 That concludes general questions. We turn now to First Minister's Questions. Question number one, Ruth Davidson. To ask the First Minister what engagement she has planned for the rest of the day. First Minister. engagement is safe for the Government's programme for Scotland. Ruth Davidson. The First Minister can confirm whether the Scottish Government has made contact with the European Commission in recent weeks over delays to this year's farm payments. First Minister. There are regular discussions with the European Commission about matters relating to the agri-cultural policy in general, but the Government is extremely focused by Fergus Ewing on making sure that payments are made and that, in the meantime, there is a loan scheme available for farmers to ensure that we are taking care of their cash flow issues. Ruth Davidson. It is not quite an answer that I was to the question that I asked. Let me be a little bit more specific in the question that I put to the First Minister. As the First Minister knows, the deadline for processing the next batch of payments is just eight days from now. As she also knows, if the Scottish Government does not meet that deadline, it faces potentially millions of pounds worth of fines on top of those already incurred and farmers and crofters face yet more delays. Her ministers have simply dodged this question yesterday and they dodged it last week as well, so let me ask her. Is the Scottish Government going to meet that deadline and, if not, does she intend to ask the European Commission for an extension? We will continue to operate on the same basis that we did last year. We will endeavour to make payments on time and we will continue to discuss with the European Commission any contingency arrangements that we consider are required. Good progress is being made on making payments, both in terms of the 2015 round and the 2016 round. What we have done again this year, as we did last year, is to make sure that we have loan arrangements in place so that the cash flow concerns of farmers are catered for. That, of course, has all been explored by Audit Scotland in its most recent report, as well as in its last report. The issue of penalties, which was covered in both of those Audit Scotland reports—this was referred to by Fergus Ewing in the chamber last week—the Audit Scotland report made certain statements about the risk of penalties. Those penalties did not materialise to the extent that Audit Scotland warned last year, and this year it continues to be speculative. We will continue to work hard to deliver the system. Of course, the big risk to the common agricultural policy is Brexit, which has been presided over by the Tories. Ruth Davidson Now that we know why Fergus Ewing was dodging it yesterday and why she is waffling about it today, she is refusing to answer a question about whether her Government has already made representations to the European Commission about whether she is going to need to ask for an extension, nor is she answering about a question about whether that extension is going to need to be asked for. The Scottish rural communities and the Parliament after having been asked a number of times deserves to have that answer. The question is really simple and it is a yes or no question, so let us take you through it again, step by step by step. There are eight days to go. Is the Scottish Government preparing to ask the European Commission to extend the deadline on farm payments because once again it has failed to get its act in order and delivered them on time? Is that a yes or no answer? Can I have a yes or a no for Scotland's farmers? What we are working on in terms of meeting the 30th of June regulatory deadline is working hard to process the remaining payments. We have been dealing with a small number of known defects that have been holding up some claims and they are now being progressed, so that is the position of the Scottish Government. We are working to meet that deadline and we will continue to do so each and every day until that deadline. Ruth Davidson With the inability to answer a question, everyone in this chamber can assume the answer is yes, everyone in the press gallery can assume that the answer is yes and everyone that runs a farm in Scotland can assume the answer is yes. Here are the facts. £178 million of taxpayers' money spent on an IT system that still does not work, farmers still waiting on payments from last year, average incomes in 2016 down to £12,600 cut in half compared to the previous year, a massive knock-on effect for the wider rural community and for this year, with just over one week to go until the deadline, there are 6,000 applications that are still to be processed, which is a third of the entire total for Scotland. At the start of the year, Nicola Sturgeon spoke directly to farmers at the NFU conference and she said, we understand the difficulties that the late payments caused to you last year, we apologise for those difficulties, we are determined not to repeat them. Another promise broken, why should rural Scotland ever trust you again? That is exactly what we are doing. Look at 2015 cap pillar 1 payments, £342 million of payment complete by the deadline. We continue to work to deliver this year's 2016 payments. 