 allwch chi'r aesblydd o'r d hyn gymaint for real services. Thank you very much for that. It concludes General Questions. We turn now to First Minister's questions and we begin with question number one from Jackson Carlaw. Presiding Officer, the desperate further news from Glasgow's Princess Royal Maternity hospital last night will have shocked us all here and across Scotland, and our deepest sympathies go out to the families of the two babies who have died. For any new parents, there can be nothing no news worse to bear ac mae'n cael cwybod o'r amersio, ac mae'n cael cestuے yn dwybod, yn myfio gilyddion o'r merydd iawn. In the light of those events, can I simply invite the First Minister to update the chamber? First Minister. I would like to thank Jackson Carlaw for that opportunity. I want to begin today by putting on records my heartfelt and sincere condolences to the parents of the two babies who died after contracting staff aurious infection. There is also a third baby who remains in neonatal intensive care and I am sure that the best wishes and the thoughts of everyone across the Parliament are with that child, the parents and wider families. Our primary concern and indeed that of the health board is the safety and wellbeing of patients and their families at all times. The health board is yn diwrnoddol, a'u lŷ, i chi'n iawn i jeithio i gael ei ysgawr, i wneud i fod ar y gwasзыll o'ch ffordd a'i gwbl o'i fath o'r fath yn y unig i gael ei fath o'r fathau a'i gael eich fathau i gael ei gael ei fathau o'u gael, i gael ei fathau i gael ei fathau i'u gael eu fathau i gael ei fathau i gael ei fathau, i gael ei fathau i gael ei fathau i gael y rhain. Mae gennym hwyllordgau ailleg o'r cychywdiau ddag ychydigon. Mae'r ddoch chi oesaf o'r edrych o'r cychywdiau ailleg yn cael ei dweud yn yr iaith ymlaen. Ymlaen i ddaw'r ysgolfaf y mae'r llyfr o'r rhain y tîm yn gelu aquagais sefydlach a'r rhain o'r rhywg. Mae'n rhain o'r rhain o'u rhain o'r cychywdiau a'r rhain o'r rhain o'r rhain o'r rhain o'r rhain o'r rhain o'r of the incident that we are discussing today. Staphylocus aureus is unfortunately not an uncommon infection in people in hospital, including with neonatal babies, and indeed that infection can be found in around one in four people. That makes it all the more important that hospitals have in place rigorous infection control procedures. It is my job, the health secretary's job, working with the board on health protection Scotland and indeed with healthcare environment inspectorate it to ensure that that is the case, but for now I know all of our thoughts will be with the families affected. Jackson Carlaw Minister for that and also in relation to the last point she made completely endorsed that and I'm framing my questions very much today in the light of that understanding. We learned from the statement released by Greater Glasgow Health Board that the investigation into this case was triggered last Thursday the 24th of January. Will the First Minister say when she and the health secretary were first made aware by the health board of these cases and what specific assurances ministers have soon sought? The health secretary became aware of these infections. I understand on Monday of this weekend at that point asked for assurances and of course given the previous incidents that we were discussing last week, as you would expect, the health secretary has been in regular contact with the health board. There are standard procedures in place, which I know have been the subject of discussion over the last few days about the actions that health boards require to take to assess infection outbreaks and the reporting and notification requirements that they have to undertake and we're satisfied that the health board in all of these cases has done that. The important thing of course is that all of us ensure that not just in Greater Glasgow Health Board but in all health boards proper infection control procedures are in place and the health secretary and her officials are taking all the appropriate steps to ensure that that is the case. Turning to the wider picture, there was a report last week that across Scotland around half of hospitals have not been inspected by the healthcare environment inspectorate since it was set up a decade ago. When asked about it during a television interview on Sunday, the health secretary agreed that if true this would be unacceptable. To be clear, we do know that the Princess Royal maternity was last inspected in 2017 and met the targets that had been set. However, the question remains, is it the case, as has been reported, that around half of Scotland's hospitals have not been inspected by each EI in the last decade? If not, irrespective of the number, what steps are being made now to ensure that they are? Again, let me seek to give Jackson Carlaw and the chamber as full information on this as I possibly can. The healthcare environment inspectorate was established in 2009. I was health secretary at the time from memory. Jackson Carlaw may have been shadow health spokesperson at the time. It was asked then to undertake at least one announced and one unannounced inspection of all acute hospitals across the NHS every three years. The hospitals to be subject to inspections were published at the commencement of the programme in 2009. They covered acute general hospitals, children's hospitals and maternity facilities. From October 2010, the Golden Jubilee, the ambulance service and the state hospital were also included, and from 2013 we rolled the programme out further to include inspections of community hospitals. Inspections, as I am sure Jackson Carlaw is aware, are based on intelligence