Before we start the first item of business, may I advise the chamber that the Presiding Officer has selected an urgent question for answer today and that will be taken after portfolio questions. As a consequence of that, decision time will be at 10 past 5 and a revised business programme has been issued to all members. First items of business are portfolio questions and the first portfolio is finance, mewn cyllidol, yn cwestiwni i ddiddordeb amdano i swyddaeth, oedd y cymryd yn bobl yn gweithio i ddaneis. Beitoedd, amdo, oedd ganddo i ddechrau i ddoch ynieu gydig, ac mae'n ffordd i ddweud eu ddweud y cwestiwn sy'n ddigon, Oedon? 1. Bruce Crawford I welcome everyone to ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is for the future of the economy, period 6. Derek Mackay's economy has continued to grow in 2018 continuing a pattern of stronger over the past 18 months, alongside record low levels of unemployment. The Scottish Fiscal Commission forecast Scotland's GDP to grow further by in 2019 by 1.2 per cent, assuming a relatively smooth and orderly Brexit process. However, a no-deal Brexit puts future growth at risk. Analysis by the Scottish Government shows that, disorderly, no-deal Brexit has the potential to generate a significant economic shock, which could tip the Scottish economy into recession. Depending on the scenario, there is potential for GDP to contract by between 2.5 per cent and 7 per cent in 2019, and for the level of unemployment in that circumstance to increase by 100,000 people. As a responsible Government, we are also continuing and indeed intensifying our work to prepare for all possible outcomes as best we can. However, while we will do everything possible to prepare for, we will not be able to mitigate all of the impacts of the UK Government's approach to Brexit. I thank the cabinet secretary for his response. In the review of that response, the cabinet secretary agreed with me that a no-deal Brexit would be an unmitigated disaster for the Scottish economy. Does he also agree that the PM's deal would cause significant damage to businesses' jobs in the social fabric of Scotland and to my constituency? The only way to safeguard our economy and social fabric would be to remain in the single market in customs union, or much more preferably, to stay in the European Union itself, and 68 per cent of my constituents voted to do. Derek Mackay I think that that analysis is fair. The Prime Minister announced in Downing Street on occasion that the offers are the choices where her deal, no deal, or no Brexit. We would take no Brexit, thank you very much, because her deal is damaging to the Scottish economy for partly the reasons that Bruce Crawford has given, and no deal is particularly catastrophic. However, we both her deal and no deal negatively impact the economy. The only question is to what extent and to what scale. A further reminder that a no-deal Brexit would lead to recession. A UK Government has taken us into a recession with its eyes wide open of the economic consequences that that would mean for business failure, soaring unemployment, reduced support for trade and success and, equally, her deal would also be damaging in terms of not keeping us within the single market and the impact on the customs union. We are concerned by that. The Government in Scotland will do all that we can. We have offered another way through that. We will prepare for every contingency, but there is another way out of that, and it is in the hands of the UK Government. I take two supplementaries. The shorter answers will be required to get through them. Thank you very much. Last week, the cabinet secretary announced plans that Scotland's economy in the future may adopt a new Scottish currency in the event of independence. Given the potentials and significance of the proposal, I assume that the cabinet secretary has made a full assessment of the financial consequences of those plans. Can I therefore ask him to confirm the level of reserves that would be required for the establishment of a new Scottish central bank and how those reserves would be funded? Derek Mackay. I think that that question is quite fair away from the question that is posed. Of course, I am more than happy to answer it. I am just not sure that I can answer it in the timescale that I have been given by the Presiding Officer. I absolutely do know the proposition that was set out in the growth commission. I do know the proposition that I am presenting to the party conference, which I no longer chair, but I will be happy to be there in my party capacity. The SNP, considering that is what I have been asked about, potential SNP policy, is one that can show how we can use the levers of independence to make our country more prosperous and fairer with the levers and the tools that come with independence. All the small advanced economies around the globe doing better than Scotland only have one thing that Scotland does not have—independence—and we attend to get our independence. Richard Leonard. In the Scottish Government Scotland's place in Europe report, published in January 2018, it forecast that, by 2030, 60 per cent of the drop in Scotland's GDP would be accounted for not by a loss of trade per se or by a loss of in-migration but by a fall in productivity. The Fraser of Ireland Institute also wrote last year that, back in 2007, the Scottish Government set a target to rank in the top quartile for productivity amongst our key trading partners in the OECD by 2017. Can you come to your question, please? That target was missed, so what meaningful steps has the Government taken to close the productivity gap? Very interesting, but Richard Leonard is trying to suggest here that Brexit is not the greatest threat to Scotland's economy. I agree that productivity is a challenge and opportunity for Scotland's economy. We have made more progress on productivity over the period of devolution better than any other part of the United Kingdom. Again, since we have touched on it, thanks to the other Unionists and the Conservatives, the growth commission was able to show how, with the powers of independence, we can enhance our productivity because it also involves people, the ability to grow our population, the ability to innovate and the ability to support in our economy in the way that we cannot, as part of the straight jacket that is a union that Richard Leonard so supports. Right, a quick word. That is not First Minister's questions. That is a chance for backbenchers to have questions put and answers taken by Cabinet Secretaries and Ministers who are in the Scottish Government. Can we bear that in mind, please, for the rest of this session? I call the very sensible Mr Tavish Scott. I entirely endorse your sensible remarks. Of course, I meant your observations about the front bench. Do you ask the Scottish Government whether there are restrictions on local authorities using bond finance to support investment proposals in their areas? Derek Mackay. Oh, sorry. Kate Forbes, the very sensible Kate Forbes. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. It is a matter for each local authority to consider how they want to borrow, including the use of bond finance and on what terms local authority regulations 2016 set out the statutory arrangements for local authority borrowing, which, in line with the prudential code, should be prudent, affordable and sustainable. Tavish Scott. I thank the minister for that reply. Given Aberdeen City has successfully raised £415 million in bond finance to finance its new magnificent conference centre, would the minister encourage Shetland Council to at least explore this capital financing mechanism to pay for the fixed links that are desperately needed to join the islands in the Shetland archipelago? Not least of which, because, as with every Government, there are considerable pressures on capital finance. Kate Forbes. I thank the member for that question. As long as councils do so in a fiscally responsible manner, we are definitely willing to explore the possibilities of using bond finance. That funding mechanism has great potential for wider use in Scotland and key projects that have been funded through that in Aberdeen. It is a good example of how it can be used effectively. I remind members that questions 3 and 7 will be grouped together. Question 3 is from John McAlpine. Thank you. To ask the Scottish Government which parts of the economy and areas of employment are most at risk from a no-deal Brexit. Analysis has highlighted that all sectors and regions of the economy would be negatively affected by Brexit. However, sectors most at risk of a no-deal include agriculture, food and drink, chemicals, construction and some areas of manufacturing. Local authorities, with the highest concentration of workers in those sectors, are typically in more rural areas, reflecting the importance of sectors such as agriculture and fishing in those areas. I thank the minister for that answer. Dumfries and Galloway is among the most exposed regions of Scotland to a no-deal since between 20 and 24 per cent of workers earn a wage in the most vulnerable sectors. Does the minister agree with me that it is utterly outrageous that the UK Tory Government is threatening that on the south of Scotland? Yes, I agree with the member on that. Clare Llyw has highlighted my earlier answer. Rural areas of the country will be particularly hard hit by Brexit and a particular by a no-deal Brexit. It is completely unacceptable that the UK Government is forcing on Scotland this potential recession for no reason other than to deal with it and fighting within the Conservative Party. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on the economy of a no-deal Brexit. Ivan McKee The Scottish Government's chief economist published analysis on 21 February this year, setting out the immediate economic implications of a no-deal Brexit for the Scottish economy. The analysis indicated that there is a potential for the economy to contract by between 2.5 per cent and 7 per cent by the end of 2019, with the potential for the Scottish economy to be pushed into recession, depending on the way in which a no-deal Brexit evolves. Previous analysis published in Scotland's Place in Europe, people jobs and investment outlined the long-term implications of Brexit for Scotland's economy. Stewart Stevenson Is the cabinet secretary aware of concerns of fish processors in my constituency, who are worried that they will be unable to obtain the necessary export health certificates in a timely fashion for getting the fresh fish products to markets in Europe and elsewhere? Ivan McKee The impact of a no-deal Brexit will have catastrophic consequences for the seafood sector in Scotland. Our seafood sector will be severely impacted by disruption at the Port of Dover, which will jeopardise the just-in-time nature of the seafood supply chain. The sector will also be required to comply with a range of administrative burdens, in particular the requirement for export health certificates for all seafood consignments being exported to the EU. We anticipate at least a fourfold increase in the requirement for export health certificates, with a potential additional cost to the industry of more than £15 million per year. The Scottish Government continues to press defra on our proposals for controlling imports and exports to the UK. supplementary Willie Rennie I agree with the minister's remarks about a no-deal Brexit. Has the minister conducted any research to compare the negative economic impacts of a no-deal Brexit scenario with a no-deal independent scenario? Ivan McKee Willie Rennie would be aware, if he read the growth commission report, the potential for an independent Scotland standing alongside other nations across Europe, small to medium-sized nations, would lead to significant increases in the growth rate within Scotland's economy. If you look across those nations and how they have grown over the last decades compared to Scotland, the difference is not in the resources that they have. We have more resources in this country, but it is not in the people that they have. We have better trained and skilled individuals in this country. The only difference is that those countries are able to pursue their own economic policies because they are independent. Question 4 was not lodged. Question 5, Fulton MacGregor. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with businesses regarding the potential economic impact of Brexit. Ivan McKee The Scottish Government engages extensively with individual businesses and their representative bodies. Those discussions routinely confirm that, although Scotland did not vote for Brexit, that is the biggest and most immediate economic challenge that businesses face. Raising awareness in and action by businesses is vital. Last year, we launched prepare for Brexit, offering readiness, self-assessment tools and expert advice, as well as access to learning and networking events and grants for Brexit planning support. That campaign can help many more businesses to take steps to enhance resilience despite the on-going uncertainty of Brexit. Fulton MacGregor I thank the minister for that response. Businesses that I have spoken to in my constituency have been quite disappointed with the lack of engagement from the UK Government. Can I ask the minister if he can tell me if there is any evidence that the views of Scotland's businesses have been heeded by the UK Government or, as with most things relating to Brexit, that they have been run roughshod over by the Tories in favour of keeping their party together? Ivan McKee There is clear evidence of the UK Government ignoring the views and interests of Scottish business. Let me focus on immigration policy, which is a very significant factor in ensuring that businesses have the skilled workforce that they and we need to grow and prosper. That is clear from two business quotes from the SPICE report that was published in January on immigration policy, The Countdown to Brexit. That is the voice of business in Scotland. The FSB Scotland policy chair Andrew McCraith said that the UK Government's obstinate approach to immigration is a clear threat to many of Scotland's businesses and local communities. Those proposals will make it nigh impossible for the vast majority of Scottish firms to access any known UK labour and the skills that they need to grow and sustain their operations. Scottish tourism alliance chief executive Mark Cothrull said that the UK Government's measures on immigration could have potentially devastating effects on Scotland's tourism industry, in particular the £30,000 minimum salary threshold. There is no doubt that the Government's plans will exacerbate the existing recruitment crisis considerably, placing our tourism industry in what is one of the most important economic drivers for Scotland in severe jeopardy. The UK Government is not listening on immigration or on a range of other issues relating to Brexit and the economy. A very quick supplementary answer, please, Rhoda Grant. It is estimated that an employment will rise up to almost 8 per cent with a no-deal Brexit. What plans has the Scottish Government to deal with this and also to mitigate the impact of that? As a member of all, the Scottish Government's score committee is meeting on a weekly basis to evaluate and bring forward steps to mitigate the worst impacts of Brexit. The extension of range of measures that is laid out in the economic action plan, published earlier by my colleague the cabinet secretary, lays out many, many steps that have been taken by the Scottish Government across the whole range of aspects of the economy to mitigate against the worst aspects of a no-deal Brexit. To ask the Scottish Government how its budget will impact on Orkney and Shetland. Kate Forbes. The budget invests in our local authorities, including Orkney and Shetland, to enable them to deliver services to the people who live there from education and social care to transport and planning. The budget delivers a fair financial settlement for local government by providing funding of £11.2 billion, which is a real-terms increase of almost £300 million in Orkney Islands Council, and Shetland Islands Council will both receive their fair formula share of that total funding. Jamie Halcro Johnston. I thank the minister for that answer. Ahead of the conclusion of the budget process, Cabinet Secretary Mike Russell came to Orkney. While he was there, he spoke about the funding of internal ferries in Orkney and Shetland and the shortfall between what is given to the council and the cost of maintaining the services. Mike Russell said that it was a big issue. He said that it was an issue that obviously needs a resolution. Yet a month later we hear that there is no resolution. Why has the Scottish Government yet again failed to meet its own pledge to provide fair ferry funding for Orkney and Shetland? It is a decision that is described by one local councillor as Donald Trump's politics. When will Mr Russell pledge to go back and raise this big issue with cabinet colleagues? Did he do so? If so, was he simply ignored? I would ask Jamie Halcro Johnston why he voted against £10.5 million for ferries in the budget this year and last year. Shetland and Orkney Islands Council's remain responsible for the delivery of the internal ferry services. We recognise the challenges that that presents. This year's budget has made available that £10.5 million this year, as well as last year, for local authority ferry services. We have also ensured that, with the local government settlement, the Orkney Islands and Shetland councils have their money to deliver services, and we have given more flexibility around council tax. My question to Jamie Halcro Johnston is how much more difficult would it be to fund local services in Orkney if we had to follow his tax plans and find an additional £500 million for those services? Very quick supplementary, please, Liam McArthur. Thank you. I am delighted to see the minister have such a positive visit to Orkney earlier this week, but she will be informed that Orkney has received £200,000 less for internal ferry funding this year, leaving a shortfall of well over £1 million. How does that square with the Government's commitment to the principle of fair funding for our lifeline internal ferry services? Kate Forbes. I have a thoroughly enjoyable two days in Orkney, and I am most jealous of Liam McArthur's opportunities to go back there on a weekly basis. We recognise, as I said in my first answer, the challenges around local ferry services. I had that discussion with the local council. What we have been clear about in our budget is to ensure that we provide adequate funding and that we have given local authorities who are responsible for the ferry service the funding that they need to deliver the services. Question 8, Edward Mountain. To ask the Scottish Government what recent meetings the finance secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding local government finance. As part of the annual budget process, I met all relevant ministerial colleagues regarding local government finance, both individually and collectively. Finance was also discussed at meetings of the cabinet and they lead up to the announcement of the 2019-20 Scottish budget. Edward Mountain. I would like to thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. When I last raised the issue of £5 million of funding required to remove overhanging rocks at Stromfaring, the Minister of Energy, Connectivity and the Islands on 15 November, he confirmed that he would raise this matter with the cabinet secretary. Therefore, can he confirm when he last met the minister what additional funds he requested for Stromfaring and what funds he will get to make available? As far as I understand, the issue of principal responsibility for Highland Council, the member will be aware that we increased financial support to local government in both revenue and capital, specifically an uplift on capital that would be particularly relevant here. I have done some research on what Tory tax cuts would mean for individual local authorities and for what pays for public services, the raising of revenue, what do the Tories want to do, cut tax for the richest in society to reduce the amount of revenue to Scotland's public services. The cut to Highland Council, if we followed Tory tax policy, would be £23.5 million, just to that settlement, just to that council, when, in fact, this Government is allocating more and resourcing capital to Scotland's local authorities to get on with such infrastructure matters in the face of Tory opposition, which is reckless and irresponsible. We shall move on to the portfolio for environment and climate change, and something else that I forgot to put in my script, what is it? Land reform. Question number one, Stuart McMillan. Thank you for sending us out to ask the Scottish Government for an update on its plans to introduce a charge on disposable drinks cups. As we indicated in the budget statement, the Scottish Government agrees, in principle, to introducing a charge for disposable drinks cups, but in deciding how to proceed with that, we will consider the recommendations of the expert panel on environmental charging and other measures, which is due to report later this year. The panel is taking an evidence-based approach and considering a range of measures to address this issue. Stuart McMillan. I thank the minister for that reply, and I generally very much welcome the Scottish Government's action on this matter at something that has arisen in the chamber before and also at the SNP conference. Does the minister give me, however, that, for this to be successful work, it needs to be done with retailers so that they can change their way of working, such as signing up for some of the various club exchange schemes, helping to improve any infrastructure-ish challenges that may exist, particularly for independent retailers? Can the minister provide any information as to what the levy would be invested into? I absolutely agree with the member that we have to work with retailers if we have a chance of tackling that. I do not know whether the member will be aware of the Glasgow cup movement, which was launched by the cabinet secretary just recently. It was a Keep Scotland beautiful hub that designed that movement. It is a campaign to ensure that single-use cups do not end up in landfill or litter that is far more recycled, and to encourage people to move to reusable cups instead of disposable. That has involved working with a range of partners, such as Starbucks, Caffe Nero, Costa, Greggs, McDonalds, Bewyllys, as well as the cup manufacturers themselves. In Scotland, we use 500 million single-use cups a year. In the greater Glasgow area, it is 95 million. That is a massive problem that we have to try to tackle. We will be interested and monitoring the project closely to see how that goes and to see if that is something that we could potentially roll out across the rest of Scotland. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. It has emerged that 1.5 million disposable cups were bought in the last three years through this SNP Government's official catering contract, equivalent to one cup every minute. What assurance can the minister provide that this situation will not continue? I thank the member for raising that question. That is an issue that I would be more than happy to look at. As the Scottish Government, it is important for us to take a lead. That is why in the Government buildings, for example, we removed the single-use plastics and have to use reusable cups. I will look into that issue and get back to the member with a response. Question 2 is not lodged. Question 3, Annabelle Ewing. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the SEPA health and safety executive report regarding the Musmorran petrochemical plant. Mary Gougeon. The Scottish Government understands that the regulators have completed their investigations at the plant. SEPA published an update setting out the action taken today in relation to the repeated unplanned flaring at the plant, which is effective and appropriate. Nevertheless, SEPA has not ruled out future enforcement action if that is deemed necessary. Annabelle Ewing. I thank the minister for her answer. I am in fact aware that SEPA did publish its investigative update last week. One of the action points was a forward programme for environmental monitoring. Can the minister provide any clarity as to what that environmental monitoring will in fact entail on the ground? Mary Gougeon. SEPA recently announced enhanced air quality monitoring at the Musmorran complex, which will include monitoring of the relevant pollutants in order to provide up-to-date monitoring data and comparison with the previous monitoring and modelling studies that have been undertaken. That monitoring commenced in January of this year, and it is expected to run until April with the results being published later this year. The location of that monitoring equipment was determined following liaison with community representatives, and the monitoring programme is in addition to the substantial work that has already been undertaken by Musmorran and Brifute Bay independent air quality monitoring review group, which advises Fife Council regarding the quality of the ambient air associated with air emissions at Musmorran. Question 4, Willie Rennie. To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to reduce the amount of plastic nerddles on beaches. Mary Gougeon. Marine plastics are a global problem, and we are taking actions to prevent and reduce nerddle pollution. We are working with the plastics industry to expand on their successful operation clean sweep guidance. We are engaging with all sectors handling pre-production plastics and exploring the feasibility of a move towards a system that is auditable to allow for traceability and accreditation. On 22 February at the Marine litter symposium, the Scottish Government committed