 The First Item of Business this afternoon is portfolio questions, on education and life-long learning. Questions 1, Bruce Crawford. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress on establishing a commission on why access is outlined in the programme for government 2014-15. Cabinet Secretary, Angela Constance. I'm very pleased to advise the Parliament that yesterday, the Scottish Government announced The Scottish Government announced the appointment of Dame Ruth Silver as the chair of the Commission on Widing and Access. Dame Ruth is a distinguished figure in the world of education, with a long track record of supporting social inclusion, and I'm therefore delighted that she has agreed to take on this important role. Other members of the commission will be announced shortly. Ruth Crawford I thank the cabinet secretary for her answer and welcome the announcement. I agreed to the First Minister when she said that a child born today in one of our most deprived communities should have no lesser chance of entering higher education than a child born in one of our least deprived. Cabinet secretary, therefore, let me know how it is envisaged that the proposed attainment advisers across Scotland, who will be crucial to the delivery of the Government's aims, will be recruited and what is the planned timescale for their recruitment. Cabinet secretary Thank you very much for that question. Mr Crawford touches on an important point in the programme for government, which talks about the entire education system having a role to play in the Widing and Access agenda, and obviously raising attainment in our schools, raising attainment for all children, but also critically closing the attainment gap between the children from the least and most deprived households. The attainment advisers are an important strand of that work. Initially, 12 attainment advisers will be recruited, but 32 attainment advisers will be in place by the end of the next financial year. Last night on television, Dame Ruth said that it was not entirely clear exactly what the full remit of the commission would be. Could the cabinet secretary tell Parliament when that will be known? The remit of the commission will be finalised and agreed at the first meeting. It is proposed that the commission will synthesise existing evidence around the barriers to Widing and Access. The commission will propose meaningful and clear milestones to drive further and faster progress. It will also identify best practice on Widing and Access across schools, colleges and universities and make recommendations on how that is scaled up and progressed. I should have said in my reply to Mr Crawford that the commission will meet for the first time in April. There will be an interim report in the autumn and the final report will be in April next year. Scotland now has the lowest level of grant support for students from poorer families anywhere in Western Europe, apart from Iceland, where there are no grants at all. It is hard to imagine that there is not one of the barriers to Widing and Access. Can the cabinet secretary confirm that the commission's remit will allow it to examine that? It is true that the commission will look at a wide range of matters. It is important that the final membership of the commission will draw on a broad range of people from backgrounds, whether that is university, sector, colleges, schools, trade unions, early years and student bodies. The commission will have to look at a number of factors. I should say to Mr Gray that, in terms of the minimum income guarantee that was negotiated and discussed with people from the sector, including students, the priority was to put money into the pockets of students. In terms of the most disadvantaged students who live at home, it is the best package in the UK. In terms of those students who are living away from home, I am correct in saying that it is the second or third best package in the UK. To ask the Scottish Government how the schools for the future programme can help to improve the school estate and how many people's impact is on. All 32 local authorities will receive funding to improve their school estate through the £1.8 billion Scotland's school for the future programme. The total capital value of the 18 schools open so far is £239 million. The Scottish Government's contribution to that is almost £120 million. Those schools show that the programme's fantastic new, modern state-of-the-art learning environments are something that whole communities can benefit from and be proud of for many years to come. Once complete, over 60,000 pupils will benefit from the programme. Mike McKenzie? I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. The Highlands and Islands has received schools for the future funding, including for schools in Oban and Lerwick, which are very much welcome. Can the cabinet secretary confirm that the number of pupils in poor or bad buildings has more than half since 2007? Yes, I can confirm that the number of pupils educated in poor or bad-conditioned schools has more than half since 2007. The precise figures are that the proportion of pupils educated in such schools has fallen from around 257,037 per cent of all pupils in 2007 to around 109,016 per cent of all pupils in 2014. The proportion of schools in good or satisfactory condition has increased from 61 per cent to 83 per cent. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to expand the range of foreign language courses available in schools. As a result of the Government's ambitious languages policy, schools all around Scotland are developing their languages provision to introduce a much earlier start and strong progression throughout a young person's broad general education. Deciding which languages to offer is a key part of that, and many schools are finding ways to offer a more diverse range of languages than they have previously done. Since 2010, there has been an 8 per cent increase in higher language entries. What a phasor. I thank the minister for his response, but he will know that there has been criticism from some quarters, not least the German consulate, about the reduction in uptake of German in schools, with a number of pupils taking higher, falling by 20 per cent since 2009, and a 50 per cent drop in the number of specialist German teachers. Given that Germany is our second largest export market and that we have very large numbers of German tourists who, along with Americans, are the biggest spenders in coming to Scotland, is not concerned as I am about the impact that this will have on our economic potential. I am pleased that the minister has taken the opportunity to clarify the views that he seemed to express in his committee recently, where he described French as, quote, a very minor language. I certainly, like him, would very much support the teaching of all modern languages in schools, and particularly I have had contact with the German consulate and the cross-party group on Germany. I think that some of the legitimate concerns that they have to ensure that German remains to the fore in our schools. The point is well made about language diversity. We are trying to increase the number of people in the future who have access to modern languages in schools, but we want that to be a broad range, and that would certainly include Germany. Does the minister agree with me that we should be supporting people to learn as many languages as possible, rather than undermining the teaching of specific languages, as Moldofreza did with French as the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee last month? I can certainly sympathise with those sentiments. I am sorry to return to that, but I think that Mr Fraser's remarks must have come as quite a shock to the 200 million or so people across much of Europe and North Africa and many other places who speak French to be told that it was a minor language, but all I can say, although I can only just say it, is that, for me, the French language is very important. Question 4, Michael McMillan. To ask the Scottish Government how it will increase the number of students from Lanarkshire attending university. Cabinet Secretary, most recently published data from the Scottish Funding Council shows that participation in higher education increased in both North and South Lanarkshire between 2011-12 and 2012-13 by 1.3 per cent respectively. The Government wants to drive up participation in higher education further, particularly among more disadvantaged students. Across North and South Lanarkshire, there are eight schools in the Focus West schools for higher education programme. The programme, funded through the Scottish Funding Council, aims to support an increase in pupils from low-progression schools entering higher education. The Government's ambition is that every child, whatever their background, should not just have a better chance but an equal chance at attending university. As I have said in an answer to an earlier question, widening access to higher education is one of our key priorities. Michael McMillan. I thank the cabinet secretary for her response. The commission on widening access, which was announced in the programme from government, is very much welcome, as we have to ensure that every child has the same chance of going to university. Does the cabinet secretary recognise that, while financial support for students is a major factor in addressing the problem, the facilities that students study in is also a significant component of any university's ability to attract and retain students? The cabinet secretary will be aware of the high drop-out rate of students from Lanarkshire, but does she recognise the concerns expressed by many educationalists in my area that the failure of the Scottish Funding Council to support the plan for the University of the West of Scotland for a new Hamilton campus will do nothing to improve the access of poorer students from Lanarkshire to that university? In fact, it will make it much more difficult for the UWS to reduce the drop-out rate. The non-continuation rate in Scotland is improving. It has decreased from 9 per cent of 0.607 entrants to 6.6 per cent in terms of 1112. I appreciate that, in terms of the University of the West of Scotland, it has the highest rate of non-continuation rates, but it is nonetheless improving. I know that Mr McMahon, along with other members in Lanarkshire, has taken a keen interest in the University of the West of Scotland's proposals and the desire to develop the site in the Hamilton area in particular. The funding council has said that it is one of its top priorities for its 10-year investment strategy. The funding council has said that it will continue to work with the University of the West of Scotland for the aim to develop the robustest business cases possible and to explore alternative sources of funding. I know that the member discussed that in detail with my predecessor, and I am certainly happy to pick up in any conversations with Mr McMahon and other members who have been expressing concern on the matter. The open university young applicants in the school scheme enables Essex students to study a higher-level education in preparation for university. The cabinet secretary will be aware that that not only increases the choices of subjects available to the student but builds their confidence and encourages independent learning. In view of that, what action is the Scottish Government taking to safeguard the future funding of the YAS scheme in the academic year 2015-16? I am certainly happy to write to Mrs Mitchell on the detail of that, but it is fair to say that it is important that we have as many routes as possible open to young people to pursue higher education. The courses that are provided by the open university have a valuable place in the spectrum of opportunities that we need to safeguard and protect. To ask the Scottish Government how it encourages the study of Scottish literature and drama in schools. Minister Alasdair Allan. Curriculum national guidance encourages teachers to use