 I call on Kate Forbes to speak to you and to move the motion. I am pleased to have time in the chamber today to debate how Scotland can become a digital society for all and how we are already well on our way to doing that. I thank members who have signed the motion to make that possible and I look forward to hearing contributions from across the chamber. A digital society for all, what does that mean? The way that we can best understand what it means is by talking to older and disabled users whose lives have been transformed by having access to digital platforms. Take David, for example. David led a fairly isolated life. He has epilepsy and suffers from chronic mental illness, which made it difficult for him to socialise. He recently took part in a scheme called Clever Cogs, run by Blackwood Homes and Care, which is designed to increase digital participation for adults who are in receipt of care and support packages. The scheme uses technology and design to develop low-cost ways of providing services that improve the quality of life, improve choice and give greater independence. Since taking part in the scheme, David has learned a whole new set of digital skills that has given him the confidence to challenge himself and to live life to the fool. He used the bespoke systems to educate himself on a range of topics, including ways of managing his depression and anxiety, but he does not want to hear what I think of it. In David's own words, Clever Cogs has wakened me right up. It has made me come out of myself, so I am not just sitting at home anymore. Almost every day, I am going out now and doing things for my neighbours if they are struggling because of old age. I did not do that before, I just kept myself to myself. David's story demonstrates how technology has been life-changing not only for him but for his ageing neighbours, too. I had the privilege of meeting one of his neighbours earlier today, Mandy, another Clever Cogs user. She is in the gallery and I promised her beforehand that I would give her a wave from the chamber so that she could wave back. That is her wave. Mandy uses a tablet. She has been the recipient of the Service User Achievement Award for pioneering the system by tutoring her neighbours in the technology that Clever Cogs uses, building a better sense of community and improving wellbeing. I asked her what she uses her tablet for. She told me that she is the champion online bowler in her care home, that she listens regularly to Elvis on repeat on YouTube and that she also facetimes her sister. Furthermore, in terms of improving independence, because her tablet is linked to her caseworkers' phones, she can contact them in that way as well. It gives her that control that she needs. The system is personalised to her, it is intuitive and she can even pick what she is going to eat for lunch because the kitchen staff add the menu online. Clever Cogs and other systems such as it are building up digital skills among the older and the disabled population. It is giving them directly more independence, more control over their lives and we are seeing more and more people get online. Made and Mandy have clearly made great changes in their own lives and the lives of others. Their experiences are documented in the report that was published today by the Carnegie UK Trust, called Living Digitally, an evaluation of the Clever Cogs digital care and support system. The results of that independent research back up the anecdotes and the stories that I have heard from Mandy, David and many others. It clearly demonstrates the impact that digital participation can have. Participants in the study reported increased life satisfaction and, most significantly, the life satisfaction of people aged 55 to 64 rose considerably. There were also improvements in the number of people accessing useful health information with several indicators of improved levels of independence in customers' daily living. That is a critical point for me, as somebody who believes strongly that Scotland can be at the forefront of the digital revolution, that we are seeing the enormous potential for our economy and for our society in ensuring that our people have digital skills, that our businesses, third sector and public sector organisations are using digital better and that Scotland has the workforce, expertise and talent and the technology to be able to share with the rest of the world. At the end of the day, it comes back to the individuals whose lives are transformed. We want to create a digital society, not just for those who can already access it, but we want to find new ways to tackle all the issues that affect digital participation. Incidentally, that has to include connectivity, accessibility and affordability. Our commitment to provide access to superfast broadband for each and every home and business in Scotland is the most ambitious of any target across the UK, because we see the significance of two things. Firstly, to ensure that the infrastructure does not exclude anybody, and secondly, once that infrastructure is in place, we are equally ambitious in supporting people to be able to use it. £600 million is being invested in the initial procurement of the reaching 100 per cent programme, the single largest investment made by any Government in the UK in digital connectivity. I will take the intervention. Jamie Greene I thank Ms Forbes for taking my intervention. My point is less about the delivery of the infrastructure, but more about the skills that are required to use that infrastructure. If it is true that one in five people in Scotland do not have basic digital skills, a figure coded by SCVO, how is the Government going to address that? I thank you for that intervention. It is a vitally important point, because I see the importance of digital skills as not just being something that we deliver to a particular section of society. By the time that we, for example, are giving our young people digital skills at university or colleges, it is too late. It has got to start first of all in schools. In partnership with the current digital champions network, we are offering coding clubs to disadvantaged young people through schools and through library networks and continue to support the extension of extracurricular coding activities as part of the digital extra programme. The member will also be aware that, to date, we have funded Codeclan, with over £3 million, to provide Scotland's first industry-led digital skills academy. That offers students an intensive four-month training programme with direct access to employers and an opportunity to attain a professional development qualification. The opportunities are already there. They exist through community hubs, whether that is for silver surfers to get online, to learn new talents, to reduce social isolation and to take advantage of all the internet has to offer. We are also ensuring that young people are picking up the digital skills as they go through schools. I can give one example where those two things work in tandem. Antonine primary school in Falkirk, where 55 school children have teamed up with 20 silver surfers to share learning around particular aspects of history. In particular, she is looking at World War 1, and a two-digital society has got to recognise the ways in which we can share expertise across the generations. It is also one where everybody's opinion matters in that respect. The digital sector contributes to employment and economic growth across Scotland. 5.2 billion to the Scottish economy in 2016, and it is forecast to be the fastest growing sector in Scotland from now until 2024. To get the benefits of that revolution, we have got to adopt a cradle to the grave approach. It is essential that we involve everyone at the most formative stage in their lives to ensure that we provide the essential tools at the earliest possible stage that will best equip their life journey. One of the interesting initiatives has been a partnership with the book trust, which currently operates the bookbug programme to provide free bookbug bags to every child in Scotland. We are developing a smartphone app that will complement the existing scheme, which takes me on to another aspect of digital participation. That is that we have got to consider people's rights as well. We are increasingly recognising that it is nonsensical to refer to a digital world as though it is independent of the world. The digital world is the current world as we see it. I opened the summit, which was organised by Young Scot and the youth leaders, promoting the five rights agenda in Scotland last month. The ultimate aim of that five rights programme is to put power in the hands of young people so that they know how to be resilient and to respond positively to all that the digital world has to offer. It is the Scottish Government's intention to use that five rights work as the foundation of a future-proof and inclusive ethical framework that underpins how technology is built, provides the safeguards that we increasingly need and ensures that young people and all generations have the rights that they need in this digital world. Those rights will not only be available to young people, but it is right throughout. Those opportunities are for everyone to become confident, creative and fearless innovators and to unlock the full potential of people and new technologies. From cyber tots through cyber teams to silver surfers, the Scottish Government is trying to spread an understanding amongst its citizens that, in a society where bad news travels faster than the speed of light, the internet can be used as a tool for good. That is seen so clearly when it comes to Mandy and David's experiences through Clever Cogs. We can learn a lot as a society about embracing change and supporting people to realise their potential wherever they live, whatever their age and whatever challenges they face. Digital should be a way of enabling us to live lives to the full, and we need to ensure that all of Scotland reaps the social, economic and cultural benefits that digital technology offers. I move the motion in my name. Thank you very much. I now call on Donald Cameron to open for the Conservatives and to speak to and move amendment in his name. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I would like to formally move the amendment in my name. I take this opportunity, somewhat belatedly, to welcome Kate Forbes to the front bench. Representing my home constituency, she will be well aware of the problems of digital connectivity in our part of the world. I am delighted that she is representing the Government in this particular brief. It is vital that we ensure that Scotland is not only one of the most technologically advanced nations in the world, but that our citizens are the most technologically capable, too. By doing so, we can further grow our economy, create new jobs and remain competitive as a nation. We all know the need to improve productivity in Scotland, and without doubt digital inclusion is one of the many aspects of the solution to that particular and pressing problem. Digital inclusion is also a practical necessity for people in their everyday lives, as new technologies can of course improve quality of life and improve personal health to mention a few of the many advantages that accrue from that. However, age barriers, a lack of early intervention through education, the impact of disabilities and geographical location are just some of the barriers that exist. Frequently, when it is an issue of access, and let us be brutally honest here, this is often because such access is unaffordable. As the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations notes, the evidence clearly shows that digital exclusion exacerbates existing deep-rooted inequalities, and affordability is a key barrier to those in the poorest communities. SCVO also states that 21 per cent of people in Scotland do not have basic digital skills. Given the ever-increasing significance of digital inclusion, the fact that people are prevented from being included due to the sheer cost should shame us all. In a report published earlier this year, CAB Scotland found that just over a third of respondents stated that they either had difficulty or could not use a computer, and in my own Highlands and Islands region we still have issues with reliable broadband and mobile internet access, a lack of which poses huge problems for local businesses and residents. I will come back to that later on. The Scottish Conservatives welcome efforts to improve the inclusivity of technology and increasing access to it. We welcome its inclusion in the Government's own digital strategy for Scotland, but we will hold the SNP Government to account on those commitments to ensure that they come to fruition. I readily acknowledge that this is an issue that requires cross-party co-operation, but it is incumbent upon me to set out some of our concerns that existing support schemes, which could be used to improve digital inclusivity, have not had the impact that might be desired. For example, we note that it took more than a year for the Government to invest any money from its digital growth fund that was announced last year. Similarly, the Scottish growth scheme, which is designed to support business, had only paid out £25 million in two years—a far cry from the £500 million pledge to the scheme when it was launched. While both of those funds will undoubtedly cover a variety of areas, it is concerning that so little progress has been achieved with both, and I ask the SNP Government to reflect on that going forward. However, we welcome the recognition by the Government today of the living digitally report by Carnegie UK and Just Economics, which focuses on a system designed to help people with disabilities to access the internet with confidence. It is just one example of collaboration between the public, private and voluntary sectors. I acknowledge in particular the remarks from the report about the clever cog