The First Item of Business is portfolio questions. I invite short questions and answers, please, to allow as many questions as possible. To ask the gentleman what it and its agencies are doing to promote perth as one of Scotland's cities. It is a modern dynamic international city that is able to contribute nationally and sefficked, i unig i garlic fanoddigol, a gan gwybod, peirth, rhanfodd cyfroeddyr i wneud gyda Trinogiannol. Dyma'r phrwyddoedd, mae pa i gyd yn y Gwylfaenau Llywodraethau i fynd i'r liwr. Rwy'n gwybod i'r llai ddiweddau i fanodd cyffredinol gyflodgauau yn cyd-rightiaoio fel Gwylfaenau Llywodraethau i'r Llywodraethau, dwi'n gwybod i'r llai gyd. Rwy'n gwybod i'r llai gyfroedd, cyogroedd gyfoeddan, arlaeddau a yn y Fyloedd a gennymau ymgyrchol i perth? As the member will be aware, we are always happy to engage with proposals of any nature, and I am sure that the transport minister who is sitting next to me here would always be willing to engage and willing to engage directly with the member on the specific point that she raises. The proposal that the member has just outlined, as I am sure that she is aware, would cost in the region £1 billion. It would require cutting across the existing M9 motorway, so there are significant challenges with the proposal that she puts forward, but we are always willing to engage and will continue to do that, and I would be happy. I am sure that the transport minister would be happy to discuss those challenges in more detail with her. To ask the Scottish Government when it last met representatives of CalMac, and what issues were discussed. Transport Scotland officials meet regularly with CalMac representatives to discuss a range of matters relating to ferry services in Scotland, and I last met with CalMac representatives a fort night ago to discuss a number of matters of mutual interest. Thank you. Is the Government aware of the widespread concerns of the public and business sector in the western Isles that, due to reduced timetable options and the removal of a dedicated freight ferry, the current major public investment in the Stornoway to Allerpool service will lead to a reduced service, particularly during peak periods? Given the significant contribution that our island communities make to the social, cultural and economic wellbeing of our nation, does the Government not recognise and accept the need for this investment to be augmented by the retention of a dedicated freight vessel to provide the much-needed increase in capacity and timetable choices for users of the service? I think I would choose to characterise the £43 million investment that we are making in the new vessel in a different way from the way that Mary Scanlon has done. I should also reassure her that, in terms of the freight capacity, there will be more than adequate freight capacity on the new vessel, the MV Loch Seaforth, when it enters service. We have said that we will keep another vessel on standby in the intervening period, but both in terms of the £43 million investment for the new vessel, but also in terms of the new contribution to the Stonaway's harbour infrastructure, as well as that at Allerpool. We are confident that that will provide an improvement and has been substantially supported by many people by seeing the huge investment from a new vessel of £43 million worth to the two older vessels that are there. There have been questions of reliability, for example, in relation to the freight vessel, so we are confident that the capacity will be there. Arran Islanders are delighted that the Scottish Government is investing £2 million a year to roll out road equivalent tariff to Arran from October, and I have warmly welcomed the minister's announcement. Does the minister therefore share my disappointment that CalMac is seeking to dilute that commitment by trying to avoid implementing RET on weekend summer sailings? I think that the short answer is no. I do not share that disappointment because I am aware that there is not an attempt here to dilute the commitment to RET, but instead, as has been made clear right the way through this process, there will be issues of demand management that are necessary. I know that the member is aware of that. The operator, again in line with what we have said in the ferries plan, is in discussion with the community about the need for some form of demand management to be introduced during the summer 2015 timetable. Part really of the success of introducing RET in the first place, we are very clear that it will only be introduced where the projected demand on a particular route as a result of the introduction of RET indicates that that is necessary. Crucially, from the member's point of view, demand management techniques will only be introduced if they are agreed by the community. Questions 3, Lewis MacDonald To ask the Scottish Government how its city strategy will support public bodies in the Aberdeen city region that find it hard to recruit staff because of the high cost of living relative to the rest of the country. Scottish Cities Alliance brings together all of our seven cities in collaborative partnership with the Scottish Government to focus on creating jobs, developing infrastructure and boosting economic activity across our cities and their regions. That approach is also supported by other key Scottish Government policies, such as our commitments on affordable housing and housing supply, our social wage commitments and a public sector pay policy that focuses resources on the lower paid. Lewis MacDonald I welcome those priorities in the cabinet secretary's response. She will recognise that the