Thank you. That concludes general questions. The next item of business is First Minister's

questions. Question number one. I call Russell Finley.

Thank you, President. The SMP Government previously told the public that it would cost

£100 million to build the new HMP Glasgow. Yesterday, however, the SMP Justice Secretary

dropped a bombshell on Scotland's taxpayers.

She admitted that it would now cost £998,400,000.

That's just shy of £1 billion.

I place a bet with John Swinney right now that that will only go even higher.

So does a billion pound Berlinie really represent good value for Scotland's taxpayers?

First Minister.

It is essential that we replace HMP Burlini, and we have got numerous reports from

His Majesty's Inspector of Prisons encouraging us to do so, and Parliament has obviously

pressed us to undertake this project, and we recognise it has to be done.

Of course, the full rigour of cost analysis has been applied to this project.

The project is different to the original project that led to the estimate that Mr Finley

has set out today.

I can assure him that the Government will monitor and control the costs

carefully as the project takes its course.

I think the First Minister's undertaking is causing some anxiety with taxpayers, because

it is them who are paying the price for this SMP incompetence and also

for their perverse priorities because instead of building a high security prison to lock up rapists

and murderers, John Swinney thinks he is building either a luxury resort or a nature reserve.

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