to co-operative working with the other British Irish council administrations to further reduce the loss of pre-production plastics across the supply chain. Willie Rennie. I wish I was at the Marine litter symposium. There is a particular concern on the beaches, on the fourth estuary in my constituency, particularly Ruby Bay, where there are millions of those nerddles. I respect the minister and thank her for the answer that she has given, but what timescale is there for implementing the measures that the minister has set out? How will it be monitored? If it does not work, will the minister consider legislation? Mairi Gougeon. It is vitally important that we try to work with industry as far as we can on that, because it is not just for the plastic industries themselves. The supply chains around this are very complex, and that is why we have to work right across that to make sure that we tackle this in the best of ways possible. I would rather look at and exhaust all of those options before we consider taking any further action. I already mentioned operation clean sweep, which is a plastic industry-led initiative that is rapidly being adopted by industry members, but we also have a pre-production plastic pellet steering group, which includes Ineos, Plastics Europe, British Plastics Federation, Holleyers Association, British Plastic and Rubber Association. Having the steering group in all the work that that would undertake, we can really start to try to have an impact on that problem. However, I would also like to mention all the fantastic work that FEDRA has done, and also the Marine Conservation Society, with its great nerdle hunts, and in really raising awareness of this vitally important issue. Short supplementaries, please, from Gail Ross and then John Scott. Can the minister outline what else the Scottish Government is doing to tackle marine litter, given that approximately 20 per cent of it originates from the marine sector itself? Mairi Gougeon. I am really sorry, Presiding Officer. I will try to keep this short, but there is an awful lot of work that has been going on at the moment, because letting it see by the shipping industry is already prohibited under the international convention for the prevention of pollution from ships, but there are a whole number of initiatives that we are currently supporting. We have supported Kemos fishing for litter schemes since 2005, and in that time 300 Scottish vessels have removed over 1,220 tonnes of waste from our seas. We have helped fund the scrapbook project, which is helping to map the marine litter sinks, which are right along our coastlines. We had the marine litter confidence. I detected a wee hint of sarcasm when Willie Rennie's voice, or I don't know if he was being serious about the confidence that we had, but that was vital to bring. It was an international confidence which brought lots of people together so that we could hear ideas on what is happening in other countries elsewhere and to see where that collaborative work can take place. We have also—there is a £1 million innovation fund for plastics capture, collection and recovery. The First Minister, at that confidence, announced a £175,000 campaign to promote reusable sanitary products to reduce the £100 billion pieces of sanitary waste that are disposed of each year. John Scott The question might have been answered already. I am not certain that there was so much there, which was wonderful. Could the harvesting of nerddles on an industrial scale from our beaches and oceans provide a resource for recycling generally, such as the building of roads that is detailed in the press this week? What is the Scottish Government doing to encourage the development of such a recycling industry in Scotland, in addition to what she might have already said? We are always looking happy to look at all those different, if there are innovative ways that we can work with those materials. We are always happy to look at that as well, but just to make sure that there is not a knock-on impact and that we do not then see more nerddles or more plastic pollution as a result, because all of these, of course, have to be carefully considered. It is also vitally important to talk about some of the vital important work that is happening across our universities right now. Some of the Scottish work that has been done at our universities is at the forefront. I visited Stirling University recently, where they are undertaking two important pieces of work in relation to microplastics and mapping them across the ocean. They are really at the forefront of work in that area. I think that we are lucky to have people working on that and being leaders in this field, so that we can take strong, positive action in Scotland. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the environment secretary has had with the transport secretary regarding the environmental implications of the proposed personal rapid transport system for Glasgow airport. The cabinet secretary has not held any meetings with Michael Matheson in his role as cabinet secretary for transport, infrastructure and connectivity regarding the environmental implications of the proposed personal rapid transport system for Glasgow airport. The projects within the Glasgow city region deal are for the relevant local partners to develop and deliver, and the Glasgow airport access project is being taken forward by Glasgow city and Renfrewshire councils. Can I just say that I am utterly astonished at that response? The cabinet secretary must be aware and the minister must be aware that the Glasgow airport rail link was seen to have social, economic and critically environmental benefits. Are you confirming that, given the decision to scrap this plan, there was no environmental impact assessment of the people pod option as compared to the airport rail link option before that decision was made? Will she reflect on the fact that it is essential that the environmental issues around the airport link are properly addressed and that it is a failure of government for the environmental secretary not to be discussing this critical matter ahead of a decision that will have direct consequences across the west of Scotland? I certainly would not be confirming that an environmental impact assessment on taking place was about whether the cabinet secretary had met the cabinet secretary for transport, and that did not happen, so that is what I was talking about in my initial response to the member. I would say that, if there are any significant concerns, those are issues that need to be raised with the relevant councils and with the city region deal cabinet. Can I ask the minister what the impact on Ayrshire commuters in the Ayrshire economy would be should the airport rail link, as proposed by Labour, be implemented? If there are any dark consequences, from what we have been told, it is going to be on the Ayrshire and Verklyde economies. As I know, the members around the chamber will be aware that the cabinet secretary for transport, infrastructure and connectivity was clear in the statement that he made to the Parliament on 7 January that there would be impact on rail users should the tram train service between Glasgow airport and Glasgow central station, as proposed by the city region deal project, be delivered. The analysis has shown that, while it might be possible to introduce a tram train service to Glasgow airport, that would have a detrimental effect on performance and require the deduction of current rail services, the deferral of future service enhancements and significant and high-cost infrastructure enhancement at Glasgow central, which are currently not funded. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the Environment Secretary has had with the energy minister regarding the environmental impact of the proposed decommissioning of oil rigs at Hunterston. As a major infrastructure project, plans for Hunterston span several ministerial portfolios, including that of the energy minister. The Scottish Government is committed to environmental protection and working with the relevant consenting authorities to ensure that statutory environmental processes are undertaken in order to protect the environment, while promoting Scottish opportunities within an emerging industry, estimated to be worth £15 billion to 2025. I thank the minister for that answer. As a result of freedom of information requests by local residents, it was discovered that two Scottish Government agencies, Marine Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage, both encouraged North Ayrshire Council to conduct a full environmental impact assessment, which they did not. I requested that the Scottish Government call that in and require a full environmental impact assessment, and they declined to do so. Could the minister please explain why, despite two Government agencies recommending an EIA on what she herself has conceded is a major project involving half a million tonnes of dredging that the Government declined to require an environmental impact assessment? From what I understand, since the time that the proposal was initially introduced, at that time in June 2017, Marine Scotland had determined at that time that an environmental impact assessment was not needed. I believe that, since that time, the proposals that have come forward since then have substantially changed. I believe that officials are considering whether revised plans that have come forward now require an environmental impact assessment, but I would be happy to please, with the member of the cabinet secretary, contact the member if he wishes to discuss that further as that progresses. The minister did not agree that, in fact, it was agreed cross-party that there should be no environmental impact assessment, because all the information was that there would, in fact, be no damage to the SSHI at Hunterston. However, what, in fact, that project will deliver hundreds of jobs for an area that requires it much. The Scottish Government, through Scottish Enterprise, has ordered a £10 million grant to Hunterston on condition that those jobs are delivered and that there is no damage to the environment. If there is any damage to the environment, that money can in fact be clawed back in part or in whole. I would say that the decisions that were taken at that time about the not required environmental impact assessment were based on the proposals at that time, but, as I have just intimated to Ross Greer, the plans that have now come forward are substantially different to those that were first submitted, so officials are considering whether or not an environmental impact assessment would then be required. To ask the Scottish Government what the timeline is for the ban on municipal waste going to landfill. Mary Gougeon. The ban on biodegradable municipal waste going to landfill in Scotland will apply from 1 January 2021. Much progress has already been made and a significant number of local authorities and commercial operators have long-term or interim solutions already in place. However, we are aware of the significant challenges that some local authorities are facing and are working with public and private sector partners to address those, and our focus is on identifying ways in which they can comply with the ban as soon as possible. I appreciate that Falkirk Council is currently on target to meet the deadline, because its current contract lasts until 2022, taking them over the 2021 deadline. Whilst that is in the short to medium term, what are the longer-term plans and solutions? As I said in my initial answer to the member, we are working with COSLA, Zero Waste Scotland, SEPA and the Scottish Environmental Services Association. I am really trying to work with councils that have not identified any solutions. We have that target in place because I think that when that target was set in 2012, because I believe that we have to be ambitious and we need to set ambitious targets, especially when it comes to issues that are vitally important and environmental issues such as that. Our priority right now is, as I said, 14 councils already have a solution in place. Other councils have interim solutions, but the priority for us right now is working with those local authorities to make sure that we can, if we can, meet the timescale that we do, but we just really try to implement that ban as soon as possible. With the up-coming ban on by a degradable municipal waste and landfill, it is important to have viable alternative solutions. However, does the minister agree that that should not include private companies imposing unwanted and potentially dangerous incinerators in our communities? Could she possibly tell us when the environmental impact assessment into the proposed incinerator in Canbro-Cote bridge may be available? I am afraid for that specific element of the question. I do not have a response to that here, but I would be happy to take that back to the cabinet secretary for the environment so that she can get that information to the member.


