 Good afternoon. The first item of business today is portfolio questions, and we start with question number one from Annie Wells. To ask the Scottish Government what action it's taking since the publication of the Scottish Information Commissioner's intervention report which found that it was operating a two-tier system for managing FOI requests that discriminated against journalists, MSPs and researchers. Minister Graham D. The Commissioner's report explicitly acknowledges that the Scottish Government has made changes in the last 12 months that have already resulted in significant improvements to our FOI performance. On the day that the commissioner published his report, we updated our guidance to state unambiguously that clearance should be based on the sensitivity of information requested rather than the identity of the requester. This states explicitly that not all requests from journalists, political researchers or MSPs will be for sensitive information. On September 13, we published a draft action plan for the commissioner's consideration. The same is to address all of his recommendations and to build on an improving performance. I look forward to the commissioner's feedback on the plan and on working with him during its implementation. Annie Wells I thank the minister for that response. As the minister will be aware, the report found that a number of cases featuring unjustifiable significant delays with disregard for statutory timescales. Can the minister now say that the Scottish Government is now fully compliant with FOI legislation? As I have said earlier, the Scottish Government is in dialogue with the commissioner having provided the information that he was required by way of response to the recommendations. The performance of turning FOI requests around has been significantly higher than it was previously over the past six months. In short, the answer is yes, I do. Annie Wells James Dornan I hope that you are not getting as mixed up there. The information commissioner acknowledged that the Scottish Government has taken those steps, as you have already mentioned, to improve and monitor its performance, and that that improvement should be judged against a backdrop of increasing number of requests. Bargair Fed 20 of the commissioner's report highlighted the significant improvement in the Scottish Government's performance against that backdrop of increasing numbers of requests. In 2017, we received 3,046 requests, 41 per cent more than the previous high in 2015. That shows no sign of diminishing, Presiding Officer. We are currently on course to receive around 3,500 requests in 2018. By way of a specific example of what is being dealt with, on 12 September, one individual submitted 84 requests in the space of 56 minutes. That is one every 48 seconds. Despite the continued high volume in the first seven months of 2018, we have responded to 93 per cent of requests in time, above the target of 90 per cent, and I pay tribute to the diligence and hard work of the staff across Government for delivering that. Scottish Government's draft action plan on FOI handling includes the creation of criteria to define sensitive or complex cases. What measures will be used to identify a case that is sensitive, and how will it ensure that the identity of the requester is not known? I will come back with further detail on that in due course. I can give a commitment to Jackie Bailey and to other members that we are continuing to work very closely to satisfy the commissioner as to the nature of our response. I am extremely hopeful that we will reach that point, meeting all of the recommendations that he has made. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on there being a UK-wide referendum on the final terms of the Brexit deal. Presiding Officer, can I assure the member in the chamber that the Scottish Government is not opposed to a second referendum on the final negotiated deal, if that is the will of the UK Parliament? However, we are concerned that those in favour of such a vote have not demonstrated how they would address a serious democratic challenge, that if the people of Scotland voted clearly and decisively to remain within the European Union, as they did in a 2016 referendum, they would still not face being removed from the EU against their will. As the First Minister said in his chamber last week of the Scottish Government is to get enthusiastically behind the campaign for another EU vote, surely it is not unreasonable to ask for a guarantee that Scotland would not find itself in the same position all over again if it votes to remain within the EU. Willie Rennie The problem for the cabinet secretary is that time is running out. He has been talking about those talks for months now. He and I have had talks on several occasions. To be brutal, what he wants is that he wants me to back independence if he backs a people's vote on Brexit. That is what he is trying to get to, and that is not going to happen. The cabinet secretary has a decision to make. Will he sit on the sidelines, or will he get behind the best chance of stopping Brexit, which is a people's vote? Stop hiding behind the talks and do the right thing. The cabinet secretary I am not sure that Mr Rennie is doing his own case much good by essentially saying back us or else. Fortunately, there are more reasonable and more sensible voices who are arguing for this. For example, I had a very constructive discussion this morning with Hugo Dixon from the people's vote, which was an interesting and informative step forward. That is the type of constructive engagement that I would commend to Mr Rennie. I did note that his party leader, I think that he is still his