Meeting of the Parliament
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Meeting of the Parliament Thursday 1 December 2016 Session 5 © Parliamentary copyright. Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body Information on the Scottish Parliament’s copyright policy can be found on the website - www.parliament.scot or by contacting Public Information on 0131 348 5000 Thursday 1 December 2016 CONTENTS Col. GENERAL QUESTION TIME .................................................................................................................................. 1 ScotRail (Meetings) ...................................................................................................................................... 1 ScotRail (Performance) ................................................................................................................................ 2 Public Transport Priorities ............................................................................................................................ 4 Economic Development and Skills Funding (National Board) ...................................................................... 5 Laurencekirk A90 Grade-separated Junction ............................................................................................... 8 FIRST MINISTER’S QUESTION TIME ................................................................................................................... 10 Engagements .............................................................................................................................................. 10 Engagements .............................................................................................................................................. 13 Cabinet (Meetings) ..................................................................................................................................... 16 Further Devolution ...................................................................................................................................... 20 Curriculum for Excellence ........................................................................................................................... 22 National Health Service (Workforce) .......................................................................................................... 24 Dublin Visit .................................................................................................................................................. 25 SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY ........................................................................................................................... 28 Motion debated—[Ash Denham]. Ash Denham (Edinburgh Eastern) (SNP) ................................................................................................... 28 Alison Johnstone (Lothian) (Green)............................................................................................................ 30 Rachael Hamilton (South Scotland) (Con) ................................................................................................. 32 Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) ................................................................................................................ 34 Ivan McKee (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) ........................................................................................................ 35 Liam Kerr (North East Scotland) (Con)....................................................................................................... 37 Daniel Johnson (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) .............................................................................................. 38 Gillian Martin (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) ................................................................................................. 40 The Minister for Local Government and Housing (Kevin Stewart) ............................................................. 41 MINIMUM AGE OF CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY .................................................................................................... 45 Statement—[Mark McDonald]. The Minister for Childcare and Early Years (Mark McDonald) ................................................................... 45 ENDING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS............................................................................................... 58 Motion moved—[Angela Constance]. Amendment moved—[Douglas Ross]. Amendment moved—[Kezia Dugdale]. The Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities (Angela Constance).................. 58 Douglas Ross (Highlands and Islands) (Con) ............................................................................................ 62 Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Lab) .................................................................................................................... 66 Christina McKelvie (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (SNP) ............................................................... 69 Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con) ................................................................................................ 71 Gil Paterson (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) ......................................................................................... 73 Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) ............................................................................................... 75 John Finnie (Highlands and Islands) (Green) ............................................................................................. 77 James Dornan (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) ................................................................................................. 79 Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (LD) .......................................................................................... 82 Colin Beattie (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) .......................................................................... 85 Oliver Mundell (Dumfriesshire) (Con) ......................................................................................................... 87 Ben Macpherson (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) ........................................................................... 90 Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) ................................................................................................ 92 Annie Wells (Glasgow) (Con) ..................................................................................................................... 95 Angela Constance ...................................................................................................................................... 97 BUSINESS MOTION ......................................................................................................................................... 101 Motion moved—[Joe FitzPatrick]—and agreed to. DECISION TIME .............................................................................................................................................. 102 1 1 DECEMBER 2016 2 example, signal cable renewal and points renewal. Scottish Parliament I assure the member that the vast majority of the 249 measures that are in the performance plan Thursday 1 December 2016 are being worked on right now. On sanctions, I am looking for immediate [The Presiding Officer opened the meeting at improvement. That is why, in the past eight-week 11:40] period, performance on the performance and punctuality measure has improved from 89.5 per General Question Time cent to 89.8 per cent. I want it to continue to improve further. I do not think that that ScotRail (Meetings) performance will dip—I do not think that it will get to the break point of 84.3—but if it does, as the 1. Anas Sarwar (Glasgow) (Lab): To ask the First Minister has said, every option is on the table Scottish Government when the Minister for and will remain on the table, within the Transport and the Islands last met ScotRail and specifications of the contract. what issues were discussed. (S5O-00416) John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP): As The Minister for Transport and the Islands I understand it, the United Kingdom Government (Humza Yousaf): I spoke with the director of introduced rail franchising in the 1990s with ScotRail this morning and our discussion centred legislation that precluded any UK public sector on ScotRail’s recent performance. I also received organisation bidding to operate a railway service. an update on the morning peak and initiatives that Can the minister outline what work is under way to are being progressed with the performance ensure that a public sector operator could bid for a improvement plan. future rail contract? Anas Sarwar: Regulated rail fares are due to Humza Yousaf: The member makes the fair rise in the new year, with passengers expected to point that previous UK Governments did nothing to pay more for services that the transport minister allow a public sector operator to bid. It was this himself believes are sometimes not of an Government that brought forward the changes in acceptable standard. When he next meets legislation that removed the prohibition on public ScotRail, will he enter into discussions regarding sector operators bidding. Labour’s proposals to stop the new year fare hike going ahead and to freeze fares for passengers in I had a productive meeting with other political 2017? parties on the precise point that Mr Mason makes. Representatives of all the parties in the chamber Humza Yousaf: I would reflect what the First came to that meeting with a constructive tone and, Minister