 That concludes general questions, the next item of business is First Minister's questions, and at question number one, I call Douglas Ross. Thank you, Presiding Officer. First Minister, should he convicted rapist ever serve time in a woman's prison? First Minister. Presiding Officer, can I, of course, point to the fact that some matters that we will discuss in this session of First Minister's questions are subjudice? However, issues raised are operational matters for the Scottish Prison Service, and given understandable concerns that have been raised, it's important that I do address them. So I want to take some time, Presiding Officer, to set out the situation and answer Douglas Ross's question directly very clearly. Firstly, in general, any prisoner who poses a risk of sexual offending is segregated from other prisoners, including during any period of risk assessment. Secondly, there is no automatic right for a trans woman convicted of a crime to serve their sentence in a female prison, even if they have a gender recognition certificate. Every case is subject to rigorous individual risk assessment, and as part of that, the safety of other prisoners is paramount. Finally, in general terms, and perhaps most importantly, I heard the chief executive of rape crisis Scotland say this yesterday. I don't see how it's possible to have a rapist within a female prison. So let me be very clear. I agree with that statement. Bearing in mind what I've just said about the importance of individualised risk assessment as a general principle and presumption, I think that statement is correct. Termining now to specifics in the case that has been in the media in recent days, that risk assessment is under way. As in all cases, the Scottish Prison Service won't wait until an assessment is completed if they think action is required more quickly. Now it would not be appropriate for me, in respect of any prisoner, to give details of where they are being incarcerated. Given the understandable public and parliamentary concern in this case, I can confirm to Parliament that this prisoner will not be incarcerated at Caughton Vale Women's Prison. I hope that that provides assurance to the public, Presiding Officer, not least to the victims in this particular case. I appreciate that response from the First Minister, but this rapist is in there now. He's in segregation in a woman's prison at the moment, so I'm unsure what the First Minister is trying to say when the reality is that this double rapist, this beast is in a woman's prison right now. We think that it's wrong that a rapist is sent to a woman's prison. We believe that a rapist having access to a woman's single sex space is a threat. Given what the First Minister has just said and given he is currently in Caughton Vale, does the First Minister believe that it's possible for a rapist to be held in a woman's prison as he is just now and not be a threat to women? I think that Douglas Ross should have listened more carefully to what I said. I have a responsibility, Presiding Officer, even standing in this Parliament, to be mindful of issues around safety and security of everyone. What I said in relation to this specific case, I made some comments in general that I think should give reassurance to the public, but in relation to this case what I said, and I'm going to repeat it, the risk assessment is under way. However, as in all cases, the Scottish prison service will not wait until an assessment is completed if they think action is required more quickly. This prisoner is not going to be incarcerated in Caughton Vale women's prison. In terms of the interim situation and how the situation that you have said there is going to be achieved, I have to be mindful of allowing the Scottish prison service to do their operational job and to do that properly. I will go back to one of the things that I said in general. This applies to any prisoner, regardless of whether they are trans or not, regardless of whether they are in a male or a female prison. If any prisoner poses and is considered to pose a risk or gives rise to any concern about sexual offending, that prisoner is segregated from other prisoners and that applies during any period of risk assessment. I think that I am being very clear to Parliament in light of public concerns, but I am also allowing having regards to important issues of security and safety to allow the Scottish prison service to undertake their operational responsibilities in relation to an individual case. First Minister, you just have to be clear with people. Can you confirm that a double rapist is currently being held in a woman's prison? That is the situation. Let us hear what the former governor of Caughton Vale prison, Rona Hodgkis, has said about this. I am absolutely clear about the fact that they should be in a male prison. You simply cannot have someone like this terrorising women. She continued, it is a red line, I would not have crossed. The double rapist only decided to change gender after he was charged by the police. It took the threat of jail for this criminal to decide to change his gender. That is not a coincidence, that is a conscious decision. The First Minister is hiding behind the