What's up everybody and welcome back here for a special Saturday upload here on the channel That is because we did get an update on torque drift. You update a lot of people I've been waiting for that of the 86 tofu that of Takumi Fujiwara and The initial D cars so we have a call a lot of big things in this update of freestyle game modes we have a big challenge with the tofu delivery car and Some new body kits for the JZX and some new layouts for long beach and stuff like that but today we it is all about that, you know tofu delivery and We do have a tofu delivery challenge here in The game and we're gonna take care of that today. We did it once we did get the decals for our 86 because we do have the Special tofu edition 86 that we're gonna be doing full builds on is right now. Just got all sports are aftermarket parts in it We're gonna do a full build on this thing. We don't already put the decals on there, of course, you know stay true so let's get into this tofu challenge and See how we can do this is probably one of the hardest challenges that they have put out here because we are driving the stock E86 tofu delivery car with tofu mode on or off Which tofu mode on it's pretty sweet. It gives it that cool anime feel but 200,000 for the decals 250 for Neon create 350,000 points for toge ninja title and that's a lot because the car has 297 horsepower and It's rough to keep the car going and if you make one mistake And you hit the wall the runs pretty much done because you don't get any type of clean leads or anything We are on Kone reversed full track So let's send it a little tofu delivery for you guys today Let's see if we can not break our tofu and have a nice solid run because I broke the tofu last time Because I hit the wall there we go initiating in we're getting that tofu mode with the streaking tail lights Which is so super cool. You know, I did grow up watching initial D and stuff like that Initial D was a big thing for me watching the live action one as well as reading the anime and watching the anime videos so we got to try and just Get as many points as we can through certain sections and it the track. There's no way you're gonna drift the entire Track you're not gonna be able to link it because if you do a lot of mongees and stuff like that You're gonna run out of speed and not get to the clips before they disappear like That one those almost just disappeared on me so I'm gonna straighten up a little bit gain a little speed kick the car back in and Keep going so you almost have to on certain parts of the track Almost just straight line it to get some speed up for the car so that you can make some of the turns as well I actually make it to the clips beforehand. This is an extremely hard challenge I know a lot of people have gotten some really high scores, but I'm kind of struggling a little bit on this challenge It is a lot of fun They weren't gonna make this easy game devs definitely bringing out a finger update and There goes my clean lead so we're gonna restart that run right there because Like if you're trying to get that, you know that tofu The toge ninja icon you cannot Pretty much hit the wall you need to stay and get a clean get a clean run Get the clean run points because I was only able to get 200,000 With smacking into the wall once so we're gonna try and do this as clean as possible We're probably just gonna run this one fully through anyways And finish this one out so we can get a gauge on how How many points we are at There we go running the wall a little bit getting some points Getting greedy the car doesn't have much steering lock so if you snap it too far sideways There's no recovering it and it's pretty much done from there So we are gonna be able to link this section though because we are to get pace We all we did miss those Clips because we weren't fast enough I'm gonna get out to this wall. I'm super scared to get out too far out to the wall and smack into it and lose a Clean lead, but we are doing a lot better on this one save it save it save it I know I'm doing a lot of monging, but the card does not have As much power as you would think to be able to hold some of these turns I could probably go into fourth for some of these turns, but it would bog down on other turns So we're gonna straighten up here. I'm gonna gain some speed and we're gonna kick it slow down so we don't Jump airborne and totally lose the clean lead well It's it's nerve-racking trying to do this because you have this entire Track that you don't want to hit a wall on and you want to try and get as much of the Close calls as you can try and get as many clips as you can But you also don't want to lose the chance of hitting the wall and not Getting some sort of clean lead points because I believe that's what's gonna make or break The run totals and we're gonna slow down a lot here Actually, it's the next turn we're gonna slow down a lot because it gets really sharp I always tend to overshoot that and smack into the wall at this time. We were able to Not smack the wall. Like I said, I've done this once before and I got the 200,000 well, oh my All the wall taps are making this very super sketchy because like I said I'm trying to do this and actually see if I can get a clean lead We are nowhere near these outer barriers though We're only at a hundred thousand You see we're also a little bit too slow for those clips and now we're coming into the Tunnel edge skyline section so hopefully we can Run this better because this section is okay to run with a slower car Get out there get the Crucial close call points Fishtail this in getting those tow flu lights active Oh So we I don't think we're gonna get anywhere near to that super high score because well We're getting close to the edge and and we're only at like 200 and 50 or 150 and 300 and some thousand is incredible. So and There's the lot on the last section the loss of our clean lead So unfortunately, that's not gonna help us So we're gonna just see what we can finish this run with and we may take another crack at it All the way close to the end and we biff it into the wall Unfortunately, that's not gonna be Good for us and that's all she's gonna write. I don't even think I'm gonna get 200,000 I didn't even get 200,000. I wasn't even good enough to get the tofu delivery icons she's So probably the hardest challenge That I've ever tried is this tofu challenge so I'm definitely gonna try those try that again a little bit more while it's available I think it's available for a good amount of time, but we are gonna take a look at The freestyle. Yeah, that's up for another 100 what is that 144 hours? So yeah, we're we got some time So freestyle events are definitely insane I've only been able to win once on one of these the free styles are super cool and a lot of fun You get to run, you know the tracks and you know freestyle it run it however you want to try to get points So we're gonna hop into the slab and try to win a second one in the slab You know This is something that they were teasing about and they came out with it and it's it's incredibly fun It's just a way to kill, you know kill some time you get some cash and some uh Fully on and all that as well So I found it's very good to try and get all those times fives But you also don't want to just go for those you also want to go You know and just get normal points and normal uh clipping points So we're gonna run this out That's not a good way to start off I'm gonna try and suit this out to the times five Click that Try and loop it around, but yeah, this these are also extremely Difficult for me right now, and I think it's because I'm just so focused on trying to get those I need to just run some other lines and just Try and get as many points as I can because it's uh It always looks like I'm winning and then it gets to the end and it's like nope You uh, don't have enough points. You're gonna get past and I'm usually a couple, you know 10 20,000 points behind Where it is kind of where I'm sitting at right now as well even more so because they just uh Got even more points and I found out that when you Are doing it if you do not Smack anything you're better if you lose drift at any point into it. It's really hard to keep going I don't know if your guys the scores are lower than mine, but uh Mine are pretty high and it's uh It's quite difficult to uh, you know stay consistent We know when you're trying to get those gold things and they constantly are changing so I'm gonna do the same things I did last month We're gonna restart that we're gonna go in the outside of the barrier this time So it's hard because you don't have You know a set plan, but if you're just Winging it having fun with it. It's definitely a blast You know this game mode that they brought out is a lot of fun, you know to do and you know, maybe And there we go again I can't not get in here without smacking into the wall so maybe That I because i'm not sure if this is actually online or if these are just uh preset times Or preset scores or kind of randomized scores I'm I'm gonna actually ask and find out about that because I'm very curious Uh because it would be sweet if these were like live online scores Or you could do some live online stuff with friends and things like that nature with uh These free styles and just be able to have a lot of fun. We're gonna go straight into that barrier I knew that was gonna happen as soon as I started sliding I knew exactly what was gonna go wrong and like I said If you're not on top pretty much the entire time You will not win although see right there right at the end They bump up another 30 some thousand and take the win off me It's definitely crazy fun and uh third just did a huge huge update and that tofu challenge Definitely very hard if you guys completed it, you know send me a screenshot You know of you guys on instagram of it being completed because you know it's it's a struggle with you know only having the little amount of horsepower and trying to Be smooth the entire track and I think that's Really what it boils down to is I was not able to complete a smooth run yet without uh Snacking in the wall so if you can get a clean run then that's probably a better benefit for you in trying to Complete that challenge. I will definitely be trying to complete it because I would love to get the toge ninja Name badge and throw that up on my uh gamer tag but it's uh It's not easy. We're gonna try and loop this circle But I feel like they're gonna be just way way ahead of us We're gonna loop that circle though We're gonna bring it out here and try and loop this wall And we just got ousted again So we're gonna try another one of these freestyle tracks and then maybe go back and try the tofu one one more time Before we end this episode off like I said special upload for you guys today with this update and uh It's definitely a very big one We're gonna run the tofu one one more time and then we may run another freestyle So if you guys make sure you guys follow me on instagram and twitter all of it Are found in the description box below you guys have any tips on how to uh Complete this tofu challenge easier Let me know down below other than not hitting the wall because I already know that Did I turn off tofu mode? I think I turned no no tofu mode back here Tofu mode can be turned on and off, which is kind of cool. I did get the uh Custom 8 6 with the tofu mode. So I will be doing a full build on that car I am not doing good at all in this entry I will be doing a full build on that car getting that car up and using that car way way more because it's just An iconic car and such a fun car to drive I'm really super upset that they got rid of Toyotas and Forza and stuff like that because the 8 6 Is a blast to drive in all kinds of games and the fact that we have the actual Initial D car in Turquif is another big thing. We can run the toge road with it I've been seeing a lot of people already upping the stock 8 6 to some pro levels With some nice wide body kits and everything like that Instagram is blowing up with these with these uh 8 6s. So I know the Turquif community is I'm super happy to have these. I'm super excited to have these the devs did an amazing job You know bringing this car into the game and uh now we can uh play those euro beats behind us and uh Have some fun in our 8 6 And pretend, you know We're doing some initial D stuff. I can see a lot of uh pictures coming out with uh Some other initial D replica cars and the tofu car We keep saying the tofu car, but the initial D car, you know what I mean with people um Replicating I've seen already the s-13s from the Akagi