Greetings and welcome to the Introduction to Astronomy. In this lecture we are going to discuss the formation of the solar system and trying to figure out how the solar system formed in the first place. So we will look at some of the patterns that we see and then some of the evidence that we see for our idea of solar system formation that we can see perhaps elsewhere in the galaxy. So let's get started with some of the patterns that we see here and we see a number of different patterns that occur in the solar system. So these patterns are quite important because we can learn about the origin of the solar system by looking at what remains today, what we still have around. And what we notice is that all of the planets orbit in approximately the same plane. That means the solar system is flat. So if you draw the solar system on a piece of paper that is really not a bad approximation for what the solar system looks like. We also notice that all of the planets orbit around the Sun in the same direction. So when we see the Sun here we see planets going around and around and every single one goes in the same direction. They all go around counterclockwise if we look down from the Earth's North Pole. Most but not all of the planets also rotate on their axes in the same direction, in that counterclockwise direction. So not only are they going around the Sun in the same direction but they rotate in the same direction. Meaning that there is some overall motion to the solar system that is probably a remnant of the original material that formed the solar system billions of years ago. We also note that the planets are separated by type. You have the terrestrial planets, the Earth-like planets, and the Jovian or Jupiter-like planets. And we also note that there are a lot of small bodies in the solar system, asteroids and comets. And we want to look at what that can tell us about the history of the solar system. So let's see what does that tell us. And what we see here is that we believe that the solar system formed from a large cloud of gas and dust that was primarily hydrogen that started collapsing about five billion years ago. So it collapsed down. And what we see, looking at some of the pieces of evidence that we saw, is that the rotation of that cloud is reflected in the motions of the planets today. So the fact that everything orbits counter-clockwise now means that that giant gas cloud at one point was spinning counter-clockwise, much, much slower than the planets are orbiting or the planets are rotating. But it had that very slight motion that then got magnified as it began to collapse. Now if we look at that, we would have had hotter temperatures near the Sun that would have caused different types of materials to condense. So hotter temperatures near the Sun means that we would have rock and metal materials forming planets close to the Sun, and icy materials further away. And that gives rise to the two types of planets that we see. The small bodies that we see, asteroids and comets, are actually remnants of the planetary formation. So comets could be bits of the material that might have gone into forming the outer or Jovian planets. The asteroids, the rocky material, might be leftover material that would have been the type that would have formed the terrestrial or the inner planets. So we may be seeing some of those bits and pieces and may have a few bits of the early solar system still around with us today. So let's look at building a planet. What would have happened? And we would have started, first of all, the nebula would begin to cool. The hotter it is, the fewer objects are able to start to form solid particles. So the first things would have been formed would have been metallic and rocky materials close to the star. So the particles begin to start coalescing into larger objects, starting off with simple grains, pebbles, smaller rocks, larger rocks, eventually becoming what we call planetesimals. And those would have been the bits and pieces that would have then formed the terrestrial planets. Now outer in the outer part of the solar system you would have had more icy material forming, and you would find more icy chunks again coalescing into grains and pebbles and smaller rocks and larger rocks, not being rocks in the traditional sense, but larger chunks of ice that would have then coalesced to help form the outer planets. Over billions of years these would slowly grow larger, eventually becoming the planets that we see today. So these planetesimals would slowly coalesce and one would become dominant in each area, and it would then clean out that part of the nebula. It would collect a lot of material into it, and it could use its gravitation to throw material out of the solar system altogether. Then we have to clean up the solar system because there's not a lot of these planetesimals left today. So how do we clean it out? Well as the planets are forming, some of that material, some of that debris left over actually becomes part of the planet. The planet will gravitationally pull it in and it will become a part of the planet impacting in it and causing the planet to grow. Some of it is ejected out into space so you might have a planet here, and you might have an object that hits it and becomes part of the planet, but you might also have something that just comes close to it and then gets ejected completely out of the solar system. It doesn't quite hit it, it just gets ejected, gives it a lot of velocity, and gets kicked out. And this is how the planets cleaned out the debris that remained after the initial formation. And that's one of the things that is required for an object to be a planet is that it was able to clear its region of debris. Now also once the Sun fully forms, the solar wind and the radiation pressure will clear out the remaining gas and dust. So anything that had not yet condensed would then be removed from the solar system by the solar wind, which is an outflow of particles from the Sun, and the radiation pressure with a light from the Sun provides a pressure. And this can remove any small objects, it would not affect things like planets or even smaller things like asteroids and comets, but it would be able to get rid of very small things, grains of dust or gas atoms that were still remaining in the solar system would have been cleared out by this. Now what is the evidence that this may have occurred? And we can't go back five billion years to see what our solar system looked like. We can only use the evidence that we see today, but we can also look at other stars. So we can look at other stars and see if this process does occur or is occurring today. And these are some Hubble Space Telescope images of the star Beta Pictoris, which does seem to have actually a couple of disks around it, a primary and a secondary disk, which could be regions where this is undergoing right now, where stars or planets are actually forming around this star. So we could be seeing in Beta Pictoris what our solar system looked like five billion years ago. And some of the keys are that now, that we didn't know several decades ago, is that we know of many planetary systems outside of our own and that they are quite common. We now know of thousands of planets outside our solar system, and back as early as the mid-1980s, we didn't know for sure of any. We might have seen bits of evidence of things like dust here, but we didn't know of any planets that were around for sure. And now we know of thousands of planets that are around. And we detect, as I showed here in Beta Pictoris, we do detect these dusty disks around stars. So