Scottish prison service, but they are a Government agency that is accountable to SNP ministers. All that really comes down to is what ministers decide. They had the power to prevent this happening and they still have the power to change this in the first 72 hours under rule 191A of the Scottish prison service rules. Above asking where he currently is, was there any ministerial involvement in the decision to send this rapist to a woman's prison? Before that 72 hours expire tomorrow, will the First Minister personally intervene and remove this double rapist from Caughton Vale? The matter is not going to be incarcerated in Caughton Vale. Either short term or long term. There is an importance of allowing the Scottish prison service operationally to give effect to what I have just said, and that is important to stress. Those are operational matters for the Scottish prison service. The very fact that I am standing here and addressing them, and I think that most people listening to what I am saying right now will understand fully what I am saying. I am not to use Douglas Ross's phrase, hiding behind anyone. I am setting out very clearly that I agree with the comments of the chief executive of rape crisis Scotland yesterday when she said, and I repeat, I do not see how it is possible to have a rapist within a female prison. It is of course right and proper that there are individualised risk assessments done on every prisoner, and that is important, but I agree with that statement. What I have said is that short term or long term, this prisoner is not going to be in Caughton Vale, but it is important to allow the Scottish prison service operationally to give effect to the decisions that they have taken. I am sorry. I have asked this three times now, so I am going to ask for a fourth and final opportunity that I have. Where is this double rapist at the moment? Is he currently in a woman's prison here in Scotland, First Minister? Yes or no? I am sorry, all of this stuff about the Scottish prison service. This is the rules that the Scottish prison service has to work to. Rule 15.1 about the allocation of prisoners does allow ministers to intervene. Ministers could have intervened before now, and rule 19.1A gives 72 hours for this to be challenged. That expires tomorrow, and we heard nothing from the First Minister about what she is going to do about that. We have warned for months that violent criminals, just like the sex offender, the absolute beast that we are discussing today, would try to exploit loopholes in the law and attack and traumatise women. The problem, as we have said all along, is not trans people, the problem is violent offenders. Before the SNP's GRR bill has even come into force, rapists are currently exploiting the current laws. We shouldn't make it any easier for them to attack women. Nicola Sturgeon has seemed to reject that the fact that he is currently there isn't a risk to women. I can't agree with that. Will the First Minister go to Cortamvale? Will she personally explain to the women there who are sharing their prison with a double rapist why, on earth, her Government is allowing them to be in a cell next door? I think that if Douglas Ross was actually listening and was paying attention to the facts of what I'm saying out, he would know what I'm saying. What I'm saying is firstly, the Scottish prison service is in the process of giving effect to the decision it has taken not to incarcerate this prisoner in Cortamvale. Before the 72-hour period expires that Douglas Ross has referred to, my expectation is that this prisoner will not be in Cortamvale prison. That, to most people and to people who are reasonable, would be a very clear explanation of the situation. There are, of course, very, very small number of trans women who are currently in prison custody. In fact, many of them are in male prisons. There is no automatic right for any trans woman to serve their sentence in a female prison. That is subject to robust risk assessment. That is right and proper. To be fair to Douglas Ross, he made this point, and it is an important point. We must always be careful when we are having these exchanges that we do not even inadvertently suggest that somehow trans women pose an inherent threat to women. Predatory men, as has always been the case, are the risk to women. However, as with any group in society, a small number of trans people will offend. Where that relates to sexual offending, public concern is understandable. That is why the systems that the prison service has in place already are robust. As I think I am setting out here in this individual case, those systems lead to the right outcomes. 