and are risk based. Based on HEI inspections since 2009, facilities visits have covered more than 90 per cent of the acute and community hospital beds in NHS Scotland. Since starting inspections, 259 reports on the safety and cleanliness of hospitals have been published. In the last financial year, 16 inspection reports have been published. I will go back to a point that I made a moment ago. It is important that there is a risk based approach taken to inspections, which is why I am sure it will be the case that acute hospitals are perhaps inspected more regularly than smaller community-based hospitals. Of course, it is up to the healthcare environment inspectorate to set the schedule for those inspections. I am sure that, as all of us would expect. Finally, I would like to raise the key issue of how hospitals respond when faced with tragic incidents. Obviously, patients and families need to have confidence that when a case like that emerges, everything is done to minimise the spread of infection any further. The current national guidance says that an investigation should only begin when two or more cases of the same type of bacteria are found. Given the concerns raised over recent weeks, does the First Minister believe that the framing of the guidance remains sufficiently robust and clear, and would she encourage health boards to examine the plans that they have to see if improvements can be made? In light of those incidents, my starting point would be that we should always review protocols and procedures and guidance that are in place. That will be the case in those instances. Health boards should always make sure that they are responding appropriately. Of course, the kind of guidance that Jackson Carlaw is referring to will be informed by expert opinion, and that is right and proper. In terms of the procedure that is in place right now for reporting infections, there is the healthcare infection incident assessment tool, which health boards are required to follow. That is followed by infection prevention and control teams or health protection teams to assess every healthcare infection incident, and that means all outbreaks and incidents in any healthcare setting. As I said a moment ago, but it is worth repetition, we consider that each of the cases that have been reported over the last couple of weeks have followed the procedure. The tool in brief has two parts. First, it assesses the impact of a healthcare infection incident or outbreak on patients, on services and on public health, and secondly, it supports a single channel of infection incident outbreak assessment and information reporting, both internally within the health board area and then externally to health protection Scotland and the Scottish Government. That includes, of course, public reporting and the preparation of information for the media as well. That is a robust procedure. As health secretary, I remember having calls on more than one occasion to look at that and to look at boards' compliance with that. However, it is important that, when we have had infection outbreaks such as those that we have been speaking about, we review those procedures and, if any changes are considered to be required, those changes should be made. 2. Richard Leonard Presiding Officer, new figures released this week confirm that, for the first time in a decade, homelessness in Scotland is rising. As a result, two days ago, Shelter declared that Scotland faces a housing emergency and that, I quote, the upcoming budget should be seen as an opportunity for the Scottish Government to ensure that councils are properly resourced to deal with this unacceptable rise in homelessness in Scotland. Does the First Minister, in all conscience, really believe that a £390 million cut to local government is properly resourcing Scotland's councils? The finance secretary, of course, will set out his budget statement later on this afternoon. I very much hope that we can reach an agreement that delivers a majority for that budget at 5 o'clock this evening. Work on that continues. I should say that work on that does not continue with the Labour Party because we are still waiting for Labour to bring forward any credible proposals for the budget. I know that, to be fair, Alex Rowley—I am not sure if he is in the chamber—did bring forward proposals. He is a front-bencher, but it turned out that they were not approved by the rest of the Labour Party. On to the important issue of homelessness, and I agree very much with Shelter's sentiments here. In order to provide firstly the context, the long-term trend shows a significant decrease in the number of homelessness applications. The slight rise this year follows an eight-year decline in homelessness applications. All the evidence suggests that that is largely down to welfare changes, which both I and Richard Leonard oppose. We differ on whether or not this Parliament should be responsible for the welfare system. It is also important to note that those figures predate the establishment of the Ending Homelessness Together action plan, which was published in November, with 70 different recommendations backed by organisations such as Shelter and Crisis, which were both represented on the task force that produced those recommendations. Going back to the budget point, we have also committed to a £50 million ending homelessness together fund and committed £23.5 million from that fund to support a transformation around rapid rehousing. That is an issue of the utmost seriousness, and this Government takes it extremely seriously, as will be reflected, not just in our budget, but in the other work that we are doing with organisations such as