are we observing the process of planet formation? And it looks like that is a pretty good bet, because we do know that planetary systems are common, so that when we see things like this, we have a pretty good idea that planetary systems are forming here. So let's finish up here with our summary, as we do. And in our summary, we would see that we can look at, we can find out what's going on by looking for those patterns. So what patterns exist in the solar system now, today, that understand how the solar system formed billions of years ago? What we believe is what we call the nebular theory, and that is that a large cloud of gas and dust collapsed to form our solar system. And we do see evidence that this occurs around, is occurring today, around other stars. So we see evidence of dusty disks, and we know of many planets that have formed outside of our solar system. So we know that the planetary formation seems to be a natural part of star formation, so we expect that it will be very likely that planets, that stars, many stars, would form planets, and that they would be very common in the universe. So we do see some evidence of this today, looking at stars like Beta Pictorus, to be able to see an example of star formation. So that completes our lecture on the formation of the solar system, and we'll be back again next time for another topic in astronomy. So until then, have a great day, everyone, and I will see you in class.


Mae'r cwmhysgwch yn gweithio, wrth gwrs. Mae'n bwysig i chi'n wneud o'r anfersoedd o'r anfersoedd o'r Lleith Ysbeth, i ddau sydd wedi'i gwneud â'r anfersoedd, byddwn i'r parlymyniad ar gyfer gwiriaeth o'u gwneud i'r rhaglenidol ac i'n ddiddordeb i'r lluniau a'r anfersoedd i Lleith Ysbeth, ac yn cael ei ddau ar gael i'r parlymyniad. Mewn bywegio sty redwch i ysgriffflall profesion, cy confirio y gwheithio â'i bore i niwelio'r llwaes gweld islam i gyfrifiann—ynddo'r Cinnamonneyspa yn ei heligol i'ch ganlŷfodr eu hanfiddwyddiadau meu最近ig Нidel mm. Ond maen nhw'n Scotland's landscapes, perhaps, more importantly, the warmth of Scotland's people on Her Majesty's final journey. Her Majesty's deep fondness for Scotland was well known. It is here that Queen Elizabeth chose to spend her most private family moments each summer. It is within the halls and gardens of the palace of Holyrood House that Her Majesty welcomed thousands of community leaders, volunteers, artists, activists, faith leaders and essential and key workers in recognition of their service to Scotland. On behalf of the people of Scotland, I send my thoughts to King Charles and the Royal Family in their private remembrance tomorrow. Tomorrow, our thoughts will be with the King and the Royal Family on the first anniversary of the passing of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Twelve months ago, thousands of Scots gathered, as her courtage made the final, poignant six-hour journey from Balmoral to Holyrood Palace as she had wished. Flowers marked the route in Ballotyr, bagpipes played in a boin, farmers lined their tractors on the roadside and thousands stood on the royal mile to pay their last respects. Our late Queen brought the country together in her life and in her death. The late Queen cherished Scotland and, in her passing, the country showed how much it cherished her. Tomorrow marks one year since we lost our late Queen, but every day since then we have remembered her warmth, her leadership and her unstinting and dedicated service to this country for 70 years. Our longest serving Queen Elizabeth II was a dedicated public servant demonstrating strength, leadership and empathy when her country needed it the most. She brought our nation together at times of crises and left a legacy of compassion in the various causes that she championed. She reminded us that, despite our political disagreements and arguments, everyone here in Holyrood is here in the service of the Scottish people. Her kindness, wisdom and integrity are timeless values that we pass down through the generations. Scotland will remember her fondly. The passing of Her Majesty ended a constancy in the lives of everyone in this chamber. It was a moment in time that will come to define the early years of this century. Across these islands, the Commonwealth and indeed the whole world, there was a collective sigh of sadness and thanksgiving for her life of service. Then, in the minutes and hours and days that followed the announcement from the palace, Operation Unicorn unfolded with quiet precision. I pay particular tribute to the staff of this Parliament and public service workers across Scotland for the many hours and days that they dedicated to that task. From the roadsides of Aberdeenshire to the catafolk at Westminster Hall, those days showed Scotland and the United Kingdom at its very best. I think that Her Majesty would have been pleased that so many marked her passing by engaging in the great British pastime of standing in line. So, on this anniversary and all those to come, we hold the royal family in our thoughts and remember the extraordinary life and service of Queen Elizabeth II. Thank you, and we will now move on to the next item of business, which is First Minister's Questions. At question number one, I call Douglas Ross. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer, and I remind the chamber that my wife is a serving officer with Police Scotland. As part of a pilot in the north-east of Scotland, front-line officers are being told to no longer investigate certain crimes. S&P funding cuts are forcing dedicated officers to ignore criminal acts. Some victims of crime will report it to the police only to be told it's not important enough to investigate. So, will the First Minister tell us which crimes won't be investigated? First of all, Police Scotland's funding is not being cut. I'm pleased to say that, despite UK Government austerity and recognition of the crucial role that police officers pay, we've just announced this week an excellent pay-offer that I'm pleased that police officers have accepted. The service is receiving an additional £80 million in resource funding in 2023-24. Again, from the north-east pilot that Douglas Ross mentions, let me quote directly from the news release that the police put out in that region. It says, on some occasions, crimes are reported where there's no associated threat, no risk, no harm, no vulnerability—this is the important bit—also no proportionate lines of inquiry for local police officers to investigate. When that happens, our staff will inform the caller that the inquiry has been recorded and a crime reference number will be supplied, but no further action will be taken. That, to me, seems like a proportionate approach to tackling crime. The First Minister is quite happy about that. That is incredible. First of all, more pay for our officers is welcome, fewer officers is not, and that's what we have now in Scotland. The First Minister cannot dodge responsibility. This is a result of SNP funding cuts, and it's laid clear in the letter that he's just read out from Chief Superintendent Graham Mackey. However, that pilot is unfairly treating communities in the north-east as guinea pigs. They'll receive a poorer service despite paying their taxes like everyone else. In response to that, the Scottish Police Federation chair David Threadgold said that areas could be at increased risk as criminals target places where they know crime won't be investigated. Humza Yousaf wouldn't let this rash experiment happen in Glasgow, so why is he content to let victims in the north-east go without justice? That is