llie fel ymgyrch, yn ei ddalun yn sicr ac yn rhyw meld. That includes general questions. We'll turn now to First Minister's Questions. Question number one Ruth Davidson. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Harold Lang is 72 and he lives in Perth. This week, he went to his GP and was told that the enhanced flu vaccination that is being recommended for use this winter by the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation is not available to him so he's taken matters into his own hands by going to his local chemist to purchase it. Mr Lange asks us if boots can get enough supplies, why can't NHS Scotland? Can the First Minister answer him? The new ATIV vaccine, as I'm sure Ruth Davidson is aware, is manufactured by one supplier who had to significantly ramp up production for the whole of the UK very quickly. That supplier was unable to guarantee sufficient supply for everyone over 65 this year in time for the start of the vaccination programme. That's not something that just affects Scotland. That is an issue right across the UK. Of course, we are advised on vaccination policy by the independent expert committee on vaccination and immunisation. It was their recommendation that led to this, but let me stress that vaccine offered to 65 to 74-year-olds this winter still provides full flu protection. That is an important point of assurance to make to all people across the country. The flu campaign for this flu season will get under way on 1 October, and that will offer free flu vaccination to over 2 million people across the country. The First Minister has just repeated the explanation of events that we heard from the Public Health Minister on Tuesday, claiming that it's not been possible to buy enough of the new-enhanced ATIV vaccine in time. Therefore, as a result, it isn't possible to offer a guarantee for people like Mr Lang. However, as the First Minister knows, following last year's winter flu outbreak, this is an issue of enormous concern for people, especially elderly people and people who have chronic conditions. We're told that it's only people over the age of 75 who will get the new recommended vaccine. That means that half a million Scots aged between 65 and 75 will not. Is the First Minister personally satisfied with that? The reason why it's over 75 is because the recommendation and the advice says that it is that group that this additional vaccine is clinically appropriate for. It's that group of people where the expert advice says that the vaccine that was being used previously perhaps doesn't offer the protection that we want it to. That's why we have prioritised over 75, but let me repeat again, because I think that this is an important point of public reassurance. The vaccine that was offered to 65 to 74-year-olds this winter does provide flu protection. People with underlying health conditions, pregnant women and healthcare workers will also be offered a new vaccine that provides protection against four different strains of flu. We already offer a vaccine to all primary school children, unlike in England, so that they benefit from additional herd immunity. That vaccine contains an additional flu B strain, which is more likely to affect the working-age population. That vaccine will provide those groups with further protection against flu during this winter. The supply issues are raised because of the change in advice, the different advice that came from the JCVI. That issue of supply doesn't just affect Scotland, it affects other parts of the UK. I point to an article last week in fact in the GP magazine Pulse, which reported concerns in England over shortages of flu vaccines for GP practices. We will take all appropriate steps to make sure that people across Scotland have the protection from flu that they need to have. It is incumbent on all of us in this chamber to encourage all those who are eligible for the vaccine to take up that eligibility so that we can combat flu as much as possible. Ruth Davidson The reason that this matter is that we have seen a dramatic rise in flu deaths in this country from 71 to years ago to over 300 last year. The Minister for Public Health said on Tuesday, and the First Minister has just repeated it just now, that the reason that there is a shortage of this new vaccine this year is because the manufacturer was unable to guarantee NHS Scotland's sufficient supply. It is true that concerns about provision have been aired. However, just last week, the manufacturer of the new drug confirmed that sufficient supply of flu vaccine for this season, and it stated that the only customers who were missing out are those who ordered late. Why is it that half a million Scottish pensioners are being told that they cannot have it? The First Minister I think that Ruth Davidson is mischaracterising the position that she keeps saying. I am repeating what the Public Health Minister said. I am repeating what the Public Health Minister said, because that is the accurate information. As Ruth Davidson and the whole chamber know, I was a health secretary for a period of five years. We follow a process for procuring the flu vaccine. It is a well-tried and well-established process. Unlike in England, of course, we nationally procure the flu vaccine. In England, different GP practices are left to do it on their own. As I have said, there are concerns that have been expressed there. However, let