system that has been mentioned by the minister, which showed increased happiness and reduced feelings of depression amongst its users. It is important that we also ensure that every young person is able to access and benefit from digital technology. I found it particularly striking that, according to CAB Scotland, those in the least deprived areas are twice as likely to be able to use a computer well than those in the most deprived areas. From imperative, there is early intervention for young people in order to help to alter those trends. However, in order to achieve those aims and reduce digital inequality, we need to ensure that there is adequate infrastructure to facilitate it in the first place. Although that is perhaps too interesting and nuanced to debate, it laps into the usual arguments about who is responsible for broadband in Scotland. It is important to put on record that we continue to support the aims of the R100 programme. As a Highlands and Islands MSP, I know all too well the importance of ensuring that every home, no matter how rural or remote, can access fast and reliable broadband. According to Audit Scotland, average broadband speeds continue to be the lowest in rural areas, and out of the 376,000 households that are still unable to access super-fast broadband, less than half will be able to do so by the R100 deadline of 2021. I mention those simply as a reminder that we still have a long way to go to deliver the vital infrastructure that is necessary to afford all our citizens the opportunity to benefit from digital technology. That is why we have noted that in our amendment. Stuart Stevenson? The member appears to have cast out on the delivery of the R100 to 100 per cent of premises in Scotland in 2021. What basis does he claim that only 50 per cent of the remainder will get that? Moving on to some local examples, it is easy to talk about digital inclusivity from Edinburgh, where we all work in a higher technology environment here in the Scottish Parliament. However, to understand the benefits of inclusivity, it is helpful to share some first-hand experiences from the areas that we represent. I would just like to mention the East Skoll project in Stornoway, which I visited last month, where schools across the Western Isles, the Highlands and Beyond have linked up using state-of-the-art video technology to deliver classes and, as a result, offer greater subject choice to young people in some of the most remote parts of Scotland. One example of that is that of a local music teacher, but previously she had to travel between three schools on Lewis, racking up miles in her car and spending little time with her pupils. Now, thanks to technology, she can base herself in one school for a whole week and be with the children there and deliver classes to the other two schools of our video link. The following week, she can do the same from another one of her schools. For her, it meant cutting her travel time by a third. For the council, it meant saving money for the pupils. It means face-to-face contact with their teacher. Although there was the mass teacher who I witnessed teaching remotely and, astonishingly, his students' mid-lesson were able to message him confidentially if they were struggling with a topic and way beyond traditional learning methods, a barrier to education was now being resolved through technology and it was truly inspirational. On the flip side, we have also all seen the mass bank enclosures across many rural and remote parts of Scotland. Rural parts of Scotland are far more liable to have slower broadband speeds than urban Scotland. That is why the decision by banks and in fact any major business when they decide to significantly alter or reduce their presence in our rural areas can have such a devastating impact. In conclusion, a digitally inclusive society is as much about social progress as it is about economic benefit. If we can ensure that everyone, irrespective of background, not only has access to new and existing technologies but is able to cope with the ever-changing digital world that we live in, we can be sure that Scotland can be a digital powerhouse. Colin Smyth, I welcome Kate Forbes to her new ministerial role and wish her well. Today, almost every aspect of society has been transformed by technological advancements, how businesses operate, our approach to shopping, the services that we access, the way we are educated and how we function in the workplace is all constantly changing as we become an increasingly digital society. It is therefore little wonder that research by which found that nine out of 10 people view a broadband connection as a necessity alongside water and energy utilities and food and housing. That is a higher proportion than those who identified a television, a phone, a car or savings as a necessity. Those advancements open up a vast range of new opportunities for individuals, businesses and communities and can bring significant social and economic advantages, as Kate Forbes highlighted in David and Mandy's experience with the clever clogs digital care and support system. I will say more about that in my closing speech at the end of the debate. In moving Labour's amendment, I want to highlight the fact that those benefits are sadly not often being felt equally. It would be too easy to presume that everyone has the basic skills to navigate their way around this digital world or even has access to that technology if they had the skills. Too many people in Scotland are digitally excluded. There are many reasons for that. Scotland's beautiful but fragmented landscape provides challenges in making the necessary technology available for all. Shortcomings in the Government's connectivity policy have failed so far to overcome those barriers. The much touted digital superfast Scotland broadband programme helped to facilitate the roll-out of digital broadband, but it also entrains some of Scotland's digital divide. Kate Forbes, I recognise in the comments that I made earlier about infrastructure, but what is his view on how we ensure that, where there is adequate infrastructure, we are ensuring that those who can use digital are supported to use it? There is a disconnect between the 5 per cent who do not have the infrastructure and the much bigger number of people who are not using what we have. Colin Smyth. I thank Kate Forbes for that intervention. I think that she raises a very important point, which I will come to in detail in my speech, because there are a large number of groups that are based on income, disability, age or other factors that are currently excluded from accessing those services. I will touch on that in some of my ideas later on in my speech. At the moment, one of those groups that are digitally excluded are people living in rural areas. Digital broadband coverage is at more than 97 per cent nationally. In some of our rural areas, for example, Orkney, it is down to 82 per cent, with access to superfast broadband at just 65 per cent. That is far from unique. In the Western Isles and in Rossskine and Lecabor, almost 30 per cent of people do not have access to superfast speeds. Across the board, rural areas have much poorer access to digital and superfast broadband. In the wider challenges that communities face, challenges relating to the economy, access and services are exasperated by this digital divide. However, it is not just connectivity issues that are holding Scotland back. The 2017 Scottish household survey found a clear correlation between income and internet access, stating that home internet access tends to increase with household income. Indeed, 99 per cent of households with an annual income of more than £40,000 have home internet access compared to 56 per cent of those earning between £6,001 and £10,000. That is a difference of 43 per cent. Too often, the most disadvantaged in society are being excluded from the opportunities, services and information that is provided by home internet access. The Scottish household survey also revealed a persistent age gap in internet use, with only 63 per cent of adults aged 60 and above and 37 per cent of those aged 75 and above using the internet compared to 99 per cent of those aged 16 to 24. Although progress has been made in this area, there remains a great deal more to do. Another worrying trend that is identified in the Scottish household survey was the fact that those with some form of physical or mental health condition were 20 per cent less likely to use the internet than those without such a condition. That reveals a serious failure to remove barriers faced by those with disabilities. Again, it highlights how digital exclusion reinforces existing inequalities. That is also the case when the household survey identified a gender gap in digital skills, albeit that information that we have on this is still limited. If we are to tackle digital exclusion, we need more comprehensive data on who is being excluded and why. However, what is already clear is that digital exclusion is inseparable from broader social and economic inequalities, and advancing digital inclusion is therefore essential to improving inclusion more broadly. In terms of coverage, as Donald Cameron highlighted, the R100 programme aims to address the significant shortcomings of the previous broadband roll-out programmes, such as a failure to set a minimum speed, and it aims to tackle some of the issues facing rural communities in terms of access. Labour fully supports the aims of the programme, and it is 100 per cent super-fast broadband coverage target by the end of 2021 or sooner. However, I am concerned by Audit Scotland's assessment that meeting the target remains to be difficult. The commitment needs to be delivered in full, but I am yet to be convinced that the Scottish Government has the resources and clear plan in place in order to achieve that. I welcome the plan, but I also welcome the Scottish Government's investment to enable improvements in 4G coverage. I look forward to seeing the details of its 5G strategy. However, again, work is welcome and much needed, but it is still far from transformative. As I said earlier, expanding coverage is only the first step in improving access. Ensuring genuine digital inclusion means taking a holistic view of access and looking at what additional barriers people may face. It is a real risk that individuals and communities who have been digitally excluded today will continue to miss out on the opportunities that growth and digital will bring. For that reason, in conclusion, it is clear that Scotland faces a digital divide. Rural communities, those on the lowest incomes, people with physical or mental health conditions, older people who suffer because of digital exclusion, are frankly being excluded. That exclusion mirrors wider social and economic inequalities, but it is also exasperating those inequalities. A comprehensive strategy, Presiding Officer, is therefore needed, and that is why I am happy to move Labour's amendment calling for that. I call Patrick Harvie for up to six minutes, please. I welcome Kate Forbes for her position. I think that this is the first time I have been in a debate with her in this role in the chamber, so I am sure that we will all wish her well in that position. I can also draw members' attention to the fact that I am a member of the open rights group. I welcome the chance to take part in the debate, and I would like to recognise that there are some positive points being made on all sides. However, I also believe that there are some aspects of this agenda being missed by all sides. The Government motion, for example, with which I have no great beef and I will happily support it, says that increasing digital participation will in turn provide better access to fair work and higher-wage jobs. For some people, yes, it will. However, digital participation alone is no guarantee of that. We are all very aware of those involved in the gig economy—people who are highly connected, highly adept at using online platforms, yet they are being exploited in poorly-paid and insecure work. Digital participation, like many other innovations in life, can be used for good or for ill, and the economy that we build around it can be a fair and sustainable one, or it can be an exploitative and wasteful one. The Conservative amendment talks about the impact of the digital economy on—if I can put it this way—the real-world economy, the high street. Its digital services tax, which was introduced or announced in the budget yesterday, is an interesting innovation. It is likely to be too modest in scale to reverse the impact that it is talking about, but it is certainly acknowledging a genuine issue. We should all welcome the fact that that is a conversation that is taking place. However, the continual spats between Governments about exactly who is to blame for broadband roll-out not being as fast as some people would like. That kind of dynamic solves nothing. If we want the state to act in this regard, let us argue for public ownership of infrastructure, and I do not hear that case coming from either Government in this case. We should also consider what the long-term goal is in terms of broadband—just how fast is fast enough. That is not simply a question of building infrastructure anew every decade or so when technology moves on apace and the demand for data goes up. The energy considerations alone of getting faster and faster and faster are being ignored. However, the vast majority of domestic applications is a 10 meg connection digital exclusion. I have stood in my living room flying around the virtual reality version of Google Earth, a fully 3D-rended planet streaming through a broadband connection perfectly happily without the kind of extremely high speeds that we are talking about, as though that is an absolute requirement for everybody. There is a point at which we say that fast enough can be reached. Labour also cited many issues in its amendment, which we should all share a great