complete and utter nonsense turning one community in Scotland against another community in Scotland. What else would you expect from the divisive Conservatives? That, of course, is the policing operational matter. Let me pull up Douglas Ross on a couple of points. First and foremost, Scotland has more police officers per capita than England and Wales, and, of course, on significantly higher pay here in Scotland because we believe in paying our police officers fairly. In Scotland, we have 30 officers per 10,000 of the population in Scotland. That compares to 25 in England and indeed in Wales. Let me go back to the central point. What people in Scotland, whether they are in Glasgow or the north-east care about, is ensuring that recorded crime is at low levels. I am pleased to say that, under this SNP Government, recorded crime continues to be at one of the lowest levels ever since 1974, down 42 per cent since 2006-2007. Douglas Ross North East families should not be paying the price for SNP funding cuts, and that is what is happening here. The Scottish Police Federation said that this pilot could set a dangerous precedent. Officers are warning that this could be a slippery slope unless Humza Yousaf steps in with more funding. Even today, Audrey Nicholl, the SNP, MSP and convener of this Parliament's Justice Committee has raised concerns about what is happening in the north-east of Scotland. Will the First Minister tell us? Is he going to act on those concerns, or is he going to let this happen across the country? If Douglas Ross does not correct the record after the session, he is frankly happy to be inaccurate and misleading. Let me read again the facts. We are investing £1.45 billion in policing in 2023-24, increasing the resource budget, increasing by 6.3 per cent, and an additional £80 million. Any suggestion that we are cutting funding, I am afraid, is simply untrue. Let me go back to the press release that was sent out by the police in the north-east, because that is an operational matter. Again, if crimes are reported and there is no associated threat, risk, harm or vulnerability and no proportionate lines of inquiry, officers will, of course, give a crime reference number. The crime will be recorded, but no further action will be taken. On this side of the chamber, we are ensuring that our police are funded. We are ensuring that more police officers are on the street, but crucially, we are ensuring that recorded crime remains at one of the lowest levels in 42 years. I think that if anyone could be correcting the record, it is the First Minister. Of course, we know that the police Scotland's budgeted officer establishment has reduced from 17,234 to 16,600. There are less police officers on the beat in Scotland, and they are being told not to investigate crimes. Why are they being told? It is because of funding. If the First Minister will not believe what I am saying, maybe he will listen to Deputy Chief Constable Fiona Thompson. She said that the force is facing hard choices. She continued, the levels of service that we provide to the public will inevitably reduce. This is a direct consequence of SNP funding cuts. Officers do not have the resources to do their jobs. People who report crimes will be told tough luck, and it is open season for criminals under the SNP. Why is the First Minister telling offenders that they can break the law and get away with it here in Scotland? Douglas Ross, with that question, demonstrates why he should never ever be allowed to be First Minister of this country. Panicking people, alarming people, sensationalism, all for cheap political headlines is what Douglas Ross is interested in. What we are interested in is results. Those results see more police officers in Scotland than other parts of the UK per head. What we see is further investment in our police in comparison to the previous year. What we also see is lower recorded crime rates here in Scotland than when we took what I would say to Douglas Ross is that when he talks about difficult public finances, they are difficult because of Westminster austerity, because of cuts to our budget, and because of the disastrous mini-budget that Douglas Ross just under a year ago demanded the Scottish Government follow Liz Truss's path. Now he wants to see tax cuts for the wealthier, so we will continue to invest in our public services. When it comes to the public finances, Douglas Ross has no credibility whatsoever. The news this week of the risk of reinforced autoclaved, aerated concrete, known as RAC, in our schools is causing understandable anxiety for parents, pupils and staff. The Government has confirmed that 37 schools have been identified as containing RAC. So can I ask when the Government first became aware of the issue and what steps it took, and also will the Government commit to publishing the list of the schools impacted so that parents and pupils have at least some of the answers that they deserve? So we were informed about RAC for not just many months, but for years. That is why, for example, we ensured that our education leaders had the appropriate guidance from the Institute of Structural Engineers last year. We have been proactive over that period, particularly the education secretary has been proactive in relation to her discussions with local authorities to ensure that we have a full understanding of the picture. I can confirm that, given that we have further information back from local authorities that 40 schools have been identified that have RAC in them, and of course the appropriate mitigations have been put in place. In terms of Anna Sauer's direct question, I think it is a very fair question, that yes, we will work with local authorities to ensure that that information is published. I have expected that publication to happen at the end of the week, not just a list of the schools that have been affected, but if we can give more information around the mitigations in place, that will give some confidence to parents and pupils and staff who are in those schools. We are working with local authorities to ensure that that information is published. There is, of course, a statement later this afternoon where the Cabinet Secretary will lay some of that detail out. First Minister, the Institute of Engineers said that it began inspections in schools for RAC in 2018, and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said that it warned that buildings at risk of collapse two years ago, so it is important to know what steps the Government took, especially as the First Minister said that they have known about this for years. Specifically on the schools impacted, how many schools have either a partial or complete closure, how many are subject to the additional building works or emergency engineering support, and finally what resources are being made available to local authorities to deal with these affected buildings? First Minister. So the number of questions, which again I'm happy if we don't get to the detail off to write down a sour in full detail. In terms of the mitigations in place, they vary from school to school to school. Various schools, for example, and other public sector owners of public sector buildings have taken a number of mitigations. If I take local authorities and schools, for example, St Kentagorn's academy in West Lothian, they have closed part of its estate, including the dining and kitchen areas, Preston Lodge High School, and East Lothian has closed off impacted classrooms in other areas. So each school will determine, given the Institute of Structural Engineers guidance, will then choose to take the