Official Report 1700KB pdf
Good morning. The first item of business is general question time. Question 1 has not been lodged.
Cost of Living Support (Glasgow Anniesland)
To ask the Scottish Government what targeted support it is providing to households in the Glasgow Anniesland constituency regarding the on-going cost of living crisis, to ensure that they are aware of, and able to access, the financial support, benefits and energy assistance schemes available to them. (S6O-05628)
We recognise the pressure on household budgets, which is why we are working with key partners, including Glasgow City Council, to tackle child poverty through transforming the way in which public services are delivered. Our benefit take-up strategy, along with investment of more than £16 million in welfare, debt and income maximisation advice services, helps us to ensure that people throughout Scotland can access all the financial support to which they are entitled.
Targeted local support in Glasgow includes £400,000 for the fairer futures partnership and a range of local advice projects, supported by our advice in accessible settings fund.
The support and dedicated services that are available to help people with their struggles with the cost of living are a lifeline to many in my constituency and across Scotland, given the continuing pressures on households and in the light of rising petrol, energy and food prices, which are linked to global instability. Does the minister share my concern that families are approaching a new cost of living crisis point, and will she call on the United Kingdom Government to deliver an emergency package of support, particularly to prevent further increases in energy bills and fuel costs, which would place an even greater strain on households?
I agree. Scotland faces an on-going cost of living crisis, with global events likely to exacerbate already stretched household budgets. We have consistently called on the UK Government to do more. The Cabinet Secretary for Housing has pressed UK ministers urgently to provide public reassurance to all bill payers that ministers will provide financial support to consumers if prices do not stabilise in the coming days. She has also asked that the alternative fuel payment infrastructure be ready to be stood up, so that payments can be delivered as quickly as possible.
Fiscal Framework
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the current fiscal framework is biased against Scotland. (S6O-05629)
The fiscal framework will always be suboptimal compared with having the full powers of independence.
In the meantime, discussions with the United Kingdom Government on the scope of the next review of the framework are under way. That is an opportunity to examine thoroughly the framework’s current arrangements and secure further improvements that benefit Scotland. I am seeking a more ambitious and broadly scoped review. However, agreement on that must be reached with the UK Government.
I thank the cabinet secretary for the fact that we are looking for an ambitious review. The fiscal framework was based on our competing with or matching the rest of the UK. We can do that with most regions in Northern Ireland and Wales, but we struggle to do that—and always have—with London and the south-east. On top of that, the Barnett formula squeezes our spending and ignores needs such as rurality.
At the start of the fiscal framework, we thought that we were getting a good deal, although the Conservatives wanted us to accept something poorer. However, in retrospect, we can see that the fiscal framework is not working. The Government must demand a serious review. I know that the cabinet secretary will not be here, but can she commit the Government to that?
I agree with John Mason that some of the comparators are very challenging. Given the advantages and fiscal position of London and the south-east, it is very difficult for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or, indeed, English regions to compete with them. Given that the fiscal framework is based around some of the very difficult comparators of growth or otherwise, particularly in relation to the population and tax base, it is very challenging.
To answer John Mason directly, it is important that there is a thorough review of the fiscal framework that goes back to some of the fundamentals. We absolutely require fiscal flexibilities. We need only look at the global factors that are impacting on public finances at the moment to see why Governments—whether it is the Scottish Government or other Governments—face headwinds, and we have very limited levers to respond to that. A fundamental review is required at this stage.
Queen Elizabeth University Hospital
To ask the Scottish Government when it was first informed of water and mould ingress at the Queen Elizabeth university hospital. (S6O-05630)
Regarding media interest in potential mould and water ingress, antimicrobial resistance and healthcare associated infection Scotland—ARHAI Scotland—notified the Scottish Government of an incident of water ingress in ward 4B in the Queen Elizabeth university hospital on 26 February 2026. Ministers were made aware of that late in the afternoon on the same day. At the time, the alert was assessed as amber. On 5 March, ministers were made aware that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde had reassessed the alert as red following significant public anxiety and media interest.
Meghan Gallacher will know that the First Minister made the Parliament aware of that on 5 March during First Minister’s question time. That healthcare infection incident assessment tool red alert has now been reassessed and reduced to amber.
In the interests of full transparency, I am making the Parliament aware that, this morning, it was confirmed that a swab taken from room 85, which was closed on 19 February, has shown mould growth. As colleagues would expect, I have made it clear to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that I expect its continued focus to see those issues resolved as soon as possible.
The cabinet secretary is right to say that there is media interest, but the public will be concerned at the developments that the cabinet secretary has just outlined.
