Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 04 February 2015
04 Feb 2015 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Budget (Scotland) (No 4) Bill: Stage 3
Our position is to maintain teacher numbers. The SNP promised to do just that, but it has failed miserably. We have almost 4,500 fewer teachers in Scotland today than we had when the SNP took charge. According to the Scottish Parliament information centre, spending on education, which showed a steady increase from 1999, has levelled out since 2008-09. Indeed, the Government’s figures, which were supplied to the Education and Culture Committee, show an increase of a fraction of a per cent, which is in effect a real-terms reduction in schools spending.
Education is a key tool in the battle against inequality. It is perhaps one of the most significant opportunities to overcome inequality that is provided over a person’s lifetime, yet the SNP has presided over a cut in teacher numbers, a cut in college places and a decreasing number of students from the poorest backgrounds accessing university. The SNP’s approach to education actually entrenches inequality.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott)
Con
The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-12226, in the name of John Swinney, on the Budget (Scotland) (No 4) Bill. 14:40
The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy (John Swinney)
SNP
The Budget (Scotland) (No 4) Bill confirms our spending plans to deliver a more prosperous and fairer Scotland. Although the latest economic indicators conti...
Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green)
Green
As we have consistently argued for many years now, any increase in this area is welcome, but has the extra £20 million been calculated on the basis of what i...
John Swinney
SNP
We are considering the full extent of the scale of investment that would be required to tackle this issue. Indeed, the matter has been raised with us by the ...
Neil Findlay (Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
I wonder whether in his speech Mr Swinney could advise us as to why the Scottish Government has delayed releasing the guidance on the living wage with regard...
John Swinney
SNP
The Government is making clear progress on the implementation of the living wage, and I would have thought that Mr Findlay could have welcomed that. The hea...
Jim Hume (South Scotland) (LD)
LD
Will Mr Swinney explain how cutting the budget allocation for general medical services—the funding for general practitioners—is protecting our public services?
John Swinney
SNP
For Mr Hume’s information, I can tell him that an extra £40 million has been put into that budget line. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting families fo...
Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (Lab)
Lab
Will the cabinet secretary give way?
John Swinney
SNP
No, not that this stage. The key focus of our work to tackle inequality is to ensure that Scotland is one of the best countries in the world for children to...
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab)
Lab
I welcome the opportunity to participate in this afternoon’s stage 3 debate. Labour approached the budget this year with three very clearly defined asks: a ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Con
Order.
Jackie Baillie
Lab
Mr Swinney also talked about applying sanctions collectively, which would be administratively difficult to do—never mind unfair. Most bizarre of all is the ...
John Swinney
SNP
In her comments, will Jackie Baillie do something helpful and encourage Labour councils to protect teacher numbers?
Jackie Baillie
Lab
Our position is to maintain teacher numbers. The SNP promised to do just that, but it has failed miserably. We have almost 4,500 fewer teachers in Scotland t...
John Swinney
SNP
Will Jackie Baillie give way?
Jackie Baillie
Lab
I will give way in a second. I turn to the resilience fund. There can be doubt that what we are witnessing in the North Sea with the drop in oil prices has ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Con
Order. I call Gavin Brown. Before he speaks, I encourage members to follow the good example of the Deputy First Minister and to make interventions when stand...
Gavin Brown (Lothian) (Con)
Con
I will begin with what the Deputy First Minister ended with: education. Although I was not privy to the detail of the discussions between the Scottish Govern...
John Swinney
SNP
Will Mr Brown take an intervention?
Gavin Brown
Con
I will, in a moment. We should remember that we heard talk earlier of clawbacks, penalties and ring fencing, but just a few months ago the First Minister sa...
John Swinney
SNP
Mr Brown has complained about my coming to Parliament and explaining the outcome of my discussions with COSLA, which, I volunteered, had not reached agreemen...
Gavin Brown
Con
I think that there was a little more than factual reporting that there had not been an outcome: there was real politicisation of education. I am very happy t...
John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)
SNP
Will Gavin Brown give way?
Gavin Brown
Con
I have only 20 seconds or so left, so I am afraid that I am not able to do so. We are concerned about the impact that that will have on the economy—particul...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Con
We are extraordinarily tight for time. Speeches of up to six minutes would be welcomed. 15:13
Mark McDonald (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP)
SNP
It is clear that Mr Swinney is once again looking to protect the front line, despite the austerity measures that are being imposed on Scotland. The additiona...
Willie Rennie (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD)
LD
Will the member take an intervention?
Mark McDonald
SNP
I might do so a bit later, but I want to make progress. What the cabinet secretary has done on teacher numbers is entirely appropriate. It is clear that COS...
Alex Rowley (Cowdenbeath) (Lab)
Lab
I agree that we should be doing everything within our power, and local authorities should do likewise, to maintain teacher numbers and improve education. Doe...