 Mae pobl bod yn hollu ar y cwmru yn gwneud o'r pwnghwyl a'r pwnghwyl datblygu, eich fawr i'r ffwyl ac i'r fawr i'r bwnghwyl, a'u fawr i'r fawr i'r bwnghwyl a'r bwnghwyl, gan eich bwm mwyaf i'r pwnghwyl a'u cyffredinol, a'u cyfleidol, cefnwyr, yn gweld i'r bwnghwyl. Ie, maen nhw yr fawr y cwmru. Mae Gweinol yn rhywbeth yw'r pwnghwyl brifwyl Llywodraeth y Llywodraeth has had with ministerial colleagues regarding an assessment of the impact of short-term let licensing on the rural economy. I regularly engage with colleagues on a variety of issues affecting our respective portfolios. In relation to short-term let specifically, the Scottish Government published seven impact assessments to accompany the licensing legislation, including a business and regulatory impact assessment and island communities impact assessments. The licensing scheme offers considerable flexibility to local authorities on how it is implemented. We recognise the challenges that are facing businesses at this time, which is why we have also extended the deadline for existing hosts to apply for a licence by six months, so extending that from 1 April this year to 1 October. We remain committed to monitoring the implementation of the scheme and will be undertaking a review in 2024. The Moffat Centre for Travel and Tourism Business Development has found that 77 per cent of operators feel their business is threatened by the new licensing scheme. Rural businesses are struggling to keep afloat and these regulations are making things worse. How is the Cabinet Secretary supporting owners of rural businesses who fear they will have to close as a result of the legislation? I thank the member for raising that important point. Obviously, this is something that is being led by my colleague, the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, and I will be happy to pick up those issues with her specifically and get back to you with a response on that. That is where I think that it is all about trying to get the balance there, making sure that that is flexible and something that is ultimately up to local authorities to implement and do in their own way. That is where, of course, the monitoring of the implementation and how that is being rolled out is vitally important. That review that will take place next year is going to be critical in that too, but, again, I am more than happy to raise those issues with my colleague. It is a number supplementary. It would be great if it could be as brief as possible first, Alasdair Allan. Let's have contributed positively to our tourism industry, but high numbers of them can make it harder for people to find homes to live in. Data indicates that house prices in the Western Isles, for instance, rose 135 per cent over the last 18 years. Given that those increases are likely to price young islanders out of an area that retains a large number of second homes, does the cabinet secretary share my view that it is crucial to address those concerns? It is absolutely crucial. I thank the member for raising that point. It is certainly an issue that is raised with me whenever I am out and about visiting more rural parts of Scotland as well as visiting our islands. I think that local areas need to have those tools and the powers to take action to address issues where there is that imbalance between tourism, second homes and residential housing that is causing problems for local communities and economies and affecting the sustainability of public services. In addition to providing more than £43 million over this parliamentary term to support the delivery of affordable housing in the Western Isles, we also agree that action needs to be taken on second homes. That is why we are currently exploring proposals with COSLA to give powers to local authorities to increase council tax for second homes, too. Rachel Hamilton. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is regarding— Ms Hamilton, it is not a supplementary on question 2. Sorry. No. I am going to call Willie Rennie. I will call you shortly. I would welcome the details of the plans on the second homes, but I have been critical of the licensing scheme. I think that it has been particularly burdensome, but I am a strong supporter of the short-term-let control areas. My frustration is that Fife Council says that it has to wait before the licensing scheme is in place, but also that it wants the local development plan to be developed in tandem with the implementation of the control areas. Can she and her colleagues have a discussion with Fife Council to encourage them to move a little bit faster? Yes, I am more than happy to take that forward and raise that with colleagues. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is regarding the implications for the food and drink supply chain in Scotland to the national farmers union petition on improving food security. I fully agree with the importance that the national farmers union places upon our food security and the need for the UK Government to have plans in place to deal with the UK's security of food supply. I have raised repeatedly with the UK Government the critical issues that are impacting on the sector and the need for them to intervene to provide more support to the food and drink sector. I have also set up a food security unit within the Scottish Government to monitor supply chain vulnerabilities and to ensure that we can strengthen food security and supply here in Scotland. Rutherl Hamilton. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Given the critical importance of food security in the current climate, will the cabinet secretary use that as an opportunity to revisit the benefits of genetic technology that will enable Scotland's farmers to sustainably grow food, lower their emissions, reduce risks of poor harvest and improve the health of the nation? I am sure that the member is aware of our position in relation to that. I think that what I have talked about here in relation to the immediate concerns and some of the immediate issues that we face are really important and the actions that we have taken in setting up the food security unit within the Scottish Government that is going to monitor the on-going supply chain vulnerabilities that exist to ensure that we are not caught out again in future should further challenges exist. We have already been through the pandemic, we have seen the exit of modern Ukraine and seen the impact that that can have on our food supply, so we want to make sure that we have that resilience going forward. A couple of brief supplementaries first, Jim Fairlake. To quote Martin Kennedy, we have a UK Government that wants to blame everyone except themselves for the current and impending food shortages. The speech at the NFU conference highlighted three areas that threaten to jeopardise the industry—labor shortages and uncertainty posed by phasing out of direct payments and so on—and energy prices. All those issues sit outside the remit of this Parliament, so does the cabinet secretary share my view that if the Tories want to discuss food security, a good place to start would be getting the DEFRA secretary in front of the Rain Committee? I know that that will ultimately be a decision for the committee to take as to who they invite to take evidence from. It is not for me to obviously account for the actions of the secretary of state, but I absolutely do agree that the food and drink sector has been beset by a wide range of issues arising from some of those that I have just mentioned, such as the pandemic Brexit and the conflict in Ukraine now having further impacts. That is where, again, it is really important here to focus on the action that we have taken in Scotland to try to mitigate some of that. I have established together with industry a short-life food security and supply task force in March of last year. The outcome of that work was a report that we published in June, in which we recognised that the UK Government ultimately holds many of the levers to help address the cumulative issues that are impacting the sector, exactly as the member has mentioned, whether that is labour and skill shortages, rising costs, energy costs—they are some of the most significant. I have written repeatedly to the UK Government to highlight the need for it to intervene, to provide vital support for the industry, and only this week received a response, so we are still waiting for that meaningful engagement in action to be taken. Other than writing to the UK Government, giving it largely down to the cabinet secretary responsibly, what has the short-term food security task force delivered or what is expected to deliver? I do not think that the member could really disagree with me on the fact that the issues that I have talked about today are ultimately up to the UK Government and some of the biggest risks, ultimately some of the biggest risks that are facing the sector at the moment—energy costs, labour shortages—are all the responsibility of the UK Government. Now, we recognise in Scotland that we need to take action. That is why I set up a task force. If the member had been listening to the response to the previous question, he would have heard me saying that we have established a direct outcome of that work, has been the establishment of a food security unit within the Scottish Government, and if we look to the recommendations of the report, of the task force that were published in June last year, all of them have been completed. Can the cabinet secretary advise what impact Brexit has had on the food and drink supply chain most recently with the shortage of fresh fruit and vegetables? We know that there have been weather challenges in other parts of the world that have affected fruit and veg in the supply chain during the winter period in the UK, but, of course, that has been exacerbated by the UK Government's approach to Brexit, where Scotland's food and drinks sector lost many of the benefits that we once had when we were trading with the EU and being part of that single market. It is also really clear and evident when you look at the figures. Many of our Scottish food industries continue to suffer from lower exports to the EU. We have seen a 49 per cent fall in fruit and veg exports and a 15 per cent fall in dairy and egg exports in the first nine months of last year compared to the same period in 2019. Thank you, Presiding Officer, to ask the Scottish Government for an update on when the response to the agriculture bill consultation will be published. The Scottish Government is committed to introducing a new agriculture bill to Parliament this year, a public consultation on the bill seeking views on proposals to assist in delivering the vision for agriculture and a legislative framework required to replace the current common agriculture policy from 2025-26 onwards, closed on 5 December, so we are carefully considering the diverse range of views that are provided and aim to publish responses in the spring. I thank the cabinet secretary for that response. We will no doubt hear more about the plans for agricultural reform during this afternoon's debate, but without pre-empting, what the cabinet secretary might have to say on this in a few moments' time, can she confirm whether the Scottish Government has made any assessment of the potential for existing proposals within the agricultural support package to reduce food production on productive land in favour of carbon secretion measures? If not, does she accept that a failure to do so could jeopardise our nation's food security? We are not jeopardising our nation's food security. I think that we need to be really clear here that what we are looking at in terms of what we are introducing in the future and our future framework is that it is not a choice between food production or taking actions for nature and climate. It is ultimately about making our food production systems more resilient to some of the changes that we know are going to come down the line and making our businesses more resilient. I am really fortunate in this job that I get to travel the length and breadth of Scotland to meet our different farmers and producers and to see the action that they are taking on the