appropriate mitigation in place. Fire stations, of course, that have been affected as well, they already have put mitigation in place. Again, I'm happy to furnish an a sour with some of the detail. In terms of funding, we are of course aware of some local authorities wanting a discussion in around funding, and of course we'll continue to have those discussions with local authorities, but ultimately they are the ones who are responsible for the safety of the school estate. I did note to the chancellor of the UK, the prime minister, back to the UK, say that funding will be made in order to help with mitigations in relation to RAC, but I've seen in the last 24 hours, 48 hours, them roll back on that commitment. So we'll continue to have conversations with the UK Government. In fact, the Deputy First Minister wrote to the Treasury on 16 August last month to call for the allocation of additional funding to remediate RAC, but I know that there are a number of questions that Anna Sarwar has asked and I'm happy to go back to him and write in full detail. Thank you, Anna Sarwar. I welcome the commitment to publish a list of schools and can ask that public information to include what mitigations are taking place in those schools to give that reassurance to patients. Sorry to parents. The Government have delayed the next phase of their school rebuilding programme. Local authorities submitted bids a year ago, they were meant to get an answer by the end of 2022, and we know that at least five of the schools on that list contain RAC, although I suspect that that number will be far higher. Those schools are still waiting, so this must be dealt with urgently. This issue also goes beyond our schools. We know that 255 NHS buildings across Scotland are being surveyed for suspected RAC, so can I ask the First Minister when those surveys will be completed, when will have a complete list of all public bodies affected? How soon will we have a timetable for any required remedial action so that we can give patients, staff, parents and pupils the reassurances that they deserve? Again, I'm more than happy to furnish Anna Sarwar with other detailed writing, if I'm not able to get to all the questions that he answers in terms of the school estate. We'll be making a decision on leap imminently, but we are also now looking at that programme through a RAC lens. I think that it's important for us to do so. The Government has a good record when it comes to building schools or substantial refurbishment of schools since 2007-08. We have had 1098 school builds or substantial refurbishment projects that have taken place. Anna Sarwar will be aware that school estate statistics came out just a couple of days ago in the show that 91 per cent of schools in Scotland had a good or satisfactory condition rating that significantly improved from when we first took office. In terms of the NHS, a major study is already very much under way, NHS Scotland assure, that the desktop review exercise that took place showed that 254 buildings have two or more characteristics consistent with the presence of RAC. In the next phase of the survey has commenced and nine buildings have now been confirmed to contain RAC, that's from 40 buildings that have been surveyed. Going back to Anna Sarwar's very original point—I think that it's a fair one—we will work with partners, not just local authorities but NHS boards and others, to see how much of that information can be put out publicly. I hope that Anna Sarwar and others will appreciate that that will be an evolving picture as these surveys continue to progress. Presiding Officer, to ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's responses to data showing that the attainment gap has increased. In fact, the poverty-related attainment gap is narrower than it was pre-pandemic for national fives for hires and advanced hires. That shows progress and education recovery and closing the poverty-related attainment gap over the longer term. We've seen good progress in primary school literacy and numeracy, the latest data showing the biggest ever reduction in the gap. We've seen a record low poverty-related attainment gap in positive destinations for school leavers nine months after leaving school, with record high numbers of students from deprived areas entering university in 2021-22. All that, plus the ambitious aims that local authorities have set and indeed our setting for the longer term, gives me great confidence that we are making good progress and our £1 billion investment in the Scottish attainment challenge is indeed having an impact. The First Minister chooses his data carefully, yet fails to acknowledge that the attainment gap between the least and most deprived pupils has widened for the third year in a row. We must be clear that this is through no fault of teachers, pupils or staff. Whilst his predecessor promised to eliminate the attainment gap, his ambition, as set out in the programme for government, is limited to merely narrowing it. So what narrowed gap would be acceptable to the First Minister? When does he project he'll deliver it? First of all, of course Liam Kerr is not comparing like for like. We are comparing of course this year's figures compared to pre-pandemic figures. Of course, Liam Kerr, what I would say to him is the emphasis that he forgets to put is that this is of course a poverty-related attainment gap. That is the very point, Presiding Officer, that poverty-related attainment gap. If Liam Kerr really cared about tackling it, he would use any of the minuscule influence that he has within his own party to demand that they scrap the true child limit, to demand that they scrap or reverse the reduction in universal credit, that they scrap the benefits freeze. Those three measures alone would lift 30,000 children in Scotland out of poverty. So while Liam Kerr may well wipe away those crocodile tears, we in this Scottish Government will get on with the job of protecting Scots from the harm of a Westminster cost of living crisis. I thank the First Minister for his answer to that question, but in many areas in Scotland, including Glasgow, the attainment challenge funding is being used to backfill cuts to core education funding. Why does he think that that is? Does he accept that this dedicated funding put in place to tackle the attainment gap has failed to do so in a substantial way? I have just said to the previous member that we are making inroads in relation to narrowing the poverty-related attainment gap. When it comes to funding for local authorities, that funding has increased in comparison to the last financial year. What we are doing with that £1 billion Scottish attainment challenge is making sure that we are giving £520 million to the pupil equity funding for headteachers. Direct funding also for all 32 local authorities for the first time, and additional funding to support care experience children and young people's attainment and wellbeing. What I would say to Pam Duncan Glancy, who cares deeply about those matters, is that we can only go so far in relation to the poverty related attainment gap, because when it comes to reducing and tackling poverty, we have some of the powers, but I am afraid that the substantial levers are still in the hands of a Conservative UK Government. I want to change that, I hope, but Pam Duncan Glancy does too. Question 4, Emma Harper. To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the steps that are being taken to reduce drug deaths in Scotland. We remain absolutely committed to delivering the national mission to reduce drugs deaths and improve lives of