deal of concern about, not least the impact of inequality of digital participation. However, it is easy to say, as its amendment says, that the Government is failing. I am afraid that a great many Labour amendments in the chamber say that the Government is failing but does not include much in the way of positive proposals. I would like to argue a little deeper and question the nature, not just the extent of digital participation. Is digital participation about creating an online space in which we merely consume services and products, or is it a space for collaboration, for creativity, for community? It is the nature of that participation that we should be concerned about. Is the role of education about empowering young people to be merely passive consumers or to take hold of powerful new tools to make their society better? What can digital participation mean without digital rights? Government publications from both Governments have been too silent on the question of digital rights. That is a failing, particularly in response to the scandals that we have seen in relation to companies such as Facebook and Cambridge Analytica in recent years. A free and open internet is not just a commercialised space. It cannot be allowed to simply be a commercialised space in which more and more control over our lives is taken silently and invisibly by service providers, content providers and advertisers, even by the social media platforms that we all enjoy using. Sometimes we can still manage to enjoy them, but many of us choose to use those platforms without necessarily being conscious of the degree of control that is taken by them. As the open rights group talked about in their recent paper on the impact of Brexit on digital rights, international trade agreements have a long history of disregarding democracy and reflecting corporate agendas. Tech giants at the moment around the world are becoming very dominant in negotiations with the United States in relation to cross-border trade, e-commerce and so on. Amongst the arguments that they made were the point that digital privacy must not be allowed to be undermined in the name of protecting free flow of data, and censorship should not be promoted through draconian or voluntary online IP enforcement commitments. I would like those issues to be addressed as well as the role of surveillance in our society, whether by state or corporate players, privacy and consent. Those issues raise more questions than answers, and I do not pretend otherwise. Discussing digital participation only in terms of uptake fails to give us the fuller picture that we need. We should be at least as interested in the nature of participation and the changing social, economic and even political relationships in our society that will emerge. Deputy Presiding Officer, on behalf of the Liberal Democrats, I also welcome Kate Forbes to her new role. We wish her well because she knows, as we all do, that delivering the Scottish Government's ambitious commitment of 100 per cent coverage of superfast broadband by 2021 will be challenging, and that the task before the minister has been made all the more difficult because of the glacial progress of previous ministers and cabinet secretaries towards this goal. Fast and reliable access to the internet and a dependable mobile phone signal is no longer a luxury. Good connectivity, as we all agree, is now an essential service that allows communities, individuals and businesses to thrive. However, the benefits of good connectivity go far beyond the economic benefits. Access to online knowledge, education and public services supports a spread of ideas, broadens horizons, should improve civic engagement and enables research to take place almost instantaneously across borders and at a global level. Unfortunately, it is those that could benefit the most that have often been left behind and society has quickly divided into those that can easily access our digital economy and those who are excluded. The Scottish Government would do a great service to those communities and individuals who have been excluded if it provided a meaningful programme of digital education and universal access to superfast broadband as soon as possible. The minister will be aware that I lodged an amendment to that motion. Unfortunately, it was not chosen for debate when I was trying to be helpful to the Scottish Government. Their target for 100 per cent coverage is to do this by December 2021. Wouldn't it be immensely helpful to the Scottish Government for their target to be brought forward to the first of May of that year? After all, that was the date that was in the SNP manifesto for the 2016 election. I have read the manifesto, but I am not sure that Richard Lyle has. I am sure that, if the Scottish Government has the will to implement its manifesto, it could do that. Obviously, I am only trying to be helpful to the minister with that suggestion. It is not the first time in this chamber that I have urged the Scottish Government to get a move on with their R100 programme. I have brought to the attention of the Scottish Government ministers the fact that thousands of homes in areas such as Aberdeenshire are experiencing nothing like the levels of connectivity that are promised. In some cases, internet speeds reach barely one megabit per second while mobile phone coverage is intermittent and even non-existent. Only last week, a constituent whose home is in Inverruri, a town of 10,000 and more residents, reported that he could not find a provider or a contract that would deliver speeds of more than six megabits per second. It is unfortunate that, when the SNP promised in 2012 to deliver 95 per cent fibre coverage and that next generation broadband will be available to all by 2020, that they did not start by investing in the areas that would see the most benefit. I know that Kate Forbes would be aware of that. I have lost count of the number of times I have been told that, despite living on your stone's throw from a green cabinet, residents can scarcely access the most basic internet services. Kate Forbes, I thank the member for taking that intervention. Like the member, I believe that universal connectivity is vitally important. However, my question to him, made in a constructive spirit, is that, even with connectivity, we see that not all adults, for example, know how to access the internet, to give them one stat that about one-third of those between the ages of 45 and 74 do not access the internet at home, not because they do not have connectivity but because there is an issue with skills. How does he propose to actually respond to that? Mike Rumbles. I managed to make a good point on the same spirit. I have to say that there is no point in educating people and helping people if they cannot access the service first. Accessibility is really important. Not everybody will take it up, but accessibility is important and we have got to tackle both of those issues. The truth of the matter is that the Scottish Government has relied on local authorities, business gateways such as HIE, commercial operators and the UK Government to do a great deal of the heavy lifting. There is a matter of fact that the Scottish Government's own contribution to the digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme has around about 15 per cent of the total investment so far. I know that there is no need to remind me, even before Richard Lyle gets on his feet, before he gets on to his feet—not on this point, Richard, I would rather make the point first. I am running out of time— Mr Lyle, please sit down. I am running out of time. If I had more time, I would be delighted— Mr Lyle, the member has said that he does not wish an intervention. Please respect that. If I had more time, I certainly would do. As I said, there is no need to remind me that it is a reserved matter and the responsibility of the UK Government. Just like there is no need to remind my colleagues on the SNP benches that it is now six years since they promised to deliver Superfast Broadband to everyone, that only three years of that commitment remains and it is yet to be achieved. I fully support the motion put forward by the minister today. I also support both amendments. I hope that everyone in this chamber will agree that good and reliable access to a digital economy is not a luxury but a necessity. In trying to be really helpful to the Government, I ask the minister to return to the commitment that they made in the manifesto, deliver the R100 programme by May 2021 rather than the end of that year, because, after all, would the Scottish Government not be proud to achieve the 100 per cent coverage for all by the next election, because it would be in their interests to do so? We now move to the open debate and speeches of up to six minutes. We are a bit pushed for time. No extra time can be allowed. Emma Harper, followed by Jamie Greene. I am pleased to speak in this debate today as a representative of the South Scotland region, which is a rural area that has faced challenges with digital competence, connectivity and uptake. We are all in agreement that tackling the barriers to digital inclusion and ensuring digital connectivity across the whole of Scotland will be key to realising the advantages of the digital world, which has been highlighted already, and it will, in turn, boost productivity and efficiency. I would like to focus my speeches this afternoon specifically on the last part of the Scottish Government motion, which indicates that improving digital participation and inclusion will also benefit the delivery of healthcare in Scotland. As a nurse and deputy convener of the health committee, I need to alert chamber to that. The motion states, recognises that a combined focus by government, the wider public sector and private and voluntary sectors is the most effective way of increasing digital participation, which in turn will support effective person-centred public services such as the health and social care sector to develop innovative solutions and enable Scotland to be a digital society for all. Members might be aware of one programme that is aiming to do exactly this, the attend anywhere programme. Attend anywhere, administered by the Scottish Centre for Telehealth and Telecare, along with NHS boards and NHS 24, is a resource that allows patients access to healthcare specialists and healthcare professionals, GPs, psychologists, nurses and physios, as well as others, in the comfort of their own home, their work or a place of ease and comfort to them. It has many benefits for people's daily lives. It means that patients can see their GP without even leaving their home to go to the GP surgery. It means that people can access their psychologist or healthcare professional without going to a clinic or hospital, and it also encourages people to seek medical advice that they may not have done so previously due to a better ease of access. In addition, attend anywhere also has benefits to health. It means that those who have severe and complex healthcare needs may not need to travel to see their professionals, which may in some cases, where patients experience, for example, chronic pain or, indeed, where patients have mental health conditions, it might reduce the stress of having to leave the house. Between 2017 and 2018, the Scottish Centre for Telehealth and Telecare enabled 7,500 new patients to have access to and benefit from home and mobile health monitoring. It supported the Scale Up BP programme to deliver the largest scale of blood pressure monitoring to date. It delivered 1,200 consultations to patients with over 67 GP practices and registered the use of the service. Most importantly, it supported 4,000 people across Scotland to learn about the programme and transfer their knowledge of it to others on their respective areas. While I understand that some patients may be fearful or reluctant to take up the programme, I absolutely understand the need for patients to have a choice about the programme after they have been informed about the positives and the negatives of it. Last year, the Scottish Government published its digital strategy, which set out how it intends to place digital at the heart of everything that it does, from reforming public services to delivering economic growth. That is welcome. However, in order to achieve the aim of placing digital at the heart of everything, the Scottish Government must ensure and encourage a combined effort from itself, third sector organisations and voluntary organisations in order to help communities, enable them and people and businesses to have the confidence, the resources and infrastructure in place to become digitally enabled. Such a third sector organisation currently operates in Castle Douglas in my South Scotland region, the IT Centre. The IT Centre, managed by Jackie Williams, provides access to computers, laptops and tablets to people who are requiring digital services for their daily lives. People in the local area rely on the IT Centre for assistance with applications for jobs, welfare support and access to college and university applications. The IT Centre also offers courses in CV writing as well as introductory courses on the use of IT, basic programming and other programming. I would like to see such projects rolled out and supported across Scotland as we move towards a digital society. I would welcome the minister to visit when her diary permits. In conclusion, if we are to have a fully digital Scotland, we must first ensure that we have the necessary resources in place to give people the confidence to use the technology. I would therefore like to encourage the Scottish Government to continue to make Scotland the best digital society it can be while allowing people the time, education and resources to come to terms with the changes, such as those changes that come with programmes such as attend anywhere. Finally, the IT Centre and places such as in Castle Douglas offer benefits to many people who also have