 We have general questions. The Scottish one in the name of Paul Martin is not lodged. The member has provided an explanation question to George Adam. Thank you, Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government what impact the recent ffanzones among PAP will have on its policy in banning alcohol at football matches. Minister, Jamie Hepburn. I understand the ffanzones set up at the match between St Myr and Motherwells located outwith the restricted areas as covered by alcoholic football around its legislation. There are no plans to remove the existing restrictions on alcoholic football grounds. George Adam. I thank the minister for his answer. The minister would be aware that St Myr's ffanzones and adults were allowed to consume alcohol at the ground before the game. That passed without incident and encouraged a family event with various sections within the zone, including a play area for younger people. That was enjoyed by most of the fans, including myself and my wife Stacey. Would the minister support St Myr being used as a pilot club as a way to examine alcohol being reintroduced at football stadiums on match day? Minister. I say to Mr Adam that I am sure that he enjoyed and Stacey enjoyed that experience more than the last time our teams met when Patec Thistle 119. I thought that that was important to place on the record. In relation to the specific matter at hand, decisions on this matter are informed by Police Scotland, which confirmed that it is not at this stage minded to seek a relaxation of the controls on alcohol being sold within the stadiums at football matches, but is engaging with interested parties in reviewing matters. As a member of the SPFL, St Myr's ffanzones is one of those interested parties that should be part of any review. Thank you, Henry. Thank you. I think that George Adam makes an eminently sensible suggestion. I cannot understand why the minister won't look at a pilot project that encourages football fans to be treated as responsible adults in the same way that rugby fans are. Minister. Of course we will always be willing to consider any particular proposition that is put before us, but the position remains that we are informed in these matters by Police Scotland and they have confirmed at this stage that they are not minded to seek a relaxation of the existing controls. Question 3, Kenneth Gibson. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the impact of employment tribunal fees prior to the proposed devolution. Cabinet Secretary, Roseanna Cunningham. The Scottish Government is concerned that the current fee system unfairly impedes access to justice and in preparing for any new devolved responsibilities we will want to review the impact they might have. Kenneth Gibson. I thank the minister for that answer. Figures obtained by the Herald reveal a 68 per cent fall in Scottish cases, a fall of almost 5,000 in the nine months since the fees were introduced. Excuse me, Mr Gibson. Does the minister agree with the Law Society of Scotland that the impact of such fees has been catastrophic for claimants and that such fees are basically a charter for rogue employers? Cabinet Secretary. The member might be interested to know that Fergus Ewing, the Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism, wrote to Joe Swinson MP on 24 June 2013 outlining this Government's opposition to those fees. He highlighted then that for many people fees will represent an unaffordable risk regardless of the strength of the case. There is now a mounting body of evidence highlighting sharp falls in the numbers, bringing cases to employment tribunals, and the Law Society's statement is clearly based on that evidence. For the information of the chamber, we do know that there has been a reduction in total cases of 65 per cent in Scotland when comparing the three-month period in January, March 2014, with the same period in 2013. For that same period, six discrimination cases in Scotland fell by 84.6 per cent, race discrimination cases fell by 50 per cent and disability discrimination cases fell by 47.3 per cent. Those figures tell us that there is a great many people out there now unable to access the justice that they should be entitled to receive. To ask the Scottish Government when it last met representatives of COSLA and what issues were discussed. The Scottish Government meets frequently with representatives of COSLA to discuss shared policy interests. In addition, the Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment and I meet COSLA on a bi-monthly basis to discuss issues of mutual concern. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. We know that the political posturing over leaving COSLA has seen civil war break out between Labour councils. Two of the councils have U-turned in an initial decision to leave COSLA, with Western Bartonshire saying, we want to remain part of the organisation which provides a national voice for local government in Scotland. Unfortunately, Glasgow's still not changed its mind about leaving. Could the cabinet secretary tell me what he considers could be the impact in the people of Glasgow if this Labour council chose not to follow Inverclyde in Western Bartonshire and reconsidering the original decision to leave COSLA? Membership of COSLA is a matter for individual councils and all councils that remain members of COSLA at the present time and we continue to discuss shared policy interests with COSLA. I wouldn't dare interfere in internal matters. To ask the First Minister if the Scottish Government will consult with the local authority members and non-members of COSLA on an equal basis regarding national policy. Absolutely, we are more than happy to discuss all of these matters in a very inclusive manner, as always. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect people who serve the public from abuse or violence at work. Minister of Health, wheelhouse. All workers, including those who serve the public, deserve protection from abuse and violence. That is why Scotland's justice system provides for protection for all workers under our common laws of assault, threatening and abusive behaviour and breach of the peace. We fully support our police, prosecutors and courts in dealing robustly with people who offend against public-facing workers. In addition, the Scottish Government provides financial support to the Scottish Business Resilience Centre, who work with employers to help put in place measures to help to keep members of staff safe from abuse and violence while at work. The Regulatory Reform Act 2014 also introduced additional provisions to extend protection to SIPA officers in the conduct of their duties. Hugh Henry. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Warn words, but no commitment to actually do anything from the minister. Also some indication of double standards. Can the minister tell us why the Scottish Government believes quite rightly that emergency workers need specific protection? Why the solicitor general believes that victims of domestic abuse need specific protection, but that workers who are assaulted at work do not need specific protection? Minister. I just outlined in my original answer to the member that we have taken action in the 2014 Regulatory Reform Act to protect front-line workers from SIPA, so the point that was made about us not taking action and just having worn words is entirely false. I would also say that we do recognise the issue that the member raised about emergency workers. We support the views offered by the Crown Office about the difference between emergency workers and public-facing workers. The Lord Advocate Colin Boyd QC at the time of the Emergency Workers Act in parliamentary debates in relation to emergency workers, Scotland Bill in 2004, and said the following. It's completely unacceptable that anyone should be the subject of assault or abuse at work. We want to make sure that law is an effective tool in ensuring the safety and welfare of emergency workers and all public service workers. The legislation is not the answer in every case. In some situations, the best possible solutions lie with an existing law. I'm firmly a view that this is true for the protection of public service workers. We take the issue seriously, but the existing laws can be enforced, as I said earlier, in terms of the offences of assault, offensive behaviour and breaches of peace. That's what we intend to do. Question 6. Jenny Marra. To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to assist business start-ups. The Scottish Government is committed to providing the economic environment to enable businesses to start up and thrive. Support ranges from our competitive business rates package, advice and assistance for entrepreneurship and innovation, delivered through our enterprise agencies, the business gateway and through other channels, investment in infrastructure and international assistance. The latest official statistics published by ONS in November 2014 showed that there were 21,540 new businesses registrations in Scotland in 2013, which was an increase from 17,385 in 2012. That represents a 23.9 per cent increase over the last year, taking the business birthrate to a record high. Jenny Marra. I thank the cabinet secretary for his answer. I saw his press release heralding this progress. However, the main cities in Scotland show a bit of disparity. Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow are the main cities in Scotland. They are the main cities in Scotland. Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow are consistently in the top five for business start-ups, but my home city of Dundee languishes in the bottom third of this table consistently for business start-up. What will the cabinet secretary do to put additional support into Dundee to encourage economic growth? Cabinet secretary. I don't know why Jenny Marra is so desperate to consistently talk down achievements in the city of Dundee. In the city of Dundee, 28.8 per cent increase in business start-ups between 2012 and 2013 was a higher increase in the business birthrate than for the whole of Scotland, which was 23.9 per cent, as I have just said to Parliament. It is beyond me why Jenny Marra is so determined, question by question, to talk down the achievements of the city of Dundee, delivering a faster increase than the rest of Scotland. Of course, the Government is committed through all the interventions we take through the delivery of our enterprise agency support through Scotland, through the work of the business gateway which is undertaken, through the support. I have just this morning been at the launch of some new initiatives with the Prince's Trust, who deploy support to new business start-ups, the length of birth of Scotland, including in the city of Dundee. All of those are measures that the Government will support, and our can-do entrepreneurship framework is attracting international attention as a successful strategy in encouraging business birthrate improvement, and I do hope that it attracts some support from Jenny Marra in the period to come. Linda Fabiani. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Does the Cabinet Secretary agree with me on the importance of small businesses to all our local communities? Does he therefore think that anyone wishing to start a new business should be given every support from both national and local government? Does he further agree that this is an element of the work of the East Kilbride Task Force which should be treated very seriously? Cabinet Secretary? Yes, and for the reasons that Linda Fabiani has outlined, the Government has prioritised support for small business through the maintenance of the most competitive approach to small business taxation in the United Kingdom through the small business bonus scheme. In addition to that, the Government works very closely with Business Gateway ensuring that companies at a local level in all localities can have access to the support of the enterprise network. I know that in East Kilbride where there have been economic challenges that have to be addressed by the East Kilbride Task Force that I certainly hope that this will be given the due priority at local level to ensure that every business development opportunity that can be taken forward in what has been an essential part of the business growth environment in Scotland in East Kilbride over many years is continued in the future. John Scott Thank you, Presiding Officer. The cabinet secretary will be aware that many personal licence holders in the licence trade have not had their personal licences renewed recently. That is inhibiting small businesses and business start-ups. Can the cabinet secretary, in conjunction with his colleague Paul Wheelhouse, seek a change in the legislation that is currently denying individuals their right to work in existing and new businesses? That is a huge problem. John Scott If Mr Scott will forgive me, I will explore in some detail the issues that he has raised today. If he would care to write to me about that, I will certainly ensure that it is given to me. The committee will have heard the comments that were made about the licensing system. We will certainly explore whether there is anything within the responsibility of the Government that it can be taken forward. Obviously, licensing decisions are invariably taken by local authority level through licensing boards, but we will explore the issues that Mr Scott has raised with me today. Question 7, Angus MacDonald. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with on the use of organophosphate products by farmers and crofters in the 1980s and 90s. Minister Morrie Watt As background the committee on toxicity published a statement on organophosphates on 13 March 2014. That followed a comprehensive systematic review of peer-rewed research on exposure to organophosphates that was published up to September 2013. It concluded that exposure to this chemical do not cause significant long-term neurological toxicity in adults. The review took account of extensive peer-reviewed journals on the use of and exposure to organophosphates by those in the agricultural sector. It would appear that independent scientific evidence over many years, including the latest independent statement published this year, has identified no risk to human health from the appropriate use of organophosphates and sheaped it. To date, the Scottish Government has not had discussions with the UK Government. However, I would be willing to raise this issue with my counterpart in the UK Government if substantive new evidence emerges. Angus MacDonald I note the minister's reply, however. She will be aware of the continuing concerns among some farmers, crofters and agricultural workers exposed to organophosphates through compulsory sheep dipping and application of pesticides in the 1980s and 90s. She will also be aware of the calls to attend an inquiry on the issue, including full disclosure of any UK Government documents that could shed light on how hundreds of farmers and crofters have suffered ill health over the years. Will she join me in backing those calls as there are still too many unanswered questions regarding the possible links between exposure to OPs and ill health amongst the farming community? Minister? Yes, as a farmer's daughter, I'm well aware of the calls. The issue of the impact of organophosphates is complicated and controversial, and I understand that there are calls for this down-house south. As I've said, I'm happy to meet the member and indeed other members who may have constituents who believe they have been adversely affected by organophosphates. Question 8, in the name of Jackie Baillie, has not been lodged. The member has provided me with an explanation. Question 9, Colin Kear. To ask the Scottish Government what improvements will be made to commuter rail services into Edinburgh as a result of awarding the franchise to Beilio, which is due to take effect from April 2015. Minister? Derek Mackay? The next franchise will build on existing improvements by delivering new trains and hand services and improved facilities. Within their bid, Beilio will recognise the need to increase train capacity throughout the country and have included plans to introduce 17 new electric trains in and out of Edinburgh by more than 20 per cent on peak services by 2018. Colin Kear? Thank the minister for his answer. He may be aware that many of my constituents who used a many in south Gail railway stations and who, over the years, have had to deal on occasions with shorting the three from six carriage trains resulting in overcrowding or passengers being left at the stations as well as extremely old rolling stock being used on a regular basis. Will the minister ensure that Beilio is aware of the past shortcomings and ensure that they are addressed after the April takeover? Yes, I will. To assist, Beilio is obliged to fit 30 per cent of trains with passenger counting equipment that will allow them to monitor patronage levels more accurately. That in turn will enable them to deliver through its franchise obligations to focus capacity on the train fleet. Generally, capacity issues are focused on. There are penalties, and we will strengthen that relationship with the operator to address any overcrowding and crowding issues that present themselves in the new franchise. Will the minister welcome the Smith commission's recommendations on more rail powers and would he acknowledge that postponing the decision on a Beilio could have seen improvements via the public sector and what are the prospects now for a public sector run in the future? Of course, the Scottish Government has been consistent in having those powers if only the Labour Party had been consistent in having those powers. Then maybe we could have made different decisions to the decisions that we have made, but we will now enter this franchise in good faith, get the best deal for Scotland and look to the future in terms of our options. We will welcome the new powers to Scotland, but if previous and successive Governments had taken different choices completely differently. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to alleviate the planned disruption to Glasgow Edinburgh rail services in summer 2015. Minister, Derek Mackay. Network rail are working closely with ScotRail to ensure that the route electrification work happening between now and the introduction of the first Edinburgh to Glasgow electric services in December 2016 is delivered with the minimum of disruption to the travelling public and that services and connections are maintained throughout. We understand the Winchborough tunnels being closed between 13 June and 27 July and trains will be diverted via Domene, then they will have to reverse. Some journeys are expected to take up 50 per cent longer and some trains may have to be cancelled. Meantime thousands of fans will be heading to the open golf championship at St Andrews. Surely for ScotRail as a matter of emergency, it should be contemplating express services and of appropriate special golf excursion trains via some of the alternative rail lines between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Minister. Of course we will work very closely with everyone to try and minimise the impact on the network but with such a major programme of investment and improvement some disruption is inevitable and I think that's why working with Network Rail and others will be taking place during the summer months. We will make sure that it sticks as close to time as possible and we will work to get information out there and minimise the impact on any national event and we will work closely with the new franchise to make sure that we can support the event as mentioned as best we can. This will be a massive investment overall into the line electrification and wider improvements. It will involve disruption but it will be worth it and we will do everything we can to minimise the impact on the travelling in public as we improve rail services right across the country. Thank you. We move to First Minister's Questions. Question number one, Kezia Dugdale. Do you ask the First Minister what engagement