 Rydw i'n gweithio gweithio'r cwestiynau, ac rydw i'n gweithio'r cwestiynau yng Nghymru, David Stewart. To ask the Scottish Government whether the ministerial working group on fire safety will review building standard regulations regarding the provision of automatic fire suppression systems. I understand that the cabinet secretary may wish to update the Parliament following the Grenfell fire disaster. The ministerial working group on building and fire safety was convened to oversee a review of building and fire safety regulatory frameworks and any other relevant matters in order to help to ensure that people are safe in Scotland's buildings and make any recommendations for improvement as required. We met for the first time last week and will meet again this afternoon immediately following parliamentary questions. The role that automatic fire suppression systems can play in supporting an overall package of fire safety measures for various building types will be discussed at this group. However, the member will understand that our initial priority has been to focus on providing assurance to the public about the safety of our domestic high-rise properties and other public buildings following the tragedy at Grenfell tower. Building standards regulations for high-rise domestic properties in Scotland means that aluminium composite material, the type of product used at Grenfell tower, cannot be used in the cladding systems on high-rise domestic properties in Scotland. We wanted to double check that this was the case and therefore we have sought and received assurances from all 32 of our local authorities. They have reported that ACM, aluminium composite material, has not been used on any housing association or council-owned high-rise domestic properties. For privately owned high-rise domestic properties, 28 councils have reported that they have no aluminium composite material in the cladding systems. The other four councils are working intensively to complete the picture across Scotland. I want to extend the Scottish Government's thanks to the chief executive and staff and all the local authorities for their assistance and diligent work in this process. The cabinet secretary will be well aware from the Scottish Government's own 2015 report that almost a third of accidental dwelling fires and deaths occur in the 15 per cent most deprived areas. Yet there have been no multiple fire deaths in Scotland where a working sprinkler system has been installed. Will the cabinet secretary agree to meet me after the recess to discuss targeted installation of sprinkler systems aimed at those most at risk, that is single men living in disadvantaged areas with alcohol or drug problems? I would be delighted to meet Mr Stewart during recess, if that suited him. I am aware that Mr Stewart is a member of the cross-party working group on accident prevention, a group that is chaired by Clare Adamson. I know that he has been a long-term campaigner and supporter of wider use of sprinklers. As I said in my original answer, the ministerial working group will review all relevant matters, including the role of automatic fire suppressant systems. Although we know that our regulatory standards in Scotland are good, nonetheless we will not have any room for complacency and we are casting a critical eye over all our systems. The cabinet secretary will know that the local government committees committee, which I chaired, will be taking evidence in relation to building standards and fire regulations following the Grenfell Tower tragedy. The question, of course, was in relation to sprinkler systems. I am wondering if one of the things the cabinet secretary might seek to consider in the future is Glasgow housing association, for example, to ensure sprinkler systems in all communal areas such as bin shelters to reduce risk of fire spreading, whether escape routes in high-rise flats in communal areas in bin shelters might be a sensible way forward in the future. Is that something that the ministerial working group might look at going forward? The Scottish Government very much welcomes the parliamentary scrutiny and further inquiries by the relevant committee. In terms of the issues raised, we have an open door to have those discussions. It is important to remember that, in terms of sprinklers and in high-rise flats, all new high-rise domestic buildings in Scotland are fitted with a non-combustible cladden system that meets stringent fire tests and, since 2005, are fitted with sprinklers. The provision of sprinklers within existing high-rise domestic buildings is not compulsory under building regulations at present. However, a number of councils I know do provide those when undertaking major refurbishing work. We will want to look at a range of fire safety methods, including the ones that are more automatic in nature such as sprinklers. Some of the issues that Mr Doris and Mr Stewart, in his original question, in terms of how we take an evidence-led approach, but we also look at those categories, those areas, those building types and individuals who would be at higher risk. We know that the issues that Mr Stewart raised in and around deprivation are indeed pertinent. In conclusion, some of those issues will go further afield than building standards. In terms of looking at groups that are particularly vulnerable to the risk of fire, that is not something that could necessarily be addressed in building standards. However, we have to remember that when we build homes, we do not always necessarily know who will occupy those homes. Some of our consideration has to go further afield than building standards. Graham Simpson I thank the cabinet secretary for her earlier update. She is entirely right to focus on high-rise properties, but we have had quite an extensive programme of cladding in Scotland. It does not only include high-rise properties. There are, for example, terrace properties, which have been done as well. There