Scottish literature and drama as a rich part of young people's learning. That can be through whole school events such as theatre productions and poetry competitions and through the books that pupils choose from their school library and study in class. The study of Scottish literature in the senior phase of secondary schools is also encouraged by the inclusion of a specific question on Scottish literature in the new higher and national five English qualifications. Thank the minister for that answer. He will be aware of the controversy over the decision of the rector of Webster's High School in my constituency to stop the play black watch from being studied there as part of the higher drama course, because in her judgment some of the content was inappropriate for 15-year-olds. Can I ask the minister whether he believes it appropriate to leave decisions such as those in the hands of individual senior teachers when such decisions will inevitably be subjective and potentially expose them to what some might consider unfair criticism? How can we ensure that when it comes to pupils being able to access contemporary material there is a consistency of approach, at least across local authority areas, thereby not placing staff in the difficult position that the rector has been placed in? I appreciate that there is a long tradition of allowing teachers in schools a decision about how they teach individual classes and the decisions that they make about the text that they use. It is obviously quite legitimate for authors or public figures or any of us to express a view about any of that, but it should be said quite clearly that ministers clearly do not set the texts that are used on a day-to-day basis in school. To pick up on the point that the member makes, however, anyone who has some reason to complain about any of those matters obviously has a recourse to the school or failing at the local authority. The minister will be aware of the recent investigation that revealed that an average of 70p per month per head is being spent on books in Scotland schools with a clear postcode lorry across local authority areas. In Scottish novelist, Shari Loth, said that those figures represent a misplacement of priorities at the heart of Government policy, and that the EIS has called on the Scottish Government to invest additional funding. Is the minister coming at himself to addressing that? The member can certainly expect further announcements in the future about our commitments in those areas, but it is important to say that the Government is clearly committed to not just literature but literacy in schools and that the provision of books is something that we regard as one of our priorities in that area. I certainly see literacy as a love of books, and the provision of books is being closer linked together. The Scottish Government, what work it is undertaking with educational institutions to tackle occupational segregation? This is a complex and deep-rooted problem, but we are determined to make progress. Action is taking place on a number of fronts. For example, tackling gender imbalance on college courses is a strategic priority for the Scottish funding council. To that end, they are working with Skills Development Scotland and key stakeholders on a gender action plan. This is also a top priority of developing the young workforce programme, which has targets to increase the minority gender share in the most imbalanced college subject courses and MA frameworks. SDS is also working with educational partners, including schools, on a number of pilots seeking to understand and tackle the causes of educational and occupational segregation. I thank the cabinet secretary for her response. In 2009, there were 28 female engineering apprentices as compared to 1,312 males. Last year, that had risen to a staggering 68 female engineering apprentices as compared to 1,401 males. Only eight more women a year do not suggest that the measures are working very effectively. I am sure that she shares my view that the pace of change is far too slow. Based on her last response to me, what target she thinks should be in place and that the Government will promote so that we reach a better level of female representation in female engineering apprentices? It is fair to say that progress has not been quick enough in this area. That is why, as a Government, we most certainly want to pick up the pace. Although full-time equivalence in terms of engineering students has improved, we nonetheless want to improve the number of young women pursuing those careers through choice. It is important that we view an education system in its entirety. We discussed earlier how all of our education system has a role in improving widening access, similarly with gender segregation. The young workforce has indicated a range of performance indicators. There are 11 performance indicators with regard to equality. There are, indeed, stretched targets that underpin that. Some of those targets, the aspirations for them to be met by 2020. As I said in my original answer, there is a focus on the most imbalanced courses in terms of the ones where there is a 75-25 gender imbalance. For the first time, we have now seen the funding council and the Skills Development Scotland with additional reporting requirements and monitoring arrangements on that area. I am very hopeful of the seven earlier doctor regions as part of the young workforce. There are some very important pilots in this area. Does the cabinet secretary agree that there should be no such thing as a male or female job and that any perception that is such a unhealthy boundary still exists needs to be changed? Yes, I do. I would also like to add that it is important that we value the work that women are traditionally attracted to. That is about enabling young men and young women to make informed choices about opportunities that best fit with their talents and aspirations. I am on record as wanting to see more young men pursue careers in childcare. However, the issue of occupational