 Felly, mae gennymai bwysigio. Maen nhw'n gallu cysylltu Felch Cymru. Diolch yn fawr, wrth i fawr, Douglas Ross. Rwy'n fawr,reckard hynny. Maen nhw'n bwysigio i fyndeithiau i gael eich amheredau a spannend y cysylltu Cymru i fyni ac i'r frysgol cyllid o Cymru de i Darlangol. Mae cheif dynneu yn gyrraedd yn gwneud dim算ol, gan i'r gwaith i ddefnyddio i gyddoch yn y ffiannion ymgheifh, a'r gwaith eich hwylio yn cael ei ddefnyddio i ddechrau. of Scottish and UK politics and I think the warm responses from across the political spectrum is testament to the high regard in which he was held. Our thoughts are with his wife Margaret and his children Callom and Anna, and his many friends across politics particularly in Scottish Labour at this difficult time. The OECD's PISA publication is one of the most respected international studies of education systems. This week, they reported that Scotland's results have declined to record lows. The 2023 study shows the worst ever performance in maths, science and reading. What does Hamza Yousaf have to say to the generation of young Scots that has been failed by the SNP? Before I answer the question, this is also the first opportunity for me to do so in this chamber. I also pay tribute to Lord Darlang. Alasda Darlang was a dedicated public servant, a giant of Scottish and UK politics. In my last interaction with Alasda Darlang just a couple of months ago, we ran into each other in Edinburgh airport and he took the opportunity to seek me out, to congratulate me in the role that I'm in and to say that if ever I wanted a brief and even discreet conversation or advice, he was always on the other end of a telephone. I think that for somebody who is in a different political party, that shows the mark, shows the integrity of the individual. So he will be hugely missed from our public life, my thoughts and certainly I know the thoughts of the entire chamber. I work with his wife Margaret, his children, his family, his earlier colleagues but indeed anybody that had any association with Alasda Darlang undoubtedly will be missing him. So I hope that all of those who do grief his loss can take some comfort from the many many tributes that I've poured in over the last week. In relation to the substance of the question that Douglas Ross asks, let me put it on record and let me be absolutely explicit about it, that we do not dismiss nor I do not dismiss nor take lightly the pieces of results that have been released this week. We are reflecting on a poor set of results and the education secretary will make a statement next week on the very issues of literacy and numeracy and what our response is to improving those outcomes. There is no doubt, of course, as the OECD makes it clear in the publication that Covid has had an impact, the OEC described it as their Covid addition and that's why 30 out of the 40 countries sawd their results go down in maths and that's why across all three categories of reading maths and science every nation in the UK including Scotland saw reductions in their score. So those results will, of course, be carefully considered. They are a poor set of results but I do have to say, Presiding Officer, that some of the commentary around Scottish education from this one set of results is, I think, unfair. Let's look at the holistic picture, not just one data set and what we see, of course, is that investment in education per pupil is higher in Scotland than it is in England and Wales and as a result of that investment we've seen 94.3 per cent of 16 to 90-year-olds in employment, education or training. That's a record number so to suggest that from one set of results that the education system is failing as Douglas Ross is doing it's simply not true and frankly it's an insult to the brilliant job of our teachers, Douglas Ross. It's an insult for the First Minister to say that he is reflecting on this poor set of results when the PISA figures have been going down throughout the SNP's time in office. Scores have fallen year on year in maths and science since the SNP took over and reading is at a record low and there is no surprise I believe in this chamber or anywhere else to hear the First Minister reach for Covid as the excuse. This was a global pandemic. This was a global pandemic. We know that countries in East Asia where the pandemic began are outperforming Scotland's education system. Lindsay Patterson said this. Professor Lindsay Patterson at the University of Edinburgh, Covid isn't solely responsible for this crisis although ministers and education chiefs are determined to scapegoat it that way. Let's be very clear. The Scottish education system was once amongst the best in the world, but after 16 years of the SNP being in power, Scotland now ranks below Latvia for science, behind Estonia in reading, behind Lithuania in maths, so will Humza Yousaf finally admit that the SNP's record on schools is a national disgrace? First Minister. I don't accept that. Douglas Ross, deliberately of course, is not listening to my previous response. I am accepting that the PISA results were not good enough, even considering the impact of the pandemic. The impact of the pandemic is not something that I am using as an excuse. It literally is said that the OECD literally described the results as their Covid addition. That came from the OECD, not from the Scottish Government. The education secretary will give details of what we are doing next week to improve literacy and numeracy. However, to suggest that our entire education system is completely failing, it is simply untrue. Let's look at the holistic picture. Douglas Ross and the Conservatives do not want to listen because it is an inconvenient truth for them. Last year's ACEEL results showed the biggest single-year fall in the attainment gap in primary school on both numeracy and literacy. This summer, we had the highest ever number of passes at