 We begin this morning with general questions. Our first question is from Alasdair Allan. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how its resilience fund to reduce the risk of ferries breaking down has been spent. Minister, Paul Wheelhouse. Since the announcement of the fund in August 2018, this has been used in 23 individual resilience projects across the fleet of vessels that are deployed to provide the Clyde and Hebride services. This investment should, based on information presented to us, received a significant improvement to fleet resilience this year. The projects range from upgrades to the full propulsion, and both thruster controls in four vessels to a replacement water-missed firefighting pump on another vessel. Further upgrades are planned to further reduce the risk of technical failures impacting on service reliability. I thank the minister for his reply. As he will be aware, ferry services to the Isle of Barra suffered serious disruption last week due to technical problems affecting the Llywos. Felly,lineg y byddai sy'n ddylch yn cyfle i iechyd o dylai amserionion neu gweithlion agaith i'r lleidiad, rwy'n ddweud ei cyfryd i rhan oherwydd gwaeliterau ar creu bod mae'r bydau ei rhan oherwydd cerddoriaeth, oedd yn dpsymosaeth a'r myfyrdd yn ddygiadu'r cerddoriaeth. partant, o'r enghreinion niers yw heil y mor hwrdd yn cael eu pethau. Rwy'n eu gallu rau'n gweithio gyda gwahanol ac oeddwaint y Remot Puthau i fyf yw'r unrhyw gwael sy'n gwaelol i chi wneud ar yr aelodau launches. Rwy'n dai y rôl yn gweithio'rau gwahanol o'r Llywodraeth Llywodraeth a'r trefloedd cysaith gyda gweldol nôr i bai o bwysigol yma yn rhanwedd ond o bwysigol gyda i Gwyrdd Argyllid yn ddech arbwysigol, ac yn i ni'n ddiwrdd yr efall. I'm pleased to say that, while it's back in service, CalMac ferries are currently working with Caledron Maritime Assets Ltd, or CML, to assess the scope of works carried out at a future dry docking to make sure that it can be proactively tackled the next time the vessel's in dry dock. This may widen the scope for more preventative measures to be carried out in the future. We're obviously looking at measures such as this to ensure that it doesn't repeat elsewhere in the fleet, but the member is absolutely right that looking at initiatives such as purchasing of spare parts, which has been done, also because the operator has been involved in commissioning the production of what are thought to be obsolete parts to make sure that they are in place for the place of vessel given that these vessels were sometimes built many years ago and parts are no longer available on the market. We're very hard to ensure the availability of parts to ensure that most commonly likely to fail parts on the vessels are able to be replaced quickly and return the vessels quickly to service. Jamie Greene I share a much simpler Mr Allen's question. It seems to be groundhog day with so many vessels coming offline. Minister, is there anything to do with the fact that half of Carmac's fleet are beyond their 25-year life expectancy given that the two news ferries that are due to be entered into the fleet are already over a year light? Minister, do not agree with me that the status quo is simply unacceptable and is letting island communities down every day right across Scotland? The first thing that I'll do is accept that clearly the delays to the two vessels 801 and 802 is greatly disappointing. That's a matter of record. I've put that record myself and clearly we are concerned to make sure that those vessels are delivered and we can introduce them to the fleet to provide more capacity, which will help enormously without the need to cascade vessels across routes across the Clyde and Hebrides. That's clearly an objective that we all share, I'm sure. I would challenge Mr Greene's statement as assertion that the community is being let down. He would appear to be suggesting on a routine basis. I acknowledge that there have been difficulties. Mr Greene can complain from a sedentary position, but I'm trying to respond to his question. The Carmac, let's not forget, has a very good record otherwise. We have high levels of customer satisfaction despite the issues that I acknowledge have happened in the last year and are not satisfactory and we need to address them. I'm not running away from that issue, but let's not detract from the fact that, generally speaking, Carmac delivers a good service to its communities, it's recognised the lifeline service, the staff work very hard on behalf of the communities and I would just ask Mr Greene to reflect on the tone of his question, but I do accept that there are issues to be addressed. Rhoda Grant Just further to the reply from the minister when he talked about cascading ferries through the different routes, what is the case at the moment is that the new loch seaforth can only use three ports. My understanding is that two new ferries in order will need substantial changes to the ports that they use, so it's impossible to cascade new ferries around different routes. Surely the Scottish Government and Transport Scotland should be looking at a way to make sure that ferries can fit any port so that they can be used in such circumstances? Michael Matheson