ground—producing food but doing it in a way that works with nature and works for the climate—and ultimately is helping to make them more sustainable, resilient and profitable businesses. That is what we are keen to enhance and ensure that we are enabling going forward. Mr Carson, please assist from the comments across the front benches. Emma Harper has a brief supplement. We have heard repeatedly from industry how important it is that we get this right, given the importance of the bill and the Scottish Government's commitment to listening to the sector. Co-development, co-design, discussions with farmers and crofters are fundamental to this approach. Contrast this with the shambles that the environmental land management schemes are happening south of the border. I would be interested to know if the cabinet secretary shares my views that it is right that we take our time and that we need no lessons from the Tories when it comes to safeguarding the interests of farmers and crofters and growers in Scotland. I will try to be as brief as possible. It is important to remember that it was vital that we had committed to that period of stability and simplicity and that we delivered on the commitment to that to ensure that our farmers and crofters and land managers were continuing with direct payments. The work that the member touched on is vital. As we look to develop our future policy, we want to make sure that we do it right in a way that works for the industry, for our farmers and crofters, so ensuring that we bring them along with us, that they help us to develop those policies is absolutely critical. That takes a bit more time, but it is vital to ensure that we get this right. Joe FitzPatrick To ask the Scottish Government when it will last engage with the UK Government regarding support available through future budgets to support agriculture in Scotland, including the replacement of the EU agricultural funding. EU exit means that we no longer have that long-term certainty of funding. HM Treasury has provided yearly allocations for the current UK parliamentary term, but there is no funding commitment from 2025 onwards. The UK Government promised full EU replacement funding and collective engagement on future funding, which was reaffirmed by previous secretaries of state. Scottish ministers raised the issue of replacement funding for the rural affairs and islands portfolio prior meetings of the inter-ministerial group for environment, food and rural affairs, as well as directly. We continue to make representations to the UK Government that should fulfil its commitments. Joe FitzPatrick Thank you for your response. Last Wednesday, the rural affairs and islands committee heard from members of the ARIOB. Evidence given to the committee highlighted the long-term nature of the agricultural sector and concerns regarding the post-brexit inability for business to plan ahead. Does the cabinet secretary share my view that the Tory UK Government is completely failing our farmers, crofters and growers, and will she continue to advocate for active farming and food production, and will she commit to continuing engagement with a view to securing some clarity for the industry? Yes, I will. I know how important that future funding certainty is. Again, it is one of the biggest issues that I hear directly from farmers, crofters and other businesses is that ability to plan for the future and know what funding is in place. Unfortunately, we are not in a position where we can provide that because of the reasons that I outlined in my initial response. We really share that frustration that we have seen expressed by our stakeholders over the lack of clarity, the lack of collective engagement on future funding and the impact that that has on the development of future policy. That is before we even look at the impact of trade, migration and the threats that are posed by the UK Internal Market Act and Subsidy Control Act. I remain committed to supporting active farming and food production in Scotland with direct payments because that provides that certainty to industry and we will deliver on our commitments. 5. Willie Coffey Thank you to ask the Scottish Government how it supports agriculture in Ayrshire. The Scottish Government provides access to agricultural support from a number of payment schemes open to eligible farmers, crofters and land managers. We have committed to support active farming and food production with direct payments to provide certainty to industry and we brought forward the 2022 cap payment day in order to provide support to businesses with immediate cash flow challenges. 5. Willie Coffey I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. She will be aware that Ayrshire plays a prominent role in farming in Scotland and the quality of our beef, sheep and dairy sectors is amongst the best in the world produced to the highest standard. With significantly rising costs affecting production, our farmers are facing an extremely challenging task to simply keep pace. Can the cabinet secretary outline what the government's plans are to help them to meet that challenge, to increase local food production in Scotland and to encourage everyone to buy Scottish farming produce in support of our local farmers? I cannot agree more with the member when he talks about the fantastic produce that comes from his region and had the pleasure of visiting a farm with him a wee while ago, but it was a dairy farm that we visited together. The Ayrshire agricultural sector is hugely important to Scotland and we have provided around £31 million in support payments for the various schemes that I talked about over the course of the last year. However, the member also raises some really important points that I think we can all look to do more to encourage. That is about the importance of buying and supporting local, supporting that local production. We have set out a local food strategy and also I took the Good Food Nation Act through the Scottish Parliament last year, which is about Scotland being that good food nation, ensuring that people in Scotland have access to the food that we produce in this country, strengthening those local food supply chains. Of course, we are looking to do all that we can to encourage that and encourage people to buy and support local. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding how it will ensure that the needs of the rural economy are considered in its plan for the decarbonisation of transport. I regularly engage with my ministerial colleagues, including the cabinet secretary for rural affairs and islands on transport matters, for example through the island strategic group that met last week. This Government's ambitions for future transport investment priorities for the whole of Scotland are included in the second strategic transport projects review that was published in December of last year. They have the potential to decarbonise transport and transform the way that we travel in rural areas. The recommendations focus on active travel, bus priority and the safety and resilience of the transport network, all of which will support the rural economy. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer, but she will know that our rural areas have been left behind when it comes to transport and the decarbonisation of transport. We have a huge opportunity here. I wonder if the cabinet secretary recognises this opportunity on the things such as the main material routes of the 75 and 77 A9 to connect them up with that sort of electric and hydrogen super highway that will bring a rural economy up to the standards that we are looking at in urban areas? Will the cabinet secretary accept that that investment is required? I very much recognise the sentiment of Mr Whittle's question. It is worth saying that there is a lot of cross-government work that is on going on this matter. For example, last week, I alluded to in my first response, the island strategic group met. As a request for me, as transport minister, transport will now be a standing item agenda on that committee. I think that it is really important that we have that cross-government approach to transport, particularly where there is a connection across portfolio areas. The second thing that I would point to is, of course, the convention of the Highlands and Islands will be in the western isles next week. Again, transport will feature on that agenda. There are undoubtedly challenges in rural Scotland that do not exist in other parts of the country. In relation to electric vehicles, I think that the member makes a fair point. It is worth pointing out that we have the most comprehensive public charging network in Scotland outside of London, but of course there is more that we need to do working with our local authority partners, particularly in rural areas. Ferries are integral to the transport of livestock, fish and aquaculture produce throughout Shetland and for export, but our inter-island ferries are responsible for a significant contribution of Shetland's carbon emissions. How will the Scottish Government assist island communities to decarbonise ferry transport while meeting their economic needs? I thank the member for a question. She may be aware that I met with Shetland Islands Council yesterday to discuss this very matter in relation to the sustainability of Shetland's inter-island ferries. Of course, that work is on going with the local authority, and we absolutely need to focus on the decarbonisation of the fleet, which at the current time of course is the responsibility of the local authority. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Carbon neutral islands demonstrate Scottish islands and their economies are at the vanguard of innovation, leading the way on the journey to net zero. Can the minister advise how the experience of delivering carbon neutral islands specifically in relation to transport can be applied to other parts of Scotland, both rural and urban? The carbon neutral island project is really intended to benefit all of Scotland, not only those included directly as part of the project, but that will be, of course, through knowledge exchange and sharing of good practice. The project is very soon to release the community climate change action plans developed by island communities, which is hugely important, and we look forward to analysing the content of such plans and working closely with our delivery partners. To ask the Scottish Government what its initial assessment is of the potential impact of the Windsor framework on the food and drink supply chain in Scotland. First of all, we need to be clear that the dispute over the Northern Ireland protocol was of the UK Government's own making, threatening what would have been a catastrophic trade war with the EU in the middle of a cost crisis. While the Scottish Government broadly welcomes the Windsor framework agreement, Scotland did not vote for Brexit, which has brought nothing but harm to people, communities and businesses in Scotland. The UK Government must also clarify policy on Northern Ireland to GB trade and the impact on devolved responsibilities. That includes physical checks on food safety and animal and plant health and on associated infrastructure, such as a border control post at Cairnryan. I thank the minister for her answer, and indeed Scotland is the only constituent nation of the UK to have its vote on Brexit comprehensively ignored, threatening our food security in the process. NFUS president Martin Kennedy described significant and costly disruption to long established trading arrangements between Scotland and Northern Ireland. Does the minister agree that Scotland must be given similar dispensation as Northern Ireland has in the Windsor framework so that our food and drink sector can have access to the economic security of access to the EU's single market? We have repeatedly called for the UK Government to find a negotiated solution to this entirely avoidable dispute with the EU. The Scottish Government unequivocally supports the Good Friday agreement and we welcome the new agreement that has been announced on the Northern Ireland protocol. However, Scotland did not vote for Brexit, and yet we continue