 Thank you very much. That concludes general questions. We turn now to First Minister's Questions, question 1 from Jackson Carlaw. The power to assert our position as an independent coastal state with full unfettered access across our waters or plan to go back into the common fisheries policy with no controls atal? Wel, ythodd y First Minister yw'r best plan ar gyfer ffishermen? First Minister? What I think, Presiding Officer, is that the Tories raising fishing today is something of an early Christmas present in a political sense. Now, Jason Kahlaw's attack on me on fishing appears to be because I continue to support membership of the European Union. The strange thing about that attack is that, so does Jason Kahlaw, and so does Ruth Davidson. Here is Ruth Davidson on 1 October 2018, just a few short weeks ago. Well, like I say, I voted to remain. I fought for remain. If there was another vote tomorrow, I would still vote remain. So on that issue there is no difference it would appear between myself and the Scottish Conservatives. Where there is a difference is that SNP MPs, on 11 December, will vote against the Tory deal that sells out Scottish fishermen. We know that Tory pledges on fishing are not worth the paper that they are written on. Let's have a look at them. The Tories said that there would be annual negotiations rather than an overall agreement. The political declaration commits to an overall agreement. The Tories said that there is no link between access to waters and access to markets. The political declaration makes clear that there will be such a link. Far from leaving the common fisheries policy behind, the EU statement makes clear that the new agreement will build on the common fisheries policy. The Tories say that they will ignore all that. We will get what we want at the end of the day, but the Tories have handed all of the leverage to the European Union. Unless the UK agrees to their rules in fishing, they will block a trade deal and it takes just one country to do that. The truth of the matter is that I am delighted that Jackson Carlaw has given me the opportunity to highlight this. The Tories, just as they did on the UK's way into the European Union, are selling out Scottish fishermen on the way out. Jackson Carlaw. What I gave the First Minister the opportunity to do was answer a question, but, as has so often the case, it is clear that the First Minister reads out the answer to the question that she would prefer was asked rather than the question that is actually asked. The Scottish Fishermen's Federation has been absolutely clear. It says that, under the Prime Minister's Brexit deal, the UK will be out of the CFP and that the UK will become an independent coastal state. More than that, it confirmed just yesterday in an email to every member of this chamber that they are backing for the Prime Minister's withdrawal agreement and the political declaration. That is their position. Is the First Minister seriously trying to tell us that she knows more about fish than the Scottish Fishermen's Federation? The First Minister. Well, Jackson Carlaw wants to trade quotes. I am happy to indulge him. Here is the Scottish Creel Fishermen's Federation. I can only talk personally, having had these years behind me, and I really would not trust the Tories as far as I could throw them. Whenever it comes to fishing, it has always been a sacrificial lamb. Jackson Carlaw is saying that he knows more about fishing than the Scottish Creel Fishermen's Federation. The fact of the matter is that I know that the Tories are desperate to spare their own blushes on this, but they are rewriting history. See, the commitment was never just— they do not like this, but they are going to hear it—the commitment was never just about being an independent coastal state. That is the bare minimum. The Tories' promise was annual negotiations. Now we know that there will be an overall agreement. They promise no link between access to waters and access to markets. The political declaration makes clear that there will be that link. Of course, the statement issued by the European Union makes it clear that they are going to demand an arrangement that builds upon the common fisheries policy. I say to Jackson Carlaw again that no amount of bluff and bluster from him today will take away from this fact. The Scottish Tories yet again have sold out Scottish fishermen. Shame on them. Jackson Carlaw, shame on you, concludes the First Minister. If shame was a currency, the First Minister's pockets would be bursting. In fact, if shame was a currency, she might have been able to fill the black hole in her independence financial plans as well. What the First Minister is saying is that she does no better than the Scottish Fishermen's Federation. The reason the First Minister will not back the Scottish Fishermen's Federation positions is because she cannot. She is trapped by her own policy in Europe. The plain fact is that, for all their posturing and pompous outrage, the SNP's policy is to rejoin the EU. Therefore, because there is no way around this to rejoin the common fisheries policy, here is what