 Good morning. The first item of business is general questions and I want to get the point of order, my hon. Efallaging Commander. I wish to convey my utmost sme at the utter shambles that is unfolded this week over the Scottish Government's handling of the Cass review findings. I think we're going to see everything. On Tuesday, I asked the question what more must MSPs do in this chamber to raise important issues on behalf of their constituents. The Scottish Government have had every opportunity to bring forward a statement on the cash review and whether it will pause the prescription of puberty blockers to children. However, it have refused that arrogance is gotten in the way of protecting some of the most vulnerable children right across Scotland, so the question I have for them was it worth it, because this morning MSPs read on social media that the description of puberty-suppressing hormones were to be paused in Scotland, but I find that rather odd, as we have been told repeatedly this week, that the minister and the Government needed sufficient time to carefully consider its findings, so I'm wondering did the Scottish Government develop the skill of speed reading overnight, because if the Government was going to announce this anyways, why didn't the SNP in Green's vote for my statement yesterday? This would have allowed the Government to have announced that puberty blockers were to be paused in Parliament and for MSPs to ask questions, something the SNP has been hiding from all week. They have tried to silence MSPs in this Parliament and that is a disgrace, and they seem content, Presiding Officer, to leak the news of pausing puberty blockers to the press before having the decency to update Parliament, treating the Presiding Officer and Parliament with utter contempt. Presiding Officer, I'm beyond fed up with this Government and its laxadaisical approach to gender care. Let's hear the member. Let's hear the member. Can I ask that we hear the member and that we refrain from shouting from our seats, Ms Gallacher? I think that Kevin Stewart has been taunting away there from his entry's position on this issue. There should be an urgent ministerial statement so that the SNP can outline what this announcement means and so that MSPs can ask appropriate questions. However, with the SNP in Green's approach to scrutiny this week, I doubt that this statement will ever take place. Therefore, given that official announcement this morning did not allow for an urgent question to be submitted before the deadline, I seek to move a motion without notice to suspend standing orders rule 13.8.1 so that the 10am deadline can be removed for today to allow for an urgent question on this topic. Presiding Officer, I'm asking whether you will accept my moving of such a motion. I move that under rule 17.2.1a, this Parliament agrees to suspend part of rule 13.8.1 to remove the words by 10am for the purposes of the meeting. Thank you. I thank Ms Gallacher for her point of order. I'm not mindy to accept a motion without notice at this time, as we are now in two periods, two time-limited periods of question times, where members have opportunities to put questions both to Scottish Government ministers and then to the First Minister directly. I'm very keen to protect that and not disadvantage members. We will move on with our general questions session. At question number one, I call Neil Bibby, point of order, Martin Whitfield. I'm very grateful to the Presiding Officer. On a point of order, would it be possible to reschedule general questions to allow for the motion that's been proposed without notice to another slot? I'm not mindy to do that at this moment, Mr Whitfield. I'm very keen that we proceed with business, as has been previously agreed, by the Business Bureau and by this Parliament. I call Neil Bibby at question number one. To ask the Scottish Government what the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing, Economy and Net Zero and Energy meant by our reported comments to the Ferguson Marine workforce on 9 April 2024 that the Scottish Government will stand with you long into the future. I meant just that, Presiding Officer. As I said at the launch of the Glen Rosa, the young apprentices with whom I was delighted to share a platform and who trained at the yard, they represent the future of shipbuilding in Scotland, and the SNP stands behind them. When we made our decision to take Ferguson Marine into public ownership, we were clear that we'd done so to protect jobs and vital skills. My comments on 9 April reaffirmed our continuing commitment to shipbuilding in Scotland. Neil Bibby. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Those apprentices and the wider Ferguson Marine workforce need to see the actual investment and award of future work that has been cross-party support for the Scottish Government to provide for months. This is urgent and it is critical. I welcome the cabinet secretary's planned attendance at the summit being organised by the Gmb Union on 16 May. I respectfully say to the cabinet secretary the time for indecision is over. Will the workers at Ferguson Marine know by 16 May whether the Scottish Government will invest in facilities at the yard and grant them the future work that they need? I have consistently said that the best way for Ferguson Marine to secure future work, public and private, is to increase its competitiveness. That's why, as Neil Bibby is right to narrate, we've been working with Ferguson Marine on an updated business and investment plan. This has been received by the Scottish Government and we're now considering it fully, albeit speedily. As Neil Bibby is quite right, I have agreed to attend a round table on 16 May with the Gmb and I look forward to discussing the detail of it then. Brief supplementary Stuart McMillan. Securing a symbol future for the Ferguson Marine workforce and ensuring its continued welfare is of the utmost importance. With that in mind, can the cabinet secretary provide an update on the continued engagement with the trade unions and the workforce? I last met formally, I suppose, with the Gmb union on 27 February to discuss this matter, but I also took the opportunity to meet with workers and representatives of the union at the launch of the Glen Rosa on 9 April. As I've said, we will leave no stone unturned when it comes to securing a sustainable future for Ferguson Marine and with that in mind, I look forward to that round table I will attend in May. Question 2, Liz Smith. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its recent consultations with local authorities about community access to the school of state, including sports facilities. Thank you, Presiding Officer. The Scottish Government recently convened a working group including representatives from COSLA, sports organisations and community organisations to explore how community access to community facilities such as the school of state can be enhanced. The group has met twice and have held positive conversations on how partners can more effectively share best practice and address challenges. It will continue to meet over the coming year and will produce key findings and any recommendations by spring next year. That's good to hear, cabinet secretary. I'm sure he is aware that the strength of feeling amongst local authorities is really very considerable about the significant cutbacks in budgets that are forcing many local authorities to not be able to provide these facilities, whether that's swimming pools, a gym facility or a meeting room within a school. These are very significant concerns. What is the Scottish Government doing to engage with the local authorities to open up the school of state, especially at times when much-needed facilities are actually underused? Cabinet secretary. Her question, and I know she, like I, is a passionate advocate of physical activity and the importance that that has to health and wellbeing. The access to the school of state and other leisure community facilities is incredibly important. Local authorities are obviously responsible for those buildings where they have that responsibility. We have given record increased funding to local government, although I understand across all elements of the public sector there are financial pressures. I am due to meet with Sport Scotland this afternoon and will be looking to have this as part of that discussion around how we can best manage the facilities that are available to communities and ensure that community access is there and available. I'll report back to Liz Smith after that. To ask the Scottish Government what it's doing to support childcare groups that provide after-school care and care outwith at school term times. Minister Natalie Dawn. The Scottish Government recognises the vital role that school-aged childcare plays in supporting families to meet their childcare needs. In October 2023, we published the school-aged childcare delivery framework, which sets out our approach to building a system of school-aged childcare. We're working closely with providers, children and families to co-design a future system with them, including considering what support those providing school-aged childcare might need. Last year, we invested over £12 million in supporting families to access school-aged childcare services through a range of partners, including local authorities, childcare services and activities providers. Marie McNair. I thank the minister for that answer and I've been made aware that some funding provisions have not been replicated this year for out-of-school care groups in my constituency. We know how important parental employment is to tackling child poverty, but lack of childcare can be a barrier to full employment. Can the minister advise what funding options may be available to out-of-school care groups to allow them to continue offing these services to support parents' stay within the workplace? We absolutely understand the vital services that school-aged childcare provides for working parents and that the cost of childcare provision is a challenge for many families on low incomes. That's why we remain committed to expanding access to childcare, targeted towards those families who need it most. The Scottish Government does not directly fund school-aged childcare. It is the responsibility of local authorities to allocate their financial resource based on local needs. However, as mentioned in my previous answer, we are working with providers, children and families to co-design a future system, including consideration of support that those providing school-aged childcare might need. We will soon be hosting a series of sessions with providers to discuss the topics that they have told us are important and to think about how we can make positive change that will support providers and make the system more sustainable. I am happy to keep the member updated on that. My apologies, we will backtrack a little and I ask Monica Lennon to put her question. To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it reportedly delayed approval of the budget for skills development in Scotland, which, according to the National Union of Students Scotland and the National Society of Apprentices, led to unnecessary distress and disruption for thousands of apprentices. Since the publication of the Scottish Government's budget in December, and the face of the most challenging budget circumstances since the evolution, we have worked closely with SDS on how to maximise apprenticeships from within their overall budget allocation. Following that work, SDS commenced contracting for up to 25,500 new modern apprenticeship opportunities at the start of April. I do not accept the assertion that this caused disruption for thousands of existing apprentices. There was no delay in funding for the 38,000 apprentices in training being released from the Scottish Government. This funding is committed and apprenticeships continue to form a vital part of our skills system. I am astonished to hear that denial from the minister. He must be saying that the Scottish Training Federation is wrong and imagined the impact on thousands of employers and thousands of apprentices. The delay happened, it is not a one-off, it happened last year as well. What will the minister do to guarantee everyone in Scotland that there will be no delay next year? The member may well be astonished, but it is a simple fact that for the existing apprentices there was no issue. I accept that the small delay that occurred will have created some degree of upset for some of the apprentices. We will, as ever, work to avoid such a situation in the