segregation is an important one that we need to unpick and unravel, because it does not just contribute to a pay gap but also contributes to the overall career progression of women. To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions have taken place between the SQA and local authorities regarding pupils' career advice and subject choice. The SQA has regular meetings with local authorities in its role as Scotland's national qualifications body. Through this and through engagement with employers, the SQA seeks to ensure that all its qualifications help learners to develop skills for learning, life and work. The SQA also provides a range of specifically work-related qualifications. However, advice on careers and subject choices is a matter for SDS, local authorities and individual schools. The Commission for Developing Scotland Young Workforce, chaired by Sir Ian Wood, raised the area of subject choice, with areas for improvement, including timetabling and subject choice columns, which many participants reported as being barriers to young people choosing subjects that are most relevant to their future career pathways. What discussions have taken place with local authorities regarding this, and will the minister agree to investigate this particular aspect of career advice and subject choice to make sure that our young people are being given the best career opportunities in school? The member raises valuable points about the issue of the advice that is provided to young people. I think that the direction of travel is obviously towards the provision of that advice at an earlier age. I think that the broad general education period first to third year in secondary schools now provides a much more positive environment in which choices can be made. I believe that it provides an opportunity for people to get the depth and subjects that allow them to make choices later on in school that relate to their careers. However, above all, we have to ensure that young people understand the breadth of choices available to them in the world of work, and that is what we do and what we provide. To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding reintroducing the post-study work visa in Scotland. The Scottish Government is committed to working with the UK Government as recommended in the Smith report to ensure that a post-study work route is put in place to allow talented international students to remain in Scotland after graduation to gain further experience and contribute to economy and society. The Scottish Government and UK Government officials met on 23 January and again on 13 March to discuss a potential post-study work route that would allow international students to remain in Scotland for a defined period of time after graduation. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Recent evidence to the economy committee suggested that Scotland has a very significant global presence in the software games industry, but its growth is hampered partly by an inability to retain foreign IT students who qualified here because of the current visa application regime. On that basis, in having heard what the cabinet secretary has said, does the cabinet secretary agree with me that the sooner visa management and approval is devolved fully to Scotland, the better? Yes, I agree with Mr Brodie and I agree that the immigration system needs to respond to Scotland-specific needs. That means supporting economic growth by enabling our industries to attract and retain the best and brightest global talent. It is time that the UK immigration system delivered that for Scotland. There is cross-sectoral support on the reintroduction of post-study work visas and, as a country, our higher education sector and our economy need to be connected to those new and emerging economies in particular. Question 9, Claudia Beamish, has been withdrawn and an explanation has been provided. To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Aberdeenshire Council to discuss the recruitment and retention of teachers. Recruitment and retention of teachers was one of a number of matters discussed when I met representatives from Aberdeenshire Council. I met them on Monday, 16 February, to discuss the commitment to teacher numbers. Specifically, I met with Councillor Isabel Davidson, Maria Walker, the director of education, Jim Savage, the chief executive officer of Aberdeenshire Council. The council wrote to the Deputy First Minister on 20 February to confirm that they would maintain teacher numbers. I thank the cabinet secretary for that information. The cabinet secretary is probably aware that, in my constituency in Aberdeenshire West, many of the schools are quite rural. Before, there used to be a threat in closing some of the smaller schools because of lack of numbers of pupils. Obviously, the thing that we want to do is ensure that we do not have any school closures because of lack of teacher numbers in our rural schools. Can the cabinet secretary confirm that everything will be done to ensure that we retain our teacher numbers within the rural communities, as the schools are the heart of those communities? The Government is particularly alert to the challenges for rural Scotland. For the last four consecutive years, student teacher intake targets for universities have been increased. Aberdeen University has received a disproportionate increase from the additional places for primary school teachers, and that took their target intake numbers from up to 208 from 161. We are also funding the University of Aberdeen to work more closely with local authorities to train existing employees, such as classroom assistants, through a postgraduate diploma in education part-time course on a distance learning basis. Those are employees who would not otherwise have given up their jobs in order to train their teachers on a full-time basis. I know that Aberdeenshire has employees falling this route into teaching. To ask the Scottish Government when it last met South Lanarkshire Council's education department