2. Anna Sarwar 3. Tomoromarks Holocaust Memorial Day, where we remember the 6 million Jews who lost their lives and other victims of Nazi persecution, and the victims of genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. Every day in politics we see division, but today we stand shoulder to shoulder in the face of anti-Semitism and all other forms of prejudice and hate. We unite to say never again, but we can't be complacent. We still have a long way to go to create a more equal and more peaceful world. Last week, one in three people waited more than the four-hour standard in A&E. There is a continuing crisis in Scotland's accident and emergency departments, a crisis caused by decisions made by this Government over the past 15 years. Patients are waiting longer for care than ever before, and we know long waits cost lives. Can the First Minister tell the chamber how many people waited over 24 hours in A&E in the last year? I associate myself with Anna Sarwar's comments about Holocaust Memorial Day. This week, of course, we do remember all the victims of genocide. That is important, but it is also important on this occasion to rededicate ourselves to the fight against prejudice, hatred and intolerance, and I know that we are all united in that endeavour. On the specific figure that Anna Sarwar has asked for, I suspect that he is about to give it to me, but if he doesn't, I will provide it to him later. The situation in our accident and emergency departments remains very acute. There is significant pressure on the NHS generally and on emergency care in particular. However, we are at this stage seeing an improving situation. Since the start of January, for example, waits over both 8 and 12 hours have fallen by around 40 per cent in each. There is work still to do. We are supporting the NHS in that work, but we are hopeful that we are seeing the severity of the winter crisis start to abate and that we will see further improvements over the week to come. Anna Sarwar, I know the number and she should know the number too, because it impacts on people across this country every single day. The answer that the First Minister was looking for is 6,362 people waited more than 24 hours in A&E last year. In 2019, that number was 48. Let me repeat that. 48 people waited more than 24 hours in 2019. In 2022, that number increased to 6,362. Some waited even longer. 1,356 people waited more than 36 hours in A&E and 390 people waited more than 48 hours. That is two whole days waiting in A&E. That is the worst it has ever been. Staff are burnt out, patients' lives are at risk and A&E doctors are telling us that 36 people could die due to long wait this week alone. So what is the First Minister doing right now to prevent these unnecessary deaths this week, next week and in future weeks too? I've set out in recent weeks the actions we are taking, the investment in the winter plan, investment in additional interim care beds, for example, and other support for the national health service. Long waits, whether in accident emergency units or in any other part of the NHS are unacceptable. They do have consequences, which is why we work so hard to reduce and eliminate long waits in the NHS. Of course there is always something missing from Anna Sarwar's questions, important though these questions are, when he compares figures from 2018 to now, and that of course is a global pandemic that we have been dealing with in the intervening period. That said, it remains the priority to tackle waits in our national health service, which is why we are cautiously optimistic, although not complacent, about the improvements that we are seeing in accident and emergency units. The latest weekly figures, for example, show four-hour performance up to 6.7 points on the previous week. As I've said, we are starting now to see significant declines in the percentages of people and indeed in the numbers of people waiting over both eight hours and 12 hours. However, there is still a lot of work to do to support staff. One of the things that we have done here in Scotland, which has not been replicated in England or Wales, where there is a Labour Government, is offer staff the best possible pay increase that we can on average 7.5 per cent here in Scotland, compared to 4.5 per cent where Labour is in Government in Wales. Listening to that response from the First Minister, I can understand the anger of staff and patients. This is what one nurse told the daily record this week. Patients are not angry at the NHS but with the Scottish Government. The First Minister and the Cabinet Secretary need to speak to these patients. The Scottish Government does not see these patients as human beings, as someone's mum or someone's dad. This is about human life, each and every single one of these SNP MSPs constituents whose lives are at risk every single day. It's not good enough for the First Minister to keep making excuses or to talk about Covid, because demand on A&E is actually down by nearly 120,000 people compared to 2019. Fewer people are using A&E, but waiting times are still longer than they've ever been. Scotland's NHS is at breaking point and things are only getting worse on Nicola Sturgeon's watch. The longest ever waits at A&E. Patients waiting hours in ambulances to even get into A&E. 7776,000 people, one in seven Scots on an NHS waiting list and record-breaking delayed discharge. Our NHS, our patients and our staff deserve so much better than this. So why should people across Scotland continue to accept the unacceptable from this SNP Government? Every single patient seen on a national health service is a human being and, frankly, it demeans Anna Sarwar's argument to suggest that any of us don't think that that is the case. Anna Sarwar is