Okay, as you recall, this is the Red Sea port that was Axum's access to the Red Sea and to the World Commerce. Now we go begin our trek to the city of Axum. Once again, come over here and click the road to Kohaito Teleport. Climb up the road and then click the teleport detection to Kohaito. We just made a climb of a couple of thousand meters five to six thousand feet from the Red Sea coast up to the plateau. We are now in Kohaito, which is one of the major cities on the trade route from the Red Sea to Axum. It was known in ancient times as Koloa. It is now one of Eritrea's most important archaeological sites. The map that you see next to the teleport buttons shows points on the trade route. These photos, which I hope you can see, show the one feature which Kohaito is best known for. It's the dam, the Sahara Dam, which may date from long before the rise of Axum. It's still, at least in the time that I was there in the 1970s, held water that was useful for the local cattle to drink. Over here are ruins of palaces and churches. And in this one, in this one there is a crypt, a burial crypt, which a number of the churches in the Axumite cities contained. You can peer down the steps and take a peek at the crypt. I don't think it makes sense to go down in it because it's tight space and hard to move around in. You can explore it on another visit. But this gives you an idea of what the site of today partly excavated, mostly still in ruin, and yet obviously the remains of a big city. Now let's wander to the dam. You see some cattle drinking at the water's edge. And this end of the dam are some projecting steps which people could use to climb down and draw water over here. This is a panoramic photo I put together from three slides showing part of the escarpment, the same area that we just climbed from the Red Sea Lowlands. In the distance in this photo, you can see the hazy land falling away toward the Red Sea. Now let's walk over to the escarpment to get a sense of what we saw when we visited this site on 4th of July 1969. We had a picnic with this view, a spectacular site. But the reason this particular trip was so memorable is that we had an encounter with the Eritrean Liberation Front. They came and found us there at the site and gave us something of a lecture before letting us go. It was altogether a fascinating experience. And here's a link to a YouTube video that I put together about the experience that you can save and look at at your leisure. Now our next stop on the way to Aksum is Metara. It's another major Eritrean site, one where I spent two seasons participating in excavations in 1969 and 1970. Whoops wrong. Click the teleport here that takes us to Metara. We're in the Andaga, the public square. Metara is a large city. It sits on a wide plain beneath a huge outcropping known as Mba Metara that looms above the ruins. And you can see it be up past the signs. Giant outcrop of rock. As I mentioned, it's really the name Metara refers to the small village near the site. During 10 seasons of excavation, several major palaces, a church, and an extensive section of the city were excavated here. Most of what was found is Aksumite in age, dating from between the third to the sixth century of CE. Beneath a lot of these ruins were found remnants of much older structures which were contemporary with Yeha, seventh to fourth century BCE or before. A string of photos in this direction, there are slide shows as well as standing photos which show views of many of the features at Metara including a plan of the site which is showing right now. You can see the number of areas that were excavated and that left a great deal unexcavated at the time that they stopped studying there. One of the best known features at Metara is the Howlty, which is the tigrinia word for Stella or inscribed monument that contains a four-line inscription which is one of the oldest known inscriptions in the early form of the modern Ethiopic writing system. Here is a representation of that Howlty. You get to get more information about it that it was stood on the hill, a small hill known as Gwal Sain which stands on the side of the palace. When the German expedition arrived here in 1906, the stone laid broken beneath the hill. Italians subsequently repaired it and stood it next to the road which passed through the site. During the war, the border war between Ethiopia and Heratria between 1998 and 2000, Ethiopian troops who were camped in the site blew the Howlty up. It since has been moved to a museum in Esmara and repaired with a replica now standing in place of the original. The palace that you see here is not a replica of any particular ruin but rather an amalgam containing notable elements of several from Metara as well as from other sites, Kohaito and Aksum and others. It's typical of Aksumite architecture. It consists of a surrounding wall composed of joined small rooms within which are courtyards and a freestanding central villa. There are several entrances into the center of the palace. Let's walk up the ramp and go inside. On the front steps of this central villa is an example of fine artifacts that were found in the pre-Aksumite levels of Metara's lamp depicting a hound chasing an Ibex. You can click that to receive a note card with more information and photos of the actual item. You see a number of exotic animals. Greek and Roman travelers reported that Aksumite palaces often housed captive wild animals. Let's come over this way. Below these steps is a burial crypt representative of ones found in several sites. It's from the Christian period and there's a stone cross embedded in the wall of the stairwell and also on the ends of some of the stone sarcophagi that lie inside. You can click the amphora next to the steps for more information about it and some photos. Now we walk across this causeway to another feature. This is a feature that I included here which we found in an excavation of a palace at Aksumite, a site known as Dungler. What we're seeing here are a pair of brick ovens that were presumably part of the kitchen area. They're in a style similar to the Roman. The bricks are in particular our Roman style which indicates the strong contact between the two civilizations. Again you can click the amphora for information about the brick ovens including photographs of the originals. The courtyard as you can see is divided into sections by walls. Let's walk through this into this adjoining section and then take the steps of the far end that lead out the back exit of the palace. Now you see a teleport button that will take you to the summit of Gwal Sain, the hill over to the side. And it will be at the foot of the metharihality where it originally stood next to a small temple or chapel and you'll see the item in its proper format. You can see the four-line inscription at eye level. It's sort of faint but if you look in close you can see it. And then above near the top of the stone is an inscribed incised disc and crescent which are the symbol of the lunar god Almata to whom the many places in Aksum and in Yehah as well were dedicated. Now we're going to make the rest of the way to Aksum. Click the lower of the two teleport buttons here, the one that says Aksum Eddaga that will take us to the public square. In the third century Aksum was considered one of the four greatest kingdoms in the world. The others being Rome, Persia and China.  Aksum controlled commerce on the Red Sea, trading goods from Africa with Byzantine Rome, Egypt, Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean world as well as with Arabia, Persia and beyond. Greek travelers wrote about the splendor of the city and if you look around you you can see some huge buildings indicated what a great city it was. In addition to great palaces and churches there was an imposing row of stone thrones used for ceremonial purposes. We're going to click the teleport that says royal thrones to go and visit those items. Each of these thrones sits on a stone platform. Some of them as you can see the center one for example was covered by a roof, a thatched roof, supported on columns. Down at the far end of the row there's a double throne and several of the houses known as Setala that were traditional house styles in Aksum up through the 20th century. From here we're going to click the giant howl to the teleport button. This is one of the great monuments of Aksum, the largest stone obelisk ever erected and as well because it fell at some point maybe even when they were first trying to erect it and has lain ever since shattered in pieces. You can see behind it the two largest ones in the field of quality. The two larger ones which are only slightly smaller than this one they were decorated with carved doors and windows and they had medallions of gold or electrum at the top which of course are long gone now. They probably indicated the face of the god or some symbol of the god. These were all used as monuments marking royal or noble tombs. Let's walk around the end of this giant halty. You see that it's lying partially across what may be the largest single block of stone ever quarried moved and installed. This block of stone as indicated is suggested to weigh as much as 50 tons maybe more. It was it served as the roof to a subterranean group of burial crypts. It was dislodged in antiquity probably when the large halty fell and hit it. And you can see some of the stones that served to prop it up now lie a skew along the sides. It's known as nephasmocha the place of the exiting of the winds. The name may relate to the fact that there was a crypt underneath it nearby but not yet included here is another large burial crypt which is recently been there. There are photos of it in some of the group displayed near where we arrived. For our next stop click the index collib teleport button. Let's walk up the steps and have a quick look at this complex. Her collib was one of the most powerful Axumite empires. He ruled during the sixth century when Axum was at its most expansive. Emperor Collib built a large church the one on the left of this hill above the city with his large multi-chambered burial crypt beneath it. His son Deborah Musko who followed him as emperor built a second church a mirror image next to that of his father and then added this majestic set of terraces that unite the tomb. And his church has a larger crypt beneath it with more chambers than that of his father. The combined site is still known as in the collib which means collib's place despite Deborah Musko's efforts. As with many things we can explore the churches at another time. There's too much to be seen at once but I wanted you to at least have a look at this site but do when you get a chance come back and explore the crypts and the interior of the churches. Let's come back down the steps and click the statue base teleport button. This massive stone structure is surmounted by a large heavy stone with two giant footprints carved in it. It was the location of one of several bronze, silver or gold statues of Aksum's chief god Mahra. The statues presumably were destroyed when Aksum accepted Christianity as its official religion and the melt melted down for the metal to be reused. Next to the statue base are some photos that show how the original may have looked. Five or six different statues around the city. This one is located near the grand royal palace which is now known as Taha Mario. We're going to now teleport button to visit the immense palace which covered an area of 120 by 80 meters in 1906 and the some of the plans that they made of it are visible here. Sadly in intervening time all of the stone that they excavated had been carted away and used elsewhere so there's nothing visible up here we see the replica. Climb these steps and we go into the private area of the palace. This huge courtyard was the private section of the palace reserved for the royal family and the important members of the court. The central villa is also divided. The back end here is for the family use. There's a the front end looks identical and features a larger room which would probably have been used for small audiences and gatherings with members of the public. Now let's walk through one of these gates in the wall that divides this private courtyard from the public one. This is a courtyard where members of the public would be able to enter but that would have been the more privileged members. Let's now cross up these steps into the more public area where the general populace could have entered. This would have been used for ceremonial purposes probably. Now we're going to leave the palace through the southeast gateway this way. Now we will click the teleport for Betagurgis. Betagurgis is one of the hills above Aksum. There was an important excavation that took place here recently. A team led by my friends, the late Italian archaeologist Rodolfo Potovic and his colleague Catherine Bard, Professor of Merit of Boston University, excavated this small section of a palace that was much like the one at Yeha, which you've seen on previous tours. Evidently built somewhat later to replace the palace at Yeha. At the request of Professor Bard I created this replica of the structure that they excavated resting on the foundation of the Yeha Palace for comparison.  