 We now have topical questions. Question number one, Liam McArthur. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding how it could assist in accommodating 3,000 unaccompanied refugee children. Minister, Humza Yousaf. Scotland has a proud history of providing refuge to vulnerable people, and this group of children are especially vulnerable. The Scottish Government welcomes interventions by organisations such as Save the Children and Citizens UK to raise awareness of the plight of 26,000 Syrian children estimated to be in Europe. We have repeatedly called on the UK Government to do more. Action must be taken promptly to avoid some of the tragedies that we have seen already in the last few months. I have raised this matter in conversation with Richard Harrington, the UK Government Minister for Refugees, and it has also been discussed at the Scottish Refugee Task Force. Liam McArthur. Can I thank and agree with the minister's response? The children have pointed out that making it to Europe does not mean children are safe. While its position appears to be softening, the UK Government, I believe, has so far not played its full part in offering shelter. Every day it waits. 3,000 unaccompanied orphan children sleep rough unnecessarily. These children are not only vulnerable to deadly winter conditions and disease, but also trafficking and exploitation. In order to demonstrate that Scotland is ready to play its part, have ministers indicated how many unaccompanied children Scotland could accommodate? Have Scottish ministers made it clear that the 3,000 children should be in addition to the 20,000 that the UK Government has pledged to take from camps around Syria? I agree with the sentiments behind Liam McArthur's question on his specific points. We have had discussions with COSLA, in fact I have just come off the phone with COSLA about the issue. It is fair to say that local authorities are also very sympathetic, all of us would be very sympathetic to that. The point that COSLA is making, and I think that it is a very valid one, is that there has to be a well-resourced package that goes behind that to unaccompanied children. That is quite a resource-intensive endeavour to undertake. Therefore, we agree with COSLA on that. We would like the UK Government to make a decision, because ultimately the decision to accept Syria refugee children and unaccompanied children is one for the UK Government. If it makes that decision, then it is important that, with the Scottish Government, and with the Scottish local authorities, there is a discussion about a well-resourced package. We are willing to play a part. I have made that known. I have written to Justin Greening, the international development secretary, to learn that Scotland is willing to play her part. From speaking to COSLA, they are also willing to do so. I am just about to meet the children shortly after that to discuss the proposal in more detail. Anything that we can do and that we can make it known to the UK Government that we are willing to play a part, the Scottish Government certainly will do. Last question. I thank the minister for his comments. As he will be aware, these children will be some of the most vulnerable individuals to arrive in the UK, fleeing terror and persecution. They need protection and a future. In relation to the resources that he mentions, and I fully accept the point, the minister will have seen the report in the Sunday Herald at the weekend suggesting the number of children referred to the Scottish guardianship service has risen by 80 per cent since 2014. Has the Scottish Government discussed this escalation with the guardianship service and will it undertake to examine how it can help ensure there are enough guardians, sufficient access to supported accommodation and the foster care placements required? Minister. I thank Liam Carther for the question. I did see the Sunday Herald report and obviously the Scottish Government commented on that. It should be said that through funding the Scottish guardianship service, which the funding has increased, the Scottish Government enabled separated children to learn about the welfare and immigration processes directly, making the information relevant to their specific circumstances. That notwithstanding, I know that the Scottish Government very much will continue to have those discussions with local authorities because they will be key partners on everything that we are doing. I think that the political momentum around the issue of refugee children, unaccompanied refugee children, is overwhelming. I know that Tim Farron has been very vocal Jeremy Corbyn on a recent visit to the Scottish Government most certainly. It is important that we ensure from a Scottish perspective as well as across the UK that local authorities are given the resources that they require to do that, and that will be very much for the decision of the UK Government. I have to say that, in credit to the UK Government having approached this issue of the refugees, they did that previously in a very open manner. I hope that they will approach it in a very open manner, in a very open-minded manner with local authorities, should they make a decision to take unaccompanied children. Just to answer his direct point from a previous question that I did not, yes, that should be above and beyond the 20,000 that they agreed to take. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Can the minister provide any further information as to how the Government assists unaccompanied refugee children in interacting with the care system? Through our work with the refugee task force, we have worked extensively with local authorities to ensure that local children, Syrian refugee children that have come in through the VPR scheme have been made to feel settled. Different local authorities have approached it, of course, in different ways. Some children were put straight into the school system, other children were assessed to not be quite ready, and that entry into the school system was staggered. Throughout the Christmas period, children were given gifts, toys, were made to feel welcome during the Christmas period. In terms of their specific needs and care needs, refugee children will work through the care system at local authority level, much like Scottish children would, but with the additional understanding that there may be complex needs beforehand. It should say that those complex needs that any children have will be assessed pre-arrival into Scotland by the UNHCR and by the UK Government. As the minister has acknowledged, there are already unaccompanied children coming to Scotland. Obviously, many of us in the chamber would like to see that number increase, as has been discussed. I wonder whether recognising the burden that that would place on services in local areas and in Scotland as a whole, whether, in spite of that, we should demonstrate our willingness by putting in place the mechanisms that would allow us to have the foster carers that will be needed to look after those young people and those children and the other mechanisms that will be needed to support them, too. By the time they come here, we need to have those mechanisms in place so that they can be supported not just adequately but appropriately to their, as the minister said, very complex needs, because they are often the most vulnerable children in the particular camps that they are located in at the moment. The member makes a very valid point. The Scottish Government works closely with local authorities to ensure that we have in place as many foster carers as possible. However, she is right that there is a need, particularly in the big cities, particularly in the cities that Patricia Ferguson and I represent in Glasgow. I am also my extended family and also foster carers, and I know that foster carers from BME and ethnic minority communities will be particularly important because of the profile of the refugees that will be coming here. That is another issue that we have to look at. In terms of demonstrating what I would say is that, although provision exists for, although we already have unaccompanied asylum seekers, that is obviously very different to unaccompanied refugees that will be arriving. If refugees are taken, the profile, the complex health needs of those children should be known, so it should be slightly more controlled and be able to be managed. Of course, we have to work with local authorities, and that is why it is important that the UK Government makes a decision on that, and that it immediately enters into discussions, as it has done in the past, with local authorities through COSLA or, indeed, by lateral, whatever suits them best. It comes to an agreement on a package that is suitable, because local authorities will have to deal with the burden, if that would be the right word, of the financial cost and the implication of taking unaccompanied refugee children. It is helpful that the minister sounds positive about discussions with the UK Government, but if the UK Government decides not to go ahead with accepting unaccompanied children, has the Scottish Government given any thought to what support they can offer UK charities and European charities who are supporting unaccompanied children within Europe? It will be part of the discussions that I have with the children later on today. You will know that the Scottish Government cannot unilaterally accept refugees. That was ultimately a decision for the UK Government. What we have done already has given a fair amount of funding to NGOs that are working in, for example, Lesbos, where a number of unaccompanied children have been coming. In fact, when I was on the island of Lesbos, I saw as a dingy came into the shore a number of young children who were there with not their parents, not even with their blood, aunty and uncles, but with maybe neighbours and so on and so forth, and they were in a very vulnerable position indeed. If there is more that the Scottish Government can do in that, then, of course, we will always look to do that, and that will be part of my discussions with the save the children. Ultimately, the decision is one for the UK Government. I am positive about it because the noises have been very positive in the last few days. Let's hope that a decision is made soon, because this is a crisis that is going on right here, right now. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent research by Vincent Mason regarding the North Sea oil and gas industry. I welcome the fact that this report indicates optimism in the medium and long-term future of the oil field services sector, despite the challenge of the low price. With 22 billion barrels of oil and gas remaining, there are still many opportunities in the North Sea, but maximising them will require a concerted effort from everyone, from industry, Governments and the new regulator. We continue to stand alongside the oil and gas industry in Scotland doing all that we can to improve collaboration, co-operation and innovation, creating a more competitive sector, as well as further developing its status as a global centre of oil and gas expertise. In order to encourage investment and further merger and acquisition activity in North Sea operations, we urge the UK Government in their spring budget to bring in a series of tax measures, including clarifying decommissioning liabilities, a refinement of the investment allowance to include OPEX and further fiscal measures to incentivise exploration in order to increase the international competitiveness of the UK CS. I welcome the response from the minister and the action that the Scottish Government is taking by energy jobs task force to minimise redundancies where possible and to assist those facing redundancy where that arises. The minister has outlined a number of very sensible measures that have