it says. Article 38.1 of the treaty on the functioning of the European Union says that being a member of the European Union, as she wishes an independent Scotland to be, means that you have to sign up to the common fisheries policy. There are no reviews, there is no reform, that is not a question of liking it, it is a question of lumping it. Is it simply deceiving people, First Minister, to pretend that this is anything other than a fact? First Minister. I am sorry, Jackson Carlaw really has to explain this a bit more simply to people, because he says that all of that flows from the fact that I want Scotland and indeed the UK to remain in the European Union. Again, I would say to him, so does he, or so he says. When Ruth Davidson says that if there was another vote tomorrow, I would still vote remain, it seems to me that she wants Scotland still to be a member of the European Union. Therefore, if all of what Jackson Carlaw says flows from that, then it applies to Ruth Davidson as much as it applies to anybody else. Jackson Carlaw also talks about the Scottish Fishermen's Federation pledge and attacks me for somehow not signing it. The Prime Minister yesterday refused to sign the Scottish Fishermen's Federation pledge, but we do not need to sign a pledge, because we will do what matters. On 11 December, in that vote, on that deal that sells out Scottish Fishermen, SNP MPs will vote against it. The question for Jackson Carlaw and all those MPs who are going to sign that pledge, will they vote against that deal or not? Yes or no? Jackson Carlaw. The First Minister's advisers have given her a thick folder of answers to questions. I have not asked. I did not mention any pledge to her, but since she asked, the Prime Minister did the deal that is going to deliver the pledge. Let us just sum up the SNP's position. They accused Theresa May of selling out and fishing, but it is them who would drag us straight back into the CFP. They demand a renegotiation with whom? The Chancellor of Germany, the Chancellor of Austria, the Prime Minister of France, the President of the EU, the President of the European Council, the EU's lead negotiator, the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland, and even Gever Hofstadt, together with every other European leader, says that this is it, this is the only deal on the table. They say and I say, back a deal that delivers an orderly exit, protects jobs and delivers more control of our waters than we have had for half a century. She says, vote down the deal, meaning more chaos, more upheaval and all in the hope that it will deliver her obsession with a second independence referendum. That is not in Scotland's interests. That is not standing up for Scotland. The First Minister is starting to become very clear at First Minister's questions, that is, the redder Jackson Carlaw's face gets, the more he points wildly across the chamber at the more trouble he is in. He asked me to support a deal that is bad for Scotland and bad for the UK, but the Prime Minister right now can't even persuade her own party to back that deal. That is the reality. The SNP will continue to do what the SNP always does. We will stand up for Scotland. That deal will take Scotland out of the European Union against our will. It will take us out of the single market against our economic interests. It will put us at a potential competitive disadvantage with Northern Ireland and into the bargain. It will sell out Scottish fishermen. I have to say to Jackson Carlaw who talks about the SNP using Brexit to advance the case for independence. Let me say to him that Brexit does that all by itself. It doesn't need any help from the SNP. Of course, that threadbare line is just a device for the Tories, because the opposite is true. They are exploiting independence to avoid hard questions on Brexit. I will not wash. People see right through it. Increasingly, they are seeing right through Jackson Carlaw and all of his Tory cronies as well. This time last week, the First Minister stood up in this chamber and claimed that she had given a very fair settlement to local government. Today, the Accounts Commission reports that funding for councils was cut in real terms by £220 million in the last year. They also say that funding from the Scottish Government to local government decreased at a faster rate, 6.92 per cent, than the Scottish Government revenue budget at 1.65 per cent. That is taking Tory austerity and quadrupling it. What is fair about that? The Accounts Commission report that was published this morning, as I am sure Richard Leonard knows, is for financial year 2017-18. We are currently in financial year 2018-19. In this financial year, the finance minister in the budget earlier this year delivered a real-terms increase in local authority revenue budgets. That is ensuring that local government can protect front-line services. Of course, he managed that against a backdrop of massive cuts to the Scottish Government budget imposed by the Tories at Westminster. Richard Leonard would have more credibility on those issues if he did not continue to back a situation that allows Tory