speed suns and all that stuff being The speed suns totally screwed that up. I've seen replicas from the initial D cars I know I sound like I don't know what I'm talking about, but you know I do I've watched them. I have All the animes and I've seen all the movies So it's definitely Fun to have it in the game now, but like I said make sure you follow me on instagram and twitter If you have any tips for me Let me know and there's a loss of points already and we're done We are pretty much done with this run already So I think I'm gonna end it here a little quick update video for you guys a little tofu delivery time So I'm gonna be trying this challenge more and more To make sure I get it I think we're gonna try it one more time. Like I said, this is a big upload So we are going to do it one more time and hopefully we can accomplish this because Definitely a challenge. So let's see what we can do and hopefully we can uh, Maybe end this episode off on a banger um Nobody saw that I tried way too hard To uh throw that car in All right, let's do this I'm gonna get the euro beats going in my head Too bad, uh, I couldn't really actually play the euro beats because you know youtube would copyright my video right away Give me a copyright strike and I don't want that YouTube not allowing me to do my euro beats in the background for you guys. What? I know everybody's driving this car in their head is go is those euro beats are going in people's heads I'm gonna kick it up in a fourth and see what we can do Maybe fourth was the gear we needed to go into Oh, it's bogging like fourth gear bogs down in this car Kicking the fourth for some sections. I'm just trying as much as I can But I don't think fourth is gonna work I feel so out of my element with this car right now not having the angle And that's gonna be it So I'm gonna end it here. Hope you guys enjoyed this video. I hope you guys are enjoying the update Let me know down in the comments if you guys got any tips tricks or little things to help me out Try and accomplish this challenge as always. I thank you guys for watching. I'm evil rabbit I'll see you guys on the track


The First Item of Business this afternoon is consideration of business motion 11143. In the name of Jo Fitzpatrick, on behalf of the parliamentary bureau, setting out a revision of today's business programme, could I ask any member who wishes to speak against the motion to press the request to speak button now please, and I call on Jo Fitzpatrick to move motion number 11143 please. No member has asked to speak against the motion, therefore I will now put to the question to the chamber. The question is that motion number 11143, in the name of Jo Fitzpatrick, be agreed to. Are we all agreed? We are, the motion is therefore agreed to. The next item of business this afternoon is portfolio questions, and as ever, to try and guess as many people as possible in, I would prefer short and succinct questions and answers to match please. To ask the Scottish Government what provision primary schools and nurseries make for first aid cover. Minister Alistair Allen. The provision of first aid in primary schools and nurseries is a matter for the education authority or nursery provider themselves in accordance with the health and safety at work act 1974. The occupiers liability Scotland act 1960 and where appropriate the schools, safety and supervision of pupils Scotland regulations 1990. Thank you, John Mason. I thank the minister for the answer. A constituent of mine has questioned Glasgow City Council about first aid in schools, but they seem to rely entirely on volunteers and often have no one whatsoever. That concerns both my constituent and myself. Would the minister be willing to look at this issue and perhaps raise it with COSLA? Minister. As I've mentioned, the 1990 regulations do make certain specifications in this area. In the first instance, any specific concerns a member might have about that should be raised with the local authority concerned. The Scottish Government is also leading a review of the administration of issues such as medicines in schools as well. To ask the Scottish Government what evaluation will be done of the work carried out by schools to help prepare 16 and 17 year olds to vote in the referendum. Minister Alistair Allen. Education Scotland undertook an interim evaluation of a sample of primary and secondary schools between January and June 2014 to evaluate the approaches adopted to promote political literacy and prepare young people for the referendum. The evaluation involved discussions with school staff, partners, including the Electoral Commission and pupils themselves, and found that in best practice schools demonstrated clear vision for and strong leadership for development of young people's political literacy. Education Scotland is committed to sharing this good practice more widely. I thank the minister for that answer. I'm sure that he, like me, welcomes the cross-party support for 16 and 17 year olds voting in future elections. Does he agree with me that, during the referendum campaign, different schools tended to take different approaches? If 16 and 17 year olds are to get the vote on a more permanent basis in future, should we have a more consistent approach across different schools in terms of how young people engage in the political process? Schools have in place, as we have both mentioned, an array of different strategies to support the development of responsible citizenship. One of the tenets of curriculum for excellence is to encourage that diversity of approach. Many schools have also established successful engagement with partners, including the Scottish Parliament education service. It should also be said with electoral registration officers who have ensured that young people this time round have been taking up the right which we all want to see them take up in all future elections. To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in implementing the recommendations of the ICT and education excellence group. A range of activity to take forward the recommendations has been undertaken. Investment in glow has continued and last week glow was fully transitioned to a new flexible cloud-based arrangement. Nationally procured core services, including collaboration tools, email blogs, wikis and storage, have been implemented. Users can now personalise their own glow services through a library of educational applications. Support and training is available for teachers to help them to make informed decisions on how best to make use of glow and options for the future evolution of glow are being considered. Eileen McLeod I thank the minister for his response. I am aware that there are local authorities, including Dumfries and Galloway, which are now considering how people's use of their own IT devices in school may have a positive impact on teaching and learning. What advice and support is the Scottish Government offering to councils that are looking at introducing this policy? Michael Russell We are at the stage where it could be said that glow is almost device agnostic. It is very encouraging of new approaches and certainly we are supportive of that attitude. Through a technical and operational advisory group, comprised of ICT managers, information security officers and others, we would certainly continue to promote that diversity of approach. To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish updated guidance for the delivery of relationships, sexual health and parenting education. Minister Al Sturrell Relationships, sexual health and parenting education is an integral part of the health and wellbeing organiser of the curriculum. We will publish finalised guidance later this year. We recognise the importance of the guidance and want to ensure that we strike the right balance. Michael Biacchi Parliament has conducted research on the extent of RSHPE in schools and Barnardo's 15 lessons report has shown its importance for child protection. What action is the Scottish Government taking to ensure that we have top quality RSHPE in all schools? Michael Russell The member rightly highlights the importance of this issue. We know that the contribution of the Scottish youth parliament and others has been very important in highlighting a range of issues, including, for instance, the importance that they attach to teaching young people about the importance of such issues as consent. Yes, we all agree about the importance of ensuring that quality sex and relationship education is in place and we work together with many stakeholders to ensure that that takes place. To ask the Scottish Government how many further education college staff have had pay reductions or an increase in working hours following the recent merger process. The Scottish Government does not hold such information centrally, as it employers for individual colleges to determine appropriate pay terms and conditions for their staff. I am sure that the minister will appreciate the difficulty in trying to harmonise terms and conditions across Scotland, particularly when lecturers may have enjoyed different benefits in terms of salary levels or contact time or study leave. Can I ask the minister to offer an assurance that lecturers, for example, in the newly merged Ayrshire College, who might previously have enjoyed more favourable terms and conditions, will not be forced by underhand tactics such as being forced to apply for jobs at lower grades to ensure that they are in a better position to do so? I am glad that the member has converted to the concept of national terms and conditions. He and his colleagues voted against it in the bill, but I am very glad that he welcomes that now. I am very keen that that process takes place through negotiation between the trade unions and the employers. However, that negotiation, as trade unions will, I know that, confirm, will have to make sure that no individual suffers in this process and that, over a period of time, all individuals are satisfied that their interests are being met. That is the aim of the process, both in harmonising within colleges and harmonising nationally. I am very keen that that produces the best results for all staff individually and collectively. Clare Adamson, you mentioned the post-16 education bill, and I would say that one of the key strengths of that bill was indeed the reintroduction of collective bargaining in the college sector, a move that Labour members voted against at the time. Can you confirm that that will be being taken forward by the colleges in the future? Absolutely. I am glad that all members of the chamber now support national pay bargaining, because it is a very important element of the reforms that took place. Colleges Scotland are providing support for a series of committees that will determine the new national salary terms and conditions of service for the sector. The first meeting of the national joint negotiating committee for college staff took place in June 2014. That will be a difficult and complex process, because there were many, many terms and conditions. Indeed, I have been quoted often in this chamber, but I am saying at one stage that there were 43 sets of terms and conditions in only 41 colleges. It will take work, but the unions are engaged in this process, management is engaged in this process and it is backed by government. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government about reintroducing the post-study work visa. Cabinet Secretary, Michael Russell. The Scottish Government was opposed to the abolition of the post-study work visa, and we want the ability to reintroduce the visa in Scotland. Last week we submitted evidence that the UK all-party parliamentary group on migration inquiry into the closure of the post-study work route. That evidence has made clear the negative impact that the closure of the route has had on international student numbers, on businesses, universities and colleges. I thank the cabinet secretary for his answer, but can he confirm that he will work with Universities Scotland and others who wish to see a reintroduction of the post-study work route to ensure that devolving immigration will be considered by the Smith commission? Of course, the clearest and most obvious way to have immigration and control of the Scottish Parliament would be to support independence. Given the present constitutional setup, it is more than possible to see how migration and immigration issues could be devolved. Indeed, if Gordon Brown is honest to his intention of a federal structure, then there are federal structures that work in that way. For example, in Quebec, there is shared sovereignty over the issues of migration. In those circumstances, of course, I would want to see the control of the issue being vested in this Parliament so that we can advantage Scotland and advantage those who want to come and study and work here. To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on severance packages in the college sector since 2011. The information is not held centrally, but I have asked the chief executive of the Scottish funding council for further and higher education to write to the member. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. As the cabinet secretary knows, almost half a million pounds in severance payments were shared between the principal and vice principal of the former North Glasgow college. Audit Scotland has raised serious questions over the process that led to those packages being agreed. Can the cabinet secretary tell me who was involved in the agreement of those packages and what knowledge did he have at the time? Of course, the Government has no knowledge of those arrangements being made between employers and employees, but I am very happy to say to the member that I thoroughly disapprove of circumstances in which individuals are seen to be in receipt of monies which other people question in terms of the amount of payments. I have said that in terms of university salaries, I have said that in terms of other salaries, I have said that in terms of severance payments. I think that there is a sense of responsibility that needs to be observed in those matters. I am quite happy to work with the member and others to make sure that, if there are questions raised as there have been questions raised over those and others, those questions are fully investigated and any responsibility is understood. To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase awareness and understanding of autistic spectrum disorders in schools. Education authorities have duties to identify, make provision for and review the additional support needs of their pupils, including pupils with autism spectrum disorder. To improve awareness and understanding of autism in schools, I launched the autism toolbox website in April at Grangemouth High School. It delegates to teachers, educational support staff and pupils. The toolbox website encourages best practice in schools. It also provides a forum for updating and disseminating good practice. I am grateful to the Scottish Government for launching the autism toolbox. Can the minister perhaps update the chamber on how that is being promoted within education authorities and individual schools and how that will be monitored and reviewed? Can he also give consideration to looking at how issues around autistic spectrum disorder and other additional support needs are captured within teacher training to ensure that newly qualified teachers have a good grounding and understanding of those conditions? The member has a commendable record on raising those issues. Scottish Autism has contacted all education authorities with the offer of awareness sessions about the toolbox and those sessions have already reached over 1,500 delegates. To enable the Scottish Government to monitor the promotion of the toolbox, Scottish Autism provides us with regular updates about the take-up of awareness sessions and about the usage of the toolbox. 9. Willie Coffey To ask the Scottish Government what the trends are in the number of children in Gallic medium education. The overall trend in the number of children in Gallic medium education shows an increase. That can be seen in the number of pupils entering primary 1 Gallic medium education classes. That has increased from 406 in 2011-12 to 428 in 2012-13 to 486 in 2013-14 to 536 in 2014-15. 9. Willie Coffey I thank the minister for that answer. He will no doubt be aware of the £36 million investment planned for a new school for Kilmarmark, a million pounds of which will support a magnificent Gallic 2 to 18 campus there. With something of that scale being delivered, does the minister see further opportunities to develop Gallic and perhaps also to reach out to parents in the wider community to take an interest in Scotland's language? The Scottish Government is always happy to reach out, as the member says, to the parent community, whether parents are with or without Gallic. We have an interest in ensuring that their children have a bilingual education. The support that is on offer from the Scottish Government has certainly been extended and made use of enthusiastically in East Ayrshire. 10. Rodri Cambell To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on funding for people studying postgraduate master's degrees. In the academic year 2013-14, the Scottish funding council introduced 850 fully funded postgraduate diploma and master's places until 2016-17. Encouraging more Scottish students to participate in postgraduate studies is a priority for this Government. East participation in postgraduate study can help to improve employment prospects for graduates and the competitiveness of the Scottish economy. We have been examining our overall support package for taught postgraduate students and I intend to make an announcement about that in the near future. Rodri Cambell I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. I am aware that last year he announced that postgraduate students who study eligible courses will be able to get an additional loan of up to £4,500 from 2015-16. Is there any advice on whether consideration has been given to extending the number of courses that are eligible for the incoming loan facility? Rodri Cambell I am glad that the member has drawn attention to the additional loan for living costs that will be available from 2015-16. I acknowledge the member's long-standing interest in this matter, particularly in the funding of the postgraduate legal diploma. We are examining our overall support package for taught postgraduate students, including the eligible course list, which is a complex matter, given the range of subjects. I promise the member to make an announcement about that in the near future. Mary Scanlon I am pleased to hear that this is a priority. Postgraduate degree fees for humanities at Edinburgh University increased by 42 per cent last year from £7,000 to £10,000, with a significant reduction in Scottish students doing postgrad and one course at Edinburgh having no Scottish student for four years. Can I ask what is being done to help Scottish students and students from poorer backgrounds to access those postgrad courses? Cabinet Secretary I am glad that the member is concerned about that. I think that it is important that we support students in every way that we possibly can. One of the main disincentives for study, both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, is the level of debt that will be incurred. In Scotland, we have the lowest level of undergraduate debt, and I intend to keep it that way. However, we now want to make sure that the debt incurred by postgraduate students is similarly helped. That is what the announcements that I have made to date have been directed towards. More can be done. We are operating within a hostile financial environment. We are also operating within an environment where, south of the border, there is considerable pressure to increase the borrowings that students have. If the member will lend her support to the Government in the aims that she has to keep Scottish education free, that will be something that will assist Scottish recruitment into postgraduate study over a period of time. I will be glad to have that support from the Tory benches. I will ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that grades awarded in the new national qualifications are considered to be equal across all subjects. The Scottish Qualifications Authority is responsible for ensuring that standards and grades remain consistent across all subjects from year to year and has robust processes in place to ensure that. SQA is confident that those standards have been applied to the new qualifications certified in 2014. If the minister is aware of an issue raised in the Times Education Supplement Scotland on 12 September, under a headline that has read, teachers reach boiling point over physics marking, where education experts are reported as expressing concerns that the new national exams are making science subjects too difficult and that teachers and physics in particular are concerned that their subject will suffer because good marks are being so hard to come by this year. Does the minister recognise those concerns and how would he respond to those experts and teachers who believe that science subjects in general, but physics in particular, will suffer a long-term decline in relation to other subjects because obtaining good marks will be comparatively more difficult? The member will be aware that the actual issue of marking is a subject for the SQA, but I can say that great effort has gone to by the SQA, which has 15,000 experts across different subjects, to ensure that no particular cohort of people sitting and exam is in any way either disadvantaged or advantaged to make sure that, from year to year, the grade boundaries take cognisance of any variations that are perceived to be there within the exams. It should be said that, in this year that has gone past, a record number of people have got hires. In fact, I might be right to say that record numbers have gone for hires in science subjects at the time when the past mark has not gone up. I think that that shows that, in Scotland, not only are we maintaining very high standards of which we should be proud, but also increasing access as well. On the implementation of new national qualifications, we have teachers who have never been so angry, and we have seen parents and pupils who have been worried and stressed. The cabinet secretary told the education committee yesterday that he has made mistakes. When people make mistakes, the normal thing to do is to apologise for them. Will the minister do what Mike Russell did not do yesterday and take the opportunity to apologise to teachers, parents and pupils in Scotland for his Government's mismanagement of curriculum for excellence, to be too happy to hide behind everybody else? If that was a question rather than just a series of complaints about humanity, I think that we should, as a country and as an education system, be very proud of the efforts that have been gone to by teachers, by young people and be proud of the achievements that they have made. We certainly should not be putting ourselves in a position where we say anything that suggests that this year's qualifications are somehow to be disparaged. There is every reason to be proud of this year's achievements. Of course we want to learn from the way that we implement things. Of course we want to do things even better in the future, but we should be proud of the fact that this year, the number of higher that I have just mentioned is up. There is every indication that young people are achieving and achieving well. Question 12, Jenny Marra, has not been lodged. An explanation was provided. Question 13, Graham Dey. To ask the Scottish Government how plans for the children and young people's summit are progressing. Minister Eileen Campbell. The children and young people's summit will bring together children, young people, those who support them in wider civic society. It will provide an opportunity to harness the renewed interest in the positive energising, consented improvement that we have seen over the last two years. That was personified in the two young women I met yesterday, a visit to indie youth and castle milk, who were bright, articulate and interested in contributing to decision making. This gathering will be at the beginning of a process that will see conversations with children and young people take place around the country. These conversations will inform future policy and will drive improvement in services for children and young people. The Scottish Government will convene the summit with the participants determining the most effective way to involve interested citizens at grass-roots level in improving services for children and young people. Thank you, Graham Dey. I thank the minister for that response. Can I ask her to confirm that young people from every local authority will be invited to attend the summit, thereby ensuring that the widest possible range of opinions from all parts of the country, taking in urban and in all its forms, rural, can be canvassed? I can very happy to confirm that a wide range of children and young people from right across Scotland will be invited to engage in the conversation. We want to hear from children and young people from right across Scotland and have asked Scottish Government officials to plan on that basis. At the public cabinet meeting I attended very recently in Aberoth, which I know the member was at as well, I had the pleasure of meeting many engaged children and young people in Angus, so we want to ensure that that breadth of talent and those voices are heard and listened to. We need to capture the momentum that the referendum process has created among our young people of late and harness it for the betterment of our country. To ask the Scottish Government what the head count, enrolment and full-time equivalent figures are for female students at colleges in 2014 compared with 2011. In keeping with normal practice, college sector figures for 2013-14 will not be available till January 2015. The latest figures, however, show that in 2012-13, 53 per cent of college students were female, the same percentage as in 2011-12. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. The trend that we have seen over recent years is that, while the full-time equivalent figure has gone up, the head count number has been going down, indicating that fewer women are studying in our colleges. When I had a round table with single parents from Levenmouth, the biggest barrier to women going into college was the affordability and availability of childcare. While there is an on-going review of the workforce, what analysis has been done by the Government in terms of capacity in the childcare sector, which will specifically address the needs of parents who are seeking to go back to college? The biggest difference that could come in terms of transformational childcare was laid out in the Government's white paper, Scotland's Future. The member chose to campaign against that white paper, and therefore she should be aware of the consequences of her action and the actions of her colleagues. Order, please. There are always consequences to actions. The member should recognise those, but in those circumstances, many things, we wish to continue to do many things to assist women in Fife and elsewhere. Let me give the member an example of two of them. One of them is to continue with the process that my colleague Angela Constance has taken forward, and Levenmouth will be a pilot area for the Wood commission, so that we can make sure that lots of opportunities are created that will assist young women in those circumstances. The second one is to present the situation as it should be presented, by showing that the full-time equivalent figure is based upon real qualifications being provided within colleges, and those real qualifications lead to employability. The number of students achieving HNCDs qualifications recognised and valued by employers has gone up 36 per cent since 2007-8. Those are real qualifications, with which we will help. There are many other things that we are trying to do, but it becomes more difficult if this Parliament does not have the full, normal powers. The member cannot escape the consequence of our own actions. Gordon MacDonald. Gordon, please. Can the cabinet secretary confirm that the number of people studying for HNCDs and other recognised qualifications has increased, which boosts the chances of our young people getting work? I am happy to confirm that. The number of students achieving those qualifications is rising, up 36 per cent, since 2007-8. Up 121 per cent. The member did not have that figure, but I am happy to give it to her. Up 121 per cent in terms of degrees. It is the policies pursued by this Government that have improved the quality of opportunities for young people and the skills supply to our economy. The UK Commission for Employment and Skills says that 78 per cent of Scottish employers recruiting a college leaver found them well prepared for work higher than the closest compatible figures for other UK nations. That is a result of the reforms that this Government has taken forward in the teeth of opposition from the Labour Party and others. Question 15, Claudia Beamish. Thank you, Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government how it supports people in remote areas into further education and lifelong learning. Cabinet Secretary. This is a matter of great concern and of interest to myself as a constituency member, of course, as the Cabinet Secretary. The Scottish Funding Council pays a premium total of around £8 million to college regions that deliver in rural areas. Our reforms have also meant that colleges are increasingly funded on the basis of need. That has led to several colleges operating in a rural context such as Dumfries and Galloway College and Borders College in the member's own region receiving additional activity. Record levels of student support also mean that students of all ages are receiving better financial support than ever before to access college and that is right across the board both in rural and urban settings. Claudia Beamish. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. As a cabinet secretary will be aware, of course, living in more remote rural areas can pose a challenge for those seeking further education in colleges such as new college literature and Borders College which the cabinet secretary has mentioned. Scottish Government statistics for 2012-13 show that for school leavers in these areas roughly 6 per cent less attend further education than the national average. Can the cabinet secretary set out in some more detail for us please what the Scottish Government is doing to support the development of outreach courses and specifically transport support for links to colleges in these areas? Cabinet Secretary. There are two areas in which I think the member will be interested. One is the flexibility of transport support and the other is the work that has been done in Angus College to make sure that students in Angus and Dundee colleges were drawn into them by laying on particular transport. I have seen in Borders College a similar approach being taken and it is very useful indeed. I know that in September in the member's own debate on the value of skills partnerships my colleague Angela Constance made a commitment to write to you books that are of interest but skills-based open learning which in my view is even more important and those things are taking place. There is also the development of the Scottish Borders Campus jointly between Heriot-Watt and Borders College which creates new opportunities and draws people to them and I am strongly committed to the development of Crichton as a centre for the whole of Dumfries in Galloway which requires not just better transport links but also the possibility of better student facilities within the campus for the college and university students. There is much work being done and I have not even started to talk about the work in the Highlands and Islands which is of importance given the 13 colleges that work together in the Highlands and Islands to provide wide opportunities. Mike Mackenzie To ask the Scottish Government how the education system can be more closely aligned towards job and career opportunities. Cabinet Secretary. The Commission for Developing Scotland's Young Workforce published its report Education Working for All in June. The Scottish Government is fully supportive of the ambitious agenda for improving young people's employability set out in that report which I have referred to in answer to other questions today forging stronger links between schools, colleges and employers. Later in the year the Cabinet Secretary for Training, Youth and Women's Employment will publish our implementation plan to take forward the report's recommendations benefiting learners and the wider economy alike. Mike Mackenzie I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that answer and I wonder if he agrees with me that there is scope to fulfil suggestions made in the wood report in the S1 to S4 junior secondary model for education that some rural authorities use and that this is not incompatible with curriculum for excellence. Cabinet Secretary. I'm very happy to confirm with the members as I've done before, I believe in writing to other members in this chamber that there is no incompatibility with curriculum for excellence and delivery models such as junior secondary or small schools. That does not exist. Any contention that does exist, I'm afraid, is wholly false. The opportunity to have more diverse and richer models of delivery exists throughout Scotland and I would encourage all authorities including rural authorities to look at that diversity to make sure that the flexible framework for curriculum for excellence is used to support a range of possibilities that is young people in rural and in urban settings who will benefit. To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to local authorities to ensure that there is suitable accommodation to deal with the projected increase in school roles. Cabinet Secretary. The statutory responsibility for the provision of adequate and sufficient school accommodation in Scotland lies with local authorities. That said, the Scottish Government is investing £800 million in Scotland's school estate to £5 billion in Scotland's schools for the future school building programme. I was very pleased and honoured to be involved in the opening of the new Merns academy in Lawrence Kirk just on Friday, a very good example of how that is working. Sarah Boyack. I thank the cabinet secretary for his reply. Edinburgh Council is considering introducing cluster-based learning though its strong preference is to build new accommodation. The cabinet secretary will be aware of the pressure on council budgets and given the demographic of the pressure in Edinburgh and the council's review of its school estate. Can the cabinet secretary update Parliament on what discussions he has had with the City of Edinburgh Council and what particular support his Government is providing to help to ensure the right capacity and the right quality in our school provision? Cabinet secretary. The decision on how local authorities organise and establish their provision is up to local authorities. I am sure that the member would defend the right of local authorities to make those decisions. However, my officials meet regularly with the City of Edinburgh Council. I myself have met on occasion with the City of Edinburgh councillors and I remain open to discussion about the school estate throughout Scotland. Obviously, in the week of the budget I don't want to say any more than that but there is a constant examination of the need to make sure that the highest quality accommodation is provided and also to make sure that those areas at under pressure are to help them. Question 18, Kevin Stewart. To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed education issues with Aberdeen City Council. Cabinet secretary. Scottish Government officials regularly meet with representatives of Aberdeen City Council to discuss a wide range of education issues. Kevin Stewart. Labour-led Aberdeen City Council are failing to improve conditions in Victorian schools in the city, which is leading to difficulties for pupils, teachers and other staff. In fact, they have just withdrawn funding that they had previously committed. What can the cabinet secretary do to ensure that Aberdeen City Council invests in schools like Ferry Hill, Broomhill, Ashley Road and Skeen Square in my constituency to make sure that they are fit for the 21st century? Cabinet secretary. Presiding Officer, Aberdeen City Council is currently receiving revenue funding of £125 million. It is the responsibility of Aberdeen City Council to allocate their total financial resources to all services, including school maintenance, on the basis of local needs and priorities. Aberdeen has been allocated an extra £7 million over the period 2012-15. As a result of the new 85 per cent funding floor formula, the Government introduced that ensures that Aberdeen gets a better deal than ever before. It will get a further £11.2 million in 2005-16. The Government is also investing £800 million in Scotland's school at state through the £1.25 billion Scotland schools for the future programme. Aberdeen City Council is already receiving more than £28 million from the Scottish Government through this programme to build replacements for the existing Buxburn and Newhills primaries and Torrey and Kincorth academies. There will be even further investment in school infrastructure through the extension to