those that are affected by drugs. The latest drug deaths statistics reported a 21 per cent decrease in 2022. I do welcome that reduction, which is the highest on record, but I am also quite clear that those numbers of course remain far too high. Every life lost is an absolute tragedy. My thoughts are with the families that have been impacted and affected. That is why the national mission includes an additional £250 million investment over the course of this Parliament to improve services and back radical approaches that are evidence-based. That phrase is absolutely crucial. Whether that be a proposal to establish a safe for drugs consumption facility or arguing for drug law reform, the Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy will make a statement later this month to update Parliament more fully. Emma Harper. I thank the First Minister for that response. The misuse of drugs act is over 50 years old. It is not fit for purpose and it must be reviewed urgently. The Home Affairs Committee recently published a report calling for a review of drug classification and a new health-led approach to tackling drugs with a trial of safe consumption rooms. Can the First Minister provide an update as to what engagement the Scottish Government has had with the UK Government regarding the urgent need to reform the draconian misuse of drugs act? The points that Emma Harper makes are well made. In July, the Scottish Government did publish a paper on setting out our bold and ambitious proposals for drug law reform to ensure that we treat problematic drug use as a health, not a criminal matter. I was heartened that there was much support for it, not just domestically but internationally and globally, from experts and those who are working on the ground to tackle the issue of drugs misuse. That is complemented by the recent very welcome report that Emma Harper said from the Home Affairs Select Committee, which is clear for the need to reform the misuse of drugs act. The Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy met the UK Minister for Policing on Tuesday this week and raised the issues with him. If the UK Government will not take the necessary actions to use the powers that it has to help us to combat the challenge, the problem and the crisis, it will at least evolve the powers to us, so we can take a different approach here in Scotland. The Dogs Against Drugs Charity assists Police Scotland with the search and seizure of illegal drugs arriving in Shetland alongside its educational preventative work. Police Scotland's Shetland area commander has credited the dogs with a vital role in drug seizures in Shetland with the value of around £750,000 in the last 18 months. One dog, Thor, is retiring and is credited to have found an estimated £1 million worth of illegal drugs over its nine-year career, but without core funding, the charity's future is under threat, and if it ceases it will likely cost the taxpayer more in the long run. I have recently met the justice secretary to discuss the issues, but I wonder if the First Minister would agree with me that dogs against drugs is an important asset to both Police Scotland and the Shetland community and that it would be a significant loss where it to cease. I do agree with Beatrice Wishart. I know of the programme Dogs Against Drugs. I remember them well when I was justice secretary and funding. I know has been an issue for a long period of time and that's why I was pleased that the organisation did receive some additional funding, I think, from the CIS organized crime task force. I believe it was a good meeting between the justice secretary and Beatrice Wishart, and of course if there's anything more we can do to try to support Dogs Against Drugs, we'll be open to that in the difficult financial circumstances that we're operating in. To ask the First Minister following the publication of NHS Tayside's due diligence review of documentation held relating to Professor Eljamel, whether the Scottish Government will immediately approve an independent public inquiry. That is a deeply important issue and I can inform the chamber today that Health Secretary Michael Matheson will use his statement to the chamber this afternoon to confirm that he, that the Government, has decided to commission a full independent public inquiry. This comes after very careful consideration of the recent due diligence review, which said concerns about Professor Eljamel were not acted on with the urgency that they deserved. In commissioning an inquiry it remains important that those people directly affected are still supported to find the answers that they need and that both staff and patients across Scotland know that lessons are being learned. The cabinet secretary has considered the latest report on NHS Tayside and we have collectively concluded that that requires an investigation independent of both the board and, indeed, of the Scottish Government, and I agree with that. He will set out, the cabinet secretary for health will set out the details of the next steps in his statement this afternoon. Michael Marra Scottish Labour welcomes that inquiry. It should not have taken us so long to get here. This inquiry has been wrung out of the Government like blood from a stone. By Jules Rose, Pat Kelly and the many victims who were weeping outside this Parliament yesterday, many in permanent debilitating pain. As late as last week the First Minister and Health Secretary maintained the public inquiry would not take place and that damming internal review that he mentions from NHS Tayside says they knew Eljamel was incapable and dishonest and yet allowed him to continue unchecked. That review also revealed that the NHS Tayside board has done nothing to deliver on a raft of recommendations from previous reports into this scandal. What will the First Minister do today to ensure that those recommendations are acted on immediately? I disagree with Michael Marra's characterisation. Both the Health Secretary and I have always said that a public inquiry has not been ruled out but I hope that Michael Marra would understand that it is appropriate that we allow reviews like the due diligence review that was taking place to progress right to the end of its conclusion. In doing so, having seen the extremely disturbing detail of that due diligence review, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and the Cabinet in Tuesday, the Government has come to the conclusion that a public inquiry is therefore necessary because of the failings that that report has exposed. Let us be clear about two things, first and foremost that Professor Eljamel is responsible for his despicable actions, but where there are systemic failings, they must be absolutely exposed, interrogated and lessons must be learned, and that is why public inquiry is so important. Secondly, I agree with Michael Marra that, although many MSPs deserve credit for raising those issues, it is to the credit of the brave patients who have spoken out about the suffering that they have due to Joe Rose, Pat Kelly and many others who have raised those issues. They deserve the credit for this announcement around the public inquiry. There is still a further question for us to explore and Michael Matheson will lay this out in detail in his statement. Whether or not there will need to be another process alongside the public inquiry that answers the very individual patient questions that rightly patients have in terms of their individual cases, something that a public inquiry would not necessarily be able to do. I also welcome this decision, but I pay very considerable