party leader, Vince Cable, at the start of the Liberal Democrat conference, demanded that the SNP back the people's vote, but also demanded that the people of Scotland should never be allowed to support independence again. That is no way to win friends and influence people. Joan McAlpine Thank you. This week, we learned that post-Brexit pet owners who wish to take their animals to Europe will face barriers in acquiring a pet passport. In the event of a no-deal, they need to have met with a vet by November this year to guarantee travel after March 2019. Does the minister agree with me that this is callous, disruptive and should have been avoided? Cabinet Secretary Yes, I do. The UK Government's technical notices, the third tranche of which were published this week, do expose more starkly than anything else we have seen, how disastrous and ridiculous a no-deal Brexit could be. The UK Government's own guidance cannot be clear about the chaos and disruption that will ensue. It can be and it could be avoided. The Prime Minister should put an end to her brinkmanship at the present moment and should commit to the only feasible option short of continued EU membership, which I favour, as does Mr Rennie, is to stay in the European single market and the customs union. Kenneth Gibson Thank you, Presiding Officer. Does the cabinet secretary agree that, if remainers, like Willie Rennie had voted yes in the independence referendum four years ago, Scotland would not now be leaving the European Union? At the only way that Scotland will have a future in the European Union is as an independent sovereign nation. The cabinet secretary Indeed, I would hope, though there is no sign of it, that Mr Rennie does have voters remorse, that he considers that he made a major mistake. Perhaps he was misled, of course, by another party leader, Ruth Davidson, who said in a debate in a point raised by Patrick Harvie, who is unfortunately not here, that no means out and yes means in, in which the opposite is true. No means, she said, we stay in. That was the view of the leader of the Scottish Conservatives. It turns out not to be true. In those circumstances, if Mr Rennie had the conviction that he claims to have, he would be backing independence all the way. 3. Finlay Carson To ask the Scottish Government whether it has been in contact with the Welsh Government since last week's joint ministerial committee meeting. The Scottish Government routinely engages with counterparts in the Welsh Government on a range of business between both officials and ministers. Since the meeting of the joint ministerial committee EU negotiations on 13 September, the Scottish ministers met with the Welsh ministers at both the ministerial forum, EU negotiations and the Defford devolved administration quadrilateral ministerial meeting in London on 17 September, and officials have been in touch since those meetings. Finlay Carson I thank the cabinet secretary for that response. Further to that, I note that the Scottish Government's programme for government pledges obstinacy on all further legislative consent memorandums regarding Brexit legislation. Can the minister please tell me if he has had the chance to discuss that position with the Welsh Government? Finlay Carson The Welsh Government is fully aware of our position on the Sewell convention, and it is a reasonable and reasoned position to take. The Sewell convention is broken. The UK Government has not operated as it meant to be operated. In all these circumstances, it is important that it comes back into play in an effective way. The Sewell convention never said that consent meant either voting for something or not voting for it or saying nothing. Until the Sewell convention has meaning, then we cannot go along with any process that involves it. However, I am not an unreasonable person. What I have suggested to David Lidington in recent weeks, as the member may know, is a means by which we can resolve this. The Welsh Government knows that, and the Welsh Government indicated that it supported that solution the last time we discussed it. So, if we could all agree on it, we could move forward. Maureen Watt To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the fish processing industry regarding the impact of brexit on people from the EU working in the sector. The Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform On 16 August, the First Minister convened a seafood sector round table on brexit, which she met with key stakeholders in the seafood industry to discuss the impacts of brexit on their sectors, including the processing sector. One of the main concerns expressed was future access to migrant labour. Given the processing sector's reliance on it with figures showing that 58 per cent of the workforce is non-UK EEA workers, that is why it is vital that any future trading arrangements for our seafood exports to the EU continue to be free of tariff and non-tariff barriers. Maureen Watt I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Does he agree with me that the MAC report recommendation that low-skill workers should be encouraged to enter the UK on a youth mobility scheme could lead to all lower-paid workers being paid even less and needs to be revised in order to protect those working in vital industries, such as the fish processing industry in Aberdeen South, in North Cincardin and elsewhere? I agree with her. The MAC report is immensely disappointing. Yet again, MAC has refused to even acknowledge the existence of a separate Scottish economy and separate Scottish labour force needs. It is not the first time that has happened. I hope that it might be the last. In those circumstances, some of the proposals