unique needs of the oil producing region around Aberdeen a generation ago attracted unique solutions, particularly in terms of affordable housing for incoming workers. Given the challenge there again today, will she take a lead in Government in seeking to join up the initiatives that are taken by different public sector employers in the city region, whether that be by recruitment and retention pay supplements, by additional support for housing or by other means? Lewis MacDonald I think that Lewis MacDonald makes a fair suggestion there, and I'm more than happy either through the Cities Alliance or in whatever other way might be appropriate to look at how we can ensure that the work that he acknowledges is being done across the public sector is properly coordinated to ensure that we're providing solutions that are fit for purpose given the circumstances he outlines in Aberdeen. As the member will be aware, how we allocate resources for affordable housing takes account of needs in different areas. He's also referred to the flexibilities within our pay policy and recruitment and retention premier that can be paid by NHS employers where there is a case that can be made. He is right to acknowledge the work that has been done, but in the interests of trying to build consensus around that, I'm more than happy to give him an undertaking today that I'll consider what can be done to ensure that there is a fully joined up approach to that, and I'm happy to liaise with him further once I've had the opportunity to give it that consideration. Maureen Watt Thank you, Presiding Officers. Others have alluded to the high cost of living is often due to the lack of affordable housing. How important does the Cabinet Secretary think that it is for the City Council, public bodies and the private sector to release land and work together to increase the amount of affordable housing in the north-east? Maureen Watt is absolutely correct to raise that as an important issue. I should also record that Maureen Watt has previously raised the issue of the cost of living in Aberdeen with ministers and has had discussions with John Swinney on that particular issue. Land availability is obviously an important element of strategic local programme deliverability, and we would expect to see an adequate supply of that. In Aberdeen, that combines land owned by registered social landlords and significant other sites' zone for housing in the current development plan, which has a planning obligation for affordable housing. The point that Maureen Watt raises is an important one, and I'm happy to factor that into the consideration that I've just undertaken to Lewis MacDonald to undertake. Maureen Watt Many thanks. Question 4, Nigel Don. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities has had with the Minister for Environment and Climate Change regarding the long-term impact of flooding on infrastructure. Nigel Don I'm in regular dialogue with ministerial colleagues on a wide range of issues of mutual interest. Nigel Don I thank the cabinet secretary for that response to a convoluted question, which rather makes the point that flooding is no respect to earth persons or portfolios. And my very rural constituents, of course, see flooding as affecting both their homes, the farmland and the roads that run the drains. I'm wondering whether the cabinet secretary can assure me that the Scottish Government has a good look at how those things are funded across the country—in particular, of course, in my constituency—to make sure that the funds are available to deal with all those problems. Nigel Don As Nigel Don will appreciate, those issues are matters of enormous priority to the Government generally and, obviously, to Paul Wheelhouse in particular. The national flood risk assessment takes into account the impact of flooding on property, infrastructure and agricultural land. It forms the basis of our current work to produce our first-ever flood risk strategies, which are intended to help informed decisions around the prioritisation of flood risk actions, as well as supporting decisions that are made by local authorities and community groups. This work has also fed into the cross-government work to deliver our first statutory climate change adaptation programme, which responds to a wide range of potential climate change impacts, including flooding. Through that work, individual parts of the Scottish Government are working to ensure that their own policy areas are recognising and adapting to those pressures. I hope that that gives Nigel Don assurance that that is something that very much feeds into every part of the work of the Scottish Government. Thank you. Damish Scott Can I agree, Presiding Officer, with a sentiment of Nigel Don's question and ask the cabinet secretary whether she would be able to clarify for Parliament the balance of funding that would be available between large-scale investments in the kind that Nigel Don has just illustrated and smaller-scale needs that exist in his and my constituency in relation to both flooding and coastal protection? I would be very happy if it is acceptable to Damish Scott to write to him with more detail on that. Obviously, there is a general question that will be impacted in terms of the specific demands for funding that he has in mind, so I will consult with colleagues, Paul Wheelhouse in particular, and I will come back to him with the details that he is looking on as quickly as possible. Jamie McGregor What discussions has the cabinet secretary had with colleagues to ensure that the appropriate cleaning of gullys, burns and culverts is taking place