First Minister's Questions 11th September 2025

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The Scottish Parliament

Government

4.8 • 25 Ratings

🗓️ 11 September 2025

⏱️ 46 minutes

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Summary

The First Minister answers questions from Party Leaders and other MSPs in this weekly question time. Topics covered this week include: Ruth Maguire To ask the First Minister, in light of reports of the rising rate of poverty for families with a baby under one and new evidence from Save the Children that increasing Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods payments could significantly reduce the child poverty rate for this priority group, whether the Scottish Government will consider increasing these payments. Brian Whittle To ask the First Minister what urgent steps the Scottish Government is taking in response to reports that nursing and midwifery vacancies have risen by 60% in six months. Paul Sweeney To ask the First Minister what additional support the Scottish Government is giving to the Public Dental Service, in light of reports that there has been a 10% rise in spending over the last two years due to increased demand. A full transcript of this week's First Minister's Questions will be available on the Scottish Parliament website: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report

Transcript

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0:00.0	That concludes general questions. The next item of business is First Minister's questions.
0:04.7	Question number one I call Russell Finley.
0:06.8	Next week, MSPs will vote on the Government's Victims Bill.
0:12.6	During my time here, I've tried to help crime victims whose suffering is far too often
0:17.2	compounded by a justice system that is slow, secretive and unjust. My party has
0:23.6	campaigned to give victims a meaningful voice and greater rights to basic information. We have
0:28.9	campaigned to end the not-proven verdict, which is in the bill. It is welcome that John
0:32.9	Swinney listened to our concerns about the plan to remove juries from some trials which has now
0:38.6	been dropped. The Government has shifted its position on the Victims Bill and we truly
0:44.9	welcome that, but they haven't gone far enough. Does John Swinney really think this bill will
0:51.6	make a material difference to victims.
0:55.0	First Minister?
0:56.0	Yes, I do, I do, and that has been because of a very careful engagement that has been
1:03.0	taken forward by the Justice Secretary in taking this bill through Parliament.
1:07.0	Mr Finlay and I spent some time when I was on the back benches, as he was, scrutinising this
1:14.1	bill when it came to Parliament.
1:16.2	Much of the evidence we heard during that process persuaded me that when I became First
1:20.2	Minister there had to be changes made to the bill, and that was because the Government
1:24.3	listened to the evidence that was put in front of us.
1:27.5	We will continue to do that.
1:29.2	Many of the proposals and reforms that have been suggested in the bill are designed to achieve
1:36.5	the objective that Mr Finley has put to me, which is to make sure that the interests of victims
	...

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