Governments at Westminster to cut the budget of this Parliament. Let me go back to last week. Last week, at the same time as the First Minister was telling the chamber that councils get a fair deal, letters were being dispatched to parents across Falkirk from head teachers, warning them of unprecedented cuts, including cuts to support staff. Catherine Sneddon of Bones received one such letter. Her son Lewis is 10 years old. He has a learning disability and epilepsy. Yesterday, Catherine told me that, year in, year out, we brace ourselves for cuts to his support network. Take that away from him and other children who need the ACN support packages and our children decline, decline in physical and mental health alongside their medical issues. First Minister, are you seriously saying to the Sneddon family that this is fair? Well, as Richard Leonard will be aware or should be aware, the leader of Falkirk Council has since issued a statement apologising for the misleading impression given by those letters and given assurances about education services in Falkirk. I would hope that Richard Leonard would accept that and also indeed welcome that. In terms of education funding overall, he wanted to quote the Accounts Commission report at me earlier on. What he will read in that report, page 17 of it, and again this is 2017-18, education expenditure increased by 3.2 per cent, 1.5 per cent in real terms. That was last year. In this year, local authorities have set education budgets that are 3.8 per cent higher than the budgets that they set in the previous year. That's a 2.3 per cent real terms increase. Since the SNP came to office, total revenue spending on schools has risen by almost £500 million, which is over 10 per cent. However, just to go back to Falkirk briefly, and Richard Leonard might want to reflect on this point, one of the issues that Falkirk Council faces is the cost of labour schools PFI schemes. Richard Leonard will not like to hear this, but I think that it is good that he does. In 1998, Labour signed a PFI deal for schools that had a capital value of £65 million, but the total cost to the taxpayer is going to be £314 million. That amounts to a cost to the taxpayer of £13.3 million a year. Labour should be apologising for that. The Audit and Commission report says that Scottish Government revenue funding to councils reduced by 2.3 per cent in real terms in 2017-18. The financial outlook is for reductions in Scottish Government revenue funding to councils. Let's be clear about this. Falkirk is an SNP-run council. Those council cuts are made by an SNP Government in Edinburgh. It has reached the point where head teachers in schools across Falkirk are writing to parents to tell them that the so-called fair settlement means swinging cuts. The result is that vulnerable children like Lewis and families like the Sneddens face the stress of cuts to the services and the support that they need. Where is the fairness in that? Isn't Lewis entitled to realise his potential? Don't children like him deserve to receive the education that they need? When will you stop imposing austerity on Scotland's children and start investing instead on Scotland's local services? Falkirk Council, in this financial year, set an education budget of £158 million. For Richard Leonard's information, that represented an increase of £8 million on the previous year. As I said earlier on, the Accounts Commission that he likes to quote at me when it suits him, on education expenditure said in 2017-18 that the expenditure had increased by 1.5 per cent in real terms. We know that in this year's spending on schools has increased, and we know that under the SNP overall, spending on schools in revenue terms has increased by 10.3 per cent. All of that, in spite of the swinging cuts being imposed on the Scottish Government's budget by Westminster. Again, I would say what I said earlier on that Richard Leonard would have more credibility on those issues if he did not continue to support a situation in which Tory Governments at Westminster were allowed to impose cuts on the budget of this Parliament. When he changes his tune on that, people might be more prepared to listen to him on other matters. The number of constituency supplementary is the first from Shona Robison. Can I ask the First Minister whether she can update Parliament on progress being made in securing a future for Michelin and Dundee in the light of the recent meeting between Derek Mackay and the Michelin executives? I thank Shona Robison for raising this important question. The Scottish Government remains focused on securing the best positive outcome for the Michelin Dundee site and its workers. The economy secretary had a very productive meeting with Michelin senior executives last Friday, where we presented propositions relating to the future of the site and its workforce in Dundee. The finance secretary will convene the third meeting of the Michelin Dundee action group tomorrow morning, in which he will update them on Michelin's response to the proposition and the next steps. Once the action group, including representatives of the