13,100 farmers have received payments in 2016 worth £268 million. We continue to deliver the scheme and we continue to deliver it and seek to deliver it by the deadlines. Of course, what we have done, which was a commitment that I gave directly to farmers, was to put in place loan schemes so that farmers did get the cash that they depend on. We will continue to deliver the scheme and we will continue to work hard to rectify any problems in the IT system. We will also continue to argue for the protection of common agricultural payments in the long term. I say again that the long-term risk to those payments is the reckless Brexit that is being carried out by the Tories, which threatens to take away all support from our farmers in the longer term. Question 2, Kezia Dugdale. To ask the First Minister what engagement she has planned for the rest of the week. First Minister. Engage me just to take forward the Government's programme for Scotland. Kezia Dugdale. This week, the SNP unveiled plans to cut taxes for wealthy air travellers and voted to cut off puppy dog tails. Now Audit Scotland has revealed the scale of cuts to our colleges, with full-time student numbers at the lowest level since 2007. There are almost 160,000 fewer students in Scotland's colleges today than there were when the SNP first came to power. This SNP Government has cut courses, slashed student support and botched a pay deal for staff. So can the First Minister tell us why any college student or any college lecturer should believe that education is her top priority? I am glad that Kezia Dugdale has raised the Audit Scotland report on Scottish Colleges today. I welcome that report. It gives me the opportunity to tell the chamber what the headline findings of that report are, because, not surprisingly, Kezia Dugdale will not want to share them with the chamber or the Scottish public. What the report finds is that colleges have exceeded the national target for learning in every year since that target was set. The overall percentage of full-time equivalent students successfully completing their course increased from the last year. Most students continue to be satisfied with their college experience. More than 80 per cent of students who achieve a qualification go on to further study, training or employment. We have maintained the full-time equivalent numbers of students above our target. We see funding for colleges increasing over the two-year period. Staffing numbers in colleges has gone up by 6 per cent in the last two years. In other words, our college sector is delivering well, despite the efforts of Kezia Dugdale to talk it down as she talks down everything else in Scotland. Order. It is a week away from recess. Will members please—the election is over—will members please conduct themselves responsibly? Kezia Dugdale. Presiding Officer, if she thinks that that is a good report, she shows you just how out of touch with reality she really is. That matters because colleges are the engine of our economy. For many people, they are a second chance in education or the first chance that they never had. Even if a young person does make it to college under the SNP, far too many do not complete their course. We can reveal today that the number of students dropping out of further education has more than doubled since 2011. It is now the equivalent of 12 people dropping out every single day. How many of them does the First Minister take responsibility for? I am not sure if Kezia Dugdale has read the Audit Scotland report and is prepared to pass it over so that she can have a proper look at it. One of the key findings—one of the earliest findings—is that the percentage of full-time equivalent students successfully completing their course increased in the last year, according to Audit Scotland. What we have are colleges exceeding the national target for learning, more full-time equivalent students successfully completing their course, the vast majority of students saying that they are satisfied with their college experience and more than 80 per cent leaving college with a qualification and going into further study, training or employment. Of course, we have one of the lowest rates of youth unemployment in this country anywhere in Europe. That is the reality. We are seeing Government funding for colleges increase something confirmed by the Audit Scotland report. We are seeing the numbers of staff working in our colleges going up. Something confirmed by the Audit Scotland report makes a number of recommendations, and work is already under way on each and every one of them. I know the pressures that people in our public services work under. That is why I am glad earlier this week that there was agreement between the unions and college employers to get the first instalment of the pay rise paid to college lecturers who work so hard. Despite those pressures, our college lecturers and our students are performing well. For once in her life, it might actually be welcome to hear Kezia Dugdale acknowledge the performance of our colleges across the country. Can I ask members behind the leaders to stop and have conversations with the First Minister's answering questions? Kezia Dugdale. There we have it, Nicola Sturgeon's idea of success. 160,000 fewer people go into our colleges and 12 people dropping out every single day. A sacred responsibility. That is how the First Minister described her responsibility to every young person in our country while they are being held back by our First Minister. It is harder to get into college under the SNP and if you get in, it is even harder to stay there. It is getting harder and harder to believe a word that comes out of her mouth. Sacred responsibility. Top priority. Meaningless words from our First Minister. Nobody believes any more. Isn't it the case that under the SNP our colleges are simply expendable? The problem for Kezia Dugdale's floundering series of questions here is that that is not what the Audit Scotland report says in any way whatsoever. This might also be uncomfortable for Kezia Dugdale. In fact, I am pretty sure that it is uncomfortable for Kezia Dugdale, but we made manifesto commitments to maintain the numbers of full-time equivalent students in our colleges and we have done that. That is confirmed by official statistics, more than 116,000 in every year since we set that target. We also see that when unincorporated college places are taken into account, the numbers, headcount numbers are increasing as well. The reason we made that commitment to full-time equivalent places is because we wanted