me repeat the information, because it is important information. The group where the advice says that the protection from this additional vaccine will be greatest is the over-75s, and that is the group that has been prioritised. Other groups get flu protection from the vaccine that will be available for them. I think that there is a real need for all of us here to be responsible in the public messaging around this. It is in nobody's interests to scaremonger among the population. It is vital that we encourage people to take up the offer of vaccine, and we will do that when the campaign for this winter begins. As I said earlier, it begins on 1 October. Ruth Davidson I do not think that scaremongering is to read out what the manufacturer, Sequerys, has written in the community pharmacy news, where they expressly say that the only people who are affected are those who ordered late. First Minister, people just want this sorted. It is quite clear that something in the system has not worked this year. The SNP Government began procuring vaccines for this winter in early autumn last year, and it did so in the full knowledge that the vaccine advisory body would be meeting later that year. It met in November, and it advised that the new enhanced ATIV vaccine is the one that should be used for people over the age of 65. By that point, NHS Scotland had already placed its order for a different product. Will the First Minister make it clear that that will not happen again? Will she continue to work with the manufacturer this year to see whether more people under the age of 75, particularly more vulnerable groups, get the enhanced vaccine? Will she ensure that we have a system in place so that people such as Mr Lange are not told by their local general practitioner and left to fend for themselves? First Minister, let me give some very clear assurances. The Scottish Government, as we always have done, will continue to follow the recommendations and the advice of the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation. That is the responsible thing to do. Secondly, we will continue to have a proper procurement policy in place for the flu vaccine and, indeed, for other drugs as appropriate. The procurement policy that we have in place is a centralised national procurement policy in Scotland, which I think is considerably better than the localised arrangements that are available in other parts of the UK. Thirdly, we will ensure that different groups of the population have appropriate protection against flu. Let me repeat again, because I think that it is really important from the point of view of public confidence and assurance that we make very clear that those over 75, where the recommendation is for the ATVI vaccine, will have access to that vaccine. Vaccine offered to other groups will provide flu protection, including those in the 65 to 74-year-old age group, people with underlying health conditions, pregnant women, healthcare workers and children. That is the message that it is important that the public gets. I hope that everybody across this chamber will join with me in encouraging everybody in a group that is eligible for the flu vaccine to take up the offer of eligibility and to give themselves maximum protection against flu this winter. Why does the First Minister not agree with Adam McVeigh, the SNP leader of Edinburgh City Council, when it comes to a small tax on tourists? First Minister, Adam McVeigh is a fantastic leader of Edinburgh City Council. First of all, he has a very strong view on the introduction of a tourist tax. That view is shared by many in different parts of the country. It is not currently Scottish Government policy to have a tourist tax, but we will continue to have that discussion and we will continue to consider those matters as we approach our budget this year. I hope that we will have constructive input from Labour on that and indeed a whole range of issues as we consider our draft budget, because that would make a refreshing change from previous years when we have considered our draft budget. Adam McVeigh also says that at least £11 million of revenue could be raised in Edinburgh by the introduction of a small levy on overnight stays. And Highland Council says that a charge of £1 on beds per night in the Highlands would generate £12 million of additional annual revenue. And we know that that revenue is badly needed. Adam McVeigh told this Parliament that Edinburgh City Council spent over £1 million extra during the Edinburgh festival alone just to keep the city clean because of the influx of tourists. And there are other costs as well. Councillor Bill Lobben told this Parliament that in the Highlands, because of tourism, and I quote him, our infrastructure is deteriorating, which would lead to a negative impression that causes reputational damage. The First Minister talks of protecting Scotland's tourism industry, but why won't she act to protect Scotland's local services, those very services that our tourism industry relies on? Partly, partly thanks to the actions of this Government, Scotland has a booming tourist industry right now, with tourist numbers, tourist spend increasing year on year. I am trying to be constructive and perhaps even build some consensus around this. I think that there is a serious issue for debate and discussion here. I do not think that it is any surprise that council