Bone marrow transplant patients are among the most vulnerable in the national health service, and common airborne mould can cause life-threatening infections. What further action is the Government taking to ensure that wards other than the ones that the cabinet secretary has mentioned have also been inspected for mould and water ingress? When will the bone marrow ward be safe for use? Who will ultimately be held accountable for this latest incident at Queen Elizabeth university hospital?
I had the pleasure of visiting ward staff last Wednesday and hearing directly from them about the mitigations that are being taken by clinical staff to ensure that the ward continues to be safe, because it continues to be used. There are rooms that are closed in order to manage safety, to ensure a risk-averse approach and to ensure—as Meghan Gallacher rightly says—that the risks are being managed, given that there are immunosuppressed patients, with clinically driven mitigations in place.
An oversight board that is co-chaired by Sir Lewis Ritchie is looking at the issue. The incident management team has also been set up, and it is receiving independent clinical assurance from a colleague in Newcastle. The HIIAT is in place to ensure there is on-going transparency and the action that is required. As I said in my initial answer to Meghan Gallacher, this morning, I have also impressed on NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde the importance that ministers place on NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde getting the issue resolved as soon as possible.
I remind members of my entry in the register of members’ interests.
It is vital that staff and patients alike feel safe in our NHS estate. Can the cabinet secretary say how the recently announced oversight group will ensure that the board of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde takes immediate steps to strengthen trust and patient confidence in the Queen Elizabeth university hospital?
Clare Haughey is absolutely right. That is why the new safety and public confidence oversight group will play a vital role in strengthening public and political confidence in the safety of the facilities and the environment in which services are delivered across the Queen Elizabeth university hospital and the Royal hospital for children.
Drawing on the external expertise of national agencies and industry experts, the group will provide assurance that the Queen Elizabeth university hospital offers a safe environment for patients and staff. It is important to stress that staff groups and patient groups are also represented on that oversight group, which met for the first time yesterday. The safety and public confidence oversight group will report to the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde board and to the chief operating officer of NHS Scotland, who will provide regular scrutiny and support and will ensure that ministers are regularly updated.
Bus Services (Rural and Coastal Constituencies)
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the reliability and accountability of bus services in rural and coastal constituencies. (S6O-05631)
I very much welcome that question from Karen Adam, because the Scottish Government is absolutely committed, in partnership with operators and local authorities, to looking at ways of ensuring that everyone has accessible public transport, regardless of where they live.
On the substantive point, in 2026-27, we will continue to provide financial support for bus services with £46.5 million for the network support grant, and we will launch a further round of the very successful plugged-in communities grant funding. We have also commenced a £10 million regional pilot for a £2 bus fare cap, which will be rolled out in the Highlands and Moray from 23 March 2026. That will allow us to assess the potential to improve connectivity in rural areas.
A survey that I recently carried out in my constituency of Banffshire and Buchan Coast showed extremely low satisfaction with the local Stagecoach bus services, because of repeated cancellations, poor communication and concerns about accessibility. Many people told me that the service was simply not reliable enough for work, education or healthcare appointments. What further action can the Government take to ensure that operators that are delivering services in rural areas meet acceptable standards of reliability and that communities such as mine are not left behind?
I appreciate the point that Karen Adam makes. I, too, am from a rural constituency, and I genuinely appreciate the vital role that local bus services play in rural communities and the importance of reliable services for commuters in Banffshire, Buchan and all the rural communities in Scotland.
The traffic commissioner for Scotland is responsible for enforcing service reliability in line with the operator’s registration. Through legislation, we have given local transport authorities powers to take action to improve the services in their area, whether through partnership working, franchising or running their own services. We want all local transport authorities, including rural and coastal authorities, to explore the powers that are available to them and make the necessary improvements that they see fit.
Bus services in North East Fife are constantly being chopped and changed, leaving people stranded who are desperate to get to work and secure their employment. Why has it taken since 2019 to utilise the regulatory powers that the minister has just set out? When are we going to get a move on and implement those powers?
The powers are there for local authorities to use as they see fit. All the powers have been delivered. Whether through franchising or local partnership, the powers are there for local authorities, and it is up to them to decide the best system to use in their area.
Energy Project Objections
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it is appropriate for the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy to use terms such as “far right” in the context of objections to energy projects. (S6O-05632)
I welcome the opportunity once again to correct the inappropriate and wilfully misleading claims by Conservative MSPs about my interview in a national newspaper, in which I was referring to the anti-net zero rhetoric that has been weaponised by Reform UK, which said that it would dismantle the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero at United Kingdom Government level. That rhetoric uses the legitimate concerns of communities, which I fully understand, to put at risk our energy security; to divide and dilute our fight against climate change; and to damage the economic opportunities for Scotland that come with investment in climate action. It is essential that communities feel able to engage with us on the planning and consenting of energy projects.
