HerFFI yn ddod i'n gwaith ddim yn ni'n rhywbeth o hyfforddiadau o'i gwahodraeth yn gywethaf i'i gydag i fynd i fawr yn deithasol, beth sydd gyntaf cynfer hyfforddiadau i'i gydag i'i gwahodraeth a ilyw hefyd gan hyfforddiadau.  Rasmus y gwelwch chi nhw i gael'r gweithio i erbyn eich mynd yn ddysgu cydwyd! Felly, rwy'n gwrs, mae'n syniadau o'r parwysgau mae'n ysgolennu'r cyllidau sydd hefyd, I was delighted to announce our consultation on our proposed approach to designating at least 10 per cent of Scotland's seas as highly protected marine areas. Together with publishing the consultation document, which sets out the background, process and rationale for the consultation, I also published a policy framework, which sets out the Government's proposed definition of HPMAs, site selection guidelines, a partial islands community impact assessment, a partial Bria, and an initial sustainability appraisal, which compromises two parts, an initial strategic environmental report, which assesses the environmental impact of the policy, and an initial social economic impact assessment, which identifies and assesses potential economic and social effects of the policy and proposes a methodology for carrying out site-specific SEIs. I thank the minister for that answer, and she will be aware that Scottish fishermen believe that they are running out of space. The Scottish Government's HPMA proposals would take even more away from them. The Cabinet Secretary, Mary Gougeon, joined me at the Scottish Fishermen's Federation reception in Parliament just last month, where she heard their concerns first-hand. On the basis of those concerns, will the minister and possibly the Cabinet Secretary commit to postponing the proposed implementation of HPMAs until such a time that she can tell fishermen with all honesty that those proposals are not a threat to their livelihoods? I will not do that, because the development of HPMAs marks the opportunity to make a step change in the protection of our precious marine environment. However, I will commit to the member, which is exactly what was committed in the suite of documents that we published on 12 December, that we are at the very beginning of a process. Consultation and meaningful engagement has been a significant part of getting us to hear, and it will continue to be so. On that note, I direct the member specifically to the stakeholder engagement document that we published on 12 December. There are a number of supplementaries here. I would hope to get all of them in, but they will need to be brief, likewise the responses. No-take zones from Llanlash Bay in my constituency to the Palo Islands have shown that fishers in the environment can both benefit from conservation. Does the minister agree that it is crucial to ensure the sustainability of Scotland's commercial fishery and that highly protected marine areas will go a long way to achieving that goal and can she advise and how she will engage with the fishing sector, ensuring that it is not treated with a contempt shown by the Tories who made fishers Brexit promises they have not kept? HPMAs will deliver protection and recovery of marine ecosystems such as blue carbon and critical fish habitats. Of course, that helps to enhance our natural capital, the bedrock of sustainable marine industries. In collaboration with all sea users, the Scottish Government wants to ensure that the rich biological diversity of our seas is protected, enhanced and where appropriate restored, and in doing so to ensure that our marine ecosystems continue to provide economic, social and environmental benefits for the people of Scotland. The Government has uniquely united fishers and environmental groups, who both agree that there is a lack of a clear special plan for Scotland's seas from the Government. Does the minister tell us what she is doing to ensure that highly protected marine areas are part of a coherent management plan for inshore fisheries as a whole and that among other things specifically incentivise low-impact fishing? As I said, the HPMA policy and our pursuit of it is our opportunity to make a step change in marine protection. Just to remind the chamber, it is that there will be 10 per cent protection, highly protected areas, all extractive activity, band and that in the in and offshore space. Of course, that will complement our suite of marine protected areas, currently covering 37 per cent of our seas, which by 2024 we will complete the management measures for, as well as work on priority marine features most at risk from bottom trawling. HPMAs, together with completing the management measures within the NPAs and the work on priority marine features, provide that holistic approach that Colin Smith is asking about. With the restriction on inshore fisheries recently announced by the Government, why is it that scientific evidence will only be used to reduce fishing activity but not increase fishing activity? Why do not we follow the science wherever it takes us? I do not recognise or agree with the characterisation that the member sets out there. We will absolutely follow the science and will absolutely consider the socioeconomic impact of our actions. As I said to Rachael Hamilton, we are at the very beginning of what is undoubtedly going to be a complex process, but one nonetheless, which if we can successfully pursue it, will mark a step change in the protection of our marine environment, which of course is important for our sustainable fishing industry. I am sure that the minister will be aware of research from England showing that marine protected areas, which exclude the most destructive activities, can boost fish populations by almost 400 per cent and also boost the numbers of commercially important fish outside those NPAs. Does the minister agree that highly protected marine areas will be essential in recovering fish stocks and supporting to development of a sustainable fishing industry that thrives within environmental limits? I do agree with that. As I said previously, those NPAs, when in place, will deliver protection, will deliver recovery of marine ecosystems and will enhance our natural capital. All of that is the bedrock on which our sustainable marine industries can exist and can exist successfully. I am committed, as part of the development of the policy, to meaningful, on-going engagement with the suite of stakeholders who have an interest in Scotland's marine space. To ask the Scottish Government what its most recent assessment is of the impact on Brexit and off-Brexit on Scotland's food and drink sector. The food and drink sector has borne the brunt of a hard Brexit pursued by the UK Government, and that is particularly through the loss of free trade and free movement. Many of Scotland's food industries are still suffering from lower exports to the EU, including a 48.8 per cent fall in exports of fruit and vegetables and a 15 per cent fall in exports of dairy and eggs in the first nine months of 2022, compared to that same period in 2019. That is not to mention the products that we now cannot export to the EU at all, such as chilled meats and an important industry to us in Scotland, our seed potatoes. Research from the London School of Economics has suggested that household food bills have gone up by £210, mainly due to the extra checks and requirements and goods due to Brexit, which much of the cost passed on to customers. Scotland did not vote for Brexit, as we all know, but people in Scotland continue to pay the price for Brexit, an act of deliberate Tory policy that is magnifying the cost of living crisis and the misery that it is causing people. Does the cabinet secretary share my view that now labour is decidedly pro-Brexit, only this Scottish Government can be trusted to stand up for the interests of our world-class food and drink sector? We have that clear evidence that Brexit is causing food bills to rocket, and because of that, we are absolutely all affected. We know that there are many factors that are influencing food inflation, but, thanks to Brexit, the UK is facing one of the worst cost of living crises and suffering that more than what we have seen elsewhere. The latest OECD and IMF forecasts show that the UK is set to have one of the highest overall inflation rates among G7 nations in 2022 and 2023. All of that because we had a Brexit forced on us that we did not vote for. We have been also dragged into trade deals that work against the interests of our own producers here in Scotland, and it is this Government that has and will continue to stand up for our producers and wider food and drink sector in Scotland. Thank you. There is a little bit of time if members wish to ask a question. I would encourage them to press their request-to-speak buttons. Question number three has been withdrawn, so question number four, Gillian Mawrton. To ask the Scottish Government how it is addressing any impact of the EU withdrawal agreement on the seed potato sector. Brexit, which the UK Government pursued during the pandemic, meant that, at the stroke of a pen, Scotland's seed potato export market was lost. That was due to the UK Government's failure to secure an equivalence agreement for seed potatoes. Just to put that into context, Scotland previously exported around 20,000 tonnes annually to the EU and 2,000 to Northern Ireland. The loss of that has resulted in the loss of £11 million annually. It is vital that options continue to be explored to resolve that. We have been pursuing that since the disastrous Brexit agreement was reached. After a spate of ministerial changes over the summer, I most recently wrote to Mark Spencer. I am awaiting a response to that, and I raised it also with Lord Benion today. Mr Carson, I have already said that if members wish to ask a question, they should press their request-to-speak buttons, and I will do my best to call them. Gillian Mawrton. Thank you, Presiding Officer. The minister has largely answered my question, but I cannot believe that I just heard a Tory shout out that this is the fault of our EU pals. This is the fault of the bad negotiators from the UK Government in the Brexit deal. The seed potato sector, like a lot of Scotland's rural economy, has either been betrayed or totally ignored by the Brexit crusade of a Tory party who wants to paint themselves as the champions of rural Scotland, despite the obvious harms that they have imposed by an act of deliberate policy. She mentioned a letter about what recent discussions of the Scottish Government had with the UK Government regarding the obligation that they have to fix a problem of their making and which continues to create severe challenges in my constituency, which has some of the best-quality seed potato growers in the whole of Europe, who previously exported seed potatoes to the EU seamlessly. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I know that this will be something that is particularly of concern to Gillian Mawrton, owned to her constituency. I mentioned that I had most recently written to Mark Spencer. I await a response to that, and I will be chasing it very shortly. I also took the opportunity to raise the issue with Lord Benham today when writing to him on a separate but related matter. The cabinet secretary and I have, for months and longer in her case, been raising those matters with the UK Government in our interministerial Government meetings, sadly to no avail. Ultimately, it is as a result of Brexit, which Scotland did not vote for, and the hardest of possible Brexit being imposed on us by a UK Government who refused to commit to dynamic alignment. Of course, it is Scottish industry who is suffering. Ultimately, it is a UK Government who has been so willing to sell out Scottish industry, and that is only in pursuit of its ideological Brexit. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to prepare for any potential search in avian flu caused over this winter. The Scottish Government and its operational partners have robust and regularly tested control strategy and contingency plans in place, an approving track record in dealing effectively and rapidly with controlling outbreaks to prevent spread of infection onto other premises. We have responded quickly to the increasing risk of avian influenza from migratory wild birds through the introduction of an avian influenza prevention zone in October this year, which made it a legal requirement for all bird keepers to follow strict biosecurity measures to help protect their flocks such as cleaning and disinfecting footwear and maintaining high standards of cleanliness. I thank the minister for the answer. We have seen particularly large avian flu outbreaks in the north-east of Scotland, as well as the infection of many coastal birds in my own region south of Scotland, followed by a recent outbreak in Coal Hall in East Ayrshire. That has led to quite rightly strict biosecurity measures being introduced in November that are undoubtedly very necessary. Can I ask however if the Government has considered the financial implications of the new bird housing measures on farmers and what has been done to help them with this financial burden, given that we know that the winter will likely make the flu infections more likely? Yes, that is obviously a significant concern given the period that we are at. This is currently we are dealing with the worst outbreak that we have ever seen of avian influenza. The member mentions biosecurity and I think that it is really important to emphasise that message again about just how important those high and strict levels of biosecurity are, because we know that if that is implemented, we can see a 44-fold reduction in risk of avian influenza compared to the housing of birds, which can provide a two-fold reduction in risk. Now, we know that there are other issues there. I met recently with the president of the NFUS, as well as her poultry chair, to talk about some of those, particularly about biosecurity, what we can do to promote the messages around that, as well as some of the other challenges in finance and insurance that the industry is facing. However, we are working closely with them to try to look for solutions. Last month, the rain committee heard from the chief veterinary officer, which stated that flu viruses generally like cold and damp conditions, so they survive much better in the winter. The cabinet secretary mentioned biosecurity, and the evidence also pointed towards studies indicating that biosecurity can improve outcomes by a factor of 44 while housing the birds improved outcomes by a factor of 2 underlining the crucial role of biosecurity. What can we do as MSPs from all parties to potentially take the message out to show that the message of biosecurity is really important and that the crucial role of biosecurity is something that we can focus on? I would just really like to thank the member for giving me the opportunity to emphasise this again, because we cannot emphasise enough just how important high biosecurity standards are when it comes to tackling this disease amongst poultry. I think that it is, and just to highlight as well, it is measures that include things such as cleansing and disinfecting of equipment, clothing vehicles, preventing contact with wild birds, with vermin, by storing feed and bedding under cover and ensuring that buildings are maintained to prevent ingress from floodwater. We all do have a role as MSPs in trying to promote that message. Again, as I mentioned in my previous response when I met with the NFUS, that was part of what we discussed in relation to biosecurity is how we can really try and promote that message as much as we possibly can. As a Government, we are trying to do that through all the channels that we have available, but I would absolutely encourage and hope that other MSPs would get on board with that and help to share those messages so that everybody is aware of the measures that they can take to hopefully prevent that from spreading. There have been differences between the way Scotland has handled outbreaks of avian flu to the rest of the UK, particularly around housing orders. Can the minister confirm how the Scottish Government has been working with the rest of the UK on this issue and clarify what science or guidance the Scottish chief veterinary officer is following to justify the differences in managing and preventing future outbreaks? It is important that, when we are looking at these outbreaks, we need to remember that we are not dealing with like-for-like situations. Of course, we take any evidence and I rely on the expert advice and expertise of our chief veterinary officer and our animal health team when it comes to that. As I have said to the member when he has asked questions about this previously, this is a situation that we continue to monitor and to keep under review, but again I would emphasise that important biosecurity measure. When it comes to the engagement that we have across the UK, I think that when it comes to animal health and combating disease like this, we do have strong working relationships that we need to in relation to that and how we tackle that. Again, it is important that we base any decisions such as housing, given the wider impact that that would have on smaller keepers and the wider implications on animal welfare too. It is not a simple decision to take but, again, that is where it depends on the advice and expertise of our CVO and it is the situation that we continue to monitor. I am Beatrice Wishart who joins us remotely. Thank you, Presiding Officer. We have seen seabird populations decimated due to avian flu. Has the Scottish Government made the public fully aware of the actions that they can take to mitigate the spread of avian flu?  Yes, we do try to do that as much as we possibly can, but again I think following on from previous questions that I have heard about communications and what MSPs can do as well, obviously I would welcome any help that members across the chamber can provide in sharing some of the messages as to how the public should handle these various situations and really help us to get out those messages for commercial keepers about the importance of bi-security as well as how to handle outbreaks or suspected cases, but that is information that I am more than happy to circulate to all members so that they have that information to hand. To ask the Scottish Government when it last engaged with the UK Government on the subject of EU replacement funding with respect to the rural affairs portfolio. Cabinet Secretary? We no longer have long-term certainty of funding as a result of Brexit and unilateral choices imposed by the UK Government provide insufficient replacement for the EU budget. The UK Government promised a full replacement and collective engagement on future funding. Previous secretaries of state have reaffirmed this commitment, but the UK Government so far has failed to deliver on that. EU replacement funding with respect to the rural affairs portfolio is an issue that Scottish ministers have raised at the environment, food and rural affairs inter-ministerial group meetings in the past, and we continue to make representation to the UK Government to fulfil their commitments. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Scotland has been shortchanged across the board by the Tories and their Brexit obsession. As part of the EU, we could have accessed a multi-year allocation for marine funding of 62 million a year while the UK Government has allocated only 14 million a year to Scotland. Reduced funding means reduced opportunity to realise benefits for coastal communities and businesses. I wonder whether the cabinet secretary shares my view that the obvious conclusion here is that the EU placed a higher value on coastal communities and businesses in places such as my own region of the Highlands and Islands than that placed on them by our supposed partners in the union. I fully share the member's view that coastal communities and businesses have been shortchanged through the Brexit process. The UK Government has not demonstrated the same commitment to those communities, as we would have seen if we were still part of the EU, as is being highlighted by the figures that the member mentioned in her question. Not only with the hugely damaging impacts on small coastal communities of the barriers to trade that Brexit introduced, but we have also seen the loss of that multi-year funding, which removes the opportunity to deliver long-term planning and certainty that impacts on trade and serves to stifle innovation. Additionally, the UK Government's approach to the Brexit problems that it has created through the establishment of the UK seafood fund and awarding itself £100 million of funding simply causes duplication and confusion by undermining the devolution settlement and thereby making a bad situation 10 times worse. Question 8 has not been lodged. Therefore, that concludes portfolio questions on rural affairs in Ireland. On a point of order, I appreciate that the official report correction mechanism lasts up to 20 days, but today I seek to correct the official record on behalf of myself with respect to 31 May 2017 on behalf of former Conservative member Jamie MacGregor with respect to 30 September 2009 and 23 September 2010. On those dates, we are inadvertently repeated statistics that we heard from Scottish Government ministers relating to Scotland's wind potential. We are now aculately aware that those statistics are incorrect. Parliamentarians and members of the public were misled by SNP ministers and members into thinking that that figure was true, and I am appalled that I have inadvertently used incorrect figures on the record. We did not receive the briefing from officials that the figures were never sourced, unlike the SNP ministers who were told multiple times. Therefore, we of course seek to correct the record, and I certainly will personally think twice before trusting anything that this SNP Government ever says again. While we are happy to correct the record, I note that numerous other offending SNP members are not as forthcoming. In fact, they still have to come to this chamber to repeat the false claim that the figure was at one time true and is now just outdated. Given the outstanding blight in the Parliament's official report, do you feel that the current correcting mechanisms are working? What parliamentary process is available to members who wish to contribute to reforming those mechanisms to ensure that MSPs and ministers are held to a higher standard than we have now? Thank you, Mr Carson. As you know, that is not a point of order. If there are things that you think require addressing in the standard orders, I would suggest that you write to the Standards Committee on that. It is not something on which I can offer any ruling. We need to now move on to portfolio questions on health and social care. Again, any member wishing to ask a supplementary issue, press the request speak button. It applies an RTS in the chat function if they are joining us online during the relevant question, and I call question number one, Douglas Lumsden. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the letter that it received from the Grampian local medical committee stating that general practice continues to be scapegoated as a profession in order to mask the failings of the Scottish Government. I have been explicitly clear that any suggestion that GPs have not been seen people face to face because they did not want to is false is a dangerous assertion. We know that GP practices are working at capacity and without expecting more work from our GPs, we need to examine how access arrangements for patients can be improved, a matter that many members across the chamber have written to me about. To that end, I have set up a general practice access group. The group is establishing high-level core principles to support and enhance patients' experience of accessing the right care at the right place at the right time. We are committed to investing £170 million a year to help to grow the multi-disciplinary teams in GP practices and to further increase the number of GPs in Scotland. We remain committed to delivering on our target of 800 new GPs by 2027. Douglas Lumsden, I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. It is good to hear that the numbers should be going up because the latest figures show that excluding trainees, the number of GPs fell in the last year and the ones that remain are more likely to work part-time. Last week, the Royal College of GPs' deputy chairwoman for Scotland said, within the current crisis of workforce shortages, intolerable workload and worryingly low morale and mental health, GPs are firefighting and many worry that they are no longer working in safe conditions and cannot continue. It is clear that the cabinet secretary has lost the dressing room. Will he now apologise to our GPs for the mess that he has created and give our GPs the best Christmas present that they could hope for and resign? As brave from the Conservative member, I have to say, given that our number of GPs in Scotland, if we exclude trainees, as he has asked me to do, is 83 per 100,000. That is higher than the 63 per 100,000 in Conservative-run England, so he may want to have a word of close with his colleagues. What I would love to be able to do is invest even more in primary care, what is holding us back this financial year has been his Government's economic mismanagement of the public finances. That has meant that my budget is worth £650 million less. When it comes to scapegoating our healthcare workers, he is astonishingly brave to come up a day after his colleague Stephen Barclay shamefully said this. He said that healthcare workers were consciously choosing to inflict harm on patients. Douglas Lumsden and his Tory colleagues should hang their heads in shame. I have a number of supplementaries. Again, I will try to get through as many as possible, but they will need to be brief. As indeed, cabinet secretary, will the responses need to be a call first to Lian Martin. I want the cabinet secretary's view on the content of the report out by the Think Tank Nuffield Trust, which warns that Britain's departure from the EU has worsened recruitment strategies in health and social care. While the NHS Scotland is clearly more restricted, since Brexit in recruiting foreign staff to fill vacancies, what progress has been made to recruit more GPs to Scotland? I can see Douglas Lumsden and the Tories groaning and moaning when Gillian Martin is asking such an important question. There is no doubt at all that the folly of Brexit has caused significant damage, not just in the NHS, but importantly in social care as well. Do not believe me, then feel free to listen to the contributions and the expertise of those in the NHS. Indeed, social care in Gillian Martin has given a flavour of that. I have launched a recruitment drive to attract GPs to move to Scotland and particularly to rural, remote and island communities in Scotland, where we know that there are some areas of challenge. We have funded the excellent ScotGem graduate entry programme with a GP emphasis since 2018, with 55 places increasing to 70 this year, as well as an additional 85 places on GP track courses. Between the Conservatives folly of Brexit and Labour leader Keir Starman insulting our overseas workers in the NHS, it is clear that the SNP is the only party in the Government that will not just welcome overseas workers to our NHS but value them too. There are going to have to be shorter answers from now on. General practice is not alone in being undervalued by this Government. Yesterday, we learnt that RCN members have overwhelmingly rejected the latest pay offer. Nurses also work in GP surgeries and have faced years of real-terms pay cuts that have pushed their colleagues out of the profession and put patient safety at risk. Will the cabinet secretary wake up to the fact that his workforce plan has failed? He has lost the confidence of NHS workers across Scotland.  