been put to the UK Government. Has he received any indication in his discussions with UK ministers as to their openness to those approaches, given the support that is required for the industry and its wider supply chain? Well, we have not, as yet so far as I am aware, received any indication as to what the UK Government planned to do in their spring budget. However, I did take the opportunity when attending the All in Gas Day on 17 December to urge upon the UK Government the need for action in this spring budget. I am able further to confirm that the Scottish Government cabinet at a meeting this morning discussed the matters and confirmed that we shall be seeking the UK Government to step in and take a series of necessary fiscal steps in order to assist the oil and gas industry at its time of greatest need. Mark McDonald. I thank the minister for his response and I hope that the UK Government will approach this in an open manner and listen to these constructive suggestions. Concerns have been expressed to me by offshore workers regarding the impact of the current belt tightening within the industry on the offshore safety culture. Does he agree with me that, although the industry is engaging in a drive to cut costs, that must not lead to it cutting corners? Yes, I absolutely agree with Mark McDonald. He is absolutely right. I am pleased to say that, in meetings with operators and service companies, it is always stated by them that safety is and must remain paramount. Indeed, that was the case when yesterday I met two major operators in Aberdeen, major operators in the North Sea. I also think that it is encouraging that many of the operators who are facing the toughest challenges ever—I think that it is fair to say in the All in Gas industry—are seeking to meet the challenge to have greater efficiency by specifically consulting the workforce, by asking proactively and engaging with the workforce in order to ascertain how things may be done more efficiently without jeopardising safety. I think that that willingness to reach out and involve the workforce as full partners in meeting the challenge that the industry faces is very welcome and absolutely the correct approach. Lewis MacDonald, followed by Dennis Robertson. Thank you very much. Pinsad Mason has correctly highlighted the important role of the Oil and Gas Authority if our recovery is to be achieved. Does the minister not accept the urgent need to go beyond tax reliefs at a time when the tax companies are paying is not even 1 per cent of what they were paying five years ago, to go beyond tax reliefs and to support further direct investment by the OGA in exploration in order to ensure that recovery is going forward? I have. I urged the OGA, Andy Samuol, with whom we have very good relations and work closely, and the UK Government that measures need to be taken to encourage more exploration. I have to say that I am not yet convinced that the UK Government has taken that on board. I hope that it will now. However, I agree and I think that it is fair to say that we have repeatedly called for more exploration. The level of exploration has dropped to powerlessly low levels. In order to maintain the teams of expertise of people specifically in exploration, there needs to be more work for them to do. I entirely agree that that is necessary, but it is not simply a matter of dismissing tax relief, although perhaps Mr MacDonald was not seeking to do so. It is also recognising that, while tax is not the main focus of industry at the moment, it, frankly, is survival. Tax is a necessary tool in the box that can contribute towards the objective of surviving to thrive thereafter. In particular, there are very many operators that I have met in the past few weeks who have fairly intensive engagement with the industry. I will not name them, but many operators have said the same thing. There must be clarity of decommissioning liabilities. The lack of clarity is an impeding investment. It is blocking deals. Those deals could secure the future of the constituents of Mr MacDonald. Therefore, I urge the UK Government to include in its spring budget the necessary steps, upon which I know that they are obtaining advice in order to allow those deals to allow that investment, which will considerably assist the industry in its toughest challenge. The minister welcomed the EET Committee report last week. One of the minister is able to indicate whether he is able to help with the co-operation and collaboration with the trade union movement and the oil and gas companies and, indeed, look carefully at the supply chain within the industry, because there are many people with many skills in the supply chain that feel that they are being forgotten. Yes, Mr Robertson is absolutely right. It is recognised within the industry that perhaps in the past they have not used the supply chain to best effect. They have not adopted the available technology. There is a fear of being first in adopting new technology, nor has there been a willingness to listen to the supply chain in some cases in how to meet the needs of operators in the most cost-efficient fashion. However, there are signs that it drives towards standardisation that that is now happening. In relation to the other matter that Mr Robertson raises, of course we meet regularly with representatives of the trade unions in all sectors, and that includes the oil and gas sector. I have made it my business to ensure that we are in touch with what they say and that we value their advice, particularly since many of them have been in the industry for several decades. We work very closely in partnership with industry but also with the trade unions, and especially to take account of the very real issue of safety working in offshore conditions. We will continue to work with our trade union colleagues very closely in future. Thank you. That ends the topical questions. The next item of business is a