tribute to Joe Rose, Pat Kelly and all the other patients who, for 10 years, have been fighting this case. If, aside from the public inquiry, the Scottish Government will consider a victim support fund for the former patients and their families. Again, there are, of course, as Liz Smith knows well, appropriate routes in relation to compensation that families can go through when it comes to health boards. Of course, if there are other avenues that we can explore to support patients, we will give that consideration, but there are already established avenues for patients who have suffered as a result of the NHS to be able to claim compensation. However, they can at times be difficult to navigate, so we will give consideration to any other avenues of support that we can provide. I want to mention that there has been a good cross-party effort on MSPs such as Shona Robison, Jo Fitzpatrick, John Swinney, Jim Fairlie, Graham Day, Willie Rennie and Michael Marra have all raised those issues, but it is important to play perhaps a particular credit to Liz Smith, who has raised those issues for many years diligently and in a considered manner. I thank all the MSPs who have raised those important issues on behalf of the patients that they represent. To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government plans to maximise the economic benefits, including the number of new jobs that result from any growth in renewable energy sources, including onshore wind. Scotland has the skills, the talent, the resources to become a global renewables powerhouse. We are investing almost £5 billion over this Parliament in the energy transition and finalising an onshore wind sector deal, including having the average determination time for new section 36 onshore wind applications, as well as maximising the benefits for Scotland's economy but, crucially, also for local communities. We are determined to maximise the opportunities from offshore wind as well and welcome the commitment of developers to invest an average of £1.5 billion per project in the Scottish economy. We are embracing the opportunities that a flourishing clean hydrogen sector will bring, helping to support jobs, boost energy security and open up export potential. Our finalised energy strategy and just transition plan will set how we can maximise those opportunities, including jobs in renewable energy and energy supply chains and a highly skilled, flexible workforce. Windpower in Scotland is growing. That is good for our climate, jobs and our economy. In fact, onshore renewables grew last year at almost twice the rate in Scotland than in England. That programme for government will further unlock growth in green energy. In contrast, this week the UK Government failed to genuinely lift its absurd windfarm ban in England. The Tories are wrecking our climate and holding back growth in a key industry. The Scottish Government must do more to capture the benefits of that and other growing green industries for the people of Scotland. How the new green industrial strategy and the sector deal for onshore wind will create new jobs and supply chain opportunities across Scotland? Ross Greer is absolutely right about the damning approach that the UK Government has taken in the face of all the scientific evidence of the climate catastrophe that is unfolding right now. As I announced this week, we are establishing a sector deal. I think that sector deal will be incredibly important because of the scale of potential that we have to realise that collective ambition of 20 gigawatts by 2030. Deliver that in a way—Ross Greer is absolutely right—in a way that benefits local communities. That is why this deal that we are negotiating will enable increased investment in skills training and additional investment in communities. It will create pathways for long-term sustainable energy jobs, supply chains with a focus particularly on the circular economy opportunities. Furthermore, building on our final energy strategy and just transition plan, we will work closely with businesses and industries to develop that green industrial strategy by summer of next year. That will set out how we will help businesses and investors to create good, well-paid jobs as part of our fair, green and growing economy. Ivan McKee Industry, including Industry Body Scottish Renewables, is clear that to maximise the economic opportunities from renewable energy, there is a need for a robust, evidence-led, action-driven, green industrial strategy, including addressing challenges on skills and investment that Government and industry can deliver on together. Can I ask what plans the Government has to bring forward that strategy and the timescales involved? We will work closely with businesses and industries to develop a green industrial strategy by summer of next year, setting out how the Scottish Government will help businesses and investors to realise the enormous economic opportunities, including jobs of the global transition to net zero. The strategy will build on that final energy strategy and just transition plan to offer that clear evidence-based view of the economic sectors and industries in which we have the greatest strengths and most potential. Will everything be everything that we can to support them to thrive? Of course, some of those levers are very much in our hands. Many of them, particularly when it comes to incentives, tax incentives, financial incentives, lie with the UK Government. That is why I wrote to the UK Government this week to urge them to have a discussion and around some of the good ideas that I think were in the Hunter Foundation report by Sir Tom Hunter Foundation around using the economic levers, whether they are in the Scottish Government's hands or in the UK Government's hands, to the maximum effect to boost growing sectors, such as the renewable sector of Scotland. Over recent weeks, there have been continued disturbances at the new prison facility HMP-Y-O-Y Stirling, which is causing great distress to local residents. The incidents include screaming, shouting, swearing and banging, coming from the prison at all times of day and night since it opened. Therefore, First Minister, what action can the Scottish Government put in place together with the Scottish Prison Service to tackle and rectify these disturbances, which are being described by locals as a living hell and support these vulnerable offenders? We certainly do not want local communities to be disturbed and to be inconvenienced in the way that Alexander Stewart articulates. I will ask the Cabinet Secretary for Justice to write to Alexander Stewart to see what more can be done. Of course, the prison service takes its obligations seriously to the young people in particular that are within their facilities in order to, hopefully, aid rehabilitation and to also take their obligation very seriously in terms of the communities that they are in. I will ask the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, who, undoubtedly, raises the issues with the Scottish Prison Service to also meet with the member and see what more can be done. I thought I had been dismissed. Thank you. Recently it has been reported that nature has caught over five years as to 46,985 licences authorising the culling of native wild species, including thousands of geese, also ravens and the iconic mountain hare. Does the First Minister share the concerns of animal welfare organisations and it did myself at the size of those numbers, and I should have declared an interest as convener of the cross-party group on animal welfare? I noticed that it took a bit of time, as