Shelter. Richard Leonard. Well, the First Minister is referring to a fund that is worth £50 million over five years compared to a budget that cuts council funding by more than six times in one year alone, that same amount. Back to this Parliament, as it stands, the budget that we will vote on this afternoon cuts council funding by £319 million. This is about cuts to social work, to housing and homelessness support services and cuts in the number of staff to deliver them. As a result, people in need, including children in need, are falling through the cracks. In the 12 months up to September 2017, 833 households cited a lack of support from health, housing and social work services as the reason for their homelessness. This week, the Government announced the figure for the year ending September 2018. Can the First Minister tell us if that figure was up or down? First Minister. Well, I'm going to guess that Richard Leonard wouldn't be asking me if it was down, so I'm sure that it is up. In terms of the issue that Richard Leonard, I don't have the figure to hand, I will happily supply it after this session. Those are important issues. In terms of the rise in the last year in homelessness, after an eight-year decline, everybody, including the UN special rapporteur on poverty, knows that that is largely down to changes in welfare, changes that I oppose but do not have the ability to influence because we don't have power in this Parliament. Notwithstanding that, we are taking action through the work that we did through the task force and the recommendations that came from that, through the ending homelessness together fund to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping, and we will continue to work with organisations in order to deliver improvements there. When Richard Leonard is talking about the budget, I repeat again that we are delivering in this draft budget a real-terms increase to councils, but we have been prepared to listen to parties who say that that does not go far enough. We have simply made the point to parties that if they want us to increase money to local government, they have to come forward and tell us where that money should come from. Labour has failed to do so. The Greens are the only party that has come forward and made constructive proposals. On the budget, perhaps the most significant item in the budget relating to homelessness and housing, which Richard Leonard did not mention, is the £826 million being invested by this Government to deliver new affordable housing. That fundamentally is a key part of how we tackle homelessness by building more houses. Something that previous Labour administrations were not all that successful at, but which this Government has been determined to prioritise and will continue to prioritise exactly that. Richard Leonard The facts from the Government's own figures released this week are that 1,178 households found themselves homeless in Scotland in the last year as a result of a lack of support from those public services. That is a rise of 41 per cent. First Minister, our councils have a legal duty to vulnerable people, including children, and you have a moral duty to deliver the funding that they need. By asking this Parliament to vote for a budget that cuts council services by more than £300 million, you are failing in that duty. The last time that I asked the First Minister about homelessness in this chamber, she told me that for as long as one single person is homeless or rough sleeping in our country, we still have work to do. First Minister, your budget last year led to the first rise in homelessness in a decade and the housing emergency. Why is your response to that emergency and that rise to cut council funding this year even further? First Minister. Council funding is increasing, and Derek Mackay will set out further details of that later on. In terms of homelessness, I stand by absolutely what I said before. Homelessness in rough sleeping is not acceptable. The increase in homelessness is down to welfare cuts and changes. Everybody understands that. I believe that Richard Leonard in his heart understands that. If he joined with me in calling for responsibility over welfare to be held in this Parliament, perhaps we could do something more about that. However, notwithstanding that, we continue to take action through the recommendations that I have spoken about, through the fund that I have spoken about, working with organisations such as Shelter and Crisis and with local authorities to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping. We are also investing record sums in building new affordable housing, and our budget reflects all of that. Richard Leonard talks about the budget and makes criticisms of the budget. He has failed to bring forward a single alternative budget proposal, and that is simply not acceptable. I mentioned earlier on the Alec Rowley proposal. In credit to Alec Rowley, at least he brought forward a proposal. Given that he is a front venture, we assumed that it was an official labour proposal, but they cannot even get their act together to agree with each other on the budget, let alone agree with anybody else on the budget. In that proposal, Alec Rowley suggested that we free up more money for local government by effectively taking 3 per cent out of every other budget except for health. That would have included social security. Taking 3 per cent out of our own social security budget is the closest that Labour came to making any budget proposal. I simply say this to Richard Leonard. If he wants anybody—not just me, but anybody across the country—to take Labour seriously on the budget, he really has to do more than