to see more people going to college getting a recognised qualification so that it would increase their chances of getting employment. So now today 97 per cent of learning hours are delivered on courses that lead to a recognised qualification. That is a good thing, but we still provide courses for people who want part-time opportunities, so the majority of total enrolments at college are still on part-time courses, providing those opportunities for people who need them. The fact of the matter is that this is borne out in our employment figures, our positive destination figures. The proof of the pudding, I would say, to Kezia Dugdale, is in the eating. We have more people going on to further study, into further training or employment, and we have, I think, the third lowest youth unemployment rate in the whole of the European Union. That is actually good news, and for once in our life could Kezia Dugdale not just bring herself to admit it. Mr Dugdale again, but could I just ask Mr Johnson and Mr Kelly please to keep the noise down? Kezia Dugdale. Mr Dugdale, I have read the report and I suspect that the First Minister hasn't, so let me put a question to her so that she can prove it one way or another. Does the Audit Scotland report confirm that the number of full-time equivalent students is falling this year for the first time? Funding council statistics, we don't agree with the methodology. Scottish funding council statistics, what it is there? It's even in big print, it's even in big print on page 8. Colleges have exceeded the national target for learning. Full-time equivalent places are being maintained. Head count numbers, and Audit Scotland report does acknowledge this when you take account of all colleges across the country, head count places are going up. The fact of the matter is, on whatever measure we look at our college sector, yes, it's performing under pressure, but it's performing exceptionally well. No matter how much Kezia Dugdale grasps around trying to find the bad news to hammer the SNP, she will not succeed in talking down her colleges or talking down Scotland. Thank you. Just one constituency supplementary today from Liam Kerr. I'm very grateful, Presiding Officer. NHS Tayside announced six months ago that it was temporarily shutting the Mulbury unit at Drakathro hospital, which is a vital and much respected mental health unit. They have this week announced that it is almost certain to be permanently closed, which looks like an attempt to shut services on the sly, and it treats the patients of Tayside with contempt. Can the First Minister tell us when did the health board really decide to permanently shut the unit, and when did her officials become aware? First, this is about ensuring that services are safe and sustainable, and that is, I think, the first duty of any health board anywhere in the country. What we'd be letting patients down is to have services that are not safe for them. NHS Tayside has consulted on this issue, and as I understand it, it's currently looking at proposals and will bring forward its conclusions in due course. I'd be more than happy to ask the health secretary to discuss further with the member if he's got any further information at this stage that he wants, but this is a matter for NHS Tayside to reach conclusions on in due course. To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the cabinet. Matters of importance to the people of Scotland. The police officers who serve us in Scotland are under huge pressure, but four years after our police was centralised, there is stir turmoil with the chief inspector of constabulary identifying fundamental weakness and dysfunction in his latest report published today. The chairman of the Scottish Police Authority has resigned. That's three resignations in just four years. Can the First Minister guarantee that the turmoil will now end, and can she tell me whether anyone else is to go? First, I welcome Her Majesty's inspectorate report, which was published yesterday. Of course, it was the justice secretary who asked Her Majesty's inspectorate to bring forward this aspect of his review of SPA on an accelerated timescale. I think that it is important to recognise what is noted at paragraph 4 of this report. There have been positive signs of improvement in SPA board operations over the past 18 months. The relationships between the SPA and Police Scotland have improved significantly, and the shared development of policing 2026 has been a major milestone. He points to other developments, including improved financial reporting, investment and change management, governance of call handling and the implementation of board and committee work plans and sites as evidence of good progress. There is also a strong commitment from all members of the board to support policing and drive improvement. It is true to say that the report also makes comment on practices that Her Majesty's inspectorate found unsatisfactory, issues that have been discussed in committees of this Parliament and in this chamber, around holding committee meetings in private and not publishing board papers temerously. Those recommendations that are included in this report, of course, are already being acted upon. Of course, action will be taken to recruit a new chair of the Scottish Police Authority as quickly as possible. Willie Rennie It was interesting that the First Minister could not tell me whether the turmoil was about to end and whether anyone else is due to go. I would be appreciated an answer to that in her second answer. The chief inspector did choose his words very carefully. He said that there was fundamental weakness and dysfunction. That is her legislation. It is her board appointees and her chairman, so she cannot wash her hands of it now. Call centres, the M9 crash, stop and search, backfilling of civilian jobs, IT programme collapse, failed audit after failed audit on finance—that