leaders like Adam McVeigh and others see the revenue-raising potential of a tourist tax, but equally it is no surprise that there are voices of concern within the tourist sector itself, within the hospitality sector, within the catering sector. I have seen a letter, I think, addressed to me and to the tourism minister just this week, setting out some of those concerns. So where does that take us? That takes us to a position where a responsible Government should responsibly consider this and listen to all the arguments before we come to a decision. That is what we will do. We will do that in the run-up to our draft budget and perhaps beyond our draft budget and make sure that our decision making is properly informed by evidence. I am not sure what Richard Leonard could find to disagree with that. Perhaps Richard Leonard, as I say on this and on other things, will, for a change, ensure that the Labour party here actually makes a constructive and positive contribution to the budget process this year. We are just asking you to make your mind up on this question. This week, we have seen reports that Edinburgh City Council faces £28 million worth of cuts in the next financial year. That will mean cuts to schools, but it will also lead to cuts to tourism critical services, such as roads maintenance, such as rubbish collections, road sweeping and even public toilets. Today is World Tourism Day. Tourism in Scotland is now worth £11.2 billion. It increased by 17 per cent, so in light of that, does the First Minister seriously believe that increasing the cost of a hotel room by a couple of pounds a night is too high a price to pay for better-funded local services? Richard Leonard should maybe listen to the answers before he reads out the next scripted question. First, I thank Richard Leonard for paying such warm tribute to the success of the Scottish Government in boosting tourism in Scotland. It is down to things like road equivalent tariff, for example, helping our island communities, our infrastructure tourism fund helping communities cope with the additional demands of tourism. It is down to Scottish Government investment in tourist attractions such as the new V&A in Dundee, for example. I thank Richard Leonard for paying tribute to all that and more. However, he asked me to reach a decision. We will reach a decision, but we will do that in a proper considered way, where we listen to the views on both sides of this debate and come to an informed decision based on the evidence. Can I say to Richard Leonard that if we were to do anything other than that, if we were to rush that decision, I am pretty sure that he would be the first one standing up criticising us for not listening to all of the voices that are being raised? We will do that properly. Perhaps Richard Leonard would also recognise the fact that this year we are protecting local government budgets in real terms and protecting the people of Scotland from the austerity of Tory Governments that Richard Leonard and his party are too happy to see continue governing Scotland. We have some constituency supplementaries, the first from Edward Mountain. Thank you, Presiding Officer. The First Minister will be aware of the allegations raised by Highland doctors of a culture of bullying in NHS Highland, which they described as endemic and systemic. I met with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport shortly after our appointment to raise this and other matters. I wonder if the First Minister would agree with me that we need a full independent inquiry into those serious allegations. As I can tell her, there is no confidence in an internal investigation by NHS Highland. Health Secretary spoke with the chair of NHS Highland, David Alston, this week and made crystal clear her expectation that this issue would be addressed thoroughly. We understand that the chair hopes to meet the signatories to the letter to discuss concerns as soon as possible and has encouraged other staff to come forward if they have any concerns that they wish to report. The welfare of staff in our NHS is paramount. Everything must be done to eradicate any bullying in the workplace. We have made clear to health boards that bullying and harassment are unacceptable and we expect them to ensure that any reported incidences are taken seriously and fully investigated. We are introducing legislation to establish an independent national whistleblowing officer for NHS Scotland to go live by the end of September next year. On Sunday morning, the family of Shekibayu woke up to a leaked story in a national newspaper alleging that the Lord Advocate would not bring forward any criminal charges in relation to his death in police custody. Does the First Minister agree with me that, after waiting for three years for any answers and not due to meet the Lord Advocate until next month, this leak is unacceptable and has no way to treat a grieving family? Will she carry out a full investigation into how the leak came about? Will she also apologise to Shekibayu's family for the distress that they have suffered as a result of the weekend's press story? I definitely deprecate any information. I do not know the truth or otherwise of information always that appears in the public, but I deprecate information that is in the public about matters such as this before families have the opportunity to be informed. My thoughts remain very firmly