to suffer the consequences of it, including exacerbating the current cost of living crisis. The member is quite right in what she is talking about there, because while Northern Ireland has now been given that preferential access to the huge European single market, Scotland, which voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU, has been ignored by the UK Government and subjected to the full damage of that disastrous hard Brexit. Brexit has brought nothing but harm to people, community and businesses in Scotland, and the Scottish Government remains committed to realising Scotland's potential as an independent nation within the European Union. I am glad to see that the Windsor framework will enable the resumption of trade in seed potatoes between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which NFUS has called a significant breakthrough. I can ask the minister to confirm what assessment the Scottish Government has made on the impact that it will have on Scottish Farming. I would say that that is one element of the framework that we would broadly welcome, because that was a trade that was switched off overnight that we have not been able to get access to. However, all of that could have been avoided in the first place. Again, while we broadly welcome it, we did not need to be in this position in the first place. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding supporting sustainability of the rural economy in areas such as Argyll and Bute. I am in regular contact with my ministerial colleagues regarding supporting the sustainability of our rural and island communities and economies. We actively worked together to support the rural economy, including through different forests such as the island strategic group, the convention of the highlands and islands and the convention of the south of Scotland. Jenny Minto. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. In the last few weeks, I have met farmers and fishers in my constituency of Argyll and Bute. Both groups raised the importance of investing in local infrastructure. Can the cabinet secretary advise how the Scottish Government is ensuring that the local knowledge and good practice of rural and island communities is fully harnessed? The member raises a really important point there, and I think that if we want to deliver on our ambition for referer Scotland, that has got to start at the local community level. Our infrastructure investment plan and islands programme sets place-based investments that reflect the needs of our communities and delivering the Government's priorities of a net-zero place-based wellbeing economy. Our planned investments for Argyll and Bute's transport infrastructure, for example, include solutions to address the landslip risks on the A83 and the SNP. I know that the transport minister continues to engage with local stakeholders via the A83 task force meetings and the most recent meeting was held on 25 January this year, which was of course chaired by my colleague. Again, it is getting that local engagement and listening to our local communities, which is vital. I refer members to my register of interests that I am a member of a farming partnership. Farmers often play really important parts in keeping rural businesses open and trading during times of bad weather. They often open up the roads. Will the cabinet secretary speak to local councils about the importance of providing equipment to help farmers to do that such as snow plows? I am more than happy to raise that with local government colleagues or to raise with COSLA. That concludes the portfolio questions on rural and rural affairs and islands. There will be a brief pause while the front bench has changed and we will move on to the next portfolio. We move on to the next portfolio, which is health and social care. If a member wishes to ask a supplementary, I invite them to press the request to speak buttons during the relevant question. Question 1 is withdrawn. Question 2, Willie Rennie. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the recruitment of breast cancer oncologists in NHS Tayside. NHS Tayside cancer services are currently operating at a stable level with mutual aid from other health boards for systemic anti-cancer therapies for breast cancer. The health board is actively recruiting and has recently seen positive developments that will be shared with the public if and when confirmed. It is frustrating that we have not got any more detail. I have heard reports of positive recruitment, but that has been going on for some time. The indications were that hundreds of people have had to go outside NHS Tayside for treatment. We are still way short of the number of consultants that we need. Some of them, the posts have been advertised and vacant for 900 days. When can we expect some real positive news for the people of NHS Tayside and in fact Fife as well, because it has been going on for far too long? As I said, we will share the positive news for the public as soon as we possibly can, but I have to reassure patients in Tayside that the oncology service is now able to offer the majority of breast cancer treatment to patients wholly in Tayside and only a small number of people are required to travel to other special centres. I think that that is single figures every week. We understand well the impact that that has. You are talking to a rural MSP. I understand well both from my constituency inbox but also from my friends and families, the challenging situation that that provides to patients who are having to travel for care. We do have hopeful signs of recovery both in terms of international interest, in terms of recruiting senior clinicians. Dialogue is on-going, but we also are fairly certain that we have managed to develop a pipeline of clinical oncologists to take up posts as soon as their training is completed. The reality is that a large part of the oncology department in Tayside has gone and previous vacancies, as we have heard, have proved impossible to fill. Does the minister think that it is acceptable that women in Tayside must travel miles from home for breast cancer treatment? Can she tell us what the threshold is for those arrangements to come to an end? As I said, I understand absolutely how difficult it is for individual women to have to travel for breast cancer. I know how difficult that situation is because I represent a rural constituency and I live in a rural constituency and many of the women in my area have to travel long distances to seek specialist cancer treatment. What I am absolutely certain of is that that historical situation in Tayside, which has been so difficult for all the people living in Tayside and certainly for all the people working in that department, I am very certain that we are seeing green shoots of recovery there and that that situation is going to improve. I look forward very much to the day that I, or my replacement, can update the Parliament on that good news. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that over 600,000 people are on a hospital waiting list. We have already had a huge effort by our NHS to clear the backlog caused by the pandemic. The total number of patients waiting more than two years for an outpatient appointment was reduced by 60 per cent in six months. The majority now of inpatient day-key specialities have fewer than 10 patients waiting more than two years. We have also progressed significant immediate long-term solutions to support boards to clear that significant backlog that remains. In addition to the targets introduced last year, the Centre for Sustainable Delivery supporting boards to maximise their capacity and increase theatre efficiencies. Of course, four new treatment centres will open later this year. I thank you. Patients across Scotland agree with Kate Forbes about the use of disastrous handling of Scotland's NHS. Evidence of its incompetence was laid bare in a recent BBC disclosure investigation, but medics say that they were banned from speaking to the BBC and every mainland health board refused the BBC access to hospitals despite this being routine elsewhere in the UK. Will Mr Yousaf reveal if his Government had any involvement in blocking media access to the NHS and if it did not, in his final days as health secretary, will he put an end to this secrecy culture? I am not sure if that relates to hospital waiting list, but I will invite the cabinet secretary to respond to his question. No, of course, it is politicising the health service. That is what is very important. What I would urge Russell Findlay to do is take off that tinfoil hat that he wears so often in this chamber. There is no conspiracy and nobody in government is trying to silence anybody in the health service—in fact, quite the opposite. I have had a number of conversations with our whistle-blowing champions who I encourage to raise concerns directly to management that staff have raised before. As for incompetence, maybe I should listen to Russell Findlay, because he is certainly an expert in that. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Can the cabinet secretary advise how waiting times in Scotland compare to England, where Mr Findlay's party is in power, and indeed Wales? Does the cabinet secretary agree that the shortage of health professionals is due to the rapid rise in demand since the pandemic, which this Tory Brexit, enthusiastically backed now by Labour, has only exacerbated? I can hear the Conservatives shouting at giving my job. I will tell you one thing, none of you will be getting a job because you will be sitting in opposition for a long, long time to come. He is absolutely right. The Tory Brexit backed by the Labour party has had a detrimental effect not just on health services but on social care services up and down in this country. It makes health workers and social care workers sick to the stomach to listen to a Prime Minister, to extol the virtues of the Northern Ireland protocol while denying that very same right to the people of Scotland who have voted against Brexit. In terms of the comparisons, of course, some of those comparisons cannot directly be made because of the way data is recorded, but it is worse saying that data to December 22 shows that, in Scotland, there were 114 patients waiting per 1,000 of the population—that is for TTG and new outpatient appointments. That is fewer than in England, where 127 patients per 1,000 are on the RTT waiting list. Of course, in Wales, where that figure is 237 per 1,000. Question 4 has been withdrawn. Question 5, Colin Beattie. To ask the Scottish Government what impact increases in prices and energy costs have had on the ability of NHS boards to deliver capital projects. The Scottish Government has been notified of significant increases in the cost of capital projects by NHS boards due to inflation. Increases in energy costs have an effect at all points in the construction supply chain. They are contributing to the overall increases in construction costs and, of course, we are reviewing the projects that are currently under way. I thank the cabinet secretary for his response. It is clear that the increases in prices and energy costs have had an impact on all budgets. Can I ask the cabinet secretary if the Scottish Government has undertaken any assessment as to the risk of delay and implementation of future capital projects? Colin Beattie, of course, is right. Those high inflation costs, those high energy costs are having an impact on capital projects right across the entire Scottish Government, including our health capital projects. Of course, we are having this budget announcement from the UK Government. The UK Government could have taken action to drastically reduce energy bills that it has chosen not to do. That will impact capital projects right across the UK, including health projects. To Colin Beattie, I would say that we are continuously reviewing those capital projects because of those inflationary pressures. If there is a specific project that he is concerned about, I am more than happy to hear directly from him. Last week, it was announced that Aberdeen's new bird and anchor hospitals would be delayed yet again. Three years later, more than double their original budget, can the cabinet secretary give an update when those two hospitals will be open? The member raises that question without any self-awareness of the inflationary pressures that are caused by his Government, his party's economic vandalism, which has caused those high energy costs and those high inflationary costs. He also knows, of course, that Covid did impact a number of our capital projects in terms of the bird and anchor very important project. Indeed, which I am pleased, John Swinney stood up to confirm additional funding for, I will write to the member in the latest on timescales for opening. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Shetland needs a modern hospital fit for the 21st century. In the last time I asked the cabinet secretary for health about Shetland's hospital, he said that he would update me on the situation when the Scottish Government was able to make further progress on that particular site. That was in November, and I recognise other things have cropped up in the cabinet secretary's diary. However, how is the Scottish Government assisting NHS Shetland in developing a new facility, alongside supporting it through rising energy and construction costs? I will work closely with the health board and I will ensure that if the member did not get a response, I will make sure that she did. Forgive me if that response was not forthcoming. I have made the point already that our budget and capital budget in particular is extraordinarily stretched because of those high inflationary costs, because of those higher energy costs. Therefore, we have committed under our current capital programme to a number of projects right across the country. She knows that replacement hospital in Shetland is not one of them that I am able to give absolute certainty and confirmation of, but I recognise having visited Shetland myself not too long ago that there is a strong case for a replacement hospital in Shetland. Stuart McMillan. Thank you, Presiding Officer. The cabinet secretary will be aware that I have been campaigning for a new replacement Port Glasgow health centre, because the current facility is ageing and very much in need of replacement of engagement with NHS get the Glasgow Clyde and also with the cabinet secretary on this. Can the cabinet secretary therefore provide an update on the potential proposals to deliver a new Port Glasgow health centre? I will write to the member with the detail, but, of course, the questions rightly raised by members across their constituency areas demonstrate the pressure that we are under. There is a significant pressure on a capital health project delivering a number of projects right across the country. We will take each one case by case, so I will give an update to the member in writing around where the business case is for the Port Glasgow health centre. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Cabinet Secretary, the national treatment centre scheduled to be built at St John's hospital in Livingstone has doubled in price to £184 million, while the replacement for the Edinburgh iPavelion has increased from £112.5 million to £123 million. This additional capacity is essential to tackle the waiting list for treatment across the Lothian region. Both sites have a projected operational date of 2027, so what reassurance can the cabinet secretary offer to those suffering while waiting for treatment that they are indeed a priority of his? Are you waiting until 2027, too? I say to the cabinet secretary that we are very sorry that the UK Government's economic vandalism has meant that the price of that particular project has risen so highly due to those inflationary pressures that Sue Weber might want to think about doing the same for the constituents that she represents. I support the national centre programme, the delivery of that new iPavelion, but, of course, we need to review the investment programme so that it remains affordable, particularly given the high levels of inflation. The very large inflationary increases may mean that some NHS projects have to be delayed, but I am urgently reviewing the new treatment centre in Livingstone. Of course, when we have gone further through the process of the full business case review, I will ensure that the member is kept updated. Question 6. I would like to ask the Scottish Government if it will provide an update on on-going work with the NHS Golden Jubilee to make additional capacity available for elective operations in order to minimise pressure on waiting times. The national eye centre at Golden Jubilee ran 18 months of weekend cataract sessions over and above standard provision to December last year, supporting the treatment of 1,251 patients in 2022. The facility is on target to deliver over 11,000 cataract operations through core activity in the year to March 2023. The board's endoscopy plan will also provide capacity for over 7,500 patients in 2023-24. Question 7. I thank the cabinet secretary for his answer. I would like to pay tribute to the staff at the NHS Golden Jubilee hospital for their valued work that they do in providing the highest quality treatment and care for NHS Scotland patients. As elected members, we are all aware of cases where referral for treatment at the Golden Jubilee for cataract surgery has reduced the prospect of potentially lengthy waiting times by a significant number of weeks or indeed months. Does the minister agree that redirection to the NHS Golden Jubilee eye centre is having a significant positive effect on local health board cataract waiting lists? I cannot understand for life of me why there are mumbles and groans from the Conservative benches when co-cab stear is rightly raising concerns and praising the staff at the NHS for the phenomenal work that they have done in order to make sure that people get the cataracts on time. I am grateful to the NHS staff. I absolutely applaud all of our NHS staff, particularly those in the Golden Jubilee, who have managed to phenomenally increase the volume of cataract procedures that are undertaken per session, supported