that they make are, frankly, risible. For example, the solution that could be adopted to some of the labour sources is to change the retiral age. The prospect of people who are ready to draw their old-age pension being sent out into the fields of Angus to pick fruit is a ridiculous one. The Migration Advisory Committee needs to, as my old granny would have said, take a jump to themselves. It needs to look at what the situation in Scotland is. It needs to understand the Scottish labour market, then its contributions might be of some help. I echo the concerns of Maureen Watt and the Cabinet Secretary for Labour's future success of those industries. In those benches, we support the UK Government in getting the best deal for our fishermen, and we support the fisherman's desire to take back control of our waters and catch a fairer share of our fish within our 200 miles. With that in mind, we need to ensure that Scotland has the capacity to process increased fish landings. With a 34 per cent decline in fish processing in Scotland due to high business rates, driving business down south, what is this Government going to do to encourage those businesses to remain in Scotland? There are none so blind as those who will not see. The facts of the matter were laid out by Maureen Watt. It would be useful if the member listened to those facts and not brought to the chamber a garbage and prejudice, which is what we have just heard. The reality of the situation is that Brexit is bearing down upon the processing sector in terms of an available labour force. Unless the member recognises that, then his contributions would be worthless. To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides for veterans. Minister Graham Dey? Yesterday, the Scottish Government published our report, Scottish Government Support for Veterans and the Armed Forces Community in Scotland, which highlights the work that is being taken forward across Government, including in the areas of health, housing and employability. It also recognises that 2018 marks the 10th anniversary of investment in the Scottish Veterans Fund and the recent appointment of a new Scottish Veterans Commissioner, Colonel Charlie Wallace, who will continue with the important role that provides strategic advice and scrutiny that was previously undertaken by Eric Fraser. Tomorrow's scheduled debate will fulfil our promise to update Parliament on this topic annually and afford members an opportunity to discuss our report and highlight how we have taken forward the recommendations in Eric Fraser's report into veterans' health and wellbeing. Emma Harper I welcome that answer from the minister and I look forward to hearing more in due course. South West Scotland R&R, which is a charity based in Castle Douglas, aims to help veterans by empowering them to access employment in civil life. Recently, they have been providing funding for veterans to obtain HGV and SIA licenses, as well as providing practical support for access to interviews and other social activities. Given that important work, can I ask if the minister supports such a project and would he accept my invite to come and visit South West R&R to see for himself the important work that benefits veterans in the south west of Scotland? Can I say to the member that aiding veterans into employment so that they have a fulfilling life after they leave the armed forces is a priority for myself and my colleague the minister for business, fair work and skills? I therefore would be delighted to consider an invitation to come and visit R&R. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its involvement in negotiations on the EU withdrawal agreement. Cabinet Secretary, Michael Russell. Since the EU referendum, we have sought to engage meaningfully with the UK Government on withdrawal from the EU. However, we have been frustrated by the quality of that engagement to date. There have been 11 meetings of JMC-EN, including one on domestic issues, that is frameworks, four meetings of the ministerial forum, three meetings of the JMC plenary. I remain concerned that some critical issues are outstanding, including finding an acceptable backstop on the Northern Ireland border and the crucial issue of maintaining protection for geographical indicators. Furthermore, it is vital that the EU citizens know that their rights are secured. They still do not have that certainty. I attended the last meeting of the JMC-EN on 13 September. I went on to make clear that the least damaging outcome for the UK is retaining membership of the European single market and the customs union if we do not remain in the EU. James Dornan. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Disappointing, though, is about the level of discussion. Obviously, given the state of the two main parties around Brexit and the uncertainty that they are creating, there are obviously still some very significant issues outstanding, not least, as you mentioned, finding an acceptable backstop on the Northern Ireland border with the Republic. If there was to be some kind of special deal for Northern Ireland, does the cabinet secretary think that there should also be one for Scotland? Which, of course, does not vote for Brexit. Quite clearly, the issue of Northern Ireland has to be treated in two ways. The first way is that we would do nothing at all to prejudice the deal for Northern Ireland that secured peace. That is what this is about. The Good Friday agreement is at risk. Nobody who knows Northern Ireland anyway, and I know that the member knows it well, as I do, would doubt that the danger here is a return to violence, and the issue of the border is crucial. So, there has to be a deal in