is all just in four years. Our police officers and staff deserve better. They cannot go on year after year facing those barriers to their good work. In those circumstances, is it really wise of her to merge British Transport Police into this organisation as she proposes to do next week? First Minister, I think that anybody listening to my first answer would not have heard me trying to wash my hands of anything. On the country, the report that we are talking about today was requested by the Scottish Government. The Cabinet Secretary for Justice specifically asked Her Majesty's Inspector to bring forward this aspect of his review more quickly than other aspects of it. There is a recognition of the aspects that have been found unsatisfactory. Action has already been taken, for example, around the transparency of board meetings and board papers. Action on those recommendations is under way. The Scottish Police Authority has been asked to put forward an action plan covering all those recommendations that will do that and follow-up work by Her Majesty's inspectors. Asking me if I can stand here in Parliament and say that nobody else will ever leave the employment of the Scottish Police Authority, of course I cannot say that, but the focus that we are having right now is on making sure that the police authority is functioning the way people want it to function. There is a welcome in this report, of course, for the action that the cabinet secretary announced last week to review how the executive of the SPA supports the board. That is specifically welcomed by the inspector in his report. I also think that it is really important to recognise what I read out in my first answer—the recognition of the real improvements that have been made. Finally, on the issue of the British Transport Police, it plays a hugely valuable role in keeping our railways safe. We will ensure that railway policing is always strong and accountable to the people of Scotland. However, the reasons for integration are to improve the way that our policing operates in a coherent and joined-up fashion. I have to say that some of what I have witnessed in recent times in terms of the police response to some of the awful terrorist attacks that we have seen has shown that that kind of co-ordination is to the benefit not just of the police but the public across Scotland as well. To ask the First Minister for her response to the Queen's speech and, in particular, the confirmation that the UK Government is planning a power grab over new Brexit powers. Well, there is not much in the Queen's speech to respond to, it is fair to say. What a humiliatingly vacuous Queen's speech that was that was published yesterday. Clearly, the Tories at Westminster have given up entirely on the day job beyond any doubt. All that was in the Queen's speech were damaging plans to rip the UK, not just out of the EU but out of the single market. That is what the Tory Government now amounts to, perpetrating that economic destruction upon everybody across the UK. Clare Adamson asked specifically about a power grab. I remain extremely concerned about what appears to be plans to centralise power in the hands of Whitehall as powers come back from Brussels. I am also concerned that, despite the hints that we got yesterday, there is still no clear and emphatic acceptance on the part of the UK Government that the repeal bill will require the legislative consent of this Parliament. It is unthinkable that anything else would be the case, so maybe the Tories could just confirm that and stop prevaricating on it. The last point that I would make, Presiding Officer, in relation to the Westminster Government's programme is this. This is a serious point that the Tories would do well not to laugh at, as they usually do when these things are raised. This morning in the High Court in England, the Tory benefit cap has been declared illegal and discriminatory against single parents and children. The judge in that case has said that the benefit cap is causing real misery to no good purpose. That is a damning indictment of a callous and uncaring Tory Government. No doubt that is why it is in the state that it is in. Ross Greer Last week, the Scottish Government published its education governance proposals. In its own documents, it acknowledged the widespread support for the current governance arrangements and strong opposition to its own proposals. So why is the Scottish Government proposing changes that only the Conservative Party seems to support? We are proposing changes that we believe are in the interests of parents, teachers and pupils across our country. The heart of the governance review that the Deputy First Minister published in this chamber last week is a simple proposition. We want to get more powers and more resources into the hands of schools and of headteachers, because there is evidence that when that happens and we improve the quality of learning in the classroom, standards improve. So we will continue to press on with our reform programme, governance reforms, the national improvement framework, the attainment challenge and the attainment fund, the pupil equity fund, getting more resources into the hands of headteachers. I would call on everybody across the chamber to continue to engage rather in this debate and get behind those plans, because they are in the interests of pupils. Graham Dey The uncertainty around Brexit is already impacting significantly on the UK's soft-fruit sector, with reports emerging of EU worker shortages. Angus Groes, from my constituency, were on national radio this morning, once again highlighting their concerns over where this is headed. Can the First Minister outline what can be and is being done here in Scotland to help to support this important industry? Graham Dey For his question, which I know is a significant concern in his constituency, we will continue to do everything that we can to