responsible for what he says in this chamber. Nobody else is responsible for what Anna Sarwar says in this chamber. Second point that I would make, Anna Sarwar asked me in his previous question what action the Government was taking. He then pointed to reduced demand for accident emergency services. That is actually because of the action that is being taken. The ambulance service see and treat, so that so many more patients now get seen and treated without ever having to go to a hospital. NHS 24, the work that it is doing to reduce the tendencies at hospital or admissions to hospital. That is an example of the actions that we are taking having an impact. Lastly, I take responsibility as the health secretary for NHS Scotland every single day of the week. Anna Sarwar's argument seems to be that this is all uniquely down to the SNP. I know that he doesn't like comparisons, but if he is going to make that argument, then I am afraid that they are inevitable. If it is all down to the SNP, then why is it that in the latest film months that we have statistics for, A and E performance in Scotland is 6.2 percentage points better than it is in Wales where Labour is in government? The fact of the matter is that pressure on the health service is intense. In Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland, we are dealing with that pressure. In many respects, those who work so hard across a very fresh in Scotland are doing a better job than we find in many other parts of the UK. To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports that dozens of people living in Scotland with no recourse to public funds are being made homeless and forced to sleep rough on the streets or in cars. Stopping people who are facing destitution from accessing support when they need it most is unacceptable and, I think, shocking. It is disturbing in the extreme that the UK Government's no recourse to public funds policy prevents local and national government from providing support to people and it remains the biggest barrier to eradicating rough sleeping in Scotland. Immigration and the no recourse to public funds policy are entirely reserved matters. We have repeatedly raised the devastating impact of those policies. We will, however, continue to work with COSLA to improve access to support and services for people who are subject to those policies as far as we possibly can within devolved powers. No one should be made homeless, forced into destitution or have their human rights infringed regardless of their immigration status. The UK's immigration system and NRPF policy in particular prevents people accessing essential safety and lifeline services in times of need. Lack of provision and support risks leaving some people open to modern slavery and exploitation. In Scotland, the Ending Destitution Together strategy seeks to ensure that those with no recourse are protected as far as possible within devolved powers. Can the First Minister say what has been done to ensure that as much support as possible is available and that people make use of that support? Can she tell us how information, including about nationalities, is being collected on how many people with no recourse are homeless or at risk of being homeless? I thank Maggie Chapman for raising the issues. Information on the number of people at risk of homelessness will be collated via on-going engagement with the third sector and local authorities. As I said in my previous answer, we will continue to do all we can within devolved powers, including funding, support and advice services. For example, we have provided over £900,000 since 2020 to ensure the operation of winter support in Edinburgh and Glasgow, which is open to everyone. COSLA has also produced guidance to ensure people subject to the no recourse to public funds policy, supported to access services available to them and updated guidance will be published later this year. It is, however, critical that the UK Government changes this no recourse to public funds policy so that we can act to support everyone in Scotland at times of crisis regardless of their immigration status. John Mason To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the second round of the UK Government's levelling up fund allocations in Scotland. First Minister We fundamentally disagree with Westminster Government making decisions in devolved areas. Of course any additional funding is welcome, but this should be devolved through the Barnett formula, just as we were promised that EU funding would be devolved after Brexit to allow Scottish ministers and councils to make decisions about its use. The fund overlooks Scotland's distinct economic needs, and the latest awards show that many remote, rural and sparsely populated regions are being ignored. I am further disappointed that UK ministers decided, after bids had been submitted, to consider which local authorities had received funding in the first round, meaning councils in Scotland wasted money, time and effort bidding for funds that they were no longer eligible for. The evidence is clear that the so-called levelling up approach means that Scotland is losing out. John Mason I thank the First Minister for that answer, and it seems that