the NPD programme, further details of which will be announced in developing and building the school estate. That is the prime responsibility of local authorities which deliver education, but the Scottish Government is a willing partner where we are able to do so to ensure that that takes place. Thank you, question number 19, Jackson Carlaw. Somewhat to my surprise to be able to find myself able to ask the Scottish Government what its position is in independent schools having charitable status. Cabinet Secretary, Michael Russell. Presiding Officer, independent schools, will be able to ensure that the public benefit test is met and that, broadly speaking, as long as this test commands public confidence qualifying independent schools will maintain charitable status. Whether individual schools meet the test is, of course, a matter for Oscar. Jackson Carlaw. Can I commend the cabinet secretary and his ministerial team on the efficiency of the responses this afternoon and in that spirit? Ask what their attitude might be on that, cabinet secretary. That is an interesting possibility, I have to say. I think it was first booted by Brian Montieth when he was a member and a member of the Parliament's education committee which proves not only that the education team has efficient responses but also long memories. It is a matter which at the time was rejected. I think it may be a matter which we should at least get some information on in the future and if Mr Carlaw wants to provide some information to us on the virtues of that proposal then, of course, I will look at it. Briefly, Kezia Dugdale. Does the cabinet secretary think that the test is stringent enough? Cabinet secretary. That is a matter for the Parliament to decide as far as the legislation is concerned. I think that Oscar as a body has an obligation to meet the present legislation. Whether that legislation should change whether the test still commands public confidence will be matters that this chamber may wish to discuss at an appropriate time but at the present moment I am certainly not going to criticise Oscar they are putting in place the test as it exists. That ends the question time next side to business is a statement by Keith Brown in the future of Scotland.


The first item of business today is portfolio questions, and we start with question number one from Alison Harris. To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to revisit the granting of third-party rights of appeal in planning applications. Minister Kevin Stewart. Thank you, Presiding Officer. The introduction of a third-party right of appeal in the planning system has been considered on a number of occasions, including in our recent independent review of planning, which did not support such a change. Our on-going consultation focuses on strengthening engagement early in the planning process, rather than introducing new appeal rights after a decision has been made. Alison Harris. Is the minister aware that many individuals and community groups feel that the planning system is loaded too much in favour of the applicant? Where is the fairness where an applicant can appeal against a refusal to grant planning consent by a local authority? The same right is not given to objectors should the planning consent be granted. What is the Government plan to do about this further? Minister. Presiding Officer, we want more decisions to be made locally. Expanding the range of applications that can be delegated and made subject to local review procedures means that decisions will be taken at the lowest local level. The proposals that are identified in the consultation and from the independent review identify more meaningful early collaboration will ensure that that is the case. I am very keen to make sure that we become much more focused in ensuring that community planning and spatial planning come together. I think that that is the best way to deal with all of this, rather than to have even more centralisation in ministers having to decide on applications. With the use of new technologies, I think that we can do much to improve that system. I hope that Ms Harris will respond to the current consultation and will encourage all of her constituents to do likewise. Alex Rowley. Presiding Officer, while the review itself does not recommend equal right to appeal and the Government ruled out an equal right to appeal, it is true that those who commented, particularly community organisations and groups, were in favour of an equal right to appeal. In order for this process and consultation to have public confidence, does the minister agree that we need to be able to answer the question, if there is no equal right of appeal, why is there any right to appeal at all and what rights will be in place for communities? Minister. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Our proposals reflect the independent review following very widespread public consultation and the focus on improving performance and confidence in the system. We also have to ensure that there is confidence in achieving the sustainable economic growth that we all want for Scotland. I think that the most important thing, as I said to Ms Harris, is to make sure that we get this right at the earliest possible part of the process rather than appeals at the end. That is why I am so keen to ensure that we can engage communities through community planning and bring spatial planning into that so that they have their say at that particular point in time. I think that all of that is entirely valuable and I think that that is the best way forward. However, the Government will listen to what people have to say during the course of the current consultation. To ask the Scottish Government what assurance it can give communities that objections to proposed developments will be fully considered in the appeals process, given the reported 25 per cent increase in the last year in the number of local authority planning rejections overruled by ministers. Independent reporters consider all material considerations, including valid community representations when making a planning decision on behalf of Scottish ministers. Our current planning consultation paper supports the independent panel's view that appeal decision notices should clearly summarise how community views have been taken into account. Residents in East Renfrewshire faced the prospect of losing Broome Park, a cherished community greenspace to development. With mental health, obesity levels and poor fitness all topics of serious concern, it would be a mistake to allow the destruction of a resource that provides opportunities for recreation, exercise and social interaction. Does the Scottish National Party Government recognise the benefits to the community and what assurances can be given to the Save the Broome Park protest group that the Scottish Government will support them in opposing the development of such developments? The member may be very well aware that, as planning minister, I cannot comment on individual cases that may cross my desk. If he is not aware of that situation, I would ask him to take account of that when he formulates questions in the future. In terms of his initial question, the figure of a 25 per cent rise in planning appeals allowed is due to a misrepresentation of DPEA decisions and inclusion of work other than planning appeals. Just for 2016-17, although obviously as yet incomplete, it suggests that the percentage of appeals that is allowed is in line with those years for which we have complete data. Any fluctuation in the number of planning appeals where the original decision has been overturned would be significantly lower than the 25 per cent suggested by Mr Golden. In terms of the residents that he talks of, I would ask him to engage too with the planning consultation. I reiterate what I have said previously in the fact that I want communities to become much more involved in the planning system at the early stages. That is the point where they should have their real say rather than relying on the appeals system. Richard Lyle I thank you, Presiding Officer. Further to that comment by the minister, would the minister agree that the focus of the Scottish Government must be on strengthening engagement in the planning system and does the minister recognise the benefits of a stronger early engagement can be a more positive and constructive approach? Presiding Officer, I fully agree that early engagement in the planning process is essential, and Mr Lyle is absolutely right to highlight that. Our current consultation sets out proposals for improving engagement, including a new right for communities to plan their own places and measures to secure more meaningful engagement from the outset in both plan and decision making. I believe that that would be much more constructive than introducing a right of appeal that has been asked for by others at the very end of the process. Clare Haughey To ask the Scottish Government whether it is confident that the UK Government will lay its commencement order in time for the Scottish Government to take forward its social security plans. Jeane Freeman The joint ministerial working group on welfare, which comprises ministerial representatives from the Scottish Government, Scotland Office and the DWP, agreed at its last meeting on 11 October that the UK Government would work with the Scottish Government to transfer legislative competence by June 2017. That agreement is reflected in the published minutes of that meeting, and in all of our discussions with the UK Government and DWP since then, we have been very clear that we expect this timetable to be adhered to. Assuming that the commencement order is laid on this timetable, we will then introduce our social security bill to the Parliament by the end of this parliamentary year. Work on that bill is proceeding on the basis of that clear and unequivocal agreement. Clare Haughey I thank the minister for that answer. Does the minister agree that it is the DWP who is responsible for the progress and delay of the relevant sections of the Scotland Act? As it is imperative to ensure the safe and secure transition of those powers, the DWP must take responsibility for the timetable as it stands. The member is right in that both Governments have a role in that exercise, and therefore the UK Government and the DWP are wholly and solely responsible for laying the necessary commencement order, which will allow the Scottish Government to meet our commitment to introduce the social security bill before the end of this parliamentary year. That responsibility would naturally extend not only to progress but also to delay. However, we have not been talking to them about delay. We have been talking to them about adhering to the timetable agreed in that joint ministerial working group. That said, a safe and secure transfer of those vital benefits, one that ensures that no payment is missed and no recipient goes without, requires a large-scale programme of work to be carried out jointly by the Scottish and UK Governments and the DWP. In delivering that, we will be accountable to this Parliament and the people of Scotland. I am sure that the UK Government and the DWP accept that they are accountable for their part too. Adam Tomkins Thank you. The minister has said before that there is no delay, and she talked in her answer there to the member about adhering to the timetable. In that context, what is the timetable for the Scottish Government to publish its summary of the responses to the consultation exercise on social security? We are almost at the end of receiving and looking through the independent analysis of the consultation responses and drafting our response to that, and I expect to be able to publish both in the coming weeks. Brian Whittle To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to ensure that charities and third sector organisations that support communities are appropriately resourced. Charities and third sector organisations play a crucial role in supporting our communities and are absolutely key to driving forward social justice and inclusive economic growth. The third sector has access to resources through a range of programmes right across the Government, and funding for the core third sector budget in 2017-18 will be protected at the 2016-17 level of £24.5 million. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. While visiting and speaking to third sector organisations whose services are crucial in the community, the major concern that consistently gets raised is one of on-going funding. Those organisations in my area, such as Add Action, which works with alcohol and drug addiction, or WG 13, which gives second chances to young people who are looking to develop work and life skills or centre stage or the holiday project and many, many more, are much better placed to deal with community issues than central government. With an ever-decreasing pot to apply to and the declining resource of the big lottery, will the Scottish Government consider how it can best support those vital community resources and look at how it can influence the length of term of any funding to allow proper planning and stability for both service users and providers? After all, how effectively could we do our roles if we needed to seek annual re-election, shudder, shudder? I firstly would like to thank Mr Whittle for his supplementary question because, unlike his equality spokesperson a few weeks ago, he has taken the opportunity to advocate and champion the role of the third sector. We all in our day-to-day jobs rely on the third sector, who are very often at the front of tackling poverty and inequality in our country. The point that he makes about the need for longer-term security for funding is indeed well-made. We have a manifesto commitment about making it far easier and simpler for the voluntary third sector to access funding and we are also looking at three-year role in funding where appropriate. The point that he makes about the voluntary sector having a reach, a reach into communities that the otherwise statutory agencies struggle to be as effective on. I welcome his endorsement, praise and support of the charities in the third sector. I really hope that some of his colleagues can learn from his example. Can the cabinet secretary confirm that the Scottish Government has no intention of introducing an anti-advocacy clause, as the UK Government has already done, which restricts the activities and campaigns of charities and third sector organisations? I can confirm that the Scottish Government has absolutely no intention of introducing an anti-advocacy clause, as the UK Government has done. Charities and the third sector have been part of shaping Scotland for many years. They bring an insight and perspective to public policy, and we make absolutely no apologies for operating in such a way to enable our partners in third sector organisations to participate in policy development and to provide honest challenge where that is important. One of the strengths of the third sector is that they are not afraid to speak truth to power. That is not always comfortable for Governments, but it is part of who we seek to be, and we have absolutely no wish to deter this important part of the democratic process. The cabinet secretary will be aware of the fantastic work that is done in third sector and voluntary organisations by advocates and advice workers on income maximisations. Those organisations are reliant on local government for £8.75 million worth of funding to provide those vital services. How does the cabinet secretary feel that the £327 million worth of cuts to local government is going to impact on income maximisation advice and advocacy in the third sector, given the reliance on local government funding? The reality is that it is very hard and it is very core. The Government has tackling inequality, poverty and the systemic disadvantage that exists structurally in our economy. I believe that local government has been given a fair offer, and when you consider the additional resources that are put into education, health and social care, we will see an additional investment in services on the front line. On Mr Griffin's very important point about the role of advice services in income maximisation, I endorse that. Across the Government, we are investing in the region between £40 million and £50 million into advice services. There are specific funds for advice services that are focused on income maximisation. As a Government, we announced at the beginning of the year a new fund, the £29 million fund, the aspiring communities fund. That is one tranche of money that has been matched with the European social fund. There are many sources of funding, and it is our job to ensure that we get maximum impact on that. The point about income maximisation is well made, and it is often the key to unlocking disadvantage and discrimination. 5. Patrick Harvie Thank you very much. I ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the time for inclusive education campaign pledge, which calls for LGBTI-inclusive education. Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills Ministers recognise that those are concerning issues and are committed to understanding more fully the current experiences and views of children and young people in schools. The Scottish Government will continue to work with all our key stakeholders, including TIE, Stonewall Scotland and LGBT Youth Scotland, to address those very real concerns. It is important to better understand the relationship, in particular, between mental health issues and bullying, and in particular the impact on LGBTI young people. We will take action to address that, including commissioning research, if appropriate. Patrick Harvie Thank you. I take on a matter of trust, the fact that the Government has good will on those issues. I hope that the Government understands that there is good will from across the political spectrum on those issues as well. Given that the 40 plus MSPs who have signed the campaign pledge represent members of all political parties, I hope that we can agree that it is something that we can make substantial progress on together. The campaign pledges include some things that could, I think, be done relatively quickly and straightforwardly. For example, monitoring inclusion activity in schools and ensuring that bullying is properly recorded and developing teacher training materials. I would hope that all five elements, including curricular inclusion, can achieve progress in the near future. Given the level of political support and the breadth of the campaign, will the cabinet secretary commit to giving a full written response in detail to the campaign pledges, and can she indicate how long it will take for the Government to produce that kind of response? I thank Mr Harvie for the tone and tenor of his question. I will indeed supply a full written response. It is appropriate that I do that in partnership with the Deputy First Minister, our education secretary as well. He will be aware from the comments that the First Minister made only a few weeks ago that the Government and ministers were supporters of the Thai campaign. The First Minister made crystal clear our commitment and determination to take forward the issues identified. We indeed need to move from words to deeds. There are some early actions taken by the Deputy First Minister in terms of the delivery plan for education with timescales to report back for this year. As a Government, we are considering our options. How we achieve what we all want, which is a better experience, better support and better outcomes for young people, we have to give that serious consideration about how we achieve in the context of how our current education system currently operates. Nonetheless, there are great opportunities for early action. I, as the equalities secretary, am particularly interested in the issues around monitoring and reporting. I am aware that there have been surveys from Thai, Stonewall Scotland and the health survey about bullying and behaviour in schools. That points to me to more comprehensive research, but comprehensive research with the purpose of a springboard for action. Nonetheless, we need to look where we can quickly move from words to deeds. As a Cabinet Secretary will know, all schools must pursue an anti-bullying strategy. As many of us will recall from our own school days, children can be bullied because of their appearance, ethnicity, the way they speak and a host of other reasons. Does she agree that schools must regularly oppose the bullying of any pupil, regardless of the cause, wherever and whenever it occurs? The Scottish Government has to take bullying in all its forms very seriously. Bullying of any kind, including homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying, is unacceptable and has to be addressed swiftly and effectively whenever and wherever it arises. Children and young people have to feel safe, happy and respected and included in their learning environment. All staff have to be proactive in promoting positive relationships and behaviour in the classroom and the playground and beyond in the wider learning community. We will publish our refreshed anti-bullying guidance later in the year once the Deputy First Minister has the opportunity to carefully consider all the points that will be raised by the Scottish Parliament's Equalities and Human Rights Committee. To ask the Scottish Government when carers allowance will be increased for carers in Glasgow. Increasing carers allowance to the same level as job seekers allowance, providing an additional £600 a year to carers, is one of the key commitments that we have made in respect of our new social security powers and reflects the recognition that we give to carers who make such an important contribution to our society. We are in active discussions with the Department for Work and Pensions to assess options for delivery ahead of the new social security agency being fully operational. At this point, it is not possible to confirm exact timescales. I thank the minister for the answer. I agree wholeheartedly in the policy to increase carers allowance to the same level as job seekers allowance, that will benefit carers who sacrifice their own lives to care for others. 11,000 carers in my own region of Glasgow, and the minister is right to suggest that a £600 increase will be a lifeline for many carers and a £6 million boost for carers in the city of Glasgow alone. The reality is that the powers for this top-up came in September 2016, and carers across the country deserve a direct answer on when we can expect that increase to take place. It is one thing demanding powers, it is a second thing getting the power, it is a third actually delivering justice and fairness for people who deserve that extra support. I am glad that the member recognises that there are stages in this exercise. We have been around this a few times in this chamber, and the stages in this exercise are that the UK Government has to lay the commencement order, we have to bring the bill to the Parliament, we then have to establish our own social security agency to deliver at our own hand the increases and the changes and improvements to the 11 benefits that will be devolved to us that we intend to do. In advance of that, we rely on the DWP to make any changes that we might wish to make in the interim. I have just explained to the member that we are in active discussions with the DWP about their capacity to deliver any increase to the carers allowance in advance of us working through the proper stages to secure the safe and secure transfer of benefits to this Government. That is an indication of our recognition of the importance of the commitment that we have made to carers and our intent to try and do that sooner than we have the agency to deliver it for ourselves. At this point, I cannot give a timescale because those discussions are on-going. As I made clear in an earlier answer, at this stage and throughout this exercise, this is a joint exercise between this Government and the UK Government and the DWP. We need the DWP to be able to deliver this for us at this point, just as we have agreed with them how they will deliver the flexibilities in universal credit that I was very pleased to announce a couple of weeks ago. To ask the Scottish Government what role it considers charities and the third sector play in helping people and creating an equal and fairer society. The third sector is a pillar of our society and is at the forefront of our drive to tackle poverty and inequality in Scotland. We should be very proud that there are over 45,000 third sector organisations operating in Scotland and more than a quarter of our population volunteer. Many play their part in building a better and fairer Scotland for us all. That is why I have, as I said earlier, protected the third sector budget at the 2016-17 level of £24.5 million to maximise the impact of the sector in reducing disadvantage and inequality, working with communities to tackle tough social issues at source. Does the cabinet secretary agree that a recent comment piece by the Tory's own equality spokesperson that gave