Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 17 March 2011
17 Mar 2011 · S3 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Scottish Executive Question Time
New Royal Hospital for Sick Children (Edinburgh)
Health and Wellbeing
Just as David McLetchie should direct his concerns about capital funding to his Tory colleagues in London, Margaret Smith should direct her concerns to her Liberal colleagues in London. It is the Tory and Liberal coalition Government that has slashed our capital budgets. We are determined to see the project proceed. If Margaret Smith had listened to my original answer—as, I am sure, she did—she would have heard me say that the financial support that is available for revenue-financed projects is currently being finalised. Equally, she will have heard me give a strong indication of our support for the project to proceed. I hope that all members, in Edinburgh and throughout Scotland, will welcome the Government’s support for a project that is extremely important to the future of the NHS in Scotland.
In the same item of business
David McLetchie (Edinburgh Pentlands) (Con)
Con
7. To ask the Scottish Executive whether it remains committed to funding the new Royal hospital for sick children in Edinburgh proposed by NHS Lothian and, i...
The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing (Nicola Sturgeon)
SNP
The Scottish Government remains fully committed to the delivery of the Royal hospital for sick children as quickly as possible. As I indicated to Malcolm Chi...
David McLetchie
Con
Does the cabinet secretary agree that it is regrettable that we have not progressed further with the project? Does she accept that that is due, in part, to t...
Nicola Sturgeon
SNP
No, I do not agree with that. I find it deeply regrettable that, as the country seeks to recover from the recession, the United Kingdom Government, of which ...
Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD)
LD
I share the concerns about the delay in the project. Given that the Scottish Government is continuing to give £850 million in capital to NHS Greater Glasgow ...
Nicola Sturgeon
SNP
Just as David McLetchie should direct his concerns about capital funding to his Tory colleagues in London, Margaret Smith should direct her concerns to her L...
Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab)
Lab
I ask the question again: what tangible benefit is being brought to the project by the Scottish Futures Trust? My colleague George Foulkes made a freedom of ...
Nicola Sturgeon
SNP
The Scottish Futures Trust is providing vital support to NHS Lothian to develop the procurement strategy that will deliver the project. I hope that members w...