less well-off areas like Glasgow have lost out in round 2 and were possibly misled as to the bidding process by the UK Government. Does she share my opinion that a levelling up fund should be targeting the poorer areas? Surely it has to be either levelling up or geographical spread, it cannot be both. First Minister Yes, John Mason is absolutely right, and I share his concern that Glasgow and other council areas in Scotland with high levels of deprivation have lost out. Of course, if the Scottish Government had been given control of the funding, which would have been the correct and sensible course of action, we would not have taken the competitive dash for cash approach favoured by the UK Government. The UK can, of course, still choose to devolve funding to Scotland for our share of the remaining levelling up funding, and we would be happy to discuss that with them. If this is not just our view, the Tory mayor of the West Midlands described this as another example of Whitehall's bidding and begging bowl culture, and he said that he cannot understand why the levelling up funding money was not devolved for local decision makers to decide on what's best for their areas. I completely agree with that. Question 5 Jamie Greene To ask the First Minister what steps are being taken to tackle unethical and illegal dog breeding in light of recent reports of high-value extreme breeding programmes operating in Scotland. First Minister The recent BBC programmes on illegal and unethical dog breeding paint an alarming picture. The Scottish Government is actively working with a number of government and key stakeholder organisations, including the SPCA and Police Scotland, to disrupt the activities of those involved in the unlicensed puppy trade. New animal licensing regulations were introduced in 2021 covering the breeding and selling of dogs to tackle the growing issues linked to puppy farming. We intend to consult on the potential licensing of other activities, including canine fertility clinics later this year. Furthermore, several puppy campaigns have been run over the past few years to highlight the cruelty of the trade, to raise public awareness and provide advice on how to buy a puppy safely. Jamie Greene I thank the First Minister for that. Anyone who saw the BBC disclosure programme, which I commend to the chamber, will be anything but horrified, disgusted and as angry about this as I am. This is a multi-million-pound pet industry which has been fuelled by consumer demand for designer dogs. It's been run by organised crime and it's a pet industry based on nothing but greed. Those dogs are now more valuable to criminals than drugs, I'm afraid to say, and those are dogs that often result in tragic consequences and the loss of life. It's happening right here, right now, in Scotland. Can I, first of all, ask why there are so few prosecutions for illegal dog breeding here in Scotland relevant to the number of incidents reported? Secondly, what specific legislation is the Scottish Government willing to bring forward to crack down on illegal and unethical breeding and selling? That includes closing any loopholes on co-ownership of dogs. Will this whole Parliament now send the strongest possible message to those involved in this disgusting trade that we will not put up with your cruelty anymore and if you break the law you will pay a heavy price for it? I absolutely agree with Jamie Greene's right to bring these issues to the chamber. This behaviour is despicable, is illegal and unethical and people who engage in it should expect to face the full force of the law. Jamie Greene asked me about numbers of prosecutions. As he understands, prosecution is not a matter for ministers' decisions about prosecution. They are matters for the police and the prosecution authorities. I will ask law officers to write to him if there is further information that they can helpfully provide. I indicated in my previous answer that having introduced regulations in 2021 we do intend to consult on the potential licensing of other activities later this year and that will give everyone across Parliament the opportunity to contribute to that consultation. I welcome that exchange and, further to that, I welcome the Government's support for my welfare of dogs bill shortly to be introduced, which will require, if passed, prospective dog owners to rigorously consider fully the welfare of puppy in all aspects, including the breeding before buying. Does the First Minister agree with me that, if that leads to educated demand, the supply of puppies, crudely bred, will reduce and cut off the vast profits that are already referred to, which go to criminals who care nothing for the welfare of the puppies, seeing them only as fashionable marketable commodities? Yes, I very much agree with that. That is a point that is very well made. We have to consider the issues of supply and demand and, of course, the interrelationship between them. I very much welcome any and all proposals that support animal welfare and I take the opportunity to applaud Christine Grahame for all her hard work over a long period of time to bring forward the legislation that she refers to. I look forward to the bill's imminent