and what issues were discussed. Education Scotland and South Lanarkshire Council meet regularly to discuss a variety of issues related to education. The last meeting was held on 23 February, when a number of issues were discussed, including inspection activity, activity to raise attainment, and professional learning opportunities for senior leaders. Scottish Government officials are due to meet with South Lanarkshire Council on 14 April to discuss the monitoring of their commitment to maintain teacher numbers and the pupil-teacher ratio. Can I thank the minister for that answer and commend the Scottish Government in securing the deal with South Lanarkshire Council to maintain teacher numbers and to welcome the forthcoming meeting in April? I wonder if the minister is aware that, in maintaining teacher numbers in South Lanarkshire, the way that the council got around that was to cut 16 teachers from nurseries and early learning centres, such as the excellent facility at Ferne Gair in my constituency. Primary 1 classes will now rise above 18, and kids with the most pressing learning challenges are being left behind by the council leadership at a policy level. It now has a terrible track record for supporting its youngest and most vulnerable Will the minister secure a meeting that he has done with the executive director, as it seems that executive director fails that he should not have to meet with me to discuss this very important issue? I am aware that South Lanarkshire Council has agreed to cut a number of teachers from their early learning and childcare centres. It is for local authorities to take decisions on how best to deploy teachers. I understand the concerns that the member raises from a local point of view, and I know that she will not be as slow in making those concerns very well known. To ask the Scottish Government what value it places on early years education. The Scottish Government places a very high value on early years education, and has made early learning and childcare a top priority. We have committed to developing high-quality, flexible early learning and childcare, which is affordable and accessible for all families, focusing initially on those who are most in need. Since 2007, we have increased early learning and childcare to 600 hours for three and four-year-olds, which is more than anywhere else in the UK. We have extended the offer and will reach over a quarter of two-year-olds from August 2015. We have started planning towards our commitment to double the amount of early learning and childcare to 30 hours a week by the end of the next Parliament if we are re-elected to Government in 2016. As she will no doubt be aware, Labour-run Western Bancur Council decided to cut the school week by two and a half hours for primary 1 to primary 3 pupils. It was only through a massive campaign powered by the parents that the decision was reversed. Can the minister outline what discussions she has had with local authorities in Scotland to ensure that no other council will try to implement this devastating cut to her children's education? I have to say to the member that it is for individual local authorities to determine the length and structure of the school day. The statutory requirement is that schools must be open for 190 days, but I would say that best practice would be to consult pupils, parents and the community before making any changes to current structures. To ask the Scottish Government what the impact is of severe deprivation on a child's educational attainment. The impact of severe deprivation on attainment starts early. The growing up in Scotland study identified that, at the age of five, the gap in vocabulary development is already 13 months, and it grows throughout primary and secondary school. In the most deprived 10 per cent areas of Scotland, less than one in three pupils leave school with at least one higher. In the more affluent areas, it is more than four out of five. Until we close the attainment gap and ensure that all of Scotland's children and young people get an equal chance in our schools, education will not fulfil its potential as a societal good. That is why, last month, we launched the Scottish attainment challenge, backed up by £100 million attainment Scotland fund, to bring a renewed focus and urgency to tackling the attainment gap, building on the progress that has been made in recent years. The education secretary has said that she wants her to target her attainment fund on council areas with high levels of deprivation. The education secretary should be well aware that Renfrewshire has the most deprived community in the whole of Scotland, Ferguson Park. Yet, shockingly, Renfrewshire council is not going to receive additional funding through the attainment fund. That is completely unjustifiable. Can I ask the education secretary why she believes that children from the poorest community in Scotland and other children in Renfrewshire should not benefit from the SNP Government's attainment fund? Will she reconsider her damaging decision? I understand the role and passion that local members have in advocating for their local area. I am indeed aware that there are deep pockets of deprivation in Paisley and Renfrewshire, as there is across the Scotland and Fife would be another area. Perhaps Mr Bibby, if you could let me reply to your question with a bit of courtesy that I have afforded to you, you might like the answer to my question. I take very seriously members' recent issues on local areas. The member is right that we decided that seven councils would benefit in the first year from the Scottish attainment challenge, Glasgow Dundee, Inverclyde, Weston-Barchshire, North Ayrshire, Clackmannanshire and North Lanarkshire, focusing on those areas with the highest concentration of primary school children from deprived households. From those households with the Scottish index of multiple deprivation of 20 per cent desiles, one in two. There was a very clear mythology in terms of how we worked out how to use that resource