could be a fear there that if there was a fire, fire could spread out and not just up. Could the working group be looking at terrace properties as well as high-rise? It is important to stress to Mr Simpson than others that when we talk about aluminium composite material, which should not be in cladding systems and high-rise buildings, it is a generic type of material, as opposed to a specific product. It is a catch-all phrase for a group of specific products. In some cases, aluminium composite material can be appropriately used in some buildings if it is installed correctly with adherence to the correct procedures. As I have already indicated to Parliament, after our absolute focus on high-rise domestic buildings, we are widening out our inquiries in schools and NHS buildings. I am quite sure that, when the ministerial working group meets today to devise our longer-term work programme, which will share with Parliament, it will be given all consideration to what other types of buildings we need to consider. We will keep the member and Parliament duly informed. Given the cabinet secretary said that, at some point, she will be widening out the scope of looking at health and safety in high-rise buildings, I wonder if she would further consider the health and safety regulations as they affect smoke detectors. A recent press report states that the current regulations say that there is no requirement to determine whether smoke detectors are in working order, for example, a battery-powered detector containing discharge or no batteries, because the minimum Scottish housing quality standard requirement is the presence of a smoke detector but not necessarily a working smoke detector. I wonder if she could interrogate that a bit further from today and advise Parliament whether that is something that needs to be looked at in the wider review. We will indeed be looking at some of the specifics around the issue that Ms McNeill raises. Although there are minimum standards that apply across the board, it is fair to say that there are different types of standards for different sectors. The reason for that is due to history. Historically, we have recognised that some of the biggest risk is around the private rented sector. We are already due this year to issue a consultation about how we could have more uniform standardised procedures. One of the issues that we discussed last week at the first meeting of the ministerial working group was how we could expedite that work. Can I ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made with the devolution of powers to communities and whether it allows plans to allow communities to have a greater say regarding the impact of major infrastructure projects? The Community Empowerment Act 2020 devolved real power to communities. That is a theme that runs through all our major reforms. We will introduce a local democracy bill later in this Parliament that has the potential to be the biggest transformation of democracy since devolution. Our review of the planning system contains proposals that strengthen the role of communities in the planning of their areas. Richard Lochhead. I welcome the minister's comments, and he will be aware that there is a growing appetite throughout Scotland for people to have more of a say in the decisions that affect their lives. In terms of the impact of major infrastructure projects, I had a case last week where the green light was given to an overhead line relating to the Dornell wind farm. I know that energy is a different portfolio. Parts of that should perhaps have been considered for undergrounding at the request of local constituents in Dufton and elsewhere. I wonder if the planning minister, in terms of the Community Empowerment agenda, would be able to liaise with the energy minister to ensure that there is greater weight given to local views because we do have a situation in Murray because we have the black hillock substation in Murray, the potential for many more pylons to be built in future years like a web across Murray. People wanted more of a say over the shape of those pylons and infrastructure projects, and I hope that he would be willing to liaise with other ministers about how he can give communities a greater say over such projects. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I am always willing to speak to colleagues about matters. I will avoid talking about a particular scheme because I do not know if it is a live application or not. As Minister for Planning, I am pursuing measures to strengthen communities' roles and to increase people's opportunities to influence the future of planning of their areas. Of course, community consultation on major electricity and wind farm projects is of great importance. When applications for that kind of infrastructure are received by Scottish ministers, we expect developers to demonstrate active community engagement and explain what concerns they have addressed. We also require that applications are advertised and the public are able to scrutinise and comment on the detail of the proposals. The views of local communities are very important to us and must always be taken into account. To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to raise awareness among young carers of welfare support that they might be entitled to. There are an estimated 7,000 carers aged between 16 and 24, providing 35 or more hours of care each week, and less than 4,000 are currently receiving carers allowance. Working with Young Scot and carers organisations to advise young carers about their rights and entitlements to apply for carers allowance, our Young Carers Benefit Take Up campaign, targeted at 16 to 24-year-olds, ran during carers week from 12 June. The materials were promoted on the Young Scot website and via social media and continue to encourage young carers to claim the support that they are entitled to. Further focused activity will take place in August alongside