Minister. Well, actually, at the heart of Rhoda Grant's point, there is a genuine point that she's raising there, which we acknowledge. Historically vessels have been designed for specific routes and perhaps not enough thought put into how they could be interchangeable across the network. Clearly there are some local conditions in terms of the depth of water and in terms of the harbour approaches and indeed the orientation of the burst, which are limiting factors in the use of vessels and not least larger vessels cannot navigate in tightly confined spaces, as I'm sure the member would acknowledge, but we are taking that forward in terms of how we look at the vessel replacement and deployment plan, how we can work with CalMac and CMAL to try and develop greater resilience designed in from the start in terms of the interchangeability of vessels across the network. That cannot be done overnight, of course. I'm sure that Rhoda Grant would acknowledge that, but it's certainly something that we recognise and will try to address. However, the vessel itself is one of the most reliable vessels that we have, and it's a very reliable vessel. We've only had one incident of note so far, and I hope that that would be something that Rhoda Grant would accept. Angus MacDonald To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed the proposed growth deal for Falkirk district with the Secretary of State for Scotland. Cabinet Secretary, Michael Matheson. I last discussed the Falkirk growth deal with the Secretary of State for Scotland on 8 March at the signing of the Heads of Term for the Ayrshire growth deal in air. I encouraged the Secretary of State to visit the Falkirk area and to commit to a deal for Falkirk as soon as possible. The Secretary of State visited Falkirk and met with a number of partners involved in the Falkirk deal proposal on 17 April. However, regrettably, the UK Government has yet to formally commit to a deal. Angus MacDonald The cabinet secretary for his reply. I'm aware that the leader of the council in Falkirk, along with other members of local economic partnership, met with the Secretary of State last week and impressed upon him that any future growth deal for Falkirk district would not just be a local deal but also a national deal, given the significant contribution Grangemouth makes to the Scottish economy. Given that the gross value added in the Falkirk area in 2018 was £3.3 billion, which was 2 per cent of total national output, does the cabinet secretary agree with me that, given Falkirk district's large manufacturing sector as forecast to be a key contributor to future economic growth, there is no time to waste in setting up a Falkirk growth deal and sooner rather than later? I agree with the member that there is a need for us to press ahead with a Falkirk growth deal, given the significant contribution that it makes, not just to the regional economy but to the national economy of Scotland. I will continue to press the UK Government to commit to a Falkirk growth deal and will, of course, continue to highlight what I believe is the huge potential benefits of a growth deal to the Falkirk area and beyond when I next meet the Secretary of State. As the member will be aware, the Scottish Government has a very clear commitment to achieving 100 per cent coverage of Scotland with growth deals, which will deliver real benefit to local communities in the form of new jobs and the wider economic opportunities that will drive. I will continue to press the UK Government to match our commitment to ensuring that we have 100 per cent coverage of growth deals, including in the Falkirk council area. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Highlands and Islands airports limited regarding the incident on 5 April 2019, when a plane left Kirkwall airport without air traffic control clearance. Loganair a high aisle advised us that an aircraft left Kirkwall on 5 April without ATC services, which is being provided. Even though the request to start the engines was made before the airport closed, to avoid inconvenience in passengers, a decision was made by Loganair and the captain in agreement with high aisle management to depart without ATC provision, but that the airport fire service was in attendance, having satisfied themselves that it was safe to do so. The flight operated normally with ATC cover after departing Kirkwall. Operating at airports without ATC cover is not uncommon for Loganair's pilots, but it is uncommon at Kirkwall, which is why Loganair notified the Civil Aviation Authority. Rhoda Grant It is extremely concerning that the flight left Kirkwall without air traffic control cover. If the argument is that that causes no danger, it begs the question, why does the Civil Aviation Authority demand air traffic control presence at all? Can the cabinet secretary give me an assurance today that this will never happen again and that people will not be put at risk in this way? Felly, ATC cover at Kirkwall airport is not part of its licensing provision, fire cover is part of its licensing provisions in order to comply with the Civil Aviation Authority regulations. The member will recognise that there is a standard set of regulations for undertaking a flight of this nature