national 5 in an exam year since the qualification was introduced in 2014. They really do not want to listen to this because it goes against their narrative about Scottish education. Higher and advanced higher passes rates were above those seen pre-pandemic in 2019. We now have a record number of young people aged 19 and under who have secured a university place this year and more, of course, from areas of higher deprivation. As I said, 94.3 per cent of 16 to 90-year-olds are participating in employment, education or training. At this data, those facts tell us of an education system and a record under this SNP of an education system that is supporting our young people. I am going to need shorter answers as questions Douglas Ross. The First Minister keeps going back to Covid, so let's just see what the director of the PISA study said. He said that OECD made it clear that attainment was declining long before Covid, and PISA studies throughout the year show that here in Scotland. Humza Yousaf needs to accept the extent of his Government's failure and examine why this has happened. Many factors will have contributed to this decline, but it cannot be a coincidence that it has taken place during the disastrous implementation of curriculum for excellence and its aftermath. Not my words, but the words of Dr Keir Bloomer, one of the architects of curriculum for excellence itself. The SNP's flawed plans have cost Scotland its international reputation for excellence in education. They made schools less about learning. The SNP's curriculum does not value knowledge. It tried to save it with mountains of bureaucracy and only made it worse. Isn't it time to accept, after the worst ever school results, that the SNP's curriculum needs to be scrapped? I remind Douglas Ross that some of the challenges we saw predate curriculum for excellence. As I said, we are taking the PISA results extremely seriously. That is why the education secretary has committed to a ministerial statement in this chamber next week to give details on the action that we will take on numerously. Let me remind Douglas Ross that Liz Smith, who is in his front bench, said that she was the Tory education spokesperson at the time. She said, I want to start the Scottish Conservatives' contribution to the debate with an unequivocal declaration of support for the curriculum for excellence. She also said more recently, in 2018, that, through all the interviews and consultations that we undertook, there was general agreement that the principles that were underpinned curriculum for excellence and that were agreed unanimously by Scotland's political parties are sound. Recently, in March 2020, Jamie Greene, the then Tory education spokesman, said that the Conservatives will support the Scottish Government, especially in the current climate, in delivering curriculum for excellence and improving outcomes for Scotland's young people. The Conservatives have supported curriculum for excellence. They have done so because of the statistics that I have read that show that curriculum for excellence is working for young people. We will continue to invest in the education. That is an investment that per pupil is higher than in England and Wales, and we will make sure that we have an education system that supports good outcomes for young people as opposed to knee-jerk reactions from the Conservatives and, of course, a cut to our public services by the UK Conservative Government. I am going to have to require brief responses as well as questions from Douglas Ross. I cannot believe that the First Minister is standing here defending Scottish education in the week that the results have shown standards to be at their worst ever level. He has quoted what the Scottish Conservatives have said in the past about curriculum for excellence, but what he has not quoted is the problems with the implementation that is on the SNP's watch. That is why Dr Keir Bloomer said that the disastrous implementation of curriculum for excellence is the problem, and that lays at the hands of the SNP. Let's look at another quote from John Jerome, the Professor of Education at UCL. He said this week that, I think that parents should probably be worried that clearly things are not going well in Scotland. Since the last piece of results, the SNP has launched reports, independent reviews, national discussions, reform boards and consultations on education, and the one thing that they have not done is to fix their mess. The SNP Government's own international council of educational advisers have said this. The time for commissioning reviews is now over. There is a strong consensus, there is a need for action. A generation of Scots have already been failed and another generation are being lit down by the lack of leadership from Humza Yousaf and the SNP. Scottish schools have plummeted down international league tables on the SNP's watch, so what urgent action is Humza Yousaf going to take now or are our parents right to be worried about the future of Scotland's schools? The people of Scotland can take comfort in the fact that, of course, we have an exceptionally good reputation and record in Scottish education, which is saying 94.3 per cent of 16 to 90-year-olds in education, employment or training. That is a record high. It's not just a First Minister but somebody who also has their child in the local secondary school. I understand completely parents' concerns at the recent PISA results. I'm not dismissing the fact. I'm not taking lightly by any stretch of the imagination the results, and that's why the education secretary will stand up next week and give detail on what we're doing to prove electricity and numeracy. Throughout my responses, I've accepted that we need to improve our PISA score. However, as for our record on education, we're the party that abolished tuition fees in very stark contrast to England where students have