It is clear what is going on here. The cabinet secretary is trying to silence community groups that are against the monster pylons, battery storage and subsidies—[Interruption.]
Let us hear Mr Lumsden.
—that are ruining much of rural Scotland. The Government has stopped email submissions to the energy consents unit because there are too many objections—something that the cabinet secretary did not seem to understand. It has also stopped people seeing the objections before the submission deadline has closed and has resorted to mudslinging to try to silence communities.
Those communities’ voices will never be silenced. The community groups concerned have lost all confidence in Gillian Martin, so will she apologise and reverse the changes to the ECU that are making it harder for communities to be involved in the process? [Interruption.]
I ask those who are joining us to do so quietly.
Mr Lumsden is demonstrating once again that his preferred method of political engagement is personal attacks that have scant regard to fact instead of what the vast majority of people would like to hear from a spokesperson on energy and climate action, which is ideas on how we can improve the energy security of our nation, create jobs and opportunities for our citizens and play our part in reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions. That is what I do day in, day out.
National Health Service (Decision Making and Accountability)
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the importance of local decision making and local accountability in the national health service. (S6O-05633)
The Scottish Government remains fully committed to involving people and communities in the decision making that affects them and their NHS. Boards have used our “Planning with People: Community engagement and participation guidance” to involve local communities in planning local services from community hubs to out-of-hours services and models of care. The guidance sets out boards’ responsibilities for community engagement when services are being planned or changes are being considered and ensures that local people and communities are meaningfully involved.
The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care will be aware of Scottish Labour’s proposals to axe local health boards such as NHS Orkney, NHS Shetland, NHS Western Isles and NHS Grampian in favour of three health boards for the whole of Scotland. In my Highlands and Islands region, our local boards, particularly the island boards, remain a valuable means of local accountability in response to local needs, while a north-of-Scotland approach would significantly reduce decision making by people who live and work in the communities that they are supposed to serve.
Although the Scottish National Party, too, has a track record of centralising health services away from local communities, does the health secretary at least agree with me that Labour’s plans to axe health boards across the Highlands and Islands would be a backwards step? Does he accept that, as well as more local delivery of services, communities want local decision making and accountability to be protected in our NHS?
As someone who was born and brought up in Orkney, I recognise the importance of local services, and decisions being taken about them, being as local as possible.
Mr Halcro Johnston will be aware of the work that we are doing to reform the way in which our boards co-operate and work together. That subnational planning includes rural and island workstreams to ensure leadership for rural and island service planning and to give a clear voice to rural and island communities in the planning processes. I hope that that gives Mr Halcro Johnston the assurance that he and his constituents are looking for.
NHS Ayrshire and Arran (Financial Sustainability)
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the financial sustainability of NHS Ayrshire and Arran. (S6O-05634)
As Ms Mochan and colleagues will remember from my comments on 17 February, given concerns over its financial sustainability, NHS Ayrshire and Arran has been moved to stage 4 of the NHS Scotland support and intervention framework for finance. That will involve senior external support and monitoring from Scottish Government, including establishing an assurance board.
I have confidence in the interim chief executive, Gordon James, and the refreshed leadership team. My officials will continue to work with them to return NHS Ayrshire and Arran to a sustainable financial footing while maintaining services for the people of Ayrshire and Arran.
Last month, NHS Ayrshire and Arran’s interim chief executive stated to a committee of the Parliament that
“the board is not in a financially sustainable position.”—[Official Report, Public Audit Committee, 25 February 2026; c 2.]
The health board has been in deficit since 2017-18 and now owes the highest level of outstanding loans of any health board. It is not financially sustainable and, given that it was first escalated to stage 3 more than seven years ago, we have to seriously question why it has been allowed to sit on such a high level of escalation for so long. Is the cabinet secretary confident that the support and intervention framework is working as effectively as it should?
Yes, I am. I agree with Gordon James’s assessment, which is why NHS Ayrshire and Arran is at level 4 of the escalation framework and is getting additional assistance from the Scottish Government. The board has received support from the Government commensurate with its challenges but its financial position is not recovering, so the decision has been made to move it up to level 4.
We continue to invest in NHS Ayrshire and Arran to improve services and return it to a sustainable financial position, and we will continue to work with the board to do just that.
Air adhart
Dunblane Shootings (30th Anniversary)