introduction, which I understand will raise much-needed awareness on the responsibility of owning a dog and I am sure that the bill will have strong support from all parties right across the chamber. To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government is taking to increase uptake of the HPV vaccine in light of warnings from Joe's Trust that girls in the most deprived areas of Scotland are missing out. First Minister? Firstly, Scotland has the highest uptake rates of the HPV vaccine across the four nations, but we want to go further and increase uptake particularly in the most deprived areas. Therefore, from 1 January a simplified one-dose schedule was introduced for all those eligible up to their 25th birthday and we anticipate this will further increase uptake. One-dose HPV vaccine uptake is currently 91.5 per cent for girls in S4 and 88.4 per cent for girls in the most deprived areas. We have provided over £400,000 to Joe's Cervical Cancer Trust to support their campaign work on screening benefits and my officials will also be happy to work with them along with Public Health Scotland and health boards to understand how we can maximise uptake rates in areas of deprivation. The creation of a women's health campaign provides a further opportunity for issues of this kind to be promoted and addressed and indeed I am delighted to announce today the appointment of Professor Anna Glaesier as Scotland's first women's health champion. Professor Glaesier will be key to driving improvement in women's health and helping address the inequalities that have persisted in women's health for far too long. I welcome the announcement from the First Minister that it is, however, 18 months later than originally intended. The World Health Organization target for fully vaccinating girls against HPV is 90 per cent, but the latest figures for Scotland last year show that only 77 per cent of girls in the most deprived areas were fully vaccinated. The World Health Organization also recommends that 70 per cent of women are screened, but again women from the most deprived areas are less likely to take part in screening programmes with uptake only reaching 63 per cent. We have the tools in Scotland to end cervical cancer but the Scottish Government are not using them. Vaccination rates are too low, self-sampling too slow to roll out, colposcopy weights of a year for women with abnormal smear tests and continuing inequalities for women in the poorest communities. Will the First Minister commit to addressing this as a matter of urgency and set out a clear plan in the next month so that cervical cancer can be eliminated in Scotland? Of course we do have a women's health plan that addresses these and many other issues. I think that we were the first part of the UK to have a women's health plan and of course Professor Glazier will now have the key task of driving that forward. Those are really important issues but I do not think that it is the case that the Scottish Government is not using all leavers in relation to HPV vaccine uptake. As I said earlier, Scotland actually has the highest uptake rates across all of the four UK nations and we have recognised that we need to do more and are doing more through, for example, the simplified one-dose schedule. We are seeing the benefits of that. Since vaccination of girls started in 2008, the number of cases with pre-cancer cells identified in that population at cervical screening has reduced by almost 90 per cent in comparison with rates in women who were not vaccinated. We will continue to take these important steps to improve the health of girls and women in this respect and in all other respects as well. Can I draw the attention of the First Minister to the experience of a constituent of mine who informed me that they were told to make an in-store purchase ahead of using a pay-point facility to top up their energy meter? Paypoint have confirmed to me that this should never happen and paypoint have contacted the business in question. Does the First Minister agree with me that, while the vast majority of pay-point vendors are professional and provide an important service, that were unacceptable practices such as what I have highlighted moments ago, that this should be reported swiftly and acted upon and that this experience highlights the barriers and vulnerabilities faced by many on pre-payment meters? I do very much agree with that. I would echo Bob Doris' concerns and what he has said in response to those. I am obviously also aware of issues of this type and would urge people to raise their concerns with an advice agency and with their energy provider to get the necessary advice and support. I think that it is incumbent on the UK Government because this is a reserved matter to take more action on pre-payment meters. Forcing people onto them, particularly for very small amounts of debt during winter, makes matters worse for people, not better and is more likely to increase debt and leave people unable to heat their homes. I would urge the UK Government to respond to that and to listen to the calls from many and ban energy companies from being able to force people onto pre-payment meters. Falkirk Council is considering