stand up here and moan. He actually has to start bringing forward some proposals, because he hasn't done so so far. A lot of members wish to ask supplementary questions today. We'll see how many we get through first from Alistair Allen to be followed by Alexander Burnett. To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government can do to assist the workforce of the talk-talk call centre in Stornoway in my constituency, who have just learned that they are all to lose their jobs this summer. The First Minister will appreciate that 59 job losses leaves a very big hole in a small, self-contained island economy, perhaps comparable to 1,800 job losses in Glasgow. Can I urge the Scottish Government and its agencies to do everything possible now to seek alternative options, as well as to help those workers and the wider community? First Minister. I was very concerned to learn of the developments at talk-talk in Stornoway yesterday and the impact that that will have on the employees affected, as well as on the local community and the economy. The point that Alistair Allen makes about scale here is a very well-made point. Our agency, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, is already in direct contact with talk-talk both at local and at national level. We are committed to doing everything possible to address the situation urgently in the hope of obtaining a positive outcome. Of course, in the unfortunate event of individuals facing redundancy, we stand ready to provide support through the PACE initiative. Of course, our first priority is to explore all options for avoiding redundancies. I know that the economy minister will be happy to lay further with Alistair Allen about the action that we are taking and any further action that it is considered that the Scottish Government and our agencies could take. Alexander Burnett, to be followed by Pauline McNeill. I am sure that the First Minister will have seen last weekend's newspapers regarding the 13-year detention of Kyle Gibbon at Castares, where it was quoted that the Scottish Government had announced plans to hold an inquiry into why Mr Gibbon, alongside eight other people with autism or learning difficulties, had been detained in the maximum security hospital. A previous article in December said that the Minister for Mental Health would be carrying out an inquiry into Castares by the end of January. So can the First Minister confirm that Kyle's case is being investigated? I will ask the Minister for Mental Health to correspond with the member with more detail of that. I would say no, I hope that everybody across the chamber will understand that, due to patient confidentiality, it would not be appropriate for me or the Government to comment on individual patient cases. What I would say is that diagnosis of a behavioural disorder itself is certainly not cause for detention and that there are significant safeguards where compulsory treatment is necessary, including, of course, the right of appeal admission to the state hospital is based on diagnosis of mental disorder requiring treatment under conditions of special security, which cannot be suitably cared for in a hospital other than the state hospital. The mental health minister pays very close attention to cases like this one, and we will do everything possible to ensure that all rules and regulations are properly being adhered to. I will ask the minister, as I said a moment ago, to write to the member with whatever further detail it is appropriate to share with him. Pauline McNeill, to be followed by Fulton MacGregor. Thank you, First Minister. Over 20 homeless people have died since mid-November in Glasgow, from the availability of a high-strength street valium known as Street Blues. It's three deaths a week. Drug users have been warned that they are dicing with death. First Minister, it is unprecedented and it presents a new problem on our streets. Last month, a drug gang was jailed for producing at least £1.6 million worth of this street valium, but it hasn't dented the supply. Of course, the problem is not confined to Glasgow, it's in other cities in Scotland, but it is certainly biggest in Glasgow. The First Minister assured Parliament that there will be a considered response to looking at ensuring that people are warned about the severe dangers of this drug. However, First Minister, I know that there has to be a much wider look, perhaps a multi-agency approach, to get these deadly drugs off our streets to save lives where we can. First Minister. Pauli McNeill raises a very important issue. This is an issue that has affected my constituency in the past, so I am very well aware of both the issues underlying this question, but also the impact on individuals and communities. We are obviously aware of an increase in street valium being implicated in deaths. It is usually when it is used in combination with opiates that significant harms are associated with polydrug use. Most drug-related deaths are of people who take more than one substance. I can tell the chamber today that Glasgow alcohol and drug partnership has already met to discuss the issue and to discuss what further action can be taken to respond. It continues to promote a range of outreach activity, as well as providing harm reduction information specifically on the issue of street valium. It is implementing a treatment protocol for the management of dependence associated with the use of street valium for those who are most at risk and identifying barriers to treatment through focus groups with people at risk who are not already in contact with treatment services. We will continue to work closely with all alcohol and drug