workforce, has been informed of the outcome of those discussions, the cabinet secretary will, of course, update local members. We are working with trade unions, disease city council, the UK Government and right across political parties, including with local MSPs, to achieve the best possible outcome for the Michelin site and all of its workers. Annie Wells, to be followed by Anas Sarwar. Thank you. The closure of Kailiwyr's day contamination unit in Springburn has led to the cancellation of over 700 operations across hospitals in Glasgow, some of which have been major. In the papers this week, a whistleblower stated that had this closure occurred simultaneously with a large-scale incident, hospitals would not have been able to cope. The unit has reopened on a phase basis only, but can the First Minister assure me that patients will receive alternative arrangements as soon as possible and outline what action will be taken to prevent this situation from happening again? Yes, I can give that assurance. Glasgow and Clyde health board are already working hard to ensure that patients whose operations were cancelled as a result of this closure get alternative arrangements as quickly as possible. This was a very regrettable situation, but steps were taken as quickly as possible to rectify it. As the member said, Kailiwyr's day contamination unit is now open again on Tuesday, and all appropriate steps will be taken to ensure that a situation like this is never allowed to recur. A time when hate is on the rise, we got some hope. This week saw the Muslim and Jewish community come together to sign a landmark joint community to call out and challenge Islamophobia and anti-semitism in Scotland. Muslim and Jewish women born in Scotland together are telling how they have been called traitors, have been spat at, told to go home and how they are scared of travelling on Scotland's public transport system. In the same week that we saw the horrific video of the young Syrian boy being racially abused and assaulted at his school in Huddersfield, silence is no longer an option in the face of such hate. Does the First Minister agree that we cannot leave the fight against Islamophobia to the Muslim community, that we cannot leave the fight against anti-semitism to the Jewish community and that we cannot leave the fight against all forms of prejudice and hate to any individual community and that it must be a fight for all of us? Yes, I absolutely agree. I congratulate the Muslim and Jewish communities for the actions that they have taken this week. I would say that the actions of our Muslim and Jewish communities in doing what they have done this week are a better representation of Scotland than those who indulge in hate crime. I absolutely agree that there is no place for silence. None of us should be bystanders when it comes to tackling and calling out hate crime. There is an obligation on all of us. I say very clearly but very strongly that an attack on any Muslim, any Jew or any member of any minority community should be seen as an attack on all of us. We should have solidarity and stand shoulder to shoulder at all time. I say that as First Minister and I hope that I am joined in that sentiment by every single member of the chamber. Question 3, Willie Rennie. I am concerned by the First Minister's plan to compromise with Theresa May. Kathy Newman from channel 4 tweeted last night that the First Minister told her that she would back the Norway option if the Prime Minister put it on the table. However, the Norway option takes us out of Europe. It gives us no say in Europe and will damage our economy. Can I plead with the First Minister not to wobble, to stand strong and oppose all and every kind of Brexit? Sometimes Willie Rennie must have been asleep over the last two years when the rest of us have been battling on this issue. Let me set out for him again and I will try to do it in very simple terms what my position is and what the position of the SNP and the Scottish Government is. Our preference, our strong overriding preference, is to stay members of the European Union. That is why, as I have said in this chamber to Willie Rennie previously, we will back a second vote to allow people to choose to stay in the European Union. We very much hope that that proposition can command a majority in the House of Commons and SNP MPs will be part of putting that majority together. However, if it can command a majority—and I hope that it can—as we have said for the last two years, we would favour a compromise option of staying in the single market and customs union, because that is better than coming out of the single market and customs union and would be the least damaging option for our economy. It is not our first preference, but as a compromise it is better than the alternatives that are on the table. I hope that that is crystal clear for Willie Rennie. I would simply say to Willie Rennie that, instead of constantly trying to attack the SNP on this issue, he might one day just think about lifting a finger to try to persuade Labour to back a second vote, because if he can do that, then we will be able to