additional learning needs. They are providing an excellent opportunity for people to become digitally competent. Jamie Greene, followed by Stuart Stevenson. I welcome Kate Forbes to her role and the renewed focus on digital economy, connectivity and digital inclusion. After joining the Parliament, I was my party's spokesman for the digital economy and connectivity, as some of you will recall. That stems from a career in media technology. I spent much of that time asking the Government to focus on a centralised approach on how Scotland can be a truly inclusive nation. I also felt that a dedicated minister focusing on digital was much needed, so the reshuffle was news to our ears in that respect. The Carnegie report on the clever cogs work was an interesting read. It is a perfect example of how technology can be used in the social sector to great effect. It is true that digital change has come around very quickly over the past few years, and adapting to that change has been difficult for some. It is important that we take advantage of a digital society, but by doing so make sure that no one is left behind. The minister opened the debate by talking about three ways of achieving that—connectivity, accessibility and affordability. I think that that is very sensible and fair analysis of what we need to do. If I could put things slightly differently, I think that the three things that people need are as follows. The first is hardware. By hardware, I mean infrastructure. That is physical access to devices, be it a smartphone, a tablet, a computer and connectivity via broadband or other means. That access does not need to be in the home. It can be in public spaces such as libraries, schools and community centres, as it is often delivered throughout Scotland. It also requires the second point, and that is the right skills to use that and much has been said about that today. Whether that starts at school or even preschool, through college, university and professional development, it also needs to involve those who have access to none of the above. Through community schemes, charitable organisations, the third sector and even Government-operated schemes, we need to ensure that no one truly is left behind. The more we can be illustrated in today's debate, the better, in that respect. I would be happy to give way in that point. Kate Forbes I wonder what the member thinks is the role of digital companies themselves, because digital participation has got to be more than essential skills, and the digital participation charter has secured commitment from over 500 public, private and third sector organisations to work together. What is the role of digital companies? Jamie Greene Much of the conversation around big digital companies and the way that they have transformed our economies is immense. We often talk about them in terms simply of their taxation or their employment opportunities. They actually have a fundamental role to play in how people communicate, learn and discover, so I think that they have a huge responsibility. I won't name some of the platforms and organisations, but I think that they know who they are, as do we. I think that they are right. They have a huge responsibility, too, to understand that large portions of society are now using digital platforms to not just purchase goods, but to access information and to use it to contact each other and to interact with each other in a way that they never did before. I think that how they use that responsibility is key, some clearly better than others. I would like to focus on skills in the short time that we have here. It is an important point. We often talk about infrastructure in terms of pure connectivity and whose responsibility it was or is and how much money should or shouldn't have been spent. It is fair to say that infrastructure is incredibly hard to deliver in rural parts of any country, especially if we are going to reach the sort of speeds that we need in our rural and island communities. Those are very technically difficult areas to deliver to. I think that that is an admission on all parts. However, as I said in one of my interventions, it is what you do with that infrastructure once you have it. If one-fifth of the population does not have access to basic digital skills, there is a serious conversation as to how we address that. Over 11 million people across the UK do not have the basic digital skills that they need. If the digital economy is the economy of the future, then surely that one-fifth needs to reduce to zero. A survey from Citizens Advice Scotland found that half of all respondents, 50 per cent of respondents to their survey, could not do simple things such as download, complete, save or upload electronic forms. We should be mindful about that when we think about how we develop online platforms to access public services such as benefits and welfare services or health-related services. If people simply cannot download, complete and upload basic forms and are still relying on paper-based or face-to-face, then something clearly is not working. If I could put a quick plug in for some of the good work that has been done in my part of the world in North Ayrshire, Women's Aid has been helping people in a whole number of ways to improve their digital skills. The results of that have included things such as helping them to access, for example, their universal credit journals or to job search. In one example, I shared with somebody who was able to access some voluntary roles and that work experience helped her to achieve paid employment. Just in closing, it is really important that we think about why we need digital inclusion. People without digital inclusion have poorer health outcomes than others. They have increased loneliness and social isolation, and they have less job and educational opportunities. They pay more for essentials, they are financially excluded and there is an increased risk of falling into poverty. They also lack of voice and visibility in modern society. Government services and democracy must always think about how it delivers to people online and digitally. I think that that sums up why schemes such as clever cogs deserve both cross-parties support and it is a good start, but more needs to be done. I know that Mr Stevenson can finish up to six minutes rather than just beyond, so Stuart Stevenson is followed by Rhoda Grant. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Let me declare my membership of the Association for Computing Machinery, the institution of engineering and technology and a fellow of the Royal Society for Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce, all of which have interests in this area. The history of the subject goes back a very long way. The Romans communicated across their empire nearly 2,000 years ago digitally by a system of hilltop signalling, but now we are in the electronic world. Even some of the things that we are interested in today go back a lot further than we might think, and I go back beyond the birth date of two participants in the debate so far to 1964, when the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory—yes, you think that it is modern artificial intelligence—was 54 years ago. Joseph Weisenbaum produced a programme called ELISA, which is designed to answer questions in a way that you could not tell whether it was a human or a computer who answered them, and very successfully he did so too. From that point onwards, we have always said that it will be five years before artificial intelligence takes over from us, and it is still five years away today. In computing, things can take a good deal longer than we sometimes would like or imagine. Just picking up what Donald Cameron said, I have gone to the Audit Scotland report, and the exact words are not, as Donald Cameron suggested. The Scottish Government achieved its initial target to provide fibre access to 95 per cent of premises. It is more recent, but reaching 100 per cent ambition will be more difficult to realise. I acknowledge that that is certainly—I really do not have time, sorry—certainly going to be true. It also says that it might cost more than £600 million, but of course we will see how it turns out. Mike Rumbos is not wholly wrong when he talks about some of the difficulties in Aberdeensia. In Aberdeensia and in Frescia, we have a huge number of exchange only lines, which, for the current programme of how we do the technology, means that we cannot readily be attached to fibre. I said 40 years ago, nearly, that the triumph of computers will be achieved when we no longer realise that we are using one. Although we speak to them and they just do what we ask them, we will reach that point probably in my lifetime. At that point, digital exclusion will become a different kind of animal. Lots of people cannot work keyboards, lots of people find the complexities of the particular interactions with computers very difficult to achieve. It is absolutely the case that we need, right across Scotland, to have ways in which people—perhaps those who are over 75 in particular—where 70 per cent of people over 75 do not use the internet, triple the Scottish average. We need people to help those who achieve the kind of access to the internet that matters to them. It matters economically, because when you use the modern systems for your daily life, it is estimated that you save nearly £600 a year. Economically, it is that. Communicating with your friends and relatives in other villages and other parts of the island that we live on and in other places around the world is now very electronic. If you deny that opportunity, there is a huge loss in your life. For people with particular disadvantages, be they physical, mentor or whatever, the computer can be a way out of those difficulties. Myself and two pals, Alistair Macpherson and Robert Davidson, we built the first home computer in Scotland in 1975. A couple of years later, we were able to adapt an Apple II computer for a quadriplegic ex-soldier who had had an accident in the tank that he commanded and was left totally crippled. He could move his head—that was all we could do. We were able to rig up a bit of kit, change the way the keyboard worked and develop something that he could hold in his mouth to tap at the keyboard. Within two months, he was writing programmes that he was selling. I felt terrific about that. Unfortunately, his health problems eventually overwhelmed him. Today, we have much more powerful computers that can do so much more for us. Therefore, the exclusion can become wider than it was when there were little computers. Of course, those who master the new technology can stride off over the horizon much further away from those who have not been able to do so. We should recognise that the phones and computers that we use are absolutely vital to our world. One of the things that Unisys said a couple of years ago—one of the computer firms—is that it takes 26 hours on average for a person to report a lost wallet, but it takes only 68 minutes to report that they have lost their cell phone. That tells us something about how important technology is now in our lives. Jamie Greene talked about 20 per cent of adults—I think that the number of people who have 20 per cent of adults in most disadvantaged 20 per cent of Scotland are not using the internet. For a whole host of reasons, there are people who are deprived of many things that the rest of us take for granted. We need people in libraries and public spaces that will help people to access publicly available computers. I hope that the Government, in looking at the comments from the debate and at the opportunities that come from digital roll-out, will look at that particular matter in future. Rhoda Grant, followed by Willie Coffey. I, too, would like to welcome Kate Forbes to her new post, and her constituency should inform her that all is not well with digital connectivity. I am not sure it augurs well, either, for this debate, that the Government most insighted a report that was not available in hard copy far less digitally when they tabled their motion this week. That reflects their digital policy, great aspirations but little delivery. Since we last debated digital inclusion, I feel that we have made very little progress. The issues are the same. Rural areas are left behind as are urban deprived communities, and that, sadly, follows historic exclusion. We had the opportunity to do something different with digital connectivity. We could have used it to bridge the social exclusion divide, but, unfortunately, it appears to have deepened that divide. The Scottish Government did not have the same ambition for rural and urban Scotland. The target of 95 per cent reach for urban Scotland and 75 per cent reach for rural Scotland starkly states that lack of ambition. Therefore, we are not at the forefront of the digital revolution. Sadly, we are lagging behind. The tell-us that this will be addressed by R100 and, sadly, I do not believe that that is the case. Those in the industry tell us that there will still be communities that will not be reached by R100. The little support that was available previously to rural communities has been withdrawn as we wait for R100. We are at a hiatus where the tender process takes place. Surely, the tender process could have been carried out while the previous roll-out was still running to stop the roll-out for any length of time. It is surely not good enough. Stewart Stevenson says that people in the industry are telling us that R100 cannot be done. I recently met BT, one of the bidders—not the only one that I understand—and had absolute assurances that we can reach 100. Price is a different issue. Can she tell me who is saying that we cannot reach 100 per cent? Rhoda Grant. Many people in the industry are saying that there is not the technology available to reach 100 per cent of the population. However, there are things that the Scottish Government could be doing now to make a difference. They could be