Astonishing the lack of self-awareness, Presiding Officer, from Scottish Labour. Labour, of course, along with Conservative Run England, for the second week, has strikes in the country where they are in government, where there are no strikes here in Scotland for a second week in a row. She comes to this Government and suggests that we have somehow lost the dressing room. Let me just tell her what she may want to listen. She is, of course, speaking from a sedentary position, but Jackie Baillie may well want to listen, Presiding Officer, to what the BMA said about her colleague, Wes Streeting, who attacked NHS workers. She said, and I will read, that it was not so long ago that Mr Streeting and the Labour Party were clapping healthcare workers for their contributions during the pandemic. To hear them now accusing staff of a something-for-nothing culture and potentially supporting further real-terms pay cut will leave many staff extremely concerned. Labour MP Diane Abbott responded by saying that inch by inch Wes Streeting is trying to push for a private insurance base, NHS and all but name. It is a shame that Scottish Labour could not join their colleague Diane Abbott in calling out Wes Streeting's insulting remarks about healthcare workers. Ms Baillie, Mr Lumsden, I have invited you to ask questions. You have asked questions and then you have sought to interrupt the Minister as he is trying to respond to them. Can we have a bit of respect, please? I now call Sandish Gohan. Dear, dear, victim or victim mode again, Cabinet Secretary, telling nurses not to patronising, Brexit was a national referendum, something the SNP don't really seem to fully understand. Cabinet Secretary, 23 fewer qualified GPs than last year, a 9% drop in GP practices, whole-time equivalent consultants are down 14.3% and double the number of consultant vacancies than you claim. What new plans do you have to help recruit GPs because your flimsy recovery plan simply doesn't cut it? Dr Gohani, through the chair, Cabinet Secretary. Imagine, Presiding Officer, as a Conservative member coming here to lecture us on how we should be treating NHS healthcare staff when your colleague in England said that you, as a healthcare worker, are consciously inflicting harm upon patients. You can't even stand up for yourself, let alone stand up for our healthcare workers, have some self-respect, I would say, to Sandish Gohani, and I would say that through the chair. Five actions that we're taking to help with GP recruitment. One, we have an active GP recruitment campaign underway. Secondly, in terms of recruitment, we have managed to have a record year when it comes to our GP specialist training fill rate. As part of the 2021-22 PFG, of course, we committed to increasing medical school places by 100 per annum. We are doing that. Fourth, the ScotGem programme that I have already mentioned, and fifth, which is not in our gift, but maybe Sandish Gohani might be able to help with the minimal influence that he has with the UK Government, there have been calls across to the UK Government to ensure that there are changes in pensions that are disincentivising GPs. Perhaps he can use the minimal influence that he has with the UK Government to get some change in that respect. With apologies to the members, I haven't been able to get them to supplementaries. We're going to have to move on to question 2, Martin Workford. I'm very grateful, Deputy Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on BMA Scotland's reported estimate that Scotland is approximately 1,000 short of the required number of all-time-equivalent GPs. I would be keen to see the evidence base from the BMA for this. We are making good progress, as I have already said, against our commitment to increase the number of GPs by 800 by the end of 2027. The number of GPs has increased by almost 300 since 2017 when that target was first announced. We have a record 5,209 GPs working in Scotland. The increase in GP headcount will help to deliver an increase in GP whole-time-equivalent capacity, too. The number of GPs that are required in the capacity of course depends on a number of factors, including the size and shape of the team around them. While GP headcount is how we measure our commitment, both sets of data are important, as I say. We'll continue to work with the BMA on that. I'm very grateful to the Cabinet Secretary for that response. In recent weeks, I've met with several GPs across East Lothian, and they expressed concern about the increasing pressures that they face in their practice and the impact of the Government's cuts on their ability to meet capacity. I would like to ask the Cabinet Secretary whether, first, he will take seriously what those clinicians are saying. Secondly, they talk about a practice that is patient-orientated with continuity of care. That has numerous benefits, not least of all, a shortening in time that GPs need to read in about the patient who comes to see them. Does the cabinet secretary support the model and how is he supporting it with the interaction between GP practices and the health boards? I thank Martin Watfield for a really helpful follow-up question. Yes, of course, I'm aware of the pressures that his colleagues as GPs in East Lothian have raised with him. Barely a week or a month will go past when I'm not interacting with GPs on a regular basis, and I'll perhaps pay a visit to East Lothian to the GP practices there. However, some of the issues that he's raised are in patient, not just access but time with patients. That's exactly why I've set up the GP access group. GPs are part of that group, as well as, of course, I want a patient representative to be part of that group, because nobody is doubting how hard GPs work. I've said as much to GPs, and I will say it again in this chamber. GPs are working unbelievably hard, but I think that the hybrid model of face-to-face telephone and video consultation is a model that should be embedded and should continue. I get representations from all across the chamber—in fact, I got it from the Women's Housing Committee with Monica Lennon, who was there yesterday, who made the point that some people are still struggling to see their GPs face-to-face, and that is true right across the country. Anything that we can do to improve that while working with GPs is good for the confidence that people have in general practice, but it's good for people in the public, too. Again, a lot of interest. I want to get the supplementaries in, but again, brief supplementaries and brief responses. First, Kenneth Gibson. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Cabinet Secretary, what impact has George Osborne's pension changes had on GP numbers over the last decade, given how many I've felt compelled to retire as a direct result of them? As briefly as possible, Cabinet Secretary. Although I don't have the exact numbers in front of me, I would say to Kenny Gibson that one of the key issues is raised with me by GPs right up and down the country, regardless of where they are in the country that they've been asking for pension changes. Now, there has been some changes in fairness to the UK Government, some changes that have been made, but, as Kenny Gibson rightly has said, for many GPs that have come too little too late. So, there are some further changes that the UK Government could make. I understand their consulting on them. I would urge them to do the right thing, because recruitment of GPs is, of course, important, but no point filling up a leaky bucket. Retention is going to be really important and pension changes should be able to help us with that. Willie Rennie. The problem is that the Government ran denial for many, many years about the number of GPs. Many in this chamber were warning the Scottish Government that they needed to up the recruitment, but they failed to act at the time. So, the crisis that we've got in primary care is solely down to the Scottish Government being asleep at the wheel. So, what new measures is the Cabinet Secretary going to take? Because there are far too many patients in my constituency that can't even get through on the phone, let alone get an appointment. Cabinet Secretary. I don't agree with his characterisation and, of course, the figures would not bear that out, where Scotland, if I exclude trainees, has 83 per 100,000. That is vastly high than other parts of the UK, not by a small margin, but by quite a significant margin. That's a demonstration of the record of our recruitment. I've given a list of five things that we're already doing, but on top of that, of course, as I've mentioned already, the challenges with access, there's no doubt numbers of GPs will play a part in that, I would say, to Willie Rennie, but there are things that can be done to improve access to GPs right now. Hence why I've set up the GP access group, GPs will be part of that, patient representatives will be part of that, and of course, as that group meets and gives me recommendations, I'll make sure Willie Rennie and the rest of the Parliament are kept updated. I'm very, very brief to Emma Harper. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I will be brief. It's on GPs. Earlier this month, the BMA's GP committee noted that Labour was guilty of demonising GPs who are trying their best to deliver care, so the quick question is what steps are being taken by the Scottish Government to engage constructively with our health trade unions to ensure that being a GP remains an attractive career choice with a manageable workload? I'll take this issue very seriously, Presiding Officer, in relation to our relationship with health trade unions. It's why, of course, again, for the second week in a row, we're the only part of the country where there are not strikes. Now, I don't take that for granted. That's because of meaningful negotiations and discussions, both with the trade unions, and I hope that it's recognised meaningful discussions with the Government, too. I'll continue that engagement. I'll make sure that my door is always open to meaningful dialogue.  