support the soft-fruit grower sector and make sure that the concerns that are particular to Brexit are communicated very forcibly to the UK Government. Obviously, this is a particular concern to that particular sector of our economy, but I have been struck just in the last couple of weeks—in this week alone—to separate round-table discussions with business interests, another one last week. I have been struck by how often now the concern about access to skills is being raised by businesses across our country. Many businesses face skills challenges that we are working to support them with, but there is a growing concern that Brexit and the reckless approach to Brexit that is being taken now by this chaotic Tory Government at Westminster is going to make their jobs even harder and put a lot of their businesses at risk. That is another reason why common sense must prevail and we must all unite. I hope that we could unite us as a Parliament to demand that we keep our place in the single market and continue to ensure that our businesses can access the skills that they so badly need. The terror threat level is at severe. Transport hubs are a target. The Scottish Police Authority is in disarray, and next week the Government wants to pass a bill to merge the British Transport Police into Police Scotland. Train companies oppose, and rail unions have even threatened strike action over a merger that simply workers do not want and passengers do not need. This week, the British Transport Police Federation called for the bill to be suspended and questioned a quote, whether it is right that this integration continues while transport hubs and the country's infrastructure is at such risk from terrorism. They suggest that it is not. Our British Transport Police officers do a fantastic job to protect the public. The question for the First Minister is whether she will listen to our police officers and drop this bill, or whether she will press on regardless and ignore the serious warnings from our police officers. Those are serious issues. We have listened very closely to the issues that have been raised by the rail industry, police and unions. We have given guarantees in particular to unions around jobs, pay and pension conditions, but integration is about providing a single command structure for policing in Scotland so that there is access to wider support facilities and specialist resources, which include Police Scotland's counter-terrorism capabilities. When we have seen an increase in response to recent events at transport hubs, that is an armed police response that is not provided by British Transport Police. It is a response provided by Police Scotland. It is not about undermining the functions that the British Transport Police provide. It is an excellent response. It is about making sure that there is a unified command structure, that there is more access to specialist resources and that our police service works in that joined-up, co-ordinated way. We will continue to talk to all those with a concern about this to seek to reassure them, but I think that what we have seen in recent weeks highlights the reasons for integration, rather than taking away from those reasons. To ask the First Minister what recent discussions have been held between the Scottish Government and the Scotland Office regarding opportunities for future inter-governmental co-operation and the new UK ministerial appointment. First Minister. Well, there is regular contact between the Scottish Government and the UK Government, including the Scotland Office, to ensure that day-to-day business continues after the general election. We stand ready to engage actively with the UK Government in order to protect our interests in Europe, and we will continue to insist that the devolved administrations are fully involved in the development of the UK's negotiating position. June McAlpine. I thank the First Minister for that answer. Would the First Minister agree that the correct way to ensure Scotland is represented in Brexit negotiations is for the democratically elected Scottish Government to join the talks, not unelected peers defeated at the ballot box? I think that we have seen democracy Tory style in full action this week. What I am about to see here is not personal in any way against the individual concerned, but isn't it absolutely outrageous that we have a candidate defeated at the ballot box fairly and squarely in an election, and then a matter of days later, the wishes of the people of Perth and North Persia are completely disregarded. This failed candidate is put into the House of Lords and installed as a minister in the Scotland office, elected by absolutely nobody anywhere in Scotland. It is an absolute abomination and shows what contempt the Tories have for democracy. The way to involve Scotland in these Brexit talks is to do what Ruth Davidson used to call for before she was told the error of her ways by her bosses at Westminster, is to have the democratically elected Scottish Government at the negotiating table. When is Ruth Davidson going to start arguing for that again, or is that something that she has just been told that she is not allowed to say any more because it does not suit her bosses at Westminster? Lewis MacDonald Thank you very much. The First Minister will recognise the important role of this Parliament in scrutinising inter-governmental co-operation, not least in this field. Can she therefore tell us today what actual proposals her Government has put or will put to the UK Government in relation to the negotiation of article 50, a process that has already begun? Lewis MacDonald will of course be well aware of Scotland's place in Europe, the substantial document that we published in December of last year, setting out in some detail how and why we think the UK should stay within the single market, if that does not happen how and why we think Scotland should be able to stay