put that majority together and we can give people across the UK the opportunity to stay in the EU and, of course, the people of Scotland the opportunity to express that preference for a second time. Willie Rennie. The First Minister's question is opposed to Brexit, but it is prepared to back it too. Just yesterday, the Treasury told us that every kind of Brexit would damage the economy, so when jobs and businesses are at stake, I do not understand why the First Minister is prepared to accept us. The UK Government is on the ropes. Previous loyalists are opposing the Prime Minister. We finally have a chance of stopping Brexit. This is not the time to accept any new kind of Brexit. I was pleased that she told 700,000 people on the streets of London that she was committed to stopping Brexit dead in its tracks. How could she look those people in the eye if she ends up backing any form of Brexit? The First Minister. I will be corrected if I am wrong here, but I do not think so. I am sure that I read in the newspapers the other day that there is a Liberal Democrat MP in the House of Commons who is going to vote for Theresa May's deal. There are not any SNP MPs who are going to do that. I fear that Willie Rennie is starting to make himself a look just a little bit silly on this question. The SNP opposes Brexit. We want Scotland and the UK to remain in the EU. We will back a second vote to give people across the UK the opportunity to choose to stay in the EU. However, if Willie Rennie cannot persuade Labour to come behind that and that simply cannot command a majority—I hope that it can—but if it cannot, not for the want of trying on the part of the SNP or even on the part of Willie Rennie, it would be irresponsible not to look at the next best compromise that protected jobs and the economy. That is the position of the Scottish Government and the position of the SNP. The other thing that Willie Rennie never manages to explain is how he can justify seeing Scotland taken out of the European Union against our will. If there is a second vote and we get the same result all over again—which, of course, we hope, would not happen—the fact of the matter is that Scotland would be no better off. The real question is, will Willie Rennie stand up in that second vote if Scotland votes again to remain? Will Willie Rennie back all options, including independence, to make sure that Scotland can remain in the EU? We have got some interest in asking some further supplementaries. I encourage members to be succinct and answers similarly. John Mason to be followed by Rachel Hamilton. The First Minister may be aware that yesterday was red Wednesday when many churches were thinking of Christians who are suffering for their faith around the world. Is the First Minister able to raise with the UK or Pakistani Governments the case of Asya Bibi and the Christian minority in Pakistan who are not afforded equal rights in that country? I am absolutely appalled by Asya Bibi's case and the continued reticence of the international community in offering her asylum now that she has been released from prison. The Scottish Government strongly condemns the persecution of minorities, including the targeting of innocent people based on their beliefs. I share John Mason's concerns about religious intolerance and misuse of the blasphemy laws and urge the Government of Pakistan to protect and guarantee the fundamental rights of all its citizens. The Scottish Government has repeatedly raised concerns over those issues directly with the UK Government and the Government of Pakistan, and we will continue to do so. We also strongly support international processes, such as the UN scrutiny of the record of individual member states. First Minister, on Saturday, many small independent shops up and down our high streets across Scotland will take part in small business Saturday, such as Swan's shoe shop and the Tony Huggins head gallery in Kelso. However, we hear today that the number of Scottish retailers going bust is on the rise, according to research by French Duncan. Among other cross-pressures, rise in business rates are being blamed. When will the First Minister realise that her Government's high tax agenda is punishing our high streets and taking urgent action to support Scotland's retailers? The First Minister Well, can I firstly say that I fully support small business Saturday to celebrate that? I'll be visiting a small business in my own constituency, a small business called Category is Books, an LGBTI, a bookshop that's recently opened in my constituency. I hope that members will take the opportunity to support small businesses across the country. I have to say, though, that it's a bit rich to have the member stand up here and talk about business rates. It's this Government that introduced the small business bonus, which benefits many small businesses across the country. It's this Government that continues to support the small business bonus. Of course, in Scotland, including the small business bonus but with many other releases, we have the best package of business rates relief of any country in the UK. I think that