I'm sad to say that we've seen, certainly, from the Conservative Party and from West Street in the Labour Party, too. Question 3, Kenneth Gibson. Thank you, Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government what the impact of air pollution is on mental health. Minister Kevin Stewart. Thank you, Presiding Officer. The relationship between air quality and health is complex, and it is currently uncertain what impact air pollution has on the mental health of individuals. There is an emerging body of research indicating an association between air pollution and an increased risk of mental illness. There is also some evidence to suggest that air pollution is associated with authored brain function and structure, the implications of which are not yet clear. It is important, Presiding Officer, to point out that air pollution targets are being met across the vast majority of Scotland, though pollution hotspots are still present in some cities and town centres. Work with local authorities and other partners is under way to address these hotspots as quickly as possible, such as the introduction of low emission zones in our four largest cities. The Scottish Government takes the issue of air pollution very seriously and the Government is in regular contact with SEPA, the independent regulator, concerning SEPA's regulatory role in relation to industrial sites. I thank the minister for that helpful reply. Researchers at Washington DC's American University studied the impact of fine atmospheric particulate matter concentrations on suicide levels over a seven-year period. Conclusive results are a direct link between depression, suicide and atmospheric pollution, even when the air is polluted for a single day. That is probably because an inflammatory response in the brain to particulates disrupts the pathways that regulate mood. Given those findings, what further steps will Scottish ministers take to tackle air pollution? I will take a look at that research from the American University in Washington DC. The Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 strategy, published in July of 2021, sets out how the Scottish Government, with partners, will continue to deliver on air quality improvements over the next five years. It contains over 80 actions across health, placemaking, transport, public engagement and industrial emissions. Levels of the main air pollutants have declined significantly in Scotland over the past three decades. That has been achieved through tighter regulation, improved fuel quality, cleaner vehicles and an increased focus on sustainable transport. All of that has happened but, nonetheless, our vision and our aspiration is for Scotland to have the cleanest air in Europe. I am very grateful, Deputy Presiding Officer. Given the body of evidence that is growing, would the minister agree with me that this is a public health emergency and that we need to take a public health approach? That has been advocated in Greater Manchester by Labour Mayor Andy Marr under the Marmot review. Would the minister take a look at that, along with Mini Todd? As I said in my initial answer, there is an emerging body of research. We will continue to monitor that and act accordingly. Thank you. Question 4 is not lodged. Question 5, Evelyn Tweed. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government what help it is providing to suicide support services, including SAMH and its recently launched campaign, ask them about suicide ahead of the festive season. Thank you, Presiding Officer. In September, the Scottish Government and COSLA published a new suicide prevention strategy, creating hope together. The strategy aims to reduce the number of suicide deaths in Scotland whilst tackling the inequalities that contribute to suicide and is supported by the programme for government commitment to double suicide prevention annual funding to £2.8 million by 2025-26. The new 10-year strategy and first action plan will build on the strong partnership model that underpins the delivery of the previous action plan, Every Life Matters. The partnership model involves third sector mental health partners leading delivery of key elements of Scottish Government-funded activity. Over the past four years, that includes Government funding for SAMH to develop the social movement, United to Prevent Suicide, and to deliver a range of national suicide prevention campaigns, including FC United to Prevent Suicide and Better Tomorrow. We greatly value the role and contribution of all third sector partners in working to prevent suicide across Scotland, both nationally and locally, and we look forward to extending our partnership approach as we deliver the new strategy. I thank the minister for that answer. SAMH's campaign encourages everyone to simply ask the question, are you thinking about suicide, if they are concerned about a loved one? Would the minister encourage anyone concerned about a loved one to ask the difficult yet very simple question, are you thinking about suicide, to allow them to seek further support? Presiding Officer, I agree with Evelyn Tweed. We should all be alert to suicide in our communities and to ask anyone who is struggling with their mental health. Are you thinking about suicide? By asking this crucial question, we shall care and compassion, which can help people to talk more openly about their feelings. It also creates a space to discuss, reaching out for further support and advice. In the absence of Jim Fairlie's debate on male suicide this week, I thought it important that we recognise that 75 per cent of people who die by suicide in 2021 were male and a high proportion of those male were young and from a more deprived area. Every death by suicide is a tragedy, a loss, a life loss, a family grieving, a loved one. It is abundantly clear that we need a strategy that does not only promise but also delivers. Therefore, I ask the minister how the Scottish Government will work with organisations with close links to large groups of young men, such as football clubs in my area, a commandant football club in Ayr United in South Ayrshire in my region, to ensure together that we are continuing to make progress towards fully removing the stigma from talking about mental health and suicide, particularly among that young male group. I recognise the importance of the issue, but we are going to have to have shorter, particularly supplementary questions and responses. I will be very quick. I hope that we will have the opportunity to debate Mr Fairlie's motion. I think that it is a very important one. As I have said to the chamber before, football clubs have a real big role to play here. I have been to St Myrran in recent times on a suicide prevention day, which was very worthwhile for the community there. Of course, there is changing rooms extra time, which we run in association with clubs and Sam H. I remind members of my register of interests to ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the actions taken in 4th Valley Royal Hospital following its escalation to stage 4 of the NHS Scotland national performance framework for governance, leadership and culture. I met with Christine McLaughlin, chair of the Assurance Board, alongside with the external support team earlier this week, while the Assurance Board is providing direct monitoring and support to 4th Valley. The onus is, of course, on the NHS board to commit to and deliver on improvements. It is important that we allow NHS 4th Valley the opportunity to deliver immediate and tangible improvements over the coming weeks. In my statement to Parliament last month, I committed to writing to members before the end of the calendar year. I have signed off that response, so if I have not come to members yet, it will certainly come later today. I thank the cabinet secretary for his answer. The escalation to stage 4 is long overdue, but the escalation is focused at a very senior level. That may be where the change needs to begin, but what about support for workers on the front line? Those failures have had a massive impact on them, leading not simply to low morale but to burnout, to anxiety and to depression. Cabinet secretary, on your watch, those health workers are on their knees, with many leaving the service altogether. I have been told that just last weekend, one nurse at the 4th Valley Royal hospital was left on her own with responsibility for 37 patients. That is more than the recommended safe limit. When is action finally going to be taken by this Government, not just to give assurance to the leadership but to give assurance to the patients and to give assurance and support to the poor, bloody infantry working on the front line? I thank Richard Leonard for his question. I make it clear that the assurance process and the improvement plan associated with the escalation framework is not just for the management or indeed for the board, but we expect to see and we will monitor that improvement and ensure that those improvements are percolate from the top right the way through to those who are very much on the front line. I will not go into detail because we do not have time around some of the challenges that are facing health systems across the UK. One of the things that we can do to try to ensure that we take care of the wellbeing of our staff is to make sure that they are paid well. That is why I will continue to engage meaningfully with our trade unions. That is why we have put that record pay deal on the table. The very last thing that I will say is that I committed to meeting with the whistleblowing champion at 4th Valley. I think that there is a strong role to play for whistleblowing right across our NHS. I have not been able to meet with the whistleblowing champion yet, but I intend to do that early in the new year. We are at 25 minutes. We have two other questions on the order paper. I want to get supplementaries in those portfolio questions. They are important, but the questions will need to be short and the answers are shorter to Stephen Kerr. The cabinet secretary must be familiar that there is a very critical report that lays bare a culture of bullying and intimidation in NHS 4th Valley. That is admitted by the senior management and their now-inspecial measures. There must be a question of competence and confidence. Why has no one resigned or been sacked? Why does the cabinet secretary continue to have such confidence in those who have managed to make such a fine mess of things? The escalation framework is there for a reason. It is important that we are able to escalate 4th Valley in the circumstances given, but it would be reasonable to say to the board—I think that any reasonable person would understand this—that we expect an improvement plan. We will hold your account to that improvement plan. If we do not see that improvement, of course, there is another level of escalation. I implore Stephen Kerr to look at the improvement plan. We will have everything published on our website, so it is transparent and open. It is there for people to see. Let us make sure that we are collectively