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
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 will welcome that.
I find astonishing the position of not only the Tory and Liberal Democrat members, but Labour members, as the capital cuts that I have just laid at the door of the Tory-Liberal Democrat coalition were, of course, 100 per cent planned by the former Labour Government. The hard reality, which the Opposition parties might not like, is that if it were not for the work of the Scottish Government, assisted by the Scottish Futures Trust, this project would not be happening at all. That is the implication of the budgetary decisions that were proposed by Labour and implemented by the Tories and the Liberal Democrats.
This Government is determined that this project should proceed. Even if others cannot find it within themselves to welcome that, I am sure that people in the Lothians will.
I find astonishing the position of not only the Tory and Liberal Democrat members, but Labour members, as the capital cuts that I have just laid at the door of the Tory-Liberal Democrat coalition were, of course, 100 per cent planned by the former Labour Government. The hard reality, which the Opposition parties might not like, is that if it were not for the work of the Scottish Government, assisted by the Scottish Futures Trust, this project would not be happening at all. That is the implication of the budgetary decisions that were proposed by Labour and implemented by the Tories and the Liberal Democrats.
This Government is determined that this project should proceed. Even if others cannot find it within themselves to welcome that, I am sure that people in the Lothians will.
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...