to pay up to £9,000 a year. We have more young people in Scotland from areas of deprivation going to university than ever before. The Conservatives want to heckle those young people from deprived areas down, but let me tell you more about our record. We have record numbers of young people going to positive destinations. We have seen the biggest single-year fall in the poverty-related attainment gap in primary in both numeracy and literacy, and all the while we have done that when we have a Tory UK Government that has taken a hatchet to our public services and inflicted over 13 years of numeracy. Alasdair Darling was a giant of the Labour movement, a force for good, and a man I was proud to consider a friend and a mentor. Our thoughts are with his wonderful wife Maggie, his two children, and all those who knew and loved him. Alasdair was dedicated to public service and improving the lives of those less fortunate. His own life was once spent in the service of the people of Scotland and the UK. The Labour family and our country are sorely mourning his passing. This week's PISA results demonstrate 16 years of SNP Government failure. It shows standards declining in maths, science and reading, and our international position has serious consequences for Scottish children. Our education system was once the envy of the world now because of this Government that we lag behind. In 2012, Scotland had the highest attaining students from poorer backgrounds of all four parts of the UK. In 2022, the most deprived in Scotland were the lowest attaining in the UK. How have the SNP allowed this to happen? To Anasawa, as I already have in all of my responses to Douglas Ross, that we take the PISA results very seriously. That is why the education secretary will stand up and make a ministerial statement on what practical action we will take in relation to improving numeracy and literacy. However, let us just look at that point around literacy that Anasawa references. As in 2018, Scotland's score in reading in 2022 was higher than the OECD average, but Anasawa is right. As was Douglas Ross, that we have to make sure that we are not on a trajectory of decline, but on an improving trajectory. Let us look at literacy in more detail. In addition, we saw that 9.6 per cent of students in Scotland performed at PISA level 5, or better in reading, which is defined by the OECD as top performers. That is above the OECD average of 7.2 per cent. Scotland's performance in reading among boys was also higher than the OECD average and higher than 26 other countries, including Norway, France and indeed Wales. 2023 SQA passed rates and higher and advanced higher English were above those in 2019. In last year's achievement of curriculum for excellence, AEL data showed a record increase for 2021-22 in the proportion of primary school pupils achieving the expected levels of literacy. Anasawa, Douglas Ross and any other member of the chamber has every right, of course, to question those challenging, difficult and poor PISA results, but please let us not, for one set of data, suddenly dismiss the entirety of Scottish education. That would be unfair on the excellent job, in fact, that our hard work and teachers do, but also the hard work that our pupils do day in and day out. I do need brief responses. Anasawa? Our pupils and teachers are doing a great job. They are just being failed by this pathetic SNP Government. That is the problem. We do have a trajectory of decline if you look at the bar charts in that PISA study. I mentioned the stats in 2012 and 2022. That was an analysis of the PISA results by the Professor of Education, Lindsay Paterson, at the University of Edinburgh, but somehow Hump's use of things he knows better than the Professor of Education. He went on to say that when it comes to maths and reading, those gaps are growing, so despite the Scottish policy attention on narrowing inequality, the actual gap is getting worse. Across Scotland, our children and teachers are working flat out, but they are being failed by this SNP Government. Vital support for pupils is absent and the situation is getting worse. To close the attainment gap and improve the PISA rankings, we must give every student and every pupil the support that they need. So can the First Minister tell us, has the number of teachers for children with additional support needs increased or decreased? I do not have that figure right to hand. When I look at the investment that we have made in teachers, even in the face of over a decade of UK austerity, in Scotland we have the most teachers per pupil in the UK. We have 7,573 teachers per 100,000 pupils in Scotland. That is more than the 5,684 in Labour-run Wales and it is more than the 5,723 in the Conservative-run England. We have, of course, not only that, a high number of teachers per 100,000 pupils. We have the best-paid teachers anywhere in the UK. This is a Government that absolutely values our teaching profession. We have chosen to invest in our teachers. What I would say to Anasawa is that, when I look at our scores in comparison to the Welsh Government, that shows, of course, that those issues are affecting every single Government right across the UK and across the world. That is why it is called a global pandemic. We are investing in our teachers, we are investing in our education system, all against the backdrop of 13 years of austerity. I ask a really simple question about additional support needs. The number of children identified with additional support needs has risen from just over 36,500 in 2007 to over 240,000 now, but in this same period, the number of ASN teachers has fallen by over 200, leaving many children without the level of support they need. This SNP Government's record on education is a litany of broken promises. Closing the attainment gap promise broken, guaranteeing class sizes of 18 or under promise broken, free