with both the family and the friends of Shekibayu at this difficult time for them. It would, of course, not be appropriate for me to comment on the specific circumstances of the case until such a time as a decision has been made by the Crown and then communicated to the family. The previous Lord Advocate, of course, made clear in 2015 that, regardless of the outcome of the investigation, as far as potential prosecution is concerned, a fatal accident inquiry would be held to provide public scrutiny into the circumstances of the incident. I personally made clear to Mr Bay's family when I met him that we, as a Government, are not ruling out anything in terms of a wider inquiry at an important and appropriate point in the future. That is something that definitely remains an option, but it is only a decision that we can take at the appropriate time. The Scottish Government is about to change procurement rules for printing services, which will effectively remove the opportunity for small local firms to get work from Scotland's public bodies. Ian Robertson, director and vice-president of Print Scotland, said that the Government strategy flies in the face of ministers' claims of wanting SMEs to be involved in public procurement. He said that, put bluntly, the Scottish print industry is in the process of being offshoreed. Does she agree with his comments? Will the First Minister intervene to stop this? And when will she instruct a review of public procurement so that small businesses in Scotland can benefit? I am aware of the concerns that are being expressed by the print industry. I know that the finance secretary has already agreed to meet with Print Scotland to discuss them. We have two frameworks in place to provide print services. We recently conducted a procurement for the single supplier publishing print design and associated services framework. The award was made in August to APS Group, which is a Scottish register company based in Leith here in Edinburgh. We have also commenced a procurement exercise to re-elect the print and associated services framework. Currently, 10 of the 12 framework suppliers are Scottish printing SMEs, but we will use recent stakeholder analysis to inform our decision on the number of suppliers to be appointed to the new print framework. We expect to issue an invitation to tender for those services in the autumn of this year. In terms of APS, it will continue to utilise its extensive supply chain. That currently includes, as I understand it, 114 SMEs, 89 of which are Scottish, including printers across the country. In terms of procurement more widely, of course, we passed the Procurement Reform Scotland Act 2014, which recognises the importance of SMEs, third sector organisations and supported businesses to the Scottish economy and includes a range of measures designed to assist them. I met the Federation of Small Businesses just yesterday, in fact, where procurement was one of the things that we discussed, and I look forward to taking a dialogue forward with them to consider how we further benefit small businesses in our economy. Thank you, Presiding Officer. A public and scientific concern about climate change is rising ever higher, and the Scottish Government's latest report card presents a mixed picture. Scotland is doing better than the UK, but that is damming with faint praise, and it is certainly not the benchmark that we should be aiming for. The report makes clear that the end of coal-fired power generation, which the Scottish energy minister at the time wanted to delay, is masking a lack of progress in other areas. It says that the strategy must now move on decisively. To take one specific, why does the First Minister believe that transport emissions have kept on rising every year for the last three years, when they should be going down? I think that it is important to look at what the Committee on Climate Change said in the report this week. It said that Scotland continues to lead the way in the UK in tackling climate change. Indeed, we continue to lead the world. We met our 2016 target, which is the third annual target to be met. Emissions are 49 per cent below the 1990 levels, which of course already exceeds our original 42 per cent reduction target by 2020. The report says that we are on track not just to meet but to outperform the new target of 56 per cent by 2020. It praised the proposals in the climate change plan and said that they were in stretching, credible and well-balanced. That is a good report card for Scotland's performance in cutting emissions and tackling climate change, and we should be proud of it. We know that we need to replicate the success in areas particularly around electricity and waste in other sectors of the economy. That is what the plan is doing. We also need to up our ambition in terms of the targets, which is why the new climate change bill targets the 90 per cent reduction for all greenhouse gases, which would ensure that we would be carbon neutral by the time that we meet that target. In terms of transport, one of the areas that the Committee on Climate Change report looked at was about transport and had lots of good things to say about the Government's work in terms of the roll-out of electric vehicle infrastructure. There is a lot to be positive about that, but we know that we have in common with other countries across the world a lot more work still to