in the first area, but I am indeed, Mr Bibby, conscious that there are many areas in Scotland with deep pockets of deprivation. I and this Government will continue to work with local authorities to identify and respond to areas of concentrated need. To ask the Scottish Government how many non-teaching staff there are in skills and how that compares with 2013-14. In September 2014, there were 20,597 non-teaching staff in Scottish local authority schools, compared with 20,923 in September 2013. I thank the minister for his reply. I am sure that he will recognise that science technicians play a vitally important role in preparing science equipment in lessons in schools across Scotland. Having access to practical science is essential for pupils. As the minister concerned about the replies to NFI, I have submitted that shows that there has been a steady reduction in science technician numbers close to a 10 per cent reduction since the Government took office. Is the minister committed to reversing that trend and investing in developing essential STEM skills? I understand the point that the member makes. In answer to his second point, we are committed—very committed—to investing in STEM. That is why there are so many new school buildings going up with new science facilities in them. It is also why the Government recognises the central role of STEM in our curriculum. I am encouraged by the fact that more and more people are taking STEM subjects to higher in Scotland, more people are getting STEM subjects to higher, and certainly additional staff in the school play a role in that. There has overall been a 1.6 per cent reduction in non-teaching staff in schools over the period that I have mentioned. However, I believe that the Scottish Government is committed very deeply to the science subjects that the member mentions. The Scottish Government, what discussions it has had with Falkirk Council regarding its proposal to reduce the primary school week from 25 to 22.5 hours in 2016-17? Falkirk Council wrote to the Deputy First Minister on 19 February 2015 to confirm its commitment to maintaining teacher numbers. Falkirk Council has confirmed to us its 2016-17 provisional budget proposal to reduce the primary school week from 25 hours to 22.5 hours from August 2016, delivering a reduction in teacher costs. However, we understand that discussions are on-going locally regarding the implications of that. As the member will be aware, the statutory responsibility for the provision of education rests with individual local authorities, including the requirement that all schools must be open for 190 days. I am pleased to tell her that following my submission of the question last week, Falkirk Council quietly announced a U-turn on her ludicrous proposal to reduce primary school hours. I am sure that the cabinet secretary welcomes us to climb down as do I. However, will she impress upon all local authorities that she meets with plain local politics with children's attainment and creating anxiety among parents who want the best for their children? It is not a clever tactic, even for the Labour-Tory coalition in Falkirk. I can say to Mr MacDonald that, although the statutory provision of education rests with local authorities, I welcome the change of heart in this instance. It is imperative that local authorities demonstrate to parents and to the wider community that any changes of this nature have an educational benefit that their proposals are in the best interests of children. I have consistently made clear that this Government would not support any steps taken by Falkirk Council or, indeed, other council areas to cut the length of the school week with a view to reducing teacher numbers. This Government has made it clear that we are committed to raising attainment and closing the attainment gap. That is an aspiration that I believe we can all unite behind, and I do not believe that reducing teacher numbers is the best way to achieve that. To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to college students. College students are better supported than ever before. In the current academic year, we are investing a record £104 million in further education students support, with students getting bursaries of up to £93.3 per week. Unlike the UK Government, we have also retained educational maintenance allowance, which 35,515 school pupils and college students benefited from in 2012-13. James Kelly. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. There is no doubt that getting young people into college ultimately benefits those young people from their education that they receive and has a feed-on effect in terms of the Scottish economy. It is unfortunate that that has been undermined by the SNP cuts to college places and also 7 million reduction in student support this year. From that point of view, does the cabinet secretary welcome the announcement from Scottish Labour of a policy of supporting higher education bursaries to the tune of £58 million, which will benefit communities and young people throughout Scotland and result in many more skilled people graduating from colleges? Of course, Mr Kelly's proposals very much depend on there being a Labour Government elected in May this year. Of course, we shall wait and see. I am not one to make much speculation based on the polls, but my priority is certainly to keep out a Tory Government. It is interesting that, given the announcement this week, he seems to be a little lackluster on that commitment, because we in this party would put aside our party interests in the interests of the country to lock out a Tory Government. I would also like to say— Audit, please, cabinet secretary. You are going to hurry along. We are well over time. As I said, we are well over time, so I apologise to the members whose questions we did not reach and all those who wanted to ask supplementaries, but we have to turn to the next item of business, which is the debate on motion number 12678, in the name of Patrick Harvie, on an end to in-work poverty.