Northern Ireland, and that deal has to be one that respects and indeed takes forward the Good Friday agreement. Of course, any deal for Northern Ireland is a deal of differentiation. We have argued for a differentiated deal for Scotland since the beginning of the process, and we published extensively on it. A differentiated deal for Northern Ireland did not recognise the need for a differentiated deal for Scotland, which could be economically and socially damaging indeed. So, although we continue to recognise the special circumstances of Northern Ireland, we also recognise the special circumstances of Scotland in terms of our economy and the arguments that we are making. Another thing that joins us is that both Northern Ireland and Scotland voted decisively not to leave the EU, so there is a democratic imperative here, too. Can I ask the cabinet secretary what impact assessments the Government has carried out for the different scenarios that are likely to flow from the Supreme Court decision on the challenge to the Government's continuity well? I think that the member was present at the meeting of the Finance and Constitution Committee, where Mr Tomkins suggested that it was not a good idea to speculate about the outcome of a court case, and I am not going to speculate. I can assure the member that we will be ready for whatever outcome there is, and I know that the Lord Advocate will be more than ready to take forward whatever the outcome is. Adam Tomkins Thank you for that. In terms of negotiations with the UK Government about Brexit, why does the minister not understand that demanding a whole series of vetoes on the exercise of powers that are properly reserved to Westminster is not an approach that is likely to achieve consensus when working with UK Government colleagues? Perhaps the member should advise his UK Government colleagues to stop demanding vetoes in their part, because the Scottish Government has never demanded a veto of any description on any item. What we have simply said is that there should be consultation and agreement should be found. The veto has been exercised by the UK Government in terms, for example, of our continuity bill in its reference to the court. It is the UK Government that believes that it has the right to veto anything that this chamber does and has indeed done it in its redefinition of the word consent. The reality of the situation is that the UK Government, through the UK Parliament, is attempting to veto the rights, duties and obligations of this chamber. I would be entirely happy if we sat down in partnership and worked in partnership towards a solution. I remain open to that. I hope that the UK Government does. They should stop vetoing. Ritchael Hamilton To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the UK Government to discuss UK bills that contain proposals that impact on Scotland. The Scottish Government is in regular contact with the UK Government about proposed UK legislation that might impact on Scotland. On 30 September, I attended, as I have said, a meeting of the joint ministerial committee on EU negotiations. At that meeting, the Scottish Government noted that, whilst progress continues to be made where frameworks may be agreed, it will not bring forward further motions for legislative consent on EU exit-related bills without action being taken by the UK Government to protect the soil convention. Does not mean that engagement on the policy content of such bills is not taking place. It is clearly important that Scotland's perspective and the devolution settlement are both taken fully into account when those bills are being prepared. Ritchael Hamilton I thank the minister for that answer. We recently saw the publication of the UK agricultural bill. The Welsh Government in Cardiff consented to the UK Government legislating on their behalf to allow a new regime to be created, something that the Scottish Government refused to do. The Scottish Government will now need to pass a separate bill in Hollywood to create a new subsidy programme. Can I ask, given that this is such an important bill, why have Scottish farmers been left in the dark? Why are there no plans to bring about an equivalent Scottish agricultural bill in the programme for government? Ritchael Hamilton I have to say that for a representative of the Conservative Party to talk about people being left in the dark on Brexit defyse parody. I have to say that the reality of the situation is that the Welsh Government has objected to issues in the agricultural bill as we have. There are certain issues such as the WTO issues that require resolution. What we are doing is trying to have a constructive discussion with the UK Government. Strangetly enough, Mr Tomkins, from a secondary position, finds the idea of constructive discussion from the UK Government funny. I have to say that I find it funny sometimes to think that the UK Government is being constructive, but I am doing my best and he should try. The reality of the situation is that we will continue to have those discussions, but there needs to be a proper exchange upon them. You cannot simply impose a bill. That is the issue. That is the profound issue here. The Scottish Conservatives wish the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament to accept anything that is said or done at Westminster and they will simply be imposed on them. Will that be how they do business? It is not how we do business. The Deputy Presiding Officer Thank you. That concludes questions on government, business and constitutional relations. We are now going to move on to questions on culture, tourism and external affairs. We will start with question 1 from Tom Mason. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I declare an interest as an Aberdeen city councillor. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of short-term lets on tourism levels in Aberdeen and other local authority areas. Cabinet Secretary, Fiona Hyslif. There is no single definition of a short-term let in Scotland, so there is no single official or definitive source of data that can be used to gauge the number of properties let on a short-term basis. I understand the pressure in some parts of the country for new controls over short-term letting of residential properties and we want to address that. That is why in our programme for government we have committed to working with local government, communities and business interests, to ensure that local authorities have appropriate regulatory powers. That will ensure that local authorities can take decisions that balance the needs and concerns of their communities with wider economic and tourism interests. A national solution allowing local authorities to protect the interests of local communities while providing a safe quality of experience for visitors must be based on the best possible evidence. We have already established a short-term let's delivery group of officials from across government to examine the issues around short-term letting. That group will consider the existing powers local authorities have and gather evidence as to whether further measures are required and we would welcome any evidence from city of Aberdeen council or others. Tom Mason. I thank the cabinet secretary for her answer. As she will be aware, short-term let's offer opportunities for those on low incomes and larger families to stay in Aberdeen, as well as adding to the diverse range of flexible and low cost accommodation. Does she agree that for Aberdeen short-term let's are essential in boosting the local economy given the slump in the ordinary industry? Cabinet secretary. I think that that is why the short-term let's group has to work with all aspects of local government to understand the pressures within different areas. One of the main issues, I think, though we must consider, is safety. A safety issue in relation to short-term let's applies to people, whether they are visitors or, indeed, as the example that the member has given, people who are working in the industry and need the short-term let's for that basis. That will certainly be, I am sure, one of the issues that will be considered as part of the group that we have established. Andy Wightman. Thank you, Presiding Officer. For this summer, I ran a consultation on an amendment to the planning bill to strengthen the planning system in relation to short-term let's. An Aberdeen City Council responded to that, saying that, in the absence of planning or licensing powers, they would welcome guidance from the Scottish Government on short-term let's. Further to that, they recognise the pressure that short-term let's place on housing, particularly without the checks and balances of the planning system. Does the minister recognise the pressures that short-term let's place on housing? Does she recognise that there have to be limits to tourism development in certain areas? Cabinet secretary. Well, there are a number of aspects to that. One of the reasons that there are short-term let's and I know in my constituency is because of the lack of affordable social housing. The Government has made considerable strides, particularly compared to the rest of the UK, in building houses to ensure that we have that supply of housing in the first place. He makes an important point about how we consider the balances that need to be part of assessing tourism needs as well as those that are domestic people in their own city needing to have accommodation. That is why the short-term let's group is deliberating on that, although I do understand that the member has an amendment that is a part of the planning bill, and that is yet to be considered as far as I understand. Maureen Watt Thank you, Presiding Officer. Can the cabinet secretary confirm that, in the Government's work with local authorities on this issue, they will look into options to limit the number of days someone can rent their entire property and seasonal systems where the rules can be flexible to meet local demand, for example, when there are periods of large tourist demand? My understanding is that that would be one of the considerations that will be discussed as part of the short-term let's group. I know that it is a one of an issue that Edinburgh City Council in particular has got an interest in, and some of the experience of other places in relation to limiting 90 days, for example, is something that has been part of this debate. So the short-term let's group needs to do its work, and I am sure that we will report to Parliament at the appropriate time. 2. Claudia Beamish Thank you, Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the Scottish Tourism Alliance and what issues were discussed. Cabinet secretary. I met with the Scottish Tourism Alliance as recently as 5 September, and the Minister for Public Finance and Digital Economy met with them on 6 September. Scottish ministers have a number of discussions and meetings, both formal and informal, with the Scottish Tourism Alliance and its membership organisations as part of our engagement with what is a key economic sector. We discussed a variety of issues, all supporting the ambition of sustainable tourism growth for Scotland and that we share with Scotland's wider tourism industry. 