school meals for all primary school pupils promise broken, a digital device for every pupil promise broken. Year after year, the SNP makes promises to Scotland's children, but year after year, they fail to deliver. After 16 years, there is no one else to blame. Will the First Minister apologise to the people of Scotland for destroying our once world-leading education system? That is exactly the type of hyperbole that I was warning members in this chamber about, because we have one set of data, which of course is concerning. I set that from the opposition. Anasawa asks, will I apologise? I will not apologise for ACL results that show the biggest single year fall in the attainment gap in primary schools in both numeracy and literacy. No, I will not apologise for the fact that we have more children, more young people from areas of deprivation going to university. No, I will not apologise for a record number of young people aged 19 who have now secured a university place this year. No, I will not apologise for the 94.3 per cent of 16 to 19-year-olds that were participating in employment, education or training over the past year. So, yes, there are challenges. Yes, the PISA results are serious, and we will reflect on that. Consider those results and come forward next week with more detail on the action that we will take. However, because of the SNP Government's actions, we have more young people going into positive destinations before, and that is not something that I am going to apologise for. Question 3, Alex Cole-Hamilton. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Can I, on behalf of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, express our profound regret at the loss of Alasda Darling, a giant of Edinburgh politics, both feared and respected by politicians of all parties and passed on our condolences to his family and the Labour Party today? Can I also wish, although celebrating it, a happy Hanukkah? I remind the chamber that my wife is a serving primary school teacher. To ask the First Minister when the cabinet will next meet. First Minister. Can I say it's great to see Alex Cole-Hamilton in the hall of your chamber, Presiding Officer? The cabinet will meet later today. Presiding Officer, Scotland's place in this week's international education rankings is the worst on record. The SNP is squandering the once-prioured global advantage that Scotland held in education. What that means is that a high-wage, high-skilled jobs in the future will go elsewhere if we get left behind. Education is half of what councils do, but this Government is pushing them towards the brink of bankruptcy. We have just heard that every promise made, class sizes, laptops and the attainment gap—you name it—the SNP has broken it, and there are young people leaving school this year who have only ever lived under the SNP. So here is a maths problem for the First Minister that will reveal the full extent of the trajectory of decline that he describes. In the education rankings the year before the SNP came to power, Scotland was awarded 506 points. This year it was awarded 407, which is better. To be lectured on education by the political party that broke their promise to abolish tuition fees is quite something, Presiding Officer. If he wants some maths, that might be the reason why he has a rump of MSPs that are sitting behind him, because people in Scotland have not forgotten the broken promises of the Liberal Democrats on education—their disastrous decision to line up to go into bed, to make sure that they stood side by side with the Conservatives is what usherd in over 13 years of austerity. Despite that 13 years of austerity, we have more young people in positive destinations. We have more young people from areas of higher deprivation going to university. More young people going to university. We have made progress in the face of 30.5 years of austerity. No thanks to the Conservatives, no thanks to the Liberal Democrats. To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to ensure that its recent Crohn's and Colitis awareness campaign is reaching deprived and marginalised communities in light of Crohn's and Colitis awareness week this week. The Scottish Government is absolutely committed to supporting people living with Crohn's and Colitis through Scotland to receive the health care that they need. At the end of March, we ran an awareness campaign to complement Crohn's and Colitis UK's early diagnosis campaign, but we understand the importance of ensuring that people from deprived and marginalised communities can access the support and the care that they need. Our campaign put posters in community buildings and pharmacies right across Scotland to reach as many people as possible who may not have access to Government communication channels such as NHS Inform. We also shared our learning from our Covid-19 vaccination programme about reaching marginalised and seldom heard groups with Crohn's and Colitis UK to help them to reach those very groups with their own campaign. I thank the First Minister for that answer. Delays to diagnosis affect people's ability to continue in education and work and limits treatment options and increases their risk of being hospitalised or needing emergency surgery. Recognising the symptoms of lower gastrointestinal conditions, which are stigmatised and widely misunderstood, is crucial. What action will the Scottish Government take to improve symptom awareness for Crohn's and Colitis and reduce the stigma so that people feel confident in seeking advice and treatment when they have symptoms? First Minister, I thank Clare Adamson for raising such an important issue. Getting to the very nub of the issues that those who suffer from Crohn's and Colitis often report. An early diagnosis of Crohn's and Colitis is vitally important, and awareness and reducing stigma are vital in helping people to feel