happy to have it in writing later. How confident is she that the Government is going to meet its 2032 target given that new car sales of low-emission vehicles is only 6 per cent at the moment? The member knows that that probably is a question that ought to be directed towards my transport colleagues. However, I can advise him that action is being taken in this regard in North Ayrshire, and there are currently 12 electric vehicle charge points in place with six further vehicle charge points being installed. I think that he should be reassured that the work on vehicle charge points is on-going. At the end of the day, low-emission vehicle uptake is a matter for all aspects of society. It is not something that the Government can absolutely direct, and I hope that he will join me in encouraging all car owners when they are thinking about new purchases to consider low-emission vehicles as a purchase. Kenneth Gibson Thank you, Presiding Officer. Can the minister tell us how air quality and air quality targets in Scotland compare to those in the rest of the United Kingdom? The minister compares particularly favourably, as you might imagine. There is a particular target, which Scotland is the first country in Europe to have adopted in terms of legislating, and that is the fine, particulate target. That, of course, is the one that gives us the biggest concern in respect of the impacts on health of air pollution. We compare well with the rest of the UK, and we are fully compliant with EU requirements for fine particulate matter. Annabelle Ewing To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the operation of the Town Centre Fund. The £50 million Town Centre Fund, which I announced in the budget, has been developed in partnership with COSLA and was launched on 1 March. The fund will be distributed across all local authorities to enable them to stimulate and support a wide range of investments that encourage town centres and city neighbourhoods to diversify and flourish. The distribution of the fund was agreed jointly by Scottish Government and COSLA leaders. It will be for local authorities to allocate this fund against the themes of the Town Centre action plan. Annabelle Ewing I thank the cabinet secretary for his answer, and I also thank him warmly for allocating the highest amount of funding, in fact, under the fund 2.5 council, which is £4.3 million. As the MSP for Cowdenbeath constituency, can the cabinet secretary clarify how I can ensure that towns in my constituency get their fair share of this very welcome Scottish Government funding? First of all, I welcome the warm welcome from Annabelle Ewing of those resources. I think that they will be transformative for our town centres. The exact figure for Fife to be precise is £4,335,000. It will be for local authorities to determine the distribution, but the campaign to ensure that there is fairness for every part of the constituency that Annabelle Ewing represents has already begun and the council will be very well aware of that position, but it will be a matter for them to determine the distribution of that fund. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to deal with asbestos-related illnesses and how it supports people with those conditions. The Scottish Government expects NHS boards to provide high-quality person-centred care for all people, including those with suspected or confirmed diagnosis of asbestos-related conditions. The Scottish Government's cancer strategy, Beating Cancer, Ambition and Action, was launched in March 2016 alongside a commitment to spend £100 million over five years to improve the prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment and aftercare of those affected by all forms of cancer. That includes those who have an asbestos-related cancer. I thank the minister for the answer. I am hosting Tayside Asbestos Action Group in Parliament today. I know from personal experience how much support they give to people living with asbestos-related conditions, including Mrs Ilyoma and their families, and I thank them for their work. There remains concern that a postcode lottery exists when it comes to people receiving the medical or pastoral care that they need and deserve. What is the Scottish Government doing to bridge the gaps in provision and raise awareness among health and social workers of the soft support that is available and the importance of signposting people to those vital services? I thank the member for that question and recognise her personal commitment to this area of work. I also recognise the work of Tayside Action Against Asbestos. The member makes a really important point. We have recently published a revised Scottish referral guideline for suspected cancer on 22 January. The purpose of that is to make sure that we have that consistency. The referral guidelines for suspected cancer will help to ensure that clinicians have access to the most up-to-date evidence to refer patients with symptoms suspicious of cancer on to the right pathway at the right time. I recognise the work of organisations such as those in the gallery. I am happy to continue working with the member on an issue that I know is of personal importance to her. To ask the Scottish Government when it will put together an economic plan for Dundee. We have a national economic strategy and action plan that we are delivering for Scotland. We are working with local and regional partners to help to build the long-term, resilient and inclusive economic growth that Dundee needs in order to thrive. Jenny Marra. Dundee has lost 850 jobs at Michelin. Over 200, just in the city of McGill, will lose over 300 HMRC on top of the many smaller businesses that have closed. On Monday, 4th and Tadee commissioning will launch, but we have still to see the jobs materialise. I note that there is to be no Government presence at this event. I believe that this Government has a responsibility to its voters in Dundee to urgently prioritise our city for new economic opportunities. Will the cabinet secretary publish a Dundee jobs plan this autumn and can he please commit to that today? Cabinet Secretary. We do have an economic strategy, an economic action plan and that is what this Government is about, delivering the actions necessary to grow our economy and create jobs across Scotland. Specifically for Dundee, as Jenny Marra knows very well, when Michelin took the decision to leave Scotland, I got involved and sure we recalibrated entire efforts to ensure that Michelin stays in Dundee and that is what they committed to do because of the actions of this Government and our partners. That was significant. In relation to some of the public sector jobs that Jenny Marra has spoken about, HMRC pulling out of Dundee was not the Labour Party that joined with the Conservatives to say that to save civil service jobs, people had to vote against Scottish independence and still were losing those jobs as part of the union. On the other hand, the Scottish Government is delivering 750 new jobs for Dundee through the creation of the Social Security Agency. Further actions for Dundee. There has been industrial difficulties. Our agencies have got involved to try and support the Dundee economy. We will continue to do so, but with the Scottish Government, Dundee gets action from the Labour Party, they get empty rhetoric. Richard Lyle To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to encourage companies to establish more apprenticeships. We encourage companies to provide apprentices opportunities, of which there will be 29,000 next year, up from 28,000 this year, through a variety of means such as promotional activity in Scottish Apprenticeship week, through developing the young workforce regional groups and activity undertaken by the Scottish Apprenticeship advisory board. Skills Relants Scotland also undertake a range of promotional activity, sending the benefits of apprenticeships to employers and individuals. Richard Lyle Can I compliment the minister for his drive in more modern apprenticeships? I note that the new target has been set by the Scottish Government for next year of over 29,000. Last week, I visited Saltide Heating Systems in Bellsill. Their take-on apprenticeships have 30 apprenticeships and there are 12 per cent of the workforce. I hope that other firms will take their lead. As people retire, we need more apprenticeships to take up the slack right across the range for every company from drivers to plumbers to bricklayers. My question to the minister is, what steps can the Scottish Government take to ensure that we have the correct range of apprentices, both male and female, that Scotland requires to meet our future needs to grow as a country? Jamie Hepburn Can I begin by congratulating Saltide Heating Systems for making exactly the type of contribution that we need to see employers make? We will continue to undertake the activity that we do, increasing the number of apprenticeship opportunities but also ensuring that our system is responsive to employer needs. That is exactly the system that we have and we are now going to continue to engage with employers to ensure our apprenticeship offer response to the needs of our economy and society. Mr Llyw could be assured of that, as can every member in this chamber. Thank you very much. Before we turn to First Minister's questions, I invite colleagues to join me in welcoming to our gallery the Honourable Ted Arnott, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.