credence to a tabloid investigation full of inaccuracies—or fake news, as some people might call it—was utter and revealed the Tory's preference to restrict the activities and campaigns of Scotland's charities was utterly shameful? We should instead celebrate the important role that the third sector plays in highlighting policy issues and providing a voice on public policy. I personally found some of the stories that appeared in the press offensive and disrespectful to the thousands of staff and volunteers who worked very hard for charitable causes up and down the country. Of course, press and journalists are absolutely free to say and do as they wish. I would not want to interfere with that in any way. I suppose that I was somewhat disappointed that a member of the chamber and those benches across their ages embedded what I perceive to be a slur on an entire sector. We all know that MSPs right across the chamber that we have benefited and no doubt have used and quoted from the briefing's information, policy work and evidence to committees that has been provided by our very vibrant third sector. Our third sector provides value for money and they punch above their way. They are a pillar of our democratic and transparent society. They are not a thread to speak truth to power to whoever is in power and they are at the forefront of community-led action to tackle poverty and inequality. Jamie Greene A report published yesterday by the Veterans Mental Health Charity Combat Stress highlighted that Scottish veterans are much more likely to end up living in deprived areas compared to ex-servicemen and women in the rest of the UK. In the sample of 3,000 ex-servicemen personnel, over half were found to be living in some of the most deprived areas of Scotland. Can I ask the minister what action the Scottish Government might take to work with charities and the third sector to ensure that our veterans are equipped with the adequate resources that they need to meet the complex challenges that they face when they leave the military? Again, I welcome that question from Mr Greene. I am a former prison social worker and often on my caseload there were ex-squaddies who had experienced post-traumatic stress disorder, had abused drugs and alcohol, had committed an offence and as a backbencher in this Parliament I had led a debate and did some work with stakeholders that looked at the overrepresentation of ex-veterans within our mental health system and indeed within our veterans, within our prison system as well. The point that he raises is very important and he rightly points to the evidence that came to our attention yesterday. So, as a Government, we have Keith Brown who has a responsibility over and above bin economy secretary as the veteran's cabinet secretary is a champion for veterans, but we must remember that we also have to work very closely with the MOD who have a responsibility like we all do for those who have given their utmost to serve their country and that we have to continue to care for them when their active service is over because if we don't that creates extreme ramifications not just for individuals but for families and for communities and if there's further information that I can provide the member through the work that we're doing in the third sector I'm happy to provide that but there will also be other colleagues across this Government that will share with him the endeavour to do far more for our veterans. 8. Rona Mackay Thank you Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the planning system will drive forward regeneration and promote long-term economic growth. Thank you. Planning is a key role to play in delivering Scotland's economic strategy. The importance of the role of planning and supporting regeneration and long-term economic growth runs through the proposals in our current planning consultation. Supporting sustainable economic growth and regeneration and the creation of well-designed sustainable places is one of the four outcomes which support the Scottish Government's vision for the planning system. Rona Mackay Thank you for that answer. Can the minister set out how Scotland's planners can empower our communities and provide a stable environment for investment through the uncertain times that we live in? Rona Mackay We want Scotland's planning system to empower people. We've invested in tools like the place standard, which provides a framework for communities to get involved in the planning process. Use of the place standard is an excellent opportunity for people of all ages to take part in conversations about the quality and the future of their places. Our proposals on long-term spatial planning and the delivery of infrastructure and housing will provide a secure environment for growth investment. Beyond that, as I've said in earlier answers, what I want to see is communities involved in planning the length and breadth of Scotland and the incorporation of community planning and spatial planning. I think that that is extremely important. To every member who has asked questions on the issue today, I encourage Ms Mackay to get as many of her constituents as possible to respond to the current planning review. Can I ask the Scottish Government what funding and support it provides to projects that aim to tackle inequalities? In October 2016, the Scottish Government published its Fairer Scotland action plan to create a more socially just society, and a number of budgets across Government provide support to tackle inequality. For example, the social justice and regeneration budget allows us to deliver a range of actions to achieve social justice, including £3.6 million to support advice and advocacy services, and £1 million to tackle food poverty. There is also the Community Empowerment Scotland act and the Empowering Communities Fund at £20 million, which empowers local people and helps communities to deliver action and to tackle poverty and inequality. In addition to that, the equality budget at £20 million supports activity to promote equality across a range of protected characteristics. There was a recently announced funding of £29 million, which will support communities and third sector organisations to develop new ways to help people to overcome disadvantages within their communities. I thank the cabinet secretary for her answer. In terms of tackling health inequalities, she will be aware of the Eat Canny project in Murray, which is a project run by four local charities, Community Food Murray, Elgin Youth Development Group, REAP and Transition Town Forest. They have carried out more than 200 cooking classes and many other initiatives to help to make people access easier, healthier eating in their communities. Their funding is due to run out in March of this year, but I am sure that the cabinet secretary agrees that it is really important that they continue their good work. I know that various cabinet secretaries have various funds that could potentially help the project to continue in our communities throughout Scotland. I wonder if she would be willing to have her officials to look at what help might be made available to the Eat Canny project so that they can continue their good work in the Murray communities, just like similar initiatives that they are doing elsewhere in the country. I am aware of the excellent work undertaken by Eat Canny and the work that they do in particular to tackle health inequalities through food. Mr Lockhead is right that there is a range of alternative funding resources. For example, the aspiring communities fund will provide support to communities to work collaboratively with partners to accelerate the design and delivery of a stressed community-led initiatives that tackle poverty, inequality and exclusion. There is also community food and health Scotland, which is funded by the Scottish Government, which provides a range of advice and support to groups in this area, including things such as practice development, community retail and nutrition and cooking classes, as well as running annual development funds. I can, of course, write to the member with more detail on all that and across Government, too. Presiding Officer, to ask the Scottish Government how it supports food banks. Presiding Officer, we believe that access to sufficient nutritious food is a basic human right, and that no one in a nation as rich as Scotland should have to access food banks. That is why we have established the £1 million a year fair food fund to support the development of approaches that support people affected by food poverty in a dignified, sustainable way that reduces reliance on emergency food aid. The fair food transformation fund, which is a subset of the fair food fund, supports 36 projects, 14 of which are food banks, which are adapting their model to provide more dignified responses. Recently, I have had a very productive meeting with Trussell Trust, in which we discussed key areas in which we could work together, including supporting the Trussell Trust to carry out some key research into food poverty. Presiding Officer, I would like to put on record my thanks to the Trussell Trust for educating me and a number of MSPs in this Parliament about the wonderful work that all food banks do, which have become necessary in today's world. Importantly, many food banks now go beyond the role of ensuring that people do not starve in today's society and provide a wider advocacy role. Would the minister outline whether there is a Government policy and the long-term use of food banks necessary, though they are now? I suppose that in the long-term, we really would want to see progress towards ensuring that they are not a necessary part of society. Would the minister consider an all-party meeting to discuss the long-term use of food banks and perhaps get an understanding of the wider approach that the Government is taking to funding them, giving them much wider role that they seem to now be playing? Yes, Presiding Officer, I am always happy to meet the member and others to discuss our long-term approach to tackling the causes and consequences of food poverty. I am sure that the member is aware of the work that was done by the short-life working group on food poverty that produced the report Dignity Ending Hunger Together in Scotland. We very much based our policy and approach on the work that they have done in and around the fair food principles that have to have dignity at their very heart about opportunities for service users to be involved in having a real say in how services are delivered with other opportunities to volunteer or to upskill. Of course, we all have to be in the business of finding ways to eradicate the need for food banks, as opposed to them becoming normalised. In terms of the work that we have done today with the short-life working group, we are focused on moving from food charity to food justice. There are a number of areas that we are pursuing to achieve that, but I am always happy to discuss in more detail. I agree with much of the comments that Pauline McNeill said a few moments ago. Does the cabinet secretary agree with me that the UK Government's mal-administration of benefits, welfare cuts and benefits sanctions have continually pushed more and more people into food poverty, an increase to demand and a number of food banks in Scotland, and that that is a shocking trend that really does need to stop? Briefly, cabinet secretary. Yes, that would be my view as a Scottish Government minister, but it is also the view of the independent third sector, who are pointing to very clear evidence that the current benefit, conditionality and sanctions regime is neither fair nor proportionate. Both Scottish Government and stakeholders have been highlighting the negative impact on individuals across Scotland as a result of sanctions, and we are clear that sanctions have been a major driver to food banks. According to the most recent figures from the Trussell Trust, the number of people seeking assistance from food banks continues to rise, with the issues around benefits accounting for 44 per cent of referrals. I am clear that food poverty is a symptom of wider poverty, and that the UK Government's welfare cuts and punitive sanctions regime are pushing more and more people into acute income crisis. That is a shameful situation in an advanced and successful country and economy such as ours. I apologise to members for not getting through very many questions there. We now move on to the next item of business, which is a statement by Annabelle Ewing on a review of legal aid, and we'll just take a few seconds to change seats.