confident to seek advice and treatment. In addition to the awareness campaign that we ran earlier this year, which I gave the detail of in response to Clare Adamson's first question, we have also worked with Crohn's and Colitis UK and clinicians to update the Crohn's disease and ulceritis pages on NHS Inform. We provided funding to improve inflammatory bowel disease care for patients across Scotland in partnership with people with lived experience and our colleagues in the third sector. We will continue to support Crohn's and Colitis UK to raise awareness of those conditions, and we are very grateful to the charity for their continued work in this area. After the First Minister's work action, the Scottish Government is taking to address the impacts of obesity and excess weight on the Scottish economy and NHS. Preventing obesity and supporting individuals to have a healthy weight remains a public health priority. This financial year, we have provided core funding of over £8 million to health boards to deliver adult children and young people's weight management services. That is in addition to providing annual funding for health boards for obesity reduction in type 2 diabetes risk management through effective prevention and weight management interventions. Our diet and healthy weight delivery plan has a focus on prevention, including our commitment to legislate to restrict the promotion of less healthy food and drink. Engagement is currently under way and we will be consulting on the details of the proposed regulations in early 2024. Good health, of course, is essential to productive work and our economy, and as part of that, we are currently reviewing our health and work strategy. Scotland has long had a reputation as one of the most obese and unhealthy nations in Europe. As numerous studies, including one this week by Henry Dimboldley, have shown, obesity, excess weight and related conditions has a profound cost to both our economy and our health service. Billions of pounds lost in productivity and trading preventable conditions associated with excess weight. At the same time, we are seeing sports facilities across Scotland from local swimming pools and ice rinks to athletics facilities and hockey pitches falling victim to closures and cost cutting. Moreover, access to school, sport and activity is continuing to decline. Does the First Minister agree with me that by failing to invest in community sports facilities and increasing access to those sports facilities, our economy and NHS pay is paying a high price, and will he commit to doing more to protect those vital assets? I thank Brian Whittle for what is a very important question indeed. I recognise that it is an issue that he has raised repeatedly in his time as a member of the Scottish Parliament. Of course, he is right in relation to the various issues that affect obesity. That includes physical activity. We should also say that there are social determinants such as poverty, which also play a key role. I will make sure that the health secretary writes to Brian Whittle with the detail of the action that we are taking, but I would make this final point that we just had an autumn statement last week from the UK Government. It chose to prioritise tax cuts for the likes of politicians and, indeed, for the wealthy as opposed to giving money to public services. Any influence that Brian Whittle can have whatsoever on his UK Government, colleagues, I would suggest that they put money towards our public services as opposed to tax cuts for the wealthy. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Midwives are telling me that obesity and closely linked diabetes trends are creating a more complex workload and demanding greater expertise to ensure that mothers are provided with the best possible care. Does the First Minister agree with me that any action that the Scottish Government is taking to address the impact of obesity on the NHS must include the experience and expertise of front-line workers such as midwives who will be able to contribute to the development of strategy and its subsequent delivery? Yes, I agree with that. I wholeheartedly think that Carol Walker makes some incredibly important points and I do not disagree with any of them. That is why I mentioned in my initial response that we have provided core funding of £8.25 million to health boards in 2023-24 to deliver adult children and young people's weight management services in line with our national standards and the type 2 diabetes prevention framework. We want to continue that investment. In the national health service, of course, the finance secretary will stand up later this month to give details of our budget. Without giving the detail that away, the member will be aware that for next year we have received less than £11 million in consequentials from the UK Government because they have chosen to prioritise tax cuts for the likes of Douglas Ross and others. So what I would say to Carol Walker is that we are going to have to make very, very difficult choices in terms of our budget, but I can give you an absolute guarantee that funding the NHS will be our top priority. To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will outline any plans that it has for freedom of information reform in the current parliamentary session. We have plans. The Scottish Government announced plans last week to consult on extending freedom of information laws to private and third sector social care providers once the national care service bill is completed. That would be a highly significant extension of FOI rights, bringing hundreds more organisations within scope of the legislation. It follows our access to information rights in Scotland consultation earlier this year. Working with the Scottish Information Commissioner, we will also update the statutory guidance issued by ministers on best practice for Scottish public