The inavailability of the lab due to the owner not wanting to have it dug up prevented them from excavating any further. Of course, that this building which has been designated owner-nuggest was at least somewhat larger than the palace at Yeha. And as I say it appears to have been a replacement. The palace was destroyed. They moved down here and set up this new city which then was itself replaced by Aksu. Here I included another copy of the foundation showing how it would look during the excavation in its approximate location on the Beta Gertus Hill. Near it is the illustration behind you is the illustration that was made by the draftsman of the excavation which I used to create the reproduction. Now we can click the Yeha Idaga teleport button to go to the capital of Denmark the powerful kingdom that preceded Aksu. We've been there before but let's go again. Where we stand you can see looming above the immense palace which is known as Gratbalgibri which seems to have been the model for the owner-nuggest palace. It stood atop an imposing artificial hill. Let's click the Gratbalgibri teleport button to go close to the palace. Here for the first two seasons of excavation of this site in 1971 and 72 there was a third season that I wasn't able to attend and then it sat for a few years until a German team came and finished or did much more excavating which allowed the recreation of this model showing what the palace would have actually looked like. The present name of the site Gratbalgibri means the field of the collector of taxes which is a memory over 2,500 years old that the ruin here was the administrative center of the city. Here at this end of this pylon there's a teleport button that will take us now to the great temple the other major site at Yeha. In antiquity this monumental building which was dedicated to the lunar god Almakau had an imposing colonnaded protocol that you can see but at the time we were here that was not only not visible it was not even known to exist. Come over here and click the teleport that takes you to the temple of the present day. This play includes some of the plans that were drawn by the German team when they were here in 1906 showing that the building was largely filled with rubble and had a small church that had been built inside it at the time when the Christianity became the religion of the region. The church was dedicated to Abu Na'afse one of the nine Syrian saints. When I was there in the 1970s the church the temple had been cleared inside but there was no excavation that had taken place. The church was removed but if you walk inside you'll see a keyhole baptistry that had been included at the time when the church was built. Characteristic of Axemite period churches is this baptistry which is a pit with steps on both sides. You would walk in and be immersed in water and come out baptized. You can see holes in the wall where the walls the inner walls that divided the back end of the building into separate rooms used to be interlocked. Now we're going to click the second temple site. This is a recent excavation of another temple that stood below the great temple at the base of the hill. At the time when excavation was halted by the COVID pandemic followed by the civil war that devastated Tigray a number of foundation walls had been unearthed deep below the present surface that you can see in this pit. The second temple was not known to exist until the local histories preserved by the people of Yaha that spoke of a former temple at this location were investigated by my friend one of the German scholars who was studying the area. That is to say there was a 3,000 year old memory that accurately recalled the presence of additional structures that had been lost visibly. Now we make one more stop here at Yaha. Click the walk over here to take a look at the photos of the excavation. After you've had a chance to look at them a bit click the teleport for Endurasi which means home of the headman was the house of the village headman at Yaha. We camped in his yard during the excavations and had our meals in his upper room. Wait a minute we're at the wrong place. There is a teleport button again that says Endurasi. Let's use that. Now we're at the right place. You can see in the photograph pictures of our camp where we stayed during the excavation and of his house. I've built this replica but without the tin roof let's go inside the compound. Household animals are kept inside the compound wall when the children aren't tending them in the fields while they graze. Part of the yard is used for threshing grain and the flock of birds are digging in the threshing ground for any remaining grain. The room at the lower left contains spins made of clay and duck that hold grain, lentils and other dried. It's a storage room. Upstairs is a room for family use with benches covered with sheep and goat skins as well as some traditional beds. Let's go up. This is the room where the family would sleep or spend their time. Across this little path is the room for entertaining guests. Since this man was the head man and a well-to-do member of the city he decorated this room with carpets to show his wealth. You can see traditional furniture here as well as the benches that people would sit on. The chair at the far end of the room is an exact copy of one that I owned that is in my house right now. You can see a photograph of it on the wall. It was made by the father of a friend of mine with skin strips woven on a wooden frame and the stools are made the same way. These are traditional designs that go back many centuries. If you look back toward the door to this room you see a pot which would contain sua which is grain beer. A serving boy would be there to hold the pot at an angle to keep it from settling properly and able to pour to rebuild every visitor's glass whenever they needed it. Now this would have been the end of the complete tour that I started this morning. As it happens it's time to consider it finished for this evening too. But as you will notice that if you picked up the tour script the part of the tour that we did this morning follows this. And if any of you did not receive it let me know and I'll pass you a copy. Just a second. Hi Roy. Glad you made it. Anybody else need a copy? Glad you did it. Okay we can depart from here or we can jump back to the home base where I can answer any questions if anybody wants.


Welcome to another episode of The George Show. Yesterday I sent $1,957,950 as our investment in crypto. Here is the wire information with some confidential details removed. I sent this amount of money to Kuwait, which is the location of our mining operation for crypto. It was simply the most cost-effective place in the world that we could find to host a lot of mining hardware. How much are we buying? 1,710 GTX 1080Ti equivalent GPUs. They're called the P102, which is a mining card. It's only for mining crypto. Assembled into 190 computers running 24-7 generating revenue. How much revenue? We are investing this $2 million with the expectation to generate half of the money we make on YouTube. This is our off-YouTube revenue stream. We will finally not be 100% dependent on all the money we make coming from YouTube. Now half of it will be coming from crypto. What about the freedom family? Will we still focus on helping YouTubers like you grow? Of course. This new revenue stream is just giving us more money to invest in projects to help you. We needed this because YouTube has been giving us a lot of challenges to make money. All of our revenues are down. This is true for all MCNs. Everybody is struggling. And so our solution was to invest $2 million into crypto to generate 50% more revenue that we can use for projects on YouTube as well as crypto. Because they go hand in hand, YouTubers are running our crypto miner. This crypto miner behind me now at version 0.2.3. Running it at night while they're sleeping to make additional revenue to replace the lost revenue that they had on YouTube before. This is the crypto family I've been making videos about. Click that I to see the playlist of all the videos about crypto in case you missed where we can all help each other grow together as a family in crypto as well as on YouTube. Now we're at 0.2.4. So guys, make sure you always have the latest version of this mining software. Make sure you've always updated your latest graphics card drivers so that you can earn the most money on crypto. Crypto is a new business, but YouTube is our core. And on Wednesday this week, I am flying to Singapore to the Google offices where I will meet all the leaders in the Southeast Asia region for YouTube Enterprise Day. This is an annual event, think of it like VidCon in Southeast Asia, but it's specific to Google and we are going to be meeting everybody talking about YouTube, how to improve things and I hope to get a lot of awesome tips and advice for you after the YouTube Enterprise Day this Wednesday. Here's another quick tip about your IP address. How do you find? What is your public IP? Just type IP into Google and you will see your public IP address right there at the top of the search box. This is a new feature I didn't know about until I accidentally typed IP into Google. Are there any other cool Google search tips that you know about? Tell us down there in the comments below so we can all help each other grow together as a family. The freedom family. Note, this is not actually my IP address. I edited it before making this video. Try it out for yourself. But don't share your IP address for the same reason you don't share your home address or your home phone number. You don't want hackers trying to attack your computer, do you? Even with all the changes on YouTube, Freedom is still a very healthy company. We are profitable and we are still growing. Every day we grow by about 400,000 subscribers in the Freedom Network and that counts all the channels that can no longer join Freedom because they're too small, the 4K, 1K rule. So there's still a lot of growth to be had on YouTube. We should all still continue focusing on YouTube. If we want YouTube to be a career path in video for us, don't abandon YouTube guys. It's just more difficult. And as we get used to the new YouTube, then we will all continue to grow together. Never give up guys. Hashtag never give up. That's the only way you can actually fail. There will be a lot of changes for Freedom in this year because we're adjusting to the new YouTube and we're starting new revenue streams like Crypto. And Game Development is also a new revenue stream. Click that I in case you missed the head of MGM Studios, his introduction Dave Rackia. He made a great personal video explaining what his goals are for MGM Studios, how you can get involved and what kind of projects we're going to be making, what games we're going to be making in the first few months. Alright guys, whom I am Papa George, George Sunpai and many other names you, the beautiful Freedom family has given me. I am George, CEO and founder of Freedom for Freedom and the Freedom family and all the amazing people and places we are all going to visit together and grow together as a family. I am George and you've been watching. Click that I to partner with Freedom and join the Freedom family so we can all grow together. You get many perks like position music, you also get epidemic sound, a lot of other access to royalty free videos, sponsorships and many things to help you grow. Just click the links down there in the description below to get involved in our community, our forums, our Discord chat servers, meet our graphics team, meet our community team, all of that on Discord and the forums. What are you waiting for? Get started. We'll grow together as a family because this is the Freedom family. You are part of it, we are all part of it and we're all growing together. To get more George, click that big F that will subscribe you to Freedom Central, home of the George show. And PewDiePie gave one of you Freedom family a big shout out. Click that video to see the shout out and to see our new 3D sets for you. And click that video to see what YouTube recommends you watch next.