Christine Grahame was not sure if she was being called. Do forgive her, Presiding Officer. She is quite new to this Parliament. In terms of the serious question that Christine Grahame raises, those numbers do, I think, cause us all to pause and to reflect. Nature Scotland, I know, takes the issue of licence control of wildlife very seriously indeed, and it is only done where there is no alternative licences are only issued in accordance with strict criteria laid down in law. However, there are occasions when wildlife needs to be controlled where it presents a risk to human health or safety. Therefore, as I said, those decisions are not taken lightly at all. Those decisions can also involve, for example, considerations of protecting air safety around airports, safeguarding food production and retail environments, and protecting crops in fields as well. As part of the beauty house agreement, we will undertake a full review of the species licensing system during this Parliament, but I will also ensure that the appropriate Cabinet Secretary and Minister investigates the numbers that have been raised by Christine Grahame and writes back to her with a fuller response. Covid rates are rising, and two wards at the Vale of Leven hospital have been closed due to Covid. The number of beds occupied in hospitals across Scotland is also going up, putting even more pressure on the NHS. We know that vaccination is an important line of defence, yet there appear to be problems with a vaccination programme. A couple in their 70s booked for their Covid and flu vaccinations, but when they arrived this week at their vaccination centre, they were told that there was no Covid vaccine available. They and 350 other people were sent home. Can the First Minister tell me if he is aware if there is a problem with the supply of vaccine and when will Covid vaccines actually start? No, I am not aware of any problem with the vaccine programme or the vaccine supply or stock. Good supply and good stock is my understanding, but I will ask the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to examine that point in further detail and again write to Jackie Baillie in that regard. Jackie Baillie is absolutely the best form of defence in relation to Covid. We are not, as a Government, complacent about the fact that Covid is still within our communities and still harming people and still causing impacts to our public services, including our NHS. On the very specifics of Jackie Baillie, we would be able to furnish us with the details. I will ensure that the low-specific incident is looked into and we will give her assurance around the vaccination supply and stock. The disaster of Brexit that Scotland did not vote for has, among other things, narrowed opportunities for some of our young people. With that in mind, can the First Minister update me on what proportion of school leavers have gone on to positive destinations? This summer, we had very encouraging statistics indeed that showed that more than 93 per cent of 2122 school leavers were in a positive destination nine months after the end of the school year. That is the highest level since comparable data was first gathered in 2009 and 2010. The member is, of course, right to note that Brexit has narrowed opportunities for young people. One of the most damaging examples of that has been the UK's decision not to participate in Erasmus+. We are determined to ensure that young people, particularly from our most disadvantaged communities, can benefit from educational exchange opportunities. That is why, in the programme for government, I committed to developing the Scottish education exchange programme, delivering some of the opportunities to young people that Brexit has robbed them of. I am afraid that anything that we do as an alternative to Erasmus+, will never quite be as good as the programme, the Erasmus+, programme, in the European Union. Those in Scotland know that the only way Scotland will be able to rejoin the European Union is as an independent nation. The First Minister will be aware of the repeated desecration of the Snowdrop Memorial Garden at Dunfermline Cemetery. Desecration of memorials is detestable. Words cannot describe how detestable these acts of vandalism are and the emotional trauma caused to the families of babies remembered at the site. Instances like those are happening too often and it is left to volunteers to clear up the mess left by mindless vandals. What more can the Scottish Government do to support our local councils with funding and resources for something as simple as CCTV cameras to deter those horrific crimes and help to bring culprits to justice? Those are despicable acts and there can be no words of condemnation that are strong enough to articulate and express our collective horror such acts of desecration. In terms of what more can be done, I will be more than happy for the appropriate minister to have conversations with our local government partners to see if there is anything further that we can do collectively in order to deter. I would say that it is really important also that we try our best to work with anybody who is desecrating these memorials to see if there is more we can do to hopefully divert them from such despicable behaviour. Of course, the police will determine whether or not there are crimes committed and what action can be taken. I know that one of our local councillors, the councillor Naz, I know him well, was one of the volunteers who was involved in cleaning up the baby memorial. Of course, I commend the volunteers for cleaning up the memorial, but it should not be left to volunteers. The desecration should not be taking place in the first place and therefore the government will reach out to the local authority and see if there is anything more we can do to support them in any action that they are taking to stop this desecration from happening in the first place. Stuart McMillan, thank you, Presiding Officer. Does the First Minister agree with me that the draconian proposals by the UK Government's Transport Commissioner about football supporters' buses needs to be shown to the red card? First Minister. Absolutely, I have no idea why these proposals have been touted in Scotland. I have no idea why the UK traffic commissioner, the UK Government, think that these proposals have any place here in Scotland. They are voluntary guidance and therefore I suspect that they will be ignored and I would support that action. I align myself very closely with the SFA, the SPFL, the SWFL and many teams across the country who condemn those proposals. They have come forward, I have to say, to Stuart McMillan and other members, without any consultation, without a single word of consultation, with Scottish Government ministers, neither with the football authorities or, indeed, most importantly, and most crucially, I would suggest, with the thousands, if not millions, of football fans who would be negatively impacted by those proposals. The minister for sport, Marie Todd, yesterday wrote to the commissioner to better understand where those ludicrous proposals have come from and the Scottish Government football governing bodies and football fan organisations have already issued very strong statements setting out their concerns and they have my absolute full support in this. Russell Findlay. Three months ago, I asked the First Minister about a murderer and rapist who received a shorter prison sentence due to new under-25 sentencing guidelines. Since then, countless other violent criminals, adults by any definition, have also had their sentences reduced, so can