do. However, we should take comfort from the fact that we are ahead of the game in terms of the performance of other countries. We should be proud of that, but determined to build on that. That is one of the problems with this whole debate. Any Government can list a few of the good things that they are doing, a few of the positive steps that they are taking. However, if those steps are outweighed by the harm that is being done elsewhere, then the problem still grows. While public transport is expensive in many places unavailable, urban space is dominated by cars and the aviation industry is given a free pass, transport emissions will keep going up, and the same contradictions are there in energy as well. Scotland is doing well on renewables, but this week the Greens were, I think, the only political party not jumping for joy at the discovery of even more fossil fuel reserves. When will the Scottish Government understand that if they keep telling total, BP and the rest of the lethal fossil fuel industry to keep on drilling, Scotland's reputation as a climate change leader will be a sham? Scotland's reputation as a climate change leader is well earned and thoroughly justified. It is something that we should be recognised internationally by the United Nations and many others. Let me unpack some parts of Patrick Harvie's question. He talked about aviation getting a free pass. Unlike many other countries, Scotland includes emissions from aviation and shipping in the calculation of our targets, not a free pass. He talks about transport. Let me just read from the Committee on Climate Change report. Since the draft climate change plan, the Scottish Government has made commitments to continue to invest in the Charge Place Scotland network until August 2019 and provide further loan funding for electric vehicles until 2020. The energy strategy commits to additional policy measures, including expanding electric charging infrastructure and further funding for charging points. The committee itself pointed to the real progress that Scotland is making here in terms of our responsibility to reduce emissions from transport. In terms of oil and energy more generally, our energy strategy commits us to some of the most stretching targets anywhere in the world. In terms of electricity generated, we meet well over half now of our electricity demand from renewable sources in the last year. We saw renewable power generation up by 27 per cent just in the last year alone. It is right that a Green Party continues to push the Government to do it further. Once in a while, a Green Party would want to take some pride from the fact that it is in a country that is recognised internationally as a world leader, and it might make a bit of a change occasionally for Patrick Harvie to do that. Some further supplementaries. The first is from Ian Gray. Thank you. A report published this week by Children in Scotland, the National Autistic Society Scotland and Scottish Autism, shows that many autistic young people face unlawful exclusion from school on a regular basis. That is a disgraceful situation. What action will the Scottish Government take to correct it? I agree with Ian Gray that for autistic children to be unlawfully excluded from school is unacceptable and to use his terminology that is disgraceful if that happens to a single child, that child is being let down. We have a range of policies, as Ian Gray will know, given that he is a Labour spokesperson in education around inclusion in education and being able to support children to be taught in mainstream education. Of course, we are taking a range of actions around direct funding to schools that allow schools themselves to put in place particular measures to support those children who need support. I am sure that the education secretary would be very happy to meet with Ian Gray to discuss the range of additional measures that we can take to address something that I think all of us agree that we do not want to see happen in our schools. Tom Arthur. Our police officers represent the very best of Scotland, working tirelessly all year round to keep us safe. Does the First Minister agree that, given their hard work and dedication, Scotland's police officers deserve a significant pay rise? Does she therefore welcome yesterday's announcement of the best pay deal for officers in the past 20 years? Yes, I do. I warmly welcome the fact that we have this week been able to agree a pay rise for our police officers that the Scottish Police Federation has described as the best pay rise for 20 years. I think that that is something that should be welcomed right across the chamber at 6.5 per cent over a 31-month period. Of course, that is in addition to the pay deal that we have agreed with NHS staff of 9 per cent over the next three years. It does underline how much we value the contribution of our public sector workers, and I am very pleased that we are in the position of agreeing that this week. It stands, of course, in marked contrast to the position elsewhere in the UK, where the head of the Met Police in London described the UK Government's pay offer to police officers as a punch on the nose. I am delighted that we value our police officers, and that pay deal recognises that. Colin Smyth Last week, we learned that ScotRail's performance was at a record low in punctuality, the worst since 2005. This week, ScotRail's own figures