the Young Carers Festival. We know that the UK benefits system continues to fail in making sure that all those entitled to support know what support is available and how to get to that support. Does the minister agree that the UK Government should both simplify the system of applying for benefits and have a benefit take up campaign to ensure that people are getting the financial support that they are entitled to? For the Scottish Government, of course, social security plays a vital role in tackling poverty and improving lives and making sure that everyone receives the financial support to which they are entitled and can do so easily is one of the first steps towards putting dignity and respect at the heart of that service. Unfortunately, the UK Government has taken no recent action to improve take up and provide this much needed support. The fairer Scotland budget is providing £3.6 million of funding in 2016-17 for projects designed to maximise incomes and help people access benefits. In addition, over the course of this parliamentary term, we are delivering a programme of activity to increase benefit uptake, working in partnership with local organisations, including local authorities, NHS and third sector organisations. I am pleased to say following Mr Rowley raising this in the chamber some time ago in my meeting with him yesterday, we will now convene a round table to work constructively with all those agencies and I hope with parties across this chamber to take this work forward. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the impact in Scotland of the UK Government's policy on refugees and asylum seekers. I met the then immigration minister, Robert Goodwill MP, on 11 October 2016 and discussed a number of issues affecting refugees and asylum seekers in Scotland. Officials also have regular meetings covering a wide range of issues. I also wrote to the new immigration minister Brandon Lewis MP on 16 June 2017 about the same issues, highlighting the new Scots refugee integration strategy and making clear my view that destitution should never be an outcome of the asylum system. Fulton MacGregor MP, I thank the cabinet secretary for that response. Can I ask, with vulnerable people, particularly children, being badly let down by the UK Government's broken asylum system and with their human rights ignored and with the local authorities' charities in the third sector being left to pay for the services? How does the Scottish Government's approach to refugees and asylum seekers, particularly through the new Scots strategy, contrast to that of the UK Government's? The Scottish Government takes a very different approach to refugees and asylum seekers. We want to make Scotland a welcoming place to people seeking protection from persecution and human rights abuses. We believe that integration begins from day one of arrival, not just when refugee status has been granted. The very fact that we have the new Scots refugee integration strategy stands in stark contrast to the UK Government, which still does not have a strategy. Integration from day one is the key principle of new Scots and we believe that it is vital to building strong communities and enabling people to settle in and make social connections and build new lives. I am deeply concerned by the UK Government's attempts to create, in particular, a two-tier approach to refugees and asylum seekers between those who have arrived for resettlement and those who have arrived through the asylum system. I have recently, as I said, written to the new UK immigration minister on a variety of matters in relation to this. The Scottish Government firmly believes in one system for all asylum seekers and refugees, which treats people fairly, humanely and with respect, no matter how they arrived in Scotland. Otherwise, we risk increasing inequalities and creating barriers to the integration that we all seek. Adam Tomkins Does the cabinet secretary agree that every bit as much as being a place of sanctuary tackling the root causes of migration is essential? Those include but are not limited to conflict, disease and instability. In this context, as the cabinet secretary welcomes, as I do, the recent announcement that the UK Government has committed to a new £75 million fund in this area targeted at reducing the number of people risking the perilous central Mediterranean route to Europe? Cabinet secretary I think it's a pity that the UK Government didn't take the opportunity in the Queen's speech or indeed with the formation of the new central government to think again about the Dubs amendment. Amber Rudd has deliberately closed down a safe and legal route to some of the most vulnerable children in the world. We know that, according to the Interpol, 10,000 unaccompanied children in the past two years have went missing across Europe. Nobody knows where they are. It is, although the aspects of what was announced by the UK Government in terms of supporting people outwith our shores in tackling inequality and ill health and any investment overseas in international development or addressing the causes of conflict should be welcomed. We have a long way to go before we have a humane approach to immigration, asylum and migration across the UK Government. It is very sad that the UK Government is not standing up to meet all its obligations and particularly its obligations to our most vulnerable global citizens. That has to be children. Brian Whittle To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to help to promote women to more senior positions in public and private sector. Cabinet secretary The Scottish Government is committed to improving the representation of women in senior positions in the public and private sector and, indeed, here in the Scottish Parliament. This is the right thing to do and is a smart thing to do. On 15 June, we introduced the gender representation on public board Scotland bill, which sets an objective for public