Can I make money buying a $700 Yu-Gi-Oh mystery box? We're about to find out. What's up guys, we're back with another epic video and the other day I was hit up by Blackmagician28 on Instagram and he told me, hey, I've got some more mystery boxes because in the past I bought one mystery box from him. It was a long time ago. I don't even remember what the title of the video is. I'll try and find it, but if I can't, you know, we bought one before. And it was pretty awesome. I think it was around like $300 at the time. So he hit me up and he said, I have three different mystery box sizes available, $300, $500, $700, which one do you want? And of course we picked the $700 option. So we're gonna open this thing up today and we're gonna see how much we actually can make from this or lose, probably lose money, but we'll see. But first we have a giveaway. I'll be giving away this Dimension Force first edition booster box. All you have to do is like this video, be subscribed to our notifications and let me know how much you think we will make or lose off this mystery box. Just go ahead and put a guess now without seeing the mystery products. Just give a wild guess. You think it's gonna be really good? You think it's gonna be bad? Let's just see how close you are. First of all, we have thank you from Blackmagician28 so you guys can go check him out. Also go give me a follow on Instagram if you don't already, Aroxin34 because I do a lot of single sales over there like for nice cards, like PSA cards and even ungraded stuff. So go check that out if you guys wanna get some stuff there. Let's get into the mystery box. First item we have goes from the past one, first edition. So for the subtracting from like the total value, we're gonna be doing the pulled cards. So even though what you really do when you buy a mystery box is like we would take the value of this mini box sealed because that's what you're actually getting. We're doing the actual cards we pulled just to make it more fun. So let's see if we can actually pull the value which is gonna be really difficult. But if we pull a Dark Magician here, that's a lot of the value of the $700. Three packs, we have Black Cluster Soldier, Dark Magician and another Black Cluster Soldier. Let's see if we can pull the Dark Magician. We have Levolval Dragon, Hierotic Seal, the Sierra Reu, the rare Metapholes, Bismogger, and the mayor, Mila Meteor, Black Common Dragon. Next one goes from the past. What can we do? We have Terror of Trishula, Metapholes. We gotta recover, we gotta molten. And we got a Starry Nile, okay, look how it's different. Why is it different? They're all Ultras. I don't understand, that like gave me hope that it was a ghost rare, but it wasn't. Okay, next pack. So far, we have pretty much made nothing back. We have not made a lot back from these ghost from the past packs. Let's see, Artifact Durandal, Evil Thorn, Resonator Call, Salamangay Fowl, Dragoon and Eagle, all right. Okay, so if we kept this value, it would have been like $20, $30. Now we're at like zero. Next we have a, oh, Strike of Nios Blister Pack. Okay, this is pretty insane. Let's go, let's see what we can get in here. Strike of Nios Blister Pack. I think there might be some booster boxes in here, which means we might not open every pack out of here, because if it's like a booster box, you know, like five booster boxes, we don't want to open all of those and make it like a 50 minute video. All right, so in here we have a Cyber and Dragon. This is a little bit bent up, but that's naturally how it is out of these blisters. They're very hard to keep in nice condition. So is this one. So definitely not like near mint, maybe like Mod Play or something like that, but maybe they have some value. Then we have two Strike of Nios and an Enemy of Justice. So this is pretty cool stuff. That's first edition, by the way. Let's see what we can pull from Strike of Nios. You guys know, the Air Nios is a very big card that you can pull out of here. So if we can get the Air Nios, that would be pretty insane. That would be a crazy mystery box for sure. We did get the Air Nios out of those mystery packs from Troll and Jode. Go check that video out. That was pretty cool. Let's see what we can get. We got to come on. Grin, Swift Samurai Storm. Six Samurai Yaichi, Five Storm Prominence, Legendary Ebon Steed, Shen's Foot Soldier, and a Cloak and Dagger, just to rare an emblem of the Awakening. So we are over there, but that's okay. And by the way, this is like a $100 blister. I think it's something like that. So we would have about $100 if we didn't open it. So this is just another time where you can see where it is not worth it to open, stuff like this. But we're doing it anyway. Emerge, as you call it, might be a dollar. Elements Zero, Necrochoi, Shaman. Not Necrochoi, Necrochaman. Cyber Gymnast, Cyber Kirin. Layar the Liberator. Can we get that Shining Feeding Subforcer? Let's do it. Power Capsule. Elements will recharge. Oh, and the Wild Wingman. So we did get an Elemental Hero, but it's just the Wild Wingman. Still a really cool super rare. That's probably worth a couple of bucks, okay. We're finally subtracting from that $700 total. Very nice. Let's go with Strike of Nios. What can we pull? Swift Samurai, Storm. Silent Abyss, Raging Earth. Marine Edmite, yet again. This spell, that was tough. Electric Virus, Destruction Cyclone. Nios Force and Grint Tactician of the Dark. Well, that got it. One day we're gonna pull the air Nios. Guys, I'm telling you, one day. Next we have a Rage of Raw booster box. This we are not gonna open in today's video, but this is really cool. So because we're not opening it, we get to add it to the tally. Then we have a Dawn of Majesty 1st Edition. This got a lot better with a Luber and stuff. I don't know if we're gonna open these booster boxes or not. And then we have a Tune Chaos Unlimited. That's actually pretty cool. Tune Chaos Unlimited. Haven't seen that in a while, but nice booster boxes. We're probably not gonna open these in this video because there's a lot more to open. Then we have a Starter Deck. This is pretty cool. Okay, Starter Deck, it's a 5D's era Starter Deck. Yeah, I had a couple of these. What are they even called? They're just called 5D Starter Deck. They don't really say anything else. It's 5D Starter Deck. But wait, 50% of you guys are not subscribed to the channel according to this graph. So go down below and click that subscribe button. Whoa, more sealed product. Ghosts from the past too. And you know we're opening this one in today's video guys. Let's see what we can pull. Look, it's so much different. Like on the Ghosts from the Past one we already saw earlier, they had like a spot form. Now it's just like they dumped them in there like here. Open it, just open it. First pack, let's see what we can pull. We have Vision Hero, Ghost Trick, Riza, Sanctum, Fist of the Undrivaled Team. Okay, three more packs in this mini box. And then we have four more boxes for the display. We got the Ghost Trick and Chimera Tech. Yeah, it's the third card in these rather than the fifth advanced ritual. Ghost Trick, Shell Knight. Okay, Despion Tragedy and Vampire Duke. Despion Tragedy's decent. And the final pack here. We have Dramaturg of Despia, good. Salamangray, or Salamangray, Blaze Dragon, Elmetsuronios Kluber, the Lamia, and the Ghost Trick, Delaan. All right, we got the rest of the display out. Let's see what we can get out of here before we move on to the next few things in the Mr. Box. There's a lot to go. Vision Hero Varus, very nice, brute and the Monju of the 10,000 hands. Yet another good revert of Monju. The thing has been printed a lot recently. They really didn't want it to be a $3 common anymore. We got a Vision Hero, Protective Agents Moon. Yang Zing Piranha, okay. Still a few packs. We haven't pulled a Ghost Trick from Ghosts of the Past in a while. So, okay, that was a Ruxen special. On a five card pack somehow. But it would be nice to get one soon, you know? Wouldn't be nice to get a Dark Magician girl. We got the Rampage Dragon. We got the Chronicle Magician, Foss Fusion, Malefic Cyber Engine Dragon. All right, Ghosts of the Past, baby. Give us something epic. We got the Geomathmic Fossil. We got the Rise of the Mega Monarch. Very cool. And the Rose Spectre. No Ghosts so far. I'm just saying there's no Ghosts. We were trying to pull Ghosts the other day and we had some pretty good luck. Go check out that video recently where we opened a box for EX Gamer. It was pretty insane. Despy Theater. We got the number 38. A Heat Soul, very good. And then a Yazzie, Evil of the Yang Zing. Very cool. I'm ready to get excited for a Ghost Trick. I'm ready. I'm ready to do it. I'm ready to get hyped. Let's go Heavenly Dragon. We got the Shell Knight and the Motor Shell.  Let's see, Sandwich, Generator, Master Flare, and Tinny a Spirit. All right, next, Blue Eyes, White Dragon Pack. Unfortunately, we did not create a PSA 10 in our video and the PSA returned, but still a pretty epic card. We have a couple of those nines. Let's see if we can pull another one that's PSA 10 worthy. Can we do it? Deco Tart or Heat Soul, good card. And Despy and Tragedy, another decent card. Few more packs before we move on in the Mystery Box. A lot more in the Mystery Box. I'm pretty excited about Master Flare or Hyperion. That looks like a Ghost Trick for a second, but it's not, it's not a Ghost Trick. We have the Despy and Comedy. We got the Yang Zing, the Dark Alligator, and the Mystical Shine Ball, which apparently had a Ghost Trick misprint sort of in a foreign language. I don't remember which one it was. Box Friends, we got the Alter Guys, the Chaos Greffer, and the Mech Van Abyss Coltwing. Two packs to go. What shall we pull then? We got the Yang Zing, got the number 97 Dragoblion, and Fluid of Summoning, a Carribo. Final pack, before we move on. So far, these have been okay.  