MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT Thursday 19 February 2015 Session 4 © Parliamentary copyright. Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body Information on the Scottish Parliament’s copyright policy can be found on the website - www.scottish.parliament.uk or by contacting Public Information on 0131 348 5000 Thursday 19 February 2015 CONTENTS Col. GENERAL QUESTION TIME .................................................................................................................................. 1 Insult to Injury Campaign .............................................................................................................................. 1 Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme (Applications) ................................................................................. 2 NHS Lanarkshire (Meetings) ........................................................................................................................ 3 River Beds (Assistance to Farmers) ............................................................................................................. 3 Hospitals (Minimum Staffing Levels) ............................................................................................................ 4 National Health Service Central Register (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (Privacy Concerns) ...................... 6 Police Scotland (Merger) .............................................................................................................................. 7 NHS Borders (Meetings) .............................................................................................................................. 8 FIRST MINISTER’S QUESTION TIME ................................................................................................................... 10 Engagements .............................................................................................................................................. 10 Secretary of State for Scotland (Meetings) ................................................................................................ 14 Cabinet (Meetings) ..................................................................................................................................... 17 Austerity (Impact on Public Services) ......................................................................................................... 19 Advanced Highers (Delayed Implementation) ............................................................................................ 20 Methadone .................................................................................................................................................. 21 YOUNG VOTERS AND SCHOOL DEBATES ........................................................................................................... 23 Motion debated—[Patrick Harvie]. Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green) .............................................................................................................. 23 Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) ........................................................................ 26 Mark Griffin (Central Scotland) (Lab).......................................................................................................... 27 Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con) ............................................................................................. 29 Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) ....................................................................................................... 31 Hanzala Malik (Glasgow) (Lab) .................................................................................................................. 32 The Minister for Parliamentary Business (Joe FitzPatrick)......................................................................... 33 NATIONAL MARINE PLAN ................................................................................................................................. 37 Motion moved—[Richard Lochhead]. Amendment moved—[Claudia Beamish]. Amendment moved—[Alex Fergusson]. The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment (Richard Lochhead) .............................. 37 Claudia Beamish (South Scotland) (Lab) ................................................................................................... 42 Alex Fergusson (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con)............................................................................... 46 Rob Gibson (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP)............................................................................... 48 Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) ............................................................................................... 51 Graeme Dey (Angus South) (SNP) ............................................................................................................ 52 Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD) .......................................................................................................... 55 Dave Thompson (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP) ......................................................................... 58 Elaine Murray (Dumfriesshire) (Lab) .......................................................................................................... 61 Michael Russell (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) .................................................................................................... 63 Jean Urquhart (Highlands and Islands) (Ind) ............................................................................................. 66 Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con) ......................................................................................... 67 Sarah Boyack (Lothian) (Lab) ..................................................................................................................... 69 Richard Lochhead....................................................................................................................................... 72 COMMUNITY CHARGE DEBT (SCOTLAND) BILL: STAGE 3 ................................................................................... 77 COMMUNITY CHARGE DEBT (SCOTLAND) BILL .................................................................................................. 83 Motion moved—[Marco Biagi]. The Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment (Marco Biagi) ................................... 83 Alex Rowley (Cowdenbeath) (Lab) ............................................................................................................. 86 Gavin Brown (Lothian) (Con) ...................................................................................................................... 88 Kenny MacAskill (Edinburgh Eastern) (SNP) ............................................................................................. 90 Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (Lab) .......................................................................... 92 Alex Salmond (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) ............................................................................................... 93 John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP) ................................................................................................. 95 Cameron Buchanan (Lothian) (Con) .......................................................................................................... 97 Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) ................................................................................................................ 99 The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy (John Swinney) ...................................................................................................................................... 101 DECISION TIME .............................................................................................................................................. 104 1 19 FEBRUARY 2015 2 minded to address the situation, when will he be Scottish Parliament able to do so? Thursday 19 February 2015 Jamie Hepburn: I go back to my initial answer to Mr Macintosh. We are actively exploring the issue with COSLA and we will be happy to speak [The Presiding Officer opened the meeting at to a range of stakeholders. I recognise the 11:40] concerns that have been raised by the British General Question Time Legion and Poppyscotland. I go back to the point that I made earlier. The change was not a consequence of a decision Insult to Injury Campaign made by this Government; it was the UK 1. Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask Government that changed the terms of support for the Scottish Government whether it will respond to those who have been injured in the line of duty. the insult to injury campaign and ensure that war pensioners are treated fairly. (S4O-04021) Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme (Applications) The Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health (Jamie Hepburn): We are 2. Mark McDonald (Aberdeen Donside) exploring with the Convention of Scottish Local (SNP): To ask the Scottish Government what Authorities options to create a fairer system for information it has on the average length of time charging for social care, and we will look at the taken to process applications for protecting matter as part of that work. Scottish Government vulnerable groups scheme membership for people officials are also in close contact with officials in seeking employment in the care sector. (S4O- the United Kingdom Department