2. Claudia Beamish I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. The cabinet secretary will be aware that the SNP leader of Edinburgh City Council supports the introduction of a tourism tax as do COSLA. Berlin has it, Amsterdam has it, Vienna has it, amongst others, but Scotland does not. Analysis released today by the Edinburgh City Council shows that a year round of charge was raised an extra £11 million a year for the council. With that in mind, can I ask the cabinet secretary if the Government has carried out any research on the impact of a transient visitor levy on tourism across the whole of Scotland, and if it does it intend to, and when would there be any results to this? Claudia Beamish The member raises an important point. I discussed that directly with the leader of the City Council in Edinburgh just last week, and I know of the discussions that they have been having. However, clearly, as the member points out, there are national implications of what might happen if that was to come about. She also identifies, I think, some of the tensions and issues because the cities that she cites do not have a 20 per cent VAT rate, which currently applies to the tourism and hospitality industry here in Scotland. In terms of looking at the wider picture, we have been invited by the hospitality association and the SDA to engage in a national debate, rather than necessarily being on a localised basis. She also points out that COSLA wants to have that considered as part of the local government's review. We are very conscious of those issues. Our current position remains that we are not in favour of introducing visitor levy unless the tourism industry itself is involved at the outset. However, I think that a healthy and informed debate would be helpful for individual local authorities, but most importantly for COSLA and the national bodies representing the SDA. Gail Ross Thank you, Presiding Officer. Given the recent announcement of no special arrangements for EU citizens post-Brexit, can the cabinet secretary outline what impact she expects the UK Government's migration plans will have on the tourism sector in Scotland? Presiding Officer, the tourism industry is one of our key sectors. Currently, 13 per cent of those working in the sector come from EU countries. We want to support those who are here already, but we also want to make sure that, in the future, we can continue to attract those workers who are so vital to our sector. Now, the UK Government, as we understand, has agreed with the Migration Advisory Committee's recommendations that EU citizens should be treated exactly the same as other citizens in terms of application post-Brexit. That would mean currently that you would have to be earning within the tourism sector £30,000 to be able to be recruited to work in that sector here in Scotland. That is just unsustainable and we know already from the tourism sector themselves that the decision by the UK Government, as we understand it this week, would have a catastrophic effect practically on one of the key sectors of our economy. That is why it is absolutely essential that one of the UK Government listens. Secondly, it understands that it is possible to have a Scottish policy within a UK immigration system to make sure that not only do we address the interests of our sectors like tourism but also our challenging and very different population and workforce background and consideration. That is absolutely essential. Brexit is suddenly getting very, very real for many sectors and tourism is most certainly one of them. Rachael Hamilton Thank you, Presiding Officer. Can I just draw members' attention to my register of interests as a shareholder in a small hotel? Claudia Beamish asked about the tourism tax but I would like to ask the Cabinet Secretary what her position is on whether she supports a transient visitor to Levy and when she will launch a Scottish Government consultation because today the Scottish Tourism Alliance expressed their concerns about the introduction of a transient visitor to Levy by Edinburgh City Council. As I said, we have no plans and we are not supportive of a transient Levy and we do not think that that should be introduced unless there was involvement from the tourism sector right at the start and the sustainability of the tourism sector was considered. As I said in my previous answer, a 20 per cent vac rate means that in terms of the comparatives we are perceived as a very high-cost location and although the devalued pound is supporting tourism at this stage I think in terms of the pressures that industry is facing in costs of other areas that this is not necessarily an appropriate time for that to be considered anyway. But I do understand that from both sides of the debate and there are strong arguments I can understand for it I understand the strong arguments against it but I do think having an informed debate is something that I would like to see happen and it's something that I would like to encourage. Claire Baker Oh, thank you, Presiding Officer. Can I ask the cabinet secretary if she's aware of the unite hospitality charter which is given to improve conditions for those working in the hospitality sector and has she discussed this with the Scottish Tourism Alliance in order to improve working conditions for those working in hotels and restaurants across Scotland? Cabinet secretary The fair work agenda is something that the member will know that the First Minister and the Scottish Government is very supportive of and indeed in our programme for government we outline steps that we would like to take particularly with the hospitality and tourism sector in relation to the fair work agenda and she refers to the campaign that has been established and I think that and you know I need to check my notes but I think that that's an issue