homes of use have tell the victims, most of whom are women, why his Government will not step in and scrap this weak and dangerous practice in the Scottish justice system? The First Minister. Of course, the member asked the question, knowing fully the answer, that these, of course, are sentencing council guidelines. They are guidelines that are not made, derived and approved by the Scottish Government. They are, of course, approved by the senior judiciary. I know that they can be often quite tempting, given how horrifying some of those cases are, and the cases that Russell Findlay mentions are absolutely horrifying. I can understand the temptation for MSPs to demand that the Government takes action, but, of course, if we were to do so, we would be interfering in the very independence of the judiciary, which is a cornerstone of our democracy and a cornerstone of the rule of law. Sentencing decisions are very much for the independent judiciary. I am sure that they will have heard the concerns that Russell Findlay, the concerns that many members have raised. It is important to say that that sentencing council guidelines are evidence-based. What I would say to Russell Findlay to end on is that, of course, we have an important bill that will be going through this Parliament that puts victims of witnesses at the heart of the justice system—even more at the heart of the justice system than they are, and I hope that Russell Findlay and the Conservatives will support that bill. The First Minister will be aware that the new eye pavilion in Edinburgh has suffered delay after delay. Over the past few weeks, fresh doubts in its 2027 opening have arisen after NHS Lothian told patients and campaigners that timescales would be confirmed once the Scottish Government had completed a review of funding and sequencing on a number of capital projects. Can the First Minister today confirm to Parliament that the new eye pavilion will open in 2027, and will he meet me and eye pavilion patients to reassure them that the Scottish Government will fund this vital project because it was not mentioned in the programme for government? Of course, I would be happy to confirm that we are absolutely committed to the eye pavilion. Sarah Boyack is right that there is a capital review going on in terms of the capital projects that we are funding right across Government. That review is very much still on going, and that is why we are not able to confirm the timelines. However, we have had a significant reduction to a capital budget from the Westminster UK Government, and that comes, I am afraid, has impacts, let alone the disaster of the mini-budget last year, which has meant that inflation costs and construction costs have risen exponentially. That is why this capital programme's review has to be undertaken. Of course, when it is complete, we will ensure that Parliament is updated accordingly. I am sure that the Minister of the Cabinet Secretary, in fact, will be happy to meet Sarah Boyack and indeed patients in the local area around their plans in relation to the eye pavilion.


Do you feel empty? Do your favorite activities lack their usual spark? You may be experiencing emotional numbness. Emotional numbness is when you lose the ability to feel or express your emotions. This state of mind can affect every aspect of your life, but you may not realize anything is wrong. Numbness can grow and worsen over time, so here are eight signs that you are emotionally numb. If you identify strongly with anything on this list, don't push those feelings away. Emotional numbness can be an early symptom of depression, so it's important to act early, confront your negativity, and ask for help. 1. You've lost interest. Have you lost interest in your daily life? For most people, emotional numbness begins here. They stop caring about their job, they quit paying attention to their health, and they get bored with their lifelong passions. According to a 2013 study by Weiner and others, a sudden loss of interest is a strong predictor of emotional numbness. 2. You can't feel pleasure. Do you force yourself to have fun? A 2019 study by Weiner and others explains that your inability to feel pleasure is called anodonia. Anodonia can affect any aspect of your life, from your go-to restaurants to your favorite TV show. These activities may have left you feeling energized in the past, but now they just feel pointless. Anodonia is a problem all on its own, but it's also a common symptom of depression. If the best moments in your life aren't nearly as fun as they used to be, you may be struggling on a deeper level. 3. Food doesn't taste as good. Have you noticed that food has lost its taste? A strange experience is also a sign of emotional numbness. The same 2019 study highlighted how numbness can affect both emotional and physical pleasures, like eating. Few pleasures compare to a really delicious meal, but emotional numbness can leave your food tasting like cardboard. If your physical senses feel weak or strange, it may be time to seek help. 4. You don't want anything. Are you constantly unmotivated? Does every activity feel like a chore? According to a 2012 study by Chardelle and others, anticipation and fun are closely linked. When you're excited about something, that experience feels more rewarding. A good attitude and fair expectations prepare you for a positive experience. When you're dreading an experience, those rewards may disappear entirely. You're already in a bad mood, your negativity creates a self-fulfilling prophecy. In other words, it's not fun because you expected the worst. 5. You're really indecisive. Do you struggle with the smallest decisions? Are you less decisive than you used to be? Confidence gives you the power to make firm decisions. When you're happy and secure, you believe in your own judgment and you feel empowered, but emotional numbness shatters your confidence.  As indecision grows, your emotions sink lower and lower. So don't let your indecision fly under the radar. 6. You feel guilty all the time. Do you feel guilty about everything? You feel guilty for being lazy. You feel guilty for spending too much time in bed. You even feel guilty for feeling guilty. 7. Is another common sign of emotional numbness. When your emotions are dulled, it seems like you're doing everything wrong. A little negativity can quickly snowball into a mountain of shame. If you're troubled by never-ending guilt, you may be emotionally numb. 7. You avoid your loved ones. Have you been avoiding your friends or family? Normally you're excited to spend time with someone you love, but now it sounds like a nightmare. If you're cancelling plans left and right, emotional numbness may be the reason why your friendships suffer when you don't express yourself. If you're able to relate to this, which trusted friends or family members do you plan to reach out to to express how you truly feel? 8. You feel attacked. Do you feel like no one is on your side? Do you feel attacked or criticized everywhere you go? Emotional numbness can destroy your confidence. When you have no confidence, it feels like everyone is out to get you. In these difficult moments, remember that you're not alone and you do have people in your corner, even if it doesn't feel like it. Have you ever struggled to feel or express your emotions? If you know someone who may benefit from online counseling, we've partnered up with BetterHelp, an affordable online counseling platform that you could utilize. They're constantly striving to improve their services and terms and conditions. The link will be in the description below.