to prevent the flooding on roads, such as the A85 near Tlachaw village, which constantly floods in heavy rains? I can assure the member that those discussions take place on an on-going basis. The transport minister has had some specific discussions around the issues to do with roads that the member has raised. All of the issues that are particular risk factors of flooding are absolutely central to the work that we do overall in flooding and I am more than happy to do that either personally or through the appropriate minister to provide further detail to any ministers with particular local issues on those points. To ask the Scottish Government what its plans are for Prestwick airport. Our overall aim, as I have advised Parliament previously, is to return the airport to profitability as soon as is possible. We will shortly receive a report from our senior adviser, who, members will recall, was appointed for a period of three months to inform us on the longer-term options for future business development and the management of Prestwick airport. Once that report has been received, I hope to be in a position to provide a full update to the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee next month. I thank the cabinet secretary. The three-month period technically expired yesterday, so what is the new timescale for monitoring progress and reporting to Parliament? And particularly, the Deputy First Minister and her evidence to the Parliament committee on 19 March mentioned the potential for increasing passenger and freight usage at Prestwick, so what steps has the Scottish Government been taking to investigate if that is a realizable objective? I am sure that Annabelle Goldie will appreciate that, first of all, I believe that there is a consensus in this Parliament that the Government is right to be taking the action that is taken to secure the future of Prestwick airport. The current management team at Prestwick airport has continued to engage, as is appropriate, with any interested party to seek to bring new business to Prestwick and to explore opportunities for new business. However, we specifically asked the consultant to prepare an in-depth report for us. As I have said, he had three months in which to prepare that report, and Annabelle Goldie is right to say that that period has now expired, so I expect to take delivery of that and to have the appropriate time to properly consider that report very soon. I will give the infrastructure and investment committee and, as appropriate, the whole Parliament a full update on where we intend to go and where the plans for Prestwick intend to go, both around the governance and management of the airport and the plans for expanding its business opportunities as quickly and reasonably practicable. However, I know that all members will appreciate that it is vitally important that we take the time to consider what the best short, medium and long-term options are for the airport in order that we can be in the best possible position to deliver on our objective of returning the airport to profitability as soon as possible. I will share those plans as fully as possible with Parliament as soon as I am in a position to do so. I ask the Scottish Government to confirm that the Prestwick airport will, in its initial recovery phase, focus firstly on its capabilities as an MRO airport, supported by the great engineering skills based on the airport perimeter and in the aeroengineering training at Ayrshire colleges and, secondly, on its abilities to handle and promote wide-bodied freight air transport for cargo exports. The strength that Prestwick airport has, and he has mentioned a number of them, the MRO facility at the airport, is one of those particular assets and strengths that are available to the airport. To follow on the answer that I gave to Annabelle Goldie, returning the airport to profitability is going to require improvements right across the whole business of the airport, and that will include, yes, developing new passenger and freight services, but it will also include things such as increasing the revenue from retail outlets and seeking to maximise the property portfolio of the airport. Where we seek to strike the balance between those different objectives will depend very much on the views and the recommendations that are made to us in the consultant's report. Once I have that, once I have had the opportunity to consider that properly, I will be in a position to share more fully with Parliament what we see, the particular interventions that we need to make in the short medium and long-term to Prestwick, to get it back to profitability as quickly as is possible. Thank you. Can the cabinet secretary state if the monthly level of losses at Prestwick airport is increasing and also state how the Government intends to recover those losses and previous investment to the public purse? I will provide on a regular basis—I last did this of course when I appeared before the infrastructure committee—the financial position around the airport and, in particular, the investment that the Government is making. James Kelly will recall that the principle upon which we have acquired the airport is the principle of ensuring a return on taxpayer investment. That is required in order to make our acquisition and intervention in the airport compliant with EU state aid regulations. That is the overriding objective. Whatever we invest in the airport—and I have been up front and continue to be up front—it will require investment in order to achieve our longer-term objective. That investment is designed to ensure that long-term return on