holding 4th Valley to account, ultimately my responsibility, of course, and I can guarantee him that I will be doing that. To ask the Scottish Government what specific measures are being taken to support social care workers during the cost of living crisis. There are more than 1,200 social care providers across Scotland with local authorities responsible for providing our commissioning services. Local authorities and health and social care partnerships will want to ensure that they provide appropriate support to social care workers. In addition, the Scottish Government is committed to improving fair work practices across the social care sector. We have increased pay over the last year from £9.50 per hour to £10.50 per hour and will further increase the rate to the real living wage next year and continue to work with stakeholders to secure improved terms and conditions for those working, including improved sick pay and maternity and paternity pay. I would like to thank the minister for that answer, but would he agree with me that this winter's situation facing social care workers who have for too long been underpaid and undervalued in our society is another example of why they cannot afford to wait for our national care service before they see real improvement in their working conditions? That is why we are not waiting for the national care service to be up and running to improve paying conditions. As I pointed out, we will raise pay again to the real living wage, which is not the case in England or Wales, where social care workers are on the minimum wage. Beyond that, this week, we published, along with COSLA, our statement of intent to help to improve conditions. One of the ones that I want to see improved very quickly indeed is maternity pay, because I believe that it is extremely unfair in this day and age that there are women out there who are not entitled to maternity pay. That is one of many things that we will be doing before we get to national care service. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the new north-east hub health and care centre in Parkhead Glasgow. Construction started on 28 March 2022. The construction programme is on schedule. The hub is planned to be complete in two phases. July 2024 for the main building in August 2025 for the car park. Following the handover of the first phase, there will be an eight-week equipping and transition period before patients move to the new hub. I thank the cabinet secretary for the reply, and it is encouraging to see the building just round the corner from my office going up fairly rapidly. Once the hub is operational, will that mean that fewer patients have to travel to Stop Hill from the east end of Glasgow, because travelling to Stop Hill is not easy by public transport? I have to say a share of John Mason's excitement about the project. Anybody who has not seen the concept behind the parkhead hub, I would encourage them to do so. The short answer to his question is yes, it should result in the reduction of patients travelling to Stop Hill. The hub will have a space for outpatient clinics and the delivery of enhanced treatment and care to the community, so that should result in fewer trips to Stop Hill. That concludes those portfolio questions. There will be a brief pause before we move to the next portfolio. I seek your guidance on the courtesy that members should show, where, if a question is asked in a portfolio, they should stay in the chamber until the end of that portfolio section before leaving. The member is absolutely entirely correct, as befits the convener of the Relent Committee. Members should extend that courtesy to all other members, the ministers, and I am not entirely sure who the member is referring to. That is indeed the correct position. Thank you for that helpful clarification. I think that we are all ready to go. So, the next portfolio is social justice, housing and local government. Again, if a member wishes to request a supplementary, they should press the request-to-speak button during the relevant question or enter the letters RTS in the chat function online. I call question number one, Stephanie Callaghan. Sorry, Presiding Officer. I do not actually have anything here. There has been a bit of confusion in my sheets. I apologise. Ms Callaghan, I think that you are question one, but it may be that you are wishing to withdraw your question. I am not entirely sure. Sorry, my apologies. There has been a bit of confusion. I do not have my question with you. I have it now. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the child poverty action group report, The Cost of a Child in Scotland, in 2022 update. I welcome the report's recognition that our policies are making a major contribution to families. We have allocated almost £3 billion this financial year to help mitigate the cost crisis. Over £1 billion of that support is only available in Scotland, including the Scottish child payment, which has been expanded to eligible 6 to 15-year-olds and increased to £25 per child per week. Our budget confirms our commitment to tackling child poverty. The report rightly notes the harmful impact of UK Government decisions and we will continue to urge the UK Government to tackle the cost crisis on the scale that is required. Stephanie Callaghan, I thank the minister for that response. Certainly, what continuing discussions that we have with the UK Government then around getting the support to children across the UK and encouraging them to follow Scotland's lead? I recognise the point that Stephanie Callaghan is making there in a recent Scottish Government analysis highlighted that if key Westminster welfare reforms were reversed, that could put £780 million into the pockets of Scottish households and lift 70,000, including 30,000 children out of poverty, in 2023-2024. The Scottish Government stands by its call to the UK Government to increase universal credit to £25 per week and extend it to the means-tested legacy benefits. End the benefit cap and the two-child limit and maybe, while they're at the elite, the rate clause and provide additional support with fewer bills and match our ambitions in tackling child poverty by introducing an equivalent to our game-changing Scottish child payment. To ask the Scottish Government what guidance story is in place for local authorities commissioning domestic abuse services. Minister Christine McElwey. The commissioning of domestic abuse services is a matter for local authorities. However, the Scottish Government strongly encourages local authorities to utilise the joint COSLA and Scottish Women's Aids guidance on good practice in commissioning specialist domestic abuse services. Through Deliving and Equally Safe, we fund the improvement service and safe lives to work with local violence against women partnerships to build and grow the capacity and capability of local services across Scotland. Clare Adamson. Thank you for the minister for answer. Myself and other colleagues consistently raised concerns when North Lanarkshire Council tendered its domestic abuse services contract, in my opinion, contrary to the COSLA approved guidance. But despite the council's stated commitment to continue partnership working, women's aids groups continue to provide more specialist support than the new council service, but without local authority financial support. My officers have been made aware of a number of vulnerable women who have fallen through the cracks of the council service and are now being supported by women's aid. I sought to raise these concerns face to face with the leader of North Lanarkshire Council, but he has declined to meet with me on this issue. Can I ask the minister if she will meet with me and represent his motherland district women's aid so that we can assure that survivors of domestic abuse are afforded agency and choice in specialist support provision and refuge and that no women and child is left behind in this process? We want to ensure that funding-provided works most effectively to improve outcomes for those using vials against women and girls services across Scotland. That is why we commissioned an independent strategic review of funding to tackle vials against women and girls, which will report in mid 2023. Any services that are commissioned should be done through a trauma-informed process, and we are aware of the funding situation in North Lanarkshire regarding services to tackle violence against women and girls. The Scottish Government cannot interfere with local authority autonomy and procurement procedures, but we continue to encourage local authorities to follow procedures and guidance that are in place in the joint cosla in Scottish women's guidance that I mentioned earlier. Yes, I have been more than happy to meet with a member and anyone else who is concerned about those services. Thank you, Presiding Officer. West Dunbartonshire in my region recorded the second highest number of domestic abuse incidents per 10,000 population in Scotland in 2021 to 2022. That number sits at around 161 incidents per 10,000 population. That is despite West Dunbartonshire Council increasing its spend on domestic abuse services by more than 10 per cent in the past five years. Can I ask the minister how is the Scottish Government supporting local authorities such as West Dunbartonshire, which suffer the highest rate of domestic abuse, to increase their capacity to support victims of domestic abuse and tackle this appalling crime? I recognise the points that Pam Goose has made there. Our delivery and equally safe fund is providing £19 million per year to support 121 projects from 112 organisations that focus on early intervention, prevention as well as support services. Of that £14 million is being provided to the Women's Aid Network in Scotland over two years supporting secondary prevention