authorities. Scotland has rigorous FOI legislation. It is more robust than the legislation that exists in the rest of Great Britain and ensures accountability and transparency around decision making processes. So far this year alone, around 4,500 FOIs have been answered by this Government. This morning, I lodged my final proposal for a member's bill to reform freedom of information and to extend freedom of information to private companies and others delivering public services not just in the care sector. The Scottish Information Commissioner, previous Scottish Information Commissioners and this Parliament's Audit Committee have all called for such legislative reform. Will the First Minister look at this issue again? Does he agree with me that public information rights should follow the public pound? I absolutely agree with the premise of Katie Clark's points. I know that she says that she has published the consultation of the detail of the bill today. I will take a look at that, and of course we will do so with an open mind. In terms of our own performance on FOI, we absolutely accepted the recommendations of the former commissioner in relation to his update on our FOI performance. We welcome the former commissioner's view that the Scottish Government is on track and close to concluding a period of height and focus on FOI performance. The average response rate of 97 per cent comes despite the request numbers increasing by 60 per cent since 2019 to almost 5,000 a year. That significantly exceeds the performance of the UK Government, which responded to only 83 per cent of requests within 20 days. We have a good record in terms of responding and the rate of that response to FOIs, and of course we will look closely at Katie Clark's bill. The First Minister mentions the increase in the number of requests. Can he give us the actual numbers that were at the introduction of the legislation and what they are now and any comparable costs? Does he think that there is any abuse of the system going on? I am not able to provide figures since the time that legislation was introduced, but I can confirm that, in the first full year for which we have figures 2018, we handled 3,300 requests in 2022 and we responded to over 4,600 requests. There is no doubt that that does place a significant demand on resources, but we are fully committed to complying with our obligations under the act. I reference that point again. Our average response rate of 97 per cent comes despite those requests increasing. That is, in stark contrast, a considerable significant improvement, but in stark contrast to the UK Government's record of responding to 83 per cent of requests within 20 days. This week, the Home Secretary unveiled a raft of right-wing policies aimed at driving down immigration stats. Under the plans, people on health and care visas will no longer be able to bring their family to the UK, and they have hiked the salary threshold for skilled workers to £38,700. Shockingly, there has been no objection to those Tory proposals from Labour, and they have failed to commit to reversing them, despite the impact that the policies would have on the Scottish economy and the NHS and social care sectors. Does the First Minister agree with me that, unlike Labour and the Tories, this Scottish Government will never shy away from welcoming and valuing the contribution that immigrants make to Scotland? I really do agree strongly with Claire Hawke. It is a real dark day for the UK, a country that once welcomed many immigrants, including my grandfather, to the country. In fact, they begged them to come and others to come to work in their factories to drive the buses due to the labour shortages that were seen at that time. What success of UK Governments have done, Labour and Conservative, is that they have bit by bit dismantled our immigration and, indeed, our asylum processes. On immigration, the latest announcements mean that the UK Government is asking migrants to come here to look after our own family members but doing so by abandoning their own family members back home. On asylum, the UK Government has virtually eliminated any practical legal route for those who are fleeing war and persecution. The policies of the UK Government in that respect are not only morally repugnant but they are economically illiterate. The Scottish Government values migration. We value the importance of it to our social fabric but also to our economy too. Let me say it unequivocally that, in Scotland, the Scottish Government and the SNP, we will always say that we are proud of the benefits that migrants bring to this country and we are proud that they have chosen Scotland to be their home. The First Minister may be aware of reports today that Lawn and Islands Hospital in Oban is set to lose its only visiting consultant hematologist, meaning that mainly elderly patients will be forced to travel hundreds of miles to Glasgow as a result. The charity Blood Cancer UK said that the loss of the service could put patients at risk. What action will the First Minister take to urgently encourage NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to reverse the short-sighted decision? We will look into the detail of that. I understand from the health secretary that officials are already engaging with the health board. We have a number of policies in place that help to not just attract but retain important health workers to our remote rural and island communities in particular. I will ensure that the health secretary writes to the cabinet with the detail around the actions that we are able to take. This week, Police Scotland announced a voluntary redundancy scheme for civilian staff in a bid to save money. It comes after the force warned that 3,000 jobs were at risk unless it received an additional £128 million of funding. The officer numbers could drop by almost 1,500, meaning that Police