mapping fibre, especially fibre that has been paid for by the public purse. R100 will see the public purse pay for new fibre to be laid over the top of fibre that the public purse has already paid for. The Government needs to keep ownership of all the fibre that it has funded so that subsequent upgrades and roll-outs can be used the same. It also needs to trace that which was historically laid to save money to make sure that we use all public investment in that area. It would also make sense to map fibre that is privately owned to see if that can be utilised to speed up the roll-out of broadband. We also need to give small communities access to affordable back wall. Indeed, make sure that R100 does not undermine any of that. Commercial rates are far too high and prohibit community solutions. Again, that is something that can be investigated right now. We need to make sure that the roll-out does not compromise current community solutions. If you take, for example, SSC has been laying fibre for the MOD over in Apple Cross. An additional cable has been laid at the same time, which will be commercially available to bring superfast broadband to parts of Apple Cross. Apple Cross has its own broadband system AppleNet. It is not superfast and it can be unreliable due to weather conditions, but it is there. It is there now, providing a service as cheaply as possible to the whole community. If a larger provider buys access to the new fibre, it will be able to provide fast, reliable and cheaper broadband to the easy-to-reach parts of that community. If that happens and those customers are lost to AppleNet, it may well become unsustainable, meaning that most of the community will have no broadband at all. The public purse through the MOD is paying to put down that fibre that has the potential of undermining a community's access to broadband. What should happen is that the community system will be given access to that fibre at an affordable price, then it will be able to upgrade for the whole community, making it faster and more reliable. It is areas such as those that have most to benefit from digital connectivity. Who would not want to live in such a beautiful place? Employment in rural areas is hard to find. Better digital connectivity would allow people to work from anywhere, as well as making it easier for new businesses to start up. That connectivity could make those people and communities far more financially viable. I have concentrated most of my comments on remote rural issues, as you would expect, given my constituency. However, as I previously said, unequal access to connectivity follows the lines of traditional inequalities. Those in deprived communities suffer the same issue with access as those in our remote rural communities. It is not commercially viable for private profit-driven companies to provide them with broadband because they cannot afford to pay for it. We need to find solutions to those issues, making sure that those communities do not fall behind. We are a long way from equal access to connectivity. It is no longer a nice add-on. It is an essential service, and we need to provide it. I call Willie Coffey to be followed by Jamie Halcro Johnston. When I was a young graduate of computer science in the early 1980s, only a decade or so after the technology was in place that took us to the moon, we could still only dream of the possibility that everyone in the world could potentially contact, see and speak to anyone else in the world in real time at any time. Potentially is the key word here, because while the technology is there to enable such an amazing thing as this, the people are not quite there in terms of their ability to access and use that technology. That is what I hope the theme of the debate is about, bringing all their people along in this digital train journey so that no-one is left behind at the station as it speeds faster and faster ahead. Yes, we need the technology to be up to the task, we need the connectivity to enable all to work, we need skilled people to put it all together and make it easy for all of us to use, and we need Governments to be thinking about how best to sell the tickets so that everyone can have a seat in the train no matter what their circumstances are. I make my usual plea at this point for any of our young potential graduates of the future to think seriously about a career in software development. We are short of thousands of software developers in Scotland and it is good software that is the key to the success of all of this, so it is happening to see that the Government's digital strategy paper has this in mind. It is essential, in fact. Technology in isolation takes us nowhere, so we need people with the skills to enable the rest of us to use it easily. It is a wonderful career for young graduates to consider, the potential to work anywhere in the world but, hopefully, Scotland, never the same day twice in a row, well-paid and a career that can last a lifetime too. We know that there are bigger vacancy rates in the digital economy than in other sectors, with less than four out of ten businesses in Scotland reporting that they have the right digital skills in place to meet those requirements, so the Government's strategy is crucial here in trying to help. The digital growth fund and the pilot project in Edinburgh to help businesses to scale up their digital capabilities will certainly help, but I would like to see that extended to all parts of Scotland, including Ayrshire, since, as we know, it takes far too long for my constituents to get to Edinburgh on a real train, never mind, on a digital train, but that is another debate for another time. We really need to see more young undergraduates and especially more young women choosing software degrees to make any of this possible. It is going up slowly but not fast enough yet. In European terms and without politicising this point too much, we know that the digital single market is fundamental to Scotland's place in a digitally competitive Europe. It is worth about €400 billion per year and supports hundreds of thousands of jobs. In my view, it is impossible to leave that market, despite the rhetoric that we hear. It is crucial that our Government finds ways to keep Scotland in that market, otherwise we as a nation risk exclusion and isolation from it, and we cannot allow that to happen. In terms of wider inclusion issues, I am delighted to have convened the Parliament's cross-party group on digital participation for a number of years. There, we have heard some really positive stories of how communities right across Scotland have been embracing technology and trying to broaden its appeal and relevance to as many citizens as possible. We have heard from community broadband projects that are working well from housing associations who offer innovative and affordable solutions for tenants, from small businesses who rely on fast data access to reach out directly to a wider client base than they might otherwise be able to afford to contact. From local initiatives across a number of councils who do some great work in that really important area of providing access to and demystifying the technology, particularly for older citizens, many of whom still remain sceptical and even suspicious about technology. My own council in East Ayrshire is doing some great work through the digital participation network to assess all the skills gaps in communities wherever they are and to provide lots of support opportunities for everyone. They know the importance of reaching out and bringing people along in this digital journey that I mentioned earlier. Presiding Officer, we will probably never reach the end of this digital journey that we are so locked into in this modern society. New and ever more exciting technological achievements are bound only by our imagination and the value that our citizens see in all of this depends on our ability and willingness to make it easy for everyone to share the possibilities that come from it. The great Alan Turan said, we can only see a short distance ahead but we can see plenty there that needs to be done. A wonderful reminder for us, I think, about the challenges ahead for all of us as we seek to build a digital society for all. Thank you very much, Mr Coffey. I call Jamie Halcro Johnston. We follow by Richard Lyle. Mr Halcro Johnston, please. Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. I also welcome Kate Forbes to her role as a new minister and as a Highlander. It's good to have somebody who will have shared the many frustrations a lot of us in the Highlands and Islands will have felt when using the internet. As we've already heard today, digital connectivity touches the lives of an increasing number of Scots and an ever-increasing number of ways. I welcome the Carnegie Trust's work in this area and the light that's being cast on those who have been left out. In its 2016 report, the trust set out some of its initial evidence about digital exclusion. We can see clearly the concentration of that exclusion in certain sectors of society, as well as some of the consequences and outcomes that it has. This has been a pressing issue in the Highlands and Islands for some time, as the minister will be aware. For many communities in remote and rural areas of Scotland, digital inclusion remains little more than an aspiration. To quote the Carnegie Trust, many of those groups who are currently digitally excluded could benefit disproportionately from the benefits of being online. This is an important conclusion. It is especially true in areas that are distant from public services, where there is a dependence on goods being delivered and where isolation can be a problem. Some of those groups I'd like to turn my attention to this afternoon. I'm pleased that the motion touches on employability, as the evidence shows that digital inclusion is at some of its lowest levels at the lowest paid end of the socioeconomic scale. There can be no doubt that digital skills are of huge benefit in finding good quality work in our modern economy, and are now invaluable transferable skills in a range of jobs. The internet is also increasingly where people go to look for jobs, and the online services offered by agencies like Job Center Plus make finding jobs increasingly convenient. In its programme for government earlier this year, the Scottish Government committed to greater support for retraining, hopefully recognising to some degree that the nature of employment and the careers is changing. However, if we reflect on how people access retraining opportunities and how they keep their skills up to date, there is a worrying conclusion here. If the skills gap remains unaddressed, the gap in reskilling and adaptability in the labour market at the lowest end of the income scale will grow too. An economy where the lowest earners are excluded from those opportunities is not a fair economy. For older people too, there are considerable advantages to being connected. At the weekend, many will have read in the newspapers that only 60 per cent of care homes across the United Kingdom have Wi-Fi available to all residents. I would assume that the figure for Scotland would be broadly similar. At present, a number of care homes use Wi-Fi in various ways to improve residents' lives. Bridging geography by arranging video calls between residents and their families, for example. However, the demand in this sector will only grow, and older people living in their own homes will also increasingly look towards digital connectivity to provide entertainment and the range of consumer devices that are available. Its impact can also be more apparent when we look at the provision of support to some older people. In some cases, internet-connected monitoring devices can provide help to people with dementia to allow them to live independently for longer. My colleague Donald Cameron spoke in his opening speech about some of the educational work that is taking place, utilising digital technology on Scotland's islands communities, and the Western Isles in particular. In addition to the educational opportunities that this brings, we also see in the Western Isles how digital can provide support to our local linguistic and cultural heritage. Parts of my region are also heavily dependent on tourism, whether we think of space-side Scotland's whisky capital in Murray or the attractions of my own home area of Orkney, and expansion of digital services can offer real opportunities. The work that goes into supporting small local businesses to get online pays dividend and provides a low-cost avenue for bodies like Visit Scotland to attract and inform visitors. Yet many businesses, particularly in the island communities like Orkney and Shetland, are small. For them, the barriers to fully embracing a digital society are higher. What we must ensure is that the Highlands and Islands does not find itself at a competitive disadvantage. In referring back to the words of the Carnegie Trust, it is these communities where digital inclusion will have the greatest benefits. That is why I have been repeatedly disappointed when broadband roll-out is taking place. It is the same communities that I have mentioned that often appear to be at the bottom of the queue. That leaves a geographical concentration of digital exclusion. Indeed, we know well that the Highlands and Islands has many of the very worst areas in the entire United Kingdom for connectivity. That is not a legacy to be proud of. In March last year, the responsible cabinet secretary said that economic success demands that our ability to benefit from digital is not limited by where we choose to live or work. That is a fine aspiration, but it is far from the experience felt by many of my constituents. As the Scottish Government looks forward to the future of its work on digital inclusion, it is clear that across many parts of Scotland, people face varying levels of multiple exclusion. The reality, of course, is that much of the expansion in