closing four school swimming pools and one public pool to make ends meet. I have had numerous emails about this and it boils down to council funding cuts from this Government. Does the First Minister agree with me that closing swimming pools is a retrograde step and what does she intend to do about it? Council budgets are not being cut. The draft budget for this year proposes a £570 million increase in the local government settlement. Of course, had the Tories had their way and we had seen tax cuts for the very richest in our society, council budgets would have had to be cut. Thankfully, we did not follow conservative advice in that regard. Finally, we are still in the budget process. Here is an offer to the member to all on the Tory benches. We work in an effectively fixed budget where we can increase revenue by asking those who earn the most to pay a little bit more to help public services. If the Tories contrary to their actions south of the border, but if the Tories want to see more money for councils or for anybody else, tell us where within the draft budget we should take that money and we are happy to have a conversation. I know that the First Minister will share my horror and the horror of this chamber at the safety of those children and unaccompanied children in Scotland making that assurance that that has been delivered here, regardless of which authority is providing the accommodation. Is she aware of any similar instances of those reported in England occurring in Scotland and what can she provide an update on what steps the Government is providing to ensure that unaccompanied children are being moved from hotels into secure accommodation? I do recall the question that was asked before Christmas. I will write to the member with any update I can give him in terms of actions being taken by local councils here in Scotland, supported where necessary and appropriate by the Scottish Government to address those very real concerns and include any information councils have about unaccompanied children here in Scotland. In relation to the general issue, I think that everybody must have been deeply shocked to hear this week the revelation that 200 children have gone missing when they should have been effectively in the care of the home office. What perhaps is even more shocking than that is how little attention there seems to be paid to this. If a child here in this country goes missing, there is rightly lots of attention. That should be no different in the case of those unaccompanied children here. Children, while they are here, are our responsibility and we should care for them, we should love them and we should make sure that they are looked after. I will respond to Paul Sweeney's question in relation to local authorities here, but I hope that all of us across the chamber can unite today to demand for everybody, but particularly for children, much more humanity in the UK Government approach to immigration and asylum. Liam McArthur Men's Sheds in communities across Scotland provide a place for men to meet, to socialise and to pursue hobbies, but increasingly it is recognised that they make a tangible difference in tackling isolation, loneliness and mental ill health. That is why Men's Sheds commands strong cross-party support right across the chamber and why more than 40 MSPs recently wrote to the Deputy First Minister expressing concerns about proposed funding cuts. Will the First Minister guarantee that our Government will protect the core and development funding for the Scottish Men's Sheds Association to allow this invaluable public health movement to be maintained and expanded? The Men's Sheds movement does fantastic work and I would associate myself with the comments that Liam McArthur has made about the work that it does and the impact that it has. My understanding is that there has been discussions with the Government and offer of financial support has been made for the next financial year and I will ask the Minister concerned to write to the member with more detail and indeed to make that known to Parliament generally. I am very concerned on the reports of potential reduction in teacher numbers, especially with regard to Glasgow. Can the First Minister reveal what action the Scottish Government can take to protect teacher numbers? The Government will act to protect teacher numbers. This Government has a commitment to increase teacher numbers and councils are being given additional funding specifically to deliver that. It would not be acceptable to me or to the Scottish Government to see teacher numbers fall. I can confirm therefore that the Government does intend to take steps to ensure that the funding that we are providing to councils to maintain increased numbers of teachers actually delivers that outcome and the Education Secretary will set out more details to Parliament in the coming days. In a spate of crashes on the A96, two weeks ago two people were seriously injured, last week three people were hospitalised and just yesterday two more were hospitalised. A P&J poll showed 93 per cent of respondents demanding that this road be dualled and Gillian Martin MSP wrote persuasively at the weekend, we must duall the A96 for