Scotland is saying that it may have to move to a reduced attendance model nationwide. Unison this week have objected to the voluntary redundancy scheme because they warned that similar action a decade ago forced police officers to fill the roles vacated by civilian staff. It is not the way that they would want to run a police service. I will ask the First Minister how he intends to address the concerns raised by Unison and Police Scotland in the budget cuts, because it is concerning that this could lead to a reduced policing service provided to the public. I may have misheard Polly McNeill, but I thought that she used the phrase budget cuts in relation to the police. If she did, that would be wholly incorrect. We are investing £1.45 billion in policing in 2023-24. We also increased the resource budget by 6.3 per cent, and that is an additional £80 million. Despite the UK Government's cut to our capital budget, we have more than doubled the SPA capital budget since 2017-18. In relation to the voluntary redundancy scheme, it is important to say that that applies to police staff, not to police officers. It will be targeted to release 189 posts to balance the policing workforce. My understanding is that the restrictions on police staff recruitment were introduced from August 2023, with the exception of C3 staff—that is contact command—in control of custody and other business critical roles. I would say to Polly McNeill that these are operational matters for the chief constable. What is important for us to do in the Scottish Government is to ensure that Police Scotland is funded. That is why we have more police officers than the Government took office and, crucially, for the public. Scotland is a safer place. We have recorded crime at one of its lowest levels in almost 50 years. In June last year, a Drossan harbour task force was advised that, after years of negotiation with Peelports, redevelopment would go out to tender on agreed designs this past summer. Now improvements that apparently were not previously deemed essential were included, adding to interminable delays to the commencement of works. The First Minister restated his commitment to the Drossan Brodic ferry route while visiting Arn on 23 August. Can he therefore advise when it is now anticipated that what will begin and conclude on the redevelopment of Ardrossan harbour? I thank Kenny Gibson, who has raised this issue on a number of occasions. Most recently, of course, I visited Arn with him. First, I would like to give assurance that the Scottish Government remains committed to ensuring that the Arn ferry service is fit for the future and will continue to engage closely with the community as this work very much progresses. The business case and cost review for the Drossan harbour project is currently being progressed. The Minister for Transport wrote to the Drossan task force recently to advise that this work is being expanded. That is in order to help to determine the scope more definitively with reporting expected by February next year. I fully appreciate that. Disappointing news, however, is essential that the scope of the work is clearly defined in order to have greater certainty of the project costs and the financial package that is required for each of the funding partners to deliver and improve service for the Arn community. I know the transport minister. I should be more than happy to meet Kenny Gibson to give him further details. The 30-bed ward at 4th Valley Royal hospital, which is part of the new national treatment centre, aimed at increasing capacity for operations, has been delayed after NHS troubleshooters found problems with the construction project, which could compromise patient safety. The review of NHS Scotland assured found ventilation, fire safety and flooding concerns with the project. First Minister, have no lessons been learned from following problems at other facilities, so what action is the Scottish Government taking to rectify this situation? First Minister, I would say to the talent industry that he has, of course, right to raise these issues of concern for the local community. Of course, the entire purpose of setting up NHS assure was to make sure that we identified these issues and that, of course, the health board was then able to take remedial action. I understand that 4th Valley health board is now taking the action, and I am pleased that NHS assure was able to identify the issues at this stage. Of course, 4th Valley is working with the contractor in order to make the improvements that are required. Rape crisis centres are trusted emergency services and should be funded as such. However, more than 800 survivors of rape and sexual assault are stuck on waiting lists. If that is not shocking enough, 28 rape crisis workers face redundancy in the new year, unless the Scottish Government extends emergency waiting lists funding beyond March 2024. Survivors cannot wait, so will the First Minister agree to take immediate action to save those jobs, reduce the waiting times and commit to long-term sustainable funding for rape crisis centres across Scotland? I thank Monica Lennon for raising such an important issue. I hope that she will take it as read that this Government and I particularly value the excellent work that Rape Crisis Scotland do and have done over many, many years. The front-line services that they provide are absolutely crucial, which is why we are investing record levels of funding to support them. That includes over £5 million for the rape crisis network through our annual £19 million delivering equally safe funding. I am aware of and acknowledge the concerns about the 100 days' money ending in March 2024 and the potential impact that it has on services. We are considering our budget for the next financial year during a particularly challenging financial time in the context of a damaging UK Government autumn