digital inclusion has come from the private sector, as the growth in connected devices has been consumer driven. In the past 20 years, exploiting the potential of digital technology has moved from desktop into people's pockets on their televisions, even through devices on their kitchen counter. It is becoming far more accessible. Still, there remains an excluded minority that it is challenging to reach. The first priority must be to make digital connectivity available. In my region, we have found ourselves lagging behind when it is clear that the timing of roll-out is vitally important. I ask us to look not at the challenges and costs, but to the opportunities, the potential for economic growth, for higher pay and for reducing isolation, and for personalising public services and for improving living standards. Richard Lyle, followed by James Kelly. Can I begin my remarks this afternoon by welcoming the opportunity to contribute to this debate in a digital society for all? I thank my colleague the minister for bringing forward the debate, which provides us an opportunity to talk about the record of this Government on delivering digital participation and thus providing better access to fair work, higher-wage jobs. Jobs being the key priority for me when I consider my election to this place. Presiding Officer, I wish that, whilst we are on the issue of digital inclusion, to consider the issue of broadband, and whilst I know that many in the chamber may think that we know all about broadband, you never know. You have to see your grandchildren showing you how to access Peppa Pig or Robert Transformers. You will forgive me for that aside. I sounded a bit like my friend Stuart Stevenson for a moment there, but in an answer to my esteemed colleague, Mr Stevenson, last week, the minister Paul Gilhouse outlined around broadband universal service obligation commitments that the Scottish Government has repeated the U.K. Government to match Scotland's ambition and set the broadband universal service obligation at 30 megabytes per second, which would help to deliver the superfast broadband connections to our rural communities, not the 10 megabytes that they have proposed. Indeed, Scotland is the only part of the U.K. to have committed to extending superfast access to 100 per cent of premises supported by initial procurement of £600 million. The minister outlined that, despite the new minister's request and the regulation legislation of telecommunications being wholly reserved to the U.K. Parliament, the U.K. Government has contributed a mere 3.5 per cent of that investment with the Scottish Government committing 96.5 per cent. Colleagues will therefore understand why I was perplexed when, during a visit to my son's house in a boin Aberdeenshire over the summer recess, that a letter was received from the local Conservative member of parliament, Mr Andrew Bowie. First wrong thing, he did not even have the goodness to put my son's name on the letter. In the letter, Mr Bowie stated, the overwhelming concern for those I speak with were the changes to the local bus services in Aberdeen. I will wait for it and this is where I laughed, the lack of broadband provision in the area. Mr Bowie then went on to state that he had been in constant communication with both open reach and digital Scotland with a view to receive more information when better provision will be provided. My son's broadband and facetime and telephone access is excellent. Perhaps Mr Bowie should be a better place to write to his colleagues in the Conservative U.K. Government and ask them when they will help to put the bill for the investment in this area. Indeed, in his own words, when better provision will be provided, I hope that Mr Bowie and the Conservative colleagues in Westminster and Holyrood will start to remember that this is a reserved area and that they should get on with the day job and help the SNP Scottish Government to deliver for all of Scotland. On the topic of remote and rural communities, it is clear that in order to bring accessibility and sustainable Wi-Fi to those communities, we may have to require innovative ideas that will require us to support wider thinking about potential solutions. One such company that I have been engaged with over the course of the past many months and its ideas are innovative and exactly the type of solution-based approach that we will require to move forward. Its idea is to have lamp posts coupled with self-sustainable electricity through renewables that will also act as Wi-Fi connection points for communities in Scotland. That type of wider thinking is exactly what is required if we wish to meet the challenges that we face in the delivery of digital inclusion for all. Indeed, those challenges are one that this Government has recognised and are working to address having just last year published its digital strategy, which set out how the Scottish Government intends to place digital at the heart of everything that it does for reforming public services to delivering economic growth. That included the creation of conditions routes that lead to 150,000 working-in-digital technology jobs across Scotland by the start of the next decade. Again, jobs, as my colleague Willie Coffey spoke about, have been the key focus of our work. To ensure that every premise in Scotland is able to access broadband speeds of at least 30 megabytes by 2021, as I have already mentioned. All the while against the backdrop of funding and investment through a new digital school programme, a new digital growth fund around the funding for community digital inclusion projects and the expansion of Scotland's digital partition charter. Closing the digital divide in Scotland will positively impact social cohesion and improve both social and economic inclusion. That is a sad fact that digital inequalities are more likely to be experienced by those who are already more likely to be disadvantaged according to their measures. Indeed, in Scotland, the digital divide remains along a number of dimensions, including age and social economic deprivation. For example, 26 per cent of adults living in 20 per cent of more deprived areas in Scotland reported not using the internet compared with 16 per cent in the rest of the country. That is over 1 in 4. Further concern is that 70 per cent of those aged 75 do not use the internet. Closing the digital divide is crucial to the future of a fairer Scotland, and I am proud to support this Government, which is doing that. Thank you very much. I call James Kelly to be followed by Bill Kidd. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. The advance of technology is probably the biggest thing that has happened, and it is one of the biggest things that has happened in my lifetime. I reflect back to 1981, when I was a computer information system student at Glasgow College of Technology. To get your computer programme into the college mainframe, you first of all had to write the programme out on coding sheets, which were then keyed on to cards by a keyboard operator in the cards and then fed them into the mainframe before your computer programme could actually be compiled. If it came back with a pile of errors, you had to go through the process again. It is quite astonishing when you look at that real advance in technology. Back then, in 1981, for example, when people went on holiday, they sent postcards home. Now, when people go on holiday, they immediately take photographs and they can share them on Facebook or WhatsApp, and people back home and throughout the world can instantly see them enjoying their holiday. It is also great for people in education. You have got whole wealth of information on the internet that helps students and those just looking to better themselves in terms of acquiring more knowledge. As many in the debate have said, it saves people money. When people are purchasing goods and services, they are able to compare rates using the technology available. There have been tremendous advances made, but it would be easy to sit back and reflect in the glow of that and think that everything is fine, but the reality is that there is a lot going on in the country that means that people do not have access to that technology. If I look at awards near where I stay on Central and North, 28.26 per cent of children are living in poverty households in that word. Indeed, over canvas line in Rutherglen, there are over 3,000 children living in poverty households, so a lot of those households will not have access to the technology that people have spoken about during the case of the debate. That was brought home to me when, as part of challenge poverty week, I recently visited the Whitlerburn hub. It is an excellent facility providing IT support facilities to people who do not have IT access. There were a lot of people there who simply could not afford computers, tablets or the type of phones. They needed the facility because they required IT accounts in order to access properly the benefits system or to try and get back into work that they were developing CVs. The CV support and IT support there were very beneficial, but the people using that facility were locked out from information technology. The other point that we need to bear in mind is the role that is played by big business IT providers in excluding people from the digital world. A lot of them try to lock people into longer-term contracts that involve substantial financial commitments. They also bundle up a number of facilities and try to lock people in. Sometimes people get locked into contracts and they might not afford them and run into debt. Other people simply cannot afford a long-term and inexpensive contract like that. Research by the university of Harvard demonstrated that there is a real benefit in community-owned information technology providers. Indeed, there is one again near to where I stay in Whitlerburn. The Whitlerburn housing co-op has its own communications co-op that it has set up. It provides access in terms of much shorter bundles so that people can access technology for only a week at a time. Access has gone up over the period that technology co-op has been in place from 39 per cent to 80 per cent. That shows the massive reach that a local housing co-op community-based information IT facility can have. I think that there is a lot that needs to be done to take this area forward. There are clearly major policy challenges around the number of people that are in poverty and the number of people who are doing two or three jobs that do not have enough money to access the facilities that we have been talking about. That is part of a wider debate that will take place in the budget. I urge the new minister and I wish her well in her endeavours to do more in terms of lobbying big business IT providers to provide better and lower-cost packages in order to get more people into IT. We should also do more to support community solutions. There is a lot that has been advanced in this area but there is a lot still to be done. Thank you very much, Mr Kelly. I call Bill Kidd to be followed by Jeremy Balfour. Mr Balfour, we are the last speaker in the open debate. Mr Kidd, please. Thank you, Presiding Officer, and in welcoming Kate Forbes to her new role, I would like to thank her very much for bringing this topic forward for debate. I have noted with interest how much of the motion that is being debated today highlights the impact of digital technologies on people with a range of disabilities. That is an important topic because it recognises how technology has the capacity to transform lives. That is something to be embraced and something to be celebrated. New digital technologies such as assistive technology, for example, can allow people with disabilities to access work at all levels of employment. As we become a more digitally focused society, it is important to consider how technology can help people with disabilities, whether that be a physical or a learning disability. Today, I would like to focus on one particular way in which I think that technology has the capacity to improve the lives of dyslexic people, particularly whilst in higher education. Dyslexia Scotland estimates that one in 10 people are dyslexic in some way. That is over half a million people in Scotland. Dyslexia is genetic and common runs in families. Although it is commonly known as a learning difficulty, it also has many abilities attached. Dyslexics tend to be very good problem solvers, innovative thinkers and also artistically or musically talented. Research shows that an equal number of boys and girls have dyslexia, so it is not something that is gender specific. Research has also found that UK entrepreneurs are five times more likely to have dyslexia than the average UK citizen. Despite all that, learning can be very challenging at times, as the dyslexic way of thinking often does not fit in. In 2017, the organisation that was made by dyslexia produced research showing that 9 out of 10 dyslexic individuals said that the condition had made them feel angry, stupid or embarrassed. The frustration that can come whilst at school or university as a dyslexic can damage a student's self-efficacy. By self-efficacy, I refer to a student or pupil's belief in their ability to achieve and how that can make them not aim as high in their work and therefore affects their grade. Among many other factors, a dyslexic student's frustration commonly comes from taking sometimes three times longer to read and comprehend a passage of text. I want to emphasise a simple example of how technology has the potential to transform the experience of dyslexics in higher education. Online academic texts can be made available in dyslexia friendly fonts. It is not an earth shattering change that does not require upheaval to make it happen. As education becomes increasingly available online, whether that is through online modules or academic texts accessed by digital libraries, there is new potential for education providers to make