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From YouTube: Topical Questions - 22 September 2020
Description
Topical Questions
A
A
D
Our
ambition
remains
to
run
a
2021
examination.
Diet,
however,
covert
continues
to
present
real
risk
of
further
disruption
for
individual
learners,
schools
and
colleges
or
more
widely
across
the
country
during
the
course
of
the
year.
We
also
do
not
know
what
situation
we
will
face
in
the
spring
of
next
year,
when
the
exam
diet
would
normally
take
place.
Our
approach
to
exams
must
remain
appropriate
to
the
circumstances
we
face,
and
it
is
critical
that
we
take
account
of
the
license
from
the
2020
national
qualifications.
D
Professor
mark
prieste
will
report
the
findings
of
his
independent
review
at
the
end
of
this
month,
and
I
will
consider
fully
his
recommendations
for
assessment.
This
year.
The
sqa
and
the
education
recovery
group
are
looking
at
contingencies
in
relation
to
exams
and
I've
committed
to
providing
as
much
clarity
and
certainty
as
possible
in
this
matter.
At
the
start
of
next
month,
before
the
october
recess,.
C
Can
I
thank
the
chemist
for
that
response.
The
reality
is
that
many
parents,
teachers
and
pupils
are
watching
and
listening
with
apprehension.
Many
have
taken
to
writing
to
us
by
their
hundreds
already
this
week
with
concerns
that
the
government
may
already
be
planning
to
cancel
next
year's
exams
either
some
or
all
of
them.
Their
plea
to
us
is
simple:
please
don't
throw
in
the
towel
on
the
2021
exam
diet,
just
yet
cabinet
secretary.
Do
you
agree
with
them.
D
I
think
parents
and
pupils
and
teachers
would
understand
that
I
have
to
look
at
all
contingencies.
We
are
about
to
hear
a
statement
from
the
first
minister
in
relation
to
a
deteriorating
situation
in
relation
to
covet.
I
cannot
ignore
that
reality
and
I
would
be
foolhardy
if
I
was
to
ignore
that
reality.
D
C
Can
I
thank
that
further
response?
No
one
denies
that
the
virus
situation
is
unpredictable
and
these
decisions
are
unenviable,
but
scotland's
young
people
have
suffered
already
too
much
disruption
to
their
education
this
year,
and
I
argue
that
there
is
time
time
to
plan
time
to
resource
and
time
to
offer
certainty
that
no
matter
what
happens,
the
government
will
pull
out
all
stops
to
create
a
credible
award
system
for
all
pupils
in
2021.
C
But,
given
that
teachers
are
already
teaching,
students
are
already
learning
time
is
of
the
essence.
So
let
me
ask
the
cabinet
secretary
by
what
date
will
we
see
these
robust
plans,
including
contingency
plans,
and
when
will
a
final
decision
be
made
on
the
full
2021
exam
diet
but,
more
importantly,
who
has
been
consulted
in
the
making
of
these
plans.
E
E
F
Thank
you,
president
officer.
During
this
period
of
uncertainty,
as
we
see
worrying
rise
in
cases
of
coronavirus
in
scotland,
does
the
deputy
first
minister
agree
with
me
that
it's
more
important
than
ever
that
parties
across
the
chamber
work
together
to
ensure
the
hard
work
of
pupils
will
be
recognized
fairly
and
not
use
them
as
a
political
football,
as
the
tories
continue
their
attack
in
scottish
education
cabinet.
D
G
D
That
is
why
we
have
to
explore
contingencies,
and
I
acknowledge
that
it
is
important
to
give
as
much
clarity
as
possible
as
early
in
the
school
year
as
we
possibly
can
do.
But
I'm
sure
parliament
will
understand
that
we
can
only
do
that
when
we
have
sufficiently
strong
foundations
upon
which
to
to
to
base
those
contingencies,
and
I
will
do
that
at
the
earliest
possible
opportunity.
H
Thank
you,
presiding
officer,
we're
well
over
a
month
into
the
new
term
and
fast
approaching.
Prelims
and
teachers
are
being
asked
to
plan
lessons
without
knowing
what
pupils
will
be
assessed
on
or
how
those
assessments
will
be
made.
They
seek
clarity
and
I
acknowledge
the
very
difficult
circumstances
that
we're
all
facing.
I
asked
the
cabinet
secretary
two
weeks
ago,
where
there
is
any
idea
of
the
scale
of
the
extra
hours
worked
by
teachers,
but
I
did
not
receive
an
answer.
I
Signed
off,
so
the
chamber
will
be
aware
that
on
friday
I
announced
further
emergency
measures.
Agreements
have
been
agreed
for
the
scotrail
and
caledonian
sleeper
franchises.
This
allowed
staff
to
be
assured
on
the
stability
of
the
future
of
their
company
prior
to
the
emas
expiring.
During
the
course
of
the
weekend.
I
These
agreements
will
ensure
rail
services
continue,
providing
stability
for
passengers,
employees
and
suppliers
at
a
time
of
unprecedented
uncertainty,
given
the
extremely
challenging
budget
position
and
the
current
uncertainty
as
to
the
consequences
flowing
from
uk
government,
these
new
agreements
will
cover
the
period
between
the
20th
of
september
and
the
10th
of
january
2021,
with
an
estimated
additional
resource
rate
expenditure
of
103.5
million
pounds.
I've
also
instructed
my
officials
to
commence
discussions
immediately
with
both
operators
to
seek
agreement
on
a
long-term
plan
for
the
period
beyond
the
january
2021
period.
B
Thank
you
signed
officer.
