Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott) Con

The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-05088, in the name of Jackie Baillie, on Scotland’s health service.15:49

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Lab

I welcome the opportunity to debate Scotland’s health service. We are all—rightly—proud of the national health service and we are all grateful to the dedicat...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

I call Alex Neil, who has seven minutes.15:59

The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing (Alex Neil) SNP

I welcome the opportunity yet again to put on record my gratitude for the dedication and commitment of NHS staff throughout Scotland and, indeed, my gratitud...

Neil Findlay (Lothian) (Lab) Lab

Will the minister take an intervention?

Alex Neil SNP

I do not have much time, so I do not have time for interruptions, unfortunately.Let me make it absolutely clear that individual cases that need to be investi...

Jackie Baillie Lab

Will the minister take an intervention?

Alex Neil SNP

I do not have time, unfortunately.I say to Jackie Baillie and other Labour members that, if we did not have to pay out £184 million for private finance initi...

Neil Findlay Lab

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I wonder whether you can help. The minister says that he does not have time to take an intervention. He has seven min...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

Thank you, but that is not a point of order. It is for members to decide whether to take interventions.

Alex Neil SNP

I have so many errors to correct and so much to say that the truth is that seven minutes is not nearly enough time.Let us deal with Audit Scotland. In the Au...

Jackie Baillie Lab

Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?

Alex Neil SNP

I have only just over a minute left.Unlike Labour, we do not have hidden waiting lists. We will not hide behind anyone. If there are problems to be solved, w...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

I now call on Jackson Carlaw—five minutes, please.16:07

Jackson Carlaw (West Scotland) (Con) Con

Well, ever was it thus. This is depressingly like a debate that I am sure we had within the recent memory of us all. The Labour Party throws everything at th...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith) Lab

We move to the open debate, with speeches of four minutes. Time is tight this afternoon.16:12

Aileen McLeod (South Scotland) (SNP) SNP

I offer my sincere thanks to all the NHS staff who were responsible for delivering what the NHS’s chief executive described in his recently published annual ...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Lab

You have one minute left.

Aileen McLeod SNP

It has become clear in recent weeks that the SNP Government stands alone in giving those undertakings. We know that no area of universal entitlement to publi...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Lab

You must conclude.

Aileen McLeod SNP

In conclusion, I support the amendment in Alex Neil’s name.16:16

Sarah Boyack (Lothian) (Lab) Lab

In the first eight years of this Parliament, Labour allocated huge increases to health, which enabled the system to recover from the previous round of Tory c...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Lab

The member is in her last minute.

Sarah Boyack Lab

The problem is not just bed capacity, but insufficient staff in key clinical areas. I could have spent my four minutes just reading out recent press headline...

Mark McDonald (North East Scotland) (SNP) SNP

We talk a lot about choices during debates in this chamber. Recently, we have heard talk from Labour members—indeed, from the Labour leader—about the need to...

Sarah Boyack Lab

Will the member take an intervention on that point?

Mark McDonald SNP

I will happily hear Sarah Boyack’s point in the winding-up speeches—I have only four minutes.We need to know exactly what the Labour Party’s priorities are. ...

Jackie Baillie Lab

Will the member take an intervention on that point?

Mark McDonald SNP

I ask Ms Baillie to leave it to the winding-up speeches; as I said, I have only four minutes.

Jackie Baillie Lab

We need an apology from you.