partnerships to monitor drug trends and to make sure that public information is as it should be. We also work closely with the police on all aspects of drug policy and enforcement, including counterfeit prescription medication. Those are important issues, and all agencies involved have a responsibility to ensure that the action that is being taken meets the challenge that is posed. I would be very happy to ask one of the public health minister to meet Pauline McNeill if she wants further information on the actions that are being taken and the discussions that are being undertaken. Fulton MacGregor to be followed by Maurice Corry Thank you, Presiding Officer. The First Minister will be aware of reports of blue water at Buchanan and St Ambrose High Schools in Coatbridge. She may also be aware of reports that staff have been warned against speaking to parents or politicians about the issue. Can she outline what steps the Scottish Government can take to ensure a full investigation into the problem by North Lanarkshire Council and to ensure that the council is keeping parents, families and pupils involved and informed in a fully transparent manner? First Minister. Scottish Government officials have been in contact with North Lanarkshire Council about the issue, and I understand the concerns that are being raised. The council has informed us that a range of measures are already being taken, including replacing pipe work. That is a process that the advisers will be complete next month. The council has also advised that parents and pupils have been kept informed by letter. I would say that clear communication of the issue and the steps being taken to address it is clearly in everyone's best interests, and I would encourage the council to ensure that that is done. I can advise and assure Fulton MacGregor that my officials will continue to liaise with the council and offer any appropriate support as they seek to resolve the serious issue. Maurice Corry, performed by John Mason. The First Minister may be aware of the recent outbreak of Hepatitis A at Samaria primary school in my region, resulting in staff and pupils having to be vaccinated. The source of the outbreak is currently unknown, so what assurances can the First Minister give that measures will be taken to fully investigate this and prevent it from happening again? Again, this is an important and serious issue to raise. Vaccination has been undertaken. It is either on-going or completed, but that is an important step that has been taken. Obviously, investigations will continue to try to identify the source of this, and health ministers will be more than prepared to keep the member and other members who have an interest updated as more information becomes available. John Mason, I wonder if the First Minister can give any reassurance to the community in Dalmarnock about the future of the Legacy Hub, which is a fabulous facility funded by the Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council, Clyde Gateway and the Lottery, as a legacy from the Commonwealth Games, which sadly has now closed as the trust has gone into administration. I was really saddened to hear of the People's Development Trust entering administration and to hear about the impact that that has had on the staff of the trust and indeed the local community who have relied on its services. Glasgow City Council staff, I know, have met with parents affected by the closure of the nursery to discuss the options available for replacement childcare and the availability of nursery places within a two-mile radius. The council is rightly leading on engagement with the administrator with the aim of ensuring that the hub can remain an important asset for the community in the future. That is fundamentally a matter for the administrator and for Glasgow City Council, however, we absolutely recognise the importance of the legacy hub to the people of Glasgow, so the Government will remain in close contact with the council and with interested parties as the situation evolves. We will offer any support that is appropriate for us to offer, including if it is necessary through the PACE initiative for any members of staff who face with losing their jobs. The Scottish Greens have regularly raised the issue of Scottish Government support to the arms industry, and in particular to Raytheon, the third-largest arms firm in the world and the largest producer of guided missiles. They sell missiles to Saudi Arabia, where they have been linked to alleged war crimes such as bombing civilians. When we raise those issues, we are often told, as the ferret were recently in a publishing report by the Scottish Government, that we are very clear that we expect the UK Government to properly police the export of arms. I do not expect that. I fully expect that the UK Government will continue to facilitate arms sales to human rights abusers to countries involved in war crimes and atrocities around the world. I do not think that people in Scotland should be expecting that the Scottish Government will continue to back the industry. Just in the last week, my colleague Ross Greer has published research showing if members would like to hear that. Perhaps some of them do not care. My colleague Mr Greer has published research showing that the Scottish Enterprise is providing bespoke services to that company to help them to grow by offering advice, help accessing finance and help them to access new markets. What on earth is the justification for the Scottish public to be backing an industry like this to grow its business, a company with reported sales of some £22 billion in 2017? Is not it time for the First Minister to reverse the