within the single market, and setting out in detail across a range of different issues the powers that we think should lie with this Parliament in order to protect our interests. We will also continue, as we have been doing, to make specific proposals to the UK Government on a whole range of issues, such as the one that I was talking about earlier on, the constraints of getting rid of freedom of movement to our businesses and accessing skills through to the impact on our agriculture sector by taking away payments through the common agricultural policy through to the real fears that many have about our fishing industry being sold out by the Tories. We will continue to make all of those arguments. Do you know what? It would be, I think, better if we had two things, that this Parliament, united to demand of the UK Government, first, that this Parliament will be properly consulted through the formal legislative consent process, and secondly, that this Scottish Government, democratically elected, has a seat at the negotiating table so that we can properly defend Scotland's interests. I would challenge all parties across this chamber to get behind us in demanding both of those things. Question 5, Dean Lockhart. To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to improve small business confidence. The foundations of Scotland's economy are strong. Figures last week showed the lowest unemployment rate on record, while we continue to be a top UK destination for inward investment. We are working to simplify regulation for small business, encourage innovation and entrepreneurship and make it easier for businesses to find the finance that they need to grow. We are also investing £10 million in the local economic development capital grant fund, which will support economic resilience and future growth across local communities, including in the member's region of Fife. Of course, we are delivering a highly competitive business rates package, including expanding the small business bonus scheme, so that it lifts 100,000 properties out of business rates altogether. Dean Lockhart. I thank the First Minister for that response and for providing an update. We welcome the announcement earlier today of the creation of the South of Scotland Enterprise Agency, not least because it was our idea. However, after 10 years of countless new policy initiatives from the SNP, Scotland's economy and the small business sector are still in decline. According to the Federation of Small Business Last Week, small business confidence in Scotland has been negative for more than five years and has been below UK levels for that time. That reflects, according to the FSB, the fact that Scotland's economy is underperforming the rest of the UK. I ask the First Minister why does the small business sector and the Scottish economy as a whole continue to underperform after 10 years of SNP government? Just to be clear, I am not talking down Scotland. I am highlighting SNP failures after 10 years in government. The Federation of Small Business Report, which was released on 19 June, found that Scottish business confidence had risen for the second consecutive quarter. It also said that Brexit was having an impact in terms of increased prices for imported goods and services. We actually see confidence increasing, but the real risk to confidence again being the Brexit that has been so recklessly pursued by the Tory Government. We will continue to support not just small businesses in our economy but businesses right across our economy. We see unemployment now, as I said earlier, at the lowest level on record. We see unemployment now below the UK average. We continue to take a range of initiatives from the growth fund that I spoke about that Derek Mackay announced the first stage of last week to the Enterprise and Skills review that Keith Brown has been announcing today to our continued support for businesses through the small business bonus. We will continue to take those actions to support our businesses and support our economy, but we all have to also be open-eyed to the big risk that is facing every business across this country. It is the unnecessary risk that has been posed on it by the Tory Government taking the UK not just out of the EU but out of the single market. The sooner the Tories wake up to that, the better. The Federation of Small Business Recent Report tells us that Scottish business confidence is lower than the rest of the UK. It also suggested that business investment intentions are down compared to the previous quarter and lag the UK as a whole. Although other aspects of the economy may be improving, there are other challenges ahead, such as economic inactivity rising. Will the First Minister offer any explanation as to why we lag behind the UK? Now that the referendum is off the table, what action will she take to restore business confidence in Scotland? I have already outlined the range of initiatives that we are taking to support business confidence and support our economy. I know why the Tories refuse to accept the real risk to our business community right now. I am not so sure why Labour continues to refuse to acknowledge those risks, but what is really quite inexplicable to me is this. Why was it, if Jackie Baillie is so serious about supporting the small business sector as she appears to be today, that Labour voted against our budget proposals that lifted 100,000 businesses out of small business rates? That is inescapable for Labour. If you want to support small businesses, it is not enough to come to this chamber and give them warm words. You actually have to deliver the money that supports them, not vote against that money, as Labour did. Question 6, Monica Lennon. To ask the First Minister how the national roll-out of the baby box scheme will improve public health and reduce health inequalities. The baby box will help to reduce health inequalities by firstly ensuring