that I have raised as part of that wider context of how do we take forward a fair work agenda in what is as I said one of our key industries but also one where we don't have people earning we do have some people earning £30,000 a year but on average that is not the salary that people currently are are being paid within that sector and so therefore we need to make sure that we do think that we can find mechanisms and policies to help support the sector to make it a very attractive career to be part of but also to make sure that people are treated fairly so there's a specific reference in our programme for government for that point question number three John Scott thank you Presiding Officer to ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for the funding of arts and culture to the south of the central belt a range of arts and culture activity south of the central belt is being funded by Scottish Government's grant and aid to creative Scotland this includes three-year regular funding for the Wigton Book Festival the Stoven Dumfries and Galloway and also Alchemy Film and Arts in the Scottish Borders local authorities in the south of Scotland also receive central government funding for cash back for creativity and the youth music initiative programmes in addition the Scottish Government has provided direct funding of £2.5 million towards the development of a new purpose built facility in Galashales to house the great tapestry of Scotland and £1.375 million towards the redevelopment of David Livingstone Centre in Blantyre Other government initiatives include supporting the Ayrshire and Borderlands growth deals in the south of Scotland economic partnership where cultural funding is a possibility John Scott I thank the cabinet secretary for her answer but she will be aware that for reasons best known to creative Scotland funding has not been available for Ayrshire and companies such as the gaiety in Ayr her hometown but also across southern Scotland more generally and not withstanding what she has just said can the cabinet secretary give assurances that this disparity of funding allocations will be investigated and addressed in creative Scotland's own review as well as the Scottish Government's culture strategy which it is also consulting on before producing its final report cabinet secretary The member will be aware that Ayrgacy has received over £3 million of capital and revenue support in the last six years directly and indirectly from the Scottish Government and I have been very supportive of Ayrgay team which continue to be so he will be aware however of the independence of the decision making of creative Scotland but I will make sure that his remarks are drawn to their attention as part of their review and he is quite correct to consider the culture strategy as means by which the importance of place and recognising the geographical dispersality of Scotland is something that is very important and that came through very much in our consultation to date the final consultation is just closed but I would expect to see a strong place agenda as part of that when it's published Question number four Jackie Baillie To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve visitor experience by working with local authorities to enhance facilities such as car parking Cabinet Secretary Last year the First Minister announced the establishment of the £6 million rural tourism and infrastructure fund to help local authorities to provide immediate infrastructure support at tourist sites across rural Scotland I'm glad to say that the first tranche of successful projects worth up to £3 million will be announced shortly bringing much-needed infrastructure improvements such as toilets parking to benefit both visitors and local communities alike and this is in addition to three pilots already progressed to deliver facilities on Skye and Orkney and that is welcome indeed but the minister might be aware that Argyll and Bute Council is increasing car parking charges by 900 per cent in Arica and considering introducing charges for the first time at Duck Bay as a means of increasing revenue It is a charge on tourists and local people alike denies them particularly low-income people access to our countryside and I wondered does the cabinet secretary believe that this is in keeping with the Scottish Government's approach to outdoor access? Cabinet Secretary Well clearly want to encourage outdoor access both for visitors and locals that I am not aware of the detail of the case that is being forward The funding that we are providing should be an additional to what is a successful and sustainable way to support the agenda of making sure that our outdoor spaces are accessible so I would encourage all local authorities if they are expecting to receive Scottish Government funding for additional support that it is not to be replaced or indeed contradicted by other activity that they are involved in so we have to take a holistic view of this and I would encourage all local authorities to do that if they are expecting the Scottish Government to provide additionality to what they are providing themselves. Question 5 Lewis MacDonald Thank you very much to ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the potential for developing steam train tourism on the east coast of Scotland. A train journey around Scotland can be one of the best ways of admiring our stunning landscapes. There are already a number of steam train routes across Scotland including the board of steam charters now operated by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society and as recently as this month the A1 steam locomotive trusts announced the Abaddonian a brand new