to all of you, thanks for coming. Many thanks for coming today to this session, number seven to six, in poetically titled, Farming and the Crescent Moon, Archaeological Insights into the Medieval Islamic Green Revolution. My name is Marcos García, I'm from the University of Granada, and I'm organizing this session with my colleagues, Jeron Ross, from the National Museum of Natural History of Paris, and Michelle Alexander from University of York, who is Imato Nautilif, and is able to join us today. In this introductory talk, we would like to present some general ideas concerning the central topic of this session. Many of the papers that will be presented cover the points that we want to make, but we wanted to begin from a broad, theoretical perspective of the, concerning the analysis of animal and plant husbandry in the medieval Islamic world. And the first idea we want to make is that when we think about husbandry, we refer to a complex phenomenon. So we all know plants and animal husbandry represent two of the main components of almost any of our system from the Neolithic period onwards, so their economic importance is without doubt. But there's another factor that we also forget, or usually it's forgotten, that is the social factors implied in these activities. In our view, the economic and the social significance of husbandry cannot be disentangled. And this is because farming is, above all, the production of food. For this reason, we suggest that the study of husbandry has to be combined with the analysis with a study of food waste in the past. People doesn't eat anything, not even what is best for us. So as Michael Daidler stated in this quote, diet goes beyond any biological need. So when dealing with the study of farming, we have to pay attention to this other side of the coin, particularly because consumption and the demand that makes it possible determines what vegetable and what animal species humans grow and breed. Arguably, in the case of the medieval Islamic, medieval food waste, this phenomenon is more relevant to animal husbandry than to the plant production and the consumption of vegetable food items. As none of the papers that will be presented today deals with the management of livestock, the livestock management, the Muslim medieval world, I'd like to present in a very summary way a key or a case study from my PhD thesis that illustrates a thing, that illustrates the close relationship between the spheres of food consumption and production. For this study, we analyze the farmer remains from a number of sites in southern Liberia with chronologies between the 7th and the 12th centuries. Among other results, we observe a correlation between the frequency of peak remains and the biometry of two species, of chicken and sheep. In those cases where the evidence suggested local breeding and consumption of pork, these two species, chicken and sheep, tended to be smaller in size than in cases where peak remains were absent. Given that hygrimid yield is correlated with larger bones, it seems plausible to link the increased size of these animals with their improved meat yield. As this trend correlates also well with the dramatic disappearance of peak remains in the soil archaeological record, this pattern is interpreted as being the result of the process of intensification of these two animals during the Islamic Iberia. In this sense, intensification refers to the management of chicken and sheep with the aim of increasing the quantity of food that they could provide, as a consequence, in my opinion, of the Islamization of Iberia and to the spread of the code of behavior that formed the Islamic orthoprocess, the orthoprocess of medieval Islam. This case of the study reflects the complexity of agrarian systems that are comprised by multiple interacting factors. So one change in the system caused the need to adjust the other elements of the system in order to find a new equilibrium, in this case, new sorts of animal protein, to substitute those derived from pork. Economic reasoning is therefore not the only variable to take in mind, to bear in mind, when we study a husband during the past. Other aspects, such as the social factors, are equally relevant for the comprehension of why and how people bred their animals and rode in crops. In other words, why and how people produce food in the past. Our second point we want to make is more closely related to the title of this talk, and also makes sense in the framework of this session. The knowledge of foreign systems in the Islamic medieval world has been built as any scientific endeavor by the only efforts of countless scholars. In this sense, the contribution of Andrew Watson has to be highlighted. It seems as he was the first who proposed that the early medieval spread of Islam was followed by the fashion of a new package of plans, of intensive methods of farming, particularly irrigation technology, and a subsequent rise in crop production, referring to this process as the Arab agricultural revolution. The value of Watson's contributions is of paramount relevance, given the profound implications that they hold for the comprehension, for our understanding, of the medieval hascentry in a general sense, but also because the influence and the impact of its thesis. In this graph, here on the bottom, in which the number of citations of his first and most influential article on this topic published in 1974 gives a crude but a very illustrative measure of its symbol and also showing a surge of citations in recent years. We will not review here the criticisms of the whole of Watson's thesis, given that the main elements are well known. Instead, we'll focus on two elements that have been much debated or play rejected by other scores. The first refers to the nature of innovation. It has been claimed that the impact of the medieval Arab expansion on agriculture was a complex phenomenon that took place over a longer period than the concept revolution implies. The chronology and the scope of Watson's proposed changes have been demonstrated to be problematic given the growing body of evidence for pre-Islamic diffusion of techniques, tools, and culturians in the Near East and the Mediterranean. Indeed, Watson's thesis was not based on archaeological evidence. Maraica van der Wien correctly underlines the fact that agricultural innovations are concerned less with invention and adoption and more with change and adaptation. And this is an assertion that has been widely accepted by other authors that undermines the possibility of radical changes in the agrarian past, the pre-modern agrarian past. This led us to a second issue, namely the concept of agricultural change and the agents implied. Concerning this topic somewhat overlooked by Watson, we have to highlight the work carried out in the European Peninsula by Thomas Bleak, and particularly the development of an original methodology known as Hydraulic Archaeology by Michel Barcelot and his team based at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. This line of archaeological inquiry is based on the grounds that the key element for understanding the Islamic Society of Alandos are peasant groups, peasant communities, considered as the main actors responsible for the agricultural change. One of the most significant contributions of Barcelot's team is the global perspective of social analysis that they adopted and the critical importance assigned to the social structure responsible for the management of the irrigated systems. In other words, this social perspective represents a valuable insight into the understanding of how husbandry systems are linked with socialist structures. In the sense, agricultural practices are conceived as social options that reflect political decisions. Peasant agency, therefore, plays the key role in the design and exploitation of any husbandry system. But peasants as social agents do not live in an historical vacuum. As Barcelot stated, agriculture doesn't exceed. What exceeds are peasant work processes more or less dominated by external forces, external political forces. Hence, as we've said before, if agriculture is amenantly the production of food, we have to pay attention not only to the sphere of production but also to the patterns of processing, storage, preparation, and consumption of this particular type of material culture that food represents. And rather paradoxically, this study of irrigation system has not been always fully connected with the analysis of these issues, limiting the global and systemic comprehension of historical agricultural systems. Precisely, the contribution of bioarchaeology and geoarchaeology helps or allows to fill the gap between the study of the agrarian areas of production and the places where produced items were processed, preserved, stored, consumed, and reduced. Scientific advances are only possible when significant and representative knowledge from particular studies have been acquired, it's been discussed, and shared. Particularly, especially when paradigmatic views of the past are so well-established as Watson's agricultural revolution model. And this is the end of the session. To bring together new archaeological evidence related to the consequences of the medieval Islamic conquest on farm ingredients. The eight papers that will be presented in this session have been arranged in a geographical order in the east to the west, so we'll move from Afghanistan, sorry, from Uzbekistan, to the Iberian Peninsula, to Iberia, via the nearies and seaside. We have planned two discussion slots that will be led by Geronros. The first focus on the seven first papers before a break at 7, sorry, at 10.30, and a second one, the last one, on the remaining two papers and for general discussion. And this would be not only 15 minutes, the last discussion slot, I mean, but maybe we can have it for a longer period, for a longer time. So thanks for your attention. Thanks for coming today. Thanks for presenting your answers and to present the session. We hope that it will be fruitful and interesting for all of us. It's my pleasure, without any interruption, without any break, to introduce the first speaker, this Robert Spengler from the Max Plan, who is the dean for the Science and Human History and who will present the paper, Archaeological Studies at the Tash-Bulak Archaeological Site during the Karogyanic period. Thank you.