Rachel Hamilton actually should support and welcome that. Neil Findlay This week, Panorama exposed very serious failings in the regulation and testing of medical devices and implants. This is a global issue, but dozens and dozens of countries are affected. It's very clear that the system in the UK, the EU and across the world is not fit for purpose. As a positive step, will the Scottish Government now introduce a register of all implants? The First Minister We are happy to give consideration to anything that lies within our power. Of course, as the member is aware, the regulation of these devices is a reserved matter. Responsibility lies with the medical and healthcare registry authority. We have written to them on more than one occasion asking for them to take action, but, as we have done with mesh implants, we will continue to look at what we can do within our own powers. I will ask the health secretary to look into the specific suggestion and write to the member in due course. Sandra White Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. First Minister was reported this week that the Ministry of Defence is paying over £200 million staff in Scotland, less than the real living wage. Will the First Minister join me and many others in calling for a real living wage and for the powers to be implemented to be devolved to this Parliament? The First Minister Yes, I echo that call. I think that the MOD and all government agencies should pay the real living wage. The Scottish Government is a real living wage employer. Of course Scotland has a higher proportion of workers paid the real living wage than any other UK nation, but we recognise that there is still work to do. I look forward to the day and I hope that we can persuade others across the chamber to support that employment legislation is devolved to this Parliament so that we can take the action that we consider necessary to ensure that fair work is something that all workers get. Christine Grahame Thank you, Presiding Officer, to ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will ban the use of dog shop callers. First Minister As the Cabinet Secretary for the Environment announced in January of this year, we have introduced guidance that was widely accepted and reported at the time as being an effective ban on the use of electric dog callers as training aids. This is not a legislative ban on the use of such callers and was never intended to be, but it is intended to avoid the misuse of these callers and ultimately prevent unnecessary suffering by dogs. I appreciate that some members think that we should go further equally. I understand that some people think that we have already gone too far, but the cabinet secretary committed to issuing the guidance. That is what we have done. She also committed, however, to review the effectiveness of the guidance after 12 months and to consider whether any further action is required. That is exactly what we will do. Christine Grahame Thank you First Minister for her answer. Unfortunately, what the Cabinet Secretary said in January and I quote, I have decided to take steps to effectively and promptly ban their use in Scotland. Of course, that is not what happened as the First Minister said guidance was issued. However, many animal welfare organisations now such as the Dogs Trust, Kennel Club, SSPC and people like myself want a straightforward ban, as there is in Wales. With no ban, can the First Minister tell me how effective is that guidance and can the First Minister advise if there has been any reduction in usage? Christine Grahame For her question, during the Parliament's debate on this matter back in January and indeed during discussions with stakeholders on the wording, it was clearly recognised that the guidance would be advisory. The Kennel Club said at the time, and I am quoting, that it welcomes the Scottish Government's effective ban and shock training devices and that, quote, strict guidance has been published, which provides advice on training methods and training aids for dogs. The guidance was only recently published on 15 October, so it is too soon to comment meaningfully on the effect of it. As I said earlier, we have committed to reviewing its impact after 12 months. We will do that in light of the practical experience of Scottish enforcement bodies and any new legislation in other administrations, and we will then consider whether any improvements need to be made to the approach that we have taken. To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's position is on reforming the rules regarding the temporary release and parole of prisoners. As we committed to initiating this year's programme for government, we will consult in measures to improve the openness and transparency of the parole system and how we can strengthen the voice of victims and their families in this process. The consultation will be published before the end of this year and we will take action informed by the responses that we receive. We also committed to ensuring that victims and their families receive better information and greater support ahead of prison release