where ATC cover is not required. On this occasion, Hyal and Loganair have gone through that procedure and applied it in this particular flight and have reported it as they are due to do to the Civil Aviation Authority to consider that they have applied all the appropriate regulations for dealing with these matters. To ask the Scottish Government how it supports research into and the treatment of endometriosis. Minister Clare Haughey. The Scottish Government's chief scientist office, CSO, is providing £162,000 for a preliminary study on laparoscopic treatment of endometriosis. That is to pave the way for a larger study into the safety and effectiveness of the treatment. CSO also contributes financially to UK-wide research programmes run by the National Institute for Health Research, enabling researchers in Scotland to apply to those programmes. A £1.7 million NIHR-funded study, led from Scotland, is looking at a hormone treatment to prevent recurrence of endometriosis. Three specialist endometriosis treatment centres have been established in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow, with the Glasgow treatment centre opening this month. Angela Constance. I am grateful to the minister for that answer. I wonder if the minister would commit to working with endow warriors West Lothian in my constituency and others to develop a Scottish national action plan and a database for endometriosis care, thus providing a platform for improving further awareness and understanding and, crucially, treatment of and research into endometriosis, particularly given that one in ten women suffer from the stability and condition and those who have associated chronic pelvic pain. The introduction of three specialist endometriosis centres across Scotland came about as a result of a review set up by the chief medical officer. The three centres in Scotland will go some way in raising awareness among the public and, importantly, among healthcare professionals. They will ensure that women living with endometriosis have access to speedy diagnostics and the best treatment available. Further to this, we are already considering the needs of women and girls with pelvic pain as part of the Scottish Access Collaborative Gynecological Group, which is identifying a number of improvement opportunities, including improved access to information for patients to self-manage, easier access to nationally recommended guidelines and pathways for GPs and support for primary care cluster groups to develop expertise in women's health. In terms of working with endow warriors, we have been in dialogue with them about developing educational resources about menstrual health for schools. Education Scotland has offered to review those resources and considered that for inclusion in the national improvement hub, which all schools can access and distribute to pupils. Both founders of endow warriors, Wes Lothian, Candice MacKenzie and Claire Beatty, are to be congratulated on the work that they are doing in this area. Monica Lennon. Endometriosis can have a detrimental impact on mental health, which the minister touched on. Can the minister advise what psychological support services are available to women with endometriosis and how much funding is available for that support? There are various toolkits being developed following the NICE guidelines that were launched in the UK, as well as other educational resources, including e-learning. With regard to specific psychological support, I would be happy to come back to the member with that information. 5. Anas Sarwar To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to prevent hospital-acquired infections. Minister Claire Hockey. Scotland has made significant progress in tackling healthcare-associated infections. Since 2007, Scotland has seen significant reductions in infections such as C. difficile, which is partly due to improved use of antibiotics in hospitals and community settings. However, not all HCAIs are preventable. However, our national infection prevention and control manual makes it easy for our front-line healthcare staff to apply effective infection prevention and control practice. The NIPCM ensures that the assessment and escalation of infection outbreaks and incidents is far more robust. Our well-established national infection surveillance system provides NHS boards with rich intelligence, which can be used to target quality improvement interventions and improve patient safety. The Scottish patient safety programme has truly become a national safety movement that attracts interests from all over the world, and since 2012 Scotland has seen a 21 per cent reduction in sepsis mortality rates. Anas Sarwar, the minister will be aware of the tragic deaths that are associated with the Queen Elizabeth university hospital. Will she take this opportunity to express our condolences to all the families impacted by those tragic events? Can she update the Parliament on the progress with the independent inquiry into the structural issues at the Queen Elizabeth hospital? Can she tell us what her view is on the health board now considering legal action against those who designed and built the hospital? What reassurance can she give to patients and their families that they