 In the name of Joe Fitzpatrick, we agree to. Are we all agreed? The motion is therefore agreed to. We now move to topical questions. Question number one, Christina McKelvie. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer, to ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the announcement of a referendum on membership of the European Union on 23 June 2016. Cabinet Secretary Fiona Hyslop. The Scottish Government requested that the referendum should not be held on 23 June and are concerned that the referendum campaign will cut across election campaigns for the Scottish Parliament and other devolved Administrations. The decision on the date has now been made, however, and we have to move on. The conclusion of an agreement at the European Council last week means that the focus can now shift to the bigger and much more important matter of why our continued European Union membership is overwhelmingly in Scotland and the UK's best interests. The Scottish Government will continue to make the positive case for EU membership. In making our case, we will continue to emphasise that the EU is not just an economic union, important as that is, but a means of solidarity, social protection and mutual support between members. For more than 40 years, individuals, businesses and communities across Scotland have experienced the many social, economic and cultural benefits of EU membership. Those include jobs, significant investment, the opportunity of our businesses to trade across the world's largest single market, social protections such as employment rights and the opportunity to work in solidarity with others across the continent to tackle pressing global challenges such as the movement of refugees and migrants, energy security and climate change. Christina McKelvie. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer and in addition to all of those benefits that she mentions. Surely we should all agree that the European Union is not just about economic union, it's also about the social union that has delivered so many valuable social and employment protections for people across its entire territory. It is best placed to tackle those issues that don't respect national boundaries such as climate change and the recent refugee crisis. Cabinet secretary. Indeed, one of the strongest arguments for the European Union is the social Europe. Indeed, many of the aspects of the social Europe contract have been hard fought by those looking for protections for maternity rights, for equal pay issues and for wider agenda items in relation to the right to work and have paid holidays in terms of the working hour, week 40 hours, working hour a week. Those are all things that are very practical, very real and quite frankly leaving those issues in the hands of a Conservative Government outwith the protection of Europe and that wider social Europe protection is a risk indeed, but let's argue that positive case, one that takes us to develop the Europe that we want to seek and I think in seeking issues whether it's social Europe or whether it's an issue of energy security or as I mentioned climate change, a lot has been achieved but a lot more could be achieved and Europe remember was born out of a need for nations to co-operate rather than live in conflict and that is the Europe that we seek. Does the cabinet secretary agree with me that the campaign to remain in the European Union should learn lessons from Scotland's independence referendum and be a positive campaign and that's why it's better for Scotland and the rest of the UK to remain within the EU rather than lapse into scaremongering and fear and does she agree with me that everyone who has the right to vote in this nation should have the right to vote in that referendum? I agree and democracy is a very precious thing and there will be people that will be voting in our elections in May this year that will be denied votes in the European referendum and I don't think that that is acceptable. We also have a situation where in facing the European referendum people want to see a positive vision they want to hear the arguments we can make the arguments and indeed I think in Scotland we have a mature electorate that is very well politically informed and they will not accept scaremongering from either side of the referendum campaign and I think in Scotland we can actually conduct a positive argument that is detailed that does address the issues but also inspires people about the type of country we want to be but also the type of country that can contribute to a positive social Europe. Clare Baker Thank you Presiding Officer I do welcome the cabinet secretary's positive comments but it has been in contrast to the Government's initial reaction to the announcement of the date. Does the cabinet secretary agree with me that with such a short timeframe towards the referendum we must make the strong positive case instead of concentrating on personalities potential leadership bids and using one referendum to discuss another? It is now the time to get serious about the debate ahead. As was the leaders of Wales Northern Ireland our First Minister indicated the concern we had about that date but as I said in our answer the date is now set we can contribute to the debate in a wider canvas and people want to hear the views of Scotland I regularly meet Governments from across Europe interested in our arguments about where it can be and should be and when making our arguments for Europe we won't just be making them in Scotland or wider a field people will want to hear what we are saying in other countries across Europe I think that is the positive force of a democratic debate but it also takes our view as to what we can contribute not just what we can get and it should not be about personalities it should not be about other issues we should focus on the issues and by focusing on the issues and the big picture we respect not just the people of Scotland but the rest of the UK as well The cabinet secretary will be aware that the European and External Relations Committee is undertaking a far-reaching inquiry into implications of EU reform and evidence from many eminent witnesses would she agree with the sentiment of many of the witnesses that leaving the European Union will be bad for Scottish exports to the continent which are currently estimated at 11.6 billion and does she agree that also that one of the key components of the deal achieved by the Prime Minister is to increase competitiveness and reduce excessive EU regulations and red tape which will hopefully have a very real positive impact on SMEs in Scotland Cabinet secretary I would congratulate the committee on its very extensive inquiry I think it's provided a great platform to hear different arguments and indeed different perspectives Damian McGregor talks about one aspect which is to do with exports yes there are a large number of companies who want to invest in Scotland and indeed the rest of the UK because of access to the European market but it's not just about trade 300,000 jobs are directly or indirectly involved in the European exercise I think in terms of what he's saying in relation to SMEs I think that's very important indeed one of the ways to improve our economic achievements is to encourage more of our SMEs to export by exporting they become more innovative so I think that's another aspect in an argument but I do think I hope the Parliament will have the opportunity to perhaps debate or consider the outcome deliberations because the witnesses have been very eminent indeed they have been widespread I think that's another example of how this Parliament is conducting its inquiries into the European Union in a very positive and constructive way question number two Richard Simpson to ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reports that GP funding has been reduced by £1.6 billion over the last 10 years and the services has increased each year under this Government rising by almost £150 million from £704.6 million in 2007-08 to £852.6 million in 2014-15 this equates