arrangements, and those issues will be considered by the new victims task force, which will hold its first meeting on 12 December. I thank the First Minister for that answer. I welcome the First Minister's partial commitments on parole reform, though whether the consultation translates into real action for victims and families is another matter. Michelle's law is also about strengthening victim and family rights before temporary release from prisoners granted. It was the temporary release of Michelle Stewart's killer that kick-started the campaign. The SNP must deliver on Michelle's law, so will the First Minister commit today to expanding this consultation to cover temporary release? First Minister. Firstly, can I pay tribute again to the family of Michelle Stewart in their campaign, which I think has having a real impact on those issues? As the member I know understands, parole and temporary release are two entirely separate processes. We absolutely recognise the importance of strengthening the voice of victims and their families in both parole and temporary release. That is why we committed to action to improve both in the programme for government. That included a commitment to consult on measures to improve the openness of parole processes. That consultation will seek views on how we can strengthen the voice and role of victims and their families, and it will cover the issues raised in the Michelle's law proposal as they relate to parole. As I said, the consultation will be published before the end of this year. Temporary release from prison is not controlled by the parole board, so that will not be part of that consultation. However, we are committed to improving the support and information that is available in relation to temporary prison release arrangements, and that is why that issue will be considered by the new victims task force. As I said a moment ago, that will meet for the first time on 12 December and will be co-chaired by the Justice Secretary and the Lord Advocate. I hope that that assures the member that both of those issues and those very different processes will be properly and fully considered. Daniel Johnson Automatic release was introduced in 1993 by the Conservative Government. While early release is an important part of rehabilitation, it can lead to confusion about the time that will be spent by someone at the point of sentencing. Does the First Minister agree with me on the importance of transparency and sentencing in particular, but also with me that the scope and resource that is available to the sentencing council must be reviewed, given that it has taken three years to publish two pages of guidance? The First Minister I thank Daniel Johnson for raising that question. As I know, he also knows that early release is not the same as temporary release, but all of those issues will be looked at fully by the victims task force. It is because all of those issues will be included that the Lord Advocate is co-chairing that group. I know that there are a number of concerns around how those processes operate at the moment. They are all in place for good reasons, many of them to do with the rehabilitation of prisoners back into society, but it is also vital that there is appropriate and proper protection for the public and that the voice of victims and of victims families is heard. Both on the consultation on parole arrangements, but also on the wider consideration of those issues by the victims task force, the issue being raised by Daniel Johnson will receive proper consideration. Colin Smyth To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports that ScotRail has failed to fully deliver 29 franchise obligations. Colin Smyth refers to committed obligations. What he does not mention is that of the 272 obligations in total, ScotRail has already delivered 128 with a further 115 on track for delivery by their due date. Of the remaining obligations, 14 are overdue, and we expect most of those to be achieved in 2019. 15 are categorised as having a challenging delivery date. Transport Scotland is working closely with ScotRail to ensure delivery of all committed obligations that will deliver passenger benefits across the network. With a programme of this scale, it is normal for some delivery outcomes to change, but the focus when managing such changes is always the best interest of the passenger. Colin Smyth Let's disappoint when the First Minister seems so dismissive of the fact that ScotRail is not delivering important obligations. Clearly, it improved journey times, integrated ticket and station investment are clearly not important to the First Minister, but it's not just on those 29 franchise obligations that ScotRail are failing. Punctuality has plummeted to a new low with almost one in five trains running late. Passengers are sick and tired and deserve better. So far, the First Minister's response has been to give ScotRail a free pass to breach its PPM benchmarks and to team up with the Tories to block Labour's plan to end its failing franchise. Can the First Minister tell us how bad does it have to get before she takes meaningful action? If the