boards to have 50 per cent of non-executive members who are women. In relation to the private sector, we will continue to encourage companies to work towards gender balance through our 50-50 by 2020 campaign and to adopt fair and progressive business practices more broadly through the Scottish business pledge. Brian Whittle I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. This SNP Government has cut 152,000 college places with Audit Scotland finding that this has disproportionately affected women. Does the minister believe that this will help to tackle gender inequality in the workplace? Cabinet secretary If Mr Whittle had to look at the facts, he would find that the majority of college students are women and women are far from underrepresented in colleges. Given that it is not that long ago that youth unemployment was at 113,000, it was quite right at that time for our college sector, along with other partners, to focus on young people who were leaving school. We have seen demonstrable progress in that area now that youth unemployment is among the lowest in Europe and that school leaver destinations are at a record high. Audit Scotland's reporting colleges will give much food for thought to education ministers, particularly as we have manifesto commitments on work. Mr Hepburn has been progressing around the return of programmes for women. The work that Mr Hepburn is leading around maternity and pregnancy discrimination. In terms of the actions that we have taken as a Government to promote fair work, whether that is for women or young people, we have a record to be proud of. Dean Lockhart To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the availability of social housing in rural communities. Minister Kevin Stewart The Scottish Government understands how important good quality housing is for the future of Scotland's prosperity and for the strength and diversity of our communities. That is why, over the lifetime of this Parliament, we are investing over £3 billion to deliver our bold and ambitious target of at least 50,000 affordable homes in both rural and urban communities across Scotland. 35,000 of those homes will be for social rent, representing an increase of 75 per cent on our previous social rented target, which, of course, we exceeded. Through the affordable housing supply programme, we have various housing initiatives designed to increase the number of affordable homes for rent or purchase, which will benefit rural Scotland. For social rented homes in particular, our enhanced grant subsidy benchmarks for rural areas were increased in 2016 by up to £14,000 per unit. In addition to that, the flexible grant and loan housing infrastructure fund was introduced last year to unblock strategically important housing sites. We also recently committed to long-term resource planning assumptions amounting to £1.754 billion to March 2021, which will provide councils across Scotland the certainty needed to ramp up plans to deliver our ambitious 50,000 target. Of course, the Housing Scotland Act 2014 ended the right to buy for all social housing tenants in Scotland on 1 August last year, protecting the existing stock of social rented homes and preventing the sale of up to 15,500 houses over the next decade. Dean Lockhart I thank the minister for that response. Organisations such as the Rural Sterling Housing Association in my own region play an important role in ensuring a diverse range of housing for rural communities. The minister mentioned additional investment. Any additional resources for social housing is of course welcome, although we would go further by building over 100,000 houses for all sectors over the course of this Parliament. However, additional resources will only be part of the solution. We also need a more efficient planning system in Scotland. Currently, the timescale for planning approvals is longer than elsewhere in the UK. Does the minister agree that social housing in rural Scotland would benefit from a more efficient planning process in Scotland? Minister I had the great pleasure last year of visiting Rural Sterling Housing Association's development in Strathblain, which was the first new social housing in that village in between 40 or 50 years. The villagers themselves couldn't quite decide. It was very welcome indeed and also provided a wheelchair accessible home, which was much needed in that area. I am determined to ensure that housing associations like Rural Sterling can continue that job to build in places that have not had social housing for a very long time. In terms of the planning situation, Mr Lockhart will be very well aware of the steps that the Government has taken since the independent planning review across my desk at the very beginning of this parliamentary term. We have had huge amounts of stakeholder consultation, which will result in a new planning bill that will be introduced into this Parliament by the end of the year. I anticipate that that planning bill will lead to much easier planning systems for all, which, hopefully, will lead to swifter decisions in many places. However, I should point out that a lot of that is down to elected members and local authorities, and that is why we are providing training to ensure that they get planning absolutely right. We are not making a lot of progress here, but we have shorter questions and answers. Alex Rowley. In terms of the 35,000 social rented housing, how much housing is going to be built in each local authority area? What funding has been allocated per year to each local authority area? What are the local authorities expected to contribute to make that happen? In terms of planning, what land is available? What planning permission has been sought? What planning permission has been granted? There seems to be a lack of detailed information in terms of where those 35,000 houses are going to be built. Mr Rowley, you asked for short answers, but that would be absolutely impossible