Scottish Government's support for the arms industry? I have not personally seen the research from Ross Greer that Patrick Harvie refers to. It may be available to the Government. I am more than happy to ask Government officials to take a look at that. I have said it before in response to previous questions that Patrick Harvie has raised on the issue. The Scottish Government and our enterprise and skills agencies do not provide funding for the manufacture of munitions. That is weapons or ammunition, particularly for military use. Any support that we give for companies such as Raytheon is focused on projects for non-military uses and for business diversification. For example, laser guidance components have a broad range of navigation uses, including for landing guidance for helicopters. As Patrick Harvie alluded to, licences for arms sales are provided by the UK Government. We will continue to provide support for firms in areas such as innovation, workplace efficiencies and training. Those firms support a large number of jobs in Scotland, but we do not and will not provide support for weapons or ammunition or munitions in general. Patrick Harvie. The First Minister often uses the word diversification as a cover for the support to the arms industry. I wonder whether the First Minister can tell us anything about the extent to which diversification has in fact happened. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, in 2007, 97 per cent of Raytheon's total sales were arms sales. In 2017, it was 94 per cent. What we are seeing is not diversification, it is the opposite of diversification, and the Government's support through account management through Scottish Enterprise is specifically to grow this business and to help them to access new markets. Can the First Minister tell us anything that the Scottish Government intends to do differently in the future? Meanwhile, is not the case overwhelming to withdraw that constant stream of support from the public purse for this company and others to grow their lethal business? In terms of Raytheon, the Scottish Enterprise funding to Raytheon has supported a range of activity for diversification into non-military and civilian markets and to help to recite Raytheon administrative staff. It is not funding to support ammunition or weapons, and that remains the case. There are jobs supported by those companies. Of course, those companies are often global companies that do not just operate in Scotland, so their overall business will depend on what they do in a range of different countries, but that is the focus of support for Scottish Enterprise. I remain open to hearing concerns about that and looking at whether there are any changes to the procedures that Scottish Enterprise uses to tighten that up. However, I do not make an apology for our enterprise agencies trying to support our economy and to support jobs. Often in this chamber, members rightly understandably raise concerns about job losses. The job of the Government and the job of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise is to try to create employment and support employment, but Patrick Harvie is right. It is important that that is done ethically and morally, and that is what Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise does, and we will continue to listen to views on that. If there are changes that we can make, we are happy to consider them. The vulnerable disabled school children are being physically and mentally harmed by restraint practices in Scottish schools that may be illegal. That is the conclusion of a report by the Children's Commissioner. Over 2,600 incidents were recorded in just one year. 2,600 does not sound like a last resort to me. The Scottish Government has until the end of today to respond to that report. What will the Government say? We will respond to the commissioner's report. I believe that that will be done by the end of this week, which is within the time that we are required to do it. We will respond to the commissioner. I think that it is Curtis that we do that. However, the guidance that is in place already—and of course we will look to make changes if that is required—is very clear about the importance of de-escalation in situations where restraint may be considered and that restraint must only ever be used in cases of absolute last resort. That is exceptionally important. However, we will respond to the commissioner and look to make changes to guidance or to practice if that is considered to be appropriate and necessary. Willie Rennie Last week, the First Minister told me to wait and see what she was going to do on the UN demands on the age of criminal responsibility. This morning, her MSPs voted to reject her. It is fair to question the First Minister and her commitment to children's rights rather than to wait and see. A child with a mental age of three was left traumatised and distraught after being locked in a school cloakroom. There are reports of children being tied to chairs, prevented from going to the toilet and being dragged across the floor, causing injury. Those children's voices are often not heard, so it is important for us to speak up for them. The Children's Commissioner said that the Government is not complying with the advice from the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. The commissioner said that guidance is inconsistent and ambiguous, and he is not certain that restraint is used as a last resort. Will she take the advice of the Children's Commissioner and dramatically cut the use of restraint on vulnerable, disabled children in Scotland? The First Minister First Minister, I tell you Willie Rennie that there is probably