to a cumulative increase of £826 million since this Government came to power we're committed to supporting and developing primary care and the work of GPs it's an indispensable part of our community health service and the investment made to general practice is seen in a broader context we're investing in the whole of primary care and this includes increased investment being made in the ambulance service in 2016-17 and increasing the number of health visitors which will both have a beneficial impact on general practice as well as increasing our support for community based mental health services Scotland has the highest number of GPs per head of population of the four UK countries and under this Government has increased by 7 per cent we're transforming primary care including developing new ways of working with multidisciplinary teams that elevate the role of GPs as medical experts in the community and that's supported by extra investment of £85 million over three years through the primary care fund Richard Simpson Thank you cabinet secretary for that answer anyone listening to it will think we don't have a problem with general practice at all and there are colleges assertion that the rate of funding as opposed to the absolute funding has reduced by 1.6 billion is totally without any consequences can I just say to her that the constant reiteration of the increase in the numbers of GPs is actually distinctly unhelpful and unwelcome by the college of general practitioners and other GPs the number of full time equivalents which is what is critical to the workforce has only increased by 35 since 2009 when the population is increased by such that the requirement to even stand still with 2009 would have been 110 10 more I knew this to be a new contract but will she publish the principles that the Government will use to underpin that contract so we can have an open discussion about those principles cabinet secretary well first of all I would have thought more GPs is a good thing that would be welcomed by all parts of this chamber our calculations based on the published GPs spending outturn figures so this is the actual spend show GPs spend as a percentage of the total health budget has remained relatively stable in both cash and real terms over the last decade but Richard Simpson said I sounded like there were no challenges of course there are challenges which is why of course we are in the midst of negotiations with the BMA about a new contract a new contract that will deliver a new model of care for primary care in Scotland working along lines of a multidisciplinary team with the GPs being the clinical expert those discussions are going very well indeed very positive discussions and on the subject of positive discussions met with the RCGP on 9 February and again we had a positive meeting about that new model of care and how we work together involving the RCGP in taking that forward in terms of the principles of the new contract Richard Simpson will appreciate that we are in the midst of negotiations around that contract however I am happy to keep Parliament informed about progress of those negotiations but he'll appreciate that the negotiations are on-going and I think it would be premature at the moment to give any further information because there isn't enough to provide Parliament with an update but once there is I would be certainly happy to do that Richard Simpson I'm not actually asking for you to publish the details of the contract because I entirely understand that you can't do that but the principles of the contract what the general role of the general practitioners will be within the new model is critical to general practitioners understanding of where they go and critical to recruitment so can I just ask her then if I should be welcoming more GPs of course I am but the fact is that there are actually fewer GPs per head of population now than there was in 2009 time ever we have gone below the north-east of England which is the region with which we are normally compared by the Nuffield trust in terms of regional comparisons the number of GPs for head in Scotland is now lower than the north-east of England so would she agree with Professor Graham Wat who today has stated that 40% of practices representing 2 million patients are now in difficulty or is he also misleading or misspeaking and how does she reconcile the emphasis on primary care which is very welcome with the fact that the 2016-17 budget yet again cuts the share of funding going to primary care thank you Mr Simpson cabinet secretary I didn't accuse anybody of misleading anyone about anything what I said was first of all Scotland has the highest number of GPs per head of population of the four UK countries that is a fact but of course there is more to be done and as Richard Simpson quite rightly pointed out the national clinical strategy puts primary care at its heart in terms of the principle of the new contract the new model of care then there is no secret there it is very clear that it is based around a multidisciplinary team with a GP being the clinical expert we are doing a widespread testing of that through the whole of Inverclyde which will tell us the detail around how that will work in practice and will inform the contract negotiations but as I said earlier I am more than happy to keep Richard Simpson and the rest of Parliament updated on both the testing of the model in Inverclyde and the negotiations about the new contract as we take them forward thank you it seems that senior GPs are currently queuing up to express their concerns about the percentage fall in GP funding as a share of NHS resources and a lot in a senior partner at Aberdeen's Great Western Road medical practice who said that at the weekend the shortfall would mean there would be a deterioration of general practice and the service that we can offer to patients does the cabinet secretary agree with this comment and what if any contribution does she think that this funding issue is making to the difficulties in GP recruitment at the present time adding to what I have already said to Richard Simpson if you look at the draft budget for 2016-17 we are investing an additional £45 million through the primary care fund that means that the draft budget headline GP and primary care fund is increasing by 9.9 per cent over the year which is a higher percentage than overall health spending and a higher percentage on territorial boards are receiving so we are investing in primary care in terms of going forward tackling some of the issues of GP recruitment and retention that is exactly what the primary care fund is for is to help to overcome some of those issues it is very important we have a positive vision for primary care in Scotland which is why the new model is very important because we want Scotland to become an attractive place for GPs to come and locate and work here and we also want young medical students to choose general practice as their specialty that is why we are working very hard with both the RCGP and the BMA to develop this new model of care which I think will put Scotland at the forefront of leading the way with the vision for primary care I will call Jim Hume but it needs to be brief Mr Hume thank you very much the cabinet secretary said in her answer that GPs are indispensable but in January GPs to be dispensable their own words it is the RCGP that is stating that the budget has been reduced over the last 10 years by £1.6 billion therefore does the minister not believe that GPs need more than warm words if we are to avoid a 700 shortfall in GPs in four years time as forecast by the RCGPs cabinet secretary we will get on with the job of reforming primary care here in Scotland the RCGP with the BMA around the new contract to deliver that vision and far from eroding the role of GPs within that new model this new model will ensure that the role of the GP is the clinical expert allowing them more time to spend with their patients surely that is something all of us can agree on the next item of business is a statement by