First Minister will not end its failing franchise, can she answer this straightforward question? Does the First Minister honestly believe that ScotRail will hit its 92.5 per cent PPM target? Yes or no? And if it's yes, when? Can I say to the member—I wasn't dismissive—that I gave him the full facts on the question that he was asking. I think that probably some of those facts were inconvenient for the question that he wanted to follow up with, but that's not really my worry. On the 29 obligations, as I said, 14 listed is overdue—we expect most of those to be achieved in 2019—of the 15 obligations where the delivery date is considered challenging, most have the potential to be achieved in the first part of 2019. Wider issues with delays that he talks about, of course, we deeply regret any inconvenience to passengers. Around half, sometimes more than half, of all delays on the ScotRail network of course are the responsibility of Network Rail. As I've said many times in the past, Network Rail is not the responsibility of this Parliament. I look forward to getting the support of Labour members to make it the responsibility of this Parliament. On that issue, I'm sure that Colin Smyth is aware that just this morning, the Office of Road and Rail took formal action against Network Rail to deliver improved performance. It also confirmed that ScotRail's performance in 2018-19 has been impacted by severe weather. That lies behind many of the delays that we've seen. We are working with ScotRail to improve performance so that the PPM target is met. Lastly, on the issue of the franchise, of course, it is this Government that, for the first time, having won the powers, powers that, when Labour was in government at Westminster, they refused to give this Parliament. It was this Government that took action to ensure that there can be a public sector bid for the next franchise. However, if Colin Smyth wants us to go further, I invite Labour to join with us and to support a call for the full devolution of powers over rail, so that full nationalisation could actually be an option, because right now it's not, because Labour continues to block those powers coming to the Scottish Parliament. Jamie Greene The First Minister thinks that Network Rail is the fault of the majority of delays. What does the First Minister say to passengers that were on the Waverly to Helensburg service on Monday that were left stuck at Ophol station when their train decoupled, leaving three carriages behind stranded at the station? Does the First Minister know why that incident happened? Can she assure the travelling public that nobody in Scotland will be left behind on Scotland's railways? The particular incident that the member raises, as I understand it, is currently being investigated by the ORR, and that is the appropriate action to take. It's not me claiming that half of the delays are down to Network Rail, it's a fact that half of the delays are down to Network Rail. If all of the members and all the parties across the chamber could come together and demand the devolution of Network Rail, we could have full and integrated responsibility and be able to do even more to improve performance on our railways. I would be delighted to have the support of the Tories and of Labour to make that move. Ross Greer Thank you. The latest ScotRail performance statistics show that, on the Mogailine, three in four trains are late or cancelled. Does the First Minister believe that ScotRail are fulfilling their obligations to passengers on a line where they can't get three or three out of every four trains reliably? The Donovan review, which I'm sure the member is aware of, is looking at particular specific actions to deal with issues on that line. Of course, I don't think that that's acceptable for passengers. That performance level is not acceptable, which is why we are working with ScotRail and it's why we set stringent expectations of ScotRail to take the action that improves performance and improves the passenger experience. The First Minister's Questions Last Thursday, in First Minister's Questions, an SNP member in this chamber calls on unnecessary concern over nuclear safety events in Faslain in respect to our UK submarine fleet by using political spin on the actual facts that are producing an inaccurate picture. The First Minister's Questions This causes alarm for our armed forces servicemen and women serving in the UK submarine fleet and keeping the UK safe as the fleet moves in total to Faslain. We hope that their families will join them to live in Scotland and we must support our UK submarine fleet crews and families and not make inaccurate statements in this chamber. The point that Mr Corry makes is very similar to the one that Ms Bailey made last week, which is that it's a political point responding to another political opinion, which all members are allowed to express, but it's not a point of order. We're going to move to members' business in the name of Tom Arthur on St Andrew's Day 2018, and we'll just have a short suspension while the gallery clears and the members and ministers change seats. A short suspension.