Galaxy Soldier, actually a pretty good pull. And then the Doom King, Bald Rock. Next we have, oh look, Dark Neostorm. Seen this a few times. So we got a couple packs of Dark Neostorm. These are in those Mystery Boxes recently. We got three packs. Can we get Fusion Destiny? Which is not as good anymore, so it might be even down even more on price. But there's some other good cards in here, Philo. Nightmare Incarnation Eadlay. That's a pretty good one. Secret Rare. Right off the bat, we are totally adding value now. Let's go. It's gonna be interesting to see like the sealed added value versus the Nazi like stuff we kept sealed versus the stuff we opened. It's Mystic Mine. Very good card. One of the better cards in here, and to be honest, I mean won a YCS recently. Well, gonna be some value in that. Okay, just a Super Rare as well, which is pretty cool. We got the Emperor Maju Garzette, Pegasus, Goki, Danger, and a Mayakashi winner. Okay, honestly, still pretty good a Secret Rare and a Mystic Mine, which is not bad. Next we have a Brothers of Legend Blister pack, which is pretty cool. One Blister pack. Let's see what we can pull out of one pack. We could get a Dragoon. One pack of Dragoon would be pretty amazing. Let's go, let's see what we can pull. Starlight Baby, let's go. Dr. D, the Soulbinding Gate, Icebound God, Dollhouse, and Sintar Mina. Okay, wasn't the Dragoon. Also, make sure you guys check out my Twitch channel because I've been streaming every weekday from early morning to noon-ish and sometimes after that. So go check that out if you guys wanna see that. Every single weekday, it's been a lot of fun, so go give me a follow there. Link in the description. Next we have a sealed Majestic Red Dragon 10 and you know we're gonna open this up. There's some pretty cool packs in here, like one Star of Server Drive, two Absolute Power Force, two Shining Darkness, plus, of course, the promo. So let's open up this 10. I mean, so far it's been some pretty awesome stuff in this box for 700 bucks. I don't know, like, sealed how the value's stacking up, but I think it's doing pretty good, honestly. It feels pretty strong. There's a little note in there from 2010. Then we have our Majestic Red Dragon, which is always very warped out of these, but still really cool. Then we have our two packs, two packs. Unfortunately, they don't do any first editions like they did in 2009, 2008, or 2008 only. I don't remember. But still really cool stuff. Let's open these up. Let's start with a Shining Darkness. We still need a Ghost Rare Blackwing Dragon Unlimited for the binder, so let's see if we can pull it. Ghost Rare Blackwing, let's go. Wattcube, Wattfox, we got the Black Dween Strafe. Winged Strafe, I should say. Well, Phantom Hand, that's not a weird warm call. Wave Motion Inferno. Okay, there's a secret rare, the Infernity Inferno in Infernity Break. Okay, don't remember this card, like I've probably seen it at some point, but I do not remember it. Very cool secret rare, good start. Next, let's try an Absolute Power Force. I also need this in Unlimited, so all this Unlimited stuff, we could really use it. Let's see what we can get. Oilman, Informer Spider, Power Invader, Reptilian Naga, Pandabork, Gravekeeper Stella. Cards of Consonance, this is actually a good card. The original print of Cards of Consonance, this is a way and the power supplier. Super rare Cards of Consonance, still a pretty good card if you're playing like Blue Eyes, which is not a good deck, but still pretty expensive card because of Blue Eyes. All right, let's go with Start Us Overdrive. Can we get that Ghost Rare? We've opened a couple of first editions of these recently because of the most recent Mystery Box. The Chaos Box, let's see if we can pull something good now out of the Unlimited. All right, Molting Escape, Ground Spider, Savage Colosseum, Level Eater, Spider Egg, Reptilian Skyla, the Reptilian Spawn, and an Inherited Fortune, Inherited Fortune, Inherited, what am I saying? Two packs to go, let's go Absolute Power Force, save Shining Darnus for the final pack. Let's go, it was one, two, three, and then you swapped these, I think is what it was. I don't know, something like that. Cycurs, Rose Fairy, the Lair Wire, the Variety Comes Out, the Advanced Force, Swordmaster, Call the Reaper, Inverse Universe, Offering to the Immortals. Oh, never mind, we put the rare at the end. Okay, we messed that up. Okay, Shining Dart, okay, so when we pulled it, it was three left and we were putting three to the back. So the fourth one would have been a common and then you swap them, so one, two, three, four, and then you swap them, that we were one short last time. All right, Magical Triangle, the Ice Barrier, Hunter of the Black Feathers, Kravis and a Different Dimension, Kwaki Miru, Sandman, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Power Break, Rona and Toden, Good Guard, Black Wing Ghibli, the Searing Wing, the Ally of Justice Core Destroyer, and Dragon Laser, okay, we are lasering with dragons, that's about it, but don't worry, that's not it for this mystery box. We have a Rarity Collection, Premium Gold Edition, wait, can't you get like a Ghost Rare here, no Collector Rare? I don't remember what was in here, let's see. Okay, we have 15 packs, which apparently have gold rares and other stuff like that in here, Collector Rares, let's see what we can pull. I don't remember what is exactly in here, but they have some pretty rarities in Japanese. We got the Miracle Fusion, very cool. The Ghost Rare, not Ghost Rare, why am I trying to say Ghost Rare? Dark Magician Girl of the Dragonite, Ultra Rare, Foolish Burial Prismatic Secret, oh, there's only four cards. Okay, so those are nice cards, I don't know the value really, because it's Japanese, really hard to find values on this kind of stuff over in the US, but some of it is pretty nice rarities for people. Let's see what else we have left, we have Dynamiscus, we got Engage, very nice. Super Polymerization, Good Guard, and, whoa. Ooh, Maxi, that's actually pretty nice. Maxi Prismatic Foil Rare, I think it's what do you call it, Prismatic, right? I don't know, it doesn't say Prismatic Rare anywhere, I guess it's just Secret Rare for them. They're regular Secret Rare, we don't get that foiling though, we've got the Foolish Burial, I really like, wait, is that shiny? I really like how they do theirs though, where it's like, it can be super or prismatic and stuff like that. We've got Return of the Dragon Lords, Monster Reborn, and is this our Gold Rare? Ooh, so it is like our premium Gold Rares, except not as, you can't really feel them as much. Cyber Dragon Infinity, I think? Really nice card, okay. That Monster Reborn looks super clean. I really like the look of these, these are really, really nice. They have very, very nice cards over in Japan, which we all know, I know, we don't get these. The Armageddon Knight, we've got the Salamangreat, ooh, Ghost Bell, and ooh, whoa, okay. We've got another Cyber Dragon card, I don't remember the name of this one though. Still no Collector Rare, let's see what we can get. I think the Gold Rare is actually the big pull, I think, so we've got the Cyber Dragon, which is cool. Fantasmic, we've got the Rygeki, we've got Chaos Dragon Levion here, and we've got an Infinite Impermanence in the Secret Rare, that is very nice. Let's see what else we can get. We've got a Super Rare something, a Super Rare something. We've got another Cyber Dragon Infinity, and we've got, what is that? I don't know what that is, some sort of robot, okay.  