safety, equity and environmental reasons. However, it is reported that no final result will be given to the Government. The final decision on dualling has been or will be made perhaps for years. So First Minister, how many more accidents and injuries will it take before her Government listens to the people of the north-east, stops the delaying tactics and delivers on its decade-old promise to duall this appalling road? First Minister, my thoughts go to everyone who sustains injuries on our roads and indeed to anyone who is bereaved through accidents on our roads. The Government's commitments in terms of dualling and upgrading the A96 stand, of course there are assessments and reviews, not least environmental assessments and reviews underway as is right and proper and the Transport Secretary will keep Parliament updated as appropriate. Pauline McNeill The West of Scotland is the industrial heartland of Scotland with a heavy concentration in Glasgow city region that has 57 per cent of the worst 15 per cent of areas of multiple deprivation. However, an excellent bid, the Clyde Green Freeport, was not supported by the Government even though the bid fully made the criteria in tackling deprivation and boosting manufacturing. It is important to note that eight local authorities supported the bid as a central requirement for submission, not an easy thing to pull together, but yet the successful bids were on the east and none on the west. If the First Minister is satisfied with how she would justify those decisions, would she outline what the plan is to compensate Glasgow and the wider city region? I Clyde community, so it should also be involved in the bid. It is also important, because I realise why the bid was rejected, but for a full transparency we need to see the reasons why the west of Scotland did not have any designation of a Freeport designation for whatever, I do not know the full implications of being a Freeport, but it did concern me as a member of the Glasgow city region that there is no report in the west of Scotland. A number of very high-quality bids were submitted, including the one that Pauline McNeill refers to. Those were assessed in line with the published criteria, and this was a joint decision-making process between the Scottish and the UK Governments, and the successful bidders were announced two weeks ago. I understand the disappointment on the part of the bids that were not successful. It does not mean that the bids were not high-quality, but successful bids had to be selected. The Scottish Government is committed to continued work with unsuccessful bidders and the regions that they were bidding for to look to see what we can do to support them, deliver on their ambitions and objectives for the future. The 27 January is Holocaust Memorial Day, which marks the anniversary of the liberation 78 years ago of Auschwitz-Drominka, the largest Nazi death camp. Does the First Minister support the great work that is done by the Holocaust Educational Trust and our schools and others in teaching successive generations of our children about the atrocities that saw over 6 million people murdered, slaughtered, including, of course, 6 million Jews and many other minorities? Does the First Minister agree that this educational work is essential so that we never, ever forget the lessons that atrocities and oppression must be fought wherever they occur? I associate myself wholeheartedly with Fergus Ewing's comments on Holocaust Memorial Day. Indeed throughout the year I am very proud that the Scottish Government strongly supports the excellent work of the Holocaust Educational Trust to enable young people across Scotland to continue to learn from the atrocities of the Holocaust as we challenge the oppressions of the present. I know that some members will have the privilege this week of hearing directly from the trust's young ambassadors about the impact of Holocaust education in their lives. That is a privilege that I have had in previous years. Indeed, I had the opportunity a few years ago with the trust to visit Auschwitz and that was one of the most profoundly moving experiences of my life. I think we all agree that education has a key role to play in building a society that actively challenges discrimination, hate, intolerance and prejudice in all of its forms and advances equality. We should do that all year round, but Holocaust Memorial Day every year gives us the opportunity to rededicate ourselves to that very important responsibility. That concludes First Minister's questions. The next item of business is a member's business debate in the name of Fergus Ewing. There will be a short suspension to allow those leaving the chamber and public gallery to do so before the debate begins. If I could ask those leaving the public gallery to do so as quickly and quietly as possible as we proceed to the next item of business, which is a member's business debate on motion 7477 in the name of Fergus Ewing on Holocaust Memorial Day 2023. The debate will be concluded without any questions being put. I invite members wishing to participate to press their request speak buttons now or as soon as possible. I invite Mr Ewing to open the debate for around 7 minutes.