under that circumstance. As Mr Rowley is well aware, the local authorities themselves have provided the Government with its strategic housing investment plans, which outline some of the schemes that they are bringing forward. As I said earlier to Mr Lockhart, we have given the resource planning assumptions to all local authorities just the other week. That is £1.754 billion. Each local authority knows what its resource planning assumption is for each of the next three years, as was asked of the Government. That gives them certainty in planning. In terms of land, Mr Rowley will be very well aware that I have written to local authorities to get them to look even more at the use of compulsory purchase orders. The Government and its manifesto have said that we would bring forward legislation during the course of this Parliament to look at compulsory sale orders to try to free up the land. I have probably missed some of the bits that Mr Rowley has asked me there. I am more than willing, as always, to meet Mr Rowley and others to go into more depth about how we are going to achieve our ambitious target. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that local authorities and the house building sector can be confident that the goal of 50,000 new affordable homes by 2021 is reached. We are taking action to ensure that communities across Scotland have homes that are high-quality, efficient and affordable to reach our goal of 50,000 affordable homes by 2021. For the first time, details have been confirmed of each local authority's full funding allocation for affordable housing over the next three years. As a result, more than £1.754 billion is being allocated to councils. For Mr Crawford's own council area, Stirling, that means an allocation of £26.59 million. That is a major Scottish Government commitment not only to deliver more affordable housing, but also an important signal to the house building sector in Scotland, which demonstrates our commitment to the industry and the estimated 14,000 jobs that are affordable housing supply programme support each year. I thank the minister very much for his answer. I am delighted that Stirling's constituency—my constituency of Stirling will see so much money delivered for it. I know that Dean Lockhart will want to put a press release out to the Stirling Observer, welcoming the news very shortly. Can I ask the Government what it is going to do to ensure that smaller construction companies get their fair share of the market and help to build the affordable homes that we need in Scotland? I am quite happy for all members in the chamber to put out welcoming press releases about the Government's commitment over the next three years. Mr Crawford makes a specific point, a very important one. Local authorities and housing associations tender for individual projects in an open and transparent way, which ensures value for money, but could and should also enable small and medium-sized enterprises to bid for work. Some local authorities such as Angus have an approach around breaking down the scale of their procurement in a way that enables small SMEs to bid for that work and to build their capacity. I hope that all local authorities give careful consideration and thought through their procurement policy. We are also working with councils and housing associations to encourage the use of lots within larger contracts and to always consider the impact on SMEs when developing frameworks. Support for SMEs is also available free of charge from the Scottish Government-funded supplier development programme, which offers expert training, support and information to help SMEs win work and grow their businesses. The most important thing for me is going around the country and seeing the amount of apprentices that are working for SMEs. Apprentices who are the future of our construction industry, and I think that long may that continue in any support that local authorities and housing associations can give to SMEs is welcome, as far as I'm concerned. Andy Wightman Thank you, Presiding Officer. In a Scottish Government press release dated 13 June 2017, the minister announced that the Scottish Government, and I quote, has a goal of 50,000 new affordable homes by 2021. Can the minister confirm that the 50,000 affordable homes will in fact all be newly built properties? That's to say additional to the physical stock that existed at the beginning of this Parliament. Andy Wightman Thank you, Presiding Officer. As Mr Wightman is well aware, I would also allow some flexibilities from councils where they want to buy back stock and bring that back into the social housing sector. I think that it's very important that that flexibility is there. Our plan is to deliver 50,000 affordable homes during the course of this Parliament, 35,000 for social rent. Alexander Stewart Thank you, Presiding Officer. There are around 34,000 empty homes across Scotland. Does the Scottish Government share the Scottish Conservatives' ambition to use new initiatives and stronger regulation to bring such properties back into use and provide more affordable housing? Alexander Stewart Mr Stewart may be aware that the number of empty homes is shrinking in Scotland, and we have a number of initiatives, including the Scottish Empty Homes partnership, which continues on in this financial year. It is also important to note the work of dedicated empty homes officers that some local authorities have put in place. I would encourage others to do likewise. Some of those empty homes officers are in partnership in some places with Shelter Scotland. Their help is welcome in that regard. I am more than willing, Presiding Officer, to meet with Mr Stewart to hear about the Scottish Conservatives' proposals programme. I am not known for not being unwilling to nick good ideas, if they are good ideas, so if Mr Stewart wants to come and meet with me to discuss his proposals further, I am more than happy to meet with