never or certainly rarely a week goes by when I do not personally and very directly listen to the voices of children and young people. It is a very important part of the job that I do, and it is a very important part of how this Government conducts itself. We meet as a full cabinet once a year with the Scottish Children's Parliament and the Youth Parliament, just as one symbolic example of our commitment to hearing young people's voices. Of course, we will respond to the commissioner, and if there is a view that changes are required, we will make those changes. We will continue to take whatever action is necessary to support a system overall in Scotland, not just in the cases that Willie Rennie is citing here, but generally in Scotland that is respectful of children's rights and puts children's interests at the very heart of everything that we do. Of course, we have given a commitment to incorporating the UN convention on the rights of the child into domestic law, and that will require a whole range of work to be taken, no doubt, across the Scottish Government to ensure that we are fully compliant with that. That is an important indication of how seriously we take those issues, and where we fall short, as all Governments will from time to time, what is important is that we recognise that and we take the action to rectify it. That is the commitment that I have personally, as First Minister, and it is the commitment that runs right through our entire Government. I am not sure how much time we have, but I will try to squeeze a couple of supplementaries in Liam Kerr. The First Minister will be aware of reports this week about a dental student who was convicted of serious sexual abuse against a child but was given an absolute discharge, which has devastated the family. I know that the First Minister cannot comment on individual cases, but does the First Minister agree with me that serious sexual offences against children should be punished severely and that we need to see more transparency around sentencing such as that? In general terms, of course, I agree with the sentiment of that question. In terms of this particular case, I am grateful to the member for acknowledging that I cannot comment on the detail. I absolutely understand the concerns that have been expressed about what has been reported about this sentence, but the sentencing decision in any criminal case is entirely a matter for the judge. The judiciary acts entirely independently on the basis of the facts and circumstances of individual cases. They will take into account a wide range of factors, including the age of the offender and any previous convictions. It may be that the member is genuinely not aware of that, because I think that it happened only shortly before First Minister's questions, but the court has issued a statement this morning that provides more detail on the factors behind this particular case. I will not go into the detail of that. It will be available for members to read, but it does, in the closing paragraph, describe the decision in this case as wholly exceptional, and that is undoubtedly a fair description. I understand the concerns, but we must protect the principle in this country that sentencing decisions are not a matter for politicians. However, controversial and difficult they can be for the public, sentencing decisions are rightly and properly matters for judges. Can I ask the First Minister to update Parliament on the on-going teacher pay negotiations and what the current offer would mean for those on the lowest pay grades? Of course, the teachers pay ballot I know opens today, so this is an issue that is very much in the hands of teachers. However, an improved offer has been made to teachers and the additional investment required to fund that offer will be provided by the Scottish Government. For all teachers on the main grades, the deal will involve an increase of 9 per cent by April this year with another 3 per cent in April next year. For the lowest paid teachers, they will see an increase in their salaries by 16 per cent by April this year and almost 20 per cent by April next year, which is important because we know that one of our challenges is attracting more people into the teaching profession. I hope that that will help us to do so. Teachers at the top of the pay scale will also see their pay rise to more than £41,000 by April next year. Lastly, the restructuring of the pay scale means that teachers will reach the top of the scale faster within five years. It is now for teachers to decide, but I hope that teachers will look at the detail of that offer. I very much hope that they will decide to back the deal, because I believe that it is in the interests of the teaching profession and in the interests of pupils, the length and breadth of the country. To ask the First Minister what support the Scottish Government provides to mountain rescue services. The Scottish Government provides annual grant funding of more than £300,000 to Scottish Mountain Rescue to help all 28 volunteer mountain rescue teams to carry out their work. We are the only Government in the UK to fund mountain rescue in this way. We are also contributing £100,000 over three years from 2016-17 to help towards the cost of replacing the Scottish Mountain Rescue teams' ageing VHF radio equipment, as well as assisting them with the procurement process. Scottish Government officials also work collaboratively with Police Scotland, the Maritime and Coast Guard Agency and Scottish Mountain Rescue to help to resolve any issues around search and rescue that arise from time to time. I thank the First Minister for that answer, as we now see harsher weather