The
government
has
made
over
40
announcements
on
transport
since
the
start
of
march
and
worth
nearly
650
million.
Only
three
have
been
made
in
parliament,
the
rest
on
twitter
and
press
release,
including
this
one
sneaked
out
on
friday.
So
in
the
interest
of
transparency,
will
the
cabinet
secretary
publish
the
full
emergency
measure
agreement
that
he's
now
agreed
with
the
franchise
companies
instead
of
waiting
until
the
end,
as
he
did
with
the
last
agreement,
and
for
what
the
cabinet
secretary
did
say
in
his
announcement
on
friday?
B
One
change
appears
to
be
that
under
the
new
ema,
the
payment
of
management
fees
to
bilio
or
circle
will
depend
entirely
upon
achieving
satisfactory
performance
level.
Can
the
cabinet
secretary
therefore
tell
us
how
much
has
been
paid
to
those
companies
and
fees
from
the
first
management
agreement
and
what
is
his
estimate
of
the
fees
from
this
new
agreement?.
I
I
In
relation
to
the
other
points
which
remember
has
highlighted,
what
I
can
say
to
him
is
that
there
is
a
copy
of
the
ema
which
has
been
provided
on
the
transport
scotland
website
and
in
relation
to
the
performance
payment.
He
is
correct.
We
have
taken
a
different
approach
from
that
of
the
dft
and
that
there
is
no
automatic
management
fee
paid
to
belial
scott
rail
or
to
serco.
Any
management
fee
must
be
achieved
through
performance,
and
that
is
capped
at
1.5
percent.
I
A
B
Thank
you,
president
officer.
The
camera
takes
us
six
months
to
make
this
statement
and
is
only
answering
the
issue
today
because
of
my
topical
question
now,
the
cabinet
secretary
has
previously
used
the
excuse
that
he
won't
end
the
scotrail
encircle
franchise
and
run
them
via
an
operator
of
last
resort,
because
he
would
eventually
be
forced
down
the
route
of
another
franchise.
It's
now
clear
from
the
announcements
at
the
weekend
that
franchising
is
dead.
K
I
am
extremely
disappointed
that
ssc
decided
not
to
award
bifab
a
contract
for
four
jackets
for
their
sea
green
project,
particularly
as
bifabs
bid
for
this
contract
was
competitive
with
all
other
uk
and
european
bids.
This
would
have
been
a
good
opportunity
for
ssc
to
demonstrate
its
support
for
the
scottish
supply
chain
during
these
challenging
times.
A
J
Torrance
I
thank
cabinet
secretary
for
an
answer
by
fab.
Yards
of
burnt
island
and
methyl
are
both
situated
in
with
my
constituency
and
have
a
huge
impact
on
the
local
economy.
Can
the
cabinet
sector
outline
what
support
the
scottish
government
can
give
to
bifab
to
aid
the
modernization
of
a
yard
and
make
it
more
competitive
to
allow
them
to
diversify
into
different
sectors.
K
The
scottish
government,
along
with
fife
council
scottish
enterprise
and
bifab,
sit
on
the
energy
park
fife
investment
group.
We
continue
to
support
plans
to
modernize
and
standardize
the
yard
methyl,
for
example,
we've
recently
paid
for
areas
of
the
yard
to
be
concreted,
something
that
will
be
vital
to
be
able
to
attract
other
opportunities.
A
J
Turns
the
highly
skilled
and
experienced
workforce
at
biford
have
been
dealt
a
massive
blow
and
are
understandably
devastated
by
this
announcement.
Scotland
has
a
huge
potential
for
renewable
energy
production.
What
role
can
the
scottish
government
and
the
uk
government
play
in
the
procurement
process
to
assist
companies
like
bifab
to
secure
contracts
and
create
jobs
in
this
sector?.
K
The
key
financial
support
mechanisms,
such
as
the
contracts
for
difference
auction
process
are
controlled
by
uk
ministers
and
it
is
such
mechanisms
that
are
driving
costs
down,
pushing
risk
down
the
supply
chain
and
making
it
more
difficult
for
the
domestic
renewables
supply
chain
and
enabling
cut
price
low
labor
cost
yards
in
the
far
middle
east.
To
and
out.
We
continue
to
call
the
uk
government
to
amend
the
contract
for
different
auction
process,
currently
solely
awarded
on
price,
to
better
reflect
value
added
to
the
economy
and
the
importance
of
supply
chain
sustainability.
L
K
Can
I
say
to
the
member:
when
we
have
the
powers
of
independence,
we
will
be
able
to
deliver
that
green
revolution
under
under
devolution.
We
have
a
green
investment
plan
with
a
green
investment
package
of
priorities
for
investments,
and
we
will
use
every
power
that
we
have
just
now
to
make
sure
we
can
deliver.
But
until
the
members
own
party,
the
uk
government,
changes
that
contract
for
difference.
We
will
not
see
the
jobs
that
we
vitally
need
in
fife
and
elsewhere.
So
responsibility
will
lie
where
the
powers
lie.
M
K
Well,
clearly,
the
crown
state
have
their
own
responsibilities
within
that.
But,
as
I
said
in
my
earlier
answer,
the
supply
chain
development
statement
that
they
have
produced
is
exactly
part
of
that
drive
to
make
sure
that
the
benefits
of
this
procurement
can
lie
with
the
scottish
supply
chain,
and
I
very
much
take
on
board
her
points
about
the
fair
work
agenda.
As
part
of
that,
and
I
will
look
into
the
point
she's
making
about
retrospective
issues.