Ooh, and a spell fragrance, Armageddon Duster, and ooh, Granmaju De Iza, that's a pretty looking one, I like that. So far, pretty amazing opening, I would say. We've got the Millennium Eyes Restrict, Maxi, we've got a Ghost Bell, a Ghost Ogre, sorry, and a Dynamiscus, very nice. What can we pull, we have no Collector Rare yet, let's see, we've got the Tor Guy, that's nice. Ooh, and an Abyss Dweller, that's another pretty card. A lot of very relevant cards in here, they really print some good stuff in their reprints, which is pretty cool to see. We've got a Relinquished Anima, we've got whatever that guy is, a Spirit Winter Cherries, I think, and then, ooh, Miracle Fusion, that would be nice to play in Edison, that looks sick. Few packs left of this, and then we have a couple more items in the Mystery Box to see, you know, how we did, how our money is. Armageddon Knight, we've got the Abyss, we've got the Infant Impermanence, and we've got, whatever this is, it's the Burian Force, isn't it? Ranka is a Burian Force, Ranka Magic Burian Force, that's our collector rare. Ooh, that's painful, but look at that. Whoa, that looks good. Wow, that looks so good. Why do ours not look like that? Pretty cool, three more packs, let's see if we can get anything else good out of these. So far, that was probably a dud in terms of a collector rare, let's see what else we can get. Ash Blossom, that's beautiful, and then a Crossout Designator. Wow, Crossout was out so far before we got it, because this is a pretty old set, I think. Couple years old, at least. We've got, oh, Cristian Alka Fibrex, very nice. Wait, did we get another collector rare? We did. What a melody of the Awakening Dragon, that's actually sick, maybe I should put that in my Blue Eyes deck. And then a Kagar, is that Kagar, I think? Wow, that's beautiful, that is definitely nice. There's two collector rares in these, which is sick. We got a Pangorotops, very pretty. Extravience, we've got Spooky Dogwood, and then a Megafleet, Chimeritech, Megafleet, right? Megafleet, something like that. One more packs, one more packs. Pluril, one more of the Pluril, okay. Crackdown, we got the Crossout Designator, we've got, there's the guy, we've got a collector rare, and then, ooh, another Ghost Ogre, that's the Ultron Art, very nice. So, that was a pretty sick box. But do not fear, we have more stuff. We have a Legendary Collection, very nice. And then we have some more single packs. These single packs include Invasion of Chaos. We have Number Hunters, we have Lord of Tachyon Galaxy, Cosmo Blazer, we've got Burst of Destiny, Dawn of Magici, Blazing Vortex, Lighting Overdrive, Battle of Chaos, Genesis Impact, and the Grand Creator, so we'll be opening up all the stuff to end the video. Oh wait, we also have a PSA card, we'll do that at the end. All right, inside our Legendary Collection, we had a promo pack, of course, and then we had our six booster packs, so we have all these different packs to open up. Let's see what we can get to end out this video right before our PSA reveal, and then, let's go. So far, we haven't pulled really anything crazy, but the products have been very good so far, a nice variety as well. Give me a puppy, Kage to Kage, Number 54 Lionheart, we just saw this recently for like the first time, I didn't even realize what that card was. All right, let's try the Invasion of Chaos. Can we pull something amazing like Chaos and Broodragon? I believe we can do it, Prickle Fairy, Recycle, Fenrir, Salvage, Blazing Impachi, Spirit of the Pot of Green, Chaos Sorcer, Enraged Battlelocks, and we have a Big Burn, the Super Rare that you never realize is actually a Super Rare. Onto the next one, Lord of Tachyon Galaxy. Very nice pack, a lot of good potential, there's a Ghost Shryer in this set, we think we still need the Unlimited, so let's see if we can get it. XC's Block, Eagle Shark, Burner's Dragon Rule of Sparks, the Magnum Shield, we got the Mimimic, Fallen Box of Counterpunch, the Lightning Dragon Ruler of Drafts, Sonic Warrior, Big Whale, and that's it, it's the Big Whale and let's end it. Now let's try the Pharaoh's Servant Pack from Legendary Collection, can we get a Jinzo? Let's do this. Haven't gotten a Jinzo in quite a while, I believe we can do it though, we got a Flying Comic Carry number two, Type Zero Magic Crusher, Dark Fire Soldier number two, Drill Bug, Driving Snow, Metal Detector, Seven Completed, Noblemen of Extermination, and an Insect Imitation. For a while this was like a six dollar card, then it got a reprint. Now let's try the Dawn of Majesty, a Luber, Seeker Rare, which was 130, then it came all the way back down, so I don't know. There's some other good cards in here as well though, Gunken, we got the Kouan, Koui Ainkoukai, oh, we got an Ultra, but it's one of the really bad ones, this is the guy from Naruto, very nice Ultra Rare, not really, it's not nice at all, it's pretty bad actually. Let's go to Cosmo Blazer, let's see if we can get that Heart Earth Dryer, I don't remember what number it is, number what, what number?  Dolphin Circus, Hazy Flame Gryphon, Xyz Dimension Splash, Crimson Blader, and XYZ Remora, why is it a Hammerhead Shard? That's very interesting, March of the Monarchs and Fire Formation Tinky, okay, we didn't get the Ghostryer. Now let's try Burst of Destiny, DPE, unfortunately not as expensive anymore, but still a nice pull, we also would definitely take a Starlight, let's go. Magnificent Magicky Moftill, Locking, we got the Nyami, we got the Cynet Cascade, Ice Shade Tannola, Gemini's Lord Gold Knight, we got the DD Asshole Carrier, Heavy Interlogue, just a super rare, I like to collect rare for a second, and a Penguin Ninja, Blazing Mortax, Blazing Dumpster Fire, but can we get the Pot of Prosperity, it's a pretty nice card, pretty expensive card, let's see if we can pull it, got Archfiend Staff of Despair, Springens Blast, out, Rocks and Special, we got the Nero, we got the linear equation, War Rock Skyler, Gig Attack Thunder Claps, we got the Sacred Tree, Beast Hyperion, and Fabled Trees and just a super rare. Let's try Lightning Overdrive, let's see what we can do, what can we electrify with the Overdrive? Arm Sage, you and I, Binary Blader, we got the AI Meter, Amazement Special Show, we got the Scrapper after a very nice card for the Dino Dex, a nice little engine add-in, War Rock Generations, S-Force Edge Razor, okay, not great, but don't worry, Battles of Chaos, there's some good ones in here, Battle of Chaos has some good packs, some good cards, you can also get the Dark Magician, so maybe we'll get that, you know, in the middle of the pack, Flower Dino, Ogduodic Serpent Strike, Smoke Mosquito, Skilled Brown Magician, Dollmonster Bear Bear, Rock Scales, Gojok Shot, Vampire Fascinator, okay, fascinated with vampires, not what we're looking for. All right, Genesis Impact, this is not a great set, but Artemis, the Magistus Moon Maiden is in here, which is nice for Alistar and Vokedex, so that'd be nice if we could get the Collector Rare of that, Number 96 or even the Ultra, a Bottomless Trap Hole, we got the Dry Tron Gamma and Dry Tron Alpha, Thuban, another Dry Tron card, great, awesome, Grand Creators, let's keep going, Grand Creators got some good stuff in it, it did us dirty though, for a couple cases, but rocks in special, right to it, Noah Punk, Punk cards are worth a lot, so I'm gonna pull that aside, just to make sure that is not one of them, because Punk is a very good deck right now. Now we're down to the five packs left from the Legendary Collection, let's go Spell Ruler, let's get that Relinquish, Relinquish, not T, I always put it T on it, we got Darth Maul, Performance of the Sword, Twin Long Rods, we got the Horn of Light, Labyrinth Wall, Tioe number two, Megara Iran, Anakiltodama, very nice, Dark Crisis Time, Skill Drain, which now got a recent Ultimate Rare Printing, but still a very valuable Rare, there's also Exodian Nekros, let's go Spell Reproduction, the Stanch Defender, Thousand Needles, Rod of the Mind's Eye, Shadow Knight Archfiend, Drag Down of the Grave, Archfiend's Roar, Dark Scorpion Combination, Anakiltoh, but we still have Invasion of Chaos, that can bring it back, so far nothing really crazy in our pulls, very awesome like packs we've opened, but we haven't really pulled anything crazy, which is, you know, that's just how it goes with opening packs, Chaos End, Spatial Collapse, we got the Smashing Ground Common, Boganian, Stealth Bird, Stray Lambs, and Sol Tigre, two packs to go, pretty awesome Mystery Box opening, of course, we set Metal Riders for the end, let's go Legend of Blue Eyes, can we get that Blue Eyes? White Dragon, let's do this, MWare number one, Remove Trap, Furious Seeking, Dark Energy, Skull Red Bird, Masaki the Legendary Swordsman, Man-Eater, Two Pronged Attack, and Hinotama, Flick 500, Slightly Better Sparks, Final Pack before the PSA card, Metal Riders, Can we pull the Pocainio, Mothflame Cerberus, Blast Juggler, Battle Steer, we got the Oguchi, Musician King, Killer Needle, Rockhooker Grotto number one, Little Chimera, No Pocainio, unless it's right here, Oh, and a Time Wizard! Okay, that's a way to win, a way to end this epic opening time wizard. We finally got an epic card, and that is an awesome one for sure. And the final item for the $700 Mystery Box, I don't even know what it's gonna look like in terms of value, but we probably did not make a lot of our money back, but let's see what this PSA card got. I think the Mystery Box overall was really awesome, like we had some really cool products, we just didn't have the luck of the opening, plus we have a couple we have not opened yet. Let's see what is in here. PSA graded, I think. Oh, it's a reprint guy of the dragon champion. This is very cool. This is before they started putting reprint on the label. By the way, that's a new thing. So if you see one like this, it's not automatically not a reprint because it doesn't say that. It's still a reprint. It was just an earlier graded card so they hadn't done that yet. So this is a reprint PSA nine. This is really cool. This is a nice addition. So overall we did this well. I don't think it was that well. It was a fun opening for sure. If you guys enjoyed this, make sure to let me know that you want me to do something like this again. And make sure to subscribe to the channel if you enjoyed the content. Make sure to check out the Twitch stream as well, five days a week. Shout out to TCG Trust, Cardstone Fox Show, Tomato Juice, Daxter JT Show, Clayton Fitzgerald 87, Brett Palmer, Puffins Doom, Ernesto D'Anda, Stanley Mimegeko, Ian Moosa Jr. Barty, John Nolan, Anandatai Show, and Tom McLean. Thank you guys for supporting this channel. I'll see you guys next time. Peace.