taxpayer investment. We will continue to report to Parliament as appropriate on the progress that we are making. To ask the Scottish Government what plans Scottish Water has to promote the use of its assets for the generation of renewable energy. Scottish Water already produces around 7 per cent of the energy that it consumes through hydro, wind and solar generation schemes on its assets. Scottish Water will continue to seek opportunities to invest directly or to work in partnership with others to increase renewable energy generation where it is cost-effective to do so. Scottish Water is a successful, publicly-owned business with huge potential for renewable energy generation. Under the new 2015-21 business plan that was just published, Scottish Water will invest £11.2 million in hydro, wind and solar schemes to increase its renewable output to 75 gigawatt-hours a year. The Scottish Government consultation on a hydro nation stated that Scottish Water had the potential to generate in excess of 1,000 gigawatt-hours a year. Is that a lack of ambition? What more could Scottish Water do with its new powers under the Water Resources Act and what is holding them back? I do not think that it is a lack of ambition. The member has just outlined that there has to be seen in context of what Scottish Water exists to do and what its investment priorities will be over the next six-year period. Over that period, Scottish Water will be required to invest some £3.6 billion in our water and sewerage assets to deliver improved services. That investment implies a growth in its need for energy, because energy is needed to operate the installations that it will build. Within its wholesale business, Scottish Water is proposing to offset that higher energy demand with energy efficiency measures and renewable energy that it generates from its assets, for example, as the member has indicated through hydro power. As I said in my original answer, Scottish Water has got an annual energy requirement of 450 gigawatts, which presently generates around 7 per cent of the energy that it consumes, but through innovative use of its assets such as treatment works, pipes, catchments and pipelines, it is capable of significantly increasing its proportion and is working to do so. A further 350 gigawatts is generated at Whitley through landlord arrangements, and by 2018, Scottish Water does expect to generate over 1,000 gigawatts through its own investments in renewable energy and through landlord arrangements. That is a significant ambition, and it recognises the obligations on Scottish Water to be energy-efficient and to reduce its carbon footprint as much as possible. To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of how much would have been saved if the PPP-PFI projects carried out during the previous administration had been funded through the non-profit distribution model. The rates applicable to any project reflect the market conditions when the actual contract is signed, so it is not possible to assess exactly what savings might have been made, but the NPD model ensures that private sector returns are capped and that there is no dividend bearing equity, which avoids the excessive returns in the poor taxpayer value for money associated with past PFI projects. NPD also enhances stakeholder involvement and ensures that any surplices can be directed in favour of the public sector. In North Ayrshire annual PFI payments will increase from £11.1 million in 2007 to £16.1 million in 2037, meaning £400 million will ultimately be paid over 30 years for schools with a capital cost of only £81 million. Does she agree that the proflegacy of Labour and the Lib Dems means that local authorities are stuck paying increased PFI charges year on year and that rising payments are limiting North Ayrshire's ability to invest in jobs and services? Yes, I agree with Kenny Gibson. The PFI approach that was used in the past has not delivered best value for the taxpayer, and I can assure Kenny Gibson that the mistakes that were made with earlier PFI contracts will not be repeated. It is vital that the NPD programme delivers that value for taxpayers' money and that this Government intends to ensure that it does. We now move to culture and external affairs questions 1. To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it receives from British embassies to help to promote major events such as hope coming to Scotland in 2014. The Scottish Government is aware that embassies and consulates have been provided assistance by promoting information about homecoming Scotland 2014 through its network of media and promotional contacts, more specifically with the assistance of the consulates in Milan and Hamburg, visit Scotland-organised and delivered media and trade events in these key cities to launch homecoming Scotland. The Foreign Commonwealth Office Network also announced the launch of Scotland's 2013-14 winter festival campaign, and St Andrew's Day toolkits were sent to Toronto, Chicago, Boston, Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York City, Washington, New York, Brussels and Queensland, 11 of their 270 offices in order to support their celebrations. Does the cabinet secretary agree with me that having Scottish embassies around the world will allow Scotland to be promoted 365 days a year, which will result in a far greater awareness of what our country has to offer and which, in turn, will lead to greater opportunities for Scottish businesses throughout the world? Yes, I do. I happen on record and appreciate the support the embassies provide under their current responsibilities. However, a Scottish embassy will have five core functions—commercial to maximise commercial benefits for Scottish businesses, governmental to ensure effective engagement with governments and other public institutions, cultural to promote Scottish culture internationally, development to ensure Scotland's international development priorities and commitments are made and, of course, consular support. However, as Gil Paterson has set out, Scottish embassies will be promoting Scottish interests every day of every year with an independent Scotland. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government what health-related programmes it is supporting in Malawi. The Scottish Government's international development fund for Malawi supports 16 health-related projects, with over a total of £5 million—six health projects in the funding round 2012-2015 and 10 in the funding round 2013-2016. Those include projects addressing community needs, maternal health, health awareness, mobile clinic, medical training, mental health, cancer treatment, meningitis awareness and a whole host of others, as well as further details of all our projects on the Scottish Government website. Can I thank the minister for his response? I am particularly interested in two aspects, one is midwifery, but I want to ask about the mental health side. I should declare, Deputy Presiding Officer, my fellowship with the Royal College of Psychiatry. The college has a charity supporting training of psychiatrists in Malawi, where there is a very serious, indeed, dire shortage. Has the Government considered the possibility of incentivising donations from charity? That leverage system seems to produce more funding, so I wonder whether that has been considered. I like to put on note and record the work that Richard Simpson has done on this. I know that midwifery is an issue that he has taken in the past and that Malaria has raised awareness of in that particular issue. We incentivise it through some of our grant funding rounds. We welcome match funding, for example in the small grant scheme that we launched last October, last September. We will continue to do that. I am more than happy if there is a specific project that is looking into that to provide more detail to Richard Simpson, but it is incentivised. Match funding is welcome, and I agree with him entirely. Having done fundraising for NGOs in the past, it is certainly an easier way to get money out of donors. To ask the Scottish Government how many naval vessels it considers would be required to enforce a ban on EU fishing fleets in Scottish waters if proposals for an independent Scotland's membership of the EU were not accepted. An independent Scotland would continue EU membership and, as such, we would expect mutual access to fishing opportunities to continue. Michael McMahon I would like to thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. I do not know what question it was that she was answering, but it was not the one that I asked. If the First Minister is going to go to Bruges and threaten to use gunboat diplomacy, if his negotiation skills fail, would it not be a good idea to know the size of the fleet that we would be required to enforce your ban? Is that really the way that we want to look forward to our discussions with the European Union if Scotland ever became independent? The First Minister did no such thing. Clearly, by his supplementary question, the member does not understand the difference between access to fishing opportunities in waters and access for navigation through waters. It is also quite clear that the member, just as well as he is not the fishery spokesperson for his party, does not understand the current situation. Maybe I can explain. Marine Scotland, which is under the devolved responsibility of the Scottish Government, is responsible for fishery and marine protection in the Scottish waters. It routinely monitors the activities of all non-Scottish vessels currently in our waters using three offshore patrol vessels, two long-range aircraft and satellite information that reports to the position of vessels every two hours. Of course, what Mr McMahon does identify is to highlight the current conventional capability gaps that have been created as a result of Westminster Government cuts. For example, there are no major surface vessels based in Scotland and no maritime patrol aircraft. That is extraordinary and an unacceptable gap. It has seen the ships dispatched from the south of England to the Moray Firth in response to Russian naval activity. That current gap also means that the UK is having to rely on NATO Allies to help to cover routine maritime patrol duties. A responsibility and independent Scotland will take more seriously. Perhaps Mr McMahon might want to do his research before he comes to the chamber. The reply from the cabinet secretary indicates an interesting scenario. In the situation outlined by the question, can the cabinet secretary confirm in that scenario where are these vessels coming from, given that there would no longer be a royal naval support from the rest of the United Kingdom? Will we rent the vessels? Will we buy the vessels? What plan has she in mind? Sorry, Presiding Officer. I have to repeat my point. The Royal Navy currently does not provide support in terms of maritime fishery protection. However, the main point here is to look at the position that we would find ourselves in. We agree with Sir David Edward that it would be absolutely absurd to have a situation that Scotland would somehow not be a member of the EU in that 18-month period. We also accept the provisions by Professor James Crawford, who was paid by the UK Government to provide legal advice. He stated that the 18-month estimate for negotiating membership is a realistic one. I think that people should be aware of the current maritime fisheries protection that currently takes place as a responsibility of Marine Scotland of this Government, but I also recognise the common-set position that has been set out consistently by this Government. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the recent remarks by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs regarding an independent Scotland's entry into the UK. The Scottish Government rejects the position set out by Mr Hague in his letter to the First Minister of 27 April in its entirety. The First Minister has responded and made clear in his reply that those comments show a complete lack of engagement by the UK Government on all of the issues. Most specifically, it has continued refusal to present the commission with a precise legal scenario on membership of an independent Scotland. The biggest risk to Scotland's membership of the EU lies not in Scottish independence but in the possibility of a UK in-out referendum on EU membership. I thank the cabinet secretary for her response. Does the cabinet secretary agree with me that, despite Mr Hague's claims that the UK has a proven track record in delivering for Scottish interests in the EU, this is at odds with Owen Paterson's recent reported breach on an agreement to make clear to European ministers Scotland's opposition to genetically modified crops, and further agree with me in the recent electoral reform society close the gap report that the EU should look to improve the involvement of devolved parliaments and regional representatives, especially when their member state representatives cannot be relied upon to adequately represent our interests? I understand that the issue recently came to light in a committee appearance by Mr Paterson. At the March Environment Council, Owen Paterson had agreed to raise the need for any EU agreement, allowing member states to make their own decisions about growing GM crops and to permit Scotland to take its own decisions and not be bound by UK Government views. However, he failed to do so, I understand. Currently, there is no facility for committees of the Scottish Parliament to hold UK ministers to account for the position that UK adopts at council. Scottish ministers do not have the right to participate in council meetings to represent the Scottish interests and, of course, only as an independent member state can Scotland's voice be heard at council. Question 5, Siobhan Wightman. As the Scottish Government, whether in deciding its international development expenditure, it takes into account how developing countries balance meeting the needs and interests of business with those of people living in poverty? Yes, we do. All of our international development expenditure is focused on helping people living in poverty and developing countries in line with the millennium development goals and the development plans of those priority countries. As part of that, we seek to work alongside the private sector and civil society to help to foster a global partnership for development, which is MDG 8. A recent Sceaf event that I cohosted provided an opportunity to meet Sceaf and its partners from Colombia and hear at first hand about the impact of big business on that country's Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities. We heard that rich landowners, armed groups and multinational companies, including those registered in the UK and Scotland, are now forcing people off their land so that it can be used for mining, banana plantations, cattle ranching and drug trafficking. Does the minister, Agnewith Sceaf, who believes that Scotland can and should place part in promoting ethical and responsible business practices? How will the Scottish Government take a proactive role in promoting human rights and responsible behaviour from Scottish businesses? Yes, I agree with Sceaf and what the member said. I did not get to meet the Colombian delegation this time, but I met them last year when they came round. There are two ways that we can do that. One is, of course, domestically through promoting the procurement bill, as the member knows. We included in a clause about ethical and fairly traded goods, so that is showing in domestic legislation what we can do. We are also working alongside the Scottish Human Rights Commission, which has developed its action plan on human rights. Part of that is to see how we can incorporate what are known as the rugged principles, which are the UN guiding principles on business and human rights. We can do that domestically, but we can also do that in legislation, but we can also do that through the national action plan. I am happy to provide the member with more details if she requires or needs to. To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received advice from the European Commission that, if Scotland separates from the UK, it would need to apply to the EU as a new member state rather than assuming continuing membership. We have received no advice from the commission to this effect. Indeed, the commission has made clear that it will not issue an opinion until it is presented with a precise scenario from the UK Government. I would welcome that, however, the UK Government has repeatedly refused to jointly approach the commission with a precise legal scenario on Scottish independence. The Scottish Government proposes that an independent Scotland negotiates from within the EU via an amendment under article 48 of the treaty of