showed that performance has deteriorated so badly that it would have been in breach of its franchise agreement had the transport secretary not secretly reduced its target without telling Parliament. Does the First Minister agree that the way to make our trains run on time and ensure that they are not overcrowded and not ripping off commuters is not to fiddle the performance figures to cover up failing performance, but to have a railway system that starts to put passengers ahead of profits? First, in terms of the performance benchmarks, that is allowed under the terms of the franchise agreement. The railways act allows for ministers to exercise discretion where there is a particular issue, in this case particular issues caused by severe hot weather in the early part of the summer. Let's turn to ScotRail's performance. Nearly 90 out of 100 trains arrive within the recognised punctuality measure. The latest figure shows that ScotRail's public performance measure is better than the GB average, but here is the key point, because we are heavily investing to improve our railways to make sure that there is more capacity in our railways, that there are more modern trains on our railways, but here is the thing. If you look at the period in the latest Office of Road and Rail report, more than half of all the cancellations and delays are caused not by issues that are the responsibility of ScotRail but by issues that are the responsibility of Network Rail. Why am I mentioning that? Because this Parliament is not responsible for Network Rail. We are the ones arguing for it to be devolved, Labour are the ones still standing in the way of that. It comes back to this age-old issue for Labour. If they want to will the ends of something in performance, they really have to help us get the means to do it. I look forward to the support coming from Labour for the devolution of Network Rail as soon as possible. Rona Mackay Thank you, Presiding Officer. It emerged yesterday that the UK Government has quietly appointed a minister for the protection of food supplies the first time that has happened since World War 2. Does the First Minister agree that when you are contemplating rationing it is time to stop Brexit madness? Rona Mackay That is news that would have made most people across the UK really stop in their tracks. The Tory stewardship of Brexit and the UK as a whole is now proving so catastrophic that they have had to appoint a minister for food supplies, which is the first time that there has been such a post held since World War 2. How has it come to this situation? It is shameful and should be a source of shame for a long time to come to every single member of the Conservative Party. I certainly hope that it does not come to food rationing in this country. I certainly agree with the question that things are becoming so shambolic that it is time to draw a halt to this Brexit catastrophe. However, if there ever comes a day when there is food rationing in this country because of a Tory Brexit, perhaps the first people who should be bearing the burden of that are Boris Johnson, Jacob Rees-Mogg, David Davis and Michael Gove—all of those people who perpetrated a dishonesty on the people of this country. Let's see how they enjoy their Brexit bonanza. 4. Stuart McMillan Thank you, Presiding Officer, to ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to improve recycling rates and the quality of recycling. Statistics were published earlier this week that showed that, for the first time, we now recycle a greater proportion of our household waste in Scotland than we send to landfill. That is a fantastic achievement. Figures earlier this year highlighted that we now recycle more than 60 per cent of waste from all sources. Although those are significant milestones, we know that there is more to do on household recycling. In particular, Zero Waste Scotland is working closely with local authorities to support them in improving their recycling services, including encouraging them to adopt the Scottish household recycling charter. We also believe that our commitment to establish a deposit return scheme for Scotland will not only increase the amount that we recycle, but will also improve the quality of recycling. Stuart McMillan I thank the First Minister for that reply. Recent figures released by SEPA show that, in 2017, 57.2 per cent of Inverclyde's household waste was recycled. That is up 3.8 per cent from 2016. This week is Recycle Week 2018. Therefore, does the First Minister agree with me that, while this is an excellent achievement, the Inverclyde Council's decision to remove its kerbside glass collection service this year could result in reduced recycling locally? It could also damage the good work that it has been doing. The First Minister I certainly agree that Inverclyde's progress is an excellent achievement, but I also agree that it is vital to sustain that progress both nationally and locally. A range of measures are needed, including effective collection services. I mentioned the Scottish household recycling charter. That, which is agreed with COSLA, includes glass collection, and we are encouraging all councils to adopt and implement it. I hope that Inverclyde Council will do so. We have a range of initiatives at the national level to reduce waste and boost recycling. As I said earlier, those include proposals for a deposit return scheme and