conditions across the country. Will the First Minister go into further detail on the on-going dialogue between the Scottish Government, the Maritime and Coast Guard Agency and Police Scotland in relation to helicopter support? Does the First Minister agree with me that the voluntary work of the Scottish Mountain Rescue Service is absolutely invaluable? I wholeheartedly agree with that. Mountain Rescue volunteers, including, of course, the cave and dog teams, do a vital job, often putting their own lives at risk. I am sure that we would all want to take the opportunity to thank them for that. There has, of course, been recent concern around search and rescue helicopter support. The levers for change around that remain with the UK Government and Department for Transport. However, following recent discussions between Police Scotland and the Coast Guard Agency, we understand that guidance has been updated to help to address the issues raised around support for body recovery and for lifting volunteers from the hill following a rescue. Police Scotland's helicopter has also been introduced as a last resort to assist mountain rescue teams with body recovery to help improve the situation. I understand that the chief pilots of both Press and Inverness air crews met the four independent mountain rescue teams just before Christmas to discuss how they can better work together going forward. To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to address the risk of young people being exposed to harmful content on social media. Internet safety regulation and legislation is a reserved matter. However, we are taking action where we can to keep young people safe online, not least by working with Education Scotland to ensure that internet safety has been embedded into curriculum for excellence and the school inspection quality framework. We published the national action plan on internet safety for children and young people and are working with the police, education and third sector partners to consider new and emerging risks. In particular, we recently commissioned a study into the reported worsening mental wellbeing of young people focusing specifically on teenage girls. The results of that study will be published shortly and will include analysis of the role of technology and social media. Brian Whittle I thank the First Minister for that answer. I am sure that the First Minister will have seen his clear will from the UK Government and elsewhere to ensure that social media companies are held to account to protect children and young people from harmful content, the shocking implications of which have been made all too stark in recent events. Would the First Minister agree with me that, as well as ensuring that social media companies take their responsibilities seriously, it is equally important that we educate children early about the risks and realities of using social media and what to do when problems arise? With that in mind, will she also tell me what action the Scottish Government will take to promote that approach? The First Minister I think that I covered in my original answer some of the action that we are taking to ensure that internet safety is embedded into the school curriculum, because I agree with the point that education here is vital. We all want to have a situation in which young people can enjoy and take advantage of the enormous benefits of the internet, but also to ensure that they are safe. That is often a difficult balance to strike, and everybody has to play their part in that. The internet and social media providers have a key responsibility here, and I agree that it is vital that they are properly held to account. They are in a very powerful and privileged position, and their responsibilities must be taken by them very seriously. Education helps to empower young people into themselves, knowing and understanding the risks and therefore being able to avoid the risks. To conclude where I started, the importance of embedding that into education and the school inspection framework is essential, and that is work that the Government is committed to continuing to take forward. The First Minister's question is a point of order. Last week, the Parliament, including the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, agreed unanimously to support the urgent progress on the Glasgow airport access project. The Cabinet Secretary for Transport, in taking that decision by this Parliament unanimously forward, has now announced his decision that this project should be scrapped. Can you, Presiding Officer, advise the chamber how we ensure that the cabinet secretaries enforce the decisions of this Parliament, not entirely ignore them and announce to this Parliament at very short notice a decision that is in direct contradiction to the decision taken only last week by this Parliament on a very important project? I thank Johann Lamont for asking that question. However, it is not a point of order. It sounds like a political question to be raised either through the normal mechanisms, written questions or through the business manager and through the business bureau. I also just say to all members that I apologise that 12 members did not get into date to ask supplementary questions. I again implore all members and the First Minister to keep the answers and the questions short. We are going to move on now to first to members' business. In the name of Ian Gray on the Royal Society of Edinburgh's Tapping All Our Talents 2018 progress report on women in STEM. Before we do so, we are going to suspend very shortly to allow the gallery to change round and for ministers and members to change seats. A short suspension.