of domestic abuse across Scotland through support services and informed policy. Over this period, from 2021 to 2023, the delivery and equally safe fund is providing £2 million to support the roll-out of safe and together, a model that is training across 11 local authorities area. I am not sure whether West Dunbartonshire is one of them, but I will find out. A further £1 million to be spent towards the CEDA project is a group model that works for children who have experienced domestic abuse. £209,000 of funding is going to safe lives to develop our multi-agency risk assessment, conferencing for high-risk victim survivors. I commend that work to Pam Gozzle for her interest and can give her more information if she seeks that. Additionally, we fund a domestic abuse and forced marriage helpline and through our victim-centred approach fund, we support Edinburgh Women's Aid, Fife Women's Aid, Westernails Women's Aid, Angus Women's Aid and Dumbarton District Women's Aid, totaling £1.3 million over three years. I am happy to speak to Pam Gozzle or meet with her to discuss further. Supplementary Beatrice Wishart, who is joining us online. Thank you, Presiding Officer. How will the Scottish Government ensure in any guidance or discussions that it has with local authorities commissioning domestic abuse services that local situations with the in-authorities is taken into account so that services, particularly in island and rural areas, have local knowledge and understanding of those island and rural communities? Thank you, Beatrice Wishart, for that question. She will be aware of the independent review that Leslie Irvine is currently working through. She is looking at all aspects across Scotland, including our rural and island communities, and her report and recommendations will be published in summer 2023. That will allow us to see what the funding landscape is like across the whole of Scotland. Additionally, I am working very closely with the new chair of the Causal Wellbeing Board, Councillor Maureen Chalmers. We had a development day just a few weeks ago with all the services across Scotland to develop our new approach to equally safe. That will not be about chucking equally safe out and starting with something new. It is looking at what works and where the gaps are and some of that provision across rural services is where we are focusing. Some of that work as well as looking at primary prevention and happy again to meet with Beatrice Wishart and maybe talk to her this summer about some of the recommendations that are coming from the Leslie Irvine review too. To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to review the legislation on licensing of short-term let accommodation in light of the reported unintended consequences for existing providers that have emerged. The licensing scheme seeks to ensure that short-term lets are safe and well managed. We do not believe that there will be adverse consequences We are working with local authorities to resolve any implementation concerns raised since the scheme went live in October and on 7 December we announced plans to extend the transition period that existing hosts have to apply for a licence by six months, recognising the economic circumstances of the cost crisis. The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government is therefore considering the timing of the review and will update Parliament in due course. Myrta Friza. Can I thank the minister for his response? I can give him an example of an unintended adverse consequence right now because my constituents, the homelands trust in Fife, a small charity based in London links, run facilities providing respite breaks for people with disabilities, life-limiting conditions on the run-paid carers and for-purpose build suitably adapted self-catering properties. Due to the rising demand for their services they are building five new accessible lodges with 34 bed spaces for those with disabilities which are due to be completed early next year but they cannot apply for a licence to operate these until they are actually completed and then Fife Council have up to nine months to issue that licence which means they may not be able to take any guess into that accommodation potentially for another year so they've incurred the costs but they cannot generate any income from those properties potentially for nine months after they were opened so that is an, I assume, an unintended consequence of this legislation that's been introduced. So how is the Scottish Government going to address what is a very real problem for a small charity trying to help people with very serious issues? Well if the member wants to write either to me or to the Cabinet Secretary about any specific local instance I'm sure we'll be able to look into the specifics of that situation and get back to him but it's very clear that the licensing scheme itself is intended to address very real consequences of an unregulated market which have involved issues from antisocial behaviour to a lack of safety either for the community or indeed for those who use short-term lets and responsible operators have absolutely nothing to worry about because they are already managing to achieve those high standards those high standards which we should all want to raise the sector up to while we continue to work with local authorities around their wider powers on planning but again if the member is unhappy I would urge him to write to myself or the Cabinet Secretary about a specific local situation Also in Fife the council is suggesting that it won't be possible to utilise the control area powers until 2024 after the licensing provisions are fully in place Does the minister believe that it's necessary to wait this long and that the minister envisaged that control areas couldn't be delivered until after the licensing scheme was in place? Well I think as these measures were being developed there was significant debate across Parliament and I think a growing understanding that these are separate provisions the licensing scheme is around principally safety and standards whereas the control areas the planning powers that local authorities have have more to do with provision and ensuring that properties are not lost as homes for people instead being siphoned off into effectively running a hotel business so I think it's understandable that these schemes do operate separately are used for different purposes and I'm sure that all local authorities are seeking to strike the right balance about how they may use these powers in future Question number four is not lodged Question number five, Paul Sweeney Presiding Officer, to ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Housing Regulator regarding the future of community housing associations Minister Patrick Harvie We do of course have regular engagement with the independent Scottish Housing Regulator on how it contributes to supporting the delivery of our national outcomes We very much value the diversity of the housing association sector in Scotland One of the key strengths of community housing associations is their unique position in delivering local, democratically accountable housing and services and we want a Scotland in which everyone can play a full part in society with empowered communities able to shape their individual and collective futures Community housing associations have been doing this for decades in many parts of Scotland and will continue to do so Presiding Officer, I thank the minister for that response The minister may not be aware but Redvale Housing Association in Deniston in Glasgow one of the oldest community housing associations in Scotland is currently under threat of being railroaded into a merger against the wishes of residents and the wider local community with members over 40 years standing being hounded off the management committee and co-opted members brought into gerrymander decisions that are critical to its future To date there has been utter intransigence on the part of the housing regulator and the residents have lost all confidence in the process and the willingness of the regulator to help them So will the minister look at the case of Redvale with a view to pausing any tender process for a transfer of undertakings and will he commit to working with me cross-party and residents in fellow Glasgow parliamentarians to ensure that this vital community housing association remains rooted in its local community I thank Paul Sweeney for his very sincere concern about this issue and I am sure that I and indeed again or the cabinet secretary will be happy to engage with him on this The housing regulator of course is an independent regulator of social landlords and its statutory objective is to protect the interests of service users and tenants and it uses its powers to monitor, assess, report and intervene where appropriate I am aware of the situation in relation to Redvale and the management committee has commissioned options on its future and has agreed to the recommendation to seek expressions of interest from organisations that wish to become a transfer partner but it's important to recognise that that proposed transfer will not proceed unless it is supported by tenants in an independent ballot the community therefore has the final say and once again I look forward to further opportunities to engage with Mr Sweeney on this issue Question number six, Alexander Burnett Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer to ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported warnings from COSLA that local government job losses are inevitable and that services will have to be reduced Minister Ben Macpherson Sir, nobody underestimates the challenges facing public services but the Scottish Government has increased local government funding by over £1 billion this year and the 2324 local government