action to reduce food waste and support for circular economy projects. I would certainly encourage Inverclyde Council and all local authorities to ensure that they have necessary measures in place to build on and accelerate progress on that really important issue. Maurice Golden I declare an interest with respect to my work around the circular economy. In 2010, the SNP said that Scotland would be recycling 50 per cent of household waste by 2013. It is now five years later and that target has not been met. When will it be? We are now recycling more than 60 per cent of waste from all sources. As I said earlier, for the first time ever, we are recycling a greater proportion of our household waste than we send to landfill. That, I think, is good progress. I think that all of us should be encouraging not just councils but individuals across the country to make sure that we continue that progress. However, the figures out this week—whatever way you want to look at it—are good news and demonstrate the progress that has been made with the range of investments that the Scottish Government is making. Brian Whittle To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the report that obesity is set to overtake smoking as the biggest cause of preventable cancers in women. I know that Cancer Research UK has done fantastic work in helping to raise awareness of the links between obesity and cancer. As our recent diet and healthy weight delivery plan pointed out, obesity is linked to around 2,200 cases of cancer a year in Scotland. We all recognise that there is no simple single solution, which is why our healthy weight plan sets out over 60 actions, and our recent active Scotland plan sets out 90 actions to help wellbeing. One of those actions is that we will consult shortly in steps to restrict the promotion and marketing of junk food where it is sold to the public, such as multi-bias in supermarkets. Brian Whittle I thank the First Minister for her response since she says that obesity is a health issue that has so many other repercussions in the preventable health agenda, not just in preventing cancers. There are type 2 diabetes, musculoskeletal conditions, heart disease and stroke, not to mention the effect on mental health. That is why I was encouraged by the Scottish Government's announcement last year to deliver a good food nation bill. It would have given us the opportunity to look at the obesity-adgenic environment around schools, look at delivering a censored self-procurement contract that supported our farmers by procuring locally high-quality produce for our school meals instead of some of the high levels of cheaper imported processed food that the current system allows. It would have allowed us to properly make the link between education and health. I ask the First Minister to tell the chamber why the Scottish Government missed this opportunity by scrapping the good food nation bill and what will the Scottish Government now put in its place to help to deliver a healthier Scotland? The issue was debated in Parliament the week before last. The Government made clear then, and I will make clear again today, that we are committed to legislating around our good food nation agenda. We will set out plans for that in due course. The other thing that we are determined to do, of course, is to take forward those areas that do not necessarily require legislation. Some of what Brian Whittle has talked about there would not necessarily require waiting for Parliament to legislate. The strategies that I have talked about, particularly around our diet and healthy weight delivery plan, will help us to take forward that agenda. It is an area where there will undoubtedly be issues where there is disagreement among parties and members in this chamber, but I think that there will be a great deal of consensus as well. I look forward to taking forward that agenda, which will have legislation as part of it over the remainder of this Parliament. It will benefit people right across the country, particularly the younger generation, where, as we saw in the Scottish household survey this week, we are already seeing very welcome signs of improvement around obesity, drinking among younger people and, of course, consumption of healthy foods. There is a lot to be positive about and a lot to build on. The First Minister will be aware that there are many causes of obesity, including some outlined by Brian Whittle in ways to prevent it, including increasing breastfeeding rates, which has not been mentioned. Is she aware that a major cause of obesity for a significant number of Scottish women is undiagnosed, untreated or poorly treated thyroid disorders, and therefore does the First Minister agree that it is unacceptable for any Scottish NHS board to refuse patients, particularly those under the care of an endocrinologist, their prescriptions for lyothyrenine medication, as is happening currently? Will she ask the health secretary to intervene to ensure that my constituents and other thyroid sufferers are not stopped by any health board from receiving their life-saving medication, which also has an important impact on reducing obesity for a great many women? Can I say first of all that I agree with the general thrust of Aileen Smith's question? I certainly recognise the links often between obesity and thyroid problems. Sometimes they will be undiagnosed thyroid problems