FMQs: Humza Yousaf facing questions on Horizon Post Office scandal, Scotland's XL Bullies ban & UK Covid Inquiry
Welcome to The Scotsman's live coverage of FMQs in the Scottish Parliament. Our politics team is primed to bring you every cut and thrust from today's politics at Holyrood.
FMQs: Thursday January 18
Welcome!
A warm welcome from The Scotsman's politics team, on a very cold day in Edinburgh.
It's been another bad week for NHS Scotland performance figures, so we're expecting to hear more on those from opposition politicians, and given the UK Covid Inquiry is holding public hearings in Edinburgh, there's a strong chance we might hear more on the Scottish Government's Whatsapp messages furore.
More on yesterday's UK Covid Inquiry hearing here: Covid inquiry Scotland: Powerful testimony heard from families in Edinburgh as Nicola Sturgeon WhatsApp messages showdown looms
FM: SNP government has had ‘failures’ and has made ‘mistakes’
First Minister Humza Yousaf admits the police investigation into SNP finances has “clearly been an impact” in the public’s perception and dwindling trust of the party.
He also admits the SNP government has made “failures” and “mistakes”, saying his party needs to be upfront about where it has not stepped up.
Operation Branchform, the police investigation into party finances, has plagued Mr Yousaf’s time as SNP leader.
SNP's free tuition policy is creating 'challenges' for universities
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth has admitted the SNP’s flagship policy of free tuition for Scottish students is creating “challenges” for universities.
The minister made the remark as she was being quizzed by MSPs on pressures in the higher education sector in the wake of fresh funding cuts.
During the hearing, Ms Gilruth also signalled she was currently only minded to take forward “parts” of the Hayward review on the future of school qualifications, with the rest of it still under consideration ahead of a long-awaited debate on the plans in the “next few weeks”.
Scottish victim calls for Prof Eljamel TV drama
A woman who fought to win a public inquiry into disgraced neurosurgeon Professor Sam Eljamel has said a TV drama could be made of their campaign similar to the hit programme about the Post Office Horizon scandal.
Jules Rose said those who campaigned for the inquiry, which was announced in September by First Minister Humza Yousaf, had now been approached by “several production companies”.
SNP minister would be 'very excited' to bring GRR Bill back to Holyrood
A junior SNP minister says she would be “very excited” to bring the Gender Reform Bill back to Holyrood.
The proposals to overhaul gender laws in Scotland were abandoned last year after a court ruled the UK Government was right to block the legislation. Scottish Secretary Alister Jack is now looking to lodge a motion to get the Scottish Government to reimburse the UK Government for the court costs.
Equalities minister Emma Roddick said she would like to bring gender reform back to the Scottish Parliament if a new UK Government agreed not to block Holyrood’s “democratic right”.
Horizon
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross begins by asking about the Horizon Post Office Scandal - what is the position of the Scottish Government?
Ross mentions conflicting messaging coming from the First Minster - who says the normal appeals process should be set aside - and the Lord Advocate, who has said Scotland already has an appeals process.
First Minister Humza Yousaf says the Lord Advocate is right to say there is an existing appeals process through the Scottish Criminal Case Review Commission, while the Scottish Government supports the UK Government's plans to bring in legislation for mass exoneration.
Ross complains that his question has not been answered. What discussions has the FM had with the Lord Advocate since she made her comments?, Ross asks.
Yousaf says that it is not a binary choice, everyone wants to see mass exoneration for those who were erroneously convicted, while no one wants to see sound convictions overturned, and criminals entitled to compensation.
Yousaf adds that the scandal was born in Westminster, and the Post Office is an entirely reserved matter.
Ross bites back by saying the Crown Office is entirely devolved to the Scottish Parliament.
ITV drama
We're running over ground that was covered last week now - why did convictions continue for two years after the Crown Office was made aware of problems with Horizon?, Ross asks.
The Crown Office was misled, according to the Lord Advocate, Yousaf says. He also adds that it took an ITV drama for the UK Government to make meaningful steps to right this historic wrong.
"All of this matters in Holyrood because the Crown Office is devolved" and it is the actions of the Scottish Parliament now that will exonerate Sub-Postmasters, Ross says.
Labour up now
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar is on his feet now.
There is confusion on the ban on XL Bully dogs in Scotland, he says.
Why are we still waiting on a promised review of dangerous dogs legislation that was promised in 2018?, he asks.
Yousaf reminds Sarwar that a global pandemic happened, and has delayed the review.
He adds that the Scottish Government is not proposing a ban, and that people will be allowed to keep their XL Bullies.
Scots were treated for 7,600 injuries inflicted by dogs, "many for life", Sarwar says. He mentions a postal worker who was attacked by an alsatian, who needed plastic surgery to repair her injuries.
"The government promised five years ago to take action against irresponsible owners and breeders, not individual breeds" Sarwar says.
"People should not have to be fearful when they leave for work," Sarwar adds, and calls on the Scottish Government to fix the Control of Dogs Act.
Yousaf says his government has brought in a Dog Control Act regime which does not exist in England and Wales, and has set up a working group to look at the issue.
Cancer survival rates
Alexander Stewart asks about cancer survival rates, something we've covered in depth recently:
Scotland is one of the worst places in the developed world to survive cancer, damning figures have revealed, with the whole of the UK “woefully behind” other countries for cancer survival rates.
The Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce (LSCT) collates information on six ‘less survivable’ cancers – lung; liver; brain; oesophageal; pancreatic; and stomach cancer. Together, these cancers have an average five-year survival rate of just 16 per cent.
The data shows that out of 33 countries of comparable wealth and income levels, Scotland ranks as low as 32nd for five-year survival for pancreatic cancer, 31st for stomach cancer and 29th for lung cancer.
More on that here: Cancer survival rates: Scotland lagging badly behind other developed nations and only ahead of Russia, Czechia and Thailand for surviving cancer
Stewart admonished the Scottish Government, saying: "First Minister, you should be ashamed that your Government has allowed the five year survival for these cancers to drop to some of the lowest in the developed world. What action will you take to resolve this?"
Yousaf says that the government is "trying to speed up diagnosis where we can", investing in an cancer early detection programme, and also investing in rapid cancer diagnostic services which are currently operational in five NHS health boards across Scotland.
Yousaf adds: "The overall cancer mortality has decreased by 11 per cent over the last 10 years."
Women in West of Scotland 'using their life savings' to fund cancer treatment
Dame Jackie Baillie brings up the plight of a group of women from the West of Scotland who have had to use their families' life savings to fund private treatment in England.
"Those in the West of Scotland cannot access life saving surgery that women in NHS Lothian can access," Dame Jackie adds.
"Consequently, they face poorer outcomes when it comes to survival rates for the disease.
"It is nothing short of a national scandal that women with ovarian cancer are having to pay for the surgery they need and deserve because of where they live.
"Can the First Minister tell us why women in the West of Scotland can't get surgery and what urgent action is being taken to end this life threatening postcode lottery?"
Yousaf says the Scottish Government has "taken action to increase the number of consultant oncologists", which he says has increased by 100 per cent since the SNP assumed power. Adds there has been a 66 per cent increase in consultant radiologists.
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.