by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. That will provide sustainable improvements. That is the value of our national treatment centres. They are national. The clue in the name and the four that are opening up later this year will support people right across Scotland. The only grumbles that he is hearing is from Kate Forbes from yesterday. Increasing capacity requires staff to do the operations. Does the cabinet secretary welcome the UK Government's removal of the lifetime limit for pensions and a 50% increase to the annual limit? That will allow senior consultants to come back to work to do extra. Will the cabinet secretary now actually do his bit for the NHS pensions? Let me remind Dr Sanders Gohanny, of course, that the only nation in the entire UK not to have lost a single day to NHS workers going on strike in Scotland under, of course, my leadership. What would the Conservatives, who have ignored, who have stone walled, who have completely and utterly treated our NHS workers with contempt? Whereas this Government, of course, has made sure that they remain the best paid staff in the entire UK, and that is the record that I am very proud of. Further supplementary, but I would again remind members to try and keep the supplementary relevant to the initial question. Edward Mountain. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. I wonder what the cabinet secretary would like me to tell my constituent, who was told in November that she could join the catrack waiting list in July of this year. Does he think that that is acceptable? Again, I am happy for Mr Mountain to raise that case with me directly. He will know that, of course, because of the impact of the Covid pandemic, there has undoubtedly been an increase in backlogs. However, I go back to Cokab Stewart's original question. We have a fantastic facility in the NHS Golden Jubilee. It has increased its capacity. The Centre for Sustainable Delivery is working right across health board areas to see what more we can do to increase capacity. Of course, I am really looking forward to the opening of the treatment centre at NHS Highland 2. Question 7 has been withdrawn to question 8, Jillian Mountain. To ask what the Scottish Government is doing to prevent fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. The Scottish Government is committed to preventing the harm caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy and to supporting those impacted by fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. The clear message from the chief medical officer on alcohol during pregnancy remains no alcohol, no risk. The message features in Ready Steady Baby and on NHS Inform, where there is information on why women should avoid alcohol when pregnant or trying to conceive. All pregnant women in Scotland are asked about their drinking habit as part of their booking appointment with maternity services. If required, they are also provided with an alcohol brief intervention, a short conversation that aims to get them to think about their alcohol consumption and how they may cut it down. I thank the minister for that answer and I also thank him for the reply that he sent to my office today with my constituents' concerns on this issue. It is estimated that 3-5 per cent of people may be undiagnosed with FASD and it is the most overlooked neurodevelopmental condition in Scotland. Could I ask the minister what has been done to ensure that health providers have the tools to diagnose cases and provide the support for those who have very complex needs as a result of their FASD? The Government has provided over £1 million in funding over the past four years to the fetal alcohol advisory support and training team FAST, based at Edinburgh University. That supports the delivery of training to improve knowledge, attitudes and confidence in professionals working with individuals with FASD, which includes training on diagnosing FASD. The FAST team has devised a tiered approach to training and in November and December of 2022 delivered their fundamentals of FASD for health and social care practitioners training to over 300 health and social care workers with more dates organised for 2023. That will increase the knowledge and skills of those practitioners to be able to better support those with FASD. Diagnostic training for professionals commenced in December with 34 participants from across the country. That course will enable those professionals, which include clinical psychologists, pediatricians, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists, to have the knowledge and skills to be able to support and diagnose FASD. That course also includes information about how to translate assessment findings into meaningful indications of what post-diagnostic support is required. In the answer to his first question, the minister referred to something called ready, steady baby. I would be grateful if he could tell me what that is. Not only will I ensure that all members get information about that, we will send copies of ready, steady baby to Mr Finlay and others so that he can peruse it for himself. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders have a devastating impact on the lives of children impacted by alcohol in the womb. What further action will the Scottish Government take to raise awareness of FASD among prospective parents to reduce the number of children born with this debilitating syndrome? We all have a part to play in highlighting FASD and it is one of those areas that the public at large are not completely and utterly aware of. I pay tribute to Siobhan Brown for recently having a member's debate on what I think is a very important subject. I know that Mr Gibson has raised that on many an occasion too. I think that we will need to look and see what we can do with our marketing budgets to see whether we can promote FASD more and to highlight the real difficulties that drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause to babies while they are in the womb. Minister, that concludes portfolio questions. It is time to move on to the next item of business.