him. Mari Evans Thank you, Presiding Officer. I remind the chamber that I am the PLO to the Cabinet Secretary. I would ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure the safe and timely delivery of the first payments to be made under Scotland's new social security system. Minister Jeane Freeman The safe and secure transfer of the 11 benefits for the 1.4 million people who rely on them is, of course, our main priority. Last week, we introduced the Social Security Scotland Bill to this Parliament, and it represents the next significant milestone, putting the necessary legislative framework in place to allow the delivery of payments under the new social security system. We have learned lessons from other programmes of change, not least the UK Government's flawed and yet to be completed introduction of universal credit, and we know that a phased approach transferring the benefits incrementally is the best way to ensure their safe and timely delivery. We are committed to ensuring that individuals with lived experience of the benefit system help to shape our approach. On 30 May, the cabinet secretary set out our plans for the first wave of benefits, carers allowance supplement from summer 2018, and best start grant and funeral expense assistance by summer 2019. Mary Evans I thank the minister for that response. Can the minister also provide an update on the work currently being undertaken on establishing a social security agency for Scotland, and if the announcement on the location of this is still expected in the autumn? I thank the member for that supplementary question. The work is progressing through what we have set up as an agency project board with local partners and local trade unions to identify not only the agency's content in terms of jobs and begin to specify some of that, but to also identify co-location opportunities and working conditions for those who will be employed in the agency. I will make an announcement on the location of the agency's centralised function in the autumn and provide an update on our progress in delivering a central and, I believe, very important feature of our Scottish approach, which is locally based social security agency staff. Colin Beattie To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the impact on Scotland of the equalities and social security aspects of the proposals in the Queen's speech. The Queen's speech was yet another wasted opportunity from the UK Government to make society more equal and fairer for millions of people across the UK. It is, of course, deeply disappointing, but in no way surprising that the Queen's speech did not signal any reduction in the Tories' continued austerity plans or any reversal of its deeply damaging social security cuts, such as the £29 cut to employment support allowance for unemployed disabled people, the cap on child tax credit or the repugnant rape clause or, indeed, the benefit cap, which last week the High Court in England called illegal and discriminatory against single parents and children and a policy that the judge damned is real misery being caused to no good purpose. Colin Beattie What we learned from last week's Queen's speech was that, if I can quote Theresa May here, nothing has changed. Can I ask the cabinet secretary if she thinks that it's right that the Tories' obsession with austerity and cuts will continue, despite the volume of evidence against it and their failed general election gamble? Cymru Cymru I am excited to answer the member's question directly. No, I don't think that it's right, but the UK Government is not interested in doing what is right or, indeed, what the evidence shows or in helping those who I quote are just about managing. Disabled people, women and minority ethnic people have been particularly adversely affected by the austerity agenda. In stark contrast, we have just published our social security bill, which is based on the principles of dignity, fairness and respect. Richard Lyle Question 10 has not been lodged. Question 11 Richard Lyle Thank you, Presiding Officer, to ask the Scottish Government when the cabinet secretary for community social security and the qualities last met North Lanarkshire Council and what was discussed. Richard Lyle Presiding Officer, ministers and officials regularly meet representatives of all Scottish local authorities, including North Lanarkshire Council, to discuss a wide range of issues as part of our commitment to working in partnership with local government to improve outcomes for the people of Scotland. Kevin Stewart, Minister for Local Government and Housing, most recently met the chief executive of the council on 13 June. Richard Lyle The cabinet secretary for her answer. The cabinet secretary may be aware of the recent Holy Town Link road proposed to be built in my constituency. Those works are the result of the city deal. Many residents have raised their concerns about the Holy Town Link road. Despite that, North Lanarkshire Council has announced that the city deal cabinet has approved the project. I therefore ask the cabinet secretary if she believes that the city deal cabinet should have listened to the voices of the local people and politicians and delivered for communities when no one wants this road. I think that perhaps the best thing for me to do, Presiding Officer, would be to speak to the economy secretary and the transport minister who will be more appraised of the details with regards to the specific road that Mr Lyle refers to. Of course, we would always encourage local authorities to be acutely listening to their local communities and to, as far as possible, represent the views of the community, but I am conscious that they have the interests of the wider North Lanarkshire community to represent also. I will get either and or either the cabinet secretary for economy and the transport minister to respond to Mr Lyle. I apologise to a number of members who did not get a chance to answer.