settlement will provide a further increase of over £570 million compared with the budget in 2223 this includes an extra £39.4 million to support day-to-day services in Aberdeenshire We are building flexibility and autonomy into how budgets can be spent but a more fundamental shift is required as the Deputy First Minister has said and he has invited council leaders to work with the Scottish Government and other partners to design our services around the needs and interests of the people and communities of Scotland that is how we will deliver sustainable public services in partnership Alexander Burnett Can I thank the minister for that answer but he may want to review it because the Fraser of Allander Institute said that funding allocated to local government in last week's budget was equal to a 4.9% real-term decrease based on spending last year while the Institute for Fiscal Studies has accused the Scottish Government of overstating the spending increases by comparing spending next year to last year's budget and not taking into account in-year rises In Aberdeenshire this is going to mean non-statutory function of the councillors at risk from school crossing patrollers to the maintenance of our bridges Does the cabinet secretary Does the minister agree with those statements? The member will be aware that the Scottish Government's budget has been impacted by the inflationary pressures caused by the previous chancellor's many budget statement in the autumn by a very detrimental effect of £1.7 billion and in these very challenging circumstances the most challenging budget settlement since devolution we are going to be providing in the budget for 23, 24 a local government settlement of £13.2 billion which, as I've already stated, is an increase of over £570 million since the budget act 2223 and of course this is additional spending for local government but also spending on how we work together on shared priorities and it's important to keep those shared priorities in mind Thank you, Presiding Officer to ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that children and young people in families experiencing poverty are supported throughout the Christmas holiday period The Scottish Government is taking a number of actions and this includes this month's bridging payment which will be paid to around £145,000 children and doubled to £260 This means that eligible families will receive up to £650 this year in bridging payments We are also providing £21.75 million to local authorities in 2223 to support families eligible for free school meals during school holidays Tackling child poverty is a national mission and we are using the powers and resources available to us to support families This includes delivery of our transformative Scottish child payment to all eligible children under 16 which was increased to £25 per week from the 14th of November I welcome the minister's response I know that he will agree with me that no child or young person should experience holiday hunger at Christmas or lack access to nutritious food due to poverty at any time of year Can the minister therefore reassure me that the Scottish Government is satisfied that local authorities and third sector organisations have access to all the resources that they might need to ensure that no child or young person will experience holiday hunger over the festive period and if I can suggest that a new year resolution will the Government redouble its efforts to expand universal free school meals to pupils in primary, sixth and seventh and in secondary schools in 2023 I thank Monica Lennon for that important question and of course the Government is applied along with its partners and local authorities in supporting families and young people and households who need it across this Christmas period and that also extends into the next financial year where the budget continues to invest £22 million to provide meals during the school holidays to children who need them most and of course also invest an additional £16 million of resource and £80 million of capital to fund the expansion of free school meals for all primary, sixth and seventh pupils in receipt of the Scottish child payment as the next step in fulfilling a commitment to universal provision in primary schools that is of course on top of the £442 million that has been allocated for the Scottish child payment and may I just take this opportunity actually to pay tribute to Monica Lennon as one of the most active MSPs in this chamber for promoting the devolved Scottish benefits and of course in many of her constituents and many of all our constituents will benefit from that extra provision from the Scottish child payment A supplementary Natalie Donk Thank you Presiding Officer I welcome Scottish Government interventions like the Scottish child payment which are completely unique to Scotland However, given the fiscal constraints of devolution and the damaging impact of Tory welfare policies is it not the case that it's simply not possible to go as far as we would like to eradicate child poverty here in Scotland while the key levers are held at Westminster? Minister Unfortunately, the impact of UK Government policies as was stated earlier by Christina McKelvie is hampering our efforts to tackle child poverty In addition to the damage that is already caused by UK welfare policies over several years the Chancellor plans to bring a further 600,000 people who are already working into a sanctions regime and we know that sanctions regime for universal credit doesn't work Whilst their policies are pushing people into hardship unfortunately this Scottish Government takes all the actions we can to tackle child poverty and our budget prioritises the Scottish child payment that I've already mentioned of course increased to 25 pounds per week but also an investment of £428 million to up-rate all Scottish devolved benefits And question number eight, Miles Briggs Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the social justice secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the support available to families experiencing poverty including as a result of rising energy costs where a seriously ill child relies on life sustaining equipment Minister Ben Macpherson Every week ministers discuss how we are assisting and can assist the people of Scotland during this cost of living crisis As I said in response to Mr Briggs to the social justice committee last week no seriously ill person should have to worry about their finances at such a difficult time And that's why some patients using hymo dialysis or oxygen equipment at home are already accessing financial support and we will continue to work with health boards to ensure as far as possible that those requiring support are able to access it Also our child winter heating assistance the benefit which is only available in Scotland and is automatically paid to families of around 25,000 children and young people has recently been paid out to help people with energy bills and as I said recipients have begun to receive this payment in recent weeks of £214.10 Miles Briggs I thank the minister for that answer and obviously I've been raising these issues with the minister on a number of occasions we know the additional costs which families are facing especially families who are caring for people with long term terminal conditions I welcome some of the work the ministers outlined on this it is clear though we need to see more and collectively go further on this so would the minister agree and he's already agreed to meet with me in the new year to look towards where government can develop additional support around care at home or hospital at home to help meet these costs cos it's clear that for the 5,000 families with children with a limiting life limiting condition we need to see an additional support package around energy and is that something on a cross-party basis he'll look to take forward in the new year Minister I'm Mr Briggs is aware of what I said to him last week and that I recognise his work on raising awareness of these issues of households that are managing a situation where they are caring for somebody who's either ill or disabled or terminal ill and he is proposed on several occasions along with stakeholders a number of different initiatives in the current benefits system and also as we continue to develop new benefits like Scottish Cares Assistance for example however of course as well as the merit in these proposals and assessing them we also need to consider the financial circumstances and I look forward to engaging with Mr Briggs on what is both doable and affordable in the years ahead and brief supplementary please Paul McLean Thank you Given the energy pricing and the majority of welfare powers that are reserved to the UK Government what more does the cabinet secretary think that the UK Government should be doing to provide support to vulnerable families Minister We have called on the UK Government to target additional support for those who are already struggling on several occasions including a permanent 25 pound uplift in universal credit which should also be extended to means-tested legacy benefits and an end of course to the benefit cap and to child limit should take place We will continue to press the UK Government to undertake these changes and use all the levers at its disposal to tackle this emergency at the scale that is required Those include access to borrowing providing benefits and support to households VAT on fuel taxation on windfall profits and regulation of the energy market and we hope that the UK Government will do more in the new year ahead Thank you minister That concludes portfolio questions on social justice, housing and local government There will be a very short pause to allow front bench teams to change positions before the statement Thank you