statement. However, I can give Monica Lennon and those in rape crisis Scotland an assurance, I hope, that the issues in relation to rape crisis Scotland are ones that we are considering in relation to the budget. Yesterday, Highland Council granted planning consent for a golf course on Cool Links, an internationally recognised Ramser site and a site of special scientific interest. That was despite an objection from NatureScot and planning officials recommending refusal on the basis of conflict with national planning framework for policies 3, 4 and 10. Will the First Minister confirm that the decision will now be called to ministers and reaffirm the Scottish Government's commitment to respecting all international treaty obligations, including the Ramser convention? These are local decisions to be made, and I will not comment on a live application and whether ministers will call it in on what that decision will be. However, I would say to Ariane Burgess that the issues that she raises in relation to the environmental impact of any planning application are incredibly important. Of course, the impact that any planning application could have on our nature and natural environment is of the utmost importance. I would expect local government authorities to take account of those matters and make sure that they are meeting their statutory obligations. However, in terms of a live application, she will forgive me that I will not be able to comment any further. Fulma Gregor. The First Minister will have seen the UNICEF report that places the UK at the bottom of the international league table in child poverty with the two, the Tory to a child cap, one of the biggest drivers of child poverty. What measures does the First Minister think the UK Government must take to change this hopeful record to lift children out of poverty? The findings of this UNICEF report make for sobering reading, marking the UK amongst the worst in relation to the world's richest countries for reducing child poverty. It is a shocking indictment of consecutive Westminster Governments that have presided over a decade of austerity. The Scottish Government analysis estimated that reversing key UK Government welfare changes that have taken place just since 2015 could lift an estimated 70,000 people, including 30,000 children, out of poverty in Scotland this year. I expect the Conservative Party to be cruel in relation and inhumane when it comes to welfare policy. The fact that Labour are signed up to continue austerity and have ruled out scrapping the two-child cap and the rape clause simply beggars belief. It shows exactly why Scotland needs independence to set out in our latest building a new Scotland series yesterday, so that we can have the full levers and make the urgent changes to a broken welfare system and build a social security system that is built on fairness, dignity and respect. The First Minister joined me in recognising the fantastic work done between the Scottish Government and the UK Government and welcoming the announcement as a result of the union connectivity review that the UK Government is providing £8 million to kickstart the development of options to improve the A75. Effectively, given the green light for bypasses at Crockettford and Springhome, it is something that I have campaigned for decades. This is an addition to funding committee to deliver targeted improvements, given the Scottish Government's identification of preferred options. Will the First Minister ensure that progress is made at pace on those projects? My understanding is that they have committed funding towards a review. What would really help, of course, is if the UK Government did not cut our capital budget by 10% over five years, which would allow us, of course, to invest in our capital budget. Finlay Carson even had a little bit of influence with his UK Government Tory colleagues, which I do not think he does. However, if he did, it would be most useful for him to make the case that the UK Government stops taking a hatchet to our public services and indeed to our capital budget too, Presiding Officer. Thank you. That concludes First Minister's questions. A woman entering Parliament yesterday morning was stopped by security. They confiscated her small pin badge in the shape of a circle with a downward-facing cross denoting the female sex. Within the circle were two Xs denoting female chromosomes. The Parliament told the press that this was in line with its visitor behaviour policy, which bans the display of political slogans, including on clothing and accessories. Last year, security ordered the same woman to leave a committee because she was wearing a purple, white and green scarf. The Presiding Officer then said that that had been an error and issued a public apology to the woman. I cannot work out if the badge seizure was simply petty, plain stupidity or perhaps something more sinister. Many people have since pointed out that MSPs regularly wear or display a wide range of political items, including badges, lanyards and stickers. If the Parliament chooses to define the confiscated badge as political, it surely needs to be consistent. There cannot be double standards, one rule for MSPs and another for those who pay our wages. I therefore seek your guidance on this matter. I thank you, Mr Finlay, for advance notice of your point of order. It is not a matter for standing orders and the effort is not a matter for me to rule on from the chair, but the member may wish to take up the matter with the Scottish Parliament corporate body. With that, there will be a brief pause before we move on to members' business to live from Benchesdale. I wish to correct the official report. In my First Minister's questions, I inadvertently said that our PISA ranking for this year was 407 when it is in fact 471. That is on the record. There will now be a pause before we move on to members' business.