programme of five steam haul trains between Edinburgh and Aberdeen which will launch in March 2019. So the Scottish Government encourages requests from steam operators to visit Scotland each year. There are many trips that take place through Scotland on the east coast line from London, York and Newcastle to Edinburgh and to other parts and each of the last two years the Flying Scotsman has traversed this route very successfully and has been well patronised. Lewis MacDonald Thank you very much and I agree very much with the cabinet secretary that the launch of the Abaddonian on the east coast line between Edinburgh and Aberdeen is to be welcomed starting next year. Does she agree with me that it would be even better if passengers were able to board the Abaddonian in Aberdeen as well as in Edinburgh so that people from both ends of the country can take full advantage of this fantastic initiative? Cabinet secretary Unfortunately my remit is wide but it doesn't extend to I suppose the ticketing operation in relation to the time table's a railways however I think the member makes a reasonable point and will draw it to attention to those that are operating that service. Stuart McMillan Thank you, Presiding Officer. Would the cabinet secretary support the idea of a special one day James Watt service involving Edinburgh Clyde and potentially the east coast to celebrate the bicentenary of James Watt in August 2019? Cabinet secretary I think that's a very interesting suggestion. I would strongly encourage potential operators to have early engagement with Network Rail as planning horizons within the industry are normally agreed at least nine months in advance but I would be very interested to hear of any proposals to recognise that very important bicentenary of James Watt. Question 6 Rhoda Grant and the member did alert me to her late arrival in the chamber. Rhoda Grant And I thank the Presiding Officer for allowing me to arrive late. To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support tourism in Skye. Cabinet secretary Remains committed to ensuring that tourism in Skye a vital part of the island's economy remains sustainable. In November at a tourism summit on the islands I announced the establishment of a Skye tourism task force. Work has been led by Highlands and Islands Enterprise who are assisting the local authority industry group Skye Connect to develop a strategy and prioritise projects that will benefit tourism on the island. And as I referred to in the previous answer I'm about to make announcements about the six million pound rural tourism infrastructure fund. We've already seen two of the initial three pilots on Skye and the car parking lease point has already delivered much-needed benefits to visitors and the local community alike and work on developing facilities that the ferry pool is progressing. Rhoda Grant I'm not sure if the Cabinet secretary is aware of visitors behaviour around the ferry pools. We've seen photos of cairns being built all round in fields surrounding the ferry pools where stones are being displaced and small cairns are being built. I know that locals have been working to try and rectify that. However, what information is being given to visitors to those areas about how they should behave and protect the environment while they visit? What the member raises is concern and I think that it's part of how people behave when they're actually at very important outdoor sites. Obviously there's means by which people are engaging with locations to visit through digital media so I would encourage all those who are advertising the ferry pools to indicate what is acceptable and not acceptable in terms of making sure that there's protection for a very precious and very beautiful place. Thank you and I'm afraid that concludes portfolio questions today. We're going to move on to the next point of order, Mr Mountain. Presiding Officer, I have far been up from me to criticise at all, but we had some very long answers today which stops backbenchers like me getting the chance to ask questions which we've been preparing to ask on the results of applications from constituents. I had one to ask on Sky and I've eventually had one to ask on question 9 knowing there was little chance to get there. Could I ask, Presiding Officer, if it would be possible to get cabinet secretaries and ministers to give shorter answers to questions so that we can answer more questions which are important to the constituents that we represent in Scotland? Thank you. Point of order, Ffianna Hysl. Further, to that point of order, I think in terms of the management, I've worked very hard to answer as many questions as possible. The Presiding Officer also has discretion to take supplementaries of which there were a number in extensive and if the member wants to make sure that there are constituency issues addressed, perhaps John Scott who had a specifically constituency issue if he'd asked his questions specifically about his constituency I would have had a shorter answer rather than covering the whole of the south of Scotland. Thank you for both point of orders. I think that the point illuminates an issue which is a difficult issue for every of this chamber and that speaks in the balanced right between making progress through the written questions and taking supplementaries. I would merely emphasise today in particular that there were some long questions as well as long answers and I would urge all members as well as ministers to be concise. Now we'll move on to the next item of business which is in fact we'll just take a few moments for a statement from the cabinet secretary but just take a few moments for members to change seats.