that every family with a newborn has access to essential items needed in the first six months of a child's life. Secondly, and very importantly, the registration process for the box is designed to ensure that health professionals have the opportunity to engage with parents. That is an essential step in encouraging women who do not currently register for antenatal services to do so and ensure that they then get appropriate support and care both for themselves and their baby. Lastly, information leaflets included in the box on issues such as safe sleeping practices aimed to promote the wellbeing of babies and the inclusion of items such as the digital thermometer help parents to monitor their child's health. Monica Lennon. I thank the First Minister for her answer. Scottish Labour is a fan of the baby box scheme that emerges in Finland. We wish to see its introduction in Scotland to have similar success in tackling public health challenges and health inequalities here. Some of the feedback from the pilot research that was published earlier this week indicated that more work needs to be done to link the box more clearly with other Scottish Government public health initiatives. This week is national breastfeeding week, and 30 experts are calling for better support for mothers and the need for a change in the culture and conversation around breastfeeding. As the First Minister knows, rates of breastfeeding in Scotland among younger mothers and those from deprived areas remain too low. As I have raised with ministers many times, the baby box provides a unique opportunity to improve that. Putting a packet of nursing pads for leaky breasts and a leaflet for a breastfeeding website into the box is not the best that Scotland can do. I would welcome the chance to explore those issues face-to-face with the Minister for Children and Young People and perhaps the Public Health Minister too. If we are allocating £9 million per year from the health budget, surely we all want to make the scheme as successful as possible, and that has to involve a stronger effort to be breastfeeding across Scotland. The question is, does the First Minister agree? Sometimes when I listen to Labour politicians talking about the baby box, it is hard to escape this conclusion that Labour is supporters and fans of the baby box when it is introduced in any other country around the world. When it is introduced by an SNP Government, they suddenly become sceptics or opponents of exactly the same initiative. It comes back to the difficult position that Labour often finds itself in. It is so blinkered by its dislike of the SNP that it cannot even bring itself to give an unequivocal welcome to something as good as a baby box for goodness sake. On the specific issues, those are important issues, but Monica Lennon knows, and I would be very happy to engage with her further on all of those issues. The baby box and the ethos of the baby box is not just about a box of essential items, although that is very helpful to parents, the length and breadth of the country. It is also about encouraging engagement with antenatal services by people who otherwise sometimes do not engage with antenatal services, and it is through that engagement that we can then work with mothers and expectant mothers to focus on things such as breastfeeding. The advice in the box is also extremely important. Yes, let us engage in all those things. The reason we did the pilot exercise was to learn lessons from that and apply those lessons. For goodness sake, can Labour not just for once accept that this is a really good thing? That is why countries across the world are now doing it, and get over your dislike of the SNP and just bring yourself to welcome something that is such good news for babies across Scotland. A final supplementary from Fulton MacGregor, who I hope will declare an interest, not just as a pillow but as a brand-new dad, will accept our congratulations. Thank you, Presiding Officer, and thanks to the chamber. I am delighted to see that every family receiving a baby box will be provided with a baby wrap, which is designed for parents to carry their babies comfortably and safely. Speaking as a dad of a newborn, I am aware that the importance of early close contact between parents and babies, which we all know, contributes so much to wellbeing. Can the First Minister advise how parents' views and experiences have also helped to influence the contents of Scotland's baby box? Congratulations to Fulton MacGregor on his new arrival, although perhaps I will get in before Kenny Gibson by reminding him that he has still got some way to catch up with the Presiding Officer on that front. The experience of parents has been central to the development of the baby box. Parents have played a really big role in influencing the development of the contents of the baby box, and the contents have changed from the pilot to the full roll-out. Parents, for example, from low-income backgrounds, particularly valued the inclusion of some high-cost items, which are very important for the wellbeing of babies. I mentioned the digital ear thermometer as an example of that, but there is also the room and bathwater thermometer and the baby wrap that Fulton MacGregor mentioned. Parents also asked for more than one book to be included and welcomed the inclusion of a play mat to support their children's development. We have made sure that all of those items will be in the baby boxes that families with a newborn will begin to receive from 15 August this year. When that starts to happen, I really hope that everybody across this chamber will find it in their heart to be happy about it and welcome the good news for newborn babies right across Scotland. Thank you. That concludes First Minister's Questions. We now have members' business in the name of Tavish Scott on the island games. We will just take a few moments for members to change their seats.