future. Liam Kerr, brief supplementary. Very grateful. The Scottish Government's failure to agree the £100 million employability budget, so contracts to deliver employability support programmes cannot be issued, freezes another skills programme. When will the Scottish Government sort this delay? I will write back to the member on that because that does not sit in my area of responsibility. Thank you. Question number five has been withdrawn. I move to question number six and call Bob Doris. To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to progress the recommendations contained in its fair fair review. I thank all MSPs who contributed to the constructive, challenging but reasonably consensual debate on the fair fair review pre-recess. Transport Scotland is actively collaborating with operators and stakeholders to progress the fair fair review's recommendations and actions. This close working will continue as we progress the medium to long-term actions alongside more immediate ones such as monitoring and evaluating the pilot to remove peak rail fares from ScotRail services set out by the review supported by robust governance arrangements to ensure timely progress. Bob Doris. I believe that Mary Helen Springburn in the wider Glasgow area is well placed to participate in and benefit from the proposed bus flat fares pilot. Indeed, any pilot would ideally also be integrated with our city's urban rail network. Can the cabinet secretary update me on how candidates for such a pilot, including Glasgow, will be considered and plans will be developed? The fair fair review recommended that a proposal for a bus flat fares pilot for an area-based scheme to provide flat fares on bus travel or reduce fares on zonal integrated travel from consideration of future budgets is developed. Development work will ensure that any proposal for consideration is clearly aligned to the objectives of the fair fair review and the determination of suitable criteria for selection will take place as part of that development process. Brief supplementary, Paul Sweeney. The fair fair review excluded the Glasgow subway from the national concession of travel scheme. The justification for it was apparently that Glasgow has got a strong bus system, but clearly anyone who has used the buses in Glasgow knows they are completely dysfunctional. Will the cabinet secretary revise his absurd decision so that Glasgow subway is part of the NCTS scheme? In relation to the fair fair review, a lot of that is operating, particularly in the nationally supported public sector area. I would add that the Scottish Government has invested a considerable amount of funding in the modernisation of Glasgow subway, but, similarly to the Edinburgh trams, we are not in a position, particularly in the financial constraints that we have, which the Labour Party wants to continue. I understand that at Westminster, that would also mean that other areas such as the Edinburgh trams cannot be supported similarly to the subway position. To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to promote and improve rail services in Dumfries and Galloway. Cabinet Secretary, Fiona Hyslop. So our aim remains to continue to encourage greater rail use across Scotland, and that is why we have this peak fair removal pilot on rail to June 2024. Only last month, Network Rail completed the £1.9 million upgrade of the Stranraer line funded by the Scottish Government, which involved replacing more than a kilometre of track in 650 metres of new track drainage, thus improving resilience of the line. Of course, those travelling from Dumfries station will soon benefit from the £3.6 million improvement delivered through the Access for All scheme, which will provide a full, step-free access throughout the station. We are supportive of new operators enhancing connectivity for Scotland and are pleased that the Office of Rail and Road approved the new open access service between Stirling and London-Easton from Grand Union trains, which will have calls at Lockaby offering some new direct cross-border services from June 2025. Findlay Carson. That response, however, is quite ironic that you talk about improving the rails when there are no trains to run on them. Stranraer has been denied any rail service to air since last September, following an arson attack on the former rail with hotel and air. Now rail travellers have been told that the situation is expected to drag on until the summer to allow south-easter councillors to carry out safety repairs. That is having a serious impact on the travelling public who want to visit Wigtonshire and those travelling via the ferry terminals at Cairn Ryan. That would not be happening if it was in the central belt. Does the cabinet secretary agree that the situation is totally unacceptable and will she investigate how this process can be speeded up to restore rail services sooner rather than later? I would remind the member that Conservative-led south-easter council are responsible for the building, and the building itself is causing problems, not least the extension to the north building, and the demolition. I understand that section 29 of the dangerous buildings has been utilised by the council on. The Conservatives may want passengers to travel in unsafe circumstances. The Conservatives may want rail workers to complete remediation in an unsafe environment. We are committed to supporting the resumption of that rail line, but it must be done in a safe way. I think that we should emphasise that to all the passengers and the rail workers that he wants to leave in a dangerous position. The rail services for the freezing galleries are important to residents but also to visitors to the area, including my constituents, to benefit from the wonderful interactions on offer. Can I ask how the removal of peak rail fares has supported both endeavours? There has been extensive support for rail and rail services in the south of Scotland, in particular, and in the freezing gallery. The lines that are in operation have a 20 per cent reduction that has been achieved on average across the community public through the peak rail fares trial, and I think that that is very supportive. The resumption of that would benefit not just in freezing galleries, but those who want to travel up to Ayrshire and the central belt as well.