learning accessible in ways not previously possible. The idea of creating a mechanism for books or articles to be read in a dyslexic friendly font is not a new one. It has already been adopted commercially and perhaps one of the most significant adoptions of dyslexic friendly fonts has come from Kindle. Almost all of Kindle's books are available to read in a dyslexia friendly font. Microsoft Word also has the open dyslexic font type, available for people to use on their computers at home or at work. That means that if you download something in word format rather than PDF, then you can change the font manually yourself. The United Nations is an organisation that allows treaties and documents to be downloaded in word format rather than PDF, which allows people to make appropriate changes should they be deemed required. The Scottish Government's digital strategy is a promising one. It highlights that digital technology is to be at the heart of everything that it does and the strategy goes on to promote cross-sector collaboration in the adoption of digital technologies. I welcome the consideration of the impact of digital technologies on people with a range of disabilities. I encourage those working within our leading education sectors to consider what changes can be made to help students with disabilities of whatever nature to engage and contribute to the best of their abilities. In conjunction with digital libraries such as GyStore, our Scottish universities have the capacity to make one small change that could have a transformational life and transformational impact of life for dyslexic students. It is very important that we use technology to the best advantage possible. It is there, it can be used and I very much support the Scottish Government's direction to do so. I welcome Kate Forbes to her new role. A digital society is a good thing and one that we are striving to become. Until we become a digitally inclusive society, we will be failing. The key word is that we have to be inclusive to all here in Scotland. Digital inclusion describes people's ability to gain access to digital technology and, perhaps most importantly, un-understand how to use it. I attended an event last night that the minister was speaking at and left me sitting there thinking that I have not got a skimmy of most of the things that they are talking about. You can go to something, you can look at it, you can press buttons, but unless you understand how to use it, frankly, we have not made much progress. At a very basic level, more and more is done online. We pay our bills online, we get public policy online, we get application forms online, we do our shopping online and all those things are good in themselves. We have heard this afternoon from other members about perhaps geographical issues and other problems that people face in regard to getting access and inclusion to digital material. However, I suggest that wherever you live in Scotland, if you are disabled or if you are elderly, you have a greater challenge than the rest of society. The Centre for Age and Better found that over 55s made up 94 per cent of non-internet users. That is a startling figure and a figure that is likely to grow unless we address it quickly. What can we do to address some of those issues? First, we need to have proper access. For most of us, we will have our computers at home, we will have our iPhones in our pocket, but for those who are elderly and disabled, often that is not an option. Unless we have access to the equipment, we will simply fail. However, even if we have access to the issues, we then need to have the confidence and the training to use it. For people who have disability, for people who are elderly, that could often be a big challenge. However, we can overcome some of those challenges. Computers can open up things, particularly for disabled people who simply were not there before. Things like Dragon, where you can speak on to the computer, opens up access to people who find it difficult to type or use a keyboard. I think that we need to look at whether the right people are getting use of that software. For me, it has revolutionised the way that I can do emails and write speeches and correspond with people. Rather than having to type all the time, I simply speak to the computer. Unfortunately, it still often comes out as gibberish, but that is mine and not the computer's thought. Those kinds of things are basic, comparatively cheap, but a lot of people in society are simply not getting access to it. There are good examples. We have heard some from the ministers and others about engaging with older people. In Edinburgh, a project has been run in care homes, which is called Moose in the Hoose. That project is an IT outreach project for older people living in care homes. In five care homes here in Edinburgh, on a weekly basis, volunteers go in and encourage and help those in the home to use the internet, email and Skype. Particularly older people who perhaps families do not live here in Edinburgh any more. It is an opportunity on a regular basis to catch up with children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren. I think that there are challenges ahead. I think that there are opportunities. I think that both Governments, both here north and south of the border, need to work together. Perhaps the overriding message is for us to say that we shouldn't be scared of digital technology. We should encourage people to use it, but we need to give them the training and the confidence to do that. I call Colin Smyth to close for Labour up to seven minutes, Mr Smyth. You have not got your microphone on, because your cards are not upside down. I just changed consoles. Please spare car for Mr Smyth. It would not happen in a digital debate, would it not? You could not plan it. You now have six minutes. I will not accuse anyone of switching me off halfway through, or even before I get started. It is usually at the end, before you cut me off. However, today's debate will give or take the odd technological fault. It has made clear the importance of digital inclusion. I think that there has been a real unity of purpose in seeing some of the barriers that far too many people in our society face when it comes to benefiting from the technological revolution. That revolution impacts on every aspect of society and every aspect of our lives, which is changing as a result of digitisation. In the opening of the debate and in the Government's motion, Kate Forbes highlighted that the Canadian Trust report living digitally and evaluation of the clever clogs digital care and support system. It gave us a glimpse into the potentially transformative effect of digital inclusion on health and social care. That pilot showed an increase in digital participation among those using the clever clogs and clearly illustrates the wider benefits of digital participation. It suggests that the use of clever clogs resulted in improved overall mental wellbeing with participants recording higher-average life satisfaction, increased happiness and decreased boredom. It also showed improved self-management of health conditions among participants, with some indicators suggesting improved independence more broadly. However, the project also highlighted the help for those working in the health and social care sector, showing that staff using clever clogs saved an average of approximately five minutes per visit and time spent on administrative tasks. The report concludes that the system holds promise for reaching those with the most entrenched digital exclusion and improving their quality of life. That is just one example of how utilising new technology and supporting digital engagement can help to deliver person-centred care and improve wellbeing within the health and social care sector. Emma Harper also highlighted another initiative in healthcare, the attend anywhere initiative. In communities right across Scotland, innovative locally-led work such as that has taken place to improve digital participation and inclusion. SCVO has been doing some invaluable work supporting those types of projects right across Scotland. It has provided £1.6 million worth of funding to 169 local projects. It has also received a commitment to tackling digital exclusion from 600 organisations from across the public, private and third sectors as part of their digital participation chat. In my own region, Trust Housing Association has been working with SCVO to deliver the aims of the digital participation chatter across their local services. One resident, a 78-year-old woman who was initially sceptical about efforts to promote digital learning, is now regularly using her iPad and has said that it has helped to reduce feelings of isolation and boredom. Another resident was having trouble accessing information on her iPad and while staff were not able to help, a fellow resident managed to solve the problem. That illustrates how digital learning can help to promote independence but also to foster a sense of community. Those modern, innovative projects have huge potential across a range of policy areas, and I welcome the Scottish Government's role in supporting them. However, as the debate has shown, that needs to be supported by the necessary infrastructure and, speaker after speaker, highlighted the fact that, at present, that infrastructure is simply not yet fit for purpose. We all agree with the aims of the R100 programme, which learns from the weaknesses of the previous programme and does not set in minimum speeds for everyone. Patrick Harvie may be happy with his internet speed in the centre of Glasgow, where he seems to love nothing more than whirling around Google Earth. However, if he visits many rural parts of my region, I can tell him that the only whirling around that people have when it comes to broadband is the red circle on the screen when they try to load a programme on Netflix but do not have the internet speed to do so. R100 aims to tackle that, but, as Rhoda Grant highlighted, we are still waiting to see an overall strategy for delivering genuine 100 per cent coverage at those speeds that we want, and in particular, there are still no details on the planned intervention scheme. If 100 per cent is possible, then the Scottish Government needs to provide details of how that will be achieved and needs to clearly map out their planned timeline of activity as soon as possible after the procurement process has concluded. However, as the debate also highlighted, accessibility is not just a matter of coverage. If we are to genuinely advance digital inclusion, we must also consider how to improve affordability and ensure that everyone has the necessary skills to make use of the technology when it is available. James Kelly highlighted the barriers that people in his area face but, crucially, the many local initiatives to break down those barriers and the need to expand those solutions. Bill Kidd highlighted the fact that those with disabilities can face exclusion and again set out how technological initiatives can break down some of those barriers, transforming the lives of those with dyslexia. Jeremy Balfour talked personally about how technology helped him to break down some of those barriers, even if no one distracted from the fact that he said that he still talks gibberish. It was, however, a very positive example of how to use digitisation to redress inequalities. That is why the roll-out of R100 breaking down those barriers is so important, ensuring that people on low incomes, those who face disabilities and those who do not have access to internet and broadband speeds are supported to make sure that those barriers are broken down. I am pleased to have the opportunity to close the debate today. I, like others, welcome minister Kate Forbes into her new role, a role that I am pleased to shadow. We have already had positive discussions other than who has the most beautiful constituency, and I look forward to future similar meetings. In the words of the founder of the World Economic Forum, we stand on the brink of a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work and relate to one another, and its scope, scale and complexity, the transformation will be unlike anything that humankind has experienced before. We do not yet know how it will unfold, but one thing is clear, the response to it must be integrated and comprehensively involve all stakeholders of the global polity and the public and private sectors to academia and civil society. However, unless we take urgent action, the dawn of the digital age will not be coming soon to a small town near you, and that is clearly seen in my constituency in Galloway and Western Fries. The lack of reliable digital connectivity remains one of the biggest issues. I do not often agree with Patrick Harvie, but in this case he is absolutely spot on. It is not the lack of super-fast speeds but simply the lack of reliability, but we know that super-fast fibre broadband will deliver much improved reliability. It will deliver a network that we can depend on to deliver the information and services that we need. We constantly hear in debates in this chamber and elsewhere about the speeds in which the two Governments want to commit to. The reality that people cut off from the digital world do not care much about the commitment to speeds, they just want to know when they will be reliably connected. Right now, too many of our vulnerable and isolated people have little or no confidence or trust in their broadband network. Unreliable internet connection alone is a barrier to them, even considering accessing the internet and its benefits. I genuinely hope that this Government's R100 can be delivered by 2021. However, as other members have said, and Digital Scotland suggests that the Scottish Government faces significant challenges in delivering R100 within the time frame. That said, the Scottish Conservatives welcome the motion today and we welcome the report referred to by the minister in our motion