the European Union on the terms to be agreed with other member states as outlined on page 221 of Scotland's future. The Scottish Government recognises that it will be for the EU member states meeting under the auspices of the council to take forward the most appropriate procedure under which an independent Scotland will become a signatory for the EU treaties at the point at which it becomes independent, taking into account Scotland's status as an EU jurisdiction of 40 years standing. The cabinet secretary may wish to read the letter written by Vivian Reading, the vice-president of the commission to the European committee. That letter states that under article 49 of the treaty, any European state that respects the principles of the European Union may apply to become a member of the EU. It also says that a new independent region would by the fact of its independence become a third country with respect to the union and the treaties would from the day of its independence not apply any more on its territory. Does the cabinet secretary agree with Vivian Reading? I discussed Vivian Reading's letter indeed with the European committee. Her opinion does not concern the particular circumstances of Scotland, as Mr Reading is talking about the conventional route for enlargement under article 49. The Scottish Government's proposal, as I have just set out, is via article 48. Moreover, Mr Henry might be interested to be aware of correspondence that I placed in Spice earlier in April. We know that, from our recent request for information to the European Council and European Commission, received on 1 April 2014 from Dr Marianne Clingbill, Deputy Secretary General to the Secretary General of the European Commission, and Jakob Thomson from the General Secretary of the Council of the European Union, stating that neither institution holds an analysis on Scotland's membership of the EU under article 48 or 49, and that was published in Spice on 22 April. I refer the member to look at those letters. To ask the Scottish Government how its international development programme supports young people wanting to carry out voluntary work overseas. The Scottish Government has committed £9 million per year to its international development fund. Although the fund does not offer direct financial support to young people wanting to carry out voluntary work overseas, we provide funding to NIDOS and the Scottish Malawi partnership. Both organisations will be aware of that. They provide information to young people about volunteering opportunities. Recently, the Scottish Malawi partnership posted a youth congress on 31 March 2014, which I attended. 200 young people from across Scotland also attended the event, which included information stalls and exhibitions on volunteering in Malawi. The minister will be aware that the Department of International Development in East Kilbride funds a very successful programme for young people to volunteer abroad the international citizen service and that approximately 600 people work in the East Kilbride DFID office. Can the minister confirm that such a programme will remain open to Scottish young people if Scotland separates from the rest of the UK and that the 600 people employed in administration of schemes to improve some of the world's most deprived areas can be assured that their jobs will be safe and independent in Scotland? I made that point at the committee. I made it various times afterwards that this Government has promised continuity of employment for those who are employed in DFID and other reserved functions here in Scotland. I find it quite poor when UK Government ministers come up to lecture Scotland about not going independent that they use this issue in particular. I know that Margaret Mitchell was not doing this, but I was quite upset at some of the comments by her colleague Alan Duncan previously by Justin Greening about using the poorest people in the world as a political football in regard to the debate. I think that we should be very much above that. Scotland will have a great contribution to make. We have, historically, made a great contribution to tackling global poverty. Let's continue to do that. We will work with DFID and USAID. We will work with anybody who wants to fight global poverty from across the world. To ask the Scottish Government what it next plans to visit Poland. I have no immediate plans to visit Poland again. I have just returned yesterday from a two-day visit to Krakow and Warsaw. There were great opportunities to deepen diplomatic relations, promote cultural co-operation and to develop business links. I thank the cabinet secretary for her answer. We shall agree that there are 160,000 people from other EU states, including myself and those from Poland who have chosen to live and work in Scotland and are making a massive contribution to Scotland's economy and culture. Only a year's vote in September will ensure that we keep the status as EU resident with the extra-democratic benefit to have the right to vote in every election in an independent Scotland. I visited the Polish club last week. I recognised the contribution that over 60,000 Poles living in Scotland make as a critical contribution to our economy and, indeed, he references the 160,000 other people from other EU states. I think that it is important that we make a statement that those workers who work very hard and contribute to our society are most welcome here and that we would expect that welcome to continue as Scotland remains in the EU. Thank you. We now move to the next site of business, which is a statement by Nicola Sturgeon on the bedroom tax discretion.