and I certainly agree that people should have access to the medication and the treatment that they need. I get the sense that there is a particular constituency case lying behind Aileen Smith's question, which I do not know the detail of, and I do not think that the health secretary knows the detail of it either. If Aileen Smith wants to provide us with that detail, I will certainly ask the health secretary to look into it and get back to her with further detail as soon as possible. To ask the First Minister, in light of the Committee on Climate Change's recent report, what new action the Scottish Government plans to reduce CO2 emissions. The committee's report shows that Scotland met its last three annual targets and continues to outperform the UK in reducing emissions. The report also finds that our climate change plan provides an ambitious and credible package of measures for continuing to meet the targets set by the Parliament's 2009 act. Of course, the Parliament is now considering whether those targets should be increased through the new climate change bill. We have proposed that the targets should be set to the maximum level of ambition that is credible at this stage. Of course, we will look again at the climate change plan as soon as the new legislation has been finalised and we will consider the committee's recommendations carefully in the meantime. Claudia Beamish I thank the First Minister for that answer, but we previously heard the First Minister place a great deal of weight on the advice of the Committee on Climate Change. The report highlights a lack of action in agriculture and transport. What will the Scottish Government do specifically to support people working in those industries to contribute to emissions reductions in a fair and sustainable way? We have also heard the First Minister state that Scotland should contribute fair shares in her speech to the UN climate change conference in Bonn last year. Does she therefore agree with Scottish and now UK Labour that Scotland should have a target of net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest and more robust interim targets to lead us there so that we can actually continue to be a global leader? The First Minister Claudia Beamish asked me about transport. I have already answered in terms of transport to Patrick Harvie. I will not repeat all of that, but the progress and further plans that the Scottish Government has around transport are recognised in the report of the Committee on Climate Change. She also asked me about agriculture. Emissions in agriculture are actually down 14 per cent since the 1990 baseline. Scottish farmers do a lot to contribute to the emissions reductions in electricity generation and land use and forestry sectors, and the climate change plan includes a range of measures to further encourage farmers and the benefits of low-carbon farming. We intend to fully explore the potential for those voluntary measures before considering any change in approach. In terms of targets, though, it is interesting that Claudia Beamish cites UK Labour. I listened carefully to Jeremy Corbyn yesterday. He said that he wanted to commit to saying that imitation is the finest form of flattery. Certainly, in Jeremy Corbyn's speech, there was plenty that the Scottish Government has already done that they are glad to see following in our wake. However, climate change is an interesting example here, because he committed Labour yesterday to support a 60 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030. A 60 per cent reduction by 2030 sounds good, except that we have already got proposals in the new climate change bill before this Parliament that commit to a 66 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030. We are ahead of other countries. We are proposing the most stringent and ambitious statutory climate change targets anywhere in the world, and I look forward to having Claudia Beamish's support. In light of transport emissions rising every year since 2010, the Committee on Climate Change has confirmed that transport is Scotland's biggest sectoral challenge. In particular, aviation emissions have doubled since 1990, and airports are recording record figures in terms of passenger numbers. How can she justify a £250 million tax break to the aviation industry through the scrapping of APD? We need to have good connectivity, including to our island communities, which often involves air transport. However, we have to make sure that proper account is taken of aviation emissions, which is why it is so important that we include aviation emissions and the calculations of our targets—something that not all countries do. It is also important that we have a balanced transport system. As the Committee on Climate Change recognises, we are investing and have ambitious plans in terms of the electrification of the transport network. We will continue to take forward those plans to make sure that there are good connections across Scotland and between Scotland and other countries. However, as we do that, we are fulfilling our international obligations—moral obligations—to reduce emissions and tackle climate change, and we continue to be a world leader in doing so. The First Minister's Questions will move on shortly to a member's business, but until then, we will have a short suspension just to allow the gallery to change and to allow new guests to arrive.