for the UK. If we get it right for Scotland, everyone, no matter where or who, should benefit from solutions in the blue light and justice sector that will deliver better governance, automation and, therefore, speedier process. They will benefit from improved choice and availability in education, moving from reliance on physical posts to digital channels and health by better support for clinicians and technology that encourages patient engagement and improvements derived from individual focused communications and transactions between councils and their citizens. An interactive solution for social housing and care at home, bringing more choice and independence and far more face-to-face time allocated to those who need it most. The biggest benefit from digital inclusion will, of course, be felt by those groups who are currently excluded from participating in much of what the majority take for granted. Therefore, getting everybody on board is critical, and getting those who need it more on board should be on board first, and that should be our overriding ambition. Members have mentioned the Carnegie report, where clever clogs are highlighted as a digital and social care system delivering to help those who have never used the internet or do not have technology skills, confidence or the ability to independently use it at home, bringing huge positives for many of its participants. An SCVO report states that having systems such as clever clogs in place is absolutely vital for pushing for an inclusive digital society. The report also highlighted that over one in five in Scotland do not have basic digital skills. Equally worrying is almost half of businesses in Scotland identify gaps in their digital skills, with 21 per cent of businesses believing that those gaps and skills are significant. We seriously need to push for more children to get involved in digital courses, a point not lost on the leading businesses last night taking part in the RBS tech pitch that was attended by the minister. A Connected Scotland, the Government-draft strategy to tackle social isolation and loneliness, included responses to reinforcing the importance of inclusion, such as digital technology can facilitate social connection, particularly where it links people to in-person activities or services. Digital inclusion was also viewed as beneficial for rural communities and disabled people as a way of overcoming geographical and physical barriers to social interaction. Including everyone in the digital revolution is one of the biggest challenges that we face in society. If we do not get it right, we run an increased risk of creating a further digital divide. A digital divide at this time not only simply refers to connectivity, but a digital divide between those who can and those who cannot benefit from the fast approach in digital society. A problem that is very apparent in rural areas, as my colleague Donald Cameron's amendment refers. Equally important—we cannot forget how important it is that everyone has the required skills not only to utilise digital solutions but also to develop them. Education and training must start now and include everyone, from almost the cradle to almost the grave. Digital inclusion will be the defining challenge of our age. Let's get it right. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. I begin by thanking those who have taken part in today's debate. Let me settle something very clearly at the outset of the debate to resolve the debate between Mr Carson and my colleague Ms Forbes. Neither of them represent the most beautiful constitution in Scotland. That privilege is entirely mine. Can I welcome the contributions that we have had across the chamber? I think that there has been, by and large, a great degree of consensus in those contributions. I think that that comes from an acceptance across the board from every member of the point that Colin Smyth correctly laid out and that Rhoda Grant re-emphasised that access to digital services is now viewed as an essential component, just the same way as access to utilities. I recognise that it is a social and economic imperative that we ensure that people have access to the technology, to the infrastructure and to the skills that they can use to harness that technology. In that regard, it is important that we recognise the work that has taken place led by this Government, but involving the wider public sector, the private sector, the voluntary sector and that it has taken place right across the length of breadth of Scotland to increase digital inclusion across the country. In that regard, we see some significant progress. The latest figures that were available show that digital participation in Scotland has risen from just under 63 per cent in 2007 to 82 per cent in 2016. Over that same period of time, the gap in internet access between the lowest and highest income brackets decreased from 67 per cent to 30 per cent. In that regard, let me say to Mr Smyth whilst recognising that we have had great consensus. I thought to his amendment where it spoke of the Scottish Government failing to tackle digital exclusion was a little uncharitable. In that regard, I cannot accept his amendment. What I can say, of course, is that I recognise that there is still a challenge before us. We have seen that gap narrow, as I have laid out in terms of digital participation, access to digital infrastructure, internet access. What we have seen over the last few years is a flat line among those in the highest income deciles largely because we have reached saturation points in terms of access to internet and digital technology. The challenge now is for us to ensure that we bridge the gap between those who have access and those who do not. Jamie Greene spoke about the concern that one in five people in Scotland lack digital skills. He said that it was the SCVO that identified that as a concern. That is, of course, a concern. That is why the Scottish Government has laid out its digital participation strategy. One of the key players in responding to that challenge is the SCVO itself. We are working with the SCVO, we are working with registered social landlords, we are working with third sector organisations to respond to that challenge, working closely with them. Of course, we recognise that they are in most direct contact with people whom we need to involve in the process. The area of the population of course where we see the digital deficit most pronounced, of course, has been said in older people. That is why, of course, the Scottish Government has taken forward its Let's Get online programme encouraging older people to take first steps to getting online, supported by a wide range of activity to promote that campaign. We have made a lot of progress. There is more to be done and more will be done. As part of that, Mike Rumbles spoke of the need for a meaningful process of education. I agree with that. That is why, through our STEM strategy, we are encouraging people to pursue careers in digital through the variety of careers advice and information and guidance that they can get in school. That is why we are putting in place a foundation apprenticeship in the school environment in software and hardware. That is why we are increasing the number of college university student placements with employers in STEM curriculum areas. That is why we have now got a graduate apprenticeship in software and hardware, ensuring that our education system is geared towards equipping people with the digital skills that they need. I must call you. Mike Rumbles, please. Of course, my main point was that, in addition to education, I think that where there is a will, there is a way. I am trying to be helpful to the Scottish Government here. If it could bring forward the 100 per cent target to me, the Scottish Government would benefit tremendously by doing that. The people of Scotland would benefit greatly. Of course, the rewards would be reaped by the Scottish Government if it would do that, in accordance with its manifesto on page 9. I look forward to Mike Rumbles's newfound charitable attitude towards the Scottish Government being the hallmark and feature of every contribution that he makes in this chamber. Let me assure him that I will take on the issue of infrastructure in a minute, because I recognise that that is important. However, I wanted to pick up on a few other contributions from other members. Importantly, Emma Harper invited Kate Forbes to visit her region. I am happy to accept that invite on Kate Forbes' behalf. I can tell the chamber that she did say that it would be okay to do that, but she also spoke of the need to utilise digital technology for better health management. Again, that is one of the other ways that we can demonstrate the need to increase the digital competence of Scotland's population by investing in that area, because there can be great health benefits through that approach. That is why we welcome the fact that there are more than 2 million visitors in a single month to the NHS Inform website. That is why we now have the attend anywhere video consultation service operating in the NHS Highland area. That is why we have home and mobile health monitoring used to inform self-management decisions by the patient support diagnosis treatment and care decisions by professionals supporting them. That is why it was very welcome in the findings of the report that we are debating today in terms of social care. Although I am not part of the main study, we see clever clogs as the potentials, a telecare device as well. In Edinburgh, the Edinburgh City Council regionats supported some 15 people who wanted to change their method of overnight care, which has improved the service for them, but has also led to savings for the local authority. Bill Kidd spoke very tailingly of the power of technology, supporting those with dyslexia, which again was another reminder of the positive power of technological change. There was, and that is where I turn to—yes. Patrick Harvie. I am grateful to the minister for giving way. I may have been the only member who talked about digital rights as prominently, but does the Government accept the basic point that I was making that, as we live more of our lives online, we are only going to maximise the benefits and reduce and manage any potential downsides if digital rights are every much part of the Government's focus as digital participation? What is the Government going to do to address that agenda? The short answer is yes. I do accept that. There is work under way, but the time is short, so I would be happy to respond to Mr Harvie if he wanted to write to me in that regard on a fuller basis. I want to turn to the issue of infrastructure, because there was some discussion about that. Understandably, Mike Rumbles invited me to comment at Donald Cameron. I want to place this in context, because I think that it is important to do so. The digital Scotland superfast broadband scheme exceeded its 95 per cent fibre coverage target by the end of last year. It has benefited some 900,000 homes in the country. The reason and the point of saying that is to place very clearly the context of—let us take the Highlands and Islands area as a specific example, because I know that that is one that Mr Cameron will be interested in. Without that level of investment, coverage in the Highlands and Islands would have just been 21 per cent. There was no planned commercial coverage at all in Orkney, Shetland or the Western Isles, so it is only through the activity that we have engaged in that we now see the coverage that we have. Yes, of course, we need to go further, and that is why the 100 programme remains a concerted area of focus for us. There was some concern expressed that we will not hit that target. Let me be very clear the manner in which we are delivering the contracts that we have put in place. The prioritisation of the areas that we know must be targeted first, because they will not be hit commercially rural Scotland. It will be the focus of our activity, so we will hit that target. We are very confident that Mr Cameron or any of his colleagues have those concerns. They are, of course, welcome to raise them with us, but, equally, I hope that they will speak to their colleagues in the United Kingdom Government to express their concerns that they are contributing only 3.5 per cent of the £600 million of investment that we are leveraging into that infrastructure. That is a sign of this Government's commitment to the agenda, as is the range of activity that we have in place, and that is under way to ensure that everyone in Scotland can benefit. If we do not have a digitally inclusive society, we will have failed. I agree with that, and let me make it clear that this Government does not intend to fail. Thank you very much, and that concludes our debate on a digital society for all, working together to maximise the benefits of digital inclusion, and we turn straight to decision time. The first question is that amendment 14509.3, in the name of Donald Cameron, which seeks to amend motion 14509, in the name of Kate Forbes, on a digital society for all, be agreed? Are we all agreed? We are agreed. The next question is that amendment 14509.2, in the name of Colin Smyth, seeks to amend motion 14509, in the name of Kate Forbes, be agreed? Are we all agreed? We are not agreed. We will move to division. Members may cast their votes now. The result of the vote on amendment 14509.2, in the name of Colin Smyth, is, yes, 47, no, 68. There were no abstentions. The amendment is therefore not agreed. The final question is that motion 14509, in the name of Kate Forbes, as amended on a digital society for all, be agreed? Are we all agreed? We are agreed. That concludes decision time. We will move on shortly to members' business, in the name of Colin Smyth, on ban on the export of live animals for slaughter and fattening. We will take a few moments for the minister and ministers to change seats and for members to take seats.