will be safe going into the Queen Elizabeth hospital? Of course, our thoughts are with the families that are affected at this time, and I think that that would be something that could be echoed across the chamber. The board is taking all the necessary steps to manage this incident and ensure patient safety. Mr Sarwar will be aware that the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport updated Parliament on 26 February and announced that she commissioned an independent review. Dr Andrew Fraser, director of public health science, NHS Scotland and Dr Brian Montgomery, former NHS medical director and interim chief executive, have agreed to act as co-chairs of the independent review. In order to ensure appropriate membership of the review committee, the independent chairs of the review, Drs Brian Montgomery and Andrew Fraser, have been taking advice from experts on who will be best able to contribute to the review, as well as analysing and reflecting on the work that has been done to date. From that, they will determine the precise remit of the review and the resources and support that they will require. I expect that the independent chairs will be able to consult on a draft shortly. 6. Liam McArthur To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that freight capacity on Northern Isles ferry routes meets future demand. The next Northern Isles contract will provide flexibility to allow for additional sailings and vessels to be made available to meet demand. Transport Scotland regularly discusses freight services with haulage and agriculture sectors through established forums. That close engagement will continue and will review all mitigation options, including flexing timetables, as and when appropriate, being mindful of the prevailing resource pressures. Options for this year are being considered and will analyse all evidence and liaison with the operator to ensure that there is sufficient freight capacity to service the Northern Isles. Last September, the First Minister assured me that the Government was committed to addressing the growing demand for additional freight capacity on the Northern Isles ferry routes to meet the needs of key sectors of the Orkney and Shetland economies. Through freedom of information, we now know that SEMAL proposed to purchase a long-term charter of the clipper ranger to meet that need, operating for 45 months on the Northern Isles routes, two months on Aleppo Stornoway and also provided much-needed dry dock cover and resilience on the Northern Isles services. Can the minister explain to my constituents why no action appears to have been taken in response to that very sensible proposal or to deliver on the assurance that Nicola Sturgeon gave me in this chamber last September? Minister MacArthur should acknowledge that we provided additional freight capacity last autumn to help with the agriculture sector movements, and we worked with local stakeholders to do that. I think that just the outset, just to present that the Scottish Government and our agencies are not providing help as inaccurate, but what we did look very closely at the clipper ranger and Mr MacArthur may have access to the freedom of information information, not all of the commercially sensitive information is in that document for understandable reasons, and I'm sure he'll appreciate it. We looked very closely at it. It did not represent proper value-for-money transaction for the Scottish Government on that basis, that we could only really operate on the Aleppo Stornoway route and, indeed, the Northern Isles, which I appreciate would help those communities, but it didn't represent good value-for-money in that respect. Will we keep our options open? We're continuing to look for vessels that could supplement the fleet, and I'm happy to meet Mr MacArthur and, indeed, Mr Scott. I know he's interested in this issue as well to discuss what further action he can take. Jamie Halcro Johnston Thank you. Will the Scottish Government's promise to reduce ferry fares on the Northern Isles route still tied up in legal action, leaving the islands facing yet another summer season without this long-standing issue result? Will the minister, if he has spoken or will speak with Government colleagues about whether the funding set aside to reduce fares that cannot be used at the moment, could be deployed elsewhere to promote tourism on the islands, particularly to encourage out-of-season visitors? The minister will clearly recognise the interest that I have engaged with Councillor Stockin for Orkney Islands Council on a number of occasions to discuss this very issue that Mr Halcro Johnston raises today. While we are sympathetic to the importance of ferries for developing the tourism economy of the Orkney Islands and, indeed, for the Shetland Island communities as well, we are obviously looking at very closely what we can do to augment services where we can do so. We have to live very carefully within state consideration. Mr Halcro Johnston has rightly referenced the judicial review of the position in regard to Pentland ferries case against Scottish ministers, so I cannot comment on that. I will give an undertaking that we have committed to RET and we will deliver that if we are able to do so.